Daily devotionals

Parental Anxiety

Posted on by Betsy

I have a question for the parents today. Do you ever reach a point with your kids where you stop worrying about them? Watching the young parents in my church as they watch over their children reminds me of all the sleepless nights during my own childrearing days when the pressure and anxiety I felt over their safety and well-being was overwhelming at times. Being married to a pilot who flew international trips meant that I was sole-parenting for about half the month, and the responsibility for their care fell squarely on me. Thank God for our church, which walked beside me in my soul-parenting efforts in those days and carried the burden of care with me through pre-school, children, and youth programs. There were other adults who loved and nurtured my kids at church, and I felt the momentary relief that came from trusting them over to the watchful hearts of church members. My youngest daughter is now a member of that same church, and last Sunday morning we gave over the care of my three grandchildren to Tim, Beth, and Gigi, three of the extraordinary human beings who loved on my two kids when they were growing up and continue to love on the next generation in the name and for the sake of Jesus. What a tremendous blessing children’s ministry volunteers are!

When my daughters got married, I was grateful that there would now be someone in their lives taking care of them. I felt relief that there were two lovely husbands who would now shoulder the responsibility for their well-being. I especially felt relieved that they would be right there for my daughters when I couldn’t be. But I still worry. All the time. Do you ever let go of that?

 Today I want to dive into Paul’s letter to his church in Thessalonica, where we can feel his parental anxiety coming through the pages. The new church was dealing with problems and persecutions for their faith, and Paul just wanted to run to their side. But like that Mom who can’t turn the car around and sit in her son’s dorm room for a semester, Paul can’t discontinue his own work to come back to check on them. So he sends his trusted friend Timothy to render assistance and encouragement.

1 Thessalonians 3 (Common English Bible)
1So when we couldn’t stand it any longer, we thought it was a good idea to stay on in Athens by ourselves, 2 and we sent you Timothy, who is our brother and God’s coworker in the good news about Christ. We sent him to strengthen and encourage you in your faithfulness. 3 We didn’t want any of you to be shaken by these problems. You know very well that we were meant to go through this. 4 In fact, when we were with you, we kept on predicting that we were going to face problems exactly like what happened, as you know. 5 That’s why I sent Timothy to find out about your faithfulness when I couldn’t stand it anymore.

 I love how Paul repeated himself when he said, “I couldn’t stand it (i.e. being away from them) anymore.” Have you ever felt that way when you were worried over a child? Have you ever wanted to get in the car and go and peek in their window just to assure yourself that they are alright? Have you ever called or texted too much, just to put your anxiety at ease? I have.

You know, there is an antidote to this kind of worry: it’s called prayer.

When the weight of parenting gets too heavy, it is good to let it press you straight down to your knees. By turning our loved ones over to God’s care, we know we have reached out to One who loves them even more that we do and has the power to protect, guide, and save them in ways that we never could. Paul tells his church that he had been praying “night and day” (verse 10), a good reminder to take our anxiety to God daily in prayer and leave it there. 

And maybe you could be a Beth, Tim, or Gigi to a child in your church or neighborhood. If you ask any of them why they have volunteered in children’s ministry for so long, they will recount countless blessings they have received from their work. Are you being called to be blessed to be a blessing so that young parents in your church can have a moment of respite? There is no more vital work to be done than that, I promise you.

Today’s Scripture is an opportunity to take a moment to practice waiting on God. Can you replace your anxiety as you wait for God to resolve something this week by simply praying about it, night and day? Give it a try. God is able!

Waiting on God by Michelle Robertson

People Get Ready

Posted on by Betsy

The recent solar eclipse raised a lot of interest in the apocalypse. Some folks thought that it might usher in the Second Coming, as Scripture talks about the world going dark just before Christ returns. As you can see by the fact that we’re all still here, that didn’t happen. My running partner and I were speculating about what might happen if it had. We decided that being ushered into the heavenly realm would certainly mean that we would be eternally located in our happy place, which for us involved being the caretakers of all the dogs who have gone to heaven before us. The idea of running a Celestial Doggy Day care was very appealing to us. People could drop their dogs off with us on their way to their choir practice and harp lessons. Doesn’t that sound heavenly??

In the fourth chapter of 1 Thessalonians, Paul addresses the Second Coming head on:

13 Brothers and sisters, we want you to know about people who have died so that you won’t mourn like others who don’t have any hope. 14 Since we believe that Jesus died and rose, so we also believe that God will bring with him those who have died in Jesus. 15 What we are saying is a message from the Lord: we who are alive and still around at the Lord’s coming definitely won’t go ahead of those who have died. 

