#dailydevotionals

Start your day with morning coffee and a devotional.

Such Foolishness

Posted on by Betsy

Let’s talk about fools today. We often assume that when we call someone a fool, we are describing an intellectual incapacity. We think about foolishness as a lack of common sense or making poor decisions. When a friend does something foolish, we respond with “Well, that was stupid!” Foolish behavior is seen as a function of the mind, and fools lack the wherewithal to “know better.” Fools are imprudent and silly.

In David’s time, however, the word fool was more a factor of heart than mind. Foolish behavior came from a place of morality, not intellect. Thus fools were the ones who were morally bankrupt evildoers, regardless of intelligence. Fools believed there is no God.

David makes it clear in Psalm 14 that he considers anyone who rejects God to be corrupt and perverse. He complains that there are few people who seek God, stating that everyone has gone astray. He draws a clear line between those who accept God for who he is and those who contend that there is no God:

Psalm 14 (New Revised Standard Version)

Fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.”
    They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds;
    there is no one who does good.

2 The Lord looks down from heaven on humankind
    to see if there are any who are wise,
    who seek after God.

3 They have all gone astray, they are all alike perverse;
    there is no one who does good,
    no, not one.

You can almost feel David’s disdain for anyone who denies God. He is solidly in the camp of those who call upon the Lord for everything, and so he has no patience or respect for godless evildoers.

4 Have they no knowledge, all the evildoers
    who eat up my people as they eat bread,
    and do not call upon the Lord?

5 There they shall be in great terror,
    for God is with the company of the righteous.
6 You would confound the plans of the poor,
    but the Lord is their refuge.

Here is the application for modern day readers: those who call upon God will find a refuge of safety in that relationship. Knowing that God is real puts one in the camp of the righteous, where God resides. It is not only the smart choice, but also the only safe choice. God is our strength. God is our restoration. God is our deliverance.

7 O that deliverance for Israel would come from Zion!
    When the Lord restores the fortunes of his people,
    Jacob will rejoice; Israel will be glad.

Do you know someone who denies the existence of God? They, too, may make this assertion from a heart-perspective rather than a head-perspective. Ask questions. Have they been hurt by the church? Have they suffered at the hand of “religion?” Have they felt condemnation from those who know God?

Listening to the heart is much better than lecturing to the mind. When people see God in your actions as you offer unconditional love, compassion, generosity, and forgiveness, they can see with their hearts that God is real.

You’re the only Jesus some will ever see. Go and preach the Gospel with your winsome ways, and only use words when absolutely necessary.

The Lord Looks Down from Heaven by Michelle Robertson

Dwelling Place

Posted on by Betsy

Do you have a comfy spot in your home where you go to relax and de-stress? Is there one specific dwelling place that you look forward to as you are driving home from work, a loud sports activities with your kids, or a long trip away? I have a comfy chair on the second floor of my house that I sit in to do all my writing. The view of the harbor, boats, flags, and clubhouse from my windows is like a tranquilizer. The minute I sink into the chair, which once belonged to my mother, I feel safe and at ease.

I hope you have a dwelling place like that as well.

Today we read a psalm of Moses where he refers to God as our dwelling place. This is the only psalm that Moses wrote, but you can find other examples of his song-writing in Exodus 15 and Deuteronomy 32 and 33.

Scholars believe that Moses wrote this during the time described in Numbers 20. This was after the death of his sister Miriam, after being barred from entering the Promised Land due to his disobedience of striking the rock in the wilderness, and after his brother Aaron died. We can certainly see why his attention was now focused on God being his only dwelling place.

Such a lovely image! Moses reminds us that God has been a source of comfort and peace since the beginning of time. People come and go, armchairs and ottomans eventually make their way to the landfill, but God has always been and will always be there for us as a safe and easy place to dwell.

Psalm 90 (Common English Bible)

1 Lord, you have been our dwelling place
    in all generations.
2 Before the mountains were brought forth
    or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
    from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

3 You turn us back to dust
    and say, “Turn back, you mortals.”
4 For a thousand years in your sight
    are like yesterday when it is past
    or like a watch in the night.

