Psalm 84:10 – Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. (NIV)

We all tend to get attached to the churches where we worship. Within the bricks and walls, stones and stained-glass windows, we find a womb-like sanctuary where we can feel the presence of God as we pray silently or praise God with others. Amidst a world which is always in a hurry and sometimes hostile, it's therapeutic and refreshing to find a place of peace and acceptance, faith and love.

Over many years, I've worshipped and served in different churches with varied ministries and missions, programs and projects that identified their congregational focus and practice of faith. No matter how different the churches were denominationally or spiritually, I always felt that I was in a place of peace where I experienced God's presence, whether it was a small country church or a grand Gothic cathedral. They were, and still are, special places to me, where heaven and earth seem to meet, where the Eternal One abides with mortal ones.

I think that the psalmist of old understood this, too, which is why he preferred God's company and the house where He lived, rather than sitting around with dishonest and deceitful people. In the midst of a culture that was destroying itself with greed and corruption, the writer of Psalm 26 took solace in being with God, away from the maddening crowd. This is something important that we still need today — a place of quiet in a noisy world, a sanctuary of hope in chaotic times.

Perhaps, you are undergoing a lot of pressure in your life. Maybe, you are in a situation that burdens you, or in the midst of circumstances that threaten to overwhelm you. Perhaps, you have been too strong or self-sufficient too long, and now feel stretched, exhausted, and vulnerable. Maybe, you don't know what to do or where to go. Can I suggest that you find a nearby church sanctuary where you can bring your heartfelt pleas and personal prayers to God? Like me, you probably need somewhere to lay down your burdens and just be embraced by the living and loving God. A local church building or even a large cathedral may be just what you're looking for. Try it and see.

Point to ponder: Where can I go to find God's peaceful presence in my life?

Prayer: Lord God, Whose presence abides on our planet and Whose blessing can be found in many places on earth, we seek Your peace and love to help us endure and overcome our problems and troubles. Guide us to a sanctuary where we can quietly pray, experience Your loving presence, and praise Your holy name. Amen.

I struggle with my faith versus my thoughts. There are things that I believe in my heart about God, but I also have doubts in my mind. For instance, I believe that God is infinitely powerful and just, but doubts arise when I see so much violence and injustice in the world. I believe that I am saved by Christ's sacrifice on the cross, but then, I doubt His influence over the church when I see Christians aggressively hating people who oppose them. I believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, but then, I doubt its transformative power in making us better human beings when I hear preachers ranting and raving about crushing or killing their political enemies.

I am also aware that, like David who wrote today's psalm, I am a sinful man who has, at times, made bad choices that have hurt other people, especially those whom I say that I love. My selfish thoughts and devious desires damage my faith. I am what John Newton once called himself: a wretch. In other words, I am a great sinner in need of an even greater Saviour.

If we read Psalm 51 honestly, we will be convicted by the Holy Spirit and made aware of our own foolish choices and sinful deeds. David doesn't hold back anything from God because he understands that God knows everything about him — every false choice, every greedy decision, every little secret. He comes before God as a broken man who knows that he has done something gravely wrong. But even with all that staggering burden of guilt, shame, and worthlessness, David still holds on to the fact that God can cleanse him of every sin, renew his unclean heart, and restore him to God's love forever.

David's story is our story, too — and we have even more besides: we have Jesus as our Saviour, Who cast Himself on the cross at Calvary in order to remove our blemished burdens and despicable deeds. Christ gave us His life so that we might live with God as forgiven, redeemed, and restored children of His grace forevermore. In other words, with Christ, we can begin again.

Point to ponder: What have I done that has offended God and damaged others? How can Christ cleanse and restore me?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You know everything about us, so we cannot hide any sin from You. Help us humbly to approach Your throne of mercy and grace, asking You for forgiveness and restoration. We know that we do not deserve any of this, but we hold on to the fact that You have the power to do this. In Your holy name, we pray. Amen.

Recently, our whole family went out for dinner at a special pizza restaurant. The menu was amazing, and we all looked forward to eating our chosen meals. Our two-year-old granddaughter, Ellie, was there, too, but as she couldn't read the menu, we just ordered her a plain cheese pizza.

