My thoughts (Mark Shoup):

I like this passage because on the surface, it’s a well known Bible story that anyone who lived through Sunday school knows. But there is more going on here than meets the eye.

When Jesus hears that his good friend Lazarus is sick, he stays where he is for two additional days before heading off to Judea to be with him. As they started out for Judea, he even tells his disciples that Lazarus has died, making it clear that when they get there and are informed that Lazarus has been “in the tomb” for 4 days, it should be no surprise to Jesus. However, when confronted by Mary weeping with her grief, Jesus does something completely unexpected. He breaks down and cries! Knowing full well that he is about to raise Lazarus from the dead for the glory of God, he is still overcome with human emotion. Such a strange reaction!

Or is it?

It makes no sense to me that Jesus would be crying out of grief, knowing that in just moments Lazarus would be among the living once again. So he must have been crying out of empathy for Mary, Martha and the other mourners! Think about that. Our savior feels so bad when we are upset that he himself was moved to tears, even though he was about to make everything right! It is no wonder that verse 35, “Jesus wept,” is the shortest verse in the Bible. It carries so much implication that it could neither be combined with the verse before nor the one after it.

Now remember a time when someone close to you died. It is not uncommon to be angry at God when he takes a loved one home. Anger is a natural part of the grieving process that many of us go through. Now imagine that, while it is beyond us to know why that loved one was called home, Jesus knows we are hurting and our sorrow makes him cry.

Our Lord is just that compassionate!

Thought for the day: God calls us to be Jesus here on earth. Who do we know that is hurting and needs our compassion?

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

My thoughts (Ben Lamb):

The writer of today’s Psalm seems to feel alone in the world. It was as if God was a million miles away, not checking Heaven’s Inbox for urgent messages.

“Why, God? Why have You forsaken me?!” Do you ever find yourself saying the same thing?

These words were also spoken by Jesus on the cross (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34), so I’m hard-pressed to believe that it’s inappropriate for us to ask the same question as well.

Some moments in life are easy to get through, and it can be tempting to think, “Life is good. I can certainly feel God’s presence. Yay-rah-rah for me.”

But, what about those gut-wrenching experiences during which it seems the sun will never shine again within our hearts or lives? Has God really ditched us like a worn out toy whose usefulness is gone?

The Psalmist continues on and acknowledges God’s holiness and offers praise anyway, despite feeling abandoned. The writer then remembers the example set by his ancestors. Those previous generations had continued on in faith and continued to rely on God and ultimately “. . .were not disappointed.”

As I think back to Jesus on the cross and his wondering why God seemed to have forsaken him, something comes to mind. Yes, Jesus expressed those honest and sincere feelings to God. Yet he, too, continued to show faith in God, through his own decision to not exercise the option of being rescued from his plight. I’m eternally grateful for Jesus’ decision.

Jesus’ depth of faith in God is mighty impressive. I’m encouraged to maintain faith when things aren’t easy-going in my own life and I, too, feel alone.

Thought for the day: “. . .he has said, ‘I will never leave you or forsake you.’ So we can say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?’ (Hebrews 13:5-6)

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.

Are you in the process of learning to live healthier? Join us as we offer scripture, insight, and encouragement to help on that journey.

Today’s scripture: Galatians 5:22-23 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?

My thoughts (Chris Burkolder):

I am currently (at the age of 33) in a process of learning what eating healthy means to me. Before now I’ve mostly lived to please my mouth regardless of my health. I guess I have always spoiled myself in life.

But now that I am renewing my life in God, I realize that it is the will of God for me to take care of my health. And that I needed to let go of the constant soda, french fries, and potato chips (listed as the three worst foods on the news).

Amazingly, one day, I was offered a soda at a friend’s house and it was then I realized that I had not had a soda, chips, or even french fries for the past full month! The taste of the soda was even hard to get use to again. How did this happen?

I think I realized what it was. I believe that I was so “zoned into” God (trying to do things to please God out of my love for God) that God was taking care of me!

I had (and still do have) a lot to work on spiritually. I’ve had to “unlearn” things about God from my past that aren’t true. I’ve uncovered habits that I despise. While I was working with God to renew, reorganize, and re-imagine my spiritual life, God was working behind the scenes to strengthen my physical life. Amazingly, lovingly, and purposefully, God is taking care of this other part of me — my health. The fruit of the Spirit was mightily at work, especially that last one on the list: self-control.

But strive first for the kingdom of God and God’s righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33

Thought for the day: Can our self-control be God-controlled? Ask God how this might work for you.

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.

Are you in the process of learning to live healthier? Join us for the next few days as we offer scripture, insight, and encouragement to help on that journey.

Today’s scripture: Proverbs 14:30 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?

My thoughts (Tommy Chittenden):

Bodies by themselves do not “think.” They don’t “care.” They never have any “problem with themselves.” They never beat themselves up or shame themselves.

They simply try to keep themselves balanced and healthy. They’re efficient, intelligent, kind and resourceful. Where there’s no thought, there’s no problem.

