God is good. Like a good parent, he knows what is best for us and he teaches it to us. He does this through his Word, the Bible. It is in the Holy Scripture that we learn what is holy, righteous, and healthy.

From what I have been reading on social media, it seems that many people feel that God’s laws are subjective. I disagree. The Bible makes it clear that God has set rules and commandments. I will be writing more on this subject in the upcoming days. But for today, I want to leave you with a few verses from Psalm 119. Take the opportunity to read this Psalm over the next few days. I hope that you will be impressed with the importance of holding fast to the absolute truth of God’s laws.

“My soul melts away for sorrow; strengthen me according to your word! Put false ways far from me and graciously teach me your law! I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I set your rules before me. I cling to your testimonies, O LORD; let me not be put to shame! I will run in the way of your commandments when you enlarge my heart!” (Psalm 119:28–32, ESV)

“Teach me, O LORD, the way of your statutes; and I will keep it to the end. Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart. Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it. Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain! Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways.” (Psalm 119:33–37, ESV)

“Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day. Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the aged, for I keep your precepts. I hold back my feet from every evil way, in order to keep your word. I do not turn aside from your rules, for you have taught me. How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. I have sworn an oath and confirmed it, to keep your righteous rules.” (Psalm 119:97–106, ESV)

Dear reader, I pray for you today, that God blesses you as you follow Him and hold fast to His commandments.

The wind picked up while I was swimming this morning. Some leaves were blown into the water. I observed them as they floated around me. Some of the leaves were still green, some were completely brown, and some were half green and half brown. There were many different shapes and sizes. I was fascinated by them. Each was unique and perfectly designed.

As I prayed and pondered, I was reminded that although the leaves were beautiful, they were dead. They no longer served their intended purpose. They are no longer helped the plant they had once shared life with. The plant could no longer provide the nourishment and support to the leaves.

I began to think about the people that blow in and out of my life every day. Many are spiritually dead. Each is unique. Each one is created by God Almighty and they all display His handiwork. They are beautiful.

Nevertheless, if they don’t know Jesus as their savior, they are dead, spiritually dead. They are floating through life, blown by the wind, disconnected from the Source of Life. Some still seem fresh, they may not even look dead yet. Others have had most of the life sucked out of them and they are dry. Sin has taken a toll on them. They are unable to fulfill the purpose for which they were created. Because of their deadness, they do not give God glory or enjoy Him.

But there is good news for those that are spiritually dead. God wants to do a miraculous work and make them alive in Him. He will be their nourishment and support. “For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” “Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.” Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” (John 6:33–35, NIV) It is a free gift.

Once I was floating around dead in my trespasses and sin. Someone shared the good news of Jesus free gift with me. “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.” (Ephesians 2:4–5, NIV) I am no longer disconnected from the source of life and nourishment. I have eternal life.

I am thankful for life in Jesus. I am thankful that someone noticed me being blown around by life, disconnected from God. I will be eternally grateful that they shared the good news of Jesus with me.

Lord Jesus, as I go through life today, let me notice those that are drifting aimlessly blown about by the winds of this world. Let me see beyond their beauty, intricate design, and uniqueness. Give me a concern for their eternal life. Help me to share with them about the source of life and nourishment. Let me speak boldly about Jesus.

I have been grieved this week over the lack of love I have seen on social media. I have been grieved over the anger and lack of humanity. One post that I saw said, “You and your sister are morons #LoveWins”. I cried. Love hadn’t won. So I have been praying. I have been asking God what I should do. In light of the recent changes in our government’s stand on another sin issue, I have had to take some time to reflect and meditate.

Don’t get me wrong. I am sad that the government has given more freedom to sin, but this is not new. Unregenerate man usually picks pleasure and conformity over God’s moral standard. They are not part of His kingdom, why should they follow his rules? But I am really concerned over the lack of love and hatred that is being spewed. So what am I to do in light of this tension and upset?

I know that God has placed me here for a purpose. It is uncomfortable to live in a world that celebrates sin, but I must focus on God’s view and the reason he has me here, not on my comfort. I’m pretty sure I know what to do. I am to carry on the work of Jesus. “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24, NIV)

So I must follow Jesus. Does that mean I should work at social change? Does it mean I should run for office? For me I don’t think so. I don’t think that work is political activism. I don’t ever remember Jesus working on government change. He was more concerned about individual lives changing.

