Reading

Genesis 29:15-28

Devotion

Peace be with you!

Every family has its own version of drama – the uncle who drinks too much, the aunt who has a brain injury and cannot live alone, the nephew who does drugs, the niece who is abused by her significant other, and [whatever “it” is] your family members do that hurts the family unit as the result of the broken world. No family is perfect or has it all together — even those families who appear to be perfect.

Isaac and Rebekah send Jacob (Genesis 27:41-45) to Haran (Genesis 28:10) to find a wife among his kinsman. Upon his arrival, Jacob falls in love with Rachel, Laban’s younger daughter (Genesis 29:17, 20, 30). Laban says Jacob can marry Rachel if he works for seven years for him, which he agrees to do (Genesis 29:18-20). However, after the seven years, Laban tricks Jacob into marrying his older daughter Leah (Genesis 29:23). This trickery is reminiscent of Jacob’s earlier trickery of his brother Esau. Since the reason Jacob is in Haran is because he conned Esau, it is fitting Jacob get a dose of his own medicine. When Jacob confronts him, Laban explains that cultural customs mean he must marry off Leah before Rachel may be wed (Genesis 29:26). Once again, Jacob is faced with laws governing siblingsEven today, siblings are subjected to unspoken rules. These take different forms, depending on the family and culture. Siblings are supposed to be alike and to be there for each other. Brothers are supposed to protect their sisters, while sisters cook the meals. Younger siblings are supposed to follow the example of acheivement their older siblings set. Younger siblings get tired of teachers suggesting they need to be more like their older siblings. My younger brother still complains about having to be in my shadow growing up. Jacob still wants to marry Rachel and agrees to work for another seven years under Laban in order to do so (Genesis 29:27). Upon the completion of the seven years, Jacob marries Rachel and loves her a lot more than Leah (Genesis 29:28-30).

God enables Leah to have four sons named Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah (Genesis 29:31-35). At first, Leah thinks Jacob will grow to love her since she gives him sons, but he continues to love Rachel more. Therefore, Leah turns to the Lord and praises him for giving her sons (Genesis 29:35). Rachel is barren and grows jealous of Leah, tired of living in the shadow of her sister’s fertility. In order to give Jacob a child, Rachel gives him her maid, Bilhah, who has two sons, Dan and Naphtali, and Rachel praises God for answering her prayers (Genesis 30:1-8). Leah does not have any children for awhile, and once again feels like she is living in Rachel’s shadow. Leah gives Jacob her maid, Zilpah, who has two sons who are named Gad and Asher (Genesis 30:9-13). Then she herself had two more sons, Issachar and Zebulun, and a daughter, Dinah (Genesis 30:17-21). Finally, God answers Rachel’s prayers and gives her a son whom she names Joseph (Genesis 30:22-24).

For several years, Leah and Rachel compete for Jacob’s love in a childbearing race for sons. Leah lives in Rachel’s shadow because Jacob loves the younger sister more. Rachel lives in Leah’s shadow because she gives Jacob more sons. This battle between the two sisters is passed along to the sons, who side with their mothers. The drama will continue to unfold as the sons grow older, and Leah’s sons sell Joseph to Ishmaelite traders (Genesis 37:27-28) for being Jacob’s favorite. The vicious cycle does not end until the brothers go to Egypt during a famine and a finally powerful Joseph forgives them.

Families are messy businesses. Someone is always the black sheep. Someone always feels like they are living in someone else’s shadow. It is impossible to make everyone in a family happy at the same time. Somehow, family, even the one you create with friends or colleagues, is the focus of your life – the one constant in your life. The Lord finds a way to use even your worst intentions for the betterment of the world. You may not understand what the Lord has planned, but he always has your best interests in mind. Trust in the Lord, and he will lift you up from this broken world.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for our family members who are always there for us. Help us as family member to work together to make the world a better place. Guide us to show mercy and grace to those who hurt us. Lead us to be examples of your love to others. Thank you for the power of forgiveness. Amen.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below. Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the behavior covenant by commenting on it.) You can answer as many questions as you would like.

1. Whose shadow do you live in?
2. How have you extended forgiveness to others? When has it been extended to you?

Reading

Genesis 28:10-19a

Devotion

Peace be with you!

