Category Archives: Daily Devotion

Growing in Faith

Advent

December 15, 2022

Scripture Reading:

Romans 1:1-7

Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures, the gospel concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for the sake of his name, including yourselves who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,
To all God’s beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

While Jesus came to live among us understanding humanity with all its potential to do good or evil, Paul is a role model of growing into the life Jesus Christ invites us to join. The letters he left us document his growth in faith, including his frustrations, failures, and friends with whom he shares his ministry. We, too, grow in faith learning from our mistakes and recovering from events beyond our control. He always, always cast his lot with God that is the message we must take from Paul.

And in despair I bowed my head:
“There is no peace on earth,” I said,
“For hate is strong, and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.”

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men.”*

Prayer: During this Advent season, help us remember that you are not dead and you are always awake to our voices. Amen.

*Third and fourth verses from the Hymn I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day by Henry W. Longfellow see at https://hymnary.org/text/i_heard_the_bells_on_christmas_day

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.

Giving Up

Advent

December 14, 2022

Scripture Reading: Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19

Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,
   you who lead Joseph like a flock!
You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth
   before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh.
Stir up your might,
   and come to save us!
Restore us, O God;
   let your face shine, that we may be saved.

O Lord God of hosts,
   how long will you be angry with your people’s prayers?
You have fed them with the bread of tears,
   and given them tears to drink in full measure.
You make us the scorn of our neighbors;
   our enemies laugh among themselves.

Restore us, O God of hosts;
   let your face shine, that we may be saved. –Psalm 80:1-7

This was an interesting scripture to read after spending time trying to analyze the mid-term election results. Several non-partisan groups worked hard to encourage Oklahomans to vote. We did not tell them how to vote but to study issues and the candidates, make their own decisions, and vote. Yet we had fewer people turn out to vote in the 2022 mid-term elections than in 2018. Oklahoma has one of the lowest voter turnout rates in the United States. This sounds to me like people who have given up on themselves.

As I read the Psalm quoted above, it too sounds like a people who had given up on themselves. Perhaps they had given up on God. When I read something like this, I wonder if these people are aware of a wrongdoing for which they believe they are paying penitence. Or are they people caught in the wrongdoings of others and cannot understand what they have done to deserve their dilemma? Probably a little of both. For example, do the poor of the world choose to be poor, or is their poverty necessary to support the greed of others? It certainly was a question for the Israelites and their descendants. whether the oppressors were outside their group or inside. What Paul would later write about as the principalities and powers (King James translation).  

This same scripture, Ephesians 6:12, in the NRSV, describes it as

For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

In this scripture, Paul invites us to struggle against the systemic patterns in our world that result in poverty and its many manifestations, among other negative outcomes. In a democracy, voting is a good place to start.

Prayer: Lord, strengthen us to stand up to the present darkness in our world so that everyone at least has enough. 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.

Intentionality

Advent

December 13, 2022

Scripture Reading:

Isaiah 7:10-16
Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying, Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven. But Ahaz said, I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test. Then Isaiah said: ‘Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel. He shall eat curds and honey by the time he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted.

Immanuel knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good and modeled it for his followers. Jesus walked the talk; he never met a stranger. My dad was like that; this introvert must work at it. I think he was very intentional in everything he did, as much as his stories seem to portray him as being very spontaneous. His interaction with the Samaritan woman at the well is a good example of that, but so was his chasing the money changers out of the temple. Was that because he was always on message fulfilling his purpose in the short time he had on earth? Are all our actions targeted at fulfilling Christ’s vision for all God’s children?

 A time of waiting, Advent is a time of waiting and a great time to reinforce our dedication to answering the call to serve God in all aspects of our lives. We must stop at times and explore what we are doing to further the development of the Beloved Community. Even taking the time for self-care gives us the energy to continue our work.

Prayer: Lord, grant us the intentionality we need to serve you by habit. 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.

Tenting with God

Advent

December 12, 2022

Scripture Reading:

Isaiah 7:10-16
Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying, Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven. But Ahaz said, I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test. Then Isaiah said: ‘Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel. He shall eat curds and honey by the time he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted.

The Hebrew Bible is filled with references to the coming of Immanuel in human form, which means God with Us. God is always with us, but sometimes, we must be reminded of God’s presence. I am not much of a social media person. I enjoy seeing reports and pictures of the adventures of my family and friends and reading pithy statements that go to the heart of living our love. I also like quirky cartoons and the adventures of pets. I could make a much longer list of the things I ignore. One thing I have noticed recently is the quest for stability in a fractured world.

While Christmas is said to be full of hope, peace, love, and joy, for some reason, it is also the source of great anxiety, depression, and a sense of loss. Some of these feelings are easy to identify, for example, losing a loved one. In other instances, our reactions are harder to understand and may take some self-examination. While the world invests much energy in celebration during this time, the story of Advent is more solemn. We recognize the need for hope, peace, love, and joy in our lives, which seem to be missing in large measure. We recall the gift of Immanuel, God with us, in the birth of a tiny baby, and we look forward to the fulfillment of the Kingdom of God when, as the book of Revelation 21:3 tells us, God will tabernacle with us, in other words, pitch God’s tent among us. Our job is to address the world’s needs so that when Christ returns to earth, he can celebrate Sabbath with us when he arrives because we, with the Spirit’s help, have finished our work toward being that beloved community.

