Kissed by the Spirit

“Because he knows my name I will set him on high.

He will call upon me and I will answer;

I will be with him in distress;

I will deliver him and give him honor.”

Psalm 91:14-15 (NAB)

This Psalm speaks to those in distress, who “know His name” and will call upon Him, and He will answer. The Psalmist didn’t know the name of Jesus when this was written, but he was inspired by the Spirit to emphasize the importance of knowing the name of our God. 

There’s something about God’s name, which has always been hidden and mysterious in the Old Testament. God spoke to Moses in the flames of a burning bush, and a thundering mountain top, but He never revealed His name to him. When Moses asked Him what name to call Him by, He simply said, 

“I am who I am.” 

To this day, the most religious sects of Judaism consider it sacrilegious to say or write God’s name. So, in all of their literature, it reads as “G-d”, without the middle letter, out of reverence for the One who is too holy to write or utter His name. They even use another word to refer to God, “Hashem,” which in Hebrew literally means “The name.” 

The name of God has long been a mystery in biblical history as well as in present day Judaism. 

That’s how it was, until one day, when something unprecedented happened. God visited a young Jewish woman, a virgin, in Nazareth, who was overshadowed by His Holy Spirit and conceived a son. The unnamed God, who previously spoke only through fire and thunder, chose to reveal His name to the world, through a humble young female. Then through the angel, Gabriel, Mary was the first human being to hear the name of God, the second person of the Trinity. 

God would no longer be known by vague titles like Hashem, The Name, I AM, or The Most High. He gave the world a gift, when His name was revealed for all future generations to call upon Him and be blessed. The name of Jesus became our access to God, since “there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, Jesus Christ.”

(1 Timothy 2:5)

Jesus is the door to mercy and the gate to heaven. His name is above all other names and is the only name given by Heaven, which can save for all eternity. (Acts 4:12)

The incarnation is so much more than a story, told seasonally each year. It’s the story of the day God came to us in flesh and blood, and then revealed His name to the world. The mysterious, once nameless God, transcended the barriers of the old covenant, putting His law in our hearts and His name on our tongues.

Jesus told His followers, “Whatever you ask in My name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” (John 14:13) When we invoke the name of Jesus, God the Father is glorified through His son. His name brings glory to God and mercy to us. 

Jesus refers to His name more than once, saying, “Where two or three gather in My name, there am I with them.” (Matthew 18:20)

We don’t have answers for some tragic circumstances that still perplex us, but we do have the best name to call upon, as well as God’s Presence, who always dwells with us. 

I remember when my father was in so much pain, toward the end of his life, with various inoperable medical conditions. He would pace back and forth through the house, repeatedly saying “Help me Jesus.” As a teenager, I was surprised to hear him praying out loud like that, since he was never a religious man. As I think about it now, He knew the right name to call upon for mercy.

Those who Jesus healed didn’t have wise answers or smart explanations, to answer the Pharisees when they were questioned. They only knew that they were once blind, crippled, lame or deaf, but were healed by a man named Jesus. In knowing and calling on His name, He becomes present in our distress, and He will comfort, protect, heal or save us, according to our need.

Lord, thank you for the gift of your revealed holy name, and help all people to call upon you in distress, and invoke the name of Jesus, which is the name above all names. Amen

“Saul said to the servant who was with him, “Come, let’s go back, or my father will stop thinking about the donkeys and start worrying about us.” But the servant replied, “Look, in this town there is a man of God; he is highly respected, and everything he says comes true. Let’s go there now. Perhaps he will tell us what way to take.”

1 Samuel 9:5-6 (NIV)

There are so many examples in this story of how God works out His purpose for good in our lives, by using other people. One event is woven into another so that the person, the purpose and the intended destiny is fulfilled. The details in this story are applicable to our own lives. 

When we think we’ve lost something, it could become a turning point that redirects us to a purpose we didn’t know we had. It happens through  the least expected circumstances, with the most unlikely participants. 

Saul’s father sent him along with a hired servant, to search for the family’s runaway donkeys. To his surprise, Saul discovered his destiny was to become the first king of Israel. God can take our losses, failures or inconveniences, and turn us in a new direction that we never before anticipated. 

