Belonging; July 1, 2025

Posted on July 2, 2025 by jgarrott

Psalm 95:6-7 Come, let us bow down in worship,
    let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;
for he is our God
    and we are the people of his pasture,
    the flock under his care.

This Psalm is certainly proof that verse divisions were added long after the Bible was written and compiled, because it makes no sense for the next line to be included in verse 7, instead of being attached to the following verse. That said, this is a dearly loved Psalm, set to music and often sung. I for one certainly can’t read it without the melody running through my mind! However, that’s not a bad thing, because it’s a very blessed exhortation. Being reminded that we belong to God should give us peace and joy, because we have a very fundamental need to belong. Loneliness is a very difficult thing to deal with. It has always seemed a little odd that the Psalmist chose to say, “people of His pasture and sheep of His hand,” rather than the other way around. However, the metaphor of God being our Shepherd already had deep roots at the time this was written, so maybe it’s not so strange. We today have little exposure to the interaction between sheep and shepherds, but there are a lot of interesting examples on YouTube, and they can give us insight. I find it very moving that though sheep are often disobedient, as Isaiah 53:6 points out, they will congregate to their shepherd in times of need or danger, and they indeed know his voice. We need to focus on getting to know our Shepherd better, recognizing His voice and repenting of our disobedience.

I have certainly felt the need to belong, growing up as a Caucasian in Japan, a Missionary Kid attending a US military dependents school. I’m thankful that I had a strong, healthy family to belong to, in contrast to so many people today. The need to belong is a major driver behind the existence of gangs. Most of the people in those gangs don’t have the kind of family I did. That said, my most important belonging is to the family of God. That, after all, is eternal. I am blessed indeed that I expect to join, or be joined by, my immediate family in heaven, and I grieve for those who don’t have that assurance. My task and my privilege while I am in this life is to invite all who will come to join me in God’s family, to experience the belonging that transcends every other kind.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the privilege of welcoming our newest member. At 100, she feels like she has no family, and her joy at belonging to You, and us, is beautiful to see. I continue to pray for my friend who doesn’t feel he’s worthy to belong. I ask You to reveal Your love to him so that he may repent of running from You and believe, for his salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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God’s Omniscience; June 30, 2025

Posted on July 1, 2025 by jgarrott

Psalm 94:9-11 Does he who fashioned the ear not hear?
    Does he who formed the eye not see?
Does he who disciplines nations not punish?
    Does he who teaches mankind lack knowledge?
The Lord knows all human plans;
    he knows that they are futile.

This is one of the anonymous Psalms, but that in no way detracts from its truth, its anointing. It starts on a very fierce note, desiring vengeance on enemies, but it does acknowledge that is God’s business, not something we are to work out on our own. (Romans 12:19) What it says here is both logical and important, but is denied by those who deny the existence of a Creator, precisely because they don’t want to face up to this truth. Thinking we can get away with stuff is willful stupidity, wishful thinking on the part of those who don’t want to obey God. Technology is rapidly enabling true surveillance states, as posited by George Orwell in 1984, but technology can’t begin to approach God’s awareness of everything in His creation. That’s a very scary thought for the rebellious, but it is a very comforting thought for those who are committed to the obedience that comes from love. (John 14:15) Precisely because God knows everything, we can pray to Him anywhere and everywhere, at any time at all. He doesn’t have office hours! As this passage says, He delights to teach us stuff. One of the great scientists (I forget which one) said, “We are just following the footsteps of God.” He allows us to accumulate knowledge, but we need to keep that in context and perspective. The most important thing is knowing Him! (Jeremiah 9:24)

I have always been one who likes to know stuff, and I’m still quite an information junkie, but thankfully, my focus is now much more on knowing my Lord. Everything I learn about the physical universe needs to be in the context of the One who created it all. I enjoy the Internet, but sometimes I have to think, “They just don’t know.” Historical information should be reliable, but it’s almost always presented with some sort of bias, and sometimes it’s simply inaccurate. I’m registered with My Heritage.com, and sometimes they come up with “ancestors” who were “born” before their parents! Such inaccuracies are laughable, but they illustrate the reality that only God is totally accurate. As I acquire information, I need to keep the salt shaker handy! At the same time I need to remember that I am accountable for my stewardship of all this information, just as I am of everything else the Lord places in my hands. I am never to be proud, but always seek the Lord for what He wants me to do with what He gives me.

