Daily Devotions

Our devotions this Easter season come from members of Faith Lutheran Church. Today’s writer is Mayra Marshall.

“Train children in the right way, and when old, they will not stray.” Proverbs 22:6

Most of you know my daughters, Charlotte and Claire. My heart and soul is poured into teaching them kindness, empathy, and a servant heart. I couldn’t help but feel prideful when we were at the local nursery, shopping for our garden, and the girls started to shout, “Hosanna, Hosanna!” when they saw a palm tree.

As a parent, I pray that their love for learning and training about Jesus continues. I pray because it’s easy to reflect on my own adolescence and some of the choices I continue to make. This passage helped me reflect on my actions, the strict Christian home that I grew up in, and where I am today. An outside perspective would identify 19-year-old Mayra as someone who had strayed based on her actions, behavior, and decisions. How could this be since the cross my father bears around his neck could challenge Liberace’s glow?

“Train children in the right way, and when old, they will not stray.” That last part sounds so absolute; “they will not stray.” Does that mean that my father did not teach me enough? If he failed to keep me from straying then will I fail my own children?

As adults, our children will have choices to make. Their decisions will have consequences. It’s their hearts that we have built, as teachers of God’s love. That is what will guide them through those decisions and consequences.

Training our children does not guarantee that they will not make mistakes; rather it guides them through their path when they make difficult choices. I am forever grateful for my parents, godparents, and friends that helped build my heart by teaching me the way of our Lord. I am even more grateful now for my community that is training and building the hearts of my very own children. The tearful moment at our local nursery when the girls started to shout, “Hosanna!” wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for their Sunday school teachers.

This passage opens up my heart to the acknowledgement that my duty is beyond the two sweet angels I call my own. As children in God’s family, we all have a duty to help create the path for all children.

Dear Lord, as we walk your path, open our hearts and our kindness to the children of the world. They are our future and the next disciples walking beside us. Amen.

Our devotions this Easter season come from members of Faith Lutheran Church. Today’s writer is Kate Faulkner.

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead, and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:4-9

What does it mean to love God with all your heart, soul, and might? When I think about the experience of falling in love, of building relationships with other people, it is a process of discovery. There are things I love about people upon first meeting them, but other parts of my love for them that grows steadily over time as I learn more about them. My love for God has grown in a similar way.

When I first understood God as a child, I knew there was something of interest that I could love. That spark of interest in a lovable God kept me in attendance at church, but it didn’t go much further than that.

As I’ve grown in my relationship with God, I’ve learned more about how God demonstrates love to me in my life. I’ve seen the beautifully intricate design for my life’s story that could only have come from a God that knows and loves me. As I’ve reached out to learn more about the church, the reason we worship together, the importance of prayer in our lives, and have had opportunities to speak about my faith with others, the love I feel for God intensifies.

How do we then bind these words to love God on our hands and fix them on our foreheads? How do we make our love for God so apparent it seeps into every aspect of our lives? I think we do it in the same manner we love others. We spend quality time with the people we love, we talk to them, we lean on them when we need help, we share our hopes and fears with them, and we would do anything for them. To love God with all our might looks the same.

Let us pray: God, help us continue to deepen our relationship with you. Help us find quality time to spend with you and talk to you in prayer. Help us remember to look to you in times of need and in times of admiration and joy. Help us to do your work in the lives of others. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Our devotions this Easter season come from members of Faith Lutheran Church. Today’s writer is John Lacy.

“Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went through all the land of Egypt. During the seven plenteous years the earth produced abundantly. He gathered up all the food of the seven years when there was plenty in the land of Egypt, and stored up food in the cities; he stored up in every city the food from the fields around it. So Joseph stored up grain in such abundance — like the sand of the sea — that he stopped measuring it; it was beyond measure.” Genesis 41:46-49

These four verses are just a snippet out of the long story of Joseph found in Genesis.  The story pretty much covers Joseph’s life from the cradle to the grave.  At this time, Joseph is 30 years old and has been appointed Pharaoh’s second-in-command.  He is the chief steward of the Pharaoh’s domain.  He was specifically chosen for this job to deal with the situation that he had predicted for the next fourteen years (seven years of plenty and seven years of famine).

