Tonight, I was reading from Lent with the Desert Fathers, by Thomas McKenzie, and it really spoke to me about the ongoing transformation that Christ has been doing within me, and how much further we have to go.
Tonight’s word was from Poemon, a Father of the desert.
“Abba Poemon said, ‘One person may seem to live in silence, but in his heart he is constantly condemning others. In reality, he never stops talking. But another who may talk from morning to night in reality has the gift of silence, because he never speaks except to profit his hearers.'”
“We can act in a way that makes people think we are quite pious. We can abstain from ‘bad things’ in the world, dress ourselves well, and talk like a good person. But that doesn’t mean our hearts aren’t filled with vile thoughts, hatred, racism, lust, and bitterness. . . .
“How pleasing is it to God when we hate others in our hearts, even if we keep our opinions to ourselves?
“The Holy Spirit is available to us for inner transformation. Only through his miraculous working, with which we participate, can we truly become the people God made us to be. That’s why we’re on this Lenten journey. We’re here to ask for God’s help while also abandoning ourselves into his care.”
In reality it was this very subject that started my journey of transformation last February. The stage had been set, over the course of the two years prior, starting when I first joined the Lutheran church I attend now. But it all exploded last February when Christ revealed to me that I was not truly loving people in the way that I was “preaching.”
There have been many other topics addressed in my heart during this transformative period, but that is still the major point, especially when one considers that I have heard His call to be a “peacemaker,” or “repairer of the breach.”
As I read this tonight, it shows me how far away I still am. That one question pricks my heart quite painfully. “How pleasing is it to God when we hate others in our hearts, even if we keep our opinions to ourselves?” I would not say that I “hate” anyone. But there are definitely still some troubled feelings in there.
And he called the people to him again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand: There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.” And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” (Mark 7:14-23 ESV)
Jesus, have mercy! Please keep transforming me in the way that You have been doing. Remove any form of “hate” from my heart, even if it is not truly “hate.” Help me to love all, regardless of any opinions on anything. There is still too much Jeff in here, Jesus! Too much. You must increase, and I must decrease. All glory to You, Lord!
Grace and peace, my brothers and sisters! Choose love!
Today is Friday, the fifth day of September, 2025, in the Season of the Church.
May the peace and love of Christ flood your soul, today!
It is day 248 of 2025, with 117 days remaining.
Day 24,648 of my life.
Seventeen days until the beginning of Autumn. We hit 103 yesterday!! 103!! Two degrees higher than predicted. Today, however, is no “only” predicted to be 98 for a high. The record high for this date was 103, in 1998. The average high over the next ten days is now 89.5, down a bit from yesterday. There are no longer any triple-digit days in the forecast, but six days at 90 or higher, which is six too many. Summer is not going quietly.
37 days until we celebrate our 40th anniversary! Hopefully, we will be in Galveston when that day gets here, serenely looking at the ocean. Man, I just relaxed a good bit thinking about that!
Daily writing prompt
If you had to give up one word that you use regularly, what would it be?
I have no idea. I mean, I could think of plenty of words that I wish would go away, but they are not words that I use on a regular basis. For example, I really wish that the word “hate” would disappear from our language. But it wouldn’t be enough for the word to disappear, would it? Because people will still hate; they would just find another way to express it. I have actually tried to eliminate the word from my vocabulary. It still slips out, occasionally, but usually in reference to an object or experience that I am not fond of. Like liver, for example, or Brussel Sprouts. Or Pepsi. No . . . I don’t actually “hate” Pepsi. But I really don’t like it if I am at a restaurant and order a Diet Coke, and they don’t tell me they are substituting Pepsi. Like I can’t tell the difference. Pft. I’m really more a Dr. Pepper guy, anyway. Always have been. I’m a Pepper. Wouldn’t you like to be a Pepper, too?
So, yeah. I don’t know what word I regularly use that I could give up, if hard pressed. But I would sure love to get rid of hate. I just took a closer look at that last sentence that I typed. I would love to get rid of hate. That’s exactly the way to do it, too. We get rid of hate by loving. So, yes. I do love to get rid of hate.
Today is a normal Friday. C is working from home, and I am at the library Computer Center for eight hours, from 9:15-6:15. Yes, I realize that’s nine hours, but I get a lunch break. If you happen to be in Hurst, TX, stop by and say “hi!”
JESUS TIME
“Send me, O Lord, into the tasks of this day with a rejoicing heart. Teach me to labor diligently, to eat and drink to Your glory, and to think and plan to the ends You have laid out before me. That I may be truly fitted for the day, remind me again of the mighty work of my Savior, Jesus Christ, who redeemed me and in whom my sin is forgiven and my place with You forever assured. Impress upon my heart this day that while there is nothing holy about my life, my speech, or my faith without Your grace and mercy surrounding me, that with You I can faithfully help my neighbor and be of service to him. Teach me to look upon my life today as yet another opportunity to serve my fellowmen. Let me see in the routine of my daily tasks, in the need of my family and those who depend on me, in the want and struggle of the world about me, the good work You have prepared in advance for me to do. Grant that I be ready to forgive, earnest in rejoicing with those who are happy, quick in sympathy, and zealous in bearing the burdens of my fellowman, in Jesus’ name. Amen.” (Lutheran Book of Prayer, Prayer 14, Friday Morning)
“No fate I dread, I know I am forgiven The future sure, the price it has been paid For Jesus bled and suffered for my pardon And He was raised to overthrow the grace
To this I hold, my sin has been defeated Jesus now and ever is my plea Oh, the chains are released, I can sing I am free Yet not I, but through Christ in me”
And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” And he said to him, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?” And the LORD said to Moses, “This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.” (Exodus 33:14-17 ESV)
Today I am grateful:
That the Lord has promised that His presence will always be with me; Jesus Your presence is more important than anything else – I would rather have You with me than any other blessing You could give me; I would rather have Your presence than know all the answers to all the questions
That my sin has been defeated and my chains released
For the steadfast love of the Lord, extending to the heavens and beyond, through which I am given drink from the river of His delights (Psalm 36)
That You, O Lord, make known to me the path of life, and that I have experienced the fullness of joy in Your presence (Psalm 16:11)
That You, Lord, have given me a heart to be generous with the resources You have provided; may I be more faithful to actively engage in opportunities to serve the poor, the outcast, the widow, and the fatherless
“Peace doesn’t come from knowing the plan. It comes from knowing He is with us in it.” (You Version Bible app devotional)
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! Let not the foot of arrogance come upon me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away. There the evildoers lie fallen; they are thrust down, unable to rise. (Psalms 36:5-12 ESV)
“Lord God, protect me today from the lies of the enemy. I have seen too many friends stumble into darkness, following the winsome voice of death; defacing Your image piece by piece, until You lay no further claim upon them. . . .
If I could measure Your goodness, would it not fill creation? Everywhere I look I see the mercies of God – in mountain peak, pillared cloud, swirling waters; all created things singing Hallelujah.
I am in awe of Your goodness. You save to the uttermost all who come to You You cover them in Your kindness – rags to righteousness – shielding them from the sting of death. You seat us in places of honor at Your never-ending feast; we go from glory to glory. . . .
Watch over me this day, Father; keep me in the path of life. May love and mercy guide me; the fellowship of Christ center me. I am bent toward pride, weak of will. May Your Spirit guide me away from wrack and ruin – the easy paths of the dead. Step by step they descend in the gathering dusk, until darkness envelops them and they are no more.” (Excerpt from Sheltering Mercy: Prayers Inspired by the Psalms – Psalm 36: Patient Chrysalis)
This prayer, today, is especially meaningful to me, as I have watched friends walk away from God, over the years. I am humbled as I think about how God has kept me from doing the same. I will never know why He chose me (and I don’t need to know), but I am grateful that He did, and that He saw fit to keep me close to Him. Yes, I strayed from the path, many times, but Jesus always brought me back. “To this I hold, my hope is only Jesus!”
But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day. The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble. (Proverbs 4:18-19 ESV)
Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7:25 ESV)
And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV)
You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (Psalms 16:11 ESV)
“With all my heart I love You Lord You are mine and I am Yours And You have put this love in me All the beauty that I see
Jesus You’re beautiful Humble yet powerful I lay my crown at Your feet Worthy of every praise Yet You still know my name Jesus You’re beautiful”
The following is from For All the Saints – Friday of the Week of Pentecost 12.
And the LORD sent Nathan to David. He came to him and said to him, “There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor. The rich man had very many flocks and herds, but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. And he brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children. It used to eat of his morsel and drink from his cup and lie in his arms, and it was like a daughter to him. Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was unwilling to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the guest who had come to him, but he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.” Then David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the LORD lives, the man who has done this deserves to die, and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.”
Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul. And I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your arms and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah. And if this were too little, I would add to you as much more. Why have you despised the word of the LORD, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ Thus says the LORD, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house. And I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun.'” David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” And Nathan said to David, “The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die. Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the LORD, the child who is born to you shall die.” (2 Samuel 12:1-14 ESV)
And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him. And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.” And he answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.” And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.” (Mark 9:14-29 ESV)
Before I get into the last reading, I just want to make note that I frequently repeat to Jesus what this father said to Him. “I believe; help my unbelief!!”
Phillips Brooks, in today’s excerpt in For All the Saints, brings an interesting perspective to Nathan’s charge against King David. He notes that we see both hospitality and meanness coming from the same heart. The rich man in the parable wanted to feed the traveler, but he didn’t want to feed him from his own flock, so he took what belonged to another. “Her is real kindliness and real selfishness in the same heart; and not in struggle with one another but in most peaceful compromise.”
The direction he heads from there is interesting. He goes on to say that it is not enough to do our charitable work through “a society,” meaning, I suppose, a charitable organization through which we may contribute and thus help the poor. But we must engage with the poor ourselves. “The rich men, rich in character, must know that no man can give character to other men without self-sacrifice. Labor, personal effort, personal intercourse with the poor, these must come in before the work can be done. You cannot do your duty to the poor by a society. Your life must touch their life.”
“The poor are always with us. The wayfarers come to us continually, and they do not come by chance. God sense them. And as they come, with their white faces and their poor scuffling feet, they are our judges. Not merely by whether we give, but how we give and by what we give, they judge us. One man sends them entirely away. Another drops a little easy, careless, unconscientious money into their hands. Another man washes and clothes them. Another man teaches them lessons. Thank God there are some men and women here and there, full of the power of the Gospel, who cannot rest satisfied till they have opened their very hearts and given the poor wayfaring men the only thing which really is their own, themselves, their faith, their energy, their hope in God. Of such true charity-givers may He who gave Himself for us increase the multitude among us every day.” (From a sermon, “The Candle of the Lord”)
This is a rather convicting excerpt, today. They can’t all be the kind that lift my spirit to new heights, like yesterday, and other days in the past. Sometimes, the Word of God is used to convict us to change something, and today’s reading heads in that direction. While Jesus has created a generous, soft heart within me, I ponder that I don’t often enough get involved in the actual work of the Gospel. I especially note that statement about dropping a “little easy, careless, unconscientious money into their hands.” I did that yesterday, in fact. I’m sure you know the scenario. On my way to get Sonic drinks, I was approached at a red light. I rolled down the window and gave the man $20. It was easy and required no discomfort whatsoever on my part.
There’s nothing wrong with doing that, of course, it’s better than doing nothing. But is it enough? That is the question that brother Brooks is addressing here, and I find that I must seriously ponder it. I don’t have the answer today, but the reading has done its job. It has made me stop and consider.
“O God our Father, deliver us from the foolishness of self-confidence, from all boasting and vanity, from pride of energy and false notions of success. Teach us that our springs are not in ourselves but in Thee, that so far from being able to do what we will, we can neither will nor do any good except by Thy grace and with Thy help, that it is when we are weak in ourselves that we are strong in Thee, that Thy power is made perfect in our conscious lack of power that compels us to lay our helplessness on Thy strength. Here may we find our rest and feel, pouring through all our impotence, the tides of Thy mighty Spirit, for Thine is the kingdom, the power and glory. Amen.” (Closing Prayer: Robert E. Speer)
And one other thing before I go. The presence of Christ is the most important thing in the world to me. I truly would rather have His presence than have all the answers to all the questions and Him not be with me. Like Moses . . . if Jesus isn’t going with me, I’m not going. I don’t care how beautiful it may look. If it doesn’t include Jesus, I don’t want it.
I praise You, Jesus, for Your constant presence in my life. I thank You for the many promises You give that You will never leave us, and I bank my life on that, Lord. Your presence is so important, so crucial to me, that if You aren’t going with me, I am not going. Period. I don’t have enough words to express my gratitude to You for what You have done in me this year. You know my heart, Lord, because You have made it into what it is today. You know that, right this minute, as I am typing, there is actually a physical feeling of overwhelming love in the middle of my chest. It is indescribable, Jesus.
You also know the truth, right now, that You are all that I want. As yesterday’s Jesus Time brought to me, I want You, Jesus, and nothing but You. That is the wish and the goal of my life.
And it is this truth, that I desire Your presence more than anything, more than all the gold in the world, that enables me to consider what brother Brooks is telling me in this reading today. For You will go with me if I am going to engage with the poor, the needy, the fatherless, the outcast, and the widow. And that will be enough. So lead me, Jesus, to where You want me to go, and give me the courage to follow through and go.
And I thank You for those who have had an influence on my life. May You bless them richly, Lord!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, amen.
Today is Thursday, the twenty-fourth day of July, 2025, in the Season of the Church.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
It is day 205 of 2025, with 160 days remaining.
Day 24,605 of my life
26 days until S’s birthday.
60 days of summer left. And the first triple-digit day may be pushed to tomorrow, as today’s high is only projected to be 99, which is what it wound up being yesterday. Tomorrow is predicted at 102, which is the highest temp over the next ten days.
Daily writing prompt
What strategies do you use to maintain your health and well-being?
That’s interesting. I don’t have much strategy for maintaining my health. I mean, I make regular doctor visits, a couple times a year (unless there is an issue with my bloodwork, like there was this last time), and I take three regular prescriptions. I try to watch what I eat . . . oh, who am I kidding? But I have managed to lose a few pounds, this year.
As for my “well-being,” that, again, is interesting. I don’t define “well-being” like a lot of folks, I don’t think. Webster’s defines it as “the state of being happy, healthy, or prosperous.” Psychology Today defines it as “the experience of health, happiness, and prosperity.” They go on to say, “It includes having good mental health, high life satisfaction, a sense of meaning or purpose, and the ability to manage stress.” Hmm . . . they had a quiz, so I took it. We will see what happens. It diverted to the Berkeley Well-Being Institute and is trying to get me to download a free book.
I agree with part of PT’s definition. I do believe that well-being is definitely related to “good mental health,” life satisfaction, and a sense of purpose. The ability to manage stress is also good. My strategy for well-being is what you see in this blog. I place the entirety of it in the hands of Christ. And when I keep it there, my sense of well-being is nearly perfect. I am content with, or at least in, all things. Maybe more “in” than “with,” because there are certainly things going on in the outside world with which I am definitely not content. But I am content with my life within those circumstances, and they do not affect my contentedness.
However, when I take my focus off of Christ, and begin to try to deal with things myself, or, as the book of Proverbs puts it, lean on my own understanding, things begin to unravel quickly. I worry about things over which no worry is needed.
So my strategy involves prayer and meditation, but not just and “empty-minded” kind of meditation. I don’t empty my mind. I fill it with God’s Word, and I meditate on that and on His presence in my life. And I am fulfilled. I am as content and happy, right now, as I have ever been in my 67 years on this earth. Love pours into me, and love pours out because it overflows; it cannot be contained or hoarded.
Enough about that, for now. Today is a normal Thursday. C is at the office, and I am off work. I don’t have much on my agenda today at all. I will probably take S to get her shot around 11:30, and pick up our obligatory Sonic drinks then. I will definitely practice some music this afternoon, and hopefully get my reading done. I should finish a short book, this afternoon, then have to decide what I’m reading next. According to my book tracking app (The StoryGraph), I am four books behind schedule to reach my goal of 100 books this year. The interesting thing is that I am a little over 2000 pages ahead of my 25,000 page goal. The fact that I am behind does not affect my well-being.
JESUS TIME
He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD. (Psalms 33:5 ESV)
Today I am grateful:
That the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord; may I be faithful to display that love that He has poured into me, daily
That the Lord is my help and my shield; my heart is glad in Him; I trust in His holy name
That You, O Lord, deliver me from every trouble (Psalm 54:7)
That if I am Your child, Lord, I am never alone; You have promised to never leave me nor forsake me, so matter how alone I might feel, the reality is that You are with me; always really
That Christ is everything and I am nothing
Our soul waits for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us, even as we hope in you. (Psalms 33:20-22 ESV)
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Thank You for being with me during the night, for keeping me safe, and for helping me get a good night’s rest. Now that I am about to begin another eventful day, I am thirsty for refreshment from Your Holy Word. I remember what You told the woman of Samaria at the well: “Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14). Please give me this living water so that my soul will be refreshed and renewed as You so desire. In Your name I pray. 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?
“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. (Deuteronomy 6:4-6 ESV)
How do I show my love for Him and His love to others?
“By remembering him at all times. By cultivating thankfulness for his many blessings, and trusting his good providence for the meeting of [my] needs. By loving all whose lives intersect [my] own. By choosing to serve rather than to be served, to be wounded rather than to wound, and by bearing patiently with the failings of others, extending the same kindness, mercy, and compassion that God in Christ has so graciously offered [me].” (Every Moment Holy – A Liturgy of the Hours: Daybreak)
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:4-7 ESV)
I realize that I share this passage quite a bit. There’s a reason for it. I am on a “quest” to “prove” God’s Word. Not that its truth needs to be proved, but that it is effective and real in my life. This quest began last Tuesday evening as I meditated on these verses while shelving DVDs at the library. I began to test its efficacy as I laid out my requests to Him, with thanksgiving in my heart.
