June 2018 – Daily Devo Time

Daily Devotional for June 30, 2018 – Living generously – and loving “enemies”

Luke 6:27-30
“To you who are ready for the truth, I say this: Love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer for that person. If someone slaps you in the face, stand there and take it. If someone grabs your shirt, giftwrap your best coat and make a present of it. If someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously.”

Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.

In 2014, a friend posted this on Facebook…”In 1998 Senator Howard Baker said in a speech to Congress the following: ‘We are doing the business of the American people, and if we cannot be civil to one another, and if we stop dealing with those with whom we disagree, or that we don’t like, we would soon stop functioning altogether.’”

I’m having a really hard time adding anything to this discussion today…probably in part, because I struggle with finding the delicate balance between standing up for what I believe is right – and “taking the high road” as a Christian. The temptation to retaliate and offend an “enemy” is sometimes pretty powerful. The desire to let someone who comments on one of my social media posts have a piece of my mind is often compelling. Let’s be honest…the “struggle” is real!

Still, Jesus has told us that we must do this. Not only did He tell us…He SHOWED us! He could have stopped those who berated Him, spit on Him, beat and flogged Him…and crucified Him. He could have turned on all of them and given them a dose of what they doled out to Him. Jesus could literally have struck His “enemies” dead! And yet, He did none of this.

I am not Jesus…not even close. I do not have His supernatural capacity to withstand suffering and degradation. I take things personally…and I bet you do, too! When someone says something that disturbs or disrespects me – or treats me unfairly in some manner – I take it to heart. And sometimes, it’s really, really hard to love that person and show him/her kindness.

So what are we to do? For me, the answer lies largely in the portion of this scripture passage that says…“respond with the energies of prayer”. When we pray, we temper animosity – our own, and hopefully the other guy’s, as well. Notice I didn’t say that it completely disappears. Let’s be honest, some folks delight in continually “stirring the pot” – and raising our blood pressure. Prayer will help us cope with such challenges…but we are going to have to largely trust God to steel our resolve and help us guard our tongues. And God will do this!

In terms of Christian faith and discipleship, this is pretty well “where the rubber hits the road”. Either we represent Jesus by treating others as He would treat them – and as we wish to be treated…or we behave in a way that disappoints and disrespects our “position” as servants of the Most High God. Either we “love our enemies” and treat them kindly…or we belie the grace and mercy that was offered to us through the blood of Jesus. And this simply does not compute for me…what about you?

Daily Devotional for June 28, 2018 – Forgiveness…it’s the only option

Luke 17:1-4
Jesus said to his disciples:

There will always be something that causes people to sin. But anyone who causes them to sin is in for trouble. A person who causes even one of my little followers to sin would be better off thrown into the ocean with a heavy stone tied around their neck. So be careful what you do.

Correct any followers of mine who sin, and forgive the ones who say they are sorry. Even if one of them mistreats you seven times in one day and says, “I am sorry,” you should still forgive that person.

On June 28, 2018, a gunman entered the office of the Capital Gazette in Annapolis, Maryland, and began shooting. By the time police apprehended him, five people were dead, and several others were injured. Authorities believe that this gunman had a grudge with some of the employees in this office…that this was a “targeted attack”. Even as police scoured the grounds and building that housed this publishing business, correspondents were at work preparing reports and news articles. From under a desk in the room where the shooting occurred, frightened reporters sent out tweets to document what was happening. A photo has been shown on television of two reporters working from a makeshift “desk” atop the trunk of a car.

Capital Gazette correspondent Chase Cook tweeted, “I can tell you this: We are putting out a **** paper tomorrow.” Those who survived this horrific event are not going to let the shooter win. Moreover, they are going to demonstrate to others that they take their job of reporting the news seriously – and do so respectfully and with all the dignity they can muster. In a time when “the press” is taking quite a beating, this is a great reminder that people are watching – and what we show them in every situation matters.

