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Mothers and Children...

5/10/2023

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Wednesday’s Word
by Dorette Saunders
 
 
While we can all agree that there are passages in the Bible that we find hard to understand, there are human interest stories that are included which many of us will find relatable.
 
The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke each give an account of parents bringing their children to Jesus for him to bless them. None of the Gospels give much background to the blessing, but even today, we can imagine how it took place. While some translations lists the “parents” as bringing the children, can’t we see mothers taking the lead?
 
“Wipe your nose, Reuben.”  “Put your sandals on, Anna.”  “Hurry up, kids!”
 
After all, this was not one of those prescribed rites where the Pharisees would bless the families’ offspring. This was a spur-of- the-moment opportunity for them to see the rabbi and prophet Jesus who was visiting their town.
 
This rabbi was different. So very different. He was a lover of people, and of children, too. He taught with power and authority. He was a healer, a teller of stories, and one who took the time to lift up the downtrodden, and comfort those who hurt.
 
No wonder the parents bundled up their kids and brought them to Jesus just so he could lay his hands on them, and bless them. In four short verses, the Gospel of Mark (10:13-16, CEV) records the incident this way:
 
Some people brought their children to Jesus so he could bless them by placing his hands on them. But his disciples told the people to stop bothering him.
When Jesus saw this, he became angry and said, “Let the children come to me! Don't try to stop them. People who are like these little children belong to the kingdom of God.  I promise you that you cannot get into God's kingdom, unless you accept it the way a child does.” Then Jesus took the children in his arms and blessed them by placing his hands on them.
 
Acting like bodyguards for a celebrity, the disciples were quick to shoo away the parents and children. As we move toward our blessing, doesn’t it sometimes feel like someone or something always tries to obstruct us?   But imagine the mothers in the crowd… their faith strong, and their resilience stronger still, as they responded to the disciples:
 
“Nobody is going to come between me, my child, and Jesus.”
“Been waiting for 30 minutes, won’t be going anywhere ‘til he blesses us.”
“He doesn’t look tired, mister.  Look, he’s calling us to come!”
 
No doubt their little tiff with the disciples caught Jesus’ ear. Then, Jesus, the master teacher, gives his disciples an object lesson in humility and trust. Just as children in their innocence trust God, so too must those who want to be part of God’s kingdom, come to God without pretensions.
​

This was no longer just about parents and children.  It was about all of us who seek entry into God’s kingdom. Jesus came to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10).  Jesus came to give us abundant life (John 10:10). Don’t let well-meaning folk curb your enthusiasm, stifle your joy, or push you aside.  Jesus says all who come to him he will never turn away (John 6:37).
 
Do you believe that?  If you do, watch Jesus give you more than you imagined.  He’ll take you in his arms, and bless you.
 
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank you for those women who nurtured us in our infancy and beyond—mothers and mentors. Biological relatives or not, these women breathed your Word in us, taught us about your love and faithfulness. Reward them for the good they did and help us to follow in their footsteps. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
 
                                                        ©M©dytations 2023
 

 

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Don't You Know Who I Am?

5/3/2023

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Wednesday’s Word
By Dorette Saunders
 
 Jesus has a very interesting conversation with his disciples in the 14th chapter of John’s Gospel (John 14:1-14). As the time gets closer, Jesus begins to share that he will not be with them for too much longer, but that he will come back so they can join him.
 
The talk of him leaving them is not going over well. And the disciples wonder why Jesus is saying that they “know the way” to the place where he is going.  Most Bible readers know Peter as the one who speaks up, often without thinking. This time, however, both Thomas and Phillip voice their concerns.
 
Thomas said, “Lord, we don't even know where you are going! How can we know the way?”
Do we have questions for Jesus which are left unspoken?  Are there things we want to know about salvation, God’s kingdom, or heaven that we are afraid to ask because we don’t want to seem ignorant?
Jesus welcomes our questions. In fact, this little talk with the disciples was a way of preparing them for what was to come.  It was a way of disarming the feelings of worry and fear that they might experience when Jesus left.  Notice what Jesus addresses first:
“Don't be worried! Have faith in God and have faith in me” (John 14:1, CEV).
Most people cannot discuss deep, spiritual matters if fear stands in the way. The disciples were no different. Jesus knew they were fearful so he encourages them to hold fast to their faith, and then he goes on to explain the mystery of the trinity.
Does your faith fail when you hear crippling news? Can you hold to the hope that is yours when everything seems to be crashing around you?  The antidote to such a reaction is this: Have faith in God. Put your trust in Jesus.
Sadly, many of us have been attending church since our youth, and our faith has not matured. Without a doubt we can quote Scripture, worship exuberantly, but we cannot say definitively that we know who God is.
 
Jesus tells Thomas:
 
“I am the way, the truth, and the life! …Without me, no one can go to the Father” (v. 6).
 
