We can easily find ourselves living in the shadows of the expectations set for us. We do our best to fulfill what others believe we should do or be or think. We let others speak destiny over us without even considering what has happened. We listen to the advice of those who seem to know better. They tell us who we are. They instruct us on who we should be. They advise us of our career path. They have all of these ideas and those are poured onto us . It doesn’t take long before we become someone who others want to see. And we wonder why we are unhappy, unfulfilled and trying to find our way.
It is interesting how things spoken about us carry for many years. Those people who told us who we should be or what we should do may not even be here anymore. They may not play a role in our lives at all. It may have been someone we knew in the past that we haven’t seen or heard from. It may even be someone we wouldn’t trust under any circumstances now that we know better. But their opinions and ideas have been embedded into our minds and have affected who we are. That is, until we realize we are living in the shadow. And we still can step out of it. It is not too late.
If we believe that God is the creator and designer, then we also must believe that he created us for something good. He didn’t give the design control to someone else. He didn’t stop caring about us and leave us in the hands of random people to tell us who we could be and what we must do. He has been involved since the beginning and will continue to be – forever. So why not listen to the One who creates? Why not consult the artist about his magnificent work? Why not consult the sculptor on his masterpiece?
God’s plans for us include joy, fulfillment, peace, and overflowing love. If this isn’t where you find yourself, consult the artist. If you are lost in the shadows of the expectations set for you, step out. God will guide us. He will direct us. He will show us just how amazing we really are. We just need to listen to him – not everyone else. Step out, stand tall, and step forward. So much awaits – and it is good.
Focus Scripture:
Isaiah 43:1-2
But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.
Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery. Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery
Beautiful days can really lift a mood. It seems as if I can breathe better and think clearer. When the sun is shining and the weather is just a little cool, I can’t wait to get outside. It gives a different view and an opportunity to soak up the goodness of God’s creation. We were made for the outside. We were made to be in creation. We were made to feel the sun on our faces (Vitamin D – although all things in moderation). We were made to enjoy digging in dirt and planting food. We were made to gain a different perspective by changing our view, even if just for a few moments. Today was one of those days that calls for us to smell, breathe, relax, and enjoy.
I’m always amazed at how God works so many things together. Our mental mood is improved by sun shining. Our body reacts to exercise in a way which allows for clearer thoughts and calmer reactions. We are given the ability to plant into the ground and eat from all we have planted. All of this is a part of a big, amazing system that works when we don’t even realize it.
I think Leo has a better realization of this than I do. When it is this beautiful outside, he begs me to go sit outside while he plays. He rings the bell as many times as it takes. When he gets outside, it is like the best day ever to him. Today, we carried him to the Cliffs of the Neuse State Park. The views were incredible as the leaves were changing and the entire landscape was preparing for a new season. The air was crisp. Birds sang and people were out with their families just enjoying the day. Leo was ecstatic to be out and about. And truly, so were we.
God knows exactly what we need when we need it. Today reminds me that he is preparing us for a new time. He is preparing our part of the earth to rest. The leaves are falling and the trees are beginning to find quiet. It is a reprieve from the heat and an expectation of the colder weather to come. It is a day to simply enjoy. We have been given this gift. Don’t miss it. It is good.
Focus Scripture:
Psalm 34:4-8
4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears. 5 Look to him, and be radiant; so yourfaces shall never be ashamed. 6 This poor soul cried, and was heard by the Lord, and was saved from every trouble. 7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. 8 O taste and see that the Lord is good; happy are those who take refuge in him.
Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery. Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery
Leo has this way of getting our attention. Yes, he whines…a lot. He rings the bell at the door. He even has a way of speaking that lets us know he means business. These are all obvious and quite loud. We get it – he wants something. But eventually most of these can be ignored. After all, he wants attention all the time. He rings the bell way too many times. And he whines way too much. So we adjust. But there is one thing he does that we cannot ignore.
If I come home from work and am on my phone, he will not have any of it. If I open my computer and work on a few last projects, he isn’t going to let that go easily. Instead, he climbs up next to me and nudges me. He puts his face between me and whatever I am working on. His wet nose moves my hand and I am left with his head right in my face. He has figured out that I will pay attention to him at this point. I will not come home and do any more work until he has gotten all of his attention first. It isn’t happening. He makes his point loud and clear. And he wins – every single time.
