Persistently

"Rescue me, O my God, from the grasp of the unjust and cruel man," Psalm 71:4.

So calls out the man who had born witness to God's goodness and righteousness. A man in distress calls for God to be his refuge, his savior, his honor. He calls out to Jehovah God as his rock, his fortress, his rescuer. He calls God his hope, his trust from his youth, from even before he was born. He calls to God who delivered him from his mother's womb. In praise to God, he calls out to God not to forsake him in his weakness, in his old age. Why does he call out to God so persistently? because despite his life given as a testimony to God's mighty deeds, accusers pursue him relentlessly to cause suffering. Nonetheless. The man will proclaim God's power to a generation yet to come. He will testify of God who will revive again. Of the faithful God. Of God, the helper. Of God, redeemer.

Despite the troubles of this world, today, with a brother or sister, we remember God's mighty works in our lives. We confirm anew trust in our faithful God. And, together, we give thanks for his Christ who trusted God to rescue him.

Number

"They were told to rest a little longer until the number should be complete," Revelation 6:11.

Who was told to rest a while? Some people had lived out their lives for Jesus. And got slaughtered for it. These souls asked, How long until justice would be done? So the word back was, Just a little longer. But first, the rest of their fellow witnesses to Jesus had yet to be slaughtered. That's who was told to rest a little longer. And who did these souls call out to? God. The Sovereign Lord. The Holy One. The True One. How long until he (Sovereign, Lord, Holy, True) judged? Until he avenged their blood? Word back: When the Sovereign decides. And it's not time. But it's pretty close. Meanwhile, hang in there. Know this: God's keeping count.

We encourage each other today, brothers and sisters, to trust in the Sovereign of creation who will make all things right. And, together, we give thanks for Christ who paid the full price for our complete ransom.

Fake

"You have made me very much happier," Psalm 4:7.

You, who? The Lord God, Jehovah. Happier than what? Actually, happier than whom? Happier that all those people who've got a lot of food and drink and stuff, but who pursue the lie. Who thrive on misinformation, fake news, vain words. They shame folks whose honor is the Lord. Instead, they should put their trust in the Lord, and not put down folks whom God has set apart for himself. Yes, You, Lord, have made me happier than all those people who listen to made up stories trying to find Your good favor. But You, Yourself, You alone, O Lord, bring safety. With You comes relief from distress. Comes grace. Comes gentle and peaceful sleep.

We remind each other today, brother or sister, that joy comes in the good news of the Lord Jesus Christ. Only the gospel brings hope. And, together, we give joyful thanks for Jesus' redemption.

Dreaded

"The thing I was afraid of happened to me, the thing I dreaded," Job 3:25.

Sometimes we didn't even know we dreaded it until it happened. And when it happened it exposed that deepest fear. Sometimes it just made things worse when we already felt the dread beforehand. And when the dread actualized, shock overwhelmed, we felt defenselessly bewildered. The anchor lost its purchase, we felt entirely left to will of wind and wave. Lost to the vagaries of chance. Stomach hurt. Couldn't stand. No breath to catch. And that's the way Job's story opens. It's an unsettling read. Forty chapters expose Job's relentlessly hoarse struggle with family, friends, and God seeking to understand the inexplicable dread. Spoiler alert - here's the end: he never gets it. Rather, in the midst of the dreaded thing, Job chooses to trust God, that God's got it. (What else is there?)

Brother or sister today, we encourage each other that God's got the whole world in his hands, including us. And, together, whether we get it or not, in humility we speak blessing to God.

Corban

"Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban (that is, given to God)," Mark 7:11.

Corban. What's with that? Well, in the day it meant a big contribution of money (or other valuables) to God. It's like you made a promise to make a big donation to God's religion. But that promise empties out your reserves to help parents who've outlived their own savings. What do you do? Fulfill the promise to God or help out the old folks? Jesus uses this moment to answer the question posed to him about hand washing. (Hand washing?!) He focuses the distinction between doing what poses as religion and actual religion. The posers said you had to do what the elders said: Keep promises to God. Jesus said you had to do what God actually said: Honor father and mother. Want your religion real? Do what God said. Anything else is wasted posing. That's what Jesus said. His unseen sky kingdom deals with reality.

