Known For

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

  1 Peter 2:9

As the days grow long, or at least seem to be long because they flow into each other and don’t seem to change from one day to the next because of the sheltering in place we’ve been doing, my work teammates and I look forward to Wednesday morning at 8:30 for our weekly catch up session. This was something I scheduled a few weeks into our work-from-home situation, realizing that each of us was desperate to retain the office camaraderie my small team and I had and to hear each other’s voices on something other than work-related conference calls. We don’t talk about work at all during this 30-minute catch up; instead everyone, including my executive director, answers team-building questions like “kids these days will never know the struggles of…” or “what is one key skill you think everyone should have? (mine was grammar and spelling skills, surprise, surprise, and would you believe that one of my coworkers offered that up on my behalf?)…or even silly ones like “black licorice—yes or no?” (definite yes for me. I *love* that stuff). It has been a way for a fairly close-knit group of teammates to get to know each other even better without it feeling forced and has given us a way to triumph despite the circumstances of COVID-induced lockdowns. I scour a number of websites to ask the right questions, changing things up if my questions elicit little response.

One of the questions I found to pose to the group really got me thinking. The question was “what do you want people to think of when your name comes up in conversation?” and my initial response (to myself) was “I want people to think I’m witty and funny.” After thinking about it more, and posing it the following week, I told the group how my thought process had changed from its original response. Though I do want people to think of me as witty, clever, and funny, I also want my reputation at work to be one of a hard worker, someone who knows how to get the job done, a go-to person. In thinking more about it, though, realizing that although I am all those things, I am one who loves the Lord, and that’s what I want folks to say about me when my name comes up in conversation. Though I feel bad that my initial reaction was a very human, prideful, worldly one, I can say with 100% certainty that in the long-run, my being a believer who loves her Savior is an attribute that I am not ashamed to declare, even to my work peeps.

As I have grown on my spiritual walk, I have realized that the validation I have sought from the world is fleeting, temporary, and is frankly wrong. The perspective I should have and demonstrate—the eternal perspective—is the focus on what the Lord is doing in my life and what I am doing in my life for the Lord. Even the work I do in the church, whether it is the writing of these devotionals or the time I spend in prayer for you—it is all meant to have Him as the focus and not me (though I cannot deny that it is nice when people respond to these devotionals, and I do enjoy being up in the pulpit as liturgist. There’s that whole introvert v extrovert battle I have with myself ever so often, or I’m ham. Or both).

And you? How would you answer the question?

Prayer Requests

·      For Bruce and the family of Gloria Richter who is in hospice care

·      For Jackie Zivley, Ruby Milton’s daughter, at Ruby’s passing

·      For all to seek to understand others’ points of view regarding masks, sheltering in place, going back to work or remaining in lockdown—everyone is coming at this from a different place and stance, and that is okay

·      For our leaders—government and church-wise—to make godly decisions

I love the fact that even though I fail Him daily and He must shake His head at the things that I say and do, but I love that He loves me with a love that I have never known before, and never will. And friend, He loves you the same way—regardless of your past, current, and future failings. You and I are children of the One True King! All praise and glory to be God!

Quotes

“The devil whispered, “You can’t withstand the storm.” The warrior replied, “With God on my side, I am the storm!”

“God sends the storm to show that He is the only shelter.”

No Hard Sell

He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation…”

Mark 16:15

Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.  Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

                                    Matthew 9:37-38

 A knock on our front door interrupted our quarantine game night of Wii Frisbee golf this past Friday night. Two young ladies were offering to clean our front room area rug (“it’ll take only 20 minutes!), and my husband took them up on their offer. They said they would be right back but 15 minutes later, a young man and a different young lady appeared holding a large box with the words “Kirby Vacuum” splayed across it. Since I hadn’t answered the door and didn’t totally realize what was happening until they came in, it was a bit too late for us to say “no”. We were in for an in-home demonstration of all that the latest Kirby Avalir vacuum cleaner, a solidly built behemoth of a machine compared to my nimble Dyson. The friendly young man started to careful vacuum our rug, starting and stopping to put in filters that would demonstrate the amount of dirt, cat hair, and old glitter from fallen Christmas tree ornaments that my Dyson had left behind. We left him to himself while we continued playing, pausing when he called us in to show us those filters and telling us about the features of the Kirby. He demonstrated various comparison tests between the two vacuum cleaners, and asked us what we thought of the Kirby and how much we thought we could pay for such a machine. When he revealed the amount, which was almost twice than the figure we threw out there, I knew we were going to be there for a while. When I explained that my husband was laid off from his job and we just weren’t ready to make any big expenditures, I was met with care, concern, and the simple double-digit monthly payment amount if I financed through Kirby for the next four years (at 21% interest, I might add).

This enterprising young man asked if he could show us what his machine could do for our mattresses by using a different color filter that showed the amount of human skin and dust mites that was on our bedsheets. It was a compelling demonstration, I will admit, but one that did not convince me to purchase the vacuum for the original $2248 asking price or even for the cheaper amount of $1648 after knocking money off because of my allergies and Kirby’s partnership with the American Lung Association. I asked if we could get his card and contact him after my husband and I talked about it, the salesman said that this was a one-time offer with a decision that would have to be made in person that night, as that’s how their business model worked. We wouldn’t need to do any research on the vacuum, he said, because he was demonstrating the research live for us.

When we thanked the young man for his time but stayed resolute in our refusal to purchase the vacuum cleaner, reiterating the fact that this simply was not a good time for us, given my husband’s recent job situation, the young man smiled and said that he understood, but that we really couldn’t afford to miss out on a such a great opportunity, given how great the vacuum was and knowing how the economy was going to rebound and the like. With a smile and a firm “no thank you”, I told the young man that it was getting late (this was around 10:15 Friday evening. What was promised as something that would take 20 minutes took about 2.5 hours, though we continued playing on the Wii during his set up and vacuuming), and he said he understood and that he just needed to let his supervisor (the young woman who came to the door with him) know. Everyone who has purchased a car from a dealership knows that when the salesperson goes to get his or her manager, we were going to get the next-level hard sell from her, charming and personable as she was. And we did. After asking our assessment of the vacuum and its comparison to my Dyson, and hearing our feedback with a firm reminder that we weren’t in a position to purchase, she came back with a figure that, she explained, was cutting greatly into their commission, but that she’d be willing to do “because I like you guys, Miss Laura.” Her last question was to go with the presumptive close: “how would you and Mr. Don want to pay for it? Monthly installments or pay cash?” I stood my ground, and they packed everything up and headed out the door, the “quick demo” finally over.

I hadn’t even realized that the Kirby folks were still doing door-to-door sales, especially in this online, one-click purchase environment. I do feel bad that the young man spent so much time trying to sell us a fairly decent vacuum cleaner, schooled in the counter arguments potential buyers might throw at him. His supervisor made the requisite personable small talk, trying to connect with me on a personal level, asking about our grandfather clock and my work at USAA. I get it—it’s more difficult to say “no” to someone with whom you’ve made a connection. They both exhibited a great knowledge of sales tactics; alas, they were lost on us that Friday evening.

As believers, we are commanded to share the gospel with yet-to-be-believers and part of our mission is to make Jesus known to others. Although Pastor Kevin used to say that “we were in sales, not management”, we do not have to use sales techniques when we talk to the lost. We don’t employ any pressure tactics; in fact, there isn’t anything we do to make the proverbial sale. Our testimony should be genuine and factual, led by the Holy Spirit to share our story at the right time. The Holy Spirit is the One who stirs the heart of the one we are sharing our story with; we need only be obedient and open to share at the Holy Spirit’s prompting. No theatrics, just sincerity; no emotional guilt trips, just a testimony that demonstrates the depth of the love and grace of Jesus Christ; no judgment, just love.

Are you ready? He is with you. Go share!

Prayer Requests

·      For those who are facing diagnoses that are scary, especially during these times

·      For families of Gloria Richter and Ruby Milton, as they face their beloved wives and moms in hospice care

·      For all pastors and leaders during these challenging times

·      For us to seek to understand God’s lesson for us in this

May we do all we can to truly walk in obedience to His word, and to share His love with those who don’t know Him yet.

Quotes

“We are very good lawyers for our own mistakes, but very good judges for the mistakes of others.”

“Spiritual maturity isn’t measured by how high you jump in praise but how straight you walk in obedience.”

You Are Not Alone

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Galatians 6:2

 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; 

                                    Romans 12:10

Google “quarantine fatigue” and you’ll see scads of articles about how being in lockdown for the time that we have has led some folks to rebel and flock outdoors, despite stay-at-home orders. You’ll find pundits on the left and the right of the political spectrum commenting on various aspects of the lockdown, their messaging reflecting their take on this whole thing. (no, I’m not going to get political here, I promise!). Keep looking however, and you’re sure to finally find an article on the emotional health aspect of what is going on.  

