Daily Devotion, October 31, 2019

Devotion:

Read Matthew 5:43-48.

Destruction is much easier than construction. In seconds, carefully placed explosives can implode a skyscraper that took years to build. On a mission trip to Liberia, I got to knock down an old stone building with a sledge hammer. It was gratifying, but then I got to thinking about the history and past function of that building, and it made me a little sad. This also can happen in the world of relationships. A first step is slighting or ignoring someone. Then comes ill feelings, name calling, and demonizing. Respectful names are replaced with derogatory names. Character is replaced by caricature. Suddenly a new enemy can be formed. Just as it is so much easier to destroy than it is to build, it is so much easier to despise or hate our enemies (largely constructed out of our own self-serving purposes) than it is to love our neighbor.

Jesus knows all of this about us. It is one of the many less savory aspects of the broken human condition of sin. It isn’t new. It isn’t going away quickly. And it falls far short of the life that God intends for us. Jesus reminds us that the rain falls and the sun shines on everyone. We all get 24 hours a day. We all need to eat. Beyond all the differences of race, class, geography, and genes, there is the underlying connection of our humanity. The world around us then sees how we act, how we respond. At our best, loving our enemies points beyond ourselves to God. At our worst, we add salt to the wounds of life. We all need to try to form meaningful relationships so that we are slow to create enemies and give grace to those that might have harmed us.

Personal Worship Option:

Are there people in your life who you need to give grace, forgive, or restore a relationship? Think about God’s abundant love for all and extend your love easily to others.

Daily Devotion, October 30, 2019

Devotion:

Read 1 Corinthians 13.

Paul’s letter to the church at Corinth is his response to a letter which we don’t have. (It’s like listening in on one side of a phone conversation). But many commentaries suggest that the purpose of Paul’s letter is to help the church at Corinth resolve their differences. In 1 Corinthians 1:10 Paul writes-….” be perfectly united in mind and thought.”

In the early Christian church there were converts from both the Jewish and Gentile traditions all within the same congregation! Paul is trying to help them to see how to get along and he writes these words defining “love”.  The verse from I Corinthians 12:31 is the introduction. “Now eagerly desire the greater gifts, and yet I will show you a more excellent way.” Paul continues to describe the “more excellent way” which is love. With so much division and fear in our nation and around our globe, we need this scripture passage more than ever!

I’ve always loved Paul’s words: “Love is patient, kind, never fails,” etc.  But in the last couple of weeks, I was reminded of how powerful the first three verses of this chapter are! A family member was a guest at a new church and no one greeted the family member! The Sunday school hour and worship service were perfect, but no one welcomed the guest! The words “re-sounding gong and clanging cymbal” came to mind. Paul says that all of our actions can be perfect, but if the motivation isn’t love, it is nothing!

Paul’s writings call us again to a more excellent way, motivated by love. Christ even called us to love our enemies!  Is there someone that you and I need the Holy Spirit’s help to love?

Personal Worship Option:

Christ modeled this way of love for us. Read this passage and place Christ’s name where the word love is.  Read this passage one more time and place your name where the word love is. Are there improvements to be made? Dear Lord, help me to strive for “Your more excellent way of love!” Amen.

Daily Devotion, October 29, 2019

Devotion:

Read Romans 12:14-21.

Our passage today is a practical “how-to” guide on God-like love. Paul demonstrates that love is an action, not an emotion. He tells us we can love those who are unlovely and unlovable if we love as God loves. We can even love our enemy or persecutor. Paul’s thesis is simple: Love without action is not love. He calls on us to bless and rejoice with others.

•  “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.”

The Greek word for “bless” (eulogeo) means “to speak well of a person.” This requires incredible self-control and grace. It’s hard in our politically charged climate to respond with love to those who hate us, and with goodness to those who do evil to us. But that’s the message from Paul.

• “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who mourn.”

The world is becoming more and more callous, more and more indifferent. As Christians we are to be sensitive to those around us.

Finally, Paul reminds us not to do evil against those who personally harm us but to overwhelm them with good and leave all vengeance and judgment to God.

This “how-to” guide on God-like love is perhaps best seen in a recent televised example. When a young woman was sentenced to ten years for killing his brother, a young man spoke an eloquent statement of forgiveness and asked permission to hug the woman. Their embrace sent a message to the world that demonstrated the power of love and forgiveness. Our politically toxic world needs more God-like love.

