Grace for All

These words were spoken by Jesus in his Sermon on the Mount, as he was assuring his audience that God would take care of their needs and that worrying about things would not help. But I'm afraid too many of us do worry. In fact, worry, stress, anxiety, and fear, enhanced and blown out of proportion by information overload, seems to be the normal state of mind for so many of us. We seem to be living in the day and age of the what-ifs. Perhaps you have heard Shel Silverstein's poem about them. Let me read it to you.

Oh, woe is me.

I don't know about you, but every news source and most social media seem full of seeds of those what-ifs. Those seeds burrow inside my mind and grow all out of proportion, telling me how awful tomorrow might be and the what-ifs party all night long.

Unless, unless I hold my heart still, looking at God in prayer, turning away from the sources that provide the seeds of the what-ifs and turning to the source of life, the Word of God, the promises of His Word, and the powerful reminder of His love.

God loves us and promises to rescue us from our enemies and to lead us on level ground. He promises peace that passes all understanding. But we must claim these promises and live in them. We must not worry about tomorrow. We must turn off the noise of the world and turn to God far more often than the worldly sources. We must let the Bible, prayer, and peace have rule over the what-if. We must let worry melt away in the embrace of God's love as we trust in Him. We must center ourselves in God's love each morning and return to that love constantly all day long. Believe me, it scares the what-ifs away.

So, friends, will you pray with me? Dear Lord, help me to turn to you, to give your word and prayer more prominent positions than other sources in my life. Show me how to trust in your promises and to live with complete assurance in your grace. Make me an instrument of your peace, and show me how to fling worry out the window, and replace it with trust in you. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

This devotion was written and read by Bernice Howard.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life. 

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected]. 

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

When we hear Jesus tell the story of the Good Samaritan, we usually focus on the kindness of the Helper and the callousness of those who passed by. But Jesus' original audience would have heard something very different, something much more challenging and uncomfortable. Picture this. A Samaritan traveling through hostile territory sees a Jewish man beaten and left for dead. Now, Samaritans weren't foreigners to Judaism.

They considered themselves the true followers of Moses. They knew the Torah, including that passage that we just heard from Exodus about helping your enemy when you see them in trouble.

But here's what we miss. The Samaritan had lived his entire life being shunned by people exactly like the man lying in the road. Jews crossed the street to avoid him. They refused his hospitality, considered him religiously contaminated, treated him as less than human. And now, ironically, a Jewish priest and Levite, the very religious leaders who preached about following the Torah, had just walked past the victim, demonstrating the same contempt this Samaritan faced every day.

Imagine the conflict raging in the Samaritan's heart. He could have thought, now you know how it feels to be ignored and abandoned This is exactly how your people have always treated me, He had every human reason to keep walking But he stopped He chose mercy over justice, compassion over payback And Jesus' audience would have recognized that the Samaritan was actually following their shared Torah better than their own religious leaders were.

That wasn't a heartwarming story about cross-cultural kindness. That was a devastating critique that left Jesus' listeners with no excuses. If this despised outsider could show such grace to his enemies, what did that say about them? The parable forces us to ask, when have we been the priest or the Levite, too concerned with our own purity or comfort to help? When have we failed to show the very mercy we hope to receive?

And perhaps most challenging, are we willing to show grace even to those who have shown us none? The Good Samaritan teaches us that following God isn't about maintaining our boundaries. It's about crossing them, even when it costs us, even when we've been hurt, even when the person we're helping would not do the same thing for us.

Our prayer today, God of mercy, forgive us for the times that we've walked past others in need, protecting our own comfort while ignoring your call to compassion. Help us to see beyond our prejudices and past our hurts.

Give us the courage of the Good Samaritan to choose grace over grudges, mercy over revenge and love over the safety of staying separate may we follow your torah not just in letter but in spirit showing kindness especially to those who have shown us none. Amen.

This devotional was written and read by Jim Stovall.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life. 

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected]. 

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

Today’s scripture is found in the book of Psalms, Chapter 27:14. I referenced several translations as I meditated on this verse. 

The New English Translation reads like this: “Rely on the Lord! Be strong and confident. Rely on the Lord!”. 

The New International Version uses the word “wait” instead; the New Living Translation says “Wait patiently for the Lord” and the common English says, “Hope in the Lord”. So, we have Rely; Wait; Wait patiently and Hope in the Lord. Perhaps one more version might help us even more. In this version, we hear “Stay with God! Take heart. Don’t quit. I’ll say it again, stay with God!”. All of these words are active and require or suggest our participation is required.  

