Devotion.al

Tag: trusting

  • Your Contentment

    Your Contentment

    Psalm 111; Genesis 18:1–15; Philippians 4:10–20

    One of the harder things about being a is that God often doesn’t our ‘s desires. We describe God as good, loving, giving, and many other positive traits. Yet, the giving (or lack thereof) often gets in the way of our understanding of God’s goodness, loving, and giving nature.

    Abraham and Sarah are the case in point. Do we really think that Abraham and Sarah haven’t been praying and pleading for a child up until now? Of course not! By this point, though, all common sense of being able to have a child has been fulfilled. Perhaps (though the Bible doesn’t say) Sarah had already completed menopause. What , from a , could there be?

    Yet, Abraham didn’t stop himself from having God at the center of his (which also doesn’t mean that he stopped making mistakes). We have all known people, perhaps even ourselves, who longed for a child of their own but may have had a long road of sadness and heartbreak. Some may have ended up with children of their own. Some may have adopted. may have to invest in the children of others.

    Contentedness, however, is something altogether different…maybe.

    Paul was content. His heart was focused on something different, and that’s okay. There is often a focus on Paul’s content that is not in line with…Paul’s content. Paul’s focus was his testimony and the Christian communities he left behind. He was content that he had done his best, and content in his place in God’s plan.

    It is possible to be content while striving for something. Even Paul continued to strive for the mission and dealt with the heartache for his distant communities as they struggled.

    There is another way to view “content”, accepting circumstances with an open and loving heart. It includes God. This understanding of content allows recognition that not everything is as it should be, so that there is room for improvement. This could also be understood as not allowing the circumstances to poison your heart against God or others.

    ※Reflection※

    • How have you understood content in the context of a Christian life? How does the world understand content?
    • How do we often allow circumstances to poison our hearts against God?
    • What has been (or is) the biggest issue in your life that caused (or causes) struggles in your content?

    ※Prayer※

    As for me, I will be vindicated and will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness. Amen. (Psalm 17:15, NIV)

  • Facing It

    Facing It

    Psalm 119:81–88; Jeremiah 16:1–13; James 5:7–12

    The yearning in Psalm 119:81–88 is almost palpable. The need for relief with a counterbalance of produces a huge amount of tension within a few verses. This tension is often part of our own lives as we desire immediate relief from our trials, the fulfillment of our hopes and dreams, and God. Far too often, however, we have trusting God within that, so up doing it in our own .

    This may be part of the reason why for God’s warning to the residents of Jerusalem through Jeremiah. Don’t try to make up for the exile through childbirth. That dream is more than you can bear. If you try, everything around you will fall apart in ways beyond your ability to bear.

    The reality was that Jerusalem would not be a healthy place to remain. Due to resource issues, it would have difficulties sustaining a significant population. When that happens, disease and famine will come. It’s not a God-caused thing, it is the reality of an overdrawn environment.

    When it comes to our trials and dreams, however, is often not one of our strengths. Often we also begin to bite at and attack one another. In an attempt to appease the tension and , we often turn to things and actions outside of ourselves: , drugs, food, sex, anger, fighting, hatred, insults, ridicule, complaints, discord, control, withdrawal. Various people find ways to deal with their pains.

    Strengthening our resolve in God and following God’s lead is often difficult in the of our dreams and trials, yet that is where God meets us. We just have to have the courage and to face it.

    ※Reflection※

    Where is the tension in your right now? How do you see that tension in your dreams and your pain (trials)

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, build our capability to endure the tension between our dreams and our trials as we rely upon and have faith in you. Amen.

  • Show Stopper

    Show Stopper

    Psalm 65; Exodus 9:13–35; Acts 27:39–44

    But I’ve left you standing for this reason: in order to show you my and in order to make my name known in the whole world.

    Exodus 9:16

    Depending on your context and current life situation, these words could be good or they could be bad. The have plenty of examples of where this was good for the God follower and bad for the person (or people) who doesn’t believe in God. There are, too, examples where the Scriptures point to the people who are followers of God who experience trials while others succeed.

    In the case of Pharaoh, this was definitely not to his (or Egypt’s) advantage. Granted, Pharaoh had the opportunity to fix the issue but chose not to. On the other hand, and we often ignore them, there were Egyptians (including Pharaoh’s officials) who listened and obeyed. They, too, were also examples. They obeyed; their servants and livestock survived.

