Devotion.al

Tag: word

  • Devoted?

    Devoted?

    🔎 Focus

    ‌“The one who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and the one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. If then you haven’t been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will entrust you with the true riches? And if you haven’t been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will you your own? No servant can two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

    Luke 16:10–13 NET

    ‌You cannot serve God and money. Money is the translation for the Aramaic mammon. Mammon can be defined as an abundance of material possessions and resources. Mammon can also be defined as wealth and riches.

    ‌‌✟ Devotion

    ‌When we read this passage (or its parallel in Matthew 6:24), we tend to get hung up on money. A lot of that has to do with the hard decisions translation teams have to go through balancing equivalency, adequacy, and length. When we expand our understanding to that which is beyond money, we can see a bigger picture.

    ‌For decades, the US (and other so-called first world nations) have sent their cast-offs to other nations.

    You Can Have It

    ‌An example is the standard tongue depressors in a doctor’s office (i.e., those big flat pieces of wood that look like large popsicle sticks). In the US, per government regulations, they have an expiration date, as do beds and other equipment. Depending on the item, and shipping costs, the expired items (perfectly functional) are sent to other nations, where they receive a second life.

    ‌This is wasteful. Yet, we often demand the latest and best, so such waste is a result of our demands. If such waste is reused, it can be considered okay in our culture, but such waste is also a love of stuff…the latest and greatest.

    We Want More

    ‌We are deluged with advertisements for the latest smartphone that the mobile operator will give us for free (but we’re really paying for it in 24 monthly installments). Such ads and promos work because we love our stuff.

    ‌However, what if it really isn’t about stuff or even our love of it? What if we tweaked it a bit to recognize that while Jesus is talking about material goods and worldly wealth, it is all about our hearts?

    Not Yours?

    ‌“…if you haven’t been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you your own?”

    ‌The often used parallel is that it is all God’s, and as God gave it to us, we are using God’s property. It’s not just about an employer or shareholder or spouse or , it’s about God.

    Your True Mammon

    Tomorrow (Ash Wednesday) is the beginning of . It is a time to deliberatively think about where our lives are not in line with God’s and to self-reflect on it. What, you may , does this have to do with mammon? The first resource that God gave you is…you. Your life on this earth is not only what you make of it, but what you give of it to God, and how you serve God with it.

    ‌🤔 Reflection

    ‌Have you ever given something to someone and watched them mistreat it or destroy it? How did that make you feel? How did you ?

    ‌If indeed God gifted you yourself and your stuff, how do you think God feels about the mistreatment and destruction that God’s witnesses?

    ‌‌⏏️ Act

    ‌It has been said by many that your checkbook (or bank transactions) shows where your heart is. Yet, if you give all your worldly wealth to evangelism, compassionate care, building funds, to a local church, but you don’t give yourself, then are you where God has called you? Where do you shortcut yourself to God, and what small step will you take to fix it?

    ‌As Lent begins, you may or may not be giving up something. Regardless, think through what God gave up and how that applies to your life.

    ‌🙏 Prayer

    ‌‌Gracious God, you have given us so much, and we live in such a blessed state that we are now condemned to only see what we want to keep and what have that we don’t. Help us to see your gifts as you want us to see them. Help us use your gifts as want us to use them. Guide us to see that these gifts are the extension of ourselves and the state of heart and the state of our relationship with you. Amen.

  • Narrowed Ways

    Narrowed Ways

    Read: Matthew 7

    ‌‌🔎 Focus

    ‌“Enter through the narrow gate, for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to , and there are few who find it.” —Matthew 7:13-14 (NRSVue)

    ‌‌✟ Devotion

    ‌Depending on the publisher (including online ones), much of Matthew 7 is broken into sections. This is instead of the long speech that it is (including the chapters themselves). Our focus verse (similar to Luke 13:23-30) is often popped out all on its own, leading us to conclude that it stands alone.

    ‌This chapter is part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. The Sermon on the Mount remains challenging to this day. As such, there are not sections that one can tear out separately from the rest.

    ‌All too often, the focus verses become solely about doing the right thing and living the right life. I’ve heard sermons preached, and I’ve preached them. However, when we put the focus passage in its context (within the Sermon on the Mount), it gets a bit harder (even arguably impossible) to think that way.

