“Therefore, imitate God like dearly loved children. ² Live your life with love, following the example of Christ, who loved us and gave himself for us. He was a sacrificial offering that smelled sweet to God.” Ephesians 5:1-2

Wow did July go fast!  In a way I am reminded of the song, Cat’s in the Cradle, by Harry Chapin.  For those of you who have heard the song, I’d bet by now you’re singing the chorus, “and the cats in the cradle, and the silver spoon…”.  I’ll let you continue to sing while I explain the song to those who may not have ever heard it.

The song is an exchange between a father and his son.  At first the father tells the son that he’s really to busy at the moment to spend time with him, work has him here or there and well you know, sadly he’s busy.  A little later on, the song comes around and now the father desires to spend time with his son but sadly, the son now grown is very busy.  It is a sad reminder of how quickly time goes by, especially when we get busy in our lives.

The song also reminds us of how as children we do a lot of the same things that our parents did.  In the song the son witnessed the hectic schedule kept by the father and now, well he is imitating him. 

Do you remember, getting into your mom or dad’s closet, putting on their shoes and then walking around?  For me I did something different my father for most of his professional career was in some kind of military or federal investigation and/or law enforcement.  On this particular day, dad was out of town, traveling for work, and I wanted to be like him.  I found a pair of handcuffs he kept in his office and put them on.  Seems I was a natural because I got them on tight enough, I couldn’t pull my hands through.  I can’t tell you how many times he had told this curious 4-year-old, not to mess with them.  Boy, was I going to be in trouble!  Fear of the situation and of mom’s reaction allowed me to muster a few tears as I called out her name. 

When she walked in the frustration was evident and immediately, she went to where dad kept the keys.  They weren’t there.  She checked a couple of more spots, but it seems dad had taken them with him.  What’s a mom to do when her son, has locked himself in a set of handcuffs?  Call the police!  Within 5 minutes, two huge members of Chicago’s finest were at the door, ready to see why this woman’s son was sitting in the living room wearing handcuffs.  They were surprised when they saw me, just trying to imitate my father.

For most of us, hearing what we should do isn’t as easy as imitating what we see being done.  In our heavenly Father, we witness many things.  We witness, creation, take a moment to step outside and look around at the work of God’s hands.  We witness love in the people who are in our lives, possibly our parents, our children, our siblings, our partners, and spouses and in our friends.  In the documented life of Jesus, we find not only sacrificial love but grace, mercy, and forgiveness.

In a way, it almost seems as though the Apostle Paul (author of Ephesians) had heard that song by Harry Chapin, knowing that as children, we are more likely to do what we see rather than what we have heard.  Strive each day to be imitators of the abundance each of us knows through the presence of God in our lives.

Let’s pray; “God, you show us the way, the way to love, the way to forgive, the way to serve, help us to be more like you, that we might be imitators of you.  Hold us firmly and guide us gently in your will and in your ways. Amen”

Earlier this week one of the passages I read was Psalms 139:23-24 which offers this prayer “Search me thoroughly, O God, and know my heart’ Test me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me and lead me in the everlasting way.

I can recall the first time I ever heard this Psalm; I was intimidated, and I was fearful.  I mean think about that, inviting God in to examine your heart and your thoughts, that is huge, right?   But as I thought about, and prayed about it and frankly matured some, it this means much more than that.  It is admitting how much we need God; that we need the Father’s presence so desperately.  What we are doing is calling on God to come into our heart and our mind and our life to examine us and then to lead us.  When we offer this prayer, we are asking God to reconcile with us, to bring us close to Him and His ways, to God’s eternal ways.  To a life that is ruled by God’s faithful love and a life that fills us with hope and offer us peace.

Know that Gods love, the hope and peace that God brings into our lives does not start at the tip of our extended finger.  Peace begins with each of us and with this prayer.  O God come search me, examine me, and lead me out of the ways of this word and into your eternal ways, your ways of love, of grace and of peace.  When we begin to truly experience this life it is like filling a cup to overflowing slowly the water isn’t just contain within the cup, it moves beyond, it covers all that surrounds it.

Similarly, when we know God’s love, through the Son, Jesus Christ, the walls of our heart are broken down and that love, that grace and that peace fills us to overflowing, we begin to cover those who are near to us, those who surround us, but it all starts with you.

I encourage you to read the 139^th Psalm and pray over it, pray this prayer; Search me O God and know my heart, test me, and know my thoughts, and lead me in Your everlasting way, and asP you know that He is our peace.

“If I speak in tongues of human beings and of angels but I do not have love, I am a clanging gong or a clashing cymbal.”  1 Corinthians 13:1

As I read this scripture, I can’t help but have a smile come to my face envisioning a 3- or 4-year-old who has drug out pots, pans and pie tins to clang and bang them together.  There is no rhyme or rhythm to it.  Rather, it is the child expressing themselves, focusing on what will make them feel good, what will make them happy.

