Joy – BibleJournal.net

The Great Eight

Today’s reading is Romans 8 which is often referred to as “The Great Eight.” This chapter is so full of rich content which we can apply to our lives daily that I think one could preach or write on it for a year if they wanted. With that in mind, we will just focus on a few verses.

Romans 8:31 reads…

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”

There may not be a more profound verse in the Bible which can change the way we live our lives and handle fears, worries, anxieties, and doubts about the future. We spend much of our lives stressed wondering about the future and what it holds. Will the medical test I just had (or my family member) come back positive? Will I get in the school I want or which one should I choose? Will I have enough money to pay for college? Will I have enough money to pay my bills and buy groceries? Will I have enough money to retire when I want and live the way I want? Is my job safe or could I lose it? Have I prepared my child for their future as an adult? Will they choose the best spouse for them? I could go on and on…

These worries, fears, and doubts we have about the future are natural and normal. Some of the things we spend time stressing over are very serious which could cause us or our family a lot of challenges and pain in the short or long-term… and other are “first world” problems we’ve often created for ourselves as my brother likes to say and keep in perspective. Either way, if we can trust that God is always, and I mean always, for us and in our corner…it changes everything. How do we know this? Romans 8:32 says because He gave us His own Son’s life on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins!

Most of us have probably heard the saying, “Father knows best.” As an earthly father myself, I can say there is no way I can be certain about that 100% of the time. But, we can be certain this is true with our Heavenly Father all the time. And not only does He know the best for us and our future, but He holds controls it!

If we believe this and know this, along with Romans 8:28 which says He’s working all things out for the good for those who love Him, it can and should change the way we live our lives. We still don’t have to like pain, problems, or challenges that will happen on this side of eternity, but knowing and trusting in these truths of His love and His best plan for our lives in Roman 8 should change the way we live to do so with a joy and peace that inspires others to trust and follow Him as well.

Living with Purpose

Today’s reading is Exodus 25-27, Psalm 90, and Philippians 1.

In our reading from Exodus we learn about God’s detailed instructions to Moses for the creation and construction of the Ark of the Covenant to hold the Ten Commandments, the Tabernacle, and related structures. We also read Psalm 90 which many to believe to be the oldest Psalm and the one given credit for being authored by Moses with 73 Psalms being credited to David, 12 to a musical director Asaph, and 12 to the sons of Korah with another approximately 50 being anonymous. To me this Psalm from Moses reads much like it could have come from Ecclesiastes where Solomon speaks about the vanity of life and the only true purpose and meaning is in God.

Yes, the Tabernacle is built, but Moses wants the people to know in Psalm 90:1, and he also states the same in his final words and blessings before his death to the tribe of Asher is Deuteronomy 33:27, that Lord is their true “dwelling place.” He has been with them all along. This is further established and is finalized with Christ’s crucifixion and Resurrection that we know that God now dwells with us and in our hearts. This is illustrated by the Temple curtain being torn when Jesus died (Matthew 27:51, Mark 15:38, Luke 23:45), signifying that there is no longer separation between God and man.

With this established that God is with us and even in us, the rest of Psalm 90 and Paul’s writing in Philippians 1 instruct us to make the most of our days and live for Him. A few years ago I developed my own personal purpose (or mission) statement which is “To impact others by helping them live life to the fullest.” The foundation of this comes from John 10:10. This challenges me to make the most of each day despite my circumstances and that life is not about me, but is instead about impacting others and glorifying Him through my words and actions which is not as easy as it sounds. I could not help but see a similar theme in Psalm 90 and Philippians 1.

Here are some of the verses that speak to this…

¹²So teach us to number our days
    that we may get a heart of wisdom.
¹³Return, O Lord! How long?
    Have pity on your servants!
¹⁴Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
    that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
¹⁵Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
    and for as many years as we have seen evil.
¹⁶Let your work be shown to your servants,
    and your glorious power to their children.
¹⁷Let the favor^[a] of the Lord our God be upon us,
    and establish the work of our hands upon us;
    yes, establish the work of our hands!

