Rooted 1

Let God uphold you in His hands.

Psalm 37:23-27

I have never met anyone who doesn't worry about their children.  When they are little we worry about their every little need.  Our lives as parents are consumed with the tedium of bottles and diapers and naps and pacifiers and the dangers from choking and poisoning and all sorts of treacherous things that can happen to them.  When they go off to school we worry about them fitting in, doing well, having friends and all of those things.   

My children are now beyond those stages and I feel like the real worrying is just beginning.  Will they pick the right spouse?  Will they find a job?  Will they ever move out?  (just kidding!)  (not really)

But today's reading reminds us that God has our children in His hands.  It doesn't matter whether they are infants or grandparents themselves -- when they do what God commands He holds them.  The Hebrew word used in verse 24 for "uphold" means to rest or lean against.  Like when you are exhausted and you lean against a wall.   You know it's going to support you.  

And in verse 26 it says that their children will be a blessing.  But it means more than "their children will bless them."  It really means that their children's names will literally become a blessing.   When people talk about them, they will be blessed just by hearing the names.  

What a great thing for a parent to want for their children!  I want my kids to be blessings to others.  I want them to be so generous and loving and Godly that other parents say "Why can't you be more like him?"  (Oh, what a curse to put on my children from the world's point of view!)

Mother's Day is this Sunday.  DON'T FORGET!   It is through our parents and grandparents that we develop who we are.  It is through them that we learn to be generous and just and good.*  But it is in God's hands that we all rest.  He is the one who upholds us and He is the one who lifts us when we stumble.

DAILY CHALLENGE:  Thank God for your parents.  Be a blessing to them, even if they are no longer in this world.  How can you let God uphold you this week.

*Even if you weren't blessed with Godly parents (and believe me it is a blessing) you learned these things.   Maybe it was even an "opposite" lesson of how you never want to be... but remember that God is our father and mother and loves us as His children.  So hang in there for this week of Mother's Day and be a great mother yourself or give yourself to a child who desperately needs Godly guidance.

Recipe for Life 1

Proverbs 22:6

In preparation for our Mother’s Day service we have asked people to submit their “kitchen tips,” helpful hints and suggestions, teachings, on how to do things in the kitchen. These wonderful ideas can be transferred into Biblical teachings, suggestions and directions on how to live good and Godly lives.

So, today we look at a familiar passage from Proverbs. What should we do? What is the result?

At first glance the passage may seem to apply only to parents. After all, only a parent has children to train. But I believe this passage, and others, applies to all those who obey God. We are told to train or teach others in the ways of living good and holy lives.

In Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus offers final instructions to his disciples and part of that instruction is to teach others. There are many references to teaching throughout the New Testament, and Colossians 3:16 speaks about teaching and admonishing “one another with all wisdom.”

I believe it is part of our duty as Christians to be teachers. We may not stand in front of a classroom or behind a pulpit, but we can all teach. We may not read from a textbook or make notes on a chalkboard, but we can all present lessons.

We can teach by sharing advice. We can teach by helping others understand the Biblical lessons and Biblical principals that apply to life. And we can teach by being living examples of what it means to have faith, to share God’s love, to be holy, to be good, to be giving.

Whether or not you are a parent you should train a child in God’s ways. Whether the child is young or an older “child” of God, you can teach about God’s love.

DAILY CHALLENGE: What lesson about God can you teach someone?

Rebekah 5

Deuteronomy 11:26-28

Of all Rebekah's qualities we've looked at this week... strength, hospitality, kindness... obedience is the one that God requires and rewards the most. As we saw yesterday, Rebekah is obedient to God's plan and she is blessed in ways that she never could have imagined, even long after her life had ended her descendents still consider her one of the most important women in their history.

Belonging to God is sort of a blessing and curse. When we say "I will go" to God, we enter into a covenant with him. When we are obedient, we are blessed. When we are disobedient, we are cursed. So simple and yet so difficult sometimes.

