Devotion.al

Feed Your Soul

  • Flourishing Love

    Psalm 36, Psalm 42, Psalm 52

    We see people all around us who do not believe in God. There are those who know of God, but do not have a relationship with God. There are those whose relationship with God has been confused by the world or . There are those who knew God, and for many reasons walked away. God loves them all.

    In Psalm 36:5 we read, “…your reaches to heaven…” A love that reaches to the heavens does not abandon those not now in the fold of God. Also, God is faithful, and remains true to himself. The love of God is always there, even for those in full opposition to God. God’s love is faithful.

    In the midst of heartache, the Psalmist of Psalm 42 notes that God continually sends his faithful love (v. 8). This trust in God flows from the Psalmist’s recognition that he thirsts for the living God (v. 2). In many respects this is a key to understanding those inside the fold and those outside the fold of God. Searching and aching (or thirsting) for God is no . It is recognition that we are not the masters of our domain, as we like to think. It is a realization that our pride is nothing in comparison to the glory and of God.

    This is when we become the flourishing (not just surviving) olive tree in the house of God (Psalm 52:8). The flourishment is trusting in God’s eternally faithful love. This love praises God through and sun, through good times and bad, as it is not based upon situations, but a relationship with God.

    This understanding of flourishing helps us when we to Psalm 42:8. “…[God’s] song will be with me in the night…” When we understand that night (lack of light) represents and/or evil, we see that the Psalmist is not speaking/singing during a time of joy and , but from the depths of pain. Yet, the Psalmist’s joy is based upon God, therefore it is a firm foundation.

    1) Why do you think flourishing is tied to God’s faithful love?

    2) Much of what we strive for is just for survival. How do we often confuse that with what we need to flourish?

    3/KD) There are many people near and far who are protecting us. Those in the Armed Services are away from their families, often in foreign countries. Police, Fire and EMTs are nearby. We don’t see them much of the time, unless 1 or 2 are or friends. We trust them to protect us and we don’t know most of them. We can know (or do know) God, who we cannot see. Yet, we seem to often not trust God to help us flourish. Both are remote and/or invisible. Why is it often easier for people to trust the military and first responders and not God?

  • Rubble and Ruin

    Rubble and Ruin

    Psalm 142; Amos 9:1–4; Acts 23:12–35 I don’t know about you, but I’m a little jaundiced about earthquakes. I grew up in Northern California. Earthquakes were…normal isn’t the word…to be expected. So much so, that the first earthquake my wife experiences was in the middle of the night. She woke me up in a panic,…

  • Good Fire. Bad Fire.

    Good Fire. Bad Fire.

    Sometimes only purification is needed. Sometimes a clean slate is needed. The same can be said about our lives. The same can be said about our actions. Sometimes we think we’re doing one when we’re doing the others. Sometimes we just want to watch things burn. Fires of prophecy can take many forms. Many people…

  • Who Is For You

    Amos 7:7–15; Psalm 85:8–13; Ephesians 1:3–14; Mark 6:14–29 There are many people in the world who have a person they focus on. That person could be an individual they look up to. That person could also be a person who was the source of a lot of pain or conflict. When there is such a…

  • God of Boxes

    God of Boxes

    We struggle (and that’s fine) with the concept that God would discipline through pestilence, famine, war, etcetera. We will often use the language of “God allows”, or explain things as “an ‘old world’ understanding”.