You never know how much an impact an action has on others until you do it. Whether you open a door for a stranger, share your story, write a meaningful blog post –even if it is just about your ordinary life— you make an impact on others. A hug shows the other person you care about their well-being. A card in the mail tells a person you are thinking and praying for them no matter how far apart you are. The impact goes further than you think.

In the last devotion, Jacob conned Esau out of his birthright as the eldest (Genesis 25:29-31). Even though a sovereign God used Jacob’s selfish actions to accomplish God’s will, Isaac and Rebekah shun Jacob (Genesis 27:41-45) for a time, forcing him to leave Beer-sheba and to go to Haran (Genesis 28:10). The impact of Jacob’s cunning ways is that it makes him a fugitive without place to call home. He is stumbling in the wilderness in a state of limbo when he stops to sleep for the night. The Lord visits Jacob in a dream where angels ascend and descend on a ladder to heaven (Genesis 28:12). The ladder makes the Lord accessible to Jacob, even if he cannot climb the ladder into heaven.

The Lord says, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring; and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring. Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you” (Genesis 28:13-15 NRSV).

The Lord expands the promise he made to Abraham and Sarah by adding the earthly elements of dust and land. Not only will Jacob’s offspring be numerous, but they will also be prosperous in their lives. The God of Abraham and the God of Isaac becomes the God of Jacob who will never abandon or disown Jacob.

The Lord also promises Jacob to be with him, protect him, and provide for him as he continues on his journey to Haran. When he wakes up, Jacob worships the Lord for being with him and promising to stay with him (Genesis 28:16). He names the place where he sleeps “Bethel” (Genesis 28:19a) and places the stone he used as a pillow as the pillar (Genesis 28:18) for the Lord promises to bring him back to this place. The Lord will return Jacob to Bethel, his new home. The impact of the Lord’s promise draws Jacob closer to him. Jacob no longer feels alone. He also has a sense of what the Lord has planned for him.

The moment you feel alone and forgotten, remember the Lord is with you anywhere and everywhere you go. When everyone abandons and disowns you, the Lord is with you to carry you through the difficult times. Being faithful to the Lord is not the easiest job, while other times the Lord uses our sinfulness to still fulfill his plan. Following the Lord can cause you to be banished or shunned for a time, but it will always lead you where you need to be. Like Jacob, you need to ground yourself in the Lord by believing he will see you through [whatever “it” is] you are dealing with. When I got divorced, I thought I would be alone and depressed. However, I found out I had even more friends and opportunities than I thought. Your life is impacted by the Lord’s promises, where he sends you, and why he sends you there. The Lord does not promise to give you an easy life but to provide what you need and to protect you.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for expanding your promise to Jacob. Help us to feel your presence in our lives. Lead us to do small steps to help others. Thank you for your promise to provide and protect. Amen.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below. Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the behavior covenant by commenting on it.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like.

1. How do you make an impact in the lives of others?
2. Where and how have you felt the Lord’s presence?

Reading

Genesis 25:19-34

Devotion

Peace be with you!

Even in the Old Testament, society has its preconceived notions about how individuals should handle certain situations. Today, society treats individuals in wheelchairs as though they are not able to live normal lives by holding a job, getting married, or having a family. Because my speech is difficult to understand, and my muscle movements are hard to control, people who meet me in public treat me as though I have a cognitive disability rather than just physical disability. It is difficult for me to break the barrier between the preconceived notions about my disability and the reality of my abilities.

For twenty years, Isaac’s wife Rebekah is barren, and Isaac prays to Lord (Genesis 25:21). Those twenty years must have been frustrating for Rebekah, because it was her responsibility to bear children to Isaac to fulfill the Lord’s promise to Abraham and Sarah. For twenty years, Isaac prays to the Lord, asking him to fulfill his promise and grant him children. Then when the Lord answers Isaac’s prayers, Rebekah gets pregnant with twins and has a difficult pregnancy (Genesis 25:22a). She begs the Lord, “After being barren for twenty years, why am I going through this?” (Genesis 25:22). The Lord explains, “You are having twins who will be leaders of two separate nations. They are battling inside your womb. The older twin will serve the younger twin” (Genesis 25:23). By making the younger twin stronger than the older twin, the Lord is upsetting the social norm where the older son would inherit everything from his father and the younger son(s) would serve him.

