.... Daily Devotions Sunday, August 9, 2015 Devotions August 9-15, 2015 Pamela Long Grace Lutheran Church, South Range, MI Text:Ephesians4:22024 Youweretaughttoputawayyourformerwayoflife,youroldself,corruptanddeludedby itslusts, andtoberenewedinthespiritofyourminds,andtoclotheyourselveswiththenew self,createdaccordingtothelikenessofgodintruerighteousnessandholiness. (NRSV) Yes,justliketheEphesianswealsoweretaughttoputawayourold,earthlyselveswithallofits earthlywayslikelustandanger,stealingandgreed,aswellasgossipingandlying.andthere areprobablymoreitemsonyourlistofthingsnottodo.noneofusliketohearthelaw especiallyfromthepastoronasundaymorningsbecauseweknowalltoowellwhatwehave doneduringthepastweek. It seasyforpaultosay,wethink, putawayyouoldself, butnotsoeasytodo.asamatterof fact,wecan tdoit,atleastnotformorethanafewminutesitseems.butthat sokaybecause Godknowsthat.That swhyhesenthissontodieforus,becauseaslongaswelivehereon earthweareboundtosin,ifnotbydeedatleastbythoughtorword. Sowhileitmaynotbeeasytohear,thelawshowsusasinamirrorasLuthersaid,thatwecan t keephiscommandmentsandsoweturntojesuswhodiedforthatveryreason,tosaveusfrom oursinsandmakeusnewandonceagainingod slikeness. Letuspray: Heavenly(Father,(we(thank(you(for(giving(us(the(law(and(showing(us(how(we(should(strive(to(live( our(lives.((moreover,(we(thank(you(for(sending(us(jesus(to(wash(us(clean(of(our(sins(and(make(us( again(acceptable(as(your(children.((amen.(! Monday,August10,2015 Text:Ephesians4:25026 Sothen,puttingawayfalsehood,letallofusspeakthetruthtoourneighbors,forweare membersofoneanother.beangrybutdonotsin;donotletthesungodownonyour anger (NRSV)
Mymomusedtosay, Ifyoudon thaveanythingnicetosay,saynothingatall. Sometimes that sthewayifeelabouttalkingtosomeonewhoissetagainstwhatibelievetobetruth.i don twanttoagreewithhim,surely,butidon twanttostartanargumenteithersoisay nothingatall. Anotherthingmymomusedtosayis, Sticksandstonesmaybreakmybones,butwordswill neverhurtme. Sometimeswordsmakeusangryandfeelingangryhurts!Angercantakeover ourthoughtsandsoonwefeelitturntovenomousfeelingsaboutthepersonwhoangeredus. BeangrybutdonotsinasPaultellsusmaybealmostimpossibletodo. Knowingthatoursinsareforgivenmakesiteasiertoadmittoourselveswhenangergetsoutof handandturnsourheartsawayfromloveforourneighbor.thenaskinggodtoforgiveusour transgressioncanallowustoresteasyandnotletthesungodownwhilewearestillangry. Letuspray: Merciful(Father,(we(thank(you(for(your(never?ending(capacity(for(forgiveness.((We(thank(you(for( the(peace(that(fills(us(knowing(that(we(are(washed(clean(by(the(blood(of(your(son.((amen.(( Tuesday,August11,2015 Text:Ephesians4:27028 anddonotmakeroomforthedevil. Thievesmustgiveupstealing;ratherletthemlabor andworkhonestlywiththeirownhands,soastohavesomethingtosharewiththeneedy. (NRSV) Itseemstomelikethedevilmakeshisownroom.WhenIwasyoungerIusedtopray, lead menotintotemptation,butdelivermefromevilwhenifindtemptationbymyself. WhenI wasyoungermytemptationswereofadifferentnature,butnowtheyarejustaspresent,only perhapsmoredark.insteadoftemptationsthataremoreofaparty0goingnature,nowiam temptedtobejudgmentalandhigh0minded. ThegoodnewsisthatIalwaysamquicktoshareandnotathief.Andtheevenbetternewsis thatsomething(i mprettysureit stheholyspirit)keepsmefrommyjudgmentofothersafter onlyafewminutesandturnsmetokinderthoughts. Letuspray: Gracious(Father,(we(thank(you(for(giving(us(generous(hearts(and(keeping(us(from(the( temptation(of(thinking(we(are(better(than(our(neighbors.((amen.( (
