Obedience

“His flesh becomes like the flesh of a little child.” 2 Kings 5:14

The story of Naaman the leper is certainly one of the more intriguing stories in the Bible, and brings up more questions than answers. Like Jesus said in the Gospel reading for today (Luke 4:24-30), “There were many lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha the prophet; yet not one of them was cleansed, only Naaman the Syrian.” 

The little servant girl of Naaman bravely tells this valiant, battle-hardened army commander that there is a prophet in Samaria who could heal him of his leprosy. So Naaman asks permission of his King to find him. He appears at the door of the prophet Elisha’s house and the prophet does not bother to come out. Elisha merely sent word that Naaman should wash 7 times in the Jordan and he would be healed. Peeved, Naaman storms off angry. Are not the rivers of Damascus better than all the rivers of Israel???  

Naaman had a lot of expectations about what the man of God should do! “I thought he would surely come out and invoke the Lord His God..." It was a good thing that his servants reasoned with him, “If the prophet would have told you to do something extraordinary, wouldn't you have done it?" So Naaman swallowed his pride and did as the prophet told him. And he was healed!!!

Lesson number 1: Even if we are a lowly slave girl, we can be a messenger of hope and healing. Perhaps we are too afraid of our boss to speak to him or her about  something he or she needs to hear? Perhaps we prefer to just be silent even if we know something that would greatly ease another's burden? Let us always speak out with courage words of life and truth. This world filled with despair and darkness needs to hear it. 

Lesson number 2: Obedience may bring us to a closer encounter with God. What is it that God is asking of us? Sometimes when God does not fit into the box we made for Him, like Naaman, we can be so adamant, proud and unwilling to see things from God's point of view!!!  Let us not allow our expectations of how God should act or who God will use to speak to us be a hindrance to what God wants to do for us, and through us!

In Search of Fruit

“He came in search of fruit.” Luke 13:6

In Luke chapter 13, Jesus tells a story of a man with a garden. For three years, he kept visiting a fig tree in the hopes it will bear fruit, but he was always disappointed. Eventually, he told his gardener, “Cut it down. Not one fig have I found on this tree. We can plant something else in this space!”

The gardener pleaded, “Give it one more chance. I will take special care and give it plenty of fertilizer. If we don’t get figs next year, we will cut it down.” 

Just like the man with a garden, God expects us to bear good fruit with what He has given us. Jesus is the gardener who takes care of each and every one of us. He said in John 17, “I guarded them so that not one was lost...” We can be confident that He who began the good work in us, will bring it to completion (Philippians 1:6).

Pope Francis said in his Angelus Message in March 2019, “The fig tree that the master in the parable wants to uproot represents a sterile existence that is incapable of giving, incapable of doing good. It is the symbol of one who lives for himself, sated and calm, enjoying his own comforts, incapable of turning his gaze and his heart to those beside him who find themselves in conditions of suffering, poverty and hardship. This attitude of selfishness and spiritual barrenness is compared to the vinedresser’s great love for the fig tree. He asks the master to wait. He is patient, knows how to wait, and devotes his time and his work to it. He promises the master to take special care of that unfortunate tree.”

When we undergo trials and suffering, that is our gardener, the vinedresser, at work, pruning our decaying leaves and branches. He is making sure we bear fruit for the Kingdom. 

One of the ways we can help Jesus is to repent of our stubbornness and indifference, so that we give Him the freedom to do what He thinks is necessary for our growth and fruitfulness. 

Obedient Joseph

 "Joseph, son of David, have no fear..." Matthew 1:20

I find it quite amazing that in the Bible, a book filled with the exploits of men, there is hardly anything said about Joseph, the foster father of Jesus. Only 2 of the Gospels mention him, Matthew and Luke. We celebrate Saint Joseph's Feast Day today in the Catholic Church.

Ever since Pope Francis' visit to the Philippines, the statue of the sleeping Saint Joseph has been quite popular. Pope Francis revealed that he had one, and that when he had difficulties, he would write them on a piece of paper and ask Saint Joseph to pray with him about it. Imitating the Pope, I now have several pieces of paper tucked under my own miniature sleeping Saint Joseph. 

