Category: Devotionals

Our Advent journey continues as we climb our family tree and remember those who have supported us and become part of our “Legacy of Faith.”

God never planned on any person walking the road of faith alone, but some of my readers haven’t experienced supportive family relationships. Their family may look downright barren like a tree in winter. For many, the important people in our lives are close friends. Some of the best friends are those we have known for many years.

I have known my friend Amada for over fifty years. Half a century! We met in Mexico when we were single. My first Christmas in Mexico, her family made me feel welcome in their home. A few years later, we each married. Now we are grandmothers, and between us, we have a passel of grandchildren. Over the years, we have communicated by letters, cassette tapes, email, and more recently by Zoom.

In the early years, we worked together at Wycliffe Bible Translator’s headquarters in Mexico City. Amada and I agreed to memorize the Gospel of John together, she in Spanish and me in English. All twenty-one chapters? Stories and discourses? It was not an easy task. Each week, Amada and I met to encourage each other in the work of memorization. I didn’t complete that task until long after I was married, and then only with the help of another friend. Would I even have begun without the influence of Amada?

James 2:23 describes Abraham as the Lord’s friend. This was not a passing acquaintance. From the time he left Ur at age 75 until he died at age 175, Abraham walked in friendship with God. Their friendship lasted for a whole century! In truth, God continues to keep his promises to his friend even though Abraham died thousands of years ago. What key element bound them together? Abraham’s faith and God’s faithfulness.

Who is the friend you have known for the longest time? What has bound you together over the years? Have you thanked God for that friendship? How does it differ from your friendship with God?

During Advent, we are seeing how “A Legacy of Faith” includes not only close family members but a multitude of people from all walks of life. I hope these thoughts are stirring gratitude in you for those who have impacted your life.

One tends to think of parents instructing their children, but our children can also teach us surprising lessons about faith.

My daughter used to attend a women’s Bible study on the gospel of John. It was her turn to teach the week they studied John 17. As she walked to the front of the class, Prisca reached for her cell phone and began to dial. She stood in front of the class and ignored the other women while she spoke into the phone.

“Dad, I’ll be coming home soon.” (pause)

“Yes, I have finished the work you gave me to do.” (pause)

“It’s going to be hard to leave my friends here. We have grown close. Dad, they listen to me and trust me.” (pause)

Prisca’s audience became restless, but she continued her imaginary conversation.

“I’d like them to one day come to our home and stay with me.” (pause)

“Thanks, Dad, for making that possible. I know you love them too.”

Slowly, it dawned on the women that Prisca was not being rude but paraphrasing Jesus’ words in the chapter of John. His prayer was his “phone call” home to the Father. And Prisca’s lesson reminded me that my prayers too are conversations with my Father.

What have you learned from a nephew or niece, a friend’s child, or even a student in your class? The lessons we learn from children are often simple truths. Psalm 8:2 says, “Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.”

Thank you for returning faithfully each day. This season of Advent is a time of preparation for Christmas, and we are examining our “Legacy of Faith,” the long list of people whom God has used to guide us to become all that we are today. That list includes co-workers.

After graduating from an institution of higher learning, I was proud, maybe too proud, of my college education. I began working with Wycliffe Bible Translators in Mexico, expediting translated manuscripts through publication.

When the WBT held its international conference in Mexico, the event made our base’s population swell fivefold, the extra mouths to feed put a heavy load on our limited cafeteria facilities. An appeal went out for volunteers to help the dish crew meet the need. My position required me to prepare for printing the countless reports needed for the conference. I felt I didn’t have time to wash dishes in the kitchen. But as I returned my dirty plates to the kitchen, I glanced in the pass-through window. Imagine my surprise when I saw Dr. George Cowan, president of WBT, rolling up his sleeves to scrub greasy pots and pans.

George Cowan held a doctorate. He was in charge of our entire conference. He was accustomed to meeting with prime ministers all over the world. And he was willing to humble himself and wash dishes. By his example, my co-worker taught me more about humility than any words could communicate.

Jesus modeled humility. At Christmas, we celebrate his leaving the glory of heaven to stoop to earth. Thirty-three years later, in John 13, he knelt before his disciples and performed a task usually assigned to the lowliest slave. The “CEO” washed the feet of his co-workers. Jesus, the Lord of the universe. Jesus, the Prince of Peace, the Light of the entire world, wore an apron and did the dirty work of salvation.

Consider what you might learn from someone at work. They might not be a believer, but what have they taught you about perseverance? Or forgiveness? Or encouragement? Do they realize how their example touched you? Today might be a good day to speak up and thank them for the way they influenced your life.

