What does it mean to put something or someone first? When our lives are overcrowded and overrunning, how do even know what is first and what is just in the mix of it all? It can be difficult to know where we started or where we are going when we are just surviving. We may proclaim that we put our children first until we look at our hectic schedules overrun with other things. We may think we put our spouse first until we look at how our time is actually spent. The way we spend our time and our funds, our energies and our gifts all show us those things or people which we have chosen to put first.
And yet, those who choose to follow God are called to put him first. How is this even possible? We have those we love more than life itself. We have obligations which tend to cause us to lose sight of the important stuff in life. We have consumer goods telling us we have to work extra to obtain the pretty things. We have to look good and make sure everything is social media worthy. It can be confusing and distressing. So how do we sort it all out?
Putting God first really does help us to readjust our priorities and envision a different life. Putting God first actually enables us to take better care of our spouse and children. Putting God first encourages us to work giving it our all – because we are doing it as unto the Lord. Putting God first helps us to see those things which are truly valuable – and we might just be surprised where really value is found. We begin to see that love, peace, joy, and hope are way more important than the latest gadget or social media photo. We begin to care less about the things of this world and more about God’s good creation and living for him. We may just find our life really is a lot more joyful than we could have ever imagined. It just make take a new look – a look at what it means to put God first in all things.
How might our lives change today if we just take a few moments to readjust and begin to put God first? Will we find ourselves less judgmental, angry, and anxious?
Focus Scripture:
Mark 12:29-30
29 Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; 30 you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’
Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery. Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery
Running in the dark is something I have adjusted to. It doesn’t get light until I am well on my way to getting ready for work. And although the time the sun rises and falls changes, my schedule doesn’t. So I put on my reflective gear and carry my flashlight (and sometimes my phone) and head out. It’s fine. It does add another layer of interesting when it is also foggy. I always go out with the attitude that no one will ever see me and I just run way off the road when a car comes. It is doable.
The most interesting part of the adventure is the change in the whole environment. The fog distorts my vision and creates a new way of experiencing the same route. The grouping of large trees sound as if it is part of the rain forest. The moisture has collected on the leaves and the breeze makes the trees sway with sounds of rain. I understand how this happens as it also collects on my beard. Lights that are usually visible far away are held to a small section of their world. The traffic that comes behind me creates a fascinating image. As they approach, a circle of light forms in front of me. It looks as if I am running in this circle. As the lights get closer, I can see my reflection in the circle. But if I pay really close attention, there are two of me – a shadow that is much more dim but noticeable beside my usual reflection. It looks as if I am running with someone.
I understand that this is part of how light works. But for just a moment I am also reminded that I am not alone. It signals to me that I do not travel this life by myself. We are made in the image of God – his image captured with mine in a way that is unexpected. I am often challenged to see God at work, to feel and sense his presence, and to follow his way. This morning, I have a visual reminder that he is with me. He is with you too. It may just be a matter of carefully looking for him. He may, in fact, be right beside you.
Focus Scripture:
Matthew 28:20b
And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery. Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery
He is everywhere. He is here – he is there. He is with us, acknowledgement not needed. He goes with us. We sometimes notice, often we don’t. Sometimes we care and then there are times when we don’t seem to. We wonder if it is true but don’t dare talk about it. And yet, there is something comforting and reassuring to know we are not alone. We do not travel alone. We do not face life’s most difficult challenges by ourselves. We do not celebrate our accomplishments without him. Our lives are filled with his presence. We have a million opportunities to feel his love. Yet, most of the time, we just miss it. We are caught up in the other things which feel more real, which consume our minds, which fill our pockets. Yet, he is here. His name even tell us so. His name is Immanuel – God with us.
How might life look different if we realized that God is really with us? Would we make better choices? Would we hold our tongue? Would we more readily forgive? Would we become more bold or more quiet? Would we listen or would be rebel? Would we even care?
