Kissed by the Spirit

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.”

John 1:14 (RSV)

Many years ago, I was having a conversation with a doctor I worked with for many years in the operating room. He was a brilliant young man who lived a secular lifestyle, not religious at all, until he had a life altering spiritual experience that led him to return to his Jewish faith with passionate devotion. He never shared with me the details of what inspired him, but it was so intense that he eventually left the medical field completely, to devote himself to religious Jewish life and study of the Torah.(scripture)

We had a deep discussion one day, and knowing he was much smarter than me, I felt a little inadequate, even though we both had a passion for our own faith. Our discussion covered different topics and then progressed to the person of Jesus. I said that I believed Jesus was the Messiah, the human and divine incarnation of God. He politely stopped me and said, “That would never happen, because God would never become a man.”  

I asked him why he was so sure of that, and he said that the heart of all the commandments is to never make or worship a graven image, so God who is invisible, would never do what is contrary to His commandments by becoming a visible image.

I knew that Jesus was visible but not a graven image, so I mentioned the prophet Isaiah who foretold that a virgin would bear a child, who is called “God with us,” which points to a divine person born of a human virgin. He continued to shake his head no, saying that even if God could do such a thing, He never would do it, because it contradicts all His commandments.

It seemed that Mosaic law and the commandments blocked him from seeing that God is greater than His commandments and can clothe Himself in human flesh if He chooses to. The incarnation is a great mystery for any human mind to grasp, and our discussion ended there, but I still think about what he said.

If I could continue that conversation with him today, I’d say that God had the plan to send His Son into the world, since Genesis, long before the commandments were ever given. In the Garden of Eden, God warned the serpent that one day, he would be crushed by the ‘offspring of a woman’. That happened in one sacred moment of time, when the Divine merged with human DNA and Jesus was conceived. He is that ‘offspring’ who crushes the serpent, and Mary is the woman with the DNA. 

God is greater than commandments, as Jesus told the Pharisees that He is the ‘Lord of the Sabbath’ and the ‘fulfillment of the law.’ He is also the Son of the Father and second person of the Trinity. It’s the most profound truth for a human mind to process.

God knew that the best way to reach out and save us was to become one of us, which Paul calls the “mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things.” (Ephesians 3:9) 

I’ll never forget a different day while we were preparing the operating room for the next case, and another doctor I worked with, was in the room and asked me, “What is grace?” It was a strange thing to ask out of nowhere, since no conversation was taking place. He must have heard it mentioned and was thinking about it. 

I said “grace is unmerited favor.” He never said anything after that. It was an odd moment but also a Spirit inspired moment. Grace is the most profound message to share, since it leads to a better understanding of the incarnation mystery and who Jesus really is. 

God did become a man, and we know it based on everything Jesus said about Himself and His Father. He left the glory of heaven to be born a helpless infant and live a humble human life, all out of His abundant grace and immeasurable love for each one of us. 

Lord, thank you for your divine Presence, incarnated in the person of Jesus. We love you and pray that all people will embrace the beauty and truth of this mystery. Amen

“On that day Israel shall be a third party with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth,

when the Lord of hosts gives this blessing: “Blessed be my people Egypt, and the work of my hands Assyria, and my heritage, Israel.”

Isaiah 19:24-25 (NAB)

Israel is the holy land for three major religions, even though it is a very small country, about the size of New Jersey. God loves the people of every nation, as the scripture above refers to Egypt as ‘His’ people, and Assyria (modern day Iraq) as the work of ‘His’ hands. 

Israel, though small, is often the focus of world news, as people live in constant conflict, but it is a land, rich in the history of miracles. 

We’ve all heard the Bible stories of miracles that once took place there. The Sea of Galilee is where Jesus walked on water, a landscape that is still unchanged today. Jesus fed the 5,000 on the northwestern shore of that Sea.

