[Friday's Devotional] - The River

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." Matthew 11: 28-30 [The Message]

I love this translation of the well known scripture 'Learn the unforced rhythms of God's grace', that's how to truly play this game of life.  In Poker, the 'river' card is the last community card to be dealt and can either deliver a bad blow or be the card needed to beat the opponent, on that fifth and final card, people will say they "rivered" it. (I had to look this up as I never really progressed past Pontoon!).

I love the river! I've often shared how, most lunchtimes, I seek God and lay all my burdens down by the riverside, and that's where Paul had a divine appointment. Acts 16:9-15 tells the story of Lydia who was in the right place, at the right time, with the right heart and attitude. I know I can often blow it for God, yet He can do amazing things through men and women who are prepared to seek him, to follow him, and to be obedient to his vision. We are only limited by the smallness of our own vision.

What excites me about this story is that the Holy Spirit guides Paul and Silas with very clear direction telling them not only where to go, but also where they must not go - Are you seeking clear direction for the way ahead?

I am following Gods lead, after waiting for so long I finally 'heard the sound of going in the Mulberry tree' outside my office window last November and God jokingly said "When it's time to say goodbye, you'll be eating Mulberry pie!"  I leave work this Autumn, I am so looking forward to 'eating pie' - the fruit of obedient waiting, and positioning myself to roll with the unforced rhythms of His grace.

Listen to The River on YouTube 

Dawn Milward

[Thursday's Devotional] - It's a Real Gamble

"Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step."    Martin Luther King, Jr.

Sometimes in life we don't always know what the next right thing is, but we often know what's wrong and when it's time to walk away.  Maybe God is asking you to walk away from something or someone and fear of the unknown is preventing you from taking that step.

This is what the LORD says-- your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go." Isaiah 48:17 [NIV]

After much prayer, wise counsel, several years of waiting and (I believe) the Lords' leading, I played my final hand at work and resigned from my privileged, yet highly stressful job. Amusingly for me it happened to be 'D Day' – mission accomplished after much waiting.  'D Day' was also the day Chris and I met 4 years ago at the 'Ace' café.

Some people think I'm crazy and taking a real gamble, others think I'm courageous and have stepped out in faith, I leave in September.  The Lord has repositioned Chris and I enabling us to downsize so I could take this step. He also gave me a picture when praying in February of someone (me) stepping off a cliff into thin air!......... Yikes! However, just like in the cartoons, AFTER stepping out a plank appears, followed in rapid succession by many more like Road Runners' Acme Bridge Company and I believe I am in safe hands, after all, I know the master bridge builder and I have perfect peace in my decision.

I have just finished reading the 2^nd book by W P Young, author of The Shack, interestingly I had to smile at the title "Cross Roads".  If, like me, you are at a crossroads God assures us direction:

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it." Isaiah 30:21

Listen to "I have decided" on YouTube

Dawn Milward

[Wednesday's Devotional] - Coming Up Trumps

Yesterday I posed the question "When a door closes do you see it as rejection or a re-direction? " 

David knew how this felt; God closed the door on his request to build a temple.  David's request was good, yet God said No, but this did not mean God rejected David - indeed God was planning something even better.  Although David did not get the privilege of building Gods house, God promised to continue David's 'house' (or lineage) for ever… and we all know where that led!

^"Sovereign Lord, you are God! Your words are trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant." 2 Samuel 7:28 [Life Application Bible]

David accepted the hand he had been dealt, he trusted God knew the greater purpose and his reaction was that of humility.

^"King David went in, took his place before God, and prayed: "Who am I, my Master God, and what is my family, that you have brought me to this place in life? But that's nothing compared to what's coming, for you've also spoken of my family far into the future, given me a glimpse into tomorrow, my Master God! What can I possibly say in the face of all this? You know me, Master God, just as I am. You've done all this not because of who I am but because of who you are—out of your very heart!—but you've let me in on it." 2 Samuel 7:18 [The Message]

As God closed the door on my 'perfect job' He showed me parakeets of promises and as I watched the birds, I also watched many planes taking off and sensed God's greater purpose was more radical and roaming. 

