Exodus 33:2-3 “I will send an angel before you….But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way.”
As I read Exodus 33, I am reminded of the story of the Prodigal Son. In that story, the prodigal demanded and was given the resources of his father, but he deprived himself of a relationship with his father. The older brother, angry at the celebration the for wayward son’s return, is told, “you are always with me, and everything I have is yours” (Luke 15:32).
Exodus 33:5 For the LORD had said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites, ‘You are a stiff-necked people. If I go with you even for a moment, I might destroy you….’”
Resources and relationships are both vitally important. But God is angry at the Israelites for their disobedience. For their protection, to keep Himself from destroying them in His anger, He sends an angel but does not go Himself. He gives the resources but pulls back on the relationship.
Exodus 33:11 The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder that calling You our Savior means more than Your resources at our disposal. It means we are in relationship with You. That relationship is vital to our mental, physical, and spiritual well-being. Help us to crave relationship with You. Draw us closer, Lord. Be with us always. Amen.
Exodus 33:14 The LORD replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
Have a blessed day.
‘Us’ and ‘them’…. (devo reflection)
Luke 15:7 “I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.”
I’ve mentioned before that a dear friend once said, “Any time we draw a line between ‘us’ and ‘them,’ God is always on the other side.” And the Bible very clearly states that anger in your heart is just as big a sin as murder, and yet, I still read Luke 15:7 and immediately lump myself in with the 99 righteous. Except I’m pretty sure the 99 are all angels because, bless our hearts, those of us who slog around on earth are so fallible.
Luke 15:31 “‘Son, you are always with me…and all that is mine is yours.’”
Yet I don’t see Luke 15 as condemnation. I see it as hope. God knows my heart, my struggles. He knows my weaknesses. Yet He pursues me relentlessly and rejoices when my heart centers fully on Him. His gift of grace has no strings. He only needs me to open my hands, open my heart, and receive it.
Luke 15:32 “‘But it was fitting to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for calling me to this scripture, for loving me and pursuing me, even when I fail to see my own worth in You. Thank You for rejoicing when even one rests securely in Your grace. Help us never forget how much we need You. Draw us closer. Amen.
Luke 15:10 “In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents.”
Have a blessed day.
On barriers and intimacy…. (devo reflection)
Matt 7:2 “Do not judge, lest you should be judged.”
This morning I had to get my oldest to his team bus before they left for a meet. At bedtime last night, after promising McD’s if he’d get on up and out, I realized his running shoes were in my classroom, which meant they had to be retrieved before we made it to the bus. And the drive-thru line was moving at a sloth-like pace. And the lady who ordered AFTER me in the other drive-thru lane did NOT let me into the queue first, as etiquette dictates. So when I saw her church magnet on the back of her car, I had some not-too-Christian thoughts about the state of her relationship with Jesus in light of her cutting me off in line. Jesus, Help me.
Heb 13:1 Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters.
I saw a 3D bar graph yesterday on social media: Sin as humans see it, reaching like skyscrapers into the city skyline, bigger sins being, obviously, taller, and sin as God sees it, from the top, exactly the same, all barriers to an intimate relationship to Him. This morning, as my son was disembarking, on time, to board the bus, it hit me how much of a barrier MY attitude had just been. I was stressed, worried about getting everything accomplished before time to be at the bus, and MY attitude, so far from loving and charitable, caused a huge barrier between me and my Savior. Jesus, Help me!
Heb 13:3 Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the reminder that I need to make sure MY heart, MY attitude are right, regardless of how others are acting. You want all of Your beloved children to share a close relationship with You. Help me to live and love in such a way, even in times of stress, that I don’t hinder that intimacy. Draw me closer. Amen.
Luke 6:37 …Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
Have a blessed day.
Lost and found…. (devo reflection)
Luke 15:8 “…what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light the lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it?”
This past Friday, during 4th block, I lost the key to the quiz my students were taking. I had it in my hands at the beginning of the period, and when I went to gather the completed quizzes and stick the key on top, I couldn’t find it. I retraced my steps. I looked into folders where I had placed other things. I looked on my podium and my desk to no avail. Eventually, after retracing my steps twice, I found it, without having to tear the room completely apart or make a new one. I was incredibly relieved.
Luke 15:9 “When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’”
This hunt and the relief at finding the key illustrated so clearly for me the parables in Luke 15. I was missing a test key—nothing valuable or irreplaceable, and I was still incredibly relieved and thankful when it was found. I can just imagine Jesus’s joy when one of His deeply loved children—all of whom are both priceless AND irreplaceable to Him—returns to Him. He doesn’t care one bit if that life belongs to a king or a pauper. What’s important to Him is that life is HIS beloved child, and He rejoices mightily. Thank You, Jesus.
