Today’s reading is the 91st Psalm:
You who live in the shelter of the Most High,
who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,
will say to the Lord, "My refuge and my fortress;
my God, in whom I trust."
For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
and from the deadly pestilence;
he will cover you with his pinions,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
You will not fear the terror of the night,
or the arrow that flies by day,
or the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
or the destruction that wastes at noonday.
A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
You will only look with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.
Because you have made the Lord your refuge,
the Most High your dwelling place,
no evil shall befall you,
no scourge come near your tent.
For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways.
On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.
You will tread on the lion and the adder,
the young lion and the serpent you will trample under foot.
Those who love me, I will deliver;
I will protect those who know my name.
When they call to me, I will answer them;
I will be with them in trouble,
I will rescue them and honor them.
With long life I will satisfy them,
and show them my salvation.
NRSV
Grace and peace,
Ron
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Friday, January 23, 2009
Perfect peace ...
Jason directs our thoughts today:
You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord is the Rock eternal.
Isaiah 26:3-4
Be still and know that I am God,
Be still and know that I am God,
Be still and know that I am God.
Do this! Do that! Be over here at this time, wearing this, juggling that, while you are whistling this tune and standing on your head! The demands of life can be so overwhelming sometimes. They aren’t always this crazy. I do not believe we have to let it get to that point. We have great intentions of doing our best and then one thing is added to our pile and one more and then something bad happens that adds to our time and so on an so on. I know you feel it. I know you are feeling it right now.
Do you feel this way? I am going to write this quote down from Max Lucado and leave you for the day to dwell on this thought.
“Who is the active one? Who is in charge? The shepherd. The shepherd selects the trail and prepares the pasture. The sheep’s job—our job—is to watch the shepherd. With our eyes on our Shepherd, we’ll be able to get some sleep. ‘You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You!’”
Find you a quiet place and just keep singing this song over and over to yourself and allow His peace to settle on your heart!
Be STILL and know that I am God,
Be STILL and know that I am God,
Be STILL and know that I am God.
Blessings for Peace!
Jason
You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord is the Rock eternal.
Isaiah 26:3-4
Be still and know that I am God,
Be still and know that I am God,
Be still and know that I am God.
Do this! Do that! Be over here at this time, wearing this, juggling that, while you are whistling this tune and standing on your head! The demands of life can be so overwhelming sometimes. They aren’t always this crazy. I do not believe we have to let it get to that point. We have great intentions of doing our best and then one thing is added to our pile and one more and then something bad happens that adds to our time and so on an so on. I know you feel it. I know you are feeling it right now.
Do you feel this way? I am going to write this quote down from Max Lucado and leave you for the day to dwell on this thought.
“Who is the active one? Who is in charge? The shepherd. The shepherd selects the trail and prepares the pasture. The sheep’s job—our job—is to watch the shepherd. With our eyes on our Shepherd, we’ll be able to get some sleep. ‘You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You!’”
Find you a quiet place and just keep singing this song over and over to yourself and allow His peace to settle on your heart!
Be STILL and know that I am God,
Be STILL and know that I am God,
Be STILL and know that I am God.
Blessings for Peace!
Jason
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Daddy, where are you?
Today’s devotional from Jason:
“Daddy, where are you? Daddy, where are you?”
I sat and listened to my youngest son shout this all over our house. He had wanted to play a game of hide and seek. I had told him that we couldn’t play for long because everybody was so busy at that moment doing chores and getting ready for church.
“Daddy, where are you?”
I heard him shouting from our den and he kept getting closer. I heard a yell coming from down the hall so I left my hiding place to go and check out what chaos was occurring this time. As I dealt with the problem, I heard, “Daddy, where are you?” I then went into the kitchen to help with clean up after dinner, and had forgotten all about our game of hide and seek.
About 5 minutes later I hear my son’s little yell coming out of the dining room. He was about to start crying and he just yelled, “Daddy, where are you?”
