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Leviticus 12, Luke 2:21-24

02 Feb

12 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. If a woman becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son, she will be ceremonially unclean for seven days, just as she is unclean during her menstrual period. 3 On the eighth day the boy’s foreskin must be circumcised. 4 After waiting thirty-three days, she will be purified from the bleeding of childbirth. During this time of purification, she must not touch anything that is set apart as holy. And she must not enter the sanctuary until her time of purification is over. 5 If a woman gives birth to a daughter, she will be ceremonially unclean for two weeks, just as she is unclean during her menstrual period. After waiting sixty-six days, she will be purified from the bleeding of childbirth.

6 “When the time of purification is completed for either a son or a daughter, the woman must bring a one-year-old lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or turtledove for a purification offering. She must bring her offerings to the priest at the entrance of the Tabernacle. 7 The priest will then present them to the Lord to purify her. Then she will be ceremonially clean again after her bleeding at childbirth. These are the instructions for a woman after the birth of a son or a daughter.

8 “If a woman cannot afford to bring a lamb, she must bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons. One will be for the burnt offering and the other for the purification offering. The priest will sacrifice them to purify her, and she will be ceremonially clean.”

Leviticus 12

21 Eight days later, when the baby was circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel even before he was conceived.

22 Then it was time for their purification offering, as required by the law of Moses after the birth of a child; so his parents took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. 23 The law of the Lord says, “If a woman’s first child is a boy, he must be dedicated to the Lord.” 24 So they offered the sacrifice required in the law of the Lord—“either a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”

Luke 2:21-24

Dear God, I was talking to someone about this story a couple of days ago (it might have been my wife), and they told me that someone else pointed out to them that it should be noted that Mary and Joseph could have taken Jesus anywhere to be presented, but they went to the trouble to take him to the Temple in Jerusalem. They obviously knew this was no ordinary boy. I wonder if this is one of the first times they felt that obligation that the standards on them would be higher with this one.

It also occurs to me that it would be similar vendors from whom Mary and Joseph bought their birds to sacrifice that Jesus would later confront 33 years later. I wonder if the vendors bread the pigeons and turtle doves. What was your plan for this back in Leviticus. Obviously the lambs were bread and some used for sacrificing. What was your thinking there?

I also find the part about being unclean interesting. I still don’t completely understand that. Blood seems to be very important to you. You take it seriously when it comes out of us. You take it seriously when it is sacrificed out of another animal. Able’s blood cried out to you (Genesis 4:10). You turned the Nile into blood (Exodus 7). Touching another person’s blood, even when rendering aid, makes us unclean. I think I’m right on this, but even Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea became unclean and couldn’t celebrate the Passover because they cared for Jesus’s body off of the cross.

So Mary and Joseph did what they were supposed to do. They obeyed this law, but they raised the bar on themselves and did it in the most special place they could. They weren’t just in for a penny. They were in for a pound. And then they get the prophecy from Simeon that tells them exactly how hard this will be. This is the beginning of a long road, but it starts with the first step.

Father, I’ll be honest. My road, at this point, is not that hard, but it does have challenges. And I want to honor you as best as I can. I want to be in for a pound. I want to raise the standard on myself. I want to exceed the minimums and not miss opportunities to serve and worship you. I want to do everything I can to serve those around me. I will be your child, completely. Thank you for being my God.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on February 2, 2025 in Leviticus, Luke

 

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Hebrews 11:8-19

01 Feb

8 It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. 9 And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise. 10 Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God.

11 It was by faith that even Sarah was able to have a child, though she was barren and was too old. She believed that God would keep his promise. 12 And so a whole nation came from this one man who was as good as dead—a nation with so many people that, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore, there is no way to count them.

13 All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth. 14 Obviously people who say such things are looking forward to a country they can call their own. 15 If they had longed for the country they came from, they could have gone back. 16 But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

17 It was by faith that Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice when God was testing him. Abraham, who had received God’s promises, was ready to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, 18 even though God had told him, “Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted.” 19 Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again. And in a sense, Abraham did receive his son back from the dead.