So what are the other gods we sometimes follow? I'll let you make that list for yourself, but for me it can be my schedule, my money, my pride, anything I put before the one true God... anything that would keep me from being obedient.

Throughout Deuteronomy God tells his people how he will bless them if they are just obedient to his commands. They will have strength and live a long time. They will be successful in all they do. But since everything they are doing is commanded by God, it sort of makes sense. This is not a selfish prosperity, but a reward of being right where God wants you to be.

It's hard to be a young girl and head off with a stranger to a place you've never seen to marry someone you've never met. It's REALLY hard to be a teenaged girl and find out you've been chosen to bear the child of God (in a culture that murders unwed pregnant women still). What we are asked to do probably compares in these opportunities for obedience. But we are still called to obey God.

DAILY CHALLENGE: Do you feel blessed or cursed? Are you in the center of where God wants you to be? Pray and ask God for his guidance so that you can be obedient.

I Am Blessed 5

Luke 11:24-28

One of my hobbies involves painting with the use of little paint brushes. I have a small collection of brushes, about a dozen. Some brushes I use a great deal while others I rarely use at all. I have found that those brushes that I seldom use will frequently become un-usable and will need to be thrown away. Frequent use seems to keep them in good shape, whereas neglect makes them useless.

This passage from Luke is one that may not make sense at first glance. What is the first thing that happens with the evil spirit (verse 24)? What happens when it returns to its original place? Why are things worse?

How does Jesus respond to the woman’s statement? How does it apply to his parable of the evil spirit?

This parable of the evil spirit and its return speaks of the void we can allow our lives to have. We may have difficulties in our lives. We may have hardships and challenges – illness, infirmities, emotional stresses – and we can turn to God and seek relief from these afflictions. And when these problems are taken away, what then?

If our problems are removed and our prayers are answered, we may be thankful and joyful. But if we leave our lives empty we may be opening ourselves to more troubles. If we are blessed by God through relief of our troubles and problems, we need to fill the void with a good relationship with God. Allowing our spirituality to rest idle – like the paint brushes – may result in more problems.

To avoid this we are encouraged to fill our spirituality with goodness and blessings. And how do we do that?

The woman who heard Jesus teaching recognized that Jesus was both blessed and a blessing. She called out that Jesus was blessed. But that was not enough.

Simply recognizing that God can bless us may still leave us with a spiritual void. We fill the void in our spiritual lives by hearing the word of God and obeying it. Believing in God and being blessed by God requires more than simply receiving God’s goodness or recognizing that it exists.

It requires that we ask for more of God’s presence and insight in our lives through prayer. It requires that we seek a deeper relationship with God through study, Christian fellowship, and service. It requires that we knock – we work to understand the teachings of Christ better – and we make them a part of who we are.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you make your spiritual house something that is filled and not just “in order”?

I Am Blessed 4

Luke 11:9-10

I will never forget the time we were all sitting at the dinner table enjoying a meal when I noticed our son was visibly upset. I asked what was wrong.

“I didn’t get any potatoes,” he said.

“Did you ask for them?” I wondered.

“No.”

The food was all there. My wife and I had prepared the meal and we wanted everyone to have all the food that was set out, but in that confused time of food being passed the potatoes had not made it all the way around the table. No one was hoarding them, and nothing was being denied anyone. My child just needed to ask for what he wanted.

What instructions does Jesus give? What are the results when we ask, seek or knock?

We may not have everything our hearts desire. We may not each possess the wealth and influence that some people have. But the blessings of a deep, rich relationship with God are available to all of us. There are times, however, when we need to seek them.

So often, people can look at life as being filled with blessings that are denied them. They may perceive that life is difficult and challenging because, for some reason, God is withholding blessings. But in truth, God wants to bless us. He wants us to have good things and goodness in our lives.

