Westbrookville Community Chapel

Morning Scripture for Sunday December 13, 2020: When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. Matthew 2:10 The Magi who were looking for Jesus may not have kno...wn the suffering and death that child would face. But they knew they had direction. They knew which way to go. When I make a wrong turn, I wait for the navigation system to reroute me. For a moment I don’t know where to turn. There are times in my life when I do not know which way to go. I ask for guidance. I wrestle with it. Then God shows up. By now I should trust God as much as I trust my navigation system. And like the Magi, what I know is dwarfed by what I do not know. What will heaven be like? What will next year be like? How will God bless me today? I don’t know, but I know the direction I am going in. I have the same hopeful expectations I had several decades ago when I said I didn’t know what God had in store for my life but I am excited to find out. As you focus on the Lord, May you have that hopeful expectation, that the good God has in store for you will be a blessing. Lord, thank you for direction.

Morning Scripture for Saturday December 12, 2020: Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat... with that person, and they with me. Revelation 4:20 If anyone opens the door, Jesus comes in. It is comforting to know that we are never alone. So why don’t I remember that all the time? I remember it when I am in the word. I remember it when I see the horizon. I remember it when I am in active prayer. Why don’t I remember it when the phone rings? I can be fully engaged with whatever I am doing, but the phone rings demanding my attention. Half the time it is a spam call. I am not thinking about Jesus at that moment. You may be in one of life’s valleys at the moment. If you are, I now it can be consuming. Spend some time reflecting on this word. I will come in. You are not alone. Maybe you are doing pretty well but the affairs of life can be a distraction. Maybe you can do what I do, asking God to remind me throughout the day that I am not alone. Let’s us be like Samuel saying, I am listening. Let’s listen for the knock and open the door. Lord, you are amazing.

Morning Scripture For Friday December 11, 2020: So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. ...Matthew 7:12 This seems so simple, like kindergarten rules such as put things back where you found them. It is described as the golden rule. But it can trip me up easily. Yesterday I was not happy about some things that happened. If I consider how I responded during that situation, I know I did not treat the other person the way I would like to be treated. I know the other person is precious in God’s sight. I know I am called to love them. But it is a struggle to remember that when they say or do something that is so annoying. As Jesus starts that verse, So in everything. So in everything, which means when things are going well and when they are not. Like when I have been on hold for a long time. The person asks how I am doing. I laugh and say, Thanks for asking. Maybe today I will treat with respect and dignity the person who answers the phone after being on hold for 19 minutes. May I remember, especially when things are not going my way, that the other person is precious in God’s sight. These are very tough days for all of us. The more you and I can adhere to the golden rule, the easier it will be for all of us to get through this time. Lord, help me, especially when I get angry, to treat others the way I want to be treated.

Morning Scripture For Thursday, December 10, 2020: He says, Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the ear...th. Psalm 46 Be still. As I close my eyes I think, Lord, this is your day. Be with me today. I open my eyes. While my wife was reading today’s obituaries I mentioned a passing that I was aware of. Then we go through the discussion of, who is he and why is that name so familiar?. Soon we figure it out. It is the father of a friend and colleague. So today I ask for peace for my friend. And in the midst of it, God will be exalted. Jesus cried when he was told of Lazarus death. He wept out of concern for the living. So do we. Be still and know that God is God. Let the way we live give testimony that God is exalted. May it be that when we finish our walk here, people say That person really loved the Lord and lived it out! Let there be people giving testimony to a life well lived. Lord, this is your day. Help me be close to you.

Morning Scripture for Wednesday, December 9, 2020: Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Matthew 5:4 Here in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus ...tells us that those who mourn will be comforted. I am convinced that mourning is an essential part of living the full life. We mourn the loss of someone we love. I know the encouragement that comes from the faith that tells us we will see that loved one again. But it still hurts even if that loss is temporary. I remember the day I was walking down the street right after my sister died. We were very close. There would be huge sighs that I had no control over. I would turn the corner and think I see her. These days have been particularly difficult for people who mourn. We are appropriately avoiding the hugs, the embrace which physically demonstrates our care. But we each do what we can. Our Lord has told us that when we mourn we will be comforted. Let us be mindful of those who are mourning. Lord, when I mourned you were with me and comforted me and you used your people to comfort me. Help me be there with and for those who mourn today.