Today’s reflection is written by Joe Duea.

“Blessed is anyone who endures temptation. Such a one has stood the test and will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” —James 1:12

It’s important to point out here that these words were written by James the brother of Jesus! Not a mere witness, or a friend, or even a disciple, but Jesus’ BROTHER. He probably has a pretty good insight into what Jesus taught us! Even though he didn’t agree with his brother at first, James became one of the key leaders in the new Church. Here James is teaching on persevering through trials. 

This verse starts with good advice (not unusual from James): “Blessed is anyone who endures temptation…” In other places in the Bible there are pictures of what it means to be blessed. Jeremiah 17:7 says “Blessed are those who trust in the Lord.” Of course, there are all the “Blessed are…” statements in the Sermon on the Mount. But here in this passage James is discussing wisdom and interspersed are these references to having the resolve to face tests and trials. So then does wisdom come from perseverance? 

James goes on to say in this passage that not just wisdom, but every good and perfect gift comes from God. As it says in later in verse 18, we were all born into God’s truth. At the end of this verse, James writes,  “…and will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” So, we’ve been born in God’s truth and may receive the crown of life, because God promised it to us. We need only to trust in God alone.

But—what about that middle part? “Such a one has stood the test…” (my emphasis added). OK, here is where it gets hard for me, in the “test,” or the trials, or the temptations. I am a believer and a follower of Jesus, but I must remind myself of that every day, because I so often give in to temptation and that pulls me away from God. Too often I get distracted from my responsibilities by my phone, or have that extra snack even though I need to lose weight, or start work and skip daily Bible study, or have an extra glass of wine at night to relax. Also, my thoughts get pulled away from what is right, and my mind is pulled to the worldly things that Satan uses to tempt us. I slip like we all do. I need to learn to trust in God alone and ask God’s help to persevere through the trials, to endure the temptations. I know that it’s not me persevering; it’s only through trusting God that I can do that. In every situation I need to call on Jesus to help me to remember God’s promise—the crown of life “promised to those who love him.” That crown of life is living an eternal life with God, not receiving glory and honor here on earth. 

Lord, help to me to stiffen my resolve to face the tests and trials, and teach me to trust in you alone. In every temptation help me to remember your promise to all of us.

Today’s post is written by Deacon Karen Katamay.

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom.” —Colossians 3:16

What a wonderful concept, letting the word of Christ dwell in you richly! I love that thought! I also know that when I don’t do this, I find myself feeling more stressed and worried about things than I should be if the words of Christ were dwelling within me. The words of Jesus are actually anti-stress, when you think about them. “Do not worry about your life” (Matthew 6:25,). “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28), “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27). These are just a few of the words of Jesus.

I also like the second part of this verse, which was left out of the daily text. The full verse is this: “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts” (Colossians 3:16). I also find my heart is lighter when it is filled with gratitude for God and all that God does for us. Even on our worst days, we can still find things to be grateful for, and gratitude for all that Christ did for us, up to and including dying on the cross for our sins and redeeming us through his death and resurrection!  

So today, and every day, allow the words of Jesus to dwell in you richly and bring you peace. Amen.  

Today’s reflection is written by Ann Waller.

I am shut in so that I cannot escape; my eye grows dim through sorrow.  Every day I call on you, O Lord. —Psalm 88:8-9

My whole life, I have struggled with depression. Growing up, I always felt alone even when with other people. My friends couldn’t understand why I was always “in a mood,” and, truthfully, neither could I.

As an adult, I still struggled, not knowing why. Sometimes it would get so bad that I just didn’t care about ANYTHING. I know this was hard on my family. I could see it in their faces. They would try so hard to cheer me up, ask questions to try to help, but it just didn’t matter to me. I hated that it didn’t, but I couldn’t change or shake it off.

I was raised Catholic but left the formal church because of what I perceived as their “man-made” rules. However, I used to go sit in the empty church and talk to God. I always felt His presence. I believe this is what sustained me all those years.

Finally, science caught up with my symptoms, and I was diagnosed with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). I was prescribed a light therapy that changed my life! I still struggle at times, but nothing like it used to be. I still talk to God, and while some days He seems distant, I always find Him! Sometimes it just takes longer.

These past six months have changed the way we live. We no longer have the face-to-face contacts that we’re so used to and dependent on. Our life rhythms are drastically different. There is an increase in fear, anxiousness, and despair for a lot of people trying to cope with this new way of living. We want our old way back. But let us not forget that God has not changed and will not change. He is still present with us through this uncertain time.

My faith kept me going all those years and still does today. I can look back and see where God intervened to help me even when I wasn’t capable of seeing it at the time. What a blessing to know God will NEVER leave us, no matter how we are struggling or what we are going through. He is a constant presence and the strongest anchor to cling to when we feel we have nothing left. He will not let us down. Thank you, Lord! 

Honor the Lord with your wealth. Proverbs 3:9

I think I was in sixth grade when I gave my dad one of the worst Christmas gifts I have ever given him. He wore a suit and tie to work each day, so when I saw the motorized tie rack at the store I knew it was just what he needed. This would give him the competitive edge to continue his ascent up the corporate ladder. While others were wasting seconds (maybe even tens of seconds) trying to find the perfect tie, my dad would already be putting his suit jacket on.  

One of the things that stands out to me as an adult is that the money I used to buy my dad’s gift was money that was given to me by him.  There was likely some sort of agreement that made me feel like it was something I had earned, but in the end I’m certain it was more than I deserved to receive for whatever terms had been established.

Today’s verse reminds me that to this day I receive more than I deserve. All of creation exists because God desired it to be so. This means that everything belongs to God.

Today was given to us by God and tomorrow isn’t promised. How will we use this day?

The money we have was entrusted to us by God. How will we spend it?

Let us give honor to God today by ensuring that the gift does not eclipse the giver.  

Today’s reflection is written by Deacon Karen Katamay.

“Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear to my cry; do not be silent at my tears.” —Psalm 39:12

Do you have something that you pray for every day, waiting for God to bring an answer or relief? Something that is weighing on you and making you wonder if God is listening or even cares? For many of us right now, we are praying every day for an end to this pandemic. We are also reminded this day of the horror that happened on September 11^th in 2001. When we deal with things like this that are beyond our control, we can sometimes question whether God is silent at our tears.  

When King David wrote this psalm, he was reflecting on the fleeting nature of life, and after trying to be quiet and meditate on God, he found he could not hold his tongue (or his tears) any longer. He confesses his sins and asks for forgiveness. He reflects on his own mortality and the mortality of all those around him. He feels that his trials and tribulations are a punishment from God and that God has turned away from him. Yet we know from the Bible that David was chosen by God and God never turned away from him. Just as he never turns away from us, but instead takes the trials of this life and uses them as a way to draw us closer to him, wrapping us with love and grace when we need it most.

In verse 7 of Psalm 39, David reminds us what to look for when we pray: “But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you.” God is our hope when everything feels hopeless around us. And remembering that will carry us even through the worst of times.