Jesus had been to the Mt. of Olives for some time to rest and pray. The crowds must have been large and exhausting, partly because of their expectation for healings and maybe food.

It was early in the morning when Jesus arrived at the temple. The people gathered around Him, anxious to hear what He had to say. Jesus sat down among them and began to teach them.

The scribes and Pharisees brought a woman to Him whom they accused of adultery. They claimed to have caught her in the very act. They provided Jesus with a review of the law of Moses saying that she should be stoned. These rulers were tempting Jesus. If He said to stone her, He would be going against all He had taught. If He agreed, they would condemn Him for judging her.

Jesus did what no one expected. He said nothing. He bent down and wrote something in dirt. They continued asking Him what they should do with her. His response to them was a simple statement. “He that is without sin among you, let him cast a stone at her” (John 8:7). He then stooped down again and continued to write on the ground. The rulers had a guilty conscience because they had sins of their own, and they began to leave, starting with the older men.

This story is interesting to me because it shows Jesus’ compassion for the sinful and because He was able to dismiss a crowd of accusers without incident.

As was always true of the rulers, their aim was not to adhere to the law but to accuse, judge, and convict without a true understanding of the outcome of any situation. God’s aim is and has always been to convert the unbeliever or to restore the erring.

There are obvious problems with the accusation. Leviticus 20:10 says, “If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife with the wife of his neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress are to be put to death.” Deuteronomy 22:22 gives other examples of punishment for such circumstances. These involve virgins and rape, but this was probably the law to which they were referring. You will notice that both the man and the woman were to be put to death. The scribes and Pharisees evidently did not bring the man, and his punishment would have been the same.

The purpose of their challenge to Jesus was not really about an adulterous woman but about tricking Jesus into saying or doing something so they could accuse Him. There was no consideration given to the woman and the embarrassment this caused her. Imagine her feelings as she was probably physically forced into the temple, where she stood as the accusation was given to the group assembled supposedly for worship and/or teaching.

When given a choice, “whomever has no sin, throw the first stone”, the rulers quickly left the temple. There is a saying, “The conscience makes cowards of us all”. These men had to recall their own sins, and they were aware they did not fit the parameters assigned by Jesus. Could it be that what Jesus wrote on the ground was some of their sins?

Lest we think Jesus let the adulterous woman get away with this sin, look at verse 11. Jesus told her, “go and sin no more”. We hear no more about the woman. We do not know if she continued in her adulterous life or took Jesus’ instructions to stop sinning. Could she have been one of those 3,000 on Pentecost? It is certainly possible.

We can learn some valuable lessons from this story. First, Jesus had compassion on a sinner. When we meet someone who has committed a sin, do we see them as a soul, needing teaching and guidance? Second, He gave the accusers time to think about their sin and come to a knowledge of the truth. Do we teach and then provide time for the sinner to study through what they have done and give time for them to change? Third, though Jesus knew the hearts of the adulterous woman and her accusers, He showed those present that everyone sins. Do we look at our sins as we deal with sinners?

One has to wonder, not only if the adulterous woman changed, but if there were any among the rulers who repented.

Sandra Oliver

Exodus 3:4 “So when the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, ‘Moses, Moses!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’”

My phone rang and I hesitated to answer before looking at the caller I.D. After seeing the name displayed, not a fiber in my body wanted to take it. Being aware of the purpose of the caller, I was confident that the single word, “Hello,” would obligate me to many long hours of hard work and mental frustration. Not a chance! I was comfortable with my normal and content in my ordinary. So, silencing my phone, I replaced it in my pocket and continued on with my comfy life.

I felt a wee bit of guilt as I considered good old Moses who, content with his sheep in the most remote and hidden part of the desert, received an unwelcomed call from the Great I Am.

“Moses, Moses,” God spoke from the burning bush.

