Kissed by the Spirit

“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 1:6 (NIV)

This scripture verse tells us that we are God’s good work, His project, His pride and joy, and yet we are still a work in progress, which He intends to finish one day. It’s good to know that He is still working on us, and that no one is finished yet. 

Paul said the same thing to the Ephesians, that we are all God’s workmanship. (Ephesians 2:10)

It was a steady theme in his many letters. God is doing a special work in each of us. 

We all get disturbed by trials but Peter wrote to the church, “Do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal before you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you.” 

Yet it always surprises us, when we receive a dreaded phone call, an unexpected medical test result, or have to deal with a person who gets under our skin, or suffer a hurtful response from a trusted friend or relative. Each trial is part of His work to shape us into Christ-like people.

(1 Peter 4:12) 

Fiery trials come in many ways, but scripture calls them “fiery” because they still surprise us as much as something bursting into flames would.

If we could all watch a movie of our entire life, from the beginning to this present day, some scenes would make us laugh and some would make us cry. Some would leave us with a sense of achievement and others with a sense of shame. Our faith waxes and wanes throughout the various storms we face in our lives, and yet somehow, we pick ourselves up and keep moving forward. That’s where God’s grace comes into play.

God’s grace is perfected through our weaknesses, by transforming them into strengths. That’s because He who began a good work in us, intends to bring it to completion. Christianity is a forward bound faith. We were meant to keep looking ahead, to learn what God is trying to teach and accomplish in our lives. God never looks backward, and neither should we. 

Jesus spoke a lot about forgiveness. We are to receive His forgiveness, forgive others, and forgive ourselves. He brought redemption to the most unlikely people. He broke some cultural rules, but He healed many broken people, and He is still healing broken hearts today. Jesus had a special knack for frustrating the traditionalists, but a gift for giving hope to the hopeless. His message was and still is, that redemption is a costly, but free gift, that He paid for all people.

The anecdote to stress is to keep hoping in God through it all. Jesus told us His Father knows the number of hairs on our head, every moment of every day. Since we are that valuable to God, how can we not trust Him to finish the plan He once started in us? 

Thank you to all who offered their prayers for Jon. He is still in the hospital but doing much better. May God give us grace to continue doing a good work in him and all of us and our loved ones. 

Lord, we trust and acknowledge that you are doing a good work in us, and we pray for your grace to strengthen us by transforming all weakness into strength. Amen

“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers,

nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 8:38-39 (NAB)

This has to be one of the most uplifting and faith inspiring verses in scripture. Nothing can separate us from the love of God, no accident, disease, tragedy, or desperate situation. Not even the most extreme malevolence that reigns in high places can separate anyone from God’s love. No human or spirit being, or force of nature, can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. He is with us every moment, both in wakefulness and in our sleep. 

I was reminded of this fact yesterday. While I was sleeping, I dreamed that someone was telling me that Jon was sent to the hospital from his Nursing home. I wasn’t given a reason in the dream, but at that very moment, I was awoken by the sound of my cell phone buzzing. It was 3am and the Nursing home was calling. His nurse told me that they were sending Jon to the hospital due to vomiting and low oxygen saturations. 

It’s kind of crazy that I dreamed it, in the moment I received the phone call. I arrived at the hospital to find Jon very sleepy, but resting with good vital signs. The nurse said that his CT scan was interpreted by the weekend radiologist, as a bowel perforation. The attending ER doctor came into the room to tell me that he thoroughly examined Jon and his scans, but did not see any sign of a perforation. His plan was to admit him and treat him for an intestinal infection. 

It was a Sunday morning which started out with some drama, between my dream, the 3am phone call, initial talk of a bowel perforation and then the calming presence of the doctor who assured me he saw no sign of a perforation. Instead of quickly sending Jon back to his Nursing home, the ER doctor felt it wiser to admit him, start antibiotics, and observe him.

It’s so easy to forget that in the midst of the many stresses we may be dealing with in the moment, that Jesus is right there with us. He not only knows what we are about to go through, but He is right there next to us, speaking His peace to us, even when we don’t hear it. That dream was a confirmation that the Lord, who knows everything, was preparing me to not fear, and later sent words of peace through the doctor. Since nothing can separate us from God’s love, everything will be alright.

