Category: Baseball

God Sacrificed Himself

Jeff3 Comments

Today is Sunday, the sixth day of April, 2025, in the fifth week of Lent. It is the Fifth Sunday of Lent.

May the peace of Christ surround you and yours today and every day!

Day 96 of 2024; 269 days left

Day 24,496 of my life

Fourteen more days until Resurrection Sunday.

As frequently happens when I have an early Sunday (we had to be there by 8:10, this morning) I am at home after our worship time, waiting on lunch to be delivered, composing the blog.

We had a great time, yesterday, celebrating Mama’s upcoming birthday (Tuesday, 8 April 2025). Lunch was great, and we had fun shopping at World Market and Half-Price Books. I bought way too much candy at World Market (and cookies), but no books. The rest of the day was spent resting. I got my reading done, and played some Fallout 4 on my PS 5.

The Texas Rangers are still rolling pretty well, at 7-2 on the season, after beating the Tampa Bay Rays 6-4, yesterday. But the pitcher that is starting today is the one that started their last loss, a 14-3 fiasco to Cincinnati, last Monday. They are in first place, though, in the AL West, 1.5 games ahead of the LA Angels.

The Red Sox got postponed, yesterday, and are playing a double-header against the Cardinals. They are tied for third place in the AL East, at 4-4.

The LA Dodgers finally lost a game, but continue to lead MLB with a 9-1 record. The poor Atlanta Braves are at the bottom, still, but finally won a game. They are at 1-8 for the season. The San Francisco Giants have a six-game winning streak going, and the Colorado Rockies have a six-game losing streak. The Yankees lead the run differential column with a stunning +32! The Brewers trail that category with -28. Ironically, the Rangers have a run differential of -2, even though they are winning their division with only two losses. That 14-3 loss didn’t help that at all.

JESUS TIME

My Jesus, lead me away from worldly thoughts and toward whatever is true, noble, right, good, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. If I’m unable to be in Your house today, multiply the efficacy of these devotions and prayers. Open my eyes clearly to read the Word of God, open my ears precisely to hear Your truth, open my heart to understand this Word, and open my mouth humbly to confess my sins, pray, and worship You with my life wherever I may be. Your Word is faithful to restore me to the joy of my salvation and refresh me with a willing heart to obey. I exalt You, O Savior, for You have rescued and redeemed me. Amen. 
(Portals of Prayer – Prayer for Sunday Morning) 

For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.  
(1 Corinthians 2:2 ESV) 

Today I am grateful:

  • For another opportunity to gather with the community of saints and worship the Lord and be fed with Word and Sacrament; may the body and blood of Christ sustain us 
  • For the Gospel of Christ, the power of salvation for all who believe 
  • That before Abraham and Isaac were, Jesus Christ IS 
  • That God provided Himself for the sacrifice for our sins 
  • For the love of family and friends

Lord our God, Father of us all, bless our community in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ. May your Spirit carry out what we are powerless to do, so that we experience strength and joy, something from eternity, and can face life with all its evil, pain, and suffering. For you have drawn us to yourself, and in spirit, soul, and body we belong to another world, higher than this earthly and passing one. We want to remain true to this higher world, that your praise may come from one heart and from one voice, that the name of Jesus Christ may shine in us and show us the way to all that is true and eternal. Amen. 
(Daily Prayer from Plough) 

Lord, in Your mercy, hear, now, the prayers lifted up to you for all who need strength, healing, comfort, and peace. 

If you are reading this, I encourage you to stop and pray for someone, at this time. Or, if there is something on your heart, please leave a comment. What can I pray for you?

And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”  
And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”  
And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.” 
(Mark 8:31-9:1 ESV) 

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.  
(1 Corinthians 9:24-27 ESV) 

Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream, but let him who has my word speak my word faithfully. What has straw in common with wheat? declares the LORD. Is not my word like fire, declares the LORD, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces? Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, declares the LORD, who steal my words from one another. Behold, I am against the prophets, declares the LORD, who use their tongues and declare, ‘declares the LORD.’ Behold, I am against those who prophesy lying dreams, declares the LORD, and who tell them and lead my people astray by their lies and their recklessness, when I did not send them or charge them. So they do not profit this people at all, declares the LORD.  
(Jeremiah 23:28-32 ESV) 

“If you believe that God is about your bed and about your path, and spieth out all your ways, then take care not to do the least thing, not to speak the least word, not to indulge the least thought, which you have reason to think would offend him. Suppose that a messenger of God, an angel, to be now standing at your right hand, and fixing his eyes upon you, would you not take care to abstain from every word or action that you knew would offend him? Yea, suppose one of your mortal fellow-servants, suppose only a holy man, stood by you, would not you be extremely cautious how you conducted yourself, both in word and action? How much more cautious ought you to be, when you know, that not only a holy man, not an angel of God, but God himself, the Holy One, ‘that inheriteth eternity,’ is inspecting your heart, your tongue, your hand, every moment! and that he himself will surely bring you into judgment, for all you think, and speak, and act under the sun! 
 
“. . . In particular: If there is not a word in your tongue, not a syllable you speak, but he ‘knoweth it altogether’; how exact should you be in ‘setting a watch before your mouth, and in keeping the door of your lips?’ How wary does it behove you to be in all your conversation, being forewarned by your Judge, that, ‘by your words you shall be justified, or by your words you shall be condemned?’ How cautious, lest ‘any corrupt communication,’ or uncharitable, yea, or unprofitable discourse, should ‘proceed out of your mouth;: instead of ‘that which is good to the use of edifying,’ and meet to ‘minister grace to the hearers!'” 
(For All the Saints – Sunday of the Week of Lent 5, Reading IV: John Wesley, Sermons on Several Occasions, Vol. 2) 

I believe Wesley brings up a very good point, here, and it is one reason that I am not a big proponent of so-called “accountability groups.” Wesley nails it. If I will keep from committing a certain sin so that I don’t have to tell my accountability partners about it, why would I not keep from committing that same sin when I know my God is watching me? Never mind the fact that we can easily lie to accountability partners. Unless, of course, you’re like me and a terrible liar.

But if we know God is with us at all times, and know He is watching us, it should cause is to watch what we say, think, or do, around anyone else. Or even in private. What are we like when no one is looking? But here’s the thing. Someone is always looking, right?? Because God is always there. And, more often than not, even when we think no one is looking, someone (other than God) is.

“O God, our Everliving Refuge! With grateful hearts we lay at Thy feet the folded hours when Thou knowest us be we know not Thee; and with joy receive from Thy hand once more our open task and conscious communion with Thy life and thought. 
 
“Day by day liken us more to the spirits of the departed wise and good, and fit us in our generation to carry on their work below till we are ready for more perfect union with them above. 
 
“And if ever we faint under any appointed cross and say, ‘It is too hard to bear,’ may we look to the steps of the Man of Sorrows toiling on to Calvary, and pass freely into Thy hand, and become one with Him and Thee. 
 
“Dedicate us to the joyful service of Thy will: and own us as Thy children in time and eternity. Amen.” 
(For All the Saints – Sunday of the Week of Lent 5, Closing Prayer, James Martineau) 

But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. 
 Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.  
(Hebrews 9:11-15 ESV) 

The Jews answered him, “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?” Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it, and he is the judge. Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.” The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon! Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death.’ Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself out to be?” Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ But you have not known him. I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and I keep his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.  
(John 8:48-59 ESV) 

This is from today’s reading in Thy Kingdom Come, by David H. Petersen.

“The liturgy’s accent of grief increases these next two weeks. We are now in what is called Passiontide. . . . Our hearts are overcast and penetrated with shame as we think on the price of our sins.” 

“The Lord Himself, the holy One, clothes Himself with our sins as with a garment. He was anointed in our filth, made to drink from our sewers, and has been thoroughly infected and dirtied as our Christ. . . . He is consumed and destroyed by heaven’s justice and mercy, yet He makes not a single complaint. He is our Christ.” 

Jesus comes to the temple to prove His divinity, as he debates with the Jews. He is preparing Himself for the sacrifice. As He addresses Himself with the divine name, they, “rather than falling down in worship, . . . pick up stones to kill Him.” 

Looking back at Abraham, when the Lord provided the ram, Abraham named the place looking to the future. He did not call it “The Lord has provided,” but “The Lord will provide.” And the Lord did provide. “He provides on Golgotha the sacrifice in His only Son.” 

Jesus said that Abraham saw His day and rejoiced. We should also rejoice in the death of Christ “because it is that unjust death that causes Abraham and Isaac to live. They see and they rejoice.” 

When we think of the name that the Lord gave when Moses asked who He was, He called Himself, “I AM.” He is eternally present tense. Moses, according to Petersen, uses not first person, but third person, and calls God, “HE IS.”  

When Jesus names Himself, before the Jews, He does not use the third person, as Moses did, but uses the first person. The second person of the Trinity wasn’t born (yes, He was born as a human, but not as God). He did not come to be. “Before Abraham was born, our Lord is. He always is. He never wasn’t. He always will be.” This is one of the big reasons that the Pharisees wanted to kill Jesus. He called Himself “I AM,” equating Himself with the Father.

“The Lord provides Himself for the sacrifice.” 

“The liturgy is accented with grief, to be sure, for we are sinful men, full of vice, hatred, and lust. But the liturgy also hints at joy, expects with eagerness the king of glory who comes to save us. Lift up your heads; your redemption draws near. We have a high priest who loves us, who wants us, who has established a new covenant in His blood that we might eat, drink, be cleansed, and have fellowship with Him.” 

Father, as we head into these last two weeks of Lent, I can already sense the intensity of the grief of following Christ into His week of Passion. I must confess that I am already both looking forward to and dreading Good Friday. Looking forward to it, because of the amazing sense of worship that will be achieved as we remember the sacrifice that our Savior made on our behalf. As our pastor reminded us, this morning, Jesus Christ, on the Cross, because our substitutionary atonement, taking our place, dying for our sins.

I dread Good Friday because of the anguish and intensity of the sorrow as I ponder what Christ endured for me. And yes, that “for me” is big, as our pastor reminded us when we studied Galatians 2:20, and I wrote “FOR ME” on that page in my Bible. And as I consider what miracles You have done in me this year, I anticipate many tears on Good Friday. But they will be tears of gratitude (yes, sorrowful, but still gratitude) as I recall Your sacrifice.

Thank You, Lord, the great I AM, for this sacrifice, as You sacrificed Yourself for us. As our pastor also pointed out, in Sunday School, this morning, if we were going to invent You (as some claim that we have), we certainly would not have invented a God who died for us. Every other religion on the planet invented a system of “works righteousness,” Father. Ours is the only one that has a God who works in grace and mercy.

I praise You for Your grace and mercy, Lord, and also pray that You would keep me mindful of the truth that You are always with me, which is both comforting, but also keeps me mindful that I need to watch how I act at all times.

All glory to You, Lord, through the Son, and by the Spirit.

Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
(Ephesians 3:20-21 NRSV)

Grace and peace, friends.

The Girded Sword

Jeff2 Comments

Today is Saturday, the twenty-ninth day of March, 2025, in the third week of Lent.

May the peace of God embrace you today and may You feel His love for you.

