Honest Reflections

“Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” (John 2:7-8 NIV)

Jesus’ first miracle was turning water into wine.  He did it for his mother. They were at a wedding in Galilee when the wine ran out.  Typically, these types of festivities would go on for days in this culture. Usually the best wine is served first, then cheaper wine when it runs out.  Jesus’ wine is the best there is:

“Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.” (John 2:10 NIV).

The master of the banquet didn’t know the wine had been made by Jesus.  He missed the miracle. But Jesus’s disciples didn’t. This is what made them first believe:

“What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.” (John 2:11 NIV)

Jesus’ first miracle was turning water into wine.

Within the church, there has been much controversy about drinking alcohol.  Some people believe that if you follow Christ, you can’t drink. I do not understand where this belief came from because creating wine is what caused His disciples to first believe.  I believe if Jesus created it, then we are allowed to partake of it. The problem isn’t having a drink, the problem is drinking in excess:

“Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise.” (Proverbs 20:1 NIV)

The problem with alcohol, it’s addictive.  Alcoholism is a real disease. It changes the brain, people aren’t able to control their actions.  According to Healthline, if a person can’t go extended periods without relying on alcohol in some form, they typically have an addiction.  However, the world has also proven that a glass of wine a day is beneficial to our health.  So what is the right answer to this dilemma?  Paul gives us the answer in his letter to the Corinthians:

“I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive.” (1 Corinthians 10:23 NIV)

Each person has to make the decision on their own about drinking alcohol.  For me, the answer lies in this question: Does my need for alcohol come before my relationship with God?  If the answer is yes, alcohol has got to go.  Alcoholism is a disease. We need help overcoming it, just like any other disease.  If alcohol is taking the place of God in your life, seek help to overcome it. Here are two options: Celebrate Recovery and Alcoholics Anonymous. Don’t let alcohol steal God’s joy from your life. 

Question of the Day:

Does your need for alcohol come before your relationship with God?

Further Reading:Judges 15:1-16:31NIV, John 2:1-25 NIV, Psalm 103:1-22 NIV, Proverbs 14:17-19 NIV

“The simple believe anything, but the prudent give thought to their steps.  (Proverbs 14:16 NIV)

When you stop and think, you won’t fall for fake news.  Fake news is intentional misinformation that is spread across news outlets, especially social media.  People fall for it all of the time. I fall for it. A few months ago, there was a fake news article about a leading pastor in the country.  The article said he had signed a contract worth millions with another prominent pastor. I believed it, hook, line and sinker. I wasn’t a fan of this pastor, so it didn’t take much for me to think he would do something like this.  I didn’t stop and think, I just believed. As a result, I fell for the story. My husband did not, he spotted the fake news immediately and corrected me. My husband stopped and thought. When you stop and think, you won’t fall for fake news.

When you stop and think, you won’t fall for fake news.

Fake news existed in Jesus time as well:

“Then Jesus was approached by some Sadducees — religious leaders who say there is not resurrection from the dead.”  (Luke 20:27 NIV)\

The Sadducees were like me, they had a preconceived notion about death and resurrection.  I had a preconceived notion about the pastor. Because we had preconceived notions, we both missed the truth.   Jesus was not fake news. Jesus overcame death and was resurrected, but since the Sadduccees didn’t believe in that, they didn’t believe in Jesus. 

Fake news tells you Jesus doesn’t exist, real news tells you He does:

“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6 NIV)

The Sadducees questioned Jesus about death and resurrection when they went to talk to Him, Jesus told them the truth (Luke 20:27-38 NIV).  The problem was, they didn’t want to hear it.  Jesus is trying to tell us the truth, but like the Sadducees, we don’t want to hear it.  

We don’t want to put God first in all things, we don’t want to love others as we love ourselves (Mark 12:30-31 NIV).  We want God to be available when we want Him to be.  We want to love the people we want to love, not the ones we don’t.  But when we do believe the truth, our lives will be filled with His peace that surpasses all understanding. (Phil. 4:6-7 NIV).

When we put God first in all things, He gives us what we need to love everyone.  When we ask Him to let us see people as He sees them, He does. He shows us their heart, their hurts, their brokenness.  And then He shows us how to love them.

Question of the Day:

Which do you believe, fake news or truth?

