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MEDITATION:

Written by Oswald Chambers.  This is an excerpt from his book “My Utmost for His Highest.

God gives us the vision, then He takes us down to the valley to batter us into the shape of the vision, and it is in the valley that so many of us faint and give way. In the light of the glory of the vision we go forth to do things, but the vision is not real in us yet, and God has to take us into the valley and put us through fires and floods to batter us into shape until we get to the place where He can trust us with the veritable reality. Ever since we had the vision God has been at work, getting us into the shape of the ideal, and over and over again we escape from His hand and try to batter ourselves into our own shape. The vision is not a castle in the air, but a vision of what God wants you to be. Let Him put you on His wheel and whirl you as He likes, and as sure as God is God and you are you, you will turn out exactly in accordance with the vision. Don’t lose heart in the process.  If you have ever had the vision of God, you may try as you like to be satisfied on a lower level, but God will never let you.

PRAYER:

This is a prayer transcribed from the Dead Sea Scrolls.

I have reached the inner vision

and through Thy spirit in me

I have heard Thy wondrous secret.

Through Thy mystic insight

Thou hast caused a spring of knowledge

to well up within me,

a fountain of power,

pouring forth living waters,

a flood of love

and of all-embracing wisdom

like the splendor of eternal Light.

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MEDITATION:

Written by Dana Allin, a contemporary pastor and synod executive.

I have always felt like the beginning of Ephesians 5 reads a lot like Proverbs. Paul seems to string together a lot of wonderful, but short, instructions on how we are to live in light of the grace of God… Ephesians 5:15-16 says, “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”   The concept of making the most of every opportunity can be anxiety and guilt-producing. We can constantly ask, “Is what I am doing the absolute best use of my time?” I don’t think this kind of relentless pressure is helpful, nor is beating ourselves up when we spend too much time binge-watching Netflix. I also don’t think it means we need to be working 24/7. In fact, Scripture commands certain rhythms in our lives to balance where we put our time and energy.  In light of that reality, it is very helpful to take a proactive step to determine how we may best steward the time and relationships that God has entrusted to us.

It is helpful to think through this question as an individual and as a church. For example, here are the questions, or types of questions, I ask myself every year: What opportunities is God putting before me that I might take for granted or be oblivious to? Another way to put it is, “What are the opportunities before me of which I need to be mindful? Sometimes I can get so caught up in my own agenda that I forget the opportunities God is giving me each day to be able to further instill the gospel in my family. In addition, when I play tennis, sometimes I think the purpose of that is simply for exercise and to get my mind off of other things. However, the reality is that both of these situations are often opportunities to share the gospel in word and deed.  What are the important things I want to do in my personal life that may get crowded out by the less important? This doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to cut out all Netflix. However, we know there are times we can get sucked into shows or endless scrolling through social media that do keep us from using our time most wisely. Therefore, the question might be, what are the things I really want to make time for (exercise, reading, relationships, time with Lord) and how do I make sure those important things make it into my day? What are the important things I want to do in my vocational life that might get crowded out by the less important? Peter Drucker famously said that he never met executives that couldn’t remove 25% of what they were doing from their plates and no one would know the difference. Imagine regaining a whole workday a week to reallocate your time to what is the most important work. Therefore, the question becomes, “What do I need to stop doing and what do I need to start doing?”

PRAYER:

Written by Timothy Keller, a contemporary American pastor, theologian, and author.

Lord, today give me a sense of your presence and wisdom and compassion in all my dealings. Let me accept whatever degree of success or difficulty in my work you give me this day and especially let me be ready to be interrupted to do good to others, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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MEDITATION:

Written by Arthur Schoonveld, a contemporary retired minister and author.

The other day I heard someone ask another person, “What do you do?” The person answered by saying, “Oh, I’m just a housewife.” Perhaps you too have heard someone say, “I’m just a farmer,” or “I’m just a secretary,” or “I’m just a factory worker,” or “I’m just a country preacher.” In any culture, we have our rankings, and our sense of worth is often measured by the work we do. The more impressive your career, the more “important” you are. Celebrities especially get lots of attention when something happens in their lives. Thankfully the Bible does not measure our worth by how high we have climbed the social ladder or how much education we have. In today’s verse, we read, “Whatever you do . . . do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus.” When life on earth comes to an end, what matters is not how high we climbed, but whether we were faithful to the Lord in whatever calling we pursued. What counts is whether we clothed ourselves with compassion, humility, patience, and other fruitful signs of Christ’s work in our lives. My father was a farm ­laborer most of his life. He never served on a board or received recognition. But he was faithful in his calling, and he served the Lord as he raised his family. Whatever he did, he tried to do it in the name of the Lord. And that’s what counts!

PRAYER:

Written by Arthur Schoonveld, author of today’s meditation.

