Work

By Pastor Bruce

In the last week or so, I have replaced the garbage disposal and kitchen faucet in our townhome as well as the brakes, spark plugs, oil and filters on Susan’s car. And I’ve been reminded why I like to work with my hands.

After college and a degree in theology and biblical languages, I discerned through prayer and wise counsel that God considered me too young to go to seminary and that I should learn to work with my hands as all the rabbis of old used to do. Having no skills, I got a job cleaning disassembled engine parts for $2.50/hour. I also rolled my car on the way home from that first week at work and had to borrow an old Ford Cortina without 3^rd gear from a friend in the church I was attending in Westminster. I was penniless, but wisely my parents did not send me money to bail me out. I quickly learned as Paul wrote, “If a man will not work, he shall not eat.”

Thankfully, I was able to pound the dents out of my car and returned the Cortina to my friend after installing a new 3^rd gear. I was learning self-sufficiency, because as Paul says, “Each one shall bear his own load.” I was also learning lifelong lessons in the garage where I worked.

In college if I got a “B” or a “C” on a paper, I moved on to the next assignment. I learned, however, when fixing cars that either it runs or it doesn’t. The only passing grade was an “A” because if the car wouldn’t start, I had to keep working on it until I figured out why and got it running again. Working on commission meant redoing the work on my own time until I got it right. Perseverance became a hard reality rather than just a Greek word favored by Paul in his writings.

I also gained a new respect for the men I worked with. Far from being con artists the way some people think of auto mechanics, they were smart, worked circles around me, and had a sixth sense of what was malfunctioning in an engine or transmission. As a college graduate with a facility for languages, I learned that “if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.”

In theology I was taught to “think God’s thoughts after him.” Fixing cars was an exercise in understanding why something was designed the way it was and how to make it work the way it was intended to work. By then I was a line mechanic at a VW dealership and was sent to factory training classes where I learned exactly why the engineers designed the cars the way they did. I learned to think their thoughts after them so I could make the correct repairs. I learned that whether it was figuring out an electrical wiring diagram or figuring out what a passage of Scripture meant, I had to leave my preconceptions behind and open my mind to learn what I didn’t know. As Isaiah wrote: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Finally, I learned the meaning of the Greek word diakonos which means servant. I learned the joy of serving others. I remember particularly one day when I was working on a family van and saw a bunch of kids and their mom and dad in the waiting room ready to go on vacation as soon as their van was fixed. I knew this family was counting on me to fix their van reliably and quickly so they could begin their vacation. Diakonos not only means Deacon but was also the word Paul always used to describe the ministry to which God had called him. I learned that later in life as a minister, I would derive the same joy in serving others as I currently did fixing people’s cars for them. As Paul wrote, “Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy.”

And so far from being a waste of time, the years I spent fixing cars yielded cherished and lifelong lessons. God knew exactly what he was doing, and that’s why I still like to work with my hands.

Scripture passages: 2 Thessalonians 3:10, Galatians 6:3-5, Isaiah 55:9, 2 Corinthians 1:24

A Whole Different Kind of Baptism

By Phil Wood

After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."

Then they gathered around him and asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"

He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

                                                                                                                              Acts 1:3-9

One of the best ways to really engage in Scripture and to truly comprehend the magnitude of what is being told, is to put yourself into the scene and imagine it is happening before your very eyes. Jesus spoke the words above in the last moments of his last appearance before ascending into heaven. Only the eleven apostles were with him. So to be present in this scene, you'll need to imagine yourself as one of the Eleven. I get to be Philip because, well, he's my namesake. You'll have to pick the one you think is most like you.

In Matthew's account they are at the Mount of Olives, just outside of Jerusalem. Other accounts don't mention a location, but state only that they were "at table" or, as in this account, they were simply eating together. Wherever it was, they were probably out of doors in broad daylight because, in the next few sentences, they're watching Jesus disappear into the clouds. So let's put ourselves at the Mount of Olives, maybe having a picnic together.

I picture us sitting in the shade of an olive tree, with a few rock outcroppings and some scattered vegetation around. Olive trees have a very distinct scent. Can you smell it on the breeze?