Further Reading: Judges 13:1-14:20 NIV, John 1:29-51NIV, Psalm 102:1-28 NIV, Proverbs 14:15-16 NIV

“Whoever slanders their neighbor in secret,  I will put to silence, whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart,  I will not tolerate.” (Psalm 101:5 NIV)

Yes, God knows everything you do.  That is the short answer. People want God with them, when they want God with them.  For instance, a soldier in a fox hole under heavy fire wants God with him. However, that same soldier, celebrating after the battle is over in a neighborhood bar with a woman whom he’s paying for her attention, doesn’t want God with him then.  But God really does know everything, and He still loves us. Even when we are at our worst, His love for us is unwavering. God knows everything because He created everything. Does God know everything in your life? Yes He does.

God knows everything because He created everything.

Somewhere along the way while I was single, I heard about the “Eye” theory.  Someone challenged me to imagine that my future husband was with me all of the time.  Would I feel comfortable if he knew what I was doing at that moment? I remember how that challenge really made me think about what I was doing in my life.  Because of that challenge, I started to think differently. I started to ask myself this question: “Do I feel comfortable telling my future spouse about what I’m doing today?”  I gained a new perspective by asking myself the right question.

We can expand that theory to our relationship with God.  Instead of asking if I can tell my spouse, instead ask, can I tell God?  When we make that shift, we will find we start to make better decisions about what we are doing with our time.  When we start asking ourselves the right questions, we’ll get the right answers.

When we find someone hard to love, we can ask God to show us how to love them.  Instead of talking bad about them to other people, we can talk to God about the situation and let Him give us a new perspective on it.  I, just like everyone else, have people that are very difficult for me to deal with. In fact, without God’s presence in my life, I wouldn’t be able to deal with them.  God is the one Who guides me in those difficult relationships. He helps me set up healthy boundaries that enable me to love them. Sometimes that love is done from afar, but it is still love.

God does know everything about your life.    It’s okay that God knows everything. His love for us isn’t dependent on our actions, it’s dependent on His.  Even when we are at our absolute worst, Jesus still died for us. Does God know everything about your life? Yes, He does.  And that’s ok.

Question of the Day:

Do you believe God loves you just as you are?

Further Reading: Judges 11:1-12:15 NIV, John 1:1-28 NIV, Psalm 101:1-8 NIV, Proverbs 14:13-14 NIV

“There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.” (Proverbs 14:12 NIV)

The right way to go is following behind Jesus.  I’ve talked about the production of “Jesus” the last few days.  The reason is because it was so well done in my opinion.  I love Jesus in the show. He was always smiling. Wherever He went He was smiling and loving people, with ease.  The only exception is when the Temple was turned into a marketplace. Jesus got mad then, and even in that moment, He did not sin.  If you want to know the right way to go in your life, follow Jesus.

If you want to know the right way to go in life, follow Jesus.

Jesus’ disciples were always following along behind Him as they traveled.  Sometimes one of them would walk beside Him as they were discussing something.  But they couldn’t all walk beside Jesus at one time, the majority of the time they were following Him.  And when they were following Him, they were going the right way.

What does it look like to follow Jesus today?  The same way it looked for the disciples. The difference is, they had Jesus in person to follow.  We have Jesus’ example to follow through the words written by the disciples after His death. We have John’s words of his experience following Jesus.  We have Peter’s words, Mark’s words, Luke’s words, Matthew’s words. We can get to know Jesus through the words of those who followed Him closest.

Influencers is a term in today’s world which means someone on social media who has a large following.  Because they have a large following, they influence the people who follow them. When people follow someone on social media, they read their posts, they look at their pictures and they watch their videos or live events.  They do this so that they can learn everything about the person they are following. The more the person likes the influencer, the more they will do all of those things.

Jesus is our influencer.  The Bible contains posts from His followers.  People who knew Jesus intimately and want us to know Him in the same way.  Jesus’ followers lead us straight to Him in all things. They give the glory to Him, not to themselves:  

“This beginning of His signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.” (John 2:11 NIV)

The disciples saw Jesus’ glory first hand.  When we follow Him, we’ll see it too. We can follow Him, just like the disciples did.  One step at a time. If you want to know the right way to go in your life, follow Jesus.

Question of the Day:

Who is the influencer you are following in your life?

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Further Reading: Judges 9:22-10:18 NIV, Luke 24:13-53 NIV, Psalm 100:1-5 NIV, Proverbs 14:11-12 NIV

“Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body. Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid.” (Luke 23:52-53 NIV)

Nothing is insignificant with God because everything He does has purpose.  Over Easter, my husband and I watched the production of “Jesus” by Sight and Sound Theater in Lancaster, PA.  When Jesus died on the cross, they showed Mary watching as His body was wrapped in linen.  As she watched, she flashbacks to when He was born in Bethlehem. We watched as she carefully wrapped Him for the first time in swaddling clothes.  The impact of realizing she had wrapped His body when He was born, then watched Him be wrapped when He died, was emotional. I had never seen Mary’s pain illustrated so vividly.  This scene made the wrapping of Jesus’s body even more significant. I gained a new perspective. I realized, nothing is insignificant with God. With God, all things are significant, because they have purpose.