Psalm 90:12-17

⁹And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, ¹⁰so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, ¹¹filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Philippians 1:9-11

²⁰as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. ²¹For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. ²²If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell.

Philippians 1:20-22

He should and will be glorified through whatever our circumstances may be. Not only are we to accept this, but we are to embrace and want Him to be glorified through whatever hardships we are going through. This is not easy, and we must remind ourselves each day that life is not about us and our individual wants and desires…it’s about the impact we can have on others for His glory. And through those hardships and challenges let us trust in Him and remember what Paul tells us in Philippians 1:6

⁶And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

Philippians 1:6

Just like the Tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant, and I would say very much more so, He created us with thought and purpose for this reason.

¹⁰For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 2:10

Anger

Today’s readings are Genesis 24-25, Psalm 4, and Mark 9.

Is it a sin to be angry?

We know Jesus was angry and turned of the tables of the money changers and those selling pigeons in the temple in Matthew 21:12-13, yet we know Jesus was also without sin (1 Peter 2:22, 2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 John 3:5). When we are angry, we can be quick to sin with foul language in our disgust. We also live in a world today where we think we need to take action right away. Many first take to social media. The amount of anger and negative energy on social media is astounding. Or we go to gossiping and talking about others behind their back. Even worse yet is resorting to some sort of physical violence due to our anger.

In contrast, Psalm 4 gives us direction on how we are to handle our anger…

Be angry, and do not sin;

ponder in your own hearts on

your bed, and be silent.

Psalm 4:4

This is clear that we are to control our emotions and refrain from taking sinful action. Psalm 4:5 then directs to…

Offer right sacrifices

and put your trust in the Lord.

Wait..what? Trusting in the Lord to make right what we think is wrong is tough enough, but we’re supposed bring Him sacrifices? Instead of taking action with sin…God wants us to take action by not just saying we trust Him, but through showing that trust by giving to Him.

What happens when we do so? Psalm 4:7 tells us He will put more joy in our heart than others have when their grain and wine are plentiful. Peace and joy are not found in righting wrongs with actions from our anger. Peace and joy are found when our confidence and faith is placed in the Lord.

In peace I will both lie down

and sleep;

for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.

Psalm 4:8

Control

Today’s readings are Job 37-39, Psalm 103, and Revelation 21.

Control.

Control is something we all want all the time..especially around Christmas. We want everything to be perfect… the travel, the outfit, the meal, the service, the gift, the time with family. The list could go on and on. We also want control of other areas of our lives…our careers, our relationships, our health, the actions of others, finances.

The saying goes..”control is an illusion.” If we think of some of the greatest leaders the world is ever known, it is very apparent even they were not fully in control. They were not in control before and after their lifetime and not even during their lifetime. God reminds us in Job 38 and 39 that He is fully in control of everything..including creation and nature. He laid the foundations of the earth (Job 38:4-7). He controls day and night (Job 38:12) and the rains (Job 38:34) just to name a few. He reminds us that we need to humble ourselves and be without conceit because even the most powerful human being’s control is extremely minute.

Psalm 103:19 reads…

The Lord has established his

throne in the heavens,

and His kingdom rules over all.

Did you catch that? He “rules over all” which means Earth. He is in control. Let us trust Him with all that is going on and with our lives and those we love.

Most importantly, He does not deal with us according to our sins. Psalm 103:8-12 tells us some characteristics about Him.

He is…..

merciful
gracious
slow to anger
abounding in steadfast love

He also…

does not deal with us according to our iniquities (sins)
does not repay us for our sins (see Romans 8:1 as well)
has steadfast love towards those who fear Him
removes our sins as far as the east is from the west

Reading these just makes me simply say, “WOW!” If we truly believe these things to be true, and we remind ourselves of these on a regular basis, this should bring us peace and joy.

How do we know these things to be true?

