Month: January 2025

“Say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?”’

Then he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready. Make the preparations for us there.”

Mark 14:14-15 (NAB)

Jesus celebrated the Passover each year with His disciples, using one of the upper rooms inside a large home in Jerusalem. He knew that it would be the last Passover celebration with His disciples, so He sent a message to the master of that house, asking where His guest room is, so that they could prepare it for the Passover.

The master of that house in Jerusalem routinely rented out the 2nd and 3rd floor rooms for special occasions. I attached pictures, showing the upper room which historians believe is the one that Jesus and His disciples used.

The upper room is where Jesus washed His disciples’ feet, shared the Passover with them every year, for three years, and is where the 120 gathered and were filled with the Spirit on the day of Pentecost. 

The upper guest room was the place where life changing, supernatural phenomena occurred. To me, the most marvelous event was when Jesus entered that room for the last time, in His glorified, resurrected body. On that day, He came in through the wall, instead of through the door.  (John 20:19)

Every person is the master of their own spiritual home, deciding to whom and to what they will give their space to. Whatever fills our minds most, whatever desires we yield to the most, and whoever or whatever we pay the most honor to, dwells in our guest room. For us, the guest room is not a physical place in our body, but is within our hearts.

Jesus is asking for the place of honor in that room. Once we tune out all the outside noise and angry voices all around us, we might just hear that soft, gentle voice of Jesus asking us, 

“Where is My guest room?”

Mary was the first human being to welcome Jesus into the guest room of her heart, as well as into the guest room of her physical womb.

If an honored guest or a favorite celebrity came to stay in my home, I would prepare the guest room by cleaning it, putting fresh linens on the bed, and stocking my pantry full of food, so that my guest and I can dine in excellence. Entertaining a guest is more than giving them a room, because we eagerly desire to spend time with our guest. We would not greet them in order to leave them with a list of chores, and then run off. 

I have learned over the years that I can welcome Jesus to live in my guest room, but easily slip into the mode of treating Him like a servant rather than a guest. Servants are those whose job is to please us, but an honored guest is someone we seek to please. Some days it seems I’m handing Jesus a laundry list of prayer requests, and then hurrying off to run errands and finish other obligations.

Even if nothing on that laundry list ever got done, it’s an honor and a joy to have His presence in our guest room. It’s about loving Jesus for who He is, and not for what He does for us, since that’s exactly how He loves us.  He wants us to ask of Him, by seeking and knocking on His door, but He is also knocking on our door, wanting to be invited in as our guest and dine with us. (Revelation 3:20)

Keeping Jesus as the honored guest, living in our guest room, and dining with us every day, naturally leads to a two way conversation of speaking and listening, called prayer, which deepens our relationship with Him. Maybe that’s what Jesus meant by dining with us.

The guest room in Jerusalem is the actual place where life transforming moments happened to the disciples over those three years of living with Jesus. He is doing the same for us, by subtly renewing and transforming us over time.

I can imagine Jesus saying to us, in our worst anxieties, during our hectic schedules, 

“I hear you and everything will be okay, just give me my guest room and come dine with Me.”

Lord, today we invite you into the upper room of our hearts, our guest room, which is prepared for you, and thank you for the honor of your Presence, as we dine with you each day. Amen

“For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah.”

1 Kings 17:16 (NIV)

The prophet Elijah was sent to a certain widow’s house, after she had been directed by God to supply the prophet with food. The scripture reveals that the widow obeyed, but had intense anxiety about giving the prophet her last portion of flour and oil, enough for one last meal with her son. 

Her whole land was living in the crisis of a three year famine, caused by a drought. Elijah could see her stress, but he reassured her that her jars would not be emptied. As the widow used the last of her flour and oil, to make bread for the prophet, herself and her son, the jars still appeared empty in that moment.

Despite Elijah’s promise, her faith was tested after using the last of her food, but the next day, those jars were replenished. She had enough to eat, one day at a time, and her jars continued to be refilled, until the famine was over.

