Category: faith

Adding More and More

Job 40-41

Psalm 102

2 Peter 1

-Devotion by J.J. Fletcher (MN)

(2 Peter 1:5-10 ESV) …make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.

In contrast to the list of negative attributes to avoid in the second chapter of 1st Peter, we see in the first chapter of 2nd Peter a list of attributes that we should aspire to. Believe, absolutely, but belief must be supplemented with action. Virtue = moral excellence; let your character be representative of Christ. As one called to redemption in the name of Jesus, your motivations and behaviors should be indicative of Jesus’ righteousness (he is your righteousness, so honor it with your lifestyle). As we strive for moral excellence, we should seek to understand. 

Sir Francis Bacon coined the term “knowledge is power.” Knowledge gives us an advantage. Simply hearing that we should behave in a certain way is one thing, but studying the scriptures to understand WHY we should behave a certain way is more powerful and compelling. As someone who grew up in the 90’s, “The More You Know” PSA’s come to mind. To be discerning in addressing the many challenges of life, the knowledge and understanding of scripture is crucial.

Our knowledge gives us a basis to exercise self-control. Having an understanding of scripture gives us a metric by which to measure our behavior. If we know what we should do, then we can aspire to behave that way and recognize where we might fall short. Our salvation is not based on our works or actions, but our works/actions speak, or bear witness to our faith. If the way we behave is supposed to point others to Jesus, then we should be passionate about being self-controlled. If we can’t manage our emotions or behaviors, what message is that sending to others about our faith and character?

Add to your self-control steadfastness; this is understood as endurance or staying power. It is one thing to exercise self-control for an hour, a day, a week… Even someone who is convicted or passionate about something can get worn down or discouraged over time; so we continually need to renew our minds and evaluate ourselves.

Godliness can be understood as the way that we submit and respond to God and the way that we look at and respond to his creation, namely that which is created in his image (spoiler alert, that means people). Brotherly love (or affection) and agape: general love, care, concern, and treatment of people in general, are the logical and spiritual outpouring of our submission to God’s will in the way that we relate to and treat others.

Lacking these characteristics is tantamount to blindness, but practicing them is indicative of absolute victory. We don’t have to be perfect in our execution, but we need to strive for all of them in our behavioral orientation.

J.J. Fletcher is a 2009 graduate of Atlanta Bible College and has been pastoring Pine Grove Bible Church  (Brooklyn Park, MN) since 2017. He has been married to Hope (Kirkpatrick) for 18 years and has 4 children.

Reflection Questions

  1. Why is just having faith not enough?
  2. Virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love. Why is having just a bit of any of these not enough? What would it look like to add more and more of each of these qualities?
  3. Is one (or two) of these harder for you than the others? How could you especially focus on that/those? Is there something to get rid of in order to make it easier to build more of this/these qualities?
  4. When have you been blind – missing these? How does your blindness affect your relationship with God? How does it affect your relationship with others?

Prayer

Dear God – I praise You for being the One True God – perfect in all your qualities. Forgive me for the times my faith is incomplete and blind. Help me see where I need to add on more and more that I will be effective and fruitful. And help me do what is pleasing to You, living like Jesus. In his name I pray, Amen.

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Title Deed to Our Hope

Job 12-13

Psalm 96

Hebrews 11

-Devotion by Tom Siderius(MI)

Hebrews 11:1-3(NLT) Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. 2 Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation.
3 By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.

Hebrews 11:1(AMP) Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality—faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses].

Faith is our complete believing trust in the Word of God and it’s truth. It  comes from mixing the personal believing of our hearts with the trustworthy and perfect words which God has given for us to know and understand.  When we completely trust the Word in our hearts then we will act in accordance with that trust.  This is why the Amplified Bible shows the phrase “title deed” to things prayed for and hoped for.

If I have the title deed for my farm in my hands do I have the farm in my hands?  No it is impossible to have the farm that way.  But the reality is that when we have the deed with Tom and Sandy written on it, with no lien or obligations connected with it, we have the farm.

This is the way that we trust God in our hearts and then receive the promise for the things that God has made.  Ephesians 1 gives us another assurance of God’s plan.

Ephesians 1:4-5(NLT) Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.

God chose you before the foundation of the earth!  Wow!! And it says that it gave Him great pleasure to save you in Christ. Double Wow!!  Then we get a guarantee even better.

Ephesians 1:13-14(NLT) And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. 14 The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.

Have you believed God in your heart about what God has testified about Christ?

Did you receive the gift of holy spirit when you believed and became God’s child?

What does that mean for your life?

We have received the title deed and seal of promise to the future hope of Christ’s rulership and kingdom to come.  You have the proof in your hands that what God has said will come to pass in the future.  The faithful of the past all believed this and received the same sure promises. Please read Hebrews 11 for the rest of the story.

