Devotion.al

Tag: conversation

  • Reconciling Fruit

    Reconciling Fruit

    Psalm 144; Isaiah 27:1–6; 2 Corinthians 5:17–21 (ISV)

    In times to come, Jacob will take root,
       and Israel will blossom, sprout shoots,
       and fill the whole world with fruit.

    Isaiah 27:6 ISV

    All of this comes from God, who has reconciled us to himself through the Messiah and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,

    2 Corinthians 5:18 ISV

    Reconciliation: the of reconciling and/or the state of being reconciled.

    ‌Reconcile/reconciled/reconciling
    ‌1a) to restore to friendship or harmony
    ‌1b) settle or resolve (differences)
    ‌2) to make consistent or congruous
    ‌3) to cause to submit to or accept something unpleasant.
    ‌4a) to check (a financial record) against another for accuracy
    ‌4b) to account for

    Merriam-Webster.com

    ⁜Focus⁜

    ‌The (or God’s) fruit of reconciliation should fill the whole world, and we are to be the fruit.

    ⁜Devotion⁜

    ‌Depending how many sermons you’ve listened to, it is likely that you have heard at least one sermon about the Fruits of the : love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, , self-control. This list comes from ‘s letter to the Galatians (Galatians 5:22-23). Depending on the preacher or author, it could be an unordered list, or an ordered list. These fruit, though, are supposed to be increasing in each Christian day-by-day.

    ‌Isaiah’s words are, in particular, about the people of Israel (God’s first people). The concept was that despite their trials, exiles, and spiritual (and ) wandering, that God would cause them to be plentiful and to fill the earth. Over the years, many Christians have believed (and even preached) that Christians completely replaced the descendants of Israel as the new chosen. Today, most Christians don’t believe that. On the other hand, Christians are spiritual descendants of Israel (through Jesus), so should be accounted for as fruit of the promise in Isaiah.

    ‌Yet, if we look around, we can see that Christians are as likely to be reconciling as anyone else. In other words, we Christians appear to be just as unloving and unreconciling as those who do not believe in Jesus. Paul notes that Christians are particularly called to the ministry of reconciliation. While, yes, much of that does have to do with being in a reconciled (or “right”) relationship with God, this does not exclude or diminish the call on the Christian to be a reconciling force in their , community, and the world.

    ‌Re-examine the definitions of reconciling. Except for definition 4a, one could actually apply each definition to the life a Christian is to exemplify. 4a would occupy a special place that is that of the price of paid, and thus has a place in (or origin for) the of reconciling.

    ‌In the Greek language, there is an imperfect tense, which doesn’t (sadly) exist in English, though reconciling comes close per the Merriam-Webster definition, especially when we say reconciliation is the action of reconciling (the mission or ministry) and being reconciled, which was done through Jesus Christ’s birth, life, on the cross, and resurrection. It is done, and yet there is more work to be done.

    ⁜Reflection⁜

    ‌Of the five (1a, 1b, 2, 3, 4b) definitions, which do you see as the strongest in your life? How do you see each of these working through your life?

    ⁜Act⁜‌

    What is an act (or series of acts) of reconciliation that you can do in your family and community?

    ⁜Prayer⁜

    ‌Father God, you have given us the ministry of reconciliation. Help us not to forget that by giving it to us, you have given us responsibility. Help us to remember that through this responsibility you have given us the honor of working alongside you, the Creator, in the world. Jesus, help us to continually examine your life as conveyed in the Scriptures to understand what it means to live a life of reconciliation. Holy Spirit, just as you provide each of us “fruit of the Spirit”, so, too, do you provide the ability to be aware of where the world needs reconciliation. Triune God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), guide us more deeply into your truth to be the light of reconciliation and the people of love to the world. Amen.

  • Servant Life

    Servant Life

    Psalm 123; Ezekiel 2:1–5; 2 Corinthians 12:2–10; Mark 6:1–13

    In certain cultures, and in certain times, it was not dishonorable to be a servant. In fact, being a servant could well lead to a different path than what could else be accomplished. One of the most famous servants in US culture is a man named Alfred Pennyworth. He is the butler of Bruce Wayne, whose alter ego is The Batman. Yes, he’s merely a fictional character. And, yes, he is one of the few positive US depictions of a servant.

