Isaiah 40:27-31

27 Why do you complain, Jacob?

    Why do you say, Israel,

“My way is hidden from the Lord;

    my cause is disregarded by my God”?

28 Do you not know?

    Have you not heard?

The Lord is the everlasting God,

    the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He will not grow tired or weary,

    and his understanding no one can fathom.

29 He gives strength to the weary

    and increases the power of the weak.

30 Even youths grow tired and weary,

    and young men stumble and fall;

31 but those who hope in the Lord

    will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

    they will run and not grow weary,

    they will walk and not be faint.

The passage for today’s devotional comes to us from the book of Isaiah.  Scholars aren’t really certain who wrote this passage, but the message is constant and clear, “God does not forget.”

At this point in time, the Jews are in captivity in Babylon.  They remain under the control of the Babylonians for between 50 to 70 years.  Think about it. . .if you are 50, you likely have children and possibly grandchildren by now.  For three generations, you have not seen your home because you have not been allowed to leave.  God had made a promise to the Jews that they would be an eternal nation.  After seeing three generations and 50 years of exile in Babylon, I wonder how many of the Jews actually believed God was going to keep His promise?

In this verse, we see the writer asking the Jews why they are complaining, asking why their cause has been disregarded by God.  Have you been in that position before?  You pray and pray and yet, it seems like God is not answering your prayers.  Perhaps you are going through a difficult transition in your job, in a friendship, or a family relationship?  Maybe you are waiting on God’s perfect timing?  When you are in these situations, do you find yourself complaining?  Perhaps you wonder why God can’t just get things figured out quickly and fix them because you have been on your knees asking for healing, asking for things to begin moving in a direction so you know where to go?

When we fail to remember that God is everlasting, we forget that He is where our strength comes from.  But, we are reminded that when we have hope in the Lord, He will give us strength.  He will lift us up. We will be able to soar on wings like eagles, we will not grow weary, we will not grow faint.

After more than half a century had passed, God delivers the Jews from Babylon just as He promised.  How many of us have had to wait more than 50 years waiting on a request from God?  When we are delivered by the everlasting God, we are reminded that God is always faithful.

This week, when you are feeling forgotten, when you feel like God doesn’t care, when you feel like He isn’t answering your prayers, ask Him for strength, to renew your hope in Him, to keep you from growing weak.  When we remember He gives us all of these things, you will begin soaring on wings like eagles as your hope and faith in the Lord will renew your strength.  After growing tired and weary, I’m ready for that strength, that understanding that only God can give. I’m ready for God to give me power as I become weak. We can have all of this when our hope is in Him. Are you ready for these things?  It’s time to place our hope back in our everlasting God.

Psalm 46

1 God is our refuge and strength,
    an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
    and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam
    and the mountains quake with their surging.
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
    the holy place where the Most High dwells.
5 God is within her, she will not fall;
    God will help her at break of day.
6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
    he lifts his voice, the earth melts.
7 The LORD Almighty is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress.
8 Come and see what the LORD has done,
    the desolations he has brought on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease
    to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
    he burns the shields with fire.
10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth.”
11 The LORD Almighty is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress.

This is a powerful passage.  It is one that contains my life verse as the Lord must continually work in me by reminding me to “Be still, and know that I am God.”

In God’s infinite knowledge and wisdom regarding the human heart, mind, and soul, isn’t it interesting that He knows there will be times when we are anxious, times when we may question God, when we question our faith, and when we wonder if God truly loves us?  In this passage, God reminds us and teaches us that He is Lord; the ever-lasting God.

I love how God uses the metaphor of the mountains falling into the sea and the earth give way while earthquakes are shaking the remaining ground that is under our feet.  Have you ever been to that point in your life when you felt as if everything around you was falling apart?  And after everything around you seems to crumble to the ground, the ground beneath you that you thought was a firm foundation started to shake as well as people you trust disappoint you.  Or, maybe a leader that you greatly trusted fell toward sin, and your confidence is shaken.  You see, God knew exactly what we would go through in our lives.  He knew that everything would seem vulnerable; even the ground beneath our feet.  And, He knew this because it is true.  We live in a world that is cursed with sin.  All of it will pass away.  But, God knows there is one that is unshakable, unmovable, all-loving, and all-trusting. It is Him.