David defeated the 9’9” giant, Goliath, in an area that is only 15 minutes from the Ben Gurion international airport of Israel. The Mount of Olives in East Jerusalem has one of the oldest Jewish cemeteries in the country and is also next to where Jesus preached the famous Sermon of the Mount. In Jerusalem, we can still walk through the Garden of Gethsemane, and see the same trees that existed 2,000 years ago, where Jesus once prayed. It’s amazing to think of all the miracles that took place in a land that we can still visit today.

I believe that Abraham, the patriarch of Judaism, Islam and Christianity, is still overseeing the holy land from heaven, and would like to see his descendants of Isaac (Jews), of Ishmael, (Arabs) and Christians everywhere to dwell in peace and unity. Two very interesting and mystical occurrences involving Abraham, once happened in the 20th century, as reported by eyewitnesses who were there.

Right after the United Nations voted to declare Israel an independent nation in 1948, a coalition of five Arab nations attacked the country. There was a troop of Israelis who were down to the end of their supplies, on top of Mount Zion. A troop of Arab fighters approached them, and the Israeli troop saw that they were cornered and out of bullets, so they decided to pray. 

The Arab soldiers headed up the mountain, towards them, then looked up, seeing something that stopped them. Immediately the whole troop of Arabs retreated, but the Israeli soldiers never knew why, until nineteen years later. One of those Jewish soldiers met an Arab soldier and as they were talking, they realized they were both on Mount Zion that day. The Arab man told him that Abu Ibrahim (father Abraham) appeared to them on top of the mountain, waving his arms for them to stop fighting, so in a state of awe, they all retreated.

If this sounds too unbelievable, it happened again, 20 years later,  during the Six day war in Israel. A troop of Israeli soldiers were outnumbered but about to fight a troop of soldiers from Jordan, when the Jordanians saw something in the sky and shouted in Arabic, “Abu Ibrahim !”and then retreated. 

A Jordanian soldier later told an Israeli officer that they saw their Patriarch, father Abraham in the sky surrounded by a multitude of angels. Those Arab troops were blessed to witness such imagery, which God sent to them, knowing both Jews and Arabs revered Abraham. Many lives were saved because of those sitings of Abraham during the early conflicts. 

So, whether we are a Jew or an Arab, Catholic or Protestant, or people of any race on earth, God wants all people to come to Him and be united  in Him, as He sent an obvious message of unity and inclusion through today’s scripture. 

Miracles don’t happen every day but when they do, it’s meant to inspire us to find a common unity of faith, to trust in a God who is real, who loves all people, and who still intervenes in our lives whenever we pray to Him. 

Lord, we pray that you would make us instruments of your peace until the day that all people of any faith or race will see Jesus with open arms, and invite Him into their lives. Amen 

“Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”

And when he had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

John 20:21-22 (NAB)

Jesus breathed on his disciples and they received the Holy Spirit. He then sent them out to spread the gospel with a unique boldness, expressed with peace, love and joy. God once breathed into Adam’s nostrils and he became a living being. Whoever God breathes on becomes revitalized and equipped with boldness and peace for the task ahead. 

To my own detriment, I can be too set in my thinking. One of my ‘set thoughts’ is that my son, Jon, will not tolerate having his fingernails clipped, especially by me. In the past, two different nurses have done it, but one nurse no longer works there, and the other nurse always seems too busy. Jon refuses to allow anyone else to clip his nails, so I set my thoughts on the fact that it’s not going to happen.

I realized yesterday that the problem is not all with Jon, but with me, since it never even crossed my mind to ask for God’s help in that area. Yesterday I was sitting at the table with other residents at the NH. Martha and Ray, Andy’s parents, were there and Martha commented on how long Jon’s nails were getting. I agreed, saying how I wished he would allow someone to cut them, but he won’t.

Martha asked if she could try, and I agreed, although I was 100% sure that Jon would not comply.  Ray put two nail clippers on the table for her to choose from. I looked at the clippers and thought neither of those clippers will clip his long nails. Martha put on rubber gloves and started talking calmly to Jon, about what she was about to do, and he responded well, but my mind was at a dead end, convinced that it’s not going to happen, but I learned that my thoughts are not always facts.

