Morning devotions

Sunday Morning Devotions ~ August 20, 2023

/ The Pastor

SCRIPTURE:
Matthew 13:1-9 and Isaiah 55

LET US PRAY:
For as the rain and snow come down from heaven, and do not return to You, oh God, without watering the earth, making it bring forth and spout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall Your Word be that goes forth from Your mouth.
It shall not return to You empty.
It shall not return to You void.
It shall not return to You having failed.
Your Word, mighty God, is powerful and therefore it shall accomplish that which You purpose.
Your Word, my awesome God, shall succeed in whatever You send it to do.
Your Word, Creator God, is the only word that can breathe life into dry bones.
As for me, because of Jesus Your Son and my Lord, my bones have life and thus I shall go out in joy and peace.
May the mountains and hills break forth in singing.
May Your people bow down in worship.
May Your works be made known to all people.
May Your servant be faithful with Your seed.
For Your Word has rained down and has given me living and daily bread, and thus seed for this sower. Therefore,
May the words of my mouth sing Your praises.
May the words of my mouth spew Good Seed.
May the words of my mouth be carried and blessed by the Spirit to create New Life; beautiful fruit from rich soil, growth that can only come from You.
Oh God, You are a faithful God and thus all glory belongs to You. In Jesus’ name I pray,
Amen.

Saturday devotions ~ Psalm 42

/ The Pastor

I was driving the kids home last night from a spur of the moment ice cream run. As we left Forest City to head home, my daughter started to complain that she was thirsty. “Then drink some water”, I said. But she did not bring her water bottle as we have instructed our kids over and over. I said, “Well, you are going to have to wait. We’ll be home in about 20 to 25 minutes.” But that was not good enough. More complaining ensued, as one would think she was dying of thirst.

And thirst is something that demands your attention. It is hard to ignore. Try as I may, if I am thirsty while lying in bed at night, I am not going to fall asleep. I must deal with that thirst NOW. The psalmist, in like manner, is panting for the living water that is God. He longs for His Word. He desires, with all His being, to be in the presence of God. He feels separated from God and does not like that separation. Like a parched mouth, the psalmist wants to be refreshed. It feels that if he does not receive those “flowing steams” (vs 1) he will die (which is true) But he still clings to hope…

11 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God. 

In dry moments of your life, instead of wallowing in your dryness, drink in the Word of God. Drink and drink, and be refreshed. Be reminded of God’s promises in Jesus Christ FOR YOU. Read about His victory over Satan, sin and death through Jesus’ death and resurrection FOR YOU. See the many moments of God’s faithfulness, and know that that faithfulness, FOR YOU, will never end. Meditate on the grace and love of God, FOR YOU, and be reminded of when the Holy Spirit first began to flow in and through you. It is a river that is unceasing, never to dry up. Feeling refreshed yet? Then drink this in…

13 Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
(John 4:13-14).

LET US PRAY: Loving God, I long for refreshment and for my thirsty soul to have more of You. This world has nothing for me that can last, and thus I long to drink Your Word, for only Jesus is Living Water. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Friday devotions ~ Psalm 41

/ The Pastor

This is the final Psalm in what is called Book 1. And again we have an individual lament, but it takes on a little different flavor. Verses 1 – 3 talk about the blessedness of serving the poor, and it appears the psalmist has done that, yet he is suffering in some way due to his sin. Enemies see his plight and “utter empty words” (vs 6), whispering among themselves and imagining the worst for him (vs 7). In verses 8 – 10, his enemies have all kinds of theories about why this is happening to him, but the psalmist still delights in the Lord. What an incredible faith.

But there are a couple things that ring loud in this Psalm. First, no amount of good works will cover your sin. You can be the greatest saint in the world, doing all kinds of good works (like helping the poor) but even that will not excuse one little sin. It is only by the mercy of God, His grace through faith in Jesus Christ, that forgives sin. I sometimes forget that and say things like, “Well, I preach and teach God’s Word to people. That has to count for something.” Well, it does not when it comes to sin. Once again, it is all grace.

And secondly, what others say about you is not what defines you. What defines you is what God says about you. Let your enemies say all they want about your life. You show them who has your life by how you live and respond to adversity. If you know Jesus then you know the truth and the Truth. Do not let outsiders decide your truth. YOU tell them the truth and be at peace about whose you are.

12 But you have upheld me because of my integrity, and set me in your presence forever. 
13 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! 
Amen and Amen.

LET US PRAY: I praise You, O God, for Your awesome grace and mercy, and I confess that I sometimes try to take matters into my own hands. Remind me of the truth and convict my heart. May Jesus ever be before me as a witness to others. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Thursday devotions ~ Psalm 40

/ The Pastor / 1 Comment

In reading Psalm 40, this poem took a life of it’s own. I love it when the Spirit takes hold and does something like this. To God be ALL glory.

I waited for the Lord,
and he heard my cry.
I waited for the Lord,
in Him I do rely.

He raised me up.
He established my feet.
He set me secure.
He makes me complete.

