Month: July 2024

“By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place which he was to receive as an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was to go.”

Hebrews 11:8 (RSV)

As I read this verse, the message stands out, that we are first called, then we obey, then we receive, but we still may not know exactly where God is leading us. We have to trust that our lives are in His hands. 

Abraham is probably the first person in scripture to be called out, to leave his comfort zone and go elsewhere, not knowing anything about where he was being sent. He left his friends, family and the false religion of his upbringing, to obey and follow God’s promise to make a new nation through him. 

Abraham was promised a son, which didn’t come to pass until he was a hundred years old. He left his comfort zone and journeyed through many years of his life by faith, in order to receive the inheritance God promised him. It was the journey of his lifetime, and Abraham is now the patriarch of faith for all people. 

Moses left a life of luxury as the prince of Egypt, and started a new life as a shepherd, working in the Mid-East heat to provide for his family. As if that wasn’t enough of leaving a comfort zone, God called him from a burning bush one day, to send him even further from what was familiar. He was chosen to deliver the Israelites out of slavery, which was a difficult task in managing a mass of people who doubted, grumbled, complained and criticized him every step of the way. In leaving his comfort zone, Moses patiently led the people to freedom as God parted the sea for them. 

Queen Esther had a comfortable life, being chosen by the King of Persia, and treated as one of his favorites. When a mass genocide plot against the Jewish people was discovered, she had to muster up the courage to go to the king and intercede for her people. In revealing that she was Jewish she risked the possibility that she too, might be killed along with her people. It was Esther’s moment of courage to leave her comfort zone, and speak up. She did it and succeeded in saving her people from genocide. 

Peter had to leave his comfort zone more than once. For years, he made a living by fishing and was totally comfortable around water, however, walking on water was not within his comfort zone, but he stepped out in faith, and did it. Later, he left his comfort zone again when he came to accept that Jesus came for the gentiles as well as for Jews. Peter always lived within a narrow subculture of Jewishness and had never even entered the home of a gentile. He left that comfort zone and began to welcome the gentiles into the newly founded church.

My son Jon, who is recovering from a traumatic brain injury for the past year, has been making slow, steady progress in the Nursing Facility where he is living. Recently, he has made several efforts to stand up on his own. He was observed, recently trying to stand up out of his chair and then sitting back down again. The staff knows he has the strength to do it, so physical therapy was finally ordered and yesterday he had his first session. 

I was happy to be there and watch, as they brought him to the physical therapy department. It’s a great big room, fully equipped with everything that is needed, including two kind and capable therapists. They put the gait belt around Jon in order to hold on to him, and rolled his chair up to the two hand rails. He was asked to get up, with a therapist on each side, but he gripped his chair, with his one good arm, and refused to move. 

He had all the right support and was in the right place, but he just refused to get up. So that ended his first therapy session, but they will try again tomorrow. One thing I could definitely see, as his mother, was a lot of fear on his face. He is not able to tell us what he is thinking and he murmured constantly during the whole ordeal, although no one could understand anything he said. Somehow, that new environment and first attempt at PT, was frightening to him and he was far outside of his comfort zone.

We are all used to our daily habits and familiar environments which we have grown to feel safe in. How much more would a patient with a brain injury, who has been in one place for nine months, feel frightened when brought into a totally different environment, and suddenly asked to do something new and different ?

Occasionally, circumstances will push all of us and test our limits outside of our comfort zone. Our first reaction might be similar to Jon’s, gripping the familiar chair, and refusing to move. When God leads us to leave our safety zone, we may make excuses, or give in to our fears. It’s natural to hold on with a firm grip to what we are so familiar with. 

As I wrote this, I paused to ask myself what comfort zone am I gripping, and what is God asking me to do, that might feel unfamiliar or even scary. As disciples of Christ, we all have to discern what God is calling us to do next, and then ask ourselves what we are doing about it. 

