Category Archives: Devo Drops

Thoughts on daily devotional scripture readings

Praying Up with John Baillie

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Maybe I should just cut and paste the June 2010 posts right back in here.  Strawberry jam, camp week, VBS week – here we go again!  Except this year, throw in a wedding.  Yes, a wedding!  The big day isn’t until August, but we are in full matrimony mode.  All this activity could threaten to overwhelm me, so I need a little help these days getting prayed up.  When I sit in my prayer chair early in the morning, I start to pray, but I am bombarded with thoughts like these: 

Dear Lord, thanks for this new day.  Help me to walk in Your ways…..

Oh!   Remember to call the candy store to see if they can order red raspberry drops to go with the lemon drops for the reception……

Sorry, Lord.  Okay, fill me with Your Spirit and use me to serve others.

Ah!   Don’t forget to cut out that bamboo leaf pattern for the set design and print out more nametags for the VBS kids…….

Oops.  Focus.  Be with PB and the kids today. 

Oh yah!  Gotta pick up a Father’s Day card and get PB’s favorite snack food packed up for his week at camp….

In times like these, I call on John Baillie and his prayers.  When I can’t seem to put together two sentences that make sense even to God, Baillie’s “A Diary of Private Prayer” is just what I need. (For more on John Baillie see October 6, 2010 post,  “Borrowing Prayers From John Baillie”.)   Take it away John.  The rest of us will join in.

“O Eternal God, though Thou art not such as I can see with my eyes or touch with my hands, yet grant me this day a clear conviction of Thy reality and power.  Let me not go forth to my work believing only in the world of sense and time, but give me grace to understand that the world I cannot see or touch is the most real world of all…Let me keep steadily in mind that the things that matter are not money or possessions, not houses or lands, not bodily comfort or bodily pleasure; but truth and honour and meekness and helpfulness and a pure love of Thyself.”

Amen.

Judging the Judgmental

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For the law was given through Moses;  grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.  John 1:17

Continued from the last post:  I guess my 4th grade teacher was right.  When I point my finger at someone else, there are three more pointing back at me.  This judging business is tricky.  I looked at those self-righteous Pharisees in John 8 and judged them for their judgmentalism, self-righteous person that I am.

What is astonishing to me is the way Jesus brought grace and truth to this sticky situation.

Truth: Jesus knew the truth about the woman’s sin and didn’t make excuses for her.  He didn’t debate with the Pharisees about the law or the punishment the law required.  In fact, Jesus challenged them to go ahead and stone her, which might have thrown them off a bit.  Except no one could meet the qualifier: being without sin.  Jesus was the only one there who actually met the requirements to cast the first stone, but he didn’t pick up a pebble.

Lesson:  Sin is sin and Jesus is the only one who can do anything about it.

Truth:  Jesus knew the truth about the Pharisees’ hearts: they were not motivated by a desire for righteousness, but by evil.  When Jesus asked the woman where her accusers were, the Greek word for “accuser” was the same word the rabbis used for the devil.  The religious professionals weren’t even aware that they were “caught in the act” of sinning as well.

Lesson:  Only Jesus knows what’s in the heart, good or bad.

Grace:  Jesus didn’t pass judgment on the woman.  He was careful not to bring added shame to her in front of the Pharisees and the people looking on.  Jesus only spoke to her after her accusers had left, saying, “Neither do I condemn you.  Go and sin no more.”  Although he knew what the law said, Jesus didn’t enforce the punishment, perhaps thinking, “It won’t be long before I fulfill the law and die for that sin.”

Lesson:  Casting shame, guilt and condemnation onto others is not in my job description.

Grace:  Jesus did not cast judgment on the Pharisees.  In a masterful move, he forced the religious leaders to judge themselves.  As they stood there gripping the rocks in their hands, Jesus politely bent down and wrote in the dust.  He didn’t stare them down, preach them a sermon, or embarrass them in front of the people; he allowed them to leave quietly with a little bit of dignity.

Lesson:  Grace causes people to drop their rocks.

I guess it doesn’t really matter what Jesus wrote…

What Would Jesus Write?

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“But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger.”  John 8:6

PB preached on John 8:1-11 on Sunday.  There’s a lot going on in those eleven verses and I have a whole string of questions that are stirring in my heart and mind.  But one of the most intriguing parts of this scene is when Jesus wrote something on the ground with his finger.  It is the only instance in recorded scripture of Jesus writing anything.  The Word became flesh, but didn’t write a single word of scripture.  That’s fascinating.

