The First Mystery Writer

Do you like a good mystery?  I love to watch mystery movies; you know the ones that give clues along the way but don’t give the whole picture until the very end. The really good ones toss some turns in there to throw you off so when the mystery is finally revealed you say, “Ohhh, I missed that!”

Did you know that God was the first mystery writer?  Yes, and just like in a good movie, He gave the real clues all along, but many people missed it. And just like at the end of movies, we turn to our friends and say, “Did you get it?” Paul is saying that now. In fact he explains the whole mystery to us because so many missed the clues. People began to think that God might have tricked them with some of His turns, but Paul explains that God’s timing is perfect. He was not withholding the mystery from past generations, but was revealing it in His perfect timing. Praise God, the mystery is revealed: God’s plan includes all the people of the world.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You that from the beginning of time You have scripted the greatest mystery ever written to include all the people of the earth.  We praise You today for revealing the mystery to us and for giving us a role to play in revealing the mystery to others.

“Now this secret was not disclosed to people in former generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit, namely, that through the gospel the Gentiles are fellow heirs, fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus.”  (Ephesians 3:5-6 NET)

Today’s devotion is written by Cheri Cowell, a student at Asbury Theological Seminary (Orlando).  Cheri writes and speaks on the deep questions of faith.  Her first book Direction: Discernment for the Decisions of Your Life (Beacon Hill) is called a biblically sound, no nonsense approach to making God-centered life choices.  For comments, or to inquire about her speaking schedule; visit www.DirectionAndDiscernment.com.

Priority Mail

By Cheri Cowell –

 

Priority mail is a great invention. Whatever you can squeeze into that envelope or box, regardless of the weight, is one flat fee.

 

Did you know God was the originator of Priority Mail? That’s right, he charges the same flat rate no matter what we send His way. No matter how much we stuff in the envelope, no matter how weighty the issues we want Him to deal with, and no matter how important (or unimportant) it is to us, He charges one flat fee.

 

God then went a step further and paid the fee! So now we can send Him our mail—our prayers, desires, dreams, and disappointments—and know we will receive priority service.

 

As this Psalm points out, when someone is getting ahead unfairly, don’t fret. Quietly reach for your Priority Mail envelope and place that concern inside. God will receive your mail and will act swiftly. Let that thought bring your heart peace because—rain, sleet, or snow—God is there, waiting to receive your mail.

 

“Quiet down before God, be prayerful before him. Don’t bother with those who climb the ladder, who elbow their way to the top” (Psalms 37:7 MSG).

Prayer: I never thought of my prayers as being Priority Mail, but that thought makes me smile. The next time I’m tempted to fret, I’ll rush to my prayer box instead.

Three-Legged Race

By Cheri Cowell –

Have you ever participated in a three-legged race? A rope or bandanna ties the left ankle of one person to the right ankle of his or her partner. The two are to then run as one person from the starting line, usually crossing over a finish line or around an obstacle and back again. Running a three-legged race is difficult unless you know the secret.

Our peace making efforts will be in vain if we try to obtain peace through our own efforts (following all the rules), through group affiliation (church membership), or national identity (American, Canadian, or Western). For when we give our lives to Christ, we become one not only with Him, but also with all of our brothers and sisters in Christ. We are in this three-legged race together and will only cross the finish line to win the peace if we pull in the same direction. That is the secret. You, the Holy Spirit, and others are in this race together. Are you pulling as one?

“You are joined together with peace through the Spirit, so make every effort to continue together in this way” (Ephesians 4:3 NCV).  

Prayer: I admit that sometimes I pull in my own direction. Help me to pull together with You, Lord, along with my brothers and sisters so we can cross the finish line together.

Frienemies

By Cheri Cowell –

 

The oldest member of the church was talking to the new minister. “I am 90 years old, sir, and I haven’t an enemy in the world.”

 

The minister responded with great interest, “That is a great feat.”

 

Proud, the woman added, “Yes sir, I’m thankful to say that I’ve outlived ’em all.”

 

If you’ve lived any length of time, you’ve developed a few enemies, or possibly friends turned enemies. Sometimes it is something we’ve done, or should have done. But there are times when a friend sets himself or herself against us for no discernable reason.

 

We can work hard to make peace with all people, but this becomes difficult when we don’t know the problem. We need to trust that God knows the circumstances and then set about aligning our ways with His. We aren’t to worry about the situation, but instead we are called to leave it in God’s hands. In the end, when we don’t expect it, our right living coupled with a grace-filled God will produce the peace between friends that we’d hoped would come.

 

“When a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him” (Proverbs 16:7 NKJV).  

Prayer: My heart is heavy when I think about this friend who has turned against me. I will take this advice and focus on living right while trusting You to bring peace between us.

 

Stop and Smell the Roses

By Cheri Cowell –

 

Some of us are always on the go. We take two things off our to-do list and add six more. There never seems to be enough hours in the day. More than once we’ve said if we could clone ourselves for just an hour we might catch up. But the truth is, we wouldn’t know what to do with ourselves if we got to the end of the list. We watch other people who seem to relax while the laundry is piled high and the weeds are overtaking the garden, and we wonder how they do it. How can they relax when there is still so much to do?

Perhaps these people have learned the secret of true rest. They realize not one of us is promised another minute of life, and all that striving and labor won’t add a day of living. So it is good to stop and smell the roses, to rest and relax, even when the to-do list is a mile long. Take some time today to smell the roses, to take a walk in the woods, to watch a sunset or sunrise, and thank God for another minute of life.

“One hand full of rest is better than two fists full of labor and striving after wind” (Ecclesiastes 4:6 NASB).

Prayer: Help me to resist the urge to keep going. Instead Lord, help me to stop and rest, and while there to smell the roses.

 

 

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