With all the busyness of evening, I had forgotten to keep playing with my son. He never stopped looking for me. His heart was set on finding his daddy. When I saw him coming into the kitchen I ran and picked him up and cheered him on for finding me, but in my heart I felt horrible for letting my “busy” life at the time keep me from finishing our game. I know that life happens and we have to deal with those little bumps in the road, but I will never forget the fact that my son never gave up looking for me and was determined to seek me out with all of his heart.
Jeremiah 29:11-14
For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you," says the LORD. "I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land."
Unlike myself, God does not forget that we are looking for him. He is always watching with plans in hand. He has a great plan for our lives, but we have to seek him. We have to seek him with all of our hearts and not give up. The Bible tells us that if we seek him, we will find him, so I have no doubt that it is not hard to find our heavenly Father. He is listening and waiting for us to yell out or whisper, “Daddy, where are you!” Are you seeking?
Blessings,
Jason
“Daddy, where are you? Daddy, where are you?”
I sat and listened to my youngest son shout this all over our house. He had wanted to play a game of hide and seek. I had told him that we couldn’t play for long because everybody was so busy at that moment doing chores and getting ready for church.
“Daddy, where are you?”
I heard him shouting from our den and he kept getting closer. I heard a yell coming from down the hall so I left my hiding place to go and check out what chaos was occurring this time. As I dealt with the problem, I heard, “Daddy, where are you?” I then went into the kitchen to help with clean up after dinner, and had forgotten all about our game of hide and seek.
About 5 minutes later I hear my son’s little yell coming out of the dining room. He was about to start crying and he just yelled, “Daddy, where are you?”
With all the busyness of evening, I had forgotten to keep playing with my son. He never stopped looking for me. His heart was set on finding his daddy. When I saw him coming into the kitchen I ran and picked him up and cheered him on for finding me, but in my heart I felt horrible for letting my “busy” life at the time keep me from finishing our game. I know that life happens and we have to deal with those little bumps in the road, but I will never forget the fact that my son never gave up looking for me and was determined to seek me out with all of his heart.
Jeremiah 29:11-14
For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you," says the LORD. "I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land."
Unlike myself, God does not forget that we are looking for him. He is always watching with plans in hand. He has a great plan for our lives, but we have to seek him. We have to seek him with all of our hearts and not give up. The Bible tells us that if we seek him, we will find him, so I have no doubt that it is not hard to find our heavenly Father. He is listening and waiting for us to yell out or whisper, “Daddy, where are you!” Are you seeking?
Blessings,
Jason
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Time in the pig pen ...
Today’s devotional comes from Jason's pen:
“Why do I need to spend so much time with my pig?”
“You want to walk your pig don’t you? You want to do well in competition don’t you? The better your relationship with your pig, the better you are going to do.”
Very frustrated and very impatient, he walked into his pig pen. I sat there and watched him pet his pig, hug his pig, and even ride his pig. He kept watching me to see if I saw what he was doing and ever so slowly a smile crept onto his face. He cleaned up his pen, and the pig kept messing it up immediately after he cleaned it. After he cleaned up his pen and played a little while longer he came back to the truck and got in.
“How did it go?” I asked.
“It was okay, I guess.”
We sat there and talked about spending time with the pig, and talked about how much easier walking the pig and guiding the pig will be once that relationship is even stronger.
This reminded me of God’s love. We talked about loving the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind and strength yesterday. I wanted to mention a little more about his love today. We are like the pig. Yes, I am comparing us to pigs. We live in this world and every day we become dirtier and dirtier. We wallow and make a mess of our lives. We mess up things so easily because we want things our way. The pigs make such messes of their pens. You can fill up their food and water and they dump it within minutes. Isn’t that how we are sometimes? Unlike the boy mentioned earlier though, God wants to spend so much time with us. He wants all of us, all the time, not just what we supposedly give him on Sundays. Maybe if we allowed ourselves to spend more time with him, our lives wouldn’t be more like the pig pens.
