Psalm 34:1-8

“O taste and see that the Lord is good; happy are those who take refuge in him.” vs. 8

The psalmist was writing from a position of contentment. There had been some rough spots in his journey, but now all was good, and he wrote to invite others to join his song of thanksgiving and praise. There are people like the psalmist all around us. In general life has been good to them and they have a strong community of believers with whom to share their joys and sorrows, and it’s there that they find their strength and their passion. To put it in a nutshell, they have taken refuge in the Lord and happiness is a daily visitor in their homes. There’s stability in their living, and nothing, not even the current political bickering, seems to get under their skin. Sadly, even though there’s minimal difficulty in living such a life, most folks are missing out. For some reason or another they refuse to believe that the Lord is good, and seem to prefer searching for other ways to live. Living from moment to moment, following the desires of their flesh, they refuse to submit to any kind of disciplined living. We see them all around, the masses of folks on the streets and in the malls, always with smartphones in their hands, all in pursuit of some momentary high or temporary fix. They check the trendy videos, explore the garbage on the web, and imagine that someday they will find contentment. And happiness eludes them!

Thought for the Day: How does one take refuge in the Lord?

1  Kings 19:5-8

“He got up, and ate and drank; then he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God.” vs. 8

Even though Elijah was exhausted and ready to give up his mission, the Lord wasn’t done with him. As the story-teller puts it, revived by bread from heaven, Elijah set his face toward Horeb, the mountain also known as Sinai. There in the place revered by Israel as the dwelling place of God he would await new instructions. It’s a remarkable tale, a story of God’s remarkable provision for people of faith in their times of spiritual need. Not surprisingly, it begins with a meal, one provided by angels who show up for us in our moments of despair. Most everyone has experienced that kind of caring, a primitive sharing that is rooted in community living. It’s just what we do when someone is hurting–nothing symbolizes caring so completely as a casserole warm from the oven. The food provides a strength that actually heals hurting souls. The same could be said about the holy meal that is regularly provided in many of our congregations. It’s here that we receive the true bread from heaven, the body of our Lord Jesus, and our spirits are cleansed, comforted, and renewed. The bread and wine of Holy Communion are our Mount Horeb, the dwelling place of God here on earth, and it’s at the Table that we are restored and our mission is affirmed.

Thought for the Day: How has food lifted me?

1 Kings 19:4

“But Elijah went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a solitary broom tree. He asked that he might die: ‘It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my ancestors.’” vs. 4

From all external appearances Elijah was the big loser. He’d been locked in a battle with the prophets of Baal for the soul of Israel, and while he’d won an extraordinary victory, Queen Jezebel had threatened his life, and that was enough for him. He gave up and fled into the wilderness, certain that his prophetic mission had been a disaster. Completely exhausted by his presumed failure, he asked that he might die. Elijah’s story reminds us that walking in the way of the Lord can result in intense opposition and persecution. While this has always been the case, technological advances have multiplied the opportunities for malicious persons to float vicious attacks against anyone who becomes a public figure. Innocent people have been harassed and intimidated by unrelenting social media attacks. The phrase, “No good deed goes unpunished,” almost seems to be true. It’s no wonder then that so many have simply chosen to withdraw from public interactions and retreat to their solitary broom trees. It really is sad that, when there is so much in our beautiful world to give thanks for, it’s the broken stuff that gets the attention and robs us of joy!

Thought for the Day: Times when I retreat to my broom tree.

John 6:28-35

“Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.’” vs. 35

As is typical in the gospel of John, Jesus and his audience are operating on two entirely different levels. The people who had eaten their fill of bread were focused on their bellies and had a strong desire to have a regular supply. But when Jesus spoke about bread he had something else in mind. Instead of offering them sourdough or whole wheat, he offered himself. He invited them to come feast on his presence, an entirely new experience. From our perspective we see here a definite reference to Holy Communion, and it’s likely that’s what John was thinking about too. There is no account of the institution of the Eucharist in his gospel but he certainly knew about it when he wrote. He used the feeding of the multitude to connect his readers to the meal they were regularly eating as part of their worship. The Bread of Holy Communion was the Bread of Life, and those who ate of it would never be hungry again. It would be the central meal of their community, a banquet that pointed to the glorious feast that was to come. And so it is for us. Many things change in our life together, but the one constant from the beginning has been this meal–and so it will be for all time!

Thought for the Day: What benefits do I get from the bread of life?

John 6:24-27

“Jesus answered them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.’” vs. 26

Jesus was no fool. When the crowds descended on Capernaum after the feeding on the other side of the sea, he knew what they were looking for. They hadn’t even been impressed by the miraculous feeding, they only wanted more bread. We can’t blame them too much. Food is, after all, one of our basic needs, and that’s why people continue to search out places where they can get meals and groceries. But even though it’s crucial to keep on feeding the hungry, there are some things that are more important. Even when we have enough food, there are spiritual hungers that cut right to the core of our well-being. And unless we can lay our hands on “soul food” we are never going to have spiritual satisfaction. And where do we find this kind of fare? Jesus pointed to himself, and through the centuries, we’ve not yet stumbled on a better option. It’s as we devour the words of Jesus that we find the nutrients that are craved by our souls. And as we take them into our beings they are absorbed into the essence of who we are and we actually become what we have eaten. We become the loving presence of Jesus in the world, and the deepest needs of humanity are met!

Thought for the Day: How is Jesus changing me?

