Devotional October Luke 18:1 Pray Always and Never Give Up Prayer for Persecuted Church

Pray for those in the midst of persecution

Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body. Hebrews 13:3

Global watchdog Open Doors reports that 322 Christians are killed every month for their faith while millions more suffer persecution on a routine basis.

Please pray that these believers will not only stay committed to the call of Christ but also will respond in love to the evil shown by their aggressors. ’s love will open doors for these believers to share the Gospel even more. This Month’s Countries, these are some of the most dangerous countries to follow Jesus: Uzbekistan Myanmar Laos

Daily for October… “Aloneness can lead to loneliness. God’s preventative for loneliness is intimacy – meaningful, open, sharing relationships with one another. In Christ we have the capacity for the fulfilling sense of belonging which comes from intimate fellowship with God and with other believers.” ~ Neil T. Anderson

Tuesday, October 1st: “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.” (Hebrews 13:7) This is pastor appreciation month and we have so much to be thankful for. Pure Heart is blessed with a senior pastor and leaders who are hungry for God and who have humble hearts that seek to serve Him. Rather than write a devotional for today, I want to encourage you to meditate on the following scriptures and commit to praying for our pastors throughout the month. Then let them know they are appreciated and loved. Jeremiah 3:15; Isaiah 52:7; 2 Corinthians 9:8-15; Hebrews 13:17; 1 Timothy 5:17; 1 Peter 5:1-4

Wednesday, October 2nd: We don’t often hear Jesus described as lower than anything, do we? Try not to think of it as a ranking. God literally sent Jesus to be on the dirt of this earth and not in the heavens with the angels. God sent Jesus to be among us and like us, and as this text so explicitly states, Jesus died for us, saving us through God’s grace. Wow! Sometimes I have a hard time respecting the authority some people have earned. Why is she the captain of the team? What does she have that I don’t? If I can open my eyes to see the work and accomplishments that led that person to their position, I am better able to respect them. This passage from Hebrews helps us see exactly why it’s a good idea to respect, honor, and glorify God. God gave us a gift in Jesus, who, being fully human, gave his life for us in the ultimate sacrifice that can never be beat or matched. Look at what God has done for us! -God who cares for me, thank you for the blessing of Jesus Christ, your son. Help me to see clearly the gifts made known to me through the Lord — that I may love and serve others strengthened by these gifts. Hebrews 2:9

Thursday, October 3rd: Possibly one of our greatest challenges is maintaining a solid belief in God and what He is capable of. We can say that we believe Him but then go on our merry way relying on our own ideas or strengths without giving a second thought to how it fits in with His purposes. We may also limit the scope of our expectations because they are our plans and not His. He assures us that when we are sold out to Him, He is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond what we can even imagine. And we don’t have to earn it! He doesn’t ask us to try harder or to clean ourselves up so we’re worthy of His intervention. As Jim Cymbala puts it in Fresh Faith, “The great battle of our spiritual lives is ‘Will you believe?’” And more specifically, will you keep on believing? Our belief, our faith, is something we have to relentlessly and intentionally nurture. Failure to do so is lukewarm and lazy and it’s just the opportunity Satan is looking for to get us off track, discourage us, and keep us from tapping into God’s infinite power and from ever becoming all He created us to be. Heavenly Father, we ask You to always keep us focused and faithful. Luke 17:5; Matthew 21:21-22; Hebrews 11:6

Friday, October 4th: I wanted a car when I was barely old enough for a permit. My parents said no. I begged. They said no still. I made lists of ways that it would be helpful to them if I had a car, even volunteering to chauffeur my younger sister. They insisted no. I kept mounting my case for a car of my very own, but they refused to hear my plea. I insisted, they stood their ground. I whined, they ignored me. I became mad, they replied with, “Precisely why you don’t deserve one.” I learned I’d make a terrible lawyer and that I’d never get a car at fifteen. Suffice it to say, adults do really care about us. Likewise, with Job and his case about God. After begging and pleading, Job just wanted to see God, so he’d stop feeling ignored. Recall when you’ve built a case for something you wanted. Was your motive selfish or selfless? Maybe, just maybe, God knows what’s best for us, choosing to ignore our egocentric demands for good and kind hearts instead. Job 23:1-7

