The truth is sometimes a very difficult thing for people to accept.  I’m not sure why, but at some point, I think it goes against our nature to believe and accept something that doesn’t fit who we are.  As people, many of us are fiercely independent.  We like to think that we think for ourselves, act on our own best judgment, and live according to our own developed values and belief systems. And when something comes into our world of belief that runs counter to that, we fight against it.  We at times, refuse to accept it as the truth — a truth that exists to change how we think, act, feel, and respond to the world around us.  And we definitely don’t consider that truth good news.  It upsets the applecart of our lives.  I think that’s the difficulty with handling God’s truth.

         But once we accepted God’s truth — especially if that truth is good news — like any good news it bears repeating.  Good news is something that can change a person’s life — change a person’s world — change a person’s destiny.

         But what if that good news is never told?  What if the best news in the world remains a well-kept secret?  What if the good news — if told — could give people wisdom, relieve peoples suffering, restore their hope, allow their lives to be renewed, but that good news was never mentioned; never shared; never spoken about.  Then those for whom the good news would really be good news are left in their ignorance without wisdom, suffering without knowing they could be healed, hopeless without realizing that there was hope for them.  What if there was a prisoner who had been set free, but never got the good news of their impending freedom, or someone who had been held captive, but never heard the good news that their ransom had been paid?  And what if you had been sent to proclaim good news to the poor, proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, but you never opened your mouth or uttered one word of good news to those to whom the good news was sent.  It begs the questions Paul asked about Jesus, “How are they to call on one in whom they have not believed?  And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard?  And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him?  And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent?

         Perhaps God, Christ, and our world would be better served if those of us who have heard, believed, and called upon the name of the Lord and were sent now told somebody the good news that we’ve heard — to the glory of God.  Those who heard our good news would consider our feet beautiful from the mountain of despair on which they stood.

• Does realizing that God has sent each of us as believers to tell the good news make that truth more difficult to tell?
• What makes telling the good news of God’s grace to others difficult for you?
• What can you do to grow in Christ in order to better share the story of God’s grace with others?

Todays Prayer

Today’s prayer —
Merciful God, grant me the courage to handle Your truth and go as I’ve been sent to spread the word of the good news of Your grace to all who would hear and believe?

         Many of us recall the story of Jesus and his feeding of both the four thousand  at one time, and the feeding of five thousand with two fish and five loaves.  I’m not sure that any recall the story of Elisha and the feeding of over one hundred men with twenty barley loaves and fresh ears of grain in his sack.  And yet it follows the parallel of Jesus’ feeding of the five thousand in many ways. In some ways, when we asked to do something that seems to be impossible, we hedge a bit, expressing our doubt that what is being asked of us is possible.  And it doesn’t matter that every command  comes from God, we find a way to doubt the fulfillment of the request.  Yet, despite our doubts, someone always acts on their faithfulness to do what is asked.  Jesus said, “Bring what you have to me.”  Despite their doubts, the disciples responded faithfully and five thousand men, besides women and children were fed.  Elisha said, “Give to the men, that they may eat.”  Yet, despite the doubts of the servant, he acted in faith and set the substance before them.  And after each act of faithfulness — both from the disciples and Elisha’s servant — all were fed and there was some left over.

         Sometimes looking up to God means nothing more than trusting God over and above our own instincts and judgments of what our resources are.  I believe God is looked up to when we become surprised that God not only provides our needs but leaves us with leftovers just when we thought we didn’t have enough.  When God is that generous to us, we not only look up to God, but we lift God up higher with praise and thanksgiving.

• How easy is it for you to look up to God in trust believing that God will more than supply your needs?
• Does God’s over-supply of your needs increase the likelihood that you will continue to look up to God?

Todays Prayer

Today’s Prayer —
Generous God, grow my faith and trust in You, always leading me to look up to You because You are trustworthy to answer my prayers, even to over-supplying what I ask for.

         It seems that the having a meal together has a spiritual quality to it.  It was central to the feeding of the five thousand.  It has become central to every Holy Communion meal.  It was central to Jesus’ time with the disciples following his resurrection (Luke 21:12; 24:30-35).  It has become central to the life and the tradition of fellowship in families, in the church, and at friendly outings.  For many of us, the idea of eating a meal or breaking bread with someone cannot be done unless someone first gives thanks for the meal about to be eaten.  Whether it’s done with heads bowed around the table, or standing within a group, the spirits of everyone present are lifted up in some way while they look up to God as the receiver of their praise and thanksgiving.

         Looking up to God doesn’t always have to be a physical looking up, lifting our heads and eyes to the skies.  It can be done through the act of thanksgiving.  How else can one give thanks to God without looking up in praise and adoration and giving thanks for providing something as simple as sustenance for the time at hand.  Each time we offer thanksgiving to God for being our provider, or asking God to provide for us, we are essentially looking up to God.  Sometimes it happens spiritually.  Sometimes it happens physically.  But it happens each time we go to God with thanksgiving.  When we lift up God, we cannot help but to look up to God.

• What other ways can you think of by which you are looking up to God, whether in giving thanks, breaking bread, or in some other way?
• How important is it to you to look up to God in any of your life’s circumstances?

Todays Prayer

Today’s Prayer —
Gracious and loving God, whether my eyes are cast down to the ground in humility, or open looking toward the skies, I look up to You. I am humbled and looking up spiritually to praise You regardless of my physical posture.