CamDevo

I have an app that helps me remember the people who have asked me to pray for them. My brain doesn’t hold on to things like names and to-do list type items very well, so I always have to write things down.

When someone asks me to pray for their cousin or daughter or friend, I happily add it to the list in the app. When they ask for prayer for specifics in their own lives like health issues or big decisions, I add that information too.

Then, on top of that, I add other people and circumstances in my own life and the world around me that need prayer. Fires in LA, financial concerns, relationships…

The list gets long pretty fast. When it comes time to pray, I consult my list frequently.

But one category of things is not on my list, I’ve noticed. And Jesus says it is important.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…” (Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭43‬-‭44,‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

I don’t tend to include my “enemies” on my prayer list.

Today I will make a new category in my prayer app and include it right at the top so I don’t run out of steam before I get to it. I will pray for people I dislike, people I don’t agree with, people who have treated me badly or who treat other people badly. I will pray for success in the lives of my rivals, for love to flourish in the lives of hateful people, and for clear-minded wisdom for all leaders whether I chose them to lead or not.

This is the opposite of what I’ve been taught all my life by my culture, but it’s exactly the right way to behave as a follower of Jesus.

Dear God, thank you for the reminder to love my enemies, my rivals, and my opponents. Teach me how to pray for those who make my life more difficult and uglier. Please spread your blessing and joy on their lives. Bring them wisdom and peace, and most of all, reveal your love to them in a great way.

Years ago during my career as a software engineer, I developed carpal tunnel syndrome in my right wrist. I had to let my right wrist rest and heal.

Without the use of my dominant hand, my life got very complicated. Every task was cumbersome and laborious. Brushing my teeth, tying my shoes, driving a car, even shampooing my hair.

To continue working, I had to learn to use my left hand. One of the most challenging aspects was to develop the dexterity to use a mouse properly with my left hand. After much frustration, I eventually mastered it (and actually I am still a left mouser to this day.)

I also learned to write with my left hand, but I gave that up as soon as I could. My left hand was just too slow and clumsy. And few could read what I wrote.

“For I am the Lord your God, who holds your right hand, who says to you, “Do not fear, I will help you.” (Isaiah‬ ‭41‬:‭13,‬ ‭CSB)‬‬

God is talking to the Israelites here. They seriously messed up and were forced, by an invading army, into exile. But God gives them these beautiful words of encouragement. He hasn’t abandoned them. Far from it. He is right there with them, offering guidance and comfort, holding their hand.

And if you’ll notice, He specifically says He’s holding their right hand, their dominant hand (for most people.)

When I blunder and fail in my life, God knows I need extra help. When I turn to Him, He’s there to forgive, but He doesn’t stop with that. He takes my right hand. Without my dominant hand, I will need to slow down and rethink my habits. I will need to learn new ways of doing things.

I think that’s why God holds my right hand when I am recovering from sin and failure. He provides comfort, yes, but also a little more, much-needed guidance. I need to rely on Him more instead of relying on my previous way of getting things done.

Dear God, thank you for providing forgiveness when I ask for it, comfort when I need it, and tough love whether I think I need it or not. Thank you for holding my right hand, for slowing me down a little. Help me to rely on you fully for direction in meeting your purpose for me. Forgive me for thinking my ways are the always the right ways.

As a child, I refused to share something, maybe a toy, with a sibling. I remember my dad saying he would take it away from me if that was the attitude I had about sharing. Surprised, I said he couldn’t do that because it was “mine!”

My dad then asked me who had worked hard to earn the money to buy the item. I said he did. And already I saw his point. He then explained that since he bought it with his hard-earned money, it belongs to him. He was allowing me to have it and use it but was rethinking that decision given my selfishness. I gave in and reluctantly handed over my toy.

Property ownership is a strange and varying concept. I may think I own something, when it turns out I really don’t. Do I ever really own anything? Or am I just borrowing it for a while?

“Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the splendor and the majesty, for everything in the heavens and on earth belongs to you. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom, and you are exalted as head over all.” (1 Chronicles‬ ‭29‬:‭11,‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

God owns everything. He created everything, and every atom belongs to Him. He has generously allowed me to have the things I have and to use them as I see fit.

However, if I am stingy, hoarding, and selfish with His gifts to me, He may very well take them back. It’s not really my land or my house or my car or my bank account. It’s not my job or my friends or my hair or even my air to breathe or my time.

If God decides I should use His gifts to me in service of someone else, or in some way other than what I had planned, who am I to say no? I’m just the steward, here to take care of all that He has entrusted to me. If I’m not a good steward, He will find someone more obedient, generous, and loving.

Dear God, thank you for the reminder that there is no “mine!” in this life. All of everything belongs to you. I am so grateful for all that you have given me to care for, use, and enjoy. Teach me how to listen for your guidance in the proper stewardship and generous use of these blessings.

When I was a child, Blue Laws were enforced in my town. Stores were closed on Sundays. I didn’t really think much of it as we were at church anyway. These laws were later repealed, and shops could be open on Sundays, if they chose to be.

