The Innocent Sufferer

 March 26, 2026

Jesus’ life was significant, but not in the ways people usually celebrate. He wasn’t chasing comfort, popularity, or influence. Those were the temptations that the Devil brought to him, but Jesus stayed the course of his calling. Instead of surrounding himself with wealth or status, he chose to live among struggling people every day. Instead being driven by political aspirations or power, he talked about a kingdom built on serving others. By normal World standards, Jesus’ life looked unsuccessful, he was rejected, misunderstood, and eventually executed in humiliating way. Yet what we witness is that instead of failure, Jesus revealed greatness through love, obedience, and selflessness.

Today’s scripture suggests that even looking at him from the outside, you’d never guess he was the One who created and holds the entire universe together. It goes on to say, there was nothing striking or impressive about his appearance, nothing that would make people stop and stare, yet, he, the suffering servant, our Jesus, was in truth the  very source of all beauty. No,  he was rejected, dismissed, and misunderstood. We read today that Jesus  carried sorrow so heavy that people couldn’t even look at him, they turned away from him.

He was beaten, wounded, crushed, and suffered in ways we can hardly wrap our minds around. And the most staggering part of all this is that he was completely innocent, the most righteous person who has ever lived.

What we need to take in today, and this is so powerful, Jesus went through all these things in so that that we would never have to. I think I should write that again! Jesus went through all these things in so that that we would never have to.  He suffered more than we could handle and was punished for sins he didn't commit. The last verse compares us to sheep, lost and stubborn, but our wrongdoing was placed upon him. He emptied himself of all his heavenly wealth so we could gain through his sacrifice.

No wonder we sing at this time of year the following:

What language shall I borrow
to thank Thee, dearest Friend,
for this, Thy dying sorrow,
Thy pity without end?
O make me Thine forever!
And should I fainting be,
Lord, let me never, never
outlive my love for Thee.

 

Let’s Pray

God, thank you for your kindness and compassion through your son Jesus. It is only through his wounds that we are healed. Renew us daily in the joy of our salvation.

The Obedience of the Servant

 March 25, 2026

Isaiah 50:4-9

The Sovereign Lord has given me a well-instructed tongue,
to know the word that sustains the weary.
He wakens me morning by morning,
wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed.
5 The Sovereign Lord has opened my ears;
I have not been rebellious,
I have not turned away.
6 I offered my back to those who beat me,
my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard;
I did not hide my face
from mocking and spitting.
7 Because the Sovereign Lord helps me,
I will not be disgraced.
Therefore have I set my face like flint,
and I know I will not be put to shame.
8 He who vindicates me is near.
Who then will bring charges against me?
Let us face each other!
Who is my accuser?
Let him confront me!
9 It is the Sovereign Lord who helps me.
Who will condemn me?
They will all wear out like a garment; the moths will eat them up

Our verses today present a contrast: one side depicts God’s faithful servant who listens and obeys, while the other shows those who reject him and subject him to abuse. Interestingly, it is the obedient individual who ultimately suffers on behalf of the disobedient. Though he is struck, mocked, and spat on, he stays determined, enduring hardship for a greater purpose. His sacrifice brings redemption to his people.

The New Testament writers are clear that this servant is Jesus. He set his face toward Jerusalem, fully aware of what was coming (Luke 9:51). He was beaten, mocked, and spat on (Mark 15:19–20). He suffered not because he messed up, but because we did. His whole life was marked by obedience, even when that obedience led him straight to the cross (Philippians 2:5–9).

Throughout it all, Jesus maintained his role as the sinless servant (Hebrews 12:2). Who “For the joy set before him he endured the cross.” His joy came from knowing that his obedient suffering would bring redemption to his people.

The Bible tells us, that same joy is still ahead of us. Life can be hard, there’s no denying that, but because we belong to Christ, we share in His victory. So, we just keep going, taking up our cross and following Jesus, the One who’s already walked this road before us, the sinless Savior who leads the way.