Prayer: Lord, grant us your peace and joy as we live in hope while perfecting our ability to love as you 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.

Loving Like God

Advent

December 11, 2022

Scripture Reading: Matthew 1:18-25
Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
   and they shall name him Emmanuel’,
which means, ‘God is with us.’ When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.

What is it like to be human? The great creator God apparently wanted to experience being a human to understand this being that God created. Even though the Creator modeled humans after God’s own image, humans were also endowed with other characteristics which God wanted to understand better. Thus, God came to be with humans in human form from the womb forward; God—incarnate Jesus Christ.

Matthew tells us that Jesus’s first challenge was going into the wilderness to face the world’s temptations* before he began his ministry. Surely, that was a powerful experience for the Creator as a human. God is not only with us. God understands what we are going through because of God’s sojourn on earth. Building a firm, lasting relationship with God is the primary key to our growth in wisdom and in truth as we strive to partner with God in actualizing the Kingdom of God by our choice in the world today. Love is not love if it is not by our choice.

Prayer: Lord, enable us to choose to love ourselves as you love us so that we can love one another as you love all your creation. Amen.

*See Matthew 4:1-11

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.

Defining Sin

Advent

December 10, 2022

Scripture Reading:

Matthew 1:18-25
Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
   and they shall name him Emmanuel’,
which means, ‘God is with us.’ When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus*.

The one named Jesus will save his people from their sins. Jesus is the Greek translation of Joshua—Yahweh saves. Christ is a title that means The Anointed One.

Iēsoús – Jesus, the transliteration of the Hebrew term, 3091 /Lṓt (“Yehoshua”/Jehoshua, contracted to “Joshua”) which means “Yahweh saves” (or “Yahweh is salvation”).

“Jesus Christ” is properly “Jesus the Christ.” “Jesus” (2424 /Iēsoús) is His human name, as the incarnate, eternal Son of God (Mt 1:21,25, see also Lk 1:31) – the Christ, the divine Messiah (the second Person of the holy Trinity).

[Christ (His title) means “the Anointed One” (the eternal pre-incarnate, Logos, Jn 1:1-18).]

A particularly onerous House Bill 1775 was passed and signed into law in Oklahoma during the 2022 session. Its purpose was to address public school dealing with one of the hot-button issues of our day, what to do about transgender students and other issues related to LGBTQ students. It is onerous regarding its message, but it is also onerous in its construction. Most new legislation begins with careful definitions of words that would be used in the body of the bill. There were no such definitions in this bill. The word gender and sex are peppered through it, allowing the reader to decide what it means. I can assure you that different understandings resulted. The State Department of Education, the agency responsible for developing rules to implement it, copied it as it appeared in the bill, most likely because they could not make heads or tails of what it was trying to say. At some point, a court will most likely have to make that discernment or send it back for revision.

I thought of that bill when I read the words quoted above. Jesus will save his people from their sins. The Greek word used here is  266 /hamartía (“sin, forfeiture because missing the mark”) is the brand of sin that emphasizes its self-originated (self-empowered) nature – i.e. it is not originated or empowered by God (i.e. not of faith, His Inworked persuasion, cf. Ro 14:23) **.

We are often taught that sin means missing the mark, but what we may not fully take in is that our missing the mark comes from our self-originated nature. I had a few lessons in archery as a part of the required exercise class in college. I was not good at it, but I did learn the fundamentals. The first being I did not get to define the target, the mark. God sets forth the standards of our service to God when we elect to follow Jesus Christ. Jesus defined our prime directives as loving God and loving our neighbors as we love ourselves. We are not only guilty of selecting our own targets. We also often fail to measure whether the way we want others to be treated is, in the same way we would want to be treated in the same circumstances.

Prayer: Help us learn to love ourselves as you would have us love ourselves so that we know and understand the meaning of how to love our neighbors. Amen.

*https://biblehub.com/greek/2424.htm

**https://biblehub.com/greek/266.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.

God’s Grace

Advent

December 9, 2022

Scripture Reading:

Romans 1:1-7

Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures, the gospel concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for the sake of his name, including yourselves who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,
To all God’s beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

We celebrate the gift of the grace of God, particularly as it was demonstrated in the death and resurrection of Jesus. We, indeed, should appropriately and humbly accept God’s great gift of grace and redemption. Are we not also called to emulate the example of grace that Jesus set for us in his sojourn on earth? Does that include acts of grace?

I was surprised to learn that the translation of the Greek word “grace” basically means to lean towards.

xáris (another feminine noun from xar-, “favor, disposed to, inclined, favorable towards, leaning towards to share benefit”) – properly, grace. 5485 (xáris) is preeminently used of the Lord’s favor – freely extended to give Himself away to people (because He is “always leaning toward them”) *.

In our world today, we seem to be leaning away from others, even among those who call themselves Christian. From where do such delusions that lean us away from each other stem? Are we leaning away from God? Are we questioning our gift of grace, thus looking for love elsewhere?

Advent is a great time to refresh our faith. Lean into the scriptures of the coming of Christ; lean into the God who comes to us incarnate to help us understand God’s love as God continuously leans into us.

What a fellowship, what a joy divine,
leaning on the everlasting arms;
what a blessedness, what a peace is mine,
leaning on the everlasting arms**.

Prayer: O, Lord, as you lean into us this advent season, let your love inspire us to lean our love on others. Amen.

*https://biblehub.com/greek/5485.htm

**The first verse of the hymn, Leaning on the Everlasting Arms by E. A. Hoffman see at https://hymnary.org/text/what_a_fellowship_what_a_joy_divine#Author

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.

Peace, Peace

Advent

December 8, 2022

Scripture Reading: Romans 1:1-7

Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures, the gospel concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for the sake of his name, including yourselves who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,
To all God’s beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

The second Sunday in Advent is celebrated as Peace Sunday. I am writing this on December 7, a day that does live in infamy. The day Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. The day the US officially became a part of World War II. Jesus came to bring us peace, but we must be willing to give up those things over which we war to have peace. Greed and the lust for power are two of the most hideous causes of war. Jeremiah addressed it in his day as described in the following scripture:

For from the least to the greatest of them,
   everyone is greedy for unjust gain;
and from prophet to priest,
   everyone deals falsely.
They have treated the wound of my people carelessly,
   saying, ‘Peace, peace’,
   when there is no peace.
They acted shamefully, they committed abomination;
   yet they were not ashamed,
   they did not know how to blush.
Therefore they shall fall among those who fall;
   at the time that I punish them, they shall be overthrown,
says the Lord. –Jeremiah 6:13-15

Our world seems to be itching for discord. An actual war exists in Ukraine as Russia wants to take that country over. An insurrection at our own Capitol on January 6 reared its ugly head here in the US. And now some group has destroyed the electrical systems in North Carolina, leaving thousands of people without heat and lights.

What triggers people’s need to address life’s challenges through violence? Where has their peace gone? How do we mend the brokenness in our society, our world?

During this season, we celebrate the Prince of Peace. We need to do more than celebrate but adapt to the Lord’s rule of love and welcome others to do the same.

Prayer: Lord, let your light shine through those who love you so that others can know your peace that passes understanding. 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.

God’s Anger

Advent

December 7, 2022

Scripture Reading:

Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19

O Lord God of hosts,
   how long will you be angry with your people’s prayers?
You have fed them with the bread of tears,
   and given them tears to drink in full measure.
You make us the scorn of our neighbors;
   our enemies laugh among themselves.

Restore us, O God of hosts;
   let your face shine, that we may be saved.

But let your hand be upon the one at your right hand,
   the one whom you made strong for yourself.
Then we will never turn back from you;
   give us life, and we will call on your name.

Restore us, O Lord God of hosts;
   let your face shine, that we may be saved. –Psalm 80:4-7, 17-19

I have read about the anger of God. My memory is that it was often focused on his people. This scripture made me wonder what we might pray that would make God angry. I googled the questions to see what other scriptures might apply to this and had to laugh; there were many items dealing with our being angry at God but not God being angry at us. I can visualize God sighing in frustration over our repeated attempts to alter just a bit some of God’s guidance, like loving all our neighbors or doing justice in all instances.

If Jesus’s example gives us glimpses of want might make God angry at our prayers, we should consider Matthew 6:5-6, ‘And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that others may see them. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us when we pray in ways that are not in keeping with your desire for our wholeness. Make us whole, make us one, make us just. 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.

We are Called to Love not Judge

Advent

December 6, 2022

Scripture Reading:

Isaiah 7:10-16

Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying, Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven. But Ahaz said, I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test. Then Isaiah said: ‘Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel. He shall eat curds and honey by the time he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted.

The challenge is how we discern what is evil and what is good. Evil works very hard at looking harmless, looking preferable. We as a people seem to spend a lot more time judging others for the evil we see in them than removing the log from our own eyes. (See Matthew 7:5) In most instances, what we perceive as evil in others is a sign they may need or love, not our condemnation. ‘Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.’ ( See John 8:7) We might want to read (or read again) C. S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters when we find ourselves judging others’ sins rather than examining ourselves for getting caught up in the evil of self-righteousness.

A mighty Fortress is our God,
A Bulwark never failing;
Our Helper He amid the flood
Of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe
Doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great,
And, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide,
Our striving would be losing;
Were not the right Man on our side,
The Man of God’s own choosing:
Dost ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth His Name,
From age to age the same,
And He must win the battle*.

Prayer:  Lord, guide us as we struggle through life’s temptations and grant us the will to walk well with others who struggle too. Amen.

*First and second verses of the hymn A Mighty Fortress is Our God by Martin Luther see at https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/886

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.