The Lamb of God

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! John 1:29

Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 1 Thessalonians 4:13

May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones. 1 Thessalonians 3:12

I was having breakfast with Bryce and looked over at my shelves on the north wall. Here was the sunlight shining right on the lamb I put there to represent the Lamb of God, our Savior, Jesus Christ. It jolted me and I made Bryce look. It was like Jesus was there and was shedding his light for us to see. Then I noticed the bird sitting on the rock with the word “Hope” was also lit up by the sunlight. I received this bird from one of my Hope Renewed class members that I taught at Eastridge for nine years. I loved the hope we shared those evenings. No matter what happens, we can have hope in the Lord.

I just had to take a photo as I may never be at that spot at that certain time of day with the sun at just that level. You can actually see the shadow of the lamb’s head.

It is Holy moments like that that bless me more and more as I get older. Enjoy each day and watch for those Holy moments.

Prayer: Dear Lord, please increase our love for You and make us aware of all that is around us. Help us to love one another and be strengthened by your presence in and around us. Amen.

Sandra Hilsabeck

Words from Proverbs 20

 

 Knowing what is right is like deep water in the heart;

    a wise person draws from the well within.

  Lots of people claim to be loyal and loving,

    but where on earth can you find one?

 God-loyal people, living honest lives,

    make it much easier for their children.

God is in charge of human life,

    watching and examining us inside and out.

  Love and truth form a good leader;

    sound leadership is founded on loving integrity. Proverbs 20: 5-7; 27-28 The Message

A Better Life

Pray diligently. Stay alert, with your eyes wide open in gratitude. Colossians 4:1-3 (The Message) 

It's criminal to ignore a neighbor in need, but compassion for the poor-what a blessing! Proverbs 14:21 (The Message)

And then take on an entirely new way of life-a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you. Ephesians 4:19-21 (The Message)

In Christ's body we're all connected to each other, after all. Ephesians 4:24 (The Message)

I recently heard a speaker who suggested four components that can help each of us live a better life. First, live with gratitude. Second, live with compassion. Third, try to do something in a new or novel way. And fourth, connect deeply.

All of these concepts are included in the Bible, as noted above. And they're all ideas that can help make us better Christians. If we live with gratitude, we become more aware of all the blessings we have received from God. And if we focus on the things we can be grateful for, maybe we can turn away from some of the negative thinking we often carry with us.

Living with compassion means caring for others around us. Just as Jesus did. There are a number of ways we can demonstrate compassion--by donating money to charities or by volunteering to help those in need. But we can also show concern in our everyday interactions with those around us. It only requires that we stop to listen to a friend's problem or that we say hello to a stranger on the street.

Taking action in a new way can also be simple. Read a nonfiction book rather than a mystery. Attend a documentary instead of a violent action movie. Talk to someone new at church. Or it can be more involved: like learning to speak a different language.

The most important, but also the most difficult, of the suggestions for how to live a better life may be the final one: connect deeply. We need human interaction, but it needs to be more than just saying "How are you?" Friendships are vital to good mental and physical health. And faith can help us develop deeper connections with others. Sharing our faith with friends builds stronger friendships. And as stated in 2 Corinthians 5:20 of The Message, we should become friends with God because he's already a friend with us. We can lead better lives with God's help.

Prayer: Dear God, we're often looking for ways to make our lives better. These four notions may help us. But we know, Lord, that our lives will definitely be improved if we strive to be your friend, as you are our friend. Please be with us as we try to be grateful, compassionate, brave enough to try new things, and connected. Amen.

Robin Hadfield (reprinted from 2016)

Wisdom

 

Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still;

    teach the righteous and they will add to their learning.

  The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,

    and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

  For through wisdom your days will be many,

    and years will be added to your life. Proverbs 9:9-11

Love Your Neighbor

When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the Lord your God. Leviticus 19: 33-34  

Immigration laws are a hot political topic. Should citizens of other countries who enter the United States illegally be entitled to public benefits such as health care and food stamps? Should there be a path to citizenship for undocumented workers? Should certain immigrant students be allowed to have driver’s licenses, and should they be charged in-state college tuition rates? What should be done about the thousands of unaccompanied children arriving from Central American countries? 

As Christians, in struggling to answer these complicated questions, we must certainly consider God’s law as it was imparted to the Jewish people through Moses long ago.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for the privilege of living in a safe and secure environment with access to food and shelter and health care. We know that we have brothers and sisters for whom these basic needs are not easily met. We ask that You guide us in making fair and just decisions that will improve the quality of their lives and bring Your Kingdom nearer for all of us.  Amen.

Judith Keller (reprinted from September 2014)

Help

When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears, and rescues them from their troubles. Psalm 34:17

While I generally spend most of my time and efforts at work on clinical projects, the last 10 months I have been working on two different financial projects. This is far outside my comfort zone and often leaves me feeling a little out of sorts.  Some of the team members that I have to work with are challenging. The rules for Medicare are difficult to interpret and often lead to arguments among team members. And most of all, at least for me, working in the healthcare industry has always been more about taking care of the patient, and less about making sure that we are reimbursed for that work.  

Before these meetings I have found myself pausing outside the door to pray.  Simple prayers like “God, a little help please” or “God, I can’t take it if we have another shouting match” or some days “God, I really like my job, except for this project”. While I am so thankful for the opportunity to learn about the rules and how they impact the physicians and nurses caring for our patients this work has felt like a tremendous burden and I find myself wanting to rush through the pain and break free from the troubles. Even though God hasn’t stepped in to rescue me, I feel better whispering to him in confidence before I take on this work.  And I continue to believe that he is with me while I facilitate difficult conversations, navigate solutions and help those involved make decisions and improve the process so that the care that we provide will be affordable to the community in need.  

Prayer: God who is always present, thank you for listening when I fuss, for comforting me when I am burdened, for giving me strength to fight for the right things. Thank you for all the opportunities in my life, both the hard and the easy.   

Christi Moock (reprinted from January 2020)

The Tongue

But no one can tame the tongue-a restless evil, full of deadly poison. James 3:8

Someone recently said the following in a conversation. The tongue has no bones but is strong enough to break a heart. So be careful with your words.

Harsh words said by one human to another stirs up anger and hurt. It can cause a real rift. The dictionary says that a rift is a breach in friendly relations between people or in the unity of a group.

Think back and remember a time when someone did not control their tongue when talking to you or you observed this happening. Remember your hurt or watched someone being hurt. Can you remember a time when you did not control your tongue in a situation and you hurt someone? Think about controlling your tongue and the words that break a heart.

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, help me remember not to use harsh words aimed at others- tame my tongue and not hurt others. Amen

Susan Taylor (reprinted from November 2017)