Kissed by the Spirit

“In peace I will lie down and sleep,
for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.”  Psalm 4:8 (NIV)

No one and nothing can give us the sense of safety or security that the Lord Himself can give us. We all desire to lie down and go to sleep in peace and safety every night. There is an entire realm that we cannot see, because the Holy Spirit and the angels are always working invisibly on our behalf, to protect us from danger, and lead us to heaven according to God’s timing.

Of all the security systems, burglar alarms, devices, weapons and tools of protection, the safest place to be, is to abide in the shadow of Almighty God. David reminds us in many psalms that the Lord alone keeps us dwelling in safety, by the leading of His Spirit, and sending angels and people to us at the right time and place.

When I was involved in a church youth group many years ago, one young man in the group shared this true story. He offered to drive a teenage girl home one evening after youth group. He dropped her off at her apartment building in Chicago, watching as she walked safely into her front hallway. She went inside and everything looked fine. 

As he started to drive away, before getting to the end of the street, he felt an urgent impulse to go back and check on her, so he turned around and drove back. He parked the car and walked over to look inside the hallway of her apartment building. In the hallway, he saw a man trying to attack her, holding her against her will. Her attacker fled out the front door, as the church friend walked in. 

Some would say that the young man followed his gut feeling by going back to check on the teenage girl. Others might say that the Holy Spirit led him to go back, or a guardian angel prompted him to do what he did. 

It was probably a combination of a gut feeling that comes from the Holy Spirit, and being prompted by angels who are assigned to protect us.

Another true story of divine protection happened to a missionary in Brazil. He was asked to give a talk in a high crime region of the city of Sao Paulo. After he finished his talk around three in the afternoon, while driving home with his friend, a gang of eight motorcyclists surrounded his car, glaring at him as they drove. The friend in the car said they must be the gang of car thieves who have been carjacking drivers in the area.

The missionary kept driving, looking straight ahead, while praying out loud, asking for God’s help and protection. He continued praying and driving, for several minutes until the eight cyclists eventually turned around and left. There was no explanation of why they didn’t carry out their usual car jacking crime, except that the missionary’s prayer dispatched extra protection from heaven in that moment. 

It may be hard to believe at times, but scripture is full of examples of how prayer connects us to the supernatural, invisible realm of heaven all around us. 

One example is when a den full of starving lions, suddenly lost their appetite, ignoring Daniel when he was tossed into their midst, while praying and trusting God. 

Three young Hebrew friends of Daniel were forbidden to pray, but when they kept praying anyway, they were thrown into a fiery furnace as punishment. A fourth man appeared in the furnace with them, who looked like the “Son of God.” They worshipped Him and the three boys were released unharmed. 

There have been rare moments when human eyes were permitted to see the invisible guardians of heaven who defend us each day. Elisha the prophet, was mentoring a young man, and prayed that he could see what Elisha believed by faith. The Lord opened the young man’s eyes and he saw an army of angels with chariots of fire, stationed all around them. What Elisha’s student saw, is what we can believe without seeing.

Whether we are in the midst of busy daytime routines or lying down to sleep at night, God’s presence is always with us. He created angels, who are heavenly beings that need no sleep, and are sent to encompass us continually. Whether we are awake or asleep, we can dwell in safety, because even if we are unaware, we are never alone.

Lord, give us a new awareness of the invisible protection of angels who surrounds us and a Spirit of peace that is with us every day. Amen

“O stupid Galatians! Who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?

I want to learn only this from you: did you receive the Spirit from works of the law, or from faith in what you heard?

Are you so stupid? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh?”

Galatians 3:1-3 (NAB)

Our parents taught us never to call people names, like “stupid”. The apostle Paul’s words to the church in Galatia (Turkey) appear to lack proper etiquette, by calling them stupid. They don’t seem like words of comfort, but rather abrasive and rude. Paul always had a strong personality, long before his conversion and call to ministry. Still, it makes readers wonder if this tirade to the Galatians was really necessary. 

