Devotional 7-20-07

Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants. --Deuteronomy 32:2

Not only was the Teacher wise, but also he imparted knowledge to the people. He pondered and searched out and set in order many proverbs. --Ecclesiates 12:9

In late May, I was distressed that I couldn't attend the funeral of a friend. It was the same morning as the last day of class for my 3-year-old preschool class. I called two substitutes who help us regularly, but neither could come, and I didn't want to leave "my" kids with a stranger on the last day of school. I consoled myself with the thought that John Paul Childers would certainly understand putting one's students first.

John Paul was one of the true saints of our church. He taught the College Class way-back-when, and all of us who were his students felt the warmth and commitment of one who put us first. It's not unusual for college students to drop-out of church for a few years, but John Paul kept us coming Sunday after Sunday. I recall one Sunday he showed up and announced he'd returned from vacation a day early because he didn't want to miss being with us. My friend Jean Simmons tells that several years later he came to teach the Sunday following his own son's tragic death in an automobile accident. I will always remember him hugging me the Sunday morning after the Marshall plane crash and saying, "Tears are for the living."

When I think back on those days, I can't recall many specific lessons, but I do remember that J.P. made us feel valued and loved and special. Many of John Paul's students are still active members of churches today. Hopefully we have made him proud.

Well done, good and faithful servant! .....Come and share your master's happiness!' --Matthew 25:21 Rest in peace.

Anita Gardner Farrell

Devotional 7-12-07

Serving God

Lectionary Readings: Amos 7:7-17; Psalm 82; Colossians 1:1-14; and Luke 10: 25-37.

The lectionary readings this week share a few examples of what it means to be a follower of Christ. The Psalmist urges us to “rescue the weak and needy”. God showed Amos a “plumb line” that would be used to measure the behavior of Israel. In Colossians, Paul recognizes the leadership of Epaphras (founder of the church at Colossae), who led the congregation to “bear fruit” after hearing and believing in the Good News. And in Luke, the story of the Good Samaritan—is almost too well known to retell.

I struggle on a daily basis with the conflict between desiring control and relinquishing control of my life to God. I guess I don’t mind helping others as long as I can choose the time and the place and all the “particulars”. I can contribute from a safe distance with my checkbook and feel that I’ve “done my part”. However, most of Jesus’ examples of servanthood: washing feet, caring for the injured, curing the diseased, etc. demand that we offer ourselves in a more personal nature: with our hearts and hands. The following is an inspirational song about servants from THE FAITH WE SING:

The Servant Song
by Richard Gillard

Brother, sister, let me serve you, Let me be as Christ to you;
Pray that I may have the grace to Let you be my servant, too.

We are pilgrims on a journey; we’re together on this road.
We are here to help each other Walk the mile and bear the load.

I will hold the Christ-light for you in the night-time of your fear;
I will hold my hand out to you, speak the peace you long to hear.

I will weep when you are weeping; when you laugh, I’ll laugh with you.
I will share your joy and sorrow till we’ve seen this journey through.

When we sing to God in heaven, we shall find such harmony,
Born of all we’ve known together of Christ’s love and agony.

If we consider our history, we have had many shining examples of servanthood in the persons of Biblical figures, religious leaders, ministers, teachers, missionaries, family, friends and coworkers. What servant-like actions have we observed that we can model in our own lives? You can rely on the probability that all the best role models provided examples of person-to-person assistance—“up close and personal”. What endeavors, challenges or opportunities for service is God calling us to take on? It may be that a check is all that is required, but it also may be that we need to invest some actual muscle or sweat. Whatever is required, God promises to guide each step. The way has been prepared by those who have showed us their examples. Each of us has unique gifts and talents—What will be our response to God’s call?

Dear Father and Mother who provides all the loving examples for us to follow: Help us to do your will so that we may all be “caught being like Jesus” in our daily walk. Help us to hear Your voice above the din of the world’s noise so that our path may be clear. Thank you for our role models and the gifts of servanthood that they have shared with us. As Jesus taught us, AMEN.

