John R. Brokhoff tells a story about the great pianist Ignacy Paderewski.

Paderewski had a friend whose little girl was preparing for a piano recital. Out of respect for his friend, he agreed to come.

But when the day came, the little girl looked out and saw the famous pianist sitting in the audience. She froze. She forgot her piece. And she broke down in tears.

When the recital was over, Paderewski didn't say a word. He simply walked up to her, tenderly kissed her on the forehead, and left.

Brokhoff made a point worth holding onto. If that little girl had played perfectly, she would never have received that kiss.

Most of us have had a recital like that. Maybe not on a stage. But a moment when we froze. When we forgot our part. When we failed in front of the very person we most wanted to impress.

And we assume that's the moment God turns away.

But the psalmist knew better: "As a father has compassion for his children, so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him. For he knows how we were made; he remembers that we are dust." (Psalm 103:13-14)

God knows how we were made. God isn't surprised when we fall apart.

So if you're carrying some failure today, some moment you'd give anything to replay, may you know it isn't the end of the story. It may be the very place where the Master comes near… and kisses you on the forehead.

Prayer: Loving God, thank you for your unconditional love and forgiveness. You know how we were made. When we fail, come near. Meet us in our mistakes and in our tears. Restore us, and set us on a new path. Amen.

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Today's message was written by my friend, Rev. Roger Kunkel, founder of Dial Hope.

In the classic book The Pilgrim's Progress, an allegory by John Bunyan, the author tells the story of Christian and Hopeful in their encounter with Giant Despair. The two pilgrims had trespassed on the giant's property and were thrown into Doubting Castle. There they were tortured and starved until they were on the brink of despair.

Suddenly, Christian exclaimed, "What a fool am I thus to lie in a stinking dungeon when I may as well walk at liberty! I have a key… called Promise that will open any lock in Doubting Castle." So with renewed hope in their hearts, the two pilgrims arose, unlocked the doors, and walked out again on the King's Highway.

When you and I store the Word of God in our hearts, we have the key to the great resources of God. The validity of God's promises has been passed down through the centuries by God's people. Whatever the need, the distress, the hurt, the sorrow, they have found relief and healing in God's redemptive, unconditional love. We, too, have the key called Promise. All we need to do is use God's promises for our needs.

Remember: The purpose of the Bible, the Word of God, is not information, but formation.

The psalmist said, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." (Psalm 119:105)

Prayer: God of love, deliver us from all narrowness of mind that fears new truth. Deliver us from all laziness of mind that is satisfied with half-truth. Deliver us from all arrogance of mind that thinks it knows all the truth. Lord, keep us earnestly, honestly, and diligently seeking the truth that alone can make us free. Now watch over those who are traveling, who drive or fly. Teach us that we never journey beyond your loving care. Amen.

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Barbara Johnson once wrote a little parable, a play on Jesus' story of the Good Samaritan. It goes something like this:

A man fell into a pit and couldn't get himself out.

A subjective person came along and said, "I feel for you down there."
An objective person said, "It's logical that someone would fall down there."
A mathematician calculated how he fell into the pit.
A news reporter wanted an exclusive story on his pit.
An IRS agent asked if he was paying taxes on the pit.
A self-pitying person said, "You haven't seen anything until you've seen my pit."
An optimist said, "Things could be worse."
A pessimist said, "Things will get worse."

Then Jesus came along. Seeing the man, he took him by the hand and lifted him out of the pit.

If I'm honest, I've been more than a few of those voices. I've felt sorry from a distance. I've analyzed. I've offered cheerful advice from up at the top.

Notice what all of those voices have in common. They stay at the edge. They talk down into the pit.

Only one of them reaches in.

The psalmist knew what that felt like from the bottom: "He drew me up from the desolate pit, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure." (Psalm 40:2)

That's how it starts for all of us. Someone reached in for us first.

So today, may you notice who's down in the pit near you. And may you be willing to kneel at the edge, reach down, and offer your hand.

Our prayer today was written by Alan Paton, the South African author of Cry, the Beloved Country, who took a courageous stand against racism.

Prayer: Help me, O Lord, to be more loving. Help me, O Lord, not to be afraid to love the outcast, the leper… the man in prison. Help me, by my love, to restore the faith of the disillusioned, the disappointed, the early bereaved. Help me, by my love, to be the witness to your love. And may I, this coming day, be able to do some work of peace for you. Amen.

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The preacher John Claypool once told about a thunderstorm that swept through southern Kentucky, where his family had farmed for six generations. The wind blew down an old pear tree that had stood there as long as anyone could remember.

Claypool's grandfather was heartbroken. He had climbed that tree as a boy. He had eaten its fruit all his life.

A neighbor came by. "Doc, I'm really sorry to see your pear tree blown down."

"I'm sorry too," his grandfather said. "It was a real part of my past."

"What are you going to do?"

His grandfather paused for a moment. Then he said, "I'm going to pick the fruit and burn what's left."

Claypool said that's the wise way to deal with much of our past. Learn its lessons. Enjoy its pleasures. And then go on with the present and the future.

Easier said than done.

Some of the most famous words in the Bible were written to people who couldn't go back. The prophet Jeremiah sent a letter to the exiles in Babylon. Their homes were gone. Their temple was gone. Everything they had known had been blown down. And all they wanted was to go home.

But God's word to them was surprising: "Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce."(Jeremiah 29:5) Don't just wait for the old days to return. Plant something. Right where you are.

And then came the promise: "For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope." (Jeremiah 29:11)

A future with hope. Not back there. Ahead.

So today, may you pick the fruit of your past: its lessons, its joys, its good memories. May you let go of what can't be saved. And may you have the courage to plant something new, trusting that God is with you here and now, and always.

Our prayer today was written by my friend Roger Kunkel, founder of Dial Hope.

Prayer: Compassionate God, you suffer with us. You care about our anguish, and your love endures all things, bears all things, believes all things, and hopes all things. In this love, we find faith and courage to live and breathe and have our being. Thanks be to you, O God, for your love. In Jesus' name. Amen.

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Today’s message was written by Rev. Roger Kunkel, founder of Dial Hope.

You know, when trouble comes into our lives or when tragedy strikes, we ask, "Where is God?" And the answer is - God is in the same place he was when his son was on the cross. God does not abandon us; God is with us every step of the way. He is with us even closer than our hands and feet. And as we keep moving forward, living one day at a time, trusting in God, and doing the best we can, he moves with us; he brings us through the valley. In the fiftieth chapter of Genesis, this is what Joseph referred to when he said to his brothers, "You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good." (Genesis 50:20) What had happened was bad, but God brought good out of those terrible events. That is the good news of our faith. God is with us, and nothing, not even death, can separate us from Him. "Lo, I am with you always," - this is God's most significant promise, and when we claim that promise, it changes our lives. Now make this day a masterpiece for you are blessed to be a blessing to others. 

Let us pray: God of all time, come into our lives and make us whole. As you entered time in Jesus the Christ, be born in us today and lead us to the light of your love. Be with all those in need of warmth and life and hope. Be with those who grieve. Be with those who are sick. Be with those who are afraid, that they may find themselves held in your strong arms. Lead us to your light, for we pray in the name of the light of the world, Jesus Christ. Amen. 

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