Month: May 2023

“He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom, our righteousness and sanctification and redemption, therefore, as it is written, “Let him who boasts, boast of the Lord.”

1 Corinthians 1:30-31 (RSV)

Jesus is the source of our life, and all our wisdom, righteousness and sanctification comes through Him. If there is any wisdom, it comes from Jesus, if there is any righteousness, it comes from Jesus, and if there is any sanctification, it comes from Jesus.

The devil always tries to distort or reverse God’s truth, by either convincing man that he can be all of the above without any help from God, or that he is a hopeless cause and will never meet God’s expectations. These two extremes are illustrated in the Garden of Eden. The same serpent who lied in the Garden, is the same devil who speaks these lies to us today. He perpetuates the lie that we need to save ourselves without God, or that we are too far gone to be saved at all. The serpent told Eve that she and Adam could be like gods. That led them to think they didn’t need God and could become their own gods. After they ate the forbidden fruit, they had such anxiety about being naked, that they sewed themselves a covering made of fig leaves. By making their own coverings, they were trying to save themselves. Finally, when they felt they were beyond saving, they simply hid themselves in the Garden, but God never stops pursuing us, even when we are hiding, because love never gives up.

Love always pursues the one who is loved and hopes to bring restoration and renewal. Since God is love, He kept calling them, asking “Where are you?” Their answer to God was that they were afraid because they knew they were naked, and then God asks“ Who told you that you were naked?” God showed His love to them through His questions. The whole conversation between God and the first couple are still relatable today.

Jesus taught us that people are like lost sheep, but God seeks them out, calling to them every day, “Where are you?” He already knew where Adam and Eve were, but He is loving us through His questions. When we are discouraged and sad, God is right there, asking questions. When He asks where are you, it’s for us to realize where we are currently hiding. When He asks us who told us the lie that is controlling our mind, He wants us to know it wasn’t from Him, and that His truth will set us free. As He asked Adam and Eve, who told them they were naked, He also asks us today, “Who told you I can’t help you? or “Who told you that this situation is hopeless?” Maybe He asks us “Who told you that you are not smart enough, healthy enough, spiritual enough or good enough?”

He wants us to know He loves us as we are and to listen to Him, not the old lies of the enemy. We are meant to come as we are to Jesus, who is our source. Everything is through Him and for Him. In Him we are fully redeemed, and through Jesus, God gives us His wisdom, strength, sanctification and righteousness. It doesn’t come from ourselves, it is amazing grace. As we yield to His power which is made perfect through all of our weaknesses, we really can do all things through Christ. Therefore, if there is any boasting to be done, we boast in the Lord and what He does for us.

God can change anyone’s fate if He chooses to. He is the source of our life, our health, our wisdom and our future, not our genetics, our past history or whatever we think we are currently lacking in our lives. 

Jesus, thank you for being our source of all wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and our complete redemption. We cast out every lie that resides in our minds, and surrender our weaknesses to you, so that your power can be perfected in us, to fulfill the perfect and good plans that you have for our lives. Amen 

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the Lord.”

Isaiah 55:8 (RSV)

My friend, Michelle, once saved a total stranger’s life, by using the Heimlich maneuver. She was at a gas station pumping gas and saw a man choking in a car next to her. She rushed over, took action and saved his life. The man was so grateful to her afterward, and I never forgot that story since the day she shared it with me. 

