Admit It

Devotion by: Jennifer Hanna

Luke 18:9-14

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: ‘Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax-collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, “God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax-collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.” But the tax-collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.’

We all know people who feel they are superior or belong to a higher social status. This parable relates directly to them. When I read this, however, I think of the natural journey from childhood to maturity. As an only child with loving parents, I thought the world revolved around me, and that most things I did were wonderful. As I grew older, meeting people who were smarter and more talented helped me see that I am just a flawed one of many who contribute to community and congregation. (And as a parent, my limitations have truly been exposed!)

PRAYER: Dear God, Thank you for guiding me, not with unearned congratulation or validation, but with support, compassion, and mercy.

Shhh . . .

Devotion by: Andrea Sweet

Mark 12:28-34

One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, ‘Which commandment is the first of all?’ Jesus answered, ‘The first is, “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” The second is this, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than these.’ Then the scribe said to him, ‘You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that “he is one, and besides him there is no other”; and “to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength”, and “to love one’s neighbour as oneself”,—this is much more important than all whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices.’ When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God.’ After that no one dared to ask him any question.

When I first saw this Lenten devotional, I thought of my fourth grade teacher, Mr. Aardsma. (Mr. A) He is the one who helped me see that the Kingdom of God likes quietness. For example, he would line us up for recess, and being fourth graders, we were likely to be rowdy. “Silence please,” Mr. A would say. Sometimes we would pray. Then we would get our reward, to go outside. Mr. A knew that silence is needed in Heaven. He would keep reminding us that God is a God of order, not chaos. Now I understand.

PRAYER: Dear God, Please help us understand that sometimes we just need to be silent, and always in your presence. Amen.

One Savior

Devotion by: Greg Durig

Luke 11:14-23

Now he was casting out a demon that was mute; when the demon had gone out, the one who had been mute spoke, and the crowds were amazed. But some of them said, ‘He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.’ Others, to test him, kept demanding from him a sign from heaven. But he knew what they were thinking and said to them, ‘Every kingdom divided against itself becomes a desert, and house falls on house. If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? —for you say that I cast out the demons by Beelzebul. Now if I cast out the demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your exorcists cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out the demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you. When a strong man, fully armed, guards his castle, his property is safe. But when one stronger than he attacks him and overpowers him, he takes away his armour in which he trusted and divides his plunder. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

I am what you might call a “morning person”. Each new day, I wake up early from my slumbers, and I can’t wait to charge into action. I have STUFF to do. There are messages to respond to, places to go, and people to see. Even though I awaken early in the day, I almost always feel as though I’m running late and that I need to rush into action to get all my important STUFF done. My mornings and days are all clogged up with STUFF, STUFF, and more STUFF. Who has the luxury to sit down in the morning? Not me! Only when I get all my STUFF done, which never seems to happen, can I relax and feel at PEACE.

Recently, I had the opportunity to live, work, play and worship with the “Gullah People” of South Carolina and Georgia. Because these people have been isolated from mainstream American society over the years, the “Gullah” culture is one that has maintained much of its African roots and ways of life and living. They even continue to speak a unique language that mixes English with various African words and expressions.

One of the first things I learned as I lived within the Gullah community was that they are “morning people” – just like me! They don’t need an alarm clock to awaken them, and they don’t wait for their rooster to announce that day has arrived. Yes, at least in this one way, these people are just like me - but there is an important difference. Instead of immediately jumping into action to take care of their STUFF, they make time in the morning to spend time with God and ask God to rid themselves of any “demons”.

In the Gullah language, morning is called “day clean” – and the people faithfully take time each “day clean” to accept and receive the Spirit’s cleansing. It is a time when they ask and allow the Spirit to cast away their worries and demons. Only after this essential time of prayer and meditation do the people move on to other STUFF, and don’t you know, they do so in ways that convey God’s loving spirit, caring presence and incomprehensible PEACE.

PRAYER: Gracious God – Forgive me for making my STUFF my priority. Help me to make every morning a “day clean” – a time when I trustfully ask for you to cast away my demons, cleanse my heart, and know the true peace that only you can give. In Jesus’ name I pray. AMEN.

Grandchildren

Devotion by: Jill Peterson

Deuteronomy 4:1, 5-9

So now, Israel, give heed to the statutes and ordinances that I am teaching you to observe, so that you may live to enter and occupy the land that the LORD, the God of your ancestors, is giving you.

