As much as I talk about looking for God at work, I am still blown away by his presence. It really is the small, often unnoticeable events that speak the loudest. It is as if God paints a picture that could not be replicated, even if we tried. As creative as we are, we receive our creativity from the Creator – and he is simply amazing. We still have so much to learn.
Yesterday, it was another rainy day. I was driving to work, focusing on the road ahead. I glanced in my rearview mirror and saw something that was unexpected. I saw a vivid, beautiful rainbow. Looking ahead, all I saw was rain and maybe a slight break in the clouds. But looking in the mirror, I saw a painting that fascinated me. I could make out all the colors, so bright and vibrant. I could see the magnificence as the rainbow arched high into the clouds, seemingly endless. I tried my best to focus on the drive, but this sight continued to capture my attention. Knowing that it was something that can only be experienced for a moment, I did my best to take it in. This welled up thoughts of gratefulness in my heart.
There are a few things I noticed about this moment. I could have easily missed it if I was focused only on the rain. If I only saw the dreariness of the day, I would have missed the brilliance that was just around the corner. If I was stuck in the despair, I could have missed the joy. It was right there for me, but I had to actually see it. I had to take a moment and see what was right beside me. What I focus on really does make a difference. There can be rain but there can also be a rainbow.
I also noticed that occurrences which happen often can still take our breath away. This isn’t the first rainbow, nor will it be the last. But this one appeared just when I needed it. This one spoke to me at a moment when a sign of hope was the needed message. It was the right painting at the right time. But I had to see past the regularity and see the extraordinary. Rainbows happen, but they can still surprise.
Where is God working today that might surprise you if you just look? What might God be speaking in the ordinary? How might he change your day from rain to promise? His presence is all around us if we just take a moment to notice. May he shock and surprise you with his goodness today.
Focus Scripture:
Genesis 9:12-16
12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: 13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. 16 Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”
Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery. Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery
Yesterday, I spent the day on the road traveling for work. I always enjoy the opportunity to get out of the office, even if it is just a limited time. There are always new sights to see and bumper stickers to laugh at. I have found some really fun and eye opening sayings on the back of people’s cars. Yesterday it wasn’t a bumper sticker, but was equally entertaining for me.
It rained for the second half of the trip. I was following an SUV with the rear windshield wipers. That’s no big deal – I have them. But I happened to notice they didn’t go all the way across the window. And then they did. And then they didn’t. The wipers would stop intermittently part of the way through the cycle and begin again. It was always at a different place they would pause. Eventually they made enough progress to clear the whole window, but it took some effort. They would start a little ways, stop and return. Then go farther, stop, and begin again. It really is the small things that capture my attention as you can tell. I admit I watched this for way too long.
My first thought was – I would have to get that fixed. That is just crazy. Something must be wrong. But as I watched, I noticed it did the job. It took several attempts. It wasn’t smooth. It wasn’t optimal. But it served its purpose. It cleared the windshield. The person could see because it was there. It wasn’t perfect, but it was effective.
We can feel less than perfect – maybe even a bit defective sometimes. We can think that we are inadequate or less than acceptable. We see our flaws. We know our downfalls. We understand our shortcomings. Yet, God sees something in us that he finds beautiful and good and of great value. The way we do things may not be the most perfect way, but our calling is simply to be faithful. We may hobble along in our calling or even stumble for what seems like way too much of life. We may feel so unprepared or even a fit defective. Yet, here we are. And God is with us. And God has created us and we are good. When we are faithful, we are serving his purpose. The way we serve is the way God appointed.
Maybe we aren’t defective at all. Maybe we are creative, unique creations powered by a wonderful God to do amazing things we can’t even fathom. Maybe we are just called to serve the purpose and watch God take care of the rest. So go forward and serve.
Focus Scripture:
Psalm 86:8-12
8 There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like yours. 9 All the nations you have made shall come and bow down before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name. 10 For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God. 11 Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart to revere your name. 12 I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever.
Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery. Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery
It can happen. Most of us struggle to believe it. We have heard about it but can’t take it in because it may not have happened to us. Actually, it is difficult to believe unless we have experienced it firsthand. It is miraculous, yet not your ordinary miracle. If nothing else, it certainly is lifechanging. It can only happen through God’s presence.
