CamDevo

“And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭10‬:‭24‬-‭25‬ ‭CSB‬‬

I don’t like reading this verse, if I’m honest, because I have definitely gotten out of the habit of going to church. Since Covid I have watched my local church’s live streaming service every Sunday morning.

Covid is no longer what is preventing me. I have all sorts of excuses and rationalizations and reasons, but it’s largely just so much easier to flip on the TV at the prescribed time and sit on my couch to listen to the praise songs and then the sermon. I can even watch it later if something important needed to happen during the church hour. (What could be more important than church?) And if I can watch it later, it’s so easy just to not watch it at all.

But then I come to today’s verses.

Clearly I am not being obedient here. I am not gathering together with other Christians to encourage them or consider them or provoke them to love or good deeds.

Now, it’s true that the “gathering together” part does not necessarily have to be at church on Sunday. It could be anywhere, anytime, for any reason. The problem is that my husband and I moved to where we live now at the start of the pandemic. We didn’t get a chance to find a church and go in person to meet people and establish any relationships there. There is no one at the church we “attend” every Sunday that knows who I am or that I am there (in Spirit.) How could I possible encourage anyone while staring at a TV screen? (Other than my husband, I suppose.) How could I provoke love and good deeds in anyone when they have never met me or even seen me once?

Sitting in a pew listening to a church sermon is also not really the place where these things happen, but by physically being in the group, I will meet people, interact with them, gradually get to know some — even as an introvert. It happens. There are also other group activities within a church — volunteer events, classes, celebrations — where I can show my consideration for other people, love them, provoke them to love, and encourage them.

I just can’t obey today’s verse from my couch, no matter how much I want to.

Dear God,

Thank you for today’s verse even though I do not want to hear it. Thank you for shining a spotlight on this glaring failure in my walk with you. Please forgive my laziness, selfishness, and rationalizations. And now show me how you’d like me to step into a group of your followers so that I can encourage them and love them and provoke love and good deeds among them. Give me wisdom, strength, and courage!

“Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭2‬ ‭CSB‬‬

I quit my job because of this Bible verse.

It’s true. I should have quit sooner, but I just couldn’t seem to let go. Fear of the unknown held me back. Terror actually. And I suppose a little pride too. I was proud of my job title, Technical Director. (See, even now I’m still proud of it enough that I had to include it in this story.)

But then I encountered something even scarier than not having an income. I was so miserable and desperate that I contemplated ending my life. That scared me even more.

It was then that I stumbled across this verse. At that time in my life it felt as if God were speaking directly to me through this one verse, saying everything I needed to hear.

He said, “You don’t need to live your life the way you’ve been told to live it your entire life. I know you think you should want money, power, status, a career… success. But you don’t really need any of those things. That’s the pattern of this world. Those things are only getting in the way of you knowing me. So it’s time to let them go.”

And so, I decided to take God at His word. I wouldn’t end my life. I would just end my job and see what happened. If things got worse, I could always revisit option A.

But things got better. I discovered that God’s will is good, pleasing, and perfect just as the verse says.

I’m not saying my life has been all sunshine and butterflies since quitting that job. But I learned a very valuable lesson about what I think I’m supposed to do simply because that’s what people do. The lesson is that it’s ok to do something weird and different, something that perplexes other people, if it’s something God wants me to do.

Because of stepping out in faith that one time, I’ve learned to take more steps toward God. And I keep learning that He is faithful. He can be trusted. His will is always better than what I could have managed myself or even dreamed of.

Dear God,

Thank you so much for pursuing me, for showing me a better path when I was on the wrong one. Please continue to point me in the best direction, your direction. I trust you. Forgive me for letting fear hold me back and for letting pride change my course. Teach me to be courageous and step boldly and humbly forward as you lead me.

“Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your gracious Spirit lead me on level ground.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭143‬:‭10‬ ‭CSB‬‬

Old movies and tv shows used to portray primitive cultures that sacrificed people to their volcano god. The Simpsons did an episode like that. And I guess the King Kong movie was similar except that instead of a volcano they would sacrifice to a giant ape to appease their god.