While sitting next to Jon, I was thinking, ‘Martha will see for herself once she tries to clip the first nail.’ So she started with his left hand, the good hand. She took the first finger and clipped the nail. I was watching her clip, as I watched Jon’s face, expecting him to withdraw in fear. Martha kept going with gentle boldness, moving on to the next finger and clipped all five nails on his left hand with Jon relaxed and compliant. When she finished that hand, he looked as pleased as I looked shocked.

Then she started on his right hand which is paralyzed and has been curled in a fist position, since his accident. I knew he would not let her do that hand. It’s difficult for him to open up his right hand, but as Martha gently clipped the first fingernail, Jon did something I never expected. He used his good hand to hold those fingers open for her to reach and clip every nail. Ray and I just looked on with amazement.

After Martha finished clipping his nails, I realized in that moment, that God just breathed down on all of us. He breathed on Martha by giving her the calm demeanor and the gentle boldness required to do the job. He breathed on Jon, by giving him the peace to trust Martha. He breathed on me to break through my dead end mindset and revitalize my hope. I learned that no matter how old we get or how long we have known the Lord, He’s never done transforming our minds and renewing our hearts. It’s a continual life long process. 

Just as He did at times in scripture, God still breathes on all of us today. Through His Spirit, He revitalizes us by replacing dead end thinking with new hope. He breathes on us, giving us gentle boldness to equip us for a task we need to do, and He replaces fear with peace.

Lord, breathe on us today and help us always remember to ask for your help in areas where we may have closed our mind. Replace all doubt and fear with renewed hope and perfect peace. Amen

BREATHED ON 

“Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”

And when he had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

John 20:21-22 (NAB)

Jesus breathed on his disciples and they received the Holy Spirit. He then sent them out to spread the gospel with a unique boldness, expressed with peace, love and joy. God once breathed into Adam’s nostrils and he became a living being. Whoever God breathes on becomes revitalized and equipped with boldness and peace for the task ahead. 

To my own detriment, I can be too set in my thinking. One of my ‘set thoughts’ is that my son, Jon, will not tolerate having his fingernails clipped, especially by me. In the past, two different nurses have done it, but one nurse no longer works there, and the other nurse always seems too busy. Jon refuses to allow anyone else to clip his nails, so I set my thoughts on the fact that it’s not going to happen.

I realized yesterday that the problem is not all with Jon, but with me, since it never even crossed my mind to ask for God’s help in that area. Yesterday I was sitting at the table with other residents at the NH. Martha and Ray, Andy’s parents were there and Martha commented on how long Jon’s nails were getting. I agreed, saying how I wished he would allow someone to cut them, but he won’t.

Martha asked if she could try, and I said sure, although I was 100% sure  that Jon would not comply.  Ray put two nail clippers on the table for her to choose from. I looked at the clippers and thought neither of those clippers will clip his long nails. Martha put on rubber gloves and started talking calmly to Jon, about what she was about to do, and he responded well, but my mind was at a dead end, already sure that it’s not going to happen, but I learned that my thoughts are not always facts.

While sitting next to Jon, I was thinking, ‘Martha will see for herself once she tries to clip the first nail.’ So she started with his left hand, the good hand. She took the first finger and clipped the nail. I was watching her clip, as I watched Jon’s face, expecting him to withdraw in fear. Martha kept going with gentle boldness, moving on to the next finger and clipped all five nails on his left hand with Jon relaxed and compliant. When she finished that hand, he looked as pleased as I looked shocked.

Then she started on his right hand which is paralyzed and has been curled in a fist position, since his accident. I knew he would not let her do that hand. It’s difficult for him to open up his right hand, but as Martha gently clipped the first fingernail, Jon did something I never expected. He used his good hand to hold those fingers open for her to reach and clip every nail. Ray and I just looked on with amazement.

