Jesus, our willing Savior

Thank you LORD that you willingly offered your life and blood to pay for my sins.  I am eternally grateful, Lord. 

Text:   Romans 5:6-8  NIV 

6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

INSIGHTS: 

 While driving late at night, Nicholas saw a house on fire. He parked in the driveway, rushed into the burning home, and led four children to safety. When the teenage babysitter realized one of the siblings was still inside, she told Nicholas. Without hesitation, he reentered the inferno. Trapped on the second floor with the six-year-old girl, Nicholas broke a window. He jumped to safety with the child in his arms, just as emergency teams arrived at the scene. Choosing concern for others over himself, he rescued all the children.

Nicholas demonstrated heroism by his willingness to sacrifice his safety for the sake of others. This powerful act of love reflects the kind of sacrificial love shown by another willing rescuer who gave His life to deliver us from sin and death—Jesus. “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6). The apostle Paul emphasized that Jesus—fully God in the flesh and fully man—chose to lay His life down and pay the price for our sins, a price we could never pay on our own. “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (v. 8 ).

As we thank and trust Jesus, our willing Savior, He can empower us to love others sacrificially with our words and actions.

God provides restoration and healing.

Thank you LORD for your wonderful promise that you help us to regain strength, glory, healing and restoration even if we have failed in past jobs or work or have lost everything.  Even if sickness or old age have caused our bodies to fail.    Nothing is impossible with You.  You are kind and merciful and takes care of your children.  Dear LORD, please turn my ashes into beauty.

Text:  Isaiah 61: 1-4 

The Year of the Lord’s Favor 

61 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,

    because the Lord has anointed me

    to proclaim good news to the poor.

    He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

    to proclaim freedom for the captives

    and release from darkness for the prisoners,

2   to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor

    and the day of vengeance of our God,

    to comfort all who mourn,

3   and provide for those who grieve in Zion—

    to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,

    the oil of joy instead of mourning,

    and a garment of praise 

    instead of a spirit of despair.

    They will be called oaks of righteousness,

    a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.

4   They will rebuild the ancient ruins

    and restore the places long devastated;

    they will renew the ruined cities

    that have been devastated for generations.

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT

In the aftermath of the Marshall Fire, the most destructive fire in Colorado history, one ministry offered to help families search through the ashes for valuable items. Family members mentioned precious objects they hoped were still preserved. Very little was. One man spoke tenderly of his wedding ring. He’d placed it on his dresser in the upstairs bedroom. The house now gone, its contents had charred or melted into a single layer of debris at the basement level. Searchers looked for the ring in that same corner where the bedroom had been—without success.  

      The prophet Isaiah wrote mournfully of the impending destruction of Jerusalem, which would be leveled. Likewise, there are times we feel the life we’ve built has been reduced to ashes. We feel we have nothing left, emotionally and spiritually. But Isaiah offers hope: “He [God] has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted . . . to comfort all who mourn” (Isaiah 61:1–2). God converts our tragedy into glory: “[He will] bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes” (v. 3). He promises to “rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated” (v. 4).

      At that Marshall Fire site, one woman searched the ashes on the opposite side. There, still in its case, she unearthed the husband’s wedding ring. In your despair, God reaches into your ashes and pulls out the one truly precious thing. You.    By Kenneth Petersen

Commentary:  “The year of the Lord’s favor” (Isaiah 61:2) is a reference to the year of Jubilee, established by God in His instructions to Moses (Leviticus 25:8–28). After every six years of farming, the people were to let their fields lie fallow for a sabbath year (vv. 2–7). God intended Jubilee to take place after every seven sets of sabbath years—after every forty-nine years. During Jubilee, all slaves were to be freed, all debts forgiven, and land that had been sold was to be returned to its original owners. Scholars debate how often Jubilee was practiced as there is little mention of it in Scripture or other historical writings. 

     Jesus read from Isaiah 61:1–4 in the synagogue at Nazareth (Luke 4:16–19). At that time, He said, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (v. 21). Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law the people disregarded.  by Tim Gustafson

FROM ME:  TThank you LORD for your wonderful promise that you help us to regain strength, glory and restoration even if we have failed in past jobs or work or have lost everything. Nothing is impossible with You.  You are kind and merciful and takes care of your children.  Dear LORD, please turn my ashes into beauty.