We're enjoying some intimate moments together with a guy we watched being cruelly put to death just 40 days ago. How does one even process that? How do you even come to grips with the fact that he was dead and now he's alive, and here we are sitting around chatting with him, enjoying his company. It feels good to me, kind of like old times, though I know it's short lived. I can feel my head going back and forth in disbelief. Can this really be happening?

Obviously, we apostles still haven't put it all together about what the prophets said concerning the Messiah and his kingdom. Jesus has just told us we're about to be baptized with the Holy Spirit, and we just skip right over that and want to know if now is the time he's going to take command and restore Israel to self rule.

I don't know about you, but I can't really focus on that discussion. In my mind I'm going, "Wait a second. Hang on. What was that part about being baptized with the Holy Spirit? What does that mean, exactly? Because that sounds like something very big and very important is about to happen to me and, you know, I'm not quite sure if I'm ready."

Jesus isn't about to get off track, either, so he goes on to say, "...you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Then, before any of us can ask another question, he's gone.

Now we're all standing here, looking up at the sky. It has become very quiet. The breeze is blowing through my hair and I feel a little shiver go up my spine. I wonder if I'll ever see my friend again. And I wonder what is about to happen. Jesus just told me that, in a matter of days, at an unspecified time, I'm going to be baptized by the Holy Spirit of God! Somehow, the Holy Spirit is going to "come upon me." I'm going to receive power. And I'm going to be changed forever.

Something has been triggered in me and I'm now in full alert mode. I'm watching. I'm nervously awaiting whatever is going to happen.

You? As another one of the apostles in this account, all this is about to happen to you, as well. Has the magnitude of what has been said sunk in? What thoughts are running through your head? What emotions are you feeling? Are you excited? Overwhelmed? Confused? Scared to death?

May I suggest that you sit with your thoughts for a few moments? Let the Spirit bring your thoughts into focus for you. Talk to God about them. Then, after a while, let yourself drift back to the here and now.

Lord, here and now, we're just a few days away from Pentecost. We have seen your Holy Spirit alive and active in these days of COVID-19, here and around the world. Help us to be watchful for what may happen very soon. Keep us alert for what the Holy Spirit might be up to in our own hearts. Make us ready for a life completely open to the renewing work of the Spirit. In the holy name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Looking for Answers

 By Brooke Momblow

“It’s like putting a puzzle together,” I explained to my friend. “You can’t see the picture clearly without using all of the pieces. You have to read the entire book to see the whole picture…” She wrinkled her nose at me. “Obviously I’m missing some pieces, I think I have to go to Bible College so someone can tell me how to understand it.” I laughed out loud because I understood how she felt. “It’s not as hard as you’d think, just reading more of the Bible can help.”  She looked skeptical.

My friend didn’t grow up in church but had been attending for several years. She felt there was still a lot she didn’t know but wanted to. On this day she asked, “I know Jesus was a Jew, but when did he become a Christian?” This time I didn’t laugh, she was honestly asking. But she didn’t need to go to seminary to answer her question. It could be answered by reading Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John. She didn’t know the answer because she wasn’t as familiar with the story as she thought she was. Understanding can be as simple as being familiar with the stories.

Often we are lulled into thinking we know everything we need to know about the Christian faith because we attend church. However, there is a lot we might not be aware of if we aren’t reading the Bible for ourselves. Pastors and teachers help us learn how to connect the dots of what we read to other parts of scripture, they help us understand what we couldn’t know without taking classes – like the full breadth of a Greek word or how the culture during Jesus time can affect the meaning of a passage. They equip us to use and apply what we’ve discovered in the pages of scripture. Sermons by themselves though are only pieces of the puzzle.

On my 13^th birthday, my Mom gave me a “Bible for teens.” Having read other books the same size I decided I would jump right in and read it front to back. There were some crazy stories in there. I had a lot of questions. As a naïve teenager I was shocked to read about David bringing 200 foreskins to the king as payment to marry his daughter! (Had my parents read this book?!)  

With apps like YouVersion you can read any Bible translation anytime, do a word search for a verse you can’t remember, or look up a topic like love. This is handy because my friend has become very familiar with her Bible. She’s so hungry to know God and her questions now require a LOT more investigating. Sassy and quirky, my friend still makes me laugh out loud, and I look forward to our discussions. We challenge each other to be familiar with the stories.

God has a way of making familiar stories new again.

