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He Was Amazed

7/2/2024

Wednesday’s Word
by Dorette Saunders

Perhaps you have read the passage in Mark 6:1-6 concerning the townspeople of Nazareth who questioned the source of Jesus’ power to do the miraculous, and somehow missed the true impact of Jesus’ response.
“He was amazed at their lack of faith” (Mark 6:6, NIV).

Jesus? Amazed? (No way!)

And yet, there it is. Written in black and white.
Some translations say “surprised,” but no matter, we get the point.

Haven’t we been trained to believe that nothing catches God by surprise? Or that God knows the end from the beginning? Both facts are true.
Yet, that is the beauty of Scripture. God wanted us to see that although Jesus was divinely God, Jesus was authentically human as well, exhibiting human emotions.

The Scriptures bear this out:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made… The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:1-3;14, NIV).

What Jesus’ neighbors saw, however, was a young man they knew from the village. Sure, they knew his father the local carpenter, and the rest of his family. But where did Jesus learn to preach like that? And perform miracles? Not even the rabbis had such wisdom. And, the people’s amazement turned to displeasure.

Don’t we sometimes assume we know Jesus, but like the people in his hometown, we really don’t? Haven’t there been times when we put God in a box, determining what he can and cannot do, by defining him with our own woeful standards?

What would make them offended by Jesus’ preaching and healing? They simply could not see past the hometown tag.

We, too, are guilty when we tell Jesus to please stay in his lane when he wants to fix our hearts. “I don’t need my heart or my mind fixed. Not today, and not by you, anyway,” we declare.

Lord, forgive us because quite often we do know what we are doing. Ironically, even after being rebuffed, it was Jesus’ love and his resolve, not wood and nails that would hold him to a rugged cross when he gave up his life for us.

What did Jesus see during this interchange with his neighbors? He saw doubt… doubt as hard as a three-day-old loaf of bread. Jesus was offering the people the Bread of Life, yet their lack of faith rejected his teachings.

Faith works in tandem with God’s divine power, and our lack of faith often blocks the flow of blessings that are rightfully ours. While Jesus could do many mighty miracles, the atmosphere of doubt and mistrust blocked his healing power, so the Bible tells us:

Jesus “could not work any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them” (v.5).

What does it take for us to believe God? Or for us to believe Jesus is the Son of God. On one occasion Jesus said:
“Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? Do not believe me unless I do the works of my Father.  But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father” (John 10:36-38, NIV).

Jesus wants to be trusted. His sacrifice on Calvary’s cross is more than enough proof that he is who he says he is, and he will do what he says he will do.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I honor you today as Prophet, Priest, and King. It is I who stand amazed in your presence that you would, knowing all about me, choose to offer me your love and grace. Amen.

                                                                                                             ©M©dytations 2024

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The Gift of Giving

6/29/2024

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Wednesday’s Word
by Dorette Saunders

Ever been in a setting where a speaker, at some point, mentions giving? Usually, depending on the event, it’s not merely a plea for you to donate, but rather a hammer that nails you with how much God loves a “cheerful giver” and how much you will be blessed if you give a specified amount. Such an atmosphere is cringe worthy and enough to make you feel like you’ve just witnessed an organized crime shakedown.

And while God does love a “cheerful” giver (2 Corinthians 9:7), the truth is, the act of giving is a gift. The gift of giving is something we learn from God.

“God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that   whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16, NIV).
God’s gift was not forced, not something he had to do, but rather something he wanted to do because of his great love for us.
How do we know this? The Bible tells us that “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8, NIV).

We, who did not know or love God, received the most precious gift God had…his only Son. How amazing is that!

How amazing is it, that God, who is love personified, would show us his heart in such a radical way!

That, friends, is the pattern for giving. We give out of a heart of love. Not because we expect anything in return, not to be mentioned from the pulpit or for our names to be inscribed on a building or listed under the philanthropic sections of select newspapers or magazines. No, we give because God calls us to emulate him—to give generously and graciously.

Our gifts, when motivated by a heart of love, have a snowball effect. Not only does our own heart sing when we give, but the recipient, whether they acknowledge it or not, has a journal entry that God blessed them, and supplied a need. And often, our generosity of spirit will spur the recipient to be generous to others themselves.

And, like everything else, God has a recommendation for how we are to give.

“So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.  But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you” (Matthew 6:2-4, NIV).

People often falsely assume that giving always has to be financial, or that the beneficiaries have to be poverty stricken. Yet giving reaches much deeper than that. Spending time to actively listen to someone who’s experiencing a problem, needs guidance, or who is just lonely, is a gift, too. So is hospitality, lending a hand to help with tasks, intercessory prayer, or something as simple as sending a greeting card or flashing a smile.

