Marc h Forth Star Wars aficionados have appropriated May 4th as their official Star Wars Day, by restating the famous phrase, “May the Force be with you,” as “May the Fourth be with you.” It’s a cute pun. I was a huge Star Wars fan when the original trilogy came out in the 1970s, but haven’t been inspired by any of the movies since. In the same way that May the 4th is big for Star Wars fans, I have always thought that March 4th should be a day when we Christians celebrate God’s grace, mercy, love and forgiveness in our lives and, with renewed joy and energy, go out to share those virtues with a hurting world. March Forth! You could call it ministry, or you could call it simply loving people. God has blessed us so richly, it only makes sense that we would share Him and His riches with others. Has God laid a person or a group of people on your heart? March Forth and love them! I know a man who hands out personal care/hygiene packages, including Bibles, to the homeless. I know a woman who leads a group study involving wounded women to biblically address their pasts and find healing. I know a man who meets one-on-one with several men regularly, discipling them. I know many people who bring food to church for the various meetings on a Sunday. Several women send birthday cards. A woman prays for the people in her church every day. Another woman regularly makes meals for those whose lives are in crisis. A man does household jobs and small repairs for those who can’t. Several folks lead groups that bless those who attend. A woman who fills the communion cups and a man who makes sure everyone gets one. People who set up and tear down meeting rooms. A man who walks his neighborhood every day he is able, praying for his neighbors. A man who regularly prays with his waiter/waitress. Another who looks for opportunities to befriend the friendless. And these are just a few examples. God has given us so much, how could we help but let His love overflow to the people around us? How about a few Scriptures to encourage you? 1 Peter 4:10 As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD yourGod is with you wherever you go.” Matthew 28:19,20 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Colossians 3:23,24 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. Where to begin? Henry Blackaby, in his book Experiencing God, wrote, “Find out where God is working, and join Him there.” Look around with spiritual eyes, asking God to show you where there is a need. Ask Him where He wants to use you. Listen for His leading and make sure your selfishness and pride are locked in a cabinet out of reach. Then, following your heart, knowing that you can’t go wrong, march forth and love people!

Anxiety Are you anxious today? Are you worrying about something? You can be honest; it’s just you and me here. If you’re anxious about something, you’re certainly not alone. According to a May 1, 2024 report by the American Psychiatric Association 77% of adults in the United States are anxious about the economy, 69% are anxious about gun violence and 68% are anxious about keeping themselves or their families safe. Other issues producing anxiety are identity protection (63%), health (63%), climate change (57%) and the impact of emerging technology (46%). That last percentage has probably increased significantly in the almost two years since the article was written, as the influence of Artificial Intelligence continues to expand. Is there a situation out of your control that you wish you could do something about? Is some unpleasantness looming? Is there a relationship in your life that is not what it should be? Are you concerned about family members? Is the slow deterioration of your body keeping you awake wondering what the future holds? Are you worried that you aren’t doing enough? It’s very likely that if you’re honest with yourself, at least one of those questions causes you at least occasional concern. And there are plenty more such questions looming out there. Anxiety doesn’t just plague the younger folks, after all. We have plenty of things to worry about, too! Or do we? Read Philippians 4:6,7: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (NASB) Richard DeHaan, who led the Our Daily Bread ministry for many years, gives us the following illustration: “I heard about a woman who kept a box in her kitchen that she called her "Worry Box". Every time something troubled her, she would write it down on a piece of paper and put it in the box. She resolved not to think about her problems as long as they were in the box. This enabled the woman to put her troubles completely out of mind. She knew they could be dealt with later. Occasionally she would take out a slip of paper and review the concern written on it. Because she had not been drained by anxiety, she was relaxed and better able to find the solution to her problem. Many times she discovered that a specific worry no longer existed. Writing your worries on paper and putting them in a box may be helpful, but how much better it is to place them in the hands of God. Worry robs us of joy, drains us of energy, stunts our spiritual growth, and dishonors God. Jesus said, ‘Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble’ (Matthew 6:34). Let's believe the Lord's promises and trust Him to meet our needs. Placing our problems in His hands is far better than putting them in a worry box. And if we go back about 150 years, we can read what Charles Haddon Spurgeon had to say about anxiety. He pastored a very large church in London, England for many years and is sometimes known as the “Prince of Preachers.” His language is a bit archaic in places, but his point is clear. “No care, but all prayer. No anxiety, but much joyful communion with God. Carry your desires to the Lord of your life, the guardian of your soul…Do not pray doubtfully, but thankfully…Hide nothing. Allow no want to lie rankling in your bosom; ‘make known your requests.’ Run not to man. Go only to your God, the Father of Jesus, who loves you in Him. This shall bring you God’s own peace. You shall not be able to understand the peace which you shall enjoy. It will enfold you in its infinite embrace. Heart and mind through Christ Jesus shall be steeped in a sea of rest. Come life or death, poverty, pain, slander, you shall dwell in Jesus above every ruffling wind or darkening cloud. Will you not obey this dear command?” Both Richard DeHaan and Charles Spurgeon agree with the apostle Paul that we should take our cares/anxieties/worries directly to the throne of God. God may not erase the situation that causes our anxiety, but He will give us the “peace which surpasses all comprehension.” I hope you have experienced that peace. Spurgeon said “it will enfold you in its infinite embrace.” Paul, in Philippians 4, says that sweet peace that “transcends understanding (NIV)” also guards our hearts and minds. It keeps our attention on Jesus so that when the anxious thoughts come pounding on the doors of our heart and mind, they are turned away, rejected into the cold night, while we enjoy the warmth and light of the presence of God, knowing that whatever happens, our Father is in control. So if you are anxious today; if the cares of life are weighing on you, take them to God in prayer and leave them with Him. If you’re like me, you may need to do that several times every day. In return for that burden, God will give you miraculous peace. For more Scripture encouragement regarding anxiety and peace, read I Peter 5:7,  II Thessalonians 3:16, Colossians 3:15 and Isaiah 26:3,4.

Judgment and Grace A few years ago, the Cleveland Clinic produced a powerful video about empathy. The video shows various people moving about in a hospital setting and places captions above their heads. A husband and wife in the hospital cafeteria looking careworn; “19-year-old son on life support.” An older man in the elevator: “Wife just had a stroke. Wondering how he will take care of her.” The woman next to him: “Recently divorced.” A nurse working with a patient: “Nearing the end of a 12-hour shift.” A woman sitting in a waiting room: “They saw ‘something’ on her mammogram.” A man coming up an escalator: “The tumor was malignant.” The video ends with the words, “If you could stand in someone else’s shoes, hear what they hear, see what they see, feel what they feel, would you treat them differently?” The video makes no claim to be faith-based in any way, but it got me thinking. Even though God, as well as many people throughout my life, have shown me amazing grace, I still judge others far too readily. Maybe you do, too. Whether it’s in traffic or at the store or in a restaurant, in a conversation, watching the news, or just watching people, I’m much more likely to pronounce judgment than I am to grant grace. I seldom say to myself, “I wonder why he/she did that?” I have no idea what life events have made people what they are, what struggles are dogging their steps or what kind of pain, whether physical or emotional, they are dealing with today. Maybe this man’s wife just had a stroke, like the man in the video. Could it be that woman was sexually abused by a close relative for years? Maybe that man has cried out to God over and over for release from an addiction. Perhaps this woman is in the middle of a horrible custody battle. It’s possible that the pain almost kept that middle aged man in bed this morning and he’s struggling with it every day, wondering if he will ever find relief. It’s possible that young lady’s parents and teachers lied to her about her identity and about God throughout her formative years. None of that background information is visible. Should we never judge the rightness or wrongness of someone’s behavior? Hardly. Many have interpreted Matthew 7:1 (“Judge not, lest you be judged.”) to mean that no one should ever be held accountable for their sinful behavior. But that interpretation runs contrary to many other teachings of Jesus and, in my experience, is typically used by people attempting to justify their sin. One of my professors put it this way: “God is the only Judge of the motives of the heart, but you and I are called to be fruit inspectors.” In other words, we can never know what causes people to behave the way they do, especially if they are total strangers to us, but we can certainly discern whether their actions are supported by Scripture. Shall we be the judge and jury of the people we encounter every day? Do we qualify? James 4:12 says, “There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and destroy; but who are you who judge your neighbor?” Who am I to judge and condemn the people I encounter every day? Do I know anything about that rude man who cut me off in traffic and then honked and glared at me like it was my fault? Have I any knowledge of what experiences shaped the life of that angry screaming woman on the television news? How about that woman walking down the sidewalk in rags, or the man berating the barista? In John 7:24, Jesus told His followers, “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.” Look beyond the appearance and behavior and see the person underneath. Every day I need to consciously work to break that condemning, judgmental spirit that lives inside me. I am going to make every effort, with help from the Holy Spirit, to reserve judgment on the people I see. I’m in no position to know the motives behind their behavior. Though many behaviors are unquestionably wrong by God’s standard, I don’t have the right to condemn that person. I can condemn the sin, but I have no right to judge the sinner. That’s God’s job. If you’re a “judger” like me, I hope you’ll join me. We’re called to grant grace. Just like God does for us.

