2023 Holy Monday “

Matthew 21:18-22

JESUS CURSES A FIG TREE

¹⁸ Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. ¹⁹ Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered. ²⁰ When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked.²¹ Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. ²² If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

Building upon 40 Days of Devotion we begin Holy Week. After 40 days of sacrifice, and repentance we are now faced with the prospect of an even more difficult task. Some might say we come out of the frying pan and jumped right into the skillet. Yesterday we had a moment to exhale, to celebrate. Palm Sunday reminded us that every now and then people get it right. Jesus enters humbly into Jerusalem but he is welcomed like the King he is. The people greet him with shouts of save us and blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD. For just a moment it seems like things are going to get better. Still Jesus did not get caught up in the hype. Instead of relying on the emotions of the people to dictate his future actions, Jesus continue his pursuit to the cross. Jesus chooses the Hope of eternity over the hype of humanity.

Our text begins the next morning. After the hoopla of yesterday Jesus is on his way back to the city and sees a fig tree. Upon seeing the tree there is the expectation there would be figs on the tree. Jesus is hungry and is anticipating a breakfast of figs and fellowship. What he finds is an empty tree. Looks good but producing nothing. How often are we like this fig tree. We look good on the outside, we have our bibles, and we have memorized some key verses. We know “church talk” and can be seen in some of the “right” places. But upon closer inspection, we are full of sound and fury signifying nothing. There is no substance to us. Far too often we focus on our shell and neglect our soul. Jesus expects fruit and finds fakery. He then utters what I sense to be a scary utterance. Jesus says “may you never bear fruit again”. Wow and owww. The first law GOD gave creation was be fruitful and multiple. For Jesus to say be no more fruitful is to take away its purpose. Immediately the tree withers. Life without purpose is death. When I read this I can imagine what it would be like if all hope were gone. Even further when I read this I sense Jesus challenging us on being true to fulfilling our purpose. We are called to do more than look good and talk the talk. When we are fig trees in a world that is hungry, we are intended to bear fruit. Not just leaves, but fruit.

Jesus challenges us on bearing fruit and also uses this experience as a teaching moment for the disciples. Jesus replied to the disciples amazement by saying, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. 22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” When we pray we are exposed to an unlimited supply of power. Jesus helps us to unlock a treasure of incalculable value. Faith without doubt. The power is not in the praise of people but in the presence of GOD.

Today I am encouraged to be intentional about bearing fruit. The hype of should should not dictate the life we live. Beyond the hype, the work for the kingdom must still be done. Do not grow weary in well doing for in due season we shall reap a harvest i we faint not. #livebig

POint to Ponder: How will You choose hope over hype? Who have you hyped up only to find they disappointed you? Would you rather be loved for people pleasing  or respected for telling it like it is?

Lent 2023 Day 26 “Inside Out”

Daily Scriptures: https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/texts.php?id=27

1 Samuel 16:1-13
16:1 The LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul? I have rejected him from being king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and set out; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.”
16:2 Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me.” And the LORD said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.’
16:3 Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for me the one whom I name to you.”
16:4 Samuel did what the LORD commanded, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, “Do you come peaceably?”
16:5 He said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD; sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” And he sanctified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.
16:6 When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is now before the LORD.”
16:7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the LORD does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”
16:8 Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.”
16:9 Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.”
16:10 Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, “The LORD has not chosen any of these.”
16:11 Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.”
16:12 He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The LORD said, “Rise and anoint him; for this is the one.”
16:13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and the spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward. Samuel then set out and went to Ramah.

The Lord Looks on the Heart

Imagine YOU finally get the job interview YOU have lived YOUR whole life for. This is the job YOU believe was made just for YOU. You have heard that there are a few other applicants so you think to yourself, “How do I set myself apart?” The one idea YOU have is dress to impress. You take an extra few minutes in the shower. You starch and iron your shirt, shine your shoes, and get your hair done. The shell in which YOU dwell is on point. YOU are ready. Looking good, YOU look at the job interview email and see written in small print, The interviewer will be looking for your heart. Wow. How do you prepare for that?