Day 88 of 2025; 277 days left

Day 24,488 of my life

22 days until Resurrection Sunday

Yesterday was pretty great day at the library. I had some very meaningful conversations with my three best friends, there. I really love this piece of my “family.” And God was at work, too, I think, because there were multiple opportunities for me to get stressed out, and that did not happen. I do know that I felt His presence many times during the day.

I do want to say that there was one thing that I thought about, yesterday, that was pretty amazing. It has been almost six weeks since God turned my life upside down with His grace and mercy, and it has not stopped, has not really slowed down, even. Hardly a week has gone by (in some cases only a few days) that He has not hit me with a new deliverance or some truth that has affected me tremendously.

I have had “revivals” in my life before, and I have had brief moments when I really felt that He was doing something great in my life. But never, in all my 67 years, have I experienced anything like this, for such an extended period of time. I truly believe that there is something major going on, here. I don’t know what it is, yet. I have some thoughts that are quite sobering, and I am not sharing them here, yet, because they are intensely personal. At some point, in the near future, I probably will, but not yet.

Suffice it to say that I am so in love with the Lord right now that it’s indescribable. My soul was in a state of ecstasy, yesterday morning, on my drive to the library, a state that I don’t know that I have ever felt before. Ecstasy and extreme calm. I know those two things seem counterintuitive, but it was what it was, and it is what it is. I also know that I never want this to stop.

Now for something completely different and mundane. The Texas Rangers won their game, yesterday, against the Boston Red Sox, 4-1. Jonah Heim was the big hero, hitting two home runs in the game. Jack Leiter (1-0) got the win, and Tanner Houck (0-1) took the loss for the Red Sox.

The Rangers are now 1-1 for the season, tied for first place in the AL West with everyone else but the LA Angels, who have only played one game and lost it. The Red Sox are also 1-1 for the season, tied for last place with the O’s and Blue Jays, because the Yankees and Rays have only played one game, and both won.

The LA Dodgers have the best MLB record, currently, at 4-0. They are one of nine undefeated teams, so far. The Tigers and Braves are both 0-2, having the current worst records. But it’s only the second day of the season. Unless you’re LA and started the season in Japan before everyone else. There are also nine teams that have not won a game, yet.

The current longest winning streak is LA with 4 consecutive wins. The Tigers and Braves are tied with 2-game losing streaks. The Dodgers lead in the run differential column, having scored 10 more runs than their opponents. The Cubs are at the bottom of that category, with a -9 differential (LA must have beaten them pretty badly in Japan). The Rangers have scored exactly the same number of runs as their opponents, as have the Red Sox. Which makes sense, because they are playing each other.

The Sox and Rangers play each other again, this evening at 6:05 CDT. Tyler Mahle (who?) will start for Texas, and Walker Buehler (Buehler? Buehler?) will take the mound for Boston.

Some of my long-time readers might remember when I used to do this on a daily basis. I do love baseball, and try to keep this up for our daughter (referred to as “S” in this forum). So if you don’t like baseball or find it boring, you know where to skip to each day.

Right here. That’s one of the reasons for the big black box right here. To make it obvious where the really important stuff starts.

Oh. I forgot. It’s a working Saturday for me, so I will be at the library circulation department from 9:30-6:15. If you’re in the area of the Hurst Public Library, today, stop by and see me. The library is open from 10-6 today. Depending on what hour it is, I may not be sitting at the front desk, but I’ll be there, somewhere. Just ask for Jeff. Or the old guy that wears the crazy cat shirts.

JESUS TIME

Dear Jesus, You taught Your disciples that we are created to give You glory in all that we say or do. Guide my tongue today so that what I say reflects Your love to those around me. Stop me from saying unkind words. I need Your strength, Lord, to stand up against temptation, whether it comes from Satan himself or from my own weak, sinful nature. If I am wronged by others, enable me to not want to hurt them back but to treat them with respect. Whether I am working or playing, help me remember that You are here beside me. You created me to be a part of the Body of believers. Your power is great and Your love is endless. Amen. 
(Portals of Prayer – Prayer for Saturday Morning) 

“Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; 
 I will protect him, because he knows my name.  
When he calls to me, I will answer him;  
I will be with him in trouble; 
 I will rescue him and honor him.  
With long life I will satisfy him  
and show him my salvation.”  
(Psalms 91:14-16 ESV) 

Today I am grateful:

  • For these verses of Psalm 91; they have really been meaningful to me, of late, and I hold on to them tightly, just as I am holding fast to the Lord in love 💜 
  • That I was created to be a part of the Body of Christ, and that His power is great and His love is endless 💜 
  • That Jesus Christ has His sword girded to His thigh in mercy and peace, not held high in violence and condemnation (Psalm 45) 
  • For the Light that shines in our darkness 
  • For the merciful forgiveness of sin by He who has fulfilled the Law 

Lord our God, dear Father in heaven, we turn our hearts to you, for you know all our need. We turn to you, for you are ready with your help when we are at our wit’s end. You have paths we can follow joyfully because we have a Lord who rules and who reigns over us to make us glad. May we praise your name at all times. May your help be always before our eyes so that we can be your true children, to the glory of your name on earth. Amen. 
(Daily Prayer from Plough) 

Lord, in Your mercy, hear, now, the prayers lifted up to you for all who need strength, healing, comfort, and peace. 

If you are reading this, I encourage you to stop and pray for someone, at this time. Or, if there is something on your heart, please leave a comment. What can I pray for you?

O Lord, open my lips,  
and my mouth will declare your praise.  
(Psalms 51:15 ESV) 

Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; 
 let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling!  
Then I will go to the altar of God, 
 to God my exceeding joy,  
and I will praise you with the lyre,  
O God, my God.  
(Psalms 43:3-4 ESV) 

“By the tender mercy of our God, 
 the dawn from on high will break upon us,  
to give light to those who sit in darkness  
and in the shadow of death,  
to guide our feet into the way of peace.”  
(Luke 1:78-79 NRSV) 

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.  
 
But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.  
(Romans 6:12-14, 22-23 ESV) 

Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”  
(John 8:58 ESV) 

but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.  
 
Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.” 
(John 8:1-11 ESV) 

Gird your sword on your thigh, O mighty one, 
 in your splendor and majesty!  
In your majesty ride out victoriously  
for the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness; 
 let your right hand teach you awesome deeds!  
(Psalms 45:3-4 ESV) 

David H. Petersen, in Thy Kingdom Come, mentions that St. Augustine references the above passage from Psalm 45 in his treatise on the woman caught in adultery. As I’m reading this, I confess that I have never made the connection between his sword being girded on His thigh, to the meekness referred to in verse 4, so this is very interesting.  

“As a teacher, Jesus brought truth; as a deliverer, He brought meekness; as a protector, He brought righteousness. His rule was based on these three things and not in the strength of violence.” (Petersen) 

“His truth made Him unassailable in argument. His meekness made Him popular with the masses.” 

The Law demanded that the adulteress be stoned, therefore this was just. If anyone said otherwise, he would be unjust, or unrighteous. So the Pharisees and lawyers made this trap for Jesus. They were saying to themselves that if Jesus approved the stoning, He would appear to not be gentle, and would lose popularity. And if He said to let her go, He would be unjust and declare Himself an enemy of the Law, and would, Himself, deserve death. 

But behold! “The Lord keeps His righteousness and upholds the holy Law without departing from His meekness and gentleness.” And they who set the trap fell into it themselves. “Your mother wasn’t far off when she taught you not to point because four fingers always point back at you.” 

What the Pharisees failed to understand is that “Jesus Christ is Himself the Law giver and the Law-fulfiller.” Petersen says that Christ writes on the ground as God, the Father, once wrote in stone. But Jesus comes in mercy. “His sword is now girded to His thigh.” And he is not writing in stone, but in living earth. “He writes not that which condemns, but He writes a promise.” 

The Law is not fulfilled by punishing. That is only consequence, not fulfillment. “The execution of adulterers does not recast the marriage bed any more than the execution of murderers might bring back the dead.”  And “even righteous accusations are dangerous for those whose lives are not perfect. We all fail.” 

Each of us should consider for ourselves, how we stand against the Law. “I am a sinner. I cannot cast stones. I cannot fulfill the Law’s demands.” 

Jesus could not simply let her go, but if He had agreed to her stoning, it would not have been just, either. So He said, “Whosoever is without sin, let him cast the first stone.” 

“This is the voice of justice. ‘Let her, the sinner, be punished, yes – but not by sinners. Let the Law be fulfilled, but not by the transgressors of the Law.'” Jesus, Himself, could have certainly cast the stone. But He comes in meekness and peace, with His sword girded to His thigh. “Isn’t that the point of the angels to the shepherds in their fields? The Lord has come to earth with His sword girded to His thigh. The Lord comes in peace.” 

But, as we know, there is another way to fulfill the Law, to end the war. He who is without sin can take the stones for her. He can make Himself the holy substitute. . . . He is pure and He is just and He is a worthy sacrifice, more than enough to pay for all the sins of the world, more than enough to pay for her sins and for yours.” 

“‘Neither do I accuse you,’ He said. No sweeter words have ever been spoken in all of history. The sword is girded to His thigh.” 

Lord Jesus, I thank You that Your sword is girded to Your thigh, at least until You return in final judgment. I praise You that You, in Your truth, meekness, and righteousness, fulfilled the Law and took the stones that we deserved for our adultery. I praise You for the Cross, on which You took the sins of the entire world upon Your back, thereby offering us forgiveness for our sins and entrance into the Kingdom of Your Father.

May I walk in that forgiveness, today, and in the grace and mercy You have provided in Your righteousness. May I extend that same forgiveness, grace, mercy, and compassion to everyone I meet and interact with today, treating all of them as though You are standing between us. Help me to see Your image in everyone I come in contact with today, even if they do not represent that image well.

Your grace is sufficient, Father. I cannot thank You enough for everything You have done in me. Help me to walk in mercy and walk in Your kingdom and praise You with every breath.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, amen.

Now may the God of peace, who brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, make you complete in everything good so that you may do his will, working among us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
(Hebrews 13:20-21 NRSV)

Grace and peace, friends.

Richly Abundant in Mercy

Jeff

Today is Thursday, the sixteenth day of January 2025, in the season of Epiphany.

May you experience the peace of the Lord in your soul, today!

Day 16 of 2025

Day 24,416 of my life

Yesterday was a great day at the library. Nothing out of the ordinary happened, at all, and it went by in good time, and everything was smooth. I did have a higher than usual number of new patrons who only needed Internet/Computer access cards.

I’m a little late getting this finished today, as I needed to take S to a doctor’s appointment at 10:00 AM, so I was interrupted and had to finish when I got home. As far as the rest of today, there really isn’t anything on my agenda, other than reading and maybe a load of laundry. I’ll be cooking the chili that we couldn’t have Monday evening, tonight. C is at the office, making this a quite normal Thursday for us.

Some sad news, though. This morning, we learned that Bob Uecker, the “Clown Prince of Baseball,” has passed away at the age of 90. He was a bloody awful player, but he embraced that, and made himself famous by clowning around, doing things like setting fire to other players’ cleats in the dugout, and grabbing a tuba player’s tuba in the 1964 World Series, running around in the outfield, shagging fly balls with it.

He provided a lot of entertainment to a host of baseball fans for many years, and will be missed.

