Provision in Abundance

 

Joel 2:26 (NRSVue) - You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied and praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. And my people shall never again be put to shame.

The second part of Joel 2 is about God’s response and promise.

Part of that promise concerns God’s abundance.

The provision Christ offers is equally plentiful.

In Mark 6, Christ feeds five thousand with two fish and five loaves of bread.

Not only were the five thousand fed; they were filled.

Mark 6:41-42 (NRSVue) - Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and blessed and broke the loaves and gave them to his disciples to set before the people, and he divided the two fish among them all. And all ate and were filled,

This example of Christ’s abundance is amazing.

It is the only one of His many miracles to be recorded in each of the four Gospels.

The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit give in abundance.

So much so that we often take this abundance for granted.

In fact, we often forget that literally everything we have comes from God.

Now is an excellent time to remember God’s abundant provision.

With His help, we might be more inclined to recognize this in the future.

Perhaps we might even acknowledge that all we have comes from Him.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com on Friday, May 17, 2024.

I will be back here on Friday, May 24, 2024

Superior Strength

 

Genesis 6:22 (NRSVue) - Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him.

The second half of Genesis 6 tells of how Noah pleased God.

Scripture reminds us that Noah was a righteous man.

It was in this way that he pleased God.

It was because of his righteousness that God desired to save Noah and his family.

So, He asked Noah to build an ark to His exact specification.

He also asked Noah to bring two of every kind of animal aboard.

And Noah, being a righteous man, set about this monumental task.

Centuries later, Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount.

This can be found in Matthew chapters 5 through 7.

Some view these words as mere suggestions.

Still others view these words as a reminder of just how sinful we are.

They are far more than either.

In these words, Christ tells us how we are to live our lives.

For example, Jesus explains the difference between hearers and doers beginning with this verse. 

Matthew 7:24 (NRSVue) - “Everyone, then, who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.

It is not sufficient merely to hear the words of Christ, we must act on them.

The wise man’s house withstood a flood.

Noah and his family were also saved from a flood.

That is because they relied upon God’s strength as opposed to their own.

And we would be wise to do the same.

Sometimes our journeys seem difficult.

But we can get past the difficulties when we rely on God’s strength.

We can get through them when we realize that we do not travel alone.

And we can always call upon God to help us live in His word.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com on Friday, May 3, 2024.

I will be back here on Friday, May 10, 2024

Into the Light

 

Isaiah 42:16 (NRSVue) - I will lead the blind by a road they do not know; by paths they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I will do, and I will not forsake them.

The recent eclipse made headlines.

I happened to live in what scientists called “the path of totality.”

It was most interesting to see midday grow dark for a few minutes.

But it would be a different matter if the phenomenon were unknown.

How frightening it would be not knowing whether the sun would return.

But, figuratively speaking, some live in darkness. 

Isaiah 42 contains a song of praise to the Lord.

And just as the sun returned to dispel the daytime darkness, so the Lord turns darkness into light.

In Luke 24, two followers of Jesus encountered the risen Christ on the road to Emmaus.

As they walked, they still did not recognize Him.

When they arrived at their destination, they invited Him in.

It was then that Jesus revealed Himself.

Luke 24:30-31 (NRSVue) - When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, and he vanished from their sight.

Even though Easter Sunday has passed, we are still in the Easter season.

This reminds us, as do these passages of Scripture, that the risen Christ dispels the darkness in our lives.

Each day is a new day.

Each day is a personal gift.

It is a gift we are meant to share with those who still live in darkness.

By reflecting the light of Jesus into their lives, we can coax them out of their darkness.

They can then step into the direct light of His love and experience a new day with Him.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com on Friday, April 19, 2024.

I will be back here on Friday, April 26, 2024

Sharing the Faith

 

Psalm 105:1 (NRSVue) - O give thanks to the Lord; call on his name; make known his deeds among the peoples.

Psalm 105 is a Psalm about God’s faithfulness to Israel.

The psalmist stresses the need to thank God.

He also stresses the need to make the deeds of God known.

In his letter to the Romans, Paul shares that Salvation is for all,

This requires faith.

Paul then shares the source of that faith.

Romans 10:17 (NRSVue) - So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.

So, what is the point of all this?

Mainly, it is that we need to share our faith with others.

We need to make the Lord’s deeds known to those around us.

We must share the words and example of Christ with them as well.

As we near the end of our journey through Lent, we should feel extraordinarily blessed!

Ironically, we often hesitate in sharing our praise with those we encounter.

Let us take the words of the psalmist and Paul to heart.

May we see each encounter as an opportunity to share our faith.

May each meeting prompt us to praise God and make His deeds known.

May each contact remind us to share the words and example of Christ.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com on Friday, April 5, 2024.

I will be back here on Friday, April 12, 2024

In the Shadow of His Wings

Psalm 63:7 (NRSVue) - for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I sing for joy.

Psalm 63 is a Psalm of David of a time when he was in the wilderness.

He thinks upon his relationship with God.

In doing so, he remembers God’s reassurance and embrace.

In his letter to the Romans, Paul discusses life in the spirit.

Paul reminds his readers of their relationship with God.

And because of that relationship, they can withstand any opposing force.

Romans 8:31 (NRSVue) - What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us?

What about us and the world we live in?

We sometimes feel beset by challenges.

We are bombarded by information.

But how much of what we are told can we believe?

Most, if not all, media outlets have an agenda.

Politicians make statements hoping it will either gain them office or keep it.

In terms of health care, one organization says something another vehemently disagrees with.

And the list goes on.

We can take heart in the messages of the Psalmist and Paul.

We can find rest in the embrace of God.

We too can find refuge in the shadow of His wings.

It does not matter where life takes us.

It does not matter what challenges we face.

God is there for us.

Moreover, He loves us.

As we continue through the season of Lent, we are reminded that God proved this.

God proved His love and care when He allowed His Son to die for us.

The price has been paid.

We have been made right with God.

And as we journey through life, we do not journey alone.

And God’s presence is more than a match for anything the world can throw at us.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com on Friday, March 15, 2024.

I will be back here on Friday, March 22, 2024

Love, Not Fear

 

Haggai 2:5 (NRSVue) - according to the promise that I made you when you came out of Egypt. My spirit abides among you; do not fear.

The prophet reminded the people that they were covenant people.

He also reminded them not to fear.

In John 16, Jesus spoke to the disciples.

Jesus reminded them that their grief would turn to joy,

He also reminded them not to fear.

John 16:33 (NIV) - “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

I teach an adult class.

One of the things we examine in that class is history and how it relates to the present.

History is full of misery, heartache, and bloodshed.

Much of this has been brought about by fear.

We are taught to fear those who are different from us.

We are taught to fear those whose practices are different than our own.

Sadly, we are even taught to fear those who worship differently than we worship.

It has not gotten any easier,

The media divides us along different lines.

It tries to teach us to fear others.

Yet Scripture tells us repeatedly not to fear.

Instead, we should allow God to make us bold in all things.

We do not need to fear because Christ has overcome the world.

As I remind my adult students…

I do not have to agree with everyone.

I do not have to adopt their practices or customs.

But Scripture is remarkably clear on one thing.

I must love my neighbor.

I must even love the neighbor who disagrees with me and refuses to love me in return.

Yes, Scripture reminds us repeatedly not to fear.

And focusing on love is an excellent means of overcoming fear.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com on Friday, March 1, 2024.

I will be back here on Friday, March 8, 2024