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Psalm 90

02 Jan

Psalm 90

A prayer of Moses, the man of God.

1 Lord, through all the generations
    you have been our home!
2 Before the mountains were born,
    before you gave birth to the earth and the world,
    from beginning to end, you are God.

3 You turn people back to dust, saying,
    “Return to dust, you mortals!”
4 For you, a thousand years are as a passing day,
    as brief as a few night hours.
5 You sweep people away like dreams that disappear.
    They are like grass that springs up in the morning.
6 In the morning it blooms and flourishes,
    but by evening it is dry and withered.
7 We wither beneath your anger;
    we are overwhelmed by your fury.
8 You spread out our sins before you—
    our secret sins—and you see them all.
9 We live our lives beneath your wrath,
    ending our years with a groan.

10 Seventy years are given to us!
    Some even live to eighty.
But even the best years are filled with pain and trouble;
    soon they disappear, and we fly away.
11 Who can comprehend the power of your anger?
    Your wrath is as awesome as the fear you deserve.
12 Teach us to realize the brevity of life,
    so that we may grow in wisdom.

13 O Lord, come back to us!
    How long will you delay?
    Take pity on your servants!
14 Satisfy us each morning with your unfailing love,
    so we may sing for joy to the end of our lives.
15 Give us gladness in proportion to our former misery!
    Replace the evil years with good.
16 Let us, your servants, see you work again;
    let our children see your glory.
17 And may the Lord our God show us his approval
    and make our efforts successful.
    Yes, make our efforts successful!

Dear God, I thought about stopping reading just after verse 1. “Lord, through all the generations you have been our home.” Considering this was prayed by a man who led the Israelites after over 400 years of slavery–many, many generations of slaves–I think this is remarkable. For him to say that, even for those enslaved generations, you have been their home is powerful.

I was watching something this morning that made me cry. It is related to something that is my life’s great sorrow. An area in which I failed greatly. I’m still not sure exactly what I did to fail, but the evidence is that I failed spectacularly. I only pray that, like you used the hundreds of years of slavery to build up the children of Jacob into a nation, you will use my failings for your glory.

So let me paraphrase Moses’s closing with my own. Let me see what you are doing and how you are working. Help me to see your glory. And may my labor be pleasing to you. May it accomplish what you need it to accomplish. May it achieve what you need it to achieve. And I’ll just add, please heal my sorrowful situation.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on January 2, 2025 in Psalms

 

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Numbers 6:22-27

01 Jan

22 Then the Lord said to Moses, 23 “Tell Aaron and his sons to bless the people of Israel with this special blessing:

24 ‘May the Lord bless you
    and protect you.
25 May the Lord smile on you
    and be gracious to you.
26 May the Lord show you his favor
    and give you his peace.’

27 Whenever Aaron and his sons bless the people of Israel in my name, I myself will bless them.”

Numbers 6-22-27

Dear God, I’ve read these verses and heard them sung…gosh, I don’t know how many times. But I don’t know that I’ve ever spent much time with them. Especially 24-26. The actual blessing

