Thursday Devotional - God is With Us in Our Desperation

When was the last time you cried out to God in desperation? 

There have been numerous times I have cried out in desperation, whether it was for the salvation of someone, the healing of a relative, parenting wisdom in a crisis, or while caught in a terrible storm driving or running or climbing Pike’s Peak.

Sometimes it might seem like God isn’t listening, but He always hears and has a plan, just like when the Canaanite woman desperately called out to Jesus to heal her daughter.

Matthew 15:22-28          “A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him [Jesus], crying out, ‘Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.’ Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, ‘Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.’ He answered, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.’ The woman came and knelt before him. ‘Lord, help me!’ she cried. He replied, ‘It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.’ ‘Yes it is, Lord,’ she said. ‘Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.’ Then Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.’ And her daughter was healed from that very hour.”  Matthew 15:22-28

Jesus used this time of desperation in the woman’s life to teach her, the disciples and us today some valuable lessons. So, the next time you and I are desperately crying out to God for help, let’s remember He may have several lessons for us to learn as we await His answer. He isn’t ignoring us, but there with us!

Alice

Thursday Devotional - God is With Us in our Search for Understanding

A few weeks ago I was trying to figure out a customer request, but their question wasn’t clear. Fellow co-workers even had different thoughts on what the customer meant. After lots of research and re-reading the customer email a dozen times, I suggested we ask the customer for further clarification.  

Similarly, when the disciples were confused by Jesus’s teaching, they went to Him for understanding (instead of making assumptions based on their limited understanding).

Matthew 13:1-3, 10-15         That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. ² Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. ³ Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed…¹⁰The disciples came to him [Jesus] and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?” ¹¹He replied, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. ¹²Those who have will be given more, and they will have an abundance.  As for those who do not have, even what they have will be taken from them. ¹³This is why I speak to them in parables: …¹⁴In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. ¹⁵For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes.  Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’”       Matthew 13:1-3, 10-15

As the disciples went to Jesus with their questions, He gave them greater understanding! He can do the same for you and me! If we start with a small understanding of God and DO use it, apply it, and seek to understand more, He will give us an abundance of His secrets (knowledge of Him, His purposes, and His wisdom)!!! On the flip side, though, if we don’t ever use it, apply it, or seek to understand more, Jesus says even what we already know and understand will be taken away (verse 12).

In the New Year, how will you and I set aside time to seek greater understanding of God’s secrets? He is ready and waiting to give us that next layer!

Alice

Thursday Devotional - 2021 Rea Christmas Picture and Note

 

With many of you possibly taking days off next week, I thought I would include our Christmas card picture and note this week…

Studying Jesus in the book of Matthew (through Bible Study Fellowship), we all memorized Matthew 1:21 “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.” Sarah gets to join James and me for in-person BSF Tuesday nights! The twins get special time with my Dad those nights, while Joe works. 

Speaking of salvation, Edmund and Alexis became part of our spiritual family this year, before they were officially part of our earthly family! After re-signing stacks of papers and re-doing the entire adoption hearing, it was finally final in July!

James (3^rd grade) and Sarah (1^st grade) continued tennis lessons with my Dad and increased a level at gymnastics. James enthusiastically continued Spanish with my Mom, choir with his aunt and cousins, and (not as enthusiastically) piano with me. Sarah was on cloud nine for horse-back riding lessons with cousins! 

All four kids proudly completed several running races this summer and fall. They amazed Joe and me with their perseverance! Now, sometimes one of them asks me to go running (instead of the other way around).

I pray you enjoy time celebrating Jesus this season!!!

Merry Christmas!

Alice

Thursday Devotional - God Is With Us In and Sometimes Causes Our Storms

Some storms in life are not a result of sin and evil in the world, but a test from God.

I’ve read or heard the story of Jesus calming the storm numerous times. In pondering it again this week, several things stood out to me.

Matthew 8:24-27        ²³ Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. ²⁴ Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. ²⁵ The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”

²⁶ He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.

²⁷ The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”

Suddenly a furious storm came! Not just a little rain or a few waves. It seems God caused the impossible storm to test the faith of the disciples. I wonder if they did all their fisherman tricks before they finally woke Jesus. Did they not think God would protect His Son until the appointed time? He wouldn’t let him drown and die prematurely.

