Category: Liturgical Calendar

Lent 2022 | Day 13: Steadfast

22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
     his mercies never come to an end;
23 they are new every morning;
     great is your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22-23 ESV

The prophet Jeremiah said in his great lament that the steadfast love of the Lord and his mercies are new every morning.

This is an amazing thing to consider. What does this mean in light of the fact that God never changes? It certainly cannot mean that there is something different in God. So we must consider that whatever is new, is new for us.

It is a common mistake made by many followers of Jesus to believe they have “a grasp” of who God is. This is truly poor thinking on our part. But what do I mean? Only that when we assume we have an extensive understanding of Jesus or of God we are setting ourselves up to get something wrong.

So Jeremiah said that the love of the Lord and his mercies, they never cease, they never come to an end, and yet they are new every morning. I take this to mean that as we journey with God we discover new aspects of his mercy and love we had not seen or experienced before. Each of these discoveries reminds us of how great and mysterious God is.

When we assume we have an extensive understanding of Jesus or of God we are setting ourselves up to get something wrong.

As we continue to grow in our understanding of faith, we should always remember what God is doing in us, around us, and through us is going to expand our understanding of who he is. In a sense, we should be perpetually surprised about what God is able to do. Not because we have called into question his ability. But because we marvel at the fact God could do so much with so little.

This is not meant to diminish us in any way. It’s only to acknowledge the difference that exists between who God is and what we are. When we live our lives with a proper perspective of who God is we will not have to fight against our pride as much. We can lean into a posture of humility before God and with others. We won’t be so concerned with our failures or shortcomings. We will just try to trust God more. To get out of his way so that he could have his way.

The fact God is steadfast should be a source of comfort to us. But I think too often we find that discouraging. And I’m not sure why. It could just be we have a hard time accepting there is anything that is actually unchanging in our lives or in the world around us.

As we continue in this season of Lent I am reminded that I can find comfort in God’s steady and persistent character. May that be something we remember more intentionally in the coming days and weeks. Let us be thankful that God does not change.

Lent 2022 | Day 12: Words

One of the first lessons my father taught me as I was growing up is that words have meaning and that we should therefore make sure to know what those words mean.

This simple axiom has served me well. In many ways, it has protected me from being deceived by those who were ill-informed or had ulterior motives. And it has given me the patience I need to know that I don’t know everything.

In this time in history when almost every person on the planet has the potential access to information, it becomes more important to make sure you know what people are saying. Communication is not a static exchange. It is very dynamic and the nuance and texture of possible meanings can make it difficult to know if we are being effective in our communication.

If we are to take seriously the idea God has spoken, we must then consider that what he has said is the most important thing ever spoken.

This is why when we read Scripture we must take the time to make sure we know and understand, to the best of our ability, what God has chosen to capture on those sacred pages. The fact we have God’s revelation written down means God has chosen to use the medium of human language to communicate his will. So the limitation in our understanding of what God has said is not because God has made it difficult but because we have rushed to reach a conclusion.

Jesus said that the words he spoke were words of life. If we are to take seriously the idea God has spoken, we must then consider that what he has said is the most important thing ever spoken. With this as an underlying assumption and one that would be safe to make, we should engage with the Scripture in a different way. Not merely as the work of human agency, but as the work of God through human agency.

Words have meaning. And it is this meaning that makes it possible for us to have confidence we can understand what God desires. As this confidence grows we become more diligent in our obedience. And as our obedience becomes more regular our passion to serve God increases. The relationship described between desire and obedience and passion is so close as to be the same thing. But they are distinct enough for us to understand how they should relate to each other.

In the season of Lent, the practice of self-reflection and surrender is a call to a deepening awareness of God’s goodness. This goodness is seen in his willingness to declare and codify his promises and prerogatives on the pages of the Scriptures. By doing this God has bound himself to his own word. He has declared that he is not a liar nor is he one to go back on his promises. When God speaks he offers us the conditions by which he will operate and conduct himself with us. This is not a limitation upon God. It is a declaration of how he has chosen to interact with us. We can therefore have confidence that if God has said it he will fulfill it.

Therefore as we continue our march to Easter morning, we do so with the confidence that is born out of God’s character. Not out of a fear that we must sustain this faith in our own strength.

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Lent 2022 | Day 11: Mercy

Mercy has often been defined as not getting what we truly deserve. I find this to be a helpful definition. But it only paints a part of the picture.

