July 23

“You have been told, O man, what is good, and what the LORD requires of you: Only to do the right and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God.”

At first glance, one may think this reading from Micah seems too easy to be enough; yet, after prayerful consideration, it really is that simple. It’s us who complicate it.

What about us interferes with the ease with which God calls us to obey? Well, everything, because of original sin. Think of Adam and Eve. Y’all, they had it pretty easy out there in the Garden. As long as they did what they were told, life was literally perfect. But they got greedy, and selfish, and distrustful. And boom, here we are, struggling to “do the right and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with [our] God.” But how much more relieved do you feel knowing that this isn’t supposed to be so tricky and scary and tough? Really… all He wants is obedience, trust, and well, everything. And why not give it to Him? What in the world can we do without Him?! Let’s all take a pause and ask God this simple request: Lord, may You increase, and I decrease, so I get out of the way, and You can take over. Amen!

July 22

There are two parts of the Gospel today that really spoke to my heart: “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while” and “When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.” Although these lines don’t follow one after another, they can easily be read together.

Basically, in order for us to teach others and evangelize according to His call, we have to make sure our own spiritual cup is full. Meaning, we cannot help anyone if we haven’t first taken care of ourselves.

How do we do this? Practically speaking, we actually rest, just like Jesus tells His disciples to. We make sure every bit of our health is taken care of- we eat healthy, we sleep, we exercise, we pray. Now, for us to be able to really evangelize and lead others to God, we have to know and love Him ourselves first! And part of resting is resting “in Him”. We must retreat each day, even if for a short period of time, to allow Him to fill our hearts and souls. We must study His life, we must communicate with Him, we must invite Him on this journey. Finally, ask Him who He is calling you to encounter and walk with. Each soul requires a unique form of loving. But if you listen, He will tell you exactly what He wants you to do at just the right moment.

Then, and only then, can we truly help those who are lost, with Him as our shepherd.

Amen!

July 21

“The Pharisees went out and took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. When Jesus realized this, he withdrew from that place.”

When you think of the Pharisees out to get Jesus and how He responds, are you left wondering what you do when someone is out to harm you, specifically, spiritually? Let me explain.

Our lives involve continual interactions with others, some good and some not so good. We encounter all sorts of people in our day to day lives: family, friends, coworkers, strangers. And in those interactions, we are bound to face sin at some point. Throughout the day, we are tempted, although these temptations vary from person to person. Gossip, criticism, anger, judgment, lying… and what about those temptations we face when we are all alone? Despair, hopelessness, fear, lust, gluttony? Do we run from these things that threaten our lives, the state of our souls, or do we give in?

Jesus knew what the Pharisees were up to, and He fled. He still had work to do that depended on His very life. God has assigned each of us gifts, tasks, and callings. We aren’t done until He says so. The next time your soul is in jeopardy, ask Him for the courage and RUN to Him… and don’t look back!