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A study In a South American orphanage a number of years ago determined the importance of human touch and the lack thereof. Because of staff shortages, children who were deprived of emotional and physical contact showed signs of abnormality:  a loss of appetite, being unable to sleep well, a vacant expression in their eyes. It got worse as time went on. Most of them suffered serious psychological damage (Charles Sell, Unfinished Business, Multnomah, 1989).

Many of us have experienced this firsthand. Just a few years ago we had pandemic restrictions, sheltering at home, isolation from the ones we love, not being able to freely shake hands and hug other people. That gave us an accurate picture of what it is like to live without the touch of others. I heard some horror stories of family members and friends in nursing homes who lived like prisoners, totally cut off from human contact. Some had loved ones die and were not allowed to be with them to even say goodbye before they passed. That is not how God intended us to live our lives. He knows we need interaction with others. He also knows we need interaction with Him.

Luke 24:36–49 While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence. He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

After Jesus had died to pay for sin and had risen from the dead, our Lord appeared to His disciples and encouraged them to “Touch me and see” that He is real and alive. He wanted them to interact with Him on a personal and tangible level. He wants the same for those of us living today. He wants us to experience His presence in our lives, to have life and have it to the full. We know that He died and rose again for us, and that changes who we are. It changes the way we live. It changes the way we die. It changes the way we worship. It changes the way we work. The Resurrection changes everything.

Jesus says to you: “Touch me and see. I’ll show you. My resurrection is for real.” And we all need that reassuring touch. His peace and presence and power are available freely today through the Word and Sacraments and through the fellowship of faith. Even though we are not able to see and interact with Jesus visibly as those first disciples did, He still wants you to “touch and see” Him. Keep in touch.

Recently I have been drawn to the Psalms, and the Lord continues to speak to me His encouraging word. I am reminded of His love for me, which was displayed most clearly in the face of Christ. Knowing that He lived, died and rose again for me, so that I could be forgiven and have the certainty of life everlasting…it just doesn’t get any better than that.

Today, I want you to read Psalm 62. Rather than offering any comments on it, I just want you to read it for yourself and let God speak His words of comfort and assurance and certainty to you.

Psalm 62

1 My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him.
2 He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.
3 How long will you assault a man? Would all of you throw him down— this leaning wall, this tottering fence?
4 They fully intend to topple him from his lofty place; they take delight in lies. With their mouths they bless, but in their hearts they curse. Selah
5 Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.
6 He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
7 My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge.
8 Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. Selah
9 Lowborn men are but a breath, the highborn are but a lie; if weighed on a balance, they are nothing; together they are only a breath.
10 Do not trust in extortion or take pride in stolen goods; though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them.
11 One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard: that you, O God, are strong,
12 and that you, O Lord, are loving. Surely you will reward each person according to what he has done.

Today is Groundhog Day. The movie “Groundhog Day” came out over thirty years ago. It was about a weatherman sent to cover whether or not Punxsutawney Phil would see his shadow. This was his fourth year to cover the story, and he does not want to be there. When he awakes the ‘following’ day, he discovers that it’s Groundhog Day again, and again, and again. He is caught in an endless loop. First he uses this to his advantage, but then realizes that he is doomed to spend the rest of eternity in the same place, seeing the same people do the same thing every day. Eventually he learns that he can help and protect others from making the same mistakes. He uses the time to learn new things, better himself, and treat others kindly.

In a way, we all live this. We do the same things over and over again in our lives, often repeating the same mistakes. Those who are wise will learn from their mistakes and try to avoid them in the future. And the followers of Jesus should make every effort to help and protect others from making mistakes, too. We hopefully learn that being kind to others is a much better way to live.

Thinking about this reminded me of what God had Paul write to the church in Galatia:

Galatians 6:7–10 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who 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. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

One day we will awaken to the day that we enter our Lord’s presence. We have that certainty because we have placed our faith and confidence in the one who lived and died and rose again to secure our forgiveness and salvation. Until that day arrives, let’s make the most of every opportunity to share Jesus and His love with our neighbors.

