Kissed by the Spirit

“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. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.”

2 Corinthians 2:14-15 (RSV)

Twice in this chapter, the apostle Paul tells us that we are a fragrance and an aroma of Christ to others. He told the Corinthians that God wants us to live in the awareness that we carry the scent of His son with us everywhere we go.

Since God is love, and Jesus is God incarnate, then the fragrance of Christ is the aroma of love.

His aroma is a spiritual scent with the same effect that a physical fragrance has. An aroma or a fragrance lingers in the air, long after a person walks away. Anytime we meet someone who leaves a lasting impression on us, of love, peace, joy or kindness, it’s the aroma of God’s love emanating through them.

God wants everyone to be saved, and to spend eternity with Him, so He spreads His fragrance through us and among us for His divine purpose. He uses ordinary people to touch the hearts of others with His love. We each carry His aroma according to our own unique personality traits. It’s amazing to meditate upon, but we are those ordinary people, who carry the fragrance of Jesus, the son of God, with us wherever we go.

The powerful effect of the aroma of Christ, is that it brings life to all those who need it. It’s a spiritual scent that  causes someone to pause and think about God. I remember once, never having a single thought about God, but one day I began to wonder what He expects of me. 

Someone left His fragrance with me,  and though I have no idea who, I have a hunch that it was two women I worked with briefly at a department store, during college. I never heard them speak about God, but they had an aura of kindness and love, and seemed different from others. I knew that they were Christians, involved in their church, yet we never had a conversation about God. 

A year later, I no longer worked there and never saw them again, but my thinking started to shift. It eventually changed my life, and Jesus touched and transformed my mind and soul. Perhaps they prayed for me, I may never know, but I believe they left the aroma and fragrance of Christ with me.

Without taking a narcissistic view, we should probably consider that God sends us to others for a divine purpose, just as He sends others to us, since He is always working out His divine purpose and plans. 

Imagine if every person we meet is a part of God’s plan and design, and there are no coincidences? 

Life becomes very exciting when we live with that perspective.

Some people might not listen to words of wisdom or persuasive arguments, but they will respond to love. The aroma of Christ is easily breathed in, and it gently permeates a person’s soul. It’s a fragrance that can subtly transform a life and affect their eternal destiny.

My son’s brain injury seems to prevent him from fully understanding or expressing speech. Although he tries, he mostly communicates in jibberish that cannot be understood, but I have learned that in spite of this, his soul is alive and well within him. There is no doubt that he responds with emotion to expressions of love. 

He could go for hours without talking or answering, maybe not even fully comprehending the words said to him, but as soon as I hug him and say “I love you”,  he begins to cry uncontrollably. The aroma of love touches a part of him, deep in his soul, which proves to me that if nothing else, he understands words of love.

Yesterday, I had a moment like that with him, and his nurse assistants were walking by and saw him crying.  When I told them why he was crying, they immediately reacted, showing compassion, and surrounding him with love. I quickly snapped a picture of that moment, and what a sweet picture it made. 

Love is a language that every soul understands, whether they are able to speak or not. A brain injury limits cognitive ability, but it doesn’t affect the ability to show and receive love. That’s because love connects with the soul, not just the brain. 

In God’s perfect design and plan, He brought those nurse assistants to this Nursing Home at the right time, to permeate their aroma in Jon’s life, and others. Jon certainly receives a lot of love from the staff, and I’m glad that he can respond emotionally to that love.

We may not always realize it, but the people in our lives are those who were sent to us, just as we were sent to them. God wants to share the aroma of His son, Jesus, through us, to the rest of the world. For some people, love is the only language they will ever comprehend. While we continue spreading the aroma of Christ to those around us, God continues to lead people to us for a purpose and a time such as this. 

Lord, let the fragrance of Christ permeate every place we go and touch the life of every person we meet. Lead us in triumph, with a new awareness that we were made to spread your aroma of love to all those around us. Amen

“As long as Moses held up the staff in his hand, the Israelites had the advantage. But whenever he dropped his hand, the Amalekites gained the advantage. Moses’ arms soon became so tired he could no longer hold them up. So Aaron and Hur found a stone for him to sit on. Then they stood on each side of Moses, holding up his hands. So his hands held steady until sunset.”

Exodus 17:11-12 (NIV)

To appreciate this bible story, it helps to know some of the background. The Amalekites were a nomadic warrior tribe, dwelling in the Sinai peninsula area. They were named after one man, Amalek, who was the grandson of Esau, who was Jacob’s twin brother. 

