Author Archives: jsjdevotions

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March 10, 2015

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God's Grace & Love, Joy, Knowing Him

TOTALLY IMPARTIAL

For the Lord your God is the God of gods and Lord of lords. He is the great God, the mighty and awesome God, who shows no partiality and cannot be bribed. [Deuteronomy 10:17 (NLT)]

When my father-in-law was a salesman, he would occasionally encounter buyers who wanted special favors, gifts or even kick-backs to purchase his product. Grandpa always refused. He knew that if a buyer would accept his bribe, the untrustworthy man would probably accept his competitors’ bribes as well. Fortunately, God isn’t like those dishonest buyers. What kind of god would we have we could buy or bribe our way into heaven? What kind of god would we have if he only granted forgiveness or salvation to the highest bidder?

My uncle used to call me his “favorite youngest niece.” I always felt so special, being his favorite, even when I realized that I was his only “youngest” niece. My sister, of course, was his favorite “eldest niece!” He was an impartial, yet loving, man. God, like my uncle, is loving and fair and everyone is His favorite, as well. There are no “teacher’s pets” in His classroom! What kind of god would we have if he had favorites: those who were prettier, smarter, funnier, or more talented? What kind of god would he be if he allowed his favorites to adhere to different guidelines or push their way to the front of the line?

Thankfully, our God can’t be bought. After all, what could we possibly give Him that isn’t His already? Fortunately, our God doesn’t play favorites either. He disciplines and forgives, blesses and loves each of us each as if we were His favorite and only child.

God loves each of us as if there were only one of us. [Saint Augustine]

Remember, you both have the same Master in heaven, and he has no favorites. [Ephesians 6:9b (NLT)]

Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ. But if you do what is wrong, you will be paid back for the wrong you have done. For God has no favorites. [Colossians 3:25 (NLT)]

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March 6, 2015

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Church & Worship, Holidays & Holy Days, Love & Works, Prayer, Sharing Our Faith

RADICAL LOVE – WORLD DAY OF PRAYER 2015

Jesus washed their feet and put on His coat. Then He sat down again and said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? [John 12:12 (NLV)]

My husband had an elderly aunt who clipped recipes continually and often sent them out to family. Her kitchen was filled with assorted recipes, recipe books and a beautiful array of pots, pans and other cooking utensils. The kitchen and equipment, however, were in pristine condition because they’d never been used. Although she read recipes, she rarely stepped into the kitchen and never cooked. Prayer without action is a bit like my husband’s aunt reading recipes and never doing anything with them. We can sit in our comfy chairs and pray about all sorts of things but never get up to do anything about our concerns. Prayer and action, however, are inseparable. If we care enough to pray about it, we should care enough to do something about it. My husband’s aunt didn’t have to become a gourmet chef like Mario Batali or Julia Child but she could have tried cooking something. We’re not necessarily called to become Mother Teresa or David Livingstone, but God expects us to do for others what He has done for us.

Today women, men and children in more than 170 countries will celebrate the World Day of Prayer. The motto of the World Day of Prayer organization is “Informed Prayer & Prayerful Action.” Materials for today’s celebration, prepared by the WDP Committee of The Bahamas, ask us to consider Jesus’ words to the disciples after washing their feet: “Do you understand what I have done for you?” The women of The Bahamas describe Jesus’ action as an act of “radical love.” They point out that such radical love comes from humility, compassion and commitment. God’s radical love is not inert and unmoving; it is dynamic. God’s radical love is not self-centered; it is selfless. God’s radical love reaches out and draws others in. God’s radical love gets off its knees and takes action.

The women of The Bahamas call for prayers and action regarding issues of special concern to them: domestic abuse, HIV/AIDS, women in the workplace, the environment, and immigrant and migrant workers. There is no shortage of issues that beg for prayer and action. Join with our sisters (and brothers) in Christ in both prayer and efforts toward justice, peace, healing and wholeness. Let us always remember Jesus’ radical act of love and follow his example.