How did these people know how to please their god? Was it trial and error? And who first thought of the idea to throw someone in the volcano? “Hey, maybe the crops will be plentiful if we toss Betsy over that fiery cliff!” It’s actually not far-fetched. People will do crazy things if they think “the universe” will reward them.

As Christians, we are very fortunate to have a God, the only true God and Creator of everything, who told us exactly what He expects of us. He even had people write it down for us.

Yet we still disobeyed!

The ancient Israelites were noted to have, at times, ignored God’s less deadly commands and instead sacrifice their children “in the fire” to the foreign god Molech.

What’s up with all the sacrificing? God doesn’t ask for this. He hates it, in fact. I’m very glad of that.

Today’s verse is a reminder that all I need to do to obey God is ask Him for instruction and listen to His answers. I should not come up with my own ideas and use trial and error. I should not do what feels right or feels sacrificial just because it feels sacrificial. God loves me and He makes His will plain. It starts with love. Always.

Dear God,

Thank you so much for your word, the Bible. Thank you that I can read it anytime I want in almost any language. What a gift! Thank you that I don’t have to guess and I don’t have to sacrifice any children to a volcano or a giant ape. Please guide me back to your beautiful, loving path when I have gone astray.

“I have treasured your word in my heart so that I may not sin against you.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭119‬:‭11‬ ‭CSB‬‬

We bought a house several years ago that had a pretty significant safe built in. I’d never had a safe before. I pondered what I should put in the safe. I guessed that typically people put in their gemstones and jewelry and gold bouillon and rare coins — the kind of stuff you see spilling out of treasure chests in pirate movies.

I didn’t have any of that stuff.

I had to spend some time thinking about what my treasure was. As a photographer, I realized my photos were my treasure. And they are all stored digitally on a hard drive. Thousands and thousands of photos that I sell online. I have backups of my photo hard drive and thought it would be a good idea to put one in the safe.

Imagine the disappointment a burglar would have when breaking into our safe. A hard drive? Where are the stacks of cash and the rubies and diamond necklaces?!

Today’s verse makes me think about whether I have a safe in my heart where I keep my treasure. It would be something I protect and value and lock up and check on often. I guess that would involve memorizing and remembering my treasure.

What do I treasure in that way? Memories? Names and faces of people I have known? Things I learned or books I read or movies I watched?

Am I treasuring the right things?

If I treasure a person, I will keep photos of them around and notes they have written me. I will keep their name in my address book from phone to phone. I will stay in touch with them even if I move across the country. I will remind myself of them by looking at the photos, reading the notes, and contacting them often or getting together with them if possible.

If I don’t treasure a person, I will forget about them. I will delete their contact information from my phone. I probably won’t have any photos of them, but if I do, they will be buried at the bottom of a box in the back on my closet. One day maybe I will think, hey, that’s someone I used to know, what was their name?

Do I treasure God in my heart? Do I read His word and keep it handy and refer to it often, reminding me of who He is and what He looks like? Have I stored His word in the safe in my heart? Or is it at the bottom of a box in the back of my closet?

Dear God,

Forgive me for the ways that I do not treat you and your word like a treasure. You are my most valuable treasure in fact! Show me ways that I am crowding my safe with stupid things that aren’t valuable. Help me to clear out the wrong treasures and fill my safe with your word and your will.

“But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like someone looking at his own face in a mirror. For he looks at himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of person he was.”
‭‭James‬ ‭1‬:‭22‬-‭24‬ ‭CSB‬‬

I’ve read these verses before and understand how important it is to go beyond just hearing God’s word. But I’m not sure I get James’s analogy about the mirror. Does that matter? Do I need to understand about the mirror situation? I wonder.

James’s mirror analogy seems to say that reading (or hearing) God’s word will make me examine myself and the kind of person I am the way I use a mirror to examine myself and my physical appearance. That makes sense so far.

As I gaze into my mirror, I will probably decide that something needs to change. It’s inevitable.

The same thing happens when I gaze into God’s word and see how far I am from God’s perfection. I will probably decide that something needs to change.

