Author: Kerry

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” —which is the first commandment with a promise— “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”
Ephesians 6:1-3

An Honor for Always

Daily Devotion – October 10, 2024

Devotion based on Ephesians 6:1-3


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People are all very different. We come in different shapes, sizes, and shades. We have different cultures and histories, priorities and abilities. Among all our differences, there is at least one thing that we share: We all have had parents. Every single person to ever walk this earth has had a mom and dad.

For many of us, it is these parents who teach us what it means to be human. They are our first personal encounter with unconditional love. They give us our first tangible rules and enforce the consequences when we fail to adhere to those rules. Love, obedience, care, and responsibility are all shown by our parents and then copied by us as we grow.

Our responsibility to our parents is to honor them. Even after we are grown and on our own, we are to honor our parents. Whether your parents gave you a lot or a little, God would have you honor them.

You may not come running to the table anymore when they call you for dinner, but honoring parents will always include listening to them and hearing their words. You may no longer present them with a handful of dandelions picked from the yard, but you are still to esteem them for their role in your lives. You may not say prayers with them before bed any longer, but may their names always be on your list of prayers.

God gave us a good gift when he gave us parents. May we always honor our father and mother.

Prayer:
Jesus, you honored your own father and mother for all the times I have failed. Forgive me for my failures to honor my parents and make me to be more like you in all that I do. Amen.

[Jesus said] “At the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
Mark 10:6-9

What God Has Joined Together

Daily Devotion – October 9, 2024

Devotion based on Mark 10:6-9


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I am only middle-aged, but I have already owned nine different cars, sixteen different cell phones, and lived in seven different cities. It seems there isn’t much in this world that is forever, and the only constant is change.

In our early years, our family and home consist of our parents and siblings. We live in their house and have little say in whom we live with. The family we are given is the family we have. However, marriage brings about a big change, and the person who is our new family is a person of our choosing.

Getting married isn’t the end of change, either. We continue to change jobs, houses, hobbies, and interests. We experience changes in our health and finances. Things will come and go, and there are very few things that we will be united to our whole life.

Because so much of life comes and goes, there is beauty and goodness in a husband and wife united for a lifetime. As things fade away and are replaced by the new, it is good to have a spouse and their love as a constant. As the common wedding vows say, “for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health” husband and wife are joined together.

We may be separated from happiness, health, or finances, but let no one separate what God has joined together.

Prayer:
Gracious Lord, strengthen the love and commitment of husbands and wives. In a world full of change, let no one separate those who have been joined together as one flesh. Amen.

[Jesus] said to them “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly, I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”
Mark 10:14,15

Not Doing but Done

Daily Devotion – October 8, 2024

Devotion based on Mark 10:14,15


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There are some things children shouldn’t do because they just are too young and too little. Ask a young child to bake a cake from scratch, and you are probably in for a mess and not a cake. Ask a child to clean out the gutters, and there is bound to be an accident. Have a child put on the spare tire and I am willing to bet he won’t even get a single lug nut off, and you will be on the side of the road for a long time.

However, there are some things young children can be really good at, even babies. A young child can cry out in need. A young child can receive love. A young child can be cared for and looked after. Young children are not very good at doing, but they are good at receiving.

It is for these reasons Jesus invites the young children to him without hindrance. Even more than just inviting them, Jesus holds them up as models to everyone. It is not because they can do much but because they need much. “Everyone who does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” With this stern yet beautiful invitation, Jesus invites us to lay down our greatest accomplishments and simply trust in him. Through trust, we receive the many blessings offered to us in the kingdom of God.

It is this act of simply receiving gifts that we get worse at as we get older. As we gain abilities, we want to show them off. We want to do more and show that we deserve things. However, our salvation is never something we can do; it must be done for us. As a child cries out and simply receives, may we cry out to God and receive his mercy, love, and forgiveness.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, give me a child-like faith that I would not work for my salvation but receive it only as a gift. Amen.

Then the LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”
Genesis 2:18

Better Together

Daily Devotion – October 7, 2024

Devotion based on Genesis 2:18


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The high school dropout rate in parts of Appalachia during the 1980s was regularly as high as 35 percent. To help decrease that rate Tennessee’s own Dolly Parton began a program where she would give each graduating senior $500.

There was a catch. Students were paired with a buddy, and if either one of the pair did not graduate, neither would receive the money. This buddy system had the intended effect, and through encouragement and accountability, the dropout rate went from 35 percent to 6 percent in just a few years. This buddy system became one of the most successful and speedy educational success stories in the entire country.

After God created the first man he said, “It is not good for man to be alone.”

There are many ways in which God brings people together, so they are not alone. It was part of God’s good design that we have others for encouragement and accountability. He knew that we would see more blessings through this encouragement and accountability than if we were alone. The joyful times would be more joyful, and the sad times would be less sad if we had others to share life with. This can be close friends and neighbors, or it can be family of all types.

