Thursday Devotional - Loving Concern

James started kindergarten last week! He was super excited, but I was quite nervous. In fact, over the past month, he told everyone he saw that he couldn’t wait until school started! He then would add, “but Mom’s worried…”

James is a loving, compassionate and caring child. He loves life, has lots of energy and is quick. So, he often doesn’t think before he acts, needs re-direction at times and is easily distracted. I talked to the kindergarten teacher about that at orientation. As much as we’ve reviewed appropriate school behavior this past month, I’m still concerned about his discretion in the moment.

Similarly, Paul was concerned for his “children in Christ” and gave them some final reminders as he closed his letter to them.

Romans 16:17-20 ¹⁷ I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. ¹⁸ For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. ¹⁹ Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice because of you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil. ²⁰ The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

Like James and the Romans, where do you and I need reminders?

How can we prepare well now, so that in the moment we make wise decisions and aren’t easily misled or distracted?

Let’s welcome those giving us godly warnings, out of loving concern, so we can make wise choices in the moment.

Alice

The Beauty of Wisdom

I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence;
    I possess knowledge and discretion.
To fear the Lord is to hate evil;
    I hate pride and arrogance,
    evil behavior and perverse speech.
Counsel and sound judgment are mine;
    I have insight, I have power.
By me kings reign
    and rulers issue decrees that are just;
by me princes govern,
    and nobles—all who rule on earth.
I love those who love me,
    and those who seek me find me.
With me are riches and honor,
    enduring wealth and prosperity.
My fruit is better than fine gold;
    what I yield surpasses choice silver.
I walk in the way of righteousness,
    along the paths of justice,
bestowing a rich inheritance on those who love me
    and making their treasuries full.  Proverbs 8:12-21

Some of the most beautiful things one might hear comes from the poetry.  My middle name comes from a famous poet; Ralph Waldo Emerson (FYI – My initial is E  😊).  There are many quotes that are attributed to him.  For example, “Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful, for beauty is in God’s handwriting.”  Not bad, eh?  One of his poems, Give All To Love, says about love:

‘Tis a brave master;

Let it have scope:

Follow it utterly,

Hope beyond hope:

High and more high

It dives into noon,

With wing unspent,

Untold intent:

But it is a god,

Knows its own path

And the outlets of the sky.

Now to many, this may not sound special, but to a romantic at heart like me, it is where I can just sit back and let it marinate in my mind for days.  There are some of you who would focus on the poet’s mention of love being ‘a god,’ and of course, there is only one true God.  My thought is Emerson’s point is we are to focus on the limitless potential of love we have.  This is not only toward others but also God.

I bring this up to discuss today’s verse focusing on the topic of Wisdom.  We all aspire to have it, and some might say we aspire for it more than anything.  Even love.  So, what is it?  What does it look like?

Wisdom is an amazing gift given by God.  The verses in Proverbs 8 speak in words that initially come across as if wisdom is the finest girl at the dance.  But if we take a poetic approach to it, perhaps we read it as God sharing with us a vivid description of when we are blessed with it.  Wisdom is “fear the Lord.”  Additionally, there are other characteristics it has.  Counsel, sound judgment, hating of evil, pride, and arrogance, but in the path of righteousness and justice.  Thus, it becomes a guide of what wisdom both ‘sounds’ and ‘feels’ like, and like all things God gives us, wisdom “loves those who love it.”  Thus, today’s verses in a poetic sense is God’s instruction of how we are to desire, embrace, and share with others the wisdom that He bestows on us.  It provides clarity on how it is gifted as a reward for one who follows Him with discipline, devotion, and love.

We should desire the wisdom that God provides.  It is more than just being the right thing to do.  It is God inspired for even as Solomon wrote the book of Proverbs, God had granted him incredible wisdom as noted here:

God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore. 1 Kings 4:29

The whole world sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart. 1 Kings 10:24

Let us aspire to be guided by the same kind of wisdom God placed on Solomon’s heart.  What areas of your life are you praying for God’s wisdom?  What wisdom has God placed on your heart to share with others?  My prayer is that we embrace and understand the poetic beauty of wisdom.  Amen.

Tues Devo: One item

Hello,

This past week I was reading through 1 Kings. Certainly a time of trial for the fledgling nation of Israel. Wars from the outside, struggles for power from the inside – to the point of splitting Israel and Judah. While there are many chapters written for David and Solomon (starting sooner in Samuel for David) – those that follow were given less detail and description. But watch what happens:

(All from NASB)

1 Kings 15:3 “He (Abijam) walked in the sins of his father which he had committed before him; and his hear was not wholly devoted to the Lord his God, like the heart of his father David.”

1 Kings 15:11 “Asa did what was right in the sight of the Lord.”

1 Kings 15: 25-26 “Now Nadab the son of Jerboam became king over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years. He did evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of his father and in his sin which he made Israel sin.”

1 Kings 15:33-34 “In the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha the son of Ahijah become king over all Israel at Tirzah, and reigned twenty-four years. He did evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin which he made Israel sin.”

1 Kings 16:25 “Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord, and acted more wickedly than all who were before him.”

1 Kings 16:30 “Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord more than all who were before him.”

1 Kings 22:43a “He (Jehoshaphat) walked in all the way of Asa his father; he did not turn aside from it, doing right in the sight of the Lord.”

1 Kings 22:51 “Ahaziah the son of Ahab became king over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned two years over Israel. He did evil in the sight of the Lord and walked in the way of his father and in the way of his mother and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin.”

While there are many ways to remember people, and things to say – look at the characterization: either they followed God or they did not. There is no middle ground. What will be said of us? If we follow, what will be said of those we influence?

I pray this challenges you today.

Will Hill

Disciples

Matthew 28:18-20

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

We have been called!  What is it that we are called to be and to do?  While we all have different purposes for our lives, we all have one purpose that is the same.  That is that we are called to be disciples and to make disciples. 

A disciple is a follower and a student of a mentor, teacher, or other figure, according to Wikipedia.  We are called to follow Christ, to learn from him.  At the same time, we are called to make disciples, to teach others how to also follow him and learn from him.

This weekend I watch a tribute video that was put together for Naressa “Jake” Allen.  For those of you who do not know who she was, she was the one who started this devotion group when she worked here, probably about 20 years ago. 

As I watched this video, not only could I see that she was a disciple, but you could clearly see as well that she was always making disciples. 

When the times comes that people reflect on your life, will the same be said of you?  I pray that it can be said of me.