verseoftheday

Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy... And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work... So it is right that I should feel as I do about all of you, for you have a special place in my heart... God knows how much I love you... I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding... Philippians 1:3-11 NLT Yesterday someone kindly asked me "how was 2020 for you?" What would your review include? Paul is old when he wrote this letter. He's also in prison, but there's a looking back here as he starts his letter.  And its all about people. He prays for others with joy. He knows that God is at work in them, and through them. He loves people. He wants nothing more than to see people grow and learn to love. Paul's reflection was all about people.  I'm not sure my reflection was others focussed l...

I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, since he is not the shepherd and doesn't own the sheep, leaves them and runs away when he sees a wolf coming. The wolf then snatches and scatters them. This happens because he is a hired hand and doesn't care about the sheep. John 10:11-13 CSB Jesus, the Good Shepherd. Sheep. Wolves. There are wolves.  Wolves who would snatch us away.  Wolves eat sheep.  There are those who just want to use you, consume you, use you up for their own benefit. Wolves scatter the sheep. Take them away from their community, away from safety, isolated.  I wonder who the wolves are that Jesus was thinking about.  Who are they today? Wolves cause hurt, suffering and destruction. The Good Shepherd does not run, but protects the sheep by giving his own life. On the cross he was hurt, suffered, destroyed, for us. That's love.  He wins by giving.  Some days I wish he would just come in pow...

I am the good shepherd.   The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, since he is not the shepherd and doesn't own the sheep, leaves them and runs away when he sees a wolf coming. The wolf then snatches and scatters them. This happens because he is a hired hand and doesn't care about the sheep. John 10:11-13 CSB Jesus, the Good Shepherd. Sheep. Wolves. Hired hand who is supposed to care for the  sheep. I'm OK being a sheep in this story from Jesus. He's the One who brings the all-around more-than-expected life, and gives himself so that I am safe. But from my "sheep" perspective, it's hard to tell the difference between the Good Shepherd and the Hired Hand.  But when the wolf turns up, the Hired Hand gaps it.  The Hired Hand is prepared to sacrifice the sheep to save themselves. The Hired Hands appear to be the cultural/religious leaders (see Ch9). I wonder who they are today? Perhaps the voice of the world that tells us what succes...

"A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.  I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.  I am the good shepherd.   The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." John 10:10-11 CSB We have an enemy who wants only to steal, kill, destroy. Do you see him at work in your life?  Sometimes I'm my own worst enemy, the thoughts I allow to rumble around, the choices I make, the attitudes I hold.  Sometimes it's the actions of others, the pressing in of the world. But we also have an enemy who is at work. But we have the anti-thief.  Who is also a shepherd. A shepherd so good, that in the face of the theif he does not give up his sheep, does not stand by and let them be consumed or taken away.  He lays down his own life for his sheep.  Sacrifices himself, to save them.  To save us.  To give us life. This all-around more-than-expected life that he has for us. Jesus has laid down his life so that we can live o...

A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.  I have come  so that  they may have life  and have it in abundance. John 10:10 CSB Jesus came to counter the thief.  There are those who choose to steal. To take what is not theirs. To kill. To kill hope. To destroy.  Jesus is the anti-thief. He came to give. He arrived to be Hope. His mission is to restore.  So that we might have Life! This word translated "abundant" is "more than", "all-around". Jesus came so that we might have this all-around, more-than-expected life. One day we'll have that in all it is meant to be, and for now, we can step away from the thief, and walk with the anti-thief, the giver of Life.  Step with Him into this all-around, more-than-expected life that He has for us. #sunday #christmas #worship #thisisourGod

In him was life,  and that life was the light of men. That light shines in the darkness,  and yet the darkness did not overcome it. John 1:4-5 CSB This is the beauty and the hope of Christmas :) Let the light in. Let the light in to our hearts, to the inner recesses...let the light in to our thoughts, our motives, our beliefs and our choices. Let the light into our circumstances. The darkness did not overcome. Will not overcome. This word for overcome also carries the meaning of comprehend. The darkness just doesn't get it. Even as it's in retreat it doesn't "get" the light. The hope and beauty of Christmas. The light has come. Let it in. Let it shine through you today. #lovewins

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given;   and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor,  Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end,  on the throne of David and over his kingdom,  to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. Isaiah 9:6-7 ESV Wrapped up in this tiny helpless baby who in his humanity only knows how to cry, and feed, and poop, is the One who will carry all these titles. The One who's government, who's rule, who's dominion, will increase and increase.  Who is peace. There will be justice. Things will be put right.  Our God is going to bring this about, is bringing this about, in the Kingdom of the heart. As we let His government increase there, let His peace grow more and more. The zeal of the Lord of Ho...

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given... Isaiah 9:6 ESV From Sam Allberry this week: We weren't expecting it. We weren't interested.  We weren't involved.  We didn't ask. We didn't deserve. We didn't help. We didn't even imagine. And yet: "To us a child is born;  to us a son is given." To us. For us. A gift.  Whether you're giving a little something today or tomorrow, receiving something today or tomorrow, consider our God who stepped in, stepped towards us, and take a moment to be thankful to Him. For the gift that is beyond our imagination. #christmas #jesusatthecentre

For you have shattered their oppressive yoke and the rod on their shoulders,  the staff of their oppressor,  just as you did on the day of Midian. For every trampling boot of battle and the bloodied garments of war will be burned as fuel for the fire.   For a child will be born for us,  a son will be given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders.  He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,  Eternal Father,  Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:4-6 CSB We love verse 6 because it's all about a baby. And it's a beautiful picture, a child being born for us. But this is a baby being born into a world of oppression and war. A baby who is going to shatter oppression. Release those who are held down. This is about a baby who is going to light the fire in which the boots that have trampled others will be burned.  This is not some nice thing that is going to happen that Isaiah is looking forward to, but an act of, the beginning of, rebellion. If...

You have enlarged the nation and increased its joy.  The people have rejoiced before you as they rejoice at harvest time and as they rejoice when dividing spoils. For you have shattered their oppressive yoke and the rod on their shoulders, the staff of their oppressor, just as you did on the day of Midian. Isaiah 9:3-4 CSB Somehow Isaiah is looking back, looking forward, and speaking to us at the same time. At Christmas we are invited to look back at a small baby who changed the world. To not just look back, but to rejoice, because hope was born that day. The yoke of sin has been broken. The power of sin over our lives is shattered because of the life and death and resurrection of that child.  The sins of others. The impact of the world. Just as at that first Christmas we got a glimpse of what was to come when Jesus was born, now we get glimpses of what is to come when all things are restored.  When we think of someone in our lives and give a small gift, give a word of en...

