Author: Lynden McGriff

Today’s Reading: Psalms 23 

When I was a kid, I remember going to my cousin’s house and spending the night. Sometimes they would watch scary movies. When they watch scary movies and I would watch them or hear the movie, I was afraid and I could not sleep. I would run away from the fear.

Many times when we are afraid and scared, we try to run away from it as fast as possible. When there is immediate danger to you, it is necessary to evade the danger as fast as possible. But when there is a fear of something that is not going to harm us, we do not need to run as fast as possible. We can try to access the situation and process the unknown.  I remember being a kid and being afraid of something and counting as fast as I could to 10.  I thought if I could get to ten, I could get away from the fear. But as I am an adult, I have understood that when I try to rush through the fear, I am not allowed a God to work in me. 

In today’s passage, the 23rd Psalms, this is a familiar passage to many individuals who are Christian and non-Christian. Sometimes we run through the psalms as we run through the our prayers or mantras : to say it to get through it and then move on. But when we actually break it down into its parts, there is more to this psalms.  

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭23‬:‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭ESV‬‬

David gives us an example of how to walk with God in the midst of our fears. 

David walks. 

He is moving with intention, but not running.

I like to think that David wrote this psalm close to the end of his life. At this point in time, David is able to see how God works and He is intentional with His protection and His love.

Earlier in David’s life, he had to run away from things. But now it is later life, he realizes that God is there with him in all parts of his life and he does not have to rush through any parts of it: the highs or lows, the fears or joys, the stress or the rest.  With God and his relationship, David is able to be at ease and just move with assurance that he is protected and secure. 

Can this be an example for us. Can we rest assured and walk with ease in life despite the fears?

The Fears of failure or the Fear of success.  

The Fear of Loss or the Fear of Abundance.  

The Fear of Death or the Fear of Life.   

Fear is a natural emotion that we have. We cannot erase it. What we can do is overcome and conquer fear with courage and discipline. The fears that were typical are the fears of failure, the fears of loss and fears of death. The fears of success are if you become Successful you will lose other things. The fear of  Abundance can be fears of mismanagement.   The fears of Life can be that of the  uncertainty of everything. I remember becoming a parent and the joy and fear that encompasses that. The joy of something exciting and new, but then the fears of trying to protect new life from everything. 

As we see there can be many fears that encapsulate us on a daily basis. It is the rational fears of Fear of Failure, Fear of Loss, and Fear of Death and the non-logical fears of Success, Abundance, and Life that can cripple us and stop us from fulfilling the goodness that God has ready for us.  Let us walk with God in the midst of these and all fears that will hinder us from goodness.  He has so many things ready for us, if we walk with Him and trust in His process.

Be Blessed

Today’s Reading: Deuteronomy 31

The last chapters of Deuteronomy are a farewell letter from Moses to the children of Israel. They have gone through the exodus from Egypt, they have gone through the wilderness, and now they are at the break of coming into the promised land. This could be seen as a eulogy for Moses, but it actually is a word of encouragement to the people of Israel.

Whenever we lose someone close to us, we have a tendency to be saddened and then have a fear of what’s next. There is a fear of the unknown, there’s a fear of losing that person, and then a fear of failing God with the next chapter of your life. God understands that fear is a natural part of our emotional complex. God knows our innermost parts and he has these words of encouragement that come three times in this chapter of Deuteronomy.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” …..

Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land that the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall put them in possession of it. ….

And the Lord commissioned Joshua the son of Nun and said, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall bring the people of Israel into the land that I swore to give them. I will be with you.”

‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭31‬:‭6‬-‭7‬, ‭23‬ ‭ESV‬‬

In this chapter, we see that fear is the weakness in which God‘s faithfulness is able to shine. God shows us that in order for him to shine and to grow us we have to be exposed to outside stresses. The only way that a muscle is able to get strong is through applied stress in a controlled situation. This is how you become stronger.