JESUS TIME

I will extol you, my God and King,
 and bless your name forever and ever. 
Every day I will bless you 
and praise your name forever and ever.
(Psalms 145:1-2 ESV)

Today I am grateful:

  • For another new day, with the pending opportunities to serve; may I be faithful 
  • For the steadfast love of the Lord, extending to the heavens, and His faithfulness, extending to the clouds 
  • That God does not judge by appearance, but by the heart 
  • For the abundant forgiveness of God; I am a sinner, still, but God is richly abundant in mercy 
  • For good friends
Dear Father in heaven, we come before you and thank you with all our hearts. You know all that we are thankful for. Continue to sustain us, we pray, and give us strength for the paths on which you lead us. Even when we must suffer and fight long, hard battles, we know that everything has its right purpose and will still lead us to your goal. For all this we praise and thank you. Protect us in mind, heart, and spirit. Keep us courageous, and lift us above all discouragement through your Spirit, who will renew our lives forevermore. Amen. 
(Daily Prayer from Plough) 
Almighty God, as I go out into the world that You have created, let me remember that it all belongs to You, including every individual in it. Teach me to love my neighbor as myself. Help me show Your love and kindness to everyone I meet today. Give me compassion for those who suffer from illness, addiction, broken relationships, shaky finances, and other trials resulting from Adam’s sin. Keep them from discouragement and give them hope and courage. Heal their bodies according to Your will, restore their relationships, and provide for their needs. In the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen. 
(Portals of Prayer – Prayer for Thursday Morning) 
Lord, in Your mercy, hear, now, the prayers lifted up to you for all who need strength, healing, comfort, and peace. 

If you are reading this, I encourage you to stop and pray for someone, at this time. Or, if there is something on your heart, please leave a comment. What can I pray for you?
Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, 
your faithfulness to the clouds. 
Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; 
your judgments are like the great deep; 
man and beast you save, O LORD. 

How precious is your steadfast love, O God! 
The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings. 
They feast on the abundance of your house,
 and you give them drink from the river of your delights. 
For with you is the fountain of life; 
in your light do we see light. 

Oh, continue your steadfast love to those who know you, 
and your righteousness to the upright of heart!
(Psalms 36:5-10 ESV)

In today’s New Morning Mercies reading, Paul David Tripp writes, “There’s not a day without sin rearing its ugly head and not a day in which God’s abundant mercies are not new.” 

“And you warned them in order to turn them back to your law. Yet they acted presumptuously and did not obey your commandments, but sinned against your rules, which if a person does them, he shall live by them, and they turned a stubborn shoulder and stiffened their neck and would not obey. . . . Nevertheless, in your great mercies you did not make an end of them or forsake them, for you are a gracious and merciful God.”
(Nehemiah 9:29, 31 ESV)

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
(Ephesians 2:1-10 ESV, emphasis added)

There are two “foundations-stone realities” in our lives. 1) We still have sin living inside of us, and 2) God is abundant in mercy. If we let go of either one of those, we put ourselves in danger. “Because I am a sinner, I need mercy, and because God is merciful, I can face the reality of my sin.”  

There are many ways this sin manifests itself within us: a thoughtless word, a selfish act, a prideful thought, a moment of envy, a flash of lust, a willing act of disobedience, an attitude of vengeance, a minor moment of thievery, wanting my glory more than God’s, failing to give grace when needed, bending the truth, giving in to an addiction, or working to make any or all of these things not appear as bad as they are. Not a single one of us is sin-free. When we acknowledge this fact, then we are free to be excited about the deliverance that only God’s mercy can give us. 

We can be brave/courageous in admitting our sinfulness “because God is richly abundant in his mercy. He comes to you not in mercy not because you are good but because you are a sinner, and he knows that because of this condition, you are unable to help yourself. Since sin means that you are a bigger danger to you than anything else in your life and since it is impossible for you to run from you, there is only one hope for you. It is that someone with power, wisdom, and mercy will invade your life, forgive your sins, and progressively deliver you from the hold that sin has had on you.” That person is Jesus Christ, whose mercy is “always fresh, uniquely fashioned for the sin struggles of this new day.” 

Two of my very favorite words in the entire Bible are featured in that passage from Ephesians. “But God . . .” Yes, I am still a sinner . . . “But God.” Yes, I sinned pretty badly, a couple days ago (probably every day, if I’m honest) . . . “But God.” Yes, I will sin today and tomorrow and the next day . . . “But God” “is richly abundant in mercy,” and His love, as discussed yesterday, never fails, never ceases.” 

Hallelujah! 

And right in the middle of this devotional, an online friend sent me this:

I don’t care if you’re a baseball fan or not, if this doesn’t light your fire, your wood’s wet.

Father, I praise You for Your abundant mercy. I praise You for the words in Scripture, “BUT GOD!” If it were not for “But God,” we would be lost, and would be living without any hope, whatsoever. But those words exist, and You are rich in Your abundant mercy, that You constantly lavish on us, day by day, hour by hour. I thank You for good friends who encourage me and who have my “spiritual back” all the time. I thank You for my church and pastors who lift me up and constantly remind me of Your great mercy in our lives.

I thank You for my Baptism, so many years ago, that ushered me into Your Kingdom, and for Your Word and Sacrament that sustain my life in Your Kingdom day by day and week by week. Again, today, I praise You for Your steadfast love that never fails, and that this love, that You have placed upon me, in the name of Jesus Christ, will never be removed from me. In Him, I am safe, for ever and always, and will be ushered into eternity, not unlike that baseball player in the photo above.

All glory to You, Lord, in the name of Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever, amen.

Now may the grace of his forgiveness,
which blooms evergreen for all his children,
work powerfully in us, changing us into
better image-bearers of Christ and
more faithful servants of our king.
(Every Moment Holy, Vol 1)

Grace and peace, friends.

Love in Action

Jeff

Today is Saturday, the twentieth day of April, 2024, in the third week of Easter.

May the peace of Christ surround you, today, and drive away all of your anxieties and fears.

Day 24,145

Today is a palindrome! 4/20/24. It even works if you use the whole year! 4/20/2024.

Today is National Record Store Day! Usually (I haven’t checked it out for today), there are deals to be had and specials running on Record Store Day. The closest record store to me appears to be Chief Records, which, I believe, is in the historical Stockyards of Fort Worth.

It is currently raining outside (better than inside, right . . . I wonder why we always feel we have to say “outside” when we say that?), with a bit of a thunderstorm. I’m not sure how long that’s supposed to go on. But we could always (almost always, anyway) use the rain.

Yesterday was a fine day in the computer center. It was relatively slow, over all, but there was one challenging situation where a patron was desperately trying to print a document, but was having trouble to the point that she was getting emotional about it (not angry, mind you). As I helped her, she kept apologizing for not knowing how to do things, and I assured her repeatedly that it was okay, that’s why I’m there. She was trying to print from her personal laptop. I got the document sent to our server, but then when we logged into the server, it only displayed one of the five pages, and then it wouldn’t even print that one!

I was flummoxed, so I summoned the manager. Turns out, she was using a Chromebook. I have no experience with those, whatsoever, but apparently everything in a Chromebook is saved in the cloud, and virtually in Google Docs. We have never had success when people try to print things from Google Docs. So we finally wound up saving her document to a thumb drive and printing it directly from my computer at my desk, which is hard-linked to a printer. She had already paid for a print, so it was all covered. She was ecstatic.

The rest of the day was pretty dull in comparison. I even got my book subscription bags pulled for next month, because the manager in charge of that got those folders out to us, yesterday.

I am working again today, even though I worked last Saturday. One of our aides who normally works this Saturday had asked if I could switch with her. The show that we were planning to see today has been canceled/postponed, so I was available to work. That means I will have the next two Saturdays off!

The Texas Rangers lost to the streaking Atlanta Braves (win streak . . . they weren’t playing naked), 8-3. Jacob Latz (0-1) took the loss for Texas after giving up a grand slam home run. After he blew a previous game (but wasn’t awarded the loss because the previous pitcher left a man on first base), I’m thinking we night need to end the Latz experiment. This puts the Rangers at 11-10, but they remain in first place in the AL West, one game ahead of Seattle. The Rangers and Braves play again tonight, in Atlanta, at 6:20 CT. Nathan Eovaldi (1-1) will start for Texas.

The Boston Red Sox trounced the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-1, last night. Brayan Bello (3-1) got the win for Boston. The Sox are 11-10, just like the Rangers, but they are in fourth place in the AL East, 3.5 behind the NY Yankees. They play the Pirates again, this afternoon, in Pittsburgh, at 4:05 ET. Kutter Crawford (0-0) will start for Boston.

The Atlanta Braves remain on top of MLB, at 13-5. The Other Sox remain on the bottom, at 3-16. The Braves and NY Mets both have five-game winning streaks going. The Minnesota Twins and Colorado Rockies both have five-game losing streaks. The Arizona Diamondbacks have jumped to the lead with total runs, having scored 123. I guess beating the Giants 17-1 must have helped! The Other Sox remain at the bottom, having only scored 38 runs, still. They were blanked by Philly, yesterday. The Rangers have 106, and the Red Sox have 93. The Cleveland Guardians and KC Royals are tied with +45 run differentials, while the Other Sox are now at -61. They could be making a run at having a worse differential than Oakland from last season.

JESUS TIME

Holy and Gracious God,
I confess that I have sinned against You.
Some of my sin I know - 
the thoughts and words and deeds
of which I am ashamed - 
but some is known only to You.
In the name of Jesus Christ
I ask for forgiveness. 
Deliver and restore me,
that I may rest in peace.
"Heavenly Father, 
You renew me every day with Your care. Thank You for last night's sleep and rest. Give me the energy to fill this day with all that You have prepared for me to do. Make Your plans clear to me so that today shows Your care for me and those around me. Remind me of Your promises and especially Your saving work in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Help me see beyond this world to eternal life with You in heaven. Your promises are wonderful because they rest on Your mercy and no accomplishment of mine. By grace, You have called me Your own and adopted me as Your child. I give You thanks in Jesus' name. 
Amen."
(Portals of Prayer, Prayer for Saturday Morning)
Before they call I will answer, 
while they are yet speaking I will hear.
(Isaiah 65:24 NRSV)

Today I am grateful:

  • for a good night’s rest and new day, this morning
  • for the rain that is falling outside
  • that the Lord hears our prayers before we even voice them
  • for the command to love, not just in word, but in action; may we be faithful to obey this command
  • that God does not look at outward appearance, but examines the heart and motive
Our great God, still hidden and yet so evident and near, we thank you that you are at work in us before we think of asking. We thank you that you hold us by the hand and lead us before we are aware of it. Stay with us in this way and awaken our hearts at the right moment, that we are not surprised by the painful things we experience but can be prepared at all times to watch and pray, trusting that we are not forsaken in the constant strife on this earth. Grant us hope, O God, that the time is coming when all people will hear the proclamation, “See, a new heaven and a new earth, because you have learned to see God’s honor in everything.” Amen.
(Daily Prayer from Plough.com)
We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. How does God's love abide in anyone who has the world's goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help? 
Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God; and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him. 
And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. All who obey his commandments abide in him, and he abides in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us.
(1 John 3:16-24 NRSV)
I love the LORD, because he has heard 
my voice and my supplications. 
Because he inclined his ear to me, 
therefore I will call on him as long as I live. 
The snares of death encompassed me; 
the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me; 
I suffered distress and anguish. 
Then I called on the name of the LORD: 
"O LORD, I pray, save my life!" 

