Worry can consume us. It happens without us even realizing it. We are fine, moving forward, and BAM – it hits us. We can often worry about things which we have no control. I find that is most often the case. If I could control it, I would. But since it is out of my control, my next progression is to worry. Even those times when I tell myself I will not worry about something, it creeps in. It is in the back of my mind. It shows up in my sleep. Before I know it, I feel it in my body. It tires us out. It drains our mental energy. Most of all, it steals our joy.
It would be easy to just say – stop worrying. That isn’t helpful. I also hear that worrying is a lack of faith. That is also not helpful – it can just make someone worry about not having enough faith. It is difficult to “give it to God” because it is something we cannot control. It seeps back in as soon as we give it up. But what about gratitude?
Gratitude seems to begin to change things – even if it is ever so slight. When we begin to remind ourselves of the things which we are grateful, it causes us to change our view. We begin to seek the good. Joy seems to fill our hearts despite our circumstances. Don’t get me wrong – it is not a quick fix. It is also not the absolute answer to everything. But there is something about gratitude which causes us to shift – to experience life differently. Maybe that’s why Paul writes for us to give thanks in all circumstances. It isn’t so much we give thanks FOR the circumstance. Rather, it is a way of redirecting our thoughts away from the circumstance that is consuming us. Maybe the key to battling worry is gratefulness. Is there something you can live grateful for today?
I Thessalonians 5
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
As you rise from bed this morning, there is a gift which awaits. It is more than you can imagine and yet, passed by most every single day. There is so much potential in this gift – more than any of us realize. We are reluctant to consider this a gift – feeling this can be more of a burden some days. Yet, there is so much brimming to the surface, just waiting to be reached. The gift? The gift is staring you in the mirror. The gift is YOU.
You are God’s gift. He created you with amazing talents. He only created one of you. You are uniquely and wonderfully made. He sees more potential in you than you could ever imagine. He knows your heart. He knows your abilities. He also knows your fears, your worries, and your anxieties. He sees the good in you, even if you don’t see it in yourself. He doesn’t see a mistake. Instead, he sees the gift you are and how you are growing and learning. He sees just how extraordinary you really are.
We often just see wrinkles and scars, weight and bad hair. We are blinded by our failures. We see all the times we have failed. God sees how many times we have risen. We can easily fail to see the beauty. It begins on the surface but sinks all the way down deep in our core. We are beautifully made. God sees us as his child. He sees the good.
What if we took just a moment to see ourselves as God does? What if we saw the potential rather than the limitations? What if we saw the beauty rather than the imperfections? What if we saw ourselves as his beloved rather than the outcast? May God give you eyes to see just how amazing you really are. May he show you how much you are loved. May you realize YOU are the gift.
1 Corinthians 15
57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my beloved, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
Psalm 139
13 For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well.
There are times when we are in such distress and despair that words of hope do not resonate. They do not sink in. We are not in a place to hear them and accept them. Hope can feel so very far away – maybe even non-existent. It doesn’t mean the search has ended – we all, in some way, are looking for it. We want to live hopeful. We want to feel there is some sense of hope still to be found. But to just read it can fall short – our heart may not be in a place to accept the gift.
And yet, we can experience hope in others. We can see it in them. We want that hope. We want to know where it can be found. It isn’t that the other person has it all together. It isn’t that their life is perfect. It’s often quite the opposite. We see their life actually in shambles and yet…there is something there. There is glimmer of light which we crave. We are not envious or jealous of the other. We simply want to observe. What is it that keeps them going? What do they see that we cannot see in our current pain?
The key is often an experience with hope. The reminder that this is not the end. There is good. There still is joy to be lived. There is a promise of peace. There really is hope. Good is still out there. Good is still in here. We are not alone. This path does not define us. Can you see the hope?
Here are some places where I am reminded of the hope deep within (sometimes so deep it takes seeing it in another to really know it is still there). Hope is still here:
Psalm 33
22 Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you.
Psalm 42
5 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help 6 and my God.
Psalm 62
5 For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from him. 6 He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
Psalm 71
14 But I will hope continually, and will praise you yet more and more.
Psalm 130
5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; 6 my soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning, more than those who watch for the morning.
We can easily get caught up in the difficulties of life. We need to do challenging things. We have to push ourselves outside of our comfort zones. The path is rarely easy. For those who struggle with anxiety (and even for some who don’t), the solution seems to be to hide – to tap out – to simply pretend it all doesn’t exist. Some go on vacation. Some call in sick. Some drink or smoke or do drugs. The pressures can seem so heavy.
