Archive | February 2026

Chaplain’s Corner – Lent 2026: Testing

Feb25

“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry” (Matthew 4:1-2).

Jesus was led into the wilderness by the Spirit to be tempted by the devil. Our topic is testing. We will talk about temptation next week; but know this, temptation is not the same as testing in the biblical sense. Temptation comes from the devil, and it is for our harm. Testing is from God, and it is for our good.

When we are given instruction, whether it be at school, at work, or in life in general, we should be tested to see what we have learned. When we fall short, then we know what we need to work on. God tests our faithfulness from time to time, and when we fall short, guess what? We find out what we need to work on. God’s desire for us is that we be found ready when he comes to take us to our final home. God is testing us for our good.

There are many examples in the Bible of God testing his people:

  • In Genesis 2:16-17, God gave Adam an instruction: “And the Lord God commanded the man, ‘You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” This was a test; Adam and Eve failed.
  • God promised Abraham that he would be the father of the nation of Israel. Then, “By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son” (Hebrews 11:7). Also, reference Genesis 22:1. This was a test; Abraham passed.
  • When God brought the Israelites out of Egypt, “He gave you manna to eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had never known, to humble and test you so that in the end it might go well with you” (Deuteronomy 8:16). In Hebrews 3:8, we learn how the Israelites performed on this test: “Do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the wilderness.”
  • In Judges 3:1, we learn that “These are the nations the Lord left to test all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan.” Have you ever considered that wartime could be a test imposed on us by God?
  • In the New Testament, when Jesus was faced with the crowds of hungry people, hungry for his Word and for food, his asked one of his disciples, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat? He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do” (John 6:5-6). And of course, we know that Jesus fed the five thousand with the five loaves and two fishes, with food left over.
  • The Apostle Paul, who endured many trials and obstacles in his missionary work, acknowledged that God tests our faithfulness. “On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts” (1 Thessalonians 2:4).

These are just a few examples. Perhaps if we have this perspective on the tests and trials that come our way, we will be more eager to demonstrate our obedience and faith so as to be found pleasing to our Master. And as we continue to grow in faith, perhaps we can even model the psalmist, who in his wisdom writings communicated his desire to be conformed to the character of God by praying intensely for testing, examination, and trials.

“Test me, Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind” (Psalm 26:2).
“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts” (Psalm 139:23).

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Lent 2026: Preparation

Feb18

“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.” (Matthew 4:1-2)

Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. It seems like we have just celebrated Christmas and the arrival of the New Year with all the associated festivities. We have been experiencing a challenging winter with snow and ice and power outages. We praise God for his supreme sovereignty over the seasons and his promise that Spring is on the way with milder temperatures and the greening of the grass and trees and the arrival of flowers (my personal favorite). During Spring, we celebrate Easter and proclaim the resurrection of Christ. For the forty or so days before Easter, we may also celebrate a special time in the formal Church calendar called Lent.

By observing the forty days of Lent, Christians remember Jesus Christ’s sacrifice and withdrawal into the wilderness for forty days. Lent is marked by fasting, both from food and festivities. Lent officially begins today, Ash Wednesday, and ends on Easter Sunday, April 5. In case you are doing the math, the forty days of Lent include all the days except Sundays between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. During Lent, we are celebrating Christ’s resurrection, and since Christians already celebrate resurrection every Sunday, Sundays are not included in Lent.

Many denominations do not formally recognize Lent, and you will not find it referenced in the Bible. Some people think of it as a time of fasting, and more especially giving up something you love, like chocolate or coffee as a personal sacrifice (or perhaps to lose weight or kick a habit and typically following a blow-out celebration on the day before called Fat Tuesday, or Mardi Gras in French).

Despite what modern culture might make of Lent, it is intended to be a season of reflection and preparation before Easter, which is the most solemn and significant season of the year. The culmination of Jesus’ earthly ministry was his crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension to heaven, which we celebrate during Easter. Jesus prepared to begin his earthly ministry with this time of temptation in the wilderness. It was intense, and he tested himself to the limit to prepare himself for the trials that were to come his way.

In only three short years, Jesus started a movement that changed the world. The number of Christians grew by approximately 40% per decade during the first and second centuries. As of 2020, Christianity is still the largest religion in the world with an estimated 28.8% of the world population. (Islam is next, with 25.6% and Hinduism is 14.9%. 24.2% are unaffiliated.) * Jesus began his public ministry when he found John the Baptist and asked him to baptize him. Here is the story, chronologically:

  1. Matthew 3:16-17: “As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.’”
  2. Then Matthew 4:1-2 records that “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted] by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.”
  3. After his time of temptation in the wilderness was completed, he withdrew to Galilee. “From that time on Jesus began to preach, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near’” (Matthew 4:13, 17).

By observing the forty days of Lent, Christians commemorate Jesus Christ’s withdrawal into the wilderness for 40 days following his baptism by John the Baptist, as he prepares for his active ministry. In the weeks ahead, we will explore more regarding Jesus’ time in the wilderness, his testing and temptation. We will learn how we can model Jesus to overcome temptation.

As we commemorate this act of Jesus, let us seek to set aside during this time of Lent to meditate on God’s word, with time for reflection, confession, and repentance.

“‘Even now,’ declares the LORD, ‘return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.’ Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and He relents from sending calamity. Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave behind a blessing — grain offerings and drink offerings for the LORD your God’” (Joel 2:12-14).

In Christ,

Judy

*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_religious_populations

Chaplain’s Corner – Fit for Special Use

Feb11

“In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use. Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master, and prepared to do any good work” (2 Timothy 2:20-21).

