Running in Faith is an electronic devotional guide written by members of Abiding Presence Lutheran Church to help readers take their Sunday faith into weekday lives. Each Devotion represents the personal opinion of the author and does not necessarily represent Abiding Presence Lutheran Church. Permission is granted to link to this page and to use the Devotions for personal, non-commercial purposes only.

Devotion for the week of August 6
Submitted by Susan L.

Redemption. Such a sweet word. The dictionary says it means a repurchase of something, a recovery or a rescue.

Summer is usually a time when we take a break from our routine, when we take vacations. We visit old friends and new places, and we have time to catch up on books we have meant to read. I just read Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner. During this summer of devastating floods and searing heat emergencies, of war spreading in the Middle East, I have felt a growing gloom rather than a liberating sense of being on holiday. I feel like I am waiting for the next disaster to strike. The beginning of The Kite Runner echoed those morose feelings. The narrator of the story is increasingly repulsive. I found myself thinking, "I may be bad, but I'm not that bad." Then, finally, begins the character's redemption.

I will not summarize the novel, but it hit home because it is set in Afghanistan and America. Much evil is done in the name of religion. It is hard to be a true follower of a faith. But, when a character begins to try to do what is right, the impact of individual deeds is amazing.

The promise of attainable redemption makes the suffering around us bearable. Isaiah reminds us that we may feel that God has turned from us but we must remember his promise of everlasting love.

Dear God, Do not turn away from us for long. Help us to see in the small acts of kindness we experience and do in our daily lives, your all-embracing love. Amen

Devotion for the week of August 13
Submitted by Nancy E.

And surely I am with you always,
to the very end of the age.
Matthew 28:20

When others groan and complain that nothing changes, I find solace in the "same old, same old." To me, that means things are blessedly normal.

What a delight it is after nearly forty-six years to still hear "good night, honey" when turning out the light at night; what sense of well-being it gives upon checking my online banking statement to discover that once again my social-security check has been deposited; heartfelt blessings abound when hearing once again that the annual pap smear and mammograms show normal conditions; what elation occurs when learning that medications for loved ones continue to work; and, oh, the thankfulness that occurs when finding our house is still firmly standing at the end of a storm.

The most comfort, of course, comes from believing the "same-old, same-old"message from God -- he is always with me and will continue to be until the end of time.

Alleluia!
Thank you God for the consistency in my life
and assurance that you will always be with me.
Amen

Devotion for the week of August 20
By David O.

You shall love your neighbor as yourself
Matthew 22:39b

During a community environmental meeting hosted by Abiding Presence Lutheran Church, Professor David Ehrenfeld, from Rutgers University, spoke about the increasing demands for oil and the imminent peaking, followed by decline, in world-wide oil production. He stressed the need for all of us to do our part in easing the changes that will occur as the world moves into the post-petroleum age.

Does this seemingly secular issue relate to my obedience to God and my love for my neighbor?

Jesus was asked (Matthew 22:36-39) "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" Jesus answered: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Love my neighbor as myself? Now that's a tall order. In this shrinking world all the people in need on the earth seem to be my neighbors. If all these people are my neighbors, then I need to share the earth's resources with all of them. Energy is a critical resource and a major component in food production and almost every other aspect of our modern lives. In the US, we waste more energy than the total usage of many other countries.

What is the second great commandment? "You shall love your neighbor as yourself". Clearly I need to do my part in sharing the earth's resources with my neighbor.

Dear Father in heaven, show me how I can truly love my neighbor as myself and use the treasures of the earth more equitably and wisely. Amen

Devotion for the week of August 27
By Pastor Joel and Pastor Sonja

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints.
   Ephesians 6:10-18

Many times we feel like we have a lot of things coming at us in life. For many people this transitional time of the year between summer and fall is such a time. We may face changes at work, preparations for a new season, surgical procedures and illnesses, leaving the vacation season behind, or getting ready for school. Many things may seem to be coming at us all at one time.

These times may not necessarily feel like the "wiles of the devil," as the author of Ephesians puts it, but they certainly feel like forces beyond our control. We may feel overwhelmed, we may feel we have too much to handle. And when we feel things spinning out of control, the "flaming arrows of the evil one" seem to penetrate deeper into our souls.

This text from Ephesians tells us how God provides for us in these times, or in any times when we feel overwhelmed with forces beyond our control. But truth be known, the militaristic language of this text has made Sonja and me feel uncomfortable in the past (armor and swords and shields just aren't part of our language that we normally associate with faith). Thankfully, we heard this text with new ears at a recent Bible study, noticing something special about the "armor of God."

Notice that almost everything we are to arm ourselves with against those forces that may throw us out of control or turn us away from God is defensive. The belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, shoes with which to proclaim peace, the shield of faith, and the helmet of salvation. God provides us with all that is needed to defend ourselves from whatever the evil one may hurl at us...and we all need that kind of defense! Notice there is only one item in the armor of God that can be considered an offensive weapon ­ "The sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God." The only offense against the many forces of evil is the Word of God, which gives us truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation.

This whole armor of God gives us all we need to remain strong in our God-given faith and in the truth of our identities as children of God! It gives us the strength to pray and keep alert at all times. It is only by being grounded in Word and prayer that we are given the courage to order our lives as God's children, so that we cannot be overwhelmed by whatever may be thrown at us.

Gracious God, you are our strength. Through the death and resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ you have already overcome all the forces of evil. Give us the courage to take up the whole armor of every good gift you have given, that we may withstand every evil, every temptation, every distraction that is thrown at us in our days, that we may be bold witnesses to your love. Amen