Daily devotions: God's Smiley Face - Isaiah 49:13

Isaiah 49:13    Shout for joy, O Heavens; rejoice O Earth; burst into song, O mountains! For the LORD comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones. 

Like most people, sometimes all that I need are a few kind words and a smile to get me through the day. A little kindness, mixed in with some encouragement, goes a long way. In the busy-ness of our own activities and careers, it’s nice to be applauded and appreciated once in a while.

Sometimes when I’m writing emails, I put one of those smiley faces at the end of what I’ve written. Emails are great, but they often don’t communicate gratitude and grace very well. A little yellow smiley face or even the typed equivalent J helps the recipient to understand that you are pleased with what they are doing and encouraged by what they have written.

I like today’s verse from Isaiah because seeks to bless His people with comfort and compassion. They have endured a lot of suffering through the years of exile in Babylon. Their faith has been stretched to its limit and their beliefs have been battered and bruised. God wants them to know that in the midst of their struggles, He is still with them.

Perhaps today you need a kind word and a smile from God. Through the grace that Jesus Christ brought into the world, we are given God’s comfort and compassion. Come to Him today with your worries and woes, your problems and pressures. His promises will help you; His love will sustain you…. J

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, You are the instrument of God’s blessing to the world and the channel of His cherished love. Grant us comfort in the midst of all that unsettles us, and compassion in all that worries us. 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 my latest chess drawing called “Indian King,” featuring Indian designed chess pieces. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7197/6854840939_1a83f370e8_b.jpg

Free Daily Devotions: Making Jesus Angry - Mark 3 v 5

Mark 3:5              Jesus looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored.

Injustice mixed with religious hypocrisy was the one thing that caused Jesus to get angry.  His Spirit could not abide heartless people who used their faith as a shield to stop them from being charitable or generous. Religious rules and traditions were meant to make people better, but instead they used them as spiritual tax loopholes to circumnavigate the needs of the poor and to block out the cries of the oppressed.

That’s why He got angry in His hometown synagogue. A man with a withered hand, which may have been a form of polio, was in need of a miracle. The pious congregation, especially the clergy, were not looking for Jesus to heal the man. Instead, they were like spiritual vultures waiting to see if Christ would break the Sabbath by working the miracle. They were more concerned about their religious rules than they were for the needs of the sick man. The cripple was being used as a guinea pig to feed the fanaticism of the ‘faithful;’ and this is what angered Jesus.

I’ve read some reports and heard some broadcasters say that we’ve done enough for Haiti over the years with our tax dollars. I even read a statement by a politician who compared giving welfare to the poor to the feeding of stray animals. All I can say to them is this: Christ tells us that the poor will always be with us and we have to do for them whatever we can. Our tax dollars may have helped the people of Haiti in the past, but it’s our charitable dollars that need to do the work now. If we fail to help provide for the least, then as Jesus says elsewhere in the Gospels, we fail to help Him.

As Christians we need to do more than just sit on the sidelines, expecting someone else to give or help. We have to be amongst the first responders in charitable giving and second responders in sustaining the missions that help the poor at home and abroad. If we do this, then both justice and faith will be perfectly combined, just as Jesus did when He actually healed the man’s hand in the synagogue on the Sabbath.

Prayer:                 Lord Jesus, You made us Christians not just for ourselves, but for the sake and welfare of the world. Help us to follow Your compassionate heart and do whatever we can to relieve the suffering of the poor, at home and abroad. In Your Holy 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, pleases end him an e-mail to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.