Kissed by the Spirit

“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”

John 14:3 (NIV)

In order to better understand the metaphor of the church as the bride of Jesus Christ, we would need to time travel back to the customs of marriage in His day.

Every marriage during Jesus’ time and culture began with the father of the groom, who sent his servant, the Negotiator, to work out the marriage arrangement. A generous price was paid to the bride’s family and a binding contract was signed. The servant then returned to the master’s house, and the son excitedly began to prepare his bridal chamber. It could take up to a year for the groom to construct and prepare the place for him and his bride to reside.

Through that same negotiating servant, the groom sends his betrothed bride an engagement gift of gold jewelry. The engaged bride wears her gifts of betrothal, while residing in her current home, until her wedding day. She had to be ready at any moment, because the day and time of the groom’s arrival was unknown, but would be announced with a trumpet call and a shout.  

When I learned about these traditions, it brought new meaning to the words of Jesus, promising that He is going to prepare a place for us. 

The church is His bride and His Father paid the highest possible cost for us, with the divine and precious blood of Jesus. That’s the binding marriage contract. His resurrected Son is still being  betrothed to whoever accepts His proposal today, and then He goes to prepare a place for them, in His Father’s mansion. 

Instead of gold jewelry, He adorns us with all the engagement gifts of His Holy Spirit, who distributes them to us as He chooses. We wear and use these gifts of the Spirit, while we wait for the bridegroom’s return. 

We are still residing in our current home, but we are being prepared to live in a better and eternal one. Everything that happens in our lives has been a preparation for the goal of this promised union.

The date is unknown, and will be a surprise, announced by an angel’s trumpet call and a shout from Heaven. We are His betrothed bride, and Jesus is preparing His Heavenly wedding chamber for us.  

We will learn one day how our whole life has been a time of preparation, and how every event seemingly good or bad, has served a divine purpose to transform us to become more like the Son, who is our Bridegroom. 

Like an engaged bride we anticipate the day of His coming, and the marriage supper of the Lamb will be the greatest wedding banquet of all time. On that day we will meet the One who has loved us with an everlasting love and gave Himself up for us. 

Until the bridegroom arrives, we hold within us all the grace and strength we need to do whatever we were born to do. We cannot add time to our lives, but we can always add quality to the time we have left, until we meet Him in the air. (1 Thessalonians 4:17)

In the last chapter of the book of Revelation, it reads, “The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes, take the free gift of the water of life.” 

(Revelation 22:17) Today is the day and now is the time to receive His free gift of living water. 

Jesus is telling each of us, “Yes, I am coming soon,” and our RSVP reply is “Amen! Come, Lord Jesus”.

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God.”

1 John 3:1 (NIV)

If anyone in scripture had an intimate relationship with the Lord, it was David. He was an imperfect and flawed human being, yet he always found his way back to God’s arms of mercy. He is the best example, that we do not need to be perfect to have an intimate relationship with God. We only need to keep returning to His throne of grace, forgiveness and His arms of mercy. 

In the NIV version of the epistle of John, the word “lavished” is used. John and David both knew all about being lavished by God’s love. David wrote in his psalm, calling Him, “my God”and declared His love to be 

“better than life.”  (Psalm 63:3)

Whatever sickness, grief, or stress that we are faced with, we always have the option to restore ourselves to God’s love that has been lavished on us.  Everyone needs reminding of that kind of love, which stands apart from any other.

There is a type of security that comes from friendship with Jesus, which leads us to enjoy seeing others being blessed by Him. A personal relationship with Jesus is more than knowing about Him, or believing in a mysterious divine being. Since we know Him, we want others to know Him as well. I once had a childhood experience that illustrated this for me.

My mother went to work full time when I was about eight years old, since my father was disabled from a stroke a month before I was born. She was a seamstress, who joined the garment workers union and started working in an upscale dress shop, about two miles from our home. Each day, she took a city bus from the corner of our block, to and from work. I used to meet her when she came home, as she got off the bus.

