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Oh, My Word! Did You Hear Why…

October 14, 2011
Filed In Daily Devotionals

he stopped coming to Sunday School?  she quit working in the nursery?  they are moving their membership?  they removed their kids from youth activities?  she wants nothing to do with the church anymore?  Let me tell ya…

There’s a bevy of reasons why people do what they do.  Legitimate reasons.  And yes, some folk use anything as an excuse to do nothing.  However, many come to churches today and see a white-washed extension of the world they want to escape.  When people come to church, most seek a place of hope, of love, of kindness.  They do not want a place filled with division, sniping, and whispers.  They have plenty of people in their lives who pretend to care, who are judgmental and condemning.  They need sincerity, acceptance and genuine love.  Instead of Light, they see shadows of God’s love. The psalmist understood this all too well when he said:

“They visit me as if they were my friends, but all the while they gather gossip,and when they leave, they spread it everywhere.” Psalm 41:6

Ever had that happen to you?  Ever share your heartache, your burden, your failings with another in confidence, only to have them spread it all around? 

It’s a sad thing when Christians carry tales and negativity.  A faithful disciple of Jesus Christ resists the temptation to gossip and share tidbits of inflamatory or confidential information.  Even when the information is true, it is not wise to share it with others.  It hurts the body of Christ.  It stomps on the toes of the Bride of Christ.  It steps on the hem of her gown as she walks down the aisle to her Groom and tears apart the collective body of Believers.  It stifles the fragrance of mercy and grace she carries in her bouquet.  It clouds the radiance of her joy, love, and hope.  It smothers the truth of God with a veil of deception and hindrance. 

Gossip.  Tale-bearing cloaked as sharing is gossip when one does not have another’s permission to share.  It hurts.  It crushes the spirit.  It impedes Christian growth.

Have you found yourself as the target of gossip and whispers?  I pray you find someone with whom you can feel safe.  I pray you lean on them and do not allow one or two to destroy your faith in all.  I pray you understand and know that people (even Christian people), are not God.  Jesus loves you as you are.  He will help you and keep you and give you strength to carry on in the midst of every trial you have.  While you may not be able to trust some people, you can trust God.

Lord, help us not to fall prey to the baser qualities of our nature.  Help us quench any desire to divulge knowledge that may harm the body of Christ and color His bride with talk that serves no good purpose.  Let us prepare our hearts for the day of Your return and seek to walk humbly in Your sight until then. 

© Hariette Petersen, SelahV Today, 2011

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Some Rules Are Not Made To Be Broken!

April 27, 2011
Filed In Daily Devotionals

Every year in elementary school, we received a gold ruler that had the Golden Rule stamped on it: “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them.” Matthew 7:12 The teacher would always give a brief lesson about why the rulers were important and how breaking the Golden Rule was forbidden. I knew there would be serious consequences if I broke the Golden Rule. I was lucky because I received this message in all walks of my life—school, church, and home. Hearing it frequently didn’t make me perfect, but it did make me aware. I understood that I could break the Golden Rule with my words or my actions.

 Proverbs 12:18 says, “reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”

It happens in the blink of an eye. Someone allows their foul mood, jealousy, prejudice, or judgmental attitude to take control and they hurt someone. They spout off nasty comments or defy the trust of another individual for personal gain. Just like that, friendships are fractured and trust is compromised. Often, the hurt is easily forgiven and quickly forgotten. The individuals involved realize that no harm was intended. With clear hearts and minds, forgiveness is granted and life goes on.
What about the cases where the hurt is not easily forgiven and quickly forgotten? Typically, humans react in one of two ways. We have been hurt; so we seek revenge—waiting for the ideal opportunity to return the hurt. Words are hurled like poisonous darts and we momentarily feel victorious. Another natural reaction is to clam up and walk away. Removing ourselves from the situation sends the message that we don’t care and that the other person is unworthy of our energy to reconcile. While the last reaction seems somewhat acceptable, it is not necessarily any healthier than the first. After all, is silence truly golden in this instance? Has the golden rule been tarnished not once, but twice?
To be perfectly honest, I have been known to react in both ways at different times. Time after time, I tell myself that the reaction was warranted because the other person didn’t treat me as I wanted to be treated. Either way, I wind up feeling miserable. Hurt riddled with hatred is a nasty combination. In the end, the hurt is still there, and I’ve gained nothing. We may live with the pain for a few days, several months, or even a number of years. Many people have gone to their grave haunted by emotions that stemmed from being treated badly. Breaking the golden rule destroys relationships, corrupts our character, and leads to spiritual darkness.

