CamDevo

“Every branch in me that does not produce fruit he removes, and he prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit.”
‭‭John‬ ‭15‬:‭2‬ ‭CSB‬‬

When I moved into our home, I inherited a few citrus trees. I loved the bright lemons I could see through my bathroom window. But I didn’t know anything about caring for them. The next season, the lemons didn’t return as vigorously. I was told to prune the branches. Of course I did it wrong the first time, but after some research I got it right, and the lemons returned to brighten my view.

Many of Jesus’s illustrations in the Bible use agricultural references because He knew His audience would easily relate to those topics. I, however, do not so easily relate to stories about shepherding sheep or sowing seeds or pruning vines, as in today’s verse, despite my forays into citrus tree maintenance.

But the point is still easy to access. Especially if I translate it to something I know, like photography.

As a photographer selling stock photography, I have thousands and thousands of photos in my collection. It’s been easy to accumulate such an abundance since the advent of digital photography combined with inexpensive data storage.

Having this enormous volume of photos actually creates a problem when it comes to selling the photos though. Stock photo buyers need to be able to find the high quality photos of the subjects they need quickly. None of them want to wade through vast sums of losers to find their winner.

So it’s important for me to prune my portfolio to only the best examples.

If a photo is blurry, out it goes. If the lighting is wrong or the subject is poorly composed or exposed, it is removed. The photos that remain are the ones that will sell, the ones that will bear fruit.

And even those photos will be edited, retouched, and perfected. They will be sharpened. Noise will be minimized, colors enhanced, unwanted bits cropped out until they are the best they can be.

So, what do I need to do to be one of the sharp, well-exposed, sellable photos? How can I avoid ending up blurry and dim in the rejects folder?

Jesus says to “remain in Me”(verse 4). Every branch that remains in Jesus will be saved and lovingly pruned. Every photo that remains in Jesus will be edited, retouched, and included in His portfolio.

What does it mean to remain in Jesus?

Jesus says, “To remain in me, keep my commands” (vs. 10). And then, “This is my command: Love one another as I have loved you” (vs 12‬).

So, simply, if I want to stay sharp and avoid being a useless blurry photo, my top priority must be to love other people.

Dear God,

Thank you for loving me! Please give me the strength to love other people in that same way — without regard to whether they deserve it or appreciate it. Teach me how to stay connected to you like a branch on a vine or a good photo in your portfolio.

“How, then, can they call on him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about him? And how can they hear without a preacher?”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭10‬:‭14‬ ‭CSB‬‬

If I woke up one morning to find several wrapped gifts in my living room, my first thought would not be that a fat elf in a red and white fur suit must have climbed down my chimney to deliver them.

No one believes in Santa Claus unless they are told the tales about him — usually at a very young and very gullible age.

God is no Santa Claus. And, unlike Santa, God’s story is true. But the truth about God can seem just as hard to believe. For one thing, it seems too good to be true: God is the ultimate wisdom and power in the universe, a Creator who loves me and wants to spend eternity with me? OK, sure.

Fortunately, unlike Santa’s story, there is evidence of the truth of God all around me every day. Before Paul wrote today’s verse, he wrote, “since what can be known about God is evident among [us], because God has shown it to [us]. For his invisible attributes, that is, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what he has made. As a result, people are without excuse.” (Romans‬ ‭1‬:‭19‬-‭20‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

And the psalmist, David, wrote, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the expanse proclaims the work of his hands.” (Psalms‬ ‭19‬:‭1‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

We have no excuse for not knowing about God’s power, character, and glory.

But that’s not the whole story. The gospel of Jesus adds a beautiful wrinkle to God’s truth. Like today’s verse says, it requires a preacher. Not only is God the loving, wise, and powerful Creator I see in His creation, He loves me so much, despite my selfishness and rejection, that He sent His only Son to die in my place, before I even knew enough to be ashamed of my sin or grateful for His gift. And all He asks in return is for me to welcome His gift of love and forgiveness.

Again, it sounds too good to be true. Who would believe it? No one, unless someone (who, me?) tells the story.

