In the Storm

I heard Billy Graham share a story several years ago about a painting he had seen that illustrated for him the concept of peace. The artist had painted a stormy scene where waves were crashing on craggy rocks. The clouds above were menacing...danger seemed a constant theme of the work. But down in the corner of the weather hewn rock, in a crevice, carved most probably by years of pounding storms, there was a nest with a bird perched securely, seemingly at rest. The title of the work was simply "Peace".

Our lives often bear the marks of life's storms. Weathered by disappointment, pain, and loss, we are not strangers to the threats of life. We would wish that the storms would cease and their danger never threaten. Reality, however, paints for us a different picture. And yet, the promise of God to be with us always is a hollowed-out place in the rock that allows rest, even peace in the storms that come our way.

The Psalmist writes in Psalm 4:8, "In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, LORD, make me dwell in safety." The presence of God encourages rest for those who will trust in Him, yes, even in the storm.

Jim Abernathy

Lenten Devotional...April 8

"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God!

He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm.

Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."

(I Corinthians 15:55-58)

Paul spends much of this chapter making his case for the resurrection. Some were questioning its validity and he quickly had become its apologist. Today's text is his concluding statement and what a statement it is! He calls death out, proclaiming that victory cannot be claimed by the tomb. Victory has come through the risen Christ, and for all who believe, resurrection has provided a platform upon which to stand. Love has conquered and continues to conquer. Therefore, life has meaning and purpose...therefore we give ourselves fully to the work of the Lord...therefore we know that what we attempt for Christ is not in vain. Death is defeated...life overcomes. That is the message of Easter. That is the hope of this and every day. That, brothers and sisters, is the joy of Easter. Thanks be to God!

Prayer: Love has paid the price for sin, O God, and life has conquered death. This is the good news of Easter. Thanks be to God, indeed! Amen.

Friends, this concludes our Lenten journey together. From Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday, we have walked together the pathway of Christ. May the living Christ continue to guide your steps as you daily take up your cross and follow after him.

Jim Abernathy

Lenten Devotional...April 7

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the sinful nature God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful humanity to be a sin offering."

(Romans 8:1-3)

It is hard for us to imagine the Saturday Jesus' disciples must have spent immediately following his death. Healings, mass feedings, the calming of storms, resurrections...they had seen enough in the few years that they followed him to make them proclaim him as Messiah, most likely joining the crowds that welcomed him into Jerusalem the previous Sunday in wanting to make him king. Now, they find themselves in hiding, uncertain of what has just happened...more uncertain about what would follow.

Jesus had certainly given them warning. He had told them that he had to go to Jerusalem and that there he would die. For whatever reason, they either didn't understand or chose not to consider the gravity of his words. What had it all meant? What would happen next?

What they did not seem to know in those dark hours between Friday and Sunday was that the work of salvation had already been done. God had sent his Son in human form to be a sin offering...an atoning sacrifice for all. John would later write in I John 4:9-10, "This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." Their grief most likely clouded their minds for he had told them of the sacrifice required of him. He also told them of resurrection, a joy that would confront their grief in a matter of hours.

Disappointment, weariness, and grief at times foster a sense of condemnation that deflates hope. The news these disciples would later remember...news we still need to remember, is that Christ has set us free from sin and death...the dark places of Saturday cannot hold captive the sacrifice of love that has paid for our sin.

Prayer: May your presence, dear Lord, overcome the darkness of Saturday as we remember the words and action of love in the sacrifice of Your Son, Jesus, the Christ. Amen.

Jim Abernathy

Lenten Devotional...April 6

When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

(Luke 23:33-34)

Luke quite matter-of-factly describes the crucifixion of Jesus. Verse thirty-three could be the account of most any criminal's execution. There is no emotion, no perspective...just the facts. When the state takes a person's life in response to a crime he or she has committed, the story is often the same. Sure, there are some who become emotionally involved, but often the process is the same for one as it is for another...a routine hardly noticed in the grand scheme of things.

Verse thirty-four, however, is anything but routine. Amidst the voices of ridicule and condemnation...in the presence of the men who drove the nails into his flesh and raised his cross to secure his death, Jesus cries out for forgiveness...not his, but theirs. Imagine what those around him must have thought on that day. "Did I hear that right? Did he just ask God to forgive...me?" Others might have questioned his sanity after the severe beating he had endured. "He must be delirious," someone might have said. Perhaps there were a few standing near who had once followed him, but chose to leave because his words had seemed to difficult for them. Perhaps his call for forgiveness simply confirmed their reasons for leaving him. Maybe, just maybe there was someone in the crowd who still believed in him who marveled at such grace in the midst of such hell.