When Rebekah gives birth to the twins, the youngest (Jacob) comes out gripping the older’s (Esau) heel (Genesis 25:26). Esau grows up to be a skillful hunter and a farmer, and because of this, his father favors him (Genesis 25:27a, 28a). Jacob is a quiet man who stays inside the tents learning to cook from his mother who favors him (Genesis 25:27b, 28b).

One day, while Esau works hard in the fields, Jacob makes a stew. When he comes in, Esau is starving and immediately wants some stew (Genesis 25:30). Jacob drives a hard bargain and demands Esau sell his birthright to him (Genesis 25:31-33). Esau agrees to give Jacob his birthright just to have some stew (25:33bc). Esau only thinks short term by satisfying his hunger pains, while Jacob thinks long term (though through trickery and cunning) by demanding the birthright. The preconceived notions of ancient culture would lead us to root for the older twin, but Scripture topples those notions and elevates the young one.

Society has its preconceived notions about what individuals with disabilities can do. When an individual is hurt in an accident and is made wheelchair-bound, society feels bad for the individual and will raise funds for her medical expenses. Society often forgets the individual who is now in a wheelchair is still a person who can still make contributions to the world. A wheelchair just changes how an individual gets around. Just the other week, I met a young lady who was injured in an accident two years ago and marked the day with a “wheeliversary” to celebrate her second chance at life. She sees her accident as God giving her a new life and a chance to begin again. Being in a wheelchair does not stop this young lady; instead, the wheelchair enhances her life by giving her a new perspective and new opportunities.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for Rebekah’s strength to bear twins through a difficult pregnancy and birth. Give us strength through difficult times in our lives. Lead us to not be trapped by preconceived notions and prejudices, and remind us of the many blessings in our lives. Thank you for your strength. Amen.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below. Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the behavior covenant by commenting on it.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like.

1. Which preconceived notions do you have? Which do you fight against?
2. Where do you find your strength?

Reading

Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67

Devotion

Peace be with you!

When two individuals come together in a relationship, bringing their differences in experience, it takes time to evolve into a meaningful connection. Like most adults, I want to have a meaningful connection with a significant other – someone who will see past my disabilities and feed off of my gifts. My boyfriend, Nathan, and I have always had a connection that few people can understand, even growing up. We respond to each other’s moods, even hundreds of miles apart, which still mystifies me. Nathan has a disability where he is not able to move or speak, but somehow we have our own way of communicating. When we reconnected last year, his mom told me Nathan almost died in July 2006, and I remember missing him and crying uncontrollably around that time. Space and time physically separated Nathan and me for a decade, yet I could tell when something was not right.

With a lot of prayer and patience, I got up the nerve to search for Nathan’s mom, Jane, on Facebook. I was so nervous to message her. Would Nathan still even be alive? To my amazement, he was alive and doing well. Nathan had started painting during the same time frame when I had as well: just another way we are connected.

God has creative ways of bringing people together. The Bible story for today features an ancient love story, centered around an arranged marriage. After Rebekah dies, Abraham sends his servant to his homeland to find his son, Isaac, a wife (Genesis 24:37). The servant goes on his way and prays to the Lord. First, the servant thanks the Lord for making his master wealthy with flocks and herds and for giving him a son. Next, the servant asks the Lord to give him a sign as to which young lady is suitable to marry his master’s son by having her draw him and his camels a drink of water (24:42-44). The servant asks the Lord to send the woman who will love and honor Isaac. Isaac is Abraham’s son and he will build the nation of Israel and be responsible for future generations. The woman he marries needs to be strong to help him lead a nation. The servant asks the Lord to send just the right woman.