Saturday, October 5th: Ephesians is one of my favorite books of the , partly because it speaks to me so personally about God’s incomparable love for me and my relationship with Him through Jesus Christ. There is absolutely nothing that can alter it and His desire is for me to fully grasp all that is encompassed in truly belonging to Him. He has made me holy, blameless, redeemed, forgiven, adopted, and alive in Him with an inheritance! Paul prays that his desire is for us to comprehend the depth of what this relationship really is so that we may be filled up to all the fullness of God. I find such incredible comfort and encouragement in knowing who I belong to. If you’re a believer, the same is true for you! Rejoice in that. Ephesians 1:4, 18-19; 1 Peter 2:9

Sunday, October 6th: We want to be close to greatness. That’s why people buy front-row seats to football games, back-stage passes to concerts, autographed books by authors, and snap selfies with celebrities. But Jesus says, “You want to be close to the kingdom? Court-side seats to God’s best game? Show up to your life, with love.” Love gets squeezed out when school gets stressful, parents hurt you, siblings taunt you, and friends exclude you. But in the thick of my day, when I’m most down, I silently inhale, “Love flowing in,” and silently exhale, “Love flowing out.” When I’m dealing with someone hardest to love, I picture them held in the light, shining out of their best self. I pray, “God, help me see him the way you do.” Or “God, forgive her for me, because I can’t.” God’s love doesn’t depend on your goodness. It channels through you. And that makes you part of something great. Mark 12:32-34

Monday, October 7th: In one of the GLS presentations Craig Groeschel shared about the importance of connecting with people if we ever want to have a positive influence in their lives. He stressed that there is a big difference between impressing people and connecting with them. He went on to say that knowledge leads to conclusions but emotions lead to actions. People can be highly educated about a matter, but in order to have others act on that information there needs to be a buy-in. They have to want to do something with what they know, and this is typically because it has stirred something inside them. Emotions are relational; they inspire people to act, to trust, to engage. Jesus was relational in how He dealt with people. The Son of God Himself asked questions! It wasn’t that He didn’t know the answers; He wanted to engage those to whom He was speaking. People are more apt to care what you know when they know that you care. Lord, help us to never seek to use what we know to impress others but rather to relate to them in order to build them up, encourage them, and bring them closer to You. Philippians 2:3-7; 1 Corinthians 13:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Tuesday, October 8th: In his 1972 book The Wounded Healer, Henri Nouwen writes, “The great illusion of leadership is to think that one can be led out of the desert by someone who has never been there.” The suffering part of Jesus’s life is something we tend to ignore until Holy Week. We want to have a beautiful image of the resurrected Jesus all year long, and we forget that Jesus did endure suffering in his life. He totally went before us through the wilderness of the unknown. Jesus was called by God, and though the way was not always easy, Jesus remained steadfast to God’s promises. Jesus shows us how to be faithful to God in suffering because he has been there! In Jesus, we have the perfect example to follow when our lives are rocky. We have been chosen by God to be imitators of the life of Jesus, and that is often a difficult road to walk. We know the way is difficult, but the promise of life with God is what compels us to truly take up our crosses to follow Jesus. Hebrews 5:1-6

