AN UNEXPECTED BONUS MOM

Standing near the cross were Jesus’ mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary (the wife of Clopas), and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother standing there beside the disciple he loved, he said to her, “Dear woman, here is your son.” And he said to this disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from then on, this disciple took her into his home.- JOHN 19:25-27 NLT

Why are you being killed, Jesus? I don’t want you to die. You were supposed to save us from the Romans. You said you would rise from the dead but only God could do that. Timidly, I touch both Marys’ shoulders, their eyes reflecting my misery.

Jesus croaks between the gasps of a son and a mother.

*I have to take care of my own mother and his? Uh…well, I love him. I would do anything for him. I just need to go back to fishing, that’s all. James and I can make enough sales to pay for everyone’s expenses. *

I look away from Jesus’ face to his mother. She smiles uncertainly, and I hug her to my sweaty tunic before she can see my doubts.

Has God given you a task that seems too difficult? An assignment to actively love someone who is not a blood relation? Have you been confused about God’s plan for your life?

John was probably confused, sad, and overwhelmed. A few days later everything changed. It all made sense and his tears turned to joy. Will you trust God when you don’t understand? Will you lean on him for all you need and for what you require to help others too?

Lord God, I am overwhelmed with all you seem to want me to do. Please help me to love and serve my family and others you have assigned to me with the strength that comes from you. Help me to trust you more when I can’t figure out what’s happening. Thanks for making it all come out right in the end.

Throughout this day: Meditate on 1 Corinthians 13. Jesus loves you this way and he gives you the power through his Spirit to love others like that too.

Adjusting to the Lord’s Plan

While following God may involve change or, at times, even loss, we can trust Him for a just reward.

Matthew 4:18-22

Peter, Andrew, James, and John were fishermen before they became Jesus’ disciples. Their lives revolved around the details of their occupation—weather conditions, equipment repair, catching fish, and turning a profit. But in today’s passage, when Jesus called them to become fishers of men, they made a dramatic change (v. 22).

In contrast, the rich young ruler walked away sad when he realized what he’d have to give up to follow Christ (Matthew 19:21-22). An invitation from the Lord usually means modifying our way of living. Whether this involves switching jobs or altering habits, God expects us to adapt to His plan.

At times, the Lord may call for a shift in our relationships. Before being invited to travel in Jesus’ company, James and John had worked in the family business with their father. Saying yes to God meant seeing friends and relatives less frequently. But Christ promises a great return on any sacrifice we make (Matthew 19:29).

Our heavenly Father’s plans are based on His goodness, justice, and mercy. Because of His perfect character, we can trust the direction He gives us. Adjusting to God’s design—accepting His will and making needed changes in our circumstances and relationships—is always the wisest action to take (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Humbly Receive from Him

And he said, “Thus says the Lord, ‘I will make this dry streambed full of pools.’ For thus says the Lord, ‘You shall not see wind or rain, but that streambed shall be filled with water, so that you shall drink, you, your livestock, and your animals.’”

2 Kings 3:16-17

The armies of the three kings were famishing and in need of water. God was about to send it, and in these words the prophet announced the coming blessing.

Here was a case of human helplessness: Not a drop of water could all the valiant men procure from the skies or find in the wells of earth. In similar fashion the people of the Lord are often at their wits’ end—seeing their helplessness, and then learning where their help is to be found.

Notice that people were to prepare in faith to receive the divine blessing. They were to dig the trenches in which the water would be held. The church must learn by her efforts and prayers to make herself ready to be blessed; she must make the pools, and the Lord will fill them. This must be done in faith, in the full assurance that the blessing is about to descend. They were soon to discover a unique provision of the water they required. The shower did not pour from the clouds, as in Elijah’s case; but in a silent and mysterious manner the pools were filled. The Lord has His own sovereign modes of action: He is not tied to process and time as we are but does as He pleases among the sons of men. Our part is to humbly receive from Him, and not to dictate to Him.

We must also notice the remarkable abundance of the supply—there was enough for the needs of all. And so it is in the gospel blessing. All the needs of the congregation and of the entire church will be met by divine power in answer to prayer; and above all this, victory shall be quickly given to the armies of the Lord.

What am I doing for Jesus? What trenches am I digging? O Lord, make me ready to receive the blessing that You are so willing to bestow.

KICK OF GLORY

And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.- LUKE‬ ‭1‬:‭46‬-‭49‬ ‭

When I found out I was pregnant, I didn’t know what to expect. Besides a baby nine months later, I hadn’t really thought about what it might feel like to be pregnant. It wasn’t until about five months in that I felt my baby kick for the first time.

I thought of this passage when it happened: Mary’s Magnificat, a hymn from Jesus’ first home on earth. She learns she’s carrying the Savior that she’d heard prophecies of, the Messiah everyone had been waiting for. She’s in awe of the fact that God would choose her to bring this life into the world and she lifts her praises.

As I placed my hand on my belly, I remembered that my Jesus who gave his life for me, who conquered sin and death, was once just a baby in a woman’s womb, too. Silent. Dependent. And kicking hard.

I had been struggling to enjoy my pregnancy with all the nausea and fatigue I’d been feeling. Starting a family was supposed to be a blessing, but no matter how much I knew that to be true, it was hard to reconcile the truth with my experience. But that first kick gave me a glimpse of how Mary must have felt. A kick of the reality that there was life being formed within me. I started to feel overwhelmed with joy. This baby was a gift God entrusted to me to steward well.

Mary’s song is one that you and I can sing in all circumstances. No matter what your family looks like, related by blood or chosen with care, your family is a reason to magnify the name of the Lord. Family can be messy and painful. On the outside, Mary was just a pregnant unmarried teenager. But God was making her to be more like him, humbling her, showing her that he had much for her to do with the little she had to offer.

What family has God entrusted to you? In what ways can Mary’s song become yours, too? What are some ways you can align the posture of your heart to hers?

Father, thank you for the privilege of community and family. I ask you to humble me today, just as you did Mary. Show me how I can glorify you with the gift of family you’ve given me. I want to magnify you with my soul today. Amen.

God Comforts Us

Distractions offer only temporary relief from pain; in contrast, our heavenly Father promises healing.

Isaiah 66:12-13

In times of distress, we can fall into the habit of turning to God as a last resort. Food, relationships, careers, technology, and entertainment—these and other forms of escapism allure us with the false promise of relief. But whether we indulge in sweets, mindless scrolling on social media, or pointless busyness, we’ll always find ourselves empty and drained afterward. Worse still, the problem that sent us running is still there when we get back.

Reaching for God instead of our distractions requires the pain of being present in our distress—fully aware of our deep need, seeking a heavenly solution instead of the pleasures and diversions of this world. In our reading today, God reminds the children of Israel that even in the messy, painful space between promise and fulfillment, He never begins something that He doesn’t complete. In Israel’s struggle to become a nation after years of suffering and exile, God never left them. Instead, Israel experienced His deliverance in abundant and diverse ways.

Since we are children of God, Israel’s promised deliverance is extended to us—it’s an invitation to turn to Him with full confidence that we will be comforted. We are assured that “He who began a good work among [us] will complete it” and see us through to the end (Philippians 1:6).

God Will Finish His Work

… made perfect.

Hebrews 12:23

Remember that there are two kinds of perfection that the Christian needs—the perfection of justification in the person of Jesus, and the perfection of sanctification accomplished in him by the Holy Spirit. At present, corruption still remains even in the hearts of the regenerate—experience soon teaches us this. Within us there still are lusts and evil imaginations. But I rejoice to know that the day is coming when God shall finish the work that He has begun; and He will present my soul not only perfect in Christ, but perfect through the Spirit, without spot or blemish or any such thing.

Can it be true that this poor sinful heart of mine is to become holy even as God is holy? Can it be that this spirit, which often cries, “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?”¹ shall get rid of sin and death—that I will have no evil sounds to vex my ears, and no unholy thoughts to disturb my peace? May this happy hour come quickly! When I cross the Jordan, the work of sanctification will be finished; but not until that moment shall I ever claim perfection in myself. Then my spirit will have its last baptism in the Holy Spirit’s fire.

I think I long to die to receive that last and final purification that will usher me into heaven. An angel will not be any purer than I shall be, for I shall be able to say, in a double sense, “I am clean,” through Jesus’ blood and through the Spirit’s work. We should extol the power of the Holy Spirit who makes us fit to stand before our Father in heaven! Yet we must not allow the hope of perfection there to make us content with imperfection now. If it does this, our hope cannot be genuine; for a good hope is a purifying thing, even now. Grace must be at work in us now or it will not be perfected in us then. Let us pray to “be filled with the Spirit,”² that we may increasingly bring forth the fruits of righteousness.

¹⁾ Romans 7:24
²⁾ Ephesians 5:18

KICK OF GLORY

And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.- LUKE‬ ‭1‬:‭46‬-‭49‬ ‭

When I found out I was pregnant, I didn’t know what to expect. Besides a baby nine months later, I hadn’t really thought about what it might feel like to be pregnant. It wasn’t until about five months in that I felt my baby kick for the first time.

I thought of this passage when it happened: Mary’s Magnificat, a hymn from Jesus’ first home on earth. She learns she’s carrying the Savior that she’d heard prophecies of, the Messiah everyone had been waiting for. She’s in awe of the fact that God would choose her to bring this life into the world and she lifts her praises.

As I placed my hand on my belly, I remembered that my Jesus who gave his life for me, who conquered sin and death, was once just a baby in a woman’s womb, too. Silent. Dependent. And kicking hard.

I had been struggling to enjoy my pregnancy with all the nausea and fatigue I’d been feeling. Starting a family was supposed to be a blessing, but no matter how much I knew that to be true, it was hard to reconcile the truth with my experience. But that first kick gave me a glimpse of how Mary must have felt. A kick of the reality that there was life being formed within me. I started to feel overwhelmed with joy. This baby was a gift God entrusted to me to steward well.

