Devotional - March 25, 2026
Scripture: Genesis 1: 24-25 And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
You may have thought in the last devotion. I have been a Christian for many years and I don't experience my days teeming with life. In fact, it may be the opposite or worse, teeming with trouble. Though our lives may be difficult, know that the Lord is with you (Isaiah 41:10). Ask God for what you need to get through, especially the right mindset. The right perspective or outlook on your situation. Many times in the Psalms, we hear David struggle with his situation until he understands it. He lets himself be open and honest before God. It may take a few chapters in the Psalms before David comes to terms with his situation, but he gets there. Often, we don't want to experience the struggle and work it takes to understand our situation in light of our relationship with God. If there is one thing that we learn about God and how God does things in Genesis, it's that God works through processing, developing, and then bringing forth. We often want a magic trick. Abracadabra, Amen! When God speaks, it comes into being, but it builds off what was already created and it all becomes a creation that is interrelated. At God's command the land produces living creatures who return to the earth when they die. When we are working on issues, ...well, that's the problem, we don't want to work things out, we want an answer. Now! We don't care about the problem. Where it came from. What it is based on or what it means. Just fix it God. And, even as you read the last few sentences you may be thinking..., that may well be the problem. My not caring about what is causing the problem, may be half the problem. We all do it, because we do not want to take responsibility for our part of the problem. Not to say we have a part in all that troubles us, but we don't know if we dont look. We don't look because it may be painful. Well, maybe this will help. When you decide to look in a spirit of finding fault, assigning blame, or shame. I assure you, that will not resolve anything. Rather, investigate. Take the position of one looking in, an investigator, who simply seeks to resolve, or solve, this issue enough that you can move onward. Let your investigation bring you to a place where you can continue to build your life in a better way. Letting yourself step out of your situation and be a third-party onlooker is a powerful tool for personal growth. Through it, you can look at yourself and say, there I go again, still trying to... See the different layers and foundations you have built your life on. Who influences you. Where does your life come from? It also helps to see others as people in a similar way. They are trying to cope with their own issues too. Forgiveness is a lot easier when you have this kind of perspective of yourself and others. The process takes time. You can't force it, you have to work on it, develop it, and be willing to spend time dealing with it without burning out. If you are willing to do it, God will bless the process in so many ways (Matthew 11: 29-30).
Pray with me.., Holy God, we confess we allow both good and bad into our life. Help us to see and understand our shortcomings. Give us the power to repent. Hear us as we pray for our loved ones. Bless them O God according to their needs. We ask for Your blessing on our church. Bless us, so we can be the blessing you call us to be, in Jesus' name, Amen.
God's peace,
Pastor Brian
