I love wearing my New York Yankees T-shirt that proudly displays all the years of their 27 World Series baseball championships. Some share my joy. A pittance, sad to say. Their sour grapes blab and squeal blatant scorn at this deservedly most-winning team in US sports history. I empathize with woebegone fans of lesser teams! That’s quite big of me, isn’t it? Still, I can hear their boos and hisses. Oh, the trouble caused by advertising my favorite team with uber braggadocio. Better watch my step. And back.

Micah 6: 8–‘He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God’? And Zechariah 7: 9-10–“Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.'”

These verses nudge us to live godly lives without advertising our good deeds, avoiding beating a drum roll for batting a thousand in God’s good deed league. I can talk the talk but will I land my feet solidly on His pavement? Doing what I know I should? Not being willy-nilly about living for Jesus. Really following Him. For a change of pace.

Am I the only one who feels like I live far below the standard set by Jesus? I’ve put ‘God is Great’ and ‘Jesus is Lord’ signs framing our car license plates. Does that make any difference? I catch myself driving more like the devil than who I say I follow, receiving a C- grade on good days! Still passing but only by the skin of my teeth. 

I’m resolving this new year to be who Jesus wants me to be. Being kind. More considerate and patient (which I want to happen right NOW!). Less the same old me. More like Him. 

This is my prayer to the only One who can give me the resolve and the follow-through to make this year more about Jesus than you-know-who. Your prayer also? Would love the company. Especially someone to pick me up when I fall flat on my face!

Happy 2024!

Thank you, Jesus, for always standing with me. Amen.

Our God is the God of second chances. He’s not done with us if we’re still breathing. We’ll have more opportunities to serve Him even when we’ve run out of gas or crashed by the side of the road. I’ve been there. May yet again. No guarantees that you’ll escape trials and tribulations. As Jesus said–‘In the world you will have tribulation’ (John 16: 33). Not ‘might have’ but ‘will have’. Yikes!

A tough one for me happened decades ago, when I voluntarily left a pastorate, leaving lots of angry people both for and against me. The vast majority were supportive but a few were, oy veh, filled with ire, to put it mildly. To a handful, I was persona non grata. Not a title I aspired to. Pain was palpable, both with those in my favor and those boiling tar ready for feathering me on my way out of Dodge.

I knew in my heart that the only church that would ever want me as pastor was in some little town in Nowheresville Podunk. A desperate berg filled with those who never ask questions, who could care less. Any such place out there? I didn’t bother looking. I was done. Finished. Caput.

Ever felt that way? Had it up to here? Totally fed up?  If so, here’s a word from God in Zechariah 1: 17–‘Cry out again, Thus says the Lord of hosts. My cities shall again overflow with prosperity, and the Lord will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem.’ Four times that little word shows up in this one verse. ‘Again’…and ‘again’. Then ‘again’…and once more ‘again’.

That takes a load off my mind for the Lord is not done with us as long as we seek His direction in our lives. When I admit that I mess up, owning up to wanting my way with my timing in my whatever, then watch what can happen. Simply put, God wants a more humble me. His daily special? Humble pie. Grab a piece and join me, won’t you? 

Years later, I was enjoying a financial planning career with a large investment firm, when a client contacted me to see if I could preach in her church for two Sundays. That’s all they need. Two Sundays. No more, no less. Preach this week and again the next. Again–there’s that word.

Fourteen years later, I retire from that 2-week stint and hand over the church keys to a young man who’ll be a super pastor for their future. For fourteen years, I’ve been there again and again and again and again. All in the same town where I was nearly tarred and feathered. 

Now I genuinely want to see what the Lord will do. Instead of singing ‘Going My Way’, I make a melody of Jesus’ musical notes with His rhythm and His lyrics producing overtones of God’s will with Jesus as lead singer.

I’m grateful that He took me out of the bone pile. Made me useful in His service. If Jesus does that for me, think about what He’ll do for you. By all means, let Him. Stop being so down in the mouth. Get up. Stand up. Hold your head up high. In His direction for a change. Move aside and see what He will do.

Interested? Surprises await. Again and again. With Christmas day just around the corner, isn’t it surprising that God sent His Son to give new life to His fallen people? Second chances all wrapped up in a Babe found nestled safe and secure in a manger in a cave in Bethlehem of all places. God’s second chances. Let’s celebrate that fact this coming week. 

Merry Christmas!

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for always being there for me. For your sake. Amen.

How many times do we skate through life without giving a thought to much of anything? Habits form. We go through the motions. Drive to the store not even aware of what route we’ve taken or what we need to buy. That’s me, sad to admit. Yes, telling the same old stories. Repeating worn-out, stale jokes. Stuck in the mud without a clue. But what if that changes? Pull myself out of this rut with help from what I discover in Haggai Chapter 1? Where? Yes, Haggai!

