Daily Devotion, February 28, 2021

 

Devotion:

Read John 8:28-32.

Several stories in the Gospel of John tell of different ways that Jesus freed people to live a new life. He healed people of various kinds of diseases and injuries. He exorcised demons from them. He forgave them of their sins. He even literally brought some back to life.  

In addition to that and more, his teaching was often a source of freedom for people. This passage for today is in the middle of a lengthy section in which Jesus is debating the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem. (It begins at 7:14.) First, I note the phrase “To the Jews who believed in him…” It’s a good reminder that many Jews believed in him then and many still do. Then come these vital statements from Jesus: “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  

I sometimes hear or read of people speaking of “their truth” as if we all have our own personal version of it. On the contrary, each person has their own experience and understanding of life and that should be taken seriously. But we do not have our own “personal truth.” That is only found in the life and teaching of Jesus Christ. When you know and live by that, nothing can totally bind you. You are (and will continue to learn to be) free.

Personal Worship Option:

Consider seeking another Christian who tends to interpret the Bible differently than you do and invite them to have regular conversations grounded in the teachings of Jesus. Set as your goal to allow the Holy Spirit to guide you in the search for truth.

Daily Devotion, February 27, 2021

 

Devotion:

Read Exodus 3:1-10.

Our focus this week is on this God who liberates. That focus immediately brings to my mind the story of the Exodus. The language that is used here tells us of this God who takes note of people who are in bondage and works to set them free. And as we find out later in the story, this God will go to great lengths to do so.

But then, there is even more to the story. This God goes on to give his only Son, a part of God’s very self, in order to free all people from the bondage of sin and death. Jesus Christ, our ultimate revelation of who God is, gives his life out of love for all humanity so that everyone can be free to live life to the fullest.  

Through the gift of grace, we do not have to be weighed down wondering if we have done enough to be in a good relationship with God. The Children of Israel hadn't done anything to earn God’s favor, but were the recipients of this same gift-giving, liberating God.  

If there is anything in your life that has you feeling like you are trapped or held down in some way, give it to God. And if you know someone who is being held in any kind of bondage, ask God to guide you and work through you to free them. To be the people of Christ is to be a people of freedom!

Personal Worship Option:

Is there any person, family or group for whom God is calling you to work on God’s behalf to free them? Be sure to ask God before answering. 

Daily Devotion, February 26, 2021

 

Devotion:

Read John 8:1-11.

In various settings and in different ways, Jesus set people free. Here, he sets a woman free who others thought should be killed. Jesus didn’t condone her sin - he told her to go and sin no more. But he also addressed the self-righteousness of the Pharisees, Jesus saw both the mob and the woman. When Jesus said the person without sin should throw the first stone, he was shining a light on the importance of compassion and forgiveness. Discerning right from wrong is sometimes easy and sometimes hard. But it is God’s job to judge and our job to show compassion and forgiveness. Jesus stands ready to forgive any sin in our life. Are you quick to pass judgement or quick to show compassion and forgiveness?

Personal Worship Option:

Prayer for today: “Dearest Father, I know you see me and ask that you continue to guide, protect, bless and correct me. Grant me the power to see others as you see them. Help me see those you put in my path - really see them, with all their hurts, desires, longings, needs, joys and challenges. As you open my eyes, prompt me to open wide my arms to offer whatever help and encouragement I have to give. In Jesus’ name, Amen."

Daily Devotion, February 25, 2021

 

Devotion:

Read 2 Corinthians 3:12-18.

In this scripture, Paul reminds the Corinthians that the Lord is in their hearts, in their human spirit. Their hope of freedom comes from the fact that the one who is within them is God. Verse 17 says: ”the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”

Freedom is being out in the open, being bold, and having nothing to hide. Those who are free are those who do not have a reputation to defend and no image to hide behind. They can be themselves. People today are longing for this type of freedom. People want to be themselves. The only thing wrong is the way we do it. We are taught that the way to be me is to use my advantage and my efforts. 

 

God teaches us there is another process. This is a process of growth. It does not happen in one great transformation when we are suddenly filled with the Spirit.  Being yourself and having freedom does not mean denying the potential for all the wrongdoing that is possible in our hearts and in our lives. God’s acceptance and approval are gifts to us, so we serve Him out of a heart of gratitude for what we already have. We do not have to earn His favor, and our performance is not going to affect His love for us. By rejoicing and praising God, studying His word, and loving and serving others, we become freer persons.