With God, all things are significant, because they have purpose.

My husband gained a perspective I didn’t.  When the play showed the young Mary swaddling Jesus, he wanted to know why swaddling?  What he found confirmed, everything is significant because of its purpose:

“Priestly shepherds were those who raised lambs for the sacrifice by the priests in the temple in Jerusalem. It was in the lower portion of this watchtower that the birthing of the future sacrificial lambs would take place. The shepherds would wrap the newborn lambs in swaddling clothes to protect the body of the lambs, which would be offered as sacrifice at the Temple just four miles away in Jerusalem. After the lamb was born it was wrapped in swaddling clothes to keep it protected without spot or blemish (as the scripture required a perfect lamb), and then this lamb would be laid in a manger until it had calmed down.”

The Powerful Meaning of Swaddling Clothes

From one scene in a play came many different purposes: preparing Jesus body for burial, Mary’s heart as she watched Jesus’s story unfold, the swaddling clothes that had a deeper meaning than just keeping a newborn warm.  Nothing is insignificant to God, even if we don’t understand its significance.

You are not insignificant to God.  He made you with a purpose only you can fulfill.  He knitted you together in your mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13-14 NIV).  We are the clay, He is the Potter (Isaiah 64:8 NIV).  He knew you before He formed you (Jeremiah 1:4-5 NIV).  You are His workmanship (Ephesians 2:10 NIV).  You are significant, because everything is significant to God.  God has a purpose for you, and it’s significant!

Question of the Day:

How does knowing you’re significant to God change your perspective?

Further Reading: Judges 8:18-9:21 NIV, Luke 23:44-24:12 NIV, Psalm 99:1-9 NIV, Proverbs 14:9-10 NIV

“All who worship images are put to shame, those who boast in idols—worship him, all you gods!” (Psalm 97:7 NIV)

Worshipping the wrong thing will put you to shame.  I’ve heard different pastors use this to emphasize what we worship.  If you want to know what you’re worshipping, look at your calendar and checkbook.  Where your time and money goes is an indication of what you worship. If your time and money are going to the wrong place, you’ll be put to shame.  When you worship the wrong thing, you’ll be put to shame.

When you worship the wrong thing, you’ll be put to shame.

As I asked God where He wanted me to go with today’s devotional, He led me to this article: “The Top 7 Idols in America.”  The article says that we in America are “polytheist,”  we have many gods other than the One true God. The top 7 idols, in inverse order: National Security, Money, riches and wealth, Guns, Automobiles, Fame and Celebrity, Collegiate sports, and number 1: Professional sports.  If you compare your calendar and checkbook to these seven things, what does it tell you?

I immediately thought of my love of tennis.  I thought of all of the money I’ve spent on equipment for playing tennis.  The clothes I’ve bought for tennis. And I thought about the money we’ve spent going to professional tournaments.  We saved for an entire year to spend one week in New York with my niece at the U.S. Open. You would see those things in my calendar and checkbook.  I am in the number 1 category of idol worshipers.

We are allowed to have other things in our lives.  I can love God and still love tennis. The important question is:  Who comes first, God or tennis? If tennis is coming before my love of God, then I have a problem.  But if God is first, tennis becomes an opportunity to share my love for Him with those I’m playing tennis.  God has used tennis to grow me in ways I never would otherwise. I’ve learned that my actions impact the actions of those around me.  I’ve learned body language is a language. I thought if I didn’t say what I was thinking, I was fine. But the truth is, our bodies say what we’re thinking, even if we don’t voice the words.  I’ve learned I can hurt people deeply with my body language. Each time I step on the court, God teaches me a lesson. And those lessons help me love people better.

When you look at your calendar and checkbook and compare it to the top 7 idols, don’t berate yourself.  Simply ask yourself this question: Who comes first, God or whatever? Then let God lead you from there.

Question of the Day:

Who comes first in your life, God or someone/thing else?

