Month: December 2024

“At that time the Feast of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem; it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple area, in the portico of Solomon.”

John 10:22-23 (NASB)

The Feast of Dedication, is also known as the Feast of Lights, most commonly known as Hanukkah. 

This year the first day of Hanukkah began at sundown on Christmas Day. This winter holiday has been celebrated by Jewish people for centuries. Tonite the seventh candle will be lit on menorahs around the world.

Today’s scripture is rarely a part of any church sermons, but it gives us an unusual image of Jesus walking by Himself in the Jewish temple during the festival of Hanukkah.

After reading this, I wondered what Jesus was thinking about, as He walked in solitude, through the temple that day.  Maybe He remembered the many Hanukkah festivals that He used to celebrate with family and friends, growing up in Nazareth.

Hanukkah began in 167 B.C. in the ancient city of Modi-in, Israel, with a Jewish priest, named Mattathias. 

He was the first one to spark the resistance to an oppressive tyrant ruler, who prohibited Jewish worship and desecrated their temple. Years later, the priest’s five sons, John, Simon, Judah, Eliezer, and Jonathan, known as the Macabees, won the resistance, recaptured Jerusalem, and cleansed the temple, preparing it for worship again. 

In order to celebrate the people’s freedom to worship, the Macabee brothers planned to light the temple lamps, but according to Mosaic law, only a special, purest quality of oil could be used for lighting those lamps. They had enough oil for only one day, but the oil miraculously lasted eight days, which is why Menorahs are lit for eight days every Hanukkah. The middle 9th candle, is used to light the other 8.

The miracle of lights happened in the winter, during the darkest time of the year. Something about this holiday was special to Jesus, since He was very contemplative as He walked in the temple that day. Maybe He was thinking about spiritual darkness and suffering of people, and the world’s need for His Father’s divine light to pierce the darkness. 

Since Jesus observed Hanukkah, even Christians can learn something from the Hanukkah story. He talked about lamp lighting in His sermons and parables, where He warns us not to hide our lamps or become too spiritually drowsy and run low on oil. In those days, a lamp required oil to stay lit, and in scripture, oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit.

Matthew’s gospel is the only one that contains the parable of the ten virgins- five wise, who had oil for their lamps and five foolish, who fell asleep and didn’t. (Matthew 25:1-13)

Through these parables, Jesus tells us to stay alert through prayer, so that our light can shine in the dark places of this world, instead of being hidden under a bushel. 

(Matthew 5:15)

The Menorah represents the power of light to pierce the spiritual darkness in the world. Jesus is still present in the world through His church, since His light is in us and shines through us. He is like that 9th center candle on the Menorah, that lights all the others. 

Maybe He was thinking about the Hanukkah story when He told His followers that He is the light of the world, and whoever follows Him will not walk in darkness. Then He went even further, saying that we are also the light of the world. (Matthew 5:14)

Sometimes the circumstances in our lives make it hard to focus on oil, lamps or shining our light. As Jesus walked in the temple on that Feast of Lights holiday, what if He was praying for us, and generations of believers yet to come? Maybe He prayed that we would look to Him for strength, and keep oil in our lamps, as we face life’s many challenges and trials. 

The essence of the Macabees story is to stand firm on the truth of what we believe and who we believe in, knowing God is the source of our strength. As we cling to Jesus, He fills our lamps with oil, one day at a time. He did it for the Macabees and He will do it for us. We are all living Menorahs, with God’s light within us, which pierces through every kind of wintery darkness.

Lord, help us to shine as living Menorahs throughout this new year, piercing the darkness wherever you have placed us, as we continue drawing our strength from you. Amen

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL YOU  LIVING MENORAHS

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

Matthew 5:16 (RSV)

“You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltness be restored?”

Matthew 5:13 (RSV)

Jesus told us we are to be both salt and light. Light can be seen, but not heard, and salt flavors food, which is tasted, but not seen. It sounds like Jesus is telling us that light and flavor leave more of an impact than words. Even the most subtle action can shine His light and leave a flavor of Christ with someone forever.

Before we can touch anyone around us, with light or salt, we first have to be impacted by it ourselves. Once we have experienced the love, mercy and forgiveness of Christ, we will spread the flavor of Christ and shine His light, as we mingle with others. 