What I have noticed is this nudge helps me to pay attention to what is most important at the time. This nudge is sent through love to help me stop my normal pace and focus on something else. Leo helps me to refocus my attention on something else. I wonder how many things we miss in our day. I wonder what is all around us that we fail to see because we are so focused on our tasks or plans. Wouldn’t it be great if God gave us a nudge every now and then? Wouldn’t it be helpful if God would move the phone away or helps us to see beyond the things right in front of us? Actually, I think he does. Does the phone ever stop working? Does the computer ever just slow down? Is there a long line where we are waiting? Does the stop light seem to go on forever? We think of these things as annoyances. But maybe they are nudges to stop and look around. God is at work. Have you seen him? Nudge on, God – nudge on.
Focus Scripture:
Psalm 145:17-19
The Lord is just in all his ways, and kind in all his doings. 18 The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. 19 He fulfills the desire of all who fear him; he also hears their cry, and saves them.
Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery. Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery
We could be deceived into thinking that life is easy when we love Jesus. We do, after all, receive a peace that goes beyond understanding. We are filled with a hope that lasts this lifetime and the next. We are given joy through all circumstances. We have an eternal home and can spread love here in our earthly home. There is so much to celebrate. And that is all true. But we could take this as life becomes easy. With peace, hope, joy, and love, what could go wrong? Everything.
Loving Jesus does not make us immune from the things that happen in our world. It does not mean we ignore those who are starving. We do not act as though our planet is not in trouble and we, as Christians, are in charge of creation care. We do not live with our head tucked away to the real situations that are in our world. We face them head-on with the love and support of Jesus. That’s what he did – face the world. And yet, we can still struggle.
We can face depression on a daily basis and still love Jesus. We can battle anxiety every.single.moment and still love Jesus. We find ourselves fearful for no reason and still love Jesus. We can become overwhelmed by all that is happening and still love Jesus. We can live quite differently than the world and still love Jesus. Facing depression, fighting anxiety, living in fear, becoming overwhelmed – these do not mean you are not loving Jesus enough. It does not mean he does not love you. You can even find yourself feeling hopeless and still be loved immensely by Jesus. We can easily get the idea that following Jesus means we do not live in fear, do not have depression, do not battle anxiety, and do not feel hopeless. And this is simply not true. We may, indeed, find hope when we follow and love Jesus and allow him to love us. We may find joy in situations we thought impossible. But if we don’t, it doesn’t mean we aren’t loved. And it doesn’t mean we are doing something wrong. It means we are human. And that doesn’t exclude us from being loved by God. It doesn’t mean we are a bad Christian. It means we are real.
If you are struggling today, know that you are loved beyond measure. It may not take the pain away. It may not change your outlook. But I pray it opens up a part of you that allows you to know that you are okay. Christians struggle too – and that’s okay. You are not alone. Just keep moving forward – even if you have to crawl.
Focus Scripture:
Romans 8:35, 37-39
35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery. Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery
The truth is so difficult to come by. You can’t trust most of the news because they are reporting what is most advantageous to them. They think about what will get the most ratings and can turn something with a hint of factual data into a huge fabrication. And it is not just the news, either. We tend to do that too. We embellish stories to make them more interesting. We put an extra spin on something so people want to hear. We post things on Facebook that haven’t been fact checked nor is there any truth to them. I am always amazed at the things that are shared that were created years ago and people post as something that happened yesterday. It is all about stirring up controversy or proving a point without real facts.
In a world filled with lies, rumors, embellishments and gossip, how do we ever find out the truth? The sad thing is most won’t even try. The truth isn’t something all want to hear. It may not support the cause. It may cause people to rethink what they hold so dear. It may cause people to reconsider long held beliefs that actually are not true. And most really don’t want to do that. It is scary and why sign up for such? As Jack Nicholson said so famously in A Few Good Men – “You can’t handle the truth!”