Personal Worship Option:

Dear God, help us to be liberated by following your path for us. Remind us that we need you to show us the way to love, study, grow our faith, and serve others. Amen.

Daily Devotion, February 24, 2021

 

Devotion:

Read Hebrews 2:14-15.

“…and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.” Just this phrase alone, within this wonderful letter, can stop one in their tracks to realize this is worthy of greater pondering. My first thought is that when I am afraid, I close my eyes tightly and cover my ears.

The writer of the Letter to the Hebrews is making sure the recipients of the letter understand the supremacy of Jesus, the high priestly role of Jesus, the authority of Jesus, the redemptive work of Jesus and the ministry of Jesus.

In Hebrews 1, the writer describes how Jesus, the Son of God is superior to angels. In chapter 2, the writer describes how Jesus is lower than the angels, to become as we are. Psalm 8 is quoted within chapter 2, “What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? You have made him a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor and put everything under his feet.”

So verses 14 and 15 describe how Jesus shared in our humanity thru death. Jesus was the incarnation of God out of God’s own initiative and love for humankind to overcome death for us and to give us freedom from the fear of death.

How do we live in this liberation from the fear of death? This question is worth much more pondering as well! This liberation is for service unto others.

Corrie Ten Boom lived with this kind of liberation from the fear of death as she offered safe housing to the Jewish people during the holocaust. Rosa Parks lived with this kind of liberation from the fear of death as she took her seat on the bus. Many health care providers and medical people over this last year of the pandemic have lived with this kind of liberation from the fear of death. Even before they had all the protective gear needed, they served others.

Personal Worship Option:

This liberation from the fear of death is a gift from God in Jesus. Thanks be to God! Liberating God, open my eyes and my ears to courageously serve others in your name. Amen.

Daily Devotion, February 23, 2021

 

Devotion:

Read Isaiah 61:1-3.

These words of Isaiah were written as the Jewish people began to return from exile to their beloved Jerusalem, a return which had so long been dreamed of. As an anointed prophet of God, Isaiah speaks powerful words of hope, of the Lord’s favor and an overturning of the established social order. In his prophecy, Isaiah is also speaking of the work of the coming Messiah. Jesus read part of this passage in the synagogue at Nazareth and interpreted it as a reference to himself. It is Jesus’ mission statement, his purpose. As the anointed One, his purpose in life on earth was to “proclaim good news to the poor, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives, and release prisoners from darkness.” Christ brought good news to the oppressed and brokenhearted during his ministry and he brings good news to us today.

Have you felt like a prisoner in your home these past months waiting for the virus to end? Have you longed to return to our worship in church and transform your spirit with the fellowship of believers? Are you brokenhearted over the sickness and loss of loved ones? Christ brings comfort in our despair and promises to lift our spirits when we trust that he is in charge. For those who live lives of oppression and darkness, Christ brings comfort and the promise of help in times of distress. How does God provide this comfort and hope today? He uses his children, those who follow him, to give help to the poor, to comfort those who are sad, and to show kindness to the downtrodden. Are we willing to break through barriers as Christ did to spread his message of hope and love? Just as God anointed Isaiah and Christ to do his work on earth, he anointed us to continue to “proclaim good news to the poor, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives, and release prisoners from darkness.” Let’s be inspired today to fulfill this mission with our own acts of kindness.

Personal Worship Option:

What can you do today to fulfill Christ’s mission on earth? Whether you leave your house or stay at home, do a selfless act of kindness for someone who feels captive or imprisoned in some way.

Daily Devotion, February 22, 2021

 

Devotion:

Read Galatians 5:1, 13-14.

In this passage, written to some of the first believers of the Good News in Asia Minor, Paul is reminding them that life in Christ is a life of freedom. He is cautioning these new believers not to be drawn into the slavey of obedience to the Old Testament ritual law as a way to seek salvation. They (and we) are free in Christ! Living in a nation with its government founded on and guaranteeing our rights and freedoms, we can forget just how precious freedom really is. When I worship with inmates in the chapel at Walker State Prison, I am often reminded of the value of freedom. Singing in that chapel is usually lively and heartfelt, but I love it when we sing lines like, “My chains are gone...I’ve been set free!” They belt those lines out with feeling and loud enough to rattle the bars! 

