Devotion.al

Tag: strength

  • Just the Right Size

    Just the Right Size

    Psalm 77; Proverbs 30:1–9; Matthew 4:1–11

    In Through the Looking Glass, Alice comes to a mushroom. Eating from one part of the mushroom causes her to turn into a giant. Eating from a different part she turns smaller than normal. She finally ate from the “right” part and returned to her normal size. Often our image of ourselves is too big or too small, and far too rarely (or for long enough) just right.

    The proper of God and man is critical to our walk. The improper perspective of God and man all too often leads to misunderstandings and walking (or running) from a saving relationship with God.

    The rhetorical questions asked in Psalm 77:7–9 are often asked by people in trouble. They may not put “God” in the equation, but the question remains the same. God does not reject forever. God does not forget to be gracious. God’s faithful love never ends.

    Sometimes we ask these questions because we have lost perspective of ourselves in comparison to God. In such cases, we have also lost perspective of ourselves in comparison to the world. This does not mean that we are not allowed to have feelings. It is just that we must keep them in perspective.

    Then there is the other version of out of perspective. Agur calls himself the most stupid (or ) person in the world. Agur then also belittled himself. This view of being so little is just as bad as being too big.

    There is a balance, though we all vacillate from one extreme to another. It is part of our emotional condition. We just need to aim for the center (the balance), but accept that we will not maintain it, and to ourselves grace when we can’t.

    often comes when we think too much or too little of ourselves. It is usually in those times of weakness (that we sometimes wrongly view as ) that we have the greatest likelihood to succumb.

    As we read the Temptations of (which were not the only ones; they were just significant as it was the Tempter, the Enemy, who was doing it directly), we can see that if Jesus had had an out of balance perspective on his view of himself, he could have fallen. It could be argued that as Jesus is God, Jesus wouldn’t, but that doesn’t deny the reality of temptation.

    ※Reflection※

    • In whose words do you see more of yourself, the Psalmist or Agur?
    • Balance is a powerful and yet dangerous . How do you pursue balance without the pursuit harming or even destroying you?
    • What do you think of temptation being strongest when your perspective of yourself is wrong?

    ※Prayer※

    Holy , guide our minds and hearts to keep ourselves “just the right size” as we look at your majesty, , and creations. Amen.

  • Wait and See

    Wait and See

    Psalm 110:1–4; Exodus 19:7–25; Hebrews 2:1–4

    God tells the “master” (king) to “sit”.  It is quite common today for rulers to sit while the armies go forth to wage war or defend the . When the Psalm was written, it was that kings/rulers went to war with the armies. So, for the ruler/master/king to sit was to say that the war/battle would be won without their presence. As it is God saying it, it’s more along the lines of, “I’ve got this.”

    In our American thinking, we often think we have to do it ourselves. There is a reason why we think of “good” businesspeople having “pulled themselves up by their bootstraps.”  If we analyze that phrase, we can see that it may have not been a positive statement, but a tongue-in-cheek quip that someone was quite arrogant in thinking they did by themselves.

    As we read the , it becomes apparent that often the on God’s people is not to do great things, but to witness and testify to the great things that God has done. When God has done great things, the pressure is often taken off of us, because it is not by our strength of will. When we testify, often we have to testify to our weakness and testify to God’s strength in the face of our weakness.

    When the people meet God at Mount Sinai, their actions are minimal. They are to prepare, listen and . You might think that “obey” would be part of that, but obedience would be lived out, and obedience would be part of their testimony to the world of what God has done.

    The story of Exodus may have a lot of anecdotal stories of Moses, Aaron, and the people of Israel. However, most of the stories are witnesses of God’s glory and might. Even during the plagues, while Moses had his part, it was God who was the major actor.

    Exodus was, along with the other books of the Pentateuch (Genesis, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy) are formational to what it meant to be an Israelite. The books were not only a witness of God, they were also the witness to and for the Israelites.

    As they were formational, they were core to being Israelite.  Yet, it is amazing how people can be formed by something they do not know. We’d say that this couldn’t be, yet even being an “American” is often based upon far too many things we only think we know.

