OBEDIENCE IS OPENNESS TO GOD

OBEDIENCE IS OPENNESS TO GOD
WHILE WE LET GOD GUIDE US – not trying to be obedient on our own, and failing when it gets hard. We fool ourselves, and believe the evil around us, if we think we can be obedient to God, without God’s help. God wants to be in our lives and is not impressed by us trying to be “strong” and doing it all on our own. This living with God is not a game of impressing God. We are listening to the wrong people or those who don’t have a relationship with God when we believe we should be independent and show God we can do this all by ourselves. That is not what a life with God is like. God is already with us, inside us, and knows how we struggle and the fears we have, yet still loves us without malice or judgment.

We are Christ’s beloved, and he is ready to carry our burdens with us. When Jesus says, 28 “Come to me, all of you who are tired and have heavy loads, and I will give you rest.  29 Accept my teachings and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in spirit, and you will find rest for your lives”, he is saying that we don’t have to be a hero, and carry our burdens by ourselves. God does not want us to suffer in this way and is not impressed by it. So Jesus then says, 30 “For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” A yoke is a wooden apparatus, with a space for the heads of two oxen, and is designed to help hold them together, to work in tandem, so they can work safely and efficiently. This is the picture Jesus shows us, of how he will work together with us to bear our burdens with us, and lend us the strength to get through our suffering. This is what obedience really is, faithfulness in practice. Opening ourselves to God, letting go of our pride, and relinquishing our need for control, in order to gain a life of humility, working in tandem with the Holy Spirit, to do what we are called to do.     Loving and compassionate God, who is willing to work right next to us, we are grateful. Help us learn to walk with you in faith, knowing you will be the guiding strength and direction, as we walk the rocky path you have given us. Increase our thankfulness and joy, as we learn to trust your love that will never get us lost.  Amen.     PEACE

 

WHEN WE PRAY, WE TALK WITH GOD

WHEN WE PRAY
WE TALK WITH GOD – in an intimate relationship, where we know God knows all about us. Let’s get real for a minute here. At some point, as we grow in our relationship with God, we may get beyond only praying written prayers and really open our hearts to God.. For in expressing the groanings of our hearts, we are admitting them to ourselves while we also give them to God. So do not pray at God, like those who babble out someone else’s prayer, or as the Pharisees prayed. If we want to pray to God, we first acknowledge God is already within us and knows us better than we know ourselves, as we hear in Romans 8:  “the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. 27 And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. 28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”  God created us and knows all the gifts and abilities given to us and within us. God loves us unconditionally and has in mind what we might become. So it is just silly, when we pray at God, as if God does not know every hair on our heads and all that we are thinking. When we pray this way, it is fear that is in control and we will have no end of frustration and many obstacles standing in the way of a happy life. Jesus teaches us in Matthew 6:  “when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask.” When we pray to God letting go of fear, in all earnestness and sincerity, with love and gratitude for God, we will know God’s loving response.

Some days it may be hard to start our prayers with God. If we have no words, they are not necessary. God knows our hearts and desires. In our minds, we can lay ourselves at God’s feet and cry out, or try this, as Colossians 3 tells us, “sing to God with gratitude in your hearts.” God will give us the ability to get up and accomplish what God has in mind.  17 “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”  Amen.     PEACE

TRUSTING AND HONORING GOD IN FAITHFUL LIVING

TRUSTING AND HONORING GOD
IN FAITHFUL LIVING – is the pattern we see in Proverbs 3. It is a clear and reassuring description of what it means to live life faithfully following the commandment to love God and then to love others.   5 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight.” We hear echoes of what Jesus spoke about much later, to rely on God in order to love others, not in our own strength. We will be frustrated in trying to love on our own, because God is the source. So in order for it to work, we have to be strongly connected to that source. Only then will the energy flow freely and with the power that God gives us. It is like plugging in to God. Until we do this, our results will be unpredictable and we will be at risk from evil turning our intention into something else – fear, jealousy, anger or even hate.

