The future

Matthew 28:20 (ESV)

Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

People are nervous about the future these days—especially with the covid-19 pandemic. They are not confident that we can get a handle on it, that their job will hang on, being quarantined will there be enough food and will the retirement account come back.

But Christians are promised a future that depends on something far better than economics or politics. The Lord over the universe, Jesus Christ, promises that he is always with us!

As the disciples were getting their last glimpses of Jesus, they were not sure what life would be like after he left them. Matthew tells us that “some doubted” even when they saw him face to face.

Jesus put their doubts about him and the future to rest by assuring his followers that through faith in him, their future would be secure. He said, “I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” In other words, their worries and concerns would not necessarily go away, but his followers needed to base their trust in the promises of the Savior alone.

As for us today, this means …

Using the technology that we have to go and make friends for Jesus, because our life belongs to him. Witness and celebrate as new believers move from darkness to light. Teach future disciples of Jesus to work for the future as the Lord goes with us.

Dear Lord, help us not to worry about circumstances we cannot control. May we trust our future to You alone as the firm foundation of our life. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

The lonely

Psalm 68:6 (ESV)

God settles the solitary in a home;

    he leads out the prisoners to prosperity,

    but the rebellious dwell in a parched land.

The lonely—widows, orphans, prisoners, the homeless—what can be done to ease their sense that no one cares? Ultimately, God in his love is our dwelling place. As “a father to the fatherless,” he adopts us as his children. He defends the widow, sets the lonely in families, frees prisoners, and puts a song in their mouths.

When God led Israel through the desert wasteland of the Sinai Peninsula after freeing them from Egypt, he scattered their enemies and refreshed his weary people. And in his law He made special provisions for widows and orphans, for foreigners, visitors, and all who were poor.

To be a part of the people of God, the church of Christ, heirs of the promise, recipients of salvation—this is a great, great blessing. There are people who think of Christ’s church as boring and a waste of time. They go to worship once or twice and soon give up. But they miss the fellowship that they could enjoy—the fellowship of all who share in God’s deep love and grace, made possible through Christ’s sufferings for all who believe. God’s caring people have a heart for those who are suffering.

Are you following God’s example and caring with compassion for others today?

Dear Lord, may we reach out with Your love to people who are all around us and lonely. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Waiting on God

Psalm 119:81 (ESV)

My soul longs for your salvation;

    I hope in your word.

The psalmist cries out again for God to rescue him from his enemies. They have tried to trap him; they have tried to persecute him without cause. On the brink of despair, the psalmist is in crisis, “like a wineskin in the smoke.” Normally wineskins are soft and flexible, but long exposure to smoke makes them brittle. From abuse, the psalmist feels he is about to crack.

Pounding on heaven’s door, the psalmist cries out: Where are you, God? “When will you comfort me?” “How long must your servant wait? When will you punish my persecutors?” Rescue me from these troubles, now!

But it seems God is silent.

Did you notice the psalmist’s reaction to this? He doesn’t reject God or turn away from him. Instead, the psalmist’s ­trials stoke his passion for God and for growing closer to God by meditating on his Word. In God’s Word the writer finds assurance of God’s unfailing love—and this, he says, makes him want to please God by living an obedient life.

Though our troubles may or may not be as difficult as the psalmist’s, we all experience waiting for God. And while we wait—resting on God’s ­promises—we have an opportunity to grow in following and serving the Lord.

In his time, God will answer. Will we seek him through his Word and continue to obey while we wait?

Dear Lord, we wait for you, and as we wait, help us to grow in trust and obedience. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Refuge and strength

Psalm 46:1 (ESV)

God is our refuge and strength,

    a very present help in trouble.

The first words of this psalm announce its theme: God is our refuge—our fortress and shelter. God is also our strength, our help—the one who deals with the perils surrounding us. And because God is our refuge and help, we have nothing to fear, even if nature throws its worst tantrums at us.

A group of Jesus’ followers feared for their lives in a storm one day, out on a boat in the middle of a huge lake. Then their Teacher stood up and said to the wind and the sea, “Quiet! Be still!” The wind quit; there was dead calm. “Who is this?” they asked. “Even the wind and the waves obey him!” (See Mark 4:35-41.)

The Lord Almighty was in that boat as their helper; the God of Jacob was their refuge.

Our faith is always being subjected to storms and earthquakes. Where can we find safety and security? Listen to Psalm 46: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way. . . .”

There is a certain and trustworthy basis for our faith—the God who made us and everything in our world. In all circumstances, no matter how terrible or frighten­ing, our unchanging God is our refuge and strength.

In what ways has God been your refuge and strength?

