#dailydevotionals

Start your day with morning coffee and a devotional.

How To Be Happy

Posted on by Betsy

A few days ago I sat down to write and nothing happened. I stared down Psalm 112 and it just stared right back at me. I mean, it’s a lovely psalm, but for some reason, nothing was coming to my mind. I looked at the seagulls, went for a run, ran errands, and returned in the afternoon to resume our blinking contest.

It didn’t blink.

In the midst of my writer’s block, I got the most unexpected phone call from a friend who started the conversation with “That opening sentence that you wrote this morning was one of the funniest things that I have ever read.” I was completely startled and a little scared. He went on to say that he thought about it all day and was still laughing. Because I write and schedule my devotionals several days out, I actually had no idea which opening sentence he was referring to. That was embarrassing!

He encouraged me to keep writing and told me he enjoys reading my online devotionals every day. He could not have known how timely and much-needed that phone call was. I have taken on an additional assignment from my Cokesbury publisher that has a short due-date (the original writer suddenly dropped out) and I just needed that boost of support that his phone call gave me. This happy voice with a happy message from a pretty happy fellow was good medicine.

When I went back to Psalm 112, I suddenly realized that it was talking about this man, and the people in our lives who shine in the dark and are truly good people. He indeed is a man who honors the Lord, adores God’s commandments, and is one of the happiest people I know.

Do you have people in your life who stop what they are doing to speak a good word into your faltering afternoon? Are you the kind of person who reaches out to friends who are feeling low? What a gift you are!

Psalm 112 is an acrostic poem, which means that the first word of each line follows the Hebrew alphabet. Writers liked the order and convention that this form gave their poetry. There is also a sense of completeness, as the psalm goes A to Z … or Alef to Tav, actually.

Psalm 112 (Common English Bible)

Praise the Lord!
    Those who honor the Lord,
    who adore God’s commandments, are truly happy!
2 Their descendants will be strong throughout the land.
    The offspring of those who do right will be blessed;
3     wealth and riches will be in their houses.
    Their righteousness stands forever.
4 They shine in the dark for others who do right.
    They are merciful, compassionate, and righteous.

5 Those who lend generously are good people—
    as are those who conduct their affairs with justice.
6 Yes, these sorts of people will never be shaken;
    the righteous will be remembered forever!

Verses 7 and 8 speak of the hearts of these righteous people. Their hearts are steady, trusting, firm and unafraid. In contrast, the wicked will disappear to nothing.

Like Psalm 1, Psalm 112 offers us the choice of pursuing the path of righteousness which leads to happiness or wickedness that leads to nothing. Pretty simple, yes? Well, not always. Heartache, circumstances beyond our control, betrayals, and other life disappointments will come our way and interfere with our happiness, but it certainly gives us something to strive for.

7 They won’t be frightened at bad news.
    Their hearts are steady, trusting in the Lord.
8 Their hearts are firm; they aren’t afraid.
    In the end, they will witness their enemies’ defeat.
9 They give freely to those in need.
    Their righteousness stands forever.
    Their strength increases gloriously.
10 The wicked see all this and fume;
        they grind their teeth, but disappear to nothing.
    What the wicked want to see happen comes to nothing!

Are you looking to increase your happiness? Read Psalm 112 again. It’s all spelled out from A to Z.

Happiness by Michelle Robertson

Help Along the Way

Posted on by Betsy

Have you ever started a project, journey, mission, or endeavor with a single goal in mind, only to be completely and utterly redirected to a brand new frontier, one you hadn’t even considered before? I have. I once visited a church member’s son in the county jail at her request and ended up doing prison ministry for the next five years. Never in my life would I have guessed God’s redirection would land me there! But there was a guard at the jail who was a good Christian man, and he kept inviting me back to meet with new inmates who needed pastoral care. Every time I went, this man made sure I was ushered quickly into the clergy room and was offered a cup of water to drink. His hospitality in that cold and disarming place was part of the reason I returned for so long.

