Tag: Daily Devotion

Today’s Word Is … BUILD

Tue-Dec-31-2019

Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” (1st Thessalonians 5:11)

Suppose you have an area of your life where you want to “get better” or “get well.” You have been inspired by some person or event, perhaps a book you have read, a sermon you heard, a difficult experience you faced. You believe God is calling you higher, toward spiritual and emotional health, toward greater faith, deeper peace, higher joy.

So, being inspired you put better things into practice in your life. You start going back to church … or you quit a bad habit … or you apologize and fix a broken relationship … etc.

Then you discover that your choice to “get better” has caused some other person to have to adjust to the “new you.” That’s because all of us are part of a system of relationships. The basic ones are family connections, and some families are healthy to various degrees while others are perhaps slightly or severely dysfunctional. The same is true for friendships, co-workers, church family, or neighbors.

To the point … There is a theory in family systems that when one person improves, another person sometimes gets worse! That person begins to act out in negative ways. The more dysfunctional the family system, the more likely this is to happen. And why would someone get worse in response to your getting better?? … Because they want things to go back to the way they used to be. They have lost some feeling of importance perhaps. Their reaction is a temper tantrum of sorts.

Suppose, for instance, that you decide to start going back to church. And someone in your family tells you that “we always have family dinner at grandma’s house every Sunday at noon, and now you have messed that up! You’re causing a problem for the rest of us. See how selfish you are!” Any number of decisions could affect others in ways they resent.

They may even react so negatively that they become angry or spiteful. This behavior makes you think they are getting ready to wreck their life … or wreck your life … or damage the whole family. You consider abandoning your plan to improve your life and going back to the way things were. You say to yourself, “This was a bad idea. I had no idea so-and-so would be against it. I don’t want to hurt their feelings or lose their friendship, etc., etc.”

But you should consider that if you give up, you are in effect giving that person control over your life, even your faith life. You may realize that this person actually has control over the whole family system. They use their switching between good and bad behavior to manipulate and control everyone else.

Everyone’s situation is different, of course, but in general this is a time in your life to stick to it. If this is God-inspired, then you can go ahead with the plan, but also step up your love and encouragement of this person. Trust God for strength and believe that you will make it, and that the upset person will finally adjust, perhaps even improve just like you did.

As believers it is our job to encourage people in these situations and to build them up. So if someone is being bullied back into regression or belittled for trying to improve, it is our privilege and a command from the Word to “go to bat” for that person. Speak up. Offer encouragement.

And if you’re the one who needs the encouragement, a good thing you can do for yourself is to make it easy for others to support you, by being open. Don’t give up on the “better” things God is calling forth in you. He will provide a way for your future. Turn the naysayers over to God. He can help them better than we can anyway.

Blessings,

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Word Is … BECOME

Mon-Dec-30-2019

Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm. (Proverbs 13:20)

It matters with whom we associate. We cannot avoid being around all kinds of people. Some will be likable and some not … cheerful or not … kind or not … problem solvers or not … complainers or not … and wise or not.

Contact and collaboration are necessary … with those whom we like and those whom we do not. But we do not have to “walk with” everyone in the sense referred to by this Proverb. This phrase “walk with” is about those with whom we spend time in an admiring way. It is about observing how someone has a positive or negative effect on the world around them. It is about asking questions to the one we think of as wise, hoping to learn their secrets of peace, motivation, boldness, and wisdom.

I hope you have a desire to learn and to become a better person. God loves us as we are … yes … but he loves us too much to leave us the way we are. It has been said that you can’t “go with God” and stay where you are.

Unfortunately, some folks are attracted to foolish people … because it appears at times that this type of person gets to be carefree and unburdened. Whereas the wise person appears to be doing too much work, or getting redirected sometimes by inconvenient interruptions, or even sacrificing self-indulgence to become better at serving others or better at a desired skill.

For you and I to become the best we are meant to be, it matters whom we admire and imitate. As for the one who is foolish, but appears on the outside to “have it made” … a window into their private moments might show us the “flip side” of their lifestyle of suffering undesirable consequences and repeatedly making botched attempts to reverse the results of their foolishness.  These are the things they hide from us.

Have you ever suffered harm because you were the companion of fools? Hopefully we left that behind in our younger days! Now would be a good time to resolve to walk with the wise, and in so doing become wise.

Blessings,

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Christmas Word Is … AFRAID

Thu-Dec-26-2019

Today’s Daily Devotion is about the change in the shepherds from being afraid to having great joy.

When the angels appeared to announce the birth of the Savior to the shepherds, they reacted by being afraid. I suppose most anyone would, but there is more background to this in their case. You see, absolutely no one would be approaching shepherds who were watching their flocks.

Shepherds were not highly revered in society. For instance, in court cases, the testimony of a shepherd by himself was not allowed unless another witness was there to corroborate.