There is another true story about words of peace and someone’s surprisingly good outcome. A monk named Nectarios, lived over a hundred years ago in Greece. He was a humble and exceptionally kind, loving man who shared the love of God with everyone. He helped children, the poor, the outcasts, the homeless and prostitutes. He was falsely accused of the same things Jesus was, by the corrupt orthodox clergy, who were his superiors of his day. In spite of being slandered and treated badly by the hierarchy who were over him, he forgave them all. 

He eventually became very ill and was admitted to the hospital for late stage prostate cancer, and doctors said he wasn’t strong enough to make it through surgery. He shared a hospital room with a younger man who was depressed after being paralyzed from a work accident. That man told Nectarios that God has forgotten him, and that he feels useless, being unable to ever work or support his family again. Then he  asked Nectarios, “Why didn’t God just let me die?” Nectarios turned to the man and said, “Have faith, my friend, God has a surprise for you.”

Within minutes of their conversation, Nectarios breathed his last and passed away peacefully. The man in the bed next to him suddenly regained movement of his hands and feet. He stood up, walked around the room, and everyone realized that a  miraculous healing took place.

The man who once thought that God’s love was too far away from him, realized nothing separates us from His love. God was there all along, and his roommate was probably praying for him. The man had a change of heart and mind, which is called “metanoia” in Greek. The greatest miracles are those that change the heart and mind, turning someone toward Christ, which is what happened that day. We can all live by Nectarios’ last words, and trust that “God has a surprise for us.”

Lord, thank you for your inseparable love, that changes our hearts and minds, helping us to live with the kind of faith in you that will always expect surprise blessings. Amen 

“He answered them, “It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has established by his own authority.”

Acts 1:7 (NAB)

God has established times and seasons for all kinds of things; the beginning and end of our lives, the parents who raised us, and every person who impacts us and who we impact, during our lifetime. We may not know what God has planned but it’s good to know that He has plans, and He knows the perfect time to have them all play out. That alone makes it worthwhile to pray and ask for His perfect timing in everything we do.

I have discovered a simple, but impactful prayer to pray before I leave the house each day. I say, “Lord, I ask for your perfect timing in everything today.”

Whenever I start the day, praying this prayer, some interesting things seem to happen. I prayed it the day I went to the bank to submit guardianship papers for my son after his accident. After I finished telling the bank official about Jon’s current medical condition, an older woman and total stranger, walked over to tell me that she couldn’t help overhear my story. Then she asked my son’s name so that she could pray for him. 

She was a total stranger, and I never saw her again. 

I prayed that prayer another day, as I prepared to take a weekly 20 mile drive to pick up Jon’s mail which was sent to a UPS mailbox at a store in Lake County, where he used to live. I arrived at the UPS store and a different clerk was behind the counter that day. When I asked for Jon’s mail, he asked me how he was doing. We talked for a few minutes and he told me that he is a guardian for his adult son, with autism. Then he paused, took my hand and said he would be praying daily for Jon. 

I was stunned by both of these experiences, since it’s not everyday that I run into total strangers who go out of their way to pause from their own routine, in a public place, to tell me that they are going to pray for my son. God intervenes in our lives when we pray, and He likes to do it through everyday people. When we ask for His perfect timing, He brings the right person to the right place, at the right time.

One day I was on the way to a hair salon appointment, and while driving, I prayed for God’s perfect timing in everything that day. Seated next to me at the salon, was a lady who I just met. She told me about her back pain, and how much she liked her pain doctor, but he left the practice and she couldn’t find him anywhere. 

After learning her pain doctor’s name, it happened to be someone I used to work with. I texted someone else who worked with him, and they texted him, and confirmed that he no longer practices pain management, but he recommended the name of another pain doctor that he knew personally. I gave her the name of the doctor he recommended, and she was delighted.

I felt like a middle man, with all the texting going on back and forth, but it turned out that this lady was so grateful to receive the name of a doctor, recommended by her own previous pain doctor, that she was convinced that destiny had us meet that day. I knew it was all part of God’s perfect timing. 

Asking God for His perfect timing is really no different than asking for His will to be done, which is how Jesus taught us to pray the Lord’s Prayer. We also need to ask each day, just like asking for our daily bread. I believe God wants to be invited into every individual’s day. It’s kind of like plugging ourselves in to Him, and then He sends people our way to help us during the day. 

The Lord proved to me, that He could arrange the day and time to have a particular clerk behind a particular UPS counter, or a certain stranger to be in a bank at a certain time, or a special lady who was suffering with back pain to sit next to me in a hair salon, on one special day. 

