Human Interactions; August 19, 2025

Posted on August 20, 2025 by jgarrott

Isaiah 58:6 “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
    and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
    and break every yoke?”

God is very clear: if we want a right relationship with Him, we’ve got to treat the people around us right. Jesus very famously paired our relationship with God to our relationship with people, when He was asked about “the greatest commandment.” (Matthew 22:36-39) There are sadly many people who won’t go to church because they have been treated so shabbily when they have gone. We tend to focus on externals, ignoring the inner wounds that make people look and act as they do. This chapter has some glorious promises toward the end of it, but the first part talks about people who are caught up in religious rituals and traditions, ignoring the hurting people around them. We can’t expect God to look favorably on us if we refuse to see the genuine needs of the people around us. Some churches have misinterpreted this, going into social programs and forgetting the Gospel, the call to repent and believe. They are the ones that have been drawn into all sorts of anti-Biblical causes, and it’s tragic. And then there are the churches that are far better known for what they are against than what they are for, raising doctrinal fortresses and defending them at all cost, failing to see the people that they insist are so “wrong.” It is no accident that the cross has a vertical component and a horizontal component. To be right with God, the vertical, we also need to be right with our fellow human beings, the horizontal. As John said very bluntly, “Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.” (1 John 4:20)

People who know me now might find this hard to believe, but I am by nature an introvert, which makes me tend to focus on my own relationship with God, rather than on the people around me. I have had to learn, over the years, that God loves everybody else as much as He loves me, and He’s no happier when they are suffering than when I am. With my human limitations, there is no way that I can love everyone equally, much less every human being the way God does, but there is nothing to keep me from being a channel of God’s love to the people with whom I interact – other than my own self-centeredness and selfishness. I desire to be God’s agent in everything, and that means genuinely seeing the people around me and responding to them in obedience to Him. I’m still learning to do that! I’m very grateful that this church is a loving, welcoming family, and many have been touched by God’s love through us. Everyone has wounds, and we are to be God’s hospital, binding and treating those wounds for God to heal them. That is what God is saying through Isaiah here.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the opportunities You gave Cathy and me over this past week at the gallery to be Your agents of love and healing to people who came in. May they be drawn to You, and not just to us. Thank You that the week is over. Help us recover strength, physically and emotionally. May we flow with Your Spirit in all our interactions, for Your will to be done in and through us, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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DEI; August 18, 2025

Posted on August 19, 2025 by jgarrott

Isaiah 56:8 The Sovereign Lord declares—
    he who gathers the exiles of Israel:
“I will gather still others to them
    besides those already gathered.”

As a Gentile myself, I was tempted to write on verses 6-7, but the point is that God is interested in people from all excluded categories. What we need to remember, however, is that for each of these categories, God is specifying repentance. (Back in those days eunuchs didn’t choose that status for themselves, but that category could be spread to various forms of sexual deviancy, and those certainly call for repentance.) You could say that this is the ultimate DEI, but it’s not what we’ve seen in recent years. In terms of diversity, God loves every human being who has ever walked the face of this earth. In terms of equity, repentance and faith bring eternal life to all; we can’t earn our way into heaven. In terms of inclusion, we have this passage that explicitly includes previously excluded categories of people. When we try to bring this about by our own efforts, all sorts of aberrations occur. I am not in the least in favor of DEI as it has been foisted on society in recent years. However, I am deeply grateful that God opens the door for all who will repent and believe, whatever their previous status or characteristics might have been. I am not to set up barriers that God doesn’t, but at the same time I am not to overlook the requirements that God has established. Repentance is indeed key! It’s not an “into bliss and out of blister” situation, as my grandfather used to say of “easy believism.” There are those who profess to be Christian, yet have never repented of things that God clearly says are forbidden. I’m not to run around condemning, by any means, but I am to be clear as to what God has said and is saying.