Hebrews 11:13-16(NLT) All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth. 14 Obviously people who say such things are looking forward to a country they can call their own. 15 If they had longed for the country they came from, they could have gone back. 16 But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

The title deed we have received is the deed to a future with God and a place to live in righteousness and peace with our Savior Jesus Christ and his and our Father God.  As you go from here be the child of God that you are with all the rights and privileges that come from the trust that God is faithful to that which He has promised and performed.

Reflection Questions

See Questions above – and also – Where do you keep your title deed of faith?

Are you excited by the future hope you have received?

Prayer

Father please be with us this day, and we thank you for the bread of our need as we walk with You.  Thank you for the kingdom to come, that what You have promised will come to pass.  Please give us living hearts of faith and trust in You in all we do.  God bless the prayer and works of our lives to honor You.  Love in Christ, your children

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What is man, that You magnify him?

*Job 6-7

Psalm 94

Hebrews 8

 -Devotion by Jeremy Martin (TN)

            I’ve  been married for 28 years now, and even in the depths of my dumbness (which as mentioned previously in other devotions, can run pretty deep), one of the things I learned early on in the relationship is that we hear and react to conversation differently.  For the longest time this caused conflict, because when a problem is presented to me (eg, “I feel like I’m being unproductive at work”), my problem-solving skills as a man immediately kick in and I started proposing a (very helpful, in my opinion) list of solutions that would help my wife overcome the “problem” of X (in this example, being unproductive).  “Oh, a problem? That’s what I do, I’m a manly man, I fix stuff! Let me give you a list of solutions.”  If you’re laughing out loud right now, you’ve been there too, and know exactly where this is going.

            As I presented my (again, extremely helpful) list of solutions to my wife, I could see the stormclouds gathering in her expression.  When the storm burst, she would always exclaim something along the lines of “I don’t want you to fix it! I just want you to listen!”.   The keyword in the beginning of her statement, that I didn’t key in on, was “I feel.”.  She just wanted me to listen to, understand, and sympathize with her feelings.  What I heard instead was, “here’s a problem I need your help resolving.”, which is not at all what she was saying.  It’s just a social (and perhaps cultural) difference in how we’re wired as men and women.  Sometimes, life is hard, and we just want a little empathy.

            This sounds like exactly what was going on in the early chapters of Job.  His friends are all offering an extremely helpful list of solutions (eg, “God is good to the just and only punishes the wicked, what did you do? let’s talk about it, and maybe we can fix you”…), but what Job needs is just a little bit of empathy.  In our reading of Job 6-7 this morning, we can really see the stormclouds bursting as Job replies to his friends “I don’t need you to fix me, I just want you to listen!” (obviously paraphrased).

            Why do bad things happen to good people?  Why would God allow X to happen to this person?  These are great questions, and cause a lot of people to reject God, but we know that “time and chance happen to all men” (Ecc 9:11).  We also know that God tests men (James 1:3, 1 Pet 1:7), and that the reason for this testing is not only to gauge where we’re at spiritually, but to refine us and provide spiritual growth (Prov 17:3, Rom 5: 3-4).  God disciplines those he loves (Heb 12:6, Rev 3:19), just like a parent disciplines their child at times, in order to correct their behavior.  Here’s the thing, nobody likes to be tested.  It’s usually stressful physically, mentally, and emotionally.    Tests are, by their nature, testing.  Here are a couple deep points to consider though: we do not advance without tests, and we usually don’t get the test results immediately.  You may not even get the results in this lifetime, but keep in mind: *beeeep* this is a test, this is only a test.

            In Job 7:7-8, Job laments his fleeting mortality and then asks God a question in 7:17-18: “17What is man that You magnify him, And that You set Your heart on him, 18That You examine him every morning And test him every moment?” (LSB).  In v19, Job then asks “Will You never turn Your gaze away from me, ,,,” because he’s basically saying “I’m an  insignificant man, why are you testing me so hard?”.  Interestingly, in Psalms 8:4, David asks the same exact question: “What is man that You remember him, And the son of man that You care for him?” but when David asks it, it’s out of a devout awe of God, an awestruck attempt at understanding why God would show such favor to him, an insignificant man.  So let’s think about it for a moment: what is *man? (*by man we are clearly not talking about gender, but mankind or humanity in general, more accurately).

            In Genesis 1:26, God says “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness, so that they will have dominion …”. (LSB, See 8/5/26 devotion on my opinion why God says “us” here, btw).  So, God made us in His image so that we would have dominion on the earth.  That is a much bigger deal than most people think.  Consider this for a moment: rulers both ancient and recent alike  put their “stamp” on things, in order to claim ownership.  In ancient times, one of the first things a ruler/king/pharoah would do when they conquered a land would be to put up a statue of themselves in that place.  This is just a plain statement to everyone that “This is mine!”.  That’s why you’ll find all across the ancient world statues, obelisks, steles, arcs, and other various memorials.  Each one makes a specific claim, each one has specific communications it’s trying to convey, but at the end of the day what they are all saying is “MINE!”.  We see that even today.  Modern rulers don’t go in for statues as much as they used to in ancient times, but they will paste their names on large buildings, monuments, or bridges.  It’s all just a claim of ownership.