The times of our life are in God’s hands, and when we ask for His perfect timing, He works through others, but His ultimate purpose is showing us how much He loves us. 

A purpose filled life begins when we ask for His perfect timing, every day and in everything we do. 

Lord, help us to seek your perfect timing for everything that happens in our day. Keep us aware and alert to signs you send that prove you are working all things for our good. Amen

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

God’s plans for us are always good. We might feel that something was missing, that we lacked an essential relationship or missed out on some advantage in our life, but God was with us all along and He doesn’t make mistakes. His plan has always been to prosper us spiritually, and to give us hope and a future.

When my mother was eight months pregnant with me, my father had a major stroke but survived. He was much older when they married and being their last child, I grew up with an elderly father, who was more like a grandfather. He had emotional and cognitive deficits resulting from his stroke, and though he was physically present, he was emotionally absent. 

The father I knew was emotionally disconnected from the family, through no fault of his own, and so we never had a personal relationship. 

My mother handled this lack by staying upbeat and strong in her Christian faith. She filled the role of being both a mother and a father, by taking us to church, baseball games, theaters and vacations. When she observed my older brothers’ interest in science, she bought them chemistry sets and a high quality telescope. I remember looking through that telescope one summer night and seeing Saturn’s rings. Through her example of faith and love, I always felt that my brothers and I had a great childhood, being nurtured and encouraged to pursue our own gifts and talents. 

Still, I must have had a subconscious longing for a father relationship, which was evident by a recurring dream I had as a child. I dreamed that I was lost in a crowded room full of strangers. I finally was relieved to see my father across the room, at a distance, so I ran through the crowd to him, but when I got to him, he didn’t know who I was. I woke up feeling a strange emptiness and lack of a father’s affection. I dreamed this disturbing dream more than once during my childhood.

Later, as a young adult, I opened that door of my life to God and came to know Him as my true father. Now, I  am confident that He is the one who truly knows me and would greet me with open arms in a crowded room full of strangers. When I run to Him, He is the Father who is happy to see me, and always loves me as I am. 

He loves us not because we are good, but because He is good. I have been blessed to finally know the security of a father’s love, because of my relationship with Jesus. Whatever I lacked growing up, has been restored through Him, the One who was knocking on my door from the start. 

Whether we’ve lost something we once had or we never had it at all, God knows exactly what we are lacking. If we listen, we will hear His Son’s voice at our door, knocking, whispering and calling us by name. 

I have learned that the Lord is as patient as He is generous. Jesus knocked on my door for years, until I finally heard Him and invited Him in. When we offer Him all that is empty within us, He heals, restores and fills us with more of Himself. 

He is the same Lord who filled the widow’s empty jars, and sent down heavenly bread to His hungry people in the wilderness. He opened wombs that were once closed, healed every type of disease, and gave sight to those born blind. It’s never too late for the Lord to bring healing and deep restoration to an area that we are most lacking in. 

He is a good Father, who stands before us today with open arms, overflowing with “Paternal love” for us. All we need to do is open our door and run into our Father’s arms.

Lord, refresh our faith in you, knowing you are knocking on the door of our lives, to fill all that was ever lacking in us, by pouring out the abundance of your love and grace. Amen

“And in the last days it shall be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams.”

Acts 2:17 (RSV)

The apostle Peter spoke these words in a sermon at Pentecost, while quoting the prophet Joel. There are many instances in scripture of God speaking to people through a vision or a dream, but Joel said that God will pour out His Spirit upon all flesh in the last days and there would be many dreams and visions, among young and old. The “last days” actually began at Pentecost. 

During the time around Pentecost, a gentile, named Cornelius, sought to please God, while having minimal knowledge about Him. He was visited by an angel one day, telling him that his prayers and alms giving have been noticed by God. The angel told him to go and meet Peter, who would tell him more about Jesus, and Cornelius became one of the earliest gentile converts to Christianity.  (Acts 10:3-5)

While this was happening to Cornelius, Peter received a vision about including the gentiles into the church ministry. Until then, Peter didn’t think the gospel message was for those outside of his own culture. God sent him a vision to correct him, and then Peter went to meet Cornelius, and the gospel spread to gentiles. 