But Paul also reminds us in this passage that our freedom is not meant to be used in the wrong way. The Scottish New Testament scholar and writer Dr. William Barclay wrote, “Become a Christian and do whatever you want.” Our first thought might be that Christians are free to indulge in wrongdoing. But Dr. Barclay’s point is that when we become a Christian, our desires change. In Christ we are free to love God and to humbly love our neighbors as ourselves.

Personal Worship Option:

In this first week of Lent, a period of preparation for Easter, give thanks today for the price Jesus paid for our sins. By his death and resurrection, Jesus liberated us from the bondage of sin, and we are free. Celebrate that freedom and humbly seek to use it to serve others in the name of Christ.

Daily Devotion, February 21, 2021

 

Devotion:

Read John 3:1-10.

Nicodemus was a teacher who taught people about God. And while many of his fellow teachers were skeptical about Jesus, Nicodemus could see that what this rabbi from Nazareth was teaching and doing could only come from God. He wanted to hear more about what Jesus had to say. He wanted to probe deeper into his teaching. He knew he had more to learn and he was still willing to do so.

To be a disciple is simply to be one who is willing to learn. The challenge is to keep that desire going throughout life. It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking that we have learned all we need to know. It is tempting to fall into a similar trap of thinking that what we have already learned does not need to be reexamined, that some of it could be wrong. But if you have ever talked to anyone who reads and studies the Bible regularly, you have probably heard them say that each time they read any particular passage, they learn something new. And if any of us pay attention to the Holy Spirit working in our lives, we have experiences of regularly learning something new about putting those passages into practice.

This same Gospel writer tells us that after Jesus died on the cross, Nicodemus was there to help prepare his body for burial. He was still following. He was still learning. I’m guessing that the conversation from this night was running through his mind, including this part: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him won’t perish but will have eternal life. God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him.”

May we continue to learn that and live that. May we continue to learn how to be the people of Christ.

Personal Worship Option:

Name three things you have learned about being a Christian in the last five years. What do you still hope to learn? What do you think Jesus Christ would most like to teach you?

Daily Devotion, February 20, 2021

 

Devotion:

Read James 3:13-17.

Eugene Peterson is the Presbyterian pastor who translated the Scriptures into what is simply known as The Message. I highly recommend it, especially if you are looking for the Bible in easily-understood, everyday language. Here is how he translates our passage for today:

“Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? Here’s what you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It’s the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts. Mean-spirited ambition isn’t wisdom. Boasting that you are wise isn’t wisdom. Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn’t wisdom. It’s the furthest thing from wisdom -- it’s animal cunning, devilish conniving. Whenever you’re trying to look better than others or get the better of others, things fall apart and everyone ends up at the others’ throats.

Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and respect.” 

I commend to you this wisdom from God and pray that we all will seek to more fully know it and live it.

Personal Worship Option:

What part of this passage do you most need to work on? Pray and ask God to guide you in doing so.

Daily Devotion, February 19, 2021

 

Devotion:

Read Matthew 4:18-20.

My Grandpa was a fisherman. Not by trade, it was a hobby. But even as a hobby, he took it extremely seriously. He had a little notebook that he recorded the place, time, weather, and the number of fish caught all in an attempt to be successful each day that he fished. I loved going fishing with my Grandpa as he taught me the ins and outs of fishing. Some of those lessons included patience, listening, planning, preparing, and skill using the equipment. Those same lessons are transferable when “fishing” for people. Jesus invited some fishermen to follow him and learn a whole new target for fishing. Jesus calls us to do the same as well. Come. Learn. Share the Good News with all you meet.

Personal Worship Option:

What is God calling you to do? Are you willing to learn new things? Open your heart and put in action God’s plan for today.

Daily Devotion, February 18, 2021

Devotion:

Read 1 Kings 3:5-12.

When I think of King Solomon I think of the Wisdom of Solomon, maybe the riches of Solomon, and Solomon’s Temple. Wisdom usually comes to mind first. If being wise means that a person always makes the right decisions, then King Solomon’s story points to his mistakes. According to commentaries Gibeon was the principal high place of worship which was not directed to the worship of God, but to idols. It was at Gibeon that the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream. The dream, and the answer God gave within the dream, is very important. Solomon asked for an understanding mind (or as translators literally suggest a “listening heart”) and God granted such a gift to be used for the sake of others. Service toward others was the main point.

