Past Devotions

This week is Amazon Prime Day(s). The giant online retailer is reducing the cost of just about everything. I did splurge. I bought a lightweight ironing board (yes, I still iron), and a new lightweight iron (since mine has sprung a leak). I also got a new Kindle book that I’d been looking at for only $1.49. Oh, and I ordered more recordable CDs for the church. Other than that, I’ve avoided the website temptations.

 Amazon has reached mega-status as a retailer primarily by catering to the consumer’s appetites. It sells everything that is sold by everyone else, but at discount rates. It has driven many of the brick and mortar stores out of business and is now infringing on delivery companies. Our neighborhood is flooded with Amazon “Prime” vans daily.  Amazon has become a giant and other companies now try to compete by employing its business model.

I wonder, however, if the Amazon “business model” hasn’t also invaded the church. Instead of manifesting the truth and supernatural power of our God, we have become too much like the world.  We cater to the world’s appetites.  We crave the world’s approval. We measure by the world’s standards.  We give people what they want, rather than what they need, often discounting the price of truth in the process.

 We have failed to heed Paul’s warning to Timothy about the last days and the people who have a form of godliness but deny its power.  “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God- having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.”  [2 Tim 3:1-5]

 Maybe it’s time to re-consider our “business model.”

Ever look at a keyboard. You’ll notice that all the letter and number keys are always in the same location – they never change.  We can trust that “r” and “t” will be next to each other, and 1 through 0 will always be in the same order.

 The auxiliary keys, however, are a different story.  That little delete key is typically on the upper right, but the surrounding keys can be different.  Perhaps the delete key on your keyboard is next to the airplane mode key, or something else – like the print screen key. That’s where my delete key is and it’s not a good place for it.  Whenever I make a mistake and need to delete something, I often hit the print screen key instead – which on my operating system automatically saves my screen (with all my mistakes) out there somewhere in the clouds. 

 Thankfully, that is true only for my typing mistakes and on my Windows operating system.  It is not true for my sins.  God promised Jeremiah, “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.“ [31:34]

 The writer of Hebrews thought that was such an important promise relating to the New Covenant in Christ Jesus that he repeated it in Hebrews 8:12.

 God also promised Micah that “[He] will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.” And Isaiah reminds us that “[God’s] salvation will last forever, [His] righteousness will never fail.” [Micah7:19; Isaiah 51:6]

All my typing mistakes may be recorded and saved in the clouds. But my sins, Praise God, are forgotten and cast into the depths of the sea – forever! 

As I have aged, I’ve discovered some things are getting harder to do and I need to find alternatives. For example, lids on jars are now opened with a tool rather than hand strength. Small print needs a magnifying glass. Ripping open packaging requires a scissor. Threading a needle requires a needle threader and a magnifying glass.

 I’ve also discovered that somethings aren’t even possible to do anymore. I’ve lost my ability to jump. Now at 72 jumping may not be something I do on a regular basis, but I would so love to jump during song service when we sing the “Days of Elijah” and get to the part that says, “There’s no god like JEHOVAH!”

 So, I’ve learned to compensate by finding alternatives for the “harder” things, and I’m waiting until I get that glorified body to “jump” when the heavenly choirs start singing “There’s no god like JEHOVAH!”

Fortunately, our God has no such limitations. Nothing is too difficult or impossible for Him.  “Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.” [Jeremiah 32:17]

 We can look at the mess our world is in and bemoan that evil seems all-powerful and nothing can be done to stem the tide. Or, we can look at our Sovereign LORD, the Almighty One, and begin to intercede in power for righteousness and truth. Nothing is too hard for our God. 

 Maybe the reason so many people underestimate our SAVIOR and LORD, is because the church hasn’t done much lately to display His Almighty power. It’s time for a change!

Paul ends his prayer in Ephesians 3 with praise for the God who loves us, strengthens us with power and provides us with inexhaustible riches in Christ Jesus.

 “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”  [Ephesians 3:20-21]

 Isn’t that the most marvelous promise? God is able, able to do, able to do immeasurably more, immeasurably more than all we can ask or even imagine. 