Personal Worship Option:

Who in your world needs for you to demonstrate God-like love today?

Daily Devotion, October 28, 2019

Devotion:

Read Matthew 7:12.

You will likely remember this as the “Golden Rule,” which parents have been quoting to their children since Jesus uttered these words as part of his Sermon on the Mount. I remember it best in the King James Version, from which my parents quoted, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” I most often heard that when I had done unto my younger brother something I would not have wanted done unto me! Like so many of Jesus’ teachings, this one is simple and easy to understand, even in the Old English, but it is not so easy to follow.

This verse tells me that before I snap back at someone with a harsh response to the point or argument they have made, I must stop and think about how I would like to have my response said to me. Hmmm...perhaps this even means that when I see cutting political comments on social media that make my blood pressure rise, I might best pause before hitting the “Reply” stroke and to reflect on how my response might be received and whether I would want to be the recipient. In the polarized and argumentative culture in which we live, this is a really timely devotional reading. Jesus clearly would have us do or say only those things we would like to have said or done to us.

Personal Worship Option:

Read this verse again and reflect on the encounters you will have today (or tomorrow if you are doing your devotion in the evening). We cannot anticipate every negative encounter, but we can be prepared to respond as Christ would have us do. Pray for the faith, patience, and humility to do just that!

Daily Devotion, October 27, 2019

Devotion:

Read 2 Timothy 1:1-6.

  There are so many people who have poured themselves into my life and had an influence on my faith. Both sets of grandparents and my parents were active in the church. And in the church where I grew up, it seemed that every adult there was another “parent” to me and helped raise me. While I did not always see it as such, I came to realize what a gift that was.

 

  In Timothy, Paul sees a faith that was sown into this young man’s life by his grandmother and mother and affirmed by Paul. As he is trying to encourage this young man, he reminds him of this heritage of faith. He has been blessed with that background.

  Each person of faith has been gifted by someone sharing the faith with them. In some cases, that is family, but in others it is a friend, a co-worker, a neighbor or someone else. Who is that person (or who are those people) for you? Who is seeing the “harvest” of their sowing seeds in your life?

  This is also a reminder to each of us that when we sow seeds and “plant” the faith in the lives of others, we will often get to see the harvest produced in that life. So be constantly on the lookout for people all around you into which you can sow a seed of faith, especially the young.

Personal Worship Option:

Who are those people who have sown seeds of faith in your life? Is there any of them you need to thank today? Also, write down the name of one or more individuals with whom you could begin sowing seeds of faith. Offer prayers of thanksgiving and seeking guidance.

Daily Devotion, October 26, 2019

Devotion:

Read Romans 12.

  This is one of my favorite chapters in all of the Bible. The whole letter is some of the deepest and influential of Paul’s writing. After eleven chapters about what we believe, he turns to being specific on how we are to put those beliefs into action in our everyday lives. This is what will be “harvested” in our lives when we follow the way of Jesus Christ and live this way each day.

 

  Eugene Peterson, in his translation of the Scriptures known as The Message, offers this way of stating verse one: “Take your everyday, ordinary life - your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life - and place it before God as an offering.” And then this for verse two: “Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God.” I commend to you his translation of the whole chapter.

  Paul goes on to encourage us not to think too highly of ourselves, but to see how we fit into the whole “body” that is the Church. Then verses 9-21 are full of phrases and statements that would fit nicely on a bumper sticker or poster for your wall, each describing a specific way to live and relate to people. And knowing what life in this world can do to a person, verse 21 is a great way to end this section: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

  I invite you to read Romans 12 at least once a month.

Personal Worship Option

Pick out one or two verses in this chapter that you most need to work on. Pray to God for wisdom and courage to do so.

Daily Devotion, October 25, 2019

Devotion:

Read 1 Kings 4:20-25.

To this point in King Solomon’s reign, he had acted wisely and in accordance with God’s will. This brief passage illustrates the wealth and power of Israel during this time, which would be remembered for generations and even by historians today as the glorious peak in Israel’s history. For the most part, the “harvest” being reaped by Solomon and his people was due to the faithfulness, work, conquests, and good fortune of his father, David. While the beautiful first temple was built during the reign of King Solomon and was even known as “Solomon’s Temple,” his father David had gathered all of the raw materials and had the project ready for his son to launch.