    ‌If we look at just the verse before:

    “In everything do to others as you would have them do to you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”

    Matthew 7:12 (NRSVue)

    ‌…and the verse after:

    “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in ‘s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”

    Matthew 7:15 (NRSVue)

    …perhaps our would .

    ‌What if, instead of being a standalone set of verses about narrow gates and hard roads, they were the transition verses between treating others as you’d have them treat you and looking out for false prophets?

    ‌Many of us have inherited a high view of the (which we, I believe, should have). However, a high view of the Scriptures is, in many circles, a rigid view of the Scriptures, which does not allow for setting aside of traditions, such as looking at the narrow gate and hard road verses in isolation from the rest of Jesus’ words that Matthew has happening during a single event.

    ‌🤔 Reflection

    ‌In our expanded context of Matthew 7:12-15, we are presented with the Law, the prophets, and the false prophets. How might verse 12 impact your understanding of verse 15, when taken ? How does this affect your thinking about verses 13–14?

    ‌‌⏏️ Act

    ‌As you read the Scriptures, that while the Books are valid separations, chapters (except for the Psalms and Proverbs) and verses are not the original way the Scriptures were presented. Instead of defaulting to chapter, verse, and heading, read the words, and see what that does to change how you read and what you read.

    ‌🙏 Prayer

    ‌Jesus, you have the Word of life. Let us remember with honor and dignity that through you all of was made, that words do mean much, especially yours. , guide our reading of the Scriptures that we are transformed from the inside out. God, forgive us when the tools that we deem to help us, interfere with what you have to say to us today. Amen.

  • Too Busy To Live

    Too Busy To Live

    Exodus 5:7-9; Romans 8:5-8, 12-17

    Recently, there was a song going around the internet called the “Rich Men North of Richmond”. It mostly speaks to the anguish of a working man who is striving and working and is not making ends meet, and, yes, there are some digs that many are questioning, and sometimes just questioning those who are supporting the song.

    There seems a lot of truth, or a lot of perception of that this is the truth, that below middle-class wage earners (and many middle-class ones, too) are working their fingers, bodies, souls, minds off to make ends meet. How many are the like the Hebrews at this point in Exodus, who are trying to make ends meet without a basic component previously supplied, and now not.

    In a culture that has idolized working hard to the nth degree, why are we surprised that rest and worship are viewed as a measure of luxury and a sign of laziness. There is, of course, too much rest, but our culture, at this point, does not value rest.

    COVID seemed to have reset the rest aspect, but we are now watching it fade away. Mindfulness and meditation apps were all the rage during COVID. It doesn’t seem so now. As worship, especially the type depicted in the Pentateuch of no normal work (arguments over what defines normal, aside), is not normal work (which, of course, is the point), it must be rest, and rest is not to be trusted.

    As the culture turns away from organized , it appears to diminish and deride worship as well. We can see this among people who used to the church a home. We know that the human body itself cannot function without rest. Neither can the human mind. Binge-watching television, youtube, or tiktok, isn’t resting, or relaxing. It is, in so many words, medicating. It is helping us bury our lack of rest.

    I wonder if many people are so leery of rest and so leery of a set time of difference, that times of gathered singing, , prayer, and thoughts (i.e., sermon or homily), are to be avoided. It may be that we are watching even many of whom were thought to be walk away from gathered worship because it is different. And we avoid the different, and different includes worship and rest.

    Whether it is the drive to make , for person or corporation, would have fill our lives with activity without rest, we can see that we do not value rest, and that we are no different than pharaoh and looking at rest and worship it’s nothing more than laziness.

    We can see it in the old (in internet ) FOMO ( of missing out) and YOLO (you only live once). FOMO has fear in its . YOLO is really the same, just with a positive twist. It seems we almost might fear rest.

    Whether we’re looking at the world or reading the Word, fear is not always fully understood (or desired to be understood). The fear noted in Romans may seem different that the fear of FOMO and YOLK, but the fear is still fear. The paarticular type of fear of YOLO and FOMO can lead to parents, meaning well, burying their children in activities so that they don’t miss out on something. What if my child is a hidden talent? What if my child is the greatest gift to humanity in something? They must know!

    However, perhaps they are missing out on what is most needed, us. What if, too, we keep them busy because we are to fearful of rest? True rest.