A woman (the sinner) caught in the act of adultery stood before Jesus, as her accusers (the church folks) beat her up with Bible verses.  Meanwhile, Jesus stooped down and doodled in the dirt.  Or did He?  What would Jesus write?  Well, I read about 25 commentaries on this passage and they all started out by stating, “There is no way of knowing what Jesus wrote on the ground, but it’s possible that….”  And so the conjecture begins.  Here are some theories:

1)  Jesus stooped down and scribbled in the dirt to collect himself because he was so angry with the Pharisees and because He didn’t want to bring further shame to the woman.

2)  Jesus wanted to give the Pharisees a chance to stop their vendetta against Him at the expense of this woman.  He was hoping they would hear themselves and recognize how evil they sounded.

3)  Jesus began to write a list of sins that the Pharisees had commiteed and were now committing.

4)  Jesus began to write a list of woman’s names and addresses – the name of each accuser’s girlfriend.

5)  Jesus was just following proper Roman judicial practices by writing out the sentence before pronouncing it.

6)  Jesus drew a picture.  (However, the Greek makes it clear Jesus wrote words.)

7)  Jesus wrote out the 10 Commandments.

8)  Jesus wrote the Pharisees’ names in the dust along with Jeremiah 17:13.  (“O Lord, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the Lord, the spring of living water”)

Care to weigh in?  Cast a vote?  What do you think Jesus wrote?

Pandas

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For someone in my position (Christian Education Director at a church), there are two major defining moments each year: the Christmas Program and Vacation Bible School.  Over the past six years that I’ve been doing this, we’ve had some pretty memorable performances in December.  The kids work hard and start memorizing songs and lines in October.  We do it up big with staging and lights and costumes.  On the day of the program, the place is packed with parents and grandparents.  The kids inevitably rise to the occasion and the congregation always gives them a standing ovation.  It’s a glorious feeling of accomplishment for the young folks.  (See December 20, 2010 post)

VBS, however, is a whole different thing.  For this event, adults are the ones who work for months to pull off a big 4 day party for the kids.  In January, we begin scouring thrift stores and sale racks for decor that fits the theme.  We put out a call to start collecting whatever the craft person is going to need in abundance, whether it’s toilet paper cardboard tubes or empty tin soup cans.  We go all out to make sure the kids who come through our doors have a blast at church.  (See June 29, 2010 post)

This year’s theme is “Pandamania: Where God Is Wild About You”. We will be creating an Asian bamboo jungle, with lots of panda bears.  At first I thought this was going to be tough.  I have no stuffed pandas in the storage closet and no bamboo growing in my backyard. 

But it’s amazing what happens when you begin looking with an eye for something specific.  At the Dollar Store, lo and behold: a whole crate full of little panda puppets and stacks of Chinese lanterns.  At Goodwill, whadya know: a pile of 6 foot tall fake bamboo.  In my own sewing cabinet, voila: fabric that will make a great waterfall.  Suddenly, I am seeing this stuff everywhere!  It’s like my mind is directing my eyes to see what I normally would overlook. 

I think the same thing happens with God.  Going through my day without an awareness of God, or “an eye” for Him,  I am more likely to be oblivious to His wondrous activity all around me.  When my focus is on pandas, they seem to show up everywhere.  When my focus is on God, He does, too.

Listening In

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I used to get a kick out of listening in on my kids’ conversations when they were little. (“You be the mommy and I’ll be the daddy.”  “Why can’t I be the daddy?”  “Because you have longer eyelashes.”)   As they grew older I perked up less for the entertainment value, and more for the information I was hoping to glean.   (“Don’t tell mom and dad, but you know that girl in my class with the long eyelashes…?”)

Reading the gospels is kind of like listening in on Jesus’ conversations with people.  And I’ve noticed something recently.  Jesus didn’t talk the same way to everyone.  He figured out where people were coming from first and then geared the discussion around their frame of reference.  For instance, when he talked to the woman at the well he used words like water, thirst, drink, spring.  But when Jesus faced the teachers of the law, he chose different words: valid testimony, execute judgement, witness, evidence, investigate, proof.  In John 5:24 he said, “I tell you the truth,” or “Verily, verily, I say unto you.”   Translation: “I’m telling you the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me….Me.”  Then He went on to present three witnesses to validate His claims,  as required by the court of law (v. 31-37).  After giving the testimony of the witnesses, Jesus shifted from being the defense attorney to the prosecuting attorney and rung them up on charges (v.38-42) before wrapping up with His closing argument (v.43-47).  The carpenter from Nazareth finished with an incriminating question to which there was no reply.  Silence.  He schooled the big-shot lawyers.  Bam.  I rest my case.

