Psalm 23:4-6

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.” vs. 6

Not every day is filled with green pastures and still waters! No matter how carefully we walk the paths of righteousness, sooner or later we’re going to enter the valley of the shadow of death, and it’s going to be scary. And guess what, our Shepherd Lord plunges into the darkness right alongside us. In those moments we’ll need more than gentle nudges, and the Shepherd’s rod and staff will be both our guide and our comfort. And when we’ve moved through the last of the valleys one day there’ll be time for reconciliation and feasting. At that banqueting table even our enemies will be present. Think of it! All those folks who we’ve scorned and vilified–all those people who have unfriended us on Facebook–everyone will be there. And in their presence our heads will be anointed with oil, and our cups will overflow. That’s what life with our Shepherd Lord is like. No one is left out and no one is excluded. No wonder this psalm has touched hearts in such deep and profound ways. From the beginning to the end, through every chapter and crisis of life, the Lord is with us. And more than that we are assured that goodness and mercy will follow us every step of the way, and the end is really the beginning. We will live in the house of the Lord forever.

Thought for the Day: How have I experienced the truth of this psalm?

Psalm 23:1-3

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake.” vss. 1-3

It’s nice to have a shepherd. More than a companion, better than a friend, our Shepherd Lord meets us in the morning with a menu for the day. We won’t worry about our wants or desires because we receive all that we need. And as we move from one hour to the next there’ll be plenty of food and drink, and even time for shutting our eyes in contented thanksgiving. Our Shepherd wants us to rest on the journey, and there’s time for pleasant walks in pleasing places. When life is a grind, and anxieties tear away at our core, our Shepherd Lord tells us, “Look at the birds, and consider the lilies of the field.” Our souls are restored! When we come to a fork in the way and wonder which road we shall take, our Lord bids us to choose the one less traveled by, and assures us that we will never be alone. And as we prayerfully take that first step we feel a gentle nudge and soon discover the joy that comes with walking in the way of righteousness. And when twilight slowly closes in and weariness enters our bones, the Shepherd opens the door to the fold, and we can lay down our heads for deep rest. Oh my, it’s really nice to have a shepherd!

Thought for the Day: What is life like with a shepherd?

Acts 4:5-12

“There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.” vs. 12

According to Luke, all the leaders of the Jerusalem hierarchy were present at the trial of Peter and John. And when Peter is questioned about his authority, unlike Jesus, he does not remain silent before his accusers. Instead, he doubles down and makes an assertion so audacious that many contemporary followers of Jesus are embarrassed. We really don’t like to make exclusive claims about the way of salvation, and are much more likely to say that there are many paths to God, and that Christianity is just one of them. There is much good that can be said about our current efforts to be seen as inclusive in this diverse and multicultural world–we’ve seen how meanspirited and unloving the exclusive approach can be. And it’s freeing to have conversations with our Buddhist friends while keeping quiet about Jesus. And it’s nice to say to our children when they leave our homes, “Go ahead and experiment, Honey, after all it really doesn’t make any difference what you believe.” But some are wondering! What do we lose when we stop seeing Jesus as the Way of salvation for all people? Is it possible that we’ve watered down our faith to the point where all the passion has disappeared? Can we be on fire for Jesus and inclusive at the same time?

Thought for the Day: What does my passion for Jesus look like?

Luke 24:41-48

“and he said to them, ‘Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.’” vss. 46-47

Even with their doubts the disciples believed that the good news of the resurrection had to be shared. Gospel writers made it clear that the message of repentance and forgiveness of sins was to be proclaimed to all nations. And so the disciples went: doubting Thomas to India, denying Peter to Rome, and ultimately the gospel was heard all around the world. Many have relished the stories of faithful missionaries spending their lives at great personal sacrifice to share the Easter story with those who had never heard. Some might think that since so many have been reached, the mission is over and there’s no longer any need for proclamation. That’s a nice thought, but it’s not even close to being true! Instead, what we have discovered is that it only takes one generation for the good news to be lost or forgotten. And if evangelism isn’t on the front burner of our mission, the incentive to share the gospel disappears. Many have stopped sharing their stories of faith–it could be that doubt has tied their tongues–or maybe it’s embarrassment. Whatever the reason, the number of unbelievers is increasing among us–and the call to proclaim belongs to us as much as it belonged to Thomas and Peter.

Thought for the Day: Why is proclamation difficult?

Luke 24:36b-43

“He said to them, ‘Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself.’” vss. 38-39b

The resurrection accounts in our gospels are different, and reflect the sources available to their writers. This is to be expected–the resurrection is a singular event and there are no words to describe what took place. But the writers do a great job in reflecting the feeling of the disciples who had encounters with the Risen Christ. In each case there is a combination of fear, excitement, bewilderment, and doubt. That doubt factor is the tough one, and is the feeling that many deal with in considering the resurrection. Interestingly, the disciples were not stymied by their doubts, and went out in faith to share the good news of resurrection with the world. That’s a good lesson as we live with our doubts in our time–there’s no reason why such thoughts and feelings should keep us from our mission or from worship. In fact, doubt and faith aren’t incompatible. Where one is, the other will be also–that’s just the nature of both. What is damaging is when we allow our doubts to have the victory and faith is trampled underfoot. That’s when the bad stuff can really begin to happen! But as we learn to continue in faith in the presence of doubts we discover the fruits of faith for joyful living. Even in our meager faith the Risen Christ comes near, and in him there is eternal peace.