13 “Happy are those who find [God’s] wisdom, and those who get understanding …18 It is a tree of life to those who lay hold of it; those who hold it fast are called happy.” In verses 13 and 18 we are told just how vital it is that we connect to God, in order to love others. I have spoken about self-interest being a motivator, and here we see it in verse 18, that we will find happiness when we connect to the love and wisdom God offers. The very end of the chapter puts it in perspective though – 35 “The wise will inherit honor, but stubborn fools, disgrace.” I am motivated by the site of all the trees coming to life again, and think of the love and care God has put into the complicated system of life that keeps the cycle renewing itself each spring. Recently this tree was just beginning to show signs of new life, and in just two days, is displaying the strength of the life force within it more openly. I see and connect to this life force – the wisdom of God, who is so great as to create all of life and wishes us to be a channel of love. As we consider our lives each day, it may help to the plants and trees around us. They are an assurance of the steadfastness of God’s creation, in the midst of turmoil. Wise and loving God, we thank you for the abundant evidence all around us, showing your power and wisdom. May we reach in and connect to you, gaining the strength you offer us. Guide us in using these resources to love others, as you have shown us.  Amen.     PEACE

A PRACTICE OF SEEKING GOD

ORDINARY PRAYER
IS A PRACTICE OF SEEKING GOD – and living an ordinary life of devotion to God. We do not need to practice extraordinary ways of praying to God. We may pray on our knees, but God is not impressed with this kind of prayer over other ways of praying and seeking God. Praying only at special times or with words designed to impress does not at all sway God’s heart. Instead, we are to live ordinary lives, where we love others without expecting gain for ourselves. God knows our heart and there is no hiding our inner thoughts from God. We are as transparent as water to God. Everything we say or think is known by God. When we are honest with ourselves, we are most able to be a channel for God’s love to flow through us to others around us.

 

In Luke 11 Jesus tells us how to seek God in this way:  9 “So I tell you, ask, and God will give to you. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will open for you.  10 Yes, everyone who asks will receive. The one who searches will find. And everyone who knocks will have the door opened.” This is one way to come into a relationship with God, and begin the transformation by the Holy Spirit, into an ordinary, day in and day out, living as God directs us to live, kind of life. Behold the beloved of Christ, all who seek will know that God is already in us, guiding and supporting our lives, even when we did not know it.  O God who loves us in extraordinary ways, come into our ordinary lives and teach us how to love without fear, while we listen in prayer every day for your direction. Thank you for your unconditional love and understanding in all we do for your people. Amen.     PEACE

GOD MAINTAINS THE CONNECTION

GOD WORKS WITHIN US
AND MAINTAINS THE CONNECTION – of an unbreakable bond between us and God. In a relationship with God, we are not totally responsible to keep the connection, nor are we chained in that relationship. God’s grace is the real glue that holds us in God’s arms and keeps up the connection to hear and feel God’s presence. It is a connection of choice though. When we are willing to place ourselves in God’s hands to follow a life of faith, it is God who helps us hang onto the ribbon. Many who think of themselves as Christian, also think that they must do the hard work of living a Godly life, resisting sin, and maintaining the connection all alone. Then when this proves to be too difficult, they blame themselves and many in the institutional church blame them as well, for not believing hard enough and for not being obedient.

 

The truth is that God and the grace we receive is what makes a faithful life possible. Our “work” is to choose to listen to God every day and respond as the Spirit leads us. It is only in this kind of relationship that we live the life Jesus offered us. It is a free flowing dynamic kind of life that is exciting and humbling. Yes, God wants to live with us in this way. God wants and accepts us as we are and God will help us grow into what God needs us to do. Jesus never talked down to anyone or thought them unworthy of coming to him. So there can be no reason to prevent us from beginning a life with God. We are already living with God, because God is within us all. We only need to acknowledge God is with us, and begin by opening our hearts in prayer.  Ever-present God, we are grateful for your love within us. Help us see your love in us, and know that when we are able to love others, it is because you are there, showing us what that love is like. Guide us as we grow in understanding this love and show us how to live always in love for you and others.  Amen.     PEACE

THE CONNECTION TO GOD

THE CONNECTION TO GOD
KEEPS OUR FAITH ALIVE – and it is only in this way that it happens. There are a number of books out there that suggest methods for refreshing our faith, or restoring a feeling we once had. These gimmicks seem to be directed at those who have a belief, but not a relationship. It may help us feel as if we are really doing something we should, to get closer to God. Lots of people and churches would have us believe there is a formula for keeping our faith. If we do this or that in a certain order every day, then this will get us into God’s good books and all that will fix the problem. The trouble is this isn’t the way to make the connection to God. In John 6: 35 Jesus said, “I am the bread that gives life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” When we come to Jesus in humility, confessing our need for a living connection, this is the beginning of a relationship with God. And Jesus also says in Matthew 11: 28 “Come to me, all of you who are tired and have heavy loads, and I will give you rest.  29 Accept my teachings and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in spirit, and you will find rest for your lives.  30 The burden that I ask you to accept is easy; the load I give you to carry is light.” This is the description of the relationship Jesus wants with us. It is more than a once and done decision to believe. Instead, this is a day in and day out 24/7 kind of relationship with our creator, savior and comforter. It is like a family relationship, in an atmosphere of never-ending love and acceptance.

