Jesus is the way – Be Still…

John 14:6 – Who is Jesus?

“Jesus told him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.’” (John 14:6)

This was the first verse I had the girls at the orphanage memorize because it is that important. If the girls take nothing more away from my class than this truth, they are on their way to living a more Christ-centered life. This verse is simple, yet powerful. If we have any desire to be close to God, Jesus is how we get there.

Context: Jesus was speaking intimately with his disciples in this chapter, telling them about the future and what was to come. He could sense their uneasiness in the unknown, and so he gave this direction to comfort and assure them. We may not understand the kingdom of God, heaven, or where Jesus is physically at this moment, but we can be sure he is the one to be watching. He certainly has left us a bunch of great teaching nuggets in this chapter. Continue reading “John 14:6 – Who is Jesus?”

Advent John 14:1-3 – Trust

Have you ever wondered where Jesus went when he left his followers on the mountain that day? Luke tells us in Acts 1 about Jesus’ ascension. In his last in-person appearance, Jesus was “taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him.” (Acts 1:9) Surely the disciples must have wondered where he went!

Jesus had prepared them, and these verses from John 14:1-3 tell us where Jesus might have gone.

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.”

Ecclesiastes 6:1-9 – Enjoy Life!

Read Ecclesiastes 6:1-9

That old wind Solomon is chasing or dreaming of chasing! The last line is great! “Enjoy what you have rather than desiring what you don’t have. Just dreaming about nice things is meaningless—like chasing the wind.”

Before he gets to that realization, Solomon took a bit of a turn down a dark road in this reading. I’m sure you also noticed the enormous amount of (one hundred) children referred to in his lament. With hundreds of wives, he likely had many offspring, so 100 would not have sounded too lavish to be believable!

Ecclesiastes 2:12-17 – Being Without Jesus

Read Ecclesiastes 2:12-17

We all die. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that out. Does that give us the okay to live our lives in foolish ways? Solomon seemed to think so, not realizing that God watches how we live our lives. All the choices we make in life help shape the people we become.

Fools do walk in the dark. Or should I say those that walk in the dark are fools? What does it even mean to walk in the dark? We are in the dark when we don’t have the truth in our lives. If we’re groping around in the dark, how do we find the light switch? To find the light, we need to find Jesus who is the light.

Psalm 89:1-8 – A Heart of Praise

Read Psalm 89:1-8

Take a breath! If you’ve been “burning the candle on both ends,” you are ready to take a break. Amid our chaos, we can always turn to Jesus. We can always seek refreshment in the praise and worship of our king. Join with the psalmist in proclaiming, “Your unfailing love will last forever. Your faithfulness is as enduring as the heavens.”

There is a beautiful Advent message here for us as well. We are reminded of God’s promise to have a king reign forever from the line of David. Jesus is that fulfillment. He will reign supreme from above and in our hearts. We are so privileged to have that opportunity. Why do so many people ignore or avoid such a beautiful gift?