If you’ve been reading my devotionals for a while, I’m sure you are as enraptured as I am with the photography of Michelle Robertson. Michelle is a friend and a member of my congregation who works in one of our local restaurants. She is not a professional photographer, and I bet that surprises you. Michelle is a faithful sunrise and sunset watcher and used to take pictures just with her cell phone. She had so many people respond to her glorious photos, she decided to invest in a “real camera.” It is undoubtable that Michelle has a gift for photography. You can see it in the way she naturally frames a great shot. Aren’t we all blessed by her work? And I am blessed that I don’t have to get up at the crack of dawn for great photos!
This psalm is a tribute to people who serve the Lord with such faithfulness, like Michelle does. She is up and out of her house every morning in all kinds of weather to capture such beauty, and she has been generous from the very beginning to allow her work to accompany my words. If you go back to my very first devotional, you will see that the picture is one of Michelle’s sunrises.
Psalm 113 (Common English Bible)
Praise the Lord! You who serve the Lord—praise! Praise the Lord’s name! 2 Let the Lord’s name be blessed from now until forever from now! 3 From sunrise to sunset, let the Lord’s name be praised! 4 The Lord is high over all the nations; God’s glory is higher than the skies!
Have you ever gone outside for sunrise or sunset just to look at the sky? We get some incredible sunsets on Colington Island, where I live, where the entire sky can suddenly become pink, orange, or red. But you have to stop what you’re doing and leave your house to fully see God’s majesty.
5 Who could possibly compare to the Lord our God? God rules from on high; 6 he has to come down to even see heaven and earth!
This next part is a tribute to the work God does on behalf of the people. As you read it, realize that it is our hands, feet, money, time, and talent that God uses to lift up the poor and the needy. Like Michelle’s camera, we are instruments that work in concert with God to pull mercy and grace into focus for all God’s children. 7 God lifts up the poor from the dirt and raises up the needy from the garbage pile 8 to seat them with leaders— with the leaders of his own people!
Finally, this last verse is nothing short of delightful. The psalmist says that God “nests” mothers with their children … once barren ones at that! It makes me wonder … what thing in your life is God ready to nest in you? What are you lacking that God can provide? Is it peace? Hope? Stability? Joy? We are invited to see God as a loving provider who is ready and able to meet even our most impossible need: 9 God nests the once barren woman at home— now a joyful mother with children!
Matthew 24 and 25 are filled with apocalyptic images and language. Jesus describes what will happen in the end times and it isn’t pretty. Earthquakes, wars, great suffering, famines … it is the stuff of nightmares. False Christs will rise up and many will fall away from their love for the Lord. The sun, moon, and stars will cease to shine, and a great darkness will come over the earth. It will be horrible.
As he is teaching the people how to prepare for this, he tells them how the sheep and goats will be separated:
Matthew 25 (Common English Bible)
31 “Now when the Human One comes in his majesty and all his angels are with him, he will sit on his majestic throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered in front of him. He will separate them from each other, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right side. But the goats he will put on his left.
If you grew up thinking sheep were dumb and mild, you may not have considered that being a sheep would be a good thing. But there is one thing sheep do well: they follow the voice of the shepherd. They stay together in a flock and do the will of their master. They are obedient.
34 “Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who will receive good things from my Father. Inherit the kingdom that was prepared for you before the world began. 35 I was hungry and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me. 36 I was naked and you gave me clothes to wear. I was sick and you took care of me. I was in prison and you visited me.’
The Good Shepherd is pretty straight forward about how to land on the right side of the separation at the end of days: we are called take care of people who can’t take care of themselves. The poor, the marginalized, the prisoners, those fleeing from disasters, the displaced, the homeless … the care of these strangers is the criteria by which we will be judged. Are you caring for the strangers?
37 “Then those who are righteous will reply to him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? 38 When did we see you as a stranger and welcome you, or naked and give you clothes to wear? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
40 “Then the king will reply to them, ‘I assure you that when you have done it for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you have done it for me.’
This is why we should support missions, contribute to food pantries, do hospital and jail visitations, solve the border crisis, and work in homeless ministries. We will be judged by our caring for Jesus’ fragile children. What are you doing to help others? Go, and do it in the name of the Good Shepherd so that you may be counted among the sheep at the end of days.
