Psalm 25:1-5 and Psalm 62:1-8

 

“He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress…”

 

David is noting in these passages from the Psalms that his trust is in God alone. In that statement, David is simply explaining an eternal truth, not some platitude to be trotted out to people who are under duress. He uses the metaphor of God as a fortress. It is important to note that in that period of history, if you were in a conflict with an enemy of superior force, you would be doomed without the security of a mighty fortress. Even with overwhelming odds against you, if you were in a fortress which was well stocked with food, water, and supplies, you could have a fair measure of security. Enemies, confronted by a very strong fortress would often simply lay siege to the fortress rather than attack it directly.

In these of social distancing and even quarantine, our houses and apartments have become our “fortresses”. They are offering a good degree of protection from the Corona virus, but not all have the luxury of staying in those fortresses.  Many people must venture out and do the essential services that serve society, including our health care workers and first responders.

We are all, however, united in this- our only security and hope lies in the loving protection of God. Verses 11 and 12 of Psalm 62 go on to say, “One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard: that you O God, are strong, and that you, O God are loving.” That sums up about all we need to know about God- He loves us, and He and is strong enough to protect us. If we are in need of a comforting statement, that surely is it.

 

Prayer: Thank you Father that you love us, and that you desire the best for us. We are comforted by your strength, and amazed by your love, Amen.

 

…” and He took five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, He blessed, and broke, and gave the loaves to His disciples, and the disciples gave them to the multitude.” Matthew 14:19 

 

We see in this passage from Matthew the essence of service to others. In Philippians, we read how Jesus emptied himself, came to earth to serve others, gave his life, and taught that this was the model of servanthood. Servants are to empty themselves to prepare for entering in to the service of others. In this way it becomes clear whose needs are being met- our job is to meet the needs of those whom we serve.

In this time of crisis, serving others could, and should be the norm for all of us. In other times of national crisis, people often went to extraordinary measures to sacrifice and serve others. I see that now too. Most of us feel compelled to do something to help out. What a privilege to be in the position to do just that!

We read in Matthew that Jesus fed the multitude. The “wow factor” for me in this story is that Jesus involved the disciples. Jesus is the one who broke the bread and blessed it, asking the Father for provision for the people. Notice, however, in the end of verse 19, “ … and gave the loaves to His disciples, and the disciples gave them to the multitude.”  Jesus involved the disciples in the miracle of serving others.

We too have been given the awesome privilege of serving others. God gives us talents and gifts to bless other people, and then he entrusts us to carry out the service in His name. This plan for service is really quite remarkable, and to think we have a part in the Master’s plan for the world- that is a true privilege.

 

Prayer: Father, you have given us the privilege of serving others, and you have given Jesus as the model. Forgive us for the times we serve out of wrong motives, or with a bitter spirit. Thank you for the blessings you give us to pass on to others. Amen

 

Philippians 4:8

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

 

In this time of the world health crisis, the timely message of Paul is comforting. Paul wrote this from prison, suffering quite a bit, but wanting to encourage those to whom he wrote. This is a great model, and we need that lesson today more than ever.

The world is suffering. Certainly, some are suffering much worse than others, but we all share pain during this time. As we always witness during times of trouble and uncertainty, crisis brings out the best and worst in character. Our true character is revealed during times of great stress. At the same time, we are shaped and refined by the pressures we face. The strength of steel can only be formed under conditions of intense heat and pressure. So too our character, which is tested and formed under the heat of circumstances.

We see all around us wonderful stories of people giving time, money and resources to others, even at great personal cost. We see our health professionals and first responders literally giving themselves away, risking personal safety, for the benefit of those they serve.

And yes, we also see people who hoard resources irresponsibly, put others in jeopardy by flaunting pleas to maintain social distance, and inflame social media with ideas that are not helpful or kind.

For our own mental health, and for the benefit of those around us, let’s follow Paul’s example. Let us choose to focus on whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable.

 

Prayer: Lord, you know our tendency to become negative when we are afraid. Your Word says that perfect love casts out fear. Give us a more perfect love for you and for one another, Amen.

Genesis 50:20

 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.

This verse from Genesis is one of my favorite in all of the Bible. The context was in the story of Joseph, who had been sold into slavery by his jealous brothers, and later rose into prominence in Egypt, his adopted country. The brothers, upon encountering Joseph, whom they presumed to be dead, were fearful that Joseph would naturally extract revenge upon them for their awful deeds. Instead of having them executed, Joseph uttered this marvelous truth “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”

This grace-filled response is a timeless truth that we can use every day to better deal with crises in our lives. Pain, evil, suffering, can be redeemed into something good if we allow that to be considered as an option. Joseph, in the Genesis story, would not have been in the position in Egypt to save a starving world if his brothers had not done their evil acts to him. This did not condone their evil, but Joseph chose to turn that evil into good for so many people, including the perpetrators of his pain. If we look at things in a different perspective, we can find ways to redeem pain and suffering into something better than we had before. In fact, had the crisis not occurred, we would not have the opportunities that it actually presented to us.

I read once that the Chinese characters which form the word “crisis” are of two parts- one indicating danger, and the other opportunity. So, a crisis is an experience which presents both danger and opportunity.

The crisis that we now face, the Covid-19 pandemic, is in fact a huge danger, but it is also an incredible opportunity for producing good- if we can see it in that light. Actually, every day we see acts of grace and kindness- selfless acts- that are in response to this crisis. I have read that there will be huge societal changes as a result of how we have changed our behaviors during this crisis. I believe that. I also believe that we need to find the benefits of those changes- new ways of learning, providing health care with new tools, etc. We also learn that we so miss physical touch and direct human interactions, and we will, hopefully, value people and relationships even more in the future.

So, let us be instruments of redemption- turning this pain and suffering into good things for our future.

Prayer: Father, we recognize that this is a time of great suffering and death, yet there are opportunities to redeem this pain into powerful good. Help us to see those ways and act upon them, Amen.

God has come to Help His People

Luke 7:11-17 

“God has come to help His people” 

In this passage we see the compassion of Jesus, which moved him to raise from death the son of a widow. In those times, a widow without a man to help her with the daily needs of life was in a desperate situation. Jesus knew her need, and he responded to it.

People need to see how we as Christians respond to the desperate needs of those around us. Only then (in many cases) will people even look twice at the saving power of Jesus Christ whose love compels those compassionate deeds.

Consider the actions that so many people are doing during this time of health crisis.  Compassion for desperate, suffering people is the historic response of Christians throughout the centuries. There are many, many examples of course, but one that really moved me is the action of Samaritan’s Purse in going “directly into the fire” so to speak.  That ministry has set up temporary hospitals in Italy and now in New York City. Their selfless and extravagant charity toward others is truly inspiring. Often, it is only after responding to the physical life and needs of people that we can begin to show them the spiritual saving power of Jesus.

As the hands and feet of Jesus, we can help to make the “kingdom come” for the poorest and neediest people on earth. Indeed, we can be the instruments whereby “God has come to help His people” as it is recorded in Luke 7:16.

So, I urge my readers to think about those little, unique ways you can serve others at this time. A gift card to health care workers or first responders is a small example of kindness and caring, affirming our gratitude to those laboring to save others. By the way, gift cards from local restaurants also helps those struggling businesses to survive!

People will be better able to respond to our evangelism (good news of eternal life) when we can also give them hope for a future on earth through our care and compassion.

 

Prayer: Father, we thank you for the abundant life which you have given to us. Give us the vision to be able to share it freely with others who do not yet know you. Amen

The Good Shepherd 

John 10:7-18 

“I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”

 

          Several places in this passage contain these words- “a good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep”. We know it is true that Jesus literally laid down his life for us. I believe that he also is challenging us to understand the true nature of love, which is to lay our lives down for others.

          I think we can all understand this in the context of our families, and perhaps even for close friends. Soldiers in combat have done this for centuries, and they continue to do so. Our front line health care workers, first responders, and a host of related professions are now laying down their lives to provide for the needs of a reeling society.

 Paul said in Romans 5: 7-8 “Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man, someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

          This is a powerful demonstration of love. The principle here is that there cannot be true, mature love without sacrifice. I would defy anyone to give an example of love that did not involve sacrifice. Jesus calls upon us to demonstrate love toward people who are “not very lovable”. In fact, he gave his life for us when we were “not very lovable”.

          I have heard the story that shepherds in the time of Jesus actually laid down at the gate of a sheep pen at night in order to protect the sheep from predators. Wolves or other predators would literally have to “crawl over” the sleeping shepherd to get to the sheep.

          We too, I think, are called to “be in the gap” for others- even those who we do not know, or maybe do not even care for. I think that is the true meaning of laying down our lives. We are to love people the way God loves them in order to demonstrate what real love is. And yes, it always involves sacrifice.

 

Prayer: Father, thank you for the demonstration of love that Jesus is for us. You gave him as our sacrifice when we had nothing to give. Thank you for loving us, even while we were far separated from you, Amen.

As we enter this new year, I think it is important to set a tone in our own attitude about this new opportunity in 2019. As we know so well, we cannot control some things around us, but we can control our attitude about those things. The new year will bring surprises, pain, joy, and a host of other things. I hope your year is filled with joy and hope.

A good way to start adjusting attitude is found in the book of Philippians, where the writer says…

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

This passage is one of my very favorite ones in the Bible. Paul, writing from a Roman jail, is telling people how to be content, and he is thanking people for their support and generosity. He is telling people to earnestly rejoice, even while he is in the midst of trouble.

There is a formula here for contentment. If we rejoice, recognizing that God is near, we will be better able to turn to Him in prayer, especially at those very rattled times. We are to give our petitions to God with thanksgiving. That is, recognizing that we have done what we are supposed to do, and having put it into God’s hands, we are to be thankful that He will then take care of things. How will He take care of things? Well, that is not our problem- that is His concern. Since He loves us, we are to be assured that He will deal with it in our ultimate best interest. Paul says that the peace of God will then guard our hearts.

In order to maintain this peace, we then need to think on good, pure and lovely things, uplifting things. Paul is outlining here the most basic of psychological principles- what we dwell on, we become. The part of our spirit that is fed is the part that grows. So, we are to feed the positive, uplifting ideas and surroundings, not the negative, deadly things the world has to offer.

Paul concludes, if we put these things into practice, the God of peace will be with us. If we let the peace of God guard our hearts, the God of peace will dwell there!

I trust that as you begin 2019, you can start with the attitude of positivity, and trust that God has in control already the things that my come up this year.

 

I don’t have the answer. Then again, you probably do not have the answer either. The discussion about immigration, especially about the Mexican border, is heating up. Unfortunately, as in the words of Benjamin Franklin, this particular discussion is “bringing more heat than light”. I would like to think that it really is a discussion, but it has become, like many topics these days, a twitter and sound bite war. The intent often is to inflame emotions, and to generate political talking points. The immigration topic deserves a more thorough and thoughtful discussion.

Many years ago, immigration from Mexico was essentially circular- that is workers came over the U.S. border to work seasonally, then returned home to Mexico. New laws in 1986 changed that landscape, making it very difficult to come to the U.S. and then return to Mexico.

The topic of immigration from Mexico has been a political tool for many years. However, the rise of Central American chaos and drug violence has escalated this problem to new and previously unimagined heights. Drug cartels and violent gangs in El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala, and civil unrest in Nicaragua have made those countries dangerous places to be. Children especially are targeted by the evil of gangs, and parents face terrible choices in trying to protect their children. So what do they do? Like any good parent, we do whatever we can to protect our children. It is the most human of behaviors.

As I began this piece, I have no answers to this problem, but I do suggest that we look beyond the border of the United States to solve it. At our borders, we are receiving people literally at the end of their rope. They typically have no better solution than to flee to a safer place.

Can we work with the Mexican government to make Mexico a safer place for refugees in their desperate flight for a haven? Can we find a way to help stem the tide of drug violence in Central America? We will never know if we do not start engaging the discussion in a reasonable way. If we intend to spend millions (or billions) of dollars to erect walls, holding facilities, border guards, and all the infrastructure needed to deal with illegal immigration, why not divert our efforts and monies into more positive plans, dealing with the root of the problem?

Difficult problems like this require collaborative solutions. Those solutions do not occur unless people sit together and engage one another in a genuine spirit of cooperation to solve a serious problem. I do know that the Trump administration’s stance toward Mexico is NOT facilitating such discussions, nor is it setting the groundwork for collaboration.

In order for any of this to actually happen, we must first engage one another in rational and moral discourse about it. Our political leaders, Democrats and Republicans, MUST stop engaging the immigration problem as a campaign issue, and deal with it as a moral, and perhaps even a financial issue. Yes, national security must be considered, but a human crisis must also be considered, and it should be discussed with more than hot rhetoric.

The desire to solve the problem must transcend the desire to be “right”. Certainly, it must transcend the desire to be elected.

In 1973, the eminent psychiatrist Karl Menninger wrote a book titled Whatever Became of Sin? The book discussed the moral decline of America which had taken place over the preceding decades before the publishing of the book. As a psychiatrist, Menninger was keenly aware of the moral dimensions of human failures and the price that people pay emotionally for such failures. He took to task the society which had excused moral excesses in the name of freedom. He asked the simple question, “Is anything considered to be wrong anymore?”

That was a good question then, and it still is today. It brings to mind to me the important distinction between mistakes and moral failures. I will share with you that a pet peeve of mine is the juxtaposition of the term “mistake” for what are obvious moral failures.

One does not have to look too far to see this subtle refuge for those who have crossed a moral boundary, and who cover it by claiming the innocence of a “mistake”. After all, everyone makes mistakes, right? Allow me to expound.

Let’s say you file your income tax and you have made a math error on the return. As a result, you are due a refund of an extra $100. That was a mistake.

Your friend also files his tax return, but he deliberately fudges a number which results in his receiving an extra $100 on his tax refund. That was cheating, a moral failure. The results were the same, but the intent was different. That is the difference between a mistake, and a moral failure, or, if you will, sin.

How many times have we heard athletes or actors, or politicians, caught in a transgression, plead that they have “made a mistake” and ask to be forgiven. The politician is caught in an affair, becomes contrite and accepts that he “made a mistake.” The athlete takes steroids, gets caught, and then pleads that he “made a mistake” and asks the public to embrace him again.

Let’s be clear that the above examples are NOT examples of mistakes. They are wrong behaviors watered down to “mistake” so that the behavior can be mitigated and the crime minimized. My mere suggestion is that we be clear about what is a mistake and what is a sin.  I believe in forgiveness, no matter if it is a simple mistake, or if it is a moral failure. However, for the sake of the individual who needs the forgiveness, it is crucial to understand that “sin” is of deliberate intent, and it needs to be acknowledged as such.

As a counselor, I try to help people get moral clarity. I do not judge people, but I do help them to take a moral self inventory (the 4^th step of 12 Step programs) so that they can move ahead from past failures.  Acknowledging our failures, as well as differentiating them from honest mistakes, is important in the healing process. We all indeed make mistakes, and we all make wrong moral choices at times. I believe that if we can understand the difference, and own what we do, we are then able to heal and move ahead.

There is a story in the Bible about the prophet Elijah and a penniless widow he encountered. The short version is this- Elijah persuaded the widow to use her last resources to prepare a meal, and after she did this, Elijah became the conductor of a miraculous bounty of flour and oil which provided for the widow and her son.

We see miracles in that passage of the Bible- incredible workings of God through Elijah. Elijah extended the flour and oil in the widow’s home in a miraculous fashion. Elijah himself had recently been the recipient of a miracle when he had been sustained by God day-to-day when he was in the wilderness. He had been supplied with food by ravens in the wilderness, and now by a poor widow.

God, through Elijah, had provided for the widow and her son miraculously, yet the woman seemed to become accustomed to it, and maybe even took it for granted. Then, when her son became ill, (then later dying) she questioned whether God was really there, whether Elijah really cared, or was even on her side. It was only after her son was raised back to life that the widow again saw God’s provision- another miracle! Isn’t it interesting that we can so easily lose sight of the miracles that God has shown us all around? The widow was not alone in this. We see the same thing in others frequently, and, if we are honest, we see it in ourselves every day!

Can you name a miracle – an everyday miracle in your life – that you may take for granted? Or perhaps an event that happened in your life that was God’s great gift, but over time has lost its power and awe?

I see God’s miracles even as I write this. My immune system right this moment is probably fighting off some invasive little microbes or viruses as part of a wonderful self-sustaining life system built into us. I have sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste – the gifts of the senses.  I have an incredible wife, children, and grandchildren, blessed beyond measure. I see the amazing scientific laws of the universe which did not just invent themselves, but rather show the Designer in His glory. Yet, I take these miracles for granted.

For the widow, it was only when her son was raised from the dead that she agreed that Elijah was the “real deal”. What does it take for us?