Kissed by the Spirit

“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Hebrews 4:16 (RSV)

The story of David and Goliath started when the Philistine army challenged the Israelite army, saying “Send your champion to fight our champion”. The Philistine champion was a nine foot nine inch tall giant, named Goliath, and no one stepped forward to take the challenge.  

David was a youth, sent to the battle line by his father, to bring food to his older brothers and other soldiers in the camp. He was sent on a routine errand, but in learning of the threats of Goliath, he asked King Saul for permission to fight the giant. In this scene from the House of David, movie series, King Saul warned David that Goliath is a monster made for war, reminding David that he had no military training. David’s reply was, “but, I was made for this.”

His persistence to take on the giant was an indication of the confidence he had in the Lord. Instead of being motivated by ego or self confidence, David had God confidence. 

Having God confidence meant that he knew himself, and his abilities, but his confidence was in knowing who God is and what He can do. The Israelite soldiers were stronger, better trained and more experienced in the skills of war, than David, yet he had something that the rest of the army didn’t have-God confidence. 

We all face giants of some kind during our lifetime. I think of my maternal grandmother, who grew up on a vegetable farm in what is now the Chicago suburb of Niles, Illinois. She was riding on a vegetable cart one day after helping to gather the  family’s produce on the farm. The hired man driving the cart might have been drunk because he drove across the train tracks just when a train was coming and their cart was struck by that train.

The driver died instantly and my teenage grandmother was thrown hundreds of feet, yet found alive and unconscious. She had a severe head injury and was in a coma for a period of time. She eventually awoke without any mental or physical deficits, and was blessed with a full recovery. She later married, had three healthy children, and lived to the age of 79. 

I heard her story since I was a child, but have a greater appreciation for it today, since she overcame a traumatic brain injury, which is now a reality in my own son’s life. Getting hit by a train and overcoming her head injury, was only the first giant that my grandmother faced and overcame.

She gave birth to her first child, but at nine months old, she noticed a sore on the baby’s leg, that never healed. Her baby girl was diagnosed with Osteomyelitis, a bone infection that can quickly spread through the bloodstream, and become fatal. The standard medical treatment at the time was amputation, but my grandmother refused to have her baby’s leg amputated. She found a way to face another giant, approach God’s throne of grace and overcome once again.

A physician told her about clinical research trials being done for osteomyelitis at Evanston hospital, so she took her baby there, and they performed an experimental procedure of scraping the infection from the bone while administering certain medications. In time, the treatment was successful and the baby was healed. That baby girl grew up to become my mother. 

Today, I have a greater empathy for my grandmother and how she faced the giants in her life. It took courage but more than that, it required God confidence, to approach the throne of grace, through faith and prayer in  seeking God’s help.

It’s another reminder that we will all face a giant at some time in our lives, and we too, can follow David’s example of having “God confidence.”Whatever type of giant we face, the Lord invites us to place all of our confidence in the throne of grace. Through Jesus, we receive grace, mercy and victory over any giant in our time of need. 

Lord, remind us to look to your throne of grace instead of at the giants we currently face. Help us to have faith like David had, which leads to God confidence as we trust you to bring the victory. Amen

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)

Jesus had specific plans for the apostle Paul, to send him to the gentile world. Before his conversion, he was living his life, so proud to be Jewish, to the point of directing the arrests and persecution of believers in Christ. Then Jesus called Paul to be an apostle to the gentiles, the very people he was hostile toward. Paul learned that he was made for much more than he ever imagined.

God has a purpose for every believer. Very few are sent to far away lands as missionaries, but our mission field could be right where we spend most of our hours each week. The older I get, and the longer I follow Jesus, the less I believe in coincidences. The Lord places us in specific places at specific times, to shine our light on specific people, for His purpose.

Even if we share a word of faith that touches one soul for eternity, the world will be a brighter place, spreading hope in Him. Despite the many problems we face in our personal lives, we can find an inner peace in knowing we are exactly where we were meant to be, whether it’s our job, our school, our church or our neighborhood. 

When the apostles received their call  to spread the gospel to the world, they each had a uniquely different ministry from each other. Peter went to Antioch, which is present day Turkey. Thomas was called to India. James stayed in Jerusalem, and Andrew was known as the apostle to the Greeks.