The important thing to note is that, while there is a promise in this passage, that promise is not that I will get those requests as I want them. The promise is that I will have peace. And this is my testimony. That peace is real. When I stop the worry and anxiety over a situation, and pray over it, letting my request(s) be made known to God, with thanksgiving in my heart, I receive peace. And that peace surpasses all understanding because it is peace in the midst of the same circumstances that were previously causing me worry and anxiety. I have handed them over to the Lord, and the result of that is peace, even when I don’t know if He will grant those requests as I offered them to Him.
This is how we “prove” God’s Word.
I acknowledge that I do not have the necessary strength, within myself, to do those things quoted above, from Every Moment Holy. I acknowledge that I am “weak and inconsistent, and often buffeted by fear and pride and selfishness.” But in my impoverished and ill-equipped state, I “look to the grace of God and to the sanctifying work of the Spirit to accomplish His purposes in and through [me] this day, as [I], in grateful response, seek to choose that which pleases Him.”
Lord, I open my heart to You, that Your love, the life of Jesus, and the breath of the Spirit would quicken within me a greater love for You and Your ways, and that I would be a better image-bearer of Christ. Pour Your love into my open heart, Lord, and then pour it out when it overflows.
Lord, in Your mercy, hear my prayers.
The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. (Psalms 24:1-2 ESV)
With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you; I will give thanks to your name, O LORD, for it is good. For he has delivered me from every trouble, and my eye has looked in triumph on my enemies. (Psalms 54:6-7 ESV)
How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts! My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.
For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. O LORD of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you! (Psalms 84:1-2, 10-12 ESV)
By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches. (Proverbs 24:3-4 ESV)
Those two verses are prominent in our house, and even written somewhere in the framework of it. Actually, it turns out it is written on the foundation in the exact (or close, at least) center of our house.
Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles, lest the LORD see it and be displeased, and turn away his anger from him. (Proverbs 24:17-18 ESV)
“Let us pray for the Churches throughout the world for their truth, unity, and stability; that charity may flourish and truth may abound in them all; and for our own Church, that what is unsound in it may be corrected and what is lacking may be supplied. Amen.” (For All the Saints – Thursday of the Week of Pentecost 6, Opening Prayer: Lancelot Andrewes)
A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. And he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves.
“You are those who have stayed with me in my trials, and I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom, that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. (Luke 22:24-30 ESV)
“O great God, Father of all things, Whose infinite light is darkness to me, Whose immensity is to me as the void, You have called me forth out of yourself because You love me in yourself, and I am a transient expression of Your inexhaustible and eternal reality. I could not know You, I would be lost in this darkness, I would fall away from You into this void, if You did not hold me to Yourself in the Heart of Your only begotten Son. “Father, I love You Whom I do not know, and I embrace You Whom I do not see, and I abandon myself to You Whom I have offended, because You love in me Your only begotten Son. You see Him in me, You embrace Him in me, because He has willed to identify Himself completely with me by that love which brought Him to death, for me, on the Cross. Amen.” (Closing Prayer: Thomas Merton)
In an email devotional a few days ago, from the Henri Nouwen Society, I read this, entitled, “A Greater Love Than We Can Contain.”
“Love, as Jesus reveals it to us, is a relationship between persons. The word ‘person’ is a wonderful word. It comes from the Latin words per, which means ‘through’ and sonare, which means ‘to sound.’ A person is someone who is sounding through. What are we sounding through? We are sounding through a greater love than we ourselves can contain. When we say to somebody, ‘I love you,’ that really means, ‘You are a window through which I can get a glimpse of the infinite love of God.'”
This morning, as I was beginning my prayers, I was praying for that to be true of myself, that I would be a window through which others can get a glimpse of this love of God. Then a though occurred to me. When you look through a window, what do you not see? THE WINDOW!! The window does not draw attention to itself! It exists for two reasons: to let the light in (or to let the light shine through it), and to give us a glimpse/view of what is on the other side.
Therefore, If I am to be a window through which others get that glimpse of the amazing, wonderful, infinite love of God, I must get out of the way! I must make sure that I am pointing to Christ at all times, and never to myself. Even further than the words of John the Baptist, who said, “He must increase and I must decrease.” He must be everything and I must be nothing.
And understand this. It is not a case of “poor self-image” that causes me to say “I am nothing.” Self-image doesn’t even enter the picture, my brothers and sisters. If I am focusing on self-image, I am focusing on self, which is wrong. I want to be an image-bearer of Christ, which means I need to be focusing on the “Christ-image.”
The more I think about that, the bigger that gets, and it is something that I really need to meditate on further, because it just occurred to me.
Father, I am so grateful for what You have done in me, are doing, and are going to do. The further I go on this journey, this crazy adventure, the more You show me, and the more I love You. This whole idea of being a window has become very attractive to me, and the thought that Your Spirit gave me this morning has really resonated with me. I want this to be true of me, Lord. I want to be that window that lets Your light shine through, and that points only to Christ and not to myself (or anything else, for that matter).
And then, Lord, this whole thought about self-image. This is kind of a new thought for me, and I need to process it some more. So give wisdom and let the Spirit lead my thoughts on this over the next few days.
All glory to You, Lord, in Christ, who is everything, and by the Holy Spirit, who is Your presence within us, always really.
Today is Friday, the second day of May, 2025, in the second week of Easter.
May you experience the peace of the Lord in your soul, today!
It is day 122 of 2025, with 243 days remaining.
It is day 24,522 of my life
I truly do hope you feel God’s peace in your soul, today. As I typed that line up there, I did feel His peace, myself. What a beautiful sensation!
It’s a normal Friday. C is working from home, and I will be at the library, today, in the computer center, from 9:15-6:15.
In a flurry of impulsive behavior, I believe we have decided to go to Scarborough Renaissance Festival tomorrow. But not too early. The last time we tried to get there at opening time, we waited in the line of cars, on the road, until after noon. So I think we will shoot for 1:00 or 2:00 PM. If we get there by 2, we still have up to five hours to enjoy the Faire. Our two favorite acts, The Kamikaze Fireflies and Cirque de Sewer, are on the same stage, at 2:30 and 3:30, respectively, so that would be perfect!
JESUS TIME
Light of the world, a new day has dawned, and I seek Your blessings as I begin. Move me forward with energy and hope, and help me see what You wish to reveal today. Make me a good friend to those who need one, just as You are the friend to all sinners, hearing our sorrows, sharing our joys, and carrying our burdens. Thank You for those who encourage me in big and small ways, and show me how I can share the light of Your love with all who need it. Keep me from sin, for I will be tempted; forgive me when I fail, and direct me in Your ways. Trusting in You, Jesus, I pray. Amen. (Portals of Prayer – Prayer for Friday Morning)
I cry to you, O LORD; I say, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.” (Psalms 142:5 ESV)
Today I am grateful:
For the peace of God that passes all understanding
For this new day, full of blessings and opportunities to serve the Lord and others; may I be faithful to be ready to act when He calls upon me
For family and friends who encourage me and support me
For the light of Your love, Jesus; may I be faithful to show and share that light to others
For the love that God has placed in my heart for Him and for others; may it be true, humble, joyful, and perseverant
Lord our God, we seek your light and pray that you shed your light upon us so that we live not only on earth but in you, the eternal and living One. May our lives be drawn into eternity, to the praise of your name, O Father. May we take your Word to heart so that we can become true men and women, able to bear everything in your name and to remain in the love you want to give us. Rouse us to become true men and women at the side of Jesus Christ our Savior, who has been patient in all things with all people. Be with us at all times, Lord our God. You are our help and our refuge. 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?
“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.” (Deuteronomy 6:4-6 ESV)
The following is from For All the Saints, Friday of the Week of Easter 2.
“Father, in your plan of salvation your Son Jesus Christ accepted the cross and freed us from the power of the enemy. May we come to share the glory of his resurrection for he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.” (Opening Prayer)
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” (Daniel 3:16-18 ESV)
In this, the key is that S,M, and A were not afraid to die. They believed that God could deliver them, but even if He did not, they would still not serve or worship the false gods of the king.
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.
Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother. (1 John 3:1-10 ESV)
“[Jesus] laid aside the rays of divinity and the form of a God when He came down to dwell with men, and He took upon Him the form of a servant. He wore no divine majesty on his face; no sparks of Godhead beaming from his eyes; no glaring evidence of his high dignity in all his outward appearance. Therefore the world knows us not, because it knew Him not. But He shall be known and adored when He comes in the glory of his Father, with legions of angels; and we know that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him. The life of the saints is hidden with Christ in God. But when Christ, who is their life, shall appear, they also shall appear with Him in glory (1 John 3:1, 2; Colossians 3:3, 4). In that day they shall stand forth before the whole creation in fair evidence; they shall shine in distinguished light, and appear vested in their own undoubted honors. But here it seems proper that there should be something of a cloud upon them, both upon the account of the people of this world, and upon their own account too, as well as in conformity to Christ Jesus their Lord.” (Reading IV: Isaac Watts, Meditations)
O God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we give You humble and hearty thanks, that when Christ had descended into the grave, You did not suffer Your Holy One to see corruption, but did show unto Him the path of life, and raise Him from the dead, and set Him at Your own right hand in the heavenly places. Grant us grace, we ask You, to apprehend with true faith the glorious mystery of our Savior’s Resurrection, and fill our hearts with joy and a lively hope, that amid all the sorrows, trials and temptations of our mortal state, and in the hour of death, we may derive strength and comfort from this sure pledge of an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that which fades not away. Amen. (Adapted from the Closing Prayer by Benjamin Bartis Comegys)
“What can separate you from My perfect love? Do not fear . . . do not fear.”
Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength! Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts! Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth! Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns! Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity.” (Psalms 96:7-10 ESV)
The following is from New Morning Mercies, by Paul David Tripp
“True, humble, joyful, and perseverant love is not born out of raw duty, but out of worshipful gratitude. We love because he first loved us.”
Tripp discusses the four words that he uses in that statement. The first is “true,” which doesn’t, in this case, mean the opposite of fake. “True here means ‘straight,’ like the kind of arrow a marksman makes sure to pull out of his quiver.” It means “consistent, reliable, and not apt to go in some unloving direction.” And, like Tripp, I can say that my love is still inconsistent. “When someone disagrees with me, when someone gets in the way of my plan, when I am forced into an unexpected wait, or when someone gets what I think I deserve, it is very tempting for me to respond in a less-than-loving way.”
The second word in that description is humble. This shows that the reason that I still act the way that I do, sometimes, is that I lack humility. Life is still, to a degree, about me and my plans. “I am still tempted to assess the ‘good’ of a day by whether it pleased me versus whether I pleased God and was loving toward others.”
This brings us to the third word, joyful. Because I struggle with the “true” and “humble” parts, the love that I am supposed to share toward others is burdensome, rather than joyful. When I am living for myself, the call to love others is a burden.
The final word is perseverant. “Love that isn’t faithful is love that has little value. Love that changes with the wind is not really love at all. . . . That is why God’s faithful, eternal love is such a huge and motivating comfort.” Once again, I am reminded of Psalm 136, which has recently become one of my favorite psalms, because it tells me twenty-six times that the steadfast love of God endures forever! I think I might almost get it, now.
Where do I get this kind of love? Not from picking myself up and telling myself that I’m going to do better, that’s for sure. I tried that for years . . . for decades. If I had the power to do that, the cross of Christ would never have been necessary. What has to happen is that “forgiving, liberating, empowering, and eternal love” must be placed in me. And that, my friends and readers, is exactly what began to happen to me on February 17 of this year.
Now, the only thing that I will say that I don’t quite agree with in this reading is the placement of that word “gratitude.” While I am most certainly eternally grateful for the love that God has both given me and placed within me, and for the ability to share that love with others, I do not love out of gratitude. You see, if I say that I do good works out of gratitude for what God has done for me, it still has a semblance of trying to pay Him back.
I do, though, love because He first loved me. I love because, when I am walking true, humbly, joyfully, and in perseverance, I simply have no choice. My brothers and sisters, when I am abiding in Christ, I cannot do anything else but love! I have no choice. I must love. And for that, I am eternally grateful!
Father, I thank You and praise You for the love that You placed within me when You began to do Your miraculous work within me. Indeed, that love was first placed there before I was born, as You chose me in Christ before the foundations of the earth. But You began to do this great work in me, earlier this year, and I am eternally grateful for it all, as it continues to work its way through me, by the power of Your Holy Spirit.
I thank You, Father, that as I grow in You, I have no choice but to love. I do not love out of gratitude, nor do I love out of a sense of duty. I love because I have to; I love because YOUR love bubbles up and overflows out of my heart, and splashes all over whoever just happens to be near me. And I thank You that, as I continue to grow, because of Your great love and mercy and compassion, even when someone disagrees with me or gets in my way or interferes with my plans, I am still able to love.
Hallelujah, my God! You are so good! I love You so much!
In the name of Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, amen.
We love because he first loved us. (1 John 4:19 ESV)
Today is Saturday, the second day of March, 2024, in the second week of Lent.
May the peace of Christ surround you, today, and guard your hearts and minds!
Day 24,096
Twenty-nine days until Resurrection Sunday.
Oh, my. There are several really good holidays to observe today, which makes it hard to pick one. It is Dr. Seuss Day, because it is the birthday of Theodore Seuss Geisel. It is also International Rescue Cat Day. How can I not love that? But then I kept looking . . . it’s National Read Across America Day, and I simply must recognize anything having to do with reading! There are other, lesser holidays that I won’t mention, but if you click on any of those links, you can see all the observances for any particular day.
It’s a work Saturday for me, so I must be at the library by 9:30, this morning. Yesterday was a very fine day at the computer center. It was somewhat busy, but there were not any super-challenging moments. Today is a circulation department day. When we work there, we spend a few hours at the circulation desk, but that is interspersed with time unloading book drops, clearing books that have been returned (a process we do for the internal book drop, in case the scanner doesn’t catch them), processing incoming materials, deaccessioning outgoing materials, and picking patron holds from the shelves.
That’s about all I have about today, so on to the devotional.
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.
Forgiving Father, we do not deserve the depths of Your mercy but we are eternally grateful for it. Help us to receive Your forgiveness in its fullness as well as the grace to extend that same mercy towards any neighbor who has treated us poorly. May we always be led by Your gentle Spirit and righteous example to always do what is right and in accordance with Your most holy will. It is in Your good and holy Name we pray. Amen. (Prayer for the Second Saturday in Lent, Psalm91.com)
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. (Micah 7:18 NRSV)
Today I am grateful:
that our God does not retain anger over our sin, but delights in showing mercy
for the Holy Spirit’s leading, helping us to always do what is right
for the love that our Father has lavished upon us through Jesus Christ, who loved us so much that He was willing to die for us
for God’s Word, which helps me to pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness (1 Timothy 6:11)
for the commands of God (love God and love people) which are not burdensome, as we walk in the easy yoke of Jesus Christ
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?
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the parent loves the child. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, for whatever is born of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith. Who is it that conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? (1 John 5:1-5 NRSV)
And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13 NRSV)
“I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35 NRSV)
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” (John 3:16 NRSV)
“Jesus showed us what love looked like when He loved a sick and sinful world so much that He was willing to die for it. He showed men what love looked like when He loved His unfaithful bride so much that He was willing to die for her.”
"O Heavenly Father - You loved the world in such a way that You sent Your only Son to die, and promised that whoever believes in Him would not perish but have eternal life. Teach us to be thankful for the love You have shown us in Jesus Christ, and stir up in us the same love for others, that we may learn to remove the weeds and thorns from our hearts, and cultivate a life of virtuous love. Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord. Amen." (Spiritual Contemplation of Christ's Suffering, Saturday, Lent 2)
Have nothing to do with profane myths and old wives’ tales. Train yourself in godliness, for, while physical training is of some value, godliness is valuable in every way, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. (1 Timothy 4:7-8 NRSV)
But as for you, man of God, shun all this; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. (1 Timothy 6:11-12 NRSV)
All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NRSV)
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations. The LORD is faithful in all his words, and gracious in all his deeds. (Psalms 145:13 NRSV)
Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to the LORD the glory of his name; worship the LORD in holy splendor.
The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD, over mighty waters. The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.
The voice of the LORD causes the oaks to whirl, and strips the forest bare; and in his temple all say, "Glory!"
The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD sits enthroned as king forever. May the LORD give strength to his people! May the LORD bless his people with peace! (Psalms 29:1-4, 9-11 NRSV)
Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.” Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’ The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:1-8 NRSV)
As I reflect on these passages, this morning, I am most moved by one further up, the one from 1 John 5. Wouldn’t you know it would be about love? That seems to be something that I have focused on for a number of years, now. I have frequently mentioned that the world needs a “Love Revolution.” And, of course, I’m not talking about the kind of “love” that was represented by the “Summer of Love,” in 1967.
This love is different. This is real love. This is the kind of love that Jesus displayed when He died on the cross. When He did that, Jesus was displaying love, not only for us, His Church, but for His Father, as well. John says that we display this love by obeying God’s commandments.
I have harped on this time and time again. What are those commandments? We are not talking about the Old Testament Law, here. Jesus gives us the commandments of God very succinctly. If you’ve read this blog very much, you know them.
