Posts Tagged ‘Devotions’
[27APRIL2012] Eastertide Devotional Series
April 27, 2012 | 
Author [27APRIL2012] Eastertide Devotional Series
I will be posting this devotional series as part of my Eastertide reflections for the next three weeks (see this link for other installments in the series). Each week of this devotional series focuses on a specific theme (week one: brokenness, week two: repentance, and week three: renewal). I hope you’ll enjoy the series and I invite you to comment here on the blog or email me direct; I would love to hear your thoughts.
Renewal: Week 3 | Day 6
Scripture Reading: John 10:22-30; 14:15-31
“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me… If you love me, obey my commandments. Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me.”
The past few weeks have taken us on a journey leading up to this place of spiritual renewal. We have realized that recognizing our brokenness and responding with repentance (turning back to God) are prerequisites to beginning the path of renewal, but there is more… As we have explored the dynamic of renewal this week, we are learning that it requires certain commitments from us. We learned on Monday that renewal requires humility and contrition; coming before God and asking Him to renew and restore us. Tuesday we acknowledged that renewal and restoration are a partnership with God and that we have a share in the responsibility of our spiritual renewing. Wednesday taught us that successful renewal is best found through deliberate and intentional planning: assessing our need, formulating a plan, enlisting the help of others and putting the plan into action. We learned Thursday, that being wholehearted in our efforts of turning back to God is necessary for our successful renewal. Without our wholehearted involvement, it is likely there will be no partnership with God and spiritual renewal does not happen when we are doing it alone.
The next step in our process of renewal and restoration is hearing the Voice of God and our active obedience to His Voice. Jesus said; “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” This short, but very deep, statement can be summed up as follows: Hear, Listen, Obey. If we have any expectations for hearing God’s Voice, it will always require obedience. Without obedience to God’s instruction, our ability to hear His Voice degrades. Without His Voice, there is no instruction and direction from Him. Without God’s instruction and direction, we lead ourselves blindly and return to our own way… spiritual renewal and restoration fails, as do we. “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me… If you love me, obey my commandments. Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me.”
I confess that my obedience to God’s Voice, following Jesus, has not always been easy. I have often had to make difficult choices, putting aside my personal desires and sacrificing many things along the way (friendships, career, financial decisions, my pride, and these are just a few). The upside of these sacrifices for obedience has been my renewed ability to hear and respond obediently to His Voice!
Have you struggled with being obedient to God’s commands and direction in your life? What has been the source of your struggle? How well do your hear God’s Voice? How closely do you “follow” Jesus?
Our Prayer: Lord Jesus, I admit that I do not always listen to your voice. Sometime I feel that following you is negotiable and discretionary…that I can jump on and off the path without repercussion. I tell myself this, but I know in my deepest heart that it is not true and every time I “jump off the path” or fail to obey you, I weaken our relationship. Lord, I want to confess again, that I am weak, but I know that you are strong, so I ask you to be strong in me. Help me to hear you clearly and by your Holy Spirit, help me to obey you and show you how much I love you by following you. May my life be all for your glory and your honor. Amen.
[26APRIL2012] Eastertide Devotional Series
[26APRIL2012] Eastertide Devotional Series
I will be posting this devotional series as part of my Eastertide reflections for the next three weeks (see this link for other installments in the series). Each week of this devotional series focuses on a specific theme (week one: brokenness, week two: repentance, and week three: renewal). I hope you’ll enjoy the series and I invite you to comment here on the blog or email me direct; I would love to hear your thoughts.
Renewal: Week 3 | Day 5
Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 29:10-14; Luke 8:9-18
“If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “I will end your captivity…”
I’ve known about Jesus all my life, at least for as long as I can remember. My religious life and my ability to “walk with Jesus” for much of the first thirty-seven years of that time (I am now forty-eight) was start and stop, filled with highs and lows, and more often than not—filled with deception, incongruity, and frustration. And then, all that changed; instead of knowing about Jesus, I actually got to know him.
