Bryce Canyon Sunrise
GOD’S GLORY – International Day of the Bible
Category Archives: Attitudes & Behavior
THE TRAFFIC STOP
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. [Hebrews 12:1-2a (NLT)]
In our part of Florida, yellow lights tend to mean “speed up” and red lights are just mere suggestions so no one really expects anyone to stop at a yellow. Although the light had just turned yellow, the elderly gentleman stopped his car. “The #@!% idiot should have sped through the intersection!” said the women following him. Having been tailgating his car, she was furious at having to brake so abruptly. Already late, now she’d be even later. Moreover, the unexpected stop caused her to spill her coffee and drop both her cell phone and makeup. Angry, she laid on the horn, called him a few more choice expletives, shook her fists and even gave him the middle-finger salute! She was in mid-rant when she looked up to see a police officer at her window. He politely ordered her to exit the car. Having forgotten her driver’s license in another purse, she was transported to the police station, fingerprinted, photographed, and finally placed in a holding cell.
A few hours later, the woman was released and escorted her to the booking desk where the arresting officer waited for her. “I’m so sorry for this mistake,” he meekly apologized. “You see, I pulled up behind you while you were honking your horn, cussing a blue streak, and flipping off the old man. I noticed the ‘What Would Jesus Do’ and ‘Follow Me to Sunday School’ bumper stickers, the ‘Choose Life’ license plate, the cross decal and the chrome-plated Christian fish on the trunk. Naturally, I assumed you had stolen the car!”
I thought of this Internet humor today when I received an ad for a new line of Christian sportswear. Founded by Christian athletes, the apparel has faith inspired designs and messages like “Fearfully and Wonderfully Made” or “My Game His Glory.” If we wear our faith on our shirts or cars, we better make sure our conduct lives up to it. We wouldn’t want anyone to think we stole either the shirt or the car. We should be sure that our behavior would make someone want to follow us to Sunday school rather than run the other way!
Father in heaven, guide us today so that our actions reflect our faith. Let everything we do demonstrate not only our love for you but also the love we should have for our neighbors. Don’t let our poor behavior contradict your message of peace, love and forgiveness. May our conduct show the world that we truly are your disciples. In those moments that try our patience or spark our temper, remind us to lovingly pray for people when we’d much prefer yelling at them.
Be such a man, and live such a life, that if every man were such as you, and every life like yours, this earth would be God’s Paradise. [Phillips Brooks]
So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples. [John 13:34 (NLT)]
Copyright ©2016 jsjdevotions. All rights reserved.
OFFERING PRAYERS
Also, the Spirit helps us with our weakness. We do not know how to pray as we should. But the Spirit himself speaks to God for us, even begs God for us with deep feelings that words cannot explain. God can see what is in people’s hearts. And he knows what is in the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit speaks to God for his people in the way God wants. [Romans 8:26-27 (NCV)]
In yesterday’s message, I wrote that a friend prays and yet I’m amazed how rarely that actually happens. Yes, a friend may pray for someone but how often do we, as friends, pray with that someone? Twice when visiting someone in hospital, a chaplain has dropped in to visit. Twice, the chaplain spoke briefly with us and then turned to leave without offering a prayer. Twice, I was the one who asked for prayer—one time for a prayer of thanksgiving and the other for one of strength and healing. Afterwards, I wondered why these hospital chaplains didn’t offer to pray with us. Isn’t prayer part of their job? As I started to point my finger, I saw three fingers pointing back at me and had to admit that I’m not one for offering spur-of-the-moment prayers either. I asked God not to allow me to leave a prayer unoffered or unsaid.
Last month, shortly after the second hospital incident, I was talking with a recently widowed friend. A trip with flowers to the cemetery had left her sad and teary-eyed. We hugged as I departed. I’d only taken a few steps toward my car when the Holy Spirit convicted me: “Here’s your opportunity—pray with her!” I turned back to my friend, held her hands and lifted her needs up to the Lord. I wasn’t eloquent and couldn’t remember any Bible verses; whatever I said was unremarkable, but that didn’t matter. The Holy Spirit knew my friend’s needs and lifted our prayers heavenward.