The second or third week or so into working from home, I could not, for the life of me, figure out why I was so mentally fatigued by 4:00 in the afternoon. I was getting an hour’s more sleep each day, since I didn’t have to drive to the gym at work; I maintained as much of my morning routine as I could—devotional and prayer time with Him; working out by walking the neighborhood or even better, cardio kickboxing on the Wii, and strength training; standing up at least every hour at ten minutes until the hour as my Apple watch reminded me to; calling in to work meetings and getting work stuff done. When the work day was through, all I had to do was lock my work laptop and go downstairs to spend time with the family. Life overall seemed simpler—I hadn’t been really out of the house, not even for groceries, as Don took care of grocery shopping since he had the inadvertent free time as of late. Work was not especially grueling as it had been in the months leading up to the end of February. Yet I found myself distracted throughout the day, scrolling through Facebook and Reddit while on meetings (we weren’t using our video so as not to overwhelm the system of 15,000 some-odd people suddenly working from home) and struggling to formulate cohesive and coherent sentences for emails and instant messages in the afternoons. When a coworker who is a dear friend of mine mentioned that she was mentally exhausted every day, I told her that it had to be because she had just lost her mother who lived out of state. I couldn’t, however, explain why I was.

It wasn’t until a Facebook friend shared an article entitled “Why Am I So Tired?” that I found my answer: “we first need to recognize that the current pandemic, and the resulting quarantine we find ourselves under, is a unique situation that most of us have never faced before in our lifetime and that this situation is a form of community trauma.” Add to that the barrage of new stories about the healthcare workers working 100-hour work weeks, young people dying from the virus, hospitals running out of ventilators as well as the collective loss of our “normal”, and it’s any wonder why I, and countless others, are exhausted or feeling out of sorts, or somewhat depressed. It is normal and explainable.

So now that it’s out in the open, what do we do about it? We pray. We realize that we are not alone in feeling how we do, despite what the enemy tells us. We spend time in the word with Him. We ask for the Paraclete, His Holy Spirit, to comfort and encourage us. We reach out to our Christian brothers and sisters check on them. We pour out grace to our families, ourselves, those with whom we interact, even fleetingly. We remind each other and ourselves that greater is He who is in us, than he who is in the world, and we cling to Him. We take each day as it comes, not in our own strength, but in the aegis (protection) of the Almighty God, receiving it as the gift He intends it to be. We remember to Whom we belong, and we recall that He has given each of us a job to do while on this earth, and has equipped us to do it.

Prayer Requests

·      For the families and friends of Ruby Milton and Gloria Richter, as they deal with these lovely ladies being placed in hospice

·      For leaders of the government at all levels, whether you support them or not

·      For those who face financial hardship and loss because of the economic impact of the virus

·      For healthcare workers, first responders, pastors, leaders—for protection, wisdom, and grace

You, my beloved friend, are not alone. You are surrounded by the body of Christ—people who love you and care about your well-being. You are definitely surrounded by the love of God and the comfort of the Holy Spirit as He attends to you. Reach out to Him I prayer; reach out to Pastor Wayne or the church if you are in need. Resources exist to help you during this challenging time. Know that you are loved.

 Quotes

“To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.”    --Martin Luther

“Never be a prisoner of your past—it was just a lesson, not a life sentence.”

“Death was proof that Jesus was human. Resurrection was proof that He is God.”               

What Happened at the Cross

Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

2 Corinthians 5:18-21

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”),

                                    Galatians 3:13

I know that Easter Sunday was last week, and while I feel like I should be able to attribute writing a devotional that talks about the sacrifice Jesus made for us a week after one of the biggest Christian holidays of the year on the fact that this crazy lockdown has made me lose track of all of the days (I saw a post on Facebook that said something like “in case you were wondering, today is March the 381st), I can’t. No, it was commentary on what’s documented as Paul’s second letter to the church at Corinth that hit me straight in the heart this past weekend.

As I’ve shared before, I refer to Pastor David Guzik’s Enduring Word commentary to help further my understanding of God’s word. There’s even an Enduring Word app that I have on both my phone and iPad. This past Saturday, I read the latter half of the fifth chapter of 2nd Corinthians, part of which is quoted above. I’m sure I’m not alone in the feeling of unmitigated unworthiness combined with pure gratitude at the thought of what Jesus did on the cross for me, a pure and unadulterated sinner, and the love with which He did it. I know it’s the gospel story, one we have heard time and time again, but the thought of what He endured, physically, emotionally, and spiritually gets me every time. “God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself” Paul writes in verse 18. Guzik’s commentary on that states:

As horrible as the physical suffering of Jesus was, this spiritual suffering – the act of being judged for sin in our place – was what Jesus really dreaded about the cross. This was the cup – the cup of God’s righteous wrath – that He trembled at drinking. On the cross Jesus became, as it were, an enemy of God who was judged and forced to drink the cup of the Father’s fury so that we would not have to drink that cup.

“…forced to drink the cup of the Father’s fury so that we would not have to drink that cup,” Guzik writes. When I initially read that, I burst into tears, overwhelmed by the act. When I was able to gain my composure, I mulled over the use of the verb “forced”. Its use brought to mind the thought of a criminal or an evil person coercing a victim into doing something unthinkable, at risk of losing their life if they don’t. That wasn’t the case here. No, what’s truly at hand is the fact that Jesus did this willingly, knowing the implications of what He had to do and why He had to do them. Love compelled Him to hang on that cross and receive the full wrath of the Father as punishment for the sins that you and I committed. Love enabled our Savior to voluntarily give up His life, descend into Hell and endure being separated from Lord God.

Friends, I am simply astounded by His act of love for us. I fail Him every single day, multiple times a day even, and yet I know that He loves me. He knows our failings, and yet He loves us anyway. May we never cease to be amazed by this!

Prayer Requests

·      For us to seek His will for our individual and church lives

·      For our national and local governmental authorities to pursue godly wisdom in the eventual reopening of businesses

·      For those who are ill and hurting

·      For those considered essential personnel—for their sacrifices and commitment

Jesus tells us “Greater love has no one than this, that to lay down one’s life for his friends.” Dear ones, bask in this immense love and share it with the world today!

 Quotes

“You have no idea the numbers of people that God may want to influence through you.”

“Everything is either caused by God or allowed by God. There is no third category.”

“This too shall pass. It might pass like a kidney stone, but it’s gonna pass.”                 

Hope Despite the Quarantine

And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you.

Psalm 39:7

Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.

                          Psalm 42:11

Since the COVID-19 lockdown mid-March, I’ve seen a number of memes that resonate: “Quarantine day 1: I have enough food to last me weeks. Quarantine day 2: I’ve eaten all the food”; “Did a load of pajamas so I could have clean work clothes this week”; “Introverts, check on your extrovert friends. We know you’ve trained for this very moment and love it, but the extroverts are suffering!” There’s truth in that last one, but even as an introvert, I’m missing being in the middle of everything at work. Since my whole team has been working from home going on our fifth week now, I’ve set up weekly phone calls so that we can at least chat, in addition to weekly team building questions that range from the surface to more thought-provoking, and we have our first virtual happy hour using Zoom last week. It’s important to stay connected, not just for the productivity of the work, but also for the sanity of the team.

I’m also missing my church family. Again, as an introvert, there are a few times that are challenging for me when we’re all together—my yearning to run to the ladies’ room when we would pass the peace is not a reflection on you; it’s a reflection of a facet of my introversion. I promise! It’s a joy when we’re able to chat a little bit before the livestreaming of the worship service begins, and my heart sings when we all send the likes, loves, and happy emojis during the service.

This may be our new normal for the near future, and we’re all trying to make the best of it. We have come up with new ways to connect with each other; we have learned technologies that other churches had been using that were brand new to us. We now have a YouTube channel (innumerable thanks to Lori Grimes for setting that up)! We have pages on our website for positive distractions and resources for shopping and the like. We very quickly became an online church presence with our livestreaming and enhanced website pages. This crisis, though it may seem like it spoiled or delayed plans, may have actually ignited some technical advances for us! God is good!

What hasn’t changed, and never will, is the steadfast love of Almighty God. And it’s not just His love that won’t change, it’s Him—He will never change. He is immutable, our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.  We take comfort and draw strength from the fact that none—absolutely none—of this is a surprise to Him. We don’t worry about if or how He’s going to “figure this stuff out”; it is part of His plan and He already knows how things are going to happen. We must simply do as David says in Psalm 91, and ‘say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”’ And His response?