As we visit with a brother or sister today, we share in each other's burdens and so realize the law of Christ. And, together, we give thanks that he did not consider his life Corban but became real to us.

Cherishment

"No one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it," Ephesians 5:29.

How many, many conversations bear out that line? People talk about food, whether meat-lovers, vegans, processed, organic, inorganic, whatever, everybody's talking about the same thing: What makes good eating for your body. Another thing people talk about - the body's health. What part of the body ails them. What's sore. How the operation/medicine/treatment's going. What's not working right. How their body's feeling. What feels good. How in shape/out of shape they are. Work outs that train the body well and those that don't. Salves, ointments, creams that protect/cure the skin versus useless ones. Hair? Growing/falling out/split ends/graying. Shampoos, conditioners. Luster/dull. Anyway - all the care everybody gives to their bodies, that's what it's talking about. In order to make this point: just like that does Christ care for the parts of his body, for us, his congregation. But his meticulous care and his work outs train us for far better results. Results out of this world.

We encourage each other, brothers or sisters, to share in Jesus' nourishment. And, together, we give thanks for his cherishment that yields eternal life.

Ago

"God is with the generation of the righteous," Psalm 14:5.

Right smack dab in the middle of the psalm, more or less, that line jumps out from the rest of it. It affirms hope in the midst of a decaying culture. The culture lives effectively as though God cared nothing for justice and equity. The culture does abominable deeds, nobody does good, no one seeks after God. It's not merely individuals, it's the culture itself: together they have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt. Now, this psalm describes a culture from three thousand years ago. Three thousand.  Ago. When we get all worried about the state of current affairs, and lament the passing of  past glories, God speaks in our time that the world wallows in its way long-established mess. And we hear God say that he, as ever he has done, stands as the eternal Refuge for his people. For his righteous people. He restores his own.

With a brother or sister today, we turn our eyes from the human culture fallen around us and look hopefully to God's restoration. And thankfully, together, we become willful participants in God's righteous culture. Sky kingdom.

Hear

"In that day the deaf shall hear the words of a book," Isaiah 29:18.

He was a forty-something year old, pushing fifty. It was maybe about forty-five years ago. This was at a lectureship down south somewhere. The class was gathered to hear about various ministries the scattered congregations engaged. Out of a few thousand people at the lectures, this class was about thirty or forty people. Anyway, this guy was talking about the challenges of deaf people and the hope of the gospel. He was impassioned in his animated speech. The animation was sign language. Despite his passion, the word from his mouth was labored though you could understand it OK, if you paid close attention. Despite the impedance of speech, the audience was in the palm of his hand. Clearly, he was telling about Jesus who healed deaf and mute people. And he said his hope was expressed, as was the hope of others, in the Isaiah passage above. One day, he was to hear the Word of the book fulfilled when unstopped ears would hear, when unbound tongues would praise God for joy unimpeded. When he and millions of saints might shout Victory! around the throne of God, Savior. Sky kingdom.

With a brother or sister today we listen to words of the Book to hear of God's love and majesty. And, together, our hearts speak clear thanks to our God for Jesus, hope of the nations.

You

"Praise him all you shining stars," Psalm 148:3.

That's right! Multiplied billions of stars, all of you, praise Jehovah God, your Maker! Sun: praise your Creator! Moon: praise God! Large scale structures of the cosmos, known and unknown: praise Jehovah! Winds and seas of earth, lightning and hail, snow and mist and storm: obediently praise your God! Mountains and hills, wild and tame animals, birds and reptiles, sea monsters and all in the deeps: praise God! The only evidence for God is God's handiwork. Everything God made points to its maker. The better question does not rest in whether God exists (what a foolish question!). It rests in whether you exist. How can you prove to me that you're not a figment of my imagination - we, humans, dismiss as sophomoric that question mainly because we have no way to answer definitively. But we exist because God created. So. Kings and all people, princes and rulers, young men and young women, old people and children: praise God whose name alone stands beyond earth and sky.