Sadly, Michelle couldn’t save herself, when she was unable to breathe from a blood clot which infiltrated her lung exactly two weeks ago. Her sister quickly drove to her house to bring her to the hospital but Michelle collapsed walking outside her front door. Paramedics tried to resuscitate her but she died in the ER. It’s a heart breaking story, not just because she was my friend, but because she was a caring, generous person with a great sense of humor, who loved all babies, children and animals, and she had so much more to live for. The man she once saved will never know her fate, but is probably still sharing the story of how a total stranger once saved his life when he was choking. I happen to believe that angels surround all of us every day, and we may have been unknowingly spared from accidents or tragedies, due to their intervention. In some instances, the angels that God sends our way are people, who are at the right place at the right time, reacting to someone’s desperate need, doing whatever it takes to save a life. Some people are the givers of help and some are the receivers.
There is so much we will never have answers for, since God’s thoughts and ways are not like ours, but what we do know is that God is good, and He loves us more than we could comprehend. We were all meant to keep on living our lives with faith and hope, keeping the memories alive of those who have blessed us, by celebrating their life instead of their death. Jesus said it is more blessed to give than to receive, so Michelle must be receiving her blessings, especially for that day she gave a total stranger his chance to go on living. It’s more blessed to count what was given, rather than what was lost. 

We can prepare ourselves to step into action when God sends us to someone at the right place at the right time, whether we give physical, spiritual or emotional support to them, through our words or deeds. 

Lord, instead of looking for the reasons why there are so many sorrows in this world, help us to see an opportunity to be somebody’s angel each and every day. Amen

“Or do you suppose it is in vain that the scripture says, He yearns jealously over the spirit which he has made to dwell in us”? But he gives more grace; therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

James 4:5-6 (RSV)

Ke Huy Quan, was a Vietnamese refugee, who came here on a boat with his family in 1979. He lived in poverty, without many things we take for granted. He got a slight break as a child actor with his role in the Indiana Jones movie sequels. After those roles, however, he was never called for any movie roles again. In adulthood he finally got a break, and last year he won an Oscar for best supporting actor in a movie, called “Everything, everywhere all at once.”

I have not seen the movie but I saw an interview with Ke telling his story of being a child refugee. He does not appear to have a Christian faith, but from watching the interview, I realized that there is a basic lesson for all people to learn, about waiting and persevering, even after a series of disappointments. He went from such a humble struggling beginning in life, to finally being a successful Oscar winning actor. He is very tender hearted and teared up many times, telling his story, and I thought about it from a Christian perspective. 

God loves to exalt the humble, and He works in a person’s life, hoping they would look to Him and know He is the one who gave them their success. How much more is God willing to exalt those who already believe in Him, when circumstances have brought them to a low place in life ? It seems like those low periods in life are temporary, not permanent, when we persevere in believing. The scripture says that God is jealous for His Spirit which He meant to dwell within us. Once God has exalted someone’s life from a humble circumstance, to a successful one, He is longing for them to receive His Spirit. He wants to dwell with us and in us. We all love the true stories of people who found success after a humble beginning. We can only pray that they will recognize the one who lifted them up beyond their early hardships. God opposes the proud but gives His grace to the humble. 

Lord Jesus, you humbled yourself for our sakes, and now you search the earth for humble hearts. Hear our prayers, and as your Spirit dwells in us, teach us humility, lifting us up in your compassionate grace. Amen

“Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.”

Jeremiah 29:12 ( RSV)

I was driving on my day off yesterday and started talking to Jesus, and I said, “You know Lord, it would be nice if you could sit in my passenger seat and we could just chat while I drive.”
After that, I began to think of  instances with other people, where I tended to talk more than listen. I always feel compelled to give the right answer to someone or to teach something. I think I’ve been this way all my life, whether with my children, husband or my friends. As I was driving, I thought about my listening skills, and realized there’s a lot of work to be done there. If a person feels listened to by someone, they will return to talk more. If they feel more talked at, than listened to, they will probably not seek to develop a friendship.

Last weekend at a family party, I was speaking to my nephew’s wife, who is a professional counselor for trauma victims. We discussed a light range of subjects, but I so enjoyed talking to her, that afterward I pondered what a great listener she is. Then I sensed the Lord telling me that a good listener can be like a gift to someone, and there are moments in people’s lives when being heard means more than receiving all the right answers. As these thoughts filled my mind, while driving, I asked, “Am I currently having a chat with you, Jesus?”

I probably was, so I decided to ask Him to grow and develop my skill in listening. Having all the right answers are for tests and game shows, but when it comes to relationships, sometimes people just need to be heard. As I looked back at my life, I may have missed some opportunities to listen, but the beauty of abiding in Jesus, is that He isn’t looking for perfect people, who never make mistakes, just teachable people who can learn from them. Our whole life is a process of growing and developing skills, and even babies fall many times when they are learning to walk.

It’s never too late to become better, and Jesus will point out areas in our lives to improve on, especially when we practice His presence and have a chat with Him. At that moment while driving, I briefly glanced at the empty passenger seat and said, “Thanks for this chat, Jesus, I hear what you are saying to me.”
When we realize that the divine second person of the Holy Trinity, became a man in order to personally interact and speak with humanity, He is the same today, and still reaching out to chat and interact with each one of us. 

Jesus, thank you for raising us up again, each time we become discouraged from failure. Open our hearts to your presence and incline our hearing to your daily chat with us, and show us how you are making us better people. Amen

“Beloved, do not be surprised that a trial by fire is occurring among you, as if something strange were happening to you. But rejoice to the extent that you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that when his glory is revealed you may also rejoice exultantly.”

1 Peter 4:12-13 (NAB)

We all have fluctuations of highs and lows throughout our lives, and the highest and best moments are a foretaste of the joy that we will one day experience in heaven. Any experience of loving and being loved here on earth is just a small foretaste of the greatest love we will ever know in the presence of Christ one day.

Our lowest moments and most fiery trials are a reminder that we are engaged in constant spiritual warfare, and Peter tells us not to be surprised by these trials. He assures us that a time of rejoicing will also come. Paul reminded us that we should never let down our guard, but always wear our helmet of salvation and hold up our shield of faith, while keeping our sword in hand, which is the word of God. The enemy of our soul is always trying to rob us of the most valuable thing we have, our faith. It’s the same old enemy who tried to rob Jesus in the desert. Many scriptures remind us to anchor ourselves in Christ so that we can withstand the attacks of the enemy.  

The church is referred to as the bride of Christ, but it’s not the time for putting on formal wedding garments just yet. Jesus loves His church, and we are His betrothed bride to be. Our future hope is to be united with Him, but for now, we need to wear the clothes of soldiers, not brides. We are God’s army, prepared to fight whatever spiritual battles are necessary to stay faithful to our bridegroom. For now, we keep our shield of faith held up, and our sword of the Spirit in our hand, while we fight the spiritual fight of faith. When Jesus returns He will prepare a wedding feast in Heaven, and He told a parable about wearing the proper garments for that wedding feast, by being spiritually sober and alert for His return.

Whether we are on a mountain top at a high point of our life, or in the lowest valley, fighting for our faith, we will win the battles by staying dressed in the protective armor of a soldier and giving God all the praise. The Holy Spirit is with us and leads us to victory both on the mountain tops and the lowest valleys. 

One day it will be time to change our clothes. We will change out of the soldier’s armor and put on our formal wedding garments, which are purified and cleansed by the precious shed blood of the Lamb. 

As a bridegroom knows His bride, and looks forward to seeing her in her wedding gown, Jesus knows each of us personally and longs to see us on that day. He will call us by name as He gazes at us, and there can be no greater feeling than to be seen and known by Jesus in His presence. It’s the introduction to an eternal life of perfect joy. We will be taken up to a realm, we have long contemplated, but finally will know, with a joy that surpasses any earthly rewards or pleasures. We only see these truths through a glass now, but on that day, we will see face to face. In this life, we get a taste of love, but on that day we will know the fullness of love in the presence of Jesus. Until then, we keep our armor on, go where His Spirit leads us and fight the good fight of faith, planning for and envisioning our future wedding day with Jesus. Amen, come Lord Jesus. 

“And there was a woman who had had a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years; she was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. And when Jesus saw her, he called her and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your infirmity.” And he laid his hands upon her, and immediately she was made straight, and she praised God.”

