Author: admin

Today we begin the fourth month of a global wrestling match with the coronavirus. Since the announcement of the first case in the U.S.  in January, most of the rounds have gone in favor of the virus. But, we’re still in the fight. That in itself is good news; and with that thought in mind, I decided not to dwell on COVID-19 in today’s blog.  I think we’ve allowed it to get inside our heads to the point that we’ve become obsessive with it. That’s not good news.

So coronavirus notwithstanding,  we give thought to this first day of May. It marks  the beginning of the  month when bulbs emerge from the soil in splendid colors, when the knock-out roses bloom; the month when we turn the sprinklers back on to hydrate the grass; the month when we bask in the sun’s warmth minus its scorching heat; the month that signals Summer is on the horizon. And as is with every day, we acknowledge the uncertainty of what the day might bring.  Because we live in a positive vs negative world, we know the reports regarding the present crisis can go either way. Which wins the round today is still up in the air- fewer cases and  deaths or more, successful vaccines and treatment plans or not, sufficient supplies and equipment for front line responders or not. You can the idea.

I offer as encouragement on the first day of a new month the idea that we look not at the uncertainties of the day, but rather at the certainty of the one who designed and  holds the day in His hands.  We look at God. That means we have to turn away from the ringside where the fight wages and keep our eyes instead on Him. Even if for a moment it may seem He has “shut up Heaven,” we refuse to embrace anything that suggests we are not certain of Him. And it is within that certainty that we find:    Love. Joy. Peace.

Until Monday.

Can it be true? Is today actually the last day April? Wasn’t it just a few days ago that we bade March a fond farewell? Like many, I had hoped that by this month’s end, we would see more victory flags waving in areas where the viral war has been most intense. Instead we welcome May, not with the traditional May Day festivities at elementary schools, but with closed classrooms and empty playgrounds; not with high school senior class proms,  award ceremonies and athletic fields packed for commencement exercises, but with empty auditoriums, gyms and stadiums.

Since the coronavirus pandemic debuted on the world stage in January 2020, the occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania St has proffered that it is “very well under control in our country.” These four months later we know that to be untrue. Every state in the United States has reported infections, and the numbers continue to rise.  So here we are. Month 5 a day away and our battle to contain this invisible enemy still wages. How will we win a war unlike any we have known in our lifetimes? Believers in Christ hear that question and edit it. “How will God win this war that is unlike any we have known?”  That for us is the key. It’s a trial we term a war and we understand victory over trials and tribulations are won, not by us but by God working in and through us;  often sometimes in spite of us to bring His will to bear in all circumstances, even the circumstance of COVID-19.

Matthew 26:36-46 offers us a window into how and where this coronavirus battle will eventually be won. Christians know well this biblical passage usually entitled, “The Garden of Gethsemane.” It was the night Jesus was arrested. Before that arrest, He went with some of the disciples to a “place called Gethsemane.” There He fell down, His soul weary and sorrowful in anticipation of the battle which awaited Him. He knew both the pain He would endure and the ultimate outcome.  What His actions in Gethsemane  reveal is that He knew too what He needed to confront and conquer both –  time alone with His Father God to pray.

As we look toward the days that will mark the end of spring and beginning of summer, I think we find in Jesus’ conversation with our Father what we need to stay the course with courage, hope and certainty. Read these words and apply them to this time, our Gethsemane moment. Let them reside in your hearts as a spiritual antidote.  “My Father , if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” (verse 39) “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.” (verse 42) Believers see themselves and the world in a state in which we pray for science to be  orchestrated by the hand of God for cures and vaccines. We feel the pain and despair of our wounded brothers and sisters and the exhaustion of those on our front lines. We pray for this cup to be taken away; and we pray that God’s will be done. For our faith rests in the surety that whatever is His will is His best for His beloved – us.

Love. Joy. Peace.

