What does it really mean to have JOY in our life? The Christmas season and our many man-made traditions have given us different meanings of joy. It may be in the form of receiving gifts or seeing our loved ones in an annual reunion. But perhaps, we need to be reminded of the great joy we already obtained when Christ came to save us thousands of years ago. In fact, His advent isn’t just to be received with great joy, but that which needs to be recognized as the greatest source of our joy both on this earth and in eternity. Why does joy matter Joy matters because as we are waiting for Christ’s second coming, we will suffer despair, distress, and pain. The joy that He brings can lighten even the darkest moments of our life by giving us the strength that we need to press on. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength! Nehemiah 8:10 Joy matters because it is essential to our life as Christians. The Bible does not complicate when it tells us to rejoice. (Philippians 4:4) The Scripture is also relentless in commanding us to be joyful because of God’s goodness. Our rejoicing echoes the never-ending goodness of the Father. It is also the rightful response as recipients of His loving mercy and grace. Moses could not be clearer when he told the Israelites to go and celebrate because of all the good things the Lord your God has given to you. (Deuteronomy 26:11) Let’s respond to this call as well as the receivers of God’s goodness in these times of overwhelming sufferings and pains. Profound joy only found in Christ The joy found in Jesus goes beyond great depths. He doesn’t just give us the joy to overcome our fears, pains, and griefs, but He also offers us the kind of joy that trumps even our sinful nature which condemns us to be separated from Him. An angel of Lord assured us all of peace and joy in Luke 2:10, “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. These words from the book of Luke affirm that Jesus is the Joy Incarnate. Though he was despised, rejected, and acquainted with deepest grief, He suffered all these so we could be whole; so we could receive the most glorious joy from God. (Isaiah 53:3-6) The greatest joy we have in Jesus is profound enough to be all-sustaining and everlasting. It gives us cheer when we grieve; it comforts us when we’re suffering; it strengthens us when we’re weak. But ultimately, it assures us of an everlasting delight in the loving arms of God to eternity. He made it clear to us when it was written in the book of John, “So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again; then you will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy.” (John 16:22) This season, as we unwrap our Christmas gifts, may we be reminded that we are not just to receive ordinary joy from ordinary pleasures. Christ came and gave us the greatest joy that cannot be compared to anything. What an amazing gift it is to be with Him forever.  

Check out this message from my brother in Christ, Dan Luck, from last Sunday morning's worship service. If there’s anything we could have learned from our experiences this year, it must have been how to fight the overwhelming adversaries the world posed in our life — to put it more bluntly — how to eliminate the works of the devil in our Christian life. Deception by the enemy; distraction from serving God; and division in our family, community, and even the nation, have been the theme of 2020. And for us as Christians, whose desire is to center our lives to God and His glorification, have we really eliminated these three Ds that hinder us from focusing on our walk with God and toward Christlikeness?   Deception The waves of information we are getting from all forms of media have been immense these past few months that we often get lost and deceived by them. Deception works by making us think that truth is relative. That truth can be had from one source only to be torn apart by another. This process only offers confusion, and thus, makes people believe lies instead of objective truths. Even Luke was aware that even some men from your own group will rise up and distort the truth in order to draw a following in Acts 20:30. The world indeed can be a deceptive place. Our only response to this, as Christians, is to focus on the genuine Truth —our way, truth, and life (John 14:6). No form of deception can sway us and sow in us doubt and confusion if we intentionally devote our time and energy to reading, understanding, and following the Word of God.   Distraction No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money. Matthew 6:24 Matthew specifically pointed out that we cannot serve two masters. Either we serve God or we be enslaved by whatever it is that we put in our heart other than Christ. We need to approach distractions radically by seeing them as evils in themselves. Our time is only limited on earth and we cannot be consumed by other things that hinder us from fulfilling our calling to serve God. In this age and time where comfort and convenience are people’s number one priority, we need to turn to God to seek those and trust in Him completely that according to His will alone, those will be provided to us. God wants us to live in His grace and mercy separate from any distractions. Good things will come if we prioritize Him and live according to His purpose. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Romans 8:28   Division Paul, in his letter to the Christian community in Corinth, appealed that by Christ’s authority, they should live in harmony with each other and let no divisions rise among them. He urged them to be of one mind and united in one thought and purpose for God’s glory. 1 Corinthians 1:10 This has never been more relevant to us right now. This current crisis doesn’t only cause the secular world to fume in anger and hatred over their warring ideologies and political beliefs, it also created a lot of anxiety and despair that ultimately affect everyone, even us Christians. Again, our response to division —be it cultural or spiritual cleaving— is to focus our attention on Jesus. Unity among us is achieved when all our eyes are fixed on Christ. We must pay close attention to what God is telling us. We read His Word; we listen and pray to Him. We read in Mark 4:24 that if we pay close attention to what we hear, more understanding will be given to us. This is the same when we are attentive to Christ and His Word. His ways are set not for us to be scattered but for us to be united in one thought and one purpose. As we flip the page to another age, let us ask ourselves, have we really learned to avoid any divide in our family or community? Have we learned to not let distractions get in the way of serving God? Have we intentionally sought God’s help in determining lies and deceptions? May the Prince of Peace be the sunlight that guides our transition to the following year.  

