Worship for the Weekday
Paul’s Chains Advance the Gospel
Philippians 1:12-26
12. I want you to know, brethren, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, 13. so that it has become known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ; 14. and most of the brethren have been made confident in the Lord because of my imprisonment, and are much more bold to speak the word of God without fear. 15. Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. 16. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel; 17. the former proclaim Christ out of partisanship, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. 18. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in that I rejoice. 19. Yes, and I shall rejoice. For I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, 20. as it is my eager expectation and hope that I shall not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. 21. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22. If it is to be life in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 25. Convinced of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, 26. so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.
Paul uses every opportunity to preach the good news! He has used his time in prison to convert all the guards and to anyone else who will listen – certainly some of the prisoners, as well. “. 21. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22. If it is to be life in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 25. Convinced of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, 26. so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.”
This scripture actually precedes Tuesday’s. Paul is in prison. Prisons in those days didn’t have air conditioning, color tv’s, exercise rooms, or any other amenities! They were probably underground, dark, dirty—filthy, damp and just generally awful. But Paul doesn’t care – he really, truly does not care! He is so grateful to have more people to convert!
He also talks about some who “preach Christ from envy and rivalry,” and again, he says he doesn’t care, as long as Christ is preached. God uses even the evil desires and intentions of others to His own good purpose! Even Paul’s death will not be in vain—in fact I think he kind of feels that if he does die, it will give even more honor to God! Yet he longs to remain on earth, lest he miss one soul, lest one opportunity to offer Christ’s love might pass him by!
I long for faith like Paul’s! I long to not get mad when someone cuts me off in traffic, or when someone is dishonest and deceitful, or when someone is rude and thoughtless, or when I’m running late and can’t get my act together for the rest of the day! I’m going to really make a concerted effort to practice Paul’s joy! I’m going to try to be more aware of the message I’m sending by my life. I’m going to try to remember to take a breath, say a prayer of thanks to God for allowing me to live another day to spread His word, and exude His love and joy and good news!
I hope you’ll spend your day rejoicing in each breath you take, spreading the good news by how you live your life!
Mary
The Kingdom of Righteousness
.
Isaiah 32:1-8
1. Behold, a king will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule in justice. 2. Each will be like a hiding place from the wind, a covert from the tempest, like streams of water in a dry place, like the shade of a great rock in a weary land. 3. Then the eyes of those who see will not be closed, and the ears of those who hear will hearken. 4. The mind of the rash will have good judgment, and the tongue of the stammerers will speak readily and distinctly. 5. The fool will no more be called noble, nor the knave said to be honorable. 6. For the fool speaks folly, and his mind plots iniquity: to practice ungodliness, to utter error concerning the Lord, to leave the craving of the hungry unsatisfied, and to deprive the thirsty of drink. 7. The knaveries of the knave are evil; he devises wicked devices to ruin the poor with lying words, even when the plea of the needy is right. 8. But he who is noble devises noble things, and by noble things he stands.
Psalm 2
1. Why do the nations conspire, and the peoples plot in vain? 2. The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and his anointed, saying, 3. "Let us burst their bonds asunder, and cast their cords from us." 4. He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord has them in derision. 5. Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, 6. "I have set my king on Zion, my holy hill." 7. I will tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to me, "You are my son, today I have begotten you. 8. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. 9. You shall break them with a rod of iron, and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel." 10. Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. 11. Serve the Lord with fear, with trembling 12. kiss his feet, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way; for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
Isaiah proclaims the Messiah! David looks to the future glory of Christ! These two biblical “giants” knew in whom to put their trust! And more, they didn’t hesitate to share their divinely-granted vision of future glory for the “army of God!”
In The Purpose-Driven Life, the author points out that surrender is the way we are able to offer meaningful worship to God. A group studying the book met last night and we talked about how surrendering has such a negative connotation. But, Warren tells us, we choose the things and the people we surrender to – we choose to surrender to God or to wordly activities, people, things. David and Isaiah already knew that way back in the Old Testament! And they both knew the consequences of their choices.
Jesus is the only way to go! His example, His words, His commission. If we surrender to our own human desires, thoughts, and actions, we are not going to win eternal life in heaven. Is it that simple? Is it really that cut and dried? “But he who is noble devises noble things, and by noble things he stands.” David answers that too: “Serve the Lord with fear, with trembling, kiss his feet lest he be angry, and you perish in the way; for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.”
Most of the book of Isaiah was recorded around 700 years before Christ! The Psalter was compiled in its final form around the third century B.C. Hundreds and hundreds of years ago, God revealed that He would send a savior and that the savior would be the one final, shining example of what is expected. Two thousand years later, we still struggle. How can we not trust a God whose vision and planning is so perfect and so perfectly timed!?
I hope you spend your day surrendering your time, your thoughts, your actions, and your life to God the Father, and live as His Son commanded us.
Mary
Shelter of the Most High
.
Psalm 91
1. He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High, who abides in the shadow of the Almighty, 2. will say to the Lord, "My refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust." 3. For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence; 4. he will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. 5. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, 6. nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday. 7. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand; but it will not come near you. 8. You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked. 9. Because you have made the Lord your refuge, the Most High your habitation, 10. no evil shall befall you, no scourge come near your tent. 11. For he will give his angels charge of you to guard you in all your ways. 12. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone. 13. You will tread on the lion and the adder, the young lion and the serpent you will trample under foot. 14. Because he cleaves to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. 15. When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will rescue him and honor him. 16. With long life I will satisfy him, and show him my salvation.
God is with us throughout every moment of our lives. There is no place we can go that He will not be there with us. There is no situation in which we will be alone—He will not abandon us.
