God sustains us...

  Psalm 3:5-6  I lie down and sleep, I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.  I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side."  (NIV)

I've always liked these verses.  They are full of strong images.  I feel the truth in them.  Every day I like down and sleep and wake again.  I do it without fear.  God sustains me each day and I trust that. 

We pray "give us this day our daily bread" and he does just that. Even when we forget to pray, he still sustains us.  This is God's peace for those who believe in him.  The image of "the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side." sounds frightening, but yet isn't, because God sustains me.  We may never literally live in the middle of a battlefield of 10,000, but we all have days when one circumstance after another seem to feel like 10,000 problems that won't let up.  This verse reminds us to "not fear", because God is still there.  God is still in control.  God will bring us his peace.

Dear Father, please be with all those today who feel like the 10,000 enemies are breathing down their necks.  Give them your peace.  Thank you for your unfailing love and sustaining grace.  amen

Hidden in my heart...

  Psalm 119:11  "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you, O LORD."  (NIV)

I try to memorize scripture verses.  I probably choose the ones I find most encouraging and uplifting.  The ones that make me feel good.  But do I ever memorize ones that will remind me not to sin against you?  Do I make it a concern to know your laws and teachings?  Scripture is there to teach me your words and guide my life.  They are meant to change my thoughts and attitudes and actions.  The more I know about you and your words the better I can please you and live rightly.  Scriptures that encourage and lift me up are important as well.

2 Timothy 3:16-17  "All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."  (NIV)

We need each of those aspects of your word affecting our lives.  The rebukes and corrections are as important as the teaching and training in righteousness.  They all work together to produce the character you wish for us to have.  We also find encouragement and hope in the promises and up-lifting scriptures.

God's word has a purpose.  It is meant to help us grow Christ-like character and give us guidance for our daily living.  We should hide as much of it in our heats as we can.  

Thank you, Lord, for your word in scripture and the living Word, Jesus Christ and all it does for us.  In the NRSV of Psalm 119:11 it says, "I treasure your word in my heart."  We must always see your word as treasure to be hidden and pondered and put into use to serve you.  amen

Focus on Jesus...

  (Read Mark 5:25-36---the bleeding woman and Jarius)

Mark 5:28  "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed." (NIV)

The bleeding woman was convinced that Jesus had the power to heal her.  She assumed that just touching him would be enough.  She had a large and accurate picture of Jesus and his authority.

v. 34  "Daughter, your faith has healed you.  Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."  (NIV)

Jesus honored the faith that the woman had shown in him.  Jesus leaves us with not only healing, but peace and the freedom from suffering.  When we know in our hearts who Jesus is and what he can do, our faith will continue to bring this peace and freedom.

v. 35-36  "While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jarius...Your daughter is dead...Why bother the teacher any more."  Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, "Don't be afraid, just believe."  (NIV)

Jesus had no sooner healed the bleeding woman when others begin to plant doubts and confusion in Jarius' mind.  They try to rob him of his hope and substitute fear.  This is how the devil works in all of us to undermine our faith.  We have to ignore what "they" say and listen only to Jesus.  Our focus can't shift from the Healer.  

Belief is the antidote to fear.  We have to trust and believe.  The bleeding woman's faith healed her because there was no one to discourage her or make her doubt.  Other people can be our worse enemy when it comes to a strong faith.  We need a single-minded focus on Jesus and what we believe he can do for us.  The world can't tell us what Jesus can or can't do.  Only our faith can touch Jesus for healing and peace.

Thank you, Lord, for responding to our faith.  Give me stronger faith and chase away any doubts and fears.  amen

One body of Christ...

  1 Corinthians 10:17 "Because there is one loaf, we who are many, are one body, for we all partake one loaf."  (NIV)

This morning is Pentecost Sunday and in some churches it is also a communion Sunday.  These things remind me of the unity of the Church.  I envision Christians all over the world, one time zone after another arising to gather to worship and share the body and blood of Christ.  One by one across the surface of the earth a continuous gathering of believers raise their hands in prayer and praise.  The Light of faith moves forward and onward in a steady march of time and place.  One Body, One Church, one Lord, one God of all!  We praise and thank You in continuous and joyous communion and unity of purpose.  Hallelujah!  God be praised now and forever more!  

Thank you that today and every day that I share worship with my own sisters who live in other time zones. Thank you that I can share singing and praise with people all over the world that I've never met.  Thank you for all the voices, all the prayers, all the love being lifted up to Jesus Christ our Savior, to our Father God above us, to the Holy Spirit within us!

"Let everything that has breath praise the LORD!"  amen  

A new heart...

  Ezekiel 36:25-27  "...I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols.  I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.  And I will put my spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws."  (NIV)

Even in the Old Testament there are promises that God would make us new, which he has done through Jesus Christ.  He has removed our heart of stone and replaced it with a heart of flesh.  John describes the coming of Jesus as, "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us."  Jesus is the new flesh heart we have been given.  Our hard heart of sin has been replaced with Jesus living within us and showing us his way of love. 

 He also gives us a new spirit---the Holy Spirit---so we will "follow his decrees and carefully keep his laws."  Jesus didn't abolish the old laws, but he fulfilled them.  His death and resurrection pay the price for our sin and complete the sacrifice system that showed our inability to follow the law and rid ourselves of sin for once and for all.  He has now done that for us, and his Spirit is in us to remind us of all we need to know for our new life. 

