Pastor Mary Haley

In November of 2020, my family went to North Carolina for Thanksgiving and some of us hiked to the summit of Charley Bunion from Newfound Gap on the Appalachian Trail. The hike covers eight miles [round trip] and takes about four+ hours to hike [approx. elevation 1886 ft]. Hiking for pleasure involves discovering new sights and experiences. We had never hiked this trail before, so I had no idea what to expect on the adventure.

I prepared what I would take on this afternoon hike and thought I was ready with my sneakers, hat, coat, gloves, and a small backpack with snacks and water. But, I wasn’t ready, because my shoes did not have a good tread on the soles and the higher we climbed the the rocky path the more difficult it was to gain solid footing as toward the top we encountered a bit of snow and ice. Then, there was the biggest challenge of all—descending. Praise God my son, Joe, walked in front of me and kept reaching back for my hand giving me stability in the precarious places. Note to self: buy hiking shoes!

In our passage today, while in chains for preaching Truth, the Apostle Paul shares about our need to adequately spiritually prepare for the challenges that accompany the hike of faith. Paul reminds us the righteous “wrestle” an invisible adversary and his evil army for control of our lives. This evil enemy does not want Christ’s army of believers to ascend in Truth or live for God. The strategies of the devil are to keep us living for ourselves; rather than living to produce the character fruit and nature of Christ. Why? Because when we emulate the character of Christ, we have the power to advance the work of our King Jesus and his Kingdom. In the Light of Christ, we push the darkness back.

We cannot forget this very important aspect of the believer’s journey in Christ, because if we think hiking through the fath-life will be easy, we have not read the Word of God and have dismissed the enemy of our souls. Our hearts, minds, emotions, bodies are all involved in a spiritual wrestling match. The devil is fierce and advances by causing us to fear—spirit of fear is never from God (2 Tim 1:7). But, Christ leads the way and reaches back for our hands to stabilize us as we hike the narrow path by faith (Mat 7:13-14).

If we are going to ascend in the holy life with God, we are going to need to prepare for the struggle. Now, the spiritual terrain is strewn with challenges the enemy has designed especially for each one of us. Satan uses our weaknesses, limitations, immaturity, and even our lack of preparation to attack and disrupt our footing and slow our progress hoping we lose our motivation to press on. But our spiritual shoes of peace with God provides great power for perseverance—grace! It is hard to battle an enemy you cannot see. Yet, God has faithfully made a Way to prepare us in order to be victorious in our spiritual growth in Christ and to proclaim Jesus as our King! Raise the banner [a symbol of God’s presence, protection, and victory] for Jesus, today, and be the Light that pushes back the darkness.

Ephesians 6:10-20 NLT The Whole Armor of God
10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we [you] are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. 14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared [to preach peace with God]. 16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil [evil one]. 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere [those being made holy].

19 And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike. 20 I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God’s ambassador. So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should.

Prayer: Lord, we prepare ourselves, commit our lives to you, and ask for the power to be victorious for the Kingdom, today. We submit to you and resist the adversary. You have made special armor to fit each of us as your sons and daughters who champion Truth. In Jesus’ name.

Have you ever told another person the details of when you turned your life over to Christ? If so, you must have shared how Jesus changed and softened your heart, how you began to take in information and make wise decisions, as well as how the Holy Spirit called you to live and love from the inside out! When Jesus comes to live in our spirits, we are never the same! When Truth comes to live in us for the first time, it is a radical life-changing moment that fills us with the glorious energy of heaven and the hope of eternity while living on earth.

In our passage today, the Apostle Paul is on trial and he asks to represent himself. What does he say in his defense? He shares his conversion story with the King. Paul shares how Jesus changed his whole mind-set and direction for his life. Paul had to submit, because everything he was doing was persecuting God’s people while all the time hurting himself and his relationship with God. Paul’s priorities, passion for God, and preference for people was flipped by the Lord and now Paul was a man on a new mission to share the Gospel message with the Gentiles.

We must thank God every day for his glorious salvation and the work of the Holy Spirit in us. Life is new and fresh each day. Thank you, Jesus!

Acts 26:1-18 NLT
 1 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.”
So Paul motioned with his hand and began his defense: 2 “King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews, 3 and especially so because you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently.