Our text from 1 Samuel 16 chronicles the anointing of David. The prophet Samuel is tasked with selecting and anointing one of Jesse’s sons to be the next King of Israel. Saul has lost favor with GOD as we shared a couple days ago and now a new king is to be selected. Jesse the proud poppa starts sending out his sons to meet the prophet. Now I know we are taught not to have favorites and as the father of three daughters, I love each of them. Knowing my daughters I would probably apply some logic to my decision and the oldest may go first because I have known her longer. Whatever method of choice I would use I would go from the most likely to the least in presenting them. Jesse does this and The LORD says to Samuel, “the LORD does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.” Seven sons come before Samuel and the response is the same, “neither has the LORD chosen this one”. Frustrated Samuel says Is this all of YOUR sons? In a moment of clarity, Jesse remembers his youngest son David who is tending the sheep. To understand this is to know sheep herding was a dirty job and generally reserved for the youngest or least favored child. Upon David’s arrival Samuel hears from the LORD and anoints David.

One of the lessons for us today in our dress for success, appearance driven society, is to focus on what really matters. So many of us judge a book by the cover and miss the content. How many times have we placed a label on a package we never took the time to look in? How often have we focused on some external accomplishments or accolades to fuel our sense of well being? Too often we major in minors. Fixing the shell but ignoring the core. Our challenge through Lent is to understand, while we may work out every day and buy the best clothes that fit just right, YHWH is not looking at our style or profile, YHWH is looking at our hearts. Being prepared for promotion involves our inner being. Are we loving? Are we compassionate? How do we treat the least of these in our communities? My prayer for you this Lent is to start with your heart, for it is from the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks and our words create our reality.

Points to Ponder: Are there blessings you may have missed by judging the outer appearance? How much value do you place on your heart? Who can YOU encourage today that YOU may have been overlooking? How will you proceed?

Lent 2023 Day 25 “The Light”

Daily Scriptures: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2023;%201%20Samuel%2015:32-34;%20John%201:1-9

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning. ³ Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴ In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome^[a] it.

⁶ There was a man sent from God whose name was John. ⁷ He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. ⁸ He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. ⁹ The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. ¹¹ He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. ¹² Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— ¹³ children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

The Light

Have YOU ever been going through life and suddenly recognize you are not seeing as well as You used to? The concern of losing sight could mean a whole new lifestyle. It could mean losing ones independence. This awareness prompts a visit to the ophthalmologist. Once YOU get there one of the tests the doctor runs is asking you to follow the light. By doing this they are able to identify the health of the eye and diagnose any potential problems. What happens when YOU cannot see the light? What happens when the whole world seems dark and untenable. Whether literal or figuratively speaking, blindness and darkness can be a scary place. I don’t think its reaching to say we are living in a dark world where unthinkable things happen on a daily basis.

This is the world that Jesus enters into. A world of chaos and disorder. Our text in John 1 references Jesus as the Word that was with YHWH in the beginning and that the Word possessed life and that life was the light of Humankind. The life of Jesus is a light that enters a world of darkness with the intent to illuminate the pathways of life. Unfortunately this life and light enters into the world and the world chooses darkness. Most of us believe we would not have responded like our brothers and sisters in the time of Jesus. We would like to believe that we would welcome any help to get through this darkness. Although we believe this about ourselves a deeper look may reveal some blind spots.

One Lenten discipline is to repent, reflect, and refuel for service. This makes room for the power and presence of GOD to be manifested in our life. We are clearing out the junk that accumulates in the dry wildernesses we find ourselves in. We are adjusting our routines recognizing that if we don’t we can easily miss the Messiah in our midst. It’s easy to get lost in the wilderness and darkness of life. The day to day hustle to stay alive can get in the way of our ability to thrive.