The psalmist in this instance is not David, but probably either a Levite or a temple priest. This psalm is meant to offer encouragement and comfort to the believers gathered at the temple. While some of the dangers and threats mentioned in the psalm may be real, they are intended largely to illustrate every possible danger or fear that man may have throughout his life. And we are assured that God is there through each of them!
It doesn’t mean we won’t experience hardship, fear, loneliness, seeming defeat, sadness, remorse and repentance; it only means that God will love, protect, comfort and accompany us through it all – and through the joy and celebration, the singing and the praise, the happy, fun and enjoyable times in our lives as well. Our faith in him makes not only the bad times a little easier to bear, but makes the good times even more celebratory!
I love the visual of “under his wings you will find refuge.” A mother bird protects her babies under her wings – she draws them to her and spreads her wings to keep the rain off of them, to keep the wind from chilling them, to keep the sun from burning them before their own feathers come in. And there is a lovely, sad and beautiful story about a mother bird that covered her babies in a fire. She was found burned to death, but the chicks were saved by the shelter and protection of her wings.
You may recognize verses 11-12. Those same words are used by Satan to tempt Jesus (Matt. 4:6 and Luke 4:10-11). Jesus is able to resist Satan because of his assurance that His heavenly father will provide him all he needs-protection, power, and love. We can drive Satan away in the same way: call upon God to provide us guidance, direction, forgiveness, redemption, love. If we do that, we’ll never veer too far off course. When we call upon Him, God assures the angels, and us, “I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.”
I hope you spend your day calling upon your God, assured that He will answer and deliver you.
Mary
Shining as Stars
.
Philippians 2:12-18
12. Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13. for God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. 14. Do all things without grumbling or questioning, 15. that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16. holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. 17. Even if I am to be poured as a libation upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. 18. Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.
Isaiah 40:26
Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of this great power and mighty strength not one of them is missing.
Paul beseeches the Philippians to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling. He’s not talking about being afraid or timid – he’s referring to God’s mighty power. When His power is at work within us we are both awed and humbled that He would use such as us to do His bidding. When we look up in the sky and see the billions of stars – all created and numbered by God, each of them precious as one of His creations, it causes us to tremble when we realize that He loves us even more! It is unimaginable!
Because of our awe and humility, in honor and thanks, Paul urges all believers to do all that God wills for us without complaining or feeling put upon. We are to be joyful in His service. We are to hold fast to our faith and trust that a great reward awaits us in heaven. Paul is in prison – not sure if he’ll live or die – and conflicted – because he longs to be with Christ, yet he longs to do God’s work with every second he has left on earth – to have that kind of faith and obedience is truly amazing!
Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me. Paul LIVES and BREATHES his faith. He is unceasingly busy spreading the good news and doesn’t want to miss one opportunity to save another soul! He wants us to share in his joy. He wants us to be obedient. And when we look up at the night sky, he wants us to know that we can endure and overcome and claim victory over everything in this world and in this life, because the God who made the stars, also made us and he loves us beyond imagining.
I hope you spend your day shining as a star, joyfully proclaiming the good news in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation.
Mary
Salvation of Sinners
.
1 Timothy 1:1-171. Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope, 2. To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 3. As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, 4. nor to occupy themselves with myths and endless genealogies which promote speculations rather than the divine training that is in faith; 5. whereas the aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and sincere faith. 6. Certain persons by swerving from these have wandered away into vain discussion, 7. desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make assertions. 8. Now we know that the law is good, if any one uses it lawfully, 9. understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, 10. immoral persons, sodomites, kidnapers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, 11. in accordance with the glorious gospel of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted. 12. I thank him who has given me strength for this, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful by appointing me to his service, 13. though I formerly blasphemed and persecuted and insulted him; but I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, 14. and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 15. The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. And I am the foremost of sinners; 16. but I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience for an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. 17. To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Paul is just phenomenal! He is so certain of not only what he believes, but in whom. He knows at this point that he will be put to death, but urges Timothy to persevere. Beyond that, Paul reminds Timothy—and us—that each of us is a sinner. Every one of us. And that is where I have trouble sometimes. Of course I’ve sinned! But are my sins really as bad as those of others? Paul contends “sin is sin” and it’s all bad. But when we confess our sins God gives us “new life” in Jesus Christ.
Paul also reminds Timothy that he (Paul) was a blasphemer and worse. And that God chose him, and has used him as a powerful and undeniable testament to His power and the redemptive sacrifice of Jesus Christ. God made us to be like Christ. Paul has dedicated his life (since being “saved”) to spreading the word of Christ crucified and mankind forgiven. Beyond that though, I picked up a definite admonition not to judge others in their sinfulness. Rather preach the Word, encourage others to turn to Christ, be loving and forgiving at all times.
Did I mention already that I have a real struggle with that last part? I can preach the Word all day long. I can encourage others to turn to Christ without hesitation, and I have been told I am a loving person. But that forgiveness word gets me every time! That was apparently the case in Ephesus, too. “ 15. The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. And I am the foremost of sinners; 16. but I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience for an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.”
If it is because of Christ that we are forgiven, then we have no other choice. But that requires a lot of "giving it to God." A lot of prayer and reflection and patience. A lot of introspection. Kind of like the splinter and the log analogy.
We are sinners. Because we are forgiven, we are commanded to forgive. God knows it won’t be easy. But each time we forgive another for their transgressions, I think we move a bit closer to being like Christ. And that is a noble goal.
I hope you spend your day forgiving those who sin against you—and the world, striving to achieve Christ-like love and patience.
Mary
The Righteous One
.
