Daily Devotions during week of July 18-24

as written by Fiona Bradshaw-Christopher

Sunday Night

Carry What?

The focus of this year’s Psalm 23 Camp devotions is all about what we carry with us each day, and... what we’d like to stop carrying with us each day. As we mingle with one another at camp & as we spread out into these communities here in West Virginia, we have a choice about what we carry with us. In addition to skills and tools and supplies, we will carry with us our faith...our belief that God’s Love is with us always. Deuteronomy 31:6 reminds us “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you or forsake you,” In our busy day to day lives back home, we can be easily distracted from this truth. Remember, God is with us always, but we must know this in our hearts, and embrace it as we live our lives. He is always loving us, and routing for us, and wanting the best for us...and when we fall short, He wants us to repent from our wrong-doings & He forgives us. Why? Because he loves us! During this mission trip, I encourage each of us to focus on God’s Love being present in your lives and the lives of others...Carry God’s love with you wherever you go and whatever you do! Share with one another what you observe. How do you see/feel God’s love working through you and others?

Monday

Carry His Love With You Always

One of the teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Which of the commands is most important?” Jesus answered, “The most important command is this: ‘Listen, people of Israel! The Lord our God is the only Lord. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second command is this: ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ There are no commands more important than these.”

Mark 12:28-31

Teachers of the law, called scribes, were Pharisees who spent much of their time debating the meaning of Scripture. One question they were frequently divided over was, “Which of God’s rules is most important?” The scribes didn’t just debate God’s Ten Commandments, they argued over 613 rules that they derived from the first five books from the Bible, 248 “thou shalts” and 365 “thou shalt nots.” To settle this argument, or perhaps to try to drag Jesus into the debate, one scribe asked Jesus this popular loaded question.

Jesus began his answer by quoting the Shema, “Listen people of Israel! The Lord our God is the only Lord.” (The Shema is a traditional confession of faith that is still recited today every morning and evening by devout Jews.)

After demonstrating his Knowledge of tradition and Scripture, Jesus demonstrated his wisdom. He boiled down the Ten Commandments, and even the 613 precepts, to one life-changing principle: LOVE.

Instead of focusing on rules, Jesus told the scribe to focus on relationships. By loving God and others, every one of God’s rules is fulfilled. Loving God with everything you are – with all your emotion, intellect, and energy – is what gives you the desire and the wisdom you need to love others well. Anytime you’re in doubt as to what God wants you to do in a given situation, ask yourself, “Right now, how can I love God and others best?”

What comes to mind when you read today’s devotions?

The word neighbor literally means “the one near you.” As you go through your day, consider how many neighbors you encounter, and what you can do to love them well

Tuesday

What Do You Want To Carry With you?

I’m eager to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours. In this way, each of us will be a blessing to the other.

Romans 1:12

God is not the only one with the power to bless. You, too, can build others up by showing special favor, which is what a blessing really is. One way is through the gift of encouragement. Paul expressed his desire to share this valuable gift with other believers who lived in Rome. He’d never met them, and neither had any of the other apostles. But that didn’t stop Paul from longing to comfort and strengthen others who shared his faith in God.

Paul’s words are a practical example of God’s love at work. Love cannot exist in a vacuum. You have to share it. When you encourage others by your loving example, actions, words, or prayers, you’ll discover that your gift comes with a bonus! You will, in turn, be encouraged. In the Greek language, to encourage means both “to share your strength with others” as well as “to be mutually comforted.” The more you take the opportunity to cheer on and support those around you, the more you’ll experience the joy that love can bring.

God has used Paul’s words and the example of his life to strengthen and inspire people for more than two thousand years. You never know when a simple word of encouragement to a friend or even a stranger will cause a ripple effect that will be felt throughout eternity.

What came to mind as you read today’s devotions?

God can turn your simple gift of encouragement into a tremendous blessing. Put the principle behind Paul’s words to the test today.

Let God use you to carry comfort and strength to others.

Wednesday

What Do You Want To Stop Carrying With You?

Do not worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks. And God’s peace which is so great we cannot understand it, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6~7

Worry is a stealthy, yet formidable, enemy. Worry can creep into your life quietly, masquerading as an acceptable human response to living in an imperfect world. But worry is neither acceptable nor harmless. Worry is a dangerous diversion that leads you to focus on your problems instead of on God, who loves you and is in control. There is an easy and effective way to eliminate worry – pray.