I didn’t post Tuesday; there weren’t enough hours in the day for everything on my schedule.  Today’s offering  was sparked by yesterday’s “flame of reflection” question,  “How can I use this to make me more like Jesus?” That was the central theme of an In Touch Ministries‘ devotional. It was predicated upon the assumption that all Christians desire to conform to the image of Jesus, and in so doing  reflect the image of our Creator. We understand the reference here is not to His physical image, but rather to His inner spirit manifested by how Jesus lived and taught. Now, some will declare that’s impossible;  that Christ was God in the flesh and therefore perfect. How, they argue, can anyone be like Him? You’ve heard preachers pose a question during their sermons , and then lightheartedly say, “I’m so glad you asked” Imagine me saying that to you now as I suggest how we can be like the Savior, sinners though we are.

Trying to be like Jesus requires we know something about Him. It means even  if we’re not Bible scholars (which few of us are), we should be at least among those who own a Bible and read it on a somewhat regular basis. That’s elementary. At our formative level we learned that God  loves us. If we know only one verse in the Bible, it’s likely “For God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16),  and one song,  “Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so… yes, Jesus loves me.” As we advanced we came to understand that love – the most universal characteristic of the Savior –  is both a noun and a verb. God set forth the concept and demonstration of it; and modeled both as stated in John 3:16.  Thus,  I suggest the way we grow to be like  Jesus and conform to His image  is to  by loving like He did.

Jesus  loved people irrespective of their economic or political status, ethnicity, nationality, creed, disabilities, ideologies, even their ignorance. His love enabled Him to look beyond their weaknesses and sins and see their needs. From His love flowed forgiveness, mercy, and grace; such that He gave His life on a cross so that they and we would be saved.  This ultimate act of love takes us back to our question – “How can I use this to make me more like Jesus?” The “this” of the moment is the coronavirus pandemic and its impact upon life as we knew it before its attack.  How indeed do we use this pandemic   to be more like Jesus? We model His grace by supporting the efforts of the scientific and medical experts He provides us as they pursue protocols to fight the virus. We extend mercy to those in our communities whose needs exceed our own by helping and not hoarding; by promoting our collective welfare in following guidelines designed to protect us. We forgive those who in ignorance speak of what they do not know and pray that God will open their eyes and hearts to His truth.

We honor His ultimate sacrifice by vowing to never return to the way we were: selfish, apathetic, cynical, unforgiving, racist and all the other negatively connotated”ists” that prevented us from loving one another. We vow to reject whatever behaviors and attitudes we had pre-coronavirus that were destructive,  and embrace those the virus has caused us to adopt if we are to survive.

Love. Joy. Peace.

Oh my! Where do I begin on this final Monday of the fourth month of 2020? In the past three days, I’ve shared in the grief of those whose loved ones have made their final address change. I’ve listened to ones dear to my heart share daunting medical diagnoses.  I have struggled with the decision of state governing authorities to modify restrictions imposed for public safety during this pandemic,  thinking it’s too soon; we can wait awhile longer. The statistics are not yet where they need to be; we should err on the side of caution as much as we can. And with the rest of the world, I was rendered speechless by comments from the lips of the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave in Washington, DC. “Donning” the white coat of a physician, he generated earthquake like tremors with a rambling commentary about the possibility of treating COVID-19 through the ingestion or injection of bleach and other household disinfectants. In one breath I say, “Only in America!” And with another I counter, “But God!”

As I wondered what words might bring hope or encouragement today,  not just to those I mentioned above,  but to everyone confronted with similar concerns, I realized all I need do is open the book. “What book?”, infant believers may be asking.  To which senior saints reply, “the Bible; what other book is there to steer us through times like these?”

There’s a saying common among many Christians. “Sin is sin,” someone will comment when conversation about wrong doing ensues. The phrase, “Death is death” came to mind as I thought of the aforementioned “ordinary” deaths from heart attacks and old age and the “extraordinary” deaths from COVID-19. Though the pain of death stings irrespective of cause, somehow the latter deaths have taken on an aura of their own. Maybe it’s the mounting numbers posted daily that make them seem more sinister, and harder to comprehend.

Today, to all who are walking in the “shadow death,” I quote these words from the Book as consolation and hope: “for death is the destiny of everyone; the living should take this to heart.” (Ecclesiastes 7:2), “He (the Lord) will swallow up death forever.” (Isaiah 25:8) and “Where, O death, is your victory. Where, O death, is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:55) Facing the death a of loved one is one of life’s most difficult experiences; but we who believe in a Savior who died, arose from death, and lives even now have the  assurance of eternity that comforts, sustains,  and gives us peace as we move through our time of grief.