During these times, we have the privilege of calling on God to help us search our heart and correct our actions. Calling on God is the first positive step in the healing process. With a willing heart and authentic compassion for others, we can live out the Golden Rule and experience joy-filled lives. For as Romans 8:31b says, “God is on our side, who can be against us?”

Karen Pollock, Kentucky

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Jesus Holds Us Together

December 13, 2010
Filed In Family Devotions

Each year our church has a family fellowship at which we gather with our individual family and construct a Gingerbread House.  Each year my husband, our two granddaughters, and I try to build a confection that holds together long enough to take a picture.  We hope it stands long enough for the girls to get the house from Oklahoma to Texas so their mom can see our little graham cracker and candy house.  It takes a lot of icing, strategic placement of supports, and on my part, dumb luck, to create this abode.  It can be frustration in overdrive as all fingers are decorating at the same portal at times.  In the final anaylysis, the girls look to me for hope in keeping it from collapsing.  It’s a daunting task.

I am ever so grateful that my life as a Christian is not as contingent upon me and what I can do to hold it together.

“He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” Colossians 1:17

Jesus, my Savior, Redeemer and King is who holds my life together.  He is the glue, the icing, that keeps me attached to the Father above.  He is who reconciles my evil sinful self to the perfected, holiness of God–His blood that cleanses from all unrighteousness.  He is the hope of my standing before the Father with a confidence to request help for needs today, and good-standing for eternity.  Jesus.  He is before all things.  Before the creation of the first fig leaf, the first star, the first drop of water, the first ray of sunshine–Jesus was, is and will always be.  He holds together our world and He holds together our Christian faith to the Father above.  It is a comforting thing.

As our little graham-cracker house wobbles, and threatens to fall under the weight of candy, we have to figure out various support pieces to shore up its walls.  We cannot pray enough, read enough, or minister enough to keep our relationship with God, but Christ can.  With Christians, Jesus is the only Support we need to keep us in the strongest storm, the earthquake of circumstance, the unpredictable threatenings of doubt.  With Jesus we can rest in peace, in hope of eternal life.  selahV

PRAYER:  Lord, keep us ever mindful of Your power to keep us in our weakness.  Help us know without doubt that it is You who keeps us, completes us, and presents us as Your own before our Father above.

© Hariette Petersen, SelahV Today, 2010

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Do you reflect the glory of the Lord?

April 13, 2010
Filed In Daily Devotionals

I took over a hundred pictures today trying to capture the perfect image of my granddaughters’ joy while riding a horse. Each time I snapped a photo, I could only hope. When I returned home and uploaded them to my computer, I discovered a lot of adorable pictures with somewhat happy expressions. However, not one image captured the joy I saw each time I snapped the photo. The nine-second delay between pushing the button and the actual image being taken was just enough to lose the essence of her heart and mind. It was just enough time for the horse to move, to alter a position, to blur the focus. Their jubilant spirit was a veiled memory, a bare glimpse of reality.

“We all, with unveiled faces, are reflecting the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18

Paul says we are all “reflecting the glory of the Lord”. Each of us who have Christ, have a powerful light within us that shows the world we have been with Him, and He with us. His life is magnified in us.

