Category: Sister Judy (Page 230 of 271)

Devotions based on Mark Buchanan’s book, Spiritual Rhythms

As we think of the seasons there is a varying duration and intensity of light from summer to winter. Season to season light waxes and wanes, lengthens and shortens. In spiritual matters we are more apt to seek the light in the hard seasons than the easy ones. When we are most light starved we are most hungry for the light. A good example is Paul and Silas who were in the lowest darkest cell of jail. They had been mobbed, beaten, and shackled, for freeing a slave girl in captivity to an evil spirit.  They could have complained but instead they sang and praised and prayed.  Thankfulness was their testimony!  Maybe their gratitude to God had more to do with influencing the jailer’s family and the prisoners than a sermon!  When are told to give thanks in all things and for all things. That doesn’t mean we pretend that everything in our life is good. It means trusting God that He is able and willing to work all things, event the worst things, together for good.  Let us make a daily practice of being thankful, starting with the small things.  As we do this we will see the world differently and more of our life will look and feel like pure gift. Let us walk in the light!

Devotions based on  Mark Buchanan’s book Spiritual Rhythms
Paul tells us “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”  But how do we do that? It’s all about walking in the light and living there.  Jesus is the Light and light calls for response.  It calls for faith—choosing to believe in Him and to put our full weight in the gift of God. It calls for facing up-choosing to come into the light, to bring our whole selves into the searching brightness of it.  Light exposes and light heals. We may be drawn to the light by the promise of healing. But many flee from it because of the exposure and love for darkness. Why do we think we are better off hiding than confessing, avoiding rather than facing, clinging to our sickness rather than taking the remedy that is available?  In every circumstance there is the light and the dark. May we have grace to choose the light and to please Him above all.

Devotions based on Mark Buchanan’s book Spiritual Rhythms

When we say we love the King, we must remember that He rules a kingdom.  Are we concerned about advancing His kingdom or are we more concerned about our own.  Jesus often said the kingdom is at hand and He invites us to join Him by believing, repenting, and putting His kingdom first. That doesn’t mean we become busier or build bigger churches, but that we bear fruit for His kingdom where He wills for us. It may not be so visible because His kingdom is hidden often and no one knows where it comes from or where it’s going, just like the Spirit. The Kingdom belongs to the least of these and its secrets are revealed to children.  His kingdom can shine through the mundane and show up in a conversation we may be having with a cashier. It can happen with a co-worker who irritates us. It happens where God’s goodness, kindness and peace is chosen over the alternative!  Maybe God has put us beside someone to help him find the King!  Let us not miss the opportunities and put His kingdom first!

Devotions based on Michael Buchanan’s book, Spiritual Rhythms

We are continually being invited into greater rootedness with the Lord. The abiding or the rootedness, comes first, or else the fruit tends to be plastic: pretty to look at but bad for nourishment and taste.

Seems like in the winter season of our lives, faith grows deeper and it is also a season for pruning and cutting back those branches that are just leafy but not bearing fruit.  What’s in our soil, or lacking in it, might be weakening our roots and choking our fruit too. Let us ask ourselves what poisons may need scouring out?  False beliefs?  Childhood wounds? Old tapes? Etc.  Root work is important because it gets down to what feeds our hearts.  It is digging under the surface to either remove toxins or to mix in nutrients that will create flourishing.  As we get rid of the toxins we may need to mix in the nutrients of grace, truth, forgiveness, thankfulness etc. Let us bear fruit that is hardy and sweet which comes from sharing His life, His thoughts, His attitudes.

Devotions based on Michael Buchanan’s book, Spiritual Rhythms

Every preposition is important as we read our Bibles and it shades the meaning one way or another. Jesus said you must abide in me, and I must abide in you. Being in Christ is the essence of the loving, transforming relationship He invites us to enjoy. “In-ness” defines the shape of our Christian identities, abilities, destinies. In Philippians alone Paul uses the phrase “in Christ”  18 times …..stand firm in Him, rejoice in Him, hope in Him, glory in Him, have all our needs met in Him etc.  When we fully embrace the life of “in-ness”, all is well and we have peace and bear fruit.  When we don’t our lives become anxious and unfruitful.  The only fruit that glorifies God stems from our abiding in Him and He in us.  Let us align our thoughts, words, deeds with His heart as we enter a new year!

