Daily Bread

On a Donkey!

/ pastorpete51 / Leave a comment

 Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written: “Fear not, daughter of Zion; Behold, your King is coming,Sitting on a donkey’s colt  John 12:14-15

The fact that Jesus chose the most humble animal to ride gives me hope today. I am not powerful, wealthy or amazingly smart. I am just an ordinary person in an ordinary neighborhood with common everyday problems. Why would God, the universe creator, the King of Glory, the awesome, glorious and Holy ruler of all life be accessible to me? Why would I dare even think I could bring my needs for daily bread and forgiveness for my mean-spirited sins to him?

Because according to scripture our king is coming, but not to harshly conquer us who by nature are His enemies. He is coming not to imprison us and cast us into prison or worse. He is coming humbly to take His throne and righteously rule over the life of anyone who will welcome Him into their gates. He knows we are afraid but He is not angry. He understands the feelings of our infirmities and He has shared inimage our weaknesses. He has been through every temptation we have faced, yet without sin. He has tasted death for every man and woman who has ever lived. He is coming, according to the Father’s plan, to be our king, seated on a donkey, so we will not be afraid. Today is the day to greet our king with palm branches along the path He is coming to our city and He has chosen to give His life for us again today!

Thirsting for God

/ pastorpete51 / Leave a comment

As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?

Psalms 42:1‭-‬2 NKJV

My friend hunts for deer every year on the farm I manage. Before the season opens it is not unusual for him to spend hours scouting for markings and paths. One sure magnet which draws deer is a clean accessible source of water. Deer can and do sometimes survive many days with only a little food but water they need every day.

In the same way God is hunting for our soul. But he is not lying in wait to kill us or to bring us back to put on his trophy wall. God is seeking for us to rescue us and to lead us to springs of living water where we can drink and be satisfied in His presence!

The God Who Hears

/ pastorpete51 / 2 Comments

I sought the Lord and He heard me and delivered me from all my fears Psalm 34:4

In my imagination I sometimes wonder just how soundly asleep Jesus really was during the storm at sea. I have thought that perhaps he was more aware of the circumstances than the disciples knew. Perhaps as He climbed into the boat that day He said something along the lines of,

“Okay while you guys start rowing us across Galilee, I am going to take a nap. Then as He borrowed a pillow and went to sleep He was saying to himself, “I know what is coming next, I wonder how long it will be before they wake me up?”

Then as the wind picked up and the sky darkened with storm clouds the disciples kept rowing as hard as they could. They didn’t want Jesus to have to worry about anything; after all they were all experienced fishermen. Then as the first wave or two sloshed over the side of the boat some may have begun to worry. Finally as wave after giant wave tossed the little boat up and down and it began to take on water panic took hold of their hearts.

“Master, carest thou not that we perish?” Mark 4:38b

p1020428

Just like us, they had come to the place where they wondered if God even cared about their fears. But Jesus is in our boat, to be our Immanuel through any storm. He listened to the disciples. He listened to King David. He is listening to you.

If today you are facing your biggest fear God is with you in your boat. He is waiting for us to cry out like David, like the disciples and like countless generations of believers. He is with us and He hears!