Sometimes as adults, we do the exact same thing but with what we say and what we type out.  Don’t believe me, go back over your conversations, the things that you have said or typed out and ask yourself if it was done in love.  Was I encouraging, was accepting, were the words I used helpful and did those words offer an example of God’s presence in my life, or did I drag out some pots and pans and make myself happy?

It can be difficult; it is a regular struggle for me.  I cannot tell you how many times I drag out the pots and pans, look around and realize what I am about to do or sadly what I have already done.  I think back to three simply rules offered by John Wesley, found of the Methodist movement.  Those rules, do no harm, do good and remain in love with God, I am slowly learning to take a breath and reflect on Wesley’s rules.  In doing so, I find that I am a clanging gong or a crashing cymbal a little less often.

I would encourage you, to go back over your communication, if for no other reason but to see what has you dragging out your pots and pans.  Knowing the reasons helps you to identify those moments when you may need to take a breath, reflect on the rules, or ask yourself am I about to be a noisy cymbal.  In doing so, you will find not only peace in your heart but also peace in your life.

Prayer: “Lord God I am thankful for today!  Help me to be less like a ganging gong and more like a reflection of Jesus in my life.  Hold me firmly and guide me gently in your will and in your ways.  Amen”

“Everybody who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise builder who built a house on bedrock.”  Matthew 7:24

There I was on the banks of the river, it was late afternoon on a warm spring day, and the trout were biting.  I found a spot that most would not try to get to because the pebble and rock covered bank was steep.  Suddenly, the pebbles and rocks began to shift, throwing me off balance and shoulder first into the 50-degree water.  It’s fine, go ahead, laugh.  I did and so did my best friend as he told me I would have to ride back to the hotel in the BACK of his truck.

Looking back, “I ask myself where this wisdom was?”  But Jesus isn’t talking about fishing, where or how to stand on a riverbank, but how we can live life.  Through out God’s holy word, we can find life lessons, knowledge that when applied to our lives become wisdom and soon, we find our lives built on a sure foundation. 

There is an old hymn that tells us

My hope is built on nothing less

Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness

I dare not trust the sweetest frame

But wholly lean on Jesus’ name

On Christ, the solid rock, I stand

All other ground is sinking sand

When we build our lives on God’s word, lean on Jesus’ name we do not stand on loose pebbles finding ourselves thrown into a river cold and wet, rather we find a life footing solid and secure. Prayer: “Loving God, thank you for today and thank you for the security which your word brings to our lives.  Hold us firmly

The author of this psalm, David, had some struggles in his life.   One could say he made some awfully bad choices in his life.  At minimum, he was human.  Human mind, human heart, human choices, and desires but, as he grew older and wiser David understood the importance of God’s presence in his life.  This is evident in these words

I keep your word close, in my heart, so that I won’t sin against you.  Psalm 119:11

What is interesting about the verse is that heart is more than just the thing that pumps your blood. In Hebrew, the word that translates into heart means more, it is the place that you feel feelings, the place where you think thoughts.  It really refers to the core of who you are, your will, your desires, your intentions.

You see when David writes this, that he has hidden God’s word in his heart, he is saying he is making God’s desire central in his life, that God’s word will be a part of all aspects of his life.  His motives, his desires, his decisions, his feelings.  David is placing God’s word into every part of who he is.  Making God’s desires the priority in his life

By doing this, by filling every nook and cranny of who he is with God’s word, his heart is changed, his life transformed.  I would encourage us all to find a way to do just that, to fill not just our feelings with God’s word but our will, our desires, our choices, our very being with God’s word, that we too might experience a change in our lives. 

Take time to memorize scripture verses each day or every week.  Consider meditating on a scripture verse each day, breathe it into your deepest parts that it may dwell with in you. And there are some who will pray over scripture each day.  Ask God to have it settle into your heart just where it needs to be.  In doing so, we can begin to see a change in our life and in the lives around us.

Prayer: “You are a true and faithful God, even when we might make a horrible choice, you are there, to love us and to guide us.  Let the wisdom and love of your Holy Word fill our very being that we might live as you have asked us to live.  Hold us firmly and guide us gently in your will and in your ways.  Amen”

“Finally let’s draw near to the throne of favor with confidence so that we can receive mercy and find grace when we need it.”  Hebrews 4:16

I wonder as a child; did you ever do anything you were not supposed to do.  I mean, was there a time that your mom, or your dad, or someone who cared about you told you, “Don’t do…” because they wanted to keep you from being hurt?

I would have been about 12, we’d just moved back into our house, t had been destroyed by a tornado.  Soon after we got back in, lumber and nails were delivered so that the garage out back could also be rebuilt.  Dad told me, “Rob, I don’t want you messing with the lumber or those nails.”  My response, “Yes Dad” but in my mind it was wait, boards, nails.  His words had no more faded off and I had grabbed a hammer and went out back.  I got that nail lined up and the hammer raised above my head.  I swung as hard as I could, trying to drive that 16-penny nail all the way into the board with one blow.