When the server came round with some garlic bread as an appetizer, Ellie enjoyed a piece and declared it to be "yummy". She ate several more pieces, copying her older cousin Andrew, but when the server arrived with the pizzas, she didn't want any. All that she desired to eat was more bread. She loved the taste and the texture, so she didn't want to replace it with something else. While we all ate our chosen meals, Ellie was content to eat what was left of the bread. She knew what she liked and didn't want to change it for anything.

When I read today's verse where Jesus declares Himself to be the bread of life, I wondered how many of us are satisfied with what He has to offer us spiritually. Are we ready to accept all that Jesus brings to the table of our lives as being sufficient for our spirits and souls? Once we taste the bread that He offers, are we content to keep feeding from Christ's life and teaching, or do we set His pieces aside each time we come across something spiritual that is new and interesting?

When Jesus spoke to His people about being the bread of life, He lived in an age when Roman emperors placated the unruly, dissatisfied mobs in Rome with bread and circuses. Also, the temple at Jerusalem was a place where the best bread in the nation was religiously displayed and replaced every week, so when Jesus said that He was the bread of life, He was radically declaring Himself to be better than the emperor and greater than the temple. It was a bold statement and one that would cost His life. Christ sought to inform His followers that as far as spiritual nourishment was concerned, He was more than enough for all of them.

Today, Jesus speaks to us through the gospels with the same declaration, telling us in this twenty-first century that He is still all that we need to nourish our spirits. He has invited us all to "taste and see that the Lord is good". (Psalm 34:8a NIV) All that we must do is to consume what Christ has to offer.

Point to ponder: Has Jesus become my bread of life?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You offer to sustain us by becoming our bread of life. Encourage us to feed on Your Word in ways that will sustain our souls and replenish our spirits. In Your holy name, we thankfully receive and pray. Amen.

Being a Scottish preacher in American churches can be quite novel at times. For some reason, folks like to listen to my Scots accent because they find it to be quite lyrical. I used to think that this was a great thing and relished each time I was asked to preach in a different pulpit. Over the years, however, I realized that my accent could sometimes get in the way of the gospel message. People in the pews liked to listen to how I preached but didn't absorb the sermon. Sometimes at the church door after the worship service, someone would say, "I loved your Scottish accent, but I didn't understand what you said."

King Herod may have felt much the same with John the Baptist. The cruel king had imprisoned John for preaching against his marriage. Herod's wife was greatly offended, so Herod had the fiery preacher arrested and thrown into a jail below his palace.

Herod, however, did not neglect John. He liked to listen to the preacher, although he didn't fully understand what John talked about. Perhaps the prophet preached on the kingdom of God, which Herod would think rivalled his own sovereignty. Or maybe John talked about repentance for being sinful, which Herod totally ignored. Whatever the case, Herod appears to have missed his opportunity to be reconciled to God. He liked listening to John, but he may have never truly heard a word which could have changed his life forever.

Some folks are like that, too. They know about Jesus and have perhaps listened to some of His teaching. Unfortunately, instead of fully embracing Him as their Saviour and Lord, they just label Him as another historical holy man whose sermons were quaint and applicable to the past, but not relevant in today's world. In other words, they listen, but do not hear, which is why Jesus told His listeners, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." (Mark 4:9 NIV)

Point to ponder: Do I like just listening to what Jesus has to say, or do I hear how His words challenge me to change my ways?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to be truly open to Your gospel message and holy teachings. Challenge our lives so that we may change our ways by applying Your Word in our daily lives. In Your holy name, we humbly pray. Amen.

The man in Jesus' parable of the Good Samaritan was not the only foreigner commended by Jesus. The other good Samaritan returned to give Jesus thanks.

Luke 17:12-18 – As [Jesus] was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!" When he saw them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him — and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" (NIV)

I have seen people who have been restored physically, whose prayers for healing have been answered perfectly, whose worries and anxieties, issues and illnesses have been positively dealt with by God and yet they remain thankless. Instead of returning to Christ and worshipping Him, they take their cure for granted and get on with their lives, focusing on themselves first and ignoring any notion of recognizing what God has mercifully done in them. It's sad to see and very disappointing, but Christ Jesus also experienced this many times throughout His life on earth.