We face similar testing like this all the time. We may find ourselves in a situation, that appears desperate, and even though we believe in God’s promises, our faith is put to the test. For a brief moment, the widow saw empty jars, but the next morning, those jars were miraculously refilled.

As we put our trust in the promises of God, our faith will be tested. Our jars may also look empty in that moment, but God is with us, and refills us one day at a time. The widow’s miracle wasn’t done by giving her one large lump sum to last a lifetime. She received what she needed one day at a time. 

God’s signature style has always been to supply His people’s needs, one day at a time, as He taught us with the story of manna in the wilderness. The Israelites found wafers that tasted like honey, on the ground each morning, and it was enough to fill everyone’s stomach for that day. They couldn’t store it, or hoard it, because manna had to be gathered fresh each morning. 

Jesus taught us to pray, asking God to give us “ this day” our daily bread. In the same way, He will supply our needs one day at a time, teaching us to trust in Him each new day.

The widow obeyed the Lord in her scarcity, and gave her last supply of food to Elijah, giving God first priority, and He provided for her as long as the famine lasted. The miracle of refilling the widow’s jars, has meaning beyond financial or material provision. It applies to any area of our life that is empty, depleted and needs refilling. We may have reached our limit with someone who has repeatedly hurt or angered us, feeling depleted of forgiveness. We may be depleted in patience, love, or faith, feeling desperate or fearful like the widow did. 

I remember once going through what felt like a famine of virtue, during the difficult year as caregiver for my late husband. I desperately needed to be replenished with patience, faith, hope and love. I was stressed out and depleted, until I brought all my emptiness to Jesus, and He began to refill me, one day at a time. 

That widow had a holy man in her home, and all that he promised her, came to pass, and her jars were refilled until the famine was over. 

We also have a holy man dwelling in our home, except He is someone much greater than Elijah. As we welcome Jesus into any area of our life that needs refilling, He will do what He promised. He is with us during our own spiritual famines, droughts, in our crisis of scarcity. We can trust Him, one day at a time, to keep us in peace and refill us with whatever we are lacking. 

Lord, give extra grace and strength to all the caregivers today, and thank you for being with us as we bring you our empty jars, trusting you to refill whatever we need. Amen

“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

2 Corinthians 4:18 (NIV)

Our fears are easily sparked by what we see all around us, while faith is defined as “the assurance of things not seen.” God rewards those who diligently trust in Him, and we all want the assurance of faith in what we cannot see, but somehow our eyes keep getting in the way. 

We get caught up in looking at the troubles all around us, and fear grips us at times. Our eyes see negative images and forecasts on the news, or a bad medical report, or a bill we cannot pay, or strained relationships. Fear arises from the thought of losing something. It could be the fear of losing our health, our financial stability, a job, or a relationship. We could also fear losing control in some way, losing respect, losing our peace or losing our loved one. 

Fear is based on what could possibly happen, even though it hasn’t even happened yet. It interferes with our trust in God. I’m a planner, and the hardest thing for me is to live one day at a time. Faith is trusting that God loves us and wants the best for us, before we can see how He will accomplish it. 

I can find the faith to tell God that I’m leaving the problem totally in His hands, but then I find myself checking in and monitoring Him, to see how He is doing. We can only do our part, and leave the things that are out of our control, up to Him. It’s a daily process, to leave things in His hands, as we refocus our trustful gaze on the One we cannot see.

Trusting in what we cannot see is like letting yourself fall backward, with someone ready to catch you. I would usually need a quick glance to look behind me, but if we have to keep checking to see if the Lord is ready to catch us, then it’s not faith. 

I like to periodically remind myself of the Bible’s definition of faith:

“Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1)

We must ask ourselves, Can we trust with assured conviction that Jesus is ready to catch us? He left the gospel image with us, that He is in our boat with us during the storm, which is enough to put our trust in Him.

Naturally, we cannot avoid seeing problems, but we don’t need to fix our gaze on them. 

Worry is a brief glance at God, with a longer gaze at the circumstances. Trust is a brief glance at the circumstances, with a longer gaze at God. 