The Beauty and Wonder of God’s Creation Contrary to what you may have heard, God created this world and all that is in it. Genesis 1:1 couldn’t possibly be more clear. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Nehemiah 9:6 says, “You alone are the LORD. You have made the heavens, the heaven of heavens with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to all of them. And the heavenly host bows down before You.” And in Psalm 33:6, the psalmist sings, “By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of His mouth all their host.” God’s creation is astonishing. In many places, it beggars description. Just think about what it must have been like before the Fall when everything was just as God originally created it; before sin entered the world and the long slide of corruption began? I have experienced just a small portion of creation’s amazing beauty. I have gazed at Mt. Rainier from its Springtime meadows and I have partaken of the splendor of the Tetons in autumn. The thunder of countless waterfalls around the country still resonates inside me. I have watched the sun set over Haystack Rock on the Oregon coast and enjoyed the rainbow of Grand Prismatic Spring. I have driven through the wonder of the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains. The towering cliffs of Yosemite Valley left me speechless, as did the vast curtain of stars over the Paradise Valley here in Montana. I was inspired by the view of Atlantic waves crashing on the rocks on the Dingle Peninsula in Ireland. I have experienced the sunset’s glow on Delicate Arch in southeastern Utah. The view of Zion Canyon from Angels Landing took my breath away. I’ll never forget the glorious sunset from the island of Santorini, Greece. I have been terrified by the awesome power of a thunderstorm high in the Washington Cascades and I have gasped in awe at several of the most incredible vistas Glacier National Park has to offer. I have enjoyed the intimacy of the Black Hills from the summit of Black Elk Peak and I have watched enthralled as clouds scudded above the magnificent chasm of the Grand Canyon. And yet, there is so much more I haven’t seen or experienced. I encourage you to take a moment to think back over your life and remember those powerful experiences you have had in God’s creation. Maybe it was admiring the delicate structure of a wildflower, or maybe it was drinking in the view from the summit of Mt. Everest. Where were you and what happened? What did you see, hear, smell, touch and feel? How did God work in your soul as a result of the experience? Thank Him for this world He has given us, as well as His personal dealings with you. And that brings me to my final point. Every time I experience the majesty of God’s creation and marvel at His works, I’m reminded of one of the most astonishing realities known to man. God, who created all this world around us, as well as our sun and our solar system and yes, the entire universe, knows my name. And He knows your name. In fact, He knew us before He created the universe. Paul writes, in Ephesians 1:4, “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him.” And in II Timothy 1:9, Paul writes, “He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time.” My finite mind can’t comprehend that; how the Creator of the universe could know me personally. And equally as mind-boggling, if not more so is that, knowing me and all of my sin and rebellion against Him, He loves me and gave His only Son to die in my place! Almost unbelievable. But He asks me to believe it. And if I do, and if you do, we receive eternal life into the bargain! What a God, what a Father. Let’s thank Him for His love for us and for the creation He has given to us to enjoy.