In order for us to experience the next level in our life, we must follow the light. This may challenge our comfort zones and disrupt our status quo. Whereas this is true we cannot climb to the highest levels GOD has for us if we remain tethered to the pole of who we have been and what we have seen. The light has appeared. New things are being revealed. New thoughts and ideas are entering and this can be invigorating or infuriating. The Jewish people in our text rejected the light. Jesus came to his own and his own received him not. Be the light that causes the darkness to flee. When we do this and we are ready, we will experience the abundance of life Jesus entered the world to provide.

Points to Ponder: Are there challenging truths that you reject because they are uncomfortable? Are there thought patterns YOU have that compromise YOUR ability to see? Are YOU ready like John to prepare others for the light?

Lent 2023 Day 24 “Peer Pressure”

Daily Scriptures: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2023;%201%20Samuel%2015:22-31;%20Ephesians%205:1-9

1 Samuel 15:22-31

²² But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.²³ For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.” ²⁴ Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned. I violated the Lord’s command and your instructions. I was afraid of the men and so I gave in to them. ²⁵ Now I beg you, forgive my sin and come back with me, so that I may worship the Lord.” ²⁶ But Samuel said to him, “I will not go back with you. You have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you as king over Israel!” ²⁷ As Samuel turned to leave, Saul caught hold of the hem of his robe, and it tore.  ²⁸ Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors—to one better than you. ²⁹ He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a human being, that he should change his mind.” ³⁰ Saul replied, “I have sinned. But please honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel; come back with me, so that I may worship the Lord your God.” ³¹ So Samuel went back with Saul, and Saul worshiped the Lord.

Peer Pressure

Nobody wants to stick out like a sore thumb. If I were to ask 1000 people if they enjoyed walking the road less traveled, most of them would say “Naa, let me just get in where I fit in. In some cases fitting in doesn’t pose a problem, but when fitting in is in opposition to what YHWH has instructed us to do it becomes a major problem. We often associate peer pressure with being a young person or teenager. I suggest today we do not age out of the pressure of fitting in. This pressure causes us to remain silent when co-workers are saying inappropriate things. Peer Pressure will lead us to turn the other way when injustice is occurring. Peer pressure can cause us to work overtime and chase someone else’s dream of success. Peer pressure will make us say yes when we know we should say no. At one time or another, we have all felt the pressure to conform to the norm or be left out.

In our text, Saul has succumbed to the pressure. Chosen by YHWH to be the first King of Israel there was great promise in Saul. Saul was equipped by YHWH to lead the people who wanted so badly to have a King. Unfortunately, Samuel is now confronting Saul on his disobedience to YHWH. The first attention grabber for me in the text is, “Obedience is better than sacrifice.” Its so easy to try to make ourselves feel better by sacrificing or making amends but the best pathway would be to not mess up in the first place. No matter how many sacrifices we make we can not unlive the past. We can learn from it but we cannot erase it.

Secondly, Saul confesses and his confession speaks to the pressure we can allow others to place on us. Saul says, “I have sinned… I was afraid of men so I gave in to them. Saul has placed more power into the hands of the created than the CREATOR. Saul has yielded power and gone along to get along. Heavy is the head that wears the crown and Saul caves to the pressure. Many of us do the same thing. We get scared. We may know better but we do not always do better. Thanks be to GOD it’s not all over. Our text concludes with Saul, though stripped of his kingdom desiring to worship GOD.

As we continue on in Lent 2023, our consecration time may reveal aspects of our lives where we have missed the mark. We may identify transgressions or just spiritual oversights due to inattentiveness to details. We may feel bad and despondent but I encourage YOU to worship in spirit and in truth. The truth is we mess up and the truth I YHWH will never stop loving us. We may not reclaim our status but we can reclaim the joy of our salvation. When we surrender we can truly stand.

Points to Ponder: How have YOU felt the pressure to fit in? What have YOU gained? What have YOU lost? How committed are YOU to YOUR spiritual identity?