Breaking news alert, it didn’t work that way, rather the head of the hammer came crashing down onto my thumb nail.  At that very moment, I let out a wail like I was a firetruck head to rescue a baby.  The hammer went flying and I went running, right to dad. 

His words were calming, merciful, loving and kind.  He double checked everything and then went and got an ice bag and helped me hold it there for a couple of minutes while pulling me closely to comfort me.  In that moment, he didn’t lecture me, punish me rather I knew, love, mercy, and grace.

Just as my father pulled me closely and cared for me in that moment, even though I’d done what he had told me not too, our heavenly Father, calls us in closely to where he is seated, holding us closely, offering us mercy and grace and love, even when we have turned away from Him or done what he has told us not to do.

So, no matter what may be troubling you today, what might be causing you pain, even it it’s because you picked hammer and…bring it to Jesus today.  Move closer and rest in God’s loving mercy and grace.

Prayer: “Lord, thank you that that I can come to you, no matter what.   I come now to let your mercy and your grace flow over me in this moment.  Hold me firmly and guide me gently in your will and in your ways.

The LORD will fight for you, you need only be still.  Exodus 14:14

I want you to stop, sit back and imagine for a moment.  Have you ever been in a situation where you’ve had worries about your job or finances on one side and concerns about your health or the well being of your parents, children or a loved one (not saying your parents and children are people you love)?  Have you, have you ever been in a life situation where it felt like you were surrounded?

In this scripture, that is where we find the Israelites who are fleeing pharaoh, who has kept them in captivity and in slavery.  pharaoh’s army are on the hills above them.  The chariots pulled by mighty horses; battle tested warriors covered in gleaming armor. To the other side is a great body of water, the Red sea.

And the message from God Moses shares is, be still.  The LORD will fight for you, just be still.  I know when life has come at me from all directions the last thing, I want to do is be still.  I suspect we experience that fight or flight mode where our hearts are pounding and our minds race, seeking out solutions, ways that we might be able to fight off or escape the things that are seemingly attacking us.

Yet what we hear from God is, “be still”, let your hearts not be troubled, let your minds be calm.  In the verses that follow God tells Moses that He will eliminate those who are chasing them and give them a way out.   The sea was parted, and the Israelites were able to escape and as pharaoh’s army followed, the sea came in upon the Egyptian army.

We may feel as trapped as the Israelites in our current situation, but God tells us to be still, I am the Lord, I will fight for you.  God is responding to your situation, we must seek His responses in our life, that God might be glorified in his presence and unfailing love of God’s children.  I mean, who would have thought that huge body of water would have been dived or that the greatest army defeated.  God is responding just “be still and see His presence.

Prayer “Father God, you are present always and everywhere, help us to be still, to find You, to trust that You are battling for us in unimaginable ways.  Let us find the peace of your presence.  Hold us firmly and guide us gently in your will and in your ways.  Amen”

No discipline is fun while it lasts but it seems painful at the time.  Later, however it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness for those who have been trained by it.  Hebrews 12:11

As children, we can’t wait to be adults its going to be so cool.  We can do what we want, go to bed when we want, eat what we want to spend what we want and no one, I mean no one can tell us otherwise.  But soon, after we move out on our own, we begin to realize that’s not the truth.

The moments we couldn’t wait to see the postman bring us apprehension, fear and worry because what gets dropped off into our mailbox are, bills.  Bills for power, water, internet and not that slow stuff mom and dad had, but high-speed cable.  And while we’re at it, our cable bill (if we still have cable) isn’t just for a few channels its for everything, including HBO, Showtime, NFL, and the NBA.  And the fine, fine clothes, well the credit card bills will be here next week.  It hurts as we open the envelopes and come to the realization.

Then there is the idea of going to bed at 2 or 3 every day with the painful realization that nap time stopped a few years ago.  Or how you need to put your head down for a moment and find a little peace.

This selection of scripture really hit struck a chord.  I have struggle with diet and exercise all of my life and my lack of discipline shows, in the energy that I have and the way that I look.  While, exercise does cause some soreness and some fatigue, in the long run I know that I am better off.  If I can make the sacrifice now, I will be healthier and I will most likely live a longer, joy filled life.

Jesus tells us that the two most important rules we are to live by are to, love God with all that we are, heart mind body and soul and to love heart mind body and soul and loving others as much as we love ourselves.   To live into these two rules is difficult, it may cause us some pain or force us to make difficult decisions but when we choose to do so, when we discipline ourselves by spending time with God each day, deepening our relationship.  When we consciously choose to love, sacrificially giving of ourselves to those who surround us we find a life that is purposeful.