Each apostle stood firm wherever they were placed, and lived out their calling and purpose, even though they lived in perilous times for all Christian believers. They all lived their lives with a sense of destiny and devotion to Christ. In the end, they gave their lives in martyrdom except for John, who had a unique calling to write his visions in the book of Revelation while living in exile on the island of Patmos.

We are all chosen by God, for a unique purpose, and made for more than a shallow, vain existence. As we continue to follow Jesus, He will lead us to special places, according to His perfect timing, for some eternal purpose. We may not even realize in this present life how we’ve left an impact for Christ on someone else.

I remember a Japanese friend I had in college, during a time when I was excited to share my faith with anyone I met. Yoshi was raised Buddhist, and never understood the Christian gospel message, so I was excited to share my faith with him and also invited him to my church a few times. 

Life went on after college and we lost touch. I never heard from or saw Yoshi again. “Fifty years” later, a relative of mine met Yoshi at a church in the Chicago area, and Yoshi told my relative that I was the person who introduced him to the Christian faith. He converted and was living as a Christian ever since his college days and I had no clue that I ever made an impact on him. We never know how our words or deeds can influence someone later. 

Anywhere God leads us has a divine purpose. When I started my career in health care, I was fixated on working at a specific hospital in downtown Chicago, but it never came to pass. Instead, I was hired and worked for 25 years at a suburban hospital, where I made lifelong friends, who I still stay in touch with to this day. Those friends will be in my heart forever. It was through the hospital I was employed at, that I learned about the volunteer chaplain department, and I have continued doing that ministry in retirement. I once thought I knew where I should be, but God always has the best plan.

God made us for more than asking Him to fulfill all of our plans. He made us to be a partner with Him in His plan, which results in eternally impacting the lives of those around us. We were meant to live with anticipation and a sense of destiny looking ahead, for the next blessing.

Lord, thank you for loving, trusting and calling us according to your purpose, and help us to serve you by shining your light on others, where you have placed us. Amen

“Be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new self, created in God’s way in righteousness and holiness of truth.”

Ephesians 4:23-24 (NAB)

I have become friends with the parents of a resident at the Nursing facility who is close to my son’s age. 

I know their son, Andy, and he knows me. Martha and Ray, who are of Mexican descent, are fluent in both Spanish and English. They are wonderful people, good parents, and Ray often tries talking to my son, Jon, when he enters the Day room. 

One day, after I had arrived at the Nursing facility, Ray and Martha were already there. Ray hurried over to tell me that Jon came in the Day room for a short time earlier that day. Ray asked him in Spanish if he is okay, and Jon answered him in Spanish, saying “Si, estoy bien.”

 (yes, I’m fine.)

That totally blew my mind, because Jon hasn’t answered any questions for many months, only a head nod, with no evidence that he understood what was actually being said to him. Everyone usually speaks English to him, so the only thing that changed was Ray, speaking to him in Spanish. 

I was struck with a sudden thought…

Could Jon possibly be able to understand only Spanish, since his brain injury? 

Both my sons grew up in a northern suburb of Chicago, and we had a Mexican neighbor, Roberto, who was their same age. From the age of eight years old through high school, they were best friends and my two boys spent a lot of time in Roberto’s home. They ate meals with Roberto’s family and learned to speak Spanish pretty fluently since his parents spoke no English. Roberto is now married with a family, and visited Jon when he was in the hospital right after his accident. He has since moved out of state, and we lost contact with him, but the Spanish that my sons learned from hanging out with his family remains with them today.

The day that Ray told me how Jon answered him in a full sentence in Spanish, was a day I began my usual routine of going to church and afterward, meeting up with a church group for coffee. Our coffee group routinely prays for each other’s needs, and that day, one lady in the group suggested praying for my son, Jon. They asked me how he was doing and I told them in all honesty, that his progress seems to have come to a halt. After we prayed for Jon and the other needs that morning, we all departed. 

That was the day that Ray came to tell me his good news about Jon answering him in a full Spanish sentence. I told him that my friends at church just prayed for Jon, which was no coincidence. Thank God for the support of church community, fellowship and prayers. 

I wondered if it’s possible that a brain injured person who once spoke two languages, could end up speaking only one of those languages, based on which part of the brain was more injured. Could it be that the Spanish part of Jon’s brain took over after the English part was damaged by the trauma? I plan to ask Jon’s Neuropsychiatrist that question. 