1 John 2:1-171. My little children, I am writing this to you so that you may not sin; but if any one does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; 2. and he is the expiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. 3. And by this we may be sure that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4. He who says "I know him" but disobeys his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him; 5. but whoever keeps his word, in him truly love for God is perfected. By this we may be sure that we are in him: 6. he who says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. 7. Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment which you had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard. 8. Yet I am writing you a new commandment, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. 9. He who says he is in the light and hates his brother is in the darkness still. 10. He who loves his brother abides in the light, and in it there is no cause for stumbling. 11. But he who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. 12. I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his sake. 13. I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, children, because you know the Father. 14. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one. 15. Do not love the world or the things in the world. If any one loves the world, love for the Father is not in him. 16. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, is not of the Father but is of the world. 17. And the world passes away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides for ever.
When I did a word search at bibleverses.com on “righteous” you can imagine how many hits I got! Psalms and Proverbs alone produced about 10 screens full of bible verses containing the word. In Jeremiah, where I spent a lot of time this morning, God reveals to Jeremiah that He will send His Righteous One to save Israel. I looked up that word in the dictionary:
adj.
acting in a just, upright manner; doing what is right; virtuous. Webster’s says to see “right” and “wise” for a more detailed explanation.
Right and wise. Old commandment/new commandment. John is telling his audience that “God’s commandment” has been the same since creation – since Adam and Eve! It is very old, indeed! Yet it becomes new by Christ’s sacrifice. It holds us to a higher level of righteousness. It demands a more rigorous evaluation of our lives, and our actions. It requires a deeper, more committed faith. I think our human nature is to want to be
right. But we know that God desires wisdom.
John’s use of “little children,” “young men,” and “fathers” probably refers to readers at various stages in their faith lives. He is telling us that no matter if we were “saved” yesterday or if we have always believed, salvation is ours. But we cannot love this world. We cannot desire its laws and its habits; its standards of right and wrong; its ways and its truth. We are to walk as Christ did—in the truth and in the light of God’s wisdom. John tells us, ”the world passes away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides for ever.”
Our wants and needs will be met by God. Our lives in this world are but a moment in time! So we must not delay. And we must not falter. Begin anew. Choose to be wise over being right, “because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.”
I hope you spend your day walking in the light of God’s wisdom and rejoicing in the righteousness of Jesus Christ.
Mary
Wisdom's Call
.
Genesis 1:26-28
26. Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth." 27. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
Philippians 2:15
that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,
Philippians 4:8
Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Proverbs 8
1. Does not wisdom call, does not understanding raise her voice? 2. On the heights beside the way, in the paths she takes her stand; 3. beside the gates in front of the town, at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud: 4. "To you, O men, I call, and my cry is to the sons of men. 5. O simple ones, learn prudence; O foolish men, pay attention. 6. Hear, for I will speak noble things, and from my lips will come what is right; 7. for my mouth will utter truth; wickedness is an abomination to my lips. 8. All the words of my mouth are righteous; there is nothing twisted or crooked in them. 9. They are all straight to him who understands and right to those who find knowledge. 10. Take my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold; 11. for wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her. 12. I, wisdom, dwell in prudence, and I find knowledge and discretion. 13. The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate. 14. I have counsel and sound wisdom, I have insight, I have strength. 15. By me kings reign, and rulers decree what is just; 16. by me princes rule, and nobles govern the earth. 17. I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me. 18. Riches and honor are with me, enduring wealth and prosperity. 19. My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold, and my yield than choice silver. 20. I walk in the way of righteousness, in the paths of justice, 21. endowing with wealth those who love me, and filling their treasuries. 22. The Lord created me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of old. 23. Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth. 24. When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with water. 25. Before the mountains had been shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth; 26. before he had made the earth with its fields, or the first of the dust of the world. 27. When he established the heavens, I was there, when he drew a circle on the face of the deep, 28. when he made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep, 29. when he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth, 30. then I was beside him, like a master workman; and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always, 31. rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the sons of men. 32. And now, my sons, listen to me: happy are those who keep my ways. 33. Hear instruction and be wise, and do not neglect it. 34. Happy is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors. 35. For he who finds me finds life and obtains favor from the Lord; 36. but he who misses me injures himself; all who hate me love death."
I know this is long. . . But there are countless notes directing us to the New Testament! Some of my notes indicate that “wisdom” is personified by Christ. John indicates that “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." He was with God in the beginning because He is part of God.
God created us last—the climax to His masterpiece! And after centuries of misunderstanding, disobeying, and turning our backs to Him, He sent us one final, undeniable, unimpeachable word—wisdom personified: Jesus. He lived a life of wisdom—but not by man’s standards! He lived a life on the edge—and put himself in danger of being killed by living God’s wisdom. The beatitudes spell out clearly what Proverbs 8 establishes. Don’t seek silver and gold, power and might—seek only God’s wisdom; the power of His words, the riches of His heavenly kingdom, the might of His hand in nature and within us. We are each a part of Him—created by Him and for Him, and Christ spelled it all out for us one final time.
Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life—God’s wisdom personified.
I hope you spend your day seeking the riches of God’s heavenly kingdom, that you may be found blameless and innocent in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation.
Mary
Barking At The Thunder
Isaiah 40:12-14, 25-31
12. Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance? 13. Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, or as his counselor has instructed him? 14. Whom did he consult for his enlightenment, and who taught him the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding?
25. To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him? says the Holy One. 26. Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name; by the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power not one is missing. 27. Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, "My way is hid from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God"? 28. Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary, his understanding is unsearchable. 29. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. 30. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; 31. but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.
