Trusting When it is Hard

 Matthew 18     Psalm 116     1 Samuel 13-14

Children will take us at our word and believe almost anything we tell them until they discover that sometimes they have been misled. When Jesus took a child on his lap, he was challenging his followers to trust him like a child trusts and until we have that level of trust, we will not understand the kingdom of heaven. If you want to be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, make sure when God and Jesus see you trusting them like a child trusts their parent. He is not talking just about children but those that are immature on the faith journey and learning to trust God. He also warns that those that put a stumbling block before the immature even though it is going to happen. Followers of Jesus must make sure they are not the stumbling blocks.

We are to eliminate those things that lead us away from God and to invest time and energy into spreading the Word seeking out those that do not know. Note that Jesus doesn’t make the rest of the flock less valuable in seeking the one that is lost. The shepherd and friends celebrate the one that was found only because that was the one that had the need at the time.

There is a progressive way to address the sin in the life of another. I notice that those that are added into to address the sin also have to examine their motives and be of one mind before they take the next step. Jesus gives his followers great power, but it comes with even greater responsibility to be in agreement and to seek God’s will continually. Jesus promises when we gather in his name, he is in the middle of us. We need to remember when we gather in his name, we are gathering to bring glory to his name and not ours.

One of the most powerful images in this reading today is about forgiving with abundance as God forgives us with abundance so we are called to offer forgiveness to others, so they experience God like love through us. How often do we want to destroy someone because we see their sin and get angry after God has offered and we have received such great grace?

Todays song points out we love the Lord because He hears us whether we call out in praise, fear, frustration or even anger. The Lord works through the simple things in our life and it is when we are brought low that he can save us. Because we have been offered salvation, saving from our destructive ways, we can see ourselves as precious in his sight. It is a proclamation that we will offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving and keep our word before the Lord for He is worthy of our praise.

God’s timing is often very different than ours. Saul was 30 years old when he was declared king of Israel because the people were not happy with God as their ruler. Now Saul would be responsible to God for them. As we have seen throughout the Biblical story God often puts us in a place of deciding to if we will trust God or take on a role that is not ours. Saul has been made leader of the people, Samuel is the spiritual leader and the one that speaks for God, a prophet. Saul is waiting to Samuel to come and give him direction from God but loses patience when Samuel doesn’t come as expected. As Saul sees people leaving him, he panics and takes on Saul’s role and the cost is loss of the kingdom. However, it is important to note that he will rule for years to come but never again with the blessing of the Lord and the kingdom is slowly removed from him as we will see.

In the meantime, his son, Jonathan, is trusting in the Lord and looking for ways to live out that faith. Knowing that numbers and power mean nothing to God and he can do incredible things when we trust God he goes to the enemy camp and wins a relatively small battle that create fear in the camp of the enemy. At the same time Saul is once again failing as a leader when he demands that no one eats before the evening or be cursed. Jonathan is not in the camp so doesn’t hear and when the opportunity to take nourishment eats so better prepared for battle.

We see the first conflict as a result of this incident as Saul is ready to fulfill his vow and put Jonathan to death to keep his word, but the people see Jonathan as the leader that is effective and demand his life be spared. Saul will spend the rest of his life in conflict with the enemy, his kingdom, his family and most critically with himself.

God is the only one worthy of our trust and living as he directs is the only way to a healthy life. We see this repeatedly today through the readings. We often want to help God do what is His alone to do so that it is why we find ourselves in trouble. Being called by God to lead does not mean that we can stop seeking his guidance but means that we need to seek that out even more and trust Him to provide for our needs.

Worthy of Praise

 Matthew 17    Psalm 96    1 Samuel 11-12

Jesus took his three closest disciples, as he frequently did, off by themselves. We find that Jesus invested most heavily in only a few. Today we see this intimate group experience one last time with Jesus where God speaks to them reminding them that this is His loved son. This confirms what we saw in the previous chapter when Peter declares Jesus as the son of God. This is one of those times that God and Jesus is preparing the disciples for a time ahead that they cannot see yet. Jesus tells them to hold on to this vision until after the Son of God has risen from the dead. We cannot forget that they still didn’t know that was the experience they would have in the coming days.

There is an interesting story here where a son is brought to Jesus and we sense both he father and the disciples are frustrated because they couldn’t bring healing to the boy. Jesus heals the boy and then the disciples ask why they couldn’t do the same. I am always encouraged by Jesus response her, ‘the littleness of your faith. If you have even the faith of a small seed, you can move a mountain, and nothing will be impossible for you.” I find this encouraging because even those closest to Jesus still struggle with believing the power of God within themselves. This would include those that had been on the mountaintop with him. If they are still struggling at this point, why do we think it is wrong to struggle today?

The last story today is one about taxes and the separation of faith and government, especially that which is in conflict with our faith and what is believed to be right. I note today that Jesus challenges them not to offend and to meet the expectation and obligation. It is important not to get distracted from the goal of bringing people into a relationship with Jesus.

Today we are reminded in the song that God created all the earth and is worthy of our praise and thanksgiving. We are called to proclaim this to all the nations that all might know the story of our God and the Lord of our lives. When we do the heavens are glad and the people of the earth will rejoice. We are also reminded that he will return to one day judge the earth with a right spirit and the people of faithfulness will have great reason to rejoice.

As Saul begins his rule as King, as the people demanded, he leads them into battle, as they expected, and he gives God the glory. Then Samuel tells the people that he has listened to their voices and given them a king as they wanted. That king is now walking before them and he pleads with them to keep on living as God has called them too. If they fear the Lord and serve Him by listening to his voice and doing what they are called to do they will be blessed, and no one can reign over them.

Samuel also makes it clear that if they choose to abandon the ways of the Lord and rebel against the Lord then the Lord will be against them and it is a battle they cannot win. Failure will not only lead to the king being swept away from power, but the nation would be as well.

Often, we want o to claim the Lord’s promises and blessings without the willingness to follow all his ways and the life he calls us to live. When we seek to live the way of the Lord we will be blessed and enjoy the Lord’s presence, even when things are tough. If we walk away from seeking the Lord and his direction we should expect to be out of the Lord’s favor and rejection. Today we note that Saul started out strongly and enjoyed the Lord’s blessings as well as the nation he led. The same is true today. We will be blessed and enjoy the Lord’s favor as long as we point to Him as the source of our blessings and not take credit for what God has done.