Wednesday, October 9th: I’ve been reading Phillip Keller’s A Shepherd Looks at the 23rd Psalm. The first chapter deals with the significance of Jesus referring to Himself as our shepherd and all the symbolism of that image for the people of that time. There were good and bad shepherds, and sheep were and are notorious for desperately needing constant guidance, care, and protection. A shepherd who owned the sheep had a vested interest in their welfare and was vigilant to ensure they were healthy and safe because they belonged to him. He cared about them. Knowing that about our Good Shepherd, we would be pretty dumb sheep to not submit completely to His guidance, but Isaiah admonishes us that just like sheep, we go astray, turning to our own way. You see, belonging to Him means we are no longer in charge. We must defer to His better judgment and wisdom and deny the desire to spout, “I’m the boss of me!” Have I truly made Him my Shepherd? Pray that we would always trust and submit to Him, and thank Him for being a Good Shepherd to us silly sheep. Isaiah 40:11, 53:6; John 10:11

Thursday, October 10th: One of the most terrifying things for me is driving through a horrific storm. You know the kind: G-force winds, blinding rain, golf ball-sized hail, and to top it all off, flashes of lightning and sonic boom thunder. In these situations, I tend to be the person who drives 20 mph, turns on the emergency flashers, and listens to my favorite Christian singer for comfort. Though the storm rages outside, inside my car I feel more at peace. What is it that makes the word of God so comforting, especially in times of difficulty? Whether it is from a song or scripture, there is something extremely comforting in being reminded that God has promised to always take care of us. Even for Jesus, who quotes today’s Psalm during his time of temptation in the desert, the word of God brings peace. Jesus relied on God to take care of him and see him through a dark time. We are encouraged to follow the example of Jesus and to trust God in the darkest places. -God, thank you for promising to be my safe place. Help me to remember that you are always guiding me and protecting me, even when the storm outside is frightening. Psalm 91:9-13

Friday, October 11th: Sometimes I think one of the most encouraging messages we can hear from God is, “I’m not finished with you yet.” First off, it means that we aren’t going anywhere for a while. Second, it tells us that He has a plan for us – a personal, explicit plan that was created for us to accomplish. Two of the greatest barriers to fulfilling our purpose are an attitude of “I can’t...” or maybe even worse “I already have.” He would never give us more than we can handle, but if we’re still here it means there are still things He desires to do through us. Ask Him daily to reveal those things to you, and don’t be discouraged if they seem trivial; we have no idea in the grand scheme of things what the impact of one small act of kindness may have. And then thank Him for His confidence in you and that He has you still breathing and present for a purpose! Jeremiah 29:11; Ephesians 2:10; Philippians 3:13-14

Saturday, October 12th: There are various nuances to the meaning of the word “belong.” When we think about belonging to a family we generally think in terms being attached or bound by birth, allegiance, or dependency. But another definition relates to being in a proper situation, as “you’re right where you belong.” As it applies to our church family, I think both are fitting. We are definitely bound together in our allegiance to Christ and dependency on Him, even to the extent that we have been born again through our confession of faith and in baptism. It is then that we receive this new identity as sons and daughters of the Most High God, and that puts us here, in the body of Christ, which is exactly where we belong. This is what we were created for – to be part of something bigger, to belong to Him and to be in fellowship with the rest of our family. Praise God that we will never be forsaken or disowned. It’s good to belong! John 1:12-13; Ephesians 1:5-14

Sunday, October 13th: Our friend Bartimaeus is standing face-to-face with Jesus, God in flesh. He had recognized his opportunity, been persistent with his cries in the face of criticism, and now it is Bartimaeus’s moment. Remember, he first cried for Jesus to “have mercy on me.” Jesus knew what Bartimaeus wanted, yet he asked, “What do you want me to do for you?” Some have said Jesus’ words can be interpreted as, “What kind of mercy do you want?” Ok, you’re standing in front of God and you get an open-ended question. The sky is the limit. Go for broke, right? Yet, Bartimaeus used the reverent, respectful form “Rabbi” (Teacher) and made his request to see… not to be better than others, but to be like them — to be whole. Today, Jesus stands ready to be merciful to those in need. Respectfully and clearly speak with him. Wholeness is a conversation away. Mark 10:51-52