Before his conversion, Paul was Saul, a Pharisee, who despised Christians and dragged them out of their homes to have them stoned. The Christian community was terrified of him until the day the Lord humbled him. The Lord mystically intervened, shining a bright light which literally blinded Saul for three days. Within that blinding light was the audible voice of Jesus asking him, “Saul-Why are you persecuting Me?”

Saul became a believer after that. His heart was changed, his name was changed, but his personality and temperament remained the same. God changes hearts, corrects our motives, and renews minds, while we still have the same temperament and personality we were born with.

Paul needed a strong personality for what was ahead of him. He was beaten, imprisoned, interrogated and accused by kings and governors, for spreading the gospel during his ministry as an apostle to the gentile world. His strong personality gave him the fortitude to defend his rights as a Roman citizen, which helped to deliver him from unfair treatment on certain occasions. 

Understanding the natural personality traits of Paul, we can better understand his tirade at the Galatian church in today’s scripture. The Galatians were deceived by false teachings and taught others that circumcision was necessary to be saved.

Paul corrected this false teaching at the time and brought the church back into alignment with the truth, so that the gospel could spread throughout the world. Calling them stupid, seems like a mistake coming from the mouth of an apostle, but that was Paul’s temperament and God doesn’t make mistakes in who He chooses.

Everyone has flaws but God uses our flaws as an asset for the kingdom of God. He did it with Paul to keep the early church on a right path despite many false doctrines circulating at the time. God wasn’t finished with Paul yet, but still used him for ministry since the day of his conversion. God isn’t finished with any of us either, and still uses our individual temperaments and personalities, according to His plan and purpose. 

God knows how to match certain personalities together, for the good. It’s very liberating to know that a perfect God wants to work with imperfect people, as we do our best just as we are. 

Every personality, whether introverted or extroverted, a quiet listening type, or the bold and talkative person, each one has a unique purpose in God’s kingdom. If everyone were the same how boring the world be. We don’t need to become like someone else, because God has a place for each of us, just as we are. 

What we may see as flaws and imperfections, God uses and turns into assets for His kingdom and purpose. This frees us to love God more and to love ourselves just as we are.

Lord, help us to be what you made us to be, and transform and use our personality traits to become assets for your kingdom. Amen

“I tell you, if he does not get up to give him the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence.”

Luke 11:8 (NAB)

Persistence is a highly valued trait by God. Jesus told many parables about persistence. Today’s scripture comes from the parable of a man waking his friend up at midnight to borrow loaves of bread. His friend is annoyed by him, since his family is asleep, the household is shut down and all the doors are locked for the night. Jesus said, even if he doesn’t give him anything because of their friendship, he will do it because of his persistence. 

Persistence transcends the worry of what anyone thinks of them, like the hemorrhaging woman,  who crawled on her hands and knees into the dense crowd, just to reach and touch the hem of Jesus’ garment, and when she touched it, she was healed.

One of the most unusual ways that Jesus taught persistence, was when He went to the region of Tyre and Sidon and a gentile woman approached him, begging Him to deliver her daughter from the torment of demons. His disciples whispered to Jesus to send the woman away, since she was not from one of the tribes of Israel. Jesus pretended to keep dismissing her and played along with his disciples, but He was actually testing her persistence. 

He finally told the woman that it wasn’t proper to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs. The children represented the children of Israel, and the dogs were the gentiles. Jesus tested her persistence by saying that He came only for His own people, but He knew that she would never give up. 

The humble yet resolute woman quickly replied, “Yes Lord, but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the table.” I can just imagine the expression on Jesus’ face at the moment she said that. She was tough and not easy to turn away, even by the Son of God. That kind of persistence makes God smile.

Jesus was so pleased by her comment that He praised her faith and persistence, in front of all who were there, including His disciples. He told her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted”, and at that moment, her daughter was instantly healed and delivered. (Luke 15:28)

I believe Jesus told us these stories, to show that God wants us to persist in asking, seeking, and knocking. Jesus encouraged us to keep praying, even when it looks hopeless. He wants us to never think that He is bothered by our persistence, because it actually makes Him happy, and reaps a reward in the end. 

