God's Will?

Psalm 34:1 (NET) - I will praise the Lord at all times; my mouth will continually praise him.

Psalm 34 is attributed to David.

In verse one, he states that he will praise the Lord continuously.

That means praising the Lord even when things are not going well.

Praising the Lord when circumstances are in our favor is one thing.

In fact, it is rather easy.

Praising Him during times of loss and tragedy is another matter.

Is it even conceivable that one could praise the Lord when a loved one dies?

Can a person praise the Lord when they have lost their sole means of income?

Is praising the Lord at all possible when a person hits rock bottom?

According to Paul, it is possible.

It is, in fact, God’s will!

Paul says so in his first letter to the Thessalonians.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NET) - Always rejoice, constantly pray, in everything give thanks. For this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Paul echoes David’s words.

But Paul goes a step further.

Paul reminds his readers that this is “God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

This is God’s will for us as well.

We will encounter both good times and challenging times throughout our lives.

But, no matter what happens, we should always praise the Lord.

Yes, that even applies if we should hit rock bottom.

For when all else is lost, one understands that God is truly essential.

2 Samuel 6 reminds us of the time when David and his men brought back the ark of the covenant.

David danced in the streets.

This angered Saul’s daughter because she thought David looked foolish.

She was probably not the only one.

When we praise God under adverse conditions, people might think we act and sound foolish as well.

But when a loved one dies, we can praise God for their love and lasting influence.

When we lose our job, we can praise God for friendships created and opportunities ahead.

And, if we hit rock bottom, we can praise God for reminding us that He is all we need.

So always praise God.

Pray and give Him thanks for all circumstances.

As Paul says: “For this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, February 11, 2022.

I will be back here on Friday, February 18, 2022

We Need the Good Shepherd

Micah 7:14a (NET) - Shepherd your people with your rod,

The prophet begins the chapter by lamenting the sins of the people.

He follows this with words of vindication.

He concludes with a prayer in which he asks for a shepherd.

The prophet understood how important it was for us to have a shepherd.

Scripture makes many comparisons between people and sheep.

But these comparisons are not necessarily flattering.

I personally know people who currently raise these animals.

The insights they have shared with me have proven quite revealing.

To begin with, sheep are basically helpless.

Left unprotected, they easily fall victim to predators.

Sheep are also quite stubborn.

They have minds of their own and will stray if permitted.

Sheep also need attention.

To thrive, sheep require direction.

To be honest, people share these same characteristics.

Jesus understood this and explained this to his disciples.

John 10:4 (NET) - When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.

Like sheep, we are basically weak.

We also have a stubborn streak a mile wide.

Left on our own, we wander and stray.

But we were meant to thrive.

But to do so, we, like our wooly friends, need a shepherd.

Fortunately for us, Jesus is no ordinary shepherd, He is the Good Shepherd!

Because of this, we are truly blessed.

Jesus knows us intimately; better than we know ourselves.

We know His voice and respond to it.

Regardless of where life takes us, Jesus lovingly guides us every step of the way.

Life does not have to be dangerous, chaotic, and meaningless.

We just require the Good Shepherd.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, January 28, 2022.

I will be back here on Friday, February 4, 2022

Epiphanies Continue

Matthew 2:7-11 (NET) - Then Herod privately summoned the wise men and determined from them when the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and look carefully for the child. When you find him, inform me so that I can go and worship him as well.” After listening to the king they left, and once again the star they saw when it rose led them until it stopped above the place where the child was. When they saw the star they shouted joyfully. As they came into the house and saw the child with Mary his mother, they bowed down and worshiped him. They opened their treasure boxes and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

According to the Christian calendar, January 6 is known as Epiphany.

Some regions refer to it as Three Kings Day.

But regardless of the name used, the day represents one thing.

Epiphany means the manifestation of Christ to the world.

But the Bible does not lay out a specific timetable of events.

Through the course of time, human beings have managed to fill in the blanks.

But we have not necessarily done a decent job of filling them in.

To begin with, people assume there were three wise men because there were three gifts.