There was a man in the Bible who was known as a sinner because of his occupation. The story goes like this:
“After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. ‘Follow me,’ Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed him. Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, ‘Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?’ Jesus answered them, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.’” Luke 5:27-32
Levi was a pig. He lived in sin. He would take more money than he was supposed to and like other tax collectors was very hated by the community. Jesus went and spent time with him. Jesus continued to spend time with Levi and the other disciples. The more time they spent together, the closer they became. The more the disciples learned, the easier it became for them to live changed lives and to share that life with those around them. They used to be pigs, living like the world, living in the world. Levi never would have become the man he was, had he not spent time with the Savior. He would have died a tax collector, a thief, and a hated man. He would have died, nothing but a pig. He learned how to walk, by walking with the Savior.
Blessings,
Jason
“Why do I need to spend so much time with my pig?”
“You want to walk your pig don’t you? You want to do well in competition don’t you? The better your relationship with your pig, the better you are going to do.”
Very frustrated and very impatient, he walked into his pig pen. I sat there and watched him pet his pig, hug his pig, and even ride his pig. He kept watching me to see if I saw what he was doing and ever so slowly a smile crept onto his face. He cleaned up his pen, and the pig kept messing it up immediately after he cleaned it. After he cleaned up his pen and played a little while longer he came back to the truck and got in.
“How did it go?” I asked.
“It was okay, I guess.”
We sat there and talked about spending time with the pig, and talked about how much easier walking the pig and guiding the pig will be once that relationship is even stronger.
This reminded me of God’s love. We talked about loving the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind and strength yesterday. I wanted to mention a little more about his love today. We are like the pig. Yes, I am comparing us to pigs. We live in this world and every day we become dirtier and dirtier. We wallow and make a mess of our lives. We mess up things so easily because we want things our way. The pigs make such messes of their pens. You can fill up their food and water and they dump it within minutes. Isn’t that how we are sometimes? Unlike the boy mentioned earlier though, God wants to spend so much time with us. He wants all of us, all the time, not just what we supposedly give him on Sundays. Maybe if we allowed ourselves to spend more time with him, our lives wouldn’t be more like the pig pens.
There was a man in the Bible who was known as a sinner because of his occupation. The story goes like this:
“After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. ‘Follow me,’ Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed him. Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, ‘Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?’ Jesus answered them, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.’” Luke 5:27-32
Levi was a pig. He lived in sin. He would take more money than he was supposed to and like other tax collectors was very hated by the community. Jesus went and spent time with him. Jesus continued to spend time with Levi and the other disciples. The more time they spent together, the closer they became. The more the disciples learned, the easier it became for them to live changed lives and to share that life with those around them. They used to be pigs, living like the world, living in the world. Levi never would have become the man he was, had he not spent time with the Savior. He would have died a tax collector, a thief, and a hated man. He would have died, nothing but a pig. He learned how to walk, by walking with the Savior.
Blessings,
Jason
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
His love is constant ...
Jason Roark brings today’s devotional:
Deuteronomy 6:5 says: “Love the Lord your God, with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”
I spent this last weekend at Winterfest in Arlington, TX. This was an amazing youth rally where thousands of young people and chaperons came together. For myself, the purpose was plain and simple. I wanted my fire relit, reignited, and my soul refreshed and reformed. So often we as Christians wait for something, or even someone to come along and bring that refreshing spirit back into our lives, but I was reminded of one thing at Winterfest. That one thing is that it all starts with loving God. That was part of the theme this year. "Love God, Love Others!"
We throw the word love around at everything. For example: I just love brownies, I love that car, I love video games, I love … You fill in the blanks. We all say it and use it for everything. Probably the use that comes the closest to being how God longs to be loved is how we love our loved ones. The love that God is longing for is physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. It is every ounce of our being. It is waking up in the morning and thinking of nothing else but that love. It is going to bed at night and being so thankful for that love and the forgiveness. It is like breathing the air around us. You need it and the more you get the more you need. It is a yearning. I think that I understand better and better as I grow older and my children get bigger. At the youth rally, I saw husbands with their wives and longed for my own wife. I saw a woman holding her little girl after she fell down, and I longed for my daughter. I saw little boys holding their daddy’s hands and sitting on daddy’s shoulders as they worshipped and felt like I was not a whole man. I yearned for my family. I believe that is how God feels for us every second of every day. He yearns for the day we will all be together forever. He yearns for us to turn to him finally and ask for forgiveness and for us to leave our lives in his hands.