I would encourage you, get yourself on a budget or a regular sleeping plan or a diet and exercise plan and stick with it.  We didn’t get where we are overnight and as you, find ways to deepen your relationship with God.  Begin a reading plan, or find three times a day to offer a short prayer to God, as simple as, “thank you God for being with me here and now”.  And/or find a way to make a difference in a life each day, volunteer, talk to your neighbor, check on a friend. 

Prayer “God, thank you for today and your presence in my life.  I trust in you Lord, hold me firmly and guide me gently in your will and in your ways, Amen”

If you have spent some time reading the bible, especially the Old Testament, you will read that the Israelites were focused on building a dwelling place for God.  Even today if you were to go to Jerusalem you would find Jews praying at the western wall of the temple, the holiest place in Jerusalem, but what we read here and what we understand is that God does not dwell in a place, rather God is within each of us.  Our Scripture reads: 

“Rather, you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth” Acts 1:8

Rather than living in a structure, the Spirit of God lives in each of us and because of that we have access to the unimaginable power of God.  We have the ability to witnesses to the power of God to those around us, to the ends of the earth because the Holy Spirit has given us the power of joy, patience peace, kindness, faithfulness, and love.

Each and every one of us can be witnesses to the world, not because of who we are or our own power but because of the power of God’s Holy Spirit that lives us.  We are a city on a hillside, a candle in the darkness shinning not just in our own backyard but across the world.  Consider this, the light that shines brightly in the distance shines brightest at home.

I encourage you to take steps the make that light shine for all to see.  Commit to learning more about God’s Word.  If you don’t currently have a church home, check with friends, and find a place where you can learn.   If you do, set a goal to make God a bigger priority, making your faith journey the center of your life.  Seek out a mentor, ask someone to help guide you in your journey.  You will find that as you become closer to God, the life that you know will become the life that you knew.

Prayer: “Almighty God, thank you for today, that you for the presence of your Holy Spirit and the abilities and qualities that are possible because of the Spirit, help me to tap into that power that my light might shine throughout this dark world.  Hold me firmly and guide me gently in your will and in your ways.  Amen”

“When I look up at you skies, at what your gingers made-the moon and the stars that you set firmly in place-what are human beings; that you think about them, what are human beings that you pay attention to them?” – Psalms 8:3-4

Have you ever sat next to a campfire and looked up at the stars?  How about sat next to a lake as the sun came up?  I guess what I’m asking is have you ever considered just how big God is?  In this scripture what David is reminding us of just how big God truly is.

In this Psalm, David goes on to say, who am I that God, the creator of the universe.  The One who’s fingers created the skies, set the moon and the stars in place, would think about us.  He, David, is reminding us that even considering how big God is, God loves us right where we are.    

So be encouraged, no matter the situation or the circumstances you might be going through, the Creator of the Universe, sees you AND loves you, right where you are. Prayer: “Creator God, thank you for today.  Every time I look up or look around let me be encouraged knowing that you are present in my life, that you see me and that you love me, right where I am.  Hold me firmly and guide me gently in your will and in your

“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

Psalm 27:14

It is hard to wait, isn’t it?  I mean we have become a society where we want everything now but idea, the concept of waiting in the bible is really the idea of being twisted together, like braiding your hair or tying a boat to a cleat at a dock. 

If you pull a boat up to the side of a dock, the current and the wind will push it all over the place but if we tightly wrap and intertwine the line around the cleat, it will remain securely where it is supposed to be. 

To wait on the Lord is to wrap or intertwine our lives with and within the Lord, that we will find security, courage, and shelter.  To wrap ourselves in the Lord means we do not look outside the Lord in our problems.  It doesn’t mean that we do nothing, it means that we go to God and seek his help to find stability and security in our lives.

When we wrap, intertwine ourselves in God’s presence we will find that we are no longer blown around by the situations and circumstances of life but that we will find stability, courage, and peace in all our situations in life.

I would encourage you to pray about the big tings that we are struggling to resolve, talk to a friend about who is also a believe in Jesus about what’s going on and keep a journal, write down what you are trusting God with, then refer back often.

Prayer: “Lord God, thank you for today, help me to seek you in all aspects of my life, let me intertwine my very being with you that in all things I may find stability and security.  Hold me firmly and guide me gently in you will and in your ways.  Amen”

“All the Law has been fulfilled in a simple statement, “’Love your neighbor as yoursel’f”. 

Galatians 5:14

Go back up and read that again, I’ll wait, go on really, read it again

In that one scripture, the Apostle Paul sums up the whole law, the law of Mosses, that is 613 commandments.  Things you should do, things you shouldn’t do.  Can you imagine, living your life trying to remember 613 different things to do or not do in every aspect of your life?  We’d never get anything done trying to figure out if you are complying with the laws.

But, with this, through the grace of God, Paul tells us that we can satisfy, that we can comply with all the laws by simply to “love your neighbor as yourself”.  Is that it?  Could it be that simple? Is that really all we have to do?