Wherever we are and however we feel today, let's not forget what Christ has done in each of our lives. Let's be thankful that we exist even for another day and make time to be grateful to God for all that He has graciously — and perhaps even miraculously — done for us.

Point to ponder: How has God positively changed my life? How do I show Him my gratitude?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, there are many times that You have helped us throughout our lives. You have listened to our prayers and enabled us to overcome illnesses and issues that have seriously troubled us. May we never take Your compassion and grace for granted. May we also seek to worship and glorify You for the rest of our days. In Your holy name, we pray. Amen.

Sometimes, however, these lovely servants were too busy and stretched themselves beyond what they could do effectively for God. They did too much, said "yes" too many times, and often wouldn't let others help them. They thought that if they temporarily gave up their work for the Lord or handed it over to someone else, the ministry or mission would suffer. Frequently, the ministry was suffering because they didn't like to share or delegate the responsibility to some other person. However, when COVID-19 came and forced us all to stay away from church, those people reflected on their chosen roles, soon realizing that God was working through the whole church membership, and not just them. After COVID-19, they fully reassessed their own service, and, for the first time in years, they allowed others to work with them.

I like what Jesus tells His disciples:

Mark 6:31 – Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." (NIV)

This reveals to us that Jesus did not expect His closest followers to be on duty all the time. By asking them to be alone with Him, Jesus was encouraging them to do nothing for a while. The mission would always be there, and the kingdom of God would continue, but they were only human with weaknesses and limitations. Like the writer of Psalm 23, Jesus was inviting them to find a quiet place in order to restore their souls.

Perhaps you need permission to let go of some of the ministries and missions in your own congregation. Maybe you've overextended yourself and instead of feeling the joy of serving God, it is a heavy burden to you. Let Christ encourage you to find a quiet place, to release you from your responsibilities, to enable you to reflect on how best to serve God, to replenish your weary spirit, and to refresh your tired soul. Go ahead and be busy — doing nothing.

Point to ponder: How do I serve God in my local church? Am I too busy?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You know us more fully than we know ourselves. We love You completely and want to serve You faithfully, but sometimes we are tired and need to rest. Help us to find a peaceful, quiet place where we can be refreshed by Your Spirit and restored to Your kingdom. In Your holy name, we humbly pray. Amen.

Over many years of being a pastor, one of the saddest things about ministry that I experienced was the number of people who took their faith for granted and attended church infrequently. No matter how hard that I tried to encourage them to be at worship on Sundays, they often had something else to do with family or friends. They simply believed that God would indulge their lack of dedication to His Son, and just turn a blind eye, allowing them to do what they wanted.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus, Who knows God more personally than we could ever imagine, was always in synagogue on the Sabbath. He wouldn't dishonour God by neglecting to worship and study on the special day set aside for glorifying His Father. He could have been exempt and gone elsewhere. He could have communicated with God wandering in the flowered fields or hiking the hills. He could have enjoyed the company of family and friends, but instead, He chose to worship God in His house with His people.

There are many people who have given up on church attendance, and a new generation of what's called "nones" has arisen. This term comes from those who respond to surveys about religion with "atheist, agnostic, or nothing in particular", and are combined into a category called "religiously unaffiliated", widely known as "nones". They believe in their own version of God, a supreme being who watches over them and who will receive them into His kingdom after death. That's the biggest lie the devil has spread, and, sadly, many of the nones will not realize it until it's too late.

If weekly worship in God's house was important for Jesus, then shouldn't it be our priority, too?

Psalm 122:1 – I rejoiced with those who said to me, "Let us go to the house of the Lord." (NIV)

Matthew 18:20 – For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them. (NIV)

Point to ponder: How often do I attend church on Sundays? What would Jesus do?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, many of us have made up our own image of a god who is an indulgent father or grandfather, who lets us do what we want, and whose infinite compassion will overlook our lack of faith. You never said that. You never taught it. You never lived that way, either. Teach us with Your astounding knowledge, and guide us back into Your Father's house on a weekly basis, so that we may truly be Your followers and God's servants. In Your holy name, we pray. Amen.