We can trust that God holds the trump (from triumph) card and we too can marvel "Who am I, my Master God, and what is my family, that you have brought me to this place in life? But that's nothing compared to what's coming".

Dawn Milward

[Tuesday's Devotional] - Play Your Cards Right

Last time I wrote these devotionals in April I shared how I was attending an interview for the 'perfect job' and how, if I didn't get it, I would need to hang on to that mustard seed of faith that God had something better.

Many friends already know I did not get the job, and of course I was disappointed.  Funnily enough though, I did not feel a failure as I have in days gone by, I truly accepted if it had been God's will I would have succeeded.  However, the thought of going back to my current job plunged me into a state of real depression.  The one thing that lifted my spirits was knowing I was about to watch my son run the London Marathon and on his Facebook page, just prior to the event, he commented: "It's not the cards you're dealt in life; it's how you play them".  My son has lived with a fatal disease since birth (diagnosed not to exceed teenage years), yet I have seldom seen him miserable or resentful, he is always full of life, humour and fun.  As I watched his inspirational run the Lord began to put things into perspective for me.

God has a plan for us all and we have a choice how we run our race, how we play the hand dealt to us. 

I sat watching the birds down by the riverside, along the banks of the Thames there are hundreds of parakeets, I see them as promises, amazing, colourful, adventurous promises - birds like that don't fly wild in the Midlands! yet locals here see them as pests because there are so many.  It is interesting that when people look at these birds, some see pests, some see promises. 

When a door closes do you see it as rejection or a re-direction? 

"Come away with Me, Come away with Me
It's never too late, it's not too late
It's not too late for you
I have a plan for you
I have a plan for you
It's gonna be wild
It's gonna be great
It's gonna be full of Me
Open up your heart and let Me in"

Listen and watch on YouTube

                                                                                   

Dawn Milward

[Monday's Devotional] - Deck of Cards

Proverbs 16:33 tells us: "The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord." [NIV]

Nothing comes to pass by chance, nor is an event determined by a blind fortune, but everything by the will and counsel of God. Many things that we read of in Scripture seem at first glance to be mere accidents, but are later revealed to be the outworkings of God's providence and I'm sure you can think of many wonderful examples.

The word "lots" appears 70 times in the Old Testament and seven times in the New Testament. Casting lots is documented in the Bible many times, from choosing to throw Jonah overboard, dividing the Promised Land between the Israelites and also choosing a replacement for Judas. While this was commonly done in Old Testament Days and during the early part of the New Testament, it is no longer the way we determine God's will, as now we can be led by His Spirit, thanks to Jesus.

I am using this analogy because the last few weeks the Lord has been speaking to me in the terminology of playing cards. I am no card-shark (I only play Pontoon for peanuts at Christmas) however God has been using this unorthodox lingo and, being an unorthodox sort of girl, I have been enjoying our conversations. I was reminded of the old song 'Deck of Cards', a tale of a soldier arrested and charged with playing cards during a church service.  At his trial he explains that, during wartime, the deck of cards served him as a Bible, an almanac, and a prayer book, each card had a scriptural reference for him, with the 'Ace' being the One True God.  It appears the earliest reference to this story dates back to 1762, so maybe it's not that unorthodox after all!

Are you content with your 'lot'?  How often do we trust God 100% with the hand dealt to us, in every area of our lives?  Do we depend on ourselves when making some decisions and end up playing the Joker, or do we rely on the King?

Dawn Milward

[Friday's Devotional] - Remember the Destination

My final 'bike ride' devotion will sound contradictory to yesterday's advice to focus on one day at a time.  Today I want you to lift up your eyes, heart and mind and 'remember the destination'.

My destination is St David's, I won't get there till Monday tea time so all over the weekend I'll still be pedaling away and my guess is its going to get very hilly any time soon! 