I thought about the various storms in my life right now. Of course, I’ve prayed about all of them. I know God can grow me through them, but I hadn’t thought about Him intentionally putting any of them in my life. In addition to desperately seeking His wisdom, I’m now asking for greater trust, faithful perseverance and peace, no matter the outcome.

How might all this change your prayers as you face the storms in your life?

Alice

Thursday Devotional - God Is With Us In the Rain

A couple of weeks ago my Mom, kids and I were walking in our neighborhood. It sprinkled and then stopped. We thought about calling my Dad to pick us up, but we figured we had time to finish our loop before more rain came. Then, it poured! We got drenched!!! We wished we had called Dad. Everyone wanted a warm shower once we got home!

What if we had been stuck in the rain indefinitely? I can’t imagine! However, that’s how it is for those who don’t take God and His Word seriously. They don’t have any hope through the storms of life. They also have no one with whom they can truly depend or call.

Matthew 7:24-29          ²⁴ “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. ²⁶ But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. ²⁷ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

²⁸ When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, ²⁹ because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

God is available to be with us before, during and after the storms of life. He has also generously given us His Word full of life’s instructions and promises. What Scriptures are you clinging to right now as you go through some “rain?”

Alice  

Thursday Devotional - God Is With Us In Our Worry

 

Has the Pandemic increased worry??? Yes!

Even among Christians? Yes!

Should it? No!

 

Even when things seem in chaos, God is still in control. In fact, He knows each one of our needs before we do!

Matthew 6:25-34 ²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life^[e]?

²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? ³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

God is with us in our worry. We can give it over to Him because He already knows what we need, how best to provide for it, and what the end result will be. I can’t change anything by worrying, except decrease my own mental health and increase my stress! I can ask God for wisdom on how to face the worrisome situation and then listen for His guidance. He’s with me and has the best solution!  

Alice

Thursday Devotional - God is With Us While Shopping

Have you ever prayed about what gift to buy for someone? I usually do. Sometimes it’s because I’m last-minute shopping or out of desperation for an idea! Either way, I know God knows exactly what the other person needs, could use, would be beneficial or encouraging.

Well, with sick kids the last couple of weeks and several family birthdays, I couldn’t get out and shop. I didn’t have much time to shop online, either. Thankfully, I did find several gifts in my closet that I had pre-purchased for various people and God directed a couple quick store runs. In fact, for James’s birthday, I dug out 2 gifts I had purchased after Christmas last year that were just what he needed and would enjoy (flannel sheets for winter and a craft kit). We wrapped up a pile of books for his third gift and he was thrilled! (God knew last Christmas what would be needed!)

Matthew 7:7-11 ⁷ “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

⁹ “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? ¹⁰ Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? ¹¹ If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 

Will you remember to pray the next time you go shopping? As much as we want to give good gifts to others, God cares even more!  

God cares about the big and small things and is with us even when we’re shopping!  

Alice

Thursday Devotional - God is With Us When We're Frustrated

 After all the tragedies of Genesis 34, Jacob listened and turned to God. He recognized God had been with him all the time, through his frustrations, hardship and tragedies. He chose to turn towards God instead of further away.   

Genesis 35:2-3 ² So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes. ³ Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and who has been with me wherever I have gone.

Thankfully, I haven’t been through all that Jacob experienced. However, sometimes the small things in life can really frustrate or stress us. I wouldn’t say that’s often the case for me, but this week it was! After the first week of school, the kids snagged a terrible cold (definitely not COVID, with both testing negative). It meant being even more home-bound, than our new COVID normal. James also developed bad asthma, as he normally does with a cold. It meant numerous asthma treatments, horrible non-stop coughing, nightly wake-ups, etc. We also tried to keep the twins healthy, playing separately (and masked if in close quarters). I was praying each day for wisdom, but getting angry quickly about lots of “small” things.

Two nights ago, Joe and I just stopped and had a longer and more intentional time of prayer. God didn’t immediately remove all the frustration, but He did provide peace. We know He’s with us through it and will guide us as we listen. Yesterday, God gave me a better attitude, even though some things got worse and not better.   

God is always with us, available and ready to help.

What frustration or stress is wearing you down?

Will you take it to God and let Him walk through it with you?

Nothing is too big or too small for Him!

