Devotion.al

Category: Devotional

All the devotionals written by Ian.

  • Engraving Hearts

    Jeremiah 17:1-4, 2 Timothy 3:1–9, 1 Peter 2:4–10, Luke 3:7-8
     
    Imagine having a so hard that you need an iron needle or a diamond point to put a mark in it. That is the hardness of the heart, not just toward God, toward their fellow man as well. The Israelites were completely and utterly spiritually lost. The diamond point and the iron stylus were engraving the of that which they valued. Their idols and treasures were taken away. Their was taken from them. It wasn’t that God didn’t offer a choice, God did. They chose to ignore it. Whether it was pride, stupidity, ignorance, or poor training, we will never know. It could be a combination of it all. This was not the last time either.
     
    When writes to Timothy, there are already difficulties. They are under Roman rule. From a Jewish , they are almost at the same level as their forebears that suffered previously. Instead of writing something positive, Paul warned Timothy that it was going to be worse. The list of issues that Paul writes about is really nothing new. How they form in people’s lives, how they are reinforced, how they are lived out may look different, but the basic reality is that there is nothing new under the sun. There will always be deceivers, whose hearts are hard. God still uses an iron stylus and a diamond point on our hearts.
     
    Yet not all hearts of stone are equal. Christ is the heart of our . Peter called Jesus a stone that people tripped over. As the “rejected” stone, Jesus also became the cornerstone of our faith. When Jesus is the heart made of stone, it solid, firm, and the basis of our faith. There is a transformation here. The original heart of stone is one that rejects God. The new heart of stone is God. Weird isn’t it? There is a time where John warns the Jews that God can make a whole new from a bunch of rocks. We are the rocks; we are the family.
     
    1) Normally we think of hearts of stone as bad. What do you think of it now?
     
    2) Engraving on stone is difficult. One generally does it if the value of the stone is high, or the contribution of the stone to the greater whole is high. Why do you think God spends so much effort engraving on hearts of stone?
     
    3) We are quick to point at regarding their “hearts of stone” toward God. Reread Jeremiah and Timothy. Where is God calling you to soften your heart toward him?
     
    FD) What is a cornerstone? What does it mean when we say that Jesus is our cornerstone?

  • Working It

    Ecclesiastes 2:18–3:8, Matthew 20:1–16, 1 Peter 1:17–2:1

    There is a movement afoot for people to enjoy their work. Younger people are throwing off the chains of previous generations that did work they did not enjoy so that they could support their families.

    This is not to say that previous generations were wrong, but that many younger people are now blessed to be able to do what they . There are those that still labor in thankless, joyless jobs to support their families.

    There are those that are/were blessed to truly enjoy what they do/did. Everyone in that position, regardless of , lift your voice in and gratefulness.

    In the time when Ecclesiastes was , most people labored and didn’t enjoy what they labored at. Much later, American Puritanism took the duty of labor to provide for the and added religious obligations to it. Later still, American consumerism has twisted this even further to where people work on their “vacations” or put off family and social connections for the sake of work. Many companies are now as much consumers of workers as their workers are of products.

    While the labor of Ecclesiastes was hard and often thankless, it was accepted as the way things were. This is in comparison today when many company work cultures have come to a place where the is that people ought to be thankful that the work is hard, thankless, and 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

    That’s not what Jesus taught about the Father.

    In the parable of the laborers, the landowner went out 5 times to gather workers. The eager, ambitious (and probably starving) ones were there bright and early. Then, as the day goes by, there are still more laborers who either didn’t the first time, or didn’t even bother to show up any earlier. And the ones called last may have well already worked another job before getting a second one. We don’t know the state of any of these workers.

    We do know who called them. Who are we to judge who worked the hardest or longest for the kingdom? How many baskets of grapes did each pick? It doesn’t matter. The landlord, like God, cared that they showed up and that they worked.

    That they showed up and worked is important when reading Peter’s letter. Peter starts out with the Father judging impartially according to their work. That sounds ominous.

    What if you look at another person who seems to be working harder than you, and is certainly more successful than you are working for the kingdom? What if, instead, you are looking at someone who seems to be working less hard than you, and producing less fruit for the kingdom? The landlord paid the workers the same.

    God “paid” each of us the same. He “paid” with his Son. Through the sacrificial of Jesus in his life and , the penalty of our sins is gone. No matter when we gave ourselves to Jesus, we all get “paid” the same. Now what?

    1) In this context, obedience and work are equivalent. So, then what does Peter say our behavioral should be?

    2) The drive to work, consume, and sustain is good. Yet, when contaminated by sin it is bad. How does Peter define this sin contamination? How are you doing in ridding yourself of it all?

    3) The work we do on earth can be exhausting. The work we do for the Kingdom shouldn’t be but often is. What can we do to not be tired?

