Broken Pieces

Reading for today: Romans 8:28

Retrieved from elizabethhagen.com

Every summer my parents, sister, and I would crowd into our small car and head south from New Hampshire to visit family. After the first few hours we would be sweaty and grumpy, drinking ice water from a thermos to keep cool.

I remember when my parents finally bought a car with air conditioning, a sky blue Dodge Spirit. We were excited to hit the road that summer. Unfortunately, by the time we crossed the Massachusetts border, we heard a loud crunch and dad noticed in the rear-view mirror that something had fallen out of the bottom of the car.

He pulled over, grabbed the pieces of our car, and prayed the car would start. It did. But the air conditioning we were anticipating never came on again.

Nine hot, sweaty, and grumpier than usual hours later, we arrived at my grandparents’ home. My dad drove the broken car to the nearest mechanic.

The mechanic asked my father what seemed to be the problem. My dad replied, “I’m not sure, but I think these have something to do with it.” He laid the broken pieces of his car on the counter.

The mechanic laughed, recognizing the pieces. He fixed our car and we had air conditioning from then on.

While life can be full of joy, it can also be full of broken pieces. When you break down, don’t forget to grab the pieces. Bring them straight to God. Lay them on His counter. He’ll recognize the pieces and know exactly how to fix them, but usually in ways you never expected.

Dear God, I am broken in this area:________________________. I need you to put my pieces back together. Fix it, Lord. Make me new. Show me the good you have intended for my life. Amen.

As you meditate on God’s power of redemption, listen to Ellie Holcomb’s testimony and song, The Broken Beautiful.

Day 2 – Psalm 51:10-12

Day 3 – Psalm 34:17-19

Day 4 – Psalm 147:3

Day 5 – 2 Corinthians 4:6-10

 

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Near to the brokenhearted

Reading for today: Psalm 51

“God’s true nature is to love people who are troubled, have mercy on those who are brokenhearted, forgive those who have fallen, and refresh those who are exhausted” (Martin Luther).

 

I used to facilitate an outreach program aimed at caring for international mothers and their children. Amazing volunteers worked alongside me to care for the mental health, physical, and spiritual needs of these under-served women and children.

I’ll never forget, one of the women, Alice, articulated our mission in this way: These women don’t need to be told that they are sinners, these women need to be told that they are loved.

Alice said this because as Christians we have a tendency to go to the broken, the lost, the hurting, and the lonely of this world and hand them the law. We do it to ourselves as well.

But Christ’s mission was to go to those who already felt the pain and weight of the law and offer them His mercy, His love, His forgiveness, His hope, and His righteousness.

God does not despise the brokenhearted. In fact, He takes our brokenness and fills it completely with His grace and forgiveness. He upholds us with His Spirit. And He wraps us up in His arms, forever holding onto us with His love.

“None of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned” (Psalm 34:22).

Dear God, Thank You for Your unbelievable love. Please forgive me for thinking that I need to be righteous in order for You to be a Savior. Deliver me from my loneliness, from my despair, from my broken heart, from my afflictions, and from my sins. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Amen.

Music is a powerful form of worship. Click on the following link to worship our Savior through the music of Elevation Worship – O Come to the Altar.

Day 2 – Psalm 34

Day 3 – 1 Corinthians 1:27-31; 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

Day 4 – Luke 18:9-14

Day 5 – Philippians 4:4-7

 

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It Is Well

Reading for today: Matthew 8:23-27

Jesus Calms the Storm by Laura James

One of the most difficult times for my family was the recent death of my mother-in-law, Cheryl. She died just a few years ago of a progressive cancer called multiple myeloma. The time between a proper diagnosis of her disease and her final breath was about 56 days.

Raging winds, crashing waves, and a swamped boat. Cheryl’s struggle with cancer was a massive storm for our family.

When you or your loved ones are in the middle of a powerful storm, that storm will begin to make you feel as though God is no longer in control, even if you are a seasoned Christian.

In our reading for today, the disciples knew firsthand, as seasoned fishermen, the destructive power of a great storm. Their fear tells us how bad the storm they faced really was.

