 Luke 1:42 "For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. "
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 Deuteronomy 30:20 "...and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob."
Ever been in a transition? You are leaving behind one thing and embracing a new thing. Transitions bring a wealth of emotions: excitement, wonder, fear, memories, hope, the unknown, anxiety. In life, transitions are unavoidable. We can look to this promise of God when we are moving from one place to another on the faith-walk with Christ. The people of Israel wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. Joshua led them through many God-adventures and tests. The ones who disobeyed God were long dead and buried in the sand. The end of wilderness-walking was now over --- the promised land lay in sight across the Jordan. This new generation needed God's law repeated and His promises planted again in their hearts as they faced the promised land across the strip of river. Deuteronomy literally means "second law"----- God's repeated words to this young people who would enter the promise given to their father, Abraham. Over 400 years passed since God instructed Abraham to look at the stars and promised him a numberless nation and a promised land. The promised Messiah would come from this nation. Now the journey was reaching its divine destination. This huge step involved much known, but also much unknown. God gave many promises in this book as they looked ahead to the future. We can cling to these promises too. The situation may be different, but God's character is the same. The three big commands are given: love, listen, and hold fast. "Love the Lord Your God" The word for love in Hebrew is "ahab" and has a profound meaning. It means to love deeply, affectionately--- a strong family-ties loyalty. The same word describes Abraham's love for his son, Isaac. It is also used in describing Rebeckah and Isaac's love. God desires us to love him deeply as we do those closest to us. He is asking for an active personal love, not just an intellectual love based in fear of His holiness. This is a love that one shares cuddling a small child on their lap, a husband and wife embracing in the night, a brother and brother growing up together. What a beautiful intimate love God requires! Why is it so hard to love God this way? Israel had every reason to love God as this. God gave them fresh water from the rock, meat and manna, and their clothes stayed new every day. Children were born healthy; they suffered from no diseases in the wilderness. The only death experienced were the ones who showed love to the idols of Egypt and murmured against God's goodness. God was so good to them --- this ahab love should have flowed freely from their hearts. It should flow freely from our hearts, as God's love is shown in the death of His only Son, Jesus. Oh what a love! Years later, a young king will exemplify this kind of love towards God. David said in Psalm 18, "I love You, O LORD, my strength". This declarative love grew from the many transitions David made in life. He transitioned from youngest son to anointed by Samuel, from a small-town kid to King of Israel. He transitioned from a sheep-keeper to killer of mighty Goliath. He also transitioned as he ran from King Saul and many enemies in his life. He lived in caves for years and then lived in Jerusalem's palace. David knew transitions. He loved, listened, and held fast to God. Scriptures call David a man "after God's own heart." Watching Israel gives us strength in our time. In times of transition, feelings of anxiety and fear can cloud this sweet love for God. We must pray for the Holy Spirit to keep our love for Him at the front of our attention--- even when the future is murky. Love in times of transition has an even sweeter aroma to God than when we are firm in life. It is a precious form of worship. "Listen to His voice" Whatever you love, you listen to. Love baseball? You watch every game and listen to announcer's analysis. Love country music? You know every artist and song. When we love God with the "ahab" love He deserves, a hunger comes for more of Him. We want to talk to Him more, to listen to His words, to cling to his promises. Sermons come now as a hearty meal. Prayer becomes a place of solitude and peace. God's Word becomes your safety-oasis. God gave Israel the next step after love ---- that of relationship in listening. God commanded His people to listen 92 times in the Torah alone. This form of listening also includes obedience. God's voice always brings forth action in our lives. It's one to thing to hear our father say, "Don't touch the snake!" but if we touch it and are bit, we really did not listen. Hearing and obeying God are spiritual twins working in our lives. Obedience was much-needed as Israel crossed into the promised land. When they obeyed, the land prospered. When they disobeyed, the land died and enemies attacked. Listening and obeying are a critical step in walking with God. When we fail, we can always repent and be restored. But God loves those