Thursday Devotional - Chasing After the Wind of Independence (9/7/23)

We often desire independence – whether it’s a kid wanting to get dressed by themselves or a young adult wanting to live on their own. We want to be able to take care of ourselves, support ourselves, and help our children and grandchildren to do the same. Some of the desire for independence is a great motivator for working hard. However, we can think we are so self-sufficient that we forget who truly provided our skills and abilities.

It’s easy to think we accomplished our successes. It can be disheartening when those successes are fleeting and don’t end up meaning as much as we thought they would. Solomon wisely encourages us to remember God, our Creator, before we get too caught up in our independence. We are to remember Him before we “need” Him. We may think we don’t need Him when we are young and that we have everything under control, but we aren’t in control. Circumstances can change in an instant.

Ecclesiastes 12:1-7     

Remember your Creator
    in the days of your youth,
before the days of trouble come
    and the years approach when you will say,
    “I find no pleasure in them”—
² before the sun and the light
    and the moon and the stars grow dark,
    and the clouds return after the rain;
³ when the keepers of the house tremble,
    and the strong men stoop,
when the grinders cease because they are few,
    and those looking through the windows grow dim;
⁴ when the doors to the street are closed
    and the sound of grinding fades;
when people rise up at the sound of birds,
    but all their songs grow faint;
⁵ when people are afraid of heights
    and of dangers in the streets;
when the almond tree blossoms
    and the grasshopper drags itself along
    and desire no longer is stirred.
Then people go to their eternal home
    and mourners go about the streets.

⁶ Remember him—before the silver cord is severed,
    and the golden bowl is broken;
before the pitcher is shattered at the spring,
    and the wheel broken at the well,
⁷ and the dust returns to the ground it came from,
    and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

In the end, all our earthly successes shrivel up (“return to the ground”). However, our soul lives forever and can have eternity with God! The troubles of this life may be overwhelming, and the fleeting successes may be disheartening, but His ways will never disappoint!

Isaiah 49:23b         Then you will know that I am the Lord; those who hope in me will not be disappointed.

I Thessalonians 4:16-18   For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. ¹⁸ Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Instead of focusing on meaningless independence, we can focus on meaningful dependence on God our Creator and Sustainer! His ways and His work bring lasting purpose and reward whether we are young or old!

Alice

Happy Humbly Hustling for Him in 2023! (1/5/23)

I stumbled upon this familiar verse when I was studying the book of Micah this past week:

Micah 6:8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
    And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
    and to walk humbly with your God.

In context, it isn’t quite so glamorous!

Micah 6:6-9        With what shall I come before the Lord
    and bow down before the exalted God?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
    with calves a year old?
⁷ Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
    with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?
Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression,
    the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
⁸ He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
    And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
    and to walk humbly with your God.

⁹ Listen! The Lord is calling to the city—
    and to fear your name is wisdom—
    “Heed the rod and the One who appointed it.

God, through Micah, had painted a dark future for Israel because of their consistent wickedness and rebellion against God. If they thought they could “pay” for their wickedness with thousands of sacrifices, that wasn’t going to work. God had given them clear instructions about how to live a life pleasing to Him. I think this is saying that now, they were to accept the consequences (“rod”) and learn from them. God’s greatest desire is for them to walk humbly in relationship with Him!

As you and I set goals for 2023, instead of asking ourselves what we want to do or how we want to serve God, let’s ask God!

Even if we are dealing with consequences for past sins, He can help us accept and learn from those consequences. He knows how best to move forward. Five goals God has for us just from this passage are to:

1. Walk humbly with Him
2. Listen to Him
3. Heed His correction
4. Act justly
5. Love mercy

Instead of saying “Happy New Year!” maybe a better greeting, from one Christian to another, is “Happy Humbly Hustling for Him this Year!” 😉

Thursday Devotional - Our Christmas Letter/Picture 2022 12/22/2022

The Reas - 2022 (Joe, Alice, James (10), Sarah (8), Edmund and Alexis (6))

God challenged us through our Bible Study Fellowship memory verse, II Chronicles 20:12b “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” We’ve had ups and downs, but God is faithful to us when we look to Him.

