Devotions
Have you ever had the blues? Yes, at one point or another we have all experienced them. These are days when crushing fatigue, dreariness or mental fog leaves us wondering if we are ever going to make it, not just through one day but through the week. Sometimes this feeling can become the theme of our lives.
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.
God is With You!
The Lord your God is with you,
the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
but will rejoice over you with singing.”
As a new year begins, many might be wondering what is in store for them. Others are hoping for a return to what was. These words spoken by the prophet Zephaniah encourage us not to look back or wonder helplessly about the future but to look forward with certain anticipation of God’s perfect plan for us. God’s plan assures us of his Presence, his delight, and his joy. We can be certain that no matter what transpires in this New Year, he is with us.
God is with you, as “a friend who sticks closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24b).
God delights in you as he waits to claim you as his future bride ((Isaiah 62:4b).
God rejoices over you with singing as a loving parent cradles and sings over a child, he loves.
(Isaiah 66:13)
As God rejoices in us, we can rejoice in him knowing that we are no longer under any condemnation but are reconciled to Him through the death of his Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And we can give thanks and be glad as we face the future in the knowledge that our God is good, and his mercy endures forever (Psalm 118:1).
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for your ever-loving Presence in my life. Thank you for the assurance of your protection over me. I commit this New Year to you. Guide me Holy Spirit and teach me to abide in you. AMEN!
There is a right time for everything under the sun (Ecclesiastes 3: 1a). The writer of the Book of Ecclesiastes makes this truth plain to every believer. Sometimes we are impatient in our timing and sometimes we are slackers, but God is always on time. Every word, every prophecy, and every revelation happens in the fullness of his time. Often in our folly we try to manipulate God through prayer and other means, insisting on our own outcomes, only to discover that God is Sovereign over every situation in our lives and he does what he has purposed based on his divine and perfect will for us.
Thank you God for the sun, the moon, the stars, the sky, the earth with its rich vegetation, the deep mysterious forests, the majestic blue ocean, the lakes and rivers teeming with sea-life, the birds of the air, and the vast array of animals of every size and color. Who are we that you care for us?
In most cases, a crisis is something that draws humanity together. Consider the terrorist attacks of 9/11 or the many floods, tornadoes, earthquakes, and other natural disasters that have occurred in our lifetime, humanity banded together, time and again and got through it. 2020 is different. Almost every major crisis, has driven a wedge between people and groups of people. Family members have been split apart by politics; social classes have been driven further apart by the economy; COVID-19 has created division between those who wear masks and those who do not, and even the church has not been spared. There are schisms between those who believe COVID is real and infectious, and those who feel that their faith will protect them…, and on and on it goes.
Mother Teresa was well known for living a life that exuded the love of Jesus Christ and for making powerful statements about love. One that comes to mind today, states: “It’s not about how much you do, but how much love you put into what you do that counts. ”This sentiment echoes the words of the apostle Paul to the Corinthian church. The greatest spiritual attribute any of us could ever have is love.
