When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a ‘sinner.’”  Luke 19:5-7

Usually when you hear the phrase, “for the greater good,” you know that someone is not about to get what they want. Parents tell their children “no” for the greater good. Leaders go against popular opinion for the greater good. Those are situations that we are more likely to accept. But what happens when God doesn’t answer a prayer for the greater good?

In the verses you read today, Jesus went against what most people thought was the greater good. His actions were always fueled by his desire to do what God wanted. Jesus declared that he “came to seek and to save what was lost.” And in some cases, that meant Jesus had to do something that made no sense to the onlookers.

The reality of a seemingly unanswered prayer can be overwhelming. Why would God not want to honor a good prayer request? The answer is very simple. God always passes over the “good” to make sure we have what’s “best.” The Bible says that God’s ways and thoughts are not like ours. He created us. So trust him as the Creator of your life to make decisions that will impact your life—for the greater good.

Lord, accepting your will for my life over my own can be one of the toughest pills to swallow. It hurts when you don’t answer my “good” prayers, but I know that you have my best interest at heart. Teach me how to totally trust you with every decision of my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

“Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains.” James 5:7

I overheard a conversation, I wanted to jump into the dialogue, but I had to go and more importantly, I would have to admit that I was eavesdropping, so I moved on. “He’s just in it for the money,” the man said. He named the author of a best-selling Christian book. “It’s simplistic. Over-hyped. I can’t believe it’s sold so many copies.” This conversation made me think about a youth I had worked with, Ann.

When I first met Ann she was a new believer. Occasionally our pastor would ask people to pray together. On those Sundays our youth opened  their arms and Ann joined. But as much as she loved it, it wasn’t her family.  Her parents didn’t understand her faith. Her older brother mocked her faith.

Ann went on mission trips. She was involved in youth group. She left for college and organized campus ministries, and even traveled to Africa to minister to children with AIDS. The longing for her family to love Jesus intensified, but from the outside looking in it appeared that her prayers were hitting the ceiling.  What Ann didn’t know is that her brother was watching closely. His little sister’s faith had grown and now she was a person of faith.

One day he bought a book and read it straight through the night. Somewhere between dark and dawn Ann’s Savior became his. In the next few months he led his fiancé to Christ. He shared his faith with his parents, and now that both of their children’s lives had been changed, they too became believers. That was four years ago. Recently, I was told, Ann came home to visit her family, and they all came to church. I couldn’t help but look back with excitement remembering when I heard these words, “Could families gather together and pray?” Ann walked down the aisle. Her family wrapped her in their arms. It was a beautiful sight, I was told.

And the book that the man had said was simplistic and overhyped? That was the very book that Ann’s brother read that changed his life. It was an answer to a faithful girl’s prayers.

What does this have to do with you and me? As a writer, every day I’m in my home-office wearing jeans and a T-shirt writing on a computer, hoping that someone might actually hear the message. But I can’t see the bigger picture. I don’t know if the words are making a difference or not. All I know is that God called me to communicate a message and to be faithful to that call.

Maybe there are days that you struggle, too. Maybe all you hear are the negative comments like those of the man. But does that mean that nothing good is happening? Absolutely not!  When I think of Ann, I am encouraged to place my ministry in God’s hands and allow Him to do the miracles while I type one word at a time.  Will you trust Him to do miracles with your faith and your work as well?

Dear Father, I don’t always see the bigger picture, but You do. Today I place my discouragement and comments of others in Your hands. Thank You for wisdom, encouragement, and renewed joy as I trust You with the bigger picture. Amen.

“He must become greater; I must become become less.” John 3:30

Sometime ago i was at an event where the words to the worship music were placed on a screen for all to see. But thatt night i noticed something: every time they used the word “I” on the screen, it wasn’t capitalized. My editor’s eye was drawn to this glaring error, and i spent much of the time that i was supposed to be singing trying to discern why they had done this. Oversight? Trying to be cute? It bugged me.
Then i felt God’s whisper to my heart, causing me to go a bit deeper. “Why are you stressing about capitalizing the i?” He asked me. “Why does it need to be capitalized? Who decided that? Maybe these folks recognize that “i” am not important — but I AM is.”
While i am not proposing a little i revolution — shaking up tradition and causing a crisis in the grammar world — i am wondering, what does a little i life look like?