Let’s Pray

Heavenly Father, thank You for Jesus, His life, His death, and His resurrection. Help this good news steady us and lift our hearts, even when life is hard, so we can still find joy.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

To the Ends of the Earth

March 24, 2026 

Isaiah 49:1–6

49 Listen to me, you islands;
hear this, you distant nations:
Before I was born the Lord called me;
from my mother’s womb he has spoken my name.
2 He made my mouth like a sharpened sword,
in the shadow of his hand he hid me;
he made me into a polished arrow
and concealed me in his quiver.
3 He said to me, “You are my servant,
Israel, in whom I will display my splendor.”
4 But I said, “I have labored in vain;
I have spent my strength for nothing at all.
Yet what is due me is in the Lord’s hand,
and my reward is with my God.”
5 And now the Lord says—
he who formed me in the womb to be his servant
to bring Jacob back to him
and gather Israel to himself,
for I am honoredj in the eyes of the Lord
and my God has been my strength—
6 he says:
“It is too small a thing for you to be my servant
to restore the tribes of Jacob
and bring back those of Israel I have kept.
I will also make you a light for the Gentiles,
that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”

As the season of Lent progresses toward Holy Week, my practice has been to spend some time with the words and message of the Prophet Isaiah. We began yesterday with Isaiah 42:1-9 and the message about Jesus, the true “Chosen One,” the only one worthy of our worship, God’s servant, compared to the short-lived benefits of Idols.

 

Today, Isaiah 49 opens with a message for the whole world, “Listen to me, you islands; hear this, you distant nations” (Isaiah 49:1). These words are global in scope, however, the words are being heard first by Israel, a people who were bruised, exiled, and wondering if God had forgotten them. They anxiously awaited rescue, uncertain of its source.

Then Isaiah declares this surprising announcement: God has a servant, someone He’s been preparing for this exact moment, who will bring His people back. But here’s the twist: this servant won’t appear on the scene with armies or political power.  Instead, did you notice this? His strength comes from his words, his message, his mission (Isaiah 49:2). True salvation comes not by military force, but from truth, compassion, and selfless love.

And then comes the real shocker: this servant is called Israel (v. 3). Not the nation, but a person, the ideal Israel. The one who embodies everything Israel was meant to be. Remember God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 12? Israel was to be a blessing to all nations. They never fully lived that out. So, who will?

This servant will. I am so deeply moved by this; this servant won’t just bring restoration to Israel. Listen again to what we read above, God says, “It is too small a thing” for him to save only one nation. He will be “a light to the nations” (Isaiah 49:6), bringing God’s salvation to the ends of the earth.

That is how we know God is good. He didn’t just see Israel’s brokenness; He saw the world’s brokenness. And instead of leaving us in that broken state, God stepped in. The Hebrew in verse 49:6 literally reads that this servant will be God’s salvation to the ends of the earth.

Not just bring salvation. Not just announce salvation. Be salvation.

That’s Jesus. His life, death, and resurrection are the proof that God is good, because God didn’t just send help; He came Himself.

Let's Pray 

Jesus, our suffering servant and Redeemer, thank you for entering our world and becoming our salvation. Help us to truly embrace your goodness, your love, and the hope we have through your death and resurrection. Amen.

The Chosen One

 March 23, 2026

Isaiah 42: 1-9 

Behold my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my Spirit upon him;
he will bring forth justice to the nations.
He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice,
or make it heard in the street;
a bruised reed he will not break,
and a faintly burning wick he will not quench;
he will faithfully bring forth justice.
He will not grow faint or be discouraged
till he has established justice in the earth;
and the coastlands wait for his law.
Thus says God, the Lord,
who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spread out the earth and what comes from it,
who gives breath to the people on it
and spirit to those who walk in it:
“I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness;
I will take you by the hand and keep you;
I will give you as a covenant for the people,
a light for the nations,
to open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
from the prison those who sit in darkness.
I am the Lord; that is my name;
my glory I give to no other,
nor my praise to carved idols.
Behold, the former things have come to pass,
and new things I now declare;
before they spring forth
I tell you of them.”