who listen and obey without doubt and hesitation. Let's look at two people who lived out this Deuteronomy promise in the time of Christ. There is a wonderful example of this in the New Testament. I think of Anna and Simeon in the book of Luke chapter 2. They were elderly and alone --- of no standing in a busy Roman empire. They eagerly awaited the redemption of Israel. Their love turned into listening and God gave them wonderful revelations and the ultimate experience. They held the Savior in their arms! Anna and Simeon loved the Lord and believed (listened to) His promise of the Messiah. So where were they found? In the temple, with God's worship and people! They were not found in the gambling casino or Roman shows. They placed themselves closest to the presence of God. Their listening to God affected their daily life decisions. They were in constant prayer and joyful worship believing God's Word. When we love the Lord, we listen to Him. We want to obey that Voice. We place ourselves where His word is preached clearly. We are open ---- Simeon may have been old, but he was quiet enough to hear the Holy Spirit whisper to him, "You will not die until you see the Messiah." Simeon's belief in this promise was his obedience. God allowed him to hold Jesus in his arms and speak to Mary and Joseph. What a marvelous example to us today when we are in times of transition. "Hold fast to Him" The Hebrew root for this phrase is dabaq: to cling, cleave, adhere, stick, join. It is a grip to life that someone holds with all their might. I think of the horrible flood in Texas this week. The Guadalupe River had a once-in-100-year's flood; waters rose a foot a minute in the darkness. Many lives were tragically lost. Many Christian campers were sent to Jesus' presence in the massive waves at Camp Mystic. One survivor was washed miles downstream and found alive clinging to a tree. Her grip on that tree was not lax --- it was lifesaving. Dabaq describes this kind of grip. As we love and listen, our grip on Christ becomes more pronounced. Our faith grows. We realize that we cannot rely on any earthly things for eternal strength. We realize that all is temporary --- even in transition. As the preacher C.H Spurgeon once said, “Hold everything earthly with a loose hand, but grasp eternal things with a death-like grip.” This verse from God is just as timely and life-giving as it was to the people of Israel. No matter the transition you are in, focus on love, listening and holding fast to God. Details of the transition will come and go. The growth we make in Christ is far more important, with eternal rewards. Love. Listen. Obey. Hold fast. God has you.  Psalm 8:3-5 (English Standard Version) "When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 4 "What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? 5 Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor." In these three little verses lies the answer of man's greatest question: "Who am I?" This month earth observed a solar marvel: A full solar eclipse. It had the whole world stopping for an afternoon and just looking up. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, majestically obscuring the Sun. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is larger than the Sun's, blocking all direct sunlight. A beautiful corona of light shines around the blackened sun. Totality occurs only in a limited path across Earth's surface, with the partial solar eclipse visible over a larger surrounding region. Millions of earthlings (us) had to wear protective eye coverings to enjoy the beautiful dance of celestial nature. In fact, anyone looking directly at the eclipse for even a few seconds would have permanent eye damage. What is man, that You are mindful of him? The world marveled at the power of a moon, planet and sun coming into line. Yet, many ignored the Creator of this. Even fewer yet understand our standing in the theater of creation. We, as made in the image of God, are the pinnacle of creation. (Ephesians 4:22-24, Colossians 3:10) Sometimes this is hard to accept when we look at celestial systems that make us mere points on an infinite map. Yet, God makes great effort to show us how much He loved us. All of this was created as our holy work station. The stars and planets, though vast, were created on the fourth day of creation, as markers for days, weeks, and years. It was man, whom God bestowed as a living soul, was the caretaker and to be student of the stars and planets. All of this --- for man to enjoy. It is most humbling to consider. What is man, that You are mindful of him? So, juxtaposed against a huge backdrop of cosmos, stands little man on earth. His eyes are so delicate that they cannot even look at the eclipse without damage. His brain is the size of a cantaloupe; his life so dependent on air, water and food that just 5 minutes without breathing will end his consciousness. This verse of the Psalmist captures our situation perfectly: What is man, that You are mindful of him? In Psalm 8, the word "mindful" in Hebrew is "zakar", to remember continually. It shows