Devotion
Ambassadors of Christ
David Jacobs
Have you ever wished that you were somebody else? Perhaps somebody famous: a great musician, movie star, politician, or athlete. I used to wonder how great it would be to be able to feel what another person is feeling, to see what they are seeing, and in my younger years I wished that I was a little bit taller, faster, stronger, or capable of doing some of the things that my favorite athletes could do. I am still waiting for my second growth spurt, but am more content in my own body than when I was less mature.
You may know the feeling that I am talking about: wishing to be someone else. It is easy to forget our own value when comparing yourself to others who seem richer, more successful, popular, or happy. We cannot ever fully grasp what dwells in another person's heart; that is for God to know. If we want to be someone else, we must look within and not outward. We cannot escape ourselves, but through God there are ways in which we may be remade. We may never be taller, stronger, and wealthier overnight; we can be better, happier, and more generous, learning from the examples in the Scriptures. Take the prodigal son as an example: squandered what he had been given, but his father celebrates his return, noting "he was lost and is found."(Luke 15:11-32)
Prayer
God has shown us, through His word, how He asks of us to live. He has sent His son, Jesus Christ, to die for us, forgiving us all our sins. There is no need to want to be another person; we all have a chance to be renewed through Christ, every day. Thanks be to God.
Devotion
Misrepresenting God
Frances Taylor
This passage is one I try very hard to take to heart. For over forty years, I have worked to bring the gospel message to children and adults alike. That is what I'm doing as I write this. It is so important that we don't misrepresent God to others. When someone tells me they don't believe in God, I wonder whose image of God they have been taught. When I was a child, it was common to hear that God was some policeman in the sky that was going to punish me for everything I did wrong. The idea of a loving, forgiving God was not taught as the norm. Ministers and other teachers of religion often spoke more of hellfire and damnation. It's no wonder that there are those who claim that God doesn't exist. On the other hand, there are those who taught that God was like Santa Claus, keeping track of our good deeds and rewarding us accordingly, or tracking our misdeeds and punishing us accordingly. Neither of these images of God are accurate. God is loving ...
Morning Prayer
Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed; To turn aside the needy from judgment, and to take away the right from the poor of my people, that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless!
Inspiration
Those in ancient Israel, as today and in all lands, who prey upon the poor and vulnerable, who pervert justice against them and deny them their rights, sin against God. His eyes see, his eyelids try the children of men, and nothing is done in secret where he does not know.
Prayer
Give me a heart of compassion, O Lord, for the weak and helpless, for the poverty stricken, for widows and orphans. And give me a righteous indignation against those who oppress them, pervert their justice, or deny their rights. Amen.
