My Thoughts and Reflections

L ORD , you have examined me.  You know me.  You know when I sit down and when I stand up.  Even from far away, you comprehend my plans.  There isn't a word on my tongue, LORD, that you don't already know completely. Psalm 139:1-2, 4 (CEB) During this season of Lent, I have read and talked a lot about how Jesus experienced abandonment from his closest friends and followers and ultimately from God before his death in order for us to never experience what abandonment from God is like.  Not only are we never abandoned by God, but God knows us intimately. God examines each of us and knows us.  He knows us so intimately that he knows when we sit down and when we stand up!  Even from the far and unfathomable distance of heaven from our location on earth is, he still knows and comprehend's our plans.  How amazing is that?!?  God knows us!  He knows each and every word that we will utter even before that word come...

Lord , you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago. Isaiah 25:1 (NIV) What a beautiful verse to start the day with!  Proclaiming praises to God's name, worshiping him, and singing about the great things that he has accomplished in this world!   I admit, it is easy to sing praises like this at the beginning of a sunny, blue-sky morning after an awesome evening of worship on Ash Wednesday.  Last night was an incredible beginning to the season of Lent and what better way to celebrate God's forgiveness of our sins than by praising his name? I am so thankful that the Lord is my God.  There is no other in all of creation.  He is the one and only, the Great I AM.  I love being able to exalt and praise God's name for this reason and many more.   Isaiah proclaims that in perfect faithfulness God has done wonderful things that were planned long i...

Draw your strength from the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 Timothy 2:1 (CEB) No matter where I am in life, one thing remains the same in how I conduct my life.  That one thing is the necessity for me to continually draw my daily strength from the grace that is in Christ Jesus. When I rely on myself, I let myself down. Sure, I have some bright moments, but inevitably, I will meet temptation, fail to resist it, and fall flat on my face. Paul's admonition to Timothy in this letter is so important for all of Christ's followers.  If we draw our strength from the grace that is in Jesus, then our passion for Christ will far outweigh the fleshly passions and temptations that confront us throughout the day.  If our passion for Christ increases, it increases as we continually and daily draw on the grace that Christ has made so readily available to us, then we will not have to worry about those temptations when we meet them.   If you failed to start your day...

Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. Romans 8:35,37 (NRSV) Over the course of my life, I have felt and experienced some of what Paul is mentioning in this verse: hardship, distress, persecution, and peril, but I have not yet, thanks be to God, experienced famine, nakedness, or the sword.  However, when I have experienced the others, I have had in those moments the natural thoughts of "Where is God in all of this?" and "If God is so powerful and so loving, why am I going through this?" It is during those times when Paul's words here in Romans bring about the greatest comfort.  There is NOTHING and NO ONE that can separate us from the love of Christ.  Wow!  Even when Stephanie's and my checkbook was down to $16 in our first year of marriage and we had no clue where or ho...

The Israelites took some of their supplies, but they didn't ask for any decision from the L ORD . Joshua 9:14 (CEB) How often have I gone through my day and made a lot of decisions, but didn't once go to God for direction?  Sadly, as I look back on just the last few weeks, I can see that that has been my modus operandi .  After reading this verse in Joshua, it made me reflect on how I have not been bringing my decisions to God for direction on a regular basis. The context of this passage is during the Israelites' entry into the Promised Land.  God had told them to no make treaties with any of the inhabitants of the land because they were to wipe out the whole population of the Promised Land.  To enter into a treaty would mean that they could not fulfill this task that God gave them.  However, they were tricked by the Gibeonites into entering into a treaty.  They were slightly hesitant, but instead of relying on God's judgment, they went ahead...

Let no one deceive you  with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath  comes on those who are disobedient. Ephesians 5:6 (NIV) Sadly, the world is full of people claiming to be Christians who are full of empty words, or as the Common English Bible says, "stupid ideas."  These people deceive those who are not strong in their faith in Christ and who do not know and understand the words found in the Bible. It is so important to make regular reading of the Bible a part of your daily routine, to make hearing sound biblical teaching at least once per week, and to pray and meditate on God's word so that you are protected against the empty words of the disobedient deceivers that Paul is warning us about.   Paul is clear about what happens to those who teach doctrines that are foreign to the Bible or that twist and distort what is found in the Bible.  He says that those people receive the wrath of God. Read your Bible and do not fall prey t...

But I will sing of your might; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been a fortress for me and a refuge in the day of my distress. Psalm 59:16 (NRSV) Yesterday was Sunday, the day that I worship with my church family each week.  It is the day that we gather to pray, hear the word, celebrate sacraments, and sing.  There are so many things and reasons to sing about regarding our great God.. We can sing of God's might and for his great and mighty deeds.  Throughout history, God has manifested his might through Creation, the Flood, bringing Israel out of slavery in Egypt, and ultimately, through defeating Satan, sin, and death through Jesus' death on the cross and his resurrection! We can sing of God's unending love that he shows us each and every day!  How else could we describe it that we are forgiven for our sins and that each new morning brings with it a clean slate with which we can serve God with our day?  Go...