In this new year, 2021, you will hear the term HOUSEHOLD WELL a lot. We want to equip, empower, and support every Jesus-following household to be a WELL!  Why a WELL? Because we live in a world where there are a lot of thirsty people.  They are thirsting for hope, for peace, to belong and be loved. They are thirsting for purpose, for identity, and for a solution to their problems. And as a Jesus-following household, you have the LIVING WATER to offer them. Each week in January we will be looking at one of the letters in the word WELL to be reminded about how we can live out our calling as a household WELL.

WELL=  Welcomes In Jesus

                        Engages With Neighbors

              Listens For Insight

     Loves To Try

As a way to encourage us to put our insights into action and be united on this journey we will be using a website called Penzu (or the app on your phone)  to share stories of our Household WELL’s. Penzu is an online journal where you can add written stories as well as photos to keep a record of what God is teaching you and how he is working.  We will have one account for the church, where all of our journals will be kept.  How exciting it will be to look back over those journals and be reminded of God’s faithfulness and the importance of our mission to connect people to life in Jesus - get the living water to those who are thirsty! You can write as many journal entries as you would like to. We will be sending out prompts to remind you, but you do not need to wait for the prompt. Be as creative as you want!  Let’s enjoy this journey. What a privilege it is to have the living water and share it with others! Adding these journals will surely inspire each one of us to join in the fun. If you have questions please don’t hesitate to ask: Amy @ [email protected].

How Should We Respond to Life’s Uncertainties? Uncertainty is certain. When we are faced with the unknowns of this life, most of us tend to respond with fear, panic, defensiveness, or positioning. The year 2020 was full of prayers and hopes for a better coming year; but as we learned, the turning of the calendar didn’t make a lot of difference to the situation we’re currently in. And no matter how hard we prepare for the future, we can’t simply predict what tomorrow may bring. When uncertainties or threatening unknowns of life do arise, how should we respond? Who should we look for refuge and protection? Who shall we listen to for stillness and peace? “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you” as the apostle tells us in 1 Peter 5:7. Truly, there’s no one we can submit our anxious hearts to but Jesus—who’s sovereign to give us comfort and answers amidst any uncertain situations.   Seek God We seek God for help because He is our refuge and He is present in all troubles and uncertainties we face (Psalm 46:1-3). This is a reality that we must recognize in our daily struggle. God assured us of this comforting promise when He gave His only begotten son to us. As we read in Romans 8:32, Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? When we are drowning in the waves of unknowns and uncertainties, God asks us to seek His refuge and help. His Word tells us that in Him, we have rock-solid protection and sanctuary through Christ Jesus. What a comforting covenant to behold. We also seek our Creator for grace, because He is the only one who gives grace upon grace and the one who holds the answer to life’s uncertainties. As God tells us not to be anxious about tomorrow, He backs this up with grace and mercy towards us. Only if we seek Him that our burden and the weight of tomorrow’s troubles will be eased. My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me, as we read in 2 Corinthians 12:9. We “don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries” and today’s troubles are enough for today (Matthew 6:34). These words highlight the sufficient grace that God gives us to address the questions of the coming day. Our response to anxieties of the unknown is to cast them to God who gives endless grace.   Be still and listen to God Uncertainties, even when we know that we are in Christ and are saved by Him, can still make us tremble. But God commands us to be still and know that He is God (Psalm 46:10-11). This means that we should trust and listen to Him even if it seems that everything is being taken away from us —convenience, comfort, health, wealth, family, friends, even jobs. He alone can sustain us and give us the answer to the questions of every day and tomorrow. He is our greatest and only answer when we doubt or fear life’s uncertainties. We are asked to be still. We are asked to pray and listen to Him by reading His Words fervently.