Taking a moment to focus on how good it will feel to finish can be very motivating. How will it feel to be welcomed and have someone say 'well done, I've followed you all the way? I'm proud of you'.

I'm not talking about the end of my bike ride (although I am hoping to see David holding a large slice of cake as I roll into town!).  I'm talking about being welcomed home after our journey through life is over.

'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things…Come and share your Master's happiness' Matthew 25:23 [NIV]

If you feel today that no-one is noticing your faithfulness in your own personal and maybe challenging circumstances, remember that God knows just how hard the going is right now and he cheers every time you make the choice to keep being faithful and one day he will say 'Good job! Well done!' and he will invite you to share his happiness, a happiness you have given him!

So 'Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up'.  Galatians 5:9 [NIV]

Sheila Bridge

PS Today is Stratford to Tenbury Wells: 51 miles. If you want updates for the rest of the ride you'll need to look at the blog http://www.sheilasfeelgoodblog.wordpress.com which I will try to update.  Thank you for your prayers and your company along the way.

[Thursday's Devotional] - Focus on one day at a time

Some of us who attended the Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit last October will remember a speaker talking about identifying 'Today's 20 mile march'.  When a big change, large task or long journey faces us we are sometimes overwhelmed by the enormity of it all but in fact all we need to do is ensure we do 'today's 20 mile march'. We need to break down the task or journey into smaller, more manageable, amounts.

What is facing you today that feels like an impossibly large task?

This reminds me of the question 'how do eat an elephant?' Answer: one bite at a time!  The size of the task doesn't matter, what matters is that you commit to today's work on it and don't worry about tomorrow or the day after that and the day after that.

'Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own'.  Matthew 6:34 [NIV]

I love the realism in this statement by Jesus, it's a long way off from the kind of 'live for today' happy-go-lucky attitude we often hear expressed.  Jesus admits, 'yes, today might be tough and tomorrow might not be much better, but just get on with what you have to do today'.

Assuming everything is still on track with my bike ride, my task today will be the 52 miles between Earls Barton and Stratford-on-Avon.  One of the joys of this activity is that each individual mile can feel insignificant but when you look back you think 'my goodness, I've come a long way'.

Ask God to give you the strength for today's tasks and also give thanks for how far you've come.

Sheila Bridge

[Wednesday's Devotional] - Right Gear for the Right Gradient

Today, after two days on the virtually flat roads of East Anglia, I will begin to encounter hills.  Life, like a good bike ride, is very rarely flat. 'Flat' is a word that's very close to 'boring' in meaning, if you want the 'highs' with the great views, it's often a hard slog getting up there and then there is inevitably the 'downs' as well.

The key to long distance living (and cycling) is selecting the right gear for the right gradient. Choose a high gear for flat stretch and your legs will spin round very fast to very little effect.  Choose the wrong gear for a steep stretch and the chances are you won't make it to the top.

How does this apply to life?  When things are really busy or hard going, we can sustain the effort to keep going but only for short periods and only if we are in the right frame of mind.  You can be very busy and move very quickly through a lot of tasks in one of two ways – frantically anxious or calmly focused.  The difference is not the amount you have to do but the attitude you have towards the amount you have to do.

And the one resource we all have as Christians to help us set the right pace and maintain that inner attitude is the presence of the Holy Spirit.

'Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit'  Galatians 5:25 [NIV]

Pause and pray for a fresh awareness of the Holy Spirit in your life, setting the pace for today.

Sheila Bridge

P.S Today is March to Earl's Barton 60 miles, pray that the hills won't be too hard.

[Tuesday's Devotional] - Travel Light

This week I will only have 3 sets of clothes: one on, one off and one for evenings!  When you have to physically carry everything you need for daily life, it's amazing how much 'stuff' you suddenly find you can do without.

Too much 'stuff' in our lives is a problem.  Someone has said there is a tiny little chord between you and everything you own and each thing you own drains just a little bit of your energy.  Too much 'stuff' and you can end up pinned down: a bit like that image of the giant Gulliver pinned down in Lilliput by 1000 tiny strings.

