Tag: Peace

Shine!

Jeff1 Comment

Today is Tuesday, the twelfth day of August, 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 224 of 2025, with 141 days remaining.

Day 24,624 of my life

Only seven days until S’s birthday! One week! I have neglected to mention that it will also be our son-in-law’s birthday on the same day. He is occasionally mentioned in this blog, as “J.” He and our oldest daughter, “R,” live in Indianapolis. I ordered birthday gifts for him last night.

41 days of summer left. We hit 97 yesterday, one degree higher than the prediction. Today’s predicted high is 95. The record high for today’s date is identical to yesterday’s; 106 in 2023. It is interesting that we have just started hitting triple-digit temps for this year, and I’m noticing that the average highs and lows for this time of year are starting to go down. The average temp over the next ten days is 97.7, down slightly from yesterday. However there are now three 100+ days in the forecast, starting with Thursday at 101, then Friday at 102, and then the 17th at 100. The birthday is now forecast to be 95.

Daily writing prompt
What brings you peace?
View all responses

Often, when I open the WordPress home page and see the writing prompt, my initial reaction is, “Are you kidding me??” Today is one of those days. I love this prompt, and anyone who has read this blog for more than a day or two knows my answer. Jesus brings me peace.

Now, someone who doesn’t really know me might think I’m just another one of those religious fanatics, and nothing could be further from the truth. Sure, Jesus is mostly all I write about here, but look at the theme of the blog. It’s a devotional blog! “Filled with His goodness, lost in His love” is my tag-line! So of course that’s what I’m going to write about.

But I’m a pretty normal guy, whatever that means. I read all kinds of stuff, including the spiritual and devotional/biblical writing. Fantasy, science fiction, mystery, psych thrillers, horror, cozy mystery (not as much of that, but some) . . . my reading list is about as diverse as it gets. I don’t watch as much TV as I used to, but I still like fantasy and sci-fi TV shows. I still want to watch Apple TV’s production of The Murderbot Diaries.

But there’s this February 17 thing I keep going on about, that thing where Jesus brought me to life. Even all the writing I have done about it doesn’t describe it adequately. I just don’t have enough words to describe how I feel. Ever since then, my heart has been filled to overflowing with peace and love; love for Jesus, His love for me, and my love for everyone else. And I want to tell you that this is REAL! It’s not just religious language that you will hear from a lot of people and places; not just platitudes that people have memorized since they were church youth. I went through that and ditched those long ago!

Jesus is everything to me; and, as I realized last night (this finally “clicked,” even though I’ve read these Scriptures time and time again), Christ is the treasure that I am seeking. I have been on a treasure hunt since February 17, and Jesus is the treasure.

And He gives me peace like I have never experienced before . . . truly the “peace that surpasses all understanding.”

So I encourage you to seek this treasure. Seek Christ. Seek Him in His Word and pray honestly to Him. You will find peace.

Okay . . . today is a normal Tuesday for us, here. C is at the office, and I will be working my four-hour shift at the library this evening, 4:15-8:15. Yesterday was a good day at the library, not too busy, not too slow. And I got through the day without needing “afternoon coffee.” The result of C’s doctor appointment is that she is getting a brain MRI and hip X-ray on Friday. So we are praying about that, hoping that nothing serious is going on.

JESUS TIME

On this Tuesday morning, dear God, I am thankful for Your mighty power. Your omnipresence is a comfort because, no matter where this day takes me, You are with me. In my car, at my desk, on my couch, wherever I am, You are there. Your omnipotence is a comfort because I know that all things are within Your power and nothing is beyond Your reach. Your omniscience is a comfort because I know You will handle any problem that comes up. Please help me remember Your might so that when I am confronted with anything today, small or large, I will go to You for answers, protection, power, and comfort. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 
(Portals of Prayer – Prayer for Tuesday Morning) 

“You have been the lighthouse in the storm 
You are still the voice I listen for 
You will be the rock on which I stand 
The Great I Am” 

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.  
(Matthew 5:16 ESV) 

Today I am grateful:

  • The peace that surpasses all understanding; peace that Jesus is pouring into me, along with His endless, steadfast love that never fails 
  • That my light is shining; glory to God, through the Son, and by the Spirit 
  • That there is life in the path of righteousness (Proverbs 12:28) 
  • For the wideness of God’s mercy; that the love of Christ is deeper than all of the wickedness the earth can offer 
  • That anything in my life that appears to be out of control is really fully under the control of God 
  • That Christ is the treasure! 
Lord, in Your mercy, hear, now, the prayers lifted up to you for all who need strength, healing, comfort, and peace. 

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

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

May the LORD cut off all flattering lips,  
the tongue that makes great boasts,  
those who say, “With our tongue we will prevail,  
our lips are with us; who is master over us?”  
 
“Because the poor are plundered, because the needy groan,  
I will now arise,” says the LORD;  
“I will place him in the safety for which he longs.”  
The words of the LORD are pure words,  
like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times.  
(Psalms 12:3-6 ESV) 

“How wide is Your mercy, Lord, 
and how vast is its reach? 
Can it storm the gates of hell? 
Plumb the deepest dark? . . .  
 
You will not abandon us 
in our despair. 
You will rescue the humble in heart, 
the poor in spirit. 
You will shelter us in a secret place. 
For wickedness runs rampant on the earth; 
depravity a boundless blight. 
 
But there is something deeper still, 
a spell more fearsome than the curse: 
how vast and wide is the love of Christ, 
and how unsearchable His riches.” 
(Excerpt from Sheltering Mercy: Prayers Inspired by the Psalms – Psalm 12: The Story of Mercy) 

Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD,  
but those who act faithfully are his delight.  
(Proverbs 12:22 ESV) 

In the path of righteousness is life,  
and in its pathway there is no death.  
(Proverbs 12:28 ESV) 

“How rare, the riches of Your glory 
How deep, the Father’s loving heart 
How vast, the reaches of Your mercy 
Stretching wider and further than the stars” 

Rather than going to one of my other sources, this morning, I want to revisit the Scripture at the top of my gratitude list. I’m expanding it to include four verses.

“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
(Matthew 5:13-16 ESV)

Verse 16 was featured as the verse of the day on the Bible app, YouVersion. Each day there is short video presentation about the verse, and I confess that I rarely get much from them, but will usually listen to see what they have to say. Today was different. Most days it is someone I have never heard of, and today is no exception. It is a lady named Déborah Rosenkranz. And here’s some of what she had to say.

We could choose to hide. Many of us are “shy,” or somewhat introverted. I’m a little that way, even though my Jesus Family might not believe it. But it’s because I know them, and I am comfortable around them at church. Déborah has gone through abuse, eating disorders, and depression. God brought her out of these things, but she started out thinking she needed to stay quiet, because, you know, “What if I fall again??” Wouldn’t that cause people to judge her or laugh at her?

While I have never suffered the things she has mentioned (I’m obese, but it’s not really an “eating disorder,” and I’ve never been abused or seriously depressed), I have been delivered from other things, recently. And I have been tempted, in the same way, to stay quiet about it (I know . . . you don’t believe me, but keep reading), because, like Déborah, what if this doesn’t “take?” What if I fail . . . what if I fall again?

And then she says this, “I heard God say, ‘Your healed pain will break someone else’s chain. Don’t hide the miracle. Let your light shine.”

My story, even the broken parts, can shine with hope when they are surrendered to Jesus! And here’s the thing . . . I’m not going back. I’m not saying that I won’t sin anymore. Of course, I still sin. That is reality until I stand face-to-face with my Savior on the other side of this life. But falling back into what He has delivered me from this year? Not gonna do it. I am confident of that, because I am confident in His power to keep me and to do what He has promised to do.

Everything that has happened to me and in me since February 17 . . . it’s different this time. Different than anything I have ever felt in my life. I know . . . I’ve said it before. But I will keep saying it over and over to whoever will listen, and as I get more courageous, this testimony will start going out beyond the walls of the church, into the world, and be heard by people who have yet to begin a life with Christ.

I am not perfect, but He is.

I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me.
(2 Timothy 1:12 ESV)

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
(Philippians 1:6 ESV)

My wounds, my old wounds, my past, those things from which I have been delivered (fear, doubt, lust and other things), are the reason that God wants my light to shine today! The pain of my past is turned into purpose in His strength (I have no strength of my own, just as I have no righteousness of my own). I am not “performing.” I am just shining . . . in the light that He has placed within me.

So all of this love that He has poured into me in the last six months, all of His presence that He keeps pouring in, will shine like the noonday sun, so that all can see HIS glory! It’s like that prayer I have started praying a few weeks ago. I want Him to make me a window through which others can get a glimpse of His eternal, perfect love for them. And when you look through a window, you don’t see the window. The window doesn’t draw attention to itself; it shows you something greater, something beautiful.

And that’s what I want to be.

Father, I thank You for making me shine with Your love and presence, this year. I pray that this light will continue to shine, and that You will give me opportunities to share my story with others. I pray that the story of my chains broken will break the chains of others, as well. I just want them to see Jesus the way I see Him, Lord, and to know Your presence and healing mercy and grace the way I have known it this year.

My praise can’t adequately express the love and peace that is overflowing from my heart these days. As Sarah Kroger has sung, “All I can offer is praise upon praise for the grace upon grace I’ve received.” I am so unworthy and undeserving of all that You have done, Lord. But I am so very grateful to You for it.

My confidence is high, Father. I believe that You can and will hold on to me and keep me, and never let me fall back into how I was before. Increase the love; enlarge my heart, so that You can pour more into me, so that more can overflow out of me. Let me shine out with Your love to all people, Lord.