I tried to put myself in the place of those women who came to Jesus or the man knocking on the door in the parable, and I might have given up and turned away, since the odds were against all of them. When I read the response Jesus had toward them, it makes me want to be more persistent, seeing how much it pleases Him.

Most of the time persistence is born out of habit. It’s something we develop through practice and experience. Aristotle said that we are what we “repeatedly” do. Excellence is a habit that develops over time, and to Jesus, persistent faith is a form of excellence.

Jesus inspires us to do the same as the man knocking on the door and the woman who crawled through a crowd to touch Him. 

He smiled at the gentile woman’s words of persistence, though she was not from the chosen tribes of Israel. 

Persistence is not a gift or a talent dropped upon us from heaven. 

It’s a trait that grows through practice. It’s formed in the deepest part of our human spirit, as our will sets aside all pride and self pity, and keeps persisting, refusing to give up. It’s knowing that our persistence never annoys the Lord, but causes Him to smile. 

Lord, help us to always practice persistence in our prayer life, and to show the same faith as the examples you gave us. Amen

“Whatever your task, work heartily, as serving the Lord and not men.”

Colossians 3:23 (RSV)

It was a cold day in January 2023, when a Radon mitigation system was installed in my home. It’s typically a two man job that takes about five hours, but only one worker arrived to do the work. His partner had to stay home with his sick child, so one man arrived to do the work alone. That one man did the work of two and finished in seven hours, without taking a single break. 

He drilled into the basement concrete floor, assembled the electrical parts outside in the cold, with snow and wind blowing in his face. He dragged heavy tools up and down my basement stairs all day long. For whatever reason he never took a break, not even for lunch. I was impressed at how hard he worked and still cleaned up afterward. 

After he finished I asked his first name, which was Pauric. I must have looked puzzled, because he then explained that it’s a Gaelic variation of Padraig which translates to Patrick. His father was from Ireland and he learned every skill he had from his father, who owned a family construction business. It was a family business in the truest sense. His mother was the accountant, his sister was the architect and Pauric did everything else, using all the skills  his father taught him. Each family member did their part in honor of their family business. 

Besides having good skills, Pauric had an excellent work ethic, which he learned from his family. To honor him for his skill and work ethic, is to honor his parents who taught him everything. 

Jesus honored His Heavenly Father by living according to His divine work ethic, as well as honoring the work ethic of Joseph and Mary, His human family. He did it by showing selflessness and compassion in all He said and did. Jesus not only had an excellent work ethic, but an inviting and friendly demeanor, which drew people to Him, from every aspect of society. He ministered to people tirelessly, all day long, loving, praying, preaching and healing, without taking a break for Himself.

Jesus told us to abide in Him so that we will bear the fruit of His Spirit. We are also a part of a family business, by being part of the family of God. We do what we do to honor our Heavenly Father, reflecting His values, as well as those of our earthly parents. As a result, we hope to bring honor to God as well as to the family we were raised in. 

Lord, help us to do all our work heartily, as if doing it for you, so that we may always bring honor and glory to you. Amen

“It is the living who give thanks to You, as I do today;

A father tells his sons about Your faithfulness.”

Isaiah 38:19 (NASB)

Last weekend I attended a celebration of life for my brother in law, who passed away from lung cancer, at 86. Peter was the older brother of my late husband, Stephen. 

It was interesting to hear the eulogies that his four children gave. They all shared how their dad always told them he loved them. He was dedicated to his faith, where he played the piano for the services at his Evangelical Lutheran church, for many years. 

Music was Peter’s entire life hobby, especially after he retired from working as a forensic engineer. For years he utilized his skill of engineering to investigate system failures of machines, explosions, and electrical failures that resulted in an injury or death. One of the eulogies mentioned how unique it was for a man so invested in years of engineering, to also be musically gifted to write inspiring worship songs for his church, which Peter did. 

