Thursday - December 21, 2023
Donald (Luke) Day
SCRIPTURE
Luke 1.31-33
And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
WORDS OF HOPE
Jesus' mother, Mary, was a very young girl when the angel, Gabriel, appeared in a vision. In Jewish culture, girls were contracted for marriage while in their early teen years. She would have had limited experience with men outside of her home, and sexual exploration was absolutely forbidden. The vision of Gabriel was unexpected and must have been a shocking experience. The angel greeted her by saying: "The Lord is with you." The gospel tells us that Mary "was perplexed by the angel's words".
But, then he spoke to her the words of today’s verses. This announcement must have fallen on her like a ton of bricks, because she had not yet had sexual relations with Joseph. Understandably, her response was: "how can this be?" Joseph and she were poor people without power or influence. The angel's reply was even more perplexing to Mary. "The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore, the child born to you will be holy and be called the Son of God."
Mary did not faint or flee from the angel. But what sort of action could she take when confronted with this "plan" of God? She yielded and accepted the will of God for her life. I'm sure she hardly understood and certainly did not ask technical questions how this could happen. She was assured that God always seeks to express goodness into human lives. So, she responded: "I am a servant of the Lord; let it be so according to God's will.”
Sometimes, our response to God's working things out requires our active participation to achieve God's will. Mary did not understand how this could be accomplished, but she actively decided to accept God's plan and submit to God's working in and through her life.
So, it is with you and me as we become aware of God’s will in our lives. Obedience to the voice of God in our hearts is more than simply doing something; it requires that we allow God to use the event even in ways which we don't understand. By doing that, we allow God to be God in and through us!
PRAYER
God of giving, as this Advent Season draws to a close, we have had the opportunity to reflect on the coming of your greatest gift through Your gracious will. May we know that will in our lives and remember Mary’s response; “Let it be so.” AMEN
DEVOTION AUTHOR
Donald (Luke) Day
Order of St. Francis and St. Clare
Need More Inspiration? Read our Daily Devotions
SCRIPTURE Psalm 33:18 “God’s eye is on those who show God respect, the ones who have hope for his steadfast love.” WORDS OF HOPE What Will Your Epitaph Be? I can think of no better tribute for one’s memorial service, concluding line for an obituary, or inspiring epitaph for a tombstone than the simple words: “They Brought Hope.” Paul’s words to the early Christian community in Corinth proclaimed: “Now faith, hope and love remain, these three, but the greatest of these is love.” (I Corinthians 13:13). I have made the case that HOPE is the greatest –though I see no need to rank them. Each are magnificent elements, admired qualities and great truths of life. I elevate HOPE because hope still gives us buoyancy when faith and love are not present, or at least not felt. I have often quoted the first stanza of Emily Dickinson’s wonderful poem, “‘Hope’ is the Thing with Feathers”: “Hope” is the thing with feathers - That perches in the soul - And sings the tune without the words - And never stops - at all – (from The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson, edited by Thomas H. Johnson, ed., Cambridge, Mass.: The Belknap Press of Harvard University press, Copyright © 1951, 1955, 1979, 1983 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College) Hope looks ahead and anticipates what is not yet, not seen, not realized, not quite fully believed but still possible. From the Christian perspective one might simply say, “God is not yet finished.” That is what the wise mentor said to the young man who had exclaimed in a time of despair, “My life is ruined!” The wise and thoughtful soul calmly replied, “You don’t know that; your life is not over yet.” God is not yet finished. Remember that in your darkest times. It is not an empty promise of everything always resolving as you would like, but an eternal truth of God at work bringing the redemptive out of the seemingly hopeless. However we conceive of God, we can better glimpse the eternal through the Gospel accounts of the divinely human Jesus. Jesus lived and demonstrated that God is at work for good in the world. Jesus’ life proclaims hope both boldly and simply. Whenever you think there is no hope, remember: There is yet the “third day;” there is yet the empty tomb; there is yet more light to be revealed. PRAYER Holy One, give us the tune to sing when we have no words, and may the song crescendo with eternal hope. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Rev. Dr. Gary G. Kindley Pastoral Psychotherapist drgk.org