It is not unusual for people to work hard or to sacrifice to produce a harvest that is enjoyed by others. We enjoy a harvest of freedom and rights in our country because of the sacrifices of others, many of whom are no longer living. Students graduating from college and beginning exciting new careers have no doubt worked hard to reach their goals; but often their parents, teachers, and others have also played a large part in producing the harvest. It is humbling and good for us to remember that our harvests are sometimes due to the work of other people and that perhaps others coming after us will reap the harvest of some of our work. 

Personal Worship Option:

Think for a few minutes about some of the good harvests you are enjoying right now in your life. Did others help produce any of those? Give thanks for them, praise God, and enjoy your harvests.

Daily Devotion, October 24, 2019

Devotion:

Read Luke 8:4-8, 11-15.

This parable of the Farmer, the Seeds, and the Soils was probably one of the first of Jesus’ parables. The farmer is our Lord. The seeds are the words of God. The soil is the human heart. Four kinds of soil are mentioned, which tells about the distinct ways which the word is heard and touches people’s hearts. The hard ground represents the person who hears the Word, but does not believe or take it into their heart. The stony ground signifies the hearer who may superficially take in the Word and profess their life to God, but when difficult times come, they stray away. The thorny ground are those hearers who hear the Word but let culture and worldly possessions choke out God’s way of life. Then there are the good ground hearers who listen to the Word, are receptive, and fruitful for God’s Kingdom. Much spreading of the Word can produce vast harvests of people for Jesus Christ.

Growing up, I had wonderful soil in both senses of this parable. The dirt on our farm was rich and produced good crops when the rain cooperated. I also had people around me that cared about me, made sure that I heard God’s word, and that my heart was open to grow in faith. My Sunday School teachers were dedicated to helping me cultivate and prepare my soil. That was a huge task!

Personal Worship Option:

Lessons from this parable: We must pay close attention to what we hear. Hearts need to be prepared before they can receive the message of the Word. We should not get discouraged when the results of spreading the Gospel seem small. If we adhere to Jesus’ teaching, we will be His disciples.

Daily Devotion, October 23, 2019

Devotion:

Read Luke 6:43-45.

 Jesus spoke of “figs and grapes”, but as a young child, I quickly translated the words to “peaches,muscadines and scuppernongs”---those were the fruits which I knew! There were peach orchards everywhere in my county and most folks had a muscadine or scuppernong vine in their backyard!

Once upon a time, I tried to grow an orange tree in our yard. It didn’t work. The soil and the climate were not right at all for an orange tree!

For this writing, I looked up what it takes to plant and grow a peach tree. The sentence, “Select a tree that has a healthy root system.” stood out to me. I believe this is what Jesus was trying to teach his disciples and to us for our lives today.

The good fruit of our lives comes from the good stored up in our hearts. The autumn season of harvest comes after much time spent during the other seasons to prepare the soil and make sure the root system has the healthy nutrients it needs to bear good and healthy fruit. 

 

During all the seasons, we must remain faithful to what we are storing up in our hearts to bear healthy fruit in its season. Faithfulness includes reading the scriptures, time spent in prayer, in worship and service to others.

There is a beautiful grace-note in this passage. If you are a peach tree, produce peaches! Don’t try to produce oranges! This is an important lesson we learn as children, but sometimes we need to be reminded again.

Personal Worship Option:

Dear God continue to work in my life to give me a healthy root system (of the heart), and to help me to become the person You have created me to become. Help me to serve You in such a way that I am able to create the orchard You have called me to create! Amen

Daily Devotion, October 22, 2019

Devotion:

Read Psalm 136.

Psalm 136 is sometimes called a “Hallelujah Psalm” because it doesn’t contain complaints or problems. Instead it contains a list of times when God worked in history to show love and grace to his chosen people. The Psalmist repeats a command to give thanks four times, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.” The same reason follows each command, “His love endures forever.” No matter the bad choices the Israelites made or the unfortunate circumstances they faced, God’s lovingkindness shone through. God’s love endures today. It outlasts all the problems we face in life. It transcends the troubles we face each day. It goes on when our life comes to an end. God promises that there will be a harvest if we plant our seeds in him, but it’s good to remember that the harvest doesn’t come the day after the seeds are planted. Harvesting comes in the future. When we sow the seeds of our life in God, we can look back over it and give thanks for what God has done because “his love endures forever.”

Personal Worship Option:

Commit today to sow your seeds into God and his work. And remember these truths: No matter where you’re going, His love endures forever. No matter what problem you encounter, His love endures forever. No matter how you feel about God or others, His love endures forever.