God’s answer to Adam’s aloneness in Genesis chapter 2 was to give him his wife, Eve, and to institute marriage. In marriage, we are paired with someone “until death do us part.” Marriage gives us a special avenue to bring accountability and encouragement to our lives. God gives the blessings of togetherness and faithfulness, intimacy and support, children, and stability through his gift of marriage. More than any other human relationship, marriage provides a closeness to another and blessings and opportunities to serve.

It is not good for us to be alone, so God gave us one another so that things would be better together.

Prayer:
Lord, whether we are married or single, part of a large family or small, remind us that we are better together. Strengthen all relationships so that we may encourage one another and be accountable to one another on the way that leads to eternal life. Amen.

The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”
Genesis 2:18

Marriage is a Gift of God

Daily Devotion – October 6, 2024

Devotion based on Genesis 2:18


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God provided a beautiful home for the first man he created to live on earth. It was a wonderful garden—a paradise! There were varieties of plants and an abundance of animals. But there was one thing that was “not good.” The man was alone. He observed that the animals had mates, but he had none. In the midst of all the beautiful perfection of his environment, he needed to have someone with whom he could closely share his life.

God answered the man’s need. He created another person—a very special person—a woman and brought her to the man. The man loved her, and they joined together in a special union that God intended. In marriage they lived as husband and wife.

The first marriage was God’s plan to bring blessing to the man and the woman. That marriage is important because it is God’s pattern for humanity. God established marriage as a lifelong union of one man and one woman. Though sin has brought many difficulties into marital relationships, God still blesses couples through marriage as he established it.

If you are a husband or wife, love your spouse and live together faithfully in your marriage. If you are single, honor the will of God regarding the union of marriage. God established his plan for marriage because he loves us and desires to bless our lives through it. Marriage is a gift of God to be respected and enjoyed.

Prayer:
Lord God, praise to you for establishing the union of marriage. Help me to honor this wonderful gift and live according to your will. Amen.

Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
James 4:8

Wash Your Hands

Daily Devotion – October 5, 2024

Devotion based on James 4:8


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A hospital in our area has a special unit for premature babies. Before you enter this unit, there is a washing station. Above the washing station, there is a sign for everyone to see. The sign says: “If you could see the germs, you’d wash your hands.”

That sign says a great deal in just a few words. It declares that if you and I could only see the masses of dangerous germs crawling over our hands, we’d recognize what deadly business these germs can be and do what’s necessary to wash them away.

Sin can be like that. Our noses can get so used to the stench of our sinful habits that we can’t even smell them anymore. Our ears can get so used to the ungodly screech of our sinful thoughts that we can’t even hear them anymore. And our eyes can grow so accustomed to the bacterium of sin crawling over us and through us that we can’t even see it anymore.

“Wash your hands, you sinners,” James tells us. But how? And with what?

When it comes to your sin and mine, the answer is not some antiseptic that squirts out of a hospital dispenser. The answer is blood, the blood of the Son of God.

Jesus saw our filthy, sinful hands. He knew we were helpless to wash them clean. And, so, he did what we needed him to do. He sacrificed himself; he shed his blood to wash away our sins. His blood cleanses us. It makes your life and mine fresh and forgiven, clean and new.

So, let’s wash our hands every day. Wash them in the cleansing blood of our Savior, for “the blood of Jesus, God’s Son, purifies us of all sin” (1 John 1:7).

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, it is your blood that washes me clean. Move me by your Spirit to come to you every day. Amen.

Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?
James 4:11,12

The Irony of Judging Others

Daily Devotion – October 4, 2024

Devotion based on James 4:11,12


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Jesus could not have been clearer. He said, “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned” (Luke 6:37). Those instructions were undoubtedly a regular part of our Savior’s preaching and teaching. And why? Because human beings are so naturally and sinfully quick to judge others. It’s easy for us to spot a sinner… until we’re standing in front of a mirror. We tend to overlook our own spiritual flaws because we’re so laser-focused on the sins of others.

And what’s worse, after we notice our neighbor’s sins, what’s the next thing we’re likely to do? Talk about it to someone else. God calls that slander, even if what we are saying about someone is 100 percent true, and through the pen of Saint James, he forbids it. “Brother and sisters, do not slander one another.”

Judging others is truly ironic because by gleefully pointing out the sins of others, you’re sinning yourself. James explained, “Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it.” What are you doing when you stand in judgment over your neighbor? You’re suggesting that you’re in a better position to be your neighbor’s judge than God is. You’re attempting to push God off his judgment seat in order to take his place. It’s a classic symptom of arrogant, sinful, and deadly pride.

But as James reminds us, “There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy.” So, let’s leave the judging to Jesus. After all, “Who are you to judge your neighbor?” Jesus has the job of judging all people under control, and his judgments are perfect.

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, save me from the sin of arrogantly and lovelessly judging others. Amen.

Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
James 4:9,10

Don’t Hold in Your Sin

Daily Devotion – October 3, 2024

Devotion based on James 4:9,10


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Some of the best advice a person can receive when going through the grieving process is this: “You need to cry.” Some people will claim that they’re not “criers,” but it’s pretty clear that while living in this fallen world, there are times when crying is appropriate. Even Jesus cried when he went to the tomb of his friend Lazarus and when he wrestled in prayer with his heavenly Father over the painful mission he had been sent to accomplish by his death on the cross. So, if Jesus didn’t hold it in, we shouldn’t either. Crying is very much a part of the grieving process, so don’t cover it up. Let it rip. It’s healthy!

That’s also good advice when it comes to our sin. We tend to hide it, to cover it up. But that’s not healthy. In fact, it’s deadly. In Psalm 32, King David described the acute suffering he brought on himself by attempting to cover up his transgressions. It wasn’t a pretty picture. He confessed to the Lord, “When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.” But what was David finally prompted to do? To let it go. “Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.’ And you forgave the guilt of my sin.” His heartfelt confession and grief over his sin resulted in forgiveness, peace, and restoration.

Saint James urges us to take this same approach toward our own sin. “Grieve, mourn and wail,” he wrote. “Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord.” And why? Because when we do, the Lord “will lift (us) up” with his powerful and forgiving arms.

You can’t fix your sin by holding it in and covering it up. But Jesus can, and he does. So it’s always best to let it go.

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, help me to unburden my heart of sin’s baggage, and lift me up with your forgiving love. Amen.

Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
James 4:8

Run to Jesus

Daily Devotion – October 2, 2024

Devotion based on James 4:8


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If your clothes caught on fire, it might be your first instinct to run. But as a child, you probably received the same instruction I received if faced with this scenario. I was told to stop, drop, and roll. If your clothes are on fire, running away won’t do any good; it will simply fan the flames. But stopping, dropping, and rolling are meant to snuff the fire out by eliminating the fire’s air supply. It might seem counterintuitive not to run, but it’s the right thing to do.

When Adam and Eve fell into sin, their first instinct was to run. Moses tells us that when the Lord God came to pay a visit to the Garden of Eden, the two occupants of that former Paradise didn’t come running to greet God; they hid from him. Their reason for doing so was simple and straightforward: they had done the very thing that God had told them not to do, and now they were dreading the eternal consequences: death itself!

But rather than leaving them in the misery of their guilt and sin, what did our gracious heavenly Father do? He called those scared sinners to his side. And when they came near to him, what did he do? He came near to them with the promise of a Savior. Yes, they would have to endure some earthly consequences for their sin, but God would send a unique offspring of the woman—his own Son, Jesus—to crush the devil’s head and defeat the eternal consequences of sin once and for all.

What does that important biblical account teach us? That when we find ourselves engulfed in sin, as tempted as we might be to run from God, we should run toward him. No, don’t stop, drop, and roll. Run to the open and forgiving arms of Jesus, who alone can heal the wounds of our sin with the cooling balm that flows from the wounds he willingly endured for us on the cross. And it’s in his wounds where we can wash our hands and purify our hearts forever.

Prayer:
Jesus, teach me to flee to you with my every sin to find forgiveness, peace, and life everlasting. Amen.

Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
James 4:7

Resisting the Devil

Daily Devotion – October 1, 2024

Devotion based on James 4:7


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Martin Luther loved to mock the devil. That especially became the case after he fully realized just how certain and sure Jesus’ love and salvation were for him. He knew that with Jesus and his Word on his side, he could be as bold as the brave boy David was when he faced the giant Goliath. “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin,” David told that Philistine warrior, “but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head” (1 Samuel 17:45,46). With Jesus on his side, Luther knew that his victory over the devil was just as certain as David’s victory over Goliath. It would result in a blowout.

But what would have happened to David or Luther if they hadn’t entered their battles with Jesus and his powerful promises at their side? They would have been swiftly defeated and stripped of their brashness. Simply put, if they had believed they could defeat the dark forces of this world based on their own power or wisdom, they would have quickly learned otherwise. Without Jesus, none of us are a match for the devil—he will win every time.

But as Saint James reminds us today, when we resist the devil in Jesus’ name, armed with the sword of the Spirit, his holy Word (Ephesians 6:17), we can’t lose. That doesn’t mean the devil won’t attack us daily with temptation; he most certainly will. But when we resist the devil in Jesus’ name, James assures us, “he will flee from you.”

And so, we sing with Luther:

Though devils all the world should fill, all eager to devour us,
We tremble not, we fear no ill; they shall not overpow’r us.
This world’s prince may still scowl fierce as he will,
He can harm us none. He judged; the deed is done;
One little word can fell him (Christian Worship 863:3).

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, help me daily cling to you and resist the devil’s temptations. Amen.