Love Overcomes Daily Devotion #9 2/19/16

Daily Devotion #9

Larry Trotter

Words of Love

15 Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. 16 But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. Luke 5:15-16 NIV

Overcoming the Barrier

Let’s put a different spin on the idea of being alone and look at isolation from the more positive perspective of solitude. Jesus was very busy. He followed his passion for saving humankind with laser-like focus. His authoritative preaching and compassionate healing were resonating with more and more people, which meant crowds were forming and the demands on his time were increasing. He had just preached to a huge crowd by the lake, recruited key members of his leadership team, and healed a man with leprosy. As the crowds continued to press Jesus recognized the need to decompress and slipped away for another mini-retreat. Interestingly, the NIV uses “lonely places” where other translations use “wilderness.” The idea is that he intentionally sought solitude for prayer time with his Father. The people around us have a way of directing our paths. I remember going to New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl and being on Bourbon Street on New Year’s Eve. It was terrifying. Lynn and I were literally swept away with the crowd like a swimmer in a rip current. Groups of people can redirect our life path in the same way. In two verses prior to our passage Jesus told the man he had healed not to tell anyone. He wasn’t using reverse psychology; he was attempting to keep his mission on track. He didn’t come to be a rock star rabbi. He came to renew creation through his death and resurrection. He took time away to stay close to his Father to reset the trajectory of his ministry.

Isolation is something that happens to us when we choose to live apart from others. Solitude us something we choose to happen to us when we take a break from the crowds that can become a barrier to God’s purposes for our life. Isolation narrows our options. Solitude opens us to new possibilities. Moments of intentional solitude can reset our life trajectory by listening for our Father and allowing his guiding presence to order our steps. In the silence we realize the still small voice is still there in a big way. Lest we confuse the two, isolation happens when we let life separate us from others due to an inner conflict. Solitude is a decision to temporarily separate from others to listen to the inner voice of God.

Prayer

God of peace, nudge me when I should find a quite place for some downtime with you, then send me back into my life on your preferred path. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Love Overcomes Daily Devotion #8 2/18/16

Day 8

Larry Trotter

Words of Love

There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother.

There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth.

“For whom am I toiling,” he asked, “and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?” This too is meaningless—a miserable business!

Ecclesiastes 4:8 NIV

Overcoming the Barrier

We’re going to take a detour from Luke’s gospel today to get another perspective on isolation as a barrier to the deeper life God plans for us. Ecclesiastes is considered one of the wisdom books found in the Old Testament and is attributed to Solomon in the first verse of chapter one. Most scholars think this is a literary device to lend credibility to an unknown author. We’ll let others take up that debate. The wisdom found in Ecclesiastes stands on its own merit, not to mention found its way into a classic rock (rock to us baby boomers) standard by the Byrds. If Ecclesiastes had a headline it would be, “Live Hard, Work Hard, Life’s Short.” For those willing to do some digging there are nuggets of practical wisdom throughout the book. The verse above sets the tone for a longer passage speaking to the virtues of collaborative living. The man in the verse apparently has no family or friends (all alone), spends all his time working, and yet receives no satisfaction from the fruits of his labor rendering his life “meaningless.” It’s a reminder that working and earning at the expense of relationships has been going on since humankind left the Garden of Eden. It’s a leading cause of self-inflicted isolation and is completely preventable.

Jesus may have had a similar scenario in mind when he said, “Do no worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Luke 12:22, 34 NIV) His words were in response to a man who was fighting with his brother over their inheritance. I want to be careful not to make this about money, but instead about separating ourselves from family and friends because of a lust for money and possessions. As a pastor I have talked with many people who were dealing with the collateral damage of a life lived for money at the expense of the people who were most important to them. It’s hard to see when we’re trying to make our way in the world. That’s why turning to Jesus for perspective is crucial. As the old saying goes, no one ever lies on their death bed and wishes they had worked more and spent less time with their family. Compensation is little consolation for isolation. Yes?

Prayer

God of life, give me the grace to see where my ambition may be alienating me from my family and friends. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Love Overcomes Devotion #7 2/17/16

Day #7

Larry Trotter

Words of Love

26 They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is across the lake from Galilee. 27 When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs. Luke 8:26-27 NIV

Overcoming the Barrier

Passages such as this can easily leave us confused if not a little creeped out. Let’s face it; the scene sounds more like something from a Wes Craven movie than the Bible. A demon-possessed man lurking in a cemetery is the stuff of nightmares. His condition is attributed to demon possession and has resulted in behavior that has driven him out of his community and into isolation. Medicine in the first century was more advanced than you might suspect, but behavior that 21-century doctors associate with some type of mental illness was, in Jesus’ day, considered to be the presence of an evil spirit. However we understand the situation, this type of behavior can be frightening for everyone, which contributes to the sick person retreating from community or being shunned by that community both resulting in isolation. Moreover, it is important not to summarily dismiss the idea of demon-possession because we find it incompatible with post-enlightenment thought. For Luke, the idea of Jesus ordering the demons to flee reinforces Jesus’ authority over all creation, even that which dwells on the dark side. It also underscores his willingness to engage any threat to the people he came to save.

