Morning Devotions - My Sacred Center - Evening Devotions
Daily
Devotions
May 18 – May 22, 2009
Scroll
down to see previous daily devotions.
Friday
May 22
Today in our prayers we remember Ron and Margie Kauffman. |
Scripture Reading: John
13:33-35 Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me;
and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, “Where I am going, you cannot
come.” I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I
have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know
that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.’
The message of Jesus is quite clear. The purpose of our life and the
destination of our spiritual journey is the ability to love as Jesus loved.
Jesus demonstrates love in every encounter and on every page of the Gospels.
He loves the lovable, the unlovable, the wealthy, the poor, the healthy and
the sick, you and me. No one was excluded from the love of Jesus: not the
tax collector, nor the prostitute, not the demon-possessed, nor the Roman
soldier, not even those who nailed him to that instrument of suffering
called the cross. This kind of loving-kindness can only emerge from a deep
and abiding faith in God, who birthed love out of Jesus. It is a love that
does not seek an incentive to love, only someone to love. Love is merely
what faith in action looks like. It is the natural outcome of being in
communion with God. Love is born in us and out of us by a God who is
personally involved in our spiritual health and well-being. To be a
Christian is to make God’s love visible in our lives.
Pastor Tom |
|
Thursday
May 21
Today in our prayers we remember Ray Juers. |
Scripture Reading:
I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul makes its boast in the lord;
Let the humble hear and be glad.
O magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt his name together. Psalm 34:1-3
Praise and joy are kissing cousins. Our ability to experience joy has a
direct relationship to our ability to praise and thank God. Everything we
have comes from God. Thanksgiving and gratitude for God’s gifts embrace
praise and joy that flow from our hearts and spills over onto others.
Lutheran worship services contain a hymn of praise. After having sung
praises as a community of faith, we can learn to sing praise in our own
words and make melody in our hearts to God. That melody comes out as joy.
Pastor Tom |
|
Wednesday
May 20
Today in our prayers we remember Sandy Jordan. |
Scripture Reading: John
16:20-22 Very truly, I tell you, you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice;
you will have pain, but your pain will turn into joy. When a woman is in
labor, she has pain, because her hour has come. But when her child is born,
she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy of having brought a
child into the world. So you have pain now; but I will see you again, and
your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.
Joy is central to the spiritual person. Joy comes from a deep center in
your heart where Jesus lives. Where there is Jesus — there is joy. Joy comes
from being loved unconditionally and knowing that nothing — sickness,
emotional distress, failure, even death – “will be able to separate you from
the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:39b
Joy is deeper than happiness. In fact, joy is deeper than sorrow. Beneath
the sadness of the world the arms of God sustain and bring joy and hope.
Pastor Tom |
|
Tuesday
May 19
Today in our prayers we remember Greg, Wendy, Brendan, and Ian Jones. |
Scripture Reading: Matthew 22:36-40
“Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” Jesus said to him,“You shall love the Lord you God, with all your heart, and with all your
soul and with all you mind.
This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it, ‘You
shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”
Jesus came into the world to give us the Good News that God loves us, and
that God is love. How did Jesus love us? He gave his life for us. The
Gospel is really simple—God loves you, God loves me.
The question that naturally follows is, “Do you love God?” The question
after that flows from the first, “Do you love others as you love yourself?”
Jesus calls these the central questions of the religious person. The
devotions that follow this week will examine these questions: Do I truly
love God, others, and self? Only you can answer. Only you know your heart.
Pastor Tom |
|
Monday
May 18
Today in our prayers we remember Grant and Marge Jones.
|
Scripture Reading: John 14:1-7 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God believe in me. In my
Father’s house, there are many rooms. If it were not so would I have told
you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place
for you I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am you may
be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said
unto him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the
way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one
comes to the Father but through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
The resurrection of Jesus is more than the raising to life of one who was
dead. Resurrection is being born into a new existence. When Jesus raised
Lazarus from the dead, he was “resuscitated.” He went back to his old life.
Lazarus will die again. Jesus was raised to a new life in a new realm. He
is on the other side of death. So it will be with us. When we are raised
from the dead, it will not be to this life on earth. We will be raised to a
life with God. There will be no physical illness or infirmities. There
will be no painful memories, for the “old has passed away.” There will be
only joy, love, and peace. There won’t be any need for faith and hope.
They have to do with trusting in the mystery of God. In Heaven we will have
the certainty of knowing. Paul says, “Now we see in a mirror dimly, but then
we shall see face to face.” 1 Corinthians 13 We will know God even as we
are fully known. We will be birthed into the waiting arms of the Father in
Heaven. Indeed, there is a place for us with Jesus.
Pastor Tom
|
|
|
|