Father in heaven, make each one of us faithful in our calling, and help us to do all things “in the name of the Lord Jesus.” Amen.

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MEDITATION:

Written by Inés Velásquez-McBryde, a contemporary pastor, writer, speaker, and chaplain at Fuller Theological Seminary.

I sat outside of my house under a dark yet starry night to take a phone call. I shared with a friend and fellow local pastor some disappointing obstacles in the church-planting journey. An enormous possibility had fallen through and I was discouraged and disoriented. He asked me a poignant question: “Do you feel hopeless?” Instinctively I looked up at the sky pondering my answer. I saw the twinkle of stars and galaxies far. “I cannot deny that the circumstances seem hopeless, but I am not without hope.” He dug again: “HOW are you not hopeless, though?” I am not hopeless because I count the stars.

Often in the story of Abram/Abraham, the Lord invited him to look up at the sky. It usually occurred after a time of disappointment. On my dark starry night, I told my friend that it felt like Lot had just taken the best part of the land of the Jordan. Abram may have thought he was left with the scraps or none at all. In our particular verse above, we hear the promise of an heir even while Abram was childless. Abram could not see the signs of descendants, but God showed him the signs of God’s promises. Count the stars, if you are able to count them… There are two ways to count the stars. I have counted the times of God’s past faithfulness in my life and the many ways God was a living preposition. The resolution had come by going through, above, around or under the pain and never quite with the results that I expected. I have also counted the stars by considering that God’s faithfulness came through friends. They became stars and signs of hope to me. At that time the individual calls, emails, texts, and words of encouragement strengthened my resolve and resilience. A former pastor gave me a short leadership talk: “This is a momentary setback, but in the end, they reveal greater blessings to those who persist in prayerful pursuit. Please take it from someone who’s been there before and learn to pivot from disappointment to determination. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus.” Count the stars, fellow pilgrims. The way around the pain and the witnesses to the pain are signs of God’s presence and promise.

PRAYER:

Written by Inés Velásquez-McBryde, author of today’s meditation.

God of the stars, maker and placer of stars, you who know the stars by name, who placed them in the heavens, you who keep the planets orbiting in perfect motion, we pray to you, our Creator. For times of dark disappointment, would you be the lifter of our countenance and the comfort of our weary souls. Would that we lift up our eyes to the heavens and count the stars. Teach us to number the ways in which your faithfulness has been made known in our lives. Teach us to trust your faithfulness even as we defy the darkness with that simple trust. May our faithfulness be marked by your perfect fidelity. Grant us grace. Amen.

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MEDITATION:

Written by Billy Graham (1918-2018), an American evangelist and minister.

Today many people are living in the bondage of fear. In a recent study, a psychiatrist said that the greatest problem facing his patients was fear. Fear of going insane, committing suicide, being alone, or fear of heart disease, cancer, disaster, or death. We are becoming a nation of fearful people. Anxiety is the natural result when our hopes are centered in anything short of God and His will for us. Down through the centuries in times of trouble, temptation, trial, bereavement, and crisis, God has brought courage to the hearts of those who love Him. The Bible is crowded with assurances of God’s help and comfort in every kind of trouble that might cause fears to arise in the human heart. Today the Christian can come to the Scriptures with full assurance that God is going to deliver the person who puts his trust and confidence in God. Christians can look into the future with promise, hope, and joy, and without fear, discouragement, or despondency.

PRAYER:

Written by Debbie McDaniel, a contemporary Christian author.

We praise you, God, for you go before us and cover us from behind. You walk beside us and make our footsteps firm. You are our Protector and Defense. We never have to fear that we’re alone, thank you for your powerful Presence surrounding us. We renew our focus on You this day and thank you in advance for all that you will do. Amen.

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MEDITATION:

This meditation was written by Chris Witts, a contemporary author and Salvation Army minister. This is an excerpt from his work “Dealing With Hate.”

Have you ever been in a situation when you feel hatred towards another person? It’s a very personal question, I know, but today I’d like to have a look at this topic. It’s something that we don’t talk about but some people have—like Richard Nixon, one-time President of the United States, who once said, “Always remember others may hate you, but those who hate you don’t win unless you hate them. And then you destroy yourself”. Maybe he was talking from his own experience—I don’t know—but it’s true. If you hate others, you will eventually destroy yourself. Eleanor Roosevelt said, “Hate and force cannot be in just a part of the world without having an effect on the rest of it”. Archbishop Desmond Tutu said, “Goodness is stronger than evil; love is stronger than hate; light is stronger than darkness”. Abraham Lincoln said he used to destroy his enemies by loving them. What a great idea.