This whole business of being included or excluded is very close to my heart, for many reasons. I grew up, and still live, as a Caucasian in Japan, which has led to countless experiences of exclusion. Conversely, I was a Missionary Kid attending a US military dependents school, which also led to exclusion. As an adult, I’ve not been a drinker, which again has cut me out of some circles. I’m glad that God accepts me as I am, though He doesn’t leave me that way. That’s a message I tell people constantly. There is no situation in which God can’t reach us, but if we refuse to move from that situation, to change, then we cut ourselves off from Him. Repentance always involves change, and sometimes people are unwilling, regardless of how destructive their current situation is. I am to speak the truth in love always, extending God’s invitation but making the conditions clear, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit people may be born again indeed.

Father, thank You for Your open heart. Help me be an accurate expression of that, drawing people into Your family in repentance and faith, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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God’s Words; August 17, 2025

Posted on August 18, 2025 by jgarrott

Isaiah 55:11 “So is my word that goes out from my mouth:
    It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
    and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

This whole chapter is so magnificent! I was singing it as I read, and I love it all. I was really torn as to what to write on, but this verse is what I quote or refer to most often. We glibly say “God spoke the universe into being,” but do we really grasp the impact of that? If God says it, that settles it, period. We need to realize that many of the things recorded in the Bible are conditional; we can’t just “name it and claim it.” Even with that caveat, the Bible is still filled with incredible promises and statements that should give us peace, assurance, and joy, regardless of our circumstances. It also has lots of places that tell us to “Straighten up and fly right!” We need to take in the Bible as God’s recorded Word, as well as be open to what He speaks to us in other ways. This verse applies in both instances. We need to be familiar enough with the Bible that we recognize His voice when He speaks to us in other ways as well. After all, the devil talks to us too! Many people have been led astray by things the devil has told them that agreed with what their flesh was saying. That’s one reason fasting is helpful: it teaches us to say no to our flesh, so when the devil uses our flesh to tempt us, we are much better able to resist. Given current US obesity levels, American believers could use a lot more of that! We need to remember that everything God says to us is for our good. The devil and our flesh insist that’s not the case, but it’s very true. Only when we receive the things we don’t necessarily want to hear can we receive the fulness of all that God has planned for us, and that is magnificent indeed. (Jeremiah 29:11)

I am a man of words, and this hits me very hard. I have seen my own words accomplish good, and accomplish hurt. I want to be done with hurting people with my words! However, I’m not to draw back from letting God use my mouth – or my fingers – to speak to people what He is saying. Sometimes they will rejoice in it, but sometimes not so much. If I am communicating what God is saying, then the results are entirely up to Him. His words will indeed accomplish that for which He sends them! As James cautions us, I need to keep a close watch on my words, because if they are just mine, they can be destructive in many ways. I want to speak only what God is saying, as a result of hearing and applying what He has said to me, so that His will may indeed be accomplished, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the Bible, and for the privilege of familiarity with it. Thank You for the Frank Viola book I’m reading that is giving me even more understanding of it. May I be a faithful channel of what You are saying in every part of my life, drawing people to You and defeating the works of the devil, (1 John 3:8) for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Being Attacked; August 16, 2025

Posted on August 17, 2025 by jgarrott

Isiah 54:17 “No weapon forged against you will prevail,
    and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
    and this is their vindication from me,”
declares the Lord.

On the one hand, we see massacres of Christians in places like the Congo, South Sudan, and elsewhere, and wonder about the fulfillment of this promise. On the other hand, we see things like the humiliation of Iran in their opposition to Israel, and it seems to come directly from this prophecy. There are many things we don’t understand! Rather than getting tied in knots over it all, the path of wisdom is choosing to trust God. On a personal level, we are most likely to relate to this verse in terms of verbal attacks. Most of us experience such from time to time, and the more active we are in obedience to God, the more likely they are to come. They certainly aren’t fun, and they sometimes even have legal ramifications. People standing on Christian principles have been taken to court in the US and the UK, at the very least. We aren’t to let such things shake us, whatever the situation looks like in the short term, but simply confirm, in all humility, that we are on God’s side of the issue, and leave the outcome up to Him. That, frankly, is easier said than done. However, going through such an experience can actually give us an unshakable faith. It is when we realize that we can do absolutely nothing that God is free to act. I have recently read a rather persuasive argument that Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” was a person who actively opposed him and his message. (2 Corinthians 12:7-10) Of course, God’s response to Paul was that His grace was sufficient for him, regardless of the situation. That’s not the kind of answer we want to hear, but it is the one that leads to the most growth and ultimate blessing.

