Past Devotions

Sometimes I act like Jonah.

I was walking to the end of the block and back on one of my afternoon breaks when I came across a small dead sparrow on the sidewalk. My heart went out to it and I quietly said, “God, one of Your little sparrows has fallen.”

I heard Him whisper to me, “Yes, child, I know. Have you noticed the thousands of people in this city who do not know me?”

And I remembered Jonah.

At the end of the Book of Jonah, the prophet sat down, and God caused a plant to grow and provide Jonah shade from the hot sun. The next day God caused the plant to wither. When that happened, Jonah became upset. God’s response, was, “Jonah, you have more concern for this plant than you do for the thousands of people in this city who do not know me.”   [Jonah 4:10-11-paraphrased]

I walk to the end of the block and back almost every day on my afternoon break. Until today, when I saw that little dead bird, I wasn’t really concerned over anything—not one of the people who walked past me, not the ones in the cars that drove past, not the hundreds working in the offices around me, not the ones in the university across the street.

Yes, Father, sometimes I act like Jonah. Forgive me. Amen.

I knew this past week was going to be a tough one. First, I do not do the time changes very well. My strong internal clock rebels when we go from Standard Time to Saving Time or back again.  It always leaves me feeling wiped out and takes me a good week to recover. I am also at mid-point in my temporary assignment with the State. Mid-point of anything is the most difficult—at least for me.

To top it all off, Sunday’s message is on Peter’s fourth virtue to add to our faith—perseverance. Peter puts that virtue at the mid-way point in his list of seven. And I knew going in to this week I would be flooded with situations and thoughts of just giving up! [You know what preachers say: Got to learn the lesson before you can teach the lesson.]

Focusing on perseverance for today’s message, I understood that I would be tempted with giving up – giving up everything! By mid-week I just wanted to sell everything, go off somewhere and get a small apartment. All I wanted was to read and write and crochet and forget everything else. But then I remember Jesus’ question to Peter, and his response.

Jesus had said some tough words to His followers and many had decided to walk away, to quit!  So, He turned to the Twelve and asked: “You do not want to leave too, do you?”

Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” [John 6:67-69]

That’s pretty much perseverance—knowing that you have no where else to go. There is only one road to life and if we are on it, how can we quit?

It’s November, the month that reminds us to be thankful.

I seldom listen to the radio; I enjoy quiet. The world is a noisy place. As I drive home from work, however, I turn my car radio to the local Christian station mainly to catch the traffic report. Then I leave it on the rest of the way home. In doing that I’ve come across a song that I never heard before. It is “Reckless Love,” sung by Cory Asbury.  (There is a link below to access the song on YouTube.)

There is a line in the song that keeps running through my mind. I’ve heard it in my sleep and in my waking hours for weeks now. “Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God ….”

The chorus goes on and acknowledges, “I couldn’t earn it. I don’t deserve it. Still you give yourself away. Oh the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God!”

I weep as I think about God’s overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love. I weep as I remember how I deserve nothing from Him but punishment for the sinner I am. I weep as remember I was that lost sheep, the prodigal son, the lowliest of sinners. I weep because now I have been found by that overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love. I weep because I am now a child of God.

November, the month that reminds us to be thankful.

Oh Father, why me? Why would you come after me? I cannot explain, nor even understand that kind of love. I can only be eternally thankful for Your overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love that found me and embraces me.

* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sc6SSHuZvQE

Peter wrote two letters. The first was addressed to “God’s elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout….”  The second was addressed to “those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours.”

The first letter’s theme is “adversity,” the second letter’s “knowledge.” While Peter writes that self-control is to be added as one of the virtues to faith in his second letter, it is really in the first letter dealing with adversity and suffering that Peter defines self-control. He does it three ways.

As you read those passages, you’ll notice one thing right away, self-control never stands alone; it is always matched with a quality of the mind, such as, alertness, attentiveness, clarity.  (1 Peter 1:13-16, 4:7, 5:8-9)

Biblical self-control really has little to do with “self.” It is generated by God’s Spirit in us. As we grow and become grounded in God’s Word and cooperative with His Spirit, we learn what is truly important. Self-control allows us, it enables us, to live and move not by sight but by faith. We can disregard the danger we see because we abide in the refuge we can’t see. We learn to pray, and to resist the enemy of our soul that prowls around looking to devour the unsuspecting and unaware.