Esau bore a grudge against his brother, Jacob, and family grudges can run deep. This one ran deep enough, that generations later, Esau’s descendants, the Amalekites, were attacking his brother, Jacob’s descendants, the Israelites. 

It’s rooted in something that goes deeper than mere sibling rivalry between brothers. Esau despised his spiritual birthright, rejecting his family’s faith in God, and he chose to do his own thing, and became a man of violence. His grandson, Amalek, followed in his footsteps. Jacob wasn’t perfect, but he honored the God of his parents. He tried to make peace with Esau, but it didn’t last. 

Jacob had twelve sons who became the twelve tribes of Israel, and his descendants were the group of people Moses delivered from slavery under a cruel Pharaoh. He led them out of Egypt with many signs and miracles, and they were finally on the way to their promised land. 

Then the Amalekites appeared, and they were the first enemy to attack the Israelites since being freed from slavery. Moses tried to avoid passing through enemy territory on their journey through the desert, but the Amalekites brazenly attacked them, even though unprovoked.

After the attack of the Amalekites, Moses told Joshua to organize an army, and prepare for battle. Moses planned to stand upon a hill with his staff in hand, his arms raised upward in prayer, telling the people that the Lord will prevail against their enemy. Joshua gathered his men and went to battle. 

As long as Moses held his staff up in the air, the Israelites prevailed, but when his arms grew weak, and he lowered the staff, the Amalekites got the better of the fight. The outcome of the battle basically depended on whether Moses could keep his arms up in the air, holding up his staff, as he prayed. It was a lot for one man to do alone, to say the least.

Aaron, Moses’ brother, was the high priest of the Israelites, and Hur, was a close companion, who also had a place of authority among the people. They saw that Moses grew tired, so Aaron and Hur rushed to his side and held his wearied arms up. Joshua’s men were finally able to defeat the Amalekites and continue their journey to the promised land. 

It’s inspiring to know that Aaron and Hur were there for Moses, and his staff represents the essence of our faith and trust in God. Moses used  that same staff to touch the Nile River, turning the water into blood. He held his staff over the sea and the waters parted for the Israelites to walk through on dry ground. His staff represents our trust in God through every difficult time in our lives, as we turn our eyes upward in faith. 

As much as I love this story, I always wondered why God didn’t just drive the enemy away in one single instant, without a battle, since God can do anything. Instead, He required them to fight the battle, with the moral support of Moses, their leader and prayer Intercessor. Keeping his arms up in the air the whole time was exhausting, but Aaron and Hur show us what the unity of faith and service can look like.

This story can be applied to the church throughout the world today, and to our life, which is a journey to the promised land. Moses received support from Aaron and Hur. Every person in the church may not be our closest friend, but we are all brothers and sisters in Christ. I think God is telling us to support one another, especially those with wearied arms.

The world wide church of believers are God’s spiritual Israelites, and we are journeying towards our own promised land, which is heaven. Whether we realize it or not, we all face enemy spirits who want to divide and derail us, robbing us of our hope. Paul reminds the church that our real battle is not with the visible enemies, but with unseen powers of wickedness. He said, 

“For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12)

In other words, we still have our own Amalekites to battle with every day. As the Israelites looked up, they saw Moses, with his arms held up, knowing God was with them. We also look toward heaven where Jesus, our high priest and intercessor, once stretched His arms out, nailed to a cross. By His blood, he destroyed the power that evil has over us, and promised that we will overcome by our faith in His work on the cross.

Satan’s first scheme is to convince people that there is no such thing as a devil. If he cannot succeed in that, he tries to divide the people of God, 

causing dissension in the church. The same spirit of the Amalekites exists today, trying to sow division among believers. We are a church called to lift one another up, as Aaron and Hur did for Moses. The devil’s greatest fear is our unity in faith and service for God. Jesus said that the gates of hell will not prevail against His church. 

We encounter different types of battles, on our journey to heaven. The church is composed of diverse people, cultures, ideas, backgrounds and tastes, but we still have one common denominator that spiritually unites us…we trust in Jesus as our Savior.

We may never know how weary or exhausted another person is. When we lift them up in prayer, or by listening to their story, or by doing a task that lightens their burden, we help them prevail in battle. 

I believe God gave us this story to illustrate the beauty of unity and support for others in the faith. He also reminds us of the reality that we are in a battle with unseen powers at work in a spirit realm. We can easily drop our arms in exhaustion, or become discouraged by the words or actions of others. In spite of this, we are His church, and we share the same Holy Spirit who lives in each of us. If we lift each other up, we will always win the battle.

