Short devotion: Caretakers

 

Genesis 2:15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. (NIV)

One of the biggest issues that we’re facing today has to do with climate change. Whether we believe in it or not, there seems to be something going on with regard to glaciers melting, sea levels rising, and more storms each year. Last year, our wee city of Knoxville, Tennessee, which is located on the foothills of the Smokey mountains and usually enjoys pleasant weather, was hit with a highly destructive tornado, the likes of which we have never seen. Our winters have also been getting warmer with less snow capping the beautiful mountains that surround us.

Whatever is causing these changes probably has to do with the many neglectful ways in which we take the Earth for granted. We also tend to leave our environmental problems to someone else, or to some future hapless generation to find solutions to the difficulties that are presently occurring. It is far easier to ignore the issues and neglect to do something positive politically, financially, or even globally. After all, isn’t it our God-given right to do as we please with the planet and to exploit its resources?

When I read the Biblical version of creation in the Book of Genesis, I’m always impacted with the role that God gives to humanity with regard to the Earth. In today’s highlighted verse, we read that God not only expected mankind to work in the Garden of Eden, but God also wanted human beings to take care of it. Thus, right from the beginning, we are divinely expected to be caretakers of this planet, this home we call Earth, and not to exploit it.

So, here’s our challenge for today: how can we fulfill our faith in God by looking after the environment we live in, so that we honor God’s creation and become responsible of the planetary role that our Maker expects?

Prayer: Lord God, this is a beautiful and exceptional planet which is a great and unique gift. Help us to heal the harm we have caused it and enable us to restore its balance by being caretakers of the Earth’s environments and not exploiters. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is a retired Scottish pastor, now living in Knoxville, Tennessee. You can read more of his regular devotions on his website at www.glenkirk.blogspot.com

 

Today’s image is one of John’s drawings based on Psalm 24. You can view a larger version at this link: Psalm 24.

Daily devotion: Dream On - Genesis 28:12

Genesis 28:12             Jacob had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 

            I had a dream last night that troubled me. It was a mixture of the past, present, and future. When I look back on it this morning, I realize that there were many symbols in the dream of what I care about most. I won’t go into details because I’m still pondering over what it means, but it has left me unsettled.

            I’m no interpreter of dreams, but I know that they have a way of bringing our hopes and fears to the surface. I can still remember a few dreams from childhood that terrified me, as well as a couple of dreams from adolescence that solidified my faith in God. Even although it has been decades since those dreams occurred, they are still with me, which mystifies me at times. Why would something that didn’t really happen still stay within my heart and mind?

            Jacob’s dream in Genesis 28:10-15 was amazing. He was on the run from his brother who wanted to murder him and from his father who would have cursed him. He didn’t have a place to call home and no doubt he was carrying a lot of fears and troubles within him. We can only guess how those traumatic circumstances affected his faith in God. He was at the lowest point in his long life. If ever he needed a sign or a symbol of reassurance, then this was the time that God had to show Jacob that He was real.

            So Jacob dreamt of a stairway to heaven with angels ascending and descending upon it. He was apparently at the mystical point where Heaven and Earth actually meet. And then he heard the great voice of God confirming the covenant that had been made with his father and grandfather. God was personally reassuring Jacob that his life had a purpose and that the LORD’s promises would be fulfilled through this runaway. It was the most important crossroads in Jacob’s life. From that point on, he personally knew that God was always with him.

            I believe that God still speaks to us in dreams, simply because the world cannot interfere or cause distractions in the middle of them. I firmly believe that God also takes a deep personal interest in each of our lives, so that when we ask Him for guidance, assurance, and a calling, He will listen to our hearts and speak to us in our dreams. Perhaps, in the midst of all of the pressures, stresses, and troubles that we presently endure, the best advice may just be this: sleep on it.

Questions for personal reflection

When and how do I hear God speaking to my heart and mind? Do I really listen to what He is saying to me?

Prayer:            Lord God, through the blessing of Your Son Jesus Christ, we know that You are with us each day until the fullness of our lives and the end of all Time. Speak to our hearts and minds this day and help us to actually hear Your voice. Give us a calling of our hearts and a mission of Christ’s work. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest sunflower drawings. It’s called “Garden Glory.” A larger version can be viewed at the following link: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8281/7607009436_906976cd09_b.jpg

Daily devotions: The Language of Heaven - Genesis 12:1

Genesis 12:1   The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.”

Genesis 12v1 was the very first Bible verse that I ever had to read, pronounce, and translate in Hebrew and it got me hooked on studying the Old Testament at Glasgow University in Scotland. My professor, Robert Davidson, was an outstanding biblical scholar and when he gently spoke the verses in Hebrew, you could hear from his voice how much he loved the ancient language in his heart. As he lyrically pronounced each word and syllable, I yearned to study Hebrew. It was a new part of my faith journey into ministry and it’s something that I still cherish.

Prof. Davidson made the text come alive and created an amazing picture of Abram’s journey to Canaan with his descriptions. He was Old School, which meant that he had been a parish pastor before becoming a university professor. This also meant that his lectures, which were full of wonderful research and knowledge, were also grounded in grass roots faith. Years later, he became the Moderator of the Church of Scotland and is still regarded as one of the finest spiritual leaders that Caledonia has ever known.

God commanded Abram to leave all that was familiar to him and go to a land that he had never seen. Abram’s obedient response puts a whole chain of events into motion that still affects many of us today. Three great faiths – Judaism, Christianity, and Islam – are born in that amazing moment. Abram’s blind acceptance of God’s Word not only affects his immediate family, it changes the history of the world.

Today God will call each of us to do His bidding, some of which may have life changing effects upon our lives, our families, and even our careers. The question we may have to ask of ourselves is not whether we are willing to listen to Him, but are we willing to listen and obey God?

Prayer:                        Lord God, we each believe that You have a plan for our lives, a call to our hearts, and a ministry to fulfill. Help us to be ready, willing, and able to accept Your Word, work, and way for our lives. In Christ’s Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send John an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is one of my latest Pentecost drawings. It’s called “Pentecost People” and is a simple depiction of the disciples receiving the Holy Spirit in the Upper Room on the Day of Pentecost. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5453/7238891276_57f5062184_b.jpg