Something similar happened to Paul. In our reading today, he expressed his desire to preach the gospel in places where people have never heard of Christ. His immediate plan was to go to Jerusalem to extend the hospitality and the contributions of the Christians in Macedonia and Achaia to the Christians in Jerusalem. He wrote to the church in Rome that as soon as this mission was accomplished, he would return to them to receive their hospitality on his way to Spain, where the Gospel hadn’t been heard yet.

Romans 15 (Common English Bible)

20 In this way, I have a goal to preach the gospel where they haven’t heard of Christ yet, so that I won’t be building on someone else’s foundation. 21 Instead, as it’s written, Those who hadn’t been told about him will see, and those who hadn’t heard will understand.

Travel plans to visit Rome

22 That’s why I’ve been stopped so many times from coming to see you. 23 But now, since I don’t have any place to work in these regions anymore, and since I’ve wanted to come to see you for many years, 24 I’ll visit you when I go to Spain. I hope to see you while I’m passing through. And I hope you will send me on my way there, after I have first been reenergized by some time in your company.

Hospitality was vital to the growth of the early church. Paul had to depend on the welcome generosity of the churches he had founded in order to make his way from Rome, his base of operations in the western part of the empire, to Antioch, his eastern base of operations. He relied on them to “send him on his way” after a time of being reenergized by their company.

25 But now I’m going to Jerusalem, to serve God’s people.26 Macedonia and Achaia have been happy to make a contribution for the poor among God’s people in Jerusalem. 27 They were happy to do this, and they are actually in debt to God’s people in Jerusalem. If the Gentiles got a share of the Jewish people’s spiritual resources, they ought to minister to them with material resources. 28 So then after I have finished this job and have safely delivered the final amount of the Gentiles’ offering to them, I will leave for Spain, visiting you on the way. 29 And I know that when I come to you I will come with the fullest blessing of Christ.

Paul’s desire to make his way to Spain turned into an unexpected imprisonment in a jail in Rome. But there, he had the unexpected opportunity to preach to the emperor of Rome, as told in the last several chapters in Acts. He did deliver the offering to Jerusalem, and eventually made his way to Spain, but obediently followed God’s redirection in the meantime.

We learn two valuable lessons here. First, we are called to extend hospitality to others who are traveling through our town, beginning at home when people enter our churches for the first time. Is your church hospitable to newcomers and the surrounding community? Second, we see by Paul’s example that things don’t always go to plan. But when we allow God to direct our feet on the paths of God’s own choosing, we will never go astray. Thanks be to God!

Come on In! The Water’s Fine.

Heaven Opens

Posted on by Betsy

What do you believe happens in baptism? Your answer will likely reflect your denomination’s beliefs on the subject. In the United Methodist church, we believe this about baptism:

Christ constitutes the church as his body by the power of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13, 27). The church draws new people into itself as it seeks to remain faithful to its commission to proclaim and exemplify the gospel. Baptism is the sacrament of initiation and incorporation into the body of Christ. (United Methodist Church Book of Discipline, paragraph 216, page 156.)

So, we understand the sacrament of baptism to be a beginning point, or an “initiation” into the household of God, from which we will grow in our understanding of God, increase our faith, participate in the life of the church, and confirm our hope for the kingdom of heaven as it is on earth.

In our passage from Luke today, we observe Jesus’ baptism, which was also an initiation point for him. His ministry began in that moment. Heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him with power and purpose:

Luke 3 (Common English Bible)

21 When everyone was being baptized, Jesus also was baptized. While he was praying, heaven was opened 22 and the Holy Spirit came down on him in bodily form like a dove. And there was a voice from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I dearly love; in you I find happiness.”

Immediately the Spirit led him straight into Faith Formation Bootcamp, where he had the opportunity to grow in his knowledge of God and have his strength and purpose defined by his battle with the devil there.

Jesus’ temptation

4 Jesus returned from the Jordan River full of the Holy Spirit, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness.

After completing his cross-fit strength training, he immediately went about the task of telling the people who he was, and more importantly, whose he was.

Jesus announces good news to the poor

14 Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news about him spread throughout the whole countryside.

Are you baptized? For what purpose? Are you actively engaged in your own Faith Formation Bootcamp, or are you ignoring your mission and allowing others to do the work of the kingdom?