God is not allowing us to experience these stresses alone or in isolation.  He shows this with the people of Israel and with us in our experiences, he will not allow the stresses without a controlled environment. He sets us up for success.

God wants us to try to accomplish many things. He is an amazing father. He also has a foresight and insight to set up insurances for us to succeed. Many times we think that God is not there or if he’s forgotten about us, but he has already seen the things to come and have backup methods for us.  In the passage below,  it shows how God sees what is to come and how to instruct his people on how to return to his open arms.

“And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, you are about to lie down with your fathers. Then this people will rise and whore after the foreign gods among them in the land that they are entering, and they will forsake me and break my covenant that I have made with them….

“Now therefore write this song and teach it to the people of Israel. Put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the people of Israel…

So Moses wrote this song the same day and taught it to the people of Israel.”

‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭31‬:‭16‬, ‭19‬, ‭22‬ ‭ESV‬‬

This scenario is similar to a dad with a new driver. The dad will have the insurance and the AAA card and the connections to help out the new driver in the event that they will have an incident. It’s not saying that they are being set up for failure, but they have insurance to help them in the event that they need assistance.

Throughout our life, God has the best intentions for us, but he also has insurance policies for us. Even when we think that we’ve fallen so far from God‘s design and his purpose, God still has love and a plan for us.

Let us not hide from fear.  Let us acknowledge the unknown and be confident in God’s plan for us and that he has insurance policies on us to protect us when we are aligned and in relationship with him.  May you be blessed this week and be courageous in all that you do.

Be Blessed

Today’s Reading : Psalms 122

Contrary to popular belief, peace is not the absence of chaos, but the relationship that you have for God in the midst of the chaos. 

Sanctuary can be a place or a time in our lives where we are at peace.  Sometimes we have to have a particular place or a time so that we are able to be grounded and have peace. David is using this passage to show us that we can have peace by where we are and what we are doing. 

“ I was glad when they said to me,

    “Let us go to the house of the Lord!”

Our feet have been standing

    within your gates, O Jerusalem!

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!

    “May they be secure who love you!

7 Peace be within your walls

    and security within your towers!”

8 For my brothers and companions’ sake

    I will say, “Peace be within you!”

9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,

    I will seek your good.

Psalms 1-2;6-9

David is showing two things here:  The first thing that David is showing us he is standing. When you’re standing, you are still and you are not in motion. So many times in David’s life he was moving and he was continuously searching or escaping or evading. In this particular passage, he says that “ Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem” David is still. David is at rest. David is not running or moving. He has found peace in his body, and he has found peace in his person.

David is at a particular place, Jerusalem. Jerusalem was the epicenter of the Jewish faith. It is still the epicenter of the Judeo-Christian-Islamic faith. It is the city in which David ruled and the kings of Israel ruled. 

When you step into the gates, you are free from harm and danger. You are free from attacks. You are surrounded by protection. We are at a place where we can feel at peace. This is the sanctuary that many people searched for.

As we have completed our Advent season and are celebrating our Christmas season and beginning of a new year, many people will be in the state of flux and unrest.

Many people will have ideas of what they wanted and those ideas were not fulfilled. 

Many people will have memories of past hurts or past grief and are not at peace. 

But this passage shows us that when we have a relationship with God and we are able to be rested and be in a place of protection, we can find peace. Sometimes we don’t need these things to find peace, but it gives us a reassurance of peace in the midst of this chaos.

As we journey into this next year, let us ask God for his continuous relationship with us to grow and allow us to find peace within Him. In the Christmas story, the angels come upon the shepherds and say peace beyond to you.

At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God’s praises:Glory to God in the heavenly heights, Peace to all men and women on earth who please him.  – Luke 2:13-14

In a mist of the storms, Jesus told the waves “peace be still”

39 And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. – Mark 4:39

Allow our next year to give us a fraction of these proclamations of peace.

Be blessed.