16 This is because the Lord himself will come down from heaven with the signal of a shout by the head angel and a blast on God’s trumpet. First, those who are dead in Christ will rise.17 Then, we who are living and still around will be taken up together with them in the clouds to meet with the Lord in the air. That way we will always be with the Lord. 18 So encourage each other with these words.

Paul paints images of signals, shouts, head angels making proclamations, and trumpet blasts, which raise goosebumps on our arms and causes feathered hope to rise in our hearts. Not to be confused with Scriptures on the “rapture,” this passage falls in line with our expectations from the book of Matthew which describes it this way:

“Then the sign of the Human One will appear in the sky. At that time all the tribes of the earth will be full of sadness, and they will see the Human One coming in the heavenly clouds with power and great splendor. 31 He will send his angels with the sound of a great trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from the four corners of the earth, from one end of the sky to the other” (Matthew 24:30-31).

Paul clarifies that the Lord will come down at the sound of the trumpet and those who are dead will rise, joining those who are still living. This last bit of encouragement about the Second Coming was precious to the church, and it is precious to us as well.

Christ’s triumphal return is reminiscent of the royal processionals of earth’s great kings. Even in our lifetime, we experienced the pageantry and pomp of King Charles III of Britain when he took the throne in 2023. You may remember the tens of thousands of people who lined the street to welcome their new king that day as he was driven by eight white horses in a centuries old Gold State Coach surrounded by over 4,000 members of the Royal Navy, Royal Army, Royal Marines, the Tri Service Guard of Honor, and the Royal British Legion. It was spectacular and as some would say, “fit for a king.” How will we welcome our King when his time comes to return? Will it be a big and noisy spectacle of crowds cheering and trumpets blasting, or will we groan in sorrow because we aren’t ready? 

 Paul envisions Jesus coming from heaven to earth on a kind of celestial highway that will lead him straight to the graveyards in order to resurrect the dead. This offers a word of hope that when we die in Jesus we will arise in Jesus and never be separated from him. Matthew 25 explains what will happen next: 

Matthew 25:31-33 (Common English Bible)

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” (Matthew 25:31-33).

Understanding that the judging of the nations is coming should serve as a wake-up call to us today. Where will you stand at the end? If Jesus were to return tomorrow, would the church be ready? Are you living your life everyday with the expectation that Jesus’ return could happen at any moment?

People get ready! Jesus is comin’.

Celestial Highway by Michelle Robertson

Witness Walk

Posted on by Betsy

A friend of mine broke her wrist after falling in a parking lot after church. I immediately flashed back to times when I broke a bone and I truly commiserated with her. The process of healing is long and complicated. In my case, learning to walk with a boot and crutches was tricky and exhausting. Many people assured me, though, that a broken bone heals stronger. Have you ever heard that? Apparently it is true, but only applies to the time in the healing process when your body forms a callus around the break, indeed making it stronger for a time.

This made me think about things that actually do get stronger after they break.

I believe that people can get stronger after they suffer a break of sorts. Case in point is a dear friend who came out of a prolonged and contentions divorce much, much stronger due to the break in her marriage. She found her voice in the process, is able to stand up for herself in ways she never could before, found the courage to leave her abusive husband, and discovered God’s redemptive and saving power in ways she would never have experienced had she not been broken so badly. So, there is that. Have you ever been broken and then healed stronger?

In our lectionary passage today, Peter addressed the crowd after healing a lame man. Watch what happened and how the crowd reacts:

Acts 3: 7-10 Common English Bible

7 Then he grasped the man’s right hand and raised him up. At once his feet and ankles became strong. 8 Jumping up, he began to walk around. He entered the temple with them, walking, leaping, and praising God. 9 All the people saw him walking and praising God. 10 They recognized him as the same one who used to sit at the temple’s Beautiful Gate asking for money. They were filled with amazement and surprise at what had happened to him.

The once broken and damaged feet and ankles became strong, and the man began his witness walk. He was a living, breathing example of the power of God to change and make new. Are you that person? Has God taken your brokenness and made you new? How are you proclaiming his power with your own witness walk?

