All This Waiting Around

 

But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.

The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

2 Peter 3:8-9

We are by nature impatient.  We do not like to wait. Waiting makes us worry.  Worrying makes us uneasy and sometimes crabby and sometimes sick to our stomach.  But what do we know about what God says about His time line?  

We know this.  God's time line is designed for the best for all of us.  Not just you or me - but for all of us.

So, while we wait, we can trust that God's plan is in action and it will result in a good outcome for us and others.   

Top Two Commandments

 

One of the scribes came and heard them arguing and recognizing that He (Jesus) had answered them well, asked Him, “What commandment is foremost of all?”

Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’”

“The second is, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Mark 12:28-31

Imagine that, we are to love God and we are to love our neighbors as ourselves.  Two simple commandments.  The first is easy but the second is difficult for us.  We all have people we do not like, yet God commands us to love them.  

I think what God has in mind is that good human relations result in a better world.  It is a tall order, but as we strive to love those who we don't like, we show those people and those around us the true meaning of being a Christian - not being right, but being humble and acknowledging that all people deserve to be loved and cared for.  

So, when someone rubs us the wrong way, instead of lashing out we can choose to say nothing or simply acknowledge their feeling and move on with hurling mean words.  

 

Palm Sunday

They took palm branches and went out to meet Him, shouting, "Hosanna!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Blessed is the king of Israel!"

John 12:13

Jesus did not hide from His enemies; He boldly came into the city and was received with joy and honor by those who had heard of His mercy and love and good works.

Jesus did this knowing that in only a few days everything would change and He would be charged, convicted and crucified for our sins.

Let us remember today that being a Christian is not about being comfortable, it is about doing what we are called to do by God. We may think that God requires a lot from us, but it is nothing compared to what He did for us when He sent His Son, Jesus, to deliver us from our sins.

Celebrate the love of God and boldly proclaim Jesus as the Savior of the world.

 

The Best Fringe Benefits Package

 

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

And all that is within me bless His holy name.

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

And forget not His benefits;

Who pardons all your iniquities,

Who heals all your diseases,

Who redeems your life from the pit,

Who crowns you with loving kindness and compassion;

Who satisfies your years with good things;

So that your youth is restored like the eagle.

Psalm 103:1-5

When we go looking for a job, we look for good fringe benefits - health insurance, vacation time, a retirement plan and other goodies - that can make our life easier.  Good as these sound, they can not compare to the benefits God offers us.

We are blessed hundreds and hundreds of times by God.  Psalm 103's declaration of the benefits of serving God just touches the surface of all the things God does for us. The writer recognizes that even though our sins have been pardoned by God, we sometimes fall into sin and declares that it is God who “redeems us from the pit.”

And, when we are feeling tired and worn God will restore us.

God's offers us the best fringe benefits package, think about that.

The Greatest Among Us

 

But the greatest among you shall be your servant.  

Matthew 23:11

We see many people working to be number one, the best of the best, smarter than anyone else, rich and powerful, believing that these things will result in them being the GOAT - Greatest of All Time.  And, these people will not hesitate to tell you that this is their ambition and that anyone settling for less is just not working hard enough at life.

But I will tell you what I am seeing.  I have a family member who is recovering from a serious illness at a nursing home.  The people who work there are the hardest working people we have ever seen and they do their work with kindness and without complaint.  They are affectionate and caring.  They will not ever become rich or famous - but they are clearly the greatest among us.

When we encounter people who are serving us, be it the custodian who sweeps the halls or a fast food worker who brings our food or a cashier or a bus driver or any of a hundred others whose service makes our life easier, we should thank them for helping us because Jesus says they are the greatest. 

   

 

God Is With You

 

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41:10.

When we face the unknown, it is only natural that we have some fear.  But God promises us that He is with us to encourage us and strengthen us.  God holds on to us.  

Be brave, God is with you.

Not Guity, Forgiven

 

As far as the east is from the west,

So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

Just as a father has compassion on his children,

So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.

Psalm 103:12-13

We are a guilty people.  From the day we are old enough to understand, guilt is heaped upon us.  We are guilty of being selfish for not sharing.  We are guilty of talking out of turn.  We are guilty of running when we should walk.  We are guilty of calling in sick when we are not ill.  Even if we apologize and try to make things right, in the eyes of the many people, we are still guilty.

 

And, probably the worst guilt is the guilt we heap on ourselves because of our shortcomings of which we are all too aware. 

But when we come to God, He looks at us and says, “Not guilty, forgiven.”  God forgives our sins and He forgets them.  Our sins are gone forever, because God is compassionate. 

What we cannot get from man, God freely gives us through His Son, Jesus.  When we ask Jesus to forgive us and be our Lord, Master and Savior, God washes us clean of our sin and we are forgiven.