Let’s stop here to consider some possible options Moses had at this pivotal point. Moses could have ignored the calling. He could have thought, “NMP” (not my problem), and watched from a distance. This shepherd-of-contentment could have gathered up his flock and run for the hills. But when Moses chose to respond with, “Here I am,” life as he once knew it came unhinged. Moses was stripped of his quietness and thrown into one of the loudest and most high-maintenance assignments ever recorded in scripture.

Moses lived out the remainder of his days following The Great I Am, and the effects of it were momentous. The mighty Pharoah and the powerful nation of Egypt were defeated by a lowly group of slaves following a Great God. The bloodline of Israel was preserved. The world came to know the power of Yahweh. And still today, the goodness of our Father is evident as we follow His path.

Truth is, God’s callings are rarely easy. God’s callings seldom consider our convenience. God’s callings have the tendency to muddy our paths. But, friend, responding to our Heavenly Father’s bidding with, “Here I am,” will display God’s goodness and reveal to all the glory of The Great I Am.

Father God, give us the courage to wholeheartedly accept your callings.

Blessings,

Rita Cochrane

I’m so sad this morning. I’m writing through tears. I feel helpless, weak, frustrated, anxious—even angry. I miss our kids and our grandbabies. I’m struggling with worry for my elderly mother, and for my father-in-law who is terminally ill, and for my mother-in-law who is watching her husband of almost 63 years grow weaker day by day. I’m so sad to see this virus causing such devastating loss, separation, and financial ruin. I’m frustrated by those who are careless and thoughtless with their words and actions. It hurts to see conflict, disrespect, and harsh words between brethren. News from around the world is gloomy. Confusion abounds as some of us deny what is happening and others swallow every bit of bad news.

Do you also feel like the world has tilted on its axis? Like the rug has been pulled out from under our feet? What happened to my normal, comfortable, easy routine? My mind is churning out so many “what if” questions: what if one of my children is one of the minority who gets really sick? What if our economy completely collapses? What if John or I unknowingly expose our fragile parents to the virus? And—oh, this hurts my heart—what if the two little people that I love so desperately never remember a world before “social distancing” and “sheltering at home”? Who knew that a submicroscopic infectious agent would bring the entire world to its knees in just a matter of weeks?

Wow. As my son advised me today, I really need to chill, don’t I? When I look at these words in black and white, it’s easy to see the root of my emotion: fear. And while I do think that fear is an understandable emotion in the wake of a worldwide pandemic, I also know what God has said about fear. I know He said I should be anxious for nothing. I know He promises to supply our needs. I know that there is nothing—nothing! that can separate me from His love. I know He has overcome the world (and that includes this cruel virus!) I know, I know, I know. But sometimes the feelings in my heart conflict with the knowledge in my mind.

There is a tiny, power-packed scripture that has particularly resonated with me for the last couple of years, and I am working to re-saturate my heart with its truth: “The fear of man brings a snare, but he who trusts in the Lord will be exalted,” (Prov. 29:25, NASB). Fear—the anxious, trembling kind—has laid too many snares across my path. Like one of those old, rusty, jagged-toothed hunting traps, fear has often lured me into the weeds of my life, where the devil waited to trap me. Many times, the powerful jaws of that painful snare have clamped down on me, preventing me from taking advantage of good things from God. And I know that I’m not the only one. Fear is a vise on our feet, our hands, and our mouths, holding us back from going where we need to go, serving when we need to serve and saying what we ought to say. Fear even ambushes our minds, like it has mine, trapping us in a miserable tumbleweed of doubt, while it distracts and distances us from the never-failing, unchanging nature of our Father who loves us and sees us! How often have you been caught in fear’s trap, only to look from afar with regret at God’s opportunities you were too anxious to accept?