The location of Solomon’s worship at an idol high place tells me that God came to him where he was even though it was a questionable place to be and gave him a new calling. Much of Solomon’s life is not held up to us as a role model, but this prayer of his, offered after God interrupted him in a dream, is the exception. The greatest wisdom comes from a listening heart that has learned to serve. This truth comes to us where we are in this confusing world where a thousand questionable diversions can get us off track. The Biblical kings made their mistakes and committed their sins. However, in this story I find the assurance that God will find us where we are and His word will speak to our listening hearts and lead us to serve one another in love.

Personal Worship Option:

God help us ask and seek wisdom from you and not from worldly distractions. Help us to study your word and listen to your guidance. Amen.

Daily Devotion, February 17, 2021

 

Devotion:

Read Ecclesiastes 7:11-12. (NRSV)

Remember the credit card commercial which adds up the cost of each item or experience, then adds a note of wisdom to declare the time spent with family as, “priceless”? It’s signature line is, “there are some things that money cannot buy...” In a way, it seems to sum up what these verses are saying.

Ecclesiastes is one of the books of wisdom literature in the Old Testament. The word, “wisdom” is listed 28 times within these twelve chapters. Wisdom is a gift which comes from God. Wisdom is more than knowledge. Wisdom is the combination of knowledge, understanding, discernment, and a sense of living ethically and faithfully unto God, others and self.

For these verses, imagine a teacher with young students having a discussion. The teacher asks, “Which is better for an inheritance, money or wisdom?” And some students might say “money” for good reasons and others might say “wisdom” for good reasons. And the teacher says to them, “You are both correct because both are good protection. But there’s one great difference, wisdom gives life to the one who possesses it.”

Wisdom is a gift which sustains us through the years. We too, become students of pondering this gift of wisdom. Perhaps we need to value it more than we do. How often do we fret and measure life’s successes by the measure of money? But wisdom teaches us that life’s riches cannot be measured in the amount of money we have accumulated. Life’s riches are in the relationship we have with God and one another. Life’s riches accumulate in what we learn from God and each other all along the way.

After a friend’s grandmother’s passing, many spiral-bound notepads were discovered full of lists. This friend said she realized the secret of her Grandmother’s joy! Her grandmother made daily lists of her blessings and gave God thanksgiving each day for all those blessings! What an inheritance! That’s the gift of wisdom’s accumulation from a life of faithfulness well-lived!

Personal Worship Option:

“I’d Rather Have Jesus”

I'd rather have Jesus than silver or gold

I'd rather be His than have riches untold

I'd rather have Jesus than houses or land

I'd rather be led by His nail-pierced hand

Than to be the king of a vast domain

And be held in sin's dread sway

I'd rather have Jesus than anything

This world affords today

Words written in 1922 by Rhea F. Miller, music in 1933 by George Beverly Shea

Daily Devotion, February 16, 2021

 

Devotion:

Read Colossians 2:2-8.

Paul is reminding the Colossians to "keep their focus." The determining factor between winning or losing in the fields of competition is keyed on the ability of the athletes to keep their eyes on that which is most important. In a similar way, it is vitally important in our walk with the Lord to keep our eyes on Jesus. There are times when we feel incompetent to stand against the world's "fine-sounding arguments." But, our best defense is not our ability to articulate our beliefs but rather to keep our focus on the truth, Jesus Christ, and to live a life that honors Him. In other words, "I may not understand your argument but I know Jesus and he is the one who has all wisdom and knowledge."

These kinds of teaching still pose problems for the church today. What "fine-sounding arguments" today lure us away from Christ and hinder our spiritual maturity? How do we strike a balance between becoming too narrow and thick-headed so that no one can teach us anything new and too wide with our views so that we begin to jump on every new bandwagon of thought? Here is a solid biblical test to see whether or not a philosophy or teaching is true. Ask this two-part question: "Does this teaching agree with God's Word and does it bring glory to Jesus Christ?"

Receiving Christ as Lord of your life is the beginning of life with Christ. But we must continue to follow his leadership by being rooted, built up, and strengthened in the faith. Paul uses the illustration of our being rooted in Christ. Plants draw nourishment from the soil through their roots. We draw our life-giving strength from Christ. The more we draw our strength from the right source, Christ, the less we will be fooled by those who falsely claim to have life's answers.

Personal Worship Option:

Pray this today: Father, help me to remember that your deep roots sustain me through droughts, steady me through trials, and nourish me to thrive. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Daily Devotion, February 15, 2021

 

Devotion:

Read Proverbs 2:1-6.

