Daily Devotion, July 10, 2023

 

Devotion:

Read 1 Samuel 3:1-10.

It is one of the great and guiding scenes in all of the Bible. The priest Eli had been serving God for many years, but his connection with God had weakened. However, there was still enough of a connection that he could mentor someone else in recognizing God’s activity in their life.

Samuel was a young boy and had been serving under Eli’s leadership, learning about God but not yet having his own personal connection with God. Then one night he heard a voice but did not recognize it. After going to Eli, assuming it was his voice, Eli knew who was calling. He was able to instruct Samuel on who this was and what to do when the voice called again.

I invite you to put yourself in the place of both Samuel and Eli from this story. As one who seeks to learn, who and where do you go to in order to draw closer to God? How are you being intentional in “learning to live the way of Jesus Christ” as we say in our mission statement? On the other hand, who are you seeking to guide in the way of Christ? You have been given guidance and teaching in the Church, so how are you seeking to pass that along to others? Who are you being intentional to invite and guide to follow him?

Personal Worship Option:

Have a conversation (prayer time) with God about those questions above.

Daily Devotion, July 9, 2023

 

Devotion:

Read 1 John 4:13-21.

We continued our reading today from where we left off yesterday. Our writer continues this focus on the love of God being the primary test by which you can know someone belongs to God. He says that the more we grow in the love of God, the less we will fear whatever we encounter in this world. When we reach perfection in this love, it will drive out all fear from us.

One of the greatest statements in all of the Bible is verse 19: “We love because he first loved us.” We are reminded of our motivation to love God and love people. It is because God took the initiative to love us, even when we humans had severed our relationship with God, it was God who provided the way for our relationship to be restored. Even when we were (are) unlovable, God still loved (loves) us. (That includes you and me and everybody else.)

Then he returns to the focus on loving one another. He is specifically referring to Christians loving each other. We all have encounters in the Church with Christians who may say or do something that hurts our feelings or who have different ways of thinking and believing than we do. They can be hard to love. (Sounds like being in a family.) John reminds us not to let the seed of hurt feelings or differences grow into hatred. God loves us, no matter what. May we all grow in learning to do the same.

Personal Worship Option:

Consider this prayer or one like it in your own words:

God of love, thank you so much for loving me and everybody else. Help me grow in your love, so that I can love others more and more like you. I want people all around me to be able to see your love through me. In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

Daily Devotion, July 8, 2023

 

Devotion:

Read 1 John 4:1-12.

This reminder to “test the spirits to see if they are from God” is an important part of being the people of Christ. For the context in which John was writing, the focus for that testing was on whether someone would acknowledge that Jesus Christ was both human and divine. The additional lesson I draw from this reminder is that people can call themselves a Christian but do not really follow and live the way of Jesus. They seek to live by the ways and “spirits” of this world but claim to believe in Jesus. Sometimes the only way we can “test" that is by watching and listening to them for a while. How do they treat people? How faithful are they in doing their part as the body of Christ, the Church? If you pay attention and listen for the Holy Spirit to guide you, it will become evident which spirit they follow.

He follows up that focus with an emphasis on loving one another. That in itself reveals so much about whether someone is connected to God. Our writer puts it rather succinctly in verse 8: “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” As we grow in God’s love, it becomes easier and quicker for people to test and see which Spirit we follow.

Personal Worship Option:

When someone is just getting to know you, how long does it take for them to see that you follow the Holy Spirit who is love?

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!”