God wants us to love and serve others.

Thank you LORD for remding me that You want us to care and love others, especially the brethren, and to help the needy. Please help me and provide for my needs, as I also help other people.  Give me the strength and energy and wisdom, as I go about organizing and prearing for the meeting of this people's association for tomorrow.  Thank you LORD.  Heavenly Father, help me to honor You by striving to truly know and love others.

Text:  2 Samuel 9: 1-13    NIV

David and Mephibosheth  

1 David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”

2 Now there was a servant of Saul’s household named Ziba. They summoned him to appear before David, and the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?”

“At your service,” he replied.

3 The king asked, “Is there no one still alive from the house of Saul to whom I can show God’s kindness?”

Ziba answered the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is lame in both feet.”

4 “Where is he?” the king asked.

Ziba answered, “He is at the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar.”

5 So King David had him brought from Lo Debar, from the house of Makir son of Ammiel.

6 When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed down to pay him honor.

David said, “Mephibosheth!”  

“At your service,” he replied.

7 “Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.”

8 Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?”

9 Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul’s steward, and said to him, “I have given your master’s grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family. 10 You and your sons and your servants are to farm the land for him and bring in the crops, so that your master’s grandson may be provided for. And Mephibosheth, grandson of your master, will always eat at my table.” (Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)

11 Then Ziba said to the king, “Your servant will do whatever my lord the king commands his servant to do.” So Mephibosheth ate at David’s[a] table like one of the king’s sons. 

12 Mephibosheth had a young son named Mika, and all the members of Ziba’s household were servants of Mephibosheth. 13 And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king’s table; he was lame in both feet.

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT: 

In the powerful article “Does My Son Know You?” sportswriter Jonathan Tjarks wrote of his battle with terminal cancer and his desire for others to care well for his wife and young son. The thirty-four-year-old wrote the piece just six months prior to his death. Tjarks, a believer in Jesus whose father had died when he was a young adult, shared Scriptures that speak of care for widows and orphans (Exodus 22:22; Isaiah 1:17; James 1:27). And in words directed to his friends, he wrote, “When I see you in heaven, there’s only one thing I’m going to ask—Were you good to my son and my wife? . . . Does my son know you?”

King David wondered if there was “anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom [he could] show kindness for [his dear friend] Jonathan’s sake” (2 Samuel 9:1). A son of Jonathan, Mephibosheth, who was “lame in both feet” (v. 3) due to an accident (see 4:4), was brought to the king. David said to him, “I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table” (9:7). David showed loving care for Mephibosheth, and it’s likely that in time the king truly got to know him (see 19:24–30).  

Jesus has called us to love others just as He loves us (John 13:34). As He works in and through us, let’s truly get to know and love them well.

By Tom Felten

COMMENTARY:  David and Jonathan offer a glimpse of what a true friendship looks like. Though Jonathan was King Saul’s son, he sought to protect David from the king’s irrational anger and bitter hatred. Upon hearing news of Jonathan’s death, David wrote of the pain, loss, and despair over the death of a dear friend. Yet, even during his grief for Jonathan, he also grieved over Saul (2 Samuel 1:24). Saul had pursued David like a common criminal, but David still grieved the king’s death.   by Bill Crowder

REFLECT & PRAY:  Thank you LORD for remding me that You want us to care and love others, especially the brethren, and to help the needy. Please help me and provide for my needs, as I also help other people.  Give me the strength and energy and wisdom, as I go about organizing and prearing for the meeting of this people's association for tomorrow.  Thank you LORD.  Heavenly Father, help me to honor You by striving to truly know and love others.

God can heal our deepest hurts and pains

LORD, thank you for showing to me the deep anguish and deep hurts of David. How he turned his sorrows into a deep conviction that God hears him. God healed David. Thank you LORD that we can also have the same experience.  We can be healed and comforted when we also suffer from pain, anguish and sorrow.  Thank you LORD.   Heavenly Father, give me courage to express my deepest pain and to welcome Your presence and healing into my situation.  