He reminds us that when everything falls apart and we find ourselves in a situation where it is impossible to trust anyone or anything, that we stop ourselves. We stop what we are doing. We stop what we are thinking.  We should simply sit, get on our knees, or find some way to literally be still and know that God is God.  These are the moments when our faith grows, when we become stronger as a Christian, when we rely solely on God rather than anything else.

Have you recently had a situation in your life that has caused you to struggle?  Maybe you were stressed out with everything seemingly going wrong, maybe a loved one unexpectedly passed away, perhaps your friends or family have let you down, you or a loved one has been diagnosed with an incurable disease, or it could be that life doesn’t seem to be going your way.  I don’t know why these things are happening to you or why they happen to me.  But, I do know that these are the times when God calls us to be still; to remember He is our God.  Whether you are suffering or not, take time out of your busy day and your stressful life to remember that our God is all-powerful, full of grace, and is full of more love than we can even fathom.  In the silence, in the stillness, you can hear God sweetly whispering in your ear, “Be still, my child. I am God. I love you. Be still.”

That, friends, is something that can calm even the biggest storm of trouble in your life.  May you all experience God’s peace today and every day.

John 3:16

For 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.

This passage is perhaps the most recognized verse in the entire Bible.  In one verse, it seemingly summarizes God’s love for us, what He has done for us, and how we can love Him to live with him for eternity.  That’s a lot to put into just one verse.  Knowing how much is in this verse is a good reminder that scripture is indeed “God-breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

In the U.S., we have been celebrating Independence Day this week.  We have been celebrating freedom from a tyrannical government that we overthrew 237 years ago, freeing us from overbearing kings of the past.  We remember the many men who fought to provide us with the ability to worship as we wish, to speak freely, and the opportunity to pursue happiness.  It’s a near-constant celebration as July 4 and the following weekend are filled with fireworks and other events to celebrate such a glorious occasion.

However, it is interesting that we don’t think of the hard times the soldiers went through in the Revolutionary War.  The tendency is simply to remember that America won the war.  We forget that we almost lost the war multiple times until the French came along our side as a result of the Battle of Saratoga in the fall of 1777, arguably the turning point of the war.  Even as our friends came along side of us, there was still a long battle ahead.  Later that year, and into the beginning of 1778, George Washington and his troops suffered through a harsh winter at Valley Forge.  Many of the men didn’t have boots, most didn’t have warm clothes, the new American government didn’t have money to pay the soldiers, and almost all went hungry.  It was a desperate time as many soldiers began to dessert their posts.  One soldier put it this way: “half the army are naked, and almost the whole army go barefoot.”  It was a dismal scene.

Think about what life was like before Christ arrived.  The world was a place without morality, without truth, without hope; only the faith of the God of Abraham.  Then, Christ was born and hope was restored as Emmanuel was now in the world.  Just over 30 years later, when Jesus died on the cross, those that did not understand God’s plan once again began to weep while they watched Jesus die as they had forgotten that God was all powerful, all loving.  In fact, the greatest sorrow of all. . .seeing our Savior die on the cross was in fact the largest gift ever given to mankind.

As we walk through life and suffer tragedies, it is important to try to remember that God always has a plan.  We often don’t see it, but it is always there.  George Washington later wrote this in a letter to Governor Clinton about the soldiers at Valley Forge, “As naked and as starving as they are, we cannot enough admire the incomparable patience and fidelity of the soldier.”  In their sufferings, admiration was found; and admiration, brought hope that this brood of American blood could finish a seemingly impossible war.  While it still took many more years to win the Revolutionary War, that is exactly what happened.

The same is true with our walk with Christ.  We will suffer like Him.  There will be afflictions that we don’t understand.  There will be trials and tribulations that seem impossible.  But, as God has a plan for everything, He will use all these things to bring about hope and goodness in one way or another.  And, it will align with our eternal hope because God gave His one and only son, and whoever believes in Him shall not perish; but have eternal life.  I pray that you and I remember that this isn’t just hope as it was before Christ walked this Earth. But, for you and me, it is a promise that has been fulfilled.  May we remember God’s love for all of us as we walk through the trials and tribulations that have been placed in our lives.

1 Peter 4:12-13 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.

Have you been through a time in your life when it seemed that everything went wrong? Your car broke down, you got laid off from work, you didn’t get the job you hoped for, your water heater went out, the furnace broke, the air conditioning broke in your car, or something else. Interesting that we can come up with so many things that go wrong in our lives. My guess is that as you were reading the long list of problems, you were quickly able to think of your most recent issues.