Sacrifice?
Surrender?
Slaying self?
Setting apart?
Seeking Him?
Serving others instead of doing what i want?

This little i thing could catch on. It should catch on, because it’s the life Jesus called us to. We don’t need to be capitalized. We need to be small, insignificant — just a jot and a tittle, the littlest marks in the alphabet. Instead of a capital letter that announces our importance. At least, that’s what i am learning these days — and trying to live out. Sacrifice, surrender and servanthood are hard. But i know that’s what God calls us to do; laying down our wants, needs and desires and straining towards His.

Dear Lord, I want to make Your name famous and mine unimportant. Help me to be mindful of my tendency to make things about me. And help me Lord to keep the focus on You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.”   John 21:15

One of the most poignant conversations Jesus ever had might have been when he asked Peter three times, “Do you love me?” The first two times Jesus asked Peter that question, Jesus used a word for love that means “God’s unconditional love.” Peter answered that he loved Jesus with “brotherly love.” Maybe that was the best love Peter could muster at that moment.

The first time Jesus asked this question, he said, “Do you love me more than these?” Was Jesus asking Peter if he loved him more than he loved his earthly friends? Or was Jesus asking if Peter loved him more than the other disciples loved him? Yet another possibility was that Jesus was not referring to people but to things. Perhaps Jesus was gesturing towards the boats, nets, ropes, and other gear that were part of Peter’s possessions and livelihood.

I like to ponder Jesus’ question in all these ways. Do I love Christ more than I love anyone else, with a special love reserved only for him? And do I love him more than I love my livelihood, my possessions, all of the “stuff” that fills my life?

Loving God, remind us daily what is most important. Teach us to love others as you love us. Amen.

He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”  Genesis 3:10-13

There are very few things like the heat of having to answer for something you did wrong. The moments leading to your confession can be excruciating and filled with anxiety. And in those confrontational situations, something begins to happen whether you want it to or not: you start wondering who you can blame.  God saw everything Adam and Eve did. He questioned them to see if they would tell the truth. But they chose to play the blame game. Instead of facing the difficult reality of their own faults, they shifted the blame from one person to the next. 

If you find yourself face-to-face with the flames of accountability, you will probably be tempted to look out for number one. But you’ve got to check your motives. Be honest with yourself and others. And let God lead you to the freedom and growth of overcoming the tendency to play the blame game.

Lord, sometimes it’s hard to be honest when I am faced with confrontational situations. But I know that shifting the blame to others does nothing but reveal my own selfish desire to escape the heat. Help me to practice honesty in every situation. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The psalmist wrote, “Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.”  Psalm 86:11

My friend’s parents live in Hong Kong. During his first visit, his mother informed him of various cultural practices he needed to know about. “When you hand someone something,” she had said, “using only one hand is considered rude. Always hold it with both hands.”

I thought this would be easy but in trying, but in challenge from my friend I found that holding objects with both hands is difficult — both to remember and to do. I’m a fan of multi-tasking and take pride in my ability to do a gazillion things at once. But when required to pass my purchase or my business card or my money with both hands, multi-tasking had to stop. Because my hands could hold only one thing, I was forced to give this action all of my attention.

This made me think about how I sometimes come to God with my “hands” full of many things. I may put down whatever I’m grasping in one hand, but the other keeps clutching some worldly matter — dividing my attention and my heart. What I offer as worship comes from a distracted mind and heart, which, when I think about it, really isn’t worship at all. To worship truly, I must come to God with my whole heart, offered with two hands.

Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.  Matthew 5:16

Whenever I was driving up near where I used to live, I always looked to see if “my” birch tree is still there. The tree is about 15 miles from my old home, on the right side of the road. Its stark, white bark boldly stands out among the deep green leaves and brown bark of the other trees.