Thought for the Day: How do I handle my doubts? 

1 John 3:4-7

“No one who abides in him sins; no one who sins has either seen him or known him.” vs. 6

On the surface John seems to be talking out of both sides of his mouth. On the one hand he writes, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us,” and yet a few paragraphs later he tells us, “no one who sins has either seen him or known him.” What gives? How shall we understand these apparent contradictions? The answer, of course, is that both statements are true! This is another example of a paradox. Those early pastors and preachers who proclaimed a gospel of grace figured out in a hurry the message of “grace alone” would be abused and misunderstood by sinners. Such folks mistakenly believed that a message of love and forgiveness was a prescription for doing as they pleased. Fortunately leaders like Paul and John didn’t abandon grace and return to the law. They simply pointed out the truth. Sin is incompatible with the righteousness of God! So, as John puts it, anyone who sins doesn’t have a clue about who God is! Grace is intended to change us, and not make us content with being sinners! The words of absolution that we hear in our rituals of confession and forgiveness have power! We can actually become the persons God intends us to be! We sinners are actually made righteous! 

Thought for the Way: What signs of righteousness am I seeing in my life?

1 John 3:1-3

“Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is.” vs. 2

Much to our chagrin many of us have discovered that as we grow older, we begin to resemble our parents. In fact, it’s not unusual for a person who has known our father or mother, and who then meets us, to immediately comment on the similarity in facial features or even mannerisms. Whether we like it or not, our genes are constantly at work to make the old proverb come true, “an apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” John probably was aware of this truth, and used it to offer a word of hope to his readers. He tells them that as God’s children we don’t know exactly how life will play out. But he does believe that ultimately we will grow into the image and likeness of God. In other words, we will become what we have been created to be. Since we have God’s DNA embedded in our souls from birth, we will still have that DNA when we breathe our last breath. It’s inevitable, and that truth should be a great consolation as we live out our earthly lives. Even if we’re at the awkward stage of our spiritual growth, kind of gawky and unremarkable, one day we will be like God. That’s something to look forward to!

Thought for the Day: What physical characteristics did my genes give me?

Psalm 4

“You have put gladness in my heart more than when their grain and wine abound. I will both lie down and sleep in peace; for you alone, O Lord, make me lie down in safety.” vss. 7-8

The psalmist was content. Even though the people around him were yearning for a glimpse of light and some sign of good, he had all that his heart could desire. The Lord had put gladness in his heart and he was even able to sleep through the night in peace. The woes of the world couldn’t touch his serenity! The hours of darkness really are a good test for our peace of mind. There is so much going on in the world and people seem to delight in ramping up the anxiety level. Bad economic news is a constant, and there are always stories of violence and injustice. A glance at the evening news can produce hours of tossing and turning, and only minutes of fitful sleep. The psalmist points in another direction and thanks God for the gladness in his heart. That same thing can happen for us. It isn’t that we need to turn off our phones and tvs in the evening, but it’s essential that we realize that there’s more to life than what is reported by the fearmongers. We have a God who is, and who always will be, and God’s love is what makes our pillows soft and our beds so sweet. How good it is to close our eyes at night with prayers of thanksgiving on our lips!

Thought for the Day: What keeps me up at night?

Acts 3:16-19

“And now, friends, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. In this way God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, that his Messiah would suffer.” vss. 17-18

By the time Luke wrote his gospel and the book of Acts, the community of believers had figured things out. Initially the disciples had been puzzled by the crucifixion of Jesus. Since they had believed him to be the messiah, they didn’t understand why he had to suffer. Nothing in their readings of scripture had indicated that this might happen. But then they took a second look at the prophets and saw in them a multitude of verses that referred to the coming of a Suffering Servant. With that there was a turn around in their understanding. In fact Peter says here that everything that had happened–the arrest, torture, and death of Jesus–all these things had been a part of God’s plan. For that reason Peter decides to give his audience in the temple a break. Yes, they had killed Jesus, but they had acted in ignorance, and everything had worked out as God intended. It’s an interesting perspective, and one that is familiar to many of us. It’s just the way humans think. We know from experience that the awful things that happened to us–the divorces, the rejections, the illnesses–sometimes those things were for the greater good. We would never have known such joy had we not had such tough times. And we praise God for all that has happened!

Thought for the Day: How have the sins of others turned out for my benefit?

Acts 3:12-16

“When Peter saw it, he addressed the people, ‘You Israelites, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk?’” vs. 12

Many believers have a mixed attitude toward miracles. We will gladly pray for healing whenever asked, but then when healings actually occur we are reluctant to call them miraculous. That wasn’t the case among the apostles in Jerusalem during the early years of the church. Luke records many miracles in his account of the Acts of the Apostles, but he always notes that the disciples did not take credit for these wonders but always claimed that they had been done by the power of God. In this instance Peter, who by this time had become the leader of the apostles, had gone with John to the temple for prayers. Some of those at the regular prayers had become Christians, but not many. Peter takes advantage of a crippled man’s healing to remind the unbelieving bystanders in the temple that all the power of their God had been focused in Jesus, the man whose death they had caused, and it was that power that had enabled the man to walk. The apostles expected to see signs and wonders like this in the life of the community–it’s what happened with the Risen Christ. It wasn’t an embarrassment to them. They used them as opportunities to testify. Sometimes we wonder why it’s an embarrassment to us!

Thought for the Day: Why do some discount stories of healings?