After Martha finished clipping his nails, I realized in that moment, that God just breathed down on all of us. He breathed on Martha by giving her the calm demeanor and the gentle boldness required to do the job. He breathed on Jon, by giving him the peace to trust Martha. He breathed on me to break through my dead end mindset and revitalize my hope. I learned that no matter how old we get or how long we have known the Lord, He’s never done transforming our minds and renewing our hearts. It’s a continual life long process. 

Just as He did at times in scripture, God still breathes on all of us today. Through His Spirit, He revitalizes us by replacing dead end thinking with new hope. He breathes on us, giving us gentle boldness to equip us for a task we need to do, and He replaces fear with peace.

Lord, breathe on us today and help us always remember to ask for your help in areas where we may have closed our mind. Replace all doubt and fear with renewed hope and perfect peace. Amen

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

Galatians 6:9 (NIV)

I had a good friend for fifty years, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2022. She was married for fifty three years when she became ill, and they had no children. 

As my friend’s cancer progressed, I visited them once a week. At each visit, her husband consistently talked about his psoriatic arthritis and how much he was suffering, while my friend, who was dying of pancreatic cancer, never once complained about her illness. 

I talked to her privately and she mentioned that he has always been preoccupied with his own health. I knew that they had been to marriage counseling over the years, but she learned to cope with his tendency toward self centeredness, by not feeding into it. Her terminal diagnosis was naturally hard for both of them and she was eventually placed in hospice, but he never seemed to fully process it, still talking about his psoriatic arthritis. 

I visited her each week but also checked on him, since he was living alone in their apartment. I called every week to check on him, to drop off groceries that he requested, and then went on to visit my friend in hospice at a Nursing facility. She was always sweet spirited and grateful for every visit. 

As weeks went by, her husband began to ask me to bring him a treat, such as a particular ice cream bar not sold in the area, so I went out of my way to get what he asked for. As he kept requesting treats, I soon felt a growing resentment building up. 

I was annoyed that he was so self absorbed while his wife was dying. Visiting her in hospice was a special time, but it was totally exhausting to be around her husband.

I felt like a true hypocrite, going the extra mile for him, who I could barely stand to be around. I finally did what I should have done from the start. I took my feelings of resentment to God in prayer. I told Him how I felt about my friend’s husband, and by verbalizing what God already knew, something supernatural happened within me.

The Holy Spirit reminded me that whatever we do for others, we are doing for Jesus, regardless of the kind of person we are doing it for. 

(Matthew 25:40)

I felt renewed and with a new way of thinking, I set out to visit my friend’s husband the next day, prepared to meet his requests with my new attitude of ‘I’m doing this for Jesus.’

I arrived at his home, knocked on the door, but no one answered, so I dug through my purse to find the key they once gave me. I entered the house, called out his name but there was no answer. I looked in the bedroom but he wasn’t there. Then I saw his lifeless body lying on the bathroom floor. It looked like he had died many hours earlier. Paramedics confirmed that he died the day before. It was an awful experience, but a sober reminder to never grow weary in doing good.

I had to break the news to my dying friend, who was shocked to learn that she outlived her husband, but she received the news with peace. Three weeks later she became unresponsive, and after my visit, she passed away peacefully in her sleep.

I was glad I did what I did, while they were living, since we never know how long a person has to live. I learned that even if a person is difficult to be around, we can still do good things in the strength that God gives us, which is for His glory. 

Lord, thank you for being patient with us, even when we are slow to be patient with others. Transform us, so that we may always do good for others, as if doing it for You. Amen

“Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve, stood beside meand said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.”

Acts 27:23-24 (NIV)

Paul’s guardian angel appeared to him, to assure him that God will save the lives of all 276 men on the ship, despite the violent cyclone storm that was battering the Adriatic Sea. He told everyone on the ship what the Lord said, through his angel. Their original destination was Rome, in order to transfer the prisoners on board to stand trial before Caesar. 

