Month: November 2024

(Matthew 6:9-13)

Jesus gave us the Lord’s Prayer to pray, but also to use as a template for all prayer. In breaking down one line at a time, maybe we can better understand what He is teaching us:

      Our Father who art in heaven;

God is the King of the universe and yet He wants us to address Him as Father, because we are sons and daughters, not subjects or servants. He has a beloved son, but He wants to be our Father as well. A child doesn’t need to earn His father’s love with good deeds. A natural father loves his children from the day they were born, before they could do anything right or wrong. God also loved us first, before we even knew of Him. 

     Hallowed be Thy name;

The name of God is to be hallowed, which means to treat it as sacred and holy, because He is sacred and holy. I love the contrast of the first and second line in this prayer. He is our loving intimate father but He is also the most high, sacred and holiest God. We are loved by a holy God who also wants His children to be holy, as His Spirit searches and purifies our hearts.

     Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven;

This line reminds us that there is more to come and our life in this world is not all there is. God has a coming kingdom, and until that kingdom comes, He desires that we let His will be done in our lives. In all that we pray and ask for, our wishes and desires are still yielded to His will, saying as Jesus said, “Thy will be done.” We can say it because God always knows what’s best for us and we trust in His perfect will.

      Give us this day our daily bread;

Bread is nourishment, and for us it is both physical and spiritually nourishing. Jesus is our daily bread of spiritual nourishment. Everyone is on a quest for nourishment, but sometimes we look for it in all the wrong places. We look for it through relationships or things we can buy, but Jesus called Himself the living bread of heaven. Jesus is our daily bread and no other bread satisfies the soul and spirit as He does.

      Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; 

We are reminded that forgiveness needs to be a two way street. Here is the biggest challenge in the entire Lord’s prayer. Every statement in this prayer is one that Jesus talked about regularly. He reminded us many times about forgiving others, through his parables. If we want to be forgiven, He says we must forgive others. There’s an old Irish proverb “We bury the hatchet but mark the spot.” Forgiveness is easier if we have a short term memory, and forget where all the hatchets are buried. 

       Lead us not into temptation, but  deliver us from evil.

The previous parts of the Lord’s Prayer pertain to things which we  can take control of, by lining our will up with God’s. We seek His daily nourishment, we allow ourselves to be loved and fathered by Him, and we forgive our enemies, but this last line is a plea for divine help. It’s asking for what only God can do, in keeping us from all evil. He is our good shepherd, who delivers us from evil. An old testament title for God is “El Gibor,” which translates from Hebrew to, “God, our hero.”

Jesus saves the best line for last, in the conclusion to this prayer, that God is our true hero, who delivers us from all evil.  After the many times we have all experienced His deliverance from evil, it’s easy to finally say, 

“To Him be the kingdom, the power and the glory, now and forever.”

Amen

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Proverbs 3:5-6 ( NIV)

My grandmother’s first born, my mother, was a perfectly healthy baby, until around 9-10 months old. She developed a sore on the shin of her leg, which got worse until it turned into a festering ulcer. The medical diagnosis was some type of TB osteomyelitis of the bone. 

In that year, 1914, the medical recommendation was amputation. Once the bacteria spread to the bone, it would cause swelling of the surrounding tissue, cutting off the blood flow, causing nearby tissues to die. To prevent this, doctors preferred to amputate as soon as possible.

My grandmother was not a meek personality, and she was pretty outraged at the thought of amputating her baby’s leg. When she emphatically said “NO !” to amputation, the doctor referred her to Evanston hospital, where a research study was being done for TB of the bone, at the time. 

My grandmother took her baby there and my mother became a test patient in that research study. I don’t know all of the details, but it may have involved a treatment combining medicine with a new surgical procedure of scraping the bone clean of the infection. They did the treatment and as a result, my mother was totally cured. 

She grew to adulthood and lived a full life, all because she had a strong willed mother and a faithful praying father. My grandfather was the one person in the family that I never met, since he died before I was born. My mother always spoke of his gentle nature and his steadfast faith in God. He took all three of his three children to church every Sunday, and the faith they grew to live by, was learned from him. 

I’m sure my grandfather’s prayers had a huge effect on how everything turned out, and my grandmother’s immediate resistance to amputation, made the two of them, the perfect parents that my mother needed, at that time in her life. 