The quick fix books exist to address the problem of a stale faith, or a burned out perspective on God and the church. With a living and active relationship with God, it is not possible to feel burned out or stale, unexcited or bored by our faith. When we do stray from our path, or lose our focus of where God is leading us, there is only one way to get it back, and that is with God’s help and direction. We pray to God, in humility, and ask forgiveness, and guidance to return to the path God has given us. There will be no judgment or anger, only love for those who have strayed and are now returned. As we see in the parables, God welcomes us back into loving arms, just like the Prodigal Son.  Gracious God, accept us back into the unconditional love and mercy you offer us, and guide us on the path you have set for us, and are walking along with us.  Amen.     PEACE

DAY 5 – STAYING GROUNDED IN GOD’S LOVE

DAY 5 – STAYING GROUNDED IN GOD’S LOVE – How will preparing for the future help us now? Connecting more solidly to the Holy One is always a good idea, with a list of untold benefits. Let’s consider what those might be and how they might help us now.

We are created through love unconditionally and with great care. As we are each conceived, there are a unique set of gifts and abilities bestowed on us. They are given with a purpose in mind, and yet we are given free will to accept or modify that purpose. As we grow and age, we always have choices whether we live our lives with God, go it alone or some variation of those.

At any point along our life’s path, we are able to choose different ways of living. Even when we might feel the most alone, our creator and guide is there with us, ready to respond when we ask for help. After any big event in our lives, we may be prompted by the Holy Spirit to think about our lives in a different way. This could happen as a dream we keep having. It might be a thought that keeps coming into our minds, or something might happen over and over again. This is the Holy Spirit getting our attention. At that point, we still have a choice. We may ignore what is happening or we may accept the offer of a greater life.

In Deuteronomy 30, Joshua challenges God’s people, just before he leads them into the land they have been promised. 19 “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! 20 You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying God, and committing yourself firmly to God. This is the key to your life.”

In listing the benefits of living with God, there can be none greater than when Paul reminded the Corinthians of God’s promises, in the second letter to them, chapter 6, verse 16.  “I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people. God has repeated this covenant over and over again, finally sealing this commitment with the resurrection.

The pandemic will not end tomorrow, or even next week. We have some leisure to decide how we will live, as we find our way in a new world, among a place and people that have survived at steep odds. Who are we listening to for guidance? Who will hear our fears and offer comfort and guidance? Who will offer us unconditional love? Our choices are many. Will we consider them through prayer and listen to the prompting of the Holy Spirit? It can be distilled down to this: the choice of living somewhere between a thirst for God’s love or for the latest the world has to offer. Where will we choose to live?  Oh loving God, who has promised to be our God, we thank you. Help us respond and make the choices that will cause our steps to land next to yours. When we falter, remind us that you are always there, to guide us and even carry us, if we ask it. Prepare us for the new paths we will choose, knowing we will not walk them alone.  Amen.     PEACE

DAY 4 – NEW ENERGY IS BRINGING CHANGE TO THE WORLD

DAY 4 – NEW ENERGY IS BRINGING CHANGE TO THE WORLD   Have you felt it? It is right there to be seen, if we look for it. A wave of love is bringing change with it. It was already there and growing, even before the pandemic hit us. More and more of us are deciding we don’t like the world of hate and greed. So people are choosing love instead. We can see it in the way reactions happen. In response to an event, someone chooses to react with love. Or instead of giving in to the same old patterns, someone goes out of their way to live out their routine in a spirit of love. Guess what happens? We notice the love and maybe we are encouraged to pass on the love too. A love action isn’t always easier, although it is usually more fun. Love always makes a situation better.

During this pandemic, our love capacity has been challenged and is growing. Think of all those who are on the front lines. A few may be doing it because they want to keep their jobs. More of them are driven by a sense of dedication to something beyond themselves. They are fighting to preserve life wherever they are able. Many are working to relieve suffering. Some may see the patient’s desire to live a life of wellness and return to their family life. These are all ways of living out a life of love for others. This passage, in John 15, is a light for our path, to live a life of love for others.  “12 This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. 13 There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command.”  As we prepare to live life again in the outside world, how will we choose to live it? There will be many choices. What choices we make will be important. The way we choose to live affects more than just our own lives. This pandemic offers us that lesson loudly, if we can hear it. Just as the virus is contagious, so is a life lived in love. All acts of love have far-reaching consequences, whether we can see them or not. Consider the last time we have received an act of love or have perpetrated one. Love never dies. It continues to ripple through any of the lives it touches. Will we be involved in sending out the ripples of love?  Dear Jesus, who sent out your love, so that we might live a blessed life of unconditional love, we are grateful beyond measure. Show us how to embody that gratitude in passing on that unconditional love to others. Be with us, as we encounter those who have trouble with love, both receiving and giving it. Envelope them in grace and forgive them for the blocks they erect. Help us love them anyway. Support us in loving as you have loved.  Amen.     PEACE

DAY 3 – WHAT IF I REFUSE TO LIVE A DIFFERENT LIFE?