Paul once had a vision of a man from Macedonia, begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” Paul went, but he never saw the man in his vision again, and the scriptures never tell us whether the man in his vision was an actual person living in Macedonia, or a Macedonian, calling him from heaven, or an angel. (Acts 16:9)

Thankfully, the apostles, Paul and Peter all obeyed the messages sent to them, whether through angels, visions or dreams, otherwise the gospel would not have spread across the nations as it did. 

One of my favorite scenes in the Chosen movie series is Season 5, Episode 3. Jesus is grieved over the religious authorities’ rejection of Him. While He was praying, He began to weep with compassion for those in Jerusalem who totally rejected Him. While filled with sorrow in that scene, He suddenly hears harp music and someone singing a psalm. He walks a few yards away and sees a vision of David, singing and playing his harp in front of him. David, who died 1,000 years earlier, looks at Jesus and smiles at Him, which brought Him comfort, in his sorrowful state of mind.

Even though this scene is not found in scripture, it’s a beautiful reminder that Jesus felt the emotions we also feel. God gives all of us moments of encouragement from heaven. As Joel foretold, those moments could come through a dream, a vision, an angel or a friend who brings comfort in the right moment. God knows what we are feeling and sends us comfort at the precise moment to refresh our faith in Him.  

I recently heard of two true stories about people who were given a special gift of comfort in a time of sorrow after losing a  loved one. One story was about a grandfather who passed away in his late sixties, whose family was devastated by his untimely death. 

While his adult daughter was still grieving over his death, she went into her two year old son’s room one morning, and the lively little boy said, “I love you, Mommy” She answered, “I love you too.” The two year old boy’s eyes were then focused on something behind his mother and he said, “And Papa loves you too.” 

She turned around and saw nothing, but knew something very unusual just happened. God granted the little toddler a vision of seeing his late grandfather, her father, who sent a message of love that only a small child would be receptive to. Since only the pure in heart can see God, maybe they can occasionally see our loved ones who are in Heaven, when God allows them to.

The second story is about a friend whose aging mother had been in the ICU, due to kidney failure and diabetes. She was not permitted any water to drink by mouth, since she was receiving IV fluids. It was difficult for her loved ones to hear her ask for water, but be denied. She eventually passed away and went to be with the Lord.

During the mourning period, while riding in the car one day, the family’s young son said something in the car that stunned everyone. He said, “Grandma told me that she can have all the water and sugar that she wants now.” Christian, who was five years old, never knew anything about his grandmother’s medical condition, and never even saw her in the ICU. His parents asked Christian to repeat what he just said and he did. They pondered how he could have known such information. There was no other explanation except that his grandmother visited him in a dream or a vision. Children have pure hearts and they don’t lie about spiritual things. 

God promised through the prophet Joel, that both young and old people would receive visions, dreams or an occasional visit by an angel. He said that our sons and daughters would prophesy, but most of the time, God sends people, like you and me to be the earth angel that someone else urgently needs at a specific time in their life. 

Lord, thank you for pouring out your Spirit upon all flesh, whether it is through dreams, visions or angel visits. Open our hearts and the hearts of our sons, daughters and grandchildren to receive your Spirit’s outpouring. Amen

(PHOTOS: Two year old with his Papa and Christian below on the left with his brother)

“And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”

2 Corinthians 9:8 (NIV)

God sends us His small graces along the way, during some of our most difficult trials in life. In all things, at all times, He gives us what we need, and He does it in small, subtle ways. 

I learned this two years ago when my son, Jon, had a motorcycle accident. Sometimes we get so preoccupied looking for the one big answer to our prayers, that we neglect to see the small graces of God that add up along the way. It’s therapeutic for us, if we would pause and meditate on the many small graces and blessings that God has sent to us on our journey.

After the accident, Jon’s motorcycle was impounded at a towing yard, and no one was allowed access to it for a month. When I finally received access to it, I found his cell phone fully intact, in a little compartment of the motorcycle, which was the first small grace. 

By having his phone, I was not only able to contact his landlord but was able to text his customers who were sending him messages asking why he didn’t show up according to the schedule. Jon had a small business of seal coating residential driveways, which he did for about twenty years. Having his phone, allowed me to call his customers and explain why he never showed up as scheduled. They all responded with kindness, one of whom was a pastor of a church, who promised to pray for Jon, which was another small grace.

Jon was self employed, but chose not to purchase health insurance, and had only vehicle insurance, with some minimal medical coverage.