that God did not just create and walk away; His eye is upon us. Scholars translate "mindful" as a "perpetual incense rising", or to "keep continually in merciful view". The great writer James Weldon Johnson said, "This great God, like a mammy bending over her baby, kneeled down in the dust toiling over a lump of clay till He shaped it in His own image." God gave us creation, including the universe, and is with us in enjoying/exploring His vast array. The fact that God condescends to us, loves us, desires relationship with us, is too marvelous to comprehend in one sitting. Now go further, God then saw our sin-need, put His redemption plan in motion, and sent His only Son to redeem us. God can create a thousand moons and stars with just a word. Eclipses are cheap to Him. But to save us, it cost Him much, much more. What is man, that You are mindful of him? The thought of Christ, the Prince of Heaven, coming to us in complete nakedness, living, dying and resurrecting for us, eclipses even the finest of solar eclipses. He, in taking our cup of wrath, juxtaposed Himself, flawless, in between our sin and God's wrath. The sky did turn black that day as well. Unlike the solar event, we are called to look upon the cross with no protective eyewear, where Christ eclipsed death and sin, not for just a few seconds. Christ took all sin, once for all. Instead of a fleeting glance (as with the solar eclipse) we are called to look deeply into the cross, to carry it daily, to absorb its story deep within us. No damage will come to our eyesight; in fact, we will see more clearly than ever. A solar eclipse has power to harm you. The cross has the power to transform you. In 2024, millions looked up into the sky; they threw parties, took pictures, cheered. Then they all went home. We should be more like the Psalmist. When he looked into the heavens and pondered, his next thought was relational. "Who am I in relation to the Creator of this?" He did not go blithely back to his life after admiring space but launched into how God stooped to our world in love and mercy. He marveled that such a God looks upon us continually in love. Psalmist David answers our question of "Who am I" with a different kind of statement. He says, "Whose am I", then answers with a truth that shocks our understanding. The same God who placed billions of systems in space, knows every star by name, still continually thinks upon me in mercy. You, my friend, have a place in the mind of God. A loving place, where sin is eclipsed by Christ's blood. It's not who you are, but whose you are. Rest in belonging to Creator God, Dying God, Rising God, and Mindful God.  Psalm 119: 32 “I run in the path of your commands, for you have broadened my understanding.” This year a niece of mine qualified for the Boston Marathon. We all packed bags, rented a house, and spent a wonderful weekend cheering Madeline on in her quest to finish one of the toughest races in the world. I had never seen a Marathon in person, let alone the Boston Marathon which is world-famous. It was exhilarating, stress-filled, joyful, and an experience I will never forget. The photo above is one I took of her shoes the morning after the race. Now looking back, I'm reliving the experience through my Scripture-lenses. We know that the metaphor of the Christian life as a race is in both the Old and New Testaments. I hope to give you some memories and Biblical gems that enlighten my story. The community of racers ----We did some sight-seeing around Boston the day before, hitting a Red Sox Game. The entire team wore uniforms to honor the racers. All over town we saw people wearing their marathon jackets from previous years. We would naturally say to them, "Have a great race!" It seemed the whole city was on friendly terms as we were all focused on Monday's big race. There was a wonderful sense of support, love and help from and for the runners. Experienced runners gave pointers to first-timers -- we experienced this at a Wendy's across from Berkley school of music. We met a man and his family from California who was an experienced runner. We chatted with them as if we knew them for years --- the run made us instant acquaintances. I thought of the verse in Hebrews where the writer says, "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses....let us run with patience the race that is set before us." Running the faith-race with Christ is not a solo project. We are one big cloud --- Christians past and present, running or encouraging the run. Yes, we enter God's kingdom as a individual at the cross, but immediately we are part of a new family, a new Kingdom, and a new community in Christ. God provided coaches in pastors to train us. The whole city of Zion is involved. The comradery is strong and tells us, "You can do it, God did it through me, and He'll do it again through you." Christ literally binds us together as we run the race set before us. We are well-equipped in everything we need. The gun goes off ----- As the runners stood like sheep in a pen at the starting line, the strangest thing happened. I