In the Gospel of Matthew, Saint Joseph gets clear directions from God while he is asleep TWICE! In Matthew 1:20, Joseph is told by an angel in a dream, not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife, as the child in her womb was conceived by the Holy Spirit. In chapter 2, verse 13, he is directed by an angel, while dreaming, to flee to Egypt for his family’s safety.

God speaks to us in different ways, but we need discernment to know what comes from Him, and what comes from our own desires. Geza Vermes, a British scholar and noted authority on ancient Aramaic writings on the life of Jesus, stated that the term for "carpenter" and "son of a carpenter", used in the Jewish Talmud, signifies a very learned man.

Learned man or not, what we know is Joseph was kind and compassionate, a man of faith who obeyed God wherever He led. How beautiful to be a man or woman, who obeyed God whether awake or asleep!!!

Master Dreamer

“Here comes that master dreamer...” 

Genesis 37:19

Joseph was being ridiculed by his brothers for being a dreamer. But unlike other dreamers I know, Joseph’s dreams were not of his own making. God was the one who gave him those special dreams. His brothers became jealous of Joseph especially since their father Jacob gave him a beautiful many colored coat. Instead of appreciating the uniqueness of Joseph and his gifts, most of his brothers spent their energy devising evil schemes to get rid of him. 

Is there someone we are envious of? Irritated with? Can’t stand? Sometimes we don’t like how a person speaks, dresses, or acts. Like you and me, this person is created in the image and likeness of God. Like you and me, he or she was created intricately, to be peculiarly special and distinct by the Master Himself. Our Father took as much care creating every human being as He took fashioning the hypergiant star, VY Canis Majoris. 

Our identity as God’s son or daughter is inherent in us. Intrinsic, built in, ingrained. No one can take that away. We don’t have to earn it. And no matter how many times we fail, we will still have this identity. And no matter how many times we succeed or receive accolades from the world, none of those honors will compare with how God sees us. We need to train our eyes to see with God’s eyes, and appreciate each person the way God loves us. 

Teach Us

“You do not know what you are asking!” Matthew 20:22

God Almighty Father, we plead with You about our country. Have mercy on us, Lord. Our leaders are wasting our money, our resources. They do not care about our people, Lord. They remove a big chunk of the budget for education and health and put a huge amount of resources into the confidential and intelligence funds of the President that need not be accounted for. They get into contracts that put the future of our children in peril. Now the very integrity of the coming elections are in question because of the people assigned, and the suspicious actions of those in the COMELEC. 

O Lord, please hear our prayers and save us! Have mercy on us, O Lord! Do we not know what we are asking? Are we asking for too much, are we asking too late? The mother of the sons of Zebedee approached You and asked that You let her sons sit by Your side in the Kingdom. She did not know what she was asking for. You asked if they could drink the chalice You were going to drink. 

What chalice do we need to drink, Lord, for You to save us from ignorance, deception, blindness, greed, sycophancy and selfishness? Please take this cup away, O Lord! It’s just too disheartening and sad. 

Teach us what to do O Lord! Is it sackcloth and ashes? 

Servant Heart

“But the greatest among you shall be your servant." Matthew 23:11

Who is the greatest among us? In our home, it is our ate Lucy, our helper. Ate Lucy prepares our breakfast, lunch and dinner. She is tireless. She cleans our house, washes and irons our clothes, and organizes my junk! I never need to tell her what to do because she anticipates already our requirements. Even if I tell her to rest or take a nap in the afternoons, she prefers to work in the garden. I tease her that when we go to heaven, I will stay at her house because for sure Jesus will prepare a big house for her. 

Ate Lucy has a heart of gold! I truly appreciate her genuine care and concern for our family. She is my example of a true servant who loves God and her neighbor. Love always has to be our highest goal. God made us for a purpose, and that purpose, whatever that may be, when boiled down to its very essence, is loving and serving Him, and loving and serving others. 

This Lent, there are many ways we can 'be greater' by serving those who serve us. Let us be creative and look for ways to say we appreciate what others do for us. Lord, help us to be like You, to have a servant and generous heart.

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Mercy and Grace

Jesus said to his disciples: “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. ​Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.” Luke 6:36-38

We have to realize that mankind, all of us, did something terrible to merit Jesus, God's son, dying on the cross for us. Sin is terrible, horrible to a Holy God. And that's why Jesus gave the gift of His life to each of us. We are all recipients of God's mercy and grace, not one is exempt. C.S. Lewis, when asked what made Christianity different from other religions, answered, "That's simple. Grace."

