Evanko

a Lenten Devotion by Beth Evanko

Romans 12:12. Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer.

The songbirds, the crocuses, and the buds of the forsythia are welcome signs of Spring after Winter especially an icy windy one. These are signs of hope that after the cold, tiresome days of Winter there will be the warm sunny days of Spring. A gardener understands this sense of hope when he plants bulbs in the Fall. He sows them in the cold ground knowing that he will have to wait until Spring to see them burst out of the sun-warmed soil. He patiently waits through the endless frozen days of Winter confident that when the temperatures rise and the ground warms, the crocuses, daffodils, and tulips will explode in fireworks of color, a spectacular reminder of God’s majesty and creativity.

We as children of God need this patience too as we pray for God’s will to be done during this time of uncertainty in our lives. We plant the bulb of prayer in times of struggles and trials in ground that appears to be frozen. We must be faithful and patient knowing that in God’s time the Spring will come, and the bulb of prayer will burst forth. So, as we wait in our Winter of struggles and trials, we know that we are sustained by God and that Spring will come. In Colossians 1:11, the Apostle Paul writes, “God will strengthen you with his own great power so that you will not give up when troubles come, but you will be patient!” Our patience and faith will give us an abundant display of beauty. May these words from Thomas Chisholm strengthen us through those winter days of prayer as we look to Spring and the end of our uncertainty.

Pray on! Pray on! Cease not to pray,
And should the answer tarry, wait;
Thy God will come, will surely come,
And He can never come too late. — Thomas Chisholm

by Beth Evanko

Joy is the third week of Advent’s theme.  It somewhat ironic because by this time most of us are lucky to be feeling tolerable let alone joy. We find that the weeks after Thanksgiving can seem more like a marathon than a time to prepare our hearts for Christmas. As we navigate these weeks filled with commitments, shopping, cooking, etc. we find that this yuletide season is a recipe to be Ebenezer Scrooge (pre ghosts encounters) rather than like the shepherds on that fateful night. It creates a recipe which gives us a joyless Christmas. 

A Joyless Christmas 

1 stick of neglecting prayer 

½ cup of social media viewing 

½ cup of lost time in meaningless activities 

2 cups of endless shopping and preparations 

2 teaspoons of envy 

1 teaspoon of regret 

1 teaspoon of frustration 

1 cup of unforgiveness 

 

Preheat. Cream the first three ingredients fully. Then add the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly.  Pour in a beautiful Christmas pan and bake until you are done or Christmas comes. 

Yikes! That is often how it turns out since we have the best of intentions as we begin with our Advent devotional, a Bible reading plan, and other accoutrements of a Christian journeying with Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem and then enters life hijacking our trip. The question is then how can we maintain our joy especially when the world around us is siphoning it out of us? 

Let’s look to the shepherds to see joy. They were watching over their sheep that night when an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and they were terrified. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great JOY for all the people. (Luke 2:8-10) That Good News is joy! Knowing that we have a Father who loves us so much that He would send His only son to die for us is our joy. Yet, the realities of life overshadow it with a plethora of emotions that leave us lost and alone. So, what can we do to maintain and grow our joy? If there is a recipe for a joyless Christmas, I would contend that there is one for a joyful Christmas and all the days of our lives. 

Joyful Christmas 

1 stick of prayer 

½ cup of Advent devotionals 

½ cup of time listening to the Holy Spirit in daily life 

2 cups of time in reading the Bible 

2 teaspoons of gratitude 

1 teaspoon of solitude with God 

1 teaspoon of being salt to the world 

1 cup of forgiving and repenting 

 

Preheat the home, church, and community. Cream the first three ingredients fully. Then add the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly.  Pour in a beautiful Christmas pan and bake until a fragrant aroma is emitted. Then share with a broken and hurting world daily. 

