A Light-Radiant Cloud

Posted on by Betsy

Everyone likes affirmation. Sometimes we spend so much time beating ourselves up that even a small word of affirmation can turn a day completely around. I think this is why we have to remember to offer words of appreciation and admiration as much as we can. You never know the impact those words might have in someone’s life.

When I was a senior in High School, I received the Lion’s Club Outstanding Citizenship Award. It was also given to a boy in my class. My father sat next to his father at the banquet. I was surprised to hear my father talk about me, describing in detail things I had accomplished to this poor man who politely sat and listened. I didn’t know that my father felt that way about me, much less had noticed some of the things he described. I was always sure of his love and support. But hearing these words of affirmation filled me up with such confidence and self-esteem that leaving home in a few months to attend a large out-of-state university somehow seemed more doable than it had before. If I was half as accomplished as the girl he described, I knew I would make it.

There are two moments in Jesus’ life when he received public words of affirmation from his father. The first was at his baptism, when the heavens opened up and God said, “This is my son, my beloved, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17)

The next is at the Transfiguration:

Mark 9 (The Message)

2-4 Six days later, three of them did see it. Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain. His appearance changed from the inside out, right before their eyes. His clothes shimmered, glistening white, whiter than any bleach could make them. Elijah, along with Moses, came into view, in deep conversation with Jesus.

Remember that Mark writes primarily to convince the Jews that Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah. His brief and to-the-point account of Jesus having a deep conversation with the famed prophets Elijah and Moses was designed in part to hammer home the integrity of Jesus’ messiahship.

Don’t you wonder what they talked about?

Then Peter, being Peter, interrupts.

5-6 Peter interrupted, “Rabbi, this is a great moment! Let’s build three memorials—one for you, one for Moses, one for Elijah.” He blurted this out without thinking, stunned as they all were by what they were seeing.

Ahhh, Peter. He is so like us in every way. Have you ever misread a situation and forged ahead with some ill-begotten notion, only to look around you and realize that you were forging in the wrong direction? I have.

7 Just then a light-radiant cloud enveloped them, and from deep in the cloud, a voice: “This is my Son, marked by my love. Listen to him.”

Here the Father steps in and proclaims for the second time that Jesus is his son, his beloved, marked by his love. But this time the message is more focused: “LISTEN TO HIM.”

8 The next minute the disciples were looking around, rubbing their eyes, seeing nothing but Jesus, only Jesus.

Oh, that we could have that point of view in our lives…to see nothing but Jesus, only Jesus.

9-10 Coming down the mountain, Jesus swore them to secrecy. “Don’t tell a soul what you saw. After the Son of Man rises from the dead, you’re free to talk.” They puzzled over that, wondering what on earth “rising from the dead” meant.

There are two take-always from today’s passage.

The first is a simple reminder of what words of affirmation can do in a person’s life. Think about your own words. Who in your life needs to hear that they are valued, cherished, and important to you? Who is your “beloved” and marked by your love? Do they need to hear that from you? Parents who offer such words to their children and back it up with unconditional love and constant support raise good citizens.

The second take-away is what God says…LISTEN TO HIM.

Are you listening? Are you understanding what Jesus is saying to you today? Is he inviting you to change, correct, cherish, go deeper, or follow him into a calling outside of your comfort zone?

The good father who loves us with the same passion that he loved his son commands us to LISTEN.

What do you hear?

Light Radiance by Sharon Tinucci

Compelled

Posted on by Betsy

I continue to be constantly amazed at how the lectionary reaches deep into our lives and teaches us lessons that are timely, accurate, and humbling. I have said before that I went years without giving the lectionary much attention because I was serving in churches that chose not to follow it. (The lectionary is a three-year program of assigned scriptures for every week to be used in preaching and Christian education.) I once worked with a senior pastor who liked to preach either in a series, or as “the spirit led.” He was a wonderful preacher and his methodology certainly blessed the congregation.