Trusting When it is Hard

 1 Samuel 6-10     Psalm 116     Matthew 16

Living in the promised land the people of Israel continue to struggle with being faithful to the Lord. While the ark has been returned the Philistines still rule over them because of their unfaithfulness and unwillingness to follow the ways of the Lord. Samuel judges over them and his own sons fail to follow in his footsteps and follow the Lord. The people demand to Samuel that a king be appointed over them so they would be like the nations surrounding them.

God is clear that this is not a rejection of Samuel but of God has Samuel lay out what having a king will cost them and when you read the list it is clear that they will not be free. God warns them they will not be happy by the demands of a king, but they reject that word and want a king. God lays out to l the process for the choosing of a king and tells Samuel to give them what they want.

Samuel makes it clear to them that by their actions they are rejecting the same Lord that delivered them from the time they were in Egypt. Even after they have their king some reject him and speak out against him while he remains silent.

The song proclaims the love of the Lord because he hears our voice and listens so we will call upon him as long as we live. Even in the darkest days we can call on the Lord and know that he will care for us.

When we are brought low, he will save us. We are to lift our praises to him and offer our vows before the Lord as our witness. We shall offer the gift of thanksgiving at all times and enter into his presence to offer our praise.

Matthew tells us the leaders of the Jews continue to challenge Jesus at every opportunity. He warns the disciples to watch out for their teaching and how it can impact all those around them. When Jesus ask who the people say he is it leads him to ask who they say he is. Peter declares he is the Christ, the son of the Living God. While Jesus recognizes what Peter says as true, he warns them of the continued cost of following God’s ways. When Peter challenges him Jesus rebukes him and tells him he is not focused on the things of God but of man’s desire. The cost of being a disciple of Jesus is the willingness to take up the cross, carry the sins of others and giving up self for the good of all.

Once again, we see the difference between obedience to God and disobedience.  Faith is trusting God even when we cannot see or even feel his presence. It is trusting God will do what is best for his kingdom and we must place our trust in him even when we cannot see how that is possible

God's Power for Good

 1 Samuel 5-6     Psalm 147    Matthew 15

Sometimes it is symbols that remind us of important things that not only touch in good and positive ways but create fear and trembling. The Philistines had feared Israel because they heard the Ark of the Covenant was with the army of Israel. They were encouraged to go up and fight and when they did that not only one the battle but captured the symbol of God’s power. The thing they didn’t understand was that those symbols were to remind the people of Israel of the power of God and to be encouragement to them. Both armies needed to learn that the ark wasn’t the source of the power but the God who it was to remind all of them of. God has a way of using symbols of faith to remind us that he is worthy of our faith but not to be worship as if the symbol was the source of that power.

The song today reminds us to praise God at all times for it is pleasant and attractive to those that observe our devotion. God heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. It is that amazing understanding of God that helps us see the God supports the afflicted and brings down the evils. God is present in our life at all times and worthy of our praise.

Jesus often had to remind the disciples to make sure they kept their priorities in order. While he did this at times by speaking, he often did it by modeling it before them. When confronted by those that had built traditions to meet their needs rather than to point to God, he challenged them to make sure the rituals they created where to point people to God and not for their own sake. It is never about what we put into the body but what comes out of our mouth. It might be good to consider that what we put into our body at times impacts what comes out of our mouths. That includes what we fill our minds with.

In the midst of today’s story, we find a gentile woman that has a faith in God so deep she is willing to challenge Jesus, or is it more for the disciples, to the point that Jesus tells her that her faith has brought about the answer to her prayers.

Once again, we see Jesus challenge his disciples to provide for the people and they struggle with a scarcity view when trusting God results in abundance. Not only were the peoples needs met, even though they didn’t ask for them to meet them, but they had an abundance left over.

God Works In Unusual Ways

 1 Samuel 3-4     Psalm 103    Matthew 14

The calling of the boy Samuel by God is a powerful story. He was set apart before he was born and would be the first prophet, a voice of God, for a long time. The truth of his words spread, and he became known as one who spoke for God. The priest that he served was the subject of his first message and one he would not want to deliver. It was the word that God would hold Eli accountable for his lack of action when his sons, priests of the Lord, did what was evil and took advantage of their positions.

Samuel’s words to Eli would come to pass and Eli and both his sons died on the same day that Israel was defeated, and the Ark of the Covenant was taken. The cost of disobedience is high for people and nations. The glory of the Lord was gone from Israel.

The song today is one of praise by David and opens with him recognizing that the Lord is to be set apart by all that is within him, his very life. He reminds us that the Lord sees those who are oppressed and call out to him and put their trust in him. The Lord’s compassion and grace flow through this song.

There is also the warning that God’s patience will have a limit and we will be held accountable for our actions. The verses about a flower blooming and fading away came home to me on my first visit to Jerusalem. When I came out of the hotel in the morning there was a flower there that had not been there the night before I found myself admiring. That night when we got back to the hotel, I found that the flower had faded and withered in the afternoon son. Every time I read this song, I am reminded that to God we are like the flower, here with an opportunity to show the beauty of creation for a short time.

We can never forget the fear and anger that those that proclaim the Word of the Lord will instill in those that want to live contrary to that way. The more powerful, like the king in Matthew’s story, who are used to their word being the last and most powerful will always be threatened by those that challenge the things they do because of improper use of their power. As you read the story of Herod ask how many times his decisions are driven by fear, arresting John out of fear of his mistress, fear of putting him to death to silence him because of the crowds that believed he was the voice of God and finally the fear of his reputation before his powerful guests.

Fear drives so much of our decision-making process when we are called to trust. As I read this today, I thought about the conflict of power between Jesus, while he was doing great and good things, and the political and religious leaders When Jesus challenged the disciples to provide for the people that had gathered around them, they could only see scarcity and not the abundance that was readily available. They feared they couldn’t meet the needs.

Once again Jesus withdraws to pray while they are crossing the sea, a small body of water we would like of as a lake, and the found themselves battered by waves and wind and were afraid. Then Jesus comes walking on the water and they are afraid until he tells them who he is. Peter wants what Jesus has, the ability to walk on the water. When Jesus tells him to come, he is fine till he takes his eyes off Jesus and become fearful once again of the storm. When Jesus rescues him the seas quiet when he gets in the boat, we are told they worshiped him.

Today’s readings remind us that God calls people, even very young, to service but demands obedience to receive his blessings. God does amazing things when we trust him to meet our needs and is always worthy of our praise.

