Tag Archives: Devotional

Michelle Bauer ~ Plenty to Eat: Turning to the Source of Life

Have you ever had a day where you worried that you weren’t going to have enough? Enough love. Enough patience. Enough energy. Enough smarts. Enough food. Enough money.

Jesus and his disciples had a day like that. Five thousand unexpected guests showed up for dinner and they were a long way from a grocery store. Just when everyone was about to panic, Jesus turns a little boy’s lunch into a feast – complete with leftovers.

When we are willing to surrender our lunches – our resources – Jesus specializes in turning “not enough” into plenty. Consider the story from the Gospel of John:

Sometime after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick. Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. The Jewish Passover Feast was near.

When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.

Philip answered him, “Eight months wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them. Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.

When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” So they gathered them and filled twelves baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself. – John 6:1-15

In North America we talk about being hungry a lot, but often what we really mean is, “it would be fun to eat.” Have you ever been truly hungry? Have you ever lived through a period of time when you didn’t know where your next meal was coming from? How has that experience affected how you view food?

John explains that the crowd was following Jesus because of the miracles he was performing, especially healing the sick. What do you think the crowd was hoping for as they followed Jesus from place to place? How do you think Jesus felt about the crowd’s motivation? Why do you follow Jesus?

Throughout the gospels we see Jesus in the mountains. It must have been a place of peace and refuge for him. Where is the place where you feel the most peaceful?  What is it about that place that brings you peace?

What a gift the disciples received! To be able to sit down with Jesus on a mountainside must have been an extraordinary experience. In what ways is Jesus inviting you to sit down with him? Are you resisting or accepting his invitation? Why?

All of a sudden, Jesus’ quiet time with his disciples was invaded by a large, miracle-hungry crowd.  Take a moment and imagine the scene from a variety of perspectives – the crowd arriving, Jesus, and the disciples experiencing an interruption.

Jesus immediately anticipated the crowd’s physical needs. They may have been following him with mixed motives, but Jesus loves and serves them regardless. Are you ever tempted to think that Jesus is unaware or callous towards your needs? In what ways is he meeting your needs during this time in your life?

Why do you think Jesus was testing Philip? How do you feel about Jesus testing Philip? Have you ever felt tested by God? How did you respond?

Offer your thoughts to God and ask him to speak to you. Offer a prayer in words to God. Thank God for his presence. Express your desire to experience his presence in a deeper way.

Leave this time trusting that your needs will be met.

Note from the Editor: Today’s featured image is, “The Multiplication of Breads,” by Alexander Ivanov.

Carrie Carter ~ Waiting on the Holy Spirit

Waiting is not an easy task for me. I’ve been known to drive miles out of the way to avoid being delayed by a train. I’ve been caught sneaking food from the dish before it was placed on the table. I’ve evaluated the check-out lanes at Wal-Mart in order to choose the one with the shortest wait. I always choose wrong. Always. The microwave society that is the Western world has not helped to develop the fruit of patience (longsuffering?) in my life, and I find that it has done nothing to benefit our culture. I don’t have to drive in LA to know that road rage simmers on the pavement of I-5.

This week we celebrate Ascension Day. An interesting conversation happened on this last day of Jesus’ physical presence on earth. He was telling them to wait. He was answering their questions of, “is this when?” with a, “God’s times are none of your business.”

It’s funny that even after three years of walking alongside Jesus, living through the agony of his death, and celebrating his resurrection, they were still anticipating a coup on the Roman government (Acts 1:6). They had waited long enough. The nation of Israel had waited long enough.

“Wait,” he said. “Wait for the Father’s promise.” “Wait for the power you will receive.” “Wait for the Holy Spirit.”

And he was gone.

So they waited. They took care of some pre-church “business.” They waited some more.

Jesus didn’t tell them how long they would need to wait to receive God’s promise. Instead of grumbling, sighing, looking at their watches, complaining to the front desk staff, or checking for messages on their phones, they united in prayer. I don’t know what they prayed, but I don’t suppose it matters now.

