Daily devotion

The Guest Room

/ pastorpete51 / 4 Comments

So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love.                Ephesians 3:17 ESV

When I was a teenager, my favorite place to go on summer vacation was to my grandparent’s house. Of course, I loved their company, but they also made me feel special because they had a guest room just for me! It had really neat antique furniture and its own bathroom. But in the back of my mind, I knew that no matter how long I stayed or how much fun I had, that eventually I had to go home.

As Christians we begin our journey with Jesus by putting our faith in Him and inviting Him into our hearts. But Paul prays that we when we invite Jesus to come, that it will be far more than expecting Him to stay in our guest room for a while. Paul uses the word dwell, which means,” take up permanent residence.” Jesus wants to do more than just come for a visit. Dwelling means as Paul goes on to say that we are being rooted just like a tree into a relationship with God. Now if you go outside and glance down the street, I am pretty sure that there are not any trees going for a stroll around your neighborhood. No! Trees stay in one spot because that is where they are rooted. Last of all Paul shows us that we are not just rooted out of obligation to God, but because of love – His love. The God of the universe sent His only Son to die on the cross because of His love for us. And because of that, we can trust Him with every room of our house. In fact, we can joyfully sign over the title to our home to Him and hand Him the keys! Jesus wants more than a guest room.  He wants to live in our hearts forever!

God Remembers Hummingbirds and Sparrows

/ pastorpete51 / 4 Comments

Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? Luke 12:6 KJV

Hummingbirds live in Florida year-round because it rarely gets below freezing. But on one of those rare mornings that it did get cold, a friend of mine spotted a hummingbird lying on the side of the street. He gently reached down and picked up the poor frozen bird and cupped it in his hands to take a closer look. As the warmth of his hands slowly seeped into the bird’s body, it began to quiver. So, he gently carried it inside where he mixed up some sugar water. Next, as he held the dish near the tiny bird put out his tongue and licked up a little of the sweet liquid. In a matter of minutes, my friend told me that the hummingbird was strong enough to stand up. Finally, he took it outside and was able to release it. His story made me think of how God has remembered us.

Photo by Chris LeBoutillier on Pexels.com

When God remembers us it is different from when we remember friends by glancing nostalgically through photo albums or fondly dusting off mementoes we bought somewhere. God remembered us by stooping low to the cross where Jesus died, so that He could pick us up from where we had fallen. Then God carried us to His own house where he gave us the sweet milk of His word and gave us strength to stand. Finally, He led us out to freedom and released our soul from sin and death. How wonderful that this freedom which God gives is even better than being free like a bird to fly away. Instead, God gives us the wings of His Spirit so we can fly after Him and worship Him forever!

Rejoicing Together Again

/ pastorpete51 / 2 Comments

Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? Psalm 85:6 ESV

During the pandemic many of us began to get just a small taste of the loneliness that those living in long term care face daily. During the height of the lockdowns people rarely left home and when forced to go out, there was both social distancing, as well as the wearing of masks making everyone seem anonymous. Some of us dealt with the isolation by watching endless reruns, others rearranged the furniture or put together 1,000-piece puzzles. While these activities distracted us for a while, our problem was that God created us for community. We were created to share life together. Now, after more than a year of social separation many of us have forgotten how to connect. The good news is that God has a restoration plan. Notice that today’s reading focuses on the word “Us”. Just as the Lord’s Prayer begins with, “Our Father”. This Psalm of David begins with the cry, “Revive us!”

His prayer reminds me of a story my father told me of his time in the war. During the invasion of Anzio his landing craft was hit with a bomb. His ship exploded and he along with everyone on aboard were thrown into the sea. Dad only remembered beginning to swim and then losing consciousness. Later he woke up on the beach with a severe head wound. His unit had been separated by death and destruction, and yet his healing took place in a hospital, surrounded by other people. That is what God has for us today as well. He has a plan to revive and restore each one of us. No bombs that have separated us in this battle can destroy God’s plan. If we put our trust in Him, our wounds will heal and by His grace we can rejoice together again!