Spreading light and salt requires involvement with others, beyond going to church each week. It may start there, by personally receiving the love and forgiveness of Jesus, but then we are called to go out into the world and find a way to pay it forward to others.

Salt permeates the food by leaving its flavor. We never know how a little of our salt is impacting someone else’s life. We may unknowingly leave a flavor of salt or shine our light, so that it permeates and changes someone’s life for good.

Salt also has a preservative effect on food, which means one kind deed will be remembered for a lifetime in someone’s memory, even if they spoke very few words with that person. Something about them remains with us in a positive way, because they left a flavor of Christ with us. 

Based on Jesus’ words in today’s scriptures, God intended for us to be reflecting His light and leaving His flavor with others, which happens with or without words. I believe most people are totally unaware of how much they have influenced others to deepen their faith. I can think of a few people who have influenced me before I surrendered my life to Christ. I recently learned about a person who was influenced by something I said or did, decades earlier. 

I had an acquaintance in college, named Yoshi, who was born in Japan, but lived in Chicago, and had been brought up in the Buddhist faith. During the period of time in my college years, I was very enthusiastic about my new found joy of living for Christ. A personal relationship with Jesus was a totally new concept to me, and I used to freely talk about it with anyone, if the subject came up. 

I shared my faith with Yoshi for the brief time that I knew him in college. 

I remember he visited my church as well as the campus Christian group a few times, but we eventually lost contact and went our separate ways. I went on with my life and he went on with his, and I never thought much about Yoshi again. 

Recently, Yoshi’s path crossed the path of my brother in law, where they met at a church meeting.  Yoshi shared his story with my brother in law of how he become a Christian, actively practicing his faith for many decades. He told my brother in law that I was the person who influenced him to convert to Christianity. 

When my brother in law told me about meeting Yoshi, I remembered him, but was surprised that he so embraced Christianity enough to convert. I also have no idea how I made an impact on him in that brief period of time, but I was glad to hear he stayed with his faith all of those years. 

Yoshi’s outcome gives me hope that the Lord may use someone else one day, to shine a little light or salt the life of some of my own relatives, who currently do not believe in God at all. Sometimes the right stranger can influence a person more than the closest relative can. God uses all people but the Holy Spirit does the real miracle, in His own time.

There are also many other ways that a person’s light shines and their salt leaves a flavor to impact others, but it doesn’t always involve conversions to Christianity. There are many true stories about people who showed amazing grace, and forgave others who caused life altering injuries or the death of a loved one. The Spirit of God within us, helps us to shine His light of forgiveness and spread the flavor of His mercy to others.

It could even be a kind deed that is done for someone in desperate need, or by forgiving someone after being wronged by them in some way. The light and salt we share, stays with a person, impacting them for years, according to God’s divine purpose. 

This is a very small example, but I felt God’s mercy through it. A few weeks ago I was backing out of the church parking lot on a week day, and accidentally scratched the car parked next to me. I felt terrible and a friend who was in the parking lot at that time, came over to look at the scratch. I asked if he knew whose car it was, and he thought it might belong to one of the teachers, since there is a grade school affiliated with our church. 

So I went to the school office, and explained what happened, leaving the license number of the scratched car, along with my name and phone number.  The next day, I received a voicemail message on my phone. It was the teacher who owned the car and she left the following message:

“This message is for Maria. Thank you for leaving your name and number, but it’s just a scratch, so please don’t worry about it and have a Merry Christmas.” 

I never met or knew the woman whose car I scratched, but I was impacted by her forgiveness. I left her a message thanking her. If I ever meet her, I’m sure I would greet her with a hug. I was preparing myself to have an insurance claim, and pay for the repairs, but instead, I received a taste of mercy. 

Some people are like light and salt, who, through their actions, shine His light and leave a flavor of God’s mercy everywhere they go, like that teacher. She took one action, and it was in forgiving me, which means more than words. Some day it will be my turn, to pay it forward and show mercy to someone else who has wronged me, whether it’s something done deliberately or by mistake. 

Thank you Lord, for the unique way you use each one of us as salt and light in this world. Help us to always reflect your light of forgiveness and spread the flavor of your mercy to others. Amen

“In the first book, Theophilus, I dealt with all that Jesus did and taught until the day he was taken up, after giving instructions through the holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.”