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

Grace and peace, my brothers and sisters!

Christ Is the Treasure

Jeff2 Comments

Lord God, as I arrive at the end of this day, I come to You with a thankful heart for all Your blessings: For my body that You intricately made and that functions miraculously day after day. For the daylight hours and for the coming night of darkness to induce sleep. For people whose lives crisscross with mine and who are gifts from Your hand. For water, food, clothing, shelter, and the contentment I have, knowing it all comes from You. And for the joy that comes from knowing that the greatest blessing is forgiveness and salvation through Jesus. I thank You. I pray that You would bless me this night with peaceful sleep, knowing that all things are in Your loving hand. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 
(Portals of Prayer – Prayer for Monday Evening) 

“Peace holds me when I’m broken 
Sweet peace that passes understanding 
When the whole wide world is crashing down, I fall to my knees 
And breathe in Your peace” 

that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 
(Colossians 2:2-3 ESV) 

My son, if you receive my words  
and treasure up my commandments with you,  
making your ear attentive to wisdom  
and inclining your heart to understanding;  
yes, if you call out for insight  
and raise your voice for understanding,  
if you seek it like silver  
and search for it as for hidden treasures,  
then you will understand the fear of the LORD  
and find the knowledge of God.  
For the LORD gives wisdom;  
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;  
he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;  
he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,  
guarding the paths of justice  
and watching over the way of his saints.  
(Proverbs 2:1-8 ESV) 

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” 
(Matthew 6:19-21 ESV) 

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 
(Colossians 3:1-2 ESV) 

Christ is the treasure!

“With  
heart,  
mind,  
body,  
soul,  
I praise the Lord of Earth,  
King of Heaven,  
Master of worlds  
seen  
and unseen. 
 
Be praised, Lord! 
 
May all lands,  
peoples,  
tongues –  
all who live  
and breathe –  
praise You  
for Your infinite love,  
profligate mercy,  
abiding promises,  
everlasting faithfulness! 
 
Be praised, Lord! 
(Endless Grace: Prayers Inspired by the Psalms – Psalm 117: Be Praised!) 

“King enthroned in majesty, all things made by His decree 
Hear creation’s melody, ‘Praise Him! Praise Him!’ 
Everything with life and breath, everywhere from east to west 
Every heart raised from the dead, praise Him, praise Him 
Angels echo the refrain, ‘Jesus, Lamb for sinners slain!’ 
Name above all other names, praise Him” 

My God, I don’t know if I have ever made this connection before tonight. As I read the Scriptures, beginning with the passage from Colossians 2, that say that all of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ, something clicked in my mind and my heart. It has only been a couple of weeks since that very Scripture caught my attention, telling me that all wisdom and knowledge were hidden in Christ. But tonight, it was the word “treasures” that caught me.

Then I read the passage from Proverbs 2, God. First, I see the word “treasure” as a verb, telling me to treasure Your commands, Your Word, Your Law, and all of those other words that the beautiful Psalm 119 uses to describe Your wonderful, beautiful Word. But then, as the passage is telling me to seek wisdom and “search for it as for hidden treasure,” then I would understand the fear of You and find knowledge of You. And where is all knowledge and wisdom hidden? In Christ!

Then I read the very words of Jesus in Matthew 6, in the Sermon, where He tells us to not lay up treasures on earth, but to lay up treasures in heaven. Treasures.

It took my breath away, Lord.

Jesus Christ, Your Son, the second Person of the Holy Trinity, IS the treasure!

As I went through this day, today, I kept thinking of what my pastor told me, yesterday, to lean in to the “flat” days. And I kept doing that. I kept leaning in, all day long. And I have been rewarded with treasure, tonight. Thank You, Lord! Jesus is my treasure, and I will continue to seek Him daily, diligently, without fail. I will lay up treasure in heaven for myself, and I will seek the hidden wisdom and knowledge that is only found in Him.

All praise and glory to You, my God and my King.

Jesus, You are everything!

Grace and peace, my brothers and sisters!

Count It All Joy

Jeff2 Comments

Today is Sunday, the twentieth day of July, 2025, in the Season of the Church. It is the sixth Sunday after Pentecost.

“May the peace of God wrap around you
As you’re held in His love
May He meet you with hope and healing and truth
As You’re held in His arms.”
(Held, Dana Miller and Megan Tibbits)

It is day 201 of 2025, with 164 days remaining.

Day 24,601 of my life.

64 days of Summer left. The forecast calls for 100 degrees tomorrow.

Daily writing prompt
What’s your go-to comfort food?
View all responses

I have several, depending on whether I want sweet or salty. One of them is popcorn. I can easily say that popcorn is my favorite food of all time. I eat it with a lot of things, such as chili or pizza. I eat it as a snack, I eat it like chips or crackers, with a sandwich or soup.

If I’m wanting sweet, it might be chocolate (I prefer dark) or it might be cinnamon hard candy, such as Brach’s cinnamon discs, or an off-brand of the same thing. Or Red Hots. That’s probably my all-time favorite candy. I’ll eat Hot Tamales if I can’t get Red Hots, but I would rather have crunchy than chewy.

I wouldn’t say that yesterday was a tough day at the library, but it was draggy. Mid-afternoon, it was all I could do to stay awake, so I had an afternoon cup of coffee. It wasn’t terribly busy, at least not in my area. The youth department was pretty busy and noisy for a good part of the afternoon, and the youth librarian declared that she had definitely earned her Monday off for this week (and I heartily agree with her!).

C and Mama came in right before lunch and picked up Mama’s prizes for Summer Reading Club. She has reached the top tier and has read over 13,000 minutes since May 17.

Today, I don’t have any responsibilities at church, unless someone is not able to assist with Communion, this morning. There is a chance that that might happen, so I am on “stand-by” with a request to check in with the head usher before the service. I have no other plans for this day, other than reading and relaxing.

JESUS TIME

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.  
(1 John 1:7 ESV) 

Today I am grateful:

  • For the fellowship we have with one another as we walk in the light of Christ, even if we are separated by great distances 
  • For another opportunity to gather with the community of saints, this morning, to worship Christ, and be fed by Word and Sacrament 
  • For the admonition of brother James to “count it all joy . . .” 
  • For the grace of God that can create a clean heart within me; it is my only hope (Psalm 51) 
  • “that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18) 

Heavenly Father, I praise You for creating this day with all its people, gifts, and experiences. I thank You especially for the opportunity to join Your church this morning to glorify You and receive the incredible gifts You provide in Word and Sacrament. Forgive me for anything in my heart or mind that would keep me from worshiping as I should. Bless all pastors, worship leaders, and teachers who strive to proclaim Your Gospel today. Holy Spirit, lead Your people this morning to be a community that disciples one another, being rooted in the Gospel together and walking in the one true faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.  
(Portals of Prayer – Prayer for Sunday 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?

May he grant you your heart’s desire and fulfill all your plans!  
May we shout for joy over your salvation,  
and in the name of our God set up our banners!  
May the LORD fulfill all your petitions!  
 
Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed;  
he will answer him from his holy heaven  
with the saving might of his right hand.  
Some trust in chariots and some in horses,  
but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.  
They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand upright.  
(Psalms 20:4-8 ESV) 

“Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving,  
and perform your vows to the Most High,  
and call upon me in the day of trouble;  
I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me. . . .  
 
The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me;  
to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God!”  
(Psalms 50:14-15, 23 ESV) 

Turn again, O God of hosts!  
Look down from heaven, and see;  
have regard for this vine, the stock that your right hand planted,  
and for the son whom you made strong for yourself.  
They have burned it with fire; they have cut it down; 
 may they perish at the rebuke of your face!  
But let your hand be on the man of your right hand,  
the son of man whom you have made strong for yourself!  
Then we shall not turn back from you;  
give us life, and we will call upon your name!  
 
Restore us, O LORD God of hosts!  
Let your face shine, that we may be saved!  
(Psalms 80:14-19 ESV) 

I say to the LORD, You are my God;  
give ear to the voice of my pleas for mercy, O LORD!  
O LORD, my Lord, the strength of my salvation,  
you have covered my head in the day of battle.  
Grant not, O LORD, the desires of the wicked;  
do not further their evil plot, or they will be exalted!  
Selah.  
(Psalms 140:6-8 ESV) 

It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife,  
but every fool will be quarreling.  
(Proverbs 20:3 ESV) 

A man’s steps are from the LORD;  
how then can man understand his way?  
It is a snare to say rashly, “It is holy,”  
and to reflect only after making vows.  
(Proverbs 20:24-25 ESV) 

I’m looking for a little more understanding of that last one in verse 25.

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.  
 
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.  
 
Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.  
 
Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.  
 
Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.  
(James 1:2-18 ESV) 

“[In his epistle] James implies that if we had it [wisdom] we should count it all joy when we fall into trouble. What a difference that would make to many of us! And even if we came short of rejoicing, and were only able to subdue our discontent and impatience, and to rise above the transient troubles of the eternal treasure which it cannot lessen, the eternal glory which it cannot dim, how great a thing it would be! This wisdom, if we had it, would transfigure life. You have an unreasonable employer; wisdom would teach you to regard his unreasonableness as a divinely appointed discipline to train you to good temper. A man has greatly wronged you; wisdom would teach you to regard the wrong as giving you the opportunity of fulfilling our Lord’s precept: ‘Bless them that curse you, pray for them that despitefully use you.’ Your occupation is dreary, monotonous, badly paid; wisdom will teach you to do your work as unto the Lord and not unto men, and this will bring down into your work-room light from heaven. You lose money that you have worked hard for; wisdom will teach you that this loss will help you not to put your trust in uncertain riches. And so when a man once comes to see that human life is surrounded by infinite horizons, all things will be changed; conduct will have a new law, the heart will find new peace.” 
(For All the Saints – Sunday of the Week of Pentecost 6, Reading IV: Robert William Dale, “The Gospel of Suffering”) 

I really needed this, today. I’ve been in a bit of a dark place, this morning, and don’t feel like elaborating on that, at the moment. This passage from James and the reading from Robert William Dale helped more than I can say. In the words of Julian of Norwich, “All shall be well, all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.”