watched things fly in the air --- jackets, hats, water bottles, stuff just propelled up and out to the sides. It reminded me of graduation day as the students toss their caps in the air. What was that? The runners were throwing off anything that would weigh them down --- even a pound's worth.....any items thrown to the side were then sold to profit charity. I was seeing Hebrews 12:1 happen right before my eyes! "Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience..." These runners knew that anything extra would add drag and time to their race. They would not jeopardize their run....those things which had value before were now considered meaningless. I'm sure we all see the application of that --- the Holy Spirit does this to us every day, helping us cast off what hinders and take on what glorifies Jesus. APP Tracking ----- Technology provided a way to keep track of Madeline. Out of 40,000 runners, how would we know exactly where she was on the 26.2-mile path? Her number was put in an app on our phone so we could watch her closely --- her speed and mile marker came to us instantly. We drove to a mile marker anticipating seeing her, but sadly she outran us. She was faster than us! I enjoyed at that moment just cheering the complete strangers coming down the line. "You can do it! Keep on! You are amazing!" I could see the pain and lack of hope on some faces. It was raining and not warm. I'm sure they felt the pain. But I could see the little blaze of light as we cheered them on, rang our cow bells, sent warm energy to their striving bodies. I thought of the verse: Galatians 6:2 "Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. " I remember looking at Madeline's mom's app and we both watched her time get very slow. What happened? Did she fall? Was she giving up? We sent up prayers of endurance for her. Come to find out, she was on the most famous hill of the race --- "Heartbreak Hill" which occurs at mile 21. She was being pushed to her limits. A few minutes later, we watched her speed pace up as the last few miles lay before her. I thought, "Wow, this is so much like the Christian life." There are times in the Lord where we are at a good pace, and then a heartbreak hill comes upon us. Our pace slackens, our muscles scream in pain. But we feel the prayers of others bearing us up. The Holy Spirit comforts and delivers us from our thoughts of quitting. Our race is never the same two days in a row. We should remember this rather than acting as if it's a shock when troubles slow the race. Those trials are for our benefit, to bring out patience --- to make us more like Christ. No wonder the Holy Spirit inspired Bible writers to use the analogy of a race for us. Thank you, Holy Spirit! The Finish Line: We waited breathlessly at the cold rainy finish line --- our eyes narrowed trying to pick out Madeline. You see, all runners upon finishing were covered in a silver blanket to keep them warm. The finish line looked like a gaggle of straggling ghosts ---- cold, exhausted, looking for their families. We finally saw her ---- there wasn't a smile on her face.....yet. When husband Dominic took her in his arms, she collapsed, cried and said, "Everything hurts!" We got her to my son's apartment (which was close by) and she would shower and warm up. Then we went to an Italian restaurant and feasted. She was very hungry! She became lighter, happy, and her glow of triumph overwhelmed all of us. It was a great time of celebrating and recounting the details of the race. The day ended appropriately at famous Mike's Italian pastry place where we gorged on the best cannolis ever made.... I thought of this analogy to the Christian life. Some of us are on mile 1. Some are on mile 20. Someday we will all take our last breath. Our race will be run. The finish line, death, will greet us. The death shroud will cover us with it's silent blanket. We may not have a smile on our face as we meet death. But once we are in the arms of our Beloved, Christ, we can exhale. Then, He takes us to His home to feast and bask in the joy of the race. We will sit at his table and eat the richest of delicacies --- who knows, maybe even cannolis. The race, not run in our strength alone, but through Christ's resurrection power. Eternal joy ---- the reward: Christ. Hebrews 12 says: "And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer, and perfecter of faith". The Boston Marathon offers earthly glory, a name in a roster, and a medal. The race with Christ offers eternal glory, one's name in the Book of Life, and a Crown. Let me offer you a cup of cool water as you pass by. Can you do the same for me?   When March 1, 2023, emerged, I wept. The tears flowed fast and warm, bubbling up by an inner fountain of pain. I realized that March would be the first complete month in my life that I had no mother. She died on February 6, so I had a few mental beams to cling to upon my calendar. I told myself, "Mom was here a week ago...two weeks ago...she was here this month." Once February turned to March, this helpless backtracking of memories was of no comfort.