Today, I want to offer a word of truth. It is a truth most don’t understand and that is okay. Not everyone believes this truth, which seems pretty in line with the truth. Not all want to hear this truth. But it is what it is – YOU ARE LOVED. It seems so simple but if most of us really believed this, we would be different people. We would carry our head high knowing just how much we are loved. We would treat others with kindness and love because we are loved so much. We wouldn’t have to belittle or berate others because we are loved. How do I know you are loved? Because that’s what the entire Bible is about – what creation is about – what life is about – YOU ARE LOVED. Can you handle this truth?
Focus Scripture:
1 John 4:7-12
7 Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.
Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery. Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery
I don’t know how I missed it. I must have read the blog 5 or 6 times, more than usual. It didn’t stick out to me. And I missed an important word – NOT. The word I missed was not. Leaving that word out is pretty significant since it means I was supporting the complete opposite – which wasn’t my intention at all, of course. But I read it as if it were there. When I read the sentence, the NOT was there. Except, it wasn’t. I knew what was in my mind but that didn’t make it true in the sentence. Thankfully, my friend Gale pointed it out. She is so kind and simply mentioned I may have missed it. I am grateful for friends that point out the things I miss.
It doesn’t just happen with sentences though. We miss lots of things because we are in a routine. We miss things because it is a part of our everyday sequence. We miss that we actually pass people (actual humans) every day, not just objects. We miss that the sun rose and that the birds sing. We miss all the normal, everyday happenings that are actually quite significant. We miss opportunities to be kind. We miss the chance to show love. We miss it because it becomes a blur in our lives. It is a part of the normal operation. We are sure it is there just because. We take the good for granted.
Sometimes it takes friends and family to help us see what we have been missing. Children are great for this. They notice things and find such wonder in the simple. People that don’t walk our path notice the obvious. Maybe today, we strive to notice too. Maybe we take a stranger’s view of our little world. Maybe we seek out the things we have missed. There just may be joy, hope and love waiting around the corner.
Focus Scripture:
Psalm 27:13-14
13 I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. 14 Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!
Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery. Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery
There are unanswerable questions. Most of us don’t like this fact. We don’t want to accept it. We spend our time and resources and energy trying to figure it out. We wear ourselves out spiritually and mentally, replaying the steps and wondering what could have gone differently. We want to know why. We want to understand what happened and why it happened and how it happened. And for so much of our lives, there just are no answers. That can be frustrating.
We live in the age of Google and nearly every other search engine you can think. If someone is talking to you, you can fact check what they are telling you. And there is a chance you could actually stumble on some facts searching this way. We want to know how to make something, so we look it up. We want to know how to repair something, we play a YouTube video of it. If we want to hear something in a different language, there is an app for that. There seems to always be an answer for every question. There is this thirst to know in a moment, so we search for the fastest network to get us the answer. We want to know, we want to know it now, and we do not want to take not knowing as an answer. There must be an answer. Except, sometimes, there isn’t.
When we grieve, we can replay events or situations over and over. We want to know what would have happened if we tried something else. We want to know why our loved one was in that situation on that particular day. We want to know why he got cancer or she had her cancer return after fighting so long. We want to understand how one day he was doing fine and the next day, no longer here. We have this desire to know and to not know can really hurt us as we seek to grieve our loss.
Since there are not answers to everything, how do we come to a place of peace? How do we begin to heal when the wound is still exposed? How do we accept we will just not know all the answers? It begins with understanding there are some things we were not meant to understand. This world is filled with the unknown. So we begin to focus on what we do know. We do know that we loved the one we are missing. We do understand we did the best we knew to do with the resources we were given. We do know God was with us on the journey and continues to be with us through it all. We can know that although God has many mysteries, his love is not one of them. We can sense his love. We can experience his love. We can see it and share it and become completely overwhelmed by it. His love is bigger and wider and more vast than our minds would ever begin to comprehend. We may be suffering here and now, but that does not mean God does not understand. It does not mean he does not love us. It does not mean we are abandoned. It means there are mysteries we cannot know and we cling to the One that does understand. We cling to God and his love when all else seems to be collapsing around us. We hold tight to the promise that God is always with us, no matter where we may find ourselves in the journey. The greatest mystery is also the greatest comfort – you are not alone, you are loved.
