John 14:1—10

Jesus the Way to the Father

Do not let your hearts be troubled.

Trust in God, trust also in me.

I am the way and the truth and the life.

No one comes to the father except through me.

John 14

It is possible to be sad, disappointed even angry, yet without a troubled heart.

Do not be anxious about anything

But in everything by prayer and supplication

With thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding

Will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7

Loosening our grip on power and control, paves the way for a peaceful heart.

Just as Jesus was comforting his disciples and attempting to explain how letting go and allowing their hearts to trust and live in faith would enable them to dwell in the peace of his promise, he speaks to us today. 

        The challenges of this world seem endless. God’s people, like everyone else, will experience the hills and valleys of this life. Some days may be very difficult to carry on. A heart and soul that trusts in the promise of our Lord however, will view their valleys from more of a heavenly perspective.Through a lens of  contentment regardless of the circumstances. I choose to have such a heart.

        Father, your ways are indeed beyond our comprehension. We cannot thank you enough for your great love and mercy. Though our minds are not capable of understanding, our hearts are able to feel. Please continue to mold them into free and faithful hearts ready and willing to do all you ask and live each day in a way that will please and honor you. Amen.

Read/Listen to John 14:1-10

Follow Which Leader? -- 2 Peter 2

I remember playing a game called Follow the Leader. This popular past time for the kids in my neighborhood was a game which involved lining up behind the 'leader' and then mimicking his or her every move. I have not thought about this game for 50 years, but when I read the second chapter of 2 Peter, it came to mind.

Often, when playing, the leader would try to trip up his followers by doing something or taking us somewhere we were not allowed to go. If we did not do just what the leader did, we were considered “out”. As a young person I never wanted to be "out", so I often found myself in trouble as a result.

But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. (2 Peter 2:1-2)

I have since learned not every leader should be followed, not every authority figure is headed in the direction I need to be going. When deciding whom to follow I am reminded of words my grandfather used to say to me when he recognized the trouble I would find if I did not think for myself. "Monkey see, monkey do," he would tell me. Today these words mean that I need to follow Jesus, the one true leader and not mimic the behavior of those around me.

To read all the text for today go to Biblegate and 2 Peter 2. To return to this posting hit the back arrow.

We welcome your comments or if you prefer you may connect with us via email here.

Genesis 39 -- Success to treachery test

One of my favorite encouraging verses is found in Psalm 27:1 "The LORD is my light and my salvation--whom shall I fear?" It is these words I am reminded of when reading about Joseph in Genesis 39. Verse 2 reads: "The LORD was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master.” Remember all the trouble Joseph was in; sold into slavery by his own brothers and then carted away to a foreign land?

This portion of Joseph's life is exemplified by Trust, Temptation and Trouble. While he was experiencing each of these, the LORD was with him. Joseph's Egyptian master, Potiphar, trusted him to take care of everything he owned. After awhile, Potiphar's wife used temptation to try and seduce Joseph. Joseph ran away from her, but she lied to her husband and Joseph found himself in trouble as he was put in prison.

Joseph certainly lived an interesting life. He went from favored son to slave; from trusted servant to a wrongly accused prisoner. Then again, from inmate to being the warden’s faithful assistant. In Genesis 39:20-21 we see how the LORD was with him again. "But while Joseph was there in the prison, the LORD was with him."  Do you know that the LORD wants to be with us too, as we stumble through life? He is ready to take care of us if we trust. The LORD wants to be with us, no matter what prison we find ourselves in.  He longs to give us success just as he gave it to Joseph.

Read the entire Genesis 39 text here.

We invite you to comment below or via email if you prefer.

You Can Run, But You Can't Hide Genesis 38

Have you ever run from one problem only to fall into another? Too often our human nature reacts with desertion rather than contend with what is happening. I am blessed to be married to a man who is not afraid to deal with issues. It can be exhausting and at times I still like to fool myself into believing that if I ignore certain issues they will go away, but the reality is they will rear their ugly head in another area of my life.

In today’s passage we see Judah, after selling his brother into slavery, running from one set of family problems straight into another. Instead of confronting his brothers and doing the right thing, Judah leaves and settles away from his family. He then finds a wife for his oldest son and we see that Judah can no more control is sons than he can his brothers.

Running from our troubles will not fix anything. Rather, if we seek God’s will and live according to his word, we can get through the rough times with healing and integrity. It won’t be the easy way out, but it will be the right way. When we deal with our areas of struggle, and often times weakness, the next time we are faced with them we will see that either, they aren’t so bad or we will know with confidence that God can get us through again.

 

Read the entire passage on Biblegateway Genesis 39