    When working through the Scriptures, we often try to “soften” the imagery around servants, indentured servants, and slaves. Part of it is our US ethos of rugged individualism. The other part is our darker history of human exploitation through both indentured servitude and slavery.

    To add insult to injury, or misunderstanding to the Scriptures, US culture diminishes waitstaff (a respectable path elsewhere), cooks, or anyone who doesn’t fit certain narratives.

    This becomes crucial when we read passages such as Psalm 123:3. As a servant waits for their master, so our eyes wait upon the mercy of God. Our cultural baggage with both master and servant removes our heart’s ability to see this verse as it is intended. The servant of which the psalmist writes loves their master. They their master so much that it isn’t a burden; it is an . Their orbits the master. They wait to do the master’s bidding so that the master is satisfied. The servant’s satisfaction comes from the master’s.

    In our context, we usually then respond, what about the needs of the servant or our needs (if we read ourselves into the role of the servant)? Then, are we really any different than the hardheaded and hardhearted descendants of Israel and Judah that God points to in Ezekiel 2: 4? Or are we more like the braggart that Paul tries not to be in 2 Corinthians 12:6, yet still think that we are greater than being a servant (which Paul didn’t)?

    The cultural shift that would make servants (and the service “industry”) more respectable or honorable may never come. Or, if Gen Z can become effective in many of its ideals, It may dovetail into the conversations around the minimum wage, livable wage, and permanent income.

    As a result of a recent with a Gen-Z-er (~born 1995–2015), I realized that perhaps we are more servants than we realize. As employees, we our organization. An organization serves its stakeholders. That’s a little oversimplified, but you get the idea.

    However, most of us will immediately respond negatively to this imagery. We don’t want to serve. That should probably give us pause when we think of living our lives for God.

    ※Reflection※

    • What is your to being a servant (not serving)? Why? What is the difference between serving and being a servant?
    • called himself a servant. If God calls himself a servant, and we are his followers, why do we have problems with this concept when it comes to living the life?

    ※Prayer※

    Servant of the World who stepped down into darkness. That you for your servant’s heart and which brings us into the . Amen.

  • The God of Where

    The God of Where

    Psalm 123; Jeremiah 7:1–15; 1 Corinthians 4:8–13

    The change between Jeremiah and Corinthians cannot be overstated. The clash between law and grace is right there before us.

    The CEB (the primary translation currently being used to write and to read for this devotional) and NRSV translated Jeremiah 7:7 as, “…only then will I dwell with you in this place, in the land that I gave long ago to your ancestors for all time.” The NIV and CSB translate more like, “… then I will let you live in this place…”These different translations would seem to add something else to this , yet, the understanding from a Jewish standpoint was God was present in the place, thus being allowed to live in this space (NIV/CSB) is very much along the lines of with them (CEB/NRSV).“With” is very particular though. Living with a person is specific. One lives with a spouse. Children (for a time) live with their parents.

    The “with” sounds awesome, but as you look at the verses surrounding it, you can see a lot of requirements. We look at these, and we say, “of course!” Truly reform your ways and actions. Treat each other justly. Don’t take advantage of the immigrant or the orphan or the wide. Don’t shed innocent blood. Don’t follow other gods.

    The last few years have seen Christians, as a whole and around the world, fail each one of these. Many of these failures were very visible in the eyes of the world, and each damaged the of the church. In other words, Christians of all types, nations, political leanings, and so on would have failed to meet these “easy” requirements outlined in Jeremiah.

    In contrast, “You’ve been filled already!” Filled with what? Filled with the . Filled with God! God isn’t with. God is in! Perhaps we might better combine the ways of the Jews “with” and the way “in” to “within”, for God is both with us and in us. That is a great blessing as we Christians have not been the givers of cold water (refreshing, live-giving) as we should be, as we are called to be.

    Unlike the list in Jeremiah (which is a very short version of the Law, with much removed), God within calls for a change of , rather than obedience to rules. This does not spare us from obedience. It changes (or should change) our perception and motivation from to .

    Much of what has occurred over the last few years, but really over history, is that fear often motivates us far more than love. The fear that the orphan may lie, cheat and steal. In my history, there was an adoption that indeed went horribly wrong in exactly that way. It was used as a lesson to fear the orphan. The stories of witches (the classic, not the modern neo-pagan) often revolved around the widow, who became maligned, unknown, and eventually feared. Immigration, especially during the era of the modern state (last 300 years or so), has also grown to a place of fear.