Luke 15:10 Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for Your fierce and unending love for Your children. Thank You that You see our value and worth because we are Yours. Help us not to define our value through the eyes of this world. Help us to see each other as You see us. Help us to understand our worth in You and to come home to You if we have wandered. Draw us all closer. Amen.
Luke 15:32 “We have to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!”
Have a blessed day.
Complete faith…. (devo reflection)
James 2:17 So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.
When I was a sophomore in high school, I had a teacher who changed my life. She believed in me before I could believe in myself, and I knew from the age of 15 that I was created to be a teacher. I wanted to do for others what she did for me. And I love my job, but the re-entry from summer to a new school year keeps getting more difficult. This year I feel oppressed by a cloud of grumpiness I just can’t shake. James 2:17 really hit me this morning because, while I have complete faith God has me just where He needs me, I don’t feel that with this “cloud of grumpy,” that I am doing my part in the way that He has called me to do. Jesus, Help me!
Luke 6:38 “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
Lord, I don’t know why I’m struggling so at the beginning of this school year, but I am certain that 1. where You have me is exactly where You need me and 2. my attitude MUST change. Help me to set aside my grumpiness so that I can give these young people my best. Help me to encourage, support, and love them as they get their feet under them and move forward toward their dreams. Help me to push them outside of their comfort zones while helping them to see how much strength they have within them. Grant me Your strength and Your peace as I do Your work.
Heb 3:15 As has been said: “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts….”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the fact that You are not happy with my current attitude and neither am I. Thank You that we can change our attitudes and our perspectives, even if we can’t change our circumstances. Thank You for a job I enjoy, one that makes a difference. Thank You for Your love and support as I carry out Your will. Draw me closer. Help me shake my attitude so that I can live Your joy. Amen.
John 1:15 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
Have a blessed day.
Walking humbly with my precious Savior…. (devo reflection)
Psalm 143:10 Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. May Your gracious Spirit lead me forward on firm footing. (NLT)
I recently saw an image on social media which has had more of an impact than I imagined. It was an image of a young girl clutching a beloved stuffed animal. Jesus stood in front of her with His hand out. Behind His back was a grander version of the girl’s prized possession. There was a caption, but I don’t remember it. The gist was that Jesus wanted her to give up something she loved dearly, and in return, He had something even better for her. What sticks with me, though, are the tears in her eyes, the clear love she has for the object, and the fact the He wants her to surrender it to Him. Even seeing something bigger and better behind His back, my immediate question is still “Why? Why, Lord, would You ask this of her?” It is absolutely the wrong question. I understand that.
Psalm 143:10 You are my God. Show me what you want me to do, and let Your gentle Spirit lead me in the right path. (CEV)
Micah 6:8 reminds us that the LORD requires of us “…to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” Walking humbly with my precious Savior means putting aside my deep need to know the why behind life’s actions and saying instead, “I know You want this of me. Teach me how. Help me to make Your will for my life MY will for my life, even if it hurts, even if it means letting go of something I love deeply. I know what I gain in return, if I act according to Your will, will be far beyond what You ask me to surrender.”
Luke 22:42 “…yet not my will, but Yours be done.”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for the image that sparked this reflection, for the difficult spaces You lead us to and always lead us through. Help me to walk humbly with You, deferring to Your fierce love and deep mercy. Give me wisdom and discernment to know what You are calling me to, and grant me Your strength and Your peace as You shepherd me through. Draw me closer. Amen.
Matt 25:23 “…Well done, good and faithful servant….”
Have a blessed day.
Life is all about choices…. (devo reflection)
Luke 15:12 The younger son said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
“Life is all about choices.” I say this all the time in the classroom and believe it sincerely. And choices have consequences, which is why it is so important to choose wisely, intentionally. However, I realized yesterday that I am not owning my choices. What I mean is this—when I am faced with a difficult situation, I persist, I persevere, because I feel like there is no alternative, but there is.
Luke 15:13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.”
I could quit, give up, throw my hands up in surrender. I would never do that. It’s not who I am, it’s not what I believe, but is IS a choice, a choice that I DON’T choose. I choose strength, I choose perseverance, I choose persistence because I believe that God can use ALL things for my good and His glory. So when I choose to keep slogging, knowing that God is at work and will use this, too, I need to own that choice, I need to celebrate that choice. It is not the choice of the beaten or broken. It is the hopeful, intentional choice of a deeply loved child of God.