Alice

(a good moment in the midst of the illnesses...)

Thursday Devotional - God is with us when we're doing "firsts"

Sarah often reminds us “God is with you.” In fact, it came up several times the past couple of weeks as many of us faced several “firsts.” We even spoke Sarah’s own words back to her!

The night before the first day of school, Sarah cried as we tucked her into bed. She was nervous to start 1^st grade, thinking it would be quite a bit more difficult than kindergarten. We had already prayed about the first day of school, but she was still nervous and needed the reminder that God was with her. We also reassured her that it would be review at first and then layers of new concepts with a gradual increase in difficulty. I admitted that I understood her apprehension, as I was always nervous for the first day of school!

The next morning we asked Sarah how she was feeling. She shared she was feeling better, especially after she had prayed more on her own in her bed. Then, after school, she said her day was “very very good!”

Later that same week, Sarah was nervous for a little competition she had. Alexis chimed in right away with Sarah’s own advice saying “you don’t need to be afraid, because God is with you and will protect you!” I did jump in to clarify that God doesn’t always protect us the way we expect or give us the outcome we want, but He is certainly always with us. We can always trust God to help us accomplish His purposes.

Psalm 73:23-26  Yet I am always with you;
    you hold me by my right hand.
²⁴ You guide me with your counsel,
    and afterward you will take me into glory.
²⁵ Whom have I in heaven but you?
    And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
²⁶ My flesh and my heart may fail,
    but God is the strength of my heart
    and my portion forever.

What “firsts” are you facing this week, this month, or this year? I pray you not only know God is with you, but feel His strong presence as you embark on what He’s planned for you.  

Alice

Thursday Devotional - Faithful and Right

I’m back! A huge “thank you” to Renae for faithfully, creatively and thoughtfully writing inspiring Thursday devotionals these past 11 months!

It’s been quite a whirlwind of a year! Not only did adding two more children multiply time on meals, baths, laundry, and numerous other things, but I came back to one of the most stressful tax seasons ever. Apparently, it’s still not over, as we have a 2020 update coming out for the Ida disaster relief! 

Anyway, the Lord faithfully helped us through and enabled us to face one day at a time. It’s usually a good thing we don’t know what lies ahead. 😊

Our family memory verse for last week was:

Psalm 33:4 For the word of the Lord is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness.

This life doesn’t always go smoothly or how we would like, but we can trust everything the Lord says and does. He will be faithful to enable us to do what He’s asked us to do.

The adoption was another fiasco. Packets of paperwork had to be redone several times for various mistakes, pushing the adoption further and further out. Then, we sat, waited and participated in what we thought was the final  adoption hearing, but it had to be completely redone over a month later! In the midst of all the frustration, I kept clinging to God’s Sovereignty, knowing He would still work His plan and accomplish His purposes because He is trustworthy, even when people aren’t.

Another verse we learned this summer was Isaiah 43:1 I have called you by name, you are mine. I’m His, and so are Joe, James, Sarah, Edmund and Alexis! The twins are also finally legally Reas, with official paperwork from a few weeks ago!!!

God is faithful and right, all the time!

How will you cling to these truths this week in your own circumstances?     

Alice

When We Don't Ask

 

Now go and say to my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has declared: I took you from tending sheep in the pasture and selected you to be the leader of my people Israel.  I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have destroyed all your enemies before your eyes. Now I will make your name as famous as anyone who has ever lived on the earth!  And I will provide a homeland for my people Israel, planting them in a secure place where they will never be disturbed. Evil nations won’t oppress them as they’ve done in the past, starting from the time I appointed judges to rule my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies.  2 Samuel 7:8-11

Loretta (my wife) and I had been having some struggles on how to best get our daughter to focus a bit more on her schoolwork as she had started to get lax.  As such, she had been faithfully praying over it as I had been.  It had been a while since I went to God with great despair and concern.  I felt that I had been pushing what I wanted more than I should and needed to ‘let go and let God.’

There is something about just meditating on letting God handle things.  It is like a sacred trust, and while we as followers of Jesus Christ know God’s word is true, there are times I might wander into the ‘God, are you really with me on this’ territory.  So, I just said the things I knew were true in my heart.  I prayed, “God, I want things to be better as you would want them to be.  I can’t do this.  Guide me to do what you see is right.”  That is where I left it.