It makes me think of the number of people I have known or ministered to in my lifetime, who have what I call a “poverty mentality.” It goes beyond just the money issue. It is about people who think of themselves as “worth less” than others.

I grew up with such thoughts about myself. I thought my opinion was not as valuable as that of others. It took more than half a lifetime to overcome this. These particular shepherds seem to have overcome it in one night!

First, they instantly grasped the meaning of the announcement. You see, Bethlehem was close to Jerusalem, and was a supplier of the lambs used for sacrifice in the Temple. A sacrificial lamb had to be unblemished, so at birthing time, the shepherds would take the new lambs that had no imperfections and wrap them in strips of cloth (swaddling) to keep them unblemished until they were taken to the Temple.

To hear the angel say that the baby would be in a manger wrapped in swaddling cloths was a connection to the prophecies of Isaiah about the suffering Messiah, the lamb of God.

Once they were no longer afraid, the shepherds were ready to go and see … now.

Luke 2:15  When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.”

For a group of fellows who didn’t feel very welcome in public, this was quite a significant adventure. And after their visit to see the Christ child, their courage increased even more.

Luke 2:17  When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. 18  And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds.

The birth of the Messiah was the work of God for everyone … from the lowly shepherd … to the Wise Men from the East.

For some people, it takes years and years to overcome the deeply ingrained feeling that they are not worth as much as others. But God wants to cleanse you from self-degradation and fill you with the proper value he has given you, all the while maintaining a true and healthy sense of humility.

Unto YOU a Savior has been born.

Blessings,

Chaplain Mark Davis

(The Daily Devotion “Today’s Word Is” is published Monday – Friday.)

Today’s Christmas Word Is … FULFILLED

Wed-Dec-25-2019

Today’s Daily Devotion is about the fulfillment of God’s promise to send a Savior to be a light in our darkness.

This is a bit crazy, but imagine there was no Christmas, no celebration that God has fulfilled his promise. There would be a dreariness about life and a temptation to think that all is meaningless and without purpose. But thankfully, the promise has been fulfilled.

Why Christmas? The most important first step for anyone who is seeking a life of hope, peace, joy, and love is to admit that “I need help.” And Christmas is God’s gift that says he will provide the way. He knew that we could not achieve or earn our way to the blessed life. God’s plan was to wait for the right moment in which to enter our world, and show us the way, up close and personal.

God revealed in the Old Testament this promise of sending a redeemer. Isaiah the Prophet spoke of this promise 700 years before the birth of Jesus …

Isaiah 6:2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. …

6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

7 Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

Many Israelites had been holding on to that promise. Some had given up. And many people in the rest of the world didn’t even know that a day of hope might be coming.

The original Christmas, the birth of Jesus, was the day the world had been waiting for. In Bethlehem, two thousand years ago, the promise was fulfilled. All of history was leading to that moment, and all time since looks back to that moment.

In the book, The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, from the C. S. Lewis series The Chronicles of Narnia, there was a spell over the land from the White Witch that made it always winter. But Aslan, the Lion, the Christ figure in those books, came to break that spell. It involved giving his own life as a ransom.

Just like that relentless winter in Narnia, our world lived in darkness, in need of a Savior. But Isaiah, in the passage above, announced well in advance that “those in darkness” would “see a great light.” A son would be born, whose reign and peace would have no end. There would be light in the darkness.

There is a secular song that speaks truth when it says that Christmas is “the most wonderful time of the year.” And the Christmas carol, O, Little Town of Bethlehem, sums it up powerfully by saying, “The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.”

There is a lightness to Christmas, in some respects. We decorate, give gifts, laugh, sing, have a good time, and experience a peace that can hardly be described. But there is also a great seriousness, that this celebration is about the fulfilling of a promise that touches the depths of our souls and makes live worth living.

Not only has the world as a whole been sent a Savior, but we can even personalize it and say, “The hopes and fears of all my years” have been met in the Christ child tonight.

Merry Christmas from the Daily Devotion site “Today’s Word Is!”

Chaplain Mark Davis

(The Daily Devotion “Today’s Word Is” is published Monday – Friday.)

Today’s Christmas Word Is … LISTEN

Christmas 2019
Thu-Dec-5-2019

The Christmas story has several key characters who listened to God. An angel came from God to both Mary and Joseph, and they obeyed. The shepherds listened to his angel messengers and literally rushed to find the baby. Wise men heard him calling them to a journey to Bethlehem, then again for directions to return home another way. After the birth event, Joseph and Mary listened again to God calling them to Egypt for safety.

If we are going to follow the Lord by trusting and believing him, then we also need to listen to him for guidance. Many of us do our listening by reading God’s Word, plus hearing sermons from pastors and lessons from teachers. But how about listening to “his voice” speaking to us at times when we are not necessarily doing those things?

