Daily Devotional

Mark 1: 4-6

 And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.5 The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.6 John wore clothing made of camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey

Imagine going to hear a preacher who preaches out in the woods, wears flip flops and clothes made out of animal hides, and eats bugs and honey.  Pretty unlikely candidate for a preacher, huh?  I think God has a sense of humor.  He specializes in using unlikely candidates to get his work done.  He chose Abraham and Sarah who were well beyond child bearing years to birth a nation.  He chose Joseph who had been sold into slavery and put in jail by the king to be his instrument to save his people.  He chose David, a young shepherd boy, to write most of the Psalms and be a mighty king.  The Bible is full of people who seemed very unlikely candidates but God used them in a mighty way.

God keeps score in a very different way than man does.  You may feel like you are an unlikely candidate to be used by God, but God can use anyone who is fully surrendered to him.  Abraham was obedient to the point of being willing to sacrifice his own son because that’s what God told him to do.  Daniel was faithful to God even though his faithfulness could have cost him his life.  What matters to God is our availability, not our ability.  God does not call the equipped, rather he equips the called.  If God calls you to a task, he will be faithful to prepare you for the task. 

The key is our willingness to trust him.  Abraham trusted God.  When Isaac asked where the sacrifice was, Abraham said, “God will provide a lamb.”  Daniel stood up to the king and said he would not obey an order that would cause him to sin against God.  He said, “My God will save me, but even if he does not, I will not bow down to your idol.”

God has a plan for you.  It may be one person who needs to know the love and compassion of a God they have forgotten.  It may be a family member who has strayed from the faith and needs to see the love of God “with skin on.”  No matter the task, be obedient, respond to God’s call. Be his most recent unlikely candidate who will make a difference in someone else’s life.  God’s plans are so much greater than ours. If we will trust him and make ourselves available, he will do things far greater than we could imagine: things only He can do.  Wouldn’t you love to be a part of something that causes people to say, “Wow, only God could have done that!”  That is what God wants to do every day through us.  We only have to make ourselves available and obey when he calls.  Put on your flip flops, if you’re ready.  But you probably won’t have to wear camel hair or eat locusts.

• Is there something you are holding back from because you don’t think you are the right person for the job?
• What is God doing around you, that he wants you to participate in?  God has utmost confidence in you. He is your loving Father and wants you to succeed.  Make yourself available to him and trust that he knows what he is doing.

Luke 3:7-9

7 John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.9 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire."

In this passage, John warns the Pharisees that repentance is only proven by the way we live.  While most of us do not have the rich Jewish heritage the Pharisees were bragging about, how many of us have felt that God must include us because we come from a good Christian family?  It has been said “God has no Grandchildren.”  Each of us must make a decision of our own to follow or not follow Jesus.  We can’t assume we are “in” because our parents were believers.

We must also remember God calls us to bear fruit with our lives.  It’s not enough to just make a decision to follow Jesus.  John called the Pharisees a “brood of snakes” because they assumed that they were ok because they were descendants of Abraham.  We’re in danger of the same accusation when we assume anything less than a total commitment to Jesus is good enough.  We can’t assume we are ok because we attend church every Sunday, or are in a particular Bible Study.  We can attend Bible studies every day of the week and church on Sunday but it won’t mean anything unless our lives are living proof of a change that has taken place in our hearts.  Remember we don’t have to seek God’s approval.  We can’t earn approval from God by doing good things.  He already approves of us and loves us.  All he wants is for us to love him back and show it by the way we live.

• Have you realized God loves you just the way you are?
• Are you seeking to earn his approval by doing things you think he wants you to do?
• Commit today to let God love you, let him fill you with his love and power and live the Christian life through you.

Mark 1: 7-8 

7 And this was his message: "After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I baptize you witht water, but he will baptize you witht the Holy Spirit."

Flip flops are cheap; maybe that’s why I like them so much.  John wore flip flops that communicated humility.  He probably didn’t have fancy $60 ones with special straps and soles -- more likely the $5 ones that anyone could afford.

John was fully aware of his place in the world.  He knew his job was to prepare the way for Jesus (one much greater than him).   He felt he wasn’t even worthy to untie Jesus’ sandals.  That attitude allowed God to use John in a great way.

