Friday’s Devotion: God’s in the Game with Us!

James 5:11 (GW) We consider those who endure to be blessed. You have heard about Job’s endurance. You saw that the Lord ended Job’s suffering because the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

Baseball season has started.  I know because I got caught in pre-game traffic earlier this week. There’s always a lot of talk about the lineup, especially the pitching line-up.  The pitcher influences the outcome of the game maybe more than any other team member.  ESPN has a good website that gives stats and predictors by year.  Last season we only had one pitcher in the top ten candidates for the Cy Young award. So far this season we have none.  Cy Young so I understand was a great pitcher. Back in his day, pitchers pitched the entire game.  Now pitchers are specialized.  We have closers, relief pitchers.  Boy, sometimes in my days I’d like a relief pitcher to come in!
However, that’s not always possible.  We must stay on the mound and persevere as we face and work our way through challenges. I try to remember to stop and pray for strength and energy. God answers those prayers.  It’s available to all of us if we trust God and go to God for help.  In a way, maybe God is our relief pitcher!

Creator God, as the hymn goes, we need you every hour. Day by day we look to your for protection, healing, strength and direction. Please be with us today and bring us energy and joy for the day.  We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.  

Thursday’s Devotion: Leaving for the Far Shore

Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

I’m never surprised anymore when someone produces a wise saying.  On Idol last night Steven Tyler advised one contestant, “If you want to get to the other side you have to lose sight of this shore.”  The judges are encouraging the singers to let go, to sing with emotion and vulnerability.  When they think too much about the performance, the song suffers.  Their advice is also good for people beyond that environment.  How many of us have dreams and aspirations but let fear hold us back?  How many times do you want to act silly or tell a joke or do something fun that’s entirely new but don’t because it might mean losing a little control?  Have you ever wanted to say “amen” in worship or raise your hands or clap but didn’t want to embarrass yourself?  Are you stuck in a job or relationship that’s dragging you down, but fear change? God wants us to live life to the fullest but we let fear restrict our exploration of life. Have you given up on trying for the other shore?  Be strong and courageous; the Lord will go with you.

Thank you, God for the gift of life. Help us to live it without fear. Show us better and fuller ways to experience each day.  We ask in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Wednesday’s Devotion: Children and Politics

Matthew 19:14  Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

This is on the order of truth is stranger than fiction.  A single American woman living in Israel had twins by in vitro fertilization using donor sperm and eggs.  The donors’ identity is kept anonymous.  Recently the mother took the twins now 2 ½ years old to the American Embassy to register them. Now, the U.S. State Department is refusing to grant citizenship to her children because she’s unable to prove that the donors are American citizens. There would be no problem if she had adopted children but there is no law that grants citizenship to children produced by in vitro when the biological parents are not citizens.  “You can have a child that is a child without a country,’’ family law attorney Paul Talbert told NBC News. “They are not granted U.S. citizenship because there is no biological connection, and the laws of that foreign country may say they don’t recognize this child as their citizen, either, and the law really needs to address this.’’  U.S. State Department officials say they are sympathetic to the family’s situation but are following the law. It’s sad when children get caught up in the politics of a country or the politics of divorce.  No matter what happens in this earthly sphere, though we can rejoice that the Kingdom of God has no borders. Our citizenship first lies in this kingdom and only second in the country in which we live.

Loving God, We pray for children everywhere who are caught up in situations which they did not create and over which they have no control. Help us to love children as Jesus loved them.  We ask in His name. Amen.

Tuesday’s Devotion: Shine on Me

John 1: 6-9 (NIV) There was a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light: he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.

I had a discussion Sunday with someone about our inability to talk about the Divine without using figures of speech.  Scripture describes Jesus as the light of the world come to save a people sitting in darkness.  What does light do?  It reveals both the good and the bad.  It shows us our flaws.  Light also makes the scary things of the dark seem less frightening and it illuminates our path, making our way easier.  John was not the light; neither are we.  The Church is not the light.  Instead we emulate the light of Christ as we try to live like him. A mirror in a dark room shows no reflection.  In order for us to reflect Christ, we must first get close enough to him ourselves. Deuteronomy 4:29 says that we will find God if we look for God with all our heart and our soul.  Our motivation is not just to show the light to others, it is to have that light work in our lives for our benefit, too.

Lord, help us to see your light and to draw near that we may walk in the light.  Help us to carry the light of Christ to the dark corners of our world that all may have the same blessings we receive from knowing and accepting him as Lord and Savior.
We ask in his name. Amen.

Monday’s Devotion: God and Multiplication

2 Kings 4:1-7  The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the LORD. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.”  Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?” “Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.”  Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few. Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.”  She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring.  When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another one.”   But he replied, “There is not a jar left.” Then the oil stopped flowing.  She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.”

Yesterday morning I watched the first bit of Dr. David Jeremiah before I left for the church. He was in some arena that seated many thousands of people.  I wonder about those huge congregations sometimes.  It must be exciting to stand and sing to the glory to God with tens of thousands of other Christians.  There’s energy in numbers.  However I also thought about our smaller congregation and thought how happy I am that our energy comes from the power of the Holy Spirit that is so evident in and around Hapeville FUMC.  We have love and laughter and genuine worship and study, too.  God can take our small offerings of prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness and multiply it. If we are faithful with a little, God will be faithful with much. 

Dear Lord, Often we think we have less than others; less for ourselves and less to offer others.  Yet we know you created the world from nothing and that Jesus like this woman took a little food and made much. We ask you to continue to help us make the most of what we have.  In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Friday’s Devotion: Photography and Storytelling USED

Modified and used 10-11-21

Isaiah 28:5  In that day the LORD Almighty will be a glorious crown, a beautiful wreath for the remnant of his people.

This morning I saw a TV segment about a photographer who gets very close to the wildlife of Africa.  His pictures were beautiful. I thought that one of the reasons was because his subject matter was striking. I’m not discounting his skills but I know from my journey to the Holy Land that some of my pictures were amazing – not because I knew what I was doing with a camera but because the subject matter was itself amazing. After someone complimented me on my Easter sermon, I thought how could it not be exciting?  The subject matter is beautiful and exciting.  I am merely telling the story. Like a photographer, I try to put the subject in the best light, to find the best angles and to make something that reveals the qualities of the subject to those with whom I can share it.  We who love Jesus can all do that.  Isaiah 52:7 says,  “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!”

Heavenly God, We ask you to help us tell your beautiful amazing story to others. And we ask you to continue to help us become part of the story ourselves.  In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.

Thursday’s Devotion: What Not to Wear

Colossians 3:12-14  Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Yesterday our scripture told us to clothe ourselves in Christ.  Today we get a new outfit from the writer of Colossians.  I do love clothes and shows about fashion.  On “What Not to Wear” the hostess goes through an individual’s closet and throws away all the dorky clothes. Then she teaches the woman how to dress smartly.  Colossians also has its version of What Not to Wear. It includes sexual immorality, impurity, greed, anger, malice towards others, lying and obscene language. I know putting together the perfect spiritual wardrobe is easier said than done.  I put on Jesus yesterday morning but changed clothes about midday when I got tired and frustrated at the time it was taking to make progress with the tasks at hand. We like our comfortable dorky clothes.  Change brings challenges but just like the guest on the TV show – we’ll achieve beauty if we listen to good advice and then act on it.

Blessed God, help us dress ourselves in goodness and to cast away the unattractive garments that are self-serving and unbecoming. We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.