What are the causes that you promote? Are you an animal rights supporter, an active member of your school’s PTO, an ardent football team fan, or someone who believes very strongly in a political position or person? If you watch for signs in your neighborhood, you can spot the things people promote. From flags to bumper stickers to social media posts, it is easy to determine who promotes what in your circle of influence.
I have always loved how Paul promoted Jesus with a laser-sharp focus. His entire existence was for the single cause of bringing the Good News of the messiah’s salvation, hope, healing, and resurrection to the world. He literally went throughout the known world with the message of the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus:
2 Timothy (Common English Bible)
1 From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will, to promote the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus.
2 To Timothy, my dear child.
Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
3 I’m grateful to God, whom I serve with a good conscience as my ancestors did. I constantly remember you in my prayers day and night. 4 When I remember your tears, I long to see you so that I can be filled with happiness.5 I’m reminded of your authentic faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice. I’m sure that this faith is also inside you.6 Because of this, I’m reminding you to revive God’s gift that is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 God didn’t give us a spirit that is timid but one that is powerful, loving, and self-controlled.
When you elect to share your love of Christ with others, you will need this spirit of power, love, and self-control that can only come from God. Not everyone wants to hear about Jesus. Not everyone wants to hear from you about your faith. I remember one such conversation decades ago when I attended my mother’s retirement dinner. She had served for 30 years as the school business administrator for a large high school, and a lovely banquet was held in her honor. I was invited to give the blessing. When I sat down, a brand new and very young assistant something-or-other said to me, “Are you really a minister?” I said yes and added that I was an ordained United Methodist minister, lest he think I was from some small, rogue denomination. “I don’t believe in women ministers,” he continued. “I think the Bible is very clear that women shouldn’t preach. After all, Jesus only chose men to be disciples.”
You can imagine the amount of self-control the Holy Spirit had to put on me in that moment. It seemed absurd to me that he started with “I don’t believe in women ministers” when one was sitting right next to him. Open your eyes, Dude! But God’s cooler head prevailed, and I focused on his last sentence. “So, I’m assuming that your pastor is a man,” I said. “Of course!” he replied. “And I’m assuming your pastor is a Jew,” I continued. He was shocked. “Well of course not! He’s a Baptist.” “Oh,” I continued. “I thought he must be a Jew, because Jesus only chose Jews to be disciples, so I figured that Biblical standard must be applied to your pastor as well.” He stuttered a bit and tried to bring up the old argument of women not speaking in church. I asked him if he knew who the very first preacher was, and he said he couldn’t name him.
His name was Mary, and she was the first one to preach the good news of the empty tomb on that first Easter morning.
People shouldn’t mess with me during the appetizers.
8 So don’t be ashamed of the testimony about the Lord or of me, his prisoner. Instead, share the suffering for the good news, depending on God’s power. 9 God is the one who saved and called us with a holy calling. This wasn’t based on what we have done, but it was based on his own purpose and grace that he gave us in Christ Jesus before time began.10 Now his grace is revealed through the appearance of our savior, Christ Jesus. He destroyed death and brought life and immortality into clear focus through the good news. 11 I was appointed a messenger, apostle, and teacher of this good news.
Let me be very clear about this: you, too have been appointed a messenger, apostle, and teacher of this good news. If you have accepted Christ as your savior, you are called to share it!
12 This is also why I’m suffering the way I do, but I’m not ashamed. I know the one in whom I’ve placed my trust. I’m convinced that God is powerful enough to protect what he has placed in my trust until that day. 13 Hold on to the pattern of sound teaching that you heard from me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14 Protect this good thing that has been placed in your trust through the Holy Spirit who lives in us.
Don’t be shy. Don’t be ashamed. Don’t hesitate. Don’t use words if you can’t think of any but show by your actions and your love whose cause you promote. Promoting the promise of the life that is in Christ is a lifelong endeavor.
I am the product of generations of Methodist believers. My great-grandfather was a circuit riding preacher in Pennsylvania. My grandmother was very active in the church and served as a lay delegate to Annual Conferences, and my parents met in the local church choir, where they later married and baptized me. I was raised in a small church in New Jersey and gave my life to Christ in an altar call there. Basically, if you cut me, I bleed Methodist. Even in later years when I left home to go to college and get married to a Navy pilot, I was heavily imprinted by their example and beliefs.
