CamDevo

“For if you forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will forgive you as well.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭14‬ ‭CSB‬‬

This is something Jesus said after He gave His disciples the example of how to pray, often called The Lord’s Prayer. Part of that prayer is “Forgive our debts as we forgive our debtors.” It’s kind of a funny part of the prayer because it is often said this way instead: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” I’ve attended a lot of different churches throughout my life. This prayer is frequently recited as part of the church service. I always pause right before this line to see which translation that particular church uses. It’s a very churchy thing.

Trespassers or debtors.

Both are such awkward, unfamiliar words. If someone were asking me what Jesus meant here, I’d just say forgive anyone who screwed you over. Maybe that’s too crude for a prayer. Forgive anyone who hurt you or was unkind to you or looked at you the wrong way or cheated you or owes you or, back to today’s verse, forgive anyone who offended you.

There are countless ways, major and minor, that someone can hurt me or trespass against me or become my debtor or offend me. But Jesus says I should forgive them all, right away, without question. Without even requiring an apology or acknowledgment.

Why? Because there are even more ways that I have hurt God or offended Him or cheated Him or ignored Him or lied to Him or trespassed against Him. And I am very certainly in His debt.

If I forgive my offenders, He will forgive me. Whew! What a relief.

Forgiveness is hard. But I have a great teacher. And I am so grateful for that.

Dear God,

Thank you so much for your promise to forgive me. Teach me how to forgive my offenders without delay and without grudges. I’m sorry for the times when I grumble and whine or retaliate instead of immediately forgiving them. Remind how beautiful forgiveness feels and give me the strength to share it with others.

“Happy are those who keep his decrees and seek him with all their heart.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭119‬:‭2‬ ‭CSB‬‬

Happiness is hard to come by. It seems so fickle. And fleeting. The moment I feel happy, I start worrying about what’s next.

It makes me think how I could never enjoy a sunny day when I lived in Seattle. The sunshine made me panicky because I felt I had to do something worthy of the weather, like a hike or a boat ride or something outdoors at least. I knew it was a rare and precious treat so I couldn’t be happy just to look out my window and appreciate the view.

And when I was growing up in Wisconsin, I couldn’t enjoy summer because winter was next. And winter in Wisconsin was an ominous prospect. Spring was always my favorite, even though it was often a muddy, foggy time, simply because I still had summer to look forward to.

The kind of happiness that the Psalmist is talking about in today’s verse isn’t like that. It’s not fleeting or fragile. Because it’s centered on God not on temporary moments of pleasure. God is the opposite of temporary. He calls Himself I AM because He always was and always will be. He just IS.

That kind of permanence is something worthy of tying my happiness hopes to. If I follow His wise decrees and seek to have a relationship with Him, He promises to be with me. Always. Guiding, teaching, leading, and loving. I don’t need to panic because He won’t suddenly go behind the clouds like Seattle’s shy sun. And He doesn’t have seasons where He is cold for months on end like Wisconsin winters.

God is always my sunny summer.

Dear God,

Thank you for always being here. Thank you just for always being. Your permanence is so comforting. I know if I tie my happiness to my relationship with you, I will always be happy. Forgive me for relying on temporary, unreliable things more than I rely on you. Teach me how to value your word and your presence more than anything else in my life.

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
‭‭James‬ ‭1‬:‭17‬ ‭CSB‬‬

When bad things happen, my tendency is to turn to God with accusations in my heart asking, “Why?!”

It’s funny — I don’t do the same thing when good things happen.

Today’s verse says this reaction is exactly backwards. God is only to be given credit for good things in my life, not bad.

Prior to today’s verse, James explains that temptation and evil do not come from God. They are birthed from my own selfish desires, encouraged to grow into sin by the devil, and would ultimately, if it weren’t for Jesus, end in death.

But when bad things happen, I rarely look to my own choices, the choices of other people, or the devil running wild in a greedy, fallen world.

God is not at fault. He is love. He is good. Everything He does is good. He doesn’t change. He is always good. Everything good in my life is because of Him.