I don’t know about you, but sometimes, what I show others is probably not all that great. I can’t imagine that it pleases God. See, sometimes, I have a hard time getting past a particular “transgression”…or comment…or the behaviors of some people – and I know it shows. I have a feeling I am pretty transparent a lot of the time, which is embarrassing. There have been times that others have misread my words and actions…and that’s frustrating, too. I take no comfort in knowing that “most people do this”.

I want to do better…don’t you? There are things that I cannot – and will not – forget. Remembering what has been said and done often helps me grow and mature – and serves to keep me from being naïve and gullible. There is nothing wrong with being cautious…but we must be careful not to be caustic in the process.

I don’t have to become best friends with someone who has “wronged” me or someone else. I don’t have to agree with people who have different views from mine. God does not expect me to become a doormat for someone else – or to quietly sit by and let someone else be mistreated or disrespected. But He does expect me to choose my words, actions – and reactions – carefully. He expects me to demonstrate love and kindness – and forgiveness when and where appropriate. As Christ’s disciple, God expects me to show the grace and mercy of Jesus to others…and He expects the same from you, as well.

My prayers are with the people of Annapolis, Maryland – particularly the journalists at the Capital Gazette, their families, and all who were involved in this horrible tragedy. I salute those who stood up and said, “We will keep publishing.” Their words and actions honor the fallen, their profession, and respect for God’s gift of strength and resolve to carry on in the face of any challenge and adversity.

I pray that you and I never face such a tragic and horrible situation. But we will encounter challenging people and situations every single day. How we respond and represent Jesus in these matters is critical. People ARE watching. What – and WHO – will you and I show them?

Daily Devotional for June 28, 2018 – When God examines our heart…

Luke 16:13-15
You cannot be the slave of two masters. You will like one more than the other or be more loyal to one than to the other. You cannot serve God and money.

The Pharisees really loved money. So when they heard what Jesus said, they made fun of him. But Jesus told them:

You are always making yourselves look good, but God sees what is in your heart. The things that most people think are important are worthless as far as God is concerned.

We are in the process of sorting and digitizing all of our photographs…all of them! It’s a daunting task. Greg and I have accumulated hundreds of pictures in the last 44 years. I also inherited the photos that belonged to my parents and two sets of grandparents, plus some “family history” photos from my great-grandparents. Greg is working on many of the slides that his parents made in the early years of their marriage.

The hardest part of the whole project has been deciding what is important enough to scan and keep…and what can go. Many of us have this same problem with paring down our “stuff”. We get so attached to “things” that we often place a high level of importance on things that really shouldn’t matter so much.

When Greg and I began Workamper® News*, a business that helped people who wanted to live and work from an RV find jobs, we met a lot of folks who sold virtually everything and “hit the road” – in, at best, a few hundred square feet of rolling living quarters. We heard the stories of how these folks figured out what was really important…and what had to go. Some made decisions that had to be reconsidered…like heavy dishes, a book collection, and other items that weighed down the rig and elevated their fuel costs.

In the end…what almost all Workampers® will tell you is that…”It’s about the experience.” The size and opulence of their rig pales in comparison to the vistas they witness. The people they meet and the places they see far surpass any joy that more “stuff” brings them. Most have learned that “it’s not about the destination – it’s about the journey.”

God wants us to understand this, too. We are far too caught up in petty issues. We look at others and see anything and everything but their heart…their humanity…their preciousness to God. We think that one more thing – or another dollar – will make us happier, when we have riches beyond belief in our salvation through Jesus and a relationship with the Holy Spirit.

Yes, we want to pay our bills…and I understand that some struggle to do this in present circumstances. But for the most part, we have more than enough – we just don’t have our priorities in order. We don’t have to sell everything and go Workamping®. We don’t have to get rid of all of our “stuff”. We just have to quit caring so much about things and money – or the judgments and labels we put on others – and put a premium on concern for what matters to God. For the most part, this means loving others more – and the peripheral things less.

God knows our heart. He sees what matters to us. What are you showing Him?

