Matthew 4:13-17; 23-25 17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 23 And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. 24So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and he healed them. 25 And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, [...]

Mark 1:15 The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the good news. Reflection: I have used personal computers for decades now. I know pretty well how to make Windows operating systems work (as opposed to knowing how they work behind the screen.) But my children and my wife all chose to purchase Apple computers. What were they thinking? I have no idea how to make them work. Everything is different. They have a different operating system – different techniques to make them run, and more importantly, different structures operating [...]

Romans 8: 24-28 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. 26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance [...]

Philippians 4:4-9 NIV 4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such [...]

Isaiah 52:12b ...for the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard. Reflection: We live and experience life in a series of ups and downs that fall on a timeline, and each of us has times in our lives that make us wonder: “God, where are you?” God’s there. I promise, God’s there with you in those moments where God couldn’t seem farther away. As people who view time as a linear series of events, it’s difficult to imagine a God who works in those moments but is not bound by them. [...]

Matthew 11:1-6 1After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee. 2 When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples 3 to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” 4 Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5 The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news [...]

Genesis 45:4-11 (CEB) 4 Joseph said to his brothers, “Come closer to me,” and they moved closer. He said, “I’m your brother Joseph! The one you sold to Egypt. 5 Now, don’t be upset and don’t be angry with yourselves that you sold me here. Actually, God sent me before you to save lives. 6 We’ve already had two years of famine in the land, and there are five years left without planting or harvesting. 7 God sent me before you to make sure you’d survive and to rescue your lives in this amazing way. 8 You didn’t send [...]

Isaiah 14:24, 26-27 24 The Lord Almighty has sworn, “Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will happen. 26 This is the plan determined for the whole world; this is the hand stretched out over all nations. 27 For the Lord Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back? Isaiah 25:1 1 Lord, you are my God;     I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness     you have done wonderful things,     things planned long ago. Reflection: [...]

Psalm 30:5 (NRSV) 5 For his anger is but for a moment;     his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may linger for the night,     but joy comes with the morning. Reflection: This verse from the Book of Psalms gives us a glimpse into the mind and time of David, when it was not uncommon for plague, famine, or misfortune to shape an entire generation. Such dark times were construed as a punishment from God, and the people would give penance to receive God’s blessing and favor would then be restored. David knew of heartbreak, worry, [...]