Self-control, combined with the knowledge of Jesus Christ, and with the goodness and glory of God’s character, built on the foundation of faith in Christ, keeps us in the fight so that we will end even better than we began.

There was a Halloween Day potluck where I work. There were soups of all kinds, chips and dips, salads, and desserts … lots of desserts. The food hung around the office for the remainder of the week. Every time I’d go into the breakroom, there they were on the table and in the fridge. Desserts. Sugary, luscious, rich desserts and cookies! Lots and lots of cookies. I like desserts. I like cookies. They, however, do not like me.

At this stage in life I am paying the price for liking desserts way too much. Sugar is not a friend. Carbohydrates have morphed into enemies. My glucometer (which measures the sugar in my blood) now reigns over my menu.

Yet, in the breakroom, there they sat for days, desserts calling me. You would think by this time in life I would also have developed some self-control. Nope – not enough when it comes to desserts.

Self-control. Peter tells us in his second letter that self-control (temperance in the KJV) is one of the virtues to be added to our faith. First goodness. Then knowledge. Then self-control. “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control….” [2 Peter 1:5-6]

Self-control doesn’t sound like a virtue to me, especially since it begins with that little word “self.” I didn’t think there was any virtue in “self.” So, is biblical self-control simply the self-generated willpower to resist our “self” desires and curb our natural impulses – like I must do when I walk into that breakroom and start to salivate over those desserts?  Or is it more than that, much more than that?

It is more – much more! More tomorrow!

While in California, we were privileged to watch our youngest grandson, 9-years old, play his final regular season game. If they won, they were headed to the playoffs. (They did, and they are.)

I like football. I like my Pittsburgh Steelers even if they lose. I like watching Boise State play. I really enjoyed watching the High School Junior Varsity game where our 15-year old grandson played his last game before heading off to the varsity squad.  But I really appreciated the novice football game with the 9 to 11-year-old players. Why, you ask?

First, they are just so darn cute. There is a big disparity in size among 9 to 11-year-old boys. Some are tall, some are not. Some are large, some are tiny. For many the helmets seem bigger than they are. Some run fast, others lumber. It is great!

But beyond cute, there is a profoundly deep experience in watching these novice games. These little boys are forming character that may carry some on to high school, college or even pro-football, but will carry all on in life.  I watched as these little guys stood there waiting to catch the ball on a kickoff knowing they were going to get hit. I watched as they blocked so others could run with the ball and get the applause. I watched as they got tackled and fell, got up and got right back into the next play.

Character. It is the character that is being formed in these little guys that will carry them through to bigger games against stronger opponents, both in sports and in life. I would venture to guess that there are few pro or college players that did not forge their metal in novice sporting events.

It is not only in novice football that we teach our children of the things that will promote them in life.  Even more importantly, it is teaching them the things of the Lord. The Bible is full of commandments to teach our children the ways and commandments of the Lord.  “Teach them to your children and to their children after them.”   [Deut 4:9 NIV]

On our recent trip we stayed in a hotel that is being renovated. The room pictures on the booking site were lovely and modern. None of that prepared us for the outside! The entire structure is under re-construction. There were pods of construction materials and fencing everywhere. The main entry was dismal looking, the breakfast held in two little rooms while everything else is under construction. There was no signage with the name of the hotel I booked; we weren’t even sure we were at the correct place except that it was where it was supposed to be – right between the In-N-Out! and Olive Garden. (Funny how I always manage to book hotels close to an In-N-Out!)

Our room, however, once we got to it was exactly as pictured. Modern cabinets, large screen television, outlets everywhere to charge at least ten electronic devices without unplugging anything else. The bathroom was new, there was a small kitchenette and reading lights on each side of the bed. It was a great room!

