Kissed by the Spirit

“Jesus said to him, “‘Everything is possible to one who has faith.” 

Then the boy’s father cried out, 

“I do believe, help my unbelief!”

Mark 9:23-24 (NAB)

Faith is knowing that everything is in God’s hands, even if our faith is weak. It’s okay to be honest with Jesus and confess our doubts, saying, “Lord, help me in my unbelief.” 

Those were the words of the father of a demon possessed boy. I can just imagine how the father of that boy was mentally, spiritually, and emotionally drained, from years of caring for a son with strange behaviors. In hearing Jesus say, “anything is possible to the one who believes”, that father probably figured that it excludes him, since he struggled with unbelief. He might have had very little faith, but he had a whole lot of honesty, to approach Jesus saying, “Help me in my unbelief.” 

It’s easy to get the impression that Jesus only responds to people of great faith. He praised the Centurion who said “Only say the word, Lord.” He was impressed by the woman who said “If I can just touch the fringe of His garment, I will be healed.” He highlighted the example of the gentile woman who persisted in faith, saying, “Even a dog can receive the crumbs that fall from the table”. 

There’s no doubt that Jesus praised people of great faith, but He also responds to total honesty. Jesus was touched by that father’s honest plea, because the Lord seeks intimacy with all of people, and intimacy requires honesty. 

Jesus wanted to help the disciples who were struggling to believe that He had truly risen on that third day. He made a special effort to convince them that He wasn’t a ghost or a spirit, but a flesh and blood living  body. He removed their doubts, by eating food with them and showing them His scars and the wound in His side. 

He offered all of the disciples, not just Thomas, the chance to touch Him and feel His scars, saying, 

“It is I, myself. Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.” 

(Luke 24:39)  

God is patient with everyone who is struggling to believe for something. He was patient with the father in this story, He was patient with all of His disciples, and He is patient with us today. He doesn’t expect us to fake it or to give up and walk away in unbelief. We learn from the father in this story that there’s a third option, to ask Jesus to help us in our unbelief. 

I don’t always have confident faith and assurance when I pray for my son, Jon. I frequently need to ask for help in my own unbelief. Then I try to visualize Jesus’ nail scarred hands extended towards me, telling me to touch and see. He doesn’t scoff at us when we confess our doubts. What a comfort it is to have a Savior, who accepts and loves us as we are. 

As we remember the relentless love God has for all humanity, and the various levels of faith among people struggling to believe, we can almost hear Jesus saying to us today, 

“Touch Me and see how much I love you.”

Lord, whatever level our faith is at, help us to always be honest with you, as you help us through times of unbelief. As we confess our doubts, draw us closer, deepen our faith and send miracles. Amen

“Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. And when Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him.”

Exodus 34:29-30 (RSV)

Moses had just spent 40 days on Mount Sinai, chatting with God and receiving the commandments. On the 41st day, he was physically changed because his face was glowing so much that no one would dare come near to him. He also glowed inwardly because the bible describes Moses as, “more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.” (Numbers 12:3)

It’s not surprising that spending time in the actual presence of God, has a humbling effect on a person. Since God is love, spending time in His presence is naturally humbling because a person comes away with a greater awareness of how much God really loves us unconditionally.

My own takeaway from this story is that God leaves His glow in anyone who spends time in His presence. Whether it is for a few minutes or a for hours, He puts His glow in us. It isn’t a visible glow, shining from our face like Moses, but an inner glow. We’ve all met people who have an inner glow about them. 

Jesus invites us to abide in Him so that we will be fruitful. Abiding in Him is like the time we spend on our daily mountain top, chatting with Him in prayer, reading His words in scripture and listening to His Spirit speak to our heart.

We also come away from a mountain top, glowing in our own special way. We are all special simply because God is especially in love with each one of us. When we come to realize how much we are loved by Him, it leaves a mark, and that mark is our inner glow. 

Just as Jesus was sent to reveal His Father’s love to us, He sends us out to comfort, forgive, encourage and listen to others. As He does for us, we do for others, because that’s how the inner glows works within us. There is an inner glow in all people who trust in God. 