The following verse did not come from For All the Saints, but was the verse of the day on the You Version app. And Catherine of Sienna’s closing prayer is simply beautiful.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.  
(Romans 8:18 ESV) 

“O eternal Trinity , 
my sweet love! 
You, light, 
give us light. 
You, wisdom, 
give us wisdom. 
You, supreme strength, 
strengthen us. 
Today, eternal God, 
let our cloud be dissipated 
so that we may perfectly know and follow your Truth 
in truth, 
with a free and simple heart. 
 
God, come to our assistance! 
Lord, make haste to help us! 
Amen.” 
(For All the Saints – Sunday of the Week of Pentecost 6, Closing Prayer: Catherine of Sienna) 

The following is from New Morning Mercies, by Paul David Tripp.

“Grace doesn’t help you just to do different things but to become a totally different person by changing you at the level of your heart.” 

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love;  
according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.  
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,  
and cleanse me from my sin!  
 
For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.  
Against you, you only, have I sinned  
and done what is evil in your sight,  
so that you may be justified in your words  
and blameless in your judgment.  
Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, 
 and in sin did my mother conceive me.  
Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,  
and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.  
 
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;  
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.  
Let me hear joy and gladness;  
let the bones that you have broken rejoice.  
Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.  
Create in me a clean heart, O God,  
and renew a right spirit within me.  
Cast me not away from your presence,  
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.  
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,  
and uphold me with a willing spirit.  
(Psalms 51:1-12 ESV) 

This is a very familiar passage of confession from King David, but we should not get so familiar with it that we fail to examine the words carefully. This is more than just confession. It is a cry for change! David admits that his problem is not environmental, but it is something that he came into the world with; he was born with it. The problem is not external; he is not a “victim” of his circumstances; it is internal, a problem of the “inward being.” So he cries out for what we all need, which is a new heart. This is something that only God, through His grace, can create in us. “It is the epicenter of his work of grace. He wants more than reformed behavior; he sent His Son to die for you so that you would have a new heart, one that is constantly being renewed.” My heart is my ultimate problem, and grace is my only hope. 

Father, I praise You for how You have spoken to me, this morning. A series of things happened that threatened my peace, this morning, as the enemy tried to get me to give up, to simply stop what I was doing and give up. But, by Your grace, I persisted; by the strength of Your Spirit, I cried out to You for help and You responded with grace and truth. You spoke to me through Your Word and through the writings of others. Thank You, Lord.

As I now head to my church, I pray that You will feed us with Word and Sacrament and sustain us for the coming week. Open our ears to hear what Your Spirit would have to say to us, Lord.

Keep renewing my heart, Lord; by the blood of Christ, keep washing me clean and giving me a clean heart. Christ is everything!

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

Grace and peace, my brothers and sisters!

Freed to Love

Jeff3 Comments

Today is Tuesday, the fifteenth day of July, 2025, in the Season of the Church.

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

It is day 196 of 2025, with 169 days remaining (I got that wrong, yesterday, but have fixed it)

Day 24,596 of my life. Here’s another thing that has been wrong since June 3. I wish one of my loyal readers would have pointed out the error of my ways. Apparently, on June 2, I forgot to “number my days,” and on June 3, added an extra thousand to them! Egad. Let’s not make ourselves older than we are, eh?

Daily writing prompt
What bothers you and why?
View all responses

This writing prompt bothers me, that what! Why? Because it’s an invitation to rant. It is far too easy for me (and everyone else, I’ve observed) to go on and on about what bothers us, these days. This is one of the things that social media has done to essentially ruin our society. We don’t really need a writing prompt to be encouraged to share what bothers us. So I’m not answer it (other than to say that the writing prompt, itself, bothers me). I’m going to go about my usual business of being grateful and sharing what I am grateful for. And right now, I am very grateful for my morning coffee. I’m also grateful for good friends. More gratitude to follow.

Today is a normal Tuesday for us. C is at the office, and I will be working my four-hour shift at the library this evening, 4:15-8:15. Yesterday was a little weird for me. The work day was fine, albeit a little slow. But I felt down during the afternoon, and never could really identify what it was that caused it. I certainly had/have no reason to be down about anything. But I had a really good Jesus Time last night (click back and take a look at that blog entry if you haven’t seen it, already), which helped a lot.

There are a couple things I really need to get busy with. One is continuing to practice on the song I will be singing at church on August 3, and the other is getting all the music and lyrics together for the Prayers and Praise event that is happening in only eleven days! I should really try to get that firmed up today, if possible.

As promised earlier (I think I did that), here is Pastor Kari’s sermon on “A Life of Peace,” from this past Sunday.

JESUS TIME

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.  
(John 14:27 ESV) 

Today I am grateful:

  • For this peace that Christ gives us, and the trust that I have in Him; He has called us to a life of peace 
  • For the Lord’s comfort, power, provision, and protection in my life 
  • That in Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge 
  • That, because I am in Christ, I am one with Him forever; this is already true; it is not something for which I am waiting to happen 
  • That the light of the eyes rejoices the heart and good news refreshes the bones (Proverbs 15) 

On this Tuesday morning, dear God, I am thankful for Your mighty power. Your omnipresence is a comfort because, no matter where this day takes me, You are with me. In my car, at my desk, on my couch, wherever I am, You are there. Your omnipotence is a comfort because I know that all things are within Your power and nothing is beyond Your reach. Your omniscience is a comfort because I know You will handle any problem that comes up. Please help me remember Your might so that when I am confronted with anything today, small or large, I will go to You for answers, protection, power, and comfort. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 
(Portals of Prayer – Prayer for Tuesday 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?

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

Oh come, let us sing to the LORD;  
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!  
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;  
let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!  
For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.  
In his hand are the depths of the earth;  
the heights of the mountains are his also.  
The sea is his, for he made it,  
and his hands formed the dry land.  
 
Oh come, let us worship and bow down;  
let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!  
For he is our God,  
and we are the people of his pasture,  
and the sheep of his hand.  
(Psalms 95:1-7 ESV) 

The light of the eyes rejoices the heart,  
and good news refreshes the bones.  
The ear that listens to life-giving reproof  
will dwell among the wise.  
Whoever ignores instruction despises himself,  
but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence.  
The fear of the LORD is instruction in wisdom,  
and humility comes before honor.  
(Proverbs 15:30-33 ESV) 

The scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on him at that very hour, for they perceived that he had told this parable against them, but they feared the people. So they watched him and sent spies, who pretended to be sincere, that they might catch him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor. So they asked him, “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly, and show no partiality, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?” But he perceived their craftiness, and said to them, “Show me a denarius. Whose likeness and inscription does it have?” They said, “Caesar’s.” He said to them, “Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they were not able in the presence of the people to catch him in what he said, but marveling at his answer they became silent.  
(Luke 20:19-26 ESV) 

“No nation is so pure and clean that one may explain every stirring of the national will as a direct demand of God. As nature and all our personal relations with one another have become uncanny as a result of sin, so also has nationality. From it emerge deeds of beauty and nobility; but there also breaks out of it the demonry of sin. Every state and every nation bears within itself not only the possibilities and tasks of the good and the beautiful, but also the temptations to the evil and the mean. 
 
” . . . The criterion for each one of us is whether, in his struggle, he is really sustained by love, I.e., by the love that not only looks to the future in which it hopes to realize its ideal, but also sees the concrete neighbor to whom we are now bound in the present by all the commonplace ties of life. To be sure, every struggle involves severity and demands sacrifice. But the right to demand sacrifice and to exercise severity belongs only to him who sees his neighbor in those who are affected by what he does! He alone will discover the kind and manner and also the limit of his action. The only man who can truly serve his nation is he who has been freed to love by receiving the love of God in Christ. 
 
” . . . And we should as scrupulously guard ourselves against falsifications of the faith by national religiosity as against a falsification of national piety by Christian trimmings. The issue is either/or!” 
(For All the Saints – Tuesday of the Week of Pentecost 5, Reading IV: Rudolf Bultmann, Existence and Faith: Shorter Writings of Rudolf Bultmann) 

I really like this excerpt, assuming that I understand it correctly. I especially like the statement that “The only man who can truly serve his nation is he who has been freed to love by receiving the love of God in Christ.” It is only by love that we overcome sin and evil and hatred. But sin, with which even the most spiritual of us still struggle, creates selfishness and self-centeredness in us, as seen by the following from New Morning Mercies, by Paul David Tripp. 

Sow for yourselves righteousness;  
reap steadfast love;  
break up your fallow ground,  
for it is the time to seek the LORD,  
that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.  
 
