God

Come and Rest

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And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves. Mark 6:31-32 NKJV

Jesus’ invitation to rest must have sounded wonderful to his tired and hungry disciples. The busyness of the ministry had denied them even a few minutes downtime to eat. Though Mark doesn’t fill in all the details, it may have been that they set out late in the afternoon and spent a quiet evening sailing across the lake looking forward to a day snoozing on a faraway beach. But in the morning as they approached shore, the sight that greeted them was not at all what they had expected. Let’s listen in on what their conversation might have been:

“Wake up Peter! Hoy smokes! Look at all the people on the beach!” John blurted out. Peter, still rubbing sleep from his eyes, sat up and peered over the side of the boat and groaned.

“Oh no! You better go and wake up the rest of the guys. It sure looks like we aren’t getting the day off after all!”

Remember, these twelve men were just regular, nine to five, working guys. Though they had committed to following Jesus with all their hearts, their everyday mannerisms were not those of professional clergymen, monks, or mystics. That morning, I am sure they wondered what had happened to the rest Jesus promised. It seemed like, the needy crowd had thwarted Jesus’ original plans. Did He somehow get off track? Absolutely not! Instead, Jesus was showing them (and us) that real rest is more than just kicking back in our recliner or peering over the side of a cruise ship. The rest that God invites us to is about resting in the work that He gives us today. Whether visiting a sick friend or listening to a family member venting their hurt and frustrations, Jesus offers us both strength for service and rest for our hearts as we yield to His plans.

So they all ate and were filled. And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish. 
Mark 6:42-43 NKJV

Now, as we come to the end of the day, and we need to remember that the disciples had been invited to rest because there hadn’t been time for them to eat, and Jesus surprised them with twelve baskets full of bread and fish! Not only had He supplied plenty for them to eat, but with each bite they could also say: “This is miracle bread! This is miracle fish!” I don’t know what you are facing, but Jesus does, and He calls us to come and rest. But, as we come, we need to prepare for God’s unexpected call to service and be ready for the real rest and the greater miracle, that He has planned for us all along!

Waiting by the Brook

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And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook. And after a while the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land. 1 Kings 17:6-7 ESV

God told Elijah to go to the brook Cherith, where he would be protected and provided for, but that brook in the desert probably didn’t seem like an ideal location. There also are times in our lives when it seems like we are just sitting by a brook, and God has forgotten us. Just like Elijah, our daily routine seems pointless and strange. But in that quiet place God puts a brook for us to drink from and during those silent chapters of our lives he often sends something or someone as humble as ravens to meet our needs.

Though the Brook Cherith eventually dried up, Elijah learned that God could take care of his needs in surprising ways. Elijah didn’t complain or worry, instead he patiently waited till God told Him what to do next. So, if like Elijah, it feels as if you are on a dead-end street remember that that God often cares for us in unusual ways, through unexpected people for as long as He determines, so we that can learn to trust Him and be ready to move on when the brook dries up!

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Presidential Pardons

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He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. MIcah 6:8 NKJV

On January 20, 1977, President Jimmy Carter was sworn into office. One of the moments that I most fondly remember from that day was when our new president opened his Bible and read this verse from the book of Micah. Today I was reminded of those words by the reactions of political commentators from both the left and right. Strangely enough just about everyone seems to be angry about mercy. Some are incensed by President Trump pardoning 1,500 folks from the January 6th event, and others are angry about President Biden’s pardoning of a variety of people including his family. Almost everyone is demanding justice, few are remembering mercy. Today’s verse reminds us that God requires justice, but he loves mercy. On the day that the Pharisees brought the woman caught in adultery to Jesus, they were pretty intent on justice. Yet while they were busy making their demands known, Jesus simply stooped down and began writing in the dust. I bet that made them even madder! When no one seemed to take the hint, Jesus finally stood up and said, “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.” (John 8:7)

That really got their attention and then things got really quiet. Finally, one by one, beginning with the oldest (Yup that’s me!) they began to drop their rocks and head home. Then Jesus turned to the woman and gave her a pathway to justice by telling her, “Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.” (John 8:11b) God loves mercy, Jesus loves mercy, and we Christians ought to love mercy more than anyone else. We are all just like that woman, because we have received the most. So, why not put our stones, and begin loving mercy, practicing forgiveness and praying for our nation and its leaders to do the same!