Trusting God for Answers

What do you want? I know, that’s a loaded question. But two of my Lent devotionals this week have talked about things we long for and about asking God for stuff, and with an extra crazy schedule recently I’ve been thinking about what I really want in my life and what I’m able to take on. As most reasonable adults know, there’s a fine line between getting what you want and accepting and dealing with things as they are. Some things just are as they are right now and it’s not something that can be changed or that there’s anything we can do to make it easier/better on us as we deal with it.

You’ve probably heard two of the more famous verses in the Bible before, Matthew 7:7-8: “”Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.”” These verses make it clear that Jesus and God are more than OK with us asking for stuff, with us having longings, with us asking for divine intervention. Yet time and again we know that prayers go unanswered, that there’s seemingly no response or not the response we were hoping for when we do ask, and as such we hesitate to ask.

If you’re familiar with the stories of Jesus’s ministry in the Bible you know that time and again the disciples had doubts about what Jesus could do or that He would do anything. Take for example the Matthew 14 where Jesus tells the disciples to feed the 5000 (which was actually likely more than that based on what Biblical historians tell us), but the disciples didn’t think they or Jesus could do it. Of course He did, and everyone was blessed with a meal both physical and spiritual that day. But the disciples certainly grew up in a world that didn’t have Jesus doing miracles and didn’t always get answers from God, so while they witnessed Jesus do miracles and answer prayers/questions, it’s understandable why they would have doubts.

But I also know that time and again God does show up, He does send answers and does open doors that we ask about. We’ve all heard stories of people being miraculously healed, missing transportation that later crashed, and innumerable little blessings scattered throughout our lives that show us time and again that God is working in our lives and our world. So don’t be afraid to ask, don’t be afraid to have dreams and longings, and trust that God will continue to respond because He cares about you. Because while God doesn’t answer every request, especially not in ways that we’ll always expect or recognize, you certainly can’t get what you want if you don’t ask, and even though God blesses us sometimes without us asking, He loves when we’re brave enough to ask and share our heart with Him.

Being a Light

One of the hardest things about January (besides the snow and cold) is how dark it is for so many hours. Yes, with each day that passes it is lighter for a little longer and that’s something to be thankful for, but there are still many hours each day that it is dark. I know some people talk about the dark being bad because people feel like they can hide in it and do bad things (and yes, some people do exactly that), but I think it’s worse that it’s dark because the darkness makes us feel more alone in the world. After all, when it’s dark out and the world is quiet at night, even in a populated place it certainly seems like there’s no one else around even if they’re just tucked away in their homes with all the lights out. It’s hard to believe that with all the time we spend on our phones, email and social media each day that even still we can feel alone, but the fact is that people do feel alone, which isn’t something God wants for us.

As Genesis 2:18 says: “Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.”” God doesn’t expect us to do everything in this life alone. In fact, in Ecclesiastes 4:12 it says “A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.” But being there for others so they’re not alone in the world doesn’t mean that we have to be extroverts or that we have to befriend everyone. Even in this verse in Ecclesiastes it doesn’t talk about being part of a mass of thousands, it only talks about being a group of three, and most of us have more than 3 people we talk to on a regular basis, and even more who are in our extended circle of connections.

What’s important when we’re talking about being alone or being there for others are the words of Matthew 5:14-15: “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.”

When it’s really dark at night, even one light can make a big difference and be seen for miles. That’s why they used lighthouses to help guide boats at night, because even that one light could save lives. God isn’t necessarily asking you to be a lighthouse, but reminding us that we could make a difference with one light, whether it’s a candle or light in the window, a response to a social post, or a little “thinking of you” message. Because when your one light is added to all the other lights in the night (whether darkness of night or darkness of mind and spirit), it’s really quite bright. The world needs your light, will you share it this week?

The Gift of a New Year

Today, for our first post of the new year, I thought it appropriate to talk some about this new year that is in front of us. We have some 363 days ahead of us that are ours to be opened. It reminds me of Matthew 2:10-11, a passage you should have read recently:

“They were overjoyed at seeing the star, they saw the Child with Mary His mother. They opened their treasures and offered Him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.”

