Devotionals

Philemon

"My treat!" Nice words to hear, huh? They have flowed into my ears from any number of places. At Thirty-One Flavors on a smoggy, stifling, sweltering August afternoon after I've ordered a double-decker pralines and cream, dark cone with a buddy. He digs deeper, faster. I start licking, smiling. Full of gratitude, I leave wondering why I ordered two scoops. We laugh. I say thanks.

Acts 20:25-38

A birth is always exciting. Yes, always. Whether it is your baby or someone else's, those first cries never fail to make our hearts flutter. Family ties are strengthened as new life extends the roots. Everybody moves in closer and smiles approvingly. What power little babies possess!

How have you responded to these temptations mentioned in yesterday's reading in your own life? Do you give things instead of giving yourself, your presence, your personal involvement?

Do you save your best for the workplace?
Do you deliver lectures rather than earning respect by listening and learning?
Do you demand perfection from those under your roof?
Do you try to find intimate fulfilment outside the bonds of monogamy?
Do you cultivate your family's spiritual appetite?

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Ephesians 6:4-8 

I don't often recommend a volume without reservation, but I think every man should read Temptations Men Face by Tom Eisenman. I'm not saying I agree with everything in it, or that you will, but his observations, insights, and suggestions are both penetrating and provocative. In fact, that book got me thinking about the top temptations fathers face.

Romans 6:6; 12:13

Conscience is our moral intuition. It's that part of us that passes judgment on our own state. And it takes away our confidence when something is sour or bad. It takes away our security when it is soiled.

"Let your conscience be your guide." You've heard that. You've said it. Wait a minute. Sometimes that's reliable. But a great deal depends on the condition of your conscience. What if your conscience is seared?

Matthew 9:10-12

"Physician. One upon whom we set our hopes when ill and our dogs when well," defines A. Bierce in The Devil's Dictionary.

Romans 1:18-20

When I was deep in the redwoods some time ago, I lay back and looked up. I mean really up. It was one of those clear summer nights when you could see forever. So starry it was scary. The vastness of the heavens eloquently told the glory of God. No words could adequately frame the awesomeness of that moment. One of my mentors used to say, "Wonder is involuntary praise." That night, it happened to me.

1 Corinthians 12:19-25

Pull a sheet of scratch paper out of your memory bank and see how well you do with the following questions:

Psalm 8

Most folks I know like things to stay as they are. You've heard all the sayings that reveal our preference for the familiar: Leave well enough alone. I don't like surprises. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Stay with a sure thing.

We admire pioneers...so long as we can just read about them, not finance their journeys. We applaud explorers...but not if it means we have to load up and travel with them. Creative ideas are fine...but "don't get carried away," we warn. Plans that involve risks prompt worst-case scenarios from the lips of most who wait in the wings.

2 Timothy 3

You—or someone you know—may soon be graduating. I extend my congratulations! Whether you set new academic records or not, you finished. You saw it through. I commend you. Before that happens, however, let me give you four simple commandments that apply to anyone who is graduating. My thoughts grow out of the final four verses of 2 Timothy 3.