Devotion.al

Tag: loss

  • Potential

    Deuteronomy 10:12, Deuteronomy 6:4–9, Deuteronomy 30:11–16 (read online ⧉)

    Tomorrow is not just another day. It could be, but why let it be? Why let the last year define you?

    Why allow the trials and tribulations to weigh you down? As we look at the coming year, there is plenty that could be feared. There are rumors of wars and threats of civil war. There are diseases. There is mindless killing. There are bad chemicals in many things we eat and drink and the air we breathe.

    For those who look back and think how great the year was, who is to say the year ahead will be so good? What would make the coming year as good or better than the year just passed?

    No matter what, something has (or many somethings have) shaped the us that we “see” today. Good and bad us. Good and bad can also define us. Should they?

    Oddly enough, the good in our past can be as harmful to our as the bad. If something is held onto too tightly, it can cripple our future. An entrepreneur obsessed with the of a past venture can often be as hobbled as the entrepreneur obsessed with the latest failure.

    This is not to say forget. It is more a matter of letting the past define your future. Look at the New Year as the next better step. The New Year has untapped potential and optimism. The New Year also has untapped potential pitfalls and sorrows.

    The Israelites about to enter the Promised Land had the same potentials ahead of them.

    1) As you enter the New Year, are you looking for the Promised Land or the Land of Giants (see Numbers 13:31–14:2 ⧉)? After reading the above passages in Deuteronomy, what do you have?

    2) How do you think valleys (failures, , , etc.) and mountains (success, happiness, etc.) could trap a person in the past? Have you ever had that experience?

    3) What is a spiritual growth resolution you could make for the New Year, even a small one?

  • Drift Away

    Isaiah 49:8–13, John 4:3–14, Hebrews 2:1–4

    Has the so-called Christmas euphoria finally died down for you? If this was more of a “blue” (i.e., one of mourning, loss, or depression), are you relieved that you don’t feel the pressure of “keeping up” appearances?

    Christmas, as with many other occasions (weddings, baptisms, birthdays, funerals, etc.), always comes with a mixture of emotions. No single emotion could ever completely cover our experiences for Christmas. This is not to deny that it is God’s that is the overarching ultimate emotion, but that we human beings experience more than just love.

    The conveyed in Isaiah is that God’s coming and salvation is so much more than just the immediate. This is why accepting and embracing (not necessarily enjoying) all the emotions that come with this time of year is important. For without all the emotions—especially the negative ones—the and magnificence of God’s grace misses much of the transformative power.

    Isaiah’s words do lead to some , though. How are pastures possible on barren heights? How do people not starve or thirst under scorching sun? As in the case with much of the , it can be easy to over-spiritualize the Scriptures, especially when we don’t understand them. Yet, when taken in the context with salvation and covenant, the spiritual aspects seem to be the focus, rather than our needs.

    It is not a great stretch, especially when we take into account Jesus’ words to the woman at the Well of Jacob. In fact, it is Jesus’ words that guide us to equate not being hungry and not thirsting to the spiritual of the Living Water. Never thirsting? At the well that gave water for generations of Israelites the physical has been and is being , only the spiritual remains. We all understand that the immediate, “earthly”, “worldly”, “physical” impact us significantly. It is the spiritual that outlasts, but we often overlook or neglect it.

    The writer of Hebrews wants to make sure that people do forget or “drift away”. The imagery is that of things that were originally floating next to (or with) each other, but just sort of drifted away. In other words, the author of Hebrews is here more concerned about the incidental, accidental, careless, negligent and other “not deliberate” actions away from the faith and the Christian life.

    Regardless of our emotional state or the emotional states of those around us, we are not to allow ourselves to drift away from the life- nature and our understanding of God, no matter how far the world and our emotions want to pull us away from God.

    1) What recently has “encouraged” you to drift away from God?

    2) What are areas that regularly lead you to drift away?

    3) Life can throw a lot of things at you, and many of them unpleasant (at best). How do you keep yourself focused on God, on not on other things?

  • Hearts of Innocence

    Jeremiah 31:15–20, Matthew 2:13–23, Hebrews 2:11–18 (read online ⧉)

    In the Evangelical , and even in the so-called mainstream American Denominations, the day of Holy Innocents is often skipped over. It’s uncomfortable. It’s weird. To our sensibilities, it just makes no sense. Like so many of the stories in the , we have a hard time wrapping our heads around it.

    When spoken in Jeremiah, it is the of the people of Israel to exile and the loss of the Promised Land. In times of war and exile, children were often the first victims, just as it in many cases today. Lamenting wasn’t just sorrow. It was God-led , a ripping of the fabric of those that God had called. It was tinged with horror at what was lost, and how far away God seemed to be.