Today’s Reading: Titus 3 

“Be the most generous person that you know“.  – S. Doran 

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭22‬-‭23‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Be Ready for Every Good Work

3 Remind them to be … to be ready for every good work,… 4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, … 8 The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people….14 And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful. – Titus 3: 1;4-5;8;14

Longsuffering is the part of the fruit of the Spirit that puzzles me for quite some time.  When I was younger,  I always thought it had a negative connotation.  As I grow and mature, the word that I have seen take on the whole meaning.  In other bible versions, longsuffering is referred to as patience.  I wondered “Why would a loving Father would allow longsuffering?”  

But I’ve had a revelation this week. It’s not longsuffering that is the fruit but what does it produce?

It goes back to the relationship. Your relationship with God and the Spirit will create how you will see longsuffering.  What is a relationship that you have with God and Spirit?

There are two examples of how longsuffering can be used by God with you.   You can use the long suffering for the better or you can begrudge the suffering.  

As an example, you can use longsuffering and be miserable. For instance, if you had a divorce, a death of a loved one, or a breakdown in your entire life; you could see these as ways of God punishing you and allowing devastation to rule. You can become so absorbed in the actions and not allow the relationship that God has with you to grow and to allow you to see past that point of despair.

I have witnessed the most amazing testament that is the full example of  how long suffering produces a generous heart and abilities to do good in spite of everything.  

A close and great friend of mine experienced longsuffering that has created one of the most generous hearts that I know.  He has allowed it to produce good works for others.  This friend had one of the most amazing days of his life, juxtaposed with one of the most tragic days of his life. He had just proposed to his fiancé and they were excited about the new life that they were about to embark.  They got engaged and three days later they were celebrating their engagement with a trip. On this trip, his new fiancé had a tragic accident that almost left her completely paralyzed. She fell off his back and landed 15 feet below on the ground on her back and crushed part of her spine.  This changed the trajectory of their life.

She had to do extensive surgeries and excessive therapy to recoup. This created a piece of longsuffering for my friend. He felt despair… loneliness… heartache… and overall pain. He could allow this to consume him and be isolated and upset with the world. But he decided to see this as an opportunity to live life to the fullest and to cherish each and every moment with his family, friends, and those he cares about. He then transformed this longsuffering into becoming a generous person. He took this inner gut punch and was able to relate to others who were going through something similar.

Because of the longsuffering, he has created joy and peace and connection with so many individuals who are not able to see that silver lighting. He shared with me that “Whenever I  see somebody who is in the situation, I  actually internalize their hurt and if I can help to eliminate some of that, ‘punch in the stomach hurt’ he knows he’s done some good for that individual.”

It takes a strong person to be able to see how God can use them in other people’s lives. In Titus, we are shown to do good work and continue to do these good work all the time. When I see these good work, I attempt to be generous and be more generous than I can ever imagine. 

As my friend, S. Doran, at the beginning of the passage, states “be the most generous person that you can be.”

You are not trying to outdo anybody except for yourself.

Let’s see if we are able to get more than we can even expect ourselves to do.

Be blessed and be generous.

 

Today’s Reading: Psalms 106

One of the quotes that I  heard this past Thanksgiving was “ We give thanks for the things that we remember”.

Memories are not just for us, but for our past selves , our present selves, and our future selves. 

When we share the things of our past through stories and anecdotes we create a picture of the past. For me, some of the most profound memories that I have are from stories that were given to me by my family and ancestors.  I never met either one of my grandfathers, but I saw their lives through the stories.  The stories and the legacy that we give from our memories will shape our future memories in others. 

In this passage, Psalms 106,  we are called to give thanks for the memories of the past and then continue to share these memories to help the future.  God is asking us to REMEMBER all the things that he has done and cherish them. 

“Remember me, O Lord, when you show favor to your people; help me when you save them, that I may look upon the prosperity of your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation, that I may glory with your inheritance. 