Lord, help us not to fear leaving what has been so familiar, and to step out in faith and go wherever you are calling us to go. Give us faith beyond our fears to leave our comfort zone and find the lasting joy and many rewards in following you. Amen

“And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

Luke 23:42-43 (RSV)

The church is made up of imperfect human beings, but in spite of all our flaws and failures, the desire to keep seeking God, is in itself, pleasing to Him. When God sees our heart’s desire to seek Him or to please Him, or to receive His mercy, He always responds.

God is not looking for perfect people, but for people with desire for Him. If He was looking for flawless people, He wouldn’t have chosen the twelve disciples, King David, Mary Magdalene or the woman at the well, who all had a history of flaws and weaknesses. 

God looks for the desire in every heart and in seeing the desire for Him, He works in that life, as He overlooks and forgives their flaws. His nature is goodness and in His goodness, He opens the door of grace and mercy keeps flowing out on us as long as we live. 

The thief on the cross didn’t do one thing right or good throughout his entire lifetime. He caused a lot of pain to others, by stealing from them and probably much more, until he ended up nailed to a cross, in pain and regret.

The thief had nothing to offer at that point, except a repentant heart and a desire for mercy. Jesus looked at him, and said the words anyone would want to hear,

“Today, you will be with Me in paradise.” Repentance leads us to desire and desire reaps mercy. 

The thief on the cross teaches us something mysteriously profound. He didn’t have anyone’s intercession praying for him, no one led him to pray a special prayer of salvation, and he never did a single good deed. In fact, he probably never did one righteous act in his entire life, except in that final moment. His desire for God came to the surface, then he turned his head toward Jesus, and the rest is eternity.

God said if we search for Him with all our heart, we will find Him, because God reads hearts. The word of God  illustrates His mercy from Genesis to Revelation, but the most perfect expression of mercy is when God took on human flesh. Jesus showed us through the cross, that God’s mercy comes to those who desire it, because no one deserves it. He showed us through the thief on the cross, the prodigal son story, and by His interaction with tax collectors and prostitutes. He taught beyond words, showing us by giving Himself, that mercy is the greatest gift, and it’s totally free. 

It’s a mysterious truth, but mercy comes out of desire. Supernatural things happens when desire leads us to seek God and His mercy. Putting ourselves in the place of that thief, we turn to look at Jesus, and say, 

“Remember me, Lord, when you come into your kingdom.” 

Jesus still speaks those same words to anyone who asks that of Him, because heaven is timeless and grace always abounds.

Many of Jesus’ messages are about searching and seeking, which all begins in the heart. He told us to seek first His kingdom, and seeking His kingdom first, starts with a desire in the heart. Forgetting all of the failures, and all the successes, and forgetting what lies behind us, let us awaken ourselves from drowsiness, and renew our heart’s desire for God and His mercy.

Lord, we desire more of you, and we believe in your boundless grace and mercy. Help us to keep turning our heads toward you, with a desire to seek you above all else, every day of our lives. Amen

“Every animal of the forest is mine,

and the cattle on a thousand hills.

I know every bird in the mountains,

and the insects in the fields are mine. If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it.” Psalm 50:10-12 (NIV)

The world is His, and all that is in it. Just think of what God is saying in this scripture. He is our Heavenly Father, and He owns everything. He is saying that He is the Lord of the world and our chief provider. If we know who God is, then we can better understand who we are. We need to live with the confidence and self esteem of being a child of the Father, who owns it all. In other words, the whole world is His and we are His kids. 

I love the topic of the fatherhood of God. It’s a theme that excites me, and although I believe He is my Father, I don’t always live like I know it. I have moments and situations where I fall short of living like His child. Sometimes I lack the trust God wants me to have in Him, so I pray “Help me in my unbelief.”

Yesterday, I was scheduled to have my first root canal on the tooth which has been causing me pain and facial swelling. My dentist handled the scheduling, and tried to immediately get me in to be treated the next day by an endodontist. With only one day’s notice, they finally found one office that had an opening. 

