Devotions

What’s Next?

“Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:16-20 

Maybe you observed Lent with an offering, a sacrifice, or a commitment to deepen your relationship with God.  If so, you might have considered Easter as the day you could “return to normal living.” Put a different way, maybe you feel like you met your goal, and you can go back to eating sweets or drinking Coke Zero. We do not drift away from deepening our relationship with God after Lent because we are “Easter People!” What does this mean to you?  For me, it means the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ continues!  

We have the opportunity to respond to the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross for you and for me and for all of humanity. In our scripture focus today, Jesus is with 11 of his disciples and tells them what they are called to do after the Day of Resurrection: they are to go and make disciples of Jesus Christ by sharing the good news and teaching God’s people. This instruction from Jesus has not changed throughout the years. As Easter people, we are called to makes disciples of Jesus Christ.  What does this look like in your life? Do you need help finding ways to make disciples?  We would love to meet with you and discuss ways to continue celebrating Easter in the coming days, weeks, and beyond. I pray in this season of Easter you will continue to offer God your undivided attention and never-ending gratitude. Let’s celebrate together! 

Notifications

“Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God… And God said to Noah, ‘Make yourself an ark of gopher wood…’” Genesis 6:9, 13 & 14 

One of the best features of a smart phone is how it sends notifications. I have different sounds to let me know when I have a call, a text, or an email. Sometimes these are not very important, but often the notification is for something that is urgent and needs my attention right away. Occasionally I am notified of a significant matter that I can defer to later but must address when I deem necessary. Each notification is the same; I must decide the urgency. 

Those of us who try to live faithfully often get notifications from God. These may not be as clear as a text or email, but by the grace of God’s spirit we get a sense of what it is that God is asking of us. There are many biblical examples of God notifying men and women. 

Consider the story of Noah – as one who “walked with God,” he received a specific and hard-to-believe notification: Make an ark. Noah was a husband, a father, a farmer, and a preacher. One day a conversation with God changed everything in his life. Surely Noah questioned this message, but because he was living his life so close to God, Noah acted on faith. And we all know how the story ends – when the flood comes, the ark and everything within it are safe and saved from destruction. 

You and I receive notifications from God too. They won’t be like the ones on our smart phones. God’s communication is not cellular. We might have to listen more carefully, but as long as we are “walking with God” we will hear and know how we are to live. Don’t expect the voice to be crystal clear, but as long as you keep walking, God will keep talking. 

Let us pray,  

Thank you, God, that we can hear your voice and listen. Help us to walk closer with you each day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.