Isaiah has been making the case in the chapters leading up to our passage above, that the things we chase after, what the Bible refers to as our “idols”, promise a lot but deliver little. “Idols” distract us, drain us, and ultimately disappoint us. In contrast to the emptiness of Idols, God through Isaiah, introduces his chosen “servant,” the one who will bring real justice and set people free from the places where they feel stuck, trapped, or burdened (v. 7). That was the message in Isaiah’s day to the people of God, and honestly, I can’t help but feel it is a message for us today.

Idolatry isn’t just about statues or ancient rituals. It’s about giving our hearts, energy, and loyalty to things that cannot save us, success, approval, comfort, control, image, even good things that quietly become our ultimate thing (s). Yet, at the core of the Christian story is this: Jesus, the true “Chosen One,” the only one actually worthy of worship, chose to serve us first.

Here is the question for us to reflect on, how do we begin to loosen the grip of the idols in our lives?

In our reading, Isaiah gives us a simple but powerful invitation: “Behold.” In other words, slow down enough to really look at Jesus, to see him and think about who he is. You see, Isaiah wants us to notice who this servant is: chosen by God, empowered by the Spirit, steady and gentle, real, not an empty imitation. By focusing on Jesus, we discern what is genuine from what is meaningless, comparing an empty image/Idol with a Spirit-filled Savior who enters our lives and our suffering.

What really grabs me is that this servant, Jesus, has been watching over us long before we ever looked for him. Jesus knows how fragile we can feel, how close we sometimes are to giving up. And he doesn’t crush us or shame us; he moves toward us with the gentleness of a friend (v. 3). When we “behold” Jesus’ delight in obeying the Father, even to the point of dying for us, we begin to find our own delight in him, at least that’s what I have witnessed in my own journey, and the journey of others. Our freedom starts here.

Let’s Pray

God,
Thank you for seeing us clearly, our hopes, our hurts, and the places where we feel stuck. Thank you for sending Jesus, the gentle servant‑king, who lifts us up with compassion.

Help us recognize the things in our lives that pretend to give us meaning but leave us empty. Teach us to turn our attention toward Jesus, to really behold him, so that our hearts can be reshaped by what is true and good. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

Fasting Challenge

 March 20, 2026

Matthew 4:1-11

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.”

But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”

Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.”

Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’”

Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.

In this story, we see three specific ways Satan tries to pull Jesus off track, by a focus on his hunger, pushing him to show off his power, and tempting him to go after political control to bring God’s kingdom his own way. That last one is especially striking: Satan basically offers Jesus a shortcut. “Skip the suffering. Skip the cross. I’ll hand everyone over to you, just worship me instead of God.” It’s the easy way out, but it’s also the wrong way. And every time, Jesus pushes back using Scripture, the “sword of the Spirit”, as his anchor and defense.

All of this happens right after Jesus’ baptism. The Spirit leads him into the wilderness for 40 days of fasting, knowing he’ll face temptation there. It echoes Moses’ 40 days on Mount Sinai, when he fasted before receiving the Ten Commandments. The parallel is intentional: Jesus steps into the role of a new and greater Moses, not just receiving the law, but fulfilling it completely.

The temptations Jesus faced in the wilderness aren’t ancient problems we’ve outgrown, they are the same pressures we encounter every day, just with "updated packaging". We still feel the pull to satisfy our desires in ways that shortcut trust in God. We still feel the urge to prove ourselves, rather than following faithfully. And we’re still tempted to take the “easy way” instead of the sacrificial way of love. Today in our Bible reading Jesus shows us that resisting these pressures isn’t about more willpower; it is about being rooted in God’s Word, grounded in God’s character, and willing to choose obedience even when it’s costly. Jesus' victory in the wilderness becomes a pattern for our own: we don’t fight alone, and we don’t fight unarmed.

Let's Pray

Gracious God, thank you that you understand what it feels like to be tempted, just as we are. Thank you for showing us how to stand firm, and thank you for choosing the harder road, the cross, so that we could be saved. Help us trust you and follow your way. In Christ’s name, Amen.