Perhaps you have been in a place where many of your friends and family are experiencing problems, and it just feels like the whole world is coming apart. We know that problems will arise in our lives, and yet, we still seem surprised when it happens. We may feel like God is letting us down or that we are being punished. While the daily issues of life can sometimes be overwhelming, this passage is referring to suffering for being a Christian. Yes, you will face everyday problems, but as you grow in your walk with God, you will find many more troubles in this world as you “participate in the sufferings of Christ.” Others will challenge your faith, situations will arise that may make you question God’s ways, and Satan will do everything possible to derail your relationship with God.

When these things happen, did you read where it says we should give up? There was also the part about breaking down and forgetting God. . .did you see that in there near where it talks about giving up? Of course, none of this is even thought of as a possibility. Instead, we are asked to rejoice in our sufferings. When you have gone through hard times, did you want to give up or ask God, “Why?” I know I have. But, when we live for God, we know what to expect; not just small issues, but fiery ordeals because we “will be tested.” The next time this situation happens, stop and rejoice as it is said we should do. Rejoice in the sufferings because you never know who you may be affecting. Don’t be selfish, and feel sorry for yourself, but rather, rejoice in the Lord during those times when we all fall down, just as God’s Word calls us to do. And, if you follow the Word; one day, you will be “overjoyed when His glory is revealed.” That, my friends, is a reason for all of us to rejoice in even the most difficult of circumstances.

Proverbs 22:24-25

²⁴ Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person,
do not associate with one easily angered,
²⁵ or you may learn their ways
and get yourself ensnared.

Proverbs 18:24

²⁴ One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin,
but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

⁹ Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their labor:
¹⁰ If either of them falls down,
one can help the other up.

What is a true friend? What does that mean in the Biblical sense?  One of today’s passages clearly tells us what it does not mean. A true friend is not someone who consistently gets angry quickly all of the time.  We also find that we should not have friends who are unreliable.

Unreliable. . .what does that mean?  Does that mean if your friend is consistently late and they show up at your house 15 minutes late for the 20^th time in a row, then they shouldn’t be your friend?  Does that mean that your friend who has to keep re-scheduling time to be with you shouldn’t be your friend? This probably wasn’t what Solomon, the wisest man to walk the Earth, meant by an unreliable friend.  In this case, Solomon is likely referring to someone who is not dependable in almost any situation; someone who is likely to mislead you consistently.

Why should it matter if your friends are consistent, unyielding, and ultimately, reliable? It’s interesting that we later see Solomon write about how a person can be picked up by their friend when they fall down, as if he had some personal experience about this type of friendship in his life.  If we put the puzzle pieces together that Solomon gives us, friends who are unreliable won’t be there to pick you up off of the ground when you need it most.  They will disappear, leave you behind, and perhaps worst of all; stop loving you as if you were never their friend.  They fail the second greatest commandment given from Jesus to love one another, which we talked about in yesterday’s devotion.

Have you ever had a friend like that? Someone you thought would always be there for you, but then they didn’t show up when you needed them the most?  Or, have you had a friend who left you behind disconnecting himself/herself from you as if they had nothing to do with you and wanted nothing to do with you?  Worse yet, have you been this type of friend to someone else?  I ask myself all of these same questions.  Solomon warns us against these types of people.  He warns us that if these types of people are considered our friends; the ones we rely on for support, then you will soon come to ruin.  Have you been there?  Have you fallen on the ground thinking a friend will be there to lift you up, only to find they want nothing to do with you? Have you thought a friend was “closer than a brother” only to find them “unreliable”?  Solomon knew that these types of friends cause deep wounds in our hearts and souls; thus, he warns against them.

I was recently talking to a good friend about when friends fail to love us through our failures in life.  That is a very large and long struggle to deal with.  When we fail, when we sin (and we ultimately all do), it gives us an opportunity to find out who our true friends really are.  The friends that leave you are not true friends, but those that stick “closer than a brother” is a Biblical true friend.  These are the friends who are walking in the light following God’s two most important commandments as we talked about yesterday.  I don’t know about you, but I have a very small handful of these people in my life. One is my wife, who never leaves my side no matter what happens.  The others are people who see my shortcomings, my weaknesses, my failings, the times when I fall, and yet, they are still there on the other side waiting to help pick me up off of the ground.  One of my best and closest dear friends told me that our friendship is “perfectly unperfect.”  She didn’t know it at the time, but she was citing Solomon’s wisdom and simply summarizing it in two short words. This is what she was saying: “If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.”  When either of us falls (and we inevitably do), we help each other up as our friendship is “perfectly unperfect.”

