Above the Clouds

Today's devotion comes from a devotion book called Loved Beyond Measure

Psalm 103:11
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him.

"Are we there yet?"  If you've ever traveled with young children, you've heard this question.  Maybe you still ask it sometimes yourself!

Most of us would ask it more than once if we were to leave Planet Earth to traverse our solar system.  Distances there lie almost beyond our ability to fathom them.  For example, it takes eight minutes for the sun's light to reach our planet.  If the sun were suddenly to stop shining, no one on earth would know it for eight full minutes!

It's not exaggerating to say that our sky stretches quickly up and then out into the enormous expanse of outer space.  When David wrote Psalm 103, he drew on this fact to make a wondrous comparison:

For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him.  Psalm 103:11

Stop for a moment.  Go to a window.  Look out - and up!  Take in this jaw-dropping truth.  God's steadfast love toward you in Christ is as vast as the cosmos!

In particular, our Lord's immeasurable love belongs to those who "fear him."  This "fear" is not terror; far from it!  Instead, it's the heart attitude of those who cling to God's Word in faith.

Think of this "fear" in terms of "awe."  It's the orientation of those who dread doing anything that would dishonor their heavenly Father..  It's the focus of those who rely on the cross of Christ Jesus for personal and perfect pardon.  It's the obsession of the Father's dearly-loved children to do only and always what makes him smile.

This faith-filled awe is your Savior's gift to you.  He gives it because he wants you to experience the peace of relying on God's rock-solid love.  So go ahead.  Ponder it.  Claim it.  Imagine a love that stretches above the clouds and extends into all eternity.

Lord, teach me to fear and trust you in his way...Amen.

Thurs Devo: Childbirth Concerns

My youngest sister, Mary, is about to give birth to her first child. She’s due on Monday! As exciting as it is, there are still fears and concerns over the many unknowns. When will she go into labor? How bad will the pain be? Will there be complications? Will it be a girl or a boy?
Well, take a look at this delivery situation pictured in Revelation 12: 
Revelation 12:1-6     A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. ² She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. ³ Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. ⁴ Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. ⁵ She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.” And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne.⁶ The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.
It’s a terrifying picture. There are enough concerns and pains during delivery, without having the added worry that someone is waiting to snatch your baby away. However, God took care of both the baby and the woman! (The baby probably represents Jesus the Messiah and the woman could represent the nation of Israel (inclusive of Mary) or more broadly the people of God). The dragon (definitely Satan, from vs. 9) is no match for God.
This encouraged me to remember that no matter how bleak a situation may seem, God will accomplish His purposes. He sees everything and Satan can’t do anything unless God allows it.
Also, God takes care of His own. Our times in the “wilderness” may be for our protection, and our times of pain may be necessary for the times of blessing to follow. I hear the pains of childbirth are often quickly forgotten when you hold the new precious baby in your arms! (Remember that this coming week, Mary!)

What other encouragement do you and I take from all this?  
Alice

Embracing 'The Hard'

“Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked.  You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.”  Luke 6:35-36

The other day, I was struggling with a situation between colleagues.  We agreed to disagree on a topic, and my frustration grew because this had created friction between us.  Speaking with my wife about it, she told me to say a prayer and God would guide me through it.  My passion was such that I did not want to heed those words, but my mind knew it was the right thing to do.  As I did so, my anger subsided and I began to sort through a better path toward resolving the rift between my colleague and me.  Soon, my heart kicked in, and I began to feel God’s grace for me and in turn mine for my colleague.  This reminded me that spiritual growth always occurs when pushed to do what does not come natural or easy.

God asks us to trust both Him and His teaching above what we would want to do.  The story of Jesus asking us to love our enemies has to be one of the most difficult concepts to embrace.  There can be nothing more difficult than for one to be forgiving of another who had done them wrong.  That’s the beauty of these verses because when faced with such a situation, Jesus asks us to remember our very own circumstances.  We once were the unthankful and wicked rebelling at times against God, and yet, our Heavenly Father was compassionate to us in spite of our being undeserving of it.  Jesus still went on the cross for our sins.  Therefore if we have a true understanding of this compassion, we are able to show love for those who would not ordinarily deserve love.  We able to ‘turn the other cheek’ and ‘do unto others as you would have do unto you.’ (see Luke 6:29-31) 

Our journey of faith was never meant to be easy.  One of my favorite quotes about difficulties comes from the movie ‘A League of Their Own.’  In one of the final scenes, Tom Hanks, who played a washed up baseball player that becomes an inspirational manager, answers one of his players when asked about the difficulty of playing baseball saying:

It’s supposed to be hard.  If it wasn’t hard everyone would do it.  The hard is what makes it great.

Jesus says something very similar to this saying, “But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.” (Matthew 7:14).  Let us embrace those hard lessons for what we gain in the end is worth our temporary feeling of self-righteousness.  Where can you be more merciful toward those you disagree with?  How can you show God’s love for one you would prefer to be distant from?  My prayer is that when challenged to do something by God, we remember the saying, “The hard is what makes it great.”  Amen.

JOY

Philippians 2:1-4

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

JOY – Jesus, Others, Yourself

As a child, I was taught that this is the order in which we should be focus, first on Jesus, then on others, and yourself last.  This certainly does not line up with the worlds falsify that if you don’t take care of yourself first, no one else will.  Philippians clearly tells us that others should be put above ourselves. 

Today I just wanted to bring this simple reminder to each of us as it’s so easy to get caught up in our own world and not even notice when someone around us is suffering and needs to see Christ in us.  I encourage you today to reach out to someone else and just let them know that you are praying for them.

Thurs Devo: Jesus Reigns!

Often it is hard for me to keep it in perspective that this life isn’t all there is. Jesus will return, destroy evil, judge the ungodly, reward believers, and righteously reign for all eternity! 

Revelation 11:15-19  ¹⁵ The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said:

“The kingdom of the world has become
    the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah,
    and he will reign for ever and ever.”

¹⁶ And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God,¹⁷ saying:

“We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,
    the One who is and who was,
because you have taken your great power
    and have begun to reign.
¹⁸ The nations were angry,
    and your wrath has come.
The time has come for judging the dead,
    and for rewarding your servants the prophets
and your people who revere your name,
    both great and small—
and for destroying those who destroy the earth.”

¹⁹ Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a severe hailstorm.

Evil seems to prevail now, the ungodly rewarded and believers oppressed, but that will all change in a moment.

Do you and I think others are thwarting God? Or do you and I truly believe God will reign forever? How will you and I let that change our perspective on life today?

Alice

A Change Of View

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.  Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.  Romans 12:1-2

How often do we see a problem and look to place blame on others.  For example, let’s start by looking at how children behave today.  There is a part of me that saw today’s children as being somewhat self-centered and narcissistic.  My thought went, “They only think of themselves.  Whatever happened to sharing and giving?  They only see the world as something they are entitled to, and they want everything right now.  That explains why they are so distant from the church, right?”  They must certainly be punished for this!  Then, I said to myself, “What if God did that to me?”  What if He looked and saw all of my flaws and imperfections and said, “Enough!  Kent is no good, and let him burn for all of eternity!”  Instead, He sent His only son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for our sins with the hope we would come around and serve Him.  With that in mind, I took my own view and tried to see the world as God would.  What if children’s feelings of narcissism were not really the problem at all?  What if the issue is the world crushes their spirits such that they do not feel special?  Thus, the problem is no longer their focus on self.  The problem is helping them understand their own value and both lifting up and serving others as a greater than serving self.

When we give ourselves to God, we are offering everything including our minds so that we learn more of God’s plan for us.  We often look at what goes on in the world, and give up saying to ourselves that is just the way of the world.  We rarely believe that we can make a difference.  However in serving the one true living God, we must always remember to see things through His eyes and not our own.  Through our own grace, we gained something special and God inspired.  Someone you see begging on the street becomes the motivation to volunteer for a food drive, and seeing poverty motivates you to give time toward a troubled youth program to help uplift others from their situation.  We no longer see problems as an issue with the world.  Instead, it becomes something God can inspire action toward truly making a difference.

Each day that we walk with God gives us greater insight into His plans for our lives.  Today’s verses talk of God transforming us.  To do this, we must learn to toss away our worldly view, and learn to see the world as He sees it.  If we realize how much God gave us through the gift of grace, we can begin to see the depth of His love for us, and through that, we can love others such that it may transform them as much as we have been. What problem can stand a more godly view in your life?  How can you continue to push your thinking toward allowing God to transform you?  My prayer is that we take off our worldly view on things and allow God to change our view to His.  Amen.

Tues Devo: Mind to the good

Colossians 3:1-3 “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” (NASB)

Hello,

This past weekend my wife and I were spending some time with the kids, and I recall several times telling them to think positively about what they were doing – that they could achieve what they were doing. Now, just thinking something doesn’t make it happen – but your starting mindset will set you up towards success or failure. I think about this when it comes to the spiritual battles we face as well. If we are constantly thinking about we are trying to not do or avoid – that is all we will think about! When we mentally spend time on things, they tend to become our focus – the opposite of what we were hoping for. Instead, we should put on our minds on whatever it is we are trying TO do, the things we want to see accomplished.  Where we set our mind is reflective of our focus and priority. Our walk with God is not to be focused on what not to do, but rather what will glorify Him.

Where is your mind set?

Will Hill

RLD Week 6 - Creating a Relational Environment

 You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. 2 Timothy 2

Last week was about your own leadership abilities, but this week is about how your group responds to each other.  In reading through the study guide, there's lots of talk surrounding how well you know the other people in the group.  (Keep in mind that this study guide is to be done in a small group, I'm doing it on my own)  I've been through a variety of small groups over the years, and I've never felt the type of small group they're describing.

They're talking of a small group that knows the needs of others within the group and responds to it.  A widow didn't have to move anything when she moved houses, because everyone from her small group showed up to help her.  A man was in the hospital and everyone from the small group showed up to be with him and his family.  A new mother turned away a neighbor bringing a casserole dish because everyone from her small group had already filled up her fridge.  Maybe I'm cynical, or maybe I haven't been in those types of groups, but whenever a situation arose with someone, everyone else would offer to pray about it, but never gave up their own time to do this type of service towards each other.

I started to think about it, and when I say that no one in the group did that, I include myself.  I didn't give up my time to this level to support others in the small group.  Nor did I share enough about myself to let others in the small group even know when I went through difficulties that may have warranted this type of a response.  This type of environment doesn't just happen when a group is brought together, it has to be created.  You have to put yourself out there first, and offer your help first, before others will start to do so.  It's exceptionally hard for me to really open up in these types of environments, so the next group that I join, I'm going to make an effort to always put out a prayer request for me.  I might include a friend or family's request, but I'll put out something about what I need help with.  The few times that I did do that, I'd get people coming up to talk to me later about it, and I would do the same for others who brought up their own requests.  That's the start of creating that relational environment.  It feels risky and awkward, but it's the first step.  Put yourself out there, and you'll be able to support others.

Praise the Lord

Psalm 103:1-4

Praise the Lord, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the Lord, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits—
who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion.



Just one week after his death and five days after his resurrection, all I can think about is Praise the Lord! I am alive today because of his willingness to die for ME. Yet without the resurrection, it just wouldn’t hold the same meaning. Christ didn’t just die for me, he rose again to proclaim that he had conquered death.


For many Easter is past, it was a day of getting together with family, egg hunts, and candy. Now we had all of that, however for my household, Easter is not past, it is always the reason we are able to live and know what our future looks like. He has forgiven our sins!


I hope today you continue to praise the Lord for all he has done for you.

Thurs Devo: Come Here!

Last week we were trying to skype with our granddad, but it wasn’t working on my sister’s computer. Since granddad was waiting on the other end, Jane yelled “come here!” to her husband, Sean, so he might expedite the resolution.

It usually isn’t a good thing when we hear “come here!” loudly. If it’s directed at a kid, spouse, or employee, often they’re in trouble. At a minimum, there’s usually some sort a problem (as with our skype situation).

When God says “Come here!” it’s a good thing! It means He has huge blessings for us. After the two witnesses were killed and their deaths celebrated, God does the impossible.

Revelation 11:11-13  ¹¹ But after the three and a half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them. ¹² Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on.
¹³ At that very hour there was a severe earthquake and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

Has God said “Come here!” to you? Has He drawn you to Himself? How have you and I responded? Have any of you told God “Just a minute?” Do you have a few things you want to do first and then you’ll spend time with him? Or, have we responded with “Coming now!” by getting to know Him, spending time with Him daily, and placing our full life in His hands? It’s already in His hands anyway and then we will get to join Him in Heaven for all eternity, just like the two witnesses!

As Jesus said:

Matthew 11:28-30     ²⁸ “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Alice