Monday, October 14th: The Bible is pretty specific about how we’re supposed to treat the poor and hungry. In fact Jesus tells us that if we feed the hungry it’s the same as showing kindness to Him. Of course, that means the converse is also true – if we fail to care for the needy and hungry it equates to showing disregard for Him. This Saturday we have an opportunity to bless a lot of homeless children by packing sack lunches and writing personal notes to them. Join with some of your brothers and sisters at 9 a.m. in the Resource Center/Food Pantry to be like Jesus for the sake of others. Let light shine in the darkness for some who may feel forgotten and invisible. Isaiah 58:10; 1 John 3:17-18

Tuesday, October 15th: My favorite contest at baseball games is “dizzy bat.” Not because I like to be dizzy, confused, or directionally challenged, but because I find it funny watching people attempt to run in a straight line after spinning around facing the ground. It’s not an easy feat, and it usually ends with one or both contestants falling to the ground after tripping over their own two feet. I enjoy it because it’s silly. In reality, it’s all too similar to my own life. Put your head down, spin around, then look up and try to walk in a straight line. While you’re focusing on one foot in front of another, try to focus on what’s in store for your day, too. Now, think about how Job is looking for God — around at his level — forward, backward, left, right. If we start our day looking around constantly or looking down at our own messes, we will miss out. But, looking up and “spotting” properly, we are less likely to lose control or lose sight of Pray- God around us, I look around at my life and sometimes I don’t recognize you. As I plan my day today, I ask that you keep my eyes focused on your glory so that in all I do and say and am to the world, I’d both see you and point others in your direction. In Jesus name, amen Job 23:8-9

Wednesday, October 16th: A powerful opportunity to be like Jesus will be experienced by the team leaving for Mexico tomorrow. Once again, they will be partnering with One Mission not just to help build a house, but to build a home and a community for the glory of God. Having been part of a mission team, I cannot overstate the significance of prayer support not only for the team but for those they will be serving alongside and for everyone the Lord puts in their paths. His plans and paths are beyond our searching out; all He asks of us is to follow after Him in obedience and in His love. Ask God to equip them, protect them, guide them, and to work mightily in and through them as they carry out His purpose. I guarantee they will experience the impact and power of those prayers! 1 Chronicles 16:23-31; 2 Thessalonians 3:1

Thursday, October 17th: Praise God for the amazing way He has continued to open doors and advance His purposes through School Connect. What began a desire in the hearts of Tracey and Dan to raise up the future generation for His glory has become a powerful movement not only in Phoenix but across the nation! Today Governor Ducey has given School Connect a platform to reach not only pastors from across the state but also representatives from education and the business community. They will hear about the dynamic possibilities for building sustainable healthy, thriving communities through ongoing partnerships. As the Church, we need to take the lead and commit to praying for His favor and direction in moving forward. His plans are so far above what we could even imagine, and it is all for His glory and kingdom purpose. As Dan often states, “If we were gone tomorrow, would the neighborhood miss us?” Pray that the answer for every faith community would be a resounding YES! Let seeds be planted that will grow and multiply to build strong communities that are rooted in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 3:20; Ecclesiastes 4:9-10; 1 Corinthians 3:7-10

Friday, October 18th: Today’s verse reminds me of a tragic event of the past summer. On June 17, 2015 during a prayer service at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, a lone gunman killed nine people and injured one other. The young shooter later confessed to acting in an attempt to incite racial tension. The world awaited the reactions of victims’ family members. We all would have understood if they would have called for justice alone. Certainly, they would not be merciful. Well, as today’s verse says, “Let those who go out, crying ... come home with joyful shouts.” These special people shocked the world by offering the gunman forgiveness and mercy. This seems unimaginable! How could those who lost so much be forgiving — even merciful?! I can only think of one explanation. They had personally experienced the mercy and forgiveness of Christ. They were following Jesus’ example. In his words, “Blessed are the merciful.” Psalm 126:4-6

