Category: Devotion

Our world can feel in such turmoil and chaos.  We see the display of hatred splattered over our nightly news.  We sense the tension as we try to go about our daily lives in the middle of a pandemic.  It feels anything but peaceful.  This may be the last thing we feel or experience – peace.  Yet, we are taught differently.  We may even know there is a possibility of something different.  But we may not know how to get there.  God does.

We see over and over where God speaks peace over his people.  They are not often obedient.  They are often in distress (sometimes or often caused by their own stubbornness).  They go the wrong way and must be brought back.  And yet, God brings peace in the middle of the chaos.  The Psalmist in today’s focus scripture was trying to capture this.  He was straining to hear what God was speaking – as God spoke peace over his people.  There was a desire for his steadfast love and salvation from the turmoil.  They longed for his direction – a direction that meant peace and steadfast love.  I find myself longing for the same thing.

Jesus spoke peace over many painful and scary situations.  People were baffled over the power he had to cut through the madness with peace – a peace which sent their heads spinning.  He calmed storms and raging seas – “Peace! Be Still!” he exclaimed.  He brought peace to those who were tormented by demons.  He brought peace to those who were frightened.  He brought peace to those who were searching and longing for something more.  

I am reminded this peace is not dependent on me.  Humans create chaos – God creates peace.  This isn’t something I fix or do.  This is something I give to God for him to repair.  He is the ultimate creator and when he speaks, life happens.  I seek peace by seeking God.  He speaks peace out of his steadfast love.  I just want to be a conduit of his peace.  

May his peace wash over us today.  May he speak peace in our fears.  May God create peace in our hearts.  May we sense his love.  May we be changed.

Focus Scripture:

Psalm 85:7-9

⁷ Show us your steadfast love, O Lord,
    and grant us your salvation.

⁸ Let me hear what God the Lord will speak,
    for he will speak peace to his people,
    to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts. 
⁹ Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him,
    that his glory may dwell in our land.

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

We are often given lessons in God’s creation – moments to remember just how powerful God really is.  We can look at the vastness of the sea, waters as far as the eye will go.  Waves roll in and out, creatures fill the salty waters.  It is a sight to behold.  The mountains remind us of the majesty of God – towering over the land. Yet there is such a peace as we gaze up at the peaks.  We are given the privilege to experience this beauty and wonder.  We are presented hope as we see how God has shaped and formed the lands.  We can be filled with joy by spending time in all the God has given us, all that is around us which he made – not us.  

The Psalmists apparently spent much time outside in God’s creation.  Many of the writings draw from the magnificence of all God has presented.  Strength is renewed by the power of the Almighty as one gazes at the earth.  There is so much to learn about God by spending time in his creation.  He speaks to us and gives us life as we honor and respect all he has given us to tend.  We feel his love in the moments of the day when we understand we are one of his creations as well.  We are a joy to him.  He continues to shape and mold us just as he does all we see around us.

Today’s focus scripture is one of my favorites.  It is a reminder to look and feel and sense the power of God.  It is an invitation to become a part of all God is doing.  It is a warm blanket on a cold day, caring and providing us with exactly what we need.  I look up to the hills, searching for my help.  My help comes from the Lord.  My help, just what I need, comes from God.  It might be right before me, if only I look and listen.  It may be surrounding me if I will pay attention.  The Psalms are full of these moments of capturing God’s work in creation.  What can we capture today if we pay attention?  I am looking to the hills – that is where my help comes from.

Focus Scripture:

Psalm 121:1-2

¹ I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
    where does my help come from?
² My help comes from the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven and earth.

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

I remember taking swimming lessons as a kid.  They were in a pool outside and my most vivid memory was feeling as if I might freeze.  I was a super skinny kid so you would think I would swim well.  To sum it up, I could sink like a rock.  When we were taught to tread water, I worked twice as hard as everyone else just to keep from sinking.  Learning to float on my back was even more special.  I was taught to relax, just let the body float.  That’s great advice if you are not sinking and water is filling up your face.  As it turns out, I would learn to swim fairly well.  As an adult, it is one of my favorite things to do.  But I must admit, I still can’t relax when I float on my back.  Yep, I still sink like a rock.  Apparently lots of extra pounds and some experience do not make up for me being able to float.  

