First United Methodist Church

Day 13: Wednesday, March 15, 2017
Rev. Sela Finau

 

Scripture: Romans 5:2-4 (NRSV) through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,

 

Devotion: As children, we may have dreamed about what we would be when we grew up. As we got older, we continued to dream of what our life may look like, and it may have changed from one day to the next. We continued to imagine ourselves as being successful in whatever career or position we held. As an adult, we eventually began a vocation and a career that we thought would last us the rest of our lives.

 

However, the problem is that the rest of our lives may change quickly if we lose our job. Terrible things happen in life and may leave us feeling hopeless. An illness may prevent us from working. A death or an accident may leave us distraught. A natural disaster destroys our home. Unexpected events shake every bone in our body. Our trust in the goodness of life vanishes. We’re suddenly set adrift, with nowhere to go and nowhere we want to go. We imagine that life has been unfair to us and God has left us.

 

Whatever the circumstance that brings a loss to our life’s direction, there is still reason to maintain a sense of hope. This kind of hope is built on trust, not in ourselves or others, but in God. Our hope rests on the awareness that God is in control. The same God that calls us by our first name and knows the number of hairs on our head. God holds us up in our times of need. Take comfort in that knowledge and pray that God will plant new seeds of hope in our hearts.

 

Prayer: Dear God, life is not easy. It is in your mercy that we are able to do the things today. We can do nothing more than trust in you. Help us to grow through this process called life, and comfort us who are experiencing difficulty with a change in our life plan. Please give us the strength and courage to continue hoping. Amen

 

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Day 12: Tuesday, March 14, 2017
Tylor Cavender

 

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:31 (NIV) “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

 

Devotion: “We gave it our all tonight, and walked away with a victory. We want to thank God for this win.” I’ve heard countless post-game interviews that went something like this. Football players might catch the long pass for a first down and point to the sky. A baseball player might step up to the plate, make the sign of the cross, and then get ready to hit. God seems to be invested in the victories of innumerable athletes. But, is He really a sports fan? Does he care that the Patriots won another super bowl? Did he have a hand in Amanda Nunez’s knock out of Ronda Rousey during UFC 207?
The problem with these kinds of statements is that the focus is on the wrong thing. People are focused on themselves and on thanking God for doing things just for them. These statements can seem like someone is saying God is on their side but not their opponents. Similarly, their opponents probably didn’t lose because they are less Christian. What is it that God should be thanked for? It almost certainly isn’t for a win. An easy alteration to these shows of faith would be to thank God for giving us the ability to do these things. It might be a good idea to also ask God for guidance so that we can use the abilities he gave us to glorify him.

 

In 2011, the former Denver Broncos quarterback, Jake Plummer, criticized the then current Broncos quarterback, Tim Tebow, for always having his faith on display. Tim Tebow responded by saying that he does feel the need to say he loves Jesus all the time, and that he had no intentions to stop. Mike Sweeney, a baseball player who ended his career in 2010, said in an article with CNN, “Saint Francis of Assisi says preach the gospel at all times and, when necessary, use words. That’s something I’ve tried to live my whole life.” I think these are great examples of someone doing it the right way.
Aaron Shust sings a song called, “To God Alone.” The lyrics sum up the instructions Paul gave to the Corinthians. “To God alone be the glory- To God alone be the praise- Everything I say and do- Let it be all for You- The glory is Yours alone.” Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

 

Prayer: Awesome God, help us to remember these words from Paul’s letter. Help us to remember that these words can still be useful today. Help us to live in a way that glorifies you. It is in Jesus’ name we pray, amen

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Devotion: Are you like me? When the sun shines and warms me, I’m in a good mood – happy, jolly, bouncy. But when it’s cloudy and cold, the opposite is true – sad, solemn, quiet.

 

My breakfast room has two large windows facing east, so when the sun comes up, it shines on the table where my solar powered flower, daisy, sits near my coffee cup.

 

Daisy dances from side to side in the sun. She’s connected to the source. But when a cloud blocks the sun, she slowly stops, reviving, connecting, only when the cloud goes by.

 

I’m like that! When I do God’s will He shines on me and makes me happy. When I let worries block my thoughts, I get depressed. I need to keep connected.

 

I need the sun, but most of all I need the SON.

Prayer
God of life and death,
teach us to hold out for a deeper life,
for the prayerful consciousness that enables us to transcend our
petty desires for security and self-image,
so that we may be free to rest in communion with you.
We do want life, but we want the Big Life,
which includes you and everything else too.

Bring us to a new humility before you and give us one thing more,

a grateful heart. Amen