5 You sweep them away; they are like a dream,
    like grass that is renewed in the morning;
6 in the morning it flourishes and is renewed;
    in the evening it fades and withers.

You can almost hear his loneliness for his siblings in this last part. People fade and wither and God turns us back to dust in his timing. But what will always remain is that he is God, from everlasting to everlasting.

Spend some time in your dwelling place today and meditate on that. When losses come in your life, and they will come, God will be your dwelling place in all generations.

My Dwelling Place

Shaping Tomorrow

Posted on by Betsy

Permit me to tell you about a fine young fellow I know named Steve. Steve is the journalism teacher at our local high school, where he leads students in putting out an award-winning student newspaper and yearbook every year. He writes for our local summer magazines and is a wonderful husband and father of two talented kids. Luckily for me, he is a faithful church member. Friends, Steve serves on our Staff Parish Relations Committee, which proves his worth to all who have ever had the (mis)fortune of serving on a Staff Parish Relations Committee. He uses his talents as the keeper of the minutes there. (For the non-Methodists among us, SPRC does the important work of evaluating the pastor and staff, making hiring and firing decisions, and facilitating the relationship between the congregation and the staff. It is a HARD committee, and the committee members have to be some of the most dedicated, patient, and unflappable people in the church.)

Steve is also my volunteer proofreader for my next book, ReLENTless Devotion, which will be available at Amazon in December. This is a book of 40 Lent devotionals. I wouldn’t have the courage to put it out if I didn’t have Steve’s help … his ability to see and fix all my punctuation mistakes is a blessing to me, especially with my misplaced-comma syndrome! (I have officially been diagnosed. It is terminal.) I have come to accept that there is no cure for this disease. That’s why I need a Steve for this book.

I thought about Steve this morning when I read this passage in Deuteronomy. It records the death of Moses and the passing down of leadership to the next generation. Joshua is selected to lead the people because he was filled with wisdom through his connection with Moses.

Deuteronomy 34 (Common English Bible)

5 Then Moses, the Lord’s servant, died—right there in the land of Moab, according to the Lord’s command. 6 The Lord buried him in a valley in Moabite country across from Beth-peor. Even now, no one knows where Moses’ grave is.

7 Moses was 120 years old when he died. His eyesight wasn’t impaired, and his vigor hadn’t diminished a bit.

8 Back down in the Moabite plains, the Israelites mourned Moses’ death for thirty days. At that point, the time for weeping and for mourning Moses was over.

9 Joshua, Nun’s son, was filled with wisdom because Moses had placed his hands on him. So the Israelites listened to Joshua, and they did exactly what the Lord commanded Moses.

This is the perfect example of what happens when someone mentors and teaches the next generation. When there is a leadership gap, the young mentees are ready and able to step into place and lead. Teachers like Steve do this work every single day of their lives. We owe them a debt of gratitude that can never be repaid.

10 No prophet like Moses has yet emerged in Israel; Moses knew the Lord face-to-face! 11 That’s not even to mention all those signs and wonders that the Lord sent Moses to do in Egypt—to Pharaoh, to all his servants, and to his entire land— 12 as well as all the extraordinary power that Moses displayed before Israel’s own eyes!

I have been blessed by my relationship with many teachers, youth leaders, camp counselors, children’s ministry workers, nursery volunteers … all those people who choose to use their talents in shaping and forming the next generation.

Where is God calling you to lead a younger person to a life in Christ? Sometimes all it takes is an invitation to meet for coffee for the relationship to begin. If God has put a burden on your heart to mentor someone, don’t let another day go by. You are shaping tomorrow by where you invest your time today.

To the Next Generation by Michelle Robertson

Abide in Me

Posted on by Betsy

It is said that in life, success comes more from who you know than what you know. I think there is some truth to that. When we are pursuing a new job, a raise, a promotion, finding an appropriate mate, a good outcome at court, a favorable loan rate, a lower price on a new car, etc., the people at the other end of those transactions make all the difference in the final result. If you know them and if they like you, your chances of success might be increased. It’s all about knowing the right people.

