Genesis 1;1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
It’s completely dark and way too early but this is the last day of the trip and it’s one of those rivers I’ve wanted to fish for a long time. And besides we’ve been here for three days and I’ve been a little bit beaten by this river but I am determined to finish strong. Not that it matters, it doesn’t matter to anyone but me.
I sorted my gear the night before, laid everything out that I would need (and more), and tied on two perfectly chosen flies. Now it was time to go to the river in the still dark morning. I have unfortunately aged a bit over time so the eyes are not quite as sharp and the feet not quite as sure and this slows me in the darkness but I find the spot described to me last night by one of my friends. He had caught several nice trout in this spot the day before and wanted me to have a good morning so I went directly to the hole from his directions and began to unspool some fly line.
All my friends on this trip are believers but I have others that aren’t. As for those that aren’t -we don’t argue anymore but I still get a gentle plug in whenever I can. And I still pray for them and have hope for them. Sometimes they’ll bring up geology and evolution and all the other scientific theories that they say explains away the world. I’ll listen quietly and think to myself that they’re missing the point. Sometimes they’ll ask me how I can believe as I do when all the “evidence” points in different directions. Many of these men love the outdoors as I do so we agree to disagree, but I still pray.
It’s dark still, but just barely. The sun is beginning to move over the treetops as I stand in the water, the river flowing silently around my legs. I start false casting as the sky lightens to a point where I can see the indicator on the water, completely focused on the rhythm of the rod and the expectation of a striking trout. Then, just as I prepare to lay the first cast on the water the sun moves completely above the tree line and the whole river is bathed in early morning sunlight of golds and reds and mist. I look up and my rod stops mid-cast, the line dropping to the river’s surface, the flies forgotten and I ask myself, “How can you not believe?”
Friday, November 13, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Devotion 12: More Thoughts on Peace
Leviticus 26:6
6 "I will grant peace in the land, and you will lie down and no one will make you afraid. I will remove savage beasts from the land, and the sword will not pass through your country.”
At the beginning of each meeting with our church small group we go around the room asking for prayer concerns. Some weeks there are many requests, some weeks there are few. They can be for healing, or travel, or jobs, or relationships, or whatever is on the heart of the members of the group. Last week as I listened to the requests I heard the same theme come through no matter what the issue –Peace. God’s people were asking for peace in their lives. After the meeting I couldn’t get this theme, this plea, off my mind. God’s people seek peace. And God promises this peace, here in Leviticus and elsewhere.
“You will lie down and no one will make you afraid.” – How comforting. This is God’s promise and when we are closest to God we feel this peace. When we are in the midst of the trials of life our prayer is for peace either by getting over the trial or getting through the trial or being removed from the trial. What we learn is that we can find peace even in the middle of the trial if we focus on God and his promise.
How do we lose peace? Well, as we’ve said, it can be taken from us by the trials of life. But there is also a way that we can just lose peace by our own actions. We can remove ourselves from God. Think back over your life. Has there been a time when you were in a situation where you removed yourself from God’s love? If so, were you at peace? Probably not. Ask yourself when you found peace again. If you’re honest it was probably when you opened yourself up to God once again. In Isaiah we find, “The fruit of righteousness will be peace, the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever.” (Isaiah 32:17). God’s plan is for us to live under his care so that he can grant us peace throughout it all so that “no one will make your afraid.”
6 "I will grant peace in the land, and you will lie down and no one will make you afraid. I will remove savage beasts from the land, and the sword will not pass through your country.”
At the beginning of each meeting with our church small group we go around the room asking for prayer concerns. Some weeks there are many requests, some weeks there are few. They can be for healing, or travel, or jobs, or relationships, or whatever is on the heart of the members of the group. Last week as I listened to the requests I heard the same theme come through no matter what the issue –Peace. God’s people were asking for peace in their lives. After the meeting I couldn’t get this theme, this plea, off my mind. God’s people seek peace. And God promises this peace, here in Leviticus and elsewhere.
“You will lie down and no one will make you afraid.” – How comforting. This is God’s promise and when we are closest to God we feel this peace. When we are in the midst of the trials of life our prayer is for peace either by getting over the trial or getting through the trial or being removed from the trial. What we learn is that we can find peace even in the middle of the trial if we focus on God and his promise.
How do we lose peace? Well, as we’ve said, it can be taken from us by the trials of life. But there is also a way that we can just lose peace by our own actions. We can remove ourselves from God. Think back over your life. Has there been a time when you were in a situation where you removed yourself from God’s love? If so, were you at peace? Probably not. Ask yourself when you found peace again. If you’re honest it was probably when you opened yourself up to God once again. In Isaiah we find, “The fruit of righteousness will be peace, the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever.” (Isaiah 32:17). God’s plan is for us to live under his care so that he can grant us peace throughout it all so that “no one will make your afraid.”
