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Hope For The Second Half
Friends,
I pray for a week full of God's blessing for you and a week filled with hope. Attached is the new edition of Hope for the Second Half
Gerry
HOPE FOR THE SECOND HALF
December 29, 2020–January 4, 2021
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2020
GIVING YOUR GIFTS AWAY
READ: 1 Peter 4:7-11
REREAD: Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. 1 Peter 4:10
REFLECT: 2020 has been a very stressful year for millions of folks, providing plenty of opportunities for God’s children to give their gifts away. Recently, my son-in-law Jason’s family in Ohio has been a case in point. His Grandma Geri has dementia and family members have worn themselves out physically and emotionally trying to take care of her while she has remained at home with Grandpa Joe. But then a number of families got the virus, including Geri and Joe and those who take care of them. Joe had to go into the hospital, then caught pneumonia and he passed away two and a half weeks ago. A funeral was scheduled for the next week and Jason and Emily and their four kids drove from Wisconsin to Ohio. That’s when my two daughters decided to give their gifts away. 75 miles to the south, Jamie went to the grocery store and bought the makings for some meals she prepared for Jason’s worn-out family. Emily gave Geri’s children a break by staying with her the day of the visitation and overnight after the funeral. She wished she could have stayed longer. Simple acts of kindness. Enough to make a Dad proud. And evidence that when God gives us gifts, he can be counted on to show us how they can be used to benefit others.
RESPOND: “God, help me be faithful to give my gifts away.”
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2020
MY ROCK AND MY REDEEMER
READ: Psalm 19
REREAD: May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14
REFLECT: Finally, more wisdom from a great psalm…
The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous.
They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb.
By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults.
Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression.
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
RESPOND: “Thank you, Lord, for being my Rock and my Redeemer.”
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2020
OUT WITH THE OLD… PLEASE!
READ: Philippians 3:7-14
REREAD: I consider everything but loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord…But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind… Philippians 3:8, 13
REFLECT: Before the day when God encountered Paul with a bright light out on that dirt road to Damascus, Paul had been developing quite a resume. But then everything changed as he committed his life to Christ and he never looked back. Oh, I am sure Paul learned from his past. But the journey ahead was too significant to dwell on it. As the difficult year of 2020 ends tonight at midnight, I am trying to decide if there is a lesson here to learn from Paul’s example. The big stories of 2020 have been quite dreadful. A deadly virus has killed hundreds of thousands. Hundreds of businesses were destroyed by rioters on the streets who generally have not been held accountable. An election put a spotlight on the deep division that exists in our country. As the year ends, I desperately want to be able to put all this behind me and press forward, as Paul did back then. It won’t be easy. The virus is taking the lives of people close to me. It is yet to be seen how the election will affect us. But like Paul, I cannot afford to let the disappointment of the past control me. There’s too much work to be done for my God. Paul’s ultimate goal was to have the most intimate knowledge of Christ that was possible. That’s quite a challenging mission.
RESPOND: “God, help me to press on as I get to know you.”
FRIDAY, JANUARY 1, 2021
MY HOPE FOR 2021? TO KNOW CHRIST BETTER…
READ: Philippians 3:12-14
REREAD: …and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13, 14
REFLECT: For Paul, it had nothing to do with the transition from one year to the next. Rather it all was part of an ongoing, lifelong process. You can consider today’s reflection to be a continuation of what you read yesterday. Whether it’s New Year’s Day or the middle of summer, our walk with Christ always involves putting the past behind us and moving forward. For Paul, that meant continuing what he already had begun: the journey to know Christ intimately. It should be an exciting thought to have the opportunity to be like Christ. Nothing should deter me on that quest, past, present or future. But how do I do that? How do I get to know Jesus? By obeying his two primary commands: to love God and love each other. By practicing the gifts I wrote about the last two weeks. By engaging daily in what are referred to as spiritual disciplines: prayer, meditating on Scripture, worship, solitude, service. By spending time with people who will help build me up. The list can seem long. It can appear to be an arduous task. But that is why the journey lasts a lifetime. The goal won’t be reached in a day or a week or a month. But every day should bring us closer. The next 365 days present a rich opportunity. So buckle up and enjoy the ride. It should be exciting!