I don’t think I am called to preach destruction and condemnation to those who are lost either. Those that have rejected light are condemned already. “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.” (John 3:18–21, NIV)

What I am called to do is proclaim Jesus as the Savior of the World. I am called to let people know that real love exists. I am called to exhibit it. This love is not of human origin, it is greater and surpasses and the momentary pleasures that we enjoy in this life. It starts and ends with God, so it is not temporary. It is eternal love. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:16–17, NIV)

This is my purpose. It is to proclaim the goodness of God. It is to share His love. My calling is to lead people to Jesus, the Savior of the world. I am to join with Jesus in calling people “out of darkness into His marvelous light”.

Will you join me? Let us who know Jesus proclaim the love of God to our lost world. We need to share about Jesus, the Savior of the world. We need to tell a lost and dying world about the free gift of salvation. “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:4–7, NIV)

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (John 14:27, ESV)

I have been struggling with fear. I see my country headed down an immoral slide. The slide seems to be getting steeper and we are picking up speed on our downhill run. As a nation, we are choosing a path that is contrary to the righteousness of God.

At another time and place when Israel was working in opposition to God’s laws, these were the prophetic words given to that nation. “Man is humbled, and each one is brought low, and the eyes of the haughty are brought low. But the LORD of hosts is exalted in justice, and the Holy God shows himself holy in righteousness.” (Isaiah 5:15–16, ESV) And, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight! Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine, and valiant men in mixing strong drink, who acquit the guilty for a bribe, and deprive the innocent of his right!” (Isaiah 5:20–23, ESV)

This past week I felt an overwhelming sense of dread as I realized our nation’s disregard of the righteousness of God. We are calling evil good. We are calling good evil. We are calling darkness light. We are disregarding the Light of the world. Many people are finding out too late that what they thought was going to be sweet is actually very bitter. Many in leadership are full of pride, wise in their own eyes and feel free to trample on the rights of the little guy. Partying and illicit gain seem to be the new national pastime, forget baseball.

I know that the “Woes” in the passage are warnings. Woe is an interjection with a negative connotation. It is inextricably tied to grief and denunciation. It is a term of anguish and pain. “Woe” often precedes judgment.

So this week when I found myself crying out, “Woe to America for its unrighteous acts and ideology”, it scared me. And then I read John 14 through 17.

Jesus warned the disciples of the difficulties they would be facing. “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.” (John 14:1, ESV) “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” (John 15:18–19, ESV)

He also comforted them by reminding them that they had eternal life. Jesus also declared victory over the sin of this world. “And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” (John 17:3, ESV) “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33, ESV)

I serve this same, Jesus. I have eternal life. I can take heart and let go of worry and fear. I may have tribulation. There may be trouble. But Jesus has a plan for my eternal good and I am on the winning team.

“Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.”” (John 13:3–10, ESV)

Our pastor gave a sermon on confession yesterday. He referred briefly to the above passage during the lesson. It caught my attention, so I thought I would share what I learned.

Jesus had been with the disciples for three years. All but one had acknowledged his Deity. They had come to know Him as Jesus, the Son of God. They were his family, his children. They belonged to the Kingdom. They were saved.

Jesus sets things up one night to wash their feet. He becomes the servant, doing menial labor, a low task that should have been done by someone else. Jesus used this as an opportunity to teach the disciples. This was not just a physical need being met. Jesus is illustrating a spiritual principle.

Jesus is the Servant. He came to cleanse people from their sin. Baptism is the outward expression of the inward change that takes place at salvation. Our old self is buried and our new is raised in the likeness of Jesus. As my pastor always says, “Buried in the likeness of His death, raised in the likeness of His resurrection”. We have been washed clean. Amen!

Although we have been washed, we also know that we still get dirty. Our feet collect up dust from walking through this world. It needs to be washed off. We don’t need a whole bath again. We are clean. This is what Jesus explained to Peter. So how do we get rid of this dust?

Here is the lesson. We need confession. We need to expose our dirty feet. We need to bow before our Savior and allow Him to wash off the dust we collect on a daily basis. We need to sit quietly before Him as He cleanses, touches us and soothes us. We wait patiently while He gently washes away the grime and then sends us out again.

Jesus told the disciples that they need to do this for others. I think we do too! We need to help others learn about washing off the filth and grime that collects from walking down the path of life. We need to direct people to Jesus for foot washing. We need to encourage confession. We do this best by example.

It must have been awkward for the first disciple in that room to sit still while the King of Kings washed his feet. I bet it was easier for each one after as he learned by example that it was a loving act by God who came to be a Servant.

I pray today with King David, “Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!” (Psalm 51:2, ESV) It isn’t easy to humble myself and allow my filth and grime to be seen. But it is good! It is healthy! And it is Right! “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9, ESV)

As I reveal my dirty parts today Lord, wash me. Refresh me. Clean me up in preparation for the next part of the journey. And thank you for being the Humble Servant who washes away all our sin and guilt.