Looking for answers? May I challenge you? Take time to read a story you think you know – like Jonah. Recruit a friend to talk about it. Have questions? Our pastors are always there to help! But I would encourage you to do a little digging yourself. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you.

The Steadfast Love of the Lord

By Marilyn Travis

Now that it is warmer, we've been keeping our bedroom window open at night. The fresh air is nice, but by far the greatest benefit to me is listening to the birds sing in the morning. I lie in bed looking out the window, listening to birdsong, watching the squirrels scamper around the trunk of our big tree in the back yard, and I can't help but be thankful and full of praise.

Each morning brings the promise of a fresh start, a new beginning.

...His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. – Lamentations 3:22-23

I've always loved this verse by itself. It is uplifting and sweet. However, I don't often spend time in the previous verses.

I have been deprived of peace; I have forgotten what prosperity is. So I say, "My splendor is gone and all that I had hoped from the Lord." I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. – Lamentations 3:17-20

I have often awakened in the middle of the night, anxious and full of fear. Maybe one of our children was in crisis, or we had an unexpected financial burden arise. Maybe words were exchanged that left me full of regret, or I have a difficult meeting or conversation looming. Whatever the reason, every worry seems magnified in the night when there is silent darkness all around, and I let my imagination run. The connecting verses in Lamentations are vital:

Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. – Lamentations 3:21-22 

No problem or situation I fear is too great for God to handle. When I am lying awake in the middle of the night, full of anxiety, I often pray Philippians 4:7. I have changed a few words to make them personal.

"(I will) not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, (I) present (my) requests to (you), God. And (Your peace), which transcends understanding, will guard (my) heart and (my) mind in Christ Jesus."

Then I wait in the Lord for morning, when the birds are singing and the day is new, resting in His steadfast love for me. That is all I need.

Enjoy this lovely version of "The Steadfast Love of the Lord Never Ceases."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUlJEcfy4CI

Going Deeper May 24

By Phil Wood

Considering the sermon by Bruce Spear on May 24, 2020

Scripture Readings: 1 Peter 5:7-11

In Peter's day, Christians were dealing with persecution, and it was deadly serious. No Christian, anywhere in the Roman world was safe. Christians were "safer at home" than they were venturing out into the world.

In his sermon, Pastor Bruce noted that our situation today is similar. We're facing adversity that poses a threat to our lives. To protect ourselves, we're sticking pretty close to home, isolating ourselves from community, friends, loved ones. This is impacting us on many levels.

Bruce spoke of epidemiologists who have been researching these things for some 50 years, trying to find ways to help us deal with the impact of such a pandemic on our lives. Their research shows that people, when faced with such adversity, fall into three basic groups:

1.  Those whose first response is anger

2.  Those who turn inward and worry about all the bad things that could happen

3.  Those who acknowledge the difficulties, resist the two approaches above, and work to overcome the adversity.

If you ask me, the epidemiologists could have saved themselves a lot of trouble simply by turning to 1 Peter Chapter 5. But let's humor them for the moment.

In which of these three groups do you think the epidemiologists would place you?

Which of these three groups do you think is most likely to emerge from these troubles in one piece?

Okay, that question was too easy. Let's look at what Peter had to say.

"Be alert and sober of mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour."

Take some time to meditate on that verse. Think about what weapons the devil might be turning against you during this coronavirus pandemic. How, exactly, does the devil go about devouring someone? What sort of things do we need to be watching out for with alertness and soberness of mind?

Resist the devil, Peter said. And he gave us some clues on how to do that by turning to God. I think the epidemiologists would agree these were some pretty good tips.

"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."

Try meditating on that verse and turning it into a prayer. Be completely honest. Tell Jesus everything you're anxious about during this COVID-19 era; the people whose health and lives you fear for, the financial impact on your family and the world, the rising tide of divisiveness around how we're going to emerge to the new normal. All of it, whatever it is, put it on the altar. Surrender it into his hands.

And then prayerfully reflect on the second half of that sentence, "...because he cares for you."

It's okay to let it go. You can trust him because he cares for you. And your enemy the devil sure as hell does not!

In his message yesterday morning, Bruce was strongly calling us all to trust in the God who loves us and cares for us because, as Peter promised, "...the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast."

And all the epidemiologists said...Amen!

God be with you. 