    FD) Is it fair that the laborers were paid the same amount even though they didn’t work the same amount of time? Why or why not?

  • Confessional Life

    Psalm 51, 1 John 1:8-2:6, Mark 13:31-14:2

    Honesty is the best policy. Or is it? Some people will take advantage of our honesty. Some people will look down on the honest. Think about politicians. Most people don’t trust them. Many of their campaign promises are false, or impossible whether due to finances, political will, and politics in general. Yet, they remain in despite a general perception that they are not trustworthy. Many are treated like royalty or some sort of figure. It just doesn’t make sense.

    David was not the best-behaved person. He did a lot of things wrong. Yet, as Psalm 51 shows, he was honest with himself (eventually) and with God. Once confronted by his sin, he confessed. David knew that God (through the prophet Nathan) was in condemnation. David threw himself (proverbially) at the merciful feet of God. David knew that God would be right condemning him, yet still that God would act redemptively.

    Our own honesty may begin with the confession that we are still far from perfectly following Christ. In fact, the more like we become the more aware of how far we are from him. That is the point, though. Our pride can and does often keep us from being honest, especially with ourselves. Many churches make some sort of proclamation on Sunday that is in line with this passage in 1 John. Since it is done every week, it can become rote and is not an honest confession. When it becomes rote, like the sacrifices often were, then the true confession of sin doesn’t occur, and the relationship between God and self is not restored. Taking this passage of 1 John in conjunction with David’s words, “…Against you—you alone—I have sinned…” Even though David harmed , just as we have, ultimately the sin is against God. Sin really is the damaged relationship between man and God. God paved the way. We have to walk the road.

    In addition, we have this reality that Jesus presents in Mark. We don’t know when our time will come. It is not about God waiting to drop the other shoe. God doesn’t work that way. It is about a of confession, , and relationship. When this life is lived out and the time comes, all will be well.

    1) What do you need to confess to God? When you confess, are you truly repentant, or are you just going through the motions?

    2) There are two common perspectives of confession. One is forgiveness from the lawgiver (escape). Another is a restoration of relationship. When you think of confession are you being honest about your of it?

    3) Sometimes being honest is hard. What is the hardest honest conversation you have ever had? What made it so hard?

    FD) What is the different between a liar, and a person who told a lie? Are they different?

  • Heart of Food

    Psalm 141, Daniel 1:1-16, Mark 7:14-23

    With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, chocolate and sweets often come to mind. Food is often a significant part of gatherings whether they be gatherings of , friends, or church. Barring royalty or the blessings of developed nations (mostly), food scarcity is a real thing. In the days of Scripture, people would spend either the majority of their time or to secure food. When food is such a significant part of your efforts, food can take on deeper cultural and religious meaning.

    The story of Daniel begins with a test of food. It is easy, but not certain, to believe that the king’s food did not Jewish dietary law. Or it could be that the food was first “sacrificed” to idols before being eaten. Or it could be that the four wanted to show that their sympathies were with their starving fellow Jews. Regardless, food was the center of a challenge. As the four were Jewish captives, this was viewed as a political . The religious overtones within Scripture are there, as well. All of it revolves around food.

    In ‘ time, there were many rules regarding food. The Jewish religious rules were intended to fulfill the requirements of Israelite law. And the religious leaders imposed further rules, just to assure that the original rules weren’t even close to being infringed upon. Under Roman rule, however, Jewish dietary law also took on political overtones. Dietary laws were often used to socially Jews from Romans, creating a barrier between people. Food, one of the unifying themes of humanity, was now a separator, not an uniter.

    Jesus’ declaration regarding dietary laws was indeed not just about the food. It is definitely about . Jesus takes the concept of food and turns it into the matter of the . When we look at how food was used to separate people, we can see Jesus’ point. Food was the outward symbol of an inward .

    1) Have you been the guest of a family whose taste of foods was distinctly different than yours? How did you react? Did it impact your ability to fellowship with them around the table?

    2) While Jesus was correcting the excesses of the Jewish religious leaders, he is correcting us. What outward symbol (food, attire, accent, stuff) have you ever used to categorize another person? Does that categorization help or hinder looking at like Christ?

    FD) Why do we use food in our gatherings? Why is that good? Why is that bad?

  • Changing To Embody

    Psalm 37:1-12, Jeremiah 12:1–17, 2 Peter 1:2–10

    We can look around, and what’s wrong with the world. Those who are corrupt or greedy seem to be doing so much better than good people. When we look around, we can either be discouraged or we can look up.

    This really is nothing new. The psalmist reminds himself and us that envying is short-sighted. It is also unwise. When we God and do good we live securely. Living securely, however, does not necessarily mean comfortable as the world wants it. That’s why looking side-to-side becomes a distraction. When we are looking side-to-side we are not secure in ourselves.