As I shared yesterday, I overslept a full hour. This morning, however, God felt I needed to “make up” that time with Him, apparently. Most of those in the greater Richmond area are probably not aware of the exact time the cold front/lightning & thunder moved through their neighborhood. Over our neighborhood it was 4 am. I know this because one of our dogs, Bingo, barks at the thunder!
He has a “special” bark. One that is unique to thunderstorms. I couldn’t go back to sleep when I heard him barking this morning. Jim let him and our other dog, Gracie, outside, hoping that if Bingo saw that everything was alright, he would be quiet. (Or maybe he was hoping that he couldn’t hear him as well if he put him outside!) Bingo has a special relationship with God. When we got him from the pound, as a tiny puppy, the vet told us he was pretty sure he had distemper and we needed to put him to sleep. But Bingo was Jeffrey’s 4th birthday present! And that was NOT going to happen! I spent almost a full month, lying on the floor of our family room, stroking Bingo’s head and praying that God would let him live. Bingo did have distemper, but he is now 12 years old! And we can always tell when a storm is moving in – even when it’s still miles away – because Bingo barks his special “thunder bark.” This morning as I sat on my back porch, hoping I could keep him quiet until a more reasonable hour (5:30?!) I wrapped myself up and got an early cup of coffee. The storm passed through, but Bingo kept barking periodically – even after the storm had moved out – 10 or 12 miles away!
It occurred to me this morning that Bingo is praying! That special bark is his prayer! Remember I said that bark is unique to thunder booming! He was talking to God! His own special language and connection!
Naturally I thought of Psalms and all the beautiful narratives of God’s creations, but ultimately found myself in Isaiah—and realized God intended to comfort me this morning. He intended to reassure me that He is in control of not only the thunder and the lightning and the rain, but of my life and everything in it. The last couple of days I have felt as if I were not in control of my life. And of course, God is reassuring me that I am not! HE IS! And I sat on my back porch this morning and soaked in the damp and the pre-dawn chill and watched as the sky became a tiny bit brighter with each passing moment. And I felt God’s presence. I wanted to join Bingo in a bark/prayer of thanksgiving to God for stooping to comfort such as me.
I hope you feel God’s presence in your life today. When you look up at the sky, know that God is in control of every cloud and raindrop and every moment of your existence.
Mary
A Prayer for God’s Unfailing Protection
Version: RSV
Psalm 36
1. Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in his heart; there is no fear of God before his eyes. 2. For he flatters himself in his own eyes that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated. 3. The words of his mouth are mischief and deceit; he has ceased to act wisely and do good. 4. He plots mischief while on his bed; he sets himself in a way that is not good; he spurns not evil. 5. Thy steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, thy faithfulness to the clouds. 6. Thy righteousness is like the mountains of God, thy judgments are like the great deep; man and beast thou savest, O Lord. 7. How precious is thy steadfast love, O God! The children of men take refuge in the shadow of thy wings. 8. They feast on the abundance of thy house, and thou givest them drink from the river of thy delights. 9. For with thee is the fountain of life; in thy light do we see light. 10. O continue thy steadfast love to those who know thee, and thy salvation to the upright of heart! 11. Let not the foot of arrogance come upon me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away. 12. There the evildoers lie prostrate, they are thrust down, unable to rise.
I overslept almost a full hour this morning! So many mornings I take about 15 minutes to sit quietly, let the sleep settle out of my eyes and my mind and sip on my coffee while I prepare for my morning devotions. But not today! I had to “hit the ground running!” Was it an “accident” that I didn’t set my alarm last night? Is it “chance” that Jim almost every day of his life wakes up before 6 am, so got me up when he realized I had overslept? Is it coincidence that I found myself in Psalms this morning?
One of my dearest, most spirit-filled friends calls all of those “Godincidences.” She believes, as I have come to, that nothing in this world happens by mere chance! Man has free will, but God is ultimately in charge. We may divert his plan for time, but in the end—HE WINS!
David has no doubt that is the case! He has seen the formidable enemy and does what he always does—asks for God’s blessing. More than that, he is certain of God’s blessing, so “unleashes” it by lifting his voice in prayer. Even back in David’s day, ungodly influences interfered with the attempts of the godly to live good and holy lives. Even then, corrupt and power-hungry “spurned not evil” and had ”ceased to act wisely and do good.” That was before television— MTV, “reality” TV, the NFL, or any mega-billion dollar networks and “super corporations” that seemingly rule the world!
But guess what!? They don’t. Unless we let them. How do we counter all the negativity, sinfulness, evil and corruption in our world? The same way David did! We ask God to allow us to “feast on the abundance of His house.” We thirst after the “fountain of life” and beg Him to shine His light upon our path. God is unchangeable. He can overcome a fortified army with hundreds of chariots and He can overcome the enemies of our day. We must choose to fill our time with thoughts of Him, though. We must purposefully pursue His steadfast love, and rely solely on Him and His salvation. That’s how we win! And that’s how we go out into the world every day. That’s how we go to sleep at night and that’s how we get to heaven. By trying and working and praying that we will become godly in our attempts. The attempt is adequate if it’s genuine and from the heart.
I hope you spend your day ardently seeking after the light of God and reflecting it on to others in your path.
Mary
Mary's Song/Zechariah's Song
Version: RSV
Luke 1:46-56
46. And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, 47. and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48. for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed; 49. for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. 50. And his mercy is on those who fear him from generation to generation. 51. He has shown strength with his arm, he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts, 52. he has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of low degree; 53. he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away. 54. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, 55. as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity for ever." 56. And Mary remained with her[Elizabeth] about three months, and returned to her home.
Luke 1:67-79
67. And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying, 68. "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people, 69. and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, 70. as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, 71. that we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all who hate us; 72. to perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant, 73. the oath which he swore to our father Abraham, 74. to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, 75. in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life. 76. And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, 77. to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, 78. through the tender mercy of our God, when the day shall dawn upon us from on high 79. to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."
