Counter = " + indexbase + " --> Devotion #" + (index)+ " of " + devnum + "
"); // devrequest is a variable set by the calling html, // devrequest=0 means use the date to select the message // devrequest=# means select message # if (devrequest==0){ // alert("Devotion request is 0"); } else { // alert("Devotion request is " + devrequest); index=devrequest; } //index=13; switch (index) { case 1: if (devrequest==0){ document.write("You Are Not Forgotten
"); } document.write("No matter how far you may "feel" from God,
He wants you to know that you are not forgotten.
Do you know what a young girl does when she is crazy about some boy? She will write his name on her hands, on her notebook, on the bulletin board in her room and anywhere else she can get away with it. She thinks about him constantly.
Well, look at this verse:
"Behold, I have you inscribed on the palms of my hands." -Isaiah 49:16
God is telling us that he has written our names on the palm of his hands - on the nail-scarred hands of Jesus in heaven. Our names are written there from eternity and he traced them over at our baptism. He never will forget us.
So whatever it is that makes you feel forgotten, use this verse to drive that fear out of your heart. And remember that if he is looking at your name on his hand - he is thinking of how he will bless you through all things (read Romans 8:28-36).
-Don Patterson
"); break; case 2: if (devrequest==0){ document.write("Things Overheard
"); } document.write("
Did you ever overhear your parents talking about you?
I would guess there are many things your parents said, that you may have forgotten. But if you ever overheard them talking to others about you, then you're more likely to remember - because you took what they said to others as being more valuable.
When you read the Scriptures and ’bump’ into passages where God talks about his people - it's like overhearing a parent talking about you. It's valuable. Consider this passage, in which Jesus is defending himself to unbelieving Jews:
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all.
-John 10:27-29
Jesus is proud of the fact that we listen to his voice. He proudly declares that while we are listening to him, no one will pluck us from his hand. Imagine his parental love gripping your hand tightly as you run through the parking lot of life with him. He even says that his Father has the same grasp on you.
If you feel yourself slipping away from Jesus, turn to His Word and pray "Lord, grip me tighter. I believe your promise that you will hold onto me and not let go".
God will give you whatever you need to resist temptation and stay close to him.
-Don Patterson
"); break; case 3: if (devrequest==0){ document.write("A First-Love Frame of Mind
"); } document.write("I was recently at the airport in Chicago, waiting in the baggage claim area. For some reason, our luggage was delayed, so I had time to do my favorite airport passtime - watching people.
In my search for interesting people, I saw one young couple, apparently reuniting after one of them had been on a trip. They were facing each other, foreheads pressed together, holding hands so tightly you could see their white knuckles. They were similing and whispering to one another, oblivious of their surroundings. Their display of affection was pure and undistracted.
It reminded me of how my wife and I acted in our first years of dating. Now, after 20 years of marriage, our love is weathered. We understand one another, trust one another and love one another, but instead of a "first love" attitude, we most often display a durable, "tried and true" type of love to one another.
In our relationship with him, God longs for us to stay in that "first love" frame of mind. In Revelation, Jesus cries out to one church like a wounded lover:
I hold this against you; You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first.
-Revelation 2:4-5
God wants a passionate, undistracted relationship with us. How do we do that?
We have to get away and be alone with God. In a quiet place, we need to listen to Jesus, "forehead to forhead", taking in his love, contemplating what he did for us and thinking about his promises. When we do that, we fall in love all over again.
-Don Patterson
"); break; case 4: if (devrequest==0){ document.write("Small, Alive and Powerful
"); } document.write("A few years ago, I was with our high school youth on a mission trip to the Apache reservation in Arizona. One day, we hiked down Cibeque canyon to a beautiful waterfall and I saw many spectacular examples of God's creation. There were sheer cliffs, pinnacles of rock, amazing strata of the earth's crust and other sights too numerous to mention.
