“The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him…”

“The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him…”


Lamentations 3:19-27


The book of Lamentations is a collection of poetic laments (“passionate expression of grief or sorrow”) over the destruction of Jerusalem, the temple, and the exile of Judah’s inhabitants by the Babylonians in 586 BC.  My study bible says the authorship of  Lamentations is uncertain, although ancient tradition claims that the prophet Jeremiah wrote it.  The book consists of five chapters with one, two, four, and five each containing 22 verses of lament (the number of letters in the Hebrew alphabet).  Chapter three, (today’s reading) which has 66 chapters (3 x 22), brings hope!  


If we review today’s reading we learn of a God of hope, love, compassion, faithfulness, and salvation.  Verses 26 and 27 read as follows:  “The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks Him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”


We are currently in the season of Advent.  Based on the Latin word “coming”, Advent is a time of anticipation and preparation for Christ’s coming to us, not only at Christmas as a baby, but through the Word and Sacraments, and ultimately as “Christ Triumphant” on the last day.  


Like the author of Lamentations, we have sorrows and failures that are part of the sinful world that we live in.  But we have so much more -- the fulfillment of God’s love for us through the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ. Let us give thanks during this season of Advent for Jesus and our God of hope, love, faithfulness, and salvation!


Dear God, thank-you for Christmas.  Thank you for remembering us and sending the gift of your Son to rescue us from sin and our “sorrows”.  Help us share that gift with others during this Advent season. Amen.

Keys to the Treasure of Heaven

By Thomas Denegre

For every lock there’s a key.  For every mystery there’s a clue.  In Matthew Chapter 6:19-34 Jesus talks about the treasure from heaven that we should seek and having the clear eyes so our body will be filled with light. I know all of us want the treasure of heaven.  It’s eternal and marvelous.  So how do we acquire this treasure?  What is this treasure Jesus wants to give us? The eyes are the clue to this mystery.

Jesus used the term that bad eyes will make your body full of darkness. I discovered that bad eyes represent the way we value and filter things through our self-professed identity. Our character and virtues are established from our identity; such as being a doctor, lawyer, farmer, mother, teacher, bank robber, or a saint.

After college I entered the U.S. Navy pilot program.  I discovered early on that being a goofy college student was not compatible with being a professional pilot.  I bought a pair of gold wings and put them on a uniform.  I saw myself wearing those wings and then I saw the person behind them.  I saw the character and virtues a pilot needed to be great at his craft.  So, I robe myself with the virtues of being the best navy pilot and became one.  By stepping into my future identity, I was able to change my present self. 

My walk with God was in the same way.  For awhile I was the confused Christian who thought I was still a sinner or the goofy college student.  However, when I assumed my future identity as a saint, disciple and, a son of the Most-High God then I became transformed.  Everything changed.

As Ephesians 2:4-6 puts it: But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus…

By knowing I am a son of God, I robed myself with the virtues (Col. 3:12-14) of God that the Holy Spirit gave me, which allows me access to the treasures of heaven. St. Paul aptly wrote;

You are always and dearly loved by God! So, robe yourself with virtues of God, since you have been divinely chosen to be holy. Be merciful as you endeavor to understand others, and be compassionate, showing kindness toward all. Be gentle and humble, unoffendable in your patience with others. Tolerate the weaknesses of those in the family of faith, forgiving one another in the same way you have been graciously forgiven by Jesus Christ. If you find fault with someone, release this same gift of forgiveness to them. For love is supreme and must flow through each of these virtues. Love becomes the mark of true maturity.  Col. 3:12-14 (TPT)

At this point I want to encourage you to embrace your identity as a son or daughter of God.  By knowing and being a son or daughter of the Most-High God, you freely receive the treasure from heaven.  By living in life union with Jesus and having his words living powerfully within you, (John 15:7)  the Holy Spirit will pour his living streams of water to empower and fill you with love, kindness, gentleness, long suffering, patience, peace, and joy.  By knowing and owning these characters of virtue, the treasures of heaven become yours.

The treasure is God’s presence and gifts with you all the time.  He will go through the trials, tribulations, and temptations in life with you.  You will never be alone.  Our Father will bring the love, trust, and security in your life.  By being broken in humility our Father will make you complete and perfect, you’ll be satiated with your sense of purpose and mission.

By investing yourself in the treasure of heaven you obtain real eternal wealth;

When you give

When you forgive

When you encourage and lift others

When you share the gospel

When you love your enemies

When you endure insults and persecutions

When you have mercy and tolerance for those in the family of faith

CONFESSION AND COMPASSION

Bible Reading: Nehemiah 8: 1-3, 5,9; 9:1-4, 16-17, 19, 27

 

How many times have you heard (or said yourself, perhaps), “The God of the Old Testament is all about Law, judgment and punishment?” often continuing with, “Thank goodness for the New Testament, where Jesus is all loving and compassionate.” At first glance, these observations may appear true. But as you read more and more in the Old Testament, you see quite the contrary.