The next day, God gave me a hint to give my wife something.  So, I sent her some money using my cash app with a little note saying, “Because sometimes, you shouldn’t have to ask.”  Later in the day, our daughter came to me, and we had a good long talk about school.  We had not talked like this all year.  Later that evening, our daughter came to us distraught about her heart being broken by a dear friend, and for the first time in a while, my wife and me were lock and step each moment of the conversation supporting her.  Had my daughter and me not had our long talk prior to then, she probably would not have talked to us at all.  It then occurred to me how we serve a God who not only meets our needs but also anticipates it even before we ask.  I am always amazed how God provides beyond what I ask for.

God’s provisions always exceed expectation.  I was reading today’s verses with an understanding of how God was so generous to King David.  Whether it had been a bear, lion, giant, or king, God always had David’s back often more than he would deserve.  I don’t believe when David slayed Goliath he did so with the expectation of becoming the greatest king of Israel.  He just wanted to do God’s will, and that is precisely the point.  David was not given God’s provision because it was what he wanted.  It was given because he loved God and was obedient to Him.  Thus, God provided for David despite his imperfections and as written in one article, “legendary indiscretions.”  God did not just give David victories or make him king.  He exceeded saying “Now I will make your name as famous as anyone who has ever lived on the earth!”  That’s well beyond what David asked for and a reminder to us how giving God truly is.

The omniscience of God is beyond anything we could possibly comprehend.  A preacher once told me about prayers that even when our prayers our poor, God intercedes with the Holy Spirit to strengthen them for what is truly needed.  This should give us assurance that when we pray to Him, we can be certain God not only hears us but also will answer.  Even when the answer is not what we would have wanted, we must trust that God is providing for us in a way we did not anticipate.  Let us remember that like with David, God always has our back.  Where has God provided for you in unexpected ways?  How can you be more thankful for Him in times when the answer seems to be ‘No?’  My prayer is we are always thankful for the completeness of God’s provisions even when we don’t ask.  Amen!

The Bank of Jesus Christ

I look up to the mountains—
    does my help come from there?
My help comes from the Lord,
    who made heaven and earth!

He will not let you stumble;
    the one who watches over you will not slumber.
Indeed, he who watches over Israel
    never slumbers or sleeps.

The Lord himself watches over you!
    The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade.
The sun will not harm you by day,
    nor the moon at night.

The Lord keeps you from all harm
    and watches over your life.
The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go,
    both now and forever.  Psalm 121

 

Good people always put more into you than they expect back.  I’m not saying to ask to borrow $20 from them with the expectation to not pay it back.  In fact, I’d argue perhaps you might pay it back with interest much like the parable of talents (see Matthew 25:14-30).  However, these individuals see more in you than at times you see in yourself.  My wife saw something in me when I was ready to give up on school, and she pushed me through when I had little strength.  I liken it to the analogy of a bank.  She invested me believing I could be someone special.  It was more about me than her, and for that, I am forever grateful to her.

Most people invest in others with the expectation of a return.  However, it is not like one expects a direct payback.  Instead, they expect the return on investment to be the joy of seeing you fulfilling your potential.  Those are the people you want to not only surround yourself with but also be like.  Why?  Because like Jesus, they give freely and unconditionally.  Not with strings attached or expectation.  Furthermore, what if you have people in your life fail to support your vision and dreams and yet are in constant need of yours?  As a pastor asked, “Why are you expecting a return from friend who has insufficient funds?” 

We must be willing to put into our relationships the love that God puts into us.  Those who need someone in their corner to believe in them must trust in God to provide for them.  My initial thought about my wife is I might be too reliant on her and how much she invested in me.  That I might fall into a trap that she became ‘God’ to me.  However, the more accurate picture is as David pointed out in the 121^st Psalm God is watching over me so much so that He put her in my life even when I did not know I would need her.  Note the difference is I am not reliant on Loretta for strength.  I am reliant on God for strength for when I am weak, He in His infinite wisdom put someone in my life to build me up.  God worked through her to help me, and she is not God.  She is a constant reminder of just how amazing God is!

