August 2, 2020
Devotional
“Walk by Faith, Not Sight”
2 Corinthians 5: 1-21
Keep the sermon topic and Biblical text preaching all week by following Pastor Michelle on twitter @tinypastor and reading her sermon blog www.revmichelle.blogspot.com
Monday: “Earthly Tent” - 2 Corinthians 5:1-5
Perhaps I am not the most adapt camper, but there have been several times in my life, when the tent I was in could do nothing to ward off the weather that we were facing. Once at an outdoor festival, there was so much mud and standing water from days of down pouring rain, that the tent was also filled with mud and water.
Tents are meant to be tools. To help us in what we face. But they are not the same as a house with a foundation. When Paul is comparing our bodies to tents, he is not saying that with any judgement, as if bodies are bad. He is simply stating a fact - some day our earthly bodies will fail, but then we will be in our eternal home in heaven.
Paul also notes that in our earthly bodies we will face suffering. Many of us know this firsthand, as we have battled illnesses or have watched love ones struggle with disease. But Paul also says that there is a soul that is being covered by the body, that the tent cannot effect. How do we know this? By the Holy Spirit, which dwells within us.
What do you think about Paul’s metaphor of the body as a tent? Do you agree or disagree?
Prayer: God, we thank you for creating us and giving us the bodies we are in. May we honor our bodies, even as we acknowledge that they are only temporary, we pray. Amen.
Tuesday: “Walk by Faith” - 2 Corinthians 5: 6-7
One of the definitions of faith that I cling to the most is assurance in that which we cannot see. Faith and believing go hand in hand.
For our confirmation class this past year we studied the Apostles Creed and talked about why belief matters. Creed or Credo means I believe.
When we choose to walk by faith we are saying that we believe and trust in God, not just through our words, but through our actions. Our literal steps we take. For Paul, this faith and belief in God is where our confidence and hope comes from. It is the lived embodiment of the Gospel message.
How do you walk by faith each day?
Prayer: Lord, help us to walk by faith - even when we do not understand. Help us to believe - even when we do not have all of the answers. Lead us, Precious Lord, we pray. Amen.
Wednesday: “Home or Away” - 2 Corinthians 5: 8-10
One of the beliefs that I hear from Christians that I struggle with is that it doesn’t matter how we live in this world, because all that matters is getting to eternity in the world to come.
The apostle Paul directly speaks to this belief when he makes the statement whether we are home in the body (here on this earth) or home with the Lord (in eternity), the goal is the same - to please the Lord.
Sin is acting in a way that does not please the Lord. It is missing the mark. It is that which separates us from our Holy God. We need to live on this earth in a way that seeks to embody God’s will and way. Sometimes we will continue to miss the mark, but the promise that awaits for us in heaven should not be an excuse to act contrary to God here and now.
What does it look like for you to please the Lord?
Prayer: Almighty God, we confess that sometimes we get so excited about what is to come in heaven that we overlook the call you have on our lives here and now. Forgive us, O Lord. Let us continue to seek your face daily, as we make your name known. Amen.
Thursday: “The Love of Christ” - 2 Corinthians 5: 11-15
Whenever I am reading an epistle I ask myself why is the author, in this case Paul, writing this? At this point in the letter, it seems that he is making an appeal to the church about where his (and ultimately their) authority comes from - it comes from Christ alone.
Specifically, it is rooted in the love that Christ has for us.
One of the most well known verses in scripture is John 3:16, For God so loved the world, that he sent his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. Christ’s death on the cross to reconcile us to God was an act of love. When we put on the identity of being a follower of Christ, a Christian, we are to share that love with the world.
How do we do that? By not living for ourselves. But by living for Christ alone.
What does it mean to live for Christ?
Prayer: God of Grace, thank you for the gift of your love that is proclaimed in John 3:16. May we be so moved by the love that you have shown us that we cannot help but go forth and share that love with the world. Amen.
Friday: “A New Creation” - 2 Corinthians 5: 16-21
Often in scripture when people had a divine encounter with God or Jesus their names changed. Abram became Abraham. Sari became Sarah. Jacob became Israel. Simon became Peter. Saul became Paul.
While our name may not change when we are transformed by Christ, Paul does tell us that we are a new creation. That the old parts of us that were alienated from God will be stripped away and a new centeredness in Christ will take its place.
However, this is hard work. It is the work of confession and transformation. The ongoing work of sanctification.
What does sanctification look like in your life?
Prayer: God, we are thankful that you will note leave us alone and invite us daily to take up our cross and follow you. Make us into a new creation, your new creation we pray. Amen.
Saturday: Preparing for the Word
You are invited to read and pray this week’s text and topic to prepare for worship: “Generosity” - 2 Cor 8:1-15
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