Yet, even more powerful than the storm, was the voice of Jesus as he stood and rebuked the wind and the waves. The moment he spoke, the storm disappeared and was replaced by a “great calm” (v.26).

While it may not always seem as though God is in control, always remember and be comforted that the winds and the waves must obey Him.

Although God did not stop the storm inside Cheryl’s body, God calls me to trust in His sovereignty and in His timing. He calls me to faith and He reminds me that I have nothing to fear because He is in control.

Dear God, the storm I face right now is ___________________. Please speak truth into my life. If it is Your will, please rebuke this storm. If it is not Your will, give me the faith to trust in Your sovereignty and take away my fear. In Your name, I pray. Amen.

During that agonizing and confusing time of Cheryl’s death, our church music team in St. Louis performed a song one Sunday morning entitled “It Is Well” (Bethel Music). One particular line of the song is: “So let it go my soul and trust in Him. The waves and wind still know His name.” God used this song to speak His comfort into my soul. Click on the link below to use this song as a prayer.

Bethel Music “It Is Well”

This week we will read one more account of Jesus literally calming a storm. We will also read through a few comforting Psalms.

Day 2 – Mark 6:45-51

Day 3 – Psalm 46

Day 4 – Psalm 89:8-9

Day 5 – Psalm 62

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a heart after You: week 4

Reading for this week: Psalm 32

But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord. ~ 2 Samuel 12:27

This week you will read about the lowest point in David’s life. As you read this story, though, you won’t feel sympathy toward him. Instead, your heart will probably go out to the man he murdered and to the child who died as a consequence. Then, you will start to question whether or not God had it right when he called David, “a man after my own heart”.

In the shadow of David’s shame, in the horror of what he had done, David even has the audacity to turn to God and ask for mercy.

This week as you read the story of David and Bathsheba and Psalm 51, pay attention, not to the grievous sins of a king, but to his process of restoration. As you read, look for these three responses: confession, prayer, and worship. Then answer the question: How is David’s heart like God’s, even through this tragedy?

*Hint: After this week, there should be no doubt in your mind that you too can have a heart like God’s own heart.

Dear God, My sin is always before me. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Amen.

This week let’s read about the whole story of David and Bathsheba.

Day 2 – 2 Samuel 11

Day 3 – 2 Samuel 12:1-14

Day 4 – 2 Samuel 12:15-24

Day 5 – Psalm 51

 

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Tough times

Reading for this week: James 1:1-12

I work in education and this school year is already set to be one of my toughest. It’s only October and I am already feeling burned out. Deep breathes, a good night’s sleep, and large, strong coffees are necessary to get through every day.

Last week, however, my coworker said to me, “You know, I need to stop complaining about everything that’s going wrong and remember that there is a reason why things are the way they are.”

In the Book of James, there are basically 3 steps in coping with unwanted trials. (And unbelievably, coffee does not make the list.)

1. Count it joy.

By far the hardest, “count it joy” means that we look at our trials dead-on and record them in our “things to be grateful for” list, which is counter-intuitive and in a lot of situations the opposite of what we want to do.

2. Be patient.

We thank God for our trials and allow patience (not impatient or anger) to be the side effect of our trial. Let that hard-practiced patience have its full effect. God promises that it will give way to perfection and completeness in Christ, where we lack nothing.

3. Ask God, in faith, for wisdom.

My favorite one, yet so many times I forget to ask for it. The best coping strategy in the middle of any trial and the best help in our quest to be joyful and patient in affliction is the Holy Spirit’s guidance. And God promises to give it to you. Just ask.

Dear God, Right now I am struggling with _______________________________. You have allowed this to happen but you have promised to give me wisdom, patience, and help in my time of need. Give me all those blessings and grant me the strength to say, “Thank you for this trial.” Amen.

God blesses those who endure their trials in faith. As you read the passages below this week, study those blessings!

