WHO DO YOU TRUST?

Scripture:
Psalm 146:5-10
New Living Translation (NLT)
5 But joyful are those who have the God of Israel
as their helper,
    whose hope is in the Lord their God.
6 He made heaven and earth,
    the sea, and everything in them.
    He keeps every promise forever.
7 He gives justice to the oppressed
    and food to the hungry.
The Lord frees the prisoners.
8     The Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are weighed down.
    The Lord loves the godly.
9 The Lord protects the foreigners among us.
    He cares for the orphans and widows,
    but he frustrates the plans of the wicked.
10 The Lord will reign forever.
    He will be your God, O Jerusalem,[b] throughout
the generations.
Praise the Lord!

Reflection:

During a recent conversation I asked someone, "Who
do you trust?" They candidly told me they didn't trust
anyone. I was saddened but not surprised. Many
people have gone through adverse situations that have
caused them to be suspicious of everyone-even God.
They trust no one. It is a lonely place when you are
always looking over your shoulder. It is also an anxious
predicament when you cannot trust even the most basic
decisions.

Many live under the torment of distrust. They become
cynical. The reality is that the very judgment we fear from
others is the judgment we often heap upon ourselves.
Doubts poison are minds and infiltrate our souls like a
disease.

Today, offer a word of validation to a distrusting individual.
Help them exchange their fears for godly trust. You may
be the beacon of hope and restoration that they need.

Prayer:

Lord, show me how to trust you more and trust myself
less. You are my present help at all times. Amen

(Covenant Home Alter, author Gricel Medina)

A LICENSE TO KILL

A license to kill? That’s how some people are interpreting Florida’s
“Stand Your Ground” law after the killing of Jordan Davis.

Thanks to Stand Your Ground laws, people in 24 states are allowed
to shoot (and kill) others if they feel threatened in public. This law
recently held up the defense for Michael Dunn, who shot and killed
teenager Jordan Davis after approaching Davis’ parked car and
asking him to turn down his music. The jury was unable to convict
Dunn of murder.

Stand Your Ground laws are standing in the way of just convictions
in 24 states. Will you join us in calling for an end to these unjust laws?

Jordan Davis was killed, but the jury couldn’t decide if it was murder.
Stand Your Ground laws meant they had to decide whether Michael
Dunn truly felt threatened. Even though police found no evidence that
Jordan Davis was armed, the jury could not agree on a verdict. These
laws aren’t just contributing to a climate of fear; they are undermining
the justice system.

We need to speak out against a culture that legitimizes killing as a
first response to fear. Let’s tell state governors to end these laws that
fuel fear and enable tragedy.

Stand Your Ground laws have no place in our communities. Let’s work
together to end them.

In faith,
Janelle, Tim, and the rest of the Sojourners team
___________________________________

WHAT DO YOU WANT?

Scripture:

Matthew 20:29-34
New Living Translation (NLT)
Jesus Heals Two Blind Men
29 As Jesus and the disciples left the town of Jericho,
a large crowd followed behind. 30 Two blind men were
sitting beside the road. When they heard that Jesus
was coming that way, they began shouting, “Lord, Son
of David, have mercy on us!”
31 “Be quiet!” the crowd yelled at them.
But they only shouted louder, “Lord, Son of David, have
mercy on us!”
32 When Jesus heard them, he stopped and called,
“What do you want me to do for you?”
33 “Lord,” they said, “we want to see!” 34 Jesus felt
sorry for them and touched their eyes. Instantly they
could see! Then they followed him.

Reflection:

Recently I was in a meeting and someone kept
interrupting others who were speaking. I must admit it
was very frustrating for me. After a couple of these
interruptions, I stopped this person and ask them, "What
do you want?" I thought afterword that it was quite abrupt
of be to do that. However, it turned out to be the best
thing. They were able to share exactly what it was that
was bothering them. Thankfully we were able to continue
the meeting without any further delay.

How many of us have been quietly frustrated at persistent
interruptions in life? We inwardly gripe when we should be
outwardly asking the obvious questions. How many times
have we missed the obvious? Today ask yourself what is
your real need. You may be surprised-or maybe you won't.