Further Reading: Judges 7:1-8:17 NIV, Luke 23:13-43 NIV, Psalm 97:1-98:9 NIV, Proverbs 14:7-8 NIV

Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece, but this time make the fleece dry and let the ground be covered with dew.”  (Judges 6:39NIV)

The kind of sign to ask God for is a specific one.  Gideon shows us that over and over again. The request in today’s scripture was his third request in this passage. First he asked for a sign when he met the Lord (Judges 6:17 NIV).  The second time was when God said he was going to save Israel through Gideon. That request was the opposite of his third one, he asked God to make the fleece wet and the ground dry (Judges 6:37 NIV).  His final request, make the fleece dry and the ground wet. God answered all of them. He understood Gideon’s need for reassurance. God understands our need for reassurance. The kind of sign you should ask God for is a specific one.

The kind of sign you should ask God for is a specific one.

Signs are as unique to each of us as our lives are.  What God gives me as a sign wouldn’t be a sign for someone else.  One of the signs I remember asking God for was when I purchased a car.  I couldn’t afford to buy a new car, but I wanted a new car. As they were running my credit, that is when I thought about God.  I went into the bathroom, knelt on my knees, and asked God for a sign. “Lord, if you want me to buy this car, let the paperwork go through.”  I wasn’t sure that it would. When it did, I felt God was blessing my purchase.

I learned a valuable lesson from that car I’ve never forgotten.  I believe God blessed that purchase because it is the only way I would ever learn.  Buying a car I couldn’t afford taught me self-discipline, money management, and wisdom.  I learned self-discipline because I was stuck with the car. I owed more than it was worth, I couldn’t sell it.  Every month when I paid the car payment, I was kicking myself for my impulse decision. I learned to manage money.  The weight of the debt was heavy on my shoulders, I turned to God for help. He taught me how to manage money through His word.  Slowly I paid it off, slowly I grew closer to God because of it. And I gained wisdom, God taught me more than words can describe because He blessed my purchase with what to me was a sign.

The kind of sign you should ask God for is a specific one.  But don’t be surprised if He uses it in ways you’d never imagine.

Question of the Day:

What kind of sign are you asking God for today?

Further Reading: Judges 6:1-40 NIV, Luke 22:54-23:12 NIV, Psalm 95:1-96:13 NIV, Proverbs 14:5-6 NIV

“When I said, “My foot is slipping,”  your unfailing love, Lord, supported me.” (Psalm 94:18 NIV)

Jesus can stop you from falling.  His unfailing love supports you so that you will not slip.  When you’re teetering on the edge of temptation, He is the One that will stop you from sliding into it.  When we keep our eyes focused on Him, He becomes our lifeline. We are tied to Him, no matter what it is we face in life.  When we start to slide down the slippery slope of sin, hopelessness or despair, He is there to keep us from falling into the pit.  Who can stop you from falling? Jesus.

Who can stop you from falling? Jesus.

Sights and Sound Theatre produces Biblical stories using all of the senses.  Over Easter, because of social isolation, they broadcast their production of Jesus for free.  In the trailer, there is a glimpse of one of the most beautiful portrayals I have seen of Jesus holding someone up.  The disciples are sailing through a storm, Jesus comes to them walking on water. When Peter sees Jesus, he needs proof that he is actually walking on water:

“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

 “Come,” He said.

 (Matthew 14:28-29 NIV)

Peter quickly steps out of the boat and walks towards Jesus amongst the waves.  But he takes his eyes off of Jesus. When he does, he begins to fall. He slowly sinks beneath the waves.  Jesus doesn’t let him fall. He reaches down, grabs his hand and pulls him up. Together, they walk to the boat.

Peter started to fall when he looked at the waves around him instead of Jesus in front of him.  We do the same thing when we focus more on our circumstances than Jesus. Right now, our country is going through arguably the worst crisis in the past 50 years.  The pandemic has shut the country down economically and physically. We can easily take our eyes off of Jesus when we’re struggling to pay the bills and feed our families.  But now is the time to focus more intently upon Him. Now is the time to let Him hold us up when our faith is slipping and we feel like we’re falling into the sea of life.

Turn to Him today.  Tell Him you are falling.  Let His unfailing love be your support.  He knows you by name. He loves you unconditionally.  He died on the cross to have a relationship with you. Don’t take your eyes off of Him now.  Let Him hold you steady and keep you from falling. He’s telling you the same thing He told Peter, “Come.”

Question of the Day:

How can you focus your eyes on Jesus today?