The storm lasted for two days and no one had eaten, due to anxiety and seasickness. Paul took bread, prayed over it, blessed it, and passed it out to everyone on board. After they ate, they were encouraged to keep hope, and they survived. 

(Acts 28:35)

Their mangled ship finally got wedged onto a sandbar on the island of Malta. Everything that followed proved that God was exercising His providence over all who were on that ship.

The natives of Malta ran to help the shipwrecked men, offering them food and shelter. It was no coincidence that the ship landed on the side of the island, owned by a wealthy man named Publius. The father of Publius was sick with a fever and dysentery. Paul visited him and prayed, laying hands on him and he was instantly healed. Publius and his family became Christians, while many other sick people on the island were prayed for by Paul and cured.

Sometimes God’s divine purpose is accomplished through the most distressing and traumatic situations. 

At first, the guards on ship thought they would have to kill the prisoners to prevent their escape, but they didn’t. All the lives on board could have drowned at sea, but they lived, because the angel of the Lord promised it. They might have landed anywhere else, but God wanted them on that side of Malta, where Publius lived, who God used to provide a way for all 276 men to continue their voyage. 

God often reveals His faithfulness to us in the cyclones and shipwrecks of our lives. He offers us His peace in the middle of the storm. The Lord knows the best way to mature our faith, take us to new places, to meet new people, and share His bread of life with. The same God who spoke to Paul and spared every life in the storm, is the same God who is at our side today and forever. 

Lord, help us to respond with trust in your divine providence, through the storms and shipwrecks of our lives, knowing you will bring us through, while we help others and are drawn closer to you. Amen

“Pardon me, my lord. As surely as you live, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.” 

1 Samuel 1:26-28 (NIV)

The Bible gives us the example of Hannah as an earnestly praying woman who later became an earnestly praying mother. After waiting many years to conceive, she showed her gratitude to God, by offering her son Samuel, to be trained in the temple at a young age. He learned the skills and protocols of high priesthood and became a great priest and prophet. It happened because his mother prayed for him throughout his years. 

Ezra was a teenage boy living in Israel after the Holocaust. Jewish refugees began to return to Palestine which has been a homeland for Jews and Arabs for the past 3,000 years. In 1947, the land was under control of the British, who colonized the land and wanted to keep it in their control. Instead of using their authority to influence the peace between Jews and Arabs, they trained and equipped certain groups of Arabs to kill Jews who were entering the country as refugees. This caused further division which led to an underground Jewish resistance group, whose main goal was to drive the British out of the country. 

Those members of the resistance were mostly teenagers and young adults. Ezra was one of them, but his parents were religious Jews who disapproved of fighting all together. Ezra was sure about his decision to join the underground, so his mother prayed fervently for his safety. When Ezra came home each day, he saw and heard his mother praying the same thing. She prayed  ‘Lord God, please blind the enemy and protect my son.’

His mother was referring to the biblical story of Abraham’s nephew, Lot, who lived in Sodom and was protected by angels when a gang of predators were trying to barge into his home. The angels struck the men at the door with blindness and saved Lot. Abraham was the one praying for his nephew, just as Ezra’s mother was praying for him. 

The British imposed strict curfews, and arrested, shot or hanged anyone  without a trial, if they found them associated with the underground resistance. Ezra and his friends were walking down the street one night, unaware of a newly imposed curfew. 

Out of nowhere, a jeep full of British soldiers headed down the street toward the three teens. The three boys froze, but the jeep kept driving right past them. It was as if the soldiers were blind to the boys even though they were in clear view. Ezra remembered his mother’s prayer to blind the enemy. 

Another time Ezra and his friends were gathered in one room of an apartment building, while a group of British soldiers were searching the building for underground resistance groups. They heard soldiers nearby but they searched every room except the room Ezra and his friends were hiding in. Once again, Ezra thought of his mother’s prayer to blind the enemy. 

