ASLC Devotions - Monday

 1 Kings 17:14  For thus says the Lord the God of Israel: The jar of meal will not be emptied and the jug of oil will not fail until the day that the Lord sends rain on the earth.

Elijah is speaking to the widow of Zarephath. A massive drought had struck the land and Elijah, the prophet, invited himself to stay at the widow's home where she was living with her only son using the last bit of food before she thought she and her son would starve to death. But Elijah gives her the promise of God. The jar of meal will not be emptied. The jug of oil will not fail until the day the Lord sends rain again.

The same words almost exactly are repeated two verses later - if you don't trust me, look it up. It happened as Elijah said it would. But I think the promise verse is more important than the fulfillment verse. The promise of God is where it's at. The promise of God is where the life is found. The promise of God are the words we should remember. The fulfillment sometimes doesn't come as quickly as two verses later in our lives. But the promise always comes. Remember the promise. Hold onto the promise. Your jar of meal will not be emptied. Your jug of oil will not fail. It's a promise.

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

Join us for worship this Saturday at 5 pm and Sunday at 9 am. Full calendar and announcements available at http://www.allsaintspalatine.org 

ASLC Devotions -- Friday

Galatians 6:9-10

⁹So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest-time, if we do not give up. ¹⁰So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith.

I don’t know if you ever feel like whatever good efforts you’re doing – whether it’s in a relationship or on a diet or for the betterment of a community – if whatever you’re doing just doesn’t seem to matter. I hope I’m not the only one who feels that way! Doing the “right thing” doesn’t always appear to make a difference – the long-term gains are far more valuable, clearly, but the short-term, instant gratification often isn’t there.

These verses can bring us encouragement during those times, when perhaps we waffle on a decision or grow discouraged. I appreciate the emphasis on working for the good of all whenever we have the opportunity. Now, where do we see an opportunity to work for the good of all? Let us be encouraged and not grow weary.

Peace,

Pastor Jenn

ASLC Devotions -- Thursday

Romans 15:5-6

⁵May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus, ⁶so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

One of my favorite parts of worship – whether it’s a Sunday morning, a wedding or a funeral – is the blessing. At All Saints we bless backpacks and bicycles, teachers and mission trip participants. And, every time we gather, there’s some sort of blessing for everyone to take with you when you leave. I think I like it because I can take it with me – the blessing has words that can go with me wherever I go.

This blessing from the book of Romans is spoken to a whole community and it speaks to a needed unity – May God grant you to live in harmony and with one voice glorify God. Sometimes that’s the message that any community needs – and sometimes it’s a message that individuals need to hear because of the many and varied circumstances in their own life. Regardless, they are words that we can take with us – wherever we go. Receive this blessing from God.

Peace,

Pastor Jenn  

ASLC Devotions -- Wednesday

Mark 8:4

⁴His disciples replied, “How can one feed these people with bread here in the desert?”

There are these fantastic stories of Jesus and his disciples feeding thousands upon thousands of people in deserted places with a little bit of bread and some fish. Some accounts say that they fed 4,000, others say that they fed 5,000, still another says 5,000 PLUS women and children.

I’ll be honest: the numbers don’t matter to me. Any of those numbers are impressive and represent a miracle – a miracle of multiplication, a miracle of sharing, a miracle of abundance, a miracle of God answering the people’s needs, even though they questioned Jesus. I don’t have a lot of experience with being in a desert, but I know that I’ve seen Jesus feed people: with bread and wine, with water and word, with his life-giving Spirit, in ways that I could never have imagined, and for which I give thanks. How and where have you seen Jesus feeding people?   

Peace,

Pastor Jenn

ASLC Devotions -- Tuesday

Deuteronomy 8:7-9

⁷For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land with flowing streams, with springs and underground waters welling up in valleys and hills, ⁸a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey, ⁹a land where you may eat bread without scarcity, where you will lack nothing, a land whose stones are iron and from whose hills you may mine copper.

After living in the wilderness, God is leading the people into this land that we often call “the promised land” – and it sounds wonderful: enough water for crops, land that can be planted, groves of trees already producing fruit, resources for building and trading. This is a land that comes with a guarantee, too: you will lack nothing. Wow. That all sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?

But the verses that come just after the ones quoted above carry an important reminder: Do not say to yourself, “My power and the might of my own hand have gotten me this wealth. But remember the Lord your God…” Remember the Lord your God. It can be easy (tempting?) to look around at all that we have – whether it’s a lot or a little – and feel satisfied as if we have accomplished something to attain it all. But if we believe that all we have and are comes from God and belongs to God, then our attitude changes. Instead of patting ourselves on the back at our seeming accomplishments, perhaps we turn our hands upward to God in praise and thanksgiving. Thanks be to God.

Peace,

Pastor Jenn

ASLC Devotions -- Monday

Numbers 11:21-23

²¹But Moses said, “The people I am with number six hundred thousand on foot; and you say, ‘I will give them meat, that they may eat for a whole month’! ²²Are there enough flocks and herds to slaughter for them? Are there enough fish in the sea to catch for them?” ²³The Lord said to Moses, “Is the Lord’s power limited? Now you shall see whether my word will come true for you or not.”

Poor Moses. He led the people out of slavery, and all they did was complain – if only we had meat! It was better for us to have been slaves! And God says to gather the people – God has heard their complaints. Not only will I give them meat, God says, but I will give them meat to eat until they are sick of it and loathe it. It would seem that God has the people’s number, so to speak – for they never really seem to be satisfied, right?

But even as Moses is receiving this word from God, he begins to question whether or not God can really do this – after all, he looks around and sees 600,000 people and no meat at all. How could it be that they will receive not only enough meat for tomorrow, but enough that they will get sick of it? (Peanut butter and jelly, again?!) The answer to Moses’ question, of course, is that God provided quails for the people to eat, and for generations (and still) people told this story to demonstrate that God can do mighty things. I wonder what stories you tell about God doing mighty things in your life?

Peace,

Pastor Jenn