    Fear over love.

    When we fear, we become powerless. When we love (with God’s love), only God’s is greater.

    ※Reflection※

    • How do you “with”, “in” and “within” your life, both in the past and today?
    • How does fear impact who you love and how you love them? (It may not be fear of them, FWIW)
    • How does love become interpreted as fear?
    • How might (or should) the “with”, “in”, and “within” of God affect your fears and love?

    ※Prayer※

    God, may we deepen our awareness of you being with us, in us, and within us. Amen.

  • Changing Diapers

    Changing Diapers

    Psalm 74; Isaiah 26:16–27:1; Luke 11:14–28

    When Joni (my wife) was pregnant with our first (to be born) child, we had an odd with another couple. They told us (almost mockingly) that soon our conversation would change to include the color and consistency of our child’s poop. We chuckled. That was ridiculous. Who would talk about poop so much that a couple would bring that up? A few months after our first was born, we had to laugh at ourselves when we realized that was exactly what had happened.

    Before our first was born, we could read lots of books and received lots of advice. Nothing prepared us for being a parent. Conversing about poop was only a minor change. A weird one, definitely, but only a minor one.

    For those of us on the other side of pregnancy, we tend to forget what we were like before it. When Isaiah talks about pregnancy and childbirth, we envision that, but we neglect the before. Just like we could never imagine talking about baby poop as a topic of conversation, we couldn’t understand the life change of having a child…until it happened.

    The same really can be said of Israel. They didn’t understand. There were a few who got it, but they were (it seems) very few indeed: Moses, Joshua (mostly), maybe a couple of judges (though most were a mess), Samuel, David, Isaiah, Ezekiel, and the other prophets (major and minor). To round up, that’s maybe 30 over 1500-ish years. Granted, these are the ones about. So, if we round up even more to 300 people, every 5 years of Israel’s history (prior to Jesus), a single person gets it.

    Before someone proverbially smacks me, most of the Israelites are followers (and, yes, the numbers are hyperbole). They followed where the leaders led (sometimes). Sounds kind of like us.

    So, when we get to Jesus, we get the and questioning and just flat out not believing. Yes, we think we would respond better to Jesus than “those” people obviously did. Except, we are on the other side of the pregnancy.

    We have the . For us, looking back we see where God was moving. The Jews to this day also see where God was moving, as do the Muslims. We, however, see Jesus. That is the gift of the Holy .

    That is the gift that people pre- didn’t have (even the disciples). It is the gift of those who know Jesus or who have responded to the nudging of the Holy Spirit through prevenient (that which goes before salvation) grace.

    Being aware and recalling what we were like before knowing Jesus through the Holy Spirit will help us reach the world. There is a caveat to this. For those who knew Jesus as a child, this may be very hard, unless there was a significant spiritual crisis of some sort in later years (based on my witness of this). So, if you don’t know the pre-pregnancy (i.e., pre-Holy Spirit) life, that’s okay. God will still use your life and story to reach .

    Many people will question our , not because it is unbelievable (though many will use that ), but because the Holy Spirit has not been ignited in them. We are to remember that almost all of humanity was like that. We were no different. We give them grace and love in this, for God did the same for us.

    ※Reflection※

    If you were a teen or adult when you came to know Jesus, what life like before then? If you were a child when you came to know Jesus, what spiritual “desert” or “wilderness” did you experience that transformed your faith into something greater?

    ※Prayer※

    Holy Spirit, help us to recall what transformed our relationship with God through you so that we are able to translate that into the lives of those yet unsaved. Amen.

  • Sighting Evil

    Sighting Evil

    Psalm 74; 1 Samuel 16:14–23; Revelation 20:1–6

    Evil spirits or the “ of evil” has a in human culture throughout the ages. Even for those who have no deistic belief, there is an understanding that something is completely evil.

    There was nothing positive about the Holocaust. In fact, most people would state that the men and women (for there were both) who created and perpetuated it were evil. There seems to be no question that there was a “spirit of evil” when it came to the Holocaust. The primary spirit of evil took the form of the other. Jews were the others (along with gypsies, we often ignore). Jews were blamed for the punitive consequences of World War I, which destroyed the German economy and culture (in some ways). This allowed a person such as Adolf Hitler to become the leader.