Psalm 139:1-10 O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord. You hem me in—behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.

The first ten verses of Psalm 139 speaks of God’s intimate knowledge of us. He knows exactly who we are. And these verses affirm God’s ongoing presence in our lives. There is nowhere we can go that God will not be with us.

When II read the rest of the Psalm, the thoughts there struck me as especially timely. In verse 17 David wrote “How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!” We need that to be our attitude. We are so quick to share our thoughts and wants and desires with God and the world, but do we take the time to consider His thoughts and desires? There is nothing wrong with making our requests known to the Lord. He wants us to come to Him with any and everything. We just need to be sure it is not a one-sided conversation. We need to be listening to Him as well.

We should adopt the attitude of Samuel:

1 Samuel 3:9 “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”

He did such a good job of listening to and then sharing God’s Word that he was seen as trustworthy and reliable. That was affirmed a few verses later.

1 Samuel 3:19 “The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of his words fall to the ground.”

At the end of Psalm 139 David makes his requests known to the Lord:

Psalm 139:19–24 “If only you would slay the wicked, O God! Away from me, you bloodthirsty men! They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name. Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord, and abhor those who rise up against you? I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies. Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

I have had similar thoughts and prayers as I look at the world around me, those who are powerful and influential through televised media and online.  So many of their values and intentions are diametrically opposed to God’s Will. What should be the response of those who follow Jesus?

Listen to what He says. Follow His example. Be a light in the darkness. Overcome evil with good. Remember He is always with you, no matter what you are experiencing. Mordecai encouraged Esther with these words:

Esther 4:14 “And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?”

You and I are also in a position to do great things for God. Live out your calling as His disciple. Here is one of the things Jesus told us to do that is always worth remembering:

Matthew 5:44 “But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”

Lord, help us to live as your people and in keeping with your will. Remind us always of the treasure we have in knowing you have redeemed us from sin and death and the power of the devil through your life and death and resurrection. Keep us faithful. Strengthen us to respond to your goodness with lives that show your love to others. Amen.

“Give credit where credit is due.” We have all been advised to do this at some point in our lives. And it usually is meant in a positive way. If the other team outplays your team and wins, you have to give them credit for winning the game. Give credit where credit is due. Psalm 29 reminds us to do that.

Psalm 29:1-2 Ascribe to the Lord, O mighty ones, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.

The Lord, the maker of all things, the sustainer of the universe, the one who provided our undeserved forgiveness by sending His Son to be the Savior of mankind, is due a lot of credit. All of it, in fact. He is the one who has all glory and strength. He is holiness, and gives that to us by virtue of our faith in His promises. And He is the one still in control.

That is worth remembering. In spite the unrest and turmoil of national politics, conflicts around the world, the racial tensions that continue to rear their ugly heads, God is in control. His followers should live like they know that to be true. The last part of this Psalm assures us of that.

Psalm 29:10 The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord is enthroned as King forever.

God is in control. His followers should live like they know that to be true. So what does this mean? We know that this world is not all there is. In fact, we are told this world will come to an end. But we have the promise and assurance of something better with Christ. So until then, we need to live in a way that reflects God’s control of us. Peter addressed this in his second epistle. He said the Lord’s return would bring about the destruction of this world before He takes the faithful to the place prepared for us, and gives this encouragement:

2 Peter 3:11-12a Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.

Even this obedient living of holy and godly lives is not our own doing, but we do it in the strength God provides. The last verse of Psalm 29 reminds us:

Psalm 29:11 The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.

May that peace of God fill your hearts and lives as you face the days ahead.

Yesterday morning we received some rainfall that was both needed and greatly appreciated. Along with the rain we had a bit of thunder. When I heard it, I was reminded of our good, strong and powerful God.

In the book of Exodus, thunder is tied to the seventh plague of hail. Those ten plagues all showed God’s power to His chosen people and the Egyptians. Later, in chapters 19 and 20, when the children of Israel had been freed from their slavery, thunder is tied to God’s presence on Mt. Sinai.

