CamDevo

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me.”
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭9‬ ‭CSB‬‬

Any story worth telling almost always includes some bad news somewhere. We like to hear how someone overcame an imposing obstacle or defeated a seemingly superior enemy.

Without the obstacle or enemy, it’s not a tale, it’s just the minutes of a day in the life of some stranger. It may be interesting, but it’s more likely to be boring.

In Aesop’s Fables, the stories also have a lesson to learn from the obstacles and enemies presented and overcome. Like the cat in “The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse” teaching the mice that peace is better than riches.

Today’s verse makes me think about how God often uses obstacles in our lives to teach us about His love and to encourage us to grow and trust Him more fully.

At one point in my life, I had lost my job. My rent was rapidly eroding my savings so I prayed for a new job. Every day I prayed, but God seemed to keep that door closed. I had been a workaholic, and He said I wasn’t ready yet. So I trusted Him. I waited and watched for jobs and prayed.

Then He showed me His perfect provision. Instead of a job popping up, a new living situation popped up. He provided a friend who needed a house sitter. I wouldn’t have to pay any rent for two years and could live comfortably in a house instead of my dumpy little apartment.

God likes me to have a good story to tell about Him. Without any obstacles, I won’t have one.

So just because God doesn’t answer my prayers the way I want or in my timeframe doesn’t mean He isn’t providing His best for me. He always is. His power is made perfect in my weakness.

Dear God,

Thank you for the ways you have shown me your wisdom, love, and power when I trusted you during times of difficulty and confusion. Remind me that obstacles and enemies are simply tools for you to use in my life. Give me the courage to wait for you to use them.

“Devote yourselves to prayer; stay alert in it with thanksgiving.”
‭‭Colossians‬ ‭4‬:‭2‬ ‭CSB‬‬

Prayer is important. The Bible talks about how valuable prayer is very, very often. Hundreds of times. Over 600 prayers are transcribed in the Bible and 25 of them were prayed by Jesus. Jesus spent a lot of time in prayer. It seems He was always going off to pray during His time on earth. Clearly, prayer is essential to being a follower of Jesus.

So why is it so hard for me to pray?

It’s so easy to mumble a few words or praise or thanks, to think a few thoughts about God, to ask for some help for myself or for a friend, and call that prayer. Done. I can check it off my list.

But that’s not how Jesus prayed. And it’s not how today’s verse talks about prayer either. I’m supposed to “devote myself” to prayer and “stay alert in it”. Jesus stayed up all night praying when His day was too busy healing people. He prayed all the time. One time, Jesus efficiently drove out an evil spirit that His disciples were unable to banish. When they asked Him why they failed, He answered, “This kind can only come out with prayer.” (Mark 9:28-29) Jesus was praying all the time. He was devoted to prayer and alert in it.

I have a feeling that when I get to heaven, I will finally understand why prayer was so important here on earth. Prayer is powerful even though it seems so… nothing. Nothing looks different, the earth doesn’t quake, lightning doesn’t strike. And I often don’t ever see signs that God heard me or answered.

Imagine a button on a wall that says, “Press here!” The button is big and red and looks important with its own spotlight and blinking neon arrows pointing to it. I press the button and nothing seems to happen. I press it again. The neon arrows just keep blinking. No change.

But in another room, every time I push the button, a sandwich slides down a ramp to a hungry person waiting in a long line. The line is very long. Sometimes the wait between button pushes is agonizingly long. Each time I push the button a cheer goes up, a person is fed, and the line moves forward.

But in my room… nothing.

Prayer is important. The Bible tells me so in no uncertain terms — with blinking neon lights. Jesus modeled devotion to prayer for me. Jesus wants those hungry people to be fed without delay.

I may never know the good that comes from my prayers exactly, but to be obedient, I just have to push that button.

Dear God,

Thank you for allowing me to speak to you, my all-powerful God and Creator of the universe, directly any time I want. What an honor and a blessing! I’m so sorry I throw away your gift and discount it so often, even when you tell me over and over how valuable it is. Please teach me how to devote myself to prayer. I want to do better.

“Take away from me the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps.

But let justice flow like water, and righteousness, like an unfailing stream.”
‭‭Amos‬ ‭5‬:‭23-24‬ ‭CSB‬‬

These two verses summarize why many people who want to know God, just don’t find Him at church. Because God isn’t there.