I have always dreaded the thought of a root canal procedure, wishing I could just wake up from the whole nightmare. I asked my son and some friends to pray for me. I asked God for perfect timing, so that I would have the Endodontist of His choice out of the three in the group where I was going. I also asked Him to give me a sign that Jesus would be in the room with me. 

I realize I am one of God’s very needy children, asking for a lot. Anyway, I arrived at the address and my first impression was that the office was absolutely gorgeous, and top of the line in interior design. I have never been in a more beautiful doctor’s office. Maybe it was just to remind me that it is one of many, that my Father in heaven owns.

I kept looking around for my special sign that Jesus was there with me. I believe Jesus is always with us, but I still asked for a special sign, just as a child might ask their Father to bring home a gift for them. So far, though, I could see no sign. 

I was finally called into the exam room, had my x-rays and waited for the doctor to come in. I had no idea which of the three doctors in the group I would have. 

Then a friendly middle eastern man in his mid-thirties walked into the room. He was obviously American born, without an accent, and he introduced himself with an Arabic name. He was confident and charming, and began my root canal.

In my mind I asked God, “Remember my special request for a sign from you that Jesus is in the room with me? Where is my sign, Lord?”

Then the thought came into my mind, God sent me a middle eastern doctor, about the same age as Jesus, which was probably my sign.  After it was over, I searched online for the meaning of the doctor’s name, and it means “Noble soul.” I am trusting that in God’s timing, He sent me to the right office for the right doctor, who just happened to be a charming middle eastern man in his mid thirties. I took it as a sign that Jesus was with me in the room. 

If every animal in the forest, and the cattle on a thousand hills are His, and every bird in the mountains and every insect in the fields are all His, then so is every doctor’s office and every doctor too. God is our good Father and the whole world is His and all that is in it. If one of His children asks Him for bread, He will not give him a stone. If they ask for fish, He will not give him a snake. Our Father in heaven gives good gifts to those who ask him. (Matthew 7:11)

Lord, help us to live as children of our good Father since the whole world is yours and all that is in it. Hear and answer all our prayers to help, heal and hold our hand through every trial today and always. Amen

“So he got up and went back to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him.”

Luke 15:20 (NAB)

Some of us were once prodigals, while others might have been the steadfast, faithful older brothers. All prodigals who come home, become older brothers later. I’ve learned that the kind of older brother we become, depends on our ability to recognize who those prodigals are in our lives.

The father in this parable was full of love and  compassion, as he ran to meet his son. He sought only to embrace him, not to judge him or even put him to work. Jesus reveals His Father’s heart of love and mercy in this story. 

The older son, who has been loyal to his father for years, arrived home after a day’s work, and hears music, dancing and celebration. When he learned that it’s a party for his younger brother, he quickly formed his own judgement about who does or doesn’t deserve a celebration.

I felt a little like that older brother, one time, by choosing who I would or wouldn’t invite to a function at my church. I had my own list of reasons, why I shouldn’t invite certain people. I chose not to invite one person who had a contentious personality and another person who I thought would come for the wrong motives. 

I suddenly realized I was no different than the older brother in the story. I was called to invite, not to judge. 

I felt the Lord saying to me,

“Just bring them to Me as they are, and I will take it from there.” 

Then the truth really hit me that I was once a prodigal daughter myself, so why am I choosing who should or shouldn’t be invited to my Father’s house? 

I was ignorant in recognizing who the prodigals were. 

I used to think the definition of a prodigal is the homeless addict, sleeping on a park bench, but God showed me that the prodigals are anyone who is running away from God. 

They are in all economic sectors, have all types of temperaments and may come with all kinds of motives. They may not have magnetic personalities to attract us to them, and some even repel and push people away. 

The Lord is simply asking us to invite them, not to judge them or try to fix them. The great commission is really about doing our part in reuniting the Father with all of His children.

Lord, help us to recognize and show compassion to all the prodigals in our lives, by inviting them home, as we trust you to restore them. Amen

“My heart is overwhelmed, my pity is stirred. I will not give vent to my blazing anger, I will not destroy Ephraim again; For I am God and not a man, the Holy One present among you; I will not come in wrath.”