Throughout the Old Testament, thunder is used as a descriptor for God’s power and is often mentioned in relation to His judgement against sin. It is used in similar fashion throughout the book of Revelation. The same man who wrote that book talked about thunder in the Gospel that bears his name. After recounting Jesus entering Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, John wrote of Jesus predicting His death.

John 12:27–33 “Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him. Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit, not mine. Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.” He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.

God’s thundering voice spoke His approval on what Jesus was doing. He would be lifted up on that cross to defeat sin and death and the devil for us. He gave us His perfection instead so that we could be assured of forgiveness and eternal life with our God.

The powerful voice of God was thought to be thunder! At least one hymn writer picked up on this imagery:

O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the works Thy hand hath made,
I see the stars, I hear the mighty thunder,
Thy pow’r throughout the universe displayed;
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee,
How great Thou art!  How great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee,
How great Thou art!  How great Thou art!

(Lutheran Service Book #801 stanza 1)

1 Corinthians 15:19   If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.

A couple had two sons. One was always happy, the other always sad. Hoping to get some help, they took them to a child psychologist. The psychologist told them “one of them is an optimist, and the other one is a pessimist.” The parents asked what that meant. The psychologist answered, “One of them tends to be happy and the other tends to be sad.” The parents replied, “We already knew that–what can we do about it?” The psychologist advised them to put the sad boy in a room filled with the fanciest toys they could afford, and the happy boy into a room with nothing but a bag of horse manure. They were to then leave the boys alone for an hour before checking on them. The parents followed these instructions exactly. When they checked on the sad boy with the fancy toys, they found him pouting in spite of the gifts. He said disgustedly, “This stuff is all junk.” When they checked on the happy boy in the room with the horse manure, they found him smiling. He asked hopefully, “Does this mean I am going to get a pony?”

There is a big difference between optimists and pessimists. A pessimist sees the dark side, an optimist the bright side. Christians are often faced with the question of what their attitude should be. Is there a specifically Christian disposition? Should a Christian be an optimist or a pessimist? Some Christian writers and preachers will tell you that a Christian should always be an optimist. I think that is misleading. Christianity is not just for people with one kind of personality or attitude. The Bible does not say that a person must have a certain kind of outlook on life to be a Christian. Christians can and will have different attitudes in different areas of life, and that is fine as long as these views do not contradict the written Word of God. Some believers tend to be exuberantly happy. Some tend to be calm and quiet. Some are able to take problems in stride. Some will have more of a problem with the sin of worry than others. But that does not deny the true Christianity of anyone who truly believes that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the Savior of the world.

You can hold pessimistic views and still be a Christian. I’ve known many farmers over the years who were pessimistic about their ability to continue making a living in farming. When I spoke with them, it was obvious from what they said and the look on their faces that they didn’t expect things to get any better. But they were nonetheless believers in Christ.

On the other hand, some people face the exact same situations with optimism. They tend to “think positive.” For example, I remember one farmer back in Oklahoma always saying that the farm situation had seen its worst and would be better soon.

So what is the answer? Should a Christian be an optimist or a pessimist? In order to give an accurate answer to that question, we must remember what God has specifically promised and what we are to specifically hope for. The primary reason Christ came was NOT to give us a better life in this world. From God’s perspective, which is the only right one, eternal life is infinitely more important than life in this world. God allows us to have problems here on earth, but He directs all things, including our troubles, to work for the spiritual and eternal benefit of those who believe in Jesus. The passage above says “If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are truly to be pitied more than all men.” Our hope, our optimism, is for the world to come, our eternal existence with God because of His grace. True, we can look to the future of our life on earth with hope as well, knowing that God is in control. But the person whose hope is limited to the things of this world is indeed someone to be pitied.