Together, with a brother or sister today, we praise God the only source of wisdom and knowledge and light and life. Praise you, O God!

Ineptitude

"Christ: the power of God and the wisdom of God," 1 Corinthians 1:24.

Talking about wisdom and power, right? Whether earthly power of material strength or power of authority to make things happen, power moves. Whether earthly wisdom of action through next steps or wisdom concerning the way the cosmos works, wisdom impresses. So people continually look to folks who have wisdom or power, preferably both, to get us out of massive messes we're in. But God's power, God's wisdom arises from another place than from earth. So here's God's provision: a dying man nailed to a cross. How foolish! How weak! (But God had warned long ago that humans have no capacity to handle all-encompassing knowledge.) God's lack of common sense? Makes human wisdom look like a fool's errand. God's frailty? Makes human power look like a delicate waste. Preaching of Christ crucified? God's lifeline for believers only. Sky kingdom.

We hear today from a brother or a sister about faith in Jesus, God's power and wisdom. We place hope in the (so-called) foolishness of God, not in human ineptitude. And, together, we give faithful thanks to God for his effective wisdom and power: Christ crucified.

Granted

"No one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father," John 6:65.

Who's talking here? Jesus. So. We're going to assume that to come to Jesus means to get eternal life through Jesus' sacrifice. Now, all sorts of people claim that God decides ahead of time who gets saved and who doesn't. And that's true, obviously. But what has God predetermined in his wisdom? Careful, now: God's wisdom predetermines that they must believe in Jesus as Christ, the Lord. Or not. (Their choice.) God grants access to any believer in Christ. People who believe come to him. People who don't, don't. God does not predetermine whether they would believe. God predetermines faith in Jesus as the necessity for access to Jesus. As the door to life. As to who gets saved. But we get to choose whether to enter. Or not.

Entering with a brother or sister today, we renew faith in Jesus as the Lamb of God, slain from the foundation of the world. And, together, we give profuse thanks to God's wisdom in granting confident access to Jesus.

Harmonize

"So consider with care how you walk (not as fools but) as sages," Ephesians 5:15.

And here's how Christ's light shines wisdom for his people. They walk as children begotten and born of light. As children of good, of what's true. They seek out what's pleasing to the Lord. They take no part in rubbish dark deeds. They make best use of the time at hand. They understand the will of the Lord, so refuse to live foolishly. They refuse to get drunk since that degrades people. They invite God's Spirit to control their speech. They harmonize with each other from their hearts. They always work together in giving thanks to God. They give thanks recognizing the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, they show honor for Christ by submitting to one another. Sky kingdom.

We invite each other, brothers or sisters, today, into the new walk of wisdom. We walk where Jesus shines. And, together, we give thanks to God for he is God.

Overjoyed

"I will teach you the fear of Jehovah," Psalm 34:12.

Sounds like a good plan. But first, who's doing the teaching here? The Book says it's the fugitive David who recently pretended to be out of his mind so that a pagan king would think him harmless. The act convinced the king to let him go. So, by means of this pretense, David took refuge in Jehovah God who then saved him. (This state of affairs is totally weird, but we press on with the account as it is.) The overjoyed David will now teach: Do you want life? Do you want a good life? This is what you do: Tell the truth, no guile. Do good, not evil. Pursue peace. Trust that the Lord looks after people who do right, and is against wrongdoers. Trust that God delivers from all troubles whomever turns to him. Know this: God holds the brokenhearted near. God will redeem the people taking refuge in him, his people. He will keep them from utter desolation.

Contacting a brother or sister today, we remind what it means to fear the Lord. We remember our God's faithfulness to his people. And, together, we give thanks that God has secured us in Christ.