Hosea 11:8-9 (NAB)

The Lord describes His character in this scripture, and He has a heart of pity. Scriptures teach us that God feels anger, but His mercy is greater. He is Holy, and yet He desires to be present among us. We could never earn His mercy, but He delights in showing it to us. Some day, He will return to render justice, but for now, we live in the age of grace and mercy, and God wants us to keep seeking His merciful Presence.

Many years ago, while I was reading each of the prophets’ writings, I discovered a pattern, common to all of them, which opened my eyes to the love and mercy of God. 

The writing of every prophet began with a reprimand for sin and a warning of impending punishment. Whether it was Isaiah, Ezekiel, Zechariah, Hosea or the others, if someone read only the beginning of each prophet’s writing, they would think that God is all about wrath, but I would say, read on. 

By the end of each prophet’s book, the words of wrath are gone, and God offers forgiveness, love and mercy. God is grieved by sin, but His heart is stirred with pity and love for us. 

Isaiah starts out by saying he lives among a people of unclean lips, but ends his book with the promise of a Savior, who would come to suffer and die for us. 

Ezekiel begins his book by describing visions of creatures in heaven, telling him to warn the people that sin leads to death. Toward the end of the book, God is promising to bring dry bones back to life, restoring people through spiritual regeneration and rebirth. 

Zechariah begins by strictly warning people to turn from their evil ways, but ends with the prophecy that “God Himself” will one day set His feet upon the Mount of Olives. This was fulfilled by Jesus, whose feet stood on that mountain preaching the sermon on the Mount. 

In the book of Hosea, God used the harsh example of having a wife who is a prostitute, to stress that the infidelity of His people deeply grieves Him, but by the end of the book, His heart is filled with pity, and He says, “I will love them freely; for my anger is turned away from them.” 

(Hosea 14:5)

There is abundant mercy in the heart of God. I once heard a true story of how His mercy transformed a young woman’s life. She was never raised in any particular faith, and found a lucrative career as a professional escort or call girl. For years, she earned an incredible amount of money working as a high priced prostitute. 

While she was driving, she would occasionally notice a bumper sticker on a car driving ahead of her. It was for a radio station called Relevant radio 95 AM. Her curiosity led her to turn on that station, and as she started listening, she became increasingly interested. It was a talk radio station, including various personal testimonies, scripture studies, with questions and answers about the Catholic Christian faith. 

She listened until the Holy Spirit awakened a hunger within her, to change her life. She completely surrendered to Christ and left her old life of prostitution behind. The Holy Spirit called her to Jesus, through bumper stickers. 

God’s mercy reaches people wherever they are, and He can change hearts through any means, even if He chooses to use bumper stickers. The heart of God is stirred with love and mercy for all people, and He invites all of us to be renewed in Christ. 

In whatever way God has called us, we should be able to truthfully say with Paul,

”I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”(Galatians 2:20)

We are crucified with Christ, and we now live with the awareness that Christ lives in us. God had a plan since creation, to show His love and mercy to us. His prophets wrote all about it in those final chapters. 

Isaiah foretold how He would be mocked and spurned by men. He describes the Lamb of God, who was pierced for our sins, and died for all mankind. (Isaiah 53:3-8)

 Zechariah foretold that God’s feet would stand on the Mount of Olives, which will happen once more, when Jesus returns to stand on that same mountain, at His second coming. (Zechariah 14:4)

Ezekiel’s later chapters promise us that dry bones will come to life,  both metaphorically and as God raises all believers after death. (Ezekiel 37:14)

It only requires reading to the end, to learn that the heart of God is filled with pity, love and mercy for all of us, embodied through the cross and resurrection of Jesus. 

Lord, we love you and seek more of your presence in our lives, and thank you for having a heart filled with mercy and love for all of us. Amen

“You are all fair, my love;
 there is no flaw in you.”

