Devotions

One of the best times for me to hear the voice of the LORD is in that twilight time between being fully asleep and fully awake in the mornings. The other morning I woke up praying for someone I had not seen face-to-face in at least a decade. The LORD gave me an encouragement for her, which I passed on through Facebook. (Yes, there are some good things about social media.)

This past Tuesday I woke up and heard, “The way ahead will be rocky for a while.”

That thought immediately brought to mind the prayer of David in Psalm 143. David was recalling his problems with an enemy and asking God for a quick, speedy resolution to his situation, “Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.” [v10 NIV]

Bob and I have been talking recently about one last “big” vacation before we get too much older. We haven’t taken very many in our lifetime. I took Carter to DC. Bob’s been fishing in Canada and hunting in Virginia. Together we spent time touring the southwest a few years back. We’ve been looking at another road trip, or perhaps flying into Alaska.

When I heard God say so clearly, “The way ahead will be rocky for a while,” I decided to postpone our plans. If our path is going to be rocky rather than level ground, it’s not a time to go into vacation or spending mode, it’s a time to go into conserve mode until we see just how “rocky” it will be.

We may still take one last “big” vacation, but for now I think that’s going on the backburner. Instead I’ll be practicing some patience, gaining some wisdom and praying for God’s good Spirit to lead us onto level ground.

Prov 3:5-6: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” [NKJV]

I usually carry a walking stick with me when I walk outside. In the past I’ve carried it mainly as a guard against dogs or when I would walk on unpaved sections of the road where I’d have to deal with stones, uneven ground, and potholes. Lately, however, I use it all the time—even on smooth sidewalks. My muscles are a bit compromised and that throws my balance off, so, I “lean on” my walking stick. I trust it to keep me upright and bear my weight in every and all circumstances.

The Psalmist reminds us that we are to not rely on our own human understanding or wisdom but are to trust in the LORD our God with all our hearts. Our own understanding often fails us. I could even say our understand will “always” fail us if we base it on mere human knowledge and wisdom.

Instead we are to keep the LORD our God in the forefront of our mind in every situation, in every day. Trusting in God isn’t just a Sunday “come-to-meeting” experience, it’s a 365-24-7 experience. We are to remember Him all the time and not just remember, we are also to acknowledge Him. We are to follow Him.

When we follow Him, He “shall direct [our] paths.” That doesn’t mean that every obstacle will be removed, or every circumstance or situation averted. It does mean, however, that at the very least we won’t have all those self-generated obstacles in our way! Most of what I must jump over comes from my own impatience, rebellion, misdirection, and stupidity anyway!

Oh LORD, we trust in You, acknowledge You, and lean on You to direct our every step, every day. Help us, O God. Amen.

I visited with my primary physician last week again regarding my health. She continues to think I have polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) because of the way it came on suddenly. The rheumatologist she referred me to doesn’t agree because the two blood tests that should be abnormal came back for me as normal. However, many rheumatologists are of the opinion that you can still have PMR even with normal blood tests. So, we are still searching for a confirmed diagnosis of what is ailing me.

My primary told me that she would continue to research and asked me to be patient. She acknowledged how difficult that is when you are experiencing pain and fatigue but trusted me to remain patient while she continued to look for answers.

Patience. When the disciples asked Jesus about the end times, He gave them an account of the difficulties they would face. You can read that in Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21. Right in the middle of His discourse on the end times, Luke records this: “By your patience possess your souls.” [NKJV 21:19]

The word Luke uses for patience is hupomone and it means cheerful (or hopeful) endurance, constancy, waiting. By your hopeful endurance, constancy and cheerful waiting, you will possess your souls (your hearts, your emotions, your life).

I doubt anyone has ever said waiting or enduring is easy … and it surely isn’t easy to do that “cheerfully!” But if it was easy, it would not be so valuable to our spiritual and emotional well-being.

“Teach me LORD to wait.”

I have been reading and watching the news and one thing that truly vexes my soul is the glee, the absolute delight I see on the faces of those who think they have discovered some “failing” or “shortcoming” or “fault” in another. They run to and fro trying to scoop everyone else and relate the news of someone’s flaws before anyone else does.

When did we become so smitten with revealing the faults of others? How can anyone in public life stand up under the scrutiny that is so prevalent in our society? When did we become so mean-spirited that we have to respond even to social media posts with angry, dividing, condemning words?

Or have we always been that way and now we simply have more opportunities to display our hardened hearts?

1 Corinthians 13 is a description of what love is. It tells us that love is kind and patient, that it is not rude or boastful. It always protects and hopes and is humble. Verse 6 reminds us that “Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth.” [Christian Standard Bible]

Shortly before the crucifixion, Jesus looked over the City of Jerusalem. He saw all the problems, the sin, the defiance, the unrighteousness in her. He did not rejoice in what He saw. His reaction was the exact opposite of glee and delight. “As [Jesus] approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it.” [Luke 19:41]

Maybe it’s time beloved that we react to what is happening in our nation, in our world, in our churches, not according to the current attitudes of our society, but according to the way of our LORD. Maybe it’s time we weep.

I try to spend time talking with God every day, but Tuesdays are special. On Tuesday mornings I meet with a group of people in an “upper room” at the Oregon Trails Church in Middleton for community prayer. Tuesday night I meet with another group at our own church for prayer. We pray for our world, our nation, the church, the outpouring of God’s Spirit, the unsaved, our communities, first responders, people we know that are going through difficult situations and anything else the Holy Spirit puts on our hearts.