Gracious is the LORD, and righteous;
 our God is merciful.
 The LORD protects the simple; 
when I was brought low, he saved me. 
Return, O my soul, to your rest, 
for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.
(Psalms 116:1-7 NRSV)
Brother Jesus, You opened Your heart and gave me all I need for my salvation. Give me eyes to see the need around me and a heart that chooses to help. Amen.
(Portals of Prayer, Saturday, April 20)

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the LORD does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”
(1 Samuel 16:7 NRSV)

Do not be deceived, my beloved. 
Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. In fulfillment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures. 

You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; for your anger does not produce God's righteousness. Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls.
(James 1:16-21 NRSV)

“I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
(John 11:25-26 NRSV)

See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 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. And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. 
Everyone who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him sins; no one who sins has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Everyone who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.
(1 John 3:1-7 NRSV)

One of my devotional sources, this year, is a book called Seeking God’s Face: Praying With the Bible Through the Year, compiled by Philip Reinders. And that is, ideally, what I am doing here, every morning. Today I feel that I am doing it more than some other mornings. Some mornings, I am barely present for this devotional time, and readers of the blog can probably tell. On the other hand, I’m not sure about that, either, because sometimes, when I feel as though I am struggling mightily, someone else is moved by the Scriptures and prayers for the day. “God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform,” as William Cowper wrote.’

Today, as I seek His face, I am seeing a theme, again, in the readings. It is a theme that is not uncommon in my readings. But before I get to that, I am moved by the first Scripture I read for the day, from the Plough Daily Prayer, Isaiah 65:24. This is good news for us, because it speaks of the level of God’s knowledge of us and care for us. Before we utter a prayer, He has already heard us; and He will, He says, answer before we even call on Him. Psalm 139 supports this truth, as well.

Even before a word is on my tongue, O LORD, 
you know it completely.
(Psalms 139:4 NRSV)

With that in mind, I can confidently continue on in my prayers and devotionals for the morning.

Now, today’s theme can be seen in 1 John 3:17. “How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?” The whole passage from that chapter bears this out. We are commanded to love, not just in word, but in deed, as well. Granted, there are some of us who struggle to even love “in word,” as I have heard some dreadfully unloving words come out of the mouths of people who claim to be Christ-followers. Especially when addressing a fellow believer who thinks differently about things than they.

But I’m thinking more in terms of how we address the needy in our culture, these days. Jesus, through various sources in the New Testament, His own words and the words of His apostles, commands us to help the needy. In Matthew 25, in the entire parable of the sheep and the goats, the reward of people is based on how they treated the needy. Yet we tend to be blind to this in our own lives.

I struggle with this, myself, but am encouraged by how God has molded my heart into generosity. Yet I could do more. But I am not hesitant to share my blessings with others, when called upon to do so.

In the same group of readings, we get James 1, in which we are told “Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” So these gifts that we have been given come down from our Father, and are meant to be shared. The verse after the one where that reading stopped, echoes the sentiment from 1 John. James 1:22 says, “But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves.” And, in verse 20, we are told that our anger (and we seem to have quite a bit of that, these days) “does not produce God’s righteousness.”

Beloved, let us love one another. Let us love all people, as God has commanded us to do. And let us love with more than words, but also with deeds and actions. I am reminded of an old song that was popular when I was a youth.

Father, have mercy! Give us Your help, Lord. Change our hearts and minds, that we might obey these explicit, clear commands from Your Word. Your Church is struggling, right now, Father, as we are even divided amongst each other. Unite us, Father, first in love for You and Your Son and Your Spirit, second in love for one another, and third in love for all mankind.

Help us to show that love in our deeds, but not being hesitant to share Your blessings with the needy in our world. Sometimes we are eager to send help to people around the world, but don’t want to help people in our own town or country. Let us not put conditions on our love; help us to love those who think (and even vote) differently than we do. We are not told to investigate anyone’s theology or politics before we love them, Father. We are simply told to love. And, with that, may we set aside all political ideologies in favor of the love of Jesus Christ our Savior.

Thank You that You hear our prayers before we even voice them. Thank You that You say You will act before we ask. And I know this is true in my own life, Father. Praise Your holy name, through the Son, and by the Spirit.

"Father, it is a wonder what you have made of me in Jesus. It's the hope I cling to today, the comfort that satisfies my heart. I am a dearly loved child of God; I am not my own but belong to Jesus Christ, body and soul, in life and in death. I am rescued at great cost, protected and provided for, guarded and guided. How great is your lavish love. Amen."
(Seeking God's Face, Easter - Day 21)
Lord, in Your mercy, hear, now, the prayers lifted up to you for all who need strength, healing, comfort, and peace. 

If you are reading this, I encourage you to stop and pray for someone, at this time. Or, if there is something on your heart, please leave a comment. What can I pray for you?
O Lamb of God, that takes away the sins of the world, 
have mercy upon us.
O Lamb of God, that takes away the sins of the world,
have mercy upon us.
O, Lamb of God, that takes away the sins of the world,
grant us Your peace.
(Agnus Dei)

Grace and peace, friends.

Pursued and Overflowing

Jeff

Today is Thursday, the eighteenth day of April, 2024, in the third week of Easter.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Day 24,143

Today is Poem in Your Pocket Day. Not that I’m going to participate, because I probably won’t put anything in my pockets today. Depends on if I leave the house. But it’s another day to celebrate poetry, which is one of the beautiful art forms of the world. So much can be expressed in poetry, and it takes so many forms.

Let’s see. Yesterday. It was a pretty good day, but not without its stressors. S didn’t go to her therapy appointment. It started with her not feeling well, but just as I was talking to her, C got a text stating that the doctor was in a “crisis situation,” needing to help someone, and could we reschedule? We said we would just skip this session. Later I got a text stating that it had been canceled and we would not be charged. So that all worked out. Except we were concerned about the crisis situation. None of our business, I suppose, but we were hoping that the doctor was safe.

C took Mama to a follow up doctor appointment at 3:30. Doctor was late, so they didn’t get home until after 5:30. I had dinner ready, and S and I had already eaten because I needed to go to choir practice around 6:00. But everything was fine, so it’s all good. I was a few minutes late to practice, but that was because of traffic. It took me more than ten minutes to get past the first main intersection that I come to.

Choir practice was actually fun, last night. I’m not sure what, if anything, was different. It was just enjoyable. After I got home, I played on the PS5 for a bit, then finished my fortieth book for the year, Out At the Plate: The Dot Wilkinson Story. I’ll be posting a review of that, later this morning.

Today is a normal Thursday. C is at the office, and I don’t work today. S will not, as it turns out, be attending Club Metro tonight. She has grown tired of doing that again, as is her custom. Hahaha!

The Texas Rangers beat the Detroit Tigers 5-4 in a nailbiter, yesterday afternoon. Kirby Yates (2-0) wound up getting the win in relief. The Rangers are back over .500, at 10-9. They remain in first place, a half-game ahead of the Angels. They will play one more game, this afternoon, again at 12:10 CT. Jack Leiter (0-0) will start for Texas, making his MLB debut.

The Boston Red Sox finally beat the Guardians, 2-0, as Tanner Houck (3-1) pitched a masterpiece of a game, throwing a three-hit shutout, complete game, with 94 pitches! In under two hours! This improved the Sox to 10-9 for the season, getting them back into third place, three games behind the Yankees, and 2.5 behind Baltimore. They have one more game with Cleveland, this afternoon, at 1:35 ET, in Boston. Brennan Bernardino (0-1) will start for Boston.

The Braves have jumped on top of the MLB standings, with a 12-5 record. While the Yankees have won more games, they have also lost more, so Atlanta is up on percentage, with .706 to New York’s .684. The Other Sox (that’s the Chicago White Sox for those of you who might not get that) are still the worst, in spite of having finally won their third game. They are 3-15. The Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, and NY Mets all have four-game winning streaks going. I’m especially happy about the Braves, because they are currently beating the Astros. The Colorado Rockies are on a five-game losing streak.

The San Diego Padres remain the leaders in the total runs category, with 109, but the Braves are only one run behind them. The Other Sox remain the followers with only 38 total runs scored. The Rangers have scored 94, and the Red Sox have 81. In the run differential category (this is the difference between total runs scored and runs scored by opponents), the KC Royals continue to lead, with +40. The Other Sox remain the worst, with -54. The Rangers are at +14, and the Red Sox are at +5.

JESUS TIME

Holy and Gracious God,
I confess that I have sinned against You.
Some of my sin I know - 
the thoughts and words and deeds
of which I am ashamed - 
but some is known only to You.
In the name of Jesus Christ
I ask for forgiveness. 
Deliver and restore me,
that I may rest in peace.
"I praise You, God, for this day. I begin by asking that You would strengthen my resolve. I know I am born sinful and live in a broken and sinful world. Help me, however, to avoid sinful temptations today. Keep me, I pray, from careless thoughts and words, selfish actions, gossip, envy, and other sins. Make my life instead a witness to the hope that I have in Christ. As He sacrificed His life out of love for me, help me follow His example and sacrifice of my own well-being to love and serve others in my life. In all things, preserve me in the faith by Your Word, that I may rejoice in my identity in Christ. In Jesus' name. Amen."
(Portals of Prayer, Prayer for Thursday Morning)

“I know your works. Look, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.”
(Revelation 3:8 NRSV)

Today I am grateful:

  • that when God opens a door for us, no one can shut it
  • that I can rejoice in my identity in Christ
  • that God’s goodness and mercy will pursue me all the days of my life
  • that those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not be weary, walk and not faint
  • that I have the privilege of reading God’s Word every day of my life, and that I can glean fresh truth and inspiration from it, daily
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. 

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, 
I fear no evil; for you are with me; 
your rod and your staff—they comfort me. 

You prepare a table before me 
in the presence of my enemies; 
you anoint my head with oil; 
my cup overflows. 
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.
(Psalms 23:1-6 NRSV)
But I trust in you, O LORD; 
I say, "You are my God." 
My times are in your hand; 
deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors. 
Let your face shine upon your servant; 
save me in your steadfast love. 
Do not let me be put to shame, O LORD, 
for I call on you;
 let the wicked be put to shame; 
let them go dumbfounded to Sheol. 
Let the lying lips be stilled that speak insolently 
against the righteous with pride and contempt. 