Dear Lord, we know you are God. Help us to remember this when our worlds shake and our hearts tremble in fear. Shelter us, Jesus, in your strong, safe arms. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

God's GPS

Proverbs 3:5 (ESV)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

    and do not lean on your own understanding.

The statistics are out, and it doesn't look good. According to a national survey of car owners, nearly 60 percent of drivers in the United States get lost a few times each year. Imagine! But you don't have to live in the U.S. to know the helpless feeling of being disoriented. I regularly get lost in other parts of the world too.

Experts maintain that getting lost wastes our time, energy, and resources. Sometimes it can even put us in danger. Their advice is simple: before you go anywhere, make sure you have the right directions--or, better yet, a global positioning system (GPS) for navigating.

As we look at our spiritual journey: its beginning and destination, its sharp turns and slowdowns, its challenges and blessings let us remember that Scripture gives us a crucial piece of advice for every successful journey of faith. Before we can start "driving," we have to fully trust the Lord. The Bible often calls the Lord our Shepherd. In today's terms, we could say God is our GPS. Trust in this GPS, and you'll never get lost!

The Lord warns us against thinking we are smart enough to figure out our own way. He doesn't even want us to follow other belief systems. He tells us to turn to him in every part of our spiritual journey. If we acknowledge the Lord's leadership, he will make our path straight and see us through.

Dear Lord, we are lost and disoriented without You. That's why we turn to You for direction in our spiritual journey. Guide us and make our path straight. In the Name of Jesus we pray,  Amen.

Saint Patrick's day

2 Timothy 2:15 (NIV)

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

“Patrick, is an intensely human person and not a plaster saint to admire from afar. He offers us a Christian vision of life honed out of his own experience and trials. He offers us a challenge to live our own Christian life today in changing and turbulent times. He comforts us when we are criticized and ridiculed. He gives to us the Celtic vision of the intimate presence of God in creation, in the Church, in people and in Scripture. He is a model for us, giving us an example to follow as we struggle to live authentically our own Christian lives in our own difficult times.”

Patrick’s life and ministry teach us to be open to the call of God in our lives. His beginning in Ireland did not dictate his future but it drew him into a love relationship with Jesus Christ. His relationship with Christ helped him to overcome adverse circumstances in his teen years. His ability to draw close to God and forgive had a dramatic impact on the Irish people and the success of his life. His willingness to follow God’s call made him a hero of the faith.

Lets learn from this man of God and ask our self a few questions, “Am I willing to draw closer to God in turbulent times? Am I willing and able to forgive those who have caused pain in my life? Am I willing to follow the call of God and even give my life to those who enslaved me? If you do you could become a hero of the faith like Patrick.”

If you learn to be like Patrick you have the benefit to really start living right were you are at. You really start to live when you take your eyes off the circumstances of life and draw closer to God. Then you will learn to recognize God’s voice. This spiritual maturity will lead you out of bondage and slavery to freedom. Then as you continue to draw closer to God through study, prayer, and spiritual disciplines you will be called upon by God to do a ministry for Him. Who knows maybe you could win an entire nation to Christ? Maybe you could win a generation to Christ? Maybe you could win your family to Christ? The benefits to you will be eternal and the most rewarding thing you could do with your life.

Dear Lord we pray that we would let You use us Like Patrick did. We pray that we may be the beginning of winning our generation to Christ. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Playing and Praying

Isaiah 11:8 (ESV)

The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra,

    and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den.

Maybe you’ve heard the expression “The family that prays together stays together.” We might also like the sound of something similar: “Folks who play together stay together.” I’m fascinated by the idea that healthy families experience a sense of play.

The Bible has very few references to play as a childhood pastime. And the picture in Isaiah 11 isn’t mainly about families and relationships having a sense of play. It’s a picture of peace that is promised with the coming of Jesus, the righteous One who comes from the family tree of Jesse. It’s about the peace Jesus brings so that hateful enemies become good friends and dangerous animals can be led by little children.

Yet in the scene from our text, peace is demonstrated in play. The baby need not be snatched away from the cobra. The young child can rattle the snake! What a playful scene! It’s a welcome, delightful scene of healthy, wholesome relationships.

It’s a description of the church, which is made up of people once alienated from God and each other, and now at peace. It’s a picture of people playing innocently, with no desire to harm, hate, or hurt. It’s a picture of people playing not to win or to crush a rival but to honor their Creator. Who knows? Playing together may even lead to praying together.

Dear Lord, thank You for the gift of play. Thank You for the ability to catch a ball, walk a woodland trail, or solve a word game. In the Name of Jesus,  Amen.