Kissed by the Spirit

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)

These are some of my favorite words, spoken by Jesus in the gospels. His words are personal enough that we can read them, close our eyes and imagine Him standing in front of us with arms outstretched, saying, “Come and give me everything that is worrying you.” Who could resist such a compassionate plea?

Yet we still end up carrying our burdens instead of giving them to Jesus. There’s a common Yiddish word for that kind of carrying, which is to “schlep.” It refers to dragging and hauling heavy baggage around. Having grown up in a very Jewish neighborhood of Chicago, I regularly heard this term used in daily conversations by my Jewish friends. They might say, “ I can’t schlep any more than this,” or “This is too much to schlep.”

I grew up in a three flat apartment building which my parents owned. Since it’s easier for a landlord to rent the first or second floor apartment than a third floor, in a building without an elevator, the landlord’s family ends up living in the hard to rent, third floor unit. Needless to say, my family and I did a lot of “schlepping”, up and down three flights of stairs. We schlepped all kinds of heavy things, like groceries, furniture, laundry, school books, household items and our own bodies.

Carrying heavy burdens around in the spiritual sense can be considered spiritual schlepping, which is an encumbrance of the soul. The bible refers to spiritual schlepping except it uses different words. It warns us to “stay sober” and guard against spiritual lethargy. We are to keep building on the foundation of our faith, who is Jesus, the rock, but schlepping can misdirect our focus towards other foundations. 

We are warned by Peter and Paul;

“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

 (1 Peter 5:8)

“So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.”

(1 Thessalonians 5:6)

When we don’t remain sober and awake spiritually, we end up over encumbered and constantly schlepping. We have two options, either to keep on schlepping or to give it all to Jesus. It’s easy to forget that He is always asking us to come and give our burdens to Him. 

So what are the burdens which spiritually encumber us and lead us to schlepping?

One common burden is being too busy. When our agenda is so packed and hectic, our busyness becomes the baggage that we schlep. When my twins were three years old, I took an art job that I thought would be easy to do from home. 

It wasn’t as easy as I thought with twin toddlers. They started acting out and getting into mischief beyond the norm for any toddler. One day I called out to them from my desk where I was drawing, and said, “You are both acting like you’re not the same boys!” Then my three year old son, Michael, answered, “You’re not the same mommy.” When a schedule finds no time for Jesus or family, then it’s too hectic. God can speak through a toddler at times, and I was clearly encumbered and schlepping more than I could handle. 

Another burden is distraction. A distraction can be anything that has all of our attention but leaves the Lord completely out of it. It’s easy to schlep distractions like anger and unforgiveness, so that we miss out on what God is trying to say to us. Jesus asks us to take His yoke upon us in order to find rest for our souls. By schlepping distracting thoughts around with us, our souls miss out on the true rest that Jesus gives.

Another burden that we schlep along with us is false guilt and shame. Jesus has forgiven us, but other people’s condemning words and self condemning thoughts may get stuck in our minds and weigh us down with baggage which has already been washed away, but we are schlepping it around anyway.

The last thing that is schlepped are the expectations which we place on ourselves. When we compare ourselves to others or to what we used to be, or what we think we should be, it all becomes baggage that we are schlepping. It weighs us down, so that we don’t look up and see how much we are loved by God just as we are. When we stop schlepping the false expectations, and lean into how wonderful God has uniquely wired each one of us, we will find the rest that finally unencumbers our souls.

It’s helpful to periodically ask the questions, 

“Am I schlepping more than I need to carry? Have I given my heavy burdens to Jesus? Once we do, there’s a shower of blessing in store, because His yoke is always easier and His burden is much lighter than what we put upon ourselves. 

Lord, we surrender to you, all our anxieties, our burdens and the thoughts we have schlepped for too long, and we receive your gentle rest for our souls. Amen

“The Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.”

John 5:22-23 (NIV)

A Franciscan priest from NY, Father Benedict Groeschel, is a speaker with a rerun TV show that I enjoy listening to from time to time. It’s amusing to hear him speak in typical New Yorker style, even when he is teaching spiritual truths. He once said, “God is not a chump”, as he stressed the importance of giving the respect and reverence that God deserves. Only a New Yorker could make a point about faith using those words. 

One day he told a true story about his own family. His mother died when he and his brother were young and his brother was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes at the age of twelve. His father was a believer and raised his boys as a single parent, while he grieved the loss of his wife for years. The boys grew up, and the diabetic son was an atheist since the age of twelve, while his other son entered full time ministry, as a Franciscan friar with a psych degree and a TV ministry.