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;  a light has dawned on those living in the land of darkness. Isaiah 9:2 CSB Last night we were walking down the street and met our neighbours (who were out wondering what the Police were doing in our neighborhood) & they told us that tomorrow night for the first time in 800 years Jupiter and Saturn will be so close they'll seem like one, and some think this was the star of Bethlehem that shone to show the way to Jesus. Our culture loves to find ways to explain away God's work. To shrink Him down to natural events, to explain Him away. But Isaiah talks of something unmistakable. A light for those walking in, living in, darkness. A great light. Like the sun rising after being in the dark all night.  Light that clears the darkness. It's no wonder the people of Jesus time were expecting someone to come boldly, with power.  And Jesus did.  But his kingdom is of the heart.  And that's where his light shines, ...

We are afflicted in every way but not crushed;  we are perplexed but not in despair;  we are persecuted but not abandoned;  we are struck down but not destroyed. 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 CSB Isn't it Christmas? What's with the "afflicted"?  The "struck down"? Because there are those in our community, in your orbit who this week will feel abandoned. Those who literally will be abandoned. Those for who memories of loss, of hurt, of abuse, of grief will be afflicting them. There'll be those who may have lost their jobs, lost their way, lost their hope. When Jesus was born, so was our hope. Our God entered into the story to make a way, to become the way, to restore all things. And He calls us to follow Him, to enter in, to step towards the afflicted. To not abandon, but to stick with the persecuted. To bring healing and hope to those who are struck down. Keep your eyes and ears and heart open for those in your orbit this week. Hope was born in a manger, but didn...

Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife. Proverbs 21:9 NIV Better.  Better for who? Often the Bible addresses those with power, and in the culture this proverb was written to the men had the power.  Perhaps if "better" for the relationship, better for the wife in this, better looks like taking that power and not exercising it, but walking away. Perhaps if you're the one with power it's better for you too. Better to go find somewhere quiet and think about what's really important. Christmas is all about Jesus coming as a baby, bringing hope into the world in a new way, an expanded way. But rather than come with power he became small and powerless. Completely dependent on his Mum and Step-Dad. He gave up his power, made himself small, for us.  He used his power to wash his disciples feet. To wash ours.  #proverbs #wisdom #somethingtochewon #redeemingpower #morethanourfeethavebeenwashed

Friday! Proverbs! Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife. Proverbs 21:9 NIV I've heard this proverb used as a weapon against women (anytime it's in a joke it's not a joke).  This chapter of proverbs is full of serious topics & proverbs is about wisdom & inviting us to go deeper, to see Jesus in this... 1. He's telling the guy to leave. Go somewhere quiet and have a think.  Don't escalate things. 2. My experience is that more often than not it's my fault there's tension in a relationship.  Going somewhere quiet, having a think, examining my heart motives. 3. Jesus is often pictured as a groom seeking the best for his bride (us, all of us) And we were and are quarrelsome and contentious.  But Jesus came as a servant, seeking us out, and sacrificing himself for us. Yes it might have been better to stay away, but we were and are too important, too wanted, to leave alone, so he entered in. Stepped towards. Listen...

Then they were willing to take him on board, and at once the boat was at the shore where they were heading. John 6:21 CSB Wouldn't that be great if Jesus would just fix everything. Like now. No more rowing. No more rowing in the dark. No more rowing in the dark in the storm  Just instantly to the shore.  I wonder what that would do to my heart? How long would it be until the Creator of the Universe becomes my personal genie...how long it would take before I didn't like the shore that I'd landed on because there's a better one up the coast... how long until instantly isn't fast enough... how long until my testimony is "come to Jesus - he gives you everything you want". John is all about the signs here.  Someone who can walk out in the dark and find you in the storm, some one who can either shrink time, or move a boat full of people across the sea in an instant, are signs. Signs that Jesus is who he says he is. That he is worthy of worship. He also seeks us ...

But he said to them,  "It is I.  Don't be afraid." Then they were willing to take him on board, and at once the boat was at the shore where they were heading. John 6:20-21 CSB In the dark. In the storm. Miles from shore. Feels a lot like 2020! Someone appears out of nowhere walking on the water.  Unexpected. Strange. Scary. And then he speaks. "It's me". They recognise the Word when he speaks, and then they were willing to take him on board. Jesus has tracked them down in the dark, in the storm, miles from shore, and spoken. And he does the same for us.  Read his word. Listen to it. And as he speaks, welcome him on board.  He doesn't force his way in, but when we're in the dark, in the storm, miles from shore, Jesus does track us down,  can turn up in the unexpected, unrecognised,  listen for him, and welcome him on board. #gospelofjohn #signs #notalone #with

But he said to them,  "It is I.  Don't be afraid." Then they were willing to take him on board, and at once the boat was at the shore where they were heading. John 6:20-21 CSB Not only was Jesus wandering around on the sea in the middle of the night with the sea churning, freaking out his team who did not recognise him at all until he spoke, the whole boat got moved to the shore in an instant! Lots going on! But Jesus team recognised him when he spoke.  John in Ch1 introduces Jesus as The Word.  His words are important. "It's me. Don't be afraid" Where is it that Jesus words speak into your life right now? Where do we need to hear "It's me. Don't be afraid". Maybe it's the storm that's churning on the outside, relationships, work, study, finances, business, people. Jesus says  "It's me.  Don't be afraid". Maybe it's the uncertain future. Jesus says  "It's me.  Don't be afraid". Maybe it...

And when they were filled, he saith to his disciples,  "Gather together the broken pieces that are over,  that nothing may be lost;" John 6:12 YLT98 We're all broken pieces somewhere. We're all at risk of being trampled by the crowd, discarded by the world. Used. We've all a bit fragmented. Some just more than others. But. Our stories are still being written. God's story of redemption and restoration is still being written (even though He's given us a glimpse of the end when Jesus is so close that he will wipe our tears, when all will be made new). That basket of fragments of broken bits is us, the church, community, whanau. Us. There's no perfect whole loaves in that basket.  We're in this together, called to bear one another's burdens,  to bear with,  to walk together,  to love one another well. So that none will be lost. None are discarded. At this time of year we get to celebrate Christmas so that we get to celebrate Easter, so that none wi...

After they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea.  He was coming near the boat,  and they were afraid.  But he said to them,  "It is I.  Don't be afraid." John 6:19-20 CSB It's me.  Don't be afraid.  With me, you're safe. Even in the storm. In the dark. When you've been rowing all night. Sometimes Jesus wants to meet us there. In the dark. In the storm. When we're tired and it seems never ending... These guys were familiar with the lake and the boat and rowing and wind.  Seeing Jesus was scary. Sometimes the storm can be a familiar place, even though it's not great, and yet maybe Jesus wants to meet us there.  When things are churning. "It's me. Don't be afraid" Meeting Jesus in the storm frightened them. Maybe it was the unexpected, or the way he appeared walking on the water (who does that?) It doesn't appear that they were afraid when Jesus multiplied the bread and fish...but they were here....

