Something Good About Getting Stoned

Please read Exodus 28-29 and Acts 7 if you're interested in reading the Bible through in a year.

At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep. And Saul approved of their killing him.–Acts 7:57-58 (NIV)

In the past when I have read this story, my immediate focus has always been drawn to Stephen, the church’s first martyr for the faith. But this morning I am drawn to Saul.

Saul, the most important disciple to have never met Jesus personally, did in fact meet Stephen. He was there as the crowd brought charges of blasphemy against Stephen to the Sanhedrin. He was there when the members of the Sanhedrin became furious with Stephen and gnashed their teeth at him. He was there when they dragged Stephen into the street and began to stone him. He was there when Stephen prayed that the sins of his executioners not be held against them.

What’s my point? Saul never met Jesus personally, but he met someone who was so much like Jesus in Stephen. Stephen was a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit (6:5). He was full of God’s grace and power and performed great wonders and signs (6:8). Because of his grace and power, opposition arose (6:8) but they could not stand against the wisdom that the Spirit gave him as he spoke (6:10). The crowds seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin, the same council before which Jesus appeared (6:12). Stephen’s face was like that of an angel (6:15). As he spoke, Stephen saw the heavens open just like Jesus did when he was baptized. And as Stephen was being killed, he prayed “Lord, do not hold their sins against them” just as Jesus had prayed as he was being crucified.

Saul may have never met Jesus personally, but he met Jesus in the person of Stephen. And even though Saul approved of killing Stephen and began to persecute the Christian church, the next time we encounter Saul in scripture is his conversion experience in chapter 9. Coincidence? I think not. I think that, in encountering Stephen, Saul encountered Christ. And that encounter stuck with him and changed the course of his life.

You can be a witness like Stephen. When you embody the teachings of Jesus, you will often be met with resistance. You may not think that your faithful witness is making a difference in a person’s life. Certainly Stephen may have died wondering if his faithfulness had left a good impression on the people. But your faithfulness does make a difference. Your witness can change the heart of someone like Saul who goes on to be one of the greatest influences on the Christian faith.

May God grant you the grace to be a faithful witness for Jesus today and may God use your witness to transform those around you.

It Takes Us All

Please read Exodus 25-27 and Acts 6 if you're interested in reading through the Bible in a year.

(Since I don't post devotionals on Sunday, you may need to read yesterday's passages, Exodus 23-24, Psalm 14 and Acts 5)

So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith. -Acts 6:7 (NIV)

Before you're ordained in The United Methodist Church, you appear before a group of people for an intense interview about faith and ministry. One of the questions that I remember being asked is "How do you prepare a sermon?" I was still in seminary at the time and hadn't preached a lot, so I gave an answer that I felt certain I'd employ once I got out into the local church. I told them that on Sunday afternoon, I'd begin looking at the possible texts for preaching. I'd read over them several times throughout the day and again on Monday. On Tuesday, I'd choose a text for preaching and begin to interpret that text historically. On Wednesday, I'd begin to apply this textual interpretation into application for the community to which it would be preached. On Thursday, I'd write the sermon and then I'd sit with it on Friday and Saturday, tweaking it if necessary. Then I'd preach it on Sunday.

Sounds good, right? But here's the problem: sermon preparation rarely happens that way in real life. So many other important responsibilities vie for my attention. Take last week, for instance. I had a funeral out of town on Monday and a funeral on Tuesday. On Wednesday, I drove to Huntsville to make a pastoral visit for a family in the church. On Thursday, I had a full day of meetings. And I was at the church for one reason or another ever night last week. There wasn't a lot of time for sermon preparation.

Now please don't interpret this as complaining. I absolutely love what I do. But last week was one of those weeks when the one thing that affects the greatest number of people in our church (preaching) got the least amount of attention. It happens...and you could probably tell on Sunday if you heard the sermon.

Acts 6 describes an instance in the early church when important needs threatened the apostles having enough time to pray and preach. So they appointed people to tend to these important things so that the apostles could have more time to do that which they had been called to do.

Why is that important? Well, it's a reminder to me that I should not neglect my time preparing to preach. And it's reminder of how thankful I am to have a church full of people who help carry out important ministries of our church that I simply don't have the time or talent to do. I am so deeply appreciative of you. God has gifted each one of you in certain ways and invites you to use these gifts in the church. When each one of us does our part, the Kingdom of God will grow...just like it did in Acts 6.

May God grant you the grace to not get distracted from what God really wants you to do. And may God bless all of the important things that you and I doing so that the word of God will spread and the Kingdom of God will grow.

Just Around the Corner

Please read Exodus 21-22, Psalm 12, and Acts 4 if you’re interested in reading the entire Bible through in a year.

Jesus is “the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.” –Acts 4:11 (NIV)

A cornerstone is the first stone set in a building. Every other stone is positioned in reference to that first stone, the cornerstone. Every other stone is built around that first stone, the cornerstone. If that first stone is not set correctly, none of the other stones will be. If that first stone is off even the tiniest bit, everything else will be off as well.

As I have tried to build my life into something meaningful, I’ve tried to do so with Christ as the cornerstone. He’s the point of it all. I want every aspect of my life to line up with the teachings of Jesus. Sometimes, I am tempted to find my balance and strength in other things and my life ends up leaning too much to one side. I find myself teetering and in danger of collapsing. But when I realize that I have turned my back on the true cornerstone of life, I repent. I recommit my life to being shaped and formed by Christ.

What’s the cornerstone, the first stone, of your life? What is everything else built around? As you look at your life, are you leaning? Teetering? In danger of collapsing?

May God grant you the grace to place Christ as your cornerstone today and may you find power, healing, and salvation.

Grappling with Grumblers

Please read Exodus 17-20 and Acts 3 if you're joining me in reading through the Bible in 2012.

The Lord answered Moses, "Go out in front of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink." -Exodus 17:5-6 (NIV)

A few days ago, I called a friend to say hello. He interrupted to say, “As long as you’re not calling to complain, we can talk.” It turns out that a steady stream of people had been in his office this week complaining about one thing or another. He was not going to let me join the long line of grumblers. Fortunately for him, I was just calling to say hi.

In the assigned scripture for today, the Israelites were once again complaining. Even though Moses and God had delivered them from slavery to the Egyptians and promised them a good and spacious land flowing with milk and honey, they still complained. They complained when they didn’t get to the Promised Land quickly enough. They complained because their water was too bitter. They complained that they ate better as slaves than they did as liberated people. Even though God provided them good water to drink at Marah, they complained again about the lack of water at Rephidim. As best as I can tell, the Israelites never prayed about any of these things; they just complained.