One day, the aging father was talking to his friar son about heaven, and asked how he could be sure he would find their mother when he gets to heaven. He asked many questions, like how souls without bodies, will be able to recognize and communicate with their loved ones in heaven. 

Fr. Groeschel assured his dad that he would be united with his mom again and that there is constant communication in heaven. 

Soon afterward, His father suffered a brain aneurysm and became terminally ill, lying unconscious in an ICU bed. 

While Fr. Groeschel traveled to be with his dying father, his brother, who lived nearby, was at his bedside continuously. 

His father never did wake up again but before he died, a change of facial expression came over his face. His son witnessed his face suddenly change into a big smile. Then his father stopped breathing and passed away in peace, with that smile on his face. The atheist son immediately knew that his dad had just entered the realm of heaven, probably saw Jesus, but definitely saw his wife who he lovingly missed for years. 

As his son witnessed his father die happy and in peace, he was convinced that God, Heaven and the afterlife is real. His faith was restored and he shared what happened with his Friar brother, when he arrived after their father passed away. The atheist brother believed ever since then and told his brother that he had committed the rest of his life to Christ. Sadly, six months later, he died suddenly, and Fr. Groeschel had lost both his father and his brother within six months time. In spite of his loss, he knew that God’s providence was working all along in his brother’s life. 

According to His own timing, God has a special way of giving someone a heart to know Him, by restoring faith in those who’ve grown indifferent towards Him. When a person realizes that souls live after physical death, that this life is a mere dress rehearsal for the eternal one, it opens our eyes to the unseen world of faith around us, and brings a fresh awareness of God’s love and Presence in our lives.  

God’s love reminds us of loved ones who believed and went on before us, and of the rich meaning that heaven holds for them as well as for our friends and family living today. 

Lord, we pray to keep the faith and that special smiles in special moments will give others a heart to know you and fill their hunger with your truth. Amen 

“God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: 

Be reconciled to God.”

2 Corinthians 5:19-20 (NIV)

Jesus had the Mission of all missions, in reconciling the whole world to God, when He became the sacrificed Lamb for mankind.

Every Christian has a mission or many missions to accomplish as ambassadors for Christ during  our lifetime. Paul describes us as Christ’s ambassadors, who are called to inspire all those around us to be reconciled to God. There are different ways to fulfill a mission like that. It could mean setting an example of kindness by going the extra mile for someone, or it might require something more, that will save a life or a soul.

During my youth, I remember watching the popular TV show, Mission Impossible, which started out with an anonymous voice on a tape recorder that described a particular mission to the secret agent, and then it said, 

“Should you choose to accept this mission…….”

We all have the choice to accept a mission or not, since God won’t force anyone to do His will. I just heard a true story about someone who not only accepted a mission but saved a life. 

A healthy man in his early sixties had a massive heart attack while he was driving one morning. Public video cameras captured his car veering off the road, going between cars, trees and light poles, until finally slamming into the side of a commercial building. Miraculously, no other person or car was hit or injured.

There was a young doctor on his way to work that morning, who just happened to be driving right behind that man. He saw the car veer out of control and then crash. He stayed behind him, pulled him out of his vehicle, and performed CPR until paramedics arrived. 

That doctor accomplished an unexpected mission that day. He had to continue the CPR for ten minutes before the man’s heart finally restarted. The most unusual part of the story is that both men took alternate routes that day to avoid heavier traffic. 

It seems they were meant to be on that same road, at the same time that day. The man survived his heart attack and had no brain injury from not breathing for so long. He later met the doctor who saved his life and thanked him, calling him his angel. 

There is another story about an unexpected mission that was accomplished by a man named Maximillian Kolbe. He was a 47 year old priest living in Poland, during the Nazi occupation. He used to publish a newspaper that spoke out against the Nazis, which eventually got him placed in a concentration camp, where he continued to share his faith and inspire other prisoners. 

One day a random prisoner was pulled from the camp to be killed, as an example to discourage other prisoners from escaping. Maximillian Kolbe realized that day, what his mission was in being sent to Auschwitz. He stepped forward and offered himself in place of the young man, who was about to be killed.

