Devotional 9-27-14

Begun with folded hands.
An admission of powerlessness.
There is nothing I can do,
O God,
Without you.
Whatever I bring to you,
Heartache, joy, concern
Confession,
All is taken from my hands
And given to you
I fold my empty hands
And admit my lack of control.

Head bowed.
You are God, and I am not.
Thank you for this truth.
Too often I try to play God,
Taking blame, taking credit,
Taking responsibility
For what belongs in the hands
Of the divine.
Lay your hand on my head
And remind me.
You are God and I am not.

Eyes closed.
A temporary, voluntary blindness.
Closing my eyes to how I look at the world.
Seeking the clear vision of God.
Seeing with the clear vision of God.
Hoping to see the world
As you sees it.
Trusting, as one without vision
Would trust.
That you will lead the way
Even when I cannot see the path.

Our Father, who lives in heaven,
We praise your wonderful name.
Holy, powerful, loving God.
We place our trust in you,
And ask that your will be done.
Here in your kingdom on earth.
Thank you that you provide all we need
Daily grace abundant.
We place our sins at your feet
And ask for forgiveness.
Daily grace abundant.
We place our anger and selfishness
at your feet
And ask for power to bring
Daily grace abundant.
Light our paths through dark valleys,
And inhabit our worship,
So that you will be praised
And we will be blessed by your joy.
Amen.

Kim Matthews

Devotional 9-19-14

Happy is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors.  (Proverbs 8:34)

But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. (Romans 8:25)

A thousand ages in Thy sight
Are like an evening gone;
Short as the watch that ends the night
Before the rising sun.
--Isaac Watts

Last year I bought a basket of New Guinea Impatiens. I loved the unusual light lavender color of the blooms. I kept the plants alive over the winter and put them back outside this spring. The greenery did fine but the blooms didn't return. May, June, July--no blooms. I didn't give up; kept watering them and in August was rewarded with more of the delicate lavender flowers. Now, as many of my summer flowers are starting to look a little tired and puny, these New Guinea Impatiens are adding beauty to my yard, indeed, to my life.

I think there's a moral here. Sometimes we just have to wait. Hope and wait. God does not desert us during the times of waiting. We need to discipline ourselves to wait and be patient.
 
Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you;
    therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you.
For the LORD is a God of justice;
    blessed are all those who wait for him. --Isaiah 30-18

Anita Gardner Farrell

Devotional 9-12-14

“My Fathers World”

One of my husband and my favorite things to do is to hike. Hiking is good for you--body, mind, and soul. It is hard to walk through the woods and not think of God. Fields of wild flowers, breath taking vistas, awesome rock formations, birds singing in the trees lift our hearts. Perfectly formed spider webs glistening in the morning sun, mushrooms that look more like flowers, and frogs smaller than my thumb nail touch our very souls. The lyrics to “This is My Fathers World” by Maltbie D. Babcock are said to be inspired by his love of hiking.

“This Is My Fathers World”

“This is my Fathers world, and to my listening ears
All nature sings and round me rings the music of the spheres.
This is my Fathers world: I rest me in the thought
Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas;
His hands the wonders wrought.
 
This is my Fathers world, the birds their carols raise,
The morning light, the lily white, declare their makers praise.
This is my Fathers world, He shines on all thats fair;
In the rustling grass I hear Him pass;
He speaks to me everywhere.”

Burned into the wall of the cabin we often rent is an Indian saying:

“In order to Honor Him
I must honor
His works in nature”

This truly is our Fathers world. It is only on loan to us. We honor Him by appreciating and caring for His world--the rocks, the trees, the skies, the seas and all that dwell there in.

Margaret Williams

Devotional 9-4-14

Pray without ceasing?

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.  (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

Pray without ceasing?  What on earth does that mean?  It's hard enough to find time to pray; I'm supposed to pray ALL THE TIME?!  I've heard people say that they "pray without ceasing," but I never really believe them.

So what does it mean to you?

A woman told me a story once about a visit she made to the hospital.  She was sitting in the waiting room, with other members of her family.  I'm sure you've had those times, trying to be patient while you are waiting for news about your loved one who is ill or injured.  While they waited, one of the family members asked this woman to pray.  Later, they told her that she hadn't done it right.  She needed to use more eloquent words - more elaborate syntax.  It was a long time before she would pray in public again.

Do we have preconceived notions about what prayer is?  Must it be "just right?"  Is prayer only those times when you talk to God, in sentences and paragraphs -- explaining to God your needs and wants, and hoping God provides?

Or is it more than that?  Different than that?  Don't misunderstand me.  I do believe we need intentional, quiet times of prayer, when we talk to God, but I don't think it's the only way we pray.

When I make a card for a friend, thinking of that friend as I do it, it feels like prayer to me.  When I knit a blanket for my son who is starting college, each stitch feels like a prayer, even though my thoughts are wandering.  When I walk in the park and take pictures of the splendor that is God, it's prayer.  When I drive the car, planning a devotional, it's prayer.

For me, sometimes the best, most productive prayer is those times when I'm not speaking to God. Sometimes, I hear God best when I listen.  And that is prayer.  I wish I could say that I did it without ceasing, but I think we could all open our minds and our hearts more often to hear God speak.

Kim Matthews