Acts 1:1-2 (NAB)

These are Luke’s introductory words as he wrote what became a two volume work. The first volume is known as the gospel of Luke, followed by volume two, the Acts of the Apostles. He recorded the entire progression of events that happened from the birth of Jesus to the early church ministry, decades after Jesus ascended to heaven. 

Luke gathered all his facts from eyewitnesses, telling his friend,  Theophilus, “I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus.” (Luke 1:3)

If it wasn’t for Luke writing down an “orderly account from the beginning”,  for his friend, we would have no knowledge of the amazing events that occurred on the day of Pentecost, or Paul’s dramatic conversion and the ministry of the early church.

Luke was a Greek gentile, who converted to Christianity in the year 51 A.D.  He was considered the only New Testament writer who was clearly identified as a non-Jew. 

Every other writer of the New Testament was a Jewish convert. Luke was from the city of Antioch, in Syria, which today is in Turkey, so he didn’t grow up in the holy land. 

Antioch was once the center of Hellenistic Judaism, until it became the cradle of Christianity. It’s the first place that the name “Christian” was created and commonly used. At that time period, Antioch was the third largest city in the world and a center for all the arts and sciences, and was comparable to New York City in our nation today. 

Luke was a trained physician from Antioch who worked as a doctor. Unlike Matthew and John who wrote their gospels from eyewitness experiences, Luke never met Jesus personally, but he meticulously interviewed many of those who did. Historians know that Luke traveled to Jerusalem and spent time with the Apostles and the mother of Jesus. It would have been natural for Luke to learn the earliest details directly from Mary. 

As he became a close friend to many eyewitnesses, Luke gathered information based on his interviews, which is probably why his gospel contains the most detailed account of the earliest events, like the incarnation and Mary’s visit to Elizabeth. It’s obvious that Luke spent a lot of time with Mary, since his gospel contains the most words spoken by her, than any of the other gospels. (Luke 1:46-55)

Scholars of archeology and ancient literature, rank Luke among the top historians of his time period, with well written accounts of Jesus, the apostles and the biography of Paul.

Luke was a friend and a partner to Paul, joining him in his missionary travels from Macedonia to Phillipi. 

He was among the few loyal companions who did not abandon Paul during his final imprisonment and death in Rome. After Paul’s martyrdom in the year 66 A.D., Luke never wavered in his courage or faith, and he continued to preach in the Mediterranean area. 

This brings us back to Luke’s friend, Theophilus. Everything Luke wrote was addressed to this one man, who he referred to in his letters as “most excellent”, indicating he was a high ranking official of some type.

So who is this friend of Luke called Theophilus?

Theophilus was an educated Greek gentile, just like Luke. They were homeboys from the same city of Antioch, and both were converts to Christianity. Theophilus might have been younger than Luke, since he was a leader in the city of Antioch well into the end of the 2nd century.

Scholars think that Theophilus was not only a leader, but a wealthy benefactor, who supported Paul and Luke on their missionary journeys. Historical records refer to Theophilus as the sixth bishop of Antioch and a Christian apologist during that 2nd century time period. Theophilus, might have eventually devoted himself to full time ministry, learning everything he knew from the letters of his good friend, Luke.

Luke’s letters became the gospel of Luke and the book of Acts, in our bibles today. These two books give us the most detailed and informative account of events, from the birth of Jesus to the post Pentecost early church era. 

Luke probably never knew that his letters would become a part of sacred scripture. Sharing our faith and encouraging our friends can have results that go beyond what we could ever think or imagine, which only eternity will reveal. 

Theophilus’ name translates to

“friend of God” in Greek. The most enduring blessings in life begin with friendships that leads us closer to our friendship with God.

Luke was not only one of the writers of the New Testament but shows by example how friendship blesses beyond all expectations. He was Dr. Luke, a great doctor, a historian, biographer, a brilliant apologist who defended Christianity, and a beloved friend to Theophilus, Paul and many others.

Lord, thank you for Luke and his friendship with Theophilus and the apostles. Thank you for preserving his writing, which is a part of our bibles today. Give us the courage to follow his example and to become living, breathing gospel letters to our friends and to all we meet. Amen 

(A painting of Luke talking to Mary, gathering info)

“Lying back on Jesus’ chest was one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved.”

John 13:23  (NASB)

John, the apostle, in the writing of his gospel and epistles, never identifies himself by his name. Instead of referring to himself as John, he calls himself “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” Some Bible scholars thought he did it out of modesty, but most agree that John wanted to be remembered by his affectionate posture with Jesus, which was more important to him, than his name.