After not finding the lost donkeys anywhere, Saul was ready to give up the search and return home. The hired man suggested that they consult the local prophet who lived nearby. Saul found reassurance in his advice, since a prophet hears from God, and should know where the donkeys are. The servant was a “motivator” in this story. Motivators are the people in each person’s life, who restore hope and faith, just when they are about to give up.

So, the two men began to search for the home of the prophet, Samuel. At that moment, a group of women were passing by, so Saul asked them if they knew where Samuel lives. The women immediately pointed in the right direction, and they found Samuel’s home. Besides motivators, there are “pointers” in everyone’s life, who are strangers or acquaintances, who unknowingly point them in a certain direction for a destiny, that God has been leading them to.

Before all this happened, God told the prophet Samuel, that a young man will arrive at his house, who is chosen to become the first king of Israel. So, Samuel anointed Saul as king, and afterward, they found their lost donkeys. What started with runaway donkeys and an ordinary search mission, unfolded to reveal the remarkable destiny of one young man.

Like Saul, we’ve all gone on search missions of some kind, but later learned that God’s plan was bigger than ours. There are numerous stories of how people met their spouses in an unexpected way or place. Some people received hope and encouragement from someone during a crisis, just when they were losing heart, and about to give up. Others found their career direction or a call to ministry by something or someone who was a key motivator for them. Everyone has been pointed in the right direction by somebody at the right place and time in their life.

This story, is everyone’s story. Each of our lives involved people, who played some part in fulfilling a plan God had for us. What started out as a search mission, turned into a sequence of events, with motivators, pointers and people who God has networked into our lives for the good. At times, we may only see what we’ve lost, but God sees an opportunity to anoint us for more than we ever expected. 

We are all connected and more interwoven in the destinies of others,  than we know. It may seem like a long time is spent, looking for lost donkeys, but God’s timing is always perfect. We have the rest of eternity to connect all the dots, and learn how God arranged the networking of people in our lives according to His purpose, and for our eternal benefit. 

Lord, help us to trust that your plans are always good, for this present time and for eternity. Thank you for those who have blessed us and help us to do our part in blessing others, according to your perfect will for us. Amen

A COMMUNITY OF LOVE

“By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

John 13:35 (RSV)

I listened to the testimony of Jim Wahlberg, the brother of actor Mark Wahlberg. He told his story of redemption, becoming an alcoholic by age twelve, continuing a life of crime, and then spending ten years in prison. While telling his own story, he shared a story within his story. 

After being released from prison, he formed a connection with a men’s church group, which was the key to the development of his new life in Christ. He attended an Emmaus men’s retreat, and the Lord did a deep healing in him that weekend. Afterwards, he began working as a volunteer with that group and shared the following true story. 

A certain young man, who had fallen away from his faith, came to one of those men’s retreats. His heart was moved and he surrendered his life to Jesus. He had a heavy criminal past, but the community of men in that group, prayed and supported him throughout that weekend. 

At the end of the retreat, he said goodbye to the men he came to know, telling them that he was most likely headed for prison. He was awaiting a trial for attempted murder, and was sure he would be sent away for a long prison sentence, and never see them again. Jim Wahlberg spent time with him, sharing his own experience in prison and telling him what to expect when he got there. 

The young man stayed in contact with the men in the group, who were praying for him regularly, until his court date arrived. When he came to court that day, he was surprised to see fifty men from the retreat group, who were sitting in the courtroom, in solidarity of support for him. They filled the courtroom, wearing their retreat T-shirts with the logo on it. 

The judge, even after seeing the large group and hearing the young man’s testimony, was very skeptical, saying that he has seen many men come to Jesus who’ve been charged with attempted murder, but he ordered a continuance of the case. 

When the next court date arrived, instead of fifty, seventy five men showed up and filled the courtroom once more, in solidarity and support for the young man. 

It was the same judge as the first case, and after the proceedings, he said, “I’m going to do something I never planned to do. I’m going to send this young man back home, but not because he found Jesus. I’m sending him home because seventy five men thought it worthwhile to take their day off of work to be here in support of him.”