What the Apostle Paul has done is take the overwhelming and the complicated and clear, concise, and simple.  The Church, followers of Jesus Christ will no longer live by a list of rules, regulations, and laws but rather we should love our neighbor as we love ourselves.  Love the folks next door, at the store, online, really anywhere you meet them.  Whether its folks we like, don’t like, and even folks who don’t like you, we should treat them with loving respect.   Imagine how different the world would be if we began living in this way.

I encourage you to begin the change in the world that surrounds you.  With a smile introduce yourself, it may be the only smile they see all day.  Take time to ask someone around you “how things are going right now” and then, listen to them.  Offer to help with something they are doing or working on, how many times have you been in a situation, where an extra set hands would have made all the difference.  Find a way to respond positively to a post or a person you may not agree with (BTW that doesn’t mean you write, “I’m positive you are an idiot”)

I believe that as we bless those around us with this love, God will bless us in the same way, pouring our love in your day and in your life. 

Prayer: “God, thank you for today and thank you for your presence in my life.  Thank you for the witness of love through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Help us to find ways to love our neighbor that we might change the world.  Hold us firmly and guide us gently in your will and in your ways.  Amen

Share the ways you have shared love with your neighbors today.

Therefore, I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear.  Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothes?

 Matthew 6:25

At one point in my life, I worked for an insurance company that had me collecting premiums, selling, and servicing insurance policies in the homes of my clients.  There were many draw backs to the job but one of the benefits is that I got to know many people and in building relationships with them, I was the benefactor of a great deal of life applicable lessons.  One of the best things that was shared with me was this, “There are two days that you should never a lot of time thinking or worrying about, yesterday and tomorrow.

If we think about it, God doesn’t want us to focus on yesterday, we are called to turn away from our past, our mistakes and turn toward God in Jesus and the loving grace offered to us freely.  And our focus should not be on tomorrow, we are told in Matthew 6:34 that “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will care for itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Consider the person whose family had a history of heart disease.  For more than 30 years ago, every day the worried that they would suffer sudden cardiac death or a heart attack.  Then one morning, while out for a run they were struck by a truck dying is at the scene.

This isn’t a true story, I’m not trying to make light nor am I trying to dissuade anyone from running, rather I am trying to encourage each of us to not waste the moments that we have been given.  Worrying wastes our time and causes us to lose focus on those things that are important, God and the experiences that truly make up our life.

Thankfully, Jesus offered us a way to do away with the worry life brings by simply changing our priorities and focus.  Jesus tells us, “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33)

We are all inclined to worry at one time or another and I encourage you to take those concerns to God, sharing your worry and letting go of it.  If you tend to be a professional worrier or going through a particular difficult time create a worry box out of an old shoe box.  Tape it shut, cut a hole in the top and every time you are struggling, every time worry overtakes your focus and throughs, write it out on a slip of paper, talk to God about it, fold it up and place it in the box.  By doing so, you are telling yourself that you can no longer handle it and that it is in God’s hands.

Prayer: “Lord, thank you for the day, thank you for your presence.  To you I give all me worries, trusting that you are working on and in them even before the thoughts formed in my mind.  Hold me firmly and guide me gently in your will and in your ways.  Amen”

“This law scroll must not leave your lips.  You must memorize it day and night so you can carefully obey all that is written in it.  Then you will prosper and be successful.”  Joshua 1:8

In this selection from the book of Joshua, God is encouraging Joshua, the successor to Mosses as the leader of the Israelites, to spend time in the Torah, that is the first five books of the bible which God had given to Mosses.  God instructs Joshua, to not just spend time in the word but to memorize it by day and by night, that he might ensure that those he was charged to lead would not stray from it.  The prosperity and success of the Israelites was dependent on keeping those laws.  That is the promise God made with them, that they would succeed, that they would prosper if they kept the laws.

What we find is that throughout those first five chapters God is working with his people, sharing with them, promising them, that if they kept God’s promise, they will live long lives and prosper in the lands that God would give them.  But, if they did not keep the promise, they would be, in essence kicked out.  So, by remaining in God’s word, in God’s law, Joshua would be capable of leading his people in accordance with and be able to obey the laws and in turn God’s people would prosper.

And that makes sense, that the more we read and study, the more time we spend in God’s word the deeper it settles into our existence guiding what we see, what we do and what we say.  Or another way of saying it is that the more of God’s word we observe the more of God’s word we will obey. 

Understand though that the bible does not promise to us, that the more we obey the better our lives will be.  It does not promise good health, abundance of wealth or peace, in fact Jesus tells us that as his followers we will be persecuted, that we will lose things 

So then, why do it, why follow Christ, why read scripture why, why, why…because we have a promise of a companion, that is the blessing of God’s Holy Spirit in relationship with us.  We look to the blessing of eternity with God’s presence to come is a treasure beyond anything any of us deserve.  We don’t receive the promised land of heaven because we obeyed God well enough, that is the old promise.