Meanwhile, I put up a sign in Jon’s room asking the staff who can, to speak to Jon in Spanish. I had three years of Spanish in high school but am no where near fluent. I now greet him with “Ola, Como estas?” and Jon raises his eyebrows with more expression and nods yes, while muttering words I can’t understand. 

I am grateful for the “Ray” of light who witnessed Jon answering in a complete Spanish sentence that day. I’m also thankful for the friend in the coffee group who suggested praying for Jon that morning. Above all, I am thankful to God for working through many different believers to reaffirm His love and kindness to us each and every day. 

It seems as if Jon has had the Spanish language part of his brain reawakened. As believers, we are reminded to let the Holy Spirit reawaken our minds. The Christian faith teaches us that a renewed mind is capable of listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit with an understanding that comes from someplace beyond our human mind. (Romans 8:16)

We are all developing a lifelong language skill of listening to the Spirit of God. His voice has always been within us, but is continually being re-awakened.

Lord, renew our minds and help us to 

grow in discernment of what your Spirit is saying to us. Develop a new self within each of us according to your will and righteousness. Amen

“God is our refuge and strength,

a very present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear though the earth should change,

though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;”

Psalm 46:1-2 (RSV)

Have you ever started a day feeling like there are so many problems to solve, that you feel weighed down?

Sometimes it feels like the whole earth is changing as this scripture says. We are living in times of ever changing laws and rules, which often makes it difficult for us to keep up. 

I had a few problem issues that needed to be solved regarding Medicaid and my son’s Nursing Home. At times, these issues woke me in the middle of the night, and I found myself overthinking things, but I have learned that though the laws keeps changing, God never changes, and He is still an ever present help in our times of trouble. 

I planned to tackle these problems yesterday, so in practicing what I always write, I asked the Holy Spirit to go with me and send all the right people to help solve these problems. The first problem issue to solve was with Medicaid. Jon has been on Medicaid and living in a Nursing facility for two years. I have always been his legal guardian, but when I recently called Medicaid to ask a question, they said that I wasn’t listed as a guardian on his account and they could not speak to me. 

Since they wouldn’t speak to me, I searched for the nearest Medicaid office and went there at 8:30 am when the doors opened, in order to hand them all my legal documents of guardianship. The clerk at the front desk told me to just place the documents in a special mailbox in center of the room, and it would be taken care of. I was in and out of the office in ten minutes, so my day was already starting to brighten up. 

The next problem to tackle was the Nursing Facility business office, due to months of poor communication with them. Jon started receiving SS disability payments in July, and I emailed the NH business director in August to let her know that he is now receiving payments, asking what portion of those monthly payments were owed to the Nursing facility. 

I also emailed a copy of his bank statement to her, so that she had all the account numbers to arrange for whatever payment was required. In September she said she would send me an invoice but nothing was ever sent.

Medicaid recipients living in a NH are required to give the bulk of their disability payments to the Nursing home, in order for Medicaid to continue providing benefits. There is a legal limit for a Medicaid recipient’s personal bank account, so if Jon’s bank balance exceeded a certain amount, he could lose his Medicaid coverage, which pays for his Nursing home.

Several weeks went by, and I left voicemails and emails but never received an invoice from the business manager or an answer from the head administrator. Meanwhile, Jon’s bank account was accruing payments each month, increasing his balance, plus the lump sum of back pay that was deposited from SS. As his bank account grew, I didn’t know what the legal limit was, but I worried that he was going to lose eligibility for Medicaid coverage. So now a new concern was starting to interrupt my sleep. 

Since no one ever heard of a NH that doesn’t want to take our money, or answer emails or voice mails, the second task of my day was to go to the business office in person and get these finances settled. I prayed for the Holy Spirit to be with me in meeting with the business manager. 

I needed God’s grace and patience so that my frustration wouldn’t take over my words. (I’m glad Jon is on a wait list for a new home.)

When I arrived at the facility, the business manager was in a meeting that would last another half hour, but her associate, who I never met before, came out instead. She took me into her office and was ten times more helpful than anyone I had previously dealt with, and seemed much smarter too. 