            In Psalms 24:1, it says “…The earth is Yahweh’s, as well as its fullness, The world, and those who dwell in it “.  Let’s consider that for a moment: everything, and everybody, on this planet belongs to God.  “But what about the…” Yep.  “Well, what about the…” Yep, that too.  “But surely you don’t mean…” Yep.  EVERYTHING, and EVERYBODY that are existing, have existed, or will exist on this planet belong to God, because He created us.  If you can see it, smell it, hear it, taste it, feel it, talk to it, etc…it belongs to God.  As humans, we have taken a rather proprietal view of “our stuff” and “our lives” and “our (insert anything here)” but the reality is: both we and everything that we think we own belong to God.  Everybody.  Everything.  It all belongs to God.  Full stop.

            So in answer to the question “What is man, that You magnify him?”, well, God told us at the beginning.  We are created in the image of God, because we are here as representatives of God, and we have been given dominion over this earth, in God’s name.  We’re actually a big deal, not because we are anything more than insignificant little winds passing quickly through His marvelous creation, but because He placed us here with His image so that we could represent Him.  This particular iteration of creation was created for us, and we are supposed to be representing God in it.

            So as representatives of the Most High God, as human beings who have been given dominion/rulership over this beautiful creation, a good test question might be “so, how’s that working out for you?”.  Unfortunately, as we look around at our society, at our dysfunctional systems, and our hardened hearts I think if we’re being honest the reply would be “Not great, Bob.“.  There is coming a day though, and coming very soon unless I am greatly mistaken, when the Kingdom of God will be established here on the earth.  When our king the Christ will return and cause us all to seek to represent God again, with all our hearts.  When all of us who have passed our tests and pleased our God will enter as citizens of the kingdom.  What is man?  We are God’s representatives.  Let’s act like it.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

  1. Think of a test or trial in your past: when it was over, looking back, are you able to see how you had advanced or developed because of it? 
  2. Think of a test or trial that you are currently undergoing: what do you think the intent or desired outcome of this test is? 
  3. If you are not undergoing a test right now, consider that God tests those He loves, and ask why not and what can you do differently?

PRAYER

Father God, what is man?  Help me to be the person that I was created to be.  Help me to reflect and represent Your perfection here on Your creation.  Please forgive me of the many times I fall short, and when I stumble please lift me up.  Help me to overcome.  In Jesus name, Amen.

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Greater than Moses

Esther 5-6

Psalms 92

*Hebrews 3

-Devotion by Jeremy Martin (TN)

            It should be pointed out that to the Jewish folks, Moses (Moshe) was a Really Big Deal.  Moses is a big deal to any of the “Children of the Book”, and Christians and Muslims alike regard Moses as a man who spoke God’s words to the people, a prophet who God performed miracles through.  All of the prophets were highly revered but to the Jewish people though, the people who Moses led out of slavery, the people who witnessed miracles performed by God through the man, the people who witnessed him going in to speak with God until his face actually glowed, he was a really, really, big deal.  Like, 5 out of 5 stars in all the reviews, just top notch.  Best Guy Ever.

            Let’s review quickly: Moses, old guy with a beard.  Not really a big talker.  Happily tending his flock out in the middle of nowhere when God* starts to have a conversation with the guy from a burning bush and then tells him that he’s going to be the agent by which God frees His chosen people, the Israelites.  A little bit of whining, God loops in his brother Aaron to assist, then off they go back to the land of Egypt.  “Give me my people”, “No”, plague plague plague plague (x10), then “ok, you and your people get out”.  Run away, “wait, now who’s going to do all the manual  labor?”, pursuit, miraculous escape through the sea, followed by immediate miraculous destruction of pursuing army by same sea. Wandering, whining, miracles, manna, more whining, there’s the promised land go get it,  “we’re a’scared”, wander wander wander (x40yrs), there’s the promised land go get it, “ok, but can we stop wandering?” and right about then Moses dies.  That very brief, highly summarized review of Moses took place in the latter third of his life, covering the time when he was 80-120 years old, the 40 years directly prior to his passing.

            Moses was an incredibly Big Deal, he gave the people The Law, and lots of good advice on how to act (which went largely ignored until they were forcibly reminded), and God performed miraculous signs through him.  God used Moses to do all of these things, and had a unique and special relationship with Moses unlike any man before or after (until Jesus came).  Moses gave the definitive books of the Torah to the Israelites, faithfully recording what God spoke and was a faithful servant who was “more humble than any man was on the face of the earth” (Num 12:3) even despite all of the great deeds listed above.  The level of respect and reverence that later generations of Israelites had and have for Moses can not be overstated.      

