Devotion.al

  • Looking for Light or Dark?

    Jeremiah 30:12–22; John 12:36–43; Psalm 105:1-11 (read online ⧉)

    The people of Israel were in turmoil. Their kings changed allegiances to the bigger powers on the world stage. They were in the middle of two warring empires. They were devastated by war and taxes. Today’s passage in Jeremiah starts as a summary of the Israel is feeling. The pain is the self-inflicted consequence of walking away from God.

    By no means did God want the Israelites to suffer, yet sometimes the best lessons are the hard ones. Despite their pain, God did not want them to . God promised , a magnificent restoration, of children, self-rule, and .

    Many people walk far away from God, ways that we may never understand. They could have done (or be doing) things that make no sense from a logical, emotional, moral, or spiritual point of view. Just as the Israelites were blind, so are so many people today. Just like the Israelites, they do not realize that they cannot see.

    called on his followers to believe in the . Belief in the light was expected to be transformative. Jesus’ followers would become children of light. Yet, even in Jesus’ day, even with the miracles, people did not believe.

    1) Is there someone in your that you feel is not walking in the light? Will you commit to pray for that person?

    2) Is there something in your life that you don’t want to be in the light? Will you bring that to a trusted person to ? If you do not have a person that you , pray that God will bring you such a trusted person into your life.

  • Giving and Moving

    Genesis 22:1-19; Hebrews 11:13-19; Psalm 105-37-45

    The almost of Isaac is, for many, one of the hardest passages of scripture to read. Those who are parents cannot imagine being God asking Abraham to do this. Those who are parents cannot imagine being Abraham and being asked to do this. Note the ““. In English translations, we often lose a Hebrew grammar article, נָא (na’). It makes the “take” into, “please take.” Then God says, “…your , your only son, Isaac, whom you love…”.

    As the child of God’s promise, Isaac is Abraham’s “true” son. There is no other child of the promise. Isaac is not just a child of the promise to Abraham, but also to God. And God knows how much Abraham loves Isaac.

    Isaac. We don’t know much about either’s thoughts during their trip to Moriah. Isaac trusted his . At this point, too, Abraham was quite old—his prime behind him—and Isaac was probably an older teenager—entering his prime. Scripture doesn’t say that Isaac fought his father. Isaac trusted his father and allowed (it seems) himself to be bound and placed on the pile of sticks. Culturally, this was not abnormal. Child sacrifices to harsh and unpredictable gods was .

    As Christians, looking back, we cannot help but see Abraham as a of God the Father, and Isaac as God the Son (). The loving father sacrificing his son; the loving son his father.

    As the author of Hebrews notes, Abraham was promised that his descendants of the promise would come from Isaac. Abraham probably didn’t understand, but he had walked long enough with God, that even in the time of trial, , and confusion, he still trusted.

    1) Have you, or someone you know, had a crisis of belief, where your choice was to follow God or give up on your dreams or hopes?

    2) What did that crisis teach you about God?

    3) What did that crisis teach you about ?

    4) What did that crisis teach you about yourself?

  • Promises, Promises

    Genesis 21:1-7; Psalm 105:1-11, Psalm 102:12-28; Hebrews 1:8-12 (read online ⧉)

    God is a -maker. God is a promise keeper. He promised Abraham and Sarah that there would be a child of theirs. Fulfillment was a long time coming, and at a time they thought it couldn’t. God took shame and turned it into laughter. God took pain and turned it into .

    Is Psalm 105, the psalmist echoes the hearts of Abraham and Sarah regarding wonderful works and miracles. The rejoicing they must have made. The psalmist reminds the Israelites that they are children of a promise fulfilled by God, as offspring of Abraham.

    The last verse of Psalm 102 (verse 28) says, “The children of your servants shall live secure; their offspring shall be established in your presence.” The promise Abraham is fulfilled with his children who live in God’s presence.

    Just as God’s promises reliable based on God’s very , we also know that God is reliable for He is “…enthroned forever; your endures to all generations…”. We also know that God still has a for the descendants (via bloodline) of Abraham, and Zion is their—and our—ultimate home. The Israelites and we cling to the “stones” of the promised Zion.

    The promise is that God will come back and rebuild Zion. The promise is that we will all be part of that glorious day.

    1)Do you struggle to believe that God will come back?

    2)If you knew when God would come back, how would that your ?

    3) Christians have been waiting for Jesus’ since the time of Paul. How is the similar to the faith of Abraham?

  • Restart and Reset

    Genesis 17:1–7, 15–16; Romans 4:13–25; Mark 8:31–38 (read online ⧉)

    We celebrate people who reach the 100-year mark (or more). Reporters will how they’ve lived so long, and the person will say that they never did such-and-such, or always did such-and-such, or that it is all about . We are amazed at their age. Of course, we are always seeing the once who are out-and-about and doing pretty well.