So why do I blame God for the bad stuff?

When a child is killed in a car accident, I ask God why.

The only thing He’s guilty of is giving us freedom. He gave someone freedom to choose to drink and drive that day. And He gave people freedom to choose to invent vehicles capable of causing such tragedies. It breaks His heart to watch our choices knowing their consequences, but He loves us so much that He is willing, for now, to let us suffer the consequences of our choices. But because of Jesus, His mercy will one day put an end to even those consequences. Evil will be wiped away for good.

Dear God,

Thank you for your faithful love and consistent goodness. Thank you for the many, many things in my life that are good! Forgive me for blaming you for the bad things in my life and in the world. Show me my culpability when I can make changes or better choices. I appreciate the freedom you’ve given me to make those choices. But I so look forward to the day when evil no longer exists.

“Each person should do as he has decided in his heart — not reluctantly or out of compulsion, since God loves a cheerful giver.”
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭9‬:‭7‬ ‭CSB‬‬

I had to learn how to give. It didn’t come naturally. I was born selfish. Maybe partly because I didn’t have much to offer. I started out as a little ball of need. Gimme gimme gimme!

At some point, probably while tussling over a toy in the sandbox, someone told me to share. For a while that word became dreaded. Share?! But then one day, some other kid was told to share. With me. Wow! Such joy. I could play with a toy that I’d never seen before. Or have an extra snack. It was like my birthday. Or Christmas.

When I learned the joy of being shared with, I could start to experience the joy of sharing too. It’s really fun to see joy blossom on someone else’s face.

God is love. He is good. He is wise. And He wants all His children to be filled with joy. So He tells us to share. Not because He is mean and doesn’t want me to have nice things. On the contrary, He knows the joy that sharing my nice things (that He’s given me) will bring to the sharer, the sharee, the whole world.

Dear God,

Thank you for your love, your goodness, and your wisdom. Thank you for the joy of giving. I want to live in a world filled with sharing and joy. Thank you for blessing me with nice things so that I am able to share them with others. Forgive me for the times when I clutch them tightly instead. Remind me, gently, to share.

“Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve others, as good stewards of the varied grace of God.”
‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭4‬:‭10‬ ‭CSB‬‬

I remember a pastor told me years ago that God is not fair. I was dumbfounded because, as a child, fairness seemed like the pinnacle of what is right and good. Playing fair — by the established or somehow innately understood rules — was valued on the playground. Indignation and outrage was immediate and loud when someone in authority didn’t treat us kids fairly or enforce fairness amongst us. If Jimmy gets a piece of cake, I must get one too. And it better be exactly the same size. (Never mind that I was willing to let fairness slip when the inequity was in my favor.)

But God never promised fairness. Fairness isn’t love. It’s just fairness. If God were fair, He would have put an end to me long ago. I sin all the time. He will not tolerate sin, so if He were fair… Believe me, we don’t want God to be fair.

Today’s verse mentions the “varied grace of God.” Why is it varied? Because He’s not fair. His grace is not handed out in identical portions to all His children at exactly the same time and in exactly the same ways. Yes, we all receive salvation the same when we accept Jesus’s atoning sacrifice, but beyond that there are daily graces God distributes according to need.

I don’t need strength from God today to withstand the temptation to watch porn, but someone else does. God isn’t fair because He doesn’t meet me with that particular strength today. Thankfully He is ready to provide to someone else though.

I do need help today combatting feelings of despair and irritation. If I pray for His peace and forgiveness when I take out my anger on innocent bystanders, I will receive this grace, but another person not struggling with these problems won’t.

We are all so unique with weaknesses and strengths that are ours alone. And each day brings different opportunities and challenges to everyone. God made me and He made you. He knows each of us better than we know ourselves. And He knows exactly what each day brings. He knows it all. So He isn’t fair. He’s wise enough to know that His grace, while it’s more than enough for everyone, needs to be administered as needed and as requested.

I don’t want a fair God. I want a God who loves me and knows me and knows exactly what I need when I need it. We are so lucky to have such a God.