Jesus’ famous “I AM” statements reveal who he is, using a series of metaphors and analogies. In today’s passage, Jesus tells his disciples that he is the True Vine of Israel. He makes this statement while they are on their way from the last supper in the Upper Room to the impending arrest, trial, and crucifixion. He is trying to reassure them that even when he dies, their connection will never be severed. They, and we, are the branches to his vine, and it is that connection that gives us strength, hope, and determination. Knowing Jesus makes all the difference in our lives.

John 15 (New Revised Standard Version)

4 Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.

If you read this entire chapter in John, you will see that the word “abide” is used ten times. Jesus surely wants us to understand how to abide in him! And there is a reciprocal blessing here. When we abide in him, he abides in us.

So, how do we abide in Jesus?

Abiding means, first of all, studying the word of God. “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” (v.7) When we look into the word of God and see the Son of God, we are changed by the Spirit of God into the image of God, by the grace of God, for the glory of God.

That is what abiding is all about. 

This is a good time to stop and consider your daily practice of studying the word. Do you take time in the morning to read Scripture? Do you meditate on his word as you pray? So many times we think God has not heard or answered our prayers when the truth is, we haven’t been abiding in his Word, where the answers can be found. Do you need a better daily practice of abiding in the Word?

Second, abiding also means doing the work of God. Jesus said in v.5, “He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit.” We know what God is concerned about. He is in the fruit-bearing business. That is His work; that is what He desires for us. And so when we do the work of the Lord through our serving and our giving, we bear the fruit of the father. 

Third, abiding is obeying the will of God. Jesus said in v.10, “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.” When the branch lives out its life in connection with the vine, it then reproduces the fruit of the vine. Are you obeying God’s will for your life? If the answer is no, I bet the fruit you produce reflects that.

How can you better abide in Christ? He longs to abide in you.

Fruit of the Vine by Kathy Schumacher

What Kind of Love

Posted on by Betsy

The phenomenon that is known as Taylor Swift has taken over the world. Our local movie theater is showing her Eras Tour movie, and the place is packed with people of all ages in Taylor Swift outfits. Folks are disappointed that the special Eras Tour popcorn bucket was in short supply, and they missed getting it, resulting in the theater having to apologize and offer a future bucket as soon as the next shipment comes in. And Is it just me, or are all the young girls suddenly sporting bangs? I like that. I’ve been wearing bangs since before Swift was born.

According to an article in Time magazine published on August 24th, 2023, analysts estimate that the Eras Tour will likely surpass the $1 Billion mark by March of 2024, when Swift will be touring internationally. Beyond the concert sales, fans are spending a lot of money on merchandise.. The Eras Tour is projected to generate close to $5 billion in consumer spending in the United States alone. “If Taylor Swift were an economy, she’d be bigger than 50 countries,” said Dan Fleetwood, President of QuestionPro Research and Insights. This absolutely blows my mind. The scope of her influence is beyond the imagination. Her work and her image are recognized around the world.

Our passage today had me thinking about image and recognition, but in a much more humble way. One of the greatest gifts we receive from God is the gift of adoption. We are called the children of God, but the world does not recognize that:

1 John 3 (Common English Bible)

 See what kind of love the Father has given to us in that we should be called God’s children, and that is what we are! Because the world didn’t recognize him, it doesn’t recognize us.

Like the Swifties who try to look like their icon, we will be converted into the image of Christ when he appears. We’ll be like him, and we will see him as he is. I think that being able to behold his glory will trigger that moment of complete transformation. We won’t just be dressed up … we actually will take on the image of Christ for ourselves.

2 Dear friends, now we are God’s children, and it hasn’t yet appeared what we will be. We know that when he appears we will be like him because we’ll see him as he is. 3 And all who have this hope in him purify themselves even as he is pure.