John’s postural feature was laying His head on Jesus’ chest, and he wanted his readers to find their own intimate posture with Jesus as well. We all have a posture of our soul with Jesus, which is how we picture ourselves being loved by Him. The posture of our soul reflects our spiritual self esteem. We cannot physically lean on Jesus today, but we can do it through visualization, prayer and meditation. 

As we close our eyes and imagine ourself in the presence of Jesus, let’s take note of our posture. Some may see themselves as John, laying their head on His chest. Others may see themselves kneeling before Him. Whether we picture ourself standing, sitting or kneeling, our posture with Jesus reflects our relationship of safety, security and intimacy with Him. He loves us and considered us all worthy to suffer and die for, and He deserves our soul’s response be an affectionate one. 

Jesus not only died for our sins, but  also for our griefs and sorrows, which He took upon Himself at the cross. Isaiah wrote, 

“Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.” (Isaiah 53:4) 

He who bore our griefs and carried our sorrows, invites us now to cast all of our cares upon Him. It begins with our soul’s posture, as He asks that we come before Him as children, uninhibited and trusting. His yoke is easy, and He receives us with open arms, as the gentle Lamb of God. Whatever posture our soul has found, let’s pause a moment to hold nothing back, and surrender more of ourselves to Jesus.

As we visualize ourselves reclining with Him, we lean in a little closer. Our head, or our mind is full of worry and anxiety, but while we rest our head on His chest, our anxiety is transferred from our head to His heart. We are now able to listen to His heart beat, and in listening to Jesus’ heart, we find ourselves caring about the things that He cares about. He lifts all our burdens and gives us His peace. 

Jesus’ shoulders are broad enough and His heart is big enough for everyone to lean on Him at once. As we find that more intimate posture, we realize, that we too, are the disciple that Jesus loves. We are His beloved ones, and if we could look into His eyes of love, we would realize that His eyes were looking at us, all of our lives. While we rest peacefully on His chest, He tells us, 

“My peace I give to you, and I will be with you always.”

Lord, we lean on you today, asking you to help us practice this posture each day, and to seek your presence as we lay all of our anxiety upon your heart, and may your peace be with us all. Amen 

“Though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself…..”

Philippians 2:6-8 (RSV)

As the Israelites travelled through the wilderness to the promised land, they took with them a tabernacle, which was a mobile tent, highly revered and used for worship. It was filled with holy relics and temple items according to all the instructions given to Moses by God. 

Inside the tabernacle, there was a bronze altar with embroidered linens that were made especially to lay over the holy altar. Incense burned, filling the tent with the smoke of a scent made from a special blend of scented powders. 

When Moses entered the tabernacle to speak with God, the presence of a glory cloud would overshadow it. When the people saw the cloud, they bowed in worship. All this reverence and awe surrounded a tabernacle that was brought with them on their journey to the promised land. 

Fast forward now to the birth of Jesus. The same holy presence of God that dwelled in that tabernacle, fully resided in the infant Jesus. He was conceived when the Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary’s womb, and yet in His birth, He was introduced to the world in a common stable. 

There was no scent of incense surrounding Him, only the scent of barn animals. He was wrapped in cotton swaddling cloths, instead of beautifully embroidered altar linens. His bed was not a bronze coated altar, but a manger filled with straw. No golden candlesticks lit up the dark stable, but the one lying in that manger is the light of the world. 

Jesus left His kingdom and all His glory in heaven, to be born as an unknown helpless infant. He did it for us, illustrating what true humility is. This world was not His true home, but He resided in it for a brief thirty three years. He was not received by everyone with wonder and awe. Only a few bowed to worship Him while He lived among men. He was scorned, disrespected, falsely accused and constantly criticized for befriending sinners and breaking religious laws. 

Although He had the power to call down a myriad of angels to punish His persecutors, His mission was to save the world, and not to judge it. He felt out of place at times, and He reminds us that we are not part of this world either. We are resident aliens, because our true citizenship is in heaven. Whenever we feel out of place, He is teaching us lessons of humility, as we journey through our own wilderness. 

His church is made up of every ethnic group, speaking every language in the world, so that our prayers become the special blend of scented powders, filling His heavenly tabernacle with a fragrant scent of incense. He seals and fills us with His Spirit, and He is with us always. 