You do not need to have all the answers. It is okay to not understand the process. It is acceptable to feel lost and confused. Just hear that God is with you. God loves you. And God will not leave you.
We tend to make rules that keep people in or out. We create barriers that keep likeminded people together and exclude anyone that dissents from the main view. It starts early, even as young as elementary school. Sometimes the divisions are created for us – boys on one side, girls on the other. Sometimes we create them – think playground picking of teams. We choose people we want to be around and exclude those that we consider different. Unfortunately, we carry this through into our adult lives way too often. We buy houses in places where there are people like us. We choose schools on that basis. We go to social events with people that fit in the group we want to identify. So many of our everyday decisions are based on choosing people and groups to make sure we are with people who think, look and act like us.
Yet, it makes for a pretty boring world. Sure, we may be able to talk about topics and everyone agree. We may be able to rally around a subject and everyone get on fire about it. We may find those that will agree with us, so we feel better about our views. But we never really learn to be followers of Jesus really well. Jesus went outside of the group – all the time. He ate with the wrong people. He went in the wrong houses. He visited those that were excluded – who were even run out of town. He sat down with people that he should have never approached, much less talked with. He broke every one of the cultural and religious rules when it came to meeting people. He didn’t have a group that was made up of the same type of people. Even his disciples were a quirky group of guys that were from different backgrounds. Yet, Jesus changed things because he was willing to listen, see and spend time with those that had been excluded.
What might it look like for us to do the same? What might it take for us to spend time with those who do not look, think, act, vote, or believe like us? It really is a challenge because it is outside of our comfort zone. It pushes us out into places we have not gone. It gives us the chance to listen. We may find we learn something. We may actually find out those people are actually people just like us – just with different views. We are, after all, God’s good creation. Maybe today we discover the good in others.
Focus Scripture:
Matthew 22:36-39
36 “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” 37 He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the greatest and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery. Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery
Sometimes when I read particular scriptures, my eyes roll. I understand it isn’t very pastoral of me. I also understand that it isn’t how I should feel about what I am reading. It is just that some scriptures sound so difficult – so out of reach – so unrealistic that I find my eyes rolling before I even think about it. I can imagine that God isn’t pleased with how I feel as I know my parents weren’t okay when I rolled my eyes around them. I’m pretty sure my parents wanted to knock my eyes out a few times – but I am grateful they didn’t. But, for some reason, I feel that God understands my frustration. I think he gets why this makes me so upset. It is like when someone tells you how perfect they are- you know it isn’t happening and you just want it to be over. The problem is that this scripture is meant for us. It is a possibility. It is a part of being one of God’s children. It actually is part of living for Christ. So, here we go – no eye rolls please.
Philippians 4:1-9 4:1 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved. 4:2 I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. 4:3 Yes, and I ask you also, my loyal companion, help these women, for they have struggled beside me in the work of the gospel, together with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life. 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 4:5 Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 4:6 Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 4:7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 4:8 Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 4:9 Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.
Joy in all circumstances. Really? This is what is asked of us? Does Paul not understand that we are in the midst of a pandemic and how much of a strain it is putting on us? Does he not understand how difficult life is right now? Actually, yes he does. He writes these words from prison. That’s right – he is in prison when he pens the words “rejoice always.” So yes, Paul gets it and still writes it.
What do we do with this? It seems so difficult – so challenging – almost impossible. We are to rejoice always and think on things that are praiseworthy. Our response may be – if only. I would rejoice if I didn’t have so many bills. I would think about things that were praiseworthy if I didn’t have this job or this doctor’s appointment or this situation going on. The problem is that when we live with “if onlys” in our lives, we never achieve anything. We hunker down in a hole of excuses that eventually covers us so we see no way out. “If onlys” are dangerous. They are making things and situations responsible for our joy and our praise. We are giving stuff the responsibility for our thoughts and our actions. Is that really where we want to be? Do we want things and people and situations to control our thoughts and steal our joy?