As you think about your friends today, keep close the reliable friends; the ones who are “closer than a brother.”  Send them a text, send them an email, write on their Facebook Timeline, give them a shout out on Twitter; remind them you love them, and you are there to pick them up when the other falls down.

1 John 1:5-7 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

I was recently talking with one of my best friends, and whenever we get together, I know I’m going to learn something new about her through an interesting or funny story. It’s going to make me laugh or smile, and it always gives me more insight on who she is as a person.  She recently began telling me about her dog, Princess, a chocolate lab, from when she was a little girl. Princess had decided to have puppies underneath the porch of the abandoned house that was on my friend’s farm.  The mom and her pups were way under the house and in a dangerous position where it was extremely difficult to get to them. So, my friend decided she would pull out the pups one by one until all of them were out and safe.  After she pulled them out, Princess decided that it would be a good idea to take each and everyone of those puppies one by one back under the house in the dangerous position where she had them originally.  My friend risked her life going under the house only to be circumvented by Princess’ will.

Have you ever had difficult friends or family to deal with in your life?  They claim to be a Christian or claim to be a good person, but they don’t walk in the light.  Instead, they select a sinful path and stick with it.  You feel you should save them from their path or that they should turn from their wicked ways. But, when you try to help them, they are like Princess. They walk back into the darkness where there is danger; where there is sin.  Sometimes, they walk far into the darkness and sometimes they are just outside of your reach entering in the darkness.  But, nevertheless, it is their will to enter the darkness no matter how you try to help them.

These friends or family members often put us in a difficult position because darkness is incompatible with light.  That is, you cannot have both light and darkness, and so the walk with your friend or your family becomes more and more difficult.  You know that the only way you are going to be close to them again is to get them back in the light, but when you try to bring them back; their will takes over and places them back in the darkness.  You wonder what to do as you know you cannot discipline them back into God’s ways.

John is warning us what happens when we do not live out the truth. . .when our friends or our family members do not live out the truth.  He is warning us to stay away from the darkness and to stay in the light “where there is no darkness.”  What does this mean to our family and friends who have gone astray? Like my friend realized with Princess, it was out of her hands. Princess was going to do her own will.  Since we cannot change the will of others, we must set the example, live in the light, and pray that our friends and family will come back to the light in God’s time.

How can we set the example? In Matthew 22:37-39, we read this:

³⁷ Jesus answered:

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. ³⁸ This is the first and most important commandment. ³⁹ The second most important commandment is like this one. And it is, “Love others as much as you love yourself.”

If we love the Lord our God with all that we are, the second commandment becomes easier. . .we can love others as much as ourselves. Isn’t it interesting that the two greatest commandments involve love? I didn’t read anything about retribution, did you? I also didn’t read anything about denying someone love if they come back from a long time in the darkness, did you?

Only God can change hearts and only He can change the will of a person. And, while it may be difficult, it is important to keep loving God and to love others as ourselves. If it is God’s will, He will turn those friends and family members back to you, and you must love them as yourself.  Be the example of the person walking in the light when they are in darkness and be there for them with open, loving arms when they come back into the light.

When Princess was ready, she brought out her puppies. My friend had patiently waited for her to come back into the light and she loved Princess without any regrets.  This is how we must deal with our friends and family who have walked into darkness and have gone astray. Be patient while God works in their lives and brings them out of the darkness. Love them without limits just as you would love yourself.. .when they come back into the light, love them with all of your heart just as you would love yourself. . .without regret; just as our God loves us wholly, completely, and without regret.

³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴ ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

⁵ He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

⁶ He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. ⁷ Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.

Revelation 21:3-7

The week of July 4 is upon us and for many of us, that means time spent with family and friends. But in my mind, it also conjures up images of summer vacations from long ago. Years before anyone ever even thought of the cell phone, before TVs and DVD players were common in family vehicles, my family would pack our bags, and cram ourselves into our old green Pontiac. We didn’t have much money growing up, so going on vacation was a rarity and didn’t happen until mom and dad would save several years to pay for one. Of the few places we were able to afford to go, we would head toward Gatlinburg, TN. With a car full of luggage and a family of four, this was, at best, an 8-hour drive. That, of course, was assuming we didn’t make a wrong turn and go 100 miles out of the way since GPS didn’t even exist. (And yes, we did actually go 100 miles in the wrong direction one time that I remember). 🙂 As my older sister and I were a good 30 or 40 minutes into the trip, we had already run out of ways to entertain ourselves, and so we decided it would be a great time to bug the daylights out of our parents by asking, “Are we there yet?” in unison for the next three hours of the trip until we wore ourselves out. Well, likely it was a constant and consistent question for the next three hours. After that, it was probably the entire rest of the trip. . .if not constant, at least periodically. 🙂 My mother, who will likely be anointed someday as a saint for putting up with me through my childhood, would calmly look back at us and respond, “We’ll be there soon.”