Snowbank and Me: Or What I Learned from a Peacock

By Susan Spear

I am thankful for many things. During Stay-At-Home and now Safer-At-Home, I don’t have to spend several hours a day in the car; With the exception of scheduled Zoom meetings, I can organize my daily calendar; I don’t have to set the alarm (though I still enjoy rising at 6:30 am); Bruce is my office-mate; My students are remarkably flexible and diligent; I have more time for writing poems and reading for pleasure; In this beautiful season of spring, I have jogged (slowly) far and wide in Centennial; I have chatted with our daughters often via my new Mother’s Day Gift, the Portal; and, the gratitude list could go on and on.

This season has refreshed my soul. If real people, some whom I know, were not suffering and dying from Covid-19 I would be tempted to call this time a sabbatical. But sometime during the second week of May, I noticed a strange desire for human connection. I tried to joke with the mailman; he did not respond (nor was he wearing a mask or gloves). I wanted to ask the woman on the other side of the street where she had bought her jogging shoes, but she would not return my gaze. I thanked the clerk at King Soopers too sincerely, secretly wishing for a little repartee. No such luck. I had a strong desire to go to Starbucks. The warning on the sign saved me: only cars allowed in drive through.

The same day I read a news story out of Boston. Snowbank, one of four peacocks kept at the Franklin Park Zoo, had escaped. According to CNN, a person reported they "were met by an extremely large, slightly intimidating, and quite beautiful, male peacock.” Imagine yourself walking through the busy Roxbury neighborhood outside Boston and being approached by a peacock. Startling, right? A spokesperson for the zoo reported that "The peacocks at Franklin Park Zoo are free-roaming, and while they typically wander throughout the Zoo, it is currently mating season, and it's possible he ventured out looking for love in search of a peahen” (female peacock). I laughed aloud. I am Snowbank. Looking for a little conversation, a little connection, yes, a little love. What do we do when the church has left the building? When Covid-19 is rearranging our support system. What do I do when my students have left the classroom? When the daily affirmation of my vocational calling is now an occasional email.

The end of the story is noteworthy. One wise police officer thought quickly and “found a peacock mating call on his smart phone and lured the bird to a fenced-in yard before Boston Animal Control arrived to escort Snowbank safely back to the zoo” (CNN 5/12/2020). This astute officer sent my mind to Isaiah 43:1:

But now, this is what the Lord says—
  he who created you, Snowbank,
  he who formed you, Snowbank:
‘Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
  I have summoned you by name; you are mine.’

God called Snowbank, in his native tongue, back to safety. And God was calling me back to his immeasurable love. Reading at home, writing at my desk, jogging through my neighborhood, communicating with colleagues via text or zoom, I am not alone. The cornerstone stays in place. God’s love surrounds me: above, below, on each side, before, and behind. For nothing separates us from the love of Christ. “Not trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword, or Covid-19…” (Romans 8:35). I sense God’s love in this home he has given me, in my health, in the garden flowers Bruce bought yesterday, in the Italian wind chimes on our porch, in the phone call from a friend, in the Zoom fellowship with my colleagues. I know my life will not be as it was before. There are unexpected adventures ahead. New avenues and trails to walk. And a new context in which to understand the ever-present love of Jesus.

Meditating on Scripture

By Phil Wood

In last Friday's devotional, Brooke Momblow quoted from Isaiah 55 and encouraged us to "pray Scripture." I heartily endorse that practice. I agree it helps us to be sure we are praying in God's will. It helps us open our hearts to the searching and renewing of the Holy Spirit. And it helps us discern the path that is best, most pure and blameless.

Isaiah 55 is perhaps my favorite passage in all of Scripture and I believe it not only calls us to pray Scripture, but it calls us to meditate on Scripture, memorize it, have it always ready on the tips of our tongues, drink it in, take it in like food, devour it, and let it nourish, sustain and transform us.

Come all you who are thirsty,

   come to the waters;

and you who have no money,

   come buy and eat!

Come, buy wine and milk

   without money and without cost.

Why spend money on what is not bread,

   and your labor on what does not satisfy?

Listen, listen to me and eat what is good,

   and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.

Give ear and come to me;

   hear me, that your soul may live.

Do you not hear God himself breaking through the thin pages of Scripture, pleading with us to listen to him? Begging us to hear what he is saying, not just with our ears but with our hearts? Entreating us to take his word into ourselves, like food, and to be nourished by it?

