July 14, 2026

John 2: 4, 5 (NIV)

“Dear woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

No matter what I accomplish in life, it means nothing if I don’t love.*

The story of Jesus’ first public miracle could easily be taken from an episode of the television show, Burn Notice. The show’s hero, Michael, is a former spy who has been framed to look like a traitor and who gets dumped in Miami with “no cash, no credit, and no job history.” He is determined to clear his name and get his old job back but in the meantime his mother (and his friends) keeps finding desperate people who could benefit from Michael’s special skills. Michael may want to concentrate on his own “mission” but when Mom says, “Someone needs your help, Michael,” Michael steps back from the big picture to go to the rescue.

Jesus has known at least since he was 12 what his special mission was. When his mother asked for his help at the wedding in Cana, it didn’t seem like part of the ultimate plan for his life. John doesn’t spell it out for us, but I speculate that Jesus – who was tempted like any of us – may have been tempted to concentrate on the forest and forget the trees. He could have become so focused on accomplishing his Father’s will that he forgot the human touch. His mother’s “interference” was a wake-up call at the onset of his ministry to remind him that people were the real purpose of his mission. Later events clearly reflect that the personal touch was the hallmark of his ministry.

Each of us has a ministry to perform. We can easily become so caught up in accomplishment that we neglect compassion. Perhaps we could use an occasional reminder from Mom that someone needs our help.

Lepers, untouched by the world, were loved by the Lord and made clean. Paralytics, abandoned by the world, were accepted by the Lord and made whole.*

July 13, 2026

Proverbs 23: 23 (NIV)

Buy the truth and do not sell it.

Truth isn’t decided by a majority vote or by power politics. It isn’t decided by the people with the biggest bank accounts, or who talk the loudest, or who use language most creatively. Truth is decided by God.*

Buy low, sell high. Classic advice for those who deal in commodities. Solomon’s recommendation for handling truth puts it in a different category from other valuable products. He doesn’t suggest that we shop around for a bargain – truth is worth whatever it costs. Once we have it, we should never trade it for anything else – no matter how high its value goes up. So . . . truth has a price; we should pay the price; and we should not sell it. 

What are we to do with it then? Again we find that truth differs from other valuable commodities. We can’t sell it for a profit but if we share it, its value increases and we never have less than we started with.

In John 14: 6, Jesus declares that he is The Truth. He is that fixed point from which we measure the trueness of everything else. Compared to Shaquille O’Neal, I am short. Compared to Danny DeVito, I am tall. Which am I, tall or short? In determining if a person is tall or short, you must establish a standard of height. Likewise, everything must be held up to Jesus as the standard for truth.

The most important truth about Jesus Christ is his saving truth. In the same verse in which he proclaims that he is the truth, Jesus also makes it clear that he is the only way to the Father. Buy that truth, no matter what it costs. Never sell it, no matter how tempting the offer. Share it and it will still be yours.

It would be the height of egotism to insist that you alone are the pathway to God – unless it happens to be true.*

July 12, 2026

I Corinthians 15: 58 (NIV)

Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

 
God doesn’t ask us to be successful, only faithful.*

What situations might tempt us to believe that our labor for the Lord is in vain? Not enough money or appreciation? Being received with hostility or indifference? Not producing fruit at all? Any of these conditions could lead to discouragement. But Paul admonishes us to always give ourselves fully to the work of the Lord – he doesn’t make concessions for extenuating circumstances. He doesn’t allow that we should consider giving up just because no one seems to be responding to the gospel. He reminds us of what we should already know: our labor in the Lord is not in vain. Ever.

I heard a comedian relate his experience with riding out a tornado in a houseboat. It was a dramatic and well-told tale but the ending is what stayed with me, even though I don’t remember the details: “It would have been more fun,” he said, “if I had known I was going to live through it.” We Christians have a clear advantage over this comedian. No matter how we get tossed about in life, we know that we have a happy ending to look forward to.

So stand firm. Continue to serve where God has called you no matter how futile your efforts may seem. Let nothing move you - except the Spirit of the Lord. And you will live happily ever after. Forever.

We are called to persevere, anticipating the day we’ll hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” But in the meantime, wouldn’t it be nice to get an encouraging interim report?*

July 11, 2026

I Corinthians 16: 17, 18 (NIV)

I was glad when Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus arrived, because they have supplied what was lacking from you. For they refreshed my spirit and yours also. Such men deserve recognition.

Sourpusses don’t attract a following.*

I used to think I was an extrovert. Or maybe I should say, I think I used to be an extrovert. In high school, when they were administering aptitude tests to help us determine our career path, I distinctly remember saying, “I want to work with people.” Well, that was before I had much experience with people.  After decades of dealing with the public, I find that people tend to drain me. I can still be a good team player but I really prefer to work independently.