    ⁜ Reflection ⁜

    • How do you view and experience rest? How does worship (gathered singing, praise, prayer, and thoughts) fit into that?
    • Who in your circle of influence do you see as needing rest? How can you encourage them to take rest?
    • What activities in yourself and others do you see as attempting to be rest, but actually aren’t?

    ⁜ Prayer ⁜

    , you didn’t call us to work to the bone. You called yourself the Lord of the Sabbath while telling your disciples that Sabbath was made for humanity. Help us to continue to recover what it means to rest as was intended for us, not for how we see it. us the courage to say, “no” and help us not self-condemn when we seek rest. Amen.

  • Enduring Soil

    Enduring Soil

    4 Now while a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from every city, he said in a parable: 5 “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was sowing, some seeds fell along the path, were trampled on, and birds from the sky ate them up. 6 Others fell on stony ground, and as soon as they came up, they dried up because they had no moisture. 7 Others fell among thorn bushes, and the thorn bushes grew with them and choked them. 8 But others fell on good soil, and when they came up, they produced 100 times as much as was planted.” As he said this, he called out, “Let the person who has ears to hear, listen!”

    9 Then his disciples began to ask him what this parable meant. 10 So he said, “You have been given knowledge about the secrets of the . But to others they are given in parables, so that

    ‘they might look but not see,
        and they might listen but not understand.’”

    11 “Now this is what the parable means. The seed is God’s . 12 The ones on the path are the people who listen, but then the Devil comes and takes the word away from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13 The ones on the stony ground are the people who joyfully welcome the word when they hear it. But since they don’t have any roots, they believe for a while, but in a time of testing they fall away. 14 The ones that fell among the thorn bushes are the people who listen, but as they go on their way they are choked by the worries, wealth, and pleasures of life, and their fruit doesn’t mature. 15 But the ones on the good soil are the people who hear the word but also hold on to it with good and honest hearts, producing a crop through endurance.”

    Luke 8:4–15 ISV

    Reading the (i.e., The Holy Bible) daily continues to bring my joy. It fills some of my curiosity, and often drives my researching desires. As a habit, I read a different translation each year for my daily readings (versus sermon prep). This year it is the ISV.

    Part of my rationale is that I believe it helps me see the same Scriptures differently. Whether it’s phrasing or vocabulary or punctuation, something gets triggered (in a good way) in my brain.

    I’ve read the Parable of the Sower many times. I’ve preached on it. Heard plenty of sermons on it. Verse 15 hit me today.

    What struck me this time, in particular, was “endurance”. When you go back and re-read the parable, endurance makes sense. It may indeed be the point of the entire parable (not saying it is).

    Endurance

    Endurance and resiliency are the new corporate buzz words coming out of COVID lockdowns and remote work. The church has started to focus on them, too. It’s not a bad thing. Developing resilience might actually make the world a better place.

    Perhaps, instead of feeling attacked or belittled, instead…we endure. The good soil is the soil that endures.

    In church, we’ll often talk about the “good soil”. What is the “good” soil? We’ll talk about the that overcomes adversity. We’ll talk about the one that doesn’t contain thorns and briars. We’ll about the one that doesn’t contain stones.

    Even when we talk about the good soil, we don’t often focus on the endurance. It’s not the soil’s fertility that is the source. It is the endurance.

    We don’t like to talk about endurance, because generally that comes along with difficulty. We see on the (and even, gasp, in bookstores) the latest book with the latest vital skill set that we must have today. There is the latest shortcut (with and without AI), so that we can get what ever it is done faster, and so we can minimize the time we experience difficulty.

    In other words, we avoid requiring endurance.

    Training

    Athelete’s train. Anyone who regularly participates in physical activity trains. Training produces endurance. We seem to get that when it comes to physicality. We actually do get it mentally with our focus on education. Even that, though, is often about regurgitation and not thinking. Rote and regurgitation do not produce mental endurance.

    We are truly awful about endurance when it comes to emotional, and (especially) spiritual. I’m still trying to figure out what happend with the emotional part. I don’t think that the “stiff upper lip” (British) or stoic (Germanic) tendencies and patterns were always healthy. Often they led to people burying their feelings. So, for those that claim “those were the days”…I disagree.

    It’s easy to blame the internet (currently) or television (previously), but is that really true? Have we really forgotten how to healthily emotionally endure, or did we just have yet another mask we wore?

