In the Flow
Dear Father, I know you formed me and loved me before I was even a light in my mother's eyes. Help me take that in and realize how important I am to you. Help me shine from the place of my innermost being and bring your light to those around me. Amen.
January 21
We Are Family
Keep loving each other like family. Don't neglect to open up your homes to guests, because by doing this some have been hosts to angels without knowing it.
—Hebrews 13:1-2
You may not have the same last name or the same address, but the writer of Hebrews encourages you to treat everyone who comes to visit or stay the night as family. Opening your heart and home to honored guests changes the dynamic of your relationship instantly. You create an atmosphere where everyone under your roof is your family.
What's so good about that? For one thing, you get to have authentic experience. You get to be yourself and your guest does too. You get to share your personal stories, your faith stories, and other matters in ways that resonate with truth and create opportunities for further discussion. You talk about things in a family that you can't begin to discuss with strangers.
You may not find yourself in the presence of angels, or then again, you may, but the point is to treat everyone like family. In fact, if you treat people with love, you'll be serving them as an angel of friendship, fellowship, and joy. Nothing could make your Father happier than to see you treat his other children so well.
In the Flow
Lord, help me always be a warm and generous host to anyone who finds their way to my door. As you have so lovingly welcomed me into your family, let me return the favor by the way I embrace those who spend time in my home. Amen.
January 22
Still Calling His Followers
As Jesus walked alongside the Galilee Sea, he saw two brothers . . . throwing fishing nets into the sea. . . . "Come, follow me," he said, "and I'll show you how to fish for people."
—Matthew 4:18-19
If Jesus stopped by any of our towns today to call his followers, would he venture into the heart of commerce? Would he go to Wall Street and look for the biggest investment gurus or set his sights on a physician from the local hospital? It's interesting to try to imagine who he might deem to be worthy disciples, and yet one thing is clear: You would be on his list. He would call you to follow him. Today, more than anything else he wants to help you cast a bigger vision for your life, fill your nets to overflowing with the good things of God, and help to heal your wounds in any possible way. Jesus is still calling.
If you're already following him, think for a moment how that affects your daily decisions, your daily purpose. How do you align yourself with his will for your life? How often do you truly allow him to lead?
The trouble with followers sometimes is that they try to scoot ahead of their leaders, sometimes taking a wrong trail. Wherever you are today, pause a moment and reflect on who is leading your life. Are you following Jesus even now?
In the Flow
Lord, as I go about my business today, help me seek your guidance and direction. Help me be a wise and loving follower. Amen.
January 23
Waiting for Forever!
With the Lord a single day is like a thousand years and a thousand years are like a single day. The Lord isn't slow to keep his promise, as some think of slowness, but he is patient toward you.
—2 Peter 3:8-9
When you were a kid, it seemed time went so slowly. You waited for Christmas and your birthday and the big vacation with the family. Now that you're a little older, days and nights may seem to melt into each other and make you wonder how anything can get done when there is so little time.
Peter reminds us essentially that with God, time is not really an issue. In fact, he invented the whole concept of time and it appears that he had no limitations for himself. But for us, time is a mystery.
The thing we have to notice is what happens to our patience or our ability to wait when time drags on. When everything about life is suddenly grounded and nothing moves, when everything stops, then you might feel somewhat dismayed.
Today, pay closer attention to your time and how you spend it. How much of it did you dedicate to God?
In the Flow
Lord, I admit that I get frustrated by time. I either don't have enough of it, or I have a little too much on my hands and then I get impatient. Remind me that you are the arbiter of my time, the one who knows how I best need to live my life. Amen.
January 24
Faith—What's Enough?
Jesus said to him, " 'If you can do anything'? All things are possible for the one who has faith." At that the boy's father cried out, "I have faith; help my lack of faith!"
—Mark 9:23-24
Most of us can empathize with the poor father who struggled with his faith in the story Mark has noted here. We want to believe. In our best moments, we do believe. In our worst moments, we question what we believe. We're not always certain we have enough of this thing called faith.
Alas, we can't buy more faith on the open market, but we may be able to buy into the concept, the idea, the fact of faith in such a way that we do indeed receive more of it. Perhaps faith is something like love. The more of it you give away, the more of it you use, the more you have. If so, why don't we look for every opportunity to share our faith, to ground our faith, to substantiate our faith in such a way that lack is never a problem? When someone we love is ill, we call on our faith knowing that with God all things are possible.
Take a moment and measure your faith quotient today. Is it enough to get you through every twist and turn the day may take? If not, start the day with one request. "Lord, help my lack of faith."
In the Flow
Lord, help me depend on faith and on you in such a way that nothing can really shake it, nothing can take it away from me. Help me know that with faith in you all things are possible. Amen.
January 25
You Look Like Your Father
Instead renew the thinking in your mind by the Spirit and clothe yourself with the new person created according
