Try to Remember

My son, don’t forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commands.
Proverbs 3:1

The other day in church we had a family baptizing their baby, which, as so many random things do, got me thinking. We baptize as an outward symbol that our sins have been washed away by the blood of Jesus Christ on the cross. It is a memorial of the life, death, and resurrection of the Son of God for the forgiveness of our sins.

In the Methodist Baptismal Covenant, we reaffirm our rejection of sin and our commitment to Christ. Though we aren't the ones getting wet, we remember our baptism, remember that our sins have been washed away. We also pledge to intermix our lives with the child as a family under Christ. But what I was thinking mostly about was, should we remember our baptism more often.

Think about this, at the Last Supper Jesus said, as he broke the bread and said, "Take, eat; this is my body which is given to you. Do this in remembrance of me." And the he lifted the cup and said "Drink from this all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." I take these word from Jesus as a command that every time we eat and drink, remember what Jesus did for us. He came as a man, though completely God to live and die for our sins.

And why do should we do this at every meal? Because we are a forgetful people. We are actually very good at forgetting. We forget important things that effect our own lives, wedding anniversaries, birthdays, Christmas. We also forget things as a whole, thousands of years of history, we edit the past to better suit what we want now, instead of learning from it. We forget the value of hard work for the small but quick buck. We are forgetful and too stubborn to remember. Even the Jews, while wandering the desert for 40 years, would forget God. That was no small feat considering he was present in a pillar of smoke and flame.

So if we are to remember at every meal, so that we don't so easily forget the love God has for us and that our sins were forgiven, should we not also, as we bathe and wash ourselves daily remember our baptism, our faith, and our rejection of sin? I think we should do this. Every morning, or evening if you are one of those people, while we wash ourselves clean, we should also prepare our hearts and remember that we have been forgiven, and work hard each day to reject the sin that is ever so pervasive in our lives.

This combined with active prayer all day long, and remembering communion at each meal, I think we can change the world. Change the view of what Christians are to the world, and flood the whole world with a love so deep and true that love, joy, hope, and peace will cover the earth in a kingdom like none the earth has ever seen.

Devotional: Brokenhearted

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.
Psalms 34:18 NLT

In today's world, love is a planned obsolescence and our spirits are supremely selfish. We write pre-nuptials, plans for the eventual failing of marriages so that we can keep our stuff. Instead of going all in, we make sure "What's mine is mine" even from those we love. First real troubles in marriages we give up. It is easier to turn and run, than to work it out. We do not let ourselves in all the way, because it might end up hurting us.

But as much as it does hurt, God is right there for you in that hurt. It is the times of broken hearts and crushed spirits that a person really grows. If you avoid all kinds of emotional hurts, how can you really grow into the person God knows you can be. In those times where even your soul feels destroyed, God can and will piece you back together. Like a broken bone, when your broken heart is set and it heals, it will be stronger than it was before.

Though we will break down and want to give up from all the exhausting pain, God will give us strength and we can stand tall and proud, stronger than before, because we have a God who loves us so much that we can face any pain, any ache, and know with confidence, God is beside us, picking us up, until the day he calls us home one last time.

Lord, we sometimes fear taking chances because of the hurt in our hearts. Fear the harshness of rejection in our souls, but we know you are here, now, ready to rescue us. Give us the courage to risk a broken heart so we can show the world what love really is.

Devotional: Here I Am

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

Isaiah 6:8

Every person on this earth has a calling. Whether they believe in God or not, or know his son or not, God has something in mind for them that only they can do. God wants each us to complete this task, and is calling to every man, woman, and child. Sadly many people will never hear the call, because they can't imagine something greater than themselves. Some others will never hear it because they are too self centered to realize they can help this hurting world. Others will refuse the call, because it doesn't line up with what they want. Some will misinterpret the call because they don't understand who Jesus really is. And sadly, some just don't care.

We have a call that begs to be answered in our lives. It is different for each person, for Isaiah, it was to go to the people and speak some harsh words to them but he went and changed Israel. In the same way, we can go to the people God wants us to go to, speak words that challenge the status quo and what they might believe. If we give them the words God speaks we too can change a nation.

From Bible.com

There is no denying that America is hurting. Drugs are killing people as fast as a pandemic. Alcohol is breaking up families. There is a hole in the soul of America. People turn to these things to try to find a temporary peace, a stop gap in this giant hole in our souls. God is looking for someone to step up, be willing to be sent out into a hurting world to heal the world with God's great love. The time is right for a revival to sweep the nation. Are you willing to answer God's call today and say "Here I am. Send Me!"

Lord, we are hard of hearing sometimes, and other times we are resistant to any kind of change, but here we stand for you today. Lead us this day in what you have asked us to do. Let our voices be Your voice and Your light for a hurting world.