Vision: Day 7

Devotion by: Kara Haug

Jeremiah 29:11-14

For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you. When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart, I will let you find me, says the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.

I love this passage because it reminds me to dream and to trust in God.

I remember the first time I was introduced to the verse Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord.” I was working at a summer Christian day camp for low-income families called SHARE, sponsored by the Salvation Army. I was out on the playground with around 100 kids and the other nine counselors playing. At a random moment, which we often experienced at that camp, a young boy named Zachary came up to me. He said, “We made these at my church yesterday and I thought you should have it.” He handed me a laminated leaf with the verse 29:11 printed neatly on top.

This was especially poignant to me because one, I am a lover of trees so the leaf itself spoke to me, but also within a few weeks I would be heading off to college, six hours away where I knew no one and to a school that was against my father’s wishes. I like to call that gift from Zachary a “God moment.” I still have that leaf. It travels between my planner and Bible.

Attending that college was one of the best things I have ever done. It was the first place I felt free and it became a place where I started my deep exploration of my faith. It also clarified the knowing I had all along that it was there that I needed to go. It was the silent “yes” that sounds off in your being when you know you are doing the best thing for yourself.

This passage reminds me to dream and trust God. I don’t have a hard time dreaming, I do it constantly. I even wrote poems about it in fourth grade, but I do have a hard time trusting. This is why verse 12 and 13 are so important. “Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” I don’t necessarily believe that God has a map for my life, but I believe the plan that is set for me is when my heart, mind, and soul are in full communion with the Holy Spirit, even if it is for a split second.

When I am in constant communication with God is when my “God Moments” usually happen. This communication could fall into the categories of listening, unending prayer of fear and confusion, or giving thanks, or the moments when I am ticked off at God. It is in these times when I am getting close to my core, to that communion, and it was that small laminated leaf that opened me up to this process.

The plans God has for us are those silent “yeses” that quiet our being as if the whole universe aligns and makes perfect sense. Some of these times for me were: serving as a camp counselor; dancing in worship and helping others to move; sitting on a plane heading toward seminary in Berkeley; giving people the opportunity for their voices to be heard by leading a writing group; speaking painful truths to family members; and living daily in my marriage. By seeking God and our dreams, we are lead out of the captivity created by us and by our world. The plans God has for us are to live our dreams and to be our authentic selves while living in communion with God and His/Her creation.

PRAYER: Lord, today may I be in constant communication with you. I pray that I will seek what is inside of my heart to have a better understanding of myself and of you in my life. Thank you for living along side me and being a constant in my life. I pray for moments and opportunities where I can feel our communion. Amen.

Vision: Day 6

Devotion by: Greg Maxwell

Romans 8:24-25

For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Hope is the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best. Saint Paul writes to the Romans about how our salvation is tied to our past, present, and future. It is past because we were saved at the moment we accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and personal savior. Our everlasting and eternal life began at that moment. In the present, we are being saved because we put our trust and faith in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. We confess our sins and share in Communion to receive salvation and forgiveness of our sins. Our salvation is in the future because we have not yet received all the blessings that will be ours when we join the heavenly host in the paradise that God has prepared for us. While we can be confident in our salvation, we look forward with hope to what lies ahead beyond our time on earth. Because of our faith, Christians have hope for a better life to come as well as the patience to work toward a better life for all here on Earth.

Here at Christ the King, we have begun to see our hope. Through God's grace and the influence of the Holy Spirit, we have a vision to connect the world through God’s Grace. We have embarked on a patient journey to begin a capital campaign of hope for what we do not yet have, a hope that builds on the foundation of our church’s first 25 years of ministry, and prepares Christ the King to do even more in the next 25 years of our ministry. With hope, faith, and commitment, we can all help to achieve our mission by making the sacrificial offering to our ‘Turning Silver Into Gold Campaign for Christ the King”.