Senseless

"To him who lacks sense she says, Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed," Proverbs 9:4-5.

She? She who? She's the woman presented as wisdom. Whom does she invite? She invites whomever's got no sense. Whomever's simple. Whomever lacks wisdom. To what does she invite senseless men? She invites them to a feast. A banquet. What's the main course? The main fare consists of insight. Of reproof. Of instruction. Of righteousness. Who responds to her? Two types of men respond to her invitation: fools and sages. Fools remain simple. Fools abuse her. Fools injure her. Fools hate her. Fools die in their stupidity. But. Sages love her. Wise men gain wisdom. Men of sound judgment increase learning. What's her first order of teaching? This: The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom. The knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

With a brother or sister today we feast at wisdom's banquet listening to the Word of the Lord, confessing our lack, desiring instruction. And, together, we give thanks to Holy One who provides the bread and drink of insight.

Bother

"Bring me out of prison," Psalm 142:7.

Ever feel that you're in a prison? In a deep cave with the way out blocked? Or, maybe, actually in prison, locked down? Sure we have. Moments in the events of this broken world when our spirits faint within us. When there's only a trap in any direction. When no one notices. When no refuge remains. When it seems no one cares. When we feel brought down to the lowest. That's the way Jesus felt it, too, on the cross. So what to do when there's no way? Commit our spirits into God's hands. Call out to God. Cry for mercy to the Lord. Pour out the complaint into his presence. Tell him the trouble. Why? Why bother with this? because God knows the way out. That's why. because God is our living heritage. because he is the Deliverer. because he provides escape. because he surrounds with the caring. because he responds to the call with overflowing mercy. Sky kingdom.

We join with a brother or sister today entrusting our very selves to God, the One able and willing to deliver from the cave. And, together, we give thanks for Jesus' hope when there was no life.

Words

"The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life," John 6:63.

Whose words? Jesus'. Very clearly, Jesus had said that whoever feeds on his flesh and drinks his blood would live in him. Very clearly, he said whoever feeds on him would live. Very clearly, he said that his flesh is true food and his blood is true drink. Very clearly, he said unless you eat his flesh and drink his blood, you'd have no life. Very clearly, he said whoever eats his flesh and drinks his blood would have eternal life. Very clearly, Jesus said he was the bread of life. Very clearly, he said he was the bread that came down from heaven, that whoever ate of this bread would live forever. And then. And then. And then. Very clearly, Jesus said the flesh is of no avail. Don't confuse metaphor with the real. The real, true, life-giving food from heaven: Jesus' Words. His Teaching. To believe him, to believe in him, to believe his words: here is life-giving spirit, life itself.

With a brother or sister today we recognize that to eat of Christ is to listen and follow the provision of his words. And, together, we give thanks to God who very clearly provides the words of life, the Word of life, leading inexorably to the sky kingdom.

Lose

"I will resurrect him at the last day," John 6:40.

Who? Who will resurrect? Who's talking here? Jesus. What's he saying? He's saying that he will not lose any human being that comes to faith in him. (Not lose? what's that? oh, that's Jesus' way of saying he's keeping them safe and sound for future life in the kingdom of God, so they shouldn't worry at all about that.) He won't lose any person whom the Father (God) gives to him. Yes. Plus, anybody that God gives to Jesus, anybody at all that he gives, will in fact come believe in Jesus as the Christ, the Lamb of God. Yes. Plus, anybody that comes to Jesus - anybody - Jesus will not throw them out of the sky kingdom. Yes. Plus, when that person who believes in Jesus dies in this world, Jesus will raise them up at the end. At the last day of the known universe. Yes. Plus, Jesus will raise them up to infinite life. Yes. God provides for life. Sky kingdom.

We remind a brother or sister today, we remind each other, that it's never a come to Jesus moment. It is resurrection, forever. (At phenomenal cost!) And, together, we give thanks for God's eternally secure provision.

Way

"Christ loved us and gave himself up for us," Ephesians 5:2.