Be GENEROUS with your Prayers

March 19, 2026

Acts 2:42

“And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”

Matthew 5:44

But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you

1 Timothy 2:1-3

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior.

Galatians 6:2

Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.



Helen was a member of a previous church that I Pastored, and each week at our Wednesday night Prayer meeting, when we were putting our prayer list together for our prayer time, she would often request prayer for some unknown person. What I mean is, not even Helen knew the person. For example, on the way to church she would see an Ambulance, or Fire Truck on their way to a scene, or she would see an accident that had just occurred on her route to church, and she would ask for prayer for these situations. I can remember thinking that her requests seemed odd, I mean, why pray for people or circumstances that we do not know about. Truth, is I learned a lot from Helen about prayer on those Wednesday nights, that prayer can be an act of generosity.

Think about it: when we pray, we’re spending time talking with a God who listens, responds, and acts with real power. Scripture even says, “ask anything in my name.” And when you look again at today’s verses, you’ll notice that those early believers devoted themselves… to prayer.

Jesus invites us to pray for people who are unkind to us, to pray for leaders (yes, even the ones we don’t agree with), and to pray for others in a way that brings God joy. Prayer is generous because we’re asking the Creator of the universe to do something good for someone else. That’s huge. Helen understood that long before I did, and she taught me what generous prayer really looks like.

Isn’t it amazing to know that God actually wants to hear from us? We don’t need special skills, spiritual credentials, or some kind of “high-level clearance.” There are no locked doors, except the ones we sometimes close ourselves. Wherever we are, whatever we’re doing, day or night, we can talk to God. We can tell him what matters to us, what’s weighing on us, what we’re thankful for. We can just… be honest.

Corrie Ten Boom said  “We never know how God will answer our prayers, but we can expect that He will get us involved in His plan for the answer. If we are true intercessors, we must be ready to take part in God’s work on behalf of the people for whom we pray.”

Who might you share the generous gift of prayer with today?  

HINT:  Go to your local news source, or on air media, or click open your Facebook/Instagram etc newsfeed. Just offer up some brief prayers for the stories, or the people in them that you see listed or hear about there.

Start With This

March 17, 2026

Matthew 5:44

44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you

Luke 6:28

28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

1 Timothy 2:1

1 I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people.

During this season of Lent, I have been reflecting on the everyday, practical ways we can participate in loving others. We often imagine that showing God’s love must be something dramatic or extraordinary, something that pushes us far outside our comfort zones. And while stepping beyond what’s familiar can certainly be good, it isn’t the only way love takes shape.

It struck me that one of the simplest and most powerful ways to begin loving others is through prayer. We know prayer matters because through the discipline of prayer we are connected with our God. Prayer allows us space to pour out our hearts, and it reassures us that we are truly heard. Scripture reminds us of this in 1 John 5:14: “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”

But prayer isn’t only about our own needs. The Gospels show us that Jesus prayed for His disciples, and in John 17 we see that He also prayed for all believers. In John 17:20 He says, “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message…” If Jesus prayed for others, both those close to Him, and those yet to come to faith in him, then we too are invited to pray for people near and far.

So today, I invite us all to think of the people in our lives, yes, even the ones who are difficult, the ones who stretch our patience, the ones who test our love. Jesus teaches us to pray for those who mistreat us, and Paul urges that “petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people.” Perhaps choose two people and begin lifting them before God in prayer.

Here are some themes we can pray over the people on our hearts, that they may experience:

Peace
Comfort
Wisdom
Knowledge
Composure
Trust
Courage
Strength
Provision

As we pray, let’s watch with expectation for how God moves, in them, and in us.

Let's Pray

Gracious God,

Thank You for inviting us into the quiet, powerful work of prayer. Thank You that when we come before You, we are heard, welcomed, and held. Today we lift before You the people You have placed on our hearts, those we love easily and those who stretch our love.

Pour Your peace into their lives. Surround them with comfort. Grant them wisdom and understanding. Steady their minds with composure and fill their hearts with trust. Give them courage for what lies ahead, strength for what feels heavy, and provision for every need.