            That’s why it is such a big deal in Hebrews 3 when the author says “Moses, yea, super guy, but Jesus?  He’s better.” (Heb 3:3, painfully paraphrased).  This is being written specifically to convince the Jewish folks that Yeshua the Nazarene (you know, Jesus of Nazareth) was The Christ, the Messiah prophesied long ago by the prophets (including Moses, see Dt 18:18).  This guy, he’s really important because with no disrespect to brother Moses (again, 5 out of 5 stars, super guy); Moses was as a servant, but this Jesus guy is as a son.  Both came and were servants of God, both came and spoke the words God told them to, both saved a whole bunch of people; but Moses came to save and restore the Israelites, but Jesus came to save and restore the entire earth, and all of it’s people**.

            In Heb 3:1-2 it clearly states that we have a High Priest (Jesus) who is faithful to Him who appointed him, as Moses also was faithful.  God appointed Jesus as High Priest.  Where do we get the High Priest from though?  Heb 5:1 says “from men”, and and Psalms 89:19 says “from among the people”.  In Heb 1:2, it states “His son, whom He appointed heir of all things…”.  Over and over we see very clearly that God has appointed Jesus, as His son, as our High Priest, as The Messiah.  To clarify the pecking order, our corporate flow chart, “For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.”(Heb 3:4) and it then goes on to clarify “but Christ was faithful as a son over his house-whose house we are…” in Heb 3:6.  God built everything, and appointed Christ heir  to inherit it, as a reward for his obedience.  Listen: if you already own something (Ps 24:1), you don’t need to appoint yourself as the heir to it.  If you already have full supreme power, you don’t need to anoint yourself as king.  You’re already in charge of everything.  We all agree that “Christ” means “the anointed one”.  Anointed by who? Well, the “builder of all things is God”.  The heir that God anointed and appointed is Christ.  It’s pretty straightforward, if you base your doctrine exclusively on scripture, and not tradition.

            This is a pretty basic and undeniable understanding of scripture.  We miss out on a lot of opportunities to talk to Jewish folks (God’s chosen people, see above) about the Messiah as Christians because of a lot of the theories and convoluted explanations that are so exasperatingly confusing and contradictory are now held to be doctrine by a huge number of our brothers and sisters.  Even worse, we miss out on a lot of opportunities to be obedient to our King and to our (and his) God, when we harden our hearts and don’t listen when we hear his voice. (Heb 3:15).  One last thought I’d like to put forth today: both Moses and Jesus were exceptionally humble men, who not only obeyed God’s word and performed miracles, but did so obediently and sometimes in opposition to what they wanted to do personally.  These are the true “church fathers”, the one’s that we should listen to,  our role models, and our examples of how to please our God.

*-Moses talked to God.  Weeeell actually, Moses talked to God’s agent, the angel God sent.  See Ex 3:2-4 and contrast v2 with v4, it’s the first unquestionable documented example that God uses agents to interact with His creation, and that when these agents (shaliah) speak God’s words, they speak with the full authority of God (and so are often called God, because as His agent they’re representing His authority).  This is well understood in Jewish culture and literature and is common throughout scripture.  See also Ex 20:21-22 for another specific example, and note as well the approximately 40 times or so that Jesus says that “God sent me” in the book of John alone, which the Jewish  people understood to mean “he speaks with the authority of God because God sent him”, not anything else super confusing that may have been suggested later.  Lots of people “saw God” (or His agent) particularly in the OT, but 1 John 4:12 states clearly that “No one has ever seen God”, and this is confirmed in 1 Tim 6:15-16, ergo, anytime that happened it was most likely either in a dream, vision, or an agent that God sent.

**Jesus came to restore the entire earth.  Weeeeell actually, initially he came specifically (and exclusively) to “restore the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matt 15:24).  Gentiles were given the favor and opportunity for salvation specifically because some of the chosen people of God (the Israelites) rejected him, and also because God had planned to do it this way: to the Jew first, then to all of the nations of the earth.  Acts 10 starts the beginning of gentiles receiving salvation, well after Jesus had ascended and finished his earthly ministry, so if you’re a “dog of a gentile” try not to get too arrogant about it.  If we do make it into the kingdom, we’ll probably end up being the janitor or “fetchers of wood”, if we’re lucky.  Let’s be humble.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

  1. Why do we, as gentile dogs who are grafted on to the root while other (and arguably better) branches are pruned, ever become arrogant about our salvation when considering the humbleness of both Moses and Jesus (who were much more important than we’ll ever be)? (Yes, I know it’s a leading question, consider it though)
  2. Have you ever considered how highly favored you are, if you are a member of the body of Christ, a child of God?  Just reflect on that for a moment, don’t take it for granted!
  3. Isn’t God amazing? He told us in the beginning the plan (Gen 3:15), we just didn’t understand it.

PRAYER

Father God, thank you for providing a way for the rest of us, I am humbled and awed that you did.  Please lead us, forgive us when we fall short, and teach us the way to salvation.  In Jesus name, Amen.

