Monday, July 6

Exodus 15:1-18

Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord:

“I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously;
    horse and rider he has thrown into the sea.
The Lord is my strength and my might,
    and he has become my salvation;
this is my God, and I will praise him;
    my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
The Lord is a warrior;
    the Lord is his name.

Pharaoh’s chariots and his army he cast into the sea;
    his elite officers were sunk in the Red Sea.
The floods covered them;
    they went down into the depths like a stone.
Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power—
    your right hand, O Lord, shattered the enemy.
In the greatness of your majesty you overthrew your adversaries;
    you sent out your fury; it consumed them like stubble.
At the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up;
    the floods stood up in a heap;
    the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea.
The enemy said, ‘I will pursue; I will overtake;
    I will divide the spoil; my desire shall have its fill of them.
    I will draw my sword; my hand shall destroy them.’
You blew with your wind; the sea covered them;
    they sank like lead in the mighty waters.

Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods?
    Who is like you, majestic in holiness,
    awesome in splendor, doing wonders?
You stretched out your right hand;
    the earth swallowed them.

In your steadfast love you led the people whom you redeemed;
    you guided them by your strength to your holy abode.
The peoples heard; they trembled;
    pangs seized the inhabitants of Philistia.
Then the chiefs of Edom were dismayed;
    trembling seized the leaders of Moab;
    all the inhabitants of Canaan melted away.
Terror and dread fell upon them;
    by the might of your arm, they became still as a stone
until your people, O Lord, passed by,
    until the people whom you acquired passed by.
You brought them in and planted them on the mountain of your own possession,
    the place, O Lord, that you made your abode,
    the sanctuary, O Lord, that your hands have established.
The Lord will reign forever and ever.”

This week we’re going to look at different prayers in the Bible.

This is a prayer of praise that Moses shared after Pharaoh and his armies were drowned in the Nile.  This is a prayer of someone who received something that was unexpected.  Moses and his followers were most likely terribly afraid while being pursued by Pharaoh and his armies.  Then God suddenly rescued Moses.  Moses then shared this prayer of praise. Look closely at verses two and eleven.  Read these verses over in your mind.  Consider writing down these verses and reading them during your day. 

As you pray today, remember a time when you received something that was very unexpected.

What are your thoughts about this prayer? Please share.

Tuesday, July 7

Exodus 33:12-23

Moses said to the Lord, “See, you have said to me, ‘Bring up this people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.’  Now if I have found favor in your sight, please show me your ways, so that I may know you and find favor in your sight. Consider, too, that this nation is your people.” He said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” And he said to him, “If your presence will not go, do not bring us up from here.  For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people, unless you go with us? In this way, we shall be distinct, I and your people, from every people on the face of the earth.”

The Lord said to Moses, “I will also do this thing that you have asked, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.” Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you the name, ‘The Lord,’ and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one shall see me and live.” And the Lord continued, “See, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by; then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.”

This prayer was shared by Moses during a time when Moses was experiencing incredible frustration.  Moses had come down from Mount Sinai with the Ten Commandments only to see that the Israelites had built a golden calf.  When Moses saw what was taking place, he actually broke the tablets that contained the Ten Commandments!!  As punishment for the Israelites’ actions 3,000 people were killed, and a plague was sent to the people.  Moses needed reassurance from God. This conversation shows how God reassured Moses. It is as if Moses was saying, “you called me God to lead these people, now things are a mess, what do you want me to do?”  He was honest.  If you find yourself in a frustrating situation today, be honest and direct with God.

What are your thoughts about this prayer? Please share.

Wednesday, July 8

1 Kings 8:54-61

Now when Solomon finished offering all this prayer and this plea to the Lord, he arose from facing the altar of the Lord, where he had knelt with hands outstretched toward heaven; he stood and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice:

“Blessed be the Lord, who has given rest to his people Israel according to all that he promised; not one word has failed of all his good promise that he spoke through his servant Moses. The Lord our God be with us, as he was with our ancestors; may he not leave us or abandon us, but incline our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments, his statutes, and his ordinances that he commanded our ancestors. Let these words of mine, with which I pleaded before the Lord, be near to the Lord our God day and night, and may he maintain the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel, as each day requires, so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God; there is no other.  Therefore, devote yourselves completely to the Lord our God, walking in his statutes and keeping his commandments, as at this day.”