I had a childhood friend named Mary Margaret, who was a few years younger than me, and lived a few doors away. We would play together outside, but the moment my mother came off that city bus, Mary Margaret stopped playing and excitedly ran to greet my mother with a big hug, before I ever reached her. 

The first time she did this, I was perplexed and wondered why she was so excited to see my mother, since she had a mother and father of her own. I eventually realized that my mother was the kind of person who showed a lot of love to others, and for some reason, she became the highlight of the day for Mary Margaret, who couldn’t wait to run into her arms. 

I was secure in knowing that my mother loved me, so I grew accustomed to Mary Margaret outrunning me to receive my mother’s daily hug. Instead of thinking she was taking over my mom, I felt pride in having the kind of mother who was so special to her as well.

That childhood experience helped me to later understand and adapt to the idea of intimacy with God, through a friendship with Jesus. When we have a personal and intimate relationship with Him, we naturally rejoice when others do as well, even when they outrun us.

I was secure in the love of my mom and later became secure in the love of my God, just as David was. When we are secure in His lavished love for us, friendship with Jesus is like an anchor that keeps us grounded in all the areas of faith and friendship.

David knew that God’s love is better than life, which is why it’s so worthy to be shared.

Lord, help us to know that we are your beloved ones and anchor our faith as you lavish us in your love, throughout our lives. Amen 

“Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; he who teaches, in his teaching; he who exhorts(encourages),

in his exhortation; he who contributes, in liberality; he who gives aid, with zeal; he who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.”

Romans 12:6-8 (RSV)

In the scripture today, the apostle Paul lists many gifts of the Spirit. A gift of the Spirit, also called a charism, is an ability or service bestowed by the Holy Spirit, to edify others. Paul is telling the church to discover the charisms or gifts that we’ve been given, because gifts are meant to be used. This meditation will focus on one of the spiritual gifts, which is exhortation, meaning to strongly encourage others.

Everyone has a unique, possibly quirky, yet loveable quality that adds something vital to the body of Christ. It requires the gift of encouragement to be able to identify those good qualities in others, and then encourage them to use their gifts. Some who are reading this have the gift of encouragement, or may know someone who has it. We have all been encouraged at some time by someone with spiritual insight, who inspired us at a key moment on our faith journey.

Offering encouragement to others might be the most valuable of all spiritual gifts. What good are gifts of prophecy, service, almsgiving,  teaching or showing mercy, if a person is not “encouraged” to use those gifts? 

Encouragement was given by the apostle Paul all throughout his ministry, to inspire the early church and those he personally mentored, like Timothy and Titus. He encouraged others to use their charisms and grow in faith to serve God and His church.

The gift of encouragement was once used by Paul in a most unusual way. He was one among 276 men on board a ship during a severe storm. The sailors were about to abandon ship and use the lifeboats, but Paul urged them to stay put, guaranteeing that all the men would survive the shipwreck. The ship was totally destroyed in the storm, but all 276  men on board, made it safely to the island of Malta. 

(Acts 27:29-31)

According to Paul, his guardian angel told him that all the men on board will survive if they stayed on the ship. Paul’s encouragement did more than save 276 lives, but  opened their eyes to the one true God and faith in Jesus. 

At the Boston marathon this week, a first time runner collapsed four times when his legs became too weak to finish the race, until two other runners came along side him and held him up, all the way to the finish line. What are the chances that two total strangers would sacrifice their own win by helping another stranger who collapsed? The two strangers gave the weary man a gift of encouragement and those three men found a new friendship together. God calls us to stay on the ship, encourage the weary and finish the race together. 

Encouragement is a light that brightens not just one heart, but inspires and unites others in the world who witness it.

Lord, help us to discover and use our spiritual gifts but especially to be the light of encouragement to all those who are weary among us. Amen 

“My heart, O God, is steadfast;

I will sing and make music with all my soul.”