“In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” (Romans 8:37)

Lord, help us to seek unity, to hold each other up, to aim higher, and to strive for holiness. Use us to impact the world around us, by revealing your love and mercy to others, making it a better place until you come again. Amen

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Proverbs 3:5-6  (NIV)

Joseph probably read today’s scripture from the book of Proverbs several times during his lifetime, but he not only read it, he lived it. He was living in trust and obedience to God long before he understood the full details of the plan. The story about Joseph, the foster father of Jesus, is far too wonderful to reserve only for Christmastime. His life example of trusting God, is worth meditating on more than once a year.

Joseph was engaged to Mary, and as virtuous as he was, he was still human, and became very stressed when he discovered that Mary was pregnant. He prayed about the situation but still worried, having many sleepless nights. His anxiety was caused by wanting to do the right thing, without putting Mary at risk of being stoned, a punishment for a woman presumed guilty of adultery, at the time. 

I think everyone can relate to praying about a problem, but still worrying to the point of sleepless nights, filled with anxiety. Joseph has been there and done that. 

A marriage engagement, according to first century Judaism was a permanent, sealed betrothal which could not be broken without a legal divorce.  Joseph tried to think of ways to handle the problem of her pregnancy without putting Mary to shame, so he thought of divorcing her and sending her away, secretly. 

That night, an angel came to him in a dream, telling him not to be afraid and to take Mary as his wife, because the child in her womb was conceived by the Holy Spirit. He didn’t understand it all, but he trusted God, believing in the unbelievable.  (Matthew 1:20)

God’s plan for salvation and the miracle of the incarnation was a marvelous event, and yet it was followed by the most difficult challenges Mary and Joseph ever encountered in their entire lives. The same pattern follows every believer, because along with every blessing, comes a challenge, that tests our trust and willingness to cooperate with God. 

When God has a plan, He cares about every detail. Mary’s womb was the first place of comfort and safety for His son, Jesus. Her womb was His ark of protection to nurture Him during the prenatal days of His life. Joseph’s job was to keep them both safe.

Once He was born into the world, it was Joseph’s turn to have the most important role in the plan. He was called to be His earliest mentor, His protector, and the first father figure that Jesus would know, in His human existence. 

The infinite God of the universe, who asks us to trust Him, entrusted His only incarnate son into Joseph’s care and protection, and He did it so that we could be saved and receive eternal life. 

God trusted Joseph and Joseph trusted God-which is called a relationship. We are all called to trust God, and be in a relationship with Him. 

When God has a plan, He requires our cooperation to finish it. Mary and Joseph were probably the most misunderstood couple in Nazareth, but God was slowly revealing the details of His salvation plan. They journeyed to Bethlehem, for a required government census. People were ordered to register in the city of their ancestry. As they arrived in Bethlehem, Mary gave birth to Jesus. Joseph began to see that the timing was all part of God’s plan to fulfill a prophecy that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. (Micah 5:2)

Joseph was visited by an angel in a dream again, but this time, he was told to take Mary and Jesus, and flee quickly to Egypt. Herod was plotting a mass murder of all the innocent ones, born within a two year period, because he felt they were a threat to his kingdom. Joseph kept doing his part as the father and protector of his family, unaware of all the details.

Egypt was not an easy place to live for religious Jews in the first century. They were far away from their family and friends, living as aliens and strangers in a land, foreign to their culture. Every decision Joseph made in caring for his family, was contrary to the normal lifestyle of his culture and time. It was not normal to marry an already pregnant woman. It was not normal for a devout Hebrew man to live among those who worshipped idols instead of one true God. In Egypt, they didn’t have the support of a faith community or any family nearby, it was just Joseph and Mary, trusting God together.

Eventually, they were led back to  Nazareth, providing a humble but loving home environment for Jesus to grow up in the security of a Jewish family and friends. Joseph is a role model for every Christian man whose faithfulness caused him at first to ask, “How did I get myself into this?” 

He is also a role model for ministers, chaplains, priests, and missionaries, who lead their own flock of believers. 

Anyone who ever felt like they are living in Egypt, outside the norm, facing a situation that is too difficult to explain to anyone else, should remember Joseph went through the same thing. God knew every anguish Joseph had from the start, and He knows everything that worries us, even the things we keep to ourselves. 

God can accomplish anything without our help, but He chooses to have people participate in His plans. Mary and Joseph cooperated with God’s greatest plan since creation. There is no better place to be, than in the center of God’s will, and Joseph shows us how trust can keep us there. 