If you can’t tell these verses are part of the Christmas story, they’re telling of the Wise men who have come to give gifts to baby Jesus. We’ve been given a gift of another year. Yes, I choose to see it that way. I know there are a lot of not so great things in this world, but there are also a lot of great things to be seen as well. But more than just that, you have to think about each day like you think about the electronic presents you may have gotten for Christmas this year. They don’t work very well if you don’t put the batteries in or plug them in, do they? Similarly, the gift of these days are meaningless if we don’t take the time to live each one to the fullest.

In 2023 we lost many great individuals, as we do each year. Some go seemingly before their time, and other times people go at ages we feel are more appropriate. Whenever we lose people we love or know or have been blessed in some way by, we’re reminded that each and every day is a gift and not something to be wasted. Isaiah 43:16, 18-19 says:

“I am the Lord, who opened a way through the waters, making a dry path through the sea. But forget all that it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.”

I hope and pray that this year is the opportunity you’ve been waiting for. I hope it’s the year that we all stand up and become the people that God has created us to be. I pray its the year we finally open up to God and let Him show us the path we should be walking on and actually take His advice. I pray it’s the year that we stop surviving and start thriving. What will you make of this gift that is 2024?

God: a Light with Us

Sometimes I think we need a reminder from God that it’s OK to need a little helping hand. I was reading the story of Jesus’ baptism and in the version in Matthew 3 John asks Jesus why he is doing the baptizing when Jesus should be the one baptizing him. That would make more sense, right? Jesus’ answer to John is that this is what God wants. As we know John baptizes Jesus in the Jordan River, and to be very clear that this was what God wanted, God even speaks from Heaven as a dove lands on Jesus “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.” (Matthew 3:17).

Another familiar example is Matthew 7 where it says “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.” (v7). Yes, of course God can just give us stuff, He sends blessings our way all the time without us asking. But if we’re really in a relationship with God, we have to put effort into it just like we want Him to put effort into it. Sometimes our job is to “wait expectantly” as it says in Psalm 5:3b.

The final example of a helping hand today is about light. In Matthew 5:14 Jesus is speaking to a great crowd of people and He says that we are called to be a light to the world, to let our light shine like on a hilltop. But the only way we can be a light is if God lights that light in us. Psalm 18:28-29 says: “You light a lamp for me. The Lord, my God, lights up my darkness. In your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall.”

So as we finish this month, as we head into a new school year, as we head into the last 4 months of this year, I encourage you to remember that you’re on a team with God, along with all the other people who believe in Him. Believe that God will be there to bring back to life the light in you, to give you strength and remind you of the strength He has given you, to hear your requests and to give you answers, and to be your biggest cheerleader to encourage you to be the best person you can be each day.

Time to Ask

Do you pay attention to recurring themes in your life? The other day I heard a Bible verse shared on a radio station and in the days that followed that verse kept coming back to me as I lived my life, as I interacted with clients and friends, and as I traveled around the internet. The verse? A well known, Matthew 7:7 (and I’m also including verse 8):

“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.”

A familiar set of verses, yes? You may be more familiar with another translation like the NIV or NKJV or KJV, but I’m partial to the NLT, which is what this is. I’ve discussed this set of verses before including about today’s topic, the asking part. I love questions. I think part of the reason I’ve learned to love them is because the better you get at asking questions, the more you get out of life. The more willing you are to ask questions, the more willing you are to be curious, the more willing you are to learn, the less likely you will be to be surprised by something unexpected down the road and more prepared you can be which means you’ll spend less time redoing things or even failing.

But asking isn’t just about clarification, details or making sure you have the full story (all of which are super important), it’s about being willing to explain and ask for what you need to live your best life, or at least try to. Generosity and giving are both super important to keeping us humble and connected to others, but we can’t expect that others will always just “know” when we need something or have it magically appear. God gave us voices so that we can ask when we have a need or when we see a need. And the thing is, it’s so simple to ask someone for clarification or to ask someone if they’re done with something or to ask for what you need. It doesn’t hurt to ask, but it can definitely do damage if you don’t speak up and ask.