Hebrews 11:8-19

Dear God, I’m probably going to say something heretical here, but I don’t agree with all of the conclusions the author of Hebrews draws in this passage. First, my favorite part is the first part of verse 13: “All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it.” And I suppose there’s no point in going into the parts I disagree with…well, maybe just a little. I simply disagree with verse 19, that “Abraham reasoned if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again.” When I read that story and spend time with it, and when I put myself in Abraham’s place, and when I ask myself why you gave him that particular test in the first place, I think that Abraham had likely made an idol out of the promise, and you were using this as an opportunity to him to not only sacrifice Isaac, but sacrifice the promise. I imagine that there was a lot of repenting going on during the journey to the mountain where Isaac was to be sacrificed. I think Abraham was probably a pretty broken and repentant man by the time they reached the place and he drew the knife to kill his son and his promise.

Okay, now that I have that off of my chest, let me go back to my favorite part. They didn’t live to see the promise on this side of death. Your reality is not our reality. Our reality is not nearly as important as we think it is. My life is not nearly as important as I think it is. I’m sorry, that’s not exactly what I meant. My comfort, fulfillment, power, and influence are not nearly as important as I think they are. In fact, while my life is important for your service, my comfort, fulfillment, power, and influence are immaterial. My standing in the community. The pride I take in my children. The pride I take in my marriage. My job. All of it is worthless and eligible for the sacrificial altar. When I start to make any of it my idol I am limiting what you can do through me because I am limiting myself.

Father, give me more faith than I have. I have a friend right now who thinks we can impact immigration policy in this country from the bottom up. I have no faith for that. Should I? There are so many things in my personal life that seem hopeless. Are they? Or is it that I just need to remain faithful and wait on your timing, whether it happens during my short life or after, for your plan to be fulfilled. Most of the time, I do have faith that you are doing what needs to be done but I just can’t see it–and I might never see it. Ninety-five percent of the time, I believe it. But those 5% moments break my heart and bring me to tears. I feel sorry for myself. I hurt because I’m not getting exactly what I want. So help me to live with the faith that Abraham had that he had this promise, but he really only lived to see a small, small part of it fulfilled. I might not even get to see as much as he saw, but I know that I am grateful to be able to sit here with you now, love you, worship you, and trust in you.

I pray all of this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on February 1, 2025 in Hebrews

 

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Hebrews 10:32-34

31 Jan

32 Think back on those early days when you first learned about Christ. Remember how you remained faithful even though it meant terrible suffering. 33 Sometimes you were exposed to public ridicule and were beaten, and sometimes you helped others who were suffering the same things. 34 You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail, and when all you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever.

Hebrews 10:32-34

Dear God, I am in a position of privilege, and I have friends who are not and suffering. What shall I do? What will be my response?

This was the New Testament reading for many church denominations today including the Catholic church. As I sat down to pray to you this morning, I was trying to think of a passage where Jesus comes to someone else’s defense. Maybe the woman who anointed his feet (probably the best example). The children who the disciples tried to keep away. To a lesser extent, some of the people he healed who were harassed by the Pharisees. But then I decided to check out the Catholic church’s daily readings for January 31, and I came across this passage. It really works well.

I don’t like bullies, but I am also not necessarily good at spontaneously responding to them. I need a plan. Yesterday morning, a friend was in tears. They told me they had been in a local shop and a customer told them they better get out because ICE was coming for them, and then they called my friend a racial slur. My friend happens to have been born and raised here, has a college degree, and works in a job serving the community. They are a great person by any measure. While they cried, all I could do was cry with them and speak truth into them. All of the good things I know about them and how much they mean to the community and to individuals they love. Frankly, I was surprised at my own tears, but I was actually grateful for them. I was grateful to know my heart is still capable of empathy.

Then that left me with the question for them and for me: What do we do the next time we experience something like that? For them, the next time someone does something similar to them. For me, as a privileged white man in the middle of Texas who will probably not experience racial discrimination on that scale, when I witness it. What will I do? And is there anything else you want me to do in the meantime? Is there a way I can make this pain count and not let it be wasted?

That takes me back to this passage. The author of Hebrews is talking about persecution because of you, but persecution is persecution. Even if my friend had been exactly what this person was purporting them to be–undocumented–it would have been no justification for that behavior. Those words. That venom. Verse 33 says, “…and sometimes you helped others who were suffering the same things.” That’s me now. How do I help others? What price am I willing to pay? What am I prepared to do when, not if, I see this happen to someone? How much will I risk for them?