We decide where to focus our glances and our gazes, which determines whether we live in fear or trust. 

Jesus said, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.” He called people blessed, if they believe what they can’t see. Whatever we know to be true about God, is what we gaze upon, and we do it one day at a time.

All trials are temporary but His promises are forever. He gave us His promises in scripture to help us trust Him without seeing:

He promised us rest instead of anxiety (Matthew 11:28)

He promised to fight our battles for us (Exodus 14:14) 

He promised to set us free from any type of bondage (John 8:36) 

He promised forgiveness and healing of all diseases (Psalm 103:3)

He promised to supply all our material needs (Philippians 4:19)

When worrisome thoughts return, I need to trust in His promises, look up and say something like, “Jesus, I surrender myself to you, I trust you in this, please take care of everything.”

Lord, help us to let go and fall into your arms, fixing our gaze and our focus on your promises, instead of our problems. Amen

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

Isaiah 53:7 (RSV)

Isaiah described a suffering, silent Messiah, who didn’t speak. Jesus was very outspoken throughout His ministry, until His arrest, when His suffering began. There’s a contrast between the Rabbi who turned over the tables of the money changers, calling the religious authorities hypocrites, and the silent, bleeding Lamb of God, carrying His cross to Golgotha. By example, Jesus showed us that there’s a time to speak out boldly and a time to be silent. 

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

“Do you think that I cannot call upon my Father and he will not provide me at this moment, with more than twelve legions of angels?” 

(Matthew 26:53) It sounds like He was saying no one needs to ever  use violence on His behalf.

Twelve legions of angels, or 72,000 angels, were standing ready if called upon to deliver Him, yet He chose not to be delivered, but rather to deliver us instead. He endured the cross out of obedience to His Father and His love for every human person on earth.

When Jesus was silent during His questioning by authorities like Pilate and Herod, He barely answered their questions at all, but when He did speak, He said things like, 

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

He spoke boldly, when asserting His divine authority, but He also used the powerful tool of silence. In silence, we can be sure that He was praying for His enemies, as He taught all of us to do. In silence, Jesus showed that we can find peace in knowing how to be still and know that the Lord is God.  (Psalm 46:10)

Since He embraced silence, the few words He did say, are worthy to meditate upon. Many books have been written on the last words of Christ. I haven’t read any yet, but a few of His last words have special meaning to me, so here are some of my insights. 

From the cross, Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” By forgiving His accusers and murderers, Jesus overcame evil with good, leaving His fragrance of forgiveness, even upon those who inflicted pain on Him. We are called to live as overcomers like Jesus, and we can overcome evil with good, through faith in Him.

When he cried out in Aramaic, saying, My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?”, Jesus was quoting from Psalm 22, a psalm packed with prophetic scriptures which graphically described the details surrounding His death. No one could have known, 1,000 years beforehand, that lots would be cast to gamble for His garments, but David wrote it in Psalm 22:19. 

Isaiah described a Messiah who was pierced for us, in his 53rd chapter. It’s the mystery of the ages, but there are treasures of prophecy hidden throughout scripture, and they all point to Jesus, as the Messiah. He fulfilled about 300 messianic prophecies.

In quoting that Psalm from the cross, Jesus showed His sense of destiny and purpose, in doing His Father’s will, even in those dark, pain filled moments. We are also meant to live with a sense of destiny and purpose, in our pain filled moments, with a certainty that God can and will bring the beauty of hope out of the ashes of our sorrow.

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

Jesus ministered to the criminal hanging next to Him, telling him, “Today you will be with me in paradise.” We can learn from Jesus, that whatever we are personally suffering, there is someone right next to us, who is also suffering. There will always be people that we meet, who are hurting, but can be lifted up and inspired in faith, by sharing our story or simply listening to theirs.

These few final words of Jesus, make me more aware of His Presence, who is near to all of us during difficult times. Jesus could have said and taught much more, by giving indisputable proof of who He was, but instead, He embraced silence, saying only a few key phrases, from the cross.  

