Tell Me Exactly When

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5:1 Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, 2 for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. 5 You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. 6 So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. 9 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 10 He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. (1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 NIV)

Happy Tuesday, dear Reader! Praying this finds you well and blessed. May those blessing pour out of you like honey to share with all people. The world continues to need sweetness and joy in daily life. And it takes so little to be kind usually, but it can mean so much. Kindness is a key that opens doors and hearts!

Imagine growing up as a person who loves to plan things out and knowing details, in your opinion, helps you plan better; but your mom or dad is the opposite; sharing nothing and expecting everything! Case in point, years ago, upon my arrival home from my first year of college, my Dad said for us to pack our suitcases. My first question: "Where are we going?" The answer: Pack y. our suitcases. Second question: "How many days?" Answer: Six. Okay, something is something. We headed out of Houston on Interstate 10 and ended up at Walt Disney World's first summer opening! It was well worth the frustration!

Have you ever tried to predict the weather by looking out the window, checking three apps, and consulting your knee? And then it rains anyway on the one day you left the umbrella at home.

Some of the Thessalonians were doing something similar with the return of Jesus. They wanted dates, charts, and timelines. Paul, with great kindness, says he doesn’t need to write to them about times and dates, because they already know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.

Now, a thief doesn’t send a calendar invite. That’s the point. While people are saying “Peace and safety,” destruction comes on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. It’s a sobering image, and Paul doesn’t soften it.

But then he turns, and I love this turn. “But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief.” Notice what he’s saying. The people who are caught off guard are the ones living in the dark, asleep and unaware. For those who belong to Jesus, the day isn’t an ambush. “You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.”

Think about how different that feels. A burglar fears the porch light. A child of the day isn’t hiding from anything.

So what does living in the daylight look like? Paul says, “So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober.” He’s not asking us to stare at the sky with binoculars. He’s asking us to live alert, steady, and clear-headed. Then he gives us a wardrobe: put on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. It’s armor, but notice what it’s made of. Faith, love, and hope are not flashy. They are the daily, practical gear of people who are ready for whatever the day brings.

And here comes the heart of the whole passage. “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with Him.” Your standing doesn’t depend on how well you guessed the timeline. It rests on what Jesus has already done.

That’s why Paul ends the way he does: “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” Not “panic one another.” Not “argue about the details.” Encourage. Build up.

So maybe today’s question is this: are you anxious about what’s coming, or are you living awake and encouraged? You don’t have to decode the future to be ready for it. You just have to keep your armor on, stay close to Jesus, and cheer on the people next to you.

PRAYER; Faithful God, keep me awake, steady, and wrapped in faith, hope, and love, so that I live each day as a child of the light and lift up those around me, in Christ Jesus’ strong name we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Today, send an encouraging word to someone and build them up in the hope we have in Jesus.

I love you and I thank God for you! You matter to God, and you matter to me! Live a life of love to all people in hopes of winning the world for Jesus!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Don't Bury the Treasure

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14 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. 15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag,[a] each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. 17 So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. 18 But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19 “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’ 21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ 22 “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’ 23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ 24 “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’ 26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. 28 “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. 29 For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ (Matthew 25:14-30 NIV)

There's a trend in modern funerals to insert the words of verse 23 at some point of the eulogy or sermon and it comes from this passage about the Talents, a parable of Jesus. Our having know the deceased has made us wonder if the family truly believed that about their loved one. Mind you, we are not ones to stop a funeral and say, "Uh, there must be some mistake here." The old joke was the widow who as the sermon got further on and on, she asked her little boy to go and see if that's really your dad in that coffin!" My joke is that some of us will hear St., Peter say, "Turn the ovens to well done as we receive this one!"

Somewhere in your house, there is a drawer where good intentions go to die. The fancy candle you’re saving for a special occasion. The nice dishes that only come out when the Queen visits. The gift card from three Christmases ago that is “definitely in here somewhere.”

Jesus tells a parable about a man going on a journey who entrusts his property to three slaves. To one he gives five talents, to another two, to another one, each according to his ability. A talent, by the way, was a staggering sum, worth many years of a laborer’s wages. So nobody in this story was handed pocket change.

The first two go out and put their money to work, and each doubles what he was given. The third, however, goes off, digs a hole in the ground, and hides his master’s money. I can almost picture him checking the spot every so often. “Still there. Great. Nothing exciting happening. Perfect.”

After a long time, the master returns to settle accounts. To the first two he says the same beautiful words: “Well done, good and trustworthy servant; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.” Don’t miss that last part. The reward isn’t just more responsibility. It’s joy, shared with the master Himself.

Then the third servant steps up, and his explanation is revealing. “Master, I knew that you were a harsh man... so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground.” Here is the heart of the problem. He was not lazy so much as afraid. He had decided the master was harsh, and that picture of the master shaped everything he did. Fear told him that safe was better than faithful.

The master doesn’t accept the excuse. He calls him wicked and lazy, and the talent is taken and given to the one who has ten. It’s a sobering ending, with the worthless servant cast into the outer darkness. Jesus doesn’t soften it.

So what’s the invitation hiding inside the warning? Look at what the first two servants had that the third didn’t: a trust that their master was good. They were free to take risks because they weren’t terrified of him.

The same is true for us. God has given each of us something, whether it’s a skill, a season of influence, a little money, a listening ear, or a story that needs telling. It isn’t a test of how impressive your portfolio is. The servant with two talents got the very same “well done” as the servant with five. God isn’t asking you to be someone else. He is asking you to stop burying what He has already placed in your hands.

And here is the good news: you serve a Lord who delights in your faithfulness, not one who waits to catch you failing. Dig that treasure up. Dust it off. Put it to work, even if it feels small and even if you’re nervous.

PRAYER: Generous God, free me from fear and show me what You have placed in my hands, so that I may use it faithfully for Your glory and the good of others, in Christ Jesus’ strong name we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Today, identify one gift God has given you that you’ve been keeping buried, and use it to bless someone.

I love you and I thank God for you! You matter to God and you matter to me! Let's win the world for Jesus with loving all people and see all people as our neighbors!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Tell It Again

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Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth. 2 I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old, 3 things that we have heard and known, that our ancestors have told us. 4 We will not hide them from their children; we will tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord and his might and the wonders that he has done. In the sight of their ancestors he worked marvels in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zoan. 13 He divided the sea and let them pass through it and made the waters stand like a heap. 14 In the daytime he led them with a cloud and all night long with a fiery light. 15 He split rocks open in the wilderness and gave them drink abundantly as from the deep. 16 He made streams come out of the rock and caused waters to flow down like rivers. (Psalm 78:1-4, 12-18 NRSV)

Every family has that one story. You know the one. It gets told at every holiday, the details grow a little more dramatic each year, and by now the fish was definitely bigger than it was originally. Someone always groans, “Not this again,” and yet somehow everyone leans in when it starts. Our stories were rare and not always shared with all the family at the same time; but I loved hearing them. I loved hearing how my Dad, who struggled with showing affectiuons to a strong grandmother, found himself having to visit her while she was in the hospital, and while on that forced visit, a young, attractive nurse came in to check on his grandma and that was all it took for my Dad to fall madly in love with my Mom. The rest was history.

Psalm 78 opens with a storyteller clearing his throat. “Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth.” He says he will open his mouth in a parable and utter dark sayings from of old, things that we have heard and known, that our ancestors have told us.

Then comes the heart of it: we will not hide them from their children. We will tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and His might, and the wonders that He has done.

Notice the verbs here. Not “we will debate,” not “we will hope they figure it out.” We will tell. Faith, it turns out, is rarely caught by accident. It is passed along at kitchen tables, in car rides, and in bedtime conversations that were supposed to be about brushing teeth. Somebody told you. Now somebody is waiting for you to tell them.

And what exactly is worth retelling? The psalmist gets specific. In the sight of their ancestors God worked marvels in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zoan. He divided the sea and let them pass through it, and made the waters stand like a heap. Think about that for a moment. Water, standing up like a pile of laundry, so that frightened people could walk through on dry ground.

Then, in the wilderness, He led them with a cloud by day and with a fiery light all night. He split rocks open and gave them drink abundant as the deep. He made streams come out of the rock and caused waters to flow down like rivers. A people who had every reason to worry about their next sip were given a drink straight from stone.

Here’s what strikes me. Every one of those stories is about a God who showed up when His people had nothing to offer but need. Nobody in that wilderness earned a river. They were simply thirsty, and God was generous.

So here is a gentle question: what is your rock-and-river story? When has God made a way where you saw a wall, or poured out water where you saw dust? Maybe it was a job that appeared just in time, a healing you didn’t expect, or a peace that made no sense on a hard night. Those stories are not meant to stay in your journal. Someone younger, newer, or more weary than you needs to hear them.

You don’t need a polished sermon. You just need to say, “Let me tell you what God did.” Then, yes, tell it again next year. The fish may grow, but the faithfulness is already enormous.

PRAYER: Faithful God, thank You for the wonders You have done in my life and in the lives of those before me, and give me the courage and joy to tell the next generation of Your goodness, in Christ Jesus’ strong name we pray, amen.

Have a grerat and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Today, share one story of God’s faithfulness with a child, a friend, or a family member.

I love you and I thank God for you! You matter to God and you matter to me! Share your story to all those whom you love!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

xChoose This Day (And Actually Mean It!)

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24:1 Then Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shechem. He summoned the elders, leaders, judges and officials of Israel, and they presented themselves before God. 2 Joshua said to all the people, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Long ago your ancestors, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates River and worshiped other gods. 3 But I took your father Abraham from the land beyond the Euphrates and led him throughout Canaan and gave him many descendants. 14 “Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” 16 Then the people answered, “Far be it from us to forsake the Lord to serve other gods! 17 It was the Lord our God himself who brought us and our parents up out of Egypt, from that land of slavery, and performed those great signs before our eyes. He protected us on our entire journey and among all the nations through which we traveled. 18 And the Lord drove out before us all the nations, including the Amorites, who lived in the land. We too will serve the Lord, because he is our God.” 19 Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the Lord. He is a holy God; he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins. 20 If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after he has been good to you.” 21 But the people said to Joshua, “No! We will serve the Lord.” 22 Then Joshua said, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the Lord.” “Yes, we are witnesses,” they replied. 23 “Now then,” said Joshua, “throw away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.” 24 And the people said to Joshua, “We will serve the Lord our God and obey him.” 25 On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people, and there at Shechem he reaffirmed for them decrees and laws. (Joshua 24:1-3, 14-25 NIV)

A blessed and holy Wednesday to you, kind Friend! I pray God's blessings upon this land and all its inhabitants; may peace be ours for the taking and sharing; may we truly care for one another, especially the needy and underprivileged. It is our duty to love those with no love, care for the uncared for, and show compassion to all people. In that way God's kingdom will be strengthened and made better.

I hated when we had to choose sides when playing competitive sports in gym class. My fear was being picked last when I secretly did not want to be picked. Worse yet was when I was made the chooser and what an ordeal that was after I had picked the known good players. Today we look at a choice that we make daily while being unaware of it. The title of today's devotional says it all. Make a choice and really mean it; for choosing God back, for God chose us first, is important and vital for a blessed life.

Anyone who has made a New Year’s resolution knows how easy it is to declare something bold and then quietly abandon it by February. The gym membership is still active. The treadmill is now a very expensive coat rack.

Joshua is at the end of his life, and he gathers all the tribes of Israel at Shechem for what is essentially a covenant renewal ceremony. He starts by reminding them where they came from. Long ago, their ancestors, including Abraham’s father Terah, lived beyond the Euphrates River and served other gods. Then God took Abraham from that land and led him through Canaan, giving him many descendants. In other words, their story began with God’s initiative, not their own good ideas.

Then Joshua gets to the heart of it: “Now fear the Lord and serve Him with all faithfulness.” Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped, he says. And then comes the line that has been stitched onto more wall hangings than I can count: “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve... But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

I love that Joshua doesn’t wait to see which way the crowd leans. He plants his flag, and he invites them to do the same.

The people respond with great enthusiasm. Far be it from us to forsake the Lord, they say, because He is the One who brought us out of Egypt and protected us along the way. It’s a beautiful speech. And this is where Joshua does something surprising. He pushes back. “You are not able to serve the Lord,” he tells them. He warns that God is holy and jealous, and that if they forsake Him, He will not overlook it.

Why would Joshua dampen the mood? Because he knows how easily a heart makes promises that a life doesn’t keep. He’s not trying to discourage them. He wants their yes to be a real one, not just a burst of excitement. The people insist: “No! We will serve the Lord.” So Joshua says, “You are witnesses against yourselves.” They agree, and he tells them to throw away the foreign gods that are still among them and yield their hearts to the Lord.

Did you catch that? There were still foreign gods in the camp. They were shouting their loyalty to God while holding onto the idols in the closet.

That’s the part that gets me, because I have a few closet idols of my own. Mine rarely look like carved statues. They look like busyness, approval, comfort, or the need to always be in control. We can sing “I surrender all” on Sunday and still keep a few things tucked away just in case.

The invitation here is gentle, though. Joshua doesn’t ask for perfection. He asks for a real choice, made again and again, with eyes wide open. And the God who brought His people out of Egypt is the same God who gives strength to keep choosing Him.

So what might need to leave your closet today?

PRAYER: Faithful and loving God, search my heart for the idols I’ve tucked away, and give me the grace to choose You wholeheartedly today and every day, in Christ Jesus’ strong name we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Today, name one thing competing for first place in your heart, and honestly hand it over to God.

I love you and I thank God for you! You matter to God and you matter to me! Be a loving servant of all people today.

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Hope for the Long Goodbye

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13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who have died, so that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have died. 15 For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will by no means precede those who have died. 16 For the Lord himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call and with the sound of God’s trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 NRS)

Dear Friend, how do you handle going to funerals? Is there a ritual you follow in preparing yourself to just show up? Or, do you just avoid going to them anyway? My brothers and sisters and I, went to more funerals than are allowed to federal guidelines about children and funerals. We went very unwillingly but there was no getting out of them. And it seemed the funeral homes were no conduits for joyful experiences either. There were some funeral directors whose last smile had been back in the black and white years. And it didn't help that some looked like they enjoyed their work a little too much. Part of our childish coping game was "And the Oscar goes to..." to the women who cried the loudest and longest, while, for extra points, keeping their eyes open to see who was next in line or who had just come in. Funerals are a part of life and our presence is, in some ways, very necessary. Paul started his ministry with a very urgent Jesus is coming soon message and after a few years, he had to amend that message to address the growing number of Christians murdered for their faith; and this passage is just one example of that devoted Apostle's ministry.

There is a particular kind of quiet that settles over a house after a funeral. The casseroles are in the fridge, the cousins have finally gone home, and you’re left staring at a Tupperware lid that belongs to someone you can’t quite remember. Grief has a way of making the ordinary feel strange.

Paul writes to a church that knows that quiet. Some of the Thessalonian believers have died, and the living are wondering what it means. Were they lost? Left behind? Paul steps in with the tenderness of a friend who refuses to let them walk in the dark. He says he doesn’t want them to be uninformed about those who have died, so that they do not grieve as others do who have no hope.

Notice what he doesn’t say. He doesn’t say, “Don’t grieve.” Grief is love with nowhere to go, and Jesus Himself wept at a tomb. Paul says grieve with hope. Those are two very different ways of standing at a graveside.

Then he lays out the foundation: we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so, through Jesus, God will bring with Him those who have died. If the resurrection is true for Him, it is the promise for them.

And then Paul gets almost cinematic. The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call and with the sound of God’s trumpet. Let’s just pause on that. Most of us can’t get a toddler to come to dinner with a cry of command. Here, the whole creation hears it. The dead in Christ rise first, and then those who are still alive are caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Paul adds the sweetest line of all: “and so we will be with the Lord forever.”

Forever. Not a quick visit. No awkward goodbye at the door.

Here’s what I love about how Paul ends. He doesn’t say, “Therefore, go forth and decode the timeline.” He says, “Therefore encourage one another with these words.” This isn’t a puzzle to solve. It’s a comfort to share.

So maybe the question for today is: who around you is carrying a heavy loss? Maybe someone is a year out and everyone else has stopped asking. Maybe they don’t need a theological chart. They may just need you to sit beside them and say, quietly, that this is not the end of the story, because the One who rose is coming back.

Your grief matters to God, and so does your hope. He holds both at the same time, and He invites you to do the same.

