I imagine that I am not alone in losing sleep over the past month worrying about the security of my family’s health, home, and employment. I imagine that I am also not alone in attempting to control and order my life instead of surrendering control and order to the only One who can preserve and keep me.

Our souls can be easily ensnared by these false hopes of worry and control. But this psalm offers rest to the soul willing to trust in the power and watchful eye of God.

Two weeks ago, Brian Dunkel reminded us from Luke 12:25 that our anxiety is entirely unfruitful when it comes to actually improving, guarding, or prolonging our lives. He encouraged us to fight anxiety by remembering our dependence on God. Similarly, the psalmist here teaches us to find hope in the fact that the truest, greatest help “comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.” Our God is the one who set an order for all of the heavens and the earth when he created it! He controls every molecule and heavenly body, sustaining every plant, creature, and man until the moment he has set for them to die. He does this regardless of whether or not we spend sleepless nights planning, laboring, or fretting. He is powerful enough to be our help and to guard our feet from faltering.

The psalmist also finds comfort in the fact that the one who keeps us does not slumber. Our God is always awake, aware of our needs, allowing us to lie down and sleep, knowing that he alone keeps us safe (Psalm 4:8). Because of this we can go to our beds unburdened by the cares of the day. We can rest, knowing that the Lord sustains us (Psalm 3:5). In this season it is easy to feel overwhelmed by the things we “need” to do to protect and provide for ourselves and our families. But it is important for us to “prioritize rest”, as I was reminded by a member of my small group. Let us not try to do it all, but find rest in our Lord who offers rest for the weary and heavy laden (Matthew 11:28).

We don’t need to lose sleep, because we have a God who doesn’t slumber.

The way we devote our time, money, and attention can be ever changing. The world offers us countless competitors for our devotion. We can devote ourselves to our jobs, to our family, to fear and worry, to a national identity, and even to trivial things such as sports teams. While some measure of devotion to most of these is not inherently bad, we see a different model for devotion in the Christian life in Acts 2:42. In this verse we see Christians are to be devoted to four specific things: the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread, and prayers. This is a timely reminder for us in a season when we can be devoted to statistics on the news, or completely lose all devotion to anything while under stay-at-home orders. We need this reminder. We need to be reminded that we are called to be devoted to the Word, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayers. Of course, not all of this is possible at the current time. So, what do we do? Do we just write it off saying that Acts 2:42 didn’t foresee a global pandemic limiting our meetings with others? Absolutely not! No, instead we devote our attention to the Word and prayer, and we devote our desire to gathering and the breaking of bread.

We must devote our attention to the Word and prayer. In Acts 2:42, Luke writes that those who received his word, “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching…” This is the Word of God—the Bible. What the apostles taught first century believers is not lost to modern Christians. By the sovereignty of God, the apostles’ teaching has been preserved and contained in our Bible today. During times of solitude we have the opportunity to dive deep into the Word. We can sit at the feet of our Savior and meditate on his word. These are not times to be distracted like Martha, but to be devoted like Mary and seeking the good portion (Luke 10:38-42).

Likewise, let us be devoted to prayer. As we read through Luke’s Gospel, perhaps you noticed the numerous mentions of Christ removing himself from others to pray (Luke 5:16; 6:12; 9:18; 11:1; 22:41). Jesus set the example for his followers. Right now, some of us are feeling the weight of being alone. But, remember that this is an opportunity to spend time in prayer. Pray through the church directory. Call a fellow member and pray over the phone. Pray through a psalm, reflecting on the hope it gives you during this season. No matter how you go to the Lord, use this time to be devoted to prayer.

As mentioned before, Acts 2:42 is not something we can completely do right now due to the coronavirus. But what we can’t devote our efforts to, we can devote our desires to. We can let our longings grow for the fellowship and breaking of bread. In a time when fellowship is limited to socially distant methods of emails and phone calls, video chats and drive-by wavings, we can allow our desire to gather together to grow and increase. Let the absence from your church family make your heart grow fonder. Yearn for a Sunday morning gathering, or for meeting in one another’s homes for small groups. Let your heart long to share meals with one another, and eagerly desire to approach the Lord’s Table with your brothers and sisters in Christ, remembering his sacrifice for us. Go to the Lord in prayer with this desire, asking him to increase your longing and make it possible for us to gather again soon. In the meantime, join a small group and connect in anyway possible.