We need to be cautious so that we do not fall into the misconception that God is a magical being ready to dispense whatever we want. It would be selfish and erroneous for us to turn to God and treat him like a genie in a bottle – “Give me money.” “Give me power.” “Make me beautiful.”

Instead we should seek the blessings of God by seeking a right relationship with the Almighty. God indeed wishes to bless us. We must first see the blessings we have in our lives. Then we must seek the blessings that God wants to give us, realizing that these blessings may be different than what we may value from our human perspective, things that meet selfish drives.

The blessings from God are more appropriate and more wonderful than the materialistic blessings we may desire. We must seek them, ask for them, by striving to be obedient to God and by striving to grow stronger in our faith and our relationship with God.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you ask, seek and knock with the goal of receiving God’s blessings?

I Am Blessed 3

Matthew 5:14-16

One of my previous jobs was at a research facility in an area north of Cincinnati. The facility was one large, glass and steel building built on the top of a hill. The main corridor which ran from one end of the building to the other, with several turns, was about one mile in length.

There was no missing this building. On clear days the windows of this immense structure reflected the sun. Anyone hoping to find the building simply needed to look because a person could see the building from quite a distance. The image of that building comes to mind when I read today’s passage.

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus tells those listening about what it means to be an obedient believer. He tells those who believe that they have certain abilities. What are the comparisons that he makes to those who are faithful? What command is given?

If we are obedient to the laws of God and the commands of our Lord, if we follow the teachings of Christ, then we will be ambassadors of God. We will show others what God is like through our own behavior and actions.

If we are blessed – and we are! – then we need to let others know that we are blessed. Our joys and gladness in our blessings should be evident to all who see us.

A city that is built on the crest of a hill is not something hidden from sight. Anyone near it will be able to see it and identify its features. Even from quite a distance a city on a hill can be seen.

The same is true of people who are blessed. Our blessings will be evident to anyone who will look at us, and our behavior should exhibit and demonstrate to others how blessed we are.

Like a lamp that is intended to shed light on the surroundings, so we as blessed children of God should let the blessings we have be an illumination to others. We should let our blessings shine out to others. We should live lives that show we are blessed by God.

Jesus commands us to let our light shine – let our blessings be evident – so that others may see the goodness of God. And we are to do this not to shame them or create envy, but to draw others into the kingdom of God. By letting our blessings shine before others, they will be drawn to the Lord to praise Him and to seek blessings in their own lives.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you live so as to let your blessings shine?

I Am Blessed 2

Jonah 2:1-10

We have a slightly longer reading today, but I wanted everyone to read the whole chapter and be sure they got the whole story.

At the beginning, Jonah is calling out and thanking God for his blessing. Now many of us wouldn't think that being digested by a large fish was much of a blessing, but at least he was alive!

Jonah had been running from God and felt that God had turned his back on him. He was feeling totally alone and abandoned. But he still called out to God and found refuge, although not what he might have been expecting.

He ends with a "song of thanksgiving" even though he is still in the belly of the whale. He does this because he can see God's hand in his current situation.

When our lives feel like we're drowning, we need to find our strength in God. We need to call out to him, even when we feel we are alone. We need to realize that while we might seem like where we are stinks (and I'll bet it did for Jonah!) that God is still managing the details.

DAILY CHALLENGE: Give God a "song of thanksgiving" even for a situation where it's hard to see the blessings around you.

I Am Blessed 1

Psalm 128:4-6

This coming Sunday is Laity Sunday. The message will be presented by a woman from one of our churches and Peggy and I get the weekend off (sort of). But what is more pleasing than getting a Sunday where we aren’t the worship leaders is knowing that the person giving the message has chosen the topic of blessings. She has seen so much blessing in her life that she will be sharing this idea.

Psalm 128 speaks of blessings. Who is blessed? What is offered in verse 5? What special blessing is mentioned in verse 6?