Shape our hearts as we pray. May our prayers become seeds of grace that You water and grow in ways we cannot yet see.

Amen.

Steps of a Servant

 March 17, 2025

1 John 2:6

“Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.”


The New Testament teaches that faith in Jesus is not only something we believe; it is a life we live. To belong to Christ means that His life becomes the pattern and direction of our own. Our words, our actions, and our decisions are meant to reflect the character of the One who has redeemed us.

Scripture states this plainly:

“Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.” (1 John 2:6)

Abiding in Christ means following His example, as Jesus embodies God's love through His actions. He asks us to love others just as He has shown, making “love one another” and “love your neighbor as yourself” practical ways of living, not abstract concepts. As we walk with Him, His character begins to shape our own.

The Gospels show us several defining qualities of the life Jesus calls us to imitate.

1. Compassion

Jesus consistently responded to human suffering with deep compassion. The Gospels repeatedly show Him moved by the pain and brokenness of others, often describing Jesus as being “moved with compassion” (Matthew 9:36). His heart was stirred by the suffering of people, and that compassion always moved Him toward action.

The sick were healed and the blind received sight (Luke 7:21).
Those oppressed by social and religious exclusion were restored to dignity (Mark 7:24–30; Luke 5:12–15; 7:36–50; 8:43–48; 10:38–42; 19:1–10).
Those bound by spiritual darkness were set free (Luke 4:33–35).

To follow Christ means allowing His mercy to shape the way we see and respond to others.

2. Respect for Human Dignity

Jesus showed remarkable respect for every person He encountered. In a culture where many were dismissed or marginalized, Jesus restored value and dignity.

He treated women with honor and compassion in ways that challenged the assumptions of His day (Mark 1:30–31; Luke 7:11–15; 13:10–17).
He welcomed and blessed children, insisting that the kingdom of God belongs to such as these (Mark 10:13–16).
He proclaimed good news to the poor and freedom for the oppressed (Luke 4:18–19).

Jesus saw people not according to their social status, but according to their worth as those created in the image of God. His followers are called to carry that same posture toward every person they meet.

3. Listening

Jesus also honored people by listening to them. Whether speaking with disciples, skeptics, or even opponents, He engaged them thoughtfully and patiently. He asked questions, heard their concerns, and responded with wisdom and grace. By truly hearing people, He affirmed their value and opened space for truth to transform their lives.

4. Encouragement Toward the Life of the Kingdom

Much of Jesus’ teaching was aimed at encouraging people to live in the way of God’s kingdom. Jesus continually encouraged people to turn toward God and to live in love toward others. For example in the Sermon on the Mount (Luke 6:17–49; Matthew 5–7), Jesus called His followers to lives shaped by humility, mercy, peacemaking, and love.

The Gospels make it clear that Jesus’ love extended especially to those often pushed to the margins of society—poor people, women, children, lepers, tax collectors, and sinners. In welcoming them, healing them, and restoring them, Jesus showed what it truly means to love one’s neighbor.

As we depend on the work of God within us, as the Spirit shapes our hearts our lives increasingly reflect the character of Jesus

Compassion for those who suffer
Genuine respect for every person we encounter
A willingness to listen deeply to others
Words and actions that encourage people toward love and faith

These are not merely moral ideals; they are the fruit of Christ living in His people.,

The apostle Paul summarizes this calling simply and powerfully:

“Let all that you do be done in love.” (1 Corinthians 16:14)

To follow Jesus, then, is to allow His love to shape everything, our words, our actions, and our decisions, so that the life of Christ becomes visible in us.


Let's Pray

Help us, Lord, that in our homes, our workplaces, our communities, and our churches, that the love of Christ would be visible through us. May our lives reflect the One we follow, so that others may see His grace and be drawn to Him. Let everything we do be done in love, for the glory of Your name and the good of the world You love. We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

 

Every Moment Holy

 March 16, 2026

Ephesians 5:15–16 

“Be very careful, then, how you live… making the most of every opportunity.”

