Kissed by the Spirit

“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 an afflicted, silent Messiah, whose mouth was closed. Jesus was very outspoken throughout His ministry, until His arrest. There’s a contrast between the Rabbi with a whip, who turned over the money changers’ tables, and the wounded Lamb of God, who carried His bloody cross up Golgotha’s hill. 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 abruptly told him to put away the sword, saying,

“Don’t you think I can call upon my Father and he’ll provide me with more than twelve legions of angels?”  (Matthew 26:53) 

He was saying no one needs to ever use violence on His behalf.

Twelve legions of angels is equal to 72,000 angels, just standing by in case Jesus called on them for deliverance, except that He chose not to be delivered, but to deliver us instead. 

When Jesus was silent during the questioning by Pilate and Herod, He barely answered any of their questions, except to say 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 to assert His authority, but towards the end, He used the powerful tool of silence, showing that His true authority is not of this world. In His silence, Jesus prayed and forgave His enemies, just as He taught us to do. In silence we can find peace in our pain, knowing that God is still God. (Psalm 46:10)

As Jesus embraced the silence toward the end, His last few spoken words have been written about in books, and those last words have special meaning to us.

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. It’s a reminder that we are to follow Him and overcome evil with good.

When he cried out in Aramaic, saying, My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?”, Jesus didn’t lose faith in His Father, He was quoting Psalm 22, a psalm full of Messianic prophecies that were fulfilled by Him. No one knew 1,000 years beforehand, that men would one day gamble for His garments, and fulfill one of many prophecies listed in that Psalm.

Jesus fulfilled 300 Messianic prophecies found in scripture.  Isaiah’s prophecy in the 53rd chapter, described a Lamb led to the slaughter, who was “pierced” for our iniquities. 

His purpose was foretold and fulfilled, even in His darkest, most painful moments on the cross. We were also meant to trust God and find our sense of purpose, in the dark and painful seasons of our lives. God is faithful and He can bring beauty and new hope out of the ashes of our sorrow.

Mark Twain said, “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, using very few words. He promised him, “Today you will be with me in paradise.” 

We learn from this scene that whatever we are suffering, there is always someone nearby who needs us. When we use our pain to help others, God’s mercy is powerful enough to reach the very last seconds of any person’s life. The things that matter the most, require the fewest words.

Jesus could have talked more, and given indisputable proof of who He was, by saying only a few key phrases, from the cross.  He was secure in who He was, by proclaiming that it was finished and then He offered His spirit back to His Father.

The humble, silent Messiah, prayed for His enemies, loved without receiving love in return, lived with a sense of destiny, and anticipated His resurrection to come. Jesus told His disciples ahead of time that He would rise again on the third day, but they just couldn’t grasp what He was saying. (Matthew 16:21)

Whatever cross we are currently carrying, there is a time for silence, to embrace the beauty of God who is with us, as we walk in the hope of resurrection power. We hold to the confidence that Jesus, who walks beside us, is saying, “Trust Me, I’ve got this.”

Lord, help us to embrace the beauty of silence. Speak to our hearts today and bring hope, healing, and joy through the victory of your resurrection. Amen

“When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.

But the more they were called,

the more they went away from me….

It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms;

but they did not realize it was I who healed them.

I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love.

To them I was like one who lifts

a little child to the cheek,

and I bent down to feed them.”

Hosea 11:1-4 (NIV)

I seem to write often about the Fatherhood of God, but I can’t help it, because it’s the central theme of our faith. We read of God as a Father by prophets in the Old Testament and through the teachings of Jesus as well. 

It’s a point God kept making, until it sinks in, that He is a Father. 

God compares Himself to being a Father to Israel, and the church is the spiritual Israel through the new covenant. There are twelve apostles who started the church just as there were twelve tribes who formed Israel. The people of Israel faithfully keep a Passover feast in remembrance of their deliverance from slavery. The church faithfully keeps their Passover feast through Holy communion, to remember Jesus, who gave us deliverance from slavery to sin and death. 

God compares all of His people to children who sometimes grow up and wander away from Him, like a repeat of the prodigal son story. The words of Hosea tell us what God feels toward those wandering children, expressed with the tenderness of paternal love.