“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

He will call on me, and I will answer him;
    I will be with him in trouble,
    I will deliver him and honor him.
 With long life I will satisfy him
    and show him my salvation.”

What better comfort, what better promise is there than that? Whether through this new normal or the new normal to come, may we rest in the promise of His rescue and protection. Amen?

Prayer Requests

·      For healthcare workers who are giving up time with their families to tend to the nation’s ill

·      For government leaders at all levels

·      For us to understand the lesson in all of this

·      For first responders and their families

·      For us to be shine the joy of Resurrection Sunday, where Jesus triumphed over death!

Friends, He has you. He has us. Regardless of everything swirling around you, or even the lack of activity because of the lockdown, He is still on His throne, and He loves us very much. Dwell in the shelter of the Most High, and you’ll rest in the shadow of the Almighty (Psalm 91:1).

 Quotes  

“Never let an earthly circumstance disable you spiritually.”

“While others are congratulating themselves, I have to sit humbly at the foot of the cross and marvel that I’m saved at all.”  - Charles Spurgeon

“Sometimes it isn’t about the answer to the prayer. Sometimes it’s more about what you learn while you’re waiting for the answer.”                

Freedom in the Chaos

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;

Proverbs 3:5

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.

                                    James 4:13-15

The last devotional I wrote was about the book of Habakkuk and God’s lesson to us about trusting in Him and not our circumstances. Realizing this, Habakkuk declares that despite all of the loss, he will yet rejoice in the Lord. A challenge to the believer, in two senses of the word: a call to take part in something like a contest or competition and also for some of us, a difficult undertaking. I shared that devotional the evening of March 18th; less than a week later I find myself faced with that challenge.   

My husband Don is a civil engineer. He has worked in the government and private sectors for most of his career, the latest at a small engineering firm in Boerne. Mid-March, the leaders called the company’s 60+ employees together and told them that there was going to be some belt-tightening due to the work stoppages because of COVID-19 and that layoffs may occur. Last week, my husband and some others were called into a room and given the bad news: they would receive a week’s pay as severance and health benefits through April.  

Don sent a terse text with the news and I won’t lie—I experienced an immediate sense of dread that stopped me cold. I honestly can’t remember what I was doing at the time – probably listening to some meeting at my desk at home, since I’m now working from home during this time – but I knew that I couldn’t wallow or worry, as I needed to call Don while he was driving home, and I needed to be as calm and collected and hopeful as the Lord would enable me to be.

The next morning as I spent time with Him, I cried just a little—not about the circumstance itself, but for my husband, for the pain he was feeling because of the layoff. He knows it wasn’t a personal thing against him; it’s just something that happened. The challenging thing is that he lost his job in the summer of 2018, so this happening 18 months after that was a bit too close for comfort and ego. But as I prayed to and with Him, and thanked Him, albeit weakly, for the trial, He led me to understand the freedom in the midst of all of this chaos. You see, despite our best efforts, I don’t know if anyone could have seen the impact that COVID-19 has had on not only on people’s health but also on the global economy. Who would have predicted, not even a month ago when we were hearing about everything happening in Wuhan, that businesses would be decimated and schools and church buildings emptied?  

And yet, therein lies the glory of the Lord. In my struggle to quell the need to try to figure things out and plan for the future or even the next week, and make myself crazy in analyzing, in Dr. Strange-like fashion, the hundreds of different outcomes to something over which I have no control, He showed me the folly at even trying. And I felt peace…and freedom. Peace because I wasn’t trying to figure things out, and such freedom because I couldn’t and did not have to. Sweet relief!   

I know that the Lord has us—and whatever is going to happen, it will all be all right. You see, the Lord doesn’t have to figure this stuff out—it just is, it just happens, He says it and there it is. There is comfort in knowing that He knows the outcome of all of this and is not surprised by any of it. There is security in the promise of that He will work good in all things for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. There is peace in the understanding that our ways are not His ways, and our thoughts are not His thoughts.

He is God, and I am not. Praise be to His holy and beautiful name!

Prayer Requests

·      For those working tirelessly in search of a cure, testing, vaccinations and the like, all because of this virus

·      For us a nation and a world to repent from our dark and foolish ways and turn to Him

·      For the victims of domestic violence, of which we have seen an uptick in due to the economic impacts of COVID-19

·      For us to realize that even though we are not able to meet in person, we are the church, wherever we are, and to whomever we meet

Most assuredly, I declare that regardless of what happens with his job, with the economy, with my job, our health – we will be fine. The Lord has us. He will use this current bump to grow me and my witness, and He will be glorified.  

 Quotes

“Worship will get you through the roughest times in your life, because it shifts your focus from the problem to the problem solver.”

“A person who is hungry for God will seek His presence every day, not just on Sunday.”               

P.S.

• I’ve created a new COVID-19 resource page on the website where we’ll make updates and share information as things happen. This one is different than the one I sent out last time.

• Please share feedback on how the live streaming of the worship service has been. Please know that we plan on having Pastor Wayne wear a wireless headset microphone as soon as we can get it to him, so that folks will be able to hear him better. Shout out to Kenny Williams for buying it!

Yet I Will Rejoice

Though the fig tree may not blossom,
Nor fruit be on the vines;
Though the labor of the olive may fail,
And the fields yield no food;
Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,
And there be no herd in the stalls—
Yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will joy in the God of my salvation.

The Lord God is my strength;
He will make my feet like deer’s feet,
And He will make me walk on my high hills.

Habakkuk 3:17-19

I read the book of Habakkuk a couple of months ago and was drawn to its message and applicability from when it was written (likely sometime between 609-598 BC) to now. I knew immediately that there was a devotional, and perhaps even a sermon(!) from reading this book; the only thing in question was when?

If you haven’t read Habakkuk, I invite you to read its three chapters. Until then, allow me to boil it down for you: Habakkuk was a minor prophet who questioned God about the presence of evil throughout the land of Judah (his people) and God’s apparent silence and lack of action in response to this evil. In fact, the second verse of the first book reads

“O Lord, how long shall I cry, And You will not hear? Even cry out to You, “Violence!” And You will not save…For plundering and violence are before me; there is strife, and contention arises. Therefore, the law is powerless, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; therefore, perverse judgment proceeds”

Wicked things are going on all around Habakkuk and he doesn’t understand why the Lord hasn’t done anything about it. When the Lord tells Habakkuk that He would soon send the Chaldeans (Babylonians) to mete out justice upon the wicked in Judah, Habakkuk’s response is one of protest, lamenting that God’s act of judgment upon Judah (the punishment) is worse than the evil acts Judah was partaking in (the crime). God shares with Habakkuk that although He will use the evil Chaldeans, He will eventually destroy them. The Lord gives Habakkuk a vision to share with Judah of the pending judgment and disaster, changing Habakkuk’s outlook from doubt and worry to that of faith and praise. The vision is terrifying but magnifies the glory of the Lord throughout the natural world. It demonstrated that the Lord is in control, and that Habakkuk’s faith, like ours, needed to be placed in the Lord instead of his circumstances.

Habakkuk closes chapter 3 with one of the most comforting, declarative, and inspiring verses, demonstrating that as believers, we can know joy in the midst of desolation and darkness. He declares that he will rejoice in the Lord despite the barren fig trees, lack of food, and empty stall. Circumstances change—our world right now is evidence of it—but God is immutable. He never changes. Habakkuk realized, as so should we, that faith need not be in the circumstances—but in the One who is greater than them all.

In what or whom do you rejoice? In what or whom do you place your faith? The obvious answer, of course, is the Lord, as this is a Christian devotional. But I urge you to examine your heart and be thoughtful about your response. There’s no judgment here, I promise. In times like these, with the unprecedented rapid increase in COVID-19 cases, toilet-paper hoarding and hand-sanitizer stockpiling run rampant, worry about the global economy because of the impacts of travel bans and restaurant closures, it can be difficult to not worry, or even panic, especially when the impact could hit so close to home, either in sickness, loss of employment, impact to one’s investments, and the like. Many times, when things are beyond our understanding and seem to be happening to us, our immediate response is to act on those things that we think we can control, and put our faith in our abilities and material goods (finances and the like). We tend to trust more in ourselves and less in the Lord. It is a natural, human, understandable response.

However…God controls the circumstances. He may let us think that we can impact them, but we know that He is greater than our circumstances. Habakkuk realized this, and praised God. God’s majesty and glory are increased when we acknowledge Him for His sovereignty and power.  

Prayer Requests

·      For comfort and healing for those who are contract the COVID-19 virus

·      For health-care workers in their tireless service

·      For the children in abusive families for whom the now-closed school was a welcome and needed escape

·      For those in society who are most impacted by the suspension of visitations—people in nursing and rest homes, prisons, hospitals

Dear ones, God is still on His throne. Whether you think we are in the end times or in a “this too shall pass” time, He is still in control. Our response is to have faith in Him, and to be obedient to His leading.