Text:  Psalm 6  NIV 

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. According to sheminith. A psalm of David.

1 Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger

    or discipline me in your wrath.

2 Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am faint;

    heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony.

3 My soul is in deep anguish.

    How long, Lord, how long?

4 Turn, Lord, and deliver me;

    save me because of your unfailing love.

5 Among the dead no one proclaims your name.

    Who praises you from the grave?  

6 I am worn out from my groaning.

  All night long I flood my bed with weeping

    and drench my couch with tears.

7 My eyes grow weak with sorrow;

    they fail because of all my foes.

8 Away from me, all you who do evil,

    for the Lord has heard my weeping.

9 The Lord has heard my cry for mercy;

    the Lord accepts my prayer.

10 All my enemies will be overwhelmed with shame and anguish;

    they will turn back and suddenly be put to shame.

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT

“Most people carry scars that others can’t see or understand.” Those deeply honest words came from Major League Baseball player Andrelton Simmons, who opted out of the end of the 2020 regular season due to mental health struggles. Reflecting on his decision, Simmons felt he needed to share his story to encourage others facing similar challenges and to remind others to show compassion. 

     Invisible scars are those deep hurts and wounds that can’t be seen but still cause very real pain and suffering. In Psalm 6, David wrote of his own deep struggle—penning painfully raw and honest words. He was “in agony” (v. 2) and “deep anguish” (v. 3). He was “worn out” from groaning, and his bed was drenched with tears (v. 6). While David doesn’t share the cause of his suffering, many of us can relate to his pain.

     We can also be encouraged by the way David responded to his pain. In the midst of his overwhelming suffering, he cried out to God. Honestly pouring out his heart, he prayed for healing (v. 2), rescue (v. 4), and mercy (v. 9). Even with the question “How long?” (v. 3) lingering over his situation, David remained confident that God “heard [his] cry for mercy” (v. 9) and would act in His time (v. 10).

Because of who our God is, there is always hope.  

By Lisa M. Samra

Commentrary:    The superscription to Psalm 6 tells us it was written by David, but we’re not given any information about what prompted him to pen this poem. The Bible Knowledge Commentary says, “This is one of the penitential psalms. David had been suffering from some illness that brought him near death. It’s difficult to associate this psalm, however, with any known event in his life.”  

      A penitential psalm is a song of repentance, where the singer pleads for forgiveness (see vv. 2, 4), but Psalm 6 also carries the strong overtones of lament, as David sorrows over his treatment at the hands of his enemies. And for this, he also seeks God’s grace and mercy. Even though we don’t know the specific events surrounding its writing, the psalm is deeply personal, as the author bares his soul to God and the world.   by Bill Crowder

FROM ME:  LORD, thank you for showing to me the deep anguish and deep hurts of David. How he turned his sorrows into a deep conviction that God hears him. God healed David. Thank you LORD that we can also have the same experience.  We can be healed and comforted when we also suffer from pain, anguish and sorrow.  Thank you LORD.   Heavenly Father, give me courage to express my deepest pain and to welcome Your presence and healing into my situation.

Posted January 4, 2024

The church leaders should focus their energies on teaching, and preaching.

Thank you LORD for reminding me that the church leaders should focus their energies on teaching, preaching and public reading of the Scriptures. It is is the best antidote against false teachings and false old wives tales.  Help me to become a part of that church ministry of the church, to propagate correct biblical teachings to counteract the false teachings that abound in our days. 

Text:  1 Timothy 4: 6-16 NIV 

6 If you point these things out to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished on the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed.  

7 Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. 

8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. 

9 This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. 

10 That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe.

11 Command and teach these things. 

12 Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. 

13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. 

14 Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you.

15 Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. 

16 Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.

SCRIPTURE INSIGHTS:

Eric heard about Jesus’ love for him while in his early twenties. He started attending church where he met someone who helped him grow to know Christ better. It wasn’t long before Eric’s mentor assigned him to teach a small group of boys at church. Through the years, God drew Eric’s heart to help at-risk youth in his city, to visit the elderly, and to show hospitality to his neighbors—all for God’s honor. 