Both we and our fathers have sinned; we have committed iniquity; we have done wickedness. 

Our fathers, when they were in Egypt, did not consider your wondrous works; 

they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love, but rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea. 

But they soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel. 

They forgot God, their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt, 

Many times he delivered them, but they were rebellious in their purposes and were brought low through their iniquity. 

Nevertheless, he looked upon their distress, when he heard their cry. 

For their sake he remembered his covenant, and relented according to the abundance of his steadfast love.”

‭‭

Psalm‬ ‭106‬:‭4‬-‭7‬, ‭13‬, ‭21‬, ‭43‬-‭45‬ ‭ESV‬‬

God is merciful and generous.  His time span is infinite to ours.  A millennium to us is a blink in time for Him. God allows us to remember Him through His Spirit and through his relationship with us. 

We remember him through our stories that have been given to us over the generations. 

We remember the love that He gives us.

 We remember through the miracles that have been performed. 

We remember because of His goodness to us.

 Let’s pray that we will not forget his goodness to us. Let us not forget to share his love with others.

 

Be Blessed

 

Today’s reading: Psalms 99

Each one of us has a purpose. Each one of us has been set aside for a particular work that God has for us. Many of us do not understand what the purpose God has for us in this life. Sometimes others have to see your purpose and give you insight and direction on how to live out God‘s purpose in you.

 

One of the best examples that I can think of for being set aside for a purpose is a birthday cake.

Many of us have experienced a birthday cake or have had a birthday cake for our celebrations. These cakes are special, but they are simple in their creation.  Many times the cakes are chosen by the flavor and then the icing. The one thing that makes them a birthday cake is the decoration. Once the decoration has been done, then it becomes special. It has become set apart from the other cakes.

One of the most special things about a birthday cake is not the decorations or the flavor, but it is how you use the cake. This is a celebration item that is shared with others. When we have a birthday cake, it is not for one person, but it is to be celebrated with others.  The more that you can celebrate and share,  the more enriched and fulfilling the lives of others will be.

Many times we believe that when we are set aside or set apart that we need to be isolated. We try to keep that “special-ness”within us. God’s true purpose in giving this gift to us is to share His gifts with others. When we share these gifts with others, then everybody begins to see His presence. Everyone begins to see His love. Everyone begins to see the awesomeness of Him.

 

In this week’s passage, we are seeing God is holy.

“Let them praise your great and awesome name!

Holy is he! ….

Exalt the Lord our God; worship at his footstool!

Holy is he!….

Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his holy mountain;

for the Lord our God is holy!”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭99‬:‭3‬, ‭5‬, ‭9‬ ‭ESV‬‬

 

David is showing that God is Holy. He says it three times in this psalm.  When something is repeated three times in the Bible it has a big meaning.  David is setting God apart from everything that he knows.  He is creating the cadence of holiness. Kadosh is the Hebrew word for Holy, which translates into being set apart. 

This set apart for Holiness is echoed in Isaiah with the same cadence as well.

And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!””

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭6‬:‭3‬ ‭ESV‬‬

 

God is Holy.  The earth and the people and the angels proclaim his Holiness.  This is evident in these and other scriptures. 

It is also true that God’s love and grace has created in us a reflection of his holiness.  God’s holiness is supreme, but he has called us to be holy or set apart as well. 

This responsibility on us is not to become isolated and arrogant in our relationship, but it pulls us to share it with others. 

God’s holiness has created something special in us and we have to continue to share it with others because that is the best part like the cake.

Be blessed

 

Today’s Reading : Psalms 95

Throughout our daily conversations, we use familiar phrases and words to relate our emotions and our situations. These phrases are part of our common speech.  These are commonplace when you’re speaking to people who have similar backgrounds. As an example, this past Halloween evening, while giving out candy I met my friend and their child.  When I saw them I stated  “you made out like a bandit“. The dad laughed and the child looked at me with confusion.  The dad and I are from the same generation. I was congratulating the child on a very productive trick-or-treating and  then I had to explain it that he got a lot of candy and it was a good thing.