Mary’s song is one that you and I can sing in all circumstances. No matter what your family looks like, related by blood or chosen with care, your family is a reason to magnify the name of the Lord. Family can be messy and painful. On the outside, Mary was just a pregnant unmarried teenager. But God was making her to be more like him, humbling her, showing her that he had much for her to do with the little she had to offer.

What family has God entrusted to you? In what ways can Mary’s song become yours, too? What are some ways you can align the posture of your heart to hers?

Father, thank you for the privilege of community and family. I ask you to humble me today, just as you did Mary. Show me how I can glorify you with the gift of family you’ve given me. I want to magnify you with my soul today. Amen.

God Comforts Us

Distractions offer only temporary relief from pain; in contrast, our heavenly Father promises healing.

Isaiah 66:12-13

In times of distress, we can fall into the habit of turning to God as a last resort. Food, relationships, careers, technology, and entertainment—these and other forms of escapism allure us with the false promise of relief. But whether we indulge in sweets, mindless scrolling on social media, or pointless busyness, we’ll always find ourselves empty and drained afterward. Worse still, the problem that sent us running is still there when we get back.

Reaching for God instead of our distractions requires the pain of being present in our distress—fully aware of our deep need, seeking a heavenly solution instead of the pleasures and diversions of this world. In our reading today, God reminds the children of Israel that even in the messy, painful space between promise and fulfillment, He never begins something that He doesn’t complete. In Israel’s struggle to become a nation after years of suffering and exile, God never left them. Instead, Israel experienced His deliverance in abundant and diverse ways.

Since we are children of God, Israel’s promised deliverance is extended to us—it’s an invitation to turn to Him with full confidence that we will be comforted. We are assured that “He who began a good work among [us] will complete it” and see us through to the end (Philippians 1:6).

Get Up and Get On

Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after him in whose sight I shall find favor.”

Ruth 2:2

Do you ever start your day lying in bed thinking of all that’s ahead of you and around you? Do you find yourself feeling overwhelmed by the challenges of the day to come or underwhelmed by the routine of it?

As she woke up in those first few days of her new life in Bethlehem, Ruth likely had to take a moment to remind herself of where she was and all that had happened: My husband died. I’m now living with my also-widowed mother-in-law in a foreign land. I know I made the decision to leave, but I hope I’ve done the right thing. What now?

Ruth didn’t sit around waiting for some miraculous intervention before she proceeded with her life. No, for her, common sense led to careful thinking, and careful thinking led to practical action. Ruth knew she and Naomi needed provision, and she realized she was capable of working. She therefore sought Naomi’s advice and her approval before going out into the fields to labor and find food.

Common sense doesn’t mean we rely on our own insight or abilities. We must trust God and look to Him. But we must also use the faculties He’s given us to live sensible lives in accordance with His will. We must be prepared to do what we can and leave the rest in God’s care. Do not mistake passivity for godliness. But, by her attitude and actions, Ruth teaches us that all that God provides—each opportunity of obtaining what we need—is an undeserved mercy and favor from the Giver of every good and perfect gift (James 1:17).

As we get up and take action, we can trust that God is not idle. He’s working everything according to His will (Romans 8:28), not as a package that is let down from heaven on a string but as a scroll that unrolls day by day as we walk through life. His favor in the ordinary things of life keeps us marching for another day. Your day may not look exciting or glamorous. You may not be sure how you will overcome what confronts you. But it is the day that God has given you, and He will give you all you need to do all He calls you to.

Will you, like Ruth, get up and get on with this life you’ve been given, and live for God and His glory?

I’M MAD AT GOD

Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the heart of fools.- ECCLESIASTES 7:9

I’ve made it my mission to help prepare her for the future by offering some resistance to her strong will.

One day, at the park, my sweet 3-year-old granddaughter and I had a battle of the wills. Zoe loves to swing. She wanted me to get in the swing next to her. I said no. After her repeated attempts to persuade me, I held firm. (It was so difficult because she is sweet and I do love her.)

This led to a significant meltdown! In her displeasure, she wanted nothing to do with her uncooperative Papa. There were 20 minutes with lots of tears. My wife heard the wails and came to check out what was happening, but went back to the house when she realized it was just a battle of the wills!

I sat on the play structure inviting Zoe to join me and slowly she inched closer and closer. Eventually, she took my hand. I asked if I could give her a hug, and she agreed, pressing in for a warm embrace. The battle of the wills was over!

I wonder if God sometimes resists giving me what I want for a greater purpose that I do not understand? I think he does. At times, like Zoe, I respond with tears, frustration or anger. God waits for me to press in for his warm embrace. Just as I was longing for Zoe to come to me but wanted it to be her decision, God invites me to come to him, a standing invitation of love and grace.

Father God, thank you for your patience with me. Thank you that in your love and kindness you do not fulfill all of my wishes, even though you could. In the moment, I do get angry with you. I want to affirm that you act with my best in mind and I confess my lack of patience and trust that you love me. Amen

For Today: Are you angry with God? Is there something that you want that is not happening? Consider God’s father’s heart. Could it be that God has a better plan, not giving you everything that you request of him?