 Facing the Hard Truth
by Chase Van Weerdhuizen "So the priest Hilkiah, Ahikam, Achbor, Shapan, and Asiah went to the prophetess Huldah…. She declared to them, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Tell the man who sent you to me, Thus says the Lord, I will indeed bring disaster on this place and on its inhabitants — all the words of the book that the king of Judah has read.”" 2 Kings 22:14-15 The prophetess Huldah gets nine verses in the Bible, but boy does she use them! According to Rabbinic thought, King Josiah likely sent his men to Huldah expecting that since she was a woman she would have kinder words for him about his kingdom than the doom and gloom of the prophet Jeremiah. Jeremiah wasn’t known for being a happy camper at the time. Unfortunately what Josiah got still wasn’t the best news. If you read the entire story, God lets King Josiah off the hook for his piety, but speaking on behalf of God, Huldah had a lot to say about his chosen people. Often in our lives we know the hard truths. We have to actually go out and pull those weeds or they’ll keep coming back. We should put our phones down before bed so that we can actually fall asleep. We even do a quick internet search that says, “Yes, you do need to pull them out” and “Yes, you do need to put your phone down before bed.” We ask our coworker and they concur. We ask our family and they say the same thing. But there has to be a way to not face the hard truth, right? We take a weed whacker to those pesky goat heads! We buy special glasses that cut down on certain light frequencies so that we can still sit on our phones past bedtime! But unfortunately we still end up with weeds and we wake up tired. There are certain messages we can expect from God over and over again. When there is injustice in his kingdom, he will bring peace. Where people are cast aside, he will lift them up! Where there is death, he will bring resurrection! And he wants us to be a part of the process. It may be uncomfortable for us to face facts and join in the work. We may not want to listen to the answer we know we’ll hear, but God’s truth won’t change no matter which source we go to. Dear God, Today please open my ears to your messengers. Help me to tackle the hard challenges instead of the easy solutions. Amen.
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God Will Take Care of You
by Leslie Olson "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." Psalm 46:1 An old hymn, found in our United Methodist Hymnal was written in 1904. The title is “God Will Take Care of You.” The second verse reads: Through days of toil when heart doth fail, God will take care of you; When dangers fierce your path assail, God will take care of you. God will take care of you, through every day, o’er all the way, He will take care of you; God will take care of you. My life has been blessed with good health, a loving family, nice Christian friends, and comfortable surroundings. I thank God each day for his many blessings. However, I likely tend to be complacent in realizing that God does take care of me, instead, feeling as if I am in control. Yet, I’m sure he has been with me and saved me from doing harm to others and to myself at different times in my life. His presence was proved to me last month as I was driving on the freeway, coming home from Caldwell. I used very poor judgment and suddenly realized I was not in control of my car. I was within seconds of causing a very serious, multi-vehicle accident. Panic set in, and my reflexes seemed to freeze. There’s no doubt in my heart and mind that God was with me and took control of the situation, preventing my causing a very bad accident, which could have resulted in the fatality of others and myself. I think of that situation every day and thank God for reminding me that he does work in my life to care for me. Lord, I praise you for being with us in our lives, especially in our times of need. I pray that I might always feel you working in my life throughout each day; please strengthen my faith in your loving presence. Amen. 
Our God Is an Awesome God
by Glenora Wright Shout for joy to God, all the earth! Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious. Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you. All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you, they sing the praises of your name.” Come and see what God has done, his awesome deeds for mankind! He turned the sea into dry land, they passed through the waters on foot-- come, let us rejoice in him. He rules forever by his power, his eyes watch the nations-- let not the rebellious rise up against him. Psalm 66:1-7 The passage from Psalms tells us to look around and see the wonders that God has done for us. His creation is the work of an awesome God. Take a minute, close your eyes, and think about nature, the huge mountains, the vast seas, the plains, all the different animals, plants and even the little bitty ladybug. Think about His creation of man and woman and how we are to take care of His world. That is just one thing our awesome God did for us. After man messed up, God provided a way to reconcile with Him. That is what Lent and Easter is all about. John 3:16 tells us “God so loved us that He sent His only Son” to die for us on a cross that we might live with God forever. Lent gives us a little over 40 days leading up to the cross to reflect on the enormity of His love for us. It is amazing, humbling and even more than we as humans can imagine. The title of this devotion is “Our God is An Awesome God,” which is a song by Rich Mullins. It says in part, “Our God is An Awesome God, He reigns from heaven above with wisdom, power and love...” This song always lifts me up and helps me realize that I am not alone no matter what is happening here on earth. God is my rock and I can always lean on Him. Praise be to God!! Pray with me – My Awesome God, thank you for all your wondrous works, your love and for the gift of your Son. Help me to love and honor you with the choices I make every day. Humble and thankful, Amen.  Repent and Believe
By Jim Hardenbrook “The time has come,” Jesus said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” Mark 1:15 Jesus’ message was perplexing, yet simple: The kingdom of God is available, but repentance and belief are required to enter that kingdom. Sometimes I’m perplexed by Jesus’ insistence that we believe. Of course, we believe! But do we? I wonder. Jesus often asked those closest to him, “Do you still have no faith?” Yet he was surprised when he observed faith. Remember his reaction to the Roman commander in Luke 7:9? Do we believe what Jesus said about worry, or forgiveness, or loving those who curse and hurt us, or commitment, or material possessions, or eternal judgment. Maybe that’s why repentance is linked with belief. When we get close enough to observe and hear Jesus, we clearly see that he proposes a life radically counter to our culture and nature. If we believe him, change (or repentance) is mandatory. Eugene Peterson wrote, “[Repentance] is always and everywhere the first word in the Christian life.” The hardest thing to change is the way we think. That change, essential if not easy, inevitably leads to a changed lifestyle. Lent is a time of repentance. Years ago I had a cancerous tumor removed. Because of surgery the cancer was survivable. But without surgery, it would have killed me in five or six years. Sin and unbelief are survivable, but only when repentance enters the picture. I had to submit to the advice and scalpel of my surgeon. When will we submit to the call and command of Jesus, “Repent and believe?” Lord Jesus, thank you for making God’s kingdom available. In this season of repentance, reveal whatever is keeping us out. Amen  Who Do You Hang Out With?