Moses on the other hand did pray. He cried out to the Lord about this bunch of grumblers in his midst. And God gave Moses some instructions that you may just find helpful if you’re surrounded by complainers today.

First, get away from grumblers (17:5-6). Negative people will make you negative. Chances are that if all your friends are complainers, you are too. Distance yourself from nagging, complaining people. If you don't, they'll suck the life out of you and they will impede your relationship with God.

Second, surround yourself with people you can trust. Moses was instructed to take some elders with him. People of integrity. People with the leadership skills to be a part of the solution rather than part of the problem.

Third, take a visible reminder of God’s provision. Moses was told to take the staff that God instructed him to use in one of the plagues brought against Egypt (7:20). We all need reminders of God’s faithfulness to us, especially when we’re surrounded by people who are pulling us down with their negativity.

Finally, remember that God goes before you and is with you (17:6). You’re not alone. You’re surrounded by people you can trust. You’re surrounded with reminders of God’s provisions in the past. And God is standing beside you.

My friend and I are getting together soon. He’s been surrounded by complainers and just needs someone that he can trust, someone who will encourage him, remind him of God’s provision in the past, and remind him that God is with him now…and that’s nothing to complain about!

May God grant you grace in dealing with grumblers in your life today.

When You're Dying in the Desert

Please read Exodus 14-16 and Acts 2 if you're interested in reading the entire Bible this year.


In the desert (wilderness), the whole community grumbled... and the Lord heard them. -Exodus 16:2, 9 (NIV)

In today's reading the Israelites are no longer slaves in Egypt but they are not yet in the Promised Land. They're no longer what they once were but they're not yet what they're going to be. In fact, they are in the desert (16:2), that in between time.

I was taught in seminary that when you encounter the wilderness or the desert in scripture, you shouldn't view it as just a geographical reality; it's also a spiritual reality. God uses the wilderness or the desert to mold people and to prepare people. In scripture, the desert or the wilderness is often a place where faith is tested and deepened.

I think the same thing happens today. The Christian will know times of wandering in the desert. You may think that God is punishing you but let me suggest that God may instead be preparing you. You're like the Israelites: you're not where you were (which we often romanticize into a place that was better than it actually was), but you're not yet where you're going to be either.

Most of us don't like wandering in the desert or wilderness. But here's something that God has revealed to me as I reflect back on the wilderness experiences of my life: I've learned things during those times that I may not have ever learned otherwise. Sure, I would have rather read a book about life in the desert. I would rather not wander in the wilderness... but thanks be to God for using those experiences to help me grow deeper and stronger in my faith.

Today's scripture also reminds that, when you're in the wilderness, God will provide. The Israelites grumbled and complained about not having enough to eat and God provided. Now it's worth pointing out that even though God provided, the Israelites still had to work. God sent manna and quail, but they had to go collect it. Trust God to provide for you in the wilderness, but take some initiative to help get yourself out of the wilderness.

One final thing about the wilderness experience: God reminded the Israelites that they were to take time to worship and rest. They could collect manna and quail for six days but on the seventh day they were to rest and worship.

I'm amazed at the number of people, when going through a wilderness in their own lives, who quit coming to church. They cut themselves off from fellowship, the encouragement, and the inspiration of Christian community. Maybe they blame God. Maybe they're embarrassed that their life is not a Normal Rockwell painting. I don't know. When you're in the wilderness, you need the church more than ever.

You can be sure that you'll experience a time of wandering in the wilderness or thirsting in a desert. You won't like it and you won't want it. But God can use it to draw you closer to Him. You can be sure that God will provide for you in the wilderness, although you will likely play a role in getting yourself out of the wilderness. And when you're in the wilderness, you need Christian community more than ever. The last time I checked, Sabbath isn't a suggestion; it's a commandment.

May God grant you the grace to trust God with your desert spaces and places. May you see evidence of God's provision and may you do what you can for yourself as you seek to survive. And may you make time for worship and rest. It'll help get you to the place where God wants you to be.

It's Free but It's Not

Please read Exodus 12-13; Psalm 21; Acts 1 if you're interested in reading the Bible through in a year.

They should take some of the blood and smear it on the two doorposts and on the beam over the door of the houses in which they are eating. I’ll pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I’ll strike down every oldest child in the land of Egypt, both humans and animals. I’ll impose judgments on all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD. -Exodus 12:7ff (Common English Bible)

I'm a little late in posting this devotional. When I woke up this morning, I had a choice. I could get up and read the scriptures and write my daily devotional before getting Nicolas ready for school or I could go back to sleep for just a little bit longer. Guess which one I chose?

Life is full of choices. We see that in the scripture readings for this morning. God has announced that He is going to pass through the land of Egypt and strike down the oldest child of each family as a way of passing judgment against the worship of false gods in Egypt. But God offers salvation to the Israelite people: if they will slaughter a lamb and smear the blood of the lamb on their doorposts, God will "pass over" that house and they will be safe from judgment. God offered them the gift of salvation (they'd done nothing to earn it) but they had to do something: they had to make some sort of sacrifice (in this case, a lamb) and they also had to obey God's command (among other things, to place the blood of the lamb on their doorposts).

This presents an interesting dilemma for the believer. On the one hand, we realize that salvation is God's gift. It is not ours because we deserve it or because we have earned it. It's is ours because God loves us and desires to bridge the gap that our sin has created between us and God. As the old saying goes, we can't do anything to make God love us any more and we can't do anything to make God love us any less. And yet, this offer of salvation requires a response. There are sacrifices that we must be willing to make. There are responsibilities as children of God that we must be willing to take. It's free, but it's not. Confused yet?

Some of you may not agree with me. That's okay; it's your choice. Just like my choice to stay in bed this morning. But today I invite you to prayerfully reflect upon the gift of salvation that has been offered to you by God in Christ. Thank God for that gift (because it is a gift) and prayerfully discern what God would have you do or say in response to that gift. Is God honored if you accept the gift of His salvation and yet refuse to make any sacrifices or changes in how you live? I trust that God will grant you the grace to consider the most appropriate response to the great gift of God's salvation today.

Blessings on your day. I'll try to get up earlier tomorrow.

You Never Know What Will Happen at Lunch

Life Journal Readings for today: Exodus 7-11, Luke 24

When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, "were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?" -Luke 24:30-32 (NIV)

Yesterday, I stood in the pulpit of my home church before a group of people who have meant a great deal to my life and faith. I was there to celebrate the life of a dear friend’s grandmother; she died three months short of her 104th birthday.