What living examples those men were as disciples of the Lord, by showing their love and support. Jesus never said that we show the world our faith in Him, only by our words, or how frequently we attend church, or how educated we are, or can quote scripture, or argue our beliefs. He said that we show our faith by how we love one another. 

Jesus wanted the world to see His church shine as a community of love, offering support and solidarity to one another. The church is to be a place where the stronger support the weaker, with patience and love.  
(Romans 15:1-2) 

That group of men supported the weaker man, knowing God had begun a good work in his life. In a show of love and unity, they influenced a skeptical judge, who observed some true disciples of Jesus.

Lord, thank you for the grace you have shown to the men in this story. Give us love and patience for one another, so that the world will know that we are your disciples. Amen

“For I am the Lord your God

who takes hold of your right hand

and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.”

Isaiah 41:13 (NIV)

One of the residents at my son’s Nursing Home, who I have come to know well, for over a year now, is Tawana. She is the granddaughter of NFL cornerback, Bob Jeter, who played for the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears, from 1963-1973. He has since passed away, but his wife, Tawana’s grandmother, is still well and living in Chicago at the age of 102. She grew up in a close relationship with her grandmother, who was the major influence in her journey of faith.

Over thirty years ago, Tawana was married and had a three year old son, when she became pregnant with twins. She prematurely went into labor and gave birth to boy and girl twins. Despite the complications from prematurity, both babies survived and grew up healthy. The day after she brought the twins home from the hospital, her husband was shot and killed during a mass shooting in their neighborhood.

Tawana, became a widow with three children under the age of four. She certainly had more questions than answers, but she learned to trust God through her heartbreak and disappointment, living in total reliance on Him, and He helped her raise her children, with the support of family and church friends. Her children are now grown and married, with children of their own.

A few years ago, Tawana received a diagnosis of brain cancer. She underwent surgery and was admitted to the Nursing Home, for rehabilitation. It was a wilderness period in her life, but she is now in remission, and has recovered enough to live on her own. Today is Tawana’s “exodus.” 

She is moving into an independent living facility, in the neighborhood of her children, grandchildren and her 102 year old grandmother. It’s a long awaited blessing, kind of like entering her promised land.

The Israelites were enslaved in Egypt  for 400 years, until the day of their exodus, at that first Passover. They did what God instructed, putting the blood of the lamb on their doorposts, then sharing a special meal with their friends and relatives. They baked unleavened bread, in order to leave hastily the next morning. God parted the Red Sea for them and they headed for their promised land. There were problems on the journey and they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years before finally reaching their promised land. The exodus story is remembered at every Passover Jewish holiday, celebrated yearly. 

Tawana’s whole life is like a Passover story. She has had her time in the wilderness, which challenged her faith, but with the faith instilled in her by her grandmother, she kept trusting in the blood of the Lamb, who is Jesus. He finally parted the sea for her, and led her out of the Nursing Home and into her promised land. I’m sure He will keep blessing her in this new phase of her life. Many people will miss Tawana at the Nursing Home, but we are happy that her exodus has finally arrived. 

(She gave me permission to share her story with all of you today.)

We go through many tribulations in a lifetime, but if we can hold on and trust in Jesus, He gives us bread from heaven, parts the sea ahead of us and leads us to the promised land. He has always been with us, and He only asks that we take His hand, and let Him walk with us through our wilderness. 

He is the same God as He was at the first exodus, except now, His own blood is on the doorposts of our lives, and our joy is made full when we pursue a personal relationship with Him. In seeking the Giver, more than the gifts, we have nothing to fear, because we trust in the God, who once parted the sea, and our future is in His hands.

Lord, we trust you and thank you for  loving us and holding our hand through the wilderness, and we look forward to our personal exodus and parting of the sea, which you will do for all who trust you. Amen

“Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.”

Luke 12:2 (RSV)

One thing that is not often revealed but needs to be known, is that God loves us so much, that He surrounds us with heavenly beings every day. I think of how often I hurry about my day, forgetting this truth. 

Occasionally something happens to slow us down to a stop, in order to remind us of the constant presence of these heavenly helpers all around us. It happened for some, one day, in the small town of Cokeville, Oregon, many years ago, in the late 90’s. 