Prayer:

Lord, let me not miss the obvious than others and most of
all in myself. Show me the real need. Amen

(Covenant Home Alter, author Gricel Medina)

HEAR AND SEE

Scripture:

Matthew 11:2-11
New Living Translation (NLT)
2 John the Baptist, who was in prison, heard about all the
things the Messiah was doing. So he sent his disciples to
ask Jesus, 3 “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting,
or should we keep looking for someone else?”
4 Jesus told them, “Go back to John and tell him what you
have heard and seen— 5 the blind see, the lame walk, the
lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life,
and the Good News is being preached to the poor. 6 And
tell him, ‘God blesses those who do not turn away because
of me.
7 As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began talking
about him to the crowds. “What kind of man did you go into
the wilderness to see? Was he a weak reed, swayed by
every breath of wind? 8 Or were you expecting to see a man
dressed in expensive clothes? No, people with expensive
clothes live in palaces. 9 Were you looking for a prophet?
Yes, and he is more than a prophet. 10 John is the man to
whom the Scriptures refer when they say,
‘Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
    and he will prepare your way before you
11 “I tell you the truth, of all who have ever lived, none is
greater than John the Baptist. Yet even the least person in
the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he is!

Reflection:

Special effects are much more spectacular than ever before.
Combine the special effects of the twenty-first century with
surround sound, and we have movies that our parents and
grandparents could have never imagined. We now have 3D
movies with sound effects that are off the charts. Many
people are so captivated by this new technology that they
are getting it for their homes, creating home theaters that
give them a comparable experience without leaving their
driveways.

What we see and hear are important. Jesus knew that the
ultimate visual effect was physical and spiritual healing. The
testimony of a life transformed by God was better than any
technology. Not even the best action flick could compare to
a life touched by God. It was not only the words but the
deeds that followed Jesus that had the ultimate affect. It
was the combination of signs and wonders that followed our
Savior and his disciples that drew others to ask questions
that would lead to transformation. What are people seen and
hearing in your life? Does your life testify that Christ lives in you?

Prayer:

Lord, what do people see and hear from my journey? Empower
me to draw people closer to you. Amen

(Covenant Home Alter, author Gricel Medina)

THE RIGHT HIGHWAY

Scripture:

Isaiah 35:8-10
New Living Translation (NLT)
8 And a great road will go through that once deserted land.
    It will be named the Highway of Holiness.
Evil-minded people will never travel on it.
    It will be only for those who walk in God’s ways;
    fools will never walk there.
9 Lions will not lurk along its course,
    nor any other ferocious beasts.
There will be no other dangers.
    Only the redeemed will walk on it.
10 Those who have been ransomed by the Lord will return.
    They will enter Jerusalem[a] singing,
    crowned with everlasting joy.
Sorrow and mourning will disappear,
    and they will be filled with joy and gladness.

Reflection:

I travel a lot by car, and I have spent a lot of time on
highways. Highways are convenient-they bypass towns,
stoplights, and intersections. Some can get you from
one state to the next. But they are not so much fun when
the traffic is heavy. And the wrong highway can get you
lost and going in circles. They can exasperate the most
stable of souls. Highways are meant to connect us and
make life easier.

God has created a highway of holiness for us. God's
highway is the one which will get us to our spiritual
destination safely. It is not always the Highway of choice
but it is the best one for us. Which highway are you on
today? Are you going in circles on the wrong highway of
the world? Get back on the right road. The path of holiness
is the safest highway.

Prayer:

Lord, show me which highway I am on. Help me get back
on track. Your highway is always the right one for me. Amen

(Covenant Home Alter, author Gricel Medina)

BLOOM AND GROW

Scripture:

Isaiah 35:5-7
New Living Translation (NLT)
5 And when he comes, he will open the eyes
of the blind and unplug the ears of the deaf.
6 The lame will leap like a deer,
    and those who cannot speak will sing for joy!
Springs will gush forth in the wilderness,
    and streams will water the wasteland.
7 The parched ground will become a pool,
    and springs of water will satisfy the thirsty land.
Marsh grass and reeds and rushes will flourish
    where desert jackals once lived.

Reflection:

Texas can be blazing hot during the summer. The
ground can get so parched and cracked that it looks
like and alligators skin. Moisture evaporates and the
air-conditioners get a severe work out. Once, while
driving through a small town, I saw signs on the
houses saying, "Pray for rain." During severe climate
changes, it is refreshing to imagine the visual pictures.

God gives us so many of these images in the Bible
such as "streams in the desert" (v.6).
I often have looked back and thought of how dry my
life has been at times. I felt like that parched ground
in the Texas sun. Yet it is through those times that
God has faithfully reminded me that he can make
rivers in the desert. He can make me bloom given in
the midst of the most challenging of seasons.
Where are you today? Are you facing a desert? Be
encouraged! God is able to restore and make you
bloom even in the desert.