SCRIPTURE Psalm 73.26 My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. WORDS OF HOPE The Waters We Carry Moments, times, but especially, people. We wish we could hold onto them all. And we feel emptier, like a piece of us missing, when they’re taken away. Though we feel their absence, we aren’t lighter because of it. Because loss is the heavier emotion you only begin to notice when there’s something you’re carrying, something you’re holding onto. These have always been the rules of the wheel of fortune. Like a waterwheel, loss rises to the top when it’s full. Carried by the momentum of the river, the waterwheel is both giving and taking away. Fortune, like the river, baptizes everyone. However, some carry more of this indiscriminate force. Each barrel will have a time of great weight, when one’s loss is full–because the child cannot stay a child, stay at home, or go the whole way with the parents they have. The wheel of fortune turns as do we, from children to full grown. But it is only by falling that the waterwheel turns, the bird flies, and people fall in love. When we release ourselves of our loss, when we let go of what we’re carrying, when the wheel continues to spin carried by the Spirit of the river–life begins again… Life always begins again, somewhere. And we all return to the river in time. PRAYER May we always remember that nothing can separate us from the Love of God. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Jonathon McClellan Order of St. Francis and St. Clare
READING "Worry is like a rocking chair, it keeps you moving but doesn't get you anywhere." -Corrie Ten Boom WORDS OF HOPE In today’s world, we seem surrounded by worry and some worry much more than others. Haven't all of us known a person who seems to worry constantly and tends to talk something to death? They get an idea fixed in their head and then can't let it go; chewing on it both night and day, but never able to "spit or swallow". If truth be known, haven't each of us done that, and where did it ever get us? No resolution, no peace, no action or settlement of the matter...it only leads to distress and lost opportunity to be truly effective. It's easy to tell that worried person to get over it and stop the rocking chair of worry. But that rarely slows the hurtful process for those who worry. For Christians, we still have things which enter our lives and can cause worry. However, a solution is available. Quiet down and take a few minutes to talk to Christ, not necessarily a formal prayer, just a little conversation with Christ. Ask for guidance in the matter, for wisdom and strength...and the patience to wait for the divine solution. I guess that when we become followers of Jesus, he could have demanded that we saw off the rockers on our chairs; however, with the rocking chair intact we still can exercise our legs a bit while we seek his guidance and help in these troubling matters. A common matter about which Christians worry is their failure to do all that they assume God wants from them. They hang onto their past and allow its weight to distance themselves from God's presence. But ours is a forgiving God. If you can't trust God's mercy, the problem really is a failure to accept divine forgiveness. So, the worry goes on, sometimes for years, and with it grows a greater gap in one's relationship with God. We all need to give God credit for being far more loving and merciful and allow God to forgive us. Corrie Ten Boom stated the matter this way. "God takes our sins, our failures, past, present and future, and dumps them into the sea. Then God posts a sign for us which says, NO FISHING ALLOWED PRAYER Merciful God, guide us to worry not excessively and to pray for Christ's help incessantly! Amen DEVOTION AUTHOR Donald (Luke) Day Order of St. Francis and St. Clare
SCRIPTURE 1 John 3:11-17 For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we are to love one another; not as Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And for what reason did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil, but his brother’s were righteous. Do not be surprised, brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers and sisters. The one who does not love remains in death. Everyone who hates his brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him. We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers and sisters. But whoever has worldly goods and sees his brother or sister in need, and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God remain in him? WORDS OF HOPE This passage of scripture is one that I tend to think of as being somewhat hazardous. The hazard is that it has the potential for being used as a measuring stick against other people. It is too easy to read this passage and look at someone else and judge them. Especially the last line in discussing worldly goods. I can almost hear someone saying “I’m looking at you”! But the passage begins by saying this is the message you’ve heard. We are to love one another. It talks about how the world will come to hate those who love. But that those who live in love have eternal life. There is no doubt in my mind that the writer is speaking to the reader in a way that turns this passage into a self-examination. Many Christians today seem to use biblical passages as a measuring stick for other people’s actions. Personally, I think the only thing that particular measuring stick should be used for is measuring yourself. And please don’t think I’m not equally guilty about what I’m going to say; because I am. Too often, I think we ask “how can those people” believe what they believe or act as they act and call themselves Christians or Christ Followers? Too often I asked that about others. So, what questions should we be asking? Only ones that begin with “Am I loving”. Am I loving God? Am I loving my neighbor? Am I loving myself? Am I loving my enemies? These are the questions to ask each day. John writes later in this letter that one who abides in love abides in God, and God in them. PRAYER Loving God, be with me each day and when needed, slap me upside the head. Let me see you in all persons; to love You, my neighbors, myself, and especially my enemies. Amen DEVOTION AUTHOR Weber Baker Order of Saint Francis and Saint Clare
