Daily Devotion, August 16, 2022

 

Devotion:

Read 1 Kings 17:8-16.

Long before the Great Depression, there was the “Great Famine” brought about by King Ahab’s idolatry. The drought was so great the land dried up and there was no rain. Elijah is hungry and thirsty. God gives Elijah commands to “go and stay” in Zarephath. Then he promises Elijah there will be help from a widow. This command and promise is interesting. Elijah is an Israelite; the woman is a Gentile. He is a refugee; she is a resident. And she is a woman, vulnerable, poor, and powerless.

She tells Elijah she has heard the voice of “your God”—a crazy God who doesn’t seem to understand that she is starving and has only enough for one last meal for herself and her son before she dies. And yet, she feeds him. She feeds him. Out of her extreme poverty, she shares what she has – with a man, a refugee, a stranger. As a result, there was plenty of food for Elijah and her family. God blessed her for her blessing.

In her example, may we see the promise that—even when we think we don’t have enough—we still have more than enough to be generous to others. 

 

We are often told to fear those who are different from us. Yet God tells us to love and serve others. The lesson from this account is to listen to God whether he tells us to “go” or “serve.”

Personal Worship Option:

Father, help me to trust and obey you in all things. Help me to use the resources you have given me to bless others. Show me a way to be a blessing to someone today. Amen.

Daily Devotion, August 15, 2022

 

Devotion:

Read Acts 3:1-8.

Interestingly, this man was routinely placed by one of the gates leading to the temple to beg for money. This was likely a choice spot, since persons going to the temple to pray would likely be in a charitable frame of mind. Peter and John did not ignore the man, as some of us might tend to do. Instead, they looked intently at him and instructed the man to look at them. This humble beggar probably avoided making eye contact with those from whom he begged. Peter and John did not have money, but they had something much better, much more powerful – the power to heal in the name of Jesus Christ. Once healed, the man praised God and became a witness to others.

I have spoken recently to two different dentists who are beginning to think about retiring. As I have spoken to them about ministries they might take on, they each recognized something they already have that is extremely valuable and is needed by many – the knowledge and expertise to do dental work. In essence, they are saying, “I am not sure how to be a prison mentor or whatever, but I know how to be a dentist, and I will give my time and talents to those who cannot afford to pay.” They get it!

Personal Worship Option:

Give thanks today for the things you have and think about experience and skills you have that others may need. Is there a ministry in which you could serve others, using those skills? Ask God to help you put whatever you have to work for others.

Daily Devotion, August 14, 2022

 

Devotion:

Read Joshua 3:9-17.

For over forty years, they had been waiting for this moment. They had made it to the border of this land God had promised their ancestors many years before but had backed away from the challenge of dealing with the people who lived there. Their elders had not trusted God to meet that challenge, so God waited until that generation was dead before allowing them to enter. I am sure they had imagined what it would be like to enter that land and establish themselves in it. This passage from Joshua tells of the day when it finally happened - they crossed the Jordan River and entered the promised land.  

There comes those times in our life when we cross over into some new aspect of it. As youngsters, we imagine what it will be like to move into that next level of school, get our driver’s license or move out of our parents' home and be on our own. Then the time comes and we no longer have to imagine it - we’re living it.  

As followers of Jesus Christ, we do not have to imagine what it would be like to lead someone into a relationship with Jesus Christ - we can live it. We don’t have to imagine what it would be like to serve in a ministry or mission that meets real needs of individuals and families - we can live it. We don’t have to imagine what it would be like to contribute to the vitality of Christ Church by serving in a ministry that meets the needs of people in this congregation and community - we can live it.

Personal Worship Option:

We encourage every person connected to Christ Church to participate in worship today and the next two weeks, as together we celebrate that we are approaching a time of shared ministry we’re calling “Beyond Imagine.”

Daily Devotion, August 13, 2022

 

Devotion:

Read Matthew 6:9-13.

Our focus today is on the lines of this prayer that say “...your kingdom come; your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Though not yet in heaven, we are expected to live as God’s “kingdom people” here on earth. We do not know exactly what heaven will be like. We can only imagine the details. However, we do not have to wait until we leave this life to experience what God’s kingdom is like. Jesus showed us with his life, teaching and ministry what it looks like to do God’s will here on earth. He showed us what God’s kingdom looks like in everyday life. He showed us that we can participate in God’s kingdom here on earth.

When our focus in life is to love God and love people, we participate in God’s kingdom here on earth. When we serve the needs of others (especially the least, last and lost), we participate in God’s kingdom here on earth. When we break down walls that divide people; when we embrace diversity rather than only being with “our kind”; when we are peacemakers; when we lead others to their own personal relationship with Jesus Christ, we participate in God’s kingdom here on earth.  