Looking at the notes for the message I saw that our speaker will point out the many blessings that each of us have in our lives, blessings that are often overlooked. The simplest part of life can be a blessing from God, yet we don’t always recognize it.

We may not have incredible wealth and we may not live in a palace. We may not have servants and enough disposable income that we can travel anywhere we like or be entertained by whatever we choose. Yet we are blessed.

The psalmist reminds us that to be blessed we need to be people who fear the Lord. That is to say, the person who honors God and respects Him, obeying His commands, is the one who will be blessed. And the blessings offered in this psalm are not riches beyond compare, tremendous good times, abundant food and entertainment, but the prosperity of Jerusalem. The blessings called upon are the successes of the nation, a place where life can be lived in safety and where the common goodness of basic needs is supplied.

Beyond the blessing of a good life, there is offered the blessing of longevity and descendents. “May you live to see your children’s children.” May you grow old and see your family grow.

What a blessing that is, to be surrounded by children and grandchildren and to have the length of years to enjoy the times together as a family group.

These are simple blessings, but some of the most profound from God. Good life, good health, and a happy family. If we can have these things from God and nothing more, still we are blessed.

DAILY CHALLENGE: What blessings do you have that you may have overlooked?

Rejected 5

Psalm 1:1-3

Last summer we had quite a dry spell with no rain. We had just planted some trees in the front yard, so we had to deliberately water those trees almost daily to help them survive the hot and arid weather. The grass on the lawn was brown and dry, but the trees kept their green leaves.

Such an image is presented in Psalm 1. What should a person NOT do to be blessed? What should a person do to be blessed? To what is a person who delights in the law of God compared?

God’s blessings are waiting for us. He wants to fill our lives with goodness, mercy and love. But we can easily fall into our sinful, human nature and miss out on the blessings that are offered.

Getting caught up in wrong actions and wrong attitudes, falling to the temptations of the world, or joining in with those who criticize and judge and mock others can leave us in a spiritual desert. In contrast, we can be aware that God wants to bless us and we can dedicate ourselves to studying God’s word and trying to live as true Christians. Such a life will bring us blessings from God.

We will become like a well-watered tree, growing and blossoming in strength and goodness. We will be able to yield good fruit – the fruit of the Spirit, the fruit of being a true Christian. Our souls and our hearts will not wither, and all that we do will prosper if we act in faith and serve God.

The blessings from God can be too easily rejected or overlooked if we do not spend our time delighting in God and being attentive to His commands. Living in communion with the Holy Spirit will bring us to God’s great table of abundance?

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you delight in the law of the Lord? How can you meditate on God’s law?

Rejected 3

1 Samuel 25:9-13

My sister shared the story of when she and her friends went to Washington, D.C. and visited the Smithsonian Institute. They wanted to see the big American flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to write “The Star Spangled Banner.” They searched for a long time through the halls of the building unable to find this famous icon. They came at last to one of the workers there and asked where they might find the flag.

“You mean that one?” he asked, pointing to the wall behind them. What they were looking for was practically under their noses, yet they had not seen it. The same can be true of the blessings God offers.

In this passage David has sent a message to Nabal asking that David’s men, those who have helped protect Nabal, will be given food. What is Nabal’s response? How does David react?

Nabal is a wealthy man with property, goats and sheep. Unbeknownst to Nabal, while his servants were out tending their flocks David’s soldiers were kind to them, offering protection through their presence and treating them with respect. Now David would like to share in some of the blessings that Nabal is enjoying.

But Nabal is a surly and mean-spirited man and refuses to offer hospitality to David’s men. This is a mistake.

For one thing, Nabal owes David some gratitude for the way his servants have been treated. Second, being hospitable to a man as powerful as David would result in good things for Nabal.

But Nabal does not see this. He is not aware of the blessings he has already received, nor is he aware of what he could receive, so he rejects David’s request. In so doing he is rejecting potential blessings and stirring the wrath of David.