Since the presence of angels is usually hidden from us in this present life, the following story is unique, because God chose to reveal His angels to a few primary grade children during a very frightening event. 

On that particular day, a suicide bomber walked into a primary grade school and held 79 children and adults hostage. The deranged man threatening to detonate a homemade bomb, which was strapped to his body. Children, who were huddled together in a corner of that room, began praying silently together. 

After an hour of waiting for his demands to be met, the man  mistakenly detonated his bomb, killing himself.  Although some people in the room had burn injuries, not one of the 79 hostages in that room, were killed or seriously injured. Explosive experts investigated, but could not explain why all the impact of the explosion went upward to the roof, instead of outward as a normal explosion does. 

Afterward, some of the children said that they saw angels in the room, standing in a circle shielding them from the man with the bomb. God permitted a few children to witness how that miracle happened, as angels became a supernatural shield, forcing the blast to go upward instead or outward, protecting all the  hostages in the room.

One teacher recalls her memory of that day, saying that she was in total fear from the moment the bomber ordered the hostages into the room. It was only after she saw the children huddled together in prayer, that she felt an unusual sense of peace and calm. She never saw any angels, but she definitely felt the effect of them in the room.

Angels are with us always, but they are usually hidden from our eyes,  although at times they take the form of a human person. We are told to be alert to how we treat strangers, who could be angels in disguise.  (Hebrews 13:2)

That day in Oregon was rare, as angels were physically revealed to the youngest in that room, while others, not seeing anything, felt the effect of their holy presence. Maybe God chose to reveal His angels to the children that day, because they are more open than adults, and not too busy to sit still, listen or see. 

Jesus had things to say on the subject of both children and angels, such as, “I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 18:10)

We all have an appointed advocate, from womb to tomb, who stands before God, on our behalf. If angels in heaven plead our case since we were born, how much more should we plead the case and care for the least among us, in our society?

God gave us angels, so that we have friends in high places, and they still minister to us each day, and will do so, for the rest of our lives. We are not able to see them now, but when we leave this physical world, and enter the eternal one, things that used to be hidden will finally be revealed. Heaven reveals everything, and we will finally meet that great cloud of witnesses who observed us all the days of our life, including angels, saints, departed loved ones, all headed up by Jesus, who is Lord and Savior.

Until then, we can make it our daily practice, to be still and know that God is with us, without seeing Him. He is in the room that we are sitting in right now, and His angelic helpers are all around us. We might as well make good use of their heavenly guidance, in this one and only life we have to live.

Lord, please direct your angels to save those who need some type of miracle today. Teach us to slow down, to be still, and be aware of your Presence and angels, who are with us everywhere, each day. Amen

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

Philippians 4:8 (NASB)

God is the source of all truth found in both faith and reason. Science and scripture prove that we have the capacity to change our mood and experience peace and contentment, by how we think. 

We all want the state of mind that the heroes in scripture had. We want to sleep peacefully during the storm, to calmly pray in the lions den, and to sing praises in the fiery furnaces of adversity. Science and scripture, each confirm that an attitude of gratitude can rewire our brain, and replace our melancholy with a sense of lasting peace and joy. 

God created all human bodies with 

chemical messengers to regulate their nervous system. Science refers to them as neurotransmitters, and one is called “Serotonin”,  also known as the “happy hormone”, because it influences the part of our brain that brings us feelings of well-being.

Researchers found that when we reflect on, and intentionally think about good times, good people, and the blessings we are fortunate to have in our current lives, it increases the production of serotonin in our brain, which has a significant impact on our overall mental health. 

In other words, keeping a mental list of things we are thankful for, can stimulate the headquarters of happiness within our brains. Nehemiah said, “The joy of the Lord is our strength.” Our sense of peace, joy and well being, gives us strength, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. It’s how God made us and scripture has always supported what science has learned.

It’s challenging at times to dwell in an attitude of gratitude. It always starts out good, but negativity creeps in, until we need to police our thoughts, and bring ourselves back to a disposition of gratitude. We get dragged down by disappointments or things that offended us during the day. There are also friends and loved ones who we care about, and when they are suffering, we do as well. 