Chyrl Budd

July 6, 2007 Devotional

Psalm 30
A psalm. A song. For the dedication of the temple. Of David.
1 I will exalt you, O LORD,
for you lifted me out of the depths
and did not let my enemies gloat over me.
2 O LORD my God, I called to you for help
and you healed me.
3 O LORD, you brought me up from the grave;
you spared me from going down into the pit.
4 Sing to the LORD, you saints of his;
praise his holy name.
5 For his anger lasts only a moment,
but his favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may remain for a night,
but rejoicing comes in the morning.
6 When I felt secure, I said,
"I will never be shaken."
7 O LORD, when you favored me,
you made my mountain stand firm;
but when you hid your face,
I was dismayed.
8 To you, O LORD, I called;
to the Lord I cried for mercy:
9 "What gain is there in my destruction,
in my going down into the pit?
Will the dust praise you?
Will it proclaim your faithfulness?
10 Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me;
O LORD, be my help."
11 You turned my wailing into dancing;
you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
12 that my heart may sing to you and not be silent.
O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever.

As I read this passage I could not help but to think of the people in Mississippi that our Mission Team had just served a few weeks ago. Here were persons that had been thrust into despair nearly two years ago when a devil of a hurricane (Katrina) turned their lives upside down. Some had lost everything, some had their homes damaged, others had fled, to what they thought was safety, but only to be followed by this same storm. And when returning home heard gun shots just down the street from their house. They were not in despair nor were they wailing from the destruction. For their GOD had lifted them out of the depths. How strong the faith of Miss Edna, Mr. Robinson, Mr. Hinchman, Diane and Vicki. As I refect upon this passage and on the people in Mississippi I know that know matter what falls on me GOD is there to lift me up. GOD will be merciful to me, "for his favor lasts a lifetime" and I will sing to the Lord my GOD and give him thanks forever.

Side note, Since March of this year GOD has called nearly 8000 persons to serve the people of Mississippi . Praise be to GOD!!!

Fred Herr

June 29, 2007 Devotional

Waiting and Listening
“Life comes at you fast”, is a slogan used by a national insurance company to advertise their services for helping consumers prepare for life…”whenever it happens”. Humorous as these ads are, they do depict a reality that sometimes things just happen. However, when inevitable delays or unforeseen events upset our universe, it is important to remember that life does not revolve around you–it revolves around the Son!

It is easy to feel anxious and look within our own abilities to create more desirable outcomes, especially when something does not meet our expectations. But it is in these trying times that we can experience God’s work in our lives on a more personal level by waiting and listening. Yes, waiting and listening is difficult. We may want to hear what God has to say, but we don't take time to listen. As a result, we forget that God is not a puzzle to be solved. Rather, He's a friend to be known and enjoyed. And He’s telling us, "Be still and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10, KJV). For it is in stillness that we come face to face with the living Lord who knows and loves us beyond our imagination.

David knew about waiting. Samuel anointed the young David as king of Israel, but he did not automatically become king. As a military leader, few people experienced as much success as ; David. Yet David slew a bear and a lion long before he encountered Goliath. Was David fearful or anxious? Maybe, but God was working in David during his shepherd days, giving him experiences that would build his courage and prepare him for what was to come. As such, his faith grew as he prayed and saw the Lord’s presence during these memorable experiences.

And so it is with us today. True, often we want too much, too soon. It is common for us to become fearful or angry when tragedy strikes, and at times, immediately seek an internal means to conquer or escape the situation. But the Lord works in us over time, helping us to develop and hone certain skills, in the end making us effective and successful. Have you waited to hear what He has to say during times of trouble? Pray and be still. In doing so, you will discover that waiting on God's timing always rewards you with His very best.

Mike Little

June 22, 2007 Devotional

The Courage to Depend upon God

I Kings 19:1-15a

Elijah had exhausted himself serving the Lord. Read chapter 18 of I Kings, and you will find Elijah being incredibly strong in his work as a prophet. He had confronted the 450 prophets of the Canaanite God Baal on Mount Carmel and challenged them to ‘dueling altars.’ They had prepared their altar, but instead of lighting it, had called upon Baal to light it. Nothing happened. Then Elijah had water poured over the Lord’s altar, and prayed for the Lord to ignite it. The altar was completely consumed by fire. Then he had proclaimed to Ahab the King that the drought that had lasted for over three years was going to be broken by rain, and it was. But being the conduit of God’s power and work in that way is exhausting.

