Devotion.al

Tag: blessings

  • Cause and Effect

    Cause and Effect

    1 Kings 16:29–33; 1 Kings 17:1–5; 1 Kings 18:10–18

    Ahab blamed Elijah for the ongoing drought in Israel. Or, at least he could blame Elijah for the drought.

    Ahab knew that Elijah had declared that no rain would fall on Israel. Sounds like a pretty good reason to blame Elijah. Except, the real reason was Ahab.

    He had gotten to a point where whatever he wanted was reasonable, even if it was unreasonable from anyone else’s . His wife, Jezebel, encouraged and enabled such behavior. Between the two of them, Israel was in a bad situation.

    Ahab had the dubious distinction of being the worst king so far in not following God. Depending on how you read it, either Ahab was worse than any of the kings before him or was worse than all of them combined.

    From our perspective of as the Water, the drought can be a symbol of without God. It certainly fits the narrative. Israel was without God, and Ahab can be symbolic of Israel.

    It is often important to look beyond the surface story and see the deeper meaning. For example, Ahab was blaming Elijah for “holding back” the of water. Yet, the were withdrawn as a result of behavior.

    The goal wasn’t punishment, but repentance and . Ahab looked at it as someone else’s fault, and couldn’t see anything but someone else.

    ※Prayer※

    , help us to see your even when we struggle. Amen.

    ※Questions※

    1) How do you recognize something as your fault? How about responsibility?

    2) What is the difference between fault and responsibility?

    3) What is the difference between a spiritual drought and a spiritual wilderness? How can you tell the difference?

  • NIMBY

    NIMBY

    Zechariah 7:8–12; Matthew 4:25–5:13; Luke 10:25–29 (read online ⧉)

    was only 2 days ago. We should be being filled with the Holy eager to do God’s will and speak with God’s voice. With what has been happening, however, God’s voice may indeed be being spoken. It is being drowned out with violence, anger, hatred, , mourning, apathy.

    It is easy for many to cast aside those who are destroying places. There are many among them that are truly those who seek to stir up trouble. On the other hand, there are many among them that feel that the only way they will be listened to is through destruction. While many might decry that, the reality is that destruction is what sells.

    The Word that God gave Zechariah, “…make fair decisions…show …show compassion…” We honestly fail at all of these, perhaps even on a daily basis. Due to cultural conditioning what is fair or faithful or compassion may be drastically different person to person. It wouldn’t seem so, yet it is.

    The observation that God delivered to Zechariah is a warning to us all, “[they] turned a stubborn shoulder…closed their ears…hearts like a rock…”

    If we read the Beatitudes in the of Zechariah, they can take on the of blessed are and blessings of. In other words, being blessed is not enough. We must also bless others. As we read the Beatitudes, we cannot just think of ourselves. We must also think of that which we are to do for others.

    This is, sadly, why the “expert in the law” asked a simple question, “who is my neighbor?” It is a simple question. It is also a simple answer. The answer isn’t, “my neighbor is…” The answer is, “I am a neighbor by…”

    ※Moravian ※

    Savior, with you we know good and evil. Help us do what we know as good and avoid evil, for with you, good will prevail. In your we pray. Amen.

    ※Questions※

    1) Everyone you see on television and the internet is your neighbor. How will you be their neighbor?

    2) Why do we not want to be neighbors to others?

    3) What is the difference between being a and being a neighbor?

  • Blessings and Returnings

    Blessings and Returnings

    Jeremiah 29:4–9; Daniel 2:24–30; 1 Peter 2:11–17 (read online ⧉)

    The American experiment has certainly had its interesting times. During extreme times there have been many attempts to do something dramatic to “fix” things. The Civil War was an extreme that appeared to be a moral to a injustice. The FDR administration attempted grandiose programs in an attempt to recover an economy in shambles. Today we have Federal, State, County, and City governments doing all sorts of things in an attempt to protect the populace from COVID-19.

    As people become frustrated, whether being stuck at home, not going to work, watching things not succeeding or improving (or the perception thereof), or politicians making () missteps, we are seeing, hearing, and even experiencing strong reactions against a lot actions taken. In a healthy democratic republic, people speaking out in an informed way is helpful and can help build up and improve the country. However, it would seem that our democratic republic is not all that healthy. Certainly, people of most of the political parties (not just the top 2) are saying something to that effect. Your social media stream might even be filled with them, too.