I can’t just sing a few religious songs and expect God to show up all grateful and excited that I took time out of my busy schedule to worship Him.

Rituals mean nothing to God —even rituals He originally instituted, like communion and church worship — when my life is full of hypocrisy. In fact, those rituals are worse than nothing. What should be a beautiful enticing aroma to Him becomes a stench. Music, like in today’s verse, becomes nothing but noise.

This makes me think of a car bearing a Jesus bumper sticker speeding angrily down the road giving me the finger as they pass by.

If I ignore, neglect, or mistreat people instead of actively loving them in practical ways, I may as well be flipping God off. And slapping a Jesus bumper sticker on my life won’t solve it.

If I sing about God’s forgiveness, yet fail to forgive others, God plugs His ears and turns away.

If I gossip about my neighbors all week and then smile at them in church, God will leave the building in disgust.

If I donate money to pad the church pews and get a new sound system while the homeless shelter runs out of beds and the line at the free clinic is out the door and the food bank shelves are bare, God isn’t going to be in attendance at that church. He’ll be busy at the homeless shelter and free clinic and food bank.

Dear God,

Thank you for the reminder that that best way to worship you is by loving people. Forgive me for mistaking empty rituals for worship and vacant gestures as obedience. I don’t want you to hold your nose or plug your ears when I send you my offerings of worship. Teach me how I can delight you with my life and my worship.

“His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.”
‭‭2 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬ ‭CSB‬‬

I used to think that if I were a doctor or a nurse or a dentist or a dental hygienist — something of practical use to people — then I would be able to really do God’s work. I could go anywhere and help loads of people with all manner of problems. I could make their lives significantly better in obvious and meaningful ways.

One day, during a sermon, a minister asked who would go to the Philippines to build a library database for a small college there. I raised my hand. Finally I had a skill that was of practical use! The minister was taken aback. He hadn’t expected his rhetorical question to be answered. Although I messed up the point of that minister’s sermon, I did end up going and serving God in that practical way.

According to today’s verse, God gave me all the tools I need to live the godly life He intends for me to live.

I may never know all the ways my life will affect other people, or how the actions I take or the things I say will improve their lives or their relationship with God.

If I continue to strive to be close to God, to know Him, to listen for His voice and obey it, He will use the talents, skills, and passions He blessed me with, whatever they may be.

Dear God,

Thank you for making me who I am and for giving me exactly what I need to serve you the way you want me to serve you. Forgive me for wasting time and energy wishing I were something or someone different. Open my eyes to all the ways you want me to use the skills, talents, and passions you blessed me with.

“The Lord your God is among you, a warrior who saves. He will rejoice over you with gladness. He will be quiet in his love. He will delight in you with singing.”
‭‭Zephaniah‬ ‭3‬:‭17‬ ‭CSB‬‬

When my husband is in a good mood, he often makes up little songs on the fly and sings them when he’s puttering around the house. They are usually off key and rarely rhyme for correctly, but I love hearing them because it means he’s happy, which makes me happy, and the songs are frequently about how much he loves me.

Apparently God enjoys singing too. And He likes to sing to express His delight in His people.

Like my husband, God does this when He’s in a good mood.

In today’s verse, God had been angry, and rightfully so, but Zephaniah is prophesying about the time when God will be in a good mood again. God’s people had been rebellious, cruel, and selfish, and had rejected their God outright. And after a long time, God ran out of patience and punished them.

Thankfully we see that God didn’t stay angry forever. His true nature includes joy and delight, forgiveness and blessing. He wants to sing about how much He loves His creation. So after a time, He forgave His people, restored them, and once again delighted over them in song. This return to favor had nothing to do with anything God’s people did. They were still treacherous, unreliable, and sinful. But God was done being angry. He was ready to give them yet another chance to be good, loving, generous, kind, and humble.

What a comfort it is to know that God wants to delight in me and sing over me and bless me! And although there may be times when I must suffer from the consequences to my sin, those times won’t last forever. God won’t abandon me to my poor choices. He is waiting to forgive me and sing once again.

Dear God,

I hope that one day I can hear the songs you sing when you delight in me. I’m sorry for all the times when I am not delightful at all. Show me when I am doing things that stop you from singing. Teach me to stop and change, to repent and seek your will again.

