Sunday, September 13

“The grass withers, the flower fades;
but the word of our God will stand forever.”
Isaiah 40:8

Goodbye summer. Hello fall. And hello to all the activities that fall brings our way. We are all busy, once again, with getting our kids, and maybe ourselves, back to school. Summer vacations are over and it’s back to business. In the midst of getting back into the routine, we have to get our homes, our cars, and our yards ready for fall and winter. Gone are the bright and vibrant colored flowers that attract bumble bees and humming birds. Now is the time for the yellows, oranges, and reds that fade to brown as they wither and die. But this is not a death without hope. This is a death that, when we are deep in its grip come January and February, we will long for new life to once again spring forth, and we will long for the warmth of the sun.

Dear Life-giving Father, In the midst of the death of your son Jesus, we are promised new life. Let these days of fading flowers and falling leaves be a reminder to us that death is not forever, for you have given us love and grace and everlasting life. Amen.

Monday, September 14

“You will seek the Lord your God,
and you will find him if you search after him
with all your heart and soul.”
Deuteronomy 4:29

Deuteronomy is full of heart and soul. We are to search for the Lord with our heart and soul, and we are to love the Lord with our heart and soul. The heart is the force of life within us, and the soul is where we house the Spirit of the Lord within us. With all that we are, our heart and soul, we are to search out and love the Lord our God. After all, He didn’t just “kind of” like us, did He? No. He loved us so much he gave the life of his Son to keep us near Him always… He gave His heart and soul for us.

God of Love and Compassion, you have given so generously to us so that we may experience your grace. Stir up your Spirit so that our hearts and souls passionately feel the need to be near to you. Keep us always looking for you in all the aspects of our lives. Amen

Tuesday, September 15

“Now the Lord came and stood there, calling, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’
And Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant is listening.’”
1 Samuel 3:10

Grab your Bible and look at the verses before this passage. Samuel is not quick to recognize the voice of God calling him into service. How many times do we think that maybe we are supposed to be doing something? How many times do we feel like we need to do something but we just aren’t sure what that something is? Samuel was called by the Lord three times, and was not aware of where his calling was coming from. Finally, Samuel was told to listen for the call again and to answer to God when he heard the call again. Today I tell you to acknowledge that little voice you have been hearing, and recognize that this is the voice of God calling you to serve.

Lord, you call us boldly into service for your people, and sometimes you call us with a still small voice. Help us to recognize that you will call to us in many ways, and we must be willing to always be open and aware of your voice in our lives, calling us to serve. Amen

Wednesday, September 16

“Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.”
1 Chronicles 16:10

Indeed! Rejoice! Go gladly into the sanctuary and sing praises to our Glorious God! Maybe it’s been a hard week, or a stressful weekend, and the rejoicing doesn’t come easy on Sunday mornings. Maybe you just can’t get into the spirit of worship. Well, consider the great gift you are receiving when you hear that your God has been gracious enough to forgive you all your sins. Then, consider what you did to deserve that grace. We did nothing right but believe, and we get all the glorious benefits of righteousness with Christ. That is worth smiling about. Rejoice!

Forgiving God, sometimes we just don’t get how great it is to be one of your people. We are not in the mood to rejoice in your glorious name. Send your Spirit upon us and make us joyful people who are ready to sing and pray and proclaim your glory to all the earth. Amen.

Thursday, September 17

“It is you who light my lamp;
the Lord, my God, lights up my darkness.”
Psalm 18:28

This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine. This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine. This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine. Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine. Now I hope you have that song stuck in your head. Sing it again and again! Make it a prayer to the Lord Jesus, who is the Light of the World. Who chases away the fear we find when we are in the dark. Who lights the way to eternal life. Let it shine! Take that light and pass it on to those you care about today.

Jesus, Light of the World, you have shown us the way to eternal life. With you we should not fear all that lurks in the dark. When these scary things jump out at us, help us let you have control, shining your light into our darkest, scariest, loneliest situations. Amen.

Friday, September 18

“The sum of your word is truth;
and every one of your righteous ordinances endures forever.”
Psalm 119:160

Many people have many differing opinions of the truth of each and every story of the Bible. Did God create the entirety of creation in six twenty-four hour days and then rest on the seventh day? Were people really taken into heaven when they were alive? Did dry bones walk? You can ask questions and still have faith. What is important to know and trust, is that when you put it all together, when you take the “sum” total of the word, it is truth. And the truth endures forever.

God, sometimes we have questions and sometimes we doubt, but we know that Jesus came to save us from our own sin. With that as our guide, we can debate the “small stuff” and still focus on what really matters. Thank you for making Jesus the focus of our faith. Amen

Saturday, September 19

“Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!”
Revelation 22:20

Amen. So be it. And it is so. We end our prayers with “amen.” We end the Apostles’ Creed with “amen.” We make prayers and proclamations and we end with this little word that means so much. Not only do we make statements, but we back them up by immediately saying aloud that they are true. “Amen” just isn’t another little word that we say because someone told us to. It has meaning and we need to remember that this word is the huge exclamation point at the end of our prayers and proclamations.

God, you come to us in ways that make a big difference in our lives, yet we sometimes find it hard to show excitement when we pray and proclaim our faith. Let our “amens” be the grand finale of all that we say about our faith. Amen. Amen.