Dust – At the beginning of the book, Practicing the Way, the author, John Mark Comer, quotes from a first century Jewish blessing: "May you be covered with the dust of the rabbi". Dusty sandals and clothing would be evidence of a close relationship. Is there any evidence of my walk with Jesus that others might detect?

Acts 4:13 – When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. (NIV 2011)

Sparkles – Recently, I bought some closet sachet air fresheners with a clever printed message on the packets that read, "She Leaves Sparkles Everywhere She Goes." That reminded me of discovering a few tiny bits of sparkles revealed by the sun shining on our carpet near where our Christmas tree had stood. This was long since the holidays and several times of vacuuming. Greeting cards had left tiny sparkles, reminding me of joyful family gatherings. Do I leave behind any joyful "sparkle" that would encourage someone to rejoice in God's love and care?

1 Peter 1:8 – Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do no see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy. (NIV 2011)

Aroma – While my head was bowed and eyes shut during an opening prayer at church one recent Sunday, I suddenly became aware of a very slight and lovely aroma. At the end of the prayer, I saw that a young woman had quietly slipped past the aisle to take her seat at a distance from me. There was evidence that she had been near me. What sweet fragrance of God do I carry to others around me?

2 Corinthians 2:14 – But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ's triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. (NIV 2011)

As these bits of thoughts came together in my memory since the recent holidays, I was struck with how God used them to ask me about the kind of evidence there is in my life that would cause others to be astonished at my courage, or my joyfulness, or my spreading the knowledge of Him everywhere I go.

Friends, what evidence do you leave behind for others to consider? Is there enough to draw them to Christ's love and grace? How can we introduce them to our Wonderful Counsellor, our Everlasting Father, our Prince of Peace?

Prayer: Loving Father God, in our weakness amid these hard times, help us to walk courageously and closely with You. Thank You for the joy You put in our hearts to spread the knowledge of You to the world. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

I had similar physical feelings recently when I discovered that my identity had been stolen and my email hacked, causing email scams to be sent to my contacts using my email address. Shortly after that, our financial accounts were breached, all within a short period of time. The discovery was at first shocking and unbelievable! Now what? Asking God for help was a first response, and yet, I felt like I were floundering at sea trying to find something to hold onto. My head was swirling with a list of all the tasks of answering phone calls, changing passwords, and filling out various fraud reports to authorities. One very early morning just as I awakened, the chorus of a worship song based on Isaiah 26:3 was just sitting at the forefront of my awareness.

Isaiah 26:3 – You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. (ESV)

The key was to trust in my loving God. Of course!

Lamentations 3:22-23 – The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (ESV)

God's words were a soothing balm to my fretting heart and to my mind. As I came to Him to give all my concerns to Him, I felt His peace, and my unsteady and dizzying fearfulness subsided.

Proverbs 3:5-6 – Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. (ESV)

God held me fast and protected all funds from being taken.

Friends, you and I are in a world full of rapidly changing events that can swirl us around and threaten to disorient us. We may begin to question ourselves or begin to doubt. As we refresh our supply of God's promises to remind us of Who God is, He gives perfect peace during the storm. No fear! Perfect peace!

Prayer: Almighty loving Father, thank You for giving us Your Word to draw us near to You. Holy Spirit, thank You for gently bringing verses to our mind. Thank You, Saviour Jesus, for Your peace given freely to all who trust fully in You. Amen.

Riding in the back seat, our two small boys were excited as we neared Redwood National Park in California, USA. We told them that we would soon see very old giant trees. As we got out of the car and walked to one of the ancient Sequoias, we could not contain our amazement as we saw its immense girth and height. We mistakenly thought that we could try to capture this moment of wonderment to keep with us. So of course, we took the classic photos standing in front the majestic Seqouia. Then, we had another brilliant, spur-of-the-moment, creative idea.

The boys took some of our camping rope from the car, circled the giant trunk, and tied the rope to mark the meeting point. When we returned home, we circled the rope on the grass in our small backyard. It was astounding to see how much space that it surrounded! The rope was a very creative marker, yet it failed miserably in encapsulating our experience.

Trying to fathom God's love is like that, too. A children's Bible teacher once suggested asking children to try to measure God's love by using a tape, a clock, and a measuring cup, and by reading these three Bible verses and responding:

• Psalm 108:4 – For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. (NIV) Response: No tape can measure it!
• Psalm 103:17 – But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children. (NIV) Response: No clock can measure it!
• Psalm 23:5b – My cup overflows. (NIV) Response: No measuring cup can hold it!

We experience many things in that way. We gaze at brilliant stars, behold sunrises and sunsets, imagine ocean depths, and thrill at mountaintop vistas. Our responses involve trying to comprehend the great distance between our smallness and a seemingly unending expanse. Our human minds grope, trying to take it in. We are instinctively drawn to know and understand more. Our searching can lead us to the truth of God's absolute love. Do you feel the urge to explore? The apostle Paul prayed this for his friends:

Ephesians 3:17b-19 – And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you'll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ's love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God. (MSG)

Prayer: Almighty God, how we long to take in the extravagant dimensions of Christ's love. Teach us more and more as we plant our feet firmly on that love. May it flow from our lives back to You in praise. Amen.

My recent experience with physical therapy sessions has been enlightening. I'm not finished yet. Here are three things that I have learned about what I need to do to keep pressing on towards the goal of being stronger.

1. I need a good prescription from my doctor outlining the exercises that I need to do.

2. I need a trained physical therapist to show me what to do, to encourage me to keep on, and to measure my progress.

3. I need to be disciplined to do the exercises and allow healing to take place, and not to become lazy.

These things make me think about maintaining my spiritual health. So here are three resources that I've been given to become stronger and to be more useful in God's kingdom now:

1. My spiritual doctor is Jesus, and in the Bible, He has outlined the exercises that I need to do to maintain my spiritual health and to stay close to Him.