Victor Hugo's "Les Miserable" is a remarkably beautiful story about a man who made something of his life because he was the recipient of the unmerited favor of the Bishop of Digne. When the hero of the story, Jean Valjean, was released from prison on parole, he was given food to eat and a bed to sleep in by the good bishop. Valjean steals the silver and is arrested by the gendarmes and brought back to face the bishop. Jan Valjean was surprised when the Bishop says that he had given the silver to Valjean. “My friend, you left the best behind!" he exclaimed, and offered the massive silver candlesticks. These candlesticks were treasured by the Bishop because they were the last remnants of a formerly rich life, and presents from his great aunt.

In the musical, the Bishop sings to Valjean: 

"But remember this, my brother

See in this some higher plan

You must use this precious silver

To become an honest man

By the witness of the martyrs

By the Passion and the Blood

God has raised you out of darkness

I have bought your soul for God!"

Just as the Bishop recognizes that he was "bought" by God, ransomed to be reclaimed by God, we too should realize that Jesus' gifts of forgiveness, mercy and grace, should be passed on to others. Just as God gave us His Son as a free gift, we too should make our lives a gift to others. Let us not judge others with our critical eye, but see them through God’s loving eyes. 

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By His Word

The Lord God took Abram outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can.” Genesis 15:5

When we lift up our eyes to the night sky, do we gaze up in awe at what God has made? Psalm 33:6 reads, "By the WORD of the Lord the heavens were made, by the breath of His mouth all their stars." He is a star breather, a galaxy making God! We can look up and see the size of the God we worship! Awesome! 

I like listening to Louie Giglio expound on how great our God is. He talks about how big our sun is, Betelgeuse, M U Cephei the red giant star, and Canis Majoris, the hyperstar. Canis majoris, if placed at the center of our solar system would extend beyond the orbit of Jupiter!

But my absolute favorite is the beautiful Whirlpool Galaxy, which even if it is so far away, can sometimes be seen using binoculars. At the heart of its spiral is a black hole in the shape of a cross!

But we don't have to look far to see the glory of God. St. Augustine wrote, "“And men go abroad to admire the heights of mountains, the mighty waves of the sea, the broad tides of rivers, the compass of the ocean, and the circuits of the stars, yet pass over the mystery of themselves without a thought.”

There is much to marvel at in our bodies. Just the DNA in each of our cells is mind boggling! If stretched out, it would form a very thin thread 2 meters long! But my absolute favorite is what connects each cell to the other cells. This cell adhesion molecule is called Laminin, and if we look at it as drawn in a molecular diagram, it too is in the shape of a cross!

"For by Him all things were created...He is before all things, and in Him ALL things hold together." Colossians 1:15-17

Thank you Lord! No matter what circumstances I face, You hold my life in Your hands. You are a big God, and You created the Universe, AND me, with the same care and attention to detail. It amazes me that You have put Your imprint in the very center of my being!

The Way to God’s Heart

Moses spoke to the people, saying: “This day the Lord, your God, commands you to observe these statutes and decrees….with all your heart and with all your soul…you are to be a people peculiarly his own, as he promised you; and provided you keep all his commandments, …and you will be a people sacred to the Lord, your God, as he promised.” Deuteronomy 26:16-19

Obedience is very important to God. In 1 Samuel 15:22, we read, “Obedience is better than sacrifice.” 

King Saul had to learn the hard way that God was displeased with him because of his disobedience. In Deuteronomy 8, a chapter in the Old Testament Jesus liked to quote from, we see a picture of what we would be like if we disobeyed God. Verse 19 reads, “But I assure you of this: If you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods...you will certainly be destroyed.” 

In the novel “The Picture of Dorian Gray” written by Oscar Wilde in 1890, it tells of a handsome man who had his portrait painted. Gray, in his vanity, sells his soul to preserve his looks and ensure that the painting would age instead of him! Not only did the painting age, it showed evidence of every sin and crime Gray committed as he slipped more and more into an amoral and decadent lifestyle. 

It may be that we live a righteous life, we fast on days we are obligated to, we say 2000 Hail Marys with our church group, and we give alms to the poor. What is the portrait of our soul that God sees? Are we obedient to Him, humble not arrogant, loving and forgiving towards our neighbors? Or are we like the Pharisees who like to make an outward show of their holiness and obedience to the smallest letter of the law? 