    Sometimes, obedience is not the most pleasant, either. was obedient insofar as heading to Rome. In fact, he could have avoided the whole situation, but we can infer that he believed that taking advantage of rules would dishonor the , and so chose the path to Rome, Caesar, and .

    The centurion wasn’t a particular to Paul or God. Yet, he felt obligated or even connected to Paul for whatever reason and sought to keep him safe. In a different way, he, too, was there to display God’s power.

    Humanity has plenty to be proud of. We have gone to the moon. We have sent exploratory devices to distant planets and comets. We have delved deep into the oceans (though there is still more to see). We have generated many theorems and rules to understand the universe. We have analyzed the very makeup of our biological existence (DNA).

    All our achievements still cannot outshine God’s , will, or plans. We’re not really any closer to understanding them than the Disciples who walked with by the Sea of Galilee, but we know him. That all that really matters.

    ※Reflection※

    • Have you seen where someone in opposition to God, ended up glorifying God? What were the circumstances, and how did it glorify God?
    • Have you seen where the or trial person trusting in God glorified God, even when their pain or trial ended badly? How about where it ended well?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, help us be the , even when it isn’t easy to bring glory to you. Amen.

  • Prayer Signs

    Prayer Signs

    Psalm 65; Exodus 7:14–24; Acts 27:13–38

    Do the right thing! Then, do the next right thing! If there is a question of what the right thing is? You’ll just know. Right? Sounds completely rational. You’ll just know.

    Except it doesn’t always (or even often for many) work that way. Many times awe-inspiring stories are told of how God answered prayers or provided guidance. If it hasn’t worked for you, yes, perhaps your prayer needs some work. On the other hand, perhaps God is expecting you to work it through yourself.

    Moses and are great examples to look at. They are also not.

    Both Moses and Paul are powerfully connected to God. Although the tell us all the high and powerful points. They also don’t tell us the times between.

    Were Moses and Paul always deeply and intimately connected to God? No. While we can be sure that Moses learned about the God of the Israelites from his biological mother, his life in the court of the Pharaoh would have definitely tempered some of that (though likely there was some warmth for the faith of his mother).

    Paul was a strict observer of the Jewish Law. So strictly did he follow the Law, that he vigorously attacked the fledgling faith of the Way (that became later identified as Christian). We could easily say he was an observant Jew. However, his pre-conversion life would not have had the same connection to God based upon his conversion.

    This is not to say that your with God is not significant or deep. It is to say that each of us lives different lives, and how that affects our relationship with God may be significant.

    What we can do is to temper ourselves by reading the Scriptures, prayer, and a group of fellow believers that we can be fully open with all our flaws and failures. As we become more shaped by the Scriptures, prayer, and the faithful lives of others, we can begin to expect to understand the guidance that God has been providing to this point, but we were unable to grasp it.

    Lastly, though, is the hardest part…and it’s all ours. It is our free will. We can choose to pursue God and God’s will. We still may choose our own.

    ※Reflection※

    • What is the one thing you are looking for an answer from God about?
    • What about it is something that you cannot determine yourself?
    • What have you done in finding wise Christian counsel to work through this?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, we pray and for . Yet, while we wait, you still us to walk forward day by day in you. Guide us into your will, and mold our hearts to to it.

  • Worship Even Here

    Worship Even Here

    Psalm 20; Numbers 9:15–23; Revelation 4:1–8

    God is hard. Trusting that all things work for good is hard. How can COVID be good? How can a bad economy be good? How can not being able to be with our ones be good? A lot of this hasn’t been good.

    For the psalmist, that isn’t the question. For the psalmist, it is that God hears, , and remembers. This doesn’t mean that everything will be easy going . It means that God is with you.

    Assuming that this written by or about David, note that there really isn’t a mention of . Not really. David had experienced many hard times (some as a consequence of his own actions). God didn’t spare him hard times. God was with David and responded to David in the hard times. Much of this would seem to come from David’s rhythm of worship and communion with God. From what we can gather (which is, granted, limited), David had a regular practice of seeking God.

    The pattern that the Israelites had wandering in the wilderness was different. Most of us cannot imagine being wanderers, whether the Bedouins of the Arabian Peninsula or the homeless around the corner. The Israelites had a wandering pattern for 40 years.