    However, the take on Hitler, as hard as it is, was that there was a possibility of for him (along with all the others). How one could, on earth, move beyond what he led takes more than I could comprehend. The spirit of evil takes on many forms. Some of them seem benign. Some of them being obviously harmful. Christians over many years have argued over what makes something evil, or if something is indeed evil. A number of changes in American culture and law in the last few decades have certainly been at the fore.

    The spirit of evil that Saul had sounds similar to a split personality. In many places, we read that Saul cared for, respected, and relied upon David. Yet, Saul would try to kill David in many ways, including by chasing him down with an army. The divergence of thinking certainly sounds like modern mental illness. Which leads us back to evil. If someone is mentally ill, is it a spirit of evil or is it something else?

    Whatever guise or seeming, until all is over and we are at the throne of God, we will be dealing with a spirit of evil (or many spirits). While the Book of Revelation tells us the end (though God’s victory doesn’t really come as a surprise), what it means that evil is bound for a thousand years, but will have to be released for a time after that is beyond us. We can guess, but it would only be a guess.

    This not a suggestion for fatalism. If we believe that God is good, died for us, and that we have the Spirit in us, then evil’s presence is not pre-determined to lead to evil. It is our own thoughts and actions. Our actions, though, cannot be limited to our circle, but must also be part of our .

    ※※

    • What do you think the difference is between evil, sin, and mistakes? How might understanding these 3 things adjust our interactions with the world?
    • When was the last time you used “evil” in ? Was the context actually that of evil, or was it something different? If it was evil, what made it so? If it wasn’t truly evil, what might have been a better way to phrase it?

    ※※

    Lord, help us to guard our hearts against evil. Help us to understand your view of evil and to be those that bring light upon it. Amen.

  • We Maybe Sheep

    We Maybe Sheep

    Psalm 23; Genesis 48:8–19; Mark 6:30–34

    “They’re running around like chickens with their heads cut off!”

    For someone who wasn’t raised on a farm (me), it is probably a bad phrase to use, though I understand the concept. I’m sure it’s different were one to experience it. Oddly, that phrase comes to mind when has on the crowd because “they were like sheep without a .”

    Add that to another phrase I’ve heard, “we love the sheep, but sheep bite,” and it all sounds very similar to the current reactive culture that surrounds us. It also sounds like far too many people who themselves .

    “We have our shepherd…Jesus.” Christians should, but Jesus says that His sheep will know the sound of his . Look around you. Does it seem as if people are hearing the voice of Jesus? This may sound harsh, yet one of the biggest accusations thrown at Christians is that they are hypocrites.

    If people who call themselves Christians are not listening for and to God, then hypocrite is pretty accurate. I’ve heard many people (of varying political/economic/ cultural/career/personality types) say that the world is so angry, harsh, judgmental that they want nothing to do with it. We are called to be salt and .

    The world around us needs to figure out how to have conversations again. The church has the Great Shepherd to guide us. We should probably figure out how to guide the world, but first, we must allow ourselves to be guided.

    ※Reflection※

    Is there one “voice” that you listen to above all ? Whose? How do you deal with that voice when it leads you into apparent conflict with your dreams, , or other relationships? How do you test that “voice”?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, helps to develop ears that you and hearts that follow you. Amen.

  • Star Light Star Bright

    Star Light Star Bright

    Psalm 118:1–2, 19–29; Jeremiah 33:1–9; Philippians 2:12–18

    I’m guilty. I’m guilty of not seeing God’s many blessings. God’s blessings have been more than I could count, granted, but I should count more of them. I was convicted by Jeremiah 33:9, “They will be in total awe at all the good and prosperity I provide for them.”

    ※ When was the last time you were awed by all the good and prosperity that God has provided? ※

    If you’re like me, you could look at all our troubles and disagreements on race, (any) immigration, political party, president, COVID practices, and ask, “Good? Prosperity?” This is where we humans tend to get ourselves in trouble, especially when we evaluate God. Just saying “evaluate God” sounds unwise, doesn’t it? Yet, when we ask God, “why,” and don’t keep in mind the blessings, this is often exactly what we do.