 Quotes

“Sometimes God calms the storm. Sometimes He lets the storm rage and He calms His child.”

“Somebody, somewhere is depending on you to do what God has called you to do.”           

P.S. I’ve created a special COVID-19 page on the website where we’ll make updates and share information as things happen. I’m also hoping to have a link to the livestream of our church services as they happen on that page as well. #NotAShamelessPlug J

Dear Younger Me

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28

I recently heard the song “Letter to Me” by Brad Paisley, in which the singer-songwriter talks about writing a letter to his younger self, sharing wisdom and hope learned in hindsight of teenage heartache and youthful experiences. The song ends with “I wish you wouldn’t worry/Let it be/I’d say have a little faith/And you’ll see…” Hearing that song was an interesting coincidence, as the earworm I’ve had in my head since the MercyMe concert has been “Dear Younger Me”, a song written in the same vein, but the knowledge of the background of the song makes it that much more meaningful. You see, a friend of lead singer Bart Millard’s happens to be a professional athlete who fell in love with baseball because he was abused by babysitters as a child, and he chose baseball because he said that it [the baseball field] was the one place they [the babysitters] couldn’t get to. When Millard heard that in a television interview, he texted him these words, which he then turned into the lyrics of an extremely moving song:

If I knew then what I know now/Condemnation would have no power /My joy and pain would never be my worth/If I knew then what I knew now/It wouldn’t be hard to figure out/What I would’ve changed/If I had heard “Dear younger me, it’s not your fault/You were never meant to carry this beyond the cross.”

Millard knew of which he wrote, because his father was horribly abusive to him when Millard was a child.

I have known people who have defined themselves by the things that happened to them or by the mistakes they made earlier in life (or, like me, both). They struggle to overcome the shame and pain, and the enemy’s reminders of past hurts and failures keep many people a prisoner to their past, their perceived worth non-existent.

I’ve also known people, brothers and sisters in Christ, who have experienced the same type of trauma but who have been able to see their worth only in the imputed righteousness of our Savior. Some have expressed regret in having gone through the experiences that they did, either by their own hand or by others’, while others have expressed remorse about the time it took them to come to know Christ, feeling guilty about the perceived loss of time in accomplishing Kingdom work.

Friends, hear me now: what you have experienced is all part of God’s plan—the good (God be praised!), the seemingly bad (God be thanked for those trials), and what seems to be the ugly (remember Paul’s words to the Corinthians: “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.” 2 Corinthians 4:17). The experiences that you went through made you who are you, and positioned you in such a way that you could be a witness to others—those who have experienced what we have—to help them through their trials. Paul points this out to the Corinthians: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”

Some of you need to know that the things that happened to you when you were younger are simply not your fault, and I beg you to not let anyone (least of all yourself!) tell you otherwise.

Some of you need to know that you are not defined by your bad choices and mistakes—that you are defined as a child of God and so desperately loved by Almighty God.

Some of you need to know that your salvation moment was on God’s timeline, not yours, and that you weren’t ready to accept Christ as your savior until that moment you did.

Let the Holy Spirit work on your heart to enable you to accept the things that I just wrote. The Lord Jesus has ransomed you, snatching you away from the grip of eternal damnation and declared your worth. The Creator of the universe has forgiven you—now it’s time to forgive yourself. The Prince of Peace loves you—now it’s time to love and value yourself, not for what you are or what you have done but for what He has done.

Prayer Requests

·      Comfort and encouragement for those who are caregivers

·      For law enforcement and first responders

·      For those in military service and for their families

·      For us to share the love of Jesus with this broken world 

Dear ones, I don’t want anyone to think that God is mean-spirited and that His plans are to throw trials and tribulations your way, that He causes things to happen and you’re just at the whim of His capriciousness. That is simply not the case. God does not cause bad things to happen to us, but He does sometimes allow those things to occur because He can use them later to bring you or someone else closer to Himself.  

 Quotes

“You are holy, You are righteous, You are one of the redeemed, Set apart, a brand new heart, You are free indeed.”  -- MercyMe from “Dear Younger Me”

 “We’ve made loving people a lot more complicated than Jesus did.”                                     

Like a Roaring Lion

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

James 4:7

 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

1 Peter 5:8-9

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Ephesians 6:11-12

My husband and I recently got the Ring video doorbell and alarm system. It has an app that you can use to enable and disable the alarm, receive notices when someone is at your front door, and even talk to people at the front door. It’s pretty nifty and I’m glad that we got it. But it also has this pesky feature in which I get notifications of “nearby incidents”—vehicle thefts and break-ins, home burglaries, gunshots (that last incident turned out to be fireworks but still), and the like—anything within a 2.5-mile radius of my home in Stone Oak. I didn’t realize all of the things that are happening way too close to my home – too close for comfort—but now I do. I don’t think I want to know, to be honest—ignorance truly was bliss. Oh, I knew that crime happened, and I’m not naïve enough to think it couldn’t happen within the Stone Oak area, but to know that a vehicle was stolen not too far from my neighborhood last week and that a couple of houses were broken into is unsettling. I reckon I could turn off these notifications, but I don’t think I will. They provide valuable information—information that I can use to increase awareness of my surroundings and mitigate my risk of being a victim. Forewarned is forearmed, as they say.

This same concept applies to the work of the enemy. Peter tells us to be alert and of sober mind, for the devil prowls like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. We cannot ignore the threat of his presence by either denying his existence, or by attempting to live our lives under the proverbial radar, hoping to slip past his gaze, not daring to call attention to ourselves. No! I’m sorry if I am the one to tell you but he is real, he is deceptive and a liar. We play right into his hands, also, if we live our lives in such a non-threatening way that we aren’t even a blip on his radar. We cannot, if we are truly children of the living King, compromise on our duty to share the gospel with the unbelieving world.  

James, Peter, and Paul provide us the knowledge we need with respect to the enemy. James tells us to submit ourselves to God, and to resist the enemy and he will flee from us. Peter tells us to resist him and stand firm in the faith. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians equips us with the tools we need in the full armor of God: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, shoes of the readiness of peace, shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. We needn’t be afraid of the enemy, for “he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” We just need to be aware of his existence, and walk with the Lord, holding on to His hand for assurance. The enemy may try to do his worst, and it won’t be pleasant, but we need to remember that he is limited by our God. The enemy cannot take away your salvation or the love of the Father. So walk proudly into this broken world and share the gospel, fearing no one. The Lord’s plans will not be hindered by what the enemy does. 

Prayer Requests

·      Gratitude for all that the Lord has done for us

·      Blessings on Ray, Wayne, George, and Carlos

·      Healing for the who are sick, in accordance to His will, peace for those concerned about Coronavirus, and strength for those treating the sick and infirm

·      For us to be the church wherever we are

Friends, don’t we serve an absolutely awesome God? He will never leave us or forsake us. He wants us to be bold and know of His presence always.

 Quotes

 “When God designed the plan for your life, it wasn’t dependent on you being perfect. Your mistakes are not a surprise to Him.”

“If you’re breathing, you matter, because you matter to the One who gave you breath.”                                            

Shepherds

Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.

Hebrews 13:17

“Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding.”

                                            Hebrews 12:28

As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning.  When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset.

                                                             Exodus 17:11-12

Like I shared in last week’s devotional, friends and I saw MercyMe in concert the 17th of February. It was a fantastic evening full of praise and worship of our Lord, with much joy and admittedly, some tears. Their songs move and touch me so deeply. In introducing one of their songs, Even If, Bart Millard, the band’s lead singer, shared the story of his oldest son having juvenile diabetes and the struggles that he as a father has had seeing his child suffer through major health issues. He spoke of the challenges he’s had to stay positive and inspire concert-goers and witness to people, knowing all along that the Lord could deliver his son from this sickness if He so chose to do so. In fact, the lyrics exemplify this challenge:

         I’ve stood on this stage night after night/Reminding the broken

         It’ll be all right/But right now, oh right now I just can’t

And

         They say it only takes a little faith/To move a mountain

         Well, good thing/A little faith is all I have, right now

         But God, when You choose/To leave mountains unmovable

         Oh, give me the strength to be able to sing/It is well with my     

         soul

I can’t fathom the number of times he has willed himself to sing even though his heart is breaking or his faith is shaken. Although Millard is not a pastor, he is still leading worship and seeking to glorify God in his music. His music is his ministry, and he and his band members need to be remembered in our prayers for all that they are trying to accomplish for the Kingdom.