You have plowed iniquity;  
you have reaped injustice;  
you have eaten the fruit of lies.  
Because you have trusted in your own way  
and in the multitude of your warriors,  
therefore the tumult of war shall arise among your people,  
and all your fortresses shall be destroyed,  
as Shalman destroyed Beth-arbel on the day of battle;  
mothers were dashed in pieces with their children.  
(Hosea 10:12-14 ESV) 

“You were hardwired to depend on God, so your dreams of self-reliance and self-sufficiency will prove to be more nightmares than dreams.” 

Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.  
(James 3:13-16 ESV) 

“It is hard to accept, but vital to humbly admit. Bad things happen when we attempt to live as we were not created to live. Sin causes us to deny our need for God and others. Sin causes us to assign to ourselves the wisdom, strength, and righteousness we do not have. Sin causes us to dethrone God and enthrone ourselves. Sin is shockingly proud and self-assured. Sin really does cause us all to fall into the delusion that we can be like God. . . . Self-reliance and self-sufficiency as your fundamental approach to life will never lead to anything good.” 

The grace of God frees us and rescues us from this as we humbly submit to Him. In Christ, we have everything we need, and as oxymoronic as this sounds, we are free to be dependent upon Him. And, brothers and sisters, I embrace that, because I don’t want to have to try to run my life on my own. I am not self-reliant; I am not self-sufficient. I am nothing without Christ, but in Him, I have the strength, wisdom, and ability to do whatever He calls me to do.  

In Him are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. If I look anywhere else for those things, I will fall short; I will be disappointed; and I will fail.  

Father, I praise You for these truths, this morning. This was a difficult time of devotional, this morning. But Your truth reigns supreme, and Your hand is visible in all things, even when it appears that things are not going well. I trust You fully, Lord, and thank You for that trust that, in Christ, You have so graciously given me. I praise You for the faith to believe, for even that is a gift. I thank You that You have led me down a path of total dependence on You, through Christ, in the Holy Spirit. I don’t want to depend on myself, Lord, not one bit, because I know how unreliable I am. It is only in Your grace that I can walk with Christ, and I celebrate the work that You have done in my life in these past months.

In Christ are found all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, and this also means that, since I am in Christ, and I am one with Him for all eternity, that this wisdom and knowledge is readily available for me. You have not hidden anything from me, Lord. I just pray that You help me be faithful to seek Your face at all times, that I might know these treasures of wisdom and knowledge in Christ, for He is truly everything.

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

Grace and peace, my brothers and sisters.

Strangely Dim

Jeff

Today is Friday, the thirteenth day of June, 2025, in the Season of the Church. It is the Friday after Pentecost.

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

It is day 164 of 2025, with 201 days remaining.

Day 25,564 of my life

Today is Friday the thirteenth. However, I am not in any way paraskevidekatriaphobic (or friggatriskaidekaphobic). It’s just another day for me.

Yesterday turned out to be a pretty good day. The only thing that I can remember worth mentioning was that S registered a seven-pound weight loss at her doctor’s office, which is quite remarkable. So kudos to her! And my roast turned out pretty good, based on the reactions of C and Mama. I thought it was just a tad dry, myself, but still pretty good. Very tasty, and the potatoes came out great.

Today is a normal Friday. C is working from home, and I will be at the Hurst Public Library from 9:15-6:15, in the computer center. If you are in the area, stop by and see me!

I’m waiting on the writing prompt, today, because it asks, “What notable things happened today?” It’s only 7:30, people! I mean, I woke up, right? I have another day of life to live, so I guess that’s pretty notable. But I’ll pay attention along the way and see what I’ve got tonight, for my evening Jesus Time.

JESUS TIME

Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of the earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace

He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
(Colossians 1:13-14 ESV)

Today I am grateful:

  • for the truth of this passage; He has delivered us! We are no longer in the domain of darkness, and we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins! Thank You, Jesus!
  • that the things of the earth do, indeed, grow “strangely dim,” when I keep my eyes fixed on You, Jesus 💜
  • for everyone in my life who encourages me in my journey of faith
  • that I am continually with You, Lord, and You hold my right hand, guiding me with Your counsel (Psalm 73)
  • that You remember that we are dust (Psalm 103)

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)

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?

But I have trusted in your steadfast love;
my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
I will sing to the LORD,
because he has dealt bountifully with me.
(Psalms 13:5-6 ESV)

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

Nevertheless, I am continually with you;
you hold my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will receive me to glory.
Whom have I in heaven but you?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

For behold, those who are far from you shall perish;
you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you.
But for me it is good to be near God;
I have made the Lord GOD my refuge,
that I may tell of all your works.
(Psalms 73:23-28 ESV)

The LORD is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
He will not always chide,
nor will he keep his anger forever.
He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
As a father shows compassion to his children,
so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him.
For he knows our frame;
he remembers that we are dust.
(Psalms 103:8-14 ESV)

Behold, how good and pleasant it is
when brothers dwell in unity!
It is like the precious oil on the head,
running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron,
running down on the collar of his robes!
It is like the dew of Hermon,
which falls on the mountains of Zion!
For there the LORD has commanded the blessing,
life forevermore.
(Psalms 133:1-3 ESV)

But this is the one to whom I will look:
he who is humble and contrite in spirit
and trembles at my word.
(Isaiah 66:2 ESV)

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.
(2 Timothy 4:1-8 ESV)

“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. . . .

You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
(Luke 12:34, 40 ESV)

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ where I lie, Christ where I sit, Christ where I arise,
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every one who speaks to me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
Salvation is of the Lord.
Salvation is of the Christ.
May your salvation, Lord, be ever with us.
(The prayer of St. Patrick)

The following is from New Morning Mercies, by Paul David Tripp.

“If you hook the hope of your heart to the people around you, you will always be disappointed. No one is able to be your personal messiah.”

“You should be thankful for the people whom God places in your life. You should love them dearly. You should treat them with honor and respect. You should do all you can to maintain the unity and peace of your relationships with them. You should be willing to give to and serve them. . . . But you cannot look to them to provide for you what only God can provide.

“There are many, many Christian relationships that are hurtful, painful, and marked by conflict and disappointment because the people in those relationships are placing a burden on those relationships that no human relationship can bear.”

There is no person who can be the source of my identity.
There is no one person who can be the basis of my happiness.
There is no one person who can be my sole reason to get up in the morning.
No friend or loved one can be the basis or carrier of my hope.
No person can change me from the inside out.
No human can alter my past.
No human being can atone for my wrongdoings.
No person can give my heart peace and rest.

“Asking another human being to do those things is like requiring him to be the fourth member of the Trinity and then judging him when he falls short.” Human love is a beautiful thing, but real life can only be found in a vertical relationship. While I enjoy the love relationships between spouse and friends, I must only look to Jesus for my “spiritual vitality and strength.” Only He can save me, change me, and deliver me from me.

We must not put people in God’s place. “There is but one Savior, and he is yours forever. You don’t need to put that burden on the person next to you.”

This is really good stuff, here, and definitely food for thought and meditation. It would be very easy to put a loved one or good friend in the position of God in one’s life, and we must avoid that, at all costs.

Alongside that, I want to mention the reason for the song at the top. The “things of earth,” or, as Rich Mullins called it, the “stuff of earth,” have certainly been competing for my allegiance, this morning. And I needed that song and its message. Ironically, I didn’t search for it at all. When I opened You Tube, this morning, as I often do to search for a hymn for the day’s meditation/devotional, there it was, in the suggested videos. God knew what I needed.

My dear Jesus, I thank You for making the things of earth grow dim for me, this morning, as I meditated (and continue to do so) on Your amazing grace and mercy. The enemy threw stuff at me, this morning, so I had to rely on Your Holy Spirit to draw me back in as I “turned my eyes upon” You. You are beautiful, Jesus, and You are all I need. Indeed, whom have I in heaven but You? And earth has nothing of worth that I desire. You are the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

I thank You for the friends and loved ones in my life who point me toward You and constantly care for me. I pray, though, that I not ever be guilty of putting them in Your place, Lord! That would be . . . well, that would be idolatry, wouldn’t it? I shudder to think that I have ever placed any of my loved ones in that position. May it never be, or “God forbid,” as Paul might say it.

Jesus, I praise You for Your Word . . . Your Word is truth. I love You and Your Word more and more every day, and I am so grateful, more than a million words could express, for what You have done in my life this year. Thank You, thank You, thank You, my Lord and Savior! 💜💜💜💜💜💜💜 You are everything!

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

Grace and peace, friends.

I Am the Clay

Jeff

Today is Tuesday, the tenth day of June, 2025, in the Season of the Church.

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

It is day 161 of 2025, with 204 days remaining.

Day 25,561 of my life.

I just learned that the starting date of summer, this year, is different here than it is in England, where the “official” (GMT or UTC) time-keepers are. Officially, Summer Solstice is June 21, at 4:42 AM but because of time zones, it will be five hours earlier where I live, which is 11:42 PM CDT. California peeps will get to start summer two hours earlier!

They keep giving me writing prompts that play right into my perspective of grace.

Daily writing prompt
What’s the one luxury you can’t live without?
View all responses

The one luxury that I cannot live without is God’s grace. Or, I suppose, I could say, “JESUS!!” But on a more material level, I’m not sure what my answer would be. My pastor said air-conditioning. I’m inclined to agree with that, especially in Texas. But it would be difficult to get by without a car, because everything I need is not within walking distance, and I don’t have a horse.

And here is something else my pastor just said: “I don’t consider God’s grace a luxury – I consider it as crucial (even more so) as air to breathe. There is no life without it – I don’t WANT to live without a.c. but I CAN’T live without God’s grace.” Amen.