He sentimentally recalls how He once taught his child to walk, and lifted him up in His arms, pressing His face against his cheek with tender affection. What a picture of Fatherly love which God directs to all of humanity, both Jew and gentile. 

In the prodigal son parable, the father runs toward his long lost son with open arms, instead of waiting with crossed arms, for his boy to return to him. God’s arms are always open and extended toward all of us. Hosea illustrates this image in today’s scripture. 

The 19th century English poet, Francis Thompson, wrote a poem, “The Hound of Heaven,” which describes his own rebellious ways and God’s passionate pursuit of him throughout his life. It sounds like Francis ran from God for many years, but he calls God, the Hound of Heaven, who never gave up His pursuit of Francis.

The poem was written in 19th century old English verbiage, and although I read it a few times, I could hardly understand it due to the old English terminology. Then I found a website where Richard Burton recites the entire poem, in his classic oratory style with an English accent. I could feel the meaning of the poem, just by listening to Richard Burton recite it.

A phrase in the poem reminded me of a similar sentiment expressed in Hosea’s words. Francis Thompson described the Hound of Heaven, who pursued him for days and nights all of his life. Then the Hound says to Francis,

”All which I took from thee I did but take, not for thy harms, but just that thou might’st seek it in My arms.” 

At first these words are hard to understand, but if I were to paraphrase it, God is saying, “What I took from you was not for harm, but so you’d seek refuge in my arms.”

Anyone who has felt grief or loss in any way, could relate to the words of God asking that we seek refuge in Him. The same Heavenly Father who picks up His child in his arms, and holds his face against His cheek, is the same Hound of Heaven, who told Francis that He causes no harm, but only desires that we seek refuge in His arms. 

After the long pursuit of Francis, in conclusion, the Hound of Heaven calls to him, “Rise, clasp my hand and come,” and Francis goes into His Father’s arms. 

We can’t always choose the path we end up on, but we can choose to walk it with God, to abide in His refuge, and find our security in His arms. He always was and always will be a loving Father who never stops pursuing each soul, all the days of their life, until they seek refuge in His arms. 

Lord, thank you for the tender image of lifting us up and pressing Your cheek on ours, as a loving Father shows affection to His children. With this image in mind, help us pause a moment today and just let You love us. Amen

“Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”

Hebrews 10:22-23 (NIV)

What a beautiful thought, to have our conscience cleansed, by drawing near to God, who is always faithful to His promises. There’s no greater feeling than to be forgiven and to forgive others.

Human beings have a natural awareness of right and wrong, born with an inherited compass that determines our own guilt, which is called our conscience. Yet, guilt and shame are not good long term motivators. Human guilt often produces a tendency to fear and hide from God, as illustrated in the garden scene of Genesis. 

God’s love casts out all fear and changes a human heart in a way that motivates them for the long term. Most people don’t realize how much God loves them, but when they do, it’s His love and kindness that draws us in, keeps the faith and forms a relationship with Him for the long term. Scripture tells us that it’s not guilt, but the lovingkindness of God that leads to repentance and transformation.  (Romans 2:4)

Christianity is the only religion in the world with a God who suffered for us. He demonstrates His love for us in the passion and sacrifice of Christ. God’s love expressed through action, changes our hearts and brings us closer to Him. Sometimes people don’t think much about God until they are in some sort of pain.

C.S. Lewis said that God whispers to us in our pleasure, but shouts to us in our pain. 

If God shouts to us in our pain, He shouts in words of love. He shouts to tell us that we don’t need to beg for His love, because He has loved us from the womb. He also shouts to say that He already paid the greatest price for our salvation, and we don’t need to earn what He gave as a free gift. 

He shouts to say He loves us, He knows us and asks that we give Him our whole heart in return.

Some people are blind to this incredible love, mercy and grace that God showers upon us. Once a person realizes how much God has always loved them, it’s life changing. It sounds cliche, but it’s still true that what the world really needs now is love.

I was once blind to God’s love at the age of 19. No one needed to point out my sins, because I had a healthy, working conscience. What I didn’t know was how much God loved me, just as I am. 

I thought that God only loves really good people, who never do anything wrong. When I finally came honestly to Him, asking for forgiveness, I not only knew I was forgiven, but received a bombshell of insight in that very moment. I knew from somewhere deep within, for the first time in my life, that God really loved me just as I am. His love changed me and set me in a new direction ever since. 