While money can purchase food and other life-sustaining items, it certainly cannot buy love which ought to be the basis of our giving. In God’s economy, we are blessed to be a blessing to others. This means we get from God, so we can have the resources to give others.

Perhaps now is a good time to re-evaluate how we give. The Scriptures tell us:
“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers” (Galatians 6:10, NIV).

PRAYER: Lord God, giver of life and love, show us opportunities that may yet be hidden from our eyes wherein we can show up and bless someone with the blessings we have received. Make us humble in our approach, giving you all the praise and glory for touching our hearts. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.


                                                                                                             ©M©dytations 2024

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Juneteenth: A Time to Remember and Reflect

6/22/2024

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Wednesday’s Word
by Dorette Saunders

Freedom!
The word reverberates through time inviting the enslaved to dance and sing in celebration. When people have been shackled by slavery, or sin, for long periods of time, sometimes it is hard for them to imagine how exhilarating freedom is.
When the apostle Paul tells the Galatians that Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the cross of Calvary has effectively broken their bonds from sin, he does so with this warning:

“Christ has set us free! This means we are really free. Now hold on to your freedom and don't ever become slaves of the Law again” (Galatians 5:1, CEV).

Hold on to your freedom…!

Why? Because, if we are not careful, we can easily become entangled again in behaviors or patterns of thought which are contrary to God’s laws.

For African Americans currently living in the U.S., slavery was not their lived experience. However, their foreparents lived through the horrors of subjugation and enslavement that dehumanized them for hundreds of years since the first Africans were forcible brought to the US around 1619 to labor for whites.
What followed was a blot on the legacy of the land that would eventually pride itself as the “land of the free, and the home of the brave.” The Negro Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” makes this observation:
Stony the road we trod,
Bitter the chastening rod,
Felt in the days when hope unborn had died;
Yet with a steady beat,
Have not our weary feet
Come to the place for which our fathers sighed?
We have come over a way that with tears has been watered,
We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered…

While President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863 declaring freedom for slaves, it was not until June 19th, 1865, two and a half years later, that slaves in Galveston, Texas heard the news. That was how “Juneteenth” or Freedom Day was born, and its celebration began. Slavery officially ended with the ratification of the 13th Amendment in 1865. And, in 2021, President Joe Biden proclaimed Juneteenth (June 19th) a Federal holiday.

Despite these gains, we can never eradicate the sins of the past by turning a blind eye to history. Shameful, painful though it may be, slavery and racism is a part of the fabric woven in American history. We must acknowledge it—whites and blacks and browns—and then work together to remove the vestiges that remain. The divide is acute. We cannot heal the wounds by ignoring the root cause.

This history belongs to all of us. We must educate ourselves, we must teach our children…all our children… so they do not perpetuate the same evils. We must share our lived stories, move toward healthy reconciliation, and together fight against those things or people who seek to divide us, and not to build us up.

The poet John Donne tells us, “No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent….” We need each other, and each other’s contribution to the uplifting of our nation.

The Scriptures tell us: “Any kingdom where people fight each other will end up ruined. And a town or family that fights will soon destroy itself” (Matthew 12:25, CEV).

And while we can’t legislate love, we can certainly heed these words of Scripture as we celebrate together:
“Each one of you is part of the body of Christ, and you were chosen to live together in peace. So let the peace that comes from Christ control your thoughts” (Colossians 3:15, CEV).

PRAYER: God of our weary years,
God of our silent tears,
Thou who has brought us thus far on the way;
Thou who has by Thy might led us into the light,
Keep us forever in the path, we pray.
Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met Thee,
Lest, our hearts drunk with the wine of the world, we forget Thee;
Shadowed beneath Thy hand,
May we forever stand.
True to our God,
True to our native land.
Amen.

©M©dytations 2024

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Family....

6/5/2024

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Wednesday’s Word
by Dorette Saunders

Families are important pillars in our communities. Ideally, we can run to our family to get away from the hubbub of daily life; we can let down our hair and be our authentic self; we can test out our dreams and ideas, and not worry about criticism and rebuke.
Ideally…

Jesus’ family was, perhaps, no different. Perhaps they had their fair share of squabbles and skirmishes; of scolding rambunctious children, or humoring that grey-bearded uncle who told tall tales.

And then, there was Jesus.

He was different. Very different. Who would have thought he would choose a rabbinical path instead of being a carpenter? And what about this gospel that he preached so ardently? The local rabbis hated him because every word from his lips dripped of God’s truth and authority. To the scribes, it was blasphemous. To his family…well, frankly, it was somewhat embarrassing.

Can you relate? Isn’t it ironic how people in our family will engage with us (even combatively) if we speak politics, or espouse views contrary to theirs, yet will be totally turned off or offended by our zeal in witnessing about the gospel of God’s kingdom?