Still puzzled, Philip, one of the first disciples whom Jesus called, asks for a sign so he can recognize “the Father.”
 
It is to Philip, and to us, that Jesus says:
 
“I have been with you for a long time. Don't you know who I am?...Don't you believe that I am one with the Father and that the Father is one with me?...” (v.10).
 
Do we believe Jesus’ words?
 
If you are hesitant, circle back to the 1st chapter of John.
 
“In the beginning was the one
    who is called the Word.
The Word was with God
    and was truly God.”
                …
 
“The Word became
a human being
    and lived here with us.”
               …
“No one has ever seen God. The only Son, who is truly God and is closest to the Father, has shown us what God is like” (John 1:1; 14; 18, CEV).
 
These words were given to us so we can know and believe.
 

 
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank you for showing us the way to the Father. Thank you for being God. Thank you for giving us the gift of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
 
                                                                                                              ©M©dytations 2023
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The Gate: Safety, Security, Life

4/26/2023

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Wednesday’s Word
by Dorette Saunders
 
 
Time and again, the Bible refers to Jesus as the shepherd of a flock of sheep. The “sheep,” those who believe on him, are dependent on the shepherd to find pasture to sustain them.
 
 
In John’s Gospel, Jesus says, “I am the gate” (John 10:7, CEV).  Like doors, a gate keeps things in, providing security for that which is behind it. Gates also keep things out, thwarting thieves and repelling danger.
 
 
I remember as a young child my mother would always caution me, “Do not go outside the gate.”  Outside, there were speeding cars, ice cream vendors, and children who had permissive parents. Reluctantly, I obeyed, but was often tempted to lift the latch and run away from being protected.
 
 
Jesus understands our desire to scope out places where we shouldn’t be, to go beyond the boundary of his divine protection. Jesus knows, that like sheep, we have the propensity to stray. So he offers himself as “the gate.”  He is our protector. He is our impenetrable security.
 
 
But before your mind swings toward a suffocating, restrictive atmosphere, Jesus tells us that those who are his “sheep” will come and go through him, the gate, and find pasture!  (John 10:9, CEV). There is no lack. Jesus will not withhold any good thing from those he loves (Psalm 84:11) if we follow his teachings.
 
 
Sheep need a shepherd, someone to lead them, since they are prone to being attacked by predatory animals. The Scriptures tell us that the devil prowls like a roaring lion seeking to destroy us (1 Peter 5:8).  When we move away from Jesus’ protection, we leave ourselves open to be attacked and destroyed by the devil. Sometimes, like in the fairytales, the devil comes like a wolf dressed in sheep’s clothing. No wonder we have to be on guard!
 
“The sheep know their shepherd's voice. He calls each of them by name and leads them out…. he walks in front of them, and they follow, because they know his voice” (John 10:2-4, CEV).
 
Do you know Jesus’ voice?  Amid the competing sounds in our hearts, and our minds, can we hear the Lord?
 
That’s why it is important for us to immerse ourselves in God’s Word so we can recognize the voice of the true shepherd, and follow him. 
 
 
Do these verses from Psalm 23 resonate with you?
 
The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want. 
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul…
                                  (vv. 1-3a, NKJV)
 
 
 
The words are saturated with shalom, the incomprehensible peace of God. Everything we need can be found in Jesus Christ, the Shepherd.  Despite the number of sheep in his possession, Jesus calls each of us by name and leads us to safety. There is nothing like feeling secure when the world is in chaos.  There is nothing so rewarding like knowing that Jesus, the Good Shepherd, promises that each of his sheep will live life to the fullest (John 10:10).
 
 
PRAYER: Gentle shepherd, be our gate. Help us resist the pull to move away from your divine protection. We are secure in you, and you meet our every need. Lead us, as only you can. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
 
                                          ©M©dytations 2023
 

 A
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Remember and Believe

4/12/2023

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Wednesday’s Word
By Dorette Saunders
 
 
The account of the two disciples who journeyed from Jerusalem to the village of Emmaus after Jesus’ crucifixion is one which is instructive for us (Luke 24:13-35, CEV). Saddened by the loss of Jesus, the prophet, who they believed would free Israel, they made their weary way home on Sunday.
 
They had heard from the women in their group how they found Jesus’ tomb empty.  They had heard, too, that the women had seen angels who said Jesus was alive. Some of the other disciples corroborated the women’s account because they also found the tomb empty but saw no sign of Jesus (vv. 22-24).
 
And now, here is Jesus, the Risen Savior, walking alongside them but they do not recognize him.  Can we for a moment switch places with these two disciples?  How many times in our own lives do we profess to follow Jesus but become downhearted, hope-empty, sad people when things do not go according to script? Our script.  How many times have we failed to “see” Jesus during the difficult moments of our lives? How many times have our faith taken a nosedive and our thoughts reverted to: “We had hoped that he would…” (v.21) when the miracles or healings we anticipate do not materialize?
 