Devotion 11: Thoughts on Peace
Leviticus 26:6
" 'I will grant peace in the land, and you will lie down and no one will make you afraid. I will remove savage beasts from the land, and the sword will not pass through your country – Leviticus 26:6
Peace – What a word. It’s used 231 times in the NIV. It’s used as a blessing, a greeting, a prayer, and an emotion. As children of God we seek peace through Jesus. When we stray from God’s intent we know because we don’t feel at “peace”. How many times have we prayed for peace for ourselves or a loved one or our country? But what is peace, can we define it? If I asked you to define “peace” in twenty-five words or less, could you? Maybe not, but I guarantee you know what it feels like and if you think about it I bet you know where to find it.
If you’ve forgotten, close your eyes and repeat after me, “The Lord is my shepherd….”
Prayer
Father, grant us the wisdom to pursue peace in all we do.
" 'I will grant peace in the land, and you will lie down and no one will make you afraid. I will remove savage beasts from the land, and the sword will not pass through your country – Leviticus 26:6
Peace – What a word. It’s used 231 times in the NIV. It’s used as a blessing, a greeting, a prayer, and an emotion. As children of God we seek peace through Jesus. When we stray from God’s intent we know because we don’t feel at “peace”. How many times have we prayed for peace for ourselves or a loved one or our country? But what is peace, can we define it? If I asked you to define “peace” in twenty-five words or less, could you? Maybe not, but I guarantee you know what it feels like and if you think about it I bet you know where to find it.
If you’ve forgotten, close your eyes and repeat after me, “The Lord is my shepherd….”
Prayer
Father, grant us the wisdom to pursue peace in all we do.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Devotion 10: Once Upon a Time There Was This Guy....
Philemon 1 (New International Version)......... 4I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, 5because I hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints. 6I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ. 7Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.
Once upon a time there was this guy named Philemon who….
When Paul writes, (you know – PAUL –the LETTER WRITER!), he usually doesn’t mince words. Why, I’ve read some of his letters to church's that would make a preacher blush, I’ve read letters where he’s called out whole church's and then gone back and checked to make sure they had straightened things out! So, when I read Paul’s letter to a man he calls, “our dear friend and fellow worker,” I pay attention to what it is he LIKES about this person. So, here are three thoughts on things Philemon does that Paul approves of:
Once upon a time there was this guy named Philemon who….was active.
Active: effective, powerful
If we research the word “active” just a bit we find that it’s related to words like “effective”, and “powerful”. Now, most men would probably be fine with having these words used to describe themselves wouldn’t they? You’re effective in your work and just generally a powerful guy – right? But are we “active” Christian men? Is our personal Christian life effective and powerful? When was the last time you did something for the Lord? Guys, I think Paul might say to most of us that it’s time to get off the bench and in the game.
Once upon a time there was this guy named Philemon who….was an encouragement.
Encouragement: consolation, comfort, solace; that which affords comfort or refreshment
Men, in general, are leaders and loners and stiff upper lip kind of creatures. A lot of the time we leave the nurturing and encouragement to the ladies and that’s a mistake. Not that they don’t do an awesome job but….. If we can band together for teams we should be able to band together as a church or Men’s Group or whatever and encourage one another. Before they moved away my son-in-law was part of an accountability group of young married men at our church. These were young men starting families and recognizing it was hard being the kind of men they wanted to be. They prayed together and called upon each other when they had questions or problems or just wanted to ask, “Hey, am I doing OK here?” And the other men would listen to them and be there for them and encourage them. And I was humbled.
Once upon a time there was this guy named Philemon who….refreshed
Refreshed: to cause or permit one to cease from any movement or labor in order to recover and collect his strength
OK, on this one I know EXACTLY what Paul means. On Wednesday nights I lead a “Small Group” at our church. We all know Wednesdays. We are one-half way through the week and about three quarters worn out. Almost invariably something happens at the office that adds to my stress level so that most Wednesdays nights I’m not necessarily in a worshipful mood by the time I reach church. But God is good and I am part of a very, very special group. My small group is truthfully like no other group I have ever been part of. You see, this bunch of Christians genuinely likes each other –the whole darn group. We gather together with laughter and smiles and move on to prayer and study. We build each other up and rejoice at our time together with God’s people. As the evening goes on I feel more and more energized and closer to God than when I walked in the building.
One of our customs is that each Wednesday night I close our time with prayer. And virtually every Wednesday my prayer starts, “Father, I am refreshed….”
Once upon a time there was this guy named Philemon who….
When Paul writes, (you know – PAUL –the LETTER WRITER!), he usually doesn’t mince words. Why, I’ve read some of his letters to church's that would make a preacher blush, I’ve read letters where he’s called out whole church's and then gone back and checked to make sure they had straightened things out! So, when I read Paul’s letter to a man he calls, “our dear friend and fellow worker,” I pay attention to what it is he LIKES about this person. So, here are three thoughts on things Philemon does that Paul approves of:
Once upon a time there was this guy named Philemon who….was active.
