Tag Archives: faith

All I Have to Give

Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”
Mark 12:41-44, NIV*

This verse has been with me all week, and I love how Jesus sees the heart and understands the whole story. I’m sure anyone else watching this lady drop in her two coins made two assumptions: 1 – two tiny coins have no value, and 2 – this was all the extra she had to give.

Not so. Jesus said she gave everything she had to live on. And He said it was of great value. That means the attitude behind it was pure. We don’t know what she was thinking, but it obviously wasn’t “let me throw away these worthless bits of metal and go home to die alone.”

Somehow, she was trusting God to meet her needs, and she was loving Him enough to offer all she had. She knew it had no external value, but God could use it if she simply gave.

Today is a low-energy day for me. Not a down day, just let me crawl back to bed. I have nothing to offer, at least nothing that looks to have any value. But I’m inspired by this poor widow who also had nothing to give.

On an alert, energetic day, do I really have much to offer the King of the Universe? Perhaps today it’s just more obvious.

Father God, nothing we can give would enrich or assist You in its own right, but Your grace invites us to offer ourselves with persistent, persevering, patient trust… and with willing hearts. Thank You for giving us value and purpose. Please take our offerings, feeble though they may be, and use them—use us—for Your kingdom. Because of Jesus, Amen.

Our song this week is by David Crowder, sung here by Passion: “You Alone.”

Better than Offerings

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The religion scholar said, “A wonderful answer, Teacher! So lucid and accurate—that God is one and there is no other. And loving him with all passion and intelligence and energy, and loving others as well as you love yourself. Why, that’s better than all offerings and sacrifices put together!”
Mark 12:32-33, The Message*

Before I opened the Bible today, I was thanking God for His love. It’s so wonderful that He loves each of us—loves us—and that it’s unconditional. Nothing I can do will make Him love me any more or any less.

But in response to that love, I want to please Him. To bless Him, maybe. That’s where what I do makes a difference.

Sometimes I think once people get over the obstacle of thinking we have to earn God’s love by our performance, there’s a danger in thinking good works don’t matter. We’re saved by grace, not works.

What we do—on the outside and in our hearts—does matter. Loving God, loving others, shows that our relationships with God matter. It lets us grow in our faith.

And it pleases the Father more than offerings or sacrifices. For me, that’s reason enough.

Father, there are no words to thank You for loving me. Please help my heart to truly grasp that Your love is deep, unchanging and unearned. Help me love You, and help me love those around me. Give me a desire to please You—not because it could make You love me more, but to bless Your heart.

Let’s take Paul Baloche’s song, “Offering,” as our prayer today.

Knowing God’s Nearness Today

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Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.”
Lamentations 3:22-24, NIV*

As I prayed for a friend who has serious health trouble, the Holy Spirit seemed to prompt me to ask the Father to reassure her that He’d be with her whatever the future brings, but also that she’d know His nearness today.

We all long for some kind of reassurance for the future – specifically that things will be fine – but God asks us to focus on today. That’s the whole “living in the moment” thing I’m still trying to learn.

Definitely, we need a solid faith that God knows what lies ahead and can deal with it, but we’re not in the future. We’re in the present. And as Jesus said, today has enough troubles of its own. (Matthew 6:34)

Father, I’m so thankful that You know what tomorrow holds. Nothing will catch You off guard. Help me to trust the future to You and to live in the present – knowing You’re with me. Open my eyes to what you want to do through me today, who You want to touch. Help me enjoy Your company on the journey.

This week’s song is the classic “Great is Thy Faithfulness,” sung here by the group Selah.

Peace in Trials

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Many are asking, “Who can show us any good?” Let the light of your face shine upon us, O LORD. You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound. I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.
Psalm 4:6-8, NIV*

Reading these verses in 2009, it occurs to me that troubled times are hardly a new thing. Personally and globally, they come and go. Just as they did for King David and the people of Israel.

David found peace in the midst of fearful situations by trusting God. He couldn’t change what was going on, but he anchored his faith in the One who could.

It reminds me of the little girl I read about, who was afraid of water but trusted her mother to carry her safely through it.

Michael Hyatt shares a quote from Max Lucado, taken from his new book, Fearless. Max writes,

Imagine your life, wholly untouched by angst. What if faith, not fear, was your default reaction to threats? If you could hover a fear magnet over your heart and extract every last shaving of dread, insecurity, and doubt, what would remain? Envision the day when you can trust more and fear less. Can you imagine your life without fear?

