Category Archives: Daily Devotion

Love is God’s Strength and Glory

Christmastide

January 4, 2023

Scripture Reading: Psalm 29

Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings,
   ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name;
   worship the Lord in holy splendor.

The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
   the Lord sits enthroned as king forever.
May the Lord give strength to his people!
   May the Lord bless his people with peace! –Psalm 29:1-2, 10-11

I think this scripture is simply trying to say: give God, God’s due. We need to recognize God’s strength and glory. Ascribe is a rather formal word in the English language. While it may be technically correct, I fear it loses some of the majesty (?) of the message the Psalmist is trying to describe. The paintings on the Sistine Chapel ceiling are ascribed to Michelangelo, but that acknowledgment does not get the point across regarding the wonder of his work. The verses between the two segments quoted above describe varied examples of God’s power on nature—fire, floods, and trees being swirled about. If we accept God’s strength and glory, we are prepared to face whatever challenges we may face.

One of my favorite songs as a child was It Is No Secret What God Can Do which seems to carry the same message but perhaps more subtly describing that God’s strength and glory are in God’s love.

The chimes of time ring out the news
Another day is through
Someone slipped and fell
Was that someone you?

… You may have longed for added strength
Your courage to renew
Do not be disheartened.
I have news for you

… It is no secret what God can do
What he has done for others
He’ll do for you
With arms wide open
He’ll pardon you
It is no secret what God can do

… There is no night, for in His light
You’ll never walk alone
You’ll always feel at home wherever you may roam
There is no power can conquer you
While God is on your side
Take Him at His promise
Don’t run away and hide

… It is no secret what God can do
What he has done for others
He’ll do for you
With arms wide open
He’ll pardon you
It is no secret what God can do…*

Prayer: Amen.

The song It is No Secret was written by Stuart Hamblen lyrics © Music Corp. Of America, Inc., Chappell Und Co Gmbh Co Kg

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Answering our Call

January 3, 2023

Scripture Reading:

Isaiah 42:1-9

Thus says God, the Lord,
   who created the heavens and stretched them out,
   who spread out the earth and what comes from it,
who gives breath to the people upon it
   and spirit to those who walk in it:
I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness,
   I have taken you by the hand and kept you;
I have given you as a covenant to the people,
   a light to the nations,
   to open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
   from the prison those who sit in darkness
I am the Lord, that is my name;
   my glory I give to no other,
   nor my praise to idols.
See, the former things have come to pass,
   and new things I now declare;
before they spring forth,
   I tell you of them. –Isaiah 42:5-9

I can envision Christ standing before God while God gives him his marching orders for his sojourn on earth. Of course, God intends for us to do the same things God lists here. Do what is right in God’s ways, not in the world’s ways. We are to be a light to the nations. We lose sight of this requirement as we stumble around in the darkness of the world around us. Opening the eyes of the blind is not limited to restoring physical vision but also seeing what needs to be done and doing it. The same is true of releasing prisoners. There are those who have committed crimes sitting in cells right now who need to be restored to living justly as they reenter society. Yet, we must not forget that we often see ourselves through a mirror dimly* and thus do not recognize that we, too, need to be restored to living justly.

As we start a new year, let us dedicate ourselves to following God’s instructions toward building a better world.

Prayer: Lord, open our eyes to see the glimpses of truth meant for us. Amen.

*1 Corinthians 13:12: For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Judgment

Christmastide

January 2, 2023

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 42:1-9

Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
   my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my spirit upon him;
   he will bring forth justice to the nations.
He will not cry or lift up his voice,
   or make it heard in the street;
a bruised reed he will not break,
   and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;
   he will faithfully bring forth justice.
He will not grow faint or be crushed
   until he has established justice in the earth;
   and the coastlands wait for his teaching. –Isaiah 42:1-4

The word translated as justice in this scripture is the Hebrew word for judgment*. Justice is also used in English translations for doing the right thing or what is fair. Here we have this Servant, the One who is to come, being charged with the responsibility of rendering judgment, measuring whether God’s people, that is all of us, are doing the right thing and being fair.  John 5:22 tell us that Jesus Christ understood that rendering of ultimate judgment was one of his duties, not ours; The Father judges no one but has given all judgment to the Son. I fear we devote more time to the role of judging rather than fulfilling the roles of doing the right thing or being fair. We are sometimes murky about understanding what is right and what is fair.