So we’ve established the importance of asking. But the biggest thing this set of verses doesn’t speak to, as you probably noticed, is the time factor. There are two sides to the time factor: when you ask and when you receive, and the time factor is the other aspect of asking that I’ve been seeing repeatedly show up in my life. The part that we’re not going to talk about today is that yes, it says that if we ask we’ll receive, but it doesn’t say when we will receive if we ask. The other part is about when you ask your questions. The timing of your question matters as much as when the answer is going to show up. Because it’s great to ask questions, but when you ask questions in the 11th hour or after the fact you’re not completely defeating the purpose of asking, but you’re definitely taking away a lot of the power of asking and making it less of the tool or resource that it is. And when you ask your question late it’s a lot harder for others to give your question the proper thought or research to come up with good answers or resources or the support that you’re asking for. The sooner you ask the less stress you experience debating over it and the more likely others will be able to assist in fulfilling your request or getting you detailed answers in a timely fashion.

The bottom line today is this: don’t be afraid to ask and ask sooner rather than later. It will help keep your familial relationships healthier, you’ll experience less stress, you’ll have better work relationships and you’re always more likely to receive if you ask. What have you asked for recently?

Beginning with Palm Sunday

Holy Week is here and I’m both thankful and excited. In case you haven’t seen the big displays in the stores over the last few weeks (since at least March 18), that means that Easter is on Sunday (at least here in the US it is). Holy Week as we call it is the 8 days starting with this past Sunday through the following Sunday when each year we travel through the events of the last days of Jesus’ life on earth when He was both fully human and fully divine, as well as the transformation from human and divine to just divine and He returned to God’s side in Heaven. I’m not sure yet what we’ll talk about during the rest of the week, but today I want to start of with some of the things we can learn from where Holy Week started.

Holy Week starts with the events of Palm Sunday, which is when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey and everyone celebrated. In case you’re not familiar with it, the story is found in all 4 of the Gospels in the Bible (Matthew 21, Mark 11, Luke 19, John 12), and all versions go something like this: Jesus sends disciples in to Jerusalem to find a donkey (or two), they bring the donkey back to Jesus, Jesus rides that donkey into Jerusalem, as He rode into the city people threw their garments and (palm) branches on the road ahead of Him, and everyone was saying praises to God.

The first thing we learn from this story is that it’s all connected. Jesus’ mother Mary rode a donkey to Bethlehem to give birth to Him on Christmas day. While this event gave Jesus recognition as the Savior that He was, Jesus stuck to His roots and reminded us that all parts of our story are connected and that it’s entirely possible they may even come full circle like His story did. So we begin Holy Week in one of the most notable ways that Jesus’ life on Earth began.

Second, Palm Sunday is also a teaser for the events of Easter. Palm Sunday is one of the few times in the Bible where people are really able to recognize and celebrate who Jesus actually is. Much of Jesus’ time on Earth was spent as Him seen as a teacher, not exactly as the Holy person He was/is. So for Jesus to finally really step up and show that to the world, you knew that something big was coming.

The final point I want to focus on is how the story begins and ends with celebration, but the whole week isn’t a celebration. When you think about it, that sounds a lot like life, doesn’t it? It’s important to remember that as much as we might like to live life being able to celebrate and shout to the world about our Savior all the time, there’s a lot more to life than that, including some really tough times and lots of ups and downs. So as you continue this week through the different Holy days and the rest of the year until Christmas, I encourage you to keep the celebration of Palm Sunday and Easter in the back of your mind and let it be a reminder and encouragement to you through all the ups and downs and challenges you will face.

Preparing for Easter

We’re less than two weeks away from one of the biggest holidays in the Christian world. That’s right: Easter is almost here. Since Ash Wednesday well over a month ago I’ve joined millions of others around the world in working my way through extra Biblical devotions for the season of Lent. But I know not everyone wants to spend some 7 weeks really immersing themselves in study, prayer and other activities to help them prepare for honoring and celebrating Good Friday and Easter. But whether you wanted to and didn’t get started or didn’t stay committed, or didn’t think you wanted to spend that much time diving in before Holy Week, today I thought I’d share some passages that you could check out over the next two weeks to help you prepare for Easter along with a thought or two about what you might learn from or look for in the story. If the story is found in more than one book of the New Testament I included each of the references, and here’s an online Bible if you need one.

Tuesday (today): Jesus’ baptism: Matthew 3, Mark 1:1-11, Luke 3:21-22. This is one of the first public events in Jesus’ few years of ministry, and especially important because God is very clear about who Jesus is and the fact that He supports Him.

Wednesday: Jesus’ temptation: Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13, Luke 4:1-13. Part of Jesus’ life on Earth was being fully human, which meant that He dealt with temptation just like we do, and the story told in Matthew and Mark ends with God reminding Jesus that He’s not alone in this journey.