So, our task as we wait is to purify ourselves. Christ is pure and calls us to be like him. Purity of heart, purity of mind, purity of purpose, and purity of intention are things that we can pursue while we wait. The Prince of Peace of all the eras invites us to be like him.

Show Me the Way by Kathy Schumacher

Say So!

Posted on by Betsy

Our youngest set of grand-twins are in that formative language exploration stage. As can happen with twins, one does all the talking and the other nods silently in approval. The talkative one is stringing two words together now, and loves to say, “Hi Georgia!” to our dog whenever we are on a FaceTime call. The other one grins. Do you suppose their twin-language thing means that when he talks, she thinks she is talking, too? It’s fascinating.

The time will soon arrive when they are talking non-stop, and we may be tempted to feel nostalgic about their non-verbal baby phase. One of my children was so talkative, I once asked her to play the quiet game with me because my ears need a rest. She is now the wonderful mother of three happy and vibrant children who talk non-stop. Payback!

In our psalm today, the writer encouraged Israel to give thanks to the Lord and then he encouraged the redeemed of the Lord to “say so.” This caught me a little off guard when I read it, remembering that the night before, I had prayed nervous prayers for someone to arrive home safely and the minute they pulled in the driveway, I forgot to thank God. Has that ever happened to you?

So, this is a good reminder to not only offer thanks to God for his redemption, but to say so and tell others about what he has done in our lives:

Psalm 107 (New Revised Standard Version)
O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
    for his steadfast love endures forever.
2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
    those he redeemed from trouble
3 and gathered in from the lands,
    from the east and from the west,
    from the north and from the south.

Can you recall a time when God redeemed you from trouble? Even in those trying times when you barely escape with your life and you look back and think, “Well, I guess that could have been worse,” it is important to give God the glory and say so. God is in the redemption business and he redeemed the nation of Israel. They wandered, hungry and thirsty, and cried out to the Lord. He heard them and delivered them:

4 Some wandered in desert wastes,
    finding no way to an inhabited town;
5 hungry and thirsty,
    their soul fainted within them.
6 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
    and he delivered them from their distress;
7 he led them by a straight way,
    until they reached an inhabited town.

Here is your challenge for today: find someone, somehow, somewhere, and tell them a redemption or deliverance story. Talk to a cashier. Share your story with a parent waiting at school pick-up. Send someone a text or email to tell them your good news.

Find a way to say so!

Reflections of Glory by Kathy Schumacher

You Shall Be Holy

Posted on by Betsy

What are your goals for your life? Do you desire to be wealthy? Faithful in your relationships? Happy? A good parent? A productive worker? Retired? Goals are like turns that show up on your GPS. As you approach an exit or turn, your GPS will show you which lane to be in so that your merge is smooth and effortless. If only turns and lane changes in life were as easy!

If we consider God’s goal for our lives as opposed to our own, we might be surprised to learn what direction he prefers for us. While our goals might be worthy, God wants so much more for us.

He wants us to be holy.

Leviticus 19 (New Revised Standard Version)

2 “Speak to all the congregation of the Israelites and say to them: You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.

Does that scare you a little? To be holy seems like an impossible goal. What does it mean to be holy? According to Webster’s dictionary, Holy means “Spiritually perfect or pure; untainted by evil or sin; sinless; saintly.” I can promise you this, God loves us too much to expect that of us. He would not want to set us up for failure! No, that definition relates to Jesus alone. So what else could holy mean?

15 “You shall not render an unjust judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great: with justice you shall judge your neighbor. 16 You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand idly by when the blood[a] of your neighbor is at stake: I am the Lord.

This sounds a little more doable. To be just, to treat people equally, to not gossip and spread lies about our neighbors, and to help when someone is in trouble … if that’s holy, we have a chance. Indeed, it fits an alternate definition from Webster: Dedicated to religious use; belonging to or coming from God; consecrated; sacred. It gives us hope to think that we might be useful to God. It speaks to the truth of our belonging to God and our coming from God. Further, we understand the word consecrated to mean “dedicated to God”, and the word sacred to mean “set apart.” Christians are indeed set apart from the rest of the world to do the work of our Lord.