Similarly, and closer to home, pastors carry a large load on their shoulders as well. It cannot be easy, Sunday after Sunday, to consistently deliver His message when life’s struggles and the enemy’s attacks can distract and threaten to undermine. Pastors and other church leaders are not immune to the slings and arrows the enemy launches, some coming through challenging interactions with people in their congregations and yet others, through their own self-doubt and pity (note, I am painting with a broad brush and generalizing—neither Ray nor Wayne have ever mentioned anything to me about this at all, I promise). If I’m upset with my husband but have to buy a birthday or Valentine’s Day card for him, I struggle because the meaning of the card needs to be sincere—I cannot buy a card just because it’s a card with a pithy message—can’t get one that is all lovey dovey if that is not what I am feeling at the time. It feels disingenuous (the silly thing is—I’m the only one who knows this). I know how challenging it would be to preach a message during a time in which I were in a valley, or had a diminished amount of faith. (I’ll preempt what you may be thinking here—maybe that’s why I’m not up there preaching every week! God sure knows what He is doing, keeping me in the pews, hmmm?)

Here’s where you and I come in, friend. We pray. We pray for our pastors and leaders in the church. We pray for missionaries, itinerant preachers, evangelists, elders—whether we know them or not. For our own pastors, we come up alongside of them, arms out to hug, to lift up, to hold up the proverbial arms of those He set before us as pastors and leaders. We remind them that God is in the valleys as well as the mountaintops. We love on them, knowing they are our brothers and sisters in Christ. We become Christ’s hands and feet to them, comforting, helping, all the while demonstrating God’s love to the bod of Christ.

Prayer Requests

·      For our pastors and lay leaders in Stone Oak Church

·      For our hearts to be prepared for Lent, starting this Ash Wednesday

·      For government authorities and leaders at all levels

·      For God to be glorified in all that we do

According to an interview I read about the hit Even If, Millard mentions that “Even If is a reminder to people in difficult situations that don’t seem to go away. God was worthy long before any of those circumstances even showed up. This song is a declaration to God that even if He went silent and never said another word, He’s still worthy to be praised and that He’s our greatest hope in the midst of the trial.”

Amen!

 Quotes

“Speak the biblical truth, even if it doesn’t meet the approval of the culture.”            

“Mountaintops are for views and inspirations, but fruit is grown in the valleys.”           

-- Billy Graham                                                

This So-Called Love

“Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”

John 17:3

I went with some friends to the MercyMe concert this past Sunday—it was a fantastic concert! David Leonard (a new band) and Jeremy Camp performed as well. The music started at 7:00 p.m. and MercyMe came on at 9:00—I did not get home and into bed until midnight. Needless to say, I was quite tired the next morning. Rejuvenated and joyous Sunday night; my you-know-what dragging all day Monday. Since the concert, I’ve been listening to MercyMe through my iPhone in my car and working out—I had simply forgotten the beauty of their music and the truth of their lyrics.

There is one small song in their 2010 album The Generous Mr. Lovewell that seems almost an afterthought. At 1:36 minutes, it’s a short song, slow in nature, but simple in message. Entitled This So-Called Love, its lyrics are as such:

I can be there for you when it can't get much harder
I can cover your head when life starts to rain
I can hold on tight when it feels like you're falling
I can bread-crumb the path when you've lost your way
I can make you laugh when the whole world is crying

I can build you up when you're broken in shame
But if all that we do is absent of Jesus
Then this "so called" love is completely in vain

Y’all, this song was the last song I heard as I drove to my parking space this morning, eyes thick with tears. It has been one of those weeks/months—major change happening in key pillars of my life—and the Lord and I chatted about it while I waited in a traffic jam on my way to work. I was primed and susceptible to the emotions that threatened to overwhelm me, even though I know for a fact that the Lord has everything and that He would give me the peace I was so desperately asking for, if I just set back a bit and rested in Him. Struggling to get it together so that I didn’t look like a blithering idiot to the security guard checking my badge and waving me in, I was safe until the song came on. It’s a slow song, one that speaks of closeness, friendship, and security…until the end of the song, where the lyrics take that promise and shatter it with the Truth.

Friends, it’s not enough for us to love as the world loves. It’s not enough for us to do good works, and give money to outreach and mission work without sharing the love of Christ, or without Christ being the reason that we do what we do. Atheists and those from other religions can do good works. They can address the needs of the infirm, poor, imprisoned, and lonely. And they can love. But it is the works of believers, though, those who love because He first loved us, that are meaningful and lasting. When Christ-followers demonstrate the same love that Christ did when He died for our sins, God is glorified and people have the opportunity to not only have their needs met, but their hearts and value affirmed as well. When we are instruments of God’s love, we partner with Him for the eternal well-being of the person who is the lucky recipient of this wonderful attention. That person experiences an amazing blessing, and we too, are blessed.

Prayer Requests

·      For the discernment of His presence as we walk through the storms

·      Blessings on Pastor Ray and April as we prepare to transition pastors

·      For those who are ill, and for their caretakers

·      For us to be the church wherever we are

People need to know the love of Christ, y’all—it’s that simple.  “Agapetoi agapomen”—Greek for “those who are loved, let us love” or “Belovd, let us love one another”.

 Quotes

“Not everything that weighs you down is yours to carry.”

“The only One who can truly satisfy the human heart is the One who made it.”                                               

Worship

“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.  God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

John 4:23-24

“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe” 

                                            Hebrews 12:28

Remember back in elementary school when you learned about the water cycle—how condensation in the clouds saturated the clouds to the point where precipitation would fall into lakes, streams, rivers, and the like (collection), and then through the process of evaporation, water droplets or condensation formed in the clouds, and the process starts again? That process came to mind when I was mulling over a statement I’d heard ascribed to Louie Giglio:  “Worship is simply giving God His breath back.” Think about it—because God pours out His love and grace on us, we receive it and (ideally) share it, and simply and sometimes sacrificially offer up thanks for His blessings in praise and a declaration of His honor and reverence in worship. We rightly acknowledge His majesty, and He blesses us. Love rains down; praise goes up. It starts and ends with Him.

There is much talk these days of “praise and worship” being experiences that we consume as church goers. Megachurches have been accused of using praise bands and fog machines to affect an emotional response from the people attending, and that can be dangerous. Churches have split over changes to the worship services, while others modify and tailor the atmosphere to attract seekers and grow their congregations.

But the focus is all wrong—worship is not about the church goer. Notice in my example above—God is the one who initiates the process by pouring out His love on us and He is the recipient of our worship. He is the focus. Worship in Hebrew is Shachah, which means to prostrate (especially reflexive, in homage or royalty to God)—bow down, crouch, fall down (flat). In the Greek, worship is “Proskynō”, which has a similar definition but also conveys “kissing the hand of one who is revered.” Worship occurs when we acknowledge the greatness, majesty, sovereignty, and holiness of Almighty God in communion with Him. Praise and prayer are the media by which we do this; worship is the outcome.

Please don’t get me wrong—as part of the Worship committee/team, I want to be responsive to your requests with respect to the service. I understand that if there is something that is being done within the service that bugs the heck out of you, you might be less motivated to come to the service, or if you do, to get all that you can out of it—I don’t want that. If there is something that we can change up that does not detract from the primary reason we are in church (to worship Him), then by all means, we can try it. But the primary purpose of our worship is to declare, publicly and privately, that He is the source of love in our lives.

I read the story of how songwriter, singer, and worship leader Matt Redman’s song “The Heart of Worship” came to be. It was the late 1990s and the congregation was struggling to find its meaning despite the music and interaction within the services. “The pastor discerned that something was missing, and did a brave thing,” Matt shared. “He decided to get rid of the sound system and band for just a season, and we gathered together with our just our voices. His point was that we’d lost our way in worship, and the way to get back to the heart would be to strip everything away.” The pastor challenged the congregation with this question, reminding them to be producers in worship, not just consumers, “When you come through the doors on a Sunday, what are you bringing as your offering to God?” What developed in Redman’s songwriting mind were the lyrics to “The Heart of Worship”:

         When the music fades, all is stripped away, and I simply come/

         Longing just to bring something that’s of worth that will bless

         Your heart/I’m coming back to the heart of worship, and it’s all

         About You, Jesus..

 What about you? What will you bring as your offering to God this Sunday?

Prayer Requests

·      For discernment and trust to all who walk with Him

·      For protection and blessing of our pastors and church leaders

·      Praise for the rain!

·      For us to be the church wherever we are

Friends, we praise and love because He first loved us. He is the source, and may our words and actions reflect that.