Father, we are so precious to you, and yet we see throughout all of our known history, human life is cheap to us. While there are natural disasters and diseases that kill us before old age can, too many people die at the hands of other humans. It’s incredible. As an American, I can sit here on this side of the world and not think about the human suffering and mass deaths in Israel, Gaza, Ukraine, Russia, different parts of Africa, etc. They are just numbers in my mind. I’ve become numb to it. But now that I can put a name and a face to the human suffering, it hurts to see human life, the human life you’ve created and love so much, treated so cheaply. Help me to see each soul around me. Help me to love the abused and the abuser. Help me to know how to love the soul that is scared and help the soul that is so lost that they feel the need to inflict pain on another soul. And help me to lean into you. My heart hurt yesterday. I was sad. I was angry. I still am. But help me to be exactly who you need me to be for your kingdom’s coming into this world’s sake as well as my own.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on January 31, 2025 in Hebrews

 

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Mark 9:33-37

29 Jan

33 After they arrived at Capernaum and settled in a house, Jesus asked his disciples, “What were you discussing out on the road?” 34 But they didn’t answer, because they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest. 35 He sat down, called the twelve disciples over to him, and said, “Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else.”

36 Then he put a little child among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes not only me but also my Father who sent me.”

Mark 9:33-37

Dear God, why is greatness our default position? I mean, really, at the time, those disciples were just a few of the hundreds of millions of people who were probably in the world. Now, I am one of 7-ish billion people on this world. And I’m just a human. Jesus even said as great as John the Baptist was, he is less than the least in your kingdom (Matthew 11:11). So, there are 7-ish billion people currently on this earth who are less than the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. I am just one of those 7-ish billion and I am not a great or powerful one. I live in the United States, and we think a lot of ourselves, but we only make up about 5% of that 7-ish billion. And not even a powerful person in this country. I’m just a man in a small town. And these twelve men to whom Jesus was talking were small men until they hitched their wagon to Jesus’s train, and Jesus decided it was time to humble them a little.

What I take from this is quite the inverse of what the disciples felt that day. First, it is the reality of how small I am, but second it the fact that I am truly that small and yet you love me so much. How can that be? You love your creation. You love me. You not only say you love me. You show you love me. You show you love others as well. Just this last Sunday, my wife and I decided to go to an early lunch on a whim. We then randomly picked a restaurant we maybe go to once every two or three months. One block away, at just the right time, we saw a woman from our church walking in the drizzle with one of her daughters. The woman was actually going to be part of an upcoming church service which started in 13 minutes and she was four blocks away. We were able to pick them up and take them to the church. I could see the stress in her eyes, making the best of a difficult situation, but it certainly felt like a divine appointment for us to be in that place at that moment. You cared about this woman. You cared about the church service. You cared about the little girl. And you used my wife and me. All of us so small, and yet you cared.

Father, there are a lot of people who need your care today. There are a lot of small people who are powerless and insignificant in the world who are scared. I really can’t imagine what that fear would be like. Some of them are children. Some of them are adults. Some of them are the elderly and even the infirm. I don’t know what to do to minister to them. To comfort them. Then there are those who aren’t targeted, but could be assumed to be part of them and are nervous about being attacked. Then there are those who aren’t targeted, but they are related to the targeted. All of us so small. All of us so insignificant in the grand scheme of things. But all of us so loved by you. I don’t know where all of this is going, but I pray that you will guide me in it. And love and comfort your people. And for those who aren’t yours, use this pain to make them yours. Don’t let this pain be wasted. Use it for your glory.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on January 29, 2025 in Mark

 

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John 4:1-26

28 Jan

4 Jesus knew the Pharisees had heard that he was baptizing and making more disciples than John 2 (though Jesus himself didn’t baptize them—his disciples did). 3 So he left Judea and returned to Galilee.

4 He had to go through Samaria on the way. 5 Eventually he came to the Samaritan village of Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there; and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime. 7 Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.” 8 He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food.

9 The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?”

10 Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.”

11 “But sir, you don’t have a rope or a bucket,” she said, “and this well is very deep. Where would you get this living water? 12 And besides, do you think you’re greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed?”

13 Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. 14 But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”

15 “Please, sir,” the woman said, “give me this water! Then I’ll never be thirsty again, and I won’t have to come here to get water.”

16 “Go and get your husband,” Jesus told her.

17 “I don’t have a husband,” the woman replied.

Jesus said, “You’re right! You don’t have a husband— 18 for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!”

19 “Sir,” the woman said, “you must be a prophet. 20 So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors worshiped?”