Dear God,

Thank you for planting the truth of your love deep in my heart when I observe your created world. Thank you also for the people you planted in my life to teach me the truth about Jesus’s sacrifice for me. Forgive me for keeping the story to myself. Give me the courage, the words, and the recognized opportunities to be the preacher you ask me to be.

“For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7‬:‭8‬ ‭CSB‬‬

I just finished a trip where I stayed in a hotel that provided a large and elaborate breakfast everyday for its guests. However, not every guest was allowed to partake in the breakfast. It looked delicious, and each morning I looked longingly at the croissants piled high, the glistening smoked salmon, and the steaming scrambled eggs. I assumed my room rate did not include the breakfast because we were there as part of a conference for my husband’s job, and his company usually books frugal travel options.

However on the last morning of our stay, I decided to ask about the breakfast. They informed us that the breakfast was indeed included with our room. Although I was chagrined at having missed out on all those delicious “free” meals, I was delighted to finally enjoy the bounties provided.

All I had to do was ask.

Today’s verse reminds me of that experience. God wants me to ask Him for what I really want and think I need. He will always provide the best for me, whatever He, in His perfect and infinite wisdom, determines that to be. He gets great joy from blessing His children.

But He wants me to ask Him, to look for Him in my situation, and to be fairly aggressive about it. I actually have to knock.

I used to collect funds for UNICEF as a child. We knocked on strangers’ doors, and it was scary. Sometimes I chickened out. But more often, the people were friendly and actually contributed to my cause. (This was in olden times when such things were more normal.)

God wants me to knock on His door. He wants me to participate in my own blessings. And according to today’s verse, He is waiting inside ready to receive me with love.

Dear God,

Thank you for the invitation to knock on your door and for the promise that you will answer. What a wonderful gift! Forgive me for the times when I have walked right on by your door, wishing for things, grumbling about things, but never talking to you about them. Today, I come knocking.

“Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill what he has spoken to her!”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭45‬ ‭CSB‬‬

It’s refreshing to see a feminine pronoun used in the context of God speaking to someone. It’s refreshing because it’s rare. Masculine pronouns are the norm. In the Bible. And just in society. Growing up as a girl, I got used to masculine pronouns being used as a generic catch-all.

In English, there is no gender-neutral singular pronoun for a human being. “It” is gender-neutral and singular but indicates a non-living object or perhaps an animal. If it is used when referring to a person, monstrous, or at least animalistic, properties are implied.

Then we have “they” which is fine for humans and is gender-neutral but isn’t singular, which makes its use confusing and awkward when people try to use it in place of he or she.

So we are stuck with instructions like, “Each student should put his test in the basket when completed.” I understood that all the girls in my class were also to put our tests in the basket.

Or news stories like, “An unknown perpetrator is sought for his acts of vandalism and violence.” I’ve always understood that the police are probably including women in their search despite the way the story is worded.

I was trained to understand that sometimes, “he” applies to me as much as it applies to any boy or man.

So I assumed this was true for the Bible too. Masculine pronouns are almost always used as well as “men” and “brothers.” And I understood this to include me.

But some people tried to say tell me that isn’t always true. They said some of God’s promises only apply to men. How am I supposed to know which “he” includes me and which doesn’t?

I believe all of God’s love and promises apply to me even though I go by “she.” But it sure is refreshing to see in today’s verse that God clearly does speak directly to women. And He fulfills those promises just as faithfully.

Dear God,

Thank you for loving me and for including me in your kingdom. I am a sinner in need of your salvation which I eagerly accept. I’m so grateful for your word that teaches me about your love. Thank you for revealing yourself to me there.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭13‬:‭8‬ ‭CSB‬‬

Change is hard. I’ve come to the conclusion that no one really likes change. Someone who claims to like change may want one or two things to change or maybe they just long for a fresh variety, but when too many things change, even the purported change-seekers will be very unsettled.

For example, imagine someone who wants a new job or a new place to live or a new person to share life with. Those would be major upheavals, but that person will probably be rejuvenated by those changes and may say they embrace change. Sure.

