February 2021 Devotionals

 Wednesday Devotional - 2/3/21

Prayers

Let us continue to remember those who are sick within our community, not only with Covid, but with headcolds, flu, and other viral issues. Also especially remember those within our community that are fighting cancer. Pray that doctors will continue to make strides against this disease, and that they will have knowledge and wisdom to treat those that are afflicted with it. 

Pray also for our persecuted sisters and brothers. I read an article this week on the persecution of Christians in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and India due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Our Christian brothers and sisters are being blamed for the virus, and are being persecuted in ways that are cruel, such as making sure that they are the last ones to receive food and supplies, and are already on waiting lists for the vaccine that are likely to be fulfilled.  

Devotional 

We are finishing our devotional set on Forgiveness this week. Again, this comes from the devotional “Forgiveness Heals” from Bible.com in their reading plans. I urge you to take a moment and look at that website and find a devotional that will help you on your journey to grow closer to God. 

2 Corinthians 5:18 (NIRV) says “all this is from God. He brought us back to himself through Christ’s death on the cross. And he has given us the task of bringing others back to him through Christ.” Reconciliation is what Christ did for us on the cross. We were separated from God because of our sins, but because of the redemptive action of Jesus, we are reconnected to our Heavenly Father. Forgiveness and reconciliation go hand in hand. To reconcile is to bring together, to restore. Normally, reconciliation happens after two people have allowed something to come between them, there has been a break, and then forgiveness happens and they are reunited. 

In a spiritual sense, though, sin broke our relationship with God. When any of us sins, we are going against God and are allowing ourselves to have separation. James 4:4 says “don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” What Paul means here is that if we choose to live our lives like those who do not know Jesus Christ as their personal savior, we are sinning and following sinfulness. But the saving grace of Jesus is what makes reconciliation not only possible, but complete.

God did not reconcile and save us when we were righteous and good. He reconciled us when we were his enemies, ignoring and rejecting Him. Restoring a broken relationship will often require you to step out first in forgiveness toward a person who is full of sin and has chosen to go against you. To do so is a true act of dying to oneself and living out the character of Christ. 

God reconciles us to Himself through the death of Jesus Christ. Jesus came to earth to live a perfect life, and to be the perfect sacrifice to reconcile us to Him. When we accept this in our lives, then we become back to God. That want of reconciliation is inside each and every one of us, empowering all of us to reach out in humility and forgiveness to pursue reconciliation with those who hurt us. 

Wednesday Devotional 2/17/21

Prayers

First, let us remember the Beckey family in our prayers this week. Patty passed away on Saturday, February 13th around 5 PM. We know that she is with the Lord, though, and though it is painful, we thank Jesus for the life and example that she lived. Pray especially for Ron and his children through this time. 

Also, please remember those that are sick with different ailment during this time period. I know that in our house we have been dealing with headcolds and the normal winter maladies. Remember those who have arthritis that deal with hurt and pain during this cold season as well. 

Finally, pray for the students in our area. They are still facing unprecedented school time, and their families need our prayers to navigate their way through this. Pray for their teachers that they will have wisdom and guidance to help their students continue to learn in all different ways. Pray that they will be academically successful. Pray that their parents will be able to assist them how they can.

Announcements

Just a friendly reminder that if you are interested in working on Vacation Bible School, we will be having a meeting on March 6th at 10 AM in the fellowship hall to talk and do some planning for it. We are hopeful that we will be able to have VBS this year, and want it to be great!

Also, we have a Facebook page. It is: facebook.com/mountlebanonsuches. Look there for announcements and our weekly Sunday morning worship service. It is set to public, so if you do not have Facebook, you will still be able to find it. 

Devotional

Today we are continuing the series “You are Loved” from Bible.com. Again, I urge you to explore that website for devotionals that will enhance your walk with the Lord! 

Funny enough, our sermon this last Sunday was on Hosea. We talked about the way that Gomer had walked out on Hosea the prophet, and how that actually was a living metaphor for the relationship that God was having with the people of Israel. But today, let us focus on a different aspect of God’s love for us that is shown through the book of Hosea. It is the patience that God has for us in His perfect love. 

The writer of this devotional was reminded of a boy in her second grade class that held his breath until the little girl that he liked liked him back. As she watched his face turn from red to blue to purple, she blurted out “I LIKE YOU!” Needless to say, the relationship never lasted. But we see in Hosea that the relationship that was broken between Gomer and Hosea did last, as did the relationship that God has with his people. God’s people chose to follow other gods, but God did not give up on them.

We are reminded in Hosea 2:14, where it reads “therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her.” This is a calling back to the time that God’s people wandered in the wilderness, waiting to enter into the Promised Land. The translation of ‘speak tenderly to her’ could also be more literally translated as “speak directly to her heart.” God does still speak tenderly to us, but it is through the voice of Jesus Christ.

The patience of God is great, greater than we could ever know. Further in the 2nd chapter of Hosea, we see that we will not call Him master anymore, but that we will call him Husband. This is a harkening to the future, specifically in Revelation. When Jesus comes back, he will call his bride, the church. And we will be white as snow because of the sacrifice that was made on our behalf through the blood on the cross. And God has an advent waiting for us to that time. His patience is like that of a bridegroom waiting on the wedding day. He does not demand love from us, nor does he demand from us in the ways that other religions demand of their followers. He just WANT us, and is patient for us to come to Him. 

Wednesday Devotional - 2/24/21

Prayers

First, I want to say thank you for the prayers that our family has received over the last few days for health. We had the stomach flu hit our family pretty hard over the last week. Thankfully, it is one that has not lingered, so we are much better!

Second, remember and pray for the recovery of Hobert Lunsford. He had a mild heart attack last week, and is at home resting. Pray that he will not have any further ill effects from that heart attack, and that he will recover easily.

Finally, be praying for our VBS planning. We are hoping to hold VBS this coming June. Pray that God will lead children and their families to our church. Pray that God will speak to these families, and that we will see great things done through this VBS for the Kingdom!

Announcements

Just a friendly reminder that if you are interested in working on Vacation Bible School, we will be having a meeting on March 6th at 10 AM in the fellowship hall to talk and do some planning for it. We are hopeful that we will be able to have VBS this year, and want it to be great!

Also, we have a Facebook page. It is: facebook.com/mountlebanonsuches. Look there for announcements and our weekly Sunday morning worship service. It is set to public, so if you do not have Facebook, you will still be able to find it. 

Devotional 

This week we are in the third devotional of “You are Loved” by Words of Hope, found on Bible.com. I hope you’ve been enjoying this series! This week we look at what simple love is. 

Have you ever stopped and thought about some of the other religions that people follow? Most of them you have to earn your way into heaven. Sometimes we feel like that with our own faith. We treat following Jesus like we are trying to earn a grade. We constantly wonder if we’ve done enough to earn that ‘A’. It’s like we are trying to balance our good and our bad. We’re like Peter asking Jesus “if another church member sins against me, how often should I forgive?” (Matthew 18:21). 

We are reminded in Hebrews 13:1 that love in the way of Christian life is truly simple. We don’t worry about keeping score, we just are to love! We cannot ever earn our way into heaven, nor can we ever truly earn Jesus’ love. That’s the wonderful thing about grace: it’s free and freely given to us. We are challenged to ask not if we’ve done enough, but ask where God is giving us the opportunity to show love to others.