17 “You shall not hate in your heart anyone of your kin; you shall reprove your neighbor, or you will incur guilt yourself. 18 You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.

“Love your neighbor as yourself” is the gold standard for holiness. I think if we can learn to do that, we indeed will be holy.

O Holy Night by Michelle Robertson

Flattery Will Get You

Posted on by Betsy

Have you ever tried to soften a difficult conversation by complimenting the person first? It is a common personnel management tactic to do exactly that. I had a friend who used the Thanksgiving Dinner analogy. Rather than start with the complaint about the burnt, dry stuffing, you should first mention how lovely the table looked, acknowledge how hard the cook worked, remark about how delicious the gravy was, and then drop the bomb about the stuffing. It’s known as “buttering someone up.”

Softening the blow when a difficult topic has to be discussed can be appropriate, but flattering someone just to deflect attention away from your real agenda is not. That is just straight up deception. Such is the case in today’s passage where the Pharisees tried to trap Jesus into saying something that would get him in trouble with the government. See how they first try to praise him with their empty, hollow words:

Matthew 22 (The Message)

15-17 That’s when the Pharisees plotted a way to trap him into saying something damaging. They sent their disciples, with a few of Herod’s followers mixed in, to ask, “Teacher, we know you have integrity, teach the way of God accurately, are indifferent to popular opinion, and don’t pander to your students. So tell us honestly: Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

Of course Jesus would not fall for that. It was the first time this group had ever said anything positive about his ministry and he instantly knew something was up. He didn’t fall for it, and neither should we when our enemy is trying to get us to say something controversial.

18-19 Jesus knew they were up to no good. He said, “Why are you playing these games with me? Why are you trying to trap me? Do you have a coin? Let me see it.” They handed him a silver piece.

The subject of their inquiry was tithing. In Jewish tradition, one tenth of one’s income was to be presented to the Lord. These men are trying to set up an either/or scenario, but Jesus is not playing.

20 “This engraving—who does it look like? And whose name is on it?”

21 They said, “Caesar.”

“Then give Caesar what is his and give God what is his.”

Yes, we have to pay taxes. That is a given in life. But if we follow Scripture, we also have to offer God ten percent of what remains, right off the top. The Pharisees weren’t pleased to hear this.

22 The Pharisees were speechless. They went off shaking their heads.

The Scripture challenges us to consider our own giving. Truly everything we have comes from God. Everything we have belongs to God. Jesus is clear when he says, “Give God what is his.” Do you do that? Do you need to catch up? Jesus was all in for us. Can we be all in for him?

Taxes and tithing aren’t an either/or situation. This is a both/and thing. May we be faithful to the word.

All In by Michelle Robertson

Making Up is Hard to Do

Posted on by Betsy

Have you ever had a silly disagreement that grew so large, you forgot what the initial argument was even about? The practice of holding a grudge can take on a life of its own. When fractures in a relationship go on for weeks/months/years, the resulting estrangement is often hard to reverse. Tragically, the beginning of the end is sometimes a simple misunderstanding that cannot ever be untangled. Sometimes the disagreement wasn’t even your fault or responsibility. In my denomination, many people are severing friendships over polity issues that have nothing to do with personal relationships. A line has been drawn and through no fault of your own, you suddenly find that your friend has blocked you on Facebook and won’t respond to emails simply because you are on the other side of that line. It happens every day over politics, politicians, vaccines, the climate crisis, the border conundrum … people are falling out over issues that have nothing to do with their relationships. I bet it has happened to you, too.

Paul is very clear about what we are to do in these cases. He challenges us to iron out our differences and make up.

Philippians 4 (The Message)

4 My dear, dear friends! I love you so much. I do want the very best for you. You make me feel such joy, fill me with such pride. Don’t waver. Stay on track, steady in God.

2 I urge Euodia and Syntyche to iron out their differences and make up. God doesn’t want his children holding grudges.

3 And, oh, yes, Syzygus, since you’re right there to help them work things out, do your best with them. These women worked for the Message hand in hand with Clement and me, and with the other veterans—worked as hard as any of us. Remember, their names are also in the Book of Life.

God doesn’t want his children holding grudges. Does that feel like a punch in the gut? Think for a moment about someone you have walked away from over a small issue. Is it time to make up?

4-5 Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!

6-7 Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

A life focused on God is a sure remedy for those times when we are focused on our anger and resentment. Paul’s sense of urgency about the coming of Christ put things into perspective. When it came to disputes, his perspective was “ain’t nobody got time for that!” And he’s right. Do you really have time to keep nursing your grudge, or is it time to let it go?

8-9 Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.

Allowing God to work us into his most excellent harmonies won’t happen until we throw down our boxing gloves and pick up things that are true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, and gracious. Sprinkle in a large measure of forgiveness over past hurts and you are on your way. When we fill our minds with things to praise, God is able to work everything together. Thanks be to God!

Fill Your Mind with Beauty by Michelle Robertson

The Seeming Absurdity of God

Posted on by Betsy

If you have ever raised a teenager, you may have gone through a period when said teenager decided that you know absolutely nothing. When we parent our toddlers and elementary-age children, we are the authority on everything. Then something strange happens as they enter Middle School … suddenly our parental brains empty of every last bit of knowledge as theirs fill up with all kinds of great wisdom. Things we say to them at this point come off as sheer silliness and we are downright stupid in their eyes.

Luckily they grow out of that somewhere around the first year of college, when we miraculously become smart again.

Such is the case today in Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth. He writes to them about the way the truth of Jesus Christ is perceived by its critics:

1 Corinthians 1 (The Message)

18-21 The Message that points to Christ on the Cross seems like sheer silliness to those hellbent on destruction, but for those on the way of salvation it makes perfect sense. This is the way God works, and most powerfully as it turns out. It’s written,

I’ll turn conventional wisdom on its head,
I’ll expose so-called experts as shams.

So where can you find someone truly wise, truly educated, truly intelligent in this day and age? Hasn’t God exposed it all as pretentious nonsense? Since the world in all its fancy wisdom never had a clue when it came to knowing God, God in his wisdom took delight in using what the world considered stupid—preaching, of all things!—to bring those who trust him into the way of salvation.

He was addressing the culture of his time over 2,000 years ago, but the same teaching applies to today. The cross indeed is foolishness to those who have not received it. Knowing Jesus, it turns out, is a spiritual knowledge born of experience rather than a scholarly, intellectual pursuit. John Wesley, a well-educated Anglican priest, discovered this on a ship during a turbulent sea crossing. He observed the Moravian travelers calmly praying and singing hymns rather than panicking. Later, he sat down to study Romans and he wrote in his journal that he felt his heart “strongly warmed.” These two events helped him move his faith from head knowledge to heart knowledge. You can read all you want to about Christ, but until you accept him as Savior and Lord, you will never really know him.

22-25 While Jews clamor for miraculous demonstrations and Greeks go in for philosophical wisdom, we go right on proclaiming Christ, the Crucified. Jews treat this like an anti-miracle—and Greeks pass it off as absurd. But to us who are personally called by God himself—both Jews and Greeks—Christ is God’s ultimate miracle and wisdom all wrapped up in one. Human wisdom is so cheap, so impotent, next to the seeming absurdity of God. Human strength can’t begin to compete with God’s “weakness.”

Is today the day when you will accept Christ as your Lord and Savior? Are you being called to humble yourself in his sight and receive him as your personal redeemer? If you’ve been thinking about this for a while but haven’t experienced it yet, today is your day. You are one prayer away from salvation.

Each one of us who has already made this commitment is personally called by God himself to tell others about Christ, God’s “ultimate miracle and wisdom all wrapped up in one.” The way to do that is to tell your personal story. How do you know Jesus? Go and tell. You never know what seeds you will sow.

Fall Beauty by Kathy Schumacher