Jillian McGriff

The Truth

Today’s Reading: Matthew 5:33-37, Psalm 64

Good Morning! I’m so happy to be with you again Monday morning readers. This week, we continue our study of the Sermon on the Mount. Today’s reading focuses on oaths. When I think of the word “oath” I think of serious situations like testifying in court or taking an oath of office. In our society we view an oath as a promise to tell the truth, a promise to do no harm or a promise to do our best to protect people. When Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount sometime around 60 AD, an oath not only implied keeping one’s promise but also had significant spiritual implications. Jesus is emphasizing the importance of telling the truth. Keeping our word or oath is one of the few forms of earthly currency we have. It builds trust and makes committed human relationships possible. Jesus’ teaching on oaths has three distinct facets:

You must keep your promises to God. Back in 60 AD, Jews avoided using God’s personal name when taking an oath. Instead they would use a reverent sounding substitution in order to appear sincere. How often do we as Christians make a promises in the name of God whether in church, at small group or in our community. The Bible condemns making vows or taking oaths casually when you know you aren’t fully committed to keeping your word.
Jesus tells us not to take oaths at all. This seems counterintuitive, but Jesus’ message is that our word should be enough. He encourages us to act with integrity in all areas of our life. When we do so, we can be our authentic selves and therefore do not have to make promises in order to redeem trust. If we tell the truth all the time, we will have less pressure to back up our words with an oath or promise.
Do not swear by your head. What Jesus means is that we do not have the authority to create or destroy things over which God has authority. Swearing against God aligns us with the enemy. Just as he attempted to assume God’s position, so do we when we attempt to sit on a false throne.

Oaths are needed today because we live in a sinful society. Trust is a powerful element of our ability to interact as sinners. Psalm 64 says:

Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked, from the throng of evildoers, who whet their tongues like swords, who aim bitter words like arrows,shooting from ambush at the blameless, shooting at him suddenly and without fear. They hold fast to their evil purpose; they talk of laying snares secretly thinking, “Who can see them?” They search out injustice, saying, “We have accomplished a diligent search.” For the inward mind and heart of a man are deep. (Psalm 64:2-6)

Jesus calls us to be genuine in our pursuit of honesty and personal integrity. He asks us to keep our promises to God and ask for forgiveness when we fail. The grace in this lesson is that God always keeps his promises to us, no matter how many times we fall.

Peace and blessings this week

To Be Blessed

Today’s Reading : Psalm 58; Matthew 5:3-12

In today’s reading we are at the top of the mountain in close quarters with Jesus. We have a private audience with Jesus and the disciples before the Sermon on the Mount. As the crowds are gathering, Jesus pulls all of his close associates into a small huddle and preps them on the future possibilities of their ministry and life. He tells them how blessed their life will be following Him, but it is not the typical blessing that they would expect. I have read the Beatitudes many times in my life, but I have found a new understanding of them as I studied and write this blog. Below is the The Message form of the Beatitudes:

Matthew 5:3-12

“You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.

⁴“You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.

⁵“You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are—no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought.

⁶“You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat.

⁷“You’re blessed when you care. At the moment of being ‘care-full,’ you find yourselves cared for.

⁸“You’re blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.

⁹“You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family.

¹⁰“You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God’s kingdom.

^11-12“Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don’t like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.

Last night, as I was putting my son to sleep I read these to him and he said “Dad, that really makes sense. I can see how God blesses people in all of those situations”. It really makes sense and my seven-year-old son gets it. We have the fortune to see this and live this post sermon, but could you image the impact that these words had on the people of Jesus’ time? These were people who had been treated without regard of their religion, citizenship, physical capacities, and so much more. In that society, the more powerful you appear to have the more force you have, but Christ is showing the complete opposite side of this argument. The more that you relinquish the power or pursuit of said power and submit to Christ the more you are given and more peace you are granted. In our society we can see remnants of this ideology of more force and more power makes the better person or entity. This is contrary to Jesus’ teachings. The more that we can allow God to give use Shalom (completeness), the more we are in His power and his peace.