Lord, as we meditate on how you humbled yourself for us, help us to  embrace every lesson of humility and show us how we can be a tabernacle for you in the world today. Amen

“For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.”

2 Corinthians 4:6 (NIV)

This year, in downtown Fort Collins, Colorado, in an area called Old Town Square, there was a nativity scene, until the day that baby Jesus was stolen out of his manger. The police department asked for the public’s help to find the missing statue.

Four days later, the statue was anonymously dropped off at the local fire station with a note of apology.  The surveillance video showed a teenage boy taking the baby out of the manger. In the spirit of mercy and forgiveness, the owners of the property, chose not to press charges. The boy’s remorse moved him to do the right thing, and everything ended well.

In thinking about that empty manger, I began to wonder how many people would really care if Jesus was permanently removed, not only from a manger scene, but from the whole Christmas holiday. 

What if Christmas was only about decorations, trees, lights, presents, food and family celebrations, but nothing at all about Jesus? There would be no church services, no Christmas carols, no Christmas story, no Mary, Joseph, shepherds, wise men or baby in a manger.

Celebrating Jesus at Christmas time will always be more meaningful to those who celebrate Him all year round. He wants to dwell in the manger of our hearts throughout the year, and when He does, it’s only natural to want to share His peace and joy with others. 

Without Christ, the world would be a very dark place. Jesus came to show us what His Father is really like, instead of the false perceptions people often have about Him. God loves us and longs to show His grace and mercy to all people, as was written by the prophet, Isaiah, long before the birth of Christ.

(Isaiah 30:18)

When we become overwhelmed with the troubles and sorrows of this world, it is “Christ in us”, who restores our hope. God wants everyone to know that He loves us and is with us in whatever we go through. 

When Jesus lives in the manger of our hearts, He is continually renewing our minds, restoring our hope, and helping us to see things through His perspective. All that happens in our lives, continues a transformative process of renewal that begins in the manger of our hearts. Scripture tells us that anyone who is in Christ, becomes a new creation.  (2 Corinthians 5:17) 

The manger is a rectangular box, used to put food in, for animals to eat out of. It’s no coincidence that a feeding place became a resting place for baby Jesus, since He later called Himself the bread of heaven, and the one who gives us rest. The baby in the manger grew up to become the source of spiritual nourishment and true rest for the world. 

Jesus still resides in the manger of our hearts, nourishing our faith and giving us peace, through all the ups and downs of this life. He still brings joy to all people just as the angel predicted, and no one can steal Him from the manger of our hearts. He is with us to stay. 

I recently heard a true story about an anonymous secret Santa. He is a retired, wealthy man, who, this year, decided to visit the victims of hurricane Helene in North Carolina. He approached people who had lost their homes, and were living in motels, and gave each person a couple hundred dollars in cash. He met others in parking lots or grocery stores and did the same thing for them. He offers cash and a hug, hoping to give people a bit of hope, after losing so much. 

God has called us to be children of light. His son will always reside in the manger of our hearts, renewing our minds, day by day as we find ways to bring hope to others, and dispel some of the darkness in this world. 

Lord, thank you for living in the manger within us, and as you transform and renew us, may we shine your light to others and spread the peace, love and joy that you have given us. Amen

“Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.” John 14:23 (NIV)

Christmas is a gift giving holiday, and a wonderful time to reflect on the greatest gifts ever given to the world, which began when the Son of God arrived as a human baby. Isaiah described this baby as bearing the titles, “Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of peace.” In another chapter, Isaiah calls the baby, “Immanuel, God with us.”

An infant bearing all these lofty titles, indicates the mystery and miracle of of the incarnation, God with us, which is a beautiful thought to ponder, though something we may never fully comprehend.

God sent Jesus, in order to reveal more of Himself to us. Jesus told people whoever sees Him has seen His Father, words that eventually got Him killed. He showed us through His parables, the unconditional love that God has towards people in all sectors of society, especially the outcasts. The parable of the prodigal son revealed that God has the heart of a father towards us, and His love doesn’t change based on our goodness. He loves us with unconditional love, because He is a good Father. 

Jesus offers us the gift of His peace, saying “My peace I give to you, not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled.” His peace is the remedy for all troubled hearts. The world’s perception of peace is about acquiring things, and ridding ourselves of problems. The peace of Jesus is different. He dwells within us, so His peace remains with us through all the storms in our life. 

