Devotionals

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” – Revelations 3:20

The church I attended as a child had a large stained glass window depicting a young, bearded Jesus in a long red robe knocking at a thick wooden door without a doorknob or latch on the outside. His head was slightly turned so that he appeared to be listening for footsteps and the click of a latch turning. Jesus, our teacher, told us, he cannot open the door; the door can only be opened from the inside.

Describing GOD

His path is vast, His actions direct.
There is no middle ground, no grey area,
Yet there is forgiveness and compassion.
There is purpose, there is hope.
There is power, there is mercy.

There is LIFE.

Scripture: Matthew 18:1-14
“So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.”–RSV

How often have you found yourself in a conversation with someone who believes, with great conviction, that God has chosen some to be saved and others to be lost?

⁸ Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done.
⁹ Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.
¹⁰ Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.
– Chronicles 16:8-10 (NIV)

Do you know what a “flash mob” is? It is a pre-rehearsed and pre-set plan for a group of people to sing and/or dance in a public arena. It is done in a way that makes the act seem spontaneous.

“I always thank God for you.” – 1 Corinthians 1:4

Thanksgiving is the usual theme for November, but gratitude is appropriate for any season. Today, I’m thankful for a group of women who were precursors to the United Methodist Women – the foreign Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church. As the society discussed missionary plans for Japan and China, an elderly woman told them to not overlook the little kingdom nestled between the two Asian giants on the Korean peninsula. Three years later, a missionary by the name of Mary Scranton opened the doors of Korea’s first school for women in
a house located in Seoul.

“And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?” – Matthew 6:27

When I was in high school, our choir sang the musical “Celebrate Life” by Buryl Red. The song that affected me most was the one Mary sang after Jesus was crucified. She sang “He died alone, forsaken. Let him rest, let him rest for a while.” She pleads with the guards to “Carry Him gently.” Now that I am a mother, I can’t imagine the pain Mary experienced, knowing that her son was destined for greatness, but also for great tragedy. How could she handle it?

Beautiful Feet

Scripture: Romans 10: 9-13

Romans 10:15 reads, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.” I want beautiful feet, but in the past, I have struggled to share the good news of Jesus with others. Growing up, I kept my religion private. Sure I went to Sunday school and church camp and engaged in conversations about faith there, but that’s pretty much where it ended.

I didn’t feel comfortable talking about it with my friends and neighbors, let alone a stranger.

A Call to Sacrifice

Scripture: Mark 8:27-34
“If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and takeup their cross...”

During Lent we are asked to examine our life to see if it is in harmony with the way that Jesus called us to live. When we study the life of Jesus we discover that he lived a life of sacrifice and called his disciples to do the same. He sacrificed his life not to appease an angry and wrathful God but because he knew that only by sacrifice can the world be changed and redeemed.

“Before a word is on my tongue, You, Lord, know it completely.” – Psalm 139

How do we know we are doing the right thing? This is one of the perennial questions that we recently discussed in a class led by Pastor Jim. In our lives, we are continually faced with choices that affect those around us, sometimes giving even the most practical decisions an ethical dimension.

Do Not Be Afraid

“Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will... give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.” – Luke 1:30-31

As the sun came up one brisk Tuesday morning, I thought to myself, “I wonder what Abby’s favorite passage in the Bible is.” Every Tuesday and Thursday I go to Elim Christian School, a school for children with special needs, and tutor two students for 15 minutes. Abby is one of my tutees at Elim. As we were talking about what her favorite passage is from the Bible she said, “The three Wisemen.” I asked her why she likes this passage and she said very eloquently, “With God we are not to be afraid. Just like Mary and the three wise men were not afraid.”

Learning to Age Gracefully

“Just as water mirrors your face, So your face mirrors your heart.” – Proverbs 27:19

“An old lady owes it to the world to look the very best she can.” I found this note in my 96-year old Grandmother’s handwriting. It was taped inside of her desk, which I had inherited. Anyone who met my Grandmother knew that she tried to live this belief every day of her life. She took great care about her daily appearance.

When I was younger, I thought my Grandmother’s note meant that you had to always dress properly and look good on the outside. Now that I am growing older, I believe that it has more to do with the wisdom of Proverbs. What we reflect from what is in our hearts is truly visible to others.

From Suffering to Hope

Scripture: Romans 5:1-11
“... And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” – Romans 5:2-4 (NIV)

For many years, I have suffered from chronic health issues, increasing both in quantity and severity. So far, they do not threaten the length of my life but rather, the quality of it. Struggling to get through each day with symptoms such as widespread pain and unpredictable neurological impairment makes me vulnerable to self-pity and hopelessness. This scripture passage, written by the Apostle Paul to the Romans, helps me focus on a positive aspect of suffering: it leads to some virtuous qualities and eventually creates hope.