Sunday, August 2

Mark 3:20-30 “but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.” (v.29 NIV)

I cannot imagine the enormity of the sin of blasphemy, nor can I imagine the terrible consequences to the soul of committing that sin to the end of its earthly life. The soul willingly and with foreknowledge rejects God’s offer of forgiveness for sins and in so doing rejects God and salvation. More narrowly focused, the blasphemer may attribute evil to Jesus as the Pharisees did, claiming that he had an impure spirit.

God loves every soul unconditionally. Every soul is precious. Christ is so enamored of souls that, metaphorically, if he were a shepherd, he would leave his flock of 99 to go in search of the one that wandered away and was lost. I feel great sorrow for those so misguided that they reject the opportunity to live in joy eternally. I believe the Lord leads me to pray for these souls and to reach out to them, hoping they reevaluate their lives and turn to God. I rejoice with God over souls that return to Him.

Judges 6:1-24; Psalms 93, 96; 2 Corinthians 9:6-15

Monday, August 3

John 1:1-18 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.  (v.12)

For many years, I accepted this amazing gift. I figured I could escape hell—if by a hair’s breadth—by merely believing. That was good enough for me. And I could turn my attention and efforts to the world.

How foolish. I missed so much joy and subjected myself to so much unnecessary anxiety and grief. As I approached middle age, God began to show me the benefits in this life of a radical reorientation of my habitual nature. I learned that Jesus called this reorientation “being reborn” and that it is a lifelong process, not a single act of assent.

Seeking union with God’s will is vastly more satisfying than pursuing success according to the world’s standards. Even when the objectives of God and the world correspond, acts done for the love of God are more fulfilling. I discovered that actively loving God with all my mind and heart brings joy and exultation; that prayer changes me for the better; that making difficult sacrifices for love brings its own immediate and long-term rewards. And there is so much more.

Judges 6:25-40; Psalm 80; Acts 2:37-47

Tuesday, August 4

Judges 7:1-18 The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me, ‘My own strength has saved me.’”  (v.2)

William Henley, the author of Invictus, tells me that I am the master of my fate, the captain of my soul. Indeed, modern culture celebrates strong leaders who step up when things are difficult and meet challenges all by themselves with resolute hearts and strong convictions of their personal invincibility. I have found it tempting, therefore, to take charge and do it my way, especially in crisis conditions.

But God’s ways are not always our ways. Gideon’s seemingly impossible victory over tens of thousands of enemy troops demonstrates this in dramatic fashion. Had Gideon done it his way, it is likely he and his men would have perished. Clearly, Gideon was not the master of his fate, the captain of his soul.

Too often, hubris rather than God has been the support of my resolute heart and the source of my conviction. Doing it my way and abandoning the search for God’s will has been an invitation to heartbreak. I am learning to listen with humility to God communicating His will directly (intuitively) and through godly advisors, Scripture, and tradition.

Psalm 78:1-39; Acts 3:1-11; John 1:19-28

Wednesday, August 5

Psalm 119:97-120 Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. (v.105)

This verse suggests that Christians are on a journey to union with God, which may explain why disciples initially were called followers of The Way. It reminds me to reflect on my spiritual growth, which I understand to be a lifelong active process directed toward becoming the image of God rather than achieving a static state of being.

I am led to understand that my life is a journey up a path that is obscure, narrow and rutted with trials and temptations. Otherwise, a lamp would be unnecessary. In my case, the spiritual journey has been interspersed with great joys and long periods of dry uneventfulness. Nevertheless, I must be unswerving in my pursuit of the goal of conformity to Christ, my model.

Finally, I cannot imagine myself becoming the completed image of God—perfect as God is perfect—while still earthbound. And even in heaven, I believe the quest for godlike perfection will continue because God is infinite and eternal.

Judges 7:19—8:12; Acts 3:12-26; John 1:29-42

Thursday, August 6

Judges 8:22-35 No sooner had Gideon died than the Israelites again prostituted themselves to the Baals. They set up Baal-Berith as their god…  (v.33)

The theme is familiar. God saves a person or a people from an undesirable fate and later is abandoned as the one saved turns to other gods.

In my case, there were two reasons for my drifting away early in life. The first was my habit of taking God for granted, believing God existed and would save me, but considering Him irrelevant to most of everyday life.

Second, the allure of much that is not God attracted me. I did not appreciate that many of the world’s glittering promises were shining baubles of great cost but little value. I finally realized that God was letting me find out for myself how my other gods were benefiting me long term. A life review left me feeling empty: “Is this all there is?”

I found methods to help solve this problem that are, unfortunately, hard for me to implement well. I work to maintain habits of praying to God frequently, listening for Him, demonstrating my love for Him by serving others, and practicing His presence as often as possible every day.

Psalm 145; Acts 4:1-12; John 1:43-51

Friday, August 7

John 2:1-12 What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him. (v.11)

As a young Christian, I loved God’s miracles. I loved to read about them, meditate on them, and talk to others about them. Just as they nurtured the faith of the early Christians, they strengthened my faith. (Jesus turning water into wine remains one of my favorites.)

However, my guides on the journey towards union with the Trinity made me question the wisdom of my continued boundless fascination and involvement with miracles. God’s miracles, while good in themselves, are not God. Union involves loving God with all I have, following His will, and loving my neighbors as Christ loves them. Nowhere in that list is the necessity for miracles.

I learned that miracles may create awe and wonder, which may or may not lead to love of the one who performed them. But miracles and awe and wonder are not ends in themselves; they may create distractions and hubris in the beneficiaries and witnesses. Also, I should remember that even Satan can create signs and wonders that imitate miracles.

Judges 9:1-16, 19-21; Psalm 88; Acts 4:13-31

Saturday, August 8

Acts 4:32—5:11 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. (v.32)

What led the early Christians to believe that their possessions were not their own to use as they please? What was the logic behind the love that caused to them to turn their incomes from asset sales over to the apostles?

I don’t know for sure. I speculate that the disciples believed it was God who gifted them with the materials, knowledge, creativity, opportunities, and individual potential to allow them to obtain income. Perhaps they figured that effort and the willingness to risk on occasion were their only contributions. Probably they believed that all acts, including financial transactions, should reflect the loving will of God. And who knew the will of God better than the apostles?

If I believe that my income is largely a gift from God, I will not claim rights to it but will see its proper allocation as my duty to God. In the absence of the apostles, I need to approach that task with a spirit of love, obedience, prayer, and humility.

Judges 9:22-25, 50-57; Psalms 87, 90; John 2:13-25

Sunday, August 9

Mark 4:35-41 “Teacher, do you not care if we perish?” (v.38b RSV)

The “danger at sea” was real. The topology of the Sea of Galilee—the height of the hills surrounding the below sea level lake—and abrupt temperature changes cause sudden and violent storms on this small body of water (eight miles across at its widest point). These conditions would have been well known to the disciples, especially to the fishermen.

Despite all Jesus had done for them and the ways in which his identity was revealed through teaching and miracles, the cry of the disciples raises questions about Jesus’ concern for their welfare and his power to help when their world seemed to be falling apart. “Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?” Jesus asks. After the resurrection he said something similar to Thomas, “Do not be faithless, but believing.” Thomas answered, “My Lord and my God!”

It is easy to say, “The peace of the Lord be always with you,” without reflecting on the great power of the Lord we worship. We shouldn’t be too quick to second-guess the disciples who panicked in the midst of the wind and the waves. We just need to remember to turn to God in faith and trust in any adverse sea.