Amid the challenges of the days leading to Christmas and of our lives, we can find joy in these circumstances just as Paul did when he was unfairly imprisoned in Rome.  Paul maintained his focus on the Lord while seeing the good that was the result of the trials as he was submitting to God’s will.  Just as a cook must have skills to create a delicious recipe, we too as Christians should have in our repertoire to pray without ceasing, read the Bible daily, walk with the Holy Spirit, and other disciplines so that we will grow our joy. Our focus must always be on Jesus who came that Christmas day to die on the cross for our sins; that is our joy in knowing He is our Savior. Please join in this Advent prayer for joy. 

Almighty God, We thank you for the season of Advent. May we be like the shepherds on that night so that we too may know and share the glad tidings of great Joy with all people. Help us to grow closer to You so that we will find joy in all circumstances, the good as well as the challenging. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Devotion by Beth Evanko

7 Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. 8 They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream.  It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit.  Jeremiah 17:7-8 

What a beautiful thought that no matter the conditions, when a tree is strongly rooted in a good water supply it will thrive. Can we say the same of ourselves? Like a tree, what are we rooted in? In times of turmoil and struggle, do we have peace and joy in our hearts?

If the answer is no, then how do we find peace and joy in our lives when we are faced with circumstances such as an unexpected illness, a change in employment, or a struggling relationship among many other challenging obstacles? Jeremiah provides the answer by instructing us to trust in God. This is wonderful counsel, but how do we build this trust so that we have deeper roots that sustain us during our darkest hours?

If we turn to the Bible for those who also exhibited this trust in God we can read about Daniel, David, Paul, and others, but our best example and model is Jesus. He lived a life that was deeply rooted in God. If we follow His examples of reading Scripture, praying without ceasing, worshiping, serving, and times of solitude with God, we will find ourselves growing deeper roots.

Take time to grow deeper roots by devoting time to these disciplines. Spend time reading the Bible daily, seek God in solitude and talk to Him in prayer, but more importantly listen to His response. Even if our worship has changed over these last few years due to Covid and now as we transition to the Global Methodist Church, God is still the same and so is our desire to worship Him. He will equip us in these days ahead if we just trust in Him and allow Him to lead us.

In these ways and many others, we grow in our trust in the Lord which provides us with peace and joy even though our circumstances may be challenging. When we walk with God we know who He is and that He is in control. Let the words of “Trust and Obey” by John Henry Sammis be a reminder of growing deeper roots in Him.

When we walk with the Lord
In the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way;
While we do His good will,
He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.

Trust and obey,
For there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus,
But to trust and obey.

Almighty God,

We give you thanks for the Bible and disciplines that help us to grow closer to you. Help us grow deeper roots so that we are like the tree that thrives in all situations. We pray for all those who do not know you that they would come to know you. We pray for healing, guidance and wisdom, and strength and comfort. Thy will be done. In Jesus’ name.

Amen.

Devotion by Beth Evanko Ephesians 6:10-18 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 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. 13 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. 14 Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. 15 As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. 16 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. 17 Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 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. After reading this lengthy recommendation by Paul to prepare ourselves for spiritual battle, I was reminded of the doctors and nurses who prepare themselves each time they enter the operating theater for surgery. They too are prepared for battle by clothing themselves from head to foot to protect the patient and themselves from the visible and invisible that lurk in the operating room. We can heed the words of Paul and the example of the medical team and strengthen ourselves as we battle each day. Paul wanted the Ephesians and us to be ready for what evil we will encounter every day in the world He witnessed how a Roman soldier was outfitted for his work and saw the similarities of how Christians should put on their armor each day. When we are strong in the Lord, we have victory over evil especially through the power of prayer. Our greatest weapon is the power of prayer; we must be in constant prayer, with intensity, and for others not just ourselves. Like the operating team who suits up for each surgery, we can be confident in the armor of God to withstand the assault of evil. This armor is applied when we daily read the Bible, pray, and seek God in solitude. Paul understood the importance of being clothed in Christ so each day put on your armor before tackling the world! Prayer Almighty God, We give you thanks for clothing us in Your armor to overcome the evils of the world. Please help us to stay strong in You so that we are ready for battle each day. We also ask for you to guide and direct the medical teams who are your hands and feet when we are ill no matter the severity. May we stay alert and persevere in following Your call for each of us.