O how abundant is your goodness 
that you have laid up for those who fear you, 
and accomplished for those who take refuge in you, 
in the sight of everyone! 
In the shelter of your presence 
you hide them from human plots; 
you hold them safe under your shelter 
from contentious tongues.
(Psalms 31:14-20 NRSV)
"God of joy and mercy, let others see in me the unrelenting love with which You pursue them. In Jesus' name. Amen."
(Portals of Prayer, Thursday, April 18)
Dear Father in heaven, we thank you that you know us all and that you look deep into our hearts, watching over us in everything we go through, whether easy or difficult. We thank you that we do not stand alone but that you hear the smallest sigh of each of your children. We thank you that darkness must give way to light, distress to joy, and fear to strength and courage. For you lead us through everything; it is what you bring about from your future world, not anything within our sight, that gives us strength and courage and that endures through everything. We thank you from our hearts for your unending gifts, and we are amazed that it was possible for us to receive all this from you. Protect us and keep us childlike, so that we remain in the fellowship that the Lord Jesus has given us, singing praise to him and to the glory and honor of your name. Amen.
(Daily Prayer from Plough.com)

“Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment.”
(Matthew 10:8 NRSV)

Even youths will faint and be weary, 
and the young will fall exhausted; 
but those who wait for the LORD 
shall renew their strength, 
they shall mount up with wings like eagles, 
they shall run and not be weary, 
they shall walk and not faint.
(Isaiah 40:30-31 NRSV)

“But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
(Luke 14:13-14 NRSV)

Psalm 23 is one of those that never gets old. Granted, if I’m reading hurriedly, I might not get the most out of it, which is a danger when portions of the Bible get too familiar. But I always try to approach these readings with fresh eyes.

There are two parts of Psalm 23 that caught my attention, this morning. First is the last verse. Almost every translation of that verse uses the word “follow.” But the Hebrew word is more intense than that. The word is “radaph,” which literally means, “run after, chase, hunt, pursue.” The image is as though the person is running away. The goodness and mercy of God is not “following” me. It is hunting me down, pursuing me!

This is reminiscent (I always spell that word wrong) of the “reckless, raging fury they call the love of God,” which Rich Mullins sings about.

Because of this relentless goodness and mercy (and love, as well), I can say, with the psalmist, “I trust in you, O LORD; I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in your hand.” Because of this relentless goodness and mercy, I can live in the truth of Isaiah 40:30-31.

But the other piece that sticks out to me, this morning, is verse 25. “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” I have long loved Dallas Willard’s take on this, seen in his book, Life Without Lack, which is a compilation of several teaching sessions on Psalm 23. In his view of this verse, we invite those “enemies” to that table and share it with them.

And this lines up with the words of Jesus, too, I believe. Because God prepares a table before me, I can invited to that table people who could never pay me back. “But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

Because my cup overflows, I can participate in obedience of the words of Christ by doing my part to “Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment.”

And as I look at my life, my cup truly does overflow. It overflows with the love of God; it overflows with love from friends, family, and church family; it overflows with blessings, both spiritual and material. And I can afford to share that blessing. In fact, I cannot afford not to share it. This is part of the Gospel, sharing what Christ has done for me, what Christ has given to me. And I am bound to share it with all people, not just those I like.

Father, I praise You for the table You have prepared for me, in the presence of all people. Your blessings are not given to us in secret, just as You promise. You tell us that if we are private in our generosity and in our prayer life, You will reward us openly, and You have made good on Your promises. Because of that, I can continue to be more and more generous with the blessings You have given me; my cup overflows!

Your goodness and mercy have indeed pursued me all of my life. They pursued me when I left Your path and went off on my own foolish meanderings. They chased me back onto Your good and faithful road, Lord. And they continue to do so, although I find that I’m not trying to run away quite as much, these days. Thank You, Father for Your goodness, mercy, and love that overflows within me.

May my spirit always be generous. May my cup, as it overflows, spill out onto everyone around me and get them splattered with Your grace.

I pray for constant spiritual renewal in my life, Lord. Don’t ever let me get stale in my walk with You. Your Word is living and active, and I want it to be working in me, constantly. Give me deep humility and repentance as I walk in the easy yoke of Jesus Christ. 

"Resurrected Lord, your crafty Holy Spirit gets into the deepest places of human lives, loosing locked-down hearts and softening crusty ones. You turn evil to good, overhauling stubborn resistance into a life yielded to you so that I produce good fruit. I praise you for this surprising good work. Amen."
(Seeking God's Face, Easter - Day 19)
Lord, in Your mercy, hear, now, the prayers lifted up to you for all who need strength, healing, comfort, and peace. 

If you are reading this, I encourage you to stop and pray for someone, at this time. Or, if there is something on your heart, please leave a comment. What can I pray for you?
O Lamb of God, that takes away the sins of the world, 
have mercy upon us.
O Lamb of God, that takes away the sins of the world,
have mercy upon us.
O, Lamb of God, that takes away the sins of the world,
grant us Your peace.
(Agnus Dei)

Grace and peace, friends.

He Opened Their Minds

Jeff2 Comments

Today is Wednesday, the seventeenth day of April, 2024, in the third week of Easter.

May the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times in all ways!

Day 24,142

Today is International Haiku Poetry Day! Shoutout to Susan at the lightroom! 

I wrote a haiku
It was about something else
I can't remember

Yesterday turned out to be a pretty good day, after the early morning crisis was resolved. See yesterday’s post. C was able to drive the car to the dealership, where it was repaired without me having to go get her. However, in typical dealership fashion, the presented her with a list of other “repairs” needed, totaling $561. She declined, and they fixed the clips for $21. I was shocked at how little it cost. But I was miffed that they wasted the time to do the “multi-point inspection” instead of just fixing the thing that it was brought in for. I’ll think twice before buying another car from them. Of course, it’s not the same owners as it was when we bought our Hondas.

Today is my Wednesday off. C is working from home. I have to take S to her therapy appointment at 1:00 PM, and C is taking Mama to a doctor appointment at 3:30 PM. This is a follow-up with the doctor that did her colonoscopy a few weeks ago. I have choir practice tonight, so I’ll be cooking dinner early.

The Texas Rangers lost to the Detroit Tigers, 4-2, yesterday. Jose Urena (0-2) took the loss in relief. But it was really Jacob Latz who gave up the runs. To me, this indicates (and I have felt this way for a long time) that the rules on who gets wins and losses need to be revised. The Rangers are back at .500 (9-9) for the season, and still, somehow, in first place, a half-game ahead of the Angels. They play the Tigers again today, at 12:10 CT, in Detroit. Dane Dunning (2-1) will start for Texas.

The Boston Red Sox lost to the Cleveland Guardians, 10-7 in eleven innings. Josh Winckowski took the loss. The Sox are now 9-9 for the season, and have found themselves in last place in the AL East, but only three games behind the first place Yankees. They will play the Guardians again this evening, at 7:10 ET, in Boston. Tanner Houck (2-1) will start for Boston.

The aforementioned Cleveland Guardians are atop MLB today, with a 12-5 record. The Other Sox remain abottom (if “atop” is a word, so should “abottom” be) at 2-14. The Toronto Blue Jays have a four-game winning streak going, while the Other Sox now have a five-game losing streak. The Padres remain at the top with 109 total runs scored, while the Other Sox have only 34. The Rangers have 89, and the Red Sox have 79. The Royals still have a +39 run differential, and the Other Sox still sit at -53. I wonder how long the Other Sox will dominate the worst in every category? The Rangers’ run differential is +13, and Boston’s is +3.

JESUS TIME

Holy and Gracious God,
I confess that I have sinned against You.
Some of my sin I know - 
the thoughts and words and deeds
of which I am ashamed - 
but some is known only to You.
In the name of Jesus Christ
I ask for forgiveness. 
Deliver and restore me,
that I may rest in peace.
"Lord God, 
You have brought me safely through the night. Thank You for Your mercy to me, especially for Your grace in granting me forgiveness and life through Christ. As I begin a new day in the middle of this week, strengthen me to faithfully and joyfully do the work You have set before me. Please remove any weariness or bitterness that comes from complacency. Help me love and serve my neighbor, whom You have put before me this day. Give me steadfastness to not waste time but instead to count every hour as another opportunity to be Your hands and feet in this world. Strengthen my faith through Your Word today and grant me and all in Your church the peace of Christ. 
In Jesus' name. Amen."
(Portals of Prayer, Prayer for Wednesday Morning)
The LORD, your God, is in your midst, 
a warrior who gives victory; 
he will rejoice over you with gladness, 
he will renew you in his love; 
he will exult over you with loud singing
(Zephaniah 3:17 NRSV)

Today I am grateful:

  • that our God is always in our midst, rejoicing over us, renewing us in His love, and singing over us
  • that the Lord is good, a stronghold for us and a refuge
  • that we have the Spirit to open our minds to understand the Scriptures
  • that, because of all of these truths, we need not be afraid of anything
  • for my morning coffee
  • for good drinking water
The LORD is good, a stronghold in a day of trouble; 
he protects those who take refuge in him,
(Nahum 1:7 NRSV)
do not fear, for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.
(Isaiah 41:10 NRSV)
even to your old age I am he, 
even when you turn gray I will carry you. 
I have made, and I will bear; 
I will carry and will save.
(Isaiah 46:4 NRSV)

Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, 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. You are witnesses of these things. And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
(Luke 24:44-49 NRSV)

I could be wrong (I frequently am), but I believe that Luke is the only Gospel that mentions this bit about Jesus opening the minds of the disciples during this post-resurrection appearance. “He opened their minds to understand the scriptures,” we are told.

Then, He informed them that they would be receiving the promised Spirit, and to wait in the city until this happens.

It is a truth, I believe, that without the Holy Spirit’s guidance, it is impossible to fully understand the scriptures. And I find that, even with the Spirit, there are passages that I still don’t quite get. I don’t think that speaks of anything lacking on my part, nor does it imply that the Holy Spirit is lacking in ability. What it does say is that I am not ready for that part. I believe that I will understand when I can handle it. And that may not be until I reach “heaven.” Paul does say, in 1 Corinthians 13, that I will understand fully, in that day. “. . . then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known.”

So I understand what I can understand and just accept what I cannot understand some things. I will not ever try to make something up, as I have heard some folks do, to try to make up for my lack of understanding. I am not afraid to say, “I don’t know.”

Father, I pray for the Holy Spirit to constantly be working in my mind to open my mind to understand the scriptures. Your Word is living and active, and almost every time I open it I see something that I have not noticed before. I would love to be able to understand it all, but acknowledge that I have not yet reached the place where I am able to do that. I trust in You and Your grace to lead me to that place, someday.

Thank You for the stories where Jesus opened their minds to understand. First, it was the two on the road to Emmaus. Then the full group. Through the Holy Spirit, You open our minds today. Help us to understand Your Word and to rightly apply it to our lives. And help us to be good witnesses to this Gospel of repentance and forgiveness of sins, proclaiming it to all people.

Lord, in Your mercy, hear, now, the prayers lifted up to you for all who need strength, healing, comfort, and peace. 

If you are reading this, I encourage you to stop and pray for someone, at this time. Or, if there is something on your heart, please leave a comment. What can I pray for you?

Let nothing disturb you,
let nothing frighten you,
all things will pass away.
God never changes;
patience obtains all things,
whoever has God lacks nothing.
God alone suffices.
Amen.
(St. Teresa of Avila)

Grace and peace, friends.

When I Sit in Darkness

Jeff

Today is Tuesday, the sixteenth day of April, 2024, in the third week of Easter.

May the peace of Christ dwell within you today!

Day 24,141

Today is National Librarian Day! I was surprised, because I thought we did all the library things last week. But that’s great. Several of my library friends are at the Texas Library Association conference in San Antonio, this week.

This day is not starting off good. Before I even got going, here, C called me. A piece of the undercarriage of her car fell down while she was on her way to work. She’s waiting for AAA to come tow her to the dealership where she got the car. She’s in a relatively safe, well-lit place. When she gets to the dealer, she will contact me, and I’m going to go pick her up. We think we can get by with one car for the rest of this week. If it goes longer, we might have to get a rental. But it just appears to be the piece of metal that covers the underside front of the car. I had a similar piece that came loose on my car a couple years ago.

