Hope-Full Living

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. Psalm 51:17 When we read much of the Old Testament, we might be tempted to think that all God wants is sacrifice, burnt offerings, and obedience. But if we read the Bible more carefully, we see that sacrifice, offerings, and obedience mean nothing without a humble, faith-filled heart. God sees the...

And all the people went their way … to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them. Nehemiah 8:12 Spring arrives with reasons for great rejoicing — Easter and Pentecost, warmer weather and longer days. In today’s verse, it may not have been spring, but God’s people were filled with great rejoicing. Nehemiah records a day when the people assembled to hear...

Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her. Luke 10:42b As retirees, we enjoy talking to our friends at church, but if someone calls us about making a visit, we groan and quickly straighten up our house. Martha was straightening when Jesus came for a visit. However, she noticed that Mary wasn’t helping, so she groaned at both Jesus and Mary. Jesus explained that He was...

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD. Jeremiah 29:11a Our pastor friend, Al, 93 years old, admits to having occasional episodes of sadness. That happens to us older folks at times as we experience the changing seasons of life. Al says, “So, when I wake up in the morning, I ask the question, ‘What’s this day for?’” It’s partially a prayer, partially an honest inquiry. In spite of...

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1 When I was in college, I was once sitting in a hallway between classes. An elderly, retired member of the clergy came down the hall. “Hello, how are you?” he asked. “I’m studying for a test today that I don’t think I’ll pass, so I’m discouraged,” I said. “Oh, you can’t despair,” he said. “Satan wants yo...

But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. 2 Corinthians 2:14 The chatter among the grief support group was music to our ears. Eight weeks earlier, some couldn’t introduce themselves or share about their spouse without crying. Our sessions together built a community. One widow said, “I know I...

Last year was medically challenging. I had five heart surgeries, four pacemakers installed, pneumonia, bronchitis, bacterial infection, muscle atrophy, and COVID-19. Treating the bacterial infection required 4,000 milliliters of antibiotics daily for two weeks. As a result, I received physical, occupational, and speech therapy. I had to learn a new way to breathe to rebuild the muscles in my voice...

After decades of reading and appreciating Psalm 23, a word recently jumped out at me that made me appreciate it even more. That word is the simple preposition “through.” It indicates that we don’t STAY in the valley of the shadow of death, but we pass through it and come out on the other side. And we have God walking through that valley as our guide — the God who became a human, suffered, died, an...

These weeks after Easter are a joyous time. Such a great time of worship celebrating Christ’s triumph! The season can also bring quiet moments of contemplation as we consider the loss the disciples felt after Jesus’ burial and even later following His ascension. We know something of loss. It can be personal, as with a spouse, friend, or family member. Or it can be other things like a loss of mobil...

After a long, dark winter in northern Indiana, the first day of spring is welcomed. Daylight comes earlier and lasts longer. The sunshine warms the days. Crocuses and daffodils begin to break through the frosted ground with an invitation to watch as their blooms burst forth with the colors of spring. Nature is working in harmony to share the coming of spring and new life. I cherish the coming of s...

And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour?” Mark 14:37 When I was young, I fell asleep during a Lenten service. What added to my embarrassment was that when I woke up, I noticed that my Sunday school teacher was sitting right behind me. It is recorded in all the Gospels that, at Gethsemane, Jesus asked Peter to stay awake, watch...

Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7 Am I a cheerful giver to others of what God has graciously given to me? Is He beaming forth when I cook, clean, volunteer, donate, listen, babysit, forgive, or give hugs? After washing His disciples’ feet, Jesus reminds us, “that you also should do just as I hav...

And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.” Luke 8:48 My friend is on a health journey that she and her husband didn’t expect to take. But then, life rarely happens without a curve ball or two thrown in. She’s meeting the challenges head-on. Her husband is very supportive, but I can see a “what if” scenario forming from the way he talks. Their journey together is ins...