I am seeing that inner glow in a lady resident at the Nursing Facility, who I once wrote about. I will call her Joan to protect her privacy. She is the lady friend of Jim, the war hero. She is also the one who gave me money to buy Jim some pants, when his government benefits suddenly stopped two months ago. Joan talks to Jim and to anyone else who will listen, about her faith in God. 

Last week Joan was sent to the hospital after having vision problems for some time. Tests revealed an eye disease that could progress to total blindness. It was a shocking diagnosis and a lot for her to think about, though she is currently being treated with steroids. 

In talking to her, she has a genuinely positive perspective for such a dire prognosis. She insists that she’d rather lose her sight than her sense of hearing, since she enjoys music so much. She is mentally preparing herself for a future of possible blindness, but is also confident that Jesus is with her in whatever her future brings. She has that inner glow, despite a complex past history and a serious new diagnosis. 

Someone once said that any mess can be turned into a message. Joan is a person who made a mess of her past life and talks about it openly. She had a career as a surgical nurse, but became addicted to drugs. Her heroin addiction resulted in a divorce, and her two daughters chose to live with their father and to this day, have nothing to do with her. She admits to making bad choices, but her spirit of humility and honesty about her past, led her to make the best choice of her entire life, giving her life to Jesus. Even in all of her brokenness, she knows that Jesus loves her and it’s never too late to come to His fountain of abundant grace and mercy. 

She is 74 years old and holding on to her faith and I believe her story isn’t over yet. Her humility and inner glow still shines through, pointing others  to the love and mercy of Christ. I pray for her healing, for a future reunion with her daughters, and that her inner glow will keep shining through the darkness and touch all who know her. 

Lord, help us to abide in you daily, to always be aware of your abundant love for us, and to let our inner glow keep shining upon all those we meet. Amen

“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

Isaiah 30:21 (NIV)

That “voice behind us” sounds like a description of intuition or a gut feeling, which is the ability to acquire knowledge without conscious reasoning. Everyone has made an intuitive decision at some time, and later learned that their gut feeling was absolutely correct. We don’t hear an audible voice with a gut feeling. It’s just a divine sense of direction and guidance, that comes from somewhere within us or behind us, saying, “This is the way, walk in it.”

There are times when we need to make an informed decision, despite having limited information, so we ask God for guidance. The Lord might be moving us into new territory, whether it’s a new job, a new church, a new neighborhood, a school, or a different Nursing Home. 

A situation can lead us to sense that it’s time to move on, that we are subtly being redirected elsewhere. It begins with a growing feeling of disconnect in the place we’re at, which may be God’s way of signaling a change. I’ve learned that when I ask God to give me a gut feeling to confirm some type of change, He will give it. 

A few negative experiences involving the leadership at the Nursing Home where Jon lives, have caused me to sense a disconnect in how the management interacts with families of residents. I began to wonder if there might be another place, where he could make better progress, and be closer to where I live, so I started praying and searching for Nursing Facilities closer to my home.

I took the first step of touring three facilities close to my home. Every Nursing Home puts on their best impression when they give tours, so I asked God to give me a gut feeling to confirm which place is really the best for Jon.  

My first tour was at a beautiful three story facility, only ten minutes from my home. I was told that long term care residents live on the 3rd floor, but for some unknown reason, they only showed me the first and second floors on the tour. Without asking why, it left me with some doubt. 

The next facility I toured was fifteen minutes from my home, but I sat in the lobby waiting twenty minutes until the director could take me on the tour. She seemed very distracted, repeating the same question but not listening to my answer. Afterward, I learned they have a waiting list for all new admissions.

The third place was twenty minutes from my home. I walked into a clean, attractive and spacious lobby and was immediately greeted by a friendly receptionist offering me water at the beverage station. The admissions director took me on a tour and showed me the actual room that could be Jon’s, with a private bathroom, at no extra cost, and there was no waiting list.

