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MEDITATION:

Written by Micca Campbell, a contemporary Christian author and speaker.

Have you ever noticed how over-extending yourself tends to bring unwanted pressure into your life? Sometimes I think we busy ourselves in order to gain more, find acceptance among peers, land a better position, and gain riches of all kinds. Perhaps we live under the illusion that having such riches is what makes a person complete, content, and deliriously happy. Yet, when we discover that’s not the case, we’re left feeling empty and discontent. Contentment and security are not found in career titles or in the kind of car we own. The logo on our car only tells others what kind of car we drive — not who we are. True satisfaction, in its purest form, is found in the wealth of who God is and the riches He graciously lavishes upon us. Recently God’s been showing me that when I constantly want more than He has given me, it reflects a heart that is discontent. It’s like I’m telling God, “I’m not satisfied with what You have provided for me. I want more.” In wanting more, I place undo pressure on myself in an attempt to get what God hasn’t provided. Naturally, anxiety is the result when I focus on things other than God and His will for my life. The pressure to have more and do more can lead us down paths we never intended. In our attempt to fill the vacuum of our empty souls, we discover that external luxury is only a cheap substitution for spiritual wholeness. As our key verse points out, Paul knew the secret of finding contentment. “…for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” Take note that Paul wrote these words in a high stress situation as he sat in jail awaiting a verdict for a crime he didn’t commit. I don’t know if I could find contentment if I were in his sandals. Finding contentment doesn’t mean we have to like our current situation, but it may require an appreciation for it. Let me explain. Paul learned that the fruit of contentment is developed when we are thankful for what God has provided whether we like it or not. That’s because peace isn’t the absence of pressure. It’s the presence of God and our attitude toward His provision in the midst of our stress. By expressing gratitude, Paul experienced richness of being, not having.  

PRAYER:

This prayer is based on a quote by George MacDonald (1824-1905), a Scottish author, poet, and minister.

Dear Lord, I would rather be what you chose to make me than the most glorious creature that I could think of; for to have been born in your thought, and then made by you, God, is the dearest, grandest, and most precious thing in all thinking. This is a prayer of contentment.

MEDITATION:

Written by Richard Foster, a contemporary theologian and author. This is excerpted from his book “Money, Sex, and Power.”

Power touches us all. We cannot get away from it even if we wanted to. All human relationships involve the use of power. Therefore, rather than seek to run from it or to deny that we use it, we would do well to discover the Christian meaning of power and learn how to use it for the good of others. All who follow Christ are called to the “ministry of power.” … When Martin Luther King, Jr., stood firm against America’s racism, millions were set free. When teachers unlock the joy of discovery in the minds of students, they are using the power of their position to liberate. When an older brother uses his superior status to build the self-esteem of younger siblings, he is using power to set them free. When the old destructive habit patterns of depression or fear are transformed by the power of God, the result is liberation….Of all people, spiritual people know the dangers of power. The temptations to abuse are everywhere. Yet we must not back away. Christ calls us to the ministry of power. He will give us the compassion and humility to fulfill our ministry. George Fox wrote, “Let all nations hear the word by sound or writing. Spare no place, spare not tongue nor pen; but be obedient to the Lord God and go through the work and be valiant for the Truth upon earth.” It is Christ who calls us; he will also empower us.  

PRAYER:

Written by Miles McPherson, a contemporary pastor, motivational speaker, and former NFL football player. He is the pastor of the Rock Church in San Diego

Lord, I ask that You empower me to live a life based on truth, not fear. Fill my heart with Your courage so I can move past fear and begin to love others like You do. Please show me when I’m operating out of fear so I can choose courageous honor instead. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

MEDITATION:

Written by Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896), an American abolitionist and author. She is best known as the author of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” This is an excerpt from a missionary’s booklet she contributed to, “How to Live On Christ.”