Like that birch tree, we are meant to stand out in this world. We are to stand out not so we can draw attention to ourselves but to draw attention to our Savior. In a world full of darkness, people are searching for light. Where else are people going to see the light of Christ but in his followers?

Of course, God doesn’t expect us to go out on our own. God equips us with the Holy Spirit and the Bible to guide us. The Bible teaches us that the world will know we are followers of Christ not because of any words we may say but because of the love we show others. The love of God will make us shine like a birch among sycamores.

Father, give us the strength, the wisdom, and the love to shed your light in this dark world. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The psalmist wrote, “Lord, you have examined me and you know me. You know everything I do; from far away you understand all my thoughts.”  Psalm 139:1-2

When the children are all together for vacation Bible school, the babble is deafening. They are excited, telling stories with their friends, singing, and clapping from sheer exuberance. I cannot pick one voice out of the crowd.

Think about all the prayers lifted to God in a single moment. To our ears, it might seem a babble — so many people, so many cares, so many words to tell the Lord! But God hears each specific prayer, whether it is spoken, silent, eloquent, halting, desperate, or ecstatic. God hears each prayer separately and knows each person’s need.  This is remarkable and reminds me of what I saw with the cattle on a friends farm. Each spring, he inoculated the calves, first separating them from their mothers. The noise was deafening. The cows milled around outside the enclosure while the calves mingled inside. How could they ever be sorted out and matched? But when the gates were opened, after a little jostling and a lot of bellowing, each cow and her calf moved off together. In all that confusion, they recognized each other through scent and sound.  God picks each of us out of the crowd. God knows every hair on our head, our voice, our scent. God rejoices over us and longs to be with us.

Dear God, we are amazed by your love. Help us to show your love to everyone we meet. Amen.

Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well.  James 5:14-15

Do you find it hard to believe people who say they have the power to heal others? In a society where science is supreme, miraculous healings just don’t add up. Many find it hard enough to accept the healings written about in the Bible, let alone believe in miraculous healings today. 

Although the power of God is hard to comprehend, he is just as strong today as he was when the Bible was written. He is still active in the world, healing his creation and empowering believers to carry out his plan. This includes working through the prayers of believers to heal the sick. But God is not a magic genie who is obligated to grant our wishes. He listens to our prayers and works on our behalf within the parameters of his plan.  Do you have doubts that God still heals? That’s okay. Just be sure to bring those doubts to God. Be honest with him while you talk about your belief or disbelief in miracles. God doesn’t want us to compartmentalize our faith. He wants us to have faith in him with all things and trust that he will work everything out for our good.

Lord, I admit that I have trouble believing in miracles. I sometimes doubt that you are the same God today, that you were in days of the Bible. I pray that you will help me to strengthen my faith so that I can trust you in all things. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.”    John 9:1-3

What motivates you to do what you do? What is your purpose in life? What drives you to serve in the areas that you serve?

There is no doubt that these questions cause you to engage in some serious thinking about your life. Many people tend to go through life without a purpose to drive them. In our society, we often hear phrases like, “Carpe diem” or “You only live once.” We think that serving ourselves is the key to living the best life ever. But we couldn’t be further from the truth. 

While Jesus was here on earth, he was not interested in drawing attention to himself. He could have made himself the center of attention in a three-ring circus of miracles and amazement, but he didn’t. He could have leveraged his power for fame, fortune or power, but he didn’t. Jesus’ entire purpose was to point people to the greatness of God.  

If we are not careful, the world’s motives will take over our life. When we make it our purpose to bring attention to our own greatness, and attempt to position ourselves in the spotlight, we will find ourselves on an endless search for fulfillment, remaining empty inside. But Jesus came to this earth to model how we can attain the fullness of life. He shows that we should have one purpose, one motivation, one reason for serving�and that is to bring glory to God.

Lord, I know that by nature I am fueled by my own selfish ambition. But I want to push myself aside and dedicate my life to bringing you glory. I want to use all of my duties, gifts, and talents for the advancement of your kingdom. In Jesus’ name, Amen.