  • May the Lord bless you: What does it mean to be blessed by you? Good health? Money? All of my needs met? When I told my children I blessed them I defined it as supporting whatever decisions they felt like they needed to make that was best for them, even if it cost me something. I wanted them to have good lives regardless of what it cost me. I don’t think that is what you mean here. I think I am going to tie this into the last one in the list: peace. There might be some who disagree with me, but I think this is the most precious fruit of the Spirit as listed by Paul in Galatians 5:22-23. If I am blessed by you then I have your peace regardless of whatever else is before me. I would love to ask for good health, plenty of money, and even all of my needs and a lot of my wants to be met, but having all of that will not draw me closer to you. Recently, when my wife and I experienced a health scare, it drove us to prayers to you and an appreciation of each other that we wouldn’t have otherwise had.
  • May the Lord protect you: Jesus kind of redefined this when he told us not to worry in the Sermon on the Mount. My worrying cannot add an hour to my life. There were people killed last night in New Orleans, and some of them loved you. Almost all of Jesus’s apostles were martyred. So is that the kind of protection you told Moses about here? I don’t think so. But I can see where you want to protect my heart. You want me to not be lead into temptation, but delivered from evil. I ask for that kind of protection from you.
  • May the Lord smile on you: I almost feel like this one is on me. Will I behave in a way that makes you smile or will I grieve you? I pray that my life will make you smile at least a little more than it grieves you.
  • May the Lord be gracious to you: Oh my, do I need your grace?!? My wife and I were talking about some people we love who have judged us very harshly. And I have been known to judge pretty harshly myself. But I need your grace. And I need to give grace. Graciousness needs to flow from you, through me, and to those I know and even those I don’t know. We all need your grace.
  • May the Lord show you his favor: I know you are on my side. Maybe not in a way that will give me every selfish thing my heart desires, but you want to love me and show me how to love. You want to grow all of the fruit of your Spirit within me and let it flow out of me. That is the favor I want from you. Do I want health for my wife, my children, me, and those I love? Of course. And I’ll take any good fortune you deem appropriate to send my way. But I do not require that to be here and worship you.
  • May the Lord give you his peace: Going back to the first one, this is the biggie for me. Peace. And the fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. I can fake most of those, but my peace only comes from you. And I must be tied into you to get it. Oh, Lord, especially when I am hurting over sorrows in my life, please help me to have your peace. A peace that passes understanding.

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

Amen

 
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Posted by on January 1, 2025 in Numbers

 

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John 1:1-18

31 Dec

1 In the beginning the Word already existed.
    The Word was with God,
    and the Word was God.
2 He existed in the beginning with God.
3 God created everything through him,
    and nothing was created except through him.
4 The Word gave life to everything that was created,
    and his life brought light to everyone.
5 The light shines in the darkness,
    and the darkness can never extinguish it.

6 God sent a man, John the Baptist, 7 to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. 8 John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. 9 The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

10 He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. 11 He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. 12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. 13 They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.

14 So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.

15 John testified about him when he shouted to the crowds, “This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘Someone is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’”

16 From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.

John 1:1-18

Dear God, having spent so much time at different times in my life with specific passages like this one can make it difficult to see it with fresh eyes. But my wife asked me a question a couple of days ago that I think fits with what John is saying here. She, who is Catholic, asked why I thought Peter got the nod from the Catholic church over John for first Pope. I thought the answer was pretty easy in that Jesus called Peter the rock upon which the Church would be built. She countered that John seemed so much more responsible and mature than Peter. Less impetuous. More thoughtful. She would have thought it would be John

I countered that she is thinking of the John she knows from the end of his life. Writing this Gospel. Writing the three letters. Revelation. But when I think back on the John that is represented in the Gospels, he seems less mature and put together than Peter. For example, he and his brother James asked for places of honor in the kingdom to come. When the Samaritans denied Jesus passage through their are on their way to Jerusalem, it was John and James who asked Jesus if he wanted them to call down fire on them and burn them up. Later, in Acts, as Peter and John are walking to the Temple and a man is crying out to be healed, it is Peter who stops and talks to him, not John. She countered that it was John who followed Jesus to the cross. That’s true. John did love you, but I just don’t think he was a leader. I mentioned to her that it was Peter who you used to break the Gentile barrier between Cornelius and the other apostles in Jerusalem. I also questioned why John was never martyred. Could it be because he never quite pushed the envelope far enough to push the anti-Christians he encountered past the tipping point?

I think, for John, he had a long time to really sift through everything he had experienced and was then able to start making some sense of it and write it down. He shared his version of Jesus’s life. He wrote letters of love and encouragement. She shared the Revelation you gave him. And for me, it all starts with this passage. The first time I read John’s Gospel all of the way through I realized that throughout much of it, Jesus sounds like a lunatic. It was C.S. Lewis who said you need to accept Jesus is either a liar, a lunatic, or Lord. There is not a fourth option. For me, these first 18 verses are the core of what the rest of the book is built on. If you believe Jesus is the Word and was God, the the rest of the book makes perfect sense. If you don’t believe those first 18 verses, then you just as well stop reading because the rest of it won’t make any sense. John just didn’t leave any middle ground for Jesus to hide in. He was God so John represents him as God.