It can be scary to feel like you are sinking.  There is a panic that quickly sets in when you don’t feel like you can keep your head above water.  That’s exactly the feeling we can get when we feel like life is overtaking us as well.  It doesn’t have to be in water.  It can feel like the demands of the day are overwhelming.  We can get the sense that our grief will swallow us up whole.  We may feel like we are drowning in our sorrows or anxieties.  Stress can come as waves washing over our already worn out souls.  To hear we need to relax can seem so contradictory.  We are sinking!  Why would we relax?

Relaxing, for me, doesn’t always seem to be a viable option.  But there is still a solution.  We begin to look up.  We search for a rescue.  We cry out for help in our distress.  We will be heard.  We will not have to face this alone.  God hears our cries.  The Psalmist in today’s focus scripture understands this.  God reaches down and rescues out of deep waters.  God will not let us go.  When we call on him, he rescues.  The waves of our distress cannot overtake us when God can calm the seas.  

May you feel his presence and be rescued by his love.  May you breathe, knowing God is taking care of you.

Focus Scripture:

Psalm 18:16

He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
    he drew me out of deep waters.

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

Views can be distorted.  It can be the way we see things in an instant.  It could be something from our past causes us to see or detect things in a particular way.  What we see, someone else may look past.  Yet, what someone else notices may have gone unnoticed by us.  When I am out early in the morning, images are not always as they seem.  Objects which may look like animals may be trash along the side of the road.  Small animals are often disguised until they decide to dash away as I approach.  So much is left unnoticed in the rhythm of my footsteps.  Yet, they are all there.  Just because we do not see something doesn’t mean it isn’t there.  It simply means we have missed it.  

I often think I miss the beautiful wonders of God because I only see what is in my immediate and limited view. I don’t always take the time to really look, sense his presence all around.  I am not always aware of the miraculous ways in which he moves.  I am usually just paying attention to what is right in front of me, even if I am misinterpreting it.  

Slowing down helps.  Taking a moment to notice our environment and the good which surrounds us is important.  But just as important is listening.  God’s still small voice often thunders in our world if we only notice.  Since he is light, he is showing us the way.  Since there is no darkness in him, we are given clear direction.  With his light, we begin to see him.  We begin to open our view to something other than our limited perspective.  We begin to see him more clearly.  He is with us, have you noticed?  Listen carefully, he is lighting the way.

Focus Scripture:

1 John 1:5

⁵ This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.

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

Life can feel like all the lights have gone out and someone moved all the furniture.  We stumble through, trying to feel our way to the next place.  All is unsure.  We are trying to get a sense of what is around and how to maneuver to the next place.  The dark is real dark and any glimmer of light would help.  But muddling through, it can feel so lonely.  

These are the times when a small spark could change our entire world.  A simple flame would illuminate our path, opening our eyes to see things are not as we had imagined.  In the dark, we create images and scenes which may not even be real.  In the light, we see we are not alone.  We see we have a guide on this path.  We see there are treasures all around us.  All of these things are hidden in the dark, but come to life in just a little light.

For me, Jesus brings this light.  We stumble in our grief.  We fall over our anxiety.  Our fears weigh us down.  We are afraid to even move, it is so very dark.  And then a spark changes everything.  God sends us just what we need to see a little more.  We are given simple joys which ignite our spirits and show us the next step.  We don’t need to see the whole path – that could be daunting.  All we need to know is God is with us and he lights the way.  

Jesus is our light when we find ourselves covered in darkness.  He is our hope when there seems to be no way hope could exist.  He is our peace when all of the rest of our world is in chaos.  He is our joy when sorrow is all we feel.  He is our light.  Our light will show us the way.  Our light reminds us this is not the end.  Our light gives us a glimmer into the beauty all around.  

May the Light guide you on your path today.  May your joys be illuminated.  May your hopes be ignited.  May you see you are not alone.