 Quotes

“I believe churches are meant for praising God. But so are 2:00 a.m. car rides, showers, coffee shops, the gym, conversations with friends, strangers, etc. Don’t let a building confine your faith because we will never change the world by just going to church—we need to be the church.”    (Twitter)

“Rest tonight knowing that whatever is on your mind is in God’s hands.”      

Value and Self-Worth

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.”

Isaiah 43:1

“I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.” Psalm 139:14

My coworkers and I were talking about family dynamics, birth order, and personalities the other day. Even though I am the oldest (out of me and my sister), some of my personality characteristics are atypical for a firstborn. While I am hard-working and responsible, I am also a people pleaser and empathetic. On one hand, I am committed and aspire to excellence, but on the other hand, I can also be fairly insecure and wound easily. My skin is too thin, and my heart has taken up residence on my sleeve. My people-pleaser nature makes me a great target for being overly concerned about what others think of me. Said nature also lends itself to de-escalating (or even preempting) conflict, as I am loath to experience it, probably for reasons stated above. (I feel that I should caveat some of this with the statement that I am more apt to (respectfully) challenge or (lovingly) confront if I know you better, and trust that you know my heart and motivation. But even then, my insecurities can still get the better of me).

Such has been my life and outlook for almost all of my life. It wasn’t until maybe last month after some diligent self-examination of my reaction to a particularly challenging interaction at work that I realized that my self-worth should not rest in anyone else’s opinion of me—that the Almighty Lord loved me enough to send His son to die on a cross for me, and that the love that Jesus has for me enabled Him to suffer and sacrifice Himself for me, in obedience to the Father. I realized that I had the ability to actively change and choose the source of the validation I needed—His was the only voice whose tones and opinions mattered. Since it was His breath that gave me life, it should be only His words that define my worth. In a world full of noisy gongs and clanging cymbals, it is the melodious tones of my Creator singing over me that declare my value.

I can’t convey to you how liberating this is! I can actually feel my skin growing thicker by the minute and my heart is packing up its stuff, getting ready to move off of my sleeve! I am now apathetic to what everyone thinks now. Just kidding—I’m the same person I was before, but I’m not, you know? It’s liberating and at the same time, calming, because I don’t have to fret and overthink about what I said and the way I said it, what the other person meant by what they said and the tone they used, and so on, ad nauseum. My Savior loves me, and I am the daughter of the King.

Prayer Requests

·      For our government leaders at all levels of authority

·      For China, and those impacted by the coronavirus

·      For the Lord to be glorified in all that we think, say, and do

·      For His will and our discernment of it

Friends, may you bask in the goodness of His grace, secure in the knowledge of His love for you.

 Quotes

“God knows the when, the where, the why, and the how. So show up, do your part, and then let go and trust Him to do the rest.”                        

“People may have us because of Jesus, but they should never hate Jesus because of us. The way we treat others should lead them to only one conclusion: “If this is how Jesus loves, then I’m in.”                                                                            -Jen Hatmaker

Not Exactly How We Thought It Would Be

 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.

Acts 9:15

“King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.” Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?” Paul replied, “Short time or long—I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.

                                            Acts 26:27-29

I’ve recently just finished reading the book of Acts. I’ve read Acts many times, but I always learn something new each time I do, and I am so thankful to the Holy Spirit’s work in that. I give Him credit, also, for turning me on to Enduring Word, a commentary done by Pastor David Guzik that is available in an app that I listen to in the car or when I work out.

It was while reading Guzik’s commentary on chapter 26 that I was inspired to write this devotional. The setting in here is that Paul, accused and hated by the Jews because of his preaching and testimony regarding God’s message for the Gentiles that sparked a riot amongst the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem, stands before King Agrippa in Caesarea. Through a right provided by his Roman citizenship, Paul has appealed to Caesar, to be tried before his tribunal, and along the way has reiterated his testimony and preached Jesus Christ crucified and resurrected to a number of Roman statesmen and dignitaries. It is also with King Agrippa that Paul shares not only his dramatic past and conversion story but also the message about Christ’s suffering and resurrection, proclaiming “light both to our people (Jews) and to the Gentiles.” Agrippa, after being pointedly questioned by Paul, tells him, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?” (It sounds a bit more emphatic in the NKJV: “You almost persuade me to become a Christian.”)

Paul is witnessing to the king, just as Jesus told Ananias Paul would. Only the route he took to get there was probably not the way he would’ve originally envisioned it. Truth be told, were I Paul, and were I told that I would appear before kings to preach the good news and name of Jesus, my first thought would be, “An audience with kings and other dignitaries—what an opportunity! It may take some coordination, connections, and string-pulling, but what an honor and great thing this will be.” I would endeavor to not allow pride to kick in, but knowing who I am, I fear I might lose that battle slightly. I don’t think I’d break my arm patting my shoulder, but I can see my head getting maybe a wee bit larger.

But the route Paul takes to get an audience with kings is quite different. Instead of preaching circuits in fine linens and horse-drawn chariots, with fine dining and drink, rubbing elbows with politicians and royalty, Paul, up to this point, has endured stoning, lashings, imprisonment, beatings, and plots to kill him. After he witnesses to the King and his entourage, Paul will face horrible storms while sailing, being shipwrecked, a snakebite, and further imprisonment in Rome.

Not necessarily the path one would want to be on, pre- or post-kingly visit, wouldn’t you agree? Oh, but it was a path put together by the Lord, one punctuated with its trials and sufferings as well as its highs of miracles (the earthquake that occurred while Paul and Silas were in prison as well as Paul’s handkerchiefs and aprons being used to heal and exorcise), successful evangelization throughout Asia, and as we read at the end of Acts, “preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him.”

May we aspire to be obedient like Paul, knowing that although the plans the Lord has for us may not jive with how we thought things would go or turn out, He is sovereign and righteous.

Prayer Requests

·      For the lost who desperately need to know the love of Jesus Christ

·      For our hearts to be open to the nudging of the Holy Spirit in all things

·      For us to be Jesus to this broken world

·      For our pastors and lay leadership

Let’s open ourselves up to the prompting of the Holy Spirit and seek the plans that the Lord has for us, sooner rather than later. Let us put away preconceived notions on what we thought Christianity would be like – it can be messy, involved, heavy, challenging, and scary, but it can be oh so rewarding if we rely on Him and obey.

 Quotes

“When thoughts bombard your mind saying, “Who do you think you are?” Just smile and say, “a child of the most high God!”     

“It’s not the load that breaks you down; it’s the way that you carry it.”                                              

He’s Got It All Figured Out

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Jeremiah 29:11

Sometimes when my older son Greg comes over on Sunday and Troy isn’t working, we’ll play card games—Tripoley, Texas Hold ‘Em (yes, I know I don’t have a poker face but I’m working on it!), as well as a board game like The Settlers of Catan. If you’re not aware of this game, it’s a strategy game in which players collect resources (sheep, iron, wheat, etc) and use them to build roads, settlements, and cities. I was at a bit of a disadvantage since Troy and Greg had played it prior to the three of us playing it together, and that disadvantage grew the more we played. I believe I ended up winning that game, however, because Greg and Troy played against each other, taking the other out, leaving me winning, and not fully understanding how nor why. A win’s a win, though, so I took it.

You see, I am not strategy minded. I’m not a visionary or a “big picture” kind of person. Sure, I can take a vision and map out how to execute to said vision, but coming up with the vision itself? Not my forte. I’ve never played chess or dabbled in office politics, as I lack the ability to anticipate the moves people will make—I’d always be like three to four steps behind.

Fortunately for me and those like me, when it comes to understanding what the future holds and how we each fit into it, we are in such a blissful state because we don’t have to figure it out--the Lord has it all laid out already. He has a plan; He already knows the part we will play in it, and the degree to which we will play. In fact, He doesn’t even need to “figure it out”; He simply knows how it will all play out.

How cool and liberating is that? When we are faced with surprising and upending news, and the few options our brains can generate leave us shaken, we can rest in the assurance that He has a plan. When we feel like life throws us the proverbial curve ball and the path that we knew in our heart of hearts the Lord brought us to closes and another path arrives, we can be confident that despite seeming like a really bad thing, the change in direction can be just what the Lord wanted to happen, and that He is moving us on to different things—things that perhaps we would have never thought of.

Y’all, the Lord is in our yesterdays and in our tomorrows. He will never forsake us. Proverbs 3:5 tells us to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” Our inability to see the next three to four chess moves doesn’t negate our responsibility to be obedient to His leading. No, we trust in Him, praying for peace, discernment, and obedience to His will. Easier said than done, I admit, but necessary for our spiritual growth and discipline.