There is something about the dynamic with which God desires his people to relate with him. Early in the unfolding revelation of the God and man relationship, one of the most important instructions is received with the following words; “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength” (Deut. 6:5). Our falling short of this mandate has proved to be the weak link in our ability to walk in fullness of experiencing and reflecting God’s kingdom on earth. I know it was the reason for my thirty-seven years of weak representation of Christian living. What changed for me was the sum of what many of these collective devotional writings of the past couple weeks represent—total devotion and desire to seek God wholeheartedly with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. I don’t profess to have the Christian walk mastered, not by a long shot, but mastering the Christian walk is not the command…seeking God and loving God wholeheartedly, whole-mindedly, whole-strengthedly, and whole-souled is. True spiritual renewal requires wholehearted participation, surrender and obedience.
Jesus speaks some very challenging and difficult words to his disciples when they ask him about why he speaks in parables. In Luke’s Gospel account, Jesus tells the Parable of the Sower. After sharing the Parable, Jesus tells them the following:
His disciples asked him what this parable meant, he said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’” (Luke 8:9-10 – compare Matthew 13:13-15)
Jesus actually says he uses parables so that those who aren’t really searching won’t find him. He makes it more clear following his explanation of the parable when he very specifically warns his disciples; “So pay attention to how you hear. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what they think they understand will be taken away from them” (Luke 8:18). Making our search for God and relationship with God a part-time affair or compartmentalized hobby is simply unacceptable to God. He tells us his very Name is Jealous (Exodus 34:14). Halfhearted searching for God usually results in a god of our own making; however, seeking wholeheartedly will be met with fulfillment of God’s promise to find him and finding the one True God makes all the difference in the world in the life of a Christian…I know it has for me.
Our Prayer: O Gracious and Mighty God, help us to desire you more than anything else. We are so easily distracted, but you call us to seek you and love you wholeheartedly. You tell us this is the only acceptable way to find you and love you. Our spirit wants you, but our flesh is often weak, so we pray for strength to follow our spirit as we strive to crucify our flesh daily in our effort to seek and follow you.
Posted in A Deeper Walk, Bible Speak, Eastertide, Gospel of Luke, Liturgical Year, Meditations, Old Testament, Shaping Me, Spiritual Formation, The Liturgical Year | 
Tags: Devotions, Discipleship, Eastertide, Gospel of Luke, Jeremiah, Old Testament, Spiritual Formation, The Liturgical Year | 
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[25APRIL2012] Eastertide Devotional Series
[25APRIL2012] Eastertide Devotional Series
I will be posting this devotional series as part of my Eastertide reflections for the next three weeks (see this link for other installments in the series). Each week of this devotional series focuses on a specific theme (week one: brokenness, week two: repentance, and week three: renewal). I hope you’ll enjoy the series and I invite you to comment here on the blog or email me direct; I would love to hear your thoughts.
Renewal: Week 3 | Day 4
Scripture Reading: Nehemiah 2:11-18 (see also—Neh. 3-6)
The Book of Nehemiah is a great representation of spiritual renewal. The people of God, the nation of Judah, lay in ruins. This once great nation had lost its identity and was full of shame, embarrassment, guilt, and was without hope. They had realized the repercussions of their sin through the words of the prophets, the sacking of their land, and the exile of their people, but Nehemiah had hope. Nehemiah prayed. Nehemiah examined the situation. Nehemiah made a plan. Nehemiah put his plan into action. Nehemiah did not allow challenges to thwart his plan. Nehemiah, with the aid of God Almighty, saw his plan to completion.
A few of the most important things for us to recognize from these past few days of reading and prayer is that spiritual renewal does not happen in a void or on its own. True spiritual renewal begins with obedient surrender to God the Holy Spirit and depends on His guidance. Spiritual renewal also requires active participation with you taking responsibility for your spiritual growth and well-being; it is intentional, and it is contingent on deliberate planning. Spiritual renewal is also best done in community.
