Devotion 10.16.23

Philippians 4

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Thanks for Their Gifts

10 I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

In five verses in Philippians, Paul writes several passages worthy of memorization for motivation, reflection, and sharing. Today's is one such gem.

Much in the secular world has been written about "excellence." We searched for it in a book by Tom Peters, "In Search of Excellence," in which we learned that excellence surpasses product and seeps into the organization as a whole. It became a much-used word in leadership and management. Process management became part of the movement to make the "customer experience" positive from considering going to the business, to entry, and the shopping or service aspect of the experience, to the post experience as well. There were and still are today movements dedicated to the "excellence" notion or philosophy.

In this passage, Paul isn't writing to them about the experience of being part of their church in the same way we are talking today. Paul has been talking about our faith in Christ, our role in being "lights to the world," and his desire to help them attain that unless he's called homeward to be with Christ. Paul shifts to talk about our relationship with Christ and with other Christians. As we worship God/Christ and serve others, we are to think about the positive things to build those relationships around. Paul cites a number of ways to describe the "to be" state using "whatever is right, pure, lovely, admirable...excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things."

When we anticipate going to be in God's presence, this list of words are great reminders of what our posture is "to be" as we prepare for and enter the sanctuary. Instead of focusing on style of dress, selection of music, length of sermon, and other such areas in our church/worship experience, we remind ourselves that if it doesn't fall into the areas of excellence or praiseworthy, it's probably not worth dwelling on. Neither is it in our service to Christ as we serve others joyfully and gladly.

We pray for the right posture as we worship and serve God, a right heart, and a right attitude.

Devotion 10.3.23

1 Peter 2

4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

What is a "living stone?" A stone is a stone. The best way to describe it is an inanimate object, hard and shape depending on origin and where it lies. A stone in a field, unless shaped by glaciers, is rugged in appearance. A stone in a stream is shaped by time to be smooth. A stone is hard and lifeless.

Some stones are used to build. Some stones are used to mark property, like a stone fence. Some stones are slung to fend off creatures. Unless they are put to use by a human hand though, they are lifeless and will lay where they are until they are moved.

So, again, what is a "living stone?" What are its qualities and how does it "live?"

Over the next few days, our devotions will look at how a stone becomes representative of foundation, as smoothed over and shaped to use in a variety of fashions, and how it is representative of God's Word, as Peter describes Christ, THE living stone.

Pray as you read and prepare for God's Word to be foundational, that we allow it to shape us, and that we use it to make a difference in our lives. If you cannot be at the retreat, your prayer is the same prayer for your life.

Devotion 9.20.23

Psalm 27 The Lord is My Light and My Salvation

A Psalm of David

7 Hear my voice when I call, Lord;

    be merciful to me and answer me.

8 My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”

    Your face, Lord, I will seek.

9 Do not hide your face from me,

    do not turn your servant away in anger;

    you have been my helper.

Do not reject me or forsake me,

    God my Savior.

10 Though my father and mother forsake me,

    the Lord will receive me.

11 Teach me your way, Lord;

    lead me in a straight path

    because of my oppressors

My son and I were watching Colorado the first week of college football. Colorado v TCU specifically were playing. I said to him, "If Colorado wins this, Deion takes all the oxygen from the room next week in the conversation and coverage about Week One." 

Well, Colorado is 3-0 now, and as I'm watching the Chiefs play Sunday, a "60 Minutes" ad comes on and who but "Coach Prime" is going to be a story for the second time in less than a year. He is now THE story in college football and even football in general. His sideline draws the likes of Michael Irvin, Dewayne "The Rock" Johnson, and a host of entertainers from rappers to others.

Sanders has maintained his name during his time as a sports celebrity. From his days at Florida State through today, his name, image and likeness are clearly his asset. Sanders, though, has taken the long route to get to a major D1 university. His online bio reads much like any other coaches, starting at a small Texas high school and winding his way over a span of time to Colorado.

Sanders clearly speaks of faith and the impact that faith had on him. A quote goes around by him seeking something because regardless of having it all, he still had an emptiness. He eventually came to faith to fill that emptiness that celebrity and all its trappings could not. As a result, he chose the route he's on as part of a personal mission to impact the kids he coaches.

David achieved a certain level of greatness for his time - minus tv, radio, papers, the internet, ads, name/image/likeness, carrier pigeons... you get the idea. David is, next to Christ, probably the most recognized name in scripture and is mentioned in both Old and New Testaments.

In spite of his greatness, David consistently put God/Christ at the center of his life as the foundation of his faith. In today's psalm, he reiterates the need for God to hear him as he seeks God from "his heart." As Luther often notes, the Messiah is found in the book of Psalms in each psalm, and in today's, he references God "his savior." 

Like David, we ask God to teach us His ways, the ways of faith in His Son and to turn to Christ in all we do, David asks for God to be led straight in God's righteous ways to be separated from his oppressors. Like Paul in Romans 12, we seek a separate path from the unrighteous, not because it's pleasing to God or out of arrogance to the unbeliever, but because God sent His Son to die for us and deliver us. In all we do, we ask God for His Son and Spirit to enlighten us and guide us.

Devotion 9.18.23

Romans 14

19 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. 20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a person to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. 21 It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall.

I had the privilege to go into Mexico in the 1990s for mission trips with Project Can-Do. It was called a "servant event." When we were there, we were to respect the customs of the Mexican Lutheran church, Lutheran Christians in Mexico in general. Women wore dresses daily and were not to be touched. That was difficult because we were building a youth facility. In the US, we would have worn shorts or jeans, not in Mexico. You would also hug youth as a manner of greeting or if they did good work. Not in Mexico. 

