daily devotional

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Knowing the Love of Christ

March has arrived. During a short 20-minute drive home yesterday, I drove alternately through spring and winter, under blue sky and sunshine and then through whirling showers of big, wet snowflakes.  

The state highway that approaches our village from the east snakes around curves, climbs hills, and descends into valleys. Still several miles away from home, if I look at just the right time, I catch glimpses of our little town crowning a long ridge. At night, the town’s lights always remind me of a city set on a hill that cannot be hid …

But driving home yesterday afternoon while I was basking in momentary sunshine, that glimpse of our town and hill was shrouded in a snow shower. I could barely make out the smudged lines of buildings on the hilltop; the school, the water tower, and a string of houses were all just pale shadows miles away.

That’s a picture of our journey home. Sometimes we get a clear and sharp glimpse of the home where all our pilgrimages will end. At other times we cannot see so clearly, yet beacons shine along the way and we are certain of the direction we want to travel …

This is also true of our growth into the life that Jesus died to give us. We read Scriptures on the incomparable power available to us; we hear the Spirit whisper that we have so much more yet to understand and discover; we read the most astonishing words that we are being changed into the image of God Himself. I don’t know about you, but often I feel as though I only see those things faintly in the distance.

One of those Scriptures hit me forcefully last week, and now that it’s taken hold of my mind and heart, I want more, clearer glimpses of what it might mean for my journey. Listen to these words from Ephesians: 

May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Two things to ponder: What does it mean to experience the love of Christ?

Now I know that’s a phrase that we toss around a lot in our churches and Bible studies … but tell me, what does that mean for you, in the moments of this day? 

I have a feeling that experiencing the love of Christ is like catching glimpses of a city on the hill or seeing it vaguely through a snowstorm. It is too great to understand fully. Yet, somehow, we can experience this love; and the glimpses we’re given captivate us.

I want more glimpses. Because — look at that second statement. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Wow. Savor that promise! To be made complete. With all the fullness of life and power that God gives His children. Wow.

I have no idea how that all works. Experiencing Christ’s love makes us complete? Fills us with life and power given by God? How do we explain that?

I don’t think we can explain it. I think we can only “know” it by experiencing it. And I do know that I want more of this experiencing the love of Christ.

So we’ll try something new, from now until Easter. Each day, we’ll have one short meditation from Scripture on the love of Christ. I have no idea if I can pull that off or not, but I do know that I want to see this more clearly, know and experience His love even though it’s too great for me to understand.

Focusing on the love that gave us a new life will be fitting preparation for Easter. Easter is all about Christ’s love.

I promise to keep the meditations short. (I know, I know … that’s a tough assignment … but just watch me!) On some days, it might only be one or two verses, words from God to contemplate that day. I have no idea how it will all work out, but for the next 35 days, I want to focus on His love for me.

May the Spirit teach all of us, and …

May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

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Scripture: Ephesians 3:19 (NLT)

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Everything We Need – Why Wander in the Desert?

For the past two weeks, we’ve only begun to see the riches God has for His children. I know that these reflections have increased my yearning for the life Jesus died to give us. 

And He intends for us to live that life! Psalm 23 is a picture of the abundance, assurance, love, strength, peace, and security He has for us. When we are invited to this, why would we go wandering off into barren lands?

I know that we have a tendency to skim over familiar Scriptures, but take some time today to shut out all other voices. Read Psalm 23 and savor the richness of this life. Truly, He gives us everything we need.  

The LORD is my shepherd;
    I have all that I need.
He lets me rest in green meadows;
    he leads me beside peaceful streams.
    He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
    bringing honor to his name.

Even when I walk
    through the darkest valley,
I will not be afraid,
    for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff
    protect and comfort me.
You prepare a feast for me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil.
    My cup overflows with blessings.
Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me
    all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the LORD forever.

Then thank the Father for pursuing you with His love and mercy,
   thank Jesus for bringing you into green meadows beside peaceful streams,
      thank the Spirit for guiding you along right paths to the house of the Lord,
          both now and forever.

Amen.

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Scripture: Psalm 23 (NLT)

Photo credit: Lana Turner

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Every(little)thing we need

The crocus arrived just at the right time. If God has favorites, surely the crocus must be one of His favorite flowers.

I have long thought that God planned for this tiny little flower to bloom in the spring because if it came along in July, its delicate melody would be drowned out by the boisterous shouting of tall and robust perennials. No one would notice little clusters of crocuses fighting for space in the flower beds of mid-summer. Now, though, against the bare ground or sometimes poking its color above the snow like a flag of hope, the crocus is celebrated and cherished.

The purple crocus along my sidewalk arrived in perfect timing this week. It sent a breath of hope and newness and cheer into my week, just when I needed it.

Do you notice all those things that arrive at just the right time, just when you need them? A call from a friend, sunshine, a devotional or a Scripture, a hug, an affirming word, the sudden memory of where you put your car keys, an out-of-the-blue reminder of something important … that you had forgotten.  