I don’t know how God does it, except to say that God has promised us an abundant life. I don’t mean a life filled with things – material goods. I mean a life filled with meaning, purpose, fulfillment, and joy. I mean a life filled with all that really matters. These are the things which make life worth living and help us to get up in the morning, despite the fact it is Monday. These are our motivators to face whatever is in front of us. Knowing that God has this ultimate plan and it is good helps us to take on the tasks of the day.
What is all of this? What is this miracle? What is it that we seek? The Psalmist (recorded at the end of Psalm 30) says it best:
11 You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, 12 so that my soul may praise you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever.
Imagine taking off all that holds you down and replacing with dancing, joy, praise and thanksgiving. For just a moment, we are relieved of our depression, our loneliness, our sickness, our hurts and our longings. We are given a new coat. We are given something that makes us dance and praise. We are clothed with the joy of the Lord.
It doesn’t happen all the time. Sometimes we must first sit with our grief. There are times when mourning is right. We all go through difficulties and that is okay. But there is also a time that God gives us a new outfit. It is as if the sun shines a little brighter and the air is a little more crisp. Nothing in our life has changed except that God has shown us this abundant life we still get to live. It is a new outlook in an otherwise dreary situation. It is a new, snug feeling of being wrapped in God’s joy. It is trading in where we are for where God wants us to be. And it can be refreshing.
May God trade in your mourning and give you dancing. May he clothe you with joy today. May you live in praise and thanksgiving so that your head is lifted and your eyes see where your help comes from. May you see the abundant life – your abundant life.
Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery. Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery
Growing up, one of my absolute favorite shows was The Cosby Show. I have watched every episode, most of them multiple times. It was a formative show for me as I was growing up. There were so many life lessons that were weaved into laughter and celebration. It also brought many one-liners that have been heard over and over – like, “I brought you into this world, I can take you out”. There were lessons about budgeting and dating, the importance of family and the celebration of togetherness. But there is one particular episode that sticks out to me. Lately, I have been thinking about it a lot. It was aired back in 1988 and is in season 4, episode 18.
Rudy is a little girl and she writes a story. The episode is called “Once Upon a Time”. As she begins to tell her story, her family acts out what is happening. There is an evil person, there are people being forced to do bad things (in this case, dancing into exhaustion), and there is a flower girl. At the end of her story, the flower girl can’t take it anymore. There has been too much fighting, too much evil, and too much punishment. So she yells – STOP! She does it with the determination of a little girl seeking peace. And when she yells STOP!, that is the end of the story. Cliff and Claire ask her what’s next and she simply replies – they stopped. They ask her about the evil and the dancing and the like – she said, they stopped. All just stopped. She says that one day, she is going to be president of the world and will just get people to stop being mean to each other – just STOP! The episode ends with Cliff and Claire watching TV with all the bad news reports (which sounds strangely familiar to watching TV today). Cliff yells up to Rudy – hurry up and become president, we need you now!
It’s a cute episode and we wish it could be that easy. We wish that things could change with the proclamation of “STOP!” As adults, we know that is impossible. Yet, there is something special about a child’s imagination. Jesus teaches us to become like little children – where our imaginations are boundless and we live with willing trust and true faith. So maybe there is something to all of this. Maybe Rudy was onto something.
Today’s scripture is from Psalm 46. For a moment, I will need you to bring your childlike imagination with you. I will need you to hear this Psalm from the perspective of God’s power and majesty.
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; 3 though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult. Selah
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. 5 God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved; God will help it when the morning dawns. 6 The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. 7 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah
8 Come, behold the works of the Lord; see what desolations he has brought on the earth. 9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire. 10 “Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth.” 11 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah
I don’t know about you, but I hear this proclamation from God to “STOP!” Did you catch it? Let’s look at this Psalm for all that God has for us to hear and learn. We are first told that God is our refuge and strength. That, for me, tells me that we have a shelter, a place we can go. We have a place we can run when it all seems out of control. We are not alone in this craziness. God has provided a refuge with open arms – and arms that are strong. We do not have to be strong because we are resting in the arms of strength. He will be our strength. He will give us all we need to endure.
