Past Devotions

Decades ago, I traveled from California to Pennsylvania in a small motor home with my youngest child who was ten years old at the time and my brother and his two daughters. It took us 10 days, and we visited 12 states. Somewhere along the way I picked up a trivet inscribed with “If your wife doesn’t treat you as you deserve, be thankful.”

That trivet has been in my kitchen ever since and every time I notice it, it reminds me to thank my LORD and Savior…because I read it as “If God doesn’t treat you as you deserve, be thankful.”

The Scriptures are clear about what we deserve and why we deserve it. “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” [Romans 3:23 NLT]

The Scriptures are also abundantly clear that those who accept God’s offer of salvation don’t get what is deserved but receive His grace and mercy instead.

“For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus.” [2 Timothy 1:9 NLT]

And for that we should be continually and eternally thankful! Amen!

I came across another quote the other day and I can’t remember where I found this one either. It made me think of our relationship with our LORD. “Relationships don’t come packaged in perfection—they only come wrapped with potential—and they can’t survive if only one half is doing all the work.”

“But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.” [John 14:26 NLT]

As Christians, we have a relationship with the Living God. Like all relationships it won’t work if God is doing all the work.

I understand that God does DO all the work of salvation through Christ Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension. I understand that He provides ALL the grace and strength we need. I understand that the Holy Spirit comes to live inside our hearts and has the job of teaching us the ways and truth of our Holy God and our salvation.

But I also know that we can refuse to learn. In Romans 12:1-2 Paul writes, “I plead with you to give your bodies to God,” and “…let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” [NLT]

Look at those three words … plead, let, and learn. We have our work to do in this relationship with our LORD and Savior. Let’s do it well.

“Shame is nothing more than the fear that you aren’t good enough.” I came across that quote recently and it stuck with me. I can’t remember where I saw it, but it sure made me think. My immediate thought was “News Flash: WE AREN’T GOOD ENOUGH!” and when we realize that, then we are filled with shame.

The Scriptures repeatedly speak of being ashamed. And they repeatedly provide a remedy for shame. One place the remedy is found is in Psalm 34.

“I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces.” [Psalm 34:4-5 NLT]

Psalm 34 is a song of triumph. It speaks of the Lord’s greatness, care, rescue, and redemption. Read it today and soak in how good our God is and how when we turn to him, there isn’t even a “shadow of shame” darkening our faces.

Psalm 34 was written by David when he found himself in desperate trouble. Fleeing from King Saul he ended up in enemy territory. He went to the King of Gath where he was recognized. 1Samuel 21:12-15 says that he panicked and that he “pretended to be insane, scratching on doors and drooling down his beard” to escape. [NLT]

Reconciling that scene with the grandeur of Psalm 34 always leaves me wondering about the ways of God and how we view them and our own hearts. David should have been filled with shame, yet when he turned to the LORD, he was freed from his fears and filled with joy – and “no shadow of shame” darkened his face.

Sometimes when reading through the Bible you can skip right over the most amazing truths with nary a pause. But then when you see two verses side-by-side, it often compounds the amazement and commands your attention. That happened to me this morning.

I was reading an article and the author referenced Acts 17:24: “He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn’t live in man-made temples.” [NLT]

Later in the morning I was reading in Colossians 1 and came across another thought. “To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” [vs 27 NKJV]

Do you see it? God who made the world and everything in it – the great Creator – the LORD of heaven and earth – the One Who Rules all things – doesn’t live in structures. No, this Great Creator, LORD of everything, lives in you!

Christ, who spoke the world into existence spurns buildings – no matter how grand they may be – and chooses to live in us!

Put those thoughts side-by-side, the grandeur and power of the Creator … and us. Think of the greatest structures ever dedicated to Him and think of how lowly and inconsequential we are. Then remember that He spurns those grand buildings and chooses us instead. Chew on that a bit today!

The neighbors to our left moved out several months ago. No one has moved in, and nothing has been done around the house since they left. I can see the weeds in the backyard over our six-foot fence and the ones in the front are at least two feet high. There are thistles and dandelions and those awful crawling things that spread out and take over the lawn that was there.

The worst part is that they have begun to invade our lawn where the lawns meet on that side and Bob is having a difficult time keeping them from taking over our yard.

The neighbor on our right is diligent about the weeds that try to overrun his lawn. Bob doesn’t have to worry much about that side of our house at all. There are seldom any weeds there.

As I looked at these three houses, I thought it was a visual representation of 1Corinthians 15:33. “Do not be deceived: ‘Evil company corrupts good habits.’ Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God.” [NKJV]

The company we keep can have a positive or negative influence on us. It is good to seek out those who can encourage us in our Christian Walk.

It is also good to strive to be that “good company” to others!

I was scrolling through Facebook and spotted a post by a friend. It quoted Ephesians 2:20. “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” [Ephesians 2:10 NLT]

That stopped me in my tracks! It was that word “masterpiece.” I looked up the verse in my Bible App and found that it is most often rendered workmanship or handiwork in other translations.