I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that John began his book with poetry. My wife is a poet, and she has taught me to appreciate the choice of words and how important they are. I am sure this gets lost with translation. I wish I were fluent in Greek and could read this as John originally wrote it. There’s probably even more here than a lot of us know.

Father, I like John because I see a lot of myself in him. Faithful, but cautious. I am the kind who would run to the tomb, but then wait a beat and examine everything before I went in. I’m not Peter. I don’t just get out of the boat and walk to you on the water. I don’t see the man begging to be healed and stop to heal him. I don’t proclaim you are the Messiah when no one else is quite ready to say it out loud. But I do love you. And I know you love me. Help me to love you better. Help me to live in that love. Help me to worship you well.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on December 31, 2024 in John

 

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John 14:1-3

29 Dec

14 “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. 2 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.

John 14:1-3

It’s important to remember the context for these verses. Why were their hearts troubled (verse 1)? Because he had just finished telling them at the end of chapter 13 that he was about to die for them. This was at the Last Supper. This was a time of complete confusion for the disciples. And I doubt these verses cleared anything up. In fact, I know they didn’t because they are followed by Thomas telling him he doesn’t know what Jesus is talking about.

So with that context set, how about the times when I get confused and overwhelmed? When I get scared of things going on in the world? When I get scared of things going on in the personal lives of people I know? I’m supposed to trust in you, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.

So what does that look like? To trust in you? There are some days I know the answer to that question better than I do others. In my better times, I remember that we are not destined for this world. This world is only temporary, but you have gone to prepare a place for us. It’s a weird world with a lot of pain. I do sometimes wonder why you bothered to create it in the first place. What is the role this planet plays in your overall plan and existence? But even that thought reminds me of how small I am. How small all of our lives are.

Father, I guess I am simply left with the knowledge that you love me and you love the people I love. You also love the people I don’t love. You see the pain behind what people do. Behind their actions. You see the mental illness and trauma. And all of this is bigger than I can understand. Like Thomas, I am confused, but the confusion is okay because you are not confused. As I heard someone say one time, you don’t chew your nails. You aren’t nervous. You grieve with us. You get angry with us. But you also love us and celebrate with us. I hope my life can bring a smile to your face. Not because of what I do, but simply because I earnestly love you and any good actions I take come out of that love.

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

Amen

 
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Posted by on December 29, 2024 in John

 

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Matthew 11:20-24

28 Dec

20 Then Jesus began to denounce the towns where he had done so many of his miracles, because they hadn’t repented of their sins and turned to God. 21 “What sorrow awaits you, Korazin and Bethsaida! For if the miracles I did in you had been done in wicked Tyre and Sidon, their people would have repented of their sins long ago, clothing themselves in burlap and throwing ashes on their heads to show their remorse. 22 I tell you, Tyre and Sidon will be better off on judgment day than you.

23 “And you people of Capernaum, will you be honored in heaven? No, you will go down to the place of the dead. For if the miracles I did for you had been done in wicked Sodom, it would still be here today. 24 I tell you, even Sodom will be better off on judgment day than you.”

Matthew 11:20-24

Dear God, this kind of brings me back to my thought several months ago about what it would be like to live in an area that was currently hostile towards you and Christianity. Right now, I live in an area where it is culturally preferred that I acknowledge faith in you. In fact, an open acknowledgment of lack of faith in you is scorned in my area of the world. But what if I were to move to an area like Portland, which I have heard described by some who have lived many places as the most liberal, Godless city in the United States? What would it do for my my relationship with you if I were in an environment where my faith was challenged more? What would it do for them if I was your light in their darkness?

There is something about self-righteousness that puts up a barrier between you and me that is seemingly more dangerous than if I were in full rebellion against you. At least in rebellion, I am able to see how I contrast with you and make a decision to embrace you instead of me. But in self-righteousness, I am setting myself up to be like you but, subtly, without a need for you.