His silence was not only a sign of His obedience, humility, love, sense of destiny and prayer for His enemies, but an anticipation of a victorious resurrection to come. He literally told His disciples that He would rise again on the third day, but at the time, they just couldn’t grasp what He was saying. (Matthew 16:21)

On that resurrection morning, Jesus appeared in the flesh, to all of them, putting an end to all fear and doubt, as He brought joy, hope and healing for all. 

Whatever cross we are currently carrying, we embrace the silence, and trust that we are walking in resurrection power, with Jesus right beside us, saying,

“Trust Me, I’ve got this.”

Lord, help us to know that your Presence always walks beside us, while we embrace silence. Speak to every heart today, and bring hope, healing, and joy through the victory of your resurrection. Amen

“David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.”

1 Samuel 17:45 (NIV)

David thought he was on a routine errand to bring lunch to his older brothers, on the battle line. A giant was taunting the Israelite army when David arrived. The giant’s name was Goliath, and he was 9’9” tall, wearing a bronze armor and helmet as he threatened the army of Israel. His words caused terror and fear among the people, but when David arrived to deliver lunch, the bullying of Goliath, stirred his faith in God.

David was the youngest of seven  brothers in his family. He may have been sent to a war zone to deliver lunches, but God had another purpose in mind. David was too young to be a part of the army, and he usually spent his days, in prayer and worship, while shepherding his father’s sheep, but occasionally his father asked him to take a basket of lunch to his older brothers, who were at the battle line.

David arrived with fresh bread and cheese, but we all know how the story ended. Upon hearing the giant taunting his people, he was inspired by his faith to stand up to the giant. David was ridiculed by his brothers at first, who prevented him from approaching Goliath, because he was just a boy, not a trained soldier. David reached for a stone and with his slingshot, he struck Goliath on the forehead. Goliath dropped to the ground and the enemy army fled away immediately. The Israelites rejoiced, regaining their confidence and faith in God. 

A young boy who arrived in a crowd, carrying lunch, was used by God to inspire faith among thousands. Sound familiar?

Where else have we heard a story about a young boy carrying a basket of lunch, which sparked faith among a large crowd? The boy, whose lunch Jesus used to feed the multitudes, didn’t know that when he routinely packed a lunch that day, it would be used by God to inspire the faith of thousands. 

Both the boy and David were doing a routine task, which involved bringing a basket of food to a public place. The boys never dreamed they would be used by God to inspire the faith of a multitude of people. Sometimes our most routine errand can turn into a faith inspiring moment for others.  The Holy Spirit always wants to use us to inspire others. We never know who will be set free from their fears, and turn to God, by seeing what we do or hearing the words we speak, during the menial tasks of our day. 

The kind deeds done during our daily routine, and the words we speak, might be observed by the right person at the right time, to inspire them. 

I remember the lady who inspired me. Monica was the daughter of a resident at my son’s Nursing Home. I observed her coming regularly to visit her mother, but Monica was different than the other visitors, because she greeted every resident by name, offering them hugs and conversation. I was impressed by her kindness and I remember deciding that I wanted to follow Monica’s example. 

Shortly after that her mother passed away, and Monica no longer visits the Nursing Home anymore. I’m now the routine visitor, who greets every resident by name, and I know that God used Monica to inspire me to follow her mission of kindness, and make a small difference in the lives of Nursing Home residents.

The Lord does extraordinary things through the ordinary routines of ordinary people. He can use our lunch break at work, or our daily errands to encourage hope and faith in someone else, even when we are unaware of it. Monica may never know how much she inspired me. 

Lord, as we go through our daily routines, help us to share your love and to plant seeds of hope and faith in others, so that they may be set free from all fear and anxiety. Amen

“Now in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groaning too deep for words; and He, who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”

Romans 8:26-27 (NASB)

Some situations are so perplexing that we aren’t sure how to pray. We cannot always know whether we should pray for healing or for endurance, to speak to someone or to be silent, to ask God to drive our enemies away or to help us befriend them. 

