Tag: reconciliation

Genesis 45:1-15 – The Big Reveal

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year ALeave a comment

Welcome, friends! Click the video below and let us gather together around the Word of God.

You may also view this video at TimEhrhardtYouTube

For the story of Joseph set to song, click Bend by Brandon Heath.

May the Lord bless you
    and keep you.
May the Lord smile down on you
    and show you his kindness.
May the Lord answer your prayers
    and give you peace. Amen.

Luke 15:1-7 – One Lost Sheep

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year ALeave a comment
The Shepherd and the Lost Sheep
“The Shepherd and the Lost Sheep.” By Peter Clarke, 1969

A lot of men and women of doubtful reputation were hanging around Jesus, listening intently. The Pharisees and religion scholars were not pleased, not at all pleased. They grumbled, “He takes in sinners and eats meals with them, treating them like old friends.” Their complaining triggered this story:

“Suppose one of you had a hundred sheep and lost one. Wouldn’t you leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the lost one until you found it? When found, you can be sure you would put it across your shoulders, rejoicing, and when you got home call in your friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Celebrate with me! I’ve found my lost sheep!’ Count on it—there’s more joy in heaven over one sinner’s rescued life than over ninety-nine good people in no need of rescue. (MSG)

Lost people matter to God.  They matter so much to him that one lost soul found is the grounds for a big celestial party.  Please note this simple observation of today’s Gospel reading: If there is rejoicing in the presence of angels in heaven over one sinner who repents, then who is doing the rejoicing?  God!  God himself is crazy giddy with joy over one lost person being found.

Celebration is an important activity for the Christian. God throws the best parties, filled with plenty of joy and recognition of persons restored to fellowship. As people created in the image and likeness of God, we are hardwired for celebration. If God can go uncorked with joy and celebration, I’m going to say with confidence that open unabashed blowouts rejoicing over people’s transformation and new life is welcome and expected. Folks baptized in pickle juice can join the grumbling of all the high mucky-muck dudes who smugly look down on the marginal persons among us. Hopefully, the party-poopers won’t be heard because of all the noise at God’s party.

This parable of Jesus is meant to give us a glimpse of God’s own heart.  He would do anything to find a lost person, to restore and reconcile a person back to himself.  God would go dumpster diving and wade through the stinky nasty garbage to find that one lost valuable person.

Why should reaching out to marginal people with the grace and love of Jesus Christ be a high priority?  Because restoring lost people is a high priority for God.  God has placed the highest of priorities on recovering those who are spiritually lost and wandering around life without a purpose or a place to call home. Such people matter so much to him that God sent his Son, the Lord Jesus, to this earth.  Jesus went to the greatest lengths possible through enduring a cruel death on a cross in order to reconcile a broken lost relationship between people and God.

I can still remember what it felt like to be separated from God and estranged from the church – it was lonely and sad, like being in a deep black hole with no way of getting out and no one around to help.  But God, in his great mercy, sent spiritual commandos to extract me from my captivity of the soul. So, my greatest desire is to live my life basking in the grace shown to me, grateful for new mercies which come every day, and giving that same grace to others – especially those considered as the lost, the least, and the lonely in society.

In leaving the ninety-nine and going after the one sheep, God gave preferential attention to the lost. So, because of this, I ask a sincere and probing question which I believe needs to be asked:  Can you live with that?  My own answer is: “I sure can, because I was once that lone lost sheep!”

Jesus, you are the Good Shepherd.  Thank you for going after me when I was lost.  Help me to remember that you will often leave my pasture to go after others. I’ll be willing and happy to go with you when you do. Let’s also take the Spirit with us.  Amen.

Click Compassion Hymn by Keith and Kristyn Getty to remember the lengths of love God went to in restoring us.

Malachi 3:16-4:6

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
            According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 24 million children in America — one out of every three — live in biological father-absent homes. The National Fatherhood Initiative reports that nine in ten American parents agree this is a “crisis.”  Consequently, there is a “father factor” in nearly all of the social issues facing America today. Yet there is hope in the fact that children with involved fathers do better across every measure of child well-being than their peers in father-absent homes.
            From a biblical perspective, the relationship between fathers and children is hugely important not only for the well-being of family and society, but for God’s people.  Fathers in ancient Israel were the primary instructors of God’s covenant to their children.  This responsibility was critical to ensuring success in Israel obeying their God.  The fact of the matter is that fathers as a whole blew it.  The very last verse of the Old Testament ends on a note of coming judgment.  But that is not the end of the story because the prophet Elijah will come to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and vice versa.
 
            John the Baptist, Jesus said, was the Elijah to come.  Jesus, then, is the fulfillment of God’s covenant promises to his people.  Dads have a sacred responsibility today to point their kids to Jesus.  We must take up the mantle of teaching our children the ways of God especially as expressed by Jesus.  God is on a mission of restoration, and the place to begin is with restoring relationships between fathers and children.  It behooves all us Dads to step away and slow down enough to consider what the nature of our family relationships are really like.  Then, take action to instruct our kids with both words and with actions.
            Gracious God, thank you for the gift of children.  Teach me your ways of grace so that I might pass them on to my children in Jesus’ name through the power of the Spirit.  Amen.

Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
            Restoration is a beautiful thing.  I don’t often watch makeover shows on television, but if I am channel surfing and catch an old house which seems best suited for the wrecking ball getting restored to its original charm and beauty, I’m hooked.  We as people seem to resonate deeply with things being repaired and rejuvenated to looking brand new again.
 
            For that to occur, someone needs to have the vision to see the old become new.  If not, then the drab discouragement of a gray and dreary environment can easily take over, forgetting the original shine of how things once were.  In the context of today’s psalm God’s people once enjoyed the covenant and the promises of God.  But over time the relationship was not maintained and cared for; the people gradually slid into disrepair.  Centuries of sheer neglect brought a situation where it seemed that the only recourse was to do away with the people and begin again.
 
            The psalms have been the prayer book of God’s people for millennia.  Suffering and hard circumstances provide the backdrop for many a psalm.  Sometimes the difficulty is external – another nation oppressing the people.  But other times, like here in this psalm, the problem is internal – sheer neglect of God’s commands over time to the point that God is just plain angry over the whole dilemma.
 
            I certainly do not want to make God angry.  No, I much rather would like to enjoy his favor.  The work of prayer becomes the tool we need to begin restoring our broken lives and churches back to their original beauty.  God is patiently waiting for us to come to him.  And we must come to him, again and again.  Like the persevering of using the hammer, pounding nail after nail, so we must offer our prayers morning, noon, and night, day after day, crying out to God with the great cry of the church:  “Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved!”
             O loving and gracious God, bring restoration to my life, to my church, to my family, to my workplace, and to my community.  Things are not as they once were.  Send your Holy Spirit so that we might enjoy seasons of blessing again.  Restore, renew, revive and rejuvenate our disordered churches.  May your face shine upon us once again through the mighty name of Jesus.  Amen.