Father, thank You for Your omniscience, and that I have absolutely no need to be omniscient. Help me stay yielded to You at all times, so that all of Your purposes for me may be fulfilled on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Aging; June 29, 2025

Posted on June 30, 2025 by jgarrott

Psalm 92:14-15 They will still bear fruit in old age,
    they will stay fresh and green,
proclaiming, “The Lord is upright;
    he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.”

For some reason, passages that refer to aging catch my attention! However, this passage points out that the point isn’t just to be vigorous in old age, but rather to testify to the goodness and faithfulness of the Lord. A sour old person isn’t much good to themselves or to anyone else, however healthy they might be physically. However, an old person who is focused on telling people how good God is, is a blessing to everyone around them, as well as being filled with joy regardless of their physical condition. I watched a video just yesterday about the history of revival in China, and they had an interview with one of the original Back to Jerusalem group of evangelists. She was wheelchair bound, probably a centenarian, but she positively glowed! There are various ways to age, some of them inevitable and some of them premature, but if our focus is truly on the One who is our Source of all good, grace and blessings overflow.

The fact that the newest member of our church turned 100 in February reminds me that 76 isn’t as old as I sometimes feel it is! I have friends of the whole gamut of calendar ages, but their level of vitality doesn’t necessarily correspond to the number of years they’ve been alive. I’ve known people who were old in their 30s! People often comment on how young I am for my age, but that comes entirely from being aware of God’s grace to me. I did have the example of various relatives who aged well, but I’ve already outlived both my parents by a good margin, so it’s not all genetics. I do have the advantage of living in Japan, so my diet isn’t that of the average American! Also, I try to keep up my walking, because I need to be available for my wife, who has various limitations because of Parkinson’s and the like. However, it mostly comes back to what the Psalmist says here. The better I am focused on God, and sharing Him with those around me, the more His strength, peace, and joy will flow through me, for my blessing as well as the blessing of others.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I have long had the feeling that I would see Christ’s return with my physical eyes, but then I have had various friends with the same conviction who are now with You and not with us. I don’t know Your timing, either of Christ’s return or my own departure, but that doesn’t matter, because I know You, and You are totally faithful. May I in turn be faithful at all the tasks You set for me, for Your pleasure and glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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What Really Matters; June 28, 2025

Posted on June 29, 2025 by jgarrott

Psalm 90:17 May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us;
    establish the work of our hands for us—
    yes, establish the work of our hands.

There are several strange, even ironic, things about this Psalm. It is the only one attributed to Moses, and that’s what makes some of its contents seem strange. In the first place, Moses is recorded as having lived to 120, not even starting his major ministry of leading the Israelites out of Egypt until he was 80, but verse 10 famously says that human lifespan is at most 80 years. Then there is this verse, asking God to “establish the work of our hands.” Moses is right up there with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as a founder of the Jewish race and nation, so his work is indeed established, as the great Lawgiver of history. If this Psalm is truly something he wrote, then it shows that even the greatest people are unsure of their place in history. We are totally dependent on our Creator, and that’s not a bad thing. The various things we achieve, the various honors we accrue, are all pretty meaningless on the scale of eternity, but at the same time they are important as indicators of our faithful stewardship of the abilities and opportunities we have been given. We are accountable to God for all that we do and say, but no other metric has any lasting meaning. We have meaning and value only in our Creator, and we need to be at peace with that.

My Grandmother Garrott, on the basis of this Psalm, decided that 80 years was enough, and she died before her 81st birthday. There was no hint of suicide and it was all entirely natural, but it was like her body responded to her will and closed up shop. At 76, I have no idea how much longer the Lord will keep me here, but I don’t think I want to imitate my grandmother! Whether He says today is the day, or He has work for me past 100, even, my lifespan is my Lord’s business. I don’t feel like I have any major “work of my hands” to be established, but I would be very pleased if this church were still an active, healthy part of the Body of Christ at His return. My concern is not to be my “legacy” so much as it should be whether my Lord is pleased with me. A hymn from my childhood comes to mind: I am Satisfied with Jesus. My goals aren’t to be self-centered, but entirely focused on Him, because I will spend eternity with Him, and that’s what really matters.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the incredible heritage You have given me, through my physical family and especially through being part of Your family. Help me be a good steward indeed, not for my glory but for Yours. Thank You. Praise God!