It is only through Jesus that we will know our final dwelling place in the Holy presence of God, trusting in Jesus, the Word of God made flesh who died for all the times we failed to keep God’s word.  Jesus is the promise that we will prosper, the cross our guarantee of success.   Find the promise of that peace in the words of scripture, never let that encouragement leave your lips by day or by night.

Prayer: “God of creation, of salvation, the one who sustains us, thank you for today, thank you for Jesus.  Please help me that your Word never leave me, that your promise dwell within me, that your encouragement is always fresh upon my lips.  Hold me firmly and guide me gently in you will and in your ways.  Amen

“Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’”  Psalm 91:1-2

I wonder, what is hanging over your head?  What is weighing you down?  Is there something you are worried about, need protection or shelter?  This scripture offers all of those things, places everything in perspective and invites us to worship.  Let me explain a bit

When we read that those who “dwell” in the shelter, we find an invitation to relationship with God.  You see to dwell or live is an invitation to sit down, to dwell with God in all seasons of our life, good times and in difficult times.  God desires us to be a part and a partner in all aspects of our life, consistently and constantly making that desire clear, if we are open to it.

As we move on, we read that those who live in the “shelter” of the Lord, this shelter describes a place of protection, of comfort, where we as individuals can spend time alone with God.  That we can be present with the most high, or Almighty God.

This reference to Most High or Almighty gives us the perspective we need to live; I mean LIVE and be assured each of our days.  As God is the Most High, we are reminded that God is above everything else.  It gives us order and perspective to everything around us.  It allows us to live before God worshiping God, the Most High with the assurance God desires that we live with and rest in a place of peace, comfort, and protection.

I’ll end with this, it can be difficult sometimes to not worry, to trust God with the things that are most important.  We are good at trusting God with the easy stuff, struggling to trust God with those things that are closest to us, trust ourselves rather than the Most High.

From what do you need refuge?  Take a moment to release the worry, the fear, and the anxiety.  Lift your hands upward and open them imagining as you do, that those things that are weighing you down are moving away from you, see yourself in a comfortable, safe place where you can rest and find peace.

Prayer: “Almighty and Most High, thank you for this day.  I lift my hand to you and release all the burdens of this world.  I trust in you and seek rest in you.  Hold me firmly and guide me gently in your will and in your ways.  Amen”

“I will strengthen the weary and renew those who are weak.”  Jeremiah 31:25

Here we are nearly a year and a half into a pandemic, and aren’t we weary in some ways?  For some of us, we remain removed from friends and family, others just want to move on in our lives, then there some who are somewhere in between and dare I say all of us are weary in one way or another.

Folks have had or are transitioning into new jobs and new careers; others have seen the work roles increase or at least change.  I suspect things have changed in your life, haven’t they?  I know that they have in mine.  Additional phone calls, not being able to visit with members of our church family who cannot or have not returned to various activities.

Those changes and our grip to what we know and understand as normal, causes us to grow tired wondering how we hold on, how we keep our grip.  The good news is that God is faithful and remains present in our lives, giving strength to those who are weak.  God will renew us that we are no longer weary but have to ability to continue in the moment and in our lives.

If you are feeling weary, weak I would encourage you to find some time to reconnect with God, through scripture reading and prayer.  We should also find time to connect or reconnect in the Body of Christ through time in worship, recharging in the relationships we cherish.

Please pray: “Thank you Lord that you faithfully remain with me in everything and everywhere.  Let me find renewal in you through the Holy Spirit.  Amen”

“Enter his gates with thanks, enter His courtyards with praise!  Thank Him!  Bless His name!  Because the LORD is good, his loyal love lasts forever, his faithfulness lasts generation after generation” – Psalm 100:4-5

How often do you find yourself coming to God, entering His courtyard with an express purpose?  You come in ready to take care of business; “Lord, I need you too do…”, “Almighty God will you help me with…”, “Father, be with me during…”, help me do well on the test, sell my house, find a car, get a job, heal me.  Are you starting to get the picture?

The psalmist tells us that we are to enter God’s holy courtyard with praise, giving God glory and thanks because God is always present, always responsive, never turning away from us.  Never changing, always faithful, responding to our needs and our desires even before the words form upon our tongue.

You see throughout scripture we are offered wisdom, ways to live into the presence of the heart of God. The passion translation offers that praise and thanksgiving are the passwords to entering and being present with God.  

When begin to look at just how faithful God is, how good He is, how God provides for our every need before we even realize it, how can we not enter lift up our hands and our voices singing songs of joy, praise, and thanksgiving. 

What is even more amazing, and I can attest to this, when my heart began to change, when I started to enter my times with God giving praise and thanksgiving, the world around me began to change.  Colors really became move vivid, smells became sweeter and the people around me even more precious.

I encourage you to celebrate all that God has, is and will be in your life, take a moment to give praise and just as I did, I believe you will notice a change in your heart and in your life.