It took the spunkiness of my grandmother, which led to learning about the research study, as my grandfather’s prayers and trust in God, led to a successful outcome. Whatever our personalities are, we are the parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles or godparents that we were created to be, according to God’s perfect plan.

I remember the deep, ugly scar in my mother’s leg, but she never had any deficits or weakness in her leg. I thank God for a trial procedure that saved her leg from amputation.

Medical professionals do all they can do, but we always need to trust God to do the rest. 

God gives the wisdom to those professionals who develop cures, and He gives us the faith to entrust our Iives and our family’s lives, to Him. Trusting in the Lord, not leaning only on our own understanding, always directs us in the right path.

Lord, we submit every problem or decision in our lives to you. Lead us in the path of wisdom, as we put all our trust in you, more than on our own understanding. Amen

My grandmother holding her first born, my mom, in 1914

“But when the Counselor comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness to Me.”

John 15:26 (RSV)

The Holy Spirit’s purpose is to bear witness of Jesus. He is eager for us to be witnesses, through our words and deeds, of what Jesus did and taught. He desires that we share Christ with others, but He is most powerful when we intentionally invite Him to come and join our day.

We have just entered the holiday season, and we’ll probably be with friends and relatives, who we don’t see on a regular basis. Some of them may have perspectives that greatly differ from one another, and it usually leads to many challenging discussions. We probably should invite the Holy Spirit to come and take control of our conversations this holiday season, to turn the focus on the goodness of God, rather than endless political debates. 

I’ve learned that the day flows in a more positive direction if I start by inviting the Holy Spirit to come into it. 

If I ask Him to come, He intervenes, but in some cases, He does more than intervene. He will actually hijack the conversation and turn the topic to Christ and His redemptive work on the cross. 

When I was working full time in an operating room of a large hospital, I used to pray before going to work. 

I always asked God to guide the hands of the surgeons, to operate with skill and wisdom, but the most powerful prayer was in inviting the Holy Spirit to come into the room and make His Presence known. It always seemed to result in a peculiar and abrupt shift in the topic of conversation. 

One time, while we were between cases, there was a conversation going on between two other people in the room. Neither one of these men were religious, and yet the discussion suddenly shifted to the topic of God’s forgiveness. 

It sounded like one man had heard a true story of a murderer who found forgiveness in prison, through repentance and faith in Christ, but he was adamant that such forgiveness could or should never happen. I was silently listening, as he went on and on, insisting that murderers can never be forgiven.

After listening for a few minutes, I could only think of one thing to say, so I said, “I understand how you feel, but Jesus forgave all of His own murderers from the cross.” He shook his head no, saying that it was ridiculous. 

God’s mercy is ridiculous, because no one deserves it, but that’s how much God loves us. I said nothing more since my purpose is not to persuade anyone, but I was thankful to present the image of Jesus on the cross, forgiving the worst of humanity. 

It’s the ultimate act of mercy, that Christ died for all sinners, and an honor to be able to speak of it, in the middle of a work day. The Holy Spirit uses our words to plant a seed or to water it, and He does it in His own timing.

I believe that the Holy Spirit hijacked that whole conversation into a discussion about God’s forgiveness. 

I also believe it was a result of inviting Him into my work place that morning. He brought wisdom and truth through a few simple words, which will bear fruit at a later date.

One other day, a coworker was talking about aging and dying, which is a common subject among health care workers, but then, in the midst of the conversation, she paused and said, “I don’t want to die.” She was a perfectly healthy woman, and it was a strange and abrupt shift in the conversation. I paused in thought, and then said, no one wants to die, but dying is where we meet Jesus, and since He has promised us eternal life, we don’t need to fear death. 

The Holy Spirit moved her to shift the topic of that conversation. I just listened and said what came to my mind, since He gives us the words to say. (Luke 12:12) Even though I didn’t say anything profound, I believe the Holy Spirit used those words for a purpose, to give her hope and comfort, by drawing her closer to God.

One time a conversation led me to pray a brief prayer with a coworker who was very stressed in caring for a disabled child. After that, his life took on a new direction, and he told me he felt renewed strength, having a more personal relationship with Jesus. He and his family later moved out of state, where he started a better job. We lost contact over time, but I am sure God is still blessing him. 

It still amazes me how a few words spoken or a brief prayer, at the right moment in time, initiated by the Holy Spirit, can transform someone’s destiny. The Holy Spirit hijacks conversations in order to bear witness of Jesus and His truth. He does all the work, but He uses simple words of comfort or truth, which He gives us to say. Our words become a seed that later grows into a work of grace in someone’s life. 