Later in life, my husband and I moved to a new state. We were surprised when we encountered Blue Laws preventing the sale of alcohol before noon. On our way home from church, we stopped at a grocery store and had to wait 15 minutes before we were allowed to purchase beer for a gathering that evening.

These days, Blue Laws are largely gone. You can do most anything on Sunday that you can do on Tuesday or Friday. In fact, my tennis team has matches scheduled every Sunday afternoon. Occasionally, a store will be closed, but it doesn’t have anything to do with Blue Laws, just people wanting a day off. Post offices may be closed on Sundays, but their bulk mail processing and distribution centers are open.

I don’t think Blue Laws should be reinstated. Mostly because I don’t think morality can or should be legislated. If I don’t think stores should be open on Sunday, I shouldn’t shop at them on Sunday. Without any business to be made, they will close.

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy:” (Exodus‬ ‭20‬:‭8‬, ‭CSB‬‬)

But what does God actually mean by “remembering” the Sabbath and “keeping it holy”? If Sunday is the same as any other day, it’s really easy to forget about worshiping God. Since Covid, I’ve been “attending” church by watching it live on TV. There have actually been a few times when I simply forgot. It’s easy when there are so many other options for things to do, and Sunday looks like any other day.

As for how to keep it “holy” Jesus showed us that holiness included doing “work” if that work is about loving other people. He healed people, fed His disciples, traveled places, and taught — all on the Sabbath. He worked on the Sabbath, but His work was holy.

So what does that mean for how I behave? God would like me to have a day each week that is different from the others. A day where I don’t go about my routine as usual. I set the whole day aside for worshiping God, doing His work, and for loving other people. It’s a day to reset my priorities. To ground myself in God’s word. To look at my map and make sure I’m still going the right direction.

I don’t need any laws for that, but I do need self-discipline and determination in a world that doesn’t care about the specialness of the Sabbath.

Dear God, thank you for building in a day for your children to rest with you, to reevaluate our goals and direction, and to worship you. Forgive me for the times when I have forgotten the Sabbath, and I have not kept it holy. Teach me how to protect my Sundays from a busy, needy world.

In Willard Motley’s 1947 book Knock on Any Door, the hero Nick Romano says, “Live fast, die young, and have a good-looking corpse.” This one phrase connected with people so deeply that it has become a sort of motto for the culture.

It is enticing, I have to say. If death is the end, isn’t it logical to live life to the absolute fullest while you are here, even if that life is foreshortened in doing so? Some have decided that it’s better than a plodding life of striving and planning for an uncertain future.

God sent Jesus to teach us about a better option. Because of His sacrifice, we can choose a future that is certain. We can choose not just life, but life eternal.

“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” (1 Corinthians‬ ‭15‬:‭58‬, ‭CSB‬‬)

When I believe there is a new life after death, suddenly this current life matters. It matters how I spend it. My goals are no longer about here and now. My goals are about then and there, spending eternity with the Creator of all that is beautiful.

What can I do today to please God? How I spend my days now will be rewarded in that new life. It doesn’t matter if I’m lauded, or even noticed, for work that I do to improve this world or the lives of others. My labor for good, for God, is never in vain.

Dear God, thank you for teaching me about my future with you. I look forward to it very much. In the meantime, show me how to spend my day productively doing your work.

Many times I have been certain of something, only to see proof later that I was wrong. Like when I was sure the restaurant we ate at in a city we visited was called one thing, only to see a photo of us with the sign in the background saying something else entirely. Or when I exited an elevator absolutely certain that my hotel room was to the left, and found out as I walked past the room numbers that I had it completely backwards.

When I was younger, it was jarring to be so wrong, after feeling so sure. Now, it’s happened enough, it’s less of a shock.

Seeing is believing, they say.

“Jesus answered, ‘You have seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.’ ‘I believe, Lord!’ he said, and he worshiped him.” (John‬ ‭9‬:‭37‬-‭38‬, ‭CSB‬‬)

Jesus healed a man who was born blind. I wonder how many things he saw, realizing he’d been wrong about them in his imagination. Sunsets, people’s faces, colors, musical instruments…

One thing he discovered he was wrong about was Jesus. When the Pharisees asked him who had dared to heal him on the sabbath, the man called Jesus a prophet. Jesus later tracked the man down to make sure he knew who really healed him. The Messiah. God Himself in human form.

The man saw and believed.

Maybe you are skeptical of Jesus. You could be wrong about Him. One day you, and everyone else, will get to see. Don’t wait for that jarring moment to believe.

Dear God, thank you for revealing yourself to me in so many ways as I have sought you. Thank you for opening my eyes to see you. I believe! Thank you for your love and your salvation.

I just walked by Rob Lowe on the beach. He was sitting along a public path and allowed a couple of fans to approach, but after a little while, he picked up his phone and held it to his ear. Clearly he was done interacting with strangers for the moment. I took the hint and kept walking.

Earlier today I was walking along that same beach and came across a sea turtle. (Two rare sightings in one day.) Current federal guidelines for a safe public viewing distance of sea turtles is 10 feet. As with Mr. Lowe, I knew to keep my distance.

With evangelizing, as with my beach encounters today, it’s important to “read the room.” Without God doing the work preparing a person’s heart, any message of Jesus I offer them will fall on deaf ears. My efforts will be wasted.

However, when God has been tilling the soil of a person’s heart, the seeds of my simple, clumsy message will fall deeply and take root quickly and easily.

In Acts, Philip has an encounter with an Ethiopian official before which God was clearly at work in the man’s heart. And Philip was listening to God closely and obeying each strange command. “Get up and go down the desert road.” Ok, now what? “Run along next to that chariot.” Ok, now what? “You’ll see…”

Indeed Philip did see, or rather hear. The official was reading one of Isaiah’s prophecies about Jesus out loud. And he seemed confused and curious about it.

“Philip proceeded to tell him the good news about Jesus, beginning with that Scripture.” (Acts‬ ‭8‬:‭35‬, ‭CSB‬‬)

To be an effective evangelist, I shouldn’t just bully my way into people’s lives talking about things they don’t care to hear or understand. Instead, I must listen to God closely every moment of the day. And obey His weird, little commands. I may not understand why He wants me to take a walk on the beach right now, but if I just say OK and do it, maybe He will send me the perfect object lesson for the day.

Dear God, thank you for the blessing of enjoying your creation, including a sea turtle basking on the beach. And thank you also for reminding me that you are in charge of my evangelistic efforts. My efforts are in vain unless I am listening to your voice and obeying your commands.

I hate to say it but the home I grew up in had roaches. (We consoled ourselves with the fact that they were mostly wood roaches, not cockroaches, but they were just as gross looking.)

If you know roaches, you know that they do not like light. They hide under things, behind things, and in cracks and crevices. When you turn a light on in a room, you can often see them scurry for cover. They like the darkness.

That’s another reason not to like them. Bad things happen in the dark. Robbers sneak around in the dark of night. Muggers attack from around dark corners. Roaches sneak food from the kitchen, among other things, in the dark. Evil deeds are hidden by the dark so evil doers seek it out.

“But anyone who lives by the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be shown to be accomplished by God.” (John‬ ‭3‬:‭21‬, ‭CSB‬‬)

God’s first words recorded for us were “Let there be light.” And so it was. His love is a spotlight that burns evil from our hearts. Those who prefer lives of evil don’t want to be burned so they scurry from God and His love. They can’t stand it. They scoff and turn away in disgust the way my roaches ran for cover.

If you seek truth and warmth and love, there is one place to turn. And all are welcome. All I have to do is stop turning away.

Dear God, thank you for your love-filled, holy light. Thank you for your truth that is freely available to all who step into your light. Remind me to stay in your light and to turn away from the darkness that seeks to draw me in.

Do you remember any of the gifts you received as a child, for Christmas or your birthday or for any reason? I remember one Christmas, I had gotten many presents under our tree. When they were all unwrapped I had a nice pile of new toys. But I only remember one of them now: a Play-Doh Fun Factory. (It turns out they still make them.)

I really wanted that gift and had been asking for it. I was so excited to get it. I played with it all day, every day for weeks.

But eventually all my Play-Doh dried up, little plastic parts were lost or cracked, and I lost interest. I moved on to other things.

In fact, I can’t think of any gift I received that lasted too long. Things break, wear out, dry up, fade, or become obsolete. Even non-material gifts like trips to Disneyland are used, enjoyed, but eventually forgotten. Memberships expire. Subscriptions fail to be renewed. Our best human gifts are temporary.

“Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’” (Acts‬ ‭2‬:‭38,‬ ‭CSB)

God’s gifts are not temporary. They don’t fade or wear out. They won’t become obsolete or expire. God’s gift of mercy, forgiveness, and salvation is forever. His gift of the Holy Spirit is permanent, dynamic, and never loses value. God has given me eternal life. In response, I want to spend every day saying thank you.

Dear God, thank you for your marvelous, much-needed, and eternal gifts. Thank you for filling me with your Spirit now and for giving me life with you for all eternity. Thank you!

Did you ever play Follow the Leader? It is a very simple children’s game used to teach basic motor skills and observation. Or maybe simply as a fun way to get a group of unruly children to move in a more-or-less orderly fashion from one place to another.

In Follow the Leader, one person is designated as the Leader and all the others line up behind them. Each person in line mimics the movements of the leader. If the leader duck walks, everyone behind them duck walks. If the leader skips and giggles, those in line also skip and giggle. Sometimes the leader accidentally trips. The followers also pretend to trip. Hopefully a fall is not involved, just laughter.

In life, I choose my leader too. Am I watching celebrities and mimicking their behavior? Am I watching politicians, teachers, billionaires, influencers, friends? Perhaps I am even tripping and falling with them.

“For am I now trying to win the approval of people, or God? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.” (Galatians‬ ‭1‬:‭10‬, ‭CSB‬‬)

As a follower of Christ, Jesus is the only leader I should follow. And I should be careful to follow Him closely. By reading about His life in the Bible, spending time in prayer every day, and listening closely for the voice of His Spirit, I am playing a very important game of Follow the Leader.

Dear God, thank you for your wise leadership. And thank you for making your commands clear and readily available to me. Teach me to keep my eyes focused on you, not on any other so-called leaders in my culture.