Nehemiah can be a great inspiration and model for our own spiritual renewal. As we read and learned in yesterday’s devotional reading, God has given us everything we need to live a godly life. There is also the expectation that we share in the partnership and responsibility to keep the divine nature inside us burning brightly—fanning our own flames. As we bear these thoughts in mind, we take a prayerful and honest examination of our hearts, attitudes, and habits listening closely to the Spirit of God who provides us with direction for our next steps… our plan. If this is something you are uncomfortable doing on your own, perhaps contacting a trusted Christian friend and asking help might be the “first” next step for you. The most important part of your “next step” is taking one.
Nehemiah rebuilt the wall around Jerusalem in 52-days by hearing from God, assessing the needs, implementing a plan, and enlisting the support of his community. What might you be able to do in the same time using the same model?
Examine your spiritual life and disciplines that support it. Are you operating a plan for your spiritual development at this moment? Are you satisfied with where you are in your current relationship with Jesus? Do you sense there are changes that need implemented in your current plan? Is there margin in your life to add structure and spiritual discipline to it? Will you need to stop or remove certain hobbies or activities in order to begin new ones that might be necessary for spiritual renewal?
Our Prayer: O Gracious Lord, thank you for your gift of guidance. Thank you for providing me with a plan to set me on the path of spiritual renewal. I confess that I need more of you in my life. I desire to grow fully mature and lacking nothing that you desire for me. I pray, O Lord, that you would help me to hear your voice and surrender myself in complete obedience to your direction. I ask also that you would put the right people in my path who might inspire and help me as I put my plan for renewal in action. Amen.
[24APRIL2012] Eastertide Devotional Series
[24APRIL2012] Eastertide Devotional Series
I will be posting this devotional series as part of my Eastertide reflections for the next three weeks (see this link for other installments in the series). Each week of this devotional series focuses on a specific theme (week one: brokenness, week two: repentance, and week three: renewal). I hope you’ll enjoy the series and I invite you to comment here on the blog or email me direct; I would love to hear your thoughts.
Renewal: Week 3 | Day 3
Scripture Reading: 2 Timothy 1:5-14: 2 Peter 1:3-11
“I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline… Through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us, carefully guard the precious truth that has been entrusted to you.”
One of the things I have found as I’ve looked backward over the history of my own life are times and places where I’ve wanted to abdicate my own responsibility for past and/or future actions. Even in the present season of my life, there are times when I am reluctant to want to make choices. Choosing or deciding will often mean I need to move or do something and I might not be ready to do that… or at the very least, I might think I am not ready to move.
As Paul writes to Timothy, one of the steps in the process of renewal is taking personal responsibility. He exhorts Timothy to “fan into flames the spiritual gift…” Yes, he tells Timothy to do this. He reminds him also that it was God who has already given Timothy the spiritual gift and he goes on to add that the spiritual gift comes with power, love, and self discipline… “self-discipline.”
There are times when I don’t like assuming the responsibility of self-discipline either. I don’t like the idea of being accountable for myself. I find it easier to pray to God with words like; “God, make me do this or make me do that.” In my subconscious mind I think this would be easier for me and then if I fail, I’m not to blame, but then, I also resent being forced to do things too… even if they are good for me. I think the truth lies in the reality that I’m fearful of the commitment that it might take or scared that I might not have the fortitude to succeed in the life of faith, because overall it isn’t the easy path; it is a narrow path that Jesus has said that few find and sometimes I find that troubling to consider, but there is great hope.
Peter writes in his second letter some remarkable things (2 Peter 1:3-4); “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature” He has given us everything we need for living a godly life. He has enabled us to share his divine nature. Incredible! I have and you have everything we need even to the sharing of God’s divine nature. My part is to fan this great spiritual gift from the “ember” it may have “cooled” to the great roaring holy flame that God has enabled it to be. Perhaps I should get to fanning…
Do you believe God has enabled you to “burn” brightly with Him? Is there anything that holds you back? Have you “cooled” from where you once were walking with God? Have you doubted your ability to return to where you were?