This one’s on my to-read list for sure!

Fear steals our peace, and makes us feel helpless. Fear is not from God, but faith is.

The Apostle Paul says “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7, NIV* ). God gave us a spirit of confidence in Him.

Father, as I look around at the fighting, the economy, the sickness…help me remember I’m not alone. You’ve given me Your Spirit. Help me—teach me—to live confident in You. You are more powerful than anything the world or the evil one can dish out, and nothing can separate me from Your love.

Let’s sing to God, “You Are My Strong Tower,” done here by Kutless.

Jesus is in My Boat

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But the disciples forgot to pack a lunch. Except for a single loaf of bread, there wasn’t a crumb in the boat… the disciples were finding fault with each other because they had forgotten to bring bread. Jesus overheard and said, “Why are you fussing because you forgot bread? Don’t you see the point of all this? Don’t you get it at all? Remember the five loaves I broke for the five thousand? How many baskets of leftovers did you pick up?”
They said, “Twelve.”
“And the seven loaves for the four thousand—how many bags full of leftovers did you get?”
“Seven.”
He said, “Do you still not get it?”
Mark 8:13-21, MSG*

The disciples have a loaf of bread. Jesus has recently demonstrated that He can multiply a little food to feed a lot of people. Yet they’re hung up on not having enough.

But Jesus is in the boat with them! If they stop to think, they’ll realize He’s all they need.

Many times I feel inadequate or uncertain about situations, afraid I’ll mess up or won’t do well. That fear can freeze me up and become self-fulfilling. I feel alone.

These verses tell me something precious: Jesus is in my boat, and He’ll be all I need.

Whether it’s energy, love, ideas: whatever’s needed, no matter how small my loaf, I need to offer it to Jesus, and to remember what He can do.

Father, I know You promised to never leave us, and You’ve given us the Holy Spirit to live in our hearts. Forgive me for the times I panic and believe the enemy’s lies. Thank You for using these verses to finally help me see I’m never alone. Help me remember and be confident in the truth that Jesus is in my boat, and that He is enough.

Our song this week is my prayer: “Presence (My Heart’s Desire)” by the newsboys, from their Devotion CD.

I Spy… God at Work

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Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name;
make known among the nations what he has done.
Sing to him, sing praise to him;
tell of all his wonderful acts.
Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
Look to the Lord and his strength;
seek his face always.
Psalm 105:1-4, NIV*

I dreamed I had a really bad day. I’d been out of sorts through it all, and things kept going wrong.

In my dream, I suddenly noticed the good things that had threaded through the day. They’d been there all along and I’d been too grumpy to notice.

When I woke, the last bit I remembered was telling a friend “God was blessing me all day, despite the bad stuff.”

And I’d almost missed seeing the blessings.

Years ago I tried something called a “God hunt,” where the idea was to keep alert for sightings of God’s presence in the day. Once you start looking, it’s amazing what you see. We stopped talking about it at church, and I forgot to keep it up. I think it’s time to start again. Anyone want to play too?

God, You are good. Your presence satisfies. Forgive me for all the times I get caught up in the negatives and miss what You’re doing. Open my spirit to recognize Your touch in my day and to embrace You. Thank You for loving me.

∞

Our song this week is “Open the Eyes of My Heart,” sung here by Michael W. Smith.

Seeing… and Responding

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Then [Jesus] turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.”
Luke 7:45, NIV*

Simon the Pharisee certainly does see the woman, and he’s offended that someone “of that sort” would invade his righteous household. But he doesn’t see her at all: drawn to Jesus, hoping, trusting, desperately needing a miracle.

I remember Mark Buchanan reading this story a few years ago at Write! Canada. “Do you see this woman?” He challenged us with this: do we see an individual’s heart, or just skim over the surface?

Do we see?

Are we free to make a difference, or do we hold back in fear? What if we’re rebuffed? What would the onlookers say?

The Gospel of Luke also tells how Jesus interrupts a mission to heal a dying child. Someone in the crowd has sneaked a healing by touching His robe. As the desperate father is nearing wits’ end, Jesus looks around and asks “Who touched Me?”

He knows full well which of the many bumps and jostles made the difference, and He knows the woman’s story: the 12 years’ incurable bleeding, the physicians’ helplessness, the woman’s despair. Under the Jewish law, she would have been considered unclean for all this time, outcast, feeling defeated and unworthy.