Active: effective, powerful
If we research the word “active” just a bit we find that it’s related to words like “effective”, and “powerful”. Now, most men would probably be fine with having these words used to describe themselves wouldn’t they? You’re effective in your work and just generally a powerful guy – right? But are we “active” Christian men? Is our personal Christian life effective and powerful? When was the last time you did something for the Lord? Guys, I think Paul might say to most of us that it’s time to get off the bench and in the game.
Once upon a time there was this guy named Philemon who….was an encouragement.
Encouragement: consolation, comfort, solace; that which affords comfort or refreshment
Men, in general, are leaders and loners and stiff upper lip kind of creatures. A lot of the time we leave the nurturing and encouragement to the ladies and that’s a mistake. Not that they don’t do an awesome job but….. If we can band together for teams we should be able to band together as a church or Men’s Group or whatever and encourage one another. Before they moved away my son-in-law was part of an accountability group of young married men at our church. These were young men starting families and recognizing it was hard being the kind of men they wanted to be. They prayed together and called upon each other when they had questions or problems or just wanted to ask, “Hey, am I doing OK here?” And the other men would listen to them and be there for them and encourage them. And I was humbled.
Once upon a time there was this guy named Philemon who….refreshed
Refreshed: to cause or permit one to cease from any movement or labor in order to recover and collect his strength
OK, on this one I know EXACTLY what Paul means. On Wednesday nights I lead a “Small Group” at our church. We all know Wednesdays. We are one-half way through the week and about three quarters worn out. Almost invariably something happens at the office that adds to my stress level so that most Wednesdays nights I’m not necessarily in a worshipful mood by the time I reach church. But God is good and I am part of a very, very special group. My small group is truthfully like no other group I have ever been part of. You see, this bunch of Christians genuinely likes each other –the whole darn group. We gather together with laughter and smiles and move on to prayer and study. We build each other up and rejoice at our time together with God’s people. As the evening goes on I feel more and more energized and closer to God than when I walked in the building.
One of our customs is that each Wednesday night I close our time with prayer. And virtually every Wednesday my prayer starts, “Father, I am refreshed….”
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Devotion 9 - Who's The Boss?
Colossians 3: 23-24, "Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men, knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord-you serve the Lord Christ."
SERVE -to obey, submit to, a) in a good sense, to yield obedience.
Both of my Grandfathers had farms and hired temporary workers when the seasons demanded it. During the summers as a teenager I worked for each of them when they needed help. As we worked together they tried to teach me what was expected of a man by being men and working alongside of me and just generally being there as an example. I learned a bit and there have been many times I've wished I could go back for a "refresher" course.
I've never worked harder because I loved my "bosses". It's not that they paid particularly well, or that the work day was short, or the lunches were exceptionally good (OK, they were - both my Grandmothers were great cooks), it's because I loved them and wanted to please them. if the truth were known I would probably have worked for free. My absolute best teenage memories are those long days in the sun working for two of the men I most respected and seeing their pride in what I was slowly becoming. Deep down I had already "submitted" to these men a long time ago. That submission, or obedience, had been cemented in me as a very small child - along with love for these men. And I would serve them with my last ounce of strength in anything they asked.
Each day as we leave our homes to go off and earn our living maybe we need a little "attitude adjustment". What if everything we did on this earth was consciously done for the Lord we love? What if every meeting, every sale, every performance report, every house we build, every car we make, every interaction we have with friends or family, everything, was done for the Lord? I know that if I did this almost everything I did would be better. I also know that if I focused my work on the Lord and not on man and did my best I would take a lot of pressure off myself. You see, if you're not trying to please man you won't worry about what man thinks of how you're doing. If you're trying to please the Lord, well He already loves you and that won't change
SERVE -to obey, submit to, a) in a good sense, to yield obedience.
Both of my Grandfathers had farms and hired temporary workers when the seasons demanded it. During the summers as a teenager I worked for each of them when they needed help. As we worked together they tried to teach me what was expected of a man by being men and working alongside of me and just generally being there as an example. I learned a bit and there have been many times I've wished I could go back for a "refresher" course.
I've never worked harder because I loved my "bosses". It's not that they paid particularly well, or that the work day was short, or the lunches were exceptionally good (OK, they were - both my Grandmothers were great cooks), it's because I loved them and wanted to please them. if the truth were known I would probably have worked for free. My absolute best teenage memories are those long days in the sun working for two of the men I most respected and seeing their pride in what I was slowly becoming. Deep down I had already "submitted" to these men a long time ago. That submission, or obedience, had been cemented in me as a very small child - along with love for these men. And I would serve them with my last ounce of strength in anything they asked.
Each day as we leave our homes to go off and earn our living maybe we need a little "attitude adjustment". What if everything we did on this earth was consciously done for the Lord we love? What if every meeting, every sale, every performance report, every house we build, every car we make, every interaction we have with friends or family, everything, was done for the Lord? I know that if I did this almost everything I did would be better. I also know that if I focused my work on the Lord and not on man and did my best I would take a lot of pressure off myself. You see, if you're not trying to please man you won't worry about what man thinks of how you're doing. If you're trying to please the Lord, well He already loves you and that won't change
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