God blessed me with the right person at the right time to solve the problem. She looked at all the bank statements and contacted their bookkeeper who figures out what portion is owed for the three months of disability payments and now it’s all set up to be paid monthly. I also learned that the government just raised the allowed limit of bank account funds for Medicaid recipients, so Jon is not in jeopardy of losing his Medicaid benefits. I must have breathed the deepest breath in months, after hearing that. 

Sometimes we are so overwhelmed with problems to solve, rules that keep changing and frustrating  people to deal with, but if we pray and ask the Holy Spirit to come and help us with the problem, He prepares the right person to help, opens the right doors, and brings His wisdom into every situation, along with God’s perfect timing, to solve our problems. 

We do live in an ever changing world,  but with the Holy Spirit navigating through it for us, we will discover the biggest blessings, like that associate business manager, who was smarter than anyone and there to help me at the perfect time. If we keep inviting the Holy Spirit into every problem, He smoothes out all the rough places and we will receive the answers, because our God is an ever present help in times of trouble. 

Lord, thank you for always being our steadfast refuge and help in an ever changing and confusing world. We ask you, Holy Spirit, to come and navigate our daily paths, and fill us with peace and joy through every obstacle. Amen 

“First of all, then, I ask that supplications, prayers, petitions, and thanksgivings be offered for everyone, for kings and for all in authority, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all devotion and dignity.”

1 Timothy 2:1-2 (NAB)

The apostle Paul pleads for all believers to commit themselves to pray for everyone, so that through prayers and thanksgiving, we may all lead a life of tranquility. It sounds like common sense, except that we are often surrounded by so much discord, that it becomes increasingly challenging to live in tranquility.

The discord in the world sometimes carries over into the Nursing Home, making my visits more arduous at times. Though I’ve become friends with some residents for the past two years through my visits, some people have personalities that are easily triggered, which leads to an occasional exchange of unkind words. Before long, one person gets angry at another person and lashes out verbally, in front of all the others sitting at the table in the Day room. It becomes especially uncomfortable for those newer residents who are witnessing the tension and strife. 

I’ve recently become friends with one of the newest residents, who is a gentle spirited, kind man with a history of depression and heart failure. He told me that he suffers from chronic angina. I wished I could have shielded him from the dissension taking place at the table one day. A resident took offense over something that was said, reacting with words of hostility. In wondering what I could do to bring tranquility to the situation, I felt an urge to pray for my new friend.

I stepped a few feet away from the table with him and said a brief prayer for healing of his heart and angina. It meant a lot to him to be prayed for and it also removed us momentarily from an atmosphere of strife. A short and simple prayer helped to reset our atmosphere with a fresh and peaceful start. Afterwards, the tempers at the table seemed calmer.

I found my new strategy, instead of feeling stressed over rude behaviors when tensions run high, I can always step away and pray in my spirit, or find someone specifically to pray for. It felt like the right thing to do in the moment, and it was. When we step away to pray, the Holy Spirit steps in.

Everyone appreciates being prayed for and there’s no better way to counteract a spirit of division and anger, than to start praying. Jesus brings His peaceful presence into the midst, when two or more people gather in His name through prayer. (Matthew 18:20)

Sometimes the simplest yet least thought of solution to a strife filled atmosphere, is to step away and pray. Tranquility through prayer, overcomes the discord and wins every time. I often forget that the Holy Spirit wants to be invited into each of our problems every day. Before my own buttons get pushed, I need to remind myself to call upon Him in the moment. The Holy Spirit never forces His way in, because He is too much of a gentleman, but things change when we invite Him into the challenges we face each day.

Lord, give us the grace to pray when we encounter dissension that leads to discord, so that you can step in, and bring peace, tranquility and the restoration of all unity. Amen

“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood.”

1 Corinthians 13:12 (RSV)

As people of faith, each of us can recall a time that God manifested His presence in our life, through a prayer that was answered or an urgent need that was met just in time. 

While we always rejoice in answered prayers, “some time later,” a life altering event can happen, which seems to cause everything to come to a halt.

There was a widow living in poverty in an Old Testament story, who, out of her scarcity, gave food and lodging to the great prophet, Elijah. He blessed her with the gift of  continually filled jars of flour and oil. That miraculous provision sustained her and her only son during the years of a famine, but some time later, an unthinkable event happened. Her young son became seriously ill, then he stopped breathing and died suddenly. All the blessings in her life were suddenly overshadowed by the tragedy of losing her only son. 

