My thoughts (Julie Walsh):

Jesus states in today’s passage that “rivers of living water will brim and spill out of the depths of anyone who believes in [Him] this way.”

Immediately I pause, and ask the question: In what way? So, feeling like a student completing a question on a homework assignment, I set out to determine what this way really means. Jesus answers the question at the beginning of His pronouncement: rivers of living water will brim and spill out of the depths if anyone thirsts.

Outside of the spiritual context, what does it mean to be thirsty? How does water play a role in physical survival?

Check out these surprising statistics:

• 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated
• In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is mistaken for hunger
• One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of people studied
• Lack of water is the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue
• A 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen
• Drinking 8-10 glasses of water per day would significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers

A simple element like water is so essential in nourishing our body! Drinking enough water daily keeps our bodies more healthy and running smoothly. We can’t sustain well with just a little.

And so it is with Christ. We cannot expect to just worship on Sundays then leave Christ in the church pew. And we are barely surviving if we just read a little scripture occasionally and offer up a short bedtime prayer.

Now examine those earlier statistics. Reading back through the list, replace physical water for living water. Quite a concept!

Like water, Christ must become part of our day. Part of living. Part of breathing. Jesus’ living water will nourish our souls and quench our thirst. And whenever we do tap into that living water, be assured that we can do mighty things!

Thought for the day: Today I will nourish my soul by supplying it with the living water I need!

We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to begin, consider the guidelines on the How to Pray page.

This is the fourth week of Advent, the Christian season of preparation for Christmas. We’re looking at some of the traditional themes of the season. This week: Revelation, Birthing, Love, and Rejoicing.

Today’s scripture: Luke 2:1-7 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?

My thoughts (Julie Walsh):

I have not given birth to a child, but I’ve been around enough of my friends who have to know how difficult the final months of pregnancy can be. I hear much of the same sentiment: heartburn, backache, hot, sweaty, tired, sleepless, awkward, uncomfortable, moody, and irritable. If that were not enough, Mary was expected to travel a distance of about 80 miles in her condition, and I doubt that was by plane, train, or automobile!

Once arriving in Bethlehem, they found no room in the inn. Were any of my friends today in Mary’s situation, they would likely tell Joseph to buck up and find her a decent place to rest! Granted, we live in a Western culture with many luxuries that did not exist over 2,000 years ago. Yet, there was enough significance in this detail of the story that it was included in Luke’s writings.

Luke goes on to write, “And Mary whined.”

Wait, he didn’t say that at all. In fact, no reference was made about Mary’s emotions. When Mary first learned she was to become pregnant, she rejoiced in song before the Lord despite the implications her pregnancy could have had for her socially or for her impending marriage. She was probably beside herself by the time she was ready to give birth! It seems that nearly every new mother enthusiastically anticipating her first child is filled with joy and gratitude when gazing into her newborn’s face. So how much more celebratory must it have been knowing that the Messiah had been born, as the angel foretold? Mary’s lullabies must have been filled with rejoicing!

It is evident that Mary faced some great challenges and overcame mighty hurdles to give birth to Jesus Christ. All the while she rejoiced to God. What a magnificent reminder for us when our initial response may be just the opposite!

Prayer for the day: Lord, I have been complaining a lot lately about [blank]. Today, I bring a renewed spirit of rejoicing, and humbly ask that you teach me to dwell in this perspective today. Amen.

We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.

Yesterday was the first Sunday of Advent, the Christian season of preparation for Christmas. We will look at some of the traditional themes of the season for the next four weeks. This week: Anticipation, Expectation, and Waiting.

Today’s scripture: Isaiah 9:2-7 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?

My thoughts (Julie Walsh):

Two weeks ago — just after Halloween — my mood was especially bright and cheery as I was shopping in the grocery store. I was humming along to the music that was wafting through the overhead speakers as I practically danced down the frozen vegetable aisle. I carried on like this for at least two full minutes before I realized what I was humming:

Feliz Navidad,
Feliz Navidad,
Feliz Navidad,
Prospero año y felicidad.

We know, as Americans, that Christmas comes early in the retail market and that the familiar carols and songs can often be heard before we even partake of turkey, stuffing, and a big slice of pumpkin pie. Most people seem expectant, but not ready to think about Christmas just yet, so I was surprised when I caught myself joyfully humming along without first noticing the Christmas tune!

I have to wonder if that’s how many in Bible times felt. There was great expectation for the Messiah. Ancestors continued to pass down the stories about the messiahs of old — Moses, Elijah, King David — and were ready for a new messiah who would bring them power and free them from the oppressive hands of the Roman rulers. “Christmas” was expected to come at some point in time, but they seemed to be just humming along before anyone realized the Messiah was among them. They had been expectant, but held different expectations.

It’s easy for us to do the same. When we are expectant for a job offer, a partner, a child, acceptance from our family, or anything else, we place expectations upon the circumstance — how it will look, how we will feel, and how people will respond. But I think Jesus demonstrated just the opposite from birth and throughout his entire ministry. He constantly shattered the expectations people set upon him or had established for themselves. He called into question traditional teaching and thinking. He offered healing and grace where it had previously been denied, and rebuke and rage where tradition was the standard. Even his death and resurrection — so central to our faith now — were unexpected.