Before and after the service, I had a chance to see people that I haven’t seen in years. We talked about everything: from how I’m doing after cancer to some of our fondest memories of growing up in Pulaski. I recognized most of the people who approached me, but there were some that I couldn’t readily identify. There were yet others that I saw and recognized but to whom I didn’t get to speak. I hate that. You never know when or if you’ll get another chance to see childhood friends again.

After the service, family and friends gathered for a meal in the church fellowship hall. While breaking bread together, there were more stories. More laughs. And it was a holy moment for me. I was reminded of just how blessed I’ve been to know these people. I was reminded that I was sitting in the church that first convinced me of God’s love for me and theirs. I was reminded that many of the times I’ve felt closest to God took place in that church with those people. It was holy. Absolutely holy.

And then it was over. Some were going to the cemetery. Others were catching planes back to faraway places like Colorado. Some returned to work. Others had to pick up kids from school. I drove back to Fayetteville, grateful for another heartwarming encounter with God and some of God’s blessings. And I drove back knowing that I wanted to share this with you today…as a way of saying, “It’s true. The Lord lives. The Lord blesses us with reminders of his presence and of the gifts of life.”

Today's reading is of Jesus’ appearance to the two believers traveling back to Emmaus after Jesus’ death and resurrection. They were talking about everything that had happened when Jesus suddenly began to walk alongside him. Even though they’d spent time with him, they didn't immediately recognize him. They invited this stranger to join them for a meal and during the breaking of bread, they recognized Christ in their midst. It was a holy time. Their eyes were opened. Their hearts warmed. And then it was over. But they left that encounter and went and shared with others that Christ lives. Christ blesses. Christ is with His people.

Is there someone that means a lot to you that you haven’t spent time with lately? Why not call them up to go to lunch? Talk. Laugh. Love. And look for Christ to be present in your midst. Allow your heart to be warmed. And then tell someone about it.

A Setback is a Setup for a Comeback

Please read Exodus 1-6 before proceeding

Therefore, says to the Israelites, ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm…And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob.” –Exodus 6:6-8 (NIV)

You have to feel pretty good this morning if you’re a New York Giants fan. At one point this season, the Giants had lost four games in a row. People were calling for the head coach to be fired. People had all but crowned the Dallas Cowboys the division winner and the Green Bay Packers the Super Bowl Champions.

Someone forgot to tell the Giants that they were not supposed to salvage their season and return to the Super Bowl. Last night’s victory had to be sweet revenge for the players and coaches who never gave up on each other when it appeared as if most others had given up on them.

God had promised the Israelites that they would inherit the Promised Land. The Israelites were exceedingly fruitful and multiplied in numbers. Then the King of Egypt became concerned and began oppressing the Israelites with forced labor. He ordered that all male children be killed.

God’s choice to deliver the Israelites from bondage was a man names Moses. He was slow of speech and tongue, a man who had already murdered once and was on the run for his life. At one point, God even had thoughts of killing Moses because he had not circumcised his son according to God’s decree. The Israelites groaned and cried out, convinced that this “season” in their lives was not going to end well. Now I don’t want to ruin the story for you, but the Israelites finally do reach the Promised Land. It wasn’t as direct a route as they would have hoped, but they got there.

Several years ago, I read a Willie Jolley book entitled, “A Setback is a Setup for a Comeback.” The basic premise of the book is that people love a good comeback story. We love it when our team appears down and out and makes a comeback to salvage a game or a season. There’s no greater feeling in the world than beating the odds and silencing the doubters. The highest rated and most remembered games are the ones where one team falls behind and then storms back for the victory.

But you can’t have a comeback unless there’s a setback. I’m sure that the Israelites would have preferred just marching on into the Promised Land. I’m sure the Giants would have rather won more football games and played all of their playoff games at home. I’m sure you’d rather not have lost your job or your spouse or whatever other setback you’re experiencing. No one likes setbacks, but they’re not necessarily a bad thing. A setback can be a setup for a comeback. And reaching the Promised Land (whether it be the biblical Promised Land or the Super Bowl) is all the sweeter when you’ve had to come from behind to experience it.

May God grant you the grace to see the setbacks in your life as a setup for an awesome comeback. Don’t give up on yourself and don’t give up on God. Comebacks are His specialty.

Keep Praying

Please read Psalm 88 before proceeding.

Lord, you are the God who saves me; day and night I cry out to you. May my prayer come before you; turn your ear to my cry. -Psalm 88:1

One of the things I’ve learned since beginning these devotionals is just how hungry people are for a word from the Lord. People want a meaningful relationship with God. People long for the spirit of God to fall afresh on them. I can’t tell you how many people, after reading these devotionals, have expressed these desires to me. You might be surprised at how many of your friends feel overwhelmed with their lives. Despite their white-picket fences and well-kept lawns, troubles lurk in the homes of many families. They feel isolated and alone. They wonder if they’ve been cut off from God’s care. Waves of depression, anger, debt, loneliness, and the like are crashing against them and the undertow is pulling them out into a deep and dark abyss.

What? You thought that you were the only one feeling like that? Not hardly.

Psalm 88 describes someone named Heman who had a similar experience. His life was a wreck. He was convinced that God had forgotten him. He didn’t feel like he had anyone to talk to. (I know, you’re not supposed to end a sentence with a preposition). He felt trapped. He was overcome with grief. He and God were in a game of hide-and-seek, only he wasn’t the one hiding from God…God was hiding from him.

If you’re familiar with other psalms, you know that many of them begin with some sort of lament but end with an encouraging word of hope. Well, you really have to look for hope in Psalm 88. Sometimes life stinks so badly, it’s hard to find hope. But it’s there.

I see hope in Psalm 88 in that, despite how bleak life appeared for Heman, he continued to pray. He began his psalm by expressing his belief that God saves (the NIV translation is present tense, not past). He had probably experienced God’s salvation before and he hadn’t given up that he’d experience it again. He wanted to believe. He wanted to hope. He wanted to praise God for delivering him from the pit in which he found himself.

Maybe that’s what you need to hear today: God saves. Others have been where you’ve been. It wasn’t easy. It wasn’t pretty. It seemed as if God was inattentive to the voice of their supplications. But they kept praying to the God who saves. They kept reaching out and up. (I did it again, ending another sentence with a preposition). They were completely honest with God about what they were feeling and what they felt they needed.

I’ll end with two illustrations. A young girl and her family were staying at a very rustic cabin with one of the old hand pumps for water outside. After being asked to go fetch some water from the pump, the girl returned to tell her mother that the water looked dirty. The mother’s response, “Keep pumping, honey. It’ll come clear.” And then a favorite quote from Abraham Lincoln: “I have been driven to my knees many times by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go.”

