Shine Brightly!
Father, first of all, I want to praise You for Your hand upon the last few days – You have brought us through. And I would ask that we would defer to You as we move forward. Our strength is found in You. Guide us and direct us along our way. Amen.
Luke 8:16-17 (<<click to read the passage)
I drive a 2008 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck. I’m getting close to 170,000 miles on it, but it still runs well and really hasn’t given me too many problems since I got it.
If you look closely at my picture, you will notice that my headlights look different. As you can see the one is relatively clear whereas the other one is dull and cloudy. Some years ago, the bulb went out on the one and had to be replaced. When the mechanic did it, he accidentally broke part of it. Being their fault, they replaced the whole assembly – so, a bright and shiny new headlight!
Just a couple of years ago the other light blew and though I hoped I would have a similar outcome, alas it was not to be. A new bulb but the same old headlight.
As you might guess, the clear headlight shines much more brightly than the cloudy one.
So, that brings up the question, in light of today’s passage from Luke, how do I shine? Jesus said in Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV),
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
To keep my light shining brightly I must maintain an ongoing intimate relationship with Jesus. Remember He makes everything new when we are in relationship with Him. The Apostle Paul encourages us to,
Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. Ephesians 4:24 (NLT)
If I don’t maintain that relationship, things of this world can begin to affect how my light shines. The world inevitably begins to cloud over my light and unlike God, I begin to be less righteous and holy as He calls me to be. I become more and more ineffective in broadcasting the light I am given into the world.
When I typed in the phrase “You are the light of the world” on Google a song popped up that I haven’t sung in twenty years! When I served as a Children’s Pastor way back when, we sang several songs from Steve Green’s Hide ‘em in Your Heart album. It was a collection of children’s songs taken straight from the Bible. For your listening pleasure, here is a link to listen to You Are the Light of the World from Matthew 5:14 & 16!
“…let your light shine before others…!
Mar 15th, 2020, Sun, 7:26 pm
Being There
Well, Father, today has definitely not gone as planned. May Your hand be upon us all. Amen.
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
When we woke up, not a single one of us, thought we would be where we are. My wife took her mom to a doctor’s appointment, which eventually became a trip to the emergency room, and now they are waiting for a room to open up at the hospital. We are praying for things to move forward so that she will hopefully be discharged sometime tomorrow, much better off than she is now.
Her dad stayed home, thinking they would probably be back in time for lunch. He was fine through the day but really needs someone with him at night, so here I am. It’s no big deal – it’s just the comfort of having someone here…just in case.
Family. You can choose your mate but none of us really has a choice in regard to the families into which we are born. We have choices after that but definitely not in the beginning.
Some families look spit-polish perfect but absolutely no family even comes close. But as God can take each of us – taking the imperfect – and helps us on our journey to perfection. After time is no more, those of us who have accepted God’s gift of forgiveness and salvation will be perfect.
And with that said, God is at work within us so that we can take even imperfect situations and work in them. None of us chooses to place ourselves in these difficult circumstances. Many of us are blessed with families that give their all, to be there and do what is needed for those we love…regardless of cost.
In our younger years, we had our share of difficulties. And our family was there for us for each and every one.
At this point in their lives, my in-laws are dealing with some difficulties. And we are here for them.
That’s what love does. God gave His all so we could be reconciled in our relationship with Him. And following His example, we, as families, give of ourselves to each other – loving each other – through thick and thin…in good times and bad.
Lord Jesus, help us to serve one another in love. May families that serve You be shining examples of what Your love does for us. Amen.
Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. 1 Peter 3:8 (NLT)
Mar 12th, 2020, Thurs, 9:33 pm
Soil Makes All the Difference
It’s a psalm kind of day!
Come, let us worship and bow down.
….Let us kneel before the Lord our maker,
….for he is our God.
We are the people he watches over,
….the flock under his care. Psalm 95:6-7 (NLT)
Luke 8:4-15 (<<click to read the passage)
We love clematises! They are beautiful and some people’s get really big, covering trellises. We have tried planting them in a couple of areas of our lot and they just won’t grow! They put forth a little foliage but don’t bloom and eventually even the foliage dies off. We have tried several pieces of advice on how to care for them but to no avail.
I think our biggest problem is the soil which underlays our lot. We have a couple of inches of topsoil but underneath the topsoil is clay! And one thing clay is bad about it not letting water escape – it just lays there! I checked out a website with advice on how to get clematis to thrive and one thing they stressed was, “clematis does not appreciate having its feet in standing water.” Truly, soil makes all the difference!
And in regard to Jesus’ parable from the passage, we started with yesterday, “soil” makes all the difference in the receptivity of the Good News of the Gospel. If the “seed” does not land in good soil it will not do well.
My study Bible* has a wonderful paragraph along this line of thought.
“Footpath” people, like many of the religious leaders, refuse to believe God’s message. “Rocky soil” people like many in the crowds who followed Jesus, believe his message but never get around to doing anything about it. “Thorn patch” people overcome by worries and the lure of materialism, leave no room in their lives for God. “Good soil” people, in contrast to all the other groups, follow Jesus no matter what the cost. Which type of soil are you?”