Household WELL “W” - Welcomes In Jesus Each week in January we will be looking at one of the letters in the word WELL to be reminded about how we can live out our calling as a household WELL.                                        WELL=  Welcomes In Jesus                                                         Engages With Neighbors                                                                Listens For Insight                                                                     Loves To Try  A Household Well Welcomes in Jesus There are a number of ways you might read and interpret that statement, but the primary intention is gleaned from switching the last two words around, and by looking at the story of Zacchaeus in Luke 19:5-10. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully.  - Luke 19:5-6 ESV

“Christ at Heart’s Door” by Warner Sallman

This is how scripture describes Zacchaeus, and how a home of disciples acts.  We’re not talking about a conversion event from unbelief to faith, but we’re talking about every moment of every day, a home centered on Jesus.  He is part of everything, he doesn’t need our invitation.  But, our attitudes and actions change when we actively participate WITH Jesus in everything we do.  We can welcome Jesus into every aspect of our home lives.  We can welcome Jesus into our meals together by giving God thanks, sharing a devotion, etc.  We can open our days together talking about where we need God to show up that day, and praying for eyes to see and feet and hands to move and work.  We can close the day with Jesus by asking where we have seen God through the day, by lifting up all our cares to Him in prayer.  We can participate with Jesus in what we watch on TV and the internet, giving Him thanks for rest and entertainment, and by asking Him what is being said about our culture, what the understandings, beliefs, and needs are, and how that compares to God’s Word.  We can participate as we play, as we parent, as we discipline, as we clean, as we cook, and as we prepare to spend time with others.  We, as a family unit, can help each other to know that our identity is secure in Christ, that we are so deeply, dearly loved and cared for.  And we can help each other know that we are eternally safe.  We can even get ready to participate with Jesus at work and school, by asking Him for the help we need, asking Him to show us what He is doing in our work and school, and looking to love others.  The list goes on and on. In Deuteronomy 6:1-9 the greatest commandment is given (according to Jesus). 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. - Deuteronomy 6:5-7 ESV This is it.  A household WELL has Jesus at the center of everything they do, and they know He is with them.  They live out loving God with every fiber of their being, and the love they share is an extension of that. In any moment we can ask, “Jesus, how are you filling my home with your love, and making this place a well where anyone who is thirsty can come and experience your life giving water? I would love to hear what you learn as you continue to practice (or add in new practices) loving God as a household. Share are as a comment, or if you want to talk about it, email me at [email protected]   Teammates, Matthew Wipperman [email protected] Pastor and D.M.M. the Church

A Household WELL is what we want to be, to bring the living water to a thirsty world. Welcomes in Jesus Engages with Neighbors Listens for Insight Loves to Try When our households engage with neighbors here are some of the things that we can say we do.  Know our neighbors names and pray for them by name.  How is that going for you? If you are like me, and have recently moved you have a long way to go, especially living in an apartment complex.  Toss in a pandemic and social distancing, it can be difficult to even know our neighbors by name. (we certainly don’t want to use that as an excuse, we can still find creative ways to meet those neighbors)  Perhaps you have lived in your neighborhood for a long time and know all your neighbors by name. Are you praying for them? Do you know their story? What needs do they have? Do you know what they enjoy doing or what they are interested in? As we engage with our neighbors we begin to develop genuine friendships with them. Engage in fun activities with them and have heartfelt discussions.  I can hear what some of you may be saying, but I disagree with my neighbor, they are nothing like me and voted differently than I did and they irritate me. That may all be true, AND we are still called to love them. And it is ok to have differences and not agree AND we still get the opportunity to be interested in them and show them the love of Jesus. When Jesus was asked what that most important commandment is, this was His response: “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”  Matthew 22:37-39 That is really what it boils down to as we engage with neighbors, we love them. (you don’t have to live next door to a person for them to be your neighbor)  We care for and serve our neighbors, and we join with them in service of others.  And when the time is right, we share the Good News of Jesus with them. We are eager to introduce them to our Heavenly Father.  And we have the privilege of encouraging them on their walk of faith. If you are ever unsure of what to do, just ask yourself, how would I best show love to this person? How would I want to be treated or cared for?  Love like Jesus. No strings attached, no judgment, no agenda.  When we engage with neighbors we are not checking them off our list of things to do, or projects to accomplish or problems to solve. We are simply being our authentic Jesus following selves and loving them well. And the good news is, Jesus is WITH you as you go.  Enjoy the journey. Ask Jesus to help you, ask him for opportunities and ideas and then trust him that he loves them too.