    The author of Hebrews speaks of drifting away. Often, especially in a country as blessed as ours, it is very easy to quickly forget our salvation. Our lives are (despite a bad economy, COVID, and -less ) blessed. This is not to diminish the hardships that people experience here. In fact, because of the blessedness, it makes such hardships an even greater travesty.

    Drifting away is subtle. It takes time. A quick divergence (or apostasy) is easy to grasp. It is when it happens over time (years, decades, centuries) that it becomes the hardest to recognize.  When it happens over time, it also becomes hard to determine versus fact.

    We are in such a time as this, if we’ve ever left it all. Perhaps this should be our greatest fear as the church…we have lost what should make us different than the world.

    The deepest, darkest, and saddest aspect of this drifting away is that we cease being witnesses of God, and our lives ceasing being witnesses to God. While we are called to wait and see what will do, we are called to say what God has done.

    ※Reflection※

    • What ways have you been tempted to “drift away” from faith?
    • What kinds of “drifting away” damages our witness the most?
    • What is the danger in not “waiting and see” what God does? What is the danger in “waiting and see”? How does when to be still and when to act?

    ※Prayer※

    God, you have called us to witness what you have done, and to be witnesses. Help us to be to that call. 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 righteous 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 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 human desires to bring glory to me (God).”

    And then we come to the famous part of the story, which recently came up in a conversation. The entirety of the conversation was about a talking animal. Which I get it. None of us have had an animal 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 Scriptures say…” Part of this is the reality that preachers/pastors/teachers don’t want to deliver hard . It’s hard, and we all want to be liked. In a community that respects the 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 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 heart. 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 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.

  • Abandon Ship

    Abandon Ship

    Jonah 3:1–5, 10; 1 Corinthians 7:29–31; Mark 1:14–20

    Jonah may have been the most successful preacher in history. He preached and an entire city repented, and a large city, at that. The celebrates 4000 in one day as a supreme , yet cranky Jonah exceeded that by far.

    We often question and scorn Jonah for running away from his call. It would be similar to you being called to North Korea to preach, “.” The destination is a scary place for such a preacher.

    Nineveh was known for the cruelty visited upon the defeated. People were impaled, beheaded, “stretched”. They worshipped a number of gods. They were enemies of Israel, and they were not friends of God. It was a good place to avoid.

    Jonah just followed his common sense. It seemed suicidal to go to Nineveh. There seemed no promise of safety by God, so why go?

    Plus, the demise of Nineveh seemed to be a positive for Israel. With the fall of Nineveh, perhaps things would be better for Israel.

    If Jonah’s logic were to be followed, then the world would be lost. This is why Paul’s call for a sort of “disengagement” is very important to evangelism.

    Often, going to those crazy places is what we are called to do. There are people from many denominations that willing went where they are not welcomed to the . In many of those same countries (and more besides), there are indigenous believers whose very lives are in danger for the common they hold with us.

    Holding too firmly onto our understanding of the way things “should be” is generally us being too tied to the ways of the world. Holding on too firmly to the world often blinds us to the call on our life that God has made.

    Simon, Andrew, James, and John did not hold too tightly onto the world. Although the don’t tell us such, it would be inhuman if the 4 men felt nothing as they left their livelihood, families, and much of their identity. There was still something about that caused them to release the world and follow him.

    ※Reflection※

    • What would you do or where would you go if you believed God was sending you?
    • What are some of the ways of the world that hold Christians back from reaching the world for Christ?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, give us the to forgo the world in whatever ways you call us. Give us the discernment to recognize your will and your call. Amen.

  • Path of Strength

    Path of Strength

    Psalm 29; 1 Kings 2:1–4, 1 Kings 2:10–12; Luke 5:1–11

    In their younger days (and sometimes in their later ones), would flex their muscles, and show off the bulge (even if it was small) of their biceps to their friends. Males, as a general rule, spend much of their lives trying to show their strength. The reality is that for many men, strength is where they find their validity.

    Females may not understand that, and that’s okay. Sometimes, guys look at other guys and just shake their heads.

    We have carried one of those displays as a -image: saber-rattlers. The basic understanding is that an army would stand before another army, and rattle their sabers in the sheath. As sabers (or swords) did not fit snugly in their sheaths, the gathered rattle of hundreds or even thousands of sabers all at once would make a loud noise.