The Christian life calls us to look at the world around us through new eyes. It is an intentional effort to re-program our thinking to be more consistent with the character of God. But this can be challenging. Oftentimes in more ways than one. Our past histories and our present struggles can cloud our ability to see what God was doing and may still be at work doing.

This is why we must be a people marked by mercy. We have been the beneficiaries of God’s mercy. We have received that which we did not deserve. And more to the point that which we could never have earned.

It is an intentional effort to re-program our thinking to be more consistent with the character of God.

The grace of God gives us what we do not deserve. And that is only one side of the story. The second side, the side that we are discussing today, is what God has kept away from us. It can be easy to think at times that what God kept from us was not as bad as what we have been experiencing. But the problem is this is not true.

The penalty of sin upon us is eternal separation from God. To be completely and totally outside of the presence of God. And while there are some who would reject that hell exists, they would misunderstand what hell is in doing so. The imagery of the New Testament can be graphic and describe things that are quite horrifying. But the physical imagery of fire and of rotted flesh truly pale in comparison to the idea of being separated from God.

This permanent state of separation is the result of a complete and utter rejection of the salvation God has provided through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. To speak of God as imposing upon us for all eternity a will, a love, a grace, a mercy that we have rejected would be an indictment against God’s character.

God does not desire to force upon us what we do not desire for ourselves. But to then claim that it would be unjust for God to not allow those who chose this separation to have it is somewhat odd. Those who have stepped out of this world and into the next rejecting God are not being denied access into his presence. They are entering into the next life getting what they wanted. To regret that decision once there could be described as suffering from a form of spiritual “buyer’s remorse.”

God has given us ample time and sufficient testimony in the creation and within our own hearts to make a choice as to where we will be. If we heed the call of the gospel in repentance from sin we will not only have God’s grace applied to us but we will experience the mercy of God over us.

The relationship between God’s mercy and the subject of hell has too often been detached and even dismissed. But the reason we need not only God’s grace, which makes us ready for heaven, and God’s mercy, which changes the trajectory of our eternal destiny, is that we could address neither of these predicaments without God. When we receive God’s grace we are redeemed from the effects of sin. When we receive God’s mercy we are restored to a relationship with God from the penalty of sin.

When we understand these fundamental differences and yet related realities we will grow in our appreciation for what God has done to bring us into a closer relationship with him.

In this season may we learn to rejoice for what God has not only promised but what God has accomplished.

For this God who has been rich in mercy has rained it upon us not only generously but beyond our ability to comprehend.

4But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Ephesian 2:4-7 NKJV

Lent 2022 | 2nd Sunday in Lent: Celebrate!

Every Sunday in Lent gives us an opportunity to look back over where we have been in the previous week. Throughout this series, each Sunday will focus on a particular aspect of the grace of God. It can be easy for us to think about God’s grace, and think that we understand it. The truth is God’s grace is always more profound than we can imagine.

Therefore, each of the Sundays we’re striving to make sense of one characteristic of God’s grace. By focusing in this way maybe we can deepen our appreciation for what God has provided for us. The sacrifice of Jesus is more than just a “get out of hell free” card. The redemption purchased by the shed blood of Christ is the restoration of our relationship with God himself.

Today we’re going to focus on the wonder of God’s grace.

I think it’s helpful to take the time and ask: what does the word wonder mean?

The sacrifice of Jesus is more than just a “get out of hell free” card. The redemption purchased by the shed blood of Christ is the restoration of our relationship with God himself.

A cursory search for a definition of the word wonder provides this from Merriam-Webster’s dictionary.

  • 1. “A cause of astonishment or admiration: Marvel”; miracle.
  • 2. The quality of exciting amazed admiration.
  • 3. A. Rapt attention or astonishment at something awesomely mysterious or new to one’s experience; B. A feeling of doubt or uncertainty.

These are interesting flavors of the word wonder. The one that stands out as being most closely described in Scripture is the second one. “The quality of exciting amazed admiration.”

When we think about God’s grace, it should elicit in us excitement, amazement, and admiration. Not in some sequential way but all at once. Like the crashing of a wave on the shore. Were sound and effect occur at the same time.

God’s grace is something that cannot be adequately defined. There are many who have tried. And at best those could be described as approximations of the truth. That is not to say those attempts have no value. As a matter of fact, they help us to get closer to what we should know and understand about God’s grace.

