Devotion.al

Tag: Joy

  • Planned Disruption

    Planned Disruption

    1 Samuel 16:1–5; Luke 14:28–33; James 4:13–17 (read online ⧉)

    But mouse-friend, you are not alone
    in proving may be vain:
    the best-laid schemes of Mice and Men
    go oft awry,
    and leave us only grief and ,
    for promised !

    Still, friend, you’re blessed compared with me!
    Only present dangers make you flee:
    But, ouch!, behind me I can see
    grim prospects drear!
    While forward-looking seers, we
    humans guess and fear!

    From “To a Mouse”, by Robert Burns
    modern English translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch

    The current situation with COVID-19 should put to rest how fleeting our plans really are. However, while everything is in an uproar and rather chaotic, we are still coming up with plans. What becomes emblematic of behavior is that we know we are making plans for a target that doesn’t yet exist.

    These are strange times indeed.

    Samuel had a plan. In fact, at one point it seemed a pretty solid plan, since it appeared to be God’s plan. The Israelites decided they wanted a king, “just like the countries around them”. So, while Samuel was upset (along with God), it was done. This king, Saul, seemed to be destined for great things. He was physically imposing. He was successful militarily. He even had a starting bought of prophesying.

    While we cannot say that Samuel loved Saul, there does seem to be some sort of strong emotion that Samuel had for Saul. We see this in God’s words to Samuel, “How long are you going to mourn for Saul?” Samuel knew that Saul wasn’t dedicated to God, yet Samuel still mourned the fact that Saul would lose his kingship and was not blessed by God.

    The plans for the King of Israel changed. Now, a new path would be before Samuel. In obedience, he followed it to a boy named David. While it might have not been as abrupt as all that has come with COVID-19, for a culture such as this “just” changing the king was a big deal. This is clear when Samuel brings his worry of being killed before God. It shouldn’t be ignored that God gave Samuel a way around a reprisal coming from the king or his minions.

    Plans are worthwhile. It’s not as if they should not be made. Jesus even used the example of construction and war plans to lay out to wannabe disciples that they need to plan for the costs of following him. Jesus makes it clear that if we follow him, we can expect a lot of worldly things to be prioritized at a much lower ranking than the Kingdom of Heaven.

    Often we count the cost…and we lie to ourselves. “God doesn’t really want…” “I can grow by just…” “My life is too busy to…” “That’s the way we’ve always done it.” We count the cost, and determine that following Jesus isn’t really worth the price.

    Sometimes, and especially in times of turmoil, our plans need to be laid at the feet of God, and not at our comfort. When James talks about people making plans (in particular speculative plans about enterprising and wealth-building), he’s warning each an everyone of us that all of our plans are worthless if they do not begin with God.

    What should especially concern us is when we hold so tightly to our plans, that we do not to God’s prompting to the plan.

    ※ ※

    Father God, you know the plans you have for us. May we be ready to respond. Jesus, help us to follow your example of obedience and submission even unto death. Spirit, guide our hearts into all , hope, and love. Amen.

    ※ Questions ※

    1) What are your current plans (personal, professional, , religious)? How does God fit into those plans (even the religious ones)?
    2) How will you know if God wants you to continue your plans, or change them?
    3) How often do you still count the cost of following Jesus, whether it’s your family, your profession, your stuff, your time, or something else?

  • At His Word

    At His Word

    Psalm 19; Proverbs 1:1–8; Romans 15:4–13 (read online ⧉)

    When you read the , are you reading words or are you reading the ?

    If you have been a for any length of time you know what the “right” answer is. That doesn’t mean that for you it is the true answer. Many people read the Bible because it is the “right” thing to do, or they’ve developed habits (which is good, too).

    The saddest situation is those that read the Bible but have lost the and wonder with reading. If you’ve never had any joy or wonder, then the opening question applies. If you’ve lost the joy and wonder…it might be time to pause and reflect.

    There are a lot of ways and methods and suggestions on how to read the Scriptures. It’s not that they don’t matter, they aren’t the first step. You need to know your reason for reading the Scriptures. One could say that the most you get out of it will be based on what you put into it. Yet, that really doesn’t fit with the Scriptures, at least not as a whole. What you might get out of Deuteronomy will likely be different then you get out of the Psalms which will be different than Proverbs.

    The closest description one can probably use regarding all of the Scriptures (other than “the Word of God”) is a love letter. Yes, it is a very long love letter. It also is filled with many hard things. We look around us, and the world is much the same. It is filled with beauty and love. It is filled with .

    There are a few absolutes in the Scriptures about the Scriptures. The psalmist writes about the instructions. Solomon writes about God’s . Paul talks about how the past speaks to the now and the .