We will celebrate in just a few more days the birth of His Son just over 2,000 years ago who was God in the flesh. Jesus’ actions while here on Earth showed us firsthand that this is who God is….taking it so far as humble himself and die on the cross for you and for me where He left no question that He forgives our sins as Psalm 103:12 states. He then conquered death through His Resurrection so that we will someday do the same.

Let us consider reading Psalm 103 and Revelation 21:4 on a regular basis in 2024 as a source of comfort, peace, strength, and hope.

⁴He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Revelation 21:4

Have a blessed Christmas and 2024.

Fulfillment

Today’s readings are Isaiah 17-19, 1 Corinthians 1, and Psalm 62.

What makes you happy and puts a smile on your face? What excites you, and what do you look forward to? What gives you a rush of adrenaline? What are you striving for? Most of us can probably name a few things after these questions. Many of us would say our spouse and kids make us happy. We might say we strive for career success long term and short-term things like closing a deal or completion and implementation of a big project you’ve been working on bring us satisfaction. For me, I would also say Illini sports, the Chicago Cubs, and the Chicago Bears make me happy…when they are winning at least (which is not often enough)! Some might even say their home and vehicles.

Psalm 62 helps us take a step back and gives some perspective on what’s truly important in life.

62 For God alone my soul waits in silence;
from him comes my salvation.
²He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.

A few verses later…

⁵For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence,
    for my hope is from him.
⁶He only is my rock and my salvation,
    my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
⁷On God rests my salvation and my glory;
    my mighty rock, my refuge is God.

These verses make it very clear that He alone should be our foundation and source of joy. This past Sunday at Eastview Christian Church we had a guest pastor named Mark Moore from Christ’s Church of the Valley in Arizona. He preached on John 10. Pastor Moore said, “Success does not bring fulfillment.” In the book of the Ecclesiastes, Solomon, the son of David who wrote this Psalm speaks much about how chasing worldly success and riches is vanity and like chasing wind. Maybe the foundation of that belief was laid out by his father because David says here in Psalm 62.

⁹Those of low estate are but a breath;
    those of high estate are a delusion;
in the balances they go up;
    they are together lighter than a breath.
¹⁰Put no trust in extortion;
    set no vain hopes on robbery;
    if riches increase, set not your heart on them.

God gives us many great things on Earth. But it’s important we view those things as ways to shine and reflect His light, but that we do not look to them to be the light. God gives us wonderful things so they can bring Him glory…not us or that object. Pastor Moore said, “You don’t have to give up your occupation, but you can give over your occupation to Him.” We can glorify him through what we do.

Pastor Moore also told the story of a recent non-believer who decided to follow Jesus. This gentleman said, “If someone gives up their life for me, I’m going to give over my life to them.” Jesus died for you and for me while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8). Now that we know this the question becomes…what will we do about it? Will we look for the reflections or the actual light source to bring us fulfillment? Will we look to glorify Him who can bring us a joy that is eternal or the things that are here today but could be gone tomorrow?

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

Hebrews 13:8

A Father’s Letter

Today’s Reading : Isaiah 43:1-28

The beginning of school and the fall season always bring back fond memories of times before. During these first weeks of fall for the greater part of a decade, Jillian and I, would be learning new music for our annual Christmas program. The pieces of music that always brought joy and excitement for me were the pieces from Handel’s Messiah, especially “For Unto Us a Child is Born”. This piece comes from Isaiah 9:6:

For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given;

and the government shall be upon[a] his shoulder,

and his name shall be called[b]

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

This passage from Isaiah, still gives me a light, joyous, and airy feeling. Then as I read today’s passage, Isaiah is giving the people of Israel a firsthand account of God‘s love for them. Isaiah is telling the actual words of God to the people… “Thus says the lord”… Upon reading these latter chapters you can actually hear a letter from God … a letter from your dad. In this letter it is filled with sadness and hurt from the father’s point of view. I imagine this would be similar to the letter of the Father of the Prodigal son. Can you imagine receiving a letter from your father that is detailing every thing that has happened in your relationship? In this letter he is showing his true heart.