And when they were filled, he saith to his disciples, Gather together the broken pieces that are over, that nothing may be lost; John 6:12 YLT98 Do you ever read the Bible in a different translation and something just jumps off the page? Jesus is telling his disciples to collect the leftover food, but in this more literal translation he says to gather up all the broken pieces. Ever feel like you're a broken piece? Somehow not as complete or good enough? Jesus heart is for you...gather up the broken... His call to his team is to go and do that; gather up the broken.  Go looking. And bring them in. And why? So that none will be lost. This is our God's heart for those who feel like leftovers,  discarded,  broken...  fragments. His heart is to gather you in...to bring you near. #dearlyloved

Friday! Proverbs The way of the guilty is crooked, but the conduct of the pure is upright. Proverbs 21:8 ESV When I'm guilty of something, the path I walk gets crookeder and crookeder.  I deceive myself that what was wrong was OK. And I'll keep up the pretense. And I'll push the problem on to someone else. Make them look like they've got the problem, they were wrong. And my path gets crookeder and crookeder. The "conduct of the pure" is so much simpler. If only I could live there all the time. Eph 1:4 tells us that our God envisioned us from before time, chose us in Him, and saw as holy and blameless.  He saw us how we were meant to be.  And He made the way for us to get there - faith in Jesus, the saving grace of Jesus life, and death, and resurrection. And then there's just 2 things to do: Love God Love others We are held blameless and holy through faith in Jesus and as we draw nearer to God, to the Pure, we become bit by bit, more pure. And as we love p...

When evening came,  his disciples went down to the sea,  got into a boat,  and started across the sea to Capernaum. Darkness had already set in,  but Jesus had not yet come to them.  A high wind arose,  and the sea began to churn. John 6:16-18 CSB Maybe this is what it was like heading into 2020! Going about business as usual and we all walked into the storm of 2020. Storms come in all types. Health. Finance. Relationships. Decisions we make. The actions of others. The economy. Our boss. And then there's the storms that we carry with us...our thoughts, memories, beliefs...and those things can churn us up. And it can feel like we are the only one.  Alone. But the disciples were in this together, so if you're in a storm, heading into one or just beetling along like we all were 12 months ago, don't go it alone.  The storms will come whether we want them or not. So expect them. Prepare. Don't go it alone. We're in this together. No matter how dark it ...

When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. Darkness had already set in, but Jesus had not yet come to them. John 6:16-17 CSB Was this what they'd decided with Jesus before the miracle/sign of feeding the 10,000 people? Or as there was no sign of Jesus the boys made a plan and got on with it? Have you ever been in that place where it's "Lord I could really use some help/guidance/direction about now" and there's silence. Jesus is up the mountain somewhere. If we've got an agreed direction, then push on with it. If not, then choose to do the best thing with your team (maybe there's not 12 of you together but there's always someone to check in with and/or to journey with you (if you're feeling alone, maybe it's time to put your hand up)) The disciples kept moving. Even when Jesus was up the mountain. Maybe there is a theme here as Bible characters who kept moving come to mind... ...

When the people saw the sign he had done, they said,  "This truly is the Prophet who is to come into the world."  Therefore, when Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself. John 6:14-15 CSB The people saw the sign, and they saw Jesus for who he was.  (my Bible makes a ref back to Deut 18 and God saying he will raise up a prophet from God). They had seen past the sign to where the sign was pointing. The people were so convinced they wanted to make him King. They would've been snapchatting eating bread and fish, #makeJesusking would be everywhere. Hard to resist the pull of the crowd. But that's just what Jesus did - he just headed up to the mountain on his own. I wonder what the people did? Their hope for a saviour had just disappeared. Maybe some got angry at the disciples, but my guess is that they all eventually wandered home disappointed and a bit disillusioned. Jesus wasn't ...

When they were full, he told his disciples,  "Collect the leftovers so that nothing is wasted." So they collected them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces from the five barley loaves that were left over by those who had eaten. John 6:12-13 CSB What's with the leftovers? (What were they going to do with them?) You'd think that if Jesus could feed everyone there'd be just enough, but he got his team to go and collect what was left. Was it to make sure that the disciples really got that this was a miracle? John calls these "signs". Signs pointing to Jesus and to his kingdom.  After everyone close to you has been fed, and there's a basket of leftovers in your hand, what's in your mind? We could feed more. There must be more hungry people somewhere...maybe we should go and find them and offer them this bread. It's the opposite, or maybe an expansion of the manna in the wilderness when the instruction was to collect just enough for what you n...

Then Jesus took the loaves,  and after giving thanks he distributed them to those who were seated - so also with the fish,  as much as they wanted. John 6:11 CSB Come on John, can't you tell us a bit more of how that all happened? Did a stockpile of bread arrive? Did Jesus feed everyone? All 10,000? Did one person take a couple of loaves and pass one on, and still have two? I want to know how miracles work. Maybe because I want to reduce them to something I can understand, just like I try to make God small enough to understand sometimes.  As someone (who was that?) once said if our God is small enough to understand, he's too small to worship. Sometimes I wish he would work the miracles that I want.  But if Yahweh did what I wanted, that would make Him smaller than me. And He is not. The scale of this miracle points us to our miracle working God, yet it's so personal, it points us to a God who loves us, who wants us to draw near.  Sometimes, all I get to do is wo...

Philip answered him, "Two hundred denarii worth of bread wouldn't be enough for each of them to have a little." One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, "There's a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish - but what are they for so many?" Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." There was plenty of grass in that place; so they sat down. The men numbered about five thousand. John 6:7-10 CSB 5,000 men, maybe 10,000 people all up. That's a crowd! 5 loaves & 2 fish. The size of the problem made the resources that they had seen so small. Ever had that happen? In the middle of that Jesus asks his team to just do something so ordinary. Just ask everyone to sit down. If I was one of the disciples I think you'd have heard "why bother - there's nothing here - let's split this kid's lunch between us and get moving" Maybe Jesus wanted them to go into the crowd, to see people, to ask them jus...

