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Devotion.al

Tag: action

Devotionals tagged with action.

  • Sign of the Flesh

    Joshua 5:1–9

    You’ve been literally following (cloud by day; fire by night) God for 40 years. In that time, you’ve eaten mysterious white stuff that shows up at dawn and melts by noon. Your clothes and sandals don’t wear out. Water mysteriously appears in the desert. In other words, 40 years of nothing much. Nothing much? Seriously? Isn’t just that short list above enough? Apparently not.

    The covenant of circumcision between God and Abraham was abandoned. Many scholars have concluded that as circumcision was also practiced by the Egyptians, there was some sort of circumcision ban for the Israelites. While the Scriptures do not say that, there was an issue revolving around Moses’ son not being circumcised (Exodus 4:24–26), which would indicate that Moses did not practice it. At the same time, circumcision was part of living out the law.

    Despite the Abrahamic covenantal requirement. Despite its requirement for Passover, being part of the tribe, or participating in the communal religious life, circumcision wasn’t being done. Were the Israelites completely clueless, including Moses? One could argue that the adults were circumcised. They just didn’t circumcise their sons (i.e., pass on the faith and covenant). Is that really any better?

    What was God thinking? Throughout the journey, the Israelites were tested and tried. Yet, circumcision didn’t come up. Other tests of faith occurred, but this still didn’t come up. It almost seems that God wrote them off…not completely, but that they had lost their place as THE people who went into the Promised Land.

    In a blood action (blood representing life), the Israelite males were circumcised. God’s words made it clear that the time of the desert journey was over. There was a new path and a new journey before the Israelites. It was now the next generation’s responsibility to carry things forward, and the did. However…

    “That whole generation was also gathered to their ancestors. After them, another generation rose up who did not know the LORD or the works he had done for Israel.” —Judges 2:10

    1) Traditions and habits intended to develop and trained often get tossed aside because they are the “old way”. What traditions and habits have you dismissed?

    2) We are quick to see our traditions and habits being discarded, but fail to see those that we discarded. Why is that?

    3) New traditions and habits can be just as powerful as old ones. What new ones can you help to build and pass on?

    4) No tradition or habit is any good unless effectively passed on to the next generation of believers. What will you do to pass it on?

  • Onto Waiting

    Psalm 25, Isaiah 26:1–21, Acts 16:16–34

    Imagine being the only person at a 4-way traffic light with no one else on the road. The light for you is red. And it’s still red. Most of us will wait a little bit. Some might rev their engine a little. Others might back up and then go forward. Both have the intent to trigger the coil system that “flips” the lights. However, what if that doesn’t work? How long will you wait?

    Most of us would start to get a bit antsy.

    Waiting for God to move is commonplace in the Bible, or should we say that waiting is scriptural, but not always written about. Both in Psalm 25 and in Isaiah 26 we read about waiting. The way Scripture is written a lot of the waiting is not written about, as it happens between the action points that we read.
    Sometimes, however, waiting would seem to be the opposite thing to do! Paul and Silas are in prison. God moves, their chains fall off, and all the doors to the prison open. In such a situation (such as Acts 12), it would seem to be the wise thing to run and escape. Yet, Paul and Silas waited. From a purely human perspective, it would seem that only the Holy Spirit could have prompted them to stay there for whatever the next act was. Stay in jail? Yes, until the right moment.

    1) Have you ever had a prayer answered, and then wondered if you should actually accept it? What was it? What decision did you make, and why?

    2) We often talk about waiting on God to act, but in Paul and Silas’ case God acted, and yet they still waited. What does this tell you about waiting for God?

    3) How do you test when to wait and when to move?

  • Pedestals

    Daniel 4:28–37, John 6:25-35

    Nebuchadnezzar is an interesting study in faith, belief, unbelief, wrong belief, and pride. Nebuchadnezzar had been confronted by God’s might, majesty, and power multiple times during his reign. One would have thought that he might have learned something. However, Nebuchadnezzar seemed to have to learn multiple times. As Nebuchadnezzar’s story ends at the end of chapter 4, it would be nice to conclude that Nebuchadnezzar learned. However, the Bible doesn’t say, and history (including even the history in Daniel) would imply that he didn’t.
    Nebuchadnezzar was in the middle of a culture with many Gods. As much as he was in power, he would have still had to consider the faith of the populace. Turning over their religion would not have gone well, and would have likely caused unrest. Other jealous and powerful people would have leveraged the unrest and potentially created a rebellion.