I believe that most of us serving at Nashville Rescue Mission believe that God has called us to serve here. And I believe that many of us, from time to time, feel a bit overwhelmed and underprepared in view of the daunting needs that we see in humanity every day. How do we deal with our feelings and more importantly, these needs? We know from Ephesians and James that he saves us to the work, and when He calls us, He also prepares us. How can we stay ready, willing, and able to face any situation?

First, realize that God is able to fill us to overflowing. David speaks of his cup overflowing; so, how can we possess the overflowing cup, or vessel, that David refers to in Psalm 23:5a? “You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”  In the Chaplain’s Corner two weeks ago entitled “Overflow,” We were reminded that when we are anointed as vessels for service, we share in the gift of the Holy Spirit; and the Holy Spirit is an endless, eternal flowing of God’s goodness and mercy. It is out of this overflow that we can not only enjoy the abundant life, but we can share it with others. Another word for cup is vessel. We pray to be vessels fit for God’s use so that we can serve from the overflow of our hearts.

Second, according to the passage above from 2 Timothy, we should participate in our own fitness by cleansing ourselves in order to be ready to be filled. Paul further explains that this refers to our cooperation with the Holy Spirit to rid ourselves of evil influences. The Bible tells us to flee from sin, to run from sin. We know that running is a good workout, so running from sin is a great way to get fit for service in a manner of speaking. Besides running from sin, Paul tells us to make every effort to purify ourselves. “With promises like this to pull us on, dear friends, let’s make a clean break with everything that defiles or distracts us, both within and without. Let’s make our entire lives fit and holy temples for the worship of God” (2 Corinthians 7:1 The Message). Again, to use running as a way to get fit, we not only run away from sin, but we chase after righteousness, faith, love, and peace.

And lastly, to be fit for special use, we must be available. There is a great story in 2 Kings 4. In the story, a widow sought help from the prophet Elisha to fend off creditors. All she had was a small jar of oil, vital for heating and cooking as well as symbolizing healing and holiness. Elisha told her to find some empty jars for more oil, and then he told her to start pouring from the small jar of oil into the empty jars. The oil flowed as long as she had available jars. When she ran out of jars, the oil stopped. How do we become fit for service? We simply make ourselves available. Every time I pray to God to show me an opportunity to serve, to do good work on His behalf, He comes through. Every time.

“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’” (Isaiah 6:8).

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Extravagant Faith

Feb4

“Now to him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20).

This is Nashville Rescue Mission’s first core value, and the underpinning of all our other core values. We “value” this core value of extravagant faith even more when we are in survival mode such as the ice storm and power outages of last week. In fact, as I write this, I am trying to finish before my computer battery dies.

The battery provides an interesting analogy; one that we used in an earlier Chaplain’s Corner entitled “Rechargeable.” Of course, we recharge our devices using a power source that is subject to the whims of nature. But the Holy Spirit is not subject to the whims of nature; in fact, the whims of nature are subject to Him. The Holy Spirit is a much more trustworthy power source.

To understand extravagant faith, we must first understand faith. Faith is the means by which we receive the gift of salvation. It is similar to trust. In Hebrews 11:1, we learn that “…faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” And Paul writes: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it (salvation) is the gift of God— (Ephesians 2:8). For example, it was the faith of Abraham that was his righteousness. “Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. This is why ‘it was credited to him as righteousness’.” (Romans 4:20-22).

Have you ever watched a movie where someone has been pushed over a cliff or roof and is hanging on to the edge for dear life? Someone sends a rope or hand, but in order to grab onto the rope, the person has to let go of the cliff. Easier said than done. Or perhaps the only way off the island is to push off into the current that is only going in one direction, hoping it will go toward eventual rescue. Or someone we know needs material assistance which will require our giving sacrificially, not knowing if we will be repaid. In each case, we must let go the feeble hold we have on this life and material things and grab on to the life that Jesus offers. This, my friends, is extravagant faith. Trusting (letting go)  so that God can save us; so that He can do “exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think.”

What is also interesting is that opening our hands to let go also results in opening our hands to receive. Jesus tells us that he is “the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). We stay connected to the vine by faith—by trusting in His Word. We may think that if we have enough faith, we can do great things. However, we in and of ourselves will never do great things. It is only God, working through us as we are connected to Him BY FAITH, that we will bear much fruit. It is the Holy Spirit working through us that is doing the bearing. In receiving power through our connection to the vine (power source) we are allowing ourselves to be used for God’s extravagant purposes.

It is the same with prayer. We may think that if only we had enough faith, God would do what we ask of Him in our prayers. But that is not how it works. With extravagant faith, we trust God to answer our prayers with the best possible outcome for all concerned for all time.

Extravagant faith is the means to salvation and our journey to sanctification and glorification. We acknowledge that we are sinners and unable to save ourselves except by the grace of God. When the jailor asked Paul what he must do to be saved, Paul told him, “Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). Salvation comes through believing that Jesus is who He says He is and that He can do what He says He will do.

Open your heart and open your hands to receive the glorious gift of salvation. If you have never done this before, then right now, just stop and talk to God about it. Tell him you want to accept His gift of salvation. Acknowledge your need for the saving grace that only He can provide, ask Him to come into your heart and transform your life. Thank Him and then find someone to talk to about this. I would love to hear from you and to talk with you more about your decision. God has amazing plans in store for all those who trust and obey. Now, let us grab on to the rope, push off into the current, and follow Jesus. Have faith! Follow Jesus!

“By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God” (Hebrews 11:8-10).

In Christ,

Judy