June 6:  Enjoying His Peace.

HIS MIRACLE.
"Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'You sins are forgiven'; or to say, 'Get up, and pick up your pallet and walk'?"--Mark 2:9

Stress management was one of the first classes I took in my organizational behavior studies.  I found it fascinating and I had to implement the knowledge right away because my car wouldn't start on the day of my final, and I had to borrow another vehicle.  After my final exam, another student asked me to assist with his presentation.  He connected a little device to my finger and was able to show the whole class how my body was responding to my stress level that day.  I became convinced about how closely connected our physical and emotional health are.

Even though the four men brought the paralytic to be healed, the first words of Jesus were, "Son, your sins are forgiven" (Mark 2:5).  This was the man's greatest need, so Jesus dealt with it first.  We all need to know that we are at peace with God and that we are forgiven; there is no deeper realization for a human being.  The scribes started questioning Jesus in their minds because they doubted His authority to forgive sins.  The forgiveness of sin was, and is, always the greatest miracle.  But it  happens on the inside, and therefore they doubted it (verses 6, 7).  Jesus asked them "Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven', or say, 'Get up...and walk'?" (verse 9).  And before receiving a response, He went on: " 'But so that you know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins'--He said to the paralytic, 'I say to you, pick up your pallet and go home' " (verses 10, 11).  In other words, "Yes!  Just get up!  I can forgive sins and I can heal you"  Both forgiveness and healing are impossible things for mankind to perform, but both are possible for God.  He is the Healer of mind, body, and soul.  And the man got up, picked up his pallet, and went (verse 12).  Are you in desperate need today?  Do you need forgiveness?  Are you in need of getting up from your mat of depression or inadequate feelings?  Are you paralyzed by guilt or shame?  His miracle starts in our soul.  He offers forgiveness and peace.  Our confidence is in the blood of Jesus (see Hebrews 10:19-22).  So...Get up!  Pick up!  Go!

My Response:___________________________________________________________

June 5:  Enjoying His Peace.

HIS CARE.
"I am the good Shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me...and I lay down My life for the sheep."--John 10:14, 15


It was an unexpected gift from God.  I was preparing the outlines for a television series when I reached out to pick up a book I needed.  As I opened it, something fell out of the book--sermon notes; however, these were not mine, but my dad's.  I was speechless as tears welled up in my eyes, because this was my father's homily that he had preached when I was commissioned to the ministry long ago.  The topic was the Good Shepherd, what He has done for us, and His care for His sheep.  He then talked about what it means to be called to shepherd God's people.  My father has since passed, and I feel so blessed to have found this gift.

Hundreds of years before Jesus was born, Ezekiel prophesied that God would send His Shepherd, a descendant of David, to care for His Sheep.  God had entrusted His sheep to religious leaders who had not done their job, and God denounced Israel shepherds, exposing their transgressions in no uncertain terms.  "Woe, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves!...You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat sheep without feeding the flock.  Those who are sickly you have not strengthened, the diseased you have not healed, the broken you have not bound up, the scattered you have not brought back, nor have you sought for the lost"  Ezekiel 34:2-4.  God was not happy with the way in which His sheep had been treated: scattered, abandoned, and oppressed; this was not what God had in mind!  From there on, He would care for His own sheep: "I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out.  As a shepherd cares for his herd...I will care for My sheep and will deliver them...I will set over them one shepherd, My servant David [David's descendant], and he will feed them...himself and be their shepherd" (Ezekiel 34:11, 12, 23).  Jesus fulfilled this prophecy.  He laid down His life and lovingly cares for His sheep.  If you have been lost, hungry, sick, and oppressed, remember that you now have a Good Shepherd, who is ready to give you peace and to restore your soul (see Psalm 23:3).

My Response:__________________________________________________________

June 4:  Enjoying His Peace.

HIS REST.
"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest."--Matthew 11:28

I posted a picture on my Facebook page and that's when I realized how soul-tired most of the people in my generation really are!  It was a photo of an overworked and exhausted young woman who had fallen asleep at her desk, her head resting on top of a pile of unfinished paperwork.  Many people commented, relating to this weary person.  The caption under the picture encouraged those who were heavy-laden to come to Jesus to receive real rest (Matthew 11:28-30).