I don’t really know why both of these songs attracted me this morning—in a way they don’t seem to go together. The first thing that is so interesting is the polar opposites of Mary and Zechariah (John the Baptist’s father). Zechariah and Elizabeth are “old” and past the age when couples had children – God loves to do that doesn’t He!? And Mary, just entering puberty. One the mother of God, one the Father of John the Baptist.
Even before his birth, John leapt within Elizabeth at the sound of Mary’s voice. The expectation of birth, and of the coming of the Savior tied in together in this story. Mary’s obedience. Her faith without proof. Zechariah’s joy and belief—but with a sign. Both were faithful and obedient but one needed a bit more “help.” So did God choose these people because of their faithfulness, or did they become faithful after the Holy Spirit revealed God’s will to them? Or is this like the discussion about the chicken and the egg?
Had he been a typical, ordinary human, Zechariah might have gotten a bit competitive – why was he to be the father of John – a prophet and the announcer of the coming of Jesus? Why couldn’t his son be the Messiah?! But he didn’t ask that—nor apparently even question. He was so overjoyed to father a child—and one long promised in the Old Testament at that! Not the Messiah, but His messenger—baptizer of the Christ; cousin of the Son of God; connected through the millennia as descendents of David—recipients of and fulfilled testimony of the prophets.
God’s will and plan was all these two incredible people needed to know. Not why. Not how. Not why now? God’s plan, God’s timing, God’s will. It was enough and more than enough. They were just excited at the possibilities! And the opportunities!
It’s so easy to lose that sense of expectation in our lives today. We get up, go to work, or run our errands; come home; cook; clean; drop the kids off at sports practice; run up to a meeting at church, or in the community; run, run, run. No sense of excitement or expectation—just the same old drill, day after day, after day. No promise of a Messiah—or even of His messenger entering our lives in this day and time! But we have something even better. We have the fulfilled promise! He is Risen! He is Risen indeed! That is how we rekindle the expectation and excitement at being Christians! We remember as we run, run, run, that He walked among us; he ate and drank; laughed and cried; lived and died; just like us. But then something unexpected happened—or was it? He arose! And that is the only joy we need! The only excitement! The only promise! He is risen!
I hope you’ll spend your day in excitement and expectation because of your heritage—a child of God and brother of sister of the Risen Christ!
Mary
Psalm 119:161-176
161. Princes persecute me without cause, but my heart stands in awe of thy words. 162. I rejoice at thy word like one who finds great spoil. 163. I hate and abhor falsehood, but I love thy law. 164. Seven times a day I praise thee for thy righteous ordinances. 165. Great peace have those who love thy law; nothing can make them stumble. 166. I hope for thy salvation, O Lord, and I do thy commandments. 167. My soul keeps thy testimonies; I love them exceedingly. 168. I keep thy precepts and testimonies, for all my ways are before thee. 169. Let my cry come before thee, O Lord; give me understanding according to thy word! 170. Let my supplication come before thee; deliver me according to thy word. 171. My lips will pour forth praise that thou dost teach me thy statutes. 172. My tongue will sing of thy word, for all thy commandments are right. 173. Let thy hand be ready to help me, for I have chosen thy precepts. 174. I long for thy salvation, O Lord, and thy law is my delight. 175. Let me live, that I may praise thee, and let thy ordinances help me. 176. I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant, for I do not forget thy commandments.
This man’s ardent desire is to feel God’s presence in his life. He understands that he will continually fall short of perfection, yet is confident that God will continually love him and stoop to rescue him from sin when he can no longer endure on his own.
Psalm 119 is set us as an alphabetic acrostic. Each eight-verse section represents a letter of the alphabet. This may seem a bit trite and even artificial to our modern way of thinking, but it demonstrates and represents the totality of the author’s love and devotion for and reliance upon God. To him, God is the beginning, the end, and everything in between. He is all.
The author’s seeking and his life’s goal is to fill every moment with thoughts of God—God’s love and His promises. This format is used to demonstrate not only the height, and depth, the width and breadth of God’s love – but of the love of His humble servant.
He seeks God’s face at the cost of ridicule and mocking; at the expense of sleep. He is willing to abandon every earthly reward and satisfaction; forgo earthly approval or acclaim to pursue His goal: worship God with every breath and blink of an eye. Every word and every thought. Every action and every deed.
I imagine he must have collapsed, utterly exhausted as he penned the last verse—both a confession and a promise.
I hope today you expend every breath and blink of eye worshiping God—the purpose for which we were all created.
Mary
Psalm 119:145-152
145. With my whole heart I cry; answer me, O Lord! I will keep thy statutes. 146. I cry to thee; save me, that I may observe thy testimonies. 147. I rise before dawn and cry for help; I hope in thy words. 148. My eyes are awake before the watches of the night, that I may meditate upon thy promise. 149. Hear my voice in thy steadfast love; O Lord, in thy justice preserve my life. 150. They draw near who persecute me with evil purpose; they are far from thy law. 151. But thou art near, O Lord, and all thy commandments are true. 152. Long have I known from thy testimonies that thou hast founded them for ever.
The psalmist’s sole purpose for living is to worship God! If that were how I live my life, it would be both much simpler, and yet much more difficult! At least I say it would be difficult! In fact, I tell myself that – perhaps my excuse for not relying solely on God’s steadfast love and perfect justice to preserve my life!