Psalm 108:1 (NIV)

The interesting thing about music is that when it is sung, played, or composed from the soul, it speaks to other souls in ways that human vocabulary cannot. That makes every genre of music “soul music”.

Music is a gift that God gave to all of us, as He blessed certain people with the ability to play instruments or sing, or use their talent to write the poetic lyrics of songs. God gave a great gift to those who can create melodies and compose music.

Those of us who cannot sing, write, play, or compose, are still blessed by listening to music. Music touches the soul like no other form of communication. Some people share their musical talent by giving of their time to sing in concerts, church choirs or to entertain children or seniors in singalongs at various facilities. Jesus said whatever we do for the least of these, we are doing for Him. 

Music brings joy and comfort to  mankind at all stages of life, such as birthdays, anniversaries, marriages or any milestone of life. The psalms were songs written by David, put to music and played on a harp, for the single purpose of worshipping God, who gave us the gift of music, so that we could give it back to Him and to others. 

Music can comfort a comatose or dying patient. Research reveals that a person who can no longer speak, see or move, can still respond to auditory stimuli, like the sound of their loved one’s voice, or music played at their bedside. We know this because of the Electroencephalogram which shows the patient’s response to sound through their brain waves. 

After doing EEGs during the years that I worked in a hospital, I saw it firsthand. Brain waves always show a change in activity when a loved one spoke to a comatose patient. Knowing that hearing is the last thing to go, and how much I enjoy music, I created my own “Coma playlist,” which I want to have played if I am ever in an unconscious state. People laugh when I tell them about my coma playlist, but I’m glad I selected a list of my favorite music, which  brings me peace.

I recently saw a documentary about a young Jewish songwriter, named Ilse Weber, who was sent to a concentration camp during the holocaust in 1940.  She was permitted to sing her own lullaby compositions to the children in the infirmary part of her camp. 

Even in such a dark period of history, Ilse brought light to others, by singing songs she created from her soul. She sang to the children, comforting them with moments of love and peace, while separated from their families. One day she learned that the children she sang to, were placed on the transport list, to be sent to Auschwitz for immediate extermination. Ilse asked to go with them. 

A Nazi soldier remembered Ilse as he later testified seeing her gather the children around her on the floor of the gas chamber, singing her lullabies to them. This is probably the most heartbreaking Holocaust story I’ve ever heard, but Ilse and the children died to the sound of singing lullabies instead of the sound of panic or screaming. Music is like Heaven’s prayer, that draws a soul into the restful arms of God. May Ilse and those children rest in God’s peace and love forever.

Ilse Weber’s lullabies are now being gathered and played by musicians today, thanks to a woman who wrote her biography. Words of the human vocabulary cannot bring the comfort that music brings, because music is interpreted by the soul.  Plato once said, “music finds its way into the secret places of the soul.” It’s so true, and God placed those secret places in our souls, as He gave us the sacred gift of music. 

Lord, thank you for the gift of music, which soothes and comforts us in suffering and speaks to our soul, drawing us closer to you. Amen

“When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.”

Exodus 17:12-13 (NIV)

After their exodus from slavery in Egypt, the Israelites had a new enemy to contend with. As Moses and Joshua led them toward the promised land, they were under constant attack by the nomadic tribe of Amalekites. The Israelites were pressured to transform from being a nation of slaves to warriors, in order to survive.  

Joshua was mentored by Moses, but Joshua’s gift was in military skill, while Moses was a Prophet and a Priestly leader, who didn’t fight.  During each battle, Moses stood on top of a hill, holding his staff up in the air, so the people could see it and be inspired. It was the same staff that Moses held over the sea when it miraculously parted. To see Moses hold his staff in the air, inspired the people to trust in God once again.

As long as Moses held his staff up high, the Israelites were winning the battle. When his arms grew tired, he lowered them, and then the Amalekites would gain the advantage. In seeing this trend, Aaron, the brother of Moses and Hur, his close friend, rushed over to stand on each side of him, to hold up Moses’ exhausted arms. 