We cannot escape the hard things of life. We cannot avoid all of the challenges. None of us get to live an anxiety free life. But what if we knew beyond any doubt that we were not in this alone? What if we knew – like really knew – the things we faced we could conquer? What if we approached the challenge knowing we may not win but we would not be destroyed? What if we simply woke up knowing that God was with us – no matter what? Would it change things if we knew God was by our side? Would it give us more confidence if we knew that the Creator of the Universe was walking with US?
You might guess I would tell you that he is – God is with us – God does not leave us – God is by our side. We don’t often live like it though. We try to go it alone. We allow the weight of the world to drag us down. We get caught in the cycle of difficulties and cannot see our way out. It even happens to us as believers. It happens to the most faithful of us. I think it helps to be reminded of a few of the things God says. We may not be able to take them in right now. We may not be in a place we believe these things. But reading/hearing them can begin to plant a seed inside of us – and when we least expect it, it grows and then God shows up and shows off. I love it when he does this. Do it again, God…Do it again.
Here are just a few:
-John 14:27, “27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.”
-Psalm 27:1, “1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strongholdof my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”
-Joshua 1:9, “9 I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
-Matthew 28:20b, “And remember, Iamwithyou always, to the end of the age.”
If we grew up in church, we have heard the same Bible stories so often we tend to tune them out. They become like the teacher on Charlie Brown. We hear where the Pastor will be preaching from and draw our conclusions – we know the end of the story, so we fail to hear the lesson. We forget that God’s Word is alive and active. We miss the teaching because we have made up our minds we know the story. It becomes all “blah” and no blessing. Today’s scripture is familiar – so familiar most people, even those who haven’t been in church for a long time, would know. We reference it as the feeding of the 5,000. We know what happens – Jesus feeds 5,000. But there is so much more going on than bread and fish. And we miss it because we think we know the story. May God open our hearts, minds, and eyes to receive even more from his message to us.
Matthew 14:13-21
You may be thinking – this is exactly what I remembered it to be. I want to think of it from a different perspective this morning. Let’s put ourselves in the sandals of the disciples for just a moment. They are with Jesus, he has heard devastating news. They have had to do one of the most difficult things in their walk with Jesus. They have had to bury Jesus’ friend, his cousin, his fellow worker in the kingdom. They have buried John the Baptist. And they have to tell Jesus what has happened. What a devastating time for Jesus. He needed to grieve. He needed time to process this. So he went to be alone.
He pulls up in his boat and is greeted by a crowd of people. The disciples likely thought about how long of a day this had already been and how they just wanted to go away. But Jesus saw differently. He saw a group of people who needed to be loved. It says he had compassion on them. He saw people he wanted to help and spend time walking alongside. He saw children. And so, Jesus did what Jesus does. He loved on them. He reminded them of their worth. He showed them a different side of the Kingdom. He brought life to this crowd that was so starving for real life.
It was evening. They are getting hungry. The disciples have likely huddled together and realized it was time to wrap up this party. They decide it is time to send them all home. They need to go get themselves some food. And Jesus says something most interesting – “you give them something to eat.” This is one of the more interesting commands of Jesus to me. He tells the disciples to give this huge crowd of people something to eat – don’t send them away. Don’t try to take up a collection. Don’t do anything but feed them.
The Scriptures don’t give us a time factor. So we are just told the story. But I want us to use a bit of holy imagination, if you will. Jesus is talking to his trusted 12 – the guys who have walked with him and heard him speak. They have seen Jesus at work. And now Jesus is asking something of them. He wants them to give the crowd something to eat. The command is overwhelming. The task is monumental. I can only imagine how they were trying to figure out how this was going to happen. They likely were trying to work out the numbers. If there are this many people and they need this much to feed each, then we need this much to make this happen. Imagine asking Judas how much was in the box (and probably less than what they thought). Judas would have let them know real quick there wasn’t enough for all of that. Plus there is a time factor. They can’t just run down to the store. No one has this supply of bread on hand. Maybe everyone could take a bite – a sample – just enough so they don’t starve out here. It had to be a confusing and troubling few moments. I wonder how long Jesus let them try to figure it out before he just took over.
