Step by Step

Reading in Genesis the stories of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, I'm reminded once again of God's amazing grace as I recall the many ways he worked through such flawed and sinful people to accomplish his purposes. And not only that, but God blessed those very flawed people in amazing ways - ways that so far exceeded their understanding and even their own lifetimes. 

God is not handicapped by our messes. The fact is, he works even in those messes to bring about blessing, new life and transformation. It's not to say that there weren't consequences for our Biblical forefathers just like there are for us. I have countless stories - well, maybe not countless (hopefully, I'm not that big of a mess!) - where God moved mightily in spite of my poor choices. I still had consequences to deal with but the Lord was with me every step; he taught me (huge understatement!), healed me, grew my faith and opened my eyes to deeper issues that he was bringing out of hidden corners into his powerful love and light. I can look back over the years at difficult situations and now describe those as God's classroom. In his sovereign wisdom, he allowed me to experience things that at the time seemed (and were) extremely difficult. In the years since, he has shown me so many things that I learned because he was with me - actively with me - in each and every one. He wasn't standing by as some aloof, uninvolved god. He was active - protecting me, guiding me, speaking to me and teaching me about his power, his presence, his love and forgiveness. 

Years before I needed the knowledge and experience gained from a particular lesson, I was being prepared for what was to come; prepared to return the favor, in a way, as a prayer minister who can walk with someone through difficult and painful memories and know with all my heart that God will do just as he promises. He will bring this person through the trials and the pain and he will be glorified. I know truths about the Lord that are deeply embedded in the core of my being. I have seen his power and protection in dark and scary times; his love and forgiveness when I was incapable of mustering up an ounce of forgiveness for wrongs that had been committed. Even when I couldn't think about forgiving, the Lord was leading me to a place where I could be ministered to and brought into a place of healing that allowed his love to remove the pain from the wound that was inflicted, allowing me to truly forgive and pray the Lord's healing and blessing for the person who had wronged me or hurt me. 

That's what the transforming power of the Spirit looks like. We're not left in our stuck-place - mired up in anger, bitterness, unforgiveness, etc. When my heart's desire is to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, God sees beyond the crusty layer that's forming over a wounded heart to the hurt and pain that needs his loving touch. He gently - oh, so gently - begins to lift us out of our pit, opening our eyes to the truth of his love that casts out fear, that heals our deepest hurts and is the answer to our deepest needs. Even in our unwillingness, he is bringing us to a place of being willing - being ready - to receive what he has for us. Our crusty, hardened hearts become soft and pliable clay in our Potter's hands and we're molded into the beautiful vessel God is calling us to be. Forgiveness replaces bitterness, love replaces hatred, mercy replaces revenge and we begin to see others in a new light. We begin to see those who once were our enemies as lost sheep in search of their shepherd. And in God's amazing kingdom, we may even be a channel of peace and love to the very one who inflicted the wound. 

What if, as we forgave someone or something that seemed unforgiveable, a life was turned around and a lost soul looked into the eyes of the Savior? We don't know what is going on in the "heavenlies"; we can't see the eternal benefits of one act done in obedience and response to our loving God. Just as the proverbial stone tossed into the water causes ripples that go way beyond that first splash, God uses our circumstances in ways far beyond our understanding or ability to see. Just as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob received blessings that pertained to their finite time of earth, the ripples of those blessings continue to this day and beyond. And those blessings weren't contingent on their being perfectly well-behaved citizens. Thank goodness! God worked in and through the lives of those very flawed and sinful men just the same as he works through the life of this very flawed and sinful woman.

I cannot begin to wrap my mind around the ways of the Lord. What I think of as roadblocks to his purposes are the very stepping stones he uses to accomplish his plans. It only goes to show me, once again, how small my view of God is - how limiting. 

Lord, continue opening my eyes to your vastness, your sovereignty and holiness! You truly are an awesome God!

Questions and Answers

And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”   
Matthew 8:23-27

Recall the beautiful words at the beginning of John's gospel that describe the Word made flesh, the creator coming to live among his creation. After those glorious phrases and powerful words that can bring us to our knees in worship of this amazing God who chose to become flesh and live among us, we find one of the saddest statements: He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. (John 1:10-11)

I believe we get a tiny glimpse into this reality in the passage from Matthew's gospel above. Even those who were to become Jesus' closest friends and followers did not (yet) recognize the truth that Jesus was Emmanuel, God with us. The men who are part of the inner circle of Jesus' ministry, after witnessing Jesus' authority over the wind and waves, ask the question, "What sort of man is this...?"