Where Are They Going? Every day driving I’m surrounded by people Where are they going? To work, an appointment, the grocery store, out to eat, to the doctor, To run an errand, buy a gift, home, to pick up a child from school I’ve considered following a random car, just to see Where they are going Every day living Surrounded by infinite souls Where are they going? Does it even cross my mind? What have they done with Jesus? Son of God killed in my place, alive again my Savior? Or quotable dead guy, like Charles Dickens only maybe more important A friend of mine died Sunday night, more of an acquaintance really Ashamed to say I don’t know where he went I have my suspicions We talked off and on for years The subject of eternal destination never came up Does he now wonder what I was playing at? I don’t know, don’t really want to Surrounded by aimless, heartless, mindless I hear Jesus say, “The fields are white for harvest” Unless I step out I know where they’re going

Identity “So, what do you do?” When I meet someone new, that’s almost always the question they ask me. And I ask it often of others. I’ll bet you do, too. My answer used to be easy: “I work for Social Security.” But now I’m not quite sure what to say. I stopped working at SSA in March 2025, but I don’t consider myself retired. I’m growing my voice over business and I’m working part-time with a terrific group of people at Hannaford. I don’t think it’s accurate to say, “I’m retired,” but I certainly can’t say what I used to say. At times I’m not sure what my identity is or who I am. Maybe you’ve been in the same situation: “Now that I no longer work for XYZ Company, who am I?” “Now that the kids are all grown up, who am I?” “I used to be very active and involved, but now my health (or the health of my spouse) has deteriorated to the point that it’s difficult to even get out of the house. What am I now?” Maybe you’re in one of those situations, or one similar, right now. Let me offer a different perspective. If Jesus were to join you in the room right now (and for the sake of discussion, let’s set aside the fact that you would immediately fall on your face before Him in awestruck worship), do you think He would greet you with, “So, what do/did you do?” Hardly. If you are a Believer, He would likely smile at you, wrap His arms around you in the warmest hug you’ve ever received and, with unfathomable love in His voice, say, “My child.” If you have put your faith in God, you are an adopted child of the Father. In Romans 8:15-16, Paul writes, “You have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out ‘Abba! Father!’ The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are the children of God.” (NASB) The last phrase of Galatians 4:4-7 says, “Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.” And Paul writes, in Ephesians 1:5, “He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will.” Your identity as a Christian is not found in what you did before or what you do now. It’s not external. It’s not a product of your performance. It’s not something you accomplish. Your value to God has nothing to do with doing, but instead, with being. It has nothing to do with you and everything to do with God. Money has no value in and of itself; it’s simply paper or metal. Its value is placed on it by people. In the same way, God has placed value on you. And the situation doesn’t change as you get older. Whether you’re a senator or the CEO of a Fortune 500 company or you spend most of your time gardening and quilting and woodworking and volunteering and enjoying your grandchildren, your worth is based solely on what your heavenly Father did for you, in sending His Son Jesus to die in your place on that cross and then rise again to conquer Death. And frankly, I’d much rather be measured by God’s standard than by the standard of the world. “Who am I” and “To Whom do I belong”, rather than “What do I do.” Asking people what they did/do is so ingrained in our culture that it’s not likely we’ll stop, but I’m going to do my best to remember, in every encounter, that the most important thing about any person is the fact that God loves them. And that includes you and me. 

Lion and Bear Moments I recently heard a radio pastor say that we should never forget our “lion and bear” moments. That got my attention. He was referring to the story of David and Goliath in I Samuel 17. David stands before Saul, having just volunteered to take the fight to the giant. King Saul looks at David’s size and youth and asks him how he thinks he can possibly defeat a seasoned warrior who also happens to be almost ten feet tall! Here is David’s response: “Your servant was tending his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock, I went out after him and attacked him, and rescued it from his mouth; and when he rose up against me, I seized him by his beard and struck him and killed him. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has taunted the armies of the living God…The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” I Samuel 17:34-37 (NASB) You know the rest of the story. Saul agreed, David slung, Goliath died and Israel won a great victory that day (and hopefully every soldier in the army learned a valuable lesson about letting God do the fighting). In our lives, “lion and bear” moments are the victories God has allowed us to achieve throughout our Christian walk. Don’t forget them and don’t downplay them. If you’re like me, you tend to remember, often in excruciatingly detailed Technicolor, your failures. That is not how God wants you to live. In Psalm 103:12, David the giant-killer, but also the adulterer and murderer, writes, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” (NASB) God knows all our failures and loves us despite them. Instead, focus on those spiritual triumphs. Some might be worthy of an entire chapter in your biography, but most fly under the radar - standing firm against temptation, serving the Body of Christ even in the most behind-the-scenes way, planting the seeds of the gospel with a friend or coworker even when you’re petrified with fear, showing kindness to someone who didn’t deserve it, praying, shutting your mouth when it needed shutting or opening it when it needed opening, loving the unlovable, speaking the truth in love, spending time listening to God through His Word, forgiving, rejoicing with those who rejoice and mourning with those who mourn, contributing your time or your money or your expertise to the cause of Christ. I could go on and on! When you are discouraged and feel like you are failing God at every turn, ask Him to encourage you by bringing to your mind the “lion and bear” moments in your life, even the ones you might consider minor. The purpose is not to pat yourself on the back or to build your ego, but to praise God for them and to allow Him to remind you how, even in your weakness, He makes victory possible in your life by His grace, mercy and faithfulness to you.