I don’t think we can put too much emphasis on a parent’s influence over their child’s growing belief system. On Sunday mornings as I look out upon my congregation in Kitty Hawk, NC, I see the young parents and their bubbly children, and I am truly grateful. I know first-hand how hard it is to get kids ready for church early on a Sunday morning. I know how many other options, responsibilities, and activities that have to be set aside to make church happen in a young family. Bless you all who try so hard to help your kids encounter Jesus every week! Kids belong in church. The church depends on you for its future.
In this passage in Acts, we meet a young disciple named Timothy, who was the son of a believing Jewish woman and a Greek father. Can you imagine the conversations they had around their dinner table? Timothy grew up listening to them talk about Jesus from their very diverse backgrounds. Certainly it was solely their influence that helped him know and love the Lord.
Paul, being the master recruiter that he was, sought Timothy out and made him an evangelist:
Acts 16:1-5 (Common English Bible)
16 Paul reached Derbe, and then Lystra, where there was a disciple named Timothy. He was the son of a believing Jewish woman and a Greek father.2 The brothers and sisters in Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. 3 Paul wanted to take Timothy with him, so he circumcised him. This was because of the Jews who lived in those areas, for they all knew Timothy’s father was Greek. 4 As Paul and his companions traveled through the cities, they instructed Gentile believers to keep the regulations put in place by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem. 5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith and every day their numbers flourished.
I always admire Paul’s ability to read a room. He had Timothy circumcised so that Timothy would be more approachable to the Jews. I wonder what changes we should make in our lives to make ourselves more approachable to people who need Jesus in their lives. Are your habits and interactions winsome to the effort, or is there something about you that turns people away from desiring to know God? I always think about something one of my minister friends said … if you’re cutting people off on the road in your Lexus and flipping them the bird, that ichthus on your bumper ain’t bringing people to Jesus! And she was right. People judge the church by its members’ actions and behaviors. Are you an influencer, or an obstructionist?
I love how Acts gives us a glimpse into the early church. Paul wisely counseled the Gentile believers to follow the teachings of the elders. When they did, the churches were strengthened and they flourished.
It is good for us to go back to this beginning. To be people who love Jesus and follow in his steps. To love who he loved and do his will. To follow his commandments and care for the fragile ones around us. To seek the kingdom with all our hearts.
When we do this, we too shall be strengthened and flourish.
Do you like to order food with everything on it, such as a pizza with all the toppings, a cheeseburger with the works, or a bagel with everything? This last item is so popular, you can now purchase a seasoning called “Everything Bagel Seasoning” that has all those flavors. It is a heavenly combination of different kinds of sesame seeds, poppy seeds, garlic, onion and salt. People rave about it on cottage cheese. It takes a lot to make cottage cheese rave worthy, so that’s saying a lot.
We had a family member go through a health scare last week that thankfully was resolved very quickly. The family pivoted and surrounded this person with love and support. God’s grace was supremely evident in smoothing out arrangements, transportation, wonderful health care, etc. and the entire experience made us all realize that God is indeed, our Everything. It is a day to rejoice and give thanks.
Not surprisingly, I opened up the lectionary assignments for this week and discovered this little gem from the Psalms, which surely reads like a bagel with everything:
Psalm 105:1-6, 37-45 (Common English Bible)
Give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make his deeds known to all people! 2 Sing to God; sing praises to the Lord; dwell on all his wondrous works! 3 Give praise to God’s holy name! Let the hearts rejoice of all those seeking the Lord! 4 Pursue the Lord and his strength; seek his face always! 5 Remember the wondrous works he has done, all his marvelous works, and the justice he declared— 6 you who are the offspring of Abraham, his servant, and the children of Jacob, his chosen ones.
I wonder how many times we narrowly avoid a crisis only to continue on a normal path without giving thanks to God for seeing us through the near-miss? How many times do we pray for help and when helps comes, we just pick up where we left off and forget to return to God with thanksgiving? I am reminded of the story in Luke 17 of the ten lepers who were healed by Jesus. Do you remember how many returned to thank him for his healing? One. Shame on us when we forget that God is our Everything.
37 Then God brought Israel out, filled with silver and gold; not one of its tribes stumbled. 38 Egypt celebrated when they left, because the dread of Israel had come upon them.