God uses us through humility. When we approach ministry with pride, we will only be able to accomplish what we can do under our own power.  He can do great things through us when we finally realize we are only servants in the kingdom of God. Jesus wants to fill us completely with his love and power – but only an empty vessel can be filled.  The only way he can fill us completely is if we’re empty. Any hint of human pride will keep us from receiving all  that God wants to give us.

John refers to this “filling” when he says Jesus will baptize us with the Holy Spirit.  When we fully surrender our lives to him we can become completely immersed in the power of the Holy Spirit.  When people looked to John, he pointed them to Jesus.  When God starts using us, it is tempting to take the credit for what we have done.  If we remain humble and point people to Jesus he can continue to use us as a channel of ministry into other people’s lives.

• Are you willing to be used by God to share his love with others?  If so, are you willing to empty yourself, so he can fill you with his Spirit? 
• What needs to be emptied from your life so God can fill it?  Those things can be hard to give up.  Ask God to give you a willingness to surrender.

Mark 1:4-6 

4 And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.5 The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.6 John wore clothing made of camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey

The beach and the swimming pool are two popular places to wear flip flops. Why?  Because they’re so easy to take off and put on -- especially when you’re getting in and out of the water.  John’s followers could have used some good flip flops – his ministry was all about leading people in and out of the water. He led people to the waters of baptism and he led people to repent of their sin.  Why did he focus on those two things so exclusively?

Repentance of sin is an acknowledgement we are heading in the wrong direction and of our desire to change directions and move toward God.  Any sin is an offense to God and we all need to repent.  If we decide not to sin but we don’t turn toward God, one sin will just be replaced by another one.  Although we will never become sinless, with God’s help we will sin less.  For God to do that, we must humbly turn to him, admit our mistakes and ask for his forgiveness and help.  Jesus was the only man who ever lived a sin free life.  We can only hope to conquer sin through him.

What does Baptism have to do with any of this?  Paul describes baptism as the burial of the sinner into the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ (Romans 6:3-7). When you come out of the water you are alive in Christ (Romans 8:10 and Galatians 3:27). Peter uses baptism as part for the whole (2 Peter 3:9), where one action represents the whole process of becoming a Christian. In 1 Peter 3:21 he points to baptism as a "cleansing of a guilty conscience" a "washing away" through the resurrection of Christ.

What saves is the faithful obedience of individuals to the commands of Christ (Matthew 28:19-20). Baptism demonstrates the acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and a willingness to make a commitment following everything He asks of us. 

As Jesus takes up residence in our lives, he gives new life, eternal life and victory over sin.  John was teaching that in order to have new life, there must be a change of heart.  We must be willing to turn from a life that is self centered and self serving to a life that wants what God wants.  We publicly declare that change of heart through baptism.  When we do that, our whole life changes, not just our attitudes.

• What attitudes in your life need to change for God to have complete control? 
• Are there sins in your life that keep you from turning completely to God?  Have you fully repented of those sins, or are you trying to continue your old way of life and follow God at the same time?  Repentance and baptism brings new life and freedom.  Accept it today.

Mark 1: 1-5 

1 The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, 2 as it is written in Isaiah the prophet:
"I will send my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way"—

3 "a voice of one calling in the wilderness,
'Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.'"

4 And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

If I had to pick a pair of shoes for John the Baptist, it’d be flip flops. When I think of flip flops, I think of someone who is on-the-go, ready to do anything at any time.  I recently was traveling internationally and realized how much easier it is to travel through security with flip flops on because you can get in and out of them so quickly.

John the Baptist was chosen to prepare the way for Jesus to come. Scripture says he was a voice crying out in the wilderness.  At any moment, John was ready to shed his flip flops and go where God was calling him to go.  Ministry in the wilderness would not have been easy and he would definitely have to feel a call from God to do so.

How did John prepare the way for Jesus?  The passage says he preached repentance from sin, followed by baptism to show they had repented.  It also tells us many came out to hear him.  Makes me wonder -- who goes out into the wilderness to hear a guy who is dressed in camel hair, and eats locusts and honey, preach? They had to have been called as well.

How is God calling you to reach your family and friends? People are hungry for spirituality.  They pursue it in a lot of different forms.  We have the way to the one true God.  The best way to prepare the way for Jesus in the lives of our friends who don’t know him is to build authentic relationships with them, show that you care, be a friend and let them experience Jesus’ love and acceptance through you.  People will see Jesus if we get out of the way and let him have control in our lives.