Father, show us the way to Your heart! 

Righteousness

Jesus said to his disciples: “I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:20

We all want our prayers to be effective and powerful, but who is righteous? In Isaiah 64:6, we read that our righteousness is filthy rags before God!!!

I did some treasure hunting and I was ecstatic to find an abundance of verses in the Bible where Christ's righteousness passes to our account! We do not have a righteousness of our own, but it comes from our faith in Christ. 

"We are justified in the eyes of God, JUST-AS-IF-I'D never sinned"! (David J. Stewart)

And so we can pray in confidence to a God who made a way for us!

Here are the verses about the imputed (to pass to one's account) righteousness of Christ:

“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21

“I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.” Isaiah 61:10

“Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.” Romans 10:4 

“But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile.” Romans 3:21-22

“He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” 1 Peter 2:24

“For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.” Romans 5:19

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Scrapbook of Adventures with God

“As a child I used to hear from the books of my forefathers that you, O Lord, always free those who are pleasing to you. Now help me, who am alone and have no one but you, O Lord, my God.” Esther C:14

Queen Esther's prayer in the Book of Esther, part of the Jewish Tanakh, also known in Hebrew as the “Scroll”, is beautiful, but I have one complaint.

“From birth, I have heard among my people that you, O Lord, chose Israel among all nations, as a lasting inheritance, and that you fulfilled all your promises to them," she prayed. Should not she have had personal experiences of God answering her prayers  and keeping His promises? We should all make sure we have a personal relationship with our Father, that we have stories to go back on, to remember, to relish. 

Just as I write in my diary about what happens in my day, I also make sure to put down what I want to remember about my journey with God. I have many scrapbooks of pictures and memorabilia about our travels, and my son’s growing up years. I also make sure I have a scrapbook of my adventures with my Father in heaven. These are like memorial stones, just like the Jews placed when they traveled to their promised land. From the books of Joshua, we know that the Jews left a series of monuments of stones piled up in different locations which would serve as a national reminder of God’s work in their lives. To them, this was a constant sign of Yahweh’s love, that He was working mightily on their behalf. 

How about us? Do we have this personal relationship with God? Do we make sure to remember what He has done for us, and what He has said to us?

God of the Old and New Testaments

The Word of the Lord came to Jonah saying, “Set out for the great city of Nineveh, and announce to it the message that I will give you.” Jonah 3:1

Many people see the God of the Old Testament as a God of judgment and not a God of love. It is as if God decided He needed a makeover, and that’s why Jesus came. Jesus is the meek and mild version, the loving, forgiving God. God 2.0! 

The Book of Jonah is one of the oldest books of the Bible, written in the 8th C AD. The problem of Jonah was that God wanted him to warn the Ninevites, who were fierce enemies of the Israelites, that He was going to judge them. 

The Ninevites were a violent, cruel people, known to torture their enemies. Their King would bring home the severed head of a conquered leader and display it on a pole on the gate of Nineveh to commemorate his victory. There it would stay until it rotted. Sometimes generals of the opposing army would be flayed alive and bled like a lamb. These and many more atrocities made Jonah balk at obeying God. Instead he wanted God to exact revenge upon these wicked people. 

But God insisted that Jonah announce to the Ninevites His message of judgment. When Jonah finally obeyed, the King, that same horrible King and his people, repented and put on sackcloth and sat on ashes. God relented and Jonah complained bitterly. 

“I knew You were a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding with steadfast love. I knew how easily You could cancel Your plans for destroying these people!” (Jonah 4:2) 

Is this the Old Testament God? Yes! The Father calls ALL people to Him, ESPECIALLY the wicked and the seemingly hopeless cases. Sounds exactly like Jesus. After all, they are one and the same God. Full of love and mercy. 

This Lent, let us draw close to Him who forgives any sin, and calls us back to Himself. 

When Did We See You Hungry?

“Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or away from home or naked or ill or in prison and not attend You in Your needs?” 

Matthew 25:44

Isn’t it a relief when you come for a difficult, life changing exam, and the teacher declares, “You may open your books, you may search google, you can ask your seat mate for the answers,” and then leaves. In the 25th chapter of Matthew, Jesus the teacher reveals a very important answer to the life and death question, “How do I get into heaven? How do I inherit the eternal riches of my Father’s Kingdom?” 

