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
It can be difficult to accept that we only understand a tiny portion of the love that God has for us. Our minds can only comprehend a small slice of a great big feast of his love. We are loved beyond measure. We are treasured with more than we can hold. We are set free and find our resting place in the One who created us. That sounds good in print, but to live it is quite another task. We really can be captured with only the things we can comprehend. If we don’t understand it, we shy away from it. But God’s love is so enormous that it cannot be understood. And that should be celebrated, embraced, and lived. It should change who we are in him. It should change the person we see in the mirror. It should change how we approach life, as a loved and cherished, beloved child of God.
When we begin to get a glimpse into the love God has for us, he begins to become more than a distant figure in our lives. He becomes so much more than someone we have read about in a book. He becomes personal. He becomes a part of our everyday lives. We sense his presence in the good and the bad. And we look to him because we begin to trust in him.
That is what I hear from the Psalmist today. He begins to describe some of the attributes that God is to him. He writes of the strength, rock, fortress, deliverer – just to name a few. This is the One who he loves. This is the One he seeks help. This is the One that is a constant in his life when no one else can be.
For me, this relationship begins with love. God so loved the world…well, you know the rest. God loves you and me. And this is more than just words in a blog – this is truth. May God love you so much that you find a home in him. He is so much more than we could ever imagine.
Focus Scripture:
Psalm 18:1-3
1 I love you, O Lord, my strength. 2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. 3 I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, so I shall be saved from my enemies.
Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery. Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery
One of my favorite people to read about in the Bible is Jonah. That may sound strange because what most of us know about him deals with the whole whale of an incident. But that is only one small blip in his life. It’s interesting to say that smelling fish guts for a few days while God puts you in time out is a blip. But when we consider the scope of his life, we really know very little. What we do know of Jonah reminds me of his humanity.
We often think of Jonah as the disobedient one. We think of him as the runner – the run as far and fast as you can from what God wants you to do kind of guy. We think of him as the one that God had to teach a lesson. That may all be true, but that misses what Jonah was running from, what he was called to do, and what he never really wanted to do. It misses that Jonah was given this mission he didn’t really want, he didn’t really believe in, and he never fully accepted. It wasn’t because he was a horrible guy. God used him in a mighty way. He may have been one the worst speakers but God had a plan for him. Jonah didn’t like the plan and God still used him. I think it was because Jonah had some redemptive qualities that God saw. Jonah had potential that even he didn’t recognize. And the lesson I learn from Jonah is one that leads and guides so much of my life.
Where we will join Jonah in his story this morning is after the most famous and known part of his journey. He has already been called by God to go to these particular people that he did not want to help. He has run the other way, jumped a ship, thrown overboard, spent time with the fish, and found himself on the shore. What a ride. But that isn’t the end. He does go to the people of Nineveh – though more than reluctantly. God gave him another chance to do the right thing (and maybe God gives him a swift kick to get it done). So he does it, in what seems to be a half-hearted attempt. And God used it. God used the seemingly pitiful message. The people of Nineveh heard it, took it to heart, and changed. They repented. They heard that God cared about them and destruction was coming – they listened. Even the King got the message and made a decree – everyone would be in on this. They would change their ways. Great news, right?! Yes, for everyone but Jonah.
Jonah 3:10-4:11
3:10 When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them; and he did not do it.
4:1 But this was very displeasing to Jonah, and he became angry.
4:2 He prayed to the LORD and said, “O LORD! Is not this what I said while I was still in my own country? That is why I fled to Tarshish at the beginning; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishing.
4:3 And now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.”
4:4 And the LORD said, “Is it right for you to be angry?”
4:5 Then Jonah went out of the city and sat down east of the city, and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, waiting to see what would become of the city.
4:6 The LORD God appointed a bush, and made it come up over Jonah, to give shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort; so Jonah was very happy about the bush.
4:7 But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the bush, so that it withered.
4:8 When the sun rose, God prepared a sultry east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint and asked that he might die. He said, “It is better for me to die than to live.”
4:9 But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the bush?” And he said, “Yes, angry enough to die.”
4:10 Then the LORD said, “You are concerned about the bush, for which you did not labor and which you did not grow; it came into being in a night and perished in a night.
4:11 And should I not be concerned about Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also many animals?”
Don’t miss this. God saved the people and the land of Nineveh. The proclamation of Jonah was heard. He did what he was sent to do and the people heard it and changed. God did not bring the destruction he had planned. They were saved. That should be reason to celebrate. But Jonah was angry. Yes, you heard that correctly – Jonah was angry. He was angry with God. He basically tells God that he knew this would happen. God is too kind and merciful and loving. He just knew God wouldn’t destroy them and that’s why he didn’t want to do this in the first place. How dare God be so loving and kind!