Thursday: Jesus heals a man born blind: John 9:1-41. I revisited this story this past week and had forgotten how much depth there was to it. It’s full of faith, simple answers and actions, and people honest about what they do and don’t know.

Friday: Jesus heals a crippled man: Matthew 9:1-8, Mark 2:1-12, Luke 5:17-26. This story is one of teamwork, courage, commitment, and Jesus’ healing miracles; a reminder that it’s OK to ask for help when you need it and to be persistent about getting that help.

Saturday: Jesus and the woman at the well: John 4:3-42. I shared about this story recently in a blog post, about the importance of listening to others and being open to hearing the stories of those who are different than you are. It’s also an incredible story about being willing to share the Good News with others.

Sunday (Palm Sunday): Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-11, Luke 19:28-38, John 12:12-19. This is one of the few real celebrations of who Jesus actually is during His Earthly ministry, even if people didn’t really know the whole scope of who they were celebrating at the time.

Monday: Jesus clears the temple: Matthew 21:12-17, Mark 11:15-19, Luke 19:45-48, John 2:13-22. An important reminder to be respectful of and care for places that are supposed to be Holy and sacred.

Tuesday: The Transfiguration: Matthew 17:1-13, Mark 9:2-13, Luke 9:28-36. This story gives us a glimpse of the power of Jesus, an idea of what Heaven might be like, and it was a special gift to a few of Jesus’ friends.

Wednesday: Jesus calms the storm: Matthew 8:23-27, Mark 4:35-41, Luke 8:22-25. It’s really a short story, and one of several that have to do with Jesus and water, but I include it because of two facts: it shows Jesus’ power (He calms the storm) and it shows His humanity (nap time!).

Thursday (Maundy Thursday): First communion: Matthew 26:17-25, Mark 14:1-31, Luke 22:1-37, John 13. This is where things really get real for Jesus’ closest friends as He starts revealing some things that will be happening very soon and also sets up the practice of communion as a way that we can stay connected with Him and these events.

Friday (Good Friday): Matthew 26:36-27:66, Mark 14:32-15:47, Luke 22:39-23:56, John 17-19:42. There were a ton of events that went on in the last hours of Jesus’ fully human/fully divine Earth life, and it really looked like so many things were conspiring against Jesus that brought Him to where these stories end: dead and buried.

Saturday: Resurrection of Lazarus: John 11:1-44. This story was kind of a preview for what would happen to Jesus on Easter Sunday, and it also shows exactly how close Jesus got with some people during His time, close enough that He really loved them and was sad to have lost this friend.

Sunday (Easter): Jesus’ Resurrection: Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20. Of course we end with the celebration of Jesus being Resurrected and alive again, and while of course we should celebrate along with all who were there to experience the first Easter, we’re also reminded that it’s OK to sometimes have doubts and that Jesus will reassure you of the truth.

Leaders who Love

Days like today (President’s Day) are interesting to me as an adult because for some of us it’s business as usual, or even more busyness than usual, while others have a change of pace today getting to spend the holiday at home not doing their usual (Monday) activities. But even if it’s business as usual, I think having the holidays on the calendar scattered throughout the year are important because they remind us about that event or person or people, and give us a chance to reflect on what we’ve learned or what happened or what it means for both the past and the future (even if the reflections are little moments while driving from place to place and not formal, lengthy consideration that some might do). So today, in honor of President’s Day in the US, and continuing our look at love for the month of February, I thought we’d take a look at a few verses from the Bible that can help us all be wiser, better leaders.

“Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow.” Psalm 25:4
While this verse doesn’t specifically speak to love, it’s an important one because it reminds us that no leader, however high in position they may be, is ever alone in that journey. There’s always someone who we can turn to for advice who has been down that road before us or has been down a similar one, and we also always should ask God to show us how we can be the best leader we can be and the direction our leadership needs to go in.

“”You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!”” Matthew 5:43-44
“Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.” Colossians 3:14
These two verses tie in with the previous one, but these verses are about gaining perspective on the people who you’re leading or may be other leaders that you interact with. Matthew encourages us to not see others as enemies or rivals or “the other team” but to look at them through the perspective of love. When you look at them with love you see opportunities and not people or efforts you have to squash. Colossians encourages leaders to work together with everyone. I don’t know that any leader gets 100% buy-in from people, but there’s no way to get close to that if you don’t make the effort to invite people to be part of your team and learn to work together as a team and not individual people.

