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Trust in the Lord (devo reflection)

Psalm 32:8a I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go….

I want to talk about verse 10 today. I do not consider myself to be wicked, but I know that my lack of trust has caused many woes in my life.

Psalm 32:8b …I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.

The simple solution—simple but not easy, is imbedded in the verse itself: trust in the Lord, which brings Proverbs 3:5-6 to mind.

Psalm 32:10 Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him.

Lord, Thank You for the reminder that You want me to trust You, that my life will be smoother, less chaotic (not necessarily easier) when I do so. Help me. Amen.

Psalm 32:11 Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!

Have a blessed day.

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You are my hiding place…. (devo reflection)

Psalm 32:6 Therefore let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found; surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach them.

If you know me at all, you know that I’m a planner. I usually have a plan and a back up plan just in case. When things don’t go to plan, I can get myself into a state.

Psalm 32:7 You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.

But God taught me an important lesson yesterday in gratitude, in being grateful for what is instead of upset about what’s not. He reminded me that He is sovereign, trustworthy, in control. Always and everywhere.

Psalm 32:8a I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go…

Lord of all creation, Thank You for Your peace and Your presence, for reminding me what’s important, for gratitude in the simple things. Amen.

Psalm 32:8b …I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.

Have a blessed day.

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Room for the unknown…. (devo reflection)

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

It is hard for me to fathom the scene described in today’s verses because it is so far outside of the realm of my experience. At no time in my life has the earth been formless and empty, so I just can’t conceive of what that must have been like, which brings to mind a quote from Shakespeare’s Hamlet: “There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”

Genesis 1:2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

Here’s the trouble, though: I like to think I know a lot, so when I make judgments and assumptions, I don’t usually leave room for all that may exist outside of my realm of understanding. I don’t even leave room for that possibility. Jesus, Help me.

Genesis 1:3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

Creator of the Universe, Thank You for reminding me that my knowledge is finite, limited, that there is so much in this life (and the next) that I don’t understand. Help me to leave room for the unknown, the unexpected. Help me leave room for You. Amen.

Genesis 1:4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.

Have a blessed day.

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A reminder to love God and love others…. (devo reflection)

Psalm 24:1 The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it….

A friend and I were talking the other day about what happens when you look at one verse of scripture and focus on a different word each time. The first time I read these verses last week, having recently returned from the beach, I focused on the fact that the Lord created the creatures on earth and in the sea.

Psalm 24:2 …for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters.

Today, however–probably in part because of yesterday’s sermon, different words hit me, specifically, “and all who live in it….” Those words strike me today as a message of inclusivity, a reminder to love God and love others. God created everyone and everything. We are all His handiwork, even those who don’t acknowledge Him, even those who don’t look or act, vote, love or worship like us.

Psalm 24:3 Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place?

Lord, It is truly astounding how much difference our focus on Your Word can make. Thank You that I can read the same scripture multiple times and take away new truths each time. Thank You that I can share Your word with others. Thank You that we can ponder, question, and discuss Your word to draw us closer to You and each other. Amen.

Psalm 24:4 The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god.

Have a blessed day.

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Caught up in the preparations…. (devo reflection)

Luke 10:38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 

As I read today’s scripture, I think about every party I’ve ever given. I get so caught up in the preparations that I tend to forget that people are coming for us, to spend time with us, not to critique our house, our food, our party-giving skills. I’m a Martha for sure.

Luke 10:39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 

Instead of focusing on appearances, on preparations, on all that still needs to be done, Mary focuses on relationship. She spends time at the Lord’s feet listening to what He says. She doesn’t worry about what hasn’t been done. She invests time in listening, in being present.

Luke 10:40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

Lord, Like Martha, I tend to get so caught up in what needs to be done that I forget that this life is about relationship, about listening, about being present in each moment with the people You have blessed me with. Forgive me. Help me to be present. Help me never to forget the importance of relationship. Amen.

Luke 10:41-42 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Have a blessed day.

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A beautiful, compassionate outpouring of love and assistance…. (devo reflection)

Luke 10:34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him.

This tale is so rich in lessons. The priest and the Levite had a moral, religious obligation to help the victim, and yet they not only pass by the victim, they move intentionally to the other side of the street. The Samaritan, however, is filled with pity, with compassion, for the victim–implied to be Jewish–even though there is a long history of hatred between Jews and Samaritans.

Luke 10:35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

These actions bring to mind the response of people after a natural disaster. Just like with the Samaritan, there is no judgment for political or religious affiliation, no questions about sexual orientation or world views. There is just a beautiful, compassionate outpouring of love and assistance. And isn’t that Jesus’s point? That everyone–regardless of differences–is our neighbor and that we should treat each other with love and compassion. Period.