*http://workamper.com

Daily Devotional for June 27, 2018 – Releasing the “sweatedness” – and loving others

Leviticus 19:18
Stop being angry and don’t try to take revenge. I am the Lord, and I command you to love others as much as you love yourself.

For several years, I have kept a file of cute things the kids say. I was looking for an entry where Timmy admonished me not to tell him that the LORD would take care of something, because “you always say that!” In searching for the exact quote, I found this precious exchange from 2015, when Timothy was six.

One Sunday, we were getting in the car to go home after the children had been at our house to play following church, and Timothy had to run back inside to use the bathroom. Greg helped him, and when he returned, I put him back in his car seat, and he said, “Oh, Aunt Debbie…I have to tell you something…I keep forgetting to tell you, but I’ve wanted to tell you all day. I’m really sorry that I was rude to you that day. I said, “Well, I’m sorry, too, Timothy…thank you so much for telling me. I hope it won’t happen again.” He replied, “I am really sorry, and it will never happen again.” I thanked him and closed the door, and as I got in on the driver’s side, I heard him tell Zola, “I already did! I was apologizing to Debbie for being rude to her. I promised Mother, and I did it.”

I asked, “So you told your mother that you were rude to me?” He said, “No…I just told her that I had done some bad things to several people and I needed to apologize to them. I needed to get all that sweatedness out.” I asked…”Sweatedness? What does that mean?” He said, “You know, when you are worried about bad things you have done to people, and it makes you all sweaty, and you just need to get it all out…and then you feel better! I’m really sweating! I was sweating so much that I could barely pull up my pants and underwear!”

Apparently God thinks we need to be reminded daily to love others and stop getting angry, holding grudges, seeking revenge, and being rude and unkind to others in general. And like this the-six-year-old boy, you and I may have some “sweatedness” that we need to release – and we may find it incredibly hard at times to do so. Quite frankly, many of us enjoy animosity on some level. But this behavior does not please God.

If we are comfortable feeling angry, frustrated, bitter, and vengeful, we are not operating in the spirit of love for all of God’s children that He desires. Long before Jesus came to earth, this command to “love others as much as you love yourself” was given to us. Jesus fully demonstrated this in His words and actions…and goodness knows He had plenty of times that bad things were said and done toward Him!

It is easy to forgive small children…even though we know that no matter their intended level of sincerity, they will likely misbehave again. We hope that as they grow and mature, they will do better…but there is no guarantee. And that’s how it is with God…He knows that we will likely make mistakes – lots of them! But He is calling on us to make a concerted effort to do better…to consciously operate in love, grace, mercy, forgiveness and compassion…to treat others as we wish to be treated, and love them as much as we love ourselves.

So for the umpteenth time, I present this commandment from our Heavenly Father for your consideration. I encourage you to take it to heart and make it part of your daily living. And if you have “sweatedness” you need to release…and “fences” you need to “mend”…by all means, do so now rather than later! In the words of a six-year-old boy, “you just need to get it all out…and then you feel better!” To God be the glory for giving us His spirit of love for each other. Now let’s get busy putting it into action!

Daily Devotional for June 26, 2018 – Scribbles in the sand…a lesson in love vs. judgment

John 8:6-11
Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger in the dirt. They kept at him, badgering him. He straightened up and said, “The sinless one among you, go first: Throw the stone.” Bending down again, he wrote some more in the dirt.

Hearing that, they walked away, one after another, beginning with the oldest. The woman was left alone. Jesus stood up and spoke to her. “Woman, where are they? Does no one condemn you?”

“No one, Master.”

“Neither do I,” said Jesus. “Go on your way. From now on, don’t sin.”

Most kids have the memories of elephants. We got in the car a few Sundays ago, and Zola immediately said, “Remember…the last time we came to your house, you told Nathan we would either go swimming or to the sand park?!” I had promised Nathan that “sometime soon” we would go to his favorite park to play in the sand. “Little Miss Helpful” caused a scene, because thunderstorms were expected for the afternoon, and when I said we couldn’t go swimming or to the park in a thunderstorm, Nathan cried.