Scripture directs us to be optimists as far as our eternal destiny is concerned. Because of our faith in Jesus Christ, we have the certainty of eternal life. But there are many people who profess to be Christians that have a false optimism, a false hope. Their hope is false because they base it upon their own merit. They feel that they have lived a good life and are deserving of a reward from God. People who believe this do not know what God says in His Word. He tells us that we have no righteousness on our own that is acceptable in His presence. Yet we need to be righteous in order to be saved. Trusting in your own goodness is foolishness, because you are not and cannot be good enough. You need a righteousness that comes from outside of yourself if you are to be justified before God. And that is where Jesus comes in. The only way that you can say that you are saved by good works is if you mean the good works of Jesus Christ. He came to provide you with the righteousness that you need, giving you a reason to be an optimist about your eternal destiny.

Shortly after our daughter Bethany had just started driving, on one of her first solo outings she got lost. She gets her sense of direction (or lack thereof) from her mother. This was long before cell phones and GPS were a common thing. She had no idea where she was. When she got back home, she was telling her mother about it and Cheryl asked her what she did. Bethany said that she decided to follow the lady in front of her. It just so happened that this lady was going to Walmart, which worked out well. Bethany knew how to get home from Walmart. Her mother and I were very grateful that lady was not making a trip to Dallas that day!

You need to be careful who you follow.

Joshua 3:1–7 Early in the morning Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim and went to the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over. After three days the officers went throughout the camp, giving orders to the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests, who are Levites, carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before. But keep a distance of about a thousand yards between you and the ark; do not go near it.” Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.” Joshua said to the priests, “Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on ahead of the people.” So they took it up and went ahead of them. And the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses.

When Joshua was given the task of leading God’s people into the Promised Land, they were told to follow God. The passage above said to follow the Ark of the Covenant, which represented God’s presence with His people. Following the Ark was following God. They were following the one who brought them out of slavery in Egypt and was now leading them into the Promised Land. When the people followed Joshua, they were following God because the LORD had promised to be with him and he kept his focus on God.

We no longer have the Ark of the Covenant or Joshua. Instead, we follow Joshua’s namesake, YESHUA, whose name means Savior. We follow God Himself who came down to this earth in human form. Jesus said, “Follow me” to fishermen, tax collectors, men and women, rich and poor, slave and freee, you and me.

John 10:27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

John 12:26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be.

We can’t follow Jesus unless we are looking to Him in faith. We trust Him because He showed Himself trustworthy when He paid for our sin and conquered death for us.

Hebrews 12:2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

If you are following a person, make sure that person is following Jesus and leading you closer to Him!

I have always appreciated the sayings of Yogi Berra. They are philosophical and humorous at the same time. Here are a few of the ones attributed to him.

• When you come to a fork in the road, take it.
• It’s like déjà vu all over again.
• Baseball is 90 percent mental and the other half is physical.
• The future ain’t what it used to be.
• The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.

That last one is my favorite. But just recently I heard someone say something in all sincerity that was very Yogi Berra-esque:  “I don’t know too many people that I don’t know.” Let that sink in.

Who do you know? You probably know a lot of people. Who knows you? Most likely a lot of folks know you. In my case, because of some of the positions in which I have served, a lot of people know who I am, but I don’t necessarily know all of them. Just as I know some people better than others, some people know me better than others. I feel closest to the one who has shared my life with me for almost 46 years now. But I don’t know everything about her and she doesn’t know everything about me. We still manage to surprise each other.

The one who knows me best is my Creator, my Savior, and my Sanctifier.

Psalm 139:15–16 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

There is nothing about me that God does not know. He knows all my faults and failures. He has seen all my sin and shortcomings. But He still loves me, so much that He did what was necessary to redeem me, to buy me back from sin and death, that I could be with Him forever. That was why Jesus went to the cross. He paid my penalty and then defeated death for me as well. Paul wrote about that confidence to a young pastor:

2 Timothy 1:11–12 And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.

While I know and believe that as well, I don’t know everything about God. I want to know Him more and more, which is why I read His Word and mediate on it. And I look forward to the time when I will be with Him.

1 Corinthians 13:12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

I want to know Him more.