    If you asked any of them if they would like to have a child at their age, I’m sure they would look you as if you were crazy. Start all over again as a parent?

    Yet, here God is telling Abram, now Abraham, that he was going to be a dad…again. And 90-year old Sarai, now Sarah, will bear her first child.

    To top it all off, Abraham and Sarah would be the ancestors of nations! To see the proof of being ancestors to nations, Abraham and Sarah would either have to live a very long time, or they could trust God. They did live a long time, but neither saw a grandchild from their . They could only trust God.

    Trust and . By God, God called Abraham . Abraham trusted God, as God trustworthy, thus Abraham had faith that God’s would be fulfilled. While Abraham had a long walk in faith, there were probably many things he questioned as to God’s plan.

    Peter opened up with his doubts. He “knew” that God’s plan was wrong. corrects him swiftly and with brutal honesty. Jesus then takes that and expands upon it. Jesus tells his disciples that there is a “cross” for each of us to bear. Yet it is by carrying our cross that we step in concert with God…a walk.

    1) writes about Abraham’s faithful walk with God. Why was Paul so adamant that faith was the driving force, rather than acts? How does this inform your walk with God?

    2) When you read about “picking up your cross”, what does that mean to you?

    3) As we “walk to the cross” through the time of Lent, is it time for you to lay down the cross you carry now, and pick up a new one?

  • Who Hears? Who Speaks?

    Psalm 22:23-31; Genesis 16:7-15; Mark 8:27-30 (read online ⧉)

    Ishmael. God Hears. How amazing is that? God—the Creator—hears.

    Hagar had run away. Sarai treated her poorly to such a degree that Hagar felt that the wilderness was better than staying (initially, at least). Feeling so overwhelmed by and circumstances is not unfamiliar to many of us. In fact, feeling overwhelmed seems to be characteristic of the modern life.

    We don’t have the words Hagar cried out, if any. Regardless of whether it was words, wails, or the silent cry of her , God heard her.

    God asks her, “…where have you come from and where are you going?” God knows all. God knows the to both of those , yet still God asks. God is letting Hagar know that He is actively listening to her. He is open to her pouring out her heart. Just like each of us, it is better to put words to things and letting them out, rather than shoving them into the of our hearts, letting them fester and rot.

    Other times we need to the words so that we embrace their . asked his disciples who is. Peter declared, “You are the Messiah.” This was no small declaration. Depending on the hearer, that could result in serious consequences. Declaring with his lips, Peter embraced the truth that his heart was telling him.

    Words have . They can bind us. They can free us. They can bring the hidden into the open. God is waiting to our words.

    1) When you pray privately, do you speak out loud, or only think quietly? Why?

    2) While God can hear the cries of our hearts, why might it be important to speak words, rather than just think them?

    3) Why might it be important to know that God hears us?

  • Plan Pushing

    Psalm 22:23-31; Genesis 16:1-6; Romans 4:1-12 (read online ⧉)

    The story of Sarai and Hagar is strange. Did Abram not God to give him a through Sarai? Or did they (Abram and Sarai) that as Sarai was not conceiving that this would be through Hagar? It wasn’t, from their , unreasonable. Yet, as we know by reading further along in Genesis, that this really wasn’t God’s intent for Abram and Sarai.

    Abram and Sarai rushed God’s plan. That is not to say that Abram was not being faithful or not God, but that his limited understanding caused him to follow a path that was not God’s intent. Paul suggests that the union of Abram and Haggar was an event of works. It is only the union of Abram and Sarai that truly fulfills the promises of God to Abram.

    Another way to say this is that God blessed Abram’s union with Hagar, because Abram was still in relationship with God. However, the fulfillment of God’s and was fulfilled through Abram and Sarai.

    1. Have you ever rushed God’s plan?
    2. Has God ever honored a decision you made, despite it not being what God revealed to you? If so, once you got back on the path God laid out for you, what happened?
    3. Why do we tend to trust that we “know” in the world (such as Abram and Hagar having a child), rather than trusting in God’s promises (such as Abram and Sarai having a child)?

  • Otherly Holiness

    Psalm 22:23-31; Genesis 15:1-21; Romans 3:21-31 (read online ⧉)

    In Genesis, we read of the covenant God made with Abram. When we look at the blood and sacrifices from a modern , it is easy to be repulsed or disgusted by the concept. In Abram’s time, this was a way to seal a covenant.

    A covenant is a . When making a covenant such as this, there were two parties, the strong party and the weak party. If was often an agreement where the strong party would agree to defend and/or take care of the weak party, and the weak party would submit—both in authority and tribute (i.e., think taxes)—to the strong party.

    If we think of this logically, then, God would take the role of the strong party, and Abram would take the role of the weak party. However, in this instance God takes the place of both parties. Abram is more of a witness to the making of the treaty, rather than a party to it. How can God take the place of both roles? This is a foretelling of what is to come.