But one image in particular struck me and has stayed with me. It was a boulder that was lying by the side of the creek. This boulder was large, several tons at least, but what caught my attention was a little crack that ran along one facet of the stone, and a small plant was growing up out of the crevice.
It's hard to think of a more hostile environment for life to grow, but there it was.
That small plant reminded me of a Bible passage:
The Word of God is living and active. -Hebrews 4:12
The small life of that plant was more active and irrestible than the huge rock. Potentially, it could split that massive boulder in half some day by its active life.
God's Word is like that. It comes into our hearts, which by nature were as hardened as that boulder, without even a crack for the Word to lodge in. And though we fought against it, the Holy Spirit overcame our hearts and faith was planted there.
What a reason to praise our gracious, merciful God.
-Matt Wordell
"); break; case 5: if (devrequest==0){ document.write("Trustworthy Wounds
"); } document.write("Have you ever been stunned by a friend because he or she very frankly and openly criticized you?
I have. It is painful... even embarassing.
When it happens (and it has happened more than once)
I usually want to crawl under a rock and lick my wounds. I have even considered how I could get even with the one who would wound me that way.
But I read a proverb a few years ago that I cannot get out of my mind:
Wounds from a friend can be trusted. But an enemy multiplies kisses.
-Proverbs 27:6
Faithful are the wounds from a friend. That little insight helps me to stop and listen long enough to see the truth behind the criticism. It helps me stop making excuses and start thinking about how God is using my friends to change my life.
Change is hard, but the friend is faithful; and so is the God who sent him.
Do you have any friends who have faithfully wounded you? Don't avoid them - thank God for them. They often see your needs better than you do. It was Christ's faithful friendship that made him first confront us about our sins and point us to the cross.
Thank you Jesus for being our most faithful friend.
Help us to cherish the trustworthy friends you have placed in our lives.
-Don Patterson
"); break; case 6: if (devrequest==0){ document.write("Read-Only Documents
"); } document.write("Have you ever opened a document on you computer and tried to edit it, only to have your attempts blocked, because the file was "read-only"?... Frustrating, isn't it?
But the makers of the software intentionally provide that feature so that authors can safeguard the integrity of their work.
In that sense, God's writing - the Bible - is a "read-only" document. God wants us to read and learn from Scripture, but He doesn't want us taking His thoughts out and putting our thoughts in. If we do that, we inevitably distort his message and might destroy the important truths that he intended to communicate.
Jesus said this very thing to a group of Sadducces (Jewish aristocracy) regarding resurrection of the dead:
You are in error, because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.
-Matthew 22:29
See, the Scriptures are truth in everything they address. They are not ours to change and add to. When we read them as they are, their message comes to us loud and clear. They give us everything God ever wanted us to have.
But in a different sense, we are to do much more than "only read" God's Word. To just read the words and not take them to heart would be foolish (see James 1). When we read the Scriptures, we are to believe them and live according to them. God's Word guides and drives our lives. So we don't just read them - we live them.
-Don Patterson
"); break; case 7: if (devrequest==0){ document.write("A Concrete Lesson
"); } document.write("Do you know why concrete trucks have the huge barrel constantly churning as they drive down the road? It's because if they don't keep the concrete moving, it will set up and harden. To be useful, the concrete needs constant agitation until the time it is poured.
People can be a lot like concrete. If they are not stirred up, they gradually become hardened in their ways, inflexible. That's one reason that God puts us in a fellowship with one another. The discussions, conflicts and the emotional "rubs" we have with other Christians are used by God to stir us up and keep us useful. By avoiding that type of God-intended agitation, we actually make ourselves less useful to Him. The writer of the book of Hebrews advises:
See to it brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.
-Hebrews 3:12-13
I hope this helps you to welcome the "rubs" you have with other Christians. Engage your brothers and sisters in constructive spiritual converstation. Stay in God's flock and let them stir you as we share the Word of God.
-Don Patterson
"); break; case 8: if (devrequest==0){ document.write("Wild Flowers and Life
"); } document.write("It's early summer and the bluebonnets are starting to fade.
I always dread these days. Bluebonnets are so glorius when in full bloom on every corner, all over central Texas. But even though I don't want them to fade - they always do.
It reminds me of Isaiah 40:6-7:
All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field, the grass withers and the flowers fall, ...but the word of our God stands forever.
The fading of flowers reminds me of how transient my life really is. No matter what glory I have, it will fade. In fact, a look in a mirror shows that it is fading already.
But the word of God - that word promises renewal, restoration in Christ. That word forgives me when I fail, it guides me when I feel confused - His Word never fades.
Flowers and people will fade, but not the Word of God. It is the one beauty in life that will last forever. Enjoy it. Let it flow in your life like an eternal spring.
Footnote: As the bluebonnets fade, have you noticed other flowers coming in? Indian paint brushes, daisys, even dandelions. It's also that way with the body of believers on earth. As one generation fades to heaven, another wave comes in and blooms to glorify their creator. That gives us all the more reason to fill our kids with the Word of God, so that they can glorify him long after we are gone.
Flowers, God's Word, people - the lessons are all around us.
-Don Patterson
"); break; case 9: if (devrequest==0){ document.write("It’s Courting Time
"); } document.write("Have you noticed all the grackles pairing up this time of year? (spring) Just take a look. You'll find them in pairs, with the male fluttering his wings at the female. He's courting her - strutting his stuff, so that she will pick him.
It's the same drama with the cardinals each morning. I love to hear their spring greetings, but he's not singing for you or me. He's singing for her. A friend told me how the tom turkeys on his place, are all puffed up and gobbling near the hens.
In Spring, everywhere you look, you see the males of nature courting their girls.
Jesus courts us in much the same way... Did you know that?
In both Hebrew scripture and the New Testament, Jesus calls himself the Bridegroom who comes for his bride. We, with all believers, are his bride... and he struts his stuff for us! All over the world, there are special services to portray the price he paid for us and the hope that exists in his resurrection.
During this season, we get to fall in love with him all over again as we see and hear his courting. During holy week, churches everywhere will hold services that mark his courting dance - Maunday Thursday, Good Friday and the apex on Easter morning. Jesus wants you to know how much he loves you, how worthy he is of your love.
When you see a male bird, strutting and fluttering, you will always find a female close by, taking it all in. That's the way Jesus wants you and me to be this Easter - standing right by him, taking it all in. He is our husband and our Lord.
As a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you.
-Isaiah 62:5
-Don Patterson
"); break; case 10: if (devrequest==0){ document.write("Hazardous Driving
"); } document.write("I was driving behind a pick up the other day, the kind that's a real workhorse. There were old buckets, shovels and rakes in the bed, along with a bunch of paper sacks, some full, some empty.
As we were zooming down the freeway, one of the sacks flew out of the truck and sailed over my car and under the vehicle behind me. As our hearts jumped, those of us behind the truck slowed down...
but the guy in the truck just kept going, oblivious of the hazard he had just caused.
People can be like that sometimes. We are moving fast, working hard. And sometimes we let dangerous things fly about. Sometimes it's a reckless word, a sarcastic remark, or a judgemental stare. Or it can be thoughtlessly passing by someone who needs our help and attention.
If we stop occasionally to check what's in our heart, we can correct problems before they fly out and hurt others. King David learned to check his heart as a life habit. Because he did not want to live recklessly, he prayed:
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way of understanding. -Psalm 139:23-24
-Don Patterson
"); break; case 11: if (devrequest==0){ document.write("Overdue Inheritance
"); } document.write("I received an amazing email today. It said that I had an overdue inheritance waiting for me in Nigeria. All I had to do was reply with my personal information and bank account number.
What do you think? ... Should I respond?
Probably not - since it's likely an attempt to get my hopes up and my savings account down. But do you know that the title of that email,
"Overdue Inheritance" is really the message of the gospel, isn't it?
It's all there with God and he's just waiting for us to cash in. He paid for it himself. He saves it for all people and waits... oh, how he waits for their entire lives, if that's what it takes.
Do you know someone who hasn't yet trusted in his love, or taken advantage of his offer to forgive? Why not talk to them about their "inheritance". Let them know they can come to church with you and get their overdue inheritance from Jesus.
Praise be to our God ... In his great mercy he has given us a new birth into ... an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade, kept in heaven for you.
-1 Peter 1:3-4
-Don Patterson
"); break; case 12: if (devrequest==0){ document.write("Turning To A Random Page
"); } document.write("I picked up a new book yesterday and did what I often do; I turned to a random page and started reading to see if the book was worthwhile. I figure a good author would be able to hold my attention for the span of that page... any page.
I know that's not really giving the author a fair shake. One page isn't much space to impress someone, is it?... But it did get me thinking. If people were to evaluate my life like I evaluate books, what would they see? Would they want to read more? Or think well of my author?
I sense God's law in that musing. I know I have some pages that I would like to delete, but I can't go back to the pages I have written and erase them.
I thank God for forgiveness. But even though I am forgiven, I don't want to write any more bad episodes. With the help of the Spirit, I want tomorrow's page to be worth reading by my family, my friends, and the strangers I meet.
But to do so, I need God's help. Like a journalism student needs the help of his teacher, I need God's help in writing the pages of my life. So I draw near to him, ask him to look at what I'm thinking, saying and doing in my daily life.
"God help me to write the book you want. Teach me good spiritual grammar, loving thoughts and wholesome plots. God, help me to write well."
God wants us to shine - let him help you write today's page.
Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe, as you hold out the word of life. -Philippians 2:14
-Don Patterson
"); break; case 13: if (devrequest==0){ document.write("The Sinless Life of Christ
"); } document.write("During worship, we often say the Apostle's Creed together. It wasn't written by the apostles, but by other church leaders a few hundred years after the time of Jesus to summarize the basic truths of the Bible. It's a beautiful confession of the Christian faith.
But there is something noticeably missing from it - take a look...
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was concieved by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried.
Did you catch the omission?
He was born, and then He dies. Where are the 33 years inbetween?
The creed (for good reason) focuses on the supernatural events of Jesus' life; his miraculous birth, death and resurrection. It shows us that He is both God and man.
But his innocent life is just as important. His 33 years without a single sinful thought, word or deed, is essential. If he was going to be our substitute, the one to get right what we had done wrong, he had to be sinless. One drowning man can't help save another. If Jesus was going to take our sin upon himself and be punished in our place, he could not have his own sin to deal with.
It was only the sinless, spotless "Lamb of God" who could trudge up that hill carrying our cross, to suffer alone under God's curse... all so that we could reunite with God in heaven, forever.
That is what's so comforting about this passage:
For we do not have a high priest (Jesus) who is unable to sympathize with our weakness, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin. -Hebrews 4:15
-Matt Doebler
Christ the Rock Lutheran Church
You Are Not Forgotten
"); } document.write("No matter how far you may "feel" from God,
He wants you to know that you are not forgotten.
Do you know what a young girl does when she is crazy about some boy? She will write his name on her hands, on her notebook, on the bulletin board in her room and anywhere else she can get away with it. She thinks about him constantly.
Well, look at this verse:
"Behold, I have you inscribed on the palms of my hands." -Isaiah 49:16
God is telling us that he has written our names on the palm of his hands - on the nail-scarred hands of Jesus in heaven. Our names are written there from eternity and he traced them over at our baptism. He never will forget us.
So whatever it is that makes you feel forgotten, use this verse to drive that fear out of your heart. And remember that if he is looking at your name on his hand - he is thinking of how he will bless you through all things (read Romans 8:28-36).
-Don Patterson
"); break; }