Do Good and Share
Father, place Your hand upon my shoulder this day and help me heed Your direction. This is, of course, is my main day in preparing for Sunday. May all the components come together as You want them to. Use me as You will. Amen.
Hebrews 13:16 (<<click here)
“…don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need.”
Lord, how often do I “forget to do good and share”? I don’t think I do bad and withhold but not doing good and sharing isn’t very helpful. Also in just reading this verse by itself it is tempting to just think along material lines, i.e. money, food, clothing, etc. Now those are important but in context, I don’t think that’s what You are getting at – it’s not physical needs but spiritual.
“Do good and share.” I can do this from a pulpit. I do this one on one…somewhat…well…not nearly enough. I need to be more diligent with people I know but I need to be more forthcoming with people I don’t know. It really scares the bejeebers out of me! And that’s totally ridiculous! That shouldn’t be the case.
I have a Facebook friend who lives a life of “do good and share.” It is his passion. As I am writing this, he is currently in Cleveland at the Republican National Convention – not to express his political beliefs but he, and those like him, will spend the entire week sharing his faith in a loving, compassionate, forgiving God. He will talk to anyone – nothing holds him back. And God is using him to change lives one by one by one.
Now I can say, “Well, he has the gift of evangelism.” But if truth be told, that’s just a copout of my part. And I am ashamed to say it…
Lord, help me… Give me passion. Give me courage. Give me wisdom and discernment. I realize I have to overcome quite a few things. If I know someone, I’m good but otherwise, I am a huge introvert. I hesitate to broach all kinds of things not just my faith. I’m too afraid to offend, too afraid to embarrass myself, too afraid to make someone uncomfortable.
But Lord, I realize it’s too important to not “do good and share.” I simply cannot do it in and of myself. I need You. Use me, help me…
July 21st, Thurs, 7:28 am
My Daddy
What a child I am at times, Father. I’ve been up now for over an hour and have not accomplished much at all. I’ve been in the recliner; I’ve been on the floor. I’ve run to the bathroom. I’ve played with my phone. I’ve done everything but what I should be doing! Father, thank You for Your love and patience. Help me Holy Spirit to get to the task at hand. Amen.
Lord, I am truly grateful that You are strong and mighty, that You are a powerful warrior against evil, that You are what tough love is all about, that You are a rock. I am grateful that You fulfill the role of Provider and Savior – that You take care of all the responsible, adult stuff – the serious, important, got to do stuff.
In my mind’s eye, I see You as the patriarch of the family – taking care of everything that needs to be taken care of. You are my Father. I don’t totally understand all You do – all the detail and complications of Your work. You’re the great Doctor of body and soul. You’re the great Keeper of the Peace, defending the needy, upholding the Law. You’re the great Engineer of Creation, keeping all the detailed intricacy of life in working order. You are the Great Educator, helping us to understand what it means to live this life and how to get through it. You’re my Father and I know You do important things. And I love You for that.
But You’re my Daddy, too. Sometimes I forget this wonderful aspect of who You are. With all the big, bad things, all the really important things that need to be dealt with in this world, the Daddy part of our relationship gets pushed out of the way. But it’s me that does it – not You.
Even with all the big things going on, You love me. You want to spend time with me. You want to invest in me, dote on me, lavish upon me the beauty of Your creation. You love me!
I may act like a child but You know where I need to grow up and You know where I need to remain a child. You realize that sometimes we “grow up” too much, that child-like faith is important – that dependence upon You is important. You, more than anyone, knows that I need to crawl up on Your lap, be enfolded in Your arms and just sit.
Lord, may it be so.
July 20th, Wed, 6:58 am
Waiting
Father, I appreciate having Our Daily Bread as a part of my regular routine. They are solid in their teachings. I am grateful for the diversity of the many authors of these short, pithy devotionals. I would ask that You continue to bless their efforts as they touch lives across the globe.
I mention them today because, quite often they make me stop and think and today’s devotional, Marking Time, did just that. The author, David McCasland, used Psalm 25:1-15 to talk about waiting.
Lord, waiting can be a challenge – like waiting for the novocaine to do its thing before getting a filling at the dentist – like certain days at work when time seems to crawl and you just want to go home. For the most part in life waiting is not an option, it’s just something we have to do. But as McCasland points out, “we can decide how we wait.”