The Greek word here is poiēma (Strong’s Greek 4161). We get our English word “poem” from it. It means a product of creative action, such as a workmanship, handiwork, or the thing made. The NT uses it to highlight divine craftsmanship, whether in the material universe or in the redeemed community.

I think I feel more comfortable being labeled God’s workmanship rather than God’s masterpiece! And yet, if I really stop and think about it, everything that God does is perfect. In modern vernacular – God doesn’t make junk!

My life may have been touched by sin, marked by guilt, shame and regret, but as the Scripture says, “[God] has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the things he planned for us long ago.”

I think we should each go face a mirror and remind ourselves that in Christ Jesus, “I AM GOD’S MASTERPIECE!” Amen

I have lived in three US States, Pennsylvania, California, and Idaho. I love Idaho best. I love where we live in Idaho, in the lower Treasure Valley. When we moved to our current residence, this was one of the first subdivisions and it was surrounded by farm fields. Now there are less fields and more subdivisions.

One thing I have always found interesting are the various fragrances that come through our windows – all depending on which way the wind blows. Sometimes we are overwhelmed by the sugar beet factory or the feedlots. But other times we are blessed by the mint fields. Today it’s onions. The farmers must be stirring up the onion fields.

I went for a short walk outside today. This is the first time since before my surgery. As I walked (and breathed in the onion fragrance) I could not help but think about 2 Corinthians 2 and the section on “A Ministry of Life and Death.”

“But thanks be to God, who always puts us on display in Christ and through us spreads the aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. For to God we are the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To some we are an aroma of death leading to death, but to others, an aroma of life leading to life.” [vs 14-16 HCSB]

Christ in us produces an “aroma,” a fragrance. To God and to others who also have Christ in them, this aroma, this fragrance, is a sweet perfume. To those apart from Christ, this aroma, this fragrance is putrid – like the smell of death.

If you wonder why some people respond to us so negatively or accuse us of judging or condemning – even though we haven’t said a word – it is because Christ in us produces that spiritual aroma. That fragrance arouses a response – either affirming life in them or death.

The Scriptures have many verses which speak about God being our refuge. Just read through the Book of Psalms once and you get the picture … refuge, strength, hiding place, rock, shield, stronghold, etc. Psalm 18 alone has quite a few of those references.

“The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my mountain where I seek refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” [Psalm 18:2 HCSB]

And there are others, Psalm 46, Psalm 91, Psalm 27, Psalm 31 to name a few.

But I admit that while running to God sounds easy enough, it’s not always. Not because God is not there but because in our contemporary culture, we are usually tempted to try all kinds of other things first. We rely on our own strength and abilities until our own strength and abilities fail us.

“I got this!” is our mantra, until it’s proven that we don’t “got this!” We absolutely need a refuge and nothing in us or this life will satisfy that need apart from God. So, we give God a try – when we should have turned to Him first.

It is an absolute necessity that we look outside ourselves for refuge amid our trials and find our rest in God’s Presence.

When I post something on Facebook as Pastor Terry Lema, it allows me to go back later and check “Insights.” Those insights show how many people interacted with the post, how many shared it, etc.

To Facebook, those insights are just cold statistics. To me, they are truly insights into whether what I write ministers to others.

Over the years I have found that the devotions that speak of pain, suffering, and brokenness often are the ones that have the highest views and shares. That tells me that many have painful parts of their lives that they may not share with others. Behind all those happy posts are hurting people looking for answers.

I don’t have all the answers to specific trials, but I do have THE answer that enables us to keep going in this life – not to just survive, but to thrive despite the trials.

“[The LORD] heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds…. The LORD helps the afflicted…. The LORD values those who fear Him, those who put their hope in His faithful love.” [Psalm 147:3, 6, 11 HCSB]

Psalm 147 is a song which celebrates God’s power, wisdom, and care for His creation. It serves as a testimony to God’s loving care and compassion in the lives of His people. He heals. He binds up wounds. He gathers His own to Himself. He “values” those who place their hope in Him.

“Values” means He accepts, favors and delights in His children. I know that I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God loves His children. I know that I know that He delights in us. I know that I know …

This month marks 52 years since I surrendered my life to Christ Jesus as Savior and LORD. It is a decision I have never regretted. But after 52 years I can firmly say that the Christian Walk is not a walk in the park.

Matthew and Luke both reported that Jesus spoke about the need for endurance. [Matthew 10:22, Luke 21:19]

Paul reminded us that as God’s ministers we are going to need “great endurance,” and that our life might be characterized by afflictions, hardships, difficulties, etc. [2 Corinthians 6:3-5]

James tells us that our faith WILL be tested but that the testing WILL produce endurance. He also tells us that we must allow that endurance to “do its complete work, so that [we] may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.” [James 1:3-4 HCSB]

I admit that I want to be mature. I want to be complete. I want to lack nothing in my walk with Christ Jesus. I also admit that I wish I could have all those things without the afflictions, hardships, difficulties, testing, etc.

I wish my Christian Walk WAS a walk in the park. But apparently God knows I won’t become complete and mature just by a casually strolling through life!