This is a prayer offered by Solomon as he helped dedicate the Temple.  The dedication of the Temple was a culmination of a festival that the people of Israel celebrated.  Virtually the entire nation of Israel was present for the Temple dedication and for this prayer.  Solomon offered a long prayer of dedication (verses 22-53) and then offered the prayer in verses 54-61.  Read each of the eight verses slowly and reverently.  Any of the six verses could be an individual prayer by itself.  Consider reading each of the verses at different times during the day. 

Which verse speaks most to you?

What are your thoughts about this prayer? Please share.

Thursday, July 9

John Chapter 17

After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed.

“I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you have given me is from you, for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you, and they have believed that you sent me.  I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I have been glorified in them. And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.  While I was with them, I protected them in your name that you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost except the one destined to be lost, so that the scripture might be fulfilled.  But now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves.  I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one. They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth.

 “I ask not only on behalf of these but also on behalf of those who believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.  Father, I desire that those also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.

“Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know you, and these know that you have sent me.  I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them and I in them.”

This is one of Jesus’ final prayers in the bible.  He shared it on Maundy Thursday with his disciples.  Immediately after he shared this prayer, he left the room and was arrested.  One theme in the prayer is Jesus’ desire for his followers to be one.  Jesus wanted his followers to experience unity.  He believed that people who didn’t believe in God would come to God when they saw the unity of Christians. Usually, we don’t think that evangelism happens through ecumenical relationships. 

Today as you pray, pray that the congregations in the north Metro can experience the unity that Jesus mentioned.  Pray that people who are outside of the church can come to God because of the unity of different congregations.

What are your thoughts about this prayer? Please share.

Friday, July 10

Luke 18:1-6

Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Grant me justice against my accuser.’ For a while he refused, but later he said to himself, ‘Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.’ ” And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says”.

This is a marvelous story of a woman who would not give up on trying to get what she wanted.  She was persistent.  What’s amazing about this story is the judge eventually wore down to the woman’s requests.  He didn’t have a change of heart but instead gave in because of the woman’s persistence.

Think about how God responds to our prayers.  God cares for us much more deeply than the judge in this story.  If the unjust judge can grant the woman’s request, think about how God will grant our persistent requests.

How are you doing to be persistent in prayer?  As you pray today, ask for persistence.

What are your thoughts about this prayer? Please share.

Saturday, July 11

1 Thessalonians 5:12-24

But we appeal to you, brothers and sisters, to respect those who labor among you and have charge of you in the Lord and admonish you; esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, brothers and sisters, to admonish the idlers, encourage the faint-hearted, help the weak, be patient with all of them. See that none of you repays evil for evil but always seek to do good to one another and to all. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.  Do not quench the Spirit.  Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form of evil.

May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this.

In this passage Paul encouraged people to pray without ceasing.  This doesn’t mean that we are always sharing prayers with God.  But it does mean that we constantly have an orientation towards God.  We are always aware of God and are willing to ask for God’s help through prayer.

As you go through your day today, be especially attentive to being aware of God.  You might not have an experience of God, but you can be aware that God is always around you. 

As you pray, ask God for help to pray without ceasing.

What are your thoughts about this prayer? Please share.

Monday, June 29

Exodus 13:17-22

When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was nearer, for God thought, “If the people face war, they may change their minds and return to Egypt.” So God led the people by the roundabout way of the wilderness bordering the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of the land of Egypt prepared for battle. And Moses took with him the bones of Joseph, who had required a solemn oath of the Israelites, saying, “God will surely come to you, and then you must carry my bones with you from here.” They set out from Succoth and camped at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness. The LORD went in front of them in a pillar of cloud by day, to lead them along the way, and in a pillar of fire by night, to give them light, so that they might travel by day and by night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.

This past Sunday Pastor Paul began a new sermon series called, “Road Trip.” He is looking at different parts of a road trip to reflect on what we can learn about faith.

In this story, the Israelites began their road trip out of Egypt. To call their journey a road trip might seem a bit trite. But this was the start of their long journey.

What is interesting is that God was invested in their success. God was willing to provide direction to the Israelites. God went in front of them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.

Can you imagine what this must have been like to see a pillar of cloud lead you during the day and a pillar of cloud by night?

Each of us is on a journey. And though we are not being led by a pillar of clouds or a pillar of fire, we are still being led. God wants to lead each of us.