Focus Scripture:

John 8:12

¹² Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” 

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

Loving God should be easy.  But it’s not.  We think of love in a conditional sense.  We feel loved when… Someone shows love by… We know they love us because… We take those same concepts and apply them to God.  The rules don’t apply, though.  God doesn’t work by our rules and doesn’t mold to fit our ideas (thankfully).  His love doesn’t work the same way.  He does have expectations of his children.  He does redirect when we go off course.  There are consequences for our mistakes.  These are all for us.  It does not change his love for us, though.  

God doesn’t love us because…  God just loves us.  He doesn’t need a reason.  He doesn’t need an excuse.  And his love is steady and sure.  So when things don’t go well, God is still love.  When our entire lives fall off track, he is there to help pick up the pieces.  When we completely lose all understanding of his love, he continues to love us.  

These are things which should baffle us but also bring us to a place of gratefulness and peace.  We didn’t earn his love so we don’t un-earn his love.  He does not work like we do.  He is exactly the One we need when all else fails.  God loves you.  God loves me.

Out of this, how could we not love him?  We struggle because we don’t understand.  We fight against his love because things are a mess.  We push him away because we are hurt or damaged or simply broken.  We strive against the One who welcomes us home.  Yet, he continues to love.  

What a gift it is to be loved more than we could ever imagine.  What might it look like to truly begin to love God with our all?  What does it feel like to love him in spite of… ?  What does it mean to love God with our strength – all that we have that we can muster?  How might we love God because he first loved us?

Focus Scripture:

1 John 4:19

¹⁹ We love because he first loved us.

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

Listening and learning are an essential part of life.  We don’t know everything, at any point.  To be a constant student is a necessity if we want to grow and become better.  I am not simply talking about formal learning. That certainly has its place and I have spent more time in a classroom than most.  But do we consider the lessons we learn each day if we pay attention?  Do we listen well enough to hear and take in and learn?  Are we humble enough to hear something important even when it contradicts with what we think?

Listening is not easy, especially when we think we know the answers.  We want to talk over the person who is speaking.  We want to tell them we already know.  But there is always something new we can learn, no matter who we are.  I was watching a baking show recently where the amateur baker actually taught the ‘expert’ something about baking.  The most important part was the expert was willing to say he had no idea and had learned something.  He had learned something important from someone who had a fraction of the experience, training and expertise.  And it came because he was willing to listen and learn.  

God is always teaching us something.  We can easily fall into the trap of thinking we understand.  We can think we have it all figured out and we know what we are doing.  Those are the times when everything seems to get shaken up.  When our foundation is built on our knowledge only and we aren’t always learning, we will easily fall.  It is when we are willing to be a student that we are constantly working on ourselves to become even better.  Our foundations become much more solid when we listen and learn.  

The Psalmist in today’s focus scripture seemed to get it.  In Psalm 25, there is a desire to be taught, to be led, to be directed by God.  What if we had that desire constantly?  What if we were dedicated to being a student of God?   What might change if we always sought to listen and learn lessons God is trying to teach us?  We might find we are more equipped to be the followers he has called us to be.

Focus Scripture:

Psalm 25:4-5

⁴ Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
    teach me your paths.
⁵ Lead me in your truth, and teach me,
    for you are the God of my salvation;
    for you I wait all day long.

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

There is something special about snow.  Since we don’t get to see it much here, it makes it even more special when it does fall.  Not only is it beautiful, but it provides a blanket over the earth, covering all of its imperfections.  When snow covers the ground, all seems even and well.  It is as if all has been made new, at least for a moment.  I think that’s why we like to take pictures before anyone walks on it.  We want to make sure we capture the clean and crisp view of a fresh fallen snow.  

As I sit at my table in the warmth, I can appreciate and enjoy the view.  It brings to mind some of the songs we sing in church.  We sing of being cleansed and remade like snow.  We proclaim the goodness of God as he provides this blanket of forgiveness over our tattered lives.  We get excited about the opportunity to once again feel the joy of being set free, washed clean and renewed.  It all takes on new meaning as I see the snow cover the ground.  And I am even more grateful than usual.