Praying about both the big and the small things in your life is a way of constantly realigning your point of view with God’s perspective. Prayer is more than simply asking God for help. It is also a time of worship and thanks. Thanking God for his past help and blessings is a gift to yourself, as well as to God. Every thank-you serves as a personal reminder of God’s Love and faithfulness in your life, and it provides you with a source of comfort, strength, encouragement, and peace.

Peace and worry cannot coexist. Where worry is the potential enemy, peace is the faithful sentinel guarding your mind and heart. There is nothing passive about the word guard. It’s a Greek military term that paints a picture of a stronghold being protected by a vigilant garrison of watchmen. When you allow prayers to defeat worry in your life, God’s peace will be your watchman through any and every situation.

What did today’s devotion bring to mind?

Do you tend to worry?

What do you worry about?

Can you see how trusting God can relieve you from carrying around your worries?

At the first sign of worry, practice the life-changing principle found in Philippians 4:6~7. Tell God what you’re anxious about. Thank him for who he is, for what he has done, and for the peace he provides.

Thursday

How Do We Keep From Dropping The Things That God Wants Us To Carry?

Jesus said, “Your father knows the things you need before you ask him.”

Mathew 6:8

Jesus gave his disciples the Lord’s Prayer as an example of how to pray. Right before he spoke those famous words, Jesus shared a few reasons about why to pray. To do this, he provided two examples...negative ones. Jesus said the Pharisees prayed in public because they wanted to be seen as holy by other people. He also said idol worshipers prayed, repeating themselves over and over, because they believed that the more frequently they asked for something the better chance they had of having their request granted. After those negative examples, Jesus spoke the reassurance that God already knows what you need.

At first, his words may seem to provide a reason why not to pray, instead of why to pray. If God knows what you need before you ask, why bother asking in the first place? Jesus’ point is that the purpose of prayer is not to be noticed by other people...or even by God. God already notices you. He knows everything about you and your life. Prayer is not a way to draw God’s attention to your needs. It is a way to draw your attention to how much you need God.

Your greatest continual need is to better know and love God. Communicating with him about the details of your life keeps you aware of how involved he already is. It also helps you see how many of your needs he fills every day. The more you recognize your dependence on God, the more thankful you become, and the deeper your love grows.

What did today’s devotions bring to mind?

Can you see how keeping your attention on God would help keep you from “dropping the things that God wants us to carry”?

The Lord’s Prayer teaches you to pray for daily bread. Jesus’ words from Matthew don’t contradict that lesson. They’re a reminder that God needs to be involved in your life, not informed about it. Seek God’s guidance in everything you do.

Friday

Carry On!

We all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory.

2 Corinthians 3:18

In the Old Testament, when God gave Moses the Ten Commandments, Moses was allowed to catch a glimpse of the unique splendor of God’s actual presence. This experience was so profound that Moses’ face literally glowed as a result. The Israelites who followed Moses were frightened by the change in his appearance and by a God who could transform someone in that way. But Moses’ transformation was temporary. At first Moses veiled his face so that the people would no longer be afraid. Later he wore the veil to conceal the fact that his personal evidence of God’s glory was fading away.

God’s glory refers both to God’s unfathomable beauty and to his incomparable expression of power. As you look into God’s mirror, which is a biblical metaphor that stands for the Bible, you glimpse what Moses did. You see God. Unlike Moses, the reflection of God’s glory in you will never fade. In fact, it will continue to shine brighter as time goes by. You are not being transformed into God; you are being transformed into a sharper reflection of his image.

This means you do not need to hide behind a veil when you’re with others. Be honest and authentic, freely sharing how God is working in your life...and remember to trust in the Lord and He will carry you through. In this way, you become a spiritual mirror for those around you as you grow to look more and more like your heavenly Father.

As God becomes more visible in you, you’ll find that people are naturally attracted to you – not simply because of the wonderful way God created you, but also because of how glorious God is.

* What did today’s devotions bring to mind?

* God is good and loving and forgiving and merciful etc. Can you see how if you’re more like him, that people would be drawn to you?

Remember...Do not be afraid or terrified for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you or forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6