The Path of Righteousness

Proverbs 4: 18

“But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter until full day.”

Have you ever sat on a mountain or sea shore and watched the sun rise? There is nothing like it.   The red or orange sun slowly peeks over the horizon, as if it, too, is still sleepy.  

Then, imperceptibly, it creeps higher into the sky, painting the clouds red, orange, yellow and turquoise as it goes, until the entire horizon is filled with God’s beauty.  

The serenity and peace and silence in which all of this happens fills our hearts with awe and quiet.  And our souls are stilled. It is as if the hand of God has touched us.

The lives of Christians are to be like the light of dawn to a world encased in darkness, filling the world with the light, the peace, the love, and the mercy of Christ.

And when people see our lives, they will also see and be filled with the beauty and love of God.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

Trust in the Lord

Proverbs 3:5-6

“5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,  and do not rely on your own insight. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

Years ago I took my dog walking in the woods near our home.  We walked for about an hour before I turned around and began walking back.  I headed in the direction I thought was correct only to find that nothing looked familiar.  I finally admitted to myself that I was lost.   My only recourse was to trust that my dog knew the way.  I stooped down and said, “Let’s go home.”  He led the way at once, and I followed.   After a while, things began to look familiar again and we arrived safely at our house.

In our spiritual lives we often wander off in the wrong direction, trusting in our own sense of direction.  At some point we discover that we are lost, that nothing looks familiar and that we need help to find the way home.  

At these times we are to put our trust in the Lord and let Him lead the way. Soon, the crooked path will become straight, and the way forward will be clear.

And the green grass of home will never look so good.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

Faith of the Heart

Proverbs 3: 1-2

“1 My child,  do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments; 2 for length of days and years of life and the abundant welfare they will give you.”

One of my favorite books is “All I Really Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten”, by Robert Fulghum.  It is Fulghum’s contention that people learn most of what is necessary to live a meaningful life by the time they graduate from kindergarten; that all we really need to know “about how to live, what to do and how to be” was learned by the time we reached the age of six.  Fulghum wrote that wisdom “was not at the top of the graduate school mountain, but there in the sand pile at Sunday School.”

And to a certain degree this has been true for me.  I left home when I was 18 and, for all practical purposes, I never returned.  But no matter where I was led, what graduate degree I received, or what kind of job I held, it was the teachings I received in my first 18 years at home that guided me in my dealings with other people.  

Christians are God’s children.  At His feet we have learned His ways.  God asks that these teachings not reside on our lips but in our hearts.  If these teachings reside in our hearts, they will be with us throughout our lives, giving us comfort, peace and a sense of God’s presence.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

Respect

Proverbs 1: 7

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

The fear of the Lord does not mean that we should have a sense of horror, panic, fright or despair about God.  The fear of the Lord used by biblical writers is more an attitude of humble respect founded on our faith, love, and experience of God.

It is possible to gain knowledge apart from faith.  But knowledge without faith is heartless and hollow and can become an idol that replaces the one true God.  

For believers, our faith and love of God is our first priority.  Gaining knowledge flows from that faith and love. With that foundation, we seek out wise instruction.  And we use the knowledge of the world for the glory of God.

“Hear instruction and be wise, and do not neglect it.” (Proverbs 8:33)

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

A New Song

Psalm 96:1-6

“1 O sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. 2 Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. 3 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples. 4 For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be revered above all gods. 5 For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. 6 Honor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.”

The lives of all Christians are to be a “new song” to all the earth; a new way of living, and a new way of thinking.  Our lives are to be an example of God’s love, mercy and forgiveness.  Our example should declare God’s glory.  

We, the believers, are the “marvelous work” of God’s salvation and transforming power for all the world to see.

We are the new song God wants the world to hear.

Sing the new song.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

The Ways of God

Psalm 94: 1-7

“1 O Lord, you God of vengeance, you God of vengeance, shine forth!

2 Rise up, O judge of the earth; give to the proud what they deserve! 3 O Lord, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked exult? 4 They pour out their arrogant words; all the evildoers boast. 5 They crush your people, O Lord, and afflict your heritage. 6 They kill the widow and the stranger, they murder the orphan, 7 and they say, “The Lord does not see; the God of Jacob does not perceive.”

This psalm was originally the prayer of  a Jewish person who sought God’s vengeance on his enemies.  At first we are shocked when we read these words.  We think we would never pray such a prayer.  But have we all not had these thoughts?

Humans are people of anger, war, and vengeance.  And we want to think that the God we worship is just like us.  We want to think that God hates those that we hate; that when we are angry, God is angry; when we cry for war,  God also cries for war.