Which made me think that what is important is not the exterior but the interior. “We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.”  [2 Cor 4:7-8 NKJV]

I like the way some of the translations use “clay pots” for “earthen vessels.”  When Christ comes to live in us by the power of His Holy Spirit upon our confession of faith and surrender of our lives, we are truly beautiful. He makes our interior new and we now walk in newness of life. This lovely new interior is housed in our old clay pot. Some of our pots have been cracked and damaged, some are growing old and crumbling, some have been kicked around and abused. But it doesn’t matter the exterior because what is inside shines like the Son of God.

And one day, what is inside, will be revealed for all to see. And a new vessel, an eternal, glorious vessel like unto the Son of the Living God, will be given us. Can’t wait! Amen.

“I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” [Matt 16:18 KJV]

This passage began when Jesus asked the question, “But who do you say that I am?”  Peter’s response was a confession that Christ was the Messiah that the Jews had been longing and waiting for down through the centuries. Peter said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

 Following that confession Jesus changed Peter’s name from Simon to Peter, “you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” [Matt 16:15-18 NKJV]

I’ve heard a few sermons on this passage. There is a lot of argument about just what or who “this rock” is upon which Jesus will build His church.  I am going to leave that argument to the scholars because that is not the part that draws my attention.  I find my attention glued to those five little words uttered by Jesus, the Christ, the Son of the Living God. “I-will-build-my-church.”

That’s what ministers to my soul. That and the promise that follows, “the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.”

Jesus will build His church. It’s a done deal. Nothing, including the gates of Hell, will stop Him from doing just that. Whenever I despair, thinking that the church isn’t what she should be, or the church is failing in her commission, or the church is or isn’t something …. I remember.  Jesus will build His church and nothing in this world or out of it can stop Him. Hallelujah!

De-fense! De-fense! De-fense!

While in California we attended our grandson’s last Junior Varsity football game. There was a light crowd, we cheered and encouraged the team. No cheerleaders were present, just parents, grandparents, some other family and friends yelling and encouraging. They won and won big!  It was a fun game sitting in the bleachers. Then Junior Varsity left the field and the Varsity filed in. It was senior night, to honor those playing in their final games before they graduate.

The stands rapidly filled up. People came wearing school colors, some had megaphones, others cowbells. The cheerleaders showed up. The noise level rose dramatically. I was across the aisle from a rather animated parent with a cowbell. Bob was sitting right behind me and there was another person with a large bell behind him. Every time the other team had the ball, the people in the stands yelled, shook their bells, stomped their feet.  Their cry? De-fense! De-fense! De-fense!

My hearing aids were on overload, and I think the guy with the bell behind Bob could have been in mortal danger if Bob was a bit younger and more agile!

De-fense! I have heard that the best defense is a good offense.  “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” [Matt 28:19-20 NKJV]

So, is the church today on offense or defense? Maybe it’s time we figured that out!

What are you taking with you?

I overpacked for this last trip … again. I always have a contingency of supplies, a bit of water and food, a couple books, my Bible and computer, of course. I also grabbed my Kindle, the travel coffee pot, some blankets, my crocheting for those long stretches when I wasn’t driving. Oh, and my pillow because I know I won’t sleep well on some other one. I packed my backpack which I take to work daily instead of a purse, but then I thought about going into restaurants and games, so I also packed my mini-purse. Did I forget anything? Oh yes, medications, hearing aid batteries, strips for my glucometer …. There, I think I have it all.  Oh wait, I forgot the lunches I packed for Thursday!

What are you taking with you?

While at my grandson’s last Junior Varsity football game, my son took a picture with five of the young men who were on the team.  He posted it on Facebook with the comment that he had coached these five strapping young men (all now taller than him) since they were little tykes. These boys have stayed together, decided to stick together and go to high school together. They are not perfect kids and as with all children, growing up isn’t always easy. But these five boys, standing there in their dirty uniforms with my son are a treasure.

Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  [Matt 6:21]

That means where your heart rests—that is your treasure. When we stand before the LORD one day, our treasures will be openly displayed. I’m looking at my son, his treasure can be found in all the young boys and young men into which he has invested his life.

What are you taking with you?