What I think is challenging when we try to define God’s grace is that we try to make a connection between what grace is and what we have learned through our experiences in life. And again, there is nothing inherently wrong with that. But these attempts only give us the impression that we know what God’s grace is.

In recent years, instead of trying to describe grace as something we can know, I’ve done my best to talk about it as something we must experience. It’s not something that can be simulated. It’s not something that can be shared with others through words or images. It’s not something that we can approximate.

The best we can do is invite them to journey with God just as we are doing. And to trust that God will remain faithful, not only to his word and promises but also to those who come to him honestly and with a genuine desire to find him.

The longer we live, the longer we walk with the Lord, the less concerned we should be with convincing others of the wonder of God’s grace. We should do all we can to live our lives according to what we claim to have experienced of God’s grace.

In this season of Lent let us rejoice not only in God’s grace but also in that he has been gracious to us.

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Lent 2022 | Day 10: Rise

Several years ago I decided that I would be sure to get one thing done every day. That task was to make my bed. It seems like a simple thing, and it is. But it has had far-reaching importance as I enter each day.

It can be difficult at times to determine the value of making a simple decision over and over again. What I have discovered is that as I have continued to rise each morning and make my bed I can continue with the rest of my day knowing I have accomplished at least one thing. It is small I will grant that, but it is something that has been accomplished.

Are there days when I forget? Yes. Not as many as there used to be. The idea of rising every day with the goal of achieving at least one thing has a positive effect on how you view the rest of the day. The idea is not to pat yourself on the back for having done it. But rather to acknowledge that regardless of what else may come in the day you have done something productive.

It can be difficult at times to determine the value of making a simple decision over and over again.

Some might argue that making your bed every morning does not qualify as productivity. But I would counter by pointing that that when we fail to set a positive outlook on the day, on any day for that matter, anything else we did not complete or had direct input over can set the agenda. And usually in a negative direction.

The idea of intentionality is key to living a life of peace. The kind of peace I have in mind is a sense of internal, resident peace. The sense of knowing we have done what we could. And that’s good enough.

It may seem odd to consider what we do in the first few moments of rising every morning as having a lasting effect on the rest of the day. But I think it is worth noting how the Scriptures encourage us to remember that God’s mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23). I take this to mean God desires for us to begin each day contemplating and considering what he has done in our lives. To take it a step further we are encouraged to consider what God will continue to do in our lives.

The idea here is not to over-spiritualize the simple acts of everyday life. More to the point, we should normalize the ins and outs of everyday living as a part of the natural ebb and flow of a life lived with God. When we make everything spiritual nothing is spiritual. But when we embrace the reality that there is no need to spiritualize anything, we can begin to accept how everything we do “as unto the Lord” can become an act of worship. This may seem like a contradictory set of statements, but they are not.

When we recognize that everything we do before the Lord can be done to glorify him, we don’t have to “try” to make it glorify him. God being glorified becomes just the natural result of living. But when we try to make things “spiritual” what we have done is we have separated what God is doing in our lives into categories that may not necessarily reflect who God is.

This is not always easy to understand. But it is worth the effort to try.

In this season of Lent, as we continue our journey towards Easter morning, I think it would be worth our time to look at what we do as we rise every day to face the challenges that they might bring. In turn, I encourage you to pause, maybe before your feet hit the ground, and consider what will become of this new day God has prepared for and gifted to you.

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Lent 2022 | Day 9: Bless

The word bless is one we don’t use very much in our culture or in the church anymore. One of the reasons is we no longer have a clear understanding of its purpose. The idea of blessing is often attributed to what happens before a meal or after someone sneezes. But this is a radical diminishing of the purpose of the blessing.

When the Bible speaks about blessing it is calling us to be aware of a relationship. The relationship that is supposed to exist between God and his people. God desires to bless us because of who we become when we enter into a relationship with them. The promise of the gospel is that when we trust in Christ we are adopted into the family of God. And as a result of this God takes ownership and responsibility to care for us. In this care, we experience the kind of love that awakens us to the beauty and majesty of God himself.

The reality of our relationship with God is most clearly seen when we find ourselves feeling distant from him. When we sin or when we find ourselves falling short of what we desire to be we project those feelings onto God. But God is not hindered by our emotional fluctuations or our physical failures. As a matter of fact, what we do or get wrong does not affect God’s consistent character.