I have to pause there. This is something we do not always hear and if we do, we are ready to cast judgment on Jonah. How dare he act like this! How could he make such a call on those people! Who does he think he is! Yet, what we don’t always consider is who they were to Jonah. Nineveh is the enemy. They are the opposing force. Jonah wants them destroyed because Jonah has identified these people as his enemy. They have sought to destroy his people. How could God care about them? Jonah wanted to see God wipe them out – it seemed only right to him. He didn’t want to care about them and he didn’t want them saved.
That sounds selfish, but I wonder how many times that happens today. We decide who is the enemy and we want them destroyed. We certainly don’t see how God could love them. We don’t want to consider that God created them too and there is any potential in them. They are the “other” and we don’t see value in “those” people. They are the enemy. Yet, if we believe that God is creator of the entire world, there are more people God created than just us. There are more to love outside of our country. There are more valuable people outside of our realm of what we consider worthy. God actually loves the whole world – the whole entire world. And if that is true, that means he loves those we have decided aren’t worthy. It means those we don’t agree with. It means those who don’t look like us or talk like us or think like us. It means God has a plan which is good for all humankind. That could come as a shocker to some of us who feel like the privileged and favored few.
But the story doesn’t end there for Jonah. God decides to teach Jonah a lesson he can grasp. As he did with the big fish, he does with the plant. Jonah is miserable. He has gone to sulk. He wanted to see them destroyed. So he goes and sits down. God provides him shade. It is perfect. It is just what Jonah needed. It saves him for the day. The next day, the shade is eaten by bugs. And Jonah has to face the heat and wind without it. He is angry. God reminds him that Jonah cared about a shade he did not create, he did not do anything for – because it was protecting him. God tells him that there are people in Nineveh that do not understand and that need direction. God cares for them too. He has good things for them too.
God has so much more planned than we could ever imagine. He is using us for his good and loving plan. We don’t always like or understand the plan. We don’t understand how we are to love the enemy. But this is exactly what Jesus taught. We are to love those we consider unlovable and unworthy. God does not appoint us as judge. He does not give us the option to decide who is worthless or worthy. He sees children without direction. And he may just see that in us.
May God open our eyes to see others as he does. May we show love to all – even those we consider the “other”. May it begin today.
I am at the point where I enjoy the subtitles. When I watch shows, I prefer to read what they are saying (along with hearing). It isn’t that they are not speaking English – they are. Sometimes they have different accents (I mean – we don’t have an accent in the South, it’s everyone else, right?). Sometimes they pronounce words differently. It takes a moment for my mind to process what in the world they are talking about. So if I have subtitles, I can read along with hearing what they are saying. It seems to help me put the puzzle together a little better. If I’m honest, I probably don’t hear as well as I once did – but that’s a discussion for another time. I do enjoy using more of my senses when I am watching TV – I feel more engaged.
When we go outside, we have an opportunity to use all of our senses and really embrace the world around us. We can hear the birds sing, if we listen. We can see the sun rise, if we are paying attention. We can feel the cool, fresh air, if we stop to notice. We can smell fresh air, if we breathe it in for a moment. We can feel the life of the tree if we stop and touch. We can taste the goodness of the Lord, if we take it in. It is all there for the experience. But most of us only smell when the smell isn’t good. We notice things that bother us. We only hear the birds if they are getting on our nerves or swooping way too close. We only notice the sun rising if it is blinding us when we are riding. We never stop to feel the earth because that would make our hands dirty. We never taste and see that the Lord is good because we have a million other things to do and engaging the world around us isn’t on the radar. We miss what God has provided – and given us the senses to enjoy. Even if we used just a few of our senses, we will experience the world in a whole new way. We may even find that God has given us an amazing place to live, breathe, grow, and love. If only we took the time to experience.
May your experiences use all of your senses God has given you. And may you be changed.
Focus Scripture:
Psalm 34:8-10
8 O taste and see that the Lord is good; happy are those who take refuge in him. 9 O fear the Lord, you his holy ones, for those who fear him have no want. 10 The young lions suffer want and hunger, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery. Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery
My dog, Leo, has a game he really enjoys. For us, it’s not nearly as fun. His timing seems to be a bit off and it can be, well, annoying. But he finds so much entertainment from it. This can happen in the early morning hours or right when we go to bed. It can even be in the middle of the night if he is restless. He takes a toy or his chewy and starts playing with it at the foot of the bed. That’s not annoying enough for us, so he ends up dropping it. He inevitably drops it down this small opening between the mattress and the footboard. The happens every single time. And then he sits and stares down the hole as if that is going to do something. When that doesn’t help, he starts whining. He is the cutest dog but has the most shrill whine, especially when we are trying to rest. But it works for him because it definitely gets our attention. He whines continually until one of us will reach under the bed and get it out. It is a cycle we repeat all too often.
