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Jesus the Branch

By |2024-10-21T02:33:16-04:00October 21st, 2024|

Rising among the red mountains of Sedona, Arizona, is the beautiful Chapel of the Holy Cross. Entering the small chapel, I was immediately drawn to an unusual sculpture of Jesus on the cross. Instead of a traditional cross, Jesus is shown crucified on the branches of a tree with two trunks. A severed, dead trunk represents the tribes of Israel in the Old Testament that rejected God. The other trunk grows and branches out to symbolize the flourishing tribe of Judah and the family line of King David.  

The symbolically significant art points to an important prophecy in the Old Testament about Jesus. Although the tribe of Judah was living in captivity, the prophet Jeremiah gave a hopeful message from God: “I will fulfill the good promise I made” (Jeremiah 33:14) to provide a rescuer who would “do what is just and right in the land” (v. 15). One way the people would know the identity of the rescuer was He would “sprout from David’s line” (v. 15), meaning the rescuer would be a physical descendant of King David.

The sculpture skillfully captured an important truth that in the details of Jesus’ family lineage, God was faithful to do all that He promised. Even more, it’s a reminder that His faithfulness in the past gives us reassurance that He’ll be faithful to fulfill His promises to us in the future.

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God’s Provision

By |2024-10-17T02:33:23-04:00October 17th, 2024|

The world was amazed when four siblings ages one to thirteen were found alive in Colombia’s Amazon jungle in June 2023. The siblings had survived forty days in the jungle after a plane crash, which killed their mother. The children, who were familiar with the jungle’s harsh terrain, hid from wild animals in tree trunks, collected water from streams and rain in bottles, and ate food such as cassava flour from the wreckage. They also knew which wild fruits and seeds were safe to eat.

God sustained the siblings.

Their incredible story reminds me of how God miraculously sustained the Israelites in the desert for forty years, which is recorded in Exodus and Numbers and mentioned throughout the Bible.

God turned bitter spring water into drinkable water, provided water from a rock twice, and guided His people in a pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night. He also provided manna for them. “Moses said to them, ‘It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat. This is what the Lord has commanded: Everyone is to gather as much as they need’ ” (Exodus 16:15-16).

The same God provides us with “our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11). We can trust God to provide for our needs “according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). What a mighty God we serve!

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Bibles in the Back Seat

By |2024-10-07T02:33:26-04:00October 7th, 2024|

Andrew’s Volkswagen stopped, and the guards walked over. He prayed as he had many times in the past: “God, when You were on earth, You made blind eyes see. Now, please make seeing eyes blind.” The guards searched the car, saying nothing about the Bibles in the luggage. Andrew crossed the border, taking his cargo to those who couldn’t own a Bible.

Andrew van der Bijl, or Brother Andrew, relied on God’s power for the seemingly impossible task God had called him to—taking the Scriptures to countries where Christianity was illegal. “I’m an ordinary guy,” he said, emphasizing his limited education and lack of funds. “What I did, anyone can do.” Today, his organization, Open Doors International, serves persecuted believers in Jesus worldwide.    

When Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, faced the seemingly impossible task of rebuilding the temple after the Jews returned from exile, he was discouraged. But God reminded him not to rely on human power or might, but on His Spirit (Zechariah 4:6). He encouraged him through a vision given to the prophet Zechariah of lamps supplied with oil from nearby olive trees (vv. 2-3). Just as the lamps could burn because of the continual supply of oil, Zerubbabel and the Israelites could do God’s task by relying on His continuous supply of power.

As we rely on God, may we trust Him and do what He calls us to do.

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Step Out in Faith

By |2024-09-07T02:33:19-04:00September 7th, 2024|

The guest speaker spoke on the wisdom of trusting God and “stepping into the river.” He told of a pastor who trusted God and chose to speak the truths of the Bible in a sermon despite the new law of his land. He was convicted of hate crimes and spent thirty days in jail. But his case was appealed, and the court ruled he had the right to give a personal interpretation of the Bible and to urge others to follow.

