The Hope of God (NRSV) Jer 29:1 These are the words of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the remaining elders among the exiles, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. 2 This was after King Jeconiah, and the queen mother, the court officials, the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the artisans, and the smiths had departed from Jerusalem. 3 The letter was sent by the hand of Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom King Zedekiah of Judah sent to Babylon to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. It said: 4 Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6 Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. 7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. 8 For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let the prophets and the diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream, 9 for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, says the LORD. 10 For thus says the LORD: Only when Babylon’s seventy years are completed will I visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. 11 For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. Jer.29:11 is certainly a favorite verse of multitudes of people. But I wonder how many are aware of the origins of this promise. Jeremiah was known as the weeping prophet. It must have been difficult to be in the company of one who was so very sad, but Jeremiah’s heart broke over the plight of his people. You see, Jeremiah did not just warn of some future destruction, he lived in its very midst. When Jeremiah told the Babylonian captives to raise their families in the land of their captivity, he was not telling them to become assimilated into Babylonian culture. Rather, he was preparing them for a lengthy exile. But just as God offered hope to those in captivity to the Babylonians, He has a promise of hope for us today. God knows our yesterdays, our todays, and our tomorrows. May we cling to the hope that is found in Him. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

♦ February 25, 2025 ♦ Leave a comment

Majesty

♦ February 21, 2025 ♦ Leave a comment

Another day, another sunrise, reminding

us of God’s beauty, unbounded

and untamed,

for who can really capture the colors

of the sky, the subtle spectrum

as dark

gives way to light and the mere suggestion

of another day becomes reality.

Morning Mercies

(ASV) Psalm 113:1 Praise ye Jehovah.

Praise, O ye servants of Jehovah,

Praise the name of Jehovah.

2 Blessed be the name of Jehovah

From this time forth and for evermore.

3 From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same

Jehovah’s name is to be praised.

(ASV) Lamentations 3:22 It is of Jehovah’s lovingkindnesses that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

23 They are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness.

24 Jehovah is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.

We resume today our theme of continual praise. There is much unrest in the world, deep division caused by political ideologies. Extreme weather has left parts of our country unrecognizable, and hope seems to be fading that these united states will ever be united again.

Yet, with the dawn of each new day comes the promise that God has not given up on us yet. As Christ followers we have the unique opportunity to infuse our day with faith, because we know, believe and understand that God is our present help in times of need.

May we take advantage of each new day, choosing hope over despair and gratitude over grumbling.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Your Steadfast Love

♦ February 20, 2025 ♦ Leave a comment

(ESV) Ps 62:11 Once God has spoken;
twice have I heard this:
that power belongs to God,
12 and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love.
For you will render to a man
according to his work.
My Soul Thirsts for You
A PSALM OF DAVID, WHEN HE WAS IN THE WILDERNESS OF JUDAH.
Ps 63:1 O God, you are my God; earnestly 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.
2 So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,
beholding your power and glory.
3 Because your steadfast love is better than life,
my lips will praise you.
4 So I will bless you as long as I live;
in your name I will lift up my hands.

Oh, how I love the Psalms! David has a connection with, and an understanding of, a Holy God that supersedes any other relationship in the Bible. Whether David is in trouble, or he is in a time of rest, David’s posture before God remains the same—his lips will continually offer praise.

When we have God in our corner, such praise should be automatic. But, so often praise is the last thing we do. For people who have been transformed, we should alter our thinking, which will necessarily change our speech.

May we make a concerted effort to direct our thinking toward thanksgiving, followed by abundant and continual praise.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

 

♦ February 17, 2025 ♦ Leave a comment

Our Daily Bread

 

(ESV) Matt 6:34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

 

(ESV) Matt 6:11 Give us this day our daily bread,

 

Lately, I have been impressed by the need to communicate with God daily. The Lord’s Prayer shows us to ask for sustenance daily. When the Israelites wandered in the desert they learned if they tried to store the manna God provided, even overnight, it would ruin.  They didn’t really trust God. They thought they could do it better.

 

It is not that this is the first time I have understood that God wants us to have a consistent relationship with Him. Nor am I one of those people who says, “Thank you, Jesus,” at the end of every sentence. I  have spent time with God daily for a good part of my life. I begin early in the morning, and it us not unusual for me to pause during the day just to check in.

 

So why would God remind me of something I am already practicing? Could it be that on this faith journey it is so easy to lose sight of what is important that God wants to remind us? If we remove our eyes from the One who calmed the wind and the waves, even for a moment, then we can lose our way.

 

May we place our faith, and our trust, every day on the very bread of life.

 

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

 

 

The Solid Rock

♦ February 15, 2025 ♦ Leave a comment

 

(ESV) Ps 40:1 I waited patiently for the LORD;

he inclined to me and heard my cry.

2 He drew me up from the pit of destruction,

out of the miry bog,

and set my feet upon a rock,

making my steps secure.

3 He put a new song in my mouth,

a song of praise to our God.

Many will see and fear,

and put their trust in the LORD.

 

When I read this scripture I am  immediately reminded of the hymn “He Brought me Out” written by Henry Zelley in 1898.

 

My heart was distressed ’neath Jehovah’s dread frown,
And low in the pit where my sins dragged me down;
I cried to the Lord from the deep miry clay,
Who tenderly brought me out to golden day.

Refrain:
He brought me out of the (deep) miry clay,
He set my feet on the (solid) Rock to stay;
He puts a song in my (happy) soul today,
A song of praise, hallelujah!

 

I love the old hymns of the church that are so grounded in scripture. I often sat in church between my aunts, one who sang soprano and the other alto. I sang these songs with gusto, but admittedly as a four year old  I did not grasp the full meaning of the lyrics.

 

This song echoes the theme from Psalm 40 where David is rejoicing after receiving deliverance from God. When we are in trouble we do feel as though we are mired in a bog.

A few years ago I was playing golf and hit an errant shot. I went to retrieve the ball which had landed in a muddy area that was out of bounds. I took a step and without warning my leg sunk into 3 feet of muck. I was stuck. Finally my husband wondered where I was and found me. With much effort, he freed me.

 

We all know that God accepts us where He finds us. But praise God He does not leave us in that condition. When Larry freed me from that bog, I was still covered in mud. We had to use both golf towels and bottled water to restore me to a semblance of cleanliness. But when God pulls us out of our sin, we are made spotless. And, we are given a new song! A song of praise, hallelujah!

 

May we be so in tune with God that we avoid the muddy bogs and walk hand in hand with our Savior on solid ground.  

 

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.