Additionally, as followers of Christ we are committed to be people who invest in others.  We can be counted on to give of ourselves toward others as Christ gave to us.  If we look to our relationships based on what we can get, we just are doing relationships wrong.  This is not to say we may need to end a relationship (see 'Toxic Relationships').  But a healthy relationship with Christ means we give all to Him not because of the price He paid on the cross.  We do so simply because we love Him so much!  In the Book of James, it says, “So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.” (James 2:17)  Our love for God produces those good deeds that we ‘invest’ in others, which in turn produces good deeds from them they too will invest in others.  In the bank analogy, this is like the Law of Compound Interest, but it grows God’s Kingdom.  Not our personal account.

We serve a God of abundance.  He gives us love, grace, and protection.  If we are to truly grow in our faith, we must give those very things to others for they are gifts to be shared from God.  It is true that we must invest wisely in giving those things, but if we invest, we gain far more than lose.  Let us remember that God invests in us, and then, give freely and wisely to others with the hope they too will invest like we invested in them.  Who invested into you mentally and spiritually that you can give thanks to today?  How can you focus on being more reliant on God for your strength?  Who will you invest those gifts God gave you in?  My prayer is that we are continually investing in the Bank of Jesus Christ.  Amen. 

No Matter What ...

 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him. She’s a sinner!”

 

Then Jesus answered his thoughts. “Simon,” he said to the Pharisee, “I have something to say to you.”

 

“Go ahead, Teacher,” Simon replied.

 

Then Jesus told him this story: “A man loaned money to two people—500 pieces of silver to one and 50 pieces to the other.  But neither of them could repay him, so he kindly forgave them both, canceling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him more after that?”

 

Simon answered, “I suppose the one for whom he canceled the larger debt.”

 

“That’s right,” Jesus said.  Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Look at this woman kneeling here. When I entered your home, you didn’t offer me water to wash the dust from my feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You didn’t greet me with a kiss, but from the time I first came in, she has not stopped kissing my feet.  You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume.

 

“I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.”  Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.”  Luke 7:39-48

 

My children always see two sides of me.  There is the very loving and affectionate father the grandchildren see most if not all the time.  Then there is the very hard, rigid, and uncomfortable dad when they failed to meet the expectations set by the household.  I always prefer the former because that is always the easiest for me to portray, but at times, I must bring out the rigid side because I am trying to teach them something or divert them from the wrong path.  None of them really liked that side of me growing up, but of course as they got older and had their own children, they came to appreciate it.  I certainly pray the 16-year-old will say the same thing(smile) because no matter how uncomfortable I make them when they are wrong, I want them to know how much I love them no matter what.

 

This week, I was challenged by a theologian’s message on the two faces of Jesus.  There is the one side that is the righteous and just God who is uncompromising, and He will turn over tables creating chaos in mayhem in the Temple at Jerusalem.  Yet, there is the Jesus where an immoral woman knelt at His feet and washed them with her tears and perfume and was forgiven.  So here is the million-dollar question.  If this woman knew of Jesus and His reputation, why on earth would she, as an immoral sinner, be so bold as to come up to Him and kneel at His feet?  Keep in mind she is not just an ‘one off’ kind of sinner.  Jesus described her degree of sinfulness as “her sins – and they are many.”  Yet He forgave them all.  This is the level of love Jesus had for us.

 

The goodness of God transcends our situation.  As I read the story, I am moved by the situation of this woman.  She could easily be substituted as ‘The Prodigal Son’ in a way.  As I mentioned last week, the Prodigal Son was a no one with nowhere to go but back to his father’s house.  Upon hearing the Messiah was coming to town, she took her expensive perfume to see Him.  Yet instead of coming to ask for forgiveness of her sins, she is overcome by grief, and fell weeping upon His feet and wiping them with her hair (see Luke 7:37-38).  Thus, it makes sense that Simon, who must have known the woman and her sins, would look at her with a degree of disdain to think Jesus should not let her touch Him in any fashion.  Yet Jesus looks upon her with great love for she first loved Him.  She went through the process of coming to Jesus, laid down her sins falling to her knees, released her shame and guilt through  weeping and tears, and surrendering her perfume, her hair (P.S. Men, compliment the women in your life on their hair, please), and herself to Him.  That’s a pretty full list!  Jesus understood all this, and not only forgave her of her sins but also taught Simon a lesson in the process about God’s love as well.  We too often will miss one of these crucial steps.  Perhaps we do not fully lay down our burden or keep harboring the guilt and shame of our sinful pasts.  We might even withhold giving all of ourselves to God.  No matter which part of our story or what combination we may fall short of, we must give up control as the words Dave Lubben song, “Here’s my life.  I lay it down.  I surrender it all to you.”  For if we surrender it all, oh how much our God will give in turn to us.

