Author: J Brad Mitchell

We are not always teachable.  We may think we are.  It may even be our intention to be teachable.  But to actually live there may be something completely different.  To be teachable means I do not always have the answers.  To be teachable means I am willing to listen to the voices that are different than mine to hear what I might learn.  To be teachable means I am open to other ideas that I have not considered before.  That’s not nearly as easy as it sounds.  So many of us are so ingrained in what we know that we become extremely defensive over anything which sounds different.  We hinge our lives on what we think we know so are unwilling to actually consider there are ideas different than our own that may hold value.  It is difficult to open ourselves enough to hear someone else.

This seems to be where the religious people in the Bible found themselves.  They were confident they knew everything there was to know about God.  Any push against that was unwelcome.  They were willing to do whatever it took to institute their own beliefs and silence any dissenting views.  Ultimately this also meant they silenced Jesus – or at least attempted.  He was a dissenting voice.  He lived a contrary life.  His views pushed many beyond where they were willing to go.  They were willing to kill him just to silence him.  Their opinions of God meant more than listening to God.

I fear we could easily find ourselves in that same place.  We are so determined that we are right that we might miss what God is trying to tell us.  I am not asking anyone to change their reading of the Bible.  I am not asking for anyone to change anything about their beliefs.  I simply invite listening, with the acknowledgement that we may not know everything.  We may find we are actually hearing the voice of God if we will simply listen.  May God teach us his ways rather than our own.

Focus Scripture:

Psalm 86:11-12

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

One of the first things I do when I get up in the morning is to check the weather.  What does the day hold?  What is the percentage of rain?  What will the highs become and how humid is it?  How should I prepare for the day?

I am not really sure why I do this.  It is summertime in Eastern North Carolina.  It will be hot, really hot and it will be humid.  There will inevitably be some chance of rain.  And did I say it would be hot?  That generally doesn’t change throughout most of the summer.  Sure, there could be a storm rolling in that produces a higher chance of rain.  But unless it is a massive storm, it could turn at any point and produce no rain.  It really is the same thing most every single day.  Yet, I check it – I guess expecting the app to tell me something different.  It is almost silly how I depend on this app to tell me something I could have easily guessed on my own.  And if I am honest, my guesses are about as accurate as my app.  Hot and humid with a chance of showers – and boom, I have the forecast.

I find it interesting that we depend on an app but can struggle to trust the Creator of it all.  We will look at an app to tell us how to dress but we don’t listen to God to tell us how to act.  We will put some credence into a guessing system before we will have faith that God is with us through the storms.  It isn’t that we trust in fact based, always correct information.  We rely on estimates.  Yet God has been creating and recreating since before our minds can even comprehend.  And he hasn’t stop creating and recreating.  He is doing that in you and me right now.  Why do we struggle to receive his love?  Why do we have trouble understanding that we are God’s beloved child?  Why do we trust in things that don’t matter but struggle with the One that does?  That’s something I will consider as I check my app for the weather today.

Focus Scripture:

Proverbs 3:5-6

⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not rely on your own insight.
⁶ In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.

Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery.  Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery

The most astonishing finds are awaiting off the beaten path.  Some things cannot be found where everyone else travels.  They aren’t noticed in the transport of the everyday life.  They are passed by, hidden, and seemingly unimportant.  But when we get off the regular path and seek to discover what all is out there, we find unexpected joy.  We find messages from God in his handiwork.  We find reminders that God is with us and working all around us.  When we are willing to step off the path we have always known, we are surprised to find God is leading us through a life of discovery.

As someone that finds himself off the path regularly, it can be scary.  I mostly lose my way because I am directionally challenged.  But sometimes, it is in a way of seeing what else is out there.  When I pay attention to the beauty and the rare gems of God’s love, I end up in unexpected places.  And I find myself in good company.  It isn’t as scary as I thought it might be when I stop and take in the beauty.  When I am willing to give up my agenda, God leads me to people that I would have never met.  I encounter God’s grace in ways I would have never experienced.

I am reminded that Jesus walked off the beaten path nearly every single time.  He didn’t do any of the things everyone told him he should do.  He simply listened to God.  And he was found at tables with sinners.  He was found in villages of outcasts.  He was discovered at wells with women of the “other” kind.  He talked to the questionable.  He didn’t care for the path everyone else was on because it wasn’t the path of love or grace.  It was the path of rules.

There is something to be said for getting off the beaten path to simply discover where God is.  It is an adventure that brings unexpected rewards.  You can get lost in his love.  You can swim in his joy.  You can climb in his fortress.  And you might find you aren’t lost at all – you are exactly where he intended all along.

Focus Scripture:

Matthew 7:7-8

⁷ “Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery.  Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery

Do you ever struggle with your faith?  Do you ever find yourself doubting?  Do you feel challenged by all that you hear and see and can’t reconcile with God’s love?  I would imagine many of us find ourselves in this place at some point.  I might even imagine we find our faith challenged even more in times like these.  When things are uncertain, we are pushed.  When there seems to be no end, we are anxious.  When all we have known is shifted, we are frightened.  Our faith can be shaken.  It is not to say we do not believe, but more to say we just do not understand.  We can’t seem to make sense of it all in the light of God’s amazing love.  We may feel a little lost or disoriented.  And to be lost or disoriented can be scary.