Lord, thank you for Joseph’s life and example. Help us to trust you as he did, even when we don’t understand the purpose or details of whatever is happening in our lives. Guide us and protect our families as we follow you. Amen

“Give us this day our daily bread.”

Matthew 6:11 (RSV)

Every so often, a home needs repairs. When it rains, it pours, and recently I have a leaky garbage disposal and a dead electrical outlet in my garage. Yesterday, my cat drew my attention to a mouse walking across my outside window sill. 

Since I live alone, as soon as I see a problem, that I cannot fix, I think of who to call. I left a message with a plumber and an exterminator, and was about to call the electrician, but suddenly had second thoughts.

I remembered that there is a type of electrical outlet that has a ground-fault circuit-interrupter with a reset switch, which needs to be pressed to reactivate the power of the outlet. I went back into the garage to see if it was a GFCI type of outlet, and it was. I pressed the reset button, and the outlet was activated and now works fine. 

The GFCI feature is to prevent electric shock or electrical fires as a safety feature. I impulsively assumed that the outlet needed total replacement, when all it needed was a simple press of a reset button. 

How embarrassing it would have been, to have a union electrician come to my home, only to press a button.  I’m glad I prayed asking which problem to call about first, and am equally glad that I never called the electrician. I learned about myself, that I have a tendency to make more out of a problem, which is not as complex as it first appears. 

When the Israelites in the wilderness were hungry, Moses prayed and God sent them manna, bread from heaven, but they only received a day’s portion at a time. They needed to gather their manna each day, but some of the people (like me) were anxious types who tried to store it for the future, and it spoiled. 

God was saying something to all of us through this story. He wants us to live one day at a time, to receive His daily bread for this day and not to worry about tomorrow. Jesus also said “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.” (Matthew 6:34)

How does this relate to my GFCI outlet? I have a tendency to jump from having a dead outlet to calling an electrician. Thankfully, by asking God what to fix first, it helped me to pause on the outlet problem. God knows my impulse to plan ahead, and that can cause unnecessary worry about how to solve a problem. Scripture repeatedly reminds us to cast our cares on Him in the present tense, for today, and not to be anxious about tomorrow.

Jesus taught us through the Lord’s Prayer, to ask His Father for our “daily bread”, not the whole bakery. Our peace comes one day at a time, by depending on Jesus, the bread of heaven. 

I have written before about this theme of taking one day at a time, but it’s a lesson that I personally need reminding of from time to time. 

It’s as if I need to press my own GFCI reset button, and cast all my worries and concerns on Jesus for the day, and leave the other concerns for tomorrow. We are all wired differently in how we handle problems, but in whatever way we are wired, we were all meant to look to God for our daily bread.

Lord, help us to surrender all our worries and anxiety to you, and to receive our daily bread for today. Reset our faith and trust in you and give us peace, reminding us to live one day at a time. Amen

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”

Revelation 3:20 (RSV)

Although Jesus calls everyone equally, everyone may not respond to Him in the same time frame, or with the same magnitude of faith. 

Responses matter to Jesus, because He wants to be invited into every part of our life. He is too gentle and polite to barge in and take over. It’s in the most desperate times, that we can hear Him calling our name, or knocking on the door of our hearts, until we respond and invite Him in. 

Jesus talked about the ten lepers that He healed, asking why only one leper returned to thank Him. He expects us to hear His voice and follow Him, because His sheep hear His voice, and they follow Him. Jesus wants responses, and there are so many scriptural examples, making it clear that He appreciates our response to Him, when He calls our name, before or after He heals us, or while He is politely knocking on our door. 

I’m going to share two stories on the topic of responding to Jesus. The first one is a trip down memory lane for me. Although there is an actual street about a mile north of my home, called Memory Lane, I’m sharing this from the memory lane in my heart.

I used to write letters to Ted, my oldest brother who was an instructor Air Force pilot, who was stationed in various countries over the years. For some odd reason, ever since he joined the Air Force, I had an obsession of concern for his safety, and earnestly prayed for him. Even twelve years later, while he was in South Korea, at the height of his Air Force career, I felt an urge to send him a letter with this sentence in it, 

“If you’re ever in a time of danger, call on Jesus.” It’s not very profound, and I don’t know why I felt such intense concern, since it was 1982, long after the Viet Nam era and our country was at peace.

Not very long after that letter, his F-16 jet crashed during a routine mission, and after a ten day search, the crash site revealed that he had died on impact. The cause of the crash was later found to be an electrical wire malfunction in F-16 planes. It took a few more years to prove, but after further investigation, the accident report was changed to read that the cause was electrical wire chafing, and not pilot error. 