They waited for 10 days. Ten days of not knowing how long they needed to wait and not understanding what they were waiting for but believing Jesus: that something was going to happen.

When it happened, they knew. All of Jerusalem knew. Pentecost came in a blaze of glory! Almost 2,000 years later, I’ve benefitted from that wait.

My reality makes this story painful. How often have I given up waiting on God’s promise because I didn’t see a “will expire on” stamp? How much have I missed because I was not submitted to God’s timeline? Like a petulant child, I’ve demanded answers right now, and I know, even within my own parenting, that a child who behaves in that manner rarely, if ever, gets that for which he or she asks.

The 10 days between Ascension Day and Pentecost is my yearly reminder that good things come to those who wait. That waiting is essential for growth within my spiritual journey. Those 10 days were not recorded as a time of uncertainty and frustration, but as a time of prayer and purpose.

My own prayer is that when God asks me to wait, whether for a week or for a season, I will do it well.

Elizabeth Glass Turner ~ The Problem with Praying for Open Doors

One of the prayers I heard a lot growing up was a simple if loaded take on, “thy will be done.” Praying, “thy will be done,” is not only biblical, Jesus himself prayed it in the Garden of Gethsemane, which is a pretty compelling model to follow.

The prayer I heard repeatedly was this: “open and close doors as You see fit.” The desire often comes from a similar place as, “thy will be done.” In other words – “God, you are in control, and we have limited wisdom. We submit to what you will do in our lives.”

Often, peoples’ words show where they land on their perception of God’s sovereignty and human free will. Christians across time have affirmed the all-powerful sovereignty of God; but since early church history, what that sovereignty looks like alongside human free will has been debated. From Augustine and Pelagius to Calvin and Arminius, the nature of God’s power and the nature of free will among creatures has shaped a great deal of Christian thought, and especially later, Protestant thought.

Most of the time, when people pray for God’s will to be done, they’re trying to show that they at least want to want what God wants. Most individual prayers aren’t consciously prayed with an awareness of debates about the role of human free will. People simply don’t know what to do in their lives, and they want to make good decisions or to feel that they’ve got some guidance from God on their choices.

Sometimes circumstances, thoughts, emotions, insights, or supernatural experiences align to affirm in remarkable ways the course an individual should take. But recently a simple series of experiences reminded me how very much we are active in choosing our own course.

Several long months of a grave, undiagnosed illness for my husband led to frustrating hours waiting on “hold” on the phone while I attempted to navigate labyrinths of receptionists, schedulers, insurers, medical assistants, technicians, and record keepers. From one maddeningly slow step to the next, it was extremely difficult to discern when and how much to push, and when and how much to accept. Do we stick with this doctor or go to another? Does radiology need a reminder that we’re waiting for results? Should we be patient or assertive in pushing back with this physician? This is a serious matter, the stakes are high, it’s been dragging out forever: what should we spend our limited energy pursuing?

I decided to push for an appointment at a well-known clinic an hour from where we live. We could continue to pursue diagnostic measures with his usual specialist, but this had been dragging on interminably. At every attempt to schedule an appointment with the well-known clinic, there were obstacles, and they were disheartening.

Insurance needed to pre-authorize the appointment, which meant a recommendation was needed, which meant deciding who to request the recommendation from that would give us the most likely positive response from the insurer. Finally, pre-authorization came. We tried going through a physician’s office to schedule the appointment; miscommunication abounded. When I called to schedule it, the woman on the other end of the line had grabbed up a cancellation two days away; the call got dropped. When I called back, the closest appointment was more than two months away. I cried and put it on the calendar. A few days later I tried again, explaining what had happened. Nothing could be done, she said: try checking for cancellations. A few days later I navigated through the automated menu again; this woman was sympathetic but there was nothing sooner. Try at the beginning of next week, she said. Sometimes patients cancel their appointment that week on Mondays. I called again, early Monday morning. I had lost any clear sense of mental toughness weeks earlier: I called but wasn’t hopeful. Can he come in Friday? she asked. I startled her with my crying – messy crying – as I said thank you. It’s been so long, I said. We’ve been trying to make this happen for weeks.