4 “The Jewish people all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child, from the beginning of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem. 5 They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that I conformed to the strictest sect of our religion, living as a Pharisee. 6 And now it is because of my hope in what God has promised our ancestors that I am on trial today. 7 This is the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night. King Agrippa, it is because of this hope that these Jews are accusing me. 8 Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?

9 “I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the Lord’s people in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. 11 Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. I was so obsessed with persecuting them that I even hunted them down in foreign cities.

12 “On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. 13 About noon, King Agrippa, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions. 14 We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ [only hurting yourself]
15 “Then I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’

“ ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied. 16 ‘Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen and will see of me. 17 I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them 18 to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

Prayer: Lord, thank you for reminding us how you love everyone; no favoritism is found in you. Your love is all-encompassing and amazing to behold. It is your love that changes us in radical ways. We don’t see things the same, anymore. We want you…more of you…each day. Every time we reach out for you, there you are waiting to be with us. Thank you, Lord. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

There are so many lessons in Scripture that inspire me with hope and a sense of well-being. Every human being needs hope to face each day, because life can leave us feeling vulnerable or even defeated. Hope motivates our faith helping us look forward to a better future beyond adversity. When we are feeling weak, hope brings us strength. When we desperately need change in our lives, hope is there to lead us toward healing as we trust in God. Jesus is our HOPE! “And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love” (Ro 5:5).

In our passage today from Luke, a leper comes and bows before Jesus. Now, as a doctor, Luke frequently writes about the illnesses people face and the miracles Jesus performs to heal them. Our passage is very clear; Luke tells us this man has an “advanced case of leprosy.” In other words, this contagious progressive bacterial skin infection had severely damaged his nerve endings and this man’s face and body had become very disfigured. More than likely, his identity unrecognizable. With the assurance of hope to receive from the Lord, this man bows before Jesus—the One who knows his heart—and proclaims Christ’s power to heal. We, too, must remember no challenge we face is too advanced for the healing hand of Almighty God.

When we face certain kinds of adversity—long-term challenges that have tested our faith—we must hold onto hope. Due to the advance nature of our challenges, we may be tempted to feel like the Lord is not going to answer our prayers. Certainly, God’s perspective can be very different than ours. Yet, Jesus is all about taking what is unhealthy by bringing a healing that makes one whole, holy, and dedicated to God. This brings glory to God. Therefore, our Lord is always “willing” to be the healing we need. His methods many times remain a mystery and certainly the Lord’s timing is very different than ours, but according to the New Covenant, grace is generously given to those who call upon the name of the Lord for salvation (Ro 10:10-13).

Luke 5:12-16 NLT Jesus Heals a Man with Leprosy
12 In one of the villages, Jesus met a man with an advanced case of leprosy. When the man saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground, begging to be healed. “Lord,” he said, “if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.”

13 Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” And instantly the leprosy disappeared. 14 Then Jesus instructed him not to tell anyone what had happened. He said, “Go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy. This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed.”

15 But despite Jesus’ instructions, the report of his power spread even faster, and vast crowds came to hear him preach and to be healed of their diseases. 16 But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.

Prayer: Lord, we are so grateful for this lesson today, because it fills us with hope that you understand the adversity that comes to every human being. This man with leprosy needed healing and you were willing to make him whole. You healed him physically, spiritually, and emotionally, Lord, so he could return to the Temple as your worshiper. We all need some kind of healing and again, we thank you for being willing to heal us and make us whole as your worshipers. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Not everything in life is fair, because humanity lives in a fallen world and we can find ourselves wandering away from wholehearted devotion to God. But, in the midst of this worldly mess of lawless unbelief—this temporary exile from God’s heavenly realm—believers have been promised favor [grace] and the divine care of the Lord. In fact, we are promised the Lord will NEVER leave or forsake us; he will always be present to be a Helper when his worshipers [those who follow and honor God’s commands of love] need it most (Heb 13:5). We do, however, need to turn from our unrighteous ways, humbly ask for God’s help and live with faith that he will be our Provider. Faith-driven prayer is the position believers must assume. When life knocks us on our knees, we are in the perfect position to pray!