    As Christians, we are to put aside our “rights”. Or, perhaps, it is better said, we ought to look to the before we declare our “rights” as Americans. Of course, they don’t necessarily conflict, at least not always.

    As the Israelites went into exile, God did not say oppose your (oppressive) government. God said to work for its success. That doesn’t mean don’t seek , but that their responsibility was to everyone else, too, not just this oppressive regime. There is also the that it was only after they “did their time” in captivity would the way back to the Promised Land be available to them. Their ability to go back was based on their ability to survive now. Their ability to thrive (not just survive) in their new circumstances was based upon their pursuit of the well-being of Babylon.

    Daniel was another case. He too was captive. He too was taken away. He was trained and educated to be an advisor to the ruler, and become a lower-tier ruler himself (along with his 3 companions). He was put into a place where he could have influenced the downfall of leaders. It’s not as if others didn’t have those plans. He chose not to. He followed the plan God had called him to, and it probably wasn’t easy. Did he try to lessen the load of his fellow Israelites, get this…the Bible doesn’t say. Perhaps that wasn’t Daniel’s purpose. Perhaps his purpose was to be a faithful of and to God, and in so doing pursuing the best for Babylon and its people.

    Peter’s words to the Christians in the diaspora weren’t much different. The Roman government was much the same as the Babylonian one, especially from a Jewish standpoint. What did he tell them? Submit to them! Peter’s words might even be harder than then ones from Jeremiah. Submit! Not all the people that Peter wrote to were outside Roman circles, some of them were true Roman citizens, which was no small thing. The message was the same, though.

    When we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we accepted that any citizenship we had on earth was superseded by the one in Heaven. As such, our concerns are to be first of Heaven, then of earth. That is not to say, however, that we are not to seek the success of the kingdoms of earth, it’s just that our standing on earth is secondary. There is an implied issue in Jeremiah’s words, if you become too comfortable in the place you are, you will not to the Promised Land. The story of the return was indeed part of that. Only some retained their citizenship as the People of God. They returned. Those that surrendered their citizenship remained in Babylon.

    God, as we walk through these times, help keep our eyes on you and our citizenship in Heaven. Help that motivate our actions and responses to the world. Amen.

    1) What are you doing to help your thrive in the midst of COVID-19?

    2) What does it mean for you to work for the success of earthly kingdoms while keeping your eye and heart on your citizenship in Heaven?

    3) How do we balance the submission to earthly authorities with the to be salt and light? How is it different in a democratic republic (like the USA) versus an authoritarian regime?

  • Confessing in Trust

    Daniel 9:3-10, Psalm 25:1-10, 1 John 1:5-10

    The that many had on their foreheads yesterday are gone, either rubbed or washed off. As we read yesterday, ashes are a of repentance. Daniel sought God through , supplication, fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. Daniel uses these 5 things not to get a reward, nor in that he would get an answer because he did them. Daniel did them to put aside himself, so that he be more aware of God, and less concerned for himself.

    Prayer is a . Especially during Lent, we can be deliberate in speaking less, and listening more. Supplications are not the list of things we want, think we need, health, wealth, and so on, but it is in the spirit of saying, “God, please use me. God, please me to fulfill your purpose.” Fasting is often food, as it is essential to live. In our of plenty, fasting can be a powerful spiritual tool, as it reminds us of our blessings, and the blessor, God our .

    Sackcloth was what people wore to show that they were repenting or mourning. It was very uncomfortable. This cloth rubbing against one’s bare skin was another reminder that things were not as they ought to be. Daniel, a man of importance, wearing sackcloth would have been very unusual, and would have likely caused a stir, and would have likely been humiliating for a person whose focus was on himself, rather than God.

    1) In Psalm 25:1-10, the psalms writes, “…in You I …”. How is your trust of/in God doing?

    2) In 1 John 1:5-10, confession is cornerstone of our release from sin. Confession is hard when we have to confess to others, because it requires trust. When you confess to God, is it easy because you trust God, or is it easy because you think God is distant or not listening?

    3) What practices of confession do you follow? Are they enough?