O blessed is the one,
who trusts in the Lord.
My heart he does hold,
and Him I so adore.

That’s why,

I wait for the Lord,
for he’s always true.
I wait for the Lord,
O please let me review.

The Lord is so awesome.
And He is mighty too.
The Lord is so faithful.
He makes all things new.

So wait for the Lord.
Wait ever patiently.
For the Lord will give you,
oh so abundantly.

LET US PRAY: Redeemer God, You have put a New Song in my heart as You have redeemed this sinner. You have given me peace through Jesus’ death on the cross for the forgiveness of my sins. You have given me hope through Jesus’ resurrection, that I too may be raised to New Life. And so, I wait for You, anxiously, I wait for You. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Wednesday devotions ~ Psalm 39

/ The Pastor

Another individual lament but here we have the psalmist seeking to hold his tongue. There is some sort of suffering going on as we saw in the previous Psalm. It also appears that, once again, the reason for the suffering is due to some sin (vs 7-8). And so the psalmist calls out in faith and confesses his sins, placing his trust in the Lord.

But verse 1 – 3 are of interest to me here. Consider again what he says, “I said, I will guard my ways, that I may not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth with a muzzle, so long as the wicked are in my presence.” The psalmist wants to speak out but not before his enemies lest he dishonor the Lord by saying something that they would take the wrong way. Even in his suffering the psalmist is concerned about God’s glory. He goes on to say in verse 2 that he kept silent but eventually he could not hold it in, “My heart became hot within me. As I mused, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue:” And then he speaks to the Lord, not in the presence of his enemies.

I have said time and again that God can handle your lamenting. He can handle your crying out to Him. God can handle your questions and frustrations. But what we learn here is the timing and who you are with. When you are with those who do not know God, your lamenting appears unfaithful and an attack upon God. It in no way brings God glory. But when you are with brothers and sisters in Christ, they can lament with you and pray over you. They understand because they have been there. They know the Lord and thus they also seek to glorify Him.

Be careful in whose presence you’re in when you lament. Remain mute and silent in the presence of outsiders, but lament with your brothers and sisters that they may lift you up and glorify God.

LET US PRAY: Father God, many a time I want to speak out and lament to You. Grant me discernment that I may not bring dishonor to Your name but rather glorify You through my suffering. And, when others in my church family are suffering, may I not desert them but rather be a holy sounding board for them. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

The Battle

/ The Pastor

The following poem was inspired by a book I just started reading titled, “Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices” by Thomas Brooks…

Wake up, sleeping heart!
The father of lies,
Waits in the darkness,
To tear you apart.

Be alert, O my soul!
The cunning serpent,
Wily in his ways,
Seeks to take control.

Stand firm, child of Light!
The Father Almighty,
And Jesus our Lord,
The serpent they did fight.

Rejoice, O my heart!
The father of lies,
Because of the cross,
Forever WILL depart.

God’s Amazing Grace

/ The Pastor / 3 Comments

To know Your grace,
Is not just some fad to embrace,
Only now and then,
And thus from our memory erased.

To know Your grace,
Is to rejoice at seeing Your face,
Now and forever,
And long to always be in Your place.

Creation Concert

/ The Pastor / 3 Comments

Birds singing, in a cheerful creation choir.
Wind blowing, to cool a sun-kissed face.
Leaves rustling, dancing with the music.
Grass twinkling, with a dew-covered applause.

And…

People moving, going to and fro in busyness.

Do they hear?
I mean, do they really hear?
I used to be in that busyness,
But now I sit among the creation choir.
I sit and hear,
I mean, I really hear.
I sit and notice,
I mean, really notice.
I sit and feel,
I mean, I really feel.

Stop your busyness, people. Stop!
You’re missing the concert,
Creation singing to the Lord.

Birds, wind, leaves and grass…
Encore! Encore!

Not Irrelevant

/ The Pastor

This past NFL season, fans from across the country got to know the name Brock Purdy. Whether you are an Iowa State or San San Francisco fan or not, it was hard not to be impressed with what he did following the injuries to the quarterbacks before him on the depth chart. It is especially noteworthy when you consider the title Brock carries – “Mr Irrelevant”. This is the title given to the last player selected in the NFL draft (#262). Nobody expected much out of him, yet, he went on to win seven games in a row while leading the San Francisco 49ers to the NFC championship game. Irrelevant? Not anymore.

As sinners, many consider themselves irrelevant when it comes to serving in God’s kingdom:
“I’m just a _____”
“I do not know enough”
“I do not speak very well”
“I am too young”
“I am too old”
“If there were a draft in God’s kingdom, I would be the last overall pick, Mr/Mrs Irrelevant.”
Those in the Bible that God called used similar excuses and more, but God’s response was and always is…

I will be with you.

That truth, that promise, means that NO ONE is irrelevent when God calls you to serve. It makes no difference what the world thinks of you. It makes no dfference if you would be picked last for the team. When God chooses you, you are VERY relevent, because…

God is with you.

Remember, God does not call the qualified, but rather, qualifies the called.