    The pattern wasn’t fully predictable. For those of you have traveled with children, or been in the military, the ability to gather everyone and their stuff in a short amount of time is trying. Imagine trying to do that every day. Most nomadic cultures move about seasonally, but the imply that more than once they got settled down for the night, and had to pack the next day.

    During pauses between travel time, the Tabernacle (or The Tent of Meeting) would be assembled, and worship would begin. While we can read the takedown and set up, what we miss is the worship that goes along with it. The cloud was the of God. We can that on the Sabbath that they would not travel (it’s a safe assumption, at least).

    While this seems strange to us—especially for those that worship at the same building week after week—we can read in Revelation worship that is beyond our comprehension. 24 people praising God day and night, and saying the same thing. While this is really a vision, thus not necessarily exactly how it will work, the difference between the Israelites wandering and the people praising would seem to be stark.

    It is. It is, that is, only if you focus on the how. Worship of God is not limited to a building one day a week. Communion with God is not necessarily in that perfect time. Both can happen at any time. We just need to be looking for it.

    ※Reflection※

    • What do you think these different visions of worship and rhythms tell us about God?
    • What do you think these different visions of worship and life rhythms tell us about ourselves?
    • Do any of these cause to reflect on any changes that are possible for you worship rhythms?

    ※Prayer※

    Spirit, guide the worship rhythm’s of our hearts. Help us to find ways and places to worship God in the face of all circumstances. Amen.

  • Nice Dirt

    Nice Dirt

    Psalm 33:12–22; Genesis 2:4b–7; 1 Corinthians 15:42–49

    It is doubtful that many (if any) people think humanity has it all together. There is the cynical quip that the greatest proof of intelligent in the universe is that they haven’t contacted us. Regardless of your political orientation and whether US or world, there is no question that humanity is a complete and utter mess, and you may think that is generous.

    What is amazing about the conclusion is that it crosses political, religious, ethnic, national lines. Even more amazing is that most of us seem to operate in a world where we primarily function the work of other people that we don’t even know. Think about that. We know how messed up we are. We’re pretty sure that there are as messed up (or more) than we are. And we’re pretty sure that the messed up people outnumber the not messed up ones.

    Yet, there is something that still draws us to rely on (dare we say, trust) others that we do not know. Perhaps it is our recognition that despite all our differences, we are all human beings.

    This Genesis describes humanity as made from dirt and after being molded by God, the of life was put into it, and humanity was made. Dirt, just like the dirt we walk on. Genesis says we are that dirt.

    While the dirt was the beginning, it is not (quite) the end. For having the of God inside of us, giving us life, tells us that the dirt is not all.

    Dirt isn’t all bad. Have you seen the mountains? The stuff much of our food grows from is dirt. The rest of our food eats from what grows from dirt, too. How goes the little kids’ saying go? “God made dirt and dirt don’t hurt.” Not quite true (having been hit with hardened clods of it), but dirt still is of God and by God.

    On the other hand, dirt is not quite the ideal. Paul notes that “flesh” will decay. Basically, the earthly stuff goes away. Dirt will go away.

    Except, that upon our , the body that was dirt and placed in dirt becomes transformed. It is “transfigured” beyond what dirt is capable of doing in our limited experience. Through the resurrection, dirt becomes both completely different and yet becomes its most self.

    Yes, it’s hard to grasp. We do, however, have an example to look at, and that is Jesus Christ. Jesus is God and human. What exactly our resurrected-body-transformation will be? It’s a philosophical and even theological argument that will have no resolution on this side of life.

    On this side of life, though, Paul’s along with Genesis can tell us why we have managed to not destroy each other, God’s breath is in us. It is not us. It is God.

    ※Reflection※

    • Why do think that it is important to that we will be transformed, as we interact with the world?
    • Who are people you rely on? Why? What places them in a place of trust?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, we see many things wrong in the world. However, your goes before us all. Help us to see, find, and share your grace with others. Amen.

  • Community Essentials

    Community Essentials

    Psalm 133; John 20:19–31; Acts 4:32–35; 1 John 1:1–2:2

    Security is a very important thing. In many respects, a number of the high-profile political arguments are over what exactly is security. Differing opinions of what includes security and the perception of who is responsible for such security can really create the potential for discord.

    The reason security should be part of our analysis of (in practicality) policies and reactions. experiences can dramatically affect one’s personal perception of security, and may dramatically affect what one considers essential for security.