Lent 2023 Day 23 “Led and Fed

Daily Scriptures: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2023;%201%20Samuel%2015:10-21;%20Ephesians%204:25-32

PSALM 23 COOPER VERSION

I am a sheep. My needs are many and my resources few. I need a shepherd to look after me. I have been blessed with a great shepherd. I call my Shepherd LORD. The LORD, MY Shepherd makes sure all my needs are met.

Alone I would stray, but with The LORD I am nurtured. Always provided food and drink. When I am weak, The LORD gives me special attention and makes sure I am distinguished as The LORDS property.

Even when tough times come and the natural predators of life would seek to devour me, I will not be scared because my SHEPHERD never leaves me alone.

Even when I wander off, MY SHEPHERD prods me and redirects me for my own good. Though others all around me seek to harm me,  I am so protected that I eat without missing a meal. I am so blessed I have more than I need. In fact, I AM confident that as long As my SHEPHERD leads me the good things will follow me forever, and I will be the property of the GOOD SHEPHERD for eternity.

Led and Fed

Oops, I did it again. I wish I hadn’t but it did. Somehow, someway, when I try to live this life on my own, I go astray. Often this departure is not an intentional act but one that occurs gradually over time. Small acts of forgetfulness and grand rationalizations. Like a rock being gradually worn away by moving water, I don’t know the exact moment I started to stray but Suddenly I look up and can’t figure out how I got here. Yup, Oops I did it again. Many of us have a tendency to get lackadaisical in our spiritual disciplines and like sheep grazing in the field, we lose perspective of where we are. We can’t pinpoint when we turned because we were so focused on what we were doing. We can get locked into routines that after time lose their value. Even our spiritual disciplines can lose their meaning when we just do them on auto-pilot.

In our very familiar text, the Psalmist says, “The LORD is my shepherd”. Another way to say this would be I am like a sheep. Like a sheep without guidance I will make a mess of my life. Like a sheep, I am not able to focus on much beyond my immediate needs. I don’t plan ahead and I would drown chasing after water from fast-moving streams. The Psalmist recognizes that unless we are lead by GOD we will follow the wide, well-worn road to destruction. This path of least resistance leads to fear and destruction. On the other when the LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. I can rest and refresh with green pastures and still waters. This rest and refreshment restores my soul. With GOD as my shepherd even when I go through the alleys and the valleys of the shadow of death, I don’t have to fear what happens. I am able to focus on how BIG my Shepherd is and not how big my problem may be. With GOD as my shepherd when I stray there is a rod and staff of love to redirect me. Not only will I have enough, but my cup will also run over. As long as we follow GOD will lead us into eternity.

The Lenten season gives us an opportunity to bring meaning to our routines. We are able to see where we may have been going through the motions assuming we were going in the right direction without checking in with the Divine Navigator. Today I encourage you to bring added attention to the routine things you do. Chew your food more slowly, tasting and appreciating each bite. Look your loved ones in the eye a second longer and listen. Seek to understand before you seek to be understood. By doing this you can yield the control of your life to the only one truly able to provide goodness and mercy all the days of your life.

Point to Ponder: How would YOU rewrite Psalm 23 from a personal perspective? What measures will YOU take to be fully engaged in each moment? How difficult is it for YOU to identify as a sheep?

Lent 2023 Day 22 “Worthless Idols”

Daily Scriptures: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2081;%20Jeremiah%202:4-13;%20John%207:14-31,%2037-39

Jeremiah 2:4-13

⁴ Hear the word of the Lord, you descendants of Jacob, all you clans of Israel.

