Author: pastor.gerooney@gmail.com

Be strong and let us fight bravely for our people and the cites of our God. The LORD will do what is good in His sight. 2 Samuel 10:12

Have you ever had your motives questioned? Had your kindness thrown back in your face?

This verse is lifted from an episode in the history of David as he is establishing the nation of Israel.  A neighboring king, the king of the Ammonites died and David sent a delegation to express sympathy and show kindness.  His envoy was not received in the manner in which it was sent and these men were treated to great humiliation.  Hanun, the new king erred on the side of cynicism and momentary power, realized he just picked an unnecessary fight and prepared to defend.  David responded in kingly fashion and gathered his army.

As the armies amassed on the battle field. David’s military commander, Joab, realized they were terribly outnumbered and gave this pep-talk: Be strong, fight bravely, for the cities of our God, the LORD will do what is good.”

Joab spoke in this reverence because all the land was God’s not man’s.  He also acknowledged that God is good, His will is good.

Standing on the cusp of battle, surrounded and outnumbered by the enemy, it is hard to comprehend that what we are fighting so furiously for is not even ours. It’s God’s and He’s got it. 

God is good and when we are acting in GOOD faith He will take care of the details.   

Love,

Gretchen

Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. I Peter 3:11

As Jesus’ close friend, Peter would most certainly understand the passions of His heart and the purpose of His actions. “Do good; seek peace,” with deliberate pursuit.

Any agenda other than peace is unacceptable.  Doing good brings about peace.  Others may not come into a state of peace, but you will and you is what you answer for.

When I come to my day of judgement, God will not ask me, “How did everyone treat you down there?” However, He will ask, “How did you treat others?” Doing good and seeking peace is the only acceptable answer to this question.

God loves peace and so must I.

Gretchen

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.  Ephesians 1:7

If you are reading this you probably have a knowledge of salvation and for that I am truly thankful. I was saved at the age of twelve and while I still revel in the miracle of that moment I often struggle with the deep dark parts of my heart and mind that want to take a break from my conscience and tell the world what I really think. Soon to follow my ugly thoughts, my heart breaks for its moment of carnal will and I’m defeated.  It’s a vicious cycle, but God, as our Creator, great Redeemer and Lover of our souls, has this under control.

Two things are working in the act of salvation: Jesus’ blood, given freely, and God’s grace in boundless supply.  When Jesus drew His final breath sin lost its grip on man, and when He breathed again, every believer knew it.

There is no sin God can’t and won’t forgive. His riches cross the expanse of man’s moral and physical poverty.  DO NOT live in defeat! Daily, accept this gift and tell Satan to take a long hike off a tall cliff. God’s omnipotent power and rich grace are your own.

Living in Victory,

Gretchen

P.S. I encourage you to read the entire first chapter of Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus. It will strengthen you.

But when the set time had fully come, God sent His Son born of a woman, born under the law. Galatians 4:4

As the Son of God, Jesus had no boundaries, no restrictions of linear time, no limits of aging flesh and certainly no carnal temptations, but as Son of Man, Jesus took on all of these characteristics and became fully human.  He became just as we are so that we have a hope to become just as He is.

It’s just this simple, Jesus became human so that we can be Holy.  He came to earth to light the way to Heaven. 

In Christ,

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 and proved over and over He was faithful and trustworthy. Joshua’s commission was staggering, so God gifted forward the comfort and confidence he would need to see the 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.  Lives alienated from hope are soon self terminated in one way or another.  Yet here we hear God’s voice to Joshua saying, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”  Even if you are alone, you will not fail, EVER!  I am here! 

Here’s the great news: We get the same deal Joshua got! Feeling friendless or forlorn, or crippled by life’s needs and expectations are inevitable, but if we look at Joshua’s whole story, he stepped 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!”

Being Noisy!

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 prophesy of Isaiah, written 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 the absence of need, strife or sorrow, aka, peace.

Every relationship on the face of the earth has some dynamic of peace or lack there of. In the promise of a redeeming Savior we find the acknowledgement that someone had 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. Therefore, we can set aside hostilities knowing our needs will be met by the Creator and Administrator of all things and savor life, healed from the disease of worry.

Let There Be Peace on Earth, and let it begin with me!

Gretchen

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. Following a flogging intended to shut them up, the Apostles began rejoicing because they were counted worthy to suffer for the cross (verse 41). Then came ‘Day after day, in the temple courts…………….’

I’ve heard of praising God, ‘In the Storm.’ I’ve managed to rejoice while the thunder rolls, 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 us 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 look back 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 in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. Colossians 2:10

I should really back this devotional up to verse 8 which states, “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental forces of this world rather than on Christ.” 

No one would argue that humans across the globe share similar patterns of behavior.  We tend to act and react the same way in response to stimuli.  We cry over a sad story, cheer when the underdog triumphs, AND the drudgery of everyday life victimizes each of us from time to time.  We are a very predictable species. 

Except………

In Christ, fullness is achieved.  In Christ, you become all you are meant to be!  You are no longer commanded by predictable human nature.  Christ has every power in Heaven and earth and through Christ we are filled with power to overcome the ordinary responses of our human nature. Faith tears down fear, love nullifies anger, mercy wins over vengeance and grace eradicates poverty of body and soul. 

The fullness of Christ means to lose our human instinct and take the nature of Christ. It’s a total makeover, totally free and totally worth it!

Love,

Gretchen

Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.” John 3:5

It is never appropriate to pull one verse away from its context and give it independent meaning. This verse is an extreme example.  Read John 3:1-21 and experience the story of Nicodemus, a pharisee, a prominent powerful Jewish leader, coming to Jesus in the dark of night seeking answers.

Jesus did not scold Nicodemus, like a naughty child, for lurking about in secret, but neither did He laud him for his status. He simply explained God’s love, God’s plan and God’s redeeming hope.  The beautiful words of John 3:16 were first uttered to this struggling seeker.

Jesus gave Nicodemus what He gives us all, the offer of salvation from a world that will kill us, and redemption from the hater that thinks he owns us.  The choice is ours, no one else’s. Just remember, you are worth the great price that was paid for you and instead of bondage you receive perfect, unfathomable freedom!

In His Great Love,

Gretchen

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Matthew 5:5  NIV

Meek is an adjective that has been totally flipped by the English language.  It is a positive descriptive word but a self absorbed world that demands its own way has devalued meekness to the point it brings shame. By human standards meekness denotes someone who is easily maneuvered against their will while never daring to protest, an easy target that no one ever dreams of becoming. Yet, Jesus states in His Sermon on the mount, meekness as a very desirable characteristic in achieving favor on earth.

What’s the real deal with meekness then?  Meekness begets kindness, practices forbearance, depends on faithfulness, exercises gentleness and self-control and reaps love and joy. Isn’t ‘Meek’ a beautiful ideal?

Meekness is not weakness, it’s strength under perfect control.