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Instructions and reminders…. (devo reflection)

1 Peter 3:3 Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes.

This chapter is one of instruction and reminders, and the information is as timely today as ever. Don’t seek validation in the eyes of the world. Our beauty, our worth, comes from our inner self, from a gentle, quiet, loving spirit, not from the world’s approval.

1 Peter 3:4 Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.

Don’t be a jerk to others. Be compassionate, humble, loving, sympathetic. Love one another. Don’t repay evil for evil or insult for insult. Be a blessing to others. Love them. Care for them.

1 Peter 3:8 Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.

Lord, The instructions and reminders of this chapter are quite sensible, but humans aren’t. Forgive us. Help us to focus our minds and hearts on You. Help us to love, support, encourage, and forgive each other, treating each other with the compassion You show us, regardless of whether they “deserve” it. Help us to love like You love. Draw us closer. Amen.

1 Peter 3:9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.

Have a blessed day.

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Spiritual sustenance…. (devo reflection)

1 Peter 2:2 Like newborn infants, long for pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation….

Infants can only handle mother’s milk for the first several months of life. Trying to give them anything more substantial would be not only futile but harmful. However, as they grow and mature, more substantial food is necessary for proper growth. Staying with mother’s milk only would eventually become harmful.

1 Peter 2:3 …if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

I think this is the idea behind scripture that describes God’s word as alive and active. Our ability to understand His words grows as we do. Our ability to see nuances in meaning grows as our life experience increases. Our need for more substantial spiritual sustenance grows with us as well.

1 Peter 2:4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious….

Lord, You are chosen and precious to me, and I know that I am chosen and precious to You. Thank You for that gift. Thank You for the ability to draw closer to You as I learn and grow, as I read and study. Thank You for Your spiritual sustenance. Amen.

1 Peter 2:5 …you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Have a blessed day.

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An inexpressible and glorious joy…. (devo reflection)

1 Peter 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead….

This is a chapter of praise and joy. We have hope through Christ, we have His great inheritance, and this hope and inheritance are ours because of His great mercy.

1 Peter 1:4-5 …and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

Our inheritance is kept safe for us  in heaven. And though we have to face trials in this life, we can rejoice because this world is not our home. Christ is our eternal inheritance.

1 Peter 1:6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.

Lord, I pray to You the words of 1 Peter 1:8…. Though I have not seen You, I see Your grace and glory in a thousand ways everyday and I love You. Though I am not in Your physical presence, I know You are with me and love me fiercely. I believe in You and am filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy. Thank You for who You are and who You are to me. Thank You for the joy that can only come from You. Amen.

1 Peter 1:8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy….

Have a blessed day.

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The power of prayer…. (devo reflection)

James 5:13 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise.

I am reminded of both Romans 12:12 (Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.) and 1 Thess 5:16-18 (16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.) when I read today’s scripture.

James 5:14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord.

Prayer is powerful. Praying for others and with others is powerful. Prayer changes things….even if your heart and your attitude are the only things that are changed. And personally, I don’t think there is one right way to pray. I think God hears and understands a heart that earnestly seeks Him.

James 5:15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.

Lord, Thank You for this reminder of the power of prayer. Thank You for listening when I pray earnestly to You, even when—especially when—my prayers are simply groans because I have no words. Thank You for the ability to praise You through prayer and for the power to pray with others in Your holy and precious name. Amen.

James 5:16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

Have a blessed day.

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Humble yourselves before the Lord…. (devo reflection)

James 4:6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”

I started these daily devo reflections as a Lenten observance many years ago as a way for me to draw near to God, sit with Him, read His word, seek His face, hear His voice. I poured myself into the reflections, being painfully honest about the messes and missteps in my life. I walked away feeling God’s hope and grace.

James 4:8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

I started sharing my reflections because I thought that if others saw that I was struggling with the same ridiculous life messes that they did, maybe they wouldn’t feel so alone. Some days I walk away from a reflection thinking, “That one was just for me” because I got so much grace from my time with Him. Sometimes I think, “Alright, Lord. This is where you brought me today. Make sure the one who needs this sees it.”