    We can see similar tensions in our own politics. It has only been in the last few years that politicians feel that it is culturally acceptable to not say they are a Christian. While there is a balance of power in our system, it wasn’t that long ago that politicians either toed the “Christian” line (of at least saying they were Christian) or did not succeed (by and large).

    Often in Nebuchadnezzar’s era, kings were what were perceived has making the country flourish, be bountiful, and be powerful. They were put on pedestals they hadn’t earned. Often they become proud. God made sure that Nebuchadnezzar’s pride took a hit.

    Sometimes God-fearing people get put on a pedestal, too. In this passage in John, Jesus has to correct the people that it was God the Father who gave the manna, not Moses. Imagine that! People had become confused enough that they thought a man completed and act of God (and for 40 years, at that).

    From what we know about Moses, he would not have accepted any part of God’s action. He often took a reconciling role between God and the people. By the time of Jesus, Moses had become a great mythical godlike super-man. Moses would not have been pleased.

    1) Why do we have a tendency to esteem people beyond their roles and capabilities (i.e., put on a pedestal)?

    2) How does putting a person on a pedestal endanger that person?

    3) How does putting a person on a pedestal endanger our personal and spiritual growth?

  • Inherting Legacy

    Genesis 47:18–26, Acts 4:34–5:11

    In the United States, land has long represented freedom, self-reliance, hope, and self-determination (on one hand), slavery, clearances, eviction, theft, and deceit (on the other hand. How can such divergent perspectives be? Well, for many Native Americans the initial immigration of Europeans may have not been a disaster, but what occurred especially after the Civil War (or the War Between the States) was often cruel and morally questionable (at best). For those trying to escape the crowded East Coast and the memories of the recent war and slavery, it was something to seek.

    Even today land is essential. While in the United States the land and the buildings (for example) are part of the value, in places like Japan, the land is the only thing that matter (for cultural reasons). Land has long been a symbol of power. It also is a symbol of life. It can also represent family roots.

    When the people of Egypt sell their land and themselves to Pharoah, they are surrendering their lives and that which allowed them to live. They had surrendered their future, their children’s future, and even their grandchildren’s future. In all likelihood, they sold themselves into bonded servitude to pay off the debt they took on to survive. It isn’t clear how long this servitude was to last. Theoretically, it was until the debt was paid off, however, as both the land and the people were sold, we can assume that it would take a while to pay off the debt. How the land would have been purchased back is something else. It would have been a process and a slow one. One’s only hope would be the dim one that one’s children would be free of the debt.

    With all the comes to mind in these situations, how people viewed themselves, their (lack of) freedom, or their hope (if any), is anyone’s guess. We can conclude that in desperate times that people surrendered their freedom and the one thing (land) that would allow them to continue to be free.

    Land is still pretty important. As we watch property values skyrocket, we are all very much aware of it. As more people move in, rural areas that were once affordable are no longer so. If someone were to just sell their property and give it to the framily (i.e., the church friends and family of Generations Community Church), we would all be grateful, but we would also be a bit confused. If that same person were to sell that property and only give the proceeds to those in need in the church, we would be a bit more understanding, but it would be unusual. This is not a moral judgment, but a recognition of just how strange the First Century Church was. It broke all the traditions.

    Tie this back to culture. The land was the family’s legacy and inheritance. Selling it was done only in desperation. Yet, here we are talking about exactly that. While Barnabas is called out in Acts (yes, Ananias and Sapphira are too), the implication is not that Barnabas’ act was unique, but it does imply that it was a significant sale. One of the differences that we can infer (easily) is that Barnabas did it to take care of his church family, while Ananias and Sapphira did it for acclaim. Both land sales took care of the church family, but the hearts of the sales were completely different.

    1) What relationship, reflections, and feelings do you have in regards to owning land (not necessarily buildings)?

    2) How desperate would you be to sell yourself, your property, and your foreseeable future to someone? How desperate must the Egyptians have been?

    3) What does Barnabas’ action tell you about who he viewed as family? What does that tell you about the First Century Church?

  • Holy Tuesday

    Psalm 89:19–37, Isaiah 52:13–53:3, John 12:20-43

    Imagine all the rumors you were hearing about Jesus, who had dared to ride into Jerusalem as a king. There were Greeks that were ever looking for Jesus. For some that just proved Jesus was not really the Messiah or a righteous man. To others, it added something else to the mystery that was this Jesus. Many years later, some people took the Gentile (e.g., the Greeks) interest in Jesus as a symbol that now it was time because even non-Jews were now interested in the Messiah. The way John approached it, however, the Greek interest does seem to be some sort of trigger. In general terms, Jesus talks about death and how that leads to new life. That new life would not be just for one, but for many. Jesus then says words that prefigure the words in the Garden of Gethsemane regarding the coming cross.

