Whatever He Says

Haggai 1:5 (New International Version) 5 Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways. What a perfect verse for this week of pondering and listening. In fact, in the short book of Haggai, an exhortation to give careful thought is repeated at least four times. Haggai writes in verse 9: " You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?" declares the Lord Almighty. "Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house." As I read the words, " What you brought home I blew away," I thought of the disembodied fingers of a human hand that appeared at King Belshazzar’s feast . The message that the fingers wrote on the wall was about a life measured and found lacking. Sobering thoughts to start a day; being busy, but with the wrong things. So I listen and ponder. I give careful thought. So much of my life is out of order. I get some of it right...

John 14:3 (New International Version) 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. I found another name on the page of today's Daily Light--and remembered Debra. Today would have been her birthday, but on the day several years ago, that I shared the reading with her, I had taken my Daily Light with me to the palliative care unit of the hospital where I had gone to visit her. She was dying of cancer, but fighting every step, every breath of the way--for life. A young mother of four and a pastor's wife, this wasn't supposed to be happening. I opened the Daily Light to read the verses for her birthday, because often I've found something significant to the person on "their special day." It's as if God put it there, especially for them--a special gift, as if to say, "I know you--I love you." But as I began to read the verses, which I hadn't read ahead of time, tears flowed ...

Matthew 22:11-12 (New International Version) 11"But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 12'Friend,' he asked, 'how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' The man was speechless. I have a recurring dream. It's Sunday morning, I'm leading worship--I have no clue which songs we are singing. I try to quickly pull something together--but--never good at thinking quickly on my feet-- it's no good. As I fumble and drop sheets of song lyrics, I look out at the faces looking back at me and I know they know--I'm not prepared. I am always relieved to wake up and find that it was just a dream--but the feeling of panic and embarrassment isn't so easy to shake! The aroma of roasting beef, mingled with exotic spices, fills the banquet hall, tantalizing the guests who have gathered for the celebration. Servants carry trays laden with luscious grapes, pomegranates and figs, circulating among...