Devotions
Prior to his departure into heaven, Jesus took his disciples to a mountain in Galilee and gave them instructions on how they were to conduct themselves in his absence (the period between his departure from earth and his return to claim his bride (the church). Jesus began this speech with the words, "All authority...." Not some authority or most authority but "all authority…."
Words matter! As someone once noted, “Words are free, but they cost.” The writer of the gospel of Matthew says that every word we speak is a gauge to our spiritual condition. For it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks (Matthew 12:34). Indeed, God will hold us accountable for every word we speak, in the judgment.
St. Francis of Assissi personified devotion. It is said that he did not love humanity but men, and he did not love Christianity but Jesus Christ. What does this mean? This means that St. Francis of Assissi did not fall in love with the church, but with Jesus Christ himself. For him this faith was not about religion, it was a love affair with a person,… Jesus.
Has it ever occurred to you that God longs for you? I know, it is hard to imagine that the creator of this universe has the time to engage in longing. The truth is, that is what this whole Christian journey is about. It is about a Holy God longing for an intimate relationship with his people. That is, you, me and everyone else.
How do you fight life’s battles? Right now, millions of people across the world are facing private battles some big, and some small. Battles can strengthen us and sharpen our wits against the enemy and then sometimes battles can destroy us. It all depends on our spiritual stance. Many people are familiar with scriptures that remind us that it is God who fights our battles (2 Chronicles 20:15; 1 Samuel 17:47). And indeed, he does. He fought for his people Israel in the Old Testament and he fights for his children today. But we may be less familiar with scriptures that call upon believers to take up a sword and fight (Ephesians 6:17).
Love. Perhaps no other topic in the universe has been talked about, sang about or bandied about as much as the topic of love. Some of us grew up believing that love was this breathless wonder, this overpowering emotion that can leave one breathless or set one’s heart racing uncontrollably. Such love is worldly and often fickle; like froth in a coffee cup it frequently loses air and goes flat.
Do you remember the toilet paper shortage of 2020? It was absolutely insane was it not? I remember visiting my local supermarket and thinking, “You’ve got to be kidding!” The aisle was completely empty. Later I learned that the pandemic had interrupted production lines, thus the shortage. Sadly, when we look for peace in the world today, we sort of get the same feeling. The peace aisle is empty. Production lines have been interrupted. Nations are in turmoil. Families are in turmoil. People are in turmoil.
Every now and then, we hear miraculous stories of people who have come back to life from the brink of death. We are captivated by these near-death stories because they give us a glimpse into the hope that we all cling to concerning the afterlife with Jesus. Our physical death is the portal to this eternal dwelling. It is the final step to something new.
As Jesus turned his face towards Jerusalem, there was a buzz on the street as the townspeople chanted, “The king is coming!” The religious leaders were already looking for him. Threatened by his popularity, they had already decided to kill him. The crowds on the other hand saw him as the one who would free them from Roman oppression and domination. They had waited a long time for him. Each group had made him their kind of king. So, they waved their palm branches as they went out to meet him shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who come in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the king of Israel! (Luke 12:12).
Recently, I listened to young woman describing her life as she was moved from one foster home to another. She stated, “I always felt adrift, like I did not belong.” This is such a cruel reality, one that would have been ours, were it not for God. Like this young woman, it is easy to feel adrift in this world, it is not our home, but the love of Jesus anchors us and holds us close.
Perhaps you have heard those horrific stories of people who have been kidnapped and held captive for many years, and then been released by some miracle. Our hearts rejoice with relief and gratitude that they found freedom at last. Quite often, a strong bond develops between the rescued and the rescuer. The rescued never forget the person who rescued them.
Have you ever lost direction while driving? It can be very frustrating, and for some can lead to angry or impatient behavior. This is because, no one enjoys driving around in circles. We humans enjoy getting to our destinations. After God liberated the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, he sent them out into the desert towards Canaan, their destination. Despite God’s faithfulness to them in that desert; providing water and manna and giving them victory over enemy tribes in the land, Israel forgot who they were and whose they were which ultimately led them to forget their directions and their ultimate destination. Like wayward children, Israel began to dawdle at the base of Mt. Sinai. There, they formed a calf out of molten gold, and they worshipped it.
We have all done it at one time or another. We have sung songs declaring our total surrender to Jesus Christ. Perhaps it was, “I surrender all…” or “Take my life and let it be consecrated Lord to thee…” or “The Cross has the final word….” But did we really mean it? Was it all about total surrender or was it the catchy tune and the atmosphere of believers worshipping together that merely gripped us for a moment? Total surrender means complete acceptance of everything that comes with believing in Jesus.
February is here, and with it, the sounds and symbols of Valentine’s Day as millions prepare to celebrate love. But what is love? Is it the swooning feeling that comes over us when we see someone we are attracted to? Is it the chocolates, flowers, teddy bears and candy we exchange as a mark of undying devotion to one another? According to the apostle Paul, love goes so much deeper than this. Love means considering the needs of others first.
There is a sense in which many of us are also looking up into the sky trying to predict what will happen next in a cosmic drama we did not author and cannot edit (Genesis 1:1). Some are trying to predict what will happen next politically, others are trying to predict what will happen economically and still others, what will happen next prophetically.
If you have ever been in a dark room with only one source of light, you will find that your eyes are instinctively drawn to that light. It is the only point of reference for where you are positioned in that room. Now scripture declares, “God is light and in him is no darkness at all (1 John 5b).” The writer of Ephesians further warns, “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them (Ephesians 5:11).
The storming of the Capitol building in Washington DC, this past week was shocking. It caused the whole world to pause and take notice. Many people understood that if this could happen in America, then it could happen anywhere. Following the rampage, you may be experiencing a lot of mixed emotions. Perhaps, you feel bewildered, disoriented, lost, sad, unclear, uncertain, and even afraid. The foundations we thought would hold firm have crumbled and fear has come to roost.