During this season of Advent, we have been looking at family members who have touched our lives in meaningful ways. All these people have become part of our “Legacy of Faith.” However, family is not the only influence on our lives. All of us have had teachers who also guided us.

For me, the teacher who impacted me most was Dr. David Needham. After I graduated from a secular college, I needed a stronger foundation in scripture. I searched for a one-year grad program at a Bible college, and Multnomah University promised that the basic textbook in every one of their courses would be the Bible. I wondered how that could be possible. Was there really enough content in scripture to require a whole year of study?

David Needham taught me how to study the Bible. Just as the Christian conference that I had attended earlier transformed the direction of my life, Needham’s course now transformed my entire approach to scripture. I learned to see the people in scripture as individuals who got angry and tired, they laughed and grieved. They had faults, and yet God still used them. There were enough people in the Bible that I could spend a lifetime learning from them.

Needham also introduced me to topical studies and passage studies. There were historical, geographical and cultural studies. Then we learned how to study poetry and prophecy. Each method promised a lifetime of learning.

Psalm 119:11-12 tells us, “How can a young person [or old person!] stay pure? By obeying your scripture…I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. I praise you, O Lord; teach me your decrees.”

Did a teacher touch your life? Was it a Sunday school teacher? Someone in elementary school, a professor at college? I bet that they would love to know that their ideas took seed in your life and continue to grow. Give them a call or jot them a note today. If you have lost touch with your teacher, why not send a text to a friend who is a teacher and encourage them?

Advent always follows our national holiday of Thanksgiving. This year, we are giving thanks for people who have become part of our “Legacy of Faith.”

Those who have been married know how much a spouse can impact our lives in positive or negative ways. If you have never married, you may feel that what follows does not relate to your story, but perhaps you will change your mind as you read on.

My husband Gene impacted me in more ways I can count. He modeled patience, forgiveness, encouragement. We laughed together. We sat quietly together. He was a good husband.

Gene grew up in an unchurched home and watched his parent’s marriage disintegrate due to mental illness. When he became a believer, he wanted to know what a Christian home was like. After we married, Gene told me how he had spied upon his pastor’s family to see how they lived out their faith. How did a Christian father treat his wife behind closed doors? Did they shout and scream at each other? How did they work together to discipline their children? Everything Gene learned about being my husband and, later, about being a good father, he learned by observing that pastor’s family. Gene’s passion to learn how to be a better Christian spouse challenged me to do the same.

Hosea 2:19-20 speaks to all of us, whether married or single. The Lord said, “I will betroth you to me forever. Yes, I will betroth you to me in righteousness and justice, in lovingkindness and in compassion. And I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness. Then you will know the Lord.”

What can you learn of God’s example from this verse? How can you demonstrate these same qualities of commitment, righteousness, justice, lovingkindness, compassion and faithfulness to those you meet today?

We are just finishing the first week of the Advent season. This year we are looking at “A Legacy of Faith” and recognizing the many people who have become tiles in the mosaic of our lives.

Brothers and sisters can have a huge influence on the direction of our lives. They can point toward good choices, like following God. Other siblings give less honorable guidance, perhaps establishing a pattern of alcohol or drug abuse.

When I entered college, I became very confused by all the choices that lay before me. These included my academic major, the people I dated, and even the roommates I chose. My oldest brother, Richard, saw my confusion and paid for me to fly from New York out to California to attend a Christian conference. He had little money at the time, having just graduated from college himself. But he invested a large sum in his little sister. That week at the conference transformed the direction of my life. I turned my life over to Christ. I jettisoned the young man I was dating. I ended up serving with Wycliffe Bible Translators in Mexico.

Jesus also had siblings. He had a different experience from mine. In John 7, his brothers openly mocked him. His brothers said, “No one does anything in secret. If you really are doing such things as these, you should show yourself to the world.” Jesus’ brothers did not yet believe in him. But Jesus, the first born of Mary and thus the oldest brother, led them in a better way. By the time Jesus ascended into heaven, his brothers were gathering with other believers in the Upper Room. In Acts 1:14, we read, “They all met together and were constantly united in prayer, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, several other women, and the brothers of Jesus.”

Are there tensions in your family? Are there painful memories? Are there decisions you made that you now regret? Do you need to ask forgiveness? Or do you need to offer forgiveness to someone? Offer a prayer for healing in your family today.

Today we continue our Advent journey, recognizing key people who have influenced our lives. We’ve mentioned parents and grandparents, but there are other family members – aunts and uncles – who can also be part of our “Legacy of Faith.”