The Nazi officer was at first shocked but he had Kolbe taken away, where he was given a lethal injection, and died. The young man’s life was spared and he was sent back to his camp until he was freed after the war, and returned to his family. He told the story of what Fr. Kolbe did for him until he was 97 years old when he died.

Kolbe’s mission seemed like an impossible one to comprehend but God gave him the courage for the mission he was called to. It’s mysterious how certain events can bring two strangers together and a mission emerges out of a dire need. That’s what happened with both of these stories. God still uses regular, everyday people just like us to bring a light into a stranger’s life and fulfill a mission, that makes a difference forever. 

Not everyone is called to a mission of exchanging their life for a total stranger’s. Paul tells us that we are ambassadors for Christ, as God makes an appeal through us, the church, for the reconciliation of the world. Our mission could be as simple as listening to a lonely person who has no other friends, or it may be one that helps someone in a moment of crisis.

Whatever the mission may be, it’s best illustrated by the famous painting of Jesus standing and knocking on a door which has no outside handle. That’s because the door of our heart can only be opened from the inside by us. Only we can open the door and choose to accept the mission Jesus is calling us to. 

Lord, thank you for all missions, great and small, and we continue to open our door to whatever you have for us as your ambassadors in this world. Amen

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

Hebrews 11:1 (RSV)

There are three words that I say way too often, which are not of faith, and definitely not pleasing to God. No, they’re not swear words, although I am guilty of that too. It’s the three word phrase, 

“I give up.” Whenever I become overwhelmed and frustrated, it’s the first phrase that flies out of my mouth. It’s worse than swearing because it’s an expression of total faithlessness coming straight from the heart, through my lips. I try to catch myself before saying it, but it still slips out.  

God rewards faith, but He doesn’t reward giving up. The phrase “I give up” doesn’t even exist in the language of faith, because it’s a language of heroes.

There are many kinds of heroes to admire. There are war heroes, civil rights heroes, first responder heroes, sports heroes, Super Bowl  heroes and not one of them utters the phrase “I give up.” Heroes of faith are believers who speak the language of faith fluently. They believe, speak and act in faith, not based on what they see, but on what is unseen. 

The 11th chapter of Hebrews is known as the “Hall of Faith” chapter. By reading the 40 verses of this chapter, it summarizes the heroes of faith throughout the bible, and the words “I give up” were never part of their vocabulary. 

By faith, Noah started a massive building project to save him and his family from a destructive flood that God warned him of. Building the ark took a lot of work, sweat, and perseverance, while the whole time, Noah’s neighbors mocked him daily, since there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. In spite of it all, Noah never said “I give up.”

By faith, after hearing God call him out, Abraham left his home town to travel to a new “promised land” where his descendants would form a brand new nation. He had no idea where that promised land was, but he started walking anyway. Then he married Sarah and believed God, waiting for descendants until he was 100 years old, and finally had a son of his own. In all those years, Abraham never said “I give up.”

Moses’ mother hid her baby boy at home for the first three months, from Pharaoh’s assassins, but she finally decided it was safer to place him in a waterproof basket, and send him floating down the Nile River. Three month old baby Moses looked at his mother from inside the basket, with his arms outstretched, but to save his life, she sent him down the Nile River, by faith, and never once said, 

“I give up.”

Joshua followed God’s unusual orders to march around the walls of Jericho, blowing ram’s horns for seven days and then give a victory shout. After marching six times around, nothing happened, but on the seventh day, the ground opened up and the walls collapsed straight into the ground. Archeologists found the ancient remnants of the city of Jericho and the relics of the walls give evidence that the ground opened up and the walls fell straight down into the earth, instead of falling outward. Thankfully, Joshua never said, “I give up.”

I may sound redundant but it’s to inspire my own faith, so that I would speak the language of faith more fluently. It’s a language that is foreign to carnal minds, since carnal minds live by their senses. If I believe only what my senses perceive, through hearing, sight taste, touch or smell, then no faith is involved. 

Faith has nothing to do with our senses, because faith is the assurance of what is not seen, nor what is heard, tasted, touched or smelled. Faith speaks into being, what we don’t see, because it originates within our spirit, not our mind. Jesus often said, “Your faith has made you well,” or “Be it done according to your faith.” Faith accomplishes what the natural mind cannot, and it’s a language that every human being can speak, though at different levels of fluency. 

