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  Psalm 119:41-48 Listen to today’s devotional In my experience, one of the hardest parts of faith is waiting. Not waiting with certainty that everything will turn out exactly how you want, although that is a difficult lesson. But waiting while you continue walking in God's way, even when there is no immediate sign that it is paying off. The psalmist prays, "Let your steadfast love come to me, O Lord, your salvation according to your promise." Whatever he felt God told him, he is trusting a promise that has not come to pass. He is holding on to God's word while still living in the tension between what God has said and what he can see right now. And that takes patience. Of course, we do well with quick "results" of our obedience. We like prayers answered, doors opened, and problems resolved immediately. But think of how faith grows in the sometimes-long stretches between promise and fulfillment. The psalmist commits not to abandon God's way simply because...

  Genesis 16:1-6 Listen to today’s devotional When you first notice, you can't help but see it more. There's a painful truth of life that the people with the least power often suffer the most from decisions they never made. Remember what happens in Genesis 16. For years, Sarai had endured the cultural shame of barrenness. All the while, she was holding on to a promise that seemed way overdue. Out of her despair, she made a decision that changed another woman's life forever. Sarai gave Hagar, her Egyptian slave, to Abram as a way to make God's promise come to be. Of course, Hagar is never asked to be part of this scheme. You can only imagine what that conversation must've been like. The plan is not hers. The shame is not hers. And when the plan actually works, the resentment is not hers either. As everything begins to unravel, Hagar bears the consequences of someone else's ideas. Sarai's contempt is directed at the one with the least power. From Genesis to to...

  Acts 28:1-6 Listen to today’s devotional Have you ever had one of those days that make you wonder, "What else can go wrong?" This little story about a snakebite might help put them in perspective. After being shipwrecked, Paul and the others make it to the shore of Malta. Even though they're cold, wet, and exhausted, at least they're on land. As they sit around a fire, a snake comes out and latches itself to Paul's hand. The islanders see it and immediately assume this man was a murderer. He thought he could escape justice, but it caught up to him. In their minds, perhaps, Paul may have outwitted the sea, but not the goddess of justice, Dike. How quickly they thought they had Paul figured out. We still do the same thing. We can be too quick to explain someone else’s hardship. Some people will hear of a diagnosis, a failed relationship, job loss, or some other pressing circumstance and assume it's God's way of sending a message. God’s punishment, even. Th...

This week, I attended an onboarding session hosted by my annual conference. This is an event designed for pastors going to new appointments. Mainly, the time is meant to offer guidance for serving a new congregation.  Now, I appreciate what the event represents. There are many things to consider when going to a new church. And I know there are colleagues for whom this is a new journey. Between you and me, I could have skipped it. I've had several new congregations over the years. And I hate to sound like the old guy who thinks he knows what he's doing and can't or doesn't want to learn anything new. I know I can, and am grateful for things I am still learning.  Still, experience matters.  More than that, though, I go to every appointment with the same posture. My mindset is not to get there and show those people what they're missing or doing wrong. I'm not there to stir the pot just to rile people up. I go with one leading mandate: Love the people you serve.  Lo...

  Matthew 25:1-5 Listen to today’s devotional A couple of days ago, I received an email about a final grade for a class. I opened it expecting the usual details and discovered I had received a zero on one of my final assignments. Well, the problem wasn't that I had done a bad job. The problem was that I hadn't even turned it in. My best guess is that I confused one class for another, the paper got lost in my mind, and I didn't even realize there was an assignment to complete. I immediately emailed the professor to ask whether I could submit it late. But I decided not to wait. Before he answered, I cranked out an eight-page paper, not knowing if it would be accepted. If grace was going to be available, I wanted to be ready to receive it. That made me think about Jesus' words in Matthew 25. Again and again, Jesus tells stories about people who assume there will always be more time. Think of bridesmaids waiting for a wedding, servants entrusted with resources, and people e...

  John 14:25-26 Listen to today’s devotional If life were like a sitcom, the transformation we desire for our lives would happen a lot more quickly. And, truthfully, that's how we like things. Give us the quick insight that changes everything in a moment, or the sermon that fixes us. Many people have been told that there's one prayer that will settle their doubts and the vices they wish they could just let go. But in John 14, Jesus calls the Holy Spirit a teacher, not a spiritual vending machine. We're used to quick downloads and instant upgrades, but teachers do their work over time. Some of us do experience faith moments that seem to flip the switch, but most of us know faith more like learning a language. You have to hear the same words over and over. You practice, you forget, you stumble through your words, and you try again. Then one day, you realize you're better at it today than you were before. The disciples themselves are proof of this slow-learning faith. They...