Generation Z has been the generation that is now seeking spiritual renewal and making commitments of faith in Jesus.  Sadly, the statistics have always shown that suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among people between the ages 10-34, but something is starting to change among that generation. There has been a reversal in the trend of disinterest in God to a spiritual renewal of faith among Generation Z.

In this recent trend, Pew research now indicates that Gen Z is more religious than those generations before them. The recent collection of survey data from secular and interdenominational surveys, reveal that Gen Z is in the midst of a spiritual rebound. Their spiritual renewal mostly embraces Christianity, but spans all denominations, making a shift from quantity to quality of faith. By God’s grace, hope is coming to the world through our youth.

What if the very generation that once led the world in suicide deaths, is now becoming a generation of faith filled souls on fire? God has been revealing His love to Gen Z, and that can only be a work of divine grace and compassion. I praise God for this spiritual awakening because they are the future of the world.

Shame and guilt will not change a heart for the long term, only God’s unconditional love can renew a soul and set it on fire for God. His love is a conscience cleansing love, and He is working in one person at a time, drawing souls with the kind of love that brings lasting peace and real purpose in life.  

Lord, we pray that you reveal your love to all young people in the world, and send your conscience cleansing love to reign over every nation, for the glory of God. Amen

“In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which perishes though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

1 Peter 1:6-7 (NASB)

From time to time, we need to revisit that most distressful period in our lives, because according to this scripture, that was a time of purification, that brought forth the gold in our faith. There are periods of testing in our lives, when it feels like we are walking through fires. 

The furnace that tests our faith, burns away the excess dross and impurities, leaving only the purest part of our faith to remain. In the heat of the trial, we have no idea, at the time, that we are being purified and transformed like gold in a furnace. 

Seven years ago, I was caring for my late husband, Stephen, and the ALS foundation assigned a nurse to check in on us once a week to oversee his care. His disease progressed so quickly that our family couldn’t believe how rapidly he was deteriorating. Each week, that nurse would order another supply or machine which was needed to help care for him at home. 

Just as I became trained and familiar with one machine, she would send another one the following week or two, along with a nurse technician to train me to use it. 

One machine was for breathing, one for suctioning, and another to give liquid tube feedings in the stomach. Though I was thankful to have help and supplies to care for him at home, and he never had to enter a Nursing Facility, we were both struggling to adjust to the roller coaster ride that ALS was taking us through. Most of the time, I remember feeling overwhelmed and inadequate. 

I used to tell God “I don’t think I can do this, Lord,” but He always had the same three word answer, whispering to me, “Yes, you can.” 

Not only did I feel inadequate for the task, but I felt like I was failing every test of virtue, often losing my patience, faith and my ability to trust God. I couldn’t see how anything good was coming out of the whole situation or what we could possibly gain spiritually during that period. I didn’t know at the time, but the fire was burning away excess dross and purifying my faith. 

People assumed that because I  worked in health care, I was well skilled for the task, but my job duties involved neuromonitoring skills, not the skills of a home care  nurse. My work experience was useless compared to what was required of me. With each new challenge, I told God, “Lord this is beyond my skill, I cannot do this,”but the Holy Spirit seemed to keep whispering, “Yes you can.” 

In spite of my grumbling, He was right. I did adjust to every machine after all, and did what I needed to do. God promised that He will never test us beyond what we can endure. Stephen passed away at home during his sleep, only a year after his initial diagnosis. God never puts us through more than we can handle, which we do by His grace. (1 Corinthians 10:13)

Peter told us to rejoice in every trial, because we are sharing in the sufferings of Christ. Jesus knows everything we are going through, because He already went through it, so we are privileged to share in the tiniest  taste of what He went through. 

Caregivers sometimes carry unwarranted guilt, often feeling pushed to their limit, but God knows what each person’s limit is. Peter also wrote that we shouldn’t be surprised at every fiery trial which comes upon us, as though some strange thing is happening, because each trial is purifying our faith and making us stronger. 

In hindsight, I know now that the Holy Spirit was teaching me patience and perseverance. He knows our limits and is helping to purify our faith like gold, by telling us, “Yes you can.”