The hospital social worker told me I needed to obtain guardianship so that he could apply for Medicaid insurance. The hospital paid the legal costs for the process of making me his guardian while hospitalized, which I later heard was very unusual. I never asked for them to pay for it, and it wasn’t the hospital I was employed at, yet they paid the legal costs. That was another small grace of God along the way of this difficult journey. 

One of the hospital’s best surgeons happened to be on call the day of Jon’s accident. When he arrived in the ER, his pupils didn’t look good, indicating a serious brain injury. After surgery, the surgeon was surprised that Jon survived and did as well as he did. 

He also had the most caring nurses while in the intensive care unit of the hospital. One of his nurses turned out to be a childhood friend of his, who grew up across the street from us. Angie was younger but she remembered Jon, because all his Mexican friends called him “Guerro”, a nickname, meaning white boy. Having Angie as one of his ICU nurses, was another small grace from God.

“All things at all times, and all we need…..” that is the promise of God for each of us. Whatever type of storm or fiery trial we are going through, we can look for those small, subtle graces, when God gives us what He thinks we need. He may not do it through a big earth shaking miracle, but the small graces, which occur along the journey, will all add up to one big blessing.

Lord, open our eyes to see the small graces that add up as you give us all we need at all times, so that we may abound in every good work that gives you all the glory and honor. Amen

“And the earth was a formless and desolate emptiness, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was “hovering”over the surface of the waters.”

Genesis 1:2 (NASB)

Webster’s literal definition for the word “Hover,” in today’s dictionary is “to position a computer cursor over an image or icon without selecting it.” Webster’s dictionary has certainly modernized its terms and definitions according to computer terminology. Before computers, the definition of hover in Webster’s dictionary was, 

“to move about to and fro waveringly near a place or object.” 

The word, hover, has been around for centuries. It’s found in the book of Genesis, which was written about 1400 years BC. The Spirit of God was hovering over the waters in the story of creation, moving to and fro. He’s called the “Ruach Elohim” in Jewish culture. Ruach means Spirit and Elohim is the Hebrew word for God, except that the word for God, is in the plural form.

Elohim has always been in plural form, throughout scripture, by ending in “IM”. If God is a Trinity, it makes perfect sense for the writer of Genesis to refer to Him as Elohim (plural) instead of El (singular).

The plural form is still used by the Jewish people today, in their prayers. Elohim is still the accepted Hebrew name for God, even though they don’t believe in a Trinity as Christianity does. It’s kind of the elephant in the room, that God’s name always was, is now, and always will be, in plural form. 

We don’t have to fully understand the concept of a Trinity, in order to appreciate who each person of the Trinity is. The nature of the Holy Spirit has always been to hover, as He did at creation. It’s just natural to invite Him into our lives, since He is  already hovering around us. Jesus made one statement that contains the essence of a Trinity. He said, “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, the Spirit of truth.” 

(John 14:16)

Jesus asked the Father to send us the Spirit, our hovering helper, the third person of the Trinity.

Since the Spirit of God has been hovering over the desolate, dark places of this world since creation, He is also hovering over each human being, especially those who feel like they are living in some form of dark emptiness. He hovers over people who are struggling with poverty,  loneliness, depression, even those who express no need for God at all. The Holy Spirit is hovering in pursuit of all people, because that’s just who He is by nature.

The very nature of the Ruach Elohim in Genesis, the Spirit of God, is to hover over people, places and things. With this image in mind, we can pray and ask the Spirit of God to come and hover over our children, our loved ones, or any problems that we are facing.

We can ask Him to hover over our efforts to help others, in whatever ministry we serve in. Leaders can ask Him to hover over their nation. Ministers and Pastors can ask the Spirit to hover over their churches. Surgeons can ask the Spirit to hover over their hands during surgery. First responders can ask the Spirit to hover over all they do to serve, save and protect. We can ask Him to hover over our mind, body and spirit, while facing stressful situations, and He will give us His peace, which surpasses all human understanding. The opportunities are endless and as infinite as God Himself is. 

Lord, we believe that your Spirit is hovering and ready to engage with us, and with every person, place and area in our lives. Remind us that you are always close by, so that we will invite you in, to help and guide us each day. Amen

“After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.”

1 Kings 19:11-12 (NIV)

Elijah, the prophet, was in a cave hiding out, depressed and waiting to die. Overwhelmed with fear and grief after Queen Jezebel killed all the prophets, he was now the only one left, and her assassins were out searching for him. 