This priest stays awake all night – not in a “waiting for Santa” excitement, or in an “I have to give an important presentation at work tomorrow” anxiety. He stays awake because the night provides him time to worship God and to reflect upon the ways he can more closely and completely obey His commandments. He uses the time for meditation and prayer, trusting that in the morning, he will have the energy and strength to do whatever he needs to accomplish. Relying solely on God gives us that energy and strength. There are times when I feel that I would like to get away from it all and just be alone with God. Away from telephones and tv’s. Away from the evening news and work deadlines. Away from appointments and commitments. Away from myself.
Our psalmist trusts that God hears him, because of His steadfast love and will sustain him because of His perfect justice. What confidence and courage! Remember, this was written—this man lived—long before Christ. From what I can glean, he wasn’t even imagining that such a gift was possible to a fallen, sinful man! That’s faith. That’s hope. That’s love and devotion.
I hope you spend your day rejoicing that we have the risen Christ to sustain us through our days and our nights.
Mary
Continuing devotional on the Word of God
Psalm 119:105-112
105. Thy word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. 106. I have sworn an oath and confirmed it, to observe thy righteous ordinances. 107. I am sorely afflicted; give me life, O Lord, according to thy word! 108. Accept my offerings of praise, O Lord, and teach me thy ordinances. 109. I hold my life in my hand continually, but I do not forget thy law. 110. The wicked have laid a snare for me, but I do not stray from thy precepts. 111. Thy testimonies are my heritage for ever; yea, they are the joy of my heart. 112. I incline my heart to perform thy statutes for ever, to the end.
Verse 105 is probably familiar as the words to a hymn we sing in church. I love that sentence and heard on the radio someone describing what this means. The lamp lights what is directly in front of you – so you don’t trip; the light (think of a flashlight!) illuminates the path ahead so that you don’t take a wrong turn. Without God’s word, we are simply groping in the darkness of this world.
This psalmist relies completely and absolutely on God’s word and His promises to those who keep His word. He affirms that God’s “testimonies” are his “heritage for ever.” God’s law is more important to him than family ties, or man’s approval. They become his past and will remain with him into his future.
Throughout this psalm the young priest recites how he is afflicted by those who strive to bring him down. But the tone is not one of whining or complaining—rather it is a complete acceptance and humble admission that he is powerless without God; alone and unprotected without the love and promises of God.
I picture this young man with a sweet, charming smile, face illumined by his love and devotion to God and yet, a barely detectable twinge of sadness at the corner of his eyes because of his limited, human capacity to achieve perfection in this life, despite his best efforts.
I hope you spend your day illumined by God’s love and following the path well-lit by His ordinances and laws.
Mary
A devotional on the word of God.
Version: RSV
Psalm 119:1-8
1. Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord! 2. Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, 3. who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways! 4. Thou hast commanded thy precepts to be kept diligently. 5. O that my ways may be steadfast in keeping thy statutes! 6. Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all thy commandments. 7. I will praise thee with an upright heart, when I learn thy righteous ordinances. 8. I will observe thy statutes; O forsake me not utterly!
Psalm 119 was not written by David. According to my bible notes, “the author was an Israelite of exemplary piety who (1) was passionately devoted to the word of God as the word of life; (2) humbly acknowledged, nevertheless, the errant ways of his heart and life; (3) knew the pain—but also the fruits—of God’s corrective discipline; and (4) had suffered much at the hands of those who arrogantly disregarded God’s word and made him the target of their hostility, ridicule and slander.”
Wow! The first thing that strikes me here is “exemplary piety.” I get up early to pray and read my bible. Sometimes I may think of myself as being pious—in the back of my mind—without ever really forming the complete thought—but I can’t rate with this young priest! I do intend to seek God with my whole heart—but often pieces of my heart seek after other, wordly desires. I can’t even begin to say I do no wrong! I get grouchy if my husband stays on the computer too long in the morning and causes me to post my devotions later than I want to!
I can only hope that God’s precepts and statutes become so ingrained and imbedded in my heart and mind and soul that I should not be put to shame when judgment day arrives! But more than that, being put to shame on earth for what we believe doesn’t matter to this Psalmist. His only concern and ardent desire is to be found blameless and shameless in God’s eyes. That can be a really tough one. In the world most of us are not lauded for our piety and godliness. Just the opposite behaviors are expected and rewarded, most of the time!
When we are courageous, and live by God’s commandments, we do really need to rely on Him to provide us strength, endurance, courage, and especially confidence—not in ourselves, but in our permission—more—promise—that we can ask for God's help and He will provide everything— absolutely everything we need to live in this world and the next.
I hope your day is spent relying on God’s promise and living according to His ordinances.
Mary
Carried along by the Holy Spirit
Version: RSV
2 Peter 11. Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours in the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: 2. May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 3. His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4. by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, that through these you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of passion, and become partakers of the divine nature. 5. For this very reason make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6. and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7. and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8. For if these things are yours and abound, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9. For whoever lacks these things is blind and shortsighted and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. 10. Therefore, brethren, be the more zealous to confirm your call and election, for if you do this you will never fall; 11. so there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 12. Therefore I intend always to remind you of these things, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. 13. I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to arouse you by way of reminder, 14. since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me. 15. And I will see to it that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things. 16. For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased," 18. we heard this voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. 19. And we have the prophetic word made more sure. You will do well to pay attention to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20. First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, 21. because no prophecy ever came by the impulse of man, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
Peter really does a good job of summarizing how to “live like we’re saved!” Supplement our faith with virtue, virtue with knowledge and knowledge with self-control. Those are tall orders! He’s telling us that when we have faith, we’re held to a high standard. When we attain that higher standard of living (spiritually—not “of the world!”) we then must continue to study the Word and learn as much as we can from scripture. And once we acquire that knowledge we must then exercise self-control. That one’s tough for me! A couple of my friends yesterday were teasing about my tendency toward “righteous indignation.” A good thing in theory, but when not expressed or demonstrated in a self-controlled manner, could be offensive!