I’m a writer, not a prayer warrior, and offering prayer is way out of my comfort zone. My comfort, however, is not high on God’s priority list. Last week, while taking pictures in the park before worship service, I stopped to chat with a young woman who’s started attending our church. I know little about her except that she’s new to the area, belongs to a friendly Dalmatian, and is job hunting. As I stooped to get a photo of her dog, I asked how the job search was going. Answering that she’d not gotten the job for which she applied, I replied with a few encouraging words. When I stepped away to continue taking pictures, I realized my work was not done. Turning back, I asked, “Can we pray?” We held hands and I offered a quick prayer that God would lead this lovely woman to the right job opening. There was nothing memorable or eloquent about my words; they were, however, heartfelt and sincere.
It’s easy to say, “I’ll pray for you,” but a bit harder to actually do it. For many of us, it’s even harder to pray with someone right then and there, but isn’t that what all Christians (not just hospital chaplains) should do? The sincere agreement of two believers in prayer is powerful and effective because the Holy Spirit is with them, guiding their requests. Our prayers don’t have to be eloquent or deeply profound; they just have to be said.
Rich is the person who has a praying friend. [Janice Hughes]
Also, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about something and pray for it, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. This is true because if two or three people come together in my name, I am there with them. [Matthew 18:19-20 (NCV)]
Copyright ©2016 jsjdevotions. All rights reserved.
INSTANT MESSAGING
Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. [Jeremiah 33:3 (ESV)]
Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. [Romans 12:12 (ESV)]
You pray in your distress and in your need: would that you might pray also in the fullness of your joy and in your days of abundance. [Kahlil Gibran]
I never thought I’d enjoy my smartphone so much, especially instant messaging. Now that I’ve gotten the hang of it, I love the way it keeps me connected with friends and family who are thousands of miles away. Between the grands’ recent report cards, Halloween costumes, trick-or-treating and the World Series, our phones have been dinging and whistling with texts and pictures for the last several days. Unfortunately, that dinging and whistling can go on much later than we old folks like! With our children living in time zones west of us, what seems like early evening to them is bedtime for us. During the Series, we’ve taken to silencing our phones before going to bed. Like our children, we want the Cubs to win; unlike them, we can wait until morning to find out if it happened!
Nevertheless, in spite of occasionally getting messages at inconvenient times, I appreciate the way we can share news and photos instantly at any time. Are we as quick to communicate with God throughout the day? When we find it worthwhile enough to text someone, isn’t it worthwhile enough to add God to the message? When we’re running errands, we can text home to check if there’s anything more we need to do. Are we as willing to ask God that same question? When our hairdresser or doctors send appointment reminders, we’re quick to text back with our confirmation. When God calls us, do we respond as quickly with a “yes” to Him? We regularly check to make sure we haven’t missed a call, text or email. Do we as eagerly check with God for His messages to us? When we lose sight of one another in a crowd, we text “Where R U?” In those moments when we feel frightened or alone, do we as readily ask God that same question?
True confession time—although I often write about making prayer an ongoing part of our daily routines, I tend to compartmentalize my own day. I allocate specific times to prayer and the rest of the day to living when, in actuality, my entire life should be a prayer. Granted, I’ve been known to offer quick thanks for God’s “Aha!” moments and “Please!” and “Help!” are often submitted to Him, but those brief messages are just the emojis of prayer. If I can send a picture or text to my kids, I can pause long enough to tell God how blessed I am by the moment or how much I love and need Him.
Although I occasionally silence or ignore my phone’s ring, God doesn’t mute our prayers or disregard our messages. With Him, there’s never an inconvenient time and we’re always in His service area. Best yet, while we should never text while driving, we don’t need Bluetooth technology to talk with God—prayer is always “hands free.” In fact, considering the way people drive nowadays, prayers should always be said when behind the wheel!
For prayer is nothing else than being on terms of friendship with God. [Saint Teresa of Avila]
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. [1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (ESV)]
Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. [Colossians 4:2 (ESV)]
Copyright ©2016 jsjdevotions. All rights reserved.
TRYING HIS PATIENCE
But God was patient with them forty years, though they tried his patience sorely; he kept right on doing his mighty miracles for them to see. [Hebrews 3:9 (TLB)]
Don’t you realize how patient he is being with you? Or don’t you care? Can’t you see that he has been waiting all this time without punishing you, to give you time to turn from your sin? His kindness is meant to lead you to repentance. [Romans 2:4 (TLB)]
Patience may be one of the fruits of the Spirit but there appears to be a shortage of it in my life’s orchard. Paul tells us that hardships teach us patience and patience develops strength of character but I imagine most of us are impatient to see all of that character building come to an end. Moses must have grown impatient leading the Israelites all those years, yet consider the patience God had during those same forty years as He dealt with His children’s disobedience, ingratitude and complaints. In fact, consider how patient God has been with mankind since the beginning of time. We err and stray, forget and disobey, ignore, defy and even deny Him, yet He still hasn’t given up on us. Mercifully, we have a God who loves us and, as Paul tells us, love is patient and kind. Remembering that the measure we use to give will be used to measure what we receive, we must be patient with others if we want God to be patient with us.
