Is The Universe Friendly?

Good Morning Friends,

I do not know about you but I need wisdom and affirmation on my faith walk. In the lectionary readings from Matthew we see that the Centurion had a measure of faith and he also had a deep concern for his servant. So too in our reading from Genesis we see that Abraham had faith and we see it played out in the story of the manifestation of the Trinity at the entrance to his tent and his servant-like actions that followed. Faith is crucial to both stories birthing a hope rooted in an awareness of God and the promises of God as we walk with God. Thankfully God sends signs to cheer those who believe so we might answer in the affirmative today’s question about the journey of life. Is The Universe Friendly?

Scripture: He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Micah 6:8 (NRSV)

The Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day. He looked up and saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent entrance to meet them, and bowed down to the ground. He said, “My lord, if I find favor with you, do not pass by your servant. Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. Let me bring a little bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on—since you have come to your servant.” So they said, “Do as you have said.” And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Make ready quickly three measures of choice flour, knead it, and make cakes.” Abraham ran to the herd, and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to the servant, who hastened to prepare it. Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree while they ate. They said to him, “Where is your wife Sarah?” And he said, “There, in the tent.” Then one said, “I will surely return to you in due season, and your wife Sarah shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent entrance behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I have grown old, and my husband is old, shall I have pleasure?” The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ Is anything too wonderful for the Lord? At the set time I will return to you, in due season, and Sarah shall have a son.” But Sarah denied, saying, “I did not laugh”; for she was afraid. He said, “Oh yes, you did laugh.”

Genesis 18:1-15 (NRSV)

When he entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, appealing to him and saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, in terrible distress.” And he said to him, “I will come and cure him.” The centurion answered, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only speak the word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and the slave does it.” When Jesus heard him, he was amazed and said to those who followed him, “Truly I tell you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and will eat with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the heirs of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you according to your faith.” And the servant was healed in that hour. When Jesus entered Peter’s house, he saw his mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever; he touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she got up and began to serve him. That evening they brought to him many who were possessed with demons; and he cast out the spirits with a word, and cured all who were sick. This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah, “He took our infirmities and bore our diseases.”

Matthew 8:5-17 (NRSV)

Thus he has given us, through these things, his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of lust, and may become participants of the divine nature.

2 Peter 1:4 (NRSV)

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:37-39 (NRSV)

Message: The word walk in the bible often symbolizes the way we live, the way we act, and the way we conduct ourselves in a certain way. People are typically strategic about everything they want to accomplish, unfortunately they often lack plans to know the God that knows the solution to their problems. Then they realize that after all effort is exerted in their cause of planning they must acknowledge God for the answer to their desires. It happened to Abraham and to the Centurion. We see this walking with the Lord clearly in the two lectionary stories from Genesis and Matthew. It is about a walk of faith that acknowledges the fact that life is a journey and life is a pilgrimage. But it is also a walk that acknowledges that God is with us and can be an amazing friend. So, to walk by faith is to live in the confident expectation of things that are to come. A good faith acknowledges that the universe is indeed friendly. Still, the people of this world are influenced by the things that are seen so be careful who you walk with. Too many live for wealth, power, and possessions; for the things, which this world can give. But the Christian is to look beyond what is seen. And so, to walk by faith requires that we become familiar with the promises that God has given to us. Thankfully the bible is filled with promises for believers. Nothing is more encouraging or nurturing to our faith than reading the promises of God. Faith comes by hearing and hearing comes by the word of God shared by those on the journey with us.

And So,this will be the last post I have for several weeks while I am taking a walking tour of Central Europe. Check out my blog site Daily Devotionals and in particular a recent post of Ten Devotionals on Walking in the Light that complements a ten week series by our Pastor at Moorings Presbyterian Church that begins this coming Sunday.

Pray we believe in the power of one small step. Pray we walk in faith daily. Pray we realize that faith makes us soul compatriots of the Patriarchs. Pray we realize that God is in all life in the universe and God is love so we must affirm that creation is friendly. Pray we realize that the deepest reward of faith is a joyous friendship with Jesus. Pray we hang our faith on a promise of God. Pray we walk strategically and passionately with God.

Blessings,

John Lawson