 

In the verses for today, we see just one example of a repeating pattern:

·         The Israelites walked away from God (Neh 9:16-17)

·         were confronted with their sin ((Neh 8: 1-3, 5, 9)

·         were faced with consequences of their sin (Neh 9: 27a)

·         confessed their sin, cried out to God (Neh 9: 1-3)

·         each time experienced the forgiveness of their loving and compassionate Father (Neh 9: 17b; 19; 27b)

 

Time and again, God’s people of the Old Testament forgot how He took care of them and turned their collective backs on Him. And once again the Lord, in his mercy and love, disciplined them to bring them back to Himself to receive His forgiveness.

 

How God dealt with His people in ancient times is no different than He deals with us, His forgetful people in the Church today.

 

Thank you, Father, for your faithful pattern of compassion and forgiveness in response to our repeated forgetfulness and sin pattern in our lives. “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end, they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness (Lam 3 22-23).”

Are We There Yet?

Our daughter-in-law, Gwen, is creative, resourceful, thoughtful ... and a really good Mom. So, when preparing for a thousand-mile family trip, she came up with some clever ways to help their two-year-old daughter not only endure the drives, but enjoy them as much as she could. Next to Abigail was a box teeming with her favorite books, and when she tired of them for a time, out came the stash of stickers, always fun. If the stickers also ran their course, there was a “cookie sheet and magnets” solution (which might have actually engrossed me for a time). It was a very compassionate thing Gwen did for a young child facing a long journey.

Sometimes in life we feel like a kid on a car ride. We want to become what we want to become, now; we want to achieve what we want to achieve, now; we want to arrive where we want to arrive, now. The actual journey we travel, however, and the speed at which we traverse it are anything but the straight-line, no-stops path to paradise we envisioned at the onset. We navigate twists and turns we never anticipated; we encounter detours and delays we never wanted. In charitable terms, we “take the scenic route,” and, eventually, something inside cries out in frustration, “Are we there yet? How much longer?”

God’s itinerary is always different than our own—far better, and far better for us. He turns our twists into humility, and steers our turns into hope. He builds perspective from our detours, and instills patience through our delays. In time, we “arrive,” not in a worldly sense, as in fame and fortune, but at a far more satisfying place—the kingdom of God, His fulfilling reign in our lives. 

So, the apostle James says, “Be patient ... stand firm ... don’t grumble.” He compels us to consider those who have gone before us—the prophets who persevered to the end, and Job, who endured to restoration. God is in this journey with us, just as He was with them; He knows our trip can be arduous, frustrating, and painful at times, so He diverts our attention away from ourselves, and He sets our sites on the glory that lies ahead and toward the care of those who sojourn with us. For, says James, “The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.”

God, this journey is full of beauty at times, and painfully difficult at others. Draw me to yourself and in service to others today, that I might endure, they might flourish, and you would be glorified. Thank you for your compassion and care for me. In Christ, I pray. Amen.

[Click here to read today’s Scripture in James 5:7-11.]

You Want Me To Do ALL That?

²⁵ Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. ²⁶ “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, ²⁷ and do not give the devil a foothold. ²⁸ Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.

²⁹ Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. ³⁰ And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. ³¹ Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. ³² Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. -Ephesians 4:25-32

Today I have posted the entire scripture text for you to read.  The Apostle Paul is so strategic in how he instructs us, that I wanted you to see the entire picture.   This section of scripture ends with a very specific command. “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as Christ God forgave you.”

I think as a Christian we grow accustom to reading and hearing that we should be kind and compassionate and to other and forgive.  We know it’s something we should do, and I bet many of us truly want to be able to live up to that instruction.  There are times, though that we want to yell, “It’s just not fair!”

We don’t feel that God understands the hurt. There are times that being kind and compassionate, forgiving the person who hurt you so deeply is just impossible. That is where I want to introduce this entire passage to you.  Take a look. 

Paul starts by saying,

• ·         Don’t lie, but speak truthfully.
• ·         Don’t get so angry that you sin, and if you are angry make amends quickly.
• ·         Don’t steal.  Work for what you get.
• ·         What you do work for, share with those in need.
• ·         Watch your mouth.  Don’t say hurtful, negative, slanderous things.
• ·         Don’t give credit to something else that belongs to God, that Grieves the Holy Spirit.

Lastly Paul sends out a barrage of don’ts… Get rid of ALL bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with EVERY form of malice.

I think Paul structured this passage in this way for two reasons. First, before he asks us to forgive others he reminds us of our own areas of sin.  Christ has forgiving us completely so we should forgive others.  It’s easier to show compassion when you remember the compassion that was first shown to you.

Secondly, I think Paul wants us to see the impossibility of EVERYTHING he is asking us to do if we are not connected to God.  We CAN’T walk the path of speaking truthfully, not sinning in anger, making amends, honest work, giving to those in need, positive talk, giving God glory, and everything else on our own. It does seem impossible to show kindness, compassion and forgiveness to deep hurts if we do it in our own strength.  God never intended us to do this alone.  He wants us to rely on him and his strength.

We need to be mindful of all of this, but also surrender to the One who can do this work in and through us. 

Search My Heart

Philippians 2: 1-11 is one of my favorite passages in scripture. My bible is filled with notes on this page. I love how it lists benefits we receive being a follower of Christ; encouragement, fellowship, tenderness and compassion.  I experience these wonderful benefits most, when I am around other believers.