Friday! Proverbs! The violence of the wicked sweeps them away  because they refuse to act justly. Proverbs 21:7 CSB This word "violence" carries the meaning of havoc, devastation, ruin. This is a warning to those who have ruined the another's life through their actions.  Their choices. Their selfishness. This is warning to those who have ruined another person's Iife through their words. And there's a warning here for those who stand by, who don't act justly. The Bible is not a fun book sometimes, but it is real.  It's so easy to look at this proverb and see it applies to others.  But it applies to me too.  The only thing that stops me from being swept away, is Grace. Jesus stepped in and acted. And he calls us to follow him and to choose to act justly, even though it is costly, because we follow a saviour who gave it all up for us. In this unjust world,  He is the place we can find rest. #proverbs #wisdom #somethingtochewon

Now the Passover, a Jewish festival, was near.  So when Jesus looked up and noticed a huge crowd coming toward him, he asked Philip,  "Where will we buy bread so that these people can eat?" He asked this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do.  Philip answered him, "Two hundred denarii worth of bread wouldn't be enough for each of them to have a little," John 6:4-7 CSB A denarii is about a day's wages, so he's calculating about 7 mths income needed. That's a lot of money for bread. That's a lot of people. An overwhelming number of people. Maybe 200 denarii was what the disciples had between them or maybe Philip was just good at math. But the thing is that he'd missed Jesus question. Jesus asked about where the bread was going to come from. Philip went straight to the cost and how its too much. They were on a mountain somewhere. There was no source of food  When faced with what seems overwhelming, I go with what I know to fig...

Jesus went up a mountain and sat down there with his disciples. John 6:3 CSB This is for you if you think your worth is tied completely to what you do. This is for you if you feel guilty for resting. This is for you if you think that hanging out with your friends is not important. Being with people is important. Resting is good. It's OK to stop. Jesus did. I wonder as they sat on that hill who was just watching the clouds go by, who was talking, who was listening, who was making the coffee...who was thinking about the next thing, what the plan was, who was happy to be with Jesus... Maybe it was a few minutes that they stopped. Maybe all day.  Today may you and I find some time to stop. It's OK to stop. To rest  Resting is good. To be with people, with someone. We all need community. #gospelofJohn #itsOKtostop

After this,  Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee (or Tiberias ). A huge crowd was following him because they saw the signs that he was performing by healing the sick.  John 6:1-3 CSB After this...after giving a long speech to the religious leaders about how the Old Testament scriptures pointed to himself, that they were missing the signs because they were so caught up in their rules and their power structures.  After that, people, ordinary people, saw what Jesus was doing, and wanted to draw near. They saw the signs that Jesus was posting, and rather than want to get rid of Jesus from their lives, the crowd, the ordinary people, wanted more of him. We get to choose too.  Is Jesus challenging maybe not the religious structure in my world, but the one in my heart.  The one where I set the rules.  His signs are about flourishing, healing, nourishment, and just like this crowd of ordinary people, we get to choose to come nearer. To follow Jesus. To see the signs t...

Be gracious to me, God, for a man is trampling me; he fights and oppresses me all day long. My adversaries trample me all day,  for many arrogantly fight against me. When I am afraid,  I will trust in you. Psalms 56:1-3 CSB David was on the run, he believed for his life. But this fighting and oppressing all day long, this "trample me all day" that seems to be more about how it felt, more about what was going on in his mind. It escalated from one man, to my adversaries, to "many".  It felt like he was alone. And the whole world had turned against him. Ever been there? In that though David starts by seeking God's grace.  He knows what he needs and asks. And he just pours out what's going on to God. And he chooses to trust God, no matter what. (the picture I often go back to is in Daniel Ch3 where 3 young people are threatened with death if they don't change their allegiance, and they are crystal clear; our God can save us, but even if he doesn't, we...

I am obligated by vows to you, God;  I will make my thanksgiving sacrifices to you.   For you rescued me from death,  even my feet from stumbling,  to walk before God  in the light of life. Psalms 56:12-13 CSB Being thankful is free, but has the ability to change my mood, my outlook, my day, my trajectory. David is thankful for the big things - being saved from death - and from the seemingly small - from tripping up. He's not only thankful for what he's been saved from, but what he's been saved for: "to walk before God in the light of life" Quite a thing to think about that we walk before God, kind of makes me think of my life a little differently. It's only in the light of Jesus life that I get to do anything in the sight of God. It's his life that sets me free. It's his life that deals with my stuff in a way I never can. It's Jesus life that I can be thankful for, the life that made a way for me, is making a way, and we are all one day closer to ...

They twist my words all day long;  all their thoughts against me are evil. They stir up strife,  they lurk,  they watch my steps while they wait to take my life.  Will they escape in spite of such sin?  God, bring down the nations in wrath.  This I know:  God is for me. Psalms 56:5-7, 9 CSB Have you ever wanted justice and it's not happening? "Will they escape in spite of such sin?" Justice is not happening, and David even asks God to destroy nations for him.  This is the cry of a heart that is hurt.  Hurting. And wants things put right. This psalm, this song, is about choosing to trust God even when there appears to be no justice, even when we're afraid.  Even though our circumstances are saying something else, we can cry out. It's OK to cry to God. This is a song that was sung in community so it's OK to cry out to one another about injustice, about what's going on for us...healing comes in community. David reminds himself, as we can do...

Friday! Proverbs :) The acquisition of treasures by a lying tongue Is a fleeting vapor,  the pursuit of death. Proverbs 21:6 NASB This word "treasures" can also mean to store, storehouses. What is it that we're collecting that we're putting our hope in? And it's not about the wealth or the business or the property or the fabric collection...God is not againdt any of those things...but it's about the heart. Gain by deceiving ourselves, then deceiving others, does not bring us the life that we want from those things. Our God is interested in our hearts more than anything. Sometimes lying seems so easy. It's not hurting anyone, and there's a gain to me. Win win. But this proverb reminds me that in that moment my heart is facing away from God, I'm placing my hope in, worshipping really, something other than God. Today may we seek treasures that are not vapour, and whatever we do, do it with a radical honesty.  #proverbs #wisdom #somethingtochewon #Gods...

When I am afraid,  I will trust in you. Psalms 56:3 CSB  David was on the run literally running for his life. And he was afraid. Afraid of Saul. Then he wandered into Philistine territory and that was no better. He was afraid  "When I am afraid I will trust in you" Who is it that David trusts? In God, whose word I praise,  in God I trust;  I will not be afraid. Psalms 56:4 CSB I put my trust in me.  But I do have someone bigger to put my trust in, someone without my weaknesses. David was afraid of those in pursuit of him, afraid of dying. Sometimes we can get afraid of living. It's too much. The future seems too uncertain. Hope seems hard to grasp  "When I am afraid I will trust in you" I tend to look inward. To my own resources. But David calls us to look outside of ourselves, to look up. What are you afraid of? When I am afraid I will trust in You. Yahweh. I will trust in our God who in Jesus, became small, as a servant, to seek and to save us, us wh...