When have there been times that you have felt especially by led by God on your faith journey? Please share.

Tuesday, June 30

Exodus 15:22-27

Then Moses ordered Israel to set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter. That is why it was called Marah. And the people complained against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” He cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a piece of wood; he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.

There the LORD made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he put them to the test. He said, “If you will listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in his sight, and give heed to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will not bring upon you any of the diseases that I brought upon the Egyptians, for I am the LORD who heals you.”

Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they camped there by the water.

This is the first story of what was happening to the Israelites after they had escaped Pharaoh and Pharaoh’s armies. You can read that story in the first part of Exodus 15.

The Israelites were following Moses. Moses told the people to go into the wilderness of Shur. This was a desert. The people could find no water in this desolate place. And the water they found was bitter. The people became very upset with Moses and with God.

God was not upset with the people for being upset. Instead, God gave Moses and the Israelites a piece of wood that when thrown into the water helped the water to lose its bitterness.

God then told the Israelites what was most important for their journey. “[God] said, ‘If you listen carefully to the voice of God, and do what is right in his sight, and give heed to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will not bring upon you any of the diseases that I brought upon the Egyptians; for I am the lord who heals you.” Exodus 15:26

One of the tasks of our own journey of faith is to hear and follow the voice of God. God has desires for us on our own journey. Sometimes we must be especially mindful of God’s voice and what God’s voice is saying.

We might not hear the actual voice of God, but we might travel with God through a retreat, or a time of fasting, or reading the Bible.

What helps you lift-up the voice of God?

Wednesday, July 1

Joshua 5:6-7

For the Israelites traveled forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, the warriors who came out of Egypt, perished, not having listened to the voice of the LORD. To them the LORD swore that he would not let them see the land that he had sworn to their ancestors to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. So it was their children, whom he raised up in their place, that Joshua circumcised, for they were uncircumcised because they had not been circumcised on the way.

The Israelites traveled forty years in the wilderness. The journey took so long that it was the children of the original Israelites who eventually left the wilderness to enter the Promise Land.

The reason that the original Israelites did not enter the Promise Land was they didn’t listen to the voice of God.

God wanted to direct the Israelites. God wanted the people to follow. And God created the people with definite opinions about life. When they were upset with something that was happening, they would often complain.

The Israelites frequently became spiritually lost because they did not listen to God. They went off in their own direction, or they stopped trusting that God had their best interest in mind.

Have you ever had a moment or time in your life that you stopped valuing the wisdom that God has for us.

What are your thoughts about this story? Please share.

Thursday, July 2

Luke 8:1-3

Soon afterward he went on through one town and village after another, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him, as well as some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, and Susanna, and many others, who ministered to them out of their own resources.

Jesus also went on journeys. He would walk between villages “proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God.” Luke 8:1

A group of people would travel with him. In this story we heard about some women who traveled with Jesus. These women provided financial support for Jesus and his disciples.

As a traveler Jesus witnessed quite a lot. He was focused on his direction and the message that he was sharing.

Imagine what it must have been to travel with Jesus. The people traveling probably didn’t know the complete identity of Jesus, but they eventually learned about it.

Can we think of a time when we went on an extended road trip with someone else? What was the trip like, did we learn more about the trip? What were our memories? Please share.

Friday, July 3

Luke 14:25-33

Now large crowds were traveling with him, and he turned and said to them, “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? If he cannot, then while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.

Jesus was becoming very successful. Now large crowds were traveling with him. Probably not the same size crowds as the Israelites as they were traveling through the wilderness. But his teachings were making an impact. He was becoming known.

What a difference this was for Jesus compared to the start of his journey. After he left the wilderness where Satan tempted him, Jesus went to the synagogue in his hometown. He was rejected by them and had to escape for his life. People in his own hometown did not accept his message. Now things were much different.

What do you think it was like to travel with Jesus—to be part of the large crowd? Do you think most people accepted what Jesus said or do you think they had questions? And what would lead people to leave their own comfort and security to travel with him? Please share.

Saturday, July 4

Acts 13:13-16

Then Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. John, however, left them and returned to Jerusalem, but they went on from Perga and came to Antioch in Pisidia. And on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down. After the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the officials of the synagogue sent them a message, saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, give it.” So Paul stood up and with a gesture began to speak:

“Fellow Israelites and others who fear God, listen.