Thus it was that shortly thereafter he fled from Israel and went to the mountain of God. It was there that God found him in the cave and spoke to him in the still, small voice after the earthquake, wind, and fire. And as God spoke in that voice, Elijah was strengthened and challenged to return to Israel and to return to the work to which God had called him.

It is a real temptation, friends, to fill our lives with activity, even church activities, that keeps us busy from sun up to sun down, day after day. And yet, without the time for God’s still, small voice to be heard we cannot sustain our efforts. I don’t think any of us have called down fire from heaven or have commanded rain from the clouds lately, but we find all kinds of things to fill our time, and those things are all incredibly important.

But, if we don’t stop and spend time alone with God we won’t hear the still, small voice that gives us strength for whatever lies ahead. Take time each day to listen to God.

…take time to be holy, speak oft with thy Lord!

Amen.

Joe Shreve

June 15, 2007 Devotional

Our Fathers Love

A parents love...the overwhelming joy you feel as you hold your child for the first time, the trepidation you feel as you realize all the potential that it is your responsibility to shape. The proud swelling of your heart as you watch your child grow and develop. The gut wrenching fear that clutches your heart when your child is in danger...or maybe just a little late getting home. The heart ache of occasionally watching your child stumble and fall. What we wouldn't do to keep our children safe, to spare them pain. Their pain is harder to bear than our own. We would gladly give our lives to spare theirs. A parents love...all encompassing, unconditional love that frees children to explore their world, and gives them the confidence to spread their wings and eventually fly on their own.

Gods love, like a parents love, but multiplied many times, gives us the freedom to make our own choices. How painful it must be for him to watch us stumble and fall, to watch us make poor choices, to have us cut ourselves off from him. How much joy it must bring when we allow his love to be the "wind beneath our wings." Just as we would give our lives for our children God loved us enough to send his son, a perfect son that he loved, of whom he was "well pleased." He sent him to give his life for us, to be tortured for us, to die a horrible death for us. Amazing love, amazing grace...a heavenly fathers love.

Margaret Williams

June 8, 2007 Devotional

"It sticks out like a sore thumb!" So goes the old saying to which I had never given much thought until very recently. I mean, why a sore thumb and why would it stick out?

On the way to our vacation destination in South Carolina we spent two nights at the home of our friends in Charlotte. They are just like family to us and it's very much, "mi casa, su casa".

Saturday morning and I'm in the kitchen looking for a sharp knife to slice this large Panera Bread bagel. I found the sharp knife and sliced the bagel.......and a good portion of my left thumb. OUCH!

I'll spare you the gory details of stemming the flow and not going to the Emergency Room as our friends suggested, but for several days it was definitely "thumb(s) up" for me and the thumb did indeed stick out. That's when I found out how important is the thumb. Try doing simple things like buttoning a shirt or tying a shoelace without using your thumb.

I hope you are still with me because I feel there is a message here. Since we are the body of Christ what happens if one of us cannot be used? For one reason or another there are times when we feel spiritually useless in our prayer life and we may be tempted to stop praying but then we are reminded to "pray without ceasing". (1 Thess. 5:17 KJV)

At times we may be discouraged in our Christian witness to others but then there is the charge to "run with patience the race that is set before us" (Hebrews 12:1 KJV)

Each and every one of us has a charge to uphold, a part to play, so "let us not be weary in well doing" (Gal. 6:9 KJV). Just like my little sore thumb the part each of us plays in the Christian life will be missed if we don't continue by God's grace to do whatever He has chosen for us to do.

Thanks to Jeff Taylor for the following:
Dear God, by the Power of Your Holy Spirit, create us anew.
Give us the breath to sing your praises and the faith to soar with you.
Give us power to discern what you call us to be and to do.
Come Holy Spirit, come!
Amen

Jean Dean