Siblings like to stir up trouble sometimes for each other – and for the grownups! They have no problem reminding others of former promises – or transgressions! But we adults do it, too. We quickly point out to others that…”You said you would call me” or “I thought you were on a diet!” Or we note…“I thought you said you were going to quit smoking – or get out of that bad relationship – or start coming to church!” We point out failures and shortcomings…and some of us enjoy seeing others squirm in the process.

I would love to know what – if anything – Jesus scribbled in the sand. Perhaps He just pretended to be writing and was merely giving the Pharisees and Jewish leaders an opportunity to think about their judgmental words and actions. There are a variety of theories about this activity. But regardless of the reason, the important thing to focus on is the words and actions that Jesus ultimately took.

Not only did Jesus brilliantly illustrate that none of us is without sin…He reminded us what a slippery slope we travel when we judge others. And then He did the most amazing thing of all…Jesus told the woman that He was not going to judge or condemn her, either. And He “let her go” with an admonition to sin no more.

Don’t miss the message here. Jesus is not the one condemning us…we’re doing it to each other. Jesus isn’t judging us. He died for our sins. So in His mind, the transgressions belonging to those of us who have accepted His gift of salvation have been “bought and paid for” already – with His very blood. There is no need for Him – or us – to keep revisiting this situation. At the same time, Jesus expects us to change our ways and do our dead-level best to keep sin out of our lives moving forward – and this includes a check on judging or condemning others.

I cannot fully comprehend the generosity and compassion of Jesus…or the amazing price He paid for my sins. But I am so thankful for this Gift, and the best way that I can honor Him is to treat others as He treats them…and to honor Him by obeying His commands. As I see it, this leaves no room for judgment or condemnation – of anyone. I have some work to do in this area…but I’m on it! What about you?

Daily Devotional for June 25, 2018 – Putting the world right again…how we share the love of Christ

John 3:16-17
“This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again.”

If you haven’t ever watched CBS Sunday Morning, you really should give it a look. This 90-minute program provides special interest stories on a variety of topics, along with an occasional opinion piece and a weekly “Moment of Nature”. Besides the story I shared recently about Debra Davis, the cafeteria worker in San Diego who also feeds the homeless, the latest episode of this program also included a story* about inmates at San Quentin State Prison, located north of San Francisco, California.

The story centered on programs that have been implemented to provide inmates with an opportunity to better themselves – and to prepare for release back into “mainstream society” in many cases. As I watched this program, I was reminded of the admonition in Hebrews 13:3 to “Remember the Lord’s people who are in jail and be concerned for them. Don’t forget those who are suffering, but imagine that you are there with them.”(CEV)**

Links to this feature on social media were met with a barrage of comments, as you can imagine…including some that complained that these inmates were getting better treatment than people “on the outside”. At least one person noted that CBS should offer equal time to stories of victims of crimes. For the record, CBS is quite fair and balanced in the reporting of both sides…particularly on the Sunday morning show. But it did remind me of the attitude of many in our current culture…an attitude that surely must grieve God to His core.

I am not naïve. I understand that there are evil, dangerous people in this world. I know that vile activities occur in gang culture. Drug abuse is rampant even in our own community, and the activities that accompany it – robbery, violence, physical abuse and more – are featured daily on our local news reports. I am aware that gangs are active very near us – and in every state in our nation. And perhaps a few people were literally born into these types of activities.

But for the most part, each of us came into this world as an innocent child…and most were instantly loved madly by our parents. More importantly, we have always been loved beyond comprehension by God…so much that He sent His Son to live and die for our sins. God loves us – His precious children. But He loves the prisoner at San Quentin just as much as He loves you and me. He loves the gang member in Los Angeles or Little Rock…the thieves in virtually every city in the world…the drug addicts – and even those who would dare to abuse a child, another adult, or a helpless animal. GOD LOVES US…ALL OF US!

