May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. [Psalm 19:14]
I’m sharing these daily devotions in the hope they will inspire you to read God’s word. I’m praying that they will help you find your way to a closer relationship with God. [Read More ….]
Following Jesus’ ascension into heaven, the apostles obediently and courageously returned to Jerusalem. They got down to business and selected a replacement for Judas Iscariot, the betrayer of Christ. With the addition of Matthias, there again were twelve apostles and about 120 believers/disciples and the entire group devoted themselves to prayer. Picture this diverse group of people. How did they keep the faith? Did they wonder what exactly they were waiting for and when it would happen? Where was this baptism with the Holy Spirit Jesus promised them? When would Jesus to return? Did they grow impatient or begin to doubt what they’d seen with their eyes?
While we don’t know the words of their prayers, we do know they were still praying together ten days later—fifty days after Jesus’ resurrection. Occurring seven weeks after the Jewish celebration of Passover, that fiftieth day was the Jewish holiday Shavu’ot (or Pentecost). This Jewish holy day celebrated the first harvest and Moses being given the law at Mt. Sinai.
It was on this fiftieth day after Jesus’ resurrection that the Holy Spirit, accompanied by high winds and tongues of fire, descended upon Christ’s followers. As the believers were filled with the Spirit’s power, they began to speak languages previously unknown to them. Nevertheless, they spoke real languages that were understood by those from various lands familiar with them. Although Shavu’ot had brought together Jews from fifteen or more different regions, each with its own language, everyone was able to understand the Spirit-filled Christians as they spoke. The Holy Spirit had empowered the disciples to bring Christ’s message of salvation to all people.
It hardly seems an accident that God chose Shavu’ot for such a miraculous event to occur. One of the three pilgrimage festivals requiring all able-bodied Jewish men to come to Jerusalem, it meant the city was teeming with people from far and wide. While people went to the temple to be in God’s presence and make sacrifices on Shavu’ot, the Holy Spirit’s arrival meant that God would always be present in His people! Rather than dwelling in the Holy of Holies (the inner sanctuary), God now dwelt in His believers. On a day that commemorated the giving of the law at Mt. Sinai—an external means of keeping Israel from sin—the Holy Spirit descended. Rather than lives being Torah-centered and Torah-directed, lives were to be Christ-centered and Spirit-directed! Believers no longer had to adhere to laws carved on stone because God’s law was written on their hearts. The law told people what to do but, when Jesus poured out His Spirit, He gave us the power and ability to do it and live righteously.
Jesus told His disciples to be His witnesses but it was the presence of His Holy Spirit that empowered them to do so! That 50th day after Christ’s resurrection, Peter preached at Christianity’s first revival and 3,000 people were baptized. On a day celebrating the year’s first harvest of produce, Christ’s church had its first harvest of souls! That Pentecost day marked the beginning of the New Testament church.
While Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus, Pentecost celebrates the birth of the Christian church. This coming Sunday marks the 50th day after Easter—Pentecost. While there probably won’t be cake, ice cream, or balloons at church Sunday, perhaps they should be there. Let us celebrate the Church’s birthday and the gift of the Holy Spirit!
Since the days of Pentecost, has the whole church ever put aside every other work and waited upon Him for ten days, that the Spirit’s power might be manifested? We give too much attention to method and machinery and resources, and too little to the source of power. [J. Hudson Taylor]
“The Lord is my portion,” wrote the prophet Jeremiah. Throughout the Bible, a wide variety of metaphors are used to describe God— rock, refuge, shield, shepherd, fortress, potter, and light—but portion is one of my favorites. Portion refers to one’s share—be it of plunder, an inheritance, or food. Not being a soldier, I can’t relate to the spoils of war and I’ve seen way too many inheritances argued over or squandered to associate those meanings with God. Food, however, is something to which we all can relate.
Indeed, God is our portion—our nourishment—He is what fills and fuels us. As our portion, He’s not one of those amuse-bouche one-bite treats served in fancy restaurants to whet our appetites nor is He a snack to tide us over until dinner time. He’s not a first course like soup or salad, nor a side dish to accompany the main course. God is not that uneaten parsley or edible flower garnishing our plates. He certainly isn’t our dessert, enjoyed only if we’ve saved room and which, while looking delicious, rarely lives up to its promise. He’s not even our entrée—the roast turkey or all-you-can-eat ribs of our lives. No, God is our entire portion—our soup to nuts—our all.
As our portion, God is our breakfast, lunch, dinner, and between-meals-snack rolled into one. He is what gives us sustenance and strength. All-sufficient, He is our confidence, our comfort, and our hope. Moreover, unlike earthly portions that disappear as they are consumed and leave us hungry again a few hours later, God keeps our plates filled to the brim and will satisfy our souls forever. He continually replenishes us with His mercy, guidance, love, and forgiveness. Our cupboards can become empty, and our wells may run dry, but God’s mercies will never end. He is and always will be our more than enough portion!
Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me! [Thomas Chisholm]
After His resurrection, Jesus spent forty days with his disciples. On the fortieth day, He told them to remain in Jerusalem until they received the promised gift of the Holy Spirit. Then, with his followers watching, Jesus was taken up in a cloud and ascended into heaven.
Today marks the 40th day of Easter. Known as Ascension Day or the Feast of the Ascension, we remember and celebrate Jesus’ ascent into heaven today. Although Augustine of Hippo and his contemporaries John Chrysostom and Gregory of Nyssa held that the Feast of the Ascension originated with the Apostles and dated as far back as 68 AD, no written evidence of its celebration before the fourth century exists today. From that time on, however, this 40th day has been a church holiday. Nowadays, it is observed primarily in Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and liturgical Protestant churches. Whether or not we consider Jesus’ ascension into heaven a religious holiday, it is a significant event in Christianity.
At Easter, we celebrated Jesus’ resurrection: His return to the disciples and life in this world. But, rather than stopping at the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection, we should continue through His ascension. With His ascent, we observe Jesus’ physical departure from the disciples and our world, His rise into heaven, and God the Son being seated at the right hand of God the Father.
Jesus’ ascension signified that His task on earth was complete. His time here over, Jesus was returning to His full heavenly glory to reign as the one true King. Until His return, only one more piece needed to be put in place here on earth – the giving of the Holy Spirit – which happened ten days later on Pentecost.
Unlike most partings, Jesus’ departure was not a sad farewell; it was a joyous one. What a glorious sight it must have been as the disciples stood on the Mount of Olives and watched Jesus being taken up in a cloud. If any had doubted before, they now knew for sure that Jesus truly was God and His home was in heaven! As Jesus disappeared into a cloud, the astonished men stood there, mouths agape, until two angels appeared and assured them that Jesus would return in the same way He departed. This promise tells us that Jesus will descend visibly, bodily, and literally to the Mount of Olives when He finally returns to our world.
Before parting, Jesus commissioned His disciples to be His witnesses “to the ends of the earth.” Rather than wait there for His return, the disciples returned to Jerusalem and went about God’s business—spreading the good news of the gospel. That assignment was not limited to the eleven who were with Jesus that day—that commission extends to every one of Christ’s followers. Each of us has a job to do until the day of His return!
Soon we shall be up there with Christ. God did not mean us to be happy without Him; but God would first have us to be witnesses for Him down here, to hold out as much light as we can. [G.V. Wigram]
That smiling bride in today’s photo is my mother. Taken at her wedding eighty-eight years ago, it’s one of the few photos I have of her. A quiet unassuming woman, I don’t think she thought of herself as pretty and she disliked having her picture taken. Nevertheless, even with her freckled face, unruly hair, overbite, thick glasses and hearing aid, my mother was the most beautiful woman I’ve known…and her smile could light up a room.
It was at my mother’s side that I learned to love the written word. She urged me to read all sorts of books that were probably considered far too adult for a girl my age and we discussed every one of them in detail. She was intelligent and creative and encouraged me in every one of my endeavors. She was incredibly open with me about her past, her faith, and her feelings. Perhaps she knew her time on earth was brief, so she packed everything a mother wants to teach her daughter into fifteen short years.
It was from my mother that I learned about generosity, love, forgiveness, and how to find peace in the turmoil. She showed me that true love takes effort and is more a choice than a feeling. She introduced me to the writing of C.S. Lewis and started me on my journey of faith. It was through her that I came to know Jesus. This shy humble woman taught me courage: courage in the face of disappointment, adversity, and betrayal—courage in the face of cancer and in the face of death. She taught me how to live and how to die.
My mother probably was the most beautiful when she was the least attractive—without any make-up, a towel wrapped around her head like a turban, and lying in a hospital bed, just a few days before her death. As we were departing her hospital room, my father leaned over, picked up a corner of her oxygen tent, ducked in and kissed her. He said, “You look like an angel tonight.” Her response, said with a smile on her radiant face, was, “Maybe tomorrow I’ll be with the angels!” Indeed, as she passed through the valley of death, she knew who accompanied her. My mother wasn’t afraid because she had complete faith in God’s promises. She wasn’t worried; trusting God that the family she left behind would be just fine, she knew that where she was headed would be even better. She may not have been what some would call “pretty”, but my mother was the most beautiful woman in my world. I do, however, have to admit that my mother-in-law, another wonderful woman of faith, ran a close second! In His grace, God blessed me with two beautiful mothers—not everyone is so blessed!
Dear Lord, we thank you for our mothers: those beautiful women who gave us life. We also thank you for all of the other beautiful women of faith who have blessed our lives with their encouragement, enlightenment, love, guidance, and good example. Please reassure them that, in spite of what the mirror and society may tell them, they are truly beautiful both in your eyes and ours!
You will find all true theology summed up in these two short sentences: Salvation is all of the grace of God. Damnation is all of the will of man. [Charles Spurgeon]
Thinking we’d never be old enough to retire in Florida, we used to spend our winters in a Colorado mountain town and our days skiing on the slopes. The lift line crew at one lift often posted riddles or trivia questions on a board at the bottom of the hill. As we pondered the answer while riding up, we’d see the answer at the top as we skied off the lift. One day the question was, ”What is greater than God? The poor have it, the rich need it and, if you eat it, you will die!”