12 Seeing this, Peter addressed the people: “You Israelites, why are you amazed at this? Why are you staring at us as if we made him walk by our own power or piety? 13 The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—the God of our ancestors—has glorified his servant Jesus. This is the one you handed over and denied in Pilate’s presence, even though he had already decided to release him. 14 You rejected the holy and righteous one, and asked that a murderer be released to you instead. 15 You killed the author of life, the very one whom God raised from the dead. We are witnesses of this. 

Peter takes this opportunity to preach about Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. It is important to note that he did not allow any of the attention to remain on himself, but immediately deflected their wonder to the power of Christ.

16 His name itself has made this man strong. That is, because of faith in Jesus’ name, God has strengthened this man whom you see and know. The faith that comes through Jesus gave him complete health right before your eyes.

We know that we are healed in the strong and powerful name of Jesus. We know that when we have faith in Jesus’ name, strength comes to us by his grace.

17 “Brothers and sisters, I know you acted in ignorance. So did your rulers.18 But this is how God fulfilled what he foretold through all the prophets: that his Christ would suffer. 19 Change your hearts and lives! Turn back to God so that your sins may be wiped away.

Peter’s final words are good for us today. How do you respond to Easter? How do you understand healing? How do you account for the strength that you have obtained from God? Changing our hearts is the only way to respond. May our minds be set on turning back to God today as we continue our witness walk in everything we say and do.

Can I Get a Witness by Michelle Robertson

You Are Forgiven

Posted on by Betsy

What is the biggest thing you have forgiven? Was it a cheating spouse? A rebellious child? An unfair decision that went against you? A friend’s betrayal? A lost library book?

Wait … what?

The New York Times wrote an article on a new program that the Worcester Public Library in Massachusetts just announced called “March Meowness.” This is a program of forgiveness. Anyone who has lost a book or failed to return a book to the library is forgiven if they bring a photo, drawing, or magazine clipping of a cat and get their library card reactivated. So not only is the lost book forgiven, but the library opens the door to return by making reactivating your library card part of the deal. Now that’s forgiveness!

In the 9th chapter of Matthew, Jesus models prayer for us. This is what he said:

 Matthew 9 (Common English Bible)

Pray like this:

Our Father who is in heaven,

uphold the holiness of your name.

10 Bring in your kingdom

so that your will is done on earth as it’s done in heaven.

11 Give us the bread we need for today.

12 Forgive us for the ways we have wronged you,

just as we also forgive those who have wronged us.

13 And don’t lead us into temptation,

but rescue us from the evil one.

Look again at verse 12. It states a petition to be forgiven JUST AS WE ALSO FORGIVE. Clearly Jesus is setting up an expectation that our being forgiven is dependent on the forgiveness that we extend to others. That is a wake-up call to those of us still holding grudges and refusing to bend. You may never be able to welcome that person back into your life, but Jesus’ words make clear the need to forgive them if you expect your Lord to forgive you. Sometimes this is a bitter pill to swallow. But remember that grudge-holding makes you the prisoner, not your offender. Being able to forgive and let go of a grievance can set you free.

The trajectory that Lent takes is a sober and reflective journey toward the cross. It was at the cross that Jesus died for our sins, reminding us of that ultimate sacrifice that bought unfathomable forgiveness if we repent and return to God. Our communion liturgy contains the words “In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven”. Every day the gift of forgiveness is offered to us without price. Every day we have the opportunity to offer that same gift to others in Jesus’ name.

Do you need to be forgiven today? Start by forgiving.

From Twitter

Trouble Makers

Posted on by Betsy

Today’s lectionary passage from Mark 9 describes the amazing Transfiguration of Christ high atop Mount Tabor. This Sunday will be Transfiguration Sunday in our churches, and many of you will hear the following passage read aloud as the text for the sermon. Most pastors will emphasize the revelation of Jesus in that moment as the King of Glory. The transformation that took place visibly changed Jesus right before his friend’s eyes. Indeed, in that moment, Jesus went from a weary, dusty rabbi who had just climbed up a mountain to something ethereal and blindingly white. But for today, let’s focus on Peter, James, and John.

A commentator that I read made a passing remark about the three disciples, saying we assume that these three were selected to witness this historic event because of their boldness of witness and their leadership skills, but he (the commentator) thought it was also possible that Jesus selected them to make the journey because they were trouble makers and couldn’t be trusted to be left behind. That made me laugh out loud. I know trouble makers like that! I’ve been a trouble maker like that. How about you?