Prayer takes time and energy. It draws us into the Lord’s arms as we bare our souls. The Lord listens to our prayers and gives us signs. However, we must be alert to notice and understand the signs. Praying is no easy task because the Lord takes his time, which often does not line up with our timing. It can be frustrating when we think our prayers are urgent, but the Lord answers them in his own timing, which is always the right time. Our frustration comes because we do not live according to the Lord’s time. I remember waiting more than a week before Jane wrote me back. The more time passed, the more I worried that Nathan had died and that by messaging Jane I had opened old wounds. A friend encouraged me to write Jane a second time in case my first message got lost in the shuffle. Shortly after I sent the second message, Jane wrote me back and was so excited to tell Nathan I found them on Facebook.

When the Lord sends Rebekah to draw water for the servant and his camels (Genesis 24:45-46), the servant is amazed and tries to discern if this is the one woman the Lord wants Isaac to marry (Genesis 24:47). The servant asks for water, and Rebekah draws water for the camels. Rebekah demonstrates her strength when she draws water for ten camels. This was a lot of water. Each camel would drink twenty to thirty gallons of water. After Rebekah completes the task, the servant asks about her family and she tells him she is Bethuel’s daughter who is Nahor’s son (Genesis 24:47a). The servant adorns Rebekah with jewelry (Genesis 24:47b) and praises the Lord for sending him a strong woman for his master’s kinsman (Genesis 24:48). After receiving her family’s blessing, Rebekah agrees to marry Isaac (Genesis 24:58-59).

When they reach the land where Abraham settled in the Negev, Rebekah asks the servant who is coming to greet them, and the servant answers, “my master” (Genesis 24:65). Rebekah quickly covers herself (Genesis 24:65c), and the servant explains to Isaac all that has transpired (Genesis 24:66). Isaac takes Rebekah as his wife, and she comforts him after his mother’s death (Genesis 24:67).

Love knows no boundaries – time or place. As we will see next devotion, Isaac loves Rebekah very much. The Lord sends people into our lives who will help us through difficult times and rejoice with us. The Lord allowed Nathan and I to reunite after a decade, and although I was nervous going to see him the first time, it was like nothing had changed – we still had an amazing connection.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for sending Rebekah to be Isaac’s wife and a strong leader for future generations. Help us to discern where and when you are leading us to be. Give us the same opportunity to experience a deep love for another person. Thank you for fulfilling your promise to Abraham through Isaac and Rebekah. Amen.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below. Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the behavior covenant by commenting on it.) You can answer as many questions as you would like.

1. What are you currently discerning?
2. Where is the Lord sending you?
3. Who has the Lord sent you to love?

Reading

Genesis 22:1-14

Devotion

Peace be with you!

A few years ago, I came to the painful realization I would probably never be a mother in the traditional sense. Due to my physical limitations, I would not be able to have children of my own. Even if I could give birth, who would care for the infant while I spent time in rehabilitation to regain my strength? Even if rehab was not needed, my history of muscle spasms would put my baby in danger. One muscle spasm could kill an infant and that would destroy me. I debated whether adoption might be possible, but when you cannot drive, cook, or feed yourself, having a family is difficult. After many tears and arguments with loved ones, I conceded that having children of my own – adopted or biological –would probably not be in my or their best interest (though there is always a possibility with God in charge).

As I read the sacrifice of Isaac story, I resonated with Abraham as he walks up the mountain with Isaac. What pain Abraham must have felt when the Lord commanded him to kill his son (Genesis 22:2)! Abraham had already banished his first son, Ishmael, with his mother after Sarah, his wife, got jealous and commanded him to do so (Genesis 21:8-15). Now the Lord commands Abraham to kill Isaac, the son the Lord promised him. How was this fair?

I have often struggled to understand why God would let incompetent or reluctant parents to have several children – and not allow me just one. Why let a mother starve her child when I could feed him? Why let a child run around town naked when I could clothe him? Why let a father abuse a child when I could love him? These are the questions running through my mind when I watch the news at night. I can only imagine the questions running through Abraham’s mind. Abraham asks the young men following him to stay back with the donkey while he and Isaac go up the mountain to give a burnt offering to the Lord (Genesis 22:5). I am sure Abraham was screaming internally, “YOU PROMISED ME a son. YOU PROMISED ME many descendents. YOU PROMISED ME a great nation through ISAAC! WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO TELL SARAH? YOU PROMISED US!” Abraham must have been emotionally drained walking up that mountain. He must have been numb inside with barely enough strength to go through the motions of a burnt offering to the Lord.