As his arms were held high, the army could see Moses’ staff and gained confidence.

Finally, Aaron and Hur found a large stone and put it under Moses so he could sit down, while holding his arms up. When his staff was high and visible for all to see, the battle was won, and by sunset, the Israelites could move into their promised land. 

As their goal was to get to the promised land, we are also on a journey toward our promised land, which is Heaven. We go through seasons of blessings and good times, as well as seasons of testing and confrontations with spiritual foes. We have obstacles to work through during our life journey, and just like Moses, we also grow weary.

The prayers of fellow believers uphold us when we are spiritually or emotionally exhausted, just as Aaron and Hur upheld Moses’ arms. Joshua’s army received renewed hope and faith by seeing the staff held high. Moses rested on a rock, and we find our rest in the Rock of our salvation, who is Jesus.

There’s one more lesson to learn  from this image of Aaron and Hur holding up the weary arms of Moses. God wants us to pray for our ministers, priests, and leaders of our faith, since there are forces of darkness and spiritual enemies who target all faith leaders. This story sends a clear message that spiritual battles will be won, when we support the leaders with our faithful service and prayers.

By giving us this story in the bible, God shows us how He delights in the unity and solidarity of His people. When we are weary and weak in our faith, and we pray “Help me in my unbelief”,  it’s the prayers of others that lift and renew our hope, as we find our way back to the “Rock” of our resting place who is Jesus. 

Lord, help us to uphold in prayer and support the arms of all who grow weary, and may we rest in you, keeping our eyes on the cross and empty tomb, the focus of our victory. 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)

Our capacity to maintain peace and contentment in Christ, depends on how we invest our thoughts. It’s what scripture has always taught, and is now supported by scientific research. 

I’m sure I am not the only one who needs reminding of this principle. 

Investing thoughts is similar to investing money. If we invest our thoughts in negative, stressfull thinking, we will reap anxiety and stress which is damaging to both body and soul. If we invest our thoughts in gratitude, as the heroes and heroines of the bible did, we will reap a spiritual profit in return. 

A mind filled with gratitude can help us sleep better in the storm, pray calmly in a lions’ den, sing praises in a fiery furnace and slay our giants with a single stone. There is a truth found by uniting science and scripture to rewire our brain for the good.

God created our human bodies with chemical messengers that regulate our nervous system.

Serotonin is the neurotransmitter known as the “happy hormone.”It’s the brain chemical that brings us a sense of well being. Research has found that if we intentionally dwell on good times, good people, positive experiences, past and present, we will increase our production of Serotonin, which has a significant impact on mood. 

Cortisol is known as the “stress hormone.” When thoughts are  focused on negative or stressful experiences, it increases the production of Cortisol throughout our bodies. Prolonged exposure to elevated cortisol disrupts sleep patterns, suppresses the immune system, raises blood glucose levels and increases depressive symptoms.

There are medicines that block Cortisol, but we can choose to invest our thoughts on the good and the positive aspects of life, and produce more Serotonin. How we invest our thought life can help to maintain a sense of well being. 

God is the one who wired our bodies this way, but thankfully, science now confirms it. Scripture is “living and active” and pierces through the division of soul and spirit, and judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 

(Hebrews 4:12)

If scripture has such an organic living effect on our soul and spirit,  it can surely help us overcome the negativity producing depression. Memorizing scripture has helped many people to stay positive in difficult times. One way to invest in good thoughts, is by reading or memorizing God’s word, which has a living and active effect on us.

One of my favorite verses to recite to myself in troublesome times is,

“I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.”

(Philippians 4:13)

Our attitude is so easily affected by how we talk to ourselves. Research indicates that self-talk activates the brain’s reward system, and leads to improved mood and cognitive performance. By allowing the Holy Spirit to police our thoughts, we can speak to ourselves and inspire our faith with an attitude of gratitude. 