Our Prayer: Heavenly Father, I am ready to take responsibility for fanning into flame the spiritual gift you have given to me. I recognize that I am a partner in this relationship and want to do my part. I pray your holy assistance and Holy Spirit to guide me in the practice and discipline of everything you have given me for living a godly life. I forget sometime that I bear the divine nature, help me to keep this close in my mind and close in my heart as I fan my spiritual gift into flame. Amen.
[23APRIL2012] Eastertide Devotional Series
[23APRIL2012] Eastertide Devotional Series
I will be posting this devotional series as part of my Eastertide reflections for the next three weeks (see this link for other installments in the series). Each week of this devotional series focuses on a specific theme (week one: brokenness, week two: repentance, and week three: renewal). I hope you’ll enjoy the series and I invite you to comment here on the blog or email me direct; I would love to hear your thoughts.
Renewal: Week 3 | Day 2
Scripture Reading: Psalm 51:5-13
“We must imitate Christ’s life and his ways if we are to be truly enlightened and set free from the darkness of our own hearts. Let it be the most important thing we do, then, to reflect on the life of Jesus Christ” -Thomas `a Kempis
Psalm 51: 5 I was born a sinner—yes, from the moment my mother conceived me. 6 But you desire honesty from the womb, teaching me wisdom even there. 7 Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. 8 Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me—now let me rejoice. 9 Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. 11 Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you. 13 Then I will teach your ways to rebels, and they will return to you
The past two weeks have been exercises in exploring and recognizing our brokenness and our need for repentance (realizing our need for change; turning around from our wrong, self-guided direction, and moving always and progressively on a path with God, and continually closer, toward God).
Spiritual renewal without the prerequisite acknowledgment of one’s brokenness and accompanying action of repentance is futile and impossible. A person might begin the outward expressions and disciplines for renewal, but without the aiding guidance of the indwelling Holy Spirit of God leading the way, those efforts will result in frustration, deception, and ultimately be disastrous.
Illustrated in the prayer of David (Psalm 51) we witness the broken and contrite heart of a man who understands his condition. David despairs over his emptiness of soul as he realizes he stands defiled and guilty before God. He cries out to God for restoration renewal, knowing that God alone is his source for salvation, purpose, and eternal fulfillment. We share the same plight and are in the same need of renewal. Our prayer and our plea should echo similarly as David’s prayer; “Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you. Then I will teach your ways to those who rebel against you and do not know you…and they will return to you.”
Have you realized areas of your life that have “cooled” in their fervor for God? During the past couple weeks, have you sensed apathy, complacency, or indifference toward your own spirituality? Has your heart ever burned passionately for God? Does it still? Do you want to be “on fire” for God. Do you need renewal?
Our Prayer: Lord God, today I recognize my brokenness. I do not want to make excuses for the areas I have fallen short or failed. I want to be responsible and accountable for my actions and my lack of action. Therefore, today I profess my sin and my weakness as my own. And I make the prayer of David my own as well… (read the passages above from Psalm 51:5-13 and make them your own words and prayer).
[22APRIL2012] Eastertide Devotional Series
[22APRIL2012] Eastertide Devotional Series
I will be posting this devotional series as part of my Eastertide reflections for the next three weeks (see this link for other installments in the series). Each week of this devotional series focuses on a specific theme (week one: brokenness, week two: repentance, and week three: renewal). I hope you’ll enjoy the series and I invite you to comment here on the blog or email me direct; I would love to hear your thoughts.
Renewal: Week 3 | Day 1
Scripture Reading: Romans 12:1-21, Titus 3:4-6
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind”
Today begins the final week of our three-week Eastertide Devotional Series. We have spent our last two weeks with daily reflections focused on the themes of brokenness (week one) and repentance (week two) and now we transition our thoughts this week to consider the active role of renewal in the lives of Christian disciples.