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The Transcendence of God; June 27, 2025

Posted on June 28, 2025 by jgarrott

Psalm 89:8 Who is like you, Lord God Almighty?
    You, Lord, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you.

David is the most famous Psalmist, several are credited to a particular branch of the Levites, and some are simply anonymous. However, this one is specifically ascribed to “Ethan the Ezrahite.” That seems like a high honor to me! This Psalm is one of many places in the Old Testament where we are reminded that society in general was polytheistic back then. The Jews had Yahweh, but every other nation had their own gods, and who was to say they weren’t real? Ethan allows that point, but he insists repeatedly that Yahweh is by far the greatest and strongest of them all. From the standpoint of genuine monotheism, that goes without saying. We need to remember that the Creator is totally transcendent. The spiritual world is real, with angels and demons and whatever else Paul might have been referencing in Ephesians 6:12. The point is, nothing compares to the omnipotence of the Creator, and we should never forget it. That’s why it’s sad when Christians pray to Mary or various saints. Jesus Himself said, “I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.” (John 16:26-27) There is no reason to pray to anything or anyone other than the Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. That covers all the bases, and the Father’s love is great enough to listen to us.

This is one of my major sticking points with Catholics. I do believe that anyone who believes that Jesus is fully divine as well as fully human, and that He died for their sins and rose again for their justification, (Romans 4:25) is saved, a child of God, and my brother or sister in Christ. That doesn’t mean I agree with them in everything, or with any other denomination, for that matter. I have always liked C. S. Lewis’ statement that we can be sure that when we get to heaven, we will discover we were all wrong somewhere. We aren’t saved by the purity of our theology, but by grace through faith. (Ephesians 2:8-9) My concern is that people know that the God who loved them enough to send His Son to die for them is indeed omnipotent and omniscient, and we can trust Him with absolutely everything.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Help me be an effective conduit of Your grace and truth, so that many will be liberated by that truth to receive that grace, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Walking with God; June 26, 2025

Posted on June 27, 2025 by jgarrott

Psalm 86:11 Teach me your way, Lord,
    that I may rely on your faithfulness;
give me an undivided heart,
    that I may fear your name.

This particular prayer of David should be universal to every believer. We all experience “a divided heart” at times. We have the English expression, “I’m of two minds about that,” for when we are undecided about an issue. The Japanese expression is “two hearts,” and implies unreliability or even treachery. That’s why this verse is rendered, “Give me a single heart.” James said, “Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.” (James 1:8) That’s no way to live! However, we all have that tendency, so we need to pray this prayer of David. God will teach us His ways to the degree that we are committed to follow them. It is meaningless to ask God for guidance when you’ve already decided what you’re going to do, and it ignores Him. We need to be honest, with ourselves and with God, when we are torn, but our first commitment needs to be to Him. That’s why David speaks of fearing God’s name. If we don’t fear Him, knowing that He is omnipotent, omniscient, and holy, then our flesh is likely to make excuses for not listening to Him. It’s much like parenting. If the children don’t really respect their parents, they actually don’t love them very much. Too many parents seek to be loved by their children and overlook the respect angle. If the parents show themselves worthy of respect, then the children will both respect and love them. We can’t accurately say we love God if we don’t fear Him enough to do what He says. (John 14:15)

I am sad right now because a young man whom I baptized, but who currently lives quite a distance from here, has just contacted me, asking that the pictures of his baptism be removed from the church website, “for privacy reasons.” I don’t know what is behind that, but a child of God should be proud to proclaim that status. I think he is seriously struggling with a divided heart. I will seek to grant his request, but I’m not our webmaster, so I don’t know how easy that will be. I do know that I need to pray for him. The devil is ceaseless in his attacks on the minds and hearts of believers, and even mature Christians aren’t immune. I am indeed to submit to God and resist the devil (James 4:7), both for myself and on behalf of those under my care, so that more and more people may walk in Christ’s victory.

