Category: Devotions

Read Luke 14:25-33.

Here, Jesus is speaking to a group of followers who have been inspired by all he has done. Maybe they want to follow so they can be fed and healed and empowered, but Jesus reminds them that discipleship is not all about what Jesus can do for them. It’s also about what they are willing to sacrifice to truly follow him.

What have you sacrificed to follow Jesus? What might Jesus be calling you to leave behind?

Offer a prayer of thanksgiving that Jesus continues to lead you even when you’re dragging a lot of extra baggage.

Read Philemon 1-21.

In this letter, Paul is trying to convince Philemon to welcome back Onesimus, a runaway slave. He reminds Philemon of their shared history and praises him for his faithful discipleship and evangelism. Paul urges Philemon to not only forgive Onesimus any debts he may owe, but to welcome him back as a brother. A cynical read of this letter might lead us to believe that Paul is being a bit manipulative – that he’s buttering Philemon up before asking a favor. And in case flattery doesn’t work, he drops in the line in vs. 19, “I say nothing about your owing me even your own self.”

I wonder if instead, Paul is reminding Philemon of what it means to live the life of Christ – one of forgiveness, of welcome, and of freedom. Rather than using his authority to get what he wants, Paul essentially says, “Look, this is who you are: loving, faithful, and encouraging. Because of this, I trust you to make the better choice.”

How do you tend to get your way? Do you manipulate, steam roll, or state your case and let it rest at that? To what degree are you willing to trust others, especially if their decisions aren’t what you think is best? To what degree do you trust God when outcomes don’t match with what you want? Today, consider a decision that is before you. It might be something in your personal life or in the church or in an organization you are a part of.

In prayer, offer this decision to God, ask for the wisdom to state your case well and for the peace to trust that no matter the outcome, all will be well.

Read Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18.

Here, God is again imagined as an artist who knits and weaves us into who we are to become. God knows our innermost selves, our fears and our failures, our hopes and our dreams. God was already at work in our lives even before our mothers knew about us. God knows the thoughts we are afraid to speak out loud. God equips us to be the right person for just the right moment. Often, it is not until afterwards that we can see God’s hand in situations where God has used us. This points us to a God who is always attentive and near.

Imagine God knitting you together in your mother’s womb. What do you think God had in mind for your life? How have you been gifted for the work of God’s kingdom? How eagerly are you using these gifts?

Pray for God’s vision to infuse you with a strong sense of purpose and to empower you for the work.

Read Jeremiah 18:1-11.

This passage invites us to imagine God as an artist, shaping and reshaping people and nations over and over. Unlike fired clay that is dry, hard, and often meant for one fixed purpose, we are soft and malleable in God’s hands.

What events in your life point to the Potter’s hands at work? How might the Potter be reshaping you even now?

Pray for a soft, malleable spirit that is open to God’s shaping.

Read Luke 14:1, 7-14.

In verse 1, we read that Jesus is dining at the home of a Pharisee and that the religious leaders were watching him closely. My guess is that their purpose in watching him closely was not so that they could imitate his ways. Instead, they were hoping to catch him up. Rather than being offended, Jesus uses this as a teaching moment. He speaks of humility and of hospitality. He calls us to extend welcome and grace to the ones who need it the most, rather than the ones who have something to offer back.

This is reminiscent of Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 25, where he says, “I was hungry and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink…” We welcome Jesus in the way we welcome the ‘least of these’. In The Rule of St. Benedict, we read, “Let all guests who arrive be received like Christ, for he is going to say, ‘I came as a guest, and you received me.’ And to all let due honor be shown…In reception of the poor and of pilgrims the greatest care and solicitude should be shown, because it is especially in them that Christ is received.”

Take a measure of how well you receive Christ in the way you welcome the poor and the pilgrims. Consider who might be longing for your welcome. Today, pray for those who feel outcast, lonely, or lost.

Read Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16.

So far this week, we’ve been hearing God’s call to worship God alone. We have thought about those worldly things in which we often put our trust. Here, the author of this letter gives us the anecdote to idolatry. Mutual love…hospitality…care for those who don’t enjoy the same freedom as you…contentment with what you have…generosity.

In what ways is your life bearing the fruit of your confession of faith in Jesus? How often and in what ways do you offer a “sacrifice of praise”?

Consider writing a poem or short prayer of praise and keeping it somewhere you will notice it throughout the week.

Read Psalm 81.

In verse 9, God says, “There shall be no strange gods among you; you shall not bow down to a foreign god.” Most of us would respond, “Well, of course I wouldn’t worship another god! Why would God even have to say this?” In our minds, we think of foreign gods as statues or icons surrounded by offerings of food or flowers. But our ‘foreign gods’ may, instead, take the form of an addiction of some sort or a political party or material wealth or projecting an image of a perfect life.

It’s all about who or what we’re going to trust. Are we going to trust those people, objects, or attitudes that leave us feeling empty, longing for more? Or are we going to trust the One who invites us to listen to God and to walk in God’s ways – the One who promises to feed us with the finest wheat and to satisfy us with honey from the rock? What ‘foreign gods’ distract you from trusting the Spirit of God in your life?

Offer each one by name in prayer and ask God to free you from them.

Read Jeremiah 2:4-13.

In verse 13, speaking through the prophet Jeremiah, the Lord contrasts living water with the stagnant water that seeps out of a cracked cistern. God’s people have access to the life-giving, refreshing water of God’s care, provision, and guidance. Instead, they have chosen to worship gods who are not really gods. They have sacrificed the values and ethics of God’s kingdom for ‘something that does not profit’ – for allegiances that steal life, joy, gratitude, and peace.

Take an inventory of the way you spend your time today. What activities or conversations are life-giving and refreshing? Which are draining or disappointing? Which ones turn you towards God and which turn you toward pride, ego, and selfishness? Which ones create more openness within, and which cause you to close yourself off?

In prayer, ask for a heart ready to receive the living water that God offers.

Read Luke 13:10-17.

Even in the middle of teaching the whole congregation, Jesus notices the individual. He sees someone who is weighed down with the burden of her back ailment and he has compassion on her. To Jesus, mercy outweighs tradition every time. The religious leaders do not appreciate this. If Jesus offers healing and mercy on the Sabbath, what is to keep others from doing it? I get the feeling that they rather like seeing this woman bent over, eyes cast down, while they stand proud as peacocks up front. If they, like Jesus, had the ability to heal her, I can almost imagine them saying, “Come back during office hours.” Jesus, on the other hand, refused to let her suffer even one more minute.

How often do we refuse help we can give because it’s an inconvenient time or because we deem someone unworthy of our attention? How often do we set hard, fast rules around who we will help, how we will help, or where we will help? Is it possible to set healthy boundaries around helping others while still showing the mercy and care to which we are called as followers of Jesus?

In prayer, ask for the eyes of Jesus to see the individual needs of others and for clarity around how to help.

Read Hebrews 12:18-29.

Without careful study and a knowledge of the author’s references in this passage, it’s hard to grasp what these verses mean. The heart of it has to do with the tangible and the intangible, with the physical and the spiritual. When we gather for worship, we perform physical offerings like singing, praying, listening, sharing God moments and prayer concerns – all in the hopes of a spiritual experience and connection with the Creator and the created. In the same way, our tangible acts of discipleship are meant to point to the intangible grace, compassion, and love of Jesus.

What physical practices lend themselves to a spiritual experience for you? What elements of worship help you to connect with God and with the people with whom you are gathered? What acts of discipleship give you a sense of being a part of God’s purposes in the world God loves?

During worship or in your time of personal devotion this week, be curious about your sense of the spiritual presence of God.