Ezra shared his stories of survival with a CNN world news journalist. Even against all odds, he believes that miracles happened because of his praying mother. God still hears our prayers and protects those we pray for. 

I don’t have a story of my own about protection, but I do know about answered prayers of a mother. I see answers through the new progress my son, Jon, is making. He is more sociable and likes to be with others. He routinely gathers all trash from the tables and tosses it in the garbage, using his one good arm. He is the only resident who carries his food tray after he’s finished, and places it back on the rack. His nurse saw him doing it with one arm and offered to take his tray and he said, “No, I’ll do it.”

I think his new interest in tidying up makes him feel more useful. He also now uses a toilet and washes his hands afterward, all on his own. It makes me glad to see his progress and I’m grateful for all the friends who have been praying for him. 

Whether you had a mom who prayed for you, or you are a mom, an aunt, a grandmother or a spiritual mom to someone, God hears our prayers and answers according to His timing. He also sends His angels to do what is needed to keep our loved ones safe.

Lord, thank you for showing your great lovingkindness through all our answered prayers and please continue to hear, answer and protect us in miraculous ways. Amen

“I say to you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.”

Matthew 17:20 (RSV)

The most remarkable event since creation, is the moment that God became incarnated as a human man. I can imagine how surprised Mary was when she heard and processed the news that she was to be the mother of God’s son. In that unexpected moment, there was no time for Mary to feel the full weight of what the angel just announced to her, but she believed.

Before Gabriel departed, he said to her, “For nothing will be impossible for God”and Mary responded, “Let it be done according to your word. 

(Luke 1:37)

I can see in this scene, that Mary’s faith was stronger than her feelings, since feelings of fear and doubt could have rose up, and caused her to hesitate before consenting to the role of becoming the mother of the Messiah.

The fear of being ridiculed as an unwed mother, could have held her back. Feelings of doubt about what the future would entail, could have delayed her will to consent, but she invested her faith in the God who can do the impossible, instead of relying on her feelings, fears or doubts. With no guarantees about how it would all pan out, Mary was 100% in. She was in because of her faith, over her feelings. 

Jesus said that what is humanly impossible, is possible with God. An exhausted and desperate father came to Him one day, asking for the healing of his possessed son. That father wasn’t feeling 100% hopeful, which was evident by his feeble question, “If you can do anything…”

He only had a tiny bit of faith, but Jesus told him everything is possible to one who has faith. (Mark 9:22-23)

It doesn’t matter how much faith we have, because only a little faith permits God to do what is humanly impossible. That father came to the right person with a little faith, and not much enthusiasm, but it was enough for Jesus to heal his son. 

Jesus taught that a little bit of faith goes a long way. If we combine all the scriptures on this topic, it would compose a sentence that says that all things are possible, nothing is impossible, and nothing is too difficult for God. 

I say a resounding Amen to that sentence, but I still don’t wake up each morning ‘feeling’ the faith to believe for the seemingly impossible situations in my life. I need to believe with faith apart from my feelings. Scripture confirms the fact that God wants us to believe, even with a mustard seed size of faith.

Jesus said anything and everything is possible with God. He said it many times and in many ways. It was said through the angel Gabriel, through the Old Testament prophets and through Jesus Himself, and we believe it, because He said it. 

Feelings can be deceiving as well as misleading. Fear is a human feeling which is why the words ‘Fear not’ appear about 100 times in the Bible. Jesus told us to have faith for the impossible, because a mustard seed of faith is more effective than all our feelings.

Faith is the conviction of things not seen. If God said it, even though we don’t see it, we believe it. 

Lord, help us to trust in you with even our smallest bit of faith, knowing you are God, who makes all things possible. Amen

“Every man serves the good wine first; and when men have drunk freely, then the poor wine; but you have kept the good wine until now.” This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory; and his disciples believed in him.”