PRAYER: Living God, through faith, hope and love, you guide us through our life on earth, we thank you for these spiritual virtues and ask that you strengthen our own faith, hope, and love, and guide us to be instruments of your grace and mercy. Amen

Vision: Day 5

Devotion by: Gloria Rossbach

Isaiah 49:18-21

Lift up your eyes all around and see;
they all gather, they come to you.
As I live, says the Lord,
you shall put all of them on like an ornament,
and like a bride you shall bind them on.

Surely your waste and your desolate places
and your devastated land—
surely now you will be too crowded for your inhabitants,
and those who swallowed you up will be far away.
The children born in the time of your bereavement
will yet say in your hearing:
‘The place is too crowded for me;
make room for me to settle.’
Then you will say in your heart,
‘Who has borne me these?
I was bereaved and barren,
exiled and put away—
so who has reared these?
I was left all alone—
where then have these come from?’

As a teacher I often wonder about former students: where they are, what they’re doing, what further education they may have pursued. I know I had a vision for my career as an educator: it was to be the best that I could be and reach out and help as many children as possible and make them lifelong readers. It’s a vision/goal I had when I began my career and one that I continue to have.

Recently I received an email from a student that I had in second grade twenty years ago. She was living in Austin, Texas and had been thinking about her worldview and how books and reading had impacted her life. She felt compelled to search for my address to let me know that she credited me with having taught her to read and given her a love of reading and books and that both had helped to inform her thinking and to inspire her to major in English and begin a career working with at-risk students.

The book of Isaiah (my favorite Old Testament book) is full of visions. The first half of the book deals with the people and their sins, and the judgment that will be given to them. But the second half of the book becomes one of redemption and forgiveness. God continues to love his people in spite of the many times they fail to do what they are meant to do and they are frequently unfaithful.

In the verses of chapter 49 the people are discouraged even though they have returned from exile. The city is in ruins, but they are assured that God has not forgotten them. The vision that Isaiah describes is that God has great love for the city and its citizens. The people would see their city restored and people from many nations would come in such great numbers that the city would not be able to house them all. Their faith is alive and well and will sustain them.

PRAYER: Lord, we are grateful for your goodness and care of us. We know that we are not always focused on your vision for our lives and we beg your patience for our failures. We are thankful that your grace and forgiveness are constant and within our reach. Please help us to know the vision your have for us. We pray that through our daily conversations with you we will be able to follow the path to that vision. Amen.

Vision: Day 4

Devotion by: Joni White

Hebrews 6:17-20

In the same way, when God desired to show even more clearly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it by an oath, so that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible that God would prove false, we who have taken refuge might be strongly encouraged to seize the hope set before us. We have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters the inner shrine behind the curtain, where Jesus, a forerunner on our behalf, has entered, having become a high priest for ever according to the order of Melchizedek.

Today’s visionary verses were written to Jewish people who had converted to Christianity at a time when Christians were in grave danger of being brutalized by the Romans, two generations after the death of Jesus. At their lowest point, shunned by their families and neighbors, living in fear of arrest and persecution, they could take comfort in these words. They were assured of God’s promise of resurrection, a promised secured by an oath. Knowing of both the promise and the oath, these early Christians had “this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul . . ..”

Only the High Priest of the Levites could pass through the curtain to approach the Ark of the Covenant—and that was only once per year, on the Day of Atonement. The High Priest asked God to forgive all the Hebrews for their sins on that day. If God allowed the High Priest to come back outside, it meant the population had been granted forgiveness. The writer was using Old Testament imagery to both reassure the people of God’s steadfastness, and demonstrate that Christ has removed the barriers between us and God. These words give me vision, hope and assurance that God encourages me to communicate with him through prayer, music, meditation and worship anytime and anywhere.

PRAYER: Jesus our hope, thank you for being our unchanging anchor, firm and secure. You are our high priest forever! Amen.

Vision: Day 3

Devotion by: Gale Bobzien

Joel 2:28-29

Then afterwards
I will pour out my spirit on all flesh;
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your old men shall dream dreams,
and your young men shall see visions.
Even on the male and female slaves,
in those days, I will pour out my spirit.