Jesus said that each person will receive the seed of faith in a different way, depending on the readiness of the soil of their heart. We never know whose soil is ready for the seed we plant, but the Holy Spirit does. We also may not know whether we are the planter of the seeds or the waterer of the seeds, but we do know that God causes all the growth.

Lord, thank you for your Holy Spirit, and we invite you into each day with us, as we listen for our cue to say whatever you put in our hearts to say. Give us words of kindness and truth, to water seeds of faith that will grow according to your timing. Amen

“But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.”

Luke 2:19 (NIV)

I come from a patriotic family, and this meditation will share some thoughts on the veterans in my ancestry. My father served in the army, my uncle (mother’s brother) was a Marine in WWII, and my oldest brother was an Air Force fighter pilot, around the time of the Viet Nam war. Both my uncle and my brother died serving their country, so we are a family who gets a little teary eyed, when we hear American anthems being sung.

As a child, my first introduction to a war hero was the picture of my grandmother’s only son, John, a Marine, who died in World War II. 

I remember spending time in her small, humble home, where I still recall an entire area in her living room, dedicated to him. It was a memorial area filled with his photos, war medals, letters and a newspaper article, all in honor of an uncle I never knew, who died eight years before I was born.

I also remember browsing through my grandmother’s scrapbook, which was full of photos of people who were special in her life, like her deceased husband and her siblings, even though I didn’t know any of them. Her son, John, was a Purple Heart Marine hero, who died in WW2,  killed by a hand grenade, in Iwo Jima, as he attempted to rescue a fellow marine. 

My grandmother kept a letter from the Marine chaplain, who was there in Iwo Jima, which I now have in my own scrapbook today. 

After my uncle died, he wrote to my grandmother, to say that he knew her son as a man of faith, who made the ultimate sacrifice as Jesus described, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13)

A scrapbook is very special to the one who put it together, but even more meaningful when it can be shared with others. It’s much more than a collection of photographs, it’s a memorial of someone’s character. My grandmother was able to share and keep the memory of her son alive through a cherished scrapbook.  

Mary had a place in her heart where she pondered and stored every cherished memory of Jesus’ life. 

She had her own mental scrapbook of memories, miracles, conversations and images that she treasured along the way. When Mary and Joseph searched for twelve year old Jesus and found Him in the temple, He told His parents that He had to be in His Father’s house. Mary treasured that moment, keeping it in the scrapbook of her heart, long after Jesus was gone.

We may have our own memories of how we once searched for and found Jesus. We remember all those events in our lives, and each meaningful moment that He made an impact on us, leaving treasured memories in the scrapbook of our own hearts.

A scrapbook has a twofold purpose, it’s a comforting reflection for the one who keeps it, but it’s also meant to be continually shared with other people. 

My grandmother’s scrapbook and memorial to her son, made me feel like I knew my uncle John, even though I never met him. 

The memories we hold of loved ones who have passed from this life, are a treasure, and by sharing them with others, we remind ourselves that they are still living forever. Jesus promised, all who believe in Him will live, even if they die. The shared memory of our loved ones today, will continue to bless and comfort many more people tomorrow. 

Lord, we honor the memories of all of our loved ones, but especially today, the many veterans, who dwell in the scrapbooks of our hearts. As we share their memories, help us also to share and reflect on your memory as the Lord of all our hope, who died to give us eternal life. Amen

My uncle, John C. Cooper, died in Iwo Jima in 1945

Me with my grandmother in 1958

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

John 14:27 (NAB)

The “Prince of Peace”, is one of many titles of Jesus. It originated from Isaiah’s scripture, which we hear at Christmas time each year, but the Prince of Peace lives in all of us, all year round, through the Holy Spirit. Jesus said His peace is not the kind of peace we find in the world. It doesn’t depend on circumstances and is with us always, in whatever we go through.

I heard a story on the news last year, about a young female rookie pilot, who was taking off in a small plane in Pontiac, Michigan. It was her third solo flight, and after she took off, a veteran pilot who was about to take off, noticed that her front landing gear fell off. He immediately got on the radio, introducing himself by first name and told the young pilot what had just happened. 

With a confident and calm voice, he guided her step by step to make a safe landing. He learned that the young pilot’s name was his own daughter’s name. Her voice was shaken but she followed his instructions as he calmly guided her to a safe landing. 

