Half Time devotion: Light is Essential - John 11:10

John 11:10 “It is when he walks by night that he stumbles, for he has no light.”

Like most people in the US, I’ve been watching the football play-offs. I always get excited at this time of year when the best teams begin to emerge from a long and busy season. Some teams peak just before the play-offs and miss out on the wild cards each year. Others excel and when it comes to the elimination rounds, some unexpected team just seems to beat everybody’s expectations to reach the Super Bowl.

As I watched the games, it dawned on me that without modern lighting, none of these games could be played at night. The great spectacle of the Super Bowl would have to be played early in the day which would diminish the whole occasion. As soon as dusk occurred, the game would be over, without the illumination of the great lights above and throughout the stadiums. Teams would stumble in the dark and players would be injured. Television broadcasting would be hopeless and even the view from the blimp in the sky would be like looking into a dark crater. Without light, the game would quickly end and the whole event would not be worth watching or even playing.

Light is essential to our modern lives; it’s also a necessary part of our spiritual growth. Without the light of Christ in our world, would life itself be worth living? Wouldn’t the darkness overwhelm our spirits and diminish our existence? When Jesus comes into our lives, He brightens our spirits, enlightens our minds, and dazzles our souls. His light brings meaning and purpose, direction and encouragement to our situations, experiences, and moments. He is the Light of our world, our souls, and our hearts. If we stumble in the dark, He raises us up back into His light; if we fall into despair, He is ready to take hold of us and lead towards God’s everlasting Kingdom.

Questions for personal reflection

When has Christ’s light helped me in my life? Where do I see His light in the world today?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, You are the Light of the World and the Lamp for our souls. You direct our paths and give us guidance each day. Help us to follow Your light, so that we may see the way ahead that You have planned for us. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, TN. 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 Psalm project drawings. It’s a crucifixion interpretation of a verse from Psalm 129, done in an Art Deco style. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8087/8354865975_5fee871f1c_b.jpg

Daily Devotions: Ministry of Parties - Proverbs 22:9

Proverbs 22:9    A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor. 

We have a Fellowship team at our church which has sometimes jovially been called the “Ministry of Parties” because of all the social events that the team organizes. To some people, it may appear that way, but I know the work of the people involved. They don’t organize parties – they strengthen the church through caring for others.

Many of the ministries that the Fellowship team fulfills are immensely beneficial to the whole congregation, but one that constantly impresses me is when the team provides food and support for those of our church or community who are grieving, ill, or going through hard times. The care that is expressed through calls, cards, and meals is a wonderful example of generous giving and gracious living. The love that is outpoured to those in need is something that the recipients never forget. It’s truly being the Church in the world and is one of the best ways to witness to Christ.

Perhaps there are people in your church or neighborhood, at work or school, who need a word of encouragement, a helping hand, a hand-written card, or a simple meal. Look for the opportunities that God sends your way to be generous with your food, your fellowship, and your faith. If you respond positively, it will make a tremendous difference in your own life, as well as in the lives of others.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, You came into the world to heal the broken, comfort the lost, and support the weak. Each week, You grant us opportunities to apply our faith in generous ways that will help those in need. Grant us the courage to fulfill those moments of potential blessing with our faith, gifts, and support. In Your Holy Name, we gratefully pray. Amen.

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

Today’s image is John’s latest Appalachian drawing. It’s of the famous Cades Cove Primitive Baptist Church which is situated in the Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee. If you would like to view a larger version of the drawing, please click the following link:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5262/5784883406_f850e09961_b.jpg

John also has a limited number of signed & matted prints available of this scene. If you are interested in purchasing one, contact John at traqair@aol.com for details.

4 Minute Devotions: Pace Yourself

We are all at the starting line of 2009, ready to begin a New Year. How will we pace ourselves for what we will encounter?

Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

One winter, when I was in High School, I became a member of the Cross Country team. It was much harder than I anticipated. I usually practiced long distance races on the level playing fields at the school and easily outran my peers. For some reason, I could last longer running around the track about fifteen or twenty times.

My coach had taught me how to pace myself by breathing well and maintaining a regular rhythmic pace around the track. So long as I worked on those two things, I kept winning the long distance races at our school.

But cross country running was entirely different. I had high expectations for myself and when I joined other runners from Glasgow in a country park for a three mile race, I thought I would easily finish in the top ten. As soon as the starter fired the gun, I set off at my usual pace and then I encountered something that upset my breathing and rhythm: hills and valleys all across the park.

I was so used to running on a level track that it never crossed my mind to prepare for a different kind of track. Going down hill, my legs went faster than expected and broke my rhythm. I struggled to pound up the hills and it affected my breathing. About halfway around the course, I was totally winded and had to stop. Some of my school team mates, whom I had consistently beaten on the level track, galloped past me. By the time the race was over, I had come in 125th! So much for my own high expectations.

We all stand at the starting line of a New Year, anxiously waiting to see how it will turn out. We all have high expectations and make many resolutions to ensure that we will accomplish our goals and fulfill our ambitions. We expect a level track, but there will be hills and valleys, crests and troughs, highs and lows along the way. That’s when our perseverance, faith, and hope in the Lord will be crucial to our successes and failures.

This year, let’s take and make time to put Christ at the center of our lives and to give God the glory for all that we achieve. Let’s not take our blessings for granted; rather let us accept them humbly and apply them meaningfully in ways that will both honor and please the Lord.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we know that You are our Savior and Teacher; we ask that You become our Leader and Guide throughout 2009. No matter what we face or encounter, keep us safe in Your hands, and enable us to accomplish much in our homes, at our work, and through our churches, to the glory of God. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.