And then I thought: if I had seen each of those obstacles as a closed door, we wouldn’t have gotten here. Every door was closed: we persisted, through long days, waiting for the mail, leaving messages, listening to awful hold music on speaker.

Open and close doors as You see fit.

I understand the sentiment of the prayer: we want to say we’re submitted to Your will, God. But sometimes that leaves a very specific understanding of the minutiae of God’s will when our branch of the theological family tree also affirms an important reality: prevenient grace, the grace that goes before, the grace that catches things that have been dropped.

We faced closed door after closed door. But obstacles aren’t always indicators of God’s will. If the Apostle Paul had perceived all his challenges as God closing a door, he wouldn’t have undertaken most of his missionary journeys. One could have said, “Paul! Pay attention. You were shipwrecked. Don’t you think God’s trying to tell you something?”

A few months ago, I remember praying for wisdom and guidance in navigating my husband’s health crisis. I came away with a strong impression: worry less about getting it just right. Pay attention. If you pray for guidance and come away with a strong thought in your head – “pay attention” – it’s kind of startling. You want direction; God gives you a directive, two very different things. And yet there was peace in it.

Pay attention. 

God, instead of “opening and closing doors,” give us the grace to know when to push and when to be patient. Give us the wisdom to perceive obstacles for what they really are. Give us resilience when we need to keep going and give us serenity when we need to let go. And by your grace, answer the prayers we should have prayed, not always the prayers we think we should pray. Amen.

Michelle Bauer ~ Learning to Love

And now I will show you the most excellent way. If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.  ~ I Corinthians 13: 1-8a

 

What is your definition of love? How has this definition changed through the different seasons of your life? I John 4:8 tells us that, “God is love.” How does this truth fit with your definition of love?

What is the most annoying noise you can imagine? That’s how verse one describes people who have amazing spiritual gifts but haven’t learned how to love. Do you know anyone like this?

Verse two of this passage says that being loving ranks higher than some other pretty important things. What are they? What damage can be done if people exercise their spiritual gifts without love? Have you ever been the victim of this kind of person?

What, besides love, can motivate someone to give to the poor or sacrifice themselves? Take a moment to examine your motives and ask God to make them pure.

In what situations is it easy for you to love? In what situations do you struggle to love? What makes a person hard or easy to love?

Who loves you well? How do you know this person loves you? Take a few minutes to write this person a note, email or text thanking them for their love.

Who in your life would you like to love better? What keeps you from loving them well? What would need to change in you in order to love them well? Ask God to give you his love for this person.

 

Leave this quiet time in peace knowing that you are loved by God.

Andy Stoddard ~ To Observe a Holy Lent

As we prepare to enter into the season of Lent, there is always a call to fasting.  That is one of the definitive features of this time of Lent.  It is a time to pull back from all the abundance of our life, particularly for those of us in the West, and to refocus ourselves upon God, on our great need for him, and on the mercy that he provides over and over again.

We see this call with the Ash Wednesday Service Liturgy within the United Methodist Church:

I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church,

   to observe a holy Lent:

   by self–examination and repentance;

   by prayer, fasting, and self–denial;

   and by reading and meditating on God’s Holy Word.

I’ve always had a little bit of an awkward relationship with Lent.  On one hand, I know that it’s necessary.  I know that we must repent of our sins, turn from them, refocus and shift our lives towards God.  We need this.

But for me, one of my key verses is Romans 2:4, “Or do you despise the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience? Do you not realize that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?”  We repent because of the kindness of Christ. 

So Lent can leave me feeling a little uneasy.  We need to focus on sin. We need to focus on fasting and discipline.  We need to focus on our great need for God.

But we also need to remember that as much as we search for God, God is calling out for us.  We are loved.  We are valued. We are of sacred worth.

We fast to refocus.  But refocus on what?

Not our human frailty.

Not our human loss.

Not our human weakness.

We focus on the goodness of God.

The grace of God.

The love of God that does not beat us down or break us apart.