Here’s the deal – they saw impossibility – they saw scarcity – they saw the lack of resources – they saw all the reasons this was not possible. Those 12 knew this was simply impossible. There wasn’t enough money or time or people. This was ridiculous and the command seems preposterous. But not to Jesus. Had anyone asked Jesus what he would do? Had they asked him for guidance? All I hear is the limitations. They saw what little they had and it wasn’t enough – so they gave up. But Jesus doesn’t work by our economy. Jesus works by a whole different system. Jesus works from the heavenly economy of enough.
The heavenly economy reminds us of a few things –
When God is the center of it all, there is enough. We live in a land of abundance, yet we are starving. We hoard what we have because we have been frightened there would never be enough. People steal and take and selfishly hold onto because of this idea of not enough. We have more than we need but we live in a world of never enough. There will never be enough.
We cannot earn enough money. We cannot get enough recognition. We cannot achieve enough accolades. We cannot be enough. We never have enough. We never feel we are enough. It is every man for himself – look out for yourself because no one else will. Take what you can before someone else does. When is enough actually enough? -Never as long as the focus is inward. Enough will only ever be enough when we follow God. In his Kingdom, there is always enough.
Jesus gave them all something to eat that day – there was more than enough because HE was at the center of it. He is enough. And when we follow Christ – we are enough too. He has provided all we need to be all he has called us to be. He has filled us with good things. We are overflowing with gifts and possibilities. It may not be what we would imagine. It doesn’t look like the achievements of this world. It looks like serving our Creator – with all we are and all we have – and that’s enough.
YOU are enough. We cannot wait until… we have enough money, time, resources, gifts, training, skills. Sometimes, Jesus simply asks us to see differently – we have enough and we are enough. We are loved beyond measure. We are children of the Most High God. We are called God’s beloved. We are welcomed into the family. We are given a seat at the table. There is an abundance at God’s feast. And all are welcomed. We cannot be good enough or do enough good things. We simply are invited because we are enough – God can take care of the rest. Follow Christ – there is room for you too!
I am learning that as years go by, I am having difficulty hearing. It’s not that I am getting older, of course. It is just something that seems to be happening. I notice it most at home. I am told by my children that the TV is loud – seems perfectly normal to me. When Wendy talks to me, if she is not in front of me, I have no idea what she is saying. I foresee our future of – what did you say? The good news for me is she doesn’t always hear me either. So we end up speaking louder than normal and then she tells me to stop yelling. At first, I remind her she couldn’t hear me. And then, because we have been married so long, I just move on. I will lose this argument.
Our world is filled with lots of noise, though. And it seems that we invite more and more noise into our lives. We constantly have something going. We are rarely in silence and when we are, it seems so awkward. Silence seems out of place and something that can even be a bit – scary. So we put it earbuds so we can fill our heads with something, anything that can break the quiet. And we wonder why we can’t hear God?
I have studied the Bible for quite a while and for me, God seems to break it down to two main themes. These themes are repeated over and over again throughout scripture. From the Old Testament commands to the teachings of Jesus to the writings of the apostles – these themes are on repeat. They are on repeat because they are both important and also challenging. If we, as God’s people, got them the first time, we wouldn’t have to hear them again. But we are often stubborn, hard-headed and defiant – so God has to keep reminding us. And I’m glad he does. So what are the themes? Love God, love others. We cannot adequately love others without first loving God. We cannot truly love God if we do not love others. They go together and should be a huge driver in our lives. They should give us direction. But here’s the thing – both require listening.
How do we really love God if we do not listen to him? How do we know where to go and what to do if we are not learning from him? How do we know the direction if we cannot hear the Master? If we are not listening, we will get lost in the chaos of this world. We will find ourselves struggling for clarity. We will get off track.
And to really love others, we must be willing to hear them. We cannot know their needs without listening. We cannot know their struggles without hearing their stories. We cannot truly love someone we never listen to. I am not talking about just physical hearing – but a connection that allows for more than a 5 second interaction. So many misunderstandings happen between us and God and us and others because we have not actually heard them.
Texting and messaging doesn’t help either. It is hard to read emotions and what is really going on in a text. I am a fan of texting, by the way. Sometimes I just need the facts – just give me the things I need to know. But if we really want to get to know someone, we cannot simply text. We need to hear them – really spend time with them. And God – he does texting too – except he gave us all his texts ahead of time. We just need to read them. They are all contained in the Bible. But to really get it, we must spend time with God. Reading about God is not the same as spending time with God.