Holy Week is a special time. To many in the world the week of our Lord’s Passion is simply another week, but for those who hope in Christ—those who have been redeemed by his precious blood—this week provides an opportunity to reflect, be quiet, and be reminded of the deep love of our Savior for us. Reading through Luke 22 and 23, we come across so many verses and passages that cause us to stop and consider the weight of our Savior’s sacrifice. But Luke 23:46-47 contains a truth that causes me to pause and glimpse the wonders of the love Christ has for his people. Jesus, the sinless One, dies for the sinful. The innocent dies for the guilty.

As we read Luke’s account, the innocence of Jesus seems to be recognized by many. Pilate repeatedly insists that Jesus has done nothing wrong (Luke 23:4, 14-15, 22). One of the thieves beside him professes Jesus’ innocence in verse 41. Then, immediately upon Jesus’ death, the centurion exclaims, “Certainly this man was innocent!” Not only do these passages assert the innocence of Christ, the rest of Scripture affirms it as well.

• Isaiah 53:9: “And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.”
• 2 Corinthians 5:21: “For he made him to be sin, who knew no sin...”
• Hebrews 7:26: He was, “holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners.”

Jesus was innocent. And this is the good news of the darkest day in the history of the world. This is good news because it is only an innocent Jesus that could pay for the guilt of his people. Look at the verses surrounding those cited above.

• Isaiah 53:11: “Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.”
• 2 Corinthians 5:21: “For he made him to be sin, who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
• Hebrews 7:26, 27: “For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest… He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.”

Friends, hear the good news of Good Friday. Jesus loves us so much that he offered himself as the perfect, innocent sacrifice to pay for every single one of our sins. For every aspect of our guilt: Jesus paid it all. He bore every ounce of God’s wrath for our sins upon the cross. Our guilt was counted to the innocent One, so that, by his death, his innocence could be counted to us!

So, lift your head, o weary sinner, for your Savior’s sacrifice is sufficient. Let the love of your Savior wash over you, and know that forgiveness is in God and God alone. In days of uncertainty, in times of doubt, and from the depths of discouragement, we can cry to our Savior. We can call upon the one who has paid for our sins, and we can rest in his embrace. With the centurion, let us praise God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!”

It’s Thursday of Jesus’s last week of earthly ministry. Jesus has joined with the Twelve Apostles to eat the Passover meal. Since the Exodus generation, Jews have eaten this meal to remember God’s rescue from centuries of oppression in Egypt. They remember when God looked upon the blood of the sacrificial lamb and spared his people from judgment – specifically, the tenth and final plague, the death of the firstborn. With this Passover memorial as a backdrop, and his crucifixion and death looming, Jesus gives his disciples a weighty and all-encompassing commandment. He establishes the standard for how Christians are to relate to one another, and describes how all people will know who Jesus’s disciples truly are. Here’s what Jesus commands:

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Don’t mistake Jesus’s command to be: “Love one another as you think is best” or “Love one another as long as you are still taken care of.” No, Jesus’s standard for how his disciples then (and now) are to love one another is just as he has loved his disciples. How then does John 13 describe Jesus’s love for his disciples? Here are three brief observations:

1) Jesus loved his disciples by humbly serving them.

Jesus washed the dirty feet of his disciples. This was the work of a servant, and, undoubtedly, a disgusting job considering what those sandaled feet had touched in the streets of crowded Jerusalem. In serving them in this way, Jesus reminded his disciples of their need to be cleansed and that he is the Servant-Savior who alone does the cleansing. “If I (Jesus) do not wash you, you have no share with me.” (John 13:8) And, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45).

2) Jesus loved his disciples while trusting in his Father’s will.

Jesus loved his disciples knowing that one of them (Judas) would betray him. (John 13:2, 21) We have a window into Jesus’s thoughts as he took the towel and basin and began washing the feet of his disciples – including Judas. “Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper.” (John 13:3-4). In the presence of a disciple-turned-enemy, Jesus trusted that his Father’s will was best for him. Jesus submitted himself to his Father’s will in the face of coming betrayal, suffering, and death.