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭9‬:‭10‬ ‭CSB‬‬

I’m playing in a tennis tournament right now which takes place over the course of three days. The draws are available online, and anyone can watch any match. The wise players, the ones who are interested enough in winning to take every advantage, look closely at the schedule and line ups to see who their opponents may be down the road. And they show up to watch those potential opponents play. They analyze their play for weaknesses and strengths, making notes. Professionals send scouts to watch and learn about their opponents.

In today’s verse, I am given a big clue about how to “win” in life. At the very least, if I want to be successful in life, I should spend some time getting to know the Creator of the universe. What does He like? (Love, humility, making things bloom…) What are His strengths? (Love, patience, forgiveness, omnipotence…) What are His weaknesses? (I don’t see any…)

Fortunately, I don’t have to compete against God! But it would be wise to get to know Him. Learning about God is just the beginning of wisdom though, just a place to start. Beyond that is a whole world of wisdom to uncover as I spend more and more time discovering who this amazing Being is.

Dear God,

Thank you for the invitation to learn about you, to spend time with you, to get to know all about you. I know I will never know all there is to know, but thank you so much for sharing so much. Guide me to continue to seek your wisdom. I know I will never reach the end.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; in all your ways know him, and he will make your paths straight.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭3‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭CSB‬‬

Ok, I don’t really want to write about this, but it’s what I’m being told. And I’ve been wrestling with it my whole life.

I am female. I was born that way and don’t have any desire to change that. However, the Bible says some things about women that are really hard to swallow. And I’ve had some hurtful experiences in churches regarding those ideas.

I’ve read the Bible cover to cover several times. Several different translations. And the overall sense I’ve gotten is that God is good, loving, beautiful, holy, all-powerful, all-knowing, and always here. He wants all the people He created to have a personal relationship with Him, no matter who we are. We are all created by Him, in His image.

And I’ve never been able to square that with some of the verses regarding women like where it’s says we must cover our heads or we must submit to men, not teach them, have authority over them, or even speak or ask questions.

I’ve thought about these things a lot and read various opinions about these ideas. Like I said, I’ve wrestled with it my whole life. Especially as a single woman, which I was until the age of 38. I was also the technical director of a software company and the boss of several men. A good boss. Should I have refused that job to obey God?

Or by writing this blog, am I in danger of teaching some man something?

What is right or wrong for me that is different from my brother or husband or random man on the street?

Then comes today’s verse. I heard God talking to me on this subject through it. I shouldn’t use my gut feeling or my pride or society or anything other than God’s voice to tell me what is right or wrong for me. And when I hear Him tell me something is right, or wrong, I must trust Him with all my heart. No matter how I feel or what other people say.

With everything I do, I should look to Him and obey what I know: am I being loving, am I being humble, am I being sincere and honest with myself?

If I always look to God and obey His basic commands (love, humility), I can trust Him to make my paths straight. One confident step at a time.

Dear God,

It is so hard to understand what you want from me as a woman. Why does your word seem contradictory regarding us? I know I am your child and you love me. Please guide every decision I make so that I am obedient to your word as you intend for me to live.

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭7‬ ‭CSB‬‬

When I was in college, I participated in a bicycle vs. car incident. I was the bicycle in that scenario. I was racing a friend of mine back to our dorm. We were cycling along a busy street when I plowed smack into the side of a car making a left turn in front of me. (It’s not germane to my story, but I had the right-of-way. At least that’s what the judge said when the driver of the car sued me for the dent I made as I accordioned my bike — and myself — into her rear side panel.)

Miraculously, I returned home from a quick check at the hospital with nothing but a few scrapes and a whole-body whiplash. My bicycle however was never rideable again, even though my dad tried valiantly to unbend the frame.

Today’s verse reminded me of this experience because something very strange happened to me in the midst of that accident. Something that surpassed my understanding. To this day, I remember it vividly.

As my front tire struck the side of that car, time slowed to a crawl. The colors became brighter, sounds became clearer, and I had time to notice everything. My body left the bicycle, and as I somersaulted through the air I remember watching a bystander’s eyes and mouth widen slowly in surprise. I heard their gradually mounting shriek. I saw everything around me in great detail, including the pavement inching toward me, and I thought, “That’s going to hurt.” But it was all so peaceful.

Then I hit the ground, and time suddenly resumed its previous hectic pace. People rushed over, and an ambulance arrived, but the details there are lost to me.

If I rely on God, taking the time to pray, petition, and thank Him in the midst of any crisis, I can experience a peace that surpasses all understanding, maybe something akin to the peace I found in the midst of my bicycle accident.

