Devotion.al

Tag: family

  • Embracing Difference

    Embracing Difference

    Genesis 29:18-35, Deuteronomy 10:12-22, Psalm 5

    Jacob found himself in a strange situation. The wife he thought he had spent 7 years of his to earn the right to marry was not the one his -in-law had presented to him. Laban set up a dysfunctional marriage (two, actually) by doing this. The sisters would be competing for their husband’s affections. Children became trophies over the other sister. Yet, God chose these children born in a of broken to become (eventually) the leaders of a tribe that changed the world.

    All of us have experiences of family brokenness, whether it was our immediate family, extended family, spouse’s family, the family of a friend, or the family that we have in the . Sadly, the majority of relationships involve brokenness, whether ours or someone else’s.

    In the midst of his last commission to the Israelites, Moses brings in two forms of brokenness. The first is in the form of family: fatherless and widowed. This truly would be a of familial brokenness, as there were no family to take care of: children with no parents, and widows with no children. In a culture that valued family, and relied upon family to function, this was catastrophic. The orphaned and widowed could be viewed as cursed. Being so alone without family was inconceivable. Then Moses goes a step further and brings in the . This person, whether by war, slavery, abandonment, fleeing, was not only not with family, they were among people of completely different families.

    The orphan, the widow and the foreigner were the ultimate example of broken family connections, as they had none. Even today, we avoid those that are different than we are. There is something in the case of orphaned, widowed and foreigner (even in the U.S., a country of immigrants) that triggers some of our deepest fears and insecurities.

    Moses calls on the Israelites to them anyways. As we are called through the love of God, we are also called to live this life of love.

    1) How can we show love to ?

    2) Orphaned, widowed and foreigner are relational terms. Think beyond their immediate definition. For example, the foreigner may be the new person in the neighborhood, at work or at church. Who are the orphaned, widowed and foreigner that God has placed in your lives?

    3) Why do we often get so obsessed with the differences between ourselves and others, rather than focus on the similarities?

    KD) How do welcome and love people different from you?

  • Joy in Redemption

    Joy in Redemption

    Genesis 25:25-34, Exodus 15:12-18, Psalm 23

    The life of Isaac and Jacob—the patriarchs of the tribes of Israel—is not ideal. Favoritism of is shown. Despising of family and property is displayed through hunger. This is not a family form to follow. God’s often shows that the people that God chose to carry his and weren’t perfect. In fact, some of them seem to have very few redeeming qualities. In other words, God chose to carry his name and blessing through people just like us.

    Moses’ exultation of God in Exodus can seem overbearing toward people who don’t follow God. The entire purpose of that overbearingness is to show God’s power and through a people despised and rejected. In fact, this is an echo of the passage in Genesis, for some of the people who are opposing of the Israelites return (coming into their inheritance) are the descendants of Esau who despised his inheritance. God leads and loves those on the outside.

    Psalm 23 is probably the best-known Psalm, even outside of Christian and Jewish circles. In it, God’s care of his people is first presented in the role of a . As the shepherd, God makes the sheep lie down and rest. When the shepherd (God) does lead the sheep, they are so confident and trusting in God, that they followed through and .

    The Psalm then transforms from sheep to a person for whom the table is set. In other words, the sheep has now become the guest. That is not a small transformation, to go from stubborn (won’t rest), to following (through fear and death), to guest.

    1) The family in Genesis is not great. How are the shown between people: Isaac, Rebekah, Esau, Jacob? Think of how scripture shows and doesn’t show those relationships.

    2) Redemption is one of the biggest ways God shows his love. How is redemption shown in each of today’s passages?

    3) What imagery attracts you most in Psalm 23? What do you think that shows you about a need in your life that should be filled by God, rather than the world?

    KD) Why do you think that God uses the image of sheep when he talks about his people?

  • Abandoned to Joy

    Abandoned to Joy

    1 Chronicles 15:11-29, 2 Samuel 6:16-22, Luke 15:4-32, 1 Peter 1:3-9

    Have you ever leapt for ? David did. He and his men were proudly and joyfully bringing God’s Ark of the to Jerusalem. In Hebrew, the underlying emotion of all David’s celebrating/leaping/whirling/skipping is joy. David is so filled with joy, he expresses it in such a physical way that the bride of his youth despises him. We know little about Michal, but we can guess that she had certain expectations of how the King (oh, and her husband) should behave. David was having nothing to do with her expectations. His audience of joy was God. David did understand that understood David’s behavior better than proud Michal.

    The and woman in ‘ parables also acted exuberantly. It was time to Party and it was okay for them to party. They were “only” lowly people. The kind that Michal looked down upon. Jesus makes it clear, though, that Heaven doesn’t care about where they fit in society. To add insult to the Michals of the world, Jesus then tells a tale of the wealthy father who dropped everything and gave a huge party for his wayward who had abandoned his , but had now returned. It was disgraceful.