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Boldly Proclaim

Ezra 7-8

Psalm 87

2 Timothy 1

-Devotion by Carla Hardy (MI)

Paul mentions the word “ashamed” several times in 2 Timothy 1. He tells Timothy to not be ashamed of Jesus nor of himself (v. 8). In verse 12 he says he, Paul, is not ashamed. Lastly, in verse 16 he refers to Onesiphorus, commending him for not being ashamed of Paul’s chains.

Merriam-Webster defines the concept of being ashamed as “feeling shame, guilt or disgrace.” It also says if one is ashamed he is “reluctant or unwilling to do something because of shame or embarrassment.” 

This begs the questions: why would Timothy be ashamed of Jesus? Why would Paul be ashamed of himself, or why would anyone else? And the better question is: why would WE?

I’m sure we have all been ashamed of something about ourselves or our lives. Something we have done has caused us shame or perhaps someone in our family has embarrassed us. This, quite simply, is so human of us. But, to be ashamed of what Jesus has done, of who he is? Why would we? The sad answer is, there is a reason why Paul mentions this in 2 Timothy. We all are capable of this. Can we admit that? 

If we are honest with ourselves, there have likely been times where we don’t share the good news of Jesus with someone. There probably have been times when we just felt like it wasn’t the best environment to share it in or the best people to share it with. Maybe we have felt different and wanted to blend in with the crowd, so we didn’t outwardly show or voice who we were in Jesus. To acknowledge this reality hurts – but it is true. 

Sometimes we need these truths, though. I’m grateful we have Paul’s words here to remind us that we should never ever be ashamed of God, His son, or the saving grace we’ve all been given. 

Let us remember Romans 1:16 whenever we feel shame creeping in: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes…”

Reflection Questions:

  1. Can you recall a time when you were ashamed of the gospel? 
  2. When you feel like you could be inching towards being ashamed, what can you tangibly do, in that moment, to conquer this tactic of the enemy?

Prayer:

God, thank you for your word, and how you spoke through your saints, like Paul, to warn us about hard truths that we may fall prey to. Help us to always remember to not be ashamed. Help us to remember to feel and act upon the very opposite: that you are unapologetically worthy of our adoration and praise, whether we are alone or with others. Amen.

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How Are You?

Restore us again, God our Savior

2 Chronicles 35-36

Psalm 85

1 Timothy 3

-Devotion by Carla Hardy (MI)

You are probably asked countless times a day, “How are you?” And your answer probably varies between a polite “good” or “not too bad” to maybe a “tired” response. I know I have often replied with my share of “tired!” 

Being tired – physically, mentally & emotionally. We’ve all been there! This can be a good thing, though. Being physically fatigued means you worked hard, that you achieved something. You put your able body to good use. Mentally fatigued? You used your brain, gave thought, produced. Emotional fatigue can be positive – it means you experienced emotions – it’s good to love, it’s normal to feel – we are human after all, created with all sorts of complexities. 

While being tired can be good, it can also sway to the negative side if it’s in excess. Being overly tired can be taxing on us, affecting us negatively. Physical fatigue can wear us down if it’s habitual. We need rest & restoration because our bodies have limits. God created us that way, and has even designated a day for us to rest! We can get sick or hurt if we exceed our physical limits without taking time out. Mental fatigue can also affect us negatively if we don’t manage it well. If we don’t give our minds rest, it can impact our peace, and our thoughts can get out of control. Lastly, emotional fatigue, like mental fatigue, can wear us out. If we get too wrapped up and enmeshed in emotions, it can impact our overall health. 

All that being said, feeling tired – physically, mentally & emotionally so – can be good or bad. Tired tells us ‘good job’ and then ‘rest up.’ However, being spiritually tired? That is never good. It is never healthy for us to be spiritually fatigued. Our spiritual strength should never run out, because it isn’t even our own – it’s God working through us. If we feel spiritually tired, it’s a sign for us to seek revival. To seek the true source of strength. 

If we are spiritually tired, what can happen? Well, two pretty big things stand out:

-We can be caught unaware of the enemy and what he is doing. The enemy is always prowling, and we need to always be on alert. 

-We can miss what God has for us. We can fail to see and respond to His leading in our lives.

We want to be aware of both our Father and of our enemy, for two very different reasons. If we are spiritually tired, our awareness can fall short, and we can become victims of either spiritual attack or missed blessings.

What really stood out to me in Psalm 85 is the concept of revival. This psalm speaks of revival from God throughout the entirety of it:

v. 4 “Restore us again, O God of our salvation…”

v. 6 “Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?”

v. 8 “Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people…”

v. 12 “Yes, the Lord will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase.”

Revival, restoration, peace – whatever you recognize it as, seek it out. Constantly. As followers of Jesus, we must keep ourselves in check, look for signs of spiritual exhaustion. When we see hints of exhaustion, we need to:

-get into the Word. It is healing, life-giving and gives us the tools we need.

-pray. Boldly ask God for revival and a renewed spiritual life.

