Month: January 2021

Psalm 139:1-6 is our first reading this week.

You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

God knows us better than we know ourselves because He is our creator. That is difficult for us to understand and accept; as the Psalmist writes “such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain”. Perhaps there are things we’d rather keep hidden – from the world and from God.

God wants us to have no secrets from Him and no reason for such secrets. He knows us thoroughly, what we want and what we need, which are often two very different things. How will we know? We must ask Him.

Knowing God is the way to better know ourselves. Spending time sharing with Him leads us closer to the purpose for which we are made. When we understand and follow the call God has placed on our lives, we find our wants and needs become one, and we are satisfied in Him.

Loving Lord, in You we find our reason for being. Help us to hear Your voice in our lives that we may be Your people, sharing Your love with the world. Amen.

Our scripture this week is Mark 1:9-14, taken today from the English Standard Version (ESV).

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon Him; and a voice came from the heavens: “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.” And immediately the Spirit brought Him out into the wilderness. And He was in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by Satan; and He was with the wild animals, and the angels were serving Him.

Jesus came to show how much God loves us and how being connected to Him is the only way to salvation. In John 14:6 He tells us “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” While God reaches out to us in love, it is up to us to say “Yes Lord!” and respond in obedience.

Jesus demonstrated that responsibility by being baptized and enduring the trial in the desert. He didn’t need to repent or to prove His relationship with the Father to anyone, but He did it to give us an example to follow. He was willing to be as human as we are that we might understand the blessing we are offered.

Jesus wants us to be the example as well, turning away wrath with soft words and loving our enemies. We are called to be the children of the light and bearers of the Good News. It isn’t always easy and while our world has changed in some ways, God’s love and His commandments have not.

Gracious God, we are not always the examples we want to be. Help us when anger and frustration threaten to overcome us, remind us of our obligation to You and each other, and put our feet back on the path You intend for us. Amen.

Our scripture this week is Mark 1:9-13, taken today from the New King James Version (NKJV).

It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove. Then a voice came from heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.

The scripture tells us “the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness” (v. 13), but we know that faith is never forced upon us. Instead, we must accept His will and act from obedience and love. Jesus had such a close relationship with God that it was impossible for Him not to do what the Heavenly Father asked.

We need to understand that while Jesus was in fact God with us, He was also fully human, capable of putting His own will ahead of God’s plan if He chose to do so. However, unlike us, Jesus never acted from a selfish desire, showing us that God’s way is always better than ours. He is our savior, teacher, and example.

While we can never be perfect as Jesus is, we can strive to be like Him and show the world God’s love by doing His will. While obedience to God means yielding our human desires to Him, it is out of His love for us that we are saved. We pray as Jesus taught us “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”.

Loving Lord, we are often willful people, doing what we want rather than what You call us to do. Forgive our blind disobedience and lead us to Your salvation. Amen.

I’ve had a request to try something different. In my two churches we use a guide to weekly scripture known as the Revised Common Lectionary that provides a Psalm, Old Testament, Epistle and Gospel reading in accordance with the liturgical season. I was asked if I could use each of them during the week for this devotional and I think it’s a good idea. Beginning Monday 1/11 we’ll cover each of these in order through the week. You can find the list of lectionary readings on the web at https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu.

Our Gospel scripture this week is Mark 1:9-13, taken today from the New American Standard Bible (NASB).

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon Him; and a voice came from the heavens: “ You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.” And immediately the Spirit brought Him out into the wilderness. And He was in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by Satan; and He was with the wild animals, and the angels were serving Him.

It seems we have all been in a desert place with everything that has happened recently. We hear of the virus that has infected our world, we read news stories that upset us and we see a growing separation between people. It is a difficult time, and if we put our trust in our own strength, we will surely fail.

Jesus likely had similar feelings during His time in the desert. He was hungry and thirsty, pressed upon by Satan. In Matthew’s description of this event, the devil quotes scripture to Jesus, but with the emphasis on human desires rather than God’s true word (Matthew 4:6). Satan knows scripture and tries to use it to trick us into disbelieving God.

During these trying times we need to be especially careful not to be led astray by false application of scripture. Listen for God’s voice, not that of humans, and remember how Christ met every challenge through prayer and faith.

Loving Lord, we feel a desperate sense of being alone in our world. Help us to know Your presence and Your will for us, even when times are hard. Amen.

Our scripture this week is Mark 1:9-13, taken today from the Christian Standard Bible (CSB).

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John. As soon as he came up out of the water, he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well-pleased.” Immediately the Spirit drove him into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and the angels were serving him.

Why would God send His Son into the wilderness to be “tempted by Satan”? (v 13). I don’t think Jesus needed to prove anything to God, but perhaps Satan (and people) needed to see for themselves what He was all about. Jesus was human in every way and this was the same kind of testing humans faced from worldly issues.

In other accounts of this event, specifically Matthew 4:1-11, we hear Satan challenging Jesus over hunger, power and God’s care. These are all things we encounter on a regular basis and without spiritual strength, we may fall into the trap! God wanted to teach us that through faith we can stand against the evil of the world.

