Devotionals

Mark 6:30-32

Throughout the past months we've reaffirmed the significance of pacing ourselves and not allowing the tyranny of the urgent to blind us to the value of the important.

Well...how's it going? Pause long enough to review and reflect as you answer these questions.

Is my pace this year really that different from last year?

Am I enjoying most of my activities or just enduring them?

Have I deliberately taken time on several occasions this year for personal restoration?

Do I give myself permission to relax, to have leisure?

2 Corinthians 4:1-7

In his fine little volume In the Name of Jesus, Henri Nouwen mentions three very real, albeit subtle temptations any servant of Christ faces. They correspond with the three temptations our Lord faced before He began His earthly ministry. They also fit with three observations the Apostle Paul mentions in his letter to the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 4:1-7).

First Temptation: To be self-sufficient and self-reliant. Instead of being so self-assured, we need to be open, unguarded, and vulnerable.

Nehemiah 6:1-14

One of the occupational hazards of being a leader is receiving criticism (not all of it constructive, by the way). In fact, I firmly believe that the leader who does anything that is different or worthwhile or visionary can count on criticism. In this regard, I appreciate the remarks made by Theodore Roosevelt:

The nation to whom the prophet Isaiah wrote was going through the empty motions of a hollow religion. All the right words, all the right appearances, but zero results. They even fasted and prayed. I suppose we could say they looked and sounded orthodox, but they missed God's favour. They observed the external Sabbath, but they lacked the internal Shalom. Why? Don't hurry through the answer—Isaiah 58:6-12. It's worth reading aloud, perhaps more than once.

Colossians 3:12-14; James 5:11

It was one of those backhanded compliments. The guy had listened to me talk during several sessions at a pastors' conference. All he knew about me was what he'd heard in the past few days: ex-marine...schooled in an independent seminary...committed to biblical exposition...noncharismatic...premil...pretrib...pro this...anti that. 

Philippians 1:27-30

Making right decisions amidst dilemmas forces us to rethink our priorities. Choosing right priorities forces us to reconsider the importance of Christ in our lives.

Philippians 4:8

Thoughts are the thermostat that regulates what we accomplish in life. If I feed my mind upon doubt, disbelief, and discouragement, that is precisely the kind of day my body will experience. If I adjust my thermostat forward to thoughts filled with vision, vitality, and victory, I can count on that kind of day. Thus, you and I become what we think about.

Matthew 6:19-21

Mrs. Bertha Adams, 71 years old, died alone in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Easter Sunday. The coroner's report read: "Cause of death...malnutrition." She had wasted away to 50 pounds.

When the state authorities made their preliminary investigation of Mrs. Adams' home, they found a veritable "pig pen...the biggest mess you can imagine." The woman had begged food from neighbours’ back doors and gotten what clothing she had from the Salvation Army. From all outward appearances she was a penniless recluse. But such was not the case.

Psalm 31:14-15

In September, Terry Shafer was strolling the shops in Moline, Illinois. She knew exactly what she wanted to get her husband, David, for Christmas. A little shop on Fifth attracted her attention, so she popped inside. Her eyes darted toward the corner display. "That's it!" she smiled as she nodded with pleasure. "How much?" she asked the shopkeeper.

"Only $127.50."

Genesis 3

The word is out. TM is "in." Ask any number of celebrities or government leaders or public school officials...or thousands of college kids who endorse it. All are oohing and aahing over a Hindu monk with a name that looks like a misprint. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

Transcendental Meditation is his bag.

Devotees around this gullible globe have developed a vast network of International Meditation Society centres, declaring them to be the cure for physical and emotional ills and a splendid way to elevate the individual.