    As we read Psalm 133, the essentials of security were pretty minimal. Modern conveniences didn’t exist. Concepts such as hospitals and medical care would exist until centuries later. Food, wild animals, and war were the biggest security things. Security was generally among one’s “brothers”. In other words, family was security. Security was also firmly ground on God’s blessings.

    We can find unity in many things. Often unity goes hand-in-hand with security. The disciples were unified in their following of and their . Fear would not seem to be a security characteristic. Yet fear often drives the pursuit of security, and fear often provides a unifying characteristic so that people are in pursuing the same security with the same motive.

    The unified fear of the Disciples after the crucifixion of Jesus was transformed into a unified sharing of resources that we see in Acts. This passage in Acts is often held up as one of the litmus tests of “true” Christians and the “true” church. There is an ideal in it that most of us can appreciate; look out for the benefit of others.

    The part that those that hold this up as a litmus test disregards what got them there in the first place. First, we had the unifying story of the 11 original Disciples. Then in the same spirit of unity, the greater circle (of at least 60 or 72) raised 1 of their number (Matthias) to the 12. Then, as the group expanded, there were the struggles that the people of the church has with the Jews and with the Romans. Again, shared fears (and realities) created security in unity.

    This creates emotional security that allows one to be free to care for others in a way that is rarely seen in history. Even in more collectivist cultures, what is described in acts is unusual.

    This is not to say that we shouldn’t strive for it, but this unique time and place should not be a litmus test for the “perfection” of one’s faith and one’s church. In many respects, those that use it as a litmus test are using worldly stuff (i.e., mammon) to define “real” Christians.

    The real litmus test can be found in 1 John. A that submits to be held accountable to the of God, and to each other. True unity is knowing that your fellow Christians are looking out for your interests, in particular, the growth up, wide, and down of your faith in and with Jesus Christ.

    To be fair, this kind of community is often harder to find than a community that shares stuff. Be so united, loving, and trusting with one’s self (versus one’s stuff) is probably the highest bar to hurdle.

    ※Reflection※

    • Can you imagine a community of commons, such as the one in Acts? What would you expect of such a community towards you (and your family) and towards others? How about those outside the community? What would be the requirements of membership in such a community?
    • Are you in a community where your spiritual struggles and growth are shared, encouraged, strengthened, sharpened, and questioned (for improvement)?
      • If not, what would it take for you to be in one? How would you get started with one? Should you?
      • If so, how did the group form? How would you keep it together and focused? What are lessons from it that you can share so that other groups like yours could be formed?

    ※Prayer※

    Almighty and everlasting God, who in the Paschal mystery established the new of reconciliation: Grant that all who have been reborn into the fellowship of Christ’s Body may show forth in their lives what they profess by their faith; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

    Second Sunday of Easter Collect, Book of Common Prayer 2019
  • Get Lifted

    Get Lifted

    Psalm 25:1–10; Psalm 32; Matthew 9:2–13

    Have you ever carried something really heavy for a while and then put down? Do you that moment when you put it down? That feeling of ?
    That is should be just a taste of the feeling that the Psalmist brings out:

    The one whose wrongdoing is forgiven,
    whose is covered over,
    is truly happy!

    The one the LORD
    doesn’t consider guilty—
    in whose there is no dishonesty—
    that one is truly happy!

    For many Christians, they actually don’t have that release. Those who grew up in the may have never had the kind of they perceived as such a gap between themselves and God. Others came to through intellectual decisions. As such, they often cannot grasp that feeling either. Another group is the one that cannot forgive itself and so struggles to accept the forgiveness that God has given.

    is a definitely a time to process our mortality and sin which brought death into the world. However, the intent is not to be morbid, it is meant to free us. While we focus on this during Lent, we all (I think) know what ends Lent. At the of Lent is the freeing from the burdens of sin and death.

    The end is what makes the Lent-ing do-able, worthwhile, and not-so morbid.

    Perhaps the invalid was like so many of us in our hearts, faithful to and of God, but something was missing to connect. Maybe it wasn’t just to the legal experts he was speaking to. Perhaps the invalid needed to understand what exactly was meant. His burden was lifted. He was lifted. His sins were forgiven.

    ※Reflection※

    Does being free of you sins really feel (or did it feel) as if a burden was lifted? If not, why not?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, help us to be weighed down by our sins and our mortality so that we experience (or experience again) the freedom of our burdens lifted by you. Amen.