Be Blessed

Restoration Monday

Today’s Readings: 2 Samuel 20 and Psalm 52

res·to·ra·tion

ˌrestəˈrāSH(ə)n/

noun

noun: restoration

the action of returning something to a former owner, place, or condition.
the process of repairing or renovating a building, work of art, vehicle, etc., so as to restore it to its original condition.
the reinstatement of a previous practice, right, custom, or situation.
a model or drawing representing the supposed original form of an extinct animal, ruined building, etc
the return of a hereditary monarch to a throne, a head of state to government, or a regime to power.

I wanted to start with this word today to give us some inspiration for the new year. It’s my third year as your Sunday night blogger and therefore my third Easter post! I like to think of the Monday after Easter as the beginning of a new year. The spiritual energy of the Easter season is far more captivating for me than the celebration of Christmas. We’ve just finished celebrating Christ’s resurrection and perhaps more importantly, we’ve mourned his death. I had the opportunity to be on the stage side of Eastview’s Night of Worship on Good Friday. As we lifted our hands and voices in worship, we witnessed hundreds of people literally cry out to God. We heard the sound of the nails being driven through Jesus’ hands and feet. We wept for his pain and suffering on our behalf. That sound of a hammer pounding a nail was so real, so palpable it stuck with me. Tonight, as I read through 2 Samuel 20 and prepared to write to you, that sound came right back to me. As we hear about the Sheba rebels trying to overthrow David we’re suddenly exposed to some really graphic details. First there’s the little encounter with Joab and Amasa:

“When they were at the great stone that is in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. Now Joab was wearing a soldier’s garment, and over it was a belt with a sword in its sheath fastened on his thigh, and as he went forward it fell out. ⁹And Joab said to Amasa, “Is it well with you, my brother?” And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him. ¹⁰But Amasa did not observe the sword that was in Joab’s hand. So Joab struck him with it in the stomach and spilled his entrails to the ground without striking a second blow, and he died.” 2 Samuel 20:8-10

I know right. Entrails. Not exactly the lily white Easter message you were expecting today. None of this seems very Godly and honestly it’s tough to read. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t get any better! Just a few paragraphs later, Joab is pursuing Sheba in order to restore justice and peace among the tribes of Isreal. A wise woman stops him from destroying the city by promising she will have Sheba killed and his head tossed over the city wall.

“And the woman said to Joab, “Behold, his head shall be thrown to you over the wall.” ²²Then the woman went to all the people in her wisdom. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri and threw it out to Joab. So he blew the trumpet, and they dispersed from the city, every man to his home. And Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king.” 2 Samuel 20:21-22

When I first began studying this scripture I really worked at spinning it into a beautiful celebratory Easter message. But the word of God can’t be spun. It isn’t meant to be spun. Joab’s story is messy. His murderous act went unpunished and he went on to be the king of Jerusalem. The world we live in today is the same. There are acts of violence in our city and there are leaders that rise to power despite a sinful past. But there is also grace. 2 Samuel 20 is really about the restoring the stability of the 12 tribes of Israel. Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, we too have the opportunity for restoration. We can begin our new year by identifying the structural cracks in our spiritual life that need repair. There might be a need for demolition and rebuilding but through Jesus we have the tools we need. Sometimes the details of our human lives are graphic, our truth isn’t always Easter white. By returning to prayer and restoring our relationship with Jesus we can be made whole.

Happy Easter New Year!

Be Still

Todays Readings: 2 Samuel 14; Psalm 46

This is the beginning of Holy Week. We begin the preparations of Easter and Resurrection Sunday this week. We are taking time to reflect more on the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. I am excited to be able to witness this time of reflection and renewal with you. Psalm 46 expresses the heart of the week and this season of Lent and Easter.

Psalm 46:

God is our refuge and strength,
a very present^[b] help in trouble.
²Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
³though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah

⁴There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
⁵God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
⁶The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
⁷The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

⁸Come, behold the works of the Lord,
how he has brought desolations on the earth.
⁹He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the chariots with fire.
¹⁰“Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
¹¹The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

This is one of my many favorite passages throughout the bible. I love reading and mediating on these words. The power that is contained in these lines is substantial and appropriate for all weeks, especially this Holy Week. The images that I have for this day are:

Christ coming into the city before Passover (Luke 19:38-44) (verse 1&2)
The crowds of people praising him. (Verse 8)
Christ knowing that the Father has ordained the way. (Verse 10)