⁵ This is what the Lord says: “What fault did your ancestors find in me, that they strayed so far from me? They followed worthless idols and became worthless themselves. ⁶ They did not ask, ‘Where is the Lord, who brought us up out of Egypt and led us through the barren wilderness, through a land of deserts and ravines, a land of drought and utter darkness, a land where no one travels and no one lives?’ ⁷ I brought you into a fertile land to eat its fruit and rich produce. But you came and defiled my land and made my inheritance detestable. ⁸ The priests did not ask, ‘Where is the Lord?’ Those who deal with the law did not know me; the leaders rebelled against me. The prophets prophesied by Baal, following worthless idols. ⁹ “Therefore I bring charges against you again,” declares the Lord. “And I will bring charges against your children’s children. ¹⁰ Cross over to the coasts of Cyprus and look, send to Kedar[a] and observe closely; see if there has ever been anything like this: ¹¹ Has a nation ever changed its gods? (Yet they are not gods at all.) But my people have exchanged their glorious God for worthless idols. ¹² Be appalled at this, you heavens, and shudder with great horror,” declares the Lord. ¹³ “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.

Worthless Idols

There’s nothing like adversity to help us put things into perspective. Money rolls, cars, and clothes are signs of success and status in our world. Many of us work tirelessly to acquire money and the materials it can purchase. When we finally make the big purchase we have a tendency to be protective of it. I have seen fights break out over somebody accidentally stepping on someone’s new shoes. We cherish our things and at times we forget to remember who gave us the strength to work and the ability to get the job done. Our possessions begin to possess us. In short, we become worthless protectors of worthless idols. This will go on forever if we don’t pause and pay attention to YHWH. Adversity can help us to pause.

The Word of the LORD comes through Jeremiah for the people of Israel and we can draw meaning from it for us today. YHWH instructs Jeremiah to ask the people what faults did your ancestors find in me that they strayed so far from me? As they strayed they forfeited their value because they forgot to remember who was the ultimate provider. For us today, the question is do YOU have stuff or does stuff have YOU? What is really most important in YOUR life. Often times abundance can be just as distracting as adversity. We can become so smug in who we are and what we have that we forget to remember our CREATOR. The prophet Jeremiah says they exchanged their glorious GOD for worthless idols.

Let us be clear that not all idols are made of materials. Some of us may have made an idol of our health and others idolize their skill sets. An idol is anything that can distract us from the DIVINE. YWHW is ever-present yet we must be careful to keep our lives in a proper perspective. Scripture teaches seek first the Kingdom and all other things will be added. Lent gives us an opportunity to regulate ourselves and reclaim our joy. Lent is like a massage for the soul. We work out tensions, address problem areas, and prayerfully exit our forty days stronger and more faithful. Let’s do this.

Point to Ponder: What idols have YOU had to deal with. Is there anything between YOUR soul and YOUR savior? In what ways have YOU forsaken GOD and how will you respond?

Lent 2023 Day 20 “Speak Less, Do More”

Daily Scriptures: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2081;%20Genesis%2024:1-27;%202%20John%201:1-13

Psalm 81:7 In your distress you called and I rescued you,
    I answered you out of a thundercloud;
    I tested you at the waters of Meribah.^[c]
8 Hear me, my people, and I will warn you—
    if you would only listen to me, Israel!
⁹ You shall have no foreign god among you;
    you shall not worship any god other than me.
¹⁰ I am the Lord your God,
    who brought you up out of Egypt.
Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.

¹¹ “But my people would not listen to me;
    Israel would not submit to me.
¹² So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts
    to follow their own devices.

¹³ “If my people would only listen to me,
if Israel would only follow my ways,
¹⁴ how quickly I would subdue their enemies
and turn my hand against their foes!

Speak Less Do More

“You don’t hear me”. “You are not listening”. “I never said that.” “If YOU opened YOUR ears as wide as YOUR mouth YOU might learn something”. These or similar words have been uttered time and time again by people frustrated by how what they are saying is being ignored. The art of communication requires two active parties both engaged in the process. How frustrating it is when YOU are saying one thing and the person you are speaking to hears another. Think of a situation where YOU were not fully present as a listener. Think about how YOUR mind may have drifted or how YOU fixated on one thing and didn’t hear anything else. As these thoughts enter YOUR mind recognize how closed off YOU were to possibilities because YOUR mind was already made up. Instead of being open, YOU were tight as a drum.