Not knowing enough about the quality of caregivers working at any of these three facilities, can make a decision like this very stressful and intimidating. I had to rely on that gut feeling, and from the moment I walked into the third facility, I felt a different vibe than the previous two places. After leaving, I realized that this vibe is the gut feeling that I asked God for.

The interesting thing about the third facility is that fifteen years ago, I had a patient in the hospital where I worked, who told me her husband received very good care at this particular facility. For years I made a mental note of “BellaTerra”, the name of the place, in case I ever needed it for a family member. I never dreamed that I would need it for my adult son.

In spite an impressive tour, my decision is not based on a friendly receptionist, a fifteen year old referral, or a nice room with a private bath. Nothing but that gut feeling is the inspiration for making my decision. I asked, God answered, and I believe it is the right move for Jon.

Jon might get transferred in a week or so, but I plan to continue visiting the friends I made at the other NH once a week. I would like to maintain the friendships with those few residents I’ve come to know.

If we ask God for a gut feeling to make difficult decisions, He will do it. He is forever the voice behind us whispering deep within, telling us the right way to go.

Lord, thank you for divine guidance, intuition and gut feelings, that guide us beyond all knowledge. If we ask and listen for your voice behind us, you will tell us the right way to go. Amen

“As they prayed, the place where they were gathered shook, and they were all filled with the holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.”

Acts 4:31 (NIV)

The acts of the apostles left a trail of miracles everywhere they went, even though the early church lived under the constant threat of persecution. Peter was imprisoned for preaching about Jesus, and after getting out of jail, he went straight to church. He reunited with his congregation, they lifted their voices in prayer with praise, and the ground they stood on literally shook. 

Scripture says that they were of one heart and mind. There’s no limit to what God can do when His church is united in heart and mind. Peter and John were just two of many who were rocking the world with the message of Christianity in those days. They healed paralytics, resurrected the dead, and the sick were healed with only Peter’s shadow passing over them. The church kept growing with new members added daily. Governing  authorities were powerless to subdue the excitement of that new faith.

While Peter and John did those awe inspiring wonders, Philip was visited by an angel, telling him to go on the road headed towards Gaza. Then the Holy Spirit told him to join a man up ahead, who was riding in his chariot. The man was an Ethiopian government official, who received the gospel message from Philip with joy, and became a believer. Ethiopia has an ancient history of Christianity, which probably all began with Philip that day.

Luke, who wrote the book of Acts, recorded all these ground shaking miracles. When the church prayed, the ground shook, the Holy Spirit spoke, angels visited and spoke to men, and a chariot ride brought Christianity to an entire nation. 

We’re the same church today and we have the same Holy Spirit, who still gives the same divine guidance. We may not see angels or audibly hear the Spirit’s voice, but the Lord is still leading us every day to influence the world for Christ. It starts with the simplest acts of kindness, which may not seem ground shaking, but it’s exactly what Jesus taught us to do. I know of many people today who are impacting the world by showing compassion and doing simple acts of kindness, on a one on one basis. 

I noticed that a certain resident at the NH had not been in the Day room for a few days. I asked about him but no one knew why. At my next visit, I saw him and he came over to our table. He seemed confused, muttering phrases that made no sense. He told us that he just received an ECT treatment. (Electroconvulsive therapy for people with an extreme form of depression.) He looked very anxious and told us he didn’t know what year it was or his last name. He was visibly shaken and could hardly get his words out. All of us sitting at the table were surprised to see him this way.

I wondered what I could say or do to help him find some peace. I picked up his hand and showed him his wristband and read his last name to him. He nodded in agreement, as if to recognize his name. I told him the year is 2025 and asked if I could pray for him. He said yes, so I prayed a simple prayer asking God to heal him and give him peace. 

The ground didn’t shake, an angel didn’t appear, but I’m sure the Holy Spirit was there. It wasn’t a very spectacular moment but he was very receptive to being prayed for. I don’t know how he is doing since that prayer, but I trust that God will help him in time. 