It is the story (or attachment to thoughts) we choose to believe — prior to doing inquiry — that leaves us confused. Every story is simply about body-identification. We have been taught, and have chosen to believe, that we ARE our body. So when we tell the story of our body: “I have cancer, I have an addiction, I am fat, I can’t see, I can’t walk, I can’t breathe, and on and on…” we create an identity and suffer, believing we are that with which we identify. But the truth is we are not! The mind absolutely loves this “story-telling” because it thinks it is doing exactly what YOU want it to do.

You and I believe, truly believe, that our body is the problem and that if only this or that would change, we would be happy! Our problem, our suffering, our chaotic mind is always a thought that we innocently believe. The incredible peace and tranquility that comes from inquiring into those thoughts reveal that it is our thinking we’re addicted to — never an object or substance.

Who would you and I be without our story about our body (whatever that may be)? We would be free! The mind would be at peace (tranquil). Even the science of the last decade confirms that this state of awareness frees or “gives life to the flesh” to draw upon all of its God-given resources to restore balance and health to itself.

Thought for today: God, if I choose to believe that I am not my body, that I instead am Divine Essence, moving around through that body, I can claim the promise of scripture to experience peace, oneness and health.

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.

Are you in the process of learning to live healthier? Join us for the next few days as we offer scripture, insight, and encouragement to help on that journey.

Today’s scripture: Galatians 5:22-23 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?

My thoughts (Robin Herman):

This time of year everyone is making resolutions. (It may be late enough in the year that we’re breaking those resolutions.) Exercise, eat better, lose weight, quit smoking. . . All the fitness places have deals and the commercials are clearly leaning towards the new year.

I’m not much for healthily eating or exercise. A balanced meal for me too often is a bowl of Fruit Loops. I worked at McDonald’s for 28 years and ate nothing but, and smoked for 17 years. As I get older, though, I am having more of an appreciation for taking better care of myself. But I’m also understanding how important some other ways to take care of myself can be.

I wonder what would happen if we put as much energy towards the other fruits of the Spirit as we do toward self-control? And as I read over each one, I don’t know how we do one without the others. I think that’s the mistake we’ve been making, we’re just concentrating on one thing and not all of them.

Do an inventory of each one.

• Love? Joy? How much joy is in your life? Real joy, just not giggles or fun, but the joy that tickles you to the point that you’re amazed. The peaceful moment when you’re playing with a puppy, or your baby niece.
• Patience. OK, my friends are giggling – I have no patience.
• Kindness. Kindness to those we choose to be kind to is easy, but what about those who make it difficult? The excuses we make to not have to be kind!
• Generosity. Not just of money, but of time and resources. Generosity of yourself to others.
• Gentleness. I thought that one was interesting in this mix, but appropriate. Do nothing hard, do nothing in a rush.
• Self-control. All the qualities above embody self-control, at least for me. None of them come naturally. Depriving one’s self and letting the simple things be good enough is hard.

Church helps me. It makes me remember that we’re not alone and there are things out there much greater than my little troubles. If I focus too intently on my day, I can find a million reasons to not be satisfied or happy. When I look around at the world, I realize how lucky I am and allow myself to delight in the simplicity of the day.

Thought for the day: Where do you make space for these blessings? What can you do to make them as important as everything else in your day?

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.

Are you in the process of learning to live healthier? Maybe your New Year’s resolution was to eat better, exercise, or in some other way improve your physical health? Join us for the next few days as we offer scripture, insight, and encouragement to help on that journey.

Today’s scripture: Romans 12:2 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?

My thoughts (Vivian Wyatt):

Nineteen years ago, I was a three-pack-a-day smoker. I was one of those people who lit my cigarette with the one that I was putting out. Everything I did was an excuse to have a cigarette. I received a telephone call; light up a cigarette. I got up in the morning; light a cigarette. Drink a cup of coffee; light a cigarette. I was a mess. And for the last couple of years during this time, I didn’t even enjoy smoking. In fact, I had to chew gum to stand the taste. I was hooked on nicotine and spearmint gum.

I knew it was unhealthy. I knew I was shortening my life. I knew that I had to sit in the smoker’s section of restaurants and yet I could not stop smoking. I tried hypnotism. I tried all sorts of step-down processes and nothing worked. I had to have that cigarette.

Then I read today’s verse. What stood out for me at that first reading was transformation by renewing your mind. I applied that to smoking. I began to tell myself every time I lit up a cigarette, This is going to kill you. This is going to be the reason why you will never see your son get married. This is why you will never know your grandchildren. Try telling yourself that 60 times a day — trust me, it will renew your mind. It changed my mind about smoking.

I started talking myself out of smoking sometime around Christmas, 1992. I don’t remember the exact date, but I do remember the day I stopped smoking for good: February 17, 1993, 19 years ago next month. On that day I woke up and I didn’t want a cigarette and I haven’t wanted a cigarette since.

After about two months of renewing my mind about cigarettes, of deciding what was more important to me, I was transformed, I was set free. Is this what Paul meant when he wrote “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect”?

Does God care if I smoke or not? I believe so; not because it’s a sin, but because it’s unhealthy. I believe that being a healthy non-smoker is a part of God’s will for me. Now to change my mind about sweets!

Thought for the day: What area of my life could use a transformed way of thinking? What’s holding me back?

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.