Because God is our refuge and strength, we will not fear. Fear is a tactic that is used so often in our world and we don’t even notice it is being used. If someone can make us fearful, we will react the way they want us to react. Fear gives power over to another person. Fear transfers our trust and causes us to doubt. When we allow fear to take hold of our lives, we have lost the ability to make good, sound decisions. We will live in a place of reaction rather than action. Fear takes hold and doesn’t let go. That is what terrorism is about – instilling fear so that actions are based in that fear. And reactions based on fear are often irrational. But if God is our strength, our refuge, and our help in trouble, we have no reason to fear. We are able to make sound decisions based on the strength of God and the power that lives in us as his children.
That does not mean there will not be things to fear, though. The Psalmist is clear about that. The waters roar, the mountains tremble, the nations are in uproar, and kingdoms totter. That sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Sounds like hurricanes, earthquakes, fighting among nations and powers being overturned. Sounds much like what we experience today. It is as if God is speaking to us in our place and time. God has a message. In this middle of all of this…he utters his voice and the earth melts. Maybe, just maybe he yells STOP! In that proclamation, wars cease and weapons are destroyed. There is no need for them because God has spoken – God is in control. God calls for peace.
And then I hear a proclamation for you and me – it is also STOP! We are told to be still and know that he is God. What does it mean to be still? It means to stop. It means to be quiet. It means to listen, to pay attention to God rather than our fears. It means that things change when we simply stop. When we do, we know that God is God and we are not. We have nothing to fear because God is with us. Just STOP!
Sounds very childlike, doesn’t it? It may sound a bit utopian. But I challenge you to think like this for a moment. You may be thinking about how our stopping will not change the world. If we proclaim “STOP!”, it doesn’t change the world. But, what if it changes us? What if stopping really does begin to change who we are? What if it has an effect on our lives? What if we stop living in so much fear? That may just change us. Being still may just be the key in calming our own lives. Proclaiming God over our lives may be exactly what we need. And if we change ourselves, it might make a difference for our little world. And to change ourselves is really all we can do. But big change may come when we simply stop, be still and know.
Rudy may indeed have been onto something. Maybe the key is to stop. Stop living in fear. Stop allowing others to manipulate you through fear. Stop trusting in anything other than the Lord. Stop spreading hate and judgment. Just stop. Be still and know God is God.
I pray that God’s peace will fill your hearts today. Know that when we follow Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, it doesn’t mean life is easy. It doesn’t mean we are exempt from pain or struggles. It does mean we are filled with HIS presence which is a refuge and strength. We are, after all, called the children of God. And he calms his children and provides life today and forever. May we follow God together – and not in fear. May we simply STOP.
They capture my attention. They seem to have a calming effect that I cannot grasp. It isn’t just me. Other people have it as well. There is something about the rhythm of the ocean. The coming in and going out sing a lullaby of peace if you listen carefully. While I can fall asleep most anywhere, if you put me in a beach chair under an umbrella, that’s an extra special equation for sleep. It isn’t just the ocean, though. It is the mountains as well. The majesty of God’s creation in the horizon gives a sense of comfort. For me, it is as if I am surrounded by God’s army, protected by his goodness. The air is clearer and my mind seems to let things go in search of something better. Both of these places speak of God to me.
I can’t always be at either. It just isn’t possible. I am privileged enough to live between the two – so both are accessible. But work, family, obligations and the like call for my attention. So the trips to either location are fairly limited. What do I do in the meantime? I look in my own backyard.
It doesn’t sound glamorous or special, but it is beautiful to me. I sit in my rocking chair in the backyard and appreciate all I have been given right around me. It may not have the ocean or the mountains, but it has some pretty incredible features. There are birds, trees, blooms, and more beauty than I can take in. There is family surrounding me. There is love that comforts me. As I think about it, my own backyard has so much more to offer that I can easily take for granted. So maybe today, I change my view. I don’t need to change my location, just my view. There is goodness right where I am. The view looks beautiful from where I sit. I couldn’t really ask for more than that. How’s your view this day?
Focus Scripture:
Psalm 147:7-11
7 Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; make melody to our God on the lyre. 8 He covers the heavens with clouds, prepares rain for the earth, makes grass grow on the hills. 9 He gives to the animals their food, and to the young ravens when they cry. 10 His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the speed of a runner; 11 but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.
Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery. Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery
Personally, I find this is one of the most powerful and loving images in all the Bible. When I read God’s Word, I hear love. Sometimes it is tough love. Sometimes it seems the opposite. But if I take the Bible as a whole, I hear, read, and feel God’s love. It isn’t about punishment or anger or destruction – but about love. This particular passage is in the second chapter of the first book. It is a story most of us have heard. I try to talk about it a lot as well. For me, though, this scripture speaks of just how much God loves and cares for us. It tells me of his careful, loving, creative hands finding joy in his creation.
In Genesis 2, we are told of God making the earth and heavens. We are told of the plants and garden. But those are stated matter-of-fact as created. But when he came to humanity, there was an intention. There was a special effort to create. And it fills our lungs with good things – literally. We read that the Lord God formed humanity from the dust of the ground. In our mind’s eye, we can just see the formation, the careful construction of something beautiful. We can see the precision and attention in every detail. We are, after all, made in the image of God. So this was no quick, rush job. This was one of his greatest creations and it was good. After he forms humanity from the dust, he breathes life into the nose. Think about that for just a moment. Think about God’s very breath entering the nose, lungs and being of creation. God breathes life. God’s very breath gives life to humanity. Now that is amazing.
The beauty is that he continues to do so. He is still filling our lungs with good things. He is still breathing life into his good creation. He is still making, remaking, shaping, forming and making all things new. He created me and you. He loves us. He took careful attention with us. We are his creation. We have his breath which gives us life.
You are no mistake. You are no failure. You are a beautiful, wonderful, God-breathed creation. You are sculpted and formed into good. So rise up, beautiful ones. We have work to do.
Focus Scripture:
Genesis 2:4b-8
In the day that the LordGod made the earth and the heavens, 5 when no plant of the field was yet in the earth and no herb of the field had yet sprung up—for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no one to till the ground; 6 but a stream would rise from the earth, and water the whole face of the ground— 7 then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being. 8 And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed.
Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery. Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery
What drives us to do what we do? Are we seeking our own success only or cheering on others? Are we thinking of what we can get out of something or wondering how this is good for the whole? Are we considering how we can work together or how we can do something ourselves? Are we trying to help others receive recognition or willing to steal the spotlight no matter the cost?
What is driving us in our lives? Why do we say, do, post the things we do? Why do we seek what we do? What is our goal in it all? Is it to destroy or to build up? When we evaluate our actions and the motivation behind those actions, it helps us to understand what is really going on. We might find we don’t like the source very much – because it may just be we are looking after ourselves without regard for the greater good. It may be we find we are selfish in our goals. We may find that we are really not looking after anyone else and it can be difficult to find love in it all.
Today’s focus scripture reminds us we should be looking after one another. With God’s love, we should be reaching out and picking up our brothers and sisters. As God’s beloved, we are called to lift up, encourage, support, and move forward together. The words used are meant to help and to love together. These are not words that mean to destroy or beat down. We are not called to name call or push away. WE are called to encourage one another in the journey, we have all been fainthearted. We are called to help one another, we all have times when we are weak. What a gift to have someone who helps and is patient! We are called to seek the good for each other. This is what it looks like to show the love of God. This is what we do, beloved.
Today, let’s lift up, encourage, support, and love as God has called and taught. It just might change a life – and that life may be ours.
Focus Scripture:
1 Thessalonians 5:14-15
14 And we urge you, beloved, to admonish the idlers, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with all of them. 15 See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all.
Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery. Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery
How did you decide what to wear today? Was it the first thing you saw in your closet? Was it the only thing you had clean? Were you thinking of who you might see or the important meeting you would attend? Maybe you dressed for the events of the day. Or maybe you just put on whatever was comfortable. Sometimes we care what we wear and sometimes it just doesn’t matter. At home, it is all about comfort – shorts and a t-shirt work just fine. But when I go to work or out in public, I guess it really comes down to how I feel. What is my mood like? What works best?