In today’s scripture, Jesus tells us that He and His Father are moving in with us. He uses first person plural, saying “We” will make our home with you. If God has moved in with us, then the kingdom of God is in us, and not just a far off place called heaven. God is living in us through His Spirit, the gift He sent ever since Pentecost. Jesus further explained how this “internal kingdom of Heaven” works.

He told us that He asked the Father to give us another helper, someone who will be with us forever, and that person is the Holy Spirit. Throughout  the 14th chapter of John’s gospel, Jesus seemed to define the roles of what He does, what His Father does, and what the Holy Spirit does.

He refers to the Holy Spirit as a person, saying, “The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him for he lives with you and will be in you.” (John 14:17)

Through the Holy Spirit, we are able to know God, the Father, and Jesus, His Son. Anytime we pray, we reconnect to that kingdom of God living in us and working within us. The fruits of the kingdom within us are peace, love, joy, comfort, wisdom, discernment, and much more.

Sometimes I need to remind myself that He is within me even when I do something as mundane as standing in a crowded check out line, or driving through heavy traffic. He is in us when we are ill, or caring for our terminally ill loved one or visiting someone in the hospital. 

He is within us when we ask for His help and listen for His calming voice, during the most fearful or unstable moments in our life. He answers us deep within, assuring us “It’s going to be okay.” Jesus is like the veteran soldier, who already suffered every kind of human hardship that we could ever live through, and He will guide us safely to heaven, through His Spirit, who lives in us.

Jesus summed it all up by saying, “On that day you will realize that I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you.” (John 14:20)

He wants us to realize that He has come to live with us and in us, and His Holy Spirit empowers us to keep trusting, knowing God is with us, as we share His gifts with others.

Lord, thank you for all the gifts you have given us, and help us to share your peace, love and joy with others every day, but in a special way this Christmas. Amen

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL ❤️

“Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?”

Hebrews 1:14 (NIV)

I may be a widow living with a cat and a dog, but I honestly never think of myself as living alone. I know without a doubt that I’m surrounded by angels, and I mean that in the most plural sense. 

If we receive a gift from someone, we  show our gratitude by opening it and using what we were given. Jesus taught us that God has given each of us angels to guard and protect us. Since angels are God’s gifts to us, sent to serve us as ministering spirits, shouldn’t we show our gratitude to Him by using the gifts He has given us?

If anyone watched the news lately, there was a story this week about an Ohio man who was approached by police with an arrest warrant, as he was getting into his van. His 9 month old son was sitting in his car seat in the back of the van. The man decided to bolt, and took off at a speed of 100 mph down the highway, in a police chase. 

The back door of the van was never shut, so the door swung open and the baby was thrown from the van strapped into his car seat, bouncing several times on the grassy side of the highway. The chase took place at night so the police never saw the baby thrown from the van. 

The man was apprehended and an hour later, they found the baby still strapped in his car seat on the side of the road in the dark, cold night. 

He was cold but fine, miraculously, without a single injury. I have no doubt that the helpless baby had supernatural assistance, specifically “heavenly assistants”, in the form of angels, who brought a safe outcome.

Jesus told us to ask anything in His name, so I habitually ask for multiple angels to dwell in my home and to surround my car, everywhere I go. I also ask God to surround my loved ones with angels. 

I believe we can ask for angels to give skill and wisdom to our doctors, so they will make the best decisions. I also ask for angels to give skill and wisdom to any serviceman who comes to do repairs in my home. 

I’ll never forget the time I called a plumbing company I never used before. They were sending out a plumber to check a leaky pipe in my basement. I specifically prayed for God to send an angel along with the plumber and give him whatever skill and wisdom he needed to solve the problem. The doorbell rang, and a young man was standing at my door in a uniform, wearing a name tag that quickly drew my attention, as it read “Gabriel.” 

Gabriel efficiently solved the leak problem and seemed very honest and competent. I even requested him for a different plumbing issue later, but was told he moved out of state.

God is good to us, blessing us with heavenly assistants, even when we are totally unaware. Paul tells us not to forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing so, some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. 

(Hebrews 13:2) 

It’s a fascinating thought, and I’ve heard of numerous stories of people who received help from a stranger, who disappeared afterward. Angels will come to help us in disguise as regular people, if they deem it necessary.