The King Who Wins

Today’s Reading: 2 Samuel 8 and Psalm 40

Hello Monday! Are you looking for signs of spring? Each morning I look for fresh green buds in our front yard or any other sign of new life. This time of year leading up to Easter is always sort of dreary. Christ’s death is eminent and there is a heaviness that comes with recounting the days before his burial and resurrection. Of course our reading today pre-dates the birth and death of Christ by about one thousand years. David’s rise to power began around the year 1003 BC. Today we hear about the fulfillment of God’s promise to defeat all of the enemies of the Israelites. David defeats the Philistines, the Moabites, the Edomites and entire armies of 22,000 men. He takes their chariot horses, weapons and money and then makes them his servants. So basically everything is going right for ol’ David. All the Israelites loved him:

“All the people took note and were pleased; indeed, everything the king did pleased them.” 2 Samuel 3:36

Kind of a hard thing to hear on a Monday morning right? I have to be honest, when I first read this chapter I thought, “must be nice to conquer and plunder every enemy you face!” We all have that person (or two) in our life that seem to win every battle no matter how big or small. They effortlessly rise to power in their workplace and are successful in their personal life. All the people take note and are pleased! And you are left feeling a little jelly and maybe even a smidge resentful. Now, if I’m just talking about myself here, I hope you’ll take my confession and pray for me to mature in my faith! If on the other hand, you’ve ever struggled with the patience required to God to fulfill a promise then stay with me! Verse 15 says this:

“David reigned over all Israel, doing what was just and right for all his people.” 2 Samuel 8:15

This is an important clue about the character of King David. Yes, he pleased his people but not because he tried to satisfy them. Instead, he showed them in all of his actions that he was trying to please God. Often, those that try their hardest to become popular never make it. Spending our time and money on devising ways to gain acceptance with our peers is fruitless. God wants us to spend our time striving to do what is right and just. King David’s reign was characterized by doing what was just for his people. Justice means interpreting the law and administering consequences with mercy and respect. David became a trusted leader among his followers because they respected his convictions. After some dedicated study of today’s word I came around to truly appreciating King David for his integrity and commitment to fulfilling his covenant promise with God. Through more reflection and prayer I understood that justice is not always the same as fairness. God doesn’t deal in fairness. Some will have riches, some will be poor. Some will have love and companionship, others will be alone. God fulfills His promises and reveals them in His time. We are not kings and queens and we won’t win every battle. We can trust God to give us the authority we need, in his time, to do the work that he wants us to do.

I encourage you to read Psalm 40 today in its entirety. It’s a perfect companion to His message in 2 Samuel 8. It begins like this:

“I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand…” Psalm 40

Searching for the Heart of God

Today’s Reading : 2 Samuel 2, Psalm 34

During our journey through the books of Samuel, we have encounter many versions of Saul and David, and this is the time that we are able to see David become king of Judah and soon Israel. The one amazing trait that I see constantly throughout the text is David’s passion and undying reverence and relationship with God and David’s heart.

2 Samuel 2: 1-7

After this David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?” And the Lord said to him, “Go up.” David said, “To which shall I go up?” And he said, “To Hebron.” ²So David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel. ³And David brought up his men who were with him, everyone with his household, and they lived in the towns of Hebron. ⁴And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah.

When they told David, “It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul,” ⁵David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead and said to them, “May you be blessed by the Lord, because you showed this loyalty to Saul your lord and buried him. ⁶Now may the Lord show steadfast love and faithfulness to you. And I will do good to you because you have done this thing. ⁷Now therefore let your hands be strong, and be valiant, for Saul your lord is dead, and the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.”

In these verses, David is inquiring and listening to the direction of God. He active listens to God and then clarifies the orders to make sure that he is doing the exact mission and directions that are presented to him. There have been many times that I have wondered what way to travel or which road to take. Because I relied on my own understandings I have experienced some very interesting adventures and been saved from myself through grace. How different would my adventures have been if I was aligned properly with God and had the discernment to ask these easy questions? David has lived and understood the richness and fullness of what God has in store for him.