The young rookie pilot said that his calm voice kept her at peace and helped her to focus on his instructions, as she safely landed her plane. If she had landed the plane on her own, it could have flipped upside down, resulting in serious injuries, or possibly even bursting into flames. 

Being there at the right time to see what happened was the first miracle, and the second miracle was that the veteran pilot became a calming voice of peace to the young pilot. That veteran pilot knew exactly what was needed to guide her into a safe landing, and he calmly talked her through it.

There is an unseen kingdom within all of us who believe, and it’s called the kingdom of heaven, where a Prince resides, whose name is Jesus. He is the veteran pilot who calmly speaks to our troubled souls, talking us through each crisis in our life. He speaks to us not in an audible voice, but His peace resides deep within our souls. 

It’s easy to forget that the Prince of Peace is dwelling in us through the Holy Spirit, each day. He is with us whether we are doing a mundane task like standing in line at the Post office, grocery shopping, or a more intense task, like visiting a terminally ill friend or relative in a hospital. We need to live in the knowledge that Jesus is truly with us and in us, in whatever is happening, so that we can hear His calming voice that reassures us, it’s all going to be okay. 

Two years ago I was meditating on this truth, on my way to visit a friend who was dying of Pancreatic cancer. Her husband died of a heart attack only three weeks earlier and they were childless. Helene had no family member in her life during the end stage of her illness, but we had a friendship that spanned fifty years. She was like an aunt to my own children and we shared every major life event together, weddings, funerals and much more. 

Her hospice nurse called to tell me that Helene had just lapsed into total unresponiveness. She told me she wasn’t waking up and stopped speaking. I started praying that she could find God’s peace in her unresponsive state. 

As I drove to see her, I was thinking about the fact that the Prince of Peace lives within me. When I arrived at her nursing home, I prayed that He would somehow show Himself to my friend, even in her unresponsiveness. As I reached for the door handle of her room, I whispered quietly to myself, 

“Here comes the Prince of Peace.”

I walked into her room, where she was sleeping and as I took hold of her hand, she immediately opened her eyes, and turned to look at me. 

I was surprised that she opened her eyes and looked right at me, after being informed that she wouldn’t. She couldn’t speak, but I spoke briefly to her about the Prince of peace, and then I prayed for her. 

Two days later she passed away, but I trust that His Presence was with her on that day and in her final moments. 

I often wondered if she saw someone else besides me at her bedside. Did she see Jesus, the Prince of peace?

I sure hoped so.

Jesus speaks in a soft calming voice to us, giving us His peace in all the storms of life. His calming voice brought peace to a rookie pilot who landed a plane without landing gear. His Presence came near the bedside of a dying soul, bringing her His peace. 

We are all rookie pilots flying through this life, and Jesus is the calming voice of a veteran pilot, who is leading us to a safe landing. Through all the turmoil we encounter on our flight, called life, we may feel like we are flying solo at times, but the Prince of Peace speaks into the radio of our soul, and with a calm and confident voice, He leads us peacefully to a safe landing. As we tune our ears to listen to His calm voice within us, we can go on to share His peace with others. 

Lord, fill us with more of you and your peace. Tune up our soul’s hearing so that your calming voice may continue guiding us safely through any storms we are facing today. Amen

“Jesus said to him, “‘Everything is possible to one who has faith.” 

Then the boy’s father cried out, 

“I do believe, help my unbelief!”

Mark 9:23-24 (NAB)

Faith is knowing that everything is in God’s hands, and even when things seem to be getting worse, and our faith is weakening, it’s okay to come honestly to Jesus and say, 

“Lord, help me in my unbelief.” 

Those were the words of the father of a demon possessed boy. He barely had faith to believe that his son could be delivered, but He came to the right person. Every miracle begins by coming to Jesus, even when our faith is weak. 

When the father of that boy heard Jesus say, “anything is possible to the one who has faith”, he figured that excluded him. He had very little hope, but he had a whole lot of honesty, when he said to Jesus, “Help me in my unbelief.” 

It’s easy to get the impression that Jesus only responds to people of great faith. He praised the Centurion who said “Only say the word, Lord.” He was impressed by the woman who said “If I can just touch the fringe of His garment.” He shared  the example of the gentile woman who humbly persisted in faith, saying, “Even a dog can receive the crumbs that fall from the table”. 