We will never fully understand the benefit of suffering in this life, but scripture assures us that there is a benefit. One benefit is that we can help others who go through a similar trial, but the greatest benefit of all is the praise, glory and honor that we bring to Jesus through the example of our lives. 

Lord, help all who are feeling heavily burdened under a trial, to be filled with your resurrection power, knowing that , “Yes we can” do all things through Christ. Amen

“While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.”

Mark 14:3 (NIV)

Greeting with a kiss, washing feet and pouring fragrant oil on the head were all routine customs of hospitality in Jesus’ day. These acts of hospitality were done for house guests who spent hours walking in the hot dry sun. 

While Jesus was hanging out at the home of Simon, who He healed of leprosy, a woman walked in, carrying an expensive alabaster jar, with an even more expensive scented oil within it. It was very costly, rare and imported oil, called Spikenard, a perfumed oil which comes from a plant in the honeysuckle family, that grows in the Himalayas. The oil in her jar was thought to cost about one year’s salary.

The gospel of Mark never mentions the woman’s name, but she went beyond the routine custom of the day, and poured all of the oil upon the head of Jesus. She saving nothing for herself, and while others were beyond outraged at her wastefulness, Jesus praised her for showing Him so much love. 

This story made me wonder what I am keeping in my alabaster jar by today’s standards. Everyone has something that they value and keep in their metaphoric alabaster jar. My jar contains my time, because time is sacred to me. Sacrificing my time to serve, would be equivalent to pouring oil on the head of Jesus. 

Many years ago, I stayed late after an evening church event, to help wash silverware. I remember thinking how much I dislike washing dishes, and wished I was home, relaxing on my couch. 

The story about the alabaster jar was an awakening for me, and I realized that whether I give my time in a menial task like washing church dishes or serving Him in other ways, I am still pouring oil on Jesus, out of my alabaster jar. 

Serving others by menial dish washing, is serving Jesus and there’s nothing menial about serving Jesus. The narrow spout on the alabaster jar was used to moderate the flow of oil and avoid waste, but the nameless woman in this gospel story, broke off the spout, and poured all her oil on Jesus, without moderation. In holding nothing back, Her action was a gesture of surrendered love. 

Jesus loves us in the same way, by surrendering Himself and holding nothing back. He emptied all of Himself for us, without moderation. Jesus made Himself a gift of love to us, pouring Himself out at the cross. That is why we can pause to think of what valuables are kept in our alabaster jar. It’s surely something that Jesus deserves to be honored with. 

We will each find our own meaningful way to empty our alabaster jars for Jesus, in order to make Him our first priority and our first love. 

Lord, thank you for loving us by pouring yourself out for us at the cross. Help us to hold nothing back from you, that is kept in our alabaster jars. Amen

“While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher anymore?

Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”

Mark 5:35-36 (NIV)

It’s hard to get hit with a blast of bad news when not expecting it. Jairus, the synagogue leader, went to ask Jesus to heal his young daughter, who was seriously ill. Jesus agreed and they were already on the way to Jairus’ home, when they were interrupted by people from Jairus’ household, who blurted out, 

“Your daughter is dead, why bother the teacher anymore ?” 

I was struck by the rudeness of his so called household friends, and how callously they told Jairus the tragic news. No wonder Jesus ignored them all and looked at Jairus only, telling him not to be afraid, and to just believe. Jesus overhears everything that is being said to us. He stands beside us, waiting for His chance to interject what He really wants us to hear. 

Sometimes we only hear words based on faithless logic and hopeless conclusions, delivered  by those who don’t have faith. Jesus knows what we are hearing, and He has five words to say about it, and those words are, “Don’t be afraid, just believe.”

Jesus had compassion for Jairus when he heard that devastating news, because God is always near to the brokenhearted. 

(Psalm 34:18)

He hears whatever we hear, even when we are given a cold, blunt medical diagnosis, but He still says, “Don’t be afraid, just believe.”

When relationships are destroyed and the love is long gone, He says, “Don’t be afraid, just believe.”

Whatever the situation is or how bleak it is to hear about it, Jesus wants us to hear what He is saying to us, 

“Don’t be afraid, just believe.”