 

Jesus is always enough.  Whether it is past transgression or current failure, He loves us so much.  He will give it all to us if we are willing to surrender it all to Him.  Let us be open and willing to take our burdens to God and lay them all down to Him.  What do you need to bring to God today?  How can you release the burdens of your past to Him?  Will you surrender it all to Him?  My prayer is we fear not the anger of God and remember His love is there for us no matter what.  Amen.

Toxic Relationships

 He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs.  The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.

“When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger!  I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”  Luke 15:15-19

 

I’m in a toxic relationship with my credit union.  It took me a while to come to that conclusion because I’m loyal to a fault toward people and things.  I joined this credit union before I was even married, which means I’ve been with them for nearly 30 years.  I loved that about the relationship.  But then, I realized a few things.  First, other places wanted to give me more benefits for less hassle.  As a Christian, I’m fully aware of the grass always being greener on the other side.  Thus, giving me more did not impress me.  Then, their offers for basic services were better, and their bankers actually talked with me.  They wanted to know me.  Not just who they did business with.  It was not just any customer service person on an 800-toll free line.  Then my credit union gave me the ultimate insult.  They denied me a special perk because they needed to see ‘more recent history.’  I thought to myself, “You mean near 30 years is not enough ‘history?’”  So, I found myself asking what do I do?  In my marriage, we fought through the first eight to ten years before hitting our stride, and to be clear, it is until death do we part.  But I married Loretta.  Not a credit union.  So, I realize this is a toxic relationship that I must get out from under, and yes, I asked myself if this is somehow my fault.  It is not.

 

Now I know this sounds silly because it is a banking institution and not a best friend or work relationship.  But I’m sure some of you are dealing with a ‘toxic’ relationship or maybe there is one that you are just not sure if it is.  How do you know when the relationship is no good for you?  Could it be someone who just needs help and you’re not seeing it?

 

A healthy relationship with God is a good way to know what is healthy versus what is bad for you.  Today’s verses focus on the story of the Prodigal Son.  We all tend to know who the Prodigal Son represents in the story, but the aspect I want to focus on is the moment he recognizes where he does not belong where he is.  Note the treatment of him.  He was so hungry, the food he fed the pigs ‘looked good to him.’  Imagine the desperation and needs he must have had, yet, the farmer, any passer byers, friends, or anyone else offered him nothing.  But, “[H]e finally came to his senses,” and realized this was not where he belonged.  The relationship with those around him forced a change not just because he could not live under those circumstances.  He realized there was something far better for him.  Of course, this is only a parable told by Jesus, but there is much to learn from this segment of the story.  First, there is the need and desperation of the son.  Second, the disregard of others that chose not to help him.  Finally, the understanding where one truly belongs and the need to walk away from the situation.  Put another way, we can always seek something in a toxic relationship only for it to never be given to us.  When comparing it to what God offers, we understand where our true loyalty should be.

 

We are so fortunate to have a God who has taught us how to love and be loved.  We all have relationships that require work and time.  Yet, there are some of these relationships that are just not worthy of our time.  While I am not one to say anyone should give up on their relationship, it is important that we reflect on how God would view it.  Ideally, their treatment of you equates to what you would expect from someone who both loves and respects as God would.  There is a reason Jesus says:

You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’  This is the first and greatest commandment.  A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.  (Matthew 22:37b-40)

Loving the Lord, your neighbor, and yourself are required elements in all relationships.  When any of those are missing, it is easy to see why a relationship may fail.  Let us strive to ensure all elements are intact for healthy God driven relationships with others.  What relationships in your life need closer examination under a Godly lens?  Are there levels of toxicity in your relationship that needs addressing?  My prayer is that we see God as a way to sift through our toxic relationships.  Amen.