Love God with all of your being (heart, soul, mind, and strength)
Love your neighbor as yourself
Later, Jesus amended that just a little by telling us that we are to love one another as He has loved us (John 13:34). I don’t think you need me to tell you that we (the “church”) are not doing a very good job of this, right now, as we are, quite possibly, more divided than we have ever been before, and it’s over something as asinine as politics.
That’s all I’m going to say about that.
We love God by obeying His commandments. Jesus said this, too.
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” (John 14:15 NRSV)
If we can do this, we will exhibit the kind of behavior that He teaches in the Sermon on the Mount. We will emulate the “sheep” in Matthew 25 by clothing the naked, feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, caring for the widows, orphans, and immigrants, caring for and visiting the sick and those in prison.
We will bring good news to the poor, proclaim release to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, and free the oppressed. All in the love of God in Christ.
Father, I thank You so much for this love that You have lavished on us, and that You loved us in this way while we were still sinners. Thank You for the love of Christ, shown so devastatingly on the cross, and displayed within our souls ever since. God, help us to share this love with everyone around us. Help us to stop our petty bickering; help us to stop idolizing politicians and get back to doing Your work on this world.
Your commands are indeed not burdensome, Lord, if we are walking with Christ. You have shown me this, and I am learning this, the older I get, and the closer I get to You. Help me to keep learning and keep growing closer. Draw me ever closer to You, Lord.
"God of new birth, may the mysterious wind of your Spirit blow in my heart today. May new life, born again in the womb of the Spirit, grow in me, as I live my life in the presence and power of your kingdom. Amen." (Seeking God's Face, Day 16 of Lent)
I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; (Psalms 130:5 NRSV)
The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.
(Numbers 6:24-26 NRSV)
Today is Sunday, the twenty-second day of October, 2023.
May the peace of Christ surround you, today, and drive away all of your anxieties and fears.
Day 23,964
I am due at the church by 8:10, this morning, as the choir is singing in the early service (8:45). The upside of that is that I should be home before 11:00. I decided to go ahead and begin composing this blog entry before leaving, but probably won’t be finished with it until after I get back.
It looks like it could be a rainy week, here, with temperatures finally dropping into the sixties by the end of the ten-day forecast. It’s been almost twenty days since we had any rain, so that is much needed.
Today could be the last game for the Texas Rangers. It is game six of the ALCS, tonight in Houston. Game time is 7:03. Nathan Eovaldi is taking the mound for Texas, against Framber Valdez for Houston. Texas trails in the series 3-2. In the NLCS, the Phillies lead the D-backs 3-2.
JESUS TIME
Most merciful God, we confess that we are in bondage to sin and cannot free ourselves. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways, to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
"Gracious Father in heaven, I praise You for safely delivering me to a new Sunday morning. Gather me and all who believe around Your Word faithfully proclaimed. Comfort me in my joys and my burdens, and let Your Holy Spirit be upon me as I hear the Good News of my sins forgiven for Jesus' sake. Then, forgiven, renewed, and strengthened, let me depart with Your blessings. Give me the peace that only You, not the world, can give as I rest from my labors in Your presence. In Jesus' name. Amen."
(Portals of Prayer - Sunday Morning)
So now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you? Only to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, (Deuteronomy 10:12 NRSV)
Today I am grateful:
for another opportunity to gather and worship with the community of saints, and to receive the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ
for the light and truth of God; may they lead me, faithfully, to His holy altar
that there is, for everything, a time and a season, “a time for every matter under heaven”
for the absurdity and untidiness of life
for Jesus’s promises that give us the ability and strength to not worry
Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts. Worship the LORD in holy splendor; tremble before him, all the earth.
(Psalms 96:7-9 NRSV)
O 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 harp, O God, my God.
(Psalms 43:3-4 NRSV)
As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and behold the face of God?
(Psalms 42:1-2 NRSV)
For who is God except the LORD? And who is a rock besides our God?
(Psalms 18:31 NRSV)
Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak; let the earth hear the words of my mouth. May my teaching drop like the rain, my speech condense like the dew; like gentle rain on grass, like showers on new growth. For I will proclaim the name of the LORD; ascribe greatness to our God! The Rock, his work is perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God, without deceit, just and upright is he;
(Deuteronomy 32:1-4 NRSV)
O LORD, I am your servant; I am your servant, the child of your serving girl. You have loosed my bonds. I will offer to you a thanksgiving sacrifice and call on the name of the LORD. I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people, in the courts of the house of the LORD, in your midst, O Jerusalem. Praise the LORD!
(Psalms 116:16-19 NRSV)
Lord, have mercy on us
Christ, have mercy on us
Lord, have mercy on us
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
Father, I ask You, indeed, to send out Your light and Your truth, that they might guide me constantly as I walk through this life on the path of Your Kingdom. Let me praise You with musical instruments, as well as with my voice. I have been to Your altar and received Your grace, mercy, and salvation, and am sustained by the Body and Blood of Christ Jesus. I thank You for this, Father.
My soul thirsts for You; I long to see Your face. I have no rock but You, Lord. Your work is perfect, and all of Your ways are just and true. I offer up a sacrifice of thanksgiving to You, expressing my gratitude in front of all who can see. I lift up the cup of salvation in the presence of all Your people.
I confess that I worry too often about things. And in that worry, I am guilty of unbelief and a lack of trust. Heal from this unbelief, Father. I believe! Help my unbelief!
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.
(Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 NRSV)
Praise the LORD! How good it is to sing praises to our God; for he is gracious, and a song of praise is fitting. He heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names. Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure. The LORD lifts up the downtrodden; he casts the wicked to the ground. Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; make melody to our God on the lyre. His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the speed of a runner; but the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.
(Psalms 147:1, 3-7, 10-11 NRSV)
Truly, Lord, there is a time and a place for everything that we could think of to do. There is also a “big picture” that we need to consider. You are working Your plan, and we are not fully aware of how that plan is going to be worked out. We have bits and pieces of information related to that plan, but we are not privy to all of the knowledge that You have. You exist outside of time, and You can see all of history as well as all of what we call “future,” yet it is all “now” to You. Just as Jesus says, “Before Abraham was, I am,” You are present before the foundations of the earth, and You are hearing every prayer that I have ever prayed and every will pray at the same time that You are still creating the universe “in the beginning.” Such knowledge is too wonderful for me.”
But what this knowledge should cause me to do is trust You. Because of these truths, I should not worry. Jesus told us three times in that famous passage in Matthew 6, “Do not worry.” He promised us that You would provide. Yet we are guilty of worry, anyway. Forgive us for our frailty, Father. Forgive us for not believing You. Help us to trust You implicitly.
We love because he first loved us. (1 John 4:19 NRSV)
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” (John 15:12 NRSV)
Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. (Colossians 3:14 NRSV)
Here we are, again, Lord, with that verse that says love binds everything together in perfect harmony. This I believe without question. It is the mission of my life, that I believe has been defined by You, through Jesus and His words. You, I believe, have tasked me with a message for the Church, Lord, and that message is that we are to love one another. Paul tells us in Romans that if we love, we fulfill the entirety of the Law and the Prophets. We are, in general, doing a shabby job of this, right now, Father. So I keep pounding the proverbial pavement with this message. Help me to walk the talk, to practice what I preach, and to love all people as You have loved me. I love because You loved first.
It’s what we trust in but don’t yet see that keeps us going. (2 Corinthians 5:7 MSG)
"Life is ambiguous. There are loose ends. It takes maturity to live with the ambiguity and the chaos, the absurdity and the untidiness. If we refuse to live with it, we exclude something, and what we exclude may very well be essential and dear - the hazards of faith, the mysteries of God."
(Eugene H. Peterson, Run with the Horses)
The truth of this quote staggers me, Father. Life is so ambiguous, absurd, at times, and untidy most of the time. But we have the opportunity to embrace this life and its imperfections. We cannot hide away from it. Yes, You are our “hiding place,” but we cannot stay hidden. Elijah had to come out of the cave so that You could give him his assignment. You are our refuge and our fortress, but we must venture out of our “safe spaces” in order to engage the world. Yet, through all of this, You keep us safe and protect us. Thank You for this, Father.
"But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
"So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today."(Matthew 6:33-34 NRSV)
Today is Thursday, the seventh day of September, 2023.
May the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times in all ways!
Day 23,919
Twenty days until our vacation to Galveston!
I’m up early, this morning, because of a silly mistake I made last night. I may have mentioned that we keep a food bowl outside for some neighborhood cats that visit us (along with some raccoons and the occasional opossum). Last night, as I was putting a scoop of food in the bowl, three of the cats were in the back yard. They didn’t run away like they usually do, and let me watch them through the window in the back door. I put the cat food container down to take some photos with my phone.
I never put the cat food container away. This morning, C came back to the bedroom, asking me where it was. Initially, I panicked, thinking I had left it outside. But I left it in the living room. Unfortunately, our inside cats had tipped it over and it had spilled out on the floor.
After that, my brain started thinking about other things that I have to do today and sleep was out of the question, at least for the time being.
Anyway, on to the important things.