There is such a way of living with, or in Christ, that watchfulness, prayer, devotion, patience, gentleness, meekness, become so many sweet and spontaneous impulses, instead of labored acquisitions, alternately the subjects of hope and of despair; and this is true freedom. The very figure which Christ uses illustrates this idea; “as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can ye, except ye abide in me.”  How does the branch bear fruit? Not by incessant effort for sunshine and air, not by vain struggles. . . . It simply abides in the vine, in silent and undisturbed union, and blossoms, and fruit appear as of spontaneous growth. How then shall a Christian bear fruit? By efforts and struggles to obtain that which is freely given? . . . No: there must be a full concentration of the thoughts and affections on Christ, a complete surrender of the whole being to Him, a constant looking to Him for grace.  

PRAYER:

Written by John Eldredge, a contemporary American author, counselor and lecturer on Christianity.

My dear Lord Jesus, I come to You now to be restored in You – to be renewed in You, to receive my life and Your love and all the grace and mercy I so desperately need from You this day. I honor You as my Sovereign, and I surrender every aspect and every dimension of my spirit, soul and body to You now, my heart, my mind, my will. I cover myself with the blood of Christ, spirit and soul, body and heart. And I ask Your Holy Spirit to restore me in You today, to renew me in You and to lead this time of prayer. Amen.

MEDITATION:

Written by Anthony Robinson, a contemporary writer. This is an excerpt from his devotional book “This is How We Begin.”

The Gospels of Matthew and Luke conclude in quite different ways. In Matthew, the disciples are told, “Go and make disciples.” “Go.” In Luke, they are told to “Stay,” sit tight, wait in Jerusalem, stay put until you are clothed with power from on high. I don’t imagine that the band, The Clash, had the New Testament in mind when they sang, “Should I Stay or Should I Go?” but they could have. Generally, I am more of a Matthew type than a Luke type. I prefer to go, to get on with it, to move, to do and to act. But there is a time for waiting. Waiting until the time is right. Waiting until some gift of power and grace, not our own, comes upon us to make it possible for us to do what cannot be done in our own strength alone. “Stay,” said Luke. “Wait.” But it’s not just waiting. It’s waiting for the Spirit, for a power not our own to come upon us, to clothe us. There are things that need doing in this world that are beyond our ability to accomplish solely by our own effort. God’s word, God’s incursion, God’s Spirit are required. “Stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”  

PRAYER:

Written by Anthony Robinson, the author of today’s meditation

Veni Sancte Spiritus, come Holy Spirit, come. Teach me to wait and to pray. To wait for you, to call upon you, to be clothed by your power from on high. Amen.

MEDITATION:

Written by Vicki Kemper, a contemporary American pastor.

Back in the before times, I used to do this thing called Blessings to Go. I would stand on the sidewalk, at the Pride Parade, in the Old City of Jerusalem, or some other public space with a sandwich sign that said “Blessings to Go” on one side and “Ask me for a blessing” on the other. And people did ask. College students and senior citizens, parents with toddlers, folks from the local synagogue, people who’d never set foot in a church, and people who’d sworn never to go back. Drivers who saw my sign and made a U-turn in the middle of the street. I heard heartbreaking stories and fantastic hopes. One day a woman asked me to pray that she would conceive a child. A couple of months later I ran into her. “Do you remember me?” she asked, her face beaming. “I haven’t told many people yet, but your prayer worked! I’m going to have a baby!” I was thrilled for her, and … I don’t believe prayer is magic. I’ve seen plenty of bad things happen to good, faithful people. And I know some of us, myself included, spend lifetimes praying for blessings that haven’t come. But I’ve also seen how humble trust in God’s goodness can open our hearts to receive a flood of unexpected grace. While I might have a hard time believing all things are possible, I choose to trust that more things are more possible than I think.  

PRAYER:

Written by Vicki Kemper, the author of today’s meditation.

I do have faith, God. Mostly. Some of the time. Help my lack of faith!

MEDITATION:

Written by Dr. Bill Bright (1921-2003), an American evangelist, author, and founder of Campus Crusade for Christ. This is an excerpt from his book “The Joy of Trusting God.”