God’s grace certainly is amazing, breathtaking and beyond our understanding.  What a gift grace really is.  We receiving this cleansing, this renewal, not because we deserve it but because we are loved just that much.  We receive God’s grace freely so that we might live abundant lives for his glory.  We are provided this new opportunity and we are no longer held down by the mistakes of our past.  We are set free.  We are revived.  We are renewed.  God’s grace does that.  May we live in celebration of God’s amazing grace, bringing him glory as we seek to live for him.

Focus Scripture:

Psalm 51:7

⁷ Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
    wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

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

Some days it is easier to just lay in bed.  We rationalize if we can get 15 more minutes, it will make a difference.  The truth is it rarely, if ever, does.  It delays the inevitable.  We have to get up and get moving.  There are things to be done.  We don’t often realize what a benefit it really is to simply get going.  To top it off, it we could get going and exercise too, we would be even better.  But when we are tired and just want a few more minutes of sleep, getting up to exercise seems ridiculous.  Why would we exercise when we are so tired?  We would just rather not.

Our bodies often work in ways our minds don’t understand.  Exercise makes us feel better and become less tired.  When we push ourselves to go ahead and get up, we are more productive and our day gets kicked off better.  But it seems to make no sense.  We just keep thinking about the few more minutes of sleep.  Doing things which are good for us can feel like the most challenging.  What is most challenging can be most rewarding.  But too often, we would rather not.

Our spiritual lives tend to work the same way.  We can get complacent, satisfied with where we are.  We can find ourselves in a rut and not want to put in any extra effort.  It seems easier to just continue to do what we always have done.  Yet, we can find our greatest successes are waiting around the door of the most difficult challenges.  When our faith is pushed, it becomes stronger.  When our beliefs are questioned, we dig deeper to understand.  When we step out to serve in new and different ways, we experience God in new and different ways.  But this doesn’t happen in the valley of sameness.  It takes the effort to get up and get going.  It takes extra effort – but produces the greatest joys.

Today, begin to seek God and where he is leading you.  Where are you challenged?  What can you do to become more like him?  What will it take for you to get going?  May our minds, hearts, bodies, and spirits be renewed and rejuvenated beginning today.

Focus Scripture:

1 Timothy 7b-8

Train yourself in godliness, ⁸ for, while physical training is of some value, godliness is valuable in every way, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.

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

Humility can get a bad rap.  We don’t always understand it.  We can get confused on what it means to be humble.  Being humble does not mean beating ourselves up or degrading ourselves.  That isn’t in line with what we are taught in scriptures.  We are taught we are the beloved.  We are taught we are loved and adored and the created.  Sure, we mess up…a lot.  But that doesn’t change the fact we are loved.  We are still adored.  So to belittle ourselves in an effort to be ‘humble’ isn’t the right path.  

I like to think of humility as a way of respect.  When I humble myself before God, I am recognizing his power.  I am remembering he is the Creator.  I am drawn to the fact he is my Savior and my Redeemer.  It is not about me beating myself up.  It is about seeing how amazing God really is and then considering this same amazing God decided to create me.  That’s actually pretty uplifting.  It is empowering to know we are created for something good.  My humility does not mean I am worthless.  My humility means I am giving place to the One who deserves to be honored – God.  

In this particular section of the 4^th chapter of James, there are many words which are used to describe this drawing near to God – humility being one of them.  We are taught to submit ourselves to God, to draw near to him, and to cleanse ourselves so we may be pure.  This is a drawing in, a welcome, a calling to come closer to God.  It is a place where we are cleansed and find refuge.  We cannot get here if we think so much of ourselves that God is not most important.  We cannot truly rest here if we don’t believe God can truly care for us.  We won’t allow ourselves to be cleansed unless we realize how much of a mess we are without him.  But when we do – when we truly humble ourselves before God – there is peace.  This is where we were meant to be all along.

Today, may we humble ourselves before God and allow him to clean us up and care for us.

Focus Scripture:

James 4:10

¹⁰ Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

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