The beauty of faith is that it’s a language that turns God’s head, raises His eyebrows and makes Him smile. We know this because that’s how Jesus responded to people of faith that He met. It’s a language that also calms storms, moves mountains and resurrects the dead. Knowing how pleasing our faith is to God, that should forever motivate us. In the faith chapter we are told, 

“Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for anyone who approaches God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)

Many heroes of faith endured mockery, torture, imprisonment or death. Some were delivered before being killed, and others refused deliverance, in order to obtain an eternal reward. Despite the challenge, heroes of faith left an example for us to follow. They lived and spoke the language of faith, inspiring us to “Never give up!”

Lord, teach us the language and vocabulary of an enduring faith that won’t give up, that is storm proof, fear proof and reaps eternal rewards. Amen

“God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God.”

1 Corinthians 1:27-29 (NASB)

This scripture was read in church last weekend and it made me think about the words that God has, “chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and the weak things of the world to shame the strong.”

People who follow Jesus, putting His teachings first, may find themselves ridiculed or called foolish by today’s standards, as it was in past history. Jesus assures us that in the end, God will exalt the humble and humble those who exalt themselves. 

Yet, it doesn’t always appear this way when we look at the world around us. Instead, it seems that the powerful exalt themselves, have no shame and get away with everything, while the weak and lowly can barely find justice. 

If we look back at the first century culture when Jesus lived, the world at the time, didn’t accept that all people were created equal. Slavery was prevalent for centuries and was common in many nations at the time. Religious authorities excluded certain ethnic groups from being a part of their community, and it was unheard of for Jewish rabbis to include women among their disciples. Rabbis in the first century allowed male only audiences at their public teachings, but Jesus was a complete revolutionary of his time. 

He had women following His ministry, gave them roles of service, and included them as He taught all His disciples. It caused Jesus to stand out among the Rabbis before Him. Being the divine son of God, He not only performed miracles, but His whole way of thinking was completely outside the culture and thinking of His time.

Jesus took what people thought of as weak, and showed that the weak will shame the strong. He elevated and dignified those who were the least respected in society. He showed that God sees people from the heart, not according to birth status, gender, or cultural privilege, and that we are all equally children of the Most high God. 

Jesus broke many cultural rules of His time, especially in His treatment of women. He was not offended by the hemorrhaging woman, who touched the edge of His garment, or by the woman who poured all her fragrant oil upon His head, or the scandalous woman who washed His feet with her tears. Others were highly offended by these women who all violated some cultural rule in their approach to Jesus. 

The woman who was bleeding was forbidden by Jewish law to touch anyone, much less a man, causing anyone she touched to be unclean, requiring isolation and a ritual bath. 

The woman who was once a known neighborhood prostitute repented, but shocked every bystander, to see her handling Jesus’ feet, kissing and bathing them in her tears. 

The woman who poured her whole jar of rare fragrant oil, worth one year’s wages, upon Jesus’ head, was considered to be a fool and extravagantly wasteful. Despite the outrage of onlookers, Jesus praised all of these women for their faith, love and acts of adoration towards Him. 

The Samaritan woman at the well was from an ethnic group considered to be half breeds, who were not aligned with all of the Mosaic teachings, so that her people were unworthy to have full status as Israelites. Jesus spent a long time alone with her at the well, just talking to her. It was unheard of for an observant Jewish Rabbi to be alone talking to a strange woman, much less a Samaritan. 

Jesus continually shocked His disciples and the entire crowd of observers, by permitting women to break their rules, customs and cultural traditions. Jesus did what today’s scripture describes. He took what was thought of as the foolish or weak things to confound those who considered themselves wise and strong. To women labeled as outcasts for certain reasons, Jesus showed them dignity and esteemed them as daughters of God. He caused everyone to rethink the rules, traditions and customs of the day. 

God, through His son, lavished His love and grace upon those who were thought by society to be the foolish, weak, lowly and nobodies of the world. Jesus made people stop and question their rules and customs, comparing each one to God’s way of thinking. 

We are all somewhat influenced by cultural rules and popular trends of our current society, but Jesus teaches us how to think outside of our culture, and to put His teachings first. The gospels show us who Jesus is, and what He taught, but most of all it shows us how valuable people are in God’s eyes. 

Jesus wants everyone to know that background, gender and past mistakes do not define who a person is. We are all sons and daughters of the living God, who showed us His unconditional love through Jesus. God chooses in much different ways than people do. 