While hiding in the cave, Elijah was emotionally exhausted and prayed,

“I’ve had enough, Lord, take my life; I’m no better than my ancestors.” Then he fell asleep, but God sent an angel to wake him up twice, to force him to eat and drink, which shows us how much the Lord cares for our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well being, by sending an angel to keep Elijah nourished. 

Looking outside his cave, Elijah observed a powerful wind, followed by an earthquake and then a fire, but God did not speak through any of those forces of nature. Instead, He came to Elijah, speaking in a gentle whisper that swept over him like a comforting  breeze. The whispering voice asked, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He told God that all the prophets had been killed and he was the last one left. Then God told him to “Go back…” 

God sent Elijah back to the chaotic world he was running away from, and informed him that he was not the only one left, but that there were 7,000 other people, who were also believers at the time. Elijah left the cave, found those other prophets and believers, and the cruel rulers were soon replaced by a just king, named Jehoshaphat. 

The Soul whisperer let Elijah know that things were not as bleak as he once feared. He also learned that he was never alone, and the situation was not as desperate as he once perceived it was, from his cave of despair.

This story reveals the tender heart of God, who sees when we seclude ourselves in anguish, and how He comes to us with a gentle whisper, inviting us to go back and resume our place in this world. He promises to walks with us, to restore us physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. It’s the same divine Whisperer that embodied Jesus, when He said, 

“Come unto me all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

It’s easy to become overwhelmed in our grief or discouragement, but just when we think we have no strength or faith left, the Spirit comes and whispers new hope to our souls. 

When I once felt totally depleted, the Holy Spirit whispered to me through some Christian music I was listening to one day. I felt His loving presence, and His voice deep within my soul. It wasn’t an audible voice, but I knew the Holy Spirit was saying, “I want you back,” and something was permanently transformed in me, from that moment. 

I believe the love of God comes to every person like a Soul whisperer, continually inviting them to return to Him. Instead of escaping the chaos by hiding in a cave, God wants to walk beside us in both the calm and chaotic times of our lives. Once we respond to that gentle Whisperer, He becomes a healing balm to our soul. 

Caves and mountain tops are great places for prayer or meditation, but they weren’t meant to be permanent dwelling places. The Soul whisperer calls us out of our caves and away from our mountain tops. He whispers to us in our isolation, leading us back to the noisy, chaotic, real world, so that He can walk with us on our journey of faith. 

Sorrow and grief can make us feel like we may never walk with the same vigor we once had, but the Soul whisperer says, “Walk with whatever you have left, and I will be with you all the rest of the way.” 

He equips us to walk the most difficult paths, while showering us with new mercies each day, and it all starts with His gentle whisper.

Lord, help us to hear what you are whispering within our soul, as you heal and draw us out of our cave, revealing your new mercies to us each day. Amen

“The Lord upholds all who are falling,

and raises up all who are bowed down.”

Psalm 145:14 (RSV)

To be bowed down means to be deeply disheartened by something that happened. Some situations can definitely leave us feeling bowed down, saddened and perplexed, but I just experienced how God still upholds and lifts us up, even during the most distressing experiences in our lives. 

Yesterday, I visited the Nursing home, and enjoyed the company of the five special residents who I have befriended over the past two years. The parents of Andy were also there and we decided to pray together for the residents at the table with us. Ray, Andy’s dad, and I have prayed individually for certain residents at various times, but that was the first time we all joined hands and prayed as a group. We prayed for healing and blessing of each resident at our table. 

It was a beautiful experience and a huge blessing to those residents who joined hands with us and prayed. I felt overwhelmed with thankfulness, in realizing that Jesus is taking over these visits. I was so blessed just thinking of what God has done over the past two years in the lives of residents through Ray, Martha and my regular visits.

It’s a blessing to have the fellowship and unity of another couple who visit regularly, and also form friendships with the residents. After Martha and Ray left to go home that day, I was still sitting at the table and talking, when Jon’s doctor called me. He said that Jon seemed better lately and he wanted to decrease his medication. I readily agreed and then told him about how he recently answered Ray in a full sentence, in Spanish. The doctor was pleased to hear it and asked me to keep him informed of any further progress in Jon’s communication. 

The blessing of having Jon’s doctor call me right after our prayer at the table that day, was an example of God’s perfect timing. It was a like a healing balm after something that happened three days earlier. 