We can give a lot of thought to the things that cover us. We can get caught up in appearance. But I wonder if we give enough thought to the one thing that should clothe us. Do we really consider the finishing touch – the item that we should never go without? Do we make sure we not only carry it with us, but allow it to cover us all the time? That covering is God’s love. No, it isn’t hanging in your closet. It isn’t neatly folded in your drawer. It isn’t even hiding somewhere in a clothes basket waiting to be discovered. It is available to us all the time. Yet, we don’t always clothe ourselves with the very thing that can change our entire lives. We don’t allow this to bind us, wrap us, and hold us together. God’s love can be like a security blanket that we never need to put away – we don’t outgrow it. God’s love can be the finishing touch to anything we wear because it is the shining star of our lives. God’s love makes our whole appearance sing with a new joy we didn’t know was even possible – all in perfect harmony. God’s love can change how we feel when we look in the mirror and can help us to hold our head high when despair seems to have set in. God’s love can change the atmosphere of a room and open doors that seemed sealed shut by the rest of the world.
Yes, God’s love changes everything. And we are called to clothe ourselves with it. We are called to bind ourselves tight. We are given God’s love that holds us together when we are otherwise falling apart. May God’s love change your whole day – beginning today. May God wrap us tight and never let go. That’s what we all need right now (and always).
Focus Scripture:
Colossians 3:14
14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery. Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery
It’s a prayer I pray nearly every Sunday before I begin to speak from the pulpit. What weighs heavy on my heart is I am speaking from God’s Word. I want others to hear God, not me. While I may be the deliverer of the message, my prayer is based on the message coming from God. I have my own ideas, but God’s plans and purposes are higher and more powerful. I want them to be from God. So my prayer is usually the same. My children know it by now and can likely recite it for you – they have heard it for so many years. Those who listen to my messages on a regular basis expect it. Yet, for me, each time it is just as much of a plea as it was the time before. The more urgent the message, the more I cling to God speaking. It is the only way forward. The prayer is the focus scripture for today. May my words and my heart be pleasing to God. It is simple but powerful.
I am working on bringing this into my life every day, not just on Sunday prior to delivering the morning message. I want this to spill over into the remainder of my week. I want this to become a part of my speech and thoughts every single day. I want my words to be pleasing to God. I want my heart, my thoughts, my life to be an offering to him. If that is truly what I seek, I will carefully consider what I say. I will proceed with caution, understanding that what I do and say should be pleasing to God – not necessarily to the people around me. I will strive to speak peace, love, and joy. I will avoid hatred and gossip. I will cling to truths, even when the truth is so very hard to hear. At the end of the day, it really is about living for Christ and spreading his love to all.
May we all seek to speak peace. May we all seek to show love. May we all seek to spread joy. And in the end, may it all be pleasing to God.
Focus Scripture:
Psalm 19:14
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery. Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery
Growth can be painful. The most painful lessons we learn help us to develop into a better person. Adversity brings clarity which gives us the push to change and ultimately grow. But who wants to sign up for adversity? Who wants to go through difficulties just to find change? Most of us would rather stay just like we are rather than go through the challenges that are necessary to grow. Yet, if we don’t grow, what are we really doing? If we are not moving forward, how are we changing? If our difficulties aren’t teaching us something, why are we enduring?
There is the scripture that I hung on my mirror a couple of years back. I find it encouraging at first glance. It seems to teach so much about how life seems to work. Yet, it also holds some difficult truths. It scares me because this reminds me that in order to be where I need to be as a follower, there are overwhelming terrains I must trek. And some days, I just don’t want to. I want to take the easy route. I want to seek out the best way to go which equates to the least pain. That isn’t always the right way. Sometimes the correct routes take us through the most disheartening landscapes.
The scripture I am referring is, of course, the focus scripture for today. Our struggles, our difficulties, our challenges ultimately change us, shape us and mold us. If we allow them, they can produce endurance that refines our character. If we really lean into what God is teaching us, we can find hope in the end. Hope is what we are all looking. Hope is so much more than a concept or a feeling. Hope is what reminds us this suffering is not the end. There is more and it is good. We have hope ultimately because of God’s love.
I don’t know what you are going through today, but know that God has not left you in it all. He may not have caused your suffering, but he can use it for your good and his. May God shed just enough hope on your life today that you feel his love pouring into your heart. And may you be changed by it. Changed by hope…changed by love. That’s something worth the struggle.
Focus Scripture:
Romans 5:3-5
3 And not only that, but wealso boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery. Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery
SEEING THE EXTRAORDINARY 
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