Prayer is difficult, and we can reach a point of not knowing how to pray, but even if we don’t know how to pray, the Holy Spirit always does, and He intercedes for us, by praying for us and through us. 

Whenever we become weakened by sorrow, sickness, discouragement, or fear, the Spirit understands every deep sigh or wordless groan within our hearts. Sometimes He inspires other people to pray for us, but other times, He intercedes for us directly as described in today’s scripture. 

There are over 8,000 different languages in the world, but Paul tells us that there is a language of angels, used in heaven. (1 Corinthians 13:1) 

If there are languages of angels, which the world doesn’t know about, then there are also other languages, like the groans and sighs in our hearts, which are too deep for words. Those groans are a language that is fully understood by the Holy Spirit. Knowing our distress, He intercedes for us. He is our helper, our teacher, the renewer of our minds and best of all, our comforter.

In my relationship with the Lord, He often comforts and reassures me through people. It could be through something that a total stranger says to me. One example is when I went to the bank and a total stranger overheard me explaining my son’s accident to the banker, and she later came to me and asked his name so that she could pray for him. 

Another example is when Jon was still in a coma and I went to pick up his mail from a UPS mail store, and a different clerk was on duty that day. He paused to ask how Jon was, and then told me that he had been praying for him, since he first about it. I was touched, though I never saw that clerk again. God uses the words of others to touch us and say “I am still here, don’t be afraid.”

Sometimes God reassures me by the name of a person sent to help me. It sounds strange, but once in a while, God sends a person with the first name of an angel, as a sign that He is with me, during a particular problem or situation.

I live alone, and once needed a plumber for a leaky pipe. After calling a company I didn’t know much about, I prayed that God would send an angel along with the plumber, to give him the skill to do the job. The plumber arrived at my front door, wearing a name tag that readily caught my eye, because it read “Gabriel.”

When I once needed an electrician, a friend recommended one to me and his name was Raphael. Both Gabriel and Raphael did a great job, and I know that God sent them as a reassurance to my inner groaning at the time.

I’ve been retired for over a year, but I recently received a summons regarding a surgical procedure I worked in, back in 2022. The whole matter shifted me far outside my usual comfort zone, and the prospect of testifying in a deposition is a bit unnerving. 

I was told by the hospital legal department that a defending lawyer would soon be assigned to my case. I prayed that God would give me the right lawyer, with the wisdom to do a good job. 

The next day, I received an email, telling me that a lawyer was assigned to me, and he would be contacting me soon. That lawyer’s first name is “Michael.” I looked up, took a deep breath, and said “Thank you, Lord!”  I have peace, knowing God gave me His usual sign of reassurance through an angel name, and the Spirit calmed my inner distress.

When we need comfort in any way, the Holy Spirit understands the language of our wordless internal anxieties. He comforts His people in different ways, and each person needs to pray and recognize the way that God is reassuring them. 

I think we often underestimate the presence of the Holy Spirit, working on our behalf. He is our helper, our comforter, our healer, our teacher and understands the language of wordless groans and the deepest sighs in our hearts. When we are overwhelmed with stress, He steps up and brings guidance, peace, wisdom and comfort.

Lord, thank you for the gift of your Holy Spirit, who intercedes for us, by praying for us and through us, when our groaning is too deep for words.  Amen

“And as you wish that men would do to you, do so to them.”

Luke 6:31 (RSV)

The verse above is the golden rule, as recited by Jesus. It is a basic reminder to everyone, of any faith, to show the mercy to others that we would want to receive for ourselves. 

Last month, I wrote a meditation titled, “Light of forgiveness and flavor of mercy,” 

In it, I wrote about how I accidentally scratched a car parked next to me, while backing out of a church parking space, and how kind the owner was, in refusing my offer to pay for repairs.

In that meditation, I wrote “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.” 

Well, that day came, this week.

I went to an evening function at my church on Monday, and afterward, while walking back to my car, a lady came up to me to apologize for hitting my rear bumper as she parked behind me. Then she offered me her insurance information. 