The Bible reminds us that how we live, how we use our days, matters greatly. Time is one of God’s most generous gifts, yet it "slips through our fingers" with unexpected ease. You know how it goes, we fill our calendars, hurry from task to task, and sometimes reach the end of a day unsure of how we spent the hours entrusted to us. Ever said "there just isn't enough time in a day"?

Lent interrupts that drift.
It gently asks: Are we living intentionally, or simply moving? Are we awake to God’s presence, or engaged in activities without interest, or much enthusiasm. A kind of sleepwalking through moments of grace?

Lent is not about adding pressure; it is about reclaiming awareness. It invites us to redeem our time, not by squeezing more activity into it, but by letting God shape it.

Redeeming time in Lent might look like:

• Pausing before the day begins to breathe and acknowledge God’s nearness.
• Choosing silence over noise so the Spirit can speak.
• Offering a word of encouragement that lifts someone’s burden.
• Letting Scripture interrupt us, even for a few minutes, so our hearts can be reoriented.
• Surrendering hurry, trusting that God works in unhurried ways.

These small, faithful choices become seeds of transformation. They turn ordinary minutes into sacred opportunities.

Lent teaches us that God is not waiting at the end of our to‑do list. God is already in the moment we are in, inviting, guiding, whispering, strengthening.

When we redeem our time, we begin to see:

The presence of Christ in our routines
The prompting of the Spirit in our decisions
The love of the Father woven through our day

I am learning that time becomes less about productivity and more about space for presence, God’s presence with us, and our presence with God.

Let's Pray

Lord, teach me to walk wisely in the time You’ve given. Slow my steps, quiet my spirit, and help me notice Your presence in the moments I often overlook. Shape my days so they draw me closer to You and allow me to bless others. Amen.

God Had a Different Plan

March 13, 2026

2 Samuel 7:1-5, 11-17

7 After the king was settled in his palace and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him 2 he said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent.”

3 Nathan replied to the king, “Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the Lord is with you.”

4 But that night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying:

5 “Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord says: Are you the one to build me a house to dwell in?

11 and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders over my people Israel. I will also give you rest from all your enemies.

“ ‘The Lord declares to you that the Lord himself will establish a house for you: 12 When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with a rod wielded by men, with floggings inflicted by human hands. 15 But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16 Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.’ ”

17 Nathan reported to David all the words of this entire revelation.




After King David finally got settled into his beautiful cedar house, he started thinking, “Wait, why am I living in a nice place while the ark of God is still in a tent?” His plan was to build God a proper temple. It sounded noble, generous, and deeply spiritual.

But God had a different plan.

Through the prophet Nathan, God told David that he wouldn’t be the one building a house for God. Instead, God said He would build a “house” for David, a lasting family line that would eventually lead to someone who would “sit on the throne forever.” We need to notice that the point of God’s plan as told in our reading today is not just about keeping David’s family name alive. Through the Prophet Nathan’s words, God was pointing forward to Jesus, the one who would carry our brokenness, take our place, and become the King who never stops reigning.

What stands out to me in this story is the way God flips the script. Has something like this happened to you? We come to God with our big ideas about how we’re going to honor Him, and He responds with something completely unexpected, something better, deeper, and far more loving than what we had in mind. Our God doesn’t just accept our plans; He transforms them. God takes our desire to give Him something and turns it into an opportunity to show us who He is: the God who reigns as king and the God who will give the sacrifice of his life for all.

Our amazing God, and here is the beautiful part to me, God knows our hearts even when our plans are small, imperfect, perhaps short‑sighted. Yet, God takes our prayers, sometimes cluttered, sometimes limited, and shapes them into something far beyond what we would have dared to ask for. Have you noticed this too?

I wonder if the takeaway message for us today is to pray boldly. Pray honestly. Pray with whatever faith we have today. And then stay open, because God has a way of answering in ways that surprise us, stretch us, but that ultimately bless us and glorify his name far more than we imagined.