 Have we forgotten that? As we look around at the evil that seems to so often be on display in our nation today, have we forgotten how able our God is?  How able He is to do immeasurably more? Just because the church might have lost her courage to stand up for truth, doesn’t mean God has lost even one iota of His. Just because we have become complacent or despairing as believers doesn’t mean God has forgotten His plan for His creation, or His promises to His children. 

 He is forever and ever God! He reigns and one day (perhaps not too far away) every knee, every knee, will bow to Him. It’s time beloved to once again embrace that truth – He is able. He is able to do immeasurably more. Let’s start praying and acting like we believe that!

Today is the birthday of my former pastor and mentor, Jim Gardiner. This birthday he would have caught up with me at age 72, but instead of celebrating with us, he’s celebrating with the LORD. Many miss him.  He had a heart for God and a heart for people. He taught me, and a host of others, about grace and the love of God.

 “I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” [Ephesians 3:17-19]

 God loves us. That simple statement is one of the deepest truths ever recorded in the Scriptures. God, the Creator of the Universe, its Eternal, Infallible Sustainer, loves His creation.  God loves us. Paul’s prayer is that we might somehow be able to grasp with our finite minds the width, length, height and depth of this infinite love. The more we can grasp that, the more we are filled with “all the fullness of God.”

 When my children were small, we hosted some missionaries from around the world for several weeks. There were seven of them. Three were from African nations and they taught my three children a simple song.  So simple, I still remember it.  “Jesus love is very wonderful, Jesus love is very wonderful, Jesus love is very wonderful, so wonderful now. So high that you can’t get over it. So low that you can’t get under it. So wide that you can’t get around it. So wonderful now.”

 I still can see them leaping and dancing with the children in our living room as they sang. I still remember the song. And I still am absolutely amazed by how true that song really is.  

Don’t you love listening to some people pray. I remember hearing one woman remark after someone prayed for her, “when she prays for you, you know you have been prayed for.”  It seems some people know just how to formulate their prayers in the highest way, while many of us struggle searching for the right thoughts or words. One thing I am sure of though, God hears all prayers, both the elegant and the less-than-elegant. I think they are all filtered through the Holy Spirit anyway so that when they reach the throne of grace, they are just right.

 I do love reading the prayers of Paul in his letters.  He seems to know just what to ask for when he prays.  There is an elegant prayer found in Ephesians 3. Since I’m focusing on that book to begin a study in September, I thought we’d look at Paul’s prayer over the next few days. 

 He begins: “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.”  [Ephesians 3:16-17]

 One of the things we find in those glorious “inexhaustible” riches of Christ Jesus is strength and power “through His Spirit” in our inner being. Life drains us. The common stresses and frustrations of each day often leave us weakened, not just in body, but in our minds, wills and emotions. Our faith is assaulted constantly by our enemies—the world, our flesh and the devil. We would be totally defeated if not for the renewing, invigorating strength and power that is ours in the glorious riches of Christ Jesus.

 As Paul prayed for the Ephesians, we must pray for each other. It’s not enough to simply ask that troubles be removed, we need to remember to pray for each other for the power and strength to live victorious lives in Christ Jesus. 

July 12

“Although I am less than the least of all God’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.” [Ephesians 3:8]

 This was the verse-of-the-day that was dropped into my email inbox one day this week. It is from Paul the Apostle’s letter to the church at Ephesus. It is one of his later letters, which we find are far weightier than some of the earlier ones.  We are going to study this letter at The Way Assembly in Middleton, along with Colossians, Philippians and Philemon this coming fall. Thus, the verse caught my attention, especially that small phrase, “unsearchable riches of Christ.”

 Have you ever searched for anything? The other day I lost the magnetic sunglasses that came with my regular glasses. Searched everywhere and found them buried in my purse (don’t ask). When I think about searching for something, I also remember the time we went clamming on the beach in California. We had to stomp on the sand and watch for a small waterspout to shoot up and then rush over and start digging with shovels as the clam burrowed deeper and deeper out of our reach.

 That’s not the idea Paul is presenting with the phrase “unsearchable riches of Christ.” God has not spirited away and buried those riches so we can’t find them. Neither is He moving them out of our reach constantly. These riches are unsearchable in the sense they are inexhaustible. We keep uncovering more and more as we search. The supply of riches in Christ Jesus never runs out, will never run out. I think we will be discovering wonderful riches in Christ throughout eternity. Hallelujah!