“You shall follow the Lord your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him.” (Deuteronomy 13:4 NASB)

There seems to be some suspicion of people who say, “God talked to me.” Maybe that comes from seeing TV shows and movies where the one who claims to have heard God then goes out and kills somebody … because “God told me to.” I assure you, God did not tell them any such thing.

But I am inviting you to reach a comfort level where you can safely share with others that God spoke to you about something. Does that sound uncomfortable? Don’t forgot that the Bible is the story of God speaking to people. Besides those just mentioned, Abraham heard God’s voice, so did Moses, King David, all the prophets, the disciple Simon Peter, the Apostle Paul.

Now … a voice can be heard both externally and internally. You can hear in your spirit as well as in your ears. In my case, God speaks to me inwardly. Somehow, I must figure out if what I am “hearing” is my own series of thoughts, or the temptations and lies of the enemy, or if possible, the true voice of God guiding me.

For example, many years ago as I was going through a struggle regarding self-acceptance, I once heard a voice in my head say, “Stop beating yourself up.” I was a bit stunned at such a clear directive. But it was true … I called myself clumsy when I dropped something, uncoordinated when I tripped, stupid when I didn’t know the answer. I would often say “you idiot” to myself. And some of you have done the same.

When I heard that voice in my spirit, I sat there for a moment asking, “Is that you, God? If so, why is this important to you?”

I waited a few seconds, and then he said, “I don’t beat you up.” This was one of the most convincing and profound instances of hearing God’s voice that I ever had, at a time when it was crucial for my faith journey. It boosted me into a new realm of more clearly hearing God speak to me. He was telling me in this instance that I was treating myself in a manner he would never treat me, and I needed to hear that!

You, too, can hear God’s voice if you listen. Don’t be afraid to share with others that you have heard God speak something into you. (Tell them that you believe the Bible, and it’s in there!)

I would throw in a word of caution here, because as much as I believe heartily that God speaks to us, I can have difficulty with a person who says, “God told me, God told me, God told me,” throughout every conversation. Of course, I know plenty of people who can say “God told me” all they want to, and I would believe it, because I know them and their genuine faith quite well. And if I ever had a doubt, it would not offend them for me to question it. But for some people, peppering every conversation with “God told me,” is very self-serving. It allows them to avoid godly input from wise people and to steer away from the correction of God. It’s hard to question someone like that, because you sense they would get offended if you ever said, “Are you sure that’s what God told you?”

What God tells us matches his nature, his love, his purposes, and the Scripture. We all should learn to listen for God’s voice, but none of us hears “perfectly.” Still, we are called to do so.

“… Today, if you would hear His voice, …” (Psalm 95:7)

Christmas is a great time to listen,

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Christmas Word Is … ABSORB

Christmas 2019
Tue-Dec-3-2019

What creates fear in you? Relationship problems? Financial problems? Health issues? How about fear of failure? Fear of death? Fear of rejection? Something else?

Unaddressed fear contributes to worry, and the combination of fear and worry becomes heavier and heavier. Sometimes we try to fix it by isolating it into a back corner of our minds and then just trying to live with it. In the medical field we know that infected wounds don’t go away. And likewise, personal and emotional woundedness, which manifests in fear and worry, festers in the same way.

So … how do we get rid of fear? What can we do to be less afraid of threats? Is there a way to reach the point where fear is not our automatic reaction? Can fear be cleansed out of us and replaced with a sense of peace and security?

Would the best tool be to have more courage? Could we fix it by just frequently and habitually reminding ourselves of truths as a way to quench our fears? Of course, some people would tell us, “Just get over it.” In my experience that rarely works.

Although courage is good and necessary, and thinking on God’s truths is a very effective thing, the Scripture reveals the root method by which fear leaves us. You might know the answer if I ask it this way: What does the Bible say will cast out fear?

It is love … perfect love.

“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” (1st John 4:18)

Christmas is a celebration that “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son…” (John 3:16) After all where could “perfect” love come from other than from him?

Why not use this Christmas to start or renew this constant process of considering how deeply, thoroughly, unconditionally, and perfectly God loves you … and not just thinking about it, but feeling it? Personally, I like to think about and know that someone loves me, but being hugged along with hearing that whisper of “I love you” is powerful and absorbs into my inner being, not just my mind, but my soul and spirit.

As you use this season to intentionally engage in absorbing God’s amazing love, you will be able to tell if it is being effective when you realize that in return your love for him is growing noticeably. You see, this “perfect love” is two-sided … God’s love for us … our love for him. Of course, God’s love for us is already perfect, whereas our love for him is not. But … our love for him is not to be static. As we absorb his love for us, our love for him is growing and “being perfected.”

And when you have absorbed more and more of his love (usually over a long period of time) into your inner being, fear will have less and less room within you to function. As the incredible love of God goes in, the fear within you is being “driven out.”

Be at peace this Christmas!

Chaplain Mark