Also in this passage, we see that David is genuinely compassionate for Saul, God’s anointed one. He has had several opportunities to take the throne and have his revenge on Saul, but he always refers to “What is God’s plan for His Anointed?” David has been given Saul’s life so many times in 1 Samuel, it is hard to keep a tally. But he always inquires God about how to deal with Saul. He revenges the lies that were spoken about Saul’s death and blesses those that buried Saul: his king, mentor, and father-in-law. This is a testament of his internal character, David loved God and loved his neighbor and his enemy. This is the Ahava, an unconditional love that cannot be explained. It is the love that God has for us. Once we have tasted the goodness of God, it is impossible to not want to give it to others. May we be blessed to seek God as David has and listen to his direction.

An Imperfect King

Good Morning, it’s another Monday! Thank you for starting your week with Bible Journal. Today’s readings are: 1 Samuel 27 and Psalms 28. After reading today’s chapter in 1 Samuel, I found myself getting a little confused about the whole Saul and David story. I know most of our readers are way beyond my level of experience and knowledge of the Bible, but just in case…here’s a recap:

While Saul is still king, Samuel appoints David as the next king of Israel. As a young man David slays Goliath the champion of Philistine. During this time he develops a friendship with Jonathan, Saul’s son. When Saul realizes that Samuel has appointed David as the future king he gets super jealous. After that Saul works really hard to chase David around and kill him. In today’s reading, David has fled to Ziklag (the land of the Philistines) in order to avoid Saul. Spoiler alert: Saul is eventually takes his own life in the face of eminent death (Chapter 31 if you want to check it out).

So this is the second time that David has sought refuge in Philistine territory under the protection of King Achish. Since David is out of the country, Saul stops the chase as the immediate threat to his throne is gone. Of course, it’s easy to view David as this righteous guy that is just doing his best to follow God’s command whilst simultaneously avoiding his jealous predecessor. Indeed, in Acts 13:22 God refers to David as a man after His own heart:

“After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him:’I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.” Acts:13:22

I’m starting to feel a little jealous of David too now that we know how much God trusted in him! David has a lot of admirable qualities: shepherd, giant killer, poet and king. But alongside that list of wonderful qualities is another list of not so great qualities: betrayer, liar, adulterer, and even murderer. Yet what we remember about this great king is his humbleness before God. David’s failings may resonate with you far more than his greatness in the eyes of God. But I read something in my study Bible this week that changed this notion for me: David, more than anything else, had an unchangeable belief in the faithful and forgiving nature of God. David never took God’s forgiveness lightly or his blessing for granted. In return, God never held back from David either his forgiveness or the consequences of his actions. David experienced the joy of forgiveness even when he had to suffer the consequences of his sins.” (NIV Study Bible).

If that didn’t just change your life, read it again. God never held back his forgiveness or the consequences of David’s actions. So David experienced the joy of forgiveness as a result of suffering the consequences of his sins. God brought this lesson home for me in a real way this morning before I sat down to write.

Our seven year old decided to test some boundaries related to obedience this weekend. I found myself getting so angry with him when he smirked while refusing to go upstairs and get dressed for bed. When I took away his iPad and the TV he said, “Sure, I can live with that, no problem!” I had to take a deep breath and pray for guidance. When more sassy words came my way this morning I decided to give our little guy just what he was asking for, I made him a grown up for the day. After an hour of folding laundry it was on to dishes. Then bathroom scrubbing, bed making and finally meal planning. When we arrived at the grocery store I pulled up in front of Meijer, handed him his shaky misspelled list and said, “pick you up in an hour!” That’s when he cracked, he sobbed all the way home in his car seat. Only then could we have a clear conversation about authority, obedience, humility and respect. It was so hard to wield that consequence all day. I just wanted to relent and give him back his screen or let him go outside to play. But God gave me the strength and the wisdom to understand that there cannot be joy and redemption in forgiveness if my little one didn’t first understand and experience the consequence. David learned from his sins because he accepted the suffering they brought. Too often we don’t learn from our mistakes and thus get stuck in the same sin again and again. As we start another fresh week, I challenge you to ask yourself, what changes do you need to make for God to find obedience in you?

Love vs. Law

Today’s Reading: I Samuel 21; Psalms 22

In today’s reading, we find David, our anointed king running for his life. King Saul has been attempting to trap and kill David, but Jonathan has been a savior for David. This friendship has proven more valuable than the relationship that Jonathan and his father, Saul, had together. In I Samuel 21, David is fleeing and terrified for his life and safety. David enters the temple of God and request food and weapons.