January rang in with my wrist broken after ice-skating! The kids mastered dishes, showers and zippers quickly. 

February started w/COVID for all! Thankfully it didn’t flare up James’ asthma (“COVID is better than a cold!”)

March ended with another set of twins (born to my sister) and a long/scary NICU stay for the boy.

April brought exciting horse-back riding for Sarah, even doing jumps! (“How many days until the next lesson?”)

May started new sports, w/soccer for some and T-ball for Edmund (“I’m not going!” but waits ready in the car).

June included a refreshing marriage retreat and a new experience on a swim/dive team for James and Sarah. 

July was long-awaited by Alexis, as she finally got to join a gymnastics pre-team! (“I can walk in myself, Mom!”)

August included fun camps/trips before a drastic change starting kindergarten for Edmund and Alexis!

September was filled with Edmund’s machine pitch and James’s school soccer seasons.  

October added Detroit Youth Opera Chorus rehearsals, with Sarah joining James, cousin Mark and aunt Jane. 

November unexpectedly brought several rental property issues and repairs for Joe.

December nervously started with a level 4 gymnastics competition for James and several music concerts.

James and Sarah practice piano daily before school while Edmund and Alexis do a math paper. They all continue to run regularly with me and even the twins competed in a 2-mile middle school cross country race! It’s never dull around here! As organized as I try to be, I have forgotten to take or pick up a kid at the right time!  

Merry Christmas!

I pray when you and I don’t know what to do (and even when we think we know what to do) we will look to God for wisdom and direction (as II Chronicles 20:12 says). Nothing in our lives is a surprise to Him and He already has a plan!

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.

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.

Lost And Found

 

I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener.  He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.  You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you.  Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.  John 15:1-4

During my workday, I saw a news update that flashed on my phone.  “The Michigan – Ohio State football game has been cancelled,” it read.  Great.  Another thing lost to 2020.  I laughed writing that because when you think of the term 2020, that of course is an optometrist term for perfect vision.  How many of us saw this year coming?  Nonetheless, that news flash was indicative of a year that has been by far the most challenging for me, and I don’t think I would be out of bounds to say it has been equally challenging for you as well.  Whether it be lost quality time with family and friends, lost employment, a lost season for a child, or a lost loved one, we have experienced a level of loss this year that at times might be overwhelming to reflect upon.  Many of us have lost fellowship at church to maintain social distancing guidelines.  I would fall into this category minimizing my contact with others as one of the high at-risk categories to COVID-19.  Yet, I still miss my connections at Sunday services.  It is reasonable to say I may have even lost a bit in my connection with God.  Not in the sense that I am no longer aware of His presence.  Rather, there have been more days where I really must fight to feel that deep connection that once was natural.  With so much loss, one might very well give up hope, but I won’t.  In fact, today I feel stronger even as I know another holiday will be far different from any other.

You see through all that I’ve lost, I have found a lot as well.  Through losing greater connection with friends, I’ve gotten closer to my wife, my youngest daughter, and family as a whole.  I am grateful to my new small group I found this year that I’ve maintained contact with as they have also become my family.  I don’t say church family because being honest, they mean more to me than that.  And while I have struggled at times to connect with God, my awareness of His provisions, protection, love, and grace has grown exponentially.  I shared with someone when asked what I have gained out of this year is that I have found a greater capacity to love than I ever thought I could.  When I said it, I paused not because I questioned it.  It was because I was amazed by it, and that is so awesome about God.  He uses time, space, and situations to grow us in ways we never would on our own.

God never loses focus on our spiritual growth even as we may not at times see Him.  In reading today’s verses, I began to reflect on Jesus’s ability to share His wisdom.  Many of us lost so much this year.  But as we look at the things we lost, yes, there are some we mourn over such as a losing a loved one.  However, if we look at the bigger picture, some of the things we lost were part of God’s pruning of branches that might not help us grow.  Thus, what we might have found is something God intended for us to see.  I think of Isaiah 43:19 where it says, “For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.”  Perhaps now is a time for us to see things we would not have seen had we not gone through this challenging season.  A new friend, greater faith in God, or a positive habit forming (my making dinner for family?) might be ‘something new’ God has planned for you at this time.  Some of you may have been deceived that you have lost sight of God.  Understand a couple of things.  First, God knows exactly where you are.  He has never failed you, and knowing that, focus on Him as David did here:

