Resources for Prayer and Devotions
Meditations from Carol Dean Henn
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The very hairs of your head are all numbered. Matthew 10:30
We know that God leads us in the big decisions, but he who numbers the hairs on our head also nudges us on small things, too. I know that, but sometimes I forget. I have a large plastic storage container on my deck, for keeping pillows, beach towels, and cushions for outdoor furniture. The little twist-tie I use to secure the top of the container to the body had worn and come off. I told myself I’d buy some pipe-cleaners and try those as ties. Days went by. Several times, I clearly heard an inner prompting to do something to secure the closure of that storage unit. I should have recognized that voice. After a heavy rainstorm, I went out to the deck to pick up plants that had blown over. The top of the storage unit was ajar. At first, I thought only the towels and pillows on top were wet. Then I realized—rain had poured into the storage box and soaked everything. Two inches of rain-water sat at the bottom. It was a miserable job to empty the unit, turn it over to drain and dry out, dry the cushions, and launder everything else. If only I had listened to all those promptings, those nudges from God. Let us listen to God in the little things as well as the major ones. ©Carol Dean Henn The Lord said, “I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake.” 2 Kings 19:34
For so many years – too many years – newspapers, magazines, and TV screens have shown us images of cities burning, buildings turned to rubble, whole towns turned into ruins. Some things haven’t changed since the days of the prophets. Every army, every rebel group, every militia claims God’s favor and protection for their territory. Poor God. He is supposed to be on everyone’s side at the same time. In truth, God is most reliably on the side of peace, and certainly, of life. When the God of the Israelite's saved a city or delivered a people, he did it for his purposes. It is natural for people to pray for the protection of their cities and countries. Perhaps God will deliver some places. But God’s most fervent hope is for peace. It should be our hope, too. ©Carol Dean Henn, 2017 Even though there may be so-called gods—for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.
1 Corinthians 8 :5-6 Stroll through a book store and look at all the titles and categories: books on sure-fire ways to make money, vitamin regimens that will cure our ills, diets that will melt away pounds and make us feel 20 years younger, self-help systems and programs for everything from migraines to cellulite to finding a spouse. So many paths to a different, better life! There is nothing wrong with health programs, or ways of better understanding ourselves, or tools for more effectively managing our lives. But these will benefit us only if we know that ultimately, there is one God—a God who loves us and is willing and able to help us with all the needs of our lives. The God who made us and knows us is the God to whom we should turn when we have questions or needs. He might even steer us toward the right books! ©Carol Dean Henn, 2017 Many are saying to me, “There is no help for you in God.” But you, O Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, and the one who lifts up my head.
Psalm 3:2-3 It’s easy to speak naturally about our faith when we’re in church or in the company of fellow believers. But sometimes we find ourselves with people who say, “Don’t count on God. That’s foolish superstition. Don’t waste your time.” They speak from a lack of trust or understanding, or perhaps they have been deeply hurt or disappointed in life and they blame God. Whenever we’re confronted with denials of God’s existence, power, or goodness, we can simply say, “My experience has been of God’s very real presence and blessing. I wish the same for you if you can be open to it.” Then, as today’s verse says, we can draw God’s shield around us and know that he lifts us up to a certainty that may be beyond explanation, but not beyond our reach. ©Carol Dean Henn, 2017 Who knows? God may relent and change his mind; he may turn from his fierce anger, so that we do not perish. Jonah 3:9
Remember when you were a kid and you did something wrong? You worried about what punishment was going to be levied. The fear of what was to come was worse than the eventual punishment. That’s how ancient people often felt about a mercurial God. I can’t imagine the stress of sitting around wondering how God was going to punish me for my wrongdoings. But one of the great blessings of Christ’s coming is that we have a new understanding of God and a new relationship with him; one in which God is focused on forgiveness and recon-ciliation, not punishment. We might still suffer the human consequences of foolish actions or wrong choices, but we won’t be sitting like mischief-makers outside the principal’s office, wondering what our fate will be. We already know that God loves us, forgives us, and renews us. What a wonderful change for the better! ©Carol Dean Henn, 2017 Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear.
Ephesians 4:29 A woman came to a meeting at church one night, and she told us a hilarious but thought-provoking story. Her grown son had phoned her and said that, a few hours earlier, his almost-three-year old, who was at the stage when kids like to answer the phone, had done so. It was immediately clear that the caller was the tot’s maternal grandmother. After a few words of greeting, the toddler turned around, jabbed the phone forcefully toward her mom, and said, in an irritated tone, “It’s your moth-er!” Both parents were stunned, then amused, then embarrassed. The toddler had perfectly mimicked what she had obviously heard her parents say when they’d answered calls from grandparents. For the woman’s son and his wife, it was a lesson in being careful about what they say and how they say it. I still laugh when I think of that story. I can picture the little tyke imitating her dad’s snippiness. But I also get it. Little ones are like sponges. They pick up tones and attitudes in addition to words. We should be careful around kids. Then again, we should be careful of what we say and how we say it around everyone. After all, we’re all God’s children. ©Carol Dean Henn, 2017 |
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AuthorCarol Dean Henn of St. John’s Windish Lutheran Church in Bethlehem, PA |