The invitation of Jesus, "Come...all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28), is as relevant today as when Matthew wrote it down in the first century.  Our hearts are worn out in the struggles of life; Jesus knows about this and offers us a remedy.  For many years, I have been intrigued by the apparently deliberate juxtaposition found in Matthew 11:28-12:14.  First Jesus offers His own rest (Matthew 11:28-30), then proclaims Himself the Lord of the Sabbath, the day of rest, in the next narrative (Matthew 12:8).  The invitation of Jesus to rest in Him is unique to Matthew, and it immediately preceded the only two episodes in this Gospel that occur on the Sabbath.  This intriguing juxtaposition became the topic of my PhD dissertation. *  I found very exciting insights during the eight years that I spent in these verses.  One of them is that there are 137 occurrences of this particular root word for rest in the Greek Old Testament (LXX), and that in the first five books of the Bible, the term predominantly relates to a sabbatical rest to the Lord.  Matthew's audience heard Jesus' message loud and clear: "Come to Me, all you who are weary...and I will give you the real sabbatical rest."  Those who heed His invitation now enter into the Sabbath rest in the fullest sense, because they rest in Him.  Thus, we find the full meaning of the weekly Sabbath rest celebration in the identity and mission of  Jesus.  We were never meant to be overwhelmed by anxiety and fear; we were designed for peace.  When we accept the invitation of Jesus, we find real rest for our souls.  Jesus, calm our anxious hearts!

My Response:_________________________________________________________
* See my book for sharing version of my findings: Elizabeth Talbot, I Will Give You Rest (Nampa, ID: Pacific Press, 2015).

June 3:  Enjoying His Peace.

HIS RENEWAL.
He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand!"  He stretched it out, and it was restored to normal, like the other.--Matthew 12:13

The day that I had the emergency meniscectomy on my right knee, I didn't realize that it would take a while before I could walk again.  The doctors were not able to extract the meniscus arthroscopically; the incision was large, and I was in need of physical therapy to regain the use of my leg.  I remember distinctively how my right leg became very thin compared with the other.  It took two months for me to regain enough muscle to be able to stand on the injured leg.  Maybe this is why I noticed that the report of Jesus' healing of a man's withered hand (Matthew 12:13) is followed by a description of the extent of the healing: "and it was restored to normal [healthy], like the other" (verse 13).

The Pharisees who had challenged Jesus in the grain fields (Matthew 12:1-8) followed Him into the synagogue (12:9-14).  There Jesus encountered a man with a withered hand (verse 10).  "And they questioned Jesus asking, 'Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?'--so that they might accuse Him."  (verse 10).  With the exception of the plucking of grain, all the other Sabbath controversies between Jesus and the Pharisees in the Gospels relate to healings and the result of the healings (see Matthew 12:9-14; Luke 13:10-17; 14:1-6; John 5:1-6; 9).  From the very beginning of the world, the Sabbath was supposed to point to, and celebrate, the work of Jesus in creating, redeeming, and restoring the human race.  Jesus chose the Sabbath day for many of His healing miracles to highlight the redeeming freedom and rest in Him, portrayed in this special day.  Jesus responded in the rabbinical style of lesser to greater arguments (qal wahomer).  followed by a pronouncement: any man would help  their sheep if it fell on the Sabbath, "How much more valuable then is a man than a sheep!  So then, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath" (Matthew 12:12).  Jesus went on to restore the man's hand, to the extent that it was healthy like the other.  The Sabbath reminds us of the core of the redemption plan: rest and renewal are available for each one of us through the salvific work of Jesus.

My Response:____________________________________________________________

June 2:  Enjoying His Peace.

HIS PRIORITY.
"You are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary."--Luke 10:41, 42


The timing couldn't have been worse.  I was trying a new business venture by starting a computer company; we leased our office space, hired employees, and launched the business.  One day I got a sharp pain in my knee and suddenly couldn't walk.  At the hospital, I was told that my meniscus had been crushed, and I needed immediate surgery.  But I had so many things to do!  Who would take care of things?  How long would recovery take?  Looking back, I realize that during that time God was training me to trust Him with my anxieties, my future, my bills, and my life.  He was teaching me to focus on the one thing that is necessary: Jesus!

Martha had good intentions and Jesus counted on her hospitality.  The biblical narrative says that "Martha welcomed Him into her home" (Luke 10:38).  She wanted to make sure everything was taken care of, especially because Jesus was in her house!  She definitely needed to make preparations.  We are told that she was being distracted about much "service," which in the original Greek language is diakonia.  How can a church function without deacons and deaconesses?  They keep everything running!  Well, the issue wasn't really the service.  Jesus pointed out that Martha's problem was that she was worried and troubled about the things she needed to do (see verse 41).  In contrast, we frequently find Mary just sitting at the feet of Jesus and listening to His voice.

When facing challenges most of us go into a problem-solving mode.  We try to figure things out and spend quite a bit of energy rehearsing possible scenarios and looking for solutions.  Jesus invites us to remember that we are His children.  He wants us to learn to focus on who He is and His ability to provide for us.  Jesus offered the cure for anxiety: many things may be important, but only one is necessary: He!  His Presence!  As we focus on Him--His love, His sufficiency, His peace, His power, His grace--everything else falls into its appropriate place.

My Response:____________________________________________________________

June 1:  Enjoying His Peace.