See, just as the LORD my God has charged me, I now teach you statutes and ordinances for you to observe in the land that you are about to enter and occupy. You must observe them diligently, for this will show your wisdom and discernment to the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and discerning people!’ For what other great nation has a god so near to it as the LORD our God is whenever we call to him? And what other great nation has statutes and ordinances as just as this entire law that I am setting before you today?

But take care and watch yourselves closely, so as neither to forget the things that your eyes have seen nor to let them slip from your mind all the days of your life; make them known to your children and your children’s children.

Our youngest daughter, Robin, is pregnant with her first child. This baby girl, due in March, will be named Nora after my mother, Nora Marguerite, who died just over five years ago.

There is something about new life coming into this world that makes us think about what kind of lasting impact we are having on our children and grandchildren. As these words from Deuteronomy remind us, God has taught us that we are to live by certain decrees and laws, as He has commanded. He instructs us to teach these laws and decrees to our children and their children after them. We are to remember that He is near to us and always available through prayer.

Nora Marguerite, “Maggie” as she was called, followed these decrees and laws faithfully. What an example for our children she was! She was honest, kind, fair and courageous -- and she loved the Lord. She showed us how to live by the way that she lived her life. Robin has chosen to honor her grandmother’s memory by naming this child after her. We should all live such that our children and grandchildren want to name their children after us.

PRAYER: Lord, help us this day to be an example to our children and grandchildren. They learn from what they see. Let them see us at our best in all we do and how we handle the challenges and joys of this life. Let us all be blessings, such that we will have many namesakes! Amen.

Teach Me

Devotion by: Juli Benson

Psalm 25:4-9

Make me to know your ways, O LORD;
teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth, and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all day long.

Be mindful of your mercy, O LORD, and of your steadfast love,
for they have been from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
according to your steadfast love remember me,
for your goodness’ sake, O LORD!

Good and upright is the LORD;
therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
He leads the humble in what is right,
and teaches the humble his way.

I love the Psalms, because they give us both wisdom and hope. Psalm 25 tells us that when we place our faith in God, we can trust Him to care for us and help us overcome the challenges life brings us. But … we must be humble and willing to let God change us. We cannot expect Him to work His transformation in our lives if we are proud and unwilling to admit that we need God’s help to bring about change. In fact, we are helpless apart from God. We need to ask Him to show us how to live according to His truths, not ours. Because of His great love for us and His compassion, He will forgive our sins when we ask Him to. And … He asks us to forgive others the same way. As we forgive others and live according to His plan, we can and will experience peace, joy and hope.

PRAYER: Gracious Father In Heaven: Thank you for the wisdom found only in your Word. Thank you for giving us a roadmap for our lives and for being that steady guide who will lead us in paths of righteousness if we are willing to humbly come before you. Thank you for loving us so much that you give your life as a ransom for ours. In Jesus’ sweet name, we pray.

Prophets At Home

Devotion by: Susan Boruff

2 Kings 5:1-15

Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man and in high favour with his master, because by him the LORD had given victory to Aram. The man, though a mighty warrior, suffered from leprosy. Now the Arameans on one of their raids had taken a young girl captive from the land of Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. She said to her mistress, ‘If only my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.’ So Naaman went in and told his lord just what the girl from the land of Israel had said. And the king of Aram said, ‘Go then, and I will send along a letter to the king of Israel.’

He went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten sets of garments. He brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, ‘When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you my servant Naaman, that you may cure him of his leprosy.’ When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, ‘Am I God, to give death or life, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Just look and see how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me.’

But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent a message to the king, ‘Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come to me, that he may learn that there is a prophet in Israel.’ So Naaman came with his horses and chariots, and halted at the entrance of Elisha’s house. Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, ‘Go, wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored and you shall be clean.’ But Naaman became angry and went away, saying, ‘I thought that for me he would surely come out, and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and would wave his hand over the spot, and cure the leprosy!

Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them, and be clean?’ He turned and went away in a rage. But his servants approached and said to him, ‘Father, if the prophet had commanded you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much more, when all he said to you was, “Wash, and be clean”?’ So he went down and immersed himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; his flesh was restored like the flesh of a young boy, and he was clean.

