7-21-2023

Good Morning All,

    Psalm 147:5; “Our Lord is great, and his power is great.  There is no limit to his understanding.”

    Do you understand what this means?  How many times in your life have you heard or used that phrase?  This is a question that can be very hard to hear.  Sometimes we hear that and simply want to shout, “NO!!, I haven’t got a clue.”  Sometimes this question revolves around the implications of the answer.  If your employer asks you how you want to fill out your W-2 form, he might ask if you understand the implications of the change.  If your insurance agent is showing you some facts about your policy and any changes you want to make, he might ask if you understand what this will mean.

   Sometimes we hear this question at the doctor’s office and the understanding can be too plain.  We can hear this as a marriage sours and the pain occurs.  We can hear this when our business fails, and the bank forecloses on our loan.  We can hear this if a loved one gets in trouble with the law and must face the consequences.  We hear this phrase often and usually we don’t like the answer.  Do you understand what this means?  It means that someone is going to get hurt. 

    Sometimes, it means the exact opposite.  Sometimes when we hurt, we talk to someone, a doctor, or a friend and when we finish, they respond, “I understand.”  Have you ever asked the question, “What does this mean, I don’t understand” and have someone answer, “I understand”?  I call this the Linus moment.  You remember from “A Charlie Brown Christmas” when Charlie Brown asks if anybody can explain Christmas and Linus answers, “Sure, Charlie Brown” and then he recites Luke chapter 2.  Linus understood what Christmas meant even when the rest of the world seemed to forget.  It is nice when someone understands. 

    Whether it is figuring out your new cell phone or making the computer work the way it should or knowing the pain that you are feeling right now; it helps when someone can come to you and say I understand.  This is exactly what God does for us.  He understands.  He understands you and me.  He knows our heart and he knows our life.  He sees our pain and heals it.

    We live in a world that is full of pain.  Sometimes this pain is inflicted by people we know and love.  This pain is inflicted may be accidental or it may be intentional.  This pain can hurt right to the core.  Yet God truly does understand our pain and our need.  He understands our need for forgiveness.  He forgives us of our sin and then brings us into his family.  Here we can come to God with all of our pain and all of our hurt and God says, “I understand.” He continues with the ability to solve our pain.  He gives us life and hope.  God understands what we need, even before we do.  His grace is sufficient for us.

Dearest Father, even when we don’t understand; you do.  Give us the faith to trust in you.  Father, we come to you like the father who exclaimed, “I believe, help my unbelief.”  Help our unbelief that we may go forth with the confidence and faith in your mercy and love.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret