tell your children – The Noontimes

Tobit 14: Knowing and Believing

Tobit 14: Knowing and Believing

Tuesday, September 23, 2025

Written on March 21 and posted today as a Favorite . . .

For I know and believe that whatever God has said will be fulfilled and will come true; not a single word of the prophecies will fail.

As I read this verse I wonder again why it is that we refuse to believe the prophets among us. It is a sign of faith to believe that for which we have no absolute evidence but I am interested in the wording of this verse. Tobit says that he not only believes in the word of God through these prophecies but he knows them to be true. Perhaps this is because of the wonders God has worked in his life – the wonders that arrive after much suffering.

Paul tells the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 1) that faith rests not in man’s wisdom but in God’s power. We know that this means we cannot earn faith in any way. It is given freely by God as a gift and in fact God uses the foolish of the world to instruct the wise – if the wise will listen. God chooses the lowly to inform the exalted – if the strong have time for the lowly. The weak instruct the strong and the fearful speak to the fearless – if the strong and fearless do not steam roller those who hesitate. Our ears must be open and willing to receive the message from God when it arrives. And God’s message is always about inversion so it makes sense – in God’s time and way – that the joy of faith will come through suffering. This is significant. It is the answer to the continual questions we say we cannot answer. The answers are right before us, they are swirling about our ears. We must choose to examine them and heed them.

*Pieter Lastman: The Angel Raphael Takes Leave of Old Tobit and his Son Tobias*

Tobit has met and overcome huge obstacles in his life not by patiently waiting out his suffering in blind obedience as we said yesterday. Rather, Tobit actively waits for the revelation God will ultimately provide. Tobit trusts and knows that this information will arrive. Which it does. Along with a great reward.

In this last chapter of Tobit we find verses useful to us but only after we have read the entire story of healing and blessing. Only after we have waded through the pain will we be able to fully comprehend and feel the joy Tobit feels. Only then will we know, as Tobit knows, the power of God.

God will again have mercy on them, and God will bring them back . . . and they will rebuild in splendor . . . they will return from exile . . . and the whole world will be converted and worship God in truth. We may read these verses and think that Tobit has allowed his imagination to get the best of him when he makes such a positive projection into the future based on such a bleak past, and we would be wrong. If we believe that Tobit is too hopeful, we must read the story for as many times as it takes for us to see our own lives through the paradigm we are presented here. And then we will have one more task . . .

So now, my children, I command you, serve God faithfully and do what is pleasing in his sight. Your children are also to be commanded to do what is right and to give alms, and to be mindful of God and to bless his name at all times with sincerity and with all their strength.

Only in this way will we too, know and believe that what God promises God will complete. Only then will we know and believe that God’s prophecies will not fail.

A re-post from August 29, 2011.

Images from: https://www.artera.ae/artworks/1478cf93-c288-4a22-b288-b1cca5183967

September 23, 2025

1 Corinthians 1, faith, inversion, reward after and through suffering, tell your children

1 Chronicles 22: Material for the Temple

Monday, June 14, 2021

1 Chronicles 22

Material for the Temple

David understands that he is to leave the building of God’s dwelling place to his son, Solomon; yet he remains engaged in the process of leaving a strong foundation so that the next generation might continue in this covenant relationship with their creator, saver and lover. David comprehends and acts on the belief that what makes a community strong is not words but deeds. He has a keen appreciation for the fact that the past we come from and the future we envision are both wound tightly into the manner in which we live the present. For David, the past is not merely a receptacle of memories to be sorted by our desire to either erase or celebrate them; it a corpus of experiences – both collective and individual – in which we might discover our true motivations. Likewise, the future is not something to be dreamt and wished for; it is a tangible presence in our daily lives in that our hopes are evidenced in what we presently do.

