October 8, 2026
God Reconsiders!
Then the Lord relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had relented.”
Exodus 32:14
This morning’s devotional verse comes from the story of the creation of the golden calf as found in Exodus. You may recall the story. Moses had been called to Mount Sinai to an audience with the Lord. This is where Moses receives the Ten Commandments. But those were not the only laws the Lord informed Moses of. Following the Ten Commandments the Lord gave Moses many other instructions about worship and how the Israelites were to conduct themselves as a community. Moses was on Mount Sinai for many days and the Israelites appealed to Aaron to make gods for them to follow. So, Aaron collected gold from the people and created a golden calf for them to worship.
When the Lord became aware of the actions of Aaron and the people the Lord became angry. He tells Moses of that the Lord will wipe out these ungrateful people and create a new nation through Moses. But Moses appeals to the Lord to save the people. He reasons with the Lord, asking if wiping out the people the Lord just saved would cast the Lord in a bad light. What would the Egyptians say? What about the Lord’s promises to Abraham, Issac, and Israel to make their descendants as numerous as the stars? Moses showed a lot of gumption petitioning the Lord as he did. Who was he to question the Lord? But Moses’ appeal works, and the Lord reconsiders the destruction of the people and sends Moses to them to share the Lord’s commands with them.
This may seem like pretzel logic to some but I find the fact that the Lord reconsiders judgment comforting. The Israelites messed up, but they were in a foreign place, their leader was missing, and they felt abandoned. Aaron gave in to their demands for a god to follow as he was at a loss for understanding of the situation. There are many times in our lives when we make poor decisions because of stress or lack of information. It is reassuring that our Lord has the capacity to consider our faults and give us an opportunity to be redeemed. Of course, there is an obligation on our part to recognize our failings and to turn away from them. But knowing that our Lord will not judge us solely based on one action makes our daily lives much simpler.
Peace,
Pastor Chuck
October 7, 2026
Loyalty and Faithfulness?
“By loyalty and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the Lord one avoids evil.”
Proverbs 16:6 (NSRV)
Usually, the verse we quote for our devotionals comes from the New International Version of our Scripture. This morning, I opted to use the New Revised Standard Version. I chose this translation because of the use of the word, “loyalty”. In the NIV that word is replaced by the word, “love”. Somehow the word loyalty seemed to fit better in this instance. So, using the word loyalty, let us reflect on this brief verse.
Whose loyalty and faithfulness bring about the atonement spoken of here. Is it our loyalty and faithfulness? What if we viewed this as a reference to the Lord’s loyalty and faithfulness to us? For me that concept feels like Paul’s theory of justification by faith. If we have faith, the Lord will be loyal to us and offer us forgiveness. Of course, the stream can flow in the other direction as well. Through our loyalty and faithfulness our sins will be forgiven. Perhaps this stream is a tidal river, flowing in both directions as the need arises.
The second part of the Proverb speaks of how one avoids evil through fear of the Lord. We have considered in the past the true meaning of “fear of the Lord.” Does it mean actual fear, being afraid of the Lord? Does it refer to a fitting reverence of the Lord? Some believe that it means understanding or knowledge of the Lord. Of course, the way you interpret this is rather dependent on the context of the larger message. For our purposes today, the above passage’s use of “fear” could mean any of these interpretations.
Regardless of whether this verse speaks of God’s loyalty to us or ours’ toward the Lord, it is clear that loyalty and faithfulness are key parts of our relationship with the Lord. It is a comforting thought that the Lord is faithful to us, you and me, even when we are not at our best. In those times when you are dealing with guilt, sadness, or perhaps fear, please remember that the Lord is loyal to you!
Peace,
Pastor Chuck
October 6, 2026
The Rock!
(The Lord, not Dwayne Johnson!)
Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.”
Isaiah 26:4
This morning, we find ourselves back in the works of the prophet Isaiah. Yesterday we read from Isaiah 55 which deals with the issue of the exiled Israelites. Today we move backward in time to Isaiah 26. The chapter opens with words about a “strong city”, a reference to Jerusalem. This passage was written prior to Jerusalem’s destruction at the hands of the Babylonians. The chapter foreshadows the coming destruction if Israel does not turn away from their sinful behavior and instead place their trust in the Lord.
Our devotional verse urges the people to do just that, trust in the Lord. One can infer from this that the people are not to put all their trust in their rulers our leaders. They are not to trust in their way of life or their possessions. They are certainly not to align themselves with lesser gods, even if their leaders do. Their Lord, and only their Lord, is the rock they must anchor themselves to!
While we not be dealing with some modern-day Babylonians lurking outside the city gates, we still have distractions that can trip us up. In the midst of the busyness of life our focus can drift and we find ourselves holding on to other gods. Those gods are not of a divine nature, but if we let them get in the way of our relationship with the Lord, they become a substitute for the truly divine God.
The task before us is finding a way to remain anchored to our faith in a sea of conflicting issues. How we find our way to that mooring is an individual journey. Some may find their peace in study, some in prayer, some in fellowship, some in service. Our work as followers of the Lord is to offer opportunities for each person to find a safe harbor in a turbulent sea. May we recognize what we need to find that peaceful place and, at that same time, be open to help others find their way to the Lord. May it be so for us today!
Peace,
Pastor Chuck
October 5, 2026
Hide and Seek with the Lord!
“Seek the Lord while he may be found, call on him while he is near.”
Isaiah 55:6
The 55th chapter of Isaiah is one of my favorite chapters from the prophets. The chapter begins with an invitation for all those who are thirsty to come and quench their thirst. This is an appeal to those who hear the voice of the prophet to be part of the restoration of Israel. The words in the verse quoted above serve as the introduction to a call of repentance. While the Lord is near the people are called to seek and appeal to the Lord. The wicked and the evil are called upon to forsake their ways and turn to the Lord.
This idea of the Lord being close sits in opposition to the concept that the Lord might choose to be distant. The Israelites that were exiled in Babylon, the people who longed for the restoration of Israel, had reason to believe that the Lord was distant. After all, they been separated from their homeland for several generations. Now, Isaiah is calling them, letting them know that the Lord is near and available to hear their petitions.
Things are different for us. Jesus came and lived amongst the people. This was an example of the Lord being oh so close that he could touch us. After Jesus ascended, the gift of the Holy Spirit became our connection to the Lord. In this miraculous move the Lord closed the distance between the divine and humanity.
We still need to hear the words of Isaiah, not because the Lord might slip away from us, but because we sometimes forget how close the Lord is. It is easy to get distracted, discouraged, or otherwise lose focus from time to time in our busy lives. Thankfully, it is also easy to remind ourselves to pause, even for a moment, to seek to reconnect with the Lord. Prayer, study, service, and fellowship are all small ways in which we remind ourselves how close the Lord is to us and how vital that relationship is for us. May we find ways to seek and find the Lord this day!
Peace,
Pastor Chuck