Paul, who we know of as the Apostle Paul, was also a traveler. He would travel into villages and find the synagogue. He would share the message of Jesus. A group would form around him because of his teachings. He would then leave and travel to another location. He would send letters back to that group who had formed. Some of those letters became books of the Bible.

In this story we get a sense of the wide breadth of Paul’s travels. In these verses we hear about sailing from Pahpos to Perga. Then from Perga he and others went to Antioch. It was in Antioch that he went into the synagogue and gave a sermon that made up most of this chapter.

Paul was not afraid to travel. In 2 Corinthians 11:23-27 he talked about the dangers of his travel. The story shares some of the challenges that Jesus experienced as he traveled.

What are your thoughts about this story and Paul’s travels? Please share.

Devotion

Monday, June 22

Exodus 3:13-15

But Moses said to God, “If I come to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” He said further, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘I am has sent me to you.’ ” God also said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you’:

This is my name forever,
and this my title for all generations.

Traditionally God has been described as “Father;” however God is described with all sorts of different names in the Bible. On this week after Father’s Day, we’ll have the opportunity in this devotion to reflect on six particular names that have been used to describe God.

The name “Yahweh” occurs 6,828 times in the Bible and is by far the most common designation to describe God.  The word comes from the transliteration of the Hebrew term yhw.

When God asked Moses to go back to Israel and ask Pharaoh to release the Israelites, Moses wanted to know who had sent him. Moses wanted to know the name of God.  God responded by telling Moses to say that “I am who I am” or “YHW” told him to go back to Israel.

People have debated for centuries what this means. One way to look at it is God is ultimately indescribable. We use language to put a name on God or to describe the qualities of God. But our human language cannot capture completely the essence of God. 

So, to say “I am who I am” is to say that language can’t completely capture God. God is—that is the important point. Our task is to accept that God is—that God exists.

Have you had times in your life when you addressed God as Yahweh? Please share.

Tuesday, June 23

1 Samuel 4:4

So the people sent to Shiloh and brought from there the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, who is enthroned on the cherubim. The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

The name “Lord of Hosts” occurs 261 times in the Bible. The idea is that God is enthroned as the king of heaven. The cherubim are angels, and God is above the cherubim. Putting this together we can see that the writer saw God as above everything.

In this story in 1 Samuel the people brought the ark. They wanted God to help them defeat the Philistines. The ark represented God and God’s favor to them. The “Lord of Hosts” would help them in their battle with the Philistines.

Just as the ark represented God and God’s favor to the Israelites, we might have a special item to us that represents God and God’s favor.  What would your item be?

Wednesday, June 24

Genesis 28:1-5

Then Isaac called Jacob and blessed him and charged him, “You shall not marry one of the Canaanite women. Go at once to Paddan-aram to the house of Bethuel, your mother’s father, and take as wife from there one of the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother. May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and numerous, that you may become a company of peoples. May he give to you the blessing of Abraham, to you and to your offspring with you, so that you may take possession of the land where you now live as an alien, land that God gave to Abraham.” Thus Isaac sent Jacob away, and he went to Paddan-aram, to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob’s and Esau’s mother.

In verse three God is translated from the Hebrew term, “El Shaddai.” This divine name occurs seven times in the Bible.

“May [El Shaddai] God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and numerous, that you may become a company of peoples. May he give to you the blessing of Abraham, to you and to your offspring with you, so that you may take possession of the land where you now live as an alien—land that God gave to Abraham.”  Genesis 28:3-4

El Shaddai was the name of a famous song that Amy Grant composed many years ago.

It often means God Almighty as it was translated in this verse. It can also mean God of the Mountain.

Here are some words from that song. You can see the immense power that El Shaddai represents.

“Through Your love and through the ram

You saved the son of Abraham.

Through the power of Your hand

Turned the sea into dry land.

To the outcast on her knees

You were the God who really sees.

And by Your might

You set Your children free.”

El Shaddai              
- Amy Grant

How would it be for you to pray to El Shaddai? Please share.

Thursday, June 25

Psalm 7:1-2, 17

O Lord my God, in you I take refuge;
    save me from all my pursuers, and deliver me,
or like a lion they will tear me apart;
    they will drag me away, with no one to rescue.

I will give to the Lord the thanks due to His righteousness
    and sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High.

Another name for God is “El Elyon.”  This is also translated as Most High.