I don’t feel like I’ve had many active enemies, and at times I’ve been a bit concerned that indicated I wasn’t being sufficiently active in my obedience to God. I’ve probably been my own worst enemy! That’s for God to decide, however, and I’m not to be anxious about it. The point for me now is to be faithful in my obedience. I am tempted to draw back because of age, but Moses didn’t enter into his full ministry until he was older than I am now. I can be assured that whatever path the Lord leads me on, He will be my defender and my shield. If I’m listening to Him, I don’t need to worry about what anyone else says!

Father, thank You for this encouragement. Thank You for the things You have done in the gallery show to this point. Thank You for what You will do today, tomorrow, and Monday. Thank You for each person who has come. There are several we were expecting, or whom we earnestly desired to come, who haven’t showed up yet. I pray that Your will would be done in each case, so that not our plans but Yours would be fulfilled, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Evangelism; August 15, 2025

Posted on August 16, 2025 by jgarrott

Isaiah 52:7 How beautiful on the mountains
    are the feet of those who bring good news,
who proclaim peace,
    who bring good tidings,
    who proclaim salvation,
who say to Zion,
    “Your God reigns!”

This is a very famous verse, set to music numerous times and often used in speaking of evangelism or missionary work. All of that is well and good, but we need to think about what it really means. The actual message is, “Your God reigns.” For someone who doesn’t believe God exists, that’s meaningless. For someone whose concept of God is a vengeful tyrant, that’s not good news at all. This is a message to Zion, that is, the people of God. It’s easy to talk to people who already have at least a somewhat Biblical concept of the Creator, which is why Paul in his travels always started at the synagogue. Sadly, when the Gospel conflicted with their expectations or traditions, some of those people rejected him and his message. The same thing happens today. When a genuinely Biblical message is proclaimed, only some people will welcome it. That may be from their background, or more often from the personal state and attitude of their soul. Someone who is fixated on doing what they want to do, being in charge of their own life, isn’t going to rejoice at being told that God’s in charge of everything. Proclaiming the Gospel can invite a lot of rejection! This isn’t a task to be taken up lightly, but it is one that, fully executed, brings joy and satisfaction that can be had no other way.

I’ve been reading Frank Viola’s The Untold Story of the New Testament Church, and I’ve been really struck by how long it took people to get anywhere, because they had to walk, or at best, take a sailing ship. At that rate it would take me a full day to get to Nagasaki City, and I’m a fast walker. It makes me think of the 26 Martyrs, who were walked down from Kyoto before they were crucified in Nagasaki. That took a long time! That explains the reference to feet in this verse, because feet were essential in spreading any kind of news. We live in a completely different universe, with instantaneous electronic communication to almost anywhere in the world, and we have trouble relating to life at “walking speed.” I live and minister in a place where the majority of people have no intellectual or emotional foundation for receiving the Gospel. Buddhism was originally ethics without a God, and Shinto is gods without ethics. Neither one gives a foundation to rejoice at the news that “Your God reigns!” I’ve got to start with the news that we are created beings and there is indeed a Creator, who happens to care very deeply about us. When that message manages to sink in, by the grace and power of the Holy Spirit, there is indeed transformation and great joy. I’m never to give up, but I’ve also got to remember that I can never accomplish this task in my own strength and wisdom. However, as God told Jeremiah, nothing is too difficult for Him. (Jeremiah 32:27) I am to walk (!) in full obedience, not trusting myself but trusting God fully, so that His will may be done regardless of the circumstances.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the opportunities You give me to share Your Good News with people, and for how hearts actually are changed. I pray that in every encounter You have planned for today that I will be fully available and yielded to You, so that Your words through me may accomplish everything for which You send them, (Isaiah 55:11) for people’s salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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God’s Miracles; August 14, 2025

Posted on August 15, 2025 by jgarrott

Isaiah 51:2 Look to Abraham, your father,
    and to Sarah, who gave you birth.
When I called him he was only one man,
    and I blessed him and made him many.

Verse 11 of this chapter has been joyfully set to music, and it is echoing in my mind even as I write. However, this verse jumped out at me just now. We are very familiar with the story of Abraham, but we often overlook one of the most salient points of the story: he was just one person, and the Lord multiplied him marvelously. We get all caught up in numbers, when they are never an issue for God. Those numbers can apply to attendance, or they can apply to bank balance, or to anything else. After all, God spoke the universe into existence, and the number of galaxies, let alone stars or even planets, is essentially beyond human comprehension. As God said to Zechariah, we are not to despise things because they are small. (Zechariah 4:10) In the case of Abraham, God started with one man who would listen to Him, and through that one man worked salvation for all mankind. We can’t grasp the scale of God’s plans because we don’t have His perspective, but it’s safe to say that our conception of what He is going to do is always too small. We’ve just passed the 80th anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bombs in WWII. Atoms are tiny beyond our comprehension, yet splitting them releases incredible energy. Number and size are never an issue for God! A considerable percentage of our problems are because we see God as too small. Sometimes atheists accuse Christians of creating God in our own image. There is actually a kernel of truth in that. The gods of the Greek and Roman pantheons were certainly that way, but even Christians have trouble envisioning God as being so much bigger, stronger, and more perfect in every way than we are. Where faith really comes in is in believing that such an incredible Creator would love and care about such insignificant beings as we are. The better we grasp that, with even a rudimentary grasp of how great God is, the more we realize that indeed, “Nothing is impossible with God,” (Luke 1:37)

This is something I’m continuing to grow into. I’ve had an intellectual grasp of the omnipotence of God since I was quite young, but I still have plenty of room to grow in practical terms. It was over 30 years ago that I was praying and worshiping with a believer in this church, just the two of us, and the Lord said through one of us, “Don’t be surprised at what surprises others. Expect me to act in ways beyond your imagination.” I honestly don’t remember which of us spoke that out, but it was clearly a Word from the Lord. God has already acted in some pretty remarkable ways in our ministry over the past 40+ years, but He’s not through yet! We can’t dictate to Him how He is to act, nor should we try, but we should have complete assurance that He will act, and it will be glorious.

Father, thank You for this encouraging Word. Thank You indeed for all You are doing, in and around us. Thank You for even working through us, sometimes! I do thank You for what You are doing in the gallery show. You have given me an opportunity each day so far to speak Your Gospel clearly and firmly to two different men, and I ask for more such opportunities. I pray that You would take what You speak through me and work in people’s hearts to bring them to repentance and faith. That is the greatest miracle! You know whom I most want to come to the show, whom I most want to open their heart to You, and You also know who is most ready to receive Your message. May I rest, relax, and rejoice in You, allowing You to work on Your schedule and participating with joy, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Discouragement; August 13, 2025

Posted on August 14, 2025 by jgarrott

Isaiah 49:4 But I said, “I have labored in vain;
    I have spent my strength for nothing at all.
Yet what is due me is in the Lord’s hand,
    and my reward is with my God.”

It is in a way very comforting to find this verse in the middle of a section with marvelous promises from God. Every church worker, and certainly every missionary, experiences times of discouragement. “What am I doing here? What good is all this accomplishing?” However, Isaiah, perhaps channeling Jesus Himself, follows that up correctly, with trust in God to make it all right. Discouragement doesn’t disqualify us! I keep coming back to the reality that we see only a tiny slice of time, whereas God sees everything, from the moment of Creation to the end of everything. As this verse says, it doesn’t matter if we can’t see any results from our labors, if God sees that there will be fruit down the line, perhaps after we’re long gone. That’s where faith comes in. As it says in Hebrews, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1) It’s that “do not see” part that gets us! We want to see results, feedback that makes it all worth it. True faith is trusting that God will bring the fruit even if we never see it. I have long been comforted by the story of the rural North Carolina evangelist who only had one person come forward after he had poured his heart out in a series of meetings. He felt like a failure, but that one person who responded was Billy Graham. Had that evangelist not been faithful, how many millions of people would have been deprived of the Gospel? We need to have enough faith to be at peace with not seeing the results down the road, rather trusting that God will use it all for good, and His glory. (Romans 8:28) We need to remember what Paul wrote to the Corinthian believers: “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:58) Such encouragement has been necessary throughout history!