God doesn’t need our help, but He wants us to touch lives and be involved with the people He sends our way. Jesus once said that He desires that we show compassion to others more than offering sacrifices to God. (Matthew 9:13)

Small acts of compassion are what God has always called the church to do, whether it was with the apostles of the first century, or any one of us today. Instead of expecting ground shaking miracles, we need to return to the basics, showing small acts of compassion, which can be ground shaking for some, and might even transform a life. 

Lord, keep us aware of the value of every small act of kindness, which can touch lives and show your love to others as we are led by your Spirit each day. Amen

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

a time to weep, and a time to laugh;

a time to mourn, and a time to dance;”

Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4 (RSV)

Those of us in a particular age group will remember these words from the hit song by the Byrds in 1965. The words were derived from all eight verses in this chapter of scripture. King Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes and Pete Seeger was first to turn the words into a song in 1959. The Byrds later adapted it and it became the hit song, called  “Turn, Turn, Turn.”

People read the seasons, signs and cycles of nature as they adjust and plan accordingly. Professional golfers know how to read the greens of each golf course. Fighter pilots use OODA, a code which stands for observe, orient, decide and act. It helps them make quick, accurate decisions while flying at high speeds. 

Farmers read the phases of the moon, since some are better for planting, when its gravitational pull is best for plant growth and root development. Physicians observe a patients’ symptoms to decide which diagnostic tests to order and how to best treat them. 

God created a beautiful world with cycles and systems of nature, which mankind has learned to navigate according to their field of interest. He has made everything beautiful in its time, and He created us to hunger for the pleasures that last forever, which only He can satisfy. 

Just as there are times, cycles and seasons in the universe, there are also times, cycles and seasons in our personal journey of life and faith.

We all experience seasons of joy and laughter, as well as seasons of mourning and weeping. If we can read the seasons in our lives, as we do in nature, we will have a better sense of divine providence, knowing that everything is working towards our eternal good in the end.

Joy has little to do with the absence of problems, but rather is the result of a grateful heart. Believing that God is always in control, gives us a sense of gratitude and makes it easier to transition into the next season that is ahead of us. Nothing stays the same, change is difficult, and the biggest challenge is when we face a time or season that brings a new sorrow or discomfort. 

Peter tells us not to be surprised by every fiery ordeal that we face, that we are sharing in Christ’s suffering through our own, and will find inexpressible joy on the day He reveals His glory to us. 

(1 Peter 4:12-14) We were meant to seek the lessons God has for us through all the seasons of our lives. 

My two older brothers were only eighteen months apart and were very close growing up. As the only girl and the youngest, I felt like an only child at times. Now as I reflect on their relationship, I can appreciate it more after raising twin boys, who grew up with the same kind of closeness. 

My brothers shared a bedroom as well as the same group of friends. They laughed together, played sports together, shared their first car, attended the same college together and had the same best friend, who stood up at both of their weddings. They both had a first born baby daughter, born within two months of each other.

Three years after his daughter was born, my oldest brother Ted, died suddenly at the age of 35, in his F-16 fighter jet. He was a skilled Air Force instructor pilot, but crashed during a training mission, which later was found to be caused by an electrical wire chafing problem, common in F-16’s at the time.

(A movie called Afterburn, released in 1992 tells his story)

The loss of my oldest brother was a sad season in my family’s lives, but especially for my brother, John. Although he always had a stoic exterior, I have come to understand that he suffered loss in a different way than the rest of us did. He not only lost a brother, he lost his best friend, the one person who knew him best and was supposed to be his lifelong friend. 

Today, my brother John has a family of his own and is close with his own son and grandsons, which I believe is God’s gift of comfort and blessing to him. In thinking about faith, families, siblings and the seasons of our lives, I have come to realize that Jesus is an older brother to all of us, and He stays with us throughout every season and trial that we go through.

For those who know what it’s like to prematurely lose a sibling, spouse, parent or child, Jesus has been there with us all along, as an older brother. He has known us since we were born, and leads us by example.