Father, forgive us for frequently trying your patience and for having so little patience ourselves. Please give us patience: patience to wait and let children mature, patience for relationships to develop, patience for other people’s sentences to be completed, patience for projects to be finished, patience for questions to be answered and problems to be solved, patience for tempers to cool and relationships to mend, patience with our own shortcomings and those of others, patience for healing to occur, and patience for prayers to be answered. Strengthen our hearts with your love and fill our lives with your Holy Spirit so that our lives are filled not just with patience but also with peace, joy, restraint, integrity, steadfastness, compassion, and loving-kindness.
For if you give, you will get! Your gift will return to you in full and overflowing measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and running over. Whatever measure you use to give—large or small—will be used to measure what is given back to you. [Luke 6:38 (TLB)]
Dear brothers, is your life full of difficulties and temptations? Then be happy, for when the way is rough, your patience has a chance to grow. So let it grow, and don’t try to squirm out of your problems. For when your patience is finally in full bloom, then you will be ready for anything, strong in character, full and complete. [James 1:2-4 Living Bible (TLB)]
Copyright ©2016 jsjdevotions. All rights reserved.
WE CAN ONLY IMAGINE
For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. [2 Corinthians 5:1 (NLT)]
As the weather up north cools, our snowbird neighbors have begun returning to their southwest Florida homes. One neighbor recently arrived from Portland, Oregon, a city that ranks third in a list of cities with the most depressing winters. Their weather forecast alternates between cloudy with rain showers to partly cloudy with a 60% chance of rain and that’s not likely to improve! Their early November temperatures will range from highs in the mid-60s to lows in the mid-40s with a UV index that never gets above a 2. On the other hand, our ten-day forecast fluctuates between sunny and mostly sunny with no more than a 10% chance of rain. Temperatures will rise to the mid-80s during the day and fall to the mid-60s at night; the UV index is 6 or 7. In short, Portland is damp, gray and dreary and we’re dry, warm and sunny (and should wear sunblock). On my neighbor’s first day back in our tropical paradise, while relaxing on her lanai with a book, she happened to fall asleep. Upon waking, hearing the mockingbird’s happy song and feeling the warm gentle breeze on her face, she had a moment of confusion and forgot where she was. Feeling incredibly peaceful, relaxed and refreshed, for a moment she actually thought she’d died and gone to heaven!
I thought of her story when I Can Only Imagine was sung Sunday morning during worship service. Although we can only imagine what heaven will be like, I know it will be even better than an autumn afternoon in southwest Florida and sunblock won’t be necessary! One friend insists that heaven will have a beach, cats and music by the Gaithers while another is sure there will be dogs and great fishing. Some people insist it couldn’t be heaven without chocolate and my husband’s idea of heaven probably includes 60s music and barbecue ribs. Something, however, tells me that even our best fantasies can’t equal the splendor and glory God has in store for us.
While I’m not sure what heaven has, I know for sure what it doesn’t. There will be no pain, sorrow, tears, loss, temptation, frailty, anxiety, fear or need. There will be no broken bodies and no sad souls. Moreover, while people have been known to get bored in our southwest Florida town, that’s not likely to happen in heaven. God will have plenty of exciting and valuable things for us to do—they’re just things that we can’t even fathom while on this side of the grass. We’ll probably do the sort of things Pastor David Burns suggested in a sermon several years ago: worship without distraction, serve without exhaustion, fellowship without fear, learn without fatigue, and rest without boredom. Whether we do all that with our cats or dogs while the Gaithers sing, “There will be peace in the valley,” I can only imagine.
I can only imagine what it will be like
When I walk by your side.
I can only imagine what my eyes will see
When your face is before me.
I can only imagine.
Surrounded by your glory,
What will my heart feel?
Will I dance for you, Jesus,
Or in awe of you be still?
Will I stand in your presence
Or to my knees will I fall?
Will I sing hallelujah?
Will I be able to speak at all?
I can only imagine,
I can only imagine.
I can only imagine when that day comes
And I find myself standing in the sun.
I can only imagine when all I will do
Is forever, forever worship you.
[I Can Only Imagine (Bart Millard)]
Devotions of the Heart 