Surprisingly, there are people out there who have the ability to boost my energy level. People like Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus, who supplied Paul with what he needed and refreshed his spirit. How delightful it is to be in the presence of someone like them. And what would it be like to be one of them?

Each of us has the ability to be a Stephanas, a Fortunatus, or an Achaicus under the right circumstances. Let’s face it, we can’t be all things to all people all the time – but we can be something to some of them some of the time. Cultivate a generous spirit and concentrate on doing what you do well. Ask God to make you aware of needs that you can meet. Reflect on behaviors that refresh you and see if you can develop skills that don’t come naturally to you. Brighten the corner where you are!

And, when someone has supplied a need for you or has refreshed your spirit, follow Paul’s example and give them the recognition they deserve. Take another tip from Paul and tell them: “I always thank God for you, mentioning you in my prayers.” (I Thessalonians 1: 2, paraphrased.)

Sensitivity to need is an authentic sign of God-imaged humanity.*

July 10, 2026

Luke 8: 25 (NIV)
“Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples.

God’s strength is perfected in man’s weakness. That is a lesson our eyes will never learn.*

The part of Jesus that was human surely had moments of discouragement when he looked at the raw material he had to work with. Would it have been worse if his disciples were deliberately obtuse than if they were just dense? What about his followers today? How often do we go along on our merry, misinformed way?

I have always pictured God shaking his head in despair as we stumble around in our attempts to fulfill his commission to go into all the world. But just maybe that’s not his attitude at all. When he left the world in our human hands, he knew that we were weak and shallow and sinful. Yes, we are all he has to work with but that was his plan – not just something he has resigned himself to live with. His plan.

I don’t claim to know God’s actual attitude. Maybe he doesn’t have one. But he is love so perhaps that’s all he sees when he looks at us. Not failure. Not indifference. Does that make him an indulgent Father? Perhaps. Patient? Yes, the Old Testament abounds with examples of his patience. But not limitless patience.

In his sermon in Athens, Paul said, “For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed.” (Acts 17: 31) For us who are his followers, made righteous through the blood of this man God has appointed, justice is nothing to fear. God will not see that we are inept, inadequate, faithless, and defiant. He will see nothing but love.

The reasons why God created the world and placed human beings in its midst lie deep within the mystery of God’s being and are beyond human comprehension.*

July 9, 2026

Matthew 5: 6 (NIV)

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”

A passionate pursuit of godliness is the natural result of true conversion.*

I do not hunger for bananas and I do not thirst for coffee so I will not be ingesting them and therefore will never be filled by them. I do hunger for pepperoni pizza with extra cheese, and I thirst for Dr. Pepper, so I will do what I must to be filled with them. Jesus wasn’t telling his listeners that they would mysteriously be filled with righteousness. He was saying that if they hungered and thirsted for it, they would make the effort to seek it out and consume it. As with food, one does not become filled with righteousness by thinking about it. Imagining that we are satisfied is not satisfying.

So what is this righteousness that Jesus tells us to crave? According to about.com, righteousness is the state of moral perfection required by God to enter heaven. While we can never achieve righteousness through our own efforts, it must be an attainable goal or Jesus wouldn’t have promised that we could have it. According to Romans 3: 22, this guaranteed righteousness comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. It is a promise he can keep because it is fulfilled in him.

Are you starving for some righteousness?

We are not saved by faith in faith; we are saved by faith in Christ as revealed in His Word.*

July 8, 2026

Luke 9: 58 (NIV)

Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

The Bible does not glorify poverty, nor uphold it as a superior way of life.*

I have some friends who suffered a severe financial setback a few years ago. Their faith in God’s provision never wavered but as I observed their struggles, I also learned something about our society: we have a distorted view of the essentials – the things we think we can’t live without. It seems safe to say that food, clothing, and shelter are necessities. My friends, for all their troubles, were never hungry, naked, or homeless. And yet, I was moved to pray for them as they juggled expenses for transportation (vehicles, fuel); electricity; cell phones; school and sports activities; cable TV; insurance; maintaining a standard of living.

Possessions weren’t important to Jesus and yet he had abundant life. He didn’t concern himself about shelter and the associated costs. He never preached austerity as a mandatory lifestyle for his followers but he did have a lot to say about priorities. He set an example of how we should view things.

How important are your things? Imagine that your house is on fire and you have time to grab up only your most precious possessions. Assuming that your family has safely evacuated the building, what will you take with you? What if Jesus made a list of all the things you would have to give up in order to follow him – what items would you be hoping he would let you keep? Now picture yourself surrounded by these prized possessions as you spend eternity in hell. Ready to prioritize?

Pilgrims travel light.*