    Isaiah is looking side-to-side. He takes the success of the “wicked” though and perceives it as a test of his heart. Isaiah defines it as God him to know his heart. God already knows Isaiah’s heart. This more about Isaiah understanding his own heart, his to his fellow man, and his relationship to God. There is also another relationship that is important to understand, and that is the relationship with the land. The land itself mourns at the wicked who are present in it. While Isaiah’s heart might be right, the hearts of the people around him definitely are not. The affect him, others, God, and the land. All because their hearts are not right with God. And God is the key to a good and secure .

    As Peter opens with the grace of God, we understand that it is by God’s grace that we are even able to approach the throne of God. It is through this grace that we begin the journey of transformation from the life of the “wicked” to the life of the . Peter then provides us with a roadmap with waypoints of increasing Christ-likeness. As we become more Christ-like, the temptation to look side-to-side fades away. The glory of God shines more deeply in us, transforming us to more-and-more find our in God and not others.

    1) Do you shaping you to be more God-facing, rather than people-facing?

    2) Do you see the waypoints (2 Peter 1:5-8) in your life? Do you see any in your life embodying each of these traits more and more?

    3) What makes these traits contrary to the world? Why is it important to understand why they are contrary?

    FD) How can we help each other develop these Godly-grace traits?

  • For Glory!

    Psalm 115, Judges 5:1-11, 1 Corinthians 10:23-11:1

    Much of the modern world is obsessed with the self. Individualism (rugged or otherwise) is a key feature of (U.S.) American culture. It then becomes ironic when non-believers question why everything should be for God’s . They attribute to God a selfish conceit that has no consideration for . This is one of the reasons why the doctrine of the is important to understanding God. God lives in community. There is a perpetual and integral consideration of another. We created beings are blessed because God considers us worthy of being related to. This is not a vain conceit of God. It is a reality of a holy and wholly other being who has created us.

    When it comes to God’s glory versus our glory it is important to not just say it’s God’s glory. God’s glory is . Our glory is temporary. It is that of an abiding glory that remains forever. When we are aware and take this into account, it should affect our decisions and responses.

    The psalmist compares the eternal living God to man-made idols that are destroyable. The psalmist then compares the makers and worshippers of idols to the very idols they make. They are the same in that trusting in them is trusting in nothing (or possibly alluding to death). In comparison to the living God whose people are living and plentiful. The legacy is of children, grandchildren, and so on. The legacy is of the living and who live in with God. The legacy needs to be remembered.

    Deborah and Barak were the leaders of Israel, seeking to restore a lost legacy. Even in the midst of celebrating victory over their oppressors, Deborah and Barak gave God for the leaders who lead, and the volunteers who stepped up. While they (leaders and volunteers) did as they were called, it was still to God’s glory that they responded and succeeded. Their actions live on in the story of God that God laid out for us to receive. While in this case, it is something that was done that brought God glory, it can also be things not done that brings God glory.

    In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul is confronting the struggles of people trying to conform their lives to a new way of thinking. In their culture, sacrifices to idols are done. It is prevalent. The idols are dead, so why worry about the meat? For the follower of Christ—who knows the freedom in/of Christ—this is just a silly question. However, for those who are not followers of the Way (i.e., Christians) this is an important question, for their perspective is that the believers are worshipping idols when they eat the sacrifices! Thus, not eating it brings glory to God by showing that they do not worship the idols or feel they are paying attention to. It may seem silly to us, but to a culture for whom worship was cultural and religious, this was a huge thing.

    1) What things could the culture view us (i.e., Christians, Christ-Followers) as worshipping, just like the culture?

    2) How can you know when you are doing something for God’s glory rather than your own?

    3) Why do leaders leading and volunteers stepping up God glory?

    FD) What can you not do and give God glory?