Father, thank You for Your patience with me over the years. I certainly don’t have a spotless record! Thank You that the blood of Christ is sufficient for all sin, when that sin is submitted to You. I do pray this prayer of David, so that I may walk in Your truth consistently, at all times, for the blessing of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Listening to God; June 25, 2025

Posted on June 26, 2025 by jgarrott

Psalm 85:8 I will listen to what God the Lord says;
    he promises peace to his people, his faithful servants—
    but let them not turn to folly.

This should be the prayer of every believer, because we should want to hear what the Lord is saying to us. However, far too often we are oblivious to what He is saying to us, because we want to live our lives according to our own desires and imaginations. That’s what the Psalmist is talking about when he says, “folly.” We have an incredible capacity for being stupid! As the Psalmist recognizes, God speaks peace to those who are committed to Him, but if our hearts are rebellious, those same words of God can come across as judgment. There is no way we can fool God! His corrections are as gentle as our submission to Him, and as severe as our turning from Him. The author of the letter to the Hebrews got it right when he wrote about the Lord’s discipline in Hebrews 12:4-13. We don’t enjoy discipline, but the way to avoid it is to be listening accurately in the first place. We have the outline of God’s plan for mankind recorded in the Bible, so the first step is to become as familiar with the Bible as we can. When our hearts are committed to obedience, then we can hear His directions for increasingly granular areas of our lives, down to even such things as what clothes to put on in the morning. However, if we think of His words as suggestions, on a par with some social media “influencer,” then we aren’t likely to hear Him at all, until it’s too late. If we want to hear His words of peace, we need to start with repentance of our folly.

This is entirely logical to me, but it has taken many years to get it through my head – and I still have room to grow! My problem was pride, thinking that I could figure things out. I did acknowledge that God was a lot smarter than I was, but several years ago it finally got through to me that God’s smart and I’m not. It doesn’t matter at all what numbers might come up on an IQ test, the fact of the matter is that there is absolutely no comparison between God’s omniscience and my feeble intellect. I must not return to the folly of conceit, but rather seek God’s guidance in all humility and gratitude at all times in every way. I also need to be willing to hear Him through someone I don’t consider to be as “sharp” as I am! It is only in humility that I will be able to hear His words of peace.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the help from the Ricoh salesman yesterday in relation to our local computer network. Help me apply what I learned from him to correct the remaining issues there. That doesn’t seem to have great spiritual implications, but it affects our lives, so You care about it. Help me indeed operate in Your wisdom and not my own on all levels, so that Your will may be done in and through me in every area of my life, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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God’s Heart; June 24, 2025

Posted on June 25, 2025 by jgarrott

Psalm 81:13 “If my people would only listen to me,
    if Israel would only follow my ways!”

Asaph and his descendants wrote some very prophetic Psalms, in the sense of expressing the heart of God. This line certainly does that. God genuinely desires the very best for His people, and He gives us rules and instructions to make that happen. However, in our stupid willfulness we are all too prone to do something else, and it grieves Him. It has long been recognized that sometimes the best way to ensure that someone will try something is to tell them it’s forbidden. That’s the sinful impulse we’ve had ever since the Garden of Eden, and there’s no end to the trouble it gets us into. God made us this way because He wants children, not robots, so obedience is always a choice, and not automatic. However, when we make that choice, the rewards are essentially limitless. As John so clearly pointed out, “In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome.” (1 John 5:3) That comment is in the context of loving God and overcoming by faith, as he says in the next verse. We like the idea of overcoming, but we don’t care for the stipulation of faith, and expressing love by obedience really irks us! It really does come down to faith. As it famously says in Hebrews, “Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6) We’ve got to believe that God indeed desires the best for us, and believe it enough that we listen to Him obediently. If we do that, we will be blessed indeed!

With my upbringing, I’ve always known what God’s path was, but that didn’t mean I always followed it. My mother had a very pithy expression that certainly applied to me: “Independent as a hog on ice.” I’ve never seen that scenario physically, but my imagination paints a pretty vivid picture! Like Paul, I’ve learned that it hurts to “kick against the goads.” (Acts 26:14) However, as the song says, “The longer I serve Him, the sweeter He grows.” At this point I desire to hear and obey Him in everything. Occasionally my hearing isn’t accurate, and my obedience is seldom perfect, but I know that God’s heart is as is expressed in this verse, and I am grateful.