This might seem like a different topic, but it’s kind of related. I heard someone describe a recent New York Times editorial by David French in which he talked about how dangerous it is for Christians to decide they have to be the ones in charge because they are the ones who are “right.” The problem becomes when those same Christians start to use the world’s methods to get their power. They start to manipulate. They start to compromise morality. They start to grasp for the power instead of simply waking up and grasping for you.

Father, it feels like this is what Jesus was condemning, and it is something that I want to be vigilant about in my own heart. I want to be repentant. I want to be holy. I want to love you well. I want to love others well. Help me to do that, Father. Help me to be wholly yours in every moment.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on December 28, 2024 in Matthew

 

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Psalm 103

27 Dec

Psalm 103

A psalm of David.

1 Let all that I am praise the Lord;
    with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.
2 Let all that I am praise the Lord;
    may I never forget the good things he does for me.
3 He forgives all my sins
    and heals all my diseases.
4 He redeems me from death
    and crowns me with love and tender mercies.
5 He fills my life with good things.
    My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!

6 The Lord gives righteousness
    and justice to all who are treated unfairly.

7 He revealed his character to Moses
    and his deeds to the people of Israel.
8 The Lord is compassionate and merciful,
    slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
9 He will not constantly accuse us,
    nor remain angry forever.
10 He does not punish us for all our sins;
    he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.
11 For his unfailing love toward those who fear him
    is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.
12 He has removed our sins as far from us
    as the east is from the west.
13 The Lord is like a father to his children,
    tender and compassionate to those who fear him.
14 For he knows how weak we are;
    he remembers we are only dust.
15 Our days on earth are like grass;
    like wildflowers, we bloom and die.
16 The wind blows, and we are gone—
    as though we had never been here.
17 But the love of the Lord remains forever
    with those who fear him.
His salvation extends to the children’s children
18     of those who are faithful to his covenant,
    of those who obey his commandments!

19 The Lord has made the heavens his throne;
    from there he rules over everything.

20 Praise the Lord, you angels,
    you mighty ones who carry out his plans,
    listening for each of his commands.
21 Yes, praise the Lord, you armies of angels
    who serve him and do his will!
22 Praise the Lord, everything he has created,
    everything in all his kingdom.

Let all that I am praise the Lord.

Dear God, sometimes it’s nice to just stop and worship. I feel like for the last five weeks I’ve been trying to think deep Advent thoughts as I moved through the season and tried to uncover you. But in a moment like this, it’s kind of nice to read a “psalm of orientation” out loud and just worship you. To be reminded how good you are by David from thousands of years ago. You are the same God to me that you were to him. The only difference is that I now have Jesus. Oh, how David would love to have known Jesus. To learn from Jesus. To repent to Jesus. To worship Jesus. He would have found that you are even better than he knew when he wrote this psalm.

So, here I am to worship you this morning and remember all of the good things about you. You are gracious. You are slow to anger. You are good to all who love you and call on you. You are better to me than I deserve. You are love. You are amazing, God.

Father, help me to turn loose of all of my idols today. All of the little things I hold on to that I think will bring me security and certainty. Help me to go to work this morning and work as unto you. Help me to love my wife well. Help me to love my friends well. Lord, I give you my heart. I offer it to you. Take it and use it and my life however you will for your kingdom to come and your will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on December 27, 2024 in Psalms

 

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Acts 6:8-10, 7:54-60

26 Dec

8 Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed amazing miracles and signs among the people. 9 But one day some men from the Synagogue of Freed Slaves, as it was called, started to debate with him. They were Jews from Cyrene, Alexandria, Cilicia, and the province of Asia. 10 None of them could stand against the wisdom and the Spirit with which Stephen spoke.

Acts 6:8-10

54 The Jewish leaders were infuriated by Stephen’s accusation, and they shook their fists at him in rage. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 56 And he told them, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand!”

57 Then they put their hands over their ears and began shouting. They rushed at him 58 and dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. His accusers took off their coats and laid them at the feet of a young man named Saul.