Take heart, friend. Keep pumping. Keep praying. And may, by God’s grace, you find refreshment from Living Water today.

Thumbs Up

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. –Ephesians 6:18

Over the years, I have discovered several different ways of praying. Here is one to consider for your devotional time this morning.

Fingers of Prayer

Look down at one of your hands.

Your thumb is nearest to you. So begin your prayers by praying for those closest to you. They are the easiest to remember. To pray for our loved ones is, as C.S. Lewis once said, a “sweet duty.”

The next finger is the pointing finger. Pray for those who teach, instruct, and heal. This includes teachers, doctors, and church leaders. They need support and wisdom in pointing others in the right direction. Keep them in your prayers.

The next finger is the tallest finger. It reminds us of our leaders. Pray for the president, leaders in business and industry, and leaders in our community. These people shape our nation and guide public opinions. They need God’s guidance.

The fourth finger is the ring finger. Surprising to many is the fact that it is our weakest finger, as any piano teacher will testify. It should remind us to pray for those who are weak, in trouble or in pain. They need our prayers day and night. You cannot pray too much for them.

And lastly comes our little finger, the smallest finger of all, which is where we should place ourselves in relation to God and others. As the Bible says, “The least shall be the greatest among you.” Your pinkie should remind you to pray for yourself. By the time you have prayed for the other four groups, your own needs will be put into proper perspective and you will be able to pray for yourself more effectively.

Praying our Way Out or In

Read John 12:20-35

“Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!” -John 12:27-28

Several years ago, I heard a sermon in which the preacher stated that there are two types of Christians: those who "pray their way in" and those who "pray their way out". Most of us know quite well what it means to "pray our way out". When we forget to run the important errand that our spouse asked us to run, we try to "pray our way out". When we see the blue lights in our rear view mirror and we're already running late for our appointment, we try to "pray our way out". When we've received a pink slip at work and have the difficult task of finding another job in this economy, we try to "pray our way out". Most of us can identify with the prayers that ask God to get us out of the jam in which we find ourselves.

But there's another way of talking with God: praying our way in. When we forget to run that important errand for our spouse, we can try to pray our way into a new way of remembering and valuing the needs of our spouse. When the police car's blue lights are flashing behind us, we can try to pray our way into using the traffic stop as a teaching moment for more discipline in our driving and the importance of giving ourselves more time to get to where we're going. When we lose a job, we can try to pray our way into trusting God's provision and finding peace in the fact that our unknown future is known by God.

In John 12, Jesus predicts his own death. It appears as if he pauses to consider whether to pray himself out of this situation or to pray himself "in". He chooses not to ask God to spare him, but instead that God would be glorified in "this hour".

May God grant us the grace today, when tempted to pray our way out of something, to try instead "praying our way in." And may God be glorified.

Good Moaning or Morning?

Read Matthew 5-6.

“Do not worry…look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” -Matthew 6:26 (New International Version)

What’s your first thought when you wake up each morning? For some, it’s “I don’t want to get up” or “I hate mornings” or “Oh no, I’ve overslept!” There have been times when my morning mind has thought things that I wouldn’t say in church or in front of my mother. Have you ever had one of those mornings?

Nowadays, immediately after I awake, I try to make my first thoughts of God. It’s usually a greeting like, “Good morning, God. Thank you for the gift of this day.” It only takes a minute or two each day for this habit to be formed, but I have noticed that making God my first thought seems to get my morning off to a much more pleasant start.

Sometimes I do wake up late or I didn’t sleep well the night before. On those days, it’s more difficult to say, “Good morning, God.” I’m tempted to complain or think negative thoughts. When such temptations arise, I try (sometimes unsuccessfully) to immediately block those thoughts from my mind. Instead, I thank God for my pillow and my bed. I thank God for the covers that kept me warm in the night and acknowledge that this may be a morning where I need to experience the warmth of God’s love in a special way. So I invite and expect God to wrap around me and my day like that blanket on my bed.

Most of the time prayers like that work. But some days are worse than others. So while showering, I continue the prayers. I think of my baptism and what it represents- how God claimed me and cleansed me. I ask God to claim and cleanse this day.

Still a bad morning? I go to the window and I look for the birds, remembering the scripture: “Do not worry…look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”

I hope these suggestions get your day off to a better start. May God grant you the grace to turn your first thoughts each day to Him. The God that redeemed you can redeem this day. Realizing that is a great way to begin the morning.

Speak, Lord. I'm Listening

Read 1 Samuel 3.

The Lord came (at night) and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” -1 Samuel 3:10 (NIV)

I had a conversation with someone recently about not being able to sleep well at night. For most of my life, that’s been my experience. I have no trouble falling asleep, but staying asleep is the problem. There have been nights when I literally wake up ten or twenty times. I’m guessing that many of you reading this morning’s devotional have had a similar experience.

I suggested to the person with whom I was talking that he/she go get a sleep test or perhaps try a prescription to help go to and stay asleep. But as I reflected upon that conversation this morning, I was reminded of Morton Kelsey, an Episcopalian priest and author. When he was a young, busy priest, he began to wake regularly in the middle of the night. Already exhausted from his ministry, Kelsey could ill afford to lose another hour or two of sleep each night. He cried out to the Lord, “Why is this happening to me?” And his inner ears heard the answer, “Morton, you’re so busy doing my work all day long that this is the only time I can get your attention.” From that night on, Kelsey gave thanks and even looked forward to the waking in the night. The early hours became his time for intimate conversation with God.*

The boy Samuel slept in the temple of the Lord. Once, he heard his name called in the night. “Here I am,” he replied to Eli, the old priest (not the fabulous Ole Miss quarterback playing in the NFC Championship this weekend). But Eli had not called Samuel. This happened again and then again. Finally Eli realized that it was the Lord calling Samuel. He gave Samuel instructions on listening to the voice that called in the night. The next time God called, Samuel was to respond, “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.”

Truthfully, most of us would rather sleep through the night and leave someone else to praying in the wee hours. But we wake. So why not pray? It might help us go back to sleep (probably not as much as a CD of one of my sermons). But it may result in the most intimate conversation with God that we’ve ever experienced.

May God grant us the grace to listen to His calling…even if it’s in the middle of the night. “Speak, Lord. Your servant is listening.”



*Praying in the Night Watches by Gerrit Scott Dawson

Silence and Prayer

The focus of this week's devotionals, as a way of following up yesterday's sermon, will be prayer.