Saturday, October 19th: I recently spent time with someone who is trapped in their obsession with past offenses to the point that they overreact to anything that reminds them of these wounds. They are seemingly incapable of receiving acts of love or kindness from the offender because they are unwilling to simply let go and move forward. We all have things that upset us, and our human nature wants to see transgression paid for. We want justice. But then we need to turn our attention to some pretty powerful scriptures that offer a different perspective. We have to remember that we have a purpose and anything that deters us from fulfilling it must be discarded. Paul tells us in Corinthians that we are limited by our own selfishly closed hearts, and in Hebrews we are warned that allowing any root of bitterness to spring up can cause trouble, defile many, and as a result we may fall short of His glory. We are to forget the past and instead press on to the goal, keeping our eyes on the One who has forgiven us and given us the strength and endurance to finish the course. Failure to do so not only is detrimental to us but adversely affects everyone around us. Ask God to open our hearts to Him, receive His love and forgiveness, and help us to let go of the past and move forward in His power. Hebrews 12:15; Philippians 3:12-23; 2 Corinthians 6:12

Sunday, October 20th: “Omg. LOVE.” When a thumbs-up “like” is not enough, “LOVE” is what we write under a friend’s Facebook picture of her puppy. Love means “extreme like,” right? But what if it’s more? Jesus makes love the core of his message; the key that unlocks everything else. What if the love he speaks of is more than your momentary preferences? What if the love he speaks of is a choice? What if it’s harder than the love the world speaks of, but also bigger? What if that kind of love is the only thing that can ever change us? Maybe that love begins with an earnest look toward heaven, the sincere words on our lips: “Oh. My God.” Pray-God of love show me what leads to life. Show me how good things can be when I abide in your love. In Jesus’ name, amen. John 13:34, John 15:12

Monday, October 21st: As a Christian, do you ever feel a little out-of-step with the rest of the world? I sincerely hope so! The Bible is pretty clear that we are “in” the world but not “of” the world, and there will be times when that will make the way the rest of the world treats you a bit uncomfortable. Understand that it’s because your behavior may make them feel conviction, and although they might even slander you, they just could wind up glorifying God because they realize their accusations are unfounded. And don’t forget that we really are supposed to be different from the world, but we do have a community to which we belong, having been grafted into the kingdom of God’s chosen kingdom. Rather than throwing the condemnation back in their faces (and nullifying the prospect of them giving God glory), pray that we would instead remember what we were saved from and humbly demonstrate His love and nature. Titus 3:1-7; 1 Peter 2:11-14; John 15:19

Tuesday, October 22nd: If you’re honest, what matters most to you? Getting ahead? Getting stuff? Getting your way? Being liked? Being included? Being recognized and respected? Maybe in the haze of work and sports, family and friends, music and media, you haven’t figured out yet what matters most to you. But researchers say that this new generation wants to make a difference for good. Jesus says “Start here. Listen in. Love God with everything in you, and that love will pour out to the people around you. From there, what matters most will emerge. You’ll know what’s important.” And yet sometimes it’s all we can do to take that love in. Last night as I struggled to sleep, behind on a deadline and face broken out, head pounding and stomach hurting, all I could do was cry out for that Love. I let myself breathe deep, imagining God whispering my name, “I love you.” And me saying back, “I love you too.” Sometimes that’s all we can muster. We matter to God. Mark 12:28-31