I like coffee. You’d probably guess that right away if you ever come into my kitchen. There’s a Keurig coffeemaker for when I want just a quick cup of hot coffee. There’s a Bunn coffeemaker that is ready to go for that morning pot of hot coffee I share with Bob. And now there is a Cold Brew coffeemaker. I’ve found I like the cold brewed coffee for my afternoon cup, the brewing eliminates much of the acid and the coffee is smooth and rich. Up to now I’ve been buying a cold brewed coffee at either Starbucks or Dutch Bros. The cost, however, is prohibitive, so I’m limited to one or two cups a week.  I bought a cold brewed coffeemaker $10!

I like my coffee, bold and strong. I like certain blends of coffee. And yes, one of my favorite coffees comes from Starbucks. Why am I telling you all this … apparently Starbucks is in hot water (again) for the actions of one of its employees.  At a Starbucks in Arizona, six police officers on July 4 were asked to leave because they made a customer feel uncomfortable.  When someone posted in social media about the incident, with a “dump Starbucks” graphic, it went viral. Soon the company was apologizing and once again, moving to re-train its employees.

 I’m not going to say anything about Starbucks as an organization. I just want to note today that in our culture it only takes one person’s actions to put a company’s reputation at risk.  It’s going to take a lot of energy and work for Starbucks to gain back a good name among first responders in Arizona, all because of the actions of one individual.

 Have you ever thought about how quickly our actions—or inaction—can damage the reputation of our faith?  Paul wrote to the Ephesians, “I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” [Eph 4:1]

 As Believers in Christ Jesus, we must be so careful that we live worthy of Him. We must never do anything that would dishonor the Wonderful Name of Jesus, our LORD and Savior.

A recent ad in my email asked me “Are you an overcomer?” Then it went on to tell me there is a book I can read that will help me to be an overcomer. This book will tell me how to overcome fear and rejection, shame and sickness, and other such bondages. I am sure it is a good book; the author has verifiable credentials and apparently a successful ministry to people who are hurting.

 I wondered as I read the ad how the author became an overcomer … perhaps by reading a good book?  Perhaps even by reading “the Good Book?”

I encourage people to read “the Good Book” themselves. We should be going through our Bibles—all the way through them—at least once every two years, preferably once a year. Yes, Old Testament and New Testament. Psalms and Proverbs, even Leviticus and Job! 

 If you want to overcome the enemy of your soul, you need to know God, love God, obey His commands and place your faith in God. How do you know God, except by reading His book? How do you know what He commands unless you read His book? How do you know God is worthy of Your faith? You read His promises and see His mighty power proven first in the Scriptures and then in your life. 

John tells us, “This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.”  [1 John 5:3-5]

 You want to be an overcomer?  You can read what others have gleaned from the Scriptures about God, or you can read the living word of God yourself and learn through the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit. 

I was walking last week, early in the morning. I wore my new “Under Armour” shirt with its hood and long sleeves. I had on long pants, socks, shoes. I was totally protected against those early morning bugs and mosquitoes. My MP3 player was resounding with worship and praise music. I was away from anyone who could hear me, so I was singing aloud and praising my Lord. It was a great morning.  Until a bug flew in my mouth.

 Apparently the one part of my being left vulnerable to those early morning bugs was an open mouth. After I got over the initial shock of having a bug in my mouth, I did eventually laugh. I thought maybe I need a filter on my mouth – for what might fly in as well as for what might fly out!  I also remembered Jesus’ “woe” to the Pharisees and teacher of the law.  Hard not to remember when you are trying to “strain out a gnat!”

 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices-mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law-justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.” [Matthew 23:23-24]

Jesus was angry with those teachers and leaders for focusing on “gnat-like” issues rather than the weighty issues. They were consumed with how much of their spices they should tithe rather than important issues of justice, mercy and faithfulness. He called them hypocrites for their attitudes and lifestyles.

 Are we so much different? We focus on the minor and ignore the important matters just as much as they did. Oft times we are more bothered by what someone is wearing rather than the condition of their heart. Let’s be aware of the minor things, but never, ever, ignore justice, mercy and faithfulness.