It seems fitting then, to me, that we begin our new theme with a passage of Scripture we have become familiar with over the past several weeks from our most recent teachings in our Sunday worship gatherings. In this passage, believers are encouraged to “not be conformed to the pattern of the world, but to be transformed by the renewal of their minds.” What exactly does the Apostle Paul mean when uses the words “renewal of your mind?”
Renewal ::: Greek (noun) Anakainosis – a renewal; (found in Romans 12:2, “the renewal of your mind”) i.e., the adjustment of the moral and spiritual vision and thinking to the mind of God, which is designed to have a transforming effect upon the life. Also, in Titus 3:5, where “the renewing of the Holy Spirit” is not a fresh bestowment of the Spirit, but a revival of His power, developing the Christian life; this passage stresses the continual operation of the indwelling Spirit of God; the Romans passage stresses the willing response on the part of the believer. (From Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words; McDonald Publishing Co.)
The word pictures and meanings given to us from the Vine’s Expository Dictionary provide us with a great jumping off point for this week’s devotional readings. Let us consider together these ideas associated with renewal as we prepare our hearts for examination and readiness to respond to God’s Holy Spirit.
Spiritual Renewal is:
- adjustment of the moral and spiritual vision and thinking to the mind of God
- designed to have a transforming effect upon the life of the believer
- a revival of God’s Holy Spirit power developing the Christian life
- the willing response on the part of the believer
- the continual operation of the indwelling Spirit of God
Do you consider your current and active life of discipleship in the terms as listed above? Are you being renewed daily in your heart, mind, soul and strength to the will and way of God? What areas of your life might the Spirit be revealing to you that are in need of renewal?
Our Prayer: Lord Jesus, I am prone to forget that my renewal is an ongoing process. My nature wants to think, “I’ve got it or I get it” and move on. I get tired and discouraged when I look at the real me and confess that renewal can be a scary proposition. But I know it is right and I know it is good, so I surrender myself to You and ask that You reveal the areas of my life that need renewal. Help me, O Lord, to work through the process of being conformed into Your image through the renewal of me.
[21APRIL2012] Eastertide Devotional Series
[21APRIL2012] Eastertide Devotional Series
I will be posting this devotional series as part of my Eastertide reflections for the next three weeks (see this link for other installments in the series). Each week of this devotional series focuses on a specific theme (week one: brokenness, week two: repentance, and week three: renewal). I hope you’ll enjoy the series and I invite you to comment here on the blog or email me direct; I would love to hear your thoughts.
Repentance: Week 2 | Day 7
Scripture Reading: Luke 14:25-35 (see also: Matthew 10:16-40, Luke 9:57-62, John 15:18-25)
“If you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple…But don’t begin until you count the cost”
I included a few bonus passages of Scripture this morning because I think that sometimes we overlook a critical aspect of the process that is repentance. I know I did and Jesus’ words to us reveal a seemingly inarguable position that he also believed this point was critical… so much so that he told would-be followers, “don’t begin until you count the cost.” The very idea of what may be implied in these words puts a lump in my throat.
As we have examined some of the elements rolled into this word “repentance,” we’ve realized that it doesn’t just mean “feeling bad about the things I do.” Repentance means to change your mind about your life’s direction, making a turn toward that new and better destination, and then moving continually along the path always moving closer to the ultimate destination with eyes, heart, and hope fixed on arriving at the goal. But Jesus also says; “Don’t begin until you count the cost.” Why does he say this?