The state of our world, our country, the state where I live, and even our small county are facing a very difficult reality. Anger, hate, violence, greed and lack of concern for our world or others are reported everywhere. Every form of media blasts us with “bad news”, sometimes painful and almost unbearable news. Our hearts are heavy, sad and anxiety is waiting to overtake us. This is a time to focus on today’s scripture. 

It appears this Psalm was written by King David, likely during a very difficult time, maybe even a time when he was truly afraid. Whatever was going on in David’s life, he wrote these words to convey his never-failing trust, his confidence in God. He has faith, real faith and believes God will protect him even in his worst days. 

How do these words speak to us today? We are living in very concerning times. It feels as though there is an undercurrent bubbling up, ready to sweep us all away. Some of us have gone quiet seeking God’s wisdom and guidance silently with no one else in mind. Some of us share our concerns and fears with our families or very close friends seeking affirmation for our views. Another group speaks out freely and often with anger, frustration and fear in a much more public way to rally others to action. None of these approaches are wrong. 

However, none of them seem to match the message of today’s scripture: Rely on the Lord!; Wait on the Lord!; Hope in the Lord!; Be strong and confident! And especially “Stay with God! Take heart. Don’t quit. I’ll say it again. Stay with God!” 

When you reflect on how we are facing the issues, we aren’t fully relying on God, waiting on God or hoping in the Lord. We are expressing our anxiety, our fear, our failure to hope. We must stay with God, be focused on God, trust God and remember He is in control. We must remain strong and confident. Will we understand the path? NO. Will we struggle to remain strong and confident? It is likely. Reminder…. We are told NOT to quit. So, as God’s children, we will try again, over and over, to listen, to follow, to love and especially to take heart and not quit. 

I plan to renew my focus, my trust, and my eXorts to love in a way that draws others to Christ, to His love and strength, to powerful hope that only He can provide. I invite you to join me. Stay with God! 

Lord of all, we come to you with fears and anxiety, asking that you calm those fears and provide us with the confidence to trust you. In turning to you, we find hope and peace even in dark times. Thank you for loving us in every moment and providing us with the gift of hope. Amen. 

This devotion was written and read by Lisa Blackwood.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life. 

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected]. 

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

A casual reading of these verses might lead us to believe that God wants us to be sure of the difference between the divine and humans. “My ways are higher than your ways” is a pretty strong delineation between God and us. However, I do not think God is making a show of his power. This whole passage is labeled “a hymn of joy and triumph.” Israel will be restored. We cannot purchase God’s grace, but he gives it freely. His covenant with Israel will be glorified. All good news here. The next few verses are a call to repentance: seek the Lord, let the wicked forsake their way, return to the Lord, and he abundantly pardons. Again, all good news. 

The problem with us humans is we tend to be dissatisfied with all this good news, and we ask “why”? How can God do these things? Why would He want to after his children have been disobedient and abandoned Him? 

There are no answers to our questions, and the next verses, 8 and 9, tell us we never will understand. My thoughts and ways are higher than your ways, He says. 

Most human beings are naturally curious. We want to understand how things work. We want to understand why certain things occur. We want to understand what motivates certain individuals to behave a certain way. And we can, to a certain extent, using scientific methods. We have found explanations for things that puzzled human beings for hundreds of years. Knowledge can grow. We can learn new things.

Understanding, however, is different. There are things that are beyond human understanding. The miracles that Jesus performed are examples. How can Jesus walk on water, how can water become wine, how can the dead live again? Think Lazarus here. We simply cannot understand. So, we are left with faith: faith that God’s plan is better than our plan, faith that He loves and cares for us, faith that ultimately, we will come into His presence. His thoughts and ways are higher than ours. 

I do not think I can stop being curious and wanting to learn new things, but I can accept the truth that I will never understand everything, and that, too, is part of God’s plan. 

Heavenly Father, so many times our cry is a loud “WHY? Even in our pleading, we know that only You have the full picture for each of us. Let us be thankful for Your love and Your guidance, trusting that you will lead us where we should go. 

Amen 

This devotional was written and read by Pat Scruggs.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life. 

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected]. 

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

Often, this verse is used when things are challenging. It reminds us of God’s will and our inability to know all. It reminds us that even the challenges of war, death, and illness are part of God’s kingdom. 

I do think these kinds of sentiments bring comfort in challenging times, but today, let us focus on being a tiny part of God’s creation. If we allow ourselves to contemplate that we are each a small creation inside of all of God’s creation, then we begin to see a bigger picture. I am not an ocean, but one drop in the ocean. 

There have been innumerable seasons in the kingdom of God and innumerable purposes. I am one drop in that throughout time. Who am I to decide what happens to all the other drops in the waves I ride through life? If I am honest with myself, I do not control what happens to me. I only exist in the context of all the other drops in an ocean. 