Justice is not an external system to which God tries to adhere. He did not have to go to law school to learn how to apply the law. His justice comes out of His inner being and is based on His holiness, truthfulness, and righteousness…God cannot be bribed or corrupted, because His judgments are grounded in integrity. He has all the facts at His disposal, so He cannot be fooled. His decisions are always based upon absolute truth. And when God pronounces judgment, He has the power to carry out the punishment. God’s standard is the benchmark by which all human behavior is measured. God always acts in a way consistent with the requirements of His character as revealed in His law. He rules His creation with honesty. He keeps His word. He renders to all His creatures their due. God’s attributes assure us of justice. If He were not all-knowing, how could He know whether we sinned willingly or manipulated the facts to serve our purposes? If He were not present everywhere at once, how could He know all the circumstances surrounding the issue before Him? If He were not all-wise, how could He carry out the judgment in a totally fair way?  … Since God’s laws are perfect, His justice is also without flaw. As the holy and righteous sovereign of the universe, God cannot ignore or overlook any act of sin. God hates sin with a holy passion. God’s anger over sin should never be underestimated.  

PRAYER:

Written by Carrie Marrs, a contemporary writer and editor with a background in biblical theology and Christian ministry.

God, You’ve shown us what is good: to act justly and to do what is fair to others. You’ve sent Your Son to provide peace and the bond of true fellowship. Open our eyes to the needs of others — of all the different types of people in this world. Lead us out of our comfort zones so we can bless and build bonds with people who are different from us. Lead us in respectful service toward one another, treating each other as brothers and sisters. May we be instruments in Your hands as You bring Your kingdom of justice and peace. May we spread Your goodness and bring many to join us in living close to You in Your glory and love. Amen.

MEDITATION:

Written by Christopher Hudson, a contemporary author and teacher. This is an excerpt from his book “Following Jesus.”

Humility? To most people, humility means weakness. It means admitting faults, then being humiliated in the eyes of the watching world. Or it means being a doormat and letting more aggressive people walk all over you and take advantage of you. Better to be strong, right? Better to “look out for number one” and “do unto others before they do unto you.” Not according to Jesus. At every turn Jesus both modeled and preached humility. He assured, “the last will be first and the first will be last” (Matthew 20:16).  The real clincher is this: The opposite of humility is pride, which God says he hates. He promises divine favor only to those who know they’re empty. If you are full of yourself, how will you ever have room for God’s grace?

PRAYER:

From the Gallican Sacramentary, an historical version of Christian liturgy within the Latin church in the 1st millenium.om his work “Lectures on Haggai.”

Give me, O Lord, purity of lips, a clean and innocent heart, and rectitude of action. Give me humility, patience, abstinence, chastity; prudence, justice, fortitude, temperance. Give me the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and godliness, and of Thy fear. Make me ever to seek Thy face with all my heart, all my soul, all my mind; grant me to have a contrite and humbled heart in Thy presence–to prefer nothing to Thy love. Most high, eternal, and ineffable Wisdom, drive away from me the darkness of blindness and ignorance; most high and eternal Strength, deliver me; most high and eternal Fortitude, assist me; most high and incomprehensible Light, illuminate me; most high and infinite Mercy, have mercy on me. Amen.

MEDITATION:

Written by Martha Spong, a contemporary pastor, clergy coach, and writer.

On my first Sunday back in the sanctuary after fifteen months, I made sure to mark the moment. Masked, I looked for a pew labeled with the service time, every other one wearing a sign for 8:15 or 11 a.m. During Covid-19, the sanctuary received a glow-up; the new cushion on which I sat felt firm and supportive, grounding me in a well-loved space that is familiar but different after all this time. Fresh paint, new blinds and lights, and new flooring have changed the landscape, but not whose it is. This space belonged and belongs to God.

Sitting up front, knowing the limited seating would fill up quickly, I felt the weight of waiting’s end in a space that – like so many churches I have loved – breathes the Spirit of God into me. Like mouth-to-mouth, it resuscitates me. We have not arrived at normal, whether the old version or a new one we may yet reach. On that morning, in the midst of the sanctuary, I pondered the steadfast love of God that sustains me and mine, and I hope yours, too. While the organ played, I heard murmurs behind masks, “Holy, holy, holy,” one of the hymns I have known the longest and sung the most in my 60 years. Early in the morning, 8:25ish, my song, though not full-throated, rose, hopeful. Wherever we are, God is there with us.