The passage above, from chapter 8 in Matthew, describes the early days of Jesus' ministry. Jesus is in the process of gathering together the men who will become his 12 closest followers. (Early in the next chapter, we read about Jesus' call to Matthew, the tax collector, to follow him.) These followers are in the early days of their own life-changing encounter with the Messiah. They will come to know for themselves who this man is and what "sort of man" he is as they witness miracle after miracle, hear teaching unlike any they've heard before and witness the death, resurrection and ascension of their Teacher.

On that first Pentecost, they will be filled with the power of the Spirit, empowered and equipped to go and proclaim the truth of who Jesus is and the gift of salvation he has given us. They will suffer hardships and danger in their own lives - persecution, arrest, martyrdom. But unlike the storm and accompanying fear described in the passage above, these "storms" will be overcome by the Good News that they have been privileged to share, the knowledge and conviction of the love, power, authority and sovereignty of God - the deep, abiding truth that nothing and no one can separate them from the love of God.

These men who once cowered in the storm-tossed boat, wondering among themselves about this man who calmed the wind and the waves were transformed into followers who understood the powerful truth that Paul put into words in Romans 8:

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who  did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written,  

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am  sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I'm thankful that we have the examples of these men to encourage us. We, like they, have questions, doubts, lack of understanding and knowledge; but we also have the example of their transformed lives, their bold witness and their faithfulness. We too are sent into the world to testify to the Good News, to share how Christ has transformed our lives, to witness to the power of the love of God and his presence in us and with us as we walk out our own 'faith-stories'. And we, like those early followers, can trust in the same promise:

"And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Get Up and Go

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:13-17 (ESV)

Jesus "went up from the water" after his baptism and "behold, the heavens were opened" and he saw the Holy Spirit. Is it important that there is action following the act of baptism and the appearance of the Spirit is tied in with the action? The Holy Spirit empowers us to do the ministry God has called us to and sends us out to do. One of my favorite prayers in the Book of Common Prayer ends with these words: "send us out into the world in peace and grant us strength and courage to love and serve you with gladness and singleness of heart". 

We are sent and our strength and courage are granted to us by our God through the power of the Holy Spirit. The strength and courage have a purpose - enabling us to serve our Lord with a glad heart. We're not serving as a burden or duty but rather in response to the gift of our salvation, the gift of our forgiveness and reconciliation, and in response to the love that was and is poured out on us from the cross and in our hearts. How can we respond any differently? 

God's strength and courage also enable us to serve with singleness of heart. Service in the Spirit's power is focused. We don't have to battle with conflicting emotions, questions and doubts about what we should be doing. In effect, we've been given our marching orders and we're following the steps of our Lord as he leads the way. When we find ourselves with divided hearts, it's time to step back, to do some self-examination. Have our priorities shifted? Has our focus moved from our Lord to our selves? Who's getting the glory for my efforts; is it all about me or am I seeking to glorify God? 

After a very busy work season, I was enjoying some down-time. Instead of getting ready to go to church, I wanted to stay in my comfy chair with my book. I sensed a "holy nudge" urging me to get up and worship the God that had given me the strength to get through all this. I needed that reminder that it was God's strength, not my own, that enabled me to go the extra miles and do what needed to be done. Church was sweet that morning, my heart was touched and renewed and I did worship the God who is my strength. But action on my part was required. I had to make the choice to get up from my comfy spot and get moving. God met me in that moment of action - my moment of decision - and I experienced his presence in a sweet and powerful way as I worshiped with my church family. 

We are faced with countless decisions every day: do we choose our own comfort and convenience or do we accept the way God is offering? Jesus - fully man and fully God - had a choice as well. He "went up from the water", was filled and equipped for the road that lay ahead. The heavens were opened to him, the Holy Spirit's power and presence were evident and the voice of the Father was heard speaking his pleasure over the Son. These were the visible and audible signs of the truth of what we, as followers of Jesus, have inherited. When we say "yes" to God we are given the grace to carry out the work he is giving us to do. We are empowered to love and serve our God and equipped to serve him with gladness and singleness of heart. 