All of us are called to God’s purpose, which is confirmed through our baptism. Heaven opened up the day you were baptized! God looked upon the baptismal waters and claimed you by saying, “You are mine. In you, I find happiness.”

Like Jesus, we have work to do. Let’s get to it!

Come to the Water by Colin Snider

Dependence

Posted on by Betsy

Can dogs tell time? I think they can. Every evening at exactly 6:00 my very large Labrador Retriever named Georgia arises from her nap and stares me down until I get up and feed her dinner. Exactly at 6:00! Georgia and I have a mutually dependent relationship. I depend on her for her unconditional love expressed through tail wags, and she depends on me for everything in her life: her health and well-being, her sustenance, her shelter, her playtime … just as I depend on God for these things. The first line of Psalm 104, attributed to David, says it all. “All your creations wait for you to give them their food on time.” David was a keen observer of the nature that surrounded him. This verse made me laugh, thinking of how our pets know it’s time to eat. Does your pet do that?

Psalm 104 (Common English Bible)

All your creations wait for you
    to give them their food on time.
28 When you give it to them, they gather it up;
    when you open your hand, they are filled completely full!
29 But when you hide your face, they are terrified;
    when you take away their breath,
    they die and return to dust.
30 When you let loose your breath, they are created,
    and you make the surface of the ground brand-new again.

A better translation of “on time” in verse 1 is “in God’s timing.” This alludes to the fact that we are completely dependent on God to provide for us, and it only happens in God’s time. That is an important concept to understand as we mature in our faith. Our daily bread will always be offered to keep us going, but there are other things that we need to wait on God to provide, such as resolutions to our conflicts, answers to prayer, and receiving provision only when we are able to manage it. And sometimes that provision comes in ways we didn’t expect. In those moments we must allow God to be God and give us what we need rather than what we want. When we pray for healing and it comes in the form of death, this is a bitter pill to take. When we pray for help with a marriage that is falling apart and God delivers us through divorce, we have to accept God’s wisdom. When we pray for things we can’t handle, God’s withholding is for our own good.

Verse 28 reminds us that when God provides, we are called to “gather it up.” Like chickens in the barnyard who scatter at the farmer’s feet to receive the corn, we have to come to God in an attitude of humble gratitude for whatever God sees fit to provide. We need both wisdom and effort when it comes to receiving our Lord’s merciful gifts, knowing that everything we are being given comes from God’s goodness and God’s wisdom, which is much higher than our own.

Recognizing our dependance on God is a reason to sing. The Spirit is ready and able to create new things in us and for us with every breath. May we sing to the Lord as long as we live, and may our whole beings bless the Lord.

31 Let the Lord’s glory last forever!
    Let the Lord rejoice in all he has made!
32 He has only to look at the earth, and it shakes.
    God just touches the mountains, and they erupt in smoke.

33 I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
    I will sing praises to my God while I’m still alive.
34 Let my praise be pleasing to him;
    I’m rejoicing in the Lord!
35 Let sinners be wiped clean from the earth;
    let the wicked be no more.
But let my whole being bless the Lord!
    Praise the Lord!

God Provides by Michelle Robertson

Last, But Not Least

Posted on by Betsy

Today we will finish our look into Psalm 63. You’ll recall that King David wrote this in a wilderness of despair, as he was fleeing from his son’s attempted coup. In this bleak situation, he sought God and was able to praise him despite his situation. Perhaps it was easier for David to do this because he had come to know God’s lovingkindness first hand:

Psalm 63 (Common English Bible)

3 Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
4 Thus I will bless You while I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name.
5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness,
And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.

The Hebrew word for lovingkindness in this passage is hesed. Hesed is one of the most fundamental characteristics of God, consistent with what we know about His covenantal nature. Hesed is “wrapping up in itself all the positive attributes of God: love, covenant faithfulness, mercy, grace, kindness, loyalty–in short, acts of devotion and loving-kindness that go beyond the requirements of duty,” elaborates Bible scholar Darrell L. Bock.