3) Jesus loved his disciples “to the end.”

Jesus “having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.” (John 13:1) Jesus loved his disciples all the way to the cross of crucifixion. He laid down his life and there is no greater love than this. (John 15:13)

In these uncertain and difficult times, as we strive to obey Jesus’s command to love one another, let’s remember and follow Jesus’s example of humble service to others and his unwavering trust in his Father. When our strivings fall short of Jesus’s standard, let’s remember that Jesus loved his disciples all the way to the cross of crucifixion. Jesus’s blood shed on Good Friday offers the only way to be forgiven of our sins, his resurrection on Sunday secures righteousness and new life for all who trust in Jesus, and the Holy Spirit empowers us to live righteous and love-filled lives.

Last, let’s consider that our love for one another is more than just a blessing for us to enjoy. Jesus promises that our love for one another will show “all people” what it means to be his disciple. May God use our Spirit-empowered obedience to this command to show others how those who belong to Jesus love!

Are you filled with hope today? This is God’s great desire for you. But sustained, confident, expectant hope is not automatic. It requires us to be active and attentive and responsive. This hope comes from living in the Scriptures. In this verse, three simple truths are set before us:   

1. All of Scripture is for our instruction.
2. Instruction leads to endurance (steadfastness) and encouragement (comfort)
3. The result is a sustained, confident, expectant hope in God.

Hope is the direct result of living in the Scriptures. We must learn what the Scriptures teach if we expect to experience and enjoy the life of hope that God promises and will surely follow.

Thankfully, a Bible college or seminary education is not required! Let me suggest four avenues for learning about God from the Bible. These well-travelled paths are laid out before us in Psalm 119 and are the heartbeat of the Psalmist – Supplication, Memorization, Meditation, Affliction

We begin with supplication. Webster uses these phrases to help us understand:

• “the act of humble prayer, entreaty or petition”
• “to ask for humbly and/or earnestly”
• “a request made for something desired; a respectful, humble request as to a superior or to one in authority”

Living with a sustained, proper hope in the living God does not come naturally. We fallen creatures are easily cast into fear, disillusionment, darkness and despair. To understand unseen spiritual realities, we need light. We cannot see without God’s merciful intervention. So, we humbly ask him, because of our need and because of his promise to give mercy and grace.

Psalm 119 is replete with such humble, earnest requests (vv. 12, 18, 19, 27, 36, 38…).

With paper and pen in hand, take some time in these days of isolation to peruse Psalm 119. List all the supplications of the Psalmist. Then make them your own as you converse with your Father. It leads to hope!

More next time. Until then, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” – Hebrews 4:16

“May the God of endurance and encouragement” sustain our hope as we live in his word.

When we are alone, surrounded with a 24-hour news cycle, and restricted from contact with others, it is easy to forget what it feels like to be embraced — to be received by those we love. It is easy to forget what if feels like to be warmly greeted, brought into the care of someone, and reminded that you are loved. In times like these, we need to remember the love God has for us. Luke 15:22-24, I believe, displays this very love. These verses show the love of God for his people so powerfully that it can warm the coldness in our hearts, build a confidence in God’s continued love for us, and comfort us in times of loneliness.

These verses come immediately following the prodigal son’s confession of his sin against God and against his father. He has repented and returned home and, unexpectedly, been embraced by his father. Despite his sinful wanderings, not only was the son embraced by his father, his father continues to lavish love and affection on him. The father calls to his servants, “Bring the best clothes, bring a ring, bring shoes, make a feast. Hurry!” You can almost hear the joyful urgency in the father’s voice. And we can’t help but ask, “Why? Why is he so quickly showing him mercy? Why would he celebrate the return of a son who has so deeply wronged him?”

The answer is simple: the father shows grace to his son because he LOVES his son. He is celebrating that the one who was dead is now alive; he who was lost is now found!

I love this parable and, specifically, this scene because it shows the powerful love of God for his people, and how God, our Father in Christ, celebrates when his children who were lost are found. The interaction we see here is amazing because it reflects the way God, in his love, shows us grace that defies our understanding. Just as the father doesn’t cast away his son, God doesn’t cast us away. He doesn’t leave us to our own demise. Even though we have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23); he rescues us, he embraces us, he calls us his children—God shows grace and mercy to those who deserve none of it.