• Are you ready to shed your flip flops and be obedient to what God has called you to do? 
• In what ways are you paving the way for Jesus to enter the lives of your friends and family members? 
• Make a vow today to let Jesus shine through you.  Be obedient to the things he has commanded.  Love God and Love People.  He’ll bring the results.

1 Corinthians 12:12-26

12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

15 Now if the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason stop being part of the body.16 And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason stop being part of the body.17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.19 If they were all one part, where would the body be?20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

21 The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!"22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable,23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty,24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it,25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

Matthew 25:31-46

31 "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne.32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

34 "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

37 "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

40 "The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'

41 "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink,43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

44 "They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

45 "He will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

46 "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

Once upon a time, there lived a man. We'll call him Tim. (Hi, Tim.) In line at the grocery store one day, Tim was politely tapped on the shoulder. "Your arm is bleeding," said the wide-eyed woman behind him, pointing to a rather large cut on his left arm. "Oh, wow," he said, thanking her for noticing. Seeing that she was still concerned, Tim put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry! It doesn't belong to me. It's not actually my arm. It's Lisa's." He paid for his groceries, slipped into his coat, and was on his way, content to have solved the problem.

It was cold and snowy on this particular day, and he shuffled to the car with his collar up to block the cold. Another tap on the shoulder. He rolled his eyes. Again? Strangers were so intrusive today. "Excuse me," said the man who'd stopped him. "Aren't you missing a shoe?" Tim looked down and instinctively wiggled his toes. His left foot was well covered, wool sock and thick boot and all. But his right was bare. Tim shivered a little. After all, the bare toes were caked with snow and, well, the situation did not look pleasant. But again, he lent a reassuring smile to the concerned citizen who'd stopped him. "Thank you so much for noticing, but you don't have to worry. That's not actually my foot. It belongs to George." With that, he was in his car and on his way. He could see in his rearview mirror the stranger still standing there, bewildered. "I don't know what everyone is so worried about today," he thought. "None of these are my problems." By the time Tim got home, he was so flustered he went straight to bed. "I am not even going to brush my teeth," he thought. "Doesn't matter—they don't belong to me. I'm pretty sure they're Joe's teeth."

Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-26. You may have read this passage before, that the church is the body of Christ and each of us has a unique function in it. Today, though, let's focus on the word "belong." Tim, in his frostbitten, tetanus-risking, gingivitis-infested state, didn't have much use for verse 26. When one member of the body suffers, how does the rest of the body respond? It shares the load. That's it. Share in the suffering and rejoicing of the rest of the body.

Now, read Matthew 25:31-46. I appreciate the confusion of the givers in verses 38-39, don't you? I like that they don't remember doing anything special. It reminds me of newscasts where rescuers are interviewed after saving people from car wrecks or burning buildings. I always smile when they shrug their shoulders and say they were just doing what anyone else would have done.

• What if kindness was such a natural part of the church that the body was generous without even noticing? What would that do to our definition of what "belongs" in the body?
• When you pray about it, ask God to show you how you can “belong” to the church today.

Read Ruth 1-2

If you've never read the book of Ruth, it's only a few pages long and worth your time. If you have, go back and re-read Ruth 2, 3:12-13, and 4. This story has been described as a biblical fairy tale, and while it's as good a plot as any Cinderella story if you have the imagination to morph buckets of barley into glass slippers and pumpkins, don't miss all that is true of one character who often gets overlooked—Boaz. Take a minute to jot down all that Boaz does in these few short chapters.

Without Boaz, there's no story. He certainly doesn't have to take time to learn about Ruth in order to succeed in his work. He is a decision maker, a supervisor, a property owner. He has foremen, harvesters and servants. Still, he stops. He asks questions. He keeps up with the details of his fields. Boaz is a man who pays attention. He investigates Ruth's character and work ethic. He makes provision for her safety. He listens to her request and goes to the elders to seek an answer to it. Read Ruth 3:13 again: Boaz makes a commitment and (as sure as the Lord lives) he keeps it. He steps up when the first kinsman-redeemer backs out of his promise.

This week, we've already read a bit about how God expects us to treat what is entrusted to us, especially how parents are to lead their children. There are times, though, when God calls us to go out of our way. Boaz isn't the first in line to take care of Naomi and her family, but he does it anyway.