Update: C is currently at the dealership, but she told me to hold off coming up there, as they might be able to fix the problem quickly. It turns out that a couple of connectors just broke off. The AAA driver temporarily fixed it with zip ties. Haha! So she drove it to the dealership, herself.

The Texas Rangers beat the Detroit Tigers 1-0, yesterday. Michael Lorenzen (1-0) got the win, giving up no runs on three hits through five innings. The bullpen held on, for a change, for the win. Kirby Yates got a save for the Rangers. This puts them at 9-8, still a half game ahead of the Angels in the AL West. They play the Tigers again, this afternoon, at 12:10 CT, in Detroit. Jon Gray (0-1) will take the mound for Texas.

The Boston Red Sox lost to the Cleveland Guardians, yesterday, 6-0. Brennan Bernardino (0-1) took the loss. The Sox only got three hits. They are now also 9-8 for the season, in third place in the AL East, three games behind the Yankees, 1.5 behind Baltimore. They will play the Guardians again, this evening, at 7:10 ET, in Boston. Garrett Whitlock (1-0) will start for Boston.

The New York Yankees continue to lead MLB with a 12-5 record. The Guardians are but a half game behind them, though. The Other Sox are at the tail, at 2-14. The Chicago Cubs and Toronto Blue Jays both have three-game winning streaks going. The Other Sox are on a five-game losing streak. The San Diego Padres have taken the lead in total runs, having now scored 103 runs. The Other Sox have only scored 34. It looks like they are this year’s Oakland Athletics. The Rangers have scored 87, and the Red Sox have 72. The KC Royals now have a +39 run differential, leading MLB, while the Other Sox are on the other end with -53. The Rangers have +15, and the Red Sox have +6.

JESUS TIME

Holy and Gracious God,
I confess that I have sinned against You.
Some of my sin I know - 
the thoughts and words and deeds
of which I am ashamed - 
but some is known only to You.
In the name of Jesus Christ
I ask for forgiveness. 
Deliver and restore me,
that I may rest in peace.
Lord our God, we come seeking to find community with you and ask you to keep us in your truth throughout all that occupies us in our daily lives. Keep us from growing confused about truths we have already found through the witness of your Spirit in our hearts. Keep us in your truth so that we can hold firmly to our course on earth under the many hardships and burdens that try to drag us down. Help us to remain steady and to find the path that goes straight ahead, leading us on and on to your final goal. Amen.
(Daily Prayer from Plough.com)

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
(John 14:6-7 NRSV)

Today I am grateful:

  • that C’s car incident was not worse, this morning
  • for the way, the truth, and the life; if we know Christ, we know the Father
  • that God is faithful, who will always bring me out to the light, when I sit in darkness
  • that the steadfast love of the Lord is better than life
  • that as long as I live, I will lift up my hands and call upon the name of the Lord; “O God, you are my God, I seek you!”
Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy; 
when I fall, I shall rise; 
when I sit in darkness, 
the LORD will be a light to me. 
I must bear the indignation of the LORD, 
because I have sinned against him, 
until he takes my side and executes judgment for me. 
He will bring me out to the light; 
I shall see his vindication.
(Micah 7:8-9 NRSV)
Who is a God like you, 
pardoning iniquity and passing over 
the transgression of the remnant of your possession? 
He does not retain his anger forever, 
because he delights in showing clemency. 
He will again have compassion upon us; 
he will tread our iniquities under foot. 
You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. 
You will show faithfulness to Jacob 
and unswerving loyalty to Abraham, 
as you have sworn to our ancestors from the days of old.
(Micah 7:18-20 NRSV)
But I trusted in your steadfast love; 
my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. 
I will sing to the LORD, 
because he has dealt bountifully with me.
(Psalms 13:5-6 NRSV)

“When we sit in the deepest darkness, clinging to our candle, we do not sit alone. We weep, but we do not weep alone. We tremble, but we are not alone in our fear and uncertainty. That is because the light of life Himself sits beside us, scars on His hands. Jesus, the light of the world, went to the darkest place on our behalf so that we may be in His eternal presence. Because of His work on the cross for us, our hearts glow with the warmth of His nearness.”

"Brother Jesus, help me hold out a candle of hope to those in darkness around me. Amen."
(Portals of Prayer, Tuesday, April 16)
O God, you are my God, 
I seek you, my soul thirsts for you; 
my flesh faints for you, 
as in a dry and weary land 
where there is no water. 
So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, 
beholding your power and glory. 
Because your steadfast love is better than life, 
my lips will praise you. 
So I will bless you as long as I live; 
I will lift up my hands and call on your name. 

My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast, 
and my mouth praises you with joyful lips 
when I think of you on my bed, 
and meditate on you in the watches of the night; 
for you have been my help,
 and in the shadow of your wings 
I sing for joy. 
My soul clings to you; 
your right hand upholds me. 
(Psalms 63:1-8 NRSV)
When you search for me, you will find me;
 if you seek me with all your heart,
(Jeremiah 29:13 NRSV)

“When I sit in darkness, the LORD will be a light to me. . . . He will bring me out to the light.” Those words in Micah are encouraging; the bring hope to the soul. Because who among us does not sit in darkness, sometimes? Our darkness may be because of something we have done, or it may be through not fault of our own, a trial or affliction that has been brought upon us. I have sat in darkness many times. But God (my two favorite words in the Bible) is always faithful to be might light and my salvation. He will bring me out to the light.

My heart will always return to a place of rejoicing in His salvation, because I have trusted in the steadfast love of the Lord. I always rejoice when I get to read Psalm 63, on of my favorite Psalms. The steadfast love of the Lord is truly better than life itself. And I proclaim, along with David, that I will, as long as I live, lift up hands in praise to Him, and call upon His name.

O God, You are my God, and I will ever praise You. I will seek You, and my soul constantly thirst for You. Forgive me when I try to slake that thirst with things that are not You. Forgive me when my feet run into sin and disregard Your grace and mercy. I do not deserve forgiveness for such actions, but You are faithful and just to forgive.

I exult when I see the words of Micah 7:9, because You did take our side and You executed judgment when Jesus died on the Cross. That was our vindication; that was when the Light was brought to us. Thank You that, even when I sit in darkness today, You will always be faithful to shine Your light and bring me out of the darkness. The darkness will never overcome the light.

Father, I have trusted in Your steadfast love, and my heart shall forever rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to You as long as I have breath, because You have, indeed, dealt bountifully with me!

Lord, in Your mercy, hear, now, the prayers lifted up to you for all who need strength, healing, comfort, and peace. 

If you are reading this, I encourage you to stop and pray for someone, at this time. Or, if there is something on your heart, please leave a comment. What can I pray for you?

Grace and peace, friends.

What We Deserve

Jeff

Today is Monday, the fifteenth day of April, 2024, in the third week of Easter.

May the peace of the Lord be with you always!

Day 24,140

The Easter season (also known as Eastertide) ends on Pentecost Sunday, which is May 19, this year, 34 days away.

Today is Purple Up! Day. I choose this because purple is C’s favorite color, and I have grown quite fond of it, as well. It is also a worthy day to observe, having to do with children whose parent serve in the military.

Yesterday was a good day, for the most part. We had sound issues during both services, though, which will surely affect the quality of the choir and quartet recordings. During the first service, either the mics weren’t working, or something was wrong at the board. During the second, we were treated to ear-piercing feedback midway through our quartet song. But the message was still proclaimed in the song, and that’s what is more important. I’m not sure everyone agrees with that, but that’s the way I feel. Whether there is a good YouTube video of the song is not all that important.

The Texas Rangers lost to the Houston Astros, 8-5, yesterday, and it was worse than it looks. It was 8-2 until Marcus Simien hit a three-run homer in the top of the ninth. An unusual loss for Nathan Eovaldi (1-1). This puts the Rangers at 8-8 on the season, but they are still in first place, thanks to the Red Sox beating the Angels again. Houston is still in last place, at 6-11, after winning the series from Texas. The Rangers have traveled to Detroit, now, for a series beginning tonight at 5:40 CT. Michael Lorenzen (?)(0-0) will start for Texas.

As mentioned, the Red Sox beat the Angels, 5-4, yesterday, to win that series. Brayan Bello (2-1) got the win. The Sox are now 9-7 for the season, in third place, a half game behind Baltimore, and three games behind the Yankees. They start a series with the Cleveland Guardians, today, at 11:10 AM ET. Must be Patriots’ Day in Boston. Kutter Crawford (0-0) will start for Boston. The Boston Marathon will also be (probably already is) happening.

The New York Yankees continue to lead MLB with a 12-4 record. The Miami Marlins won again, so the Other Sox are now the worst MLB team, at 2-13. The Cincinatti Reds are streaking, now, having won three consecutive games. The Other Sox have lost four in a row. The Dodgers and Padres are still tied for most total runs, at 96. Eventually, this will even out, because they have played at least two more games than everyone else, since they started their season a week early in some other country. Korea? I can’t remember. The Rangers have 86 total runs, sitting in eighth place, overall, and the Red Sox have 72, in fifteenth. Ironically, the best team by record has only scored 79 runs in comparison. The Other Sox are on the bottom, with 34 total runs.

The KC Royals are on top of the run differential column, with +37, and the Other Sox are on the bottom, with -51. Egad. This is getting repetitive, already. The Rangers have dropped to +14, and the Red Sox are at +12.

JESUS TIME

Holy and Gracious God,
I confess that I have sinned against You.
Some of my sin I know - 
the thoughts and words and deeds
of which I am ashamed - 
but some is known only to You.
In the name of Jesus Christ
I ask for forgiveness. 
Deliver and restore me,
that I may rest in peace.
"Father God, 
on Monday, people everywhere head to their workplaces to begin their work week. Some of them spring joyfully to their assigned task, eager and confident. Others shuffle to work with unwilling feet, knowing a difficult task lies before them. Bless all who work with strength of body, clarity of mind, willingness of heart, and the knowledge that they bless others by their labor. Fill me with gratitude for the work of those around me and help me support and encourage them, whatever their role may be.
 In Jesus' name. Amen."
(Portals of Prayer, Prayer for Monday Morning)
But I trust in you, O LORD; 
I say, "You are my God." 
My times are in your hand; 
deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors. 
Let your face shine upon your servant; 
save me in your steadfast love.
(Psalms 31:14-16 NRSV)

Today I am grateful:

  • for a great day of worship yesterday
  • that I can say, along with the psalmist, “You are my God,” and “My times are in your hand”
  • for the acts of confession and absolution, that my sins are forgiven
  • for the story of Jonah, teaching us about compassion for all people
  • that our God does not treat us as our sins deserve, but has removed them as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103)
  • that “as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him” (Psalm 103)
Dear Father in heaven, we turn to you. Hear our longing, hear our hopes, hear our faith! Our future lies in your hands. Free each heart from discouragement and sadness over the many evils of the world. Make us free from earthly things, free yet bound in spirit with you, O God. Help us on our pilgrimage toward eternity. As we walk with you, fill us with hope that the whole world will see the light, for in your light alone can we find fullness of life. Protect us and bless us through your Spirit. Amen.
(Daily Prayer from Plough.com)
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. 