21 Jesus replied, “Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews. 23 But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. 24 For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

25 The woman said, “I know the Messiah is coming—the one who is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”

26 Then Jesus told her, “I am the Messiah!”

John 4:1-26

Dear God, as I sat here this morning and was trying to focus on verses 23 and 24 and decipher what I thought it meant, I had this incredible thought come to me: I am so ignorant. If Jesus were physically here with me in this room, I wouldn’t even try to interpret this passage. I would just worship him. Well, I know the Holy Spirit is in this room with me. There could very well be an angel or two here as well. And demons. There could be demons. In light of yesterday’s scripture and prayer, I don’t know what is going on with the powers and principalities of this world. But I just all of a sudden had this incredible sense of humility before you. Who am I to even try to interpret Jesus’s words as preserved by Luke 2,000 years ago? I just need to worship.

Even as I typed this out, it hit me that maybe that is exactly the point Jesus was making in verses 23 and 24. Maybe that is the kind of worshipper you are looking for. Someone who will embrace the omnipotent, omnipresent God that you are, understand part of your nature is here with me now, and simply worship you with as much honesty, transparency, and humility as I can possibly muster.

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, my Triune God, I love you, I worship you, and I thank you. I’m sorry for my selfishness and sin. I’m sorry for my lack of faith. I’m sorry for my fear. I’m sorry for the times you call me to act, and I fail to act. I’m sorry for the times you ask me to love people, and I fail to love them. I’m sorry for the times I feel sorry for myself and fail to see the good you are doing or have done. I bring all of that to you, lay it before you, ask that you continue to cleanse me, and offer this day to you. We have a staff meeting this morning at which we are going to be making some big decisions. Help me to lead in that. Let your Holy Spirit be among us. Guide us. There is pain happening right now among our staff and the clients we serve. There is fear. Don’t let that pain be wasted. Make it count. Make it all count for your good and your glory.

I pray all of this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on January 28, 2025 in Luke

 

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Ephesians 6:10-12

27 Jan

10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

Ephesians 6:10-12

Dear God, with my limited mind, it can be so hard for me to remember this. I look around me and I think I am just fighting the bad ideas or idolatrous behavior in others. I think I am confronting their sin. Of course, I ignore my own bad ideas, idolatrous behavior and sin most of the time because I like my bad ideas, idols, and sin. I don’t want to get rid of those. But I need to remember that I am not fighting others, per se. I am not fighting my own nature either. There is a bigger evil happening in your world, and I need to engage it through engaging deeper and deeper with you. Then you will give me your eyes to see others for who they really are: your loved children. You will give me eyes to see my own bad ideas, idols and sin. You will reveal to me opportunities for me to repent before you and love, love, love.

So how do I do this? Paul continues in verses 13-18:

13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. 14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. 16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

Your truth. Your righteousness. Peace offered through Jesus. Faith. Embrace my salvation. Engage the Holy Spirit.

Father, walk with me today as I do these things. Give me your eyes to see. Give me your ears to hear. Give me your heart to love. Give me your wisdom and discernment so that I will know how to act proactively and then react to everything happening around me. Give me your peace so that others might be drawn to you through me. And I pray for the couple we met yesterday. I pray for my wife. I pray for my children and their significant others. My parents. My siblings and in-law siblings. My nieces and nephews. My coworkers. My friends. The people the place I work serves–all of them. Find each life. work in each person. Bring glory to your name. Let everything that has breath praise you.

I pray all of this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on January 27, 2025 in Ephesians

 

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Luke 4:14-30

26 Jan

14 Then Jesus returned to Galilee, filled with the Holy Spirit’s power. Reports about him spread quickly through the whole region. 15 He taught regularly in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.

16 When he came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures. 17 The scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where this was written:

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
    for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released,
    that the blind will see,
that the oppressed will be set free,
19     and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.[f]”

20 He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue looked at him intently. 21 Then he began to speak to them. “The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!”

22 Everyone spoke well of him and was amazed by the gracious words that came from his lips. “How can this be?” they asked. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”

23 Then he said, “You will undoubtedly quote me this proverb: ‘Physician, heal yourself’—meaning, ‘Do miracles here in your hometown like those you did in Capernaum.’ 24 But I tell you the truth, no prophet is accepted in his own hometown.

25 “Certainly there were many needy widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the heavens were closed for three and a half years, and a severe famine devastated the land. 26 Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them. He was sent instead to a foreigner—a widow of Zarephath in the land of Sidon. 27 And many in Israel had leprosy in the time of the prophet Elisha, but the only one healed was Naaman, a Syrian.”