59 As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 He fell to his knees, shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” And with that, he died.

Acts 7:54-60

Dear God, I want to look at the men from Cyrene, Alexandria, Cilicia, and Asia this morning. They are basically the ones who started this event. I wonder what was in their hearts while they challenged Stephen. Were they proud? Were they angry? Were they afraid they were wrong and overcompensating? And how much am I like these men? My temptation is to put myself in the Stephen role and people with whom I disagree in the role of these men, but something tells me that if I do that then I am being even more like these men than I already am.

I was telling some family last night that my need to be “right” decreases every year. I have friends who don’t believe. I have family who are hostile towards you. I used to see it as my job to be the one smart enough to convince them. Now, as I go through life, I find that what you really need me to do is love them and then be available to speak truth to them in the opportune moments. But I don’t have to be right. They don’t have to be wrong. And if I am wrong about something…”If.” As if I’m not already wrong about a lot of things. When I am wrong about something, give me ears to hear and eyes to see.

Father, as I go out into the world today, let me be a vessel that carries you with me. As a pastor friend of mine would put it, spill out of my bucket and over into the lives of those I touch. Bring your kingdom and your will being done into this world through me and anyone else you choose. And I pray for friends and family a lot, but I seem to forget the angel component, and I believe the angels are here. I don’t know their roles. I don’t know how much my prayers impact their activities or the power they have, but I pray for the angels that touch my life and the lives of those I love. And I pray that my own heart will not be hardened but open to the truth you have for me.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on December 26, 2024 in Acts

 

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Merry Christmas, Eve

25 Dec
“Mary Consoles Eve” by Sister Grace Remington.

Dear God, on this Christmas morning, I want to spend some time with Eve and Mary. With this image. I want to see myself in Eve. I want to embody the shame on her face. The clutching of the apple. The serpent wrapped around her legs, ready to trip her. She is us. She is all of us. She is Adam. She is Abraham. She is David and Solomon. She is Peter. She is Paul. Frankly, she is even Mary and Joseph.

I think I mentioned this a couple of days ago, but I heard an Orthodox priest say last week that the Incarnation actually happened with Mary’s visit from Gabriel. The birth was the forthcoming of the incarnation, but the plan was officially in motion at that point. At least the part of the plan we can see.

But how am I like Eve, as depicted here by Sister Grace Remington? I come to you with a mixture of shame and wonder. She knows what she did. I know what I’ve done–mostly. Some things I’ve done wrong that I don’t even know, but I know I’ve failed you, myself, and others around me. And then to reach out at marvel at what is inside of Mary. To wonder what exactly it means. Not even Mary and Joseph knew exactly what the unborn Jesus would mean to them and to the world.

I see Satan trying to wrap himself around me. To hold me back. To trip me. To strike at my heel. To keep me from you. That is, after all his ultimate goal: to keep me from you.

Mary is holding Eve’s hand and her shoulder. Fellow sojourners. Fellow mothers. One with an awesome responsibility and yet in as much need as Eve. Mary is linked to Eve and Adam as much as I am. They are part of me. Their legacy lives on in me and the rest of us. And I don’t judge them. I love them. I appreciate them. I appreciate their strengths and their weaknesses. Their vulnerabilities.

Of course, Mary is crushing the serpent’s head with her foot. Some non-Catholics might take exception to this, but I don’t see this as Mary doing this, but the act of her obedience to play a role in the Incarnation as doing it. That’s what this process is about. That thing that is wrapped around me legs, that tries to keep me from you, is destroyed. Killed. If only I will ask the child Mary once carried inside of her to do it for me.

Eve doesn’t want to let go of the apple just yet. Yes, I have sins that I hold onto. I’m better. I think I’m better. I think I’ve let go of a lot of it. Help me, Father, to let go of all of it.

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, as I sit here on this Christmas morning, I find myself really being grateful. First, you did something very kind for my wife and me last night. Thank you. We really needed it. Take this little life of mine and use it to love others today, tomorrow, and for as long as it draws breath–and even beyond.