As we walk this life with God and with others we experience blessing when we are able to live out the fullness of what God has been putting within us. What I imagine this means is that when we embrace the transformation the gospel initiates, we no longer become conscious of what needs to be fixed. Rather we live out our lives in as normal a way as we can. In the same way that many of us have no consciousness of our breathing until we think about it, the Christian life can be just as normal. Where we’re living our lives embodying the fullness of the gospel’s promises without giving them much thought.

God is not hindered by our emotional fluctuations or our physical failures. As a matter of fact, what we do or get wrong does not affect God’s consistent character.

Spiritual maturity is evidenced by this instinctive living out of the gospel’s imperatives. When we are able to do what we believe in, in an almost instinctive manner, we have moved into a deeper understanding of the faith. Not because we have some academic proficiency but because we have internalized the fullness of God’s grace.

This is what it means to be blessed. Where there is this mindfulness of what is good and true. We were able to enjoy the simple and often times mundane realities of life. Where we can identify those moments where God’s grace punctuates the seemingly ordinary and makes it something more. It is in this transformed thinking that we see all that could be even when it is not realized in our lives.

In many ways, this is the hope of Easter morning. That what was only a potential hope has become a reality that is undeniable in our lives. But we’re not there yet. There is still some time before we can revel in the fullness of God’s glorious grace as celebrated on resurrection Sunday.

For now, we continue our journey through the season of Lent. Considering what is yet to come in the light of where we are. It can be challenging to pause and look and see what is happening to us and around us. But if we don’t take the time to reflect and consider what God is trying to do even now, we may very well end up missing how God is shaping us in the process of this journey.

Lent 2022 | Day 8: Call

I recently began rereading the book of the prophet Jeremiah. This book has been important in my development as a follower of Christ. The story of the prophet Jeremiah is interesting for a variety of reasons. The foremost of which is that for many his ministry may be described as a failure. And if that seems too harsh, we could say it was marked by lack of change among the people to whom he was sent. Jeremiah has been oftentimes given the moniker of “the weeping prophet”.

It seems odd that within the pages of Scripture we can read the story of the ministry of a man who was not able to elicit much noticeable change in the people whom he served. I find some comfort in knowing that faithful ministry will not necessarily lead to “successful” ministry. How we define what success really is can be a moving target. Therefore it becomes critical for us not to make a habit of comparing what God has called us to do with what others are doing.

This is at the center of our word focus for today. What does it mean to have a call on your life? The question itself is rife with nuance and even ambiguity. For me, the challenge is discerning what it means for God to use me in the greater scheme of his purposes, both in my life and in the world.

I find some comfort in knowing that faithful ministry will not necessarily lead to “successful” ministry.

It is worth the effort to try to define this idea of calling. The simplest way I believe to do so is to acknowledge it is an internal acceptance of our surrender to God’s will. Not to some specific task or to a particular mission, but in the sense of surrendering our own pursuits for the labors God will place in our hands. This is what it means to be called in my mind. That we no longer are striving to make a way according to our desires or preferences. Rather we are making an intentional effort to seek the mind of God for how we should conduct our lives.

To shift from a focus on our own ideas of what a meaningful life would be to accepting the journey God places us on gets us closer to what I believe a call is. It is difficult to be too specific because each person is unique. The gifts and passions and talents any individual person brings and offers to God are as varied as the number of people who have ever walked the face of the earth. And it is in this variety of human expression that some feel a particular drawing to participate in the completing (in the sense of being ambassadors of the kingdom) of God’s will. Not that any energy of hours is necessary or requisite to the work being done, but that we are willing to give of ourselves to be instruments in the hand of God.

This may seem to some a foolish way of engaging with God. And the sentiment is to be expected. To surrender our own desires and plans in order to serve a God we have never seen will appear quite foolish to some of those around us. But in our circle of influence, there will be those who recognize the irresistible drawing of God’s love and grace. And in this drawing away from the opportunities the world around us would provide there are many who find a deeper sense of fulfillment and satisfaction in the work God calls them to.

A calling can be difficult to define, or even to describe. But it is evident in those who have been called by their inability to let go of that impulse to forsake all other things in life and to give our gifts and talents to the work of God.

In the season of Lent, we too are being called. We all are being offered an opportunity to forsake the enticements of the world for a time. It is not a complete abandonment of the world in which we live. It is a momentary pause and intentional refraining from allowing ourselves to be engulfed by the multitudinous opportunities available to us.