    David’s “inappropriate” joyful leaping and the wealthy father’s “disgraceful” party represent the unbounded of God and the inhabitants of Heaven as one more person turns to Jesus as Savior. Think of the mess that accompany the opening of presents by little children. The paper and tape and ribbon and…it’s everywhere. Undisguised and unabashed abandon at ripping off the paper and ribbons. Yep, God can’t wait to open the “present” of someone turning to him.

    Many of us were taught that God was angry, or vengeful, or judgmental, or unloving, or distant. Contrast this to the dirty shepherd hugging the missing sheep, the woman who turned her house upside down to find a coin, a dignified king willing to be a fool, and a father who saw his son and not a failure. That IS God. We talk about joy during Christmas. Any (and hopefully every) day is “Christmas” for God as he opens another present of a person rescued!

    1) Why is it important to understand abandoning oneself when joyful?

    2) Can you think of a time you “forgot” yourself, and where you were, and just let go? Think back, and compare the feeling (body, soul, mind) of “abandoning” joy, versus a time when you controlled your joyful . Is there a difference?

    KD) What do you do when you are joyful? Do you dance, sing, scream, or run around? Do you think God does that when someone chooses Jesus? Why or why not?

  • Joy and Expectation

    Joy and Expectation

    Job 33:14-30, Psalm 126, Luke 1:35-45

    In many respects, joy is both easy and incredibly difficult to truly understand. On one hand, we understand that joy is something much deeper than the feelings of the moment. Yet, on the other hand, we use the joy often when we really mean happy or maybe happier than usual, but still happy.

    It is time for us to claim joy. This is not a “name it to claim it” kind of thing. We must have a definition that makes sense within the context of Christianity and that helps us use the word in a similar way. Let us define joy as a deep-seated emotion that provides assurance, resolve, positive outlook, and is life-giving through building up of self and others, and is based upon the and nature of God—, Son and Holy .

    As we look through most translations of scripture, we can see where joy is not used in the above way and that’s okay. This word is for us to use when we especially talk about the joy of Christmas.

    Reminiscent of Abraham and Sarah, Elizabeth and Zechariah were expecting their first child in their advanced age. This pregnancy was a result of God’s (not Zechariah’s) and was life-giving in two ways. First, Elizabeth and Zechariah were ashamed (life-taking) due to the lack of a child. Second, their child would go before the Messiah, announcing the Messiah’s coming (giving life and to others).

    Many years ago, I heard a Christmas Eve sermon that was startling. In fact, my and I were appalled at the sermon. It started with, “Tonight, we are all pregnant.” It took me many years to actually understand—more than just intellectually—what he meant.

    With wanted pregnancies, the two biggest emotions are joy and . These are the two (or should be) biggest emotions of Christmas. Not for the presents or family or food or parties, but for . The Savior of the world, and of you and me.

    1) Are you really looking forward to Jesus coming?

    2) Christmas looks: to the past when Christ was born in a manger; to the now for transformed lives; to the future when Jesus comes again. How does that change how you view Christmas this year?

    3) It’s easy to get into the habit of “just” another annual celebration with Christmas (as with any holiday or observance). What will you do to keep it fresh this year?

    KD) If you knew you were not getting any presents this year for Christmas, would you still look forward to Christmas? Why, or why not?

  • Working At Peace

    Working At Peace

    Psalm 29, Romans 5:1-11, Philippians 4:2-9,

    “The LORD gives his people ; the LORD blesses his people with .”
    Psalm 29:11

    “…we have peace with God through our Lord Christ.”
    Romans 5:1

    “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
    Philippians 4:7

    Through Jesus Christ we are at peace with God (). This is also expressed as being God’s children, the LORD’s people. So, God gives us strength. This strength, the through Christ, is a peace that surpasses all understanding.

    Peace isn’t a one-time thing. Peace is not something that just happens. Peace is hard work. For us to be reconciled to God (“…peace with God…”), the of God came to earth, became one of us, and died for all of us. If Jesus died for this peace, why do we ever think it is easy?

    It takes strength to be at peace. It takes effort to be at peace. “That person cut me off, they…” Be at peace? Have you driven around here? Just driving can cause one to not be at peace with the people around them! Then there are the , work, and general people dynamics which just makes being at peace hard!

    PEACE IS HARD WORK! “I’m at peace about this.” If one is truly at peace about something, there was effort involved. Sometimes we are at “peace” because we are fatalistic about it. Sometimes we are at “peace”, because we “know” the result. Sometimes we are at peace because we surrendered it to God.

    1) Why do you think “spiritual” peace is viewed as something “just” given?

    2) Have you ever had to work really hard to be at peace about something?

    3) Should you feel guilty about having to work at being at peace?

    4) Is being at peace worth the effort?

    KD) Are you at peace with God? If not, why not? If you are, how?