The priests carrying the ark of the covenant had to make a choice too—either step into the water or stay on the shore. After escaping Egypt, the Israelites wandered in the desert for forty years. Now they stood on the banks of the Jordan River, which was at flood stage and dangerously high. But they took that step, and God caused the waters to recede: “As soon as . . . their feet touched the water’s edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing” (Joshua 3:15-16).

When we trust God with our lives, He gives us the courage to move forward, whether choosing to speak the truths of the Bible or to take a step into unknown territory. During the pastor’s trial, the court heard the gospel through listening to his sermon. And, in Joshua, the Israelites crossed safely into the promised land and shared about the power of God with future generations (v. 17; 4:24).

If we step out in faith, God will see to the rest.

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Our True Refuge Is God

By |2024-07-24T02:33:17-04:00July 24th, 2024|

After his wife died, Fred felt he could endure the pain as long as he had his Monday breakfasts with his buddies. His fellow retirees lifted his spirits. Whenever sadness came, Fred would think about the next time he’d enjoy their company again. Their corner table was Fred’s safe place from grief.

Over time, however, the gatherings ended. Some friends became ill; others passed away. The emptiness led Fred to seek solace in the God he’d met in his youth. “I have breakfast by myself now,” he says, “but I remember to hold on to the truth that Jesus is with me. And when I leave the diner, I don’t leave to face the rest of my days alone.”

Like the psalmist, Fred discovered the safety and comfort of God’s presence: “He is my refuge . . . in whom I trust” (Psalm 91:2). Fred came to know safety not as a physical place to hide, but as the steadfast presence of God we can trust and rest in (v. 1). Both Fred and the psalmist found that they didn’t have to face difficult days alone. We too can be assured of God’s protection and help. When we turn to Him in trust, He promises to respond and be with us (vv. 14-16).

Do we have our safe place, a “corner table” we go to when life is hard? It won’t last but God will. He waits for us to go to Him, our true refuge.

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Brokenness that Blesses

By |2024-07-19T02:33:07-04:00July 19th, 2024|

His back is hunched, and he walks with a cane, but his six decades of spiritual shepherding are evidence that he leans on God—the source of his strength. In 1993, the Reverend William Barber was diagnosed with a debilitating disease that causes the vertebrae of the spine to fuse together. In a not-so-subtle way he was told, “Barber, you probably gonna need to figure out another thing to do besides pastoring, because the church ain’t gonna want [someone disabled] to be their pastor.” But Barber overcame that hurtful comment. God has not only used him as a pastor, but he’s also been a powerful, respected voice for underserved and marginalized people.

Though the world may not fully know what to do with those with disabilities, God does. Those who value beauty and brawn and things that money can buy can miss the good that accompanies uninvited brokenness. The rhetorical question of James and the principle underneath it are worth considering: “Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?” (James 2:5). When health or strength or other things are reduced, one’s faith needn’t follow suit. By God’s strength, it can be the opposite. Our lack can be a catalyst to trust God. Our brokenness, as was the case with Jesus, can be used of Him to bring good to our world.

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Renewing Our Strength

By |2024-07-18T02:33:35-04:00July 18th, 2024|

A pair of eagles built a giant nest in a tree a few miles away from my house. Before long, the enormous birds had eaglets. They cared for their hatchlings together until one of the adult eagles was tragically struck and killed by a car. For several days, the surviving eagle flew up and down a nearby river, as if searching for the lost mate. Finally, the eagle returned to the nest and assumed the full responsibility of raising the offspring.

In any situation, single parenting can be challenging. The delight a child brings combined with possible financial and emotional pressure can create a broad range of experiences. But there’s hope for those who have this important role, and for anyone trying to manage a situation that feels overwhelming.

God is with us when we feel exhausted and discouraged. Because He’s omnipotent—all powerful—and doesn’t change, His strength won’t ever expire. We can trust what the Bible says, “Those who hope in [Him] will renew their strength” (Isaiah 40:31). Coming up against our own limits won’t determine what happens to us because we can depend on God to supernaturally recharge us. Hoping in Him allows us to walk and not faint, and to soar on wings like eagles (v. 31).