He turns out to be an excellent steward, and did a fantastic job. He was able to gather and store more food than even he had anticipated.  The stored food was a life saver in the seven years of famine.  And, was instrumental in bringing his entire family to Egypt.

The duties of a steward are to manage the financial and business affairs of his boss.  Therefore, it was not Joseph’s food that was being gathered and stored, it was the Pharaoh’s. Even though it wasn’t his food and grain, he performed his duties faithfully.

The Bible, in several places (I found 84), urges us be good stewards of the resources that God has entrusted to us.  Often, this is simply interpreted to mean we should give an offering (maybe even a tithe) to our church so that it can keep the lights on, pay the preacher, and maybe do some mission work.  But, good stewardship means much more than that.

In the Lord’s Prayer our resources are referred to as our “Daily Bread.”  In a recent sermon, Pastor Kerry pointed out that Luther, in his explanation of the fourth petition of the Lord’s Prayer, said that “Daily Bread includes everything that has to do with the support and needs of the body, such as food, drink, clothing, shoes, house, home, land, animals, money, goods, a devout husband or wife, devout children, devout workers, devout and faithful rulers, good government, good weather, peace, health, self-control, good reputation, good friends, faithful neighbors, and the like.”

Or, as Pastor Kerry said “Everything that we are and everything that we have is a gift from God and we are to be good stewards of it.” Amen.

Hymn: “We Give Thee But Thine Own” by William W. How, 1823-1897

We give Thee but Thine own,

Whate’er the gift may be;

All that we have is Thine alone,

A trust, O Lord, from Thee.

Prayer: Create in us a clean heart, O God. And renew a right spirit within us. And help us to be faithful stewards of your gifts. Amen.

Our devotions this Easter season come from members of Faith Lutheran Church. Today’s writer is George Amundson.

“Where there is no prophecy, the people cast off restraint, but happy are those who keep the law.” Proverbs 29:18

What if we had no preaching, or teaching, no Learning Groups, or no Faith Lutheran Church?

How could we work on our relationships with God and our neighbors?  We are told that good relationships don’t just happen. They need to be worked on. What is one of the first things Jesus did when he started his ministry: he gathered a few of his friends together. Pastor Nelson has been telling us for years that Christianity is “team sport.” The Learning Groups offered at Faith Lutheran would be a good starting point for us.

Learning Groups – 9:45 AM on Sunday Mornings

Basic Christianity – Led by Pastor Tan

Blessed Community – Led by Dave Gohlke and Mary Browne

Circle of friends – Led by Sara Karow

Parenting Beyond Your Capacity – Led by Betty Becker and Staci DeKunder

The Good News Class – Led by Cliff Condit

The Word and the World – Led by Pastor Nelson

Women of Faith – Led by Kate Faulkner

Young Families – Led by Eric and Courtney Lerch

Just a quick check of the Ten Commandments shows us God’s emphasis on our relationship with our neighbors. The first three are concerned with our relationship with God and seven, count them, seven have to do with our relationships with our neighbors.

Let us pray: Dear Lord, you have shown us that relationships are important. We know that anything of any worth is not easy to obtain, so, please give us the willingness to work on them. Amen.

Our devotions this Easter season come from members of Faith Lutheran Church. Today’s writer is Sara Karow.

“Precious treasure remains in the house of the wise, but the fool devours it.” Proverbs 21:20

Proverbs 21 describes the attributes and behaviors of a wise king.  While we are not rulers of kingdoms ourselves, this set of proverbs applies likewise to us as well, as we oversee our own individual households according to God’s will.