At first the widow thought she was being punished for some guilt or sin of her own. Despite her self inflicted guilt, Elijah never attributed any guilt as the cause. Instead, he knelt down, prayed for the boy and raised him back to life, and the story ended with the joy of her son being resurrected.

It all happened “Some time later.” That phrase is one that any one of us can relate to, because there is a “some time later” in all of our lives. It could be any kind of sudden, difficult life changing event, like the loss of our loved one, a divorce, a friend’s betrayal, loss of a job, loss of a home, or a serious medical diagnosis for ourselves or our loved one. 

The first time my family and I experienced a “some time later” event, was when my oldest brother, an Air Force instructor pilot, died suddenly in his F-16 jet that crashed on a routine training mission, when he was 35 years old. There are no words to describe receiving such devastating news in a phone call and we will never know on this side of living, why some lives are cut so short.

One thing we can be assured of, is that Jesus is with us through both the joyful and the sorrowful times in our lives. He promised that He will be with us to the end, and never leave or forsake us, even when the unexpected happens. 

(Matthew 28:20)

We try to draw conclusions of why God allowed some crushing event to happen in our lives, but since we cannot see the full picture, there is no conclusion to draw from. There’s so much that hasn’t been revealed to us here and now, so we cannot fully interpret why tragic losses occur, without seeing the whole picture. 

Today’s scripture describes how we are currently seeing through a glass, only part of the picture. One day we will learn how God was working through every circumstance in our lives, to bring us closer to Him, and turn our pain into purpose.

I also had a less serious but real life example about coming to wrong conclusions without seeing the whole picture. I once ordered custom postcards using an original piece of artwork that I did, and the postcards arrived in a clear shrink wrap. I could see the artwork under the plastic shrink wrap, but it was only a fifth of the size that I ordered. I was sure that they printed the artwork in the wrong size and I immediately planned to return the order, without opening the package to examine it. 

For some reason, I decided to open the shrink wrap to look more closely at the wrongly printed order. When I removed the plastic wrapping, I realized that the puny image I was looking at, was only a cover sheet and beneath it were 50 post cards, printed in the correct size and clarity which I ordered. I realized that I misjudged the whole product based on a cover sheet. 

We are all currently looking through a plastic wrapped cover sheet of God’s design for our lives, which has not been fully revealed to us. We are not going to see everything clearly until the day we see Jesus face to face. On that day, some time later, we will understand and see the whole picture, having the answers to our questions.

Just seeing Jesus face to face will be so amazing that His face alone will most likely overwhelm our need for answers, but for now, He promises to be with us to the end, while giving us comfort, healing and strength. He can resurrect us out of a grave of sorrow, and fill us with joy in the morning, as He wipes away all our tears with His love. 

Lord, comfort us with your peace, knowing that we currently don’t see the whole picture as you do, and help us to keep trusting in you, until that day when we will see all things clearly. Amen 

“For he had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him.”

Mark 3:10 (NIV)

It’s kind of a natural assumption to think, “If Jesus wants to do this for me, He will do it,” but scripture shows us that the greatest miracles happened when people added some type of action to their faith. Jesus healed many who “pushed forward” to touch Him. It makes me wonder if more persistence through action is required of us, in order to receive the answers or the miracle we are praying for. 

Jesus can do anything in any way, for anybody, but the greatest miracles in the gospels happened when people took action to push through obstacles and persisted in reaching Him. They did it by either calling Jesus repeatedly or pushing through a crowd to touch Him. 