Let’s not forget that we are protected by angels, even when we have put God to the test by making very bad decisions. Guardian angels couldn’t have worked harder than during my teenage years, long before I ever knew that God or angels ever existed. 

When I was sixteen, my friend, Wendy and I used to hitchhike everywhere, since neither of us had a car. We assumed anyone who picked us up was a nice, normal person doing us a favor. It was the year 1969, the days of peace, love, and in my case, a bit of stupidity. 

We would routinely hitchhike rides  from the north side of Chicago where we lived, to Old town, which was a popular hang out in the near north side of Chicago. We lied to our parents, saying that we were taking public transportation. 

Reflecting on the incredible risks we took, I know now that by God’s grace we were protected by angels. The riskiest experience we had while hitchhiking, was when a man picked us up and said he had to make a brief stop to bring some things up to his apartment. We agreed to wait in the car for him, but he asked if we would help him carry some bags up. 

As we carried bags up to his third floor apartment, we asked him more questions, and he told us he just got out of jail, for charges of assault and battery, and was moving back into his place. Wendy and I looked at each other and after dropping off the bags, we silently headed towards the door. He followed us out the door, drove us to our destination, and never harmed us. 

What are the chances that an encounter like that could turn out so uneventful ? Only by the grace of God and maybe angelic protection. 

Wendy has since moved to Florida where she lives with her husband in retirement. As I was reminiscing about that day, I decided to message her and ask if she remembered it. She said that she was just thinking about the same thing. Since it came to both our minds at the same time, I believe the Holy Spirit was leading me to reflect on the theme of angelic protection, which is what inspired this meditation. 

Scripture says that God commands His angels to guard us in “all our ways.”  (Psalm 91:11) 

All our ways means there is nothing they won’t do to keep us safe. There is no limit to how an angel or multiple angels will intervene to protect us, or our loved ones. It may not even occur to us until later, that we have all been supernaturally spared or protected at some point in our life. 

Reflecting on God’s mercy and goodness to us in our times past, strengthens our faith for the current struggles we face. I believe if we ask for multiple angels to guide and protect us, others or our loved ones, we will receive it. Jesus told us all things are possible, if we believe. 

Lord, we praise you for the many times you have surrounded us with heavenly protectors, your angels. We thank you for your patience, love and grace, and especially for the gift of angels that you have given us. Amen

“Then going out he went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him.”

Luke 22:39 (NAB)

Jesus could be found in the temple every day, teaching and preaching. We learn from scripture that He loved the temple ever since He was a child. People naturally hung on His every word, as He ministered to the crowds, pouring Himself out, by healing, teaching and preaching. It sounds like He spent every day, all day long with people, but this scripture tells us that when night came, Jesus departed as was His “customary habit”, to a special place. He had one preferred place to go in order to spiritually refresh Himself and talk to His Father, which was the Mount of Olives. 

We all have a preferred place, that has the elements we need to help us reconnect with God. For some, a particular atmosphere and scenery helps us to focus and spiritually reconnect. Some people are inspired by seeing a body of water, being on a boat or relaxing near a shore. Some prefer the scene from a high mountain top, and others need to be surrounded by the sights and scents of a garden or a rich forest. 

I am inspired by artwork and certain portraits of Jesus, as well as scenes that illustrate scriptural truths in some spectacular way. It’s probably the reason I started adding illustrations to every meditation after the first year of writing them. I love the visual arts, but I also have other customs of finding inspiration.

While silence and quiet meditation is important for every believer, there are many sights, sounds or scents that help us focus and reconnect with the Lord. It is unique to each individual. Certain contemporary Christian music lyrics inspire me to open up more with God. 

I worked in a major hospital for over two decades, and in my early career years, I did EEG brain wave tests on many unresponsive or comatose patients. I have watched many family members talking to their unconscious or comatose loved ones, while at their bedside, hoping their loved one could hear and understand them. 

People who have woken up from a coma, claim to remember hearing their loved ones talking to them. In the past few years, scientific research has finally proven that the sense of hearing outlasts all other senses, and remains to the end of human life. It’s good to know that those we love can or have heard us, despite being unconscious. 

