Daily Devotions PENTECOST: THE FINAL REFLECTION
Friday, June 16, 2023
Rev. Ed Zeiders
Invitation to Prayer and Devotion
Joyful, joyful we adore thee, God of glory, Lord of love; hearts unfold like flowers before thee, opening to the sun above. Melt the clouds of sin and sadness, drive the dark of doubt away; giver of immortal gladness, fill us with the light of day! --Henry Van Dyke
Reflections: For most of my adult life I have been preaching and teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I have affirmed that there is no other Gospel, nor is there any other way to salvation and the joy of faithful discipleship. If there is any joy, let it be the joyful news from God whom we adore, and the Lord who has given us love and mercy beyond our comprehension.
Faith and life in Christ manifests itself in any number of ways. We ponder those things and try to reduce them to some equation that we can figure out. “There, now I have it!” Sure, there are a few things we can understand, but the mystery and majesty of God is far beyond our human brains and capacity to grasp it altogether. The Lord is Sovereign. God reigns over us in a spiritual Kingdom where love and mercy are normal, and hatred and horror are washed away by the love of God revealed in Christ.
Since this is my final devotion in this round of things, I think it important to recognize why we do these things and for whom do any of us write or speculate. The simple answer, I think, is not because we must, but because we may. We are given the Spirit of truth to bring to our consciousness, along with others, that which is important for the Christians to pursue. If writing is a gift then use it. If music is a gift then write music or perform it. If teaching is your gift, then teach, and teach we must. Live the love!
Daily devotions are part of a disciplined life, and a long and important conversation with God. If anyone wants to eavesdrop on these daily reflections, that is fine, too. But what of the disciplines of prayer and devotion? What about worship and the regular, systematic participation in the Body of Christ, the church? And what about building the community of the faithful—the community of the redeemed? And what about living sacrificially, generously, and the sacred quest for the well-being of others?
All of these things, and each with their own content and considerations, are part of the abundance God promises. Each of these, and more, bring us to the culmination of our lives not with riches and things, but with a keen sense of embodied zeal and hope. See what and which of these things are stimulated within us by prayers and devotion to God, and all of it through the Spirit of Christ who dwells within us?
So, what do we know that is an essential form of the Christian “content” essential for an impactful life? What is it to breathe in the Spirit, or be awakened by the Spirit, and arise as the new creation? And not just something after human death, but the very newness revealed in Jesus himself within us, and now! The joyful songs we sing, and the praises that do ring are about the singular most important thing we can ever do; that is, giving up our nasty habits and the need for power, and open our minds and hearts to the compassionate God of our salvation. There is hope here, and love as well. There is healing here, and it is thorough. There is an inner peace here that is unshakable. “Thou art giving and forgiving, ever blessing, ever blest, well-spring of the joy of living, ocean-depth of happy rest. Thou our Father, Christ our brother, all who live in love are thine; teach us how to love each other, lift us to the joy divine.”
--Just thinking.
Yours in the journey,