The Letter

Dear Child(ren), I love you more than anything in the universe. I loved you before I even thought of having you. I thought of you before your inception and conception. I loved you before you were even formed. Oh, how I loved just the thought of you. I remember the day that you were born. I remember the smell of your head. I remember the freshness of your being. I can still remember how you smelled … that fresh newborn smell. How I delight in your birth. I do like and love you in all your stages: in your childhood; in your teenage years; your adulthood; and your old age.

Oh, how I continuously love you. Yes, you have grown in many ways, but I still love you. There have been times that you and I have not seen eye to eye. You have grown up. You have grown into a person that has made their own choices. You have lived life.

I remember when you were a child and I held you and I cuddled you. I remember when you started to crawl and you started to walk. I was always there just moments away. I remember when you were a teenager and you rebelled. I was always there. Even though you may not acknowledge it or understand it, I was always there. When you became a young adult and started your life, you moved away. But I was always there. No matter what would happen to you I would just be a phone call away. I never left you.

Now as you are growing up, you want to space. I understand it, but I’m always here. Don’t forget, I’m going to send you some support for you. No matter how much you have moved away or attempted to hurt me, I love you. And this love will never fade.

So in Isaiah, God is writing us this letter. He is pouring out his heart to us. He is showing us that he loves us no matter what. And that’s not a question of if he loves us, but he does. And there’s not a question of how far he goes.

Isaiah 43: 1-3

Fear not, for I have redeemed you;

    I have called you by name, you are mine.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;

    and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;

when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,

    and the flame shall not consume you.

For I am the Lord your God,

    the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

He has not forgotten you. No matter how hard it may seem, He states that he WILL be with you in the flood and the fire and forever.

Be Blessed

Team Jesus: No Tryout Needed

Today’s reading is Philippians 3:1-21.

Over the last few years as our kids are getting older, I’ve found that July and August are 2 of my favorite months of the year because we have a break between Summer and Fall activities giving us a lot more family nights at home, as well as weekends. It is also one of my least favorite times of the year because it is when we do tryouts for the baseball and basketball teams I help coach. Trying to be fair to both those kids who played for you last season and to those who only get a few hours to show their skills to determine who should fill an open spot or possibly replace an existing player is really tough to say the least. Many kids and families are going to be disappointed. While facing challenges and disappointments are a part of life that all must learn to deal with at some point it just never feels good when you are partly responsible as a coach helping to make these decisions. It is impossible to make everyone happy. There is so much good that comes out of these teams with new kids and family relationships built, the spiritual development of the kids in our faith-based organization I am a part of, and the improvement on the court and field. It is so fun to try to help them, make an impact, and see their growth and development. However, we also see a lot of the politics and ugly side come out during tryout time. Parents want to get their child on the best team they feel will win, get their child playing time, and even play a certain position. Is that wrong? Can you blame them with the time and money they are investing in these teams for their child? I know my wife and I want the best fit for our children. Coaches also try to recruit players off of other teams and don’t always handle the situations of how to part ways with a past player for a new player the most gracefully. It’s complicated. It’s tough. No judgement here. We are all human which means we make mistakes and don’t always handle things the best way.

You don’t have to look too far today to see anxiety, depression, and substance abuse are a huge problem today. We are both more connected to everyone on social media and yet more isolated because of it. We see everyone’s highlight-reel 24-7. I don’t know how many championships and MVPs I see posted on Sunday each week and dream vacations and kids’ and professional awards in between (I post them, too). This creates “fear of missing out” or commonly referred to as FOMO. Competition is good in pushing us to get the most out of our God-given talents, but we live in a society where comparison consumes our society. I really like the quote, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” Comparison is robbing us of the joy to appreciate the simple moments in life with our own family and our own kids and appreciating their specific God-given talents and abilities.