    As with many other Old Testament passages, this was called up by ‘ followers as a foreshadowing of Herod’s great crime…sacrificing the (children) for the sake of his and pride. While Herod’s Jewish ancestors were condemned for killing their children to appease demonic gods, Herod went so far as to kill God’s children to prevent anyone, including God’s Messiah, from taking “his” power.
    As an innocent baby, God became one of us. God dared, and the world dared bigger.

    With every political cycle, there is a cynical pulling of our heartstrings for the future (the children). Whether the issue is abortion, adoption, food, education, healthcare, politicians use our hearts to pull our votes. This is not to deny the importance of the issues. In fact, it is quite the opposite. By making political hay using children, the politicians belittle our hearts, our future, and our children.

    The sad part is that our culture has place children in this odd place. While we may not be Herod, children and the satisfaction of political, cultural, and personal power remains an issue. If one analyzes the political, cultural, and religious language often used, one can (not God) language used with and for children (through no fault or initiative of their own). Children are therefore set up to fail as they are not gods. Children, to this day, are used for power and pride. They are still Holy Innocents.

    1) We often compare our childhood to the “current” childhood. How does that cause us to miss bad (i.e., “god”) language spoken of us when we were children? Why is it both bad and good to compare language used about children?

    2) Why do you think children up in discussions of power?

    3) Holy Innocents is a recognition that children often have no say, yet bear the consequences. How should that affect conversation about the Next Generation?

  • The Rot of Forgot

    2 Chronicles 30:13-27, Nehemiah 8:7-12, Jeremiah 15:16

    The world is supposedly becoming Post-. The thought behind the term is that the “Christian Era” was when Christianity was dominant throughout the world as if Emperor Constantine’s edict of Christianity as the official of the Roman Empire made Christianity instantly accessible, understandable, and pervasive.

    The sad part is there is a superficial to that. What did happen is that Western Europe and then by extension North America became the dominant influencers for generations. The ignorantly (or stupidly) allowed governments to drape themselves in religious imagery and language. The rot finally came to a culmination point, and the church and the governments are dividing. Many in the church (and many politicians who derived from the people in the church) are decrying the loss. Yet, acknowledging the rot we collectively allowed to set in will be a good step moving .

    The real rot is ignorance. The church itself has allowed ignorance of its own beliefs to set it. It would avoid the questions the world asked, then stick its head into the sand, as if that would somehow fix everything.

    In 2 Chronicles, the people were ignorant of how to celebrate Passover. Think of it as forgetting how to celebrate Christmas, , Easter, and Pentecost all at once. They were afflicted as a result of their ignorance, but in the , grace poured out and true was expressed.

    We are at the point that the Jews were at in the passages we read today. The passage in Nehemiah displays the ignorance of the Jews regarding their own history and religious practices. The disconnect between what they knew and the Truth caused many to mourn. Despite their ignorance, they were there in body, heart, soul, and mind. That is what mattered. Joy poured out of them!

    Jeremiah’s words apply not just to the passages that we read in the Old Testament, they apply to us today! Ignorance is not a good excuse! God can and will use anyone who responds. Sometimes, though, we have to learn where we went wrong. Then we can see where God moved us and proclaimed us his children of the inheritance. Then joy will pour out of us, too.

    1) Why are people ignorant of the underpinnings of the Christian faith? What is one thing you can do (while speaking the Truth in love) to help that?

    2) Why might an understanding of God’s grace lead to true joy?

    3) If grace leads to true joy, what can you do to extend grace to to demonstrate God’s grace?

  • 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 “” for the other shoe to drop. It is in this mindset that anxiety can step in and take over us.

    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 . 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, Joy to the World, we sing:
       No more let sins and sorrows ,
         Nor thorns infest the ground;
    He comes to make his blessings 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 vision 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 . If all were truly based on a scroll, then hope would be pointless. True hope relies not on the scroll, but on Jesus. 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 move forward under all that emotional weight?

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

  • Tuesday after the First Sunday of Advent

    Lamentations 3:16–18, Zechariah 8:18–23, Nahum 1:15 (read online ⧉)

    In the United States, is often perceived as having plenty. Peace, as many of the saints who walked before us learned, is not found in the plenty. It is found in the lacking. This does not mean that lacking, in and of itself, is a spiritual . Not seeking more often is a spiritual discipline, however. In a country filled with plenty, there is far more than we seem to be able to acknowledge. Yes, there are those that have less than you…sometimes incredibly less than you. As many of us grew up hearing, “if you don’t eat this food, we’ll send it to…” This is an oversimplification, and (really) somewhat offensive. However, there are countries that will take the clothing that our charities (such as Goodwill and St. Vincent De Paul) won’t take because it is far better than what they have.