Self-control must be supplemented with steadfastness—endurance and discipline to continue to self-monitor and to discern when is the appropriate time to speak up. Steadfastness with godliness. Unerring, unyielding faith is the only way we grow to resemble the type of life Peter describes. And all of those are possible because of the example and sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
Then Peter goes on to assert that the scripture are not just stories of random, but strong and faithful people! The words they recorded – and those recorded about them were God-inspired. None of the prophets “made it up as they went along!” So often they didn’t really like what they were commanded to say or do. So often they didn’t understand God, but they obeyed—I guess that's why God chose to work through them!
Our lives—after Easter—should be easier! It should be easier to become the kind of Christian Peter talks about. But perhaps, in fact, it is so much more difficult! (Remember, Peter struggled his whole life between doing what God demanded and doing what was wise by the world’s standard – and yet, in the end, he turned back into town to be crucified—knowing the end was imminent.) But he struggled nonetheless. That tells me that struggle is okay. Perfection is the goal—not the requirement! Peter’s wise words deserve reflection and prayer.
My prayer today, is that you will be steadfast as you go out into the world this week. Remember not only who you are, but whose you are.
Mary
HE IS RISEN!
HE IS NOT THERE! THE TOMB IS EMPTY!
ALLELUIA!
AMEN!
HE IS RISEN!
HE IS NOT THERE! THE TOMB IS EMPTY!
ALLELUIA!
AMEN!
Not One of His Bones Will Be Broken
John 12:1-3
1. Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2. There they made him a supper; Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at table with him. 3. Mary took a pound of costly ointment of pure nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment.
John 19:28-37
28. After this Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfil the scripture), "I thirst." 29. A bowl full of vinegar stood there; so they put a sponge full of the vinegar on hyssop and held it to his mouth. 30. When Jesus had received the vinegar, he said, "It is finished"; and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. 31. Since it was the day of Preparation, in order to prevent the bodies from remaining on the cross on the sabbath (for that sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. 32. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him; 33. but when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34. But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. 35. He who saw it has borne witness -- his testimony is true, and he knows that he tells the truth -- that you also may believe. 36. For these things took place that the scripture might be fulfilled, "Not a bone of him shall be broken." 37. And again another scripture says, "They shall look on him whom they have pierced."
In the first scripture, Mary offers Jesus a gift of extraordinary value--my notes indicate that the perfume probably cost her her life's savings. She wanted to offer to Jesus the absolutely most valuable gift she could think of. Normally that perfume is poured on one's head, as preparation for burial, but she anoits Jesus' feet -- demonstrating not only her abject humility, but Jesus' worth and value to her and all of us. Mary loved Jesus beyond words, and this expression of love is so powerful!
John was an eyewitness to Jesus' last hours. He stood with the Marys at the foot of the cross and watched as Jesus' physical life faded. He heard Jesus' final words and recognized the significance of each act of the participants. It is said that John did not record his account of the crucifixion for several decades -- I image it took him that long to "recover" and to comprehend the deep significance of it all.
Jesus loved John. I believe John had an understanding and grasp of Jesus' words that most of the others did not until later. I can just imagine him standing at Golgatha, Christ's mother at his side, alternately weeping, and wellng up with humility and pride at having been God's obedient servant -- and she must have wondered in the back of her mind throughout the day-"Is this what I was meant for? Could I really have been one of God's servants who made this possible?" And John . . . everything must have moved as if in slow motion -- almost like in a dream state, as each Old Testament prophesy was fulfilled, the reality and enormity of it all must have swept over him in waves. . .
It must have been just too much to bear. I wonder if he questioned God at some point that day. He must have been overwhelmed to realize that scripture was being fulfilled before his very eyes. He was humbled, I'm sure, and sad, completely drained of emotion probably. Did he believe Easter would come on the third day? Could he even formulate such a thought?
I would love to read an account of what the disciples did over that weekend. I wonder when and how each of them had that "light bulb" go off in their minds?! Oh. . . Oh . . . Oh, my God . . .
Our pound of costly ointment is really our very lives. The aroma of the perfume invades and overtakes our senses. Our worship and praise is how we live our lives. Jesus gave glory to His Heavenly Father to the very end. As followers of His word, we must do the same. I hope when I breathe my last, and tell my Lord, "It is finished" that I know I have done all I was supposed to--and more. But even if not, Jesus did--and that is really all I need to know.
I hope you spend your day enfolded in the fragrance of the fine perfume of the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
Mary
Running from the God of Second Chances
Version: RSV
Jonah 21. Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish, 2. saying, "I called to the Lord, out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and thou didst hear my voice. 3. For thou didst cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the flood was round about me; all thy waves and thy billows passed over me. 4. Then I said, `I am cast out from thy presence; how shall I again look upon thy holy temple?' 5. The waters closed in over me, the deep was round about me; weeds were wrapped about my head 6. at the roots of the mountains. I went down to the land whose bars closed upon me for ever; yet thou didst bring up my life from the Pit, O Lord my God. 7. When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord; and my prayer came to thee, into thy holy temple. 8. Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their true loyalty. 9. But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to thee; what I have vowed I will pay. Deliverance belongs to the Lord!" 10. And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.
God told Jonah to go warn the Ninevites to repent or they would be destroyed. Sounds pretty straightforward, right? The problem is, the Ninevites were about to defeat Jonah's homeland--and Jonah really wanted God to go ahead and punish them, so his people wouldn't be defeated in the war. Jonah did what most of us would have done: he ran away!
