Once and for All
(Amp) 1 Peter 5:6 Therefore humble yourselves [demote, lower yourselves in your own estimation] under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you,
1 Peter 5:7 Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully. [Ps. 55:22.]
I was introduced to the Amplified Bible over thirty years ago, and these were the first verses I read. As a Christian, I understand that feelings cannot always be trusted, but that day I was overwhelmed. You see, I love words and when I read the words “the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all” I was hooked.
The depth of God’s love for mankind, and yes, even for me, was so perfectly expressed here. And I will tell you what Paul is telling us to do does not come naturally to us.
Do you think you are humble? I could be wrong, but it seems to me that humility is not something we brag about having. Nor is it a “poor, poor pitiful me” attitude. Humility is having a right attitude before God, which necessarily translates into having a right attitude towards others.
Then we are to cast all of our worries and anxieties on God. I always think of casting in terms of fishing. To catch a fish requires throwing out a lure. To throw out a lure we must release it. So we must release our anxieties first, and then God can show us He cares.
May we have a right attitude before God and towards others, expecting Him to care for us because that is what He said He will do.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Sacrifice of Praise
(NRSV) Hebrews 13: 15 Through him, then, let us continually offer a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name.
Have you ever considered that we need to praise God much more than He needs our praise? Upon entering Jerusalem during that final Passover, the authorities tried to silence the crowds. Jesus said even if you are successful, the very rocks will sing my praises.
I think of Isaiah 6, when the prophet had the vision of God in His temple, and his reaction was to say, “ I am a man undone.” When we come before the One, True and the living God we are not just undone, our immediate response is praise.
Just as praise is a natural response to God’s glory, worship happens when we surrender ourselves completely to Him. Our praise becomes a sacrifice when we can confess His name regardless of what is happening in our lives.
May we each know, understand and believe that the more we honor God with our praise and worship, the closer we will draw to His presence.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Have Joy, Be Patient, and Persevere
(NRSV) Rom 12:13 Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are.
Have you ever met a mournful Christian? Such a description should be a misnomer. After all, when we have Jesus in our hearts we should be joyful. Shouldn’t we?
If there was audio attached to this devotional, you might hear me snicker. Why? Because life happens, and when the unexpected occurs, or when we suffer a devastating loss, joy becomes elusive. Yet, Paul, who certainly had his share of trials, says we should rejoice, but in this instance we are to rejoice in hope.
Why should we have hope? For Christ followers, hope is not an empty promise. No, we have the experience of prayers that have been answered and expectations that have been met. Does that mean we do not have disappointments? No, it means we do not linger in the realm of defeat.
When we can learn to choose joy in the midst of suffering, then we can also learn to be persistent in prayer. And when we develop a regular prayer life, then we can bless those who hurt us, living in harmony with all around us. Isn’t that what Christian living is all about?
May each of us be quick to find joy in place of sorrow, to seek out God early and often, and may we learn to balance our talking to God with listening to God.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Let Your Love Be Real
(NRSV)Rom 12:9 Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good;
Today as much of the world is embroiled in turmoil, I thought it might be helpful to read Paul’s instructions on how Christians should behave. Paul’s letter to the Romans begins with the doctrinal issues of our faith, and then necessarily moves into putting our beliefs into practice.
When we take a closer look at the above passage we see that our love is to be genuine. How do we cultivate such love? It all starts with Jesus.
We used to sing the following chorus:
“I love Him, I love Him,
Because He first loved me,
And purchased my salvation on Calvary’s tree.
When we understand God’s love, so pure and sacrificial, how can we respond in any other way than with an authentic love for Him and for all of his creation? Well, it’s called life.
I used to say loving God is easy, but loving people is hard. Loving others is easy as long as they are lovable. But are others always lovable? Am I?
The answer, of course, is no. Oh, well, I guess that lets me off the hook. Surely God will understand if I don’t love the mean-spirited, the proud, the phony—or really anyone who offends me.
Do I really believe that? Does the Bible teach that? Or am I just looking for excuses?
May God grant us today the ability to be genuine in our love toward Him, and our interactions with others.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Praying for Peace
(NIV) Psalm 122:1 I rejoiced with those who said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the LORD.”
2 Our feet are standing
in your gates, Jerusalem.
3 Jerusalem is built like a city
that is closely compacted together.
4 That is where the tribes go up—
the tribes of the LORD—
to praise the name in of the LORD
according to the statute given to Israel.
5 There stand the thrones for judgment,
the thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May those who love you be secure.
7 May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels.”
Psalm 122 is one of the fifteen Songs of Ascent. It is said that during the pilgrimage to Jerusalem in the high holy days, on each of the fifteen steps leading up to the temple songs would be sung.
When I study these psalms, I am reminded of the contrast with Jonah. You remember the story.
Jonah had received a word from God, one word, but then God was silent. So Jonah prayed fervently for another word. But, when he received it He no longer wanted it.
So, Jonah ran from God. He went down to get to the boat, then he went down in the boat, then the others threw him down into the waters to calm the seas, and he was swallowed by a fish where he went down into its belly. And it was dark.
What a contrast! Jonah, running from God’s will, descended into the darkness, but the pilgrimage to the Temple led people upward to that shining city upon the hill.
The psalm includes a very prescient instruction: to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Notice the idea is not a suggestion, but instead it is an instruction.
Today Israel is under attack, but instead of praying for peace, people around the world are calling for Israel’s destruction.
May we choose to pray for peace.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Seeking Holiness 