The reason Jesus makes this point is that staying the course of repentance and remaining a faithful disciple of Jesus is not easy. The path of repentance will take us on a journey through trials and temptations, desolations and consolations of the soul, extreme mountain-top experiences with the presence of God and tearfully lonely times when it seems as though God is far from us… We will lose things and people we love, ideas and beliefs will be broken, and our false idols crushed… And, this might just be the beginning of what lies along the road of repentance. Yes, there are glorious days that await us and we will experience some of them along the way, but the point is this: “Don’t begin until you count the cost.” Jesus desires disciples that are all in and willing to complete the journey.
The result of a disciple who has fully counted the cost and then decided to trust and follow Jesus is this: confidence in the face of adversity, joy even in seasons of grief, gentle calmness of soul even when chaos surrounds, discernment, knowledge, and wisdom…yes, the very mind of Christ in a world that reeks of uncertainty. He has given us everything we need to live a godly life; even to sharing in the divine nature (2 Peter 1:2-4). How do we do this; what is our part? Our part is to trust, obey, die to self and follow. It isn’t easy, but it is simple…and it will always, always begins with a repentant heart.
Have you ever really counted the cost of your journey with Jesus? Do you have unrealized expectations about your Christian journey? Are your expectations unrealistic? Are your expectations consistent with the teachings of Jesus? Have you considered giving up on your faith because it was harder than you realized? How do you feel or what do you think about the current state of your relationship with God?
Our Prayer: O Holy and Eternal Father, I admit that I might have unreal expectations sometimes with the dailyness of my faith. While I know there will be trials, sometimes they seem harder than I can bear and other times they simply do not make sense to me what their purpose may be. I know You said, “Take comfort” and “rejoice in times of suffering…” but I find it hard to do this. I pray You to help me in my growing pains; help me to overcome as you overcome. Help me to confidently put on your cloak of righteousness and walk with the heart of a submissive servant, anxious to do Your will and grow in Your grace. May it be so in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
[19APRIL2012] Eastertide Devotional Series
[19APRIL2012] Eastertide Devotional Series
I will be posting this devotional series as part of my Eastertide reflections for the next three weeks (see this link for other installments in the series). Each week of this devotional series focuses on a specific theme (week one: brokenness, week two: repentance, and week three: renewal). I hope you’ll enjoy the series and I invite you to comment here on the blog or email me direct; I would love to hear your thoughts.
Repentance: Week 2 | Day 5
Scripture Reading: Genesis 32:22-32, 47:27-31; Exodus 13:17-22
“Your name will no longer be Jacob,” the man told him. “From now on you will be called Israel, because you have fought with God…”
Something that has occurred to me as I’ve studied and meditated on the idea of repentance is that it isn’t just a “change” or “turn.” Repentance is also “on the move.” If all we do is turn and stay where we are, we’ll end up with our “bones scattered over the desert” and never arrive at the destination of our journey (see again from Wk. 1-Day 2. Hebrews 3:1-19). In fact, if we’re not moving, we’ll never have journeyed at all.
While I might be stretching the metaphor a teeny bit, I think we can see this moving repentance in the lives of some of the patriarchs of our faith. Abraham was one of the first fathers of our faith we encounter and see moved by their repentance; Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph all followed their fathers and grandfathers in this moving experience. With each of these examples, we see men who are moved… their minds are changed and their directions reoriented so they are always on the move. Abraham had been given a promise—a destination which he never fully realized, but he trusted God and he allowed God to continue moving him…literally, living as a nomad in a land that was not fully his own, but also moving closer to the presence and image of God as he matured spiritually. Isaac, son of Abraham, appears to have followed the lifestyle of his father as he and his family also moved under the influence and guiding hand of God. The life of Jacob provides us with a clearer picture of what personal repentance looks like and the ultimate effect it has on a person who remains submitted and surrendered to God. Jacob, born with the name “deceiver” comes face-to-face with God. During the course of this epic wrestling match, Jacob is changed and given a new name, Israel (means God fights). The rest of Jacob’s life is spent in surrender to the will and way of God…with the visible evidence of this surrender seen in a limp he obtained from a busted hip when he wrestled with God. Other evidence of Jacob’s surrender is seen through his humility and obedience to God. When Jacob “turned” he “changed” and was “on the move” for the remainder of his life…on the move from place to place physically and also spiritually as God revealed more of Himself to Israel.