Let’s Pray

God, thank You for being the One who sees beyond our plans and dreams. Thank You for taking the small things we offer and turning them into something bigger, deeper, and more beautiful than we imagined. Teach us to trust Your timing and Your wisdom, and remind us that You are always building something lasting in us, something rooted in Your love and Your Son, Jesus.
Amen.

 

An Unthinkable Test?

March 12, 2026 

Genesis 22:1-14

22 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”

“Here I am," he replied.

2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”

3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.”

6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, 7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?”

“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.

“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”

8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.

9 When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord^t called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he replied.

12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”

13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”

This story is one of the most famous in the Old Testament, and to be honest, it is one of the more difficult passages in the whole Bible. If we were to go back 10 chapters to Genesis 12, we would find God introducing Abraham as the person through whom every family on earth will be blessed. That is a huge promise!  And by the time we reach this moment in Genesis 22, the journey that started with God telling Abraham to leave everything familiar has reached its most intense point yet.

From my perspective as a father, God asks Abraham to do something that feels, to me at least, unthinkable: offer up his only son. Doesn’t that request hit even harder when you remember how long Abraham and Sarah waited for this child.  They had lived with disappointment for years, wondering how God’s promise of a great nation could ever come true when they couldn’t even have one child.

After finally receiving the son they prayed for, think of this, God asks Abraham to do something that seems completely backwards. We are left to wonder, “How could sacrificing Isaac possibly lead to the blessing God promised?” It does not make any sense.

Perhaps, the answer becomes clearer when we look at this story through the lens of Jesus.

Abraham’s declaration that God himself will provide the lamb (Genesis 22:8) reminds us of God’s gift of the Lamb to save the world (Mark 10:45; John 1:29, 36).

God’s provision of the ram on Mount Moriah foreshadows his sacrifice of his only son, Jesus Christ, the true Lamb without blemish who died in our place on the cross.

Like Isaac, Jesus is the lamb led to the slaughter; yet unlike Isaac, Jesus didn’t open his mouth. Just as Isaac carried his own wood for the altar, Christ carried his own wooden cross (John 19:17). 

Go back and re-read our passage above with eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and perfecter of your faith (Hebrews 12:2).

Let’s Pray

God, I thank and praise you for sending your only Son into the world. The spotless Lamb who willingly sacrificed himself so that I might receive forgiveness and new life. Amen.

"Exalt in the Lord" and "Find Strength"

 March 11, 2026

1 Samuel 2:1-10

2 Then Hannah prayed and said:

“My heart rejoices in the Lord;
in the Lord my horn is lifted high.
My mouth boasts over my enemies,
for I delight in your deliverance.

2 “There is no one holy like the Lord;
there is no one besides you;
there is no Rock like our God.
3 “Do not keep talking so proudly
or let your mouth speak such arrogance,
for the Lord is a God who knows,
and by him deeds are weighed.

4 “The bows of the warriors are broken,
but those who stumbled are armed with strength.
5 Those who were full hire themselves out for food,
but those who were hungry are hungry no more.

She who was barren has borne seven children,
but she who has had many sons pines away.
6 “The Lord brings death and makes alive;
he brings down to the grave and raises up.
7 The Lord sends poverty and wealth;
he humbles and he exalts. 

8 He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the ash heap;
he seats them with princes
and has them inherit a throne of honor.

“For the foundations of the earth are the Lord’s;
on them he has set the world.
9 He will guard the feet of his faithful servants,
but the wicked will be silenced in the place of darkness.
“It is not by strength that one prevails;
10 those who oppose the Lord will be broken.
The Most High will thunder from heaven;
the Lord will judge the ends of the earth.
“He will give strength to his king
and exalt the horn of his anointed.”




In the broader context of our reading today  there are two stories woven together. One is deeply personal, Hannah’s story. She’s a woman carrying the heavy ache of barrenness, longing not just for a child but for a life that feels meaningful again. The other story is communal, the people of God making their yearly trip to Shiloh to worship and offer sacrifices. And right in the middle of these two stories, we read what is often referred to as “Hannah’s prayer.”