In every person’s life, there will be seasons of joy and sorrow, but if we learn to read the changing seasons of our lives, we can believe that everything is beautiful in its own time, since God uses all seasons towards our eternal good. We can go through life in peace, knowing Jesus has His arms around us, and we will never go through any season alone.

Lord, thank you for making every  season and cycle of our lives beautiful its own time. Give us the wisdom to read the season, to find joy through gratitude, and to know you love us and will be with us in every season. Amen

“For the Lord your God is He that goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.”

Deuteronomy 20:4 (RSV)

To everyone who ever hoped to have someone fight for them, you can be assured that God fights for you all day long by sending angel armies to battle those enemies of our souls, that we cannot see. He doesn’t fight to give us whatever we want, but to do what is best for our eternal souls.

As I think back to my early teens, I’m convinced now that God sent invisible helpers to lead me to a path of truth, which eventually set me free. During my foolish teen years, I immersed myself in the occult, dabbling with witchcraft, spells and into every area of fortune telling. As would be expected, I eventually became spiritually oppressed and couldn’t sleep well. I heard noises in my house, and felt an invisible presence over my shoulder at all times. Demonic oppression is real and it had a grip on me, but God sent His angels to fight for me. 

I’m always a bit hesitant to tell my story, thinking some may find it disturbing, or suspect it’s all in my mind, but I know that God fought for me. I have a special appreciation for Michael, the archangel, who appears in the Old Testament, to Joshua and Daniel, introducing himself as the captain of the Lord of hosts. He also appeared to John in his vision of Revelation. Michael’s role is directing all other angels in battling evil and angels are leading all of us to a saving faith in Jesus Christ.

I became entangled in the occult, which began with a Ouija board that was brought into my home when I was about twelve. Out of my whole family I took hold of it the most, and it took hold of me as well. I became very obsessed with all topics related to the occult. My spiritual hunger was misdirected to the wrong spirits. 

By nineteen, I felt trapped by the effects of the occult, but still gave little thought to God, thinking I fell out of favor with Him a long time ago. Someone once told me about a book of prophecies that foretold the end of the world. In my fascination with prophecy, I went to an occult bookstore to buy the book. The clerk told me the book was based on the Bible and they don’t sell those books there, so I just gave up on the idea and headed home. I know now that angels were moving into action on my behalf that day. 

On the way home, while waiting for a bus, I stood in front of a little store that sold candy, snacks, magazines and newspapers. I casually glanced in the window of that store, and there was the exact book that I just inquired about. I believe the Holy Spirit and angels were directing me to that paperback book that day. 

I went home and read the entire book in one afternoon, while alone in my home. The prophecies about the end times didn’t change anything for me but a little prayer on the last page of the book was my destiny changer. It was a simple prayer, thanking Jesus for dying on the cross for my sins, asking His forgiveness and inviting Him into my life. 

I was totally drawn in and ready to pray the prayer, but before I could start, I heard noises in my kitchen although no one was home but me. A kitchen cabinet door was opened which I never opened. My two cats began racing back and forth in the house as if an unseen force was chasing them. An invisible battle was in progress, and though I could see nothing, angels were fighting a spiritual battle for my soul. I know now that God sent Michael, who sent  angels to defeat the powers of darkness, and lead me to turn my life over to Jesus. 

I finally prayed that prayer and felt a physical sensation as if warm oil was pouring over me from head to toe. It felt like the loving presence of Jesus and the cleansing of His forgiveness. In that moment, the Holy Spirit was taking over my whole being in a very powerful way and I had a peace that surpassed all understanding. 

There were no more noises in my home and no longer any presence over my shoulder, because angels drove away all the unwanted spirits and the Holy Spirit was in full control. That all happened over fifty years ago but I remember it as if it were yesterday. 

God’s archangel, Michael, pierced the darkness that had a grip on me, and the power of the blood of Jesus set me free that day. 

God sends His angels to fight for us and He never stops fighting for our souls. We have nothing to fear because greater is the Holy Spirit who is in us, than whoever or whatever is in the world around us. We can have peace which surpasses all understanding, knowing God loves us and will fight for our souls. 