That forgiveness is on display at the cross, front and center, should not surprise us. No, we cannot fully understand it, and we struggle mightily to live in the shadow of it. But we cannot turn away from it. We cannot ignore it or its claims upon us. Forgiveness is at the heart of the cross because forgiveness was at the heart of Jesus' mission, and it is at the heart of the message of Christ that is still transforming lives today. As benefactors of that forgiveness, we are in turn to offer this gift to others as well, in Jesus' name.

William Barclay comments on this text, "There is nothing so lovely and so rare as Christian forgiveness. When the unforgiving spirit is threatening to turn our hearts to bitterness, let us hear again our Lord asking forgiveness for those who crucified him..." By the grace of God, Good Friday is a testimony to forgiveness. By that same grace, may the forgiveness we share with others in Jesus' name offer a similar testimony.

Prayer: Gracious God, you offer forgiveness freely through Jesus Christ. May we offer that same forgiveness in his name to all around us. Amen.

Jim Abernathy

Lenten Devotional...April 5

"And while they were eating, he said, 'Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.' They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, 'Surely not I, Lord?'”

(Matthew 26:21-22)

Denial is a dark aspect of the human character. To some degree it serves as a shield in the shocking aftermath of traumatic experience, though that protection is short-lived as reality invades. In a more intentional role, denial becomes a shield that we place between ourselves and personal responsibility. "Not me," we might protest when accused. This defense mechanism defers for the moment the weight of responsibility, but often, only for a moment.

Reclining with Jesus around the table for a Passover meal, the disciples are made very uncomfortable when Jesus tells them that one of them will betray him. I can see the heads turning from side to side as these men who had sworn allegiance to Jesus looked to one another for assurance and perhaps, indictment. Across the room the denials began, "Surely not I, Lord?" "You couldn't" mean me," they responded to him and to one another. Judas quickly left the room to complete his act of betrayal, but before the night would be over, everyone in that room would betray Jesus for none of them stood beside him in his darkest hour.

This Maundy Thursday finds us considering the events of that evening. We hear again the story of betrayal and denial. Do we see ourselves around that table, leaving the room, or forsaking Jesus by running from him as he arrested? The opportunities to stand with Christ in the midst of life's challenges come to us again and again. "Surely not I, Lord," we offer..."Surely Not I."

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we, like your closest friends, forsake you at times. Forgive our arrogant ways and our boasts of “Surely, not I.” Amen.

Jim Abernathy

Lenten Devotional...April 4

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."

(John 15:5)

In the last days Jesus spent with his disciples before his crucifixion, he sought to reinforce the connection of faith he had established with them over the previous few years. Most had left everything to follow him. He knew their commitment would be challenged by the events about to unfold. In the previous chapter he had tried to encourage them by promising the presence of the Holy Spirit to sustain them in everything they faced. He then makes a strong statement in today's text about the connection they share that will empower their action. He is the source of their strength and vitality. Connected to him, they will be fruitful. Disconnected, however, they can accomplish nothing.

We know this principle to be true in the electrified world in which we live today. Refrigerators won't keep food fresh, televisions can't be watched, cell phones can't be depended on if they are not connected to the source of power that energizes them. Occasional blackouts remind us of our dependence on the kind of power that fuels these modern conveniences.

Jesus Christ empowers the spirit and energizes the soul with a hope that is not generated by any other source. "Apart from me, you can do nothing,' he says. He's right, for the call to take up our cross and follow Him daily can be fueled only by his strength.

Prayer: May the faith that binds us to you, grow stronger and stronger each day, O Lord, as we take up the cross of Christ. Amen.

Jim Abernathy

Lenten Devotional...April 3

“‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’"

(Matthew 25:44-45)

Matthew positions the teaching of our text today shortly before Jesus is arrested and crucified. In the days leading up to his arrest, Jesus taught in the temple, confronting the religious elite and all who would listen, with the news that relationship with the living God was less about keeping the rules and more about how one lives in the world.

