A Devotion May Be Someone's Only Bible
The peace we find in the presence of Christ is like crawling under a warm blanket on a cold winter’s day or feeling the soft breeze on a warm spring morning. Seeking after God is a continual process that grows us into a deep and long lasting relationship with Him. Come into His presence and find peace.
My friend is a skilled woodworker, but sometimes the wood does not conform to his purpose.
He once sanded an enormous plank destined to become a dining room table. The plank had been specially kiln-dried, but the weather was rainy. Moisture penetrated the wood grain, and the long edges curled slightly like a potato chip--not acceptable material for a dining room table. The only solution was to score long lines in the wood so the drier surface could relax and lie flat. He then refilled the scores with resin and resanded the entire surface.
Our writing can be like that wood plank. We labor over our novel, essay, or article—honing the message and massaging the words. We find it beautiful, like the carpenter who has sanded the table surface until it feels as smooth as silk. We then offer our cherished work to our editors, who point out that the plank is not level. We will need to cut and sand more to have an approved product.
We find it difficult to hear that the results of our long hours are imperfect. We resist cutting long grooves in something we feel we have made smooth. Someone wants to whittle away our efforts. Yet we do want something useful to readers.
The same is true of our lives as Christians. We pray and read our Bibles, but occasionally we may receive feedback from those who have walked longer with the Lord. These mid-course corrections may alert us to blind spots in our faith practice. When we open ourselves to constructive feedback, we may become more useful to God.
Extra work is often worth it. You will have a table to share meals with family and friends, a book worth reading, and a life worth living. Let God do what He will with your life planks.
When I tracked the Christmas gift I’d ordered, I found the following notification: “Shipment Delivered to USPS, Package Acceptance Pending.” Looking further into the shipment history, I saw that UPS had supposedly left it at my local post office just a few blocks away—so close I could almost touch it.
I inquired at the counter, but the clerk claimed to know nothing about it. I still had hope that I would see it soon. A week and one day after the estimated delivery date, it showed up in my mailbox, just in time for Christmas. I held it tightly as I walked home.
Some days, I long for the moment when Jesus will return and usher in a world filled with His righteousness and end this world’s turmoil. The fulfillment of that promise seems so close I can almost touch it. There were people the apostle Peter connected with two thousand years ago who felt a bit impatient for God to make good on His promise to deliver a new heaven and earth.
That package is still pending. But Peter assures us that it’s on its way. God only holds it back because He is so patient. He wants everyone to see things His way, accept His Son Jesus, receive forgiveness, and put their faith in Him.
Track your heart’s position to see if you have accepted God’s gift. If so, when the Lord delivers His righteousness, you’ll embrace the gift with both hands and a grateful heart. If not, take this moment to reach out to Him.
No documented cases exist of an adult being what-n-why’d to death by the incessant inquiries from a small child, but that doesn’t mean it’s never happened. Anyone who’s spent time around children knows they are the fount of never-ending wonder and questions.
In the future your children will ask you, “What is the meaning of these laws, decrees, and regulations that the LORD our God has commanded us to obey?” God gave this verse to parents to prepare them to address a specific category of whats and whys: those concerning faith and religious practices. As the children of Israel prepared to inhabit the Promised Land, God equipped them with laws, decrees, and regulations for success and prosperity in their new home. He instructed them to catechize their offspring in these truths at every teachable moment and answer inevitable questions their children would ask.
Imagine the questions those children had as they watched their parents prepare Passover, bring offerings to the Tabernacle, and honor the Sabbath. What amazing stories their mothers and fathers had to share. They would recount suffering slavery in Egypt and a hard-hearted Pharaoh who refused to release his slaves.
After devastating plagues, the Israelites finally escaped in the dark of night, only to be nearly recaptured before God parted the Red Sea, allowing them to cross while Pharaoh and his army drowned. They dined on manna from heaven each morning and received the Ten Commandments from atop a mountain that burned and quaked with the presence of Yahweh. They had experienced such an incredible journey under the longsuffering Moses to the land that flowed with milk and honey.
When God instructed parents in the old days to be prepared for future questions, He expected them to faithfully keep His commands and lovingly instruct their children to do the same. Scripture reminds us that younger generations are listening to our words and watching our actions—especially as they relate to the things of God.
Consider your example and the experiences you share. When your children ask you, enthusiastically respond with the hope that lies within you. Instill the same love and awe of God that those Israelite parents did by sharing God’s testimonies, laws, and decrees with your little ones for them to pass down to future generations.
I love how C.S. Lewis sets the scene of Gabriel’s announcement to Mary. Lewis says that God’s great plan “narrows and narrows until at last it comes down to a little point, small as the point of a spear— a Jewish girl at her prayers.”
Later, after she’s had time to ponder it all, Mary bursts into song at what she has learned about the goodness, power, and faithfulness of Israel’s God.
My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
For He has looked upon the humble state of His slave,
For behold, from this time on, all generations will count me blessed.
For the Mighty One has done great things for me,
And holy is His name.
And His mercy is upon generation after generation
Toward those who fear Him.
He has done a mighty deed with His arm;
He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones,
And has exalted those who were humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
And sent away the rich empty-handed.
He has given help to Israel His servant,
In remembrance of His mercy,
As He spoke to our fathers,
To Abraham and his seed forever.
(Luke 1:46-55 LSB)
In the moments leading up to Gabriel’s appearance, Mary would have had no idea that the time had arrived for God’s ancient promises to come true and that she was to play such a pivotal (and painful) role in fulfilling those promises.
In the moments before Gabriel appeared and changed her world (and ours), all Mary knew was that Yahweh had made lavish promises to her people and that He had demonstrated His fearsome power in delivering His people from their bondage to Egypt.
We are all Mary. In the dark circumstances of this moment, in the utter chaos of our world, we, like Mary, may never find outward security. But we can know this much: God keeps His promises, and His timing is always impeccable.
We can also know that when He calls us to play our role in His work, He will give us the grace and strength to say, with Mary, “I am the Lord’s servant. May it happen to me as you have said.”
Whatever God asks of you, say yes.
Kids are always hungry. Little ones whine and cry to the point of embarrassment when in public. They throw a fit and cause others to wonder if they’ve been neglected or haven’t eaten in days. Their sobs prompt endless snacking on crackers, fruit, cookies, and treats—anything to stop the tantrums.
Teenagers, on the other hand, get moody or even angry. Their stomachs are a bottomless pit. Of course, they burn many calories through sports and other activities. They will eat pizza, burgers, fries, tacos, subs, and munchies day and night.
But as disgruntled, starved, or insatiable as kids may be, these are but minor afflictions. Greater suffering and trials will come for us. Each new season of life brings challenging circumstances in health, relationships, finances, and jobs.
The Bible tells us about the afflictions the apostle Paul experienced. They seem unimaginable. Most of us will never experience trials such as imprisonment, stoning, shipwreck, and more.
However, even Paul’s sufferings were nothing compared to those of Jesus. Jesus endured beatings, rejection, humiliation, torture, and death on the cross of Calvary to save us all from our sins.
Jesus had a choice and chose to pay our sin debt in full. He obeyed His Father and endured such suffering to show how much He loves us. We can’t help but be drawn to the one who loves us so much.
When I face unexpected or unwanted circumstances or things out of my control, I may overreact, become defensive, or even feel sorry for myself. But if I pause before reacting, I will hopefully respond better.
We can’t avoid troubles, but we can choose how we respond to them. They are momentary and light when compared to eternity.