28 When they heard this, the people in the synagogue were furious. 29 Jumping up, they mobbed him and forced him to the edge of the hill on which the town was built. They intended to push him over the cliff, 30 but he passed right through the crowd and went on his way.

Luke 4:14-30

Dear God, I’m not sure where my head is going today. I have a lot of disparate thoughts. I’m thinking about the couple my wife and I are meeting with later and what you might need from us in their lives. I’m thinking about the attacks I feel on both of us right now as we prepare to meet with this couple. I’m thinking about the ministry my wife is doing this morning and how I hope you bless her through this as much as she is blessing others. I am thinking about some concerning news at work that isn’t tragic, but simply attention-getting. Actually there is one other thing at work that is really frustrating me as well. Of course, there is my constant sorrow. And that’s just the stuff that is on my heart at the moment. There are also pains in our country and our world that make me ache and lament. There is extreme brokenness in faith and relationship with you, even among those who say they call on your name.

So, with all of that being said, I come to you this morning asking that you be in each situation as I think about these people 2,000 years ago who sat there one morning and heard “Little Jesus” come back home and read Isaiah to them. They went in with one set of expectations of him. They expected to be proud of him. To feel like they had a part of him, and maybe even feel responsible for having helped Mary and Joseph raise him here and there. But he damaged their self-esteem. He didn’t only make them feel less than they wanted to feel as people from his hometown. He intimated that they weren’t even any better than Gentiles. In fact, in some ways, they were worse! They went from warm fuzzies to rage in almost an instant. What was it in them that got so incensed? Is there any of that attitude in me?

Father, Holy Spirit, Jesus, be with me today. My Triune God, be with me today. Love others through me. Reach them through me. Let that start with my wife. Love her through me. Comfort her. Guide her. Show me how to parent my children. Show me how to love and honor my parents. My siblings. My nieces and nephews. My friends. My coworkers. The people you put in my path. Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Although I’m a Gentile, as a Christian, in a lot of ways I can relate to the arrogance of the people in that room with Jesus that morning. Help me to be humble and kind to those who disagree with me. Help me to be loving. And use me to draw them closer to you, and use them in my life to draw me closer to yourself as well.

I pray to the Father in Jesus and with the Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on January 26, 2025 in Luke

 

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Acts 9:10-16

25 Jan

10 Now there was a believer in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, calling, “Ananias!”

“Yes, Lord!” he replied.

11 The Lord said, “Go over to Straight Street, to the house of Judas. When you get there, ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is praying to me right now. 12 I have shown him a vision of a man named Ananias coming in and laying hands on him so he can see again.”

13 “But Lord,” exclaimed Ananias, “I’ve heard many people talk about the terrible things this man has done to the believers in Jerusalem! 14 And he is authorized by the leading priests to arrest everyone who calls upon your name.”

15 But the Lord said, “Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel. 16 And I will show him how much he must suffer for my name’s sake.”

Acts 9:10-16

Dear God, I don’t know that I’ve ever spent enough time with Ananias. We started visiting a Baptist church when I was eight years old, and, to my memory, this is the first Sunday school lesson I heard. I could obviously be wrong. That was 46 years ago, and eight-year-olds aren’t known to carry the most accurate memories forward, but I can still picture the little Sunday school book that had each week’s lesson for the quarter, and I have vague recollections of what the pages and illustrations look like. The name Ananias is burned in my brain. Maybe the teacher stressed this point, but for some reason I remember thinking about how scared Ananias must have been.

I don’t know what you are calling me to do at any given moment. I don’t know whom you have for me to encourage, teach, serve, or even protect. But I know there are times when I am afraid of others. I know I don’t like to stick my head up and risk.

Going back to Ananias, he was already risking. In Acts 22, Paul describes him as being a respected Jewish person. So he had already stepped out and risked a lot just by believing in you. But then he was asked to risk imprisonment by offering himself freely to Saul’s presence. Ananias might have even been on someone’s list that would have been given to Saul when he got to town. And he questioned you. He made his fear known to you. In this case, you told him it would be alright. And it was through this plain, good man who was a believer that you helped Saul become Paul, and you made it clear to the Jewish members of The Way that people like me are loved by you as well. You used Ananias to help Paul so Paul could put things in motion to the point where you were able to convince me that you love me as well.