David does not rest on past success, nor does he conveniently forget his failures. He does not charge head long into his aspirations because he has learned the important lesson that ultimately God is in charge. David knows that when we come to God with our list of petitions that we show our understanding of our proper place with God – that of a child asking a patient parent for help – by asking God for assistance and protection. David understands through his own past experiences that no matter how much he might wish for something he cannot make something happen from his own will power or authority. David also knows that no matter how much he might try to avoid God’s plans for him, he cannot run away from an action that God is asking of him. In today’s reading, David is not self-serving; rather he looks to work in the kingdom building that God has in mind for him.

Jerusalem Temple Foundation Stones — *Jerusalem Foundation Stones*

And so David searches for the best, stockpiles for the future, exercises prudence and discernment, and charges the next generation of leaders who will challenge the world in their love of Yahweh. We might take to heart his words: Devote your hearts and souls to seeking the Lord your God. Proceed to build the sanctuary of the Lord God, that the ark of the covenant of the Lord and God’s sacred vessels may be brought into the house built in honor of the Lord.

And so today we consider: What are the materials we bring forward from our lives with which to build our own temple for God? What might we carry in the ark of ourselves that honors our maker and helps to build his kingdom? What have we stockpiled? What do we save up? What do we value and how is it appropriate in service to God? What do we hope to pass on to our children and our children’s children? What gift do we offer up to God each day of our present lives?

Adapted from a reflection written on September 19, 2009.

To learn more about the structure and building of the Jerusalem Temple, click on the images above or go to: http://www.crystalinks.com/solomonstemple.html or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerusalem_stone

June 14, 2021

Ark of the Covenant, building, David, God is in charge, past-present-future, Solomon, tell your children

1 Chronicles 28:9-10: Setting to Work

Sunday, June 13, 2021

1 Chronicles 28:9-10

Setting to Work

We have determined to praise God’s gifts to the ends of the earth. Let us consider how David sets an example for us to proclaim God’s goodness to future generations.

As for you, my children, know the God of your father and serve God with a perfect heart and a willing soul, for the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the mind’s thoughts.

We know that David sets aside his plans to build a holy place for the Ark of the Covenant; but he sets these plans aside when he understands that God has greater plans than those that he has created. Let us also make certain that the plans of our hearts are mindful of the plans of God’s heart.

If you seek God, God will let himself be found by you. But if you abandon him, he will cast you off forever.

Jesus comes to tell us the story of the Forgiving Father (Luke 15:11-31) and the Lost Son. Let us consider this parable as a roadmap of God’s plan for each of us.

See then! The Lord has chosen you to build a house as his sanctuary.

Jesus comes to tell us that we need not build temples to extol God; rather, we need create a dwelling place for the in-dwelling of the Spirit. Let us consider how and what and why we prepare ourselves for God’s Spirit. (John 2:19)

Take courage and set to work.

David reminds us that we need not worry about the plans that we have made for ourselves but rather we must tend to the plans God has in mind.

David sets aside his own desires and wishes to do as God asks; and he encourages his progeny to also follow God.

Christ reminds us that the temples we construct to ourselves do not last, but rather we are to prepare our hearts as God’s own dwelling place.

Christ shows us how to abandon ourselves in order to prepare our hearts as God’s own temple, he reminds us that we are constantly and forever loved by God; and he encourages us set to work at once. (Matthew 15:13)

And so as we set to work each day in our perfect persistence as kingdom builders, let us also remind our children of God’s fidelity. As we offer our hopes each day as willing participants in God’s plan, let us also remind our children of God’s outrageous expectation for our serenity. And as we offer our love to others each day, let us also remind our children of the power of God the creator, the compassion of God the Rescuer, and the peace of God the In-dweller . . . this awesome God who searches all hearts and understands all the mind’s thoughts.

Image from: http://www.mymothermode.com/2014/02/free-valentines-day-heart-printable/

June 13, 2021

David, God’s plans, hope, Jesus, John 2:19, Luke 15:11-31, Matthew 25:13, Psalm 27:14, Solomon, tell your children

Deuteronomy 4: Proofs

Thursday, January 16, 2020

Deuteronomy 4: Proofs

Teach them to your children, and to your children’s children . . .