When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer. (Psalm 94:19)

Second, trust there is something to be gained in all that you have endured thus far.  There are too many verses that underline this, but Paul said it best in Romans:

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.  And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.  And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.  Romans 5:3-5

As we get closer to celebrating the birth of Christ, we realize that is also the sign that the year is over.  For all we have endured in the year of ‘perfect vision,’ it could be easy to dwell on what we lost.  However, I would challenge you to look for all that God has shown you this year.  Look for the new things God has shown you, and then, use them to build your faith toward a stronger relationship with Him.  What strength have you gained from God’s power?  How much favor has He given you in a time of such uncertainty?  Where has He taken your fear of the future and shown you confidence to move forward?  My prayer for you today is to take a different look at what God has placed both on your heart and in your spirit to see what is lost and found.  Amen, and I leave you with these words of Jesus:

Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.  John 15:5

Pouring In

 

A third time he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep.

“I tell you the truth, when you were young, you were able to do as you liked; you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will dress you and take you where you don’t want to go.” Jesus said this to let him know by what kind of death he would glorify God. Then Jesus told him, “Follow me.” John 21:17-19

 

Every Wednesday before Thanksgiving, I write about what I am thankful for.  More times than not it is about a person such as my wife or mom.  Other times, I have thanked the people who read our team’s devotions and the encouraging words you all offered me.  After hearing a sermon this past week, I am incredibly encouraged.  Encouraged that God knows and loves us so much.  And of course, I am thankful for that as well.  But there is a group of people who I am especially thankful for this year.  They are the people who helped mold me into the person I am today.  Let us call them people who poured into me all they could to make me who I am.

There were the teachers who saw something in me.  There was the high school principal that knew there was something worthwhile in me that I could not recognize.  There was an owner who saw talent in my abilities to lead others.  And of course, there were people in my current job role who built me up and encouraged me throughout.  This is not to say there were not a slew of family members who supplied their love and knowledge onto me.  They did.  But there are the ones who just saw me as some kid from Detroit and had nothing to gain from helping me yet gave me so much.  I am so incredibly thankful for them today.  They poured into me without any expectation of receiving anything.

God pours in to mold us into the person we become.  I think of the story of Simon Peter.  In a sermon, I was listening to how Jesus chose to go into the boat of Peter, but we miss the part that Jesus had a choice between two boats.  In Luke 5, it says:

One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God.  He noticed two empty boats at the water’s edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets.  Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon its owner, to push it out into the water. So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there.  Luke 5:1-3

He had to know Peter was the one who would help to spread the Gospel, but much like we do not know God’s purpose for us, Peter did not.  Jesus saw something in Peter, and poured out His wisdom, love, and knowledge to him as well as the other Disciples.  But note where we are in today’s verses.  It is Peter, the one who denied Jesus three times yet loved Him more than the others, being asked three times how much he loved Him.  The reason if we think it through is not because Jesus wanted to make sure Peter loved Him because even Peter understood that He already knew that.  The greater rationale led me to believe a couple things.  First, the purpose was to humble Peter’s heart to focus on the task of minding the flock as Jesus was soon to ascend to Heaven.  Second, it was to pour into Peter a high level of confidence to ‘feed the sheep’ and ‘follow Him.’  Peter needed nothing more.  We often will question why God has put us in a situation.  However, as Peter found our question is not, “Why are you asking me this, Lord?”  It is to ask, “How do I follow you, Lord?”

God knows us.  We often spend too much time questioning ourselves and choosing to see only the ugliness that makes us who we are.  We simply forget that God knows everything about us, and no matter what ugliness you see, He still chose you.  On that basis alone, there must be plenty good within us because God does not make mistakes like that.  Let us be thankful for the love God pours out on us daily to see us grow into what He sees fit.  Are you glad God sees something in you?  How can you commit to follow Him closer today?  My prayer is that we are thankful for all God and others have poured into us.  Amen, and hoping your Thanksgiving was wonderful and blessed!