39 God spread out clouds as a covering; gave lightning to provide light at night. 40 The people asked, and God brought quail; God filled them full with food from heaven. 41 God opened the rock and out gushed water— flowing like a river through the desert!
One of the saddest parts of the Exodus story is that the minute they were delivered from slavery, the nation began to complain. Let that settle in for a moment. Does that describe you? God provided a light at night, quail to eat, manna from heaven, and water from a rock in the middle of a barren desert. Their response was to complain that they had it better in Egypt because their slave owners fed them meat. Even in the midst of your struggle and trial, is there some light of hope shining through? If so, give thanks.
42 Because God remembered his holy promise to Abraham his servant, 43 God brought his people out with rejoicing, his chosen ones with songs of joy. 44 God gave them the lands of other nations; they inherited the wealth of many peoples— 45 all so that they would keep his laws and observe his instructions.
God always remember his holy promises. God will always deliver his people. God gives us way better than we deserve, because he is our Everything. Ask yourself this: who or what is your everything? Have you put your hopes and dreams in other things, people, or circumstances? Do you “thank your lucky stars” or do you understand that your blessings come straight from God?
Today, may we redirect our praise to our Everything. God will never let us down.
“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
This beautiful prayer is a hallmark of 12 Step groups such as AA. The origin of it is somewhat disputed, but look at this longer prayer written by theologian Reinhold Niebuhr:
God, give us grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, courage to change the things which should be changed, and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.
Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time, accepting hardship as a pathway to peace.
Taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it.
Trusting that You will make all things right, if I surrender to Your will, so that I may be reasonably happy in this life, and supremely happy with You forever in the next.
Amen.
The pursuit of serenity and peace is something that consumes many of us, with little to no results. The reason may be that we are using the wrong things to find it. Hoping to find serenity in alcohol, drugs, food, “retail therapy”, inappropriate relationships, overworking, over exercising, attempting to control everything around us … even the list itself is exhausting.
I know someone who religiously gets up every morning to pour over every single page of a national newspaper, thinking that intellectual pursuit of answers to her anxiety about the current state of affairs will bring her peace. It does not. I know someone else who is up at the crack of dawn to exercise, followed by more cardio work and group classes throughout the day, in hopes that physical exhaustion will settle her mind down. It does not. Neither will the every afternoon Happy Hour routine, the weed smoked before class, the sexting, the pornography, the overspending, the under-eating … nothing we can produce or manufacture will bring us true peace. It is all lies, smoke, and mirrors fueled by industries who are just trying to produce more consumption of useless things.
Niebuhr was right. Accepting hardship, rather than denying it, is the pathway to peace. Living one day at a time, rather than spinning with worry about tomorrow, will lead us to serenity. Enjoying one moment at a time, rather than comparing that moment to the fun everyone on Fakebook seems to be having, will lead to acceptance of the world as it is. And the key? “Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His will.”
Take a look at verses 3 and 4 of this passage from Isaiah. Note that the voice changes in this passage; verse 1 and 2 describes what is happening, verse 3 addresses God, and verse 4 addresses us.
Isaiah 26
1 In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:
“We have a strong city;
he sets up salvation
as walls and bulwarks.
2 Open the gates,
that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in.”
3 You keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on You,
because he trusts in You.
4 Trust in the Lord forever,
for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.
To be kept in this perfect peace, our minds must be “stayed” on God. The Hebrew word “sawmak” comes from the root “to prop,” and is translated as “to lean upon or take hold of; to bear up, establish, uphold, lay, lean, lie hard, put, rest self, set self, stand fast, stay, sustain.” (Strong’s Dictionary)
So, what sustains your mind? What do you lay your mind upon? What does your mind stand fast upon? What is your mind leaning on? To have perfect peace, your mind can’t just occasionally visit the Lord; it has to be STAYED on him. Keeping your mind, heart, soul and activity wholly centered on God is the way to peace.
Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.Real Serenity by Michelle Robertson.
A long time ago I did a children’s sermon on the word “hope” and used it as an acronym to explain what it means to have hope. Hope is wanting something to get better. So we can have HOPE when we remember that there are always (H)elpers who will come alongside of us when we are in trouble. And if we remain (O)pen to seeing what God is doing all around us, it can help us to realize that God is working for good in our situation. Of course, HOPE comes to us when we (P)ray, and we should always (E)xpect that God is listening to us and will answer in his time, because his Word promises exactly that. That’s hope!
I want you to think of places in your life where you are lacking hope. Perhaps your job situation or your business is crumbling around you. Maybe your marriage or a relationship is in trouble. A challenging child or your teenager might be a dark place for you today, or maybe a betrayal or argument has kept you up at night.
Whatever is going on in your life that has left you feeling hopeless, this scripture is for you:
Zechariah 9 (New Revised Standard Version)
Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
Does that sound like Jesus? Zechariah was an Old Testament prophet, proclaiming the coming of the long-awaited Messiah. With New Testament hindsight, we can see Jesus entering Jerusalem on Palm Sunday in this passage.
10 He will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war-horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall command peace to the nations; his dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.
As Christian readers, we see a prefiguring of Christ’s Second Coming in this verse. We all long for the day when Christ’s dominion will rule the earth and his peace will be known in every nation. Come, Lord Jesus, come!
11 As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit. 12 Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double.
Here’s where it gets personal. You have a blood-covenant relationship with Christ if you are part of his flock. He is active right now in setting you free from the waterless pit of your despair. So return to your stronghold by looking for helpers, opening your heart to God’s activity, praying without ceasing, and expecting God to restore you. Hope is your stronghold. Cling to that.
In times of great distress, God calls us to be prisoners of hope. May we never let go of that chain.
“Hope is a thing with feathers…” by Michelle Robertson (quote by Emily Dickinson)
Today’s passage from the book of Acts is a whirlwind of circumstances that only the apostles could have experienced. It is hard for us to imagine the fervor and absolute dedication these men had for proclaiming the gospel. They did so at great expense, even at the expense of their lives, yet it is obvious when we read these accounts that they counted all that cost as gain for the kingdom. The times they lived in were turbulent and dangerous, but they were never perturbed or dissuaded from their cause.
In this story, we have an unexpected visitation of an angel from the Lord, who arrived at just the right moment to open prison doors so that they may continue delivering their message:
Acts 5:17-42(Common English Bible)
The Jerusalem Council harasses the apostles
17 The high priest, together with his allies, the Sadducees, was overcome with jealousy. 18 They seized the apostles and made a public show of putting them in prison. 19 An angel from the Lord opened the prison doors during the night and led them out. The angel told them, 20 “Go, take your place in the temple, and tell the people everything about this new life.” 21 Early in the morning, they went into the temple as they had been told and began to teach.
Wow! If you are like me, you didn’t see that coming. It is such a beautiful reminder of the presence of angels. Surely God can and will use everything in his power to release us from the bondage of life circumstances that keep us trapped in sin, despair, regret, and misery. Do you believe in angels?
When the high priest and his colleagues gathered, they convened the Jerusalem Council, that is, the full assembly of Israel’s elders. They sent word to the prison to have the apostles brought before them. 22 However, the guards didn’t find them in the prison. They returned and reported,23 “We found the prison locked and well-secured, with guards standing at the doors, but when we opened the doors we found no one inside!” 24 When they received this news, the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests were baffled and wondered what might be happening. 25 Just then, someone arrived and announced, “Look! The people you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!” 26 Then the captain left with his guards and brought the apostles back. They didn’t use force because they were afraid the people would stone them.
27 The apostles were brought before the council where the high priest confronted them: 28 “In no uncertain terms, we demanded that you not teach in this name. And look at you! You have filled Jerusalem with your teaching. And you are determined to hold us responsible for this man’s death.”
It is interesting to note that the council didn’t use force on the apostles, because they were afraid the people would stone them if they did. The high priest commanded the men to stop teaching in Jesus’ name. Truth be told, he should have been afraid of apostles, not the people. After all, they had an angel of the Lord on their side as they spoke God’s powerful truth.
29 Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than humans!30 The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead—whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God has exalted Jesus to his right side as leader and savior so that he could enable Israel to change its heart and life and to find forgiveness for sins. 32 We are witnesses of such things, as is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
Peter spoke an uncompromising truth. We must obey God rather than humans. It is so easy to get into the trap of going along with the crowd, keeping quiet so as to not ruffle feathers, hiding our witness for fear of ridicule or rejection, and spending our lives just trying to blend in. But that is not what the apostles did. They spoke boldly and without hesitation.
33 When the council members heard this, they became furious and wanted to kill the apostles. 34 One council member, a Pharisee and teacher of the Law named Gamaliel, well-respected by all the people, stood up and ordered that the men be taken outside for a few moments. 35 He said, “Fellow Israelites, consider carefully what you intend to do to these people. 36 Some time ago, Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and some four hundred men joined him. After he was killed, all of his followers scattered, and nothing came of that. 37 Afterward, at the time of the census, Judas the Galilean appeared and got some people to follow him in a revolt. He was killed too, and all his followers scattered far and wide. 38 Here’s my recommendation in this case: Distance yourselves from these men. Let them go! If their plan or activity is of human origin, it will end in ruin. 39 If it originates with God, you won’t be able to stop them. Instead, you would actually find yourselves fighting God!”
Gamaliel was logical and correct. His argument was simple and persuasive. If the activity of the apostles was human, it would end in ruin. This convinced the council to let the apostles go. His conclusion was also brilliant. He was right in saying that if their teaching actually did originate with God, the council won’t be able to stop them anyway. Nothing can stop God.
The council was convinced by his reasoning. 40 After calling the apostles back, they had them beaten. They ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, then let them go. 41 The apostles left the council rejoicing because they had been regarded as worthy to suffer disgrace for the sake of the name. 42 Every day they continued to teach and proclaim the good news that Jesus is the Christ, both in the temple and in houses.
And so they continued to teach.
How dedicated to Christ and his mission are you? Are you willing to suffer persecution, rejection, or ridicule? Are you just going along with the crowd so that you can fit in? Do you worry about losing friends or relatives if you share your faith with them?
May we take courage from the apostles’ example and be willing to suffer disgrace for the sake of the name of Jesus. In the end, that is what will matter.
College football season has begun, and it is one of my favorite times of the year. Fall hasn’t decided to visit the Outer Banks quite yet, as the temperatures are still summer-worthy, but this seasonal sport helps us look forward to cooler temps and breathable air with less humidity. This girl can’t wait.
I had a friend who liked to link his preaching to sports analogies, and I always remember him talking about teamwork, collaboration, goal setting, and sacrifice. He pointed out that some of the strongest and most important players on a football field never once touch the ball in their four years of high school or college play. These, of course, are the linebackers, the safeties, the tackles, the defensive ends, and the cornerbacks. The defensive line goes about their business without ever encountering a football in a game. It is their job to defend those who do.
Today’s passage in the book of Acts reads like a playbook. We see Paul and Silas on the offensive line, trying to score touchdowns for Jesus as they traveled the world with the good news of Jesus’ resurrection. They could not have done their job well had it not been for an effective team of defensive players around them.
Acts 15 (Common English Bible)
17 Paul and Silas journeyed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, then came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 As was Paul’s custom, he entered the synagogue and for three Sabbaths interacted with them on the basis of the scriptures. 3 Through his interpretation of the scriptures, he demonstrated that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. He declared, “This Jesus whom I proclaim to you is the Christ.” 4 Some were convinced and joined Paul and Silas, including a larger number of Greek God-worshippers and quite a few prominent women.
It was always Paul’s custom to start in the synagogue, as the Jews were the ones who knew and understood Messianic prophecies the best. In Thessalonica, he was well received by Greeks and wealthy women, but the Jews had a problem with his message.
5 But the Jews became jealous and brought along some thugs who were hanging out in the marketplace. They formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They attacked Jason’s house, intending to bring Paul and Silas before the people. 6 When they didn’t find them, they dragged Jason and some believers before the city officials. They were shouting, “These people who have been disturbing the peace throughout the empire have also come here.7 What is more, Jason has welcomed them into his home. Every one of them does what is contrary to Caesar’s decrees by naming someone else as king: Jesus.” 8 This provoked the crowd and the city officials even more. 9 After Jason and the others posted bail, they released them.
Paul’s defenders were willing to house him, feed him, protect him, and go to jail for him. This is the kind of sacrifice and loyalty that built the church.
10 As soon as it was dark, the brothers and sisters sent Paul and Silas on to Beroea. When they arrived, they went to the Jewish synagogue. 11 The Beroean Jews were more honorable than those in Thessalonica. This was evident in the great eagerness with which they accepted the word and examined the scriptures each day to see whether Paul and Silas’ teaching was true. 12 Many came to believe, including a number of reputable Greek women and many Greek men.
Because of the effective work of the linebackers in Thessalonica, Paul and Silas were able to continue their ministry in many other places.
13 The Jews from Thessalonica learned that Paul also proclaimed God’s word in Beroea, so they went there too and were upsetting and disturbing the crowds. 14 The brothers and sisters sent Paul away to the seacoast at once, but Silas and Timothy remained at Beroea. 15 Those who escorted Paul led him as far as Athens, then returned with instructions for Silas and Timothy to come to him as quickly as possible.
As I read this passage today, I wondered who God has put in my life to protect and defend. Surely that is the role of a parent, but I think it goes beyond that. Do you protect and defend your church? Do you run interference for your pastor? Is there a young person in your world who needs a strong hand or even shelter? Or bail money?
I believe we are all called at some point in our lives to be a defensive line of protection and encouragement for someone else. Is God calling you to stand up for someone? Suit up and get on the field!
A young mother was teaching her preschool age son about the value of zero by showing him apples. “If you have zero apples and I give you two, how many apples do you have?” “Two!” he exclaimed. “Yes, and if you have two apples and I take away two apples, how many apples do you have?” He frowned. “No apples?” “Right,” she replied. “Two take away two is zero.” He went off to play for a while and came back about ten minutes later. “But Mama, ” he said with some urgency, “why did you take away all my apples?”
Why, indeed?
I wonder if this is how the people of Israel felt about the Promised Land. God led them out of slavery in Egypt and into the Promised Land after clearing away all the Canaanites so that Israel could prosper. Like a vine, they had been transplanted there to take deep root and flourish for many years:
Psalm 80 (Common English Bible)
8You brought a vine out of Egypt. You drove out the nations and planted it. 9 You cleared the ground for it; then it planted its roots deep, filling the land. 10 The mountains were covered by its shade; the mighty cedars were covered by its branches. 11 It sent its branches all the way to the sea; its shoots went all the way to the Euphrates River.
This is one of several instances in the Old Testament when Israel is referred to as a vine (see Deuteronomy 32: 32-33, Isaiah 5:1, Jeremiah 2:21, and Hosea 10:1). Jesus referred to himself as the True Vine in John 10:15. (Read my devotional on this passage here.) Psalm 80 begins with a celebration of the power of the vine’s growth, but it’s dominance over the land is short-lived.
The vine’s devastation began with the fall of the southern Kingdom in 586BC, and soon the northern kingdom would fall in 721BC. This psalm is written between the two events, and we can feel the anguish of the psalmist as he watched his beloved Israel plucked up, torn down, and scattered far away:
12 So why have you now torn down its walls so that all who come along can pluck its fruit, 13 so that any boar from the forest can tear it up, so that the bugs can feed on it?
The great sin of the nation caused this to happen. They had turned their backs on God and worshipped false idols. Because of their apostasy, God allowed invading nations to come and take them from plentiful abundance to absolute zero. The vine that had been planted by God’s own hand was chopped down into nothing.
14 Please come back, God of heavenly forces! Look down from heaven and perceive it! Attend to this vine, 15 this root that you planted with your strong hand, this son whom you secured as your very own. 16 It is burned with fire. It is chopped down. They die at the rebuke coming from you. 17 Let your hand be with the one on your right side— with the one whom you secured as your own— 18 then we will not turn away from you!
The psalmist reminds us where we can go when our sin has left us with nothing and our life has taken on the quality of zero. Just as he reminded God of the fact that God had loved Israel enough to call them his own, he reminds us that we, too can approach the throne of grace in humble repentance and ask for restoration.
Revive us so that we can call on your name. 19 Restore us, Lord God of heavenly forces! Make your face shine so that we can be saved!
Only God could revive the nation, and only God can revive us. He is the Shepard of Israel who can replant and restore the vine in us. God’s deliverance comes through his son, Jesus Christ, the True Vine. We are Christ’s branches and we bear witness to the strength of God’s forgiving grace. When we come before him and ask to be saved, God forgives us. After all, the True Vine was born to take away the sins of the world.
Real Serenity by Michelle Robertson.
At Water’s Edge 