PRAYER:

Written by John Calvin (1509-1564), a French theologian, pastor, reformer of the Protestant Reformation, and principal figure in developing the theology known as Calvinism. This prayer is from his work “Lectures on Haggai.”

Grant, Almighty God, that as we must carry on a warfare in this world, and as it is thy will to try us with many contests,—O grant, that we may never faint, however extreme may be the trials which we shall have to endure: and as thou hast favored us with so great an honor as to make us the framers and builders of thy spiritual temple, may every one of us present and consecrate himself wholly to thee: and, inasmuch as each of us has received some peculiar gift, may we strive to employ it in building this temple, so that thou mayest be worshipped among us perpetually; and especially, may each of us offer himself wholly as a spiritual sacrifice to thee, until we shall at length be renewed in thine image, and be received into a full participation of that glory, which has been attained for us by the blood of thy only-begotten Son. Amen.

MEDITATION:

Written by Elton Trueblood (1900-1994), an American Quaker author and theologian and former chaplain to both Harvard and Stanford Universities. This is an excerpt from his book “The New Man for Our Time.”

When we begin to ask what the conditions of inner renewal are, we receive essentially the same answers from nearly all of those whom we have most reason to respect. One major answer is the emphasis upon discipline. In the conduct of one’s own life it is soon obvious, as many have learned the hard way, that empty freedom is a snare and a delusion. In following what comes naturally or easily, life simply ends in confusion, and in consequent disaster. Without the discipline of time, we spoil the next day the night before, and without the discipline of prayer, we are likely to end by having practically no experience of the divine-human encounter. However compassionate we may be with others, we dare not be soft or indulgent with ourselves. Excellence comes at a price, and one of the major prices is that of inner control.

We have not advanced very far in our spiritual lives if we have not encountered the basic paradox of freedom, to the effect that we are most free when we are bound. But not just any way of being bound will suffice; what matters is the character of the binding. The one who would like to be an athlete, but who is unwilling to discipline his (or her) body by regular exercise and by abstinence, is not free to excel on the field or the track…failure to train rigorously and to live abstemiously denies that person the freedom to go over the bar at the desired height, or to run with the desired speed and endurance. With one concerted voice the giants of the devotional life apply the same principle to the whole of life with the dictum, “Discipline is the Price of Freedom.”

PRAYER:

Written by Izwe Nkosi, a contemporary South African author, passionate about worship and prayer.

Jesus, I invite you into my tiredness. Teach me to walk at Your pace. I yield to your pace. Help me to step out of my anxious hurry and into Your gentle yoke. I hear Your invitation to, “Walk with me and work with me — watch how I do it.” Lord, help me to learn Your “unforced rhythms of grace.” (MT 11:29 MSG).

MEDITATION:

Written by Donald J. Shelby (1931-2012), an American pastor and author.  This is from his book “Forever Beginning.”

Temptations, frustrations, and pressures beset believers today, and our new life in Christ can be easily compromised and betrayed. In fact, it may be as difficult—if not more so—to live out a new life in our day than it was in the first century. This, paradoxically, because the pressures are more subtle, the temptations are cloaked with respectability, and the gray areas of compromise are almost the norm. It is neither easy nor simple to translate our commitment to Christ into the living of our days. It does not happen instantaneously or automatically, but it is instead a process of growth and development, including reversals, retreats, detours, beginning over, and moving ahead.  We need such an understanding of our journey at the very outset because there are those who claim otherwise, who promote the new life in Christ as a kind of idyllic state of spiritual perfection in which there are no doubts, uncertainties, stumblings, or time of falling away. Such claims are simply not true, are very misleading, and result in unnecessary anguish and discouragement.

PRAYER:

The prayer today is a traditional Scottish Gaelic prayer.

As the rain hides the stars,

as the autumn mist

hides the hills,

as the clouds veil

the blue of the sky, so

the dark happenings of my lot

hide the shining of thy face from me.

Yet, if I may hold thy hand in the darkness,

it is enough, since I know,

that though I may stumble in my going,

Thou dost not fall.