– Scripture:

               A Kernel of Faith

He said to his disciples, “Hard trials and temptations are bound to come, but too bad for whoever brings them on! Better to wear a millstone necklace and take a swim in the deep blue sea than give even one of these dear little ones a hard time!

                       Luke 17:1–2 MSG

Key Verse – He said to his disciples, “Hard trials and temptations are bound to come, but too bad for whoever brings them on!

 – Reflection:

We all go through disappointments, betrayals, and unfair situations. It’s easy to hold on to the hurts and everything that goes with it. You will think about what someone said, and relive the offense all over again. We don’t realize how much that’s souring our attitude, draining our energy, and limiting our creativity. If you’re going to fulfill your destiny, you have to get good at letting things go. Jesus said that offenses will definitely come, not just might come. How you deal with offenses will determine whether you move forward and see the new things God has in store for you or do you get stuck in the bitterness.

Where do we go from here?

Most of us are living out of a wounded place over how we were raised, or a friend who walked away, or a business partner who cheated us. Instead of letting that hurt go, we relive it over and over again. Then we wonder why we don’t have good relationships. It’s all because we haven’t healed. Until we get well, those wounds will stop us wherever we go. When we let it go and forgive, we can see all the beauty from the ashes, healing, and freedom. That is where we go.

Our Prayer for Today

Father, thank You that we can guard our hearts and let go of all the hurts and disappointments that have come our way. Thank You, for bringing healing to our wounded places and beauty for all of our ashes. We will make sure that we will not allow offenses to get inside and make us bitter. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

 – Scripture:

When Jesus left the field, he entered their meeting place. There was a man there with a crippled hand. They asked Jesus, “Is it legal to heal on the Sabbath?” They were baiting him. He replied, “Is there a person here who, finding one of your lambs fallen into a ravine, wouldn’t pull it out even though it was a Sabbath? Surely kindness to people is as legal as kindness to animals!” Then he said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” He held it out, and it was healed. The Pharisees walked out furious, sputtering about how they would ruin Jesus.

                        Matthew 12:9–14 MSG

Key Verse –  Surely kindness to people is as legal as kindness to animals!

– Reflection:

I must admit something for most of my life; I have been reading the verse above as a question…” How much more valuable is a human being than a sheep?” I read this as a question as if there is a range where it could be calculated as if both the life of a sheep and the life of a human can be valued in either time, money, or quality. Except, that is the problem here – people aren’t things, and our value cannot be quantified no matter how hard we try, no matter what system we plug metrics into.

Where do we go from here?

So in this passage, Jesus confronts the everyday norms and thoughts of his day. People had been misusing the Sabbath law and order to maintain their own comfort and well-being rather than practicing the sabbath for the peace, wholeness, and well-being of the world to the glory of God. Where do we place our comfort above the lives of others? Where do we live as if Jesus’ proclamation about the value of a human is more of a question than a definitive statement? May we pause in our sabbath living to get our values aligned with God, holding all of humanity as valuable and worthy of God’s loving embrace?

Our Prayer for Today

Father, help us to pause and examine our ways. Make us uncomfortable to examine our comfort. Open our hearts and lives so we may live as if all people are of immeasurable value. Let us hold your love in our lives and extend that to one another. Amen.

 – Scripture:

               In Charge of the Sabbath

One Sabbath, Jesus was strolling with his disciples through a field of ripe grain. Hungry, the disciples were pulling off the heads of grain and munching on them. Some Pharisees reported them to Jesus: “Your disciples are breaking the Sabbath rules!” Jesus said, “Really? Didn’t you ever read what David and his companions did when they were hungry, how they entered the sanctuary and ate fresh bread off the altar, bread that no one but priests were allowed to eat? And didn’t you ever read in God’s Law that priests carrying out their Temple duties break Sabbath rules all the time and it’s not held against them?  “There is far more at stake here than religion. If you had any idea what this Scripture meant—‘I prefer a flexible heart to an inflexible ritual’—you wouldn’t be nitpicking like this. The Son of Man is no lackey to the Sabbath; he’s in charge.”