Combating the Darkness  For a lot of people, the weeks after Christmas are difficult. In Montana, it’s usually cold and mostly snowy and always dark late into the morning and dark early in the afternoon. Visiting family has gone home and the warm feelings generated by the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons are but pleasant memories. Those living without God often struggle mightily in post-holiday winter. But even those enjoying a close relationship with God can have difficulty with encroaching darkness at times. I admit that January is my least favorite month, for all the reasons I mentioned above. The psalmist was clearly struggling when he wrote in Psalm 42:5, “Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me (NASB)?” He repeated the phrase later, in verse 11. And yet again in the next Psalm, 43, verse 5. Contrary to what many believe, we do have an Enemy, and part of his plan is to rob us of the hope and joy of our salvation and thus make us ineffective witnesses of God’s glory and love. Don’t let him do that. Read the sentence that comes next in Psalm 42:5: “Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence.” And the sentences that follow 42:11 and 43:5 are identical: “Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance, and my God.” Or, as Eugene Peterson paraphrases it in The Message, “Fix my eyes on God – soon I’ll be praising again. He puts a smile on my face. He’s my God.” As those who have put our faith in Jesus, we have hope that all will someday be made right. Righteousness will overcome evil and eternal light will overcome the darkness (Revelation 20-22). That “puts a smile on my face.” Several practical ways to combat the winter blues come to mind immediately. First, spend more time with God. Reading the Word, especially the Psalms, is refreshment to a weary soul. Let God’s Word flood those dry, thirsty parts of you. And talk to God; even consider writing about your struggles. Don’t hold back your feelings. He will never turn away honest confusion, anger or frustration. He’ll bring peace to your spirit. Many of the Psalms begin with the psalmist singing the blues, pouring his heart and hurt out to God, working through his pain and grief, and the unfairness and struggles of life. Along the way, perhaps by allowing him to hear his own words, God brings him back around to a better understanding of His character. And by the end of many of those Psalms, the psalmist is reveling in worship and praise of his Creator God. Also, get enough rest and good food. I lived alone for almost fourteen years between my divorce and remarriage and tended to stay up too late. I also ate a lot of food that wasn’t very good for me. Contrary to popular bachelor belief, mac and cheese is not a food group. Finally, do your best to have something on your calendar every day. Maybe it’s meeting with someone for coffee, reading an uplifting book, exercising, listening to or playing music, or volunteering. You need to have a reason to get up in the morning! And be encouraged. “Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him!” The darkness, both literal and spiritual, will pass!

TREASURE  Remember the old pirate movies, like Treasure Island, where they would find an old-fashioned treasure chest, break it open and find jewels and gold, all glittering in the light of their torches? There’s a passage in the Bible that reveals treasure far more valuable than gold and jewels. It’s Ephesians 1:2-14 and it reminds us of the treasure heaped upon every Believer. It’s as if the apostle Paul is reaching into God’s treasure chest and taking out the valuables one by one and describing them to his readers. But instead of, “Here’s a gem-studded dagger of gold,” he says this (which I have edited extensively): “God chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him; He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself; He freely bestowed on us His grace; in Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our sins; He lavished His grace upon us; He made known to us the mystery of His will; we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose; we were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who was given as a pledge of our inheritance.” If that passage of Scripture doesn’t light your fire, your wood’s wet! The treasures in the physical chest, the treasures we spend so much time and energy pursuing, are easily destroyed by moth and rust (Matt. 6:19). But the treasures Paul describes; the ones God provides to us, His children, are of eternal value. Read the full text of Ephesians 1:2-14 in the version of your choice and be encouraged. You are a child of the King and He has lavished upon you unfathomable riches!