Luke 13:11-13 (RSV)

We’ve all heard of cases where a person has had symptoms for years, with no guaranteed treatment or cure. The woman in this story had a severely bent spine, walking crippled and bent over for 18 years. I occasionally see an elderly person walking severely bent over, which reminds me of this story. Even today, once the problem persists for that long, surgery would be a risk with no guarantee of healing. God knows what the past years have brought into everyone’s lives, and He has compassion for everyone’s situation.

Being severely bent over could also be a metaphor. One may walk straight and healthy, but have a soul that is bent over and crippled. Something that happened in their past could leave them crippled spiritually. I’ve known two people in my life who have had a negative experience as a child with a church minister. They are resistant to going to church or seeking a relationship with God, ever since. They are bent over spiritually and will not look to Jesus, but my hope is that they will listen to His words one day and be saved. Jesus spotted the woman in the crowd, bent over and suffering. She was too bent over to look at His face, so she settled for just hearing Him speak. Jesus had His eyes on her, and called her over to Him. He called her to come to Him, instead of walking to her.

There is an element of faith that requires action, even the smallest act of bringing oneself to Jesus. When she came to Jesus, He spoke to her before ever laying His hands on her. Jesus told her she was set free from her infirmity. This is why I see this particular healing as a metaphor for something deeper involving the healing of the mind, soul and spirit. After He declared her free, Jesus laid His hands on her and she immediately straightened up and was healed. This story illustrates that an inner healing precedes a physical one. It can be any area of our lives, in which we restrict our faith, and allow ourselves to remain bent over. Whatever it is physical, emotional, psychological or spiritual, or all of the above, Jesus is always calling people forward to Himself. He wants every believer to live a fully abundant life and only He can free us of anything that holds us down. God has always known what has hurt us, what we need, who we need to forgive, and He is our only hope for true freedom and inner healing.

Listen to Jesus calling us forward to Him, instead of looking downward, dwelling on who or what has hindered our freedom. He will replenish whatever we were robbed of, and restore and straighten whatever has grown crooked over the years.  Surrendering to Jesus breaks all the invisible chains and He has declared us set free. He invites us all to a more abundant life than we currently have.

Lord Jesus, help us to hear you calling us forward, so that we will look up to you, no longer restricted by any wounds from our past. You have declared us free and your hands are laid upon us to abundantly restore our mind, body, soul and spirit. Amen

“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being changed into his likeness from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”

2 Corinthians 3:18 (RSV)

To become a historical character as a part of a living museum, was the classroom assignment given to my granddaughter’s 5th grade class. The students were to choose any famous character in history, become that person and present the life story of that person to their class. They made their own posters displaying the famous quotes by their person, and concluded with a final speech explaining who they are and what happened in their life. It was as if each student was briefly changed into the likeness of the person they chose to represent. 

My granddaughter chose Anne Frank, the Jewish teenage girl who kept a diary while hiding from the Nazis during the Holocaust. Her young life sadly ended along with millions of others, but her diary was found and published for all to read. Emery, my granddaughter, represented her character by telling Anne Frank’s story in the first person and made posters displaying quotes from her diary. It was an interesting classroom assignment and I was proud of the great job she did. 

In thinking about a project like this, I realized we are all working on a similar project throughout our lives, except the person we represent is Jesus. Our goal is to be transformed into His likeness, one degree at a time. Instead of making posters with His famous quotes, we are living posters of what Jesus taught and lived. We don’t have to pretend to be someone we aren’t, because the Holy Spirit is genuinely changing us into His likeness, as Paul writes, from one degree to another. It’s like a life long classroom project, in a different kind of school, one that develops the character of saints, instead of simply accruing knowledge. We are all reflecting Jesus to the people we encounter as we tell His story, and become more like Him over our lifetime. The due date for this assignment is different from person to person. Our project due date is unknown because it’s the day we will each be called home to meet the Lord, when He tells us how well we did in representing Him.  Unlike the fifth graders who did their own hard work on their projects, we are receiving help with ours, because we could never do it in our own strength. God wouldn’t call us to do or be something without empowering us with the ability to achieve it. Jesus left us a helper, the Holy Spirit, who is patiently working to renew and change us one degree at a time into the likeness of Jesus. We have only one lifetime to get our project done right, to meet our due date and hear Jesus say “Well done, good and faithful servant.” It’s the goal of every believer in the classroom of Life 101.