We pondered the riddle while riding to the top of the run. I was perturbed that someone would think anything or anyone was greater than God, even in a silly riddle. Seeing no answer posted at the top, I skied back down to get it. When getting on the lift again, I complained that nothing had been written on the upper board. “But, you’ve just said the answer!” replied the lift operator. Duh! I’d completely ignored the obvious response while concentrating on the second part of the riddle. By focusing on the rich, the poor, and some sort of poison, I’d missed the first and obvious response—nothing is greater than God! The poor have nothing, the rich need nothing and, if we eat nothing, we’ll die!
I made a simple riddle far more complicated than necessary, something we often do with our faith. For example, during one Bible study someone asked what would happen to our dogs during the Rapture. While it made for a fascinating discussion (did you know some non-Christians offer “After the Rapture” pet care?), the various Christian views about the end times are perplexing. As for me, I’m not going to complicate my faith by pondering the Rapture’s date, let alone worry about pets when it happens or whether dogs and cats will be in heaven. We have a loving God and I’m sure He’s got everything planned out quite thoroughly.
It’s admirable that some people want to dig deep into questions of theology, doctrine, and dogma. I do it myself at times but often end up going down a rabbit hole which leaves me more confused than when I started! It’s incredibly easy to get bogged down in complex and unclear issues that make Christianity and the Bible far more difficult than they need be. Our relationship with God won’t suffer if we can’t hold forth on subjects like the Rapture and tribulation, annihilationism, predestination, Calvinism, Arminianism, and the various doctrinal differences between denominations. Trying to come to terms with the minute details can keep us from the big picture: having a relationship with God the Father, believing in his Son Jesus Christ, and feeling the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
We don’t have to be theologians to be Christians; we just have to be followers of Christ. It’s not necessary to know Greek or Hebrew to read or understand the Bible. Attendance at seminary isn’t a prerequisite for prayer; it’s no more difficult than talking on the phone. We don’t have to take lessons in how to worship to be able to lift our hearts in praise and no evangelism seminar is required for us to share God’s message of love.
Let us remember that we have a God who designed caterpillars so they become butterflies and gave marsupials pockets in which to carry their young! He doesn’t repeat fingerprints or snowflakes, keeps our solar system functioning flawlessly, turns tiny acorns into giant oaks, gives us incredible rainbows, and made crying babies loveable. A God so powerful and resourceful that he merely spoke the universe into existence certainly was able to create us in such a way that knowing Him, understanding His word, having faith, saying a prayer, offering praise and thanksgiving, and sharing His message are well within our capabilities. Let’s remember—none of the Apostles were rocket scientists or Greek scholars and they did just fine!
The Bible is shallow enough for a child not to drown, yet deep enough for an elephant to swim. [Augustine]
Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin. [Mother Teresa]
When my mother-in-law sold her Florida condo, my husband and I spent two weeks cleaning, sorting, packing, shipping, donating, and tossing the possessions that remained after she returned north. We both had surgeries scheduled later that month so we worked hard and fast to get everything done while we were still able to lift and tote. Once done, we congratulated ourselves that twelve boxes had been shipped north and everything cleaned, disposed of, or donated in record time. Then, we got a call from my mother-in-law! In spite of already having several sets of dominoes in Illinois, she wanted a wooden set she’d left in Florida. Made by a friend, they had numbers instead of dots. Unaware of their sentimental value to her, they were in one of the first boxes donated to a charity for resale at their thrift stores. Although we checked at all four of the charity’s shops, the dominos were gone for good; there was no getting them back!
The dominoes we couldn’t get back reminded me of something else we can’t reclaim: time. We don’t want to thoughtlessly dispose of any of our precious days the way my husband and I did that bag of dominoes. Rich and poor alike, we all have a certain amount of time allotted to us and, like that hand-made set of dominoes, it is irreplaceable. Once spent, time is gone and gone for good; no amount of money can create or buy more of it. We’re all born with an expiration date, but we don’t know what it is. Nevertheless, as we age, we know that date is growing close.
It’s been said that life is like a roll of toilet paper—the closer you get to the end, the faster it goes! Indeed, at my age, time seems to pass at warp speed. Just as my husband and I wanted to get my mother-in-law’s house cleaned out before our surgeries, I have several half-finished projects that, God willing, I’d like to complete before I’m called home. Wanting to make the best use of the time remaining, I am going into semi-retirement. For the time being, I will continue hosting my web site and sending out devotions twice a week. While some new ones will appear, many of those devotions will have been previously published. (I have over 2,400 from which to choose.)
Thank you, dear reader, for allowing me into your life while joining me in my faith journey. My prayer is that you continue to grow in your faith. God’s peace and joy to you, jsjdevotions
Always remember your end and do not forget that lost time never returns. [Thomas à Kempis]
Devotions of the Heart 