    We have mental health counselors as a growing field (need far outweighs practitioners). I do think they are necessary because we have done such a poor job of being trained and training others.

    This also pours over into spiritual endurance. This is not about spiritual abuse, but just the straightforward to endure trials, perceived unanswered prayer, and the horrors of a fallen world, without one’s being crushed.

    Just Believe

    Just believe is very similar to rote and regurgitational mental learning. It does not produce endurance. We struggle with endurance. I know I do. It’s okay to acknowledge that you struggle with endurance.

    The beauty of the current cultural emphasis on endurance (or resilience) is that the of faith (i.e., the church universal) can talk about it, too. Think about it. We have the ability to faithfully talk about God and an enduring faith, while the world is also struggling with endurance. There’s the open door…will you walk through it?

    Prayer

    God, we know that we are called to endure. We see throughout the Scriptures you provided examples of enduring faith from flawed beings just like us. We know through the witness of Jesus, that you understand our struggles, including our struggle to endure. , please help us be the enduring soil that produces faith in ourselves and others. Amen.

  • Blazing a Way

    Blazing a Way

    Nehemiah 9:1-31

    “It’s not our fault!”

    That is proclaimed so much by so many about slavery, racism, poverty, etcetera…and they’re right. Yet, here we have the example of the Jews. It was the fault of their ancestors. However, their ancestors were dead.

    All things new

    Often, you cannot figure out the right way without figuring out the wrong way. Confessing the wrongdoing of one’s predecessors isn’t taking responsibility for it (i.e., and shame for what they did). So what? Now is the time to forge a new path. Granted, the Jews of Nehemiah’s time were the descendants of those who rebelled against God. Yet, at least I can see a recognition that this confession is also a warning to themselves that this could befall them, too.

    This passage in Nehemiah really causes me to pause and think about today in the US with our laser focus on our individuality. Perhaps our personal confession is too much about ourselves and not enough about others.

    Ours to Confess

    In the Lutheran (especially during ), the following is spoken by the body:

    Most merciful God,
    we that we are in bondage to sin and cannot free ourselves.
    We have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed,
       by what we have done, and by what we have left undone.
    We have not you with our whole heart;
    we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
    For the sake of your , Christ, have on us.
    Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways, to the glory of your name.
    Amen.

    Our Forging

    We are being forged. It sounds impressive until you recognized the forging process. Tossed in a hot furnace until you’re so hot that you almost melt. Put onto a hard surface and hit with a hammer, and maybe bent with tongs. If that’s not enough, you might be tossed back into the furnace and brought back out, and hit/bent some more. Then you’re tossed into a vat of oil or water to cool off. If you come out warped, enjoy the next trip through the furnace.

    I’m not sure about you, but somehow that sounds kind of like now (and the previous couple of years).

    Forging Expectations

    As a white, middle-class, middle-aged male, I could be threatened by the riots, the challenges to my faith, the challenges to the church, the challenges to “my” culture. I might even feel threatened (or insulted) that people think that their understanding of each of these things actually represents who I am.

    Or, I follow the example of Nehemiah and the Jews. I could confess that those who went before weren’t perfect, made mistakes, and even did things I believe are wrong. I’m not taking their guilt upon my shoulders, for that is not mine to bear.

    However, leaving the wrongs things wrong just because they’re someone else’s fault is…wrong. And, because we are called to love others…it is often sin.

    Sin, From a Certain Point of View

    As someone from the Wesleyan theological family, the Lutheran confession of being in bondage to sin is irksome. It rubs me the wrong way. It superficially violates much of our understanding of being freed through Christ and can be seen to conflict with Entire Sanctification (aka, Christian Perfection).

    We are in bondage to sin. Yes, I said it. Yet, it may not be our sin that we are in bondage to, but the sin of others. I am kind of “wrecked” (in a good way) with this. It transforms (in hopefully a Christ-like way) my thinking in regards to the concept of institutionalized racism and even the gap between wealthy and poor.

    We are the church. Being free to follow and fulfill the love of Christ is our holy calling.