Just as Abraham takes the knife to kill his Isaac for the burnt offering, the Lord calls out, “Abraham, Abraham, stop! Do not harm the boy” (Genesis 22:11-12). Abraham sees a ram in the brushes and offered it up as a burnt offering to the Lord (Genesis 22:13). The Lord provides for his faithful servant.

The Lord always provides what we need at the time we need it. The Lord may never provide me with my own children, but he has led me to be a strong mentor to young ladies. I am able to show these young ladies a different perspective on life and share experiences with them that make a lasting difference in their lives. I probably will never be a traditional mother, but God provides ways for me to still shape younger generations. I am blessed to be mentor to these young people.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for keeping your promises to Abraham and Sarah. Help us to see how you provide what we need. Lead us to care for younger generations. Protect children who have no one to care for them. Wrap these children with your love and grace. Thank you for providing us with everything we need. Amen.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below. Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the behavior covenant by commenting on it.) You can answer as many questions as you would like.

1. How does the Lord provide you with what you need?
2. How has the Lord blessed you?

Reading

Genesis 21:8-21

Devotion

Peace be with you!

Jealously gets the best of us in stressful times. Sarah has just weaned Isaac, and Abraham throws a great party for him. Sadly, however, Hagar’s son, Ishmael, makes fun of him (Genesis 21:8-9). Sarah realizes Hagar’s son is going to get half of the inheritance when Abraham dies, unless something is done to prevent it. Any parent can sympathize with Sarah waiting the very best for her son. Hagar is a slave with no rights of her own. Why should her son get any inheritance? Sarah asks Abraham to banish the slave woman and her son into the wilderness (Genesis 21:10), so he cannot inherit anything.

Abraham has difficulty throwing his eldest son and the child’s mother into the wilderness (Genesis 21:11), even if she is a slave. The boy is still his son no matter what the circumstances are. How can he throw his son into the wilderness – the unknown? What kind of father would he be if he banished his son to the wilderness? However, God comes to Abraham and says, “Do not worry about the slave woman and your son. I will take care of them. I will give the boy his own nation. Listen to Sarah’s wishes. The nation in your name will be through Isaac” (Genesis 21:12-13). Although Abraham has a heavy heart, he prepares a pack with bread and water and sends the slave woman and his son into the wilderness (Genesis 21:14). Abraham may not agree with Sarah, but he trusts God will care for the slave woman and his son.

Once in the wilderness, Hagar and her son wander around aimlessly and are alone. The bread and water Abraham gave them only lasts so long before it runs out and Hagar becomes distressed. Hagar gives up hope and leaves her son in a brush to die (Genesis 21:15-16).

We have all felt hopeless at one time or another in our lives. In my head, I imagine a woman today who is an only child and an orphan. Left with no financial resources and no emotional support, the woman is hopeless and turns to things like drugs and prostitution to make enough money to eat. If this woman must support a child, how much more fear and desperation must she feel. This imaginary scenario provides us a window into the hopelessness Hagar feels in the wilderness.

God hears Hagar’s cries and sends an angel to tell her, “Do not be afraid. I will make a great nation from your son. Go and care for him” (Genesis 21:17-18). A well appears, and Hagar gives her son a drink. He grows up to be a bow hunting expert in the wilderness of Paran and marries a woman from Egypt (Genesis 21:19-21).

God takes a hopeless situation and turns it around. Where we see hopelessness, God sees opportunity and plants seeds for prosperity. Magdalene is a program for “women who have survived lives of prostitution, trafficking, addiction and life on the streets.” The women are “given a key and are offered the necessary resources to maintain recovery, heal from childhood wounds, become physically healthy and find employment.”At Thistle Farms, the women are able to learn skills to obtain employment, which increase their self-esteem and self-worth. These women are given a new in chance in life.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for hearing both Abraham’s and Hagar’s cries. Help us to look to you when we feel hopeless. Tug on our hearts when we spin out of control. Lead us to new life in you. Thank you for the planting seeds of hope in our lives. Amen.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below. Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the behavior covenant by commenting on it.) You can answer as many questions as you would like.