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

   neither are your ways my ways,"

   declares the LORD.

"As the heavens are higher than the earth

   so are my ways higher than your ways

   and my thoughts than your thoughts.

As the rain and the snow

   come down from heaven,

and do not return to it

   without watering the earth

and making it bud and flourish,

   so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,

so is my word that goes out from my mouth:

   It will not return to me empty,

but will accomplish what I desire

   and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."

Read that part again. Is this not what Dallas Willard was getting at when he said, "When we constantly and thoughtfully engage ourselves with the ideas, images, and information that are provided by God through the Scriptures...we are nourished by the Holy Spirit in ways far beyond our own efforts or understanding. This transforms our entire life."

And just listen to what God promises will happen to us when his word accomplishes its purpose in us...

"You will go out in joy

   and be led forth in peace;

the mountains and hills

   will burst into song before you,

and all the trees of the field

   will clap their hands."

Whenever I sit with the Lord outdoors these days, and I hear the wind blowing through the trees, it sounds like applause to me. All the trees of the field are clapping their hands for me, because I've taken God's word into my heart.

"Instead of the thornbush will grow the pine tree,

   and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.

This will be for the LORD's renown,

   for an everlasting sign

   that will not be destroyed."

I have now committed all of these words to memory. I meditate on them day and night. I am in love with these words, they taste sweeter and sweeter as I continue to discover what God is saying to me.

And I pray that God's word will accomplish its purpose in you, that you will know this joy, this peace and, yes, the applause of all the trees of the field.

Panning for Gold

By Brooke Momblow

Alaska is beautiful. It holds a special place in my heart because I was born there. Summer in Alaska is my favorite. Tourists pour in from every country on earth. They want to hike mountains, look for moose and bear, watch a whale spout, fish for salmon, eat beer battered halibut, cruise past a calving glacier, buy a piece of traditional native artwork, and pan for gold. Such excitement occurs with the possibility of discovering gold.

Panning for gold is both easy and challenging. Learning from someone who has practiced the different techniques will save you from throwing your pan in the river in frustration. It can help you to see that there is gold to be found, you just need a little help discovering how to find it.

You have to learn to look at how the water flows to know where to place your pan. How much dirt and gravel do you scoop? Rocking the pan to create a swirl isn’t rocket science, yet it seems so difficult when you first try. Swirling the water separates dirt and rocks from gold. Separating takes patience to develop a rhythm so the murky water begins to clear, the dirt washes away, the gold emerges. You may have to repeat this several times to see gold in your pan, you may have to find a new position in the flow of water. But oh, the thrill! That first small glitter in your pan ignites such hopes and triumph!

For me, learning to hear God’s voice was a lot like learning to pan for gold. I was skeptical that there was really any gold to be found. That unfamiliar thought in my head sure sounded like my voice. A gut feeling of needing to do something for someone else felt like superstition, or acidic tomato sauce. People I respected shared with me their own stories of how they experienced God communicating with them. They also shared that they too sometimes still wrestled with knowing if it was God or not.

Again and again I see God speaking and revealing himself to those in scripture who seek him. ”I did not speak in secret, in a land of darkness; I did not say to the offspring of Jacob, ‘seek me in vain.’ I the Lord speak the truth; I declare what is right.” Isaiah 45:19 As believers in Christ, we are the offspring of Jacob. We do not seek the Lord in vain.

Fourteen years ago my brother entered a faith based recovery program because he believed God had saved his life in answer to his own desperate unbelieving prayer during an attempt at suicide. In the woods where he slept during the first stage of his recovery, he cried to God because he had never heard the voice of God speaking to him, but so many around him claimed to act based on hearing God. Without anyone around to help my brother understand, the Holy Spirit began to communicate with him by allowing him to see small answers to the prayers he prayed, and through those answers the Spirit began to teach my brother to recognize the very often inaudible voice of God.