Day 2 – Romans 5:1-5

Day 3 – Romans 8:18-28

Day 4 – Hebrews 12:1-13

Day 5 – Psalm 34

 

 

 

 

 

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“Hey! You Denied My Miracle”: 3 Studies on God’s Timing – Part 3

Reading for today: Luke 22:39-53

How many times have you asked God for a miracle? And how many times have you been denied? In our first two studies, Jairus and Lazarus’ sisters all asked for a miracle and got it. They struggled with God’s timing, but in the end, they all received a miracle, even better than they had expected.

What about when you, in faith, ask for a miracle but you don’t get it. What about when God chooses to deny your request? God answers your patient waiting, not with a “yes”, or a “maybe”, or a “later”, but with a cold, unexplainable “no”. When God says no and His timing seems to work against you, you have all the ingredients for despair.

So what better way to end a series on God’s timing, then with an example of Jesus’ own denied request. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus begged God to take away the coming cross and his death. And the answer he received was an unmistakable “no”.

Jesus denied? Up until this point, Jesus hadn’t been denied anything. He had asked for healing and got it. He had asked for understanding and received it. He had asked for miracles, and they came. He asked for the Spirit, and the Spirit was granted. But then one of his last requests was denied. Why? Because God’s timing for our salvation was right on track and Jesus’ request would have derailed God’s plan for us.

In his heart, Jesus knew this, so attached to his desperate prayer were 7 of the most important words ever uttered. “Not my will, but yours be done.” And thank God, that prayer was answered.

When you grapple with God’s timing in your life or in the lives of those around you, know that, like Jesus, you can ask God for wisdom, for clarity, for answers, and for a miracle. But also pray those 7 important words from Jesus, “Not my will, but yours be done.” It may not feel good, but God’s will being done is always best. Trust Him.

Dear God, Right now, I am asking for ___________________________. Not my will, but Yours be done. Amen.

Day 2 – Romans 5:6; Galatians 4:4-7

Day 3 – 2 Peter 3:8-9; James 1:5

Day 4 – Proverbs 3:5-6; Jeremiah 29:11-14

Day 5 – Matthew 6:9-13

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Temptation and Our Coat of Many Colors

Reading for today: Genesis 39:1-23

Painting by Richard McBee

Joseph had lost another coat. His first coat, an expensive coat of many colors, was destroyed when his brothers betrayed him. That coat had symbolized favor and wealth. Yet, in an instant, he went from the privileged son of a great nomadic leader, to a stripped Ishmaelite slave.

But Joseph found favor again. His new Egyptian master, Potiphar, recognized Joseph’s talent and made him second in command. He was clothed as a high servant, no longer a meager slave.

Painting by Richard McBee

Potiphar’s wife, however, also noticed Joseph and tried to seduce him. Joseph resisted the temptation but lost another coat as he ran from her. That coat had also symbolized favor and wealth. And when he lost it, he found himself in prison.

Resisting temptation is not simply a matter of choosing what’s right over what’s wrong. If that were the case, resistance would be easy. Resisting temptation, however, usually involves a sacrifice.

In the case of Joseph, he knew what favor and wealth felt like. And when he had it again in Potiphar’s house, it fit like a glove. He was successful and well loved. Resisting Potiphar’s wife came at great sacrifice. It cost him the favor and wealth he had finally regained.

That’s what makes temptation so hard. We see immediate benefits lying on the other side of temptation. Benefits we feel we deserve. Coveting those benefits drives us to excuse our actions, convincing ourselves that the ends will justify the means. On the other hand, choosing to say no to a temptation involves a sacrifice that seems unfair and difficult. In extreme cases, like Joseph’s, that sacrifice may cost us everything we’ve worked so hard to achieve.

But Joseph’s story does not end there. While his decision to resist Potiphar’s wife cost him his position and years in prison, God clothed him again in a royal coat, as Pharaoh’s second-in-command (Genesis 41: 42).

When you are faced with temptation, the temptation to leave your wife or love someone other than your husband, or take the answer key for a test or cover up fraud or break a promise, remember two things. One, temptation is never just about you. Your decisions affect your relationship with others and with God. Two, there is always a way out. That way may seem unfair or difficult, but it never goes unnoticed by God. He promises to both help you and bless you.