I don’t know about you, but last week was an extremely difficult week. Those that know me understand I have had tough weeks before, but this wasn’t just a tough week. . .it was a drastically difficult week. It was one of those weeks that tries its best to push you to your breaking point. You know that if one more thing hits home, you’re just going to hit the floor crying. And, I know most men won’t admit to that, but we have all been there. I wanted to fall to my knees and scream at the top of my lungs, “GOD, ARE WE THERE YET?” Ever have those days you just can’t take any more? The moments that your spouse or your closest friends just have to pick you up off of the floor because you just don’t have the strength to do it yourself? I was fortunate enough to read today’s passage during my Bible reading this week, and I was reminded. . .we are not there yet. But, we will be. . .some day.

God was cognizant of the fact that we are all sinners. We will all fall, we will all fail, and we will all have rough weeks. Sometimes we cry, sometimes others will hurt us, and sometimes we reach our breaking point. There is no doubt in my mind that we have all been there. What do you do in these times? For me, I talk to my wife about it and I often text or phone one of my closest friends, and try to get back up off of the ground. I have certain friends in my life who bring me joy every time I see them, and so I surround myself with friends who make my heart happy. But, the cuts and the scrapes often go deeper than any human can fix. While the calming advice of a trusted friend and the warm, soothing smile of one of your best friends, or the gentle touch of your spouse may help put a band-aid on the wound; only God is able to heal it.

I am thankful that God knows our hearts, and while He knows we have faith, He also knows He needs to remind us of hope and where we will go. In Revelation, God reveals Himself. Upon His revealing, He reminds us that we will live together in perfect peace and live with Him. There will be no more death, no more crying, no more pain. The days of falling to the floor thinking you cannot take any more will be forever vanished. I love how God reminds us that one day this will happen and then (and only then) will it “be done.” He reminds us that He was there in the beginning and He will be there in the end. . .”the Alpha and the Omega.” He gives us hope that he will never leave our side, he is everlasting, and we will eventually arrive at our destination. . .living with God. That sounds more than awesome to me!

This week, if someone hurts you, if someone causes you to cry, if things just don’t go your way. . .if everything seems to be falling apart; if you find yourself falling to the floor shouting, “GOD, ARE WE THERE YET?”. . .sit back and think about the words our Father would tell you. Just like my mother used to say, “We will be there soon.” Look beyond the sinful things of this world this week, look beyond the hurt, look beyond how others tear you down. Instead, look to our Father in Heaven as he gently reminds us, “We will be there soon, child. We will be there soon.”

1 Peter 3:8-9 Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.

Did you ever hear about the pastor who was so humble he declared it to the entire congregation on Sunday morning? 🙂 Pride often strikes us when we least expect it. It puts us in a position of feeling or attempting to be more important than others. If left unchecked, pride can ruin relationships. It can cause us to be unforgiving, it can cause us to be unloving toward others, and ultimately, it will cause a downhill slide in your relationship with the one and only true God. When we become proud, we put ourselves above others; forgetting all of the teaching of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Our King of Kings and Lord of Lords did not enter the world as a wealthy king, nor did he live his life as such, and He certainly did not exit this world as a prideful man. His entire existence was humble. His humility, his humbleness, allowed Him to reach the lost. He served them displaying all of the true signs of love. Had He been prideful, the love of the Father would never shine through His life.

It is of no coincidence that humbleness is a key to loving others, and it allows us to be sympathetic, and to be compassionate. For once we raise ourselves above others, we lose those qualities that display Christ’s love.

Later in 1 Peter, we read these words yet again: 1 Peter 5:6-7 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. For God to lift us up, we must be humble. We must remember that we are here to serve Him; not for God to serve us, just as in the way we should show His love to others by serving them. Having a difficult time in your life? How humble have you been during this trial in your life? All of this is wrapped up into being humble. You see…when we remember that we are not important, we remember that God is most important, and when we remember this fact, we open our hearts for God to work in our lives. We stop dwelling in our own glory and start dwelling in His glory, and all of your anxiety can be put on Him. You will remember that God cares for you.