I immediately recalled that only a month ago, I was in that same position, apologizing to the owner of the car I scratched, who refused my offer of insurance information, saying it was a minor scratch, and nothing to worry about. 

Now it was my turn to pay it forward, so I told the lady not to worry, that it was a minor scratch, and I have caused worse scratches on the car. I refused her insurance information, but thanked her for being honest enough to tell me about it. 

During my drive home, I said, “Thank you, Lord, for giving me a chance to pay it forward.”  The next day she emailed me and offered once more to repair the scratch at her local mechanic. I reassured her that it wasn’t necessary. Then she thanked me, and we both expressed looking forward to seeing each other at the next church meeting.

It seems that this whole event was meant to bring me and this lady together for some reason, which I will probably learn later. God works in amazing ways, and His blessings are usually beyond what we could ever ask or imagine. (Ephesians 3:20)

Good things happen when we pay it forward, showing mercy to others as we remember the mercy shown to us. What if everyone everywhere found the simple joy in doing what Jesus said?

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” (Matthew 5:7)

Lord, let others see you in us, as we abide in your golden rule, and remind us to always pay forward the grace and mercy that we have received. Amen

“Blessed are those who find wisdom, and those who gain understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her.”  Proverbs 3:13-15 (NIV)

I had a vivid dream several months ago, which I wrote down as soon as I awoke. Dreams don’t always make sense, or leave us with a special meaning. In fact, I hardly ever remember my dreams, but once in a while, a dream stays with me and leaves a lasting impression. I have found this dream to be relevant in meaning for months to follow.

I dreamed I was talking with some new people at church. It became late and everyone said goodbye and one new lady named Sophia, showed me her watch and it was 11:30 pm. I am never awake at that hour of the night, and I remember being surprised at the late hour. We headed out the door together to walk home. Sophia said she lived in my neighborhood, so we walked home together. 

It was very dark outside, and we had to walk in the street since there was no sidewalk. Walking in a dark street at night was dangerous, and as I looked down at my clothing, which was also dark in color, I felt very vulnerable as cars drove past us. Then I looked at Sophia’s clothing and they were brightly lit up. As we walked, I felt safe with her walking by my side. She lit up my path as we walked down the dark streets.

She disappeared briefly as we passed some tall bushes, so I called out to her, “Sophia, where are you?” She answered me and reappeared, coming out from behind the tall bushes. I was relieved to hear her answer me, and then we continued walking along her lighted path.

Before arriving home, I woke up from the dream, and wondered what it could mean, as I reviewed the details that were fresh in my mind. That’s when I came across the beautiful scripture in Proverbs today. I know that the name Sophia in Greek translates to “Wisdom.” I believe that Sophia, in my dream, represented the wisdom of God.

In the book of Proverbs, wisdom is always referred to as a woman, as a “she” or “her” throughout the whole book. The Hebrew word for wisdom, “Khachmah” is even a grammatically feminine word. I was convinced that Sophia, in my dream, was a symbol or a personification of wisdom. God wants us to seek His wisdom and let “her”  light up our path.

Walking in the dark feels like so many experiences that we all go through in our lives. Everyone encounters unexpected trials, as we desperately seek God’s guidance to make the right decisions. It can feel like we are finding our way through a dark street. That’s how I once felt in becoming a caregiver for my terminally ill husband, or the legal guardian for my brain injured adult son. 

Everyone at some time in their life, will find themselves walking on a dark street, where we desperately need God’s wisdom to walk beside us, and light up our path. Wisdom is the most valuable of gifts because it gives us understanding, long before our prayers for help, deliverance and healing are answered. Wisdom changes our perspective of how we see problems and people. It builds up our faith and helps us to find peace in the midst of the problem. 

King Solomon considered wisdom to be life’s most profitable investment, saying that wisdom yields a better return than gold, and is more profitable than silver. I hope to invest in it for the remainder of my days.