Daily Devotion, October 21, 2019

Devotion:

Read John 15:1-5.

Jesus taught his first disciples deeply theological concepts and truths. Yet he taught in terms and language they could readily understand. In this passage, he draws on the familiar image of grapes, ripening on healthy branches of strong vines, to teach them and us about staying connected to him.

As a teenager, I mowed an elderly neighbor’s lawn every week, carefully trimming around his huge grape arbor. The trunks (vines) were 3 or 4 inches in diameter at the ground and then forked into smaller branches that wound around the arbor frame. By early fall, the branches were hanging with huge clusters of ripe, sweet grapes. The branches had produced their fruit only because they were connected to and receiving their life giving water and sustenance from the vines. This is exactly how Jesus urges us to bear fruit by staying connected to him and his life giving teaching and power.

Personal Worship Option:

Reflect on how well you are staying connected to Christ through reading and studying the Bible, prayer, and regular attendance in worship. Know that we cannot bear fruit on our own, and draw deeply from the vine of Christ!

Daily Devotion, October 20, 2019

Devotion:

Read 2 Corinthians 4:7-18.

  Life can sometimes seem like a long, hot summer (like we have recently experienced). There is little, if any, break from the “heat” (in whatever form you may experience that). You know from experience the “weather” is going to change at some point, but an end appears not to be anytime soon.

  My dad had grown up on a farm and he made sure that I got to experience some of farm life. One of those I remember most is getting to help put hay in the barn. Walking through the field, picking up those bales and tossing them on the wagon, then handling them again as we got them stacked in the barn was very hot work. There were many times when I did not think I could go on.

  The writer of this letter to the early Christians acknowledges that in this life of faith, there are times when “we are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” But he reminds them (and us) that because of what Jesus has done for us and offers to us, “we do not lose heart.” We will not give up, even in those “summer” times of our lives when we are faced with situations and issues that tempt us to do that very thing. Why can we do this? Because “for our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs…” anything we may be facing at any given point in this life. Even those long, hot “summers” are temporary when compared to our whole life and certainly when compared to eternity.

Personal Worship Option:

What most tempts you to “lose heart” in your faith journey? Pray for the vision to see beyond that struggle and the strength to endure through it. Be assured that the Lord will provide both.

Daily Devotion, October 19, 2019

Devotion:

Read Hebrews 12:1-3.

  The writer of the letter to the Hebrews wrote to encourage early Christians in a time of persecution. They were constantly faced with reasons to fall away from their faith in Jesus Christ. He compares this journey of faith with that of a race, emphasizing that it is a long-distance race and not a short sprint.

  To persevere is to endure. It is to continue with something even when it is a struggle to do so. For people on a diet of some kind, perseverance is usually going to be required. There comes that time when you are not seeing the results you wanted as quickly as you wanted. You have to determine whether you will keep going, whether you will persevere. The same could be said of an exercise or workout routine. The initial desire to do it soon wears off and it becomes an issue of perseverance. Words like “determination, commitment, endurance, resolve and will power” also come to mind when thinking of perseverance.



  And how do those who run long distances prepare for their race? They run every day. They keep their legs and lungs in shape by running. As you run the life-long race of discipleship, be encouraged that others have run this race before you and many others are running it now. They are all cheering you on. So “work out” regularly and know that you are not in this race alone.

Personal Worship Option:

Give some thought to how you are “working out” to keep in shape for this race of discipleship. What are you doing as an individual to stay connected to Christ? What are you doing to stay connected to other Christians? Offer a prayer of renewed commitment to persevere.

Daily Devotion, October 18, 2019

Devotion:

Read Luke 8:11-15.

  Anybody who has ever put a seed or a plant in some dirt knows the importance of having good soil. Jesus uses that common knowledge about soil to tell a parable about how different people receive and implement the word of God. Some hear it, but do nothing with it. Some hear it and appear to accept it initially, but do not let it become rooted in their lives and soon fall away. Some hear it and make some attempt to make it a part of their lives, but not enough to allow it to overcome the troubles of life, so they also fall away. But some hear it and let it take deep root in their life, so that they produce a bountiful spiritual life.

  The “summer times” of our lives are those times when we “work the soil” of our lives so that the Word and Spirit of God continues to get deeper into us. It is that time to water the soil. When you are feeling spiritually dry, it may be that you have not been spending enough time in personal connection with God in your daily relationship, as well as time with other Christians in worship, study, fellowship and service together.