Everlasting Life

 Matthew 13     Psalm 67     1 Samuel 1-2

Jesus always taught using stories the people could have understood if they had been willing to listen. They had closed their ears and eyes, and there for their minds, to truth and Jesus makes it clear only those that seek the truth will find themselves a part of the Kingdom of God. These stories are worth reading slowly through and reflecting on what Jesus told his disciples, the students walking beside him in life, and how often the people refused to believe what he said.

Jesus makes it clear that his Word, his teaching, would fall on far more deaf ears then those that would listen. He also makes it clear that it is not the role of disciples to separate the good from the evil. They will grow together until the harvest, the day of judgement. At the judgement God will separate the good from the evil and decide the way all will spend the rest of eternity.

Today’s song reminds us that God is gracious to us and blesses us and has made his face, Jesus, shine on us. Jesus showed us the way of the Lord and provided a way of salvation for all the nations. We are called to praise God as one people.

Nations will be glad and have a lot to celebrate when they live a righteous life, following the ways of God, and not fear God’s judgement. We will harvest what we sow and when we are obedient to God the harvest will be plentiful.

As we begin through First Samuel, we see that God is still working in the hearts and minds of some of the people. There are those that cry out to the Lord for a blessing when it would be much easier to curse those that torture them. Hanna is one that maintains her faith even in the face of pain by one that provokes her but pointing out how blessed by God she is while Hanna suffers the desire to have children but does not. We see her faith when she goes up to the temple and promises if he gives her a son, she will dedicate him to the Lord. Thank about this for a minute, she is willing to give up the blessing she desires with all her heart for the service to the Lord.

When the Lord blesses her and fulfills the desire of her heart, she cares for the young boy then takes him to the temple to serve the Lord there. I can’t help thinking of what a great sacrifice this was to give up and trust the Lord with what could be her along child. The Lord would bless her with other sons and daughters for her faithfulness, but she had no assurance of that. Hanna trusted the Lord would be just and worthy of praise.

Samuel, her son, would become a servant of the Lord in the Temple serving a priest whose own sons had turned their back on the Lord and served only themselves. While the priests became more and more evil and be rejected by the people and God Samuel would grow in reputation with both God and the people.

Eli is told that the unfaithfulness of the priests will be paid with a great cost and that all of them would die on the same day. God would then raise up a priest that would lead the people in the ways of God and bring glory to God by walking in his ways.

Each of today’s readings show us that God’s ways are not our ways and that we all must make a choice on who we will follow and serve. Anything or anyone other than God, as reflected in Jesus, will result in rejection by God and being cast out of the Kingdom of God at judgement. God is a patient God that desires we all reject the ways of men and women and pursue the ways of God. Anything else will lead to death and forever rejection.

The Unseen Work of God

Ruth     Proverbs 22     Matthew 12

As I read through the book of Ruth this morning, I am reminded how times change and along with them what is appropriate, the law, and how God works in ways we will never see while in the midst of the experience.

God has allowed judges to rule over Israel for years and some have been righteous, seeking to live life the way God calls us to, but most have chosen to live as they see fit. As we have seen the result is that Israel often finds itself controlled by others and other events that drive them from that promised land. This story happens during one of those times when there is a great famine in the land of promise and the people scatter to find food. Elimelech and Naomi travel with their two sons to the foreign land of Moab where there is food to keep them alive. First Elimelech dies and that means that his sons will become responsible for their mother’s wellbeing. The two sons marry women from the land they have settled in expecting to raise families and to survive until they can return to the land they own in Israel. We have to remember as we read this that there were no social programs and families were responsible for their family well-being. That is why the office of widow and orphan are so important in the Bible. They were titles for those that had no other way of surviving. This was the position Naomi find herself in when both of her sons die. There is no one to care for her so she tells her sons wives to return to their mother’s home where their father or brothers will be responsible for them. Note that she is also sending them back to their gods. One returns and the other refuses.

Ruth tells Naomi that going with her will mean that Naomi’s people will be her people and Naomi’s God her God. As I read those words this morning, they struck me that even though Naomi felt abandoned by God to the point of bitterness the life of faith that she led to that point and the integrity that she showed inspired Ruth to want to be a part of her family and worship her God. That is a witness worth considering.

The rest of the story is one of faith, responsibility and integrity. It is also a story of love for people as God commanded the people of Israel to love. Boaz is a man of integrity. First, he notices a beautiful woman among those gleaning, gathering food from the leftover of the field. When he inquires about who she is the manager of the servants describes Ruth as someone that comes from a foreign land, with a member of the household of Israel, one that works long days, and keeps her place in the community.

Boas has heard of this young woman that has returned to his land from her homeland with no hope of having someone to care for her, because she is an alien. He has heard of her love for Naomi and her willingness to do whatever she could to care for her. He instructs her to work each day in his fields and tells the manager to make sure there is food for her to gather.

The interactions between Naomi, Ruth and Boaz today seem so out of line with our modern thought we can easily lose the importance of the story that God used what would have been a situation with so much rejection to build a foundation for the future king of Israel and therefore Jesus and the Kingdom of God. Boaz and Ruth would become the grandparents of David, the future king of Israel. I often wonder how much work God is doing in our midst with people we have rejected as unworthy.

Turning to Proverbs this morning I always find these nuggets of wisdom from Solomon inspiring. This one starts reminding us that the rich and poor have one thing in common, they are both made by God. Those that care about the future, theirs and the community, see evil and hide from it while those that ignore what is going on around them will be punished for it.

We all know the line from this proverb that we are to train up a child in the way he should go and even when they are old, they will not depart from it. I would point out that unless we are training the ways of the Lord, we are training a disobedient generation that can take years to recover from.

This whole proverb is about our relationships with others and if we treat them with the integrity of the Lord or the deception of evil. When we deceive others, we act on behalf of the great deceiver. We should expect our children to act in foolish ways, without the wisdom of experience. As we grow older, we must take responsibility to for our actions.

There is also great wisdom in the teaching us about dealing with those poorer and weaker than us. God expects us to act with justice and mercy and we will be treated as we treat others.

Matthew continues to show the struggle between Jesus and the religious leaders of his community. While he teaches the ways of God, they find themselves in conflict with is teaching. That challenges their power and leads people away from them. They claim what he is teaching is from the devil because it conflicts with what they have been teaching. Jesus tells them that any territory that allows itself to be divided cannot stand. Jesus makes clear that his Kingdom will divide and that will be a spiritual battle for the souls of the people.