“He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize his voice.” John 10:4-5

Recognizing our shepherd’s voice requires spending time with him. Knowing the words he has spoken in scripture, learning his character in scripture, understanding who he says he is comes from reading scripture. This is what helps us discern if something is originating from us or if it is the Holy Spirit’s leading. We all learn his voice differently, we all hear him in various ways, but we must learn it. We all battle inward doubts that we can actually recognize the Spirit’s leading, we act in faith trying to discover what it looks like. When we do think we’ve caught a glimpse of it for the first time, more doubts rush in to question what we know. Is that gold? Or is it only fool’s gold? It requires patience, a rhythm of seeking God and asking for confirmation, so that we can wash away the clutter to reveal what our soul longs for – communion with Christ.

Often we look for outward signs, but Jesus says that believing without seeing is blessed and even those who see outward signs still doubt what they see. Not sure about you, but an angel would get my full attention. However, since it hasn’t happened to me, I guess I have to wonder if I would act like Gideon in Judges 6.  “When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, ‘The Lord is with you’ and Gideon replied, ‘Pardon me, my Lord, but if the Lord is with us, why…?’” Later the Lord tells him ‘go, I’m sending you’ and again Gideon says ‘Pardon me, my Lord, but…’ It’s almost like he doesn’t want to believe. He brings up all the supernatural things God has done for Israel in the past like an accusation but refuses to believe God wants to do something supernatural for Israel now. His attitude really isn’t an attitude you would have if you thought you were really talking to God himself. Gideon wants to be convinced, but he is arrogant instead of humble in his search. Finally he says, ‘If I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign it is really you.’ When Gideon is convinced that it’s really God talking to him, he is shocked and then terrified.  

Gideon responds with fervor for God, builds an altar to God, and tears down the altars of other gods. And yet, when God gave him further direction, he asked for two more signs from God. God is so patient. Is a lack of faith the reason Gideon asked for confirmation? Or was he just making sure it was from God? For me it can be both. Also, if I’m being honest, having an encounter with God like that, where you are completely convinced it is God, that is thrilling and addictive. You want him to keep showing up that way. Gideon may have felt the same. It’s like finding gold in the bottom of your pan.

God desires relationship with us. He sent Jesus to make that possible. The Holy Spirit is here. Emmanuel.

“Flesh and blood may be the author of this: one man may give another an affecting view of divine things with but common assistance, but God alone can give a spiritual discovery of them.” ~ Jonathan Edwards

Rooted in Love

By Marilyn Travis

I’ve been sitting here in my corner of the house staring out the window, wondering what on Earth I could write about for this week’s devotional topic. It took me quite some time, I’m sorry to admit, before I asked the Lord to please help me out. After praying, more time passed……. So, barring any sudden brainstorms from the Lord, I just stared at the beautiful blue spruce in our front yard that spans the entire width of the view from my seat. I can only see the bottom third of the tree from where I’m sitting. Thirty years ago, when we moved into the house, this same tree stood six feet tall. We hoped it would survive. Now it is one of the most beautiful trees in Elizabeth. Suddenly, like a thunderstorm creeping closer from far away, it hit me! The tree! Trees are important to God. The Lord had been helping me for some time – I just didn’t hear Him! If only I had practiced aligning myself with God like this week’s Sunday School session taught us, I wouldn’t have missed the message!

Back to the tree.

According to Matthew Sleeth, "Trees are mentioned in the Bible more than any living thing other than God and people. And every major character has a tree associated with it...There's a tree on the first page of Genesis, the first Psalm, the first page of the New Testament and the last page of Revelation. Whether it is the fall, the flood, or the overthrow of the Pharaoh, every major event in the Bible has a tree marking the spot."

I'm not going to touch base on all of the above references, but now I'm seriously considering exploring the significance of trees in the Bible more thoroughly in my personal studies! No, I'd like to go back to our initial concern about whether our little six-foot tree would thrive.

Jeremiah 17:5-8

"This is what the Lord says: Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord. He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."

God wants us to be like a healthy, strong tree, rooted in His Spirit, fed by the living water of His Word. Our tree's branches blow in the wind, strain under the weight of heavy snow, and sometimes a branch will break with the stress. However, the tree itself stands strong, deeply rooted. If we align ourselves with God, acknowledging He is the source of our strength, our very life, and He alone can sustain us, then we can be like the tree, weathering the storms that come our way, and growing stronger and more deeply rooted each day.

Last week, Brooke Momblow suggested we pray the Scriptures. This passage is one of her suggestions. Let's pray together:

Ephesians 3:16-19

I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Amen!