The writings of James are among the most direct. They are straightforward and help us to put into practice many of the things we read in the scriptures. It is a very practical book – and if you are needing to feel more humble, this is the book to come back to. Today’s scripture comes from James 1:19-21.
19 You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for your anger does not produce God’s righteousness. 21 Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls.
This scripture is teaching us the importance of listening. We are told to be quick to listen and slow to speak. By the way, those go together. If you are talking, you are not listening. Sometimes, we can be talkers so much that we never actually hear anything. And if we do listen, it is that we are listening just to talk. We hear what the other is saying but have already formed our response before their sentence is even finished. It reminds me of the kid in school that raises his hand and almost jumps out of his seat to answer something before the question is even complete. We don’t often fully hear because we are so anxious to say something. And talking has caused more problems than most of us would care to discuss. Listening with our mouths closed hasn’t caused near the problems – it actually usually solves them.
When my kids were little, that was a lesson that came hard. One of my girls really struggled – she couldn’t listen because she just had to speak. I couldn’t even finish a sentence before she was already talking. It got her in lots of trouble. Thankfully she has grown up to become a much better listener. But it’s hard. Talking is our first response. We want to create noise. And sometimes our noise is harmful and very painful. Sometimes quiet is the answer. We may even find we have much less anger when we can simply keep our mouths closed and our ears open – without judgment.
Ok – so the answer is to be quick to listen and slow to speak and slow to get angry. Sounds great – now go and do. If only it were that easy. I appreciate the gifts of God’s Word – but we must put them into practice. And practice is exactly what it takes. This doesn’t always come naturally. This is something we must work towards. This is a goal we work towards with constant focus.
Here are a few quick tips that may help us to hear – God and others.
-Practice the pause. Before we speak, pause. Just pause for a moment. We often rush to say something and in the rush, words come out that should have stayed in. And once they are out, they are out. Pause for a moment and consider what you are about to say. Is this helpful, kind, loving? Would this be pleasing to God? If not, just don’t. Leave it alone. Smile and move forward.
-Measure it according to God’s standards. This is one of my ‘go-to’ scriptures – not because I always follow this – but because it gives me a measure – something to consider about what I may say or think. It is contained in Philippians 4:8-9
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. 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.
If we use this as a guide, that may cut out some of the things we say. If we think on these things, the words we produce will come from this source.
-Find the Quiet. God is often heard most clearly in the quiet. Sure, he can speak above the noise. Yes, he can be found in the middle of our lives. But if we really want to hear him – if we really desire to have a relationship with him, we must learn to be still, quiet, silent. Hearing God will help guide us in the right direction. It will also help us as we struggle with anger or any other issue.
Listening is hard. Talking is way too easy. Capturing ourselves in the noise and chaos may be ways of avoiding what God is trying to tell us. What might you do differently to be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger. We just might find God has a lot to say when we listen.
God with us – Emmanuel. What is such a powerful reminder as we travel the journey of life. We face many challenges. We come up against mountains we must traverse and rivers we must swim. Sometimes we do this with grace and dignity. Sometimes we are a complete and total mess. But we always find ourselves traveling with God. He promises us that he will not leave us. He has given us his Spirit to guide us (when we listen). He has shown us he has not forgotten us.
This devotional series has been about paying attention. It has been an invitation to see God among us. If indeed he is with us, we should be able to notice. But we instead pay attention to our wants and desires. We miss him – right before our own eyes. He has provided so much beauty among the heartache. He has provided so much love in the midst of hatred. He has held us tight when we have fallen apart. He has held up our heads when we were beat down. He is with us – have you seen him?
My Dad’s favorite Psalm is 139. I think it is only appropriate to end this series with this Psalm he loved so much. While the entire Psalm speaks volumes, there is a particular verse that draws my attention today (verse 7). The Psalmist asks where he can go from God’s spirit. Where can he flee from God’s presence? His conclusion throughout the Psalm is that God is everywhere and he can go nowhere that God is not. God with us – Emmanuel. This is our reminder he is among us – pay attention. He has given us so much beauty to behold – pay attention. He has provided us so many good things – don’t miss it!
God loves you more than you can possibly imagine. He loves you in spite of yourself. He loves with an unexplainable, unconditional love that set us free – free to live an abundant life. We are, after all, God’s beloved. Look around you, there are signs everywhere. God is here, among us.
Focus Scripture:
Psalm 139
1 O Lord, you have searched me and known me. 2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away. 3 You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. 4 Even before a word is on my tongue, O Lord, you know it completely. 5 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is so high that I cannot attain it.