Now the journey takes a solemn silent path where no maps can help. Now that I have lost both parents, their legacy in my life consists of photos, a few writings, objects and their teachings. I have to reach back and pull out the recordings of their voices which my mind has cataloged. I hear their laughter, their advice, their words of instruction. I no longer have their presence to guide me--- but the seeds that they have planted will now produce a garden as I travel as an orphan upon earth's journey. Like Johnny Appleseed, they went before me, planting apple trees that they knew my path would cross. Now I must stop along the way, reach up, and feed upon those apples. I am an orphan, but I am not orphaned. To be orphaned is to be abandoned. My parents gave me all the tools to navigate life: faith in God, the saving message of Christ, a love for God's Word, and acceptance as me as a person. They taught me the beauty of nature in camping trips and picnics. They taught me the fun of friends and the importance of a church family. These holy tools have led me through valleys and high places in my short 53 years. Yes, they are gone for now, but much of them still strives in me. I write to an inmate on death row. He prayed for me during this time, and wrote a beautiful poem which needs to be shared: "The Last Care" The thing "death" has called me--- and it calls for me from heaven, from upstairs in the sky. It has now come that time for me to die, death is not an honor, it is not a glory-- death takes me in vain. Thank God as my life never ruined itself; now that death is in my atmosphere it wraps itself on me --- God has not forsaken me! So, I commend the breath of my life unto Him whispering, "Eloi (friend) Eloi: (friend) SambachThani: have mercy on me, do not forsake me" It's my death time now that puts me to rest alone with God Almighty---- Who first gave life to me. Written by Pressley B. Alston, written on behalf of those with dementia 2023  We It's January 14, my birthday. 53 years ago, in a snowy hospital in northern Michigan, I was born. I'm learning, now that I've passed the half-century mark, that birthdays have a different feeling than when I was a child. We have a lot to look back on, and the presents aren't all that exciting. We learn that wishing upon those candles doesn't always work, and the "one to grow on" candle is not a promise we can count on. We never know when our earthly time is up.
According to the Michigan State Health records, I was born in 1970. But according to the Lamb's Book of Life, I was born from on high in November of 1975 as I knelt at my bed. Both births are important: one marks our existence in this sinful world, the other marks our birth into God's spiritual family where eternal life is granted. All at Christ's expense on the cross. I've included the quote "Born once, die twice. Born twice, die once." Billy Graham once said, "You're born. You suffer. You die. Fortunately, there's a loophole!" The Apostle Paul said it in this way: "For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. - 1 Corinthians 15:21. A loophole to life!! Where can we find this? Who are those two men Paul speaks of? The first man, Adam, brought us death through his DNA which all share. We are hopeless to save ourselves as we are literally born dead. These two opposites are true: We breathe air and have heart beats, but spiritually we are dead to God and His holiness. We are walking zombies, trudging to an eternity spent apart from him. We need a savior, someone to be the go-between us and God. We are alive, but two deaths await us: physical and spiritual. The man who brought life was Jesus Christ, who dying on the cross, became our substitute for God's wrath. Two men: two different outcomes. I'm so glad I've been born twice according to the riches in Christ Jesus. Death, whenever it may come, has lost its awful sting. The coffin becomes a hope chest. Eternity becomes something to be desired and not feared. Now the tables are turned: I'm dead to the world and alive in Christ. A miraculous flip-flop on our behalf from the Ancient of Days. As I blow out the candles tonight, no wishes, just a thankful humble heart for all that Jesus has done for me.  ...."Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6 I recently joined the local iris society. On Mother's Day I went to an Iris show. Beautiful stalks of Irises, varied in colors and hues stood tall in vases, proud of their glory. I looked at them and the ribbons which they earned. I was impressed by their beauty that I wanted to learn more about this species of flower that blooms all over the world. I saw a registration form and said, "Sign me up!" I have enjoyed making a new group of friends, those who love working in their gardens just like me. We are of kindred spirit, with dirt under our nails. I am starting to learn about the wonderful world of irises which is large in scope. I love being a student of God's creation. Some folks I know have said,, "Oh those irises...they only bloom a short time and then they are ugly and dead. Why bother?" I can certainly understand this notion but seeing it as a gardener I see a deeper principle from the Creator. The brevity of beauty is what we lack in the 21st century. We live trying to save everything in photos. I went to a wedding where everyone videotaped the bride coming down the aisle --- no one just "watched" the moment of a bride in her glory walk to her beloved. We see so much through our phone lens rather than our eye lens. We are so anxious to save events that we don't stop and just enjoy the brevity of the beauty. Irises remind us of that. All summer, fall and winter the rhizomes patiently feed upon sun, soil and rain. Short tendrils of roots dig deep into the earth. Then, when Spring taps them on the back, come the most beautiful and intricate works of art. Bursts of color, combinations and little fuzzy beards peep out as a feast for the eyes. A few weeks later, they will hunch down, curl up, and sleep. I find value in enjoying the pleasures of the seasons, watching things come and things go. Death, life, emerging, hibernating......it was all factored into nature by Elohim Creator. He found pleasure in the nature of things beginning and ending. When we do the same, a strong sense of season-patience comes with it. We desire to enjoy the beauty of today because it will not last forever. We learn to cherish and savor rather than do a Facebook post. I am learning this at the feet of the irises. I have 30 varieties now in my garden. I look forward to spring --- to see my symphony of colors sing for the first time in my garden. Paul wrote this wonderful verse of hope in Philippians 1 while in prison. The theme of the book is joy --- the word is used more per chapter than any other Bible book. Paul understood that he was in a season of chains, but he saw the road ahead and the glory that Christ promised to him. Paul used the words "will carry it on to completion". In the greek this means "to accomplish, perfect, to appoint to." What words of hope these are! God does the same garden-work in us. The minute we are saved and re-born we are not finished. God works in us slowly, just like the iris. Our blooming moment has not occurred --- but it will, when Christ comes and we see Him face to face. Our buds will open up in colors of praise, uplifted, stalks of righteousness planted in the earth of suffering and grace. Oh what a blooming day that will be!  Hebrews 10: 35-36 - So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.