Lord Jesus, may we be receptive to Your word for our lives. And as we take up the responsibility to sow the seed of Your word to the world around us may we be diligent and not lose heart. You are constantly working on clearing off the overgrown acres of our lives, hauling off the stones, mowing down the thorns. Soil that is hard as rock can be broken up by Your love and compassion. May we never give up on sowing the seed. Amen.
*New Living Translation Life Application Study Bible
Mar11th, 2020, Wed, 12:32 pm
Do You Want to Hear?
I can proclaim, Father, that You truly are a God who answers prayers! You are almighty! You care for us and have great compassion for us! Though the future is uncertain, we can place our trust in You. Whatever the future holds You remain our immovable Rock! Hallelujah!
Luke 8:4-15 (<<click to read the passage)
One of the most challenging things for a school bus driver to accomplish is to get students to understand and then act accordingly. I comment frequently about the struggles of dealing with my younger students, but my older ones can be a challenge, as well.
Yesterday, I had had it! Two high school guys, no matter how many times I tell them, choose to do their own thing and will not listen! In the mornings – I am sure they are not innocent! – but they really give me no grief. But in the afternoon! They make up for lost time! They are amongst the first half of my drop-offs, so they are not on too awfully long, but every day I have to tell them to sit down. Usually not just once but two, three or more times! That is ridiculous! They are freshmen in high school. If they began riding the bus in kindergarten, this would be their tenth year on a school bus…they know the rules!
We were on a back county road and I had just told them to sit (for one of them, it was already his second time in like 15 minutes!) and they totally ignored me! There was zero traffic, so I stopped right there and laid into them both! I didn’t even pick up the on-bus mic and just bellowed for all the bus to hear! They, of course, sit clear in the back. And boy, they sat that time and didn’t get up until they were getting off the bus!
In this passage from Luke 8, Jesus taught with short stories – parables. He taught this way quite often. He purposely did this so that those who truly wanted to hear, would dig to understand. He wasn’t purposely trying to hide things from His listeners but, as is the case with all people, if they don’t really want to learn they are not going to. Some of his listeners may just not have cared about what He had to say and some of them just were not interested in putting forth the effort to learn from Him. It was just easier to stay right where they were.
One other point here is that even those who struggle to learn can learn and do learn when they are given incentive and encouragement. My wife, Karen, is a great teacher! She can motivate even the most challenged of students to do well. In first grade, you learn to read and many have surpassed even what they thought they could accomplish and have discovered the joy of reading.
God has given us the seed to sow – the Good News of Jesus’ free gift of salvation. Our responsibility is to sow. We cannot control the receptivity of those who hear. But we must be faithful. We can also strive to sow in such a way that motivates our listeners to take to heart what we proclaim.
Lord Jesus, give us a burden for the lost. May we not turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to Your heartfelt pleas!
Mar 10th, 2020, Tues, 12:38 pm
Women
Dear Father, there are many things upon my heart of grave importance. May Your hand be in it all. Guide and direct it all within Your will. Amen.
Luke 8:1-3 (<<click to read the passage)
Women. Where would we be without them? Well, for one thing, we wouldn’t be. Period.
You may not be aware but yesterday (Sunday, March 8th) was International Women’s Day. The first National Woman’s Day was celebrated in the United States in 1909 when 15,000 women went on strike in New York City to protest poor working conditions, bad pay, and to demand the right to vote. A lot has been accomplished on behalf of women in the last 100-plus years but there are still many things to be overcome…grievous things.
As I watched a couple of videos in regard to this annual recognition, I heard several referrals to statistics of the abuse, neglect and victimization women are made to endure. As I further looked online there was a huge volume of information about the plight of many. Here is one paragraph that I read.
And that was in the United States. Internationally, it is far, far worse. It is overwhelming! As I read, it got to the point where I just didn’t even know where to begin!
So why do I speak of these things? We need to be aware of them. But I want to stress that I am not making a political statement of some sort at all. I am responding to God’s word. In today’s passage, Luke makes a point to make us aware that Jesus included women amongst those that He “took…with him…”
At this time in Jewish culture that just didn’t happen! My study Bible* states matter-of-factly that “women were not supposed to learn from rabbis.”
Now maybe you are thinking, “Well, that’s a bit of a stretch, isn’t it? Jumping from women who are not supposed to learn to men murdering their partners?”
Is it though? Any mentality that places anyone on a lower plain of value eventually leads to a downward spiral of neglect and abuse.
Again, if it were not for women, none of us would be here! So why do we find it so easy to tread them underfoot. A portion of a wedding ceremony I have used comes to mind.
In the consummation of the first marriage, the woman whom God made as a helpmate for man was not taken from his head to rule over him, nor from his feet to be trampled by him, but rather from his side that she might be his equal, from under his arm that she might receive his protection, and from near his heart that she might own and command his love.
Jesus made a point to show His love and acceptance of women. His example showed us that they were not subordinates but partners, companions, helpmates. With the Lord’s enablement, may we strive to end the abuse, neglect, and victimization of women at home and abroad! Instead, may we love, honor, and cherish them as did our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Mar 9th, 2020, Mon, 12:49 pm
*New Living Translation Life Application Study Bible