What is interesting is that Jesus, in loving fashion, reminds the disciples of the prophecies.
Then Jesus asked the two disciples, “Why can't you understand? How can you be so slow to believe all that the prophets said? Didn't you know that the Messiah would have to suffer before he was given his glory?”  Jesus then explained everything written about himself in the Scriptures, beginning with the Law of Moses and the Books of the Prophets” (vv. 25-27). 
Ah, yes! Sometimes we need a faith-boosting refresher course from the Lord himself. We will remember Jesus’ teachings if we spend time in the Word. Revelation often comes during our intimate times with Jesus, just as it did when these disciples took Jesus into their home and he broke bread with them (v. 30).
The two disciples had shared their hearts with Jesus. Their despair, their grief, their hopelessness. They had trusted this “stranger” with their innermost thoughts, and he in turn, had shared the Scriptures and “warmed” their hearts.
 
“When he talked with us along the road and explained the Scriptures to us, didn't it warm our hearts?” (v. 32)
 
Jesus is alive! He is risen, indeed! 
 
Does God’s show of resurrection power warm our hearts?  Do we remember and believe God’s promise when it tells us that God grants mighty power to those who trust him?    
 
 “I want you to know about the great and mighty power that God has for us followers. It is the same wonderful power he used when he raised Christ from death and let him sit at his right side in heaven” (Ephesians 1:19, 20, CEV).
 
What an inheritance! If only we would remember and believe.
 

PRAYER: Gracious God, open our eyes that we would see Jesus in all his glory! Open our eyes when we experience trials so we would see our Lord walking beside us. Open our hearts, too, Lord, that we may willingly receive, and believe in the wonderful resurrection power that you give us to defeat the devil, the enemy of our souls. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
 
                                                                                        ©M©dytations 2023



 
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Lent:  The Other Side of the Cross

4/5/2023

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Wednesday’s Word
by Dorette Saunders
 
 
 
We journey with Jesus through the Lenten season, observing his life, his teachings, his walk toward certain death. His death on a cross—was pre-ordained by his Father—to take away the sins of the world.
 
To the onlooker, the cross is a symbol of suffering and shame. Who can forget Mel Gibson’s powerful movie, The Passion of the Christ? Who did not hear the gut-wrenching hammering as man-made nails punctured divine flesh? Who did not avert their eyes as Jesus, the Lord of Glory, was taunted and tortured, battered and bloodied…for us, people who neither knew him nor loved him? The Scriptures tell us:
 
He came into his own world,
but his own nation
    did not welcome him.
Yet some people accepted him
    and put their faith in him.
So he gave them the right
    to be the children of God.

                                      (John 1:11-12, CEV)
 
Yes, the cross is a symbol of suffering, but to believers, the cross is also a symbol of love—Jesus’ love for us, his victory over sin and death, and a prelude to Jesus’ glorious resurrection.
 
Today, our steps are still heavy as we walk toward the cross. We stop along the way because we can see what it cost God’s Son, yet we can hardly comprehend it. We know we owe a debt, but the cross reminds us it is already paid. 
 
PAID IN FULL.
 
How can this be?
 
“The message about the cross doesn't make any sense to lost people. But for those of us who are being saved, it is God's power at work” (1 Corinthians 1:18, CEV).
 
 
Unlike the sacrificial lamb in his day, Jesus’ blood atoned for our sins, once and for all. We keep looking at the receipt to see if what we have been told is true:
 
“God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die” (John 3:16, CEV).
 
Believe it. It’s true!  God loved us that much!
 
This truth lightens our steps as we walk towards Calvary. This truth makes us more confident as we deal with “light afflictions” (2 Corinthians 4:17) that plague us from day to day.
 
Thank God we know the end of the story. Thank God, God’s Spirit reveals what lies on the other side of the cross.
 
There is no bypassing the cross. There are no short cuts. Privilege, fame, wealth, or power hold no sway over what God has decreed. We cannot get to the other side without the cross. Jesus affirms that he is the way, the truth and the life, and no one gets to God, the Father, except by way of Jesus Christ. (John 14:6).
 


So we wait again, with great expectation, for the events at Calvary to unfold. Then on Resurrection Day, with great rejoicing, we know we will behold Jesus, the Messiah, our Savior and Lord.
 
 
PRAYER: Loving God, Calvary’s cross covered all our sin and shame. We bask in the sunshine of your love because of Jesus who died to make us new creatures. Give us room to shout our gratitude from earth to heaven. Give us room to out-sing creation and to praise your excellent greatness. Give us plenty good room to open our hearts to your sweet Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
 
                                                ©M©dytations 2023






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    Moirajo is a minister, social worker, wife, mother, writer and animal lover. That's just for starters. Join the story, there's so much we can share together! 

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