Wednesday, October 23rd: I was blessed to be able to camp and hike with my daughter recently in some rather rugged terrain in northern Montana and in Canada. My daughter is an avid hiker and is thankfully very gracious in encouraging me to tackle trails I would never probably choose on my own. On one particularly challenging trail with a considerable gain in elevation I found myself becoming quite winded and discouraged, having to take frequent breaks to catch my breath and reassess just how badly I really wanted to finish. And then I made an amazing discovery. If I resisted the temptation to keep looking up at how far away the destination was and instead concentrated on the strep directly in front of me, I was able to cover a lot more ground before I needed to rest. I also seemed to have much more stamina and desire to push through. Isn’t that how it is sometimes with our walk with God when He has called us to something that is definitely outside our comfort zone? We can still have the mental image of the ultimate goal, but our focus needs to be mastering what is right in front of us. He isn’t asking us to sprint up the mountain; He’s asking us to deliberately depend on Him to be our encourager – the One who “comes alongside” – with each step and to fix our attention of that. Then we’ll be aware of anything that might trip us up, and we’ll be better able to maintain steady forward progress without becoming disheartened or burned out. Thank You, Father, for giving us incredible opportunities, gigantic dreams, and everything we need to bring them to fruition. Hebrews 12:12-13; Psalm 32:8; Psalm 37:23-24

Thursday, October 24 th: On a junior high canoe trip, I met a church youth leader whose heart overflowed for Christ. Whether driving the van or enlisting us at the soup kitchen, he found things to celebrate. He sang anthem rock at the top of his lungs, quoted scripture like favorite song lyrics, and made every kid laugh. When he prayed, you could feel his love for God. When he led some of the group in cliff-jumping into those Boundary Waters lakes, he said, “Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage!” He had something I wanted, and that summer after 8th grade, I decided my life could have no greater adventure or purpose than following Jesus. Since then I have met others who radiated this faith, and they’ve come in many types: contemplative monks, justice-seeking nuns, teenagers in Kenya, and grandmothers in nursing homes. Where have you met such a person? Be around them. Ask them what they know of God. God of love put people in my path who love you with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. Teach me how to become one — even in my own uniqueness of personality and gifts. In Jesus’ name, amen. Deuteronomy 6:4-5

Friday, October 25 th: On a recent Sunday morning I was driving to church, and I admit it was a little later than I had planned. To my frustration, along with pretty much everyone else on the road, one car was impeding the flow of traffic and we were all passing him at our first opportunity. Then it hit me – he was actually driving the speed limit! The initial rationalization for my irritation was that he wasn’t “going with the flow”, but then God reminded me that I was actually the one who was outside the prescribed boundaries and sometimes “conforming to the world” isn’t going to be a popular stance and others may not agree with me or might even get downright offended and angry. How easy it is to get so caught up with what is considered accepted deviation from the actual standard that we forget what the narrow path really is and that it was established for our protection. Lord, forgive us for trying to make Your laws conform to our fickle interpretation and rationalization of what is acceptable. Help us measure every action against Your plumb line. Thank You for setting guidelines that protect us and are designed to keep us on a sure and safe path. Deuteronomy 5:33; Romans 12:1-2; James 1:22

Saturday, October 26th: Have you ever met someone who embodied courage? Not someone who is fearless, but someone who pushes through their fear and does the right thing in the face of challenge? Leymah Gbowee was a single mom and a social worker in Liberia. Civil war raged in her country for much of her life. Leymah was sick and tired of the war and turned to her faith. She joined a group of women in her church who prayed for peace. Over time, these Christian women joined with Muslim women, and they staged pray-ins in public places in the capital city. They prayed for peace. Leyma’s leadership of the church women led to peace. When I get discouraged, I think about Leymah. How she started with a simple prayer group, and it grew to bring about peace not only for her family but also for her entire country. I wonder, what could we accomplish as God’s children if we too lived with such courage? God, you are a God of hope and power. Grant me courage to trust in your grace and power. 2 Timothy 1:10-12

Sunday, October 27th: Suffering is part of our faith journey. The passage today reminds us that suffering is a reality, but also that God and God’s grace are with us and empowering us to have courage in the face of evil. Ruby Bridges was six years old when a judge ordered her elementary school to desegregate. She was the first African American student at William Franz Elementary School in New Orleans. Many protested this change. Mobs gathered in anger, hurling hateful insults at Ruby. Each day she was escorted into school by US Marshalls walking past mobs. Child psychologist Robert Coles interviewed Ruby for a book he was writing on the spiritual lives of children. He observed her walking into school one day, and her lips were moving. He asked her what she was saying. Ruby told Coles that she was praying. Ruby usually stopped to pray for those persecuting her a few blocks away, but that day she prayed in the midst of the mob. What a testimony of courage and faith in the midst of hardship. 2 Timothy 1:8-9