It’s a normal Tuesday around here, today. C is at the office, and I will be working at the library, this evening, 4:15 – 8:15. I usually enjoy my Tuesday evenings. That’s my shelving shift, so I’m pretty much on my own the whole evening, and am able to have some great conversations with my friends. Or, if I want, I can just be alone the whole time.

There is nothing else really going on today. I’ll try to get some reading in, of course, and maybe do a little songwriting. I finished The Starless Sea, last night. You can find my review at the link on the title. It may very well be my new all-time favorite book. I do believe it is the most beautiful story I have ever read. Today, I will begin a little book called Pentecost: A Day of Power for All People, by Emilio Alvarez. It is part of the Fullness of Time Series, published by InterVarsity Press. I now have all of the books that have been published so far, and I believe the last one, on Ordinary Time, is scheduled to be published in January of next year. The Pentecost book is roughly 125 pages, so I should finish it tomorrow.

Pastor Kari’s sermon from this past Sunday is up on You Tube, and I want to share it here. Another good one, especially the ending.

JESUS TIME

Once again, I’m starting this with a prayer posted by another blogger that I follow. You can find this at Quiet Moments with God. “Lord, please help me to remember that I am not my own; I belong to you. This awareness that I am Yours, Your beloved is a great relief. It shifts my focus away from myself and what I want. Instead of striving to make things go my way, my primary goal becomes pleasing You.“

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
(Colossians 3:12-14 ESV)

Today I am grateful:

  • for love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony; may we all be faithful to “put on love”
  • that I am not my own; I belong to You, Jesus; may my eyes be ever fixed on You and You alone
  • that I have not restrained my lips, O Lord, I have not hidden Your deliverance within my heart; I speak of Your faithfulness and Your salvation
  • that I am the clay of the Potter, which He has broken, reshaped, and remolded; I am “the clay of the Potter, not the mire of the streets;” praise Him, praise Him, praise Him!
  • that You, Lord, are always working for Your glory, which will be for my good

Oh, Lord, I praise You because You are God. You are mighty and compassionate. Your steadfast love never ceases. Your mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning. Great is Your faithfulness. Holy Spirit, remind me of these truths today as I seek to follow Your will. Remind me that You are good to those who wait for You, to the soul who seeks You. In every circumstance, let me have a thankful heart as I go about my daily tasks. Let Your light shine in me and through me onto everyone I meet today. May my praises glorify You alone. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
(Portals of Prayer – Prayer for Tuesday 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?

The LORD is king forever and ever;
the nations perish from his land.
O LORD, you hear the desire of the afflicted;
you will strengthen their heart;
you will incline your ear to do justice
to the fatherless and the oppressed,
so that man who is of the earth
may strike terror no more.
(Psalms 10:16-18 ESV)

Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust,
who does not turn to the proud,
to those who go astray after a lie!
You have multiplied, O LORD my God,
your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us;
none can compare with you!
I will proclaim and tell of them,
yet they are more than can be told.

In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted,
but you have given me an open ear.
Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required.
Then I said, “Behold, I have come;
in the scroll of the book it is written of me:
I delight to do your will, O my God;
your law is within my heart.”

I have told the glad news of deliverance
in the great congregation;
behold, I have not restrained my lips,
as you know, O LORD.
I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart;
I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation;
I have not concealed your steadfast love
and your faithfulness from the great congregation.

But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who love your salvation say continually,
“Great is the LORD!”
(Psalms 40:4-10, 16 ESV)

Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!
Serve the LORD with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!

Know that the LORD, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!

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

I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope;
my soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen for the morning,
more than watchmen for the morning.
(Psalms 130:5-6 ESV)

The wise of heart will receive commandments,
but a babbling fool will come to ruin.

The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.

The tongue of the righteous is choice silver;
the heart of the wicked is of little worth.
The lips of the righteous feed many,
but fools die for lack of sense.
(Proverbs 10:8, 11, 20-21 ESV)

The following is from For All the Saints – Tuesday After Pentecost.

“Remember, O Lord, what you have wrought in us and not what we deserve; and, as you have called us to your service, make us worthy of our calling; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.”
(Opening Prayer)

Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down,
that the mountains might quake at your presence—
as when fire kindles brushwood
and the fire causes water to boil—
to make your name known to your adversaries,
and that the nations might tremble at your presence!
When you did awesome things that we did not look for,
you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence.
From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear,
no eye has seen a God besides you,
who acts for those who wait for him.
You meet him who joyfully works righteousness,
those who remember you in your ways.
Behold, you were angry, and we sinned;
in our sins we have been a long time,
and shall we be saved?
We have all become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.
We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities,
like the wind, take us away.
There is no one who calls upon your name,
who rouses himself to take hold of you;
for you have hidden your face from us,
and have made us melt in the hand of our iniquities.

But now, O LORD, you are our Father;
we are the clay, and you are our potter;
we are all the work of your hand.
Be not so terribly angry, O LORD,
and remember not iniquity forever.
Behold, please look, we are all your people.
(Isaiah 64:1-9 ESV)

Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound! Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. The saying is trustworthy, for:
If we have died with him, we will also live with him;
if we endure, we will also reign with him;
if we deny him, he also will deny us;
if we are faithless, he remains faithful—
for he cannot deny himself.
(2 Timothy 2:8-13 ESV)

“But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seat in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. Woe to you! For you are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without knowing it.”
(Luke 11:42-44 ESV)

“Yet, O Lord, Thou art our Father. We have heard that impassioned prayer, full of unutterable sobs, where the prophet amassed all the reasons that would enable him to strengthen faith and influence God. In the end he uses an exclamation, as if to say, ‘In summary, to put it more briefly: If we talk about it for a long time, whether You are angry or whether we are afflicted, You are nevertheless our Father. Although in darkness our reason thinks that You are angry and a tyrant, our faith nevertheless concludes that You are our Father, because it grasps the promises.’ Every prayer of the godly stands and perseveres in the promises. Every prayer should be concerned about the promises. Summary: ‘Even in times of darkness and the hiding of Your face, You will act no differently. Your promises are there, and they stand, and you remain our Father.’

“We are the clay, and Thou art our potter. . . . ‘As you promised, if we sinned, You would change us. You would throw us into the lump and make us new again.’ There is a similar passage in Jeremiah 18:1-8, where the prophet pressed the shape of a vessel into the lump and fashioned another vessel. So we are in the hand of God, and even though we are evil, He thrusts us into the lump, into a Babylonian captivity, until the clay has been worked through better so that it becomes more pleasing. Then it will become a new lump. It is as if he [Isaiah] were saying: ‘The fact that You have trampled the clay will not harm us who are broken, if only You remain the Potter and will reshape us.’ This is the task of a potter. Summary: ‘You are our Father, as well as our Artisan and Potter, and You will restore us who are broken.’ In this way the clay will be turned into a fine little jug again. Summary: Our breaking is done in the hope that we shall be shaped anew. Thus in all temptations let us firmly believe that we are not mire of the streets, but clay of the Potter, God, who will reshape us. We are the clay of the Potter, not the mire of the streets.

“We are all the work of Thy hand. These are pure promises, as if to say, ‘You will not throw us away, because You have given us Your promises.'”
(Reading IV: Martin Luther, Lectures on Isaiah)

Oh, my Father, all praise to You, Lord!! For You are, indeed, the Potter, and I am the clay! I praise You, Father, that You did not dispose of me, Your lump of clay, but chose to throw me back into the lump, reshape me and remold me into what You have made me today. And regardless of the size and shape of me, Your vessel, You have created in me a vessel that You can use for Your glory. And I am Yours, Father, to do with as You will. I am not my own, but I am Yours, as the earlier prayer already said.

Praise You! Praise You! Praise You! O, Lord, open my lips and my mouth shall declare Your praise! I will not hide Your deliverance in my heart, but will repeat it over and over and over, shouting it from the mountaintops until people are tired of hearing it, and then I will declare it some more! My lips will never cease to praise You, Lord, for You are my Father, and I am Your child, for ever and ever, into eternity! I thank You and praise You for redeeming me, and making me new.

Praise You, praise You, praise You, Lord! Over and over and over again!

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

Grace and peace, my friends!

Imperishable, Undefiled, and Unfading

Jeff1 Comment

Today is Tuesday, the thirteenth day of May, 2025, in the fourth week of the season of Easter.

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

It is day 133 of 2025, with 232 remaining.

Day 24,533 of my life

Yesterday was a pretty good day. C and I went out for a walk around 4:00 PM. It’s getting hotter (our forecast hast us hitting 100 tomorrow!!), but we still had a good walk. As I was sitting down for my evening Jesus time, there was a bit of a challenge, but I won’t go into that, here. Suffice it to say that, though my enemy tried to destroy said Jesus time, he did not succeed.

Here’s the thing. The devil cannot win, because Christ has already won. The devil also knows this, so I suppose that’s why he tries even harder, to make as much of a mess of things as he can, during the time he has. There’s a verse in one of my recent favorite songs (“Yet Not I, But Through Christ in Me”) that goes like this:

“The night is dark but I am not forsaken 
For by my side, the Saviour He will stay 
I labour on in weakness and rejoicing 
For in my need, His power is displayed 
 
To this I hold, my Shepherd will defend me 
Through the deepest valley He will lead 
Oh, the night has been won, and I shall overcome 
Yet not I, but through Christ in me” 

Indeed, the night has been won, and I did overcome, but it is Christ in me that accomplished this.