I believe that my overwhelming sense of urgency to pray for him and write to him, was a response to the Holy Spirit. I trust that the same Holy Spirit stirred my brother’s heart at an important time in his life, leading him to respond and call upon Jesus, finding peace in his final seconds of life. 

Yesterday, I was visiting patients in the hospital as part of the volunteer ministry I do every Sunday. I visited one patient, who was in his mid seventies, and asked if I could pray for him. He said “Don’t bother, it won’t do any good anyway.” 

He said it with a look in his eyes, which I read as meaning he was facing a terminal diagnosis. Rather than asking any questions, I told him God can do anything, but the most important thing is that we have the peace of knowing it is well with our soul. So I asked again if I could pray that God’s presence would give him peace from this day forward, and he responded yes. Half way through the prayer, he started crying, but I knew that they were tears of comfort and peace. 

In the next few minutes, we agreed together that God’s presence was in the room, and that He will never leave him, and he agreed that eternal life is his greatest gift. 

His very first response to me may have been a negative one, but after praying, he found hope and peace. Jesus was obviously knocking on his door, he heard His voice, and he responded by opening the door of his heart to Him. As I walked out of that room, I felt a sense of awe, that something beautiful, but from another world, just took place in there. A part of heaven is in every hospital room, calling, knocking and whispering to every heart.

We are all carrying a cross, and though we don’t understand it, there is meaning and purpose in our loved one’s suffering, as well as in our own. We don’t need to fully understand things here and now, but the grace of God will always lift us out of our despair and give us peace. As we respond to the One who suffered for us, He changes our hearts, before changing our situations. 

The Holy Spirit is drawing us closer to Jesus each day, and we are all called to respond to Him in some way. The same Spirit leads us to others who are ripe to respond to His voice or a polite knock on their door. The Good Shepherd is a “gatherer.” He is in a continuous phase of gathering His sheep closer and closer to Himself, but it needs to start with each one’s response. 

Lord, you call us all closer, knocking on the door of our hearts daily, and you lift us out of our despair and give us your peace. Send your Spirit to lead us and others to continually respond to you. Amen

“We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. 

2 Corinthians 4:7 ( NLT)

Although the word “resilience” is not mentioned in this scripture verse, it is surely implied. We are all fragile clay jars that contain the great treasure of resilience. Webster’s dictionary defines resilience as the ability to recover, spring back or recoil after some sort of compressive stress. Our resilience is because of Christ living within us. 

Compressive stress refers to being squeezed, crushed or intensely pressured. I think everyone has gone through something at some time, that felt like any of the above. Some things cause us to feel squeezed beyond our capabilities, and yet God gives us the grace of resilience to recoil and spring back. 

I believe that we are all more resilient than we think. While we are in the eye of the storm, we feel like we will never recoil or spring back, but resilience has a way of emerging within us, over time. 

If we stop and think about all that we have already been through and  recoiled from, we would admit that a resilience somehow developed within us. Paul wrote that the great power that is within our fragile clay jars, our bodies, is from God, and not from ourselves. The beautiful mystery of it all, is that in every affliction, we have resilience because of Christ, who dwells in our mortal bodies.  

(2 Corinthians 4:11)

I call it a mystery because we have resilience even when we don’t know that we have it. We are all like David, the shepherd boy, more than we realize. We all face a Goliath of some sort, at some time in our lives. We never expect to face the giants that we face, and we are not seeking to be heroic either. But like the humble shepherd boy, we put our fragile trust in God, using the stone in our hand and let a little faith take action. We step forward, and God does the rest, because the power to overcome giants comes from Him, who is within us.

With every Goliath we face and every trial in our lives, resilience is built up within us, because Christ dwells in us. A person may tell us how strong our faith must be, to handle what we are going through, and yet we never feel strong or resilient in the moment. We just keep moving forward, one day at a time.

It’s beyond positive thinking or mind over matter. It’s not some “thing” that empowers us, it’s someone, and that someone is Christ in us. 

Our resilience develops as we face a giant in some form, whether it’s a medical problem, loss of a loved one, financial stress or encountering some new source of anxiety. I felt intense anxiety five years ago, in taking on the new role as a caregiver for my late husband, during his progression through the horrible illness of ALS.

The role of a caregiver comes with sleepless nights, financial worries, and continually adjusting to medical equipment brought into the home, with exhausting routines, that need to be carried out each day. Besides that, there’s a deep sadness in watching your loved one suffer daily, with no hope of a cure. Yet, even in the deepest darkness, the light of Jesus still shines within us. His light also gave my husband the resilience needed to leave his fragile clay jar and meet Jesus.