Remembering we are on a journey, whether that is a cycle ride or simply the journey of life, reminds us that we should 'travel light'.

When Jesus sent out his disciples, he twice told them to travel extremely light:

'Take nothing for the journey – no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra tunic' Luke 9:3 [NIV]

I wonder why he gave them such extraordinary advice.  I think it was partly because he wanted them to trust in his provision but also because he wanted them to depend on the generosity of those who were receiving them.  It is a humbling thing to be dependent.  We are not used to it.  We value independence, especially our individual independence far too much.

Asking people to help you is one of the simplest ways of opening a door in a relationship; it is to make yourself vulnerable.

So there are two ways you can apply this.  Practically: take a look round at all your 'stuff' is there anything you could give away today?  Spiritually: where are you trying to be independently self-sufficient and how might revealing your neediness open a door in a relationship?

Sheila Bridge

P. S Today is Swanton Morley to March: 53 miles and, rightly or wrongly I am carrying bags, food, money, extra clothes but no staff! Please pray for no breakdowns.  

[Monday's Devotional] - Following Directions

This week I'd like you to come with me on a bike ride! Don't worry, you don't even have to get out of breath. For you, this will be a virtual bike ride. For me, it is actual.

This morning, all being well, I will have set off from Lowestoft on the first day of an 8 day cycle 'pilgrimage' to St David's.  Don't feel sorry for me or be overly impressed!  This is just what I like to do.  For these devotionals I'd like to share with you some life lessons learned on long distance bike rides.  

I'm not very good at map reading - this doesn't bode well!  So instead I'm following a set of very precise instructions that appear to be in code.  Once I have decoded all the directions (TR for Turn Right, CSO for Continue Straight On etc) all I have to do is follow them.  Easy? You'd think so.  The trouble is that I have spent the last few weeks pouring over these instructions and I promise you, they don't make any sense at all!

And then it hit me – 'I won't be able to make sense of the directions and know which way to turn until I have reached the point in the road to which those directions apply.'

We often worry about the future: we worry that we won't know what to do or which decision to make.  But God only ever meets us in the present and often only reveals to us the right direction at the moment when we need to know that direction.  So we have to learn to trust and let each day or every situation unfold, believing that God will give us the grace, clarity and wisdom we need, at the moment we need it.

'Whether you turn to the right or to the left, you ears will hear a voice behind you saying 'This is the way; walk in it'  Isaiah 30:21 [NIV]

Sheila Bridge

P. S. Today's journey is Lowestoft to Swanton Morley, 61 miles, I'd value your prayers – particularly that I don't get lost!

[Friday's Devotional] - A call to Serve

Servanthood is sometimes not considered very fashionable or appealing, yet I was encouraged by the army of volunteers in the UK for the Olympics in London – 70,000 people put on a uniform and gave up their time for free, to make the event a success.  It wasn't a burden; they really enjoyed it and were fulfilled and happy to play a vital part.  I wonder whether we have a legacy of volunteering a year on?  What do we think of rulers and servants?  Here is what Jesus said:

Jesus called them together and said, "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.  Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.   For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Mark 10: 42-45 [NIV]

Call to Action: SERVE

Review your attitude today – are you a customer or a supplier?  Are you a consumer or a provider?  Do you come to church on Sunday to make a withdrawal or a deposit?  Think about something you can do as an act of service today.  It could be something to help a family member or a neighbour, a friend or a colleague, or a random act of kindness to a stranger you meet today.  Is there some time you could give in service to the church family?  Do you tithe your time as well as your money?  Pray about these things today

PRAY

LORD, help me to follow your example of service. Let me consider others before myself.  Show me how I can use my time and gifts in service of others and keep me from being selfish. In Jesus name, Amen.

Dave MacLellan

Follow Daily Devotionals on Twitter: @m2oDevotional
Read Devotionals at our Blog: http://m2odevotionals.blogspot.co.uk

[Thursday's Devotional] - A call to Diet

Today I am talking about food - not the kind of things we eat and drink to fill our stomach, but the food that comes in through our ears and eyes and fills our minds.  Soul food, if you like.