• Today, thank God for a time when someone else went beyond expectations to help you.
• Are you in a position to use your leadership to help, too? Are you in the position to acknowledge or reward someone’s hard work?
• Can you step up and clean up the mess of someone else's broken promise, knowing full well the person you help doesn't have the capacity to repay you? Go out of your way to be Boaz as God leads you this week.

Matthew 7:7-12

7 "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

9 "Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone?10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

Imagine it's early evening and you're walking home. As you approach the driveway, you glance up to see your neighbors sitting down to dinner. They carry piping-hot dishes through their kitchen. The youngest child gurgles from his high chair; the eldest child is being told in no uncertain terms cell phones are not permitted at the table; the last few bowls are brought out and everyone sits down with smiles. It's business as usual.

Just then, the wind pushes the hedges back enough for you to watch the parents fill their children's plates. Mom and dad dip ladles and spatulas, and up come steaming—wait—what?!? Instead of meat loaf or mashed potatoes, you realize these are plumes of dust, and they're billowing off little mounds of gravel. Dad scoops a heap of rocks and they clatter onto his son's plate. Everyone draws a helping of stones. Pebbles are dumped into the tray of the high chair. It is a noisy business. This family's culinary experiment is chipping the plates, soon to chip teeth, and even from the front yard you can see that those butter knives aren't going to do much good slicing softball-sized rocks into manageable pieces.

Of course, you are horrified. You rush home to call child protective services, or at least a nutritionist. Even if you've never so much as had a baby sitting job, you know this is not the way to feed children. It doesn't take a merit badge or a restaurant management degree to know there's a better way. Ten out of ten dentists agree: Rocks are a poor substitute for bread! Read Matthew 7:7-12.

You see, we all know what "good gifts" look like, even if we didn’t receive them from our own parents. You already know how to be good to your kids, which takes some of the pressure off, doesn't it? You may have a lot to learn about parenting (you're certainly not the only one), but make room for the truth that Jesus Christ himself said that even imperfect people know how to give good gifts to their children. And we are to know better than to expect a plate of gravel when we ask something of our Father.

• Today, take some time to consider what sort of response you expect when you talk to God.
• Does it match up with what the Bible says about the Giver of good gifts?

Matthew 10:29

29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father's care.

Matthew 10:28-42

28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father's care.30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.31 So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

32 "Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven.33 But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.

34 "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.35 For I have come to turn
"'a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—

36 a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.'

37 "Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.38 Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.39 Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.

40 "Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.41 Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person's reward.42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward."

There's a verse in Matthew that has always troubled me. Matthew 10:29 says, "Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will." How you read this verse probably depends at least a little on what you think is true of God's character. For too long, when I read that verse, I imagined God as some sort of growling security guard in a giant warehouse of all the world's fallen birds. He gets there in the morning to unlock the doors. He trudges up and down the aisles. He sweeps feathers out of the way with a push-broom. A ring of keys clanks against his hip. He flips on the fluorescent lights and as they hum their way to full strength they reveal miles and miles of boxes, all alphabetized. He gives a less than energetic tour of the building. "Over here," he says as he gestures toward some crates, "are the sparrows. And on shelf 2A are the robins. There are some finches and bluejays on the third floor. Elevator's over there." And he spits out some sunflower seeds, leans the broom against the wall, and saunters off for a 15 minute break.

Thankfully, this is not an accurate picture. We're not talking about a disinterested warehouse manager; we're talking about a dad. Read Matthew 10:28-42 to see how highly God esteems the care of His children.

God is a father. He's uniquely invested in every detail of every fallen sparrow. I think the picture looks a little more like this: when a bird "falls to the ground," He picks the broken creature up with His own hands. He carries it out of harm's way and begins to breathe life back into it. You see, He has been following this sparrow for quite some time and knows its story. He was there when it tussled with the neighbor's cat, and He stayed to gather up each of the little bird's lost feathers. Now He gently, meticulously, puts them all back in their proper places. He scrubs and brushes the groggy creature back to new. The restored little bird starts to wake up, puffing its new coat and chirping in celebration. It blushes and shyly tries to explain how the cat faked left and then went right, and how he was usually prepared for such things but was distracted, and is sorry for being so much trouble. And, in typical dad fashion, the humiliated little bird is reassured there's nothing to worry about anymore because, see? Good as new! Now, come see how much the garden has grown while you were away...