Luke 10:36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

Precious Savior, Thank You for this reminder that we should love and care for each other. Period. Help us to see the divisions and barriers we put up that keeps us from doing so. Help us to love others like You love us–fiercely, compassionately, indiscriminately. Help me, Jesus. Amen.

Luke 10:37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

Have a blessed day.

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To seek and make connections…. (devo reflection)

Luke 10:30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.

I love the way Jesus handles this situation. He knows that this expert of the law is trying to test Him and justify himself, yet He doesn’t bite. He doesn’t yell. He doesn’t tell the expert how very wrong he is, which is an exercise in futility. Instead, He tells him a story, a parable.

Luke 10:31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.

And instead of drawing all the connections and wrapping it up neatly at the end for the expert, He is going to allow him to come to his own conclusions because He knows that He can’t convince the expert of anything and He doesn’t want automatons. He wants His followers to seek and see His truth and follow willingly because they make that decision.

Luke 10:32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

Lord, I love reading Your scripture and seeing something I didn’t notice before, pondering something that didn’t strike me before. Thank You for opening my eyes to Your truths every time I study Your word. Thank You for allowing me to seek and make connections instead of requiring that I not question, not seek, not ask. Thank You for who You are and who You are to me. Amen.

Luke 10:33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.

Have a blessed day. I love you.

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What can I learn today? (devo reflection)

Luke 10:25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

Two words jump out at me in today’s scripture. In verse 25, the expert is wanting “to test Jesus,” and in verse 29, he is wanting “to justify himself.” This brings to mind 1 Thessalonians 5:11, “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” Neither testing nor justifying is designed to encourage nor build others up.

Luke 10:26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

I was reading and studying in Acts 9 earlier, specifically verse 4 where the Lord asks Saul, “Why do you persecute me?” I would say that the expert in the law in today’s verses could do with a similar question: “Why do you test Jesus? Why do you justify yourself? What are you trying to do, to prove?”

Luke 10:27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

Lord, One thing I am gathering loud and clear from Your word lately is that we need to question our own motives to be sure they are pure and we need to seek You with openness and curiosity so that we can hear what You are saying to our hearts. Please help me to always approach scripture with an attitude of “What can I learn today” and not with an attitude aimed at testing You or justifying myself. Amen.

Luke 10:29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

Have a blessed day.

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The curiosity of Moses…. (devo reflection)

Exodus 4:18a Then Moses went back to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, “Let me return to my own people in Egypt to see if any of them are still alive.” …

After all the ups and downs of the last few verses, the burning bush, Moses’s hemming and hawing, God’s burning anger, I’m kind of surprised that it ends like this…. Moses just moseys on back to his father-in-law to say, casually, that he wants to leave.

Exodus 4:18b …Jethro said, “Go, and I wish you well.”

And Jethro, the father-in-law whose sheep he was tending that put him in the path of the burning bush in the first place, father of his wife, ostensibly friend of Moses….I wonder what was going through his mind? Was he angry that he was losing his sheepherder? Was he sad that his daughter and her family would be leaving? Did he have any idea that God had orchestrated the events leading up to that moment?

Exodus 4:19 Now the Lord had said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for all those who wanted to kill you are dead.” 

Lord, I try to live the philosophy that “We don’t know what we don’t know.” Thank You for reminding me that when it comes to scripture, I often take a lot for granted. Thank You for helping me to read these verses with the curiosity of Moses. Thank You for drawing me closer to You through that curiosity. Help me to always seek You through my curiosity. Amen.

Exodus 4:20 So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey and started back to Egypt. And he took the staff of God in his hand.

Have a blessed day.

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Earnestly seeking…. (devo reflection)

Exodus 4:14 Then the Lord’s anger burned against Moses and he said, “What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you, and he will be glad to see you.

I cannot read today’s verses without thinking about Exodus 32 and Aaron readily agreeing to make a golden calf for the Israelites because Moses has been on the mountain for so long and they are afraid he isn’t coming back. If Moses had just agreed to do what God was calling him to do in these verses, Aaron wouldn’t have been with him in verse 32 and the golden calf and broken commandments wouldn’t have happened.

Exodus 4:15 You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth; I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do.

Imagine my surprise when I read today’s verses and realized that it was God who suggested Aaron go with Moses to speak for him. I thought Moses suggested it. So what does that mean for Exodus 32? God knows all. It’s not like He didn’t realize what would happen. But would Moses have budged now if not for the suggestion of Aaron accompanying him?

Exodus 4:16 He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were God to him.

Lord, I love digging into Your word, seeing and pondering the mysteries. I don’t think my curiosity is for naught. Help me to look and see, to listen and hear, to understand where You need my curiosity to take me. I’m earnestly seeking You, Lord. Help me to understand. Amen.

Exodus 4:17 But take this staff in your hand so you can perform the signs with it.”

Have a blessed day.