Silence has never been more threatening. There was a time when silence was normal and when noise disturbed us. But nowadays, people go through sound withdrawal when faced with silence and there are few "silent" places left to be found. Even when we're trying to observe silence, the refrigerator is dropping another load of ice cubes or the florescent light of the office is buzzing overhead. Sounds are everywhere.

Here's the problem with sound: it causes us to lose touch with our inner selves. Unsure feelings don't get cleared up, questions asked often go unanswered. We don't focus on what's happening "inside us" because we're constantly distracted by all these sounds: the siren racing past our home, the song playing on the radio, the heating unit kicking on, or the conversation taking place at the table next to us. I'm guessing that, even while reading this devotional, you have already been momentarily distracted by some sound (for me, it was the sound indicating that I had a text message on my phone).

We don't like silence (except perhaps when we're trying to sleep). Silence makes us vulnerable. Silence forces us to see ourselves as we really are: limited, weak, dependent and even sinful. Prayer also makes us vulnerable. Prayer acknowledges that we are not God and that we need God. And that's one of the reasons why prayer is so difficult: we don't like feeling vulnerable. That's why people carry guns and mace. That's why people avoid certain sections of town. We want to be in control; prayers and silence remind us that we're not.

Prayers do bring vulnerability, but they also bring hope. Prayers express our belief that God hears us, that God loves us, that God can be trusted with our cares and concerns. Prayer is the belief that God can work for good in all things. Prayer is an opportunity to speak to God, but also to listen for God. Prayer reminds us that we are limited, but God is not. Prayer forces us to realize that we are weak, but God is strong. We may think we're independent, but prayer makes us cognizant that we're not. Prayer exposes our sinfulness, but leads us into God's grace.

May God grant us the grace to find a place of silence and prayer today.

God Hasn't Given Up on You Yet

Read Genesis 27-28

Suddenly the Lord was standing on the staircase (ladder) and said, ‘I am the Lord…” –Genesis 28:13

I don’t really like Jacob. If you’ve been reading along with me in the book of Genesis, you know why. Jacob was a mama’s boy. He took advantage of his brother Esau in a time of need and acquired Esau’s birthright. He deceived his father into giving him a blessing that was meant for Esau. When it appeared that Jacob was finally going to get what was coming to him (Esau was out to kill him), his mother protected him and sent him away to Haran.

On the way to Haran, Jacob stopped for the night and had a dream in which he encountered God. Now, if you were hoping that God appeared in this dream to criticize Jacob for taking advantage of his brother and bartering for his birthright, you’re disappointed. If you thought that God was going to punish Jacob for deceiving his father Isaac into giving him a blessing meant for his brother Esau, you’re mistaken. If you were thinking that God was going to threaten Jacob, that if he didn’t get his act together he’d be in trouble, you thought wrong. Instead, God blessed Jacob.

Well, at least Jacob awoke from this dream and was a changed man, right? Maybe he’ll respond to this undeserved blessing and seek forgiveness from God. Maybe he’ll acknowledge that he shouldn’t have done what he did. Maybe he’ll pledge his immediate and unwavering commitment to God.

I hate to be the one to tell you this, but he didn’t. Instead Jacob said, “IF God is with me, IF God protects me, IF God gives me clothes to wear and returns me safely to my homeland, THEN the Lord will be my God.” This might be the God of Abraham and Isaac, but he won’t be the God of Jacob until God has blessed him in the ways that God promised.

Have I presented a strong enough case for not liking Jacob? Let me give you one more reason why we don’t like Jacob: he’s like you and me. We’ve done things that have not honored God and that have been hurtful to others. And despite our waywardness, in times too many to count, we’ve been treated better than we deserved…at least by God. Like Jacob, we’ve had opportunities (whether we’ve taken them or not) to reflect back on our lives and say, “God was with me and I didn’t even know it.” We have often failed to realize that God’s presence doesn’t depend upon our perception of it. We have experienced the unconditional and undeserved love and grace of God and yet remained unwilling to embrace God as Lord until what God promised has come to pass.

We’re all a lot like Jacob. I’m not suggesting that we should be, but we are. And even when we’re not all that God wants us to be, the blessings of God are still available. So is God’s grace.

Maybe you’ve been avoiding God because of your past. Maybe you’ve been afraid of what God would say to you. Maybe what you need to hear today is a word of grace. Maybe you’re not ready to make a full commitment to God. Maybe you’re still not sure that God can be trusted. Maybe you’re still wrestling with God. You’re in good company. Yes, you’re in the company of Jacob. But you’re also in the company of God. And God hasn’t given up on you yet.

Make Something Good Happen, God

Read Genesis 24-26

He said, 'Lord, God of my master Abraham, make something good happen for me today...' -Genesis 24:12 (The Common English Bible)


Greetings from Nashville! I’m here until Friday for a Board of Ordained Ministry conference. I’m reading and journaling this morning from the lobby of a hotel. In front of me is a beautiful waterfall.

I never really sleep well away from home. Add to that three long days of meetings and interviews and it’s easy to see why I’m weary. How cool is it, then, to open up the Bible for this morning’s scripture reading and find the story of a weary servant.

Abraham instructs his oldest servant to go find a wife for Abraham’s son Isaac. He makes the servant promise that he will return to Abraham’s homeland to find this wife. So the servant took ten of Abraham’s camels and all of his best provisions and left Hebron for Nahor, which some scholars suggest was about a 17 day journey.

I wonder if Abraham’s servant slept well away from home. I’m guessing that, by the time he arrived in Nahor, he and the camels were exhausted. Thirsty. Hungry. He stopped at the local watering hole for refreshment. Perhaps there was a beautiful waterfall nearby. Weary though he was, the servant put himself in a position where he was likely to encounter God. He prayed. “Lord, God of my master Abraham, make something good happen today. I will stand here by the spring where the women come out to draw water. When I say to a young woman, ‘Hand me your water jar so that I can drink,’ and she says to me, ‘Drink, and I will give your camels water too,’ may she be the wife you’ve selected for Isaac.”

Even before the servant finished praying, Rebekah came to the spring with a jar to retrieve water. When the servant asked her for water, she offered it not only to him but also to his ten camels. She invited the servant to her home, noting that her family had plenty of straw and feed for the camels as well as food for the servant. Rebekah eventually returned with the servant to meet and marry Isaac.

Perhaps you find yourself weary this morning. For some, it’s because you didn’t sleep well. For others, it’s because of the journey that you’ve been on recently. Why not begin this day by putting yourself in a position where you’re more likely to encounter God? It may be by a waterfall. It may be that you make your car a sanctuary by turning your radio down and your attention upward to God (If you pray while driving, please keep your eyes open). Try praying the same prayer as the servant: “God, make something good happen today.”