Ephesians 4:11-16

“We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming.” vs. 14

Paul didn’t know a thing about social media or political campaigns, but he was very aware of the ways people could be manipulated by crafty and deceitful arguments. The little congregations that he had started were rife with rumors and doctrinal disagreements, and always there were those who took delight in stirring things up. His advice was to stop acting like children and grow up, always taking care to speak the truth in love. His words are exactly what we need to combat the lies, half-truths, and distortions that have become commonplace in these last months. The problem is that the deceptions are so sophisticated and well-disguised that ordinary folks have a hard time differentiating between truth and falsehoods. The sad thing is that Christianity itself has been corrupted by cultural and political misinformation. Because of such influences it’s imperative for believers to take Paul’s words to heart. Any news feed or media source claim that comes with a spirit of condemnation, ridicule, or insult has to be suspect. The truth is out there for us, but it will always be cloaked in love, gentleness, and humility. May the Holy Spirit grant us the gift of discernment as we seek the truth in this age of lies!

Thought for the Day: How do I discern truth from falsehood?

Ephesians 4:1-10

“I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love…” vss. 1-2

Sometimes, when we break out of the protective cocoons we build for ourselves in the course of our lives, the comfortable neighborhoods and the predictable friends, we discover that there are a whole myriad of ways in which it’s possible for us to live. We don’t have to do as our parents have done. We can go off on our own, and there are literally no limits. We can be as weird, bizarre, reckless, and as experimental as our imaginations will allow. And yet, for followers of Jesus, Paul says, there are some standards. We have a calling, and while that calling does allow for remarkable external variations, there will be an internal commitment to humility, gentleness, and patience. When those gifts or values are at the core of our being, people will be able to easily see that we are walking in the way of Jesus. The key to being able to live this way is, of course, our unshakable connection to love, the love of God and neighbor that was the heart of Jesus’ message. And because there will be differences on an external level, Paul says there will also need to be a lot of bearing with one another, and that’s where the walk with Jesus gets really hard. How blessed we are when we can pull this off!

Thought for the Day: When does “bearing with” someone get tough?

Psalm 78:23-29

“Yet he commanded the skies above, and opened the doors of heaven; he rained down on them manna to eat, and gave them the grain of heaven.” vss. 23-24

As he reminded his readers of Israel’s history, this psalmist could scarcely restrain himself as he recounted the insolent and treacherous behavior of the multitude that followed Moses through the wilderness. In his estimation their whining and complaining was nothing short of despicable. They deserve destruction, but instead they received from the hand of the Lord everything that their hearts desired, food in abundance and springs of living water. And the psalmist was amazed! And so are we when God’s goodness keeps on piling up in our lives, especially when we’ve done so little to deserve it. Even on our worst days, during those sad forgettable times when we’re overcome by base desires and shameful acts, God’s gifts never stop coming our way. We have food in abundance, comfortable homes, and daily reap the bounty of creation. Sometimes people of faith wish that there were a direct correlation between behavior and consequences. They presume that individuals and countries would be more likely to be good if punishment immediately followed their folly. But that’s not how God operates. God’s blessings are showered on all, regardless of their degree of brokenness. We are called to live lives of purity and holiness, not so we can get more goodies, but in order to extend God’s loving mercy and kindness to all, even when they don’t deserve it.

Thought for the Day: What motivates me to be loving?

Exodus 16:4-12

“When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, ‘What is it?’ For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, ‘It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat.’”

The Israelites had never seen food like what the Lord provided in the wilderness, so when they saw it covering the ground, they called it “manna,” which is Hebrew for “What is it?” Later on, as they understood that this was the bread God was giving them, “manna” turned from a question into an affirmation, and “manna” became their word to describe the special bread from heaven that had sustained them in the wilderness. Some when reading this story are reminded of the Bread of Life that comes to us in Holy Communion. While communion rituals differ, the common denominator is always bread. And ironically through the centuries the question that people ask about the bread has been the one that the Hebrews asked, “What is it?” And answers to that question have perplexed believers. And sometimes debates have turned nasty, even proving divisive within Christianity. “Is it just bread,” believers ask, “or is it more than that?” And we go on to talk about real presence and consubstantiation, or a myriad of other issues related to the Lord’s Supper–we really do like to argue. Perhaps it would be better to agree that, like the manna, the bread of the Eucharist is simply the bread of heaven, graciously provided by God to sustain us in our wandering.

Thought for the Day: What is the bread of Holy Communion?

Exodus 16:2-4

“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day. In that way I will test them, whether they will follow my instruction or not.’” vs 4

According to the Hebrew scriptures the miraculous provision of bread in the wilderness was a test for the people. The Lord would provide the manna but each day the Israelites were only to gather enough for that day. As they soon found out, when they took too much manna it would spoil and they would get nothing at all.

As we read this story in our context we can’t help but wonder if that test is still in effect. God continues to make gracious provision for all the needs of our lives, only now we get much more than manna. And like the Israelites we are tempted to take much more than we could possibly need. A few people end up hoarding the vast majority of the Lord’s gifts while others go without. Is it possible that our obsession with material excess causes even God’s good gifts to undermine our serenity? In the prayer Jesus taught his disciple he is careful to say, “Give us today our daily bread.” His words were carefully chosen and reflect the teachings of Exodus. Enough is enough and when we take more than our share, it isn’t only the deprived who suffer. Our greed is a cancer for our souls.

Thought for the Day: How much stuff is enough?