This rarely-read Old Testament prophet uses a certain phrase a few times in that first chapter. I’ve highlighted it in my Bible. Haggai tells us that these words are from on high–‘Thus says the Lord of hosts…’ (Haggai 1: 5, 7). Sounds like we better listen up, doesn’t it? From God’s mouth to our ears.

But what specifically should we pay attention to?  That we’re to ‘consider your ways’. ‘Your’ refers to you and me. In the biblical Hebrew language, that phrase literally means–‘put your heart on your roads’. Read that again. ‘Consider your ways’=’Put your heart on your roads’.

I think I get it. Whatever I do for the Lord, put my whole heart into it. Be passionate about my relationship with Jesus Christ. Stop going through the motions. Quit play-acting. No phony baloney. Be the real McCoy. For a change. ‘Put your heart on your roads.’

Don’t you know when you’re heart isn’t in something? Of course, you do. When I was fourteen years into serving my last church, which originally was to be for two months, I found myself feeling grouchy, bugged, and a bit of a sourpuss. Some people get on my nerves who least deserve it. I’m visiting church families less and less. Like a grinding chore rather than doing handstands to get to church, so to speak.

Guess what? You’re right. My heart wasn’t in it. So, I refused to draw a paycheck to make money from serving God’s people. It was time to move along. Best of all, the Lord had a new man in mind to continue His ministry with His people in that place. And he’s still doing a super job. God too!

After I retired, an idea came to mind. We were traveling across the state of Texas on one of our seven cross-country drives when I had a strange thought, like a quiet voice within, saying ‘Start writing for me’. Do what for who? ‘Start writing for me.’

That’s how this weekly devotional and two published books get launched. With a heartfelt idea on a highway. I know who was calling out to me. And what I was to do. Sort of. When the details get worked out, after my wife figures out how to computerize it all, the excitement begins and keeps me at the computer keyboard, happy as a lark, day after day.

Ten years later, I’m still following my heart on this roadway, willingly and joyfully! Never making a red penny. Actually setting me back a shekel or two. Good!

How about you? Something God wants you to put your heart into as you travel life’s highways? If you’re not sure, ask Him. Wait on Him. Don’t be surprised when His answer comes. And then go with Jesus on any highway He leads you on. Put your whole heart in gear. Not reverse. Forward!

Lord Jesus, may you always be the passion of my heart and the direction of my life. For your sake. Amen.

Yes, of clay. Simple products of earthen material. Clay, molded and fired into jars and lamps. I have one. It’s a lamp from Jerusalem of Jesus’ time. It’s tiny. I can hold it in the palm of my hand. There’s only room for a small amount of precious oil, which will give sufficient evening light for a diminutive Israeli home. My clay oil lamp is fragile and could easily be broken.

Like me. And you. Yes, we’re built strong by the Lord. Fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139: 14). Yet any kind of curve ball such as divorce, financial collapse, cancer, you name it can flatten us out, reminding us how vulnerable we are. At any moment, the rug can be pulled out from under us.

I know. It’s happened to me and made me weary and leary. Looking over my shoulder more than I’d like to. Seeing who or what sort of double-trouble gains ground on me. Will God allow something fierce to terrorize me? Again? No guarantees that I know of. Terrible things can happen to God’s good people. Faithful followers who get blindsided by tragedy of the worst kind. You know what I mean.

Reading 2 Corinthians 4: 7-12, I’m encouraged by what the Apostle Paul writes. He talks about a treasure that we’ve been given. Verse 6 tells us about this precious find–it’s knowing the glory of God through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, which is something no money can buy. Salvation is given to God’s own. Our Christmas gift from God Almighty.

And it comes by faith alone. No backbreaking work is required to achieve it. No balance sheet with more in our favor than not. Only a seeking, believing heart that means business with God. Asking for what He’s so willing to give us. Salvation. Forgiveness. A faithful life worth living. And much, much more. All of the above can never be snatched away for His own. Never still means never.

Where is this treasure? In us. We become a new person. Hardhearted, vengeful, unforgiving emotions become tender and loving. Our goals in life shift us to a new track. Not all at once but we’re heading in God’s direction. Yes, even for broken, beat-up, weak, and fragile folk like present company included. You and me! We’re in…with Jesus!

Sounds odd, but we’re just the kind of people that the Lord loves to put to work for Himself. Those humbled by tough times. Jars and lamps made of delicate clay who know how little we have to offer Him. Yet, more to the point, how much more He wants to give us and do through us. Let Jesus fill you with His oil, the tiny and fragile vessels that we are, to do all we’re designed to do for the Potter.

Get busy for Him. Relax. Fear not. Enjoy Him. Always praise and thank the source of all our blessings. Too tough to do? Are you kidding? This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine. Little or not, let’s do it together.

Thank you, Jesus, for a life worth living. Amen.