Song of Solomon 4:7 (RSV)

The book in the Old Testament, Song of Solomon, also known as the Song of Songs, is written by King Solomon, an ancestor of Jesus. It is read by both Jews and Christians, and is interpreted as a portrayal of the mutual love between the Lord and his people. 

The Song is interpreted by Jewish theologians as God’s love for the ideal Israel, chosen and loved by Him. It’s interpreted by Christian theologians in correlation with the book of Revelation, as the culmination of the love between Jesus and His bride, the church. 

The scripture in Revelation 19:7, reads:

“For the wedding day of the Lamb has come, His bride has made herself ready.”  The perfect love expressed in the book of the Song of Solomon, comes to a climactic conclusion, when Jesus is finally united with all His church, His bride, in Revelation, the last book of the Bible. We are that bride, in the process of making ourselves ready for Him.

What Solomon says to his bride in the Song is what Christ is saying to His church today. It fully expresses the love of a bridegroom for his bride, and his desire to be in marital union with her. 

There is a “love chapter”, in the New Testament, in 1 Corinthians 13, which is read at almost every Christian marriage ceremony. It describes perfect love, as “bearing all things, believing all things, hoping all things, and enduring all things.” 

In Solomon’s Song, the bridegroom’s passion for his beloved says,

“You are all fair, my love. There is no flaw in you.” The perfect love of God knows our flaws, but He loves us as if there are none. If we could all fully grasp His perfect love for us, we would probably live in a greater state of confidence, fearlessness and power, knowing we are so loved by Him.

Our flaws don’t change His perfect love for us. It’s why the apostle John encourages us to confess our sins, because God is faithful and just to forgive and cleanse us of all unrighteousness. He forgives anything, if we will only come to Him and confess it. 

The most overlooked truth in the world is how much God loves us unconditionally. Some people, due to their upbringing, have come to believe that God loves them only when they are good, or that He stopped loving them, after they strayed from Him. God loved us before we were born, while still in the womb, and He loves us even when we forget about Him or waste time pursuing things other than Him. He is forever faithful even when we are faithless.

Jesus is in constant pursuit of us and always inviting us to abide in Him and receive His strength. It is His grace and lovingkindness that turns the human heart back to Him, not fear of punishment.

The Bible refers to God’s perfect love, saying “Perfect love casts out all fear, because fear involves punishment, and he who fears is not perfected in love.” (1 John 4:18)

The perfect love of Jesus gave all of Himself for us, His bride, and He would like us to give all of ourselves back to Him, adoring the One who first loved us. It’s simply what brides and grooms do for one another. Our journey of faith excels not only in the good times and blessings, but when we realize how much we are loved by Jesus, during the difficult trials in our lives.

We are not perfect, but we are perfectly loved.  He sees our gifts, our potential and our hidden beauty. He knows that we will bring praise, glory and honor to God, His Father one day, which is the sole desire of His heart.

God is all knowing, and He is not shocked or surprised by any of our  failures. He just wants us to keep returning to Him. The prophet Jeremiah wrote under the Spirit’s inspiration, “Shuvee Israel !” Jeremiah 31:21, in Hebrew means, “Return to Me, oh Israel !” God is calling all humanity, Jews and gentiles, to return to Him.

We are His church, His flawless bride, beautiful in His sight, and He steadily pursues us day and night, until we offer more of our hearts to Him, in response to His perfect love.

He believes in us, hoping we will trust Him, in the many ways that He is regenerating and renewing us each day by His Holy Spirit. Jesus endures all things and He also gives us the strength of endurance in all things. His perfect love pursues all those who need to return to Him. Love never fails, because it is as strong as death.  (Song of Solomon 8:6)

Lord, we surrender our whole self to you, returning all our love to you, along with our gifts and our flaws, because no one loves us more faithfully and more perfectly than you. Amen

The beautiful lyrics in this song are by singer and songwriter, Rachel Lampa.

Perfectly Loved -with Lyrics Rachael Lampa – YouTube