Tag: #devotionals

A ripple of hope

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Acts 6:7, “So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.”

Many of us operate under the assumption that in order to change the world we have to do great and mighty things. The truth of the matter is: a simple act of kindness in the name of Jesus; a loving gesture displaying Christianity; an understanding word to honor Him can start a rippling effect.

How we interact on a daily basis influences others. Have you ever had your day interrupted by someone’s rudeness? Maybe you were grabbing breakfast on your way to work and the person in the car in front of you bought your meal. Or you are dropping your children off at school and someone holds the door for you. Maybe you are running 10,000 errands in a small amount of time and someone offers to help you. The way it makes me feel in turn causes me to respond to others in similar fashion. And the rippling begins…

Words and actions cross our paths every second of every day. Did you ever stop and think how your words and actions are impacting others?

I once read a church billboard which said, “Always testify to the goodness of Jesus Christ and when necessary use your words.”

Sometimes I see someone acting out in a loving way to another person and I think, “I know that makes God smile!” Other times I see someone acting in an ungodly way and I think, “I bet God is wishing he or she would just sit down and hush.”

As Christians we have a higher calling – to spread the Good News of Salvation through Jesus Christ – with our words and our actions. When we do so, the ripples start and make such a difference in the lives of others. Try it! You never know how God may use it to benefit His Kingdom.

Popping your mind

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The apostle Paul tells us in Philippians 2:5, “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus…”

Paul was talking about our attitudes toward others.

If you have ever been to a chiropractor, you know how great it feels to have an adjustment. I actually call it “popping my bones”; but, when my spine is aligned, my entire body moves and works better. It is no different with our attitudes, and some of us may need an attitude adjustment.

As a teenager, I would often hear my mom tell me, “Michael, you need to straighten up that attitude!” It was usually during a time when I thought I was the smartest guy in the world and had all the answers. Some of you may know exactly what I am talking about. I’ve yet to meet a teenager who at some point in their young life didn’t think this way.

As adults, we tend to focus on so many other things that we forget our attitudes; but, it is something that needs our attention.

Paul tells us we are to have an “attitude” like Christ:

” 6 Who, being in very nature God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
    by taking the very nature of a servant,
    being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
    he humbled himself
    by becoming obedient to death—
        even death on a cross!”

Ahhhh, there’s that word again – humility.

To have an attitude like Christ, we must humble ourselves before others. We must become servants. A servant can’t have a bad attitude, if they are properly serving others.

Maybe today you need to have an attitude adjustment – a “popping your mind” adjustment.  Look to Christ as an example and be the person He asks us to be.

Look UP!

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Discouragement is inevitable. It isn’t about IF you will experience discouragement, it is about WHEN you will experience discouragement. Discouragement comes when what we EXPECT is different from what we EXPERIENCE.

Discouragement comes in all shapes and sizes. It does not distinguish between people who are intelligent and those that are not so intelligent; or people who are wealthy and those whose pockets are empty. It doesn’t bypass the most athletic or musically talented or most beautiful.

Discouragement is for everybody.

All of us have EXPECTED something that didn’t turn out the way we thought it should.

What do you do when discouragement creeps up on you? What do you do when you just don’t feel you are going to get “through” the day? What do you do when staying in bed seems to be the better answer?

Look UP!

God is not surprised by the struggles in our lives – He knew about them before they ever surfaced and He has already worked out an answer for you. Ask Him!

Jeremiah 32:27, “I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?”

We all have been discouraged by people – maybe your spouse has let you down; or your son or daughter; maybe your parents or a friend or a co-worker. When we place our trust in people, we will get discouraged because they will let us down. It is human nature.

Events in our lives can discourage us too. A job offer you thought you had; the closing of your business; a rejection letter from the college of your choice; a foreclosure notice; or health issues. When we place our trust in occurrences, we will get discouraged because things do not always work-out as we planned.

Sometimes discouragements are so big, people don’t even know how we are standing; sometimes discouragements are so small, no one even notices; but, you do.

Tim Irwin in his book IMPACT writes about the false beliefs we put in our minds – those voices that we hear in our heads. He tells us “Having an early-warning system can keep false beliefs from lodging in our core.”