Today's text confronts hunger, loneliness, poverty, illness, and the outcast. To acknowledge these needs as a part of their culture would not have surprised anyone who heard Jesus. However, his closing sentence must have grabbed their attention, just as it still grabs ours today...whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me. Jesus powerfully calls any who will listen to recognize that relationship with God empowers action in the everyday situations of life. To ignore need is to ignore Christ.

My conclusion for this devotional thought is our prayer today, written by Sharlande Sledge. The prayer is entitled, Selfishness.

God, forgive us for being asleep when you need us. You agonize over the world's hungry while we worry whom to invite to dinner. God, forgive us for neglecting your children and not risking our own security for their needs. We know Christ's teachings. We know the needs of the world. We know ourselves. God, forgive us for not transforming what we have been taught into what we do. Amen.

Jim Abernathy

Lenten Devotional...April 2

"Peter declared, 'Even if all fall away, I will not'...Immediately the rooster crowed the second time. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him: 'Before the rooster crows twice you will disown me three times.' And he broke down and wept."

(Mark 14:29,72)

The last supper Jesus would share with his disciples before his crucifixion is drawing to a close. Jesus tells his disciples that they will all forsake him...not exactly the way the disciples might have envisioned the evening coming to a close. Peter, as he often does, takes advantage of the moment to separate himself from the crowd, stating that he alone will stand with Jesus. Of course, we know that before that night would end, Peter would vehemently deny that he ever knew Jesus.

Have you ever been in that uncomfortable position where you promised more than you could deliver? Perhaps you had great intentions...perhaps the emotion of the moment emboldened you to over-commit yourself...perhaps you didn't want to let someone else down. Peter may have felt all of these things. I believe he was genuine when he said it, declaring his loyalty to the One he once proclaimed as Messiah. The issue wasn't his intention, but rather, his action.

The stories of Holy Week are the stories of the human condition...love, betrayal, courage, fear, pride, and humility. As so often happens in the stories of scripture, we find a common bond with these ancient characters, even though we might not want to admit it. Peter's promises to Jesus are met with a stark reality that will be played out all too quickly. His proclamations of courageous support will be lost in a trio of denials, punctuated by the piercing sound of a rooster's crow. Too often we have heard the sounds of betrayal that draw us back to the realization that we, like Peter, could not honor our promises made to Christ. Scripture tells us that Peter wept bitter tears when he heard the rooster crow. Sorrow and shame overcame his pride.

On this Monday of Holy Week, think about your words and actions...your promises and responses to Christ. Peter's bitter tears remind us that the pathway of repentance is littered with prideful things confessed, sorrow that must be expressed, and restoration that ultimately comes through the unmatched grace of God.

Prayer: Lord, may our boastful pride be overcome by your humble grace. In the name of the One who willingly paid the price for our sin, Jesus, the Christ, Amen.

Jim Abernathy

Lenten Devotional...April 1

"So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!”

(John 12:19)

The Pharisees watch the crowds embracing Jesus as he comes into Jerusalem on the Sunday before his crucifixion. "Hosanna," the crowd cries, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the king of Israel!” After all the Pharisees have tried to do to discredit this man, he is still before them, still lauded by the people, only now, the people want to make him king. As they watched, it probably seemed to these religious leaders that indeed, the whole world had gone after him.

Of course, we know that before the week was done, the cries of Hosanna had been replaced with calls for crucifixion. The changing nature of human allegiance was on display in the swing of just a few days. By the time Jesus got to Jerusalem he had already experienced the disappointment of rejection and the inconsistencies of the changing human mind. Many who had previously followed him no longer walked beside him. The crowds in Jerusalem wanted an earthly king who would give them earthly benefits. Jesus would not be that kind of king, and the world that seemed to have gone after him, suddenly rejected him.

Jesus isn't always what we want him to be. In our need, in our particular viewpoint, in the context of our own opinions and practices, he doesn't always conform to our desires. We want to proclaim him as king, and yet, in the swing of a few days, hours, perhaps minutes, we're not really sure. Oh we would never cry, "crucify him!" we assure ourselves...and yet, it was for your sin and mine that he died on the cross. Perhaps we are closer to the Pharisees than we might want to admit.

Prayer: Lord, we call out our praise to you in the midst of the parade...but do we really honor you as Lord of life? We see our faces and hear our voices in both crowds of that Jerusalem week. Forgive our inconsistencies. May we remember at the beginning of this Holy Week, that the sins Christ died for on Friday, were our own. Amen.

Jim Abernathy