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

Amen

 
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Posted by on December 25, 2024 in Advent 2024, Miscellaneous, Mothers of the Bible, Musings and Stories

 

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Joy to the World by John Piper – Advent Day 24

24 Dec

7 Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. 8 But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. 

1 John 3:7-8

Dear God, first, when I just sat down and saw the words “Joy to the World” for the title of this collection of daily readings, it made me think of the Keith Green song “Easter Song.” The chorus: “Joy to the world! He is risen. Halleluiah!” This is just the beginning of the bigger story. The plan is in motion. It had always been in motion, but now human eyes are starting to see it take shape. You are coming forth from Mary. The incarnation! And you will die. And you will rise again. And Satan will be destroyed along with his works.

I have to say, it doesn’t feel like he’s been destroyed yet. My wife and I cried together this morning over a sorrow in our lives. No, his works are not destroyed. They are still causing all kinds of problems. And we seem to hold onto them.

Our small town weekly paper does a page this time of year for local pastors to write something for the community. I think there were six pastor messages this year. I read them all. The one I am holding onto today is the last one. He encouraged us to have the faith of Mary. Mary accepted Gabriel’s charge. And yes, she might have had some buyer’s remorse and fear after the angel left, but she still had faith. She still pressed on. And she lived a hard life. And she suffered. She had sorrow. She had pain. A sword pierced her very soul, as Simeon predicted in Luke 2:35.

Father, I don’t understand how you defeated Satan’s plans or what that looks like from your perspective, but I do not have to understand. As I prayed with my wife this morning: I believe. Help my unbelief. I have faith. Help my lack of faith. I worship you. Help me me to worship you well and sin no more. And may it all be for the sake of your name being made hallowed, your kingdom coming to earth, and your will being done on earth as it is in heaven. You have given me more than my daily bread in terms of material needs, but give me my daily bread of emotional needs and healing. Comfort. Keep me from temptation and deliver me and those I love from Satan’s plans. Deliver us all from Satan’s plans. All glory and honor are yours, now and forever, Father.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on December 24, 2024 in 1 John, Advent 2024

 

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Joy to the World by John Piper – Advent Day 23

23 Dec

6 When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. 7 Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. 8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. 9 And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. 10 For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. 11 So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.

Romans 5:6-11

Dear God, friends with you? Really? I remember a friend of my dad’s who is gone now, but he used to establish mentoring relationships with young men, usually college-aged or older. He would say he wanted to be their friend. Frankly, we tried, but I didn’t care for him that much. I never felt like the friendship was equal or two-way. It didn’t fit my definition of friend.

So when I read Paul saying that we are friends of yours, I wonder how that can be. Is it this kind of friendship this man wanted? A friendship where one person has all of the power and the other is just lucky to be in their orbit? I mean, I’m good with an image of you as God and worshipping you. I’m good with an image of you as omnipotent and omnipresent. I’m good with an image of you as infallible. But it’s hard to think you could be my friend.

But then I think about the evidence you’ve shown me and the world that you want to be our friend. First, you reach out to us at all. That’s amazing in and of itself. Second, you literally sacrificed a part of yourself for us. Third, you took the time to be with us in the flesh to relate to us and teach us. You cared for us. You wept over us. You love us. Fourth, you are here with me now to just love me where I am. No conditions of where I will be in the future. Just love me where I am. Your influence will mold me as we go along, to be sure. If I am the average of the five “people” or I guess entities I spend the most time with, and I am spending time like this with you then I suppose the more I spend time with you the more I will be like you. But you are taking me where I am. It’s remarkable.

Father, it is amazing that I am a friend to God. I am a friend to you. Holy Spirit, you are sitting with me now as I type this. That’s amazing. You are comforting me. Teaching me. Inspiring me. Interested in me. I hope my love in return is enough. Sometimes, I feel like that is all I have to offer. But I offer it freely, willingly, and joyfully. Thank you, Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit–my Triune God.

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

Amen

 
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Posted by on December 23, 2024 in Advent 2024, Romans

 

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