The Scriptures tell us that on one occasion
“Jesus went back home, and once again such a large crowd gathered that there was no chance even to eat. When Jesus' family heard what he was doing, they thought he was crazy and went to get him under control” (Mark 3:20-21, CEV).

Did they not know, no one but God can control the Spirit of God? Did they not know the gospel “doesn’t make 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)?

As family, they thought they were doing right by him. They were “saving” him from himself and the wrath of the religious leaders, the scribes. Yet, listen to Jesus’ response when they came to the place he was preaching, and Jesus was told that his mother, brothers, and sisters were waiting to see him.

Jesus asked, “Who is my mother and who are my brothers?”  Then he looked at the people sitting around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers.  Anyone who obeys God is my brother or sister or mother” (Mark 3:33-35, CEV).

Was Jesus abandoning his earthly family? Of course not. But he was speaking to a deeper truth. We must put our priorities in order. Obedience to God’s Word takes precedence over everything else.

The bond we share with Jesus when we have given our lives to him, have committed to following his teachings, is far greater than the bloodlines and the DNA ties shared with our human family. The Scriptures tell us:
”Only those people who are led by God's Spirit are his children. God's Spirit doesn't make us slaves who are afraid of him. Instead, we become his children and call him our Father. God's Spirit makes us sure that we are his children.  His Spirit lets us know that together with Christ we will be given what God has promised….” (Romans 8:14-17, CEV).

The King James Bible translates that last verse as us becoming “heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ” (v.17). Don’t miss that point. As part of the family of God, we share in the blessings of Christ. So, being family has its privileges.

What does it mean to be part of the family of God? Songwriters Bill and Gloria Gaither in their hymn, “Family of God” say it this way:
I'm so glad I'm a part of the Family of God,
I've been washed in the fountain, cleansed by His blood!
Joint heirs with Jesus as we travel this sod,
For I'm part of the family,
The Family of God.

PRAYER: Father, we are grateful to be part of your family. We are grateful that despite knowing all about us, you have graciously embraced us and invited us in. In these tumultuous times, gather us together in love and fellowship through the power that resides in Jesus, our Lord. Amen.

                                                                                ©M©dytations 2024

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When You Hear His Voice....

6/2/2024

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Wednesday’s Word
Dorette Saunders

Have you ever stopped to think of the many expectations we have of God? Even people who do not acknowledge God as Creator, Lord, and Ruler of the universe will often be heard lamenting when tragedies occur: “Why would God allow that to happen?” Perhaps it’s because deep down we are wired to understand that over all this earth and beyond there is someone who rules and controls it all. The psalmist, David, says it like this:

The earth and everything on it,
including its people,
    belong to the Lord.
The world and its people
    belong to him.   (Psalm 24:1, CEV)

Whether we agree with that verse or not, does not make it less true. As ruler of the world, God speaks to his people in various ways. Perhaps you’ve felt the quiet prompting of the Holy Spirit, or felt the overwhelming presence of God around you. Or maybe you’ve had a dream or vision of what God is calling you to do. However it comes, especially when we pray, God still speaks.

The story of young Samuel hearing God’s voice while training in the temple under the tutelage of Eli, the priest, is particularly instructive for us (1 Samuel 3:1-18). We are brought into the narrative learning, “Samuel served the Lord by helping Eli the priest…” (v.1, CEV).

How are we serving the Lord? Are there practical things that we can do to further the Kingdom, or tell the Good News of the gospel? Is there someone we can mentor in the things of God? We learn, too, that Samuel did not recognize God’s voice at first, until Eli taught him how to respond.

As we listen for God’s voice, sometimes we don’t have enough experience to recognize it instantly. But know this, as we develop our prayer life, read his Word, and commit ourselves in service to God, we sharpen our sensitivity to hearing God’s voice.

God will keep calling. He never gives up on us, and most times he will use ingenious ways to get our attention. Have you had things happen in your life for which you have no answers, but are forced to admit, “It’s no one else but God!”

Sometimes, the messages we get from God concerns our own life, or the behaviors or salvation of others. In the case of Samuel in this passage, God was about to punish Eli’s family. Obviously, it was not a message that young Samuel was happy to deliver, and he stayed silent until Eli demanded to hear it.

For our part, we need to be responsive when God speaks to us. However, in order for that to occur, we must put ourselves in a position to tune out all the distractions that will pull us away from hearing God’s voice. And when we do hear God’s voice, we must be intentional about obeying.

PRAYER: Lord God, make us sensitive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Help us to keep a keen ear open for your voice. Move every distracting sound away and bring us into sweet communion with your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who always has a Word for us. Make us truly open to do your bidding. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

                                                                ©M©dytations 2024

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He Was Amazed

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