Since the sense of hearing is the last sense to go, I intend to use mine fully, so I composed a special playlist of inspiring songs and named it my “Coma” playlist, which I want to have played if I’m ever in a coma. People always laugh when I tell them about my Coma playlist, but I’m dead serious. (no pun intended.) 

God gave us five senses to use, a sense of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. So whether we are inspired by looking at great artwork, sitting on a mountain top, listening to the ocean, smelling a forest, or hearing certain music, our senses will always have the potential to deepen our connection with God. 

Whatever we are going through in our life, we all need a customary place of inspiration to retreat to, something that stimulates some or all of our senses and enriches our private time with God. 

It’s a place where we not only speak to Him, but where we can tune in to hear His still, small voice, which is regularly speaking to us. Whatever customary practice helps us to reconnect with the Lord, I pray God blesses it in each of our lives. 

What is your daily custom for inspiration ?

Lord, thank you for helping us find our best way to reconnect with you. Bless each reader today and draw us all closer to you. Amen

“After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.”

1 Kings 19:11-12 (NIV)

Elijah, the prophet, was in a cave hiding out, depressed and waiting to die. Overwhelmed with fear and grief after Queen Jezebel had all the prophets killed. Now he was the only one left, and her assassins were out searching for him. While in that cave, he was emotionally exhausted and prayed,

“I have had enough, Lord, take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” Then he laid down and fell asleep, but God sent an angel to wake him up twice, to force him to eat and drink. 

God shows us through this story, how much He cares for our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well being. He sent an angel just to ensure that Elijah ate and drank, in order to keep him nourished. 

Looking outside his cave, Elijah observed a powerful wind, followed by an earthquake and then a fire, but God did not speak through any of those forces of nature. Instead, He came to Elijah and spoke in a gentle whisper that overshadowed and swept over him like a comforting  breeze. The whispering voice asked, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He told God that all the prophets had been killed and he was the last one left. Then God told him to “Go back…” 

God sent Elijah back to the chaotic world he was running from, and informed him that he was not the only one left, but that there were 7,000 other people, who were also believers and followers of God. Elijah left the cave, found those other prophets and believers, and the cruel rulers were soon replaced by a just king, named Jehoshaphat. 

The Soul whisperer let Elijah know that things were not as bleak as he once feared. He learned that he was never alone, and the situation was not as desperate as he perceived it from his cave of despair.

God sees our anguish and comes to us with a gentle whisper, inviting us to go back and resume our place in this world, as He walks with us, to restore us physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. That same gentle voice of God, later embodied Jesus, as He spoke in the same tender way, 

“Come unto me all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

It’s easy to become overwhelmed with negativity when we face so much discouragement. When it seems that we have nothing left within us, the Spirit comes to us where we are. I can totally relate to Elijah, in his cave, being depleted emotionally, mentally and spiritually.

Between 2018-2019, I was taking care of Stephen, my late husband, who was diagnosed with ALS, and passed away within a year. During that time, I couldn’t get away to attend church or read scripture, and barely prayed much during those months. I was living on a spiritually empty tank, until some weeks after he died, when a friend gave me a Christian music CD.

One day, as I was listening to music, I felt God’s loving presence, as if a voice was whispering deep within my soul. It wasn’t an audible voice, but somehow I knew that the Holy Spirit was saying to me,  “I want you back.” In that moment, my soul responded and something transformed within me.

I believe the love of God comes to every person as a Soul whisperer, continually inviting them to return to Him, speaking inaudibly to every human soul. He wants to walk beside us through this life, and He wants everyone to come back to Him, in some way. Once we respond to His gentle whisper, it’s like a healing balm to our soul. 

Caves and mountain tops are good places to escape to, for prayer or meditation, but they were not meant to be permanent dwelling places. The Soul whisperer calls us out of our caves and off of our mountain tops. He whispers to us in our isolation, and brings us back to the noisy, chaotic, real world, so that He can walk with us on our journey of faith. 

Sorrows and losses happen in our lives, which make us feel we cannot walk with the same vigor as we once did, but the Soul whisperer tells us, “Walk with whatever you have left, and I will be with you all the way to the end.” He equips us to walk a new path and showers us with new mercies each day. It all starts with a gentle whisper, saying, “Come back, I will be with you.”

Lord, help us to hear what you are whispering within our soul, and to receive your healing as you draw us out of our cave, and show us new mercies, so that we may share your love and gifts with all those around us. Amen