Devotions

When July 14 rolls around (as it did yesterday), two things immediately come to mind.  First, it is Bastille Day, French Independence Day–after all, I am French by heritage. The second thing is that it is my former pastor’s birthday.  Pastor Jim, I think, would have turned 70 this year. Still miss him.

Whenever I think of him I recall the great truth he shared; the truth that totally changed my life as a child of God. He would often say, “It is easier to get people to love God than to get people to allow God to love them.”

I write a lot about the love of God for us. Some of you may think I write too much about it. You may think I sound like an old broken record. “God loves you!”  “God loves you!”  “God loves you!”

Well, I am old and I do sound like a broken record.  If there is one truth the enemy of your soul will try to drive out of your life, it is that God does love you. The enemy will bring up your past, your present, even your future. He will try to create doubt in your heart that you are worth God’s time or His concern and care. If he can get you to forget the love God has for you, get you to doubt God’s compassion and mercy, he will drive you to despair in every circumstance and situation in life.

What keeps us strong is not that we love God, it is that He loves us and proved that love at Calvary. So yes, this old broken record will keep reminding you of that great truth I learned from Pastor Jim. God loves you!

“May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.” [2 Thess 2:16-17 NIV]

Of all the benefits I found in David’s song, Psalm 103, two stood out.  The first I wrote about yesterday, God’s wonderful name and character of compassion, grace, patience, love.  God doesn’t treat us as our sins deserve, but instead made a way for us to be accepted as sons and daughters of the King. [vs 8-10]

The other one that makes my heart sing with joy is found in verse 17: “…from everlasting to everlasting the LORD’s love is with those who fear him….”

Bob and I have been married 50 years.  For our anniversary celebration, I dug our wedding album out of the closet and put it on display for others to see.  One picture shows me with my maid of honor and my bridesmaids. I must admit, it took me a while to remember the names of two of my bridesmaids.  It was not until I looked at the front of the book where the wedding participants were listed that I remembered who they were.  They were friends 50 years ago, but we lost touch decades ago and even their names disappeared from my remembrance.

Psalm 103 tells me that God is never going to forget my name.  One day, eons into eternity, He is not going to see me, wonder who I am and need to be reminded by looking me up in the Book of Life.  “From everlasting to everlasting” my LORD will know me, love me, with the same intense, grace-giving love that He has had for me since before I was born.

Father, how unbelievable it is that You love me and know me, You know my name, my inmost thoughts and desires.  How unbelievable it is that in spite of all my failings, You not only love me, You want me!  I am blessed beyond belief.  Amen

I hope you Read Psalm 103 yesterday. I hope you found many benefits from God that have followed the course of your life. Two stood out in my heart. I found the first in verses 8-10: “The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love…. He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.” [NIV]

As David writes his song, he remembers Moses’ pursuit of God in Exodus 34.  When God hid Moses in the cleft of the rock and passed in front of him, he declared His name and His character to Moses: “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness ….”

Moses would remind the Israelites of God’s declaration in Number 14:18. David also reminds us in his song. Our God abounds with compassion, grace, patience, and love. Because of that, he does not settle judgment on us immediately—as our sins deserve. Instead He invites us, even pursues us, to partake of the salvation obtained for us by His Son Jesus. He isn’t searching for ways to repay us according to our sins, but instead made a way to shower us with forgiveness and grace.

We must never forget what we truly deserve as sinners—judgment. At the same time, we must always remember God’s benefits that lifted us out of that judgment and made us sons and daughters of the King.

Father, may I never take your compassion, grace, patience, love and faithfulness for granted.  May I always remember that I am but a sinner saved by Your grace and now declared to be a daughter of the King. I can never repay You for all Your benefits to me.  Amen

Saturday morning the air conditioner at the church quit.  It was, of course, a very hot weekend, over 100 degrees. We could not get it serviced until Sunday afternoon, so anticipated that the building was going to be warm. It’s been cooling down into the 60’s by early morning and I thought I would get there early, open the doors, and set up some large fans brought from home.  But Sunday morning it did not cool down, in fact, it was 78 degrees when I got up at 5 AM.

I did get to church early and found the building was almost 90 degrees.  I opened doors and set up fans and got the air circulating.  By the time service began it was 84 degrees inside, but rapidly heating up outside.  I am not a summer person. I don’t like the heat. I was miserable, and a bit of a complainer as I waited for everyone to arrive.  Then as people started coming in and worship began, my mood changed.  Yes, it was hot.  Yes, I was uncomfortable. And yes, God was in our midst.  I shifted my focus from me to Him and stood amazed at the change that came over me. I began to praise – and even laugh!