Now comes the point of James’s analogy. If I look in the mirror and notice a floret of broccoli stuck between my front teeth but don’t pluck it out and reexamine my status, if I just walk away instead, I am a seer but not a doer. Pretty inane.

The same with God’s word. If I read or hear a sermon about something in the Bible that makes me recognize a flaw in my lifestyle but don’t make changes, I am a hearer and not a doer. Also inane.

Why would I look in the mirror if I didn’t care about my appearance? And why would I bother reading the Bible or going to church if I didn’t care about the state of my soul?

I guess sometimes people look in the mirror out of sheer vanity. They want confirmation of their beauty and to bask in it. Other times people may look in the mirror and imagine changes that they would like to make but seem out of their control. They may gaze in the mirror to fantasize about more hair, different skin, or a smaller nose.

Do people do this same thing with their Bible reading?

Do I ever read the Bible and think, “Yes, I am so much better than these people who worshipped idols. And I would never have an affair with someone and then kill their spouse like that guy.” Or do I read it and fantasize about obeying the Great Commission but think it’s beyond my capabilities?

Yes.

Upon reflection, that mirror analogy was more apt than I gave it credit for and had a lot more to offer.

Dear God,

I’m so sorry to admit that sometimes I use your Bible like a hearer and not a doer which is inane. Please show me the changes I need to make to my life. Make them clear. And then give me the strength and wisdom to step forward into those changes.

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬ ‭CSB‬‬

I’ve always liked how the Bible opens with “In the beginning God….” It’s like kind of the opposite of “once upon a time” which is purposefully vague and implies a “story,” meaning fiction, is about to be told. “ln the beginning” is actually very specific. It means at the very start of time. Before anything else existed, God existed.

This specificity indicates that what follows is the true story of how everything else came to be.

It’s a compelling start and a great read with so many fascinating insights into our past, and our future.

But this simple beginning also brings up some significant questions that are never answered in the Bible. Like, if God was all that existed, how did He come to be? Why was He alone? Did He create things besides our universe, outside our universe? Why did He suddenly decide to create this universe? How did He create all this, and why did He make it like this?

I could go on, and I’m sure you have some questions of your own.

But that’s not the story of the Bible. The story is laid out here in the very first verse. The Bible is the story of God and this universe He created.

I’m glad to be a part of it. I look forward to hearing God’s other stories one day when I get to speak with Him face to face. Perhaps chatting by the fireside with a mug of hot chocolate.

Dear God,

Thank you for giving us your Word, the Bible. Thank you for telling us the story of how we came to be and how things got to be the way they are and what you have done about that and plan to do about it in the future. I’m sorry for my part in the tainting of your beautiful creation. I am so grateful for your grace and look forward to meeting you face to face one day!

“He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also put eternity in their hearts, but no one can discover the work God has done from beginning to end.”
‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭3‬:‭11‬ ‭CSB‬‬

God made me to be curious. He made me to wonder where I came from, why I was born, and what will happen to me next year and a decade from now. He created me with questions.

And He usually doesn’t simply answer these questions.

God also gave us brains and skills and ideas. Life is a great mystery, but sometimes we discover answers. We created science and the scientific method to try to figure God’s creation out. There is beautiful satisfaction in revelation. God knew this and gave us the gift of figuring things out on our own.

But no matter how deep we dig, how far we look, how much we learn, we will never understand everything about God or His creation. That is also a wonderful gift.

Have you ever been reading a really good book and didn’t want it to end? Or maybe you have been working on a jigsaw puzzle and, although there was satisfaction, you were also sad when you finished it.

With God’s creation, we don’t have to worry about running out of story or puzzle. There will always be more to learn, discover, and understand. What joy!

Dear God,

Thank you for the beautiful puzzle of life you have given your children to solve. The more we learn, the more we realize we don’t know. You are infinite and oh so incredibly mysterious. I’m so glad for this mystery but also grateful for all you have shared with me about yourself.

“The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭103‬:‭19‬ ‭CSB‬‬

There is nothing that exists outside of God’s rule. Not just His notice or His awareness but His rule. He has ultimate power and authority over everything. There is nothing I can imagine that He isn’t able to control. There is no one more powerful, no one with greater understanding, no one with more knowledge.