By Pam Hardenbrook Let your gentle spirit be known to all. The Lord is near. Philippians 4:5 I remember a sweet saint named Mary Glover. She was in her late nineties when I met her and we remained friends until she left this earth in her 104 th year. Mary hung out with Jesus. Many times at church she would grab me or another sister or brother for a hug, and she would whisper in our ear. When that happened, I was never quite sure if she was talking to me or to Jesus. Her sentences were often interspersed with prayer. Her last years were spent in a retirement home that had lots of corridors. She turned those hallways into prayer walkways, praying for everyone she knew every day. Mary could no longer sing in the choir, teach Sunday school, or lead her ukulele band. But because of her closeness to Jesus, her whole life was a prayer. Like Mary, I want my best friend and confidant to be Jesus. I want to hang out with him because he is the one who calms my storms, soothes my soul, and gentles my spirit. Hanging out with Jesus is the key to my joy and peace of mind. Prayer: Just a closer walk with Thee! Grant it, Jesus is my plea. Daily walking close to Thee – let it be, dear Lord, let it be. Amen.  Bread of Life
By Kay Haley Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst. John 6:35 Sometime last year after being in lockdown during the pandemic, I started watching cooking shows and became very interested in making bread. It sort of became an obsession. I was 72 years old and I had never baked a loaf of bread. I studied recipes, stocked my kitchen and finally was ready to bake bread. One morning after mixing a batch of sourdough bread, I sat down to read my morning devotional about faith and thought, “Baking bread is an act of faith.” From Genesis and continuing to Revelation you will find scriptures relating to bread. In fact, bread is referred to 472 times with many different meanings. Bread is mentioned in the Lord’s Prayer, God provided manna in Exodus 16, and in Matthew 26 the broken bread symbolizes His broken body on the cross. My baked bread today will be nourishment for my family, and Jesus’ nourishment is the bread of life. If we choose Him we can experience the fullness of life and God’s grace. Oh Lord, you are my spiritual bread. Thank you for the scripture that comforts me and reminds me of Your promises. In Christ name, I pray. Amen  Soon Our Race Will Be Run By Kathy Day I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. Now there is a crown waiting for me. It is given to those who are right with God. The Lord, who judges fairly, will give it to me on the day he returns. He will not give it only to me. He will also give it to all those who are longing for him to return. 2 Timothy 4:7-8 My grandfather, Jesse James May, was born on August 21, 1888, in Durant, Oklahoma. He married Viola Awilda Peacock in 1911 in Carrizozo, New Mexico. Eventually they moved to Fruitland, Idaho, where he lived until his death in 1978. Grandpa was a man of faith, and to me he was the best grandpa ever. I especially loved his stories. This poem is an example of the wise words he shared with me and all of his family. Soon our Race will be run Just a few more days for toiling; Just a few more nights dark and cold, Then our tents will be folded forever. We shall trade them for mansions of gold. Just a few more thorns with the roses; Just a few more heartaches and tears, Then we shall behold him in splendor When the King in his glory appears. Just a few more days in this prison To serve as a sentence for sin, And the angels will welcome us in. Just a few more trials and testings; Just a few more errands to run, Then we’ll hear the King say, “Come up! Thy toiling forever is done.” Thank you, Lord, for the people who have shown us how to walk by faith, especially people such as your servant Jesse James May. Help me to "run my race" in ways that honor you and bless your people. Amen.
