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Planning for contingencies…. (devo reflection)

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Change is hard…. (devo reflection)

Exodus 3:7 The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. 

I have seen…. I have heard…. I am concerned…. These words speak to an active, compassionate God who is paying attention to His people, even those who are stiff-necked and rebellious. He doesn’t revel in their suffering. He loves His people, and He’s come to rescue them.

Exodus 3:8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 

He wants to bring His people from a land of captivity and oppression into a spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey. However, that is going to involve a lot of scary change–for the Israelites, but even sooner for Moses.

Exodus 3:9 And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. 

Lord, I wish I could say that I don’t even understand the hesitation of Moses and later the Israelites. You love them. You see their suffering. You want what’s best for them. But change is hard. Stepping out of your comfort zone–even if you are miserable in your comfort zone–is hard. Help us not to be afraid when You call our names, when You try to bring us to a good and spacious land flowing with milk and honey. Help us, even when we are afraid, especially then. Amen.

Exodus 3:10 So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”

Have a blessed day.

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I wonder…. (devo reflection)

Exodus 3:4 When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.”

I wonder if Moses had any idea that he was talking to the Lord when he answered, “Here I am.” I wonder if that automatic response was his authentic self or if the list of reasons he’s about to give for why he’s a bad fit for God’s task is his true self.

Exodus 3:5 “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” 

I wonder how much fear and curiosity warred within Moses or even came into play at all during this whole exchange. I wonder what I would have done in the same situation, knowing my propensity for curiosity as well as my fear of the unknown and my awareness of my limitations.

Exodus 3:6a Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.”… 

Lord, I wonder so many things as I read your word, but one thing I know for certain is that You will use us–the curious, flawed, broken, fearful, angry, hopeful–You can, will, and do use us *if* we allow. Help me, Jesus, to answer Your call enthusiastically, knowing that with You, through You, in You, I can do anything. Amen.

Exodus 3:6b …At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.

Have a blessed day.

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Being curious…. (devo reflection)

Exodus 3:1 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 

What strikes me about today’s scripture is that it starts with Moses being curious and seeking to know more. This strikes me, I think, because I am a “why” kind of gal. I like to understand things–how they work, why choices were made, etc. This tendency has led me into trouble more than once. It’s also led me to some great understandings.

Exodus 3:2a There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush….

What begins with Moses’s curiosity about a burning bush that is not consumed eventually leads to 600,000 Israelites being led to freedom from Egypt. Imagine if Moses had simply thought, ”That’s weird” about the burning bush and then gone about his day instead of noticing and being curious, asking questions and drawing closer.

Exodus 3:2b …Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 

Lord, My curiosity can be annoying–for me and for others, but it also can be a beautiful way for You to get my attention, to show me what You would have me to do, see, understand. Help me to be curious for You, in You, with You, to notice Your presence, to ask questions and to draw closer to You. Always. Amen.

Exodus 3:3 So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”

Have a blessed day.

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Focused on Christ…. (Devo reflection)

Psalm 141:3 Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!

This morning’s devo was about keeping our thoughts focused on Christ. These days—this time of year? This season of life?—I’m not doing so well with that. It’s definitely an area I need to surrender more fully to Him.

2 Corinthians 10:5 …take every thought captive to obey Christ….

When I allow my mind to drift toward the negative, when I don’t surrender those thoughts to Christ, when I allow myself to wallow in the negative….nothing true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, or commendable comes from that. Ever.

Colossians 3:1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

Lord, Thank You for reminding me of this issue. Help me to lay the negative, unproductive thoughts at Your feet so that I can be useful in Your service. Amen.

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Have a blessed day.

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Not of this world…. (Devo reflection)

Ezekiel 37:11 Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’

I was reminded this morning that the valley of dry bones represented not only death but also disgrace. For bones to be left in that condition, they would have had to have been denied a proper burial, meaning these weren’t just symbolic of exhaustion and loss of hope but also of disgrace.

Ezekiel 37:12 Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel.

I am reminded of Isaiah 43:19. God is making a way in the wilderness. He is doing a new thing, even though we cannot yet perceive it. He is asking us to act in faith that He is who He says, that He keeps His promises, no matter what our eyes are telling us.