During that period, I felt like my clay jar was about to crack, but Jesus was within me, building my resilience through every stage of the pressure. I didn’t know it at the time, but as I look back, He made me resilient.

The power of this scripture says it best, 

“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”(2 Corinthians 4:8-9)

We might be briefly knocked off our feet, but we will rise again, because an enduring light dwells within us. It shines through the frail clay jars of this earthly body, and it’s the Spirit of Jesus. He is always within us, giving us the strength to recoil and spring back. He never allows us to be tested beyond what we are able to endure, since He knows each of our limitations. 

“God is faithful and will not let you be tried beyond your strength; but with the trial he will also provide a way out, so that you may be able to bear it.“ (1 Corinthians 10:13)

Lord, we give you all the glory and gratitude for making us resilient, despite how fragile and weak we may feel at times. Thank you for your Presence within us, and we trust that we will overcome all things in the power of your name. Amen

“We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. 

2 Corinthians 4:7 ( NLT)

Although the word “resilience” is not mentioned in this scripture, the meaning of the words written, imply it. Webster’s dictionary defines resilience as the ability to recover, bounce back or recoil after some sort of compressive stress. This translation refers to us as fragile clay jars, that are pressed by compressive stress. 

Compressive stress is feeling squeezed or pressed against. It can be brought on by some kind of loss, illness, strained relationships or any situation that we never planned for. Some problems cause us to feel stretched beyond our capabilities, yet by God’s grace, in time, we will recoil and spring back. 

I believe that we are all more resilient than we admit to. We don’t always feel like we are going to recoil and spring back when we’re in the eye of the storm, but resilience has a way of emerging within us, over time. 

If we stop and think about what we have overcome over the years in our lives, we will admit that a strength has somehow developed within us, and that strength comes from Jesus. Paul emphasizes the point that our great power is from God, not from ourselves, because the life of Christ is dwelling within our mortal bodies. 

(2 Corinthians 4:11)

The beauty of resilience is that we have it, yet don’t always recognize it within ourselves. Like David, we will each face a Goliath of some sort, at some time in our lives. We humbly face our giant with a little faith in our heart and a simple stone in our hand, and as we put one foot in front of the other, moving forward, God does the rest. The power comes from God, not from ourselves.

Then one day, someone tells us how strong our faith must be, to handle what we are going through, but we never thought of it as strength at the time. We only know that there’s no other option than to keep moving forward, trusting God, as we go.

It’s much deeper than mind over matter or positive thinking. It’s not something emerging from deep within us, it’s someone within us-Jesus.

This resilience of Jesus is placed within all believers, whether we face a Goliath in the form of a medical diagnosis, loss of a loved one, a financial loss or going through any kind of stress or intense anxiety. We may feel like our clay jars are going to break, but Jesus is within us, building our resilience through every trial, making us over comers through Him.

The power of this scripture says it best, 

“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”(2 Corinthians 4:8-9)

We might be briefly knocked off our feet, but we will rise up again, because an enduring light dwells within us. It shines through our frail clay vessels, and it’s the Spirit of Jesus. He is within us, helping us to recoil, rise and endure, because God will never allow us to be tested beyond our  capacity to endure.

(1 Corinthians 10:13)

Lord, we give you all the glory and gratitude for making us resilient, despite how fragile and weak we may feel at times. We carry your presence within us, and trust that we will overcome all things in the power of your name. Amen

“Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.”

2 Samuel 9:7 (NIV)

Children are the innocent victims of  so much suffering resulting from the devastation of wars. It reminds me of this Old Testament story about a young handicapped orphan, and how God changed his destiny, giving him new life, hope and restoration. 

Mephibosheth was a healthy little boy, born into the royal family of King Saul. He was the son of Jonathan, David’s closest friend, but he became crippled from a fall at five years old. Soon afterward, there was a war and his entire royal family was killed, leaving him as a disabled orphan. The enemy took over any wealth or land that was his by inheritance, so that he was not only handicapped and orphaned, but homeless as well. 

A friend cared for Mephibosheth in their home, in a city called Lodebar. It was a place of desolation after the war, and the very word, Lodebar, translates to mean “nothing”. So he was literally living in the land of “Nothing” as a nobody, and went from being a royal prince to a disabled pauper. It all happened through a series of events that the little boy had no control of. 

Anyone who has ever lost their health, loved one, income, home or even their sense of self worth, can probably relate to the misfortune of this young boy. We probably all know someone who desperately needs some type of restoration. It could be physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, or financial. 