The second part of that verse seems little confusing. If God values humility, why should I seek to be “exalted”? My English understanding of the word leads me to think of superiority, or maybe even being put on a pedestal, where I know I do not belong. But looking at the original Hebrew word revealed surprising comfort. One Hebrew/English lexicon says that “exalted” means to be inaccessibly high. Another says it is to be protected, and one more says that it means to be set up on high. Then, when I saw how it is translated in other passages, like this one, “…He sets on high those who are lowly, and those who mourn are lifted to safety,” (Job 5:11, emphasis mine) I see this passage so beautifully.  It gives me a mental picture of my God, when I trust Him, reaching down to rescue and lift me high over the devil’s ugly trap and setting me down, protected from my fear where it cannot reach me any longer. I need that mental image to remind me what happens when I give in to fear rather than savoring the sweet protection that God provides when I trust Him.

But trusting is hard, isn’t it? I think it’s because so many of the earthly things we’ve placed our trust in have failed us, especially lately. We’ve trusted in our money, our jobs, our education, our relationships, our status—we are like those who “go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses, and trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong, but they do not look to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek the Lord!” (Isa. 31:1). But, now that so much control has been removed from us, the door is wide open for us to fully see that “God is our refuge and strength…therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change…” (Ps. 46:1-2).

Learning to trust in the Lord is hard, because sacrificing our wants and our will is necessary. But it is also easy, when we begin to see the blessings He pours out. Trust comes when you set aside your fear to do something hard, or painful, or even humbling that you really don’t want to do, but you do it anyway because doing it is the right thing. Then, He will bless you with peace and joy. Trust comes when you cheerfully give more than you think you can afford to give. Then, you may be surprised by how the Lord blesses you. Trust comes when you are at your wits end, challenged by someone who is harsh, difficult, sarcastic, or even just different than you. When you take a deep breath, ask God to help you with wisdom and patience, and when you respond to that person with kindness and compassion…then, not only will you see the blessings of God, but you will see the humanity of that person. Trust comes when you tell the truth, even when you are terrified. Trust comes when you say no to fear, and follow the Lord to do His work on the other side of the world. Trust comes when you walk through the valley of of the shadow of death with someone you love, but you know He is there too, holding your hands.

In so many ways, it feels like we are at a spiritual crossroad with this crisis. Which road will you choose? Satan loves chaos and confusion, and fear is his powerful tool. There is no truth in him, “he is a liar and the father of lies,” (John 8:44). He wants us to live in anxiety and to be filled with doubt. He loves when brethren are in conflict. He wants to distract us from truth and light. But our God is a God of peace, a peace that defies understanding (Phil. 4:7). When all around us changes, we can be sure that He is the same. He is our refuge and salvation. “The Lord is for me, I will not fear,” (Ps. 118:6).  Our God “is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think,” (Eph. 3:20). I don’t know about you, but when I see these truths from His word, my fear dissolves. I know that I am not weak or helpless. I know He is working things for our good. He is such a good Father – He has lifted me above my fear. Are you afraid? Let me hold your hand and walk with you until you see that He will lift you high, too.

Carla Moore

1 Peter 5:8 “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

Growing up in a family of six children, one of the most frequently asked questions in our house was, “Who left the door open?” My poor mother should have had these words prerecorded and playing in a loop all day long. Because the door was left ajar so often, our house could never remain at a constant and comfortable temperature. And as another unfortunate result, swarms of flies and mosquitoes, along with the occasional lizard, took up residence within our sanctuary.

But have you considered the importance of the doors in our spiritual lives? Yes, friend, Satan is on the prowl and looking for an opening to enter our lives. When we are not aware, Satan will come in, take up residency within us, and devour us. Satan needs only to find a door carelessly left ajar.

Since the beginning of time as cunning Satan has been on the prowl, he has discovered numerous unlocked and unguarded doors. Here is what happened in a few of those instances:

• Eve left a door open for the evil serpent. She not only lost paradise, but she also changed our world forever as sin was introduced.
• Achan left a door open to Satan. When he disobeyed God’s command and took the devoted things, he and his family lost their lives.
• King David left his palace door open and unguarded, and Satan entered. So, when David took another man’s wife, the remainder of his life was plagued with hardship.
• Judas carelessly left a door open to Satan. This evil one filled him with so much greed that he betrayed our Savior.