Lord, touch every person who may be feeling inadequate, unseen or alone today and exalt them with assurance of your love for us as sons and daughters. Amen 

“Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

Luke 12:6-7 (RSV)

I think we all have a tendency to underestimate God’s interest in the details of our lives. It’s hard to process Jesus saying that God knows the exact number of hairs on our heads. After all, He must be far too busy to care about small details like that. 

It’s easier to believe that God cares more about getting us all into heaven, than being interested in the details of our daily lives. Yet, scripture, biology, astronomy and all of nature prove that God is very interested in the details of our daily lives. 

The first five books of the Bible are filled with details of how to arrange and handle every sacred object on the altar of God’s temple; the menorah candlesticks, the holy bread of the Presence, the ark of the covenant, the curtain, incense and the various offerings. God had specific requirements about all these details, and if He cares about the details of temple worship, how much more does He care about the details of our lives, since we are the temples of the Holy Spirit. 

When God decided to have Jesus become a human being, He thought out every detail of the plan. He chose to have the Son of God conceived in the womb of a woman-but not just any woman, but an unmarried Jewish virgin, and not just any virgin, but Mary, who He created with the qualities and characteristics that He wanted in the mother of His son. That alone required attention to detail. 

Out of all the nations in the world to be born in, He chose a tiny land in the Middle East, no larger than the state of New Jersey. Of all the various ethnic cultures, nations, kingdoms and races on the earth, He wanted His son to be born of Hebrew lineage with a family ancestry linked to Abraham, and specifically from the tribe of Judah. 

Not only did God have in mind the particular tribe, place, culture, mother, and father to raise His beloved son, but the God of details also selected His son’s name, and told Mary to name Him Jesus, – “Yeshua,” meaning salvation in Hebrew.

It was part of His detailed plan that Mary and Joseph live in a poor town of Nazareth, and raise His only son devoutly in the Jewish faith, in accordance with the writings of Moses and the prophets. He wore a prayer shawl garment with tassels at the edge, and adhered to all the prayers, customs, holidays and festival observances. God selected a culture that was full of details to raise His only son in, as if details really mattered to Him. 

Dates are the other details that matter to God. The Passover lamb was to be slain on the 14th day of the month of Nissan, a spring time date on the Hebrew calendar. Historians and archeologists can verify that Jesus was crucified and died exactly on the 14th day of Nissan, or April 3, 33 A.D. He became the final Passover lamb, dying on the designated date given to His chosen people.

Regarding the many fascinating details of dates, the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 27:51-52, mentions an earthquake that shook the ground at the exact moment Jesus gave up His life on the cross. 

The International Geology Review published evidence of seismic activity located 13 miles away from Jerusalem, that happened on the exact date that Jesus died. That would explain the rumbling earthquake that the gospel writers recorded, which tore the temple veil, split rocks and mysteriously opened graves.

How awesome to have science, history, geology, astronomy and scripture all correlate on the day of His crucifixion. Almighty God is in all the details, and He cares about the details of our lives as well. When I find myself thinking God wouldn’t care about some details in my life, then my thinking is too small. God is big enough to know the details of every human being on earth, and loves us enough to show us He cares.

We might as well acknowledge Him in all our ways, since He already knows all of our ways. He knows the number of hairs on our head, and all the thoughts in our mind. He knows our worries, our fears, and our deepest hopes, at every moment of the day. He is a big God, and if we can open our minds to grasp how big He is, we will discover as Jesus once said, “With God, all things are possible.” (Matthew 18:26)

Lord, thank you for caring about all details, and for the beauty of your detailed plan of salvation. As your eye is on each sparrow, your eye is also on each of us today and always. Amen

“What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.”

John 2:11 (NIV)

The bridal party was the platform used to first introduce Jesus as Messiah to the public. A crowd of wedding guests watched as He performed the first miracle of His ministry at the wedding in Cana. It all began with an embarrassing moment of running out of wine at a wedding reception. Jesus told the staff of waiters to fill all the large vessels with water and then He changed the water into wine.  

Commentaries on this section of scripture say that the total amount of wine in those vessels was about twenty to thirty gallons. Whether all the water  was changed instantly or it changed as it was drawn into pitchers, is not known for certain. What we do know, is that turning water into wine, was the miracle used to first introduce who Jesus really was. His disciples had no doubts once they saw with their eyes, common water turned into wine. 