I am deeply inspired by the late John Lewis, the stalwart civil rights activist, human rights advocate, politician, protester, voter registration pioneer, and leader in the cause for equality, jobs, and freedom. He coined the phrase “good trouble” to encourage people to speak up and speak out for the cause of justice in America. He was a trouble maker, too.

Mark 9:2-9 (Common English Bible)

2 Six days later Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and brought them to the top of a very high mountain where they were alone. He was transformed in front of them, 3 and his clothes were amazingly bright, brighter than if they had been bleached white. 4 Elijah and Moses appeared and were talking with Jesus. 5 Peter reacted to all of this by saying to Jesus, “Rabbi, it’s good that we’re here. Let’s make three shrines—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 6 He said this because he didn’t know how to respond, for the three of them were terrified.

Peter’s humanity in this moment takes all of us back to that place where we found ourselves in a startling situation and had no idea how to respond. His outburst is silly in hindsight, but who could blame him? Nothing like this had ever happened to this humble fisherman before, and he was confused.

But maybe there was something else going on. The Transfiguration happened just after Jesus had been explaining his impending crucifixion on a cross to the disciples. They loved him and didn’t want to accept that this would be the end of their three-year missionary journey. Surely, they didn’t want to see their friend and leader suffer and die in the way he predicted. So perhaps Peter saw this as a short-cut to glory. Why go through the horrible beating and death on a cross if glory could be had so easily? It was happening right in front of them! Couldn’t they just stay there and bask in the reflected glow of the King’s radiance, and skip the suffering part?

Many times we, too, want to take the short cut that would prevent us from having to suffer. Avoiding real issues, ignoring warning signs, looking the other way, glossing over what is really happening, are all things we do to avoid walking the way of suffering. Ask any family dealing with addiction and they will outline all the shortcuts they tried to take to avoid the reality of their loved one’s addiction. But sometimes, we must suffer in order to get to the other side of something.

7 Then a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice spoke from the cloud, “This is my Son, whom I dearly love. Listen to him!” 8 Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.

9 As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them not to tell anyone what they had seen until after the Human One had risen from the dead.

Verse 7 resonates with what God said at Jesus’ baptism, but with a twist. He affirms Jesus as his beloved son and then adds “Listen to him!”

Let that be our focus today. Listen to him. Ask him for help along the way of suffering. See him for the King of Glory that he really is. Listen, and then go out and make some “good trouble” for the Lord.

Glory Revealed by Michelle Robertson

Twinkling Light

Posted on by Betsy

Would you think me very strange if I confessed that we have left one small Christmas tree up in our family room, and every night I look forward to plugging it in? This tree is our only real attempt at decorating, as we now travel to be with family at our daughter’s homes for Christmas. This year we extended our stay for an extra week or so, and when we returned, we realized that we had just not had enough time to enjoy this festive assemblage of colorful twinkling lights and elaborate gold-laced White House ornaments, a gift that we have received every year from my in-laws. At some point we will move it back into storage, but not today.

In John 8:12, Jesus redefines the true nature of True Light:

John 8:12 (Common English Bible)

12 Jesus spoke to the people again, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me won’t walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”

“Jesus spoke to the people again” alerts us to the fact that this is a continuation of his speech in the Temple in Jerusalem. To set this into context, Jesus made this speech in the Temple during the Festival of Tabernacles. This fall harvest festival was a time of commemorating God’s glory appearing in the wilderness after the exodus to guide the people, and it celebrated God’s residing in the Temple. Leviticus sets the stage for this festival of booths: “So that your future generations will know that I made the Israelites live in huts when I brought them out of the land of Egypt; I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 23:43). The people erected booths and stayed for a week to celebrate God’s provision of harvest every year. Light played an important part in the celebration.

 We recall that in Exodus 13:21, God went before the nation of Israel into the wilderness as a pillar of fire at night. This theophany was celebrated each year in the hope and expectation that God would return to the Temple as a bright, shining, fiery light. We share this eschatological hope with our Jewish forebearers: We, too, have a hope and expectation that Jesus will return in a blaze of glory to reclaim his Temple and us, his people.

 Light is an important image in the Old Testament. God’s first creation was light (Genesis 1:3-4). God appeared to Moses from a burning bush (Exodus 3:1-3). Psalm 119 speaks of God’s word being a “light unto our paths.” Light is equated to wisdom in Ecclesiastes 2:13, and Isaiah 60 proclaims that the nation should arise and shine, for “our light has come”, a prophecy which Christians believe was completed at the Lord’s birth (Isaiah 60:1). 