Christians in Mexico don't drink either. After a long, hard day's work, there was a corner store with really cold beer (by feel, not taste), but we didn't in spite of knowing we would have cold beer after a workday back home in a heartbeat. We respected our brothers in the faith and their customs because to not to made a statement about our faith. 

What they believed had little to do with scripture. We are neither commanded nor forbidden to observe what they observed, but Paul notes we are not to argue over such either. "All food is clean, but don't do it if it causes someone to stumble." In verse 21, he notes not to do it if it causes someone to fall. I look at this caution in this way: "Don't drink in front of a man or woman in recovery if they could fall by being tempted by our drinking in front of them OR if they believe such behavior is not acceptable and could fall away from their newly born faith." 

We learned much about faith from our brothers in Mexico. In short, it's about Christ. We want people to be in faith in Christ. That's what's most important. We don't want to cause someone to stumble. That's important.

Devotion 9.11.23

Psalm 130 A Song of Ascents

My Soul Waits for the Lord

Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord!

2     O Lord, hear my voice!

Let your ears be attentive

    to the voice of my pleas for mercy!

22 years ago, this passage spoke for every living American who sat in front of a television set staring in disbelief. Not only had an attack taken place on our nation for the first time since Pearl Harbor, it was an attack on the 48. Not only was it an attack, it was planned using passenger planes loaded with fuel on the first leg of their flights for the day...with passengers and flight staff on board!

It was a gut-punch. It was stunning, shocking, and a true slap in the face of American pride and patriotism.

The psalmist must have lived during such a time because he plea is one of desperation. On his pilgrimage to the temple from Psalm 120 (Psalms of Ascents going from 120-134), he's constantly looking up to God, lifting his eyes, his voice, and now crying out from the depths to God has he nears.

Every church was opened during 911 as it's been called. That day, our nation lifted its eyes to God and our cries were lifted up to God. That Monday heard the cries from people in shock. Our prayer every day should be one of crying out to God for mercy for our sins and "iniquities" as the psalmist will later say. Our assurance is our "groans and sighs" are formed by the Spirit and taken to God (Romans 8) and heard.

Our assurance is our God hears us and willl answer us in His time.

Take a moment today to reflect:

Where were you on 911?

How did you learn of the attack?

What was your initial reaction and how long did it take you to process what had happened?

Do you still remember the event and think of it annually?

How do you turn to God on days like today and what do you ask Him?

Have we forgiven our enemy of this as we are instructed to? 

Devotion 9.6.23

Romans 13

"Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. 4 For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience."

So much to think about and potentially write, but it is important to keep it simple. God's people follow God. In 1 Samuel 8, God says what He really thinks about government when Israel, via its elders, states it wants a king to follow:

"6 But when they (the elders) said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. 7 And the Lord told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. 8 As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. 9 Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights.”

Luther's comments on Romans 13, "Although worldly government doesn't make people righteous before God, nevertheless it is instituted in order to accomplish at least this much, that the good may have outward peace and the bad may not be able to do evil...."

We know governments instituted by men are fallible because of our sinful nature, and we know that all governments fail to fulfill Luther's observations on this passage. Bad people do bad things and good people (in earthly terms) may be harmed by bad people. Yet Paul commands us to pay honor to them (v 8) and refers to them as "ministers of God" (v 7).

This is a hard pill to swallow in our culture where freedom and rights are foundational to who we are (to refer to ourselves as being subject to government). In fact, the argument may be to resist that kind of mindset, so our prayer is to respect our leaders, to pray for them, and to hope for the best in them. We ask for wisdom and discernment when, as citizens, we get involved in our government as citizens in a republic, to learn about those issues that we believe may impact us, and to express ourselves in that context. We also ask God to give us the wisdom to follow the rule of law and to express from a position of love and respect when we disagree.

Devotion 9.3.23

Psalm 32

Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,

    whose sin is covered.

2 Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity,

    and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away

    through my groaning all day long.

4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;

    my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah

5 I acknowledged my sin to you,

    and I did not cover my iniquity;

I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”

    and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah

6 Therefore let everyone who is godly

    offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found;

surely in the rush of great waters,

    they shall not reach him.

7 You are a hiding place for me;

    you preserve me from trouble;

    you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;

    I will counsel you with my eye upon you.

9 Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding,

    which must be curbed with bit and bridle,

    or it will not stay near you.

My favorite meme I have seen recently is the one that basically says, "The sin I like to point out is others." What, me sin? Hardly.

Going back to Christ's "Sermon on the Mount," Christ does note rhetorically that we point out the speck of dust in another's eye when we cannot see the log in our own (Matthew 7). Yet, we live in an increasingly secular society that does not confess God and its institutions are reflective of that movement, but rather than repent of our own sin, we lecture and point fingers at people for falling away from God and their sin.

David's wisdom, though, tells us differently in today's psalm. The godly sin, and blessed is the man whose sin and iniquity are forgiven and covered. David notes the pain and agony of a sin unconfessed to God as his bones wasted away. God's hand is heavy on the one who does not confess His sin, so to David, and us, there is joy in this confession and absolution.

As we seek to share the Word of God to those who do not know Him, perhaps we undertake this psalm as a prayer of sharing God's Word to the lost. Maybe knowing the joy of a confessed and forgiven sin is what they need to hear. God's gospel message is powerful so as we develop relationships with others, as those grow, maybe the opportunity to share grows as well.

I've heard recently that the psalms are a great portal into a relationship with God. Today's is just such an example as we draw closer to Him for forgiveness and growth.