There’s no doubt that God responds to great faith, but He also responds to great honesty. Jesus was touched by that desperate father’s honest plea, “Help me in my unbelief, Lord.” God desires an intimate relationship with us, and intimacy requires honesty. Scripture shows us that God loves a heart open to Him in truthfulness.

Jesus wanted to help those who were struggling to believe that He had truly risen on that third day. He made an effort to convince His disciples that He was risen in body, and wasn’t merely a ghost or a spirit. He removed their doubts, by asking for something to eat, and eating food in front of them. Then He showed them His scars and His wounded side. 

Jesus went as far as to offer all of the disciples, not just Thomas, to touch Him and feel His scars, saying, 

“It is I, myself. Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.” 

(Luke 24:39)  

God is patient with everyone who is struggling to believe for something. He was patient with the father in this story, He was patient with His disciples, and He is also patient with us today. He doesn’t expect us to fake it, and pretend we believe, or to give up and profess unbelief. 

We learn from the father in this story that there is a third option, to ask Jesus to help us in our unbelief. 

I don’t always feel a confident assurance when I pray for my son, Jon. Almost every day I ask Jesus to help me in my unbelief, and He is still extending His nail scarred feet and hands towards me, inviting me to touch Him, and go a little deeper in believing. I have learned that He won’t scoff at the areas where we are weak and set back with doubts. 

As we remember His unconditional, relentless love for humanity, and all the various levels of faith among His believers, we can still almost hear Him saying to us today, 

“Touch Me and see how much I love you.”

Lord, whatever level our faith is at, help us to remain intimate and honest with you, as you help us in our times of unbelief. As we touch you by faith, draw us closer in our devotion to you. Amen

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.”

Psalm 23:6 (RSV)

In this meditation, I put the picture first, instead of last, because the look on this lamb’s face is worth a thousand words. He seems to be saying, Where is everybody?  Which way is home? Help, I’m lost!

He doesn’t know that his shepherd is right behind him, running to catch him before he wanders deeper into the woods. Goodness and mercy are running behind him, but he just hasn’t realized it yet. 

Just like that lamb, sometimes we are unaware that goodness and mercy is running behind us. There may be times when we feel lost in the woods. Whatever type of woods we are in, the deeper we go, the more we tend to convince ourselves that we are alone, and no one else knows what we are going through, but in reality, Jesus is right behind us.

I remember being lost in the woods when I was four years old. My relatives had a cabin in a wooded area, somewhere in Michigan, and they invited my family to come visit. Somehow I wandered away from the family cabin, and got lost in the woods. Some very kind people in a nearby cabin found me and took me in, and kept me safe until they found my worried parents. 

We may not get lost in the physical woods, but we can feel the same isolation or loneliness, by being in a place that is far away from all that has been familiar to us. It might be a situation that removes every sense of stability, security or peace. It could be the woods of a deteriorating relationship or a financial burden, or maybe a health scare that leaves us in a dark place, filled with fear. 

We have all been in the woods of some kind, and we all fit the image of that bewildered lamb in the picture, who unknowingly has his good Shepherd running behind him. 

Goodness and mercy are more than a shift in our destiny, or the answers to our prayers. It’s more than a thing, it’s a person-it’s Jesus, our shepherd, who is good and merciful, and follows us all the days of our life. 

We always hear that we are supposed to follow Jesus, and we should, but there are times when He follows us, because that’s what Shepherds do for their sheep, who get lost in the woods.

The Lord manifests His goodness and mercy in our lives, in different ways at different times. Sometimes, that goodness and mercy is revealed through others, like the kind people who took me into their cabin, when I was a helpless and lost four year old. 

Although we might feel lost or forgotten, and our prayers seem to go unanswered, our Shepherd may have a better answer than the one we asked for. Even when our faith weakens and we give up hope, His goodness and mercy still follows us in the dark, wooded trials of our lives, assuring us that He is there.

Paul wrote “The Lord is at hand. Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” (Philippians 4:6) 

Paul was imprisoned when he wrote those words. He didn’t know if he would be freed from prison or be put to death, but one thing he knew for sure-that Jesus was following him, and was near. Jesus is also near to us, and has been following us, all of our days, if we only look behind.

Lord, whatever we go through, help us to trust that you are always near,  running behind us. We cast all of our anxieties on you today, and thank you for your goodness and mercy, which follows us all the days of our lives. Amen

“The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.”

Psalm 145:18 (NIV)

Whoever calls on the Lord in truth and sincerity, will be answered. Some answers to prayer are not always recognized, because of the simple nature of them. 