Then he returned to the man of God, he and all his company; he came and stood before him and said, ‘Now I know that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel; please accept a present from your servant.’

The story of the healing of Naaman is a story of obedience, conversion and gratitude. Obeying God is more than an action; it is about attending to the voice of God where it shows up in your life. The Israeli servant girl, because of her love for God and her compassion -- even for her enemy -- wanted those who didn’t know about God’s healing power to benefit from it. The king of Aram, who worshipped pagan gods, encouraged Naaman to go and receive healing from the Hebrew God. Naaman’s servants, upon hearing Elisha’s plan for Naaman’s healing (which Naaman wanted to reject), encouraged him to do what God required. Even though Naaman had wealth and too much pride, he listened and obeyed. Miraculously, he was healed. God used a variety of people and circumstances to get Naaman’s attention. God was present in the most ordinary circumstances of Naaman’s life. The offer of healing came thru an ordinary event -- washing in the Jordan River. This story affirms that God will do whatever it takes to get our attention, but that God is also present in all circumstances. Our response is to pay attention to where God is showing up in our lives. And when we hear His voice, we must obey. The life of obedience is a holy life, in which we become increasingly aware that all moments are God moments.

PRAYER: Creator of the universe and Sustainer of life, please give us eyes to see and ears to hear Your voice as it manifests in our lives. May we be open to respond to Your offer of healing in our lives. Through Your mercy and love, use us as You used the people in Naaman’s life to bring Your gift of grace to all those we encounter.

Come To Me

Devotion by: Art Evans

John 4:5-42

So he came to a Samaritan city called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired out by his journey, was sitting by the well. It was about noon.

A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, ‘Give me a drink’. (His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, ‘How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?’ (Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, ‘If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, “Give me a drink”, you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.’ The woman said to him, ‘Sir, you have no bucket, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us the well, and with his sons and his flocks drank from it?’ Jesus said to her, ‘Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.’ The woman said to him, ‘Sir, give me this water, so that I may never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water.’

Jesus said to her, ‘Go, call your husband, and come back.’ The woman answered him, ‘I have no husband.’ Jesus said to her, ‘You are right in saying, “I have no husband”; for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true!’ The woman said to him, ‘Sir, I see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshipped on this mountain, but you say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.’ The woman said to him, ‘I know that Messiah is coming’ (who is called Christ). ‘When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I am he, the one who is speaking to you.’

Just then his disciples came. They were astonished that he was speaking with a woman, but no one said, ‘What do you want?’ or, ‘Why are you speaking with her?’ Then the woman left her water-jar and went back to the city. She said to the people, ‘Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?’ They left the city and were on their way to him.

Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, ‘Rabbi, eat something.’ But he said to them, ‘I have food to eat that you do not know about.’ So the disciples said to one another, ‘Surely no one has brought him something to eat?’ Jesus said to them, ‘My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work. Do you not say, “Four months more, then comes the harvest”? But I tell you, look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting. The reaper is already receiving wages and is gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, “One sows and another reaps.” I sent you to reap that for which you did not labour. Others have laboured, and you have entered into their labour.’

Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, ‘He told me everything I have ever done.’ So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there for two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, ‘It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Saviour of the world.’

I often observe that, although a very small percentage of Americans attend church each Sunday, there seems to be a genuine thirst for spiritual belief within humanity. I was not among that small percentage of weekly church-goers; but, I was most definitely seeking spiritual truth. Then one day, after personal events had forced the issue to the forefront, I finally listened to what my wife, Kathi, had been suggesting for years – read the Bible! I had been given a paperback of the New Testament with supplemental commentary, and thus I began my first Christian-inspired journey since Sunday School, over 50 years ago. I decided to concentrate on the teachings of Jesus and perhaps simplify my task. (Somehow, at the time, it seemed overwhelming to tackle the entire Bible at once.) It worked. I drank of the Living Water. The gospel satisfied my thirst: “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked Him and He would have given you living water.” John 4:10.

Was it that simple? Yes! If we are humble, we believe in Him and we truly come to Him with an open heart; nothing in our past will prevent His acceptance of us. But my Teacher said it so much better: “whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:14.

PRAYER: My Lord and Savior, we seek your help. Lead us all to your well of Truth. Guide us to your fountain of Righteousness. Show us the way, and we will be yours. Amen.