Tissues

Revelation 21:4
This devotion came to me while listening to a really great new song called, There Will Be A Day by Jeremy Camp. The chorus is taken directly from the scripture I picked for today and with news of more violence in Israel I started thinking about the day that all of it will be over. Whether from violence, disease, or natural causes about 102 people die each minute! It's hard to imagine the amount of mourning that goes on in this world every second of every day. What is equally hard to imagine is that there will be a day that all of that will be forgotten when; "He (God) will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. (Revelation 21:4 NIV)" Kleenex won't be needed in heaven, that's one thing you won't have to carry around. For someone, like me who has been through difficult health problems, the fact that a day will come when my health will be perfect is exciting. A day when the blind will see, the deaf will hear, tumors will be gone, starvation banished, wars will cease, and all that will remain is the perfection God intended all the way back in the garden (of Eden). It is that which we live for and it is that which makes each day here livable. I really can't imagine how people could live a full life on this troubled earth without that kind of hope. A hope that says hang in there for the best is yet to come (to say the least). Be alert to those around you in trouble and be ready to offer them the hope that by giving their lives to Christ they can make it through the tough times and pain of this life knowing what lies ahead for those that fight the good fight of faith. With God's help you can make it through these dark days victoriously. Pray and stay strong!

A Pitcher

Romans 5:5
You could devote an entire blog on the subject of God's love for us, so one post on will barely do it justice. The first thing to understand is God is love (see 1 John 4:16); he should be next to the definition of it in the dictionary. If love is all about finding joy in making another person happy then God is like the ultimate at this. Romans 5:5 states, "Such hope never disappoints us, for God's love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." A big endless pitcher of God's love is constantly being dumped on us. God has given everything, he didn't spare his Son, and as if that weren't enough he gave us the Spirit to live inside us. I don't have a clue how many times the word love appears in the Bible, (I'm sure one of my friends in seminary would know) but it's a lot. With God being all about love it is necessary for us to be all about that as well. Jesus said the greatest commandments were to love; "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength, and the second to love your neighbor as yourself." As the Beatles sang, "all you need is love, love is all you need." Feeling warm and fuzzy yet? With us feeling lovestruck now, it is important not only to think about how we can love God more, but to reflect that love in our everyday lives. We need to be about dumping that pitcher of God's love onto everyone around us, especially unbelievers who could definitely use some of that joy in their lives. We need to pursue God's love more, meditate on it, breathe it in, and worship him. Let that be your focus today. There are so many great songs and books on God's love I could fill this page with links so I'll keep it to one of each of my favorites. Enjoy the song Love of God by MercyMe today during your quiet time.

A Bookmark

Ephesians 1:11

Sometimes it's a mere piece of paper, other times it's quite elaborate, but in the end it serves only one function, to help us keep and find our place in a book. Without it we would waste time trying to figure out where we were whenever we picked up a book to read. Another option would be to read the book straight through, but most of the time unless it's really short that's just not practical. In life many people loose their place as they go along and some may never even find the place to start. That's because we forget that, "It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone. (Ephesians 1:11, The Message)" Christ has wonderful plans for everyone, yet few plug into him and many never know him. Many people are roaming through the darkness looking for the answers, looking for something beyond the mundane, looking for their place in this world and have no idea that "apart from Christ you can do nothing (John 15:5b)." Want to find your place, your purpose, your sweet spot, your destination? Look no further than God's word. Seek him first, he is the Shepherd, he will lead you, he will make clear the way and everything will happen according to his will. Save yourself a lot of heartache and pain by giving up your control of your life. He knows you best, better than you know yourself! Search deep within yourself and consider the level of contentment you have in each area of your life. Are you living the life of your dreams? If you feel lost, off track, or unhappy spend time this weekend in His arms. Allow his light to help you find your place in this world. For more guidance in this area check out the really awesome book by Max Lucado, shown above. An inspirational song for you today is a classic, Place In This World by Michael W. Smith. If you have never given your life to Christ and need help with that click the "Need Him" link in my recommended links section. I can tell you for sure that He is the way, the truth, and the life, don't go another day without him.