Father, thank You for this reminder. As the little song says, help me to “love You more dearly, hear You more clearly, follow You more nearly, day by day.” Thank You. Praise God!

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Old Age; June 23, 2025

Posted on June 24, 2025 by jgarrott

Psalm 71:18 Even when I am old and gray,
    do not forsake me, my God,
till I declare your power to the next generation,
    your mighty acts to all who are to come.

This Psalm has no attribution, but it certainly sounds like something David would have written. The whole Psalm is focused on God and His faithfulness, which the ESV says he experienced from before his birth! (verse 6) In point of actual fact, that is true for every human being, because we literally could not exist without God and His marvelous design for the universe. In this verse he extends that to his old age, and expresses something every believing senior feels, or at least should: he wants to share his experience of God with those who will come after him. When advancing years make awareness of mortality inescapable, we need a sense of purpose, and here we have it in a nut shell. Old people aren’t to stop living, preparing for the future and enjoying life, but if they are absorbed in their own pleasure and convenience, they have missed the whole point. All their life experiences find their true meaning when they are used to build other people up, drawing those other people to know and love their Creator. We should desire to live another day so that we can tell another person about God!

At 76, this is naturally very pertinent to me. Yesterday I was able to attend the ordination service of a young pastor of another denomination. There were naturally several other pastors in attendance, and we had good fellowship. However, I felt my major purpose in being there was something the Lord directed me to say to the young pastor. His given name means “Chosen,” and I told him that God had indeed chosen him to serve Him, and that God was pleased with him. That really felt good to be able to say, knowing that it didn’t originate with me. In the service here yesterday morning I learned that the grandson of one of our members, who suddenly became very faithful in attendance from a couple of months ago, wants to be baptized, at the ripe old age of seven. That was how old I was when I went to my parents with the same decision, so I felt very good about it. He will come to talk with me in depth about it in the near future, and I am to confirm both his repentance and his faith, but God is certainly faithful, so I don’t need to worry. I will need to be a mentor to him, but that too is a joy. However long the Lord keeps me here, I will have people with whom to share the grace and goodness of God!

Father, thank You for this reminder, and for Your incredible faithfulness over the years. A hundred years isn’t even a blink for You, but it feels long for us! Help me indeed use every year, every minute, doing what You desire of me, so that many will repent and believe for their salvation, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Time Perception; June 22, 2025

Posted on June 23, 2025 by jgarrott

Psalm 70:5 But as for me, I am poor and needy;
    come quickly to me, O God.
You are my help and my deliverer;
    Lord, do not delay.

Even David, as much as he had experienced God in many ways, had trouble with God’s timing. The idea of urging God not to be late seems almost amusing to me, but our human time frame feels that way fairly often. The thing is, we perceive time in proportion to what we have already experienced. For an infant, an hour is an appreciable fraction of their entire life! As we grow older, that ratio naturally changes, and days and even years seem to whip past at high speed. Since God is from eternity past, and will be for eternity future, He naturally doesn’t have that issue. The problem isn’t with His timing, but with our perception of it. (Actually, the problem is never with God, whatever it might be, but always with us.) Our perception of time varies with emotions as well. Various studies have been done of psychological time dilation, which is when time seems to slow down in moments of high stress. For example, earthquakes always seem to last longer for those experiencing them than they do in objective fact. I think that’s the sort of thing David was going through when he wrote this Psalm. Like David, we often need to take a deep breath, calm down, and ask God to enable us to see things more objectively. As God told Habakkuk, “For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.” (Habakkuk 2:3) Our faith and trust need to grow until we are totally at peace with that, and that is a work only God can do in our hearts.

This certainly applies to me, but since I’ve made it to 76 so far, I have a rather different perspective than I did in my 20s! At this point, my bigger issue is with procrastination, putting things off when there is no reason to do so. Saying that, however, I realize there have been times when my delaying action was actually God’s plan to make things turn out better than they would have otherwise, so I’m not to be down on myself. My goal is to be so in tune with my Lord that I flow on His schedule, neither holding back nor champing at the bit. His timing is always perfect, whatever it might seem like to me.

Father, thank You for the training You’ve given me in this. Help me apply it fully, being and doing where and what You desire, in Your perfect timing, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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