When I graduated from college, my head was packed full of the knowledge and theory of structural engineering and design. As I began to apply that knowledge in my career, my manager would often suggest that I design more conservatively, beefing up my structures and sometimes suggesting I design for more loading than seemed reasonable. At first, this seemed wasteful to me; but invariably things would change as the project went along, and my design would work better because of my manager’s coaching. He had mixed years of experience and practical understanding with his own knowledge of theory, and he was coaching me toward something called wisdom.

Solomon knew something about wisdom, and in this passage, he is urging us to value and seek it. Good engineers, doctors, farmers, mechanics, teachers, pastors, and...you name it...never stop learning! These proverbs instruct us to seek knowledge, insight, and understanding of God. We do this by reading and studying the Bible and immersing ourselves in books, blogs, and discussions with trusted and wise persons. We are all “Christians Under Construction,” and the wisdom God imparts makes us effective and useful in our lives, in our families, and in our ministries.

Personal Worship Option:

Spend some time today being introspective. What new things are you learning? Do you spend your time productively gaining new skills or knowledge? Think about this in relation to your spiritual life in particular and commit to taking on one new way of gaining the understanding and wisdom God promises and offers. 

Daily Devotion, February 14, 2021

 

Devotion:

Read John 11:17-26.

We have saved this “I Am” statement of Jesus to be our last in this sermon series. It is the one that most connects with the focus of this Gospel: life. In a scene where everyone is focused on death, Jesus let’s everyone know that he is “the resurrection and the life.” He is the source of life. And anytime we feel like our life has ended in any way, he is the source of new life.  

Sometimes in life, we can have that feeling that life as we knew it has ended. Maybe it was the death of somebody close to you. Maybe it was losing a job. Maybe it was experiencing the pain of divorce. It could have been your best friend betraying you. There are all kinds of ways to experience that feeling of life ending and wondering how to go on.  

The resurrection that Jesus speaks of certainly includes a promise of being given a new body sometime after our present body stops functioning, in which we live for eternity. But it is also about a way of living life in this body in this world. It is a belief that no matter what happens in life that causes us to think life has ended, Jesus Christ offers new life. He guides us in how to live again, to experience life in a whole new way. So when you have something happen in your life that causes you to wonder how you can go on, remember that Jesus is “the resurrection and the life!”

Personal Worship Option:

Reflect on these words (and/or sing them) from the song by Bill and Gloria Gaither:

Because he lives, I can face tomorrow; because he lives, all fear is gone;

because I know he holds the future, and life is worth the living just because he lives.

Daily Devotion, February 13, 2021

 

Devotion:

Read Mark 9:2-8.

Next week, we will begin the Season of Lent with Ash Wednesday. We embark on that 40-day journey (not including Sundays) to Easter. Part of that journey will remind us of much of the darkness Jesus faced, culminating in his crucifixion. On the traditional Church schedule of readings (called the Lectionary), the story of Jesus’ transfiguration is always the Gospel reading for the Sunday before Lent. It is as if we are being reminded of the glory and majesty of Jesus at Easter, before we go back down from that mountaintop to live the journey in between.  

When I read the whole story of the life and ministry of Jesus, it is almost like this scene serves that same purpose for these disciples. They are Jesus’ most intimate circle of students. He allows them to experience this glimpse of his glory that will hopefully carry them through the journey ahead. Yes, even they still failed him, but this experience must have added greatly to their new understanding and commitment to him after Easter.

Hopefully you have had and will continue to experience mountaintop experiences in your relationship with Christ that carry you through the difficult times. Yes, even then, we all still fail him at times, but those previous experiences only add to our understanding and commitment when we come out on the other side. As we continue on this journey with him, may we each hear God say “This is my Son. Listen to him!”

Personal Worship Option:

Reflect on the mountaintop experiences you have had with Jesus. Give thanks for the “spiritual boost” they gave you then and still today.

Daily Devotion, February 12, 2021

 

Devotion:

Read Esther 4:12-16.

Esther was willing to give her life to rescue her people. She could have withdrawn and tried to save herself, but instead she saw that God had placed her in that position for a purpose, so she seized the moment and acted. We can learn much from Esther. When facing a difficult situation we can count the cost (Esther knew her life was in danger). Set priorities (she believed the Jewish race was more important than herself). Prepare (she gathered support and fasted). Action (she determined a course of action and followed through).  When it is within our reach to save others we must do so. In a life-threatening situation, don’t withdraw, behave selfishly, wallow in despair, or wait for God to fix everything. Instead ask God for his direction, and act. God may have placed you where you are “for such a time as this.”

