....DailyDevotions Devotions August30 September5,2015 KathleenSlown BethanyLutheranChurch,Ishpeming,MI Sunday,August30,2015 Home Text:Deuteronomy31:8 ItistheLordwhogoesbeforeyou.Hewillbewithyou;hewillnotfailyouorforsakeyou. Donotfearorbedismayed. MyfamilyhadjustmovedfromWisconsintoIllinois.Asmyparentsunpacked,mytwoyearold sisterandiplayedontheswingsetinthebackyard.whendinnerwasready,momcalled, Timetocomehomefordinner! towhichmysisterrepliedwithtears, Idon thaveahome. AccordingtoDataLab1/29/15, ApersonintheUnitedStatesisexpectedtomove11.4times inhislifetime. Currentstatisticsforthisyear,butI msurestatisticswerenothowmymother comfortedmysisterafterherfirstmove.inthewordsfromdeuteronomy,mosesiscomforting hissuccessor,joshua.agoodreminderforallofus: ItistheLordwhogoesbeforeyou. Hewillbewithyou;hewillnotfailorforsakeyou. Sincethatfirstmove,Ihavemovedanother15times.Movingisnevereasy,butwhata comforttoknowthatwhereverweareonlife sjourneygodiswithus. Letuspray:DearGod,Thankyouforwalkingwithuseachday.Todayweespeciallywouldask youtobenearallthosewhoaremoving:toanewcountry;toanewcity;toanewhome;toa newschoolorclassroom;toanewjob;toanewchurchfamily.youknowtheirspecificneeds, butpleasehelpthemtoknowthatyouarealwaysnear.weaskinthenameofoursavior,jesus thechrist.amen. Monday,August31,2015 ThankYou,Lord Text:Philippians4:4Y6 RejoiceintheLordalways;againIwillsay,Rejoice.Letyourgentlenessbeknownto everyone.thelordisnear.donotworryaboutanything,butineverythingbyprayerand supplicationwiththanksgivingletyourrequestsbemadeknowntogod.andthepeaceof
God,whichsurpassesallunderstanding,willguardyourheartsandyourmindsinChrist Jesus. Ananonymousquotestates: WhatifyouwokeuptodaywithonlythethingsyouthankedGodforyesterday? Howwouldyoubeginyourday?HowwillyouthankGodtoday? Atanearlyageweteachourchildren Please and ThankYou. Wehelpthempracticeuntil theydonotneedasmanyreminders.myheartmeltedthefirsttimeouroneyearold granddaughtertoldme, ThankYou,Gamma. Yet,IstillsometimesneedPaul sreminder: ineverythingbyprayerandsupplicationwiththanksgivingletyourrequestsbemade knowntogod. HowdoI practice thankinggod?atday sbeginning,awakeyupprayerofthanksfor anightofrest/adayofnewbeginnings;oranunspokenprayerofjoyasiwalkcelebrating God screation.sometimesourfamilysingsthanksatmealtime.wejointhepsalmduring worshipandpraisegodwithhymnsathomearoundthepiano.incollegeitwasa thankyou journal.ialsothankgodasiwritethankyounotes.thepossibilitiesareendless,butineedthe disciplinetotaketimetogivethanks.myprayeristhatyouandiwilltaketimetodaytogive thanks. Letuspray:DearGod, Wethanktheethan,OFather,forallthingsbrightandgood:theseed timeandtheharvest,ourlife,ourhealth,ourfood.nogiftshavewetoofferforallthylove imparts,butthatwhichthoudesirest,ourhumble,thankfulhearts!allgoodgiftsaroundusare sentfromheavenabove.thenthankthelord,oh,thankthelordforallhislove. *Amen. *LyricsbyStephenSchwartzfrom AllGoodGifts /Godspell Tuesday,September1,2015 GiftsofLove Text:Isaiah12:4Y6 Andyouwillsayinthatday:GivethankstotheLord,callonhisname;makeknownhis deedsamongthenations;proclaimthathisnameisexalted.singpraisestothelord,forhe hasdonegloriously;letthisbeknowninalltheearth.shoutaloudandsingforjoy,oroyal Zion,forgreatinyourmidstistheHolyOneofIsrael. Todayismymother s88 th birthday.inthefirstverseofmartinrinkart shymn, NowThank WeAllOurGod wesing: Whofromourmother sarms,hathblessedusonourway Withcountlessgiftsoflove,Andstillisourstoday.