I love sports and believe they can be used to glorify God. However, what is more important….what our child’s batting average is and how many trophies they win or if they develop into a person who loves Jesus, loves their family, and uses to the maximum whatever gifts God has given them in life now and as an adult (which are likely outside of sports)? We also must realize that what we see on social media is not all that is going on in someone’s life. No one’s life is perfect. They have challenges going on they are not sharing which they are dealing with like sickness, pain, depression, anxiety, substance abuse, relationship, or financial issues. They have problems just like you may be facing . It’s like the family picture who everyone says looks so cute, but you remember the screaming and crying that took place 2 minutes before and after no one knows about. We need to stop thinking someone else’s highlight reel should be our everyday. We forget how blessed we are personally.

In these verses Paul gives us some great takeaways to apply. In Philippians 3:13-14. he tells us to forget what lies behind, the past and to move on to the ultimate goal to the prize of Jesus Christ. We’ve all made mistakes. He’s telling us to forget them. Paul talks about competition a lot and seems to love sports, but he’s telling us to reflect on if earthly trophies which will break and get thrown away are more important or our crown in Heaven from a relationship with Jesus which will last eternity? He tells us in the very first verse of Philippians 3:1 to rejoice in the Lord, not championships.

We all want more. We want our kids to be on the best team and go to the best school. We all want to go on the best vacations, have the best spouse, and have the best job. We all want to belong. However, Paul tells us in Philippians 3:20..

But our citizenship is in Heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body, by the power that enables Him even to subject all things to himself.

There is no FOMO for the most important team we want us and all our children to be on for eternity. No tryout is needed. We don’t have to do any earthly thing to make the team. We are already on it not through our doing, but through His sacrifice and grace given on the cross. We’ve already made it through faith when we believe and accept Jesus into our heart.

Have you accepted the invite to Team Jesus? Have your children? Are you and your family rejoicing in belonging to the most important team there is? I pray that all the kids and families who did or did not make teams this time of year can find peace and joy in this which is what is most important.

In The End….

Today’s reading is Revelation 6-8.

What are your thoughts when you read the book of Revelation? As you read some the events which will occur, it likely brings up more questions as to what exactly is occurring and why. And even though you know the outcome in the end, it may bring up feelings of anxiety at the events which will occur and concern if you or your kids or grandkids will be around when it happens and the challenges you or they will face as believers. At a minimum it likely brings up wonder of when exactly this will happen.

It seems like all the time you read something about someone who claims they know when the world will end. Strangely enough, often times the person who is claiming it is good, Bible believing and Christ following Christian. In fact, I have a close friend who was in a Bible study with someone he knew well for years who was a good Christian who studied the Bible and all of the sudden he claimed he knew when this was going to happen. Well..like every other person..he was wrong. Jesus says in Matthew 24:26, “But concerning that day and hour no one know, not even the angels of Heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.” So why do some Christians think they have uncovered this secret and other Christians listen and believe them when Jesus clearly says no one knows..not even Him? I wish I could say for sure, but I would guess it’s because it’s something that many want to know so bad that they can be susceptible to looking in the wrong places and believing false prophets.

We must remember that the Bible is the one and only source for the truth. We must remember that God is God and we are not. My previous sentence may sound silly but so many times we must remember there are certain things only God knows, and is supposed to know, and we have to just trust in Him and be ok with that.

If you become anxious thinking about end times, I encourage you to read Revelation and focus on the victory we have through Jesus. Underline those verses in your Bible.

Revelation 7:14 reads..

“I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

The last part of Revelation 7:17 says…

“…God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

As we celebrate Christmas in 2 days, let’s rejoice in the birth of the One who gives us victory in the end! Joy to the World!

Why I Believe – Part 2: Chet Bandy

Today’s reading is Psalm 18 which David wrote when God rescued him from the hand of his enemies and Saul.

I will primarily focus on Psalm 18:27-30.

For you save a humble people,

but the haughty eyes you bring down.

For it is you who light my lamp;

the Lord my God lightens my darkness.

For by you I can run against a troop,

and by my God I can leap over

a wall.

This God- His way is perfect,

the word of the Lord proves

true;

He is a shield for all those who

take refuge in Him.