Judges 11:1-11, 29-40; Psalms 66, 67; 2 Corinthians 11:21b-31

Monday, August 10

John 3:1-21 For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (v.16)

In his book, Just As I Am, Billy Graham describes the ways in which he sought to be faithful to the Great Commission. One evening, after reading about a third of the book, I turned on the television near the beginning of a program about the Graham Crusades in Africa covering many decades in the past. Styles in delivery, clothing, and hair may have changed over the many years, but the message remained unchanged. The words of John 3:16, “For God so loved the world” were used time after time to summarize the Gospel message and thousands responded to the Good News. These words to Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, continue to speak to people of diverse cultures and backgrounds throughout the world.

Charlotte Elliott, the sister of an Anglican priest, captured this truth in these words, “Just as I am, without one plea, but that thy blood was shed for me, and that thou bidd’st me come to thee, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.”

Judges 12:1-7; Psalm 89:1-18; Acts 5:12-26

Tuesday, August 11

Psalm 97 Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name! (v.12)

The Hebrew word qodesh, translated in this verse as holy, speaks of the necessary separation between the Creator and His creation. It implies separateness and sacredness and, in reference to the holiness of God, it carries with it not only the mystery of His power but also a sense of His character which is totally good, entirely without evil. As we pray in The Lord’s Prayer, “hallowed be thy Name,” we affirm these same thoughts of holiness. Yet, through the shed blood of Jesus, we can address the Holy One as Abba, Our Father.

The psalmist calls the righteous to rejoice in the holy God and to give thanks to His holy Name. The righteous referred to here are not those who boast of their own righteousness, but those whose righteousness is imputed to them through faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 3:22).

When you stop and think about it, there really is no other option but to “extol the Lord our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the Lord our God is holy!” (Psalm 99:9).

Judges 13:1-15; Psalms 99, 100; Acts 5:27-42; John 3:22-36

Wednesday, August 12

John 4:1-26 “I who speak to you am he.” (v.26)

Jesus was tired from the journey. As he sat beside Jacob’s well at noon, a Samaritan woman came to draw water and Jesus said, “Give me a drink.” The promised Messiah, the one John proclaims in the Revelation to be worthy “to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing” was tired and needed a drink of cool water. Biblical scholar Richard Hays comments, “But what else should we expect from a Gospel that proclaims the Word become flesh?”

Jesus so perfectly identified with the woman’s humanity that he knew what she had done, what she was doing, and the nature of her deepest needs. The wonder is that he is ready to do the same for us. As we open our eyes in faith, we begin to see Jesus as he really is and permit ourselves to understand that he knows all about us as well, stands ready to minister to our deepest needs, and offers us an invitation to share in his victory.

Judges 13:15-24; Psalms 101, 109; Acts 6:1-15

Thursday, August 13

Psalm 105:1-22 He is the Lord our God...mindful of his covenant for ever, of the word he commanded, for a thousand generations. (vv.7-8)

The psalmist urges all who hear this hymn to “the God who keeps his word” to “sing to him, sing praises to him, tell of all his wonderful works!” In this portion of the psalm the writer begins to recite the history of Israel. God’s relationship with His chosen people is marked by covenants (agreements between two parties in which each assumes obligations). The psalmist recalls Yahweh’s covenant with Abraham and His promise to Isaac which He confirmed to Jacob as a statute—an everlasting covenant with Israel.

As Christians this is our history as well. Jesus and his disciples gathered around a table for a final Passover meal. After sharing the bread, Jesus said, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.” We are a covenant people and whenever we drink from our Lord’s cup we do it in remembrance of the one who died and rose again to seal for all eternity the New Covenant between himself and all who believe in him.

Judges 14:1-19; Acts 6:15—7:16; John 4:27-42

Friday, August 14

John 4:43-54 When he heard that Jesus had come..., he went and begged him to come down and heal his son.... (v.47)

In Sunday’s reading, Jesus questioned the disciples in the boat, “Have you no faith?” A relationship with Jesus always is based on faith, which itself is “the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). The fact that the official came to Jesus is a sign of a faith that believes he has the power to heal.

Archbishop William Temple wrote, “Faith is the one requisite—first, enough faith to believe and hope that Christ can satisfy our needs, leading to ever stronger and deeper faith as each measure of trust is vindicated in experience. For though faith is always met with blessing from God, that blessing does not always take the desired or expected form, as in this case it did.”

The Christian life is a life of faith. It may not provide the way around challenges and suffering, but it is the way through them. Our best moments are when we dare to step out on the tightrope of life with no safety net but our Savior alone. “Faith is always met with blessing from God.”

Judges 14:20—15:20; Psalm 102; Acts 7:17-29

Saturday, August 15

Psalm 108 For thy steadfast love is great above the heavens, thy faithfulness reaches to the clouds. (v.4)

The steadfast love of God is an amazing image—a God who loves and loves and loves. First John says it simply, “God is love.” As I meditated on this verse my thoughts went to the First Song of Isaiah. “Make known his deeds among the nations; proclaim that his Name is exalted. Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously...” (Isaiah 12:4-5).

As we pray, study the Bible, and seek the Lord’s will for our lives, God’s steadfast love fills us with love for Him, for those He places in our lives, and for ourselves. As we reflect on the significance of what it means to be created in the image of God, in the image of love, we can only stand in awe of the Creator God. It is through His steadfast love that He chose to create us and, despite our rebellion, loves us so much that the one who is equal with the Father emptied himself, took the form of a servant, and was born in the likeness of man.

Judges 16:1-14; Psalm 107:33-43; Acts 7:30-43; John 5:1-18

Sunday, August 16

Judges 16:15-31 “O, God, please strengthen me just once more.” (v.28b NIV)

What a waste. How often that has been said since Samson. Samson was a young man who appeared to have it all. The Lord had blessed him with great physical attractiveness and strength and prepared him to lead the Israelites against the Philistines.

What an opportunity! But Samson lacked (or ignored) discipline and obedience. This is evident in the abundance of his arrogance.

What would we say about Samson today? Doesn’t work to his potential? Short attention span? Does not work and play well with others? Has trouble controlling his temper? Doesn’t choose friends wisely? Is easily deceived? Maybe all of the above?

In spite of all this, God heard his prayer and answered it, just as He does today with you and me. No matter what we’ve done, no matter how long we’ve been separated from the Lord, He’s willing to answer our prayers for help.

Whether we need spiritual or physical strength, if we ask, we will receive. God does answer us—whether we’re powerful, like Samson, or just needy, like you and me. Go ahead and ask. God is waiting to strengthen you “just once more.”

Psalm 118; 2 Corinthians 13:1-11; Mark 5:25-34

Monday, August 17

Acts 7:44—8:1a “The Most High does not live in houses made by men.” (v.48)

Before Stephen was martyred, he made this unforgettable speech to the Sanhedrin. He gave them a comprehensive history lesson about their ancestors: Moses, Joshua, David, Jacob, Solomon. He pointed out that their ancestors built buildings to please God and in which God could dwell, but that God didn’t dwell only in buildings.

Stephen knew the temple building was important but was stressing that the building was not more important than God. God is everywhere—not just in buildings. God will enter our hearts when we open those hearts to receive Him.

When Stephen said, “The Most High does not live in houses made by men,” he wasn’t spouting any new, radical thinking. He was quoting ideas set forth by Solomon in the Old Testament. Then he went on to remind his audience that their ancestors made a practice of persecuting prophets, including Jesus Christ. Enraged, they stoned Stephen and killed him.

Not too different from today, is it? We frequently become angry when someone points out imperfection in our lives. We may not “kill” a person, but rather, kill a friendship.

At the end of this chapter, Stephen asks forgiveness for his persecutors, just as Jesus did. When someone points out my shortcomings, do I accept it with love, or strike out? Am I like Stephen, or like his persecutors?