Think about Hosea 11:1–3, “When Israel was a child, I loved him; and out of Egypt I called my son. The more they were called, the more they went away; they kept sacrificing to the Baals and burning offerings to idols. Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk; I took them up by their arms, but they did not know that I healed them.”

God the Father tenderly cares for his children. He loves his people, he calls them his children. As his children slowly grow and develop, he is there to guide them, to teach them to walk, to catch them when they fall, and to bandage up their wounds.

Just as the return of the prodigal son, who deserved nothing, was celebrated by his father exclaiming, “My son has come home!” God the father receives those who confess their sin and have faith in Jesus Christ. In Christ, he welcomes us and calls us his children. We can cry out to him as Father and he tenderly hears our cries, heals our wounds, and eases our fears. This is the good news my friends! This is the love of God that we need to remember in days like these: the embrace that will soothe our worries and comfort our fears. When we are lonely, when we have forgotten the warmth of a loved one’s embrace, when we need the strength of someone to hold us and comfort us, remember the tender embrace of God. Remember that he is full of compassion, gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in mercy and truth (Ps. 86:15).

Come home to the Father. His embrace is waiting!

Luke 12:22–31

Temptations to be anxious right now are ever-present. There’s round-the-clock speculation about COVID-19 and its far-reaching effects. When will the number of cases peak? When will the curve flatten? How long will workplaces, schools, and stores remain closed? What if I or a loved one get infected? What will life be like when all of this is “over,” whatever that even means?

To this, and every other present or future circumstance that tempts us to be anxious, Jesus lovingly commands: “Do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on.” (Luke 12:22). Jesus gives his original hearers (and us) three reasons why obedience to this command will glorify God and is good for us.

First, Jesus says, “For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.” (Luke 12:23) We sure need that reminder now, don’t we? While food and clothing are necessities, human beings have eternal, spiritual needs that outlast the temporal needs of this life. Every person’s greatest need is to be eternally saved from spiritual death that we deserve because of our sin. (Ephesians 2:1, 5; Romans 6:23) If Jesus is your Lord and Savior, then by faith in him, your sins are graciously forgiven and you will eternally dwell with God. Remembering that God provided for your greatest need through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus is a powerful means to fight the temptation to be anxious.

Second, Jesus points out that God provides food for ravens even though they are not actively producing food for themselves. He punctuates this point by exclaiming that human beings are of more value than birds! (Luke 12:24) As Ben James wrote earlier this week, God declares us valuable in creation by making us image-bearers, and he declares us valuable in redemption by giving up his precious Son for our salvation. Remembering your value to God is another powerful means to fight the temptation to be anxious. Preach to your anxious heart that God loves you, values you, knows your needs, and promises to provide what you need.

Third, Jesus asks a rhetorical question, “And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” (Luke 12:25) The answer is, of course, no one can. We are powerless to add even 60 measly minutes to a lifespan of perhaps many decades! However, God controls and knows the length of our lives. “In your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.” (Psalm 139:16) The earlier promise that God will provide all of your needs only gets sweeter when you consider that God knows the exact number of our days and what we need on each of them. Remembering our dependence on God for every minute of life we live is another powerful means to fight the temptation to be anxious.

After all of this, Jesus further commands, “Do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.” (Luke 12:29–31) Jesus warns against allowing anxiety to narrow your focus to only seeking your needs. He is not condemning efforts to provide for yourself and keep the pantry stocked. Jesus warns against putting your own survival, comfort, and satisfaction above seeking the advancement of his Kingdom in your life and others’ lives as well. Fight temptations to anxiety by believing and rehearing the truths of this glorious and practical passage!

Like many Christians, Psalm 23 is among my favorite psalms in the Psalter. When things are going well, it’s not hard to find joy in the opening lines. When we’re experiencing the restful and refreshing times of being led by our Good Shepherd to green pastures and still waters, it’s easy to find hope and encouragement in the first (and more familiar) verses of this sweet passage. I remember how when my oldest son was three, my wife and I taught him this Psalm one phrase (and long car ride) at a time. He loved learning of how our Shepherd cares and provides for us!