But today’s lectionary speaks so closely to my heart and my current situation, I could have penned it myself, though clearly not with such eloquence. But every word in this passage resonates with me about why I get up early every day and slog through writing At Water’s Edge. I have been criticized, praised, supported, and dismissed. None of that matters. When Paul says, “I’m compelled to do it, and doomed if I don’t!” I rise up in my chair, raise my coffee cup and yell, “PREACH IT BROTHER!”

I apologize if this is somewhat self-absorbed, but I bet there is something in here for you, too.

Are you in a family situation where your beliefs have separated you from your loved ones? Do you struggle with those who discredit you for your faith? Are you surrounded by meticulous moralists? Paul GETS YOU.

1 Corinthians 9 (The Message)

15-18 Still, I want it made clear that I’ve never gotten anything out of this for myself, and that I’m not writing now to get something. I’d rather die than give anyone ammunition to discredit me or question my motives. If I proclaim the Message, it’s not to get something out of it for myself. I’m compelled to do it, and doomed if I don’t! If this was my own idea of just another way to make a living, I’d expect some pay. But since it’s not my idea but something solemnly entrusted to me, why would I expect to get paid? So am I getting anything out of it? Yes, as a matter of fact: the pleasure of proclaiming the Message at no cost to you. You don’t even have to pay my expenses!

When we accept the call to be witnesses for Christ in our lives, it is necessary to do exactly what Paul describes: to enter the world of those who haven’t encountered Christ yet, but to not take on their way of life. To keep your bearings IN Christ while trying to experience things from other people’s point of view. To become whatever sort of servant God can use to lead others to him.

19-23 Even though I am free of the demands and expectations of everyone, I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people: religious, nonreligious, meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists, the defeated, the demoralized—whoever. I didn’t take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ—but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I’ve become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life. I did all this because of the Message. I didn’t just want to talk about it; I wanted to be in on it!

The lesson today is to be like Paul. Don’t just talk about it…get in on it! You too will be criticized, supported, praised, or dismissed. So be it. If God is for us, nothing can harm us. NOTHING can separate us from the love of Christ Jesus.

Don’t just read the message…be the message.

A New Day by Michelle Robertson

How Pleasant

Posted on by Betsy

I am in Florida as I write this, and the “real feel temperature” is 36 degrees. What the heck? Part of my reason for being here is to visit family and enjoy long runs in perfect temperatures. If I wanted to run in 36 degree weather I could have stayed home. Plus the winds are almost 20 MPH. NOT pleasant indeed.

Think of the things you experience that bring instant pleasure. A great cup of morning coffee, the sound of a friend’s voice in unexpected phone call, a soft, fluffy blanket, the snore of a big yellow Lab who lies contentedly in the sun at your feet….these things are pleasant.

Today we are going to listen to a psalmist talk about pleasant things. I find that in the midst of things that are wholly unpleasant (politics, news, the pandemic, math equations) it is good to take a moment to consider something pleasant. Maybe the yellow Lab has figured something out.

According to Psalm 147, it is pleasant to praise God:

Psalm 147 (New International Version)

Praise the Lord.

How good it is to sing praises to our God,
    how pleasant and fitting to praise him!

We could just stop there. Praising God does many things for us. It takes our focus away from our troubles. It ushers us into his presence. It benefits us by bringing sunlight into our present darkness. But most of all, it is good and fitting to praise him because he deserves it.

The Psalmist goes on to explain why:

2 The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
    he gathers the exiles of Israel.
3 He heals the brokenhearted
    and binds up their wounds.

We praise God because he brings all of us out of exile and back home again. We praise him because he heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

Are you broken hearted today? Are you wounded by someone’s words, actions, betrayals, or dismissal of you?

Praise him anyway.

4 He determines the number of the stars
    and calls them each by name.
5 Great is our Lord and mighty in power;
    his understanding has no limit.
6 The Lord sustains the humble
    but casts the wicked to the ground.

This Psalm echoes Isaiah 40 by reminding us that God numbers and names the stars. He also numbers and names his people.