Yesterday, we looked at the story of the cursed fig tree (Mark 11:12-24). Many times in the biblical narrative, the Lord uses good figs to describe Israel and her wholeness with God. In his writings, the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah has a vision from the Lord that involves two baskets of figs—one basket filled with good figs and one basket filled with rotten figs—that are placed in front of the Lord’s Temple in Jerusalem (Jer. 24:1-10).
The basket of good figs represents the humble Israelites and leaders of Judah who choose to do what God asks by leaving the land and going as exiles to Babylonia; therefore, God promises to watch over them while in captivity as well as one day bring them back to Jerusalem and give them hearts to serve the Lord. They are leaving everything familiar and comfortable; but they leave with God’s blessing. The basket of rotten figs represents the Israelites and leaders who refuse to listen or honor God’s Word; therefore, God will not protect them. The choice is set before the people.

Our passage today, picks up with Jeremiah’s call from the Lord to those in both Judah and Jerusalem asking them once again to willingly follow God’s commands and go into exile. The Lord is still offering a time to recognize their sin against God, an opportunity to repent, and once again rest in his care—a picture of God’s faithful love, mercy, and grace. Yet, sometimes rather than get on our knees and pray for mercy, we dig our heels in and demand our own way. It’s always a mistake—a rotten choice!

Seventy years—a period of divine judgment—awaits Israel for her idolatry, but God will faithfully restore the faithful! Then, the Lord will serve up judgment for Babylon. Yes, the Lord uses even the unbeliever for his purposes of bringing people out of the world and into his saving grace and loving care.

Jeremiah 25:1-14 NLT Seventy Years of Captivity
25 This message for all the people of Judah came to Jeremiah from the Lord during the fourth year of Jehoiakim’s reign over Judah [605 BC]. This was the year when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon began his reign.

2 Jeremiah the prophet said to all the people in Judah and Jerusalem, 3 “For the past twenty-three years—from the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah son of Amon,[627 BC] king of Judah, until now—the Lord has been giving me his messages. I have faithfully passed them on to you, but you have not listened.

4 “Again and again the Lord has sent you his servants, the prophets, but you have not listened or even paid attention. 5 Each time the message was this: ‘Turn from the evil road you are traveling and from the evil things you are doing. Only then will I let you live in this land that the Lord gave to you and your ancestors forever. 6 Do not provoke my anger by worshiping idols you made with your own hands. Then I will not harm you.’
7 “But you would not listen to me,” says the Lord. “You made me furious by worshiping idols you made with your own hands, bringing on yourselves all the disasters you now suffer. 8 And now the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Because you have not listened to me, 9 I will gather together all the armies of the north under King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, whom I have appointed as my deputy. I will bring them all against this land and its people and against the surrounding nations. I will completely destroy you [give as offering] and make you an object of horror and contempt and a ruin forever. 10 I will take away your happy singing and laughter. The joyful voices of bridegrooms and brides will no longer be heard. Your millstones will fall silent, and the lights in your homes will go out. 11 This entire land will become a desolate wasteland. Israel and her neighboring lands will serve the king of Babylon for seventy years.

12 “Then, after the seventy years of captivity are over, I will punish the king of Babylon and his people for their sins,” says the Lord. “I will make the country of the Babylonians a wasteland forever. 13 I will bring upon them all the terrors I have promised in this book—all the penalties announced by Jeremiah against the nations. 14 Many nations and great kings will enslave the Babylonians, just as they enslaved my people. I will punish them in proportion to the suffering they cause my people.”

Prayer: Lord, we thank you for preparing and protecting us each day. Many times I’m sure you protect us from ourselves. Although this world is challenging for us, we do not navigate or travel it alone. Thank you for being with us, helping us to choose wisely, and promising to keep us in your tender care. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Well-being [Heb. Shalom שָׁלוֹם] is like a barometer for the overall health of an individual or society. This well-being encompasses things like satisfaction or a sense of purpose in life, spiritual fruitfulness, peace, positive emotions, physical health, well-being, and thriving relationships. Shalom or well-being is wholeness with God. We must be self-aware as individuals and vigilant as a human race to measure our well-being, because it reveals the health of society. Keep in mind, obedience to God must rule above all else or well-being will not be the outcome.

In our passage today, Jesus is leaving Bethany—a small Judean village situated on the southeastern slope of the Mount of Olives, about two miles east of Jerusalem. This village is like a “home-base” for Jesus as he finds love, rest, and well-being here. The home of Lazarus is in Bethany; a place in which Jesus was always welcomed and honored. Therefore, Jesus was able to do many miracles in Bethany; the greatest miracle was the raising of Lazarus from the dead.

The word “Bethany” translates into several meanings, but we will focus on a definition many theologians agree upon, today—“house of figs.” In the Bible, figs are used symbolically of Israel and her prosperity [wholeness] when the people are obedient to God (1 Kings 4:25). As Jesus leaves Bethany he is hungry, sees a fig tree, and goes to pick some fruit. He does not find any fruit even though the leaves are green and lush. So, Jesus curses the fig tree.

Mark places this lesson of Jesus cursing the fig tree separated like bookends surrounding the cleansing of the Temple. If we read this passage as one whole lesson—which we should—Jesus is demonstrating an act of judgment against Israel for their spiritual barrenness. Neither the Temple worship nor the fig tree are producing fruit, even though they have the outward appearance of being healthy.

Believers, today, can have an outward appearance of being healthy without actually producing any fruit. Jesus is expecting his children to be fruit-bearing, because the world is hungry for God whether society knows it or not. In the Spirit, we can produce love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control; a spiritually enriched diet that brings wholeness. When you share this kind of fruit with others through your actions, you are feeding the hungry. Feed someone today.

Mark 11:12-14, 15-19, 20-24 NLT Jesus Curses the Fig Tree
12 The next morning as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13 He noticed a fig tree in full leaf a little way off, so he went over to see if he could find any figs. But there were only leaves because it was too early in the season for fruit. 14 Then Jesus said to the tree, “May no one ever eat your fruit again!” And the disciples heard him say it.

Jesus Clears the Temple
15 When they arrived back in Jerusalem, Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people buying and selling animals for sacrifices. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves, 16 and he stopped everyone from using the Temple as a marketplace. 17 He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves” (Isaiah 56:7; Jeremiah 7:11).

18 When the leading priests and teachers of religious law heard what Jesus had done, they began planning how to kill him. But they were afraid of him because the people were so amazed at his teaching.

19 That evening Jesus and the disciples left the city.
20 The next morning as they passed by the fig tree he had cursed, the disciples noticed it had withered from the roots up. 21 Peter remembered what Jesus had said to the tree on the previous day and exclaimed, “Look, Rabbi! The fig tree you cursed has withered and died!”
22 Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God. 23 I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. 24 I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.

Prayer: Jesus, thank you for letting us know your expectations for our attitudes and actions. Our faith must bear righteous fruit; otherwise, we are going through the motions without obediently submitting to your rule. Holy Spirit, please produce the fruit of genuine Love in us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

I enjoy a bit of hiking and I have had multiple opportunities to do so on our vacations. It amazes me how we can go from an unremarkable, difficult, and narrow path, only to find in time it opens up to reveal an incredible vista of previously unseen or hidden beauty. I remember making a difficult upward and uneven one-mile climb on one of our vacations to Oregon—Multnomah Falls—a hike that involved eleven switchbacks [zig-zagging turns]. There were many opportunities to turn back, but I am so grateful a friend and I stayed the course and finally arrived at the top because the view of the Columbia River Gorge was spectacular and the feelings of overcoming the difficulties rewarding!

On Sunday, during our worship time, we sung and shared about the believer’s faith in the Son of God, as well as the challenges we face as a result of following his lead into obeying God’s commandments. Faith in the Lord opens the door for upward climbs in his character and the way is narrow and difficult! We must remember how the troubles God allows to come our way—stimulus—call for both a choice and response.

Because God loves us and wants a closer relationship with us, he will allow us to experience obstacles and challenges to our faith, so we will make the choice to press on, overcome, and become more mature in holy love like Jesus. When we experience difficult circumstances, conflict, or even fear, God wants us to make a choice to reach for our Holy Helper who will give us eyes to see from a higher perspective and then act according to God’s love. For example, the Word of God reminds us patience is produced in us by enduring and overcoming hardships (Ro 5:3). Will we allow our faith in Christ to lead us toward righteous fruit production—love, joy, peace, and patience, etc.—or will we instead wrestle God for control, blame others, and try to avoid every difficulty that would make us spiritually mature?

According to Hebrews 11:1, “Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.” We need our faith to climb and reach higher, by enduring the difficulties that are meant to spiritually stimulate our faith and give us eyes to see and experience the saving power of Almighty God. Believers pray to experience and enjoy more and more of God’s presence, perspective, and power, but what if this is only accomplished when we allow genuine love to mold and shape us by trials to our faith, difficulties we do not understand, and many switchbacks? Believers are being transformed into the image of Christ and the “hike” involves sacrifice and some suffering if we are going to experience his glory (2 Cor 3:18). Remember, the best view comes after the hardest climb!

John 5:1-5 NLT Faith in the Son of God
1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ [Messiah] has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too. 2 We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey his commandments. 3 Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. 4 For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. 5 And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your enduring love for us. Please help us to endure in the faith for you. We want to grow, produce, and exercise the fruit of your character and we understand it calls for a choice. Help us to wisely discern your righteous direction by allowing your love to define even our challenging circumstances. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

We all have our share of challenges and struggles, so when we experience troubles, we must endure and reach for the joy of our salvation. I am not talking about being happy for our problems. We reach for joy, because joy gives us a positive outlook. For example, when we endure, we experience growth in our character and we develop spiritual maturity. To not endure is to fail and wander from the Truth. We must endure to successfully overcome.

In our passage from James, today, the apostle writes to the scattered Jewish Christians who have experienced persecution. He wants to encourage them to press on and maintain their service to Christ. James wants the people to know they must put faith into action; genuine faith transforms lives. Wisdom teaches us how to speak and act in a righteous way. Commitment to love and serve others is the evidence of true faith which reflects trust [reliance upon the Lord] and belief [affirmation of truths].

James 1:2-8 NLT Faith and Endurance
2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. 6 But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. 7 Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for this letter from James and the encouragement it gives your people who have all experienced the troubles of life. Help every believer to endure and press on in faith to live with undivided loyalty to our Christ. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Miracles surround the biblical testimony of God’s love for his human creation. These supernatural occurrences demonstrate the compassion of the Lord, as well as the power of the Lord over natural order. God’s covenant love and mercy [חֶסֶד chesed] is loyal and filled with his goodness. The commitment of the Lord to care for his creation is always present and we see it in Christ’s compassionate acts of rescuing and relieving the suffering of his people as noted in the gospels.

In our passage today, Jesus encounters two blind men who refuse to be silenced; they proclaim him as the long awaited King and Messiah. Persistent in their shouting, the pleas of these desperate men reveal a deep faith in the Lord to bring them wholeness. How does Jesus respond? He stops and listens. Never forget, people are God’s priority.

Jesus stops for you, too. When you cry out, Jesus ceases to move beyond your cries. He stops to listen. He attends to the needs of your heart and he responds to your faith-filled cries for his love and help. In a self-centered and self-focused people, Jesus is the Miracle of other-focused love.

The Savior is the Servant King who cares so much about having a relationship with you, he revealed his merciful love [חֶסֶד chesed] to bring salvation to your heart. You are precious to God. Cry out to Jesus; tell him what you want him to do in your life. Do you want to see and better understand the deep love of God? Jesus will stop and listen to you. Then, he will call you to serve others with his supernatural and miraculous love. Will you stop to care for others, today? Please be the miracle.

Matthew 20:29-34 NLT Jesus Heals Two Blind Men
29 As Jesus and the disciples left the town of Jericho, a large crowd followed behind. 30 Two blind men were sitting beside the road. When they heard that Jesus was coming that way, they began shouting, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”
31 “Be quiet!” the crowd yelled at them.

But they only shouted louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”

32 When Jesus heard them, he stopped and called, “What do you want me to do for you?”
33 “Lord,” they said, “we want to see!” 34 Jesus felt sorry for them and touched their eyes. Instantly they could see! Then they followed him.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for hearing our cries and for stoping to respond with compassionate love. We are so blessed to have you in our lives. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Most of us have no problem remembering the difficult times in our lives; we have all faced our share of them. These memories have the ability to involuntarily present as flashbacks in our thoughts. Certain internal or external images can stimulate and trigger responses. The human journey of life is strewn with challenges, but with a proper perspective each experience carries an opportunity to taste the nature and character of God and the invitation to see the divine Light of heaven working to rescue the people of the earth.

In our passage today from the prophet Jeremiah, three amazing realities about God’s faithful, loving, and merciful nature [in the midst of challenges] stand out like a beacon of Truth. This man of God has witnessed the destruction of Jerusalem through the invasion of the Babylonian army. He weeps for his city and the people; he exhorts them to live with faith in the Lord. Whether we are talking about afflictions that happened twenty-six centuries ago or in our present day, there will be afflictions that call for a faith response. “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all” (Ps. 34:19). Humanity will suffer in a fallen world, but God never changes and he is always present to be a Source of salvation—taking us from affliction to Hope.

There are many causes for affliction, so we will address just a few: 1) God uses afflictions to test our faith, so suffering can have a divine purpose; 2) Affliction and persecution of believers is a part of living in a fallen world; a world that tries to enforce control and conformity to societal norms; 3) Satan uses affliction to turn God’s people from faith to evil’s domain of fear and torment; and 4) Affliction is always a consequence of sin, disobedience, and lawlessness.

Once we understand the purpose of affliction, we can identify the proper response. Maybe God is disciplining us or purifying us by his Word, so we must pray for God’s strength to endure. Sometimes, God’s stirs us for spiritual growth, so we trust God to use these challenges to make us more like himself. Many times, God is drawing our attention toward a greater measure of dependence upon the Lord, so we will reach out and pray for help and deliverance. Lastly, God uses temporary suffering to prepare us for heaven.

Lamentations 3:19-26 NLT
19
The thought of my suffering and homelessness
    is bitter beyond words [suffering/deep sorrow].
20 
I will never forget this awful time,
    as I grieve over my loss.
21 
Yet I still dare to hope
    when I remember this:
22 
The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
    His mercies never cease.
23 
Great is his faithfulness;
    his mercies begin afresh each morning.
24 
I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance;
    therefore, I will hope in him!”
25 
The Lord is good to those who depend on him,
    to those who search for him.
26 
So it is good to wait quietly
    for salvation from the Lord.

Prayer: Lord, we face many afflictions in this fallen world. Sometimes we face physical illness, a temptation to sin, spiritual attacks, and even your discipline, Lord, that causes pain. But, you are always looking to deliver us and help us open ourselves up to receive You as our priceless inheritance; our faithful Refuge. So we pray, wait patiently, and look with the eyes of faith for you to move in the Way that is best for us. You are Good. You are our Hope and we rest in you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

As I am reading God’s Word this morning, I am filled with the thoughts of his goodness toward me. I have nothing purely “Good” in my flesh to offer the Lord or others, but the divine life within empowers me to share actions aligned with God’s nature. The choice is mine, because the One who is Good has provided me the ability to reflect his goodness. So, let’s think about that word, “goodness.”

Goodness has to do with God’s nature and character. God IS the standard of goodness; he is faithful, righteous, true, and just in all of his ways. He cannot be anything, but Good. God’s gaze is always upon his creation, so he is other-focused and seeks to extend his Good nature to all who will welcome his goodness. Remember, seven times in the creation biblical text God reveals the manifestation of his goodness to create new life, “God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very Good!” (Gen. 1:31). God still creates something Good out of nothing good. Praise his holy name!

There is no such thing as pure human goodness unless we have God as our Source and have invited him to be at the center of our lives. We have lost our original image of Good. God takes our brokenness, reveals Truth, and transforms us by his merciful goodness.

People can perform kind, compassionate acts, but we still remain broken from our original created image. Human beings, since the Fall and apart from God, are intrinsically self-serving and biblical goodness has to do with serving others with the character Fruit of God’s Spirit. Believers are recreated human beings who embrace God’s grace through faith, pursue his restoring goodness, and seek to manifest the divine nature in this earthly life in order to live for his glory.

In our passage today, Jesus schools a rich man about what is truly Good, by helping him see who his god really is…money. This man, like most human beings, thinks a few good actions is sufficient to be Good and inherit eternal life. However, when Jesus asks this man to sacrifice his god for The Good God, he walks away. We cannot make ourselves Good nor provide enough good actions to assure us of eternal life. There is only One Good enough to provide it for us and his name is Jesus!

Matthew 19:16-22 NLT The Rich Man
16 Someone came to Jesus with this question: “Teacher [Good Teacher], what good deed must I do to have eternal life?”

17 “Why ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. But to answer your question—if you want to receive eternal life, keep [continually] the commandments.”

18 “Which ones?” the man asked.
And Jesus replied: “‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. 19 Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

20 “I’ve obeyed all these commandments,” the young man replied. “What else must I do?”
21 Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
22 But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

Prayer: Lord, you are our Good Father, Good Shepherd, and the Good News for the world. We believe your promise that your plans for us are Good and everything will work together for Good, because we love you and want your will. Help us to honor your commands and live in a way that reveals your goodness to those around us each day. In Jesus’ name. Amen.