A Household WELL is what we want to be, to bring the living water to a thirsty world. Jesus is shared and experienced not only at church but in our neighborhoods. Welcomes in Jesus Engages with Neighbors Listens for Insight Loves to Try I posted this video on my Facebook feed. It captures the essence of what we mean by the metaphor household WELL. https://www.facebook.com/100001583586062/videos/3743471235715626/ What do you notice about this video? What feelings does it evoke in you? What application to our 2021 Milestone (Household WELLs) do you see? Imagine if every household connected to our ministry was actively drinking from the living water,  Jesus, and sharing Him with the spiritually parched! In order to provide that water for others, we Welcome In Jesus, Engage With Neighbors, Listen For Insight, and we Love To Try. What does it mean to Love To Try? To define what something is, sometimes we need to clearly outline the opposite. Opposite of loving to: Obligation, drudgery, duty, the pressure to perform, need to, weightiness, seriousness, burden, commitment, requirement, responsibility. Unlike Welcoming In Jesus, Engaging With Neighbors, and Listening For Insight, Loving To Try is an attitude. Welcoming in Jesus, Engaging With Neighbors, and Listening For Insight are all specific behaviors. Loving To Try is a contagious attitude that brings the three behaviors to life. We would like to see the call to obey Jesus or follow Jesus more of an exciting invitation to adventure than a heavy duty. So whether we are talking about attempting to establish a more consistent time in the Word and prayer with Jesus, or being more intentional in engaging with or listening to our friends, loved ones, and neighbors for insight into their journey, their passions, needs, celebrations, we can learn to have more fun. Yes, it is possible to enjoy being a household WELL. Being a Household WELL is way more fun than we tend to make it out to be! The number one perspective shift that must be made if we are to Love To Try: Move from being an Expert to Experimenter.  Here’s how. Obey Don’t Delay When you get an idea you would like to try, do it! Don’t intend to do it. Do it. Don’t wait for a better time. Don’t put it off until all the obstacles are removed. Don’t give in to the inevitable second voices in your head that are trying to talk you out of it. Stay Curious Unhook yourself from outcomes. Enjoy the journey. “Sometimes the inability to decide and move forward is not because we didn’t know what to do. We do know what we want to do. We are hesitant, though, because we’re obsessing about the outcome. We want insurance. We want to know how everything will turn out. Keep in mind, that’s what we want.  Here’s the truth: there is no way for any one of us to know with absolute certainty how a decision will turn out.” pg. 228 Fear Not, Dream Big, & Execute: Tools To Spark Your Dream And Ignite Your Follow-Through by Jeff Meyer (2018) If indecision is largely the result of obsessing over the certainty of outcomes, decisiveness of action is the result of being curious. I wonder how this will turn out. I wonder what I will learn, how I will grow, what deeper connection might be made. I’m curious what blessing will be magnified/multiplied in this interaction.  Here are a couple of other love-to-try key principles. Celebrate action, not perfection. Rejoice in progress. Share the joy of taking a step. Don’t wait until the result is seen. You miss the beauty of the journey if you only memorialize the destination. People learn when they try. Lessons don’t stick until they are put into practice. Choose action over intention. We are free in Jesus! Trying, experimenting underscores the freedom we have in Jesus. We cannot fail. Jesus is with us. He loves us. And He loves to see us try. Just like a parent rejoices when their child tries something. We grow as teachers when we try. You can’t adjust, tweak, or learn the best approach until we see other attempts not work. Once in a while we can get lucky and hit the nail on the head. Frequently, however, we try, learn, adjust, and try again. As we do, we learn what is worth replicating and what is not.  We also model the freedom and the thrill of trying. A culture of trying emerges. Happy trying!

As we begin to dive into the metaphors that Jesus used to describe Himself with the “Bread of Life” metaphor in John 6, as bigger question emerges. Why does Jesus use metaphors anyway? Enjoy the answer from our friend and author of “Delight”, Justin Rossow.