PRAYER: Gracious loving God, comfort every grieving heart with the living hope of the resurrection, and make us gentle messengers of that hope to one another, in Christ Jesus’ strong name we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Today, reach out to someone who is grieving and encourage them with the hope of being with the Lord forever.

I love you and I thank God for you! You matter to God and you matter to me. Winning the world with hope is awesome! Be hopeful and spread it to all!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Don't Forget The Oil!

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25:1 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4 The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 6 “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ 7 “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’ 9 “‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ 10 “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. 11 “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’ 12 “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’ 13 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour. (Matthew 25:1-13 NIV)

"Mom, I've got a splinter in my hand!" It was the final confession or rather admission, that Mom would have to perform her needed surgery on my splinter. "Go get what I need," she would ask, and I knew to bring the straight pin needle, tweezers, alcohol or a match. If we were out of alcohol, Mom would light the match and hold the needle in the flame until it was almost glowing a sign that iw as now clean. Then my closing my eyes and hoping for a quick removal of said splinter, Mom would begin her surgery. She was a master surgeon, usually starting tenderly and gently a pulling back the epidermal layers to reach the uninvited intruder and lifting it up sufficiently so that the tweezers would reach and remove the dreaded splinter and I could resume my day of play. I knew better than to forget any of the above stated items. To not have all the utensils would mean a possible botched removal of splinters, and not a joyful celebration. We just read a story about essential items needed for for a solid life in Christ.

Let’s be honest: nobody wants to be the person who shows up to the party without the one thing they were supposed to bring. We’ve all been there. The forgotten casserole dish. The dead phone at the airport. The “I swear I packed my charger.”

Jesus tells a story about ten bridesmaids waiting for a bridegroom, and it turns out that what they forgot was a little more serious than a casserole. Five of them were wise, and five were foolish. All ten took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. All ten looked ready. But the foolish ones took no extra oil with them, while the wise ones brought flasks of oil along with their lamps.

Then the bridegroom is delayed, and every one of them dozes off. I find that oddly comforting. Notice that Jesus doesn’t scold anyone for falling asleep. The wise ones napped too! The difference wasn’t who stayed awake. It was who was prepared.

At midnight comes the cry: “Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!” Suddenly everyone is scrambling to trim their lamps. The foolish five realize theirs are going out and ask the others to share. The wise ones answer that there isn’t enough for both, and they send the others off to buy some. Picture it: five bridesmaids sprinting through town at midnight, hunting for an oil vendor who is, shockingly, closed. While they’re gone, the bridegroom arrives, the ready ones go in with Him to the wedding banquet, and the door is shut.

When the others come back and plead, “Lord, open the door for us!”, His reply is sobering: “I don’t know you.” Then Jesus closes the story with the point of it all: “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.”

So what is the oil? Jesus doesn’t spell it out, but the heart of the parable is clear. Oil can’t be borrowed at the last minute, and it can’t be faked. It’s the real, ongoing, personal relationship with Jesus that you build in ordinary, unglamorous days. It’s the quiet prayers, the time in His Word, the small daily choices to trust Him. You can’t cram for it the night before, and nobody else can fill your flask for you.

And here’s the gentle invitation tucked inside the warning: it’s never too early to start topping off the lamp. You don’t need a dramatic spiritual overhaul. You just need to keep showing up to Him, day after day, so that when the moment comes, you’re not scrambling. You’re simply ready, and glad.

The wise bridesmaids weren’t anxious, frantic, or glued to the horizon. They were calm enough to take a nap! That’s what a prepared heart looks like: restful, steady, and sure of the One who is coming.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, fill my heart with a steady, living love for You each day so that I am ready and rejoicing when You come, in Christ Jesus’ strong name we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Today, set aside ten unhurried minutes with Jesus, and think of it as filling your lamp.

I love you and I thank God for you! You matter to God and you matter to me. You are eseential to Jesus in who you share your love.