Discouragement is the voice inside our heads that tells us WE ARE HOPELESS.

God is the voice inside our hearts that tells us HE IS HOPE and because of HIM we are not “less” but “MORE”.

If you are feeling discouraged today, know that God is the answer.

Psalm 54:4, “Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me“.

 

Sometimes it’s just about giving

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There is a man in the church I am privileged to serve. I haven’t seen him this week. He is in California at The Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Hospital. Several years ago, his brother died of leukemia, leaving behind five boys. His brother’s wife eventually remarried and within a year, her new husband’s kidneys failed. Not wanting to have his nephews lose another father, this man asked to be tested and matched perfectly. Because his blood pressures were border lined elevated, the doctors preferred he not go through with being the donor. He decided to lower his blood pressures and lost about 20 pounds by running and eating healthy. It paid off.

I spoke with his family this week. His wife described the surgery as “amazing.” The surgeon told her he’d never had it go so well and the kidney her husband donated, when connected to the recipient, started working immediately.

There are times in life when we are asked to give something of tremendous value for someone else, with no expectations of any return. Isn’t that exactly what God did for us when He gave us His Son? How could we possibly ever repay Him for suffering on the cross to save us from death and destruction.

This is the season of giving. It is the time to look at someone else and take our eyes off ourselves. Today, consider what you have to offer sacrificially for another person. How can you show the love of Jesus Christ to someone in need?

A bird’s eye view

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Yesterday the mall was crowded with Christmas shoppers: moms with strollers; teenage girls dressed in the latest fashion; couples walking hand in hand; people of all shapes, sizes, and colors. I tried to imagine what God must think of all the commotion for the Birthday of His Son. Blinking lights adorned the trees and images of elves and Santa lined the long corridors leading from store to store. Giant oversized wreaths hung on every pole and snowflakes hovered above my head, swaying gently as I took it all in.

What happened in Bethlehem the night of Christ’s birth was quite different. A young, ordinary girl from an ordinary family housed the Savior of the world in her body. A humble carpenter, her husband, would be the King of all king’s earthly father. It doesn’t seem to fit the purpose of His birth, does it? Bethlehem, unaware of the ordinary girl, her carpenter husband, and infant son, slept while the Lord of life; the Lord of all came into the world. Born in a stable, with animals on a bed of straw, He came to be with us; to relate to us; to save us from death’s grip.

Angels announced the glorious moment to shepherds, men who lived isolated from society with sheep in fields. Men who wreaked of animal smells witnessed the Heavenly host singing, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!” Luke 2:14.

How differently we celebrate the birth today in comparison to the night that changed the world forever.

As I hitched a ride on an extremely tall escalator, my bird’s eye view scanned the wonder of all the decorations. How glorious it all looked from above. Reaching the top, I noticed an older man in a wheel chair, slumped over sleeping. His legs were covered with a worn but comfortable looking quilt. One of his slippers peaked out from under the bottom of the blanket, and a lady dressed in a snowman Christmas sweater sat beside him, chatting about all the splendor of the day. At first I thought she was on the cell phone, but as I observed further, I realized she was talking to him. Occasionally, she grabbed his hand as she described all that was around him. She wiped the droll from his mouth with a handkerchief she took from her bag. He shifted slightly and tilted his head back and she gently kissed his forehead.

As I approached her, her steel blue eyes caught mine. I took the chair next to her and learned her husband had a degenerative disease that left him incapable of moving, even speaking, but his cognitive brain was fully functioning. Talking with her almost seemed rude because I knew he could understand fully. She described how much he loved Christmas but the nerves in his eyes no longer aloud him to see. I gave her a break and started to detail all that was around us. Her lips curled up in a thankful smile. I told him of the decorations, the people walking by, children laughing, some protesting from too much stimulation, packages piled high in the arms of people, and the different faces that I saw. I described a father with a young boy on his shoulders eating a gooey cinnamon roll. When I glanced over to look at him, I realized tears flowed down his face. His wife quickly explained their only son died many years ago in Vietnam, at Christmas; and yet, it was the couple’s favorite time of year.