We will be known for what we value, what our treasure is, and the day will come when there will be an accounting for our choices between good and evil. We are to be careful with every word we speak and be sure they reflect Jesus to the world. We need to be careful because when we reject evil and then allow it back into our lives it comes back with a strength far greater than before. It will be that much harder to overcome the evil. Before we judge another, we should make sure we want to be judged by the same standards we are ready to judge others.

As I read this morning, I am reminded that God is always at work around me and even when I don’t understand why what looks so evil to be is allowed to happen God is working for the good of those that love him and do what he commands of us. Unless we see a reflection of Jesus in the mirror, we still have work to do on our own lives before we worry about judging the lives of others. 

God Shares Our Burdens

 Judges 17-21    Psalm 81      Matthew 11

The last several chapters of Judges show how quickly the people of Israel forgot what the Lord and taught them and their failure to pass on the commandments or plain disobedience. Starting with family members walking away it soon was whole tribes. It caused continued division in the nation until there was great civil war between the tribes that cost thousands of lives. It is repeatedly pointed out there was no king, no ruler, and everyone did what was right in their own eyes. The results are devastating.

The songs of Israel often remind them that the same God that delivered them by his mighty hand from Egypt was the one that held them accountable for what they did after they left. While he had patiently provided time for their recovery, learning the law and preparing to take the land he had promised them they quickly abandoned listening to his voice and following him.

The very ones that claimed to love the Lord hated his ways and pretended obedience while hating his direction and suffered great punishment for their disobedience. For those that trusted in the Lord and followed his ways he provided for them, usually from unexpected places.

Matthew tells us that after Jesus instructed his disciples, he departed to their cities to teach and preach the good news. When John questions if Jesus is really the Expected One or should they look for another even he appears to be wondering about what his father and mother had been told all those years ago about him and about Jesus. Jesus simple responds to John’s disciples that they should go back and witness to what they have heard and seen while with him.

Jesus also challenges the people to be careful to what they look for in a leader. Not to be deceived by their dress that impresses but is not a sign of faith in God. While John the Baptist was great in human eyes compared to the lowest in the Kingdom of Heaven, he would still be the least. Those a part of the Kingdom of Heave will suffer violence.

As Jesus challenges them to be a witness to what they have seen and heard while with him he also reminds them the cost of following him will be even greater. He praises God the Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth, the while the kingdom has been hidden from those that see themselves as wise and intelligent God does not see them that way and reveals himself to infants in the faith. He invites them when feeling wearing and worn down by the work of the Kingdom to come to him and lay their burdens down for he will make the load light. When we share the burden of the work of the Lord with Jesus it is like being yoked together and Jesus will carry the load for us.

I always find it encouraging when I feel overwhelmed with the work of the Kingdom that God goes before me and I am never alone and that if I am willing Jesus will work beside me as if we were yoked together and ease my burdens.

God's Will be Done

 Matthew 10     Psalm 99     Judges 14-16

The song today reminds us that God ultimately will lead us so who we follow is important. God has been great, powerful, forgiving and the model of justice throughout history. When we have cried out to God he was forgiving and yet avenged those that reject him. Our call is to put our trust in God and exult him at all times.

When I look at the Jesus model of leadership today’s gospel reading is a great example. Jesus called those he was teaching by word and example and selecting those closest to him sent them out to experience taking the good news into the communities around them. They were to go to the lost, first to those that should most understand his message, the wayward who had learned the law of God throughout their lives, the people of Israel. When their message and teaching was welcomed, they were to bless that community with peace and learning, if rejected to leave and make clear they were being left on their own. Jesus said they would be worse off than the worst cities that had rejected the ways of God.

Jesus made is clear that he was sending them out where they would be rejected, and their lives would be endangered. It would even mean that those closest to them, their immediate family, would turn on them and seek to destroy them. This will open doors to be able to speak to the most powerful people in the nations where you will go. Don’t worry about what you will say, the Spirit will lead you.

We are called to not fear those that can destroy our body but the one that can destroy our body and soul. The cost of following Jesus is high, putting our lives on the line. Those that work hard to keep their life will lose it but the one that trusts in the Lord will keep it for eternity. Our call is to lead others in word and deed so that they see the love of God as we saw in Jesus. Those that do can never lose their reward.

The old testament reading is one of those childhood stories we learn when we are very young. At least part of it. The Samson story is one of those we like to tell the part about his superhuman strength. We are more hesitant to tell the story of the decisions that he made, really self-centered ones, that would become the focus of God. While he is blessed with super-human strength, it is because of his mother’s and then his obedience to God. His interactions with those that are enemies of God’s people and demands that his wives come from there lead to his downfall. In the end he chooses to end his own life as well as those that are the enemies of Israel.

Whether God interacts with us directly or through the hands of others we are remined that God’s will will win in the end. The cost of putting our lives in the hands of non-believers is great and can lead to death. God places in power those that will best showcase his power, rule over us and the beauty of following in his way of life.

God's Way the Best Way

 Judges 12-13     Psalm 12     Matthew 9

Today’s old testament reading tells us that there were a number of judges that ruled over Israel and some where faithful and blessed and others were unfaithful, and the Lord took away their blessing. The would find themselves ruled by the Philistines for forty years for their evil actions before the Lord.

God reaches out through an unexpected faithful servant and his wife. When a messenger of the Lord appears to his wife and she tells him be believes. The angel of the Lord tells them they will have a son and he will be blessed because he has been set aside for this purpose. Being in the presence of God and his messengers is clearly a powerful and fearful experience but what a blessing to listen to the Word of the Lord.

The song today reminds us that empty words or praise are still empty words without value. The Word of the Lord is pure and like silver refined in fire it shapes our lives. The wicked by strut around when vile things are exalted among people. The word of the Lord is pure and true.

Jesus offered forgiveness and grace as he healed the sick. He healed and offered a chance to begin again. Each time Jesus heals someone there is the balance between amusement and anger based on how you view what he is doing. He reminds them that God is more interested in repentant and changed lives they sacrifice. He most often told people their faith, their belief is what healed them. The religious leaders often challenged him because they saw him as a threat not only to what they believed and taught but more importantly their power.

He felt compassion for the people because most had been led astray and the potential field of harvest for the Kingdom was great but those that were willing to do the work of the harvest were few.

As I read today, I was reminded the struggle between us and God throughout our history. We want to be like God, which we were created to be, but we don’t want to reflect God but want God to be a reflection of us. It will only be when we submit to the will of God that we will know what it is to be truly blessed and others will see Jesus in us.