Today, we are taking just a glimpse into the life of Moses. Moses has had some pretty incredible experiences with God – probably more than many will realize. God was with him as he was born and as he was raised in a palace. God was with him when he fled to the countryside. God was with him as he married. And God reminded him very evidently as he approached him through a burning bush. God sent plagues, right before the eyes of Moses. God split a sea – right in his presence. Moses had felt God’s power in some small fraction as he held the rod. He had experienced his anger as the people did what they wanted and built a calf to worship. Moses had been in God’s presence enough to glow – actually change his countenance after being with God. Moses and God spoke often. And God showed Moses what to do and how to do it. This seems to be a unique relationship. This bond reminds Moses he doesn’t want to do this alone. After being with God all this time, he wants even more time with him. He wants more of a relationship. He wants even more of a deep experience. And he asks for it, even refuses to move forward without God.
Exodus 33:12-23 33:12 Moses said to the LORD, “See, you have said to me, ‘Bring up this people’; but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.’ 33:13 Now if I have found favor in your sight, show me your ways, so that I may know you and find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people.” 33:14 He said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” 33:15 And he said to him, “If your presence will not go, do not carry us up from here. 33:16 For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people, unless you go with us? In this way, we shall be distinct, I and your people, from every people on the face of the earth.” 33:17 The LORD said to Moses, “I will do the very thing that you have asked; for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.” 33:18 Moses said, “Show me your glory, I pray.” 33:19 And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and will proclaim before you the name, ‘The LORD’; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. 33:20 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face; for no one shall see me and live.” 33:21 And the LORD continued, “See, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock; 33:22 and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by; 33:23 then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back; but my face shall not be seen.”
Moses essentially tells God that he cannot move forward without him. He doesn’t want to proceed unless God is there. He doesn’t want to take another step unless God is present. He has been with him enough to know in God’s presence is exactly where he needs to be. He doesn’t want to make it alone. He can’t make it alone.
Moses asks to experience God’s glory. He wants even more of God. He wants to embrace the goodness of God in all fullness. God realizes that Moses heart is to know he is known and loved. And God helps him to realize this. He helps him to experience, at least as much as he can, the goodness of God. He gives him a sense of his might and power in a moment. But that is all it takes, really. None else is needed. This is more than sufficient.
Do you believe God is with us – all the time? Most of us would say we do. We would want to believe it. We say it is true. But we don’t actually act like it. I mean, we get caught up in the day’s activities and forget it. We don’t audibly hear him so surely he can’t actually be there. How can he lead us without speaking to us? It must mean that God has given us more than just hearing – more than just speech to communicate. It seems to me that we have put God in a box and decided he can only communicate like us. But that isn’t at all how God shows Moses his glory. No words are needed for this moment. It is an experience. There are sights, sounds, feelings, emotions, smells all wrapped into a moment – words not needed. Experiencing God is often most noticed in silence.
If that is true – if God is most evident in silence – then why do we limit him to speech and to English for that matter? Why do we decide he isn’t near because we can’t hear him? Why do we feel like he can’t lead unless he is speaking? What about the subtle yet powerful things which happen all around us? Are they not enough? Do they not say something to us? Does God’s creation not speak to us if we simply stop and sense it? Sure, God doesn’t speak audibly – at least not in my experience. But God is not limited to speaking through words. And we shouldn’t put that binding on him. He created it all so we can experience him through it all.
That would mean God is evident all the time – always with us – if we pay attention. We may see the signs and smell the signals. We may sense the direction or feel the need for forgiveness. We may taste the bread of redemption. We may feel the waters of baptism. We may be cleansed of mistakes through the powerful winds that blow. It just might be God is speaking to us every so loudly without ever speaking a word in our language. It might be we have limited him so much that his voice has become indistinguishable. And that may just be what is wrong with us. God is near – we just don’t get it.
So maybe we start back at the beginning. God created and it was good. God created it all and uses all of his creation to lead, guide, and direct. God loves. He shows his love through so many ways that we need to acknowledge. The simplest things bring the greatest joys. His greatest love has already been given to us in Jesus. And he tells us his name is Immanuel – God with us.
May God’s presence overwhelm you. May his presence be sensed without any words needed. May he guide. May he show us love so we can love him and our neighbor. And may we be awakened to his presence. Show us your glory, Lord. Show us your glory.
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.
SEEING THE EXTRAORDINARY 
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