Bigger Than That

 

On the way, Jesus told them, “Tonight all of you will desert me. For the Scriptures say,

‘God will strike the Shepherd,
    and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’

But after I have been raised from the dead, I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there.”

Peter declared, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I will never desert you.”

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.”  Matthew 26:31-34

A friend of mine was having some challenges a month ago.  They had lost their brother to cancer earlier in the week, and then a close nephew committed suicide a couple of days later.  I could see how grieved she was, and the pain was visible on her face.  I hugged to console her, and her reaction showed it was not only appreciated but also vastly needed.  I saw her again this past weekend still looking a bit pained but clearly in better spirits than last month.  It was then she revealed something disturbing.  It was the type of thing that I had previously disassociated from some people as it went against my values as a Christian.  I paused for a moment to reevaluate things.  Do I cut ties courteously?  Do I raise my deep concern as I inform them of my decision to distance myself from her?  I chose a different path.  I let her know I loved her and chose to remain friends without discussing it further.  We may discuss it one day in the future, but when we do, I decided we would remain friends.  The relationship was more valuable than the issue between us.  Some things are just bigger than others.

God’s love for us is far bigger than anything we may do to separate us from it.  My situation gave me fresh insight into the conversation between Peter and Jesus and Peter’s denial of Jesus.  In all my years of doing devotional writing, I never focused on this in part because it is showed an ugly part of the relationship between God and me.  Jesus knew His most loyal disciple, Peter, would betray Him.  As a person who is both loyal to and honest with my friends, this had to be the most difficult thing for Jesus to deal with.  Yet, Jesus loved Peter deeply, and would entrust Him to lead the new Christians as He ascended to Heaven.  Later of course, Peter, having realized the fulfilment of Jesus’s prediction, “went away , weeping bitterly.” (Matthew 26:75b)  Bitterly in this case is not meant with anger but instead spoke to its intensity.  This story is invaluable as we gain greater understanding of our own relationship with Christ.  Yes, we all fall short of God’s glory at some point and in some way.  Yet, He looks at us, and get this because here is the most valuable part of the story.  He not only loves us but also still asks do we love Him.  This is the epitome of God’s grace; His extending a hand to us even when we knowingly failed Him.

Jesus’s love for us is bigger than anything else.  He did not shy away from His crucifixion as payment for our sins.  He simply confirmed with God that it was His will praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” (Matthew 26:39b)  We were bigger to Him than His own life.  That’s how much He loves you.  How much do you acknowledge His love for you?  What will you do to depend your heart for Him today?  What relationship can you mend today that is bigger than what broke you apart?  My prayer is that we look to Jesus Christ realizing no matter how big our failures, His love for us is just bigger than that.  Amen.

Most Prized Possession

 

Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.  He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.  James 1:17-18

My youngest daughter is quite a challenge.  Because of those challenges, my heart is a bit burdened today. I worry about her.  I ask God if I have given her the right direction.  She is not a wild child.  But today, she seemed to weigh on me.  When she wanders off the right path and makes a mistake, you ask yourself if you could have done something differently or pointed her in a direction that would have made everything alright.  Was I too harsh?  Will she make the right choices when she grows up?  Will she reach out to her mother and me when she cannot pick up the pieces?  It is difficult to know like God knows.  When I said that to myself, I then realized something.  She is a gift.

Through all that she has put me through, the many years of tireless arguments over the same things and pressing her repeatedly about what she should do, I’m still thankful to have her as my child.  She could have been any number of places.  But God gave her to Loretta and me.  Through all sixteen plus years, she has been a gift to us.  I am humbled and blessed to have that opportunity to be her Dad, and I need to remember how God saw me.  I certainly was not His best child, but He still loved on me, and He patiently waited to mold and grow me.  And when I was distant from Him, He did not leave me out in the wilderness.  He pursued me until I found my way back to His house.  Despite all our daughter puts us through, we always helped her find a way home.  That is what a good shepherd does with prized possessions.

We are all gifts to God.  When I say ‘gifts,’ I am not saying it in the sense we are to feel entitled or privileged.  Instead, it means to be viewed as something valuable.  If we understand who God is, then we know anything that He values is ultimately priceless, and above all things, we are those who He values most.  Another way to look at God’s value of us is to think of Jesus’s Parable of the Lost Sheep.  Listen how Jesus describes it:

If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it?  And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders.  When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’  Luke 15:4-6

God does not have favorites or sees anyone either more or less valuable.  He sees all of us as His prized possessions not wanting to lose even one of us.  As such, all that we are and all we are given are from Him.  This is amazing to know and more importantly, invaluable to remember particularly at this time of the year.