God Worthy of Our Trust

Judges 9-11     Psalm 63    Matthew 8

The story of living in the promised land, for so long the dream of Israel, is one of blessings but also one of painful curses. God promised the people a land to possess as long as they followed his commandments and lived as he told them to. The story continues today of the people, the nation, refusing to obey the Lord and to follow the leadership of those that worship other gods. The cost is great, and the pain is deep. Even when they cry out to the Lord, he tells them he will not deliver them because of their continued disobedience. It is not until they not only say they are going to follow the ways of the Lord but there is evidence by their actions that the Lord relents and once again delivers the.

One of those disturbing stories of the Bible are included in today’s reading. Jephthah makes an unthought out vow and the cost are disturbing at best. The cost of his words cost not only him but his family and create vast grief. There is something to be said for seeking the Lord’s counsel and follow his lead in leadership.

In Song 63 David praise God, his God, the one who he earnestly seeks. His very soul thirsts and yearns for the relationship with the Lord to be deeper. Even while some seek his life he trusts in God. He declares that he will rejoice in God and offer Him glory. He will trust that God will hold accountable those that speak lies about him.

Following the sermon on the mount Jesus draws large crowns where he went. People of all walks of life came to Jesus, many seeking healing for themselves or someone they care about. As Jesus met their needs, because of their faith in him, the praised God for what they had experienced. The reading today ends with a story about two men with deep mental health problems that make them frightening to the community because of their anger and violence. When Jesus approaches, the demons within them speak through the men, begging Jesus not to destroy them but to let them enter a herd of pigs nearby. When Jesus grants their request, they destroy themselves. The reaction of the people of the community is to become so fearful they demand he leave them. Think about that for a moment. Two men they have feared for years have been released and made normal, at the cost of animals they thought of as unclean, but when they are destroyed, they are even more fearful.

As I read through today’s readings I was reminded how often while we claim to love the Lord and want to follow him, we want to travel the roads most traveled and that we are comfortable with because we know where they lead. Even when they come with great cost and pain. When we do follow the ways of the Lord, many will reject us and the way we live. Some will become so angry they will do all they can to destroy us, and some would even take our lives. We need to like David, continue to trust in the Lord and allow him to care for those that would tell lies to maintain their way of life.

How to Live

 Judges 6-8    Psalm 108    Matthew 5-7

Today’s reading from Judges opens with Israel doing what is evil in the sight of the Lord and therefor being made captive once again. Most of the Israelites find themselves hiding in caves in the mountains out of fear for their lives. From their midst Gideon is called to lead them out of the hands of the Midians.

Gideon struggles with the call and ask the Lord to give him a sign, not once but twice. Then as Gideon calls the army together, a force of 32,000, the Lord tells him they are too strong and if they go out Israel will want to claim the victory as theirs and it will be the Lord’s victory. When they are done sorting out only 300 are left and it would be those few that would deliver Israel and overrun the army of Midian with the Lord’s leading and work As Gideon pursues the remnants of Midian the surrounding countries refuse to support him and provide for his men. They are told that they will pay a price for their lack of belief not just in Gideon but the Lord. He does return and destroy the leaders and their symbol of power.

When the people of Israel ask Gideon to rule over them, he refuses and tells them it is the Lord that will rule over them. He does take gold as a spoil of the war, create a garment from the gold That would become a snare to Gideon and his household in the days to come. For the next forty years there is peace in the land. When Gideon dies the leaders, and the people turn from the Lord to Baal. They also turn their backs on the descendants of Gideon.

David’s song today proclaims that his heart is steadfast in his trust of the Lord. It will always be the power of the Lord that will deliver them. He calls on God to deliver them from their adversaries because deliverance by the hand of man will always be in vain. God is the one to be praised.

Today we read what has become known as the sermon on the mount. The Gospel of Matthew tells us when Jesus retreated to the mountain to restore from his work in the midst of the crowd his disciples sought him out. It was then that he taught them what is a message that I think outlines the teaching of Jesus throughout his life briefly but powerfully. Taking the time to read through it slowly and reflect on what he taught is worthwhile. It is important to make sure we reflect on what he meant and not what we want it to mean, or maybe even what we were taught it meant. It ends reminding us, as it did the disciples, that we will choose to follow the ways and commands of God or to reject them with how we will live for eternity in the balance. For those of us that take on the task of teaching others we must always make sure we are pointing to Jesus and not our own desires.

God's Way Leads to Peace

 Matthew 4     Psalm 136     Judges 3-5

When Jesus is led into the wilderness, a barren land, he fasts for 40 days and is temped by the very things he already possesses. His focus remains, even in this very difficult time, on the ways of God and is prepared to challenge the tempter.

As Jesus begins to teach and draw people into his call for change and new life. After John’s arrest he moves to the northern end of the Sea of Galilee and settles in Capernaum. From there he begins travelling and calling disciples to follow him. They leave their way of life behind and not only follow his teaching but his way of life as they learn how to live by his example. His travels take him throughout Syria and the Kingdom expands beyond the borders of Israel.

Song 136 reminds us repeatedly that the Lord’s lovingkindness is everlasting. That God had traveled with them wherever they went and continues to go with us today.

As the people begin living in the promised land the Lord had left a few nations to see how faithful the people would be to his instructions. It doesn’t take long for them to do exactly what he warned them not to do and the result was as he promised as well. They intermarried with those nations and people were led to abandon God’s ways and follow their gods. Then there is a cycle of being taken captive, crying out to the Lord, being delivered, experiencing peace, godly leader dies, they fall again to abandoning the ways of the Lord.

After several generations the prophetess Deborah is judging Israel when she summons Barak, leader of the armies of Israel, and tells him the Lord is going to deliver them once again. He refuses to lead the people unless she goes with him. She then tells him that the Lord will deliver Israel as she has said but it will be into the hands of a woman, rather than the leader of the armies. Through cunning, the fleeing king ends up in the tent of one of the women of Israel, who kills him and claims the victory. Deborah and Barak than sing a son of deliverance and the faithfulness of the Lord. Once again, the land knows 40 years of peace.

Today we are reminded that God always goes with us wherever we go and when we put our trust in him we are delivered from our enemies. The struggle between following the Lord, his commandments and directions, and believing the power to decide is ours, is real and goes on even today. These stories are put here to remind us that good only comes from following the Lord and his ways.

Cost of Ignoring God's Commandments

 Judges 1-2     Psalm 120    Matthew 3

As the people of Israel begin to claim their areas of the promised land and Joshua dies, they face the new challenge of continuing to follow the Lord without their godly leader. It doesn’t take long for them to lose their way and forget what God had taught them about obedience and following his commandments and direction. They start by failing to drive out the people living in the land and before long they are being led astray and following the gods of those in the land as God had told them they would do.