    This perspective becomes important when we do lose nice things when we realize that the prosperity we had is gone. The writer of Lamentations ties in this with peace. The writer also ties in their and to this loss. The peace they lost, however, had more to do with the loss of a , rather than food, clothing, wealth, or freedom.

    Often (again, as the saints that went before us learned), the first lacking that is the most useful is food. In Zechariah, we read that the fasts will become a time of , again. They had become an onerous task that served no value. Yet, here the place of fasting as a time of connection with God, and setting aside comfort for God’s will is restored. Imagine having people come to you because of the success of your fasting! It would not be because of your better figure (having lost weight), but it would be because of the peace you found when setting aside one of your most basic needs.

    This like all things becomes what it was intended to be when living in the presence of God. At the feet of peace’s herald, at the feet of God, celebration and joy. The ultimate enemy of peace——is destroyed.

    1) Why do you think lacking helps us get closer to God?

    2) During the Christmas season, there are plenty of parties and food. Think of that in of our passages and reading. Where does that lead you?

    3) We are often attracted to the success of , and thus try to emulate their practices and disciplines. How can that be helpful? How can that be hurtful? How could it affect your relationship with God?

  • Thankful Reset

    Psalm 147, Deuteronomy 26:1–11 (read online ⧉)

    There are plenty of tales around Thanksgiving. While historians try to break out the supposed truth of what “really” happened, people are still adding pieces of their own making to the legend and story that surround the “first” Thanksgiving. There will be people that will try to paint the Puritans (and other colonists) with a wide disparaging brush (not without some justification). There will be people that will paint the First Nations Peoples with an overly generous brush. Regardless, there were human people involved that, for whatever their reasons, gathered to gather to thanks.

    When Lincoln called for a national observation of Thanksgiving, it was during the Civil War. Some viewed it as a calculated political , and it probably was. However, there was also the beginning of exhaustion with the whole thing. This was around the time when the Union realized that the war was not going to be quick. In the midst of such turmoil, a time of thanksgiving helped the people to , even temporarily a horrible situation. Also, this is a way of resetting the mind and to look at a picture bigger than oneself.

    Thanksgiving in praise helps to lighten our hearts, especially when we carry the heavy burdens of , trial, finances, and so forth. How it works is somewhat of a , yet science is confirming that and help to rewire our brains. These re-wired brains are more resilient to trials and tribulations. In other words, we are able to withstand the emotional turmoil of trouble when thankfulness and gratitude are foundational elements of our regular practices.

    Take Psalm 147, for example. Say it out loud. Does something happen inside? If yes, great! If no, then it’s time to meditate on this Psalm. Recognize who God is and what God has done. These should not be empty words. If they are empty words for you, then you will likely struggle deeply with developing gratitude and thanksgiving.

    Moses’ direction to the Israelites prior to the entry into the Promised Land was to set a tone. They hadn’t yet worked for the fruit of the land. They were not to make assumptions. They were not to be arrogant. With the land promised to be fruitful, they were to be thankful that it was. Their hearts were to be full of gratitude toward God for it. If we follow along with the story of the Israelites, their focus on themselves and their own ways quickly lead them away from God.

    1) Why might ingratitude lead a person away from God?

    2) Why do you think gratitude changes your and improve your resilience?

    3) Do you think it is important that we have a national observance of thanksgiving? Why?

  • Unpolishing the Church

    Haggai 2:1–9, Matthew 16:13–20

    There is a lot of hand-wringing about the demise of the . To put things in , it is often better to read the Old Testament than the New. Yet people often skip all the prophets because it appears so dark and heart-wrenching. It is.

    God’s sadness, anger, jealousy, loss are all there in those pages. The hearts of the prophets are there, too. God and prophets yearning for the people to fully to God.

    As the church looks around and sees its influence diminishing, and churches closing, and people leaving the church, and then the , it would seem that all is lost. The shininess is all gone, now.

    The was once big and shiny. It had lots of beautiful things. It had lots of worshippers and visitors. It had lots of priests. It didn’t last long. The church, on the other hand, has had a long run of it. Perhaps, just perhaps, it’s time for us to dispense with the shiny.

    Haggai’s message was that a shiny temple didn’t mean that God wasn’t present. In fact, God’s has nothing to do with the shiny temple.

    ‘ disciples didn’t have a shiny place. While they were tolerated, they were allowed to at the temple, but eventually (over time) that became dangerous. They couldn’t gather at they synagogues, either. They could only gather in private homes. The gatherings were about Jesus, not the place, just as the Jewish gatherings should have been about God, not the place.

    1)When you think about the “state” of the “church”, what do you feel?

    2) When comment or make a declaration about the “bad” state of the church, how do you ?

    3) Do you think your responses are based more on you, or on God?