Mephibosheth was completely helpless and left with nothing, but the Lord is fully attentive to the prayers of the destitute, and would later turn the little boy’s destiny around for the good.  (Psalm 102:17)

Eight years later, after David became king and freed his nation from their enemies, there was peace in the land. David wanted to show kindness to any surviving relative of his beloved friend, Jonathan, so he sent out a search party to find Jonathan’s son, Mephibosheth. He was 13 years old by the time they found him in Lodebar, and brought him to the king’s palace. 

King David adopted him as his own son, and restored all the lands of his inheritance. Mephibosheth lived in the royal palace, with the royal family for the rest of his life. He dined at the king’s table with his children, having gone from prince to pauper, and then restored to royal prince again and son of the king.

God is our King, who searches for all those who feel like they are living in the land of Nothing, as a nobody. He has prepared a place for His children in His heavenly kingdom, seating us at His table, as His own adopted sons and daughters.

He has also given us a purpose to fulfill here and now, by being a part of His search party to find all those who feel like nobodies in a land of Nothing. We are to go out on the highways and the byways, and  invite others to become God’s sons and daughters. Whatever they have lost, is restored by becoming joint heirs with His son, Jesus Christ. (Romans 8:17)

David had compassion on Jonathan’s boy, Mephibosheth, and he saw great value in him, beyond his physical handicap, just as God sees great value in us, beyond our flaws and shortcomings. He lifts us up, restores our dignity, baptizes us into His family, and names us after His own son, “Christ”ian.

God is loving and kind to us, just as David was to Mephibosheth. The core of God’s nature is to restore and show mercy, just as David did for the young man, asking, “How may I show My kindness to you?“  

(2 Samuel 9:1)

God searches the world for people who might feel like nobodies in the land of Nothing, and He restores them as a part of His family. He does everything for their eternal good as Peter wrote,

“The God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, establish, and strengthen you.” (1 Peter 5:10)

Lord, We pray for all those who have lost everything due to war, wildfires, hurricanes, or other disasters. Help us to search for and comfort those who feel like nobodies all around us. We ask for the spiritual, mental, physical and emotional restoration and salvation for all who need it, especially innocent children. Amen

“Behold, how good and pleasant it iswhen brothers dwell together in unity.”  Psalm 133:1 (RSV)

I once heard a famous Israeli folk song, composed of the lyrics from this scripture verse. It was sung in a catchy melody in Hebrew. I was studying Hebrew at the time, so I 

bought the tape and played the song in my home. Soon, my boys, who were three years old at the time, were singing the entire song together  in Hebrew after listening to the tape. 

I still remember their voices singing in unity, and in Hebrew, yet. I wish I had a video to capture that memory, but in the 80’s, we didn’t have cell phones at our fingertips as we do today. It made me aware that just as a parent receives joy in seeing their children dwell together in unity, how much more pleasing is it to God, our Heavenly Father, to see us dwell together in unity?

Scripture, unfortunately, is filled with stories of dysfunctional siblings, divided families, and brothers who didn’t dwell in unity, which left many parents broken hearted. It all began with the very first family. 

Adam and Eve’s two sons, Cain and Abel, presented the first murder scene in scripture, committed by a brother against a brother. In Genesis, Abel was the first victim of murder, and a martyr, who was a type and foreshadowing of Jesus. Abel and Jesus, in their innocence, both suffered early deaths at the hands of angry brothers. Abel was killed by Cain, and Jesus was betrayed by brothers in the faith, the religious authorities of His time.

Through the 3,000 years of biblical history, inspired scripture reveals a deeper meaning through these many stories of sibling rivalries. Every betrayed brother in biblical history is a mysterious hint of the coming of God’s own beloved son one day. Jesus represents all brothers who were ever unjustly scorned, betrayed and mistreated by their siblings.

Isaac and Rebecca had twin sons, Jacob and Esau. Jacob was the son who was closer to his mother, and observant of the faith of his parents. Jacob is a subtle reminder of Jesus, but his brother Esau, was a carnal man, who had no regard for his family’s faith or his own birthright. Esau eventually hunted down his own brother, Jacob, attempting to kill him, but God protected Jacob, and he became the father of the twelve tribes of Israel. 

Out of Jacob’s twelve sons, Joseph, was his most beloved son, which stirred hatred and jealousy among the other eleven brothers. Joseph was mistreated by his brothers, who abandoned him, leaving him to be sold into slavery. 

Joseph and Jesus were both beloved sons of their father. Both were betrayed by their brothers, and falsely accused, and both forgave those who once persecuted them. 