But this was very displeasing to Jonah, and he became angry. He prayed to the LORD and said, "O LORD! Is not this what I said while I was still in my own country? That is why I fled to Tarshish at the beginning; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishing. And now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live." And the LORD said, "Is it right for you to be angry?" Then Jonah went out of the city and sat down east of the city, and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, waiting to see what would become of the city. 
The LORD God appointed a bush, and made it come up over Jonah, to give shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort; so Jonah was very happy about the bush. But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the bush, so that it withered. When the sun rose, God prepared a sultry east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint and asked that he might die. He said, "It is better for me to die than to live." 

But God said to Jonah, "Is it right for you to be angry about the bush?" And he said, "Yes, angry enough to die." Then the LORD said, "You are concerned about the bush, for which you did not labor and which you did not grow; it came into being in a night and perished in a night. And should I not be concerned about Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also many animals?" 
(Jonah 3:10; 4:1-11 NRSV)
Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion; 
and to you shall vows be performed, 
O you who answer prayer! 
To you all flesh shall come. 
When deeds of iniquity overwhelm us, 
you forgive our transgressions. 
Happy are those whom you choose 
and bring near to live in your courts. 
We shall be satisfied 
with the goodness of your house, 
your holy temple. 

By awesome deeds you answer us with deliverance, 
O God of our salvation; 
you are the hope of all the ends of the earth 
and of the farthest seas. 
By your strength you established the mountains; 
you are girded with might. 
You silence the roaring of the seas, 
the roaring of their waves, 
the tumult of the peoples. 
Those who live at earth's farthest bounds 
are awed by your signs; 
you make the gateways of the morning 
and the evening shout for joy.
(Psalms 65:1-8 NRSV)
"God, let me see those around me with eyes of grace. Replace vindictiveness with empathy. When my mind begins to condemn others, remind me of Your endless compassion for me. In Jesus' name. Amen."
(Portals of Prayer, Monday, April 15)

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
(John 11:25-26 NRSV)

Restore us, O God of hosts; 
let your face shine,
 that we may be saved.
(Psalms 80:7 NRSV)
Now I would remind you, brothers and sisters, of the good news that I proclaimed to you, which you in turn received, in which also you stand, through which also you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message that I proclaimed to you—unless you have come to believe in vain. 
For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.
(1 Corinthians 15:1-7 NRSV)

One of my readings focuses on a part of the story of Jonah that we usually don’t really hone in on. Probably because it hits hard and deep. That is, if we are really trying to be obedient to the commands of Christ.

You see, Jonah delivered his message (after being forced to by God . . . that’s the part we like to tell in our stories, how it is not good to try to run from God), and then sat back to watch God smite the Ninevites. You see, Jonah hated those Ninevites.

Only that didn’t happen. They repented. Oh, what nerve! Oh, the gall! And that’s why Jonah was angry. “I knew this was going to happen! That’s why I didn’t want to preach to them!” he said.

This is why I struggle so much with praying the imprecatory psalms. I feel guilty if I find myself desiring the “wicked” to get “what they deserve.” And how many other alleged Christians do we see celebrating when others get what’s “coming to them?”

My brother and sisters, I believe with all my heart that this is wrong. After all, we are told in Scripture that God does not delight in the destruction of any, but desires to see all come to repentance. There’s that word “all” again. (Actually, it’s “everyone” in the NRSV.)

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
(1 Timothy 2:1-4 NRSV, emphasis added)

If our God desires everyone to be saved, then we had better desire the same thing, don’t you think? How dare we delight in seeing people we don’t like get “what they deserve?” This flies in the face of Jesus’s commands to love our neighbor as ourselves, and to love our enemies. If we rejoice at the destruction of our enemies, we are not loving them, are we?

And another thing. What, exactly, do we think we deserve? Every single one of us deserves the punishment of the lake of fire. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God! We are born sinners. There is none “good,” no not one. Only God is “good,” according to Jesus Christ.

I have seen a meme, recently, on social media, that I heartily agree with. It says, “If you’re a Christian and you’re big mad about the possibility of student loan debt being cancelled, let me remind you that the entirety of your faith is built upon a debt you couldn’t pay that someone stepped in and paid for you.” Bingo.

The book of Jonah preaches this truth. And, to make an even bigger point, at the end, Jonah cared more about his shade being destroyed than he did the people to whom he preached.

We have work to do, brothers and sisters, and that work is simply the proclamation of the Gospel of Christ. This Gospel is proclaimed in 1 Corinthians 15, the great “Resurrection chapter” of Paul. ” . . . that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures . . .” Jesus, Himself, simplified it a little in Mark 1:14-15.

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”
(Mark 1:14-15 NRSV)

We do not get what we deserve. Therefore, we should earnestly desire that for all people. 

He does not deal with us according to our sins, 
nor repay us according to our iniquities. 
For as the heavens are high above the earth, 
so great is his steadfast love 
toward those who fear him; 
as far as the east is from the west, 
so far he removes our transgressions from us.
(Psalms 103:10-12 NRSV)

Father, have mercy on us! You have shown such infinite grace and mercy on us by not giving us what we deserve for our sins. You have provided that which we could not provide by sending Christ to die on the cross for our sins. We could not pay the cost, but Jesus Christ has paid it for us. How terrible of us to not desire this for all people, in all the world, because of petty disagreements. Forgive us when we rejoice at the destruction of our “enemies.” Change our hearts so that we desire the salvation of all!

Forgive us when we do not desire to see others get mercy in other ways, as well. We have been shown such mercy, Lord. We should extend that same mercy to all people. Give us eyes to see You at work in the world around us. 

"Son of God, thank you for not being shy in showing yourself. So many people saw you, a long list of witnesses with names and addresses testify to your resurrected life. And the fact that I'm praying to you now is one more testimony. What's proclaimed in Scripture has happened to me - your resurrection power has made me alive, a new creation, raised from the dead. I praise you, risen Savior. Amen."
(Seeking God's Face, Easter - Day 16)
Lord, in Your mercy, hear, now, the prayers lifted up to you for all who need strength, healing, comfort, and peace. 

If you are reading this, I encourage you to stop and pray for someone, at this time. Or, if there is something on your heart, please leave a comment. What can I pray for you?

Grace be with all who have an undying love for our Lord Jesus Christ.
(Ephesians 6:24 NRSV)

Grace and peace, friends.

My Cup Overflows

Jeff1 Comment

Today is Saturday, the thirteenth day of April, 2024, in the second week of Easter.

May the peace of Christ surround you, today, and drive away all of your anxieties and fears.

Day 24,138

Today is International FND Awareness Day. That stands for Functional Neurological Disorder.

Today is my Saturday to work, so I will be at the library circulation desk from 9:30 – 6:15. Yesterday was a good day, and it was fairly busy in the computer center, more so than usual. That’s not a bad thing. It wasn’t stressful at any point, so it made the day go buy more quickly.

The Texas Rangers blew out the Astros last night. The final score was 12-8, but it was really worse than that. They were ahead 12-3, at one point. Then the bullpen came in. Dane Dunning (2-1) got the win for the game, pitching five innings, giving up three hits and three runs. The Rangers are now 8-6 for the season, still in first place in the AL West, a half game up on the Angels. The Astros are 4-11. They will play again this afternoon at 3:05 CT, in Houston. Andrew Heaney (0-2) is starting for Texas, so we’ll probably lose. Unless we score twelve runs again.

The Boston Red Sox were shut out by the Angels, last night, 7-0. Tanner Houck (2-1) took the loss. The Sox are now 7-7 for the season, in fourth place in the AL East, only one game ahead of the Blue Jays. They play the Angels again this afternoon at 4:10 ET, at Fenway Park. The starting pitcher is TBD.

The Yankees still lead MLB with 10-3, in spite of not playing yesterday, as their game with Cleveland was postponed. Miami continues to trail, still having only won two games. The Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays (boo) both have three-game winning streaks going. Houston and Boston both have four-game losing streaks. The Dodgers and Padres are tied with the most total runs, at 88. The Other Sox are at the bottom with only 30 total runs. The Rangers are fifth with 79. The Guardians still lead the run differential with +35. The Other Sox are at the bottom with -39. They have also only won two games, by the way, but have lost one fewer than the Marlins. The Rangers are fourth with +24, and the Sox are down to +6.

JESUS TIME

Gracious God,
have mercy on us.
In Your compassion forgive us our sins,
known and unknown,
things done and left undone.
Uphold us by Your Spirit 
so that we may live and serve You
 in newness of life,
to the honor and glory of Your holy name;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
"Heavenly Father, 
You renew me every day with Your care. Thank You for last night's sleep and rest. Give me the energy to fill this day with all that You have prepared for me to do. Make Your plans clear to me so that today shows Your care for me and those around me. Remind me of Your promises and especially Your saving work in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Help me see beyond this world to eternal life with You in heaven. Your promises are wonderful because they rest on Your mercy and no accomplishment of mine. By grace, You have called me Your own and adopted me as Your child. I give You thanks in Jesus' name. 
Amen."
(Portals of Prayer, Prayer for Saturday Morning)
Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. 
Let your good spirit lead me on a level path.
(Psalms 143:10 NRSV)

Today I am grateful:

  • that the effectiveness of God’s promises rests on His mercy and no accomplishment or works of my own
  • that He has called me His own and adopted me as His child
  • that whatever happens in my life, my path is made level and firm by the Spirit
  • that I am who I am because of Whose I am
  • for the joy that He has placed in my heart; my cup truly overflows
Lord our God, O great and almighty One, whose Spirit fills heaven and earth! We thank you that you are our Father and that in you we have a refuge wherever we must go as we serve you on earth. We thank you that your life can be revealed in us and can flow through us so that the world may be blest by you, our loving and caring Father. Protect us and strengthen us in times of trouble and sorrow. When we travel on new paths, give us your Spirit to show us the way, that everything may lead to the good and to your honor. Father, through your Spirit unite us in the unshakable hope that your will shall at last be done on earth as in heaven. Grant that we may rejoice in the certainty that whatever happens, our paths are made level and firm by your love and your faithfulness. Amen.
(Daily Prayer from Plough.com)
See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 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. And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. 
Everyone who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him sins; no one who sins has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Everyone who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.
(1 John 3:1-7 NRSV)
Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous. 
Praise befits the upright. 
Praise the LORD with the lyre; 
make melody to him with the harp of ten strings. 
Sing to him a new song; 
play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts. 

For the word of the LORD is upright,
 and all his work is done in faithfulness. 
He loves righteousness and justice; 
the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD. 
By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, 
and all their host by the breath of his mouth. 
He gathered the waters of the sea as in a bottle; 
he put the deeps in storehouses. 

Let all the earth fear the LORD;
 let all the inhabitants of the world 
stand in awe of him. 
For he spoke, and it came to be; 
he commanded, and it stood firm. 

The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;
 he frustrates the plans of the peoples. 
The counsel of the LORD stands forever, 
the thoughts of his heart to all generations.
(Psalms 33:1-11 NRSV)
"Heavenly Father, I am who I am because You are who You are. Make me daily more and more like Your Son, Jesus. In His name. Amen."
(Portals of Prayer, Saturday, April 13)
You have put gladness in my heart 
more than when their grain and wine abound.
(Psalms 4:7 NRSV)
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.
(Isaiah 55:2 NRSV)
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.
 