I have definitely had my times of discouragement, and I will probably have more before the Lord takes me home. I’m preaching to myself here! It will be 44 years next month since I arrived in Omura, and the results haven’t been what I envisioned. However, people have been touched, and lives have been changed. I honestly have no idea how many, but God knows perfectly. I have no idea how people to whom I’ve ministered will go on to minister to others, and I have no idea how many people, as they were dying, cried out to the God they had heard of from me. I’ve got to leave that in God’s hands. One feature of the gallery shows we’ve been doing for the past 16 years has been the people who show up, not so much to see what we are exhibiting, but to see us. Most of those have not publicly committed themselves to Christ, but we can at least see that they are drawn. We need to take encouragement from that, and continue to pray for them. Faithfulness is what is required, and faithfulness will be rewarded.

Father, thank You for what You have done through us over the years, and what You are doing even now. Thank You for the people who showed up yesterday, for those who are coming today, and those who will come each day. May our interaction with them accurately represent Christ, drawing them to repentance and faith, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Inner Peace; August 12, 2025

Posted on August 13, 2025 by jgarrott

Isaiah 48:22 “There is no peace,” says the Lord, “for the wicked.”

This famous statement is repeated in Isaiah 57:21, and it is certainly true. The Japanese is perhaps a bit clearer than the English, because Japanese differentiates between external peace and inner peace, and here it is inner peace. It has also been said that only the wealthy worry about burglars. That’s perhaps not as true, but it’s the same idea. Genuine peace, genuine happiness, doesn’t depend on things, but rather on being in the flow of God’s plans for us. When we are in rebellion against Him, we will certainly not have inner peace! In our youth we perhaps don’t value peace so much, preferring excitement. Teenagers are seldom paragons of inner peace! Life throws us all sorts of curves, and we have to learn to maintain our footing in our Creator. Simply knowing that God loved us enough to send His Son to die for us is a huge first step. To maintain inner peace, we need to go on from there and learn to listen to Him consistently, taking in what He says to us and putting it into practice. That in itself can make for lots of external conflict, as countless saints through the ages have demonstrated, but when we have assurance of who we are in Christ, we can have peace even in martyrdom. Our time here is limited in any case, but knowing where we are going can make all the difference!

I have mentioned her before, but we have a friend who is actively dying of lung cancer. She has greatly exceeded the doctors’ predictions of lifespan, and she is increasingly dependent on external oxygen, but she has no active pain, and she has incredible peace. She’s ready for whatever, whenever! I’m also reminded of what another Japan missionary said at my father’s memorial service. He had visited the hospital just before the surgery from which my father woke up in heaven, and he told us, “I never saw a man with more reason to live, or more ready to die.” That’s how I want to live! I have learned that external things impact me, yes, but they in themselves don’t control me. How I respond to things is up to me, and I am accountable for it all. That statement in itself reminds me that I’ve got a lot of room to grow! The devil doesn’t like it when I have inner peace, but I’m to submit to God and resist the devil. (James 4:7) I am to be a rock for others to depend on, not because I’m strong in myself but because I’m firmly grounded in the Rock, Christ Jesus. When I live like that, I will have inner peace not only for my own benefit but also to draw others to Christ, so that they may have that peace as well.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You that things went so well in setting up the gallery show, just as we asked. I do ask for wisdom in the things that remain before the opening this morning. I pray that every aspect of that show would be a reflection of who You are, so that every visitor would be drawn to You. I do ask for good turnout, not for our ego but so that as many people as possible may be exposed to what You want to do through this show, leading to rich fruit in Your kingdom. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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God’s Care for Us; August 11, 2025

Posted on August 12, 2025 by jgarrott

Isaiah 44:21 “Remember these things, Jacob,
    for you, Israel, are my servant.
I have made you, you are my servant;
    Israel, I will not forget you.”