-seek out others to help us. Others can provide a path to revival and renewal, too. We grow in community, and our brothers & sisters in Christ can pour into our spiritual lives simply by their presence, and their prayers. We need each other. 

Reflection Questions:

  1. Have you recently experienced spiritual exhaustion? What were the signs? What did you do? 
  2. Are you connected with a solid, Bible-believing church? Are there people in the church you feel like you can rely on – to pray for you, mentor you, hold you accountable, pour into your life?

Prayer:

God, thank you for our physical bodies. Thank you that you have enabled our bodies to perform and labor, that our bodies are so miraculously built. Thank you for our brains. Thank you that we can think, reason and create. Thank you for our emotions. Thank you that we can feel joy, love – and even the harder emotions, because it means we can use them to rely on you. Thank you for all of these things – and thank you for providing ways for restoration. We ask that when we are spiritually tired that you help us to recognize this and to act. We thank you that we can talk to you and ask for renewal, that your Word is accessible to us, that there are people after your own heart to help renew us when we need it. Amen.

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Celebrate Him

*2 Chronicles 29-30

Psalm 83

2 Thessalonians 3

-Devotion by Rachel Cain (OH) – with questions sprinkled throughout

A few weeks ago my family gathered with friends to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the independence of the USA! The long and epic gathering began with a festive city parade, continued at a cookout replete with red and blue fruits, and culminated in a colorful explosion of fireworks. 

The Israelites have their own sort of Independence Day known as Passover, which commemorates when they were freed from slavery under Pharoah and began their journey to the land of liberty that God had promised to give them. In today’s reading, Hezekiah wanted the scattered tribes of Israel to reunite for an overdue, epic Passover Celebration, but because the priests weren’t consecrated in time, they decided to hold the Passover a month late. 

Better late than never! Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today. An ancient Chinese proverb states, “The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second best time is today.”

What is something that God has been nudging you to do for Him? Take steps to obey today! 

Hezekiah invited all the separate tribes (who were divided by more than just location – this was likely a deep cultural and political rift) to come together to worship and remember God’s provision together. Some tribes ridiculed the couriers who delivered this invitation of repentance and celebration; however, a few groups set aside their differences, humbled themselves, and joined the party. Those in attendance were not all ritually clean, but Hezekiah prayed for God to honor the hearts of those who had come to honor Him. God responded with grace and accepted the people’s repentant hearts. 

God looks deep into the intentions of our hearts. We see repeatedly in scripture that God wants people who are not just going through the motions, but who truly desire to live for Him. 

How have you seen evidence in Scripture of God looking at the heart and motives over rituals? Are there any examples of this in your life or the lives of others?

In a culture that praises pride of all kinds and promotion of self even at the expense of others, it’s refreshing to read about divided nations humbling themselves to seek God as one body. One of my favorite Sundays of the year is when a local organization called Declare joins with area churches for a worship gathering in our town square. What a fantastic opportunity to commune with a variety of believers who, despite deep doctrinal differences, choose to meet together for the sole purpose of praising God and serving our city together. 

God wants us to come together as one body for His Mission. We must set aside our disagreements so we can accomplish more together than we can apart! 

In what ways might you be called to unite and serve with others on the common ground of Faith? 

Hezekiah’s gathering turned out to be the most joyful Passover celebration in over 200 years! Even though they missed a few requirements of the law, God saw that His people were drawing near to him, and He appreciated their renewed commitment. Celebrating together reminded the people who they were – and WHOSE they were. They remembered their true identity. 

In this world of confusion and mistaken identities, don’t forget who (and Whose) you are. What steps can you take to get back to the root of your true identity as a new creation in Christ? (Read the Bible, join a small group, engage in prayer, seek wise and godly counsel, worship and seek God with like-minded believers, cut off distractions so you can focus more on God’s purpose for you…. Those are just a few ideas!). 

While we’re on the topic of Passover… I want to encourage you to experience it for yourself sometime! There is so much rich significance in all the little details of a Passover seder. Our family has celebrated Passover at a basic level for several years, but earlier this year we learned a powerful part of the Passover that we had never practiced before (and which was likely practiced at Hezekiah’s Passover), called the Dayenu. The closest translation in English that we have to the meaning of the Hebrew word dayenu is, “it would have been enough.” The original dayenu has statements representing the 15 gifts God bestowed to the Israelites; the first five mention emancipation from slavery in Egypt, the next five describe some of the miraculous ways God provided for His people, and the last five share about the closeness to God among His people. Each of the stanzas is followed by the people stating, “Dayenu” (it would have been enough). I encourage you to look up the phrases recited/sung during the traditional Dayenu. What phrases would you add onto the original dayenu to represent God’s provision throughout history and in your own life? 

