Devotions

Have you read the Good News? Psalm 47:7-8: “For God is the King over all the earth. Praise him with a psalm. God reigns above the nations, sitting on his holy throne.” [NLT]

It doesn’t matter what the media are proclaiming – all gloom, despair, and excessive misery. The truth is that no matter what they say, God is still on the throne. And He has proclaimed much Good News to us. Listen to some of the Good News Paul proclaimed in just those first chapters of Romans …

*God’s kindness leads you toward repentance.

*We are freely justified by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

*We have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.

*We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

*While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Now if that isn’t Good News, I don’t know what is. God kindly led us to repentance and then freely justified us by his grace; gave us peace, access, hope, and did all that while we were His enemies.

The economy may not be so good. But my soul is just fine! My bank account maybe a bit wimpy, but I have gained access by faith into the grace of God in which I stand. Prices are up and times are tough, and I am rejoicing in the hope of the glory of God.

God is seated on His holy throne. Nothing else even comes close! GOOD NEWS!

If the only place you look for news is from the media, you will seldom find Good News. Yet, Good News abounds! You just have to know where to look! Psalm 47:8 declares “God reigns above the nations, sitting on His holy throne.”  Can you get better news than that?

If there was ever a time when we need Good News(!) to strengthen each other and be mutually fortified by each other’s faith – it is now. Christians should be encouraging each other and reminding everyone that there is Good News(!) that overpowers the bad news.

Man may choose to ignore God’s eternal power and divine nature, but that doesn’t change God one iota. And now amid the bad news, when people’s hearts are fearful, now is the perfect time to once again remind them that God is still on the throne!

Are we struggling? You bet! And God is still on the throne. Are we having a hard time making ends meet? Sure!  And God is still on the throne. Could we lose it all? Yep! And God is still on the throne.

Now is the time for that to sink into our own hearts and minds. Circumstances are tough for everyone, Christian and non-Christian alike; but unlike the rest of the world, the Christian knows just Who really is in charge. God is still on throne.

That should make you smile. That should encourage your faith. And I guarantee if you smile, someone is going to ask you what you have that makes you smile. Be prepared to answer …

GOOD NEWS! GOD IS STILL ON THE THRONE!

Yesterday I admitted that I personally believe God has a sense of humor. I know I have proof of that in my life. I think I can (to an extent) find proof of that in the Scriptures also.

Numbers 22:21-35 tells the story of Balaam and his donkey. Balaam was heading into danger and the donkey sensed the angel of the LORD in the pathway and tried to stop the prophet from continuing.

Think about that. Balaam’s donkey recognized the presence of the LORD, even though the prophet did not. It wasn’t until God allowed the donkey to talk that Balaam realized the danger he was in.

The dialogue in verses 28-29 always makes me laugh. “Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth, and it said to Balaam, ‘What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?’ Balaam answered the donkey ….”

Balaam and a donkey carrying on a conversation as if it is an everyday occurrence. In my mind that tells me God has a sense of humor.

At times, as I sit quietly in the Presence of the LORD, I can almost hear the joy and accompanying laughter of heaven.

Lately, I have been thinking about laughter. So much so that I began to look for the benefits of laughter. I found an article from the Mayo Clinic Staff that listed both short-term and long-term benefits. (Link to article below)

One of the first parts of the article was “Stress Relief from Laughter,” and it began “A good sense of humor can’t cure all ailments, but data is mounting about the positive things laughter can do.”

The short-term benefits include: Stimulates many organs, activates and relieves your stress response, soothes tension. The long-term benefits include: improves immune system, relieves pain, increases personal satisfaction, and improves mood. The article ends with tips to improve your sense of humor.

The Scriptures don’t speak a great deal about laughter, but they do speak a lot about joy. Psalm 5 is David’s morning prayer. His prayer ends with a declaration of joy. “But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them that those who love your name may rejoice in you. Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.” [Psalm 5:11-12 NIV]

Joy & Laughter originate in God. And I personally believe that God has a sense of humor. I also believe that there will be a great deal of Joy & Laughter in heaven.

Which made me consider that the one place laughter will never be heard is among those who spend eternity separated from God because of their rejection of His Salvation in Christ Jesus.

Stress relief from laughter? It's no joke - Mayo Clinic

“They said to me, ‘Things are not going well for those who returned to the province of Judah. They are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem has been torn down, and the gates have been destroyed by fire. When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven” [Nehemiah 1:3-4 NLT]

For a book that begins on such a sad note, one of the most repeated Scriptures about JOY is found therein. “For the joy of the Lord is your strength!” [8:10]

The joy came back to these former captives (returning from captivity in Babylon) when the Word of the LORD (the law) was read to them one day … and the next day they obediently and joyfully celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles. [chapter 8]

There was a grateful and joyful celebration again when the wall of protection was restored, and provisions were made for worship (the priests and Levites and their work). [chapter 12]

Joy comes from God. It originates in Him!

What began in captivity, disgrace, and mourning, ended with JOY, (WHAT JOY!) because of the Word of God, the Wall of Protection, and the Provisions for Worship.

Sounds a lot like my life. Sound like yours?