7 Sing to the Lord with grateful praise;
    make music to our God on the harp.

8 He covers the sky with clouds;
    he supplies the earth with rain
    and makes grass grow on the hills.
9 He provides food for the cattle
    and for the young ravens when they call.

Everything around us is a gift from God. His care and provision are extended even to the young ravens.

10 His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse,
    nor his delight in the legs of the warrior;
11 the Lord delights in those who fear him,
    who put their hope in his unfailing love.

The invitation today is to put your hope in God’s unfailing love. Your strength and your self-reliance will never be enough. But with God, you have everything you need. Praise be to God!

Reflections of Praise by Kathy Schumacher

Recharge Time

Posted on by Betsy

We are in the section of the scriptures where we encounter Jesus doing what Jesus does best: teaching, healing, and casting out demons. This was typical of his three-year ministry on earth. The activity, energy, and intensity of his ministry cannot be discounted. At times we can almost feel his weariness as he moved through a day.

Do you ever feel weary as you go about your routine? I would hazard a guess that we are all quite weary of this pandemic. It has added incredible layers of preparation to an ordinary day. The news of more deaths and more positive cases greets us upon awaking, as we put on the clothing of grief and despair. The need to take necessary precautions when we venture out feels like strapping a heavy weight of complexity to our shoulders as we make our way to the car. Do I have a mask? Hand sanitizer? Will it be crowded where I’m going? Will people stay 6 feet away from me? Will others wear their masks? Do I really need to be out today?

And of course the isolation we are experiencing is the worst of it all. Not being able to do our normal activities such as socializing with friends, being with family, attending church and community activities, eating out, watching a concert or a movie (remember concerts and movies?)….we are weary not only from what we have to do, but from what we can’t do right now.

Gosh, I am weary from writing that paragraph! Let’s turn to something more helpful.

What did Jesus do when he got weary?

Mark 1 ( Common English Bible)

Jesus heals Simon’s mother-in-law

29 After leaving the synagogue, Jesus, James, and John went home with Simon and Andrew.30 Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed, sick with a fever, and they told Jesus about her at once.31 He went to her, took her by the hand, and raised her up. The fever left her, and she served them.

In one brief paragraph, we see Jesus spending a long day of teaching in the synagogue and then immediately being called upon to raise up a friend’s mother from a serious illness.

By sunset, people were gathered at the door and presented all of their needs and issues. Some were sick. Some were demon-possessed. There were all kinds of diseases present. He healed them all, and then he had to keep the demons quiet.

Jesus’ ministry spreads

32 That evening, at sunset, people brought to Jesus those who were sick or demon-possessed. 33 The whole town gathered near the door. 34 He healed many who were sick with all kinds of diseases, and he threw out many demons. But he didn’t let the demons speak, because they recognized him.

As I read this, I have to say it doesn’t appear that our Lord got much rest. He began his healings and casting-out services at sunset for a WHOLE TOWN. Then he was up the next morning, well before sunrise.

35 Early in the morning, well before sunrise, Jesus rose and went to a deserted place where he could be alone in prayer. 

Let’s stop right there. In the exhaustion of his activity, Jesus didn’t hit the snooze button a few times (which is what I would do) and then sit with a cup of coffee (which is what I would need) and contemplate his day. No, he rose and went to a deserted place where he could be alone to pray.

What would your day look like if you did that? Arose before dawn and went out to the beach, the mountain overlook, your back yard, your front porch, etc. and had nothing to do but just pray?

36 Simon and those with him tracked him down. 37 When they found him, they told him, “Everyone’s looking for you!”

We see that his time with his Father wasn’t very long. But his understanding that he needed to be about his father’s business was unwavering:

38 He replied, “Let’s head in the other direction, to the nearby villages, so that I can preach there too. That’s why I’ve come.” 39 He traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and throwing out demons.

That is why I’ve come.

Why are you here? Are you letting your weariness get in the way of your mission? Are you feeling flat and unmotivated? Has sloth set in a little?

