Devotion.al

Tag: living

  • Peace and Holiness

    Peace and Holiness

    Ezekiel 37:24-28, Romans 12:9-18, Hebrews 12:7-15

    “I will make a of with them…”
    Ezekiel 37:26

    “Live in harmony with one another…”
    Romans 12:16

    “If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peach with everyone.”
    Romans 12:18

    “Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness—without it no one will see the Lord.”
    Hebrews 12:14

    When God speaks to Ezekiel, the consequences of a outside of and away from God are showing up to the Israelites, and it is not a pretty picture. Something to understand throughout Ezekiel is that while the consequences of not living life with God is bad, God promises hope. Especially a hope which cannot be earned. God makes the new covenant of peace.

    We, too, have a covenant with peace to live out. It is the covenant of peace with others. In Romans 12, is talking specifically about the peace between members of the framily. However, this peace is supposed to also spill out into our outside of the framily.

    The author of Hebrews, however, makes what can be chilling ties to peace with others: holiness and divine life. Mercifully, the author of Hebrews uses the “pursue.” Other translations have it as “strive for” or “chase after.” As we read yesterday, peace requires effort.

    Peace and holiness are tied together by the author of the Hebrews. This is not unreasonable, as the ultimate peace is given by God who is . The importance of living at peace with one another—especially, but not exclusively, in the church framily—cannot be overstated. If the Children of God are not at peace with one another, what kind of peace can they share with others?

    1) What does it mean to you that “no one will see the Lord” when it comes to being at peace with one another and holiness?

    2) Is being at peace with one another important to you? Why or why not?

    KD) We all struggle with being at peace with one another. Are you pursuing peace with others? What are you willing to give up to have peace?

  • Light Walking

    Light Walking

    Psalm 4, Isaiah 26:1-13, Matthew 5:13-16

    “Many are asking, ‘Who can show us anything good?’ Let the light of your face shine on us LORD.”
    Psalm 4:6

    “I long for you in the night; yes, my within me diligently seeks you…”
    Isaiah 26:9

    Yesterday, we read about being the light of Christ. In the context of yesterday’s reading, it is the light of Christ that shines onto and into a world of . Today is Monday. People went to work or school or out into the public. Did you? Did you that you are a bearer of Christ’s light of peace? Or were you the person that hid the light underneath the basket.

    Have you ever walked around with a lit candle (or candles, if we’re talking birthday cakes)? Think about walking and the flame. If you walk too , the candle goes out. If you put your hand in front of the candle, the light going ahead of you is blocked. Lastly, if you stare at the candle while walking to watch and make sure the candle doesn’t go out, your eyes begin to hurt, and you can temporarily blind yourself.

    Too fast? In this day and age, it is far too easy to go too fast. Too fast driving, too fast , and, most importantly, too fast to have deep .

    Hand in front? If you prevent the light from guiding and informing your path, you will up someplace other than Jesus wants you.

    Staring at the candle? Too focused on doing “all the right things” (the light is good) causes one to focus not so much on something bad. It also blinds us to what is around us and the need to do something about it. What’s the point of bringing the light without sharing the peace?

    1) We each have one of those areas where we are focused on doing stuff and forget people. Where are you being too fast in your life?

    2) We all struggle with weakness and , and so try to protect the light of Christ we have. Yet, if we spend all our efforts protecting it, it does not serve its purpose. How are you trying to control things that is keeping God from working through you?

    3) Focusing on the flame? Being like Jesus, is not staring at the light that he gives, but doing what he did. You are not Jesus, however, you’re going to make a mistake. You’re going to make a mess. Focus on carrying the light into the mess of your life and the lives of . Where do you need to spread the light, rather than focusing on your understanding of the light?

  • Quenching Our Light

    Quenching Our Light

    Isaiah 9:6-7, John 8:12-19, Philippians 4:4-9

    We are sheltered from the dark. For the most of us, light is but a moment away, whether it is the dining room light or a flashlight. If you’ve ever spent a night out in the wilderness with a new moon (i.e., completely shaded by the Earth, and not off light), you experienced a wild darkness. In darkness, even in the “safe” darkness of our homes, our hearing becomes more sensitive, and we have a tendency to jump at noises that we don’t even notice in the day.

    “It is better to light the candle than to the darkness,” said William L. Watkinson in his sermon, “The Invincible Strategy.” The doesn’t turn a blind eye to the darkness that covers the world. Instead, the Christian chooses to bear the light of Christ into the world. In a dark room, a candle can shed enough light to make us feel more comfortable. When confronted by darkness, light brings us peace.

    In a similar way, Jesus Christ, the of God, brought light into the world, and our lives. The light of Christ, if we allow it, burns away the darkness inside of us that often seems to overtake us. When the light of Christ pushes away the dark, we can rest in the warmth of Christ and find peace. How this works is a spiritual . That it works is testified to by generations of Christ followers.

    Yet, we often are the worst quenchers of Christ’s light in ourselves and . Whether it’s through envy, greed, (physical/emotional/spiritual), accident, or error, many things can quench the light of Christ in others. We can quench our own light by putting too much emphasis on the ways (and errors) of the world and others, and continually looking left, right, backwards, forwards, instead of looking up to Christ.

    1) How is our in the dark at home, similar to the struggles we have a Christian ?

    2) We often compare ourselves to others, or hold ourselves to a very high standard, when carrying the light of Christ. How is that good? How is that bad? What is the dividing point between good and bad?

    3/KD) Being the light can be quite simple, but we often make it hard for ourselves, and for others. What is something simple that you will do today to be the light of Christ for someone else? What will you do tomorrow?

  • Where Peace Resides

    Where Peace Resides

    Psalm 94, 2 Kings 11:6-23, 1 Peter 5:6-10

    “When I am filled with cares, your brings me .”
    Psalm 94:19

    “Don’t be afraid, for those who are with us outnumber those who are with them.”
    2 Kings 6:16

    “…casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you.”
    1 Peter 5:7

    While when we discuss or think of , we often look to the outside. Really, true peace starts on the inside, specifically the inside that is being transformed by the and of Christ. Often when we do not feel at peace, it is because we are allowing something to shake us up. I know I find that hard to accept that I am allowing something to upset me. It may be hard for you to accept, too. However, when we look at the peace promised by Jesus Christ, versus the worries we try to bear on our own, it seems that we often don’t chose Christ’s peace.

    True peace begins with a surrendered will. Not a surrendered will to politicians or power, but to Jesus. The King Sennacheribs of the world (see yesterday’s reading) what is already ours, or act as if it is generous to let us live, and that it is their continued generosity for us to continue living. Jesus takes our surrendered , gives us a greater one on this earth then gives us an one.

    1) Why do you think we have to our will to have peace?

    2) Does surrendering our will mean that we are no longer ourselves? Are we no longer an individual?

    3) How does being surrendered to Christ and still be yourself work? How does it conflict?

    KD) Put your hands up! Give it up! How is that feeling different than it should be when we surrender to Jesus?