  It is also that time to pull the weeds that may have begun to take root in the soil. What are those things that you have allowed into your life that are causing you to not be able to grow spiritually? And one thing I have noted about certain weeds over the years: some of them are hard to pull out by the roots. There have been times when I pulled it up and thought I got it out completely, but didn’t get all the root, so it came right back up. Maybe there are “weeds” in your life that you have made only a half-hearted attempt to get rid of.

  Growing a plant can be a marvelous act of creation in which God allows you to participate. God also allows you to participate in growing your life. In both cases, in order to reap the harvest, there is work to do during the “summer time.”

Personal Worship Option:

Give thought and prayer to what you need to do to better prepare the “soil” that is your life so that God’s message and way can grow deeper roots in you.

Daily Devotion, October 17, 2019

Devotion:

Read 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13.

Paul commands the Thessalonians to have nothing to do with those brothers and sisters who refuse to work. He set the example himself of not depending on the people he ministered to. The apostle Paul was a bi-vocational pastor who worked as a tentmaker. He was not afraid to use himself as a role model of a diligent worker. In effect, he said, “If you are unwilling to work, you will not eat.” Yet some of the Thessalonians remained idle and meddled in other people’s business. He encourages them to work and to never tire of doing good deeds.

Having an ethic of work rather than idleness is a long-standing Christian virtue. The Thessalonians may have been expecting Christ to return any moment, but Paul told them they must continue to work. This does not mean that we should be workaholics or disrespect people who cannot work. Thank the Lord for the opportunity to serve others and to glorify Him by using the gifts that He has given you. Whether working for wages, running a business, or through volunteering, contributing positively to society and helping others is a part of our witness. Christians must not only talk about Jesus, they must live lives which show that following Jesus makes a difference.

Personal Worship Option:

Have you ever heard that expression “so heavenly minded that they are no earthly good”? Help that not to apply to us. Offer this prayer: “You command us to never get tired of doing good. Please show me how to live up to this commandment today.”

Daily Devotion, October 16, 2019

Devotion:

Read Genesis 29:14-30.

Many childhood summers were spent helping Mom freeze quarts of fresh peaches and vegetables. The hours spent picking green beans, butterbeans, peas, corn, summer squash, tomatoes, and peaches seemed like an eternity from a small child’s perspective. But when winter came, and we enjoyed delicious vegetables and fruits, all of those hours were definitely worth it! God was at work producing the harvest. We just simply gathered it all!

It’s difficult to place ourselves in this Genesis’ story of Jacob’s fourteen years of labor which actually totaled 20 years (Genesis 31:38, 41). It is a different culture and a different time. We have little comprehension about how difficult the work was for both men and women during Jacob’s times. It is full of lessons for us from our biblical family’s story. It’s not a perfect family. It is woven with deceit and jealousy. But God is at work weaving grace, redemption and healing.

Whatever age we are, there is work to do. Whether we are a child and we have home-“work”, or music lessons, or sports practice or art “work”, or we are high school or college students and we have greater lists of “work” to do, or we are a parent or grandparent---- or whether we are employed or not, there is always work to be done! It took me many years to realize any kind of “work” is a gift! We all have different abilities for the work we can do, but we can all do the work of praying!

 

Let us ask ourselves, “What work do we have to do today?” We can add to that question,“What work might we do today which will make a difference in tomorrow?”

We can live with the assurance that God is always at work in our lives, too. God is at work weaving into our messy lives, God’s gifts of grace, redemption and healing.

Personal Worship Option:

Dear God, you know the work I have to do today. Please help me to work faithfully and with a grateful heart. Please help me to work today in such a way that tomorrow will be better for others. Amen.

Daily Devotion, October 15, 2019

Devotion:

Read Ruth 2:1-12.

When the wheat and barley were ready to be harvested, harvesters were hired to cut down the stalks and tie them into bundles. The law in Israel demanded that the corners of the fields not be harvested, and the grain that was dropped was to be left for the poor. Because Ruth was a widow with no way to provide for herself, she went to work in the fields to glean the grain. She took the initiative to work and didn’t wait for others to provide for her. Ruth was not afraid of working hard and believed God was her provider. Ruth was a hard worker who took an active part in solving her problems and did so with bravery, faithfulness, and kindness. God wants to provide for us, but he also wants us to take the initiative in solving our problems. He wants us to be faithful workers in whatever jobs he calls us to do.

Personal Worship Option:

Are you known as a willing worker? What kind of reputation do you have when it comes to work? Pray today that you will demonstrate initiative and a good attitude in the work you do today.

Daily Devotion, October 14, 2019

Devotion:

Read Matthew 9:35-38.

As Jesus traveled about, healing, teaching, and preaching the Good News, he was moved by the sheer number of persons who were living like sheep without a shepherd. This stirred him to ask his disciples to pray for more workers who might join him in the harvest. Jesus spoke from a deep connection with the people and the land. I grew up on a farm, and there were times in the late summer when the plants were grown, the fruit was ripening, and the time for harvest was coming. There was always a sense of urgency in preparing for the harvest, whether it was gathering the hay, corn, wheat, or whatever. The urgency came from the fact that the fruit of our labor would soon ripen and be ready for harvesting over a fairly short period of time; and if not harvested, the fruit or produce would soon decay or become unusable in other ways. As harvest time approached, it was time for “all hands on deck.”

Jesus’ call for prayer and preparation sends the clear message to us today that Jesus could not reach all the people by himself, and he needed workers then and needs workers now to help. In the very next verses in Chapter 10, he sends the twelve to join the harvest. This is a clear call for us to join in the harvest of seeking and nurturing others.

Personal Worship Option:

As you pray today, reflect on how the world today is filled with people without a shepherd. As Christ asks, pray for more workers who will go outside the church and into the community and their places of work and school to help others find Christ. Ask God to lead you into places of harvest as well and be open to God’s leading.

Daily Devotion, October 13, 2019

Devotion:

Read Genesis 1:11, 20, 24, 26-27.

  These verses remind us that God has been in the life-giving business from the beginning of time. God gave life to the plants, to the animals of the water, air and land, as well as to us humans. God is all about giving life where there is no life. God gives life.

  As the Bible story continues, we see this truth in other times and places. When Abraham and Sarah thought they were too old to have a child, God gave them a son named Isaac. God gave new life where there was no hope of new life. God gives life.

  Throughout Jesus’ ministry on earth, he regularly healed people and in some cases, brought them back from the dead. God gives life.

  Obviously, Easter is the ultimate example of this truth. Jesus gave up his life to die for us on the cross. But where there was no life, God gave new life. God resurrected Jesus from death. God proved that he could not be defeated by anything, including death. God gives life.

  As you go through each day, be open to the presence of this life-giving God all around you. God gives life.

Personal Worship Option:

There is a Taiwanese hymn in our UMC Hymnal that offers these words:

God created heaven and earth, all things perfect brought to birth;

God’s great power made dark and light, earth revolving day and night.

Let us praise God’s mercy great; all our needs that love await;

God who fashions all that lives to each one a blessing gives. 

Daily Devotion, October 12, 2019

Devotion:

Read John 20:30-31.

  As this writer nears the end of his book, he lets us know why he wrote it. Here is how Eugene Peterson translates verse 31 in The Message: “These are written down so you will believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and in the act of believing, have real and eternal life in the way he personally revealed it.”

  “Life” is a theme throughout this Gospel. In the fourth verse of the first chapter, the writer is talking about Jesus and says “In him was life…” John 3:16 says that all who believe in him “shall not perish but have eternal life.” And at 10:10, Jesus says “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” Those are just a few of the places where this writer makes it clear that for him, Jesus was all about giving life to people.

  He still is. He invites us to receive the life he offers and then learn from him how to become a life-giving person; to let his life flow through us to others. Any time you are feeling lifeless, look to Christ for new life. Then go share it with others.

Personal Worship Option:

Is there some aspect of your life or world that is feeling lifeless? Pray about receiving new life from our Lord.

Daily Devotion, October 11, 2019

Devotion:

Read Acts 9:36-42.

  One of the purposes of the book of Acts was to assure the early Church that the ministry of Jesus continued on as powerful as it was when he was physically among them on the earth. The same Holy Spirit that was in Jesus was at work in his followers. (That is still true today.) This story is a prime example of that. I went back and looked up the story of Jesus healing Jairus’ daughter in Luke 8. As in this story, the gathered people were weeping because of her death. Jesus clears the room of everyone except his three disciples and her parents. Then he simply says to the girl “get up” as does Peter to Tabitha in this story.