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.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you. (1 Peter 1:3-4 NRSV)
Today I am grateful:
for the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the imperishable inheritance waiting for me in heaven
for mercy and grace in all things; when I stop and think about how much has been given me, I am overwhelmed
for decreasing temperatures; two more days of extreme heat, followed by days even down in the eighties
for the love of my wife and family
for the tenacity to press on, looking toward the final result, rather than focusing on current failures and mistakes
for the love (agapao) of God, without which we would not be able to love at all
Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to the LORD the glory of his name; worship the LORD in holy splendor. May the LORD give strength to his people! May the LORD bless his people with peace!
(Psalms 29:1-2, 11 NRSV)
O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.
(Psalms 51:15 NRSV)
Incline your ear, O LORD, and answer me . . . Preserve my life, for I am devoted to you; save your servant who trusts in you. You are my God; be gracious to me, O Lord, for to you do I cry all day long.
(Psalms 86:1-3 NRSV)
Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
(Psalms 90:1-2 NRSV)
Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land.
(Psalms 85:9 NRSV)
Then his mother and his brothers came to him, but they could not reach him because of the crowd. And he was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.” But he said to them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.” (Luke 8:19-21 NRSV)
But now, dear lady, I ask you, not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but one we have had from the beginning, let us love one another. (2 John 1:5 NRSV)
Beloved, do not imitate what is evil but imitate what is good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God. (3 John 1:11 NRSV)
Those who trust in GOD are like Zion Mountain: Nothing can move it, a rock-solid mountain you can always depend on.
(Psalms 125:1 MSG)
“We love because He first loved us,” says 1 John 4:19. I have a thought about that verse, this morning. And the way it ties in to the other Scriptures for today is that we have the verse in 2 John that says, “let us love one another.”
My take on this comes from how I read 1 John 4:19. Instead of seeing our love as a reaction to His love, I see that it is because of His love for us that we are even able to love one another. In other words, if He had not loved us first, we would not be able to love at all. Now, in 1 John 4:19, both instances of the word “love” are “agapao.”
It is possible that we could experience “phileo” toward others without having been loved by God first. But since God’s love is, at some point, directed toward every single living being, I guess we will never know.
But I believe it to be true that I would not be able to true love for any other person, had not God loved me first. His love, infused into me, has enabled me to, in turn, love others.
I also believe that it is this love that enables me to embrace 3 John 11, the one that tells us to imitate what is good, rather than what is evil.
It is the love of God that enables us to be “mother and brothers” to Christ, as expressed in Luke 8. “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.” It is the agapao of God that enables me to “hear the word of God and do it.”
In short, without Him, we can do nothing.
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
"Grant me, O Lord,
to trust in you with all my heart;
for, as you always resist the proud
who confide in their own strength,
so you never forsake those who make their boast
of your mercy;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen."
(The Divine Hours--The Prayer Appointed for the Week)
Father, I thank You for Your great love toward us. I thank You that You have expressed this love toward all living creatures/things. We exist because of agapao. I’m certainly no expert on the Greek language, Father, but this is what I see when I read Your Word. It is Your love that brought us into existence, because You are, as Scripture tells us, Love.
“God is love,” we are told. You are the embodiment of love; You are the meaning of love; You are the originator of love. If You did not exist, there would be no love (never mind that there we be no us).
But we see, Father, the truth, as well, that those who consistently do “evil,” have not seen You. They, in spite of having experienced Your agapao, do not acknowledge it. They do not know You or Your love, even though everything they have and know comes from You. This, to me, is tragedy.
I pray for Your love to be known by all. I pray for Your people, those of us who do know You, to demonstrate this love to the darkness-enshrouded world. This will require some serious shaking on the part of some people, so I pray that You do that. Do whatever it takes to make us realize that love is the answer.
Yes, the Beatles said “All you need is love.” they weren’t far off . . . we just need the right kind. The kind that comes from You, and You alone.
All glory and honor and praise to You, Father, through the Son, and by the Spirit.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
Now to him who is able to keep you from falling, and to make you stand without blemish in the presence of his glory with rejoicing, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. (Jude 1:24-25 NRSV)
Could we with ink the ocean fill,
and were the skies of parchment made;
were ev’ry stalk on earth a quill,
and ev’ryone a scribe by trade;
to write the love of God above
would drain the ocean dry;
nor could the scroll contain the whole,
though stretched from sky to sky.
(Frederick M. Lehman, 1917)
Today is Saturday, the 25th of March, 2023, in the fourth week of Lent.
May the peace of Christ overcome all of your struggles today!
Day 23,753
Fifteen days until Resurrection Sunday.
My Wordle score for today:
Wordle 644 3/6*
⬛🟨⬛🟨🟨 🟨🟨🟨⬛🟨 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
Yesterday was a pretty good day. It wasn’t real busy in the computer center, until the last hour or so, when I suddenly encountered a couple of questions that I couldn’t figure out. One patron had some issues with the bullet points in his resume not lining up correctly. I knew there was a trick that I had seen someone do before, but, for the life of me, couldn’t remember how to get there (we’re talking MS Word, here). I tried several things, and finally gave up and got the tech librarian who sits in the back office of the computer center. She, of course, was able to fix it, and I remembered what it was that she had done the last time this came up.
Then another patron was trying to paste something across a Word document that had Excel-like cells in it. It was some kind of form, and she was trying to paste something across all the cells. I couldn’t figure that one out, either, and went and got the librarian again (feeling somewhat awkward for having to bother her again, but I don’t think she minded). In this case, the solution was to create a “snip” of the thing she wanted to paste, making it an image. But there was more to it. We had to then edit the image so it would appear in front of the text, which allowed us to move it up into the location she wanted.
After work, while we ate our Chicken Ranch Crockpot Soup, we watched the last two episodes of Daisy Jones and the Six. That was such a wonderful show! I think they did a most excellent job of it. Sure, they changed a few things, but who doesn’t, right? And the things that they changed didn’t have an impact on the final product. I will say that all three of us, I think, were crying a the end. So if you’re going to watch it, have tissues nearby.
Today is wide open. I have nothing on my agenda, other than a little trombone playing. And some reading. I’m going to order groceries as soon as I finish this. I learned that the Texas Pinball Festival is this weekend, but it’s all the way up in Frisco, and I don’t want to go that far just to play pinball.
JESUS TIME
The sum of your word is truth; and every one of your righteous ordinances endures forever.
(Psalms 119:160 NRSV)
Lord our God, merciful God and almighty Father in heaven, we beseech you, look upon us as your children. For in spite of everything, all of us are allowed to be your children and to praise you for all the good you are doing and for all you still want to do for us. Hear our prayer as we come to you with particular concerns, asking for your will to be done in us, for everything to be carried out according to your good purpose, that we may be joyful even in hard and serious times and may hold fast to what you have promised. Amen.
As a father has compassion for his children, so the LORD has compassion for those who fear him. For he knows how we were made; he remembers that we are dust.
(Psalms 103:13-14 NRSV)
Today I am grateful:
that the Lord remembers that we are dust, and has compassion on us
that I have been allowed to be a child of God
for all the good that God has done for us, and all that He still wants to do
that God always desires to have mercy
for the beauty of Creation
that God is love
"This is rest; give rest to the weary; and this is repose"(Isaiah 28:12 NRSV)
Ah Lord GOD! It is you who made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you.
(Jeremiah 32:17 NRSV)
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)
[Uzziah] did what was right in the sight of the LORD, just as his father Amaziah had done. He set himself to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God; and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him prosper. (2 Chronicles 26:4-5 NRSV)
By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible. (Hebrews 11:3 NRSV)
We know it so well, we’ve embraced it heart and soul, this love that comes from God. God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. (1 John 4:16 MSG)
“God is love.” That may be the first snippet of a Bible verse that I ever learned or memorized. Oh, sure, John 3:16 is right up there, too, probably the most well-known Bible verse out there (with the possible exception of Psalm 23).
But when children are memorizing Bible verses, the shorter, the better. Three words. “God is love.” Three words that hold more truth than all of the doctoral dissertations ever written.
Not only does love come from God, He is love. And since God is love, John tells us, if we abide in that love, “take up permanent residence in a life of love,” we abide in God, and God (love) abides in us.
The frightening aspect of all of this is that there are an awful lot of people out there, claiming to be Christ-followers, who are most definitely not abiding in love.
But you know what? They are not my problem. They are not my concern. I am my problem; I am my concern. I can only control how I live. And it is up to me to abide in love.
Anyone who has read this blog for a minute knows that this is my intent, my goal in life, in recent years. It is the subject that I inevitably keep coming back to. Or, perhaps, that the Holy Spirit keeps leading me back to.
And, while it may not appear that the conglomeration of Scriptures appearing in today’s entry have anything in common, I might disagree with that. Let’s look at them.
In Isaiah, God tells us that in Him is rest and repose. When we dwell in Him, in His love, as John might tell us, we find rest for our weary souls. Jesus told us this, too. Walk in my “easy yoke,” He told us, and you will find rest. When we abide in love, we abide in God, and we find rest.