Further Reading: Judges 4:1-5:31 NIV, Luke 22:35-53 NIV, Psalm 94:1-23 NIV, Proverbs 14:3-4 NIV

“The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.” (Proverbs 14:1 NIV)

Foolishness will tear down your house.  Webster’s Dictionary of 1828 defines foolish: void of understanding or sound judgment;  unwise; imprudent; acting without judgment or discretion in particular things, silly; vain; trifling.  The hard truth is, we’ve all been foolish at some point in our lives.  We’ve rushed into a situation without completely understanding it. We’ve made a poor decision because we didn’t have all the facts.  There are times we’ve not been discreet, or picked a fight over something silly. None of these things will build a house, they only tear it down.  But with God’s grace and mercy, we can learn wisdom. A foolish person tears down the house, but wisdom builds it.

A foolish person tears down the house, but wisdom builds it.

The house in this verse is a representation of the relationships inside of it.  A wise woman knows how to create a home that her family wants to be in. A foolish woman creates a home no one wants to be in.

My mother was a wise woman.  She created an environment in our home where my siblings and I wanted to be, not only us, but our friends.  Our house was the neighborhood hang out when we were kids. When we grew into adults, we still wanted to hang out at home when given the chance.  This isn’t to say we didn’t have our issues, every family has issues. But even with our issues, we still wanted to be in her home.

A lot of the friends that came to our house did not want to be in their home.  Their parents were constantly fighting. The fighting would eventually involve the children.  There was no peace in their home, only strife. Each argument tore down their family home a little bit more.  Not because they argued, but because they never resolved the arguments. Instead of working towards peace, they worked towards strife.  Foolishness, as described above, creates strife. Strife does not build a home, only destroys it.

My mother was a wise woman because she followed Jesus.  The wisdom she had came from doing what Jesus did. She studied the Scriptures and she believed their truth.  She applied what God’s word said to her life and did it. Her wisdom wasn’t her own, her wisdom came from God.

We all have access to God’s wisdom.   When we place our faith in Jesus, then follow His lead, it is the wisest choice we can make.  When we read God’s word and get to know Jesus better, we will become wiser. We will be able to build homes where our children will want to be.  A foolish person tears down their house, but a wise person builds it.

Question of the Day:

What is one thing you can do to build your house today?

Further Reading: Judges 2:10-3:31NIV, Luke 22:14-34 NIV, Psalm 92:1-93:5 NIV, Proverbs 14:1-2 NIV

“When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near.” (Luke 21:30 NIV) 

Look for sprouting leaves and you will spot hope.  Hope that summer is coming. Hope that better days are ahead.  Hope for a better tomorrow. Sprouting leaves are signs of life that God gives us.  Their message, “It’s going to be ok.” God is telling us visually, “I have a plan, it is good” (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV).  Sprouting leaves are one of God’s emojis for us.  They tell an entire story in one picture. A seed, planted in total darkness, watered with love, begins to bloom into new life.  Christ overcame death, and gave us new life. Look for sprouting leaves and you will spot hope.

Look for sprouting leaves and you will spot hope.

Emojis are a new language that has developed with the onset of technology.  An emoji is defined as a small digital image or icon used to express an idea, emotion, etc. Studies done in communication show that people want to know the story in the amount of time it takes to process a picture.  Our world has become one of scrolling through timelines. If you want to grab someone’s attention, you only have a few seconds.  Emojis do the trick. They convey laughter, sadness, anger, impatience and much more, all with a quick look.

God has placed emojis all around us. People’s faces are emojis.  With one look we can tell if someone is happy or sad, angry or mad. Just like sprouting leaves indicate hope, falling leaves indicate a change of season.  Animals are emojis, a tiger represents fierceness. An eagle represents strength. The rising sun indicates a new day, the setting sun the end of it. All of these are icons, made by God that convey a message.  And all of them are messages of hope:

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28 NIV).

Just like God is with the seed when it’s planted in complete darkness, He is with us in our worst moments.  He knows the pains we have suffered, He’s waiting for us to give them to Him. Just like the seed grows out of the darkness into the light, God will do the same for us.  He will take our worst circumstances and draw them gently into the light. He will love and nourish us uniquely as He changes us into who He created us to be. The seed was planted in darkness, then nurtured with love into a sprouting leaf that turns into a magnificent flower.  God does the same for us. He takes the seeds of faith we offer Him and grows them into beautiful roses. When you see sprouting leaves, you’ve spotted hope.

Question of the Day:

What leaves of hope is God sprouting in your life?

Further Reading: Judges 1:1-2:9 NIV, Luke 21:29-22:13 NIV, Psalm 90:1-91:16 NIV, Proverbs 13:24-25 NIV