But I also remember clearly the dark, overcast Sunday we got to verse 4. I remember him being afraid to repeat the first part, telling me, “I don’t want to walk through the shadow of the death valley.” What I told him that morning is the lesson that God has retaught me in these past weeks of doubt and fear: “Little man, we don’t need to be afraid of shadows or death, because our strong Shepherd is still with us in those scary valleys.”

The greatest comfort of this psalm isn’t just that God gives good things. It’s not just that his sheep are guarded from death and evil. The greatest comfort is that the One who gives good and guards from evil is still with his flock. And he will be forever.

Over the past weeks, this world has had to face mortality. We have wondered if we or someone we love might become sick and die with little warning. These are frightening days for those who are looking at the dark shadows. But, church, we are not called to keep our eyes on the shadows! Instead, look on our Shepherd! He is, after all, the Light that shines in the darkness! He is the One who, by his own death and resurrection, conquered death and won our resurrection! He is the One who, after the full and final defeat of evil, will fully and finally unite us with himself! This is the hope that our fear-filled world needs!

We have seen Jesus’ goodness and mercy toward us in the green pastures and beside the still waters. But in this shadow, we have not left his goodness and mercy: they still follow us! Jesus is working – even in global pandemic – to unite his people to himself. He comforts those who fear the dangers of this world with the promise of a glorious future, where his flock not only lives forever, but lives forever with him, in his very house! So be encouraged, little sheep; just as he was with us in brighter days, our strong Shepherd is still with us in these dark valleys and promises to lead us to the brightest days of all.

In this life it is so easy to fall into fear. To fear the loss of our job, the loss of our home, even the loss of our life. We can become surrounded by these fears, this uncertainty. So, what are we to do? Hear the words of our Lord: “Fear not.” We are to not live in fear, brothers and sisters. Why? Because of two reasons: (1) God is in control and (2) God declares us valuable.

Jesus is at the height of his teaching ministry when he comforts his disciples with these words. He has just been confronted by the Pharisees, and they continue to plot against him and his teaching (Luke 11:53–54). People, however, are flocking to him, and these growing crowds along with the growing opposition are apparently leading to growing anxiety among his followers. But Jesus tells his disciples, “Fear not.” Why?

First, Jesus tells His disciples not to fear because God is in control. All throughout the Bible, we read of this truth – of the all-pervasive sovereignty of God. Job teaches us the sovereignty of God in all situations, over all things (Job 42:22). In Proverbs, King Solomon tells us that there is no such thing as chance, but instead, “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.” (Prov. 16:33). And Paul, when affirming the deity of Christ, describes his sovereignty as the Creator and Sustainer of all things (Colossians 1:16–17). Scripture makes it clear—God is in control.

So, what do we do with this truth? We do not fear. We know that God, our Father in Christ, is firmly in control over all things. We rest in this wonderful truth. And note the way Jesus tells us not to fear: this is not a commanding, demand of response. No, he prefaces his call to fearlessness with a description of the sweet care God has for his creatures. He knows every bird, despite their lack of value. And he knows
exactly how many hairs are on your head. Fear not, for God is in control and he knows you – your fears, your situation, and your doubt.

Second, Jesus tells his disciples to not fear because God declares us valuable. Jesus explains that God cares for all creatures, even the sparrows worth only a couple pennies. Why is Jesus telling us about birds? Because he wants us to see: if God remembers even the worthless birds, how much more do you think he will remember you in your pain, fear, and anxiety? “You are more valuable than many sparrows.” You are precious to God.

Man is the only creature made in God’s own image (Genesis 1:26). Therefore, our value is given to us from creation. So in anxious, fearful, and uncertain times we should remember that all mankind is made in the image of God and deserves, compassion, respect, and dignity.

Our value in God’s sight is seen not only in our being made in his image, but also in the price God was willing to pay to rescue us. The length to which God went to save us loudly declares how precious those in Christ are to God! John 3:16 tells us that God’s love for us is seen in the fact that he sent his only Son to die for us. Paul explains, “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8).

Friends, for those in Christ, this declaration of our value should settle our fears. Our Savior, Jesus – the One who came to die for us – reminds us that we are valuable to God. So draw near to him. Come to your Savior. Hear his tender words and his gentle command: “Fear not!”