We see words like “compassion” and “mercy” in today’s verses. This are closely associated with love. And we take comfort in knowing that, because He loves us, He remembers that we are dust. I love that verse. It is not an excuse for my sin. But it reminds me that God is not surprised or shocked by my sin, and, while it is not excusable, it is not the proverbial end of the world, either.
Nor is He angry at me. I believe I have finally, after all these years, been able to accept that as truth. Does God get angry at sin? Most certainly. Does He get angry at us, His children, who have received the salvation of the Cross of Christ? I don’t believe so.
There’s a fifty dollar word for what Christ did for us on the Cross. “Propitiation.” I once heard someone teach that the simplified definition of that word is that it means “God is not angry with us anymore.”
The wrath of God was poured out on Jesus Christ on the Cross. If Jesus Christ took that wrath in our place, then how on earth would it be redirected at us, later??
I’ve strayed from my original topic. God is love. This is truth. In some ways, it is the only truth we need. Maybe that is why it is the first Bible verse I remember memorizing.
God is love. If I make my permanent residence this life of love, then I am successfully living in God, and God in me. Maybe this is why Jesus said that loving God and loving people are the two basic commands that sum up the entire law and prophets.
"Love is the free act supreme. It directs our best intentions and our best abilities to the other. It marshals our best energies into companionship and friendship with a person whom God has singled out for love. The act is not controlled by feelings or circumstances, by prejudices or customs. We are free to love the person who is presented as an enemy, the person who is designated as insignificant, the person who apparently has nothing of interest or worth to me, the person who insists on making himself unpleasant to me.
"It is a great freedom to love. It means the freedom to be myself, uniquely, totally, and affirmatively with this other."
(Eugene H. Peterson, Traveling Light, quoted in God's Message for Each Day)
Yes, God, You are love, the very embodiment of love. Help me, Lord, to continue to grow in this love, to be able to love that person who “insists on making himself unpleasant to me.” I’ve said before, that I don’t really have any “enemies,” per se. But that doesn’t excuse me to not love people who annoy me. Forgive me for the times that I have not been bothered to show love to people like that. Lower my annoyance factor; help me to allow the Holy Spirit to have more sway over my life, my feelings, my emotions, and my will.
I pray for all who call themselves after the name of Jesus, Lord. I pray for love to emanate from them. Dispel their anger and hatred, Father. Help them to make their permanent residence in love, in You, that they may abide in You and You in them. Let this be true for all of us who claim to follow Your Son.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
We, though, are going to love—love and be loved. First we were loved, now we love. He loved us first. (1 John 4:19 MSG)
Today is Monday, the 27th of February, 2023, in the first week of Lent.
May the peace of Christ dwell within you today!
Day 23,727
Yesterday morning was wonderful! The entire worship service flowed in an almost miraculous way. The sermon for yesterday was “Forgive One Another.” They worked lyrics from the solo I sang both into the sermon, as well as into the congregational prayers. The song went very well. I believe it was better in the second service, as my nerves were settled a little bit by then. And it helped that I received many gracious compliments after the first service. I was almost overwhelmed by the positive feedback. But just as much credit goes to the music director. It was she, after all, who found the song that worked so well with both my voice and the flow of the service. And she is an excellent accompanist, as well.
As soon as the video appears on You Tube, I will post it.
Today should be a rather chill day. There are a few household chores that need to be done, but I got groceries delivered on Saturday, and I don’t think we are in desperate need of anything today. I might actually get some music practice in, today. I don’t have anything specific that I am working toward, at the moment, other than choir songs, but I can still practice.
JESUS TIME
Redeem me from human oppression, that I may keep your precepts.
(Psalms 119:134 NRSV)
Lord our God, we come into your presence. Hear our prayers, we entreat you. Let your will be done among us; let your will be done for each one of us individually, and for our time. Let everything go according to your will, even if the way leads through tribulation, fear, and need. For in the end your goal will be reached. In the end you will fulfill your purpose, and your kingdom will come. Your kingdom will come to the honor of your name and for the redemption of all people still suffering on earth. Let your Word bring us blessing. May we go forward joyfully in the patience of Jesus Christ until times change, until a new day dawns and we are allowed to see your glory and your peace. Amen.
Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Beware, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison so that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have affliction. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. (Revelation 2:10 NRSV)
Today I am grateful:
that God’s purpose in His Kingdom will be fulfilled; He is in total control, regardless of how it appears
for strength to endure through tribulation, fear, and need
for the wonderful worship service we had, yesterday morning
for the large love (chesed) of God, and that we humans are also capable of loving in this way
that God is able to bring amazing beauty out of the wilderness of Lent
“And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:16-18 NRSV)
This is an important thing to remember, when engaging in Lent. We ought not go around broadcasting what we are doing for Lent, whether it be a fast from something or adding something meaningful to our life. It should be, essentially, a secret between self and God. There are three people who know what I am doing for Lent, this season. My wife, my mother, and one of my pastors. No one else will know, at least until after Easter.
Let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you. Let those who love your salvation say evermore, "God is great!"
(Psalms 70:4 NRSV)
Say it with me: “God is great!” “Great are You, Lord!”
You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,so that my soul may praise you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever.
(Psalms 30:11-12 NRSV)
Praise the LORD! I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation. Great are the works of the LORD, studied by all who delight in them. Full of honor and majesty is his work, and his righteousness endures forever. He has gained renown by his wonderful deeds; the LORD is gracious and merciful. The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy. They are established forever and ever, to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness. He sent redemption to his people; he has commanded his covenant forever. Holy and awesome is his name. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever.
(Psalms 111:1-4, 7-10 NRSV)
"Open, Lord, my eyes that I may see.
Open, Lord, my ears that I may hear.
Open, Lord, my heart and my mind that I may understand.
So shall I turn to you and be healed."
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
"Most loving Father,
whose will it is for us to give thanks for all things,
to fear nothing but the loss of you,
and to cast all our cares on you who cares for us:
Preserve me from faithless fears and worldly anxieties,
that no clouds of this mortal life
may hide from me the light of this love which is immortal,
and which you have manifested to us
in your Son Jesus Christ our Lord;
who lives and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen."
(The Divine Hours - The Prayer Appointed for the Week)
But the king said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the LORD has said to him, ‘Curse David,’ who then shall say, ‘Why have you done so?'” David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “My own son seeks my life; how much more now may this Benjaminite! Let him alone, and let him curse; for the LORD has bidden him. It may be that the LORD will look on my distress, and the LORD will repay me with good for this cursing of me today.” (2 Samuel 16:10-12 NRSV)
Shimei son of Gera fell down before the king, as he was about to cross the Jordan, and said to the king, “May my lord not hold me guilty or remember how your servant did wrong on the day my lord the king left Jerusalem; may the king not bear it in mind. For your servant knows that I have sinned; therefore, see, I have come this day, the first of all the house of Joseph to come down to meet my lord the king.” Abishai son of Zeruiah answered, “Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the LORD’s anointed?” But David said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah, that you should today become an adversary to me? Shall anyone be put to death in Israel this day? For do I not know that I am this day king over Israel?” The king said to Shimei, “You shall not die.” And the king gave him his oath. (2 Samuel 19:18-23 NRSV)
The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom;
(Isaiah 35:1 NRSV)
He sustained him in a desert land, in a howling wilderness waste; he shielded him, cared for him, guarded him as the apple of his eye. (Deuteronomy 32:10 NRSV)
A voice cries out: "In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken."
(Isaiah 40:3-5 NRSV)
And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him. (Mark 1:12-13 NRSV)
How exquisite your love, O God! (Psalms 36:7 MSG)
First, I want to point out the mercy that David showed Shimei in 2 Samuel. This has always been a beautiful story to me. Shimei comes out of nowhere, throwing rocks and showering curses on David. David’s advisors want to behead Shimei. “No,” says David, “perhaps God has sent him to curse me.”
David had some pretty severe faults. But he truly was, in the big picture, a man after God’s own heart. I don’t know of any other human being that is as good at showing mercy as David was. He had at least two opportunities to kill Saul, who was trying to kill him. Yet he refused to lift a hand against “God’s anointed.” Would that we could all have the same mindset when it comes to retaliation.
Yesterday, in Sunday School, Pastor Eibel talked about Israel’s retaliation against the man who raped their sister, Dinah. “Violence begets violence,” he said, multiple times. And he reminded us that, while we ought not tire of seeking justice, “Vengeance is mine,” says the Lord.
Second, I want to talk about Lent. When we consider that the basis for Lent is Jesus’s time in the wilderness before He began His “public ministry,” we know that He fasted for 40 days. At the end of the 40 days, He was tempted by Satan. So, at its roots, the Lenten season is bleak, a wilderness, a kind of desert.