The name is a designation that God is superior to any other God. The name occurred four times in Genesis 14. 

When we call God “El Elyon” we are recognizing God’s supremacy. We acknowledge that God is the greatest God that exists and far superior to any other God. 

We say this when we read the last verse of Psalm 17:

“I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness, and sing praise to the name of the Lord, [El Elyon] the Most High.”

Try addressing God today as El Elyon.

Friday, June 26

Mark 14:32-36

They went to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” He took with him Peter and James and John and began to be distressed and agitated.  And he said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and keep awake.” And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. He said, “Abba Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me, yet not what I want but what you want.”

When Jesus prayed in Gethsemane he called out to “Abba, Father.”  This is a term of endearment. It was as if Jesus was calling out to Papa.

Many people get snagged in the gender of the term, Father. God certainly is described as male, but God transcends gender. Just as with any term, gender cannot capture God. We use gender because we’re almost forced to use it in using a personal pronoun to describe God.

For Jesus it was his relationship with Abba that was more important than the gender of Abba.

When Jesus prayed to Abba when He was under great pressure. He knew that everything was possible through Abba. At this moment he was not concerned about the gender of God. He needed help and he reached out to Abba, Father, Papa.

What would it look like for you to describe God as Abba—someone intimate to you? Please share.

Saturday, June 27

Isaiah 46:3-4

Listen to me, O house of Jacob,
    all the remnant of the house of Israel,
who have been borne by me from your birth,
    carried from the womb;
even to your old age I am he;
    even when you turn gray I will carry you.
I have made, and I will bear;
    I will carry and will save.

In this passage God displays characteristics of a mother. God was sharing with Israel that they had been born from God and that God had carried and nurtured them throughout their existence. Just as a mother nurtures us God nurtured Israel.

Once again, we acknowledge that language about God gives us part of the story.  Yesterday we recognized that describing God as father does not capture God. Today we can recognize that saying God as mother does not capture God. Describing God as father or God as mother are images that can be helpful to us as we understand God. However, these images are not complete as no language can completely capture God.

For many people thinking of God as mother is hard as this is a new way to think of God. And the debate about gender and God have made the idea contentious.

However, think of the beautiful qualities of your own mother or a mother who you admire. It is certainly possible to think that God has these qualities.

As you pray today, give thanks for the mothering images of God like the one shared in this passage.

How would it be for you to address God as mother? Please share.

Monday, June 15

Matthew 6:19-21

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

This week we are going to look at simplicity. Pastor Paul shared a sermon yesterday where he talked four kinds of simplicity. Eventually he talked about simplicity regarding our material belongings or minimalism.

Jesus shared a simple teaching on simplicity that can drive our own understanding. “Where your treasure is, there will be your heart also.” Matthew 6:21

This is not a complicated saying. Where does our heart lead us in terms of our consumption of items? Pastor Paul shared yesterday in the sermon that the average person has 62 tops or shirts. Whether our own number is higher or lower, the point of the statistic is this is a very high number. What are we going to do with 62 tops or shirts? How hard do we have to work to be able to purchase this number of tops or shirts? Is our own life more complicated or less complicated because of the number of tops or shirts that we own?

If we are focusing so much on our clothes our heart is going to land on this consumption. And when our heart is at this place, it is almost impossible to think or pray or be in relationship with people who are poor or on the outside of our culture.

Would you take a moment to count the number of shirts or tops that you own? If you feel bold, share that number. Could you get rid of half of those shirts or tops this week? What would that look like for you? Please share.

Tuesday, June 16

Luke 10:38-42

Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him.  She had a sister named Mary, who sat at Jesus’s feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks, so she came to him and asked, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her, then, to help me.”  But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things, but few things are needed—indeed only one. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.

This story is not about the lack of hospitality of Martha. Martha was doing everything she could to help Jesus have a beautiful experience in the home of Martha and Mary. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks. So many tasks that she could not enjoy time with Jesus.

Each of us can be distracted by all the same tasks that we have before us. We might think that getting through a to-do list every day is our greatest accomplishment.

Jesus taught very clearly that this was not the most important task. Our most important task is to follower the direction that Mary illustrated at the stary of this story—to sit at the feet of Jesus and enjoy his presence.

Our stuff can get in the way of this. We might have to work to buy what we want, to not spend time with Jesus because we are working at least sixty hours a week. Our time focused on our belongings can be time that we cannot devote to our faith.