I invite you to consider this time of Lent as a special call from God to look at the world around you and consider what in it may be drawing too much of your attention away from him. And then to take a moment to embrace the reality that God desires to have a deeper and abiding relationship with you. If this is something you desire, something you have wondered about but have been unable to determine how to access, I would say to make that desire to grow closer to God the primary focus of this season of reflection.

It’s never too late to start.

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Lent 2022 | Day 7: Everlasting

From everlasting to everlasting you are God.

Psalm 90:2 ESV

This is one of the more interesting descriptions of God in the Scriptures. One of the attributes of his being is that of eternality. What this describes is the idea that God has neither beginning nor end. But to our mind this concept of timelessness does not really make much sense. We can pretend to imagine what it means but we always struggle to make sense of it in its actuality.

The notion that God has no beginning and that he has no end is a key aspect of who he is. But often because it is so mysterious we struggle to see its significance. What is it that makes God’s eternality an important aspect of not only his being but also our understanding of his purposes in our lives?  The easiest way of thinking about this is to consider the fact that God’s timelessness affords him a freedom we do not possess and yet long time have.

when time ceases to be the idea of a moment will be erased. What we will be left with is an ever-present present. The very notions of past and future will cease. And what we will be left with is the intimacy of the immediate moment.

The freedom of God to be God, to not be encumbered by the effects of time, affords God the perspective on life and living unique to him. This is why when he discloses to us who he is and what he knows we should not fear our finiteness in comparison to him.

Because God is not restricted by the passage of time he does not fear, and indeed cannot fear, what will happen at the “end.” For God has no end. He has no beginning. And there is therefore nothing that hinders him from embracing the fullness of living.

The promise of eternal salvation is one of the greatest gifts God can give to us. In giving us eternal life God gives us a glimpse into what it means to see through his eyes. We have a beginning. Each of us does. But because of God’s image impressed upon our being, we can say we participate to a limited degree with this everlasting aspect of God’s being. We cannot become God or small gods. But rather we can get a taste of what it means to exist as God does. This too is a mystery. One that cannot be fully explained with human words. One that we can merely understand through allusion and comparison.

One of the wonders of the Christian faith can be found in what we are initiated into who we profess faith in Jesus Christ. And what we have been given access to as a result of our trust in the sacrifice of Christ. That mystery is the promise of everlasting life. What this fully means, and how this will be fully expressed, cannot be known until we step out of this life and into the presence of God. But even now we can get glimpses of what it means to live in God’s presence when we worship in song and in deed.

It is through these temporary enactments of daily living that we are exposed to the kind of life we will experience when we cross over from this world into the next.

The reality of the season of Lent in which we are now celebrating, we can take a moment and reflect on what is to come. The irony of this framework between time and timelessness is that when time ceases to be the idea of a moment will be erased. What we will be left with is an ever-present present. The very notions of past and future will cease. And what we will be left with is the intimacy of the immediate moment.

So while we travel life’s road and commemorate the season of reflection, my hope is that we will not lose sight of the glorious promises being fulfilled in the present moments we are passing through.

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Lent 2022 | Day 6: Humility

I don’t recall who said it at the moment, but I will never forget these words: “Humility is not thinking less of yourself. Humility is thinking of yourself less.”

One of the most difficult attributes of our character to train is humility. In some ways, humility runs counter to our natural tendencies. The natural instinct to preserve ourselves is not only good but is necessary in order to live in this world. One of the problems is the tension that exists between protecting our lives and not allowing our ego to make us the center of the universe. Whether that be in our own minds or in the relationships we have with others.

Of the many challenges that exist in the Christian life learning to follow Christ in his example of humility is one of the greatest. There are several reasons for this. The first of which is we find ourselves comparing ourselves to Jesus. And while there is some sense in which this is the right approach, this can also lead to a certain kind of despair and disappointment in our failure to live up to his example.

One of the realizations that I’ve made in recent years, is that we should look to the lives of the disciples as it relates to our ability to fulfill Christ’s example to us. What do I mean by this? I mean that if the disciples, with all of their struggles and failures, could become such powerful instruments in the proclamation of the gospel then there is hope for us today.

It is in serving without any desire for compensation that we see how deeply the humility of Christ has penetrated our lives.

This may seem to be somewhat simplistic but I don’t think so. And here’s why. If the requirement of becoming humble is to be Jesus then we will all fail. But if what Jesus taught those initial disciples can be re-taught to us there is hope that we can become the kinds of disciples that reflect Christ’s humility in the world.