God was with Jesus during His testing and He is with us as well. There are difficult issues ahead, and there always will be. We are not promised an easy time and the pitfalls of sin are always there, but we can count on our Heavenly Father to be there, too.

Gracious God, we are weak when we try to do it alone, but strong when our hope is in You. May our faith show others the joy of a relationship with You. Amen.

Our scripture this week is Mark 1:9-13, taken today from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.

This passage tells us that Jesus was baptized just as we are, what some call “an outward sign of an inward change”. Jesus certainly didn’t need to change His behavior or belief as humans do when we repent and seek forgiveness, but He accepted His baptism as an example for us. Everything Jesus said and did was to show God’s love and teach us how to be part of His kingdom work.

Being baptized indicates a promise from us to God. Many of us were baptized as infants and our parents made the promise to guide us until we could accept the responsibility for our faith ourselves. That was God’s plan for Jesus as well, that He would guide us until there were other believers to pass the faith to the world.

When Jesus came up out of the water, scripture tells us there was a voice from heaven saying “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased” (v. 11). God speaks the same message into our lives, saying we are His beloved children and He has wonderful plans for us. Listen for His voice today, encouraging and energizing us to carry on the work Jesus began.

Loving Lord, You have given us Jesus to save and lead us. Help us to use Your gifts and lessons wisely to make a difference in our world. Amen.

Our scripture this week is Mark 1:9-13, taken today from the Common English Bible (CEB).

About that time, Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and John baptized him in the Jordan River. While he was coming up out of the water, Jesus saw heaven splitting open and the Spirit, like a dove, coming down on him. And there was a voice from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I dearly love; in you I find happiness.” At once the Spirit forced Jesus out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness for forty days, tempted by Satan. He was among the wild animals, and the angels took care of him.

Jesus took human form and accepted human obligations to become one of us, to show us God’s love. He taught us what God expects from His people. He was willing to live and die for us that we might be saved. What can we do to return His love?

Jesus showed us through His actions what God requires of us. He went out to the people to share God’s love through teaching and healing. While we may not perform the miracles Christ did, our work in the world can have a miraculous effect.

Just as God called Jesus to be His representative so we are called to continue the ministry He showed us. God wants everyone to know His love and we are His chosen people to accomplish this. May we accept the gift and the task He gives us joyfully.

Gracious God, we are humbled that You want to connect with us. Help us to be the face of Jesus to all we meet, sharing the wonder of Your love with all the world. Amen.

Our scripture this week is Mark 1:9-13, taken today from the New International Version (NIV).

At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.

Why was Jesus baptized? He had no sin to confess and no need for repentance. We look at this from our human point of view and don’t understand, but God showed us earlier in Jesus’ life that He would undergo all human emotions and practices to be one of us.

Jesus was born of Mary, a human child in need of love and care. He grew up and went through the rites of passage for all children of that time, such as being dedicated at the Temple, so it is only fitting that He would go to be baptized, showing His obedience to God. Jesus says to John “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15).

What are we doing today to “fulfill all righteousness”? We must seek to know and do God’s will for our lives every day. Jesus gave us the teaching and the example we need to make God a constant part of everything we do.

Loving Lord, in these noisy and difficult times help us to listen for Your word, hearing the call You place on each of us to share Your love and mercy with the world. Amen.

Our scripture this week is Ephesians 1:3-14, taken today from the English Standard Version (ESV).

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

Paul tells us that God reaches out to us through Jesus “making known to us the mystery of his will” (v. 9). God has given us instruction from the very beginning, telling us “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth” (Genesis 1:28). God gave us all of creation and called us to use it wisely.

However, God has rules for us regarding how we treat what He has given us and each other. We are to respect His creation and our brothers and sisters as we respect Him. We haven’t always been obedient in any of these, using people and things for our own pleasure and gain.

Paul reminds us how richly we have been blessed and the responsibility that comes through our relationship with God. We are called to be part of His work, ensuring that everyone knows of His love for us and our obligation to respond. Those who follow Christ must demonstrate the life He taught us to live, caring for each other and giving praise and thanks to our Heavenly Father.

Gracious God, we come to You in repentance, sorry for our failings. Help us to be strong in our faith, loving You and others as You first loved us. Amen.

Our scripture this week is Ephesians 1:3-14, taken today from the New King James Version (NKJV).

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

This letter opens with praise to God for the blessings He has given us. We are thankful for all these gifts but none is as important as the fact that “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins” (v. 7). Christ’s sacrifice releases us from the captivity of this world and prepares us for eternal life with Him.

Jesus cared about us more than He cared about Himself, and He calls us to love and serve each other in the same way. He showed us that life was more than just wealth and owning things, that we were created for a higher purpose. We are made to be with Him forever.

We can only speculate about when and how He will return, but we have His promise it will happen. Jesus will come to take us all home. Then we will join the song of all creation “Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever” (Revelation 5:13).

Loving Lord, we are grateful for all Your blessings to us. Help us to use our gifts in love for each other and to be ready when Jesus returns for us. Amen.