Jesus reminds us to take time to recharge in the presence of his father, and then get back on track. Praying in a quiet space and remembering what God has called you to do can be the beginning of a second wind when you begin to fade out. It worked for Jesus, and it will work for you, too.

Called to Prayer by Michelle Robertson

Growing Weary

Posted on by Betsy

Let’s go back to a time in your life when you were truly, utterly, exhausted. For many of us, the first thing that comes to mind is living with a newborn. There is no tired like post-pushing tired. I remember once waking up in the middle of the night to discover that I was standing up and leaning over my daughter’s crib. I had gotten up to soothe her, knowing that she was fed and dry. As I rubbed her back, I fell asleep in that position. I don’t know if I slept for 5 seconds or 5 minutes, but I don’t ever remember being that tired.

There are several variations of “tired.” We can grow weary of relationships. We can feel fatigued at the incessant opposition to our beliefs. We can become quickly exhausted by lack of sleep, lack of courtesy, lack of respect, lack of empathy, and especially lack of hope.

When this pandemic started, I likened it to a marathon, with the good news that every race has a prescribed course that is carefully marked out, and ends with a fixed and discernible finish line. Today I learned that there is something called the “Self-Transcendence 3,100 Mile Race” that takes place in Queens, New York every year. It takes 52 days of running 6 a.m. to midnight to complete it. The average mileage is a little under 60 miles a day. Runners have six hours per day for eating, washing, foot care, and sleep. Just thinking about that makes me tired.

So let me revise my earlier analogy of the pandemic being like a marathon, because now we realize that it is more like a “Self-Transcendence 3,100 Mile Race” and we have all become ultramarathoners.

But don’t miss the point…there is still a finish line at the end of this race, and every morning when we wake up, we are one day closer to the end.

Isaiah has some beautiful things to say about feeling faint, growing weary, being powerless, and where we can go to have our strength renewed:

Isaiah 40 (New Revised Standard Version)

Why do you say, O Jacob,
    and speak, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord,
    and my right is disregarded by my God”?

28 Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
    his understanding is unsearchable.

How reassuring is this? We are not running this ultramarathon alone, but indeed, God is running right there with us. He is the everlasting God. HE does not faint or grow weary. And look what happens next:

29 He gives power to the faint,
    and strengthens the powerless.

In the battle of virtual school, virtual church, virtual family birthday parties, virtual work, and virtually everything, God gives power to the faint and strengthens the powerless. We need that NOW.

30 Even youths will faint and be weary,
    and the young will fall exhausted;
31 but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,
    they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary,
    they shall walk and not faint.

Those who wait for the Lord will renew their strength. They shall continue to run this crazy race and not be weary. The finish line is getting closer! Keep your head up and keep putting one foot in front of the other.

We truly are one day closer to the end of this thing.

Finish Line by Erin Gregory

Known By Name

Posted on by Betsy

Have you ever been in a place where the overwhelming majesty of God’s creation caught your breath in your throat and rendered you speechless in awe? Was it something as major as the Grand Canyon or the Mediterranean Sea, or something as small as a perfect sand dollar washing up on shore, or a newborn‘s first smile?

God’s majesty is all around, yet our busy, self-interested lives often prevent us from observing it. I have a challenge for you. Read this, then read it again. Then make a PLAN to go somewhere this week with the sole intention of observation. Even if you simply go out your front door tonight and look up, you are guaranteed to see God’s wondrous works.

Isaiah chastises us when we go for days or weeks without one simple moment of awe. I feel this rebuke sharply when I realize that I live minutes from the ocean and I haven’t set foot on the beach or even parked someplace where I can watch the ocean for many, many months. I am indeed a grasshopper.

Isaiah 40 (New Revised Standard Version)

Have you not known? Have you not heard?
    Has it not been told you from the beginning?
    Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?

22 It is he who sits above the circle of the earth,
    and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers;
who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
    and spreads them like a tent to live in;
23 who brings princes to naught,
    and makes the rulers of the earth as nothing.