I am a bi-vocational pastor- basically, that means I pastor a church (or in my case two churches) but because they are smaller congregations with limited resources I have to work another job for the bulk of my income. Now my heart is all about ministry and nothing would bring me greater joy that to be able to serve full-time in ministry. But… that’s not how God has chosen to use me.
I started working at Kohl’s in 2000 and started pastoring the first of my churches in 2002. So for 14 years I have been bi-vocational. And I have been waiting…and waiting…and waiting – waiting for God to call me to full-time ministry. I just feel I could serve my churches so much more effectively if that were the case.
Sometimes I struggle with the waiting but I cannot escape the fact that in many ways I am a full-time minister. There’s not much spiritual challenge in pulling jewelry out of baggies and displaying them on a fixture but when I walk into work every day I don’t flip a switch and turn the minister part of me off.
As I have shared with many, in essence, Kohl’s is like a third church for me. Now we don’t sing hymns and I don’t preach, as such, but I touch lives every day with the love of God. God has used me over and over again to touch people who might otherwise not really have that opportunity.
I impact them but they impact me, as well. As a bi-vocational pastor, I am able to keep my finger on the pulse of humanity. I have not cocooned myself in the security of the church. I am regularly exposed to the raw reality of life. I strive every day to be the hands and mouth of God to a hurting world. I strive to let my light shine brightly in the darkness. I feel God’s heart for people. It impacts me there but it comes out in the pulpit as well.
I may be waiting – and it may be that my waiting will never end. But it is not wasted time. God is good all the time – my life is in His more than capable hands and He can do as He pleases for He surely knows better than I.
July 19th, Tue, 6:18 am
Sacrifice of Praise
It’s one of those hard to focus mornings, Father. My mind is going every whichaway – thunder is booming, the rain is pouring. I can’t seem to get comfortable. Help me to reel it all in. Help me to give You the attention You deserve.
Hebrews 13: 15-16 (<<click here)
“… through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God…”
Lord, trying to wrap my brain around this passage is a bit of a challenge this morning. One thing I need to be reminded of is that the term sacrifice in the Old Testament didn’t always have connections to sin and forgiveness. Burnt offerings, grain offerings, and peace offerings were all voluntary acts of worship. They could express devotion and surrender to God. They could be intended to recognize Your goodness and provision.
Throughout every day, Lord, I should become more and more aware of the importance of giving You praise. Time and time again You are there for me. Your Holy Spirit within me helps me to pause before I speak, to quickly turn the other way the moment temptations present themselves, to be slow to judge and quick to love, to be diligent in my labors and not frivolous with my time. These things and many, many others should bring praise to You from my lips.
Even when the going gets tough and trials come upon me I am still compelled to praise. You are with me all the way, even though the storms may howl about me. When I do so those around me can see who I am in You and I can testify all that You do for me.
Lord, help me this day to keep my focus on You. Help me to offer “a continual sacrifice of praise to” You throughout each and every day. Amen!
July 18th, Mon, 6:26 am
In a Pickle
Father, even before I found my seat this morning, my journaling from yesterday has been weighing on my mind. We definitely must be ready to stand for You regardless of what the future may bring but it’s not just a tomorrow thing. It is a today thing, as well.
“So let us go out to him, outside the camp, and bear the disgrace he bore. For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.” Hebrews 13:13-14
Lord, in regards to this passage, my study Bible* stated, “The time [has] come for [us] to declare [our] loyalty to Christ above any loyalty, to choose to follow the Messiah whatever suffering that might entail. [We need] to move outside the safe confinement of [our] part, [our] traditions, and [our] ceremonies to live for Christ.”
I am perfectly content to stay where I am comfortable Lord, in my home and for that matter in the church. I have no problem saying, “Sure I’ll tell you about Jesus…just come in here where I am comfortable and safe. Uh…you can’t get here? You’re scared to come in? You’ve heard so many negative things about the “church” that you’d rather just not even bother?…oh…well, we are in a pickle aren’t we?”
I realize that not everyone is going to come where I am most comfortable. But am I willing to “go out to him”? Am I willing to “bear the disgrace” that You bore, Jesus? Of course, being willing and actually going are two totally separate things. But as I’ve been made aware – “The time has come” to take action. Lord, enable me to do what needs to be done, for You want me to not come alone to that “home yet to come.”
July 15th, Fri, 6:20 am