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Taste and See: An All Saints Day Reflection

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1 I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2 My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad. 3 O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together. 4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. 5 Look to him, and be radiant, so your[a] faces shall never be ashamed. 6 This poor soul cried and was heard by the Lord and was saved from every trouble. 7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him and delivers them. 8 O taste and see that the Lord is good; happy are those who take refuge in him. 9 O fear the Lord, you his holy ones, for those who fear him have no want. 10 The young lions suffer want and hunger, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. 22 The Lord redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned. (Psalm 34:1-10; 22 NRSV)

Happy Thursday Friend!

Growing up in a Hispanic Church, I don't remember observing an All Saints Day. In those days anything that seemed too Catholic was forbidden in the Hispanic Protestant Church, especially in our Methodist Church. Sadly, in those days there was no love lost between Catholics and Protestants, but thankfully while I was a bit older and in elementary school none of the violence or vandalism was taking place like some churches along the border. Our All Saints Day was Mother's Day and Father's Day, as those were the days white carnation flowers were worn by those whose fathers/mothers had died, and red for those who still had them alive.

There’s a kind of person who seems to carry praise around like a pocket full of coins, ready to spend it at a moment’s notice. David sounds like that person at the start of this psalm: “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” At all times. Not just on the good days, or when the prayer was answered, or when the bills were paid. That’s a bold claim, and it gets even more remarkable when you learn the backstory. Tradition ties this psalm to a moment when David was on the run, so desperate that he pretended to be insane in front of a foreign king just to escape with his life. And from that place, he writes a song of praise.

That tells us something important. Praise in the Bible isn’t a mood we wait to feel. It’s a decision we make, often in the middle of things we’d never choose. David isn’t pretending the hard stuff isn’t there. He’s simply choosing to magnify the Lord right alongside it.

That’s a fitting word for All Saints Day, when we remember the faithful who have gone before us. Think about the people you’ve loved who walked with God. Chances are, their lives were not trouble-free. They buried loved ones, faced illness, lived through lean years and lonely seasons. And yet, many of them somehow kept a song in their hearts. Psalm 34 helps us understand how. Their praise was never based on the absence of trouble. It was rooted in the presence of God.

Listen to what David says about his own story: “I sought the Lord, and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.” Notice he doesn’t say all his troubles vanished. He says he was delivered from his fears. That’s a gentle, honest distinction. God doesn’t always remove the storm, but He meets us in it and loosens fear’s grip on our hearts.

Then comes one of the most tender verses in the whole psalm: “Look to Him, and be radiant; so your faces shall never be ashamed.” Some of us have known people like that, whose faces seemed to glow with a peace that had nothing to do with how easy life was. Their radiance didn’t come from being polished or successful. It came from looking toward God. The saints we remember today probably didn’t know they were shining. They were just looking in the right direction.

David continues, “This poor soul cried, and was heard by the Lord, and was saved from every trouble.” Here is an honest, unglamorous picture of a saint: a poor soul who cried out. That’s all. No title, no spiritual résumé. Just someone who called, and a God who listened. If you’ve ever worried that you aren’t spiritual enough to be heard, this verse is a quiet reassurance. The cry of the weary is exactly what God leans in to hear.

Then comes the invitation that gives this psalm its heartbeat: “O taste and see that the Lord is good; happy are those who take refuge in Him.” Notice the verbs. Taste. See. David isn’t asking us to simply agree with a doctrine. He’s inviting us to experience God’s goodness for ourselves, to take a small, honest bite and find out. The saints we honor didn’t just know about God’s goodness. They tasted it, through answered prayers, through unexpected comfort, through the faithful love of the church, through the long, steady companionship of the Lord Himself.

And the psalm ends with a promise worth holding onto: “The Lord redeems the life of His servants; none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.” That’s the hope the saints leaned on, and it’s the same hope that holds us. Those we miss are not forgotten. They are held. And so are we.

So today, in the middle of whatever you’re carrying, consider doing what David did. Choose, even in a small way, to bless the Lord. Let your gratitude for the saints turn into your own taste of His goodness.

PRAYER: Lord, we thank You for the faithful ones who have gone before us, and we ask that You teach us to bless You at all times and to take refuge in You, in Christ Jesus’ strong name we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Before the day ends, speak aloud one specific way God has been good to you, and thank Him for a saint whose faith helped you taste and see that goodness.

I love you and I thank God for you! You matter to God and you matter to me! Win the world for Jesus with showing love and helping to make new saints among the living!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.