As the month of May draws to an end, the world seems to be opening up a bit.
A store here, a business there, parks, beaches and whatever else is ready to receive us.
It’s nice to know we have the option to leave our homes for a few more hours each day.
The Lord’s hand is upon us but we also have minds that can discern, that can make good decisions.
We can decide to think of others by wearing a mask.
We can decide to think of others by staying at least six feet from others.
It’s up to us to be gracious to others who do not take such care . . . and skirt wide around them.
The way we can maintain this grace is to feed our souls with encouraging words.
And so we continue for a few more days.
"You must first have peace in your own soul before you can make peace between other people. Peaceable people accomplish more good than learned people do. Those who are passionate often can turn good into evil and readily believe the worst. But those who are honest and peaceful turn all things to good and are suspicious of no one. ... It is no test of virtue to be on good terms with easy-going people, for they are always well liked. And, of course, all of us want to live in peace and prefer those who agree with us. But the real test of virtue and deserving of praise is to live at peace with the perverse, or the aggressive and those who contradict us, for this needs a great grace. ... in this mortal life, our peace consists in the humble bearing of suffering and contradictions, not in being free of them, for we cannot live in this world without adversity. Those who can best suffer will enjoy the most peace, for such persons are masters of themselves, lords of the world, with Christ for their friend, and heaven as their reward.” Thomas á Kempis, p.72-73 Imitation of Christ.
May 25 Joshua 1:1-9; Psalm 89: Ephesians 3:1-13; Matthew 8:5-17
Joshua 1:7 Be strong and courageous . . . do according to all the Law . . . do not look to the left or to the right. :8 This book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night so that you may be careful to do all that is written in it. :9 May the Lord be with you wherever you go.
God gave these words to Joshua during a major turning point in his life.
Moses died and Joshua was the one Moses chose to lead God’s chosen people into the Promised Land.
Joshua was one of two people whom God allowed to survive escape from Egypt, live in the desert for forty years and then cross the Jordan into the land God promised to His people centuries earlier.
Joshua spent most of his life under the guidance of Moses.
Every move that Moses made, Joshua was there, observing, learning, gaining wisdom that would be used for such a time as this.
Joshua was faithful to God because he was faithful to learn from Moses.
He was now ready to lead a mass of murmuring meanderers back to the land God promised to Abraham and following generations.
God repeated the phrase, “Be strong and courageous,” three times in this short paragraph. God knew the journey would be arduous, not because of the terrain, and not because the Jordan River caused any problem.
God knew Joshua would be challenged because these millions of Hebrew people were difficult to manage. Moving them anywhere, much less into a land that seemed foreign to them was daunting.
“Remember the Law,” says God, “It’s the only way My
people will remain focused on my plan for you.” It was up to Joshua to meditate on the Law.
It was up to Joshua to digest these words and teach them to elders who would then teach the next generation. It’s up to Joshua to live by God’s Word, as an example to others, so that God’s people will grow strong in their faith.
Joshua said, “yes,” to God early in his life.
With Moses as mentor, Joshua received the best education one could ever attain.
Joshua was strong and courageous.
He knew not to turn his focus away from God for a moment.
He knew not to be distracted by the cares of the world or the murmurings of the tribes under his leadership. God was with Joshua continuously reminding him that he was not alone.
God had his back because Joshua was faithful to a fault when going about God’s business, when fulfilling God’s plan, his entire life.
Oh to be like Joshua for even one day much less our entire lives.
Perhaps we can embrace our Lord, Jesus Christ, in such a way that we also remain focused, not turning to the left or the right as life-distractions might pull us away from God’s plan.
Let’s keep praying.
Let’s keep listening.
Let’s keep focused on God’s plan for each of us.
Let’s aspire to be like Joshua . . . for just one day.