We exalt your name for every opportunity given to us to minister to the poor and to wash the feet of the weary. …Open our eyes to those who are in need of a gentle touch, a listening ear, a word of comfort or a healing presence. Jesus, we are amazed by you. How deep and radical is your love for us! Teach us how to be more like you, and to model your radical love and gracious hospitality to all of your children. Amen. [From World Day of Prayer 2015]

Christ alone can save the world, but Christ cannot save the world alone. [David Livingstone]

You call Me Teacher and Lord. You are right because that is what I am. I am your Teacher and Lord. I have washed your feet. You should wash each other’s feet also. I have done this to show you what should be done. You should do as I have done to you. [John 12:13-15 (NLV)]

 

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March 3, 2015

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Attitudes & Behavior, Challenges & Difficulty, Faith & Hope, Fear & Doubt, God's Promises, Prayer, Trusting God

YAHWEH YIRAH – THE LORD WILL PROVIDE

Abraham looked around and saw a ram caught in a bush by its horns. He went and got it and offered it as a burnt offering instead of his son. Abraham named that place “The Lord Provides.” And even today people say, “On the Lord’s mountain he provides.” [Genesis 22:13-14 (GNT)]

It’s not easy for us to trust God’s provision; yet, when we trust, He provides. Abraham trusted God to provide and the ram replaced his son as an offering. God provided manna and water in the wilderness for forty years to the Israelites, food for both Elijah and Elisha, wisdom to Solomon, victory to Joshua, and dinner for thousands on a hillside. Why do I have trouble believing He’ll provide me with what I need when I ask?

In this day of fast food, streaming movies, instant messaging, microwaves, and being able to do my shopping from my desk with a click of a computer mouse, I seem to expect God to provide me with my needs as quickly and easily as Amazon. God’s provision, however, like everything else He does, goes according to His time frame, not ours! Moreover, God’s provision requires our trust in it!

It’s not easy to trust God to provide what we need, especially if we’re running on empty! For example, if I’d been the widow in yesterday’s message (“Would You Have Trusted?”), I would have been more likely to trust Elijah if there had been a few days’ supply of bread and oil rather than only enough for one meal. My trust would have waned with a bare cupboard.

Yesterday, I was running on empty and I desperately needed another devotion. I’d sat at my computer and written word after word to no avail. I was left with several half paragraphs, incomplete thoughts, disjointed Bible verses, and a sense of anxiety. “Where are the words for the next message?” I asked. Satan poked me with a dose of fear and doubt and I even wondered if I should discontinue this mission. “Lord,” I cried, “Provide! Please give me guidance and words!”

My fear and that prayer reminded me of the story of Elijah, the widow and God’s provision. My fingers raced over the keyboard and yesterday’s message nearly wrote itself. As I composed it, I realized how little I actually trust in God’s provision; those thoughts brought me to today’s message. See: He really does provide! We just have to stop running around in circles in a panic, pray and trust. Just pray and trust, and understand that God will provide, in God’s time and in His wonderful way.

God’s divine power has given us everything we need to live a truly religious life through our knowledge of the one who called us to share in his own glory and goodness. [2 Peter 1:3 (GNT)]

 

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March 2, 2015

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Bible Stories, Fear & Doubt, God's Promises, Miracles, Trusting God

WOULD YOU HAVE TRUSTED?

And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. Now all glory to God our Father forever and ever! Amen. [Philippians 4:19-20 (NLT)]

In a time of famine, the prophet Elijah went to a poor widow and asked for bread. She told him that she had none and had only enough flour and oil to make one last portion of bread for herself and her son. This would be their final meal; after it was gone, they would surely die of starvation. Elijah, however, persisted, telling her to make bread for him first, and then bread for herself and her son. He assured the woman that there would be enough flour and oil left for them all until the famine was over. The widow didn’t try to reason with the prophet and suggest, “If what you say is true, how about my son and I eat first and then I’ll feed you?” She simply did as Elijah asked. She trusted him and they continued to eat for many days. Just as Elijah promised, there was always enough flour and oil left for another meal. It was a miracle.

What a story of trust this is. The widow trusted Elijah completely. She fed him first with no guarantee that there would be anything left for her or her son. Because she trusted, the Lord provided. Without trust and the widow’s simple act of faith, there would have been no miracle. Had it been me, I wonder if a miracle would have occurred. Would I have trusted in God’s provision? How difficult is it for us to take that first leap of faith and trust in the Lord that He will provide.

They cried out to you and were saved. They trusted in you and were never disgraced. [Psalm 22:5 (NLT)]

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February 27, 2015

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Attitudes & Behavior, Challenges & Difficulty, Faith & Hope, Fear & Doubt, God's Plan, Prayer, Trusting God, Worry

ONE BITE AT A TIME

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Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes. [Matthew 6:34 (NLT)]

How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time! When that elephant is on our dinner plate, however, that advice can be difficult to remember!