  • Free to Feel

    Free to Feel

    Psalm 42, 2 Samuel 7:18-29, Romans 15:7-13

    “…Put your hope in God, for I will still praise him, my Savior and my God.”
    Psalm 42:5

    “…Do as you have promised, so that your name will be exalted forever…”
    2 Samuel 7:25-26

    The Psalmist and David have different emotions in their words. The Psalmist seems exhausted mentally, emotionally and spiritually. It would be reasonable to say that the Psalmist was very depressed. David on the other hand was -filled for God had made a promise to him that his (his house) would forever have a place before God. In a culture where family was of greater importance than the , this was a big deal.

    Both Psalmist and David, regardless of circumstances, put their hope in God. Both understood that they were insignificant in comparison to God, but that they were not insignificant to God. That is hope built on solid ground. An individual’s daily struggles may be small in comparison to the big picture, but the God who continues to draw the big picture knows that every person has their right place in the picture, and because of that, they are significant to God.

    The social and cultural events that occur around Christmas (company parties, family get togethers, even church activities) can often exhaust and overwhelm us. Many of these activities can feel more like obligations, rather than times of joy and warm-heartedness. The times around Christmas can find feeling like both the Psalmist (exhausted/depressed) and David (joy-filled and thanks-filled). Sometimes the in moods can catch us by surprise, and we might even feel guilty for our feelings. As long as our hope rests on/in God, we are free to feel. We are free in Christ.

    1) How can you strengthen other people’s hope in ? How will you?

    2) The best “tool” we have to feel hope is the Holy . How can you “use” the Holy Spirit to strengthen your hope?

    3/KD) Christmas is a time to and receive gifts. Not everyone gets presents. How can you show and that the best gift is Jesus?

    “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the of the Holy Spirit.”
    Romans 15:13

  • The Family Story

    The Family Story

    Psalm 25:1-10, Nehemiah 9:26-31, Luke 21:20-24

    “All the Lord’s ways show and truth to those who keep his covenant and decrees.” (Psalm 25:10)

    “But they were disobedient and rebelled against you. They flung your law behind their backs and killed your prophets who warned them.” (Nehemiah 9:26)

    “…Jerusalem will be trampled by the until the times of the Gentiles are .” (Luke 21:24)

    It not a new thing that people praise God and then turn their backs on God later.
    Nehemiah recalls that people were inconsistent, following a Godly-ish , then falling away, falling to and oppression, then being restored. Could Nehemiah be wondering if the Israelites—finally returning home from Babylonian captivity—will last in their , or if they will fall away…again. Throughout the bible there is an optimism that God is gracious and compassionate, and as bad as things get, God is still there.

    God also never intended the story to be just about the Israelites. Through , the whole world (the Gentiles) has the opportunity to be part of God’s family and part of God’s redemptive story. So much of the story of God is about God seeking to restore right relationship between him and his people, including us today.

    1) Christmas is culturally a family time of celebration. Who are some people who don’t have family around, that you could invite to be part of your family this Christmas season? Or, do you need a family, just for a short time this season? Do we need framily?

    2) God’s story is and family. Is there a family relationship that needs to be restored? Is there a friendship than needs restoration?

    3/KD) We are called to be like Christ. How can we show others, especially during Advent, what a redeemed life and a life with family (or framily) looks like?

  • Learn and Apply

    Learn and Apply

    Psalm 25:1-10, Nehemiah 9:16-25, 1 Thessalonians 5:12-22

    “Make your ways known to me, Lord; teach me your paths.” (Psalm 25:4)

    “You sent your good Spirit to instruct them…” (Nehemiah 9:20)

    “…test all things. Hold on to what is good. Stay away from evil.” (1 Thessalonians 5:21-22)

    Psalm 25 is viewed by many scholars as a solid instruction in the covenant . Many also view this as by King David toward the end of his life. If we take these two views , we can see a man who, though very flawed, pursued God and did his best to understand God, and who continued to seek guidance to know God’s plan and fulfill it faithfully.

    Nehemiah reflects on the Israelite exodus from Egypt as part of his upon the return of the remnants of Israel from exile. Nehemiah acknowledges that God never stopped trying to guide the Israelites from their bad habits taken from Egypt. Those that he leads after their exile have brought habits from Babylon that are not of God.

    Paul writes to the Thessalonians, people who were deeply embedded in a culture that did not know God. He calls on them to bear the struggles they are currently going through and to not abandon the faith. Indeed, he calls on them to live it even more deeply, using the faith to filter the world around them and their lives.

    Advent counts down until God comes down. Advent is not just about a child in a manger; it is also about God coming back at the end of the story. Christmas is about the never-ending that changes lives, given to us by someone who came and lived just like us.

    When the culture around us counts down the days until Christmas, the culture is really counting down until the time when material things triumph. It is so easy to succumb to the pressures of fitting in. It is so easy to follow the habits and traditions of our culture, which drowns out the and of God with stuff, or shares light-hearted stories without the God of the Universe whose shines through. Often our biggest challenge during Christmas and Advent is for us to keep Christ in Christmas.

    1) What family traditions do you have in this season?

    2) How do you use those family traditions to bring God in?

    KD) What is your favorite family Christmas ? How do you see God in it?