The woman who was bleeding for twelve years crawled through a dense crowd, until she could reach out and touch the fringe of Jesus’ garment. She wasn’t going to stand still and wait for Jesus to notice her. As soon as she touched Him, Jesus felt power coming out of His body, so she actually initiated her own healing by her actions. (Luke 8:43-48)

Two blind men followed Jesus down the road, for a long distance, calling out repeatedly, “Son of David, have mercy on us!” The crowd was increasingly annoyed by their loud shouts, and rebuked them, telling them to be quiet, but they kept shouting until Jesus stopped, touched them and healed them all of blindness. He could have healed them after their first shout, but He seemed to wait for them to show their persistence by asking repeatedly.  (Matthew 20:29-34)

Ten lepers stood at the required distance from the crowd and kept called out to Jesus asking Him to have pity on them. Without ever touching them, Jesus told them to go show themselves to their priest. As they turned to go toward the temple and see their priest, they looked down at their skin and were thrilled to see that they were completely healed of leprosy. By doing what Jesus told them to do, their action resulted in their healing. Jesus  shows us a pattern of persistence through taking action of some sort, in all of these stories. (Luke 17:11-19)

Today’s scripture verse uses the phrase, “Pushing forward to touch Jesus”. Faith is something we do, whether it is pushing forward when we feel like giving up, or putting our faith into action by repeatedly asking Him for help. Jesus is not bothered when we repeatedly ask the same thing of Him. He gave us these gospel examples to show that repetitive asking is one of many ways that we show our love and trust in Him.

Jesus showed His love for us through actions, by suffering and going all the way to the cross, becoming our sacrificed lamb. We can now show our love for Him by putting our faith into action.

Lord, help us to be persistent so we can push forward, and touch you in a way that will turn our faith into a new phase of action, that is pleasing to you.  Amen

“But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumph, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.”

2 Corinthians 2:14 (RSV)

This is a two-fold, promise-packed scripture verse. Jesus leads us in triumph andspreads His fragrance through us, everywhere we go.

Both good and bad scents speak louder than words. No words are needed since our sense of smell tells us whether we want to pause and find where an incredibly beauty aroma is coming from, or escape as fast as we can from a very bad smell. A bad scent quickly drives people away, but a pleasant aroma triggers the urge to pause, wonder and search for the source. 

It’s interesting to ponder what this scripture might mean to be the ones who are spreading the aroma of Christ. It means that, without words, we are inspiring others to pause from their regular routines and search for the source of a pleasant aroma, which is Christ Jesus. 

There is a place for the right words spoken at the right moment, but the fragrance of Christ transcends any words. An aroma needs no words because our sense of smell allows the fragrance to speak to us. 

When I was not yet a believer and was ignorant of everything about the Christian faith, I worked part time at a department store, during my first year of college. There were two ladies in the advertising department where I worked, who I knew were practicing Christians. They both had unusually kind, peaceful and gentle demeanors. They occasionally mentioned their church but never preached or spoke about Christ to me. For whatever reason, they never spoke about their faith, they left their fragrance with me, which was a subtle but good impression.

Not long after working there, the Holy Spirit took hold of my heart and my search led me to a decision to place Christ in the center of my life. Somehow, their fragrance caused me to search for the source of all peace, which I found in Jesus. Many years have passed since then, and now I’m on the other side, hoping to be a fragrance of Christ to others, as they were to me. 

Words are always welcome, but His fragrance transcends all words, since it’s the aroma that inspires a search for the source all peace, love and joy. The Lord wants to spread His fragrance through all of us, while Jesus continually leads us in paths of triumph and victory through Christ.

Lord, continue to lead us in triumph each day as we spread the beautiful fragrance of you, wherever we go. Amen

“Thus says God, the Lord,

who created the heavens and stretched them out,

who spread forth the earth and what comes from it,

who gives breath to the people upon it and spirit to those who walk in it:

“I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness,

I have taken you by the hand and kept you….”

Isaiah 42:5-6 (RSV)

God created trillions of galaxies in the universe, and yet He still cares for each individual person He has created. It’s mind boggling to think about a God who is big enough to create all that and yet care for each one of us, personally. He not only cares, but He loves us as a father loves their child. Today’s scripture gives an intriguing image of the Creator of the galaxies, who is reaching out to take our hand and guide each one of us. 

There are situations in our lives that may cause us to feel downhearted, sometimes to a point of thinking that we have nothing and are all alone. Since God made all the galaxies out of nothing, He can certainly make something out of our nothing, as well. He brings beauty out of ashes, hope from despair and new life from what was once lifeless.

We were created to discover those moments when we look up and call upon the God of the galaxies. He waits patiently for these moments with us, and then responds by taking our hand and guiding us through our storm. God’s love for us, is relentless, because we are of immeasurable value to Him. If that were not so, He wouldn’t have let His Son die for us.