 During the festival, four large lampstands in the Temple Court of the Women were lit at the end of the first day. These lamp stands produced a tremendous amount of light, so much so that it was said that there was not a courtyard in Jerusalem that didn’t reflect it. Festival goers danced around the lamp stands with burning torches, which must have made the Temple seem as though it went from night to day in that moment. It must have been beautiful! It was in the midst of this very Jewish celebration that Jesus stood up and declared himself to be the Light of the World.

It was bold. It was truth! And it was audacious. 

Have you ever felt compelled to speak the truth into a setting or situation where it was not wanted? Have you ever been confronted with a truth you did not want to hear? How did it go?

Jesus’ startling proclamation that he was the Light of the World invites us to our own startling reality: if he is the Light, we need to reflect that light in our lives. How can we live so that others see his light in us? What changes would we have to make in our behavior to stay true to that light?

We are called to be the light that illuminates the path to Jesus. Shine on, my friends!

Lent begins in less than a month! Order your copy of ReLENTless Devotion here.

Pathway to Light by Michelle Robertson

Another Route

Posted on by Betsy

I admire those of you who make New Year’s Resolutions. Doing this is a process of introspection, self-awareness, and determination. My daughter and her friends spend New Year’s Eve playing games while they contemplate last year’s resolutions and then commit to new ones. Declaring your resolutions in a friend group is a process of accountability, which is always wise when trying to set goals. Others can help us reach our objectives by holding us accountable for what we decided. Believe it or not, Lent is quickly approaching, and the season invites us to a spiritual accountability. This is the right time to make changes.

Many of our resolutions involve stopping a behavior and choosing a healthier path. We commit to stop over-eating, drinking, smoking, using recreational drugs, swearing, spending, cheating … name a vice, and it is sure to be on someone’s list of things they have resolved to quit in the New Year.

If you need to stop something, consider the end of this very familiar passage from the second Chapter of Matthew:

Matthew 2 (Common English Bible)

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in the territory of Judea during the rule of King Herod, magi came from the east to Jerusalem. 2 They asked, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We’ve seen his star in the east, and we’ve come to honor him.”

3 When King Herod heard this, he was troubled, and everyone in Jerusalem was troubled with him. 4 He gathered all the chief priests and the legal experts and asked them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They said, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for this is what the prophet wrote:

6 You, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
        by no means are you least among the rulers of Judah,
            because from you will come one who governs,
            who will shepherd my people Israel.”

Let’s pause here and take note of a few things. The rulership of King Herod suggests that this event happened about two years after Jesus’ birth. That knocks our nativity sets out of whack, doesn’t it? Posing the Wise Men around the infant king in his manger isn’t quite accurate, as he would have been a run-around-toddler at the time.

This Herod was Herod the Great. Bible scholar D.A. Carson writes this about Herod: “He was wealthy, politically gifted, intensely loyal, an excellent administrator, and clever enough to remain in the good graces of successive Roman emperors. His famine relief was superb and his building projects (including the temple, begun 20 B.C.) were admired even by his foes. But he loved power, inflicted incredibly heavy taxes on the people, and resented the fact that many Jews considered him a usurper. In his last years, suffering an illness that compounded his paranoia, he turned to cruelty and in fits of rage and jealousy killed close associates.”  Herod died in 4 A.D., and we can assume that the Magi came to him just before his death when his paranoia was at its peak.

Also, the word “magi” is from the Greek “majoi,” which translates to astronomer. So our carols about these men being kings is a little off, perhaps a reference to Old Testament writings that prophesied that kings would come to worship the Messiah. Being astronomers is an important part of the story: They were men who studied the stars. God sent them a star. God will always speak to us in our own medium when he wants our attention. Where in your life is God speaking to you?

7 Then Herod secretly called for the magi and found out from them the time when the star had first appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search carefully for the child. When you’ve found him, report to me so that I too may go and honor him.” 9 When they heard the king, they went; and look, the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stood over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were filled with joy. 11 They entered the house and saw the child with Mary his mother. Falling to their knees, they honored him. Then they opened their treasure chests and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 Because they were warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they went back to their own country by another route.

Verse 12 is the most important part for us today. They went back to their homes by another route. When we encounter God, we rarely keep going in the same direction, but rather leave our current path and start a whole new trajectory.