Key Verse – The Son of Man is no lackey to the Sabbath; He is in charge.

                          Matthew 12:1–8 MSG

 – Reflection:

The disciples broke a rule by picking heads of grain on the Sabbath because they were hungry. Picking grain during that time was considered work. So he began asking them what was more important and if that was important to them, maybe it should be added to their Sabbath.

What are you hungry for? What is missing in your life, and you find yourself longing for it? Perhaps satisfying that hunger should be part of your sabbath observance. You might need a dose of nature, and walking in a park will feed that hunger. You might need a fun time with those you love, so playing a game or cooking a meal together will fill your emptiness. You might need quiet time alone; a good book will satisfy that hunger. You might long for time to connect with God, so reading scripture and praying will meet your need.

Where do we go from here?

Remember, Jesus is Lord over the sabbath helps us to understand that sabbath observance isn’t about following a list of rules. (And lists of rules always grow longer and longer as we face new circumstances!) The focus on rules can become an oppressive burden that takes away from the holiness of the sabbath practice. Remembering the sabbath day and keeping it holy reminds us who we are as children of God and can satisfy our deepest needs. Observing the sabbath honors our Lord as the Lord of all creation.

Our Prayer for Today

Father, Thank you for the day of rest you gave; hopefully, many of us can honor that by giving you praise and worship on that day by doing restful actions to be ready for work when it restarts. Give us the courage to pause, to be quiet, and to reflect so that we are aware of what our heart hungers for. Meet us in our hunger and satisfy our hearts. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

 – Scripture:

               The Right Relationships

Do two people walk hand in hand if they aren’t going to the same place?

                        Amos 3:3 MSG

 – Reflection:

The word “crutch” describes someone we may rely upon to help us overcome a period of challenge until we heal or can get by on our own. The term takes on a bad name when used to describe someone we’ve become unnecessarily dependent upon, usually to the detriment of our physical, mental, or emotional progress. One of the hardest things to accept is that God brings some people into our lives for only a season to help us through a particular stage of life or a difficult time. If God didn’t move them away, we would become too dependent, and they would limit our growth.

Where do we go from here?

Just as God brings people into our lives, He moves some out. We must recognize when someone’s part in our life story is over. When a person walks away, and you think you can’t get along without them, God says, “It’s time for you to go to a new level. Your destiny is not tied to them. Let them go, and the right people will show up.”

Our Prayer for Today

Father, thank You that we can submit every relationship in our lives to You. We trust that You are connecting us to the right people and removing people who are no longer tied to our purpose. Give us wisdom and grace to choose the best relationships. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

 – Scripture:

              Why Mumble When We Can Praise

Moses instructed Aaron: “Tell the whole company of Israel: ‘Come near to God. He’s heard your complaints.’ ” When Aaron gave out the instructions to the whole company of Israel, they turned to face the wilderness. And there it was: the Glory of God visible in the Cloud.

                        Exodus 16:9–10 MSG

 – Reflection:

In Exodus 16, God pulled the Israelites out of Egypt, and they complained the whole time of the first few months. Aaron and Moses told the people that the complaints they were speaking were going straight to GOD; he hears what is being said. None of this mattered to the Israelites; God fed and protected them, yet they still complained. GOD hears all the complaints and anger as you wait for your blessing. The Israelites complained for 40 years, and what did they get for it? All those early people died off and were left out of the promised land. Is that what you want for yourself, to be left to your own devices to work for no reason? Listen to your heart and what GOD says; you won’t be wrong.

Where do we go from here?

Imagine how this change in posture makes the Israelite community feel as they transition from the hunch of their bodies to their grumbling to the standing and shouting hallelujah.

Our Prayer for Today

Father GOD, thank you for helping us to raise our eyes and spirits along with our voices from a complaint to us flexing our new muscle in praise of our circumstances. We will say hallelujah instead of mumbling complaints. Amen.