Hebrews 11:1 reads, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” I mention this verse because there are two things that stand out to me in the struggle.  When our faith is challenged and we find ourselves doubting, we go back to how faith is defined.

First, faith is the assurance of things hoped for.  We are assured that God is still working.  We are assured God has not left us in this fight alone.  We are assured this is not the end and good is still to come.  We are assured God hears our cries and will rescue.  We may not know when or how…but we have hope God is still at work.

Second, faith is the conviction of things not seen.  That means the things we see should not shatter our faith.  We should not be shaken by the news because the news is not telling us of our faith.  We should not be defeated by our current situation because we don’t understand it all.  We are believing in God who is working beyond our vision.  We begin to comprehend that God is so much more powerful than what is reported.  In our hearts we know God is love and while that may not be what we see, it is what God is up to.  What we see may not be the truth.  Our faith tells us there is so much more.  Our faith tells us that God is not done yet.  Our faith tells us God is more powerful than anything we hear or experience.  God is working.  What are you putting your faith?

Focus Scripture:

Hebrews 11:1

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery.  Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery

Today we celebrate freedom.  We think about freedom.  It possibly enters our discussions as we feast on 4^th of July cookouts.  It is something we can easily take for granted because we have been free for a long time.  If we are born in this country, we likely do not truly appreciate our freedom because we know no different.   If you immigrated to this country, you probably have a much more refined, appreciative view.  It brings gratitude.

Being free means that I can own the land that I am currently sitting upon.  I am free to earn a living of my choice.  I am free to make decisions.  For some, it means freedom to do whatever they want.  But I think freedom is so more than that.  I don’t see it as a selfish gift.  I see it as an gift of unlimited possibilities to serve.  I think of our freedom to love others in a way that reaches out to those in need.  I think of our freedom to take care of those that may not be able to take care of themselves.  My freedom to worship God in a public, open space is a priceless gift.  One of those ways of worship is feeding and providing for others.  I am free to be kind to others.  I am free to be all that God has created and gifted me to be.

What will we do today with our freedom?  Will we reach out and love?  Will we share the gifts we have been given?  Will we welcome and care for others?  Will we share unexplainable kindness simply because we can?  Will we worship, praise and give thanks?  Or will we take for granted what it means to really be free?

Focus Scripture:

Galatians 5:13

For you were called to be free, brothers and sisters; only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love.

Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery.  Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery

We seem to be obsessed in our world over “perfection”.  I’m not sure that anyone really knows what that actually looks like.  But it is something everyone seems to lean towards.  We want it to be perfect.  If a product has a spot on it, we don’t want it.  Wendy and I receive fruits and veggies from a place that tries to salvage the products that consumers will not buy in the store.  They don’t buy them because they are imperfect.  They are not rotten.  They are actually delicious.  But they had some imperfection that made it impossible for them to place them on a shelf at a store.  Consumers wouldn’t buy them with whatever was wrong.  Sometimes I look at a fruit and can see the imperfection.  But most of the time, I can’t even tell.  I realize just how consumed we are by only getting the best.  Enough food to feed the world gets thrown away because it isn’t perfect.

That same thought pours into the remainder of our lives.  It somehow spills over into our thoughts of ourselves.  We begin to evaluate our own lives by some imaginary measuring stick which is impossible to actually achieve.  On social media, we post the best parts of our lives, making it seem that another level of perfection is achievable.  We tend to hide the difficulties or struggles when we see someone in person, even our close friends.  We want to have a persona that we have it together – or at least are on that path.  We work hard to cover or correct the things which we consider imperfect.

What if our imperfections are actually what make us beautiful?  I know that is a lot to take in or grasp.  But those things which make us unique, different than anyone else, could be gifts.  It could help us to realize that we were not created to be like everyone else – so we don’t need to live up to their standards.  We are meant to live as the beautifully different creations made by a loving and caring God.  He didn’t make a mistake when he made us.  He made someone unique and amazing.  Maybe we try embracing our imperfections as gifts that help us to be uniquely us.  We are, after all, God’s beloved.

Focus Scripture:

Isaiah 42:5

⁵ Thus says God, the Lord,
who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spread out the earth and what comes from it,
who gives breath to the people upon it
and spirit to those who walk in it:

Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery.  Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery

There are days when nothing seems to go right.  We feel as though we have the opposite of the Midas touch.  We lose keys (and our mind), we trip over our own feet, we lose the phone that is in our hand, and we simply cannot seem to get it together.  Those days are what they are.  We live through them and hope tomorrow isn’t the same.

There are days when all seems to fall into place.  Our conversations go well.  We offer kindness and notice it in others.  We don’t spill our coffee and it is made just right.  Things just seem to flow in an usually peaceful way.  And we can only hope tomorrow is the same.