24 Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown,
    scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth,
when he blows upon them, and they wither,
    and the tempest carries them off like stubble.

He brings princes and rulers of the earth to nothing. How much time we have wasted by passionately following earthly leaders as though they had the power to save us! Not a one of them has the power to save us. Only God does…and he blows on them and they are carried off like the stubble that they are.

The image of God sitting about the circle of the earth and stretching out the heavens like a curtain is glorious. Ponder that for a moment and then read on…

25 To whom then will you compare me,
    or who is my equal? says the Holy One.

The final image that Isaiah paints is of a God who numbers all the planets, nebula, and stars in the sky and instructs the universe where and how to spin. And he knows the names of the stars. HE KNOWS THE NAMES OF THE STARS. How could you possibly think that he doesn’t know yours? How could you possibly think that your troubles are too much to share with him, your sin too deep to be forgiven, or your circumstance too complicated to be fixed?

Lift up your eyes on high…and see.

26 Lift up your eyes on high and see:
    Who created these?
He who brings out their host and numbers them,
    calling them all by name;
because he is great in strength,
    mighty in power,
    not one is missing.

Not even the tiniest star goes missing from his sight. Neither do you.

Known by Name by Matt Seals

Come Out

Posted on by Betsy

This will TOTALLY date me as a very old soul.

Does anyone remember the old Flip Wilson character named Geraldine, whose favorite saying was, “The devil made me do it!’ If Geraldine were a Real Housewife today, this would be her tag line. She’d be in a sparkly dress. Holding an apple with a bite out of it.

The subject of demons that make people do things is sprinkled all throughout the New Testament. Jesus had his hands full with people who were possessed. He encountered demons in the marketplace, at the seaside, on the hillside, and in the center of town. Every time he met one, he cast it out. One time he cast a legion of demons into a herd of pigs, then sent them running into the water to drown. Jesus didn’t mess with demons. Or pigs, for that matter.

On this occasion, he encountered a man with an evil spirit in the Temple. You may find that shocking….one might think that the holy place is the last place one would find a demon. But trust me, they are there.

Mark 1 (Common English Bible)

21 Jesus and his followers went into Capernaum. Immediately on the Sabbath Jesus entered the synagogue and started teaching. 22 The people were amazed by his teaching, for he was teaching them with authority, not like the legal experts. 23 Suddenly, there in the synagogue, a person with an evil spirit screamed, 24 “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are. You are the holy one from God.”

One can almost infer that the demon recognized the Messiah before the people did. They were “amazed,” while the demon correctly identifies him as the holy one from God. It has been said that there are no atheists. The fact that the demons always knew that Jesus was the Son of God lends credence to that statement.

25 “Silence!” Jesus said, speaking harshly to the demon. “Come out of him!” 26 The unclean spirit shook him and screamed, then it came out.

This sentence is linked back with the earlier remark that Jesus was “teaching them with authority.” It is always part of the gospel narrative to keep connecting Jesus of Nazareth with God. Mark is reiterating that Jesus receives all of his power and authority on earth from God in heaven. Even the power to cast out evil spirits.

27 Everyone was shaken and questioned among themselves, “What’s this? A new teaching with authority! He even commands unclean spirits and they obey him!” 28 Right away the news about him spread throughout the entire region of Galilee.

It was at this point that the people begin to understand what the demon already knew. Jesus brought a new teaching. Jesus was the authority. Jesus had the power to cast out evil.

Jesus was indeed the son of God.

This raises the question of authority for us. Whose authority do you submit to? Who has enough power in your circumstance to change things around you? Where do you bow the knee in submission to something greater than yourself?

There is all kind of evil in this world. There is all manner of evil coming out of our sources of entertainment, “news,” popular culture, celebrity, and politics.

Submit yourself to the one who teaches with real authority, and you will be able to cast out the other things, with his help. Only then will you be saved.

Day is Done

Prophetic

Posted on by Betsy

When we think of what a prophet does, most of us have an understanding that a prophet speaks accurately about what will happen in the future. We read the Old Testament prophets who talked about a coming Messiah that would bring “healing in his wings,” and we see that prophecy fulfilled in Jesus.