Prayer: “God you are the giver of all good gifts and graces, I am grateful that you never turn away from me.  Help me to always sing your praises as I enter your presence.  Amen”

“Let those who plant with tears reap the harvest with joyful shouts” – Psalm 126:5

Read that Psalm again, what a reassuring thought. 

Consider the times we live in; we live very distracted lives.  There are so many places for us to be, for our minds and our hearts to be, any place except here and now, the present moment.  Let’s be honest often in the present there is anxiety, fear, grief and/or suffering and we do everything we can to avoid it.  To avoid the present moment.  It really seems that we do all that we can to escape suffering rather than embrace it.

Yet what the psalmist is sharing with us is that those who are wiling to embrace the human condition, to embrace this life even to the point it moves you to tears.  The truth is though, tears can come from grief and from suffering, but they can also be present in laughter and in joy.  The common point is your heart and that it is present in the moment it is willing to be moved to that place.  If it is not present and you are not free, it cannot be moved.

Fear and anxiety tend to cut us off from our emotions, so in the moment when tears begin flowing it is a natural expression of our emotions, with each tear we are able to let go of things in a natural way, unloading what is on our minds and on our chests.  It opens us up to a clearer picture of who we are and the situations we are experiencing, and it makes us more willing to be open and to depend on God.  It is when we do this that we are most able to experience the peace and joy that is beyond any understanding.

Prayer: “God, thank you for today, thank you that You are present with me.  As I open myself to these emotions, let your presence be known to me, that I might know your strength, your comfort, your peace, and your joy.  Amen”

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you.  I will remove your stony heart from your body and replace it with a live one.”  Ezekiel 36:26

Have you ever considered the truth of the heart?  We look at an athlete powering through an injury and talk about the heart that they are displaying.  Or we might see someone who has committed unbelievable atrocities against humanity and talk about the cold nature of their heart.  For someone who has been wronged we might say the have a bitter heart.

The truth is our heart defines us, it is what is visible to those around us, it reflects who and whose we truly are.  Our scripture today offers that God will replace our heart of stone, that is a heart that is focused on this world and all the evils that exist within, with one of light, of mercy and forgiveness, grace, and love.  A heart that is filled with life.

Of this world, our heart is filled with anger, frustration, bitterness, regret and shame but the good news is that through Jesus Christ.  Through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection our hearts are transformed and made new, placing the Holy Spirit within us changing us from the inside out.

And each day, if we allow it, the transformed you will be revealed as the shell of this world breaks away.  I would encourage you to allow the truth of your heart to be seen more and more each day, revealing the image of Christ in your words, in your actions through the life that you live.  One small piece at a time allows Jesus to be the image shinning from your heart.

Prayer: “Lord God, thank you for today, thank you for the new heart.  Lord allow the shell of this world to fall away that the witness and truth of the heart you gave me can be seen by all who are around me.  Amen”

“Jesus said, ‘stop worrying about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.’” – Matthew 6:34

Stop, that’s right stop what you are doing, unless of course you’re driving down the highway at 75 MPH or currently performing brain surgery.  If you are doing either, then why are you reading this?  Seriously, the reason I had you stay still for a moment was to consider, has concern or worry about tomorrow ever and I mean ever substantially changed it?

The answer, of course not, but we continue to do it, robbing us of the memories, laughter, joy, and love that has been presented to us today.  It is easy to look ahead, look to the unknown and wring our hands.  Placing our focus on things that are beyond our grasp and control, rather than allowing our eyes, our minds, and our hearts to be present in the moment of today.

That doesn’t mean that we don’t plan, we do not lay out plans for tomorrow, next week or three years from now.  The destination of our future is laid out in the planning of today.  You will notice I said planning and not worrying.  Prayerfully, set your destination, your goals and trust that God will be present through the Holy Spirit, to help guide you day by day.  In doing so, by placing your trust in God, you will find that the worry will soon wisp as smoke in the air allowing you to be present in the moment, finding the treasures God is offering in the gift of today.

Prayer: “Almighty God, thank you for today.  Help us to set our goals for our future and each day give thanks for the day and renew our focus on you, and on the steps, we will take today to reach our destination.  Amen”

“Those who guard their lips preserve their lives, but those who speak rashly will come to ruin.”

Proverbs 13:3

Think back over the last 72 hours, just over the last 3 days have you said something, that you regret, that was hurtful, that spoke pain into a life around you or to yourself?  I suspect if we are honest with ourselves the answer is yes.

Especially, today with social media it is all to easy to offer our “honest opinion” about a situation or the manner in which someone is living their life, I know I struggle with that.  The question is do we really know what’s going on?  Have we seen each of the Lego blocks that have gone into building that situation?  Often times we have not. 

The first century philosopher Philo offer us these words, “Be kind for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”  Being kind does not mean that we agree with someone, but it does mean that we find a way to speak words of encouragement and life into ourselves and those around us. 