We cannot begin to comprehend the depths of God’s love. But we have to try…because we are called to love others as He loves us. We are commanded by the One who gave His very life for our Salvation to love others as we love ourselves…and to treat them as we wish to be treated. This should tell us everything we need to know about every situation…from the crisis at our border to how we view politicians with whom we disagree to our attitude toward criminals and prisoners.

We should take a collective pause before we speak or act about any person or situation and ask, “Is what I am about to say representative of the love, grace and mercy that Jesus showed to me?” We should take a breath and consider whether we are about to act and react with love and compassion – and treat the other person as we would wish to be treated. We should stop and ask, “As a sinner – and a flawed human being – how does Jesus treat me?” If we treat others with anything less, we’ve totally missed the mark – and failed to obey His law.

Check your attitude…and your behavior. See if everything lines up with the commandments of Jesus – and honors His sacrifice on the cross on your behalf. Call on God to make any and all necessary adjustments – and to begin to see others as He sees them, regardless of their “station” in life.

* https://www.cbsnews.com/video/voices-from-the-q-a-prison-podcast/
**Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.

Daily Devotional for June 24, 2018 – Laying down your life to serve Jesus

John 15:11-15
“I’ve told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be your joy, and your joy wholly mature. This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you. This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends. You are my friends when you do the things I command you. I’m no longer calling you servants because servants don’t understand what their master is thinking and planning. No, I’ve named you friends because I’ve let you in on everything I’ve heard from the Father.”

Twice lately, I’ve seen a CBS news story* about Debra Davis, a cafeteria worker in San Diego, California. Each day, after she doles out meals to high school students, Davis loads her car with food she has lovingly prepared and finds homeless people to feed. The day that reporter Steve Hartman rode along, Debra Davis fed more than fifty meals to hungry people. She lifted aluminum pans of food onto the trunk of her car and doled out the meals, which included pork, curried chicken and rice, collard greens, bar-b-qued ribs and more.

Hartman asked Davis, “Are you broke?” The way she answered “No” indicated that indeed, she is living paycheck to paycheck, at best. He noted that “You are spending money you don’t have”…to which Davis replied, “Yes…but…you don’t understand the joy that I get from feeding people.” She told the homeless recipients that she would return the next day with spaghetti and meatballs. No doubt, most of them were waiting for her arrival.

The auto shop class at the school where Davis works refurbished a 2014 Mazda3 to replace her beat-up 1976 Chevy Malibu. She told the crowd that gathered to present her with the car that “I’ve been looking for my reward in Heaven…y’all have given me a little bit of it on earth.”

Debra Davis understands what it means to “put your life on the line for your friends”. She sacrifices her own financial security and well-being to feed hungry people. She treats her students with love and respect – calling most of them “Sweetie Pie” or “Sweetie”. It is clear that they feel her love. She cares about the hungry people in her “back yard”…so profoundly that she spends her spare time cooking for them – and feeding them – without a single thought of “What’s in this for me?”

You and I don’t have to physically cook meals and feed the homeless. This morning, I read a story to preschoolers about a family who watered the vegetable garden of a neighbor couple. The husband had back trouble, and his wife was in a wheelchair, so they were unable to water their garden. When the husband’s health improved, he made cookies and took to his neighbors to thank them for their kindness. We talked about how these neighbors had all been “doers of the Word”…and put kindness into action.

As Davis pointed out, refurbishing a car for her won’t really make that much difference in the lives of those students in the auto body shop class. Were they not working on her car, they would have worked on another. But to Davis, this car was the world! And that’s the point…you and I don’t know what impact even our smallest actions can have…and yet, some of us are not willing to even offer these. I would venture to say that far too many of us are unwilling to make the kind of sacrifices for others that this cafeteria worker is making every single day.

So can we do this? Can we find some “middle ground”? Can we start to look for ways to think less of ourselves and more of others for a change? Can we quit asking “What’s in it for me?” at every turn – and ask, “LORD, where do you want me to serve?” Can we begin to lay down our life in order to offer something to someone else? And in doing so, can we become a better servant of our Lord and Savior, who gave everything on our behalf?