God has given us blessing after blessing, but even if he didn’t… what He has already done for us would be enough. Many of us tend to be so drawn to the things of this world, always wanting more and more, never fully satisfied nor willing to express, “it would have been enough”. But God has called us to a deep contentment and joy that is counter-cultural… almost as if we are citizens not of this world, but of a coming Kingdom (see Philippians 3:17-21). In his book Uncluttered Faith, Joshua Becker writes, “Once you become content with the things of the world that you possess, you are freed to pursue the kingdom of God. Contentment isn’t about settling. It’s about recognizing that you have enough, that it came from God, and that there are greater things to pursue than more of this world. Correctly understood, it’s acknowledgement that while you have enough, you also have so much potential in the kingdom that’s waiting to be unlocked” (p. 175).  

Write down specific ways that God might be calling you to eschew the materialism and negative mindsets that are so abundant in this culture so you can focus your time, talents, and treasures on what truly matters – the work of advancing His kingdom in unity with one another. 

Prayer

I leave you with the Priestly Blessing that was most likely spoken at Hezekiah’s Passover and is still a prayer for us all: 

The LORD bless you and keep you; 

the LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; 

the LORD lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace. 

Numbers 6:24-26

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Dear Brothers & Sisters

2 Chronicles 25-26

Psalm 82

2 Thessalonians 1

-Devotion by Bethany Ligon (AZ)

2 Thessalonians 1:3 – “We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing.”

The summer between my second and third grade, my family moved from Michigan to Arizona. I left behind my first best friend, Jenny. We promised each other that we would write to each other frequently so that our friendship could continue even though we were 1900 miles apart. And that’s exactly what we did. All throughout elementary school, junior high, and high school we wrote back and forth sharing the excitements and disappointments of growing up. And while the time between the letters increased as we got older, we managed to stay in touch through college. There were some years even in our early adulthood that we exchanged Christmas cards. 

When was the last time that you either sent or received an actual, personalized letter from someone near and dear? What information was exchanged? How did it make you feel? How do you imagine it made the other person feel?

As part of today’s Scripture reading, we begin a second letter from Paul to the church in Thessalonica. His purpose for this follow up is to encourage the believers to continue to persevere in their faith, to correct misunderstandings that had begun to make their way into the teachings, and provide some discipline for those who were not being productive.  

It’s the third verse that captured my attention as I read this chapter. How often, in our communication, whether it be written or face-to-face, do we extend the message, “I see how your faith is growing” or “I am so thankful for you” or “I have been bragging about you to others” (see verse four). 

Admittedly, I am not good at this sort of talk, especially face-to-face, particularly on Sunday mornings. I am much more comfortable staying on topics that are related to the business of the church, or how the previous week went, and how I am anticipating the events of the upcoming week.

But I think that I should take a note from Paul and start noticing and sharing how I see my friends living out their faith actively. Because even in a church community that stays active and engaged, it can be easy to slip into the feelings of isolation. And I shouldn’t let my awkwardness and insecurities prevent me from telling people that I care about that I see them and their efforts in living like Jesus would want them to and to support them when they might be struggling with something.  

I sometimes wonder if Paul had any inclination that the words that he penned 2000 years ago to a specific group of believers would continue to have impact on Christian brothers and sisters centuries later on the other side of the world? But if his words of encouragement and teaching are able to keep us anchored in our faith, how much more would something that we said to another today make a difference? 

Dear brothers and sisters, 

I am so glad that we are striving together as one for the faith of the gospel. Seeing you dig deep when life throws you curveballs encourages me to stay the course in my own faith journey. I am so grateful to God that our paths have crossed and to know that I am not in this alone. To Him, be all glory and honor and praise!

Your friend in the faith,

-bethany

REflection Questions

  1. Who are Christian brothers and sisters you thank God for? Have you let them know?
  2. Whose Christian perseverance do you see that inspires you to keep the faith? Have you told them? (Perhaps if a person you have thought of is currently asleep/dead, there is still someone currently living who would love to hear the impact their loved one had on you.)
  3. Besides the encouragement and thanks found in verses 3 & 4, what else found in the rest of this chapter does Paul want his brothers and sisters in Thessalonica to know and remember? How often do you share this with others? Who do you know who could benefit from hearing this information or reminders this week? Will you tell them?

Prayer

Dear God, I thank You for being the Father with a Big Plan which includes the blessings of a church family today and the promise of an incomparable Coming Kingdom when Your Son returns. Thank You for all those who have taught me and encouraged me and helped be to grow my faith in You. Help me to be grateful and a wise motivator and encouragement to others.

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Shine, Children of the Light

2 Chronicles 23-24

Psalm 82

1 Thessalonians 5

-Devotion by Bethany Ligon (AZ)

1 Thessalonians 5:5 – “You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.”

School mascots are one of the unifying elements of building culture and community on a campus. As a student and an educator I’ve been associated with more than just a few. I’ve been a: Koala, Hawk, Tiger, Charger, Thunderbird, Wildcat, Lumberjack, Coyote, Cougar, Prospector, and another Cougar and finally, a Spartan. Upon graduating from high school, I received, along with my diploma, a “Once a Charger, Always a Charger” card – which was a game pass for any home game that I wanted to attend as an alumni. At all of these schools, I wasn’t just a student or a teacher on that campus, but I was a (fill in the name of the mascot here). Whether I was on campus, traveling with a school group, or even associating with friends from a different school, I represented my school with the attributes of what our mascot symbolized. 