Lord, remove anything that veils us from seeing how your glory is working in our lives and continue to mold us into your likeness, by transforming us one degree at a time. Amen

“I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff comfort me.”

(Psalm 23:4)

There is a skill to herding sheep, and though I know nothing about it, I have learned some new facts from reading. Since the Psalms were written by David, who was a shepherd, I wanted to know how a shepherd’s rod or staff could ever bring “comfort” to the sheep. A crook is the name for a part of the shepherd’s staff. Growing up in the city, a crook, meant a dishonest person or a criminal. For those who grew up in the rural countryside, a crook is the hooked part of a shepherd’s staff. I learned that sheep have a sense of misguided independence when their heads are looking downward, and sometimes their downward gaze  causes them to wander and stray into serious danger. To prevent them from going off a cliff, the crook, or hooked end, is gently placed around the wandering sheep’s neck and his head is pulled upward. His head has to be pulled upward, in order to be pulled back into the flock. David also wrote about God being the lifter of our heads in Psalm 3:3, 

“Lord, thou art a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.” This act of lifting the wandering sheep’s head with the crook of the staff, gives a clearer understanding of those words used by David. There is an area around the sheep called the flight zone. If the shepherd applies the crook while standing inside that flight zone, the sheep will panic and impulsively run off. The shepherd extends the crook of his rod, from a certain distance and gently pulls the sheep’s head upward. He is standing outside the flight zone so that the sheep doesn’t panic, and His staff comforts them. We all have a flight zone around us too, and we each have something that causes us to panic from time to time. Fear and panic is a part of life, but our Good Shepherd knows how to bring our head back up, calmly, gently and safely drawing us back inside His flock. When we wander off, heading in a wrong direction, spiritually, He extends the crook of His staff, to lift our head upward, towards Him. The Lord knows how to do this without ever breaching our flight zone or triggering panic. That’s how His staff is comforting to us. Instead of scolding us, He calls to us saying, “Come on back, you belong to Me.” Jesus never triggers our flight zone. Fears are all around us in the world we live in, occasionally encroaching that flight zone and triggering us, but before we over react, the crook of His staff is lifting our head upward. I thought about this when someone is grieving, having suffered some kind of loss. When our head is downward in sorrow for too long, we tend to drift into depression. With a gentle but firm hold, the shepherd lifts our head up. The crook of His staff is lovingly placed, always drawing our gaze up toward Him. Walking with Jesus is a lifestyle of constantly returning to Him, having our head lifted up many times to restore us from sorrow, worry, sin or temptation. He never gets tired of being the lifter of our head, because that’s what a Good Shepherd does. His rod and His staff will comfort us time and again, until we breathe our last and He picks us up and carries us home. 

Thank you Jesus, for the crook of your staff that gently lifts our head and calms our fears, always restoring our gaze up toward you, our source of everlasting comfort. Amen.  