That's why his people become a forgiving people. Better: That's how they turn into a forgiving people. (It's not the way they were already beforehand - God provided for their new Way.) God renewed them in the spirit of their minds. God created their new selves to look like God - to wit, to do good, the unexpected good. God secured them tightly with his Holy Spirit for the day of redemption! So that's why his people take off the old, rotting, staggering zombie self. They put on the new self, lithe, fully alive like God. No more trash talking rot, but speaking living truth. No more slander, but life giving grace. No more hard hearted bitterness, but kindness, tender hearts. No more grudges: Now forgiving one another. Just like God forgave in Christ. Sky kingdom.

We speak words of gentleness with a hurting brother or sister today, reminding of Christ's new Way. And, together, we turn to God in thanksgiving for his provision.

Taste

"Taste and see that Jehovah God is good," Psalm 34:8.

To taste God's goodness means to take refuge in him. It means to bless God at all times, to praise him continually. It means to boast in God's deeds of deliverance, it means to hear what he has done and to be happy. It means to lift up his name together. It means to recognize that we looked to God for deliverance from our fears, and he answered. God made our faces shine. No more downcast eyes, overwhelming shame. Shine! It means we cried out to God in our poverty, and God saved. God redeemed. It means to see God's mighty army encamped around his people for their deliverance. It means to find blessing in blessing the Lord.

With a brother or sister today we taste the goodness of God finding refuge from the world's troubles. And, together, we give thanks to God for Jesus who took our poverty and returned the riches of heaven. Sky kingdom.

Ahead

"Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you," 1 Kings 19:7.

Weary Elijah had already given his life to serve Jehovah God. By God's power he had survived years' long drought, provided food for the poor, returned life to a widow's only child, confronted royal authority, overcome hundreds of false idol prophets. Now on the run from powerful governmental agents, this conflict-worn man readied to die under a lone tree in the vast Judean wilderness. He's done the job. It's enough. He's done. Done. But God. But God's not. But God said, Get up, eat, drink. Job's not done. Who was to know? Elijah's too great journey was yet ahead: kings to anoint, prophecies to establish, prophets to train, kings and queens to upend, fiery chariots to ride, mantles to leave behind. Not done. Not yet. And God provided for that too great journey yet ahead. God always provides for the not yet.

We arise with a tired brother or sister today and share in God's strengthening provision for what's not yet. And, together, we give thanks for Jesus who, having eaten God's food, found strength to enter his greatest journey yet, the path to the cross.

Unanchored

"All mankind stands as a mere breath," Psalm 39:5.

So earth's population stands just shy of 8 billion people as of last month. All these lifetimes, and the ones preceding this present moment, all the lifetimes of people ever to have lived, stand as a mere breath before the God of all creation. Breathe out, breath out, exhale, expire, and it's all gone, a fleeting mist swept away in the wind. Indeed. Lives are morning wisps that vanish with the rising sun. Graveyards fill with unanchored names and dates. Who remembers? No one. Well, no one but God. God remembers. Every single name. Every person. In context. What they did. What they hoped. What they felt. What they thought. Comes a day - what a day! - when all ever to have lived arise from the dust of the earth to stand before their maker. And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you.

With a brother or sister today we turn to hope in God, our creator, who gives every breath we breathe. And, together, breathing in, we give thanks to God for the hope of Jesus' resurrection, who lives forever more.

Jail

"God will fulfill every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus," Philippians 4:19.

Says the messenger of Christ as he sits in a jail cell. In prison. He says that his brothers and sisters in Christ have fully supported him, they supplied him well, they entered into partnership with him, that they actually sacrificed to God when they provided for him. As he sits in prison. In prison he grasps a secret: he has learned to be self-sufficient, that is, to be content no matter his circumstance. He learned to face abundance and shortage. Now, we sort of get the facing abundance part, but how to face need? deprivation? poverty? He finds someone in his destitution. That's how. Who does he find there? Christ. Jesus remains his (self-)sufficiency. His contentment. In all things, Christ. God's provision for every need.

