Author: pastor.gerooney@gmail.com

Day after day, in the temple court and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah. Acts 5:42

In addition to this verse I encourage you to read Acts 5:17-41. The Apostles were suffering extreme injustice and persecution for their evangelical work. Yet, no threat of abuse or loss of life was worth losing the promise of eternal life. Verse 41 tells that following a flogging intended to shut them up, the Apostles began rejoicing because they were counted worthy to suffer for the cross. Then came ‘Day after day, in the temple courts…………….’

I’ve heard of praising God, ‘In the Storm,’ I’ve even managed to praise Him when the sun isn’t shining, but these men were praising God FOR the storm.

It takes great maturity and faith to look back across life’s journey and be thankful for the tempest that nearly took you out. Yes, it is crucial that we praise God in the storm for this is the only way to survive and grow, but it is huge when we can reflect and see that the cross we were bearing was leading another to the cross of Calvary.

As the Apostles did, be faithful, grateful and very vocal knowing it will be worth it throughout all eternity.

Love,

Gretchen

And now, O Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you. Psalm 39:7

This is a lament. David begins with his wise choice to remain silent, to be discerning in what he speaks out loud with an awareness of who his listeners are. Realizing life is short and some things matter a great deal while others do not is humbling and profound at the same time.

Every believer has had questions of faith, even to the extent of brief unbelief, but to carelessly publish these things broadly is reckless. Speaking foolishly without thought can be wicked and sinful. Holding one’s tongue is a burden. So many things can be misinterpreted as disloyalty, vengeance, suspicion….. So when do you talk and when do you remain quiet? Especially when neither feels comforting. David’s response to this turmoil was settled in prayer. 

In all things God can be trusted. He wove you together and He alone knows the complete contents or your heart and mind where your motives originate and actions follow. 

Gretchen

But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. Romans 8:25

Paul’s letter to Romans is the most complete explanation of the nature of the Gospel found in the Bible. The church of Rome was established by those who were present in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost and believed, then returned home and remained faithful. But, problems arose. First, it was believed that to be Christian one must first become a Jewish proselyte, taking on the physical rites, orthodox traditions and the Law of Moses. Paul says that man’s justification rests fundamentally on Grace and Mercy, not Law. And all of this is possible because God is Holy although we are not.

The verse prior to this one , “For in this hope we are saved. But hope that is seen is not hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have?” Why do we hope and wait? Because we long for a better existence. This won’t be fully fulfilled in the flesh, but in our redemption and freedom from sin into Heaven’s Glory. 

We are saved by faith, but it is hope that gives us perseverance, diligence and joy of testimony that ultimately speaks the Good News. 

Love,

Gretchen

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23

This entire book is a funeral dirge over the desolation, and some believed death, of Israel. Jeremiah grieved over the city he could not save. The people would have to return to faith and faithfulness for Jerusalem to rise again.

In chapter 3 Jeremiah complains that God has ignored him and covered Himself with a cloud that no prayer could penetrate. However, verses 21-39 are the high point of this book and are filled with references from scriptures Jeremiah knew well. 

When disaster arrives and especially when it stays, consolation must come from both internal and external sources. Internally remember, God is good and gracious in all things and in all times. But, this becomes hazy and vague as crisis persists and so our external source, the Holy Scripture, must be applied. 

Jeremiah had experienced God’s goodness, but when he was tired and weak God’s written and spoken word were his steadfast hope. God does not leave us to be eaten alive by this world and its darkness. In every new day we have a fresh and abundant portion of compassion and love because God is good.

Love, 

Gretchen

Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from Him. Truly He is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken. Psalm 62:5-6 

This psalm was written to be part of corporate worship. It is a song of total surrender with quiet confidence in God’s steadfast faithfulness and love. David makes clear, his faith and worship are a choice because God is worthy. 

While speaking of God’s great power and strength David voices no difficulties and hardships, nor does he speak a petition. Yes, David was in the midst of trial and tribulation, yet he trusted his current issues to God with no fear, no despair, just confidence that God was all he needed. However, he does confront his persecutors with the reality of an inevitable just and transparent judgement for their lies and deceit. Man’s status and money are of no benefit, to them or anyone else. 

Verse 8 is David’s yearning for others to have the childlike faith he has found. Where man seeks reason, God works through faith. When the world drives us to busy nervousness, God is our quiet peace, and when we are overwhelmed, wandering and wondering, God is steadfast. God is our refuge, you can pour out your heart and find freedom and rest.

