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Led the Right Way

Psalm 107:1-9, Colossians 3:1-11 Psalm 107 talks about people wandering in desert waste finding no satisfaction for their thirst and their hunger. When they cry out in their distress God delivers them by leading them a straight way to where there are inhabitants and they can quench their hunger and thirst. This could easily be a metaphor for the spiritual life. Sometimes we succumb to a desert of the soul – the desert wastes talking about going the wrong way in life seeking things that bring no lasting satisfaction. These desert wastes are told of in Colossians 3. Paul tells us to put to death the earthly things that keep us from God. These are immorality, impurity, passion, evil desires, greed, anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive language. Instead in order to reach true fulfillment for what you truly hunger and thirst for you need to clothe yourself – seek the right path of the new self in Christ. This new self is being renewed in the knowledge of its creator. We have the...
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Good Gifts Given

Psalm 85:7-13, Luke 11:5-13 In Psalm 85 the psalmist talks about the good gifts God will give. These include salvation, steadfast love, faithfulness, and peace. It tells how the Lord will give what is good so their land will increase in its yields. Our passage in Luke follows the Lord’s Prayer and tells a parable about waking up one’s neighbor asking for bread for your guests. Though they refuse at first due to your persistence they will give you what you need. Jesus tells the disciples to ask and it shall be given to you, search and it will be found (The Lord helps me a lot with this one when I look for something I’ve misplaced). Then knock and the door will be opened. He repeats this by saying everyone who asks will receive, everyone who searches finds, and everyone who knocks on the door it will be opened. We are told to ask for good things to be given to you. Search for the right path and God as Holy Spirit will help you find it. Then knock on the doors of opportunities and t...
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Choosing the Better Part

Luke 10:38-42, Colossians 1:15-28 In our Luke passage we have the familiar story of Mary and Martha. Mary is sitting at Jesus’ feet listening to what he was saying while Martha is busy in the kitchen. When she complains to Christ about Mary not helping, trying to use his authority to get her to work, Jesus replies quite differently. He tells Martha that she is worried and distracted by many things. Only one thing here is important and he says Mary has chosen the better part. This better part is told in detail by the apostle Paul in Colossians. Christ is said to be the image of the invisible God. All things were created not only through him but for him. Was creation made so that Christ could become human and bring salvation? Since he is the first born of the dead he has first place in everything. Through him salvation was accomplished – making peace through the blood of his cross. From this we have been reconciled in his fleshly body death so we can present ourselves holy and blamel...
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Healing of Flesh and Heart

II Kings 5:1-14, Psalm 30 The great man and commander of Aram’s army, Naaman, could conquer anything except his skin disease. When he hears from a young girl captive that the prophet in Israel could heal him he sends money to the king of Israel with the message that he might cure him. But alas the king tears his clothes knowing he can’t do it, scared this might cause a quarrel between the countries. But when Elisha hears of this he sends a message to the king saying, “Let him come to me so that he can learn there is a prophet in Israel.” So, he goes to him with great fanfare – horses and chariots but Elisha doesn’t bother to greet him but sends a messenger with directions of what he must do to be healed. Naaman becomes angry at Elisha for not greeting him and performing what he was expecting. Instead, he gives strange but simple instructions. Naaman goes away in a rage but the servants again come to his rescue. If he was asked to do something difficult wouldn’t he have done it, how...
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The Mantle of Living by the Spirit

II Kings 2:1-2, 6-14; Galatians 5:1,13-25 Few people realize that our expression of “passing down the mantle” comes from this story in II Kings about Elijah passing on his prophetic role to Elisha. An insecure Elisha asks for a double share of Elijah’s spirit – perhaps his power which isn’t up to Elijah but to God. Elijah is lifted to heaven in a chariot – thus he never dies. So, he appears again at the Transfiguration and Jewish tradition leaves an empty chair at Passover for Elijah. By picking up the mantle Elijah has dropped, Elisha has the power with it to part the Jordan like Elijah did. Many think this mantle merely brought power to do the miraculous, yet I believe it brought a share of the spirit of Elijah that Elisha had wished for. Hopefully, the Spirit brought love shown in the fruits of the Spirit told of in our Galatians passage. Our passage in Galatians tells us we are no longer slaves to the law but are called to freedom. This shouldn’t be used for self-indulgence, ...
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Disquieted Souls

  I Kings 19:1-15, Psalm 42 Elijah has had his life threatened, so he runs for his life. He feels like a failure as a prophet. The Israelites have forsaken God’s covenant, thrown down the altars, and has killed God’s prophets. This failure is felt so deep that he asks the Lord to take his life. The Lord’s answer? God sends an angel to feed the fatigued Elijah. Talk about super food! After he eats and rests two times he has enough energy to last a forty-day journey to Horeb where he comes to a cave to rest. It is then the word of the Lord comes to him asking him, “What are you doing here?” To which Elijah voices his complaint, basically: “I’m the only faithful one left and they are seeking my life.” In response God tells him to stand on the mountain before the Lord since God will pass by. Then comes the wonderful passage of where Elijah finds God. It is not in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire, but in the sheer silence. In this silence God directs him to return to the wild...
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God’s Love Poured into our Hearts

  John 16:12-15, Romans 5:1-5 In John 16 Jesus tells his disciples about the Holy Spirit who is to come. The Spirit is referred here as the Spirit of Truth since it will guide them into all truth. The Spirit will glorify Jesus since it will take what Jesus is and declare it to them. Where did Jesus get this truth? He got it from the Father. So, in a roundabout way Jesus receives it from the Father, the Holy Spirit receives it from Jesus, and we receive it from the Holy Spirit. Romans 5 goes on to tell us another wonderous thing the Holy Spirit does. The Spirit will pour God’s love into our hearts. It tells us also what we have received through Christ. We have peace with God due to Christ’s work on the cross and our faith which has justified us. We have also obtained access to grace. This is what Paul stood firm in so he could boast in his afflictions. He has been guided into this truth by the Holy Spirit. He basically reframes the sufferings he is enduring by telling of the b...
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