Repentance isn’t static and it doesn’t come with tent stakes. With a change of heart, mind, and direction comes new destination coordinates. While the destination may seem the ultimate goal, it is the journey of transformation that fuels us onward and upward; thus, it too becomes part of and just as important as the ultimate goal. The journey is often as important as the destination. Jacob and Joseph knew this and it is the reason they made their sons promise not to leave their bones in Egypt. Four hundred and seventy years later, their bones were delivered into the Promised Land. Repentance: it changes us, turns us and reorients our direction, and ultimately moves us into God’s promises. Are you moving closer to God? Is your repentance more static or more moving? How would you describe your journey of change?
Our Prayer Lord, I admit that sometimes when we have “wrestled” and I have surrendered to You, I’ve felt that is the extent of my responsibility. I haven’t realized I needed to move, and part of my submission and repentance included moving or ongoing transformation. I prefer the relaxed feeling that comes with “arriving.” I know now that I need to keep moving…with You and closer to You until you bring me to the place You want me to be. Amen.
[18APRIL2012] Eastertide Devotional Series
[18APRIL2012] Eastertide Devotional Series
I will be posting this devotional series as part of my Eastertide reflections for the next three weeks (see this link for other installments in the series). Each week of this devotional series focuses on a specific theme (week one: brokenness, week two: repentance, and week three: renewal). I hope you’ll enjoy the series and I invite you to comment here on the blog or email me direct; I would love to hear your thoughts.
Repentance: Week 2 | Day 4
Scripture Reading: 2 Chronicles 33:1-20 (for comparison—also 2 Kings 21:1-18)
“But while in deep distress, Manasseh sought the LORD his God and sincerely humbled himself before the God of his ancestors. And when he prayed, the LORD listened to him…”
Manasseh was a very bad man. Really bad…unadulterated evil kind of bad. Part of the narrative of Manasseh’s life reads as follows: “But Manasseh led the people of Judah and Jerusalem to do even more evil than the pagan nations that the LORD had destroyed when the people of Israel entered the land.” (2 Chronicles 33:9)
Based on the list of things Manasseh did, I’m not sure there is a greater degree of evil a person can attain; he pretty much covered every detestable act a person could conceive. Yes, Manasseh was a very wicked man and I emphasize this for a reason. Personally, I haven’t committed the atrocities of Manasseh, but there are numerous choices I have made and things I have done which I regret. Some of these things, I wondered at the time if God would forgive me of them…or if He would forgive me, how long it might be before I received complete absolution or what I might have to do to get my sins absolved. It is for this reason that stories like Manasseh’s bring me great hope.
The story reveals the great wickedness of Manasseh and goes on to tell us “the LORD spoke to Manasseh and his people but they ignored all his warnings” (2 Chr 33:10). At this point, God was fed up with Manasseh’s evil ways and sent the Assyrian armies in to take him captive. That is what happened and Manasseh ended up in a Babylonian prison. It was here that Manasseh became despondent, “deeply distressed” the Bible says, and he “sought the LORD” and “humbled himself greatly before Him” (2 Chr 33:12). Here we are witness to the humility that comes with repentance, but Manasseh’s “change of heart” didn’t begin and end with this act of humility and contrition. The story continues with “the LORD listening to Manasseh and becoming moved by his request.” Manasseh was returned to Jerusalem where he initiated changes to clean house and restore the kingdom as a people under the LORD alone.
There were still repercussions for the wickedness of Manasseh’s actions prior to his repentance just as there are repercussions for the choices we make outside of God’s designs. If I am completely transparent, there are still elements of my past that bring me regret, but my regret is overshadowed by the joy I have received since offering my heart to God through my own repentance. And, I suppose, this is the most important aspect of this story to me. Not only has it given me hope, but whether great or small, I have experienced the same forgiveness and heart-cleansing for my sins as Manasseh did for his.