Throughout the Hebrew Bible, we see hesed translated in a number of different ways; steadfast love, mercy, kindness, and goodness. While these synonyms develop our understanding, they only just skim the surface of this multifaceted, rich word. It isn’t a romantic kind of love: indeed it is love in action, love given to the undeserving, love that is loyal to the point that it will never leave you. 

David learned about God’s deep well of hesed for him over the many trials and tribulations of his life. This “man after God’s own heart” pretty much broke all the 10 commandments during his lifetime, including adultery and murder, and yet could say in this moment that God’s hesed/lovingkindness is better than life itself, providing a feast of marrow and fat in the barren wilderness. 

Hesed was a mark of the early church. In the early times, there was a growing recognition of the uniqueness of the church in the general population because of the way Christians treated one another. Tertullian, who is called the Father of Western Theology, said, 

“It is our care for the helpless, our practice of lovingkindness, that brands us in the eyes of many of our opponents. ‘Look!’ they say. ‘How they love one another! Look how they are prepared to die for one another’ ”

It was the same reaction of the unbelieving Greek writer Lucian (a.d. 120–200) upon observing the warm fellowship of Christians: 

“It is incredible to see the fervor with which the people of that religion help each other in their wants. They spare nothing. Their first legislator [Jesus] has put it into their heads that they are brethren.”

I have a question for you this morning. Do you think that the church is still known for its extreme lovingkindness today? Do you think the secular world looks at us and can see how we help each other, sparing nothing, acting like brethren ready to die for one another? Or does the world see our in-fighting, our angry, accusing social media posts, and our schisms instead? Would they know we are Christians by our love today?

Church, this is a challenge to pick up the mantle of lovingkindness that David was writing about. We have received the greatest gift of God’s lovingkindness in the form of Jesus, who poured out hesed on the cross so that we might receive his love and his forgiveness of sins.

That is who we need to be to the world.

Ready to Hatch by Becca Ziegler

Next Things Next

Posted on by Betsy

Our last devotional focused on Psalm 63, a “psalm of David when he was in the wilderness of Judah.” Scholars estimate that David wrote about 73 psalms, so in addition to his other gifts of shepherding, leading a country, slaying giants, and establishing Jerusalem as the center of religious authority in Israel, he also was quite a proliferate poet. This particular psalm is striking in that it was written after he had fled Jerusalem when his son Absalom organized a coup and tried to have him killed. David had been king of Israel for over 30 years at this point, but when Prince Absalom raised an army against him, he fled east from Jerusalem to the other side of the Jordan river and ended up in the arid desert.

This isn’t David’s first time in the wilderness. As a young shepherd boy, he would drive his flock in the spring to graze on the grass and flowers that grew there during the brief rainy season. It was in this wilderness period that David practiced his rock-slinging and his hunting skills. He also meditated on the beauty of God’s creation and practiced his poetry, penning such phrases in Psalm 23:

“the Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures he leads me beside the still waters.”

His second time in the wilderness was when crazy King Saul was trying to kill him. He found protection and solitude there, writing in Psalm 57: 

Be merciful to me, O God; be merciful to me,
    for in you my soul takes refuge;
in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,
    until the destroying storms pass by.
2 I cry to God Most High,
    to God who fulfills his purpose for me.
3 He will send from heaven and save me;
    he will put to shame those who trample on me. 
God will send forth his steadfast love and his faithfulness.

So here he is on his third venture to the wilderness. He is totally cut off from the sanctuary in Jerusalem, where he longs to be. His need to worship makes his soul thirst and his flesh long for God’s presence in the sanctuary.  See verse 2:

Psalm 63 (Common English Bible)

O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.

2 So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory.

3 Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
4 Thus I will bless You while I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name.
5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness,
And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.

I have to say that when I read that verse, I was immediately reminded of how much we all longed for our sanctuaries during the pandemic. My church worshipped in a lot of weird places back then. Our first time worshipping over at an elementary school ball field parking lot was so hot, my cell phone stopped working and the live Facebook feed cut out. Then we moved over to the front lawn of our church and ladies wearing sandals discovered how many ant hills we have over there.