Ann Voskamp writes about all the gifts that God places in each day, seemingly small things that make up our lives. Some people would call these things coincidences. Ann calls them “the pulse of His love” for us*, and I agree with her.

Even some of those things that seem to “go wrong” turn out to be gifts. We’re often frustrated or disappointed, but don’t see until later that good has come out of the situation. God’s gifts are sometimes packaged in ways we would never expect.

The Lord directs the steps of the godly.
      He delights in every detail of their lives.

He is there, in every moment of my day. And I believe the purple crocus, just what I needed that day, was a gift from Him.

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Quote from One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp

Scripture: Psalm 37:23 (NLT)

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Every(big)thing we need

I thought I had the perfect opening paragraph today. But now that I’m at the keyboard, I’m thinking about Superman and the Six Million Dollar Man, so we’ll go with them.

You know them: Superman, the man of steel, faster than a speeding bullet, leaping tall buildings; and the 70s version, the astronaut rebuilt with bionic arms and legs and eye. Those super-dudes had every amazing capability needed to save the day when battling the bad guy.

By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life.

So, can you see yourself as a godly superman today? I wonder — can you even believe this verse in 2 Peter?

Paul wrote this to the Romans: 

For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.

Living in triumph over sin and death, having everything we need to live a godly life — now that does sound like a rich, abundant, triumphant life. But how do we do that?

Ummm … we don’t. We can’t. Christ can! He does!

This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to God’s people. For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.

I admit, for many years I had a tough time understanding and believing that God does really give us everything we need to live a godly life. If that was true, how come there were so many “ungodly” things still popping up? I knew how far I was from the “godly” mark.

But the Spirit has been slowly teaching me and changing the way I see my life.

What’s necessary for me to live a godly life? Two things, and only God can give them.

One was a new heart. God loved us and called us to be His children before we even had a heart for Him. Before we even wanted to have a heart for Him. We were dead to Him. But He gave us new life, a life in the Spirit, birthed by the Spirit.

The second thing I needed was the power. Even a million-dollar bionic will could not give me the power to live a godly life. Only the Spirit of Christ, living in me, can do that.

I guess, when you think about it, what God did was create an entirely new me. A new heart for Him, a whole new life, imbued with His power, created by and for Him!

The verse from Peter doesn’t say we are going to live a perfect life; as a matter of fact, if you read the context, he’s offering prayers for the church, that they will grow in grace and peace and knowledge. They, like us, still had some growing to do. But God’s promise is that we will share in His divine nature, and escape the corruption of human desires, and the Spirit is daily changing us to be like Him.

Pretty amazing. The Spirit of Christ living in me gives me a new heart, life, and power. It’s God working in us that lives out the life He wants.

We could list other things, too, that we need and God supplies on a daily basis — armor to fight and defend against the enemy, encouragement and counsel of others, guidance of the Scriptures.

But Christ supplied the two things I needed most to live a godly life, and now He can live out His rich and abundant life in me. 

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Scripture: 2 Peter 1:3; Romans 5:17; Colossians 1:26-27 (NLT)

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Even there, everywhere, Your hand and Your strength!

What I really needed, I wrote to the small circle of my closest friends, was an evening with all of us together, laughing. I wanted to laugh until I cried, giggle until my sides hurt.

So we did that. Via email! Sounds impossible, and yes, it’s not quite as satisfying as having one another’s physical presence, but — one friend was forty miles away, one in Arizona, one in Florida. Email was our only option. It worked for me. We did laugh heartily that night.

The riches of relationship! My friends were “present” with me, even though we’re scattered across the country. Their presence made my evening.

The presence of God in every moment of our lives is surely the greatest of the riches Christ brought to us when He came to give us an abundant life. Because of Christ, we can enter into a relationship with God that, as the psalmist says in Psalm 139, is so wonderful that we cannot fully understand or describe it.

He knew us before we were even conceived. Before we uttered our first cry, He was in every day and moment of our lives. No matter what roads we go down, he travels with us. His love surrounds us always.

You go before me and follow me.
     You place your hand of blessing on my head.

He goes before and after us; we are surrounded by His presence and His love!

If I ride the wings of the morning,
     if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
even there your hand will guide me,
     and your strength will support me.

He guides and supports and strengthens us every step of our way. This is the wellspring of our very lives, children of God!

What a life we’ve been given — a life where God’s presence is with us in every moment. This morning, for the first time, I begin to glimpse what Jesus meant when He talked about what was most important in life:

“Life is not measured by how much you own … a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”  

Oh! How often we ignore the riches we’ve been offered as children of God! How foolish of us! How often we forget that He is with us every moment, that He surrounds us with love and care.

My inheritance as a child of God is a rich relationship with Him. What a gift to be received and enjoyed, knowing that no matter what path I walk down, He is there with me.

For you have rescued me from death;
     you have kept my feet from slipping.
So now I can walk in your presence, O God,
     in your life-giving light.

Father, Jesus, Spirit, I want to live in the richness, walking always in awareness of Your life-giving presence.

Amen.

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Scripture: Psalm 139:5,9-10; Luke 12:15,21; Psalm 56:13 (all NLT)