  • Veiling Mystery

    Veiling Mystery

    Psalm 111; Isaiah 25:6–10a; Mark 6:35–44

    The veil has long existed as a physical reminder of . The truly veiled becomes a mystery (again) as she walks down the aisle toward an anxious and waiting groom. Modern weddings have pretty much eschewed the bridal veil. The bride may have a nominal veil, but it serves no purpose but to fulfill a clothing , as it does not mask the bride as she walks down the aisle. Even when we think we know what is behind the veil, there is this mystery of “what if” behind the veil that still attracts us.

    The veil mentioned in Isaiah is a mystery in and of itself. Some translations leave it as a “shroud” or “veil”. name it a “burial shroud” due to its Hebrew root being “tight wrapping”. However, a “tight wrapping” can also be interpreted as “swaddling clothes” (i.e., for an infant).

    The veil stuck in the middle of a feast and the destruction of definitely puts some additional ambiguity in there (Hey, it’s a mystery!). Christian commentators will often invoke the “death of death” in this. They may be right.

    However, at least some of the Jewish commentators put this in the middle of something completely different. Depending on how certain words are translated, this passage isn’t a positive message to non-Jews. According to Rashi, the whole feast is actually a trap, where the feast appears to be fine food and wine, but is actually the leftovers and the dregs (the debris left in the bottom after wine is aged), and that the nations (granted, that attack the Jews) will be destroyed.

    Talk about a complete 180­­° turn! To Rashi’s understanding, the wrapping (the “veil”) is more of the that there is no escape from punishment. It is actually mind-blowing to read completely different understandings of Hebrew from people who were often trained to think the same way about Hebrew.

    This apparent contradiction is one joy I have in the Scriptures, and why I’ve loved writing these devotionals. How can there be two completely different understandings of both the Hebrew and the interpretation?

    First, of course, are the presuppositions. From a Jewish perspective, Isaiah is all about the immediate punishment of the Jews for their sins, and the subsequent punishment of those that afflicted and assaulted the Jews for their sins (on top of attacking the People of God). So, we should not diminish or dismiss their understanding. In fact, it can actually deepen our understanding.

    One of the biggest lessons to learn from the Scriptures is the surface lessons and the deeper ones. Much of Isaiah does indeed lend itself to both (as do much of the prophetic works). The nations that attacked the Jews? Yep, they received their punishment, and they could not escape. The of the land trapped them (the Romans has somewhat of the same problem generations later).

    On the other hand, the coming of did not overturn the traditional understanding of the Scriptures. Jesus’ coming transform the understanding. A Jew who does not believe Jesus is the Messiah, Lord, and Savior will not have their understanding of these words transformed.

    Just as we who have come to know Jesus have been transformed, so too have the Scriptures. Not literally, for Jesus is the , but in understanding. When the Word in the flesh came, the Scriptures gained new light, and humanity was gifted a transformed understanding of who God really is.

    ※Reflection※

    • What are some “veils of mystery” that you can think of? What impact do they have in your life?
    • How do both understandings of these verses in Isaiah inform you about God?
    • Why is transformation such an important concept when it comes to the Old Testament and our reading and understanding of the Scriptures?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, you have and are the words of life. Transform our hearts to hunger for your Word, that we can bear your Word into the world, and be a light to one another. Amen.

    ※ A Post Script ※

    As I’ve communicated before, God has released (directed?) me to something new and unknown (a mystery). This is the last daily devotional. I thank you for journeying with me through the Scriptures. As I delve into what God has in store, expect to still hear from me, just in a different way than devotions have been done. I pray that God will continue to bless your walk with Jesus and that you find those Christian companions who will continue to deepen your faith and understanding. -Pastor Ian

  • Be Our Guest

    Be Our Guest

    Psalm 111; Exodus 24:1–11; Romans 15:22–33

    If you were invited to a US presidential affair, you might be surprised. Unless you roam such circles or are connected to them, usually you won’t have any of being invited to sit at the table with the president, unless, of course, you decide to contribute to their presidential campaign and pay a lot of to eat mediocre food. It just isn’t going to happen.

    ? ┤If you were invited and accepted that invitation, how would you react to those seated with you? Would you be on “good” behavior? Would you be yourself? Would you be absolutely frozen? What if, the president came to your table and spoke with you? ├ ?

    Most of us think that we would react just fine. Depending on which president or former president, we might even believe that we would correct them and “tell them the way it is.” We might.