This prayer that Jesus taught his disciples of all times and places lets us know that when we do God’s will, we are participating in God’s kingdom here on earth. May you experience a little “taste of heaven” as you seek to live the way of Jesus Christ today.

Personal Worship Option:

What specific thing will you do today to help God’s kingdom come “on earth as it is in heaven”?

Daily Devotion, August 12, 2022

 

Devotion:

Read 2 Samuel 5:1-5.

After many years in the promised land, the Children of Israel finally unite as a kingdom. This was the third time that David was anointed king. First he was anointed by Samuel as a young boy. (1 Samuel 16:13). Then he was made king over the tribe of Judah (2:4). Finally, he was crowned king over all of Israel seven and a half years later. It took many years for the promise of a kingdom to finally happen for David. During those years, David had to wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled. David’s waiting was not passive. He was leading troops and learning how to depend on God and growing in his understanding of leading a nation.

If you experience impatience concerning life circumstances, remember David’s patience. This time of waiting prepared David for his important task of unifying the kingdom and placing God in the center of the nation. So, the same can be true for you. A waiting period may help prepare you by strengthening your character and providing time to learn important truths and skills.

Personal Worship Option:

Reflect on your times of waiting. Can you identify how God used those times in your life? Spend some time in thanksgiving for God's work in your life.

Daily Devotion, August 11, 2022

 

Devotion:

Read Judges 13:1-5.

Starting verse 1 with the word “again” reminds us that turning from God was nothing new.  Israel had been through this cycle of disobedience, discipline, despair and deliverance many times before. Israel is in such bad shape; they are not even crying out for deliverance anymore. Yet God will always forgive and deliver them. God is faithful even when we are not. Israel got comfortable in their slavery, just as we can get comfortable in our sin and distancing ourselves from God.  Samson’s story begins with a promise to his parents that they will give birth to a son who will begin the deliverance of Israel from the Philistines. The angel of the Lord appeared to her and said, “You are sterile and childless, but you are going to conceive and have a son.”

God had a specific purpose for this child as the directions were given in verses 4 and 5 for the parents. “Now see to it that you drink no wine or other fermented drink and that you do not eat anything unclean. No razor may be used on his head, because the boy is to be a Nazirite, set apart to God from birth. He will begin the deliverance of Israel from the Philistines.” You might wonder, why didn’t God help them earlier? God had great plans for their son, but it had to take place in God’s time, not theirs. This helps us understand why God does not always answer our prayers right away. When we are waiting, know that God loves you and cares for you, but he is also working out his greater purposes.

Personal Worship Option:

God, thank you for giving us the grace that allows us to come back to you again and again when we pull away and sin. Thank you for forgiving us and being patient with us. We are so grateful that your love for us is unending. Help us stay connected to you. Amen.

Daily Devotion, August 10, 2022

 

Devotion:

Read Judges 6:1-10.

The first word “again” in 6:1 catches our attention. “Again, the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord.” How quickly the people have forgotten God’s faithfulness in delivering them which was their “Song of Victory” in Judges 5!

The Israelite people have turned away from God “again”. They have forgotten all that God has done for them and they have not listened to God’s instructions which were, “do not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you live.” They have begun to worship other gods. Here, even in the Promised Land, they feel abandoned by God, but God hears their cries. In verse 11, God sends an angel to call forth Gideon to be a prophet, deliverer and judge to lead the people.

The commentaries refer to Gideon as “timid”, at first. “Gideon’s story begins as faithful and dependent on God’s guidance, while at the same time timid, weak and afraid. Later, Gideon will become much bolder and stronger as a leader. But he will rely less on God.” Dr. Dennis T. Olson, The New Interpreter’s Bible.

The people of Israel returned to God. Through Gideon, God rescued them from the oppression of the Midianites, Amalelkites, and the other eastern peoples. God’s instruction is always to not worship other gods. God hears the cries of the people and delivers them and calls them to repentance.

This is not a message of “be good enough and I will reward you.” Dr. Larry Crabb writes, “You’ll notice a weary cycle is repeated (in this book of Judges) with no visible progress. Things actually get worse. People forget God because they focus on the good life more than on the ONE who provides it for them.” This is the message of grace that even in the midst of our forgetting God, God remembers us. God hears our cries. God calls us to repentance to deliver us and to bring us to life again!

Personal Worship Option:

God is gracious and God is faithful to keep the covenant. We too often forget all that God has done for us. Today, let us return to God with thanksgiving and lives of repentance. With God’s help, let us turn from our old ways. Let us allow our will to be transformed by God’s will into ways which lead to life and life everlasting.