Isaiah 55:3-5

“See, you shall call nations that you do not know, and nations that do not know you shall run to you, because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you.” vs. 5

The prophet’s vision was beyond audacious. He wasn’t speaking to a triumphant nation, a country that had won major battles and expanded its boundaries. He was talking to a remnant, the few survivors of a beleaguered small country that had been destroyed by foreign armies. In spite of that history he insisted that one day this people would be a force among the nations and known throughout the world. Why did he believe this? Well, it wasn’t because they had developed atomic weapons. Rather, he spoke confidently of the future because the Lord their God had been with them in the past…and the promises of the Holy One of Israel could be trusted. And the people believed the words of the prophet…his faith became theirs and that faith then ensured the powerful continuing presence of the Jewish people. They could not be exterminated or subdued…they were God’s chosen ones. That same kind of faith is our inheritance as followers of Jesus. We too are born of the root of Jesse and we too will be a force among the nations forever, not because we live in a country with a powerful army, but because God is with us and will never abandon us.

Thought for the Day: What is Israel’s place among the nations today?

Isaiah 55:1-2

“Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.” vs. 2

We don’t have control over every part of our lives, but we can, for the most part,  make decisions about how we spend our money and our time. When it comes to money financial advisers will tell us to make detailed budgets and to avoid risky investments. And some of us do well. We tithe our income to charitable causes and use the rest to provide for home and family. But God help us if we think our money can buy happiness! That only can happen when we give it away! Our use of time is even more of a challenge. We don’t have an infinite supply and the clock is running. Too many of us get caught up in labor that doesn’t satisfy, a job that is boring or demeaning that we can’t quit because we need the income. And then when retirement comes, the challenge can become even more intense. How shall we use our remaining days and years? Can we spend our time in way that has value for ourselves and others? What a pity it is for those who come to the end of their lives and discover that they’ve wasted money and frittered away time. Fortunately, it’s never too late to make a fresh start. Joy and delight are waiting for us.

Thought for the Day: The best thing I’ve spent my money on.

Matthew 13:44-52

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” vs. 44

Of course Jesus isn’t endorsing unethical behavior in telling this parable; that’s not the point at all. Rather he’s focusing on the amazing joy that comes with encountering God’s kingdom in the world. Most of the time we probably don’t even think about such things. But just imagine what it would be like if one day we stumbled on an aspect of God’s presence that blew our minds. That actually happens to some people. They’ve been wandering through life focusing on work, pleasure, and family, the sorts of things all of us spend time with, and then one day it hits them. They have an experience of God’s love that shakes their souls, and all of the preoccupation with accumulation and wealth that had defined their lives fades away like a bad dream. In an instant they’ve caught a glimpse of the spiritual dimension and seen God’s presence, and they want more! So what do they do? In joy they buy the field! They begin to spend their time and energy to soak in the good news and revel in the extravagant love of their Maker. Everything is devoted to walking in the Way of Jesus and spending life’s equities on eternal values. In Jesus’ own words, “they store up for themselves treasure in heaven, where rust and moth do not consume and thieves do not break in and steal.”

Thought for the Day: What do I treasure?

The page is now up and the brochure can be seen at http://www.gtd.org  Group Number 180209. I’m sorry for any inconvenience.

Matthew 13:31-33

“He told them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.’” vs. 33

Jesus uses a number of parables to help his hearers understand the mysterious presence of the kingdom of heaven in our world, but the insights we receive as he compares the kingdom to yeast are unparalleled. What an amazing image! Yeast is a single-celled fungus that in the presence of warm water causes bread to rise by converting the sugar in flour into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Just a tiny amount of yeast produces amazing results…without it all bread would be flat. Jesus wants us to know that while the kingdom of heaven may seem insignificant it has a powerful influence in this broken world. Where it is present lives are touched and transformed and the light of Christ shines brightly. Sometimes it’s easy to get discouraged because the Church isn’t dominating the scene like we imagine that it  once did. The parable of the yeast reminds us that followers of Jesus, even when we’re small in numbers, can have an outsize effect on the world. In fact we’re probably at our best when we can focus on radical inclusive loving and not worry about trying to be the biggest show in town. Our call is to be present in the world and not worry about conquering the world!

Thought for the Day: How can a few Christians affect an entire community?