“[Love] does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.” 1 Corinthians 13:6
Just like love celebrates truth, so should leaders. The truth has been in the news a lot lately, because it’s getting harder to tell the lies from the truth these days. So if you want to be a successful leader who is respected, gets the support they need and is able to lead for as long as they desire to, I think it has to start with being a truthful leader, and not letting lies and cheating be just an everyday occurrence in your world. Yes, lies can get you a lot of air time with the various news sites, but in the long run all it does is destroy any credibility you have along with your future potential as a leader, while leaders who work from truth are known to be fair and trustworthy and always someone you want on your team.

What verses have you read recently that have spoken to your heart as a leader?

Let Love be a Light

If there’s a topic that’s complicated it’s love. There are so many aspects and types and meanings and uses and abuses of the word, not to mention all the responsibilities and expectations and layers and things to remember when it comes to those we love, and just thinking about all that makes so many people frustrated and overwhelmed. So today I thought I’d simplify things and help you find one thing to focus on tomorrow (Valentine’s Day) and maybe even for this season of your life and love: let love be a light.

What does this mean? It’s inspired by the well known passage in the Bible, Matthew 5:14-15: “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.”

I think this really simplifies what role love should have in our lives and what our relationships should look like. Love should be a relief, a guidance, and a point of reference. It should be something that unites us, something that brings hope and helps us see clearly. It should be a reassurance, a strength, and the foundation that we build our lives and love on.

So whether you need a fresh perspective on or you’re looking to turn a new page in your relationship with God, you don’t know what to do about Valentine’s Day tomorrow, or you’re feeling a little hope-less about love right now, maybe the place to start is where love shines brightest in your life. Stop making it complicated, return to the basics and start consistently including the parts of love that make you (and your partner if that’s the love you’re feeling challenged by) the happiest and feel the most complete. Don’t worry so much about what others have said love is or how they define love, focus on what God has said, what works for you (and your partner), and on letting love be a light in your life, not a darkness.

Peace and Remembrance

Are you someone who enjoys reading seasonal devotionals? I do for many reasons, including that I get to hear new perspectives on passages I’ve read many times. I enjoy reading both those that are short and sweet (and take just a few days to finish) and those that will bring me from the first day of Advent all the way to and through Christmas Day. Time and again a devotional has a message or verse that really speaks to me, and so often I’m blessed by connections they make between passages or stories and/or seasonal events. This time it happens to be a connection between something Jesus said as part of his adult ministry that connects with this week’s Advent theme for many (and our theme for this series), peace. Matthew 18:12–14 says:

“If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn’t wander away! In the same way, it is not my heavenly Father’s will that even one of these little ones should perish.”

How much peace does it give you to know that your life would be missed if you weren’t here? One of the great comforts of believing in God is that we know from this passage and others in the Bible that He pays very close attention to each of us and cares about each of us, down to the individual hairs on our heads. And, as Jesus shares in this parable, to Him it’s worth it to go find the one of us who gets lost, leaving the others where they’re together and safe.

As comforting and reassuring as God’s attention is, there’s something to be said for the fact that we don’t live with Him, we live on a planet with 8 billion other people, and sometimes it feels like we’re alone even though we’re surrounded by that many people. That adds a damper to the peace we feel by knowing that God is paying attention to our lives. Like many others I’ve been checking in with people I haven’t spoken with in a while as seems to happen in the holiday season and when I mention to mutual friends that I spoke with them they often say “Oh! I’ve been thinking about them and meaning to talk to them!”

Yes, it’s reassuring to know that people are thinking about us and do care about us, even if they haven’t made the effort to reach out. I’m sure that more people do think about us and care about us than we could imagine, and definitely more than we know. So maybe this holiday season you can give the gift of peace and reassurance by reaching out through more than just a holiday card or prayer and actually meet up with or chat with someone you’ve been thinking about but haven’t made the effort to call. I know how busy we are this time of year, but even a few text messages can make such a difference to someone’s peace and help fight seasonal depression they may be experiencing or just the gremlins of self doubt that we struggle with from time to time. Who have you been thinking about recently and will reach out to this week? It might surprise you how much peace you experience by making that contact too.