But oh, the things that the Lord can grow out of wilderness. “The desert shall rejoice and blossom!” says Isaiah. Our various activities throughout this season can, if we will allow them, produce beautiful results. We must be faithful and diligent, and allow God to work His will in us.
Third, let’s talk about love. (What, again??) The word for “love” in Psalm 36:7, is “chesed.” I have spoken of this Hebrew word, many times. It is also frequently translated “steadfast love,” and sometimes, even “mercy.”
Eugene H. Peterson says that the word “chesed” is a “large word. We don’t have a single word in the English language that can do it justice, “so we revert to the use of adjectives to bring out the distinctive quality and broad reach of this love: steadfast love, loyal love.”
Many times, as in Psalm 36:7, chesed is used to refer to the love of God. but we are “also capable of loving this way, even though we never seem to get veery good at it. Chesed is love without regard to shifting circumstances, hormones, emotional states, and personal convenience.”
(Quotes from Leap Over A Wall, quoted in God’s Message for Each Day)
GREAT ARE YOU, LORD!! O, my Father, how magnificent is Your Name in all the earth, and throughout the heavens! I praise and worship You, this morning. We have so many reasons to praise You. The primary reason is simply because You are God! In additions, we praise You for Your forgiveness of our sin. Thank You for the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, that paid the price for our sin. Thank You for erasing our sin when we believe in Christ and follow Him.
Now, I pray, Father, that You help us to be obedient and forgive each other. Jesus said that we are to forgive each other, even if someone sins seven times against us in the same day! He also advised our brother, Peter, to forgive “seventy times seven” times, which we assume to be indicative of no limit. There is also no provision in there for the asking of forgiveness by the offending person. In short, we are to forgive them whether they seek it or not! Help us to do this, Lord. Make Your Holy Spirit strong within us!
Help us to show the kind of mercy that David showed, both to King Saul, who was actively trying to kill him, and to Shimei, who threw rocks at him and cursed him. Enlarge our hearts, Father, that we might be quick to overlook offense and consider that, perhaps, You have sent it our way for testing and strengthening.
Thank You that You can bring beautiful things out of the wilderness of Lent, Father. We know that Lent is not necessarily a “biblical” season. Nevertheless, we find great value in observing it, as we consider the 40 days that our Savior spent in the wilderness. For all who are observing Lent, this year, I pray that You give us wisdom and strength; that we might fulfill our commitment, and that we might also keep silent about it before others. It is between You and us.
Finally, Father, thank You for Your great chesed, Your “large love,” as Peterson called it. Your love is indeed large, Father. It is larger than anything. And it is most certainly larger than our sins. Help us to love in the same way You love. Help us to both love You and to love our fellow humans as we love ourselves.
Today is Wednesday, the 18th of January, 2023, in the season of Epiphany.
May the peace of the Lord be with you always.
Day 23,687
I’m due in at the library at 9:15, this morning, so I won’t dally.
Update on that: I seem to have come down with a bit of a chest cold. I don’t feel terrible, but don’t feel great. After a text conversation with my manager, it was advised that I stay home and take care of myself. I don’t work tomorrow, anyway, so I feel confident that, by Friday, I will be better. I’m negative for Covid, so it’s not that. I feel like it’s related to weather and/or air quality, i.e. Mountain Cedar and so on.
Yet another thing I love about my library job. I have worked way too many places where the response would have been, “We really need you here, today,” rather than, “You stay home and take care of yourself.” ❤
JESUS TIME
I am yours; save me, for I have sought your precepts.
(Psalms 119:94 NRSV)
Lord our God, be with us. Touch us with your Spirit so that our hearts may receive something from you. Let us find joy even in a life of struggle and temptation. Let us find joy in every need we face, even in the agony of death. Protect us through your Word, and let it always be a light to us so that we can follow you and do your will. Be with us on all our ways. Guide everything with your hand until the goal for all humankind is reached and we may rejoice over all the trials and testing because in the end the glorious prize can be won. Amen.
My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, . . . Blessed is anyone who endures temptation. Such a one has stood the test and will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
(James 1:2, 12 NRSV)
Today I am grateful:
that joy can be found in even the most unpleasant circumstances
for the hope of the crown of life, promised to those who love the Lord
that we are chosen by God, in Christ, appointed to bear fruit
for mercy
for love; may we truly understand and obey the commands of Jesus
Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled upon it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. (Exodus 40:34-35 NRSV)
You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. (John 15:16 NRSV)
We're watching and waiting, holding our breath, awaiting your word of mercy.
(Psalms 123:2 MSG)
Not as Scripture to work from, this morning, which gives me more of a challenge. I’ve got some good verses, but do they fit together at all?
The Lord has chosen us. Jesus said as much, speaking to His disciples. There was a period of my life when I was a strict, five-point Calvinist. I’m not quite so firm in that, any more. I shifted back a little; the pendulum swung back toward the center. Earlier in my life, I was more Armenian (but didn’t really have a clue what that meant). I was introduced to “Calvinism” in seminary, and it fascinated me. Certainly there is plenty of Scripture to support the theology. May not all five points, but at least some of them.
But there is also Scripture to support the theology of “free will.” And what happens when we try to put God in a box is that, well, you just can’t. That’s what happens. You cannot put God in a box. He is greater than any box you could try to fit Him into. And His ways are not our ways. As soon as you try to fit Him into one particular theology, you’re going to find Him busting out of it with His ways, not yours.
I still believe that I am chosen by God. There’s not doubt in my mind about that. And I also believe that I will walk on this earth until He is finished with me. Maybe not, necessarily, “walk,” you know, but at least be alive. I have this somewhat fatalistic belief that I cannot die until God is finished with me. That doesn’t mean I’m going to test that theory by standing in the middle of Loop 820 during morning traffic.
God’s purposes cannot and will not be thwarted by humans. We are chosen by Him to bear fruit. “Fruit” can mean a lot of different things, though, not just other believers. There is a very narrow interpretation of that, in evangelical circles, that believes that that only refers to getting more people to pray that “sinner’s prayer” (which is nowhere in the Bible, mind you, and neither is any notion of “inviting Jesus into your heart,” but that’s a topic for another day).
If you read around the verse from John 15, up there, it brings more understanding. Verse 17, for example:
I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another. (John 15:17 NRSV)
Also, check out verses 12-14:
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you.” (John 15:12-14 NRSV)
Why has it taken us so long to figure this out? I mean, down through the ages, there have been individuals who got a glimpse of this truth. We celebrated one of them a couple days ago. MLK, Jr. had the right idea.
So we killed him.
Makes sense . . . we killed Jesus, too, and we would probably do it again, today.
Think that’s harsh? Then you’re not paying attention. There is still enough bigotry in this world, that if Jesus showed up today, preaching what He preached in the Gospels, certain groups of humanity would crucify Him all over again.
But here’s the challenge. We are supposed to love those people, too. One of the things that I have said, in recent years, is that if you hate the haters, you’re just another hater. What makes us different from the world is not the things we don’t do. That’s a common notion, that we are supposed to illustrate our difference from the “world” by abstaining from things.
The problem is, there is no consistent list of what things we are supposed to be abstaining from. One group thinks it’s alcohol and R-rated (or worse) movies. Another group thinks it’s dancing and cards (but dominoes are okay). More groups pick on homosexuality or abortion. Everyone has their “pet sins.” Oh, I almost forgot about divorce. That’s a big one, too.
In my opinion, Jesus was very clear about the main thing that should separate us from the world.
Love.
Love your enemies. You believe in God? Good for you, so do the demons. No doubt, some would point out that that passage also teaches that “faith without works is dead.” Yes, it does. And the “works” that we do are born out of love. When we feed the hungry, we do it because of love. When we clothe the naked, we do it because of love. When we visit the prisoners and sick, we do it because of love. When we take care of widows, orphans, and refugees, we do it because of love.
It’s all about love. God loves us so much that He sent Jesus. Jesus loves us to the point of death, giving up His life for us. Jesus commands us to love one another in the same way, and He tells us that all (ALL) of the Law and Prophets are summed up in two commands . . . love God and love people.
Lord, have mercy on us. We have lost our way. We read Your commands to love one another, and, instead, we focus on the Law, the things we should not be doing.
Have mercy on us. Teach us Your ways, that we might walk in Your truth, and realize the importance of love in this world. There is way too much anger and hatred running through Your Church, today. I know that there are people who are following Your commands and doing the right things. Unfortunately, they don’t make as much noise. May Your favor rest on all who are quietly going about the business of following the commands of Jesus.
Help me, Father, because I struggle to love the people who won’t show love, themselves. I have no desire to have any hatred in my heart toward anyone. Anyone. I have no human “enemies,” and refuse to consider any human being my enemy. Help us to come together, Father, to be unified in our love for Christ, for You, and for one another.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
Lord, have mercy on us
Christ, have mercy on us
Lord, have mercy on 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,
have mercy upon us.
O, Lamb of God, that takes away the sins of the world,
grant us Your peace.
(Agnus Dei)
Listening To His Voice 