HIS KEEPSAKE.
"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you."--John 14:27

Most of my life I was afraid of flying.  It was so bad that I had to take medication just to get on a plane.  I discovered John 14:27, where Jesus promises to give His peace to us.  I remember highlighting this text and taking the Bible with me on the plane; I would recite the verse many times when the aircraft encountered turbulence, asking God to fulfill His promise and give me His peace.  When it became evident that I would be flying constantly as part of my calling, I had to settle this issue with God.  Now, I'm often dozing off as the plane takes off.

The disciples were getting worried because Jesus was talking about leaving them.  In John 14, Jesus is comforting their anxious hearts: "Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me" (verse 1).  His disciples wouldn't become orphans...the Helper, the Holy Spirit, would be with them (John 14:16-26).  It is then that Jesus makes the most amazing announcement: "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.  Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful" (verse27).  The word peace is repeated twice.  This was a common greeting and send-off Jewish expression (shalom), but Jesus qualifies it with the possessive pronoun.  Jesus was leaving His peace with them; this was His special gift, a keepsake, that was to remain theirs permanently.  His peace is much greater than the peace the world offers, because the source of His peace is Jesus Himself!  If you are anything like me, you know that every morning many thoughts compete for attention.  It's easy to lose our inner peace by spinning the wheels in our minds, wasting energy trying to control that which is out of our control.  God offers us His peace, which is greater than our own understanding of any situation: "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your heart and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6, 7).  Jesus paid a high price for it!  For "the punishment that brought us peace was on him" (Isaiah 53:5, NIV).

My Response:__________________________________________________________

May 31:  Celebrating His Victory.

HIS LIFE.
"Lazarus, come forth."  The man who had died came forth.--John 11:43, 44

I often go to the cemetery to bring flowers to my parents' tomb and to meditate on the blessings I have received from God through them.  They rest in a beautiful section of the park, surrounded by flowers and trees.  On special holidays, such as Mother's Day, Christmas, and Thanksgiving, many people come to honor their loved ones.  I dare to imagine what that cemetery will look like on the day of the second coming of Jesus.  I imagine beautiful scenes of angels reuniting families, just like in some of the paintings I have seen.  I can't wait!

As Jesus makes His way to the tomb, the narrator reminds us that Lazarus had been dead for four days (John 11:39).  This is an important detail because, unlike the biblical teaching, there was a popular belief that the soul of the dead lingered around the tomb for three days and left for good only on the fourth day.  The scene includes a tomb, a stone against it, the sister of the deceased, the fact that four days have gone by, the warning that the body is decomposing, and that there might have been a stench (verses 38, 39).  As if Jesus had not noticed all these signs of death, He gives the outrageous order: "Remove the stone" (verse 39).  Excuse me?  Why would anyone want to do that?  Perhaps Jesus wants to see His friend one last time...but that's not the reason.  "Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?" (verse 40).  Believe, Martha!   Believe Elizabeth!  Believe, John!  Believe!  "When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, 'Lazarus, come forth' " (verse 43).  Lazarus, come out!  Life Himself is calling you!  And Lazarus came out!  Many say that Jesus called Lazarus by name because otherwise everyone buried in that cemetery would have come out.  Life Himself was calling the dead, and death could not resist Life.  But this was too big of a sign.  "So from that day on they [the council of priests and Pharisees] planned together to kill Him" (verse 53).  In the Gospel of John, this is the trigger for the death of Jesus.  Jesus gave His life to give Lazarus life.  Literally.  In more than one sense, Jesus died so Lazarus could live.  And He died so that my loved ones and yours may live.  He is the Life!  Believe!

My Response:__________________________________________________________

May 30:  Celebrating His Victory.

HIS COMPASSION.
Jesus wept.--John 11:35

Compassion: "A feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering." *  I'm sure you have felt it.  I have, with tears in my eyes attending a funeral, visiting someone in the hospital, or watching the news.  Oh, the pain and sorrow of watching parents say goodbye to their children, or the urgency with which we want to alleviate a loved one's suffering, and the powerlessness we feel at our utter inability to change the circumstances.

But Jesus was not powerless, so why did He weep?  Good question!  After talking with Mary, Jesus asks where they have laid Lazarus (John 11:28-34).  The next verse is the shortest verse in the Bible: "Jesus wept" (verse 35).  This Greek verb is different from the verb for weep used elsewhere in this story.  The others are mourning loudly; Jesus is weeping quietly (This term is used only here in the entire New Testament.)  He is moved by everyone's sorrow.  He knows what He is about to do, yet He is touched by the suffering of humanity.  The Jews interpreted the tears of Jesus as the expression of His love (verse 36), and it was.  His tender care for the mourners was evident; but this was not the only reason He cried.  Jesus knew that pain was the result of sin; much suffering had been caused by God's enemy.  In my favorite book (aside from the Bible), The Desire of Ages, we read that at that moment, "He saw that in the history of the world, beginning with the death of Abel, the conflict between good and evil had been unceasing.  Looking down the years to come, He saw the suffering and sorrow, tears and death, that were to be the lot of men.  His heart was pierced with the pain of the human family of all ages and in all lands.  The woes of the sinful race were heavy upon His soul, and the fountain of His tears was broken up as He longed to relieve all their distress." **  Yes, Jesus wept for us!  Jesus feels compassion and is touched by our suffering, even though He knows that soon He is going to eliminate death, sickness, and evil, once and for all (Revelation 21:4).  Be encouraged!  Jesus wins!