I told the preschool students to look for simple ways to bless others and show them how much Jesus loves them. It’s good advice for us, as well. Start small, if you must…and grow into your role as a servant of Jesus Christ – and a friend who loves others as He loves us. But do something to share His love with another…even if it’s to water your neighbor’s garden.

Imagine a world where we laid aside our desires in favor of meeting someone else’s need. It could happen…but we have to get up and get going. And we don’t have a minute to waste!

* https://www.cbsnews.com/video/deliveries-of-kindness/?ftag=CNM-00-10aab6i&linkId=53439116

Daily Devotional for June 23, 2108 – Loving others as Christ loves us – what “tale” does your discipleship “tell”?

John 13:34-35
“Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other.”

If ever there were verses that have current relevance…these are the ones. We have so many crises of “humanity” in our world – and in our own backyard. How we respond to them will “tell the tale” of our lives as Christ’s disciples.

Some want to conflate situations and circumstances that truly are independent problems. I’ve seen memes asking how we can be upset about immigrant children who are separated from their parents at the border when the children of our men and women in the military are separated from their parents – often with no guarantee they will ever see them again. Someone asked, “What about aborted babies ripped from their mothers?” It reminds me of a child who got caught misbehaving and points to his/her sibling and asks, “But what about what he/she did?” We’re missing the whole point.

If we would just “stay in our lane” and focus on the words of John 13:34-35, we would have the answer to all of these questions, which lies in loving the people involved in every single situation and circumstance. In the last couple of days, I’ve begun to ask God to show me what He wants me to learn from the world in which we currently live. Here’s what I have been given…

God wants me to love those in my back yard more…all of them. “Charity” begins at home.
God wants me to demonstrate grace, mercy and compassion for everyone – even the “stinkers”!
God wants me to judge less and love more.
God wants me to pay closer attention to the blessings He has given me…to more fully recognize and appreciate my freedom and safety – and that of my family and friends.
God wants me to be generous with His gifts…and to look for ways to share with others – both materially and by my words and gestures of Christian kindness and encouragement.
God wants me to remain hopeful…to stand up to the devil and say, “Not today, Satan!”
God wants me to trust Him…to believe that He is in complete control, and He will make a way where we see none.

A few days ago, I voiced concern about a certain issue to my husband, Greg. He replied, “You’re stronger than that!” And he’s right! I am stronger…not of my own doing, but because of God’s strength flowing through me – not to mention His love. Because of the fortitude and love with which God has equipped me, I have hope and faith that He will prevail…that His will is going to be accomplished. And I’m ready to do my part as Christ’s disciple – and demonstrate unconditional love for others at every opportunity. What about you?

Daily Devotional for June 22, 2018 – “God talk” without “God acts” – how are you demonstrating your faith?

James 2:14-17
Dear friends, do you think you’ll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it? For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, “Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!” and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup—where does that get you? Isn’t it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?

All I could think of as I read this passage was “thoughts and prayers”. In recent weeks, this phrase has been denigrated as “cheap talk”…and rightly so in many cases. Don’t misunderstand me…I believe completely in the power of prayer. But talk is cheap…and too many of us offer the lip-service of “thoughts and prayers” and go merrily on our way.

We show up at a funeral visitation, pat a few backs and hug some folks and offer “thoughts and prayers”…and then we go right back to our own interests. We don’t follow up to see how these people are doing – or if we could help them in some way. We gripe about how things are going – in a number of venues – but we don’t step up to do anything about them. In far too many instances, we mutter a quick prayer, say a perfunctory “God bless you”…and turn our attention back to whatever is on our radar.

Some people get it…some go the extra mile for the homeless, the hungry, the orphans and the elderly. I marvel at a handful of people I know who seem to have boundless energy for cooking and delivering a meal, visiting the sick, attending funerals, volunteering for dozens of charities, and serving in ministries in their church. But for every person who is involved in these demonstrations of faith and Christian witness…I know half a dozen who appear to be merely offering “thoughts and prayers”.

Imagine if every single believer committed to one act of Christian service and kindness each week. I didn’t say each day…I said each week! If each one of us did something fifty-two times a year to demonstrate the authenticity of our faith as disciples of Christ, can you imagine what that would look like? My experience has been that one demonstration of faith ends up multiplying exponentially, as both parties are blessed by the efforts. So it seems to me that the 52 acts would soon increase…and truly amazing things would happen in the name of Jesus – on a grand scale!

But we have to start. We have to take the first step. It may be something seemingly small, like making a phone call or visit to check on a widowed friend or a single parent – or picking up the phone to call one of your government leaders to express your concern about a particular issue. It may begin with writing a check to support a particular mission or ministry. Or, your first step might be to sign up as a volunteer…at a local soup kitchen or women’s shelter, in a school classroom, or for a disaster-relief group…or wherever God leads you to serve.

Spend some time in prayer today. Ask God to show you how – and where – to demonstrate your faith and put it into action. Ask Him to give you the confidence and courage to do whatever He calls you to do – because God will equip you for the task, if you fully commit to completing it with a glad heart. We cannot just talk about the abundant opportunities to serve God and demonstrate our faith…we have to really act on them. Are you ready to get up and get busy?

Daily Devotional for June 21, 2018 – Living by “the law that sets us free – the only choice worth making

James 2:10-13
If you obey every law except one, you are still guilty of breaking them all. The same God who told us to be faithful in marriage also told us not to murder. So even if you are faithful in marriage, but murder someone, you still have broken God’s Law.

Speak and act like people who will be judged by the law that sets us free. Do this, because on the day of judgment there will be no pity for those who have not had pity on others. But even in judgment, God is merciful! “So be merciful, and you will be shown mercy on the day of judgment.”

A friend posted a video on Facebook this morning titled “When to Be Silent”. The video listed several points about being silent – and supported them with scripture. Number 13 struck a chord with me…”Be silent if your words will damage a friendship.” Proverbs 16:28, which speaks more to gossip than just watching what you say in general, was cited. But especially these last few days, there have been several times that I have wanted to challenge a “friend” on social media…and I’ve somehow managed to hold my tongue – in part because I knew that my words might very well damage our relationship.

Having said this, I must admit that more than once, I’ve wanted to scream, “What part of ‘love your neighbor as yourself’ do you not get?” I’ve wanted to ask more than a few people how they parse out and “pick and choose” who to love, what sins are “acceptable”, and which ones they consider abominable. I’ve wondered how someone could claim to love and serve Jesus…then look the other way while people of color are mistreated and disparaged, those who love someone of the same sex are treated like trash, and families seeking asylum at our nation’s border are split apart – and detained in deplorable conditions, in some cases.

I’ve wondered how a person could love God and claim to follow Him…then mistreat children in the classroom…ignore the neighbor who beats his dog…or keep silent when an elderly person is neglected. I’ve scratched my head in bewilderment that there are “cliques” in churches…and some “religious folks” are downright unwelcoming toward anyone who doesn’t believe exactly as they do.

God has reminded me lately that dissension, hatred and fear are as old as Creation…as are justification and qualification of sin. After all, Eve tried to excuse eating the apple…she and Adam attempted to explain covering their nakedness and hiding from God…and their sons’ disagreements ended in murder. Still…we ought to learn from “history”. We should have more than enough evidence throughout the Bible that loving others is the better way…the only way!

I often ask young children…“Were you being kind to others with your words or actions?” This is an excellent question for us to consider in everything we say and do…”Are we being kind to others? Do we love others as Christ loves us…and as we love ourselves? Are we treating every single person as we would want to be treated? Are we treating others as we would want them to treat our families and loved ones?”

Truly, this is not rocket science. It really is as simple as checking everything we say and do against Jesus’ greatest commandments – the “law that sets us free”. When was the last time you examined your words and actions to see if they fully honor these laws? Wouldn’t today be a good time to start?

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: