CamDevo

My brain cannot grasp infinity. And I have tried. I was a math whiz in school and loved solving math problems. I used to travel around the state with some fellow students to compete in Mathlete competitions. Great fun.

But I still couldn’t really wrap my head around infinity. How can pi have an infinite number of decimal places? How can 1/x never quite reach 0 no matter how large I make x (or as x approaches infinity)? How can it be that no matter how small I cut a piece of pie, I can still cut the piece in half (theoretically)?

Infinity, to my human brain, is an idea. And that’s all it can be. I might as well try to divide 1 by beauty. It just doesn’t compute.

But to God, infinity is an ordinary fact of life. He is infinite, and He created an infinite space for us, as far as we can tell. It must be mind-blowing to be an astronaut looking out into the darkness beyond earth. Does it end? Where does it end? How can it not end?!

“When I observe your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you set in place, what is a human being that you remember him, a son of man that you look after him?”
‭‭(Psalms‬ ‭8‬:‭3‬-‭4,‬ ‭CSB)‬‬

Despite the enormity of God’s creation, from the incomprehensible vastness of outer space to the infinite smallness of the space between our molecules and everything that exists in between, God notices little, old me. And not only does He notice me, He is interested in me. He cares about me. He loves me. He wants a relationship with me. And the same is true for you.

That is almost as mind-boggling as the idea of infinity.

Dear God,

You blow my mind. When I try to understand even basic facts about your creation, I am hopelessly lost. But I am so glad that I am not insignificant to you. What a joy that you consider me, that you look after me, that you actually love me. Thank you.

What does worship mean? I’ve heard the word an awful lot growing up attending church. The main event every Sunday morning was called the “worship service.” That was where the choir sang, an offering was collected, and the pastor preached a sermon. There were some other songs and prayers and maybe some personal testimonies. Sometimes we stood up, and sometimes we sat on pews.

But worship is so much more than that. And also less.

I don’t need any of those physical trappings to worship God. I don’t need a choir or a pastor, a hymnal or a pew, I don’t even need a building. I can do it by myself, but it’s much better accomplished in the company of others. Singing can be involved or not. The Bible doesn’t even need to be involved in this aspect of my Christian life. Joy is always a part though.

The only things required for worship are me and the object of my worship. Fortunately for me, God is always around. I can worship Him anytime, anyplace.

“Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship.” (Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭1‬, ‭CSB)‬‬

To worship God, I need to first confess, repent, and accept the atoning sacrifice of Jesus. Through that, I am made holy, worthy of approaching God. When I enter His presence in this state, I am overwhelmed by His magnificence. Worship happens spontaneously.

Being in God’s glorious presence automatically generates worship, adoration and awe. Like seeing the most beautiful sunset I’ve ever seen, but better. Like hearing the most dramatically soaring orchestral composition played perfectly, but better. Like feeling the most profound love and goodness I have ever felt, but so much better.

Here on earth we only get a small taste of His vast glory. One day we will feel its full effects. Then we will finally know what true worship is.

Dear God,

Thank you for your mercy that allows me access to your glorious throne room. When I contemplate all that you are, leaving behind the baggage of my earthly existence, I am in awe of you. I adore everything about you. You are beautiful in every way.

Have you ever been part of a mob? Maybe you’ve never grabbed a torch or a pitchfork and marched in outrage with a group of other crazed individuals also carrying torches and pitchforks toward some perceived threat. But there are many modern day equivalents and not all of them are online.

It’s very easy, when I find myself part of any group, to lose sight of my own values and to give in to the loudest voices, to become swept along with the flow of the mob.

This happens in churches too. That’s why the Bible is critical. It is our grounding truth, and our only valid measure of righteousness and description of God’s character. It’s easier to listen to this “preacher” or that “theologian” than it is to study God’s word myself. But therein lies the enemy, just waiting to trick me and lure me from the truth.

“There are some who are troubling you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.”
‭‭(Galatians‬ ‭1‬:‭7,‬ ‭CSB)‬‬

It happened in Paul’s day, and it happens today because there is tremendous power to be had when commanding an unthinking mob. Paul urged the church not to be part of a mob, to remember the one true Gospel: Jesus loves me so much that He died for me, and in return, my purpose on earth is to love Him back by loving other people. Anything beyond that is a distortion and earns a curse.

“If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, a curse be on him!”
‭‭(Galatians‬ ‭1‬:‭9‬, CSB)‬‬

Dear God,

Thank you for the Bible which is readily available to me in my language. Forgive me for taking it for granted. Remind me of its sacred value and guide me in its careful, frequent, and thorough study so that I can correctly evaluate messages I hear from people who claim to be speaking for you.

When it comes to travel, most of the anxiety I experience revolves around packing. Will I forget something vital? Will I bring what I need and need what I bring?

I can make guesses about what I might need during the days at my destination, with help from meteorologists, but I cannot predict with certainty. Sometimes I guess right, and sometimes I guess wrong. And sometimes needs crop up that I never could have foreseen.

“Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭34,‬ ‭CSB)‬‬

When packing for travel, the best I can do is guess. And after I’ve packed, I should stop worrying. I just trust I will be able to figure it out when I get there.

The same is true in daily life. The best I can do is guess what future me might need and plan what little I can. Once done, I need to stop worrying. The future is totally unknown to me. But one thing I know for certain, my loving and trustworthy God will be there too.

Dear God,

I’m so glad that you know the future. And I’m so grateful that you love me. Your promise to provide for me now will be true tomorrow as well, if I continue to seek you first. Remind me of this when worries come sneaking around.

I used to be strong. I used to participate in a weights-based workout twice a week that built my muscles and played plenty of tennis for cardiovascular health. I felt fit and capable.

Then I moved. I lost my routine. Then Covid hit. I lost my motivation. Then menopause arrived. I lost a lot of the physical capacity to build muscle even if I had a routine and motivation.

Despite my physical flabbiness, I can still have inner strength. I can be very strong indeed. This pale weak creature that I am on the outside can be like The World’s Strongest Man champion on the inside, tan and glistening with bulging muscles.

How do I achieve this spiritual physique? Only by letting God fill me with His infinitely mighty Spirit.

“I pray that he may grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power in your inner being through his Spirit,” (Ephesians‬ ‭3‬:‭16,‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

God’s power is available to inflate my spiritual muscles like helium in a balloon. His power is available instantly and is limitless. If I seek His will, and ask Him for the strength to succeed in obeying, He will happily grant me the strength required, drawing from His inexhaustible resources.

Or I can try to putter along in my own strength. But as with my limited physical strength, I am sure to tire and fail.

Dear God,

Thank you for providing the strength I need to accomplish your will for me. It’s ridiculous for me to try to live righteously using only my own strength. Even on my best day, I don’t have what it takes. Remind me to always turn to you for spiritual bulking up.

When I think about praising God, I’m almost always drawn to nature and God’s creativity in designing all of that. Well done on those flowers, God! You did a spectacular job with that cloud bank. And the way you made the the rain to nourish the corn field and then drain into the lake to be evaporated into a cloud again is phenomenal. Praise God!

But it rarely occurs to me to praise God for making me. It feels a bit egotistical. Hey God, you really hit it out of the park when you created me.

“For it was you who created my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I will praise you because I have been remarkably and wondrously made. Your works are wondrous, and I know this very well.” (Psalms‬ ‭139‬:‭13‬-‭14,‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

God did make me. And my body, while very far from perfect, is pretty wondrous. I can do a lot of amazing things with it. We struggle to design robots that can do things that are easy for us, like climb stairs or gently comb a child’s hair. I have a brain capable of my own creativity. As well as problem solving, loving, communicating, playing music, etc.

Despite problems like disease and disabilities, our bodies are mind boggling in complexity and beauty. It bears contemplation. And my body is definitely worthy of praising God.

Dear God,

I am in awe of your design in creating life, including my very own body. I know it well, and yet don’t understand it at all because it is so complex and marvelous. Scientists have studied for thousands of years and still don’t have anywhere near all the answers we seek about our very own bodies. Bravo! And thank you.

Imagine you were an astronaut. You’ve been to outer space and back. You even lived on the International Space Station for a little while. You’ve had years of training, and you also have some fascinating stories to tell.

Now imagine being invited to speak at a gathering and answer questions about your experiences. When you arrive however, none of the people actually believe you are an astronaut. They say, “She seems like a lovely woman, but an astronaut? I don’t think so.” Every time you try to answer a question about space travel, you get patronizing chuckles and rolled eyes.

Would you stick around? Or would you leave, maybe go someplace where people knew you and believed?

“Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God — God remains in him and he in God.” ‭‭(1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭15,‬ ‭CSB)‬‬

God won’t stick around with me either if I keep calling Him a liar. He sent His precious Son, Jesus, to save me. If I don’t believe His story, why would He stay? He’s outta there if I say, “Jesus seems like a nice guy and all. He was a prophet and taught some lovely things. But God’s Son? Sent to die as an atoning sacrifice for me? Nah!”

God won’t stay where He’s not welcome. Calling Him a liar is a sure way to see Him to the door.

Dear God,

Thank you for sending your Son Jesus to save me from sin and death. Please come and make your home with me.

I lived in the Pacific Northwest for many years. It’s a beautiful place, very green. However, the reason it is so green is because it is also very moist. It’s also very dark. It’s perfect for moss. And mushrooms. But it was not perfect for me.

And yet I lived there for a total of 24 years, mostly due to the good jobs that existed there. In the end, I couldn’t take the cold, dark, wet anymore so we moved to Southern California. I’m more like a sunflower than I am a shiitake.

In the midst of those dark years though, we took frequent trips to warm sunny places. I would excitedly anticipate each trip, fantasizing about sun on my skin and warm breezes. Those beautiful daydreams made my gloomy-weather reality tolerable, even enjoyable.

“Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer.” (Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭12,‬ ‭CSB)‬‬

Life here in this fallen, sin-filled world is hard. It’s broken and dark. There is pain and death, frustration and fear. And yet we have a beautiful new world to look forward to. God wants us to think about that, plan for it, and hope. He wants us to get excited, to dream about it, and share the good news of it with everyone we meet so they can have hope too.

One day, Jesus will return and make all things new. He will shine His light into every dark corner and wipe away every tear from our faces. This knowledge makes my current reality tolerable, even enjoyable.

Dear God,

Thank you so much for your promise to make all things new, to fix what we broke, and to return goodness and beauty to our lives. I can’t wait! Forgive me for losing track of that beautiful hope and getting mired in the drear of my current struggles. Help me to be patient, to rejoice in expectation, and to never stop praying.

A friend was staying with me one time when she was struggling in her marriage. She was in despair and feeling hopeless. I came home one day to find her curled up and weeping, listening to mournful music filled with lyrics of anguish and gloom.

I immediately turned off that music, put on some gently upbeat music, and asked her to get up and help me make dinner.

I understand the compulsion to find music that matches my mood. It feels good, in a way. When I am sad, sad music feels comfortable. When I am angry, angry music feels right. But sometimes this kind of reinforcement is not helpful. I don’t really want to stay sad or get sadder. But that’s what sad music can do. I don’t want to stay angry or become even angrier, but that’s what angry music does. A downward spiral awaits.

“But I will sing of your strength and will joyfully proclaim your faithful love in the morning. For you have been a stronghold for me, a refuge in my day of trouble.” (Psalms‬ ‭59‬:‭16,‬ ‭CSB)‬‬

David was scared, desperate, and forlorn when he wrote this Psalm, but you would never know it from this verse. He chose to sing with joy about God. Instead of staying focused on all that was wrong in his life, He sang about God’s positive attributes.

Changing to a positive playlist won’t solve everything. It won’t make my problems go away or cure an illness or mend a broken heart. But David knew it helped, especially when the new songs help me focus on God and His power. God can make my problems go away, cure an illness, and mend a broken heart. If I take my eyes off my circumstances and my ears off my inner dialogue of despair, and shift my entire focus to God, I will find the refuge I need and the hope I seek. An upward spiral.

Dear God,

Thank you for showing me that you are the only true source of comfort and hope. Nothing in this world beside you can provide what I need in my dark moments. Remind me to reach for you instead of things that feel good in the moment but actually make my life worse. Please send me your joy and hope today. I have so much to sing about.

What is the best thing I can do for a person? The absolute number one nicest, kindest, most loving, and generous thing?

You might say I could die in their place. But that opportunity doesn’t come up often. My death would rarely do anyone much good. And it’s not often I run into someone who is about to die. Even if I somehow swapped places with someone on death row, that person may have their freedom, but their life wouldn’t necessarily be all sunshine and roses after that.

So maybe the best thing I could do would be to give my life as well as everything I own to that person. (That would be cruel to my husband though, which kind of takes away from my kindness.) So the prisoner is now free, and they have a little money. But the newly freed person will still have problems. We all do. Life on earth is troublesome.

So what is the best thing I can do for someone? With my very limited resources? Anyone. A stranger, someone I love, someone I don’t.

“Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” (Luke‬ ‭6‬:‭28‬, ‭CSB‬‬)

My resources are small and finite. But God’s resources are vast and infinite. His knowledge is complete, His power is unstoppable, His wisdom is perfect, and His love is boundless. The best thing I can do for anyone ever is to sincerely and urgently ask God to help them, to bless them, and to reveal Himself to them in all His glory.

God wants me to love my enemies. One of the best ways to do that is to spend my days in sincere and urgent prayer for their well-being and listen carefully in case there is some way He wants me to participate in His blessings for them.

Dear God,

Thank you for prayer — for being able to speak with you anytime and anywhere. It seems impossible and miraculous. When it comes to people I love, praying for them comes easily, and somehow doesn’t seem like enough. When it comes to those I despise, praying for them is hard and seems too generous somehow. Thank you for the reminder that my prayers to you are the most valuable thing I can do for anyone, and I should never be stingy with them.