Sometimes we feel like God has forgotten us, but that is a lie of the devil. The problem is entirely that we tend to forget God. English translations generally repeat “you are my servant” here, but the Japanese makes more sense to me. The second time there is emphasis that makes it more personal: “You are my servant.” We aren’t some afterthought, an accident of the process of creation, we are directly and intentionally formed by God for His personal use. There should be great comfort in that awareness. God forgetting us is absolutely out of the question! As the next verse says, He does blot out – forget – our sins, but He never forgets us. It’s not unusual to feel lost in the confusion, with so much going on in the world, and specifically around us. However, God has no trouble keeping it all straight, and He’s not about to forget us. As Peter reminded us, we need to “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7) We get worked up about all sorts of things, but God tells us many times in the Bible not to be anxious. As the little chorus says, “God’s got it all in control.” That should go without saying, so the second half of that chorus is also important: “Way down in my spirit, way down in my soul, God’s got it all in control.” We need to remember that God will never forget us, and recognize that He indeed has it all in control.

This is all very personal, as it should be. As the Japanese makes clear, we are personal to God! I get caught up in all sorts of things. Today we will setting up our gallery show, and our thoughts and emotions are very involved. We need to remember that we are in no way forgotten, and trust that God will remind us of all the things we need to remember. This is very personal for us, because in multiple ways we are exposing ourselves to friends and strangers, being vulnerable in ways that aren’t necessarily comfortable. We need to remember that we are held in the hollow of God’s hand, close to His heart, and He will both protect and use us during this time.

Father, thank You for this clear, timely reminder. I do ask for wisdom, guidance, and physical and emotional stamina for today, that things will go smoothly and well, resulting in a show that will draw people to You, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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God’s Spirit; August 10, 2025

Posted on August 11, 2025 by jgarrott

Isaiah 44:2 For I will pour water on the thirsty land,
    and streams on the dry ground;
I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring,
    and my blessing on your descendants.

The image is very clear, even graphic. Just within the past year we have seen some of this on the physical level, with so much rainfall in Saudi Arabia, of all places, that rivers formed in areas that had been complete deserts. However, the important part is in the second half of the verse: God pouring out His Spirit. A big part of the problem in the world today is that people don’t recognize they are dry, lacking God’s Spirit. That’s because the devil pours out all sorts of counterfeits, and we falsely think we are refreshed. Going through a list of such things would just be depressing, and point attention in the wrong direction. We need to remember that God’s Spirit is holy, and accept nothing less. “Holy” isn’t just His name! That’s why the devil attacks specific things, attempting to drag them down into the muck. Our bodies, and especially procreation, are prime examples, but he also attacks various things about the Church, doing all he can to shift it from a living relationship to empty ritual. That’s something the Old Testament talks about several time, saying such things as, “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.” (Isaiah 29:13) Jesus even quoted that in Matthew 15:8-9. When that happens, we don’t realize we are drying up! Liturgical churches aren’t the only ones at risk. Every believer needs to maintain their private devotional life, so that when corporate worship happens, it may be fertile ground for God to pour out His Spirit.

I was raised as a Baptist, which is hardly liturgical, but I recognized early on that traditions could be pretty confining. I could go through a whole litany of little, essentially insignificant things that have become stumbling blocks for many people. I have no high horse from which to look down on people in this area! Recent physical floods make the image of the water changing the landscape be very fresh. I need to be willing for God to change the organizational and social landscape just as much, when He pours out His Spirit. I need to remember that my traditions are seldom more holy than those of anyone else! I need to let the Lord rearrange my internal furniture, so to speak, so that I will be a more open channel for His Spirit, to bless and refresh everyone and everything around me.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Right now Cathy and I are both caught up emotionally in our gallery show that starts Tuesday. Help us release that, and everything else, to You, so that Your will may be done according to Your priorities, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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