I like baseball, especially now as playoffs are underway and we are heading to the World Series. My dad was a baseball fan. I remember him sitting in his chair and listening to games on the radio. Baseball may seem boring to some, but to me it is a game of strategy and planning. You don’t have to be physically big to play – nothing like a fast, wiry shortstop stopping a ball and starting a double or even triple play.

And it doesn’t have to be homeruns (although those are fun), I enjoy seeing one base hit after another and watching runners scrambling around the bases and sliding into home plate.

Baseball evolved from 70 games in 1876 to 162 games in 1961. By now in the year players have played a lot of games. They are tired. Many are hurting. But with a world championship coming up, they ignore their fatigue and their aches and pains. They play all out, sometimes on heart alone. They want to win the World Series Pennant Race.

We, too, are in a race and Hebrews 12:1 tells us to “…run with endurance the race God has set before us.”

At times our race seems long and difficult. We grow tired. We hurt. Pain often becomes our daily companion. But just like those baseball players finishing their season strong despite the difficulties, we are to finish our race strong.

We need to remain faithful in this good fight because there is something far more valuable than a World Series Pennant (ring) waiting for us.

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return.” [2Timothy 4:7-8 NLT]

Ephesians 3 is an interesting section of Scripture. Give it a read today if you get a chance. It begins with Paul describing God’s mysterious plan that is now revealed. Though hidden in previous generations, it is now openly seen.

“And this is God’s plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus.” [3:5-6 NLT]

Paul goes on to pray for God’s people for spiritual growth. He prays for empowerment and inner strength, trust in Christ, roots that grow deep into God’s love, and power to understand how wide, long, high, and deep God’s love is. He prays that we might experience that love and that we be made complete – finishing with a beautiful doxology glorifying God.

“Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.” [Ephesians 3:20-21 NLT]

Did you notice that phrase in the doxology – “God, who is able … to accomplish infinitely more than we ask or think”?  Did you notice that phrase directly follows Paul’s prayer for our spiritual growth? What exactly ARE we asking or thinking for? How often do we ask infinitely more for our own spiritual growth?

Too often we see ourselves primarily through our flaws and limitations. Maybe we need to think and ask infinitely more for ourselves than even Paul prayed for us!

God is able!

I was physically tired last week after returning from Montana. I expected that so I had very little on my “list of things to do” for the week. One was a small grocery store run. The other was prayer at the church on Thursday morning.

As I got ready to go, I was fussing about a bunch of stuff, partly because I was tired, but mainly because I was letting my flesh (my old sinful nature) have full reign.

I knew I needed to be at prayer … when I got there, I told Pastor Paco that I needed an attitude adjustment. As Paul put it to the Ephesians, I needed to “let the Spirit renew [my] thoughts and attitudes.”

“…throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.” [Ephesians 4:22-24 NLT]

As I listened to the praise and worship songs in the background, as I prayed about the needs that flashed on the screen, I could feel the Spirit work in my heart and mind.

All the things I was fussing about flowed out of me, and a renewal from the Spirit of the Living God flowed in. My old sinful nature bowed to the power of God’s Spirit.

I am so thankful for corporate prayer at church. Even though last Thursday was just Pastor Paco and me, being in the presence (where two or more are gathered) of other saints makes “attitude adjustments” so much easier.

I found a pile of mail waiting for me when I got home Monday night. Also waiting was a pile of laundry. Then there was a suitcase to empty and things to put away. I did the suitcase first, which added to the laundry pile. Then the laundry (and spent a bit of time cleaning the kitchen which had not been cleaned since I left.)

The mail waited until Wednesday. There was a letter for Bob and another one for me from our Medicare supplemental insurance company. It was an announcement that its Medicare coverage will no longer be offered in our area. My heart sunk as I read the letter. I knew I would now have to look for another company, a task I dreaded.

This would be a new experience for me. This company was one that I had when I was an employee at St. Luke’s Health System. When I reached Medicare age, I just slid from one side of the company to the other.

So, I put it off. Then I got a phone call Thursday from an independent agent. The company going out of business recommended him and before I could reach out to him, he reached out to me. It was all settled in 15 minutes. I breathed a sigh of relief. Then I remembered a Scripture in Isaiah.

“I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers!” [Isaiah 65:24 NLT]

God is so good! He knew that my mind was stressed, and I was drained emotionally. He knew my heart was not ready to deal with this now … so He dealt with it. Not only was it handled in 15 minutes, but I would not have to live with it hanging over my head in the days ahead.

God, You are SO good!  Thank you.

I was aware as I left on this trip to Montana for Patty’s Celebration of Life that I would be grieving the loss of my friend while I would be ministering to others who were also grieving.

I know Patty’s faith was in her Savior Christ Jesus. I know where Patty is now, in the arms of her loving Good Shepherd. I know that my grief is for my loss, not for her gain. I would not wish her back here just to make me feel better.

I will grieve but with hope.  “And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope.” [1Thessalonians 4:13 NLT]

I know that even amid that abundant hope, I will still have to mourn. The hope I have does not remove the pain of loss. It does not overrule the sadness or tears, nor eliminate the journey I must walk as I mourn my loss.

But I also know that the pain, sadness, and tears will never be strong enough to overpower the hope I have that I shall one day be with her, in the same place, in the arms of our loving Good Shepherd.

I have taught about and walked alongside others through the journey of loss and grieving and mourning. Now it is, once again, my turn to walk that journey.