Presbyterian Bloggers; Running Ahead of God - Psalm 37 v 34

Psalm 37:34a   Wait for the LORD and keep his way. 

Currently I’m on a four day personal prayer fast and vision cast retreat. For the last year, I’ve been so busy at church that I feel as though (and certainly know) that I’ve been running ahead of God and expecting Him to catch up with me. That’s not how our spiritual relationship is supposed to work. Like everyone else, I’m meant to stand and wait for His call to show me the way ahead.

I remember years ago, when I was about five years old, my family went on a vacation to Prestwick, Scotland. Each day, we used to walk down to the beach on a path alongside a small creek (which is called a ‘burn’ in Scotland). At the end of the path, there was a fork with two separate destinations. One day, I ran ahead of my family and chose my own path. I fully expected my parents and siblings to follow me. When they went the other way, I felt stupid, fearful, and angry.

My Dad called me back and when I reached him, he told me these words: “If you had asked me which way we were going before you ran on ahead, I would have told you.”

That’s why I feel that I need this prayer and fasting mini-retreat. I need to ask God where He wants our church to go, what He wants our Session to do, and how He wants me to lead. I don’t find stopping and waiting, praying and fasting easy, but I don’t want to go down the wrong path either.

Perhaps spiritually, you’re feeling distant or even isolated from God. Maybe like me, you’ve busily ran on ahead thinking that God will soon catch up. But it could be that you’ve stumbled down the wrong path and that He’s now calling you back to where He wants you to be.

Sometimes the path less travelled is not what God expects us to choose or follow.

Prayer:                        Father God, each day we are faced with choices that take us on new journeys and different paths. Sometimes we follow our own lead and end up distant from You. Give us the courage to turnaround, to wait for Your guidance, and to listen to Your directions. Keep us from straying and help us to be led by Jesus, our Shepherd and Savior. In His 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. John enjoys reading your own messages and stories that relate to the message.

Today’s image is from one of John’s Psalms series.

Presbyterian Devotions: This is Church

Luke 14:11     “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

I am constantly amazed at the faith that is practiced by our young family members and especially the moms at our church. Their calls to compassion and effective ways of ministering to each other is wonderful to watch and humbling to experience.

Take yesterday, for instance. A young mom was involved in a serious car accident. Within hours, our church young moms were mobilized. One of them, who was also preaching at another church, organized the prayer chain in the congregation. A couple of others got on Facebook and soon had people all over the country (and beyond) praying for the young mom who was in critical care. Another young mom, who has just successfully completed surgery and treatment for breast cancer, headed over to the hospital to sit with family. An army of volunteers is rallying together to support, comfort, and care for the entire family.

When I visited the young mom in hospital this morning, she was looking and feeling a lot better than I had expected. The power of prayer, the presence of support, and the love of her friends has helped her immensely. Her road to recovery may be slow, but with the outpouring of Christian love that she has received thus far, it will be a successful one. Faith is not just a bunch of beliefs and religious ideas for our young families, it is an active part of who they are and what they do. I am so proud of what they have accomplished and so grateful of what they can still achieve.

The gift of humility is seen through these acts of loving-kindness. The families are not doing this for themselves or to score religious brownie points with God. They have undertaken this special ministry because they have responded to God’s call for help. It’s wonderful to see such Christian love in action. It’s amazing to watch so many volunteers step up to the plate. This is Church.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, thank You for the many people who will do their utmost today to help those in distress, in trouble, or in need of care. Thank You for the healing strength of our churches and for the gifts of kindness that will be freely, lovingly, and humbly bestowed upon those who are injured, ill, or insecure by people of faith. Thank You for these strengths and blessings. 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: The Lost Summer

2 Corinthians 8:14 At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need.

There was a time in my childhood when my siblings and I were all fostered out to our aunts and uncles. It was during the summertime and my mother had been taken in to the local lunatic asylum. My Dad was unable to stay off his work to look after us and so we were broken up as a family to be cared for by our relatives.

I was fostered to my Uncle Jimmy and Aunt Phamie. They had a large family of their own which meant that my brother Andy and I were taking up precious space and using their resources. We were still too young to understand how much of a sacrifice our relatives were making, but I now realize that their kindness and compassion during that lost summer kept our family from being broken up by the Social Services.

My cousins were great about giving up their rooms and played with us all summer long. It turned out to be one of the best school vacations that I’ve ever experienced. I think it also made me appreciate my wider family and now that I’m thousands of miles away from them, I cherish them all in my heart.

When Paul refers to equality in 2 Corinthians 8, he’s writing about Christian charity. In these tough economic times, Christian charity goes a long way to help others in need. Instead of getting hung up about ordination issues or biblical doctrines, we need to set aside our differences and make war on want, poverty, hunger, and inequality.

If it hadn’t been for my relatives practicing real Christian charity to my family all those years ago, I don’t know where I would have ended up. I guess the challenge for me today is this: where can I best practice the same principles today and effectively use my God-given resources to help others in need?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for the blessings that You have given to us each day. Help us to refrain from hoarding and instead to seek opportunities where we can fully practice Your charitable and faithful teaching. 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 passage or receive these devotionals via email, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

If you would like to help other people, but don’t know where to start, check out www.kiva.org. It’s an international charity where a contribution of $25 can help families in developing countries set up their own businesses.