Whether we invest our thoughts in memorizing scripture, reading inspiring books, listening to music, or hearing faith inspired stories on Christian TV or radio, we can change our brain chemistry by finding good things to dwell on. 

I recently had a chance to put this into practice.

One brief, negative conversation can drag us down emotionally and leave a knot in the stomach, which happened to me one day. 

I prayed and tried to leave it in God’s hands, which is easier said than done. I felt grieved until later that same day, when I received a phone call from a friend who now lives in California, who was once my dog walker. It was a pleasant surprise to hear from her, and it turned out to be a therapeutic phone call. In some mysterious way, that call was like a healing balm sent from Heaven. I was overwhelmed with gratitude, and realized the knot in my stomach was complete gone afterward.

God knows that He wired us this way, which is why He inspired Nehemiah to say, “The joy of the Lord is our strength.” 

(Nehemiah 8:10)

Paul knew it when he told us to find “anything”worthy of praise or excellence to be thankful for. The brain chemistry of investing our thoughts in gratitude for good things, is as old as the bible itself. God is telling us to think about whatever is right, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent or worthy of praise.

Serotonin flows from happiness, and happiness flows out of gratitude, and gratitude doesn’t depend on having perfect relationships, good health, close families or financial security. It depends on how we manage our thoughts of gratitude.

Gratitude leads to confidence in a perfect God who is our steady anchor in a very unsteady world.

Scripture tells us that our true citizenship is in Heaven, which is an invisible kingdom that cannot be shaken. It’s a kingdom that dwells within us, giving us the resilience to do all things through Christ, who is our source of strength. 

We are unshakable people  because Jesus is unshakable and He lives within us.

Lord, thank you for the science that proves what your word has declared centuries ago. Help us to keep our thought life well invested, that we may dwell in your peace. Amen

“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

Matthew 18:20 (NAB)

Once in a while, I flip through radio channels, and hear an old song, that I forgot about. One day the old country hit song by Garth Brooks, was playing, called, “Friends in low places”. 

The song speaks of finding refuge in a favorite bar, hanging out with old friends, as the whiskey and beer chases all the blues and heart break away. 

As I listened, I thought of how friends who share our faith are  friends in high places, rather than low places. Based on what Jesus promised us, where two or three gather in His name, He is in the midst, and if He is in our midst, that puts us in very high places.

Every person who believes in Jesus is a brother or a sister, and through Him, we are one family. 

We are many parts but one body, as Paul told the first century church. (1 Corinthians 12:12)

We don’t need to think alike, or share the same opinions. We may have totally different styles of communicating and possess different gifts from one another, but if we worship one God, and share in loving His son, that makes us all friends in high places.

Each time we agree in prayer with other believers, Jesus is there among us, by His Spirit, which means that the most essential part of heaven is in our midst.  

So, our place of refuge is not a tavern, but any place where two or more can agree in prayer. The power is in our prayer, not the place, because Jesus will join us anywhere we go.

Whiskey and beer may chase the blues away temporarily, but only the blood of Jesus and the power of His Spirit can cleanse, renew and bring lasting peace. We could never earn all that is given to us by His grace and promise. Every  Christian friend is a friend in high places, through the power of prayer in Jesus’ name. 

Lord, thank you for friends in high places and the gift of your presence, who is with us everywhere, when we gather by faith in your Name. Amen

“Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, “Who is it you want?”

“Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied.

“I am He,” Jesus said. 

When Jesus said, “I am He”, they drew back and fell to the ground.”

John 18:4-6 (NIV)

John’s gospel shares this unusual occurrence that preceded Jesus’ arrest. This is probably the most overlooked incident in the gospel during the arrest of Jesus. We get so focused on Judas and his betrayal that we miss out on these awesome details in John’s gospel. 

As the group of armed soldiers, Chief priests and Pharisees asked for Jesus of Nazareth, He answers them, “I am He”, and that group of  men instantly drew back and fell to the ground. How odd it was for the whole group to suddenly fall backward to the ground, when Jesus simply said, “I am He.”