Probably my favorite non-sanctuary place was when the other pastor and I drove over to Island Farm on Roanoke Island, a working farm of horses, cows, and sheep. We filmed our Christmas Eve service there. I read a children’s story I had written for the service with the sheep gathered all around me, which was great until the handler worried that they were wandering out of the camera frame, so she threw some sheep food at my feet. Have you ever been rushed by 10 hungry sheep? On camera?? Boy was I longing for the Sanctuary on that day! And then there was the pre-dawn taping over in the creepy cemetery for the Easter Sunday service … suffice it to say, I missed the four walls of my church and I bet you missed your church, too. But those months taught us how to worship anywhere. David missed his sanctuary, and did you notice what he did? He immediately began to worship and praise exactly where he was.

This is something we all learn in the wilderness. Sometimes you experience a wilderness in your soul where joy and praise seem impossible. Some of you are in a wilderness right now. It may be a wilderness of confusion. It may be a wilderness of addiction. It may be a wilderness of extreme disappointment, physical ailments, loss of hope … we’ve all been in that dry desert at one point in our lives. But like David, you have to learn how to worship and praise exactly where you are.

I talked with a relative this week who is in a desert like this. Her 88-year-old parents are both suddenly failing. For months now she has been running from one hospital to another, from nursing home to hospice, and battling red tape and Medicare systems that offer no help. She is in a desert of despair. 

I spoke with one of my daughter’s friends who is struggling with a recent miscarriage and a life-long estrangement from her mother. She has no mother to turn to as she deals with her loss. She is in a desert of loneliness.

A former church member got in touch with me recently to seek advice about her crumbling marriage. Her husband struggles with an addiction to pornography that has completely eroded their intimacy. She is in a desert of mis-trust and insecurity.

David’s ability to worship in his desert is an inspiration and a challenge.

What is your wilderness today? Can you pause for a moment and seek God, even in the bleak dry place you are in?

Remember that God is even in your harshest moments. Just go find him.

Early I Will Seek Him by Faye Gardner

First Things First

Posted on by Betsy

I want to start today by taking a little survey. I am interested to know what the first thing is you do every morning. Not about multiple trips to the loo, but when you are finally up and about, what is the first thing you do?

I get coffee. My first act of the day is to tumble out of bed, stumble to the kitchen, pour myself a cup of ambition, then yawn and stretch and try to come alive. From that point I usually write for a few hours, walk the dog, go for a run, etc. but nothing happens until I have consumed that first cup of joe.

Apparently I am in good company. According to a survey done in January, over 73% of Americans drink coffee first thing in the morning. 51% purchase coffee from a coffee shop, 48% report that Starbucks coffee is their favorite brand, followed by Dunkin and Folgers. The survey also noted that 25% of people like to sip on espresso martinis, although maybe not first thing in the morning!! And weirdly, 16% of coffee drinkers prefer decaf, and for the life of me, I can’t figure out why. It’s like eating a reduced fat Oreo. Why?? Just why??

We’re talking about early morning habits this morning because today we are reading Psalm 63. David the poet-king clearly stated his early morning habit at the very beginning of this beautiful psalm. Early in the morning, David rises and seeks God:

Psalm 63 (NKJV) A Psalm of David when he was in the wilderness of Judah.

O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.

2 So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory.

3 Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
4 Thus I will bless You while I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name.
5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness,
And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.

6 When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches.
7 Because You have been my help,
Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.
8 My soul follows close behind You;
Your right hand upholds me.

9 But those who seek my life, to destroy it,
Shall go into the lower parts of the earth.
10 They shall fall by the sword;
They shall be a portion for jackals.

11 But the king shall rejoice in God;
Everyone who swears by Him shall glory;
But the mouth of those who speak lies shall be stopped.

This reference to seeking God early in the morning has made Psalm 63 a daily morning reading in the Eastern Orthodox Church for centuries.

I want to ask you something. What would your day be like if you sought God first thing every morning? Do you think the day might take shape differently? And what if those 73% of Americans reached for the Word of God first thing every day instead of coffee? What if we thirsted and longed for God the same way we thirst and long for coffee? Do you think that would make a difference in how people behave? I do. Perhaps we could be like our Eastern Orthodox friends and get up every morning and read this psalm aloud to start our day.