It was snowing and we were skiing in knee-deep power on an unfamiliar mountain. Totally lost, we ended up on a double-black diamond. With no alternative trail, we stared down a narrow steep run covered with ferocious looking moguls. Powder, steep, narrow and moguls: any two of the four pose no problem and three out of four are a possibility. Doing all four in one run? No way! All I could do was look down at the end of the trail and concede defeat. Defeat, however, wasn’t an option unless I planned on staying frozen in place until the spring thaw. I had to continue forward. Fortunately, the Holy Spirit intervened and reminded me of words spoken years earlier by a ski instructor: “You can get down anything if you take it one turn at a time.”

Too often we see the big picture when, in fact, we should look at the little one instead. We can become overwhelmed by both goals and challenges if we look too far ahead. We end up conceding defeat without even trying. “How will I ever get through the terrible twos?” cries the frustrated mother. “One temper tantrum at a time,” is the answer. “How will I ever get this huge Bible read?” asks the new Christian. One page at a time. How will I get through several months of chemo-therapy? One session at a time. How will I put together a 1,000-piece puzzle? One part at a time. How will I become a published author? One word at a time. How can I ever climb to the top of that mountain? One step at a time. How will we get to the Promised Land? One mile at a time. How will I get through a lifetime of sobriety? One day at a time. How will I endure this incredible pain? One hour at a time. As insurmountable as any challenge or goal may seem, it is merely a succession of small manageable bits and pieces. How do we do it? We do it one prayer at a time.

God will give us what we need for the moment and that’s all we really need. We don’t have to become anxious about getting to the bottom of the ski run or to the top of the mountain. We just have to manage to make the next turn or take the next step. We won’t be alone; He’ll be right there with us. When we tire, we can rest in His presence until God strengthens and restores us enough to make the next move. Our progress may not be fast or graceful and there may be a few stumbles or setbacks along the way. If we’re following God’s plan, however, He will get us where He wants us to be, one turn (or one bite) at a time.

God is striding ahead of you. He’s right there with you. He won’t let you down; he won’t leave you. Don’t be intimidated. Don’t worry. [Deuteronomy 31:8 (MSG)]

People with their minds set on you, you keep completely whole, Steady on their feet, because they keep at it and don’t quit. Depend on God and keep at it because in the Lord God you have a sure thing. [Isaiah 26:3-4 (MSG)]

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February 26, 2015

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Attitudes & Behavior, Family, Friends & Fellowship, Love & Works, Obedience, Sharing Our Faith

WHO IS MY NEIGHBOR?

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The man answered, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” … The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” [Luke 10:27,29 (NLT)]

“Where is she coming from?”…“How could anyone in his right mind think that?”…“How bizarre!”…“Would you look at that?”…“They’re so different.”…”She’s weird!” We’ve all had reactions like that to various people; some may even had reactions like that to us! It’s challenging to think of them as our neighbors and we’re pretty sure we wouldn’t want them living next door!

God loves everyone, so why is it so difficult for us? We don’t seem to have a problem loving ourselves, but it’s loving others that poses the problem. Naturally, it is easier to love those who are more like us. There’s a commonality; we may share similar experiences or ethnic backgrounds. Perhaps we enjoy the same authors, live near one another, have similar interests, or attend the same church. We can better understand why they speak, think, eat, dress, worship, or relax the way they do. Being pretty practiced at loving ourselves, it is easier to think of people who think, look and act like us as neighbors and to love them (at least a little bit).

The love part, however, gets increasingly more difficult the less like us someone happens to be. In fact, sometimes we’re needlessly afraid of people simply because they’re different. They may not speak our language, look like us, or even eat the same food. Like it or not, however, most of the world’s population is not like much like us. Or is it? We all share one thing for sure: God’s love for each and every one of us! That’s something we all have in common with more than seven billion people. Since nearly a third of them are Christian, we share the love of Jesus with a good number of them, as well.

Father in heaven, God of love, help us see the similarities rather than the differences among your children. Replace any judgment in our hearts with understanding, any anger with forgiveness, and any anxiety with confidence. Trade our pride with humility, our pettiness with generosity, and our self-centeredness and selfishness with love so that we treat everyone as a “neighbor.”

It’s a beautiful day in this neighborhood, A beautiful day for a neighbor. Would you be mine? Could you be mine? … Won’t you be my neighbor? [Fred Rogers, “Won’t You be My Neighbor?”]

The Bible makes this clear. Be as loving as you can, as often as you can, for as many people as you can, for as long as you live. Why should we do this? Because. [Kate Braestrup]

For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” [Galatians 5:14 (NLT)]