From the outside, there are many solutions you may dream up. But for us, to generally just means we get up and get the toy. It just seems to work best for us if we just take care of him. Yes, he gets what he wants. Yes, it drives us crazy. But in the end, it really is worth it. Why? Because the joy and love that Leo brings to this house are way more important than the little inconvenience of playing his games. Leo brings a smile to our faces when we walk through the door. When he lays in your lap, you know you are loved and have his heart. He keeps things lively so we do not have dull moments in our home. And that holds more value than we could ever count.
We all have people or jobs or furry friends in our lives that drive us crazy sometimes. They have their own quirks that make us want to scream. They have things we would change. But ultimately, they hold great value. We can overlook some of the insanity for what they add to our lives. It isn’t about perfection. It is about love and joy. What brings you love and joy that you may be overlooking? What do we need to give thanks for today that we may not always appreciate? May God fill you with love and joy today as you seek him, even in the small but invaluable things.
Focus Scripture:
Ephesians 3:20-21
20 Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery. Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery
Before we speak…take a moment. Before we act…take a moment. Before we post…take a moment. That moment could help us to decide if what we are about to do or speak is beneficial. It could help us decide if what comes next is to encourage or destroy. It could help us to detect if it is selfish or not. One moment could make all the difference.
To take a moment requires self-control. It requires us to have enough control over our tongues, our actions, and our posting to check ourselves. Why are we doing or saying this? What is behind it? Is it fear or anger or hate? What is driving my need to say, do or write this? If we could have enough self-control to stop for just a moment, we might find we make better decisions. We may see we are more disciplined in our approach and our responses. We may even find we are more helpful than hurtful.
Self-control is part of the fruit of the spirit. We are given this gift which we do not always readily use. Instead, we end up trying to repair the damage or not caring if we hurt anyone. We can become cold and calloused. That does allow us to share the love of Christ. It can be difficult to exercise this gift because we have knee-jerk reactions. This is especially true when we are bombarded with things which can make us angry or upset. But exercising self-control is part of who we are as followers of Christ.
Today, maybe we work on that moment. Just focus on taking a moment before we respond and evaluate if what we are about to do, say or post is really beneficial. We may find our lives are better for that moment. We may even find we reflect Christ a bit better – the One who taught us all about self-control through his actions. Take a moment – it could really make the difference.
Focus Scripture:
Galatians 5:22-23a
22 By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control.
Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery. Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery
Whenever we are working to accomplish something, there will inevitably be setbacks. There are those issues that arise. There are temptations to go a different direction. There are roadblocks that seem to tell us we are doing it all wrong. There are people that are not only not supportive but are naysayers. They make us question what we are doing and why. It could be that these people are right and we need to take a second look. It could also be that these people do not have our best interest in mind and we should move on. Regardless, there are setbacks we encounter to any plan. What do we do when we are faced with these?
When we run into a roadblock or a setback, all too often we simply stop. We collapse under the weight of the task. Our momentum is interrupted and we find ourselves ready to quit. That’s the easy route. If we are exercising, for instance, and we have a minor injury, we can stop exercising or find something else to do while we heal that can help. If we are trying to eat right and don’t lose the weight we wanted or mess up on our plan, we could eat a whole cake or we could simply keep on the right path knowing that progress is slow. If we are following God’s plan for our lives but nothing seems to go right, we could just abandon the plan and do what we want. Or we could continue to seek God’s guidance as he leads us through the difficult terrain. How we react to setbacks has a lot to do with our accomplishments.
Today, if you find yourself in a tough spot, stop for just a moment. Is what you are doing pleasing to God? Are you helping yourself to become a better person? Are you growing through the process in a positive way? Is the end goal where God would want you to be? If this is a yes, press forward. If it is a no, reevaluate the plan. Where is God leading you? How is he helping you to become more like the beautiful creation he knows you can be? Seek this. Seek HIM. Setbacks are temporary. Accomplishments for God are life changing. Don’t let a setback stop you today. Keep moving forward.
Focus Scripture:
Psalm 23:1-3
1 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; 3 he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake.
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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