You and I only have the patience for this sort of devotion on a small scale. Imagine the amount of knowledge and care it takes to know everything about every creature that ever roamed your earth. (I can't even remember the names of people I went to high school with.) But a father remembers. A father will talk about his kids all day if you let him. He will pull out photo albums and little league trophies. He will regale you with slide shows of old spelling bees and videos of cute things his child has said, and it won't take very much of this before you and I are sneaking glances at our watches, sinking down into the couch and wondering how much longer this could possibly drag on. We are easily bored. The important thing to remember is that God is not.

• Read Matthew 10:29 again.
• Whose Father is the verse describing?
• Does this change your perspective of how interested God is in you?
• Ask God to reveal to you exactly what He thinks of you, trusting that the answer will be one overflowing with love.

Matthew 25:14-30

14 "Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them.15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more.17 So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more.18 But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.

19 "After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.20 The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.'

21 "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'

22 "The man with two bags of gold also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.'

23 "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'

24 "Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed.25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'

26 "His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed?27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

28 "'So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags.29 For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

Luke 15:3-10

1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus.2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."

3 Then Jesus told them this parable:4 "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn't he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.'7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

8 "Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn't she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it?9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.'10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

Donald Miller and John MacMurray record a discussion of theirs in the book, "To Own a Dragon." In it, John describes his relationship with his children and says they (like all of us) ultimately belong to God. Perhaps if you are a parent you understand this feeling, that someone else has been put in your trust. Your children are loaned to you but belong to God. You, too, were loaned to your guardians but ultimately belong to God. Considering this caused me to look back on opportunities I've had to mentor others; did I treat them like precious people God had entrusted in my care? Sometimes, sure. But certainly not often enough.

Read today’s passage in Matthew again. Perhaps you've read this passage before and, like me, have been taught that "talents" are quite literally your talents and abilities. I read these verses and the fourth-grade version of me instantly squirms, assuming I’m about to get in big trouble for not spending enough time practicing piano between lessons. But I think this sort of misses the point. God's investments in us are probably quite a bit more varied, and His interest in recovering those investments a bit deeper than what we imagine. Now re-read Luke 15:3-10.

Here's a question: What are you doing with what (or who) God loans you? Maybe you’ve missed some chances and made some mistakes. This may come as a surprise, but you're not the first. Neither am I. The truth not to miss, though, is that, no matter how our lives have worked out, the talent that was buried and the coin that was lost both still have value. That value is something no one can undo, and if the talent is still in the back yard or the coin still lost in the house somewhere, there's still time to do something with it.

• Take some time today to thank God for second chances.
• Ask him to show you specifically where opportunities missed can be redeemed.

Isaiah 29:14-16

14 Therefore once more I will astound these people
with wonder upon wonder;
the wisdom of the wise will perish,
the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."

15 Woe to those who go to great depths
to hide their plans from the Lord,
who do their work in darkness and think,
"Who sees us? Who will know?"

16 You turn things upside down,
as if the potter were thought to be like the clay!
Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it,
"You did not make me"?
Can the pot say to the potter,
"You know nothing"?

I’m going to be up front with you. I am the combined forces of a preacher/missionary’s daughter and I have a twisted sense of humor at times. Having grown up in the ministry and now being in the ministry for more than 20 years, there is very little lost on me when it comes to humor among God’s people. I even see humor in many of the stories of the Bible.

One of my favorite parts in the Bible occurs in John 4. For years I have loved the irony of verses 16-19: ^“He told her, ‘Go, call your husband and come back. ‘I have no husband,’ she replied. Jesus said to her, ‘You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.’ ‘Sir, ‘the woman said, ‘I can see that you are a prophet.’”

I love the line “Sir-I can see that you are a prophet.” When the Samaritan woman says this to Jesus, I think, “Well, duhhhhhhhhhhh!” It doesn’t take the Son of God or a prophet to see this chick is messed up! It does however take the Son of God to fix her up! Everyone in town knows she has a problem.  I’m sure her name makes it around the prayer circle a couple times a month! Its obvious what she is and who she is.

Friend, I am writing you today under a conviction that it doesn’t take a prophet to know what I am and who I am either and I bet if I was with you long enough—I could figure you out too! We were created to be like God. When we aren’t, it shows. You can hide behind clothes, behind successes, or even behind monumental failures, but you will be found out. Hello pot, the potter made you—he knows if you are cracked! I love Isaiah 29:14-16. It is a shout out to all folks trying to hide from the Master! You just can’t do it.

• Ask yourself this question, if God already knows, what benefit is it to hide? You can keep supporting the weight of yourself and this world with little spikes or you can come down off those stilettos and feel solid. I can see that and I’m not a prophet!

Titus 3:3-7

3 At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared,5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior,7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life

Shoe designer Terry DeHavilland has said this about stilettos, "People say they're bad for the feet but they're good for the mind. What's more important?" Stilettos are a nightmare for the body. The actual pressure on that little tippy point is said to have more of a force than that of an elephant foot. No wonder stilettos have been used in movies as weapons! This also explains why when wearing stilettos on a hot day I often sink into the asphalt. All this time I thought it was because I was so chubby—go figure, it’s an engineering problem!

I have always prided myself on being able to wear such shoes. When I met my husband almost two years ago, I remember wearing stilettos with jeans on one of our dates. My hubby-to-be never made a comment on how pretty my shoes were. All he said was, “Don’t those hurt your feet?” After we married and I would dress up to go out, he would just wince when he saw me in my high heels. He preferred me in sneakers! He always made the comment that they just looked like they would hurt.

When I turned forty I came to the conclusion I don’t have the energy for high heel shoes!  You know, the only person that has mourned this transition has been me? I was the one who loved my shoes. I was the one who loved what they did to my look. But the man who loves me more than anything never saw my shoes. He didn’t care. And my Father in Heaven certainly didn’t give a flying flip or he would have made my body to wear them like a new skin!

Why did I like them? It’s what they did for my mind not my body. Those shoes were interesting, fun, pretty, stylish, and an eye catcher. Being a chubby 200ish (sometimes more ish than others), my shoes were the one thing I could buy at a regular store as opposed to the “pretty plus” section. Maybe in my mind they were everything I didn’t think I was.

• You been there? The Samaritan woman searched to find herself in men. She found herself in Jesus. 
• What have you been doing to find yourself? Is it working?
• Read Titus 3:3-7—have you been deceived into playing games with your life? Have your passions lead you to or from the cross?

Psalm 25:6-8

6 Remember, Lord, your great mercy and love,
for they are from of old.

7 Do not remember the sins of my youth
and my rebellious ways;
according to your love remember me,
for you, Lord, are good.

8 Good and upright is the Lord;
therefore he instructs sinners in his ways

I think back to the rebellious ways of my youth and I can say one New Year’s Eve did in fact include a pair of Kentucky-blue stiletto heels with a blue boa. It was quite the outfit and this very big girl looked good. I really made heads turn. Now, I’m not real sure if they turned because of my beauty that night or because of my bravery! But I proudly strutted my stuff and had a great time.

The next morning, I woke up with a bit of headache (from the height of the shoes, no doubt) and blistered feet. My tootsies were so sore! I hobbled around singing the blues and soaked my feet for most of the day in Epsom salt. I really should have seen this coming. My beautiful blue shoes were just a little too small. I have little size 7 feet—my shoes were 6 and ½.  I had worn the shoes at other times but only for just a short amount of time. New Year’s Eve 1998 was a long night and I had those blue puppies on for about 8 hours. You could say I really suffered from the agony of D’feet!

Twelve years later, I still have those pretty shoes and I can only wear them for about ten minutes! I think back to the crazy things I did in my youth and I praise God that I wasn’t killed or so damaged that I couldn’t make my way into His Arms of Salvation! Maybe you are the same way; still wearing the shoes you tried on when you got that first taste of independence. Perhaps it’s time to clean out your closet! Are you still doing things from your youth hoping you will gain an angle on this world? Are you still playing dress up? Or worse have you worn those old clothes so long that they are merely rags and you can’t even see how ridiculous you look?

The sins of your youth can be forgiven and they do not determine your Salvation. Reach out to your Father in Heaven. Strip away those dirty rags and be wrapped in His garments!  I love Psalm 25:6-8… it’s my story. It’s me pleading, “Lord, do not remember my youth” and it’s my Lord saying, “I will remember you-- not your sin and teach you!” 

• Read Psalm 25:6-8, and consider what you need to do to clean out your closets today!

John 14:5-7

5 Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"

6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him."

