Learning to love others the way Jesus loves us
Psalm 42; Matthew 5:6 Psalm 42:1 Deer are simple creatures. They are usually skittish, running from perceived danger in a zigzag to confuse predators. They hide by melting into the landscape around them. But when the predators press in and neither running nor hiding work, deer head for the water. They instinctively know that water… Continue reading Thirsting
Haggai 1:4-10 Busy, busy, busy. That's how we behaved in February. In March a pandemic shut us all down. We couldn't busy ourselves with activities that improved our social standing (in church and out) and we had an opportunity to reframe our priorities, draw near to the Lord, and decide how to approach a post-Covid… Continue reading Whose house?
2 Peter 1:3 Everything we need. When we know Jesus, we don't need to know anything else to live a life devoted to justice, mercy, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Remember that. Remember that when you read angry social media posts so you do not respond in kind (pointing at… Continue reading Everything
Matthew 5 Mourning is exhausting. The emotional toll it takes seems to be much greater than any physical task. Perhaps it is because physical work has an end in sight and a finished product. But mourning? It feels like wave after wave of grief without end. Mourning is a time when we need to draw… Continue reading Joy comes in the mo(u)rning
Matthew 5:5 Mourning is more than sadness. It is the gut-wrenching wail of devastation and loss. It is the same Greek word used is Revelation 18 when Babylon falls and the people realize there is nothing left of the great city. Mourning is the attitude of the prodigal, the repentance of Job, and the cry… Continue reading Blessed are they who mourn
Psalm 27 I am calling this the Psalm of "no matter what." As I read it this morning, all I could think was that nothing can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:39). In this psalm, David lists all the ways God is with us no matter what. Verses 2-3 No matter what,… Continue reading No matter what
Psalm 130 "Out of the depths I call to You..."Seven months into a pandemic followed by multiple catastrophes, both natural and human fueled, there is still no end in sight. Many of us are drowning in the depths of job loss, illness, online school, wildfire/hurricane, and Zoom fatigue. We miss our church families, our large… Continue reading Redemption
Proverbs 14:2 The structural integrity of a bridge is the difference between a safe crossing or a catastrophe. Similarly, the structural integrity of our character is the difference between wisdom and mindelessly following foolishness. How are you maintaining your character? Living in chaos makes integrity more important than ever. To withstand the pressures of a… Continue reading Structural integrity
Romans 5:5 "Hope does not put us to shame." (ESV) What does that mean? Why should hope be shameful? I pondered this notion until I realized that it happens all the time. Social media posts about prayer become targets for ridicule. Hopeful people are sometimes treated like they don't know or don't care about human… Continue reading Grounded in love
Romans 5:4 So, since we have decided to choose joy in suffering (joy, not happiness) because we know it will lead to endurance, we still wonder, why? What is the point of endurance? Especially enduring suffering? Paul didn't stop with endurance through suffering; endurance also serves a purpose. Endurance produces character. Endurance makes us better… Continue reading Endure
Defaulting to Grace 