Dear God,

Thank you so much for not being fair! Thank you for your varied grace, according to my needs. I love that you know me so well, that you know where my struggles lie. Thank you for meeting me in the midst of my badness with your goodness. Teach me how to use the goodness you give me to help someone else who may be struggling where I am.

“May the Lord bless you and protect you; may the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; may the Lord look with favor on you and give you peace.”
‭‭Numbers‬ ‭6‬:‭24‬-‭26‬ ‭CSB‬‬

I’ve heard this blessing many times in my life, usually at the end of church services. But what I just learned today — even though I’ve read through the Bible a few times — is that this is how God told Moses (to tell Aaron and the priests) to bless His people. I guess that’s why it is used so often. It’s exactly how God wants to be asked for blessings.

This reminds me of something I told my husband. I usually take care of the laundry. It’s a chore I don’t mind that much, but it’s still a chore. A never-ending chore. One day I told him a trick to get me to continue to do the laundry without complaint. I told him simply to say, “Thank you for doing the laundry,” every time. That’s it. And he has faithfully thanked me for doing the laundry each time, and I continue to be content with that chore.

Relationships are much easier when communication is clear. When I told my husband how to speak to me, his life became a lot easier and so did mine.

God told His people how to ask for blessings. We should listen! When was the last time you asked God to bless you or to make His face shine on your family or to look with favor on your friends? God said I should do this. So I will start today!

Dear God,

Thank you for telling us how to speak to you and ask for your blessing. Thank you for making it simple and beautiful! Today I ask for your blessing and protection. Please make your face shine on me and be gracious to me. Please look with favor on me today and give me peace. Thank you!

“Let the word of Christ dwell richly among you, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.”
‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬ ‭CSB‬‬

I grew up going to church (whether I liked it of not). It was the old style church where we all sang hymns together with an organ or piano. There was no praise band or performance except for the choir which just sang along with those same hymns and was made up of whoever felt like singing in it, myself included for a brief time.

Music was a big part of my childhood church experience, but unlike the churches I’ve attended in recent times, it was very participatory. Everyone was expected to sing whether they could carry a tune or not. From hymns during the church services to children’s songs at Sunday School or Vacation Bible school to summer camp by the fireside, I learned an awful lot of Christian songs!

At the time I didn’t really think much of it. I enjoyed singing but barely even listened to the words. But I’ve found as an adult now, these songs come back to me all the time. Many of them are based on Bible verses and helped me to memorize scripture without even trying. God speaks to me through these songs at times when I really need to hear from Him. I am so very grateful to the people who taught me and sang with me and played the organ and led the singing.

Today’s verse talks about how important music is in our corporate Christian experience. God’s word should “dwell richly among us” and what better way than by singing it together. The Israelites did it all the time. And I’m so fortunate to have had that experience as a child.

Dear God,

Thank you so much for music. What an incredible invention! Thank you for giving me a community of Christians who saw the value of singing to God, singing the word of Christ to each other. Show me if there is a way I can promote this kind of devotion to your word through song in my life. In the meantime, guide me to the right songs to sing at the right times for encouragement and wisdom.

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his faithful love endures forever.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭107‬:‭1‬ ‭CSB‬‬

This refrain is repeated often in the Bible. It’s a lovely, and easy to remember verse of praise for God. And it’s also interesting that, with this verse, I am thanking God not for something He gave me or anything specific He did for me, but I am thanking Him for His very character. It’s like saying, “Thanks for being you!”

Wouldn’t it be nice if we all could say that to each other and really mean it? Thanks for being you!

Thanks for being a Filipino- American tennis player who is great at organizing and laughs so easily.

Thanks for being a retired chemist from Chicago who wears the cutest brightly-colored outfits and has the most welcoming spirit.

Thanks for being an emergency room nurse during your long career and being so adept at caring for your friends, all with an easy-going sense of humor.

Maybe it’s easy to thank my friends for being themselves. It is important to thank those I disagree with for being themselves as well. Maybe even more important. There is always something to appreciate!

