Daily devotion

Three Short Days

/ pastorpete51 / 3 Comments

Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb John 20:1 ESV

With snow seemingly falling everywhere except Florida this year, I am reminded of the year before we moved here and Scranton was buried under twenty four inches of snow. Cars were completely covered, our street was closed for two days and everyone’s schedule came to a screeching halt! But then just three weeks later, with the temperatures reaching almost 80 degrees, the snow vanished. What a difference those three short weeks made!

Yup that’s my car (I think!)

One Sunday morning 2000 years ago just think what a difference three short days made. On Friday the disciples fled in fear. When Joseph and Nicodemus put Jesus into the tomb it seemed that all their hopes lay cold and dead in the grave. But on that dark morning of the third day, when Mary came she discovered in astonishment that the stone had been rolled back and the grave stood empty!  Then Jesus Himself drew near. Mary mistook Him for a simple gardener, until He called her name and then she was filled with joy. Not much has changed in 2000 years. We may think of Jesus as a great teacher, a loving healer or a simple carpenter, but we only know Him when He comes and calls our name! What a difference those three short days have made!

A Weaned Child

/ pastorpete51 / 4 Comments

Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child. Psalm 131:2 KJV

Rest has gotten such a bad name in our culture that we place our next order at Walmart while we are cooking, check our email during our children’s soccer game and take phone calls at the beach from customers. We never seem to be able to find a quiet place of rest. But having a hard time with quietness isn’t something new. Thousands of years ago King David had the same struggle. Imagine growing up with six brothers treating you like a servant, fighting Goliath and then dodging spears that King Saul is throwing your way. That is definitely far from a quiet life!

Photo by Andrey Grushnikov on Pexels.com

But in the middle of unexpected circumstances, God taught him the secret of quietness and David tells us that it was like being weaned. See, Babies are used to milk. Milk is sweet and easy and when babies get hungry they cry, demanding mom comply immediately by giving them a feeding. No baby wakes up hoping for a spoon full of pureed spinach! The only way a child is going to eat solid food is if he or she gets hungry enough to accept something new. Usually by the time a baby gets ready for that first bite they are so worn out from crying that in a moment of quietness they accept what mom gives them. Sound familiar? Is God changing up the menu in your life with unexpected or even bitter circumstances? Are sweet and familiar things around you disappearing faster than lawn chairs in a tornado? The good news is that even in a tornado, if we will quiet our soul like a weaned child, God has something far better than milk prepared for us. He has sent for us Jesus, the fresh Bread from Heaven as our comforter and His Holy Word for our Sunday meal!

What Exactly is Lent?

/ pastorpete51 / 2 Comments

They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint.     Isaiah 40:31 KJV

So you might ask, “What exactly is Lent? Great question! Well, in general, Lent is the time from Ash Wednesday until either the Wednesday before Easter, Holy Saturday or Easter Sunday depending on what tradition you follow. You also might wonder why, since there is no record of anyone in the Bible observing this roughly 40-day period, why should we? For starters, it is never a bad idea to set aside special times for seeking God’s will and purpose. We call it, “Waiting on the Lord” and waiting comes with God’s promise of strength and renewal. Some people may choose to fast certain foods or commit to special acts of service, during these weeks. However, you choose to honor the season, the most important thing of all is to focus on Jesus. For me personally it brings me back to the excitement of my first months of faith in Jesus (Which just happened to be on Easter Sunday!) I come to each morning’s quiet time with an open-heart asking Jesus for a brand-new insight into His word and for His will for that day. Instead of racing ahead or lagging behind in my devotional readings I need to slow down so I can hear what God is saying. Walking with Jesus will lead us along the path that He has chosen. Following the path, He chooses will bring us to His destination for our life. My prayer is that during these weeks of Lent we will see with fresh eyes the miracles of Jesus, the table of His Last Supper, the Cross, the empty grave and most of all our Risen Lord!