Author: Maria Barroso

“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”

1 Peter 3:15 (NIV)

Our faith is reflected to others without words, even though we may not realize it. Inner peace shows through our entire demeanor. The same goes for love, joy, or patience. People can sense a certain aura around believers who have a personal relationship with Christ. I know this because I remember a time in my own life before I had faith, when I recognized something special about certain people of faith, who I knew at the time.

Sharing one’s faith doesn’t always require words. People can observe it by how we treat others, or by acts of kindness. We’ve all heard it said, that our lives might be the only gospel that some people will ever read. 

Peter tells us to be prepared to give an answer for the hope that is in us. Moments will arise in conversations that offer an opportunity to share our personal faith story. 

Today’s scripture is a reminder to stay ready for that special moment when words are necessary.

At the age of 19, I reached a turning point, after surrendering my life to Jesus. For the first time in my life, I truly understood the gift of God’s grace, the cross, the resurrection and the peace of forgiveness. During a  four year obsession with the occult, during my teenage years, all of my energy had been spent in making astrology charts, palm reading, practicing witchcraft spells, and reading cards. It may sound crazy to those who never dabbled in any of these things, but I was finally set free from the grip that those mind controlling black arts had over me.

When I prayed a simple, sincere prayer to Jesus one day, something radically changed within me, and His mercy washed over me in a powerful way. I had no doubt that I received amazing grace, but I had no idea that it showed on my face. 

Afterwards, I was walking home one day, and a neighbor asked me, “Why do you look so different lately?” I was surprised by his question, but I told him that I recently surrendered my life to Jesus. I had no idea that my external image could possibly reflect what was happening within my soul. That was the first of several opportunities I had to give an explanation of the hope that was within me. 

During that same period of time, my cousin Clifton, had joined the army, and before he left for basic training, I remember a conversation I once had with him. I was sharing my faith and explaining what Jesus did for me, but he wasn’t very receptive. His responses carried a tone of mockery and total disregard for anything about God. It frustrated me, but after he went off to basic training, I continued to pray for him. 

I wish the story ended on a more positive note, but several months later, he was out drinking with his army friends while stationed in Hawaii, and they had a head on collision. My poor cousin, only in his early twenties, died instantly. It made me very sad, but it also made me realize that we never know how sharing our faith with someone, could be the last time we ever see them again.

Sometimes an opportunity comes when we least feel like talking about it. In Paul’s letter to Timothy, he encourages the church to be ready, whether in season or out of season, to speak and encourage others in the faith, and to do it with great patience.  (2 Timothy 4:2) 

We all have those “out of season”days, when it doesn’t feel like the right time to talk about our faith, or when we try to explain ourselves, but nothing is being received, requiring great patience with certain people. Paul tells us to speak, whether in season or not, always being ready to give an account of the hope that is within us, and to do so with respect and gentleness.

Whatever season it is, when Jesus is seated on the throne of our hearts, the more He reigns in every area of our life, the more we will naturally want to talk about Him. The throne of our heart is never empty, because if Jesus isn’t reigning there, then someone or something else will be. 

The beauty in all of this is that we each have our own unique story to tell, and Peter encourages us to be ready to tell it. Some have a story to share of a radically transformed life, or of receiving a miraculous healing of some kind. Some people’s story has little drama, but is about simple, steadfast faithfulness, despite years of difficult trials and afflictions. Each person’s story is so valuable to someone’s listening ears. 

Christ has reconciled the world to himself, and since we have all been reconciled, we tell our own unique story of redemption. We may never be called as missionaries or to any ministry, but we are all called to be “ambassadors for Christ”. To be His ambassador is defined by Paul as, God pleading through us, yet using our words to invite others to come back to God.  (2 Corinthians 5:20)

Lord, help us to live out our calling  as ambassadors for Christ, to be always ready in season and out, to share our story and the hope that is within us. Amen

“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.”

Luke 15:22-24 (NIV)

The Father of the prodigal made a feast and ordered his servants to bring the finest robe and put it on his son. This was the son who took his inheritance money and estranged himself from his family, until he finally returned home after living in a pen full of swine. Though he urgently needed a bath, his father wanted to first shower him with love, rejoicing in his return. The bath could wait until later. 

The prodigal son story reveals many truths about how extravagantly God loves us, first, by receiving us as we are. The bathing and deep cleaning can wait until later. He sees us as sons or daughters, and it doesn’t matter where we’ve been, He is looking for all of His children to finally come home.

Paul said that if we were baptized into Christ, we put on Christ, as one puts on a garment. (Galatians 3:27)

Putting on Christ is like putting on the Lord’s robe of righteousness and His garment of salvation, as described by Isaiah. (Isaiah 61:10)

The father of the prodigal put his  finest robe on his son, honored him with a ring on his finger and new sandals on his feet. He made it clear that this was his beloved son. The father did all this, not because his son was deserving or righteous, but because he was his son.