But imagine that same person with different kinds of change. Imagine their existing home is destroyed in an earthquake. Or they are diagnosed with a disfiguring and painful disease. Or their government collapses and society as they know it, including their job, ceases to exist. Or the earth is taken over by an alien race that enslaves all of humanity. That kind of change probably wouldn’t be embraced.

OK. Those are pretty extreme examples. But my point is that change is usually unsettling. Change rarely brings only benefit. Even winning the lottery brings some unsettling changes like losing some friends, having to move, or suddenly not knowing who to trust. A happy event like marrying the person of your dreams can bring some unsettling consequences like having to put up with an entire new extended family during the holidays and learning how to tolerate different levels of tidiness.

In our broken world, nothing is stable or constant or forever. Nothing is dependable or reliable or certain.

Except Jesus.

Today’s verse reminds me that God is stable, constant, forever, dependable, reliable, and certain. He calls Himself I AM because He is. Always. Was, is, and will be.

What a relief in the stormy seas of life. When I wake up with a new disease, God is still here. When I am laid off from my job, God is still here. When democracy fails and a dictator usurps my property, God is still here.

God doesn’t have good days and bad days, He doesn’t sleep or go on vacation, and He doesn’t get distracted or drunk or forget things. He is always here, always the same, always holy, and always love.

Dear God,

I’m so relieved that you are an unchanging rock in the swiftly churning river of my life. Give me the strength to cling to you in all things. And when my strength fails, please hang on to me. Forgive me for being distracted or afraid. Thank you for the reminder of your constancy.

“But he was pierced because of our rebellion, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on him, and we are healed by his wounds.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭53‬:‭5‬ ‭CSB‬‬

I’ve never had an innocent person take the blame for something I did (other than Jesus, that is.) However, there was one person, my cousin, who took all the blame for something we both did: started a fire that ended with firetrucks. (And actually, he may have tried to tattle on me, but no one took him seriously.)

It is hard to take the blame and punishment for something you did. It’s so much harder when you are punished for something you didn’t do, especially when you know exactly who deserves that blame and punishment.

When I read today’s verse, I see that Jesus didn’t just accept the blame and punishment that should have been mine, He went beyond than that. Miraculously, His punishment healed me. It gave me peace with God.

When my cousin was punished for something we both did, I felt guilty. Obviously I still do if I’m remembering it because of this verse. I do not have peace simply due to my cousin’s punishment. I got away with a bad thing, but I have to live with the emotional scars of the event.

But Jesus’s sacrifice provides healing, complete forgiveness, and peace with God. I don’t have to feel guilty — just joy and gratitude! Because of Jesus taking my blame and punishment, God looks at me without judgment. He accepts me as His beloved, pure child. He no longer sees the evil I perpetrate. What a miracle!

Dear God,

Thank you for not only taking my punishment away, but also for removing the sin and blame and shame from me entirely. What a wonderful relief to know that your forgiveness provides complete healing and restoration! I am so grateful for your peace, so undeserved yet so welcome.

“Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up.”
‭‭Galatians‬ ‭6‬:‭9‬ ‭CSB‬‬

I get tired of doing good a lot. But the “good” I’m talking about are pretty minor things. Like smiling at people on the street. Or picking up after my husband.

I get really tired of smiling and being kind to people when they return sneers and rudeness. It’s really hard to maintain a cheerful and gracious attitude in the face of inconsiderate and thoughtless behavior.

But today’s verse reminds me to continue to do good; to continue to reflect God’s love in the world. Don’t give up.

It’s really hard to wipe the crumbs off the counter again and again without complaint, to pick up the dirty socks, to wash and fold the laundry, to empty all the trash bins over and over without recognition or apparent appreciation.

But today’s verse reminds me to continue to do good, to not give up being kind to my husband in this way.

There are lots of good things — big and small — I must continue to do, or start to do, and not give up. Despite a lack of appreciation or recognition, even in the face of open hostility, I must remember that God notices, God cares, and God will reward my goodness.

Dear God,

Thank you for noticing when I do good. Thank you for the reminder to stick with it. Forgive me for being needy and expecting an immediate reward of appreciation and recognition for the good I do. Please point out to me when my goodness is drooping and give me the strength to continue to do good.

“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.