Judges 17:1-13; Psalm 106:1-18; John 5:19-29

Tuesday, August 18

Acts 8:1-13 Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. (v.4)

Isn’t it interesting that this still goes on today? In our present mobile society, we find families no longer live their entire life in the house in which they were born. Nor do they worship with the same parish family their entire lives.

What do we do when we move, when we’re “scattered”? We find a home for our family’s physical shelter and then look for our new spiritual family. Wherever we go within this country, or to foreign soil, we “preach the word.” We may not have a prepared sermon each Sunday if we’re not clergy, but we still “preach the word.” We preach who we are and what we believe by our words and actions every single day.

If we indulge in excesses of food or beverages, we’re preaching who we are. If we boast, show pride or gossip, we’re preaching who we are. Conversely, if we insist on spending time with family activities, we’re also preaching who we are. If we work at living the Christian life, we’re preaching who we are.

We’ve all heard, “You may be the only Bible someone reads today.” By our words and by our actions, we’re preaching. What are you preaching? Be sure you’re preaching the Word of God, not the word of man, no matter where you’re “scattered.”

Judges 18:1-15; Psalms 120, 121, 122, 123; John 5:30-47

Wednesday, August 19

Acts 8:14-25 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. (v.14)

At this time in history, there had been intermarriage between the poorest people in Samaria and the foreigners who had been settled there by the Assyrians. Those of mixed race were considered “half-breeds” by the “pure” Jews to the south, which resulted in intense hatred between the two groups.

It’s understandable that the apostles found it difficult to believe that the Samaritans had been converted. So, they did what is still being done today: they sent experts from the “home office” to check it out. They found it hard to believe the Samaritans were true believers. But Peter and John knew that the Holy Spirit was for all people—Jews, Gentiles, circumcised and uncircumcised alike—so they were happy to be with the Samaritans to pray with them and preach the Good News to them.

Later in today’s reading, we find Simon, the sorcerer, mistakenly believing that he could buy the power of the Holy Spirit. It didn’t take Paul long to let Simon know that the power of God was not for sale.

There are still those who believe they can “buy” grace. As Peter says, “Repent of this wickedness and pray.” That’s the way to receive the gift of God.

Judges 18:16-31; Psalm 119:145-176; John 6:1-15

Thursday, August 20

Acts 8:26-40 “How can I understand what I’m reading unless someone explains it to me?” (v.31a)

Have you ever had someone so openly ask for an explanation of Scripture? What a wonderful invitation to witness. Here Philip leaves a very successful preaching ministry to go on a desert road just because the Lord tells him to.

He meets a man on this road who is in charge of the Ethiopian treasury and is reading Isaiah but not understanding it. Here is an important man, probably a convert to Judaism, who has traveled a great distance to worship in Jerusalem. He was reading from the Old Testament about Jesus Christ and didn’t realize it! After Philip told him the Good News of Jesus, the man asked to be baptized. What can we learn from this?

This man was sincere in his desire but needed help. Those reaching for Jesus Christ don’t always ask so openly. When they do, we need to be ready with the right information. We also need the sensitivity to discern how to best explain Jesus—who he is, the importance of being a follower, his availability to all people, the meaning of baptism. We need heart knowledge as well as head knowledge to understand the full meaning of the Good News so that we may share it when we’re asked.

Job 1:1-22; Psalms 131, 132, 133; John 6:16-27

Friday, August 21

Acts 9:1-9 Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. (v.1)

Why was Saul such a zealot? He was a legalistic Pharisee, well-educated and respected, but his actions reveal how seriously threatened he felt by these Christians. Why else would he pursue them all the way to Damascus to bring them back to Jerusalem?

But a funny thing happened on the way to Damascus. Saul was confronted by Jesus Christ. Not every conversion experience is this sudden or this dramatic. But just as he always does, Jesus just did what had to be done to get Saul’s attention.

It’s still happening today, too. We conveniently forget that when we sin, we’re persecuting Jesus, just as Saul did. Jesus uses whatever means necessary to get our attention and remind us to open our eyes and follow his Way.

Job 2:1-13; Psalms 140, 142; John 6:27-40

Saturday, August 22

Acts 9:10-19a Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. (v.17a)

Ananias gives us a wonderful example of obedience. He knew all about Saul and his plans for the destruction of Jesus’ followers. In today’s reading, he almost says to the Lord, “Do you know what you’re saying?” But Ananias was obedient. He did exactly what the Lord sent him to do. Ananias went to Saul and told him that Jesus had sent him so that Saul might “be filled with the Holy Spirit.” What a victory for the church!

Even today, occasionally we attempt to second-guess the Lord. You know the times: when the Holy Spirit is moving us in one direction, and we think we know better. In effect, we’re saying, “Sorry, Lord, but you’ve got this all wrong. You couldn’t possibly mean this.”

When we feel that way, it’s time to remember Ananias and his obedience. There are lessons to be learned in these few verses: we’re to love others, and we have an obligation to be obedient, even to those who resist the gospel. God is always with us through suffering and hardship—not to spare us from them but to comfort and lead us through them.

Job 3:1-26; Psalms 137, 144; John 6:41-51

Sunday, August 23

Mark 6:1-6a And he was unable to do any miracle there, except that he put his hands on a few sick people and healed them; and he was astonished at their lack of faith. (vv.5-6 NIV)

She offered very few reasons for her judgment. She emphatically told anyone willing to listen that the visiting priest’s sermon was not “anointed.” She focused on his delivery (monotonous) and content (he failed to incorporate themes she thought the scriptural text demanded). Others in the congregation had a different opinion. They said the sermon spoke clearly and powerfully to them. Granted, the priest’s delivery left something to be desired, but they thought they heard the word of God clearly spoken.

Too often, we miss hearing God’s word because we allow ourselves to be distracted by someone’s appearance, or background, or tone of voice, or membership in a certain group, or, as in the case of the people from Jesus’ hometown, family. “Isn’t he a carpenter? Don’t we know his family? Where did he get his wisdom? How can he perform miracles?” If we attend to anything and everything but the message, we will not allow Jesus to do any miracle in us because of our lack of faith.

Sermon time gives us the opportunity to pray for the preacher and to be attentive to the special message God has for us in the words spoken.

Job 4:1-6, 12-21; Psalms 146, 147; Revelation 4:1-11

Monday, August 24

John 6:52-59 “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” (v.54)

Jesus’ words, the evangelist tells us, “led to a fierce dispute among the Jews. ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’ they protested” (John 6:52). Among Christian churches, we have different versions of the substance of, and the manner of approaching, the Lord’s Table, although the Body and Blood of Jesus remain essential to the Christian faith.

At the Last Supper, Jesus gave his apostles and all those who profess him as their Lord and Savior a precious gift: his Body and Blood. And he commanded Christians to “do this in memory of me.”

In the sacrament of Holy Communion, we remember Jesus’ passion, death, resurrection, and ascension, are filled with grace and reminded of the pledge of future glory given us by his saving work.

Communion is the spiritual food which strengthens our union with Christ and one another. It brings eternal life, because it is a sharing in the Body and Blood of Christ. It is the perfect sacrament of God’s self-giving. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

Job 4:1; 5:1-11, 17-21, 26-27; Psalms 1, 2, 3; Acts 9:19b-31

Tuesday, August 25

Job 6:1-4, 8-15, 21 “Have I the strength to go on waiting? What end have I to expect, that I should be patient? Is my strength the strength of stone, or is my flesh made of bronze? Oh how shall I find help within myself now that success has been put beyond my reach?” (vv.11-13)

In response to Eliphaz the Temanite’s pious utterances, Job complains about his treatment at God’s hands. “If only the grounds for my resentment might be weighed, and my misfortunes placed with them on the scales!” But Job understands that against the awesome sovereignty of God, he has no weapon, no defense.