Often much of our Christian life is spent focused on avoiding and confessing sin in our lives. We, through God's Spirit, are in a constant battle "putting on" and putting off" as St. Paul encouraged us in his epistles. We are trying leave worldliness, sin and selfishness behind. But what about leaving behind "good things"? Is there a place to say, "Yes, this is good but not good for me"? The older I get as a musician the more in demand I get from others for accompanying. I am needed for community choir, local shows, high school choir concerts, other church events, weddings, funerals, the list goes on. I cannot say yes to every music gig I am offered. I have to pick and choose which event will fit into my plate. I define my plate as "that which God has placed in my life for His glory at this time in my life." My plate has changed over the years: some years child-rearing and teaching full time was on my plate. Now that Jimmy is grown, taking care of my elderly mother is on my plate. That is the task God has called me to do. I used to teach piano, no I have a prison ministry. I realize that my plate is limited in scope and size. I cannot do everything and still keep my sanity and a right relationship before God. So I have to say no. No to good things sometimes....no to good people sometimes as well. This world offers many many distractions to keep us "busy" but not on the task God has given us. There are many wonderful attractions that try to keep us on "having a good time" but not "doing God's work". It takes a spiritual gaze to sort through life's choices and make the correct ones. Sometimes this involves leaving some good things and even people behind. I recently had to say no to a relationship that I had for many years. I realized that knowing this person had drained me rather than helped me, and that I was used in a way that was taking me from what God put on my plate. So I said good bye. It was hard, but it opened up new freedoms for me on my plate. Someone very wise told me recently, "With others, you can care but do not carry." That really struck me. I know my gift is of encouragement in the church, given to me by the Spirit of God in His infinite will. It is a great gift to know what my spiritual gift is and to utilize it. But I have found that there are needy folks who take kindness as an open door for them to spill toxic sludge into my life, or to pull me into their emergencies. I am learning, under God's patient direction, how to have guards to care for people around me, but to refuse to bear the weight of carrying them through something I simply can't handle. I hope that as you read this that you will discover that it's OK to have limits, to say no, and to focus on what God has placed in your life right now. I used a verse at this article's title from Hebrews. In Hebrews 10, the writer is encouraging persecuted Christians to stay the course even under great duress. I am taking this spiritual principle to also include those times when we have many "good" opportunities which tempt us to get off course in our God-given quests. The word "endurance" is found in verse 35. This word is also used by Paul in Romans 5:4 when he says, "endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope." As I look at what I fill my days with, I pray that I am filling them with what the Lord wants me to do. I do not want to be a plant with great leaves but no juicy fruit. I want to have sharp vision to stay on course with endurance, using healthy boundaries with those around me to do what God has called me to do. Jesus was perfect in following his Father's will. He was being told what to do all the time by the disciples---- things that did not honor God's will. They said, "Don't go to Jerusalem! They will kill you." They said, "The children are too much around Jesus ---- get rid of them." Both times Jesus chastised the disciples for telling him to do something that God did not call him to do. In the first instance, he said to Peter, "get behind me, Satan!" In the second instance he was indignant to the disciples and said, "Let the little children come unto me and do NOT despise them." That's pretty strong language. His boundaries were firm. He was hyper-focused on his calling to be the world's Savior. As I look to Christ, I realize that I must be just as vigilant in following God's call for my life too. The word "endurance" in Hebrews and Romans is the Greek feminine word "hypomone" which means, "patience, constancy, sustaining". So how do we stay true to God's calling with the hundreds of small choices we are given every day? Simple. Pray, stay close to God's word, and walk in the Spirit. He is always guiding and directing as we wonder "Do I say no or yes to this?" Pause.....trust God for the leading....and obey that leading. Know that this is a daily battle, but we are on the Lord's side. He will guide us. That's our comfort! Whatever God puts on your plate, guard it, feed it, pour yourself into it. God will give you the power to endure......for good.  God He knows "Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart be courageous. Wait for the LORD." Psalm 27:14