Some days are harder than others, but thinking of something to be grateful for, is the advice given in today’s scripture verses. The apostle Paul wrote persistently, eight times in a row, that we are to make an effort to have an attitude of gratitude. He repeats the word “whatever”, saying, whatever is true, right, honorable, excellent, pure, commendable, lovely, or if there is anything worthy of praise, we must persist in thinking of those things.

Gratitude doesn’t flow out of perfect happiness, or having perfect health, families or financial security. Gratitude flows from trust in a perfect God who is with us through our insecurity, health challenges, family problems and sorrows. He is the unshakable anchor in a shaky, unstable world. Whatever seems impossible, we remind ourselves that with God, nothing is impossible. He came through for us before, and we will trust Him to do it again. 

Paul tells us that we belong to a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and that kingdom dwells within each one of us, giving us the power to do all things through Christ, in His strength. We are unshakable, because an unshakable kingdom is within us. The revelation of these truths, leads us to worship with gratitude, reverence and awe. (Hebrews 12:28)

 As we fill our thoughts with whatever is praiseworthy, like His extravagant mercy, and unlimited love for us, we anchor our hope in Jesus, and our brain’s chemistry begins to change. Knowing the truth of God’s word restores our thinking, and helps us to dwell in an attitude of gratitude, which keeps the Serotonin flowing.

Not only does God create our body and brain with all the necessary chemicals, He gives us the ability to stimulate their production, and to rewire our brains, by choosing to think thoughts of gratitude and praise. As we cast all our cares and worries upon Him, He gives us a peace that surpasses all human understanding, and continues to guard our heart and “mind” in Christ Jesus.  (Philippians 4:7)

Gratitude changes everything.

Lord, thank you for the remarkable way that you have made us, and that science has verified what your word declared, centuries ago. We praise you and ask that we may live in an attitude of gratitude and grant us your perfect peace today and always. Amen

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.“

John 17:20-21 (NIV)

Jesus prayed for all those who would believe in Him, in the future, which includes each of us today. He prayed for our unity, that we may be one, as He is one with His Father. The unity of His church is essential, since

houses, nations and kingdoms that are divided, cannot stand.  

Jesus told Peter that he was about to be sifted, but that He prayed for him. He prayed that his faith would not fail, telling him, “and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” (Luke 22:32)

I love the confidence Jesus had in Peter, even though he would eventually deny Him and suffer a meltdown. Jesus knew what would happen, but He told him, “when you return to Me, go and strengthen your brothers.”

It wasn’t “if” he returns, only a matter of when. The same hope and confidence that Jesus had in Peter, He also has in us, and our loved ones. The way Jesus prayed for us and for Peter, 2,000 years ago, reveals the relentless love of the Father for all of us today.

Maybe we should have that same hope and confidence when we pray, trusting God for “when” He answers, not  “if”.  Imagine if we started our prayers saying, “Lord, when you bring victory,” or “when you heal,” or “when you renew my strength”……

how uplifting it is to our faith, just hearing ourselves pray with the confidence of saying when, not if. 

Jesus told Peter he would be sifted, but not to worry, because He prayed for him, that his faith would not fail. There’s different kinds of sifting, but the kind that Jesus was talking about, was the separation of chaff from the wheat kernels. Unlike the sifting of flour, it requires much more vigorous shaking to remove chaff from wheat.

After the chaff is removed, the wheat kernels are poured into a new container, and ready for use. We go through hardships that feel like a vigorous shaking, but after the sifting, we are poured into a new phase in our lives. The new container  or phase, could lead us to see things from a new perspective, or discover a new way to serve the Lord.  Jesus prayed for us, because He believes in each of us, just as He believed in Peter. 

After the resurrection and ascension of Jesus, He led the disciples to Pentecost, and a new phase of living in God’s love, forgiven, redeemed, and Spirit filled. God leads us in the same paths.

Sifting is a process of seeing what is left after something had been sifted out or removed. The hope is that whatever remains in the sifter is the faith of His church, purified like gold, and Jesus has confidence in each of us, that it will be so.

The Lord sees everything that is happening or about to happen in our lives. Whatever is shaking us up and testing our faith today, Jesus never leaves us to struggle with it alone. He has prayed for us long ago, and is confident that His prayer and our faith will not fail.