1. When and how have you felt hopeless?
2. When and how has God planted seeds of hope in your life?

Reading

Genesis 1:1-2:4a

Devotion

Peace be with you!

An empty space and a few chosen colors allow an artist to tell their audience a story that could fill a whole novel. Artists take a void and fill it with meaning and a purpose. Artists can fill a space with bright colors to showcase a joyous occasion or dark colors to portray sadness. Red, orange, and yellow are warm and cozy, while blue, purple, and green are cold and uninviting. An artist can take the audience on a journey or tell a story from the past. As an artist, painting allows me to express emotions I cannot get out otherwise. Painting also gives me an opportunity to give order to one little space when I feel the world spinning out of control.

God has the imagination to create something out of a complete void. He literally takes nothing and makes everything you could ever need or want, where as human artists start with their chosen medium – paper or canvas with pen, pastels, chalk, crayon, markers, or paint. God takes a formless space and creates the world with a sky, water, light and darkness, plants, animals, sun, moon, stars, and even human beings. From the beginning of time to the present, God shows us that he can and will do the impossible. During creation, God takes a formless void to create the world we continue to live in today.

I am always criticizing my work and painting over areas that do not look just right to me. God creates light and says it is good; God creates sky and says it is good; God creates land and sea and says it is good; God creates sun and the stars and says it is good; God creates light and says it is good. Nothing God creates is bad or not good enough; everything is good and pleases God.

When God creates the living creatures of the sea and land, he says it is good. He also blesses the creatures to be fruitful and fill the sea and land. He gives the living creatures purpose in the world.

When God creates human beings, he again says it is good and blesses them to be fruitful and fill the earth. God also blesses human beings with the responsibility to rule over the living creatures of the land and sea. God creates the sky, land, sea, and living creatures and gives the human beings the opportunity to use his creation to live and strive. God gives everything that is good to the human beings.

As an artist, I am struck by how God is pleased with what he creates. He does not mash it up and start again. He is deliberate about when and what he creates. God separates light from darkness and land from the sea, and he creates the sky for the birds, the sea for the fish, land to grow vegetation, and human beings to give his creation purpose. And he says it is good.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for creating the earth with the sky, land, and sea with living creatures. Help us to tend to your creation. Thank you for giving us purpose in your creation. Amen.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below. Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the behavior covenant by commenting on it.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like.

1. God says you are his good creation. What does that mean to you?
2. How do you carry out the responsibility to tend to God’s creation?

Reading

Acts 2:1-21

Devotion

Peace be with you!

With Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, Pinterest, and other social media sites, the world is quickly becoming smaller as communication barriers become a thing of the past. The hashtag #BringBackOurGirls caught hold on social media sites on April 24, 2014. A militant terrorist group to undermine education for young girls kidnapped 276 girls at a Nigerian school on April 14. Their mothers held “Bring Back Our Girls” signs at a rally on their capitol steps. The world joined the outcries of the girls’ mothers.

For weeks, the disciples have been in limbo – unsure of where to go or what to do. The disciples have been praying for guidance. Jesus Christ has gone to God the Father after promising to send an Advocate to lead the disciple into the unknown wilderness. The disciples wait in Jerusalem to be led by the Advocate. He seems to never come. The disciples wait and wait for something to happen.

Finally, when the followers of Jesus are gathered in one place, there is a violent wind from the heavens filling everyone with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-2, 4). The disciples, Galileans, start speaking foreign languages to share the good news of God’s power and grace (Acts 2:9-11). Jews from other nations gather around the disciples, confused by how they could hear the Good News in their own languages (Acts 2:7-8, 12-13). There were Parthians, Medes, Elamites, proselytes, Cretans and Arabs, and Jews from Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome (Acts 2:9-11). Somehow, all of these individuals were hearing the Good News in their native language.

The Holy Spirit fulfills Jesus’ promise of an Advocate to come and gives the disciples a way to communicate with other individuals who speak different languages. Although Jesus Christ is not physically presentthe Good News builds momentum throughout the world with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives within each of us. We are marked by the cross and led by the Spirit. Because the language of the flesh has its limits and cannot properly explain God’s love, we, as his disciples, must speak the language of the Spirit, even if it confuses us at times. The Holy Spirit breaks down barriers and gives way to unlimited possibilities. Our relationship with God the Father dramatically changes with the Holy Spirit’s presence in the world. We all become children of God when the Holy Spirit translates the Good News into our own language and capability to understand. We come to see that our God is an inclusive God who welcomes all into his kingdom.