    This display was meant to…avoid battle. Much of the flexing and such that men display is to not fight (physically, at least). The goal is for the other to decide that it’s not worth it. As we all know, strength is not everything. Often it is not your strength, but the strength of the ones around you that truly decides the next steps. This is much of the effect of saber-rattling.

    Solomon took over the throne of Israel. The military, political, and economic strength he started with wasn’t his. His , David, had built up the mostly with the sword. God determined that the Temple of the Lord could not built by such a person, despite David’s orientation toward God.

    Solomon had the option to take the same path, but even without the wisdom God , it seemed that there was an underlying truth that Solomon wasn’t the warlike person that his father was.

    Often we model those that appear successful. This is why males tend to continue saber-rattling and flexing…it works.

    We often choose to model the behavior that appears successful, or model what we think is the behavior that achieved success. Other times, we are confronted with the fact that we are not that person. Their way of success is not ours.

    Solomon did not follows his father’s way of success. He chose a different path.

    Peter, James, and John changed their lives, and followed . They couldn’t recreate the miracle of a fishing trip so successful that it threatened to break the nets.

    As part of their following of Jesus, they even lost their way and ran away. Yes, they came back, and then…they chose their path.

    Following the heart of Jesus, rather than trying to replicate Jesus. Granted, no one wanted to be crucified. Certainly, though, the miracles they experienced post-Jesus…wouldn’t that be great?

    Through those 3, and others, we know who Jesus is. Through those 3, we have the . Were they alone? No! Yet, in many respects their story is our story…or it should be.

    ※Reflection※

    • When have you followed a bad (for you) path of success or acknowledgement?
    • How do you balance the modes of success that we have been trained and nurtured in with what your heart, soul, and skills provide?
    • How we succeed deeply affects those that follow us. What are ways we as both church and culture need to improve our paths of success to aide those that follow?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, in far too many respects, the signs of your success are beyond are capabilities. Thank you for not calling us to that, but instead to the ways you have designed us for. Help us to honor both the and the path that you have put before us. Amen.

  • Incomplete Armor

    Incomplete Armor

    Psalm 27; Zechariah 10:12; Ephesians 6:10–18

    This passage from Ephesians is one of those common favorites. Building and putting on the armor of God is still a popular activity for children. As a formation tool, it was and remains powerful.

    From the point of the Ephesians, they were very familiar with the attire of the Roman soldiers. Ephesus was an important city in the region. The Roman soldiers would be stationed there. With its importance, many military excursions would start and end in Ephesus.

    However, while grasped a powerful visual (and, for modern children, a reinforcing activity), it wasn’t complete. As far as Paul was concerned, he delivered what he needed for conveying deep truths to the Ephesians.

    Yet, there is still something missing. When I was younger, people often thought I was an “Army brat”. Even to this day, some assume I’m ex-military. Most of this is a childhood affection (with, yes, a lot of military in the ). So, when I look at Paul’s list, I’m a bit bothered.

    There are 2 significant pieces that are missing from Paul’s list: the javelin (or bow, depending on the unit) and the kilt. Also, certain Roman ensembles had shin guards, too (that makes 3).

    What does that matter, you might ? The javelin (again, or bow) was used for long-ranged attack; the javelin could also be used as a defensive tool against cavalry. We could use the long-range aspect as a “look ahead” and “” for what is coming. In other words, don’t just react to the world; be prepared to confront it.

    Regarding defense, the javelin would need to be set against the ground to be effective. Again, be ready for what is coming toward you.

    The kilt? Other than cultural Scottish attire, it protected the lower area of the body. It may not seem like a kilt could protect much, but much of the of the lower body is centered in that area. Wounds would deeply affect effectiveness. From a modesty sense, well, that’s probably obvious. That could represent purity.

    Purity in this day and is hard. Putting on the armor of purity may be more essential than we realize.

    The shin guards are a little harder. They do keep you from getting kicked, and they would protect you from ramming your leg into a coffee table (you winced, didn’t you?). So, perhaps we could look at the shin guards at that which protects us (somewhat) from our own stumbling.

    There is a fun addition to the helmet. Normally, the helmet was unadorned. However, during parades, the higher one’s rank the crest on the helmet would be brightly colored. Kind of similar to the flames of Pentecost, perhaps?