We tend to forget that love because we have allowed ourselves to become too busy and sidetracked with life and work and “fun.” This is just the beginning of my thoughts on this matter, but if we are wanting that revival to our spirit and that new start, it has to begin with how we love our creator. What are you yearning for? What are you longing for? What are you hungering for? Have you been loving God, like you love your favorite sports team, or your favorite food? Does your love for him involve your whole being or just what is convenient for you at that moment? A lot of questions to ask yourself, but if you are wanting to start over and truly love God, start by taking a look at where your energy is going. Take a look at where your time is spent. Take a look at where your thoughts go. His love is constant and never ending. Take some time today to think about what you have been giving God lately. Listen for that yearning. Answer the call of that love and run to the Father, just like a daughter runs to her daddy after he’s been gone on a long trip. Love the Lord your God!
Blessings,
Jason
Deuteronomy 6:5 says: “Love the Lord your God, with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”
I spent this last weekend at Winterfest in Arlington, TX. This was an amazing youth rally where thousands of young people and chaperons came together. For myself, the purpose was plain and simple. I wanted my fire relit, reignited, and my soul refreshed and reformed. So often we as Christians wait for something, or even someone to come along and bring that refreshing spirit back into our lives, but I was reminded of one thing at Winterfest. That one thing is that it all starts with loving God. That was part of the theme this year. "Love God, Love Others!"
We throw the word love around at everything. For example: I just love brownies, I love that car, I love video games, I love … You fill in the blanks. We all say it and use it for everything. Probably the use that comes the closest to being how God longs to be loved is how we love our loved ones. The love that God is longing for is physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. It is every ounce of our being. It is waking up in the morning and thinking of nothing else but that love. It is going to bed at night and being so thankful for that love and the forgiveness. It is like breathing the air around us. You need it and the more you get the more you need. It is a yearning. I think that I understand better and better as I grow older and my children get bigger. At the youth rally, I saw husbands with their wives and longed for my own wife. I saw a woman holding her little girl after she fell down, and I longed for my daughter. I saw little boys holding their daddy’s hands and sitting on daddy’s shoulders as they worshipped and felt like I was not a whole man. I yearned for my family. I believe that is how God feels for us every second of every day. He yearns for the day we will all be together forever. He yearns for us to turn to him finally and ask for forgiveness and for us to leave our lives in his hands.
We tend to forget that love because we have allowed ourselves to become too busy and sidetracked with life and work and “fun.” This is just the beginning of my thoughts on this matter, but if we are wanting that revival to our spirit and that new start, it has to begin with how we love our creator. What are you yearning for? What are you longing for? What are you hungering for? Have you been loving God, like you love your favorite sports team, or your favorite food? Does your love for him involve your whole being or just what is convenient for you at that moment? A lot of questions to ask yourself, but if you are wanting to start over and truly love God, start by taking a look at where your energy is going. Take a look at where your time is spent. Take a look at where your thoughts go. His love is constant and never ending. Take some time today to think about what you have been giving God lately. Listen for that yearning. Answer the call of that love and run to the Father, just like a daughter runs to her daddy after he’s been gone on a long trip. Love the Lord your God!
Blessings,
Jason
Monday, January 19, 2009
Motivation by acceptance ...
For today’s thoughts, let me quote a section from a book by Brian McLaren. He is talking about the open nature of Christian community:
[ Sometimes belonging must precede believing. In other words, unless we let not-yet-Christians enter and participate in the Christian community, many of them won’t become Christians. Perhaps this is so obvious that you wonder how anyone could doubt it. But sadly, that understanding is still pretty rare. If you wonder why, I have to point you back to history. Many of our [churches have learned to practice] … what I call “motivation by exclusion.” Motivation by exclusion says something like this: We’re on the inside, but you’re on the outside. We’re right, and you’re wrong. If you want to come inside, then you need to be right. So, just believe right, think right, speak right, and act right, and we’ll let you in.
