Devotions
Every new day presents us with choices; some complex and some simple. This morning you probably had to choose what to wear, what to eat, and what to do first when you arrived at work. Life is all about choices. And yet amid these choices, there is one that stands above all else, and we ignore it at our own peril.
The beginning of any new venture is always exciting. This is why we have so much energy and motivation at the beginning of a new year. It’s a chance to turn our back on the old and the mundane. It is a time to begin new practices and habits and leave what’s not working behind. But one of the things we cannot really change is work. It beckons to us whether we are at the office or at home. One of my mother’s favorite sayings about work was, “Work is a loyal friend. No matter where you go, it will be there waiting when you return.”
Someone shared a story about a woman named Pam once worked in downtown Chicago. Every day on her way to work she encountered a heavy-set, middle-aged woman in a shabby coat, soliciting spare change in front of an old brick church. She greeted everyone with a smile and a pleasant, “Good morning!” Pam almost always gave this woman some change. After almost a year of this routine, the woman in the shabby coat disappeared. Pam wondered what had happened to her.
I was attending a public event recently, when a woman standing next to me noticed my badge and exclaimed, “Oh! You work for (name of organization redacted)? That is such a fantastic organization.” She then inquired about my role. After explaining my role, I added a statement that comes naturally to me, “I feel so grateful to be doing something I love at this stage in my life. I am exactly where God wants me to be.” Instantly, I noticed a shadow cross her face.
Do you remember any giant stories from your childhood? My favorite was Gulliver’s Travels (1726), authored by Jonathan Swift. It tells the story of the little people Lilliput who tie down a sleeping giant in his sleep, rendering him helpless. As a young child, the thing that struck me the most in this story was that the ‘little people’ outwitted the ‘big giant’.
When planning for a journey, it is normal to pack a bag. The contents of the bag are determined by the kind of journey one is about to undertake. Consider the journey of life; what provisions do you need? Might there be things in our bags that should be left behind? Jesus knows what it means to travel lightly. He knows that this is not an easy world to be in and he tells us how to travel lightly by shedding off those things that are unnecessary for the journey. He reminds us that he will give us what we truly need.
Every spring and summer, I take some time to declutter and deep clean my house, because like many other people, ‘stuff’ always seems to find its way into my home. This annual decluttering ritual allows me to purge and discard all the unnecessary items that stealthily invade my space, making me feel as though I cannot think, breathe, or move. Did you know that our minds can also get cluttered? As we make our way through life, we are exposed to all kinds of situations, ideas and messages that can sometimes have lingering negative effects on our lives. It can interfere with our ability to thrive spiritually.
Recently, I watched a bunch of teenagers roller-skating at a skating park and was struck by the number of risks they took, as they looped and twirled and twisted and moved at breathtaking speeds. They appeared invincible. It reminded me of my youth, back when it seemed as though life would go on forever. Funny how wisdom and reality set in as one gets older.
The disciples had been fishing all night but had caught nothing. The next morning, Jesus enters the picture and asks them to throw their net on the right side of the boat. Even though they do not recognize him, they do as he instructs them to do, and they end up with a large haul of fish (vs. 13), and just like that they recognize who he is. It is the Lord.
“Mary.” Jesus only had to utter her name once and Mary recognized who he was. Out of the depths of her despair, she turned towards him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” which means, teacher. That is all it took for Mary to believe her Lord was risen and standing before her. Has God been calling your name? John 10: 27 reminds us, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”
Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!
Luke 12: 5b-6a
On Easter Sunday millions of Christians gathered in worship spaces to celebrate the resurrection of our LORD and Savior, Jesus Christ. Easter gives us the opportunity to remember with deep gratitude what our Savior did for us on that cross. It is a time for renewal and rebirth.
Just two days earlier, the women had witnessed the worst possible event. They had witnessed the crucifixion and death of Jesus. Later his body was laid in the tomb and the mouth of the tomb was sealed with a stone. Those who had hoped that this king would save them, saw all their hopes dashed as evening fell.
Today is Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week. Christians around the world celebrate this special day in remembrance of God’s great plan for humanity. This was a plan greater than any human being could ever imagine or conceive. Where man was looking for an earthly king who could help them fight their everyday battles, and perhaps help liberate them from Roman oppression, God Almighty devised the ultimate plan of sending his Son to fight the ultimate battle over death.
Have no doubt, God will test your faith. It is what he does, not for malicious intent nor for his own entertainment, but rather to refine and strengthen the character of those he loves (Deuteronomy 13: 3-4; 1 Peter 4:12; James 1: 3-4). In times of testing, victory comes through perseverance. Speaking to this theme of testing and perseverance, the late author, Maya Angelou, once said,
Now, Lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for yourself a name that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong. 16 Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger and your wrath from Jerusalem, your city, your holy hill. Our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors have made Jerusalem and your people an object of scorn to all those around us.
Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 5 we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. 6 We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our ancestors, and to all the people of the land.
During Lent, we remember Jesus, the One who “…humbled himself by becoming obedient to death-even death on a cross! (Phil. 2:8).” It is sometimes tempting to sanitize and romanticize the cross, but this ancient ritual introduced to Rome by the Phoenicians in the 3rd century BC was no romantic matter. Death on a cross resulted in a brutal and violent death which lasted anywhere from 4-6 hours, and which resulted in, among other things, hemorrhage, asphyxia, dehydration, and cardiac arrest.
