Daily devotion

Waiting on God’s Weaving

/ pastorpete51 / 1 Comment

Wait for the Lord: be strong and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord.           Psalm 27:14 ESV

One of my least favorite plays (which I was compelled to watch because mom said so) was titled “Waiting for Gadot” It involved a couple of guys hanging around  waiting for a friend who guess what…never showed up! For an eight year old who far preferred Davy Crockett; Daniel Boone or Kidnapped; this was akin to Chinese water torture. Though I hated the play, it left an indelible impression on me about waiting. However when King David uses the word wait in this Psalm he isn’t at all suggesting the waiting for the train kind of waiting that we might associate with it.

Instead the Hebrew word for wait: quvah – comes from a root which implies two cords being woven together into a rope. Secondarily it includes something that my second language of Portuguese calls it; which is hope. In fact in Portuguese hoping and waiting are even the exact same word!

So what you might ask, “what good does that do for me?” That’s a great question and the answer is plenty! This kind of waiting isn’t just hanging out and hoping that God will show up. In fact God already has shown up in Bethlehem and His plan since that moment is that in our times of doubt and fear that our hearts will be steadily and slowly woven together with His. As the Apostle Paul states  in his letter to the Romans:

“And hope does not put us to shame because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who is given to us. Romans 5:5 ESV

So whether our crisis is a sickness like the Corona virus which has brought our nation to a halt; a broken relationship or shattered dreams, God is right here – right now waiting for you and I. His heart is open and ready to receive us when we open our hearts to receive Him. As Jesus hung  in agony on the cross He gave His spirit into His Father’s hands. Our waiting on God means putting our hearts into His hands and then stepping back as the Holy Spirit weaves us together with Him in the love of Jesus Christ!

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Three Short Days

/ pastorpete51 / 1 Comment

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

Just a few years ago we had twenty four inches of snow fall in our city. Cars were buried, streets were closed and everyone’s schedule came to a screeching halt! But three weeks later, with the temperatures reaching 80 degrees, the snow vanished. What a difference three short weeks made!

landscape photography of dried trees on snow covered ground

Photo by Simon Matzinger on Pexels.com

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 hope lay cold and dead. But on that dark morning when Mary came she discovered in astonishment that the stone had been rolled back and the grave stood empty!  Then Jesus Himself drew near. But 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 think of Him as many things but we only know Him when He comes and calls our name! What a difference three short days have made!

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Early One Morning

/ pastorpete51 / 1 Comment

In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. Matthew 28:1 KJV

The women came so early that the sun had not yet crested the horizon. They came not in eager anticipation of seeing Jesus but with sorrow prepared for a final good-bye. They little realized but what was far beyond anything they could have hoped for, had already accomplished. The tomb stood open and empty, because Jesus had already risen from the dead!

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The wonderful news for us is that in our own lives the resurrection of Jesus has also come with unexpected hope. Before even the first shaft of sunlight can chase away our shadows God wants us to discover that He has already done everything we need! All that remains for us to do is come. Come if you feel heavy with grief and confusion. If it everything that was precious feels like it has disappeared He calls you to the place where He once lay. There is a miracle to be found beyond anything you can imagine. There is a day about to dawn that will challenge your doubts and drive off every fear. There is something beyond all our hopes and infinitely higher than our dreams. Jesus Christ is alive. He rose from the grave and He is watching for us to walk up the pathway. He is waiting to meet us if we will just come early in the morning because a new day is just beginning to dawn!