Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ESV
Rejoicing, praying, and giving thanks put the circumstances of our lives, both good and bad into God’s hands and help us see them through His eyes. Last night our beloved daughter-in-law Melinda slipped from this world into the presence of Jesus. And while we are overwhelmed with grief and shock, these words are promises to which we cling. Melinda has finished her race. Her battle with cancer is finished. And while that pernicious disease claimed her physical life, it could not touch her soul. That remained fully and exclusively in the hands of Jesus with whom she now lives. Nancy and I didn’t know how to process the news that came in three words. “She is gone.” Yet as sadness rolls over my heart I sense the message echo back from Heaven, ” She has arrived!”
Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. Matthew 23:3-4 NKJV
The main problem Jesus had with the Pharisees, was not about their teaching, but with their lives. Their doctrines were bullet-proof, unfortunately so were their hearts. As the writers and story tellers of their day their words demanded that others change their hearts without ever allowing anyone to have a peek into their own.
Yes, the Word of God is true and powerful, but part of the reason that we are touched by its power is that God inspired people – vulnerable people to pen its words. Paul tells us that He was the worst sinner, and a persecutor of Christians. John shares a private moment at the cross when Jesus asked him to take care of Mary, and Peter tells the story of being on the mountain when Jesus was transfigured. In the Psalms, David repents openly, loudly, and publicly, after his sordid affair with Bathsheba. Each of these writers left a mark on us, because we can identify with them, and are encouraged that if they could follow Jesus, then so could we.
So, I encourage you that the next time you open your laptop, or put pen to paper, stop and ask, “Am I revealing where I came from, am I writing about what I have personally learned, and am I willing to publicly confess my own sins and failures?” Being vulnerable is not just saying the right things, but it is being willing to reveal our joys, our failures and, our life’s stories and then, through our vulnerability God just may reach down and gently lift a burden that someone else is carrying.
Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We are going with you also.” They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing. John 21:3 NKJV
Thirty years ago, when we lived in a small farming village, I was often astonished at the hours, the handful businesses kept. Our tiny bank was only open on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. The post office closed for lunch, and one general store was sometimes unexpectedly closed, leaving a sign in the door, “Gone fishing!” Today’s verse comes about one week after the miracles, the drama, the tears and the joys of Holy week. Just like us, the disciples wondered what to do with what came next. Maybe some of the other people who played a part in the Easter story also asked the same question. Have you ever wondered what the soldiers, who guarded his tomb, said to their wives when they went home? Did Joseph of Arimathea open his shop again on Monday morning? Did Nicodemus return to teaching in the synagogue? You might think that when the disciples of Jesus woke up, they would have talked about the earthquake and darkness after Jesus died, or the reports of the guards falling like dead men when the angel rolled back the stone. We can’t be sure of all their conversations, but John tells us that one evening Peter, much our like neighbors, said: “Let’s go fishing!” It is easy to laugh or criticize Peter, but Peter couldn’t read ahead in the Bible, he didn’t know what to do, so he went back to the ordinary things he understood. After a night our fishing, Jesus showed up on the shore, He didn’t scold the disciples for fishing. In fact, Jesus had been fishing that night too! The only difference was that Jesus actually caught fish and they didn’t! No, instead of lecturing, Jesus came to meet them for breakfast, and Jesus wants to meet with us in the same way today. Even when we aren’t involved in a religious activity, Jesus shows up. He wants to talk to us while we are mowing our lawn. doing the dishes or sitting in the break room at work. Jesus knows where we are, even when we are out fishing and He loves to come to us in the simplest activities of our day and listen to our conversations. After the Cross, the grave and the resurrection, Jesus came to them even when they went fishing, and He is sending us to others, not just when they come to the prayer meeting, or some other church activity. Instead, He asks us to carry His message to the grocery store, the gas station, and our neighborhoods, to all kinds of people, even when they have gone fishing!
As the watchman waits for sun’s first rays And a bridegroom turns when the music plays Hope stands outside our door
As before the flower a bud first swells And the Robin comes as the snow still melts Spring breathes and longs for more
At the sunset hour when the grave was sealed In that silent night when no church bells pealed Who knew what lay in store?
In grief Mary trudged to the tomb that day Before the dawn turned black to gray To that terrible place Where her Lord had died Till He came Called her name Now forever alive!
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. Proverbs 13:12 NIV
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