We are all undeserving, but we wear that robe by the grace of our Father in heaven, who loves us. Every lesson from the prodigal story, centers on relationship. God is our Father, and we are the sons and daughters He loves, and He merits us to wear His finest robe, which is Christ. He wants all His children to keep coming home and regularly receive the grace and forgiveness that He so generously offers.

The finest robe was a gift given, not as a reward for any good deeds that were done, but simply for being his son. We have all been reconciled to God, and are predestined to be conformed to the image of His son, Jesus. He invites us to also wear the gift from of our heavenly Father, which is Christ, His finest robe. 

(Romans 8:29)

Jesus, who knew no sin, wore our sins on the cross, and then gave us His robe of righteousness to wear forever. That kind of exchange reveals the extravagance of God’s love for us. It’s incomprehensible, but it’s the truth and essence of the gospel message. 

If we feel unworthy, it’s because we are. We are recipients of grace, His undeserved favor, because our heavenly Father loves His sons and daughters, like the father of the prodigal in this story. God has called all who are baptized in Christ to wear Him as our finest robe. 

We wear Christ in gratitude, publicly, not in secret, and not hiding Him from the rest of the world. People often say that their faith is private, but the father of the prodigal celebrated his son’s return with a public celebration. His father never intended it to be a private matter, and neither does our Father. 

Redemption is too great a gift to be kept private, since it was meant to be shared with others. Jesus is waiting for more prodigals to return home, so that He can place His garment of salvation and robe of righteousness upon them. Heaven still has a huge celebration every time a son or daughter comes home. (Luke 15:10)

Lord, thank you for wearing our sins on the cross, and clothing us in your finest robe of righteousness, and most of all, thank you for your love, and the free gift of grace, that brought us salvation. Amen

“Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to feel sorrow and distress. Then he said to them, “My soul is sorrowful even to death. Remain here and keep watch with me.”

Matthew 26:36-38 (NAB)

We shouldn’t need to wait for Holy Week to realize the relevance of the garden of Gethsemane, in each of our lives. Jesus asked His closest friends, “Stay with me, my soul is sorrowful even to death.” The garden is where we see the humanity of Jesus in totally raw form, and He wanted His friends nearby, in that emotionally stressful time, as His arrest and impending death was a reality.

The word Gethsemane, in Hebrew means, olive press. An olive press crushes olives, squeezing all the oil out of them. Jesus was emotionally and spiritually crushed in the garden of Gethsemane, and had everything squeezed out of Him. 

We might experience a garden of Gethsemane in our own lives, through some type of sorrow, affliction or a tragedy that we have no control over. It causes us to feel emotionally pressed or squeezed, but Jesus knows what it’s like to be crushed in that olive press. We cannot control the events that happen in our lives, but we can trust Jesus to empathize with us and be here with us. The pressing in our garden is what produces oil, and that oil becomes a healing balm to share with others. 

The garden was a preparation for Jesus, before going to the cross. We are also prepared and strengthened for every trial we face. The healing balm that comes from the oil of our olive press, is what we comfort others with, who share a similar tragedy, sorrow or affliction. 

Every believer has a Gethsemane experience. It might have happened in their past, or could be happening in the present. I went through a type of Gethsemane when my adult son, Jon, suffered a traumatic brain injury from a motorcycle accident in 2023. His life came to a crushing halt, by being physically and mentally disabled, and he’s been living in a Nursing Facility ever since. 

He’s made progress in his recovery, but that entire event was not only his, but my Gethsemane. Within that olive press, an oil of healing was produced in both of us. If Jon is ever able to talk about it, he will have a good story to tell. While we are being crushed in the olive press, we don’t always realize that a healing balm comes from the oil, which later becomes a blessing shared with others, who are going through something similar.

The first effect of the oil of healing for me was the peace in knowing that God loves our children and our loved ones, more than we do. I met the parents of a young man about my son’s age, who also resides at the same Nursing Facility. God brought me and Andy’s parents together, since we both had adult sons who nearly died, yet survived a serious brain injury. Both of our sons are slowly recovering, but we now share a special bond as parents, united in the healing balm from the oil of being mutually pressed.

There is also a peace in knowing that God is deeply interested and fully invested in our lives. He goes so far as to connect us with others who share a similar experience. Jesus empathizes with every kind of pain, whether it is emotional or physical, because He experienced both, and He uses people to comfort each other.

The oil of healing that comes from our garden of Gethsemane is a personal realization that God is love, and because He loves us, He not only sacrificed His Son for us, but shares His suffering and resurrection with us. He not only promises us a spiritual resurrection and renewal in this life, but also a literal resurrection in the life to come. 

God created us to thrive as a community, and when we experience the oil press in our garden, we are able to give the gift of empathy and comfort to others who suffer in a similar way. We may never know in this life, how all these things could possibly work together for our eternal good, but one day we will know and see everything clearly.

Jesus told us to let the children come to Him, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these. There’s a depth of wisdom hidden in those words. It’s always best to entrust our children to Jesus, whether they are infants, young children, or adults. In His infinite wisdom, Jesus will draw all children closer to Himself, and He does it in different ways from person to person. 