DAY 3 – WHAT IF I REFUSE TO LIVE A DIFFERENT LIFE?  Many of us are going to feel this way. It takes a lot of energy and thought to figure out a different way to live. “I don’t have time to do all that!” There will be great frustration as those who try it find it just doesn’t work. As we try to pick up all the pieces of life as it was, we will encounter all the things that have changed. Operations everywhere will be in disarray. It will take time for businesses to find their new normal. Prepare to experience the effects of this frustration and anger, as it spills out onto everyone and everything. It is going to make a real mess.

WAIT !!! There is good news too. We are not on our own as we face all the changes in the world. Psalm 46 is a reminder of what God does for us.  “1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; 3 though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult.” … 10 “`Be still, and know that I am God!     I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth.’  11 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.”  From ancient times and even today, God is proving to be steadfast in the love and support provided to us. So there is no reason to doubt that God will continue to be that loving support to all who pray and ask for it.

There is a process at work here. When we choose instead to face the challenges that all will be tried by, God’s grace will change the balance. We will not be hung out there, to have all the dysfunction hit us in the face. When we choose to place our trust in God each day, we will not fight the battles alone. Romans 5 helps us see the process.  “Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. 2 Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.

3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.” [NLT]  What more could we ask than this. If we choose to walk these new ways of life with God, we will have a clearer road ahead of us, than those who choose a different way. Life will be messy for all of us.  Will we choose to get help or try to opt out?  Our merciful and loving God, it is a wonderful experience to live life with your guidance and insight. We are grateful. We pray for your continuing love and support, as life presents its challenges. Show us the best roads to take and the ways to use all that you have given us so that love may prevail and we may all grow in your grace.  Amen.     PEACE

DAY 2 – CONSIDERING WE EVEN HAVE A CHOICE

DAY 2 – CONSIDERING WE EVEN HAVE A CHOICE

We were all born with the right to choose. This is an enormous gift to us from God. The cost to God was and is a less than perfect creation. And yet we were given this precious gift anyway. It was worth it to God because when we choose to live our lives in a relationship with God, it has not been coerced. It has been freely chosen.

This is much more valuable to our creator. When we come to our God, freely and with the knowledge of how we are loved in return, it brings with it respect and a willingness in us to grow closer to the Holy One, each and every day we live here.

If we are parents, we may know how much more it means to us when our children freely say, in both spoken and unspoken ways, how much they love us. If they are forced to say it, it comes with little confidence that they really mean it.

So when we not only say we love God and then also live our lives in a way that confirms we love the Holy One, we are confirming our love and growing in our relationship. Even though our relationship brings blessings, we do not deepen it because we want the perks. At least some of us do it because our lives become worth more to us and those around us. We are fulfilling our reason for being here. This is beyond the worldly idea of doing it for the perks it brings us.

As we grow in our relationship, what our lives could be is shown to us in various ways. One of the specific ways this occurs is when we are shown what our gifts are. These are given to us to use for our delight and the joy of others around us. They are also given for specific purposes related to the process of becoming who we are meant to be, or who we are born to be.

This is an area where our choices become significant. First, we can ignore or pay attention to clues we are given regarding our lives and gifts. There is variety in how we decide to use our gifts and ultimately how our lives contribute to the whole. God is not so rigid as to have in mind one hole we must force ourselves into. True joy comes from working with God in a process of finding our gifts and responding to the world in a way that uses those gifts in loving ways to serve God and others.

As we find ourselves in an unprecedented situation of world-wide infection, how will we make new choices as we step into a very different world, after the pandemic? This new world will make efforts to look like the old one. There will be great fear among many, who will not want to have any differences. This fear will cause much hurt and destruction.

Before that happens, we who love God or those who want to find a new path have the luxury to consider what kinds of choices we will make in this new chapter of the world’s life. It comes down to will we choose God or fear?

O loving God, who has always promised to be with us, no matter what the calamity or danger, we are grateful for that steadfastness in love. No matter how we cry out, you are there, offering comfort, protection and courage to face the danger. Be with us as we face this new choice of how we will live in this new coming reality. Show how love will cut through the fear and lead us through the danger, always ending in a stronger situation. We pray for the grace you offer so freely.  Amen.     PEACE