The passage immediately gives us a challenge. God doesn’t want us to only stay around situations where we only experience these benefits. We are called to take those benefits and serve others.  As a Christian this shouldn't be a surprise.  We hear and read that our job is to serve.  But, this is where a lot of us struggle.

I think there are three kinds of Christians when it comes to serving others.  

1. The one who “gets” it.  Serving seems to flow from them.  It is who they are. They give of themselves freely.
2. The one who serves but it just doesn’t seem or feel natural.  They serve because they know it is what God wants.
3. The one who leaves serving to others.  They will give their money and donate items to their church or community outreach projects, but they think they are not gifted to serve.

No matter where you may fall, I believe we can all check our heart with regards to serving. If you relate to the third example, let me encourage you. I have not read anywhere in the bible where serving others is only for those naturally gifted to do so.

God has called you to serve!  Philippians 2: 5-7 tells us, “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus...he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant…”

I think the rub comes with, WHO and HOW do we serve…

WHO do we serve?  Paul says in Philippians, “do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit...consider others better than yourself.”  

If we have a hard time serving, we have possibly put ourselves in a higher position than the one we are called to serve. Is there a particular group of people or even a singular person, you think you're better than? I know this is a hard question, but spend some time honestly searching your heart.  Take time to pray about it, asking God to reveal the truth.

When you see who it is you put “below” yourself, THIS is WHO you should serve.

So, HOW should we serve? Philippians 2:3 says, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.”

In humility.  This is hard.  The easiest way to serve in humility is when we've been humbled. It can feel very humbling when we realize we put ourselves before so many others.  This is a good place to start. It will take HUMILITY and faith, and when you are not sure you can do it, remember; Jesus did it for you.

Colossians 3:1-17

Living as Those Made Alive in Christ

The school year has just ended. I am a special education teacher. Sometimes I take student teachers into my classroom and work with them on honing their skills to prepare them for managing their own classroom. I finished this school year with a lovely young lady named Morgan.

Morgan entered my classroom well prepared for a regular education classroom, but not one such as mine. These students, though beautiful, have many challenges cognitively as well as behaviorally and physically. She was hesitant and uncertain at the beginning. As our time together continued, she experienced a change. Through observation, study and trial and error she evolved into a confident and passionate teacher ready to take on new challenges. I could see the love in her eyes as she worked with my students. I had the opportunity to observe an awesome transformation. She left at peace with herself and her abilities.

In a thank you card she gave me on our last day together she wrote: “In the short nine weeks we were together I learned more about myself and my faith than I would have imagined.”

As I modeled my instruction and interactions with both students and staff, I was hopeful I was instilling the importance of some of the things noted in Colossians 3:12 “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” 

Times when the adults we were dealing with did not follow through as I hoped they would I attempted to demonstrate the importance of Colossians 3:13-15 “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts…”

I was extremely happy and humbled that she took away much more than teaching strategies and classroom management approaches. She got it!

I thank God for those opportunities. The occasions to make a difference in the lives of others are ever present. Colossians 3:16: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another...”  

Read/Listen to Colossians 3:1-7

Handle With Care Matthew 8:23-9:8

We continue today with the theme of authority. Think about your past experiences with those in authority, what have you encountered? Many people have had negative experiences; I bet some of you have too. Have you dealt with someone abusing or misusing the weight they have been given?

Jesus paints a different picture for us. As we see Jesus’ authority over nature, we see a Rabbi trying to teach his disciples about faith. When Jesus is casting out demons he does not abuse his authority and “torture them before the appointed time.” But we see a God of order following the plan he has set in motion.

Finally, Jesus shows his ultimate authority over sin. By forgiving the paralytic first and then healing his infirmity, Jesus shows us what he really came to do by saving us from an area where we have no authority.

If you have had a negative experiences with those in authority, rest in the knowledge that the One with true authority will handle you with care. He will teach you his ways and not take advantage of his power and will never get distracted from saving us from our sin.


Read today's passage at Biblegateway Matthew 8:23-9:8

Not easy to walk a Godly path - 1 Peter 3:8-22

When first reading through 1 Peter 3:8-22 the word missionaries came to mind, especially when studying verses 13-15, “Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear, do not be frightened. But in your hearts set apart Christ as LORD…” But it was verse 8 that had this writer’s attention. In a time when we are living for ourselves, working for material gain with not much ‘one another-ing’ going on, this verse shouts a message loud and clear.

1 Peter 3:8 “Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.” I hear this verse calling me to be a modern day missionary, one who ministers to folks in our own community who need assistance. We do this by serving as a volunteer in a nursing home or assisted living facility or lending a hand to feed the homeless.

Verse eight calls us to be willing to do menial work, be courteous, have compassion and exhibit a tenderhearted spirit. The church I attend serves in many areas including: reaching out to inner city children and adults, working with suburban children who need food during the summer months, providing school supplies and winter coats to still others. How is verse 8 speaking to you?

To read the entire scripture text for this day go to Biblegateway

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