It’s such a curious visual of the earthly powers of authority who gathered in numbers to arrest Jesus, armed with torches and weapons, and as they closed in on Him, those few words spoken knocked them off balance and they fell to the ground. It should have been embarrassing that the mere words of Jesus caused men of authority to have their knees buckle and collapse in His presence. They quickly stood back up but there is a spiritual significance in their falling down. 

The phrase that Jesus spoke to them was a divine phrase, going all the way back to Mount Sinai when God first called Moses to deliver His people from slavery. The phrase “I AM” was spoken before the first Passover lamb was ever slain, at the start of the miraculous Exodus story.

Jesus now spoke the same words with divine authority at the final Passover, knowing He was the Lamb of God, being led to the slaughter, once and for all. In that moment, power flowed from His mouth as it did from the fire of the burning bush on Mount Sinai, centuries earlier.

Jesus connected the old covenant to the new when He uttered the same words, “I AM,” as His divinity thundered into the souls of those men who came to arrest Him. They should have knelt in worship to Him, but instead, their ability to stand in His Presence was taken away for a brief moment.

The same words once filled Moses with reverence for a holy God who spoke to him from a fire. Jesus still says these words to all who believe in Him today. He is holy but describes Himself now as gentle and lowly of heart, asking us to learn from Him. 

(Matthew 11:29)

He brings comfort to our souls by whispering, “I AM here with you.”

We still fall in His presence, but in a different way. He meets us where we’re at, in whatever sorrow, doubt or fear that we may be struggling with. He invites us to let go and fall into His arms. It takes trust to fall into the arms of Jesus, and trust is not an emotion or a feeling, it’s a total surrender.

To fall into the arms of Jesus is to fall into the arms of love. Through all the worries and burdens of life, we may wonder at times if He is really with us and He still answers us by saying, “I AM”.  His words can still make knees buckle and strong men fall, but instead of falling to the ground, He invites us to fall into His loving and merciful arms that will hold us forever. 

Lord, we surrender our burdens to you and willingly fall into your arms, as you strengthen us to reflect your love and mercy to others. Amen

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

2 Samuel 9:7 (NIV)

This is a story which proves that God sees all the innocent victims of war and it stirs His heart with compassion. This story is about a young handicapped orphan, touched by God’s heart of mercy. He changed the boy’s destiny, giving him new life, hope and restoration. 

Mephibosheth was King Saul’s grandson, the son of Jonathan, who was David’s closest friend. The young prince was born perfectly healthy, until one day, King Saul and his son Jonathan were both killed in battle. The remaining royal family was scattered, and fled for their lives as the enemy raided the land. 

A nursemaid who cared for the young prince took his hand to flee the palace and escape, when he suffered a fall and broke both his legs. Mephibosheth was only five years old when he became a paralyzed and disabled orphan. The enemy confiscated all the wealth and land which was his by inheritance, so the young boy was not only handicapped and orphaned, but homeless as well. 

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

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

Mephibosheth was completely helpless, left as a handicapped homeless orphan, but God is attentive to the prayers of the destitute, especially children. (Psalm 102:17) 

Eight years later, after David became King, he brought victory to his people and freed them from their oppressors, and finally there was a period of peace, prosperity and blessing during his reign. 

During this period, David wanted to show kindness to any surviving relative of his beloved friend, Jonathan, so he sent out a search party to find any of his surviving relatives. Mephibosheth was found in Lodebar, and brought to the king’s palace. 

Out of love for his friend, King David adopted Mephibosheth and restored the land due to him by inheritance, but most of all, he  restored his dignity. He lived in the royal palace for the rest of his life and dined with the King’s children. He went from prince to pauper, but restored to prince again, as an adopted son of King David.