But Jesus did not give up on Martha. He just shared that a better way to go forward is to grow in our faith.

Do you find that your time spent on your belongings takes you away from your time with God? Please share.

Wednesday, June 17

Luke 12:13-21

Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” But he said to him, “Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?” And he said to them, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” Then he told them a parable: “The land of a rich man produced abundantly. And he thought to himself, ‘What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?’ Then he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.  And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’  But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.”

This is an important story about simplicity. This story begins with an important chapter in Luke. The rich man had enough. But he was consumed about building barns. He was greedy.

The point of the parable is obvious. Our greed can put us in a cycle that leads us away from God.

The key question for us regarding simplicity is “what is enough?” When do we get to a point where we do not need to purchase anything more?

Each of us lives in a culture that tells us that we do not have enough. In being exposed to a large number of ads each day, we are conditioned to believe that we don’t have enough. As if the product advertised can fill a hole in our spirits.

We almost need to pray daily that what we have is enough to remind ourselves that we do not need to purchase anything to fill us up. Our desires for more lead us away from simplicity.

What do you do that is a reminder that you do not need to purchase anything to fill up your spirit? Please share.

Thursday, June 18

Luke 12:22-31

He said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds!  And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to your span of life? If then you are not able to do so small a thing as that, why do you worry about the rest?  Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, you of little faith! And do not keep seeking what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not keep worrying. For it is the nations of the world that seek all these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

These words from Jesus that continue from yesterday’s reading are helpful for us regarding simplicity. A key message is Luke 12:23, “For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.”

Jesus was stripping down life to its basic essentials. He was asking the question, what is most essential for our life. He answered his own question—the essentials are food and clothing. After that we do not need to worry about anything because we have our essentials.

Jesus used the ravens as an example. They had all they needed and did not worry. As humans we will be helped by God – just as the ravens were helped.

The last verse of this Scripture is important. “Seek for God’s kingdom and these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 12:31

Our task is not to focus on stuff to purchase, but instead to focus on God’s Kingdom. When we do this, the other parts of life will work out.

Have you had seasons in your own life when you intentionally focused on God’s Kingdom? What happened? How did it go? Please share.

Friday, June 19

Luke 12:32-34

“Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” 

At the end of this important chapter, Jesus gave the most important message, “For where your treasure is, there you heart will be also.”

The connection of this verse to simplicity is significant. Jesus was saying focus on what is most important and let go of everything else. When we focus on purchasing the next thing we are led away from the life-transforming message of Jesus.

On occasion Pastor Paul has shared the Three Fs regarding what is important—faith, family, friends.

What would your life look like this week if you spent eighty percent of your time focused on this? Would your life be different? Please share.

Saturday, June 20

1 Timothy 6:6-19

Of course, there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it, but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.

But as for you, man of God, shun all this; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep the commandment without spot or blame until the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will bring about at the right time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords. It is he alone who has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see; to him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.

As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches but rather on God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life.

In this last chapter of the first letter to Timothy, we come across an important teaching about simplicity. We are called to pair godliness and contentment.

Paul went on in the rest of this chapter to explain what he meant.

He shared that if we have food and clothing, then that is enough to be content.

Would you be content if your needs for food and clothing were satisfied? Are those needs satisfied right now in your life? Do you experience contentment? Please share.

Monday, June 1

Read Matthew 11:28-30

“Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

The devotion this week will be a follow-up to Pastor Paul’s sermon on silence and solitude. When we are silent and in a place of solitude, we are more likely to connect to God compared to when we are in a noisy place with many people.

Jesus is an example of someone who sought solitude. He frequently went off by himself to spend time with his Abba, Father.

One way to let go of the weariness and heavy burdens that each of us inevitably experience is to spend time by ourselves with limited access to noise. When we experience silence, we can let go of the tumult that might be rampaging through our spirit. Through silence we can experience “rest for our souls.”

Pastor Paul shares two of these three verses in the prayer before Communion. When we participate in Communion, we can experience rest for our souls.

Take some time right now to remember a time when you celebrated Communion that was especially meaningful to you and it gave you rest. In your mind, remember the day, the experience and how it felt.

Please share your experience on the Chain of Lakes Facebook page under Expressions of Faith.

