First Lent Devotional: Genesis 12:1-4
Each day of the Lenten season, I will be emailing out a devotional to many of the members of SVCC. I will also be sharing these devotionals via www.thejoyofglory.com
These are designed to accompany the SVCC Lenten reading guide which may be found here:
In these devotionals, I will give a link that will take you to the entire reading for the day. I will actually include a few of the verses upon which I will focus my reflections. In the reflection section, I will make a few brief comments which I hope will spur your own thinking and prayers.
Lent is meant to be a season of repentance and fasting that prepares our hearts for the coming celebration of Easter (fuller explanation here). Repentance is a reminder that we need to be saved from our sin…we need a Savior. Fasting reminds us that we are not in need of the things this world offers, but in desperate need of Jesus. So, the point of Lent is that we need Jesus…we need Easter. It is my prayer that these daily devotionals will simply help remind us of our daily need for Christ.
Genesis 12:1-4 (click here)
Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Genesis 12:1-3)
Reflection
“Follow me.” Do those words sound like loss or gain to you?
Sixteen years ago, when I stood before God, family, and friends, and pledged myself in marriage to Holly, I saw it all as gain. In reality, there was much that I was losing and leaving behind by committing to be Holly’s husband.
I was losing my singleness; I was leaving living with my family. I was losing my total autonomy; in many ways, I was leaving behind the word “mine.” On and on the list could go with more losing and more leaving… yet still I call it “gain!”
Why?… How?…
Because… I gained a bride; I entered into a new family. I gained a new kind of freedom that surpassed the value of my former autonomy; in many ways, I entered into a new kind of “mine” as I am hers and she is mine. On and on the list could go with more gaining and more entering to the point that I look at this marriage and it is no loss to me… it is all gain!
In Genesis 12, when God called Abram (later given his more well-known name, Abraham) to follow him, I wonder if he heard that call as loss or gain? In reality, there was much that he was losing and leaving behind. He was losing his country and leaving his kindred. He was losing the life he had known and leaving the security of home. Yet, I believe Abram still called it gain!
Why?… How?…
Because he gained God! Abram gained a new country and entered into a new kindred relationship with the Almighty! He gained a new life and entered into a new security as the God of the universe made a covenant with him! By faith, Abram called this gain! I say “by faith” because it would be years before he would see God’s covenant promises come to pass and some he would not ever see come to fruition in his lifetime. But still, Abram looked at the covenant call of God and by faith he called it gain!
What about you? The call of Christ on our lives is similar to the call of Abram. We are called to lose and leave the former life we have known. We are called to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Jesus. Do those words sound like loss or gain to you?
O’ Christian, I pray you hear them for the gain they truly are as they call you to gain Christ and enter into true life in him! In Christ you gain a new country, heaven, and you enter into a new kindred with God as your Father and the Church as your family. In Christ you gain eternal life and enter into a new security as all this has been promised to you and purchased by the blood of Jesus.
It’s true, we will not see all these covenant promises come to full fruition in this lifetime, but by faith we look at the covenant call of God knowing that he who promised is faithful and so every step of the way we can call following Christ gain!
Today, will you live like following Jesus is gain?
Today, when you hear him say, “Follow me…” do those words sound like loss or gain to you?
*All previous devotionals may be found at www.thejoyofglory.com
*The complete SVCC Lenten reading guide is available here.
There are moments in life that break the routine of the normal everyday… moments that have a way of slapping us in the face with the reality that often right in front of us lie life’s greatest treasures. At worst we’ve been oblivious to them, while at best, we’ve taken them for granted because they are simply our “normal.” Saturday evening, the moment that broke into my normal everyday was actually a Cadillac breaking into the back of my Camry, and I was slapped in the face, literally, by a steering wheel. In the seconds that followed, I was confronted with the reality of what my life’s greatest treasures are as I called out to my three kids and waited for them respond that they were ok… then again, as I called my wife to tell her what had happened… then once more, as we knelt as a family to thank God for his mercy toward us in Christ. Saturday night brought into sharp relief the reality that Christ, my wife, and my kids are my treasures.
But, my list of treasures does not stop there, for, in 2019, something else broke into my life. It wasn’t a moment, but a three-month Sabbatical. This break tore apart the routine of my “normal” and slapped me in the face with the reality of one of my greatest treasures that is right in front of me every day… you… Shades.
Through my Sabbatical, God confronted me with how much I need the church… the local church… this church. I need Shades Valley Community Church. I need to gather with you, worship with you, hear you sing, hear you pray, hear you testify. I need to know you and to be known by you. I need to come to the table with you. I need to sit under the preached word with you. I need to weep with you, rejoice with you, and go through the “normal” with you. Why? Because you are the grace of God on my life! God uses you to strengthen, sustain, and sanctify
because you make me treasure Jesus all the more! Allow me to list just a few reasons
I treasure working alongside the staff of SVCC. Ed Kaylor retired last August after so many years of faithful service, and the riches he has poured into my life are immeasurable. Brad and I were blessed by John-Mark being brought on as our third full-time pastor. To work alongside these two brothers, friends, 
and true partners in the Gospel is one of my greatest joys. Leah is like an older sister to me. A much, much older sister… but one with whom I love working and seeing her heart for the Lord pour into the children of our church. And all our support staff: Landon, Scott, Parke, Jeff, Maria, and Allison make up an incredible team with such servant hearts that overflow in joy-filled service. I treasure working with this staff.
I treasure serving alongside the elders, servant leaders, and all our volunteers. Shades survives because of God working through an army of selfless volunteers who do everything from creating the artwork that adorns our facility to decorating our communion tables, from heading up the construction of our new kitchen to handling all the details of every baptism that happens at Shades. I treasure serving alongside all our volunteers.
I treasure being a part of a church that lives on mission. In 2019, our local and global mission teams have increased our involvement at home and abroad, and their efforts continue to grow. I’m excited for what the future holds. And, I’m blown away by the countless testimonies I hear of the Lord working missionally through individuals and families in our body. We have more families pursuing adoption (domestic and international). I know so many who are involved with Young Life, with homeless outreach, with counseling, with special needs, and on and on. So many of you have shared with me how the Lord has worked through you in the context of your vocation, your classroom, your home, and your neighborhood. You are a people who see all of life as mission, and I treasure being a part of that!
And, if I could mention one last thing from 2019… I treasure seeing you live as a generous community, and I’m not just talking about monetary generosity. Don’t get me wrong, this past year, your financial generosity was overwhelming as we not only made budget but concluded the year with a significant surplus. However, I see your generosity poured out in so many other ways: through volunteering your time; through your patience with each other and with me; through the way you love every person that walks in the door even when it’s hard… and there are hard times. But, you love through the hard, you generously suffered with one another as we had many difficult deaths last year… you sorrow with one another so well. You are generous with your tears, and that is a gift. 
And, you are generous with your joy! You celebrate with one another, encourage one another, push one another, and you love one another. I know because I experience it in the way you generously love my family. Shades, your generosity breaks into my life on a near-daily basis and slaps me in the face with the reality that one of my life’s greatest treasures is always right before my eyes… you. I treasure you, Shades Valley Community Church.
The Joy of Glory 