Jesus could let her slip away, healed and filled with wondrous hope. But He stops the whole progression and singles her out. Not to chastise her as she might fear, but to acknowledge her worth. He’s not about to let her go whole in body but wounded in soul.

Who will we meet today who needs some kindness?

Lord, grant us to really see the people you bring our way.

∞

We’ve had this song before, but I don’t think there’s a better one for this topic than Brandon Heath’s “Give me Your Eyes”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mhpLjPslbM

Satisfied by God’s Goodness

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Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labour on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.
Isaiah 55:2, NIV*

At Whatever He Says, Susan wrote, “I can only imagine what it would mean to [God] that we his children, the objects of his love, would be satisfied with his goodness alone. Not running to and fro and here and there looking for satisfaction or fulfillment in anything else.” You can read the full post here: Short and Sweet.

I wonder if this latent sense of dissatisfaction, this always reaching for something more, is a root of the vague fear that many of us carry. Or maybe that fear is what breeds the never-ending quest for “something more”.

Maybe deep down we’re afraid that God isn’t really good, isn’t really enough?

It’s easy to say God is good. To affirm His love for us. But sometimes if we’d listen closely we’d hear our hearts telling a different story.

We make contingency plans on top of backup plans, we try to cover all the angles, as if we’re facing the future alone. But as I said last week, God will be with us when we get to the future. We won’t have to face anything without Him.

The Psalmist says “The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made.” (Psalm 145:13b, NIV*)

Father, as Your children we believe You are good. We believe You love us and are mighty to save. Please trickle this head knowledge into our hearts and help our unbelief. Help us develop a spirit of gratitude, and to be truly satisfied with Your goodness. You are enough.

What better song than one of praise? This week it’s “Sing to the King” done here by the Passion Worship Band.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpGk6ugV90A

God’s Presence with Us

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The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you;
he will never leave you nor forsake you.
Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.
Deuteronomy 31:8, NIV*

I’m rarely beset by nightmares, but the other night I had a scare right at bedtime. I was already overtired and a bit stressed, and now I was afraid of what I might see in my sleep.

Then I remembered one of the questions raised in The Shack: When we think of the future—of possible dangers and things that could go wrong—why do we see ourselves facing it alone?

I’d never thought of it before reading the novel, but it’s true. At least for me.

It’s also kind of silly. God is with us in the present. He sees what’s coming, and will be with us each step of the way. Nothing will catch Him by surprise.

With that reassurance, I decided to lie in bed and pray quietly, committing my sleep to Him. “You’ll be with me. You are good.” I repeated it as I relaxed into sleep. Next morning I woke thankful—and nightmare-free.

Today, tomorrow, He’ll be with us. And He is good.

Father, help me fully trust in your promise to never leave nor forsake me. You know the end from the beginning. You are good, and You are all I need.

∞

I chose this week’s song because it speaks of God being there after everything, and about how He repairs, forgives and makes us new. Here’s “The Glory of it All” from the David Crowder*Band.

Praise God in the Now

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I will sing to the LORD all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
May my meditation be pleasing to him,
as I rejoice in the LORD.
Psalm 104:33-34 NIV*

I’ve been asking God to renew my heart, and trusting He’s at work although there’s no visible evidence yet. Wondering when I’d start to see some change.

Like the child who digs up a seed every day to see if it’s sprouted yet.

This morning these verses from Psalm 104 changed my focus: Forget what’s seen or unseen, present or future. Praise God in the now.

Sure, I’ll praise Him when He’s renewed my heart. But why wait until then?

It’s not just about praising God for what He’s done. It’s about praising Him for who He is: God, majestic and powerful, loving and compassionate, Creator and Restorer. What He does only shows glimpses of who He is.

There’s plenty to praise Him for now, while I’m waiting, and His praise is to be the song of my life.

Father, help me be confident in who You are – Your character – not in what You do. Thank You for what You’re doing in my heart. Whether that goes fast or slow, help me live each day in praise to You because You are good, and because You love me.

∞

This week’s song has meant a lot to me over the past couple months: “Glorious,” by the Newsboys.

Janet Sketchley

Writing Christian Mysteries & Suspense

Tag Archives: faith

All I Have to Give

Better than Offerings

Knowing God’s Nearness Today

Peace in Trials

Jesus is in My Boat

I Spy… God at Work

Seeing… and Responding

Satisfied by God’s Goodness

God’s Presence with Us

Praise God in the Now