A Life Well Lived

For I am a sojourner with you, a guest, like all my fathers.  (Psalm 39:12 ESV)

I’m going to a funeral today. I wish I wasn’t. It’s raining and dreary today; dreary and sad like the weeks preceding this day. I went into my study early this morning and sat down with my tea and my Bible, picked up my little devotional and was directed to Psalm 39. 

This verse on this day - only God. For I am a sojourner with you, a guest, like all my fathers.  

My stepson has gone home. His sojourn on this earth has ended and he’s seeing sights that our wildest imaginings couldn’t begin to describe. 

I love the song, “I Am a Poor, Wayfaring Stranger”. While the tune and the words have a sad, haunting quality, they speak to the hope and the promise that we, as believers, hold on to. As Christians, we face death and loss with a whirlwind of emotions: grief, tears, anger, along with joy, hope, peace and a sense of celebration. They are normal and should be walked through and, I think, embraced. It’s how we honor our loved ones.

I believe the Lord honors our grief. He understands it, experiences it with us and is our comfort through it. Grief is normal and a gift. We celebrate the life that was lived on this earth, we celebrate the fact that our loved one is healed, whole and with the Lord. We celebrate; we grieve. We recall the wonderful memories, laughter and fun times – and we grieve. What a contradiction! 

Without the hope we have because of Jesus, we would be lost:

Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Col. 1:27)

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. (Psalm 23:4)

And he [Jesus] said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43)

The verse from Psalm 39 reminds us that while we are a sojourner, a guest in this world, we are not alone. We journey with our Savior. We are his guest. We are also his gift.

The life we will celebrate today was a gift – to his family, friends, co-workers and church family. A life well lived. A gift that will keep on giving. A gift that brought glory to the Giver.

The Word of Life

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:1-5 ESV)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:1-5 ESV)

As I read the passages from 1 John this morning, I had to flip back in my Bible to John's Gospel. Based on the notes in my Bible it's hard to tell how close together these two books of the Bible were written but regardless of the time span, John's awe and wonder never left him - awe for who this man, Jesus, is and was. He is keenly aware of the fact that he encountered, lived with and was taught by the Living Word who was and is and will be forever:

we heard

we have seen

we looked upon

we have touched with our hands

we have seen it and testify to it

we have seen and heard

we have heard from him

Seven times in five verses John expresses his excitement - his amazement! - at this truth. John is testifying and proclaiming - not just the Gospel that he knows about, but the very words from the Word of God. The words he heard with his own ears, straight from the source. We heard! We have seen! We have touched with our hands! Brotherhood, fellowship, journey mates who laughed together, grieved together, prayed, ate, slept - lived life - day in and day out.

What a powerful witness, an irrefutable testimony! Maybe we need to read this passage with a fresh perspective. Can we try to capture some of John's excitement and awe? Can we really begin to grasp what happened when Jesus came to live among us?

May we pray to live more fully into the significance of God leaving the glories of heaven, the eternal, to dwell on earth as a human, a man in the dust and muck of humanity, giving us the gift of hope, of salvation, of reconciliation with our Heavenly Father and the promise and reality of eternal life.


In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

That which was from the beginning . . . we have seen . . . we have heard . . . we have touched . . . we proclaim . . . we testify . . . . And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. (1 John 5:20 ESV)

On the Other Hand

Pslam 46:  God is our refuge and strength,

a very present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,

though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,

though its waters roar and foam,

though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,

the holy habitation of the Most High.

God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;

God will help her when morning dawns.

The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;

he utters his voice, the earth melts.

The Lord of hosts is with us;

the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

Come, behold the works of the Lord,

how he has brought desolations on the earth.

He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;

he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;

he burns the chariots with fire.

“Be still, and know that I am God.

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth!”

The Lord of hosts is with us;

the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

Remember Tevye in "The Fiddler on the Roof"? When he was having his discussions with God and struggling with decisions, he would weigh his arguments on one hand and then on the other hand. That's what this psalm seems like. On one hand are the warm, fuzzy attributes, descriptions and statements about God:

He is our refuge and strength
a very present help in trouble
a river whose streams make glad the city of God
God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved.
God will help her when morning dawns.
Be still and know that I am God.