Friend, 1 Peter 5 tells us to be alert. It is imperative we close the door in Satan’s face, lock it up tight, guard it with the armor of God, and send Satan packing! In so doing, may our hearts remain the blissful property of our good and loving Father.

Father God, help us guard the doors of our hearts so that You, and You alone may enter.

Rita Cochrane

Not long ago, I told a sweet friend that her husband needed to be a preacher. We’ve known them for several years, watching them grow from early marriage to a family of five, and seeing them both mature leaps and bounds in their biblical knowledge. But she laughed a little bit (and cried a little bit) and said, “I could never be a preacher’s wife!” This made me start thinking, as I often have before: what does that really mean?

There are some people who think preachers’ wives belong in some high place on a pedestal. That we always carry a Bible tucked into our pockets (and can quote on demand) and never have an ugly, vengeful, prideful thought in our heads. Our marriages must be a haven of bliss – we’re married to a preacher, after all! We act demurely, always with dignity, and we speak just the right words at just the right moment. (These people obviously haven’t met me!)  Oh, and we never forget to clean the light switch covers and the floor behind the toilet. Twice a week! And then there are those who believe quite the opposite: preachers’ wives are hypocritical gossips who don’t control their children and spend too much money on clothes. And, they whisper, just where did that money come from, hmmm?

I’m sad that there are preachers’ wives who perpetuate both of those stereotypes. There are some who seem to enjoy being on that high pedestal, being set apart and admired. Let me tell you, I’ve seen some of the “high places” that the Bible talks about – and as they are usually cultic worship sites, I’m quite sure we shouldn’t want to be put there. Then others absolutely rebel against the idea of having any responsibility as the wife of a preacher. “I can’t help it,” they say, “I am who I am…take me or leave me!”

I can’t speak for other wives in ministry, but I don’t fit in either of those categories. But because I believe in keeping it real, I can tell you the honest truth about who I am, after 34 years of experience as a preacher’s wife. I’ve made a lot of mistakes – a LOT. Some of them carried hard consequences. More than once I’ve pretended to know more Bible than I actually did, because I wasn’t in the Word like I should have been. There have been times I’ve been full of resentment about expectations I thought were unfair, leading me to be hard-hearted and unforgiving toward fellow Christians. I’m crazy about my husband, but there has been conflict, and we’ve hurt each other. I forget to be thoughtful. Sometimes I just don’t want to assemble with the church, and I don’t exactly know what is wrong with me. I’ve been harsh and critical in my judgment of others, impatient when they didn’t think just like I did or make the same choices that I made. There are times I struggle with doubts and questions. I know this is hard to believe (…sarcasm, another of my flaws) but sometimes I give my opinion when no one has asked for it! And that’s a non-exhaustive list of my imperfections!

In short, I am an ordinary woman. It comes as no surprise to anyone who knows me that I am far from that perfect pedestal wife. And I think there are far more of us “ordinary woman” preachers’ wives than there are the pedestal kind. I know that God doesn’t expect my light to shine brighter than any other Christian’s light simply because I am a preacher’s wife (although I may be presented with more opportunities to shine His light.) What I have to say carries no weight of importance – only what God says. Every day I am thankful that He has forgiven me and does not remember my past. Every day now, I open His word because I love Him more than I ever have, and I want to know more about who He is. Despite my mistakes, my resentments, unforgiving attitudes, and doubts, I know His mercies are new every morning and if I lean on Him, He will help me through the day. He promised to draw near to me as I fight against the one who wants me to continue struggling, and I trust Him to keep all of His promises. I’ve seen His faithfulness over and over to me, even when I was not full of faith toward Him. I am not who I once was – or pretended to be.