Moses had a brother and a sister, Aaron and Miriam. His siblings were loyal to him up to a point, until they became jealous and started to question his authority and exclusive leadership. Miriam was struck with leprosy because of her rebellious attitude towards her brother, but Moses prayed earnestly for her and she was healed. Moses was humble and forgiving, and so was Jesus, who healed many lepers and forgave His enemies from the cross.

David was chosen by God to be the next king of Israel. As the youngest among a large family of brothers, he never received the respect he deserved from his siblings. Jesus also never received the respect He deserved from the Pharisees and Sadducees. David and Jesus both endured disrespect even though they were both chosen by God. 

David’s own son, Absalom, betrayed his father, seeking to overthrow his throne and take over his kingdom by force. It was heartbreaking for David as he later mourned the death of his son, Absalom, after he was killed. Jesus was betrayed by Judas, a close friend from within His inner circle. Jesus wept in advance over the city of Jerusalem, knowing many would reject Him. (Luke 19:41) 

Both David and Jesus were betrayed by someone close to them. 

God put each of these stories in scripture about betrayed brothers, to prepare people to know that His own son would also be betrayed by his own brothers. Jesus is preeminent among all betrayed brothers in history. 

Jacob, Joseph, Moses and David teach us by example to be humble and forgiving, and they were all exalted to positions of leadership, in spite of the betrayals they suffered. 

Jesus taught that those who humble themselves will be exalted, and it is true throughout biblical history. God exalted Jesus, who is the root and offspring of David, the bright and morning star, and He now sits on the throne of heaven as King of kings and Lord of lords.  (Revelation 22:16)

Any parent can understand how pleasing it is to see their children dwell together in unity. We are the sons and daughters of God, and as a Father, He has joy when brothers can live in unity, whether it is in a family or among the nations of the world.

Lord, the whole world desperately needs peace and unity among brothers of families as well as among nations. Give all people a desire to please you first, by forgiving others, living in unity, and fill us with your love and peace. Amen

(Mike (left) and Jon (right) age 2)

“For your Maker is your husband, the Lord of hosts is his name;and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth He is called. For the Lord has called you like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit.”

Isaiah 54:5-6 (RSV)

Yesterday presented many new things to pray about, all within a twelve our period. My hair stylist texted me at 1 am to cancel my appointment because she was in a motorcycle accident, and underwent surgery yesterday morning. Her surgery went well, but it certainly brought back memories of my son’s motorcycle accident a year ago this month. 

Then I encountered a new problem. I opened my sliding patio door in the morning for fresh air, but then it wouldn’t close again. Something blocked it from closing, leaving it open two inches. After searching the door tracks up and down, and trying to clear out anything that might be jamming or blocking the track, it still wouldn’t close. Having a door that won’t close is not good on so many levels of concern.

I prayed and asked God for wisdom in what to do or who to call. My neighbor’s husband is handy so I called there, but he wasn’t home. I called a local handyman that was recommended on my neighborhood website, but he wasn’t available until after 2 pm.

I thought about all the women I know who have handy husbands, who can probably fix a jammed sliding door, and how fortunate they were. I started verbalizing all my grief to God, telling Him that I have no one to help me. My son, Michael, is very handy, but he lives over 900 miles away and my two nephews are handy but they live about 30 miles away. 

Then I recalled all the times that something needed repair in the past, and how God always sent me the right person at the right time, and the problem was solved. In the midst of my anxiety, I decided to put my trust in Jesus. I asked Him to be my husband and handyman, and to fix my jammed patio door.

Meanwhile, my neighbor’s husband came home around 1 pm and he stopped by to check my door. When I went to show him how the door was jammed, I was stunned! The door glided all the way without a problem. An hour earlier at 12 pm, it absolutely would not close at all. 

No one touched the jammed door between 12 and 1, so what happened in that hour? 

Then I ran across this scripture,

“And in that day, says the Lord, you will call me, My husband.”

(Hosea 2:16) 

That day was yesterday and I did call Jesus my husband, as well as  the best handyman, ever. When we cling to Him, God will take on the role of our Father, friend, husband, physician, or whatever we need at that time in our lives. He does it because He loves us, and He sees and hears us in distress. He sees our hearts, and when we pray, He turns our grief into joy. The psalmist says it best,

“When anxiety was great within me, His consolation brought me joy.”(Psalm 94:19)

Lord, you are all good and powerful, yet you care for all of us, as we bring our needs before you, turning our anxiety into joy. Thank you for being all we need, as we cling to you in trust and faith. Amen