My Response:___________________________________________________________
* Dictionary.com, s,v, "compassion (n)," accessed April 12, 2019, http://www.dictionary.com/browse/compassion?s=t.
** Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press, 1940, 517.

May 29:  Celebrating His Victory.

HIS PERSPECTIVE.
"Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I go, so that I may awaken him out of sleep."--John 11:11

I distinctly remember the progression of my prayers.  My father was very sick with cancer; the doctors had done all they could but now had sent him home to await the inevitable.   His faith in Jesus was unshaken, and he was ready.  I sent out Facebook messages asking for prayers, that God may grant peace and healing, according to His will.  And the days went by, acknowledging that God was imparting supernatural peace, I sent out prayer requests for God's healing or for His mercy to let my dad sleep, once and for all.  Death came as a relief for two reasons: the evil one could no longer bother him with pain, and my dad's death is temporary, until the resurrection day.

After His apparent delay, following the news of Lazarus's illness, Jesus finally told His disciples: "Let us go to Judea again" (John 11:7).  His disciples reminded Him that the Jews had been seeking to stone Him, and Jesus responded by talking about day and night, and light and darkness (verses 8-10).  The night symbolizes the absence of Jesus; He is the Light of the world.  It was still day--but not for long.  Then Jesus made a startling announcement: "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I go, so that I may awaken him out of sleep" (verse 11).  As usual in this Gospel, they misunderstand what He is saying and respond to His literal words: OK, then, if he is asleep, he will recover.  Of course, Jesus had spoken of Lazarus's death.  Up to the Christian Era, fear of death was paralyzing and widespread.  People were terrified by the very thought of death and the unknown surrounding it.  When Jesus died and conquered death, He radically changed the way His followers speak about death.  It is no longer a terrifying event but a sweet sleep instead.  The deceased, including my mother and father, are resting in a sweet sleep, awaiting the resurrection morning when they will hear a loud Voice calling them out of their tombs, just as Lazarus heard (verse 43).  What a difference Jesus' perspective makes when a loved one dies!  We have assurance because He conquered death!

My Response:_________________________________________________________

May 28:  Celebrating His Victory.

HIS INTERRUPTION.
When the Lord saw her, He felt compassion for her, and said to her, "Do not weep."--Luke 7:13

I have referred to this story many times in funerals and memorial services.  Oh, how I wish that every one of those gatherings would have been interrupted by Jesus, the way this funeral was.  And oh, how thankful I am that it is only a matter of time until Jesus will interrupt the death of all of His children and will command them to rise!  And they will come out of their tombs!  I can't wait!

This story takes place in Nain, a village about six miles southeast of Nazareth.  Jesus, accompanied by a large crowd, is approaching the village.  As they got to the gate, another crowd is coming out in order to bury a young man outside of the city gate, as was the custom.  The two crowds meet: an excited crowd (Luke 7:11) and a mourning crowd (verse 12).  Can you imagine a widow losing her only source of financial and emotional support?  Her whole world came crashing down.  This is why it seems strange that Jesus would say to her: "Do not weep" (verse 13).  Why shouldn't she weep?  All her hopes and dreams had died together with her son; she couldn't imagine life without him.  But she didn't realize that Jesus was the Life, victorious over death!  Then Jesus does something unimaginable: he touches the untouchable.  "He came up and touched the coffin; and the bearers came to a halt" (verse 14).  Imagine the funeral procession: the woman crying, the coffin holding her precious son, and the crowd accompanying her in the saddest of journeys.  Suddenly, Jesus does something totally inappropriate--he touches the casket--and the coffin bearers come to a halt.  They hear the voice of Jesus: "Young man, I say to you, arise!  The dead man sat up and began to speak" (verses 14, 15).  In this story, like in ours, Jesus directs his feelings and actions to the suffering person: the Lord saw her, He felt compassion for her, He spoke to her, and He gave the young man back to her.  Jesus knows and understands our pain.  He has compassion for our grieving hearts.  Soon He will interrupt the death sleep of our loved ones, and we will hear His words: Arise!  I can't wait for that blessed interruption!

My Response:__________________________________________________________