God appoints judges over them to lead them and their refusal to follow the law of God leads to God withdrawing his support for them and going before them to put their enemies into their hands. Each time God appointed a judge they would return for a time but then as soon as the judge died, they would look for pleasure in other places. They find themselves now fighting alone without the Lord going before them and now have to rely on there own ability and power.

If you feel you are living in the midst of those with deceitful and lying tongues today’s song reminds us that when we look to the Lord, we have our eyes in the right place. While the pain caused by those that lie and work to hurt us is real, God still calls for us to live in peace with all as long as it depends on us. At times we feel along as the song writer does because no matter how hard we work for peace there are those that will be for war.

When John the Baptist came and was calling the people to repentance, he drew crowds that drove the religious leaders to jealousy. He was offering a new life, a chance to turn from sin and start again, pleasing God alone. He called those very leaders to repentance as well and reminded them God would cut down the unfaithful.

When Jesus comes to him to be baptized John believes it should be the other way around. Jesus tells him they are going to do this God’s way and when he comes out of the water, he is blessed to begin his earthly ministry and the journey of leading others to salvation. Obedience to God the father is for all who dwell on earth and that included the son that came to show us how to live.

Today’s readings remind us how hard it is to consistently follow God’s commands and ways and that even the ones with the great knowledge of God get it wrong and have to be called to repentance. That included you and I at times. The challenge to not be led aside by those the surround us, especially those with loud and powerful voices, is difficult for even those with the deepest faith. We need to remind ourselves of this struggle and take care when leading others whose faith is not as developed and deep as we think ours is.

The Counselors Listened to Shape Us

 Matthew 1-2     Psalm 1     Joshua 23-24

The opening of the Gospel of Matthew outlines the genealogy from Adam to Jesus through David. Then the story of Mary and Joseph as she becomes pregnant by the Holy Spirit and the call of them to trust the Lord with their futures. After Jesus is born there is the fleeing to Egypt, the killing of the children in Bethlehem attempting to kill Jesus, and then their return to Israel. They end up in Nazareth in the north in the region of Galilee. It is there Jesus will be raised and grow in faith and stature and would become known as a Nazarene.

Our song today reminds us that we will be impacted by those we allow to counsel us and shape our lives. When we shape our lives by those that find joy in the ways of the Lord and make that the center of our life, we will find life delightful. We will be light the well planted tree that faces the storms and challenges of life and yields its fruit in season. In the end they will prosper and be blessed. Those that get their counsel contrary to the way of God will stand in judgement and perish.

At the end of his life Joshua clearly points to God as the cause of their success in entering and taking over the promised land. He is the model of the great leader who points to God for what sets them apart as a leader of people. He also outlines for them how God has been with them and led them since they were in Egypt and it was the power of God that drove out those before them.

Joshua makes sure they understand that they are only blessed because they have put their trust in and followed the commands and direction of the Lord. He also reminds them that falling and becoming disobedient will cost them all they have gained. He tells them of his impending death and challenges them to continue to live the righteous life like he has taught them. He reminds them if they turn away from God and allow others to distract them, they will fall into sin and all will be taken from them and they will suffer.

All the readings today remind us that we must trust God at all times and follow his ways even when something else feels so good and right to us. The most important thing we can do is select good leaders that will seek the will of God and lead in his ways and not to please other people. We will become a reflection of good or evil based on whose counsel we listen to and follow.

Listen to God

Psalm 87     Joshua 21-22    Hebrews 12-13

Today’s song is simply a reminder that God’s city on Mount Zion is a holy place and a place to focus on Him.

Once again, we see the pain of not seeking out the Lord and doing what is ask of you. While Joshua keeps his word and allows the tribes that wanted to settle East of Mount Zion, they quickly find themselves in disagreement with the other tribes because the build an altar to the Lord. The tribes defend their intent but not without long-term impact. The Lord kept his Word and Israel found itself with rest on every side after He gave all their enemies into their hands.

In the closing two chapters of Hebrews, we are challenged to make sure we keep our eyes on Jesus and that we are surrounded at all times with a great cloud of witnesses. Jesus will perfect the faith in us that he writes on our hearts and minds. Jesus is at the right hand of God to await our coming. When we are disobedient to God we can expect to be disciplined. That discipline is for our good and to train us and allow us to become joyful.

We are to pursue peace with all people and through sanctification become a reflection of the Lord. When we allow bitterness to spring up it causes us trouble and we are corrupted. Because the Kingdom of God cannot be shaken, we can always praise God.

While we are called love our brothers and sisters in Christ, we are not to neglect the stranger, it may be an angel sent from God. Our relationships are to honor God and your integrity should be a reflection of Jesus who is the same always. We should always be lifting up the sacrifice of praise to God and giving thanks to his name. At the same time, we are called to do all the good we can as a reflection of him. The goal is to be at peace with all so that they see Jesus, the perfect reflection of God, in us.

 Today’s readings remind us to be sure we are seeking the will of the Lord in all things and listening for his voice to lead us. We are God’s people and by our actions God’s people will be known to others.

God Fulfills His Word

 Joshua 15-20     Psalm 78     Hebrews 11

Once they cross into the promised land Joshua starts the process of dividing the land among the tribes, reminding them to follow the Lord’s direction in taking possession. As they begin to scatter and take over the land some follow the Lord’s direction and others choose to ignore them. There are also the beginnings of discontent on place and portions. He also instructs them to set up the cities of refuge where Moses had instructed them to at the direction of the Lord. They have the foundation they need to possess this land forever if they will follow the direction of the Lord.

Today’s song is a long one that is like a history lesson on the benefits of following the Lord’s commands and directions and the costs of failing to do so. Throughout history we have fought against God and demanded our way be the right way and God displays his power when nothing else turns us from our sin.

Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things we have not seen and yet believe are true and will come to be. Hebrews 11 lists the many examples from the Old Testament that outline those the lived believing God’s word would be good, and his promises kept even if it was not in their lifetime. We are called to not give up our confidence the God will be faithful to his promises and bring us to completion and salvation through Jesus Christ and eternal life.

