When life is good, we wrap our mortality in a distant fog, hoping some far-off day to go to sleep in bed and wake up in heaven. But when pain and suffering take hold, we dust off our hope of heaven, saying with Paul: “to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).
Let’s think for a moment about those who face death without hope:
Lord God, may they call out to you with their dying breath and find shelter in your everlasting arms.
How to be a hero (from the mouth of God):
Acts 13:22 (NIV)
I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.
Be a hero. Do what God wants you to do.
Hebrews 11 gives us a list of heroes: Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses (and his parents), Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, David and Samuel.
Hebrews 11:16 (NIV)
God is not ashamed to be called their God.
Be like one of these heroes. Go forth and do God proud.
I see a bit of me in Jehoiada. I’ve been cleaning and painting at church, fixing it up.
We find Jehoiada the fixer-upper in 2 Chronicles 24. He’d helped rescue young Joash from the wicked Athaliah and set him in his rightful place as king. He taught Joash to obey God.
Joash said, “Let’s get the temple cleaned up.” And not much happened. Finally, Joash fussed to Jehoiada, “What are you waiting for?”
I’d been thinking, “Somebody should fix up this space.” Finally, God said,
What are you waiting for?
Jehoiada and me, reluctant fixer-uppers.
Does someone in the Bible remind you of you?
Jehoiada? Not a name to top most lists. He reminds me of me–I’ll tell why tomorrow.
Back to you and your Bible character. Is the likeness all about strengths? Or is it that you share the same weaknesses, temptations and failures? Take heart! God worked through some questionable characters, and he can work through you.
There are big problems in our big cities: homelessness, gangs, crime, addiction, dysfunctional schools, poverty.
Inner-city churches need our help. If you’re close by, volunteer. No matter where you are, pray.
Lord, shelter your houses of worship in our cities. Empower them
— to do great work with little money,
— to teach people to read and to read your Word,
— to proclaim your love to the sinners round about them,
— to seek justice, love mercy and walk humbly with you (Micah 6:8).
“America! America!
God shed His grace on thee.”
Katharine Lee Bates, 1913
America the Beautiful
Today would be a good day to praise God for his gift of grace.