Those periods of sifting may feel like the toughest season in our lives, but through it, we will recognize who we truly are in God’s eyes, how much He loves us, how confident He is in us, and how good His overall eternal purpose is for us all.

Lord, help us to remain close to you, when we are sifted. Purify our faith like gold, and open our hearts to pray like you, and to see new directions that you are leading us in, for our good. Amen

“Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote. His face turned pale and he was so frightened that his legs became weak and his knees were knocking.”

Daniel 5:5-6 (NIV)

King Belshazzar was an irreverent and haughty Babylonian king, with little regard for anyone but himself. Golden chalices were stolen from the Jerusalem Temple, which were once used for Jewish liturgical services, but the king used them to drink and carouse with his friends at dinner parties. One night, during one of his drunken dinner parties, a hand mysteriously appeared on the wall and started writing words, causing the dinner guests to freeze in fear.

Scripture doesn’t tell us whose hand was doing the writing on the wall, but the words on the wall were not written in an earthly language, so no one could interpret them, except one man. 

The king quickly called for Daniel, who was known by many to be endowed with spiritual gifts of God. The Holy Spirit gave Daniel the interpretation, which was that the kingdom of Babylon (Iraq) would be taken from Belshazzar and given to the kingdom of the Medes (Iran). His prediction came to pass and that day was the end of Belshazzar’s reign. 

That age old expression, “The writing is on the wall”, came from this bible story.

God may give people signs, writing on the wall, symbolically, either to warn or to encourage them, all depending on the situation. I think we’ve all had moments where we saw the writing on the wall, whether we heeded it or not. We might be alerted to something about a damaging relationship or regarding a health concern, drawing attention to how we eat, drink, or exercise. 

The writing on our wall could simply be a call to transform some aspect of our physical or spiritual lives for the better. God gives us signs, along the way, at crucial moments, to turn our attention, more in His direction, and less in our own.  

We also have moments when we ask God for a sign when facing a difficult decision. We ask for signs in how to manage caring for our sick loved one. We ask for signs as we discern a partner for marriage, or in career choices. We may ask for signs when looking for a specialist to consult for a new medical diagnosis. Some people seek a sign to confirm whether God is really calling them into full time ministry.  

I heard a testimony of a young man, named Jerry, who was raised Baptist. He converted to Catholic, and had a Catholic girlfriend at the time, but he was struggling to discern if he was being called into priesthood. He didn’t tell anyone, but he prayed and asked God to give him a definite sign, if He was truly calling him to be a priest.

His mother, who was Baptist, but okay with her son’s Catholic conversion, had been searching for a birthday gift for him. Not knowing very much about the Catholic faith, she went to a Catholic gift shop to buy him a gift. There, she saw a beautiful golden cup, and decided to buy it for him.

When he opened the present, He was shocked to see what his mom bought him. He asked her if she knew what it was, and she calmly replied, “It’s a beautiful cup, so I thought you would like it.” 

She had no idea that it was not an ordinary cup, but a chalice used only by priests in the consecration of the communion wine, during mass. As soon as he saw the chalice, he knew it was a sign from God, confirming his call to the priesthood. 

Another true story is of a woman named Tanya, who grew up in a chaotic household, with an abusive stepfather and a mother on drugs. She followed the example of her parents, getting into fights with other girls, being expelled from school after school, and finally becoming a drug addict. 

One day, as an adult, she got in a fight, which left the other woman in a hospital with serious injuries. Tanya was arrested, convicted and sentenced to jail time. Through a women’s prison ministry in jail, she was deeply touched by God’s love, for the first time in her life. She broke down and surrendered her life to Jesus, and was healed from her drug addiction. Three months later, while in jail, she was overwhelmed with remorse for the woman she had hurt, and began praying for her. 

That woman fully recovered, but one day, was arrested, convicted and sentenced to serve time in the same jail, and ironically became her cell mate. Tanya saw it as a sign and an opportunity to make amends. She asked forgiveness, and they not only became cell mates, but good friends, attending prison ministry meetings and praying together. Tanya later led the bible studies among the women in her jail, and many came to her for guidance and prayer. She managed the time of her sentence for God’s glory, until she was freed. Now she shares her story of redemption and ministers to others in many facilities. 

