When You Go

“The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
Genesis 12:1-3

Going can be difficult. Imagine what must have been going through Abram’s mind when the Lord tells him he wants him to leave everything behind and go to a land he doesn’t even know the name of yet. “But, Lord I am happy here, I have friends and family here. I am making a living here.” Maybe he thought “can’t you bless me here, can’t you do what you want to do with my life here?” 

In our modern world I would dare say that none of us really want to be made into a great nation by God or anyone else - after all the nations of this planet have their own issues, who needs another nation to come along and add to the mess. So that wouldn’t be a good motivator for going somewhere new. But who doesn’t want to be blessed? Who doesn’t occasionally wish that God would do something with those people who cause us pain? Who doesn’t want to make a positive impact on the world around them? Would these promises be enough to make you go? 

God may not tell you to go to a mystery country; He may tell you to change jobs, or the city you live in. Maybe He will have you move to a new state or change the church you are attending. For all the uncertainty that change brings - that going brings; His promises of blessing are worth the potential pain and stress. 

If, like Abram, God tells you to go - will you step out in faith to follow him to the blessings He has for you? For the blessing He will make you in that new place? 

So where are you going this week? When you go - trust the One with the map. 

A Prayer
Father - Going must have been hard for Abram and I know it is hard for us. Help us be obedient when you call us to go and help us to focus on the things you promise us when we do. Thank you for going with us on the journey and for not leaving us alone in the wilderness of life. Protect us from those who would hinder us. Bless us so that we can bless others. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

On the Road

“Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him.”
Luke 24:13-16



Sad, scared, confused and wondering what had happened, no doubt asking themselves why things hadn’t turned out the way they thought it. That’s life - just when you think you have it figured out - the plan changes and like the two disciples in this week’s passage we find ourselves in a place where our faith is surely tested and we are prone to question everything which leaves us unable to see Jesus even when He is walking right along with us.



Continue reading and we see that this “stranger” who has joined them asks “Hey what are you guys talking about that is so serious?” I wonder what Jesus thought when He saw the looks on their faces - looks of despair and perhaps a bit of a “what are you serious, don’t you know what happened in the city over the weekend?” expression. But then…


This “stranger” tells them about all that was written about Messiah by the prophets, explaining that all that they had experienced was exactly as the prophets had said. Then during supper, with the breaking of the bread, their hearts allowed their eyes to be opened and they saw their friend and Savior, alive and well. They couldn’t get back to the city fast enough to tell the others that “He lives!” 



We are on the road. It can be hard and painful and confusing. The road will challenge our faith. Then someone will join us on the journey - to encourage us, to share what they know, to let us know we are not alone. Someday, perhaps we look back to some of the people we have journeyed with and realize that it was Jesus walking with us, reminding us that even when it seems like the plot has been lost, we are still on course and all is well because He is there.



I don’t know what is happening in your life this week. But know this, even in the midst of the worst storms and greatest celebrations Jesus is there - you’ll see Him with your heart. 



A Prayer
Father - Thank you for the people who journey with us through the seasons of life. Thank you that these people are often Jesus in disguise and that when our hearts have been touched by theirs they have really been touched by You. Help our hearts to see You as we journey in the eyes of those we journey with and help us to be Jesus to those around us as well. In the name of Jesus, is always with us, Amen.

A Quest of Purpose

“He has saved us and called us to a holy life - not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace…”
2 Timothy 1:9

A generous gift of a movie gift card, had allowed my husband and I to see three wonderful movies: The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, Into the Woods and a special screening of The Wizard of Oz. As we left the theater following the last movie, my husband wondered out loud about how “I might use The Wizard of Oz for a devotion?” I gently reminded him that I had already used that movie as the inspiration for a number of devotions. However, his wondering did get me thinking - was there something common to all three of these movies that we can learn from? The answer is yes of course. In each of these movies, the characters go on a quest of purpose and learn some important lessons along the way. 

Bilbo Baggins and company set out restore a kingdom and learn about trust, loyalty, greed and darkness. They also learn, I believe about a greater, nobler strength that is bestowed by a power of good and light that comes from without and fills them within, especially in times of trial. 

In Into the Woods, all of the characters set out on different quests - to break a curse, to get the prince, to visit granny, to get some money. They learned that even though their quests were different, their lives were connected and where they intersected - lives were changed. The curse was broke, the prince wasn’t worth it, gold isn’t all it’s cracked up to be and even beautiful the witch was, well still a witch. 

Then of course, Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin man and Lion go in search of home, brains, heart and courage. Each of these things, they either already had and didn’t know it or had it and didn’t appreciate it. By the end of the movie, they had not only received what they were looking for, but had a greater and humbler appreciation for those gifts. 

Even Jesus, had to take a quest of purpose. His quest, changes our lives because as Paul tells Timothy in this week’s passage “He saved us and called us to a holy life.” We are all on a quest of purpose. Some of us are looking for our specific purpose; others are looking to fulfill their purpose. Like Bilbo along the way we will learn to trust, to be loyal and to allow the light of God’s goodness to fill us. Like the characters of Into the Woods, we will learn that our lives are connected and that at the points where they intersect we have the power to change one another’s lives. 

As we follow after Jesus, on our quests of purpose may we do so with intelligence, love and courage.

A Prayer
Father - this quest that we are on called life is not easy, yet if we look to You, Your Son and the Spirit, we will find all we need to live the life You have called us to - a holy life of purpose, that glorifies You and changes the world around us. Help us each day to live intelligent, love filled and courageous lives. In the name of Jesus, whose quest of purpose - saved us, Amen.

Take the Plunge

“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
Ephesians 3:16-19

As the year started I took the plunge…a polar bear plunge that is. A friend wanted to cross that activity off her bucket list but didn’t want to do it alone so I volunteered to take the plunge with her. Now at the time we lived in California and while it does get cold there in the middle of winter it’s not quite the same as doing this sort of thing in say Minnesota or Vermont. I will say that the water was about 10 degrees warmer than the air temperature - but it was still a shocking cold plunge to make in the middle of winter. The post plunge lunch of homemade soup and some good conversation made for a nice start to the year.

As I reflected on the experience Ephesians 3:18 came to mind. I like the idea of plunging into God’s love. The polar bear plunge is an all-in all-out as fast as you can kind of proposition, but God invites to plunge into the vastness of His love and stay there for all eternity. In His love we find strength, power, courage, wisdom, provision, shelter. In His love we are made clean and whole, we are redeemed and we are filled as Paul says “with the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:19). 

Resolutions have their place but this year before you make those resolutions - take the plunge. Plunge into the amazing, unlimited love of God, through His Son Jesus. That plunge just might make keeping those resolutions a little bit easier.

A Prayer
Father - you know that we sometimes hesitate to go all-in for you and the purpose your have for us. Help each day to take the plunge into your great, life changing and sustaining love. Then once we are in that amazing love, may we find the rest and everything else we need to be who You intend for us to be. In the name of Jesus, our foundation and wind changer - Amen.