The Israelite community is being referenced in the text from Psalm 81 as a hard-headed stubborn-hearted people.  YHWH has heard their cry and responded with deliverance. When they had cried out in despair YHWH heard them. Now its time for them to listen and suddenly they act like they can’t hear. The Psalmist says, ⁸ Hear me, my people, and I will warn you— if you would only listen to me, Israel! 

If only they would listen they would learn how to sustain the blessings they had received. If only they would listen they would know to open their mouth and let YHWH fill it. This is key. A mouth has to be open to speak but it also has to be open to eat. Metaphorically an open life is able to experience abundance when it is silent enough to chew. We learned as children not to talk with food in our mouths. The people of Israel had a habit of speaking out of turn.

Halfway through Lent 2023, we have a chance to listen or to talk. Communication with YHWH is best when we don’t do all the talking. If we will but listen and follow the path YHWH has for us, we may find out that YHWH  has already worked it out. Whatever YOUR situation, actively listening to YHWH is a step in the right direction.

Point to Ponder: Have YOU talked to YHWH today? Did YOU listen or do all the talking? Who have YOU been too quick to speak and too slow to listen with? Go and remember, We have two eyes and ears and one mouth. We are best when we look and listen twice as much as we talk.

Lent 2023 Day 19 “Not So Easy Street”

Daily Scriptures: https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/texts.php?id=26

Exodus 17:1-7
17:1 From the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages, as the LORD commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink.
17:2 The people quarreled with Moses, and said, “Give us water to drink.” Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the LORD?”
17:3 But the people thirsted there for water; and the people complained against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?”
17:4 So Moses cried out to the LORD, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.”
17:5 The LORD said to Moses, “Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go.
17:6 I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.” Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel.
17:7 He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled and tested the LORD, saying, “Is the LORD among us or not?”

Not So Easy Street

 Have you ever longed for something and finally got it only to find out the work needed to keep it wasn’t calculated in the wish to have it? Have you ever found yourself admiring the grass on the other side of the fence without thinking about the fertilizer it took to keep it up? In other words, have you ever wanted for something and not known what to do when you got it? The mindset of wanting often breeds more wanting and that is a bottomless pit. The more time we spend wanting the better we become at wanting and when it doesn’t satisfy we want something different. Soon we may find out that wanting to be on easy street is not so easy after all?

The Israelites in our text are in the wilderness on the way to the promised land. The land they have longed for. The land they have dreamed of, yet the pathway to the promise has perils and pitfalls. During the enslavement in Egypt, YWHW was experienced by many as a fairy tale of fanciful thinking and not a true deliverer and provider. When Moses comes and they are delivered physically the mental chains are still clinging. Their bodies were free but they were still a bit skittish when it came to trusting GOD and Moses. While on the pilgrimage to the promised land one of the challenges was water. The Israelite community here in Exodus is thirsty. They are unsatisfied. They are naturally concerned about their ability to survive without this essential element. And so they go back to old behavioral patterns of wishing and wanting. They wish they had some water. They wish they never left. They wish somebody would do something for them. They begin to wonder “Is the LORD among us or not?”

How often do we when met with challenges that seem insurmountable begin to wonder if we’ve been abandoned by YHWH? We feel like if YHWH were truly with us then the struggle would be less arduous. Why would we ever have to deal with thirst or running out of anything, if GOD were with us? What we may miss is YWHW always knows where we are and is always able to make provisions for our problems. YHWH tells Moses to go ahead a little farther and strike a rock. Moses does and voila, water gushes forth. If we get stuck and stop moving forward we may miss the blessing that is just ahead.

On this 19th day of our Lenten consecration, I encourage us to keep pressing to the blessing. We may face hopelessness and despair, problems and pitfalls, but YHWH has opened doors we may not see and they are just ahead.  Instead of wishing, keep walking and watching for YHWH to work it out. Keep the faith and know that wishing and wanting only breeds more wishing and wanting. Whatever we feed grows. Feed YOUR faith.