Jesus sits on the edge of a literal well, and is literally tired and thirsty. The disciples have gone off to find  food; for them, Samaria is a land of unclean enemies where you can’t even get lunch without the fear of  contamination. But Jesus stays behind.

You know the story. Jesus asks for literal water from one of these contaminated enemies, and the talk  quickly turns metaphorical: “If you would have known, you would have asked me, and I would have given  you Living Water, and you would never thirst again.”

What follows is some verbal sparring where this Samaritan woman seems to give as well as she takes, but  is  perhaps confusing enough for her final comment to count as raising the white flag: “When Messiah comes, He will clear up all of this debate about God and worship, and who’s in and who’s out.” Then Jesus drops a final bombshell: “I who speak to you am He.”

The disciples make it back just in time to see the woman going off in amazement to fetch her friends. They offer Jesus some of their Kosher Take Out, but Jesus says he has “food” they know nothing about, which causes some concern, since they are deep in enemy territory, and one does not just eat from a street vendor when lunch can make you spiritually unclean. But Jesus wasn’t talking about food food: “My food is to do the delight of the one who sent me.” While the disciples are still chewing on that statement, the unclean enemy outsider woman shows back up, with a crowd of her closest friends. (OK; wait. She didn’t have any friends, remember? She somehow went to people who looked down on her and shamed her and threatened her, and told them about Jesus.) Seeing the crowd, Jesus gives his disciples a new lens, a new frame, a new way of seeing and evaluating and experiencing the situation in front of them.

“Look!” Jesus says, “Lift up your eyes, and see! The Fields are ripe for Harvest!”

Where the disciples saw unclean enemy outsiders who threaten to contaminate them, Jesus sees sheaves ready and waiting to be brought in. And that’s how metaphor works. A metaphor gives you a structured understanding of a situation that allows you to make decisions, reason out options, know what you can expect and what is expected of you. Metaphors can be overt or hidden; poetic or rather plain. The disciples were living out one metaphor when they feared Jesus might have broken food laws by receiving something to eat from the hand of an unclean Samaritan. That metaphor of clean and unclean, in and out, friend and foe breaks the world down into Us vs Them, and keeps Us and Them as far apart as possible. An In/Out metaphor is a powerful way of organizing your reality. But Jesus lives by a different metaphor. Jesus inhabits a world where you give a thirsty stranger a drink, no matter what. And if the thirst is more than physical, how much more important is it to pour out the Living Water you have welling up inside you! Jesus later says that thirsty people should come to him to drink, and the water he provides will turn into wells of living water that gush eternal life. That water is the Spirit (see John 7:3-39), and the Samaritan woman at the well becomes that kind of Spirit-well to the people in her own village as she, filled and led by the Spirit, brings the very people who ostracized her to meet Jesus. It’s not the last time Jesus talks about food, either. Here, Jesus says his food (or bread—food/bread is the same word)—his bread is doing the work the Father sent him to do. In John 6, Jesus will call himself the food/bread from heaven that comes down, like Manna in the wilderness, to miraculously feed a pilgrim people on their way. Jesus isn’t just waxing poetic; he wants you to reframe, restructure, reimagine your relationship with him so that the daily, desperate dependence wandering Israel had in on this miraculous food from heaven that tasted like honey and looked like coriander would become your daily, desperate dependence on Jesus as you wander in your own wilderness and slowly make your way Home. Jesus very clearly knows the metaphors you live by will shape how you see God, how you see yourself, and how you see others. I think that’s why Jesus emphasizes the new kind of eyes the Kingdom requires: “Look; lift up your eyes; and see.” See with new eyes. Trade out your old paradigm for a new one. Pick up this metaphor and see your world through a new lens: “The fields are ripe for harvest.” We sometimes get the idea that metaphors are for lovers and poets. And they are. But more than that, metaphors shape your understanding of your experience and tell you how you are expected to think, and feel, and act in any situation. Are you surrounded by unclean outsider enemies? One kind of response is appropriate. Are you standing in front of a field ripe for harvest? Are you a well of living water, and the people around you are dying of thirst? Then a different kind of response is required. The Bible’s metaphors can sometimes be confusing. They might make you want to throw up your hands, like the Samaritan woman, and say, “When Messiah comes, He will explain all this!” And she was right. When Messiah came, He did explain all this. And when Messiah chose to explain all this, He said things like: “My food is to do the will of the one who sent me.” “I am the true bread who has come down from heaven.” “Come to me, you who thirst, and I will give you water and make you a well.” “I am the Good Shepherd.” “I am the light of the world.” “I am the vine, you are the branches.” “Look; lift up your eyes, and see!” Justin Rossow is the founder of Next Step Press and The Next Step Community and author of the award-winning book, Delight! Discipleship as the Adventure of Loving and Being Loved. For more on John 4 and the metaphors that shape our life and mission, see the article “Look, Lift Up Your Eyes, And See: Warfare, Containers, Harvest, Living Water, and the LCMS Constitution and Bylaws.” You can find a more thorough discussion of how metaphor shapes your life and experience, and how to tap into the power of metaphor for ministry, check out the book Preaching Metaphor: How to Shape Sermons that Shape People by Justin Rossow. “To See Like Jesus” was first published at https://community.findmynextstep.org/to-see-like-Jesus/. Used by permission.

