Now You’re Cooking with Gas

A Series on the Psalms – a collection of prayers
Feeling overwhelmed
 (Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Psalm 61 

[Life is filled with emotions. The book of Psalms is a collection of prayers that express our emotions which are the cry of our soul for help and hope. In this series, we will be looking into the Psalms to learn more about ourselves and our Lord.]

  

During high school, I was pretty self-disciplined about doing my homework. Every night I would sit at the dining room table and complete my assignments.

 

However, there were times when I wasn’t able to solve a problem and would get frustrated. My anger would build until I would ask my Dad for help, hoping that he would just give me the answer. But he never did.

 

He always guided me along and helped me to figure it out on my own. When the light bulb finally came on for me, he would say, “Now you’re cooking with gas”. His words, given with love and encouragement, brought both comfort and confidence to me. In the same way that I asked my Dad for help, David asked the Lord.

 

David was the king of Israel, the leader of the land. And as the saying goes – it’s lonely at the top. Whatever his specific circumstances were when he wrote this psalm, David was feeling overwhelmed and at the end of his rope.

 

¹ O God, listen to my cry!
    Hear my prayer!
^2a From the ends of the earth,
    I cry to you for help
    when my heart is overwhelmed.          NLT

 

He desired to get away from it all. To escape reality because, to be honest, he was tired of dealing with the problems. There was no light at the end of the tunnel.

 

⁴ I long to dwell in your tent forever
    and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.           NIV

 

He felt a need for a newfound security, so he called on the Lord.

 

^2b Lead me to the towering rock of safety, ³ for you are my safe refuge, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me.        NLT

 

Finally, David found his source of comfort and confidence in his relationship with the Lord. As he prayed, it was in the third person. Not only did he pray for himself, but also for the fulfillment of the Lord’s covenant which was ultimately completed through Christ.

 

⁶ Add many years to the king's life;
    let him live on and on!
⁷ May he rule forever in your presence, O God;
    protect him with your constant love and faithfulness.       GNT

 

Like David, there are times when we feel overwhelmed; a desire to escape; the need for a newfound security. During those times, turn to the Lord and call out to him. 

And when you do, listen for his response of love and encouragement as he tells you, “Now you’re cooking with gas”.

 

Copyright 2024 Joseph B Williams

www.lifelinebasketball.blogspot.com

 

 

 

Won’t You be My Neighbor?

A Series on Advent - Love

Isaiah 9:6; John 3:16-17; John 1:14; 1 John 4:9-10

(Use the link below to read the verses.)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%209%3A6%2CJohn%203%3A16-17%2CJohn%201%3A14%2C1%20John%204%3A9-10&version=NIV;NLT

 

If you haven’t seen the movie “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” - you should.

 

 

There is a scene where Mr. Rogers is having lunch with a journalist by the name of Lloyd Vogel in a busy New York City restaurant. Vogel has been driven throughout his life by his deep seated anger towards his Father, who deserted his Mother when she was dying.

 

During the conversation, Mr. Rogers leans over the dining table, looks him in the eyes and says this to Lloyd Vogel, “Take a minute to be still, and to think of all the people who loved you into being”. As he did this, the whole restaurant grew quiet; as did the theatre.

 

When I took a few minutes to think about Mr. Rogers’ advice, my parents came to mind. My Mom always supported me and believed in me no matter what. Like a momma bear with her cub, my Mom would have defended me to the death. She loved me without limits.

 

My Dad didn’t really know how to express his love, but he did provide for me. And, he took me places on Saturdays. He took me to the bank; to his office; to sporting events. It may not sound like much, but that was how he showed his love.

 

Christmas is a good time to think about “who loved you into being”. Psalm 139 tells us this.

 

¹³ For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful, I know that full well.     NIV

 

Indeed, He did create us into being, and yet something is missing in our life unless we have discovered the truth of Christmas.

 

⁹ God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. ¹⁰ This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.           NLT

 

The lyrics from the theme song from Mr. Rogers’ TV show begin like this:

 

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood. A beautiful day for a neighbor.
Would you be mine? Could you be mine? Won't you be my neighbor?

 

That’s what Jesus is saying to you this Christmas. Won’t you be his neighbor?

 

¹⁴ So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.            NLT

 

 

 

 

 

 

Turning Point

A Series on the Milestones in Jesus’ Life

Mark 8:27-37

(Use the link below to read the verses.)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%208%3A27-37&version=NIV;NLT

 

“Who do people say I am?”

When I asked this question of my daughter, her response was…

 

Joe, Dad, Grandpa and a Michigan State fan. All of these are true. You could probably also add insurance agent, Christian and a nice guy. Jesus casually posed this same question to his disciples as they were walking to a village.

