This blog is designed to create community for believers and provide support for seekers. I encourage all readers to share their faith in an effort to lift and encourage one another.
“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.”
~Anne Bradstreet
I love these words of Anne Bradstreet. Without the cold and difficulties of winter, would we appreciate spring so much? Or would we just take it for granted? And after times of trials and difficulties, don’t we better appreciate the simple pleasures of an ordinary day?
Paul has a slightly different slant on difficulties. He encourages us to “glory in our sufferings” because we learn so many great character traits through our sufferings.
Romans 5:3 “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character, and character, hope.”
Father God, forgive me for griping and complaining when difficulties surround me. Instead, let me see how you are teaching me perseverance, character, and hope. Thank you for helping me to grow.
Often we study the bible in passages, or stories that are sectioned off by the editors. This sectioning is helpful to the reader, and helps to identify separate incidents and unify them in the readers’ minds. Sometimes, however, it is important to tie the separate incidents together.
Such is the case in the gospel of Matthew, chapter 14. In this chapter are two very familiar stories: One, the beheading of John the Baptist; two, the feeding of the 5,000 with five loaves of bread and two fish. Each of these stories, taken separately, has an important message for every one of us and should be read and studied carefully. But when the stories are tied together, there is yet another message for us in scripture.
Listen to what is said at the end of the story of John’s beheading: “John’s disciples came and took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus” (Matt. 14:12 NIV). Can you imagine how Jesus must have felt? His cousin, a young man in his early thirties, had just died horrible death.
What grief must have filled Jesus’ heart. Matthew 14:13, the beginning of the next story, hints at his grief: “When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place.” Surely, Jesus desired some time alone at this difficult moment in his young life.
But he was not to find his solitude. “Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick” (13b, 14).
I cannot imagine Jesus’ depth of compassion for these people. In his time of grief, needing so desperately to be alone, he turned to a large crowd, all oblivious to his grief, and during his time of need, he ministered to their needs.
He spent much time healing people in the crowd. As evening approached, the disciples wanted to send the crowd away so they could get some food. Once again, we glimpse Jesus’ compassion, for he “replied, ‘They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat’” (16).
It would have been perfectly logical for Jesus to send them away so they could eat and he could grieve. But, once again, his compassion was far greater than his needs. He multiplied their meager supplies so that everyone could eat his fill, with twelve basketfuls left over!
After everyone had eaten and the leftovers had been gathered up, Jesus sent his disciples across the lake on a boat, dismissed the crowd, and “went up on a mountainside by himself to pray” (23). In his time of grief and fatigue, Jesus turned to his father in prayer and solitude only after the needs of strangers were met.
I don’t know why this illustration of His compassion should surprise and move me. For I know a far greater example of compassion toward the sinful human race. His compassion is so boundless, he not only relinquished his time to mourn for his cousin, he also willingly gave up his life, at the very young age of 33, for sinners like you and me.
Lord, your compassion humbles me. Only God could put others’ needs ahead of his. Right now, Lord, you know that your people are grieving. Many are hurt. Many are angry. We struggle to trust in your plan for our country. In the midst of our grief, Lord, teach us to love and show compassion toward others. Teach us to be more like Jesus. Lord, if only we had a small measure of compassion, what amazing feats would be accomplished in your name.
Zechariah 7:9 “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another.’”
Psalm 34:15 “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry.”
When we were young, we thought being free meant we could do whatever we wanted, whenever we wanted to do it. For many, it wouldn’t matter if that freedom endangered themselves or someone else.
In Galatians, we see a different type of freedom. Freedom not to do our will, to do whatever we want, but instead, to do God’s will.
God wants us to use our freedom to choose to serve others. It seems a bit odd, doesn’t it? But, of course, Jesus used his freedom to serve others. He taught anyone who would listen, he healed the multitudes, and he died so that we might live.
Lord, thank you for sending us such an amazing example of serving humbly with love. Teach me daily to be more like Jesus. Teach me to serve others, humbly, with love.
“Prayer in action is love, love in action is service.” — Mother Teresa
Aren’t we commanded to love our neighbors? To love God and to love others? I love Mother Teresa’s challenge to us. Yes, pray for others. But put those prayers into action. Love others. Serve others. If someone is hungry, pray for them. But do more. Love that person by acting in love. Serve that person. It may mean cooking a meal or buying groceries for them.