    The 70 elders ate with God. They saw the floor of God’s abode. We could just write it off as some religious experience, but that sounds pretty significant to just “write off”. In fact, writing it off is just like writing off because isn’t right there. Yes, people do belittle Communion when they don’t recognize the presence of God. However, based upon how this verse is often overlooked, perhaps we’re writing off the presence of God altogether.

    Yeah, I said “ouch” to myself, too.

    One doesn’t “just” have a meal with God. Culturally, a meal is a safe place; it can even be a place of transparency. Eating with God. What an amazing experience!

    ? ┤Can you imagine eating with God? ├ ?

    If you can’t, then think back to Communion. While our theology doesn’t have us literally eating the body and blood of Jesus, we are still eating with God. You eat a meal with God! Those 70 elders, and even Moses (!), will never experience what you—as a follower of Jesus—get to do regularly.

    ? ┤ Have you ever thought of Communion as eating a meal with God? ├ ?

    At Communion, we will phrases as, “you are welcome” or “a guest at the table” or “God’s feast”, but do we really recognize that means that the master of ceremonies, the Creator of the Universe, the Word through whom all things were made, and for who all things were made, and the Spirit of God that gives us a life unlike any other…is eating with us?

    ※Prayer※

    Gracious Father, we give You and thanks for Holy Communion of the body and blood of Your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, the means of our . We pray that the mercies of God may produce in us a grateful that finds expression through holy and perfect love to God and to people. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. [The Eucharistic ending for the Eucharist Under Special Circumstances, The Church Rituals Handbook, 2nd Edition, Jesse Middendorf]

  • In The Fold

    In The Fold

    Psalm 100; Zechariah 9:14–10:2; Acts 20:17–38

    Psalm 100 is used in some churches as a call to . There have been a number of songs that have pulled their chorus and even the lyrics from this Psalm. It sounds so straightforward, but is it really?

    We are God’s people and his . While we really don’t like being compared to sheep, this is the imagery that the people of the time understood. By being his sheep, there is the implication of belonging and being cared for. In this context, however, the next verse has some implications that we often miss.

    The “gate” of the sheepfold (where the sheep slept protected at night) was often the himself. So much so that the shepherd would often sleep in the entrance of the sheepfold to keep the sheep gathered, and to protect them from predators. As part of their entrance into the sheepfold, the shepherd would check them over.

    First, of course, confirm that the sheep entering are his. While the sheep knew the of “their” shepherd, it didn’t stop the wayward sheep (as they do wander) from joining the flock, especially if it got lost. Second, the shepherd would look for wounds or other signs of poor health. Lastly, the shepherd counted to make sure that all the sheep were there.

    Entering the gates, therefore, is not so simple.

    The sheep have to , recognize, and follow the voice of the shepherd. This can be quite difficult, especially in our day and age of so much noise. Definitely through , worship, and God’s (the Bible) we can hear the voice of the shepherd. Sometimes it can be something else. Regardless, if we are struggling hearing the voice of the shepherd, we need to work on that.

    The sheep also enter the gates with praise. Now, some artistic license may be here, but I imagine the sheep being not much different than cattle. Most cattle will low as they approach “home”. I imaging the sheep are bleating as the approach the sheepfold and as they enter. They are glad and relieved to be home and secure.

    In his translation of the Scriptures, The Message, Eugene Peterson phrases it this way, “Enter with the password: ‘Thank you!’ Make yourselves at home, talking praise. Thank him. Worship him.” (Psalm 100:4, The Message)

    The concept of “Thank You” as a password through the gates is intriguing. It may imply that if we enter the gates without thanks, maybe we didn’t really enter in at all. Physically, maybe, but not in our hearts, where it truly matters.

    As much as it might seem wrong for there to be a password, at the same time we have all experienced a time of lackluster praise and/or worship because our hearts just weren’t there. Peterson’s words may not be so wrong.

    ※Reflection※

    • How often do you enter the “gates of praise” (whether , car, home, wherever) with “Thank you”? Why does “thank you” matter for your ‘s orientation?
    • How do you think God “checks” you as you enter the gates of praise? What report was God’s last check on you? How about last month?
    • What is your Godly health like? What are you doing to improve it?

    ※Prayer※

    Be our shepherd,  O Lord, and bless us with all good things that we may be refreshed with your overflowing cup and dwell in your house forever; through Christ our Lord. [Amen]

    Ludolph of Saxony, d. 1378