I would have liked to know how He did it. I wonder if Jesus held His hand over the water in the vessels as Moses held his staff over the sea when it parted. Or did He speak to the water inside those vessels and command it to become wine, the way He spoke to the stormy sea and made it become calm. Maybe he just directed the waiters to draw the water out, and it became wine, in the same way He told Peter to recast his net into the sea, and it overflowed with fish. 

God does amazing things in and through water. Water is the most ordinary every day element, but when God manifests His glory over it, extraordinary things happen. The wine that Jesus made from water at that wedding, was extraordinarily high quality wine. It was so good that the head waiter questioned why it wasn’t served first. 

The water turning to wine was  symbolic of people who surrender themselves to God in faith. Every apostle that Jesus chose was an example of the ordinary becoming extraordinary. Peter wasn’t chosen because of his saintly nature. He was an ordinary man with an impulsive personality, a bad temper, and was intimidated by public opinion. When he was under pressure, being questioned, he denied knowing Jesus altogether.

In spite of Peter’s weaknesses, he had many gifts, which came out later as he was transformed into a bold, charismatic church leader and preacher. He led the early church with resilient faith, all the way to his own martyrdom. 

There were many other disciples who followed Peter with a similar transformation. Whatever faults we have, God can do anything in any person’s life, when they give Him their empty vessels to fill with wine as He chooses.

Whenever I used to read scripture, I would jot down notes in a journal, of what I thought God was saying to me. I kept these notes and read them from time to time, but never expected to ever share what I wrote with others. Until 2020, writing, for me, was a hidden treasure, discovered during my journey in the wilderness soon after becoming a widow.

Since then, I have been writing a scripture based meditation every morning, hoping to publish a book of meditations, after gathering fifty of my favorite ones. The title will be “Kissed by the Spirit; 50 days of comfort after loss.“ When I prayed about a name for my book, I woke up at 1 am with that title in my mind. For now, I place each day’s meditation on a website which is also called Kissedbythespirit.com

It seemed that during that period in my life, God turned water into wine. We are all like ordinary water, that is transformed, time and again, into quality wine, as often as we surrender ourselves to Jesus. We first need to offer Him our vessel of water, for Him to transform it into a vessel of wine. 

Jesus used wine as His first miracle because wine represents celebration and joy. Whatever sorrow we go through, He waits to restore our joy, once we surrender our vessel to Him. His joy is not a giddy shallow happiness, but a deep confidence within our soul that God loves us, is always with us, and restores our joy in the morning. When we live in that assurance, we will never again  remain ordinary. 

When we seek the purposes of God, He changes the ordinary into extraordinary. To Him who is able to accomplish far more than we could ever ask or imagine, by His power working within us, may He be glorified forever. 

(Ephesians 3:20-22)

Lord, we surrender ourselves to you, to transform our ordinary into extraordinary, changing us from water to wine, so that your power may work freely within us. Amen

“He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
yet he opened not his mouth;
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
and like a sheep that before its shearers is dumb,
so he opened not his mouth.”

Isaiah 53:7 (RSV)

Isaiah described an afflicted, silent Messiah, whose mouth was closed. Jesus was very outspoken throughout His ministry, until His arrest. There’s a contrast between the Rabbi with a whip, who turned over the money changers’ tables, and the wounded Lamb of God, who carried His bloody cross up Golgotha’s hill. By example, Jesus showed us that there’s a time to speak out boldly and a time to be silent. 

He was silent at His arrest, except when Peter sprang into hero mode, and cut off someone’s ear. Jesus abruptly told him to put away the sword, saying,

“Don’t you think I can call upon my Father and he’ll provide me with more than twelve legions of angels?”  (Matthew 26:53) 

He was saying no one needs to ever use violence on His behalf.

Twelve legions of angels is equal to 72,000 angels, just standing by in case Jesus called on them for deliverance, except that He chose not to be delivered, but to deliver us instead. 

When Jesus was silent during the questioning by Pilate and Herod, He barely answered any of their questions, except to say things like, 

“From now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” 

He spoke boldly to assert His authority, but towards the end, He used the powerful tool of silence, showing that His true authority is not of this world. In His silence, Jesus prayed and forgave His enemies, just as He taught us to do. In silence we can find peace in our pain, knowing that God is still God. (Psalm 46:10)

As Jesus embraced the silence toward the end, His last few spoken words have been written about in books, and those last words have special meaning to us.

From the cross, Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” By forgiving His accusers and murderers, Jesus overcame evil with good. It’s a reminder that we are to follow Him and overcome evil with good.