… We need to move beyond motivation by exclusion. Our motivation by acceptance will say something like this: We are a community bound together and energized by faith, love, and commitment to Jesus Christ. Even though you don’t yet share that faith, love, and commitment, you are most welcome to be with us, to belong here, to experience what we’re about. Then, of you are attracted and persuaded by what you see, you’ll want to set down roots here long-term. And even if you don’t, you’ll always be a friend.
This approach is more in sync with Jesus’ own example. He was criticized for being a “friend of sinners” – in other words, he welcomed and accepted people who did not yet “believe right think right, speak right, and act right.” But he knew something we need to know: If people can belong long enough to observe how God is alive among us, if people can belong long enough to see authentic love among us, if they can belong long enough to see whatever good exists in our lives as individual and as a community, they can come to believe. ]*
In order to attract and persuade outsiders, our churches need to draw others into belonging. For our little community, compassion and care are persuasive for the children in our care. Grace and generosity are the languages we must speak. Of course, not all of the blessings of community are possible until one chooses to completely accept the community and join it. Still, the love and inclusivity of the community must be felt by outsiders before any would wish to join. Some fear that this requires us to ignore our own standards, but this is not so. Instead, we have the opportunity to demonstrate what we really value – love and respect, and transparency, for example. When they understand what these values look like in the lives of real people, then they may choose the behaviors and virtues that these values produce. Eventually, they may choose to become, and completely so, a member of the community. Then, as our peers, such virtues and behaviors are appropriate expectations.
We are a part of the most loving and open community of God’s people I have ever known. May God help us to keep it so.
Show grace, be peace,
Ron
*Brian McLaren, More Ready Than You Realize, 89-90.
[ Sometimes belonging must precede believing. In other words, unless we let not-yet-Christians enter and participate in the Christian community, many of them won’t become Christians. Perhaps this is so obvious that you wonder how anyone could doubt it. But sadly, that understanding is still pretty rare. If you wonder why, I have to point you back to history. Many of our [churches have learned to practice] … what I call “motivation by exclusion.” Motivation by exclusion says something like this: We’re on the inside, but you’re on the outside. We’re right, and you’re wrong. If you want to come inside, then you need to be right. So, just believe right, think right, speak right, and act right, and we’ll let you in.
… We need to move beyond motivation by exclusion. Our motivation by acceptance will say something like this: We are a community bound together and energized by faith, love, and commitment to Jesus Christ. Even though you don’t yet share that faith, love, and commitment, you are most welcome to be with us, to belong here, to experience what we’re about. Then, of you are attracted and persuaded by what you see, you’ll want to set down roots here long-term. And even if you don’t, you’ll always be a friend.
This approach is more in sync with Jesus’ own example. He was criticized for being a “friend of sinners” – in other words, he welcomed and accepted people who did not yet “believe right think right, speak right, and act right.” But he knew something we need to know: If people can belong long enough to observe how God is alive among us, if people can belong long enough to see authentic love among us, if they can belong long enough to see whatever good exists in our lives as individual and as a community, they can come to believe. ]*
In order to attract and persuade outsiders, our churches need to draw others into belonging. For our little community, compassion and care are persuasive for the children in our care. Grace and generosity are the languages we must speak. Of course, not all of the blessings of community are possible until one chooses to completely accept the community and join it. Still, the love and inclusivity of the community must be felt by outsiders before any would wish to join. Some fear that this requires us to ignore our own standards, but this is not so. Instead, we have the opportunity to demonstrate what we really value – love and respect, and transparency, for example. When they understand what these values look like in the lives of real people, then they may choose the behaviors and virtues that these values produce. Eventually, they may choose to become, and completely so, a member of the community. Then, as our peers, such virtues and behaviors are appropriate expectations.
We are a part of the most loving and open community of God’s people I have ever known. May God help us to keep it so.
Show grace, be peace,
Ron
*Brian McLaren, More Ready Than You Realize, 89-90.
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