Thank you for being a kind-hearted, energetic, and welcoming fitness enthusiast from Reno.

Thank you for being a birdwatcher who appreciates the beauty and variety of nature no matter where you are.

Thank you for being a dedicated mother to your children and a source of helpful information for the neighborhood.

Thank you for being a quiet neighbor who always seems ready with a pleasant smile and a wave.

Dear God,

Thank you so much for your goodness and your eternal, faithful love! And thank you for the enormous variety of people in my life. Remind me to be thankful for who they are and not just what they do for me. And when appropriate, give me the courage and the right words to express my gratitude in a way that builds them up.

“Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5‬:‭16‬-‭18‬ ‭CSB‬‬

Years ago I was taught something about how to argue. I learned I should not use the words “always” or “never” as in, “You always leave your towel on the floor,” or “You never empty the dishwasher.”

I don’t think I always do anything. And I’ve lived long enough that “never” rarely applies to me either.

My arguments should instead be along the lines of “I feel annoyed when I have to pick your wet towel up off the floor,” or “It would make me happy if we shared the duty of emptying the dishwasher.”

So why is Paul going to extremes in today’s verse with “always”, “constantly”, and “everything”?

I don’t think he expects every moment of my day, every day, to be nothing but rejoicing, prayer, and thanksgiving. It’s not possible. I think instead he wants to make a point. When I argue that you always leave your towel on the floor, I am exasperated and want to make a point that it’s a very common occurrence. So common that I remember noticing it and dealing with it very frequently. In fact, I can’t think of a time when I saw you hang your towel up to dry properly. But I don’t think you spend your whole day every day throwing random wet towels on the floor. “Always” is just a repeated pattern and a habit.

So Paul is saying my default position should be one of rejoicing. When people think of me, they should think of how often they notice me rejoicing. It should be my habit and pattern and the behavior I return to again and again, no matter the circumstance. The same with prayer and thanksgiving. They should be my first reactions to any stimulus.

When given a wet towel, you throw it on the floor. You always do that.

When I’m given… anything… I rejoice, pray, and thank God. I always do that constantly, about everything.

Dear God,

Remind me to default to rejoicing in my life. Teach me to reach for prayer before any other resource. Open my eyes to recognize your blessings in all situations and to be thankful. Forgive me for reaching for despair or whining or bitterness instead. Your will is so much better!

“Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord as long as I live.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭23‬:‭6‬ ‭CSB‬‬

It’s really impossible to improve upon the beautiful and poetic psalms of David. Psalm 23 has the benefit of being a well-known, oft-memorized favorite. So it also has some wonderful memories attached for me.

I remember reading it as a child and being enthralled by the imagery. Luxurious green pastures. Cool, refreshing still waters. A banquet table just for me and a cup overflowing with something good. Such beautiful promises.

However, even in David’s magnificent poem of praise, life isn’t all butterflies and rainbows. There is a valley of the shadow of death that, for some reason, I have to walk through. There are rods and staffs of discipline and correction. And my enemies are hanging around my banquet table.

Through it all David reminds his readers of one very important fact. God is with me the whole time. He’s providing the good respites and protecting me during the dark times. He is feeding and encouraging and guiding and loving me at every step in my journey.

Today’s verse is the last verse in the chapter, and what a magnificent ending. Not only is God with me, David reminds me that I can’t shake Him. God pursues me with His goodness. He chases after me with His faithful love when I wander off like a dolt. He says, “Hey! Where are you going?! The good stuff, my loving mercy, joy, peace, and hope are over this way.” He says, “Come back home with me. I’ve got a spot just for you, and it’s beautiful. You’re gonna love it!”

Dear God,

I want to dwell in your beautiful house forever. I want to be where the grass is green and the water is cool and refreshing. Thank you for following me, for pursuing me. Forgive me for thinking any solutions to any of my problems can be found somewhere apart from you. Thank you for joining me and holding my hand in the dark. I trust you to show me the quickest way through. I accept your forgiveness, your love, and your beautiful, undeserved blessings.