May 26
1 Samuel 16:1-13a, Psalm 97,99,[100] 94,95; Ephesians 3:14-21; Matthew 8:18-27
1 Samuel 16:1-6 Samuel invites the elders and then Jesse and sons to consecrate themselves and come with him to sacrifice. In selecting ‘The one' :7 The Lord looks at the heart. None of Jesse’s seven sons were chosen. David was almost forgotten as he tended sheep and was youngest. :12-13 . . . and the Lord said to Samuel, “Arise, Anoint him for this is he. And the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward."
Samuel grieved over the fact that Saul was not the kingly
material most thought he would be.
The people wanted a king instead of trusting solely in God so God sent Samuel to find Saul and anoint him as king.
Over many years, when God’s people were not being managed well by Saul, God sent Samuel to find another to anoint, to prepare, to make ready for the day that Saul would no longer be able to reign.
God directed Samuel to Jesse, a man who knew God and honored Him as Lord.
Jesse and his seven sons consecrated themselves before the Lord because they knew Samuel would pick one of the sons to be anointed in preparation for the day one of them might become king.
Samuel had such a tight relationship with God, he intuitively knew if one of the sons would be pleasing to God.
That’s the gift of the prophetic spirit within Samuel.
It’s like he and God are ‘one’ when calling this new person to do a mighty work.
That same deep sensitivity Samuel had with God also gave him an intuitive spirit to ask Jesse, “Do you have one more son?”
David, almost too young to be considered, and a mere shepherd, was called in from the fields. The minute David presented himself to Samuel, the Lord spoke to Samuel. “It is he.” It seems that, in an instant, David’s life changed from being a shepherd alone in the high hills, to being anointed with the Spirit of God to be prepared for leadership.
God had been preparing David for years but who knew.
Many of the psalms we sing that reveal a tight relationship with God came from David while he was tending sheep.
David and God had hours each day of intimate communication as the trials of tending sheep are endless.
God was guiding David as if David were tending a great nation of sheep.
In the years to come, David would become a mighty king, loved by all.
His legacy would weave through many generations as part of the lineage of Mary and Joseph. Jesus was called, “the son of David.”
We never know when we are minding our own sheep and someone comes by to present us with a new plan for our lives.
It’s worth taking time each day to grow our souls just a
little bit more in our relationship with the Lord.
After all, we too, might be called in from the field to do a great and mighty work.
May 27
Isaiah 4:2-6; Psalm 101, 109, 119:121-144; Ephesians 4:1-16; Matthew 8:28-34
Ephesians 4:4 There is one body and one spirit just as we are called into one hope of our calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all through all and in all.” But to each of us grace was given according to God’s gift. :11 Some are called as apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers . . . :15 Speaking the truth in love we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ!
We are ‘one’ with the Lord, thy God.
We are ‘one’ with all the other Christians in the world . . . every single denomination . . . every sect . . . every type of worship . . . we are all one.
We are one because there is only one Lord.
There is only one faith for those who are followers of Jesus, the Christ.
There is only one baptism.
We all believe in the same God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Yet we seem to separate ourselves into categories.
I am of this church and ‘those’ are from that church.
"We" believe this way but "they" believe that way.
WE are the church and we each attend different types of buildings with a variety of ways we can worship the Lord and come into His presence.
Our common denominator is belief in the Resurrection of our Lord.
Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.
It’s up to us to grow in understanding of our faith, to dig deep into God’s word, to ask questions, to gather in community to worship the Lord, to be His faithful followers.
There are so many other ways to come into the presence of Jesus daily.
We each are led according to the gifts that manifest through us.
We each may take a different path but we all believe in the same Lord.
Different ways to pray and worship are pleasing to our
Lord.
All God wants from us is our total attention, our total devotion, our total focus.
How we accomplish this is up to us.
Yet, we can never grow in our love of the Lord and love of others in a void.
It is up to us to become part of a community so that our
gifts can be shared with others.
Your gifts may enable another to grow according to ‘their’ gifts.
We are one . . . mega huge . . .. Christian family . . . who prays, and worships and learns and teaches according to the gifts the Lord has given to us.
Let’s rejoice the we are ONE.
May 28 Zechariah 4:1-14; Psalm 105; Ephesians 4:17-32; Matthew 9:1-8
Ephesians 4:23 Be renewed in the spirit of your mind. :24 . . .put on the new self . . . in the likeness of God you have been created in holiness and righteousness. :26 Be angry yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger. :32 Be kind to one another, forgiving each other; just as God, in Christ, has forgiven you.
The letters from the Apostle Paul always offer a teachable moment.
This passage in Ephesians may be good to memorize for daily life.
It is excellent for husbands and wives to memorize.
After all, from the minute we were married, people reminded us of verse :26.
"Never let the sun go down on your anger,” is good for all of us to memorize.
Anger simply festers within us and can cause physical harm to our bodies.
Anger is like a poison that slowly ebbs aways at our health.
I was told that some people explode in anger and then move on.
It’s like they cleansed it from their system.
They scream or yell for a good ten seconds and feel so much better.
If there is no one else around, that may be one way of clearing out anger.
Yet, often, another person is around to feel the force of the melodrama.
Not good.
It is best to rant to the Lord about whatever is festering inside.
It’s OK. God can take it.
Our Lord wants us to ‘vent’, to clear our souls, to make an open path to Him.
One may ‘vent’ but do not stop there.
Ask God’s forgiveness for the rant.
Ask the Holy Spirit to enter into your soul and lead you in an act of forgiveness.
Ask the other person to forgive you.
Often, anger is pointed at ourselves and has nothing to do with the other person standing there innocently receiving the ‘hurricane’ of our blast.
We have created an expectation that did not appear according to our plans.
Too often, we expect smooth sailing, perfect plans, a life without bumps.
Expectations are good.
They help us plan our day, live our lives and look forward to special moments.
Yet, in an instant, expectations can be dashed.
Someone ‘else’ may not have met our needs.
Yet, it is not someone ‘else’s’ fault.
It’s our fault.
We expected something of another that is not to be.
OR we expect something of ourselves that is not possible.
Pray, plan, play, progress.
Live life with all you have.
Expect the best.
Yet, when you fall into a pit of despair, you have choices.
You can sit in the pit, ranting and raving . . . or just sit there.
When ready, in your best voice, ask another to help you climb out.
Give thanks that you are in the ‘light’ of our Son, Jesus Christ.
He will draw you close, hold you tight, ease your pain, and ever-so-slowly help you move forward.
Our Lord, Jesus Christ, will help you renew your mind and move forward.
Continue to pray about plans for each day.
Play and frolic during those special moments.
Keep moving forward as we progress through each stage of growth.
Let anger fall away and never cling to your soul.
Life is too short.
Live with JOY . . . . with Jesus Overseeing You.
May 29
Jeremiah 31:27-34; Psalm 102, 107:1-32; Ephesians 5:1-20; Matthew 9:9-17
Ephesians 5:2 “Walk in love as Christ loved us and gave himself for us, an offering and sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. :13 All things become visible when exposed to the light for everything that becomes visible is light. :17 . . . understand what is the will of the Lord . . .:18 Do not get drunk with wine but be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
Ephesians is filled with instructions.
If we ever want to know how to live so others see Christ through us, just memorize a few verses.
Then try to follow them.
That’s the hardest part, isn’t it.
Following instructions.
I used to work where I had to give instructions to families.
I always spoke to the children . . . especially those around the age of ten.
They listen.
They follow directions when their parents only hear a few words.
Go there . . . where? . . . I’ll show you, daddy . . . I heard what she said.
We are like little children when it comes to knowing God, I mean really knowing.
All of us, no matter how many years we’ve followed Christ with all our heart, are babes in knowledge of God because God is beyond anyone’s comprehension.
Yet, we can learn from others who listen to God, like the Apostle Paul.
He knew how to listen and then tell others.
“Walk in love as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us . . . “ is spoken by the celebrant as the gifts for Holy
Communion are brought forward.