God sblessingoflove,firstknowntomebymymother slove.whatablessing! Countlessgiftsoflove tomeisanawesomephrase.ifiamhonest,icannevercount/recall eachofgod sgiftsoflovetome,butisn titwonderfultoknowgod sloveisalwayswithus Andstillisourstoday? AsthepsalmofthanksgivinginIsaiah12proclaims: SingpraisestotheLord,forhehasdonegloriously; letthisbeknowninalltheearth. Shoutaloudandsingforjoy,OroyalZion, forgreatinyourmidstistheholyoneofisrael. Letuspray:DearGod,thankyouforthegiftoflove.Thankyouformymotherandherlove. Helpmetogivethanksforyour countlessgiftsoflove andshareyourlovewiththoseimeet today.amen. Wednesday,September2,2015 FollowtheLeader Text:Matthew16:24 ThenJesustoldhisdisciples, Ifanywanttobecomemyfollowers,letthemdeny themselves,andtakeuptheircrossandfollowme. IhaveasimpletinsignthatshowsastickfigureofChristcarryinghiscross.Abovethefigureis thetitle FollowtheLeader; belowthefigurearetheabovewordsofscripture.asihave ponderedthatsign,itremindedmeofanactionsong(excerptfromdisney s PeterPan song FollowingtheLeader )thatwetaughtourkindergartensundayschoolclass: We refollowingtheleader;theleader;theleader. We refollowingtheleaderwhereverhe(she)maygo. Afterthefirsttime,withateacherleading,thechildrenwouldtaketurnsleading(and following).whatagoodexampleoflistening,watchingandfollowingaleader!isn tthata simplifiedversionofwhatwe,asdisciplesofchrist,arecalledtodo?listentogod sword, watchourwords/actions,andfollowchrist sexample.or,asexpressedinthe2 nd verseofthe hymn, ChristoftheUpwardWay : GivemethehearttohearThyvoiceandwill, ThatwithoutfaultorfearImayfulfill Thypurposewithagladandholyzest Likeonewhowouldnotbringlessthanhisbest. Accordingtowww.hymntime.com,PastorWalterMathams,whileservingachurchin InvernessYshire,Scotland,wrotethishymnforboysvisitingonsummerholiday(manywith
fathersawayatwar).pastormathamswantedtoimpressontheboysloyaltytochristandtheir country.asistrivetobeafolloweroftheway,ihopeiwilllisten,watch,andfollow witha gladandholyzestlikeonewhowouldnotbringlessthanhisbest. Letuspray:DearGod, ChristoftheUpwardWay,myGuideDivine,whereThouhastsetThy feetmayiplacemine,andmoveandmarchwhereverthouhasttrod,keepingfaceforwardup thehillofgod. *Amen. *Firstverseof ChristoftheUpwardWay Thursday,September3,2015 ILovetoTelltheStory Text:1Peter3:14bY16 Donotfearwhattheyfear,anddonotbeintimated,butinyourheartssanctifyChristas Lord.Alwaysbereadytomakeyourdefensetoanyonewhodemandsfromyouan accountingforthehopethatisinyou;yetdoitwithgentlenessandreverence. AtVacationBibleSchool(VBS)thisAugust,IactedtheroleofanonYbelievingneighborofJesus mother,mary. Mary retoldthestoriesofjesus birth,visittosimeonandanna,templetrip at12yearsold,andjesus miracleofwaterintowine.interspersedwiththestorieswere conversationswhichfocusedonthequestionsanddoubtsofthenonybeliever.theelementary schoolchildrenwerenotshyintheiradvicetothenonybeliever:readthebible,gotosunday School/church,pray,andbekindtoothers. TheirjobwastotrytoconvincethenonYbelieverthatMary sson,jesus,wasgod sson.most profoundtomewaswhenachildwouldapproachme,thenonybeliever,andask, Doyou