The scope of this is almost incomprehensible, so let us simplify it. If we look at a glass of water on the counter and each molecule of water represents a person, then what happens if we pour the water out? In unison, the molecules pour out bound to flow together. Do the drops of water fight with each other? Do some think to themselves, “If only I were ice, I could resist this dreadful pouring?” Do some pray to remain in the comfort of the glass,s fearing the unknown of the journey ahead? Do some sit in the glass contemplating all of the drops that have left them behind? As some of the drops evaporate, do others remain, becoming increasingly salty? 

Ecclesiastes is a book of wisdom written by King Solomon. It contemplates man’s inability to comprehend the complexities of life and find meaning without an understanding of God. Perhaps if we view ourselves as one tiny drop of water in an ocean, instead of kicking and screaming about what we want, we should ride the waves and see where God takes us. 

Lord, may I follow the flow of your spirit, bringing your living water to those who thirst. May you pour out your spirit upon us so that we can do your will in your creation. May we fulfill your purpose even when it is too big for us to comprehend, Amen.

This devotional was written by Jill Pope and read by Susan Daves.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life. 

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected]. 

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

Friends, here is an important and timely question: where does your soul find rest? Who, or what, is your rock and salvation? Your fortress? 

Rest seems to be a hot commodity right now. Sleep aids are estimated to be a 65 billion dollar market, and insomnia is being identified as a public health issue in America. I think it is fair to say that a sense of restlessness pervades our culture. 

So how about you? Are you plagued by unrest, by restlessness? Or is your soul at rest? 

The psalmist has a word for the weary. He understands what it is like to be assaulted and assailed from every direction, to feel shaken to the core, and to cry out for help and relief—for rest. And this psalm suggests that he also knows the temptation to seek a sense of security in the false gods of wealth and power. He cautions against that temptation, because these things are not soul-giving, and rest will not be found in them. 

Rest is found in God. As disciples of Christ, we are called to make God our fortress, our rock and salvation, and thereby, our rest—not wealth or power, not material possessions, or governments, or Facebook friends who agree with us about everything. We may seek peace and rest from all of these things, but we will not find it. Our souls find rest in God. I don’t think that means we are promised physical comfort, or even physical protection. In fact, I think finding true rest means surrendering all of our fears to God, even our fears for our physical well-being. But we are offered rest for our souls when we lose our “selves” by seeking and surrendering to God. 

So today, where are you seeking rest? And where might you find it? 

God, our rock and salvation, our holy fortress, you desire to give us rest. May we give ourselves and all of our cares and fears to you, that our souls might find peace in your presence. Amen.

This devotional was written and read by Greta Smith.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life. 

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected]. 

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

Thank you for joining us for today's Grace for All podcast.

On Saturdays, we pause for a few moments to look back on our week and to review the scriptures that we have used in our podcast.

We encourage you, after listening to this episode, to go back and listen to the episodes you missed, or to review the ones that were particularly meaningful for you. We trust that the thoughts that we have shared with you this week have provided a full portion of the joy, peace, and love of Jesus Christ.

Now, let's hear this week's scriptures.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life. 

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected]. 

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

Waiting for God’s goodness doesn’t always feel like helpful advice. When we are experiencing challenging life moments, such as loss. When a loved one is in the midst of a major medical crisis, we want action, not to be told to wait. When we look at the news and feel weighted down by all the negatives that are happening, it feels way too passive to wait. Hearing God’s time is not our time brings more frustration than hope because we want something to happen right now! This is how I sometimes have felt when like is really hard. Have you ever felt that way? 

Perhaps I feel this way because waiting and patience are not one of my strong character traits. I want to do something, anything, to make things better. I want God to fix things right now. I equate waiting with doing nothing. 

But waiting for the Lord is not a passive activity. Waiting doesn’t mean that we get to sit around and do nothing until God fixes the mess that we are in. Waiting for the Lord is an active and often challenging response to life. 

It is anticipating that God is already acting in this situation. It is celebrating every place we see the goodness of the Lord breaking forth. And, it is a reminder that we need to ask what can we do. Waiting is a call to work with God however we can in our particular situation, knowing God will give us the strength and courage we need. 

Sometimes this is a renewed call to prayer and surrender, trusting in God, because there is nothing more we can do. But most of the time it is a call to vision a new and better place and ask what can I do, with God’s help to lean into that vision. 