On the other hand, there are descriptions and images of terrible destruction, nations raging, kingdoms tottering, desolations of war -- you can get dizzy just reading this psalm! 

But what power in the words, what truth! Most of it is underlined in my Bible with different pens from the many times something has spoken to me. There's a "thank you Lord" with a date written in the margin. Psalm 46 has been a psalm of comfort, refreshing and strength because this is the reality of authentic faith in a difficult, troubled world. In the midst of fear, chaos, the bombardment of "BREAKING NEWS" bulletins that could keep us in a constant state of anxiety, we are to be still and know that I am God. No matter what happens in our world, we are in the hands of a mighty God! 

We need the difficult verses of this psalm to remind us of the power of our awesome God. We tend to forget; we like our image of God as a comfortable, manageable god. We need to remember his awesomeness, his power and sovereignty over all his creation. We need to be still in the presence of a holy God. In spite of the condition of this world, the hopelessness that can creep in when we hear devastating news, our God says "I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!" 

Keeping our eyes on the One who holds all of eternity in his hands is the answer, the remedy, to our fears and anxieties. We can stand in the midst of chaos, stand in the power and strength of God who is our refuge and strength, our very present help in trouble. 

Be still and know that I am God.

I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!

Lift Your Eyes

Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest's house, and Peter was following at a distance. And when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them. Then a servant girl, seeing him as he sat in the light and looking closely at him, said, “This man also was with him.” But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know him.” And a little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not.” And after an interval of about an hour still another insisted, saying, “Certainly this man also was with him, for he too is a Galilean.” But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.  (Luke 22:54-62 ESV)

"He went out and wept bitterly." I cannot imagine how distraught Peter must have been; talk about a dark night of the soul! It's hard to believe anything good can come out of such a dark and difficult place. Peter had heard everything Jesus promised - as have we! - but in that terrible place of despair and loss, I doubt Peter could think about those promises, much less believe them.

Aren't we the same way? When things are so hard, feel so hopeless and our faith is at its lowest point, it can be so hard to believe God's promises of new life - of resurrection glory. We, like Peter, can't see what God sees; we can't see 3 days in the future, much less 3 minutes! All we know is the darkness of the now, of this moment, and it doesn't feel like it's ever going to get any better. Have you ever felt like this: "I'm stuck in this miserable situation and how can anything get better?" "Where is God when I need him the most?" "Why me?"

Why NOT me? Look at Jesus' sufferings; are we better than the Son of God? Are we exempt from the hardships that life in this fallen world brings? So, what about God's promises?

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.  (Isaiah 43:2 ESV)

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.  (John 10:10 ESV)

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”  (John 16:33 ESV)

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.  (Psalm 23 ESV)

We are not promised a life free of suffering. What we ARE promised is the presence of a loving, compassionate Savior who will never leave us or forsake us, who is working in us and through us to transform, mold, heal, save and deliver us, providing us with his strength when he have none, his joy when ours is lost, his peace in the midst of our worries and anxieties, and his promise that his death and resurrection weren't wasted. We have his resurrection power at work in our lives and in this world bringing the great Light of the world into the darkest places - we are not alone! We are not forgotten. Jesus asks us to lift our eyes, to look at him and watch him work - watch him bring glory to his Father - even in our circumstances, even when we've given up hope.

God IS good. God IS love and he is merciful and he knows his children, each one of us, by name - every hair of our precious heads, every tear that has been shed, every "Why?" that has been cried out; and he says, "I love you. Watch me. I'm here and will not let you go. You are mine."

Look at Peter. From his deep despair he was restored to the Rock that Jesus called and created him to be. That terrible night didn't ruin the plans of our Almighty God.

Lift your eyes.

 I look up to the mountains;
    does my strength come from mountains?
No, my strength comes from God,
    who made heaven, and earth, and mountains.
He won’t let you stumble,
    your Guardian God won’t fall asleep.
Not on your life! Israel’s
    Guardian will never doze or sleep.
God’s your Guardian,
    right at your side to protect you—
Shielding you from sunstroke,
    sheltering you from moonstroke.
God guards you from every evil,
    he guards your very life.
He guards you when you leave and when you return,

    he guards you now, he guards you always. Psalm 121 (The Message)