Asking for wisdom is not the first thing I usually ask for, but scripture tells us if we ask for it, God will give it to us generously. Sophia was a personification of wisdom, reminding me to ask for it each and every day. 

The tall bushes in my dream are like the emotions that distract and blind us from God’s wisdom during times of distress and trouble. Instead of letting our emotions take over in the moment, if we keep calling out to God for wisdom, our path will remain well lit. 

God’s wisdom makes us wiser than what our emotions dictate. Feelings will mislead us but wisdom is greater than any feelings and emotions. James wrote, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all men generously.”  (James 1:5)

As Sophia and I left the church to start walking home, she looked at her watch and it was 11:30 at night. In seeing that time on her watch, God revealed that wisdom reminds us to live each day as if it is the 11th hour. It’s like asking ourself, “What would I do different, if I was meeting Jesus later today?”

It reminds me of Paul’s words to the Romans, to put on the armor of light. (Romans 13:12)

No one knows the day or the hour of Jesus’ second coming, but if we pray for 11th hour wisdom, we will walk in His light. Nothing is needed more today, in the 11th hour, than to walk in a path lit up by God’s wisdom, until Jesus returns again. 

I woke up before ever reaching my home in that dream, probably because wisdom is meant to guide us on the journey, which we are all still traveling on.

Lord, help us see the high value of your wisdom in our everyday lives. Let us walk in the armor of your light, always seeing things through your perspective, and grant us the peace, which surpasses all understanding. Amen

“Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.”

2 Samuel 9:7 (NIV)

Children are the innocent victims of  so much suffering resulting from the devastation of wars. It reminds me of this Old Testament story about a young handicapped orphan, and how God changed his destiny, giving him new life, hope and restoration. 

Mephibosheth was a healthy little boy, born into the royal family of King Saul. He was the grandson of King Saul, and the son of Jonathan, David’s closest friend. The little boy became crippled from a fall at five years old, and during a war, his entire royal family was killed, leaving him as a disabled orphan. The enemy confiscated any wealth or lands that were his by inheritance, so that he was not only handicapped and orphaned, but homeless as well. 

A family friend took Mephibosheth into their home, in a city called Lodebar. It was a place of desolation after the war, and the very word, Lodebar, translates to mean “Nothing”. So he was literally living in the land of “Nothing” as a nobody, who went from being a royal prince to a disabled pauper. It all happened through a series of events that the little boy had no control of. 

Anyone who has ever lost their health, a loved one, a home, their income or even their sense of self worth, can probably relate to the misfortune of this young boy. We probably all know someone who desperately needs some type of restoration, whether it be physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, or financial. 

Mephibosheth was completely helpless and left with nothing, but the Lord is fully attentive to the prayers of the destitute, and would later turn the little boy’s destiny around for the good.  (Psalm 102:17)

Eight years later, after David became king and freed his nation from their enemies, a period of peace was in the land. David wanted to show kindness to any surviving relative of his beloved friend, Jonathan, so he sent out a search party to find any surviving relatives. Mephibosheth was found in Lodebar, and brought to the king’s palace. 

King David adopted him as his own son, and restored all the lands of his inheritance. He lived in the royal palace, and his dignity was restored as he dined at the king’s table with the king’s children, for the remainder of his life. He went from prince to pauper, but was restored to royal prince again, adopted by King David.

God is our King, who searches for all those who feel like they are living in the land of Nothing, as a nobody. He has prepared a place for His children in His heavenly kingdom, seating us at His table, as His own adopted sons and daughters.

He has also given us a purpose to fulfill here and now, by being a part of His search party to find all those who feel like nobodies living in a land of Nothing. We are to go out on the highways and the byways, and bring dignity to others, inviting them to God’s kingdom, as His sons and daughters. Whatever they have lost, is restored by becoming joint heirs with His son, Jesus Christ. 

(Romans 8:17)

King David had compassion on Jonathan’s boy, Mephibosheth, and he saw great worth in him as a person. Jesus, who is called the Son of David, sees great worth in each of us, looking beyond our flaws and shortcomings. He restores our dignity, baptizes us into His family, and then calls us by His name-Christians.