    For generations, God protected and watched over Abram’s descendants. Even when they wandered or ran away from God, God still was watching and caring.

    In Romans, writes: “…since all have sinned and fall short of the of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood…”

    This is where we can see the submitting party of the covenant. Jesus Christ’s perfect submission to God’s authority, and sacrifice of himself, fulfills the weak party’s role. It is, of course, just an analogy, yet there is a huge in this. God created the universe, yet because we are unable to ourselves, or able to fulfill the entirety of God’s holiness, Jesus took our place, and fulfilled the requirements of submission and tribute.

    We, like Abram, are often more witnesses to God’s holiness and fulfillment of his than actual participants of either. Yet, we are called to be .

    1) What do you think the responsibilities are of a witness? Are fulfilling them?

    2) When you think of God being both the strong and weak party, what comes to mind?

    3) How does it make you feel to understand that God took your place as the weak party?

  • Deserting or Desserting

    Psalm 77, Proverbs 30:1–9, Matthew 4:1–11 (read online ⧉)

    If your were present at the Ash Wednesday service or the past Sunday service, you may recall that in Lent we and experience a symbolic representation of ‘ trial in the desert, and the biblical concept of 40 days as a significant time of transformation. For Jesus, it was a condensed time of temptation. It is not to say that Jesus was never tempted outside of this trial, but to emphasize that it was a short time, and was severe.

    Matthew notes that Jesus fasted for 40 days.

    Fasting can take different forms. Certain traditions from meat, eggs, and/or dairy certain days or time periods. Other traditions (think Judaism) fast from leavened (yeast raised) bread. Fasting can be from sunrise to sundown; it can be a meal; it can be for days. The intent behind fasting is to bring us closer to God by using one of our basic needs (nourishment) to use as a focus on God.

    40 days is a long time. Without question, this is a God-empowered moment. Most people do not have the will , or the ability, to fast for such a long time[1]. Some may question what Jesus fasted from. Based on the scripture, food was the fasted element, for we read that Jesus was hungry, and this was the first temptation that Jesus was presented with.

    You want some bread?

    Agur (whose words are in Proverbs 30) speaks of a huge that is core to much of a God-balanced . He says, “…feed me with food that I need, or I shall be full, and deny you…”. Agur probably could not have imagined those 40 days. Agur was likely familiar with hunger (perhaps even severe hunger, bordering starvation) and at least the example of those over-fed. Yet, Jesus took Agur’s words a step further, making it a point that God’s very words are food. They are food to bring us a life beyond satisfying the body.

    A spiritual desert is often a time (or multiple times) in a person’s life when they feel furthest from God. That does not mean that God is any further (really), it is a matter of perception and . People may experience a spiritual desert in times of great trial (starvation). They might experience it when everything is going great (over-fed). These times can be huge in one’s personal affections and relations with God. However, if we listen to the adversarial , we might succumb to the voice that says “I” can do it without God.

    1) Re-read Psalm 77:6. How could these words guide you in light of your own times in a spiritual desert?

    2) If you have never fasted, why not? If you have, did you find it helpful?

    3) How is fasting or the “desert” related to “ to self”?

    [1] Any fasting beyond sunrise to sunset should be prayerfully and wisely considered. Anyone under 18 or over 65, pregnant or in another physical state needing regular physician care should consult with their physician. From a spiritual standpoint, it is wise to to someone who cares for your spiritual life. While fasting is personal, and shouldn’t be publicly declared, having wise spiritual counsel is good to make sure the intent is truly God-focused.

Devotion.al

Looking for Light or Dark?

Jeremiah 30:12–22; John 12:36–43; Psalm 105:1-11 (read online ⧉)

The people of Israel were in turmoil. Their kings changed allegiances to the bigger powers on the world stage. They were in the middle of two warring empires. They were devastated by war and taxes. Today’s passage in Jeremiah starts as a summary of the Israel is feeling. The pain is the self-inflicted consequence of walking away from God.

By no means did God want the Israelites to suffer, yet sometimes the best lessons are the hard ones. Despite their pain, God did not want them to . God promised , a magnificent restoration, of children, self-rule, and .

Many people walk far away from God, ways that we may never understand. They could have done (or be doing) things that make no sense from a logical, emotional, moral, or spiritual point of view. Just as the Israelites were blind, so are so many people today. Just like the Israelites, they do not realize that they cannot see.

called on his followers to believe in the . Belief in the light was expected to be transformative. Jesus’ followers would become children of light. Yet, even in Jesus’ day, even with the miracles, people did not believe.

1) Is there someone in your that you feel is not walking in the light? Will you commit to pray for that person?

2) Is there something in your life that you don’t want to be in the light? Will you bring that to a trusted person to ? If you do not have a person that you , pray that God will bring you such a trusted person into your life.