As I read letter from inmates all across the country, I see a common thread: that of waiting. Waiting for a court date, waiting for a facility change, waiting for a class to be completed, waiting to get out, waiting for a family member to call. Being in a cell only makes waiting seem more vibrant without the outside busy-ness of life distracting them. Life always seems to be in some kind of waiting room, doesn't it? Yes, we are called to live in the present, but there is always something "out there" that we anxiously wait upon. Waiting is a good thing. It doesn't feel good, but it is good. Why? Because we are helpless in waiting. In waiting, we trust in God to bring about His work in us. Waiting forces us to pray to Him, lean on Him, trust in Him. David wrote this Psalm while waiting for the throne that God promised him when Samuel anointed him back as a boy. That promise of God was a long time coming; years and much suffering later. David, a man after God's own heart, knew how to wait. Well, not always. Sometimes he fell terribly in waiting. But he knew to come back to God in repentance and fall upon his face to His Creator. Let's say he learned how to wait the hard way. We could write volumes on the study of waiting in Scripture. One of the big comforts about waiting is that God allowed Himself to wait. "In the fullness of time" Christ came (see Galatians 4:4). God waited for thousands of years, from His promise to Adam and Eve to defeat sin, for His plan to perfectly develop in His Son. Even Jesus waited...waited to show Himself, waited when He was attacked by leaders, waited for death to consume Him. He waited 3 days to be resurrected. He who created time became bound by it. In becoming human, Jesus became the participant of all humans: waiting. He knows what it feels like! The word "wait" comes from the Hebrew word "qava'". It refers to twisting, such as in making a large rope. Making a rope takes time. Sometimes it feels in waiting that we are being twisted and shaped --- it's a very intimate process of God in our lives. Note the photo of the twisted tree. This happened over years, not days. Small movements created the flow of the bark, while storms and heat attacked its waiting form. Note that the tree still grows upward, despite its twisted form. Waiting on the Lord is not a straight line --- it's a twisted path, where we cannot see what comes ahead. It's like flying blind. God understands this and never leaves us alone when waiting. God is often doing more than we can imagine when we are waiting. It feels inactive, but God is very active on our behalf. Note the word "LORD" which David uses. It is "Jehovah", the supreme name of God which reveals that He is all-existing. God uses this name for a reason. While we wait in life, time can feel twisted. It goes too slow, or it comes too fast. We can't speed up the clock --- we are prisoners to its ticking. God, in His love, gives us Himself, the Timeless One, to be with us in waiting. God, who transcends time, becomes our companion in the waiting room of life. What a joy and a comfort. David commands us to shift our focus: instead of waiting on the event, we wait upon the Lord. The great preacher Charles H. Spurgeon said, "If the Lord Jehovah makes us wait, let us do so with our whole hearts; for blessed are all they that wait for Him. He is worth waiting for. The waiting itself is beneficial to us: it tries faith, exercises patience, trains submission, and endears the blessing when it comes. The Lord’s people have always been a waiting people." As we wait for life's events, we are in an even larger waiting pattern with all of God's people: that of Christ's second return. This, according to Titus 2:13, is a living hope. "While we wait for the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ." This hope is not one that drains us but rather invigorates us. Knowing that our Lord is preparing a place for us and coming for us is the sunlight on the dark path of waiting. Waiting is a twisted activity --- but ultimately a glorious activity that God invites us into. He is in the waiting room with us --- our constant Companion of love. In the meantime, let us pray for one another, bring each other a cup of comfort as we all wait for that glorious day of new life and resurrection. Can I take a seat next to you?  John 2:1-11