Devotions based on Michael Buchanan’s book, Spiritual Rhythms

We all crave balance in our lives but need Rhythm.  Spiritually there are times for soaring, times for walking and times for trying not to faint. There are seasons when we feel Jesus calls us to keep going when we really want to quit.  All this needs rhythm and learning to pace ourselves. Part of rhythm is knowing what gives us life. A lot of our energy can be squandered in chasing things that we’ll never catch, pining for gifts we’ll never receive. Meanwhile the things we excel at and do with ease and effectiveness, we may devalue. If we pursue God passionately, we will find that we are refilled and replenished when we pour ourselves out for the things He has created us for.  We need to chase what matters. Too often “we gain things that perish only to lose things meant to endure…example we get a big house, but are children are estranged from us.  WE are to seek Him and press into the hope of His kingdom.  It’s really not about finding balance but finding a rhythm to tilt us toward the Light!

Devotions based on Mark Buchanan’s book Spiritual Rhythm

Sometimes we work so hard but there is little fruit in our lives.  The author mentions the cause of this can be idols in our lives. Our Baal is “whatever it is in our lives which we believe holds ultimate power over our future, and so which keeps us from trusting God.”  In other words it is that which we believe secures our future. It could be a job, a position, relationship, a pension plan etc.  These things are good in their proper places but they must be in the subservient role.  If they rule us they will lure us away from radical trust in God and obedience to him. Almost anything can become idolatrous if we cherish it at the expense of what God desires. We need to be suspicious of anything that rivals our devotion to God and distracts us from pursuing His kingdom. Let us live in freedom and remember to walk in the authority and inheritance of true sons and daughters of the King.

Devotions based on Mark Buchanan’s book, Spiritual Rhythm
What are the spiritual harvests that we can look for in the Fall season of our spiritual lives?  The author mentions 3 of them: a harvest of souls, a harvest of prosperity, and a harvest of Righteousness.

The harvest of souls is ripe and we need to look, pray and go. People all around us are hungry for something bigger than themselves.  We must not miss the moment but seize the opportunities the Lord puts before us and pray and go.

There is also the harvest of prosperity.  Paul says to sow generously and we will reap generously. It is good for our souls and makes us more like Jesus. “True prosperity is not measured by how much anyone has. It’s measured by how much they give.”  When we are generous in material things it creates bounty in spiritual things. And generosity in spiritual things invites generosity in material things. Each reinforces the other.

There is also the harvest of righteousness  or Christlikeness. When we sow to the spirit our thoughts, desires, attitudes, actions, and character are more conformed to His.  But this harvest requires that we submit to God’s discipline and that we seek His peace.  When we endure hardships it is an opportunity to grow and be more like Him. God allows these times for our good and to form his character in us.  James also says to seek peace and pursue it and sometimes that means risking our comfort for the sake of real peace. We may have to go through a storm in order to get there.

The Fall season is complete only when we deeply thank Him.  One day we may see that the worst things in our lives God has used as raw material for some of the best things in our lives.

Devotions based on Mark Buckanan’s book, Spiritual Rhythm

As we are in the spiritual Fall season let us be careful how we sow and not do it sparingly.  When we sow generously we will reap generously and “enlarge the harvest of our righteousness. ”And this results with much thanksgiving to God.

When surveys are done about spiritual growth, it’s always those that give the most who grow the most.  Those who give of their time, talents, and money have more satisfaction in their lives and in their experience with the Lord.  Those that give the least complain the most and are often in a state of disappointment. “The churches loudest critics are usually the lowest donors and the least committed volunteers”  Giving in all forms to the church is not so much a consequence of being happy with everything going on in the church.  “People don’t’ give because they love the church so much; but love the church so much because they give.”
Jesus said where our treasure is, there our heart will be also. Heart follows treasure. Let us take care how we sow and do it generously! More tomorrow

Devotions based on Mark Buchanan’s book, Spiritual Rhythm

We are now on to the Fall season which is a time of harvest. Spiritually it is a time for thanksgiving, a time to acknowledge God’s provision and faithfulness. Like the author wrote it is a time to reap what we’ve sown.

When we prepare well it is an expectant time since we have sown and planted and now wait in hope.  If we have not prepared well it is a time of disappointment.  Just as a farmer sows a certain kind of seed and expects that kind of a crop, so we should expect to reap what we have sown.  We either sow to please our sinful nature or we sow to please the Spirit. We have the choice. We can nurture the little seedlings of the Spirit’s promptings-prompting us to be a person of peace, gentleness, self-control, love etc.  Or we can sow to the flesh. .we are tempted every day ….every interruption, every criticism, every irritating person we meet etc. Our spirits and our flesh are at war. What we sow is what we grow! 

Let us go the way of the Spirit and sow the seed that will conquer evil and overcome it with good.  More tomorrow