Care a Lot and Pray a Lot

Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. Hebrews 10:22–25

A friend of mine told me, “My worst sin is that I’m a procrastinator. It gets in my way and it keeps me from doing all that God created me to do.” I would have to say that I’m the opposite. My worst sin may be that I’m an “urgent-inator. I want everything to happen right away, as in “Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today” – even if it means losing sleep and missing other good things in order to get it done. I like to write things on my to-do list and check them off at the same time. If an email is in my in-box, I feel I need to respond to it. 

In my advancing age, though, I have learned that some things are better off if they’re left to sit for a while – chili soup, angry words, home decorating, and God’s work. Scripture tells us that it is through challenges that we grow in our faith and our dependence on God. Paul writes this in nearly every letter – Hebrews, Corinthians, Philippians, 1 Timothy. It was true for them then and it’s true for us now. 

Right now, there are a lot of things that make us afraid. And fixers, like me, would like to fix things up right away. A nice easy solution would be very nice! But God sees things with eternal eyes. The Apostle Paul talks to all the early churches about the need for struggles and perseverance in order to grow faith. As the writer Anne Lamont says, “It’s good to be afraid, when it mobilizes us to fight tooth and nail for what is right, when it pricks the balloon of our complacency, when it gets us back on our feet. A lot of us are both afraid and devoutly faithful at the same time…courage is fear that has said its prayers.” 

We can respond to the things that make us afraid with fear. Or we can care a lot and pray a lot. We can stick together and share and listen and draw nearer to God knowing that we are loved and chosen and safe. We know the ending of the story, and it is this. In the end, God wins. Jesus came to tell us that.

Today I will pray to the God that loves us and be at peace.

Prayer: Dear Lord, it seems like there are so many things to be afraid of, but I know that you tell us over and over again in Scripture to, “Be not afraid”, and to trust You. Protect me from my urgent-inator ways. I pray for peace in my soul as You slow me down and help me to remember to pray and to trust You while You work out Your way in the world. Amen

Lori Snyder-Sloan (reprinted from 2016)

Glimpses of the Kingdom

Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of heaven. Mark 10:14 KJV

What do an English-speaking grandma and a little girl who only speaks Spanish have in common? Not long ago, I would have answered, "Not very much." This summer, however, I found the courage to step outside my comfort zone — and to serve as a craftsperson for a Bible school program presented to Spanish-speaking students by the youth group of my local church.

When the week was over, "Do you speak Spanish?" was a question I was often asked. After responding multiple times, my standard reply became, "No, but I speak crafting." Actually, I didn't need to speak at all.

Each day during Bible school, a beautiful little girl with huge dark eyes and a very complicated hairstyle came running through the door straight toward me. As I held her in my arms, she laid her head on my shoulder. We walked around the room like this for several minutes, after which she was ready to begin her craft project.

During Bible school, today's Scripture came to mind often. I was thinking that this little girl needed to feel secure in my arms. However, after reading Mark 10:14 many times since then, I've concluded that it was I who felt inadequate and uncomfortable. I was the one in need.

Silently each day, this little girl came to me offering her love. Holding her and walking with her made me feel needed. "For of such is the kingdom of heaven" took on a whole new meaning. Without speaking one word, a little child had shown me glimpses of the kingdom — a place where Christian love is freely offered and readily accepted, and a place where no one feels inadequate or outside their comfort zone.

Prayer: Thank You, Father, for bringing little children into our lives to teach us how to be Christ-like. Thank You for showing us that the kingdom of heaven is a place where the love of Your Son, Jesus Christ, breaks down all barriers. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Judy Welch (reprinted from PresbyCan devotional page, 2005)

A God of Miracles

May God, the source of hope, fill you with all joy and peace by means of your faith in Him, so that your hope will continue to grow by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 

Some of you know that my oldest son struggled with alcoholism. Today he has been sober for 6-1/2 years. He is a single dad of his 13-year-old son. If you had told me that years ago, I would not have believed that he’d be sober. 

I remember my Al-Anon sponsor calling me after we met at length. I was very down because he was continuing to drink. She called me and asked “have you considered that God will provide a miracle?” No, I hadn’t. He had sunk lower than I ever thought possible. He hadn’t hit bottom yet. But it was when he found himself out on the streets of Omaha in the winter, that he finally hit bottom that he decided it was time to get sober.   

Miracle of miracles! Praise God from whom all blessings flow.  

Prayer: God of miracles, remind me when I’m down and hopeless that you fill me with hope and strength because you care about each of your children. Amen

Barb Anderson

Words from Deuteronomy

When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the Lord thy God for the good land which he hath given thee. Deuteronomy 8:10 KJV 

Let the Coastlands be Glad

The Lord reigns; let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad. Psalm 97:1 

Hear the word of the Lord, O nations, and declare it in the coastlands afar off: say, 'He who scattered Israel will gather him, and will keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock.' Jeremiah 31:10

He will not fail or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law. Isaiah 42:4                     

My deliverance draws near speedily, my salvation has gone forth, and my arms will rule the peoples; the coastlands wait for me, and for my arm they hope. Isaiah 51:5

I recently read several devotions that referred to the coastlands. I thought these were not words that I readily remembered from scripture, so of course I had to do some research. I found 10 scriptures that referred to the coastlands, most of which occurred in the books of the prophets. The word coastlands referred to distant regions along the sea and symbolized the farthest reaches of the earth and God's sovereignty over all nations. It represents diverse peoples and cultures that acknowledge God's authority beyond Israel. It represents hope for those who are marginalized or in despair and those waiting for redemption and renewal. It showed anticipation of a new age where all nations are called to glorify God, where boundaries are expanded and barriers are broken down. The coastlands are a symbol of a hope divine for inclusion in the Kingdom of God and God's relentless pursuit of humanity across time and space. The coastlands are a call for evangelism. Matthew 28:19-20 states "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age."

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for the hope you bring to the coastlands. Thank you for the acceptance of all of us to be part of the Kingdom of God. Thank you for your promises of justice to the world. And finally, thank you for your love of us like a shepherd to his sheep. Amen

Nancy Hall

Falling Leaves and Trusting in God

Falling leaves remind us that there is beauty in letting go and trusting God with what comes next. 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5

Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Psalm 37:4-6

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you. Psalm 9:10

The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him. Psalm 28:7

Christianity and Pumpkins

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life." John 8:12

Fall is here and Thanksgiving is not far away. With it comes a time to remember all the blessings we have received through the last year, and a chance to join with friends and family for eating, watching football, and shopping.

At this time of year, this story pops up in social media. A coworker asked another, "What is it like to be a Christian?" The coworker replied, "It is like being a pumpkin. God picks you from the patch, brings you in, and washes all the dirt off of you. Then He cuts off the top and scoops out all the yucky stuff. He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, and greed. Then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside of you to shine for all the world to see."

I like this analogy between Christians and pumpkins. God has chosen us, forgiven us, and taken away our sins. If we believe in him, we can be filled with his love, which puts a smile on our face and a light inside us.      

Prayer: Dear Lord, we thank you God for everything you have blessed us with, and especially for sending your son to be the light of our world. We are grateful that by knowing you, our insides can be scooped out and filled with your love. Amen.

Robin Hadfield (reprinted from 2019)