The love of God that does not make us feel inadequate or unworthy.  No, that’s not the love of God.

The love of God reminds us that we are made in his image. We are called by his name. We are him.

The love of God builds up.

We fast to clear away the noise and the pain and the hurt.  We fast to tune our hearts to his grace. We fast, even in the midst of our pain and brokenness, not to be torn down.

No, we fast to be built up.  To be reminded of what matters and where life is found. We fast so that our ears can properly hear that voice of God, calling out to us.

In this season of Lent, no matter where you find yourself, may we all commit to a holy Lent.  May we fast.  May we pray. And may we hear the voice of our God calling us back, once again, to the healing power of his love.

May this be for us all a holy Lent.

Otis T. McMillan ~ When You’re Tired, Afraid, and Uncertain

In Moments of Exhaustion

David often “refreshed himself in the Lord,” as did the prophets, and as did Jesus himself.

Christians throughout the ages who faced ongoing social rejection and persecution did the same. All of them called upon God to renew their spirits and show himself strong on their behalf.

Where do you need God to renew you and show himself strong on behalf of you and others?

Remember, “Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” —Isaiah 40:30-31

God, when we grow tired and weary, when we stumble and fall, lift our eyes to heaven and remind us to find our hope and strength in You. Refresh us so that we can hope in You. Renew our strength so that we can lead like Jesus and lead others in light of who You are. 

In Moments When Courage Is Needed

Have you ever stopped to consider the importance of encouragement, the act of coming alongside another person?

This is what the Spirit does for us as he breathes new life, hope, comfort, and guidance into our lives. This is who we are called to be, leaders who serve people by coming alongside them to help them according to their needs. Sometimes our encouragement is tangible and practical, other times it comes through words and presence. Everyone everywhere needs encouragement.

Where do you need God’s encouragement? Who will you come alongside today in Jesus’ name?

Look to this man for inspiration: “Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”), sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.” —Acts 4:36-37

Father, thank You for sending the Spirit to come alongside me and breathe life and hope into me. Use me to encourage those I come into contact with today.

In Moments of Uncertainty

“What’s next?”

It’s a question we’re all familiar with. We often ask it in pursuit of achieving a goal or with a sense of accomplishment in completing a task. Conversely, it may come from a sense of confusion, failure or hopelessness. The answer may be readily apparent, or it may require reflection and critical thinking.

As you pursue the answer to your “what’s next” question, seek God’s perspective so that you can move forward with confidence.

Where are you asking God for direction? 

Take heart from Jesus’ example: “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” —Mark 1:35

Lord, clarify my thinking. Show me how to move forward with what You have for me and show me the habits I need to practice so that I can catch the wind of Your Spirit. In the name of Jesus, who humbly and confidently sought out and followed Your agenda for his life, Amen.

 

Michelle Bauer ~ Waiting for a New Song

I waited patiently for the Lord;

he turned to me and heard my cry.

He lifted me out of the slimy pit,

out of the mud and mire;

He set my feet on a rock

and gave me a firm place to stand.

He put a new song in my mouth,

a hymn of praise to our God.

Many will see and fear

and put their trust in the Lord.

Psalm 40: 1-3

 

Are you in a comfortable place? Spend a few moments in silence.  Take a few deep breaths and feel your body begin to relax. When you feel your mind becoming quiet, offer a simple prayer to God, thanking him for his presence and inviting him to speak to you.

Waiting is hard work. Can you remember a time when you waited well? When have you struggled to wait? Take a few minutes to compare and contrast these experiences.

Or – are you waiting for the Lord right now? What are you waiting for God to do or say? What makes it hard to wait in this season? What things are comforting to you as you wait?

God gave us our imaginations. When used well, our imagination can help us to connect more deeply with him. Close your eyes and imagine God turning towards you. What do you see? What might God see?

If you were to cry out to God today, would it be through tears or in an angry voice? Perhaps you are crying out, trying to get God’s attention. Whichever form it takes, crying out is what begins our part of the conversation with God.

What conversation would you like to have with God right now?