John 2:10-11 (RSV)

God seems to show us through scripture that He has a pattern of saving the best for last. The wedding in Cana was the first public miracle that Jesus did, turning water into the finest quality of wine. He did it after regular wine was served. Saving the best wine for last is a characteristic of God, and saving the best for last is a pattern also seen throughout the Old Testament prophet’s writings. 

Each prophet, began their book with stern warnings against sin and impending punishment, but by the end of each book, God calls His people to return, repent and receive restoration. It’s a repeated theme throughout the last pages of the major and minor prophets’ writings. 

In my early ‘mother of twins’ years, my boys took three hour naps every afternoon. Besides catching up on household tasks, I used that time to dig deeper into scripture and found many hidden treasures in God’s word. I am certainly no Bible scholar and am not trying to teach anything new, but it doesn’t take a scholar to read through each of the prophet’s writings, and see a pattern taking place. Each prophet starts out warning of punishment but ends with God’s offer of mercy and restoration.

By now, you may be wondering why  this is even important. I’ve met many people who grew up with a twisted image of God as an angry, punishing judge. It might have been the earliest image projected to them by their parents, church or parochial school teachers. 

If someone heard or read only the beginning of each prophet’s writing, that would be the natural perception to get, but if they read to the end of each book, they’d see an offer of love and redemption. In the last chapters of every prophet’s book, God calls His people back, removing judgement and speaking words of mercy and renewal.

The Old Testament prophets teach us that God’s love never changes. He loves us whether we do things that please Him or grieve Him, as any parent does. He is pleased when we cooperate with Him, but we can never earn His love because His love is unconditional. Matthew West, an award winning Christian songwriter, said it best: ‘I’m not loved because I’m worthy, I’m loved because He’s good.’

The unconditional love of a parent for their children, regardless of their behavior, is proof that God gave us parenthood to teach us more about Himself. 

The last chapter of Zephaniah’s book says that God is in our midst, a mighty savior, who will renew us in His love. The second to last chapter of Isaiah wrote that God exults in His people. The prophet Micah’s later chapters tell us God doesn’t persist in anger forever, but instead delights in mercy.

It’s a repeated pattern that appears  at the end of each prophet’s book, revealing the grace and mercy of a God, who offers love and restoration. God saves the best of His grace, mercy, peace, and love for last. 

Whatever trial we may currently be facing, we can place our hope in God, who saves the best plans for  last. Like the best wine that He presented at the wedding in Cana, in His own timing, we can trust that He will turn water into wine, heal and save according to our long awaited prayers.

Lord, we believe that you are a God who saves the best for last, and we trust you to answer in your perfect timing all our long awaited prayers. Amen

“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press ontoward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 3:13-14 (NIV)

Paul’s letter to the Philippian church is a reminder that we are all in a growth process which is preparing us for heaven. No one has arrived or taken hold of perfect spiritual maturity yet, but we are all pressing toward the same goal, learning as we grow in faith and holiness, day by day through difficult challenges. The goal and prize that we are pursing is to spend eternity with Jesus in heaven. 

Paul advises us to forget what lies behind in order to press on. Certain memories need to be let go of, in order to move forward. Holding on to hurtful words or offenses done to us by others, doesn’t help us toward the goal. A speaker once said that to forgive doesn’t make the other person right, it makes you free. It frees our memory from storing all the offenses done to us, which replay over and over in our mind. 

It’s why ‘pressing on’ is not a one time act, but a daily action of our choice.

We also have memories of our own regrets, failures and mistakes, that replay in our mind to hinder us. If something cannot be undone, we ask forgiveness, and then we forgive ourselves. If Peter could do it, and Paul advises us to do it, so can we. 

God speaks to us through the words of Paul, to press on, move ahead, learn, grow and overcome, even through the most challenging experiences of our life. The original Greek version of this verse is saying, “Keep your eye on the prize, who is Christ Jesus.” The Greek word skopos means to scope, as in a telescope or a microscope, to focus only on what is essential to see. 