    ※ Is your tendency to ask God, “Why”, before praising God?※

    wrote to the Philippians, “Do everything without grumbling and arguing.” We’ve been pretty awful at that lately, as a . People of all political stripes and persuasion have developed a habit of ad hominem attacks (attacking individuals, not policy). The “gridlock” of Washington, D.C., will get far worse because of it. That, brothers and sisters, is where we come in.

    ※ Imagine responding to attacks on people with a -filled commentary on a policy. What would the be? ※

    This is not a blind hope that a “gentle answer will turn away wrath” (Proverbs 15:1). There actually isn’t much that Christians will the tenor of conversation (although we’ve been some of the most guilty). Changing the general tenor isn’t our job, nor is it our responsibility. It is our tenor that is our responsibility.

    The reason for keeping the blessings and prosperity in mind is that is a good way to cultivate our hearts to be warm and full of love, which allows us to respond in a Christ-honoring way. As they are God’s blessings and prosperity, they are not ours. Another way of saying it is that since it is God’s, we shouldn’t be holding onto what isn’t ours so tightly. Our responses to need to be inspired and driven by the generosity and grace of God.

    Before someone asks, “I’m to be a doormat?” No. Turning the other cheek refers to being insulted. Going the extra mile is acting above and beyond the requirements. As Paul phrased it, “Among these people you shine like stars in the world because you hold on to the of life.”

    ※ If someone with whom you have strongly disagreed were asked, would you be described as gasoline on a or as a star in the world? ※

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, when you called Abraham to look at the stars, he saw a legacy of children. Help us, Lord, to not just to be a number amongst the stars, but to embody the of the stars into a world darkened by sin. Amen.

  • What A Sight

    What A Sight

    Numbers 22:1–35

    Moab feared Israel. Israel “just” had a military victory against major forces around Moab. Israel had marched around Moab and yet hadn’t done anything directly against Moab. Moab was deeply concerned that they were next.

    According to Moses (in Deuteronomy 2:9), God had directed him to leave Moab alone.  There is no record of “official” interaction between the Moabites and Israel, so it would seem that Moab’s fears were based on assumptions rather than experience. Which leads us to Balaam.

    The King of Moab called upon Balaam to curse the Israelites. Accusing the Israelites of being, basically, locusts seems to be a case of hyperbole. Yet, there was unsurety in Moab. It’s safer to wipe out the “other” than to communicate with them.

    At first, it seems that Balaam was a God-follower. As we continue the story, it seems that perhaps it was not quite so. There is an implication that God condescends to Balaam going to prophesy on King Balak’s behalf. The “go” seems to be more along the lines of, “You can go. You’re going to anyway. So, I will use your desires to bring to me (God).”

    And then we come to the famous part of the story, which recently came up in a . The entirety of the conversation was about a talking animal. Which I get it. None of us have had an animal speak to us in human speech.

    While human speech is important, our dog communicates just fine: whines, stares, growls, barks, licks, gnaws, pounces on, and so forth. She generally is successful in communicating her needs without human speech. A human baby communicates. It’s usually the parents who get the subtle differences between, “I’m hungry” cry, and “my stomach hurts” cry.

    We could blame children’s Sunday School for the emphasis on a talking beast of burden. The adults are just as nonplussed as the children, though. The talking animal wasn’t the point of the story, not even close.

    The talking animal was more along the lines of, “Yes, you (Balaam) said you heard me (God), but you need to understand how important it is that you actually listen to me!”

    In the , preachers/pastors/teachers will often say something along the lines of, “Yes, this hard, but the say…” Part of this is the reality that preachers/pastors/teachers don’t want to deliver hard truth. It’s hard, and we all want to be liked. In a community that respects the Word of God, that can work.

    Balaam probably doesn’t have that particular protection. Like many people of power, and especially with the gods of that era and place, they thought with the right amount of money or right sacrifice they could “” gods to do their will. God doesn’t work that way, and Balak would likely have little joy in being thwarted.

    However, that talking donkey and then the of the sword-bearing angel? That imagery was probably quite strong in Balaam’s eyes and . Likely, it was that which gave him the strength to deliver the oracles for Israel despite Barak’s insistence on curses.

    A vision/experience like that would give many of us the strength to face the world.

    ※Reflection※

    • When you recall the talking donkey, what else do you recall? Do recall the of the story?
    • Why is important, especially with stories like this, to understand that the Scriptures use imagery?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, may we have the strength of your vision as we navigate the chaotic waters of this world. Amen.