Apr 3 The Good Samaritan

Photo by http://www.LumoProject.com

Father, the Parable of the Good Samaritan is one of the first I can remember hearing from the Bible when I was a little girl.

A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho when he was attacked by robbers.
They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.

It was a lesson on loving your neighbor as yourself, teaching us all in Sunday school that when anyone is hurt or hurting we are to do all we can to help them.  This is a value I have had all my life.

Much later in life, You opened my eyes to new levels of understanding of this parable.  I’ve learned more about how badly he was hurt and the level of commitment it took on the part of the Good Samaritan.  And the significance of the spiritual hypocrisy and political bigotry of the men who passed him by.  And the social discrimination that the Samaritan ignored or overlooked to help the wounded man.

So it’s hard for me to see people suffering at the hands of injustice and misunderstood bias against people groups. Lord would You help everyone look beyond their differences and just see people who are hurting, grieving, in need.  And have a heart to help those brokenhearted people when they can.

Give us each the perspective to see that everything we have is blessing from You.  And that we are to share that blessing…with everyone.  Not just people who look like us.

Our church’s motto is “Live and Love like Jesus right where you are.” Help us be like the Samaritan too.  Open our eyes to see who is hurting right where we are – where You have put us. And give us Your heart to help them however we can.

Remove greed, selfishness, discrimination and hypocrisy from us during these times.  And let us emerge from this crisis of disunity a more loving, caring people who bring honor to Your name.  Amen

Luke 10:25-37

Apr 3 The Good Samaritan

Photo by http://www.LumoProject.com

Father, the Parable of the Good Samaritan is one of the first I can remember hearing from the Bible when I was a little girl.

A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho when he was attacked by robbers.
They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.

It was a lesson on loving your neighbor as yourself, teaching us all in Sunday school that when anyone is hurt or hurting we are to do all we can to help them.  This is a value I have had all my life.

Much later in life, You opened my eyes to new levels of understanding of this parable.  I’ve learned more about how badly he was hurt and the level of commitment it took on the part of the Good Samaritan.  And the significance of the spiritual hypocrisy and political bigotry of the men who passed him by.  And the social discrimination that the Samaritan ignored or overlooked to help the wounded man.

So it’s hard for me to see people suffering at the hands of injustice and misunderstood bias against people groups. Lord would You help everyone look beyond their differences and just see people who are hurting, grieving, in need.  And have a heart to help those brokenhearted people when they can.

Give us each the perspective to see that everything we have is blessing from You.  And that we are to share that blessing…with everyone.  Not just people who look like us.

Our church’s motto is “Live and Love like Jesus right where you are.” Help us be like the Samaritan too.  Open our eyes to see who is hurting right where we are – where You have put us. And give us Your heart to help them however we can.

Remove greed, selfishness, discrimination and hypocrisy from us during these times.  And let us emerge from this crisis of disunity a more loving, caring people who bring honor to Your name.  Ame

Luke 10:25-37

Jan 20 Indescribable Uncontainable

I continue to be amazed, Lord God, at the magnitude of the height of Your glory. You made the sun and stars, everything in the heavens. As humans, we are just beginning to understand the depth of the workings of the cosmos. All we know about our universe could fit on the head of a pin compared to what You were able to imagine and bring into being. Even beyond our meager understanding, You had the ability, the power to create what You imagined. And by Your hand it is all kept in balance and in motion.

Yet, with the incredible greatness and the boundless vastness of Your power and sovereignty, You still know each one of us, each of Your creations, by name. I marvel at the love You have for us, and the care You take with us.

You can see the past and the future. You are outside of time. You knew when a famine was coming in Egypt, and cared to let them know in advance. You spoke revelation through dreams and gave the interpretation to Joseph. And because of that, people were saved from the famine, and Your promise was preserved; Your covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob was upheld.

As great as You are, You still communicate with us in ways we can understand; as an example: parables. We can understand a crop with weeds sewn into it, and how harvest time works. We can see when a tiny seed grows into a large tree, or the action of yeast causing bread dough to rise. We know the draw and value of treasure and pearls.

Thank You for caring to communicate with us; to show us the way to have relationship with You: the Almighty God of the Universe. And as we can only voice our faith and trust in You through the words we understand, we join with the Psalmist David in saying; “You are my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. You are my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call to You, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.” 

“I love You, O Lord, my strength.” Amen

Genesis 41:17-42:17; Matthew 13:24-46; Psalm 18:1-3