Does it seem to you that we find so many proud people, but so few humble people? When you think back on your life, was it a proud person who showed you love and made a significant impact on you or was it someone who humbled himself and made you more important than themselves? As you deal with difficult people, difficult circumstances, God calls on us not to repay those people with evil, but to be humble and love them. When you dealt with a difficult boss this week, did you show humbleness? When you were faced with a difficult situation with your family, did you humble yourself, or did you become one of the proud? When you hurt someone in the past, did you humble yourself to apologize or were you too proud to ask for forgiveness? Praise the Lord that Jesus was not too proud to humble himself for us, die on the cross for our sins, and forgive all who will believe in Him.

As we walk into the world this weekend, we need to remember not to be one of the proud, but be one of “the few” who is humble showing love to all people. When you feel the urge to be proud this weekend, to feel and be more important than the person next to you; remember that God did not call just a few of us to be sympathetic, loving, and compassionate; He called ALL of us to be like minded, to love one another…to be humble.

Luke 7:36-47

³⁶ When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. ³⁷ A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. ³⁸ As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.

³⁹ When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”

⁴⁰ Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”

“Tell me, teacher,” he said.

⁴¹ “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. ⁴² Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”

⁴³ Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”

“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.

⁴⁴ Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. ⁴⁵ You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. ⁴⁶ You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. ⁴⁷ Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”

In this passage, we see Simon the Pharisee believe he is “holier than thou” in regards to other sinners. He goes so far as to wonder why this woman is even touching Jesus.  Obviously, Simon thought he was above other people. . .other sinners.  He did not see himself as unclean or sinful even though we are clearly all sinners. Jesus immediately sees his heart, he sees Simon’s mind, and begins to set him straight in a loving manner. He doesn’t accuse him of wrongdoing. Instead, Jesus points out a simple illustration of how two debtors are forgiven. Simon is brought to the understanding of how those who have large debts forgiven would love the master (who forgave the debts) more than the one who did not have a large debt. I wonder how Simon felt in that moment when he realized that he was actually less loving than the woman. . .”the sinner” as Simon had said to himself. Just moments earlier, he had exalted himself far above her and now; he realizes that he is not only a sinner, but loves his master less than the woman he so hypocritically judged.  Have you been there?  Judging others. . .looking at their public (or private) sins thinking to yourself, “I can’t believe what they did!”  I know I have.  Look in the mirror. . .that person is a sinner; no matter who you are.

It is intriguing what Jesus says at the end of this passage, “But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”  Besides an accusation of ourselves that we are all sinners and should be humble before our God, what else do we learn here?  First, God uses sin.  He uses it to show others His love.  He washes away our sin with the blood of the lamb.  The woman who was so blatantly a sinner had been forgiven.  Do you think that the message of God’s love would have been spread as far if he simply forgave Simon who others likely already viewed as a holy man?  It certainly wouldn’t mean as much.  Secondly, those people who you judge. . .”those people” who sin. . .the ones who do things you can’t believe; you know, “those people.”  They are the ones you don’t want to associate with because of their past or because they have admitted publicly to sin. Jesus tells us that “those people” when washed in the blood of the lamb have been forgiven much and therefore, love much.  What does that mean for someone who hasn’t been forgiven much? It seems obvious in this passage that those who have not been forgiven much do not love much or, at least, do not love AS much. Interesting how the ones who do not love much are the ones doing the judging of others, isn’t it? As you look in the mirror today, are you one who judges “those people” or are you one who loves much? Which of these two are you?  Which of these two am I?

Greetings!

Welcome to my blog!  As I walk through life, I find that many of us are searching for answers.  We all have troubles, we all have struggles, and we also all have praises and things that we are blessed with.  I think that we often forget to look to what our God tells us about all of these things.  When we read the manual He has provided, life can be much easier or at least we can gain direction.  These are my own personal thoughts on various pieces of scripture. My goal is to get us all to think about God’s Word, to read it, to reflect on it, and to put it into practice.  That is the goal of this blog.  My view may not always match your view, but I want you to think deeply about what God tells us. Keep in mind that I am not perfect. I am a sinner just like everyone else. All of us have fallen short of the glory of God (see Romans 3:23). With all of that said, I hope you enjoy and I look forward to your comments!