When he cried out in Aramaic, saying, My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?”, Jesus didn’t lose faith in His Father, He was quoting Psalm 22, a psalm full of Messianic prophecies that were fulfilled by Him. No one knew 1,000 years beforehand, that men would one day gamble for His garments, and fulfill one of many prophecies listed in that Psalm.

Jesus fulfilled 300 Messianic prophecies found in scripture.  Isaiah’s prophecy in the 53rd chapter, described a Lamb led to the slaughter, who was “pierced” for our iniquities. 

His purpose was foretold and fulfilled, even in His darkest, most painful moments on the cross. We were also meant to trust God and find our sense of purpose, in the dark and painful seasons of our lives. God is faithful and He can bring beauty and new hope out of the ashes of our sorrow.

Mark Twain said, “The two most important days of your life are the day you were born and the day you find out why.” People live longer, more fulfilled lives when lived with a sense of purpose. 

Jesus ministered to the criminal hanging next to Him, using very few words. He promised him, “Today you will be with me in paradise.” 

We learn from this scene that whatever we are suffering, there is always someone nearby who needs us. When we use our pain to help others, God’s mercy is powerful enough to reach the very last seconds of any person’s life. The things that matter the most, require the fewest words.

Jesus could have talked more, and given indisputable proof of who He was, by saying only a few key phrases, from the cross.  He was secure in who He was, by proclaiming that it was finished and then He offered His spirit back to His Father.

The humble, silent Messiah, prayed for His enemies, loved without receiving love in return, lived with a sense of destiny, and anticipated His resurrection to come. Jesus told His disciples ahead of time that He would rise again on the third day, but they just couldn’t grasp what He was saying. (Matthew 16:21)

Whatever cross we are currently carrying, there is a time for silence, to embrace the beauty of God who is with us, as we walk in the hope of resurrection power. We hold to the confidence that Jesus, who walks beside us, is saying, “Trust Me, I’ve got this.”

Lord, help us to embrace the beauty of silence. Speak to our hearts today and bring hope, healing, and joy through the victory of your resurrection. Amen

“When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.

But the more they were called,

the more they went away from me….

It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms;

but they did not realize it was I who healed them.

I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love.

To them I was like one who lifts

a little child to the cheek,

and I bent down to feed them.”

Hosea 11:1-4 (NIV)

I seem to write often about the Fatherhood of God, but I can’t help it, because it’s the central theme of our faith. We read of God as a Father by prophets in the Old Testament and through the teachings of Jesus as well. 

It’s a point God kept making, until it sinks in, that He is a Father. 

God compares Himself to being a Father to Israel, and the church is the spiritual Israel through the new covenant. There are twelve apostles who started the church just as there were twelve tribes who formed Israel. The people of Israel faithfully keep a Passover feast in remembrance of their deliverance from slavery. The church faithfully keeps their Passover feast through Holy communion, to remember Jesus, who gave us deliverance from slavery to sin and death. 

God compares all of His people to children who sometimes grow up and wander away from Him, like a repeat of the prodigal son story. The words of Hosea tell us what God feels toward those wandering children, expressed with the tenderness of paternal love.

He sentimentally recalls how He once taught his child to walk, and lifted him up in His arms, pressing His face against his cheek with tender affection. What a picture of Fatherly love which God directs to all of humanity, both Jew and gentile. 

In the prodigal son parable, the father runs toward his long lost son with open arms, instead of waiting with crossed arms, for his boy to return to him. God’s arms are always open and extended toward all of us. Hosea illustrates this image in today’s scripture. 

The 19th century English poet, Francis Thompson, wrote a poem, “The Hound of Heaven,” which describes his own rebellious ways and God’s passionate pursuit of him throughout his life. It sounds like Francis ran from God for many years, but he calls God, the Hound of Heaven, who never gave up His pursuit of Francis.

The poem was written in 19th century old English verbiage, and although I read it a few times, I could hardly understand it due to the old English terminology. Then I found a website where Richard Burton recites the entire poem, in his classic oratory style with an English accent. I could feel the meaning of the poem, just by listening to Richard Burton recite it.

A phrase in the poem reminded me of a similar sentiment expressed in Hosea’s words. Francis Thompson described the Hound of Heaven, who pursued him for days and nights all of his life. Then the Hound says to Francis,

”All which I took from thee I did but take, not for thy harms, but just that thou might’st seek it in My arms.” 