Hatred is a horrible strategy that can miserably backfire. It is well-known today that hatred can destroy us physically. Scientific studies have shown the damage hatred does. Anger causes your blood pressure and breathing rate to increase, which causes a strain on your heart making you more susceptible to heart attacks and stroke. It also can trigger headaches and lead to abusive behaviour. It can break down your immune system and cause you to be susceptible to various diseases. Not only that, hatred can destroy us emotionally. It wears you out and makes your judgment less effective, leading to bad decision-making. Often times the result of hatred is outbursts that can cause us to be embarrassed. This can lead to feelings of guilt and depression. Another side effect of always being angry and having intense hatred is not many people will enjoy being around you. You become less attractive to others, further isolating yourself. Of course, hatred also destroys us spiritually. We’re told throughout the Bible that the essence of God is love. And if we are harboring hatred in our hearts then we’re living contrary to God’s command to love one another. The result of that is a disconnect from God. So how do we get out of a cycle of hate? Jesus said it’s by doing good to those who hate you. One thing we all have control over is how we’re going to respond. And if you make the choice to respond to those who hate you, to those who are angry at you, by doing good to them, you’re going to diffuse a tense situation. For one, it will totally confuse the one who hates you because they’re expecting you to respond in anger. It will also diffuse some of the anger they have toward you. It’s really hard for someone to continue to hate you when you do them good. Kindness and love can change people. 

PRAYER:

Written by Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109), a monk, philosopher, theologian, and Archbishop of Canterbury.

O merciful God, fill our hearts with the graces of your Holy Spirit,  with love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. Teach us to love those who hate us, to pray for those who spitefully use us, that we may be the children of you, our Father. You make your sun to shine on the evil and on the good and send rain on the just and on the unjust. In adversity grant us grace to be patient. In prosperity keep us humble. Help us guard the door of our lips, to give little regard for the pleasures of this world, and to thirst after heavenly things; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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MEDITATION:

This meditation was by Tom Lemler, a contemporary pastor, author, and director of Impact Prayer Ministry. This is an excerpt from his work “Serving Through Friendship.”

What would you give to help a friend? What wouldn’t you be willing to give? Are you sure? What do you see as the purpose of your friendships? Do you live as if your friendships are primarily for your benefit or theirs? What would they say? How willingly do you give of yourself to those you serve? What things do you feel you are sacrificing to serve in the way that you do? Are you happy about doing so?

While most of us can probably quote the scripture, “It is more blessed to give than receive”, we tend to have a difficult time putting it into practice on a regular basis. We may give, but we often miss the “blessed” part because we aren’t really giving anything that costs us in a sacrificial way. Serving well requires that we give of ourselves in so many sacrificial ways. We must give of our time, our resources, our strength, our comfort, our emotions, our “whatever it takes”. Serving through friendship will require that we lay down ourselves to help another. As you pray, ask God to help you see an accurate view of your current friendships. Pray that you would grow in being a friend that lives sacrificially. Pray that your serving others would reflect a Christ-like attitude of sacrificial friendship.

PRAYER:

Written by Polycarp (69-155), a Christian bishop of Smyrna and Apostolic Father, who was the leading 2^nd century Christian figure in Roman Asia. Tradition has it that he was personally discipled by the apostle John.

Thank you, Father, for loving me with all Your heart, all Your soul, and all Your mind. Inspire me this week to love You more with all of mine. Thank You, Jesus, for Your faithful and sacrificial friendship. Help me this week to be a faithful and sacrificial friend like You. Thank You, Holy Spirit, for listening to my many thoughts and words and dreams. Still my soul this week to listen much more carefully to Yours. Amen.

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MEDITATION:

This meditation was by D.L. Moody and adapted from the book “To the Work” by Olive Tree Bible.

If we cherish love in our hearts for those we try to reach for God, every barrier will be swept out of the way. Love begets love, just as hatred begets hatred. Love is the key to the human heart. Someone has said, “Light is for the mind, and love is for the heart.” When you can reach hearts, then you can turn them toward Christ. But we must first win them to ourselves. There is the story of a boy whose home was near a wood. He was in the wood one day, and he thought he heard the voice of another boy not far off. He shouted, “Hello there!” The voice shouted back, “Hello there!” He did not know that it was the echo of his own voice, and he shouted again, “You are a mean boy!” Again the cry came back, “You are a mean boy!” After some more of the same kind of thing, he went into the house and told his mother that there was a bad boy in the wood. His mother, who understood what happened, said to him, “Speak kindly to him, and see if he does not speak kindly to you.” He went to the wood again and shouted, “You are a good boy.” Of course, the reply came, “You are a good boy.” Then he shouted, “I love you.” “I love you,” said the other voice. This little story explains the secret of the whole thing. You might think you have bad and unpleasant neighbors, but the trouble is most likely with yourself. If you love your neighbors, they will love you. As I said before, love is the key that will unlock every human heart. There is no man or woman so degraded that you cannot reach them with love, gentleness, and kindness. It may take years to do it, but it can be done. Love must be active. As someone has said, “A man may hoard up his money and bury his talents, but one thing he cannot hoard is love.” You cannot bury it. It must flow out. It cannot feed on itself; it must have an object. If we had the love of our Master, would these outlying masses not be reached? There is not one drunk who would not be reached. There is not a poor fallen one, or a blasphemer, or an atheist that would not be influenced for good. The atheists cannot get over the power of love. It will upset atheism and every false faith quicker than anything else. Nothing will break the stubborn heart as quickly as the love of Christ. When these hard-hearted people awake to the fact that love prompts our efforts on their behalf, the hardness will begin to soften, and their stubbornness will begin to bend. This key of love will unlock their hearts. We can turn them, by God’s help, from the darkness of this world to the light of the Gospel.