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Trapped in Chocolate

By |2024-07-07T02:33:05-04:00July 7th, 2024|

Two workers at a Mars candy factory in Pennsylvania fell into a large vat of chocolate. This might sound like the beginning of a joke—and perhaps a lovely predicament to chocolate lovers! But the men—though unhurt—were waist-deep in the confection and couldn’t get out on their own. Firefighters ultimately had to cut a hole in the side of the vat to deliver them to safety.

When the prophet Jeremiah found himself at the bottom of a mud-filled cistern, the story was anything but sweet. As a messenger to God’s people in Jerusalem, he’d proclaimed the urgency for them to leave the city because it would soon “be given into the hands of the army of the king of Babylon” (Jeremiah 38:3). Some of King Zedekiah’s officials demanded Jeremiah be “put to death” because they claimed his words were “discouraging the soldiers” (v. 4). The king consented and they “lowered Jeremiah by ropes into the cistern” where he “sank down into the mud” (v. 6).

When another of the king’s officials—a foreigner, no less—advocated for Jeremiah’s well-being, saying the others had “acted wickedly,” Zedekiah realized he’d made a mistake and empowered Ebed-Melek to lift Jeremiah “out of the cistern” (vv. 9, 13).

Even when we're doing the right thing--as Jeremiah was--we might sometimes feel like we’re stuck in the mud. Let’s ask Him to lift our spirits as we wait for His help in the troubles we face.

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God Is My Helper

By |2024-04-25T02:33:05-04:00April 25th, 2024|

My friend Raleigh is sprinting toward his eighty-fifth birthday! Since my first conversation with him more than thirty-five years ago, he’s been a source of inspiration. When he recently mentioned that since retiring, he’d completed a book manuscript and started another ministry initiative—I was intrigued but not surprised.  

At eighty-five, Caleb in the Bible wasn’t ready to stop either. His faith and devotion to God had sustained him through decades of wilderness living and wars to secure the inheritance God had promised Israel. He said, “I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then” (Joshua 14:11). By what means would he conquer? Caleb declared that by “the Lord helping me, I will drive them out just as he said” (v. 12).

Regardless of age, stage in life, or circumstances, God will help all who wholeheartedly trust Him. In Jesus, our Savior who helps us, God was made visible. The gospels inspire faith in God through what we see in Christ. He demonstrated God’s care and compassion for all who looked to Him for help. As the writer of Hebrews acknowledged, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid” (Hebrews 13:6). Young or old, weak or strong, bound or free, sprinting or limping—what’s keeping us from asking for His help today?

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Happy Trust

By |2024-03-20T02:33:05-04:00March 20th, 2024|

A woman rescued Rudy from the animal shelter days before he was to be euthanized, and the dog became her companion. For ten years, Rudy slept calmly beside Linda’s bed, but then he abruptly began to jump next to her and lick her face. Linda scolded him, but every night, Rudy repeated the behavior. “Soon he was jumping on my lap to lick my face every time I sat down,” Linda said.

As she was planning to take Rudy to obedience school, she began to consider how insistent Rudy was and how he always licked her in the same spot on her jaw. Sheepishly, Linda went to a doctor who found a microscopic tumor (bone cancer). The doctor told Linda that if she’d waited longer, it probably would’ve killed her. Linda had trusted Rudy’s instincts, and she was happy she did.

The Scriptures tell us repeatedly that trusting God leads to life and joy. “Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,” the psalmist says (40:4). Some translations make the point even starker: “Happy are those who make the Lord their trust” (v. 4 nrsv). Happy in the psalms communicates abundance—an erupting, effervescent joy.

When we trust God, the ultimate result is deep, genuine happiness. This trust may not come easily and the results may not be everything we envision. But if we trust God, we’ll be so happy we did.

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