Psalm 62:5-8

“For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from him.” vs. 5

Every day we are besieged by “breaking news” from around the world. Breathless commentators go on and on about a new tweet, an uptick in the stock market, a terrorist attack in a subway, an earthquake, a massive snow storm….the list goes on and on…and our little minds can scarcely take it in. And then we wonder. If it’s all so important why is it so forgettable? Who can even remember what last month’s crisis was all about? Besides, what’s really important is the Super Bowl! Except…most of us can’t remember who won last year! When we take time to reflect it seems obvious that the psalmist is right. Only God can give peace and hope to our souls…and that involves patiently waiting in silence…maybe even without our earbuds! But who can do that? When we can’t stand even a momentary delay in our internet connections how can we even think about waiting for anything? We wouldn’t mind getting peace from God, but we’d like it now! Of course that’s not how God works. It’s only when we learn to slow down and bathe our souls in silence that we hear the still, small voice that gives hope. The first step is the hardest: turning off the external noise. After that it’s a matter of finding a time and a place to wait. God will come…we can count on it…and our souls will give thanks.

Thought for the Day: What happens when I wait in silence?

onah 3:5,10

“When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them; and he did not do it.” vs. 10

Love changed God’s mind about the fate of Nineveh. Jonah didn’t much care about God’s decision but anyone who has loved from the heart will understand. When someone for whom we care deeply returns from the dark side we will open our arms and our hearts to embrace and forgive. It happens again and again. Unfaithful spouses return and marriages are restored. Disobedient children run off to see where evil dwells and when when they come back we tend to their wounds and welcome them home. Often there will have been threats and promises of vengeance…but all that is forgotten for the sake of love. What a gift it is to be able to change our minds and go back on our word! And what a blessing this little story is! If God’s mind can be changed it’s surely a possibility for us. We don’t have to do what we’ve threatened to do or levy heavy punishments on those who have hurt us. Mercy is one of the sweetest gifts that we can offer one another in times of crisis or need…and to know that mercy and not vengeance is at the very heart of God’s being is perhaps the greatest blessing of all.

Thought for the Day: When am I likely to change my mind?

Jonah 3:1-4

“Get up, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you.” v. 2

Jonah did not like his mission assignment! Nineveh was the capital city of the hated Assyrians and Jonah had zero love for the country or its people. But he had no choice but to go…when he’d tried to escape the draft by fleeing across the sea the Lord had summoned a great fish to bring him back. The second time the orders came Jonah went. It’s an immensely entertaining story and hits at the core of our own reluctance to do what we’re called to do. The truth is that God loves people that we can’t stand. More than that, God even wants them to experience forgiveness and enjoy great blessings. Left to our own devices we would prefer to bring good news to those we like and maybe ignore all the others. As a result our congregations often turn out to be exclusive groups of like-minded people. But that’s completely unacceptable to God. Again and again he calls us to get off our rears and proclaim the gospel of grace to the unlovable. Even those we might regard as enemies are the much loved children of God. Perhaps it’s time for us to take a second look at our call to follow Jesus. There are some hurting folks in our world that will never hear the message unless we deliver it.

Thought for the Day: What message does God have for my enemies?

John 1:47-51

“Jesus answered, ‘Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.’” vs. 50

Nathaniel was expecting to meet a carpenter’s son from Nazareth when he went with Philip. Instead he encountered Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, the king of Israel and he was blown away, turned from a doubter to a believer within moments of their introduction. Nathaniel’s faith story is the first to be told by the gospel writer John but it’s certainly not the last. Again and again as people meet Jesus they are moved to confess him as Lord. Of course that’s John’s intention…his whole gospel was written to convince the world that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God. Most of us have belief stories too. Some, like Nathaniel, don’t need much convincing at all…there’s just something about Jesus that is irresistible…and the recorded miracles are amazing. Others need the greater things hinted at by Jesus in this text. For them it’s all about the resurrection…and they actually feel the presence of Jesus in their lives. But others have an even tougher time believing that Jesus is the Christ. Miracles are unconvincing and the resurrection is hard to swallow. These folks are tough nuts to crack…but surprisingly some of them become believers too. For one reason or another they put aside their incredulity and embrace faith…and it becomes the cornerstone of their life!

Thought for the Day: What makes me a believer?

John 1:43-46

“Nathanael said to him, ‘Can anything good come out of Nazareth?’ Philip said to him, ‘Come and see.’” vs. 46

Nathanael knew Nazareth. It was a sleepy little town in the hills and had no history to speak of…it wasn’t even mentioned in any of the Hebrew scriptures. From his perspective it seemed unlikely that it would produce the long-awaited messiah and his answer to Philip reveals his scepticism. But Philip doesn’t argue…this wasn’t the sort of issue that could be resolved with debate. Nathaniel had to see with his own eyes so he offers a simple invitation, “Come and see.” Philip’s strategy worked and it’s still the best way to deal with skeptics, particularly when it comes to matters of faith. We’ll never convince anyone to become a follower of Jesus by debating or arguing with them, and in these strange times we have an additional problem with image. Many unbelievers are not impressed by what they see in contemporary evangelical Christianity…they see Christian leaders saying bizarre stuff and adopting unChristlike positions. And like Nathaniel they wonder…why should I bother to get mixed up with these crazies? We who have met the real Jesus will need patience in our inviting…the first “come and see” may not be enough. But fruitful living always has power. When people see that we know true peace and joy and that our lives are grounded in love, one day they will respond to our invitation…and they will meet Jesus too.

Thought for the Day: Who can I invite to come and see Jesus?