This is not true.  In fact, Jesus came into the world to lead us away from these things; to lead us in the direction of love, mercy, kindness and forgiveness.

Let us pray that God does not become like us, but that we become like Him.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts.”  (Isaiah 55:8-9)

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

The Ways of God

Psalm 94: 1-7

“1 O Lord, you God of vengeance, you God of vengeance, shine forth!

2 Rise up, O judge of the earth; give to the proud what they deserve! 3 O Lord, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked exult? 4 They pour out their arrogant words; all the evildoers boast. 5 They crush your people, O Lord, and afflict your heritage. 6 They kill the widow and the stranger, they murder the orphan, 7 and they say, “The Lord does not see; the God of Jacob does not perceive.”

This psalm was originally the prayer of  a Jewish person who sought God’s vengeance on his enemies.  At first we are shocked when we read these words.  We think we would never pray such a prayer.  But have we all not had these thoughts?

Humans are people of anger, war, and vengeance.  And we want to think that the God we worship is just like us.  We want to think that God hates those that we hate; that when we are angry, God is angry; when we cry for war,  God also cries for war.

This is not true.  In fact, Jesus came into the world to lead us away from these things; to lead us in the direction of love, mercy, kindness and forgiveness.

Let us pray that God does not become like us, but that we become like Him.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts.”  (Isaiah 55:8-9)

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

Our Lord Reigns

Psalm 97: 1-2

“1 The Lord is king! Let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad! 2 Clouds and thick darkness are all around him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.”

The God that we serve is not an idol made of clay or wood.  He is not a passive god who watches us from a distance.  Our God reigns.

The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is our God who is actively planning, actively involved, and actively ruling over the present day universe.

No matter how crazy, chaotic, or out-of-hand we believe things are in this world, one thing is certain, our Lord reigns and is in control.

And righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

The Gifts

Psalm 131:1-3

“1 O Lord, my heart is not lifted up, my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. 2 But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; my soul is like the weaned child that is with me. 3 O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time on and forevermore.”

Trouble, hardship, and suffering are part of life and cannot be avoided.  We try, but somehow these things always find us.  Yet, in the midst of these things, God asks us to have a calm and quieted soul.

If we try to find calm and quiet for our soul outside of God we will never find them.  Only God’s Holy Spirit can provide them.  He gives them to us through our faith, and it is only our regular practice of the spiritual disciplines that enables us to sustain a calm and quiet soul.  

If we consistently practice the disciplines of prayer, study of scripture, worship, service, fellowship, solitude and silence we will possess a calm and quiet spirit.

God gives us this gift so that we may be the calm in the chaos, the quiet in the swirl offering the world a better way. 

“I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!”  (John 16:33)

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

Let Us Go to the House of the Lord

Psalm 122: 1-2

“1 I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord!” 2 Our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem.”

When I was young, my mother had to pry me out of bed and push me out the door to get me to go to church on Sunday.  Now that I am grown, I thank her for her perseverance.  

Thanks to my mother, and the love of a lot of other people, I have discovered not only the joy of knowing God, but also the joy of worshiping Him in the company of other believers, of singing praises and worship hymns, of hearing God’s word spoken, of hearing the witness of others.

Worship affirms my faith and refreshes my spirit.

I am now glad when people say to me, let us go to church and worship God.  Let us stand in the sanctuary for a while and feel the presence of God, God’s people, and the love and the fellowship they share.   

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

Our Refuge and Strength

Psalm 46: 1-3

“1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 

A common theme in the Bible is the presence of God.  Not just God’s presence in the universe, but God’s presence on earth and in our individual lives.  His presence is steadfast and He is with us through all life has to offer, the good and the bad.

Christians are witnesses to this presence, since the Holy Spirit of God dwells in each of us. God is present not just when we are good and acting according to his will, but also when we sin.  God does not desert us in our sins, but is still with us, convicting us of our wrongdoing, leading us to repentance.

Our God, the God of all creation, the God of all nations,  the God of all people, the God of our souls, is 

in us, 

leading us, 

transforming us, 

convicting us, 

forgiving us, 

healing us, 

loving us.

“2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; 3 though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult.”

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

The Unchanging

Psalm 62:1-2

“1 For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. 2 He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall never be shaken.”

I once saw a husband, his wife and children interviewed on the news who had just crawled out of the rubble of what once was their home after a tornado destroyed their neighborhood.  The interviewer asked the husband how they were feeling after losing everything.  The husband replied, “Well, we still have what’s important.  We still have each other, and God is still in our lives.”

