Solid Footing

 

1 Samuel 2:2 (NET) - No one is holy like the Lord! There is no one other than you! There is no rock like our God!

In this verse, Samuel praises God.

He declares that God is both unique and truly Holy.

He then compares God to a rock.

What the prophet is really saying is that God is stable and dependable.

We like to think that the ground upon which we physically stand is solid and firm.

But, thanks to the internet, we can see footage of sinkholes suddenly appearing.

Pedestrians, cars and even buildings suddenly disappear.

I remember when Mount St. Helens erupted in 1980.

In video captured just prior to the eruption, a landslide was captured.

This landslide of rock and ice was perhaps the largest ever recorded.

The speed at which it descended was more than 100 miles per hour.

Granted these instances are not commonplace, but they do illustrate one thing.

Even the firmness of the ground upon which we stand is not guaranteed.

Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthians talks about what is solid and dependable.

The firmest of foundations is Christ.

1 Corinthians 3:11 (NET) - For no one can lay any foundation other than what is being laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Christ is the cornerstone of the Church.

He is the foundation God provided upon which we confidently build our faith.

And it was that same Christ who cautions us to rely on His teachings.

Matthew 7:26-27 (NET) - Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the flood came, and the winds beat against that house, and it collapsed—it was utterly destroyed!

As humans, we like to think that the foundation we base our lives upon is solid.

But a change in circumstances can ultimately prove that we have built upon sand.

As we continue our journey through Lent, we follow Christ’s journey.

That journey led to a cross.

But it was a journey undertaken with a love that was perfect.

It is by that love that we were granted grace.

Only in Christ can we find solid footing.

No matter what happens, that foundation will always remain solid.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, March 18, 2022.

I will be back here on Friday, March 25, 2022

Rooted in Love

 

Psalm 119:6 (NET) - Then I would not be ashamed, if I were focused on all your commands.

The Psalmist declares his desire to remained focused on God’s commands.

But this desire is not rooted in legality.

Rather, it is a desire to live the way God wants all of us to live.

That means building and strengthening our relationships.

As the created of God, we need to have a strong relationship with Him.

But it does not stop there.

We also need to build and foster relationships with others.

For they, like us, were created in God’s image.

And God loves others as much as He loves us.

Jesus echoed the Psalmist’s sentiments.

Christ desired to do God’s will.

John 4:34 (NET) - Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of the one who sent me and to complete his work.

Once, a Pharisee tried to trap Jesus.

The Pharisee asked Him which of the commandments was most important.

The Pharisee must have been surprised when Jesus gave him a twofold answer.

Matthew 22:37-40 (NET) - Jesus said to him, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”

Jesus innately understood that by keeping these two commandments, we would be keeping them all.

That is because they are rooted in our relationships with God and others.

Both the Psalmist and Jesus desired to live according to God’s will.

That should be our desire as well.

In God’s word, He tries to teach us a love for Him that is open and honest.

God also wants us to love our neighbor.

This means respecting them even when we disagree with them.

The Holy Spirit can help us do that.

God made us in His image.

Therefore, God can teach us to love as He loves.

And Christ, by example, can teach us what love really looks like.

That is why it is essential for us to focus on His commands.

After all, they are rooted in love.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, March 4, 2022.

I will be back here on Friday, March 11, 2022

Love Continues

Philippians 4:7 (NET) - He will shelter you with his wings; you will find safety under his wings. His faithfulness is like a shield or a protective wall.

I have attended many funeral services over the last year and a half.

As I write these words, I am about to attend yet another.

Paul, in his letter to the Philippians, discusses Christian practices.

But these practices are not related to rites and rituals.

Rather, Paul’s words refer to our relationship with God.

They should also be reflective of our relationships with one another.

As I think about those who have passed, I am struck by the impact of their lives upon my own.

It also makes me think about the impact their lives had on others.

Prior to verse seven, Paul reminds us to give both praise and thanks in every situation.

This includes times of personal loss.

For it is in such times that we can give thanks for the influence our loved ones had.

Paul also reminds us that we can find comfort in God.

We can find safety and peace beneath His wings.

Paul also discusses this in his first letter to the Thessalonians.

1 Thessalonians 5:9 (NET) - And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Even when we experience loss, God grants us true peace in Jesus.

It is the kind of peace that cannot be completely understood.

As we journey through this world, we will have to say goodbye to those we love.

But no matter how many of His faithful depart, God makes certain we never run out.

God raises up others to continue His ministry of reaching out to others in love.

God will continue placing others in our lives to share His love and to be examples for us.

Hopefully, we will allow God to do the same with our lives.

Once we do, we become part of this wonderful legacy of faith, service, and love.

One thing more.

This path of ministry requires no special training or certification.

The only requisite is love.

And thanks to God and His departed servants, we know what that love looks like.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, February 18, 2022.

I will be back here on Friday, February 25, 2022

Correction Signifies Love

 

Jeremiah 10:24 (NET) - Correct us, Lord, but only in due measure. Do not punish us in anger or you will reduce us to nothing.

The prophet remembers God’s command concerning idols.

It is true that the Lord detests idols.

It is also true that idols are created by man and are completely worthless.

The prophet recognizes God’s complete sovereignty.

He also understands that those who worship idols are foolish.

Therefore, he prays for God’s judgment.

The prophet does not pray for destruction, but rather for correction.

For destruction comes from anger and rage.

By contrast, correction comes from love.

Paul touches on this in his first letter to the Thessalonians.

1 Thessalonians 5:9 (NET) - For God did not destine us for wrath but for gaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Here, Paul emphasizes that God did not create us merely to punish or destroy us.

Rather, God created us because of His love for us.

That is why He sent His son into the world to save us.

Christ willingly paid the price not one of us could pay.

But that does not mean we will be free from God’s correction.

A human parent corrects their child when that child goes astray.

A good parent does not administer this correction out of anger or rage.

Instead, they do so because they love the child and only want what is best for him.

God corrects us in the same way.

He corrects us because He loves us.

Yes, we are made in God’s image.

But whenever we seek to please ourselves rather than God we stray away from Him.

When that happens, we can and should expect God’s correction.

In fact, it would benefit us to pray for it.

For it is through God’s loving correction that we can walk with Him once again.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, February 4, 2022.

I will be back here on Friday, February 11, 2022