The older I get the more convinced I become that what humility is, is not what I think it is. Too often we think of humility as requiring a humiliation of who we are. But this is not what Jesus requires of us. Jesus is not calling us to distort or destroy the image of God within us. He is called us to look at those around us and to uplift the image of God in them. This may seem like a minor difference, but I find it to be a difference of eternal significance.

When we make serving others the guide for how we will measure our growth in humility, we will see those places in our lives where we struggle to be like Christ. It is in serving without any desire for compensation that we see how deeply the humility of Christ has penetrated our lives. This is not to say there will not be days when we find ourselves struggling to be humble. It just means if there are more days we find serving others fulfilling and natural we can say we have learned what it means to be humble. Even as we continue to grow in humility.

The season of Lent is a season of reflection. It is a time when we stop and look at those areas of life that require attention. And when we compare not only ourselves to Christ but also to the example of the disciples, we can learn the lesson of living a Christ-like example in a world that trends toward seeking only its own selfish ambitions.

I would like to encourage you to not feel as though you have failed to live up to the call of Christ to be humble. Rather, it would be better to strive to embody and perform a deeper service to those around us. In our serving, we will learn who we are becoming. And we will also find ourselves awakened to those places where Christ must continue to grow in us.

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Lent 2022 | Day 5: Walk

One of the many images we find as it relates to the Christian life is the image of walking with Jesus. While Jesus was on the earth the primary mode of getting around from place to place was that of walking. So it should not surprise us that walking can serve as an important illustration of how we should think of the Christian life.

I find it interesting how walking with God is often framed in a particular direction. We are walking towards heaven, or to some purpose or mission. Our assumptions about walking with God are usually connected to the destination. But what if this is all wrong? What if that is not what God had in mind when he invites us to walk with him?

As Christians, walking with Christ is a challenge, but it is not a challenge that Jesus wants us to fail.

When we talk about walking with God we should probably think about this relationship with God as walking at a particular pace. What that means is we should not be too hurried or too inclined to drag behind.

When we walk with someone we have to try to match their pace. It is usually the person who has greater stamina who makes the adjustment for the person with lesser stamina. What this means for us as Christians is that even though walking with Christ is a challenge, it is not a challenge that Jesus wants us to fail. The longer we walk with him the greater our endurance becomes. The less taxed we feel by the endeavor.

The second idea we should consider when thinking about walking with Jesus is the idea of awareness. We often take for granted the roadways and walkways we have access to in our modern communities. And while there may have been roads in the ancient world they were not constructed from materials providing a smooth surface. Even with cut stone, the roadways would still have had contours and texture.

In a way, as we talk about walking with Jesus we should be mindful of the fact the places we will go and the terrain we must travel will require an increased awareness. The unevenness of the ground, and the potential roots and holes that could trip us up, are all hazards we must keep an eye out for. In the same way that this is true in the natural world, the same kinds of hazards exist in the spiritual world.

The journey we take with God as we walk with Christ requires we do not take as an assumption that we will be traveling along safe and maintained avenues. To walk with God is to walk a dangerous path. Not because God wants to see us harmed but because life in a fallen world will always have the potential for peril at any turn.

Even Jesus warned us to be mindful when we went out into the world to fulfill God’s purpose in our lives. Whether we want to accept it or not, one of the undeniable realities of the human experience is that there will be trials, and for some of us, there will be tribulations. It does not matter whether we expected it or not, we can endure it with God’s help. No one will ever live a trouble-free life, no matter how hard we would like to avoid it, life leaves us no alternative.

While this may seem dark and even pessimistic to some I take a different view. The fact that Jesus himself endured the difficult journey of life, gives me an enduring hope that regardless of what life may throw at us we can know that not only can it be survived but we can thrive in the midst of what comes. This may sound counterintuitive. Even a little “pie-in-the-sky” for some. But I am not basing this on my ability to make it. I am grounding my hope in God’s capability to bring me through whatever circumstances I may find myself in.

As we continue on the steady march toward Easter morning, I would encourage you to take some time this week, to get outside and take a short stroll (or even a long one), and spend some time reflecting on what your journey with Christ has looked like up to this point. And if there is anything you feel impressed by the Holy Spirit to change I would encourage you this take a step of faith in that new direction.

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