 Thank you, Lord, for my new heart and my new Spirit!  Keep my feet on your path of righteousness.  amen

When I am afraid...

  Psalm 56:3-4  "When I am afraid, I will trust in you.  In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid.  What can mortal man do to me?"  (NIV)

When we know God we aren't suppose to be fearful.  "Perfect love casts out fear" (1 John 4:18)  But in reality we all have times when fear creeps in.  Our circumstances begin to over-whelm us and we focus on our fear instead of on God.

This verse tells us that when fear does attack we need to trust God.  These verses almost sound like a mantra that David is repeating to remind himself that he must focus on God and not on his fear.  There is an element of "I will..." of deciding and being determined to trust God. 

David knows he can trust God because God has already proven his love and support for David in the past.  Sometimes we just need to remind ourselves of what we already know---we can trust God!  God loves us and won't fail us in our hour of need.

Thank you, Lord for being our strong tower, our defender, our refuge, or security when we are afraid.  I will trust in you!  amen

An abiding relationship...

  John 15:7  "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given to you."  (NIV)

Relationship.  We remain or abide in Christ and his words remain or abide in us.  This forms a relationship.  Abiding isn't a momentary thing, but a long lasting relationship.

I once did a study on the idea of abiding and all the different words that explain the relationship.  I remember the word "lodge" because it could have two meanings.  We can become lodged or stuck somewhere---we want to become "stuck" in Jesus!  Or we can lodge, stay to reside---again, in Jesus!

Abiding is a habitual state. A permanent home or connection.  It is also a place of rest that says, "I'm home and don't want to leave".  

I think that when we read the verse above we tend to focus on the asking and receiving part of the verse, but the abiding is the first and foremost part we must concentrate on.  Without the abiding relationship established between us and Jesus' words, we will waste our time asking and have no real sense of expectation to receive anything.

"Not so much the asking Me to make you this or that but the living with Me, thinking of Me, talking to Me---thus you grow like Me.  Love Me.  Rest in Me.  Joy in Me."----from God Calling by the two listeners.

Another description of abiding in Christ.  It's a life we live.

Thank you, Jesus for letting your words abide in us and allowing us to abide in you.  Strengthen this relationship to where it is our whole life at all times.  amen

Cast your nets...

  Luke 5:4-6  When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch."  Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything.   But because you say so, I will let down the nets."  When  they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break."  (NIV)

Jesus teaches the people from Simon's boat and then he tells them to cast their nets out in deep water for a catch.  What a perfect metaphor!  If we listen to Jesus his word will bring forth a "catch".  

Where the disciples had worked in vain all night trying for a catch now with Jesus' say-so and direction the catch is waiting to be brought in.  We should always prayerfully seek Jesus' word and direction when we make plans for his work.  Sometimes we leap into Christian work without it and the results are fruitless. 

 Jesus will bless the "catch" when we first get his blessing on our plans and listen for what he wants us to do.  We have a general command to "go and make disciples" that we follow at all times, but we may need further direction from Jesus on where and when and how he wants us to work at this time.  All Christian work needs the blessing of the Holy Spirit and his power behind it.

Thank you Jesus, for helping us in our quest to "catch" people for your kingdom.  Show us where you want us to work at this time and give us your power and leading to bear fruit for your glory.

Love comes from God...

  (Read 1 Corinthians 13)  

"He (Paul) sees now with the utmost clarity that whatever tremendous and impressive things he may accomplish, however wide and deep his knowledge, however strong his faith, if he has no love, he amounts to nothing at all."---J.B. Phillips

God is all about love.  Jesus is all about love.  We are commanded to love God with all our hearts, minds, souls, and strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves.  

God doesn't treat love lightly.  It is a characteristic we must develop in order to truly know him and serve others.  It is the first "fruit of the Spirit" mentioned.  We can't share Jesus Christ with others if we have no love, because Jesus is love.  Our accomplishments, our knowledge, our faith are lacking without love driving and sustaining them.

God's presence comes in love.  His peace and harmony are found in love.  His forgiveness and mercy are based in love.  The more we learn of God's love for us, the more we can share that love with others. When we love others, and speak and act with that love in our hearts, than we are abiding in our Father, who is love.

Father, you are love and as your children, you expect us to bear the fruit of love in our lives.  Produce love through us for others that we might show them who you are.  Thank you for loving us.  amen

Resting on our trust in God...

  "But the Christian is not required to solve every problem and explain every difficulty and interpret every tragedy.  It is not that he is excused from using his intelligence, his sympathy and his insight.  It is simply that where he is completely baffled, he can trust.  He knows the kind of God who is his Father.  he knows too that, in the end, his Father will do all things well."----J.B. Phillips

Trust---that is what so much of our faith and inner peace rests on.  But this isn't a "blind" trust.  We have ample evidence of our Father's love and his character from past experience. 

 We will never answer all the questions that arise in our lifetime.  We will never understand everything that happens and why it happens.  But if we know our God and have chosen to trust him, then the weight of the world's problems is lifted from our shoulders and placed on his.  The problems are not gone, nor ignored, but their "weight"---their impact and heaviness---is lifted from our spirit, and we can still function in the light of God's love and our trust in his goodness and wisdom.  

God is our Rock---a solid foundation that supports us.  We trust in him.  We rest on him.  "In him we live, and move and have our being".

Thank you, Father, for being the Rock that we can build our faith on.  We trust you in all things.  We love you in all things.  We thank you in all things.  amen