Devotion.al

Feed Your Soul

  • Foundations and Firmaments

    Psalm 148, Colossians 3:12-17, Luke 2:41-52

    What are your thoughts when reading Psalm 149? Do you ever think of all of praising God, the Creator? If you haven’t seen Louie Giglio’s Stars and Whales (link below), I strongly recommend it. To think that it is not just us (human beings) that are called and made to God. It is important to understand that praise is a core piece of our very existence. If we are not praising, the foundation of our life is in question. It might even be in jeopardy.

    A firm foundation is important, especially in light of our passage in Colossians. Verses 12-14 are not easy. When we live out our lives with others, our compassion, kindness, , and patience are often put to the test. As we bear with others’ weaknesses (and as they bear with ours), letting go of offenses can seem impossible, and even unfair or unrighteous. This is why the of Christ (v 15) is essential to lay down upon the foundation of praise. With praise and peace, comes thankfulness. This is where we need to pause and remind ourselves that there are acts of thankfulness (which is a spiritual practice), and then there is a of thankfulness, which is an outpouring of God.

    It is from all of this, that then (the author of Colossians) gets to correction. He notes that it is through God’s word, psalms, hymns and spiritual songs that we correct the excesses of others, and others correct our excesses. It is important to look to Scripture as to what might be (emphasis on might) going on in the spiritual lives of others, rather than depending on our own understanding, which is likely missing crucial pieces of information. As we get to the story Luke provides us, it is important to see the different spiritual stories going on.

    For Mary and Joseph, who knew the prophecies about their son, their return from the temple was part of their spiritual practice and were comfortable in their return home. Young , on the other hand, wasn’t done yet. Here was a young boy among elders, who themselves were astonished by Jesus’ insights. It is quite easy for us to be disappointed with Mary and Joseph not understanding. Just like Jesus, we can find ourselves saying, “of course, that’s where he is!” A new Christian or even an unbeliever(!) can provide spiritual insights that cause others to be shocked with a new insight and grow closer to God! Who are we to set aside spiritual insights provided by God through others?

    When our foundation is firm, we trust God, and are humble toward one another, we are open to receiving spiritual insights from whomever God puts in our path.

    1) What spiritual insight did you receive from the person you were least expecting?

    2) Why do you think praise might be essential to spiritual insights?

    KD) Why do you think it was huge that Jesus asked his mom and dad that question?

  • Hear the Roar

    Hear the Roar

    Psalm 85:8–13; Amos 3:1–12; Colossians 4:2–18 The Psalm speaks of the land of Israel having God’s blessings. It needed it. God’s blessing was both a protection and a source of bounty. The gist is that if Israel’s people were being blessed by the land, including peace from war, bountiful crops, and growing families, then God…

  • Know Justice. Know Peace.

    Know Justice. Know Peace.

    Speaking peace to people often seems to be a lost cause. First, many people don’t want peace. Actually, many people don’t want peace. Oh, they want peace from war (most). That often is the most common form of “peace” we use in everyday language. There is another one that is often used in Christian circles,…

  • Promising Places

    Promising Places

    …formative episodes often become dramatic retellings of identity. They form identity. Often, however, the dark sides of those events are often glossed over. Many patriotic events gloss over crimes against humanity, war, bloodshed, death of innocents.

  • Facing It

    Facing It

    Psalm 119:81–88; Jeremiah 16:1–13; James 5:7–12 The yearning in Psalm 119:81–88 is almost palpable. The need for relief with a counterbalance of trust produces a huge amount of tension within a few verses. This tension is often part of our own lives as we desire immediate relief from our trials, the fulfillment of our hopes…