Devotion for July 29

Pastor Mike Foss is out of the office for the next few weeks, so other staff members will be writing the devotion in his absence.  This week’s devotion was written by St. Mark Lutheran Church’s Director of Discipleship, Brandon Mick.

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And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow Him.  Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.  Colossians 2:6-7

Abbey and I recently moved into a beautiful home, which we rent from her sister and her husband. There are two apple trees in the backyard. One remains in the place where my brother-in-law first planted it. The other was moved to a different corner of the yard, after he decided he had placed it in the wrong spot.

For those of us who spend a lot of our time in areas entirely covered by streets, sidewalks, parking lots, and malls, it is sometimes harder to recognize the profound beauty in saying that we are to be “rooted” in Jesus Christ. The Bible is full of rich agricultural imagery like this, so we city- or suburb-dwellers would do well to pause and reflect upon it.

Think about how much a tree depends upon its roots. They hold it into the soil to keep it from falling over. The roots reach down to tap the soil, the tree’s source of life. Depending on the depth and strength of its root system, a tree will be either healthy or sickly. The tree will either live or die.

“Let your roots grow down into Him”

Our roots in Jesus give us strength and hold us from falling. It is He who is our source of life. Depending on how deep and strong our roots are that go down into Christ, our lives will either be spiritually healthy or spiritually sickly. We will either provide evidence of God’s life in Jesus Christ, or we will reflect the truth of the consequences of Sin, which is death.

The tree in our backyard whose roots have been damaged by shovel and the shock of moving is no longer alive. The one whose roots have remained secure in the earth is doing well. And not only is it alive, it has abundant life. Although it is young, it has already begun to produce fruit! The apples are small and yet developing, but that they are fruit is undeniable.

When our lives are rooted in Christ, we will have abundant life. That is to say, our lives will produce fruit. Being rooted in Christ, being strengthened and nourished by Him, produces in our lives, visible and tangible fruit. Paul gives us a good list of this fruit in Galatians 5:

Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-Control

The deeper and stronger our lives are in Christ, the more our lives will reflect Christ’s life by exhibiting what we call “The Fruits of the Spirit.” And this is not our own doing. It is the gift of the Spirit as we accept the gift of Christ as Lord.

And our response is overflowing thankfulness!

Amen.

Devotion for July 15

It is good to give thanks to the Lord… to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night. Psalm 92:1-2

            My friend, Anne, tells the story of working in Guatemala on a mission when a friend of hers had conversation with a student from Canada. The student was remarking on the wisdom of a priest and his work. When Anne’s colleague pointed out to the student that what the priest had shared was from the Bible, she exclaimed that it couldn’t have come from anything Christian, let alone the Bible, because it was all superstition! We can only imagine her surprise when Anne’s friend showed her where the priest’s wisdom was in the Bible.

            There are those who believe that Christianity is old and tired in the 21^st century. They point to the very real anti-Christian attitudes of our country – much like that student’s attitude. For me it is a matter of perspective. On the one hand, we can be discouraged and just keep working in the church. On the other hand, we can see this as a remarkable opportunity. That’s what Anne’s friend did. Instead of assuming the case for our faith was already lost to that student, she patiently brought her to the Bible and showed her.

            The time has come for us in the Christian churches to become bold and, as the psalmist suggests, declare God’s steadfast love in the morning and his faithfulness by night. The timeless truth of the Gospel is not tired or worn out. But some Christians and churches are. The problem is that we have had it relatively easy in this country for most of our years. The Christian faith was held in high regard in all areas of our society. We took that regard for granted. Now the world has changed, our society has changed, and what we once assumed is now questioned.

            What a great opportunity! But first we need to practice what we preach. Daily Bible reading and prayer equip us with a vibrant and deep relationship with Jesus Christ. From this well of faith we can raise up the witness that has sustained our faith throughout the centuries. Worship will replenish the well, as will spiritual friendships. And lastly, as we live disciplined giving of our financial resources, our witness will be built on a foundation of personal integrity. The challenges before us are very real… but the opportunities are even greater. Amen

Devotion for June 24

But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in God’s sight to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge.” Acts 4:19

            The humility of Peter and John before the religious authorities in Jerusalem is startling. The above response was given after they had been imprisoned over night. Their jailing was because of the healing of a lame man and the declaration that it was done in the name of the Risen Savior, Jesus. Standing before these learned men of authority, Peter and John do not claim to know God’s will. Instead they invite their questioners to consider for themselves whether it is correct to heed God’s voice or theirs. In so doing, they placed themselves, their circumstances and those before whom they stood in the very presence of God.

            I have always been leery of those who claimed to know the will of God in any particular circumstance. It seems to me that our knowledge of God’s will is limited by our understanding of Scripture, our prayers and that human tendency to see what we want to see above all else. That doesn’t mean, however, that we cannot know God’s will in general and then apply it to our circumstance. In fact, that’s what Peter and John have done.

            I understand fully that any given ethical decision is subject to its circumstances. I do not, however, believe for a moment that the moral imperatives of the golden rule or the Ten Commandments cannot lead the person of faith to make healthy decisions in any situation. I believe that we set them aside at our own risk – and, often, at the risk of hurting others.

            Peter and John remind us, as they surely reminded those at the Council in Jerusalem, that we live before God: Whether it is right in God’s sight… they declare. Christians hold firmly to the fact that there is One who is beyond us and whose teachings we can know, who holds us ultimately accountable. This is, at times, a matter of fear, to be sure. But, understanding God’s grace, transforms the fear in to assurance and the external authority of God into a blessing. We believe that even God’s judgment leads us to blessing and life.