The Master didn’t talk about living water to the lawyers; He didn’t use legal jargon with the woman at the well.  Many times He answered people when nothing had been asked.  And sometimes He didn’t answer a straight-forward question with a clear answer, but told a story instead.  Quite often He answered a question with another question.  No formulas; no tracts; no step-by-step programs.  The best thing for us to do is listen in and learn from a real Master.

He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

Inheritance

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You are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus…If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.  Galatians 3:26, 29

Back in February, I started listening to an online Bible study series taught by Beth Moore called “The Inheritance”.  I took ten pages of notes and highlighted the key verses.  I was familiar with most of the scriptures; I knew most of this stuff.  I planned to put my notes in a file labeled “Inheritance” and move on to the next study.  But something happened on my way to the file cabinet.

I found myself sitting in a lawyer’s office reading my dad’s Last Will and Testament.

Suddenly, those ten pages of study notes jumped off the paper and into my heart.  My dad left me something, even though I did nothing to earn it or deserve it.  Just because I was his daughter.  I contributed nothing to the family business; in fact, I went and married a preacher!  I didn’t call or visit dad as much as I should have; I didn’t take time to get to know his deepest joys and fears.  But no matter.  A portion of what he worked for his whole life was left to me.  I walked out of that lawyer’s office with tears streaming down my face.  I began to comprehend the significance of those Bible study notes.

So, it has made me wonder: Why don’t I wake up every morning and weep with joy over the stunning realization that I am a real live heir of God and co-heir with Jesus Christ?  Why am I not overwhelmed by the incomparable, unsearchable, immeasurable riches of God that are mine simply because I am His daughter?  Why do I not stand in utter awe at the portion allotted to me, my delightful inheritance in Christ?

Sometimes it’s a long way from the head to the heart.  But when the truth strikes, it is absolutely breathtaking.

Pick Up!

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I’ve been camping out in John 5 (see April 19 post: “Get Up!”).  It just thrills my soul to know Jesus told the man, “Pick up your mat”.  How many times have I quoted that very scripture (with variations)?  You know: pick up your shoes, pick up your room, pick up your sweaty, smelly  jersey, pick up your cereal bowl with the milk that has curdled and stinks to high heaven…..well, you get the picture.  During all those years of raising four kids, I didn’t realize how spiritual I was sounding.  (Neither did the kids, I’m sure.)

Jesus told a lot of people to “get up”, but He was also big on “pick up”.  The paralytic in Mark 2 didn’t get to waltz out of that house with his new legs.  Oh, no.  Come right back here, buddy, and pick up that sorry old bedroll before you leave.  And the disciples were told to pick up the leftovers after every one of those crowd-sized meals.  Five thousand people could probably leave quite a pile of fish bones and bread crusts.

Jesus didn’t ask anyone to do what he wouldn’t do, however.  This Easter I was reminded once again of my favorite “pick up” story in the Holy Book.  The risen Savior was in the tomb, about ready to bust out of there, when He stopped, picked up His face cloth and folded it neatly, leaving it on the slab of rock. (John 20:7)  What a Man!

The only thing that amazes me more is that He also picked me up.  As the Psalmist wrote, “He picks up the poor from out of the dirt.”  (Psalm 115:4 Message) 

Get Up!

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Then Jesus said to him, “Get up!  Pick up your mat and walk.”  John 5:8

Sometimes we need to be told to get up off our rears, clean up our messes and take a step in a new direction.  Jesus told people to “get up” all the time.  For instance, He said these words to a paralyzed man (Matt. 9:6), a dead 12-year-old girl (Mark 5:41), a boy in a coffin (Luke 7:14), and a man who had been crippled for 38 years (John 5:8), just to name a few.  How in the world were these people supposed to “get up”? 

It’s a good question for those of us who get stuck on our mats from time to time.  Like the man in John 5, I can get paralyzed by circumstances and lie around hoping for someone to come along who will lift me up into a place of healing.  It can be a long wait.  If I’m not careful, I can begin to get comfortable on my mat. 