Trust God Always

 Hebrews 10     Psalm 8     Joshua 13-14

Hebrews shows the difference between the forgiveness offered through sacrifice in the law and that offered by Jesus. The grace of God through Jesus takes away the sin and provides a way to a new way of life. Jesus us offers the perfect sacrifice so that it might be complete when we confess our sin and Jesus takes it away. We have the full assurance of faith. It is also clear those that have been become aware of their sin, failed to repent or turned back to their sinful ways will receive the full fury of God. It describes the experience of falling into the hand of the living God as a terrifying experience. When we endure because we do the will of God, we need not fear anything.

The song today reminds us of the majestic power of God worthy of our praise. God has displayed his handiwork not only on the earth but in the heavens above. When we think of ourselves in relationship to the complete creation of God compared to the stars and moon, we are insignificant in creation. However, God has places us just little below him and offered us rule over the earth. We have so much to praise God for not because of what we have done but what he has offered to us.

As Joshua begins to divide the promised land among the tribes of Israel, he apportions the land according to the word of the Lord. The tribe of Levi is not given land but will be supported by the offerings to the Lord. The promise to Caleb is also fulfilled as he and Joshua were faithful and put their trust in God when all the others dissuaded the people from entering the promised land 45 years before.

Today we are reminded that God is faithful and fulfills his promises and holds us accountable for our obedience to his ways. We have so much to praise God for and yet like those that have gone before us we often only seem to see what we want or need. God is always worthy of our praise.

God has Made a Way

 Hebrews 8-9     Psalm 45    Joshua 9-12

The reading from Hebrews today helps us understand the role of Jesus as high priest and his place between us and God the Father. It was through his death, the one perfect sacrifice, that gives us the place of being presented to God as holy and without reference to sin.

The song today is written to celebrate a beloved leader who has shown in the way he treats all people that he loves the Lord and works to live a righteous life, one that follow the ways of the Lord. Not only will the king, the leader, be honored but their descendants as well.

As Joshua leads the people into the promised land the Lord goes before them and destroys all that is in their path and sets them up for victory. The fear of Israel that is created during this time leads to a group that uses deception to make a covenant with Israel. The main issue here is that they didn’t seek out the Lord’s advice or leadership and it leads to having those that will lead them astray living in their midst because they are a people of their word.

As the follow the Lord’s leading and do as they are commanded, they are able to drive out or destroy those that are there before the. They capture large portions of the promised land, not by their might, but the Lord’s.

God’s ways are not our ways and putting our trust in his ways is the only road to long-term success. The blessings of being a Godly leader of integrity, including recognizing when they are wrong, are great and long lasting.

Price Paid

Joshua 7-8     Psalm 70    Hebrews 7

Almost as soon as they enter the promised land the people test the Lord by going up with minimum force when the people are to be together. When someone defies the Lord and takes and hides things they were commanded to destroy and he whole of Israel begins to pay the price of that sin. Joshua appears before the Lord and God instructs him on how to find that person and that they and all that they kept must be destroyed. While the guilty one confesses, he is still held accountable and destroyed.

Joshua then takes all the people up and lay an ambush on the city of Ai as God had commanded them and they destroy them completely. Afterward Joshua reads the whole of the law to the people and reminds them they will only be blessed if they follow that law.

David in today’s song calls on God to be his help and deliverer and to let those who seek his life be ashamed and humiliated. He declares that those who seek the Lord can rejoice and be glad because he offers salvation and reason to praise God.

In Hebrews it is pointed out that Abraham presented the high priest and king a tithe of a tenth when he had been successful. That would become a practice of the people of God. It is pointed out that the law made no on perfect, but that Jesus was the perfect hope. Because of his perfection he holds the title of high priest forever. It is proper to have a high priest that is a perfect reflection of God to be the judge of all people. The need for sacrifice was complete with Jesus when he offered himself up as the unblemished sacrifice.

Throughout the history of men and women we have continually struggled to follow the commandments of God and are in need of one that will take the burden on for us. That was what Jesus did for us, that rather than be destroyed, we can confess our sin and he will take that on on our behalf.

Worthy of Trust

 Hebrews 6     Psalm 128    Joshua 5-6

The writer of Hebrews today challenges us to grow in faith and be willing to mature from the basics to a deeper understanding of God and Jesus. It also makes clear there is no turning back, we are responsible for our words and actions and the image of Jesus Christ we present to others. God will not be unjust or forget the work we do for the Kingdom. We can take refuge in God and be encouraged because our hope in Christ is the anchor of our soul with Jesus going on before us.

The writer of today’s song tells us we are blessed when we fear the Lord and walk in his ways. Our life will be blessed, and our children blessed. We will get to enjoy our children’s children.

Joshua begins by following God’s command and circumcising the warriors of Israel. The people began to eat from the land they had been promised and the manna stopped being available to them. When the host of the Lord appeared to Joshua, he told him to take off his sandals because he was standing on holy ground. The Lord would go before Israel. The Lord instructed Joshua how to take Jericho and it was an opportunity for them to show they trusted the Lord to do what he said he was going to do and it would show that it was God’s power that would be going before them lest they begin to think they were responsible for what happens.

Faith is something we develop over time by doing what God commands us to do and seeing that his way is really the best way every time. We are blessed and so are our children and grandchildren when we follow the Lords commands. It is in God we must trust to take care of those things that seem impossible to us.

God's Will Be Done

 Joshua 3-4     Proverbs 13     Hebrews 5

Joshua brings the people of Israel to the banks of the Jordan and spend three days preparing the leaders and the people for the journey ahead. He challenged them to dedicate themselves before the Lord. God provides a way for them all to be able to quickly cross the Jordan on dry ground. The priests will take the ark of the covenant to the middle to the river and stop. As they do this the flooded waters of the Jordan valley are held back, the people cross over. Then before the priests complete the journey across the river to join the people Joshua sends twelve men, representing the twelve tribes of Israel, and they bring from the middle of the river to the banks a stone to build a memorial to remind them what God did in this place. Joshua goes to the middle of the river and places twelve stones there as a memorial as well. This will be covered over by the river after the priest complete the journey across and the river once again begins to flow.

The reading today from Proverbs is a teaching in the contrast by being righteous, what God calls us to be, and those that choose to be what they want to be contrary to the Word of God. It is clear that the Lord expects us to act with integrity and justice and those that choose to live by fraud and deceit will be held accountable for their actions. We are responsible for seeking truth even when it is not what we want to hear, and it is on the bases of truth we will be judges. We are to teach our children this principle, hold them accountable and expect to be held accountable on how we do this.