In today’s New Testament reading from 1 Thessalonians, Paul is providing encouragement to the believers in Thessalonica about waiting for Jesus’ return. As we wait for our Lord’s glorious return, we should do so in a manner that embodies who we are in his name. 

As children of the Light and children of the Day, we are to live righteously, in peace with others, being generous with our resources, standing firm in our faith, and remaining on alert and self-controlled. 

A favorite childhood chorus, “This Little Light of Mine”, is a declaration that the Light lives in us – it’s not just something that we possess, but it’s part of who we are. And because of this truth, we cannot help but shine the Lord’s Light everywhere we go.  

This Light influences how we interact with each person with whom we cross paths.

This Light directs the short-term and long-term decisions we make. 

This Light prompts us to persevere through trials.

This Light guides us towards godliness.

This Light counsels us when we’re confused and corrects us when we veer off course. 

This Light spurs us to spread the gospel of the Kingdom of God.

As you go about your day, consider how you can best illuminate the space you’re in with the Light that comes from our Lord. 

Reflection Questions

  1. Who have you witnessed shining as a child of the light? What was helpful, beautiful and appealing about that light?
  2. Do you see yourself as a child of the light? How do you shine? Are there any spaces that you occupy, or people you come in contact with, that you do not currently shine as bright?
  3. “As you go about your day, consider how you can best illuminate the space you’re in with the Light that comes from our Lord.”

Prayer

Dear Father – I thank You for Your light which shines through Your Son and all Your children. Show us what belongs to the night/darkness and what comes from You. Help us shine every day and in every situation we are in so that others may see more clearly You and Your way that leads to life.

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Not Normal

2 Chronicles 21-22

Psalm 81

1 Thessalonians 4

-Devotion by Bethany Ligon (AZ)

1 Thessalonians 4:1 – “Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more.”

NASA has recently made some exciting progress towards the goal of establishing a livable station on the Moon’s surface. Just imagine, in a few short years, we’ll have humans living and working on the Moon. And it’s quite possible that if NASA and its global partners keep their projected timeline, we’ll be sending astronauts to Mars within a decade from now. 

The required preparation for such feats is staggering. Transporting humans is only one piece of the puzzle. Determining how to have a sustainable existence in space is another. Why? Because space, for all its glory and wonder, is NOT where humans were meant to exist. It’s not our natural habitat. Learning how to support living beings where the necessary resources of oxygen and water do not exist requires scientific ingenuity at its finest. 

Prior to any space mission, astronauts undergo years of training to prepare for their journey. They are not only given the tools but lessons, and practice, and feedback in order to go and do what a space agency is asking them to do.

Like an astronaut living in space is not normal…being a Christian in today’s culture is not normal.

We, as children of God, are living in a world that is not our natural habitat. We were created to live in existence with God. But because of sin, we’re relegated to living in a broken world. 

Upon our declaration of faith, we receive God’s Spirit in order to live in this broken world according to His will and plans. And like the astronauts who receive training, we also need lessons on how to live like God intends for us.

In his letter to the believers of the Thessalonican church, Paul writes to encourage them to live a life pleasing to God. They (and we) are reminded to abstain from what is culturally “normal”; to live a holy lifestyle that honors God. 

So what does that look like for us? Scripture tells us plainly:

“Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, and with all of your soul, and with all of your mind, and with all of your strength…love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mark 12:30-31)

“He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8)

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33)

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

“Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

If you have a chance this evening, go out and look at the stars. And while you’re gazing at the night sky, give thanks to God for giving you His Spirit in order that you are able to live in such a way that honors Him.   

Reflection Questions:

  1. Like a human living in space, what parts of life in this present world is supposed to be foreign or unlivable to a Christian? How instead is a Christian to live?
  2. The Thessalonians were living in a way that was pleasing to God but Paul told them to do it more and more. Should we be content with a little holiness or pleasing God? In what ways are you working at pleasing God and what would it look like to do so more and more?
  3. Since living to please God is not this world’s normal behavior or goal, what instruction and training have you received to be a successful alien here living as God desires? And from whom? What additional and repeated training would be helpful this week? To whom can you offer some on earth alien training to and how would you go about it?

Prayer

Dear God – I thank You for providing all we truly need to live in this broken world as Christians. Thank You for the instruction given in Your perfect Word, Your Son who shows the way, Your Spirit which guides, and our Christian brother and sister aliens. Help me to live in a way that is pleasing to You Father, more and more. We are so looking forward to life with You in Your coming Kingdom. Help me be prepared and help me prepare others for eternal life with You.

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