God the Father surely must cry out every time we turn our backs away from him. God the Father took dramatic actions to call us, his children, back to him by sending Jesus Christ, his only begotten son, to suffer and die on a cross for our sins. The cross quickly became the universal sign of forgiveness and grace. Even before hashtags, the good news of Jesus Christ spread throughout the world once the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit. What if we start a campaign using the hashtag #TheHolySpiritInMe to share the Good News? How many people would hear the Good News?

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for the Holy Spirit to share the Good News in our own languages. Help us to welcome all people to hear it. Lead us with the Holy Spirit to be your disciples in the world. Thank you for welcoming everyone into your kingdom. Amen.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below. Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the behavior covenant by commenting on it.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like.

1. Who welcomed you into God’s family?
2. How does the Good News speak to you?
3. How do you plan on sharing the hashtag #TheHolySpiritInMe?

Reading

Acts 1:1-14

Devotion

Peace be with you!

In the world, we are not accustomed to waiting. The internet and smartphones have created instant communication. Just today I approached two potential personal caregivers through Care.com and corresponded with both three or four times in the matter of minutes. I sent an email to a wheelchair dealer about test-driving a few power wheelchairs and got an immediate respond. Personally, I get frustrated if someone does not reply to an email within twenty-four hours, excluding my editor and a few friends. I expect an immediate response, which I recognize as one of my many flaws.

Like myself, the disciples are looking for an immediate answer to their prayers. The disciples act like pleading children by asking Jesus, “Isn’t it time for us conquer the Roman Empire and take over the kingdom of Israel? You came back from the death. Surely it is time take back what is ours” (Acts 1:6). The disciples think they know what is coming next. However, Jesus says, “Hold up; we are not conquering any empires. You cannot imagine what God the Father has planned or how he plans on using his authority, but you will receive power through the Holy Spirit soon and you will be sent all over the world” (Acts 1:7-8).

It is easy to speculate what we should do next. You graduated from high school, so you should go to college or get a job. What about spending a year volunteering through Lutheran Volunteer Corps or the Red Cross? Not knowing your next is scary and not something you feel comfortable with.

The limbo state exposes your vulnerable side. You are constantly justifying your in-between status to people you meet and hang out with. You are constantly asking God questions regarding the next phrase in your life. You are constantly pleading with God to give you some kind of direction. Not knowing leaves you scared and uncomfortable.

It is in this confusing limbo state that Jesus pleads with you to be patient and wait for him to reveal his plan. Jesus asks you to sit in steadfast prayer by finding a quiet place talk with him. Prayer invites you into a relationship with God the Father and allows you to reflect on what really matters and where God is leading you next. Being in limbo takes patience, perseverance, and prayer. It takes being vulnreable in the presence of others to find your footing in the world. One person you can be vulnerable with is God the Father who will always lift you up and show you where to go (on his timetable).

Jesus never promised following in his footsteps would be the easy road. Rather he promised just the opposite: the road would be steep, curving, off cliffs, over strong currents of waters, and through dense fog. The road would be poorly-marked and would often feel like a dead end. However, Jesus promises to send the Holy Spirit, an advocate, to lead us through the difficult terrain. The Holy Spirit will be here with us as we go out into the world.

For the most part, we do not like to wait. Our societal norms are geared toward a fast-paced world. Yet Jesus pleads with us to slow down and find time to pray. Jesus is inviting us into a relationship with him. Jesus promises us the Holy Spirit will lead us to go out into the world to share the good news. Jesus promises something more is coming; we just have to be patient.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for the promise of the Holy Spirit. Help us to be patient as we wait for you to reveal your plan. Give us quiet spaces to be in conversation with you. Lead us along the dangerous road in the world. Thank you for hearing our prayers. Amen.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below. Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the behavior covenant by commenting on it.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like.

1. When and where do you pray?
2. Where is God leading you today?