What an amazing being our God is!

So isn’t it a relief that this all-powerful, all-knowing Being is also loving and good and holy and wise?

The rest of the chapter surrounding today’s verse describes how very wonderful that love is. God’s love is as big and impressive as He Himself is.

Dear God,

I am in awe of you and your power, vastness, permanence, and knowledge. And I am so grateful that you use these amazing qualities to love your creation, to bless us with goodness and holiness. Thank you!

“He gives strength to the faint and strengthens the powerless.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭40‬:‭29‬ ‭CSB‬‬

We just got done moving from one house to another. We have moved many times before, but for some reason this move seems harder than before. Maybe because we are older, or maybe because we moved to a slightly smaller house. Whatever the reason, my husband and I have ended every day feeling totally exhausted.

So today’s verse is pretty welcome.

But it also makes me wonder where that strength is that Isaiah says God will provide.

After some contemplation, God has mentioned a few things. He asked, “Are you really powerless or faint?”

Ok, no. I am just fatigued and overwhelmed because of a busy and confusing time in my life. We have a lovely home that we moved into. I have power — I’m not being oppressed — and haven’t yet actually fainted from hunger, thirst, fear, illness or any other reason.

God says, “So, do you really need me to give you strength or do you just need a few good nights of sleep?”

Your strength would be awesome, but a few good nights of sleep would help for sure.

God says, “You haven’t actually asked me for strength. Or even peaceful sleep. Why do you suddenly expect it? If you’ll notice, this Bible passage says my strength comes to those who trust in me. It seems to me you have been trusting in yourself right along….”

Of course you are right. I haven’t been relying on you, talking to you, asking you for help, strength, peace or anything else. And yet I am whining about this verse not being true for me. I’m sorry.

Dear God,

Forgive me for relying on my own strength and wisdom but then blaming you when the outcome is fatigue and weariness. I would love to claim your gift of strength. I trust you. I want to trust you. Teach me how and point out when I fail. Thank you for all the beauty you have blessed me with.

“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith.”
‭‭Galatians‬ ‭6‬:‭10‬ ‭CSB‬‬

For some reason today’s verse makes me think of the mask “debate” this country had during the pandemic. I use debate loosely because most people did not participate in “a reasoned, organized, and formal discussion where opposing views are put forward, heard, and considered before deciding a course of action.”

The people with the strongest views seemed to simply decide their stance based on partisanship or loyalty to a favored personality. “I’m on the blue team so I must do this” or “I’m on the red team so I have to do this” or “I have to do this because my hero said so.”

This way of decision-making is contrary to how God wants His children to make decisions.

So how does God want us to decide what to do and how and when to do things?

Today’s verse says we are to consider what is good for all and to take every opportunity to work towards that. It doesn’t say to listen to one person’s idea of what is right and only do that. It doesn’t say to embrace your team’s ideology and hate everything else. It doesn’t say to make sure my rights are in tact or my needs are met or my life is improved. It says to work for the good of all.

How do I know what is good for all? After praying with an honest heart to ask God, my next step might be to listen to all the people. I can’t know what’s good for you if I don’t ask you and listen for the answer. Particularly I should include people I think I disagree with in my considerations. (Especially to the believers in that group. After all, today’s verse does include that last part about working for the good of all, especially for the other believers.)

In the mask example, I shouldn’t think about my rights or my comfort as much as I work for the good of others: their health, their safety, their comfort, their rights, their peace… their good. If by wearing a mask I can protect one vulnerable person from any infections I carry, that is one small way to work for the good of all.

Mask-wearing is just one of many things our society wants us to take sides on. This is the devil’s plan. Divide and conquer. That is not God’s plan. God’s plan is always love. How can I plan to love today, to work for the good of all?

Dear God,

Thank you for your love and for wanting all your children to participate in it. Your plan to love and work for the good of all is so much better than this world’s plan to pick a side and ride or die. I want to live in a world of love and peace not a world of hate and fear. Teach me how to work for the good of all today. Show me ways and times I am doing the wrong thing. Please forgive me and help me to change.