While we may never wear the coat of royalty as Joseph did, we are promised royal clothing. Isaiah 61:10 rejoices in God’s promise to the faithful, “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness.”

Painting by Deborah Waldron Fry

Dear God, I am feeling pressure about ______________________. You know what’s right for me to do. Teach me Your ways and help me walk in them. No matter the consequences, I will trust in You. Amen.

Be encouraged this week by what these Biblical authors have to say about temptation and God’s help for us. Psalm 51 is especially important to read because there are many times where we fail and need God’s forgiveness and his help to get back on track.

Day 2 – Hebrews 13:4-6

Day 3 – Hebrews 2:14-18

Day 4 – I Corinthians 10:12-14

Day 5 – Psalm 51

*Thanks to Pastor Steve, his Bible study was the springboard for this devotional

 

 

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Runner’s Guide

Reading for today: Hebrews 12:1-11

The longest race I’ve ever run is a 25K, that’s about 15 ½ miles. When you are running a race that long, it is never called the “Fun Run” or the “Turkey Trot”, because it is not fun and you are not trotting. On the contrary, running a race that long, even for the seasoned runner, is very difficult and requires months of training.

But for most people who have accomplished a race of that magnitude, they know that the pain and preparation were worth it. Not only do they feel the immediate “runner’s high” (the flood of endorphins into the brain, causing feelings of euphoria*), but they also enjoy a long-lasting sense of pride in their accomplishment.

The author of Hebrews describes the Christian life as a long-distance race.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a crowd of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who or the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” ~Hebrews 12:1-2

by Runner’s World

That very long-distance sentence is packed with training tips for life.

1. Be encouraged because we are not alone in this race. We are surrounded by witnesses and fellow runners.
2. Sin and distractions slows us down. Get rid of them.
3. We are to run the race marked out for us. Not any other route.
4. Jesus is the rabbit, the pacesetter, and the one we follow. He is the one we look to for guidance because he is the one who calls us to run this race. He knows the route and he will lead us the whole way.
5. Jesus knows the joy or the euphoria waiting at the end because he has already run the race perfectly.

Racing is about convincing your body to do something that will hurt. Why? Because you know that in the end, it will be amazing. Likewise, walking with faith through this life requires discipline and sometimes pain, but it is ultimately for good, preparing us for eternal life.

Dear Jesus, Help us to run the race you have set before us. Lead us. Help us not to get lost, not to get sidetracked. Lead us to the finish line, which sometimes seems so far away. Amen.

Readings for this week:

Day 2 – 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Day 3 – Philippians 3:8-14; 4:13

Day 4 – Proverbs 4:11-18

Day 5 – 2 Timothy 4:6-8

 

 

*Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/27/health/nutrition/27best.html?_r=0 on April 10, 2016

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The Power to Save: A six-week study on the powers of Jesus: Week 2

We are continuing to study the powers of Jesus. Powers, that when combined, make Jesus mighty to save. Last week, we looked at Jesus’ power over disease and affliction. This week we will study Jesus’ power over evil.

Temptation of Jesus in the Desert by Daniel Bonnell

Reading for this week: Matthew 4:1-11

“…With power and authority he commands the unclean spirits” ~Luke 4:36b

I am afraid that we think that Jesus and evil, or Jesus and Satan are equal opposites.

Just a few centuries after Jesus was on earth, an eastern philosophical concept was born: yin-yang. Quite beautiful and logical, yin-yang is the dualistic understanding that in order to have wholeness or balance in life, you need both “light”(white) and “dark” (black). And within light there is a bit of darkness, within darkness there is a bit of light. Each leading into each other, and interdependent.

Examples of yin-yang are night (yin) and day (yang), female (yin) and male (yang). You can see how the world can easily be classified under a yin-yang lense.

While I have oversimplified this philosophy, my point is that we have wrongly placed Jesus and Satan into the yin-yang circle. And in so doing, we have bought into two dangerous concepts.

Temptation of Christ by Jason Hawn

One, we see Satan as Jesus’ perfect compliment – his perfect match. The angel on one shoulder, the devil on the other. Who will win? We aren’t sure, for we believe they are equally matched.