I’ve been there the past two weeks.  Partly from the recent death of my dad, partly from reliving the loss of my mom (I was 13 when she died of cancer), partly because I’ve had a miserable head cold, and partly because it’s April and it’s snowing.  But this morning I heard a voice say, “Get up” and it didn’t matter if I felt paralyzed, crippled or even dead, there was enough power in the words themselves to get me on my feet and moving.

It helps knowing that the man who spoke to the cripple (and to me) is the same One who got Himself up out of the tomb.  As Keith Green wrote,

“Jesus rose from the dead. 

Come on, get out of your bed.”

“…so that you may know his incomparably great power for us who believe.  That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead.” Ephesians 1:19-20

Craving Honey Nut Cheerios

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“They willfully put God to the test by demanding the food they craved.”  Psalm 78:18

When I was pregnant with our first child, I remember sending PB out in the middle of the night for Honey Nut Cheerios.  There was to be no peace, no sleep, no satisfaction until that bowl of sweet, crunchy goodness was in my hands and in my tummy.  I just had to have some.  

Occasionally, I still get a hankering for something sweet and find an excuse to drive down to the gas station for some licorice.  We live in a world where it’s fairly easy to satisfy our cravings.  In or out of season, we have an array of fruit and vegetables in our stores all year round.  Restaurants show off their revolving dessert cases and we are bombarded with tv ads that create an appetite for thick, gooey, cheesy pizza that’s just a phone call and 15 minutes away from our salivating mouths.

After almost a year of a steady diet of manna (that heavenly food that showed up outside their tents every morning) the Israelites out in the desert began to complain.  Again.  Only this time they took it up a notch.  “Moses heard the people of every family wailing, each at the entrance to his tent.”  (Numbers 11:10)  The folks were wailing, and why?  Their mouths were watering for a taste of home: “We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost – also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic.” (Numbers 11:5)

They seemed to be forgetting that along with those yummy leeks and onions came slavery, bitter hardship and beatings from the hands of ruthless slave masters.  It’s odd what we remember when looking back at the “good old days”.  The Bible says that God caused the people to hunger and then fed them bread from heaven.  He had to drive out the old cravings in order for the people to develop a taste for divine food.  I think God’s still in the business of training our taste buds.  My desires for security and significance can only be satisfied by Him, not a person, or a career, or a new toy.  Or Honey Nut Cheerios.

Bad Dog

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A few months ago I wrote about Bo, our Boggle (Boston Terrier/Beagle mix). (See July 20, 2010 post)  But there’s something I didn’t tell you about Bo.  As Sam observed this week, Bo is a really good pet, but she’s a really bad dog.

It’s like this: Bo is always sweet around us, her family.  She likes to play and fetch and curl up next to whoever is lying on the couch.  She sits and shakes paws and greets us at the door with tail wags.  She rarely barks and a doo-doo mistake in the house is highly unlikely.  Bo has never bitten anyone and only showed me her teeth once, when I tried to take away her food.  Understandable.  She’s a really good pet.

But when Bo gets anywhere near another dog, she turns into a bloodthirsty maniac.  The hair along her spine rises up and she begins to schnuffle (a barking/snorting thing).  Bo must give off some kind of offensive aura because other dogs also turn into bloodthirsty maniacs in her presence.  In our one attempt to go to the city’s dog park, we cleared it out in a matter of minutes.  Nobody likes to play with Bo.

When we go out for walks, she prances right beside me and smiles up at me….until another dog approaches.  Then she goes into attack mode and I can barely control the ferocious beast.  Quite often, I will turn around and go the other way when I see a probable confrontation converging.  Her reputation in the neighborhood isn’t good.  Nobody knows she’s really a sweet thing, except those of us who live in the house with her.

 Bo looking out the window.

      Bo looking out the window as a dog walks by.

Is this behavior limited to canines?  Do human beings have similar issues?  I mean, do people sometimes act sweet and loving in the house of God and then snarl and schnuffle at others on the street?  Are there some folks who just give off bad vibes and seem to bring out the worst in others?  I’m not pointing any fingers; I’m just asking: are there some really good church-goers who turn into something else outside those walls?

If anyone boasts, “I love God,” and goes right on hating his brother or sister, thinking nothing of it, he is a liar. If he won’t love the person he can see, how can he love the God he can’t see? The command we have from Christ is blunt: Loving God includes loving people. You’ve got to love both.  1 John 4:20-21  (Message)