There are times in my life when I wonder whether I have the strength to go on waiting. I ask where all this will end. I am impatient with God and His ways, frustrated by uncertainty and personal weakness, and desperately aware that I can find no help within myself. Like Job, I have no defense against the mystery of God’s hidden ways and His providence.

At those times, my inability to control all that happens to me and to save myself falls away and I am confronted with trusting Him “who is my friend and not a stranger.” I have neither strength of stone nor flesh of bronze and can find no help within myself. But “I am able to face anything through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13).

Psalms 5, 6; Acts 9:32-43; John 6:60-71

Wednesday, August 26

Job 6:1, 7:1-21 “So months of futility are my portion, troubled nights are my lot. When I lie down, I think, ‘When will it be day, that I may rise?’ But the night drags on, and I do nothing but toss till dawn.” (vv.3-4)

The past several months have been a difficult time for me. Because I have been unemployed, I have been concerned about my family’s financial security and my own future. In addition, my wife and I have gone through the wrenching experience of our daughter’s troubled adolescence.

We have known “months of futility” and “troubled nights” when the hours dragged on. Sometimes, we wake up at two or three o’clock in the morning worrying about one seemingly insurmountable problem or another.

At those moments, I ask Jesus to remind me of his words: “Do not be anxious about tomorrow; tomorrow will look after itself. Each day has troubles enough of its own” (Matthew 6:34). And I pray for the grace of trusting him from whose love “nothing in all creation can separate us” (Romans 8:39). He is the light in our darkness, the dawning at the end of night, the one who promises refreshment and comfort to the heavily burdened.

Psalm 119:1-24; Acts 10:1-16; John 7:1-13

Thursday, August 27

Acts 10:17-33 Peter said to them, “I need not tell you that a Jew is forbidden by his religion to visit or associate with anyone of another race. Yet God has shown me clearly that I must not call anyone profane or unclean.” (v.28)

Peter received an important revelation in the vision he had on his journey to the house of Cornelius, the centurion of the Italian Cohort. A heavenly voice told Peter he was not to call profane what God counts clean.

One frequently hears that certain Christian churches aren’t inclusive enough. There is only one principle of inclusion in the church: We have all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. No one of us can claim a special relationship with God by virtue of personal righteousness, denominational affiliation, ethnic identity, theological sophistication, or intensity of devotion. God counts clean those who have been justified through faith.

Christian churches should include all who acknowledge and repent of their sinfulness and are willing to receive the grace of redemption brought to them by Jesus. If they have other criteria for inclusion, they risk contradicting the God who has no favorites.

Job 8:1-10, 20-22; Psalm 18:1-20; John 7:14-36

Friday, August 28

John 7:37-52 On the last and greatest day of the festival Jesus stood and declared, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as scripture says, ‘Streams of living water shall flow from within him.’” (vv.37-38)

I live in a dry land, part of what is sometimes referred to as the Great American Desert. This spring, we had considerably more rain and snow than usual. The effect of so much water on lawns and gardens was stunning. The abundance of red, yellow, purple, and orange tulips provided a dramatic contrast with the surrounding lush green lawn. The apple and peach trees in our back yard exploded in delicate blooms. My wife and I have never seen such colorful irises. This year, flowers, trees and lawn became vivid metaphors of the effects of streams of living water.

Jesus invites anyone who is thirsty to come and drink. He is living water. But we must first recognize that we are thirsty. It’s easy to ignore dehydration until it begins to have certain unpleasant effects on the body. If we are aware of how easily we become dehydrated, we can take steps to satisfy our thirst. The psalmist thirsted for “God, the living God.” Jesus offers living water which transforms our deserts into gardens of God’s love and glory.

Job 9:1-15, 32-35; Psalms 16, 17; Acts 10:34-48

Saturday, August 29

Psalm 20 May the Lord answer you in time of trouble. May the name of Jacob’s God be your tower of strength. (v.1)

Psalm 20 is a lovely prayer. Though originally intended as a prayer of blessing for David, its sentiments reveal a deep confidence in God’s steadfast love. The psalmist has no doubt that God cares for individuals, loves them, and desires nothing but good for them. Jacob’s God answers our prayers, sends us help in time of trouble and gives us support. He can grant us our heart’s desire. He is so different from other gods that those who trust in Him boast in His name.

The great and awesome mystery at the heart of God’s dealing with us is that He loves you and me as individuals. He hears your prayer and my prayer. He knows your heart and my heart. He calls us each by name.

As I write these words, I am struck by how incredible they must seem to someone who, even if she or he might actually acknowledge there is a God, believes God is so awesome and beyond comprehension that He is indifferent to such puny creatures as we. But He isn’t indifferent, He is our tower of strength. “Let us therefore boldly approach the throne of grace, in order that we may receive mercy and find grace to give us timely help” (Hebrews 4:16).

Job 9:1, 10:1-9, 16-22; Psalm 21; Acts 11:1-18; John 8:12-20

Sunday, August 30

Matthew 5:1-12 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” (v.6 NRSV)

Imagine being there on that mountainside when Jesus sat down, waited for his disciples to gather round him and then began to speak. How does it feel to be seated close to Peter, hearing James breathe, noticing John as he leans forward eagerly. What will the Master teach us today? There is always that sense of expectancy when he opens his mouth.

And what does he say? “Blessed are the...” and “Blessed are those...” Each statement opens a little window to God, a window revealing the beauty of holiness. All together they provide a magnificent stained-glass panorama of God’s life.

Jesus is giving us a word-picture of the abundance he has prepared for us. He is inviting us to taste and see the goodness of the Lord. He is making us hungry for it. He knows—ah, yes, he knows—that once we experience that hunger deep within our souls, nothing else will satisfy. He knows that only those who thirst for God alone can be filled with the very goodness and the very righteousness of God. In these few words spoken from the mountainside Jesus has spoiled us for this world.

Job 11:1-9, 13-20; Psalms 148, 149, 150; Revelation 5:1-14

Monday, August 31

John 8:21-32 “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” (vv.31-32)

How do we continue in Jesus’ word? Is it not by opening ourselves to God completely—in the way of David: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts”? Is it not by expecting God in all the circumstances of our life? We know that ours are not unique circumstances. Our lives resonate with scriptural story. We continue by holding fast to what we have already apprehended and by pressing forward: for more knowledge of the Lord through the Bible, for more intimacy with the Lord through prayer.

“I am a Rock, a sure foundation.

Place your trust in me.

I am Reality.

Come, walk with me.”

Diane Andrews’ beautiful words, set to an equally beautiful tune, tell it like it is. Jesus Christ is reality, the very being of God. He wants to walk with us, to be our companion on our journey.

Some may view truth as disembodied wisdom. For the Christian, Truth is a person living out a Life to show us the Way. Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Job 12:1-6, 13-25; Psalm 25; Acts 11:19-30

Tuesday, September 1

John 8:33-47 “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing what Abraham did.” (v.39b)

The most notable of Abraham’s accomplishments was that he believed God. It sounds so simple, but it requires so much: that we believe God is; that we believe God can make His voice heard; and that we believe God wants to carry on a conversation with the likes of us. Other than that—it’s simple!

We learn in Genesis 15 that Abraham’s belief was “accounted to him as righteousness.” Here, many years before Christ appears, is someone who chose to be faithful: to hear and obey God, not depending on his own understanding. What a magnificent story! No wonder Abraham is called the “father of faith.” He left behind the comfortable and familiar and chose vulnerability and openness to God. Just as we who are plunged into the waters of baptism with Christ leave behind our old life and choose a new life of vulnerability to God.

One thing is sure: we’ll never have the luxury of boasting (with the Pharisees) about our religious pedigree. Instead, we will join in the great spiritual and sing, “I keep so busy servin’ my Jesus, I ain’t got time to die!”