Prayer Requests

·      For the friends and family of Billie Dees, beloved church member who passed away last week

·      For the tragedy happening in Australia with the fires and loss of life

·      For those struggling with self-worth, depression, addictions

·      For His will to be done in our church

My dear friend, I’m not trying to trivialize your anxiety or worry. I’m merely reminding you that the creator of the earth, moon, heavens, and you has a plan for you. He hasn’t brought you this far to simply abandon you—I promise. He loves you overwhelmingly.

Quotes

“You were deliberately planned, specifically gifted, and lovingly positioned on this earth by the Master Craftsman.”    - Max Lucado                                    

“If your Christianity depends upon a pastor’s preaching, then you’re a long way from being where you should be.”   -- A. W. Tozer                                          

Witnessing

And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.

Mark 16:15

but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect

                                             1 Peter 3:15

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

                                             Acts 1:8

I read a story shared on Facebook the other day about Jake Fromm, the University of Georgia junior who as quarterback, led his team to a victory last week over Baylor in the Sugar Bowl. In an interview done by ESPN reporter Holly Rowe, Fromm shared with her that the source of his optimism was “The Holy Spirit in me. I’m trying to live out the most godly life I can do. I’m trying to influence others and hope they can see Christ in me.” When asked if he had a goal for the new year, he replied, “Influence others, lead people to Jesus… and hopefully shed the light in their eyes.”

The Twitter bio of Carson Wentz, quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles, reads “Follower of Christ, husband, QB for the Philadelphia Eagles, Outdoorsman, … and includes a reference to his foundation Audience of One”, and seeks to praise God in all things—a tweet from him after a November loss to the Cowboys says, “Praise Him in victory & defeat, the hills and the valleys, the good and the bad” with a praying hands emoji.  

The waitress at the Texas Roadhouse restaurant my husband and I went to the other day wrote the typical “thank you with a smiley face” on our check, but it was what was written at the bottom that stopped me in my tracks. She wrote “Isaiah 41:10”, and smiled when she gave us the check. Some of my most favorite verses are from Isaiah, but in my haste, I couldn’t recall exactly what this one was. So I looked it up on my bible app on my phone, and found it easily, as I had highlighted it a while back as it had spoken to my heart so comfortingly: “fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

These three people are examples of the millions of people out there who are sharing their faith seemingly without hesitancy or fear. Carson Wentz may cast a wider net, as he has 1.1 million followers on Twitter and interactions with countless others through his foundation and job, thereby giving his witness a broader impact, but my little Texas Roadhouse sister-in-Christ may have a similar but deeper impact on a more personal level with the people she meets.

I have grappled mightily with the concept of witnessing on my own faith walk. I have friends who have no problems going up to strangers and talking to them about Jesus. And there are two specific friends who are not the extraverted gregarious kind who will talk to anyone and everyone about anything. But they are godly women who are sensitive to the prompting of the Holy Spirit and obedient to God’s will.

I know I need to be more like them.

It has been my prayer for a while that the Holy Spirit change me so that my witness is more identifiable and more evident to those I meet. I want people to know that I am a believer, not for my own sake, but for His sake. I want to be the hands and feet of Jesus to this broken world, and to be used for His service. I want to operate in the gifts that the Holy Spirit has given me, for the building up of the body of Christ. I know I do some of these things, but I feel like I should do more. I don’t think that it’s guilt, comparison of others’ actions (maybe?), or the enemy telling me I’m not doing enough so therefore I will be laughed out of the throne room or bema seat of Christ (depending on your thoughts on the great white throne judgment and when believers will be judged). No, I am being convicted to decrease the worldly human-y things that I think, say, and do, thereby increasing the ability for others to see Christ in me. And if people see Christ in me—if my spiritual walk is my witness—then perhaps seeds will be scattered throughout that walk. I can wrap back around and water those seeds, or taking the analogy even further, I can water the seeds that others have planted.  

The question that has been rattling around in my brain in mental preparation and prayer for this devotional has been: if I didn’t wear a cross necklace all the time, would people know to Whom I belong? Sometimes I can say with a fair degree of certainty, “yea verily, they would”, and other times I can abashedly admit that the answer is a resounding “no”.

Would you join me in prayer for me that there be more “yea verily” answers and fewer resounding no responses? I shall do the same for you, my friend.

Prayer Requests

·      For the equipping of discernment, obedience, and trust in Him throughout the various changes we will definitely experience

·      For the abatement of violence in this broken world

·      For those involved and impacted in the escalating US-Iran conflict

·      For our pastors and leadership

It’s a challenging time right now, friends, especially with tensions rising in the Middle East. Regardless of what happens, God is in control—nothing surprises Him. Let’s share more of Jesus during these times. The world could use a large dose of grace and mercy, as well as the ability to see Him in His people.

 Quotes

“Be an Esther, bold and courageous enough to stand for the truth, to voice your opinion and fight for the good of others, even when it means to sacrifice yourself. If God has put you in a position, it is for a purpose. Never be afraid to heed that inner voice.”                

“Modern religion focuses on filling churches with people. The true gospel emphasizes filling people with God.”                                                 

Watching the Calendar

But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

Mark 13:32

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.

                                            2 Peter 3:10

Every single year around Christmas, I tell myself that I am not going to let myself get caught off guard with Christmas and all of the things I think I need to get done—determining and then shopping for the perfect gift, decorating the house, ordering gifts for out-of-town family members, searching charities for the right one to donate to, addressing and mailing Christmas cards—I tell myself that I will be better prepared for next Christmas. After all, the calendar is there in front of me—it’s not like it’s a surprise when December 25th is. And yet every year it happens—103-degree summer weather gives way to a modest 96-degree weather when Fall arrives and pumpkins fill our parking lot, and I tell myself that it’s time to plan for Christmas. I then blink and it’s Christmas Eve and I’m warming HEB’s Wintermarkt Gluhwein on the stove, a delicious sweet wine that I add mulling spices to and share with the family as we watch part of a Christmas movie on the television. In years past (when the kids were small) I’ve used the time after the movie to wrap presents and hide them away; now that they are grown, I can relax a bit with said wine and without guilt.

Year in, year out, the routine is pretty much the same, and I vow that the next year will be better (and it always does seem to be a smidge better. I’m not any more prepared than I was the previous year; perhaps it’s just that the pressure lessens each year?). Christmas is always on December 25th, and calendars and other means abound that will remind me of that fact.

With each Christmas, the body of Christ celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ—His first coming. We celebrate because we understand its meaning—Jesus, the Deity who stepped out of heaven and was borne into a meager life as a baby—as the Savior of us all, destined to die on a cross so that we may have eternal life. We rejoice in the thought of Emmanuel—God in flesh with us, the Word walking among us, showing us how to die to self and live with Him. We have opportunity to renew our wonder and commitment to Him each and every December 25th as we look to the potential of what each new year brings and how we can be used by Him. The calendar, right as rain, whether I’m prepared for it or not, brings the reminder of Christmas and all of its promise—His first coming.

What the calendar cannot bring is the notice of His second coming, however. And it is this fact that causes the us as believers to want to live our lives in certain ways, ways that reflect the goodness of Christ in a world darkened by sin and shame, so that those who don’t Him yet may come to know Him because of our witness. Friends, we do not have an idea as to how long we will be on this earth, but we simply must be prepared for the fact that He may come again while we are on here. No day is promised to anyone; we are merely the lucky recipients of each day as it comes. It is what we do with each day that is important. Are we sharing the love of Jesus with this world? Or are we overly focused on understanding what success in this world and lifetime means? Are we intentional in our church attendance, coming to worship the one true king, sacrificing Self in the process? Or do we consume what the church as to offer and look the other way when volunteers for ministries are sought? Would you do church or would you be the church?  

“Would you live your life differently if you knew that Jesus were coming back tomorrow?” asks the old cliché, wisely.  

Prayer Requests

·      For those struggling with job loss or changes—know that He has you, even if you cannot see beyond the perimeter of this 24-hour day

·      For those who are experiencing the first Christmas without their loved one being there due to sickness or death   

·      For victims of abuse and neglect—may they know His love and comfort

·      For our pastors and leadership

May we always be ready to witness, to share, and to account for our actions here on this world when we see Jesus face-to-face.

 Quotes

“It is better to look ahead and prepare, than to look back and regret.”    

“He is bigger than the scars and all the secret struggles. And He can make some remarkably beautiful things from all of your ashes.”                                              

Imperfect Worship

Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous,
    no one who does what is right and never sins.

Ecclesiastes 7:20

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

                                   Romans 5:8

 Not too long ago I put up this message on the church marquee: “God loves you and your messy heart.” The message spoke to me, and I wanted passersby to know that the Lord knows that we’re not perfect, that we’re messy, and that boy howdy—He loves us anyway!

It hit me a little bit Sunday, and Monday morning as I was praying and ruminating about the number of small kinks we had during the service this past Sunday—me, as liturgist, frantically trying to mic up Mateo for the Advent reading as church starts so I go sprinting up the aisle…me forgetting that the choir was going to sing after the Advent reading…confusion as to how many we needed up for communion, me saying Jericho was going to sing but then, oh wait, never mind…(yes, I’m quite aware that I’m the common denominator in these examples)—what hit me was the fact that although we had these kinks and “opportunities”, we still came together as a body of Christ to worship God. As much as I would’ve liked to have things go so much more smoothly, He was still praised and glorified. He still honors our acts of praise, even though they aren’t perfect. What we give and do in sincerity, He receives gladly. I’m not saying that we can just phone it in and that He’ll be okay with that, because that’s simply not true. He deserves our best. He knows our heart, and will honor the degree to which our outward expression matches our inward motivation.  

I’m so thankful for this realization. I’ve been accused by friends of living too much “in the details” or maybe even being a perfectionist, and before this realization, something like the little challenges we had during the service would have weighed heavily on me. I’m also burdened with being a people pleaser. I take my role as being a member of the Worship committee very seriously, and I want you guys to know my commitment to having a snag-free worship service is honorable and true. However, I am human, those leading the worship service are human, and we’re going to have hiccups along the way. You extended grace to me throughout the service; the least I could do is extend that same grace to myself, right?

Y’all, we are so blessed to be able to come together to adore the One who gave us our very breath. May we always have a heart of worship for Him, for He is our focus and reason for being.

Prayer Requests

·      For those struggling with change

·      For those lonely this holiday season

·      For victims of human trafficking, and for their families worried about and missing them

·      For us to seek to do His will, regardless of whether we understand the outcome or not

Thank you, as always, for listening to my ramblings. Know that I appreciate and pray for you.

 Quotes

“There will come a time when every step of the journey God is taking you on will make sense. Until then, keep trusting Him.”                                    

“A bend in the road is not the end of the road unless you fail to make the turn.”                                                

Standing in the Gap

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

1 Thessalonians 5:11

Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.

                                   2 Corinthians 13:11

 There is a young woman I know through the Walk to Emmaus community who is one of the sweetest, tenderhearted people I have ever met. Their marriage was dealt a couple of blows, almost from the onset, in the form of job loss and depression that her husband experienced, and a miscarriage that they both suffered through. Their faith in His promises prevailed, however, and she is now the mother to three young boys who have the sweetest smiles, and love their mama tremendously. Her husband has made great strides with his depression, and has a job that allows him to work out of their home. Having overcome those large rocks, things seemed to be going well whenever I would see them. So it was with great concern that I heard this young lady confess, bravely to a crowd of about 60 people, that she had been struggling lately with dark and negative thoughts, thoughts that threatened to consume her, and that she desperately needed our prayers. The body of Christ came alive to her that evening, and subsequent days, as we lifted her up in prayer.

A dear friend of mine had the idea, after talking with this young woman’s husband, of inviting those of us within the Emmaus community to shower our beloved friend with tangible gifts of what we call “agape”.  Without giving too much away for those who have never attended a Walk to Emmaus spiritual retreat, I’ll let you know that these gifts are little crafts, like a bookmark, card, or the like, that are made by the Emmaus community to the people who attend the Walk, and are present throughout the weekend. It’s truly touching to think that a complete stranger made or purchased something for you.

We each signed up for two days within the month of October in which we would send our young charge cards, flowers, small gifts of affection, some anonymously and some in which the giver was known. As hokey as it sounds, I was blessed in the giving of the cards and small gift, as I prayed over not only what to say in the cards, but also for her as she would read them.

Now that we’re in November, another friend and I have “nominated” a shared friend to be the recipient of this agape love because of the valley she has been in for a while, personally and professionally. My friend received a beautiful bouquet of flowers at work to kick off the love fest and she texted me to ask if I had sent them. I truthfully told her that I hadn’t, but didn’t expand on my response. I am giddy with excitement to check in with her tomorrow and hear her thoughts on this love that’s been coming out of the blue—not because I had anything to do with it, but because I know that the outpouring of love can be so overwhelming, and I desperately want her to know that she is loved.

This is what we’re called to do for each other, friends. As brothers and sisters in Christ, we are called to stand in the gap with one another…sharing the burden…being priests to each other. Peter tells us that we are “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” We are all part of the priesthood of all believers and as such, we have a responsibility to lift up our brother who is down, and to love on our sister who is hurting. We need to be Jesus to the body of Christ, for it is in this action that the entire body is positively affected—the recipient and the giver are blessed in and by the act.

Before you ask, no, you don’t have to go buy gifts for someone in need of Christian love. A simple hug, or note or card, or even a sincere “how are you really doing?” question (and then a patient and attentive ear) will go far in demonstrating the love of God to that person.

Prayer Requests

·      For families torn apart by tragedy

·      For those facing the news of challenging prognoses

·      For our military service members and their families

·      For us to seek to do His will, regardless of whether we understand the outcome or not

As always, the most important thing that we can do for each other is to pray. Intercessory prayer has formed some of the most intense conversations I have had with our heavenly Father. Know that I am praying for you, my dear reader. I also invite you to share your prayer request or need, if you feel so moved, with our prayer group who meets every Thursday night. You can submit it electronically on our cool new website here <shameless plug for the website!>.

 Quotes

“Kindness is loaning someone your strength instead of reminding them of their weakness.”      

“When life is not a bed of roses, remember who wore the thorns.”                                         

Running the Race

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12: 1-2

I was on the junior high girls’ track team when I was in 7th and 8th grades in Beavercreek, Ohio. I was a short distance runner, competing in the 220-meter dash as well as the 880-meter relay. Alas, I pretty much peaked there in junior high, sports-wise, but I’m okay with that.

I recall one time, early in my track career when both my parents came to one of my track meets (normally my dad couldn’t make them because of work conflicts), when I slowed down in the middle of a 220-meter race to wave at my parents. I was distracted by my dad’s uniformed-presence as I was running the race, so when I ran by where they were sitting, I broke my stride and waved to them.  Needless to say, I did not win that race (nor many others, come to think of it. I’m self-aware enough to know of my lack of athletic abilities). Though no one really made a big deal out of it at the time, I recall receiving a “distracted runner” award at the end-of-year awards banquet.

That story came to mind as I was reading Hebrews 12. The author of Hebrews had identified honorees in the proverbial “Hall of Faith” passage that is Hebrews 11, and continues the emphasis on faith in chapter 12. He uses the running of a race as a metaphor for our spiritual journey in this world. The Greek word for ‘race’ used here is agona, from which we get the word ‘agony’ or struggle. The author tells us to overcome those things in our lives that would hinder us—sin and other weights or distractions—and looking to Jesus, run the race in faith. Jesus gives us the strength we need to persevere in our conditions. Jesus gives us the promise of hope, as we realize all that He has done for us, and for the fact that what He has done has settled everything for us. He is now seated at the right at of God at the throne. The fact that He is seated indicates the finality of His actions—as Redeemer, as High Priest, and because of what He has done and Who He is, we draw our strength from Him, and from Him alone.

I read a story that a man shared about the dog he had when he was a boy. He shared that his father would occasionally test the dog’s obedience. He would place a tempting piece of meat on the floor and give the command, “No!” The dog, who must have had a strong urge to go for the meat, was now in a conundrum—does he obey or disobey his master’s command? The man shared that the dog never looked at the meat. He seemed to feel that if he did, the temptation to disobey would be too great. So he looked steadily at his father’s face. This man then made the spiritual application: “there is a lesson for us all. Always look up to the Master’s face.”

Prayer Requests

·      For the victims of unspeakable violence and loss

·      For those who have not yet found Jesus – that we may be an instrument by which they see Him

·      Praise for His providence and provision

·      For our obedience

Even when we can’t see the finish line, or heck, even the running path we’re on because of the hilly terrain or fog or other conditions, we know that the Holy Spirit is with us, and He points us to Jesus, the author (creator) and finisher (sustainer) of our faith. And realize also that the author of Hebrews bids the reader “let us run…”—not “let you run” or “you must run”. No—“let us run”, emphasizing the fact that this is not a singular race, run by only you or by me. We are on this journey together.  Charles Spurgeon on this point: “He stands with us at the starting point, and earnestly says to us, not ‘Run’ but, ‘Let us run.’ The apostle himself is at our side as a runner.”

 Quotes

“Faith doesn’t exempt us from difficulties. The storms of life come to every person. But God will not allow a storm unless He has a divine purpose in it.”      

“God does not want you to try harder; He wants you to trust Him deeper. Stop trying. Start trusting. This will change everything in you.”