The night before beginning to write this our family watched the new Disney movie Safety about a Clemson football player who cared for his little brother while his Mom was in rehab so he would not have to go into foster care. As I saw some of the scenes of football practice it reminded me how much I loved football and even the practice..the intensity, the hits, and the sounds of the pads popping. I mentioned in my last post which I’ll call Part I of “Why I Believe” that I had never had a rock bottom moment so to speak that caused me to believe when I didn’t previously. However, that does not mean that I have not had challenges that seemed very great at the time with some making me wonder how I would get through them.

Growing up in the small town of Auburn, IL, high school football is huge. At a young age I asked the coach to be ball boy and my dreams began to be the star quarterback someday. I always picked the teams and played quarterback on the playground and also played quarterback from youth football all the way until my junior year when I had the opportunity to realize my dream to be the starting varsity quarterback. I had not only worked my whole life up until that point for this, but also put in extra work the last year to try beat out my competition in a quarterback controversy if there is such a thing in small town high school football. This dream came crashing down quickly when about a week into practice a broke my elbow throwing a football. Yes…you heard that right..I snapped a growth plate in my elbow just throwing which is unheard of. I had done the same thing to my other elbow the year before and came back later this year only to break a growth plate in my shoulder. If your counting along with me…that’s 3 bones in 2 seasons spending most of my sophomore and junior year first semesters in a cast, and I’m sure you can imagine the “jokes” from high school classmates about my frailty. This also doesn’t do much for a high school boy’s confidence when he’s trying to get a date! The doctor said this was due to weak growth plates and since I was still growing I decided not to play football my senior year. It was crushing. These were the guys I had grown up with and lead as quarterback since the 6^th grade.

I played a lot of golf working on the course in the summers, so I thought I would play that in the Fall instead. After the first few days of golf practice, it just didn’t feel right. Fall meant football to me, and I missed being with my football teammates and coaches. Thankfully, Coach Bates let me be a part of the team and chart plays, along with work with the quarterbacks. It was humbling to not be able to put the pads and work with position I always envisioned playing my senior year. We went on that year to complete the first undefeated regular season for our town in 39 years. I can remember taking pictures after winning that 9^th and final regular season game and being sad I didn’t have a uniform on like my teammates (I’ll never forget Coach Mark Dudley telling me to get in and making me feel included), but I was also able to find joy by still being a part of it in some way. I was also happy for my teammates and the 2 quarterbacks who split time that year and remain good friends still.

This may seem like a silly story as you are reading this and you may be thinking..is playing high school football and being the quarterback that big of a deal? You may be going through some very serious “real world” stuff right now. Well for me, it was a big deal at the time. And the challenges you may be going through right now are probably a big deal to you while others may feel blessed to be in your situation. We need to be empathetic and understanding to whatever our kids, neighbors, friends, and loved ones are going through. The main reason I’m sharing this story is because I believe this experience and even the ridicule from high school classmates prepared me for challenges later. The same way I found joy in being a part of the team in some way can relate to the way we can find joy in our relationship with Jesus, even when circumstances don’t turn out like we expected. The subliminal lack of confidence I had at times later in life likely due this and the teasing from classmates allowed God to put others in my life later to build me up and help me realize these events and people affected me more than I realized, but they didn’t define my life and they didn’t mean that life would always turn out this way in future areas. God had big things planned for me in other ways. I wouldn’t trade being high school quarterback for the “victories” He has given me in making me a husband and father of three.

You may read Psalm 18 and be thinking…I’m a good person and may consider myself righteous compared to others like David speaks of, but He hasn’t made me “king” or helped me reach my vision for what I thought my life would look like. It’s easy for David to praise God because he made him king. But, did David know He would be king when he wrote this Psalm or was this before? Maybe God will make you “king” at some point in the area you want or in a different way or areas. Or maybe you are already “king” compared to the alternate path your life could have gone which God rescued you from, but you don’t even know about it. I’m confident God has rescued us from “Saul’s” and our enemy the Devil and made us “king” in ways we don’t even realize.