Job 12:1; 13:3-17, 21-27; Psalm 26, 28; Acts 12:1-17

Wednesday, September 2

John 8:47-59 “Yet I do not seek my own glory. There is one who seeks it and he is the judge.” (v.50)

Many years ago, God taught me a “glory” lesson that I have never forgotten. I had become involved in writing liturgical music. The publication of my first service music setting was an exciting moment. I chose to call it The Melchizedek Mass for the King of Peace, because I was fascinated by the obscure story in Genesis 14 of the King of Salem bringing out bread and wine and blessing them in Abram’s presence. The eternal priesthood of Christ was clearly manifest in this little episode and it resonated with the weekly experience of vibrant eucharistic worship in my parish church.

After months of poring over the various stages of music manuscripts, the sight of the finished published copy was a thrill. Only sometime later did I notice that the cover bore the title and publisher’s name, but the composer’s name (mine!) was missing. I felt a pang of disappointment. But before I had a chance to feel sorry for myself, the Holy Spirit spoke quietly in my heart, reassuring me that I was learning a fundamental lifelong lesson about serving Christ: I was never to seek my own glory, but always and only his.

Job 12:1; 14:1-22; Psalm 38; Acts 12:18-25

Thursday, September 3

John 9:1-17 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him.” (v.3)

We have heard it said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. And this is especially true when the beholder is God. Here Jesus gazes upon a blind man and sees a person of great potential. He does not see a handicap or a flawed creature, nor does he assign blame to anyone for the man’s condition. He sees the beauty intended by the Creator, and calls it forth as a part of the healing process. The purity of the man’s response to Jesus and the simplicity of his answers to those who ply him with questions are beautiful manifestations of a human soul being drawn to God.

My mother is 98 years old and has in recent years become legally blind. But you would never guess either of these facts were you in her presence. You could be a bristling porcupine, and she would find some soft spot in you to touch, to encourage, to draw out. And somehow, as she gazed at you, you would never know you were a “blur” in her eyes. Instead, you would feel beautiful; you would know you were in the presence of one of God’s great lovers.

Job 16:16-22; 17:1, 13-16; Psalm 37:1-18; Acts 13:1-12

Friday, September 4

John 9:18-41 Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind.” (v.39)

The man born blind received his physical sight—yes. But the eyes of his faith were opened, too: he believed in Jesus, whom God had sent. The whole of his humanity was touched. As I read the story, my humanity is touched afresh by the wonder of it, the completeness of it, the beauty of this story. To be touched by God is to be totally touched—to be transformed.

How sad that the Pharisees missed the glory! Their pride and certitude concerning their own tradition blinded them to the Truth, who was a person standing before them. All of the good which God had sent their way down through the ages—from faithful Abraham to Moses the law-giver—had become brittle and lifeless and full of dead men’s bones. They failed to recognize God standing in their midst. They were the blindest of the blind.

God of all the patriarchs and prophets, who has wonderfully revealed Your purposes in history, and in these last days has poured out Your Spirit that Your Church may continue to do the work of Jesus, guard us from all spiritual pride, and open our eyes to see You more clearly day by day.

Job 19:1-7, 14-27; Psalm 31; Acts 13:13-25

Saturday, September 5

John 10:1-18 “For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.” (vv.17-18a)

This little verse, tucked away amidst the metaphors about the good shepherd, is to me the heart of the Gospel message. God in Christ didn’t have to do anything for us: He was not obliged; he owed us nothing. He did it all out of pure love, it was a gift from the Father’s heart. To put it simply, in words already grafted onto our hearts, “God so loved the world....”

I have a friend who always signs off her personal letters by saying, “In His amazing love!” It’s true. By any standard at all, it is amazing how God loves us. And the most amazing part of it is that there are no strings attached; God’s love is freely given, and gives freedom to those who receive it. “Owe no one anything but to love...,” said St. Paul.

We hear a lot these days about the need for healthy boundaries. Jesus knew about this when he said, “No one takes it from me.” He sets an example for us: an example of knowing ourselves well enough to be able to give freely. We do this not out of subtle coercion or manipulation and not because we are duped, but only and always out of love. We come to know, as Jesus knew, that only an offering given freely will please the Father.

Job 22:1-4, 21—23:7; Psalms 30, 32; Acts 13:26-43

Sunday, September 6

Psalm 63 O God, you are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. (v.1 NRSV)

The unending rains of El Nino have given way to more than thirty days without rain. Once soggy lawns are now parched and dry. Lawn sprinklers run non-stop throughout the neighborhood while meteorologists see no rain in the extended forecast.

Our dry lawn is only a hint of the desert bareness recalled by the psalmist. Dry lawns and desert bareness help us glimpse the psalmist’s eager thirst for God. His dry and barren soul eagerly thirsts for spiritual water. As Jesus proclaimed, “...whoever drinks the water I give...will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give...will become...a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:14).

To paraphrase St. Augustine, God has made us for himself and our hearts are restless till they rest in Him. As one hymn declares:

O Christ, in thee my soul has found,

            and found in thee alone,

            the peace, the joy, I sought so long,

            the bliss till now unknown.

Now none but Christ can satisfy,

            none other name for me!

            There’s love, and life, and lasting joy,

            Lord Jesus, found in thee.

            —O Christ, in Thee My Soul

Job 25:1-6; 27:1-6; Psalm 98; Revelation 14:1-7, 13; Matthew 5:13-20

Monday, September 7

Psalm 41 As for me, I said, “O Lord, be gracious to me; heal me, for I have sinned against you.” (v.4)

Churches everywhere are recovering a ministry of healing after many years of neglect. Weekly healing services are aspects of this renewed attention to healing in the church.

While a healing ministry suggests attention to our physical needs, it should include so much more, especially those emotional and spiritual wounds needing attention. Biblical healing includes wholeness, peace, Shalom.

The psalmist understood the deepest and most basic healing necessary for the human body and soul: “Lord, be gracious to me; heal me, for I have sinned against you.” Our sin is our most basic disease. Our healing begins with confessing our sins, seeking forgiveness and restoring our fellowship with God. Jesus gives us our most important healing. “He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24).

Pray for those who need this ultimate healing.

Job 32:1-10, 19—33:1, 19-28; Psalm 52; Acts 13:44-52; John 10:19-30

Tuesday, September 8

Psalm 45 God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions. (v.8)

The kings of Israel were anointed with fragrant oil in their coronation celebration. This tradition began with Samuel’s anointing of Saul (1 Samuel 10:1) and David (1 Samuel 16:13) as the Lord’s chosen for leadership. By anointing with oil, the king was set aside as a temporal and spiritual leader and empowered by the Holy Spirit for this ministry.

Just as the kings of Israel were anointed in their coronation, and just as Jesus was anointed by the Holy Spirit in his baptism (Matthew 3:16), believers in him are also anointed by the Spirit.

We are set aside and empowered in our baptism to “Confess the faith of Christ crucified, proclaim his resurrection, and share...in his eternal priesthood.” Just like the kings of Israel and Jesus himself, we are anointed.

Do we live as the anointed ones of God?

Job 29:1-20; Acts 14:1-18; John 10:31-42

Wednesday, September 9

Psalm 119:49-72 I am a companion of all who fear you, of those who keep your precepts. (v.63)

For the psalmist, the fear of the Lord intertwines and connects with His laws, decrees, precepts, commandments, and ordinances (see also Psalm 19:7-9). Why?

The fear of the Lord is not a “Godzilla-like” + fright or terror but rather implies awe and respect. In a sense, it suggests knowing that you are a limited, created, and sinful being while acknowledging God as boundless, creator, and holy. Like Isaiah, we come undone in the presence of Holy God (Isaiah 6:1-5).