SCRIPTURE James 2.5-6 Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the realm he promised those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong? WORDS OF HOPE James’ brief instructional letter of Wisdom to the early church is my favorite writing of the New Testament (Greek Scriptures). Tradition tells us that the writer of the Book was likely the half-brother of Jesus, and I can easily imagine the two of them having casual conversations during firewood gathering and other household chores. They would discuss events of the day and the attitudes of their world. Jesus would ask his brother about his thoughts on the Pharisees showing excessive favor and awarding honors to their rich donors while dismissing poor widows who could not afford to give even a mite (worth less than a penny) but who gave it anyway to the Temple’s funds. “Such a woman is rich in faith!” Jesus would declare to his younger brother. James would remember Jesus’ words throughout the years as he watched him scorned, accused of blasphemy, of being a traitor to his faith, and finally being crucified as an insurrectionist to the tyranny of the Empire. I can also imagine a brother’s usual relations with a sibling turning into worship after the Resurrection. It’s those words of worship that we read in his epistle to the early church. The wisdom in the Book of James is therefore the wisdom of his brother Jesus, remembered from countless conversations they had before either had ever heard of Simon Peter, Mary Magdalene, Judas, or the Apostle Paul. To me, the plain talk of James gives us a clue about the essence of his brother’s message: Honor and help the poor and marginalized so that you may be rich in faith. Those who are rich in gold who are exploiting them are exploiting you as well. They are blaspheming the holy name of the One to whom you belong. This is the central message of the Book of James, and I believe of his Holy Brother as well. PRAYER May we always remember that Jesus called us his brothers and sisters, too, and that all we say or do brings either honor or dishonor to the family of God. Help us to be rich in faith. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Dan Peeler Order of St. Francis and St. Clare
SCRIPTURE Acts 7:10 But God was with Joseph and rescued him from all his troubles. He gave Joseph wisdom and enabled him to gain the goodwill of Pharaoh king of Egypt. So, Pharaoh made him ruler over Egypt and all his palace. WORDS OF HOPE In Acts chapter 7, we see Stephen brought before the Sanhedrin and put on trial. Back in chapter 6, we learn that he was one of seven men chosen to make sure widows and other overlooked people were cared for in the daily food distribution. While this might have seemed like a simple or even thankless job—basically making sure everyone got their fair share of supper—Stephen, full of God’s grace and power, went far beyond that. He performed amazing signs and wonders among the people, showing that even everyday acts of service can become something powerful when God is at work. That didn’t sit well with some people who grew jealous of Stephen, so they stirred up trouble, made up false accusations, and dragged him into a trial. But that was all the opportunity Stephen needed. Standing before the Sanhedrin, he launched into a bold retelling of Israel’s history, highlighting God’s constant faithfulness—and how, time and again, the people resisted what God was trying to do. In Acts 7:9–14, Stephen talks about how Joseph’s difficult circumstances were completely turned around—he went from being sold into slavery to becoming the governor of Egypt and overseeing Pharaoh’s entire household. It’s a powerful example of how God can take something meant for harm and turn it into something good, bringing purpose and blessing even out of unfair or painful situations. As chapter seven continues, Stephen confronts the religious leaders, accusing them of being stubborn and blind to God's ongoing work throughout history. He compares them to their ancestors who rejected God's messengers, pointing out that they’ve gone even further by betraying and killing Jesus. His bold truth-telling strikes a nerve, enraging the Sanhedrin. Frequently, we too can cling too tightly to tradition and ignore the truth that keeps us from seeing how God is working right now. Just as Stephen talks about how the people of Israel kept turning away from the prophets, we can become just as stubborn — just like the religious leaders were doing with Jesus. This narrative is our reminder to stay open to God’s direction, even when it pushes us out of our comfort zone or challenges what we’ve always believed. PRAYER God of grace and truth, Thank You for working through ordinary acts of service and turning them into something powerful. Like Stephen, help us to be faithful—even when it's difficult or when others misunderstand us. Give us courage to speak truth with love and humility, and keep our hearts open to Your direction, even when it challenges our comfort or traditions. Teach us to see Your hand at work, especially in situations that feel unfair or painful. Remind us, as You did with Joseph, that You can bring purpose and redemption from even the hardest moments. Help us not to resist Your Spirit, but to follow You boldly and faithfully wherever You lead. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Thomas Riggs