Monday, October 28th: Every day we are bombarded with temptation. Lust sounds so evil, yet when we’re dissatisfied with what we have and overindulge in spending or eating or perhaps entertaining thoughts that we know would not be pleasing to God, this is lust! We probably don’t think of idolatry as being a contemporary stumbling block, but when you have to choose between quiet time and the morning news, the prayer night at church or your favorite cable show, caring more what your friends or family think that what the Bible says...these things that pull you away from Him are idols! We can shake our heads at the disobedience and unbelief of the Israelites in the desert, but we need to understand the discipline and lack of receiving the promise they experienced as result are recorded as an example for us lest we fall into the same snare. We are warned that if we start to think we’re immune we’d better be careful lest we fall! Lord, we do want to serve You, honor You, and receive Your promises for our lives. Keep us humble and alert, not allowing anything to hinder us from fulfilling Your purpose. 1 Corinthians 10:6-14; Jeremiah 2:13; 1 John 2:16-17

Tuesday, October 29nd: K.I.S.S. (keep it simple, stupid!) Wherever the expression originated, it is one needed frequently by most of us. We over-think, over-expect, and over-react. A lot of trouble can be avoided by just keeping it simple. Naaman was out of his comfort zone. Other places were more familiar. He was expecting the miraculous, looking for the spectacular. The instructions were simple. The directions were easy. Naaman was making it too hard. No wonder he stormed off in anger. Do you believe that with God nothing is impossible? When do you make God's promises too hard or complicated? Where could simple faith, simple trust, simple action takes you today? God, forgive me when I get ahead of you. Forgive me when all I can see is my perspective or my plans, not yours. Help me to be mindful of your ways and to walk with you in simple trust. 2 Kings 5:9-12

Wednesday, October 30th: Although the Jews lived near nations that worshiped idols, they were reminded to worship only God. They were to remember the promise of full deliverance through the Messiah, who was yet to come. The Psalms helped them to know God better and to worship God earnestly. Today’s Psalm reminds us that God is famous for healing and wondrous works. The Lord’s righteousness stands forever. The wondrous works of God, full of mercy and compassion, abound. Visit a children’s hospital and you will know. Brave little warriors don hospital attire and maneuver through hallways in wheelchairs and red wagons. They are outsiders to a normal childhood. A five-year-old in camouflage scrubs vigorously rings the bell that signals his chemotherapy is over. His parents stand by and weep. Someone starts to sing. Others join, harmonizing, “Praise God from whom all blessings flow…” Hearts soar. Healing is in the hands of a magnificent God. Worship God alone! Come to him with child-like faith. Expect healing and help from the magnificent one! Psalm 111:2-4

Thursday, October 31st: I grew up in the Lutheran church and yet I didn’t realize until very recently that it was on All Hallows Eve 502 years ago that Martin Luther nailed the 95 theses to the heavy wooden doors of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. He knew that the next day, All Saints Day, the church would be filled and many would see his argument for salvation by grace rather than as a result of works. His passion for this message rooted in Ephesians 2:8-9 was so fervent that he was willing to risk excommunication for confronting the doctrine of the , of which he was a priest, a monk, and a professor of theology. As we face the ongoing dilemma of how we as Christians should deal with what has become an intensely dark holiday, perhaps we would do well to pitch our tents in the camp of grace. Satan would love to see us divided and judging not only those who celebrate the darkness or are simply in darkness, but also at odds with other believers. Instead, let us see this as an opportunity to let our lights shine in the darkness and find creative ways to reach out rather than shut out. 2 Corinthians 9:8-9; Titus 2:11-14