As the days become warmer and the sun brighter, we will begin to look for places to sit and enjoy the outdoors. Close your eyes and picture your go-to place. That perfect place for my wife and I is a crowded beach on a warm and sunny summer day, under our umbrella, good book in hand, snacks and drinks in our cooler, feeling the ocean water on our toes, smelling the salty air, taking in the sights and sounds of frolicking beachgoers.

For you, it could be sitting on your patio, a gentle breeze keeping you cool, your favorite music playing, sipping your favorite beverage, the smell of burgers wafting through the air, as you are entertained by the golfers on the golf course.

Or instead, maybe you picture yourself taking a much needed nap, lying in a hammock, under a tree on a quiet and peaceful afternoon, feeling the warmth of the sun, protected from its harmful rays.

Wherever it is you envision yourself, you are not out of God’s sight. Proverbs 15:3 tells us – “The eyes of the LORD are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.”

I offer this psalm to you as both reminder and encouragement, that regardless of where you are or what comes your way today, you can rest assured that God has you covered:

“I lift up my eyes to the mountains — where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip — he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD watches over you — the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all harm — he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore” (Psalm 121).

Let God be your shade today!

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“I treat my body like a temple, you treat yours like a tent.” Those words are lyrics from the song “Fruitcakes” by Jimmy Buffett. While Buffett was a songwriter and not a theologian, he certainly, at least in this song, seemed to understand the importance of taking care of ourselves.

So often we get confused or mislead to think that God really only cares about the condition of our soul. And while God does care about what is on the inside, our soul, he also deeply cares about what is on the “outside,” our bodies. He cares about every fiber of us. God made us in His image, and He desires for us to take care of the body He has entrusted us with. We read in Genesis 1:27 these words, “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them, male and female he created them.”

If you know anything about the Creation Story, you know that all of the plants, trees, flowers, animals, fish and birds were created “according to their kind.” (See Genesis 1:11-12, 21, 24-25.) The Hebrew word used here for “kind” means the sorting out of objects into categories. There is a lot packed into those four words, “according to their kind,” but for the purposes of this post let’s just say that God’s laws of genetics were imposed upon the plant and animal kingdom, thus precluding any evolution into another kind (a horse can never produce a sparrow.) God did not intend for the plants and animals to be made in the image of anything else. It is only mankind that is made in the image of God, and thus we are His representatives here on earth.

Not only are we made in God’s image, we are also to offer ourselves, body and soul, as living sacrifices to God. In Romans 12:1 we read this, “Therefore, I urge you brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship.” What that verse says is that our bodies are the vehicle through which we live out our desires and choices, and it is through our body that we worship God.

You are probably now asking, what does all that have to do with Jimmy Buffett’s lyrics, “I treat my body like a temple, you treat yours like a tent.” We are commanded by God to take care of the body He has entrusted us with, but so many of us neglect our bodies, and ultimately that affects our souls as well. We make poor choices of food and drink, we have poor sleeping habits, and we ingest all kinds of things that harm our bodies. On top of that, exercising is hard work. Many of us are poor images of God, and we fail to represent Him in a way brings honor and glory to Him.

Our bodies really are temples. Tents are for camping. If you do not believe Jimmy Buffett, then let’s turn to scripture. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 tells us this, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”

How are you feeling physically, four months into 2025? With summer just around the corner, now might be a good time to take inventory of your lifestyle, the things you eat and drink, your sleeping habits, and the amount of exercise you get, and then make an honest assessment of what you can change in order to change your body from a tent into a temple. Not only will you be bringing honor and glory to God by taking better care of yourself, but you will feel better in the process. And please, first consult with your doctor, fitness instructor, dietitian, etc. to ensure that any changes are done safely.

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Picture yourself walking alone on a sidewalk illuminated by pathway lights. The moon shines brightly. The night air is calm. The chirping of the crickets brings a sense of peace. You enjoy this quiet and serene walk and are in no hurry to go inside. In fact, you might just walk around the block a few more times, enjoying such a beautiful night. You feel safe even though it is dark all around you. No hurry to get inside.

Now let me slightly change the scene. You are still walking on that same sidewalk. However, instead of a moonlit sky, it is raining. You are thankful that you thought to bring your umbrella. Otherwise, by now, you would be soaking wet. Lightning flashes in the sky. Chirping sounds are replaced by cracks of thunder. The night sky seems exceptionally black. The pathway lights do not seem so very bright. The mist caused by the rain causes the air to be damp. It is hard to see. There is nothing calm or peaceful in you or around you. Your imagination begins to run wild with negative vibes. Uneasiness settles into your soul. Your nerves are on edge. Your heart is beating, way too fast. Your pace picks up, almost to a sprint. You cannot get inside quickly enough.