believenow? AlthoughitwasachallengetoplaytheroleofanonYbeliever,theVBSrole helpedmetochallengethechildrenandmyselfto: Alwaysbereadytomakeyourdefensetoanyonewhodemandsfromyou anaccountingforthehopethatisinyou. MayIbereadytowitnessforChrist withgentlenessandreverence wheneverandwherever Godcallsmetoserve. Ilovetotellthestoryofunseenthingsabove,ofJesusandHisglory,ofJesusandHislove; IlovetotellthestorybecauseIknow tistrue.itsatisfiesmylongingsasnothingelsecando. Excerptfromthehymn, ILovetoTelltheStory ArabellaC.Hankey
Letuspray:DearGod,Helpmetotellyourstorytoday.IaskthisisthenameofyourSon,Jesus thechrist,inwhosenameipray.amen. Friday,September4,2015 ThePotterofMyClay Text:Isaiah64:8 Yet,OLord,youareourFather;wearetheclay,andyouareourpotter;wearetheworkof yourhand. Text:Jeremiah18:1Y6 ThewordoftheLordcametoJeremiahfromtheLord: Come,godownwithmetothe potter shouse,andthereiwillletyouhearmywords. SoIwentdowntothepotter shouse, andtherehewasworkingathiswheel.thevesselhewasmakingofclaywasspoiledinthe potter shand,andhereworkeditintoanothervessel,asitseemedgoodtohim.thenthe wordsofthelordcametome: CanInotdowithyou,OHouseofIsrael,justasthispotter hasdone? saysthelord. Justlikethatclayinthepotter shand,soareyouinmyhand,o HouseofIsrael. Whilemyhusbandwasingraduateschool,Itookaneveningpotteryclassattheuniversity.My initialattemptstocreateabowlonthewheelwere spoiled beyondarecognizableshape. Theinstructorencouragedeachofuswithsuggestionsfocusedonhand/toolplacement, pressureexertedandspeedofthewheel.bylisteningandpractice,graduallyiwasabletocraft arecognizablebowl.manytimesi vesaid, Godisn tfinishedwithmeyet. Or, I maworkin progress. But,amIlisteningandallowingGodto reworkmeintoanothervessel? Whatwill IbecomeastheSpiritfillsme?How/wherewillIbecalledtoserve?Iamstillclay, aworkin progress ingod shands. Letuspray:DearGod, HaveThineownway,Lord;haveThineownway!Holdo ermybeing absolutesway!fillwiththyspirit tilallshallseechristonly,always,livinginme. *Amen. *4 th verseoftheadelaidepollardhymn, HaveThineOwnWay,Lord Saturday,September5,2015 SingtotheLord Text:Psalm92:1Y4 ItisgoodtogivethankstotheLord,tosingpraisestoyourname,OMostHigh;
todeclareyoursteadfastloveinthemorning,andyourfaithfulnessbynight,tothemusicof theluteandtheharp,tothemelodyofthelyre.foryou,olord,havemademegladbyyour work;attheworksofyourhandsisingforjoy. Ifyouhavebeensharingthisweek sdevotions,you venoticedhymnsinmanyofmydevotions. WhenwewerefirstmarriedandpreparingforourmovetoAlaska,thechoicewasbetweenthe purchaseofastereoorapiano.thepianowon,andiamglad! Whenlifeoverwhelmsme,oneplaceIfindcomfortistositdown,openahymnal,andstartto playthepiano.justasscripturespeakstomedifferentlyatdifferenttimesofmylife,soitis withmusicandthewordsofhymns.doyouhaveafavoritehymn?whichhymn(orverse) spoketoyouduringworshiplastsunday?whichwordschallengedyou?whichwordsgave youpeace? Letuspray:DearGod,ThankyouforthegiftsofWordandmusic.Helpusto declare(your( steadfast(love(in(the(morning(and(your(faithfulness(by(night For(you,(O(Lord,(have(made(me( glad(by(your(work;(at(the(works(of(your(hands(i(sing(for(joy. ((Amen.