Perhaps somewhat less dramatic but none-the-less traumatizing is the nightmare of isolation that can accompany sickness, today. Both mental and physical illnesses have the potential to limit our capacity to engage the world around us. Physical pain related to chronic illness and emotional pain from depression and other related mental issues can drive us inward and away from a caring community, even family and friends. Jesus is not afraid of anything that threatens our well-being and is always ready to engage any issue that isolates us from life with him or with others. If we find ourselves struggling with this kind of inner pain that seems to be separating us from our life with God or the relationships we treasure it’s time to reach out. If someone we love is drifting away due to illness of any kind we can carefully, lovingly engage them with the healing love of Christ which may begin with a simple visit or call. Jesus is eager to share the authority of his love to help them back into community and wholeness.

Prayer

Tender Savior, please come near and tend to my broken heart (to the broken heart of my loved one) and help me (them) find the strength of community once again. In your name, amen.

Love Overcomes Daily Devotion #6 2/16/16

Day #6

Larry Trotter

Words of Love 

3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” 4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’”

Luke 4:3-4 NIV

Overcoming the Barrier

As we saw yesterday, Jesus is wrapping up a 40-day, solo spiritual retreat including a fast. The devil hopes to leverage Jesus’ physical hunger into spiritual vulnerability by striking directly at his weakness. Jesus is in that gray area between the clarity that intentional solitude can bring and the blurriness that comes with unintended isolation. First, in the above verses the devil tries to entice Jesus to compromise his integrity by coopting the considerable resources at his disposal for his own personal gain. Further, in verses 5-7 the devil offers his own considerable resources to infiltrate Jesus’ mission and undoubtedly redirect it toward his own purposes. Finally, in verses 9-11 he flat-out dares Jesus to make a public spectacle of himself and, thus, create confusion about the nature of his identity and the purpose of his mission. It’s crucial not to miss the fact that none of these three offers seem problematic on the surface. Food, political clout, and a publicity stunt could all have, at some level, bolstered Jesus’ early campaign. But, at what price?

Where solitude on our terms can make us stronger, isolation on its own terms can create vulnerability, which becomes a barrier to integrity. When we begin to withdraw we loose perspective and allow at least self-serving or at worst dangerous ideas to enter the internal narrative. But, Jesus halted the attack before it ever gained momentum by allowing his Father to provide perspective by recalling Scripture. Remember, Jesus was filled with the Spirit and allowed that indwelling Presence to interpret the devil’s offers and formulate a response. Faith in Christ brings that very same indwelling Presence to advocate on our behalf as well. Before we compromise from a position of vulnerability, why not collaborate from a position of viability. Having a few life verses from Scripture can be the power we need in our moment of temptation. It worked for Jesus.

Prayer

Come, Holy Spirit, and give me words of life in the face of temptation so that I may remain in your strength and not my own. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Love Overcomes Daily Devotion #5 2/15/16

Day #5

Larry Trotter

Words of Love

1 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2 where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. Luke 4:1-2 NIV

Overcoming the Barrier

The passage describes the first of many of Jesus' retreats for prayer, fasting, and discernment. When I say first, it's the first that is recorded in Scripture. One would think that at 30 years old he had slipped away on many occasions to connect with the Father and reflect on the mission ahead. Who's to say that the devil didn't follow him on other occasions? But this time, the stakes are much higher. Jesus has now claimed his place in the mission to renew all creation and has gone public. Perhaps still damp from his baptism and with his Father's affirming voice still resonating in his soul Jesus sought the refuge of solitude to think and pray. A close reading of the passage indicates that the devil had been with him the whole time perhaps suggesting alternate plans that would get Jesus off topic and circumvent his sacrifice that would start the clock ticking on the devil's potential to wreak havoc on humankind. But the devil saved his "A" material until Jesus was most likely in a weakened position. He was hungry. After 40 days, no doubt he was hungry and weak. The spirit-enriching solitude of his retreat was possibly teetering precariously close to spirit-exhausting isolation that could have been a barrier to fulfillment of his mission.

This week's devotions will continue to explore isolation, the barrier to fullness of life addressed this past Sunday. There is a fine line between solitude, which can be instructive, and isolation, which can be destructive. The fact that the Scripture even mentions that Jesus was hungry implies that his humanity was subject the same demands as ours. It's a physiological reality that isolation impacts our bodies, which exacerbates its impact on our minds and spirits. Prolonged isolation, understood as being removed from relationships, causes stress that can, over time, impact the body to the same degree and result as smoking and obesity. As the soul breaks down, so does the body, which impacts the soul, and the spiral continues. The devil was counting on that with Jesus. What he didn't count on was how Jesus would respond. We'll continue with the passage and explore that, tomorrow.

Prayer

Caring Father, touch my spirit and alert me when I am about to move from helpful solitude to hurtful isolation, and use me to help someone else who may be struggling to discern that fine line. In Jesus' name, amen.