Each time I read from the books of the law, the Torah, I again understand how difficult it was for Jewish leaders to take hold of and believe the words that Jesus spoke to them about the merciful love of God. I also understand how difficult it was for these followers of the Mosaic Code to believe that anyone but God who lived in the temple and out of reach of the ordinary human could forgive sin. These ideas were revolutionary for them, even blasphemous; yet, the man who delivered them was not only able to restore health, he was also able to calm the elements of nature.

What we read today tells us of a God who is faithful, a God who has shown his constancy, a God who continued to reveal himself to his people despite their errant ways.

Did anything so great ever happen before? Was it heard of?

Yahweh rescued his people, he brought them out of slavery, he nourished them and taught them who they were, how they were to be, and what their potential was. Jesus arrived to walk the earth as God among his people. Jesus fulfilled prophecy. Jesus compressed the hundreds of Torah laws into one . . . the Law of Freedom, the Law of Love. Nothing like this had ever been heard of. Nothing like this has ever been heard of.

You must keep his statutes and commandments that I enjoin on you today, that you and your children after you may prosper, and that you may have long life on the land which the Lord, your God, is giving you forever.

The focus in this reading is on the dichotomy between believing in God and believing in idols. One of the rewards for following Yahweh is the gift of physical territory which God grants to his chosen people. Other rewards are his fidelity to us, and his mercy when considering our actions. These are all proofs of God’s love. Further proofs of God’s goodness are that once Jesus is resurrected and returns to God, The Holy Spirit settles upon us to abide with us and to dwell in us, God’s people. This is God’s promise and as we hear in today’s mini-reflection in MAGNIFICAT: God is true: he has a long memory for his own promises and a short memory for our failures to keep ours. In the gift of his promised Spirit, we find our daily joy. The prophet Isaiah reminds us the Morning Prayer: Though the mountains leave their place and the hills be shaken, my love never shall leave you nor my covenant of peace be shaken, says the Lord who has mercy on you. (54:10)

We look for assurances and guarantees; we sign contracts and agreements that we trust more than we trust God’s love for us. He has given us proofs . . . and this is the story that we must pass down to our children and our children’s children . . . so that it may live with us and in us . . . beyond the end of time.

Cameron, Peter John, Rev., ed. “Mini-Reflection.” MAGNIFICAT. 19 May 2010:265. Print.

Image from: http://www.caresearch.com.au/caresearch/tabid/1590/Default.aspx

Written on May 19, 2010 and posted today as a Favorite.

January 16, 2020

God’s promises, Isaiah 54:10, love, mercy, tell your children

Deuteronomy 3: Teaching the Children

Wednesday, January 15, 2020

Deuteronomy 3: Teaching the Children

Whether we ourselves have children or not, it is beneficial to universal society for those of us who have survived cataclysm to teach those who follow us how to endure well rather than to endure at all costs. If we hope to improve both collectively and individually we must be willing to take an honest look at how we operate, what we value, and how we enact our values. This is what Moses calls us to today. We are not asked to pass along stories of how others have carried on through crisis; we are asked to be earnestly on our guard not to forget the things which our own eyes have seen, not let them slip from our memory as long as we live, but teach them to our children and to our children’s children. This is a noble vocation: to pass along a manual for how to persist through pain, fear and antagonism.

Keeping in mind that each time we read or hear the phrase “fear” in reference to the Lord in the New Testament that we might replace it with the word “love,” we can see how the arrival of Jesus is the completion of all God’s promises to the people. God, with his expression of concern and empathy embodied in Jesus, tells us how much he loves us and wants to be with us. God warns us often about the dangers of idolatry and encourages us to consider the advantages of fidelity. God’s own fidelity with us is guaranteed. God’s love proved repeatedly through the stories we can tell about his power to save and restore. God’s hope for us and in us is spelled out clearly as he establishes – here through Moses – cities of refuge in which his people might find a second opportunity for recovery. God never gives up on us.