With a brother or sister today we face whatever, without anxiety, secure to know that out of his wealth God provides against every need we have in this world. And, together, we give thanks for Christ, our daily bread. Sky kingdom.

Hunger

"My Father gives you the true bread from the sky," John 6:32.

God provides. God, Father of lights, provides for the children's health and maturity. As long as earth remains: seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night shall not cease. The earth yields its increase. The trees of the field yield their fruit. Every plant on the face of the earth yields fruit with its seed for food. God designed, planned, provided, and enacted a fruitful earth. God provides. God provided meat and bread for Israel in the wilderness. God provided a land flowing with milk and honey for Israel without their having lifted a hand to produce it. God continues to provide. His earth yields according to his desire. God provides for the health and maturity of his children's strength as well as of their hearts, souls, minds - their inner being. God provides real food for humans. The true bread from the sky. The man of heaven who comes down from the sky and gives life to the world: he is genuine.

With a brother or sister, today, we look to Jesus, God's man from the sky, whose words give life and health. And, together, we give thanks never to hunger or to thirst again for eternal life.

Humbly

"He gave gifts to men," Ephesians 4:8.

Who? Who gave gifts? Christ. Jesus, the Christ of God. He gave gifts to people (that is, to his people), to each one of his people, in ways he deemed appropriate. And the purpose of the gifts? to grow his people from self-centered, egotistical, selfish humans, to grow us up into maturity. Into real human beings (re-)created as fully accurate reflections of the Son of God. To grow us into worthy sons and daughters of the king of the ages. And what are the gifts that accomplish this maturing growth? The gifts are people. People with gifted capacities: envoys of Christ, forthright speakers of God's Word, proclaimers of the Good News, shepherds and teachers. Their job? Equip God's holy people for serving. Like Jesus served. Humbly. Sky kingdom.

Today, as the Lord feeds us faithfully, brothers and sisters, we listen to the gifts of his teaching and we mature ever toward him. And, together, we give thanks for his continuing provision.

Opens

"All living things look to you for food, and you give it to them at the right time," Psalm 145:15.

God, the one and only God, the God creator of worlds without number, the God whose creation points to him as God, the God revealed in the Bible, of whom it witnesses that he speaks and the cosmos happens, this God establishes an everlasting kingdom. His rule endures throughout generations, from age to age. The works of this God give thanks to him, to Jehovah God. His holy ones will bless this God. They tell the glory of his kingdom and power to the children of man. This God lifts up whoever falls, he straightens up whoever bows low under burdens. This God opens his hand to satisfy the desire of all living beings. This God stands near to all who call on him. Who call on him in truth. (This God destroys the wicked.) This God fulfills the desire of those who fear him. He listens. He hears their cry and saves them. This God preserves. This God provides. This God.

With a brother or sister today, our mouths speak the praise of Jehovah God, and we enjoin every human to bless God's holy name forever. And, together, we give him thanks.

Twilight

"At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread," Exodus 16:12.

The thing about a good father continues in that whether his kids whine a lot about their lot, or express thankfulness, the father's listening in on them. Such fathers give their hungry kids food, even to the kids with attitude. Doesn't mean the dad is real thrilled with the kids' stinkin' thinkin'. It does mean that the father sacrifices his pleasure for their good. Even if they know little if anything about his sacrifice. But why does he do this? because he loves the kids. Too, because that's the way he is. He's a provider. It's what he does. Providence remains that process of planning and doing whose end provides what the kids need in order to survive, indeed, to thrive. Providence: a designed and executed set of experiences that bring healthy growth. God's providence isn't magic. His wisdom designs it, purposes, intends, works, acts, executes it so that his people may undergo life-giving experience. He provides. (And he also provides an occasional attitude straightening moment.)

Today, with a brother or sister, together, we give thanks to God for his continuing provision of all that we need in this world that prepares for life in the next.