I wonder how often the world sees a reflection like the photos I took–those that rarely capture the total joy and love for Christ within us. Instead they see the blur of irritation, annoyance–our weaker moments. How often do we find ourselves looking at other Christians and, rather than looking for that perfect shot – the one that captures the Spirit of Christ, we seek the baser quality? And when we’ve seen the baser quality, we jump at the chance to point out that flaw to others, taking pleasure in pointing out what we perceive to be a flawed image? I wonder how many times we prefer the flaws to prove a point, making ourselves feel better in light of our own imperfections. How much glory is there in that?  Oh, that we would continually be showing glory unto glory — the pure essence, humility, and benevolence of our Savior.

PRAYER: Lord, let us strive to not only show Your glory within us, let us be diligent to point out the best in others. Let us give attention to showing the world Your grace, Your mercy, Your love.

© Hariette Petersen, SelahV Today, 2010

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Running Interference

March 22, 2010
Filed In Daily Devotionals

In football, a receiver catches the quarterback’s pass, secures the ball, then runs for the goal line.  His teammates legally block defensive tacklers to protect and make way for their ball carrier.  The opposing team does all it can to catch that receiver and keep him from meeting his objective.  Sometimes a confident ball carrier is blindsided and taken down, despite teammates running interference for him.

Ever been blindsided?  It can be financial, vocational, physical, emotional.  It’s like hitting a brick wall.  When a Christian is running his race, any hit becomes a spiritual one. We think we’ve settled something in our minds or hearts, then ”that something” rears its ugly head.  It challenges our faith, tries our patience, or tests our faithfulness.  When the problem looms higher than life itself, we are most susceptible to forget about the goal ahead.  All our energy and mental capabilities is spent dealing with this interruption.  Before we know it, we are sitting on the sidelines.  Aggravated.  Confused.  Weary.

“You were running a good race.  Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you.  A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.  I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion will pay the penalty, whoever he may be.” Galatians 5:7-10

In Galatia, Paul saw people he had led to Christ being tripped up by another’s false teaching.  He knew how to run interference for fellow Christians.  He stood on the truth of Christ and did a bit of cheerleading: “I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view.”

Christ lives in our hearts.  When we turn to, and rely upon Him, He meets our need and provides a way to accomplish what He calls us to do. He gives us clarity and discernment.  Most times in football, the ball carrier is brought down before he makes the touchdown.  However, those who run interference often are successful enough to help the runner make a first down.  With a first down, the runner gives his team four more tries at the goal.  So he gets up, and starts all over again.

Have you hit a brick wall?  Remember Jesus is with you, in you.  He is your advocate, the propriation of your faith, your Redeemer.  Will you get up one more time?  Is He calling you to run for the goal?  Do you know someone who needs you to run interference, to block the forces that seek to wear them down?  Whatever God calls us to do, Paul gives words of encouragement:  “You, my brothers, were called to be free.  But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.  The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  Gal. 5:13-14  A single command, love.

PRAYER:  Lord, thank you for giving us the opportunity to get up.  Let us be ever mindful that You, Lord, are in us, giving us freedom to move away from our sinful nature.

© Hariette Petersen, SelahV Today, 2010

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Do Not Hide From God

January 27, 2010
Filed In Daily Devotionals

I’ve often found that some of the most difficult times to turn to the Lord occur right after I sin against Him.  I’ll choose to rebel against Him and find myself running from Him afterwards, my heart full of fear.  I’ll politely refuse when people ask me to pray, or I’ll avoid my quiet times, simply because the infraction against Him is so fresh.  I convince myself that God doesn’t want to face me at that point… I think “maybe after a few days, when the stain has faded somewhat, I can come to Him.  But certainly God doesn’t want to see me now, not after what I’ve done,”

Recently, though, God reminded me of Genesis 3:8-10:

And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.  But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”  And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.”

When Adam and Eve sinned against God, they felt the need to hide, as I often do.  But God was still looking and calling out for them.  He still sought them, even though they had been tainted with sin.  They hid in shame and in fear.  When I sin, I often find myself acting the same way as Adam and Eve, instead of living out what Scripture reminds us of:  “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.  For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love” (1 John 4:18).