Prayer:

Lord, thank you for reminding me that you are the
creator of all things. Yes, even of the desert. Amen

(Covenant Home Altar, author Gricel Medina)

STRENGTH TRAING

Scripture:

Isaiah 35:1-4
New Living Translation (NLT)
Hope for Restoration
35 Even the wilderness and desert will be glad
in those days.
    The wasteland will rejoice and blossom with
spring crocuses.
2 Yes, there will be an abundance of flowers
    and singing and joy!
The deserts will become as green as the
mountains of Lebanon,
    as lovely as Mount Carmel or the plain of
Sharon.
There the Lord will display his glory,
    the splendor of our God.
3 With this news, strengthen those who have
tired hands,
    and encourage those who have weak knees.
4 Say to those with fearful hearts,
    “Be strong, and do not fear,
for your God is coming to destroy your enemies.
    He is coming to save you
.
Reflection:

Gaining weight is easy. Sometimes I feel like I just
look at chocolate and my body immediately gains
weight. Working out is not easy for me. My body
rebels against it. I admire people who get up early
in the morning and run no matter what the weather
is like. It is also amazing how some personal
trainers stick with people who inwardly believe it
will never work.

Commitment is not a bad word. It is extremely
rewarding to be motivated just by the sheer
fulfillment of seeing someone transformed. Inside
and out. The Holy Spirit is our personal trainer.
He is committed to seeing us strong inside and out.
He also wants us to strengthen others who are weak
and have lost their way. Look around you. Is there
someone who needs a spiritual personal trainer to
commit their success? Will you allow God to show
you how you can be one?

Prayer:

Lord, help me to see those who are weak around me
strength in the to be someone else's oasis in the desert.
Amen

(Covenant Home Alter, author Gricel Medina)

TIME FOR RAIN

Scripture
:
James 5:7-10
New Living Translation (NLT)
Patience and Endurance
7 Dear brothers and sisters,[a] be patient as you
wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who
patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring.
They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen.
8 You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the
coming of the Lord is near.
9 Don’t grumble about each other, brothers and
sisters, or you will be judged. For look—the Judge is
standing at the door!
10 For examples of patience in suffering, dear brothers
and sisters, look at the prophets who spoke in the
name of the Lord.

Reflection:

I have always been fascinated the sound of rain it has
a soothing and therapeutic affect on me Hearing it
during the night special treat for me. My soul
welcomes it as a symbol of blessing and provision. It
is one of those things we cannot control, but we are
so grateful when it comes. I have found that it is during
the times of spiritual drought that I appreciate the rain
most.

During a time when I was in a very dry place, a very
unlikely person came into my life. We did not have a
lot in common it was hard to appreciate this person,
and our journey together was at times overwhelming.
But our mutual need for rain brought us together. And
it was that person who compelled me to cry out for rain.
Rain comes at all seasons-when we expect it and when
we don't. Today, let us ask the Holy Spirit for rain. Allow
it to fall afresh on you when it does, say some water.
You may need to bring it to a thirsty soul.

Prayer:

Lord, help me to appreciate the time of rain. Show me
how to remember that you are present in all seasons.
Amen

(Covenant Home Alter, author Gricel Medina)

CLINCHED HAND

(Prayer 1)

The resistance to praying is like the resistance of tightly
clenched fists. This image shows a tention, a desire to
claim tightly to yourself, of greediness which betrays fear.
A story about an elderly woman brought to a psychiatric
center exemplifies this attitude. She was wild, swinging
at everything in sight, and frightening everyone so much
that the doctors had to take everything away from her.
But there was one small coin which she gripped in her
fist and would not give up. In fact, it took two people to
pry open that clinched hand. It was as though she would
lose her very self along with the coin. If they deprived
her of that last possession, she would have nothing more
and be nothing more. That was her fear.

When you are invited to pray, you are asked to open your
tightly clenched fists and give up your last coin but who
wants to do that? A first prayer, therefore, is often a
painful prayer because you discover you don't want to let
go. You hold fast to what is familiar, even if you aren't
proud of it. You find yourself saying: "That's just how it is
with me. I would like it to be different, but it can't be now.
That's just the way it is, and this is the way I'll have to
leave it." Once you talk like that you've already given up
believing that your life might be otherwise. You’ve already
let the hope for new life flow by. Since you wouldn't dare
to put a question mark after a bit of your own experience
with all its attachments, you have wrapped yourself up in
the destiny of fax. You feel it's safer to cling to a sorry
pass than to trust in a new future. So you fill your hands
with small clammy coins which you don't want to surrender.

(Reflections on Prayer. Taken from the book
"With Open Hands" by Henri J. M. Nouwen)