We’ll unpack this psalm over the next two devotionals, but for now, go back and read this psalm out loud. Perhaps we could make a practice of reading it out loud every morning and see how it shapes our day.

Are you in?

Early Rising by Michelle Robertson

Spirited

Posted on by Betsy

Canadian geese are mean. These beautiful, majestic creatures return to the waters of the Outer Banks every year and make their home here. When they come in great number, the “residue” of their presence is all over our docks, driveways, and lawns. Every spring I watch the parents teach their fuzzy babies how to swim and it brings me joy. But I know better than to get anywhere near them. Geese can be aggressive, territorial, and visicous. When my dog was smaller, a mother goose chased her across her own yard to keep her away from the nest, honking and pecking at her backside until she ran into the house. Like I said, they’re mean!

Did you know that the Celtic symbol for the Holy Spirit is the wild goose? While the descending dove is prominent with other faith systems, the Celts adopted the wild goose as their symbol for this part of the trinity. I think there is some genius in that. The mighty, fiery, powerful presence of the Lord of Creation truly is more like a strong-willed goose than a mild dove.

Luke describes the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in three different places in his Gospel. The first was when Jesus received the Spirit at his baptism, when he was named and claimed by God:

Luke 3 (Common English Bible)

21 When everyone was being baptized, Jesus also was baptized. While he was praying, heaven was opened 22 and the Holy Spirit came down on him in bodily form like a dove. And there was a voice from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I dearly love; in you I find happiness.”

Then we see the Spirit again as Jesus, filled to the brim with baptismal Spirit, was led to the wilderness to combat the devil’s temptations over 40 lonely days:

Luke 4 (Common English Bible)

1 Jesus returned from the Jordan River full of the Holy Spirit, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness.

And now tested and tried, he returned in power to begin his ministry on earth in earnest:

Luke 4 (Common English Bible)

14 Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news about him spread throughout the whole countryside.

The image of a strong and unrelenting wild goose resonates with these three passages, doesn’t it? When I consider how hard God came after me to correct me, woo me, and save me from my sin, I see how much of a wild goose chase I put us both through. Thankfully, I am caught.

Are you still running away? Are you being chased by his Spirit, thinking you can outmaneuver God? Take it from one who knows … you can never outrun, out love, out give, or out power the God who loves you so much, he sent his only son to die on the cross for you.

It’s time to get caught.

Geese on the Move by Michelle Robertson

Answered in Thunder

Posted on by Betsy

The master bedroom of my house is situated on a corner of the third floor, which faces due west. There is almost nothing but water between our room and the Albemarle Sound. There is nothing to block the winds except a tiny sand hill at the other side of the harbor, and then it’s just water. This means that we are treated to incredible sunsets, but whenever a storm comes across the sound, there is no protection to this side of the house. There have been many nights when the thunder and lightning wake me up and keep me awake until the storm finally heads out. A recent storm was so strong, the thunder shook the windows in their casings and rattled pictures on the wall. It was nerve-wracking, to say the least!

Can you imagine camping in the wilderness and suddenly hearing thunder so loud that it makes your teeth rattle? And then on top of that, smoke begins spewing out of the nearby mountain, followed by a very loud horn? That conjures up scenes of science fiction movies for me. I think the visions and sounds of fire, wind, smoke, lightening, and thunder would at least have some grounding in natural phenomena. but then to hear a trumpet sound that kept getting louder and more insistent would surely signal the super-natural.

And indeed, that is exactly what happened to the Israelites during their third month of wilderness wandering.

Exodus 19 (Common English Bible)

16 When morning dawned on the third day, there was thunder, lightning, and a thick cloud on the mountain, and a very loud blast of a horn. All the people in the camp shook with fear. 17 Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their place at the foot of the mountain. 18 Mount Sinai was all in smoke because the Lord had come down on it with lightning. The smoke went up like the smoke of a hot furnace, while the whole mountain shook violently. 19 The blasts of the horn grew louder and louder. Moses would speak, and God would answer him with thunder.