Our greatest gift is the life God has given us.  Whether it is a child, spouse, family, and friend, all of it comes from Him, and no matter where you see yourself, take a moment to see yourself as God sees you.  The reason Jesus called it The Greatest Commandment is that we are to not only love God but to love our neighbors as … ourselves.  Thus, if we do it right, we do not see others as lesser nor greater.  We see what God sees: an abundance of gifts.  Let us celebrate this Christmas knowing the best gift was not gift wrapped.  It was wrapped in swaddling clothes.  Whose lives will you acknowledge as a gift to you?  How can you value your life as God values it?  My prayer is today we spend time remembering we are God’s most prized possession.  Amen, and Merry Christmas!

Giving Up Control To Get Control

 

Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in many parts of the world, as well as famines. But this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come.

When these things begin to happen, watch out! You will be handed over to the local councils and beaten in the synagogues. You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell them about me.  For the Good News must first be preached to all nations.  But when you are arrested and stand trial, don’t worry in advance about what to say. Just say what God tells you at that time, for it is not you who will be speaking, but the Holy Spirit.  Mark 13:8-11

One of the great things I never mentioned about my Dad was how much I admired him when he prayed for the family.  My Dad was a successful businessman, but as I have said previously, he was a man of faith long before then.  As a young man, he went to a prominent local church in Detroit, and he would sing in a quartet as a tenor.  I would not get to hear him sing like that much, but he had a beautiful tenor voice.  That is where I guess he grew comfortable in front of audiences, and he would often say grace over the meal not only at home but also at major family functions and church gatherings.  I marveled at his timing of words and connection with God, and every word flowed with ease.  I would aspire to be as connected, but for most of my adult life, I would always get nervous and struggle to find the right words to say.  But over time as my relationship with God grew and more journey taught me to trust Him more, the words suddenly came.  The family entrusted me with saying prayer more, and I was able to speak what was on both my mind and heart with a seamless connection with God.  There is a saying I heard that became a lifelong principle of mine.  Sometimes, you must give up control in the narrow sense to get control in the broader sense.  If you can give up control of what to say and how to say it, you can begin to trust God to fill you with the Holy Spirit to say exactly what is needed for His Glory.

Trusting God means believing what He put in you is the good that will come out.  I spoke a couple weeks ago about when Jesus poured out His wisdom, love, and knowledge to Peter to lead His people after He would ascend to Heaven.  As I read these verses, the situation Jesus described was dire.  Being handed over to the council and beaten in the synagogues is bad enough.  But then, you had to stand trial just because you claimed Christ.  Just an ordinary walk in the park in the name of Jesus, right?  I remember saying how God is a wonderful playwriter, and is a master of setting the stage.  In the story of Job, Satan said that when you take all away from Job, he will curse you.  God knew that Job would remain faithful, and of course, Job affirmed it having said:

Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
And naked shall I return there.
The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away;
Blessed be the name of the Lord.  Job 1:20b (NKJV)

Here, Jesus set this stage knowing that should we find ourselves under the most trying of circumstances and yet testify to God’s goodness in the face of such adversity, there can be no doubt not only who we serve but also who others should be willing to give their life to Christ.  It is why Billy Graham Sr. was such a great crusader for Christ for every word that flowed from His mouth was clearly words God intended to share with his audiences.  And upon hearing him, millions confessed and gave their lives to Christ.  When you reflect of today’s verses, it is not so difficult to understand how such a movement of God happened.

God is forever faithful.  When the right words seemingly cannot be found and you worry about what to say, we know we can simply close our eyes, and focus our mind and heart on Jesus.  His Spirit will fill you, and then, speak with confidence knowing the true living God is with you.  Do not focus on your past failed comments.  Let us surrender control to Him and be amazed.  What prayers will you go to Him focusing exclusively on the Holy Spirit within you?  How can you allow your words to melt into God’s words?  My prayer is that we give up control of our thoughts to God to get control of our walk of faith toward Him.  Amen.