Point to Ponder: What have YOU been wishing for? What will the cost be for receiving it? How will YOU avoid complaining when YOU are straining to survive? How can YOU lift others as YOU climb?

Lent 2023 Day 16 “Protect Your Neck”

Daily Scriptures: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2095;%20Exodus%2016:1-8;%20Colossians%201:15-23

^{Psalm 95:3} For the Lord is the great God,
    the great King above all gods.
⁴ In his hand are the depths of the earth,
    and the mountain peaks belong to him.
⁵ The sea is his, for he made it,
    and his hands formed the dry land.

⁶ Come, let us bow down in worship,
    let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;
⁷ for he is our God
    and we are the people of his pasture,
    the flock under his care.

Today, if only you would hear his voice,
⁸ “Do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah,^[a]
    as you did that day at Massah^[b] in the wilderness,
⁹ where your ancestors tested me;
    they tried me, though they had seen what I did.

Protect Your Neck

For the last few years there has been a new virus on the scene that has challenged and changed many of the ways we move from day to to day. There once was a time only deperados and stick up men wore masks. Now you see masks everywhere, even on the streets as trash. This virus has taken many lives and it may never leave us. A virus is a microscopic organism that replicates in a cell of the body. Scientist recommend we get vaccinated, wash our hands with soap and water, cover our noses and mouths when sneezing or coughing, and avoid touching our face. In other words protect your neck and the necks of others.

In the same way we must protect ourselves from viruses we must also protect ourselves from sin. Sin acts like a virus. Sin enters into our body when we let our guards down. When we grow complacent and skip vital steps of spiritual discipline, sin creeps in like a virus. It is aggressive and replicates itself. In very little time we are ill, focusing on surviving and missing the call to thrive. Psalm 95 gives us a way to protect ourselves from a virus. First, humble ourselves. We do this when we: bow down in worship, and kneel before the Lord our Maker. Putting GOD first allows our life to be in a proper perspective. Secondly, listen to what GOD is saying. Amid the symphony of sound we are bombarded with, GOD is still speaking. Sometimes through the percussion and sometimes through the piccolo. Sometimes through the tuba and other times through the triangle. GOD is speaking and we are called to listen which is a more intentional act than simply hearing. Third, we must remember how GOD has been with us in the past and not harden our hearts.

Let us be prepared this Lenten season to know GOD in creative ways that rituals and routines don’t provide. This is a day the LORD has made, Come let us bow down and worship.

Point to Ponder: How have you hardened your heart to GOD? In what ways has sin crept in and weakened your spiritual immune system? How will you Protect Your Neck?

Lent 2023 Day 10 “We All Fall Down”

^{Romans 3:22} This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

All Fall Down

A few weeks ago I overestimated my agility and before I knew I had fallen. My pride was hurt but thankfully not much else. As bad as I felt I realized, sometimes no matter how careful we are, we fall down. Every one of us. There are no exceptions. We have missed the mark at some point in our lives. With the best intentions, we may have gotten entangled in some bad habits or we may have known better and not done better. Either way, we have not always been as good as we thought we were or could have been. Falling has a way of taking a toll on us. Many people feel disqualified from service in the Kingdom because of their failure to thrive. They live with a myriad of regrets. Although we are aware that others may fall it can feel like we are all alone.

This passage of scripture from Romans addresses the result of falling and the response of YHWH. The writer speaks of righteousness through faith in Jesus to all who believe. This is a message of hope for each of us through this Lenten season. It acknowledges that even though we fall, falling doesn’t make us failures. There is a pathway to be made right through our faith. This faith in Jesus levels the playing field between Jew and Gentile. This righteousness reminds us to get back up. If we fall nine times we must get up ten because although all fall down, we are all made right by the grace of a compassionate merciful GOD.

Point to Ponder: In what ways have I fallen? What was my response? How can I safeguard myself against further failures?