Verse 20 particularly addresses the management of “precious treasure” – our earnings, our homes, and our material possessions. And like a king of old, most of us are considered rich by global standards, regardless of our current tax bracket.

With all of the temptations in front of us, we could easily devour our treasure, becoming like the foolish prodigal son, squandering our riches on all the world has to offer until our pockets are empty and we are left with nothing after the fleeting moments of pleasure have passed.  But we are called upon to allocate our resources wisely and live modestly. Not saving every penny in a miserly fashion, but by being good stewards of all that we have, avoiding extravagant spending of our wealth and taking proper care of our homes and belongings so they can be used as God intends.

Think about the ways in which you could become a better steward of your riches.  What kind of lifestyle changes might that mean for you and your family – a smaller home, a cheaper cell phone plan, fewer nights out or expensive vacations? What would the saving you gain enable you to do to the glory of God?

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, you are the true owner of all that we have.  We ask that you help us keep this in our hearts in this Easter season and teach us to use our riches wisely, not for our own pleasure, but for your will.  Amen.

Our devotions this Easter season come from members of Faith Lutheran Church. Today’s writer is Jon Holmes.

“You can make many plans, but the LORD’s purpose will prevail.” Proverbs 19:21

I like having a plan. It helps me daily in the profession God has called me to do. Making a prosthesis that fits and works well requires a good plan.

I knew God assigned me this exact passage to make me think about myself and what this proverb means. But I really did not know where to begin.

So, I asked my daughter Tessa, what I should write about. She said, “Dad, just talk about me.” I was confused as to what she meant. But, then she explained, she did not pursue her new job at the church, as Director of Youth and Family Ministries. She is a full time student working on her Master’s degree in Social Work, and overall a hard worker in the odd jobs that she has been doing for some extra money. But, the one Sunday she came to church in probably over two months was the Sunday that Pastor Kerry announced that Jason was leaving. She was in service and immediately knew that message was for her (so did I).

I assume Pastor Kerry was in on the plan as he asked her about the job soon thereafter. Tessa was able to listen to the Lord’s plan even though it did not match up with what she thought her plans were going to be. She has taken this job in stride and is truly excited for the ministry she is able to do with it. Nancy and I are happy because we get to sit in church with her every Sunday again. But, the point is you can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail.

Prayer:  Thank you, God, for making your purpose known to us. We ask for your help and guidance in putting your plans into action. May we ever be mindful of your glory. Amen.

Our devotions this Easter season come from members of Faith Lutheran Church. Today’s writer is Evangeline Dai.

“The plans of the mind belong to mortals, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. All one’s ways may be pure in one’s own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit. Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.” Proverbs 16:1-3

The Bible reminds us many times that sometimes we think we are doing things in the right way and we think we are innocent. However, we can’t be so proud of ourselves because God knows and weighs our heart. To use one’s own standard to value things, that self-confidence is a dangerous trap. Even if we can lie to ourselves, we can’t deceive God. Like Adam blamed it on Eve, Eve blamed it on the snake. They might have claimed that they’re innocent, but God knows their heart, knows their sin, and knows that they didn’t obey the order.

Similarly, “All deeds are right in the sight of the doer, but the Lord weighs the heart.” (Proverbs 21:2) and “…for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7). These verses keep on reminding us that God gave us free will, and we need to take responsibility for our behaviors.

God gave human beings free will to make plans, but God has the right answers and authority.

This reminds me of an old Chinese saying “moú shì zaì rén , chéng shì zaì tiān” which Google translated as, “Man Proposes, God Disposes” (Yes, it‘s exactly like Proverbs 19:21 as well—“The human mind may devise many plans, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will be established.”)

Also, God reveals over and over again that God wants us to trust, commit our works, and lift our burdens. Even though sometimes our plans are not God’s plans, and our time is not God’s time, God still listens to our prayers and fulfills our prayers when the time comes, or in God’s way.