There are very few things that do not change in this life.  God is one of these.

For believers, God is our rock that we cling to in the storms of life; the rock that cannot be shaken; our shelter against the suffering and hardships.

The material things in our lives may be lost, damaged or destroyed.  But the spiritual things can never be taken away.  They are the foundation of our lives, the source of our joy, the cause of our reverence and worship…and the strength that enables us to move forward.

“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us give thanks, by which we offer to God an acceptable worship with reverence and awe.” (Hebrews 12:28)

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

Being Still

Psalm 37:7

“7 Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him; do not fret over those who prosper in their way, over those who carry out evil devices.”

We are not a patient people.  We want things now.  When we pray,  we expect things to happen, not next year, but now.

Not only are we not patient, but we are not students of scripture, because if we were we would know that patience is a virtue, that God will not be rushed, that He is sovereign, and that He works in His own time, in His own will,  not ours.

We cannot hurry in our spiritual lives.  We have to read and reread the scriptures.  We must struggle over the meaning of words and phrases in order to understand.   We have to wait on God’s truth to reveal itself to us.  Our spiritual lives have to move slower, much slower, than our secular lives.

Waiting and being still before the Lord is a necessary part of our spiritual development.  

It humbles us and causes us to listen…and to trust.

“Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act.” (Psalm 37:5)

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

The Mercy of God

Psalm 57: 1

1 Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge;

in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, until the destroying storms pass by.

God is the God of mercy, of second chances and transformation; He is the God of refuge, the God to whom we turn in times of turmoil, unrest and suffering.

God is the God of green pastures with whom we can find rest in our struggles, and the God of still waters who offers us peace even in times of the storm.

God is the God who desires and hears our prayers.

“Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.”  (1 Chronicles 16:11)

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

God Exists in Us

God Exists in Us

Psalm 53: 1-3

“1 Fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they commit abominable acts; there is no one who does good. 2 God looks down from heaven on humankind to see if there are any who are wise, who seek after God. 3 They have all fallen away, they are all alike perverse; there is no one who does good, no, not one.”

Some people say that God does not exist.  They point to the evil that runs rampant in this world as proof of their argument.  And they close their eyes to the presence of God.

Believers know that God is in the world despite the evil and the suffering that exist. We know that God can be found in the rain, and in the sun.  He is in the wind and in the calmest, most silent place.  He is in the light and in the darkest moments.  He is in the largest and the smallest of things.

He exists in every act of love, in every kindness done.  His voice is heard in every word of hope.  His presence is felt in every arm that lifts, in every back that bends, in every hand that grasps for the benefit of others.

God is in the world. He lives and works through us.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.” 

(John 14:12)

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

The Green Olive Tree

Psalm 52:8-9

“8 But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever. 9 I will thank you forever, because of what you have done. In the presence of the faithful I will proclaim your name, for it is good.”

The green olive tree is a beautiful tree.  It can live in a variety of places, from hot climates and sunny places to the mountains.  It is a durable tree and it produces olives and olive oil.   It’s branches and leaves are symbols of peace.

Olive wood was used in the construction of the temple and olive oil was used to anoint Israel’s kings and prophets.  Olive wood and olive oil proclaimed God’s wisdom, His love, His glory, and His presence.

David compared his love for God to the olive tree. His love for God adorned his life and proclaimed God’s presence and God’s glory in his life.

God’s presence and love in our lives is a beautiful work that adorns our lives.

Let us proclaim His name. For it is good.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

Saying and Acting

Psalm 52: 1-4

“1 Why do you boast, O mighty one, of mischief done against the godly? All day long 2 you are plotting destruction. Your tongue is like a sharp razor, you worker of treachery. 3 You love evil more than good, and lying more than speaking the truth.Selah 4 You love all words that devour, O deceitful tongue.”

King David was a man who claimed to know and love God but who acted in a very different way with Bathsheba and her husband.

One of the many reasons that young people give for not attending church today is that they think the church is full of hypocrites, who say one thing but do something much different.

People may claim that they love God and Christ.  But their actions may speak otherwise.  They may actually worship and praise God while plotting evil in their hearts against their fellow human beings.

Let us love God, and let it be expressed not only in our words, 

but also in our actions.

“…live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come and see you or am absent and hear about you, I will know that you are standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel,” (Philippians 1:27)

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

Right Relationship with God

Psalm 51:18-19

“18 Do good to Zion in your good pleasure; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, 19 then you will delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on your altar.”

We are in a right relationship with God only when we recognize our sins and sincerely ask for forgiveness.  Only then will the sacrifices that we make be recognized as done in faith.