The Eagles sing about a peaceful easy feeling (click here for the song). The song’s narrator is attracted to a girl, one he hopes will fall in love with him, but feels that he will be okay, even if she does not. Maybe today, you have the opposite feeling, wondering if things will ever be okay again. Everywhere you look, some threat is breathing down your neck.

Sometimes the threat is real, while other times it is just perceived. You might have recently been diagnosed with cancer. Your spouse is nearing death, and you wonder if you can keep on keepin’ on once they are gone. Your finances are in shambles; the unpaid bills keep piling up. That family member’s addiction has wreaked havoc in just about everything. Or quite possibly, you continue finding yourself in the vortex of endless “what ifs.”    

In Psalm 138:7-8 we read these words – “When I am surrounded by troubles, you keep me safe. You oppose my angry enemies and save me by your power. You will do everything you have promised; Lord, your love is eternal. Complete the work that you have begun” (GNT).

In these two verses it sure seems clear that not only did the psalmist trust in God’s power and protection, but also has confidence in the plans and purposes of the Father, despite the worrisome and disquieting current conditions.

All through the psalms, David testified that God had been his fortress and refuge in times of trouble. He knew where to turn when stuff happened – “When I am in distress, I call to you, because you answer me” (Psalm 86:7).

God invites us to call upon him in times of trouble – “I am God Most High! The only sacrifice I want is for you to be thankful and to keep your word. Pray to me in time of trouble. I will rescue you, and you will honor me” (Psalm 50:14-15).

Regardless of what you are going through, or imagining that you are going through, you can rest assured that God is with you. Sometimes He will help you escape harm’s way while other times He sustains you through whatever it is that threatens you, walking stride for stride alongside you.

So, today, if the sidewalk you walk down has you devoid of a peaceful easy feeling, allow yourself to be strengthened by the love and faithfulness of the One in whose image you were made (Genesis 1:26-27) and who created you to be who you are (Psalm 139:13-18). And rest assured that the Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth (Psalm 145:18).  

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I repost this writing every Good Friday. For me, and I hope for you as well, it is a good reminder that because of what occurred on the cross, we have personal access to God.

These days, to get to the person we really want to talk to, it seems like we have to jump through hoops. If you have ever tried calling a company for service or warranty-related issues, you know what I mean. It is just one layer after another of computer-generated instruction. Press 1 for service followed by Press 1 for Internet problems or 2 for TV problems. On and on. Or stay on the line and the next technician will be with you shortly. And finally when we finally do talk to a live person, they are either the wrong person or there is a language problem. I have known business or community leaders who do not have open door policies. Instead, you need to go through their assistant to schedule a meeting. And even then, it was the assistant who actually delivered my message.

It is so often like the “great and powerful” Wizard of Oz – hidden behind the curtain, only heard, never seen. That is until Toto pulled back the curtain.       

Some 2,000 years ago, on what we today call Good Friday, Jesus cried out one last time, dying by crucifixion after being nailed to the Cross. Have you ever been by someone’s side when they died? Picture yourself on that hillside. What is running through your mind as you watch Jesus struggle and then breathe His last breath?

To read the gospel accounts of Jesus’s death – Matthew 27:45-56, Mark 15:33-41, Luke 23:44-49, John 19:28-37.

One passage in the death of Jesus narrative often gets overlooked, and in my opinion, this passage really does change everything. Let’s look at it.

First, here is the context. We read in Exodus chapters 26 and 27 that in the Tabernacle the Most Holy Place (sometimes called the Holy of Holies), the innermost chamber of the temple, was separated from the Holy Place by a curtain (veil). God resided in the Most Holy Place. Any Israelite could come to the temple to pray or to bring an offering, but only priests could sacrifice the animals or burn incense in the Holy Place. And only the high priest could enter The Most Holy Place one day a year (Yom Kippur) to offer blood for his sins and the sins of the world.

What that meant is that in Old Testament days, people did not have personal access to God. We see this is Hebrews 9:7, “But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance.” (I encourage you to read this in context in Hebrews 9.)

Okay, now let’s look at the passage that I think so often is glossed over. When Christ died on the Cross, we read these words in Matthew 27:50-51, “And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.”

The curtain (veil) referred to in that passage is the curtain that separated the people from the presence of God. What does that mean for us here and now? Because of Christ’s death on the Cross, through His blood, we now have personal access to God. Jesus is now our High Priest and through Him we can come into God’s presence.