He told God, "No way am I going to help my enemies. Not in this lifetime will I warn them to change their wicked ways and be saved by God's mercy and love. Nope. Not gonna happen!" And who could blame him? And what happens? God let's Jonah know exactly who is in charge! He sends a huge fish (a whale?) to swallow him up -- to give him some "time out" time to think about his decision! The prayer in today's scripture is what Jonah prays after he's had some time to think about it.
Even after being saved from death -- literally and spiritually -- Jonah argues with God's plan to save Ninevah. And more, he doesn't really think it's a great idea to use him as the messenger--what if the people kill him because they think he's a spy. What if they ignore him, thinking he's insane! What if . . . what if . . . what if . . . Two of the most common words used together in a sentence when God tells us what to do. What if . . .
Well, the Ninevites do believe Jonah. They repent. They are saved. That's the end of the book of Jonah. We're not told what happens next. We're not supposed to worry about that, though! We can assume that Jonah's homeland was preserved--this time. He still is not too happy with God. He thinks God should destroy the Ninevites because they're evil--they don't know God's word, so don't follow His laws. But wait a minute. . . God asks Jonah a rhetorical question -- He does that a lot doesn't he? I hate when people do that!!! "Jonah, Jonah, Jonah. . . I showed you mercy, forgave you, saved your life, gave you a chance to make a fresh start. Why should I show the same mercy to the people of Ninevah. I am the God of Second Chances.
Four short chapters--lots of lessons. Don't waste your time and energy plotting revenge -- or hoping God will punish those that have done wrong by you -- or who might -- or who you think did or might! Pray that God reveals your own sinful nature to you, that you recognize it, beg for forgiveness, hope for mercy and make amends. Let God deal with "them." And expect that he will extend the same mercy, love, and forgiveness to others that he does to you. We are all His beloved children. If we expect mercy, expect to give it to others, and expect God to do the same!
I hope you spend your day praying for mercy -- for yourself and for your "enemies."
Mary
Acts 5:12-1612. Now many signs and wonders were done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon's Portico. 13. None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high honor. 14. And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women, 15. so that they even carried out the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and pallets, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. 16. The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.
Acts 19:1-121. While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. 2. And he said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" And they said, "No, we have never even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." 3. And he said, "Into what then were you baptized?" They said, "Into John's baptism." 4. And Paul said, "John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus." 5. On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them; and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. 7. There were about twelve of them in all. 8. And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, arguing and pleading about the kingdom of God; 9. but when some were stubborn and disbelieved, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them, taking the disciples with him, and argued daily in the hall of Tyrannus. 10. This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks. 11. And God did extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12. so that handkerchiefs or aprons were carried away from his body to the sick, and diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them.
"12. Now many signs and wonders were done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon's Portico. 13. None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high honor" The "rest" didn't dare to join the apostles because of the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira--they offered less than "all" the money they made from the sale of their land -- they held back some of their blessings -- rather than return them all to God and trust in His blessings--so they died! People didn't want to be "found out" when they had less than pure motives, or less than a devoted heart, so they were the ones who hid.
It must have been amazing to be alive at the time of Acts -- frightening, exciting, exhilirating and dangerous! Sounds pretty odd coming from someone who is intimidated by the "Scooby Doo" roller coaster in kiddie-land at Kings Dominion! But just imagine the power of the Holy Spirit being unleashed and indwelt everywhere the apostles went! The sheer radiant energy must have been amazing!
"11. And God did extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12. so that handkerchiefs or aprons were carried away from his body to the sick, and diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them." Paul was a leatherworker, and the handkerchieves were probably what he used to wipe his hands periodically as he worked.
I imagine it was easy to be caught up in the excitement of being a "new believer." It's said that these apostles spoke with such authority, that people had confidence in what they said. They performed miracles because it was a dangerous time and people needed spectacular signs to spur their faith.
We don't have these disciples among us today performing signs and wonders and seeing people being healed just by passing across a shadow or touching a handkerchief that was used by an apostle! That can make it more difficult to be enthusiastic and joyous in our faith lives. But we have the risen Christ -- and we see the evidence of his sacrifice everywhere if we look around us. Mother Theresa was one of those disciples--but she was a rare child of God! But even in the neighborhood where I live, the church offers shelter to CARITAS guests at least twice a year, and Coal Pit Learning Center is supported by the generosity of the believers! The Lambs Basket feeds our neighbors through the generosity of those who are able to donate food. These may not seem like miracles -- but they are certainly signs and wonders of God's grace active and working in the lives of those who meet the needs of others, and of those who are in need.
It's not as exciting to drive a homeless family to the showers at the YMCA, but it is just as meaningful, and maintains their dignity and lets them know that the love and power of Jesus Christ is active and resident in the world. So while we may not be in physical danger for our faith, we are in danger of being thought foolish -- housing a few homeless people won't wipe out homelessness in the nation -- or the world the scoffers will say. Donating a few pounds of rice and pasta won't erradicate hunger in the city or the state and especially not in the world the cynics will point out. We are the signs and wonders of today! How we live our lives and the choices we make and the way we conduct ourselves and the things we teach our children -- those are the signs. The result of all those are the wonders!
God loves us. Jesus died for us. Those are the only signs and wonders I need to be too excited to sleep at night sometimes! Those are the truths I have come to believe and to live. Jesus died for me. And God rose Him from the dead on the third day, to show me that I have a life in heaven awaiting me. What better reward could there be? What better reason to desire and strive to be the most perfect human being I am capable of being--in honor and gratitude for the gift of eternal life!?
I hope you spend your day recognizing the signs and wonders in your world today; rejoicing in the promise of the resurrection!
Mary