Have you ever felt like you were stuck in a slimy pit? Can you describe what that was like? How did you get there? Do you feel stuck right now?

David, the writer of this Psalm, describes the Lord lifting him out of a pit.  Notice, he did not say that God stood back and lectured him about being in the pit. He also did not have Amazon deliver a book describing how to get yourself out of a pit. In the same way a loving parent lifts a child from a crib, God lifts us from our pit.  What is your response to this rescue?

God wants to give you a new place to stand – on a firm rock. That’s a big improvement from mud and mire! What does it feel like to stand on a big, solid rock? When we are stuck in mud it’s hard to think about anything else. Standing on a steady thing gives us freedom. What will you do or be with your new-found freedom?

Offer a prayer to God. Thank him for his presence. Express your desire to experience God’s presence in an even deeper way.

Leave this quiet time in peace knowing that God is making you new.

Michelle Bauer ~ When Christ Interrupts

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn.  – Luke 2:1-17

 

Mary and Joseph continued to have their lives interrupted by history. Very pregnant Mary finds herself on a donkey making the journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. What would it mean for Mary to have her baby away from home?

As you celebrated Jesus’ birth by exchanging gifts, did you remember that God’s presence with us is the greatest gift we will ever receive? In what way might you receive the gift of God’s presence in crowded or hurried moments today?

Mary gave birth to Jesus in a barn or cave because no one would make room for them in the inn. These are people who refused to let Jesus’ birth interrupt their lives. What did they miss out on?

Has there been a time when you have refused to let Jesus interrupt your life? What were the consequences? Take a moment to remember a time in which you did allow Jesus to interrupt your life. What were the challenges? What were the blessings?

Have you noticed how King David’s name keeps popping up in this story? God is keeping a promise he made to David that his descendants would reign forever. God always keeps his promises. What promise are you holding onto today?

We have seen that when Jesus arrives, it often brings disruption and a change in plans. Offer a prayer to God surrendering your life and plans. Invite him to be God With You today and always.

Silent Night, holy night,

All is calm, all is bright.

Round yon virgin mother and child!

Holy Infant so tender and mild.

Sleep in heavenly peace.

Sleep in heavenly peace.

 

Kevin Murriel ~ Advent Classic: Why I Need Jesus

Please enjoy this seasonal reflection that is part of our “Advent Classic” series, drawing on the riches of Christmas past that stay stowed away like favorite ornaments from one December to the next. – Elizabeth Glass Turner, Managing Editor: Wesleyan Accent

Less than two weeks ago I was in my office preparing for mid-week worship when the phone call came. “Kevin, your cousin was killed in an armed robbery this evening.” I felt numb. A young, educated man only thirty-six years old with a family and a promising future murdered in a senseless act.

I am perplexed, saddened, and confused. More like angry, distraught, and indignant.

We have witnessed on the world stage a slew of insensate acts of violence from terrorist attacks in Paris to police brutality in Chicago. In San Bernardino, California fourteen people were killed in another mass shooting. But aren’t we in the first season of the Christian year? Is Advent supposed to begin this way?

As unpopular as it may seem the reality of Advent is that it doesn’t need to occur in the best of circumstances. In fact, Jesus was born in the midst of terrorism and heinous acts against human life as King Herod terrorized the small town of Bethlehem having all male babies up to two years old killed. Yet, Jesus still came. Hope still emerged.

In the midst of the news reports and the extensive litanies of horrific news, Jesus is still present. Advent is still here.

I am teaching a series in our mid-week worship experience titled, “A Glimpse into Heaven” which tackles pressing questions about our life in heaven based on what the Scriptures present to us.

There is one chapter in Scripture that has continually brought comfort to my soul during this series. That is Revelation 5. In it, Jesus Christ takes the scroll from the hand of God that has written on it the lamentations and suffering of humanity. A forcible reminder that he is still Lord over all.

This Advent, I need Jesus to be more than a nativity baby in a manger. I need him to be God incarnate among us–the one who wipes away tears, consoles the broken-hearted, and brings healing to the nations.

I definitely need Jesus, and so do you.