Father, I have no desire to do anything great. Well, that’s not true. There is a carnal part of me that would love to know I have made a real impact for you in the world, leading great numbers of people into deeper discipleship with you. But I also repent of that because it means a certain amount of glory for me, and I know that as soon as I start pursuing the idol of glory I will lose my grip on you, my God. So I ask that you will simply use me today, whether unwittingly or intentionally. Show me what you would have me do. Show me who to love. Show me how to love. And, of course, receive my worship. You are my God. I put my trust in you.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on January 25, 2025 in Acts

 

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Galatians 6:4-5

24 Jan

4 Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. 5 For we are each responsible for our own conduct.

Galatians 6:4-5

Dear God, I really need good work to do. I need to be productive. And when I say “need,” I don’t mean that others need me to be this way. I don’t mean that I need to get something done for the sake of the job getting done. I mean that my soul needs productivity. My soul needs to know that I worked and accomplished something. You created me for work, and I find that too much free time and lethargy is absolutely not healthy for me.

Case in point was earlier this week. I had a three-day weekend with the holiday Monday for MLK, but then I had a surprise snow-day on Tuesday. So I ended up with a four-day weekend and not much productive to do. It was a real struggle emotionally. I watched too many YouTube videos. I took a couple of naps. About the most productive thing I did was take the dog to the dog park to play.

After returning to work on Wednesday and getting back into the groove, my wife noticed the difference in me as soon as I got home that night. Even last night (Thursday) when I got home she said she could see the energy back in my eyes that was gone on Tuesday.

So all of this is to say that even on days when I don’t have my vocational work, I need to be intent on prayerfully figuring out what you would have me to do. Not that I don’t need a Sabbath and times of rest. But I proved that four days was too much rest. As Paul said in this passage to the Galatians, it’s about getting the satisfaction of a job well done. I don’t need to compare myself to anyone else. I just need to worship you through my work.

Father, I have work to do today. Help me to do it with great joy. Not trying to impress anyone, but just worshipping you with my work. Loving my neighbor as myself through my work. I love you, Lord. I know you love me and you have good work for me to do. I only get so many years here, and I’ve already used at least more than half of them. Maybe all of them for all I know. Help me to wisely use what I have left under your direction.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on January 24, 2025 in Galatians

 

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Luke 19:11-15

23 Jan

11 The crowd was listening to everything Jesus said. And because he was nearing Jerusalem, he told them a story to correct the impression that the Kingdom of God would begin right away. 12 He said, “A nobleman was called away to a distant empire to be crowned king and then return. 13 Before he left, he called together ten of his servants and divided among them ten pounds of silver, saying, ‘Invest this for me while I am gone.’ 14 But his people hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We do not want him to be our king.’

15 “After he was crowned king, he returned and called in the servants to whom he had given the money. He wanted to find out what their profits were. 

Luke 19:11-15

Dear God, I want to spend some time with this parable this morning because I learned something about it yesterday that, if I ever knew it, I had forgotten. Basically, Jesus is comparing himself with Herod for those who are listening. When he said a nobleman went to have himself crowned king and there were people who protested his appointment, he was referencing Herod and how he came to power, but in this case, he was putting himself in the place of Herod and letting them know that 1.) there would be a delay between the present time and what they wanted and 2.) his rule and his edicts would be as final as Herod’s were. To quote the commentary I used this morning: “Jesus is telling a contemporary story in veiled terms. In the parable, the nobleman was given the kingdom and he returned to slay those who didn’t want him in power. A Christians, we believe that Jesus is the King and that in the last days He will return to His Kingdom. Whether you are an atheist, a skeptic, or one who practices any brand of non-Christian religion doesn’t change that reality. Jesus tells us through this parable, “Right now you are free to debate and argue, but when the final curtain is closed, I am Lord!” (Communicator’s Commentary: Luke by Bruce Larson)

I guess this whole thing challenges me because, at some level, I do want to see you as a “pushover God.” I want to put you in my box and have you do what I want you to do and behave how I want you to behave. I don’t want to think of Jesus as exercising authority the way Herod would. I’ve sometimes wondered what it would have been like to be around Jesus a lot like the disciples were. I don’t think I would have liked it. I think I prefer to have the ideas in my head but then make my own rules and live by my own opinions throughout each day. Even though a lot of those rules and opinions are wrong.

Father, I’m not sure exactly what to take from this except to be more in awe of you and more sober about how I interact with you. Even these times of prayer should not be approached lightly. I am address the God of the universe. My God. Can I possibly be as casual as I normally am? I’m sorry for ever treating you as less than you are. You are my God. I am your servant. Thank you for your loving heart towards me.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on January 23, 2025 in Luke

 

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