How often in our own lives do we overlook the blessings that we have already received? How often do we reject the opportunity for more blessings?

Those people I have encountered who can not find it in themselves to believe in God claim that their lives are filled with hardships. How can there be a God? They do not see the goodness that God gives freely every day. They do not see the blessings they have already received, and then pass over the opportunity to receive more.

God has given us many good and wonderful blessings, and He will give us more if we will simply accept them. But first we must recognize what we have received and be attentive to opportunities to accept God’s invitation to more.

DAILY CHALLENGE: Can you list the blessings God has already given you?

Rejected 1

Matthew 22:1-7

The image of God’s goodness as a banquet, a great table of abundance, continues in Matthew with the parable of the wedding banquet. Just as with the parable of the wise and foolish virgins, a wedding celebration, so familiar to so many people, represents the goodness of God’s grace.

Who prepares the wedding banquet? What did the invited guests do? What enticement does the king offer in verse 4? What was the result of the second invitation? How did the king react?

A similar parable to this one is presented in Luke 14:16-24, but this story in Matthew has a distinct edge to it. How does the king react? He kills those who rejected his invitation and destroyed their city. His wrath was great.

If the king represents God, then Jesus is warning us of a vengeful side to God. Rejecting His invitation not only makes us bypass blessings, it might spark God’s anger.

Another element missing from Luke’s version are the details we see in Matthew 22:4. In this version we see the abundance that is offered – fattened cattle and oxen have been butchered. The meal is ready. The king is reminding everyone of what they might expect. He is hoping to entice them to come.

Yet, this invitation is neglected. Those invited turn their backs.

And like so many passages in the Bible we can cluck our tongues at these foolish people. But, how different from them are we?

Don’t we bypass the blessings of God by refusing His invitation to us? Don’t we miss out on the great and wonderful grace and goodness God will pour out on us because we turn away from God?

There are so many who will not come to God’s table. Through fear or doubt, they avoid that deeper relationship with the Lord, a togetherness that will fill their lives with richness. A fabulous gift is offered, but many do not accept it.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you avoid missing God’s banquet?

Invitation 3

2 Kings 7:14-17

Our previous church held a picnic at the end of every summer and there were many people who attended. I was not one of them. For many years the thought of being around all these stuffy church people in a park was the furthest thing from what I imagined fun to be. Then one year, I don’t know why, I went to the picnic and had one of the best times of my life.

With the experience of enjoyment came the realization that I had passed over many opportunities to have fun at these picnics. I had missed out on several blessings because of my doubts.

News of the Aramean army’s departure was hard to accept. What did the king decide to do? What did they discover? How did the people react? What happened to the officer who had doubted?

We so want blessings from God. We so want to be happy in our lives, to experience joys, to feel loved, to feel that we have been given plenty. Yet, it is so hard for many to believe that God actually wants us to have these things too. It is hard for many people to accept the fact that God is waiting for the opportunity to pour His blessings onto our lives.

We assume that we deserve nothing and we will get nothing. Or worse, we confess with our mouths that God is the Almighty but we really don’t believe it. Miracles can’t happen.

But in fact miracles can happen and do happen. Miracles are waiting for you to ask for them. God’s abundant mercy, compassion, love and comfort is just waiting for you to turn to Him and ask for it. Say the words and the floodgates of the heavens will open.

The officer from 2 Kings 7:2 was not part of the blessings of God. He was not part of the great celebration. He did not receive God’s gifts. Instead, he suffered and died.

This is not to say anyone who doubts the abilities of God will die, but if you are unable to believe and accept what God can do then how will you receive these blessings? This is not to say every problem and challenge will be swept away at a word, but if you can’t believe in the power of God how will you receive His help?

God has invited you to the table He has prepared. Come to the table and accept whole-heartedly that God wants you to have His blessings. Then receive them with gladness.

DAILY CHALLENGE: What blessings have you passed over in your life?