Through either of these, there is something we can do.  There is a consistency in both.  It is, I’ll admit, not the obvious answer.  It can be a challenge.  But what if…no matter what our day holds…we praise God?  What if, instead of complaining about the difficult days, we praise God for another day?  What if, instead of simply feeling relief over a good day, we praise God for the joys?  What if our natural inclination, no matter our circumstances, is to praise?  How might that change things?

If we are constantly focused on praise, we will be on the lookout for where God is working.  We will be honed into the beauty and majesty of his work.  We will take the time to praise God for simply the air to breathe.  It may be the simple, small things that cause us to praise, but at least we will be looking for them.  It might shift our attention from the difficult days to the joys in each day.  It may cause us to take a second look at the things that would normally turn our day the wrong way.  We might find ourselves looking for the praiseworthy.  And there is always something in each day that causes us to praise.  No day goes by that God is not working.  No day happens without his love and joy.  Some days just may cloud our view.  We can clear it out and praise him anyway.  May we never lose our praise.

Focus Scripture:

Psalm 96

¹ O sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord, all the earth.
² Sing to the Lord, bless his name;
tell of his salvation from day to day.
³ Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous works among all the peoples.
⁴ For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
he is to be revered above all gods.
⁵ For all the gods of the peoples are idols,
but the Lord made the heavens.
⁶ Honor and majesty are before him;
strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

⁷ Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
⁸ Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
bring an offering, and come into his courts.
⁹ Worship the Lord in holy splendor;
tremble before him, all the earth.

¹⁰ Say among the nations, “The Lord is king!
The world is firmly established; it shall never be moved.
He will judge the peoples with equity.”
¹¹ Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
¹²     let the field exult, and everything in it.
Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
¹³     before the Lord; for he is coming,
for he is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,
and the peoples with his truth.

Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery.  Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery

Isn’t it crazy how much a simple smile can light up a face?  A simple gesture of kindness can change an entire day.  An effort to go an extra step can alter someone’s mood and bring hope.  The right word spoken at the right time can renew joy.  A listening ear can remind others that they are valued.  A meal shared can break through loneliness.  A phone call can extend friendship.  It is amazing how the most simple efforts can be so powerful.

We try to make kindness difficult sometimes.  We imagine we have to make big gestures to make big impacts.  We focus on the large efforts and sweeping productions to make change.  But if we really want to make a difference, the seemingly small acts can be the key.  If we all could focus on doing one small act of kindness each day, it would do more than we could ever imagine.  We may not see the results, but that never is the reason.  We may not know how we touched someone else’s life, but that is perfectly okay.  The act of kindness is enough in itself.  Simply to find a way to show kindness is the key.  And as described, it doesn’t need to be elaborate.  The small things matter.

One of the most powerful characteristics of Jesus for me is that he saw people.  He truly took the time to see the beggar on the street that everyone else stepped over.  He saw those with skin diseases that had been excluded from society.  He saw the women of questionable character for the beauty that they were.  He saw the rich, not as rich and powerful, but as needy and desperate.  He wasn’t swept away by the glitz and glamor.  He was moved by the heart of a person.  He truly saw people.  He changed lives through the simple act of seeing people.  It really is the simple things that make such a difference.

What simple acts of kindness can we do today?  Could it be a smile, going the extra step, offering a listening ear?  Whatever it is, take some time today to simply be kind.  It just might change someone’s day…and it might be yours.

Focus Scripture:

Galatians 5:22-23

²² By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.

Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery.  Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery

We are good at assigning measurements to our progress.  How many did you make?  How much did you accomplish?  What was the quantity of your work?  How can you add one more?  How many attended?  How many responded?  These are all measurements we give to take note of success.  We want to know if we are doing a good job.  Those around want to measure themselves against others progress.  It can become a competition.  The focus of accomplishment can become our sole focus.

And then there is the Christian faith.  Many have the desire to measure progress there as well.  How many verses did I read today?  How much time did I spend in prayer?  How many good deeds were done?  How many times did I share how good God has been?  How many rewards have I received?  It becomes an effort of accomplishment.  We somehow find measurement a way to detect progress.

What about the things that cannot be measured?  What about the outcomes that we do not see?  What keeps us motivated to work towards things which are not attainable?  What about the commands that do not see earthly reward?  What do we do when the things which we are taught are not measurable?  What if the things that really mattered can’t be checked off?

I think we change how we measure.  Maybe we check to see how we are following Christ.  Maybe we spend time reading and hearing all that Jesus taught so that we can have a real guide.  Maybe we look at the fruit of the Spirit – the Spirit that should be living in us.  If we are following Christ, this fruit should be evident.  We should not have to check it off of a box – it should be a natural result of following God.  How are we producing these beautiful fruit?  How is Christ working in us as this fruit naturally blooms?  Do we produce love, peace, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, patience, generosity?  Is this what we are producing?  If not, we may want to go back to the Source.  We do not need to measure by the world’s standards.  Christ has already given us all we need to produce a beautiful crop for his glory.

Focus Scripture:

Galatians 5:22-23

²² By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.

Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery.  Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery