Presbyterian devotions: Sacred Seeds - Genesis 1:11

Genesis 1:11   Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so. 

For the first time in years, I’ve planted some seeds in a box and am hoping to grow perennial flowers that I enjoy. The plants are nasturtiums and lupines. They are both different kinds of plants. The nasturtium is a Chinese creeping plant with beautiful orange and yellow flowers. Butterflies are attracted to them and when the Fall comes, they’ll probably be covered in a host of caterpillars. The lupines are tall plants which attract honey bees. They are usually white, pink, and lavender blue. If they grow successfully, they will constantly re-seed and eventually cover a large area of my front garden.

I need to look after the seedlings in order to give them a strong chance of growing and developing into mature plants. If I neglect to water them or if a late frost gets to them, they will soon die. Every day I keep an eye on them and so far I am delighted with their progress. Hopefully, I will be able to plant them outside in a month’s time and watch them bloom all summer long.

I am constantly amazed at Creation. God’s imagination, artistry, and skill are all around me and I feel both humbled and privileged to enjoy the wonders of His natural works. I like to think that when God first created plants, flowers, and trees on this planet, He not only saw that they were good but that He was absolutely delighted and thrilled with His own work.

Within each of us, God plants seeds of faith that have the potential to bear fruit and multiply through the sharing of our beliefs, the worshipping of Christ, and our participation in His ministry in our own communities and throughout the world. God’s work never stops growing because He is actively involved in the Church’s mission. Our task is to discover where our faith can best be used to bear fruit and where our Christian beliefs can blossom among the people we love, work with, and encounter.

Question for Personal reflection

Where does my faith in Christ produce the most fruit for the future?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, thank You for creating the Church in the world and for allowing us to be participants in Your mission. Help us to rely upon You to guide our thoughts, ways, and deeds so that we may produce fruitful works that glorify You and attract other people to Your Kingdom. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor at 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. John is always delighted to read your comments and to receive feedback.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest drawings called “Smoky Mountain Sunset.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click the following link: http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5330/6926536366_3bd793f073_b.jpg

John’s drawings can also be found on his art website which you can view at www.stushieart.com.

Presbyterian Devotions: Love the Word

1 Thessalonians 2:13 And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.

I love the word of God as contained in the Holy Scriptures. Ever since I can remember, I have believed in its truthful teaching and eternal message. I don’t think there has ever been a time when the scriptures weren’t real to me, not even in my drunken alcoholic days. The Bible has always been God’s Holy Word and I take great joy in reading it, hearing it, and drawing strength from it.

Now please don’t get me wrong. This doesn’t mean that I’m a Bible Thumping, Scripture Bashing, Gospel Guru who sits on a self-righteous pedestal and guffaws at the rest of the world. I do have my arrogant and pride inflicted moments like everyone else, but basically I love God and His wisdom, as revealed to us through the Bible.

When my life was at its most self-indulgent and self-destructive, I kept going back to my Gideon’s pocketbook version of the New Testament and Psalms. Somehow the seeds of faith that my Sunday school teachers had planted in my mind and heart were never completely barren. More than thirty years later, I am in awe of what God chose to do and how He accomplished that through His words that were written thousands of years before I was born. And it’s that constant relevance of the Bible that I see enacted in people’s lives everyday that make me love God’s word even more.

So today, let us rejoice in this beautiful revelation that we call the word of God. May it always be an anchor, foundation, and basic cornerstone of our lives.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You have been revealed to humankind for thousands of years through the Holy Scriptures. Your message and ministry are still expressed, embraced, and enacted by millions of people in the world today. Thank You for such a divine, beautiful, and everlasting gift. 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.

Presbyterian Devotions: Cold water

Matthew 10:42 “And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward."

In my opinion, Scottish faucet water is the best drinking water in the world. As I’m writing this, I can still remember hot summer days of my Glasgow childhood, with me running into my house and slaking my thirst with a cold glass of clear water from the kitchen tap. It had its own particular taste, almost like a cold mountain river, and was very refreshing. The water also made great tea, which I have never been able to make here in the United States.

These days, I drink my water from a refrigerated filtered Brita jug, which is about as close to Scottish water as I can get. It meets my needs, especially during the very hot summer months that we experience here in East Tennessee. The filter needs to be replaced about every two months, otherwise the water doesn’t taste as good. It makes me sometimes wish that I had a pipeline all the way beneath the Atlantic to my hometown in Scotland, so that I could drink the fresh water of Loch Katrine, from where Glasgow gets its wonderful water.

When Jesus mentions giving fresh water to the little ones around Him, He’s talking about the future disciples of the church. He’s stating that those who will support and encourage them, in a future time of persecution, will be blessed because of the help they give to these upcoming followers of Christ. These days, I think this is the equivalent of teaching the faith to our kids in Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, and any other church program that helps children to learn about God and come closer to Christ.

Christianity is facing many challenges right now, so the faith that our children and grandchildren possess will be tested and perhaps sorely tried by the society that they are growing up into. This makes it very important for older generations to do as much as they can to support church children, as well as the teachers and leaders of these programs. The future of our faith depends upon the dedicated discipleship of those who teach the truths of Christianity to our children. They are the cold water cup bearers of our kids.

So let’s stop and think about those who are called and charged to teach faith to the church of tomorrow today. Let’s thank God for their commitment and honor them for their work.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, the little ones of our churches and communities need to hear and experience the stories of God and about Your Life. As they grow up into a world which may become hostile to our faith, we pray that the focus, dedication, and commitment of our present day teachers may inspire, encourage, and strengthen our children’s faith. In Your Holy Name, we gratefully 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.