Dear God,

Thank you for protecting me during that bike accident. And thank you for that experience of peace. I long for that peace when life seems overwhelming and confusing and painful. Thank you for the reminder that this peace is available to me if I look to you and spend time with you in prayer and gratitude, instead of worrying.

Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’? Everything is possible for the one who believes.”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭9‬:‭23‬ ‭CSB‬‬

Today’s verse is part of one of my favorite passages in the Bible. Mostly because of the verse that immediately follows this one.

Let me give some context. A man has brought his son to be healed by Jesus’s disciples. So far, they have been unable to. Then Jesus shows up. He asks what’s going on, and the man says, “If you can heal my son, please have compassion on us.”

That’s why today’s verse starts with Jesus’s incredulous, “If you can?”

Then Jesus says, “Everything is possible for the one who believes,” and the man comes back with, “I do believe! Help my unbelief!” (That’s the part I like so much.)

Faith is a funny thing. It can seem so fragile and hard to hold, like a wisp of smoke. It seems solid one minute (I believe!), but with the slightest breeze, it is gone (Help my unbelief!)

On the other hand, sometimes faith can seem as solid as a rock. I have faith like a rock that the sun will come up tomorrow at the exact time that is predicted.

Why is my faith so varied? The main difference is experience.

In my experience, the sun has never failed to rise on time, every day for 57 years. So I believe wholeheartedly that it will rise again tomorrow.

How do I go from wispy faith to stone-solid faith in God? With experience. By trusting in God’s promises and seeing how He meets them.

For example, tithing is one simple way to increase my faith. God invites me to test Him with my finances. In fact, it’s the only time God invites me to test Him. He promises that if I give my tithe first and faithfully, I will be blessed beyond my giving.

“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.” Malachi‬ ‭3‬:‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I started tithing when I was in high school. And I can definitely testify that God met this promise many times. And my faith was increased with each step toward Him.

And now, I can say my faith is much more solid than a wisp of smoke. However, there are still times, dark and doubtful times, when I must cry out, “I believe, but help my unbelief!”

Dear God,

Thank you so much for proving yourself to me over and over again. I cannot out-give you! And yet my faith in you is still not as strong as my faith that the sun will rise tomorrow. Show me ways to increase my faith. Help my unbelief so that I can accomplish anything you ask of me.

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”
‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭2‬ ‭CSB‬‬

I studied in France my junior year of college. At the end of the year I invited my mom and sister to come travel around Europe with me for a couple of weeks. We had a great time and went to many interesting places. But unfortunately there was one cloud over us the whole time, dampening our spirits.

My sister invited her friend Chris. Chris was a perfectly nice person, but she was a terrible traveling companion. That’s because she was stuck at home, mentally and emotionally.

All Chris talked about was whatever drama was transpiring at home or the friends she and my sister knew and what was going on with them. We could be walking through the Louvre in Paris, gazing at the great works of art in hushed tones, but Chris would ignore all that and want to chatter about some gossip she’d just heard.

When we ventured out to explore the local neighborhoods, Chris just wanted to return to the hotel to use the wifi and eat at a familiar chain restaurant.

Chris took selfies in front of amazing landmarks to share with her friends, but I’m not sure she actually saw the landmarks or knew or cared anything about their significance.

It was draining and disappointing. Even my sister regretted inviting her along. But I’ll say one thing about Chris — I definitely knew what she cared about!

And actually, God wants me to be a little like Chris in this world. Not annoying, but focused on my true “home.”

Although I’m traveling around in this world, my mind, my attention, my concerns… my heart should be with God in His kingdom. His priorities should be my priorities. His interests should be my interests. My focus should be on what’s happening in God’s kingdom over what’s happening in the world.

And the people around me should see that difference in me.

It will aggravate some people because I won’t get as worked up about world events as much as they would like.

And I will bore some people when I do get worked up about things they think are trivial, like caring for the homeless, foreigners, widows, and orphans (like the Bible says should be my priorities.)

Today’s verse reminds me where my priorities should lie.

Dear God,

Thank you for giving me a home with you. And thank you for the reminder of what is important and what is not. Forgive me for getting caught up in worrying about things that don’t matter to you. Speak to me about your priorities and goals so that I can return my attention to them instead of the distractions that bombard me every day. I know my main priority is to love, not to worry. Help me to do that today.