God is always looking for ways to show His kindness to us, since His very nature is to restore and show mercy, asking, “How may I show My kindness to you?“  (2 Samuel 9:1)

God has been described as a good King, a good Father and a good Shepherd, searching the world over for the lost ones, who feel like nobodies in a land of Nothing. He restores and makes them a part of His family. All that God does for us is for our eternal good as Peter wrote,

“The God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, establish, and strengthen you.” (1 Peter 5:10)

Lord, We pray for all those today who have lost everything due to war, wildfires, hurricanes, or other disasters. As children of the King, help us to search for and comfort those who feel like nobodies, to share the love of God with them, so that they find restoration in you. Amen

“Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.”

2 Samuel 9:7 (NIV)

Children are the innocent victims of  so much suffering resulting from the devastation of wars. It reminds me of this Old Testament story about a young handicapped orphan, and how God changed his destiny, giving him new life, hope and restoration. 

Mephibosheth was a healthy little boy, born into the royal family of King Saul. He was the son of Jonathan, David’s closest friend, but he became crippled from a fall at five years old. Soon afterward, there was a war and his entire royal family was killed, leaving him as a disabled orphan. The enemy took over any wealth or land that was his by inheritance, so that he was not only handicapped and orphaned, but homeless as well. 

A friend cared for Mephibosheth in their home, in a city called Lodebar. It was a place of desolation after the war, and the very word, Lodebar, translates to mean “nothing”. So he was literally living in the land of “Nothing” as a nobody, and went from being a royal prince to a disabled pauper. It all happened through a series of events that the little boy had no control of. 

Anyone who has ever lost their health, a loved one, an income, a home or even their sense of self worth, can probably relate to the misfortune of this young boy. We probably all know someone who desperately needs some type of restoration. It could be physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, or financial. 

Mephibosheth was completely helpless and left with nothing, but the Lord is fully attentive to the prayers of the destitute, and would later turn the little boy’s destiny around for the good.  (Psalm 102:17)

Eight years later, after David became king and freed his nation from their enemies, there was peace in the land. David wanted to show kindness to any surviving relative of his beloved friend, Jonathan, so he sent out a search party to find Jonathan’s son, Mephibosheth. He was 13 years old by the time they found him in Lodebar, and brought him to the king’s palace. 

King David adopted him as his own son, and restored all the lands of his inheritance. Mephibosheth lived in the royal palace, with the royal family for the rest of his life. He dined at the king’s table with his children, having gone from prince to pauper, and then restored to royal prince again and son of the king.

God is our King, who searches for all those who feel like they are living in the land of Nothing, as a nobody. He has prepared a place for His children in His heavenly kingdom, seating us at His table, as His own adopted sons and daughters.

He has also given us a purpose to fulfill here and now, by being a part of His search party to find all those who feel like nobodies in a land of Nothing. We are to go out on the highways and the byways, and  invite others to become God’s sons and daughters. Whatever they have lost, is restored by becoming joint heirs with His son, Jesus Christ. (Romans 8:17)

David had compassion on Jonathan’s boy, Mephibosheth, and he saw great value in him as a person, just as God sees great value in us, beyond our flaws and shortcomings. He lifts us up, restores our dignity, baptizes us into His family, and names us after His own son, so we are called Christians.

God looks for ways to show His kindness to us, just as David did for Mephibosheth. God’s very nature is to restore and show mercy, just as David did for the young man, asking, “How may I show My kindness to you?“  (2 Samuel 9:1)

The Lord, being a good shepherd, is always searching the world for the lost, who feel like nobodies in a land of Nothing. He restores and makes them a part of His family. All that God does for us is for our eternal good as Peter wrote,

“The God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, establish, and strengthen you.” (1 Peter 5:10)

Lord, We pray for all those today who have lost everything due to war, wildfires, hurricanes, or other disasters. Help us to search for and comfort those who feel like nobodies, and share the love of God with them. Give restoration to all who need it, especially the innocent children. Amen