 

 

 

²⁸ They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” ²⁹ “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.”       NIV

 

I’m not sure that Jesus really cared what other people thought about him. However, he most certainly cared what those closest to him thought. And although Peter had the right answer, he had the wrong expectations. Jesus explained that the “Son of Man” must suffer, be rejected and killed; but would rise again.

 

³² As he talked about this openly with his disciples, Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things.  NLT

 

Peter’s expectations of the Messiah didn’t match up with what Jesus told them. But Jesus needed to make sure that his disciples understood; not only who he was, but also what that meant for him, as well as them. He had to reeducate them to prepare them for the future.

 

³⁴ Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. ³⁵ For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. ³⁶ What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?            NIV

             ³⁷ Is anything worth more than your soul?       NLT

 

The series of events in this passage, were a turning point in Jesus’ life and ministry; a milestone if you will. From this point forward, he headed to Jerusalem. This was his purpose; his destiny.

 

What turning point are you facing in your life? What is your purpose; your destiny? How have you answered Jesus’ two life changing questions: “Who do you say that I am” and “Is anything more important than your soul”?

 

As a follower of Jesus, your answer to those two questions are critical. They shape how you live your life; how you make decisions; what your priorities are. They are the turning point of your life.

 

 

 

 

 

Father Knows Best

Colossians1:15-23

(Use the link below to read the verses.)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Colossians%201%3A15-23&version=NIV;NLT

 

In the 50’s there was a popular TV series called, “Father Knows Best”. It was about an idealized family where the Father, as the title indicates, would always have good advice for his three children. In fact, he was the one that the family would look to for leadership, stability and wisdom.

 

That was how I looked at my own Father. I put him on a pedestal as if he were perfect. In fact, in my eyes, he could do no wrong. When he spoke, I listened. It doesn’t mean I always obeyed, but I certainly considered his word the truth.

 

The Colossian believers were struggling with who Jesus was. False teachers were leading them astray. They were making Jesus into something less than who he really was. So Paul wrote this about him.

 

¹⁵ Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation ¹⁶ for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth.        NLT

When I read this passage in Colossians with my Dad in mind, it could be describing him from my childhood perspective. However, as the years passed I came to realize that my Dad wasn’t perfect; he was only human, with human weaknesses.

 

In reality, we all desire someone or something to fill this role of perfection in our life. Someone to believe in who is larger than life; someone to believe in who is god-like in our eyes; someone to believe in that loves us unconditionally.

 

¹⁹ For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ… ²² now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.  NLT

 

Thankfully, even though Jesus was fully human, he was perfect. Because of this, we know that he loves us unconditionally; is always with us; will never forsake us. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. He is bigger than life and more than worthy of our love, our trust and our worship.

 

Indeed, it is our Heavenly Father that knows best. Let us come into his presence holy and blameless.

 

 

 

With Him I am Well Pleased

(7^th in a series on Lent)

Mark 15:33-41 & Hebrews 12:1-3

(Use the link below to read the verses.)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%2015%3A33-41&version=NIV;GNT

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews%2012%3A1-3&version=NIV;GNT

  

When I was a little boy, there was nobody more important to me than my Dad. Above everybody else, I needed his love and affirmation.

 

 

 

If I felt his rejection, I could easily be moved to tears. All he had to do was raise his voice and I would be hurt. If he spanked me I would cry, not because of the physical pain, but because I felt unloved.

 

³³ At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. ³⁴ And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”)… ³⁷ With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.      NIV

 

Jesus suffered unimaginable torture and pain before he even got to the cross. Crucifying someone was not only a shameful death, but it was an excruciatingly painful death. He had hung on the cross for three hours before he spoke these words. Was he referring to his physical pain? I don’t think so.

 

I believe at the moment Jesus spoke these words, he was experiencing the total rejection of, and separation from his Heavenly Father; the same one whom he had been completely obedient to despite being fully human; the same one who Jesus spoke of as “if you have seen me, you have seen the Father”.

 

Complete and total rejection from the one who he desired to please the most. His Father turned his back on him at the time that He was needed the most. Jesus suffered, with his eyes focused on the other side of his crucifixion when he would once again experience the love and union with the One who he loved the most.

 

² Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from beginning to end. He did not give up because of the cross! On the contrary, because of the joy that was waiting for him, he thought nothing of the disgrace of dying on the cross, and he is now seated at the right side of God's throne. GNT

 

Jesus smiles now because he hears these words: “This is my son whom I love. With him I am well pleased.” Nothing can be sweeter than to hear our Heavenly Father speak these same words to us.

 

  

 

 

 

 

(If God has spoken to you through this blog, please feel free to share it with others.)

http://lifelinebasketball.blogspot.com/