I think that is why the Scriptures remind us to “forget not all his benefits.”  It is so easy for circumstances to enable us to do just that – forget. The Spirit of God inspired David to write Psalm 103.  In that song David reminds us to remember God’s benefits, and then begins to list them.  One follows another, forgiveness, healing, redemption and love, satisfaction and renewal—and that is just the first stanza.

Read Psalm 103 today.  Read it slowly and savor its wonders. Count the benefits contained therein.  How many have you been blessed with?

“Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits….” [Ps 103:1-2 NIV]

An article came to my email inbox recently. This one led with a question … “How do we get people to fall in love with Jesus?” My immediate answer was, “we have to fall in love with Him first.” After reading the article, it was apparent that the author and I agreed on the answer.

David wrote Psalm 59 to memorialize God’s rescue when King Saul sent men to David’s house to try to kill him. “But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. O my Strength, I sing praise to you; you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God.”  [Vs 16-17 NIV]

Twice in this song David uses the phrase “my loving God.”  I often think about how we portray our God to others. Are we singing every morning about our loving God, our fortress and refuge? Or do we portray Him shaking His finger in anger at everyone not living as we think they should?

I had two great aunts who were zealous about seeing me come to Christ Jesus for salvation. One came shaking her finger and telling me all the things I needed to remove from my life. The other came joyfully telling me how much God loves me and wants me. Can you guess which one influenced me?

It was only after God captured me with His love that the indwelling Spirit began to help me remove all those things from my life that needed removal—and by then I wanted Him to! “How do we get people to fall in love with Jesus?”  It is simple, “we have to fall in love with Him first.”

Father, I am so grateful that you love me.  You, indeed, O God are my fortress, my loving God.  May I always project that message to others.  May they see my love for You and Yours for me, and be drawn to that love.  Amen.

After fully assuming the throne, David began a search throughout the kingdom for any descendants of Jonathan remaining.   He found one son, Mephibosheth. Mephibosheth had been crippled when a nurse dropped him as they were fleeing after the deaths of then King Saul and his son Jonathan.  They were fleeing because it was the practice of the day for the new dynasty to kill any remnants of the old dynasty. That was to prevent rebellion and attempts to re-take the throne. [2 Samuel 9]

Mephibosheth was in hiding, in a remote part of the kingdom.  He was poor and shamed, even referring to himself as a “dead dog.” David sends for Mephibosheth, who as I wrote yesterday, probably came with “…only a fearful expectation of judgment….”  [Heb 10:27 NIV]

After falling prostrate at David’s feet, the king surprises him.  He lifts him up and gives him life instead of death. He invites him to sit at the king’s table for the rest of his days, he calls him “a son” and restores to him the fortunes of his grandfather Saul.  Mephibosheth did absolutely nothing to deserve any of this.  It was an amazing and beautiful act of mercy and grace on the part of King David.

Let’s face it, we are all Mephibosheth’s.  We are descendants of Adam who sinned and passed that sin and punishment to all of us.  We had “…only a fearful expectation of judgment….”  Instead of death however, when we prostrated ourselves at the feet of Jesus we received life, sonship, acceptance and restoration.  We now sit at the table of the king as sons and daughters.  We have an eternal inheritance and God will one day restore to us all that sin has taken.

John 1:16:  From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. [NIV]

My message at The Way Assembly of God today is about Mephibosheth – the man with the almost unpronounceable name and the crippled feet. He is identified as the only remaining direct descendant of Israel’s first king, Saul.  He was a son of the oldest son, Jonathan, and in direct line for the throne – if God had not taken the throne away from Saul because of disobedience and instead given it to a young shepherd named David. [2 Samuel 9]

Unfortunately for Mephibosheth, the common practice of the time was for the king of the new dynasty to annihilate the descendants of the old dynasty–can’t leave relatives around that might try to regain the throne through subterfuge or violence.

When news of the deaths of Saul and Jonathan arrived, Mephibosheth’s nurse grabbed her young charge and in her haste to flee dropped him.  Mephibosheth never recovered from that drop; it left him with crippled feet. [2 Samuel 4:4]

After David fully assumed the throne, he remembered the promise he had made to Jonathan, a promise to be loyal to Jonathan’s family.  David begins a search and finally learns that a son of Jonathan is in hiding in a remote part of Israel.  He’s poor, exiled and afraid.