On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. 3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6 Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons.[a] 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. 9 When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” 11 This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him. If you have ever worked at a large banquet or wedding, you know it is a tremendous amount of work. I helped "do" a wedding for a friend's daughter once --- I packed a van's worth of decor, punch bowls, food, drinks, forks, napkins, balloons and chairs to the venue....after unpacking, hoisting, unloading at the church, setting up tables for over one hundred guests, my mind continually raced. "What do I need to do next? What am I missing?" I bore this constant pang of "this must be perfect!" Those working behind the scenes of any major celebration know the pain of back, feet and arms.....there is never a moment to rest. Now take your mind to this Cana wedding. The servants have been working for days now, and the feast is on. Often these events would last a week. As fatigue set in, I'm sure morale sunk. "How much longer until all of this is over?" Then comes the ultimate failure: the wine is out. No more. Any source of wine would be miles away to procure. Not only was this a planning error, it was an insult to the bride and groom..... A master defeat that would mark this couples entire life. "Remember the wedding where they ran out of wine? How embarrassing!" people would say for years. To the servants in comes a woman who says, "Do whatever this man says." And she leaves. These are the last recorded words of Mary, Jesus' mother. What a wonderful way to be remembered. She tells others, "Do what this man says." She glorifies not herself but her Lord. I'm sure the servants thought, "Not one more task!" In comes Jesus. Then the task comes. It is not an easy one. They are instructed to fill six stone waterpots, each holding close to 30 gallons EACH. Where would servants magically find 160 plus gallons of drinking water? Then, have to hand-carry these gallons back to the pots. Not one more task! I can imagine the eye-casts they made at each other, silently sharing each others' thoughts. Let's add another geographical note: Cana is 700 feet higher than Capernaum on the Sea of Galilee. Not only was this a grueling task, it was all up-hill. The Bible tells us not how they did this or what help they used, only that they obeyed. I love this story of Christ's first miracle, as it's a wonderous revealing of His glory. John tells us this in verse 11 when he says, "Jesus manifested forth His glory". Who first saw this glory? Not the master of the feast, not the bride/groom, but the servants. The ones who bore the water. They were secret observers of God's glory, back behind dirty dishes and extra chairs. God's glory --- shown to the hired help. I love how John adds the detail "but the servants which drew the water knew..." When I am tired, already deeply entrenched in a stressful task, I often balk when God says, "Do whatever my Son tells you to do." I rub my tired eyes, clutch my tired back, and think, "Not one more up-hill task, Lord!" Then I think of these servants, who pushed through the strain and obeyed the stranger. They had no warning, but they had first-row tickets to Christ's glory. What a reward! How much more are we than these servants! We live in the age of grace, we know who this Stranger is. He is our Lord, the one whose love held him to a cross to bear our shame. Knowing this, when Christ asks us to bear his water, how can we refuse? Here is one more nugget from this story. John tells us after the miracle, when the Master praises the best-tasting wine, "...and His disciples believed on Him." We don't know how many disciples Jesus had at this point; it is only 3 days after his temptation in the wilderness. The obedience of the servants ushered in Christ's glory which resulted in belief from those around. Their obedience planted God-seeds in other's hearts. Often, when we obey the Lord, the results are observed by others. When His glory is revealed in our weakness, others see that and say, "It can only be from God! Praise Him!" Obedience is a wonderful and mysterious way God chooses to have His holy will observed. Looking at the story, Christ could have easily filled the jugs with wine without using the water. He can call anything from nothing. Instead He looked at the exhausted servants and said, "Fill these up." Christ loved to use the "something" of someone to bring about His glory. Remember that little boy with 5 loaves and 2 fishes? This was the first of 7 signs in John's Gospel. Each sign revealed Christ as the true Son of God, fully man and fully divine. Just as the lowly shepherds were the first to see the glory of Christ's birth, the lowly servants were the first to see the Lord's hand at work. The Lord is always using us, the rejected ones, to manifest his glory. The word "manifest" is the Greek word "semeion" which means a token of confirmation of a divine work or call. What is the key that unlocks this partnership with God? Obedience. When you are tasked with "Do all that your Master says", do not delay. It may be "one more task" on top of many ---- but God wishes to use you to manifest His glory so that others may believe. |
AuthorRochelle Felsburg is a music teacher, Church music director, teacher, pianist, hostess, gardener, and writer. She is a crazy cat lady. Most of all she's her husband's (Darren's) girlfriend! Archives
December 2025
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