On November 13, 2022, the bodies of four white college students were found in Idaho. National news has followed the story since that time. On November 20, 2022, four Chinese nationals’ bodies were found on a marijuana farm in Oklahoma. I have never heard any reports regarding these murders on national news. I wondered what the difference was between these two stories. The police in both cases have pursued and captured suspects. Here, I want to focus on how We, the People, make justice judgments regularly that eventually impact how we pursue the Common Good in a democracy. Are white college students worth more than Chinese nationals, who were probably undocumented, perhaps here against their own will to do hard labor to produce marijuana on the ever expanding Chinese-owned and operated farms in Oklahoma? Do We, the People, drive the content of the news, or does the news define our civic understanding? How much does greed drive our judgments and, thus, our public policies? What is fair, what is right?

Prayer: Lord, guide us as you send us out like sheep into the midst of wolves; [to] be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. (Matthew 10:16). Amen.

*https://biblehub.com/interlinear/isaiah/42-1.htm

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Judging the Nations

Christmastide

January 1, 2023

Scripture Reading:

Matthew 25:31-46
‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” Then he will say to those at his left hand, “You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.” Then they also will answer, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?” Then he will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.” And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.’

For me, the above scripture is the most important scripture in the Bible. (Micah 6:8 is a close second) They both offer concrete ideals for our personal relationships with others. Reread the first part again. It is not just instruction to individuals; it is how whole nations will be judged. I fear at times, we are more invested in our personal salvation than in the salvation of all God’s children in every nation as we live into God’s goal of a single kingdom blending all people in a world ruled by love.

Let us dedicate 2023 to wanting the very best for all God’s people and nations and remembering that all people were created in God’s image with the understanding that what is the very best for us personally is not necessarily the best for others. God created diverse people for a reason, and we must respect that.

Prayer: Lord, help us work toward our diverse oneness with you this year, starting with our nation. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Loving the World’s Outcasts

Christmastide

December 31, 2022

Scripture Reading:

Matthew 25:31-46
‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” Then he will say to those at his left hand, “You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.” Then they also will answer, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?” Then he will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.” And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.’

This is probably one of the most ignored scriptures in the Bible, but it is Jesus’s final word to us in Matthew and may be the most important. I got very tired of people running for office who often begin and end their ad identifying as a Christian, but their ad was full of making fun of others and winning votes for their antics. Can you find one instance in the scriptures where Jesus ever made fun of anyone? He spent much of his time with the outcasts of his day, letting them know that God loves all the people God created.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us when we turn our back on your example to follow the world’s wisdom. Turn us around, recharge our love. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

New Things

Christmastide

December 30, 2022

Scripture Reading: Revelation 21:1-6a
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
‘See, the home of God is among mortals.
He will dwell with them;
they will be his peoples,
and God himself will be with them;
he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more;
mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
for the first things have passed away.’

And the one who was seated on the throne said, ‘See, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.’ Then he said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life.

One of my favorite choruses is I Will Do a New Thing in You based on Isaiah 43:19:

I am about to do a new thing;
   now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
   and rivers in the desert.

The chorus makes it more personal, but it is also copyrighted, so I cannot share the words, but the title says what moves me and hopefully moves all of us to action. We need to do new things, most of which are as old as time. Loving your neighbor is first commanded in Lev. 19:18. Doing Justice is described in Micah 6:8. Matthew 25:31-46 spells out precisely how Christ will judge us individually and as a nation, remember for I was hungry and you gave me food… Living in a democracy, we do not have a monarch or dictator to blame for our failures to provide for the Common Good, the purpose of government. We, the people, select those who represent us and who are supposed to support our biding. Maybe the new thing Christ is trying to do with us wakes us up to our responsibilities in providing for the Common Good.

Prayer: Lord, help us see the new/old things you expect from us and give us the courage to do them. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Using Free Will Wisely

Christmastide

December 29, 2022

Scripture Reading: Revelation 21:1-6a
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
‘See, the home of God is among mortals.
He will dwell with them;
they will be his peoples,
and God himself will be with them;
he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more;
mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
for the first things have passed away.’

And the one who was seated on the throne said, ‘See, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.’ Then he said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life.

God is with us right now; the real question is: are we with God? Free will is perhaps the greatest gift God gave us. It opens the door to being whatever we want to be and doing whatever we choose. We forget that free will endows us with the responsibility to choose wisely. Maintaining a close relationship with our Creator is the best way to enhance our use of our free will for us and all of God’s creation.

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for the gift of free will. We open our hearts and minds to you and ask for your guidance in using it wisely.  Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Knowing the Majestic God of Love

Christmastide

December 28, 2022

Scripture Reading: Psalm 8
O Lord, our Sovereign,
   how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory above the heavens.
   Out of the mouths of babes and infants
you have founded a bulwark because of your foes,
   to silence the enemy and the avenger.

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
   the moon and the stars that you have established;
what are human beings that you are mindful of them,
   mortals that you care for them?

Yet you have made them a little lower than God,
   and crowned them with glory and honor.
You have given them dominion over the works of your hands;
   you have put all things under their feet,
all sheep and oxen,
   and also the beasts of the field,
the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea,
   whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

O Lord, our Sovereign,
   how majestic is your name in all the earth!

I am what is called a cradle Christian. I probably sang Jesus, Loves Me in the womb. I really cannot imagine what a Godless world would be. I have taken God for granted forever. Does that belittle God? Indeed not. I think God wants us to take God for granted, but with the understanding that once we know God, we have a responsibility to live God’s love so that everyone can take God for granted, and thus our world would be ruled by God’s love.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for writing the words of the above psalm on the heart of one of your children who willingly shared the truth of your being present with us even in your majesty.  Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

A Time to Read

Christmastide

December 26, 2022

Scripture Reading: Ecclesiastes 3:1-13

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to throw away;
a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace. –Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

I cannot read this scripture without my brain switching it to the song Turn! Turn! Turn! sung by the Birds. Because I learned it first from hearing that song, I did not realize until I read it just now that the line a time to tear, and a time to sew is referring to sewing cloth, not sowing seeds which are covered in the third line that starts with a time to plant. This realization made me think of my mother because those two activities, gardening, and sewing, all sorts of other things, were probably my mother’s favorite activities.

The list could go on. I do not see a time to write or record history anywhere on this list. Solomon is credited as the author. It seems odd that he would leave out the very thing he was doing. I wonder if he had included writing what the opposite action would have been, a time to read, perhaps. Spending time reading scripture every day grounds us in the Word of God. Reading selections that we can quote by heart and suddenly be struck by words that have always been there and seeing them from a different perspective is important.

As we begin a new year, let us dedicate daily time to read the Bible. I like following a lectionary because it forces me to read parts unfamiliar to me and some that make me uncomfortable. That reaction often makes me dive deeper into what is being said. I pull out my Interpreter Bible to see what others think or check out Strong’s Concordance to see insights from the original language.

Prayer: Lord, help us all be students of the Word both written and through our communion with you. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Christ is Born Today

Christmas Day

December 25, 2022

Scripture: John 1:1-14

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.

For many people, Christmas day is a time to share love with families or friends with merriment and joy. A candlelight Christmas Eve service might light the way, a Christmas Day worship service might set the stage this year, or both. Gift-giving traditions will be followed, and favorite foods will remind us of that special cake grandma used to make. For others, this may be a more sober time because of the illness or death of a loved one. Yet we rest in the hope of God with Us even in times of sorrow or pain.

For others, this may be a painful time. For them, for whatever reason, the celebration of Christmas brings back unhappy memories resulting from family discord, extreme poverty, misdirected beliefs, or unhappy situations in our lives today. I recall the faith of the Ukrainian people on this very day and probably many days to come as they deal with war. We need to remember that these situations are exactly the reason God came and dwelt among us to redeem us from the world’s challenges.

Christmas is a time for all Christ-followers to rededicate themselves to build the Beloved Community worldwide sooner than later.  

Prayer: God with Us, empower our love to spread your love in our homes and to the ends of the earth. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.