Most people know it as a cue to stop mingling at the ‘passing of the peace’, pay attention and watch the lay people bring the ‘offerings’ of bread and wine to the
altar.
This little phrase is instruction to us to prepare our hearts to meet the heart of Jesus.
Walk in love in the same way Jesus Christ loved us so much that He died on the Cross for us.
Have that same love in your heart for others as you receive His presence at communion.
That’s a tall order, especially if we only have a few minutes to prepare our hearts.
That’s why we must understand God’s words to us throughout the week.
The ‘light’ of Christ opens our eyes daily as we feed on Him.
As we receive His light, we become tiny beacons of light to light up the world.
A simple smile as we pass by others, a sense of contentment right where we are, a calm spirit during this time when we all want to get out of sequester ‘fast.’
All we need to do is keep reading, keep praying, keep learning, keep giving to others what we have learned, keep worshipping.
Just keep on keeping on.
That’s all?
It’s a tall order but if we follow the words of this passage, the Lord will fill us to overflowing so we seem dizzy, stumbling with joy.
We are filled with the fullness of the Holy Spirit in us each time we call upon the Lord, learn one more instruction, say one more prayer, or sing one more song to Him.
As we grow in the ‘light of Christ,’ our tiny little light of Christ within us will shine on others and draw them into the wonder of growing in Christ.
Let’s all “walk in love as Christ loved us and gave Himself for us . . . “ so that another might choose to do the same and be filled, as we are, with the Holy Spirit.
And that’s a whole other story.
May 30
Ezekiel 36:22-27; Psalm 107:33-43, 108, 33; Ephesians 6:10-24; Matthew 9:18-26
Ezekiel 36:22 ff “God said, I will vindicate the holiness of my great name which has been profaned among the nations . . . then the nations will know that I am the Lord . . . I will bring you into the Holy Land and sprinkle clean water on you . . . and cleanse you from your idols. :26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you . . . and cause you to walk in my statutes. :28 . . . you will be my people and I will be your God.”
Again and again the Hebrew people turned away from God
Too many times they turned to false idols for solace.
All too often they thought only of themselves.
There were consequences.
God so loves His chosen people that He could no longer protect them from themselves.
They were scattered in the diaspora . . . scattered to the four winds.
Most went to Babylon.
Yet, God promised those people who use to know Him and follow Him.
He promised that the nations would know that ‘I AM’ the Lord.
He promised the Hebrew people that they would return to the HOLY land, the land where God is praised and worshipped.
He promised the cleansing of water, filled with God’s presence, that would clean their souls and create a new heart.
He promised that this ‘new heart’ would be solely used to walk with God and to follow His statutes.
God’s promise for the Hebrew people is the same promise for us today.
We are a world that is scattered.
We no longer know God as a nation, as a world.
Too many who were raised to know Christ, did not turn to the Lord, Jesus Christ when raising their offspring.
Too many chose to worship the false idols of self, work, sports, anything but God.
Too many chose to create their own statutes and live by their own rules.
Too many know their neighbors but do not love them as God loves us because they never learned the love of God . . . who gave us the One who died for our sins and rose again and ascended into heaven in order that we might be filled to overflowing with another person of God . . . the Holy Spirit.
God promised to cleanse us with water and return us to the Holy place.
Through baptism we are cleansed and filled with the Holy Spirit.
WE become the Holy place.
We who choose to return to God and worship according to His statutes, to live according to His statutes, can only do so if we call on the Holy Spirit who resides in all baptized Christians.
Come, let’s help others return to the Lord thy God.
Let’s help others submit to the Lord, ask forgiveness for their sin of not seeking God’s presence in their lives.
Let’s help others see the love of Jesus, given to us, for the whole world, so that all might live in the fullness of the power of God.
“You will be my people and I will be your God,” is a promise that stands forever.
It’s up to us who live that promise to draw others into the Lord’s loving arms.
Share your story
Share your life
Share the love of Jesus
So that one more may turn away from false idols.