Wednesday,August12,2015 Text:Ephesians4:29 Letnoeviltalkcomeoutofyourmouths,butonlywhatisusefulforbuildingup,asthereis need,sothatyourwordsmaygivegracetothosewhohear. (NRSV) Newstravelsfast,especiallybadnews,itseems.Andit susuallywordofmouth.someone s marriageisbreakingup,someoneelsecommittedacrime,affairsanddeceitaboundandweall seemtowanttohearit.anditdoesn tmatterthatit strue thetruer,thebetter!perhapsit makesusfeelbetteraboutourselvesthatwearenotinthosepredicaments.perhapsitmakes usfeelimportanttobe intheknow. Theserumorssoseldomincludeanoteofgraceinthem,noregretsorprayersforthesubjects. Infacttheyaresavored,likeasucculentfruit,thejuicier,thebetter.Suchistheeviltalkthat lurksintheheartsandmouthsofmenandwomen. Thenexttimeyouspeakorhearsomethingbadaboutaneighbor,trytothinkofthebestthing youcansayaboutthem,andthensayit. Weshouldprayforthem,maybethereissomething wecandotohelp,maygodbewiththem Letuspray: Loving(Father,(help(us(to(speak(kindness(and(grace(of(others(and(to(say(nothing(that(will(cause( them(pain.((amen.(( Thursday,August,13,2015 Text:Ephesians4:30031 AnddonotgrievetheHolySpiritofGod,withwhichyouweremarkedwithasealforthe dayofredemption.putawayfromyouallbitternessandwrathandangerandwranglingand slander,togetherwithallmalice, (NRSV) OfcoursenoneofuswanttogrievetheHolySpiritofGod.Ithinkmostofuscanrecallstories fromtheoldtestamentandunderstandthatgodgetsreallyangry.butwearenottheobject ofgod swrath.itisthesinfulnessofthisworldofwhichweareapartthatcausesgodto grieveandbeangry. Asmuchasweareable,wetrytostayawayfromangerandbitterness;fromspeakingillofour neighborandfromfeelingofhatred.sometimesigetmadathearingtoomuchlaw.igetmad athearing, juststophavingbadthoughtsandactions. Weknowwecannotstopsinningso quitbeatingusupaboutit!
Ithinkthepointisnotthatwecanstopsinning,butratherthatweshouldbeawarethat temptationsthatcauseustosinareallaroundusandthisiswhatgrievesgod.ithinkgodis justaseageraswearetoseeaworldwhereweallcanlivewithoutsin. Letuspray: Merciful(Father,(thank(you(for(knowing(that(we(are(in(bondage(to(sin(and(cannot(free(ourselves.(( Bring(us(swiftly(to(the(day(when(we(can(dwell(with(you(in(your(kingdom.((Amen.( Friday,August14,2015 Text:Ephesians4:32 andbekindtooneanother,tenderuhearted,forgivingoneanother,asgodinchristhas forgivenyou. (NRSV) Howmanytimesadaydoweinteractwithpeoplewithoutbeingkindandtender0heartedto them?ifyouarelikeme,manytimes.it snotthati mnastytopeople,butdoigooutofmy waytosayakindword?usuallynot.somedaysthebestidoissay, andyou,too whenthe clerkinthecheckoutlinetellsmetohaveaniceday. Ithinkifsomeonedidareallybadthingtomeortooneofmyfriendsorfamilymembers,I mighthavetostruggletoforgivethem,butluckily,thathasn thappenedtome.everyday slightsareforgivenandforgottenassoonastheyhappen,butidoknowthatsomepeople storeupgrievancestostewoverlongaftertheyoccur. Howmuchbetterthisworldmightbeifeveryone(meincluded)couldjustsmileandsayakind, sincerewordtoeachpersontheymeeteveryday! Letuspray: Benevolent(Father,(remind(us(at(the(dawn(of(each(new(day(that(we(have(a(chance(to(spread( love,(kindness,(and(forgiveness(in(your(name(to(each(person(we(meet.((amen((( Saturday,August15,2015 Text:Ephesians5:102 ThereforebeimitatorsofGod,asbelovedchildren, andliveinlove,aschristlovedusand gavehimselfupforus,afragrantofferingandsacrificetogod. (NRSV)
WeareGod schildrenandhelovesus;wewantto,andtrytoimitatehim,butnevercome closeenough.weknowwearesinnersanddothingsthatarehurtfultoourneighborsandto God.Perhapsweshouldtrytostopourselveseverytimewedosomethinghurtfulandask ourselvesifthisisthewaythatjesusshowedhislovetoallwhomheencountered.maybewe cantrytosharesomeofthelovegodshowstousinourthoughts,inourfaces,inourwords, andinouractions. Letuspray: Beloved(Father,(help(us(to(be(more(loving(to(our(neighbors(and(to(share(the(love(that(you( showed(us(by(giving(up(your(only(son(to(save(us.((amen.( (