My prayer is that God will answer your prayer by placing a Rebekah in your path. Someone who will notice your weariness and who will offer you a refreshing cup of water or give you the nourishment (and not necessarily physical nourishment) that you need to get through this day.

May your day be blessed.

God Will Provide

Read Genesis 21-23

The messenger said, “Don’t stretch out your hand against the young man, and don’t do anything to him. I now know that you revere God and didn’t hold back your son, your only son, from me.” Abraham looked up and saw a single ram caught by its horns in the dense underbrush. Abraham went over, took the ram, and offered it as an entirely burned offering instead of his son. –Genesis 22:12-13 (The Common English Bible)

The Lord did just as he said he would. He blessed Abraham and Sarah, both well past child-bearing years, with a biological son of their own. They named him Isaac. Later, God promises that all of Abraham’s descendants will be traced through Isaac. The future looks bright for both Isaac and his parents.

Then God comes to Abraham and tells him to take Isaac and go to the land of Moriah to offer up Isaac as a sacrifice. I can’t imagine God ever asking such a thing of a parent, but Abraham doesn’t seem to flinch. He gets the donkey harnessed, collects some wood for the fire, enlists a couple of men to go with him, and sets off with Isaac to the place that God will reveal. When Abraham identifies the place where the sacrifice is to take place, he instructs the servants to wait behind while he and Isaac go up on the mountain to worship and says, “Then we will come back to you.”

I find that to be an interesting statement from someone who is about to offer up his son as a burnt offering. It would appear that Abraham trusts that God will somehow provide. This trust wasn’t automatic, I’m sure, or without concern, but was borne out of faithfully walking with and waiting for God to act. Abraham even tells Isaac that God will provide “the lamb” for the offering. I guess Abraham had confidence that the God who had provided him with a son would provide for him again.

Of course, we know that when Abraham bound his son and took his knife to kill him, the angel stops him. A ram has been provided in nearby thicket to be used for the sacrifice. In response to God’s provision, Abraham names the place “The Lord will provide.”

I can’t imagine God calling us to sacrifice a child (and it’s worth pointing out that God did not make Abraham sacrifice his son in this story). But I do know that God often calls us to difficult tasks that we would not or could not do without God’s help. And I do believe the adage that “God does not call the equipped, he equips the called.” I do believe that when faced with tough times and tough decisions, God honors obedience like the obedience displayed by Abraham. I do believe that God provides.

May God grant us the grace to listen to the prompting of the Holy Spirit today, to be obedient to whatever it is that God is calling us to do, and the assurance that God will provide what we need to be faithful.

God is Faithful! God will Come!

He said, “Bring me a three-year-old female calf, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a dove, and a young pigeon.” He took all of these animals, split them in half, and laid the halves faceing each other, but he didn’t split the birds. When vultures swooped down on the carcasses, Abram waved them off…after the sun had set and darkness had deepened, a smoking vessel with a fiery flame passed between the split animals. That day the Lord cut a covenant with Abram. –Genesis 15:9-17 (Common English Bible)

In the ancient Middle East, long before the writing of contracts, covenants were sometimes sealed by the custom of cutting animals in half and placing the two halves of each animal apart from each other, making a path between them. The two parties making the covenant would then begin walking, from opposite ends of this path, between the animal pieces, passing each other in the middle and ending up where the other person began. They walked between the pieces, declaring that they would be cut in half like these animals if they failed to keep up their end of the covenant. Thus the practice was called “cutting a covenant.”

We usually define covenant as an agreement between two or more persons. That sounds pretty equal, doesn’t it? But we see here that biblical covenants, where God is one of the parties, are totally lopsided. Who is the initiator? God! Who sets the terms? God! Who makes the promises? God! Who decides how the covenant is sealed? God! Who acts out the covenant agreement? God!

Abe did as God commanded and then he waited, keeping guard over the carcasses and keeping away the birds of prey. Abram appears to have to wait all day long. He has to shoo the birds away. Abram becomes weary towards sundown and falls asleep. God comes to him. This suggests, in essence, that we shouldn’t give up when we wonder about something and don’t understand. We should not give up when we’re waiting and the day is long. We shouldn’t give up when we’re weary and can’t go on. Just drive those birds away and God will come. (Satan in the New Testament-Matthew 13- is depicted as a bird trying to steal our faith in God’s Word.) Drive those birds away. God will come. God is faithful to His word.

Waiting is the hardest thing to do. Abram was waiting on a child and he was waiting on God to begin this ceremony. Sometimes we grow weary in waiting. But the Lord will come. God is faithful.

God did come and it is noteworthy that only God passed through the pieces. Again, a covenant with God is divinely one sided. God promises. God gives. God assures. What is our part in the covenant? Simply that of a recipient! God gives; Abram takes. We should show deep gratitude, a response of whole-hearted trust, an expression of thanksgiving, and a life of loyal obedience.

Disclosure: I found these notes in my Bible. I can’t say for sure if I wrote them or if I heard them preached by someone else. I’d like to think that I wrote them, but if you know differently, please let me know.

Theology of the Biggest Loser

Read Genesis 10-14

Now the LORD said to Abram, ‘Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ Abram left just as the Lord told him…-Genesis 12:1-4a

Ivana and I love the show “The Biggest Loser.” Each season, people who struggle with obesity are chosen for the show. Their goal, with the help of professional trainers, doctors, and dieticians, is to lose the highest percentage of weight and be the “biggest loser” of the show. They leave behind their hometowns, their jobs, most (and in some cases all) of their family and they put their faith in these trainers, doctors, and dieticians in the hopes of a better life. Even though most participants have seen previous seasons of the show, they don’t have any way of really knowing just how grueling and intense the experience will be until they’re at the Biggest Loser Ranch.

This season’s theme is “No Excuses.” It began with a litany of excuses that each of the contestants expressed as to why they were overweight. Many of them stated that they were already overweight, so “why not continue to eat?” Some confessed that, without an opportunity like this, they doubted ever being able to lose weight.”

I thought of the show when I finished the scripture readings for today. God told Abram to leave his family, his country, and his home. Should Abram decide to go, he’d have to place his trust in God. He couldn’t see the Promised Land from where he stood and he had no way of knowing what obstacles he would encounter to get to the Promised Land. But just as the Biggest Loser contestants, Abram is promised that if he’ll trust God and do what God says, the end result will be worth it.

One of my favorite things about the Biggest Loser show is that many of the participants do reach a better place. And they don’t stop there. These contestants, who have been blessed with weight loss, improved self esteem and better eating habits often go back home and bless others with what they’ve learned.