Regardless of how our life on this Earth goes, if we make God our rock, our fortress, our strength, our deliverer, our refuge, and our shield, and we humble ourselves as Psalm 18 speaks of by trusting in Jesus and asking for forgiveness for our mistakes….He will in fact make us righteous and blameless in Heaven someday. In fact, we already are in His eyes today. I believe in God because we have a God who didn’t have to do what He did. The Creator of the Universe came to Earth as a human and poured himself out and suffered the pains of losing a loved one, temptation of the Devil, facing rejection and being deserted by friends, and ultimately the pain of a Roman flogging and crucifixion that we can’t even imagine. He did this not only to forgive our sins, but lived and suffered in such a way so that we would know He gets us and understands our pain because He lived it and faced the same and then some. This is why I believe. Thank you, Jesus.

Finding Gratitude This Thanksgiving

Today’s reading on Thanksgiving is John 21.

Is it easy or difficult to have a grateful heart this Thanksgiving? For most reading this 2020 has been very challenging and for many downright heartbreaking. For others, it may have actually been a year of many blessings strangely enough. Whichever group you are in, or maybe neither or a combination of both, I pray this Thanksgiving we call find contentment and joy in the blessings we do have.

Our reading today gives us 4 examples of God providing exactly what was needed when it was needed..even if those involved didn’t realize it before or even after.

The disciples went out to fish at night sometime in the days or weeks after Jesus crucifixion and Resurrection. They fished all night and hadn’t caught anything. Was catching fish needed for their next day’s meal because they were out of food or to sell for money because they had no more? What stress were they under? We don’t know for sure, but we do know they were likely feeling frustrated from catching nothing when Jesus showed up at just the right time before daybreak and told them from the shore to throw down their nets on the right side (John 21:6). When they listened and obeyed, they caught so many fish their nets tore….153 to be exact (John 21:11).
While eating breakfast with Peter, Jesus asked Peter 3 different times if he loved Jesus. Peter affirmed he did all 3 times. What’s the significance of this? Three is the same number of times Peter denied he knew Jesus after His arrest. Jesus knew the significance of Peter saying he loved him the same number of times as he previously denied him. He knew 3 times would likely be needed to make Peter feel he was fully forgiven and redeemed…even though belief in Jesus was all that is needed to be forgiven.
Jesus then told Peter the way he would die which was to be crucified upside down in John 21:18-19. You may be asking yourself how Peter being martyred was exactly what was needed. Well, we are also told in these verses this was necessary to glorify God. Through it God has some plan. What we want and what we think is needed is not actually what’s always needed for God’s glory. However, that’s why He made each one of us…for His glory..even if we don’t always like how He does it. This is hard…but we must figure out how to trust fully trust in this and His love for us no matter what.
We learn in John 21:22-23 from Jesus that John would not be martyred. Most historians agree that John was the only disciple that was not killed due to his belief in Jesus. While Peter and the other disciples may have been thinking while facing death for their belief how horrible it was or how unlucky they were, John may have been sitting on the island of Patmos where He was exiled for his belief wishing he died and was in Heaven. Or maybe he was wondering if He was not worthy enough to be killed for his faith like the other disciples. It’s all about perspective. Whatever you are going through…there is likely someone that would absolutely love to be you or have your life right now as hard to believe as that may seem. Whatever you are going through…it’s necessary for God’s glory. We now know John’s long life and exile to Patmos was necessary to write the book of Revelation to complete the Bible and tell about God’s ultimate restoration of brining Heaven and Earth together some day when there will be no more pain, crying, or sin (Revelation 21:4).

We see through these 4 examples in John 21 how what happened and what was given was exactly what was needed at the right time for God’s glory. Whatever you are going through right now which might be really tough, I’m sorry. I pray you know Jesus faced pain, sorrow, and rejection in his life too…and ultimately suffered and died for you for the forgiveness of your sins. I pray you can find contentment and gratitude in your circumstances and through His grace this Thanksgiving…perhaps even joy.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18