    That God speaks from the clouds in response to Jesus, as Jesus noted, was not for his sake, but for the sake of the people around him. This would have included his disciples. The cross was both torture and humiliation, plus death. From a Jewish or even Roman perspective, there is no way that there was any glory—or could possibly any glory—with the cross. It was inconceivable.

    In response, his listeners quote Psalm 89 to Jesus regarding the eternal Messiah. Are they asking for scriptural proof, or are they looking for the scriptural veto? Jesus gives a quick encouragement about staying in the light and then disappears. The Light of the World disappeared. Another action that prefigured an event (the tomb) that was to come. John quotes Isaiah to then show the hardness of heart of the people who surrounded Jesus. As much as we can carry the light into the world, we should. We just need to keep in mind that we are not Jesus. People who could put their hand out and touch Jesus did not believe in him and even many of those that did chose this life over the promise.

    1) Every day we often have to choose between the promise and this life. In what areas of your life are you struggling with this?

    2) Many times we can shake our heads at those who could see Jesus, but still denied him. We think ourselves unable to do that. However, do you really see the image of God in everyone you meet?

    3) Why is Jesus’ parable of the wheat important? What does it tell you about your legacy?

  • Bringing Gifts

    Matthew 2:1–12, John 12:1–11

    The Magi’s visiting Jesus presented 3 gifts: gold, frankincense, myrrh. Often they are respectively tied to Jesus’ roles as king, prophet/priest, sacrifice/savior. How accurate that is may be questioned. That they were costly and significant gifts is not questionable. Gold is gold. We all have a pretty good idea about it. Frankincense is an aromatic plant often used in incense, including Jewish temple incense (Exodus 30:34-38). It is also used in perfumes. The fact that it was a key component of the temple incense is what leads many to conclude that its gifting is symbolic of Jesus’ priestly and prophetic role. Myrrh is another plant. It was used as a perfume and incense (too), stimulant, anointing oil, and embalming. The last two uses are where the sacrifice/savior symbology is assumed. Whether this was intended symbology is not the issue at hand. These magi would have had important positions at home. They would have not brought a small amount of any of these things. Providing these gifts was expected, and being stingy in those gifts was not culturally or politically practiced. We should think of the magi as representatives (or ambassadors). Put on a good show to increase the prestige of your home country.

    Why the focus on the magi and their gifts? To show just how significant Mary’s action was. We don’t know a lot about Lazarus and his sisters, other than Jesus was likely a more common visitor than the scriptures convey. We also know that Lazarus—due to his rising from the dead—was a person of concern (John 12:9–11) for the religious leaders, as his continued presence was apparently adding to Jesus’ stature as prophet and Messiah.

    Let’s look at Judas, too. John gives him a good poke, but let’s be honest with ourselves, we have a bit of Judas in us, especially when it comes to “church” money. The expectation that the church does not spend frivolously is a strong tendency in us all, with the Puritan expectation ingrained in us of financially barebones ministry. The “wastefulness” of Mary’s “gift” would definitely cause some trouble in today’s churches.

    Mary wasn’t worried about the wastefulness. What motivated her is her love of Jesus. Her love was reflected in Jesus’ response. Jesus’ followers made sure that her story is still told after almost 2000 years. Maybe that gift wasn’t a waste?

    1) Thinking about what is to come (Holy Week), what aspects in this story do you see played out?

    2) Poking the bear…what are your thoughts of Judas versus Mary (taking Judas’ betrayal out of it) and how churches and ministries spend money?

    3) We often don’t think of the ongoing presence of those touched by Jesus’ miracles (e.g., Lazarus) as adding to the validation of his ministry, and what the impact was on their lives. What do you think their lives were like during Jesus’ ministry and after his death/resurrection?

  • Communal Sacrifice

    Exodus 12:1–20, Nehemiah 8:1–18, Psalm 133

    The Exodus story, specifically the first Passover, always comes up around Easter. Which makes perfect sense, as Holy Week revolves around Passover, along with the seemingly obvious linking of Jesus being the ultimate Passover lamb (i.e., the sacrifice needed for Passover). All the Israelites were going to sacrifice a lamb for a household. This was a large communal thing. One could (and did) ignore it at their peril.