Many people can’t comprehend a God who is so personal, or that He is anyone more than a vague Presence, watching us from a distance. God is big enough to manage trillions of galaxies, and still intervene in the lives of the 8.32 billion people on this planet. He is not limited, but we are limited in our ability to comprehend His interest in us. I believe He looks at each of us at times and says,

“If you only knew how much I care, you would believe Me for much more…”

The Lord knows every one of our thoughts and understands all of our anxieties. David wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, “You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar.”  (Psalm 139:2) God knows us better than we know ourselves.

He doesn’t need our friendship, our worship, or our obedience, but He definitely desires it. He tells us through so many examples in scripture, describing His desire for a relationship with us. He uses the parable of a father searching for his prodigal son, the husband searching for his unfaithful wife (Hosea 1:2), and the good shepherd who left 99 sheep to search for the one who strayed away. There’s no question that we can love, because God is the first person who ever loved us. 

That’s the God I’ve come to know and love. He pursued me for the first nineteen years of my life, until my eyes were opened and I finally looked to Jesus and surrendered my life to Him, through a simple prayer. 

Since that day, I have lived with an awareness that God is not only real, but that Jesus walks beside me every day. 

The God of the galaxies is also our Heavenly Father and He desires a relationship with us. The Holy Spirit shares this truth with everyone, though not everyone embraces faith in Him. We who believe cannot prove it scientifically, but we know it’s true, because faith is not a feeling or a fantasy, it’s an inner conviction of unseen truth.

Lord, Thank you for being powerful enough to command the galaxies, yet patient enough to take our hand and draw our souls closer to you. Amen 

“While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

Acts 13:2 (RSV)

The Holy Spirit is always on mission, setting us apart to do God’s work, and He is doing some interesting things these days among young believers, born between 1997-2012, known as Generation Z. Religious and secular publications have written articles about an unusual shift towards spirituality among this age group, which includes all Christian denominations. 

There’s an entire generation of young people, of all denominations, Catholic and Protestant, who are embracing a new call to follow Jesus in various ministries and paths of discipleship, which is great news for the future of this world. 

I was listening to the personal testimonies of a few young men who are seminarian students in this age group, telling their stories of how they were called to the priesthood. It started with a stirring in their hearts, a personal wake up call by Jesus, a love for God and a desire to serve Him. One young man felt his calling at an Easter vigil service, when he heard Christ asking him within his heart:

“How would you like to be another Christ for Me in this world?” That was his turning point, leading to his decision. 

I was touched by that phrase, “be another Christ for Me in this world.”Most of us will never be called to full time ministry, but we are still called to be Christ to others, in whatever place we are at, in this world. God knows that the world needs more of Jesus. We all befriend and rub shoulders with unbelievers every day. They may not go to church, and never read a Bible, but they are all reading us. They’re watching your life and mine. They watch what we do, what we say and we might be the only Christ they will ever see.  

The Holy Spirit transforms lives and then He sets us apart, calling us to serve Him in one way or another. On one occasion, the Spirit chose Paul and Barnabas to be sent to Cyprus on a specific mission, as today’s scripture verse describes. They both faced opposition and endured many hardships, but many came to believe through them. 

No one would use a product that hasn’t first been tested. Faith that has not been tested cannot be fully trusted for use. The book of Acts tells us that every believer in the early church was tested in some way.  Paul was once beaten and after recovering, he said, “It is through many hardships that we enter the kingdom of God.”  (Acts 14:22)

Our faith will also be tested through fiery trials, but Paul reminds us that the fire of testing leads us to the kingdom of God. Fire is not only a metaphor of tests and trials, it’s the source of the warmth of God’s presence. His fire lights our way through some of our darkest moments. The Holy Spirit appeared as fire over the heads of the disciples on Pentecost, and today, His fire dwells within us. 

As we each find our own mission to reflect Jesus to others, we may face opposition, but His fire also lights up our spirit with passion and love. A sense of purpose is the healthiest mindset for an overall sense of well being in every human being. We all need to find our purpose, because we have been set apart to shine His light to those around us.

Lord, thank you for setting us apart, especially the many young people who are turning toward you. We trust and hope for a brighter future, as you help all of us to be reflections of Christ to this world. Amen