Let us pray: Dear Lord, please lead us and guide us to learn how to lift up our burdens and worries to you, and have stronger faith in you, truly, madly, deeply, to trust you and love you with all our heart, all our soul, all our strength, and all our minds. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Today’s devotion was written by Sally Hargrove, a member of Faith Lutheran Church.

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because  it had been founded on rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not  act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell– and great was its fall!” Matthew 7:24-27

When I read these verses, I’m always reminded of the Sunday School song we all learned as children, especially the hand motions and the big finale when the walls of our house came crashing down with a big bang! Even as children we knew how we would build our house.

Later on in life I realized the “rock” was a symbol for how we should build our life with God as our rock and foundation.

I’m sorry to say I sometimes find myself making people I care about my rocks and foundations. As I grow older I find they can’t be an eternal rock – that can only be our faith in God.

Your own strength, health, intelligence, youth, talents, loved ones, parents, and friends cannot be the foundation stone for life. They all can be easily carried away like the shifting sand and you can be left floundering for a footing. It’s also too big a job for anyone but God.

God wants to be the foundation and meaning of our lives.

I’ve lost some important people in my life as well as things I used to feel secure, and in a fast-changing world the ground beneath my feet feels “sandier” each day.

This year I’m making a commitment to myself and God to put God at the center of my life by increased reading of scripture, communal Bible study, and increased devotional life.

Let us pray: Dear Lord, thank you for always being there waiting for me to call on you and for forgiving my attempts to go it alone too often. Help me to remember that when I thought I was doing everything myself, you were really carrying me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Today’s devotion was written by Stacy Williams, the Director of Operations and a member of Faith Lutheran Church.

“The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to want.” Proverbs 21:5

This passage takes me back to everything we were taught as a child. Taking the time to make a plan and working hard to achieve the plan will fill our life with the abundance that God has promised.

In a society that has become accustomed to getting things immediately, we often think we can take shortcuts to get there faster.  It has been proven many times that short cuts do not work and often leaves us wanting more.

God has given us the plan, the roadmap to all that God has in store for us. All we have to do is slow down, walk the path, allowing God to lead us, and we will want for nothing.

Let us pray, my Heavenly Father, you give us all we need and sometimes we forget the plan you have laid out for us. I ask that you continue to guide us, leading us not into temptation, but in the direction of your everlasting love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Today’s devotion was written by Jowan Freeman, a member of Faith Lutheran Church.

“And whoever does not provide for relatives, and especially for family members, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” 1 Timothy 5:8

I have always read these passages and thought there was a deeper hidden message for everyone to interpret and recreate in their own lives. Yet this passage is pretty clear.

This is a passage we can all take personally in one way or another. Maybe some of us will linger to be an older adult. Perhaps nobody will speak harshly to us or give us disrespect. But as believers, our duty is to care for our elderly.

What I’m speaking of is secondhand; it is nothing new. These values were instilled upon us at a young age. For some of us, we were raised to see caring for the elderly as our religious duties. We played with other kids because we respected our parents when they told us too. Do you remember being told, “If you don’t have anything good to say, don’t say anything at all!” These were part of the virtues that we were taught while growing up.

And before we grew up too fast we had a responsibility to make some repayments back to our parents for some of the things that they had done for us. Not because children troubled our parents, but because we were taught to respect our elders and do as they said. This is pleasant in God’s sight as a child.

At the end of the day we have a responsibility as believers. As believers we are family through God.  So whoever does not provide for their relatives and especially for family members, has denied the faith and is worse then an unbeliever.

So share your gifts. Turn the other cheek. In the body of Christ there is respect and honor for all.

Let us pray: Lord, allow us to feel your presence when our day-to-day lives sometimes come with lower levels of respect for elders. As God fearing believers we trust that you will continue to instill these values in us for generations to come. We pray for the youth and elderly in our church, that all would be seen not as a burden, but a blessing. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.