    Communal is something done or shared in a community, such as a church. An action done by everyone creates a powerful effect. In the US, we’ve forgotten a lot of communal activities, much of this having to do with our culture of independence. We miss a lot. It is why communal celebrations such as Communion and Baptism are so important to the life of the church. There is something also very powerful—and community building—in sharing a meal together.

    “If the household is too small for a whole animal, that person and the neighbor nearest his house are to select one based on the combined number of people; you should apportion the animal according to what each will eat.” (Exodus 12:4)

    There are 2 important observations in this verse. The first is how important and sacred this sacrifice is. Sacrifices mentioned later do not have this built-in focus on not wasting the sacrifice; just properly disposing of it. This one mentions not wasting it as part of the sacrifice itself. It is to be part of the consideration when choosing the lamb to be sacrificed. There is a shared burden for neighbors to make sure that each other has enough, but not too much.

    The second observation is that by setting this boundary, extra emphasis is added to the communal nature of this specific sacrifice. This sacrifice and celebratory observation of Passover is not to be done in isolation.
    Isolation—the internet notwithstanding—allows us to not learn from others, not to be in community with others, and not love others. When the Israelites return from exile, we read (Nehemiah 8:1-18) that the Israelites learned, mourned, and celebrated in community. Upon learning that there was supposed to be another festival—the Festival of Booths—they gather together (community) and celebrated it. Our celebrations, our learning, our mourning are (generally) more powerful in community, rather than in isolation. Fellowship and unity grow. Yet, we still tend toward isolation.

    Psalm 133 sums it up:

    How good and pleasant it is
    when brothers live together in harmony!
    It is like fine oil on the head,
    running down on the beard,
    running down Aaron’s beard
    onto his robes.
    It is like the dew of Hermon
    falling on the mountains of Zion.
    For there the Lord has appointed the blessing—
    life forevermore.

    1) Do you find yourself tending more toward isolation rather than community? Why?

    2) If you are an introvert, how will you allow yourself to be drawn and actively seek community? If you are an extrovert, how can allow and encourage people to join the community without overwhelming them?

    3) What other communal rituals (including secular ones) can you think of? What power do they have in people’s lives, and why?

  • Worthy Legacy

    Psalm 84, 1 Chronicles 28:1–29:9

    When we speak of legacy, it is usually about what we leave behind. In Shakespeare’s play Julias Caesar, Anthony says, “The evil that men do lives after them. The good is oft interred with their bones.” That sad truth is that often the bad that people do (even if simple, stupid mistakes) outlast the good. Even the awareness of the good (even good that outweighs the bad) fades, as we seem to be attracted to the bad.

    Planning your legacy is important. If you are a parent of younger children, start thinking about it now. If your children are middle- or high-school, it takes a different kind of planning. If your children are out of the house, yet a different. If you have no children, pour into those younger than you. Legacy isn’t a future thing, it is an action for the now.

    David wanted to act now to build a temple for God. He made the building plans. He probably started storing supplies for the building. He was ready to go! Then he was stopped by God. Was his legacy to be stopped by God? In a way. There is definitely Godly wisdom separating the warrior king and his warrior ways from God’s holy temple. One can infer that while God (because of humanity’s fallen nature) tolerated and used war to preserve the Israelites, it really wasn’t the goal or intention. Despite being stopped, however, David’s plans still came to fruition.

    When David’s son, Solomon, became king, the temple project went from plans to fruition. The temple is still referred to as Solomon’s Temple, yet David designed (with Godly inspiration) and provided for its construction. While it was “Solomon’s Temple”, it was still David’s legacy. Through David’s legacy, people worshiped God. David just didn’t get all the credit.

    1) Our best legacy can often be what could have had our name attached but doesn’t. What legacies can you think of that would still be worthwhile even if you are forgotten as part of it?

    2) It’s never too late to start a legacy. Even if your family is broken, or you are broke. You choose your legacy. What legacy will you choose?

    3) We all leave a legacy. It may only last a generation in a form we recognize. How can a legacy transform and grow beyond what we ourselves did?

  • The Why of Right

    Psalm 18:21-36, Deuteronomy 6:16–25, Hebrews 2:1–10

    Sometimes the greatest legacy we leave is the little things we do. Where we were not shown love, we show love to others. Where people did not build up, we build up. We may never see any of these little steps, but if we are faithful to follow God, letting him guide us, a Godly legacy comes naturally. When it becomes a Godly habit, we don’t have to ponder long to answer questions of why we do things.