Where is God calling you to go home by a new route? You are not meant to stay the same after a ‘come to Jesus’ moment. What new route will you take this year?

Whatever it is, wherever you go, follow his star.

(Lent begins on February 14. I have just published a book of Lent devotionals, ReLENTless Devotion available at Amazon. Take a look!)

Star of Wonder by Michelle Robertson

Delivered

Posted on by Betsy

Deliverance. What a curious word! Think of the many things that get delivered. Mail gets delivered. Pizzas get delivered. Packages get delivered. Babies get delivered. People in jeopardy get delivered. Souls get delivered.

Have you ever asked God to deliver you from something?

It is not uncommon when you find yourself in a place of great distress to ask God to deliver you from it. Illness, abuse, violence, unfulfilling jobs, hateful bosses, out-of-control teenagers … Lord, in your mercy, deliver us. Even atheists pray in foxholes.

I have had many a broken-hearted spouse come to me seeking God’s deliverance from the awful pain of betrayal. Sometimes God delivers them from a toxic marriage, and freedom is restored. Other times he delivers them from their anguish and facilitates forgiveness and reconciliation. 

One thing is sure: God is our refuge and strength. He is our Deliverer. 

Look at the beautiful language of Psalm 31, but before you do, ponder this: is there something from which you need to be delivered? Is there a sin, a destructive habit, an overwhelming loneliness, a feeling of shame, a debilitating anger, or a negative personality trait that is pulling you down? These things can feel like a fishing net that has tangled itself around your ankles. You can’t move. You are trapped.

Think of that net and imagine that you are at the foot of the cross, asking Jesus to cut you free as you pray this prayer:

Psalm 31 (New King James Version)

1 In You, O Lord, I put my trust;
 Let me never be ashamed;
 Deliver me in Your righteousness.
2 Bow down Your ear to me,
 Deliver me speedily;
 Be my rock of refuge,
 A fortress of defense to save me.

3 For You are my rock and my fortress;
  Therefore, for Your name’s sake,
  Lead me and guide me.
4 Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me,
  For You are my strength.

5 Into Your hand I commit my spirit;
 You have redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.

I’m sure you recognize verse 5 as the last thing Jesus said as he died on the cross. Jesus was quoting this scripture at the exact moment that God delivered him, cutting the crucifixion-net free and releasing his spirit as he left the earth.

So too will he do for you, if you trust him to release you from whatever has entangled you. 

You don’t have to stay trapped. You don’t have to be caught in despair. You may have done things that led you straight into a net that was laid out for you, but you don’t have to stay there. All you must do is ask to be pulled out.

Behold! Your Deliverer comes.

(From Psalms by the Sea, available at Amazon.)

Lead me, Lord by Michelle Robertson

Taking Root

Posted on by Betsy

Sand dunes grow. They are a complex, living infrastructure of sand, water, vegetation, and wind. Along the Outer Banks, the dunes protect the inner parts of the island from the encroaching seas. We boast of having the largest sand dune on the East Coast here in Nags Head, called Jockey’s Ridge. This massive, moving dune is so big, it has swallowed up a mini-golf course in its southwest trajectory.

The Outer Banks has recently undergone extensive beach nourishment along our coastline. Erosion, seas, and winds have threatened our beaches for decades, and so our towns have responded with a nourishment program that effectively extended the beach by pumping off-shore sand onto the shoreline.

The Baby Dune effort then began in hopes of stabilizing the protective dunes. Baby dunes are intentionally planted with vegetation such as sea oats, hearty grasses, and dense patches of dune mats that take root and hold the dune together. If the vegetation is damaged, the dune will fail, the water will breach, and roads and homes will be affected.

The most threatening thing to baby dune growth is people. People ignore the “Keep Off” signs and walk over the dune rather than go a few hundred yards away to a groomed beach access. Beach goers, not wind, are the biggest threat to the stability of this fragile ecosystem.

Colossians 2 (The Message)

My counsel for you is simple and straightforward: Just go ahead with what you’ve been given. You have received Christ Jesus, the Master. Now LIVE him. You’re deeply rooted in him. You’re constructed upon him. You know your way around the faith. Now do what you’ve been taught. School’s out; quit studying the subject and start LIVING it! And let your living spill over into thanksgiving.

This passage talks about taking root in Christ. One of the interesting things about the dune grasses and vegetation mats is that their roots aren’t exceptionally deep, but they spread over the top of the dune and provide anchoring to the top layer of sand. Their extensive system of creeping underground stems keeps the dune intact in the winds.