I think of the young person I knew who was struggling with cancer in the bone in his leg. Chemotherapy and radiation slowed the progression but finally there came the time when the doctor had to tell him and his family that the only option left was to remove his leg just below the knee. It was devastating news but as he waited for healing to take place, he was not passive. He loved to snow ski and he was determined to be on the slopes again. His grandmother told me how he researched how to make that happen. He reached out to others who had gone through similar health crises. He lived believing life was good, that God would give him the strength to go forward. The last I heard, he was again skiing. 

So, life can be better than it is right now. God is at work and we need to anticipate the good God is doing. We are also asked to be a part of that work open to God’s leading. 

Loving God, give us strength to actively wait on You. You are always working at making a new and good thing happen as we will just join our hearts and lives with yours. AMEN. 

This devotional was written by Bill Green and read by Joey Smith.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life. 

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected]. 

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

Scholars have debated for centuries what Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” might have been. Was it a physical ailment? An emotional burden? An enemy? We don’t know—and in many ways, we don’t need to. What matters is that Paul knew what it was to plead with God for relief and to hear instead a word of grace: “My grace is enough for you.” 

Caregivers can relate deeply to this passage. We, too, have wrestled with burdens that won’t go away. We may have begged God for healing for our loved one, not because we don’t want to care, but because the weight is so heavy and unrelenting. And yet, our hearts resist the idea of being “relieved” through loss. It’s a complicated mixture of love, weariness, and sometimes guilt, because we feel both devotion and resentment in the same breath. 

I think of the time we cared for our disabled daughter through two weeks of blizzard conditions with no power. No light, no heat, no comfort—just the raw exhaustion of trying to keep her alive in circumstances beyond our control.

We don’t always come to love these situations. But we can, like Paul, learn to accept weakness, stress, insults from those who don’t understand, medical crises, battles with insurance companies, and even disasters—because in our weakness, we discover a surprising strength. It’s not our own strength but the resilience of God’s Spirit working in us and the support of those God sends alongside us. 

Lord, I am weak. You know how weary I get, how torn between love and frustration, how guilty I sometimes feel for the mixed emotions of caregiving. Remind me that I don’t have to be strong on my own. Let your grace be enough for me today, and let your power rest on me, even in my weakness. In the name of Christ our Lord, Amen.

This devotional was written and read by Donn King.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life. 

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected]. 

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

This oft-quoted verse is part of a letter from Jeremiah to the Israelites in captivity in Babylon under the rule of Nebuchadnezzar. Jeremiah prophesies that they should not give up hope; they will not be captives in a foreign land forever. Jeremiah says they should build houses and settle down, plant gardens and eat what they produce. They should marry and have children and in general contribute to the life of the city where they live. If they do not allow themselves to be misled by false prophets, then after 70 years (a rhetorical number signifying a generation), they will be brought back from captivity. 

Have you ever been on a path you planned and worked to see through to the end goal when suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, God redirected your path to a place you never anticipated? 

This has happened to me many times throughout my life. I’m not normally an indecisive person, but in college I changed undergraduate majors twice and graduate majors three times (all within the same university), but still. . . 

As newlyweds, my husband planned to work In his field in the Knoxville area, where I already had a job I loved and our families lived. But then Jim was offered a job with a very good company in Wheeling, West Virginia. Neither of us knew anything about Wheeling, and I doubt that city is on anyone’s list of dream destinations, but off we went. 

Years later we were happily established in the Blount County area with daughters who were in college. I expected to retire from my job there is a few more years, but once again our plan was altered and we ended up in McDonough, GA. Again we knew no one and nothing about this place, but it was convenient for my husband to reach the 10 sales representatives he managed throughout South Georgia. Off we went once more. 

We actually thought we might get to stay there until retirement, but again God had a different plan. Jim was transferred to the Nashville area, and we chose to live in Franklin because he needed easy access to Interstates and hopefully, less traffic than further north. 

Finally we did end up in East Tennessee, close to family, especially young grandchildren, and longtime friends. We were so thankful to have the opportunity to return to our “home.” 

Looking back on that journey of unexpected twists and turns, I see God at work. In going to new places where we knew no one, we found churches that both nourished and challenged us spiritually. We had wonderful friends and neighbors with whom I stay in contact. We had career opportunities we had never dreamed of. In other words, what we thought of as “exile” became opportunities to flourish. I am so thankful for God’s direction in our lives. 

You will likely never be exiled, but if God’s plan for your life leads in unexpected directions, follow in faith. God’s promise to give us hope and a future always creates the best path. 

Dear God, as human beings, we tend to think we know best how to live and what to do. In truth, your plan is always best. Help us keep our ears and hearts open to your guidance and give us strength to serve you and others wherever you lead us. 

This devotional was written and read by Pat Scruggs.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life. 

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected]. 

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.