DAILY DEVOTIONAL – June 21, 2019
“SQUAWK IT OFF!”
Prayer: Almighty God, You see all and know all and reign over all. Lord Jesus, You knew disappointment and sorrow on a level we will thankfully never have to know as You bled and died for the sins of the world. Through the hope and power of Your resurrection Lord, help us to walk faithfully and joyfully through the disappointments of life. Amen.
Scripture: Luke 9:1-6
When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 3 He told them: “Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt. 4 Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. 5 If people do not welcome you, leave their town and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”6 So they set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.
Devotional – “Squawk it Off!”
Often times when we read of the life of the disciples and their incredible walk with Jesus during the course of His earthly ministry, I think it is common and easy enough to not only be amazed by the incredible experiences the disciples had, but to also become somewhat jealous of them. You and I probably haven’t seen miraculous healings or demons being cast out of people very much lately, however, we must always remember that the miracles Christ performed and even the miracles the disciples were privileged to work through the special power and blessing of Christ did not always produce the results the disciples or you and I would have hoped for.
From the miracle of the burning bush that failed to rid Moses of his doubts and fears, and the 10 cataclysmic plagues that only made Pharaoh harden his heart further, to the resurrection of Lazarus and of Jesus Christ Himself that only further infuriated the religious elite who crucified Christ, disappointment was equally a part of Christ’s life and the life and ministry of the disciples as were the miraculous moments.
As he prepared to send out the twelve Apostles on their own in our text for today from Luke 9, Jesus gave them special authority and power through His Spirit, but Jesus also let them know that things would not always go the way they would want. He said, “wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them.”
I remember when I was playing baseball, anytime I or one of my teammates would get hit by a pitch at the plate or injured in any other way, the coach would yell, “Shake it off Jay! Shake it off!” Getting hit by a fast ball hurts. No doubt about it. Although no one wanted to get hit by a pitch, there was a prize for the pain…you got to go to first base.
Jesus was telling His apostles, “Shake it off boys. Sometimes your gonna have to take a hit. Shake it off!” Ultimately, even with the blessing and power Christ gave them, the apostle were never in control of saving souls. They, like you and I, have only been called to testify to the Truth of Jesus Christ. We may not have miraculous healing power, but you and I do have the Word of God which is the miraculous power of God to heal souls and save souls.
None of us like to be disappointed, especially when we have invested so much of our hopes, time and energy trying to make circumstances go the way we think they should. Scoring low on a test you study hard for, not getting the promotion you worked so much overtime to try and get, not getting a call back from the person you hoped to hear back from…the list can go on and on. Life is full of disappointment and circumstances far outside the small scope of our ability to control. Yet, as we read time and again throughout Scripture, disappointment is often the fertile soil in which the transformative and miraculous power of God blossoms forth.
In his book entitled “21 Unbreakable Laws of Life”, author Max Anders recounts a story originally told by Charles Kuralt. Charles Kuralt was the host of CBS’s “On The Road” and author of the book by the same name. Both the news program that he hosted and the book he wrote documented Kuralt’s travels across the country as he looked for the most interesting news stories about everyday life.
One of the stories Kuralt highlights in his book is the story of a very unique parakeet. As Kuralt recounts in his book:
A woman wrote me a letter from Ohio. She said her parakeet could say “And that’s the way it is” mimicking the daily closing word’s of famed CBS news anchorman Walter Cronkite. We went there right away, of course. As soon as she opened the door, the parakeet said, “And that’s the way it is.” While we set up the lights and camera there in the living room, the parakeet watched us from the inside of his cage and said, “and that’s the way it is!” We pointed the lens at the cage and started rolling. The parakeet looked at the camera and said, “Squaaaawk!”
The parakeet’s owner said, “And that’s the way it is!” to give him a cue.
The parakeet said, “Squaaaawk!”
“And that’s the way it is !” she said patiently.
Again the parakeet said, “Squaaaaaaaawk!”
After an hour or two of this we packed up, promising to return some other time. We said good-bye to the disappointed woman who wanted to see her parakeet on Walter Cronkite’s news program. We closed the front door and started down the walk to the driveway, carrying our camera and lights. Behind us in the living room, we heard the parakeet say, “And that’s the way it is!”
Truer words have never been spoken, have they? And by a parakeet no less! Sometimes, that’s just the way it is. Sometimes despite our best intentions and hardest efforts we have to shake it off and trust the love and power of our God and Savior who is ultimately in control and who has promised to work all things for our good…even the disappointments in life and circumstances we cannot control. God has proven His almighty love and power over every part of our life by saving our life in the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus. Because of sin, death was and is the biggest disappointment every person must face; the biggest circumstance outside of our control. But God has overcome what we cannot and has given us eternal life by grace through faith in the resurrection of our Lord Jesus.
So, the next time you find yourself disappointed or at the mercy of circumstances outside of your control, take a moment…praise the Lord for His faithfulness…remember the parakeet…and “squawk it off!”
Thanks for joining me today for another daily devotional in God’s Word. I pray you all have a relaxing weekend and a blessed Sunday of worship, and remember, that God has forgiven yesterday, is with you today and has already taken care of tomorrow. Amen.