Have you ever thought there are things in your life that God could not or would not forgive? Have you ever hesitated asking God’s forgiveness because of your doubt? Do you ever feel like it’s futile to “change your mind and turn back to God” because of the things you have done?
Our Prayer: Father God, thank you for the great forgiveness you extend to those with repentant hearts. Sometimes I have thought my sins too big, my wickedness too great, and distance between us too far for me to turn back. I see now this is not true. I see that you are sensitive to the humble heart. I offer my heart and the sins I have held back from you today and ask you to cleanse me and help me to make the changes in my life that need to be made as I turn back to you.
[14APRIL2012] Eastertide Devotional Series
[14APRIL2012] Eastertide Devotional Series
I will be posting this devotional series as part of my Eastertide reflections for the next three weeks (see this link for other installments in the series). Each week of this devotional series focuses on a specific theme (week one: brokenness, week two: repentance, and week three: renewal). I hope you’ll enjoy the series and I invite you to comment here on the blog or email me direct; I would love to hear your thoughts.
Brokenness: Week 1 | Day 6
Scripture Reading: John 21:1-25
This is another densely packed chapter of Scripture and there are many points to reflect upon, but our focus for this meditation takes place in verses fifteen through seventeen. This is a very curious exchange between Jesus and Peter. I’ve heard quite a few sermons and read an equal number of studies about this conversation, but none of them really addressed something I noticed that convicted me of my own brokenness. Our English translations of the Bible translate the Greek word Agapao to love. Likewise, the Greek word, Phileo, is also translated to love. Both words are used in the following dialogue. I have put in parenthesis the proper placement of the word used
15 After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love (Agapao) me more than these?” ”Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love (Phileo) you.” ”Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him. 16 Jesus repeated the question: “Simon son of John, do you love (Agapao) me?” ”Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “you know I love (Phileo) you.” “Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus said. 17 A third time he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love (Phileo) me?” Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love (Phileo) you.” Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep.
The difference between these two words, Agapao and Phileo, are very important. Agapao is the love described by the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 13. It implies complete devotion at minimum and infers perfect and godly love at best. Phileo love was most often used in context that might be understood as close friendship or “brotherly” love. It is in the distinction and the difference between these “two loves” that I see my own brokenness.
The specifics of Peter’s circumstance are not the point of my reflection, but the correlation of how I might respond to Jesus’ questions is. Truthfully, Jesus does ask each of his followers the question; “Do you agapao me more than these?” While I like to think I am unerringly and totally devoted to Jesus, I might arrogantly answer him, “Yes, I agapao you, Jesus.” The more I reflect upon my “love” for Jesus, the more I think I fall into the phileo category. I continue to wrestle with issues of obedience and complete faithfulness. I put my personal needs before Jesus every time I waver in my devotion. Is this agapao love? Probably not…my brokenness still presents itself as a stumbling block for me. Thankfully, like Peter, Jesus is willing to meet me where I am as I surrender myself to grow in His grace and His agapao love.
Consider the state and depth of your love for Jesus today. Does your love lean more toward phileo or agapao? Are there areas of your love that Christ is calling you to grow more faithful in today?
Our Prayer: Father God, you have enabled us through your Spirit to love You with a devoted heart. You promised that You would change our old heart, replacing it with a heart that could and would love You with a perfect love. Lord, I fall short of this agapao love at times when I think of myself before thinking first of You. I pray that Your Spirit would help me overcome these shortcomings, so my love might be more faithful and I would love You the way You deserve to be loved and the way You love me. Amen.
Posted in A Deeper Walk, Bible Speak, Eastertide, Jesus, Spiritual Formation | Tags: AGAPE, Devotions, Discipleship, Eastertide, Jesus, Love | No Comments »
