John 7 has an account of Jesus responding to criticism from the Jewish leaders who said it was wrong of him to heal a man on the Sabbath day. The Jews had religious laws that no work was allowed on the Sabbath day, which originated with the commandment to keep the Sabbath day holy.

Jesus tells them in John 7:24, “Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly.” I believe he was telling them that they were misinterpreting the point of the commandment. God gave them the rules, or commandments, but they had to interpret them and put them in practice.

We too must interpret God’s direction as provided to us in the Bible. This requires us to actively use the mind God gave us to “look below the surface,” as Jesus tells us. I like the description of “checking our premises.” Our premises are our assumptions and pre-conceived ideas that we all have and use to interpret things around us.

We need to take some time to ask ourselves where the authority for those pre-conceived ideas came from. If we look beneath the surface and find that our premises do not conform to the two “greatest commandments” from Matthew 22, “love God, and love our neighbor” then we may need to change our thinking.

Dear Lord, we all struggle with the conflict between our wants and pride and your will. Help us regularly check our premises so we can judge correctly. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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You may have heard this expression, “Attitude determines your altitude.” Though it is simple and trite, the message carries truth. Our attitude has a tremendous effect on our lives.

In Romans 14, Paul is teaching about what is important in the church, saying that it is not about following ceremonial laws but about our attitude and why we do what we do. In verses 17-18 he says, “For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too.”

If we start with this attitude of Goodness, Peace, and Joy, open to the Holy Spirit’s work in us, we can’t help but be examples of God’s love.

Dear Lord, help us establish positive attitudes each day so that we may handle all that life gives us with Goodness Peace and Joy. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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When times are tough, it is difficult to remember how much God loves us.

So remember what Jesus says in Luke 12:6-7, “What is the price of five sparrows—two copper coins? Yet God does not forget a single one of them. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.”

Remembering then what Jesus said, we know God cares about us, so we should follow Paul’s guidance in Philippians 4:6, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.”

Dear Lord, Thank you for the care and comfort that you provide, and answering our prayers with your all-knowing wisdom. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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There is a quote from Shakespeare that says, “Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt.”

How, you may ask, is this relevant in a Christian devotion?

Matthew 14 includes the account of Jesus walking on water. Peter sees him and when Jesus says “come” Peter begins walking on the water toward Jesus. However, verse 30 writes, “But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
When Peter takes his eyes off of Jesus he begins to sink. His commitment weakens as he sees the wind and waves, begins to sink and cry to be saved. Verse 31 says, “Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

Our faith is the path through which God saves, supports, and motivates us on our Christian mission. Our doubts are traitors to that mission.

Dear Lord, Thank you for the support you give us in our mission. Help us push away the doubts that hold us back from living our faith fully, knowing that when we trust in you, we will have your peace and joy. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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There is a power in what we say. It is like putting our signature on a contract. We can have a contract in front of us to purchase a car, or sell our house, or purchase a business, and that document may have been drafted in great detail with every contingency considered, but until we sign it, it has no power.

I think in some ways our beliefs are like this. We can think about what we believe, and know all the related scriptures, but when we say it out loud, we are putting the power in our belief.

Jesus tells the disciples in Matthew 17:20, “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.”

When we say negative things like, “I can’t figure this out,” or “I always get this wrong,” “I am a terrible test taker,” “I am bad at math,” “I am always late,” we are putting power into these beliefs, and keeping ourselves in those holes.

Paul says in Philippians 4:13, “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” If we believe this, we should say things like, “Lord willing, I will get an A,” or “I will get accepted to that school,” “I will make the sale,” “my friend will accept my offer to come to church with me on Sunday.”

Saying what we believe, out loud, strengthens our faith and shows our commitment, which is one reason we say the creed every Sunday. “I believe in God the Father Almighty…..”

Dear Lord, our power comes from you. Help us believe that we can do all things through you, and say so with our words. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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