Lord, thank you for your heavenly armies who fight for us and for our loved ones. Shine your light through every kind of darkness today and give us peace, because of your great love for us. Amen

“But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison….. the Lord was with him; and whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper.”

Genesis 39:21, 23 (RSV)

Most people can relate to a prison story more than they realize. We’ve all had times in our lives when we felt bound, trapped, roadblocked, or imprisoned even if we’ve never been in an actual prison cell. We can feel imprisoned through an unhappy relationship, miserable job situation, a debilitating chronic illness or major financial difficulties.

There’s only a few bible stories about men who’ve spent time locked up.  Maybe we can learn something by looking at these four men who were unjustly imprisoned. The first one was Joseph of the Old Testament, then Peter, Paul and Silas in the New Testament. All were sentenced to prison time, even though innocent. Each man had a different prison sentence length, but all had two things in common; they all loved God and were wrongly accused.

Scripture says that the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love, while he was behind bars, but his story is still a sad one. He was falsely accused of rape, and spent thirteen years in prison. His jailer and fellow prisoners saw his unfaltering reverence for God, and over time, he was promoted to chief over all the prisoners. Later, he was set free and became second in command to Pharaoh, and promoted to governor of Egypt. Instead of going after all those who falsely accused and mistreated him, he had an amazingly  forgiving heart towards his enemies. That’s why the Lord showed him such favor. 

Peter was imprisoned for preaching the gospel. He had genuine trust in God to be able to fall asleep in a dirty, dark dungeon, chained to guards on both sides of him. That kind of trust stems from knowing that God loves us with a steadfast love. An angel appeared and put the guards to sleep, broke Peter’s chains, opened the locked iron gate and led him out of prison and back home. 

Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns, while their arms and legs were chained in their prison cell. The power of praise can never be underestimated, because as they sang, God brought heaven to earth with an earthquake that shook the foundation of their jail cell. Praise brings the power of God to earth, which loosed their chains and flung the prison doors wide open. 

After a period of time, God opened the prison doors for all of these men. The verse I have come to love, out of all these stories is, “But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love, and gave him favor”…..Isn’t that really what we all want? 

For God to show us “steadfast love and give us favor.”

A lesson can be learned from these imprisoned four, Joseph, Peter, Paul and Silas. God shows us through these four stories, the keys to unlock any metaphorical prison doors.

We are all so loved by God, with a steadfast love. He loved us long before we ever knew who He is. When we forgive those who hurt us, trust in God’s steadfast love, and give Him praise for who He is, not for what He does, we will be lifted out of our prison, and find a little bit of Heaven here on earth. 

Lord, help us to remember the lessons of these four men, in forgiving our enemies, trusting in your steadfast love for us, and praising you for who you are, rather than for what you do. Amen

“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”

Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NIV)

“God has made everything beautiful in its time.” This alone, is such an awesome and inspiring phrase, it could be made into a poster and framed. It emphasizes the truth that God’s timing is always perfect, and therefore, we can never go wrong to pray for His timing and trust that everything will work out beautifully. 

There are many different ways to apply this scripture and make it relevant to our lives. It could mean that every baby born in its time, is beautiful, whether premature, full term, completely healthy or not. It could also refer to a person in a Nursing Home, who despite their age or mental health, is beautiful in their own time and state of being. It could give us peace when we have chaotic days and nothing is going according to schedule, yet God is working out His perfect timing and purpose for the situation.

There are many stories in scripture, regarding God’s perfect timing. An angel told Sarah that she would have a son in the coming year. It all seemed absurd to her, because she was ninety years old at the time, but it happened. (Genesis 18:14)

The prophet Habakkuk is the only prophet to devote his entire work to the question of God’s justice in the world, and he said that every vision or prophetic word spoken by the Lord has an appointed time for its fulfillment.  (Habakkuk 2:3)

It gives us hope and confidence to trust that, despite all the problems, sorrows or injustices in the world, God is guiding every person’s life with purpose, grace and most of all, His appointed time. We need His perfect timing in every aspect of our lives. Everything is beautiful when we pray and ask for His timing, not ours.