Those who read Holy Scripture—God’s Word, law, decrees, precepts, commandments, and ordinances—on a regular basis, cannot help but know who they are. God’s grace, love, and mercy continually call us to forsake our self-centeredness for trust and confidence in Christ.

As the psalmist wrote: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding” (Psalm 111:10).

Job 29:1, 30:1-2, 16-31; Acts 14:19-28; John 11:1-16

Thursday, September 10

Psalm 50 Call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me. (v.15)

Shakespeare’s Henry V remains a favorite of mine since high school. The young English king leads his battle-weary and outnumbered soldiers to victory over the rested, numerically superior (and over-confident) French forces in the Battle of Agincourt on St. Crispin’s Day.

As the English regroup, gather their dead and wounded, and leave the battlefield, Henry commands his troops to sing Non nobis, “Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your Name give glory” (Psalm 115:1). It is as we trust in God that He will rescue us: but to Him the glory.

Henry deflects the spotlight from himself to the Lord. We might say he earned the right for an end zone celebration, but Henry, like David (“the battle is the Lord’s” 1 Samuel 17:47) and Mary (“My soul magnifies the Lord” Luke 1:47) knew his victory and success came from the Lord.

Why not join the psalmist and Henry in Non nobis for the Lord’s victories in your life.

Job 29:1; 31:1-23; Acts 15:1-11; John 11:17-29

Friday, September 11

Psalm 51 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. (v.7)

King David may have penned this confessional psalm after Nathan revealed David’s cover-up of adultery and murder (2 Samuel 11:1—12:12). David does not excuse himself, defend himself or attempt to shift responsibility; he states simply, “I have sinned against the Lord” (2 Samuel 12:13a).

Although he was a sinner, David was a man after God’s heart. He was a man after God’s heart because he knew the consequences of the broken relationship with God caused by our sin. David hungered and thirsted for communion with the living God, and so his revealed sin was recognized and confessed. Nathan assured David that his confessed sin was forgiven: “Now the Lord has put away your sin; you shall not die” (2 Samuel 12:13b).

God’s Word provides us that same assurance today: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

Job 29:1; 31:24-40; Psalms 40, 54; Acts 15:12-21; John 11:30-44

Saturday, September 12

Psalm 139 Lord, you have searched me and known me; you know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away. (vv.1-2)

“Now we all have a face that we hide away from others....” (from The Stranger by Billy Joel). I recall these lyrics as I consider the Lord’s complete knowledge of “my sitting down and my rising up.”

No one person knows everything about me. No one person knows everything about you. Even our spouses or closest friends know only some of the things about you or me. In fact, we do not know everything about ourselves. Our secrets, our hidden faces, are known only to the Lord.

Scripture does not remind us of God’s complete knowledge of our secret places so that we may fear extortion or disclosure. On the contrary, realizing that the Lord is “acquainted with all my ways” encourages honesty within me. I can acknowledge the hidden faces, perhaps even show them to others, when I remember they are really not hidden after all.

Job 38:1-17; Psalm 55; Acts 15:22-35; John 11:45-54

Sunday, September 13

Job 38:1, 18-41 “Have you considered the vast expanses of the earth? Tell me if you know it all.” (v.18 NET)

The story of Job always reminds me of the bigger picture. Like Job I often give full vent to my complaint of pains and sorrows. I do not believe honesty a sin. Besides, who is kidding who? As if God doesn’t already know my inner angst, wounds, and frustrations! Just as God answered Job with a litany of impossible comprehensions, I too am reminded of the bigger picture.

I have often taken comfort in the lowly ant. I see them scurrying around and ask myself can I explain algebra to them? Never. Does that mean, therefore, that algebra doesn’t exist? I am that ant. There must, likewise, be a much bigger picture.

Yesterday Warren Buffet downloaded tons of stock, unscathed by the recent market crash. I tried to understand the article on him. A neighbor later better explained Buffet’s brilliant strategies, concluding, he is the GIOT—greatest investor of all time. Most investors live in frenzies. Buffet always seems unfettered. As though he understands a bigger picture, leaving him calm as a clam, rich as a king—and humble!

Psalms 24, 29; Revelation 18:1-8; Matthew 5:21-26

Monday, September 14

Psalm 57 May your splendor cover the whole earth. (v.5b)

Researchers have determined that one-fourth of the earth is made up of pastureland. In Ireland 67 percent of the country is considered grassland with 2 billion acres of it worldwide. Mosses alone cover 3.6 million square miles of the earth—an area the size of China. The Daisy and Orchid families (Asteraceae and Orchidaceae) are two of the largest flowering plant families on earth boasting a combined 62,000 species throughout the world.

Even the Sahara Desert hosts 2,800 plant species and, through satellite imagery, the University of Copenhagen recently registered 1.8 billion trees and shrubs located in that vast “barren” region of North Africa. In Scotland, of its 19 million acres, Heather alone carpets a stunning 5 million acres of it. There are 850 species of Sage in South America and the Mediterranean.

Of Canada’s 2 billion acres, 900 million are forested Balsam Fir, White Spruce, Red Oak, Sugar Maple, and White Pine. And 140,000 acres of the tallest trees in the world are found soaring some nearly 400 feet high in the Redwood National Park of northern California.

Job 40:1-24; Psalms 56, 58; Acts 15:36—16:5; John 11:55—12:8

Tuesday, September 15

Psalm 62 Do not trust what you can gain by oppression. (v.10)

The Hebrew word for “oppression” in today’s reading is oseq. Synonyms include injustice, distress, and wrongful gain. Whether being hunted by Saul, warding off military threats from neighbors, or even enduring his own son’s coup, David came to known a thing or two about injury, injustice, and fraudulent gain. For that matter, even by his own indiscretions.

What is it that entices us to cheat others? To fraud and injury? Especially when destiny leads us to power. Revenge? Greed? Insecurity? Self-promotion?

When I recall a bloody Christ being led to his crucifixion I am reminded that, by all historical accounts of what he was capable, he could have wiped out the entire Roman army and, one could argue, justifiably so. How he must have loved to have fed those five thousand, to have healed the sick, to have raised so many poor in spirit—and to be able to continue doing so. And yet at his trial he chose to deny gain and, by doing so, won it back in ways no one imagined.

Job 40:1, 41:1-11; Psalm 61; Acts 16:6-15; John 12:9-19

Wednesday, September 16

Job 42:1-17 So the Lord restored what Job had lost...and doubled all that belonged to Job. (v.10)

The story of Job reminds me of what scholars refer to as the “criterion of embarrassment.” To paraphrase apologist Wesley Huff, it is a criterion by which historical accounts are considered to more likely be accurate when a highly regarded figure is revealed to be shamed or dishonored. Examples being the scandal of David and Bathsheba, Moses’ homicide, and of course, the trial of Christ.

With Job what is unusual is that two highly regarded figures face this. Both Job and God. Job who was not only a wealthy man, a pillar of his society but also described as a genuinely contrite and spiritual man. Then, utterly brought to his knees in shame and ruin. And, of course, there is God Himself railed at length with bruising honesty of Job’s complaints.

I hardly qualify as Job but there is something very appealing to me that when I feel broken, battered, and confused that I can take my open wounds and complaints to a listening God.

Psalm 72; Acts 16:16-24; John 12:20-26

Thursday, September 17

Psalm 71 ...you have taught me since I was young and I am still declaring your amazing deeds. (v.17)

I have learned that conversions come in many shapes and sizes. For some it is a quiet, slow process. For others, since they can remember as a child. Some, through literature and study or from the inspiration of a friend. And others, like me, get a lightning bolt.

In a newly released documentary of the 2011 Joplin tornado a young man who loved Jesus recalled, in tears, how frightened he was. “I thought it was the Rapture and that I might be left behind because I was gay.”