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, 
I fear no evil; 
for you are with me; 
your rod and your staff—they comfort me. 

You prepare a table before me
 in the presence of my enemies; 
you anoint my head with oil; 
my cup overflows. 
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.
(Psalms 23:1-6 NRSV)

Of this gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of God’s grace that was given me by the working of his power. Although I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ, and to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him.
(Ephesians 3:7-12 NRSV)

I remember an old song from years gone by . . . the chorus goes something like this:

He has made me glad
He has made me glad
I will rejoice for He has made me glad

As I was reading my various sources, this morning, the thought “my cup overflows” came to me. Psalm 23 was not in my readings for the morning. But I went to it anyway, as I felt the Spirit leading me. There have been some minor circumstances going on, recently (a couple weeks ago was not so “minor”), that have caused some stress in my life. But the constant remains . . . the joy of the Lord is my strength. When I look back at my life and see His hand steadily guiding me, sustaining me, and protecting me, I see this truth.

He has truly prepared a feast of a table before me in the presence of my “enemies.” He has anointed my head with oil. My cup overflows. This is a state of mind that is unsustainable if I attempt to keep it on my own, because my eyes will inevitably be drawn to outward circumstances, like not being able to obtain one of my medications for more than three weeks because of worldwide shortage.

But when I keep my eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of my faith, then I am okay. My joy is sustained, and I shall not be moved. The joy of the Lord is my strength. My cup overflows.

Thank You, Father, for keeping me. I thank You for my life. I am who I am, today, because of who You are and who You have made me. I am far from perfect. I still sin, daily. But You continue to grow me in faith and in love. You continue to be my refuge and my strength. You continue to love me, along with all the saints, and keep my cup full. I bless You Lord, and praise You, through the Son, and by the Spirit.

"Purposeful God, thank you that my faith is not a cosmic fluke or a lucky accident of circumstance - you've called me by a larger and longer wisdom. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, your aim is to redeem all those you've called from every people, tribe, nation, and language. As you have called me, make me now a messenger of your mercy. Amen."
(Seeking God's Face, Easter - Day 14)
Lord, in Your mercy, hear, now, the prayers lifted up to you for all who need strength, healing, comfort, and peace. 

If you are reading this, I encourage you to stop and pray for someone, at this time. Or, if there is something on your heart, please leave a comment. What can I pray for you?
Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth. 
Worship the LORD with gladness; 
come into his presence with singing. 

Know that the LORD is God. 
It is he that made us, and we are his; 
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 

Enter his gates with thanksgiving, 
and his courts with praise. 
Give thanks to him, bless his name. 

For the LORD is good; 
his steadfast love endures forever, 
and his faithfulness to all generations.
(Psalms 100:1-5 NRSV)

Grace and peace, friends.

The Gifts

Jeff2 Comments

Today is Friday, the twelfth day of April, 2024, in the second week of Easter.

May you experience the peace of the Lord in your soul, today!

Day 24,137

Today is National Only Child Day! That’s me!! “Embracing independence and forming distinctive perspectives . . .” I probably do have some “distinctive perspectives.”

Yesterday was relatively unremarkable, except for the new experience of curbside pickup at our new H-E-B grocery store. That went pretty well, and will go better in the future, now that I now which parking lot entrance to head for. I managed to go into the one that was furthest from the actual curbside parking area. The only negative thing was that, when I got home, I realized that I had not receive one item that was on the receipt. Unfortunately, it was one of the coffees that I had ordered from them. Fortunately it was not Taste of San Antonio that was missing. It was Taste of DFW, which I have not tasted, yet. But that’s okay. I got a refund and will try again another time. I’m having Taste of San Antonio, this morning, and it is delicious. It smells even better than it tastes.

C and I had a lovely time, last night, while S was at her Club Metro event. We ate at Christina’s Mexican restaurant again, and the food, as usual, was delicious. I brought home most of one enchilada and some rice and beans, which I may take for lunch today. Haven’t decided.

Today is a normal Friday. C is working from home, and I will be in the computer center at the library from 9:15-6:15.

The Texas Rangers lost to the Oakland Athletics, yesterday afternoon, 1-0. They only got one hit in the game and didn’t get that until the eighth inning! Egad. Unfortunately, Jon Gray (0-1) took the loss, as his teammates failed to give him any run support. He even struck out nine batters! The Rangers are now 7-6 for the season, but still in first place, a half game ahead of the Angels, who did not play yesterday. The Rangers will be in Houston tonight, for another series with the Astros, who, by the way, got beat 13-3 by the streaking Royals, yesterday. The Royals scored nine runs on eleven hits in the FIRST INNING!! Tonight’s game begins at 7:10 CT, and Dane Dunning (1-1) starts for Texas.

The Boston Red Sox lost again to the Orioles (sweep), in ten innings, 9-4. Isaiah Campbell (0-1) took the loss, giving up six runs in the tenth. This puts the Sox at 7-6 for the season, and they are in third place, tied with Tampa Bay, three games behind the Yankees. The Sox will begin a series with the Angels tonight, at Fenway, at 7:10 ET. Tanner Houck (2-0) will start for Boston.

I’m pretty sure the Yankees didn’t play yesterday, but they are still at the top of the MLB standings, with a 10-3 record. Miami remains at the bottom, at 2-11. The KC Royals have a seven-game winning streak going (after humiliating the Astros, yesterday, and I guess that means they also swept the ‘stros . . . gee this is fun!). The Astros and Red Sox both have three-game losing streaks. The LA Dodgers continue to lead in total runs scored, with 81, while the Padres are right behind them with 80. The Other Sox and the Twins are tied at the bottom with 29 total runs. The Royals have also overtaken the Guardians in the run differential column, now having +39. The Colorado Rockies are alone at the bottom, with -35. The Rangers are in fourth with +20, and the Red Sox dropped to +13.

JESUS TIME

Gracious God,
have mercy on us.
In Your compassion forgive us our sins,
known and unknown,
things done and left undone.
Uphold us by Your Spirit 
so that we may live and serve You
 in newness of life,
to the honor and glory of Your holy name;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
"Heavenly Father, give me strength and energy to do the work that is before me today. Guide me through the many decisions that I have to make. While I have my own plans for today, put Your plans over mine. Make clear the direction I should go so that I fulfill Your desires. Make me also a benefit to others. Especially give me a listening ear and a caring heart to those around me who are hurting. As You have been merciful and caring to me, help me reflect that same care to others who are hungry for Your grace. Let my words echo Your words of forgiveness and hope so that people turn to You in their need. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen."
(Portals of Prayer, Prayer for Friday Morning)
Lord our God, draw us to yourself. Draw us into the quiet that you give, where something can happen to us and to our hearts. Help us to discern your kingdom surrounding us and in our spirits to live in this kingdom. Then our life will be as if in heaven, where we need not worry or torment ourselves, where your power is everything to us, penetrating our earthly life, which so often weighs us down. We thank you that you have made a way of strength, full of power to hold us firmly, so that even when we stumble, we cannot be turned from the goal. We thank you for all the good that comes from you, which we cannot see in earthly things but which can invade our hearts with such mighty and uplifting power. Amen.
(Daily Prayer from Plough.com)

But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humiliation that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, by the power that also enables him to make all things subject to himself.
(Philippians 3:20-21 NRSV)

Today I am grateful:

  • that my citizenship is in heaven, not of this world
  • for the way the Lord quiets my heart, giving me the confidence I need to not worry or torment myself about this earthly life
  • for God’s words of forgiveness and hope; may I be faithful to pass those along to others who need them
  • for the gifts that God gives to each of us; may we faithfully use them to serve one another and glorify Him
  • for good coffee!
I bless the LORD who gives me counsel; 
in the night also my heart instructs me. 
I keep the LORD always before me; 
because he is at my right hand, 
I shall not be moved. 

Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices;
 my body also rests secure. 
For you do not give me up to Sheol, 
or let your faithful one see the Pit. 

You show me the path of life. 
In your presence there is fullness of joy; 
in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
(Psalms 16:7-11 NRSV)

For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.
(Romans 12:4-8 NRSV)

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit;
(1 Corinthians 12:4 NRSV)

Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very words of God; whoever serves must do so with the strength that God supplies, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ. To him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.
(1 Peter 4:10-11 NRSV)

I will call to mind the deeds of the LORD;
 I will remember your wonders of old.
 I will meditate on all your work, 
and muse on your mighty deeds. 
Your way, O God, is holy. 
What god is so great as our God? 
You are the God who works wonders; 
you have displayed your might among the peoples.
(Psalms 77:11-14 NRSV)

We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— this life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it, and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us— we declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
(1 John 1:1-4 NRSV)

We all have been given gifts from God. And, in this context, I am referring to “spiritual gifts,” not material things. I have been given plenty of those, too, but I’m not talking about those, today.

There has been much hype made over “spiritual gifts,” in days gone by. I remember taking huge tests, called “Spiritual Gifts Inventories,” that resembled those massive personality tests that many have to take at college or grad school. Eugene H. Peterson hated those, by the way.

The thing about the spiritual gift inventories is that they can, just like personality tests, be manipulated. It is my opinion that they are useless, and only serve to validate whatever opinion one already has about one’s own alleged spiritual gift(s).

Here is what I believe about spiritual gifts. First of all, the biblical lists are not all-inclusive. What I mean by that is that there are likely other gifts that are not mentioned in any of those lists. So there is no definitive list of all the gifts, and we should not operate under the assumption that there is.

Second, I believe that the Spirit doles out gifts as needed for the circumstance or situation. In other words, one person might have a particular gift for a moment, which is needed in a particular situation, and then later, that person might be gifted with some other ability to meet another need. This prevents us from glibly passing over a situation by saying, “Well, that’s just not my gift.”

Last, the purpose of the gifts is made very clear in Scripture. We are not given gifts for our own notoriety or glory. The gifts are not so that we can say, “Look at me! I’m speaking in tongues! Fhqwhgads!!!” (Bonus credit if you get that last thing.) The gifts are for us to serve one another and “so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ. To him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.”

Father, I pray that You would help me to be open and receptive to all that the Spirit desires to do with me each day. Keep my eyes open for opportunities to serve others and glorify You. Keep my eyes off of myself, for I need no glory or honor, as it all goes to You. You have given me some gifts that seem to be pretty much permanent; gifts of musical talent and the like. But You have also given me momentary gifts, as well. I pray that we would all be alert and ready to receive Your gifts, at the moment they are needed, that we might serve one another.

"Living God, I don't want a secondhand faith. I need something more to bring your reality home to me. Send your Sprit to testify in my heart that what I read in Scripture is from you; open my eyes to see that the words of Scripture vibrate with your love and truth, and address these words to my heart, Lord. Amen."
(Seeking God's Face, Easter - Day 13)
Lord, in Your mercy, hear, now, the prayers lifted up to you for all who need strength, healing, comfort, and peace. 

If you are reading this, I encourage you to stop and pray for someone, at this time. Or, if there is something on your heart, please leave a comment. What can I pray for you?
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, you heavenly hosts;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
(Traditional Doxology)

Grace and peace, friends.