We pray for miracles, but sometimes God gives us the grace to manage the problem, right where we are, until our miracle happens. He writes on the walls of our hearts with signs that are meant to transform, warn, guide or encourage us in the faith.

Jesus is like a lighthouse who directs lost ships in the night. He shines His light through the chaos, sends signs, and gives clarity, and He does it all using ordinary people in our lives.

Since God never gives up on anyone, He wants us to never give up asking, seeking and knocking, until miracles happen. 

Lord, thank you for loving us so faithfully, and for the times you wrote on our walls, placing your desires in our hearts, and lighting our path through the chaos, to help us keep following you. Amen

“He prayed to the Lord, “O Lord, is this not what I said while I was still in my own country? This is why I fled at first toward Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger, abounding in kindness, repenting of punishment.”

Jonah 4:2 (NAB)

To me, Jonah is one of the most bizarre men in the Bible. He is mentioned in the Christian Bible, Hebrew bible and the Muslim Koran as the preacher of Nineveh, in what is modern day Iraq. Whether every detail in the story is or isn’t historically true, the Apostle Paul said that all scripture is profitable for teaching, reproof and correction.  

(2 Timothy 3:16)

There is something we can all learn through inspired scripture, especially the story of Jonah. 

Jonah had a very impulsive and  melodramatic personality. He had strong opinions, and didn’t think that certain groups of people were worthy of God’s mercy. God told Jonah to go preach to the people living in Nineveh, the capital city of the Assyrian kingdom, at the time. Instead, Jonah boarded a ship going in the opposite direction, because he couldn’t bear the thought of God showing mercy to the gentiles.

A bad storm arose, and the ship was in extreme danger of sinking. The men on board were superstitious and decided to cast lots to find out who is responsible for bringing this curse upon them, and the lot landed on Jonah. They approached him,  asking who he is and what his business was on that ship. He told them that he was a Hebrew who was fleeing from where God wanted him to go.

Jonah then offered himself to be cast into the sea. The men refused at first, but after praying that Jonah’s God would not hold it against them, they finally threw Jonah overboard, and the storm immediately stopped and all was calm. 

A whale swallowed Jonah and he was in its belly for three days, before being spit out, on the shores of Nineveh. (If this sounds fictional, there recently was a kayaker in Chile who was swallowed by a humpback whale and then spit back out into the water. He survived, unharmed and a  video was taken by the man’s father, which was shown on the news in February of this year.)

Anyway, Jonah finally did what he was told to do, and preached to the people of Nineveh. They humbly responded, repented and believed in the God that Jonah preached about. The entire city converted, and yet Jonah was angry. He thought God was too kind and merciful to “those”people. Jonah believed that mercy should be exclusive, for his own people, and not for unworthy gentiles or foreigners.  

I don’t know anyone as extreme as Jonah, but I can relate to once having a bias towards the generation of young people in their teens and twenties, until something changed me. In my mind, they were labeled as shallow, confused and unmotivated. Two years ago, a documentary was made by the producer of the Chosen movie series, gathering a group of young people in their teens and twenties, who were randomly selected to binge watch the Chosen for the first time. They came from different backgrounds, and from all over the country, knowing nothing about what they were about to watch. 

It was a total eye opening experience for me, to see how receptive they were to Jesus, while watching the movie series. It was also sad to learn how dysfunctional their young lives were. One young man spent his childhood raised by parents who were in a religious cult. Another went back and forth from foster homes to jails. One person was abused in a church at a very young age, and another teenager was simply left to grow up alone, after both his parents died suddenly. They all grew up with hardships out of their control, not in faith filled homes, which led to their skewed and false impression of Jesus, Christianity and the church. 

The Chosen series revealed the love of Jesus to them for the first time. As  I listened to their stories, and how their hearts opened, and what Jesus now meant to them, it opened a new place in my heart towards young people. It changed my previous tendency to prejudge that entire age group, just as Jonah prejudged the entire population of Nineveh. 

It’s so typically human to forget that people are individuals, not to be viewed as an entire group, race, religion, political party or any other category. 