  • Follow the Call

    1 Samuel 2:27–3:18, 1 Samuel 16:1–13, Matthew 7:15–27 (read online ⧉)

    Often we are oblivious to God’s . We succumb to the world’s perspective that things “just happen” and we “earned” it all. While in some regards there is truth in the world’s words, there is a conflict between the underlying great Truth that undergirds many of the world, and Christians. Much of the world believes that there is no God or (at best) God “set and forgot” the world and walk away. Christians, on the other hand, believe that God is active and moving in the world, especially through the work of the Spirit who works through each of us.

    Eli was aware of God. Yet, he chose to disregard God’s blessings by allowing his sons and servants to ignore the Law about the sacrifices. What Eli was thinking is not in the . His was either fatalistic or more along the lines of disbelief. One would think that disbelief was far from Eli’s thought process, especially with the morning’s revelations from Samuel. There is no sign or mention of repentance. Yes, Eli was upset with his sons, just not upset enough to place God before them.

    The story of Saul follows a somewhat similar line as Saul’s behavior was a lack of in God. That lack of faith removed the of Israel from Saul’s (and his descendants’) hands before it was even firmly established. Saul’s efforts were vapor in the wind. Still, he strived and strived. Despite having had God-directed encounters, unbelief still ended up sending him down a path that wasn’t what he wanted.

    Sometimes God calls us to great things. Sometimes God calls us to small things. From small to large, God calls us. Sometimes what we think are great things (that are beyond our abilities or gifts) are really only a collection of a lot of small (even tiny) little steps of following God’s on our lives. Sometimes it is only when we look back and see the little things stack up that we realize how large and great God’s call was on our lives.

    No matter what stage of we are in, we are always called to follow God into new things.

    1) What do you think Eli’s s struggles were based on? Pride? Unfaithfulness? Tiredness?

    2) Have you had a refreshing of God’s call on your life? If so, what it is? If not, will you pursue it?

  • Bacon Obedience

    Deuteronomy 6:4–9, Deuteronomy 11:13–21, Numbers 15:37–41 (read online ⧉)

    According to some people, bacon deserves its own food group. There is a somewhat true adage, cook bacon and the men will come. Sad, but true. A mercifully short culinary path was bacon everything: bacon mints, bacon gum, bacon ice cream, bacon shaped bandages, bacon jelly beans. Pretty much the bacon theme was done. And some of it was just disgusting. In Israelite (and subsequent Jewish) culture/religion, pigs were unclean animals. They weren’t to be eaten. There is a lot of speculation as to why pigs were prohibited. One of the theories revolves around a particular parisite that was common in pigs (and is still an issue today to a far lesser degree). Another theory is that pigs are, effectively, scavengers. They eat pretty much anything. That has its own health issues. Scavengers and bottom feeders (think shellfish) were also prohibited food. A slightly off-the-beaten-path theory is that pigs are so easy to raise for food, that (and other clean animals) were a manifestation of God’s blessings of the Israelites.

    The Shema Yisrael (this collection of today’s passages) isn’t about bacon or pork, or even food. It is about a relationship with God. The tassels (Numbers 15:27) were another physical manifestation of a person declaring their loyalty to God. By their food (or lack of particular kinds) and clothing, they displayed that they were in relationship and fellowship with God. We focus a lot on the “rules” in the Old Testament. Yet, the rules were never the point. The rules were actually the that the Israelites God more than other gods, cultures, nations, or tribes. They were to show that God was more important to them than anything or anyone else.

    The world is a mixed bag when it comes to obeying the food laws of the Old Testament. Certain traditions hold to some of them. Some hold to a “Garden of Eden” level. Most of the Christian world, however, does not view the Old Testament dietary laws as binding. Of course, while perhaps not viewing them as binding, they look at them as guidelines and will try to follow them to some degree. So, no bacon for you.

    If you don’t like bacon, that’s easy for you. However, it isn’t about the bacon. It’s about the relationship. In the Christian circle, even among those the food adherents, that is the recognized reality. Even in the Roman Catholic church (often being accused about being more about law than ) acknowledges and teaches that relationship is primary. It’s not as if rules and practices are bad, quite the contrary. It is the reason between the practices and rules that is important: love of God.

    1) How do rules affect and influence between people?

    2) If, through , God revealed that you had to never eat your favorite food again (even bacon), what would you do? Why? Would you struggle?