In Hebrews we find the early church being challenged to see that every high priest was appointed by God to offer the gifts and sacrifices on behalf of the people. They were able to deal gently with those that didn’t know and understand the ways of God because even the priest is the same. The obligations of the people are the priest obligations as well. The only one that can represent God as the priest or pastor is the ones called by God to that role. Jesus, the ultimate high priest, made perfect and became the source of eternal salvation.

If we are going to be teachers, we need to make sure we are teaching God’s way and not what we want the way to be. We will be held accountable by God for how we compared to how he demanded we live rather than the desires and laws of humans. If you are going to teach on God’s behalf, you need to be sure you are ready to eat the meat of truth and not the mild of the babes of the faith. The mature have had their senses trained to decern good from evil.

On this day after Easter, resurrection Sunday, we are reminded that a faith journey is like those that set out to claim the promised land and walked away from the empty tomb to become the church. The story of the people of God has always been to listen to God, through His voice, Jesus and the Holy Spirit and then to do what God asks of us. Throughout history few are willing to set aside their own will to share and perform God’s will.

Trusting without Fear

 Psalm 22     Joshua 1-2     Hebrews 4

We often reflect on Good Friday the crucifixion of Jesus and here his words from the cross, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” and here Jesus feeling abandoned by God. However, when you look at the song of David and hear Jesus singing it in his soul from the cross it transformed a feeling of abandonment to one of comfort.

This song is one of contrast of one that puts complete trust in God and those that do not. A song that starts out with words of loneliness to seeing God at work even in the cross. I want to challenge you to read it as if Jesus was singing it from the cross looking down on both those that had been his followers and loved him and those that had hated him and put him on the cross.

We find we can quickly find a word of hope that the reason God allowed Jesus to suffer and die was to give hope to those that would see him for what he was, the Son of God, Savior of the world and the one that would fulfill his promise to send a helper for us on the faith journey and our relationship with God. That promise would be fulfilled by the Holy Spirit that allows us to see these words with new insight. We can trust God even when our life hangs in the balance between life and death.

As the journey through Joshua begins and he prepares to take the people of Israel into the land promised to them so long ago. God tells Joshua that Moses is dead and now it is his responsibility to lead the people. God calls on him to be strong and courageous as God will go before them and give the land into their hands. He is reminded that the book of the law must be the center of his life and they should meditate on it day and night. There is no need to tremble with fear or be dismayed because God is leading the way.

Joshua sends two spies ahead and they focus on how to enter and take it over. The interaction with Rahab, a harlot, by the two spies is a sign that they have learned something, and the purpose is not to see what they can do but what God will have to do as they move ahead. God can use anyone he desires to accomplish his purposes when they do what he commands of them.

The writer of Hebrews reminds us of the importance of rest as a part of our regular cycle of life. We are to be diligent to enter into rest where God can do a mighty work in us. God’s word is like a two-edged sword that can cut in two directions and it is in that which we enter into judgement and God examines the intentions of our heart.

Jesus is the high priest that brings our life before god, not in weakness but strength. We can therefor approach the throne of grace with confident we are never alone. God is all we need.

Each reading today challenges us to trust God even with all the things we fail at. God continues to pursue the relationship with us and offers a chance to set aside the sins of God so that we can experience God’s amazing Grace.

In God We Trust

Psalm 69     Deuteronomy 31-34    Mark 14    Matthew 26    Luke 22     John 13-18

Holy Thursday is a time to remember when Jesus gathered his closest disciples around him to celebrate the Passover, pray together and prepare them to be scattered. It is a time of final instruction. The song of David today is one the Jesus may have sung as he prepared for that time with the disciples knowing what he and they faced in the next few days.

It is a reflection on the battle between the expectation of people and God and when we lead toward God many will reject and attempt to destroy us for taking them there. David pores out his heart to God much like Jesus did before his arrest in the garden where he was praying. The challenge is always deciding who we will trust and follow when life is on the line. Today we are reminded that both David and Jesus made the decision to make part of their prayer by, ‘Your will be done O Lord, not mine.’ May that be our prayer today!

God gives Moses his final words for the people of Israel and puts a song in his heart to teach the people to remind them of the blessings that lay before them in the promised land. He starts by reminding them that it is God that is going before them and will defeat their enemies. They are to be strong and courageous and put their trust in God even when the enemies look so much stronger than they are. They are to gather together once every four years and read together the whole law that each generation will have it written on their hearts and minds.

God also tells Moses that the people are already showing that they will quickly turn away from him and break the covenant he has made with them. The result will be that God’s anger will burn against them and many challenges and evil will become a part of their life when they do.

When Moses commissions Joshua as the new leader of the people to lead them into the promised land he gives him God’s law written and to be placed in the ark of the covenant to be there for the people. It will also be a witness against them when they claim they don’t know the laws.

Moses calls all the people before him and shares the song the Lord put on his heart for them to remind them that each of their tribes has a place in God’s plan for them. It is also a reminder that vengeance is the Lord’s and retribution must and will come from him. They are also told the Lord will always seek their return and the chance for blessings instead of curses. There is no other God, and he brings to life and puts to death each one. There is no one that can deliver you from the hand of God. Moses warns them these are not idle words, and they need to take them to heart.

God has allowed Moses to come to the edge of the promised land and allows him to look over that land of promise but not enter it. Moses blesses the people then goes to the top of the mountain to meet with God face to face and there he dies and is buried by God. No one knows the place of his burial.

The people of Israel weep and morn for Moses for 30 days and then prepare to follow Joshua into the land the God has promised them.

As I read the story of Jesus, his disciples and the Passover in each of the Gospels I see again a leader that is preparing his followers for what is before them. They don’t want to hear what he is telling them, and one declares he will never let it happen. As happens many times God has a different plan than any of them would have chosen. It involves learning about being a servant leader, celebrating what God has already done that brought them to that place, praying for the will of God to be done even though the path ahead will be difficult, submitting to authority, running and hiding and finally for some to see themselves in Jesus words.

Jesus sets an example for us by trusting God completely, seeking his will rather than his own, submitting to both God and his disciples and showing them what it means to love one another by example. This story is where the expected story they wanted, and thought was going to be starts to diverge from reality of what God had in mind. They fight against it because they don’t understand how God could want this to happen or use it for good.

In each of today’s readings we find the story of being in a difficult situation that each would not have chosen given a choice. In each case they give instructions on how their followers are to live in the future without them. They are to trust in God even when they can’t see how what is happening can possibly be God’s will and for our good. It is a lesson for us to reflect on as we think about that last evening with his disciples. Are we preparing those put in our care to trust God?