You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. 1 Corinthians 6:19b-20a It was time to get rid of our old sofa bed, but we couldn’t sell it. We couldn’t even give it away. No thrift store wanted it. We finally paid a (costly) junk dealer to haul it away. It’s even harder to get rid of the junk of our sin and guilt. The price to get rid of it is beyond our human comprehension. And no one wa...

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth … your life is hidden with Christ in God. Colossians 3:2-3b I play with words and find little treasures. For example, there’s unity in community, and we hear with our ears and listen with our hearts. The treasure: When we listen to the Word of God in our hearts, we come together as a community in unity with our Savior Jesus C...

Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have. Luke 24:39b Social media can spark quarrels and questions. Is the onscreen information true or false? News reporters do fact checks before they repeat information gathered online. Artificial intelligence adds to the controversy. Is it a real person on the screen or an AI-generated image? Can we believe what we se...

Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. James 5:7a A grainy photograph from 1972 shows my sisters and me standing stiffly in front of our little New England house. The lace from our Easter dresses peeks from beneath our winter coats, and a single purple crocus blooms in the slushy snow at our feet. In South Carolina, where I live now, yellow forsythia, pink tulip trees, and...

When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. John 19:30 Think of a time when you said, “It is finished.” Maybe it was finishing a 100-thousand-piece puzzle. Maybe you finally found something that you lost. Maybe you finished a long vacation. What did Jesus mean when He said, “It is finished”? Did it mean He was finished and died? W...

And after you have suffered for but a little while, the God of all grace … will restore. 1 Peter 5:10a Knee replacement was on my agenda this past year. Off with the old joint, on with the new, and then I’d walk painlessly. I was unprepared for the post-operative “in- between pain” — constant, aching, searing, recuperative pain. Replacing the old with the new, in surgery as in life, can require in...

Thin as paper, fragile as Kleenex tissue — that’s my “mature” man’s skin. But the Christian’s spiritual, emotional, and psychological “skin” is toughened by Good Friday’s nails. Our Jesus is bloodied for all, by scourging, a thorny crown, and piercing nails. Victorious Jesus is raised for everybody on the third day. Holy Week is not a case of thin skin or “skin,” but rather a resolute, loving forg...

Easter is hope, renewal, and new life. Hope sustains us through painful experiences and the fear of what the future may hold. In our world where people face poverty, disease, and hunger, we need a living and dynamic hope. Believers are blessed with a living hope through Christ’s resurrection. As believers, our living hope is solid and secure because Jesus is our salvation. Our Christian hope gives...

When David wrote Psalm 16, did he have any idea about life after death? From whom would he have received instruction? Yet, he writes that he will not be abandoned to the grave or see decay but instead enter the path of life with its eternal pleasures. His assertion of faith, 1,000 years before Christ’s death and resurrection, prompts us to realize what a benefit we have by knowing that 2,000 years...

Wearing new clothes on Easter is a tradition in my family. Dressing our best to worship our risen Savior seems appropriate, yet it’s not the clothes we purchase ourselves that matter. It’s the new clothes we’re given by Jesus that really count — clothes of gladness, unstained by sin. Our sin produced for us a wardrobe tattered with rebellion, grief, fear, and heavy burdens. Though God calls us to...

Vigil: a time of watchful waiting. Haven’t we all kept vigil at times? Waiting for word about that new job? A purchase offer? Test results? Some have kept vigil at the bedside of a dying loved one. What agony the disciples must have felt as they kept fearful vigil, most at a distance, at Jesus’ trial and crucifixion, and then waiting for whatever would come next. Imagine the joy of what came next:...

When I think about my husband’s death, I thank God that Rod didn’t endure ongoing pain. The medications dulled his agony. But he did suffer initially, and we were traumatized as we watched him die. I wonder if Mary experienced shock and anger when she watched her Son being beaten and nailed to the cross. Rod’s demise was in no way equal to Jesus’ torture and murder. He wasn’t Jesus. Jesus carried...