But prophets don’t just speak of future things, they speak for God in the present reality. They are both “foretelling” and “forth-telling.” Neither job is easy. Everyone has an opinion. When a forth-telling prophet speaks an unpopular opinion, the arrows fly and the doors of understanding shut tight. “If I want your opinion I would have asked for it” is often what prophets hear.

Way back in Deuteronomy, a prophet was promised. This is interesting, as we usually associate Deuteronomy with the giving of the Law. This little nugget stands out as a shining promise to people who had lost the ability to hear God. Moses is reassuring them that God still listens. God still cares. God still speaks.

Deuteronomy 18 (The Message)

15-16 God, your God, is going to raise up a prophet for you. God will raise him up from among your kinsmen, a prophet like me. Listen obediently to him. This is what you asked God, your God, for at Horeb on the day you were all gathered at the mountain and said, “We can’t hear any more from God, our God; we can’t stand seeing any more fire. We’ll die!”

It is fascinating to see this early hint at the incarnation. God will raise up the prophet from “among your kinsmen, a prophet like me [Moses.]” This prophet will come from one of the tribes of Israel, and will act as an intercessor-reconciler between the people and the fiery presence of God.

17-19 And God said to me, “They’re right; they’ve spoken the truth. I’ll raise up for them a prophet like you from their kinsmen. I’ll tell him what to say and he will pass on to them everything I command him. And anyone who won’t listen to my words spoken by him, I will personally hold responsible.

Here we clearly see a foretelling of Jesus. This prophet will be an Israelite, a kinsman-redeemer, and a vessel for the word of God….because he is the Word of God.

20 “But any prophet who fakes it, who claims to speak in my name something I haven’t commanded him to say, or speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet must die.

God isn’t messing around. Fake prophets, anyone who says things that are NOT from God, and those who speak in the name of other gods (such as the modern trend of attributing power to “The Universe”) will be dealt with severely.

When prophets rise up who both foretell and tell forth the message of God, we would do well to listen obediently. God still speaks to us today.

Follow God’s Voice by Connie Outten

Idolizing

Posted on by Betsy

It is amazing what people will come up with to idolize. Idolizing something means turning that thing into something you worship. We are capable of worshipping everything: sports, celebrities, politicians, material things, cars, television shows, our children….if it exists, we will find a way of putting it on the throne in God’s place.

I almost feel sorry for Paul as he writes the following to his church in Corinth. Good heavens, they were an ornery people. His letters to this church, which he loved, are peppered with words of rebuke, correction, instruction, realignment, and most of all…love. It is clear in his letters how much he deeply loved these people. He wants them to succeed, to find happiness, and to understand how to walk the path of righteousness that will lead to eternal life in Christ.

Today’s topic is whether or not to eat the meat that has been sacrificed on an altar to an idol. Kinda gross, if you ask me. But Paul, being Paul, sees directly into the heart of the matter. The issue wasn’t really about meat….it was about having a humble heart vs. having a proud mind. WHEN WE CEASE BEING TEACHABLE, WE LOSE OUR ABILITY TO CONNECT WITH GOD.

1 Corinthians 8 (The Message)

8 1-3 The question keeps coming up regarding meat that has been offered up to an idol: Should you attend meals where such meat is served, or not? We sometimes tend to think we know all we need to know to answer these kinds of questions—but sometimes our humble hearts can help us more than our proud minds. We never really know enough until we recognize that God alone knows it all.

“Sometimes our humble hearts can help us more than our proud minds.” That is an entire treatise in one sentence. What if you applied that to everything you read today? You may not agree with what your pastor said in the sermon last Sunday, but maybe you should contemplate it a bit more. You may not agree with what your fellow student in your small group said, but maybe the Holy Spirit is suggesting that you consider a different perspective. You may not appreciate everything you read in these devotionals, but perhaps you should allow for another perspective to be offered into what you think you already know on the subject.