James 4:10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

Lord, Thank You for our time together each morning. Thank You for the ability to humble myself before You and for the grace and comfort You give me. Help me never to forget that any good that comes from my words is for You, in You, and because of You. The glory always goes to You, Lord. Amen.

James 4:15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”

Have a blessed day.

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Encourage…. (devo reflection)

James 3:2 We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.

Many people adopt a word to carry them through the new year. I find it an interesting practice but have never done it myself. But the word that comes to mind as I read today’s scripture is encourage.

James 3:5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.

Words are incredibly powerful. They can build people up or tear them down. Today’s scripture illustrates why it is so important to use our words to encourage each other as we do this thing called life.

James 3:9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness.

Lord, As I go through this new year, help me to use my words to praise You and to build up and encourage Your people. Life can be hard. Help me strive to use my words to bring encouragement in Your name. Amen.

James 3:10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.

Have a blessed day.

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Mercy triumphs over judgment…. (devo reflection)

James 2:1 My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism.

Again there are lots of nuggets of wisdom in this chapter, but for me, the biggie is found in verse 13, “Mercy triumphs over judgment.” Maybe it’s because I know the sting of inaccurate judgment. (Don’t we all?) Maybe it’s because people are so quick to judge and often judge incorrectly or without accurate information.

James 2:10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

I think maybe that’s why I love that old billboard I’ve talked about many times before: “Just love everyone. I’ll sort them out later. ~God” By loving without judging, I am choosing mercy over judgment. That’s what I try to do for others and what I hope is done for me.

James 2:12 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom….

Lord, We are often quick to judge and slow to act. Forgive us. Help me to choose mercy over judgment always. Help me to love Your people and shine Your light. Help me forgive myself when I fall short of that goal. Amen.

James 2:13 …because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Have a blessed day.

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Living more fully and abundantly through Christ…. (devo reflection)

James 1:2-3 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

James 1 is full of beautiful nuggets of wisdom, but verses 2-3 can be a bit hard to swallow. Count trials as joy? Rejoice in trials? No. That’s not what he’s saying. He’s saying that we can rejoice in the perseverance that we develop as a result of enduring trials.

James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

Verse 12 tells us that persevering under trails allows us to receive the crown of life from God. Developing perseverance through enduring trials allows us to live more fully, more abundantly in Christ.

James 1:12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

Lord, I don’t like trials. They are awkward and uncomfortable and painful. But I love You. I trust You. I want to live more fully and abundantly through You. Help me, Lord. Amen.

James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

Have a blessed day.

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God’s got us…. (devo reflection)

Hebrews 13:5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

Embarrassingly, the full impact of Heb 13:5 only hit me a few years ago. When I read it, I often segment it, taking it in sections, which is still powerful but definitely lacks the impact of the full verse.

Hebrews 13:5a Keep your lives free from the love of money….

We are cautioned, reminded, to keep our lives free from the love of money and to be content with what we have—definitely a tall order in our retail-heavy society. But it’s the WHY that’s crucial. We are to do these things—not be caught up in money, be content with what we have—BECAUSE God promises never to leave us nor forsake us. We can be content, we should be content, because God’s got us. Always.

Hebrews 13:5b …be content with what you have….

Lord, Thank You for the caution and reminder in verse 5. Thank You for never leaving us nor forsaking us, no matter what. Help us to fully believe and live that promise. Amen.

Hebrews 13:5c …because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

Have a blessed day.

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Finishing strong…. (devo reflection)

Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles….

When I read Hebrews 12, I always think of the Flying Pirate Half Marathon at Nags Head. I ran that one year, and my entire family came down to cheer me on. They made signs, popped up at many points throughout the race to cheer, and even brought my mom to the finish line so she could see me cross. It was THE best race ever.

Hebrews 12:1b-2a …And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith….

But what made it such an amazing race was the people, my people, who encouraged me continually. It was the love they showed to put everything on hold for the weekend so that they could be there for me. Their presence, their love, their encouragement gave me strength to persevere when I was flagging. I was able to finish the race strong because of their love and support.

Hebrews 12:2b …For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Lord, Thank You for the amazing family You have blessed me with. Thank You for the example of how important love, support, and encouragement are in the race of life. Help me to encourage others in the way my family encourages me. Amen.

Hebrews 12:3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Have a blessed day.