Can you imagine Mephibosheth’s fear when David’s servants arrive at the house where he is staying and whisk him off for an audience before the king?  I think he must have had what Hebrews describes as “…only a fearful expectation of judgment….”  [Heb 10:27 NIV]

Instead King David had a much different surprise in store for Mephibosheth.  Tomorrow, the best part of the story.

I’m not a stay-up-late person, even on the 4^th of July.  I know cities and regions are setting off fireworks, but my body is saying “bedtime!” I fell asleep easily Tuesday night, but woke up not long after. As one person on Facebook commented, it sounded like a war zone with all the illegal fireworks bursting in the dark around us in Idaho.

There were a lot of warnings about pets not handling the fireworks and to make sure they are in a protected area. Many dogs are frightened by the noise and lights.  What the news fails to mention, and what I learned at a clergy seminar on ministry to veterans, is that this is a difficult time for some veterans also. It does sound like a war zone, and many vets carry enduring effects from the actual war zones in which they fought.

As I listened to the bottle rockets and mortars bursting around us, and saw the brilliant flashes coming through the blinds, I thought about those who were struggling that night.  Sometimes sights and sounds leave marks on our minds and emotions, things we can never forget, things that immediately take us back to difficult or dangerous situations.  I still feel a momentary panic when it looks like a car is about ready to turn left in front of me–and that accident happened nearly ten years ago!

Not all memories are good.  For some, memories of rejection, abuse, struggles, deaths and the like drive them. Bad memories have an almost overpowering ability to carry us back where we do not want to go. They drain us of present day joy and peace. Jesus invited us to come during those times … “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” [Matt 11:28 NIV]

That invitation is not just for salvation, but also for all those times when the past strives to dominate the present.

Father, may we always be aware of the struggles others might have.  May we be islands of peace and refuge for them.  May we remember to pray and come alongside them.  Amen.

“Kentucky Head Coach Shoots Down NBA Rumors While Riding Camel”  [NBC Sports, nbcnews.com, 06/30/2017]

I know news captions are designed to catch our attention. Most of the time I just buzz on past them without a second thought.  But this one…this one made me pause and read the story. The story, of course, is about John Calipari, head basketball coach at Kentucky.  Every year rumors fly that he’s leaving the college scene to become a head coach in the NBA. This year the rumors happened while he was on vacation in Egypt, thus the picture of him riding a camel as he denied them.

The story nowhere lived up to its catchy title!

With God, it’s not about catchy titles that draw you into little content. It’s about truth that is so simple a child can understand and so deep that decades of searching only crack the surface.  We could spend the rest of our lives getting to know the God who identified Himself to Moses as, “I AM WHO I AM.” [Ex 3:14 NIV]

We could hear every day what Jeremiah heard, “I have loved you with an everlasting love,” and still not have experienced all there is in that promise.  [Jer 31:3 NIV]

And who can fully appreciate the eternal promise contained in Jesus’ proclamation from the cross, “It is [and will forever be] finished!”  [John 19:30 NIV]

No, our God is not about catchy titles, He’s about promises and truth that will carry us into eternity.  Praise His Holy Name!

Three decades ago my brother Mike and I traveled from California to Pennsylvania for a 50^th anniversary celebration for our aunt and uncle. On the trip, Mike took his two daughters, 8 and 6, and I took my youngest child Dan who was 10.  We traveled in Mike’s RV.  The trip took 10 days and we visited many states and sites along the way.

It was hot and muggy when we arrived in Western Pennsylvania in July.  We parked the RV alongside this house that had been like home to us in our childhood. My aunt insisted that I sleep in the house, relegating Mike and the kids to sleep in the RV. I told her I was fine staying in the RV, but she kept insisting that she had a room all prepared for me upstairs. I gave in to her wishes.

I soon discovered that the upstairs of the house had no air conditioning and that the bedroom window had been secured so it could only be raised about two inches. As I lay gasping in the heat, I could hear the air conditioner on the RV whining away below me. I pictured my brother and the kids comfortable and cool. My thoughts in that moment were not happy thoughts!

In the morning, my aunt said that a thunderstorm had blown through in the middle of the night and cooled things off.  I certainly didn’t feel any cooling. I asked her if she was sure about that.  She said, “Oh, yes it definitely cooled off. We have the heater set at 72^o and it kicked on around 2 AM.”

I laugh now; I didn’t laugh then.  “A merry heart does good, like medicine.”  [Proverbs 17:22 NKJV]

Father, how I look forward to seeing those ones who have been so dear to me who are now in Your presence.  I want to laugh again with them. Amen.