Tag Archives: God

Bible

It’s worth investing in gratitude

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‘We harvested a 38 kg pumpkin. Do you have any idea how we could share the 30 kg we don’t need with others?’ someone asked us by email. We had already distributed 20 kg of grapes from a single vine. Autumn is the time for harvesting and giving thanks. We can enjoy and share what has been produced in the months before.

In giving thanks, we open our eyes to the wonders of everyday life. In giving thanks, we share the fascination of life with each other.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote in July 1940 in reference to Psalm 50:23: ‘God shows the way to the thankful’. He had previously said: ‘Ingratitude begins with forgetfulness, forgetfulness leads to indifference, indifference leads to discontent, discontent leads to despair, despair leads to curse’. ‘Ingratitude stifles faith, blocks access to God’ (Gesammelte Schriften, Vol. III).

Zwingli from Toggenburg translated Psalm 50:23 as follows: ‘He who offers thanks honours me and chooses the way in which I let him see God’s help.’

Giving thanks is not always easy for us. But when we get involved, we discover more and more fascinating things. Giving thanks frees us to rediscover God’s help and presence.

In the parable of the merciful father in Luke 15, Jesus has painted a new picture for us of how God waits for us to come to him like the younger son. He encourages the ungrateful older son to become like him.

The more we consciously practise gratitude, the more we will realise it. What we nurture grows and we reap what we sow.

Professor Robert A. Emmons has been researching the topic of gratitude for 20 years. He summarises: People who regularly cultivate gratitude experience a range of measurable and lasting benefits of a psychological, physical, interpersonal and spiritual nature: health, a sense of wholeness and well-being and greater satisfaction in relationships. This confirms that it is worth investing in gratitude.

Hanspeter Obrist, Sunday Thought, Toggenburger Tagblatt, 5 October 2024

Bible

Life is more than eating and drinking and beautiful rituals

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Perhaps the slogan “it’s all over when you die” is an obstacle to think about God today.

If we refocus our attention on the fact that our destiny is not just a fleeting shadow, but is orientated towards eternal communion with God, our priorities will change.

With a view to eternity, it makes sense to prioritise and give up some things or selflessly commit ourselves to others.

Those who live without the knowledge of a future remain stuck in the meaninglessness of life and have little strength to get through difficult situations and be hopeful.

Bible

The Holy Spirit give a genuine interest in God

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The Holy Spirit speaks to all people. John 16:8 says: “ And when he (the Holy Spirit) comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.”

God speaks to all people. The decisive factor is how we react to this. Do we want to open ourselves up to him or do we barricade ourselves in and want to keep him away from us?

The Holy Spirit causes us to have a genuine interest in God. So the question is: do I want to know more of God or am I just questioning him?

Bible

Motto for the year 2024

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“Let all that you do be done in love“ (1 Corinthians 16:14).

In the original Greek, the word for “love” is “agape”. It does not mean love in the sense of human affection, but divine love.

Agape is a selfless gift given without expecting anything in return. It is a selfless love that sacrifices itself for others. Why does God do this? Because we humans cannot establish a relationship with God on our own. That is why God meets us in Jesus.

Agape is a relational concept. God comes to us of his own free will and enables us to have a relationship with him. When we accept this, agape comes into our hearts. This love becomes our lifestyle.

Paul writes in Romans 5:5: “God’s love has been poured into our hearts.”

“Love means to live and act in such a way that others can grow, flourish and develop together with me” (Pastor Marcus Tesch).

We are only capable of unconditional love because we have agape in our hearts. Continue reading Motto for the year 2024 →

Bible

Reduced to a higher developed animal

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In the book of Revelation, the power against God, such as Satan (the dragon), is described as a beast. These beasts do not represent a divine image, but embody godlessness. They want to depersonalise man and reduce him to a number.

God, however, is a person and calls his creatures by their personal names. Isaiah 43:1 says: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.”

It is exciting that in our time we have degraded man to a more developed animal. The divine dignity of man has been lost.

The first beast in Revelation 13 abuses state power. The second beast, the false prophet, embodies a religious or ideological power that allows itself to be at the service of the first beast, tempting people to live out of relationship with God.

Bible, Jesus

You have the words of eternal life

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Jesus said to the twelve disciples, “Do you want to go away as well?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:67-69)

Not all the listeners understood Jesus’ message that faith means that the kingdom of God dawns through those who believe. They turned away from Jesus.

Jesus also asks the disciples if they want to go as well. Peter sums up the meaning of faith very well. Even if we do not understand everything, we trust Jesus because in him we meet God, and he gives us eternal life.

Bible

Jesus – the good shepherd

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Jesus says in John 10:11, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”

Ezekiel wrote in Ezekiel 34:11: “Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. 12 … I will rescue them …. 15 I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord God. 16 I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak.” God is the good shepherd.

150 years earlier Micah 5:2-5 wrote: “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, … from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. … 4 he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord. … 5 And he shall be their peace.”

Likewise, Isaiah 40 wrote: “10 Behold, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; … 11 He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.”

By calling himself the good shepherd in John 10, Jesus is saying that God can be experienced through him.

In John 10:31 “the Jews picked up stones again to stone him …. 33 because you, being a man, make yourself God.”

In Psalm 23, David reveals to us what this shepherd is like.

Bible

I shall not want

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Psalm 23:1

I shall not lack anything “lo achsar” (לֹא אֶחְסָר). God gives us enough hints to help us to make good choices that are in accordance with His will.

God is not our “servant” but our friend. The Hebrew word for Shepherd shares a root with the word for companion, or close friend.

YHWH Ro’i (יְהוָ֥ה רֹ֝עִ֗י) God is “the one who sees me”. He sees what I need and gives me what helps me in the moment to move forward. So, it doesn’t mean that God gives me everything, but contributes what promotes my growth.

These can also be challenging situations, because in them we come to the border of understanding and enter the world of trust (belief). Then God is there. Sees me and gives me what I need to move on. I shall not lack anything.

Bible

The LORD is my shepherd

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Psalm 23:1

The image of God as a shepherd appears in Jacob for the first time. In Genesis 48:15 it says: “He (Jacob) blessed Joseph and said, “The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day.”

When David was chosen, he was set up to be the people’s shepherd. In 2 Samuel 5:1-2 it says: “All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, … “The LORD said to you, ‘You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over Israel.’”

In Psalm 23, David describes God as a shepherd. God is his example for his own life. He wants to be inspired by God.

About 250 years later Isaiah also writes about God as the shepherd (Isaiah 40).

About 150 years later, Ezekiel writes about God as the good shepherd (Ezekiel 34:5-16).