God’s presence had been with them throughout this entire journey. He had been with them from the miraculous deliverance from Egypt, the mind-boggling parting of the Red Sea and subsequent destruction of Pharaoh and his army, the outpouring of sustenance in the form of food and water, and even a defeat of the Amalekites. The nation knew that God was leading them through every moment, and so coming to them in smoke, fire, and thunder was yet another demonstration of God’s power.

But did you notice that even in this incredible display, Moses spoke, and God answered. God’s voice was audible and discernible in the midst of the thunder, and in a double moment of power and grace, he had conversation with Moses.

Moses went up the mountain and God came down. This truly is a foretelling of Jesus’ coming to earth to have a conversation with humanity. We, too, are called out of thunder to experience the power of forgiveness, grace, and the authority of God-on-the-mountain. But you have to be willing to climb. God will meet you there, as soon as you turn away from the world and take the first step toward the holy mountain. So don’t get too rattled! An answer in thunder is still an answer from a loving, mighty God.

Peace Before the Storm by Peggy Bryson

Why Are You Standing Here?

Posted on by Betsy

Have you ever been seated on an airplane next to a person who turned out to be the chattiest, most loquacious passenger ever to travel in the history of air travel? Like, since 1903 when the Wright brothers talked through the first flight? How did you handle it? I enjoy a brief friendly conversation with my fellow passengers when I sit down, but relish the opportunity to travel quietly with my book or a movie and just experience some downtime. Being a mother, grandmother of six, and a church pastor, I feel like all I do is talk to people. One of my running partner’s husbands labeled us “Toggers” since we talk and jog through all those miles. Even as an extreme extrovert, too much talking can wear me out, so I take deliberate efforts to signal to my seat-mates that I am going to be quiet for the flight. Earphones go in, eye contact stops, book or iPad opens, and I’m off in my own world.

Except that one time when my seat mate just wouldn’t stop talking. And talking. And talking. I resigned myself to a five-hour talkfest and prayed that either the gentleman would eventually shut up, or God would use that time for His good. Sure enough, as soon as I opened up to the possibility, God turned it into an opportunity to witness to this man. He was returning from his brother’s funeral, and he shared a lifetime of family dysfunction and regret with me. By the end, we had thoroughly explored the nature of Christ’s forgiveness and said a prayer together before we deplaned. As he expressed his thanks for my attentive listening, I explained that God had deliberately seated us together, as I was a pastor. That was a moment of discovering God’s prevenient grace, and I believe his eyes were opened up to how much God loves him.

Our Scripture today is a solid reminder of our responsibility to bear witness to what we know about God’s love every time we get the chance. Luke wrote to Theophilus about Jesus’ resurrection and his promise of his Second Coming. He recounted what happened at Jesus’ ascension. Take note of what the two angels said to the disciples as Jesus was taken up into heaven:

Acts 1 (Common English Bible)

1 Theophilus, the first scroll I wrote concerned everything Jesus did and taught from the beginning, 2 right up to the day when he was taken up into heaven. Before he was taken up, working in the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus instructed the apostles he had chosen. 3 After his suffering, he showed them that he was alive with many convincing proofs. He appeared to them over a period of forty days, speaking to them about God’s kingdom.4 While they were eating together, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait for what the Father had promised. He said, “This is what you heard from me: 5 John baptized with water, but in only a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

6 As a result, those who had gathered together asked Jesus, “Lord, are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel now?”

7 Jesus replied, “It isn’t for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has set by his own authority. 8 Rather, you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

9 After Jesus said these things, as they were watching, he was lifted up and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 While he was going away and as they were staring toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood next to them. 11 They said, “Galileans, why are you standing here, looking toward heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way that you saw him go into heaven.”

“Why are you just standing here?” Why, indeed? Why do we go about our daily routines, overlooking the opportunities to share the Good News with our friends and neighbors? Why do we look heavenward instead of looking around our communities to see the needs and hurts that sharing Jesus could alleviate? Why do we put in our earphones and ignore people around us?

The next time you are tempted to avoid conversation, take a minute and pray. See if God is actually sending that person to you for help and hope. May we bear witness to the good things God has provided and share his goodness with the world. Even on a long flight.

Long Night