The Gospel in Peanuts: The Hound of Heaven Devo

July 29th, 2018

“The Gospel in Peanuts: The Hound of Heaven” - Romans 8: 26-39 and Matt 15: 21-28

Keep the sermon topic and Biblical text preaching all week by following Pastor Michelle at her sermon blog www.revmichelle.blogspot.com

Monday: “Spirit Comes to Help” - Romans 8: 26-30

We often do not talk about the power of the Holy Spirit enough. The Spirit that lives inside of us when we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior. The Spirit that Jesus promised to his disciples before handing himself over to face death, even death on the cross. 

Paul tells the church in Rome that the Spirit does several things. First, the Spirit comes to help in our weakness. We know that we struggle from time to time. We have physical weaknesses. Spiritual weaknesses. Sometimes the temptation of sin is strong, but we are told that Spirit is there to help, even in our weaknesses. We don’t have to have it all together in order to turn to God. 

Second, the Spirit pleads for us, even when we don’t have the words. When we don’t have words to express our prayers, when we can’t even begin to articulate what we are thinking and feeling, the Spirit interprets that before God. 

Third, the Spirit searches our hearts. Often in Psalms we find David crying out that God search him and know him. The Spirit aids that searching and points out to us the blind spots we may not be aware of in our life. 

How would you talk about what the Holy Spirit does in your life?

Why do you think we sometimes do not talk about the work of the Spirit?

Prayer: Precious Lord, giver of life, we thank you this day for the gift of the Holy Spirit. We praise you for all of the many ways the Spirit ministers in our lives. Let us not take this for grant it, but forever look for the Spirit’s guiding along the road of faith. Amen. 

Tuesday: “God is For Us” - Romans 8: 31-34

How do we know that God is for us? God’s love for us. But not just any type of love - agape love. God’s agape love for us, also called charity. The type of love that is unconditional, even when we screw up and in all circumstances. This is the greatest love that can exist, and is the love that God showed us not only in our creation but also through Jesus‘ sacrifice on the cross.

In other words, we cannot do anything to make God love us more, and we cannot do anything to make God love us less, for the love of God isn’t based on us, but is a self-giving of God’s own spirit. Agape love is self-sacrificing, and can be seen as the highest form of love that anyone can ever give to another.

 The apostle Paul today in his letter to the Romans speaks of this deep, unconditional love of God for us that was manifested through Jesus Christ. If the God who loves us like this is for us then who is against us? No one. 

How do you experience the love of God in your life?

How do you share this love with others?

Prayer:  God of Grace and Love, we praise you this day for your love - a love that you have shown for us on the cross. A love that will not let us go. A love that will not let us stay the same. Let us proclaim the transformational power of your love with all we meet. Amen. 

Wednesday: “Pleads Our Case” - Romans 8: 33-34

We all have different images of God that we recall of God at different times in our life, depending on the circumstances. Paul is speaking to the Romans about the image of God as judge and jury.
The idea of having judges among the people traces back to Leviticus - where there were judges who heard the charges people brought against one another and searched for evidence. In other scriptures, we see the King acting as the judge of the people. And still other places we see these earthly images of judges being transferred to God. 

But Paul essentially flips the idea of God as judge on its head - if people bring charges against you to be judged, who has the power to acquit you (or free you) other than God. There is no one left to convict you, for God has forgiven you. 

When I was younger, our youth group used to be in charge of the Easter Sunrise service. For many years, my parents directed the program and had us do short skits, with deep meaning, to open up Easter morning. In one skit, God is judge. The charges are read against a person, only to have Jesus stand up and plead that his blood has covered those sins. God then pronounced that the person was set free, not guilty. So it is with those who have accepted Christ in their hearts and lives. 

What images come to your mind when you think of God as judge?

How are freedom and judgment connected through the cross? 

Prayer: Lord, we can become uncomfortable with the idea of you as judge. We may talk about you judging other people or judging the world, but we don’t take time to reflect on you judging each of us. Let us remember that along with your judgment, comes your freedom. And let us live into that freedom in order to spread the message of your love and your Kingdom. Amen. 

Thursday: “Separate” - Romans 8: 35-39

I once shared with a Bible Study group that I think we do a deep dis-service to new folks coming to the faith when we say that everything will be easy once you come to Jesus. I think what we mean is that Jesus will help carry our burdens for us as we walk through life, but sometimes it can come across as we will have no troubles once we become a Christian, which is not Biblical. 

The apostles understood that life is hard. But Paul, in the face of all of that, declares that the everlasting love of God is stronger than anything we may face. For nothing and no one can separate us from the love of Christ. That is the good news that we should be sharing with new converts! That no matter what hardship we may face, it does not have more power than the cross. In the words of Pastor Adam Hamilton, “the worst thing, is not the last thing” because of the cross and the resurrection. 

How do the words of Paul bring hope in the midst of difficult circumstances?

Prayer: Lord, we admit that life is. not always easy. There are days, O Lord, that are just hard and we do not know what to do. On those days in particular, may we turn to you, O Lord. And may we remember the truth, that nothing we may face in this life, can ever separate us from your deep and abiding love for us. Amen. 

Friday: “Faith” - Matthew 15: 21-28

How would you feel as the woman of Canaan if Jesus spoke to you this way? Would you do as the disciples said and go away? Would you keep pleading your case? Would you react in a harsh way?

The woman from Canaan showed us what it looks like when faith and hope hit the road. Often equate hope with making wishes - wishing that something would change, wishing we would have better circumstances. But its more than that. Hope is grounded in the belief that our God is able. Even when what’s going on around us tries to distract us from that fact. For the woman in Canaan, she was declaring that Jesus was able even when he tried to dismiss her. She said that God had the power through Jesus to change her daughter’s life and that was the hope that she clung to, until Jesus made it a reality. Hope isn’t a fantasy, it is an expression of faith. 

How are hope and faith related in your life?

Prayer: God, may we have the faith and hope of the Canaanite woman. A faith that will not give up and a hope that digs in, no matter what. May the roots of faith and hope run deep in our life, so we can praise you and say that you are able, no matter what we may face. 

Saturday: Preparing for the Word

You are invited to read and pray this week’s text and topic: “God’s Vision - Covenant” - Genesis 15-17 (we will be reading select verses in worship on Sunday).

Family Time:

Have you ever had a hard time putting your prayers into words? Try praying in color as a family. Directions and examples can be found at: https://prayingincolor.com. Talk about what you like about praying in color and what was different for you.