1 Corinthians 6:12-20

“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body.” vss. 19-20

The Corinthians were permissive folks and had pretty much lowered the bar for personal behavior in their congregation. They’d taken to heart Paul’s words about grace and had concluded that all things were lawful for them, including consorting with prostitutes. When Paul gets wind of their careless practices he offers guidance in no uncertain terms, saying, “Yes, all things are lawful…but that doesn’t mean you should do them!” His words are helpful to us as we pick our way through the muddled morality of contemporary culture. It’s true that we can do whatever we please, but there are also core values that every follower of Jesus will uphold…and one of them has to do with the way we use our bodies, which Paul describes as temples of the Holy Spirit. As far as sexuality is concerned, we are not called to be ascetics or deny that we have desires…but we are to use the gift of sex in a way that brings glory to God and enhances our close relationships. And the same thing is true of other appetites common to us all. We often overindulge in a myriad of ways, and we’re expert at finding new ways to abuse our bodies. Aristotle prescribed a “golden mean” for living, making choices that avoid the extremes, and Paul likely would not disagree!

Thought for the Day: What would Paul say about pornography?

Psalm 139:13-18

“I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well.” vs. 14

There’s a lot of talk these days about artificial intelligence and the possibility that one day we’ll be able to manufacture robots that can outperform humans. The psalmist would roll his eyes at such presumption…and we should too! Even though many of us occasionally call ourselves “idiots” and are quick to disparage our own capabilities, the truth is that each of us are, in the psalmist’s words, “fearfully and wonderfully made.” Our parts are knit together with mind-boggling intricacy and the resulting bodies are works of art. A parent looking at a newborn child can only marvel that a seemingly random encounter of a sperm and an egg can produce  something so perfect and beautiful. We can work endlessly in our laboratories to understand bodily functions and unravel the secrets of genetic codes, but we can’t replicate that which God has wrought. No wonder the psalmist had nothing but praise and thanks for the Lord. He knew how spectacular it was to be a living creature in this amazing universe. What a blessing it is when we can embrace our bodies as a precious gift and then carefully tend to their nurture and development. Obviously each of us have unique and distinct gifts, some more valued in our culture than others, but all of us have a special place in the heart of God. All have been molded according to God’s design.

Thought for the Day: How well am I taking care of my body?

Psalm 139:1-6

“O Lord, you have searched me and known me. You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is so high that I cannot attain it.” vss. 1, 3, 6

The psalmist wanted the world to know that God is more involved with our lives than we can even imagine. There is no part of daily living that does not include God…there is nothing that we can keep hidden. Even though we know nothing of God, God knows everything about us, including our most intimate thoughts…God even knows the things about us that we don’t know! Granted, there are some folks who would scoff at such a notion. They believe that humans have created their own gods and that religion is foolishness. Now it is true that religions are a human invention…and some of our religious beliefs are outdated…but to say that God is not real is a complete stretch. God is at least as real as we are! The problem is that God is greater than our finite minds can possibly comprehend, and as a result our God definitions will always fall short. These precious words from the psalmist are about as good as can be done…and reflect a humility that is too often lacking in this world of out-sized egos and massive self-aggrandizement. In the beginning God was, God is now, and God will always be! All praise and glory to God!

Thought for the Day: What benefit comes with believing that God is real?

1 Samuel 3:7-10

“Now the Lord came and stood there, calling as before, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ And Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant is listening.’” vs. 10

Three times Samuel heard the voice of the Lord and thought it was the priest, Eli, calling to him. The fourth time, having been prompted by Eli, he figured out that it was the Lord, and he listened. That conversation was the beginning of Samuel’s long and illustrious career as a judge and prophet of Israel. He became the mouthpiece of the Lord and gained the respect of the entire nation. Most of us don’t ever expect to have an experience like that of Samuel and some are doubtful that such things even happen any more. As a result, like Samuel, our ears tend to be deaf to the Lord and we live as though we’re the ones in charge. Fortunately the Lord is persistent and keeps on calling our names until we wise up and pay attention. It’s at that point that life gets interesting! It’s then that our eyes are opened and we begin to see the special opportunities for loving and serving that the Lord has in mind for us. How do we know if it’s really the Lord who is calling us? The answer is easy. Like Samuel we check it out…and if it’s really the Lord our mission will be abundantly clear. Of course, sometimes it’s not the Lord…and that too will become apparent. The key is responding, and not just turning over and going back to sleep!

Thought for the Day: What is the Lord calling me to do?

1 Samuel 3:1-6

“Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. The word of the Lord was rare in those days; visions were not widespread.” vs. 1

Samuel’s mother, Hannah, had dedicated him to the service of the Lord in grateful thanksgiving for his birth and he’d been living at the sanctuary in Shiloh under the tutelage of the priest, Eli. It wasn’t a happy time for Eli…his sons were scoundrels and he had gone blind. He seems to have almost given up on the Lord…people were making a mockery of worship and God appeared to be absent. Everyone was just going through the motions. Truly faithful people like Hannah were few and far between. It’s not unusual to feel that way. Some of us may have had those kinds of experiences with the church. People were doing things. Worship was still happening. It’s easy for people of faith to start going through the motions and get bogged down in rituals. And sometimes our leaders, like Eli’s sons, are just jerks. We have the sense they’re really not believers and are just using their positions for personal profit or self-gratification. Those are real seasons of barrenness for us…we could even begin to doubt our own faith or lose sight of our convictions.  And then it happens…the Lord speaks…and life is good again. Thank God for women like Hannah! Again and again their faithfulness has borne fruit and we realize that God is real…and more than an ancient fiction.

Thought for the Day: Where have I heard the word of the Lord?