Now and again, we should go through this passage like a checklist so during exam time, we can answer, “Yes Lord, I gave You food when You begged for it and even when You did not. I came and prayed over You when You were sick. I went to visit You in prison, brought food for Your body and soul.” We should go through the checklist and DO whatever we have missed. If we are honest, we may find there are points in the list we failed to check: Uh oh, I gave my worst clothes to the victims of the typhoon. I did not invite any stranger to my home.

Thank You Lord for giving us clear instructions so we can live with You one day. It’s not so difficult because You did the impossible part, giving Your life for us. Thank You for Your promise that You will finish what You started in us. Help us to love! 

Angels Watching Over Me

“For to His angels He has given command about you that they may guard you in all your ways." Psalm 91:11

I don't contemplate much about angels, but I do know they are nothing like the cherubic images we see in figurines or children's books! They are WARRIORS!!!

I like to think of having my own set of warriors following me and guarding me- or at least one of them anyway!!!

There are a whole lot of verses about angels in the Bible, 273 to be exact. The word "angel" comes from the Greek aggelos which means messenger.

God sends angels to protect us (Exodus 23, Psalm 34:7), patrol the earth like watchmen in the night (Zech. 1:10), remove dangers (Mt. 13:14), and send God's messages to us. Perhaps we don't recognize their voice like Joseph or Job, but they minister to us the same way they ministered to Jesus after the devil tempted Him in Luke 4:1-13. We can read in Hebrews 1:14 that angels are ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation.

Once I was very near an accident. We were stuck in traffic and a truck crashed into a car right beside us. The car could have veered towards us. My husband was watching helplessly from the rear view mirror as he saw the truck approach and hit the car. I heard the crash and turned to see the car's back crushed underneath the big truck’s front. Amazingly no one was hurt in this accident! 

I think angels were at work there! Thank you Lord for the warrior angels you send to protect us and our loved ones, and also minister to us when we need it!

Feed the Hungry

“If you bestow your bread on the hungry ​and satisfy the afflicted; Then light shall rise for you in the darkness…” Isaiah 58:7-8

Here in the Philippines, it is easy to find people who are hungry. We can feed them through contributing to the many organizations and foundations set up for just this purpose. Of course there are many roaming the streets in Manila and the provinces, and we do not need to look far. Just across our subdivision, there are informal settlers. Some have jobs, but a lot live from hand to mouth. I know a group of people who have been feeding people who are street dwellers. They find carinderias to provide one hot meal for P40, and kind hearted people who are willing to pay P1,200.00 to feed one person for a month. 

My family used to attend a prayer meeting in the Santuario de San Vicente de Paúl along Tandang Sora Avenue several years ago. When I read about the Saint the church was named for, I learned that he dedicated himself to serve the poor, especially the imprisoned galley slaves in Paris. Although he came from a poor peasant family himself, his education was provided for by the Franciscans, and he studied Theology in the University of Toulouse. 

He became a priest, but while traveling from Marseille to Narbone, he was captured and sold as a slave in Tunis. He was able to escape after two years and passionately continued to serve the poor, to preach and to evangelize. He founded hospitals, and established the Daughters of Charity, and the Vincentians to help in the overwhelming and demanding work. Like Mother Teresa of Calcutta, he found God in the poor. He said, “Go to the poor, and you will find God.” He also said we must be full reservoirs “in order to let our water spill out without becoming empty…no one can give what he does not have.”

Muddy Places

“My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit; a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.” Psalm 51:19

During Lent of 2017, Pope Francis released this advice:

1. Fast from Hurting Words and say Kind words.
2. Fast from Sadness and be filled with Gratitude.
3. Fast from Anger and be filled with Patience.
4. Fast from Pessimism and be filled with Hope.
5. Fast from Worries and Trust in God.
6. Fast from Complaints and contemplate Simplicity.
7. Fast from Pressures and be Prayerful.
8. Fast from Bitterness and fill your heart with Joy.
9. Fast from Selfishness and be Compassionate to others.
10. Fast from Grudges and be Reconciled.
11. Fast from Words and be Silent so you can listen.