You may recall from your Bible studies, that in the ancient world, being unable to have children wasn’t just a private heartbreak. It carried a social and spiritual heaviness too. You see, people assumed something was wrong with you, physically, spiritually, or both. Hannah lived stigmatized and under that pressure for years. I want us to notice something that is very important in this story of Hannah’s experience. She does not let bitterness define her, notice she brought her grief to God. She prayed honestly, promising that if God ever gave her a child, she wouldn’t use that child to prove her worth to anyone. She would dedicate him back to God.

And God heard her. She conceived, and when her son was old enough, she brought him to Eli the priest to serve in the house of the Lord. That little boy was Samuel, the first great prophet of the Old Testament.

Hannah seemed to understand something profound: her role in Samuel’s life was temporary, but God’s role in her child’s life was eternal. So, when she “exults in the Lord” and finds her strength in him, she’s anchoring herself in the only thing that doesn’t shift, God’s character and God’s power. She comprehends something significant, that behind every circumstance, whether physical or spiritual, God is the one at work. And this knowledge sets her free.

The takeaway from Hannah’s story is that God meets us in the places where we feel empty, overlooked, or not enough. And when we hand those places back to him, he has a way of restoring us. Have you experienced that? Sometimes restoration or renewal comes by Our Creator changing our situation, and sometimes our Creator changes our hearts.


Let’s Pray

Heavenly Father, even though we may not long for the exact things Hannah did, we know what it’s like to cling to things that were never meant to last. Attempting to give lasting significance to things that are meant to be temporary takes a toll on us. Teach us to see this clearly, and to lean on the only true foundation we have, the Rock, your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

We Have a King

 March 10, 2026

Psalm 72:12-19

12 For he will deliver the needy who cry out,
the afflicted who have no one to help.
13 He will take pity on the weak and the needy
and save the needy from death.
14 He will rescue them from oppression and violence,
for precious is their blood in his sight.
15 Long may he live!
May gold from Sheba be given him.
May people ever pray for him
and bless him all day long.
16 May grain abound throughout the land;
on the tops of the hills may it sway.
May the crops flourish like Lebanon
and thrive like the grass of the field.
17 May his name endure forever;
may it continue as long as the sun.
Then all nations will be blessed through him,
and they will call him blessed.
18 Praise be to the Lord God, the God of Israel,
who alone does marvelous deeds.
19 Praise be to his glorious name forever;
may the whole earth be filled with his glory.
Amen and Amen.

When a new king took the throne in ancient Israel, the people would pray something like Psalm 72. It wasn’t just a way of saying, “Congratulatians, you’re king now.” It was their way of laying out what they hoped for in a leader. They believed the king was to be the channel of God’s blessing to the nation, someone who lived out God’s justice and righteousness. Expecting the king to care for the poor and defend the vulnerable wasn’t a naïve hope, it was rooted in who God is. The God who chose the king is a God who rescues, protects, and lifts up the helpless. So the king was meant to reflect that heart. When they prayed for the king’s name to endure, they were really praying for a leader who would stay faithful to that calling, because his faithfulness meant safety and joy for everyone.

In truth, from that time until now, no human leader has ever fully lived up to that standard. I believe we are all aware that in our present day, many people have given up on leaders altogether. Oh yes, I know that there are other people among us that pour their energy into promoting one name after another, hoping this one will finally fix everything. 

I have Good News for us all. As followers of Jesus, we don’t have to live in that cycle. God has already given us the One whose name truly brings hope to the poor, the needy, and the forgotten. In Christ, we have a King who doesn’t just notice our struggles, He steps into them with compassion. I believe with all my heart that in Christ, praying for His name to flourish isn’t wishful thinking or naive hope; it’s a prayer that leads to peace, justice, and blessing. 

Let us never forget that our King Jesus genuinely cares for us and the needs we carry. Our King invites us to call on His name, "come to me all of you" he says.



Let's Pray

God, thank you that your Son is the King our hearts long for, the One whose compassion goes beyond anything we’ve ever known. Help us trust and follow you as our King, and may your name be praised forever. 

In Christ’s name, Amen.