And two, we believe that neither Jesus nor Satan are absolutes. In other words, Jesus and Satan are interdependent upon each other. And we may even go so far as to think that Jesus is good, but not absolutely good. And that Satan is evil, but not absolutely evil.

Never forget that while our world seems to fit nicely into the yin-yang framework, Jesus is not of this world. He is absolute. He is perfect. He is God. And while Satan and his evil spirits are adversaries of Jesus for a designated time, they are not His equals.

Be confident in this: Jesus has full power over the devil and all his works and all his ways (Hebrews 2:14-18; 1 John 3:8; Colossians 1:13-14). And we can rest under his promised protection.

Dear Jesus, You have full power over evil. Protect us from evil in your name. Give us the power to trust you, to fill our hearts with your saving faith, and give us the courage to lead other hearts to you. Amen.

“The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.” ~Psalm 121:7

(artist unknown)

On Day 2, you will read a complicated teaching. Simply stated, Jesus claims that if your heart is not filled with God’s spirit, then it is open to be filled with other spirits. Those other spirits may be obviously evil, Satan-worshipping and the like. Or those spirits may be subtly evil, to the point of even seeming good. But Jesus reminds us that goodness and truth come from God alone. Any truth, any spirit not of God, is against God.

This week, as you read these accounts, continue to ask yourself the following questions: Why is this story included in the Bible? What can I learn about Jesus from this story?

Day 2 – Luke 11:14-28

Day 3 – Matthew 8:28-34

Day 4 – Mark 5:1-20; 6:53-56

Day 5 – Mark 6:7-13; Luke 10:1; 10:17-20; Mark 9:14-29

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Love in the Time of Barley: The Ruth Story

“Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you” (Ruth 1:16-17).

(This week we will read the book of Ruth.)

The book of Ruth opens with the introduction of an Israelite woman named Naomi. Naomi, her husband, and two sons had moved from Israel to a foreign place (Moab) to escape a famine. While there, Naomi’s husband tragically died. Her sons married two Moabite women, Ruth and Orpah. And after a time, both of Naomi’s sons died as well, leaving all three wives destitute.

Unable to take care of herself, Naomi prepared to return to her homeland. She graciously encouraged both Ruth and Orpah to return to their families to seek a better life. Orpah followed Naomi’s advice, but Ruth clung to her mother-in-law. The opening chapter concludes with Ruth’s resolve and the two of them traveling together to Naomi’s hometown, Bethlehem.

They arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest. Israel divided its year into two seasons: the rainy season and the dry season. The barley harvest normally occurred at the end of the rainy season.

Naomi and Ruth were both literally and figuratively coming to the end a rainy season: a season that had initially left Naomi hurting, empty and bitter. Yet God was not fit to leave these women in such a state. He was about to bless them both immensely.

While gleaning in the barley fields as a pauper, Ruth met a man named Boaz. He owned the fields where she gleaned and took an interest in her. He kindheartedly made sure she was safe and asked his reapers to leave extra stalks for her to collect.

The story quickly develops into a selfless love story between Ruth and her “kinsman-redeemer,” Boaz. Ending with the couple’s engagement at the threshing floor for six measures of barley. Their marriage not only saved Ruth and Naomi from extreme poverty, but also continued the lineage that would eventually lead to our Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

I don’t know whether God causes rain to fall in our lives or if he just uses it. Regardless, whenever I have experienced a time of rain, whether it was a light drizzle or a torrential downpour, the experience has inevitably brought me closer to God. And as I arrive at the other side of a rainy season, I can look back and be grateful to God, because I know that if there had not been a change in weather, I would not be sitting in the center of God’s harvest.

“We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God—those whom he has called according to his plan.” Romans 8:28

Dear God, You know that _________________ is going on in my life. Give me peace. Give me help. Take me through this and lead me to the other side. Amen.

Let’s read Ruth’s story this week.

Day 2: Ruth 1

Day 3: Ruth 2

Day 4: Ruth 3

Day 5: Ruth 4

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