So, take some time right now to reflect upon what it means for you to be able to come into the presence of God, to be able to walk right in. Close your eyes and picture God saying to you right now, “Come on in!” It really does change everything!

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Do you agree, each new day sure does seem like rough and tumble. That phrase can be defined in several ways. Disorderly action with disregard for rules. Put together without much thought; haphazard. A general state of chaotic activity. Unrestrained atmosphere. Any way we look at it, the waters we tread in these days are turbulent and ever-changing. And if we aren’t careful, we can be swept away without warning.  

Sometimes pop culture, either purposely or inadvertently, gets it right and the lyrics to songs speak volumes about faith. The song “Bridge Over Troubled Water” by Simon & Garfunkel might just be one of those songs. While this song is in no way a direct reference to Jesus, the lyrics really do describe the way in which Jesus gets us over or through the rough waters.

Here is a bit of trivia. This song is almost five minutes in length. In the 1960’s, Columbia Records had used the three-minute mark as the barrier for songs played on AM Radio. However, in 1965 Bob Dylan recorded “Like a Rolling Stone” which was longer than three minutes, so Columbia decided to release “Bridge Over Troubled Water” to pop radio, despite its length, and it topped the charts for six weeks and Billboard ranked it as the Number 1 song for 1970.

BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER – Composed by Paul Simon, released on January 26, 1970

When you’re weary, feeling small
When tears are in your eyes, I will dry them all
I’m on your side. When times get rough
And friends just can’t be found
Like a bridge over troubled water I will lay me down
Like a bridge over troubled water I will lay me down

When you’re down and out
When you’re on the street
When evening falls so hard I will comfort you
I’ll take your part
When darkness comes
And pain is all around
Like a bridge over troubled water I will lay me down
Like a bridge over troubled water I will lay me down

Sail on silvergirl, sail on by
Your time has come to shine
All your dreams are on their way
See how they shine
If you need a friend
I’m sailing right behind
Like a bridge over troubled water I will ease your mind
Like a bridge over troubled water I will ease your mind

So, if you find yourself struggling today, and the path ahead looks like turbulent waters, I encourage you to trust Jesus who carries your burdens (Psalm 68:19) and who gives you rest (Matthew 11:28-30). Jesus does not say that troubled waters will not come. In fact, just the opposite, He says that in life we will face troubled waters (John 16:33). But Jesus does promise that He will be “like a bridge over troubled water” and get us over or through those troubled waters. Do you believe that today?

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When you plant calla lily seedlings, what do you expect to grow? Tulips? Roses? Of course not. You expect to grow flowers with smooth almost sword-like foliage. These beautiful flowers are native to South Africa. The word “calla” comes from the Greek word for beauty, and despite its name, the calla lily is not actually a lily; instead, it belongs to the Araceae family of flowering plants, to which philodendrons and elephant ears (caladium) also belong.  If, when you plant calla lilies, you end up with tulips, well, you better request a refund from the garden store from which you purchased the seed pack. And when you grow tomato plants, what do you expect to pick off the vines? Peas? Beans?

Now I ask you this – if you sit around in the evenings regularly eating potato chips and bacon horseradish dip, what do you expect the results to be? You surely don’t anticipate losing weight. And if the only exercise you get is walking from the couch to the refrigerator, that is not really an effective fitness program. But on the contrary, if you eat healthily and exercise regularly, you can expect to gain strength and flexibility, improve your mental and physical health, and probably even control your weight.

In order to plants to grow, they need periods of sunlight and darkness, food, water, and proper care. And for us to be healthy, we need a proper balance of work and rest, physical activity and exercise, well-balanced diet, proper amount of sleep, and abstinence from unhealthy habits.

Common sense tells us that we reap what we sow; we understand that principle for growing plants and caring for our natural (physical) life, but we sometimes forget that principle when it comes to our spiritual life. We need to regularly engage (sow) in spiritual practices in order to experience (reap) spiritual growth.

Galatians 5 gives us a list of both acts of the flesh and fruit of the Spirit. (I encourage you to read Galatians 5:13-26.) Engaging in the acts of the flesh often produces a momentary burst of pleasure but ultimately leaves you dissatisfied and empty, while the fruit of the Spirit produces growth and fruitfulness. The former brings death while the latter brings life.

One chapter later, in Galatians 6:7-9, we read this warning, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”     

So, what are you expecting to grow in your soil (soul)? Today, ask God to help you cultivate the soil of your life, so what you hope to see is what you do see – beautiful flowers blooming on a regular basis, ones that bring a sweet fragrance to you and those around you (calla lilies do not have much scent, but you get the point), and ones that others want to plant and grow in their own gardens (soil)!

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