That age group was my Nineveh, in a sense, but those young people taught me to see each person as individuals, without attaching my labels to them. Maybe people would be more open to God’s mercy and love if everyone made a conscious effort to avoid being like Jonah and more like Jesus, in the world.

Lord, help us to recognize our own Nineveh, remove any bias and give us compassion towards all people, so that we can go where you send us and share your truth in love. 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.” Again he bent down and wrote on the ground. And in response, they went away one by one, beginning with the elders.”

John 8:6-9 (NAB)

The men of the community and their elders were trying to trap Jesus into agreeing with them, that the woman accused of adultery, deserved to be stoned to death. At first, Jesus ignored them and started writing words in the ground. 

Jesus knew exactly what the law of Moses said on the topic, but he took a totally different approach by suggesting that whoever was without sin should cast the first stone. Then He bent down and continued to write on the ground. Whatever Jesus was writing, locked in His point, because the men all left, one by one, the elders being first.

Everyone wonders and many have tried to guess what Jesus wrote on the ground that day. It’s the only time the gospel refers to Jesus writing anything at all. Scripture never tells of any other time that Jesus wrote something except for that day, in this particular story, which has always sparked curiosity.

The gospel writers wrote down whatever the Holy Spirit inspired them to write, according to what they observed Jesus say or do. On that day, His disciples were right there and witnessed the whole event, yet none of the gospel writers tell us what Jesus wrote.

We know one thing for sure, that a woman, condemned for adultery by her community, was about to be stoned to death, but she received mercy instead. Jesus looked around, asking if anyone was left to condemn her and the answer was no one. 

Then Jesus told her, “Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more.”

Throughout the gospels, Jesus speaks about showing mercy. He stressed how God desires for us to show mercy more than offering Him sacrifices. Jesus boldly clarified the core of His mission by telling the religious authorities that He didn’t come to call righteous people, but instead, He came to call sinners to repentance, and show them mercy. (Luke 5:32)

Jesus’ words can easily upset those who were satisfied with their own self righteousness, but to those who knew that they had fallen short, His words gave life and hope, as they turned their hearts toward Him, instead of away from Him in shame. 

Whatever He wrote on the ground  that day was bold enough to stop a frenzied mob, and make them feel ashamed enough to turn around and leave. Jesus had a habit of transforming a reason for judgement into a fountain of God’s mercy. We may never know the specific words He wrote in the ground that day, but through His act of writing, came the act of mercy. 

Mercy, like faith, requires an action, just as when the blind men once shouted out to Jesus as He passed by, “Have mercy on us!” Jesus responded by asking them, “What do you want Me to do?” Mercy always involves “doing” something.

Jesus emphasized showing mercy throughout His ministry. The elders and accusers had the option to repent and stay with Jesus, from that day on, but they chose to walk away. The only ones left were the accused woman and His disciples. Mercy is offered to all, through His final action on the cross, but it’s up to people to act, by receiving it.

Once we receive His mercy, He asks us to show mercy to those who cross our path each day. Jesus showed mercy to the various outcasts of His day. His mercy was rendered through an action like sharing a meal with tax collectors and prostitutes, or touching the untouchable, contagious lepers, and by breaking the social norms of His culture, by talking alone with a gentile woman at a well. 

He invited everyone to receive His living water of endless mercy and love. On that day when He wrote something on the ground, which convicted the accusers, His hope was that all would receive His mercy. He showed the same mercy to the whole world, by laying down His life, and giving Himself up for us. Some walked away and others received it.

There is nothing we could do to make Jesus love us any more than He already does. There is also nothing we could do to make Him love us any less. Mercy flows from that kind of love. It makes us wonder how anyone could refuse it. The blood that flowed from His nail pierced hands, has since been writing in the soil of every human heart. He writes in unspoken words that invite every soul to return to Him and receive mercy. 

As part of His church, He expects us to be His body in the world and carry on His acts of mercy. We are now the hands and feet of Jesus and it’s our turn to show mercy through actions. We are also writing words in the ground today, words that offer love to the outcasts, forgiveness instead of judgement, and mercy instead of condemnation. 

Lord, help us to first receive all the mercy that you offer to us, and then help us to share it with those who cross our path in this life. Open our hearts to see where we can take new actions in showing mercy to others. Amen