Last week I visited the Nursing Facility, and was disappointed to find out that most of my usual group of resident friends were ill. Mark, who gave me permission to use his name, was the only one who came to the Day room and then told me that he received a diagnosis of stage three kidney failure. He was in pain and waiting to hear when dialysis treatment would begin. 

He was pretty disheartened over it because he hoped to move out of the NH soon and live on his own, but now he fears that he will be there for the rest of his life. After his successful cataract surgery, this was a big let down for him. Life is full of ups and downs, trials and tragic news, just as Jairus had. Bad news initially shakes up our foundation of hope, but Jesus wants us to hear what He has to say. 

He overhears everything, just as He did with Jairus. When He spoke those five simple words to Jairus, it became an anchor of hope for him. We, like Jairus, can trust Jesus as our anchor of hope, because our story isn’t finished yet. 

I promised to pray for Mark and the other residents who have been ill, trusting Jesus will comfort, heal and be an anchor of hope to them. The next time we are overwhelmed by something we hear, we can remember what Jesus said to Jairus, and pray, 

“Lord, I will not be afraid, because I believe and trust in you”

We learn from this story that when we get shook up by a tidal wave of negativity, Jesus is our anchor, infusing us with His words of hope. 

Lord, thank you for overhearing all of our concerns, and infusing us with hope, so that we may hear what you say, who are the anchor of our soul. Amen

“Only think of me when all is well with you, and please do me the great favor of mentioning me to Pharaoh, to get me out of this place.

Genesis 40:14 (NAB)

Joseph is speaking here, to one of his fellow prisoners, a cupbearer for Pharaoh, the King of Egypt. For some reason, the cupbearer was in the same dungeon as Joseph, who was imprisoned after a false accusation.

Joseph’s hardships all began when he was kidnapped and abandoned by his own brothers, then sold as a slave to Egyptian slave traders. He was a teenager when bought as a household slave, and though his master treated him fairly, the wife of the master had a different plan in mind. When her husband was away, she tried to seduce Joseph and when he refused her advances, she falsely accused him of rape. Her false accusation sent him to the dungeon, which was the prison of the day.

Joseph was imprisoned for a crime he never committed, but he maintained a reputation of being honest and upright during his incarceration. While in prison, he developed friendships and earned the respect of both the prisoners and the jailers. 

The cupbearer who was with him in prison, previously worked close beside Pharaoh, and was soon be released. Joseph asked the cupbearer to speak to Pharaoh on his behalf when he returned to the palace. The cupbearer promised to do so, but after he was released, he completely forgot about Joseph.

For days, weeks and months, Joseph kept hoping and praying that the cupbearer would speak to Pharaoh on his behalf, but he didn’t. Once more life seemed so unfair in every situation that Joseph faced, but Joseph kept his faith and hope in God, and God never forgets anyone. 

Two long years passed since Joseph was in prison, but God’s timing was perfect. Pharaoh had a very disturbing dream one night and asked the cupbearer if he knew of anyone with a gift of interpreting dreams. He suddenly remembered Joseph and told Pharaoh about him. Despite the waiting, there is always a good purpose in God’s timing. 

Joseph’s breakthrough moment came, as God gave Joseph the supernatural knowledge that he needed to describe Pharaoh’s dream and tell him what it meant. Joseph became more than a freed man, he became God’s man of the hour, promoted by Pharaoh to second in command over the entire nation of Egypt. 

God is a rewarder of those who trust in Him and Joseph placed all his trust in God, never seeking revenge toward those who mistreated him. God gave Joseph the wisdom to devise a plan for storing grain, before a drought was about to spread across the land. His grain storage plan saved the lives of many in Egypt as well as in the surrounding lands during a famine. The years Joseph spent in the dungeon were not lost years, but years of preparation. Nothing is lost when we entrust our lives to God. 

Life seems unfair at times, and Joseph sets the example for anyone who has ever been betrayed by loved ones, falsely accused, unjustly incarcerated or forgotten. The life of Joseph teaches us that God always was, is and will be our greatest hope, because He never forgets anyone. We can trust God when everyone else has disappointed us. Joseph foreshadowed Jesus, in forgiving all who mistreated him.

When Joseph was finally reunited with his brothers and his elderly father, there was only love between them all. Joseph’s life proves that years spent in waiting for God’s justice are a preparation period for better days to come. 

All things work together for good, to those who love the Lord. If we learn anything from Joseph, it’s that we don’t need an itinerary for our destination in life, when we live life, knowing God is our driver.

Lord, give us the patience to wait and the faith to trust your timing. Guard our hearts from bitterness, so that we may forgive and bless others as Joseph did. Amen 

“.. God, who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not in virtue of our works but in virtue of his own purpose and the GRACE which he gave us in Christ Jesus ages ago.”

2 Timothy 1:8-9 (RSV)

We are called by virtue of God’s purpose and grace which comes to us through Christ. It’s an amazing concept, and leads us to the story of the man who wrote one of the most timeless and beautiful gospel hymns, Amazing Grace. John Newton was born in England in 1725. His mother died from tuberculosis when he was seven. She was a woman of faith but after she died, he received no further example of faith and grew up with a hardened heart, in pursuit of a thriving career as a slave trader.

In 1748, while working in the slave trade business on the African coast, he was transporting a ship full of slaves one day, when a violent storm arose and severely battered the ship. He watched helplessly as his fellow sailor was washed overboard and died at sea. Convinced that he was about to die next, John called out to God, asking for forgiveness and mercy. It was his first time praying since he was a young child. 

Something took hold of his heart through that simple prayer and for the rest of his life, he considered it to be the prayer that touched his soul and changed his life. Years later, as he remembered that prayerful moment, he wrote, “How precious did that grace appear, the hour I first believed.”

After John prayed that prayer, the storm slowed down and his ship arrived safely to its destination, along with all who remained on board. It inspired the lyrics, “Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come.”

John was then promoted as captain over two slave ships, instead of just one, following that journey. Despite having such an epiphany of faith, at that stage of his life, his pride and ambition governed his actions more than the amazing grace and mercy of God did. He continued slave trading for six more years. Later in his life, he looked back and described himself with the lyrics, 

“Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.”

After those next six years, his conscience finally led him to repent and quit the slave trade business for good. He became an Anglican minister for the Church of England. He got married and worked tirelessly as an abolitionist, to end slavery altogether. He and his wife had no children of their own, but they adopted his two orphaned nieces. In 1772, he discovered his poetic talent, and wrote many songs and hymns, the best known being “Amazing Grace.”

From the hour he first believed on that storm tossed ship, to the day of his death, John Newton never stopped marveling at the amazing grace that God showed him through every stage of his life. Amazing grace leads a person to surrender their heart to God throughout their lifetime, all the way to the end, which is reflected in his lyrics, 

“Tis grace that brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.”

When his eyesight failed in his old age, John Newton was inspired to write, “I was blind, but now I see.” When his memory began to fail, he told Betsy, his niece, “I always remember two things very clearly, that I am a great sinner and Christ is a great Savior.”

Jesus is a great Savior because He stays with us, even when we make bad choices or act in ignorance. John Newton’s life was not much different than most people’s. Our level of commitment to our faith may waver as a result of changing priorities and sorrowful events, but Jesus stands unwavering at the door of our hearts, knocking and gently asking for entry into every room and compartment of our lives.

He does it with an abundance of love, patience, grace and mercy, until we are completely His. The words in the song “Amazing Grace” express more than the journey of John Newton’s heart, but every one of us at the different stages in our journey of grace.

Amazing grace gives us hope for all our loved ones or friends who may be making wrong choices or have closed the door of their heart to God. The Lord can turn any life around to experience His amazing grace in all the ways that the lyrics of the song have described it.

Lord, thank you for your amazing grace, motivated by your love for us and we pray that you give grace to all our friends and loved to discover this beautiful truth about you. Amen

“And I will lead the blind
 in a way that they know not,
in paths that they have not known
I will guide them.
I will turn the darkness before them into light,
the rough places into level ground.
These are the things I will do,
 and I will not forsake them.”

Isaiah 42:16 (RSV)

I literally lived the words of this scripture a long time ago, when I was eighteen years old. It was the day that I took the El train, from my home on the north side to a clinic, in order to donate a pint of blood. For those readers who are not familiar with the Chicago area, the El train, stands for the “Elevated” train, the public transit system which runs high above ground level. 