    3) Bacon can also provide an allegory to our spiritual . Something that God forbade one, may have not forbidden another. How do you interact with people whose forbidden thing (, pot, smoking, pork, movies, etc.) is different than yours? What is your forbidding thing or things?

  • Anticipatory Expectation

    Romans 8:18–25, Revelation 5:1–10 (read online ⧉)

    What are we expecting? What are we anticipating? and anticipation are not always positive, as we often “wait” for the other shoe to drop. It is in this mindset that anxiety can step in and take over us.

    Creation is personified in ‘s text. This anthropomorphic thinking of Creation puts a different spin on things. We could then get in line with those that say things link, “Mother Nature is angry at humanity.” Almost. Environmental degradation was not a strong concern in Paul’s era. However, people did experience hurricanes, cyclones, severe storms, ice, hail, volcanoes, earthquakes, etcetera. When we think of these severe events, we can sympathize with Paul’s thinking.

    What is more interesting is the implication of Paul’s words. You see, it is not just about us. We finite creations are not all that are affected by sin. All of creation was affected. The Fall of humanity was not just about humanity, but the consequence that was then delivered to all of creation. In the carol, to the World, we sing:
       No more let sins and sorrows grow,
         Nor thorns infest the ground;
    He comes to make his flow
    Far as the curse is found.

    The infestation of thorns (and weeds), plus the sweat now required of humanity to farm, and even the fact that creatures eat one another, are all signs of fallen creation. All of Creation waits to be restored, too.

    That is at the core of John’s of Heaven. The Seven-Sealed Scroll was the fulfillment of all from Heaven to Earth. We can understand that in John’s vision, the scroll not being opened meant that God’s plan wouldn’t/couldn’t be for just the brief moment. That brief moment is all that it takes to get that “drop in the stomach” feeling of loss. If all were truly based on a scroll, then hope would be pointless. True hope relies not on the scroll, but on . Heaven and Earth rejoice, indeed.

    1) Are you constantly waiting for the “other shoe to drop”? If no, how do you plan for and thrive beyond things to go bad? If yes, how do you forward under all that emotional weight?

    2) Do you think it is important that Creation is waiting, too? Why or why not?

  • Peace and Blessings

    Numbers 6:22–27, Luke 10:3–12, John 14:25–30, John 20:19–28 (read online ⧉)

    The Levitical or priestly blessing has been a mainstay for the Jews and Christians for millennia. The pronouncement of blessing, protection, acknowledgment, , favor, and pretty much sums up what a with God should result in. What makes this tiny passage even more strange, yet intimate and comforting is that God states that this is God’s . Perhaps not a name in the proper sense, but God’s name nonetheless. God’s name would then be Blessing Protecting Shining (i.e., “I see and acknowledge you”) Gracious Favoring Peace-Giving God.

    When , therefore, sends out the disciples, they are being sent out on his (God’s) behalf to bestow peace upon . So, think about this…they are to withdraw their peace from houses that do not . If peace is there…if God is there. If peace is not there…God is not there. There there is how peace is lived out. The disciples were to go to the first house that welcomed and accepted them. They were to go from house to house to get a better deal (certainly not the way our culture functions). Were they to do this, they would be contaminating God’s peace that they were sent with.

    This becomes even more apparent in Jesus’ bestowing of peace on his 11 disciples on his final night with them (Judas had left at this point of the evening). They were no longer just sent with his peace (as they were before), but now they were bearers of his peace. It sounds similar, granted, but it is different. Similar to baby birds, they went out (previously) and came back. However, now it was time to leave the nest, and they had to carry forth on their own.

    Yet, even on their own, Jesus still has to restore their peace, just as it is with us. They had just witnessed something horrible, , and unjust. Then they experience the unimaginable. Now they were, they felt, like sheep without their shepherd. This time, peace is the tranquility in the . Only Jesus can it so deeply. Only when we embrace it do we receive it.

    1) What does it mean to embrace the peace of God? What might it mean to us and the way we live our lives to embrace the peace of God?

    2) Surrender is a significant part of God’s peace. What needs to be surrendered for God’s peace?

    3) What has to be surrendered for the world’s peace? What is the difference in surrendering to God and to the world for peace?