    In Deuteronomy, we really are reading the legacy that Moses seeks to pass on, not just to his children, or his immediate tribe, but to the entire people called Israel. Imagine having such a potential legacy. The self-imposed pressure would be huge. Yet, the purpose of a legacy is not to bear the entirety of the burden yourself, but to share it. It is shared with the leaders with whom you work, it also is shouldered by the ones to whom it is passed.

    Moses wants to make sure that it is not just the leaders or priests that bear the burden. The next generation (and the generations that follow) is the goal of passing on a legacy. Moses wants the parents to understand their place in passing on the legacy of God. The parents, leaders, and priests all have their place in passing on the legacy that they have received. It is not just passing it on, however, that makes it successful. Just passing on information is just that. It is living out what was passed on that makes the legacy successful. Just as with the Psalm, there is a result that comes with the successful passing, God’s preservation and looking out for them.

    Right and True information and living is the expression of a fulfilled legacy. The author of Hebrews, even after such a short time of Christianity, is already concerned in his writing that the Right and True information is being lost. The author of Hebrews would be already well aware of the memory loss that Israel experienced after escaping Egypt. The author reinforces the importance of the right information being passed along. Often this gets confused, too. People often turn to “right” action without “right” belief (and vice-versa). When the “right” action is done it loses its long-term effectiveness and purposed when divorced from the why. Doing “good” things, for example, doesn’t earn one’s way to Heaven.

    1) What “right” thing(s) have you done without knowing the “right” reason(s)?

    2) With whom do you work (or have worked) to make sure that you pass on a legacy worth having?

    3) Why is it good for us to remember what legacy we are passing on and why?

    FD) Why is important to know why we do things?

  • Catching What

    Psalm 99, Deuteronomy 11:1–25, Malachi 4:1–6

    Truth and story cannot truly be caught. They must be taught. And it doesn’t end there. Teaching may often have the appearance of catching, and if the teacher is truly skilled, the hearer/learner will not realize that they have been taught as they have already internalized both truth and story. Actions and words have to be repeated over and over until they become programmed. Yet, the church and the Israelites often stopped there. Empty words and empty actions are empty of all value and relationship.

    It isn’t until the connection is made to the heart that words and actions (i.e., Truth, story, ritual, etc.) truly begin to reflect what the intent is, and begin the journey of relationship. A great (yet sad) example is The Lord’s Prayer. Most long-time Christians can repeat the prayer. Yet, how many are not affected in their hearts when they say the words. Far too many.

    During his long farewell speech, Moses talks about binding the words to hands and heads. The Israelites turned that into both an art form and a boasting form. By the time of Jesus, the words bound on heads and hands (called phylacteries) became a source of bragging rights with their size. That missed the entire point. Moses talks about writing the words of God on the doorposts of houses or city gates. Christians today have scripture and “inspirational” quotes on their walls and even their phones. Many Christians vocally advocate for the 10 Commandments in courtrooms. How many of them, however, actually read—let alone follow—those words?

    Moses words were followed in a way they weren’t intended. These guidelines or suggestions were treated as rules. Moses’ whole point was to do whatever it takes to make sure that God was put first and never forgotten. Moses wanted the people to live and breathe the scriptures and the stories not to earn God’s favor, but because God had already poured his favor out! Moses intended for a way of life to develop that people would be formed by God, and not by man.

    His concern wasn’t so much for the generation who had grown up in the wilderness following the cloud of God. They had watched their parents—who had disobeyed and opposed God—die in the desert. Their very lives from the cloud to six-days-a-week of mana was based on God. It was their children and grandchildren (their and his legacy) that Moses was concerned about. The parents had had God so ingrained in their practices that they could easily take it for granted (or, honestly, forget). They had to teach and form their children to prevent drifting away from God.

    There is the famous “Pot Roast Story” of a mother teaching her daughter how to prepare pot roast. When the mom cut the ends off the roast, the daughter asked why. The mother really didn’t know and responded with, “that’s the way my mom did it.” The story goes on, and it ends with the daughter finally asking Great-Grandma the reason. The response? “Because it didn’t fit into the oven.”

    1) No matter who we are, we are always teaching. What are you teaching others about following Jesus?

    2) You cannot force someone to connect heart with action. You can nurture it, however. How and who can you nurture to be more like Christ?

    3) Is there some family or church ritual that you always wondered why? If so, how can you find an answer?

    FD) What are some family rituals that your family has? What do they tell you about your family?