Devotions
In ancient times when a king was going to visit a city, he would send a herald before him to announce his coming. The herald would go around the city shouting, ‘The king is coming!’ Upon hearing this the city dwellers would clean up their streets, fix the roads and lock up the criminals to avoid being punished.
From the beginning of civilization people have been looking for signs signaling the end of the world. There have been prophecies and predictions throughout the generations, as humanity wonders, “is this the end?” With each generation we continue to move closer to the end. In this season of Advent, the word of God comes to remind us to STOP and pay attention to the signs in our generation. Safe driving demands that we come to a complete stop at a stop sign and look both ways before crossing carefully to the other side of the road.
We are all familiar with people whose cups are always half empty. No matter what the circumstance, they whine, they gripe, and they moan; nothing seems to satisfy them. Despite the real difficulties that the Psalmist has encountered in his life (See Psalms of Lament (e.g. Ps. 13, 25, 31), his cup is full in Psalm 23:5. He testifies that God has filled his table in the presence of his enemies and his cup of blessing and anointing overflows.
If you live long enough you will discover that human beings will lie, they will renege on promises, and they will let you down, but God will never lie. Therefore, if we expect to receive his overwhelming, beyond-all-measure goodness, we must learn to walk by faith. We must daily and continually, despite our fear, summon the strength to leap into the hand of a God who is constant and true; a God who will never fail us.
Why? When? How? These are the questions that often cause us to wrestle with our faith.... If you have ever been confounded by God’s workings in human life, you are in good company. Many believers struggle to trust a God who ‘lets’ young people die, a God who ‘lets’ tragedies strike the righteous, when the wicked prosper, a God who can even seem cruel at times.
When did you last experience curiosity at who Jesus is? You see, many of us assume we know him and theologically that might be true. We have read books about him and listened to preachers teach about him? We know a lot about him but when did we last ask, “What kind of man is this?” When was the last time we felt desperate enough that only Jesus could save us?
Greatness----It’s something we all yearn for, strive for, grasp at, and jostle each other for from the cradle to the grave. Ask a group of little children, “Who wants to go first?” and you will hear that unmistakable chorus of shrill voices chime out, “Me! Me! Me! Me!” We learn early, to compete and defeat and secure that coveted position at the top of the human pile.
There is a Kiswahili word that is spelled “We!” and pronounced with an “h” sound at the end. When an African parent says this word sternly while pointing at a child, that child knows that they had better stop whatever it is they are doing and pay attention. That word is a pre-cursor to a dreaded whipping. The expression is so terrifying that no child defies it. It declares intention; it announces that punishment is certain to follow; it will happen unless you stop what you are doing or are about to do.
Elijah was in the throes of fear when God spoke to him. He feared that Jezebel would kill him. Even though Elijah believed fully in God’s power; and even though he had just won the contest on Mt. Carmel over 450 prophets of Baal and four hundred prophets of Asherah (1 Kings 18:19), he was still very afraid. In the midst of this fear, God told him to go stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD and wait for the LORD to pass by (1 Kings 19:11). Elijah could have mistaken the powerful wind, the earthquake, and the fire for the presence of God. But he did not, because he was listening; he was tuned in to God.
We live in tumultuous times, with bad news coming at us relentlessly. It is easy to get overwhelmed by it all. But God is neither surprised by the events unfolding on the earth, nor by where we find ourselves (helpless, hopeless, worried, angry, sad…etc.), and he has already made a way for us to overcome, every time.
Time and time again, the Bible makes reference to the unexpected nature of Christ’s return. He will come back while people are eating and drinking; marrying and giving in marriage, while people are sleeping and while others are working in the field. In other words, no one will see it coming. What should we do when we are expecting Jesus to come back and yet are not certain when this will be?
It is hard to be hopeful when we wake up to a world that feels like it is on the brink of destruction. There is so much darkness, and so much distress. Nations are in disarray, the COVID pandemic is still raging, millions of people are in dire need, the climate is changing, and fires are burning, greed for power and wealth at any cost is manifesting across the globe and cries for mercy are rising.
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.
During labor, some women find it helpful to focus on a focal point during contractions. Together with breathing, these techniques work well to distract one from pain. It is reported that these techniques, enhance relaxation and help the women find focus during the birthing process.
During prayer, it is human to look at the problem before us, which is exactly what we should not be looking at.
One dark evening, a four-year-old boy was spending time with his father in the family workshop when suddenly the power went out. Everything became pitch black. In a scared voice, the little boy called out, “Daddy are you there?” The father replied, “I am right here son,” slowly making his way towards the place where his son stood quivering with fear, “Don’t be afraid, I am right here,” he reassured his son.
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.