Jesus had a lot to say about praying, the Gospels are full of His admonitions to pray, how to pray, when to pray. And Paul was succinct when he wrote, “pray continually.” [1 Thess 5:7]

I saw a request on Facebook recently. Someone had posted a request regarding a family member who was sick. They asked that we “send healing thoughts.” That, of course, got me thinking about praying and the power of prayer.

The power in prayer rests not in our words. Some of us pray eloquently, some of us pray simply. I doubt the style matters to God. Likewise, let’s never forget the power in prayer does not flow from us (our healing thoughts) – it flows from the One to Whom we make our requests. The power to answer prayer is in God and God alone. Our “healing thoughts” don’t carry any weight or change anything. If anything is going to happen to give life, bring healing, or change circumstances, it will come from God.

Jesus said when we pray, we are to begin … Our Father who art in heaven …. He immediately puts our attention where it belongs on Almighty God.

I was reading in Ephesians the other morning and as I passed Chapter 4, verse 32 (Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you), I came to a screeching halt at the next verse. “Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children, and walk in love, as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God.” [CSB Ephesians 5:1]

Are you as shocked by that verse as I am? We are commanded to imitate the holy, righteous, all-loving God. Now, I realize there are some parts of God (such as His perfection!) that we will never be able to attain. And I also realize that Paul’s command to imitate God has nothing to do with our salvation, and everything to do with our sanctification (becoming more like Christ Jesus). Still it is a breath-taking command.

It drew me up short and made me question my heart’s motivations and desires. What am I modeling my life after?

When our sons were little, they were enamored with their father’s construction equipment. He had a backhoe and big truck, they wanted toys just like his. Bob was able through a dealership to get miniature backhoes exactly like his. The boys were ecstatic. Their “excavations” in the dirt outside modeled what Bob did on a much grander scale to make a living. They were so delighted to be able to imitate their father.

Paul reminds us that we are to be imitators of God – as His “dearly loved children.” Our desires are to be like Him as much as we can be. We are to desire His godliness, His righteousness, His wisdom, His grace, His love to flow not just to us but through us to touch others.

We should want people to see Christ in us. And we should work each day, with the power of His Spirit to achieve just that. “Be imitators of God.”

People and nations are anxious right now with the trouble rising in the world. Blame is being tossed about. Political parties and individuals are taking sides, so are many world leaders. No one seems to know when or how it will all end. I could tell them how it will ultimately end, all they have to do is read the Book of Revelation…the King of Kings and LORD of Lords returns and sets up His eternal Kingdom, but that probably is not what they want to hear.

 They want to know how it is all going to end in the here and now. Will we see more war? Will we send our young men and women to war in foreign lands? Or, perhaps, will the war come to us in our land?

Anxiety is rising. So, as Christians what are we to do. Peter tells us that we are to “Cast all your anxiety [care] on [Christ Jesus] because he cares for you.” [1 Peter 5:7 NIV]

The word for “cast” that Peter uses is significant. It is “epirrhipto” and it means to throw, to cast upon. Part of its root (rhipto) means to fling with a quick or deliberate toss.

Peter was a fisherman. He knew all about casting his nets out onto the water. He spent years quickly and deliberately flinging and tossing nets. When he says to “fling, cast or toss” our cares “quickly and deliberately” onto Christ Jesus that is noteworthy.

Oh, one last thought … when Peter cast his nets out, he expected to draw them back in with a return of fish. May I be so bold as to add, when we cast our care upon Christ Jesus our LORD, we too can expect a return … a return of peace and comfort and strength.

The recent events between the United States and Iran brought two Scriptures to mind this morning. The first was a warning from Jesus that “In the world you will have tribulation.” [John 16:33]

The second from Ps 120:7: “I am for peace; But when I speak, they are for war.”

Much (most?) of what happens in this world … in this life … is out of our control. We manage as much as we can, but ultimately bodies age and fail, or illness strikes, recessions hit, or wars break out when we must watch as we send our young men and women into harm’s way in foreign lands.

We can protest, vote politicians in or out, become active in a political party, and still tribulation and war happen. In this world not everyone (nor every nation) is for peace, in fact too many are for war.

Yes, in the world we will have tribulation, but Jesus didn’t just leave us with that sad warning. He surrounded that warning with words of hope. “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” [NKJV]

In Him we have a peace that goes beyond understanding. Even amid trouble we can possess “good cheer” because ultimately our Prince of Peace will return to set up His Kingdom and every and all trouble will be forever banished.

In the meantime, we wait, we pray, and, yes, sometimes we even grieve.

The Christmas decorations are down and put away for another year. One grandson has returned to Western Oregon, and our son, daughter-in-love and two other grandsons are back in California. The house is a little darker without the Christmas lights and our hearts a little lonelier without our loved ones.

We are blessed to have our youngest son, daughter and son-in-love here in Idaho. It’s still hard to have more than half the family in other places. And while I know that having everyone here is only a brief respite from the separations, I still get sad when life goes back to being what it is.

Now I am looking forward to spring when we will travel to California for a birthday, and early summer when we hope to travel to the Oregon coast for a vacation that will include a visit to our grandson. During the times of separation, I live on hope of the next visit.

Hope is a marvelous four-letter word. I can think of nothing worse in life than to be without it. I find it interesting that you don’t find the word hope (the Greek elpis) very often in the Gospels, but it is found repeatedly in the other New Testament books. I think that must be because when Jesus was walking among them, they didn’t need “hope.” It wasn’t until He returned to the Father that their need for hope became real and vibrant.

It is in our separations and sadness that we need hope. It is when life take a turn we aren’t expecting or one we aren’t pleased with that we need hope. It is when we feel lost or lonely or isolated that we need hope. Paul ends his marvelous letter to the Romans with a prayer. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” [15:13]

That is also my prayer for you (and for me) for 2020.