The engineer inside me, is routinely trying to figure out the how and why about everything. This is the mindset in many people who wonder, “If God exists, why doesn’t he just show himself and everyone would believe?” Interesting, the Bible describes how God started that way. He was right there with Adam and Eve and they still disobeyed. He was right there physically with the Israelites when He led them out of Egypt, and they disobeyed and worshiped idols. And during Jesus’ life, He did miracles, fulfilled prophecies, and most people didn’t believe. Is it reasonable to think that it would be any different today if God made an appearance?

What God really wants from us is for us to submit our lives to Him in faith. Matthew 11:25 says, “And Jesus prayed this prayer: “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding the truth from those who think themselves so wise, and for revealing it to little children. Yes, Father, for it pleased you to do it this way!” NLT

When we submit without understanding, like a child who trusts without knowing, we are where God wants us to be.

Dear Lord, strengthen us to have child-like faith in you, help us live by faith and trust in you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Hopefully you have experienced those moments occasionally in your life where you can really feel God’s presence and his peace, whether that was resolution of a difficult situation in your life, or seeing the amazing beauty of a sunset, or a prayer after communion.

In the Living Bible version of 2 Peter 1:2 Peter writes “Do you want more and more of God’s kindness and peace? Then learn to know him better and better.”

Learning to know him better comes from studying, and meditating on his word, doing what it tells us, and talking with God through prayer.

James says in James 4:8 “And when you draw close to God, God will draw close to you.”

Dear Lord, help us to learn to know you better each day, take steps toward you, and give you the opportunity to draw closer to us and give us your peace. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Shortly after Jesus was born, Mary and Joseph took him to the temple in Jerusalem. There was a man named Simeon to whom the Holy Spirit had revealed that he would see the Messiah before Simeon died. Simeon was at the temple the day Mary and Joseph arrived, and when he saw the baby Jesus he held the baby and proclaimed, “Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised. I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people. He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!” Luke 2:29-32.

I like the section describing Jesus as “a light to reveal God to the nations” This is the fundamental message we as Christians are to send to the world, that God loves each of us so much that he sent Jesus into the world to save us from what we deserve.

Dear Lord, How great your love for us is, that you would send Jesus as a way for all to be saved. Help us share this simple but powerful message with all, “Jesus is the light that reveals God to the World.” In Jesus’ name. Amen.

There is a fable, you may have heard, about an American banker taking a vacation and encounters a fisherman in a small Caribbean village. The banker was impressed with fisherman’s catch, and asked how long it took to catch the fish. When the fisherman said, “not too long,” the banker asked what the fisherman did with his extra time. The fisherman said, “I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my friends”

As the story goes, the banker suggests that the fisherman work a little harder, save some money to get a larger boat, grow his business, move to a larger market, and eventually after 15-20 years of working hard building his business, he could sell it for lots of money. The fisherman asked what would he do then, and the banker replied, “Then you would retire. You could move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your friends.”

I am not advocating being lazy, or providing less than our best to the marketplace, but the story makes us stop and think about our priorities.

1 Timothy 6:9-13, says, “But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.”

Dear Lord, you have provided us so many opportunities to contribute and things to experience in our lives, help us find the balance You desire for us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Many of us have memorized the 23rd Psalm, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want…..” and we probably know it in the language of the King James (KJV), or Revised Standard (RSV) versions of the Bible.

In the RSV, verse 3 says, “He leads me in paths of righteousness, for his name’s sake.” Which is not completely clear in our modern language, however, reading this verse in the New Living Translation (NLT) says, “He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.” This helps me understand a little more clearly.

If we follow Jesus, our shepherd, he will show us the right paths. We do not need to stress and worry about what to do. We trust Him and move forward, and He will lead us.

Dear Lord, many of us have concerns about decisions and questions in life. Help us remember that if we look to you for guidance, you will put us on the right path, and bring honor to You. In Jesus’ name we pray.