You yourself have recorded my wanderings. Put my tears in your bottle.  Are they not in your book? Psalms 56:8 CSB David's story behind this Psalm is found in 1 Samuel 20-21. He's been rejected. Outcast. And is alone. In that, or in response to that, he writes this verse of his song...he knows that he isn't truly alone. God has seen his wandering.  He is seen. His life does matter. Somehow God is recording his tears.  He knows. Knows of the loss and the hurt that he is going through, never outcast from God, while he was rejected by Saul, never by God. When we're feeling rejected, outcast, at some point we too will know that we are seen. Not lost to God. Not outcast by Him. That somehow he shares in our tears. How do we know this? Because Jesus. He was outcast from God on the cross so we don't have to be. He was rejected by people, so he knows. He shares in our tears because he cried them too.  He took all those tears and absorbed them into himself. Recorded them in ...

"Truly I tell you,  anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not come under judgment but has passed from death to life." John 5:24 CSB Jesus launches into a massive speech to the Jews about who he is.  That he is the son of God. He gave them no room to move about his identity, and then he gives them, and us, the path to Life. This is why Jesus tracked down our guy who hadn't been able to walk, who Jesus healed in an instant. His life was changed in that moment, but not his Life. Believe in Jesus, in the Father who sent him, and step from death to Life. Does that mean we'll never waver, never have a doubt or struggle or question what God is up to? No. But stepping into Life is a one time thing and a life time thing, and that's why we need to journey together with others, who we can lean into, and they can lean into us,    as we step away from darkness, death, destruction, towards light, life, & hope. We're all just wal...

Jesus responded to them,  "My Father  is still working,  and I am working also." This is why the Jews began trying all the more to kill him:  Not only was he breaking the Sabbath,  but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal to God. John 5:17-18 CSB I'm not sure if having people killed was their normal practice but Jesus actions, and now his claims were unmistakable.  He gives us no wriggle room - Jesus is either delusional, a liar, or he is who he says he is.  The Jews were so annoyed that he helped someone when he should've been having a lie down or something that they weren't prepared to find out. They just wanted Jesus gone. Sometimes I get annoyed at Jesus too. Why doesn't he work to my agenda?  Get the things done I want done? Follow my rules? But he doesn't, and he won't,  and again he quietly asks, do you believe that I am who I say I am? #gospelofjohn #trust #trust #trust

The man went and reported to the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.  Therefore, the Jews began persecuting Jesus because he was doing these things on the Sabbath. John 5:15-16 CSB It was OK to heal someone apparently. It was OK to change someone's life, their present and their future, it was OK to tell someone to pack their gear and not look back, but don't do it on a day when you're not supposed to. The Sabbath was for our thriving and flourishing as people, but these guys had turned it into something to control others and exercise power in. Their power.  Power over others. They'd taken something good and corrupted it. And I do the same thing. Create my little kingdom, where my will is done. Jesus came to explode all that, he didn't come to erase the law but live it how it was intended. In Matthew 22 he summed it up: Love God Love people In that order. There's no room for my kingdom there. Jesus kingdom is founded on the law of love, love that pursue...

But the man who was healed did not know who it was,  because Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there. After this, Jesus found him in the temple and said to him,  "See, you are well.  Do not sin anymore, so that something worse doesn't happen to you." The man went and reported to the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. John 5:13-15 CSB Jesus just slipped away. This healing was so personal that no one must've seen it happen.  They saw the result, but Jesus must've looked so ordinary, and just melted into the crowd. Then he just happens to bump into our guy at the temple, because he needs to know that there's something more important than walking. Imagine our guy recognising Jesus! I'm a bit annoyed at John for only recording this little snippet of their convo,  but now our guy knows it was Jesus who had healed him, and now it's up to him what he does with that.  Just like we get to choose what to do with Jesus. Jesus who sometimes ...

Friday! Proverbs! The plans of the diligent lead to profit  as surely as haste leads to poverty. Proverbs 21:5 NIV The words "profit" and "poverty" could be translated as "plenty" and "need". This is not really about money, but about how we make decisions. It's those quick, instant, in the moment decisions, when we haven't really considered the consequences that make us poorer.  Make things worse  A simple one for me is food. It's either too much, or the wrong type, or too much of the wrong type. I'm led by a craving or a desire in the moment. There's lots of things that grab our hearts in the moment that are so easy to justify... alcohol, drugs, sex, money, power...anger... selfishness... pride... Craig Groeschel has a sermon series called Habits, and the first one is about "who", thinking about who we are, and who we want to be.  Here's a link :) https://youtu.be/uvwCaaaN104 If my "who goal" is to be ...

After this, a Jewish festival took place, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. By the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem there is a pool, called Bethesda in Aramaic, which has five colonnades. Within these lay a large number of the disabled - blind, lame, and paralysed. John 5:1-3 CSB There's a festival going on, there's crowds of people, and if you want to find Jesus, where would you look? Where the outcasts are.  Where the broken and discarded are. This is where Jesus heart takes him...this is where we find him. If you've ever felt like you're the outcast, broken, or discarded, Jesus heart is for you. His heart is for you.  He knows what it is to be the outcast, to be broken, and discarded. His heart is for you. And He calls us to follow Him. Follow him to where the outcasts are and welcome them in. To bring healing to the broken and hope for the discarded. If this is where we find Jesus, may this be the place that he finds us. #gospelofjohn #followJesus #welcome #healing #hope

He replied,  "The man who made me well told me,  'Pick up your mat and walk.' " "Who is this man who told you,  'Pick up your mat and walk' " they asked.  But the man who was healed  did not know who it was, because Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there. John 5:11-13 CSB Jesus slipped away.  Jesus was so anonymous and this healing may have happened so quietly that the crowd pressing around didn't realise what had happened. The Jewish leaders were so fixated on their rules being broken, they missed the sign. John is writing about signs.  Signs point somewhere. Jesus impact was unmistakable, but he was not able to be seen, except in a man who had been disabled for 38 years was now able, wandering around with his bedding. The religious practice of being good enough for God by keeping all the rules was gone. A new way, a better way, was being signaled.  Heaven met earth in our guy's life and he got up. Walked. And Jesus was seen in...

"Get up",  Jesus told him,  "pick up your mat and walk."  Instantly  the man got well,  picked up his mat, and started to walk.  Now that day was the Sabbath,   and so the Jews said to the man who had been healed,  "This is the Sabbath. The law prohibits you from picking up your mat." John 5:8-10 CSB Did Jesus tell our guy to pick up his mat just to annoy the Jewish leaders? They certainly got annoyed. Our guys action of packing up his bedding showed up the heart of the people around him. They were more concerned about their system, their rules, than they were about the person. Where's the "wow! What happened to you?  This is awesome that you're walking!!" Maybe I haven't said it out loud, but my heart is betrayed when people might behave a bit outside the norm, look different...don't come to church like that...and I've lost sight of the person. Lost sight of their hurts, struggles, history, fears, hopes... When our reputation...

"Get up," Jesus told him,  "pick up your mat and walk." Instantly the man got well,  picked up his mat,  and started to walk. John 5:8-9 CSB When our guy was asked by Jesus "do you want to get well?", his answer focussed on the place he was in and that no one would help him. It's like that had become his identity.  Do you want to get well? I'm the guy who's stuck here who no one helps. Yet he'd had this disability for 38 years, someone must've been helping him, bringing food, taking him to the toilet, helping him stay healthy. Do you want to get well? Yes that would be awesome!  No, his answer was all about the problem.  Jesus says take your mat and walk. Don't come back to this place.  I've healed your body, but there's something else that seems to be in those words "pick up your mat and walk". Maybe Jesus wants to ask us the same question: "Do you want to get well?" My answer is "but I can't be...

When Jesus saw him lying there and realized he had already been there a long time, he said to him,  "Do you want to get well?" "Get up," Jesus told him,  "pick up your mat and walk." John 5:6, 8 CSB Sometimes what God does is easy to understand and sometimes it's a mystery. Why heal this guy? Doesn't he have to come to faith first? Isn't that the rule? When was he healed? Was it before he got up on his feet?  If that had happened, he would've jumped up on his own. Did it happen as he got up? Did it need his action? Wouldn't "get up" be enough? Why "pick up your mat and walk?" If our God was small enough to understand, he wouldn't be worth worshipping. Lysa TerKuest tweeted this yesterday: "When we're walking through circumstances that seem unfair  or hurtful beyond what we can bear,  we must allow God  to shift our perspective with truth.  In the midst of your wilderness,  let God whisper His truth that ...

Haughty eyes  and a proud heart, the lamp of the wicked, are sin. Proverbs 21:4 ESV The only person who this would never apply to was Jesus. He came with a humble heart. It doesn't mean that he didn't right wrongs, speak for those with no voice, stand for justice, speak truth, speak light into darkness...look for the outcast...he just did it from a humble heart. While there's days I long for him to come again in power and right what is wrong, that was not, and currently is not, his way. He calls us to follow him. To live, to work, to love, before the face of God, and in the lives of others, in the same way he did, with a humble heart.  How does that look for you? I wonder what it will be like to look in Jesus eyes? One thing I am confident of is that there won't be a trace of haughtiness, not even a hint of arrogance, just love, care, compassion, grace. We're one day closer to seeing Him face to face :) #proverbs #jesus #humbleheartandlovingeyescomboburger

Friday! Proverbs! Haughty eyes  and a proud heart, the lamp of the wicked, are sin. Proverbs 21:4 ESV This word for lamp also seems to have something to do with plowing...so many pictures here in a few words. It's so easy to see these things in others, that haughty look, when they look down on people, or maybe even look down on you. That proud heart that pumps up achievement, success, and makes others feel small. Insignificant. When these things show the way, lead the way, plow up the ground of a heart... So easy to see. Not so easy to see in me. We should take pride in our achievements but this proud heart / haughty eyes combo speaks of something different. If it's our lamp it's leading the way, showing the way, plowing the fields of my heart. I wonder if I'll be brave enough to ask God to show me where the haughty eyes / pride combo are leading me? I wonder if I'll be brave enough to ask someone in my life the same question? #proverbs #dangerousprayers #haughtyeye...

When Jesus saw him lying there and realized he had already been there a long time, he said to him,  "Do you want to get well?" "Sir,"  the disabled man answered,  "I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I'm coming, someone goes down ahead of me." John 5:6-7 CSB If he'd known who Jesus was maybe his answer would be different.  He just thought that Jesus was a nice guy, and rather than answer with what he really needed, he does what I do, restates the situation from his perspective.  If only. This is the only way to healing. I can't see any other way forward. #1 its OK to tell Jesus how things are for us, from our perspective.  Just tell your story.  What he didn't know was that Jesus was right there. Sometimes I have a small view of who Jesus is too. #2 remember who Jesus is, and that he is close. Maybe that changes things :) #gospelofjohn #jesusisclose It's the anniversary of verseoftheday, so just...

One man was there who had been disabled for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and realized he had already been there a long time, he said to him,  "Do you want to get well?" John 5:5-6 CSB 38 years! Do you want to get well? Isn't that a strange question to ask - surely the answer is obvious! But when Jesus asks a question, it should make us pause. Jesus realised he'd been there a long time - was there something obvious that at this pool was where the man lived? What was the clue? Was there something that indicated that he might not want things to change? If Jesus asked me that question what would he be referring to? Do you want to stay stuck in that thinking? Do you want to stay in that toxic place? Do you want to keep me at a distance? Do you want to keep striving in business? Striving in______? You've been here for a long time. Do you want to change? Is that what Jesus is asking? He's very personal, and this is a personal question. Had this ...

I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness,  for you have exalted above all things your name and your word. On the day I called,  you answered me;  my strength of soul  you increased. Psalm 138:2-3 ESV Implied here is his pattern of being thankful for who God is. It's his habit. That's quite a challenging thought, that my habit is being thankful for who God is.  I don't think I like that idea, because it makes me smaller, smaller before God. There's days when I just want God to fix things. To fix this broken thing, this hurt person, to fix my circumstances. I want Him to do what I want. But if my habit is being thankful for who He is, something shifts.  And as the psalmist writes that on the "day I called" God did answer but in an unexpected way - his problem wasn't fixed, but his "strength of soul you increased". I don't know exactly what that means, but I think I have an ink...

I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness,  for you have exalted above all things your name and your word. On the day I called,  you answered me;  my strength of soul  you increased. Psalm 138:2-3 ESV His Big Idea here is giving thanks.  Thanks not for what God has done, but for who he is.  We went to a friend's birthday a few weeks ago and people got up and were thankful, some spoke of the things this person had done, but only to illustrate the person that they are, and how grateful everyone was for who this person is, and grateful that we all knew this person.  This is what the psalmist is doing here, grateful for who God is.  I'm going to start my week here, lifting my view for a few minutes to who God is, and being thankful for Him. #psalms #songsthatbreakprisonwalls #dangerousprayers #startwithathankfulheart

The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me. Lord, your faithful love  endures forever;  do not abandon the work of your hands. Psalms 138:8 CSB The psalmist captures beautifully the tension that I so often live in... "do not abandon the work of your hands". Sometimes it feels like God has just left us to it, evil, the effects of evil run rampant and roughshod over people.  God seems silent. Inactive.  It seems that it's OK to feel that way :) "Lord, your faithful love endures forever" He reminds himself, as I have to, that God is God, that He is Love, that He is eternal, that He is bigger, and has a bigger story that I'm just a wee part of. And then it's personal. Fulfill your purpose for me. I want to fulfill my purpose for me.  The psalmist submits what he wants to Gods purpose. Sometimes we over complicate it.  Our God is personal, and he wants us near, to be moving closer. As we get closer to someone, we see more of them, understand them better, know t...

Now this was also the second sign Jesus performed after he came from Judea to Galilee. John 4:54 CSB This second sign was a all about a royal official.  An important person. And his son was very ill. He'd heard something about Jesus and came looking for him, looking for a cure. Jesus seemed a bit ticked off. We can't really see or understand a person's heart or motives unless they tell us, but Jesus knew. This guy didn't believe Jesus was who he said he was. He just wanted his son to be well (nothing wrong with that desire) and had heard Jesus did miracles. Fixed things. He had the resources to find Jesus and ask him to come and fix his son. Jesus heals him long distance, but his words in v48 echo down the centuries... Jesus told him,  "Unless you people see signs and wonders,  you will not believe." Seems ticked off to me.  Jesus didn't want belief to be tied to miracles. He seemed to want something different.  Will I trust in Jesus even if the healing I ...

Friday! Proverbs! Doing what is righteous and just  is more acceptable to the Lord  than sacrifice. Proverbs 21:3 CSB This was written when the sacrificial system was in place.  Were the sacrifices not acceptable? If they did exactly what was required was that not enough? Or is there a deeper thing with God going on, that obeying the "rules" misses? And what is the equivalent in our culture? I go to church. I give I read my Bible I pray So, God should be happy with me. Right? He's saying that's all good stuff, but it isn't that great if you're not doing what is right on Monday. Living it out on Saturday. If you're not righting wrongs, seeking justice for those who don't have it. Our God is way more interested in how we treat other people than our attendance at church.  He's way more interested in how I see other people, because that determines how I treat them. What do you think? #proverbs #wisdom #somethingtochewon #itsaheartthing

The Lord  is near the brokenhearted;  he saves  those crushed in spirit. Psalms 34:18 CSB What breaks your heart? Mine has been broken a lot lately by the effect of the sins of others in people's lives.  Then there's the broken in a good way, when some of the things that I thought were important, that my culture taught were important, God showed that there are other, higher priorities. Then there's the heart that's  broken when I realise just how far from God's heart some of my thoughts, my attitudes, and my choices are. This Psalm, this song, says that when our hearts are broken, that our God is there. Right there. He is near  In the small quiet whisper. In the word from a friend. In the touch of another. In his living Word  In the community of His people. He is near. And He saves. If your spirit has been crushed, He saves. The weight of our own expectations. The weight of others expectations. The things we've done. The things others have done. The be...

I will say to God,  my rock,  "Why have you forgotten me?  Why must I go about in sorrow because of the enemy's oppression?" Psalms 42:9 Have you ever felt like this? When the sadness never seems to end? When you feel forgotten? The psalmist knows, and God in his wisdom put this song in our Bible, 'cos there will be days when this is how it is. My adversaries taunt me, as if crushing my bones, while all day long they say to me,  "Where is your God?" Psalms 42:10 It hurts. I can't get away from the words that crush me. They're accusing me, and then they accuse God.  The writer of this part of the Bible is not OK. It's OK not to be OK Why, my soul, are you so dejected?  Why are you in such turmoil?  Psalm 42:11a Then he starts talking to himself, asks himself what's going on.  I've done all the right things and it still hurts. Put your hope in God, for I will still praise him, my Savior and my God. Psalms 42:11b  There is no magic fix.  He...

And they told the woman, "We no longer believe because of what you said,  since we have heard for ourselves  and know  that this really is the Savior of the world." John 4:39-42 CSB Our friend at the well just told her story. And that was enough. And then the people of her town met Jesus for themselves. We don't get quite the same opportunity to invite Jesus around for a BBQ, to stay a few nights, but somehow, through our stories, through his Word, through his Spirit, through seeking,  through being open to being sought,  through the love and kindness and grace of God's people as they live to imitate Jesus,  when the person up front at church rather than tell a well-polished story trips over their words because there mind is more on God than us, when the singer forgets they have a microphone in hand and just praises God,  when a struggling, hurting person calls out to God,  when we get a tiny glimpse of heaven, of how it should be, when we get a w...

Remember, Lord,  your great mercy  and love,  for they are from of old.  Do not remember  the sins of my youth  and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me,  for you,  Lord, are good. Psalms 25:6-7 NIV I don't think God needs reminding of who He is, or what his attributes are, it's like a child coming to a parent with "you know how you said I could talk to you about stuff and you wouldn't get mad at me... well...can we talk now?" And then the psalmist tells God how it is for him.  I've sinned against you before. I know it. And my heart is rebellious. It seeks my own way even now. I'm not good enough.  I mess up. I don't measure up. So when you look at me, look at me through the lens of your goodness & love. Look at me according to your love. For you are good. And He does.  The Gospel, the good news, is that He didn't wait for us to become good enough somehow, He didn't wait for our rebellious hearts to stop being ...

Make your ways known to me, Lord;  teach me your paths.  Guide me in your truth and teach me,  for you are the God of my salvation;  I wait for you all day long. Psalms 25:4-5 CSB In this moment,  in this circumstance,  in this need,  in this hurt, in this grief,  In this joy, in this good thing, in this success,  guide me in your truth, teach me your paths,  make your ways known to me...I want to know your heart, your ways,  for you are the God of my salvation. It's so easy to lose sight of what I've been saved from,  and, what I've been saved for. I'll wait.  In this age where waiting, slowing down is seen as defective in some way, I'll wait for you. Because you are God, and I am not. Remind me again of not just the price of my salvation,  but the Love that permeates everything that You do,  the Love that is my salvation. Amen  #psalms #psalm25 #sunday #worship #thisisourGod #heLoves #heLovesYou

Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am alone  and afflicted. The distresses of my heart increase;  bring me out of my sufferings. Consider my affliction and trouble,  and forgive all my sins.  Consider my enemies; they are numerous,  and they hate me violently. Guard me and rescue me; do not let me be disgraced, for I take refuge in you.  May integrity and what is right watch over me, for I wait for you. Psalms 25:16-21 CSB Maybe some part of this Psalm, this song written so long ago, resonates with you.  "Turn to me..." It feels that God has gone dark. He's facing the other way.  But at the same time he calls out to God. In his hurt, he doesn't turn it all inward, but cries out. It's OK not to be OK. It's OK to cry out. He is realistic about his own part (Consider my sins) in any suffering, and in the part that others (Consider my enemies) have or are playing in his distress. And comes back to seeking refuge in God. Waiting. I can overlay my ...

Friday! Proverbs! Every way of a man is right in his own eyes,  but the Lord  weighs the heart. Proverbs 21:2 ESV I not only do what I think is right, I can convince myself that what I want is right. I can find evidence to back myself up. (I only look in places that support my thinking) Let's try this:  Chocolate.  It doesn't take long to find the beneficial properties of chocolate, it comes from a plant so that makes it a vegetable & I can justify any quantity. Anytime. And I can do the same with any niggling desire... alcohol, drugs, sex, money, success, harm, follows, thanks, likes...power...  I can make anything right in my own eyes.  But the Lord weighs my heart.  He examines my heart. My motives. It's not the quality of my argument that he's interested in, but what's going on in my heart.  Is it "Thy Kingdom come" or my kingdom come. Who's ruling, who or what am I worshipping? That's what interests Him. The more I let him weigh, examine,...

Now many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of what the woman said when she testified,  "He told me everything I ever did." So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days.  Many more believed because of what he said. And they told the woman, "We no longer believe because of what you said,  since we have heard for ourselves  and know  that this really is the Savior of the world." John 4:39-42 CSB She didn't know it all, didn't have all the answers, but her faithful witness of what she did  know was all that was needed for others to find their way to Jesus. And it's the same with me. My story, no matter how small or halting it might be, the little bit of God's love and grace and forgiveness that I do know, that's enough. Just share your story of Jesus love. That's enough. And then others will find Jesus for themselves. (I wonder where Jesus stayed. In who's house? And how di...

"My food  is to do the will of him   who sent me and to finish his work," Jesus told them. John 4:34 CSB And to finish his work. This is Jesus fuel. To do the will of (our perfect heavenly) Father. And to finish His work. What an interesting thing to say.  What work did the Father start? Could this takes us all the way back through history, through God speaking through the prophets, through the tabernacle and the ark of the covenant, through the exodus and God rescuing his people, through the giving of the law, through the covenant with Abram, through the flood, and all the way back to the garden. To where Adam and Eve had chosen to listen to the lies of Satan,  and God made Himself small,  stooped down, and asked "where are you?" He pursued. He came looking. He knew. He came for us. And Jesus came to finish that work, so that, we can be finally and fully restored in nearness to God.  Jesus had just demonstrated it by going to Samaria. By meeting with ...

But he said,  "I have food to eat that you don't know about." The disciples said to one another,  "Could someone have brought him something to eat?" "My food is to do the will of him who sent me  and to finish his work," Jesus told them. John 4:32-34 CSB The disciples are looking for our friend now.  Did she feed Jesus?  We've been into town for food and someone else provided food anyway? Was Judas wondering if he could've saved some money? But Jesus has a completely different fuel that is powering his life on earth. Yes he has to eat, but he's not driven by success in the things of this world.  His fuel is to do the Father's will. (jump back to Ch3v16-17 to check out the Father's will) Jesus isn't fueled by the crowd, the response of the one person at the well, or the accolades from his team. It's doing the Father's will, and that's why he keeps checking in with Him, takes time out to be with Him, and keeps quoting ...

In the meantime the disciples kept urging him, "Rabbi, eat something." But he said,  "I have food to eat that you don't know about." The disciples said to one another,  "Could someone have brought him something to eat?" John 4:31-33 CSB Our friend came for water at the well. She didn't know who Jesus was, and he talked to her about living water. The disciples knew who Jesus was. But their eyes were still set on the wrong things. Those unspoken questions about why Jesus was even talking to her, he knew their hearts. They didn't ask her to stay and share some food. That didn't enter their minds. They just thought they'd got the wrong kai. So Jesus uses the food to get them thinking. Thinking about the Kingdom and Kingdom values.  To lift their heads and hearts out of what's temporary, to what is really important. And the really important thing to Jesus was that one person. That one person who was looked down on because of her gender, ...

Just then his disciples arrived, and they were amazed that he was talking with a woman. Yet no one said,  "What do you want?" or  "Why are you talking with her?" Then the woman left her water jar,  went into town,  and told the people, "Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did.  Could this be the Messiah?" They left the town and made their way to him. John 4:27-30 CSB Her 1:1 with Jesus was interrupted when his team turned up. She left her water jar. Was that to be hospitable to Jesus disciples? Was it because she was in a hurry to tell her people about Jesus? Or was it because she could sense their judgement of her? See the look in their eyes,  the questions that the disciples wanted to ask came out in their body language...? Maybe it was all of the above. When she got to town our friend must have made a convincing case. This person of low credibility who was hiding herself at midday turns up and motivates the town to go and seek Jesus. They must...

Just then his disciples arrived, and they were amazed that he was talking with a woman. Yet no one said,  "What do you want?"  or  "Why are you talking with her?" John 4:27 CSB John's writing is hilarious, like he's narrating this scene, yet he is in the middle of it. These thoughts that the boys had were just as much his as anyone else's. They must've talked about it amongst themselves, but no one asked Jesus. For them, Jesus meeting with a woman was so outside their comfort zone no one could bring themselves to ask Jesus what was going on. The point for me is the gulf between the hearts of the disciples and Jesus. Jesus simply didn't care about their racism, sexism, their excluding, their looking down on groups, the judging of where people have come from, what their history is. The labels. For Jesus there is no them and us. There's only us. Jesus would (& does) find a way to show up the gulf between my heart and his.  There's only u...

Friday! Proverbs! A kingys heart  is like channeled water in the Lord's hand:  He directs it wherever he chooses. Proverbs 21:1 CSB It would be nice to see a bit more of this in leaders around the world,  because many of them don't seem to be doing things that I think God should be choosing to  direct them in. Maybe Solomon was thinking of the Assyrian king at the end of Ezra ch6. Or maybe he was considering his own heart. And asking me to consider mine. It's easy to see what some other king should be doing, but how well do I allow God to direct my path? Is it that I just want to be king? He's moving me to love and I'm opting for selfishness. He's moving me to patience, but I don't want to wait. He's moving me to kindness, but I don't want to. He's moving me to discard the record of wrongs, but I cling to it. He's moving me to give but I want my stuff. The water of my heart keeps wanting to break out of the channel God is making ahead of me. ...

Jesus replied,  "Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again.  It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life." "Please, sir", the woman said, "give me this water! Then I'll never be thirsty again, and I wont have to come here to get water." John 4:13-15 NLT I wonder if Jesus was to find me, find me hiding, what picture would he use?  Would it be water?  Or something else? Our friend here wanted what I often want from God: my circumstances changed.  Just fix this. Please. Just fix someone else's circumstances.  Please  Then I won't have to keep ______. Praying. Working. Serving. Listening. _________. I so easily want to see God's Kingdom reign in my external world.  In my circumstances. But Jesus is talking about something different that in my rush to fix what is pressing in, I can so easily miss what he is really about.  He's af...