Have you ever been out in the dark late at night with a group, and someone leading the group has a flashlight. As you walk down a trail, or down the beach, all you can really see is the flashlight and what it shines on. The flashlight makes everything else appear darker and almost invisible.

Jesus says in Matthew 6:22, “The eye is the lamp of the body. If then your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light.”

Bible commentaries have a number of interpretations of this verse, but I think one of the messages is, like a flashlight in the dark, where we look with our eyes will determine the direction for our thoughts and actions.

If we are looking at improper things, we are setting ourselves up to act improperly, and if we keep our focus on what is moral and proper, we are leading ourselves toward living moral and proper lives.

Dear Lord, You have provided us with many lessons for our lives in the Bible. Help us read and understand with the intent of implementing your wisdom. Help us keep our eyes set on what is good, right and proper, so that our actions will follow. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

The dictionary definition of the word “cleanse” is, “to rid of impurities.”

John writes in 1 John 1:8,9, “If we say that we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and refusing to accept the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he can be depended on to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong.”

For most of us, it is very difficult to admit when we are wrong. I think this stems from the sense that admitting we are wrong makes us feel inferior. However, admitting our wrongs, “confessing” them to God, shows our recognition that we need to be forgiven by God, who is superior. The great thing about this admission is that it makes us better, not inferior. God through Jesus cleanses us, or “rids us of impurities.”

Now is as good a time as any, to make that confession.

Dear Lord, we cannot follow your will and direction, no matter how hard we try. We are guilty of disobedience to you and wronging other people. Forgive us for these failings. We thank you for your forgiveness through Jesus, and the knowledge that we can live our lives confident of your grace and salvation, not because we deserve it, but because of your gift. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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.