I spent a great deal of time with this couple. Their lives were not ideal; but, even in his agony or her daily sacrificial care, they found joy in the season. They found hope in the lights. They found faith in the meaning.

I challenge you to do the same. For some of you, this time of year brings wonderful memories; for others, it is a struggle to get through each day. God came in human form, not in the grandeur of what He deserved; but humbly, so that we might all find purpose and meaning in the day of His birth.

The Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving

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I don’t think a Thanksgiving has passed in our home that Norman Rockwell’s famous Thanksgiving dinner print doesn’t cross my mind:  the perfect turkey, moist and seasoned; the table filled with friendly faces, laughing and agreeable; no stress; no dysfunction; everyone under one roof; just pure unadulterated joy. It is what we all hope for, but it never quite turns out that way. The reality of the Norman Rockwell picture is although we strive for the perfection of the day, it really isn’t what Thanksgiving is all about.

A few years ago a pastor/friend of mine called to wish me a Happy Thanksgiving. He started to tell me of his day. Because his wife had passed away that year and he had no other family, he invited a group of “misfits” to dinner. These were people who had no where else to go for Thanksgiving. (Some were divorced, some estranged from family, and some never had anyone in their lives to begin with). As he described the gathering, the day for him sounded the most like the Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving picture that I’d ever heard.

When I told him what I thought, he laughed and explained to me why I might feel that way, “You know, Mike, the one statement I heard the most throughout the day was ‘I’m so grateful not to be alone today.'”

His words brought tears to my eyes. So many of us spend our time concerned with who is at our table; or how we appear to others; or who has treated whom a certain way; or why this person has done this; we forget to be thankful we aren’t alone. What would our table look like if no one was there but us?

I want to encourage you today, as you gather with family and friends, to be thankful that you are not alone today. Be thankful for the diversity of personalities and appearances of those around you. Set aside your conflicts. Celebrate the lives of those who sit at your table.

When we choose to be grateful for one another, animosity leaves; disappointment vanishes; anger exits; and love surfaces.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you.

The hole in the fence

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When I was a little boy, my mom and dad took my sister and me to the Christmas parade. It was crowded with people and being as we were late in arriving, it was difficult to find a parking spot. The parade had already started, and I just knew we were going to miss seeing Santa, the marching band, the floats, and the girls twirling fire. Finally, we found a spot on the parade route behind a fence. “It is the best we can do, Michael,” my mom reminded me. There was a hole in the fence, just the perfect height and width for me. I pressed my forehead against the wooden edge and like a pair of binoculars, I could see the action in front of me. But only in front of me through the hole in the fence.

I often think about that parade day when I feel uncertain about my future. We see life like I saw that parade. We have a limited view of what’s out there for us. God, on the other hand, sees the whole parade route. He isn’t limited by the hole in the fence. He knows just what is needed to get where He is taking us. He knows the next step.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

Today, put your trust in Him. He knows where you are going – He’s already been there! Rely on Him to teach you what you need to know to get there. Don’t fret. Just do what you know to do today and give the rest to Him.

In the arms of God

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Psalm 16:7-10, “I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. 8 I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, 10 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay.”

The other day I sat down at my computer, determined to write a Psalm, like David, to my Lord and Savior. It didn’t turn-out well. David had such an ability to use just the right imagery and say just the right words to speak wonderful praises to God and to fill our hearts with love for Him. My Psalm seemed quite shabby in comparison. There is such solace in his words to our Father.

This morning I am searching for a way to praise God as never before because my body is secure; I am confident He will not abandon me. Maybe it is my age, but I am realizing more and more the depth with which God loves us. He is not this Being who created us and left us to be. He is intertwined in our daily existence; more so than we could ever imagine.

I have a friend who designs buildings all over the world. He actually is the architect for commercial structures. Some of them are so amazingly breathtaking that I just want to stand before them and take it in. I asked him once if when he drives by them does he stop and get out and stare. Does he look at them and say, “Wow! I can’t believe I did that.” His response surprised me. He said, “You know Mike, God gives me images, visual pockets of how the buildings will fit into the structure of the city. When I drive by them I actually say aloud, ‘Wow God! That is a really good one!'”