My son was overdue for a CT scan of his brain, to check a shunt device that was placed a year ago to drain excess fluid from his brain. The appointment was finally made but the radiology lab doesn’t sedate patients, and the scan requires lying very still. I learned that his scan was ordered with and without contrast, which means they would need to place an IV in his arm to inject dye, and then do two scans.

I asked friends to pray that he would be cooperative, since he is confused and doesn’t follow commands. A few weeks ago, a nurse at his Nursing Facility tried to draw his blood, but he was so uncooperative, they had to cancel it. 

As the date drew nearer for his CT appointment, there were many friends and relatives praying that he would lie still for the time needed to get a readable scan. I also prayed for God’s perfect timing, that He would have the right people involved, which includes the nurse who places his IV, the Tech who scans him, the ambulance drivers who take him there, the NH caregiver who escorts him, and even the doctor who reads the scan afterward. God’s perfect timing can bring the most perfectly helpful people to every situation. 

Yesterday was his appointment and as the ambulance brought him from the Nursing Home, I drove from my home to meet them in the CT department of the hospital. I arrived extra early, and was surprised to learn that his scan was already in progress. The ambulance arrived earlier than the scheduled time and they took him right in. 

A few minutes later they told me it was finished and I could enter the room. The CT tech said that Jon was “very good”, which were the two most beautiful words I could have heard in the moment. I saw the IV in his arm, which meant he cooperated enough to tolerate the needle catheter to receive the contrast dye.

I am positive that the scan was a success only because of the many prayers, which God answered by having all the right people involved. I told the tech, the escort, and the ambulance drivers that they were all answers to many people’s prayers that day. 

God truly makes everything beautiful in its time. Praying and asking for His perfect timing in whatever we need, helps us to become more aware of His purpose and grace working in our lives. Thank you to all who prayed, and today I am waiting for the results of the scan. 

Lord, everything is truly beautiful in its time. Help us to always seek your perfect timing in every aspect of our lives. Amen

“It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things which have now been announced to you by those who preached the good news to you through the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.”

1 Peter 1:12 (RSV)

Peter sums up our salvation history, calling it the good news, “things into which, angels long to look.” Since angels long to look into our salvation, it must be an amazing phenomenon to them. 

Angels are given the power to do anything, except experience grace first hand. They don’t know what it’s like to personally receive mercy and forgiveness as we human beings do. That’s why they get so excited to observe us, as Jesus once said that angels rejoice and celebrate in Heaven, whenever one person repents. (Luke 15:10) 

If we ignore the extraordinary truths about angels, we would have to ignore 294 scripture verses about them throughout old and new testaments. 

There were angels present at every critical moment in Jesus’ life. They appeared to Joseph and Mary before His birth as well as when He was born. Matthew 4:11 tells us angels were with Jesus during His temptations in the desert. Scripture also says they were with Him in the Garden of Gethsemane, at His empty tomb, and at His ascension into Heaven. They will also be with Him at His second coming for the final judgement.

These created beings never die, having one sole purpose, to serve and worship God. They serve God by protecting and guiding each one of us, from womb to tomb. Every human person has an angel appointed to them for a lifetime, to do whatever is necessary to lead them to Heaven. Angels might be one of the least appreciated gifts God has given us.

Scripture hints that 1/3 of angels once rebelled, and fell from Heaven, led by Satan, which Jesus described watching. (Luke 10:18) 

There’s an entire world of invisible spirits around us, consisting of angels and demons. Fallen angels may have their own agenda, to steer the world away from faith and distract people from the love of God, but the other 2/3 of angels are still working for our good. Since God has the heart of a Father and the nature of a good Shepherd, His angels are always on mission to bring all of humanity back home to Him. 

At times, it may look like evil is achieving its goal in the world, but good overcomes evil. The effect of evil is just more visible to our eyes, while good is constantly working behind the scenes. Just as the crucifixion appeared to be an act of evil, it bore the fruit of redemption for the world, by giving us victory over death, and promises eternal life with Him. Even when things look bad, good is at work behind the scenes, to bring glory to God, and many souls to Heaven.

God’s Spirit, which dwells in us, is another underestimated power of good in this world. Our prayers can move mountains, we can speak for the helpless and we have a host of angelic helpers who go with us in all we do. The more we realize how angels are here to help us, the more we can reach our full potential. Scripture tells us that angels will sometimes disguise themselves as helpful strangers. (Hebrews 13:2)

Regular people can also be like angels to us, by doing or saying the right things at the right time in our most vulnerable moments. 

God may even use a pet to be our angel. I recently heard a true story of a man who was asleep when his dog began jumping on his chest. It turns out the man was having a heart attack while sleeping. Somehow his dog detected it and quickly woke him up. He called paramedics and his life was saved because of a little dog named Champ, who God used as the angel to save his life that day.

Lord, thank you for the gift of angels, in whatever form you send them to us. Help us by your grace to reach our full potential in being angels for others and to keep receiving help from the angels you send us. Amen

(man with his dog, Champ)

(Man with his dog Champ)

(Matthew 6:9-13)

Jesus gave us the Lord’s Prayer to pray, but also to use as a template for all prayer. In breaking down one line at a time, maybe we can better understand what He is teaching us:

      Our Father who art in heaven;

God is the King of the universe and yet He wants us to address Him as Father, because we are sons and daughters, not subjects or servants. He has a beloved son, but He wants to be our Father as well. A child doesn’t need to earn His father’s love with good deeds. A natural father loves his children from the day they were born, before they could do anything right or wrong. God also loved us first, before we even knew of Him. 

     Hallowed be Thy name;

The name of God is to be hallowed, which means to treat it as sacred and holy, because He is sacred and holy. I love the contrast of the first and second line in this prayer. He is our loving intimate father but He is also the most high, sacred and holiest God. We are loved by a holy God who also wants His children to be holy, as His Spirit searches and purifies our hearts.

     Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven;

This line reminds us that there is more to come and our life in this world is not all there is. God has a coming kingdom, and until that kingdom comes, He desires that we let His will be done in our lives. In all that we pray and ask for, our wishes and desires are still yielded to His will, saying as Jesus said, “Thy will be done.” We can say it because God always knows what’s best for us and we trust in His perfect will.

      Give us this day our daily bread;

Bread is nourishment, and for us it is both physically and spiritually nourishing. Jesus is our daily bread of spiritual nourishment. Everyone is on a quest for nourishment, but sometimes we look for it in all the wrong places. We look for it through relationships or things we can buy, but Jesus called Himself the living bread of heaven. Jesus is our daily bread and no other bread satisfies the soul and spirit as He does.

      Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; 

We are reminded that forgiveness needs to be a two way street. Here is the biggest challenge in the entire Lord’s prayer. Every statement in this prayer is one that Jesus talked about regularly. He reminded us many times about forgiving others, through his parables. If we want to be forgiven, He says we must forgive others. There’s an old Irish proverb “We bury the hatchet but mark the spot.” Forgiveness is easier if we have a short term memory, and forget where all the hatchets are buried. 

       Lead us not into temptation, but       deliver us from evil.

The previous parts of the Lord’s Prayer pertain to things which we  can take control of, by lining our will up with God’s. We seek His daily nourishment, we allow ourselves to be loved and fathered by Him, and we forgive our enemies, but this last line is a plea for divine help. It’s asking for what only God can do, in keeping us from all evil. He is our good shepherd, who delivers us from evil. An old testament title for God is “El Gibor,” which translates from Hebrew to, “God, our hero.”

Jesus saves the best line for last, in the conclusion to this prayer, that God is our true hero, who delivers us from all evil.  After the many times we have all experienced His deliverance from evil, it’s easy to finally say, 

“To Him be the kingdom, the power and the glory, now and forever.”

Amen