God promises Abram that he will be blessed if he goes. But God points out that the reason he’ll be blessed is so that he can be a blessing to others.

Where is God calling you to go? What is God calling you to do? What are your excuses for not going? Would you be willing to be obedient, to leave behind what might be comfortable and familiar, not knowing what obstacles may lie ahead, but with the promise that being faithful to God will result in a blessing? And when you’re blessed, do you realize that the blessing is at least in part so that you can be a blessing to others? These are good questions to consider today.

Speaking of today… be blessed. And be a blessing.

The Bow is in the Clouds

Please read Genesis 7-9 prior to today’s devotional.

God said, “This is the symbol of the covenant that I am drawing up between me and you and every living thing with you, on behalf of every future generation. I have placed my bow in the clouds; it will be the symbol of the covenant between me and the earth.” –Genesis 9:12-13

Today’s scripture reading introduces us to Noah. Chapters 7-8 are about God telling Noah to build and fill the ark with animals and his family. Noah did as he was told. It rained 40 days and nights. The water rose. The ark rose and then floated for almost a year. At one point, Noah decided to test to see if it was time to come out of the ark. They sent out a dove and it returned because it had nowhere to land. Noah waited seven more days and sent out the dove again. This time, the dove came back with an olive branch (perhaps symbolic of peace). Still, Noah decided it was not time to disembark. He waited seven more days and sent out the dove again. This time, the dove did not return, leading Noah to presume that “There must be ground out there on which the dove has landed.” So they disembarked, had a worship service, and gave thanks to God for their lives. Then God started a conversation with Noah (this gets us to chapter 9).

Chapter 9 is broken into two parts: the blessing (verses 1-7) and then a promise. I’m drawn more to the promise this morning.

God makes a covenant that is with not only Noah, but with every living thing. This covenant is significant. First, let's answer the question: what is a covenant? A covenant is a promise, a contract. Modern day examples of covenants include: marriage (you make a promise to spend the rest of your life together), mortgage (you sign something that says that the bank will let you live in a house while you pay them the money for it), and service contracts (companies agree to come out and check your appliances for a certain period of time).

In verse 11, the covenant that God makes is that never again will there be a flood that will completely destroy.

Why was the rainbow chosen as a sign of the covenant? The original Hebrew word doesn’t say “rainbow.” It just says a bow in the clouds. Now it’s a logical conclusion to say “rainbow” but many scholars say that the use of the word “bow” in the original language is quite intentional.

If you were an archer and you had a bow, what would be the primary use of the bow? For hunting and killing, of course! Yes, a bow can be used for recreational purposes but back then the primary use of a bow was to hunt or to kill.

If what God actually did was place His hunting bow up in the clouds, what symbolism does that hold? If you’ve ever watched a television show when someone holds a weapon up in the air, one of the things that decision communicates is “I come in peace. I mean you no harm.” When God puts His bow up in the air, one of the things that act could be communicating is, “I come in peace. I will not harm you. Floods may come but they will never again completely destroy.”

What floods are you dealing with in your own life right now? Some of you are facing floods because of bad decisions that you’ve made. Some of you are facing the flood that comes from the death of a loved one. Some of you are facing the flood that comes from a bad CT scan or a broken relationship. Some of you are in the midst of a flood that began with a pink slip and a slow economy. Floods still come and they still threaten to overtake and overwhelm.

The good news is that God is in the midst of the flood with you. These treacherous waters will subside. They may not subside as quickly as you would like. Remember, Noah had to send the dove out three times before it was safe to assume that the flood waters had gone down. But the bow is in the air. The promise has been made. This flood will not completely destroy.

That’s the only way that I can face the floods of life…knowing that I am not alone and the promises of God are more powerful than the floods I’m facing. May God grant us the grace to find comfort in that promise today.

Offerings and Anger

Read Genesis 4-6

The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you so angry, and why do you look so resentful? If you do the right thing, won’t you be accepted? But if you don’t do the right thing, sin will be waiting at the door ready to strike. It will entice you, but you must rule over it. –Genesis 4:6-7 (Common English Bible)

As I pointed out in a recent sermon about the shepherds, shepherds (then and now) aren’t on the “Who’s Who of the Holy Land” list. Shepherds are nomads. They don’t own their own land. They are constantly moving their sheep from one place to another in search of green pastures (which are at a premium in the Holy Land). If you can imagine someone coming over to your garden and clipping all your flowers or picking all your vegetables without permission, you can imagine how farmers felt when shepherds would bring their sheep to graze on the farmer’s most fertile land.

So when we read that Cain is a farmer and Abel is a shepherd, it’s probably safe to say that there was already conflict between these two brothers long before they made their offerings to God. The conflict would have been there simply because of the vocation that each brother had chosen.

But the conflict obviously intensifies in the story. Both brothers present an offering to God. It’s worth pointing out that nowhere to this point has God revealed what is an appropriate offering and what is not. It’s also worth pointing out that Abel has an advantage in that he gets to see what Cain offers to God first and then can easily do one better. And it should probably not be surprising that God looked more favorably on Abel’s offering (if he indeed had the chance to one-up Cain’s offering). I’m guessing that it wasn’t because God prefers roasted lamb to turnip greens. It was more likely because Abel offered the first of his flock while Cain offered some of his fruits. It sounds as if Abel gave the best while Cain gave his rest, what was left.

Cain gets angry at God’s more favorable reaction to Abel’s offering. But with whom was he angry? Abel? God? Himself? And why was he angry? Had Abel done something wrong? Had God? Had he? These are important questions for us to consider as we interpret this text and they were important questions for Cain to have considered as well.

God invited Cain to examine those kinds of questions in the story. Cain had an opportunity to reflect on the reasons for his anger and to channel his anger in a more constructive and appropriate way. Unfortunately, Cain didn’t take that opportunity. And as God warned, Cain’s unchecked anger led to sin.

All of us get angry. The gospels record that Jesus, who was without sin, got angry. So anger, it appears, is not the issue. The real issue is how we respond to anger.

Here’s something worth thinking and praying about today: when you get angry, what’s really going on? Are you mad at someone else? Or are you really mad at yourself? Do you control your anger or do you let your anger control you? Do you seek to channel your anger in constructive and appropriate ways? Or does your anger lead you to sin?

While you’re at it, it’s worth thinking about your offering to God. Is what you’re giving (and I'm not just talking financially) to God your best? Or is it the rest? It’s not so much what you give that matters to God, but what your gift says about your heart.

Have a blessed day.

Don't Touch?

The woman said to the snake, “We may eat the fruit of the garden trees but not the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden. God said, ‘Don’t eat from it, and don’t touch it, or you will die.’” –Genesis 3: 2-3 (Common English Bible)

That’s not what God said. God did not tell the woman (later named Eve) that she couldn’t touch the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden. If you look back to Genesis 2:16, what God commanded was that the man not EAT from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; God said nothing about not touching it.

So why does the woman tell the serpent that God said not to touch the tree? I see two possible reasons. One, it’s the man’s fault for giving her bad directions. If you look back at the text, when God issued the command about not eating of the tree, the first woman hadn’t even been created yet. So perhaps the first man was telling the first woman about the command after she was created. The first man, like men still do today, couldn’t remember the directions and refused to ask God for help.

The second possible reason that the woman, despite what God actually said, tells the serpent that they can’t touch the fruit is that she has learned the importance of boundaries in life. You see, God had warned that, if they ate the fruit from this particular tree, they would die. Perhaps the woman rightfully observed that the fruit was beautiful and looked delicious. Perhaps she also realized that to actually touch the fruit would be one step closer to actually eating the fruit, something the man and woman had been prohibited to do. Perhaps the woman decided that the best way not to EAT the fruit was not to TOUCH the fruit.

Being a man and not ever wanting to be wrong and virtually incapable of giving bad directions (yeah, right), I like option number two. Eve knew the importance of setting boundaries. Touching the fruit wasn’t prohibited but she realized that touching it may lead to something that was prohibited (and it eventually did).

Do you need some better boundaries in your life? Maybe what you’re doing isn’t exactly wrong or hurtful in and of itself. But could it lead to something wrong or hurtful? Is what you’re doing today, as innocent as it might appear on the surface, worth the price that you might have to pay somewhere down the road?

It can be tough to create and maintain appropriate boundaries in life. But we must be vigilant in trying. May God grant us the grace to prayerfully discern what boundaries are most needed in our lives in order that you can avoid hurting God or someone else that loves us.

The Sweet Breath of God

The Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life... -Genesis 2:7 (NIV)


One of our oldest church members often shares memories of growing up in this church. On several occasions, she has told me about her childhood experience of hugging the preacher each Sunday morning as she left church. She said that the preacher always smelled like cinnamon! When she asked her parents why this was so, they told her that the preacher always had a piece of cinnamon candy in his mouth to freshen his breath.

Now, there's a good chance that a child in our church has gone home and said, "Mama, why does Tommy smell like coffee?" since my coffee consumption surpasses my cinnamon consumption by a mile. Some of you reading this may be thinking, "Now I know what to get our coffee-breath pastor for Christmas next year....a bag of cinnamon!" Please don't waste your money. I like cinnamon candy but I'd rather have an Elk River Coffee Company Gift Card.

But I do like the image of our church member's childhood pastor having breath like cinnamon.

I hadn't planned to linger in Genesis 2 this morning but verse 7 just stayed with me yesterday when I read it. The writer mentions the breath of God and two things came to my mind. First, to breathe onto someone else requires close proximity. When God breathed life into the first human, it was a beautifully intimate act. Second, don't you think that the breath of God must certainly be sweet? It may not smell like cinnamon but it is life-giving and life-changing.

When is the last time that you were close enough to God that you felt his sweet breath bringing life into you? Are there things you could do as this new year begins to put yourself in a better position to experience this life-giving breath? The One who created you wants to empower you. That's pretty sweet if you ask me.

Make Time to Rest

MAKE TIME TO REST

Today's reading comes from Genesis 2.

On the seventh day, he rested from all his work. -Genesis 2:2

I was driving to lunch yesterday out on Huntsville Highway and couldn't help but notice something. It appeared that there were more people at Fayetteville Fitness Center than the Mexican Restaurant next door. It's New Year's resolution time and the number one resolution of many must be "eat less and exercise more."

Now this may come as a surprise to you considering how muscular I appear to the naked eye, but I don't work out. Ivana, on the other hand, faithfully exercises. And one of the things that I've learned from her is the importance of rest in between weightlifting sets. Rest too long and your workouts lose intensity; rest too little and you burn out too quickly. Your muscles need time to recover from the effort of lifting heavy weights.

I don't know if you've made any resolutions for the new year. But I know that you've got things that you'd like to do in 2012. Why not write that book you've been saying you're going to write? Take that cruise you've been planning to take. Go back to school and get that degree that you've been saying you're going to get. Join the gym. Become an Ole Miss fan (joining a gym is much better for your health than becoming an Ole Miss fan). I don't know what your goals are for the year, but you probably have some...and you definitely need some.

May I suggest one important goal to add to your list? Rest. Now beware: if you rest too much, you'll get lazy. But if you don't rest enough, you'll burn out.

Want to be a good parent? Want to be a good spouse? Want to be a good boss? Want to be a good employee? Want to be an effective follower of Jesus? Then work hard at it, but make time to rest. If God observed a day of rest, you should too.

What God Sees in You

Read Genesis 1-2; Luke 1

Focus verse: God saw all that He had made and it was very good. -Genesis 1:31

When you look in the mirror, all you may see are the wrinkles on your face or the dark circles under your eyes. When you step on the bathroom scale, an electronic voice may say, "Please, one at a time" or "To be continued." When you draw a picture, it may look more like chicken-scratch than it does art. When you compare yourself to others, you may feel insignificant, unworthy, and of little value.

But when God sees you, He sees you as the crowning jewel of His creation. He sees in you His own image. He thinks you're beautiful. He wants to bless you. He sees the inherent value in your life. You matter to Him.

The problem is that many of us don't feel like we're God's crowning jewel of creation. Many of us don't feel significant, loved, or accepted. There are a lot of reasons for this, I suppose, but at least one reason is because of how we understand God. A lot of people see God as some cosmic judge who is critical of the decisions that we make. A lot of us see God as some distant deity whose main reason for existing is to remind us that, no matter how good we are, we aren't good enough.

Our relationship with God is no different than our relationship with others. We prefer to be around and spend time with people who value us, make us feel appreciated and loved. We don't want to be around people who are critical of every decision we make or who remind us of our worthlessness at every opportunity. And if that's our view of God, it's no wonder that our relationship with Him isn't all that meaningful or gratifying. If that's how we understand God, it's no wonder we don't spend more time with Him and it's no wonder why we have such a low view of ourselves.

Today, I invite you to consider another side of God. Today I invite you to imagine God thinking these words in the moments after He created you: "God saw what He had made and it was very good." You're his precious child. You're His creation. You have great value. You matter to Him. And He'd like for the two of you to spend more time together in 2012.