Ponderings

Devotionals, prayer & insights from my Bible reading

Miracle Mercy (Prayer Devotional for the week of December 1, 2013)

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It’s no wonder why the holiday season is such a difficult time for those who grieve. Part of it probably relates to the weather: it’s often dreary, cold and dark, and seasonal affective disorder is a real thing. Perhaps a bigger issue, though, is that we’re “supposed” to spend time with loved ones around the holidays, so when they aren’t there, the loss is palpable.

I don’t need a TARDIS or DeLorean to transport me back to that night of racing down the highway nearly five years ago, trying to get to the hospital. The too-familiar fear and restlessness are just under the surface, and when the memories hit me unexpectedly, I catch myself at times staring at nothing, while scenes from that night flash through my mind’s eye like a horror movie that won’t end. He’s supposed to be here, sneaking bites of cornbread dressing before our big family dinner and then arm-wrestling me for the last slice of coconut meringue pie.

But he isn’t. And life goes on. It’s times like this when giving thanks is a deliberate choice, because wallowing in self-pity is a pointless endeavor. When you don’t particularly feel grateful for your lot in life, you have to take initiative to find things for which to be thankful. It’s easy to get bogged down in how we feel and forget that God is still on his throne; he’s still the Lord of the universe. And he still cares for you and me more than we can ever comprehend.

In Psalm 107:2a, the author says to “let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story” (NIV). The poem goes on to describe many of the ways that God intervened in the lives of his people, rescuing and providing for them, even when they rebelled against him. Four different times, the poem says, “Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind” (NIV). In another translation, that same passage reads: “So thank God for his marvelous love, for his miracle mercy to the children he loves” (MSG).

Miracle mercy, indeed! Friends, I don’t know what you are going through this holiday season. I hope that you are bubbling over with joy, but in case you are struggling (like I sometimes do), I urge you to make a purposeful effort to thank God for his miracle mercy in your life. Don’t focus only on the hard times; turn your attention to God’s goodness and let his peace soothe your heart.

You Get What You Get (Prayer Devotional for the week of November 24, 2013)

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My kids learned a saying in preschool, and it has stuck to this day: “You get what you get, and you don’t throw a fit.” It could refer to any issue from what color crayon you want to whether or not you feel like eating lasagna for dinner. Who says grass has to be green? Just color it brown and pretend like it’s summer in Texas. 😉 As for the dinner conundrum, I prepare and serve food to my family that is reasonably healthy and usually quite tasty, and if you’re hungry, then you’ll eat it. (I realize that may sound strict, but I am not a short-order cook and have no intention of becoming one.)

The point is that most of the things that we get upset about are really not that important, and the source of our frustration is often greed.

I did a text search in several translations to find Bible verses on thankfulness, and I was surprised to discover that “thank” (including thankful, thanksgiving, etc.) is first used in the book of Leviticus. All throughout Genesis and Exodus, there is no mention of thanks. When Adam and Eve were chilling out in the Garden of Eden, they didn’t stop to say thank you to God. In fact, they let greed get the best of them. You know how the story goes: they both did the one thing that God said they couldn’t do: they ate the forbidden fruit (see Genesis 2-3).

What is it with us and food? In Exodus, we see how God rescued his people time and time again, but they were quick to forget his goodness. God provided fresh water, quail, and manna (all of which they griped about … maybe they were craving lasagna), not to mention the mind-blowing miracles the Israelites witnessed as they left Egypt.

Finally, we come to Leviticus 7. Moses received instructions from God about the proper ways to give offerings to the Lord, and the word thanksgiving is used as an example of a type of sacrifice. The verb to thank doesn’t show up until David’s time (in 2 Samuel 22 or 1 Chronicles 16, depending on the translation).

As you prepare to spend Thanksgiving with friends and loved ones, don’t just go through the motions like Moses’ step-by-step instructions. Instead, take David’s approach and treat the holiday (and every day, for that matter) as an opportunity to thank God from your heart.