In fact, the wise men were probably part of a large group.

The journey for them was both long and dangerous.

A small party would likely have been preyed upon by bandits or robbers.

We also assume that the wise men arrived on the night Christ was born.

The nativity scenes put on display typically depict them that way.

In truth, Jesus was likely around the age of two when they arrived.

This is most clearly explained in Matthew’s gospel.

Matthew 22:16 (NET) - When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he became enraged. He sent men to kill all the children in Bethlehem and throughout the surrounding region from the age of two and under, according to the time he had learned from the wise men.

Despite the uncertainties and errors, one thing is remarkably clear.

The manifestation of Christ we celebrate was foretold in remarkable clarity centuries before.

Isaiah 60: 6 (NET) - Camel caravans will cover your roads, young camels from Midian and Ephah. All the merchants of Sheba will come, bringing gold and incense and singing praises to the Lord.

Just like the wise men of old, people still seek Jesus.

The wise men had the light of a star to guide them to the right place.

Today, those of us who are fortunate have found Him.

We have a responsibility to help guide others who still seek Him.

With God’s help, we too can be a light that guides others.

1 John 1:7 (NET) - But if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

We continue to celebrate Epiphany.

But individual epiphanies still occur.

That too is cause for celebration!

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, January 14, 2022.

I will be back here on Friday, January 21, 2022

Away From Home

Psalm 119:19 (NET) - I am a resident foreigner in this land. Do not hide your commands from me.

In his letter to the Philippians, Paul reminds us that our citizenship is in heaven.

Those words have always stuck with me.

I was reminded of the truth in them when I read the Psalmist’s words.

But the second part of the Psalmist’s words made me think.

We each reside in a land and are expected to obey the laws of that land.

But, as our citizenship is in heaven, we need to obey its commands as well.

As citizens of heaven, we are, in a sense, ambassadors for the time being.

We should therefore choose both our words and our actions wisely.

Paul echoes this in his letter to the Ephesians.

Ephesians 5:15-16 (NET) - Therefore consider carefully how you live—not as unwise but as wise, taking advantage of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

Paul’s words are just as sound today.

In less than two weeks, Christmas Day will be upon us.

What better time is there to let our words and actions speak for themselves.

Where there is impatience, we should practice patience.

Where there is greed, we should practice generosity.

Where there is need, we should practice charity.

Where there is anger and hatred, we must practice love.

Christmas reminds us that no one was more generous than God.

We celebrate the day when God gave us the best gift we could ever have received.

Through Jesus we were given mercy and forgiveness.

We have been shown the true meaning of love.

So, for the time being, we are ambassadors in this world.

But to be effective ambassadors, we must be kind to others.

We must be willing to forgive them for any wrongs.

We must also be willing to love even those who are the least lovable.

For it is the least lovable who need love the most.

And we must do these things without condition.

We must do them without expecting anything in return.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, December 24, 2021.

I will be back here on Friday, January 7, 2022

No Worries

Psalm 31:15a (NET) - You determine my destiny.

As human beings, we tend to worry about our future.

But worry accomplishes nothing.

No amount of worry can change our future.

The Psalmist’s words are words of comfort.

But more than that, they remind us why we need never worry about our future.

The Psalmist understood that the Lord was his destiny.

The Lord is our destiny as well.

Jesus understood this and explained this to His disciples.

First, He reminded them of the things they tended to worry about.

Then, He reminded them of their value to God.

In the end, He drove the lesson home.

Luke 12:25 (NET) - And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?

We like to think that we are in control.

But this is an illusion.

The reality is quite different.

Ultimately, it is God who is in control.

So, what should we do?

We need to let go and trust God.

God can help us do that.

Once we let go, we can encounter God in a new and peaceful way.

We can stop worrying needlessly about the future and focus on today.

We can recognize how much He is with us in the present.

Then we can understand that He is already waiting for us in the future.

Both the Psalmist and Jesus got it right.

God is our destiny and there is no need to worry!

 

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, December 10, 2021.

I will be back here on Friday, December 17, 2021