Monthly Archives: March 2022

The Word

word

The word of God is living and active. —Hebrews 4:12

By now nearly everyone in the world is aware of Wordle, the online game to discover a five-letter word for the day in six tries with indicators of what letters are in the word but in the wrong place, in the word and in the right place, or not in the word at all.

There is a great feeling when you get all the letters of the word before your sixth try, and it is fun to share with others on social media how many tries it took you to get the common word we all were searching for that day.

It has become a routine for many to do their Wordle with their spouse in the morning or evening or with coworkers at lunch or alone during a break in the day.

The game has had such an impact that many have reported that getting or not getting the Wordle in six tries can affect their mood the rest of the day.

All this focus on Wordle gets me to make the not-so-surprising jump to the Word. The Word of God is something that we should look forward to reading every day. It should be something we enjoy figuring out. And it should be something we should be excited to share with our friends when we make a discovery about our God and his plan of salvation in Jesus.

Why not try added six minutes in the Word after you do your Wordle in six tries or less? Those six minutes in the Word are bound to have a positive effect on the rest of your day. So Wordle away, but don’t push the Word away. Both can bring you joy!


The Cloud

We all are now fairly familiar with the existence of “the cloud,” the place in cyberspace where all our files and information from our computers and phones are stored. I have gotten a few messages now and then that my cloud is full, which makes me laugh, envisioning a literal cloud completely stuffed with all my data. “Just move to a bigger cloud,” I say to no one in particular, not really completely understanding the concept.

We have become so accustomed to thinking about putting files in “the cloud,” that we do not consider that there are limits and boundaries to the cloud and that not everything we do on our computers should go onto the cloud, where it can potentially be accessed by anyone in the world.

I got to thinking about the concept of the cloud recently when I came across this familiar verse, so often spoken at funerals:

Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him.
—Revelation 1:7

There will come a day when Jesus will return with the clouds. Why are clouds mentioned here? I think it is a way for us to understand more clearly that Jesus will come from a place beyond us, a place we cannot see, a place with no limits. Some of the farthest things we can see with the naked eye are the clouds in the sky. That is where Jesus will be when he returns: on some of the farthest things we can see and then coming closer.

There is also a sense that there will be no mystery about the coming of Jesus. Everyone in the world knows what clouds are and everyone in the world will see Jesus returning on them. We will know for certain that the Second Coming is happening.

Clouds are sort of a comfort to us, too. We see them and sometimes try to make out common shapes of animals, people or things. Christ’s coming on the clouds will be a comfort to us and we will not have to discern who he is. We will make out his form fully.

While the computer cloud may remain complicated to us, the clouds of Christ’s return do not have to be. They are simply the chauffeurs of our Savior into the world that we might delight in his coming again to bring us home.

Dancing

dancing

I was recently reading in Exodus 15 about how Moses’ sister Miriam danced after God led the Israelites safely through the Red Sea on dry ground and drowned the Egyptians chasing after them (Exodus 15:20). Then I was reminded of how King David danced before the Lord when the Ark of the Covenant was brought into Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6:14). Praising our God often means moving our feet in celebration.

I am not much of a dancer, but life itself can be a bit of a dance, can’t it? We take one step forward and then three steps back sometimes in our quest toward a goal. A surprise announcement can send us into a spin. We often need to tiptoe around certain things to reach an agreement. Or we can waltz right through a situation without much hassle.

The good thing is that we never need to dance alone through this life. God is our choreographer through every motion we make. He guides our feet. He clears our path. He leads us by the hand to make our every routine a tip of the hat to him.

While I know I will never be on “Dancing with the Stars,” I do know that my dance through this life will be blessed by the One through whom “we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28).

Birthday Cards

birthday cards

Let me hear what God the Lord will speak. —Psalm 85:8

I celebrated my birthday many weeks ago, but only recently put away the cards I had received in the mail that I had set around my house. I don’t know what the rule is about how long to leave cards out after an event, but I am tending to leave them out a little longer than I used to. I still even have some of my most favorite birthday cards set atop shelves in my office. Every time I see them, they bring joy to me. And every time I saw the birthday cards from this year set around my house in various places, they brought me renewed joy. They reminded me of the love and care of family and friends and of the gift of life of another year on this earth that God has granted me.

I wonder, “What are some ‘birthday card’ moments that bring you joy on a regular basis?” Maybe it is a photograph of a loved one or a scene from a vacation you shared with someone. Maybe it is a plaque with a quote someone gave you. Maybe it is a lamp someone picked out for you. No matter what it is, treasure that moment, that bond, that gift of love.

God puts messages of all kinds as little breadcrumbs throughout our days. Don’t ignore them. Look out for them and let them speak to you of God’s love and care for you through people close to you.

Ushering

usher

I recently became an usher at my church which entails indicating to rows of parishioners when it is their time to come forward for Communion. I enjoy the activity because it reminds me of how Christ welcomes each of us to come forward to be with him each day of our lives.

We have opportunities in our lives to usher others to draw near to the Lord in prayer or Bible study or worship. But how often do we take advantage of these chances? I recently went to worship at another church because a friend invited me. I enjoyed the experience and learned about the benefits of approaching the Scriptures from a different angle than I was used to. My time there helped me to grow in my faith. And my faith would not have grown in that way had my friend not ushered me toward worship in her church.

In the Bible we are introduced to other ushers as well. Andrew told his brother Peter to come and see Jesus. Had Andrew not invited Peter, would Peter have become a disciple? I think of those who were healed by Jesus who told people about him. Would they have heard otherwise? Word of mouth is more crucial than ever these days to direct people to Jesus with the plethora of other invitations in emails and texts and posts that can so easily be ignored or discounted. But if you personally welcome someone to come close to Jesus, the impact can be powerful. Usher people to Jesus today.

Our Journey with Christ

Jesus walking

Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. Ashes are placed on our heads in the form of a cross and sorrow comes from our hearts for the things we have done to disobey our God.

During these 40 days (not counting Sundays), we journey in spirit with our Savior toward the cross. Our minds remember the suffering and betrayal he endured for us and our hearts ache for him because we have put him in this position because of our sins.

The journey with Christ in Lent leads us to a desert where he overcomes temptation. It takes us to a road lined with palms of praise. It takes us to the temple where he turns the tables of the money-changers. It beckons us to an Upper Room with his disciples where he shares he body and blood in bread and wine. It takes us to a garden where he is arrested. It takes us to a courtroom where he is charged with blasphemy. It takes us to his death on Calvary.

His journey points to times in our journey when we face temptations, when we are filled with praise, when we let money rule our lives, when we gather with fellow believers, when we are tried and convicted in the court of public opinion for our perceived slights. Those are the ups and downs of Christian living. But in the end it is Jesus alone who paves the way for us all by his death on the cross for a journey to heaven that will bring only blessing and joy. Welcome to Lent.