    ※Questions※

    1) Which armor piece is most significant for you? Why?

    2) If you were to choose aspects of the spiritual life that the 3 additional pieces would represent, what would they be? Why?

    ※Prayer※

    God, thank you for the and of your Paul whose words, inspired by you, guide us today. Amen.

  • You|Me and Us

    You|Me and Us

    Matthew 18:15–20; Luke 5:23–32

    There is nobody beyond God’s redemptive reach. No one. No matter what a person has done or how “unclean” they may be, God is still there waiting.

    Tax collectors were not well appreciated. We generally are scornful of the IRS. The tax collectors of the age of were despised in general. Any Gentile was supposed to be sidelined from a Jewish . The gentile tax collector even more so.

    From a cultural, political, , and wealth standpoint, the Gentile tax collector represented everything the Jewish people feared and hated. The Jewish tax collector, such as Levi (in the reading from Luke), wasn’t much better. Their only redemptive feature was that they were Jewish.

    God’s extends far beyond our ability to comprehend. This is a good thing, as we are often too petty and malicious to redeem .

    However, Jesus’ words also bring something else to the fore, discipline. The US modern , as a whole, avoids the concept of church discipline. There are a number of reasons, some of them cultural, some of them missiological, some of them evangelical, some of them just a general lack of training and understanding.

    Church discipline requires a balance of individual and community. In white US populations, that is rather difficult. Whites, by and large, idealize individuality. In other US populations, community has a much greater and pull.

    In most white populations, church discipline as a community is difficult, as the individual will often “go their own way”, severing their ties with the community. On the other hand, in non-white and isolated white communities, the community can be destructive to the individual.

    For the church to be the church, we will have to work to find the balance between individual and community. As the church finds its way in a world that wants to push it aside even more, the church needs to and embrace the community and the individual, including the roles and responsibilities of each.

    ※Questions※

    1) What value do you find in being part of a community? What value do you find in being an individual?

    2) What are ways you can think of that would allow and encourage people to be part of community and still individuality?

    3) What do you think God’s perspective on community and individuality is?

    ※Prayer※

    God, you have made us similar to each other…yet different. Help us to embrace what makes us different and embrace what makes us the same. Amen.

  • Living

    Living

    Deuteronomy 5:26–27; Ezekiel 33:11; Luke 20:34–40; John 5:39–40; John 8:56–58

    A God? To many people today, God is just a fairy tale who belongs amongst the pages of Grimm’s fairy tales and folklore. For them, God is no different than the ancient Roman and Greek gods, and of no greater value (perhaps even less) than the Hindu gods.

    Yesterday’s devotional was about the we are called to make. While the devotional didn’t talk about our common failures in being good and witnesses, most of us realize that we have messed up more than a few times.

    Being faithful often means being humble when we fail, requiring us to be honest with ourselves and . That can be difficult. Being open (and thus vulnerable) about our flaws sometimes requires greater than we are capable of on our own.

    Our witness requires greater strength than it used to. Our witness requires greater vulnerability than it used to. Our witness requires greater transparency than it used to.

    The concept (our reality) of a living God allows us the to breathe in the pressure of the “greaters”. Our God is greater still than the greatest Created thing or person.

    When we understand that God is a God of the living it helps to put a few things into . It wasn’t a small thing that Jesus observed that God named Abraham, Isaac, and Joseph in the present tense. When we focus on the dead and what comes after, or even what came before, we don’t live in the fullness of the that has been given to us.

    This is, even more, the case when we talk about the . People dig into the Scriptures to know more about God. People dig into the Scriptures to deny God. Even those of Jesus’ day who knew the Scriptures well were unable to see the living God before them. While the Scriptures are living and active, they are living and active only because of the living God.

    A living God means that God is not sitting on the sidelines. God works in and among and through .

    ※Questions※

    1) How does God being living affect your daily walk with God?

    2) Especially when it comes to Jesus, but not only, why is “living” so important?

    3) Have you ever known someone who was “alive”, but who wasn’t living? Do you think they knew Jesus?

    ※Prayer※

    God of the living and breathing Creation, help to know to the depths of our souls that you are living and breathing in us. Amen.