Though it is wrong, I’ll bet we all have looked at some people and thought, “Those people need to fix their lives, it is disgraceful how they behave.”

How did Jesus approach this issue of “bad” people?

Matthew 9:10-12 says,”Later, Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with such scum?” When Jesus heard this, he said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.”

I think we often get the sequence of events backward. Whether consciously or not, we think people need to fix their behavior first, then they can be loved and saved. Jesus teaches us the opposite; Show people Gods love first, through our example, and approach. God will work in their heart’s on his timing. Sometimes it may be just a matter of saying a prayer for the person, rather than carrying on our critical thoughts.

Dear Lord, You gave us the example to love first and lead others to the grace of God in Jesus. Help us look at others with love rather than criticism and then let you work in their heart’s. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Judges 7 tells a story about Gideon, the leader of the Israelites after they had arrived in the Promised Land. God told Gideon he would help the Israelites defeat the Midianites who were threatening the Israelites. Gideon assembled an army of 22,000 men, but in the course of the story, God had him reduce his force to 300. We can only guess how large the Midianite army was, but if Gideon thought he needed 22,000, it was likely to have been several thousand.

In Judges 7:2, “The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many warriors with you. If I let all of you fight the Midianites, the Israelites will boast to me that they saved themselves by their own strength.”

With 300 men then God gives the Israelites victory.

The message for us is that it is not what we have, or what we think we can do, that matters; It is what God can do. God has control over all things. So when we have no idea how “we” can accomplish something, that is when God can intervene, and when we have success we know God has done it for us.

Dear Lord, Faith is believing when we don’t know how. Help us remember that this is where you want us, putting our faith in you, and trusting you to work in our lives. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

One of the very difficult things in life is dealing with loss and helping others we care about deal with sorrow and loss. As painful as this is, I think this is one of the many facets of love. Even Jesus expressed this sorrow when Mary came to him weeping over the loss of her brother Lazarus.

John 11:33-35, writes, “When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. “Where have you laid him?” he asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they replied. Jesus wept.”

Jesus knew Lazarus would be raised, but as truly human, he also had the same sorrow and empathy for those he loved as we do.

The book of Lamentations is believed to be written by Jeremiah after the Babylonians captured Jerusalem and took many of the Jews away into slavery. It is written about the sorrow associated with this, but even in the midst of the sorrow it says in Lamentation 3:22-23,

“The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning.” and in verses 31-32, it says “For no one is abandoned by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion because of the greatness of his unfailing love.”

We feel the deep sadness and loss because we love, but even in our loss God will comfort us because he loves us.

Dear Lord, comfort us in our times of sadness and loss. Help us remember that you love us and will not abandon us in our sorrow. Thank you for your faithfulness and for providing us the care we need. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

I heard an interesting way to think about and approach issues in the world. “Look at the world through the lens of the Bible, rather than looking at the Bible through the lens of the world.” The point being that we should take the Bible as the infallible truth, and be suspect of ideas we hear in the world that contradict what we read in the bible. So often we are led in the other direction; dismissing the Bible based on worldly “knowledge.”

Yes, there are mysteries in nature, and incomplete details in the Bible accounts of history, that we have yet to understand. However, it is most important to put our faith in the right place, God and his word, and be skeptical of seeming contradictions that are “discovered,” particularly when they are “discovered” by people who reject that God exists.

Psalm 111:10 says “The fear of The Lord is the beginning of wisdom”. Romans 1:19-20. “For the truth about God is known to them instinctively; God has put this knowledge in their hearts. Since earliest times men have seen the earth and sky and all God made, and have known of his existence and great eternal power. So they will have no excuse when they stand before God at Judgment Day”

Dear Lord give us the faith to believe your word first and use the intelligence you gave us to explore and understand your creation. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen

We all have unique strengths and weaknesses, and we all are at different places in our journey of faith.

Paul tells us that prayer is a strength all of us can improve, in Philippians 4:6-7 he says, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” NLT

This isn’t just a nice “feel good” comment by Paul, it is an instruction. When we have concerns, rather than thinking about all the negative possibilities over and over, we should determine what we need to resolve the concern, and ask God for it. Then after asking, we should thank God for answering, in His way. By doing this we are handing the concern over to God, and we can have the peace in knowing that it is in His hands.

Dear Lord, you know it is often difficult for us to just “not worry.” Please help us remember to ask for what we need, thank you, and accept your promise of the peace that passes all understanding. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.