I experienced an interesting moment yesterday as I was visiting my son’s Nursing Facility. An older lady, who was at a table behind us, started crying out, “Please help me, God!”

saying it over and over. She was a new resident and none of us ever saw her before. We turned to look at her and then at each other, all wondering the same thing, what does she need help with?

So, I went over to her, where she sat alone, with a lunch tray of food on the table in front of her. I asked if I could help her, and she said she wanted to eat the mashed potatoes on her plate, but she couldn’t. Then I noticed that she had a strong tremor in both of her hands, and the vigorous shaking made it impossible for her to feed herself. 

I wondered why no nursing assistant was available to help feed her, but I didn’t bother to ask the nurse station to send someone. I assumed they were short staffed that day, so I asked her name, then told her mine. She told me she only wanted to eat her mashed potatoes on her plate, so I fed her. If I were in her place, with tremors in both hands, I would hope someone would help feed me.

After I fed her, I held her glass of beverage, as she drank it all. She told me she was still thirsty, so I went to get her a glass of water, which she drank to the last drop. Occasionally the staff is stretched to the max in a Nursing Facility, and someone could be left like her, helplessly hungry and thirsty. I don’t blame her for calling out loud to God in that moment.

Afterward, I returned to my seat to spend time visiting the residents I knew, along with my son, Jon. On the way home, I thought about her and the sad fact that most residents have no family or friends who ever visit them. 

I have been pleased to observe Jon’s recent progress, eating very well and feeding himself every day, for the past month, so I was glad to be able to help someone who cannot feed themself at all. 

I thought of Jesus’ words, “I was hungry and you fed me. I was thirsty and you gave me drink.” 

(Matthew 25:35)

Most of the time Jesus doesn’t ask us to do exceptional things, just the simple things, like helping someone eat and drink.

On my way home, I thought about how she never called for a nurse or anyone else, but she called out loud to God, and He heard and answered her. It really hit me on the way home, more than in the actual moment. God draws near to all who call upon Him, and He does it through other people who are nearby. 

Sometimes in our lives, we have called upon God, and He answers us through the words or a helpful deed done by a person who happened to be nearby us.

Jesus said, “Whatever you did for one of these least brothers or sisters  of mine, you did for me.” 

(Matthew 25:40)

Sometimes we forget that how valuable the least of favors can be, in the least of ways, for anyone nearby us. As we begin to see Jesus in others, we find that we can reflect Him to others, through simple words or deeds. 

He cares about the least things that we care about and He is near to those who call upon Him. 

Most of the time, we don’t have the opportunity to offer a life saving or soul saving act to a stranger, but we can do a simple favor. We just might be the only one who is nearby, when someone is calling out to God, and He uses us to answer their call. 

Lord, thank you for being near to those who call upon you, and help us to see how we can be a part of the answer to someone’s prayers. Help us all to know that you are always near to us. Amen

“When Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah, the king stood up to meet her, bowed down to her and sat down on his throne. He had a throne brought for the king’s mother, and she sat down at his right hand.

“I have one small request to make of you,” she said. “Do not refuse me.”

The king replied, “Make it, my mother; I will not refuse you.”

1 Kings 2:19-20 (NIV)

This scripture really describes the honor, respect and influence the mother of a king had in ancient Israeli-Hebrew culture. King Solomon had many wives, but only his mother, Bathsheba, sat on the throne at his right side. Bathsheba exercised her influence on her son’s decisions, which was an accepted custom for a mother of a king to make requests of her son. 

In this scripture, Bathsheba is speaking to Solomon on behalf of a marriage arrangement, which she was asked to intervene in. The example of the powerful influence of a Jewish mother, goes back thousands of years, to the most ancient of times in Israel.

Most people went directly to the king to settle their grievances, while others implored Bathsheba’s help and intercession. She took the people’s needs to King Solomon, her son, since he would never refuse her. Her boldness on behalf of others, reminds us of another mother in scripture.

We can see this same influence in Mary’s interaction with Jesus at the wedding of Cana. Jesus attended the wedding as a guest, but His time to reveal Himself as Messiah had not officially arrived yet. Mary, being close friends with the hosts of that celebration, knew the wine had to last for more than three days. 

When the wine ran out on day three, Mary turned to Jesus and simply said “They have no wine”. (John 2:3) Jesus answered, “Why does your concern affect me, my hour has not yet come ?” Up to that point, Jesus did no public miracles, and He was trying to stick to the plan, of not revealing Himself as the Messiah yet.

