October is gone

This month has flown by, and I never had a chance to write a new devotional, so I decided post the devotional I wrote last October. It was a good one for me to go back and read anyway.

From October 2007:

It will surprise nobody, least of all my family, that I have flaws. Recently, while my husband was out of town, my precious children got to experience some of the flaws of their tired, stressed-out mom. Why is it that we often behave the worst towards the ones we love the most?
During humbling times like that, when I have to apologize to small children for my own immature behavior, I wonder if God still wants to use me? I wonder what worth I am to Him?
In her Bible Study Living Your Life as a Beautiful Offering, Angela Thomas writes, “If only the flawless can use their gifts, then no one can.”
The reality is that God wants to use us, with all our flaws and our weaknesses, to bring glory to Him. 1 Corinthians 1:27 tells us that God “has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty.” And in 2 Corinthians 12:9, God tells Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”
God knows that we have flaws and weaknesses. But He still wants us to move forward in our walk with Him, to use our gifts for His service. Like Paul, we can be “confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

Gifts from the heart

So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:7)


I receive many gifts from my young children. They seem to have a knack for sculpting large, messy works of “art” from common household objects, bits of nature, and what most of us would consider trash. Then I am presented with one of these masterpieces, usually still dripping with glue, along with the words, “Just for you, mommy!” Yet, there is something so pure in the love and generosity of my children’s hearts, that I actually do treasure those homemade gifts (at least until they inevitably fall apart).

Gifts given out of a loving heart are so much more meaningful than gifts given out of obligation. I’m sure we have all received an obligatory gift from a relative or co-worker. Even if it is expensive, tasteful, and beautifully wrapped, it is meaningless if you know the giver is grudging.

It’s amazing how God digs right down to the heart, all the time. Sometimes, when I consider giving a gift to Him, whether it is a financial gift, an act of service, a song of worship, or whatever, I may worry that what I’m offering him is messy and imperfect. I may even be tempted to hold back my gifts to Him, thinking they aren’t good enough. But when I think about those messy, sticky gifts that my children lovingly offer to me, I realize that it isn’t about the gift at all. God doesn’t need my money, my service, my songs. He wants my heart to love Him, and to be so overflowing with that love, that I want to give something, “just for Him.”

Friends

I reconnected recently with two old friends, one I had known since childhood, and another that I knew in college. Both of these reconnections were made possible by Facebook. Ironically, I was reluctant to join Facebook initially. I felt like it would be an imposition upon my life, so I resisted for a while. When I finally gave in to the peer pressure and set up my account, I found that it was an easy and fun way to keep in touch with friends, both old and new.

When I read the epistles that Paul wrote to various churches, letters that make up the bulk of our New Testament, I can’t help but notice the tender words that he has for the people in these churches.
“I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all.” (Romans 1:9)
“(I) do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers.” (Ephesians 1:16)
“I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.” (Philippians 1:3)

These are the words of a man who loved his friends deeply, who understood how vital true friendships are. Paul even gives the occasional shout out to specific people in his letters. Imagine, these are names that made it into the every word of God, simply because they were friends of Paul.

Our friendships can be a sustaining force in our lives. Our friends can challenge us, encourage us. They hold us when we are grieving, laugh with us when we are celebrating. As a naturally introverted person, I sometimes struggle with opening up to people, even friends I have known for years. I tend to hold my feelings inside. But as a result, I sometimes miss out on some of the joys and benefits that friendship holds.
I’m glad I caved into the peer pressure and opened my Facebook account. I’m glad I had the opportunity to reconnect with those two different ladies, who each added more fullness to my life through friendship.

So then, in this way, my dearly loved brothers,
my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord, dear friends.
Philippians 4:1

Woman at the Well

Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water."
John 4:13-15

I watched a TV show recently that showed what it was like to live on the Navajo Indian reservation in Arizona. Many of the residents do not have running water, and every few days they drive to a pump where they fill up large tanks of water to be used for all their cooking, cleaning, and drinking needs. It was eye-opening for me, because I take water for granted. I can just walk over to a tap any time I want and get clean, drinkable water, and it never runs out.

Imagine what the woman at the well in John 4 was thinking when Jesus told her He could give her living water. She most likely had to walk to that well every single day, carrying a heavy jug to transport the water. We read this passage, and of course we know that Jesus is speaking metaphorically about the living water. But she was living in the reality of the daily tasks she needed to accomplish. She wanted an end to the drudge work. I think if I met Jesus today, and He told me about the “fine linen, bright and clean” that He will give me (Revelation 19:8), I might just think, “Yay, no more laundry!” (Yes, I have three loads waiting to be folded as I type.)

It didn’t take long for Jesus to help the woman at the well understand that her needs were spiritual. That woman started her day in the usual way, completing her usual chores, going to the well to fetch water to meet the physical needs of herself and her family. She met Jesus there, and He changed her life. The passage in John goes on to say, “Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony.” (4:39)

Because of the modern marvel of indoor plumbing, I take water for granted, but I’m still a lot like the woman at the well, living in the reality of my daily tasks and not seeing my spiritual needs because I’m so focused on my to-do lists. I need a reminder now and then to take a few moments out of my day to meet with Jesus and let Him change my perspective and give me a testimony to share with others.

Balls in the Air

I’ve been feeling lately like I have too many balls in the air. Work, family, church, friendships….there is just so much to do, and it can be overwhelming. In a moment of quiet recently, while catching my breath, I thought of a familiar verse, “This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24) I paused and thought, “THIS day, Lord? This day, with all the endless tasks that need to be completed, when I’m running from one activity to another with hardly a moment to myself? THIS day? You made this day for me, to rejoice and be glad?” And God said, “Yep. What are you waiting for?”

God is not surprised by the busy pace of our lives. He knows exactly how each day will unfold for us. He just wants to walk through the days with us. The Psalmist wrote, “You know when I sit down and when I stand up; You understand my thoughts from far away. You observe my travels and my rest; You are aware of all my ways…. Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all [my] days were written in Your book and planned before a single one of them began.” (Psalm 139: 2-3, 16)

So if you are feeling like life is a juggling act, with too many balls in the air, remember that God is right there with you. He knows exactly what each day of your life will be like, and no matter what, it will be a day in which you can rejoice and be glad.