Ezekiel 37:13 Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them.

Lord, When I look at the valley of dry bones, I see death, despair, disgrace. Thank You that Your vision is not of this world, that Your sight is not limited as mine is. Help me, like Ezekiel, to act in faith in You, despite what I see. Amen.

Ezekiel 37:14 I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.’”

Have a blessed day.

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Dry bones…. (Devo reflect)

Ezekiel 37:11 Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ 

Who among us hasn’t felt completely dried up at times, like they have given everything they have to give with nothing left? I know I have. That pretty much described me at the end of the past semester.

Ezekiel 37:12 Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 

Verse 14 gives the answer to the question of renewal: “I will put my Spirit in you and you will live,” declares the Lord. Reconnecting with the Lord is the only way these dry bones can live again.

Ezekiel 37:13 Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. 

Lord, Help me to seek You daily so that I don’t reduce myself to dry bones in the day-to-day of life. Reconnect me to You, renew Your Spirit within me. Restore my soul. Amen.

Ezekiel 37:14 I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.’”

Have a blessed day.

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Speaking life…. (devo reflection)

Ezekiel 37:7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 

We have the power to speak life to one another. Think about that for a moment. And it doesn’t have to be something complicated. I have taken the time to ask a server who seemed stressed, “You look like you’ve had a hard day. Are you ok?” Her response was brief, but her demeanor seemed lighter after the exchange.

Ezekiel 37:8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.

I have a friend who thinks compliments to strangers are frivolous, but I strongly disagree. Complimenting strangers on their attire or hair, their eyes or smile, or simply saying, “Beautiful day, isn’t it? I hope it’s a great one for you,” these little things matter. I know because they matter to me–both hearing them and saying them. It is a little, tiny way to speak life to others. And it’s important.

Ezekiel 37:9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’ ” 

Lord, Sometimes I make it so weighty a task to be Your hands and feet when all You want is for me to speak life to Your children, to love and encourage others. Help me to speak life to others at every opportunity in every way possible. Amen.

Ezekiel 37:10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.

Have a blessed day. I love you.

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Through Him, in Him, with Him…. (devo reflection)

Ezekiel 37:3 He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.”

What an interesting juxtaposition reading today’s scripture on the heels of last week’s readings in Mark 6. This feels to me very much like God is doing with Ezekiel what Jesus was doing with the disciples–teaching them that through Him, in Him, with Him, they have the power to act for Him.

Ezekiel 37:4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! 

Already in my mind’s eye, I can hear myself giving the Lord Moses’s excuses for rejecting the call: “Not me, Lord. I’m not strong enough, not powerful enough, not convincing enough for anyone to listen. I can’t do what You are asking.” But Ezekiel listens. He soaks it in. He doesn’t immediately start putting up obstacles and explaining why he can’t. I can learn a lot from him.

Ezekiel 37:5 This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. 

Lord, You call me to be Your hands and feet. Forgive me for the times that I am afraid, for the times that, instead of listening and obeying, I give excuse after excuse. Help me to be brave, to listen, to act in You, with You, through You. Help me to shine Your light. Amen.

Ezekiel 37:6 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’ ”

Have a blessed day.

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Stay intentionally connected to the Father…. (devo reflection)

Mark 6:53 When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there. 

The people want healing. They want hope. They clamor for Jesus. Jesus understands that what He is doing takes time and intentionality as well as a solid connection to God. He knows it is exhausting and takes intentional renewal. He knows the sick will always be there. The sinners will always be there. That there will always be someone who needs a word, a touch from Him.

Mark 6:54 As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized Jesus. 

Perhaps those are the lessons He wants to impart to the disciples in this chapter: God provides. But it takes connection and intentionality. It takes seeking prayer time and renewal. Because those who need Him will keep coming…because the hope of Jesus is a powerful force. So Jesus’s disciples have to take care of themselves and stay intentionally connected to the Father so that they can be the hands and feet of Jesus.

Mark 6:55 They ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. 

Lord, Thank You for the lessons You provide, even when we have a difficult time understanding. Help me to be intentional about reconnecting with You and renewing Your Spirit within me. Draw me closer. Amen.

Mark 6:56 And wherever he went—into villages, towns or countryside—they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.

Have a blessed day.