In light of Scripture, I am reminded that when I sin against God, there is no need to hide in fear.  Because of the cross of Jesus Christ that fully paid for the punishment of my sin, I may approach His throne of grace with boldness (Hebrews 4:16).  I may turn to God in my time of brokenness, trusting in His grace through Christ’s sacrifice (Psalm 51:16-17).  Even if there is discipline, it brings me joy since I know that God is treating me as a son (Hebrews 12:7).

Therefore, even though we may be tempted to run from God when we sin against Him, we must realize that God’s desire is for us to draw close to Him (James 4:8).  Let us not be afraid to turn to God in our need.  His sacrifice paid for our sins, and He offers us reconciliation and freedom from fear.

“From whence this fear and unbelief, since God my Father, put to grief His spotless Son for me?  Can he, the righteous judge of men, condemn me for that debt of sin, Which, Lord, was charged on Thee?” …  “Turn, then, my soul, unto thy rest: The merits of thy Great High Priest speak peace and liberty: Trust in His efficacious blood, nor fear thy banishment from God, since Jesus died for thee.”  Augustus Toplady

[copyright, 2010, Emily Schankweiler; A Sacrifice of Praise]

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Christian Hospitality Means Making Room in Your Heart

October 22, 2009
Filed In Daily Devotionals

We live in such a transient society. People move in and out of neighborhoods as frequently as migrating geese. Believers change churches and seek new homes for fellowship and worship every week. In military towns, such as ours, we see whole families come and go every few years. It’s hard for them to adjust to new friendships, new personalities, and new lives. Sometimes it is so difficult when they leave a great family of Believers that they can’t even muster the energy to visit in a new area, (That’s what church visitation is for).

As Christians, it is our responsibility to continually open our arms to new folks—to allow others into our lives. We shouldn’t get so comfortable with our own friends that we have no room for more.  Paul challenged the Corinthians in a similar situation when they didn’t want to accept him and his ministry to them:

“There is no lack of room for you in [our hearts], but you lack room in your own affections [for us]. But way of return then, do this for me—I speak as to children—open wide your hearts also [to us].” 2 Cor. 6:12,13.

CAN YOU MAKE ROOM IN YOUR HEART FOR SOMEONE THIS WEEK?

In your neighborhood?  At the grocery?  A nursing home?  Or simply when you sit in your usual seat in your usual pew this week?  Can you look around and see if there is someone in search of another’s heart to make a home? Can your heart be that home? selahV

[copyrighted, SelahV Today, Hariette Petersen, 2009]

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When the Ember Dies

April 27, 2009
Filed In Daily Devotionals

My son was ten. He was watching me stoke the fire in our woodstove. I placed a new log on the pile of burning coals and one of the coals fell onto the stove front. I closed the door and placed the poker in the stand. My son picked up the poker and toyed with the errant red coal. Slowly its color lessened and turned black. When it did, Chad put the poker back into its stand. In its brightness Chad was drawn to it, intrigued. When it turned dark and cold, Chad lost interest. Does that happen to the world? Are they drawn to light or darkness? Positive or negative?

“But you are not in [given up to the power of] darkness, brethren, for that day to overtake you by surprise like a thief. For you are all sons of light and sons of day; we do not belong either to the night or to darkness.” 1 Thessalonians 5:4,5.

We can talk about grace and graciousness. We can write about being quick to listen, and slow to anger. We can preach the Word, and teach doctrines and profess all the right theology. But unless we live these things out in our own lives, we are but an ember set outside the hearth. Soon we go out, become black and cold, and no one gains any warmth from being near us. We must live in a world filled with darkness, but we are not darkness. We are light. To deny the Light within us is to deny the Life sacrificed in our behalf. Can we do this without communing with God through His Word? Can we glow without gathering regularly with other Christians who burn brightly, who are hungry to reach a lost world?  selahV

[copyrighted, 2009, SelahVToday, hariette petersen]

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