Personal Worship Option:

Are you facing a difficult situation? Spend some time in prayer and fasting to determine God’s direction.

Daily Devotion, February 11, 2021

 

Devotion:

Read John 15:12-17.

It's not always easy to love people. Jesus commands us to love people and we still struggle to make loving others a priority in our life. Loving people is hard because we want them to love us first and they may be drastically different than us. We often love ourselves and are selfish in giving out love to others. If given a choice, we wouldn't make any effort to love others; but Jesus didn't give his disciples a choice. He makes the command plain even if it is difficult. I believe Jesus knows this is difficult, that's why he offers instructions on the topic. Jesus wants us to love others as He loves us.

The more I become aware that I am infinitely loved by Jesus, the more I am able to share that reservoir of love with people who need it. I should not wait for the other person to love me, just as God does not wait on my love but initiates the relationship.

A few hymns that come into my mind about Jesus being my friend:

“What a friend we have in Jesus!”

“Jesus! What a friend for sinners, Jesus lover of my soul!”

“I’ve found a friend, O, such a friend! He loved me ere I knew Him.”

“I’ve found a friend who is all to me, His love is ever true.”

“There’s not a friend like the lowly Jesus, no not one, no not one!”

Personal Worship Option:

Dear God, help us to embrace your endless love and to reach out and share love with others who we meet.

Daily Devotion, February 10, 2021

 

Devotion:

Read Ezekiel 37:1-14. (NRSV)

As I write this in January, I have just seen the green leaves of daffodils emerging from the bulbs within the earth. I wonder, “How do these plants, deep within the darkness of the earth, know that it is time to spring forth and blossom?” The vision invites us into one of God’s holy mysteries.

Ezekiel, in this beloved passage, also invites us into a vision of one of God’s holy mysteries. During a most difficult time in Israel’s history, Ezekiel is reminding the people of God’s incomparable power to give life and life again.

The following four quotes opened my eyes in new ways to see God’s resurrection power and hope within these verses:

 

• “Ezekiel challenges his fellow exiles and generations of his readers to view their circumstances not through their own, limited vision, but through God’s eyes. Can these bones live? Look at them through God’s eyes and with God’s power. And watch bones come to life!!!” Dr. Katheryn Pfisterer Darr
• “God promises not only sinews and flesh and skin, but most importantly, God calls the breath to come from the four winds and breathe life into the slain. This breath is the spirit of God, the life-giving ruach God breathed into the first human creature in the garden, into Lazarus and into Jesus, lifting him up to resurrection life. This breath moves through the world, raising people into new life when all odds are against it.” Dr. James A. Wallace
• “While life would have been enough for the bones, it is not enough for the Deity. The passage grafts life to the knowledge of God.” Three times in this passage in different ways it says, “then you shall know that I am the Lord and have spoken and will act.” Dr. Stephen Breck Reid
• “Ezekial’s vision of the valley of dried bones bears no date because every generation needs to hear in its own time that these bones can live again.” Nobel Laureate and Holocaust survivor Ellie Wiesel

God has the power to give life and to give life again! Not only that, we can know every breath that we breathe comes from God.

Personal Worship Option:

Life-Giving God, forgive us for limiting our views of life by our vision. Open our eyes to your vision of resurrection power even into a valley of dry bones. Let us live seeing new life all around us! Amen.

Daily Devotion, February 9, 2021

 

Devotion:

Read John 11:38-44.

By the time Jesus commanded the stone to be rolled away, Lazarus had been dead four days. Martha protested that there would be an odor. Or, as the King James Version says, "Lord, he stinketh!" A body that has not been embalmed begins to noticeably decay and smell after three days, especially when exposed to heat. Sometimes, in order to have a resurrection, matters are foul and messy. Resurrections do not happen when all is sterile and clean and smelling like our favorite room deodorizer. When we need healing, it's because there's been a mess of some sort.

