Heavenly Father, thank you for the senses that you have given me to be able to worship you with my whole being – sight, smell, touch, hearing, and tasting/talking. You have given me so much, help me to be thankful for all your goodness and blessings to me every day. I have ‘Experienced Jesus’ this last Advent Season, help me to carry these experiences with me each day through the coming year and be willing to share and tell others of your incredible love, faithfulness and forgiveness. Guide me through the coming year, and bless my family, friends and those I meet. Give me the courage and strength of purpose to fulfill the commission you have for my life. We praise you daily for your goodness and love. In your Son’s precious name I pray, Amen.
Read Matthew 28:16-20 “[Jesus] said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.’” Mark 16:15 (NIV) I probably have about 200 souvenir pins. Whenever I go to a new place, whether in Australia or overseas I collect a souvenir pin of that place and when I come home, I pin them on two different rugs that I have hanging on the wall. During this last holiday to the USA in May, I came home with nine new pins from different states and towns. Some wonder why I do this, but my response is to not forget the stories that the pin evokes in my memory. I have so many fun and exciting stories to tell others of my travels, but unless I have something to remind me, these stories can be forgotten. God gave us a souvenir pin rug to remind us constantly of His love and faithfulness to His people through all time. It is the Bible and the countless stories of God’s faithful people that are contained in it. Over Christmas we heard of Jesus’ birth and all those who came to see, hear, smell, touch and then tell of God’s amazing love for the world. The last to visit Jesus as a baby, that we are told, were the wise men who came from countries far away to see what God was showing them through a star appearing in the sky. They had heard and read and then followed. These wise men were unofficially commissioned after seeing Jesus go and tell the world of this baby who was God’s Son, and they did! We know of God’s love through others sharing God’s story with us. We hear the stories but cannot keep them to ourselves so tell them to anyone who will listen. For those who hear the stories of my travels, I hope they are inspired to also see some of the places I have seen. So also, we hear of God’s love, listen and read the stories for ourselves and find that we can do nothing else but share them with others and pray that they are inspired by the Holy Spirit. The disciples were commissioned with that task – tell the world! That is our commission too! Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to share your story with others so that they will hear of your love for them. You have commissioned me to be your disciple, and guide my words and actions. Amen.
Read John 3:11-17 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (NIV) I love a good story. One of my favourite things to do is sit and read a good book. To me a good story needs to have some great characters, descriptive pieces about the setting and then some sort of plot that happens to the characters – oftentimes you have a villain, so that there is someone to dislike in the book. A good story can also be read aloud for others to hear and imagine with you. As a teacher I used to find some time every day – even ten minutes - to read to the children. During those times the children would listen intently to what was going to happen next. One year I read C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia to my year five class. The story came alive to them, with the figure of Aslan creating an impact as he guided the children through their adventures. The Bible is a book that I read and hear regularly, whether in church, studies, or personal devotions… even when reading I ‘hear’ what I am reading. We have just heard and read the Christmas story over and over through these devotions and throughout the season of Advent. It is a story we have heard many times and we like to think we know how it all ends – we all go to be with Jesus in Heaven forever. But what happens in the middle parts of our lives? We don’t know what will happen in the middle, until it happens. We can imagine and plan what will occur in our lives, but only God knows each of our stories and guides us through our lives. Through God sending Jesus as a baby to be the Saviour of the World for us, right through to His death on the cross at Easter, rising from death and then ascending to Heaven, God was sharing a story of salvation. We read all about Jesus and His story and how He came to bring life. Jesus shares how He wants us to live: to love God and love each other and the rest of our stories then unfolds! Prayer: Lord God, you know my story. I trust that you know what is best for me and I thank you that you have assured me of my salvation through your story. Amen.
Read James 1:22-25 “While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him, I am well pleased. Listen to him!’” Matthew 17:5 (NIV) Once upon a time, there was a shepherd who bought a flock of sheep, but when he got to know them a little better, he realised that these sheep just would not stop bleating. All day long, it was -” Baaah baaah,” what a deafening racket; and they just ignored the shepherd’s commands. He used all the means at his disposal to get the sheep to listen to him and to his dogs, but it was hopeless. Finally, seeing as the sheep wouldn’t stop talking, the shepherd decided to at least have some fun with them. He bought an enormous ear and transported it out to his fields on the back of his wagon. Surprisingly, on seeing the ear, the sheep all stopped bleating to each other, and began telling the ear all their woes and complaints. When the shepherd drove his wagon, the sheep would even follow him about, just so that they could carry on talking to the ear. And so it was that the shepherd understood that even sheep have something to say, and just want to be listened to. There is a difference between ‘listening’ and ‘hearing’. The definition of hearing revolves around the physiological act of hearing sounds. The definition of listening revolves around actively paying attention to the words and sounds that you hear to absorb their meaning [google]. Hearing is simply the physical process of perceiving sound while listening involves understanding and responding to what you have heard. In the book of James, listening is described as not just hearing, but doing what it says and likening it to looking in a mirror and then forgetting what you look like when you leave the mirror. Listening means retention and responding. It is active, not just passive and takes work. We all need to be listened to, even the sheep in the above story, but God commands us to “Listen to Jesus!” Listen to the words He shares through the Gospels, Listen to Him through the Pastor at church, and Listen to Him through the Holy Spirit. Listen, take to heart, and respond! Don’t just hear, truly listen! Prayer: Dear God, thank you for sharing your words of life with me. Help me to actively listen and respond to you and to help others through my listening to them. Amen.