My Dad has always said, “Wherever you go, there you are.” My Dad is like that—he says simple, silly things and then about twenty years later I get it! The Samaritan woman needed someone to tell her that it doesn’t matter what you attain, where you live, or who you are with in this world. If your heart has not the salvation of the Lord, you will be left empty. Wherever you go, there you are. I want to say to her and to every person searching: “Woman at the well, quit searching. Every bedroom you visit will leave you still searching. What you need is not found in an intimate relationship with man or the things of this world—it’s only found through an intimate relationship with the Father.”

Read John 14:5-7. There is only one way to intimacy with our Lord—Jesus. You are not asked to be anything more than open to take the journey. My sweet Dad has taught me more about intimacy with the Father in Heaven this past year, than a stack of books from the Bible bookstore. He has been a weakened warrior for the Lord for several years. We didn’t realize it but he was fighting so hard to just walk that the boys he works with in Haiti knew he sometimes needed a push forward when he lifted his foot.  Since then, he’s had a much-needed quadruple bypass. Our family was shocked that Dad was so bad. Our shock was well-founded --Dad never stopped and he was always doing such big things for the Lord.

Now I know why. My Dad was living John 14:6 with every step. Jesus is the way! My Dad’s journey was completed through THE WAY! The steps were the steps of the Father living in him. This is where we all must be and who we must become. We must be so intimate with our Father in Heaven that our steps are not ordered by our own physical ability but by God himself.  Can you imagine being that locked in to Jesus? Do not confuse being locked in to Christ as lying down and playing dead! No! Be locked in by being open to Him.

• Can you do that? Could you run barefoot without the persona you have created so that you are finally completely open to The WAY?

John 4:1-26

1 Now Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John—2 although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples.3 So he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee.

4 Now he had to go through Samaria.5 So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph.6 Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon.

7 When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?"8 (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)

9 The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.t)

10 Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."

11 "Sir," the woman said, "you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water?12 Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?"

13 Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again,14 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

15 The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water."

16 He told her, "Go, call your husband and come back."

17 "I have no husband," she replied.
Jesus said to her, "You are right when you say you have no husband.18 The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true."

19 "Sir," the woman said, "I can see that you are a prophet.20 Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem."

21 "Woman," Jesus replied, "believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews.23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth."

25 The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us."

26 Then Jesus declared, "I, the one speaking to you—I am he."

Isaiah 61:9-11

9 Their descendants will be known among the nations
and their offspring among the peoples.
All who see them will acknowledge
that they are a people the Lord has blessed."

10 I delight greatly in the Lord;
my soul rejoices in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

11 For as the soil makes the sprout come up
and a garden causes seeds to grow,
so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness
and praise spring up before all nations.

 

The Stiletto heel has got to be the most uncomfortable shoe that has ever been designed. It is no wonder it is actually named after the Stiletto dagger! Stilettos actually feel like daggers stabbing your feet if you have worn them for anytime at all. Yet, I have to admit as awkward and horrible the pain, when I shove my chubby foot inside my ruby reds—I look good! When I was first asked to write these devotions, I balked – because I am a Stiletto junky and I knew I  wasn’t ready to examine this shoe and compare it to Biblical values that would somehow have to make their way into my life. When I’m not ready to be confronted I run! But I couldn’t this time: you can’t run in stilettos. I’m really not trying to look attractive; just trying to keep my balance!

That’s where we find the Woman at the well in John 4. She is really just trying to find some balance for her life. Everyone knows who she is and who she’s had in her bed. She wasn’t actually wearing Stilettos at the well—she didn’t have to, people could tell. There is desperation in this woman to be held and valued. Like a pair of pretty stilettos, no matter how beautiful they are—they take you nowhere fast. The Samaritan woman is teetering in her shoes.  She is beautiful. They have brought her the warmth of a man’s attention and yet all the men seem to do is to reach out their arms to keep her steady on her feet (or maybe off her feet)—but none have truly held her and kept her as his own. The shoes have become her lifestyle and to break from this lifestyle and start another would leave her vulnerable to her community. I mean at least with the shoes, there are still men who think she’s of value. If she takes them off, then she will be liked by neither male nor female. She will alienate herself from everyone!

• Look at what you’ve been wearing. Who do people think you are? Are you wearing too much or too little metaphorically and have alienated yourself from everyone?
• Read Isaiah 62:9-11. The Lord is here to hold you and he longs to clothe you in His Salvation. Kick off those pointy shoes and walk solid!