Before you type or speak take a moment to consider the words asking, “Are these words that will lift them up or tear them down?”  Find ways to stand next to our neighbor, to lift them up.  When we learn to speak words building someone up rather than tearing them down, we will find the world around us changing.  So today, speak words of life and encouragement into yourself and into those around you.

Prayer: “God you are the Creator of all things including love.  Soften my heart and my tongue that I might offer encouragement into my life and into the lives of those around me.  Amen”

Look I’m standing at the door and knocking.  If any hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to be with them and will have dinner with them, and they will have dinner with me.  Revelation 3:20

I don’t know about you, but I’m not a fan of sales calls or door to door salespeople, I mean if I need something I know it.  I don’t need someone stopping by the house knocking on my door trying to sell me something by telling me what I need.

I offer that and remember a story my father shared.  He grew up in the country and as a young boy, the electric company ran power lines past the house but not yet to the house.  One day a door-to-door salesperson stopped at the house to try and sell Grandma Effie an electric vacuum cleaner.  Before grandma could tell him that they had no electricity, he had dumped a cannister of dirt on the carpet in the living room.  As the dust plumed out from the pile, he promised that if his vacuum cleaner did not get the rug cleaner than beating it, he would beat the all the rugs in the house.  Needless to say, dad didn’t have to beat the rugs that week.

In our scripture this week, we find Jesus admonishing members of a church for being too prideful, and self-reliant.  The amazing thing is just as quickly as he reprimands them, Jesus is offering to them a way to be reconciled, to be in relationship with Him.  All we have to is invite him in.

Often, we are prideful and self-reliant, we fail to recognize that we need more than ourselves, that the one knocking on the door can offer us a life beyond what we may know.  Jesus offers us that opportunity, we just have to open the door.  

Prayer:  Lord, we give thanks for this day and for you.  Give me ears to hear what you are trying to tell me, give me the courage to admit I cannot do this by myself, give me the humility to open the door.  Amen

“Whatever you do, whether in speech or action, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus and give thanks to God the Father through him.”  Colossians 3:17

I have a friend who owns a small business.  Both he and his wife work long hours taking care of their customers, ensuring that their every need is met, with a smile on their face.  Once in a while, he will talk about how tired he is, how he’d like to take some time off but can’t.  In the past I’ve shared with him, that he ought to find help, someone who can take some of the burden from he and his wife.  His response is always the same, “I can’t do that!  Both of us have worked hard to build the business and our reputation.  People trust us, and I just can’t risk that.”  I fully understand where he is coming from, reputation, having a name mean something is crucial. 

I consider the work that our heavenly father has given those of us who consider ourselves followers of Christ.  We have been given the freedom to speak, act and respond as we choose, however as we do so, we are acting as a representative of God, it is the name of Jesus that we leave when we walk away.  You see in that freedom to do what we choose; we are called to reflect the image of Christ in those actions.  That is rather that speaking out in hate, we offer words of love and encouragement.  Instead of turning our back, we offer our neighbor a hand up.  Instead of holding a grudge, finding a way to forgive and to move forward.

So, as you move through your day, consider the image you are leaving behind, the name you are representing.  Let us pray “Lord God, thank you for today, thank you for your trust in me.  As I walk through this day, let me leave the image of Jesus wherever I go.  Amen”

“No temptation has seized you that isn’t common for people. But God is faithful. He won’t all you to be tempted beyond your abilities. Instead with the temptation, God will also supply a way out so that you will be able to endure it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13

Have you ever spent time in a corn maze?  Over the years I have found my way into a few and managed to find my way out.  Entering in, you realize just how tall corn can grow (under the right conditions over 8 feet tall).  And within a few steps you lose all sense of direction of where you are, or which way to turn.  I mean it seemingly gets dark and as you look around everything looks the same.  You ask, “have I been here before?”, you run into roadblocks and before long you ask the question, :am I ever going to find my way out?”.

Several years back, I had an experience with my wife and a few friends.  This particular maze was touted as being the “mid-west’s” largest maze.  We’d been in there a while maybe 15 or 20 minutes, when I heard a young voice ask, “grandpa, how do you know this is the right way?”, the grandfather’s response, “There is always a way out, you just have to look up.”.

In those words, I not only found the key to getting out of the maze, but I also found wisdom by which we can live life.  You see, when life become difficult, when we find ourselves drawn by the world to think, say or do of this world, we simply need to look up and God will as Paul says, “supply you with a way out”.  And that day as I looked up I spotted the very top of a very tall tree I had noticed near the exit sign. 

Sure enough, as I looked up, I was able to find my way out of the maze and out of the temptations that I face every day. 

Prayer:  Lord God, you are a light that shines brightly in this world that can be dark and confusing.  Thank you for your presence in my life and as I walk through this day, help me, remind me to look up, guiding me away from the temptations of this world.  Amen