Read 2 Chronicles 6:36-40 Jesus says, “Whoever has ears, let them hear.” Matthew 11:15 (NIV) Three main bones make up the ear, with the smallest bones in the body being found in the middle ear (the stapes, incus, and malleus). The inner ear is responsible for sound detection as well as balance. There are around 15,000 tiny hair cells inside our cochlear (inner ear) and they are the sensory receptors - without them we couldn’t hear. Our ears never sleep, they are always actively listening – although the brain learns to ignore the sounds around us as we sleep. The outer ear never stops growing throughout your life. Throughout the Old Testament, God calls His people to listen to Him through His prophets and those He called to speak for Him. There seems to be a pattern. God’s people sin, God punishes them to make them see their wrongs, God sends someone to tell them what they are doing wrong and to repent (turn around), God hears their prayers and cries for mercy and God then forgives and brings them back to Him. This pattern happened again and again. But then God sent His Son Jesus, to break this cycle once and for all. At Christmas we heard of His miraculous birth and the joy Jesus brought to the world. God gave His Son to be the person to break the cycle of our punishment and our having to show our sorrow (as in the Old Testament). At Easter, Jesus died and paid for our sins, once and for all. God heard all the people’s cries and prayers throughout the centuries and sent His Son to atone for all our sins. No longer do we have to plead with God to hear and forgive us, for we know that when we pray, He does hear us, and He does forgive us every time we do wrong. God’s incredible listening ear is always open to our pain and hurts and brings us His grace and peace. Prayer: Dear God, you do hear me every time I pray to you. Forgive me for not listening to your words and obeying. Help me to open my ears better to your guidance. Amen
Read Mark 1:1-8 “A voice of one calling: ‘In the desert prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.’” Isaiah 40:3 (NIV) John the Baptist, son of Zechariah and Elizabeth, and cousin to Jesus, was born about the same time as Jesus – some say he was born about 6 months before Jesus. John’s purpose and ministry were very different from Jesus’. The Gospel of Mark doesn’t begin with the birth of Jesus as both Matthew and Luke do, instead, it begins with John telling others about Jesus. It was foretold in Isaiah that John was going to make a noise in telling others to repent and to be baptised. He told people to prepare themselves for the coming Saviour who would also bring the Holy Spirit. So even before Jesus’ ministry began, his cousin John was causing a stir and shaking them out of their complacency. John was Jesus’ loudest supporter. The Gerhardy family has always been loud at supporting. When my brothers were playing for Adelaide Lutheran Football Club (AFL), all the family was out at most football games barracking and telling them what to do, even sometimes pointing out offenses to the umpire. We were vocal, loud supporters and everyone knew with whom we were affiliated. John was this loud supporter of Jesus – telling others who was coming and to wait for what they would see him do and the miracles that He would perform in the name of God. Christmas is now over for another year. New Year’s Day is also over (only just), and we are getting close to Epiphany. This is the time when Jesus is revealed to the human race as a Saviour for all the world. This should be something we get excited about, that we get loud about and share with others about. It is a time to state which team we are affiliated with – Team Jesus – and barrack for Him with all our heart, soul, and minds. May God open Himself up to you this New Year for you to stand up for Him against all odds. Become the loudest Jesus supporter! Prayer: Jesus, help me to become your greatest supporter. Give me the courage to share who you are and what you have done for the world in dying for our sins. Amen
Read Psalm 150 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.” Luke 2:14 (NIV) Last year, my family got together with our neighbours and celebrated the bringing in of the New Year on the banks of the Noosa River. Fireworks exploded over the waters and shouts were heard from adults and children as they expressed delight at the light exhibition. Dogs weren’t quiet as they howled and cowered into the most secure areas away from the noises and bright lights and booms. Everything seemed so loud, as if that is the way to start the New Year – with a BANG! What are we actually celebrating though? Is it the joy of finishing a year or the joy of welcoming a new start? Too much noise and loudness can stop the thought process, to the extent that we just go along with the crowd. Our society today seems to be very loud with the cost-of-living pains, with protests about one thing or another or just noise to drown out thinking too hard about what to do. In Psalm 150 we are told to celebrate and to praise God with loud noises and songs and music. But in contrast, Jesus came as a tiny baby not with noise and fireworks, but with peace and joy, kindness and gentleness, love and grace. God wants us to find times of quiet to think about all He did for us in the sending of His Son. Now what did I do after being at a very loud Noosa River with thousands of people? I walked home quietly with my family as we contemplated all that we had seen and heard. After the noise has died down, spend some time quietly asking God what it is that he wants from you this New Year. Maybe it is just spending time with Him and His Word regularly, maybe it is spending some time helping your church and community by volunteering, or maybe it is just introducing family and friends to the love of God. Celebrate loud and hard but find peace and quiet later to listen. Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for coming quietly into the world to bring your peace and love to a noisy world. Bring a purpose and a peace to my life this year. Amen
Read Luke 2:1-4 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” Micah 5:2 (NIV) What would Bethlehem town have sounded like 2,000 years ago? I imagine a lot of animal noises, calling out voices in the markets, people yelling, the clanging of the blacksmith shop, children’s voices, and other noises I can’t even consider. Added to this would have been the influx of Roman guards and extra people who had arrived in Bethlehem for the census. At the time of Jesus’ birth, Google estimated that there would have been between 2,000 and 3,000 people living there. It could have been classed as a small city rather than a town. Bethlehem was a place first mentioned back in the Old Testament by Jacob when Rachel died in 1685 BC … “she was buried by the road leading to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem)” (Genesis 35:19b NIV) Bethlehem was an ancient town, and it was here that most of the book of Ruth is set. Naomi’s family was from Bethlehem, so when her husband and sons all died, she packed up with her daughter-in-law Ruth and travelled to her hometown. Ruth met Boaz and they were married in Bethlehem. King David, Ruth’s descendant was born in Bethlehem, and it was here that he was anointed King by the prophet Samuel. This little town was well known by the Jewish culture of the day, and so it is no surprise that the Son of God, Jesus, a direct descendant of King David, was born here. It is New Year’s Eve today. Do we have a quiet place to celebrate the birth of a King this Advent season? No, we now herald him into our lives with shouts and oohs and aahs and fireworks and celebrating the New Year. As the old year ends, let us not forget what we have just celebrated – the birth of the King of the World, born in a manger in the little town of Bethlehem. He was heralded in by the singing of angels so let us also celebrate, with shouts and loud noises, that Jesus is our Saviour, Lord and Redeemer come to bring peace and love to the world. Prayer: Dear Lord, as I end another year, the birth of your Son heralds a new beginning. Let me bring Him with me into the New Year to be a part of my life. Amen
Read Ephesians 3:14-21 “We are S’more than conquerors through [Christ] who loved us.” Romans 8:37b (NIV) I remember the first time I had a S’more! I was staying at a youth camp for a church in New York. I had only just started my team ministry with Lutheran Youth Encounter in 1991. I was told to toast a marshmallow and then put it on two graham crackers with a piece of Hershey’s chocolate. The hot marshmallow melted the chocolate, and it all became a gooey mess while eating it, but oh so good! In 2010, returning to the US with our children and travelling in an RV, my husband and I decided to introduce S’mores to our children – a real hit! We blogged back to their classes telling of this delectable delight and S’mores were born in our family and amongst our friends. S’mores are a great example of God’s love. We are heated up with the power of the Holy Spirit to be sandwiched into fellowship with others, where the love of God is able to stick to others. To grow in faith, we need to have S’more and S’more of Jesus in our lives. God sent Jesus at Christmas to enter our hearts and lives through His incredible love. This baby grew up to be S’more than we could ever imagine, the Saviour of the world! He was God’s Son who was sent to our world to be the means for us to be able to enter God’s presence. S’more love and grace than we ever thought possible! So, try making a S’more. Our family had trouble in Australia with the biscuits and thin chocolate so instead we used a chocolate digestive biscuit with chocolate on one side. This works well and still tastes incredibly yummy. As you eat it think of S’more ways to share Jesus’ love, S’more ways to share your faith, S’more ways to serve others, and S’more opportunities to grow personally in your faith. S’mores are tasty and leave you wanting S’more. “We ought always to thank God for you because your faith is growing S’more and S’more, and the love everyone has for each other is increasing.” (2 Thessalonians 1:3 NIV) Prayer: Thank you Jesus that you have come into the world to bring me S’more love to share with others. May my actions and life bring S’more people to know you. Amen