Romans 8:31-39

“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” vss. 38-39

For many these words from Paul are the most precious in all of scripture. Often we hear them quoted at funerals or memorial services to give hope and comfort in a time of deep sorrow. This really is the good news in a nutshell! When we get to the end of our theological debates and our endless squabbles about proper doctrine, one great truth remains. There is nothing, not even death itself, that can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. There’s no sin so awful that love cannot forgive it, no pain so intense that love cannot heal it, no failure so complete that love cannot overlook it. In a word, the love of God conquers all! This isn’t the mushy romantic love that dominates our films and music. This is confident and triumphant love, a love that was revealed in the self-giving life of Jesus, and that was affirmed in his resurrection. When we face despair and sadness, when life closes in on us, and we suffer from loneliness and depression, it’s a blessing to be reminded that we’ll never ever be separated from God’s love. The promise is sure!

Thought for the Day: When have these verses brought comfort to me?

Romans 8:26-30

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.” vs. 26

As followers of Jesus we should never imagine that we know everything or that we know all the answers. Nor should we believe that we will always be strong and confident in every situation. The truth is that our weakness will regularly be on display and we won’t be nearly so strong or wise as we would like to be. In fact, Paul told the Romans that even he didn’t always know how to pray as he ought. Most of us can resonate with those words. So often in the course of our days we run into situations that just baffle us…we know we ought to say a prayer but we don’t really know what we should say. Sometimes people even call us prayer warriors and task us with making God connections…and it’s embarrassing when all we can do is mutter cliches. Paul tells us not to worry about appearances. As Jesus had promised, we have an Advocate to intercede on our behalf when our weakness is overwhelming. Prayer is a time for sighs too deep for words and not crowd-pleasing eloquence. We can be confident that God always has our back and that ultimately all things will work together for good…especially when we haven’t a clue about what to say or do.

Thought for the Day: What gives me problems in my prayers?

Don’t be alarmed! This is not a test! And it most certainly isn’t a meditation. Some of you know that I’m leading a tour group to Israel and Palestine next February and March. And if you didn’t know…well, I am!

We’ll be flying to Tel Aviv on February 24, 2018 and spend several days touring Galilee and visiting Jerusalem and the Palestinian Territories. We’ll see the usual pilgrimage sites and also have a chance to visit with locals about the ongoing conflicts. There are some signs of hope too…and we’ll be seeing them.

If you are interested, check out the brochure at http://www.gtd.org. The group number G# is 180209. All reservations and deposits are done through Group Travel Directors in Minneapolis. Most of your questions can be answered by downloading the brochure…if you have more just contact me.

Looking forward to seeing you on the journey.

Steve

Psalm 119:133-136

“Keep my steps steady according to your promise, and never let iniquity have dominion over me.” vs. 133

As we make our way through life we can never be certain about what lies ahead on the journey. There twists and turns aplenty and veterans among us know better than to speak confidently about future plans. There will always be surprises and often more mystery than we would like. We do know that there is value in having plan or a guide for daily living, perhaps a set of disciplines that can provide stability and order when chaos threatens. The psalmist would advise familiarity with the laws of God. When we pay attention to those time-honored and basic precepts there’ll be a steadiness to our gait and we’ll be less likely to wander off or go astray. More than that, with obedience there will be promised blessings and we will do well in our daily battle with sin. Of course we followers of Jesus have another advantage. We are walking in the footsteps of the Light of the World! That’s a huge blessing! And more than that, we are not alone! We’re a part of a whole community of believers and they’ll be with us through every trial and crisis. In them we will find support in our suffering and encouragement in our distress. In their presence iniquity doesn’t have a chance!

Thought for the Day: How steady are my steps these days?

Psalm 119:120-133

“The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple.” vs. 130

Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the entire bible and is devoted to the exaltation of the law. The psalmist obviously loves the decrees of the Lord and has crafted every verse with great care and attention to detail. Some followers of Jesus aren’t quite sure what to do with this kind of devotion. We’ve been told that the law kills and that Jesus was crucified for challenging its strict observance. We might have some lingering respect for the Ten Commandments but to say that we love the law would be a stretch. The psalmist would be appalled! For him the law was the foundation of life and those who neglected it would be like fools wandering in the darkness. He found enlightenment in its words and believed that it was essential for wise living. If we reflect only for a moment we can easily see the truth of his claims. Law provides boundaries for healthy relationships and a framework for a just society. Without the rule of law corruption would triumph and reasonable economic interactions would become impossible. No parent could even dream of raising a well-balanced child without the discipline that comes through obedience and respect for authority. No wonder the psalmist went on for 176 verses in praise of the law. In his estimation it was God’s greatest gift to humanity…and we are hard-pressed to disagree. It is indeed a blessing!

Thought for the Day: If the law is so beautiful, why don’t we obey it?