Deuteronomy, perhaps more than any other book of the Bible, asks its readers to remember and to pass along our own story of how the goodness of the Lord has changed us forever. It asks that we consider God’s goodness, and that we pass along the story of how we came through a wilderness with no road map other than our fidelity to a God who loves us so much he cannot bear to be apart from us for even the smallest of moments. We are loved by a God who does not ever want to be without us.

And so we pray . . .

Father Creator, Jesus Saver, Holy Spirit Abider and Comforter, we see by your actions that you will never forsake the work of your own hands. We realize that the only firm ground on which we stand is the rock of your own steadfastness in your commitment to us. We know that you are incapable of deception, trickery or betrayal. Give us the fortitude and courage to follow you, even when we are fearful, even when we are in pain. We rely on your patience and mercy as always. And we await our own restoration and peace that comes with the joy of knowing and serving you. We thank you for your bountiful love, and we hope to return that love to you always . . . even when we are fearful or in pain.

Help us to pass along to the children and to the children of those children not only the story of your love . . . but the essence of your love as well. Guide us in loving our enemies, in praying for the impossible, and in remaining always with you. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Image from: http://veronicaplace.wordpress.com/2011/02/05/our-children-are-on-loan-to-us/

Written on August 11, 2009 and posted today as a Favorite.

January 15, 2020

faith, fear and pain, fidelity, hope, love, prayer, tell your children

Fidelity

Tuesday, December 11, 2012 – Deuteronomy 6 – Fidelity

Today’s readings are all about fidelity. Isaiah 54:1-10, Psalm 19, Psalm 30, Psalm 113, Hosea 2:21-22, Luke 7:24-30. In DAILY REFLECTIONS FOR ADVENT & CHRISTMAS: Waiting in Joyful Hope 2010-2011, Robert Morneau writes about these readings: We need blessed assurance, an anchor that provides stability in a turbulent and changing world. Is there anyone or anything that we can count on, especially when trials and tribulations fall upon us? Isaiah the prophet provides an answer: God’s love will never leave us nor can the great covenant of peace be shaken. The blessed assurance of love and peace flows out of God’s immense mercy . . . When this divine friendship is offered, people must make a decision to accept or reject it. And even if it is rejected, God’s love and mercy is still available and is given as soon as an individual or community turns back to the Lord.

In Deuteronomy today we hear the wonderful Shema of the Jewish people, the beautiful center of morning and evening prayer: Love the Lord with all your heart and all your soul and all your strength. Drill this into your children. Keep this attitude about you at all times. Identify your home and family as ones who remain in God. This is also the lesson that Jesus comes to enact among us. How well does the world know that we are Christ followers? By the fidelity with which we live our lives.

What we want is blessed assurance, and yet we have it shown to us constantly in the thousand little ways that God intercedes for us each day.

What we want is peace and joy, and yet we have it given to us in the small gestures and large actions the Spirit brings to us each day.

What we want is justice and mercy, and yet we are given it in the thousand little and big ways that Jesus awaits us, calls us, and redeems us.

We look for something we already have. All we need do is turn back to God in the fullness of body, mind and spirit. All we need do is rest in God . . . in trust, in hope . . . in fidelity.

Written on December 16, 2010 and posted today as a Favorite.

December 11, 2012

Bishop Morneau, blessed assurance, divine friendship, Hosea 2:21-22, Isaiah 54:1-10, Luke 7:24, Psalm 113, Psalm 19, Psalm 30, Shema, tell your children, Trinity

Tag: tell your children

Tobit 14: Knowing and Believing

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1 Chronicles 22: Material for the Temple

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1 Chronicles 28:9-10: Setting to Work

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Deuteronomy 4: Proofs

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Deuteronomy 3: Teaching the Children

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Fidelity

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