His oldest son, also named Peter, lived the farthest away from the family, in San Diego. He inherited his father’s creative talent and also plays the piano. He uses his creative gifts, working as a designer of backdrops for various theatrical productions.

When Peter heard that his dad was diagnosed with lung cancer, he flew in for a visit last year. It was a special reunion between a father and his first born, at which time,  Peter told his son that he wanted him to have his keyboard after he was gone. That visit was in October, but no one expected him to pass away eight months later.

After Peter passed away the four children came together, and while cleaning his home, they found his sentimental treasures. His oldest son found his dad’s keyboard and took it with him as his dad once requested. Gabrielle, his daughter, found a collection of song lyrics that her dad wrote, and she read the lyrics of one song at his celebration of life church service.  It was a song about the peace that is found while sitting at the feet of Jesus. 

Everything Peter wrote, centered on how, whatever the storm, the Lord keeps us in peace, as we stay close to Jesus. He obviously found this peace, during his lung cancer journey.  

In his last few years, he continued to care for his wife at home, who has Alzheimer’s, while he was undergoing treatments for lung cancer. 

It was a beautiful and creative celebration of life, and we all learned more about Peter than we knew before. He left a rich legacy of love and faith for all who knew him. It concluded with everyone singing Amazing Grace followed by a closing prayer. 

Celebrations of life are reminders that we begin our legacy, here and now, while we are alive and well. We carry within us, the lessons of faith and love that someone else first left in our hearts, and it goes on from generation to generation. God, our Heavenly Father left us the greatest legacy of all, through the life example of Jesus, His son. 

Lord, help us to always live in love, faith and integrity, providing a lasting legacy that impacts all of our loved ones for years to come. Amen

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”

Ephesians 6:18 (NIV)

My mind has been so much more open to the effectiveness of all kinds of prayer, ever since my son Jon’s accident in 2023. Over the last few years, many people from different faith backgrounds, have shared kind words and offered prayers, which I’m grateful for.

It’s fascinating to think about the power of God and all the different ways that people pray to Him. God is big enough to understand the many different kinds of prayer, different faith traditions and the Holy Spirit’s part in all of it. 

Everyone has their favorite way to pray. Some like to read a prayer or recite a favorite memorized prayer, or look at a favorite picture of Jesus while talking to Him. Whether it’s a short, spontaneous plea from the heart or a longer eloquent devotion, it’s nice to know that Paul encouraged all kinds of prayer. I also believe it’s important to close every prayer with the words, “Thy will be done.”

After Jon’s accident, while he was in a coma, I told my friends about it, and also spoke to my Jewish friend, Larry, who lives in Kfar Saba, far away in Israel. It was comforting to know that many people said they were praying for Jon. 

I didn’t know that Larry asked his synagogue to pray for Jon during their Friday evening service. They have a system where special prayer requests are mentioned after reading from the Torah. Larry gave them Jon’s name and requested prayer. He told me how it was at a Friday service, which happened to be the same day that Jon opened his eyes and awoke from his coma. 

I had no idea at the time that Larry’s synagogue prayed for Jon, until he told me days afterward. It was amazing to realize that total strangers 6,000 miles away were praying, saying my son’s name and he woke up. Some might say it’s coincidence, but faith tells us it is God. 

Jon is still making progress today, thanks to many prayers of friends and family everywhere. He seems to recognize the people at the Nursing home and now joins them at the table. He occasionally says a few words, like “Thanks guys,” or “No mom,” when I offer him more to eat. He even offers a friendly fist bump to those who greet him. 

This whole journey of his accident and recovery process has taught me to be more open to the concept of world wide prayers, and just how powerful God is. Instead of putting limits on God, I’m grateful for any prayers from people of any faith affiliation, because I believe God is moved by the sincere heartfelt prayer of any well meaning believer. 

God receives prayers from people in all areas in the world, and He responds simultaneously. Nothing is too difficult for Him because He is an omnipresent, omniscient and merciful Savior, who understands all languages and reigns as King of kings over all nations. 

Lord, thank you for hearing our prayers, and bless every believer and their loved ones today, with healing, hope, deliverance and peace, wherever they are. Amen 

“Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger.

But when they continued asking him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”

John 8:6-7 (NAB)

The story about the woman caught in adultery is mentioned in John’s gospel only, and none of the other three gospels. Many have tried to guess what Jesus wrote on the ground that day, but the gospel doesn’t reveal what He wrote. It’s the only time that Jesus is seen writing anything at all, which sparks the curiosity of many. 

Whatever He wrote, had a huge impact on the crowd, because one by one, the men who accused the woman, dropped their stones and left. Then Jesus stood up and called for whoever is without sin to cast the first stone, but no one ever did, because they were gone. 

Before Jesus spoke one word to the crowd, He first wrote on the ground. Whatever He wrote was bold enough to stop the frenzied mob, and He did it for the sake of that woman, to spare her from a death sentence. His mercy was poured out upon the contrite ones who already knew they fell short, instead of the self righteous and proud. 

What a relief it was for that woman to be under the protection of Jesus. Whatever He wrote, cancelled out her death sentence. Then He said to her, “Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more.”

Throughout the gospels, Jesus said He didn’t come to condemn the world, but to save it. 

He prefers mercy over sacrifice. He further clarified His core mission by telling the religious authorities that He didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. (Luke 5:32)

We can try guessing what words He wrote on the ground and maybe one day, He will tell us. One thing is certain, whatever He wrote, was to extend His mercy to one woman. It requires action to show mercy and the action Jesus took that day, is hidden in the mystery of whatever He wrote.

Jesus demonstrated mercy all throughout His ministry, and He did it by using very few words. When He approached Matthew, a notorious tax collector, He said two words, “Follow Me”, then walked away, but it was enough for Matthew, who followed Him. He told others, “Your faith has made you well,” or “Your sins are forgiven,” and they were miraculously healed. He did major acts of mercy with minimal conversation. It seems that those who say less, make us listen more keenly to the few words they do speak. It makes us want to sit in silence and listen to the few words Jesus is saying to us each day.

He showed mercy to prostitutes, lepers, and all the outcasts of society. His final and greatest act of mercy was on the cross, when He suffered by laying down His life for all, including His enemies. His few words from the cross were, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

It seems the “Jesus way” is to do major acts of mercy, while using the least amount of words. We are also called to show mercy to those who may not know what they do. There is nothing we could do to make Jesus love us any more than He already does, just as we can do nothing that would make Him love us any less.

Today, His fingers are still writing on the ground of our lives, using our kindness to care for strangers, plead the cause of the outcasts, widows, orphans, and any who we see suffering. We follow the Jesus way by doing the most acts of mercy, using the fewest words, as we reflect Him to all we meet.

Lord, thank you for your love and mercy and help us to live in a way that reflects You to all who cross our path in this life. Amen

“One night in a vision the Lord said to Paul, “Do not be afraid. Go on speaking, and do not be silent, I am with you. No one will attack and harm you, for I have many people in this city.”

Acts 18:9-10 (NAB)

The vision or dream that Paul had couldn’t come at a better time. All Jews were ordered to leave Rome in 49 A.D. after Roman authorities grew tired of religious disputes over Jesus. Even though Jesus ascended to heaven long ago, He was still shaking up the world He left behind. 

The Jewish believers who were forced out of Rome, moved to cities in Greece, which required a huge adjustment. Paul was totally exasperated, living in Athens, which was a city of idol worship. (Acts 17:16)

He preached the gospel but was confronted with opposition by the pagan cults. Leaving Athens, he went on to Corinth, another city full of strange religions, cultish customs, and strong opposition to Jesus. It was a difficult period of time for all believers in Jesus. Christians were a minority, outnumbered by the Corinthian natives. 

While Paul was reeling from the culture shock in Corinth, Jesus appeared to him in a vision and reassured him that He has many other people in Corinth, who also believe in Him. Jesus told Paul not to be afraid, that no one would harm him and he was where he was meant to be.