RESPOND: “Lord, help this be a year of growth.”
SATURDAY, JANUARY 2, 2021
PACK. PRIN. WK. 17: TAKING IT TOO SERIOUSLY
READ: 1 Timothy 4:6-8
REREAD: …Train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. 1 Timothy 4:8
REFLECT: The Packers were driving toward the goal line, hoping to score the touchdown that would enable them to defeat their opponent, the Indianapolis Colts. But then the player known simply as MVS because his full, hyphenated name is so long dropped the ball, literally. The Colts recovered the fumble and won the game. Fans and media alike quickly found ways to express their frustration and even anger with MVS. In a later interview, he revealed that he had received death threats in the wake of his apparently unforgiveable mistake. I have been a sports fan practically my entire life. But few of the many teams I have cheered for have been champions. The 1960 Wausau High School basketball team. The 2010 Packers. The 2016 Cubs. My grandson Emmerson’s third grade team that won a couple basketball tournaments last winter. But I have never found it necessary to threaten harm to the non-winners. I have written in the past of my appreciation for the concept of perspective. In the words of the old song, it may be all right to “root, root, root for the home team and if they don’t win its’s a shame.” But MVS’ team stuck with him and he has found success since then. Good for him!
RESPOND: “God, help me keep life in perspective.”
SUNDAY, JANUARY 3, 2021
A GOOD NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION? STAND FIRM!
READ: 1 Corinthians 15:50-58
REREAD: Therefore, my brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves full to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:58
REFLECT: As I have begun my ninth year of writing HFTSH, it may appear to some readers that I seem to be overly occupied with the transition from 2020 to 2021. They likely are right. My obsession, if it can be called that, probably has more to do with the last year than the new one. I hope that this week will bring an end to this matter. But what would a new year be without a word about the tradition of making futile new year’s resolutions? A few weeks ago, as I was nearing the end of my series on Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, I wrote about Paul’s challenge to them to stand firm in their spiritual battle. Today, in continuing my thoughts on the new year, I return to that thought. The verse you read above from 1 Corinthians 15 gives us a fitting mandate for the days ahead. “Stand firm. Let nothing move you,” Paul writes. Our war with the foes that oppose us- the world, the devil and our own flesh- provides plenty of chances for us to get distracted and off course. That’s why standing our grand is so critical. But it is interesting to note that Paul’s primary suggestion for doing that is to be continually engaged in serving God. After all, he says, that labor never is in vain. So keep it up in 2021!
RESPOND: “Thank you, God, that my labor is never in vain.”
MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2021
FOR ME, THE END OF ANOTHER YEAR
READ: Psalm 90:7-12
REREAD: The length of our days is seventy years- or eighty, if we have strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, or we fly away. Psalm 90:10
REFLECT: Tomorrow is my birthday. No, I’m not looking for a gift or even a card. And I’m not warning you that I will be writing about my birthday next week. Instead, I have decided to take a little different approach to my birthday this year. I always find today’s text to be interesting. The author, whoever they were, was prophetic. Even thousands of years ago, 70 was the magic number for the length of life, or maybe 80. And that is what has happened. The average age in this country has zoomed past 70 and 80 is now in view. And many of you know about how old I am, or even know for sure. I am at that stage of life when I would rather celebrate the accomplishment of living another year than the achievement of reaching a new age. That may especially be true this year, given what 2020 was like. It has been said that all God promises us is today. Tomorrow never is a certainty. As Jesus taught, we shouldn’t worry about tomorrow because today has enough trouble of its own. So today, I do look forward to every day God will give me, Lord willing, of course. But more than anything, today is a day to celebrate God’s faithfulness. Despite all the chaos and loss that this past year has brought, he has enabled us to persevere. And the list of God’s blessings is long. I cannot forget that!
RESPOND: “Thank you again, Lord, for your faithfulness.”