Lord, open my eyes that I may see the ways you would have me pray for others. Show me how to love them by taking action and serving them. Each loving act of service bears testimony of your love and grace. Thank you for your loving service toward me and all of mankind.
I don’t know about you, but the key word for me in this passage is “patiently.” Sometimes I allow myself to become discouraged because I am not patient. The problem isn’t God, it’s me. God is faithful. God does fulfill his promises. Sometimes we just have to have faith and wait patiently for God’s time.
Father, thank you for your faithfulness in fulfilling your promises. In spite of my discouragement or lack of faith, have plans for me and you are faithful.
Looking out my dining room patio windows, I marvel at the freshly fallen snow. Overnight a six inch covering of white has blanketed my yard. Only yesterday the grass was brown and brittle, to all appearances dead. In the garden, skeletons of summer’s flowers dance, ghostlike in the wintry winds. The dried grass and flowers are now coated with white, their sharp edges masked by the soft contours of the freshly fallen snow. The low winter sun glitters off the snow, as if some giant hand had strewn diamonds over the whiteness. All is clean and sparkling, a joy to behold.
Besides looking beautiful, the snow’s blanket absorbs sound. No longer do I hear the muffled roar of nearby traffic. The snow-coated world, hushed, wraps a quiet peace and security around my heart.
Tomorrow I will have to drive in the snow. The roadsides will quickly lose their pristine whiteness. All along the highways, the once pure white snow is quickly covered with grime. Exhaust fumes, microscopic particles from motorist’s tires, motor oil, sand and salt cover the snow’s beauty. What was once pure, freshly fallen snow has become an eyesore. What came softly from the heavens is now coated with earth’s grime.
The freshly fallen snow reminds me of a new-born baby. The baby is soft and innocent; a new untouched soul has entered the world. All marvel at its appearance. Unfortunately, like the snow that becomes covered in grime, the new-born soul, fresh from heaven, is rapidly covered with earth’s grime. How quickly the ways of mankind begin to coat the soul! Without seeking heavenly guidance, the soul blunders its way in the world. It learns customs from its neighbors, not from its maker. It sees the glamour of the world and is enticed by its false glitter. Soon the once pure soul is hardly recognizable. Just like the road-side snow, the soul has become covered with a thick coat of the world’s grime.
It is impossible to clean the filth from the roadside snowbanks. Fortunately, it is possible to clean the filth from the soul. And how is this impossible task accomplished? “We have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:10b). Through his sacrifice we can be made clean. When he was crucified on the cross, he took the punishment for all our sins. All we need to do is believe and ask for his forgiveness. Then we are made holy; all the impurities are washed away and our souls become pure and white as snow. Then and only then can our sparkling white souls enter into the very presence of God.
Almighty God, my soul is dirty, covered with the world’s grime. I have become so accustomed to the dirt that I hardly even notice it. Reveal my impurities to me and wash my soul as white as snow. Make me pure enough to stand, unafraid, at the very foot of your heavenly throne.
Isaiah 1:18 verifies this. “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.
Christmas is over. The presents are open and the wrapping paper thrown away. At our house the “biggest” gift was our new grandson, Simeon, then just six weeks old. Everyone wanted to hold him, to touch his oh-so-soft skin. We exclaimed over a smile, and the trusting eyes looking at everything, taking it all in. A new baby is indeed a precious gift, so beautiful, so tiny, so totally helpless and dependant.
In reality, we all receive the gift of the newborn at Christmas, the gift of the Christ child. He must have been just as precious, just as beautiful, just as tiny, just as helpless. But this baby is the one of whom John wrote, “In the beginning was the Word, and the word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him…” (John 1:1-3 NKJ). God, who made the moon and the stars, the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, all the animals on the earth, and yes, who made us, willingly left his throne of glory to become a tiny, helpless baby. Let us not forget this most precious Christmas gift.
Lord Jesus, as we contemplate this gift, we humbly honor and praise you. What a dramatic transformation: from omnipotent being, reigning in heaven, to a helpless babe, lying in a manger. May the memory of this sacrifice, this precious gift, remain with us and inspire us to more diligently seek Your face.
Hebrews 1:10 “In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens
Father, forgive us for those times when we stir up trouble or controversy, when we say hurtful things or spread gossip. We are your adopted children, and we are called to bring peace, just as you bring it to us.
Growing Our Faith Together 