In God We Trust

In his second letter to Timothy, the apostle Paul eloquently laments that he is suffering for the gospel - the gospel that brought the story of Jesus Christ and His impossible grace to life for all of us.  But Paul is not ashamed of his suffering or his circumstances because he knows “the one in whom I have put my trust.”  So, in the midst of our suffering, who do we put our trust in today?  While we pray for trustworthiness in all our earthly institutions (governments, schools, stock markets, and even churches), all we really need do for a reminder of who to place our primary trust in is to take a look at any U.S. coin.  Engraved right on the face are the words “In God We Trust.”  It’s hard to imagine any four words ever uttered that are truer than these.  Yet at the same time, these words have been the source of great debate and division in our history. 

These famous words come from the third stanza to Francis Scott Key’s Star-Spangled Banner: “And this be our motto: In God is our trust.” The song came about as a result of Key’s eyewitness experience to the Battle of Fort McHenry during the War of 1812.  It was also during a time of great national upheaval in 1865, at the climax of the Civil War, when Congress moved to authorize the use of the phrase on U.S. coins and currency.  Again during a time of heightened world-wide political tension, President Eisenhower approved a joint resolution in 1956, in the midst of the Cold War, declaring the phrase to be our national motto.  And yet, not surprisingly, the phrase has had its share of detractors over the years.  Numerous opponents have cried foul over First Amendment constitutional objections.  And even our 26th President, Theodore Roosevelt, vehemently opposed the motto’s use, considering it sacrilege to put God’s name on money. 

National motto or not, and with political and ideological differences aside, it remains clear that, in times of great turmoil and uncertainty, suffering and tragedy, there is no greater help than an unwavering trust and faith in God.  As Congress declared in 1956, “... as long as we trust in God, we will prevail." After all, our God is a God who knows our fear and pain. An ever-present God who is forgiving and merciful and full of love.  An everlasting God who will not faint or grow weary.  A God who is the epitome of trustworthiness.  A God who delights in you and considers you His precious and divine masterpiece.  Trust the Lord, your God, and make His ways first before all others.  If we put our trust in Christ, living in His unmatched grace, then nothing and no one can stand against us.  Thanks be to God!

Waiting for the Crumbs to Fall . . .

One of  Jesus’ parables in Luke, Chapter 16 reminds us of the dramatic differences that still exist even today between classes of people across the globe and in our own home towns.  While one rich man feasts sumptuously every day of his fortunate life, another lies starving and suffering just outside the front door, waiting with the dogs for the other man’s crumbs to fall.  Too many of us turn a deaf ear and a blind eye to the plight of the needy even when the striking evidence of their misery can be found just a few feet away. Yet Jesus warns us to heed His words and those of the prophets when we have the opportunity and the means to feed another.  If we don’t take His message and His pleas to heart, what awaits us after a life of selfishness and ignorance is an eternity of discomfort and agonizing regret.  Unfortunately, we don’t live in a time where Jesus walks among us as He did with the first disciples to regularly coach us on these things.  But this doesn’t mean He is dead to us.  Nor is His message outdated.  On the contrary, His word is timeless.  And as the David Crowder Band reminds us in the Daniel Bashta song “Like A Lion”, He’s surely alive today inside each of us, roaring like a lion.  Listen to His roar inside your heart and reach out to the hungry and the poor with food for their bodies and nourishment for their souls.  Feed them with the knowledge that He is alive and well in the world, vibrant and relevant inside each of us.  It’s not about us, but about His never-ending love and abundant mercy exemplified by our acts of kindness through the Holy Spirit.  Watch and see what happens.  One kind act after another will quickly become habit-forming and contagious and the roars of the lion will soon be answered by a deafening and heavenly rejoicing.  Praise be to God!

One Shrewd Dude

Jesus uses a parable in Luke's gospel to explain why money makes a poor boss.  One specific quote originates within this text that remains prophetic even today:  “No slave can serve two masters.”  Sound familiar?  As many of us have learned after years of hard knocks, you can’t serve both God and wealth.  You must choose.  Like the parable’s manager, we often become engrossed in our material wealth to a point where we desperately covet and worship things that have great monetary value but zero spiritual value.  As the shrewd manager found out too late, faith and dishonesty may seem like polar opposites but they have one thing in common.  They both demonstrate the principle that when someone exhibits a little of either, they will also exhibit much of the same under greater and more dire circumstances.  How often have we heard "It's just a little white lie" or "Nobody's going to miss this if I take it."  We're only kidding ourselves if we try to convince our consciences and each other that there are different shades of dishonesty.  Gray areas exist only in our minds.  In God's world, these things are black and white regardless of how we try to justify them.  Greed is a common breeding ground for dishonesty and the erosion of our faith's health.  Our wealth helps to make us comfortable in this life, but our faith is what will comfort us when the money disappears.  Use money as a resource for building up instead of tearing down.  Remember this the next time Satan's little temptations try to sway your point of view.  Faith is a priceless treasure that fills the purses of our souls and faith is how we will measure our true worth in God's kingdom. 

One > 99 ?

In the fifteenth chapter of Luke’s gospel, Jesus tells the Pharisees and scribes in no uncertain terms that “. . . there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who need no repentance.” As so often happens during His life, Jesus found himself scrutinized carefully for the company he kept. In this case, tax-collectors and sinners. But Jesus preached a gospel that was not just for the righteous and the believers. His message was for everyone and especially for those who don’t know God, those who are mired in sin, and those whose souls appear to the average onlooker to be eternally lost. We are all God’s children and His love for each of us knows no bounds. But just like the prodigal son’s father rejoiced upon his return, God and all His angels rejoice uncontrollably when the wayward make their way home to Him. Just as Jesus’ message is for everyone with no exceptions, so, too, are our churches. Not only should our doors be open to everyone regardless of their appearance or their sins, but so should our hearts. We can preach each and every Sunday to a packed room full of church members and that is a wonderful thing, but a balance must be struck to not rest on our laurels for all the souls that have already been won. We must expend time and energy and passion to reach out to the others in this world that are hurting and suffering because they don’t yet realize the endless love and eternal grace that are freely available from a Creator who desperately wants to reunite with all his sons and daughters. You and I can be His conduit to accomplish one of His greatest desires. Opportunities exist in the most unexpected times and places for us to be His instrument and to reach out His shepherd’s crook and gently pull one more lost sheep back into the fold of His amazing embrace. It’s not often that the number one is viewed as trumping 99. But in the business of lost soul acquisition, it’s the norm.

Follow the Leader

During the midst of His time here on Earth, Jesus had some strong words for the large crowd that followed Him. Jesus tells them in multiple ways that to truly follow Him is a lifelong investment. It’s a serious commitment that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Over the course of your faith journey, as you move closer and closer to God, you will inevitably be forced to give up the very things that mean so much to you here on Earth: your possessions, your relationships and ultimately your life. Our earthly blessings too often evolve into something dangerous that can keep us from moving closer to God. They can trap us and detour us from the path He clears for us to eternal joy. They can suddenly become an all-consuming focus. One that breeds selfishness and jealousy and denial. One that causes us to lose sight of the fact that His true promises for us extend far beyond this life. The material wealth we discard was always stamped with an expiration date. We can’t take it with us, right? And as for the relationships, if the ones we long to be with are truly dear and meaningful and valuable to us, then there’s good news. Everyone is invited to the experience of a lifetime and forever. Jesus calls us as he did those first humble fishermen to follow Him. He is calling you right now. Answer the call. And rest assured that the joy of what awaits us on the journey far exceeds the cost of what we leave behind. Hallelujah!