Daily Devotion, July 7, 2023

 

Devotion:

Read 1 John 3:11-24.

This passage offers reminders of what it looks like to “love one another.” We love others because God first loved us. For the Christ follower nothing is greater than when we love those in need. When we love them, we love Christ.

Jesus will recount, one by one, all the acts of kindness. Every deed done to improve the lot of another person. Even the small ones. The works of mercy and simple deeds. Yet, in these simple deeds, we serve Jesus. Astounding truth: we serve Christ by serving needy people and in so doing others will be drawn to Christ.

Personal Worship Option:

Prayer for today: Heavenly Father, every breath is a gift from you. Even so, I confess that sometimes my own hand remains tightly closed when I encounter the needs of others. Please open both my hand and my heart that I may honor You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Daily Devotion, July 6, 2023

 

Devotion:

Read 1 John 1:5 - 2:2.

If we let him, God’s love moves us to believe that our sins can be forgiven. We know that we are sinners; we say and do things that displease God. If we deny this about ourselves, we cannot change for a positive way forward. The guilt of sin weighs us down. It is such a burden.

Yet if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins. It seems unthinkable that no matter what you have done, if you confess your sin, God will forgive you because of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice. His death on the cross wiped away our sins, so that we may be one with God. Heaven and all of its blessings are open to the forgiven sinner.

Not only will God forgive confessed sins, but he will also show us the way. God through the holy spirit will direct us in the light so that we can live a more full life. We can become more Christ-like. His virtues of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness and faithfulness can shine through. There is nothing that can separate us from the love of God.

Personal Worship Option:

Heavenly Father, pour out your love into my heart so that I may truly confess and repent of my sins. Thank you for your endless love and forgiveness. Amen.

Daily Devotion, July 5, 2023

 

Devotion:

Read 1 Peter 3:8-16.

First Peter is written to encourage the Christians who are living in exile in an area which was then known as Asia Minor. Even in the midst of suffering and persecution, this letter was calling them to live faithfully following in the ways of Christ.

Verse 8 summarizes how to live honorably in their households and with each other in the community of faith: “In harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers and be compassionate and humble.” 

These earliest followers of Christ really did live in fear of persecution from the governing powers around them. Verse 9 shifts the focus from Christian behavior towards each other to their actions toward the larger society, refraining from retaliation and offering blessings, even in the midst of persecution.

In verses 10-12, the apostle Peter is quoting Psalm 34, reminding his readers that both words and actions as followers of Christ should match and are vitally important for their witness to others around them.

 

In verses 13-16, the apostle Peter is acknowledging that their suffering and fears are real. He isn’t pretending that following Christ offers an easy life of comfort or material prosperities, because it was “through Christ’s sufferings, the righteous One who died for the unrighteous, to bring them to God.”

The words in verse 15 stand out for us all, “Always be prepared to give an answer for the reason for the hope that you have...with gentleness and kindness.” Their words and kindness to outsiders are to mirror the ways they treat each other within their own communities.

These verses remind us we can rejoice even in our sufferings similarly to Paul’s words in Romans 5:3-4, “knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us.”

Personal Worship Option:

“In God’s great mercy, we have been given new birth into a living hope through the resurrection from the dead…” (I Peter 1:3) This hope is in God, God’s love for humankind and God’s gift to us in Christ, therefore we can endure the suffering and help others through their suffering, trusting in God every step of the way.

Daily Devotion, July 4, 2023

 

Devotion:

Read 1 Peter 2:1-10.

In our text, Peter called his hearers to consider a comparison with newborn babies. We know that they demand attention – a blanket to be swaddled; a “plug” to be pacified, but, ultimately, they need something more than being comforted and pacified. They need to be “filled.” To satisfy their most urgent need, they need milk (food)! In the same way, Peter urges us “like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.” (1 Peter 2: 2-3)

That “pure spiritual milk” is God’s Holy Word – Old Testament and New Testament; Law and Gospel; His Word of hope, forgiveness, mercy and grace! We crave hearing it in worship and sermons; in personal Bible reading and corporate Bible study; in private and family devotional times. God’s Holy Spirit uses our time in His Word to build us up in our salvation, faith and life. As we grow in His Word, we grow in our strength/ability to “flex our spiritual muscles” – to serve, lead, give and make godly decisions.