Being where God wants us to be is the safest place of all. Being expelled from Rome, appeared at first to be a negative event, but in God’s divine plan, the gospel was meant to be brought to the gentiles who had never heard of Him.

While in Corinth, Paul met a couple, Aquila and Priscilla, Italian Jews who believed in Jesus and also were expelled from Rome. Aquila was a tent maker like Paul, so they had much in common. He and Priscilla became Paul’s close friends and fellow missionaries in Corinth, as their home became a church. (1 Corinthians 16:19)

The Jewish faith was going through birth pangs, with groups who were resistant to Jesus as well as those who believed and  embraced the One sent to be their redeemer and the final Passover Lamb.

The believers who migrated to Corinth, found it very stressful at first, but later it proved to be the providence of God. We all have a Corinth in our lives. It’s a place or a situation that makes us feel alone or outnumbered. It could be a new residence or a workplace, or a difficult group of people to deal with, or adjusting to an unfamiliar environment. Corinth is a place that feels wrong at first, but it’s the right place, because the providence of God brought us there.

Jesus appeared to Paul to assure him that he was in the right place, and that He would be with him all the way through it. He led Aquila and Priscilla to him, as his helpers in the ministry at Corinth.

I remember a Corinth in my life, it was a new era of having an adult son living in a Nursing Home. It felt strange at first but with God’s grace, I’ve adjusted to it. As I think back to the very beginning, the Lord sent people to me, to lift my spirit and confirm that He was with me from the very start.

When Jon was first hospitalized in the ICU, a nurse I didn’t know, one day surprised me by asking if she could pray for him while he lied in a coma. A week after that, I received a text message from a stranger, who said he was an old friend of Jon’s from youth group many years ago. He heard what had happened and now lives in another state, but he wanted me to know that he and his wife would be praying for Jon. After two weeks of being in a coma, Jon woke up. 

We may not have a dream or a night vision like Paul, where Jesus appears and speaks directly to us, but He encourages us through the words or prayers of other people, sometimes even total strangers. 

Whatever our Corinth is, Jesus is with us, and sends others to us, as if to say,

“I am with you, I have people for you to meet, and people who are praying for you, so don’t be afraid.”

Lord, thank you for comforting us in our Corinth, and help us grow in faith and confidence to know that you are always with us and working for our good. Amen

“Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.”

Hebrews 7:25 (RSV)

Whoever and however a person comes to God, He will complete His work in them, because scripture teaches that we can plant seeds but only God causes the growth. 

God often uses us to plant those seeds in the hearts of people, through things we do or say.  We may never know how we have planted a seed in someone, even if we never observed its growth. That’s what it means that God saves completely, since He is the finisher and perfecter of our faith. 

With this in mind, every day there is someone who is coming closer to God, while Jesus, stands at the right hand of God, interceding for all of us. (Romans 8:34)

It’s one reason I like to start each day, praying a simple permission prayer, where I ask God to use me in any way that He desires. He might have a seed that I can plant for Him that day. 

Unusual circumstances happen whenever I start the day with that permission prayer. We may not even be aware of the moment a seed was planted in someone’s heart. 

Last Sunday I went to the hospital to do my once a week volunteer ministry. I picked up the census list of Christian patients to visit, and the list led me to the room of an elderly woman with an Arabic name. After telling her who I was, I learned that she was a Muslim, who by some mistake, ended up on the Christian list. I apologized for coming to the wrong room and was about to leave, when she called me back over to her. 

Although there were language barriers, she asked, “Can you help me?” as she pointed to her stomach. I told her I was not a doctor or a nurse, but I do pray for people in the name of Jesus, who can heal our illnesses.

She said “It doesn’t matter, Jesus or God, just help me,” as she kept reaching her hand toward me. She gave me permission to pray to Jesus for her, so I held her hand and laid my other hand on her stomach, praying for her healing. Afterward, she was still confused because she kept asking me to help her, not remembering what I already told her. I reminded her that Jesus heals our diseases, and finally left her in God’s hands. 