Even in our occupations; our education; our health; our children; our friendship; our day-to-day tasks; God is there. We cannot be shaken because He’s got us with His strong right hand. No matter what our earthly life dishes out to us, the Creator knows how to fit us into the structure of His plan and purpose. Let your tongue rejoice and your heart be glad today because you rest in the arms of God.

Your tent is gone!

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“Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson went on a camping trip.  After sharing a good meal and a bottle of Petrie wine, they retire to their tent for the night.

At about 3 AM, Holmes nudges Watson and asks, ‘Watson, look up into  the sky and tell me what you see?’

Watson said, ‘I see millions of stars.’

Holmes asks, ‘And, what does that tell you?’

Watson replies, ‘Astronomically, it tells me there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets.  Astrologically, it tells me that Saturn is in Leo.  Theologically, it tells me that God is great and we are small and insignificant.  Horologically, it tells me that it’s about 3 AM.  Meteorologically, it tells me that we will have a beautiful day  tomorrow.  What does it tell you, Holmes?’

Holmes retorts, ‘Someone stole our tent.'”

Sometimes we miss the obvious.

Paul has an issue in the church of God in Corinth. There is division among the members. When he writes to them, it is obvious he knows them well. Paul has lived in Corinth for around two years according to historical records. The leaders of the church are vying for position.

1 Corinthians 1:10-13, “I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. 11 My brothers, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. 12 What I mean is this: One of you says, ‘I follow Paul’; another, ‘I follow Apollos’; another, ‘I follow Cephas’; still another, ‘I follow Christ.’ 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul?” 

What point is he trying to make? If being Christian is about Christ – and it is – how can we be divided? Was Christ divided? NO! Then why are we?

In my prayer time this morning, I considered the main reason we are divided in the Christian world is because we don’t understand that Christ wasn’t divided. We don’t understand that Christ wasn’t divided because we are too busy interpreting the Bible to fit our own needs instead of accepting the Bible for what it really says. We are like Watson, “Well, Astronomically, it tells me this…and Theologically, it tells me this…and Meteorologically…” Some of us aren’t even reading the Bible. We are relying on what a sermon tells us or someone else tells us. No wonder we are divided!

Christ came to teach us His ways; to give us a direction; to help us navigate life. Many of us do not understand Christ because we don’t want to understand Christ. If you will allow the example, “We don’t want to admit our tent is stolen; instead, we find 100 other excuses to explain why we are uncovered.” When Christ – not human personalities or cultural situations or political correctness – is central, unity among the church and the Christian community will be demonstrated. What has to happen first is the simple admission that our tent is gone. Only Christ and the power of the Cross can bring us together under His covering (or, I can’t help myself, “His tent”).

Just take a breath!

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Romans 5:1-2, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.”

Have you ever had a relationship with someone and you brace yourself for his or her attitude toward you? You never know if he or she is mad at you or glad to be around you. It’s like checking a weather barometer. Before you get around him or her, you want to know where the gauge is on that thing.

A couple came to me for help years ago. I remember he told me before he came home from work, he called the children to assess the barometric pressure of the home. I ask him what he meant and he explained, “I needed to know how to prepare to meet my wife. Was the weather inside the home calm or was it storming like a hurricane? I had to be prepared.”

With God, we don’t have to worry. I am God’s and He is mine. It means, anytime I go to Him, He is the same. Our relationship is there. Some of us take that for granted. We think because we have a relationship with God, secured by Jesus Christ and His commitment to us on the Cross, we are good to go! Remember, it’s only the beginning. Once we’ve established we want a relationship with Him, is the moment we have to start working to grow the relationship with Him.

How often when you pray is the conversation one-sided? Do you ever stop to hear God or are you rambling on and on like that friend who pops up on your cell phone, and you grimace because you know, you won’t get a word in edgewise. Sometimes I wonder if God is whispering to us, “Take a breath! I want to tell you something.”

This morning as you go to God in prayer, stop for a moment and let Him speak to you. Clear your mind of what you want to say and let Him talk and breathe life into you.