The Great I Am, who is with us, is our deliverer. When we call upon our God, He works in ways we can’t even fathom. He works in ways that we may not even understand, but ways that are ultimately perfect according to His purpose and will alone. He sees our needs, He hears our cries, and He is always present to provide strength when we are weak and in distress. We need to remember that His desire is to save us. With His salvation comes redemption and deliverance.   What is Terror We already know the wonderful truth that God, the Great I Am, is our deliverer. But, we also need to recognize what it is that God is delivering us from. Terror comes from our sinful flesh. We may have heard about it before from our Sunday school classes or sermons from past years. But have we thought much about it lately? Have we even considered terror as a consequence of our own sins? Terror also comes when we stand in front of God. It can be overwhelming to think about the powerful nature of God in its entirety. It leaves us trembling. Another source of terror is when we wonder “Am I good enough?” When we choose our own ways, when we try to do everything for ourselves, or when we justify our place before God. Terror can cause us to be far from God. It is something that we need to defend ourselves against by fully relying on Christ. When we look at Acts 7, the Jewish leaders were terrified that their ways will be destroyed by God’s teaching through Stephen and the prophets before him. And so they tried to silence Stephen because they were filled with terror. We see that terror only has one option and it is to silence all the voices around it, including God.   Remain Calm and Trust Jesus How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! Luke 1:47 Amidst all the harsh effects of terror, we can rest in the truth that there is a Savior who died on the cross to wash away the consequences of our sins. It is our Savior who will deliver us from our own terror. Stephen is a classic example of a person who was fully embraced by God’s saving grace. Even as he was dying, being stoned to death, he remained calm and was full of the Lord’s Spirit. Because he knew that at this moment, the presence of Jesus is in him. In Acts 6:15, we can even notice that everyone in the high council was looking at Stephen because his face became as bright as an angel’s. This is the calming effect of God’s saving grace in the midst of trembling situations. Do we still wonder how we get deliverance? Jesus our Savior. He is our deliverer. He has already rescued us. There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved. Acts 4:12