One of the most intense examples of pressing on, with telescope eyes on the prize, is the true story of the Christian singer and songwriter, Steven Curtis Chapman. He and his wife had six children but experienced a family tragedy in 2008, when their five year old daughter died, after her teenage brother accidentally ran her over, in the driveway of their home.

The little sister was so excited to greet her big brother, she took off running down the driveway, before her brother could see her. The family clung to each other and to the Lord, who helped them to cope and press on after such a tragedy. Their family grew closer in that difficult time and got the help needed for their teenage son to move on, one day at a time.

The Chapmans share their story in interviews through various Christian news outlets. Steven and his wife have no profound answers, except knowing personally that God’s grace helps us to press on. They keep their daughter’s memory in their hearts, knowing by faith, they will see her again. Their son is now a husband and father, with children of his own. The Chapman family remains united by a resilient faith in Jesus Christ.

Everyone encounters a time of despair, wondering where God is, but He is right there with us to help us press on and to keep our eyes on Jesus, our prize. The human spirit, by divine grace, can handle even the toughest things in life, through Jesus Christ, who strengthens us. 

Lord, help us to keep our eyes on the prize, knowing by faith that nothing can compare with the glory to be revealed one day. Amen

“Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.”

1 Chronicles 29:14 (NIV)

I have a trusted auto mechanic, whose shop is walking distance from my home. When I need anything, I can drop my car off and just walk two blocks back to my home. He is honest and reliable, and since he’s close by, he is my source for any car problem.

For several years, I’ve had a playlist of music on my phone that is synced to my car. Every time I turn on my car, my music plays through the car radio, as long as my phone is with me. One day it showed that songs were playing, but no sound was coming out. I adjusted all the knobs on my car, but nothing helped. 

So, without an appointment, my first impulse was to go to my mechanic. I explained my problem and he came out to my car. He tried adjusting the knobs for a moment, then turned to ask for my phone. I gave it to him and he immediately found what was unknown to me, that the volume button was turned all the way down. He turned it up, the music played and I couldn’t have felt more stupid.

I should have known that the phone was the source of my music playlist. The car radio was not the source, my phone was. I was embarrassed but grateful that he was kind enough to help me with something totally unrelated to the mechanics of my car. I thought to myself, there has to be something to learn through this.  The lesson of that day was, 

‘Go to the Source.’

It took a patient auto mechanic to remind me that to hear music in my car, I need to turn up the volume at the source, my phone. God is our source for our wholeness of body, mind, soul and spirit. His voice is always speaking within us, but we have to turn up the volume to hear Him. 

He’s  not likely to speak through the external influences of this world, anymore than my car radio was the source of my music playlist. We all have a volume button within, to turn up and listen for His truth, over all the noise and chatter around us.

I remember the first time in my life when I turned up the volume to listen to God. I was never interested in God until around my first year of college. I took a few philosophy courses that year and was stirred to wonder whether God exists and what the purpose of life is. I can still recall asking myself this specific question, “If there is a God, what does He expect of me?” 

That began my search, and as I turned up my volume button, my heart was opening to the source, the One who made me and knows me best. The more I listened the more signs He gave me. The first answer to my question of what He expected of me, was to receive His forgiveness and His love.

Reading scripture was one way to turn up my volume button. I read that Jesus called Himself the truth, not a truth, but The Truth. I believed and the more I prayed, He started changing me. Prayer is simply talking to God and turning up the volume to hear what He has been saying to us. It makes us less anxious, better at decision making, and lets the Holy Spirit guide and direct us. The best result of prayer is the peace we receive, which surpasses all human understanding.

I saw God in a new way since then. He is not a distant supreme being watching us to find our faults. He is a loving Father who has been calling us all throughout our lives. He always whispers and gestures for us to come closer and remain in His love. 

We have a volume button within us. When we turn it up, we will hear Him inviting us through whatever is currently happening in our life. His presence and His words in scripture are the source of comfort, healing, correction and restoration.

Lord, we pray that we will always turn our volume button up so we can hear you above all the noise and chatter. Amen