I wanted to tell my friend that day – you already are a “preacher’s wife”. And friend, you know who you are and if you happen to read this – your humility and tender heart are beautiful to me, and I know to God also. You are just the kind of “preacher’s wife” that the world needs. Preachers’ wives are just women who question and struggle and stumble. Anyone who tries to make you think differently is not doing you any favors (and isn’t being very honest.) Don’t be afraid of who you think you aren’t – be confident in who the Lord knows you are. He builds us up, He heals our wounds, He lifts the humble. “…The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love,” (Psalm 147).

Carla Moore

One evening recently I was visiting and enjoying sweet fellowship on the lawn of a church building in our area. It was almost dusk and cars were passing regularly on the highway several  feet away.  I had my grandson, Ezra, who is two years old with me that night, and he was having a good time running on the sidewalk, climbing the stairs and playing in the bushes. I noticed a frantic sister go and catch him when he neared the sidewalk that paralleled the highway. “Come back! Don’t go near the road,” she said as she ran to make sure he didn’t go in the street. I appreciated her care for Ezra.

That sister probably thought I was a negligent grandmother, letting Ezra play in that yard adjacent to the street. I appreciated her concern. The truth was that while, of course, I wanted Ezra to stay far from the highway, I really didn’t think he would go past that sidewalk. Earlier that day, I had experienced a very hard time convincing Ezra that it was okay for him to ride his scooter on our asphalt driveway…because he thought our driveway was a “woad”. Ezra doesn’t go near the street because his parents have trained him to keep a certain distance between himself and the road.

We parents and grandparents do this. We give our children boundaries that keep them from danger. They know not only to keep out of the road, but to keep a prohibited space between themselves and the street. They know not to touch the fire, but also to stay back from it. Not to jump off the cliff, but also to stay back from its edge. We do not sit our young children down in front of a mixture of M&Ms and deadly drugs and let them pick out the M&Ms to eat.

But do we do this spiritually? We fail to guard the perimeter of sin—the area that may still be out of the world, but is so close to its dangers that our children let their guards down. It’s the perimeter…the area all around the danger. It’s the places where the world backs right up to the church. It’s that area where the “ pleasure of sin” (Hebrews 11:25 ), allures the senses of our children but its stench can’t quite reach their noses. While we do not want our children to stop attending worship, do we give them our permission to miss it for a very hard test or a very “important” ballgame? (The root word “game” is operative. It’s a game.) We do not want our teens to commit fornication, but we let them “play” in the zone of temptation. We let them watch movies that glorify it. We let them go to dances that promote lust. We let them read books that normalize it and we let them dress immodestly to attract the attention of those of the opposite sex. We let them play very close to that street. We don’t want them to grow up to be gambling addicts, but, of course, we would never deny them the opportunity to participate in the raffle to raise money for their school. (One day the whole state lottery will be about “money for education”.) Do we not see the spiritual danger of allowing our kids to be casual around the perimeter of the world? …Of getting too close to the fire, too near to the street, or of letting them choose the M&Ms before they can distinguish the difference?

Every one of us has the roaring lion (I Peter 5:8) seeking and we may even have the devil sifting (Luke 22:31). His best efforts are expended on the young. His best chance to get your kids is around the edge of your spirituality. Oh that we, as parents, would be as diligent about those dangers as we are about the ones that can only harm our children in this lifetime. The devil’s street traffic can make your kids die eternally. Let’s make spiritual safety zones that make it safer for them. It’s just easier to keep them far from that street while they are young than to watch them venture out when we no longer get to set the perimeters for them.

Let’s guard the spiritual perimeters.

Cindy Colley

In our ladies class we are studying  Jesus’ methods of teaching. We are coming to the conclusion that many of the Jews did not want to be taught by Him. They were hostile toward the Lord and simply did not want to accept him as anything other than a trouble maker and a threat to their power. They had spiritual heart issues, which can be seen in the fruit they bore. Jesus said, “By their fruit you shall know them” (Matthew 7:15-20).