John 15:5 – I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. (ESV)

2. I need the indwelling Holy Spirit to remind me, to guide me, to strengthen me, to encourage me, and to give me direction and feedback. He will give me periodic checkups on how well I am allowing Him to guide me.

John 14:26 – But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. (ESV)

3. I need to stay disciplined in my attempts to follow Jesus regardless of difficulties, and I have the example set by the apostle Paul.

Philippians 4:12-13 – I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (NIV)

As believers, we need to remember that we have been given all that we need to pursue a life of following Jesus closely as we read the Word of God.

Prayer: Dear God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, thank You for sending Your Son to provide all that we need for life. Help us in our weakness always to look to Jesus to revive us so that we may bring You the glory that You deserve. Amen.

When I think of endless tasks, I am reminded of Moses' brother Aaron, who made endless, repetitive burnt sacrifices, day after day, year after year.

Leviticus 6:9b-12a – The burnt offering shall be on the hearth on the altar all night until the morning, and the fire of the altar shall be kept burning on it. And the priest shall put on his linen garment and put his linen undergarment on his body, and he shall take up the ashes to which the fire has reduced the burnt offering on the altar and put them beside the altar. Then he shall take off his garments and put on other garments and carry the ashes outside the camp to a clean place. The fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it; it shall not go out. (ESV)

Note that leaving his linen clothes after the sacrifice was part of the requirement.

Later, Scripture contrasts the priestly repetition with Christ's finished task.

Hebrews 10:11-12,14 – And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take aways sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. (ESV)

After Jesus was raised from the dead, Peter and John ran to confirm what the women had reported about the empty tomb.

John 20:6-7 – Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. (ESV)

Friends, did you catch the little surprise in this record? The tomb was empty of the body, but there was something left behind: The linen cloths were there, the sign of a finished sacrifice. It is finished, once and for all!

Let us always be grateful that we no longer have to make repetitious sacrifices or obey detailed legalistic requirements. Jesus paid it all!

Prayer: Father in heaven, we thank You for Your Son Jesus, the finisher of our faith. Help us always to serve You out of our love for You and not because of duty or fear. Amen.

This story tells how we felt God's love shown through total strangers who involved themselves to help us. The Good Samaritan parable told by Jesus also stands out to teach us about God's love shown by neighbours and strangers.

Luke 10:27,33 – [The expert in the law] answered, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" … "But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him." (NIV)

More recently, I was in a grocery store when a kind stranger surprised me. I wanted to get lightly salted peanuts. The very bottom shelf is where they usually were, but the slot appeared empty. But as I bent to look farther, I could see one jar left at the very back. A younger woman took pity on me, and said, "Can I help you?" Then, she proceeded to get down on hands and knees in the aisle, reaching all the way back to retrieve the jar. It was a simple act that God used to remind me to be more aware of others and to respond with kindness and help when possible.

Matthew 5:16 – In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (NIV)

We can respond to the prompting of the Holy Spirit to speak or perform a simple act, and in doing so, God is glorified. It is the Holy Spirit working through us to notice those in need when we can extend God's care and love to them. The Holy Spirit prompts and empowers us.

Prayer: Dear Father, thank You for reminding us of Your care and love through simple acts of love and compassion. Help us to respond to the nudges of the Holy Spirit to perform simple acts of kindness and love for those You show us. Help us to really see them through Your eyes and then to respond. Yours is the glory! Amen.

Luke 11:28 – He replied, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it." (NIV)

There are so many calls for my attention these days. Recently, my cell phone received a national alert that was only a test, and the message said that I did not need to take any action. My coffee pot beeps when the coffee is ready, and the oven beeps when it reaches the desired temperature. Our car beeps if seat belts are not secured. The smoke detector beeps when there's smoke in the air. My cell phone can beep the instant that every new text or news item arrives. I have a hearing deficiency, and the other day, the alarm clock next to my bed beeped for 30 minutes with increasingly loud beeps until I heard it. And even my hearing aids beep when the batteries need changing. Sometimes, I want to disregard all the noise, tune out the distractions and noisy alerts, and use the "do not disturb" function. But that doesn't really satisfy my desire to hear what is necessary. I need discernment to focus on what is important.

On the spiritual level, it is so essential to hear God's calling to us.

Genesis 3:8-10 – Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, "Where are you?" He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid." (NIV)

It seems that mankind has had hearing deficiencies ever since the Garden of Eden. And God has been calling ever since. He desires communication with us, as any good relationship should have.

Dare we turn a deaf ear? Are we overloaded with too much noise in our heads to hear Him clearly? Are we ready to listen? When we do hear, do we take heed and answer? Let us be eager to discover what He is saying to us. Think how much we miss when we don't have communication with God.

Just as I need to put fresh batteries in my hearing aids and to remember to wear them to hear clearly, we need to make ourselves ready to hear God speak.

Not only does God call to us, but He also invites us to call to Him!

Jeremiah 33:3 – Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know. (NIV)

Brothers and sisters, we need to improve our listening skills. Let us quiet down, prepare to listen carefully, and respond in obedience today. Our relationship with God will be so improved.

Prayer: Our loving Father God, how You long for us, Your beloved children, to hear and to respond to You, like Your servant Samuel did long ago: "Speak, for Your servant is listening." Forgive us for plugging our ears or being inattentive. We need You every hour. Help us to come to You with our ears ready to hear. Amen.