We are, by nature, an expectant people, and we set expectations for most things in our lives. Next time you feel disappointed or discouraged that someone or something has not met your expectations, pause and remember the full story of Jesus. His birth, his ministry, his death, and his resurrection. Jesus teaches us to be cautious about the investment we make in our personal expectations and to be ready to accept what he has to offer.

Thought for the day: Examine the areas of your life where you feel expectant, and carefully reflect on the expectations you have established. Considering the story of Jesus, how might you now respond differently if your expectations are broken?

We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.

My thoughts (Julie Walsh):

In my relatively short lifetime, I have attended many worship services. I have been an observer in some, have shyly participated in others, and have even tried to resist the movement of God’s Spirit, at times.

I will always remember sitting in church as a teenager, watching people lift their hands in praise with passion and freedom. Even though I was often moved to do the same, I would stifle the Spirit that was moving within my soul and intentionally kept a “low profile” during worship.

I’m sure my subconscious conjured up reasons why I should remain emotionless and reserved. Perhaps others around me would think I was strange or even unauthentic. Maybe I was afraid to externally express my inner emotions in the presence of my mother, who was serving at the piano. Quite possibly, I thought one had to qualify as “more holy” in their daily life before expressing their feelings openly in service. Whatever it was, I made myself believe that appropriate worship should include no feelings or emotions. My perception of proper worship held me back from engaging in true worship.

True worship is what happens when you get in touch with God.

Over time, though, I’ve learned to step outside of my comfort zone and to allow myself to express my prayers, praise, and thanksgiving in outward display. Being vulnerable, for any of us, is a difficult task, but this is precisely what God desires of us!

Regardless of the worship style in which you were raised, there is always room to express yourself to God in different ways. What if you are in service on Sunday and the Spirit moves you to do something that is contrary to your typical worship pattern? To sing! To dance! To clap! To raise your hands! To shout, “Amen!” To pray in new ways! To be quiet! To listen more intently! Be open to the Spirit moving and worship God fully and unabashedly.

Thought for the day: Connect deeply with God by making yourself vulnerable to the Spirit’s movement!

We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. Use the item above as a starting point, or consider the guidelines on the How to Pray page.

My thoughts (Julie Walsh):

An excerpt from a letter I received today from a friend in prison:

“I find it truly hard to believe God has a great purpose for me. I feel purposefully non-hopeful as if I’m suspended in a false reality. Forgiveness I have begged for; a change I have pleaded for. To not be alone I have yelled for; to talk to my wife and to have her in my corner I have cried for. For the Lord to keep me and truly reveal Himself to me I have feverishly been on my knees and cried for. Yet all has gone unanswered. It is starting to seem as though I am not worthy of God’s answer, God’s mercy, God’s grace, or favor.

I do my best to keep my spirits up and to think positive; to present myself as if I am able, willing, and resilient but the toll weighs heavy with lament, despair, and tears. Does God even care? Does God hear me? Does God even notice me?”

Though these words were written by a man who sees no sunlight or the changing of seasons, there are days each of us may relate to this sentiment, acknowledging that these words could have been penned from our own hands.

What response could possibly be offered? What approach do we take? Oh, there are plenty of pleasantries and pious scriptures that could entertain us, but when we feel completely depleted, abandoned, and are grasping desperately for purpose and direction, even God’s Word can seem distant and void. It is then we can remind ourselves:

Be still…

The crying, the fighting, the pleading, the yearning, the aching — now is the time to just accept that what it is is what it is.

…and know that I am God.

We don’t need to understand the purpose and the plan. We don’t have to be comfortable in our current situation. We won’t be in this space forever, but maybe this is the space we are meant to occupy for now. God will work it out in God’s time. In the meantime, let’s feel what we’re supposed to feel and empty ourselves completely, allowing God to be God.

Thought for the day: When there is no light in your tunnel, find the courage to accept that where you are may be right where you need to be.

We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.

My thoughts (Julie Walsh):

I can look right through John’s words and see the fear that reverberated through Peter’s soul when he repeatedly denied Jesus. This same fear can provoke us to act in ways that are contrary to our morals and values.

When we fear getting into trouble at work, we may feel that our only course of action is to lie, to blame someone else, or to hide our mistakes just to save face.

When we fear financial disaster, we may be tempted to gamble, cheat on our taxes, or steal to get by.

When we fear death, we may divert our attention as a way to avoid reality or bargain and plead with doctors and with God.

We fear failure, being rejected, being outed, facing change…

In all of these fears and more, one key coping response we use is denial. Denying that we had anything to do with that error at work. Denying that we may have caused our financial mess. Denying that we may be closer to death than we’d like to admit. Denying that we have failed or have been rejected. Denying our authentic selves in order to salvage relationships with family and friends. Denying that change must happen to grow and strengthen us.

Like Peter who denied Jesus out of fear for his own life, we too may be motivated to respond to fear in this way. Peter’s story challenges us to consider how we will respond in stressful situations. Will we, like Peter, deny reality or will we choose to face our fears, adjust our perspective, and respond with integrity and honor?

Prayer for the day: God, I respect the fears that move within me. May these fears not control who I am or how I respond. Help me to move beyond denial, carefully weigh my decisions, and respond to my fear with authenticity and truth.

We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.