Tag Archives: Comforter

God Sustains

Living in the Spirit
October 4, 2017

Scripture Reading: Psalm 19

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
   be acceptable to you,
   O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. –Psalm 19:14

That which we dwell on we become. Running our words and thoughts through God’s filter before we say them or before we become vindictive as we stew in our own juices is a great idea. If we meditate on loving the other, we become a lover of people even ones who we think or know did us harm. Constantly fretting over an issue erodes us from the inside out.

I dabble in genealogy. Some of my ancestors experienced heartaches beyond belief. My paternal grandmother’s father was killed in an accident a few days before or after her birth in 1883. Her mother raised her alone until she remarried when my grandmother was five. Her only son by her first husband died of illness in 1914 when he was nine years old. Her first husband was struck by lightning and killed two years later leaving her to raise five daughters. She married my grandfather a couple of years later. He brought nine children to the marriage and together they had three children. He died of blood poisoning just before the Dust Bowl and The Great Depression. She had a hard life filled with sorrow and grief.

My memories of my grandmother are those of a five-year-old little girl who felt very loved by her. I remember sitting at her dressing table where she had a box of talcum powder with a big soft puff. She would pat it on my arms and back and make me feel very special. I know she had bad times, but she was very resilient. My dad described her as one who prayed constantly.  I cannot help but think that her time spent in prayer is what guided her through the darkness. The time we spend in prayer will do the same for us when we open ourselves to the healing presence of God.

Prayer: Lord, Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
   be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. so that my actions in dealing with others reflect your love and not my hurt or pain. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Confidence

Living in the Spirit
                               August 10, 2014Jesus walking on water

 Scripture Reading: Matthew 14:22-33 

Peter answered him, ‘Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.’ He said, ‘Come.’ So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came towards Jesus. But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’ Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, ‘You of little faith, why did you doubt?’ When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshipped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’ — Matthew 14:28-33

At first, the disciples thought they were seeing things. Peter in all of his bravado challenges the apparition, “Prove yourself!” and Jesus did. Even then Peter’s fear got the better of him.

 

When listening to sportscasters talking about rookies, they will often say, “He is an amazing athlete, has a great work ethic, but lacks the confidence to trust himself to use his talents and his training.” Peter lacked the confidence to take the winning shot and thus he passed the ball back to Jesus. The problem with that is there might not be enough seconds left in the game for the star to take the shot.

 

Jesus was preparing his disciples for life after his death. They needed to be able to sail through wind and waves, if the good news he was asking them to spread to the ends of the earth reached its destination. He was transitioning them from being dependent on his physical presence and preparing them for the coming of the Holy Spirit as their guide, comforter, and advocate.

 

We now live in the age of this Advocate as we face the winds and waves of the world beating against the way that Jesus taught and lived. Our confidence rest in our relationship with God through Jesus Christ as manifested in the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is saying “I’ve got your back, take the shot.”

Prayer: Holy Spirit breathe on me
Till I am all Thine own
Until my will is lost in Thine
To live for Thee alone.* Amen.

From Hymn: Holy Spirit breathe on me by Edwin Hatch and B.B. McKinney
All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.