As Christians, our sacrifices are made in the form of giving our money, our time, our talents, our service and our witness to the church.  These mean nothing if they are given in a spirit of pride, self, anger, greed, etc.,.

Right sacrifices can be given only in a spirit of faith and only when we are in a right relationship with God.

Stay in a right relationship with God.

And delight in right sacrifices.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

The Acceptable Sacrifice

Psalm 51: 17

“17 The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”

We will never know God unless we are humble.  We will never be humble unless we realize that we are powerless before our sins and that we need a savior in order to be in a right relationship with God.   

When we realize how weak we are, that God holds the key to our salvation, and we come before Him asking for forgiveness and accepting Christ as our Lord, it is at that point that we have humility, it is at that point that we have salvation, it is at that point that we have a relationship with God.

The sacrifice that is acceptable to God is our pride.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

A Sincere Heart

Psalm 51: 15-16

“15 O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.

16 For you have no delight in sacrifice; if I were to give a burnt offering, you would not be pleased.”

King David was not living a life that was acceptable to God.  In his repentance he realized that his praises to God and his sacrifices to God lacked sincerity; lacked the power that only a heart empowered by God has.  

David prayed that God give him the power he once had in his worship of Him and the sincerity he once possessed to make sacrifices in His name.

Above all that we have to offer, above money, above rituals, above programs, above any material thing…

God desires our hearts.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

A Willing Spirit

Psalm 51: 11-12

“11 Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit.”

King David asked God to restore his willing spirit.  A willing spirit is derived from the assurance and joy of our salvation.  David no longer had this assurance.

A willing spirit gives us the courage and fortitude to live a godly life and to walk the path on which God leads us and the strength to resist worldly temptations for the sake of your relationship with God.

A willing spirit enables us to feel the deep and abiding joy of our relationship with God even in times of sacrifice and hardship…

and to be examples of Christ to the world.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

Repentance

Psalm 51: 6-10

“6 You desire truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.

7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have crushed rejoice.

9 Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.”

Psalm 51 is a record of King David’s repentance of his sins after being made acutely aware of them by the prophet Nathan.   

In the verses above, David asks God to cleanse him of his sins.  He asks that he be made spiritually clean; that God wash away his sins as if they had never happened; that he experience the same joy and gladness in God that he did prior to his sins.

Most importantly, David prayed not only for a clean slate but for a clean heart and a new spirit that would enable him to move forward with God.

We often seek forgiveness in prayer, but we must also pray for a new beginning, a new resolve…

and the strength, given of God, to move forward.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

Self-Awareness

Psalm 51:1-5

1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,

and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. 4 Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgment. 5 Indeed, I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me.

Psalm 51 was written by King David after he was confronted by the prophet, Nathan, regarding his sins with Bathsheba.  Psalm 51 shows a repentant David, begging God for forgiveness.

David seemed unaware of his sins until Nathan, sent by God, made him realize, through a parable, that his liaisons with Bathsheba, and the killing of her husband were sins, and an affront to God.

The first step in asking forgiveness from God is being aware of our sins to the point that our sins grieve us.  The Holy Spirit will lead us to this point of awareness, if we do not quench the Spirit’s voice.  

David quenched God’s spirit and refused to recognize his actions as wrong.  Self awareness is a vital quality given to us by God’s Holy Spirit.  

Our spiritual lives depend upon it.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

God’s Strength

Psalm 27:1

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

No matter what happens in our lives Christ is with us.  Whether we live or die we are with Christ.  Whether we suffer or whether we prosper we are with Christ. Nothing on this earth can ever change that.  

No matter how dark or scary this world becomes, Christ is our guiding light.

When all worldly strongholds fail, Christ is still in our lives…

and that is the greatest comfort above all comforts.

“Seek the LORD and His strength; seek His face evermore!” (1 Chronicles 16:11)

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired

God’s Voice

Psalm 19: 1-4

“1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.

3 They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them.  4 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.”

Studies have shown that the average American spends less than five hours a week outside.  In fact,  to many Americans, nature is seen as threatening and something to be avoided.  We prefer to be in the manmade world rather than the creation of  God.

God gave us dominion over the natural world.  Through our dominion, we were to come to know Him; to deepen our relationship with Him; to become more like Him.  

Our disconnect with nature is causing a disconnect with God.  God uses nature to reveal Himself; to speak to us, and we are not looking or listening.

We are suffering spiritually from our disconnect with God.

Yet, the clouds are still in the skies.

The wind still blows through the trees.

The flowers still bloom in spring.

The birds still sing and fly away.

And the voice of God continues to call our name.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)