Today is “back-to-normal” Tuesday. C is at the office, and I will be at the library this evening. I am actually going in an hour early for Summer Reading Club orientation. Yes, it is time for that celebration of reading that occurs ever year around this time. It officially kicks off this coming Saturday with a big “HEB Reads” event at a local football stadium. I think it goes through the end of July. HEB stands for “Hurst-Euless-Bedford,” three major suburbs in the DFW Metroplex, that also share an ISD.

Participating patrons must choose one of the three libraries when they sign up, track their reading by minutes (the app that is used for that has a timer on it, or a patron can time themselves and add it manually), and collect cool prizes for each milestone of minutes that they reach. I don’t know what the prizes are, yet, for this year. But I will find out at the orientation meeting this afternoon. I use one of the prizes I got in 2023 every time I work an eight-hour shift at the library. It’s an insulated zipper lunch bag that I got for hitting 6000 minutes that year. I actually got over 8000 and collected a back pack, but I rarely use that.

Well, enough about that. On to Jesus time. Which kind of already started, didn’t it?

JESUS TIME

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.  
(2 Corinthians 4:6 ESV) 

Today I am grateful:

  • That no matter the circumstances, You, Lord Jesus, have won the day (or the night, as the case may be); our enemy cannot win, because You already have 
  • That in Christ, all the fullness of God dwells 
  • That we, who were once alienated, hostile, and doing evil deeds, are now reconciled in Christ’s body of flesh by His death, that we might be presented to God, holy and blameless and above reproach 
  • That God has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ 💜 
  • That not only is there an inheritance for me that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, but I am also being kept and protected for the day when that inheritance will become completely mine 

Oh, Lord, I praise You because You are God. You are mighty and compassionate. Your steadfast love never ceases. Your mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning. Great is Your faithfulness. Holy Spirit, remind me of these truths today as I seek to follow Your will. Remind me that You are good to those who wait for You, to the soul who seeks You. In every circumstance, let me have a thankful heart as I go about my daily tasks. Let Your light shine in me and through me onto everyone I meet today. May my praises glorify You alone. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 
(Portals of Prayer – Prayer for Tuesday 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?

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

The following is from For All the Saints: Tuesday of the Week of Easter 4.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.  
 
And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.  
(Colossians 1:15-23 ESV) 

I absolutely LOVE this passage of Scripture!

And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said:  
“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.  
“Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied.  
“Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. 
 “Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.  
 
“But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. 
 “Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry. 
 “Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. 
 “Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.  
(Luke 6:20-26 ESV) 

“Therefore, let us be zealous for the truth and speak with Paul when he says that the whole fullness of the Godhead dwells in Christ personally . . . in His flesh or His body, and that the flesh of Christ is the temple, the domicile, and the habitation of the whole fullness of the Godhead. Not only does God become man and man become God in a personal and inseparable union of the two entirely different natures, the divine and the human, but also the Son of God, Immanuel, the God-man . . . reveals, exercises, and declares the whole fullness of His Godhead and accomplishes the works of His omnipotence toward the human race in no other way than through, with, and in His assumed human nature. This is the one foundation of the Christian faith. When this is overturned, a dreadful, inevitable, and immediate shipwreck threatens all of Christianity.” 
(Reading IV: Nikolaus Selnecker, The Preface to The Two Natures in Christ, by Martin Cemnitz) 

“Lord God, Thou hast placed me in Thy Church as a bishop and pastor: Thou seest how unfit I am to fulfill this great and responsible Office, and had it not been for Thy wisdom and guidance I would long since have brought everything to destruction. Therefore do I cry unto Thee. Most willingly do I desire to give and conform my mouth and heart to Thy service. I desire to teach the people, and long continually to be taught Thy Word. Deign to use me as Thy workman, dear Lord. Only do not Thou forsake me, for if Thou forsake me, I, alone, shall bring all to naught. Amen.” 
(Closing Prayer, Martin Luther) 

At first, I thought that I couldn’t really pray all of this prayer because I am not a “bishop” or a “pastor.” However, my own pastor just reminded me that we have the “priesthood of all believers” and encouraged me to go ahead and pray it “rightfully as one of the saints!” I feel the last statement of the prayer so very strongly. I know, beyond all doubt that if He were to forsake me (which He has promised to never do), I would bring everything to ruin on my own, probably in a matter of minutes (or maybe seconds). For I know what I am capable of, were not the Holy Spirit dwelling within me. I would easily rival Paul as the “chief of sinners.” But thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!! 💜💜💜 

The following is from New Morning Mercies, by Paul David Tripp.

“You have not been left to secure your own future, because God in grace has secured an end to your story more glorious than you can grasp.” 

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.  
(1 Peter 1:3-5 ESV) 

There is a common fear in our lives of what is next. Questions we ask frequently are, “What will happen if . . . ?” “What will happen next?” “What is down the road?” It’s not crazy to wonder what our future holds. Nor is it necessarily wrong to plan or prepare for that future. We should live with the future in view. “In some ways everything we think, desire, decide, do, and say should be shaped by what is to come.”  

But that should all be tempered by what God has revealed about His plans for us and our future. And we should not be wasting time worrying about what we have no power over (which is most things).  

“Peace and hope are never to be found in your efforts to figure out the future.” There are things in God’s will for us that He does not reveal for a reason. “Real hope is found in living inside the implications of what it means that God holds your future in his wise, powerful, and gracious hands.”  

If we can remember that we have this amazing future in store for us, we won’t be living as if this moment is all that we have, and we will be free from the anxiety of fearing that this moment will, somehow, pass us by. Look at the words that Peter uses to describe our inheritance: “imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. Together they mean that this inheritance is protected and untouchable; nothing will be allowed to happen that would damage it in any way. It is absolutely secure” (emphasis added).  

But keep looking! Not only does Peter say that our inheritance is secure, he goes on to say that we are, too!! The inheritance is kept in heaven for us, and we are being guarded “by God’s power!”  

“So remember today that no matter how hard your story is right her, right now, it is guaranteed for you as God’s child that it will end better than anything you can now imagine, and that glory will never end!”  

Tripp recommends reading 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11 for further study and encouragement, and I couldn’t agree more. 

I might also add this verse, as well. 

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.  
(Jeremiah 29:11 ESV) 

Father, I praise You for Your goodness and mercy! I praise You that there are always opportunities to repent and be forgiven when we stumble, which we do so often. I also thank You that when You convict me of something, You do it with grace and mercy, not with unrelenting fiery darts of shame and guilt,

I praise You that I have an inheritance waiting for me, that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading; that there is nothing that can touch it. And I praise You that, by Your great power, You are keeping me and guarding me so that I will one day be there to receive that inheritance.

I also praise You that You chose to have Your fullness dwell in the flesh of Jesus Christ, taking on two complete natures in one, so that You could take the consequences of our stumbling upon Yourself. Thank You that You have promised to never leave or forsake me, because if I were left to my own devices, I would be utterly ruined. But You have saved me. And Christ has lifted me up in His arms and presented me, holy and blameless in Him, before Your throne!

All glory and praise to You, through the Son, and by the Spirit. Amen!

“No fate I dread, I know I am forgiven
The future’s sure, the price it has been paid
For Jesus bled and suffered for my pardon
And He was raised to overthrow the grave

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”

Grace and peace, friends.

A Heart of Gratitude

Jeff2 Comments

Today is Friday, the ninth day of May, 2025, in the third week of Easter.

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

It is day 129 of 2025, with 236 remaining

Day 24,529 of my life

Only two more days until Mother’s Day!

It is a normal Friday for both of us, today. C is working from home, and I am at the library computer center from 9:15 to 6:15. C’s first day back to the office, yesterday, went very well. Praise be to God!

I tried writing some music for my new song, yesterday, but didn’t get very far. I sat down at the keyboard and messed with it for a while, and didn’t like what I came up with. So I will, I think, try with guitar next time, in a few days, when I have another chance to sit down with it. I’m pretty happy with the words, for the most part, so I think that part is good.

JESUS TIME

The sun shall be no more
    your light by day,
nor for brightness shall the moon
    give you light;
but the Lord will be your everlasting light,
    and your God will be your glory.
(Isaiah 60:19 ESV)

Today I am grateful:

  • For this new day, with its new mercies, and the steadfast love of the Lord that never ceases or runs out 
  • For You, Light of the World, my friend; I trust You 
  • For all the people in my life who have encouraged me 
  • For the heart of gratitude that God has given me 
  • For the forgiveness that He gives, and the ability to forgive others, in turn 

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) 

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

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

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

“I remember who you are 
You’re the God who’s never far 
So I will not be afraid 
God, You always keep me safe” 

The following is from For All the Saints: Friday of the Week of Easter 3.

And now I ask you, dear lady—not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning—that we love one another. And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it. For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist. Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward. Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.  
(2 John 1:5-11 ESV) 

While he was in one of the cities, there came a man full of leprosy. And when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him. And he charged him to tell no one, but “go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities. But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.  
 
On one of those days, as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with him to heal. And behold, some men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring him in and lay him before Jesus, but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus. And when he saw their faith, he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” When Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answered them, “Why do you question in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the man who was paralyzed—”I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home.” And immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, glorifying God. And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, “We have seen extraordinary things today.”  
(Luke 5:12-26 ESV) 

“The Apostle of Love warns Christians: ‘Believe not every spirit, but prove the spirits whether they are of God, because many false prophets are gone out into the world.’ Although John’s Gospel and Epistles constantly set forth the love of one’s fellow believers as the criterion for true faith and genuine Christianity, his criterion for erroneous faith and heresy is a dogmatic statement: ‘Every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus is come in the flesh, is not of God: and this is the spirit of the Antichrist.’ In other words, contrary to all expectation, the correct teaching of the Incarnation appears as the touchstone according to which true doctrine is distinguished from false, the church from heresy. It was so at the beginning of the church’s history; it shall continue so until the light of eternal truth shall enlighten us all.” 
(Reading IV: Hermann Sasse, Here We Stand: Nature and Character of the Lutheran Faith) 

“Lord God, Heavenly Father; Thou knowest that because of our human weakness we are not able to stand fast amid so many and great dangers: Grant us strength both in body and soul, that by Thy help we may conquer all things which harrass us because of our sins, for Jesus Christ, our Lord’s sake. Amen.” 
(Closing Prayer, Martin Luther) 

The following is from New Morning Mercies, by Paul David Tripp.

“‘Forgive us . . . as we also have forgiven . . .’ (Matt. 6:12). I must always remember the grace I am daily given and extend that grace to the people in my life.” 

Tripp says that one of the greatest sins in our relationships is forgetfulness. Then he quotes the following parable. 

“Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?'” 
(Matthew 18:23-33 ESV) 

It is also worth noting that that parable is Jesus’s response to Peter’s noble offer to forgive his brother’s sin “seven times.” 

All of us are fully capable of forgetting “the magnificence of the love and mercy that has been showered down  on us.  . . . to the degree that you forget the grace that you have been given, to that same degree it is easier for you not to extend grace to others. To the extent that you forget how much you’ve been forgiven, to that same extent it is easier for you not to forgive the people in your life. If you fail to carry around with you a heart of gratitude for the love you’ve been so freely given, it is easy for you not to love others as you should.” 

I think that last sentence is worth re-reading. “If you fail to carry around with you a heart of gratitude for the love you’ve been so freely given, it is easy for you not to love others as you should.” 

Anyone who has known me for very long knows that I post these gratitude lists every day. I have been doing that for quite a while now, maybe more than five or ten years. I honestly can’t remember when I began doing it. But it was my response, one November, to all the well-meaning people who are suddenly thankful for things (because it’s Thanksgiving month), but don’t show it the rest of the year. I fully believe that the Lord convicted me that year of the need to be thankful all of the time, not just in November. So I started the daily gratitude list.  

It is not a thing of boasting or pride, make no mistake. I am not boastful about my gratitude. In fact, I am fully aware that my heart of gratitude is a gift from God, just like everything else in my life is a gift from God, just like the faith that I have to believe in Jesus Christ is a gift from God. Again, as I have stated again and again, in this forum, I have nothing to offer that I can call my own, save my sin. 

So I carry around a heart of gratitude. And I am known, praise Jesus, for loving people. HOWEVER . . . I am far from perfect, and still catch myself judging people, even daily. I still catch myself allowing our enemy to get into my head. And what a mess he makes when he is successful, there. 

“It is and always has been true that no one gives grace better than a person who is deeply persuaded that he needs it himself and that it has been graciously supplied by a God of tender mercy.” 

And that, my brothers and sisters and friends, is it in a nutshell. I am and pray that I will always be persuaded that I am in dire need of His grace and mercy with every single breath that I take! I am nothing without Jesus Christ in my life. I owe everything to Christ because (and who didn’t see this coming?) Christ is everything! 

Those aren’t just words, people. Jesus Christ is truly everything to me! All praise and glory to Him!! 

My dear Jesus, I love You and praise You for giving me a heart of gratitude, and for keeping it going for me. Everything in my life is because of You, Lord! I have done nothing, You have done everything.

I pray that I will always be willing to forgive others when necessary, Lord, as You have lavished such grace and mercy upon me. Whenever I am tempted to judge someone, please remind me, instantly, of the great mercy and grace that You have given me, and Your steadfast love that rains down upon me minute by minute.

With my ever breath, I will love You, Lord, because You, Jesus, are the lover of my soul. Thank You that we will never experience life without Your presence for all eternity.

You are everything! I pray that all who read this would know Your love and feel it embracing them.

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

Teach me your way, O LORD, 
that I may walk in your truth; 
give me an undivided heart 
to revere your name.
(Psalms 86:11 NRSV)

Grace and peace, friends.

Law and Gospel in the Parable of the Prodigal Son

Jeff5 Comments

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

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

Day 81 of 2025; 284 days left

Day 84,481 of my life

29 days until Resurrection Sunday.

Today is a true day of rest. Nothing really has to get done. There are things that I should do, of course, and probably will, but they are not required, by any stretch of the imagination.

Yesterday was a great day at the library, and I had a pretty good evening, as well.

I realized, at some point, that I totally forgot to mention that Thursday was the first day of Spring!

JESUS TIME

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

Jesus, the very thought of thee 
with sweetness fills the breast; 
but sweeter far thy face to see, 
and in thy presence rest. 
 
O hope of every contrite heart, 
O joy of all the meek, 
to those who fall, how kind thou art! 
How good to those who seek! 
 
But what to those who find? Ah, this 
nor tongue nor pen can show; 
the love of Jesus, what it is, 
none but his loved ones know. 
 
Jesus, our only joy be thou, 
as thou our prize wilt be; 
Jesus, be thou our glory now, 
and through eternity. 
(Attributed to St. Bernard of Clairvaux)

In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.  
(Ephesians 1:4b-6 ESV) 

Today I am grateful:

  • For the deep, deep love of Jesus, vast unmeasured, boundless, free 
  • That I was predestined for adoption as a son through Jesus Christ, to the praise of His glorious grace 
  • That I sought the Lord, and He answered me, and delivered me from ALL my fears (Psalm 34:4) 💜 
  • For the peace of God, that passes ALL understanding, that is guarding my heart and my mind in Christ Jesus 
  • For the parable of the prodigal son and the truths that it gives to us 

Dear Father in heaven, grant that we may come to you as your children. Grant that we may come to your Spirit, that something of trust and perseverance may be born in us for our life on earth. May we always be loyal and full of hope, working and striving not only for what is earthly, but for the tasks that have been laid on us for your kingdom and its righteousness. Let new light shine out among us again and again. Let many understand when your voice is speaking to them, so that they may gain courage. Let your voice be heard so that the great gospel that makes us your children may be proclaimed to people of all circles. Amen. 
(Daily Prayer from Plough) 

God our Father, by your gifts to us on earth we already share in your life. In all we do, guide us to the light of your kingdom. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. 
(For All the Saints – Saturday of the Week of Lent 2, Opening Prayer) 

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) 

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) 

An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land: 
 the prophets prophesy falsely,  
and the priests rule at their direction;  
my people love to have it so, 
 but what will you do when the end comes?  
(Jeremiah 5:30-31 ESV) 

“Ultimately every fact of experience proves the simple gospel affirmations about the supremacy of grace to be true. We need both the power and the pardon of divine grace. We are not free to do good by our own resources and finally we are not good at all. The contradiction between man and God can not be healed by any human contrivance. If the attempt is made, religion produces not the fruits of the spirit – not love, joy and peace – but a frantic self-righteousness and a confusing self-deception.” 
(For All the Saints – Saturday of the Week of Lent 2, Reinhold Niebuhr, Love and Law) 

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

And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.
“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”‘ And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.
“Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.'”
(Luke 15:11-32 ESV)

The following comes from Thy Kingdom Come, by David H. Petersen.

When the Pharisees criticized Jesus for receiving sinners and eating with them, Jesus responded with three parables, the third of which is the one we know as the parable of the prodigal son. All three parables “illustrate that God seeks unworthy men to love and to save.” They are also meant to “explain why Jesus receives and eats with sinners and to shame the Pharisees for their failure to love their neighbors.” 

Petersen describes this parable, though, as an “allegorical history of man. It shows man in his innocence, in his rebellion, and, finally, in his redemption.” It is also, however, “a description of what is to be a Christian, to repent, and return and to find that it was God who was working on you all along.” 

It is also rather poetic. When the father cries out, “My son was dead, and is alive again, was lost, and is found,” it “rings forever as the great song and joy of heaven.” I mean, who doesn’t read that and immediately think of: 

“Amazing grace, how sweet the sound 
That saved a wretch like me! 
I once was lost, but now am found; 
Was blind but now I see!” 
(John Newton)

“This parable is also prophetic. It speaks directly to us. It both reproves and encourages us, for we have been the prodigal son, and we have also been the elder brother. The parable is both Law and Gospel for the prodigal son. He should repent and stop being wasteful and stupid, but the father loves him with forgiveness and acceptance. It is also Law and Gospel for the elder brother. He is tempted to jealousy and judging, but he also is invited into the feast by the father’s grace.” 

The parable is set alongside the Genesis passage of Jacob stealing the blessing from his brother Esau. (Read Genesis 27:6-40) “Grace comes to unfaithful sons and usurping liars, not to those who have a claim by birth or by works.” I think that sentence is worth reading again.  

“Grace comes to unfaithful sons and usurping liars, not to those who have a claim by birth or by works. For us Gentiles in particular, jacob is our patron saint, the lesser, the second born, the usurper, the lying, unfaithful son who gets the blessing that belongs to another. We get the blessing that belongs to the faithful Son, Jesus. We are welcomed back to the feast despite our sins. 

“Whatever we have been – wasteful or judgmental, lying or arrogant – let us now again be repentant. He who is found, and found alive, is welcomed back into His Father’s embrace in perfect, unexpected grace. We were lost. We are found. We were dead. We are now alive. The feast is before us. The Father has come out to entreat us, to beckon us to come and eat. Let us eat.” 