Sometimes the words and phrases that we use can have a hidden meaning or a hidden message. It’s about the audience and the speaker. The speaker has to know the audience and has to direct the information and the language to them. When the message is not clear a disconnect happens and then there is a loss in translation or a point of confusion due to the hidden messages.

In today’s passage,  we see the author’s gratefulness and  appreciation for the deliverance and the joy that God has given the people. But as you read through the psalms, there are hidden messages that we might not see, but are  familiar to the people of Israel. That’s where we have to dive deeper and to see the true meaning of the scripture and the verses.

“Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭95‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness, when your fathers put me to the test and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work. For forty years I loathed that generation and said, “They are a people who go astray in their heart, and they have not known my ways.” Therefore I swore in my wrath, “They shall not enter my rest.””

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭95‬:‭8‬-‭11‬ ‭ESV‬‬

In these sections we can see the gratitude and the happiness that we have for God and for the salvation that is given to us.  

In the latter sections, we have the hidden messages. 

Meribah is the place where the newly freed people of Israel became mad at God and began to quarrel (the direct translation of Meribah) about God’s provision and promises. 

This is where they began to test, Massah, God’s ability to fulfill the promise.  They allowed their own understanding to override God’s promises.  They hardened their hearts and attempted to do things on their own.  This testing didn’t happen just once but continuously throughout their 40 year journey. Even Moses was susceptible to doing things his way, and this prevented him from going into the promised land.

God has many things ready for us and has many things promised to us. We all have questioned God’s provisions and God’s ability to fulfill his promises. When God has promised these things to us and we have a relationship with Him, we have to be able to wait until his promises are fulfilled.  

Let us pray that God allows us to see the hidden messages that He has in store for us. Let us allow the Holy Spirit to give us comfort in the times when we feel unsettled and anxious about the promises that He has in store for us. May we pray that God continues to give us refreshment and give us peace in the times of our anxiety and our struggles.

Be blessed

Today’s Reading: Psalm 88

From the beginning of time, darkness has always held a mystery. But that mystery was revealed and solved by God’s light.

“The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness.”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭1‬:‭2‬-‭4‬ ‭ESV‬‬

We have been conditioned to be afraid of the dark. There are many things that happen in the dark when you’re not able to see your surroundings. The uncertainty of your environment creates a sense of unnerving and suspense. These thoughts have been used over the millennium to create distractions and anxiety . In today’s psalm, there’s nothing but fear and isolation and a cry out to God.

“For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to Sheol. I am counted among those who go down to the pit; I am a man who has no strength, like one set loose among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, like those whom you remember no more, for they are cut off from your hand. You have put me in the depths of the pit, in the regions dark and deep. Your wrath lies heavy upon me, and you overwhelm me with all your waves. Selah You have caused my beloved and my friend to shun me; my companions have become darkness.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭88‬:‭3‬-‭7‬, ‭18‬ ‭ESV‬‬

But if we look at darkness through a different lens, darkness has some positive aspects.

In darkness … there is shelter.

In darkness … there is peace.

In darkness … there is rest. 

When you have a relationship with God, the darkness is not as scary as it could be. But the darkness does give you a chance to reset and reflect upon your situation or your circumstance.

Darkness can be a place of shelter.  Many times when David was fleeing his enemies, he would go into a cave and he will get shelter. He was in darkness, but he was safe. 

“And he came to the sheepfolds by the way, where there was a cave, and Saul went in to relieve himself. Now David and his men were sitting in the innermost parts of the cave. And the men of David said to him, “Here is the day of which the Lord said to you, ‘Behold, I will give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it shall seem good to you.’” Then David arose and stealthily cut off a corner of Saul’s robe.”

‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭24‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭ESV‬‬

In this story, David is in the cave and Saul is right in front of him. David is so close to him that he was able to get a piece of his garment. David was safe in the darkness. David has shelter in the darkness.  Darkness can give us peace from the chaos and hustle of the day. In darkness, we are able to disconnect and be in unison with God. 

Darkness can give us peace.  Jesus advises us to go into our closet and pray to God. This is where you are isolated in the darkness and you are able to communicate and focus on God. In the darkness, you are able to receive peace.

“But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭6‬ ‭KJV‬‬

In darkness, you can get rest. At the end of the day when you are tired or frustrated and you find a dark place to rest. Your body becomes rejuvenated and your spirit becomes refreshed.

“He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭23‬:‭2‬, ‭4‬ ‭KJV‬‬

In many aspects of our life, we can see the situation through many perspectives. But when we allow God to open our vision in our perspective, we can see things differently. Things that we used to fear and become distraught, now we can see God‘s work in them and allow his work to be with us. 

May you be able to best restful, at peace, and comforted and safe in the darkness and allow God’s presence be your strength and comfort. 

Be blessed 

Today’s Reading:  I Thessalonians 2 

When reading Paul’s letters, I love to reference the first visit or introduction to the  now established church. When you understand the first introduction of the church, you can understand better, Paul’s  writings and teachings to the church later on . We are first introduced to Thessalonica in Acts, Chapter 17.

“They took the road south through Amphipolis and Apollonia to Thessalonica, where there was a community of Jews. Paul went to their meeting place, as he usually did when he came to a town, and for three Sabbaths running he preached to them from the Scriptures. He opened up the texts so they understood what they’d been reading all their lives: that the Messiah absolutely had to be put to death and raised from the dead—there were no other options—and that “this Jesus I’m introducing you to is that Messiah.” Some of them were won over and joined ranks with Paul and Silas, among them a great many God-fearing Greeks and a considerable number of women from the aristocracy. But the hard-line Jews became furious over the conversions. Mad with jealousy, they rounded up a bunch of brawlers off the streets and soon had an ugly mob terrorizing the city as they hunted down Paul and Silas. They broke into Jason’s house, thinking that Paul and Silas were there. When they couldn’t find them, they collared Jason and his friends instead and dragged them before the city fathers, yelling hysterically, “These people are out to destroy the world, and now they’ve shown up on our doorstep, attacking everything we hold dear! And Jason is hiding them, these traitors and turncoats who say Jesus is king and Caesar is nothing!” That night, under cover of darkness, their friends got Paul and Silas out of town as fast as they could. They sent them to Berea, where they again met with the Jewish community. They were treated a lot better there than in Thessalonica. The Jews received Paul’s message with enthusiasm and met with him daily, examining the Scriptures to see if they supported what he said. A lot of them became believers, including many Greeks who were prominent in the community, women and men of influence.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭17‬:‭1‬-‭5‬, ‭10‬-‭12‬ ‭MSG‬‬

Some of the citizens of Thessalonica were frustrated and upset at Paul and his friends for their proclamation of the gospel. The individuals were so upset that they created a mob and were willing to kill Paul and Silas for their teachings. 

In today’s reading, we are in the first book to the Thessalonians in chapter 2.  Throughout this chapter, Paul is not remembering the harshness and the hurt and the trauma from their experience. In this passage, Paul remembers their friendship. He uses the word friend several times in this small passage. 

“So, friends, it’s obvious that our visit to you was no waste of time. We had just been given rough treatment in Philippi, as you know, but that didn’t slow us down. We were sure of ourselves in God, and went right ahead and said our piece, presenting God’s Message to you, defiant of the opposition. 

You remember us in those days, friends, working our fingers to the bone, up half the night, moonlighting so you wouldn’t have the burden of supporting us while we proclaimed God’s Message to you. You saw with your own eyes how discreet and courteous we were among you, with keen sensitivity to you as fellow believers. And God knows we weren’t freeloaders! You experienced it all firsthand. With each of you we were like a father with his child, holding your hand, whispering encouragement, showing you step-by-step how to live well before God, who called us into his own kingdom, into this delightful life. 

Friends, do you realize that you followed in the exact footsteps of the churches of God in Judea, those who were the first to follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ? You got the same bad treatment from your countrymen as they did from theirs, the Jews who killed the Master Jesus (to say nothing of the prophets) and followed it up by running us out of town. They make themselves offensive to God and everyone else by trying to keep us from telling people who’ve never heard of our God how to be saved. They’ve made a career of opposing God, and have gotten mighty good at it. But God is fed up, ready to put an end to it. * * *”

‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬-‭2‬, ‭9‬-‭12‬, ‭14‬-‭16‬ ‭MSG‬‬

This friendship was made in the churches in Thessalonica and the response that they received. Paul’s maturity to see the good and encourage people in spite of his trauma is witnessed in this letter. Paul has found how to allow God to use him through these difficult circumstances that he’s going through to be an encouragement to others.

This past week at my job, I learned a new set of skills. One of the set of skills was to be able to comfort people in their trauma and in their places of hurt. So many people are going through so much trauma which can be hidden or it could be obvious, but they are attempting to manage this trauma. They will reach out to you and one thing that you have to do is just to listen. 

As we listen to our people and comfort them in their trauma, sometimes we get over burdened by all of their trauma. We have to find a place to Refresh ourselves. Jesus has given us the ability to connect with him to refresh ourselves from comforting others who are going through trauma.

Throughout trauma, we hurt. 

Throughout trauma, we cry. 

Throughout trauma, we may become paralyzed.

 But through Christ, he has given us the ability to comfort and encourage others from our past traumas and our current traumas and our future traumas. We have to begin to allow Christ to take these traumas from us and the ones we have absorbed and then allow Christ to heal us as well. 

As we walk through our journeys, may God allow us to allow Christ to comfort us and allow the Holy Spirit to be present to comfort others as we comfort them.

 

Be Blessed

Today’s Reading: Colossians 3

In this letter from Paul to the Colossians, Paul is writing to a church that is going through a transition. The church has been established by one of Paul’s friend and disciple.  In this established church,  there is division.  As is the case with the church and family there is going to be some high and low points.    There will be celebrations and confrontations.   There will be unity and division, but with communication and understanding all of the differences can be seen and acknowledged. 

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”

‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭ESV‬‬

The strain in the church of the Colossians is due to two leaders coming from different backgrounds and attempting to share the gospel of Christ with the church.  Both have the common goal, but different ways of communicating.  One of the leaders comes from the traditional Jewish background and wants to make sure that the new Christians adapt all of the previous Jewish customs, including circumcision. The other leader comes from the polytheism of multiple guides and trying to establish the one God from the poly gods. The end goal for both of them is to show them Christ love. 

In the letter, Paul is showing how they are not only two families coming together, but are currently one family in Christ. Paul extends this family metaphor to take account the Roman family structure. In the traditional Roman family there were very stringent and complex laws and roles.  Paul is laying the foundation of a gentle and loving family structure which is the reflection of Christ. 

“Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 

Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all. 

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.”

‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭5‬, ‭7‬-‭8‬, ‭11‬-‭14‬ ‭ESV‬‬

In this passage, Paul is also showing us how to step outside of our wants and be more in-tuned to our contentment. The more that we want things that creates division between us and others. 

sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

But when we find contentment, we are able to celebrate others successes and others joys.ss, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other.

Paul is showing us that the easy route is to have division among us. 

 This is what the world wants and this is what the enemy uses to divide us. The enemy chooses to create chaos where there is peace. The enemy chooses division where there is unity. The enemy chooses apathy or love.

 But God has given us the ability to have references such as this gospel to lead on and into study daily to form unity through this division. This is not an easy step, but it is a necessary step for us to grow and to heal each other.