7 Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea, 10 even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me fast. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light around me become night,” 12 even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is as bright as the day, for darkness is as light to you.
13 For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes beheld my unformed substance. In your book were written all the days that were formed for me, when none of them as yet existed. 17 How weighty to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 I try to count them—they are more than the sand; I come to the end—I am still with you.
19 O that you would kill the wicked, O God, and that the bloodthirsty would depart from me— 20 those who speak of you maliciously, and lift themselves up against you for evil! 21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you? 22 I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them my enemies. 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. 24 See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
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It can be easier to help than ask for help. Many find it most challenging to seek others when they are in the most need. When we are falling, we don’t want to be in that place so it is difficult. It is difficult to ask for help. It is difficult to admit we need help. It can be a vulnerable time and there are many who simply struggle to seek what is needed. And I find that those who help others the most are those who have the most difficult time asking for help. When they fall, they fall hard because they are not willing to seek others.
This Psalm (145) reminds me God understands. He knows our hearts. He knows how challenging it is for us. He also knows how hard we fall. He sees us struggle. He hears our cries. And the Psalmist writes of how he holds us up. God carries us forward. It isn’t pretty. It is often really humbling. It is not where any of us would choose to be. But God does not forsake us. He upholds us. He loves on us. He will not leave us to suffer alone. Even in our stubbornness, he gets it.
When you find yourself falling, do not be ashamed. Do not suffer alone. Do not give up. God is here. He is here to lift us up. He is here to carry us until we can get back on our feet. He will guide our steps. Call upon the name of the Lord – he hears our cries.
Focus Scripture:
Psalm 145:14
14 The Lord upholds all who are falling, and raises up all who are bowed down.
Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery. Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery
We are given instruction to lift our heads – to lift our eyes. We look to the hills, that is where our help comes from. We lift up our eyes to see the heavens. When we pick up our head, we can see all the beauty around. When our eyes are lifted, they can seek God. We are looking at God’s good creation. We see his handiwork. We understand that God is still doing the work of making things good, despite our destructive ways. When we plant, we are working with God, participating in the act of creation. We see God in a completely different way, head lifted, eyes looking to him. God is at work and we have the joy of being able to experience this.
Often, our heads are down when we are worried or anxious. Our heads are down in shame or fear. We lift our heads when we want to truly see. I think of what Bob Goff teaches when he is helping people understand how to love. He says something like – keep your head on a swivel. Always be aware of what is around, look for where God is at work and get involved in that.
Today, pick your head up, there is beauty to behold. Lift your eyes, God is at work. See what amazing things God has for us. Our help really does come from the Lord – the maker of the heavens and the earth.
Focus Scripture:
Psalm 121:1-2
1 I lift up my eyes to the hills— from where will my help come? 2 My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
Psalm 123:1
To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens!
Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery. Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery
I was searching, looking everywhere. I had the light shining just right so I would find it. I backed up and tried looking from different angles. It was frustrating to just be still and look so intently. How could it have gone far? It was just in my hand. Now, it is small, so it is a little challenging to see. The main problem is I need the very thing I am looking for to find it. I dropped my contact. Now that’s a predicament.
I need my contacts to see but I dropped the thing that helps me to see. You would think a small contact would just fall straight down. It doesn’t. It seems to float and land in the most inconspicuous places. I have found them on my shirt, on Wendy’s sink, and the best – on my hand. This one I finally found on the bottom side of the faucet. I still don’t know how it got there – but I found it. The exciting part is I found it before it dried. Your window for searching is fairly small because once it dries, it cracks and then is useless. So my morning began with the search for the missing contact…without contacts to see.
I wonder how many times we search for things that are hidden right in front of us? I think this happens more than we might imagine. We seek but we really cannot see because our view is distorted. God is taking care of us and providing for us but we see it as the work of our own hands. God rescues and redeems but we discount the miracle. God loves on us but we push him away because we feel unworthy. We are given so many gifts all around us. We don’t find them because we seek blindly. We don’t really look because we have limited what God can do in our minds. We don’t find because we expect one thing and God has provided something completely different – something way better.
What do you seek this morning? Maybe we look for where God is working. We just might find he is with us through it all when we seek him with all our heart.
Focus Scripture:
Deuteronomy 4:29-30
29 From there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find him if you search after him with all your heart and soul. 30 In your distress, when all these things have happened to you in time to come, you will return to the Lord your God and heed him.
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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