Weekly Devotion

“By the time I was in middle school, I realized that Jesus Christ was my Savior,” (L) replied. She went on to explain what that meant to her. “I felt that if I believe and accept God, I’m good. That’s all.” I got a strong sense that even at that age, she didn’t believe we should get caught up in a bunch of regulations and requirements for being a Christian.

Whenever you’re feeling flat, just talk with someone who is full of faith and is a light for Christ. In Paul’s letter to the Romans, he includes seven spiritual gifts: perceiving, serving, teaching, encouraging, giving, ruling, and mercy. I think my friend (A) is blessed with every one of them.

“I became a leader in BB through high school. When living in Denver, there was one boy I drove to meetings every Wednesday.” We didn’t go into details, but what I gained from our conversation is that this boy didn’t have the means or willing adults in his home to get him to the meetings.

More impressive than God’s created landscapes are his works of art through the people He chooses. There are two types of gifted people: those who perform for themselves, and those who perform to give God the glory. I think of all the non-believing artists who achieved a level of fame only to fulfill their own riches and desires. Then, there are those who are a stream for God’s gifts, letting His greatness pour through them. Their talents are simply reflections of God’s majesty.

Were we concerned about the trip? You bet. We purchased travel insurance and made sure that all of our excursions and travel expenses were either refundable or changeable. Beyond that, we knew that our ultimate fate and even the insignificance of this trip was in God’s hands – so why worry? Yeah right.

“If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans.” This might be the only time I quote Woody Allen, but this one is a keeper. Whether he wrote it or borrowed it from a Yiddish proverb is irrelevant. God has a plan, God’s in charge, and we can’t do anything about it. The good news is that God’s plan is better than any plan we could ever develop. We second guess Him all the time, but when bad things are happening to us we might end up making the same choices He does for us if we had all the information He does.

“God won’t give you more than you can handle.”
Yep, I’ve used this phrase on many occasions. I don’t think I’ve offered it to sound more informed, but rather to offer some kind of comfort. The words sound like reassurance from the Bible. In fact, it’s not Biblical, it’s taken out of context, and it actually casts a bad light on God’s goodness.

On Monday night, I had the opportunity to attend a concert featuring popular Christian bands. The guys in our group were from church. Some I know really well and the others I was looking forward getting to know better. That day, I was stressing out. I’d been swamped at work and we had to leave early in the afternoon. Then, I discovered that the band I really wanted to see wasn’t part of the show. On the ride home, I thought to myself, don’t be so skeptical, have faith in God’s plans. We had a fantastic time! Lot’s of lively brotherhood, witty conversations, and some incredible music.

It’s hard to remember a time when we weren’t experiencing war, racial conflict, or violence that tries its best at being a worse example than the incident before it. Last I checked, 19 children and 2 adults were killed in the recent shooting in Uvalde, Texas. I tweeted something the other day that put accountability on all our shoulders. No part of our society is above reproach in these inexcusable, violent tragedies. Through this week’s devotional, you’ll see what I mean.

After meeting a neurologist, he mentioned some “red flags.” Well, when a specialist talks about red flags, that makes a chronic worrier like me hit my knees. I prayed after that appointment and before and after each of my diagnostic exams. I prayed for healing of course, but my prayers were more of a conversation about trusting my life to God’s plans for me. Surrendering. When I don’t surrender, I’m still clinging to control. Only God has the remote.