Proverbs 3:5-6 is my mantra, my go-to scripture whenever I’m confronted with making a decision. I think it holds water especially during this period of “stay in place” relaxation.  “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your path straight.” Regardless of what governors and others pronounce, these words ought govern your actions. I know it to be true that whenever I must decide to do this or that, when I go to God with that decision and wait upon the moving of His Spirit, I make better choices. He’s yet to fail me in this regard. It goes to the matter of trust. Christians are folk who profess to believe in and trust God. If you allow Him to, He will guide you  during these times; you will be led by His wisdom and discernment.

And finally, I call your attention to Proverbs 18:21 – “The tongue has the power of life and death... ” It’s a reminder that when foolishness is uttered,  we must be wary and not give credence to everything we hear; especially if the person speaking has zero credentials to support what he/she is saying. As incredulous as the statements uttered during that  press conference were, I am not surprised by them.  Read Proverbs 18:6-7 to see why.

Love. Joy. Peace.

 

Another Friday is well underway. I recall the years when my coworkers entered the office with cheerful greetings of  “Happy Friday!” or “Thank God, it’s Friday.” I may have been the only one who didn’t get the reverence accorded the last day of the work week; I knew in two days we would just start all over again the countdown to it. That aside, this Friday, on its downside as I am unusually late in my posting, I have as my Peace in His Presence offering the following encouragement: “Faith is being… certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1) I am supplementing the scriptural reference with quotes from Corrie ten boom. If you’ve never heard of her, she was a Dutch watchmaker who with her family members helped Jews escape the Nazis from the Holocaust during World War II before she  became a prisoner of the concentration camps herself. She survived and went on to start a rehabilitation center for survivors and a global ministry that taught the power of forgiveness. She came to mind when I heard a minister quote her during my  walk this morning.

Ms. ten Boom wrote, “Never be afraid to trust an unknow future to a known God.” When Rev. Anderson read that quote I almost skipped! Is not that sentiment right on for our present situation? Wringing our hands, bemoaning the restrictions, complaining about what we aren’t able to do like we used to, and all the “poor us” expressions brought on by the pandemic really point to distrust of the God we claim to know.  Yes, the future is a question mark right now. The only certainty is the God we profess; the God in whom we trust and are certain of even when we do not see the end of the  present crisis.

Consider just a few of the quotes for which Ms. ten Boom is known: “Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength.”  “It is not my ability, but my response to God’s ability, that counts.”  “Let God’s promises shine on your problems.”  “Worry is a cycle of inefficient thoughts whirling around a center of fear.”  And my favorite for this era of pandemic, “When a train goes through a tunnel and it gets dark, you don’t throw away the ticket and jump off. You sit still and trust the engineer.”

Let’s summarize. Worry today saps you of what you my need to cope with what tomorrow has in store. Doesn’t scripture advise us of the same? See Matthew 6:34. When God allows a curve ball to disrupt our normal, how we respond is what will be measured. By those who come after us, and most surely by God. Aside from the practical precautions we take, what better way to battle this pandemic than by opening our Bibles and claiming the promises therein as our spiritual weapons.

The train we’re on is going through a virus filled tunnel. Its speed is such that we can’t jump off, and even if we did, the places we might land are themselves infected. Our only hope for survival is to trust the engineer himself – Jehovah. This is not His first trip. He’s been conducting trains through tunnels since the creation of  passengers who have  boarded them.  Again, scripture tells us what to do, “Be still, and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)

In stillness, we have the opportunity to exercise the concept of faith: the belief that what may elude us for the moment is still a certainty in God’s hands. Until Monday.

Love. Joy. Peace.

 

 

 

One of my devotional readings this morning was entitled, “Relying on God in Times of Trouble.” The scriptural reference was 2 Corinthians 1:8-11. In this epistle Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, he shared with them the difficulties he and the other evangelists faced in spreading the gospel message. He is honest with them and admits to feelings of despair as the dangers mounted. The key to his witness are verses 9 and 10 that read, “… But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us.”

Despite the physical and emotional hardships he was enduring, Paul held to the one surety: God. Of course I see a parallel between his situation then and ours today. As we continue to awaken to the despairing numbers of those touched by the virus in our land; to ongoing needs of front line workers; of medicines that do live up to the hype of the White House; to forecasts of recession as the unemployed numbers climb; to disunity as politics muddy the waters and the welfare of the populace drowns in a sea of twits, we can be forgiven feelings of despair. Surely if the giant of the Christian movement felt such during his time of turmoil, we can also. Sadly, the comparison ends there for far too many followers of Jesus. Paul looked at the afflictions and saw as I mentioned in yesterday’s post, the hand of God – “But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God...”

My contention today is that we who profess Christ must do the same. If we ever needed a faith test before, we obviously have one now. This virus and its capacity to infect and kill seemingly at will is unsettling; we grapple with what God’s plan in allowing it could possibly be. Somehow we must put on and pull up our “big girl and big boy” faith pants and walk in that same faith Paul expressed. Today, let us join the Apostle Paul and say with conviction, “On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us…” (2 Corinthians 1:10b)

Love. Joy. Peace.

I’m in the third viewing of a PBS documentary entitled, “A History of Christianity.” It’s an insightful investigation into the origins of the faith, not usually found in traditional Bible study. I had thought it a good piece for today’s offering here on “Peace in HIs Presence.” But I changed my mind. Once again, I find myself drawn to the current crisis and our view of the crisis within the context of our faith. I’ll save the history lesson for another day.

We continue in an unfathomable time of adversity, uncertainty and mixed messages regarding a way out of this COVID-19 pandemic. Perhaps you’ve seen the televised ad uttered in otherworldly tones  that this is Science’s golden moment; that when all else fails, it will be Science that saves us. It references the urgent search underway for medicines, antidotes and vaccines  that will end the viral war in which we are engaged. I flinch when I hear it. As a Christian believer, I refute the implication that science in and of itself will save us. It will be God working in and through those scientific efforts that will save us. He is the  omnipotent One who will give power to the experimental efforts and research directed toward cure and prevention, or not.

Over the centuries, I think we Christians, especially in the western world,  have grown soft in our understanding of the faith. When adversity strikes and our ability to stop its onslaught is stymied or falters, we seem to lose our identity. Oswald Chambers writes, “The pain would be removed from many an agonizing trial if only I could see what Job saw during his time of severe affliction, when all earthly hope lay dashed at his feet. He saw nothing but the hand of God...” ( My Utmost for HIs Highest) And because this biblical ancestor saw God in everything, he  could utter those memorable affirmations during his darkest of days – “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” (Job 1:21) and “Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” (Job 2:10)

As we confront this siege of coronavirus, we are wise to understand that the hand of God is behind it; as it is behind everything that happens, whether good or bad. It was Job’s faith that gave him the courage to embrace the severity of his circumstances without sin or turning away from God. As difficult as it may be in this 21st century that elevates reason over the Christian concept of faith, we followers of Christ must look beyond the statistics of infections and deaths and see the hand of God behind them. This is not the time to doubt God or question what He allows. Our faith pushes “why?” aside. And like Job we accept both good and trouble. We are empowered by Jesus’ own words that in the world we will have trouble; but we are not to lose heart or fall into despair for He has overcome it.

Love. Joy. Peace.

 

I have to admit that getting started on each day’s blog is not always easy. It isn’t that I don’t have anything to say, but that I have so many things swirling around in my head that selecting one is my constant challenge. Don’t get me wrong; I realize that at my age to have this mental state is itself a blessing. I thank God daily for a sound mind and for the gift of word craft He has given me. Today is one of those days when I’ve had to wait a little longer on the Lord to point me in the direction He wants, and finally I think I have it. Between the two trains of thought with which I wrestled – the applicability of Queen Esther’s story to our present times or our potential to hurt Jesus in our present times – I’ve chosen the latter.

The concept that we can hurt God, hurt Jesus, might be a little out of the box for some. I don’t use the word in the sense that humans can actually “hurt” the Divine as  we understand the meaning of the word in contemporary culture. It was today’s reading in My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers that germinated my thinking. Chambers writes, “…it is probable that we are hurting Him (God) by the questions we ask.” His reference was to Philip’s question to Jesus in John 14:9, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” We can read Jesus’ astonishment (His hurt) in His reply. “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, “Show us the Father?” Just as Philip’s request stung Jesus in that time, so I imagine that our doubts and worries and fears do the same during this time of the COVID-19 pandemic.

I read somewhere quite a while ago that “worry is a sin.” How can that be I wondered? The Lord eventually led me to understand that if He has commanded us to do something and we choose not to obey, then we sin. Simply put, sin is disobedience toward God’s commands. Jesus states clearly in John 14:1, “Do not let your hearts be troubles. Trust in God; trust also in me.” That is a command He gave to His disciples to comfort and prepare them for His eventual crucifixion. As Jesus’ followers, we believe those words and all the other commands He gave the disciples are also for us. At His ascension, He commanded them to go into all the world and teach others what He had taught them. So we have the word directly from the our Bible that we are not to be troubled. At another time, Jesus commanded them/us, “Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27) And how can we forget, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

I am of the mind that each time we allow the “triumvirate”:  Worry, Anxiety and Fear to touch our spirit, we sin and are in effect “hurting” Jesus. The question becomes, how do we dare “hurt” the One upon whom we have placed our hope? The One who has demonstrated His love and grace and mercy countless times in our lives? The One we know is the only One who has control over everything? The One whose thoughts we never can fathom, but who knows what is best for us, irrespective of how it might look to us  at the present moment.  Yes, when we allow the crisis of the moment to reduce us to worrying, anxiety and fear, we commit sin and bring “hurt” to our Savior.  Christians who both profess and practice their faith are called to allow God’s manifestation in them. He does not resides along side either worry, anxiety or fear.

Love. Joy. Peace.

Oh, the promise a new week heralds. I know many will smirk when reading that proclamation, but I stand by it. Sundays jump start the sacred; Mondays the secular. As we don’t typically dread Sundays, neither should we dread Mondays. Rather we ought to approach this opportunity God gives us on the second day of a new week to either continue the good, or begin it with an attitude of thanksgiving for yet another chance.  As varied and individual as that may look like for any of us, still a new week is to be celebrated.

I begin this one with thanksgiving for this day in particular as it marks the 72nd birthday of the sister who follows me in birth order; the sister whose life-long battle with sickle cell disease sets her a part. Despite the statistical data that says most who have the disease can expect a life expectancy of less than 50 years, our sister continues to defy the odds for longevity. No stranger to organ failures and a myriad of other life threatening crises, she has astounded us innumerable times with miraculous recoveries; often when doctors told us to prepare for the worst.  Just two days ago, she was once again in ER with leg pains and inability to walk. And once again, she was discharged after the typical protocols required for those who struggle with the condition. And just in time to celebrate birthday # 72.  She is our miracle in the midst of pandemic. I imagine there are others like her around the world who as the virus rages give proof that God is still Jehovah Rapha, The Lord Who Heals and Jehovah Jireh, the Lord Who Provides.

As we mourn with those who have lost loved ones to the coronavirus; pray for those infected,  those on the front lines administering care while at risk themselves, and those seeking scientific answers that will provide drugs and vaccines to tilt the odds in our favor, we must remember that God is still in the healing and provision business. The shelves of His store never run out; limitless supplies  of Help and Hope are available at all times.  As evidence we have but to pause and consider the miracles that continue and the prayers that are answered to realize we have no reason to fear. “God did not create us to worry; He did not create us to fear,” the gospel artist Anthony Brown sings. Those words are an anchor during this time when a rough sea named COVID-19 threatens and tosses us into billowing waves of infection and worse.

I look at God’s grace and mercy extended these seventy-two years to this sister of mine,  and know that as He has so cared and provided for her, He will do the same for others; no matter the nature of their trials. As I said to her on this birthday,  I say to everyone: God’s love for us does not mean we will not experience the “trouble traps” life sets for us. What His love means is that during the times of those troubles, He will neither forsake nor abandon us. He will see us through until His will for our lives is accomplished. If we are here on this Monday morning, it means His will for us continues. That’s something for which to be thankful and to celebrate.

Love. Joy. Peace.