Business is a big problem in our culture. We pack every second of every day. It’s left us with more stress and missing out on spontaneous moments.
It reminds me of the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). What if the Samaritan had been too busy to stop for the injured man on the side of the road?
A lot of ministry takes place in the interruptions. The interruptions have great conversations, opportunities to help others, games, prayers, laughter, crying, and so much more. If, however, your life is so packed that you can’t be interrupted, you’ll miss those great opportunities.
It’s time to unpack…your life. Leave some free time in your schedule so when you come across someone on the side of the road, you can be the Samaritan or when your kids want to play, you can.
Today: Take a look at your schedule and, if you don’t already have some, start scheduling some margin, some open time.
“If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” – Luke 11:13
Are you good at giving gifts?
Who is the best gift-giver you know?
I’m not a good gift-giver. If I don’t have a list, I struggle to come up with good ideas. There are some people I know, however, who always seem to have the perfect gift for people. They don’t rely on lists. They even tend to ignore lists because they have ideas that even you haven’t thought of…and they are right!
Good Gifts from Bad People Even as bad at giving gifts as I am, I still can come up with some pretty good gifts for my kids. Some are gifts like toys, some are fun experiences, and some are gifts of wisdom (they don’t always want those).
It’s amazing that I can give good gifts like this considering how bad I am at gift ideas and, even more, how much of sinner I am.
Jesus doesn’t beat around the bush in our passage from Luke 11. He just goes right ahead and calls the people, “evil!”…and He was talking to His disciples!!
We are all sinners. We have evil thoughts and do evil deeds every day. Yet, we still give good gifts, at least sometimes.
Good Gifts from a Good God Now, imagine what God, who is not sinful, who is the definition of pure love, can give. How good are His gifts?! Sure, some of those gifts are fun and some are ones we’d rather not get (do I need to learn patience, today?!), but they are all good, better than what we could give.
He is the perfect gift-giver. He always knows exactly what we need. He has given us the greatest gift of all, His Son.
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for Your many gifts and blessings. Thank You, especially, for Jesus.
When a football player scores a touchdown, other players usually come over and they do a celebration dance of some sort. In soccer, when a goal is scored, the players will jump all over each other in celebration. In baseball, it’s high-fives and hitting butts (what?)
Celebrating victories is more than just an expression of joy. It strengthens the bonds of the team. It encourages and energizes others.
I remember going to a Christian conference and hearing about the work done in some of the churches and seeing lives change. I was excited for them, but also motivated to go do that in my community. This wasn’t about bragging, but praising God for what He’s doing in people’s lives.
We don’t’ have to have conferences to do that. We can do that in our churches, our small groups, and with the people we are teamed up with to encourage each other. We can celebrate restored relationships, people who come to faith, victories over addiction, and more.
Today: (Well, really more in the future) Find ways to share the victories.
“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.” – Psalm 19:1-2
When was the last time you caught a sunrise or sunset?
I remember the first time I went out West and saw the desolate beauty of Arizona. The Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, even just drying around I was amazed and captivated by what God had done. I remember driving down the road and putting on Andrew Peterson’s, “Nothing to Say,” and just taking it all in.
The other day, Space X, had their first manned space flight, taking astronauts up to the International Space Station. It was a marvel of ingenuity and displayed the glory of humanity. As awesome as it was, it still doesn’t compare to the awesome majesty of God displayed in creation.
It’s not, of course, just Arizona. There are countless places we see the majesty of God and His glorious handiwork. Even a simple sunset, with its plethora of hues and paint a picture of our loving, creative Father.
Maybe today, take a few minutes to go outside and watch the sunset.
Heavenly Father,
The heavens truly do declare Your glory. I stand in awe of You and Your creative work.
Amen.
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Kurt
If you’d like to listen to “Nothing to Say” by Andrew Peterson, here you go:
“Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,” – Ephesians 6:18
Pray for Your Brothers and Sisters in Christ
We’ve talked a lot about things you can be doing to live on mission. However, the mission of the church is just that, the church’s mission. It’s not just you. What a relief, right!?
Since it’s God’s church and the mission of the whole church, let’s pray for one another.