Father, I praise You, this morning, for the peace that floods my soul. I have felt the undeniable, unbelievable love of Jesus, this morning, to the point that my heart felt as though it would burst. You know the reason for all of this, and You, through Your gracious and precious Son, provide the love.

I thank You for the Law and Gospel that we get from this parable, Father. I also thank You that we do not mix Law and Gospel when we speak of salvation. Law brings us to the point where we know that we need salvation, but it stops there, when grace takes over. When we try to mix them, we get trouble, and the result was pretty well described in that excerpt by Reinhold Niebuhr. It becomes “frantic self-righteousness and a confusing self-deception.”

With that in mind, Father, I pray for the Church, right now, because I see a lot of that going on. I pray that You keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, Father, and stop the idolatry of looking to any human or earthly institutions for our hope of salvation.

I have been both the prodigal son and the elder brother, in my life, Father, it is true. But You have brought me to a place of peace, having worked miracle after miracle in my life in recent weeks. O, how glorious, to witness first-hand that You do, indeed, hear our prayers and answer them, and that You do deliver us from all of our fears. I pray You keep working in my heart and my life, bringing about Your will for me, on earth, as it is in heaven.

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

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
(Ephesians 3:20-21 ESV)

Grace and peace, friends.

Pusillanimity

Jeff7 Comments

Today is Wednesday, the nineteenth day of March, 2025, in the second week of Lent (really? Only the second week?).

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

Day 78 of 2025; 287 days left

Day 24,478 of my life

32 days until Resurrection Sunday

It’s a Wednesday off for me, as this strange week continues. Strange because I didn’t work last night, and there is no choir practice or other activities at church tonight because of Spring Break. S and I will be heading up to the church, though, in a little while, so she can practice one more time for her first gig as Assisting Ministery, this coming Sunday. She is, understandably, getting quite nervous. Please pray for calm and peace in her spirit. I believe she will do fine.

Yesterday was totally unremarkable, so I will move on to today’s devotional, which I believe was quite timely for me.

JESUS TIME

Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for Your devoted servants who spread the Good News of Your death and resurrection and preach the forgiveness of sins. Provide faithful pastors and bless congregations who honor the pastoral office and support their ministers, even when they stumble. Help missionaries understand the peoples they are sent to and present the Gospel in a culturally relevant way while staying true to sound doctrine. Give pastors and missionaries strength and courage in the face of persecution. Be with me and all members of Your family as we encourage those You have called to these positions. I pray this in Your name. Amen. 
(Portals of Prayer – Prayer for Wednesday Morning) 

As indeed he says in Hosea, “Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’ and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.'” “And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there they will be called ‘sons of the living God.'”  
(Romans 9:25-26 ESV) 

Today I am grateful:

  • To be called one of God’s people, a son of the living God 💜 
  • For the faithful pastors and directors at my church; Lord bless them richly! 
  • For the kindness of God that leads us to repentance (Romans 2) 
  • That Scripture records for us the honesty and transparency of Jesus’s disciples, showing us their foolishness as well as their strengths  
  • For the revelation that God provides the strength that we need in order to do the tasks that He calls us to do; He does not expect us to rely on our own strength (or lack thereof), but fully furnishes and equips us for whatever He calls us to do 

Lord our God, we thank you that you have called us your children, a people who may serve you even in suffering and temptation. Grant that the grace of Jesus Christ may be in us so that we can be victorious over everything that life puts in our way and can withstand the distress that surrounds so many people. O Lord our God, our only refuge, to you alone can we appeal for evil to end and for the victory of Jesus Christ to break through. In that hour we shall rejoice and be glad as your people. Amen. 
(Daily Prayer from Plough) 

“Father in Heaven! Hold not up our sins against us, but hold us up against our sins, so that the thought of thee when it wakens in our soul – and each time it wakens – should not remind us of what we have committed but of what thou didst forgive; not of how we went astray but of how thou didst save us! Amen.” 
(For All the Saints – Wednesday of the Week of Lent 2, Closing Prayer, Soren Kierkegaard) 

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?

Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies; 
 make your way straight before me.  
For there is no truth in their mouth; 
 their inmost self is destruction;  
their throat is an open grave; 
 they flatter with their tongue.  
Make them bear their guilt, O God;  
let them fall by their own counsels; 
 because of the abundance of their transgressions cast them out, 
 for they have rebelled against you.  
 
But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;  
let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them,  
that those who love your name may exult in you.  
For you bless the righteous, O LORD;  
you cover him with favor as with a shield.  
(Psalms 5:8-12 ESV) 

Today’s reading in New Morning Mercies, by Paul David Tripp, begins with this:

“Faith is about measuring your potential, not on the basis of your natural gifts and experience, but in the surety of God’s presence and promises.” 

As soon as I read that, I was, like, “Uh-oh. Here it comes.”

Now the angel of the LORD came and sat under the terebinth at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress to hide it from the Midianites. And the angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, “The LORD is with you, O mighty man of valor.” And Gideon said to him, “Please, sir, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us, saying, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the LORD has forsaken us and given us into the hand of Midian.” And the LORD turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?” And he said to him, “Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” And the LORD said to him, “But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.” And he said to him, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, then show me a sign that it is you who speak with me. Please do not depart from here until I come to you and bring out my present and set it before you.” And he said, “I will stay till you return.”  
(Judges 6:11-18 ESV) 

The Lord, in this somewhat amusing story, appears before Gideon. I love how it says that He “came and sat under the terebinth at Ophrah.” God came and sat under a tree to watch Gideon, who was “doing something indoors that you normally do outdoors because he is afraid of the very people whom God is going to call him to attack!” And, to boot, God calls Gideon a “mighty man of valor!” This is not because of any natural strength or courage, “but because of what Gideon will be able to do in the power that God will give him.” And we know this, because God begins the conversation with the words, “The LORD is with you.” Of course, Gideon even questions that! 

“Gideon both misunderstands who he is and who God is. If you fail to remember who God is in His power, glory, and grace, and you forget who you are as a child in his family, you will always mismeasure your potential to do what God has called you to do! You will measure your capability based on your natural gifts and the size of whatever it is that God has chosen you to face. Thankfully, since God is with you, you have been blessed with wisdom and power beyond your own that give you potential you would not have on your own.” 

Okay, so this is a well-timed message for me. Because, just a couple days ago, I began re-reading a book called Glittering Vices, by Rebecca Konyndyk DeYoung, “A new look at the seven deadly sins and their remedies,” as part of my Lent reading plan. 

I was convicted on the first page of the introduction, concerning something that I had totally forgotten about since the first reading of the book. The author writes of reading some of the writings of Thomas Aquinas, and was reading about the virtue of courage, when she came across a vice that he referred to as “pusillanimity.” Anyone else ever heard of that word before?? 

It literally means “smallness of soul,” and those who are “afflicted by this vice, wrote Aquinas, shrink back from all that God has called them to be. When faced with the effort and difficulty of stretching themselves to the great things of which they are capable, they cringe and say, ‘I can’t.’ In short, the pusillanimous rely on their own puny powers and focus on their own potential for failure, rather than counting on God’s grace to equip them for great work in his kingdom – work beyond something they might have dreamed of for themselves.” 

It was as if I was staring at myself in a mirror! I am, in fact, quite pusillanimous, and, it seems, I always have been. Now, in recent weeks, if the reader has been paying any attention, God has done miracles in my heart and life. He has been hinting around at something big, while at the same time, molding my heart to be content with simply being closer to and knowing Him more. And just when I get comfortable in the “resting,” He drops another bombshell. 

When I read those words a couple days ago, the bombshell didn’t quite explode. But this morning, it did. Reading Paul David Tripp’s words about Gideon in the aftermath of being reminded about pusillanimity (I can’t even spell that without looking back at the book!), I find myself wanting to fall on my face before God in repentance.  

Again, I do not know, quite yet, what He is calling me to, what He is preparing me for. I have some ideas, and am continuing to consult with my pastor about it. But this I do know. Whatever it is, He will equip me. He will give me the strength (actually, He already has, I just don’t know it, yet). So, today, I pray that I will not be Moses or Gideon when the time comes to respond. Both of them turned out okay, I suppose, except that Moses, due to his disobedience, only got to look at the Promised Land. Gideon, after testing God a couple of times (who showed great patience, I think), did what he was called to do, in spite of himself. 

Bring it on, Lord. I’m ready (I say that in great trepidation, though). 

Oh, my Father, You have done it again. I read these words and my soul is stirred to the highest heaven with anticipation of what You are going to do with me! The excitement grows (as does the apprehension, I confess) as I wonder where we are going. And I say “we,” because I am most certainly not going there alone. Not only do I have You with me, my God, I also have a most wonderful pastor/friend/spiritual advisor with me, as well, and a most blessed family supporting me, too.

You are too good to me, Lord, as I walk this path. Never have I felt such . . . I can’t even come up with the word . . . such a feeling of not being alone! Is there a word for that?? Fortunately, since You know all things, You know what I mean. And I will leave it at that.

I pray You keep holding me close, Father, and keep bringing these timely words of encouragement to me. I pray that You help me fight against pusillanimity, and remind me that whatever strength I need for the task, You have already given me. So I will wait for the task to be revealed, and in the meantime, continue to rest in You, all the while with the simple desire to know You more.

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

O Lord, almighty and everlasting God, you have brought us in safety to this new day; preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome in adversity; and in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 
(For All the Saints, Morning Prayer)

Grace and peace, friends.