Sometimes we can be too focused on the externals, that we forget that what God wants is that we be freed from self-centeredness, and selfishness, so we can be more sensitive of others and what they need. In “Pondering the Word- The Anawim Way”, I read that fasting is “putting to death of the false self so that our true self can be raised to fullness of life.” I find it beautiful that the word “Lent” is from the Old English word “lencten” which means spring. Lent is springtime in our Christian pilgrimage. 

During springtime, there is fresh growth, and if we journey with Jesus these forty days, we will see buds and blossoms coming out of the arid dirt of our souls. God can find the muddy places and plant a garden. First we have to find the weeds of anger, worries, selfishness, etc., and give it up for our gardener to replace with seeds of kind words, gratitude, patience, hope….

Oh what a beautiful garden we will have! 

Only One Life to Live

“…whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit himself?” 

Luke 9:24-25

Many liked watching celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain enjoy his food and explore the world in episodes of his Emmy awarded travel and food show “Parts Unknown”. He also wrote several best sellers, both fiction and non-fiction. In one of his books, he described his childhood: “I did not want for love or attention. My parents loved me. Neither of them drank to excess. Nobody beat me. God was never mentioned so I was annoyed by neither church nor any notion of sin or damnation." And this is a quotation he became famous for: “Your body is not a temple, it's an amusement park. Enjoy the ride."

It seemed obvious to almost everybody that he enjoyed his life, and so it was shocking when he killed himself in a scenic hotel in Kayserberg, France, in 2018. Gladys, his mother, told The New York Times: "He is absolutely the last person in the world I would have ever dreamed would do something like this."

Sometimes we think if we have everything the world considers beautiful, desirable, and exciting, we would be happy. We look at Instagram posts about people traveling to exotic places, eating delicious food cooked by celebrity chefs, wearing expensive clothes by designers, and sometimes feel envious or wanting. But funny actor Jim Carrey said, “I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it's not the answer.”

No, it is not. Jesus said it best, “If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for My sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed?"

We only get one life to live. Help us to live it well, Lord. May we live by Kingdom values and not pursue the insignificant, perishable, inconsequential things of this world! May we invest only in that which has eternal value, our relationship with You and our neighbors. 

Return to Me

“Even now, says the Lord, return to me with your whole heart...” Joel 2:12

How plaintive the Lord sounds, pleading with us to return to Him. It reminds me of the father of the prodigal son, waiting and longing for his son to return from his journey away from his home and family. Truly the Lord yearns for us to be close to Him. That is why He created us, to have a relationship with us. It’s not complicated. He loves us with a deep and faithful love, and He wants us to talk to Him and listen to Him. 

Sometimes we have a hard time praying, but like with many things we find hard, all we need to do is practice. We can go to the Bible and make the words our own. For Ash Wednesday, Psalm 51 is especially appropriate. 

“Have mercy on me, O God, in Your faithful goodness. In the greatness of Your compassion, wipe out my many sins and offenses against You. Thoroughly wash me clean from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me, my Father. I acknowledge how I have turned away from You and hurt You. Against You who are always forgiving and loving, have I sinned, and done what is evil in Your sight. 

“A clean heart create for me, O God, and an upright and steadfast spirit renew within me. Cast me not from Your Holy presence, and take not Your Spirit from me. Give me back the joy and the freedom of Your salvation, and a willing spirit sustain in me. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall proclaim Your praise.” 

Our Manual

“Gird up the loins of your mind...” 1 Peter 1:13

Back in Peter’s day, men wore flowing garments that they had to tuck into belts when they had work to do. The long garment could seriously impede them if they had to run or work fast, so it was necessary to tuck it in so they would not trip over them. But how do we follow Peter’s admonition to gird up in relation to our mind?

I think it means to be ready for the work the Lord has for us. Before the pandemic, when we used to go on regular store visits to our branches, we found the stores were clean, the displays were well arranged and in order. They were well stocked in order to sell well. The staff did their duties and we did not have to remind them of anything they missed in relation to their job. Our staff has a manual where their job is described and all they need to do is to follow it. 

We too have a manual. If we want to do our job well, for our Father in our “family business” as I like to call it, we need to study it, and follow it. The Bible teaches us so much, especially how to gird up the loins of our mind. We have to be able to think clearly, and exercise self-control. In that way we can look forward to the special blessings and inheritance held in store for us!