As a little girl, I used to dream of traveling to far away places. One of the exotic places I had read about was Java. Who would have thought that this Iowa farm girl would one day travel to Java and spend a couple weeks there on business just months before the tsunami? As I prepare to travel to another foreign destination, I am reminded how some of our dreams come true while others may not.

God’s visions, on the other hand, are as sure as his promises. In today’s reading, the prophet Joel tells us:

I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh;

Your sons and daughters shall prophesy,

Your old men shall dream dreams,

And your young men shall see visions.

Those words are repeated by Peter in Acts 2:16-18. According to notes in the Life Application Study Bible, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit predicted by Joel occurred on Pentecost. Just as the promised Messiah was fulfilled in Jesus, so also the prophecy of Joel was fulfilled.

King David, although not a prophet like Joel, was a man of a vision. He wanted to build a temple for the Lord. God let David know that he was not the one; the temple would be built by his son, Solomon. But that did not deter David. He planned; he prepared; he provided building materials. His vision, planning, and foresight benefited others and came to fruition during the reign of his son, King Solomon. May we so share our visions for the benefit of others.

PRAYER: Gracious and merciful God, we thank you for sending your Son to pay a debt He didn’t owe because we owed a debt we couldn’t pay. We thank you for giving us dreams and visions, knowing that we are not limited by the present. Help us to use our God-given vision in the service of Your people. Guide our congregation in its vision of turning silver to gold as we plan, prepare, and provide. This we pray in the name of our risen Lord, Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Vision: Day 2

Devotion by: Ben & Sue Sottile

Acts 1:6-9

So when they had come together, they asked him, ‘Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He replied, ‘It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.

Acts 1:6-9 is a good news message as well as wake up call for all of us as we continue to follow the word and works of Jesus Christ. We followed this calling when we assumed leadership roles in our local community homeowner’s association. We had been quietly observing the development of the community and realized that we were not committed to a long-term plan, instead spending extravagantly to maintain a golf course look. Mowing costs alone contributed to 40% of our annual budget with little return on investment. We proposed a multi-year landscaping management plan that consisted of maintenance as well as an investment in trees, shrubs and groundcover to provide permanent enhancements to the beauty of the countryside. The community rallied around this idea and many helped plant 100 pine trees, many different shrubs and much more that still stands today. Many years later, it is especially gratifying to see and enjoy the beautiful park land for all the families there today. In memory of this wonderful experience we offer this devotional to Tosca A. Krug (Our Mother):

Good news in the Salvation of Christ!

Much reason for the joy and celebration

In the Triumph of Kingdom’s Restoration.

Before we can fully carry out His Vision as our mission.

We need His Divine instruction and intervention

Through periods of uncertainty and transition.

He proclaims: The job is not done,

It has just begun!

The salvation of men is still going on!

Apostles, proclaim the Words through Christ, in the Gospels.

He warns: Do not stand looking in the sky,

Asking who, what, when and why.

It is not for you to ask the reasons or which seasons.

That is why Christ returned for 40 days

To instruct the Apostles on His ways.

Prayer:

Oh God, through Your eternal presence,

Help us stay steadfast and true to Your lessons.

Enable us to realize our potential every day

Despite uncertainty and doubts that get in the way

Of living Your word and carrying on Your ministry

Of godly living and service for the Holy Trinity.

Empower us to fulfill Your divine mission

Through our daily faith and Your eternal Vision.

Vision: Day 1

Devotion by: Steve Siebert

Acts 2:23-24

his man, handed over to you according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of those outside the law. But God raised him up, having freed him from death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power.

God has always had a vision for mankind. He gave us his son as part of a plan he made to free us from sin and death. This plan involved the promise of a Messiah shared with man through the prophets. Had the prophets, their heirs and descendents not recognized God’s vision, or committed themselves to keeping the vision alive, Christ could not have come, lived, taught and died for us as he did.

PRAYER: Dear God, help me find in myself the strength and resolve to live the vision you have for me. Strengthen my commitment to live a life of faith and love. Help me to be an instrument of faith and love to others. Amen.