A Calculator

I have a simple formula for you and it requires no calculator and no advanced math. It is this:

That's it, the most important equation you can ever work on. It is quite difficult, unlike math problems which have concrete answers, making myself decrease so Christ can increase can be quite challenging. Today's verse is a quote straight from John the Baptist in response to the shift from people coming to John for baptism to people going to Jesus to be baptized. John recognized that he came to prepare the way for Christ and now that Christ had arrived John's new job was to point others to him. His reply, "He must become greater; I must become less. (John 3:30 NIV)" John sets an excellent example for us as Christians, as our goal today should be the same as his was, to take the limelight off ourselves and point it on the one worthy of it. If we want to lead others to him the only way to do that is for us to point the way without getting in the way. It's not about us, we are simply vessels to bring others to him. After all, John was one of greatest servants of the Lord, bringing countless souls into the kingdom, if anyone had a right to feel important it was John, yet he made it clear he was not the Christ and was ready to step aside when Jesus came onto the scene. His way is hard to follow, living a life of humility and denying oneself goes against our human nature. Yet, our lives would be much better off if our pride, ego, and self-centeredness went down a few notches. When we fade into the shadows, the light of Christ within us shines more brightly. Today, think of areas in your life where you need a little more Jesus and a little less you. Also take the time to listen to Todd Agnew's, "In the Middle of Me" for some ideas.

A Hammer

Colossians 3:23-24
I spent most of the afternoon today working on a repair project at my place. As I thought carefully about how I was going to approach the job and hammered away, I tried my best to do quality work. No matter what I work on, whether for myself or others, I take pride in a job well done. It's also a challenge because I'm a bit of a perfectionist and get irritated when things don't look as good as I would've liked. I got to thinking of some things I heard when my parents were having a new house built for them a few years back. There were some on the crew that were like me and really did their best and there were others who seemed to either not care or just be poor carpenters. There were doors with trim around them easily off by 1/3 of an inch or more and it made me wonder if someone left their tape measure at home that day. For us Christians, God expects us to do our best at whatever we do. Paul wrote, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. (Colossians 3:23-24 NIV)" It doesn't matter if you collect garbage, construct buildings, or do open heart surgery, God expects nothing less than your best effort. Even more important than your paycheck is the reward God will hand you for giving it your all. Working hard with a smile also opens the door for us to witness to others when they ask why we have the work ethic we do. Today, as you head off to your "slaving job to get your pay" take a new attitude with you thinking of God as your employer; so even if you work for the sewage company, you'll make a positive impact in your workplace, and when eternal rewards are handed out, you'll come up smelling like roses.

Tape

Hebrews 10:23
Promises...God has blessed us with so many and is always faithful to deliver. He sticks with us always whether we deserve it or not. No matter how unfaithful people are God is always there waiting, coming through for us time and again. How sad it is that so often we walk away and fail to stand firm and not falter. It can especially be a challenge for us to hold fast to him, to our faith, to our hope, when times are so tough. Yet no matter how great the storm is we face, his grace, his mercy, his outstretched hands are there to bring relief. Scripture is filled with it, vast songs are sung about it, and no matter what our condition God never fails us. When you stand strong in tough times you become a great witness to those around you. When the world is crumbling it is up to us to see an opportunity. As we weather the storm, and hang tough through adversity without loosing our joy, others see that and will wonder how we can persevere through. We'll be ready to tell them of the hope we hold on to, of the solid rock we stand on, which is not of this world. It can't be brought down by natural disasters, crumbling economies, disease, corruption, or anything else! As Hebrews 10:23 says, "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful." Pray for God to encourage and strengthen you to be steadfast even when things are tough and know he will come through for you. Even if you've been torn like a piece of paper, God is the tape that will mend you. That is who he is. Listen to Hold Fast by MercyMe for some more inspiration today.

Luke 2:22-35

(I have decided from here on out that because I spend all Sunday working with children from the group home that I won't be posting a formal object devotional that night. The post that will be up for Sunday, which some may read Monday, will be based on the sermon I heard Sunday morning.)
Take a look at the scripture reading listed for today. Pastor Rob preached an excellent, passionate message about Simeon. The text talks about how Simeon had waited his whole life to see God's Messiah and had prayed that he would live long enough to see him. It's hard to imagine the thrill that came when Simeon, a very old man at the time, took Jesus in his arms and praised God for what he had done and was going to do through Christ. For us it is so easy to loose the excitement in our Christian walk, yet Simeon prepared his whole life for this one event. Do we worship God like he is preparing us for something great? Do we live each day readying ourselves for what God has in store for us? When was the last time you worshiped as if you had just received Christ for the first time? All of us go through dry periods in our faith, I know I have. It seemed for over a year I would have described myself as a lukewarm Christian, just muddling my way through each day. Fortunately, I got back on track like a slumping slugger hitting a grand slam. My dry period away from God made me thirst for what I was missing and eventually wanting that joy that comes from praising God with all that you are. Don't let yourself just remain in a rut when it comes to your faith. Whether you're on the mountaintop or in the valley, have everything or nothing in this world, you should be able to find fulfillment alone in worshiping God and telling others that Jesus saves. That's what Simeon lived for and it's all we need as well. Lord, help us to be passionate about you and live each moment in anticipation of seeing you face to face.