  It had to be tempting in those early days and years after Jesus’ ministry to say “It’s just not like it was when Jesus was here.” Acts tells the story of his followers to emphasize “In a very real sense, he still is here.”

  Sometimes it is easy for us to look back on days gone by and say “It’s just not like it used to be” and forget that God is still very much alive and at work in the world. God is always about bringing new life out of what may seem dead in our life and world. You or I may not be given this particular healing power that Peter had, but we can still be the life-giving people of Christ.

Personal Worship Option:

Think about someone you know who is searching for a new sense of life right now. Pray about how God might want to use you to help provide a “springtime” for them.

Daily Devotion, October 10, 2019

Devotion:

Read Luke 8:40-42, 49-55.

Do you ever get impatient about the end of February to see those little buds pop out on the trees and have the daffodils start blooming? It seems like it takes so long to see that sign of life and spring. We are all eager at that point to put away the winter coats and we long to see the green of the grass and the dogwoods. We have faith that new growth will appear. When it does, we rejoice in God’s brilliant creation of spring life.

Let’s talk about the patience and faith that Jairus had concerning his daughter’s healing. After Jairus has made Jesus aware of the crisis, in going to attend to the girl, Jesus seems to be sidetracked by someone else’s need. It is while these things are happening that Jairus receives the bad news that his daughter has died. If one truly believes in God’s word, one must trust it will come out okay. What Jairus saw as time running out was in itself a test of his faith where God’s Word is concerned. Jairus still believed in Jesus’ plan as he continued to take Jesus to his house and go inside. She came alive. Jairus’s faith was recognized and rewarded. 

Personal Worship Option:

Help us to listen for your word, be patient as situations occur, and realize that our real life is the eternal life that we are promised. We need to trust in you in each season of our lives.

Daily Devotion, October 9, 2019

Devotion:

Read Romans 5:15-21.

In my much younger years, I heard a sermon series on the seven deadly sins---pride, envy, gluttony, anger, greed and sloth. It seemed to me to be the saddest set of sermons I had ever heard. And sins were, in my definition, more behavioral than these deeper sins of the mind and heart.

In these later years, my eyes have been opened to the truths of those sermons years ago. From the second stanza of Charles Wesley’s great hymn, “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling”, my prayer has become, “take away our bent toward sinning”.

Paul is speaking truth in Romans 5 when he declares that sin brings death to everyone. But Paul is also speaking truth that God’s grace through Jesus gives LIFE to everyone! In verses 15 and 17, Paul offers the words of comparison saying “how much more” is God’s gift and provision of grace to everyone!

Paul’s message to us all is that even though we have this “bent toward sinning” which brings death, God’s gift of grace through Jesus Christ brings LIFE!!!

It is important to note the first verse of Romans 6, “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means!” Paul says!!! Paul’s point is now that we have experienced God’s grace, our lives must also be transformed by God to walk in new ways!

Personal Worship Option:

Charles Wesley’s third stanza speaks of this new life. Let this be our prayer today. “Come, Almighty to deliver, let us all thy life receive; suddenly return, and never, nevermore thy temples leave. Thee we would be always blessing, serve thee as thy hosts above, pray and praise thee without ceasing, glory in thy perfect love.”

Daily Devotion, October 8, 2019

Devotion:

Read Psalm 107:1-9.

This Psalm is a call to give thanks to the Lord. We are reminded that the Lord is good and his love lasts forever. His love has “redeemed” his people from their enemies and that is cause for celebration. In the dark “winter” of their lives his children were in the desert wastelands, hungry and thirsty. The Israelites had experienced captivity and bondage, had wandered through land and sea, and had experienced a famine. God led them to a city where they could settle, and this new life was worthy of praise. God helps us all through our own emergencies. He wants to guide us out of the dark and scary times of our life into a period of new life. I remember feeling God’s presence when my son suffered a terrible accident when he was nine years old. I wasn’t permitted to ride in the back of the ambulance with him, but I remember praying for God to give my son courage and me peace as we traveled that long ride to the hospital. We felt his presence and comfort through the kindness of the EMTs and then the hospital staff. We relied on God through the long recovery period and felt his presence through that hard season of life. What a wonderful celebration of God’s goodness the day my son was released to run and play. We celebrated God as we moved out of the dark period and into a fresh new life of healing and happiness. God is good – all the time.

Personal Worship Option:

Give thanks to God for the times he has seen you from the darkness to the light. Thank him for his goodness.