The evidence that Jesus was the Son of God was clear, the signs and wonders He worked were undeniable, His words were truth, and He was as transparent as purified water! In fact He was the holy and pure Son of God. They could have opened their hearts, but chose not to do so.

So why did such an injustice come upon Jesus? The answer is found in God’s scheme of redemption which was planned before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4-5). Jesus would be betrayed, put on trial, and nailed to a cross (Isaiah 53, Psalm 22). It should be noted, however, that despite the injustices He incurred, there were precious things that flowed from the foot of the cross, all in complete harmony with the will of God:

• Love.  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him” (John 3:16-17).
• Grace.  And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth… For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ (John 1:14,16-17).
• Mercy.  Paul wrote the Ephesian Christians, “among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,” even when we were dead in sin made us alive in Christ (Ephesians 2:3-5a). Paul also wrote Titus, But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior (Titus 3:4-6).
• Forgiveness/Redemption. Following Jesus’ crucifixion, on the day of Pentecost Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). Paul wrote, In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth (Ephesians 1:7-10).
• Compassion.  We see compassion for His mother and for the lost. “But standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home (John 19:25-27). James, the  half-brother of Jesus, wrote, Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful (James 5:11).
• Sacrifice. Luke reported that one of the criminals who was hanged alongside Jesus “railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!”  But the other thief rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus must have cared deeply for this man who did not want to die as a lost soul. And Jesus said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:39-43). Paul said, For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed (1 Corinthians. 5:7), and to the Ephesians he said, “walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God (Ephesians 5:2).
• Humility. Paul wrote about Jesus’ humble nature. “Who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:5-8).

Yes. Precious things, previously unattainable, flowed freely from the cross upon which Jesus was nailed. Immeasurable love, grace, mercy, forgiveness, compassion, sacrifice, humility, and much more! Paul reminds all of us as children of God that we should, Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:8). This we owe to the Son of Man who exemplified these amazing things when His blood flowed from the foot of the cross!

Today’s Verses: Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another,  forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony (Colossians 3:12-15).

Teresa Hampton

“Anyone who says, ‘God is not good,’ clearly has not met His church!” Our oldest son, Gary, wrote these words. He definitely experienced it firsthand when he spent 10 days in the ICU. Christians from all over rallied around him with visits, cards, money, and gifts. It was so touching for all of us that I wrote about it.

Now my husband’s brother, Brent, is in the ICU. And once again, our hearts are being stirred by the thoughtful gestures of fellow Christians. We’ve received countless messages and lots of prayers. People have offered to sit with Brent to give his parents a break. Others have offered to house them so they don’t have to make the hour and a half trek each day. It’s a helpless feeling to be far away from loved ones in times like these but, oh, how relieving it is to see surrounding Christians jump in to help!

God’s church clearly demonstrates His goodness to any who are paying attention. These are just a couple of examples. I could share MANY more, and I know you could, too. In addition to practical help during times of trouble, the church family embraces each other in love and appreciation and holds each other up in times of weakness. This shows they’re doing their very best to live by grace, mercy, compassion, generosity, and love…the very traits of God.

“So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.“

(Gal. 6:10)

I’m so, so grateful. When I pray for those I love who are hurting or struggling, I also thank God for the caring hearts of His people.

I know God is perfect and His people are not. I know there are times when we miss opportunities to help, we let each other down, we hurt one another. We’re flawed, we’re busy, and we can be selfish with our time and resources. Hopefully we acknowledge it when it happens and strive to do better next time. Because God keeps using us anyway to be a light to those around us (Matt. 5:16).

I’ve seen way more grace than grumbling, way more help than hostility, and way more appreciation than apathy. It makes me want to do my part better to show others the goodness of God.