PRAYER:

Written by Norman Shawchuck, a pastor, teacher, writer and consultant. This prayer is from his book with Rueben Job “A Guide to Prayer for All Who Seek God.”

Make me worthy, Lord, to serve you and all the world’s people who live and die in loneliness, hunger, poverty, and sickness. Give them through my hands this day their daily bread, and by my love, give them peace and joy.

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MEDITATION:

Written by John Wesley (1703-1791), a pastor, theologian, and writer who developed the practice of Methodism while at Oxford. This is an excerpt from his book “Christian Perfection.”

The first advice I would give to those who have been saved from sin by grace is to watch and pray continually against pride. For it is pride not only to ascribe what we have to ourselves but also to think we have what we do not. One man, for instance, ascribed his knowledge to God and was therefore humble. But then he thought he had more than everyone else which is dangerous pride. We often think that we have no need of anyone else’s advice or reproof. Always remember, much grace does not imply much enlightenment. We may be wise but have little love, or we may have love with little wisdom. God has wisely joined us all together as the parts of a body so that we cannot say to another, “I have no need of you.” Even to imagine that those who are not saved can not teach you is a very great and serious mistake. Dominion is not found in grace. Not observing this has led some into many mistakes and certainly into pride. Beware even the appearance of pride! Let there be in you that lowly mind which was in Christ Jesus. Be clothed with humility. Let modesty appear in all your words and actions.

One way we do this is to own any fault we have If you have at any time thought, spoken, or acted wrong, do not refrain from acknowledging it. Never dream that this will hurt the cause of God—in fact, it will further it. Be open and honest when you are rebuked and do not seek to evade it or disguise it. Rather, let it appear just as it is and you will thereby not hinder but adorn the gospel.

PRAYER:

Written by Michael Perry (1942-1996), a British clergyman and hymn writer.

Lord God,

keep our hearts from pride,

keep our eyes from haughty looks,

keep our minds from arrogance,

keep our spirits calm –

in childlike dependence upon you: for you are our hope now and always. Amen.

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MEDITATION:

Written by Joyce Rupp, a contemporary author, speaker, and co-director of The Institute of Compassionate Presence. This is an excerpt from her book “The Cup of Our Life.”

When I was a young child of eight years old, I lived on a beautiful farm. Like my other siblings, I had chores to do after school. Mine consisted of feeding the chickens and gathering the eggs. I didn’t like doing this because my free spirit wanted to be out in the grove playing or down by the creek watching tadpoles and catching minnows. But one day all of that changed for me. I learned that I had a secret companion who always kept me company, even when I was doing the daily farm chores. Hidden away deep within my heart was a loving being named God who would always love me and would never leave me. It was at this time that a wise teacher taught me about friendship with God. She assured me that I would never be alone because I was carrying the very life of God within me. I was enthused about this discovery. I could sense that “Someone” was there. I began carrying on endless conversations with this Friend. Walking home from school, doing my chores, playing in the grove—all these activities became opportunities to be with my “special Someone.” This was the beginning of my relationship with God.

As I grew older, I recognized this inner presence as a dynamic source of guidance and consolation. I became ever more deeply rooted in the belief that this indwelling God loves me totally and unconditionally. To this day, I draw comfort and courage from the belief that I am a container holding the presence of God. This awesome and humbling gift of the Divine Indwelling constantly enlivens my spiritual path and seeds my transformation.

PRAYER:

This is a prayer from the Byzantine Rite, which consists of liturgical texts developed to guide services of vespers, compline, midnight office, matins, and hours. The original Rites were developed in the late 4th century.  They have been adapted and are still used by Eastern Orthodox churches today.

Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth, Who art everywhere present and fill all things; Treasury of Blessings, and Giver of Life, come and dwell within us, cleanse us of all stain, and save our souls, O Gracious Lord. Amen.

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