Whether we are parents or not, our strength comes through times of adversity, which occasionally may become our Gethsemane. Any way we look at this difficult topic, God’s oil of healing gives us the strength for every future challenge, by learning to trust in His love. The strength Jesus found in the garden, came from knowing that His Father loved Him, and love enabled Him to move forward and face the cross.

God will take our tragedies and work all things together for the eternal good of every soul involved. Every loss is a lesson, grief reaps an inner growth, and when we are pressed like olives, we gain renewed strength to press on and bring the oil of healing to others. 

Jesus didn’t ask much of Peter, James and John. He only asked them to “remain here and keep watch with Me.” We have a great gift to give, by remaining to keep watch with someone who is going through their own Gethsemane. 

When someone would tell me that they were praying for my son, it felt like another drop of healing balm to my soul. We were meant to be a blessing to each other by simply being there with them. Showing empathy is the fruitful result of the healing balm that flows out of the pressing process of Gethsemane.

Peace can be found in that garden as we realize Jesus is holding on to us. He, who went through it all before us, is still with us, walking along side us in empathy, as He leads us from the garden into greener pastures.

Lord, bring your healing balm to all who are pressed or grieving today. Strengthen us by your love, so that we may empathize and comfort others who are also suffering. Amen

“As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth

and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” 

Isaiah 55:10-11 (NIV)

Scripture has a divine purpose, and that purpose works in whoever hears or reads it. Even the symbols that are used in scripture, become reminders of God’s many truths. 

I remember a mustard seed necklace I once had when I was young. It was a glass ball with a tiny mustard seed inside of it. Jesus said that faith as small as a mustard seed can move a mountain. That tiny seed in the necklace is a symbol and a reminder that God’s word tells us to keep praying and believing, because the tiniest seed of faith can move mountains.

The fact is that a tiny mustard seed does grow into a large tree, some reaching 20 feet high and spreading branches  20 feet wide. Faith, like that tiny mustard seed, is planted in us, with the intention to keep growing.

Reading God’s word produces faith and gives us hope. It also corrects and admonishes us to follow His ways, and not falter through life on our own. Today’s scripture in Isaiah assures us that God’s word never returns void. Whether it is read or heard spoken aloud, it will accomplish a divine purpose in us. 

While we read and meditate on His word, His Spirit transforms and renews our minds, as He is working in us, like a mustard seed growing into a huge tree, bearing spiritual fruit.

Jews have a prayer tradition of filling small containers with scriptures printed on parchment paper.  A parchment of scripture is placed in a container called a Mezuzah, and placed on the doorpost of every Jewish home, as a blessing, going in or out. 

Another parchment is placed in little black leather boxes called Tefillin, which are strapped to their arm and forehead, as they recite prayers. These are the symbols from their scriptures, the Torah, which are reminders to keep their hearts and minds on God and His word.

It may seem like a strange practice, but it’s a literal observance of the following scripture: “Take to heart these words which I command you today…..Bind them on your arm as a sign and let them be as a pendant on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates.” (Deuteronomy 6:6-9)

(A boy praying, while wearing Tefillin)

God wants all of us to know, recite, memorize and bind His word to our hearts. Instead of wearing symbols like leather boxes filled with scripture or on our doorpost, or in a mustard seed pendant, we can plant His word in our minds and hearts, by reading scripture each day.

It will become like a seed planted in us, which grows into a large fruit bearing tree.

In reading scripture, we can know what God has to say to us and about us. We are chosen by grace, and He wants us to cooperate with that grace throughout our lives. Nothing can separate us from the love of God, and reading scripture keeps us even closer as we open our hearts to what He has to say. God’s love for us is like a powerful magnet, and it keeps drawing us closer to Him.  (Romans 8:39)

The Letter to the Hebrews, describes God’s word as a living and active therapeutic sword, like a therapist, which probes below the surface of our being, cutting through the lies that once deceived us and revealing His truth to our heart. (Hebrews 4:12)

Everything begins like that tiny mustard seed that Jesus spoke of. As the Gardener of the universe, God lovingly planted each of us in a womb, beginning as a tiny mustard seed. He has a beautiful purpose for each life He creates, and there are a lot of mountains that need moving. As we regularly allow His word to be planted in our hearts and minds, we will reap the purpose He intended for us.

Lord, help us to cherish your word as your truth is planted in us, as a tiny mustard seed, always growing into a tree of faith and discernment as you reveal more of your love for us. 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 believes”, 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 highlighted 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 the Lord 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.” Jesus is looking for  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. He showed them His scars and His wounded side. 

He 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 walk away in 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 keeps extending His nail scarred hands towards me. He never scoffs at our honesty when we admit our doubts. He keeps drawing us closer, inviting us to touch His scars and go a little deeper.

As we remember His unconditional, relentless love for humanity, and all the various levels of faith among His believers, we can almost still 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 and deeper in our devotion to you. Amen 

“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