Love,

Gretchen

But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the House of God; I trust in God’s unfailing love for ever and ever. Psalm 52:8

Doeg the Edomite, a chief herdsman to the king, betrayed David and informed Saul of his whereabouts resulting in the massacre of 85 priests at Nob. (I Samuel 22:9) It was a difficult time to keep pressing forward toward the promises of God. Doeg was an arrogant menace but David took responsibility for the deaths and then he committed the event to God for judgement.

In a time when he was overwhelmed with the wicked intentions of his boastful enemies, David stood firm in the Hope of His Creator and Sovereign Lord. Embedded in this great hope is the knowledge that God’s perfect and pure justice will have the last word. 

There is always a battle between evil and lies and good and truth. But God will bring down and destroy the wicked. The righteous will flourish for all eternity. For this David gives continuous praise and trust in God’s unfailing love. We can too! 

Love,
Gretchen

No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Joshua 1:5

Following the death of Moses, Joshua was charged with leading the nation of Israel into the promised land. Things hadn’t been easy for Moses. It had been a long arduous trip, forty years wandering in the wilderness, not because God designed calamity, but because people are hard headed and hard hearted. Yet God remained true to His covenant and His promises. Now Joshua had a call to answer and God was paying forward the comfort and confidence Joshua was going to need to see His mission through. I especially love the promise of God’s constant presence.

Loneliness is the world’s deadliest disease. Horrible choices are made to avoid or end unwelcome solitude. People terminate their lives alienated from hope. Yet we can hear God’s voice to Joshua saying, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Even if you are alone, you will never fail! I am here! Here’s the great news! We get the same deal Joshua got!

It is inevitable, there will be times we feel friendless, forlorn, but if we look at Joshua’s story, he steps out into a state of being okay with just him and God. What tremendous victory over the trials of this world when we can shout, “It’s just God and me, and I’m good with that!”

Love,

Gretchen

But He was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him and by His wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:5

Today’s scripture is taken from the prophecy of Isaiah 700 years before the Son of God became the Son of Man. If I said nothing else, this fact alone speaks volumes about God’s plan to redeem mankind. However, peace is mentioned and if there is one ideal my heart yearns for, it is peace.

Peace is simply the absence of strife and struggle; laying aside hostility. Every relationship on the face of the earth has some dynamic of peace or lack thereof. In the promise of a redeeming Savior we find the word peace and the acknowledgement that to achieve this, someone has to make a sacrifice. Through Christ’s torture and death we are reconciled to God and that’s the biggie, but we are left with time here on earth in a discordant world. God didn’t just provide a victor over death, He afforded a means for us to live in harmony with each other and reside in a global community with confidence that God is in charge, always has been, always will be.

Have a great weekend!

Gretchen

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

John, the Baptizer, had been arrested and knew he would be executed for speaking truth to the adulterous Herod. He asked his own disciples to seek Jesus and ask for assurance that He was the Messiah. Jesus sent word that the blind see, the lame walk, the deaf hear, and the dead are raised. BUT! Better still, The Good News is proclaimed to the poor. 

The educated, popular and wealthy had as much access to Jesus as the poor. Jesus is not an elitist. There is no prejudice or hesitation in His character or mission. He came to give hope to everyone. But! Not everyone recognized their need for a Savior. By means of injustice toward others, many were doing well on the backs of the compromised population. 

To the hopeless, Jesus proclaims His Divine connection to The Father and invites all who will come to lay their burdens down, not for a time of rest, but for all eternity. 

A wise mentor once directed me to imagine God’s embrace, listen to the comfort of His heartbeat, feel the warmth of His hands and the strength of His arms. I was a young college student, exhausted from the early years of adulting, but on that day I found a God that really loves me. He will always call us to Himself because it’s the best place for us, burden free and filled with peace and rest.

Snuggling Down,

Gretchen

You are my hiding place and my shield; I have put my hope in Your word. Psalm 119:114

Psalm 119 has many unique characteristics beyond its length, but most important, it is a poem of deep trust and confidence in more than God’s sovereign and supreme authority. Its words proclaim God’s goodness and love.

Fight or flight is the complex, adrenaline filled choice you make when danger nears. Whether you run or stay there is an end game, a safe place to regroup and restore. If you reflect honestly, this hoped for and sought after respite should grant peace and rest of mind, heart and body.

The breath of God, His Word, is that hiding place. When good health turns to illness, when we fail socially, the financial math won’t math, and adulting brings nothing but disappointment…..and a great deal more in between…. God is our safe refuge.

The arrogant believe they need no one but themselves, the humble acknowledge the fragility of their own abilities and means. They know the secret, God is our defender, our safe place.

Love,

Gretchen