Pray that our brothers and sisters in Christ would be kept in the faith.
Pray that they would be healthy and safe.
Pray that they would have opportunities to share Jesus with others and be bold to take those opportunities.
Today: Pray for some of the other members of the church.
“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” – Psalm 46:10
What is your schedule like, today?
First, thank you for taking the time to read this devotion, today. I know how busy people are and I hope these devotions are helpful to you.
Our passage from Psalm 46:10 is one that I don’t think needs much explanation. Rather, I think we just need to be reminded from time to time. It’s good to pause sometimes and just be still and be in the presence of God, reflecting on His might, His love, His works.
This is true whether your life is a sunshiny day or a storm. God is with you. He is greater. He loves you. He will not leave you.
Here’s the rest of Psalm 46. Let’s take few minutes to pause, be still, and know He is God.
46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present[b] help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, 3 though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. 5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. 6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. 7 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
8 Come, behold the works of the Lord, how he has brought desolations on the earth. 9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire. 10 “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” 11 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.
“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people,” – 1 Timothy 2:1
Pray With People
Have you ever had someone tell you something difficult they were going through and responded, “I’ll pray for you.”? I used to do that all the time.
Then one day I told someone something I was going through and they said, “Can I pray for you?” I said, “Sure,” thinking that was the end of it. Then, they did something weird, they put their hand on my shoulder and they started praying.
I said it was weird, but it was actually pretty cool. Not only did I appreciate it, but it had meaning between us as friends. I learned something that day. Since that day, I usually ask to pray with the person rather than telling them I’ll pray for them (at some point later on).
You can do this with both Christians and those who do not, yet, believe. I’ve found that most people say it’s fine, though some say, “No.” That’s fine. In addition to the benefit of the prayer itself, you also become known to them as someone who they can come to when they have a problem and someone who knows about God.
Today: Consider praying with people, not just saying you’ll pray for them later.
Note – This is something you can do for any situation, not just praying about people believing in Jesus. Maybe their sick, lost a loved-one, are having a rough time at work, etc. Also, the prayer can be simple and to the point.
Forgive Them Because They Need It...Just Like You Did
“bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” – Colossians 3:13
When someone wrongs you how do you deal with it?
Do you forgive?
I used to watch the show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. (Don’t judge me!) There’s one scene in the show that has stuck with me years later. There was a guy who had killed someone and was looking for forgiveness, but no one would forgive him. Buffy said, “Good! He doesn’t deserve it.” Then Giles (a sort of mentor) said to her,
“To forgive is an act of compassion, Buffy. It’s not done because people deserve it, it’s done because they need it.”
I’m not recommending the show, but in this case, Giles nailed it. Forgiveness is an act of love. It’s not earned or deserved because we can’t earn it and don’t deserve it. It’s given out of love because we need it.
So, we forgive each other because the person needs it. Jesus forgave us when we needed it. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. We didn’t deserve it, but we certainly needed it. In His great love, He has forgiven you.
You have been forgiven of much and you can forgive others. It restores relationships and brings healing and peace. Truthfully, it also heals us. Bitterness is destructive.
God has given you a great gift by forgiving you and has given you the ability to give that gift to others.
Is there someone you need to forgive? Maybe it’s time.
Heavenly Father,
I confess that I have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed. I know I don’t deserve it, but please forgive me. I know You promise that You do. Thank You. Please help me to forgive others as You have forgiven me.
Where do you live? Are there people who live around you? Chances are, you have neighbors. However, if you are like most people in the U.S., today, you don’t know many, if any of them.
It’s a change we’ve seen in the last 50 years of our society. With air conditioning, TV, electronic devices, and bigger homes we’ve become more and more isolated from our neighbors.
What if we affected another change? What if over the next several years we in the church seek to have those relationships with our neighbors again?
Today: Start thinking of ways to connect with your neighbors. Maybe even go meet a few, today.
Some ideas of how:
Host a Friday night happy hour in your driveway with free drinks and snacks.
Ask your neighbors to get together for a block party.
Knock on your neighbors’ doors and introduce yourself. Maybe bring some cookies.
Sit by a window or outside and when you see a neighbor walking by, go out and talk to them.