We love being in control. We always look for that sense of security - be it in our finances, relationships, career, and even in our ministries. And one of our greatest fears is the fear of the unknown. We always want to be sure of what’s coming. To not know the future makes us vulnerable to fear, worry, panic, and anxiety, which later leads to a lot of other negative thoughts and actions such as grumbling, complaining, and even blaming God and other people, just like what happened to the Israelites in Exodus 16 after their deliverance from Egypt. Yet even during these times, God proves to us over and over again that He is the ever-faithful God whom we can completely depend on to provide everything that we need.  Still, why do we have a hard time trusting God?   The Issue of Trust and Distrust  When it comes to being trustworthy and dependable, we all fall short.  This is one of the reasons we can find it hard to trust God. We measure trust based on what we did or what others did to us.  We always remember those times that we didn’t live up to the things we said we would do -- all those memories of our broken promises, commitments, failures, and shortcomings. Likewise, we tend to remember every painful memory when others break our trust.  Because of the guilt, we find it hard to forgive ourselves and others; which in turn, affects our ability to trust. But we have to see God differently. He is a God who will never break our trust. When the Israelites complained to Moses about not having food and water in the wilderness, ( not because God didn’t want to provide, but simply because they didn’t trust Him), God still provided for them by sending overflowing manna from heaven, quails, and even water from the rock ( not just once, but twice!). Exodus 16-17 Here we see that God’s provisions were not conditional on whether the Israelites trusted Him or not. Despite the Israelites’ failure to trust Him, God still miraculously gave them all their needs to prove that He is a dependable and faithful provider. God is completely trustworthy. Therefore, we can trust Him. Even if we fail Him at times, He will never fail us. What He promised, He will do.   Learning to Trust God To trust God is to acknowledge that He is the One who provides everything that we need. It is to acknowledge that God is the only “One” whom we can depend on. If we want to learn how to trust God completely, we must take Him at His Word (even if the Word doesn’t make any sense) and trust His every work (even if you can’t see how He’s working things out). God wants us to trust in Him completely for our daily bread and not just in our ability to store up His provisions. It’s worth noticing that God allowed them to be in the wilderness where everything was scarce. Why? So that the Israelites would see how powerful, faithful and trustworthy He is. God took away every possible source that the Israelites could rely on so that they will realize that God is the ONLY trustworthy source and that God is ALL that they ever need. (Deuteronomy 8:3, John 6:25-59). God wants us to be reminded that we can’t do things on our own and that He is the provider of everything that we need. It’s time to do away with complaining, grumbling, and blaming others. It’s time to forgive ourselves from our past failure and it’s about time that we also forgive those who have broken our trust. We can’t do this in our own strength. We need God’s grace to be able to extend forgiveness and to be able to trust again.   Do you have some pressing needs right now? Today, God is assuring you: You can depend on Him to provide for you and He will never break your trust.

We pray the Lord’s Prayer every Sunday in worship together, and perhaps you pray that prayer as a family or personally at other times in your week. You know it well, you have it memorized.  It is also good to be reminded and pause to reflect on what those words mean that you are praying. Lent is an important season for us to slow down and reflect on all Jesus did for us as he journeyed to the cross to be broken for us.  Take time out of your normal routine and make space to be with Jesus, the Bread of Life.   “Give us this day our daily bread.”   In Luther’s small catechism he helps explain this part of the prayer. If you are anything like me, it may have been awhile since you read your catechism so I thought this review would be really helpful.   What does this mean? God certainly gives daily bread to everyone without our prayers, even to all evil people, but we pray in this petition that God would lead us to realize this and receive our daily bread with thanksgiving.   What is meant by daily bread? Daily bread includes everything that has to do with the support and needs of the body, such as food, drink, clothing, shoes, house, home, land, animals, money, goods, a devout husband or wife, devout children, devout workers, devout and faithful rulers, good government, good weather, peace, health, self-control, good reputation, good friends, faithful neighbors, and the like. Luther asks some more meaningful questions. Take away our “daily bread” - namely, the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, the homes that shelter us, the government that protects us - and we die.  Since these things are so important, why do we take them for granted and not express gratitude for them?  What habits and practices can help me to better recognize how God sustains my life each day?”   What do we mean by “daily bread’? “Bread” is a biblical way of summarizing all that we need to sustain our lives on earth. Isaiah 55:2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to Me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.”   Why do we specify “daily” bread in this petition? “Daily” highlights how every moment and every day of our lives depend upon God’s provision.   For what, then, do we pray in this petition? We pray that, in humility, we would look to God for what we need each day so that we do not worry about the future; we would receive all our physical blessings with thanksgiving; we would find contentment with what we have received. (Luther’s Small Catechism  pages 258-261) Jesus says, I am the Bread of Life.  He is the one who ultimately sustains us and gives us life. We are asking for Jesus to be our everything.  We need Him each and every day.  Like the song by Matt Maher says:   Lord, I need you oh I need you. Every hour I need you, Your my one defense My righteousness, Oh, God how I need you.   Where sins runs deep, Your grace is more, Where grace is found, Is where you are. And where you are Lord I am free Holiness is Christ in me   So teach my song to rise to you When temptation comes my way When I cannot stand I’ll fall on you Jesus your my hope and stay   Lord, I need you Oh I need you Every hour I need you My one defense My righteousness Oh, God how I need you.   Holiness is Christ in me.  We take the bread that is given us and we eat it.  Jesus was broken for us, and he gives us his very body to take and eat.  He is our everything.  And our response is THANKSGIVING each and every day.