Psalm 91:9-12

“For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.” vs. 11

Ever since ancient times people of many cultures and belief systems have testified to the existence of angels who have been assigned by God to particular people or even countries. Even when not convinced by evidence many Christians hold that each of us have guardian angels…some even believe that they are alive today because their angel stepped in to save them in a precarious situation. All of us have heard their stories. When their children go out at night even skeptics pray that guardian angels will keep them safe. We want to believe that God does keep people safe and guards them from every form of evil. Of course it doesn’t always work. Even the psalmist was aware that sometimes awful things happen to decent people in this often dangerous world. But that doesn’t mean that God doesn’t care or that some guardian angels are inept. All it means is that sometimes bad things happen…that’s how it is for all people…and sometimes we feel the pain of that intensely. And because we know that those things do happen we pray our hearts out that our loved ones would be safe. God never abandons any of us at any time but we want badly for family and friends to lead long and fruitful lives. Are there really guardian angels? We can’t know that…but we fervently pray that there are!

Thought for the Day: What do I think about guardian angels?

Isaiah 53:10-12

“Out of his anguish he shall see light; he shall find satisfaction through his knowledge. The righteous one, my servant, shall make many righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.” vs. 11

The primary salvation stories of the Old and New Testament have suffering at their core. In each of them the hero faces unparalleled pain and anguish…and in each of them there there is ultimate light and forgiveness. That pattern has continued for the people of God and many among us bear testimony to the ultimate victory of mercy in the face of judgment. We see it in various ways throughout our journey of faith. In those moments when despair threatens to overwhelm us the clouds part and we see the light of Christ shining brightly. Our tears are wiped away and through the witness of our pain those around us are edified. Contrary to popular notions it’s the way we deal with sorrow that speaks most clearly to those who hunger for hope. That’s why we’re drawn to Jesus on the Way…we know and believe that he is the righteous one and that through him we have been made righteous. And as the story continues we become the ones carrying the cross and we become the ones who lift up the fallen and bear the iniquities of the broken. We are the ones who give our lives for others…it’s through us that the salvation story continues. It’s through us that the light shines in the darkness and all people see the glory of God!

Thought for the Day: How can my pain be a testimony to others?

Isaiah 53:4-9

“But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed.” vs. 5

The prophet was speaking in the context of the greatest disaster that the people of Israel had ever experienced. The temple had been destroyed and large numbers of them were now living in exile. Trying to make sense of what had happened the prophet paints an image of a suffering servant, one who had been wounded to make his people whole again. After the death of Jesus as the disciples searched their scriptures for an explanation of his suffering they found their answer in the prophet’s words. The whole purpose of the cross was to bring healing to humanity. Jesus had been crushed for their iniquities. In the centuries that followed this insight was passed from generation to generation and has become the central focus of the Christian faith. Instead of being a mark of shame the cross become the image of love and forgiveness and dominates our places of worship. In our day the followers of Jesus lift high the cross, gather around it at times of sadness and celebration, and find in its message their greatest consolation. Because it is such a common symbol of the faith we can easily forget its radical testimony. Think of it! The salvation of the world comes, not through conquering warriors, but through the suffering and the oppression of victims! It’s a truth so profound we can’t possibly understand it…but as we affirm it, we are healed.

Thought for the Day: What is the message of the cross?

Mark 10:28-31

“Peter began to say to him, ‘Look, we have left everything and followed you.’” vs. 28

It seems that sometimes the disciples were confused by Jesus’ words and wondered if they’d made the right decision to follow him. In this instance his comments about the impossibility of salvation had made Peter think that their commitments and sacrifices had been pointless. That’s a common reaction to the gospel of grace. If it’s all God, then what’s left for us to do? Are there any benefits at all for being a follower of Jesus if ultimately all are saved by grace? Jesus is unequivocal in his answer. He tells the disciples, “Absolutely…there are blessings beyond measure in this world and in the life to come for those who choose to follow me.” Experience and observation verify his promise. When we are moved to make sacrifices as a result of our faith…even if we give away all we have…there will be over-the-top compensation. We’ll never be disappointed. And it’s not a matter of having to wait until we die to cash in on the benefits. Goodness will flow our way in this life as well. And the blessings won’t all be spiritual in nature! There’ll be material surprises  along the way…that which we did not seek will become ours…maybe more than we deserve. Life in Christ is not necessarily one of privation…but all that we receive will be a gift…that’s what life under grace is all about.

Thought for the Day: Things that I have which I did not seek!

Mark 10:23-27

“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” vs. 25

It’s funny how upset folks get when their pastors talk about money. They might tolerate a few words on giving come Consecration Sunday but at other times of the year pastors are expected to talk about spiritual stuff. Unfortunately, no one ever got the word to Jesus! He regularly speaks about money and riches and consistently has harsh words for the wealthy. In his estimation the biggest obstacle to kingdom living was material abundance. His image of the camel and the eye of a needle is well known and scholars seeking loopholes for the wealthy have bent over backwards to explain away its jaw-dropping bluntness. He’s not saying that the rich have to humble themselves like a camel getting on its knees to go through a small gate…he’s saying it’s impossible for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! It’s a jolting statement…especially in a culture like ours that reveres wealth and puts the rich on a pedestal. Of course we don’t need to worry…no one takes Jesus seriously when he says things like this. Mostly we just ignore him. But sometimes he makes us think. What is it about wealth that is so destructive? Why do so many strive to be rich when it’s so dangerous? What if Jesus knew what he was talking about?