Now in his late fifties, Eric explains how grateful he is that he was taught early to serve: “My heart overflows to share the hope I’ve found in Jesus. What could be better than to serve Him?”

Timothy was a child when his mother and grandmother influenced him in his faith (2 Timothy 1:5). And he was likely a young adult when he met the apostle Paul, who saw potential in Timothy’s service for God and invited him on a ministry journey (Acts 16:1–3). Paul became his mentor in ministry and life. He encouraged him to study, to be courageous as he faced false teaching, and to use his talents in service to God (1 Timothy 4:6–16).

Why did Paul want Timothy to be faithful in serving God? He wrote, “Because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people” (v. 10). Jesus is our hope and the Savior of the world. What could be better than to serve Him?   By Anne Cetas

COMMENTARY:  Paul’s letters to Timothy include quite a few challenges to stop false teaching in its tracks (1 Timothy 4:1–7; 6:2–5; 2 Timothy 2:14–19). In his first letter, Paul gives Timothy the tools he wants the young pastor to use in dealing with falsehoods: “Devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching” (1 Timothy 4:13).  

By keeping the Scriptures front and center in the churches that Timothy served, he offered an antidote to the “godless myths and old wives’ tales” (v. 7) that seemed to always plague the churches. Timothy’s best defense against incorrect doctrine was Scripture itself (2 Timothy 3:16).  BY Jed Ostoich

FROM ME:  Thank you LORD for reminding me that the church should focus its energies on teaching, preaching and public reading of the Scriptures. It is is the best antidote against false teachings and false old wives tales.  Help me to become a part of that ministry of the church, to propagate correct biblical teachings to counteract the false teachings that abound in our days. 

Posted January 3, 2023

We are God's workmanship

Lord, help me to see the various ways that I, as God’s artwork, have become dimmed.  Tell me LORD my weaknesses.  I am always easily tempted and I easily fall into sin.  Help me LORD to resist the Devil and flee away from temptations.  Help me LORD to become the art work that You intended me to be.  Praise the LORD. 

Text:  Epheisans 2: 1-10 NIV 

Made Alive in Christ  

2 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 

2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 

3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 

4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 

5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 

6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 

7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 

9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 

10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT:

Writing in The Atlantic, author Arthur C. Brooks tells of his visit to the National Palace Museum in Taiwan, which contains one of the largest collections of Chinese art in the world.  

The museum guide asked, “What do you think of when I ask you to imagine a work of art yet to be started?” Brooks said, “An empty canvas, I guess.” The guide replied, “There’s another way to view it: The art already exists, and the job of artists is simply to reveal it.”

In Ephesians 2:10, the word handiwork, sometimes translated as “workmanship” or “masterpiece,” is from the Greek word poiēma, from which we derive our word poetry. God has created us as works of art, living poems. However, our art has become obscured: “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins” (v. 1). To paraphrase the words of the museum guide, “The art [of us] is already there, and it’s the job of the Divine Artist to reveal it.” Indeed, God is restoring us, His masterpieces: “God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive” (vv. 4–5).

As we go through challenges and difficulties, we might take comfort in knowing that the Divine Artist is at work: “It is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose” (Philippians 2:13). Know that God is working in you to reveal His masterpiece.   By Kenneth Petersen 

COMMENTARY:  Ephesians 2:1–10 contains three significant shifts. First, Paul speaks of a shift from death to life: “Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions” (vv. 4–5). The second shift is connected to the first. When we were brought from death to life, our actions changed. We shifted from following “the ways of this world” (v. 2), being “disobedient” (v. 2), and “gratifying the cravings of our flesh” (v. 3) to “good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (v. 10). Finally, Paul switches between the second person you and the first person us. This unites all who call on the name of Jesus into one family. by J.R. Hudberg

FROM ME:  Lord, help me to see the various ways that I, as God’s artwork, have become dimmed.  Tell me LORD my weaknesses.  I am always easily tempted and I easily fall into sin.  Help me LORD to resist the Devil and flee away from temptations.  Help me LORD to become the art work that You intended me to be.  Praise the LORD.