Daily devotion

God’s Littlest Toes

/ pastorpete51 / 11 Comments

 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Romans 12:5 KJV

If we were asked to pick one single member of our body that we would miss the least, many would answer, our little toe. After all that toe is not only very small but probably no one would even notice. But not long ago I had a revelation about its value when that toe met the leg of our kitchen table. First came the pain that made me sit down for several minutes until my head cleared. My brain didn’t care about my strong hands, smooth biceps or well combed hair. All I could focus on was just exactly how much I loved my toe!

The same is true in God’s body called the church. You see, not only was I in pain on the day when I broke my toe, but it affected every part of my life. My morning walk was transformed into a morning hobble to the coffee pot. Our seat towards the front of the church was traded for one nearest the door. Over those six weeks, a walk on the beach or working in my garden were both definitely out. Even getting my shoes off and on was a delicate task. Slowly I learned that humility is the first step towards appreciation. Maybe there are members, not only of our body, but also of our church or our own family whom we are just taking for granted. Maybe we are overlooking their value because we haven’t slowed down enough to notice them. But we are all noticed by Jesus Christ. Let’s not wait for even one of them to be broken before we learn to treat them with respect! After all even God’s littlest toes were loved so much by Jesus that He gave not only His love and but also His life for ours!

Far More Than We Deserve

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This parable of the vineyard had always held for me the mystery of sunlight shining through fog. I was sure something wonderful was there but couldn’t quite make out exactly what. I once figured that the owner of the vineyard kept retuning for more workers because he didn’t want to lose his harvest. It reminded me of working a hayfield with six of my friends till 2 am. A thunderstorm was rolling in and hay left in the field might be spoiled so we labored till the first drops of rain started falling. But the story of this man returning over and over to the town square till almost quitting time just seemed odd.

Why did he hire men even when it was almost quitting time and why pay them the same as the others? After all the guys who only worked one hour certainly weren’t producing enough to even cover their wage. But then I remembered that when the owner hired those fellows he asked why they were standing around all day and they told him ,”because no one hired us.” They had stayed because they clung to hope even as the afternoon shadows grew longer.

And isn’t that the wonderful depth of the grace of Jesus? He doesn’t come until even the final hours because he cares about hay ruined in his field or grapes left on the vine. He comes over and over looking for us. The lostness of people who no one else wants, who stand abandoned in the town square stirs God’s heart to action! So with whatever few hours we have in His field let’s work with joy, knowing that from the depths of His grace we will receive far more than we deserve on the day we stand before Him!

Peek-a-boo!

/ pastorpete51 / 5 Comments

At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children. Matthew 11:27 ESV

Have you ever played a game of Peek-a-boo with a baby?” You cover your face with a blanket, and then just as they begin to get worried, wondering where you are, you pull it back and shout, “Peek-a-boo! I see you!” Now that might not be exactly what you might think of in this verse but in some ways it is very much the same. When Jesus talked about God hiding, He was being confronted by people who didn’t like anything that He did. When He healed on the Sabbath they were mad because it broke their rules. When He went to dinner they gossiped that He ate with sinners and when one woman went as far as to wash His feet with tears they were totally offended. But some people, instead of complaining began to praise and thank Jesus. That made the religious leaders maddest of all! How sad that by moaning and groaning they missed the love and forgiveness of God that Jesus came to bring. But before we are too hard on the Pharisees we need to ask ourselves when the last time was that we saw the love and forgiveness of God around us. Does it feel like God is hiding from us some days? Then we need to repent of the pride that is blinding our eyes and ask God for a child’s heart again. When we do we will discover the joy of a Father who pulls back the curtain and calls out, “Peek-a-boo! I see you!’ Because He delights in revealing Himself to His children!