We are influenced by visual and audible stimuli wherever we go and whatever we do.  Sometimes we allow ourselves to be exposed (or choose to expose ourselves) to wrong influences.  In my experience, this has had a negative impact on my judgement and my moral compass.  Living a life of integrity is hard in the modern world – we are exposed to wrong desires, wrong values, wrong habits and wrong responses in many of the things we watch or listen to.

Bad "food" does you harm – listen to what Solomon says in Proverbs:

Can a man carry fire next to his chest and his clothes not be burned?
Or can one walk on hot coals and his feet not be scorched?  Proverbs 6:27-28 [ESV]

Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools suffers harm.
Proverbs 13: 20 [NRSV]

Call to Action: DIET

Think about your influence intake today.  Choose carefully what you watch on TV, where you look on the internet, what books or magazines you read.  Perhaps you can replace one activity (watching a regular TV programme, for example) with something else (a conversation or a meal with a friend or a game with your family).

PRAY

LORD, your word is good food for my soul.  Help me to resist bad influences and seek your word and the wise words of those who walk with you.  In Jesus name, Amen.

Dave MacLellan

Follow Daily Devotionals on Twitter: @m2oDevotional
Read Devotionals at our Blog: http://m2odevotionals.blogspot.co.uk

[Wednesday's Devotional] - A call to Share

Do you consider yourself rich?  A survey found that on average, people responded that they would be well off if they earned 30% more than their current salary.  It didn't matter how much they earned – they always wanted the same amount more.

In fact we are all rich in the things that count, here what Paul says to Timothy:

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.  In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
1 Timothy 6: 17-19 [NIV]

So, if you are rich in monetary terms, perhaps you can find ways to share your wealth with others?  If you are rich in talents, gifts, skills or experience – these things can also be shared.  We are rich in the good news we have been entrusted with – this gospel we can share whenever and wherever the opportunity arises.

There are so many people we come into contact with, and so many ways we can share good news with our networks…

Call to Action: SHARE

If you have received an uplifting message recently, share it with someone today.  There are so many ways to share.  Perhaps you find the Daily Devotionals a helpful resource – you could forward the Devotional e-mail to a friend or send them a link to the web to explore some more about the applying the Bible to our lives, they can now (as of this week) Follow us on Twitter- see below for more info.

PRAY

Thank you LORD for the riches you have given me, help me to share what I have with those in need.  Make me a joyful giver, as I remember how generous you have been to me.  Amen.

Dave MacLellan

Follow Daily Devotionals on Twitter: @m2oDevotional
Read Devotionals at our Blog: http://m2odevotionals.blogspot.co.uk

[Tuesday's Devotional] - A call to Thanks

The New Testament is full of miraculous healings, whenever Jesus saw someone in need of healing, he would take the opportunity to heal.  In one instance he healed 10 lepers:

As he was going into a village, ten men with leprosy came toward him. They stood at a distance and shouted, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!"

Jesus looked at them and said, "Go show yourselves to the priests."

On their way they were healed.  When one of them discovered that he was healed, he came back, shouting praises to God.  He bowed down at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. The man was from the country of Samaria.

Jesus asked, "Weren't ten men healed? Where are the other nine?  Why was this foreigner the only one who came back to thank God?"  Then Jesus told the man, "You may get up and go. Your faith has made you well." Luke 17:12-18 [CEV]

There are dozens of small things every day for which we can thank people.  Sometimes people are only doing their duty or their job – but we can still say thank you if they have helped us.  And when we are healed, forgiven, blessed – these are opportunities to thank God.

Call to Action: THANK

Today, take an opportunity to thank someone for something they have done which had an impact on you.  Say thank you by text message, e-mail or phone call – or better still, look someone in the eye and take a few moments to offer a heart-felt "thank you".  The result will be a blessing for you and that person – and perhaps an opportunity to turn someone's mouth upwards in a smile.  

PRAY

Lord, I thank you for everything you have done for me.  Make me joyful and thankful amongst the busyness and rush of my day.  Thank you Jesus, for dying for me, for paying the price of all my sin.  Thank you for standing in my place.  Amen

Dave MacLellan

[Monday's Devotional] - A call to Repent

When Solomon finished the Temple on Mount Zion in Jerusalem, and after it was dedicated, the LORD appeared to him one night and spoke.  Here is an extract from that message:

"When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.  Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.  I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.
2 Chronicles 7: 13-16 [NIV]

What was God saying to Solomon, and what does it mean for us today?  Sin gets in the way of clear communication between God and his people.  God offers to listen to Solomon and the people of Israel, to forgive their sin and to heal their land, but first he makes some requirements.  What does he require of them (and of us)?

They must humble themselves
They must pray
They must seek his face
They must turn from their wicked ways

Our bodies are a "temple of the Holy Spirit" (as Paul teaches in 1 Corinthians 6:19).  If we have dedicated our bodies to him then he asks us to do the same things mentioned above.

Call to Action: REPENT

Today, spend a few minutes in repentance.  Repentance is a change of mind, coupled with a change of conduct.  It means that we recognise our sinful behaviour, we make a conscious decision to turn from that pattern and walk a different path.  Perhaps you could write down those things that your conscience brings to mind and then burn the piece of paper (in a safe place!) as a symbol of sending your concerns up in smoke before your Saviour and leaving behind the ashes as a symbol of your repentance.

PRAY

Lord, I turn from my wicked ways and rededicate my Temple of the Holy Spirit to your name.  Purify my heart and renew my right relationship with you.  Hear my humble cry, O Lord my God.  Amen

Dave MacLellan

[Friday's Devotional] - Listen for the still small voice

Then He said, "Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord." And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.

So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" 1 Kings 19: 11-13 [NKJV]

How do you know when God is speaking to you?  We are surrounded by noise, the hubbub of the streets, our workplaces, schools – the television, radio, our personal music players.  It can be hard to concentrate on anything with such a background. Sometimes the voice of God is the "still small voice" that Elijah heard – at times you might feel that the voices loudest in your ears are not from God and you need to test the words for accuracy and integrity with what you know God is saying in the Bible. 

Perhaps today you can find 15 minutes to spend in silence? – to see if you can hear what God is saying to you.  If you are familiar with having a quiet time, then silence might allow space in your day to hear what God is saying.

Lord, speak to me today with your still small voice.  Help me to hear what you are saying to me today.  Keep me in tune with your Word, Amen.  

Dave MacLellan

[Thursday's Devotional] - Focus on the distance

When you walk across a field your path will depend on your outlook.  As I walk my dog across the field, if my eyes are down-cast and focused on my feet, then I will look back at the end of the journey and see the path I have taken zig-zagging from side to side and not looking very straight.  Alternatively, if I set my eyes on a distant tree and walk in that direction, keeping my eye on the distance, I will reach my destination and be able to look back to see my footsteps forming a straight line pointed directly from my origin to my destination.

Life can be like that too – if you focus all the time on the immediate and are permanently looking to the next hour, or the next day, you will find it difficult to follow your long term goals and might observe that your path has been wavering and your progress limited.  Are you headed in the right direction?  Do you know where you are going?  Are you following Jesus, or simply putting one foot in front of the other in your daily walk?  A life focused on the long-term, or the distance, will be better directed and more productive.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy that was set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Hebrews 12:1-3 [NIV]

Lord, help me to set my eyes on you and follow you – keep me walking in your footsteps and moving in step with your direction.  Keep me from being distracted or hindered by sinful obsessions, Amen.

Dave MacLellan

[Wednesday's Devotional] - Using the tide

Have you ever watched the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race on the Thames and wondered why the two crews (the same two Universities every year!) are always so close to each other when the river is at times over 200 metres wide?  In fact, the race is rowed in the tidal section of the river and in the upstream direction when the tide is incoming and the river is flowing fastest.  The fastest moving water is where the river is deepest (usually near the centre) and the difference between being in the fastest flowing water and the slow-moving water can result in a time difference of nearly three minutes over the 17 minute race.  The optimum racing line is only about 10-20 metres wide, the width of 2 rowing crews touching each other, so it is important to fight to keep to the best line.  I know this because I have steered the same course in the other direction (there are many such races during the year, usually in the opposite direction), but without the experience and knowledge it is likely that my "racing line" was out by at least 10 to 20 seconds (maybe more) giving our crew a distinct disadvantage, and meaning we would end up with a slower time than many a weaker crew.  After all, without the reference books or the internet it was not easy to learn the exact line and the deepest water point isn't painted on the water like a motorway lane marking.

We can live our lives surfing on the tide of the Spirit, or we can struggle in the shallow water pulling harder and getting more tired as we try to keep our pace using the power of our own inferior strength.  Which one describes your journey today?  Perhaps you need to adjust your rudder a little to steer yourself back on the right path?   

I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. Ephesians 3:16-17 [NRSV] 

Lord, make this my prayer today. Amen

Dave MacLellan

[Tuesday's Devotional] - Tacking into the wind

I know very little about sailing, but the process of tacking allows a boat to sail forwards into a headwind.  Sometimes in life, the wind is against us - we can find it difficult to avoid being blown backwards and rather than making forward progress we are drifting in reverse and sliding backwards in the opposite direction from where we wish to go.  Is life like this at the moment for you?  Do you feel that the wind is taking you away from your goal?  Perhaps we can learn from the tacking experience - we can gain speed by going across the wind and use our forward momentum to keep moving as we turn into the wind. 

Being a disciple means trying to follow Jesus even when we are struggling into a headwind.  At times the wind will be strong and "in your face", and staying still might be a triumph when all around you people are being driven backwards.  In Matthew's gospel the disciples spent some time in boats and from time to time the weather was against them:

Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone,  but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them.  And early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea.  Matthew 14: 22-25 [NRSV]

Is there a headwind in your life?  Do you find it difficult to make progress?  Sometimes Jesus appeared in unexpected ways and surprised his disciples by appearing "out of the fog" to come to their aid.  Call on Jesus to help you make progress and keep you moving in the right direction.

Lord Jesus, help me to make progress when the sea is rough and the wind is strong against me.  Help me to follow you wherever you call me.  Amen.

Dave MacLellan

[Monday's Devotional] - The podium moment

The London Olympics last year was a great opportunity to share in the podium moments of the Olympic medallists.  But, for every podium moment there are years of unseen training and discipline to achieve the best performance on the day.  And also, for each of the three medallists in each event there were a crowd of competitors who went away with no reward.  After 4 years of intense training, the event itself can go horribly wrong.  Perhaps you remember the cycling event with Victoria Pendleton and Jess Varnish where Pendleton broke too soon for her final lap and the result was that they were disqualified and their medal hopes for that event (the only one Varnish could have won) were dashed.

Every moment of victory is the result of many years of rigorous training - early starts, constant training, putting everything and everyone behind the goal of victory.  Steve Redgrave famously stated "Anyone sees me go anywhere near a boat, you've got my permission to shoot me," after winning his 4th gold medal in 1996 - yet only a short time later he was back in training and in spite of developing Type 2 Diabetes he went on to complete another four years of punishing training and achieve his 5th gold medal at the Sydney Olympics at the age of 38.

Perhaps you have had a few "podium moments" in your life, or maybe you are still "training hard" and can't see any light at the end of the tunnel.  Life is not ultimately about competition and being better than everyone else, and the prize we are seeking is not something that has limited shelf life.  Paul explains it to the Corinthians like this:

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. 1 Corinthians 9: 24-27 [NIV]

Lord, help me to keep training and running the race in order to gain my crown that will last for ever.  Thank you for giving me a life worth living and a reason to persist in the race.  Amen.

Dave MacLellan