    , somehow you are the Word of God and so are the Scriptures we have been given. Thank you for this mystery, for it shows us time and time again the unfathomableness of God. Holy Spirit, guide as we read the Word. Help us to see the Father’s love to us. Amen

    Questions

    1) What is your favorite book of the Bible (if it is a Psalm, which one)? Why? How does it tell you about God, and about you?

    2) How would you describe the Scriptures to another believer? How would describe them to a non-believer?

    3) If you were stuck on an island (or in your house), would the bible be enough for you? Would it be sufficient?

  • HE IS RISEN!

    Psalm 118:1–24; John 20:1–23; Colossians 3:1–12 (read online ⧉)

    What a day!

    Most of us have lost a one. It is hard. Sometimes we have been present when they died, sometimes we weren’t. How deep the ache depends on the . Even with people we barely knew or lost touch with, there is still a feeling of loss when they die.

    All of them were still in shock. The women had a (culturally assigned) task to do, and that was perfume ‘ body so that his body wouldn’t smell as bad as it decomposed (yes, it is that basic and gruesome). They had a task which, as hard as it was, provided something to do and help process their loss. The male disciples didn’t have that. They got to sit and stare at each other, with each one probably more at a loss than the others.

    And then their whole world got turned upside down…again!

    HE IS NOT HERE!

    HE IS RISEN!

    Shock. Joy. Shock. Disbelief.

    And then…now what? What does this mean?

    We often skip verses 19–23 on Easter. However, note the timing of the commissioning of the disciples. It’s still the Day of . Still. The day is not yet over. Doing something is not in the future. It is now.

    Peace, sent, receive, forgive. Not quite the order that we think of when it comes to the disciples being commissioned, and perhaps the order isn’t quite as important as when they were commissioned. Everything thing has just been turned upside down…go and do likewise!

    This immediacy even translates later when writes to the Colossians. He calls on them to forego their ways of old, because they are saved (and with Christ) now. It’s not that we wait to be saved, or wait to go tell others, when we have it down, when we’re perfect. There is no step beyond our salvation at which point we are free or commissioned to about Jesus. At the point of our salvation, no later, are we to start talking about Jesus.

    No matter how you feel about yourself, whether you are of Christ (you aren’t), or whether he loves you fully (he does), go and talk about Jesus.

    1) Why do you think Jesus commissioned the disciples so soon after his resurrection? In today’s world we often provide “space” to “process”. Jesus didn’t do that. What does that tell us?

    2) Paul tells the Colossians that they are being renewed in knowledge according to the image of God they already have. Why is that an important concept and awareness for us?

    3) Jesus was killed by Jew and Gentile. Jesus came to both Jew and Gentile. If there really is a both/and, why did the divide then, and why does it divide now?

  • Redemption in the Darkness

    Psalm 107:1–16; Isaiah 60:15-22; John 8:12-20 (read online ⧉)

    Psalm 107:2–3
    Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
    those he redeemed from trouble
    and gathered in from the lands,
    from the east and from the west,
    from the north and from the south.

    Isaiah’s stirring for Jerusalem is that not only of restoration but also claiming a prominent and dominant role in the world. The nations that dominated Jerusalem would then nourish and protect it. This revitalized and restored Jerusalem would have the lost and exiled returning. A city full of woe and misery would become full of and .

    Isaiah’s vision continued where the basics, bronze, and iron, would be replaced by gold and silver. This is not just a sign of wealth, but where what was once the sign of wealth would be commonplace. In the midst of all of this is God. This new vision of Jerusalem has God at the center, and not just as the center of , but the center of all life, replacing the sun and the moon. The ebb and flow of life would be fully guided by God. The ultimate crown of , children, would be so numerous that even the smallest family group would become a clan. This is hope to a people lost. This is hope to a people who feel that they have nothing left.”I am the of the world,” said.Often we can find ourselves stuck in . The of darkness is being able to see the smallest light. The spark of , in the darkness, can feel as if the sun is there.

    1) Have you ever experienced an inescapable (real/physical) darkness? What happened when you saw a light?

    2) How does Christ fit into your idea and/or experience of darkness?

  • Salvation Praise

    Psalm 107:1–3, 17–22; Genesis 9:8–17; Ephesians 1:3–6 (read online ⧉)

    Destined to be a child of God. This is such a comforting phrase. As in all comfortable things, there is a danger. This comforting phrase is often, and understandably, taken as being directed toward individuals. Yet, if we use both Old Testament and New Testament phrasing, it is better (and more safely) understood as a corporate destiny.

    As part of Noah’s covenant, we are corporately covered insofar as God will never flood the entirety of the earth again. Just as the 12 Tribes of Israel were the of God, corporately, so too is the . How an behaved and responded toward God was, and remains, separate from the corporate selection.