I Samuel 21: 1-6

Then David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And Ahimelech came to meet David, trembling, and said to him, “Why are you alone, and no one with you?” ²And David said to Ahimelech the priest, “The king has charged me with a matter and said to me, ‘Let no one know anything of the matter about which I send you, and with which I have charged you.’ I have made an appointment with the young men for such and such a place. ³Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever is here.” ⁴And the priest answered David, “I have no common bread on hand, but there is holy bread—if the young men have kept themselves from women.” ⁵And David answered the priest, “Truly women have been kept from us as always when I go on an expedition. The vessels of the young men are holy even when it is an ordinary journey. How much more today will their vessels be holy?” ⁶So the priest gave him the holy bread, for there was no bread there but the bread of the Presence, which is removed from before the Lord, to be replaced by hot bread on the day it is taken away.

It was against the Levitical Law for anyone to eat of the holy bread except the priest and this was a very important law, which had fatal consequences if broken. The priest was faithful, even with the potential of death to show love for David. David had been anointed the next king of Israel, but it was not revealed to many. But the Spirit of God revealed something in David to the priest, and this caused the priest to show compassion toward him. By listening to the Spirit, the priest empowered David to face his adversaries with the needed nourishment and protection. This account with David is so impactful that Christ in the New Testament about the Love vs. Law scenario references it.

Matthew 6: 1-8

At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. ²But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.” ³He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him: ⁴how he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? ⁵Or have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless? ⁶I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. ⁷And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. ⁸For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”

Over the last several weeks, I have been reading and spending meaningful and intentional quite time and have had several enlightenment times that circle back to the necessity of learning the word of God, but allowing the Spirit of God to lead and direct me. Sometimes I get wrapped up in the “obligatory” and traditional ways and manners of worship and lose sight of the true purpose of the “why”. In this passage the priest listens to the Spirit of God and loves the person and presence of God in David. I have attempted to be more like David and search for God’s heart. As Christ and David understood and lived, “God desires mercy, not sacrifice”. It’s not the “act” that God wants from us, it is the “want and need” to be close to him. Can we desire God more today, this week, and so on going forth?

Lord, allow us to desire you the same way that you desire us. Allow us to love you as you have loved us. I pray that my prayers and actions are not just to perform them, but to actually seek you and your presence. Amen

Surrender and Obey

Today’s Reading: 1 Samuel 15 and Psalm 16

Good Morning, it’s Monday! As I write to you this morning, I’m aware that some of you may be heavy hearted as you face another week. Those that live in Bloomington/Normal are feeling the rippled effect of structural changes at State Farm. Having to put all of our faith in God and trusting Him to reveal His plan in His time is so very difficult. As I read through 1 Samuel 15 today I noticed two reappearing themes; surrender and obey. Oh I know, don’t you just want to open a new browser and do some online shopping about now? One thing that I just love is control. The very idea of surrendering and submitting my life and all its nitty gritty details to God just makes me sweat. I like the idea of doing good works and becoming a better Christian by reading the Bible and participating in small group. But, the idea of totally surrendering my life and obeying His commands all the time is something I really have to grapple with.

I found myself sort of sympathizing with Saul today. Through Samuel, God gave his command for Saul to attack the Amalekites and completely destroy everything they had. The order was clear. Do not spare any living thing that has breath. So, Saul summons his army, sets up an ambush and strikes down the Amalekites. When it’s all said and done he also kind of holds back a few of the best sheep, cattle and a few valuable objects from the plunder. He later claims that these items are to be used as an offering to God. Do you ever “kind of” follow God’s commands? I know I certainly do. It’s hard to be all in…all the time. When faced with vulnerability it’s in our human nature to take control and try to preserve ourselves. I really can’t blame Saul for holding back a few sheep. I know I hold back a few dollars for the ol’ rainy day fund whenever I get the chance. I have to discipline myself to remember that hoarding God’s gifts will not lead to security. We know this simple truth and yet we disobey our Heavenly Father over and over. Each time, he refines us and sometimes makes the next lesson in obedience a little more difficult so that we remember. I love the HCSB translation of today’s text. Listen to what Samuel says to Saul about his transgression:

“Does the Lord take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? Look: to obey is better than sacrifice to pay attention is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination and defiance is like wickedness and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has rejected you as King.” 1 Samuel 15:22-24 HCSB