“Now bands of raiders from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”

2 Kings 5:2-3 (NAB)

A young girl is taken captive by a band of raiders. She was removed from her homeland, her family and her way of life, to become a servant to the wife of a high ranking Syrian military leader. She was raised in the faith of the one true God, who did many great miracles for her people, Israel. Now she is far away from her family, her freedom and her home, but she manages to keep her faith throughout the calamity of war, while being a captive. She makes the best out of the place where she is now. She could have become depressed, being a captive in a strange land, but in seeking the heart of her God, she found compassion for the new people in her life. She told her mistress about the God she believed in, and all the signs, wonders and miracles He has done through a great prophet in her homeland, named Elisha. The husband of her mistress was Naaman, and his life drastically changed when he found out he had the incurable disease of leprosy. Naaman heard her speaking about the prophet Elisha, and so he asked his king to contact the king of Israel, to set up a meeting with their prophet. When Naaman arrived at the house of Elisha, he had an impressive entourage of servants, horses and chariots with him. Elisha walked up to Naaman, and gave him the most unusual instructions. He told him to go plunge himself seven times in the Jordan river. A man of power, pride, and prestige doesn’t take well to the advice of “Go jump in the river seven times.” He probably thought it was a joke, or an act of vengeance or some payback for conquering their nation. Naaman was about to walk away angry and give up, but there was another Hebrew servant with him, who persuaded him to do exactly as Elisha advised him. The people of Israel knew the power of their God and how He worked through the prophets. All the servants in this story were the true heroes of their faith. It started with the young girl as a messenger of hope and then with Naaman’s servant, who persuaded him to have faith. When he plunged himself in the river for the seventh time, his body was completely healed of leprosy. Naaman became a believer, thanks to his servants who lived their captive lives as God’s servants. Everything about our life may not be 100% of what we would like it to be, but God has a purpose for us in that imperfect place we are at. It’s easy to become distracted or depressed by all the things that seem to go wrong, but God is still working His divine purpose through us. These servants looked for the heart of God in the midst of their calamity. Sometimes it could be about bringing God’s message to others, and at other times, we may be the one receiving His message and being transformed in some way. His purpose works in unexpected ways, and it usually starts right where we are, instead of where we wish to be. We may be asking God to change our circumstances, but He is changing us through our circumstances.  

Lord, help us to be like the Hebrew servants in this story, to embrace our faith in the place we are at, and to allow your truth to transform us in the hardest of times. Make us people who truly live by faith, so that we may bring praise and glory to your name. Amen

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 8:37-39 (RSV)

I just joined a Facebook group called “Sisterhood of Widows”, and received many warm responses and personal welcomes from over 35 women already. I don’t think all the members are Christian but it’s a nice group to share with, in the areas we do have in common. I shared a brief story with them about my first year of widowhood, and was surprised that over 30 women responded to my story. I was so touched by their responses, that I decided to share the story in today’s meditation:

I remember about a year after my husband died, my dryer vent somehow loosened and needed replacement. I was so distressed I didn’t know whether to look up a handyman to call or to try and fix it myself. I knew if I did it wrong it could be dangerous, being a gas dryer. I was so frustrated and confused, all I could do was cry and pray. Then I felt within my spirit, my husband telling me to call Ben, his best friend. So I called him, and Ben drove over immediately. He looked at the problem, went right to Home Depot and returned with the new vent part and put it on for me. The dryer works fine ever since. I don’t know why it was so hard for me to ask for help. If we could only remind ourselves that our husbands would want us to reach out to friends or family and ask for help, whenever we need it. I taught myself how to do many other things, like patching a spot on the ceiling, and changing batteries in the smoke detectors on a 9’ ceiling, but sometimes we just need to ask for help. It’s not only what our husbands would want us to do, but it’s why we have friends and family. We miss our loved ones, it’s true, but we need to believe that their souls live forever, and if they live forever, they are still watching over us.

That was the end of my story posted on the Widows group page.

I think everyone, whether a widow or not, can learn something from this story.  It’s hard for many of us to reach out and ask for help, but people are more willing to help us than we realize. God loves us and He sends people into our lives for a reason. We also have a great cloud of witnesses in heaven, who are watching over us, so we are never really alone, nor are we ever separated from God or His love for us. He has raised us up to be more than conquerors and we can do all things through Christ, but sometimes He wants us to do it with the help of other people He sends our way. 

Lord, humble us so that we can ask for help when we need it, so that you can show us your love through those you send into our lives. Amen