This scripture brings even more interesting parts we might otherwise miss. Paul is writing about a disagreement among church leaders. That never happens, right? He reminds both of them to have the same mind as Christ – to come together for the glory of God – to focus on what God is calling and instruction – to live like Jesus. And in doing that, in the middle of the disagreement, as he sits in a prison cell – Paul writes – “rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice.” He reminds them to let their gentleness (or forbearance) be known to everyone. What is forbearance? It is patient self-control – a restraint. It means not self-seeking but a willingness to work with others. It leads to peace, he says.
Sounds great, doesn’t it? But to put into practice is much more challenging, seemingly impossible. Paul must have meant this for someone else. He couldn’t really mean we should do these things, right? Yet, I think we actually make things more challenging than they are. We don’t want to put forth the effort because that would mean we give up our own opinions or ways of doing something. We don’t want to restrain ourselves, it is easier not to. Yet, to work as the people of God in fellowship requires just that. And it isn’t easy – not for a moment. But it also isn’t impossible. If it was impossible, we wouldn’t be given this word as something to do. It isn’t unachievable. It is within our grasp. But it means working together, encouraging one another, and loving even those we may not agree with.
If we monitored our speech and our thoughts by these measures given to us, we might find we are rejoicing more. We might find that even in the middle of a situation, there is so much to be joyful for. We may even find our joy is a part of our everyday lives – despite the harshness of the day. Joy can ignite a fire in us to live as Christ taught us to live. Joy can light up a room when it is otherwise harsh and cold. Joy can change circumstances because it presents a different outlook. There are different possibilities. We are not held to the place where we find ourselves. There is another way. And it begins with joy because it begins with Jesus.
Maybe we begin with reading the scripture differently. Maybe we should read it as something we can do rather than the impossible. Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice – it is more than a great set of words, but is a beautiful command that helps us to focus on the Lord and not on us. We rejoice through thinking about the true, honorable, just, pure, pleasing, commendable, and praiseworthy. Think on these things. Measure our thoughts with these things. Filter our comments through these things. Who knows – we may find peace filling our lives despite our circumstances. We may find we are known for loving others regardless and our selflessness will be shown brightly. We may even bring glory to God. It is certainly worth the effort. And the time to begin is now.
I will never forget it. It is one of those treasured moments I have as a pastor. It isn’t every day that you get an honest response from someone in the pews. Now, I get lots of feedback. I’m not talking about that. I am talking about honesty – pure honesty. So you know it had to come from a child. Adults pretend too much. But children have no illusions of such. They just say how they feel. This particular Sunday, precious Sofie did just that.
I was preaching on the Sermon on the Mount. This was a series of messages to cover the difficult teachings of Jesus. They can be found in Matthew 5-7. They are challenging and a bit overwhelming sometimes. But Jesus meant these words, so I try to struggle through them with the congregation. It helps us to grow. This particular Sunday, I was on the part where Jesus tells his disciples about loving your enemies and turning the other cheek. As I understand it, Sofie was coloring. She never missed a beat – As I was teaching about this scripture, she stopped just long enough to say “nope” and went back to coloring. No fanfare. No other comments needed. Just nope. I still laugh today as if just happened.
The best part is Sofie was telling the truth about how most of us feel. She had nothing to hide. She wasn’t going to love her enemies nor turn the other cheek – not happening – just nope. She didn’t need to discuss it or consider it – just nope. As adults, we might would want to reason or consider how we can do it. But underlying it all, most of us are also thinking – nope. If we are honest, we have trouble loving the people we don’t consider enemies. We don’t really even love the people who call themselves Christians. We haven’t made it anywhere near loving our enemies yet. Some of us don’t even love ourselves. Sophie’s answer is exactly how most of us feel – it’s just nope.
We hide that part of ourselves because we know the right answers. The problem is we never really make any progress. When we fake our way through it, we never make genuine change. We must start with the truth of where we are before we can begin to move forward. If the answer is nope – then start there. Don’t try to pretend we are great at loving others when we aren’t. That’s just lying.
I am grateful Sofie spoke the truth. She helps me to realize beginning with the truth helps us to improve to become more like Christ. Maybe, just maybe, that nope becomes yep. But it doesn’t until we first acknowledge it is just a nope. Thanks Sofie!
Focus Scripture:
Matthew 18:2-4
2 He called a child, whom he put among them, 3 and said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
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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