Tuesday, June 2

Read Mark 1:35-39

In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed.  And Simon and his companions hunted for him. When they found him, they said to him, “Everyone is searching for you.” He answered, “Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also, for that is what I came out to do.” And he went throughout all Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons.

This week we will read about Jesus spending time in prayer. In many of the stories we read about Jesus prayed in the morning. In this story he prayed in the very early morning. Mark noted that it was not only “dark” it was “very dark.” The word “dark” could be a synonym for “morning.”

Simon and Simon’s companions eventually found Jesus. The story doesn’t tell us, but it is not hard to imagine that it was light out when Simon and Simon’s companions found Jesus. We’re not told if Jesus was praying when Simon and Simon’s companions found Jesus, but it is not hard to think that he was. If these assumptions were correct, Jesus might have been praying for two or three or even four hours.

Mark told us that the place that Jesus went was deserted. It’s not hard to imagine that the place was quiet.

Jesus sought out this quiet place. He intentionally went there.

Some of us are not wired for quiet. We need engagement with people and noise. Some of us crave quiet times by ourselves.

What do you crave? What sort of experience works for you when you pray? Please share.

Wednesday, June 3

Read Luke 5:15-16

But now more than ever the word about Jesus spread abroad; many crowds were gathering to hear him and to be cured of their diseases. Meanwhile, he would slip away to deserted places and pray.

This story in Luke is early in the ministry of Jesus. Jesus was becoming known. As Luke wrote, more than ever, the word about Jesus was spreading. Many crowds, probably large crowds of people were gathering to hear Jesus.

But despite this popularity of Jesus, he remained centered. He would withdraw to deserted places to pray.

For some it might not be surprising that Jesus would withdraw to a deserted place to pray, but if we push into what was happening, we could imagine Jesus not doing this.

Jesus was experiencing a large amount of success. He didn’t need to be by himself, but he chose to continue this pattern in his life.

Have you gone through a season where it felt like you didn’t really need to spend time with God? Life was going well, and you slipped away from your spiritual practices?

If you have had this experience, please share.

Thursday, June 4

Read Mark 6:30-31

The apostles gathered around Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. He said to them, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.

The disciples or apostles were experiencing success themselves. They told Jesus about what they had done and taught. Jesus wanted to spend some “alone time” with them. He told them, “Come away to a deserted place by yourselves and rest a while.”

The word, “rest” is the same word that we read about on Monday and the same word that Pastor Paul shares before Communion. The word means replenishment or refreshment.

We can experience this through silence and solitude. When we are by ourselves, we can let go of all the “noise” in our life. When we let go of this noise, we are able to be centered or connected to God.

Being silent or in solitude does not work for everyone. Some need others and noise to be connected to God. No right way exists to be centered.

But certainly, silence and solitude bring us rest.

Do you find yourself connected to God in a special way when you are quiet or in solitude or when people are with you? Please

Friday, June 5

Read Luke 6:12-16

Now during those days, he went out to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God. And when day came, he called his disciples and chose twelve of them, whom he also named apostles: Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew, and James, and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James son of Alphaeus, and Simon, who was called the Zealot, and Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

Here we read that Jesus spent the night in prayer to God. We are not told how long a time Jesus was praying—it was probably more than an hour, maybe four hours, it could have even been eight hours.

How awesome it would have been to accompany Jesus on this night of prayer. Most likely it wasn’t a “dark night of the soul” type of prayer. When the day came Jesus chose his twelve disciples. The implication was Jesus was talking to God about who Jesus would choose to serve. But to see this prayer would have been inspiring.

Certainly, some of this time Jesus spent time with his Abba was in silence.

What is the longest time you have spent in prayer? The point is not to receive praise because of the length of your prayer. But something does happen when we spend an extended time with God in prayer. Did you have this experience? Please share.

Saturday, June 6

Read Luke 4:42-46

At daybreak he departed and went into a deserted place. And the crowds began looking for him, and when they reached him, they tried to keep him from leaving them. But he said to them, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose.” So he continued proclaiming the message in the synagogues of Judea.

Going off to be by himself kept Jesus centered on his mission. Even when he had the potential to go a different direction than he had wanted, Jesus did not go in this direction.

Undoubtedly spending this time in prayer, allowed Jesus to be centered. He could say “no” to ideas or possibilities that would take him away from his purpose.

Have you experienced seasons when you did not pray? Did you find yourself being distracted from your purpose or the values on which you identify? Please share.