Much in the same way, rooting ourselves in Christ protects our lives and keeps us intact when the winds of change begin to blow hard. In the midst of adversities, when in the blink of an eye something changes, those matted, secure roots of faith, fellowship, meditation, prayer, worship, and Scripture reading can provide resistance.

A friend suddenly lost his adult son a few days ago. The death was unexpected and has caught the family terribly off guard. As they are slowly negotiating their new reality, having roots in Christ and the interconnected family around them will hold them together. Another friend is struggling with her spouse’s addiction. The vegetation mat of hope, help, and knowing she is not alone will keep her strong in her storm.

I don’t know what kind of storm you are going through this morning but hear this: you are meant to just go ahead with what you’ve been given. You are meant to receive all that Christ died to give you. You are well constructed upon him, and no wind of change, no matter how strong, is going to blow you over. So, do what you’ve been taught! Stay strong, stand firm, and let your living spill over into thanksgiving, even in the storm.

God’s got you … and he will never let go.

Baby Dune by Michelle Robertson

Keep Me from Stupid Sins

Posted on by Betsy

Sometimes when I read the Psalms I suspect that psalmist lived in the Outer Banks. Of course all the psalmists lived in Israel, but some of the observations and descriptions of the seas, skies, and land fit my home perfectly. We enjoy unobstructed views of water and sky all the way out to the horizon from many vantage points here, and I am often reminded of a friend’s daughter’s observation on her first cruise: “I can see as far as my eyes can look!” Yup, that’s where I live.

In Psalm 19, the writer extols the beauty of the glorious skies, noting the energy and excitement that come with the morning sun of day-break:

Psalm 19 (The Message)
1-2 God’s glory is on tour in the skies,
    God-craft on exhibit across the horizon.
Madame Day holds classes every morning,
    Professor Night lectures each evening.

3-4 Their words aren’t heard,
    their voices aren’t recorded,
But their silence fills the earth:
    unspoken truth is spoken everywhere.

4-5 God makes a huge dome
    for the sun—a superdome!
The morning sun’s a new husband
    leaping from his honeymoon bed,
The daybreaking sun an athlete
    racing to the tape.

6 That’s how God’s Word vaults across the skies
    from sunrise to sunset,
Melting ice, scorching deserts,
    warming hearts to faith.

God’s Word is as steady and sure as God’s creation. The sun rises with consistency just as God’s word is a solid and steady guide for us every day. Scriptures warm the heart and explain the right way to go as clearly as signposts, life-maps, and directions.

But directions only work if you stop and ask for them.

7-9 The revelation of God is whole
    and pulls our lives together.
The signposts of God are clear
    and point out the right road.
The life-maps of God are right,
    showing the way to joy.
The directions of God are plain
    and easy on the eyes.
God’s reputation is twenty-four-carat gold,
    with a lifetime guarantee.
The decisions of God are accurate
    down to the nth degree.

Let us pause here and consider that. Everything we need to know for a blessed and grace-filled life is spelled out in the Bible. But like the lost, stubborn fellow who refuses to ask for directions, we truly can wander off the right path very quickly if we allow the world to choose our direction for us. The psalmist assures us that God’s Word is better than any GPS or navigation system we could come up with on our own.

10 God’s Word is better than a diamond,
    better than a diamond set between emeralds.
You’ll like it better than strawberries in spring,
    better than red, ripe strawberries.

11-14 There’s more: God’s Word warns us of danger
    and directs us to hidden treasure.
Otherwise how will we find our way?
    Or know when we play the fool?
Clean the slate, God, so we can start the day fresh!

Here is the hidden treasure of this passage: “Keep me from stupid sins.” I think I have found a new morning prayer!

Keep me from stupid sins,
    from thinking I can take over your work;
Then I can start this day sun-washed,
    scrubbed clean of the grime of sin.
These are the words in my mouth;
    these are what I chew on and pray.

This psalm is a reminder of the importance of being in the Word and in prayer first thing every morning. When we focus our first hour on God’s direction for our day, we have a better chance of not going astray. What do you say? Should we try it right now?

Accept them when I place them
    on the morning altar,
O God, my Altar-Rock,
    God, Priest-of-My-Altar.

May the words of our mouths and the meditation of our hearts be pleasing unto you, Oh God, our Rock and Redeemer. Amen.

When Morning Guilds the Sky by Michelle Robertson