Three days prior to that, I had a difficult experience with a neighbor, who lives above me and seems to have some type of mental instability, causing periodic verbal assaults. 

Her last explosive episode of verbally attacking me and another neighbor, happened a few years ago. Last weekend, it happened again as she followed me to my door, telling me that she hears me stomping when I walk and how disturbing it is to her. She proceeded to spout many words of vitriol as she walked behind me all the way to my door.

The strange thing is that she lives in the unit above me and I wondered how she could hear my footsteps, while I am walking barefoot in my unit below. As I was trying to explain this to her, I realized that there was nothing I could say or do that would logically resonate, as she started accusing me of lying. Finally, I told her to try and find some peace, went into my house and resolved to pray for her but never again attempt to reason with her.

The whole experience, came out of nowhere and was very upsetting. It certainly left me feeling bowed down as today’s verse says. Three days later was the day I had the blessed day at the Nursing Facility, praying with the group at the table, and then receiving the positive phone call from the doctor, all of which, raised my spirit, and restored my joy.

The Lord really does uphold us when we are feeling downhearted. He raises us up when we are bowed down or feel emotionally drained. 

On my drive home from the Nursing home, I recalled how a wonderful lady named Monica, once inspired me. She was the first person I met when I began visiting there. Her mother was an elderly patient at the home, and Monica used to greet all the residents, showing them exceptional kindness and attention. Her mother died soon after I started visiting there, and Monica never returned again, but she left an impression on me that I will never forget. She motivated me to do as she did. 

God not only has a mission for each of us, but He also has a back up plan for every mission. Ray, Martha and I were apparently God’s back up plan to replace Monica at that Nursing facility. It’s become a blessing to see how God is working among many residents there. When distressful experiences or hostile people rob us of our joy, God raises us up again, and once more, reminds us that He is the true source of all joy. 

Lord, thank you for raising us up when we feel downhearted. Lift up each reader’s heart today, and strengthen us, by restoring the true joy that comes from you. Amen

“When we come into the land, you tie this scarlet cord in the window through which you are letting us down. Gather your father and mother, your brothers, and all your family into your house.”

Joshua 2:18 (NASB)

Rahab, a resident of the city of Jericho, was a harlot who helped hide two Israelite spies that Joshua sent there. Rahab developed faith and reverence for the God of the Israelites after hearing of the mighty acts He did for His people. After she helped hide the spies, she asked Joshua to spare her and her family when his army conquered Jericho. They swore an oath to each other, that Joshua would spare her and her family, if she hung a scarlet cord in her window, as a sign to identify her home. As long as Rahab and her family stayed inside the home, with the scarlet cord hanging in the window, they would be spared.

Placing a scarlet cord in the window, reminds me of another bible story. Before the exodus from Egypt, God told Moses to instruct all Hebrew families to put the blood of a lamb on the doorposts of their home and then stay indoors. The blood was a sign that kept them safe from the angel of death who swept over Egypt that night. 

In the Rahab story, the scarlet cord, the color of blood, was the sign for Joshua’s army to spare that home. Whoever believes and follows Jesus as Lord, has a scarlet cord in the window of their soul, which God can see. That new covenant scarlet cord in the window of our soul, says, “I believe and receive the promise of eternal life through Jesus.” 

Rahab and her family were saved by the scarlet cord of redemption. She came to believe in the same God who delivered the Hebrew families who had the blood on the doorposts. Rahab was a gentile who left her old way of life and became grafted into the chosen people by faith. She was the heroine of this story, since the Israelites couldn’t have succeeded in the conquest of Jericho without her help by hiding those spies. 

She eventually married a man from the tribe of Judah and lived the rest of her life with faith in the one true God. She turned out to be the great, great grandmother of King David, and an ancestor in the ancestry and lineage of Jesus. 

We’ve also been grafted into the family of God by faith, not based on our tribal ancestry, social status or our past history. The story of Rahab teaches us that God will give anyone a fresh start, with the chance to be a hero or heroine and walk according to His will, by His grace. 

Because of His boundless mercy, He searches the earth, looking for the scarlet cord of faith in the window of our souls, which speaks louder than outward appearances. 

Lord, thank you for your marvelous ways and boundless mercy, in searching all hearts for a scarlet cord of faith, seeing beyond outward appearances, offering redemption to all people. Amen