“God is great, God is good. Let us thank Him for this food. Amen.”

(The Summer “Reruns” Series)

Before every meal, Martin Luther wrote that “children and members of the household are to come devoutly to the table, fold their hands, and recite: ‘The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.’” He was quoting Psalm 145:15-16.

The practice of thanking God before meals has been around forever. When I grew up, it seemed commonplace. Thousands of times, I recited the prayer in this message’s title. But it seems like this longstanding tradition is dying in many parts of America. It’s a relic of our past, like Ozzie and Harriett Beaver. Especially among middle-aged and younger adults, I’m surprised at how infrequently I observe this tradition.

Now I confess, I’m not totally consistent. If I meet a friend for lunch, a prayer rarely crosses my mind. But at least in our home, it’s an important ritual that my family partakes in before every lunch and dinner.

Before filling your belly tonight, think about the message it sends when you pause to give thanks.

“I Feel Like I’m Shining”

(The Summer “Reruns” Series)

When I was six years old, I asked Jesus to become my LORD and Savior. Ever since, I’ve considered myself a Christian.

My oldest son turned six in July, and I’ve been wondering if he should recite a similar prayer. Matthew has believed in Jesus for several years, but did he need to make it “official?”

This Christmas season, Matthew has been extremely interested in Jesus’ birth. So I had an idea. Maybe he could say his special prayer on Christmas Day. How cool would that be? I explained everything to him, and he wanted to make it “official.”

On Christmas night, Matthew said his prayer in bed. Right after finishing, the coolest thing happened. “Daddy,” he said, “I feel different. I feel like I’m shining.” Wow! I figured we’d finish and immediately dive into his bedtime books. But without notice, I found myself explaining how God sends the gift of the Holy Spirit to Christians, and maybe that’s what he was feeling.

Admittedly, I’ve often been skeptical when people talk about receiving the Spirit. But here was my little buddy telling me he suddenly felt different, like he was shining. It was special, and I believe it was real. What an awesome Christmas present for our entire family!

“the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things…(and) be with you forever.” John 14:26,16

Never Underestimate the LORD

(The Summer "Reruns" Series)

Two sisters sent an urgent message to Jesus. Their brother was dying, and they believed the LORD could save him. Unfortunately, Jesus didn’t arrive in time. Lazarus died.

When Jesus finally got there, he repeatedly heard the same thing. “Lord, if you had been here, (Lazarus) would not have died.” But one mourner said something different. Martha told him, “I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” What faith! She believed the LORD could do anything…well, uh, almost.

When Jesus told the townspeople to move the stone away from the tomb, guess who protested? Martha! Despite her earlier affirmation of God’s power, she apparently never expected what would happen next. The LORD raised Lazarus from the dead!

Let’s be honest, miracles don’t happen every day. If they did, we would no longer be astonished and grateful but probably feel entitled. So, prayers aren’t always answered the way we want.

On the other hand, sometimes people are too quick to lose hope. Or they look for solutions in the wrong places. Shouldn’t we always turn first and last to our omnipotent God who can do all things? Never underestimate the LORD!

This message is based on John 11

You Will Not Die

June 30, 2010 (no. 320)

A wicked “northeaster”—a storm of hurricane force—hammered the ship. The men aboard were discouraged and afraid. But after hearing from God, the apostle Paul announced, “Not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed.” (Acts 27:22) The storm didn’t stop, but God promised the men would live through it.

You’ve probably heard the saying “Don’t sweat the small stuff.” But so often we do just that. Who knows how many little things I’ve stressed about that ultimately turned out to be nothing in the big picture. Most of them are long forgotten, just minor bumps and hiccups in life.

Of course, some challenges are greater and alter our lives in lasting ways. But even then, it’s usually not a matter of life and death. Storms come and go, but we continue on.

Wouldn’t you like to be a person filled with God’s peace at all times? One who worries less and remains joyful and hopeful in all situations?

Ask for God’s help in prayer. Read about people who trust and rely on the LORD in all circumstances. Study the Scriptures. All of this will help.

A wise person keeps life’s challenges in proper perspective. With God’s help, become that person.

This is the last “new” message for the summer. As is my annual tradition, I’ll share old messages that were well-received for the remainder of the summer.

Sing, Sing a Song

June 23, 2010 (no. 319)

Who doesn’t like to sing? I’m not talking about performing a solo in public. But rather in your car. In the shower. Maybe at a concert with other people.

Music evokes emotion and passion in an incomparable manner. It’s a great way to express our feelings to God. Psalm 149 proclaims, “Sing to the LORD a new song…praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine and harp.”

But what if your voice is, uh, painful to listen to? Like REALLY bad.

Right now, I’m looking at a picture my son made when he was four years old. It’s a picture of me with orange hair, a long, ugly purple nose and a huge mouth with blue teeth. The little guy worked really hard to make it for me. At the bottom, he wrote, “I love daddy 100 times.”

I love that picture!

Do you really think God (who created your vocal chords) cringes if we’re not blessed with an American-Idol winning voice?

Whether it’s a hymn, contemporary rock song or something else, I think the reaction is the same when we sing to the LORD.

I bet he says, “I love that song.”

Just Enough for Today

June 16, 2010 (no. 318)

Do you remember how God fed the ancient Israelites? Manna and quail were delivered to satisfy their hungry stomachs. There was only one condition. Except before the Sabbath, the Israelites were only allowed to gather food for that particular day. Nothing was to be saved.

Why did God prohibit the people from saving food? Why “one day at a time?”

I think God was teaching the people about genuine faith. It’s more than intellectually believing in God or attending church. At its core, faith is about trusting and depending on God. It’s realizing we need the LORD to bless and sustain us. And it’s thanking God for these blessings. Each and every day.

When Jesus prayed, “Give us this day, our daily bread,” he wasn’t suggesting that people stop providing for themselves. He was acknowledging we need God, the One who makes every good thing possible.

In our fast-paced society, it’s easy to put God on the backburner. We work hard. Make plans for the future. Put money away. Talk about what we’ve done and what we’ll do next. And so often take full credit when things go our way.

But if our faith is strong, we know we need God.

Each and every day.

Read this story in Exodus 16.