The stone had to be removed in order for the miracle to occur. Jesus could have moved it himself. Removing the stone is an important part of the miracle. This was hard. His friends did not want to take away the stone because they had already given up. They had lost hope. Our situations may seem hopeless too, beyond help. We may even seem desperate. In my own time of hopelessness, I have found it serves me best to focus on the God of hope. It's hard. It really is. We have to remove the stone that is preventing God from working in our lives. What is your stone? Is there something that needs to be removed in order for God to go to work in your life? A bad attitude? Lack of forgiveness? Anger? Busyness? Fear? Denial of the truth? The stones have to be removed to allow God to work. God wants us to participate in our own breakthrough and cooperate with him.

 

Lazarus had to respond to the call from death into life. Lazarus came out with his feet and hands bound with graveclothes. His face was also wrapped in a cloth. Once again Jesus gave instructions: “Take off the grave clothes. One version says, "Unbind him and let him go.” The community needed to assist in the resurrection. "Unbind him, and let him go." How terrifying to take off the graveclothes! What would you do?

Isn't it wonderful to have the fellowship of other believers to help us get untangled from our grave clothes? We need community. We need each other to help us with the action of resurrection. So many of our faith stories involve unbinding somebody, helping people to live life out of the bandages. The community has the power to either wind those burial clothes tightly around people or unwind them. Are there people in your life that you are keeping bound up? Are you refusing to forgive someone? Are you holding on to the past and need to release someone from that past? Is there someone you need to release from control?

We all are in graveclothes of some sort.  We all are bound up by something that keeps us in the tomb. What things keep you bound in your graveclothes? Does someone need to unbind you? Do you need to unbind yourself and take off anything that resembles death? Take off those negative thoughts, that angry attitude, the hurtful words, and the aggressive actions so that God can give you a resurrected life. He wants us to come to him when he calls our name. He wants us to shed our grave clothes and walk in new life with him.

Personal Worship Option:

If you are not struggling to unbind yourself today, maybe God is calling you to unbind someone else. Ask God to increase your willingness to be an unbinder so when God calls you to unbind and let them go, you will step forward.

Daily Devotion, February 8, 2021

 

Devotion:

Read Genesis 3:22-24.

Our Scriptures for this week help us to see the sacrificial love of God, who gives us life. At first, this passage of banishment from the Garden and the tree of life may seem a strange reading to be included with this theme; but on closer examination, we can see that it fits very well. Adam and Eve represent all of humanity, created in God’s image and not even aware of the difference between good and evil. Initially, they had lived obediently and in the perfect will of God, but then they disobeyed God and ate the forbidden fruit. God had warned them that eating of that tree of the knowledge of good and evil would result in their death. God had created humanity with free will; and having now disobeyed God, they were not equipped to live forever. Out of love, God ushered them away from that gift. It is important to see that God does not remove the tree of life and the possibility of living forever.

In Romans 5, Paul contrasts the sin of Adam in taking away life and the gift of eternal life through Christ. Sometimes, in our love of life on this earth, we wish it could last forever. But Christ offers a much more beautiful eternal life...a life without pain, sickness, fear, and death...a life lived in God’s presence and only beginning in this life here on earth.

Personal Worship Option:

Think for a moment about someone in your life who loves you without any conditions, who loves you deeply, and who lets you know they love you. Give thanks for that love! Now give thanks for God’s love for you that exceeds the love any human can have for us.

Daily Devotion, February 7, 2021

 

Devotion:

Read John 8:12.

In another of the “I Am” sayings of Jesus in this Gospel, Jesus uses light to describe himself. One of the ways we often think about light is when we understand something. You have probably seen it used this way in cartoons and comic strips. When they want to show that the character “gets it” or has a new idea, they put a light bulb over their head. One of the ways that Jesus is a light for us is he helps us understand what God is like. He helps us understand what it means to be God’s people, to represent God in the world. Jesus showed us what that looks like by the way he lived his life, the way he treated people and by what he taught. He helps us better understand the Scriptures.

And yet, all too often, we still don’t understand (or don’t want to). This Gospel begins by saying that even though this light came into the world, there were (and are) those who did not want to see the light. They preferred the darkness more than the light. They preferred their own understanding rather than what the light was trying to reveal to them.

But another verse in that opening chapter shouts the “good news”: “The light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it.” Even though there continues to be those who do not want the light of new understanding, thank God that the light of Jesus Christ still shines to dispel the darkness of misunderstanding and misinformation. If we are open to receive the light of Christ, he still shines to guide us in all of life.

Personal Worship Option:

Pray that you will be open to receive the light of Jesus Christ, who continues to teach and guide all those willing to see and understand.