Mary was focused on the needs of her friends, and not only asked Jesus to help, but turned to the servant and told him, “Do whatever He tells you.” (John 2:5) 

It may not have been His time yet, but at His mother’s persuasion, Jesus performed His first public miracle, of turning 30 gallons of water into wine.

Jesus was a divine king from birth, and Mary knew it, but she also knew her role as a Jewish mother of a king. She saw a need, and became the influence, by speaking up, not for herself, but for her friends. 

Interceding for someone is defined as asking a higher authority for something on another person’s behalf. We do it every time we pray for someone. Whenever we ask  God to grant someone else’s request, it is intercessory prayer. 

Without overstepping their authority, both mothers took the needs of others close to their heart, all the while, knowing their sons had the power to grant their requests. 

They were both exemplary Jewish mothers, and women of influence, in a humble, yet assertive way. They cared about the needs of others and instead of hoping for the best, they took action and decided to be the influence, through their intercession.

We don’t have to be Jewish mothers to go to Jesus, our King who sits on a throne today. He shed His blood, to give us full access to Him, and we too can make requests on behalf of others. He made the way and He wants us to draw near to Him, with a sincere heart and the full assurance of our faith.  (Hebrews 10:22)

God has given both men and women certain natural and spiritual gifts. He has placed each of us where we are for a reason. He gives us the desire to speak up, and intercede for those in need, both in the natural as well as in our prayers for others. We are all called to be the influence, in some way. Our next step is to simply take Mary’s advice, look to Jesus and 

“do whatever He tells us.”

Lord, help us to follow the examples of Mary and Bathsheba, by seeing the needs of others. Give us the boldness and compassion to be the influence you have called us to be, in our actions and prayers for others. Amen

(A MEMORIAL)

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

Romans 8:28 ( NASB)

My oldest brother, a career Air Force  instructor pilot, was stationed in South Korea in 1982. At the time, I was a busy mother of two year old twin boys, when I received a phone call one day, which made my world stand still. I was informed that his plane went missing while on a routine instructor flight. In his last radio transmission he said, “I’ve got a problem,” as his F-16 jet completely disappeared from radar. 

During the search mission, we were hoping that he ejected from the plane and would be found alive. Some days later, we were notified that his crash site was found on a mountain. Ted was only thirty five when he died, leaving behind his wife and three year old daughter. 

We learned a few years later that there was an electrical wire chafing problem, common to that particular F-16 model, which all the airplane mechanics were aware of. As our family coped with his loss, his wife did whatever she could, to bring publicity to the faulty electrical system in the F-16 fighter jets at the time. 

She eventually won the legal battle, after an investigation led to the discovery of mechanics’ training videos, which proved there was a  wire chafing problem in F-16s. The truth was made public and the cause of accident was officially changed on the report, from pilot error to electrical wire chafing. 

My sister in law was invited to tell her story on the Diane Sawyer show and soon afterward, Disney Productions contacted her, and proposed making a movie to recreate the story. The movie was made, based on the legal battle that followed his crash, and it was released in 1989 for HBO, called “Afterburn”. Laura Dern won a golden globe award, in playing my sister in law.

Ted was a recent college graduate, working towards his Master’s degree in Physics, when he was drafted during the Viet Nam war. Ironically, he decided to join the Air Force instead of other branches of the armed forces, to increase his chances of survival. It turned out he loved flying and had a twelve year career in the Air Force, as an instructor pilot.  

Since he first joined, I always felt a sense of urgency to pray for him, which I did regularly, long before the accident ever happened. I’ll never know why things ended as they did, but I do know that no one just happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, because every human life means more to God than being a mere victim of random tragic accidents. 

The days of our life are already set and written in God’s book at the moment of our conception;

“Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book, before one of them came to be.” 

(Psalm 139:16)

I choose to believe that God is good, that He loves us, and works all things together for our “eternal” good. God sees the eternal picture, we only see the present. We will never know in this life, why our family had to lose my brilliant and kindhearted brother, but I know that the One who created all of us, also helps us to get through every tragedy. 

Lord, help us to trust and believe in you, through painful circumstances and tragic events in our lives. By faith, we choose to believe that you always work all things together for our eternal good. Amen

In memory of Capt. Ted Harduvel

(Oct. 28, 1947-Nov. 15, 1982)