“I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!“

Psalm 27:13

By Kathy Pollard

Last summer, John and I were visiting our son and his family for a couple of days. He and his wife had a devotional planned in their home with a group of young adults, so to make things a little calmer for them, we closed the hall door and played with our grandchildren, Jackson and Emmy. For a while we played trains, cars, and dinosaurs in 3-year-old Jackson’s room, and then we played kitchen and “stuffies” (stuffed animals) in almost-2-year-old Emmy’s room. We read books and built magnet houses and gave them horsie rides. We let them crawl all over us, and generally allowed things their parents may or may not typically have the patience for (which, truthfully, is one of the most fun parts about being a grandparent. It was also quite necessary at the time, since they were growing bored with us and had started asking for Momma and Daddy.) We may have even doled out extra M&M’s and let them jump up and down in Emmy’s crib a time or two.

At one point, Emmy was standing happily at her play kitchen eating a play cookie when Jackson rolled the play grocery cart close to her and, out of the blue, rammed her from the side and knocked her over. Wailing commenced. Now, believe me when I say that it takes a lot—a tremendous lot—to make John scold the little boy we love more than we can even put into words! However, that little boy had hurt and mistreated the little girl we love every bit as much. So, I put on my very best disappointed face and John said, in his stern-dad voice, “Jackson, NO SIR, you DO NOT hurt your sister!” This completely took Jackson by surprise, as he had never heard that stern voice from his Pa, and that made him wail, which in turn shattered both my heart and John’s.

This little scene reminded me of a recent Bible class discussion. We had talked about how some of us have a difficult time grasping how a God who says He is rich in mercy can also judge and punish. How can God, who says He loves, forgives, and longs to be with us, be the same God who becomes angry and applies punishment? Is that not contradictory? Now, I am sure there are far more scholarly and theological explanations and rebuttals, but that night a bright lightbulb flipped on in my head. While my mind had already understood the answer, that night my heart very visibly saw it: sin hurts God’s children, and He cannot ignore it. God would not be fair, nor would He be just if He did not defend and protect the innocent. He cannot simply overlook wrong-doing, just as John and I would not have protected Emmy if we had let Jackson’s 3-year-old mischief slide without correction.

But still, at the same time, God desperately loves the one who has done the wrong! Regardless of his little misdemeanor (we know it wasn’t sin—he is an innocent child,) our love for Jackson is exactly the same as our love for Emmy. But sin breaks God’s heart, because it is a barrier between Him and His loved, created one. We know that He wants no one to be eternally separated from Him. He wants every single person He ever created to come to repentance so that He can be in eternal fellowship with them. As a grandmother, I love and long to be with my grandbabies. Let me tell you—there’s nothing better than when those little people run to my arms, squeeze my neck tight and say, “Yaya!” (That’s me!) “I missed you!” And God, whose love is so much greater than ours, pardons and heals and redeems. He crowns us with lovingkindness and compassion. He gives what we need. He vindicates us when we are oppressed. He is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and has abundant lovingkindness for us. He doesn’t stay angry, and even when our wrongs are great, He is gracious. His love is immeasurable. It is hard for our human minds to understand the lengths that He went to in order to forgive and redeem us—He took the punishment we deserved! Like a father shows compassion to his children, God has compassion for those who revere Him. He intimately knows each of us and He remembers that we are frail humans. His lovingkindness will always exist for those who keep His covenant and remember and obey His instructions (read Psalm 103.) It is because of His love that He must convict and discipline (Rev. 3:19).

Since that day, I’m sure there have been plenty of times that Jackson has made Emmy cry. Also highly likely is the probability that she has pushed him around more than once! I know that Jordan and Erin must referee often between the two, and I’m thankful that they undertake their parenting responsibility so well (and let’s be real: Yaya would never make a great disciplinarian!) They are fantastic parents. And God is a good, good Father. He will always do the right thing, but that “right thing” may not feel pleasant at the time because it includes correction, discipline and punishment. He has proven to us, though, in an overwhelming way, through the sending of His own Son, that He wants nothing more than to forgive and He longs for our eternal fellowship. Because of Him, I look forward to eternity with my children and grandchildren!

Carla Moore