After donating a pint of blood, I felt perfectly fine and headed back to the El station. I climbed a long stairway up to the train platform, to catch a train back home. As I approached the top of the stairway, my vision suddenly became spotty. 

It seemed that having one less pint of blood in my system, abnormally decreased the amount of blood flowing to the visual parts of my brain. My vision was quickly fading, yet I never lost consciousness or passed out. I walked onto the El platform, and as frightening as it was, I was completely blind. I didn’t ask anyone for help being too proud to make a scene or draw attention to myself.

At that moment, I heard the train coming, but could not see it at all. I walked totally blind, following the sound of where the train doors opened. I made it safely inside the train, by feeling my way along. Thankfully, I walked into the train and not under it or in front of it. I sat down and my vision started to return. It still surprises me that I never lost consciousness from the interruption of normal blood flow during those few minutes.

It’s just a brief example of the grace and goodness of God, who led me in my blindness, guided me to safety, and saved my life that day. If God saves a life, it’s for a reason, since we all have a purpose to fulfill. 

God doesn’t merely save us “from” things, but “for” things. 

He doesn’t just save us from death or Hell. If He saves us, it’s for the purpose of living in fellowship with Him, and to seek His guidance, and let Him light all the dark paths throughout our lives. God desires to have a personal relationship with us, so  we can live our life in faith filled security and confidence, knowing He always has good plans for us. 

However frightening or unfamiliar something is, Jesus promises that He will never leave us or forsake us. (Matthew 28:20)

I have only experienced a brief moment of what it feels like to be totally blind, but the way He guided me to safety in those few minutes, stayed with me long after that day. Now, whenever I have a problem or a crisis that feels like I’m walking blindly through it,  I know that God is with me, guiding me and lighting my path every step of the way. He literally saved my life that day and I know that He will forever be my light in any darkness.

Lord, thank you for always being our light in all types of darkness, and for the way you continue to smooth the rough paths and guide our steps to level ground. Amen

“One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin,
but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”

Proverbs 18:24 (NIV)

Someone once said, “your best friend is your unpaid therapist.”

I had a friend for fifty years who was not a professional therapist, but she had a natural gift for helping a person look deep within themselves and benefit from her insight. She was a very selfless, intuitive person who always saw the good in everyone. There were things that Helene and I would never agree on, but we had a long, loyal friendship, regardless of our differences, which is what true friendship really is. 

In December of 2021 Helene was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and by February of 2022, she passed away. One year later, I had another friend that passed away prematurely, but Helene was the one I knew the longest, or rather, the one who knew me the longest. Friends are valuable to us because they give us a sense of being known, and everyone needs to be truly known.

Today’s scripture states that there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Many people are blessed with close relationships with their siblings, but others are blessed with friends who are closer to them than any sibling. Whether a sibling or not, a close friend is a gift from God. 

When we lose a gift by whatever means, it leaves a vacuum inside, called grief. I believe that Jesus is our truest friend who sticks closer to us than any friend, brother, sister, mother or father. He fills the vacuum of grief within us and blesses us with His friendship.

I recently saw a meme that read “Grief is just unspent love.” 

After any kind of loss, we need to find a new outlet, purpose, or direction to reinvest our love and spend it in a new way. 

For me, writing has become one way of redirecting my purpose. Through writing, I’m able to pay tribute to friends, honor loved ones who I’ve lost, and encourage the faith of my current friends. It’s been a blessing to build new friendships through writing these meditations. 

Some of the people who are receiving the meditations are long time friends, some are new friends, and some are friends of friends, who I have never even met, but they are all gifts to me, and especially to God, who loves each one of them.  

Rick Warren, who wrote the timeless devotional book called “The Purpose Driven Life”, said that our number one purpose in life is to know how much God really loves us. Until we get a grasp of how much God loves us, we can never truly love Him, ourself or anyone else. We all suffer during seasons of loss and grief, but when we realize how much we are loved by God, He inspires us not to waste our pain, but to use it in helping others. 

We can always discover a new way to reinvest the unspent love that is stored within us. Jesus taught by His own example, that love is meant to be spent, so let’s go shopping for more ways to spend our love. 

Lord, lift up all hearts today, and in knowing how much you love us, lead us to new ways of spending the love that is within us. Amen