I too sometimes feel my epiphany was like a prized tour in which I was granted by clerical error. I later thought that not only does God not succumb to clerical errors, but any such notion is an insult to the crucifixion of Christ. Whenever I recall that prized tour I still fall apart. Any imperfections I may have just don’t hold a candle to the might, and grace, and power, and wonder, and love that God alone chose to tear that 60-foot temple curtain in half forever—for all of us.

Job 28:1-28; Psalm 70; Acts 16:25-40; John 12:27-36a

Friday, September 18

John 12:36b-43 ...they loved praise from men more than praise from God. (v.43)

When I was in the fifth grade, I recall making fun of a girl in class that made everyone laugh. The kind of things kids do. Get others to laugh at your joke. Old yearbooks capture her gorgeous. So, not only was I mean, but I was also stupid.

I found peer pressure a mighty force all my life. A small dose can be a good thing. Helps socialize and circulate. Heavier doses got me foolishly making fun of others, or engaging a recreational substance that left me paranoid, or wielding a smoking habit into my 50s.

In today’s reading, peer pressure among elite Jews who were persuaded by Christ’s words, nevertheless, followed the herd of skeptics rather than lose their place in the synagogue. Perhaps a clue to Jesus’ observation that “narrow is the gate that leads to life and few there be that find it.”

I left my pack one summer night in 1968. For some reason, peer pressure had lost its lure that night and I stumbled upon such a gate that changed everything.

Esther 1:1-4, 10-19; Psalm 69; Acts 17:1-15

Saturday, September 19

Acts 17:16-34 From one man [God] made every nation of the human race to inhabit the entire earth…. (v.26)

In today’s reading Paul speaks to a large Greek crowd in a city which happens to be full of idols. We know that Mohamed’s approach to idol worshipers was quite violent. For that matter Peter himself (for different reasons) took up the sword in Gethsemane to defend his Lord. Here, Paul’s approach is to reason. It is one of an invitation rather than a scolding. It reminds me of the late Billy Graham who would make the plea to unbelievers saying, “I’m not asking you to give up your religion or your idols. I’m just asking you to meet Christ.”

Paul’s invitation is also a notable departure from traditional rabbinical distinctions. Pagans! Unbelievers! Foreigners! Rather, he notes that God made every nation. And Paul invites all to the good news. It reminds me of another noble invitation of years ago: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these the homeless, tempest-tost to me.”

Esther 2:5-8, 15-23; Psalms 75, 76; John 12:44-50

Sunday, September 20

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18 “Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them.” (v.1a KJV)

We’ve heard of the Ten Commandments, the Four Evangelists and the Three Cardinal Virtues (1 Corinthians 13:13). Here are the Three Notable Duties. They speak of what we should do for others, for God and for ourselves.

Almsgiving applies to others—to be kind and generous. Praying relates to God—to spend time with Him and seek His help. Fasting concerns ourselves—to keep the lure of the world and the temptations of the flesh at a distance so we may be free to serve as God calls.

Notice that Jesus doesn’t say if we do them, but when we do them. Almsgiving, prayer, and fasting are expected of us. But most people regard them as optional.

Notice that Jesus warns us against doing them for show. Of course, we like approval. The trouble is, too often, we seek it from others rather than from God (John 12:43). God is the one we must please. A smile from Him is worth more than the cheers of a thousand people.

Lord, make me humble and quiet about anything good You allow me to do.

Esther 3:1—4:3; Psalms 93, 96; James 1:19-27

Monday, September 21

Luke 1:1-4, 3:1-14 “What then shall we do?” (v.10b RSV)

No sermon has done its job until the congregation is spurred to ask, as John the Baptist’s congregation was here, “What then shall we do?”

John didn’t preach just to give information; he came seeking responses. Jesus said of him that he was more than a prophet—he was a messenger (Matthew 11:9,10). What’s the difference? A prophet proclaims God’s Word to all. A messenger delivers it directly to individuals. He’s like a mail deliverer with special delivery letters who asks for signatures from the receivers.

Sometimes sermons pass over our heads and leave us untouched. What we need is to be grabbed and shaken, to be confronted and asked for a personal response. Luther said that God’s Word has hands and feet. It chases after a man, grabs him, looks him in the eyes, and says, “Thou art the man!”

Putting it another way, each person in a congregation should be a Bible translator; taking the message and applying it to his or her life to make it visible, understandable and meaningful. Do we do that?

Esther 4:4-17; Psalm 80; Acts 18:1-11

Tuesday, September 22

Luke 3:15-22 “The thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.” (v.16c)

Here is a great man—in fact, up to that time there had been no one greater (Luke 7:28)—saying he wasn’t good enough to stoop down and untie Jesus’ shoes.

What a contrast to how Jesus is viewed today. People are maligning his name, smearing his character and limiting him to his times and social context. Even in the church there are people who doubt his deity, reduce his power, question his wisdom and suspect his sinlessness.

What about us? We may not be guilty of the above blasphemies but do we assume that Jesus is just a chum on our own level, with whom we can disagree at will and whose presence we can ignore if it suits us? Are we guilty of reducing Jesus to a kind friend?

When Paul saw Jesus on the Damascus road, he fell to the ground (Acts 9:4). When John the Divine saw him in Patmos, he too “fell at his feet as though dead” (Revelation 1:17). And one day all of creation will fall at his feet and worship him (Philippians 2:10).

Do we treat Jesus with that kind of awe and respect?

Esther 5:1-14; Psalm 78:1-39; Acts 18:12-28

Wednesday, September 23

Luke 4:1-13 And Jesus answered him, “It is written.” (v.4a)

Jesus was hungry, weak and alone. That’s when the devil stepped in and tempted him. Satan does that with us. He knows when we are down and weak and alone—when we are most vulnerable. That’s when he attacks.

Do we respond by reasoning with him, pitting our own understanding against his?

Look at Jesus. To each of the three temptations he answered, “It is written” or “It is said.” He took his stand on the Word of God.

Notice then how the devil also used the Word of God. He’s no dummy. He knows the Word of God too. But he twisted it. Some of us, when confronted with different interpretations of the Bible, say, “Well, let’s forget them. There’s too much argument about them.” But Jesus didn’t do that. He saw through the deception, and quoted Scripture appropriately.

Is the Word of God your guide? Is it stored in your memory for ready reference? Can you call upon it when needed?

That’s the only way to have victory over evil.

Esther 6:1-14; Psalm 119:97-120; Acts 19:1-10

Thursday, September 24

Luke 4:14-30 “He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.” (v.18a)

In his hometown Jesus preached that the Spirit of God was sending him to everybody—the poor, the captives, the blind and the oppressed. That sounded like good news!

But it met with frowns in the synagogue. Why? The congregation wanted these things to happen to themselves. They wanted personal proof then and there.

But Jesus pointed out that, though God’s grace is universal and continuous, miracles are particular and intermittent. That is, they aren’t necessarily supplied on demand, nor limited to a chosen few.

You see, these people were like some of us. They had made their assembly into a clique, and they felt that only those who were in the clique could get the blessings. But Jesus pointed out that God’s mercy overlaps us. Sometimes He reaches out beyond us to show mercy on some outsider, even some outcast.

Let’s not be surprised or angry. But let’s be glad that we have a merciful and all-loving God who sheds His blessings on those whom we might call ineligible!

Esther 7:1-10; Psalms 146, 147; Acts 19:11-20

Friday, September 25

Luke 4:31-37 “Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” (v.34b)

Sad things happen when people regard friends as enemies or enemies as friends. Here was a man who feared Jesus. He knew only one side of Jesus—this time it was his holiness that was seen but not his love.

