Month: January 2025

When Jesus spoke this to His disciples, their whole world was falling down around their ears. Judas had betrayed Jesus, and Peter had just been chastised for his upcoming failures of denial. This left the disciples scared and confused…not realizing that in a very short time there would be the agony of Gethsemane and the horrific spectacle of Jesus’ death on the Cross. Yet, as we read this passage, it conveys a real sense of sublime peace in the midst of all this chaos. We can control only what we can control, and unfortunately, many times in life control is ripped from us by serious health issues, severe accidents, or grave actions taken by others. But Jesus wants us to know that we do have control. We have control of our emotions and where we place our trust. We also have control over who we put our faith and confidence in when life is upside down. For when we can look to God in confident expectation and utter dependance on Him…our peace will overshadow any of the chaos in our life.

Just as God does not change, His Word does not change in the sway of public opinion. Or to quote Charles Spurgeon…”Do not ask God to confirm your opinion but ask Him to make your opinion conform to His truth.” Our personal opinion changes constantly. Our beliefs, convictions, feelings, and judgments of things & people change as we age, move from one season of life to another, or are influenced by others. But what doesn’t change is the unchangeable character of God & His Word. His Word is flawless, upright, faithful, and just and should be used as the plumb line for any of our so-called opinions. So just remember, anytime your opinion doesn’t match God’s Word…it’s not your opinion that’s correct.

The wearing of sackcloth in Biblical times was an outward expression of an inward state of the heart & soul. It was also a very obvious visual symbol for friends, family and the community to then gather around to console & give solace. As a significant cultural and religious practice, it was deeply embedded in the very fabric of Jewish society and was a symbolic sign of not only a physical display but a profound expression of human fragility, humility, and the need for reliance on God’s mercy & grace. Wearing sackcloth expressed grief, death, calamity, and even sin. And throughout Scriptures we find many instances of individuals, cities, and nations donning sackcloth in contrition… seeking divine intervention and earnest supplication before a merciful God. Here in Matthew, Jesus is promising not only divine comfort, but the eternal hope of restoration for those who grieve & mourn.

Often in the middle of mourning, grief, or intense distress & trauma we will wear sackcloth of the soul. Now it may not be seen by others, but we’ve torn our clothes and exchanged them for the rough garments of lament. But if we allow the Lord’s actions to fill us, He can change our perspective. Psalm 16:9 tells us that, “My heart is glad, and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure because You will not abandon me…” When we can look at our situation through God’s eyes…the circumstances may not change, but we can look beyond the sackcloth of our soul and instead abide & dwell safely in the Lord…thus allowing us to praise and give thanks in joy.

In his final instructions to the Church in Corinth, Paul interjects this exhortation amongst directions about certain named people. I don’t think it was just an afterthought, but rather an earnest warning placed in the last passage of his letter. It was forthright & direct…be ever watchful of your walk with the Lord…Hold firmly to your faith & the Gospel Message…Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power, knowing it is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead…and finally, Paul wraps it all up in – follow the way of love, or pursue love…which is an action we are obliged to perform one to another.

Many times, throughout my 36-year Nursing career as a Director of Nursing in Gerontology & Alzheimer’s Disease, I worked with difficult patients. And many, many times I would ask the Lord to help me find the joy in serving them. For if I’m to serve the Lord in loving service as a grateful response to His grace…I’m then to serve the interests of others in love as Galatians 5:13 tells me to. So, the bottom line is, my joy in serving others cannot depend on whether someone is cooperative or uncooperative…. difficult or easy to deal with. It’s a decision as Paul made in I Corinthians 9:19 that, “I have made myself a servant to all.” And to accomplish this, I remind myself often of Romans 15:13, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

The Apostle Peter had been called to the home of Cornelius, a Roman Centurion stationed in Caesarea. It says that he and his whole household feared God and gave generously to those in need. Both Cornelius and Peter had been visited by angels who prepared them for the transformation from Old Testament Law and the Old Covenant to the New Covenant of faith by grace alone. In this verse, Peter grasps the mind-blowing importance of it… that God is impartial, or as Deuteronomy 10:17-18 pointed out, God shows no partiality, prejudice, or bias to any man who trusts in Him. So, their meeting that day was the culmination in its fullest expression of the Good News of the Gospel Message for both Jew & Gentile. Or as Romans 1:16 reminds us, that Salvation is for everyone who believes.

The elders have come to Ezekiel inquiring of God, and instead, God accuses them of infidelity & prostitution. Though they were still outwardly “serving” the Lord, their hearts were elsewhere…and to God, this divided devotion didn’t deserve any response from Him. The Babylonian exile had tempted the Jewish people with the enticement of local gods…which all seemed to be very powerful. So, while not necessarily abandoning God…they chose to just “include” these deities into their everyday life. But God called them on it because they couldn’t have it both ways. James uses this rare expression “double-minded” in James 1:8 where it suggests that a man has two souls and is unstable with a split personality…claiming to have faith, but in reality, doubting that God is enough…and totally unable to love God & His Law exclusively.

Charles Spurgeon, the Puritan Preacher, once wrote, “There are two kinds of tears which true Christians shed: the one is a tear of sorrow because of sin; the other is a tear of joy because of pardon.” And this is shown in Psalm 51:17, which said, ” The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart…” A Christian’s life should be one of constant transformation…of forsaking the old self for the new…for taking responsibility for our misdeeds & allowing them to change us from the inside out. James 4:6 tells us that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble…but what does that mean? First, there is genuine sorrow for what we’ve done. Then there’s the all-important verbal admission of said sin…followed by a sincere desire for the Lord’s forgiveness and restoration. Once we’ve been forgiven, the joy of the Lord fills our heart and spurs us on to tells others about this wonderful gift of grace & mercy.

In this passage, the prophet Jeremiah was addressing God’s people who were in exile and facing extreme hardship. While it wasn’t a guarantee of immediate relief & deliverance, it was a vivid reminder that God was still in control…His plans were to bless, His promises were faithful, His desires were to prosper both practically & economically, and His goal was to give all a hopeful future. So, in the midst of the world’s wickedness today, you too may feel like a refugee, so this verse urges you to not give up… but to continually seek His guidance by aligning your heart with God’s divine Will… all the while trusting in His unfailing promises.