"Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people both now and forever." -- Psalm 125:1-2

I have in front of me some US coins.  On them remain the words "In God We Trust".  There have been individuals and groups over the years who would like to see that phrase removed because it references God and they wish us to be a purely secular culture.  I suspect that one day it will be removed, but not because of the reference to God.  I think it will be removed because of the word "we".  It would be too weird to write, "In God, some of us trust."  But the reality is, as a society, we do not place our trust in God.  We trust money, sports and entertainment, leaders, weapons... all to make us feel like everything is going to be okay.  In our society, God seems to take a back seat to these others-- if any seat at all.   But in our private and personal lives, it's a little different.  We know that all of these will and have let us down.  But God remains steadfast.  When we live with that trust and that knowledge, we become steadfast too.  Our lives take on rhythm, meaning, and purpose.  The world can fray and even tear, but God remains.  And we remain in God.  Place your trust in that which warrants it.

Readings:  1 Kings 2:1-3:3; Acts 5:1-42; Psalm 125:1-5; Proverbs 16:25

"He is 'the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone.' Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." -- Acts 4:11-12

Here Peter is addressing the rulers and elders gathered who are demanding to know by what power they healed a crippled man.  Peter's response is clear: it is by the power of Jesus of Nazareth.  He quotes the Psalm in order to claim messiah status to Jesus, and to make known that he (Jesus) is truly the way to salvation.   So the question I pose to you is when you do things that have impact, power, and are transformative in nature, by what power and in whose name are you doing it?  Are these things done in the name of God?  In the name of some other being?  In the name of yourself?  If you're not sure, examine the motive.  Is the motive selfless or selfish in nature?  

What in the name of God are you doing?

Readings:  1 Kings 1:1-53; Acts 4:1-37; Psalm 124:1-8; Proverbs 16:24

"Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us, for we have endured much contempt. We have endured much ridicule from the proud, much contempt from the arrogant." -- Psalm 123:3-4

When you choose to follow Christ, it's not an issue of if you will be ridiculed, but when.  Are you prepared to be looked down upon for such "foolishness"?  Are you prepared to be left out of some circles because of your beliefs?  Can you stomach the laughter of powerful and successful people over your choice to follow?  To be a Christian requires you to recognize that not all will understand your decision, and you could lose friends and other relationships over it.  It shouldn't be so, but sadly, in some cases it is. If you are experiencing this sort of social persecution, be understanding and patient.  Love these people who laugh at you anyway.  Clearly they do not know this God you profess.  Once they do, they will laugh no more.

Readings:  2 Samuel 23:24-24:25; Acts 3:1-26; Psalm 123:1-4; Proverbs 16:21-23

"Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language." -- Acts 2:5-6

It should seem no miracle today for people of different languages to communicate the language of God to one another.  The language barrier we may have with people of different cultures and nationalities cannot hold when we express to others the essence and nature of God.  Like music, which is understood by people of different countries, love is also understood by those who speak different languages.  While it would be nice to learn different languages-- and we should-- we don't have to wait to speak them before communicating God's love to the world.  Our job first and foremost is to love.  By this they will know that we are his disciples.

Readings:  2 Samuel 22:21-23:23; Acts 2:1-47; Psalm 122:1-9; Proverbs 16:19-20

"Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall." -- Proverbs 16:18

We must remember that we live tenuous and fragile lives that guarantee nothing.  In good times, we tend to feel strong, indestructible, and permanent.  We get boastful and take on a strut and a bit of swagger, and we know we can't fall, and feel no need for God.  But fall we do.  A turn in our health, career, relationships, or reputation can knock us back to bottom.  Stunned, we don't understand what happened.  Embarrassed, we shun showing our faces in public.  We stop calling our friends (or they stop calling us)... and we turn, after a long absence, back to God again.  In him, we find a strength we had not known even before our fall.  We are born again and we rise up.  When this happens, let's be sure not to confuse God's strength as our own.  This is the very thing that leads to the fall in the first place.  Stay humble.  Stay clear.  It is by the grace of God that we live, breathe, and move in and through this space and time.

Readings:  2 Samuel 20:14-22:20; Acts 1:1-26; Psalm 121:1-8; Proverbs 16:18

"Again Jesus said, 'Simon son of John, do you truly love me?' He answered, 'Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.' Jesus said, 'Take care of my sheep.'" -- John 21:16

To say you love God, or are a follower of Jesus, but then to treat the people around you poorly makes apparent that you have little regard for those you profess to be your God and your Lord.  If you are a Christian, or even just a believer in God, how you act toward others matters.  How can you believe in God and then not love others?  How can you love without showing care and concern and provision for those in need?  Who are you?  What do you really believe?

Readings:  2 Samuel 19:11-20:13; John 21:1-25; Psalm 120:1-7; Proverbs 16:16-17

"Then he said to Thomas, 'Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.' Thomas said to him, 'My Lord and my God!' Then Jesus told him, 'Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.'" -- John 20:27-29

Thomas was given an incredible gift that makes many of us jealous.  To be able to see the risen Jesus in the flesh... to be able to place our fingers in nail wounds... to know that it is so...

But we don't get such a gift.  We get one even better: faith.  To know something requires no faith.  But to live one's life around a belief system requires enormous faith.  Consider the power of belief for a second in the context of work... if you spend time each day being busy around some activity for the sake of a paycheck, you will do it.  It will become monotonous and you may even grow to resent and hate your work because it takes you from the life you would rather be living.  But if you approach your work with the understanding that it means something, and you believe in what your doing, whether you get paid or not doesn't matter.  You do it because you love it.  While not the same in terms of faith in God, it does illustrate the power of faith.  It has a fuel about it that propels us toward a hope-filled future and carries us past the mundane and the meaningless.   It clarifies our values and aligns our living with purpose and gives power.  I wonder what life would be without faith.  Does anyone know?  Even the nonbeliever shows faith in their non-belief.

Readings:  2 Samuel 18:1-19:10; John 20:1-31; Psalm 119:153-176; Proverbs 16:14-15