The point is that we idolize our own knowledge of things, and we fail to consider that our knowledge comes from our particular bias and perspective, I know this about myself, and endeavor to allow scripture to speak for itself. Sometimes I succeed, sometimes I fail. That is where grace on your part comes in.

4-6 Some people say, quite rightly, that idols have no actual existence, that there’s nothing to them, that there is no God other than our one God, that no matter how many of these so-called gods are named and worshiped they still don’t add up to anything but a tall story. They say—again, quite rightly—that there is only one God the Father, that everything comes from him, and that he wants us to live for him. Also, they say that there is only one Master—Jesus the Messiah—and that everything is for his sake, including us. Yes. It’s true.

Paul’s patience with the church that he loves is noteworthy. They didn’t always get it right, and when they were wrong, they were very, very wrong. But in every group, you will find a bunch of know-it-alls who want to treat people who don’t see things exactly their way as know-nothings.

7 In strict logic, then, nothing happened to the meat when it was offered up to an idol. It’s just like any other meat. I know that, and you know that. But knowing isn’t everything. If it becomes everything, some people end up as know-it-alls who treat others as know-nothings. Real knowledge isn’t that insensitive.

Real knowledge isn’t insensitive. What a statement! Real knowledge is patient. Real knowledge is kind. Real knowledge doesn’t envy or boast. Real knowledge isn’t puffed up, arrogant, or rude. Real knowledge doesn’t seek to have its own way. Instead, real knowledge bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. Real knowledge never fails.

There is only one source of real knowledge. You may just have to lay down your idol of self-knowledge before you can find it.

For Now We See Through a Glass Darkly by Michelle Robertson

What Lasts Forever

Posted on by Betsy

Can you name something that lasts forever? A few things that come to mind for me are chewing gum under a school desk, grudges, a Barbie doll’s haircut, an unflattering picture, the cycle of annual tax bills, and finally, GLITTER. Heaven and earth could all pass away, but glitter will last forever.

I am reminded of a fellow pastor’s office couch after a wedding. The bridesmaids had glitter on their skirts and apparently spent a lot of time waiting on his couch. The preoccupied pastor sat down on Sunday morning to prepare to preach and didn’t notice the glitter. But the congregation did. As he processed into the sanctuary, his black robe was all sparkly across his rumpus. It was even more pronounced as he passed by the sunlight streaming though the side windows. It was glorious.

The poor man spent weeks wiping, lint rolling, vacuuming, etc. to no avail. That pastor has been gone for years, but I bet if you went into his office today, you would still find glitter embedded in the fibers.

Happily, there are other things that last which are more significant and even hopeful. We continue our study of Psalm 111 today. See if you can spot God’s promises of things that last longer than glitter:

Psalm 111 continued (Common English Bible)

God proclaimed his powerful deeds to his people
    and gave them what had belonged to other nations.
7 God’s handiwork is honesty and justice;
    all God’s rules are trustworthy—
8         they are established always and forever:
        they are fulfilled with truth and right doing.

Powerful deeds.

Honesty

Justice.

Trustworthy rules. (Which are good only if you follow them.)

TRUTH.

Right doing.

9 God sent redemption for his people;
    God commanded that his covenant last forever.
        Holy and awesome is God’s name!
10 Fear of the Lord is where wisdom begins;
    sure knowledge is for all who keep God’s laws.
        God’s praise lasts forever!

This list has so many superlatives, it is breathtaking. Redemption! God’s covenant! God’s name! Knowledge and wisdom! (But only if you keep God’s laws.)

And when we put our lives under the authority of everything that will last forever, we add our voices to the chorus of praise, which also lasts forever.

Are you putting your hope in temporary things? Are you counting on earthly governments to bring justice? Are you investing in a human relationship that may not last? Are you distracted by all of the world’s “glitter” and ignoring the permanence of God’s covenant with you?

Kings and kingdoms will all pass away, but the name of the Lord lasts forever.

His Love Endures Forever by Susie Fitch-Slater