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

Until that Heavenly banquet, God has given us a purpose to fulfill. We are a part of His search party to seek and find all those who feel like nobodies living in a land of Nothing. We are to go out on the highways and the byways, showing His kindness and bringing dignity to others, by inviting them to His banquet table. Whatever they have lost, can be restored by becoming joint heirs with His son, Jesus Christ.  (Romans 8:17)

King David saw great worth in Mephibosheth, just as Jesus, our King, sees great worth in each of us, looking beyond our past or shortcomings. He restores our dignity, baptizes us into His family, and invites us to His banquet table. He even calls us by His name-Christians.

God loves us so much, that His heart’s desire is to restore us, as Peter once wrote,

“The God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, establish, and strengthen you.” 

(1 Peter 5:10)

Hidden within many bible stories and parables, God repeatedly shows Himself as a good King, a good Father, or a good Shepherd. He is always searching for the lost and the broken, who are living like nobodies in a land of Nothing.  

Lord, help us to live as children of the King, and to comfort those who feel like nobodies in this world, that they may discover your restorative love and grace. Amen

“In every way I have shown you that by hard work of that sort we must help the weak, and keep in mind the words of the Lord Jesus who himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

Acts 20:35 (NAB)

Helping the weak and keeping  the words of Jesus in our minds was the advice of Luke, who wrote the book of Acts. Luke said that Jesus taught that it’s more blessed to give than to receive, but giving can involve things much greater than money. 

Our response to someone in the present moment might require the giving of our attention or our time, even when it’s inconvenient, which can be a greater gift than giving money. It’s easy to miss an opportunity that comes in the present moment, while we are driven to focus on where we need to go, what we have to do and who we need to see. In that driven state of mind, we might easily miss someone sent to us. 

The Spirit of God speaks to us through a series of moments throughout each day, sometimes by prompting us to notice someone who is otherwise, unnoticeable. God notices all people, and He desires to show mercy to each one, but He likes using people like us to do it.

A busy mother recently shared how she was on an errand in a grocery store with her young children beside her. Being pressed for time and checking her watch, an elderly stranger began to strike up a conversation with her. Her first thought was that she had no time for conversation, but then she took a moment to pause and give attention to her. She gave her time to listen to a kind lady who wanted to talk, and afterward, they were both blessed.

How often during a busy day, filled with errands and agendas, might we miss the person sent to us in a present moment? There will always be someone who we were meant to give something to, whether it’s our time, attention, a kind word or a gift. It’s what Jesus meant about reaping more when we give than when we receive.

Giving our time and attention to a person who is often overlooked could be the most generous gift they have ever received. Noticing those who usually go unnoticed, can bless them in a rich and lasting way. It’s all part of the lessons I’m learning through my visits at the Nursing home. 

One day last week while sitting at a table with the residents, one resident had his aunt visiting him. She bought him a can of soda from the vending machine, and then gave money to his friend who sat next to him, so that she could buy a can of soda too. A third person sitting with us already had their own beverage to drink, and I had brought a beverage from home. 

So, four out of five people sitting at the table now had beverages to drink, except a resident named Mary Beth, who was sitting next to me. As we were talking, she never asked for a beverage for herself. 

I couldn’t help but notice that she was left out, so I pulled $2 from my wallet and gave it to her, to buy herself a beverage. She was overwhelmed with gratitude over that $2, so much so, that she couldn’t stop thanking me for buying her a can of soda pop. It was as if I gave her a gift of great value. 

Although her gratitude seemed disproportionate to a small gift, it occurred to me that it wasn’t the money or the beverage that made Mary Beth so grateful. Knowing that she never receives any visits from family or friends, I think buying her a drink made her feel special in that present moment. 

That whole experience made me more aware of who is in my present moment, that might benefit from anything I can give, even if it’s only a smile, a kind word or a simple gift of a canned beverage. Like the stranger in the grocery store or any person who feels unnoticed, God sends them along our way, into the moments of our day, so that we can give them our time and attention in the spirit of God’s love.

Lord, remind us that it’s the little acts of kindness during the brief present moments of our day, that bloom into the biggest blessings for all. Amen