At first these words are hard to understand, but if I were to paraphrase it, God is saying, “What I took from you was not for harm, but so you’d seek refuge in my arms.”

Anyone who has felt grief or loss in any way, could relate to the words of God asking that we seek refuge in Him. The same Heavenly Father who picks up His child in his arms, and holds his face against His cheek, is the same Hound of Heaven, who told Francis that He causes no harm, but only desires that we seek refuge in His arms. 

After the long pursuit of Francis, in conclusion, the Hound of Heaven calls to him, “Rise, clasp my hand and come,” and Francis goes into His Father’s arms. 

We can’t always choose the path we end up on, but we can choose to walk it with God, to abide in His refuge, and find our security in His arms. He always was and always will be a loving Father who never stops pursuing each soul, all the days of their life, until they seek refuge in His arms. 

Lord, thank you for the tender image of lifting us up and pressing Your cheek on ours, as a loving Father shows affection to His children. With this image in mind, help us pause a moment today and just let You love us. Amen

“Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”

Hebrews 10:22-23 (NIV)

What a beautiful thought, to have our conscience cleansed, by drawing near to God, who is always faithful to His promises. There’s no greater feeling than to be forgiven and to forgive others.

Human beings have a natural awareness of right and wrong, born with an inherited compass that determines our own guilt, which is called our conscience. Yet, guilt and shame are not good long term motivators. Human guilt often produces a tendency to fear and hide from God, as illustrated in the garden scene of Genesis. 

God’s love casts out all fear and changes a human heart in a way that motivates them for the long term. Most people don’t realize how much God loves them, but when they do, it’s His love and kindness that draws us in, keeps the faith and forms a relationship with Him for the long term. Scripture tells us that it’s not guilt, but the lovingkindness of God that leads to repentance and transformation.  (Romans 2:4)

Christianity is the only religion in the world with a God who suffered for us. He demonstrates His love for us in the passion and sacrifice of Christ. God’s love expressed through action, changes our hearts and brings us closer to Him. Sometimes people don’t think much about God until they are in some sort of pain.

C.S. Lewis said that God whispers to us in our pleasure, but shouts to us in our pain. 

If God shouts to us in our pain, He shouts in words of love. He shouts to tell us that we don’t need to beg for His love, because He has loved us from the womb. He also shouts to say that He already paid the greatest price for our salvation, and we don’t need to earn what He gave as a free gift. 

He shouts to say He loves us, He knows us and asks that we give Him our whole heart in return.

Some people are blind to this incredible love, mercy and grace that God showers upon us. Once a person realizes how much God has always loved them, it’s life changing. It sounds cliche, but it’s still true that what the world really needs now is love.

I was once blind to God’s love at the age of 19. No one needed to point out my sins, because I had a healthy, working conscience. What I didn’t know was how much God loved me, just as I am. 

I thought that God only loves really good people, who never do anything wrong. When I finally came honestly to Him, asking for forgiveness, I not only knew I was forgiven, but received a bombshell of insight in that very moment. I knew from somewhere deep within, for the first time in my life, that God really loved me just as I am. His love changed me and set me in a new direction ever since. 

Generation Z has been the generation that is now seeking spiritual renewal and making commitments of faith in Jesus.  Sadly, the statistics have always shown that suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among people between the ages 10-34, but something is starting to change among that generation. There has been a reversal in the trend of disinterest in God to a spiritual renewal of faith among Generation Z.

In this recent trend, Pew research now indicates that Gen Z is more religious than those generations before them. The recent collection of survey data from secular and interdenominational surveys, reveal that Gen Z is in the midst of a spiritual rebound. Their spiritual renewal mostly embraces Christianity, but spans all denominations, making a shift from quantity to quality of faith. By God’s grace, hope is coming to the world through our youth.

What if the very generation that once led the world in suicide deaths, is now becoming a generation of faith filled souls on fire? God has been revealing His love to Gen Z, and that can only be a work of divine grace and compassion. I praise God for this spiritual awakening because they are the future of the world.

Shame and guilt will not change a heart for the long term, only God’s unconditional love can renew a soul and set it on fire for God. His love is a conscience cleansing love, and He is working in one person at a time, drawing souls with the kind of love that brings lasting peace and real purpose in life.  

Lord, we pray that you reveal your love to all young people in the world, and send your conscience cleansing love to reign over every nation, for the glory of God. Amen