Our faith is based on the bedrock foundation laid for us by God, Himself, and that foundation is nothing other than Jesus Christ! God says “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in Him will never be put to shame.” (1 Peter 2:7 quoting Isaiah 28:16) In the “old days,” the cornerstone was the most important stone in the building. It had to be perfect, true and exactly positioned so that all the other stones could find their direction, angle and line from it. In this way the walls could rise straight and sure; able to withstand the effects of time and weather.

Jesus is the “Living Stone – rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to Him.” (1 Peter 2:4) He was rejected by the people, by the religious leaders and by the Heavenly Father, Himself, for that one horrible moment – “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46) He was rejected so that we would be accepted; condemned so that we could be freed; died so that we might be forgiven and have life! Jesus is the solid rock of our salvation.

Now, with the hands of a skilled master stonemason, He fashions us into living stones “being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 2:5) We offer spiritual sacrifices through our worship, praise and service.

Personal Worship Option:

By His mercy and grace, He has made us “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that [we] may declare the praises of Him who called [us] out of darkness into His wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2: 9) We thank God that He is “The Living Stone and We are His Chosen People!”

Daily Devotion, July 3, 2023

 

Devotion:

Read 1 Peter 1:3-9.

The Apostle Peter wrote this letter to Christians who had escaped persecution from Jewish people in Jerusalem and, most likely, in other parts of Israel as well. We can only imagine what trouble and difficulties they had been through that Peter describes simply as trials. Now they are in various provinces in Asia Minor (modern day Turkey), living among strangers in a foreign culture. They needed encouragement, and Peter gave it to them in this letter. Peter announced to them that, because they had been faithful, they have an inheritance kept for them in heaven. 

We should feel free today to read these words of encouragement and hope as meant for us too. Like the Christian exiles to whom Peter wrote, you and I have never seen Christ, and yet we love him and believe in him. All of us go through difficult times, and when we keep our faith in those times, we emerge as stronger Christians. Verse 9 reminds us that the end result of our faith is the salvation of our souls. When we think of the teaching of salvation by grace through faith, we often think of the writings of the Apostle Paul, but Peter teaches us this here as well. We are saved through faith!

Personal Worship Option:

Are you going through a difficult time? If not, think of a time when you did. God does not put trials in our path, but God is with us when they come. They test our faith, and passages like this encourage us to hang tough, remain faithful, and show the genuineness of our faith.

Daily Devotion, July 2, 2023

 

Devotion:

Read James 3:3-18.

This passage always brings to my mind a song I learned at church as a child. One of the verses said “Oh be careful little mouth what you say. Oh be careful little mouth what you say. For the Father up above is looking down in love. Oh be careful little mouth what you say.” Admittedly, I wasn’t always thinking about that song when I said some things I should not have been saying! But it was an early lesson in my life in the church that my mouth could be a source of trouble.

 

James is reminding some adults of that lesson. While with our mouth we can offer wonderful statements of encouragement and affirmation to others, as well as praise to God, we can also do great harm. Our writer speaks to that potential with blunt force: “It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” 

What would you say your percentages are for either harm or good with your mouth? I invite you this day to make a commitment to increase your percentage of using it to do good.

Personal Worship Option:

You are invited to worship with others at either 9:30 or 11:15 this morning, ideally on our campus; otherwise online. And just as important: Who might you invite to worship with you?

Daily Devotion, July 1, 2023

 

Devotion:

Read James 2:14-26.

Okay, so a couple of weeks ago we read our letter to the Ephesians and heard this from chapter two, verses eight and nine: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast.” Now James comes along with his letter, emphasizing works. Are these two points of emphasis mutually exclusive? Absolutely not. Our works (good deeds) are not what put us right with God. Our trust in God’s gift of grace through Jesus Christ does that. But placing our trust/faith in God means we believe in the way of living and relating to other people and all of God’s creation that Jesus lived and taught us. If we don’t follow that way - if we don’t serve his mission - then we don’t really believe in him. It’s when we do the things he taught us to do that we show we truly believe in him. That’s what James is emphasizing. And he is right.

I am reminded of the prophets of the Old Testament. They emphasized that God would not let the people get away with just going through their worship rituals and singing their songs, while not treating people fairly, especially those most in need all around them (Read Amos 5:21-24 for a prime example.) 

Both in James and in the Old Testament prophets, we are reminded that our relationship with God is connected to our relationship with people. It is as if God says to us “If you don’t love them, don’t tell me you love me.”

Personal Worship Option:

Offer this prayer or one like it in your own words: Holy God, thank you for continuing to push us and challenge us to show our love to you by loving people all around us, especially those most in need. In the name of the One who showed us that love the best, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.