  • Stripped

    In we need fuel. People need to eat. Extroverts need people to charge. Introverts need solitude to charge. Yet, the greatest fuel we need to live the fullest life is God. The psalmist praises God for who God is. In all the chaos of life having a right of God is essential. The psalmist concludes that God’s got it. It is very interesting the switch from to a self-awareness before God. There is also a sense of desperation or something not quite right as it ends. All is right with God, but all may not be right with the psalmist.
    Simon is not immune to things not being right. When calls on him to go back out to sea, Simon is exhausted. He just finished working a hard night, and it being an unsuccessful too. He was likely tired to the bone, both emotionally and physically. Yet, he was obedient and respectful to this Jesus of Nazareth. As worn out as he was, he repeated his night’s work. This time he was blessed with a catch beyond expectation. This does not mean he was no longer exhausted. He was probably more tired than he was. Yet, there was now a positive side to his exhaustion. In the midst of his exhaustion, he had a God-fueled emotional recharge. While his catch was good and he had acknowledge Jesus, he was still beat.
    The recipients of the letter to the Hebrews were also tired. The author chose a marathon (a tiring ) to emphasize the duration of the race of life. The author invokes Jesus as the source of the , which echoes the water aspect that recharges the soul. This is essential as the author continues acknowledging the weariness of the readers. There is obviously a deep concern that they are exhausted and are being tempted to up.
    This is where the author of Hebrews digs in. . This discipline often takes the form of wearing us down, so that we are stripped of our pretensions and presumptions. God then really starts to work on us then.
    1) One of the biggest themes of current culture is “not enough time”. When we don’t have “enough time”, we get exhausted. Is that something you have or are experiencing right now?
    2) When you get tired and exhausted, what good things don’t happen, or what good things do you not do?
    3)Have you ever had a “God-stripped” experience? What transformation occurred as a result?
    FD) What is discipline? Why is it good?

  • The Nudging

    Moses is in need of help. He can’t do it all. What’s odd is that it would seem that Moses didn’t maintain the lesson learned from his father-in-law (see Exodus 18). It’s not entirely the same. In Exodus 18, it was the “priestly” judges who were selected. This is more along the lines of a professional judiciary, such as we have from local, to district, to appellate, to supreme judiciaries. We have something different here. What has occurred is the selection of senior spiritual leaders. They are family leaders, too, but it is the application of the that makes this important. There are a couple of story-lines occurring here, and that can lead to some confusion. It is often assumed (and has often been taught) that Eldad and Medad remained in camp because they were disgruntled, putting them with the grumbling people. The text does not make that clear. It is our . We do know that Eldad and Medad were selected by Moses (so, much less likely to be among the disgruntled). What if they just hadn’t made it, yet? Or, what if they did not feel worthy or were scared? Both reasonable based upon experience God’s miracles. They had been …and the Holy Spirit fell on them anyways.‌

    Joshua was offended on Moses’ behalf, but Moses noted that it is God’s spirit, not his. Many, many years later, Jesus has a similar experience with his disciples. Within in the context of arguing which was greater than the other, and Jesus shutting that down well, John ups the game reporting that a man who was not among the disciples are successfully driving out demons. John then states that they (in other words, “I wasn’t the only one, Jesus.”) tried to stop the man, but Jesus stopped even that. The disciples were “offended” by the man driving out demons, but were they upset on Jesus’ behalf or their own. Jesus’ response would indicate that this was about them, not him.‌

    Often we can become overly concerned with the “right” way of doing things. With the Holy Spirit, the right way can often not be our way. This is not to say the God is a god of chaos. God makes and creates order. However, our concept of order and “right” can be at odds with God at times. Joshua and John (yes, with some pride in there) assumed they were doing the right thing by saying “this is wrong.” Yet, God did it, so it wasn’t wrong. It just didn’t fit their idea. Philip may have learned a lesson by the point of this story in Acts. The gift of the Holy Spirit didn’t hurt either. Philip obeyed and went to the “desert” road for a divine appointment. Nudged further, he approached an important chariot. There is a lot in this story that is missing, but the essentials are there. Philip in obedience approached a chariot that would have been awkward for him normally to approach. Through obedience to the Holy Spirit, Philip then leads the Ethiopian to Christ. After the Ethiopian’s something strange happens, the Holy Spirit “carries” (in Greek, it’s more of snatch) Philip away. The Ethiopian goes on his way rejoicing. The way the journey from Jerusalem to Gaza is written, it sounds immediate, but it was actually quite a journey by foot. We don’t get that from Luke’s words, we just have to know geography. This is important as the way Luke writes this gives us an idea that Philip teleported from Gaza to Azotus (a.k.a., Ashdod). While it is quite possible for God to do such, a better way to think of this is that Philip did what was needed and did not stay there rejoicing in the victory. He continued on the .‌

    Far too often we get comfortable with the success and want to “stay” there in the happy time. The Holy Spirit is always calling us on to the next thing. The next thing may not be immediate (and often isn’t). Sitting with our victories and successes, though, makes us stagnant. The same can be said of sticking to the old known formula. It worked for its time. The Holy Spirit may have stamped “expired” on it. We need to be ready for the Holy Spirit is doing.‌

    • 1) In the last week, how have you seen the Holy Spirit move in your life? How about the lives of ?‌
    • 2) What is the Holy Spirit nudging you to do? Who is the Holy Spirit nudging you to to?
    • 3) Often times we may think the Holy Spirit is nudging us to talk to someone so that they can be “fixed”. This isn’t always the case. When have you had a Holy Spirit encounter where you were the one that learned rather than being the one who taught?‌
    • FD) Have you ever said something to defend the efforts of others? Why did you do that?