Some individuals fear Jesus like they fear a harsh taskmaster. They think he is harsh and hurtful. So they evade him and find excuses for not believing in him. Marx and Freud have blacklisted Christianity and persuaded many others to do so. Christianity has been derided and sneered at as though it were the enemy of mankind.

But Jesus comes to help. And to do that, he sometimes works without our permission, as he did with this man. Later, no doubt, the man was grateful, as we are. And we realize we have made a grievous mistake to be afraid or to be evasive or to find reasons not to believe.

To paint Jesus as our enemy has been the devil’s strategy since the Garden of Eden. Don’t allow him to continue his smear campaign! Defeat the devil by speaking the good news to all who will hear.

Esther 8:1-8, 15-17; Psalm 88; Acts 19:21-41

Saturday, September 26

Luke 4:38-44 He arose and left the synagogue, and entered Simon’s house. (v.38)

Do we carry our faith into our homes? It’s easy to be good in church but how do we act with our families? Are we kind and thoughtful to them?

Jesus had been in a synagogue and now entered a home. And there he found a sick woman. She hadn’t been able to worship, but the Lord came to her. And in compassion he stood over her and healed her. So grateful was she that she used her new energy to serve him and the rest of the company.

Someone said, “Charity begins at home.” And that’s true. But another person added, “It doesn't end there.” And that’s also true, as we see in the rest of today’s reading, for multitudes of sick people came to Jesus for healing. The next day he went out into the countryside, and more people came to him for healing. The last words we read are of him going out farther and farther to preach and to help needy people.

Lord, help me to bring my faith into my home and then out to my world.

Hosea 1:1—2:1; Psalms 87, 90; Acts 20:1-16

Sunday, September 27

James 3:1-13 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so. (v.10 NRSV)

James says the tongue is a small member, but boasts of great things. A great forest is set ablaze by a small spark. A small bit of gossip can damage a reputation, a marriage, or a career.

God has commanded that we do not bear false witness, yet some Christians gossip in the name of the Lord: “We need to pray for Pete, he has a big gambling problem.”

James talks about the contradiction of using our tongues to bless the Lord but also to curse people who are made in God’s likeness. He reminds us: a spring does not give fresh water and brackish; neither does a fig tree yield olives nor a grape vine yield figs.

So, we need to clean up our act, fill our mouths with praise and use our tongues to speak encouraging words, honest information, and kindness.

Dear Lord, forgive the wrongs of my tongue. Please let only goodness come from my mouth.

Hosea 2:2-14; Psalms 66, 67; Matthew 13:44-62

Monday, September 28

Acts 20:17-38 “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (v.35)

Many of us have learned the truth of this passage when we have served meals to the homeless or helped in the clean-up after some disaster. It is truly a spiritual law of the universe: “Send out your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will get it back” (Ecclesiastes 11:1).

There is a flip side to this principle. Are we gracious receivers? Do we accept with gratitude what God and our fellow humans give us? Too often we play the old game: “No, you do not need to do that” or “I can do it by myself.” It takes a special gift of God’s grace for us to acknowledge those gifts given to us.

Thanksgiving Day may be two months away but let us practice the attitude of gratitude every day of the year. Many Christians end their evening prayers by thanking God for five blessings they received that day. This habit opens our eyes to see God at work!

Dear Lord, You have given me so many blessings. Give me one thing more—a grateful heart.

Hosea 2:14-23; Psalm 89:1-18; Luke 5:1-11

Tuesday, September 29

Luke 5:12-26 “Rise, take your bed and go home.” (v.24b)

The four friends bring the paralyzed man to Jesus for healing, but the crowd is so huge they can not get in the door. Being men of strong faith, they go to Plan B. Because the roof tiles could be removed to let in sunlight and fresh air, the four friends go up on the roof, make an opening and lower their friend on his bed right in front of Jesus.

When Jesus sees their faith he tells the sick man, “Your sins are forgiven.” The scribes and religious leaders grumble and question Jesus about this to which he replies, “Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’?”

The man goes home, carrying his bed and glorifying God and, I am sure, thanking his friends.

We too can bring our friends and family to Jesus for healing. As we lift their problem to God in prayer we can be the facilitators of healing. My heart has been touched by a member of our church who faithfully brought her sick friend to the healing service every week. Her friend is now healed—Praise the Lord!

Thank you, Jesus, for your healing power.

Hosea 4:1-10; Psalms 97, 99, 100; Acts 21:1-14

Wednesday, September 30

Luke 5:27-39 And Jesus said to Matthew, “Follow me.” And he left everything, and rose and followed him. (v.27b-28)

Last week our Jewish friends celebrated Yom Kippur, one of their high holy days. The Day of Atonement is the only day during the entire year the high priest would enter the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle where the Ark of the Covenant was kept. The Ark would be sprinkled with blood on this day of reconciliation. This points clearly to Jesus’ atoning death and shed blood—our Messiah who takes away the sin of the world.

Matthew had undoubtedly heard Jesus preach and seen him heal. His heart had been changed enough for him to give up his lucrative tax collection business. He even gave a dinner party for Jesus to meet his colleagues.

Jesus may not be asking us to give up our job to follow him, but he is asking us to share the gospel, the good news that we have been atoned for by the precious blood of Jesus Christ.

Thank you, Jesus, that you ransomed us by shedding your blood on the cross.

Hosea 4:11-19; Psalms 101, 109; Acts 21:15-26

Thursday, October 1

Psalm 105:1-22 Sing to him, sing praises to him, tell of all his wonderful works! (v.2)

This psalm is a call to thanksgiving and praise to our covenant-keeping God. He kept His promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He allowed Joseph to be sold as a slave in Egypt where he rose to become the Pharaoh’s chief of staff and thereby was able to save God’s chosen people when famine came.

As we think back to the many answers to our prayers, let us be more willing to share those big and little miracles. It always strengthens my faith when fellow Christians share their “praise reports.” The psalmist says, “Make known His deeds among the peoples.”

Our unbelieving friends’ hearts are not touched if we share theological jargon with them. But if we simply tell the story of what God has done in our life, that is a mighty witness and will most likely be heard.

The psalm just before this one reminds us that the eyes of all creatures look to God; He gives us our food in due season, He opens His hand and we are filled with good things.

Dear Lord, help us remember the wonderful works You have done and share them with others.

Hosea 5:8—6:6; Acts 21:27-36; Luke 6:1-11

Friday, October 2

Luke 6:12-26 He called his disciples, and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles. (v.13)

Verse 1: (sing to the tune of “Jesus loves me”)

Jesus called them one by one

Peter, Andrew, James and John

Next came Philip, Thomas too

Matthew and Bartholomew.

Chorus:

Yes, Jesus called them (repeat twice)

and He calls us too.

Verse 2:

James the one they called the Less

Simon, also Thaddaeus

Twelfth apostle Judas made

Jesus was by him betrayed.

Chorus

Thank you, Jesus, for your faithful friends who left all to follow you. May we follow in their footsteps.

Hosea 10:1-15; Psalm 102; Acts 21:37—22:16

Saturday, October 3

Luke 6:27-38 “Give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap.” (v.38)

Jesus says, “The measure you give will be the measure you get back.” He asks us to forgive others and promises that we will be forgiven.

How often we do not forgive and forget. In a recent sermon the preacher pointed out that if we continue to replay all the details of an incident when we were hurt, we have not forgiven.

Jesus gives us the law of love: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. It takes his supernatural strength to do this—I cannot in my own strength feel kindly to those who have cheated me. But he asks us not to condemn or judge. That is God’s job.

Jesus asks us to be merciful, even as our Heavenly Father is merciful. He reminds us: As you wish people would do to you, do so to them.

Dear Jesus, help us live your golden rule.

Hosea 11:1-9; Psalms 107:33-43, 108; Acts 22:17-29