My father had four siblings. Of them, I knew Aunt Priscilla best. She never married and thus had more time to travel and visit her sixteen nieces and nephews. We delighted in the attention she showered on us.

While I was at college, across the country from my own family, she hosted me on numerous occasions at her New York apartment. She, like my grandmother, never learned to cook. Her idea of cooking meant buying a rotisserie chicken from the local deli, boiling a plastic bag of frozen vegetables, and adding a Sara Lee cake for dessert. Knowing I was coming and my love of cooking, Aunt Pris would sign up to help with bake sales at her work and at her church. I spent many happy hours in her tiny kitchen measuring flour and sugar, fulfilling those obligations.

All my cousins have similar fond memories of Aunt Pris. She accepted each of us as we were. She recognized our unique gifts. That was part of her special legacy in my life. I’m sure there were decisions we made that caused her to shake her head in concern, but she never rejected a one of us.

We have no knowledge of whether Jesus had uncles and aunts. Jesus had no home where he could host nieces and nephews, but he had a special way of accepting all who came near. In Luke 15:1-2, the Pharisees criticized him for welcoming sinners and tax gatherers. Yet, these were the people who needed him most. Feeling accepted, they came to listen to him.

Who has made you feel welcome? Perhaps another phone call is in order to express gratitude to that person. Is it time to pass along the gift of hospitality to someone else this season?
 

Welcome to those who are just joining us for this series of Advent devotionals. We are looking at types of people who have had strong impact on our faith. Yesterday we looked at the influence of fathers. Today we look at mothers.

My mother was a wild Irish woman. She had auburn red hair and a flaming temper to go with it. Mom grew up in northern Ireland during the bloody conflict of the Black and Tan. She spoke of how soldiers ransacked her home and how her mother made her lie down on the floor of a public bus as it drove through a volley of bullets. Despite those war experiences, my mother developed a wry sense of humor.

When I was in my early teens, Mom went back to Ireland to visit her mother. She left me in charge of preparing meals, doing the wash, and cleaning the house. One day, I somehow added soap twice to a load of laundry. Huge quantities of bubbles started foaming up and sliding down the outside of the machine. One of my older brothers sauntered out and offered this sage advice: “Next time, don’t add so much detergent.”

When I complained to Mom in my next letter, she gave her own advice: “Next time, ask him to show you how to do the chore better. He’ll feel good about himself, you might learn something new, and, in any case, he will have done the chore for you!”

My mother passed along advice to me, but Jesus’ mother faced a far more difficult task: No other woman had ever mothered God’s Son. Mary was young and inexperienced. What wisdom did she have? Who gave her advice?

The Lord gives much more than advice. The Bible is full of God’s wisdom. James 1:5 tells us that if any man (or woman) lacks wisdom, they merely need to ask God for it. May I suggest you read Proverbs 2:2-11 today?

We are still at the beginning of a series of Advent devotionals on the theme of “A Legacy of Faith.” Thanks for returning to join us on the journey. Today we’ll look at the influence of fathers on our legacy.

Last year, for 24 days in Advent, we followed the story of my father meeting my mother and falling in love. Soon after they married, World War II broke out. Dad went to Europe as a chaplain with the US Army. Dad was a gentle man, and war was anything but gentle. I have been reading all the letters he sent home from the front, including his first-hand account of liberating the concentration camps. The scenes he described were horrific. Yet my father was also deeply distressed when the American GI’s raped local women and his fellow officers became intoxicated. Were they any better than the Germans?

Dad’s commander asked him to lead a memorial service for the US servicemen who had died en route to defeating Germany. After praying for the dead, Dad also prayed for the living:

Grant, O Lord, that we who live on may highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain. We here dedicate ourselves anew to the divine cause of freedom and justice for which they fought. Inspired by their sacrifice, help us, O God, to rise to nobler living, to be obedient to Thy holy commandments, and to share in building a better America and a world of brotherly love and peace among all mankind. We ask it in Thy Holy Name. Amen. – John H. Parke, US Army chaplain

Many men came home from the war wounded physically and scarred emotionally. When my father returned, he rarely spoke of the events he had encountered, but his faith preserved his sanity and his hopes for mankind. Even more importantly, he passed that faith on to his children.

The Apostle Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, “Even if you had ten thousand others to teach you about Christ, you have only one spiritual father. For I became your father in Christ Jesus when I preached the Good News to you.” (1 Cor. 4:15)

Who fathered you in the gospel? Offer a word of thanksgiving for their ministry in your life.