 Humbled
By Jim Hardenbrook See, I will make you small among the nations; you will be utterly despised. The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks and make your home on the heights, you who say to yourself, “Who can bring me down to the ground?” Though you soar like the eagle and make your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down,” declares the Lord. Obadiah 1:3-4 (TNIV) Some years ago spoke at a youth conference in Virginia. The conference theme was “Humbled by His Presence.” Not being a “humility expert,” I began reading Bible passages that focus on humility and pride. It was quite a task! Both Testaments are filled with challenges and corrections to our prideful approach to life. New Testament passages focus more on personal relationships, often dealing with church conflict. The older testament has some of that but, especially the prophets, focuses like a laser on leaders – religious and political. Take a look at 1 Kings 21:27 and Jonah 3:6. (Two mighty rulers heard God’s warning, dressed in “robes of sadness,” and humbled themselves before God.) Rulers who wrapped themselves in religious practices but ignored God's guidance were called out. “When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you: even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood; wash and make yourselves clean.” Isaiah 1:15-16 (NIV) C. S. Lewis warns us in Mere Christianity that “According to Christian teachers, the essential vice, the utmost evil, is Pride.” A page or two later Lewis asks, “How is it that people who are quite obviously eaten up with Pride can say they believe in God and appear to themselves very religious?” He comes to the conclusion that such people “are worshiping an imaginary god.” How would we respond if our faith leaders and those asking for our votes called for fasting, humility, and prayer rather than greatness, vengeance, and partisanship? Perhaps we should consider the humble wisdom of Abraham Lincoln as he authorized, with these words, a National Fast Day in 1861: When our own beloved country, once, by the blessing of God, united, prosperous and happy, is now afflicted with faction and civil war, it is peculiarly fit for us to recognize the hand of God in this terrible visitation, and in sorrowful remembrance of our own faults and crimes as a nation and as individuals to humble ourselves before him and to pray for His mercy. Maybe there is a better path than the one we are on. Almighty God, you are the Potter, we are the clay. Mold us and make us. Change our hearts, O God, may we be like you. Amen.  Different Gifts, but the Same Spirit
By Cris Warzyn "There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. . . Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it." 1 Corinthians 12: 4-6 and 27 NIV I have been the Trustee Chair for a long time. I have a unique perspective of the goings on at the church because I am also the church secretary. During every week, people stop by to share their gifts of service. I suppose most people don’t think about this happening but it is crucial to the life of the church. They all do different kinds of service but they belong to the same Lord: Mike might come by to shovel snow. Floyd might trim the bushes. Jean might fix the computer. Gary might install the new router. Mark might climb up the highest ladder and hang a banner or change the time on the clock. Glenora might pick up the bills. Roxanne might get the deposit ready for the bank. Sharon might get the attendance books ready. Ed might fold bulletins or stuff giving statements. Teresa might come to give away ice cream. John might bring groceries for the coffee shop. Ron might program the thermostats and Chuck might drive through the parking lot almost every day to make sure all is well or to help me save a goat! There are so many more examples I could add to this list. These folks all have the talent or gift of service. Not everyone has this gift but I’m sure thankful for the ones who do. They do different tasks but it is the same God at work. Thank you, Father, for the many gifts of service that your Spirit distributes; and thank you for your people who are so willing to share those gifts in the church. Help me to open myself to ways your Spirit leads me to serve – to the praise of your glory! Amen 
The Challenge
by Leslie Ward "Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay them for their deed." Proverbs 19:17 During Lent a common practice is to give up something that you enjoy. I understand the idea behind that: to experience, in an infinitesimal way, the sacrifice that Jesus made. If this helps you to feel closer to Jesus, I commend you. I however would like to ask you to add something to your already busy life. I challenge you to add one or more of the following: One more Bible verse reading One more devotional reading One more random act of kindness One more compliment to a stranger One more prayer for a difficult person One more call to someone lonely Find a Christian song that you love and live it Forgive someone Offer grace to someone Listen when you want to talk Thank someone Use your imagination and add something to this list! I love to praise Jesus as I listen to music on the way to work in the morning. I am quite sure that people think I am crazy. One of my favorite songs right now is “Less like me” by Zach Williams. I think music can speak to us and sometimes for us. Dear Jesus, May I accept the challenges of each day and may I become more like you each day. Amen.
Less Like Me
Oh I have days I lose the fight Try my best but just don’t get it right Well I talk a talk that I don’t walk And miss the moments right before my eyes Somebody with a hurt that I could have helped Somebody with a hand that I could have held When I just can’t see past myself Oh Lord help me be A little more like mercy A little more like grace A little more like kindness, goodness, love, and faith A little more like patience A little more like peace A little more like Jesus A little less like me Yeah, there’s no denying I have changed I’ve been changed from who I used to be But even at my best I must confess I need help to see the way you see Somebody with a hurt that I could have helped Somebody with a hand that I could have held When I just can’t see past myself Oh Lord help me be A little more like mercy A little more like grace A little more like kindness, goodness, love, and faith A little more like patience A little more like peace A little more like Jesus A little less like me Oh to feed the beggar on the street Love to be your hands and feet Freely give what I receive Lord help me be I want a friendship first above all else Love my neighbor as myself In the moments no one sees Lord help me be A little more living Everything I preach A little more like Jesus A Little less like me |