Luke 15:19 ‘I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’
Lord, Thank You for this day, this scripture, this reminder that life is about choices. Thank You that choices made in You are full of light and hope. Thank You that You can, will, and do use all things for our good and Your glory. Help us to make wise choices, Lord. Help us to choose love, choose strength, choose perseverance. Help us, always, to choose You and to live that choice intentionally every day. Draw us closer. Amen.
Luke 15:24 ‘For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
Have a blessed day.
Through life’s storms…. (devo reflection)
Luke 8:23 As they sailed, [Jesus] fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.
In my recliner, with my Savior and my coffee, with quiet reigning and peace in my little world, it is very easy for me to critically judge the disciples. My mental conversation with the disciples in the boat goes something like this: ”Jesus was in the boat, people. He was taking a nap. If you truly believed He was sent to save the world (and why would you be following Him otherwise?), how can you be concerned about the storm? Jesus is WITH YOU. Get a clue, disciples.”
Luke 8:24a The disciples went and woke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!”
And yet, when I am in the midst of my own storm, instead of on my safe, tranquil morning-island, with Jesus and coffee, panic is often my first response to life’s storms as well. “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” (Matt 8:26). Help me, Jesus.
Luke 8:24b He got up and rebuked the wind and raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this perspective. Thank You for being with me in the calm, quiet moments, Lord, as well as through life’s storms. Help me to be able to tap into the calm of my daily morning time with You, even when besieged by turbulent storms. Help me to cling to You, to trust You, to know that I am safely sheltered in the palm of Your hand. Always. Draw me closer. Amen.
Luke 8:25 “Where is your faith?” He asked His disciples.
Have a blessed day.
Handling the naysayers…. (devo reflection)
John 6:41 At this the Jews there began to grumble about Him because He said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.”
Jesus faced critics. He faced those who thought, derisively, “Who does He think He is?!? That’s Joseph and Mary’s Son. There’s nothing special about Him!” When I am struggling with those who are putting me down, who are questioning why I think I have a right to do something, my compassionate Savior understands because He has lived it Himself. Thank You, Jesus.
John 6:42 They said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can He say, ‘I came down from heaven‘?”
As I reread these verses this morning, I am struck by the way He handles the naysayers. I internalize everything. The doubts others express become doubts I feel I have to wade through, to justify. But not my precious Savior. He knows who He is. He knows Whose He is. His reaction is much more of a “shake the dust off your feet” (Luke 9:5) instead of a “take the doubts to heart and struggle with your identity.” Thank You, Jesus.
John 6:43 “Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for such a positive example of how to handle doubters, especially when we are engaged in Your kingdom work. There is so much that I don’t know, Lord, so much that I don’t understand, but I know that You love me fiercely. I know that You want me to show others Your love, especially those who don’t understand it, who don’t realize they can’t earn it or be worthy of it, that Your love is Your gift to Your children, freely and lavishly given. Give me strength to tell others. Draw me closer. Amen.
John 6:44 “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws them….
Have a blessed day.
Pearls of wisdom…. (devo reflection)
1 John 2:6 Whoever claims to live in Him must live as Jesus did. (NIV)
There is so much packed in this verse. The commentary* provides two pearls of wisdom I want to explore further. The first is: “To be or abide in God or in Christ implies an habitual condition….” In other words, if we are truly abiding, residing, in Christ, then it’s not just something we do when we feel like. It is a continual state, meaning that just like Jesus on the Mount of Olives, we pray, continually, “…not My will but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42). Jesus, Help me.
1 John 2:6 Whoever claims to abide in Him must walk as Jesus walked. (BSB)
The other pearl contained in the commentary* on this verse states: “Christian love teaches us to value our brother’s soul….” So, who is my brother? In Matt 12:50, Jesus says, “For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” But Jesus repeatedly goes out of His way to tell others about His Father (Remember the woman at the well? The prisoner crucified at His right hand? The soldiers, casting lots, that He prayed for at His death?) God is love. Jesus is love. They want us to value their creation, all those with life. Jesus, Help me.
1 John 2:6 If we say we are His, we must follow the example of Christ. (CEV)
Lord, Thank You for this day and for this scripture, for the reminder that abiding in You is a way of life, not a whim. Help me to keep my pride in check so that in every circumstance I can seek Your will instead of my own. Help me to look past my prejudices and to see You in all those around me. Help me to treat them with unconditional positive regard, to treat all others with the same loving care with which You have always treated me. Help me to follow Your example, to do as You have done for me. Draw me closer. Amen.
John 13:15 I have set an example so that you should do as I have done for you.
Have a blessed day.
*The commentary referred to in this reflection is from BibleHub.com for 1 John 2:6 and can be found by following this link. Scroll to the bottom and look at both the Pulpit Commentary and the Matthew Henry Commentary.