    We are all part of the corporate destiny, and we have our place in it (accepting the gift of and salvation). To be clear, accepting the gift does not mean that the act required (Christ’s on the cross) for salvation was anything but God’s.

    There is a tension here. Salvation is also quite personal and individual. Salvation is best expressed and the saved life best lived within the of believers. There is a balance, and we don’t want to be overly weighted to individual or corporate salvation.

    We testify and give thanks through our and praise of God. As part of both our corporate and personal activity (our “liturgy”) is to praise “… his glorious that he freely on us….”

    The psalmist declared…

    1O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
     for his steadfast  endures forever.
2Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
     those he redeemed from trouble
21Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
     for his wonderful works to humankind.
22And let them offer thanksgiving sacrifices,
     and tell of his deeds with songs of joy

    1) When thinking of your salvation do you tend to think of yourself as an individual?

    2) Have you ever thought of your salvation as being part of the Body of Christ (the Church)?

    3) Why do you think there is a difference? What difference does it make to you?

  • 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 .” 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 name endures to all generations…”. We also know that God still has a heart 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 ‘ since the time of Paul. How is the similar to the faith of Abraham?

  • Fatalism Antivenom

    Job 5:8-27, 1 Peter 3:8–18a, Psalm 77 (read online ⧉)

    When we talk about the underlying of Lent (see yesterday’s devotion), we must have an understanding that this underlying joy fully rests on God, and who God is. This foundation of joy is not shaken or disturbed by the world and all its troubles, because (and only because) it is built on God.

    In our passage from Job, Eliphaz is still lecturing Job. Job 5:8 is a legal appeal. Eliphaz is telling Job that all Job has to do is make an appeal to God. If Job is as innocent as he claims, then God will spare Job. Eliphaz continues to , and it seems that his words are accurate, that is until we get to verse 19 (and on through 27). Eliphaz sums up his legal argument from verse 8. God will keep Job from everything bad, if Job is indeed innocent, and continues to appease God. This is essential to understand. Eliphaz had fallen victim to the culture around him regarding God. Eliphaz’s understanding was that God was transactional in nature. You God what he wants, you’ll get good (not necessarily what you want, but still good). The conclusion that Eliphaz made was that Job didn’t fulfill his of the transaction.

    This the perspective that many people have of God, including many Christians. This view, however, does not have the joyful foundation that is essential to a . This view is fatalistic. In other words, the world is full of bad, and there is nothing we can do about it.

    Peter has a significantly different view. Peter, having spent time with Jesus, and life being transformed by Jesus through the , know we can do something about it.

    Peter gives us direction on how to be life to fellow believers, and even to those who do not believe. Peter knows that bad will happen. Yet, he encourages his readers (and us) to rely on Jesus Christ. This reliance is the of the joyful life that does not laugh in the face of danger, or dance in the midst of trial, but understands that God is there beside us in and through it all.

    1) How have you been fatalistic (i.e., “there’s nothing I can do”) in your lift?

    2) How are Peter’s words an antidote to fatalism?

  • The Tension of Pain and Joy

    Job 4:1-21, Psalm 77, Ephesians 2:1-10 (read online ⧉)

    Job’s friend, Eliphaz, was one of 4 friends that came to visit Job in his time of trouble. While, ultimately, they misspoke of God, at other times they spoke of God and Job. Eliphaz told Job that he was a teacher of God and a believer. Wouldn’t we all want people to say these things of us? Yet, then he lectures Job about Job lamenting his situation. This exact pattern is something we have all experienced, and probably even followed.

    There has been a tendency to lecture people who are in emotional, spiritual, and/or pain that they need to be more joyful, more , more faithful. When we look at all the woeful, lamenting words of Job, including even his questioning of God (and where God was in all of his troubles), Job did not . It is not to say that Job never sinned, but in the words that we have from him, he did not sin. There is something important here. It is okay to mourn, , lament.
    Part of is the aura of mourning, grieving, and lamenting. The overarching theme of Lent is that we know what is coming, Good Friday. The reason for Good Friday is worth mourning, grieving, and lamenting. The reason is sin. Sin was so deep and so pervasive only God breaking in could fix it. On the cross, the Son of God died.

    Under it all, it wasn’t that Job stopped trusting God, it was that he was hurting. Despite the anguish of Lent, underlying it there still remains truth and joy.

    “…God, who is rich in , out of the great with which he us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ…”

    We must disregard the mourning, grieving, and lamenting of Lent, for when we do, we undermine the truth of Good Friday.

    1) Do you find it difficult to be joyful while grieving, mourning, or while in pain?

    2) At what point, do you think, our lamenting (grieving, mourning or pain) turns into something that dishonors God?