By then end of the Chapter, Saul loses his Kingship because he wanted to do things his way. If only he had been obedient and followed God’s command, he would have been given the kingdom and so much more. The last verse in chapter 15 says this:

“Samuel never again visited Saul. Samuel mourned for Saul, and the Lord regretted He had made Saul king over Isreal.” 1 Samuel 15: 35 HCSB

The Lord regretted his choice. It’s not very often that we see the word “regret” associated with God in the Bible. Certainly, Saul felt deep regret. Of course he confessed his sin to Samuel and to God but it was too late for total restoration. This is a heavy message for a Monday morning but when you read between the lines, the underlying truth is that God keeps his promises to those that are obedient to Him. When we are willing to release control, to be all in, then and only then can His plan be revealed to us. Today’s psalm says this:

“…Therefore, my heart is glad and my spirit rejoices; my body also rests securely. For You will not abandon me. You will not allow Your Faithful One to see decay. You reveal the path of life to me; in Your presence is abundant joy; in Your right hand are eternal pleasures.” Psalm 16:9-11

Saul may have fallen, he may have lost his opportunity to be king but he was not abandoned. If you’ve fallen off your throne, and you’re facing this week with fear and anxiety, listen for His calling. Come to his alter. He will reveal the path and you will obey. At the end of that path, no matter how many twists and turns, how many set backs or storms, your Heavenly Father will greet you at the end.

Are you there?

Todays Reading

I Samuel 9, Psalms 10

Have you ever been in a position in your life that you are asking God “Are you there?” It could be during a difficult examination; receiving some bad news; being at the bedside of a loved one; or the passing of a close relative. We all have at one time or another asked the question “God, are you there? God do you care?” The answer is hard to contemplate during these times because were are human and want to have the results instantaneously.

This week we will be starting the Lenten season of reflection and insight, and as we enter this season we seek a new and profound relationship with God. Some may sacrifice items or time to allow them to pursue Christ more. Some may commit to a particular practice as prayer, devotion, or mediation to connect. But during this time some of us will have immediate connection with God and others it may take some time. Through these time of intentional reflection or devotions God is present and He is continually mindful of us, his children. God is a father that is in tuned with His people and knows our desires, pains, and afflictions before we are aware of them. We may feel that He is distant, but He is actually right beside us in these most vulnerable times.

In my own experiences , I have asked the questions of “Are you there?” many times. The ones that I remember very vividly are: Exactly seven years ago this week, my son, Ollie was admitted to the hospital and my wife and I had no idea the pain and suffering he was experiencing. At six weeks old, Oliver had a 21-day stay at OSF in Peoria and we did not know what each day would entail. We as first time parents did not know if our son would survive each following day. “God, Are you there?” Four years ago, on the day that my daughter, Ruby, was born and she was immediately placed in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) due to her having several conditions that were potentially life threating. My wife was not able to see my daughter until 12 hours after her birth. I went to the NICU with Ruby and held her hand the entire time. I prayed constantly “ God, Are you there?” Last year, my daughter Nadya, had an accident at a store and had several issues with consciousness and alertness. I rushed her to the hospital and waited with her as she underwent test and exams to ensure that she did not have a concussion or seizures. As I wait, I ask “ Are you there?” Now as I reflect on these powerful and impactful times in my life, I can assure you that the last portion of the Psalm is true:

Psalms: 10-16-18

The Lord is king forever and ever;
the nations perish from his land.
¹⁷O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted;
you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear
¹⁸to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed,
so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more.

In I Samuel, the 9^th Chapter, we see that God knows the direction and the timing of all the things that are for His good. In this chapter each detail that is explained has been already set into motion by the Most High and we all have the ability to acknowledge and accept Him. He directs Saul to a certain region in response to one mission, but God has a different plan and purpose for him. Samuel has been given insight at the exact time and location that he will meet Saul. Then the meeting of the two allows each one to fulfill God’s purpose. God gives us the options and we have to ask for discernment to make the best decision.

So the question is “Are you there?”, the answer is “Yes, are you listening and are you aware of my presence?” Throughout the bible, the Spirit of God is present at all places and is now present of the believers. We now have to ask ourselves “ Are we ready to acknowledge Him?”

Have a blessed week.