In the 20 years of volunteering in that ministry, I never encountered someone of a different faith, who was so persistent, but regardless of the role dementia may have played in her response, God is able to save completely, all who come to Him through Jesus, so I trust that He will finish whatever He started in her that day. 

As I gave God permission to use me that morning, that lady gave me permission to pray for her in Jesus’ name. Giving permission  leads to blessings, and people in pain reach out to God, without knowing His name, but He still hears and answers us. I trust that Jesus, who intercedes for all souls, led me to the “wrong room,” to share His name, and plant the right seed, so that He can finish His work in her life.

When we give God permission to use us, mistakes are not really mistakes. What we think is the wrong place, is really God’s place, and who appears to be the wrong person is the one Jesus is praying for in that moment. Asking to be used for His purpose changes our perspective about everything. He saves completely, anyone who comes to Him, by using ordinary people to plant seeds, as He intercedes for humanity.

Lord, we give you permission to use us in any way you desire, and open the hearts of the people we meet, and plant seeds through us, in order to complete your purpose. Amen

“In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which perishes though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

1 Peter 1:6-7 (NASB)

Everyone can relate to fiery trials at some time in our lives, since we were never promised an easy road to heaven. Instead, Peter tells us that faith is tested as gold is, which is purified through the fire of trials and tribulations. 

Faith that is totally reliant on Jesus, can withstand the intensity of the fire. I can think of several people and friends of faith, who have developed this resilient quality of “golden faith”, through the purifying fire that scripture speaks of. Many are the friends receiving this meditation today. 

I also recall a lady who lived for a few years in the Nursing facility, named Tawana. We used to talk and I remember her interesting life story. Her faith began with a close relationship with her grandmother.  Her grandfather was Bob Jeter, a professional athlete, who played football for both the Chicago Bears and Green Bay packers in the 60’s and 70’s. The foundation of Tawana’s faith was impacted most by her grandmother, Bob Jeter’s wife, who was still living at the age of 100. 

Tawana needed that foundation of faith since she encountered many fiery trials in her lifetime. 

When she was a young wife and mother, her husband stopped after work to have a drink with some friends at a local bar. A stranger walked into the bar that day, pulled out a gun and killed every single person in there. 

That event changed Tawana’s life in one day, as she became a widow, with a three year old boy, while pregnant with twins, who were due any day. The day after her husband’s funeral, Tawana gave birth to boy and a girl twins. The boy twin had a slight heart defect and spent a longer stay in the hospital, but eventually he came home healthy, thanks to many prayers. 

Tawana raised her three children as a single parent, with the help of God and her church family. She told me she could never have made it through those difficult years without her church who kept her lifted up in prayer. Her children never knew their earthly father, but Tawana made sure that they knew their heavenly one. 

Decades later, when her children were adults and caring for their own children, Tawana had a stroke. With physical therapy and the prayers of her friends and family, she recovered without major deficits, and gives God all the praise for her recovery. 

Some years after that, she began to have frequent headaches and was diagnosed with a brain tumor, which was found to be cancerous. 

After undergoing brain surgery and chemotherapy treatment, Tawana was sent to the Nursing Facility for rehabilitation, which is how I met her.

She is the most upbeat, cheerful person who knew everyone in that facility and everyone knew her. No one could imagine all the trials that such a pleasant lady had been through. Though she walks with short shuffling steps, her mind is sharp and her overall health is good. 

On Karaoke day at the Nursing home, she selected the song,

“Oh Happy Day,” and sang it like she was telling her own story of trust in God, who brought her through many fires, believing He will continue to do so.

Tawana’s prayers were answered, and her last check up found her to be cancer free. She was blessed to be discharged from the Nursing home, and go to an assisted living facility on the south side of Chicago, close to her children, her grandmother and grandchildren. 

I learned from Tawana, that total reliance on God, means He will carry us through even the most catastrophic events. When faith is purified, it shines through like polished gold, finding the hope to look for better days to come. The Lord helped Tawana find her better days, and He will do it for us as well. 

Lord, purify our faith to be like gold, making us resilient through all the fiery trials, and restore to us the joy of our salvation. Amen