Thought for the Day: What makes a person rich?

Mark 10:17-22

“Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, ‘You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’” vs. 21

The man in our text was craving more from life than he had been getting and he interrupts Jesus with his plea, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” The answer he got shocked him…and he went away in sadness. We should be shocked too, but of course we aren’t. We’re familiar with Jesus and his sayings and we’ve developed ways of moderating or completely ignoring his radical instructions. There are probably none of us that would even think for a second that we are called to sell what we have and give the money to the poor. More often than not our motto is “I’ve got mine and I’m going to keep it!” It’s not that we don’t give…many of us give generously from our excess income to churches and relief efforts…but seldom will those gifts be sacrificial. And that’s not going to change…no preacher or prophet is going to convince us otherwise. Even so, it would be sad if we didn’t at least take some time to meditate on the great truth behind Jesus’ words. Possessions and wealth can never give us the blessings of eternal life! It’s something to ponder…the stuff we love so much is the biggest barrier to the fulfillment of our deepest spiritual desires.

Thought for the Day: Why do I have so much stuff I don’t need?

Hebrews 4:12-16

“Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” vs. 16

Occasionally we run into folks who carry a heaven burden of sin…they’ve done or said things, mostly known only to themselves, that have left them with a giant dose of guilt. They know about forgiveness but have the sense that it doesn’t apply for them…that somehow they’ve slipped beyond the possibility of reconciliation. Perhaps they learned in their Sunday School class that God was a jealous God, one who punishes even unto the third and fourth generation. Whatever the reason, they now understand themselves to be outside the company of the redeemed. They’re reluctant to attend worship and unwilling to participate in Holy Communion. This verse from Hebrews addresses such persons…it speaks of a throne of grace and not judgement. And we sinners are encouraged to approach the throne with boldness…for us it is a source of mercy and grace, a place to find help in time of need. Would that every person carrying a burden of guilt could take these words to heart. There’s enough needless suffering in this world…there’s no need for any more! We have a God who loves and cares…we fear him but need not be afraid. And even more than that, we have a Savior who understands what it means to be human…one who understands our weaknesses…and in him we are made strong!

Thought for the Day: Why do I need mercy?

Psalm 90:12-17

“Make us glad as many days as you have afflicted us, and as many years as we have seen evil.” vs. 15

The psalmist isn’t asking for the moon here, his request is simple, “O Lord, may we at least have as many good days as bad days in life.” We can understand his thinking…because sometimes it seems as though things have gotten out of balance  So if we’ve had a string of years in which nothing has gone right it seems only just that they be followed by an equal number of years that are full of blessings. Whether the universe actually works like this is another question. And to blame God for the afflictions and the evil we endure does seem a bit of a stretch. But when we’re down in the dumps we don’t worry about logic. All we know is that we’re feeling bad and we want some relief. When the psalmist had those days he let God know about it and that’s not a bad move. It’s perfectly appropriate for us in our prayers to offer our complaints and laments…and if we’ve had a whole series of bad days we have every right to ask for gladness. That’s one of the blessings that comes from reading the psalms…the writers had an open connection to God and they never fail to let God know what’s going on. They are the perfect model for us…the first rule of prayer is to always be honest!

Thought for the Day: What complaints are a part of my prayers?

Amos 5:12-15

“Therefore the prudent will keep silent in such a time; for it is an evil time.” vs. 13

These words from Amos seem a bit strange in their context. He’s been railing against injustice and taking shots at the excesses of the wealthy. We’d expect that he would encourage his listeners to speak up and join the crusade. But he doesn’t do that…instead he says that the prudent will keep silent in such a time. His words are strangely prescient for those of us who are lamenting the sad case of political discourse in this election campaign. Even a brief encounter with television or radio ads is enough to turn our stomachs…and all of the candidates are doing it. There seems to be a concerted effort to sow division in our country…to force us to take sides. Some are finding that long time friendships are being threatened. With that as a backdrop Amos is right…the prudent thing for us to do is simply keep our mouths shut and keep on doing those things we know are pleasing to the Lord. Focus on good and speak up for justice…love kindness and mercy…pray for our enemies and treat those with whom we disagree with respect! Use our ears often and our tongues seldom, and perhaps some day the incivility will come to an end! There’s no question about it. These are difficult times…and followers of Jesus are being challenged to let their light shine for all to see.

Thought for the Day: When is speaking up the right thing to do?

Amos 5:6-7, 10-12

“Seek the Lord and live, or he will break out against the house of Joseph like fire, and it will devour Bethel, with no one to quench it.” vs. 6

King Jeroboam II, of the tribe of Ephraim, one of Joseph’s sons, was riding high. The country of Israel was enjoying a period of unprecedented prosperity and the wealthy were getting even richer. They were hard-pressed to think of what to spend their money on and were even building winter homes in the Jordan Valley and decorating them with ivory imported from Africa. That was the scene when Amos, from the country of Judah, showed up with his message of doom. Where others saw riches he saw injustice, recognizing that the new found wealth stemmed from exploitation of the poor. While the royal court had contempt for Amos and his message some scribes believed that he spoke a word from the Lord and wrote down his oracles…and those words are now a part of our scripture. They remind us that too often wealth and prosperity come at the expense of the needy and the poor. It’s a message for all time…and needs to be heard in every nation that is focused on material gain. Amos’ words were remembered because they came true…and now they may very well be a wake-up call for us. Greed and injustice always go together, and when they dominate the culture, the consequences are devastating.

Thought for the Day: When does prosperity become a curse?