Grace for All

Seek the Lord while He may be found.Psalm 105:4 - "Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always."

It was the last afternoon of our trip to explore the nature preserves of Florida. Along with my friends John and Mark, I had experienced a wonderful week. Even so there was one species of bird we had yet to see. We decided to try one more trail before we settled down to watch our last sunset.

 

About 200 yards into the trail, John suddenly stopped. "I saw him. He flew across the trail right in front of me," he said. After another 100 yards, the beautiful and rare Scrub Jay landed on the trail 20 feet away, glorious in his blue and white plumage. He looked right at us as I shot about 50 pictures. As he flew away, grins spread across our faces. I said to myself, "if you seek, you find."

 

To seek is to actively search for something of value. The psalmist tells us that God's "face" is a thing worth seeking. The word rendered "face" here means "in the presence of." The message is that strength is found in the presence of God and we experience it if we search for it. Unlike my search for the Scrub Jay, however, God's face is always available, and the strength that comes from it never runs out.

 

The process of seeking is as important as the finding. While searching for the Scrub Jay, I saw my first bald eagle in the wild, I saw a male Painted Bunting, one of the most beautiful birds in the world. Seeing the Scrub Jay was the apex of the day, but the journey to the apex was pretty memorable.

 

Likewise, the strength that comes from being in the presence of God is extraordinary, but the act of seeking His face brings benefits we cannot imagine. God's presence is where His children are meant to be, and it is a place we can all be—

 

If we seek it.

 

Father, thank you that you not only allow us to seek your face, you urge us to. Thank you that your presence is not only a place of strength, but seeking your presence brings us life, peace and joy. Thank you for making a way for us to seek you and live in you. In the name of that way, your beloved son Jesus, we pray. Amen.

This devotional was written and read by Cliff McCartney.

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/.

Seek the Lord while He may be foundRomans 2:7: "To those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life."

When Paul talks in this letter to the Romans about "glory and honor and immortality" resulting from our good works, he is certainly not referring to those rewards in an Earthly sense. Far from it. Ephesians 2:8-9 clearly states that it is “by grace that one is saved.  It is the gift of God, not earned by works, so that no one can boast.”

So, then, what is Romans 2:7 telling us, since we clearly cannot earn our way into heaven? Let’s look at it this way. God’s grace is the entry ticket to heaven; it is His gift to us. Jesus has said that no one comes to the Father except through me (John 14:6). In other words, Jesus is the doorman.  Jesus also told his disciples that his Father’s house has many rooms and he has come to prepare a place for them.  Once we enter heaven, there are many rooms and our reward of a place or room will be based on the works that we did to honor and glorify God while on Earth. First God saves us; then he later rewards us because we honored him in recognition of His saving grace.  This is taught to us through His word.

Of particular importance is to do works that honor God and avoid those done to glorify ourselves. If we are patient and selective, God will work within us to identify works worthy and honoring of him and help steer us from those that are done to bring attention and recognition to ourselves.

Prayer: 

Father, you have told us that you are the truth and the way and the life and that those who have accepted you in faith will enter heaven. Now we are reminded that once we have come to you in faith, we should patiently and deliberately focus our efforts on works that glorify you rather than on ones that bring recognition to ourselves. We so appreciate that there are rooms in heaven for believers who glorify you with their lives while on Earth. Thank you for your son who taught us these things.

This devotion was written by Roger Wilson and read by Judy Wilson.

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/.

Seek the Lord while He may be found.

Today’s scripture comes from Hosea 10:12.

Sow righteousness for yourselves,    reap the fruit of unfailing love,and break up your unplowed ground;    for it is time to seek the Lord,until he comes    and showers his righteousness on you.

Sometimes, I dread Sunday evening.

The fun of the weekend is over and it’s time to face the week.. My husband and I get the kids to bed and then the questions begin.

What do we need from the grocery store?

How many activities are on the calendar?

What is the homework schedule?

And my all time favorite: What in the world are we eating for dinner?

It’s a lot to process and to be honest it gets old. Sometimes we choose to avoid it all and curl up on the couch and watch tv. That avoidance has a high return of pleasure in the moment, but man oh man, is my Monday morning self so mad about the choices I made on Sunday evening.

The panic of not knowing what to pack in a lunch. The rushing around trying to help everyone locate their things, from school work to a clean pair of socks, the list is never ending. This Monday morning version of things means I am frazzled and frustrated; it is certainly not the best way to start the week. 

I am sure this scenario sounds familiar to many of us. We have all chosen comfort in the moment and suffered later. In essence, we reap what we sow, right? 

Thankfully, the scenario above is not the way I usually do things. Most of the time, I make my Monday morning self proud. I make a menu for the week, grocery shop and meal prep. I ask the family to think about what needs to be done to best prepare for the week ahead. It means less chaos, less grumbling and an overall more positive home life. It also means I get to work on time and I don’t spend too much money on take out. Again, I reap what I sow, but this time the outcome is so much better. 

On a grander, more spiritual scale, Hosea reminds us of the value in preparation. When we sow righteousness, we reap love, and this allows us to seek the Lord. It sounds simple, but I know it isn’t easy.

In our spiritual walk, we often encounter tasks that we would rather avoid. Much like that version of me that is wrapped in a blanket, zoning out on Netflix, we sometimes don’t feel up to completing our spiritual “Sunday evening chores.” This makes it harder to figure out what the Lord is wanting for us. Our ability to seek is hindered.

My prayer today is that these words from scripture will remind all of us that committing ourselves to our daily spiritual grind, while sometimes exhausting, prepares us to seek the Lord.

This devotion was written and read by Edha Meadows-Brown.

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/.

Seek the Lord while He may be found. “O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you, my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” (Psalm 63:1)

There are moments in our lives when we feel like the Psalmist. Our dry souls are seeking God’s spirit without success. I first experienced such a moment when my mother died suddenly 20 years ago. I recently experienced it again.

A year ago this month, my best friend died. She was in apparent good health and soon to celebrate her 72nd birthday. But a massive heart attack ended her life suddenly. Julie and I had lived on the same block for 20 years, raised children the same ages, walked long walks with our dogs and always made each other laugh. She was an artist and intellectual; she made beautiful gifts of sculpture and art for me. Even when we moved apart after our families were grown, we visited and had regular phone conversations. Julie was the first person I called when my mother died. She was more than a sister. Her death threw me into a downward spiral. My grief was uncontrollable; I became very angry at God, and I even managed to throw my back out which made everything seem even worse. 

During this time I called out to God but heard no answer. I tried to pray but at times I felt God was not there. Spring came and the world began to bloom all around me. Summer came and reminded me of God’s faithfulness in all seasons. There was no magic moment when I felt a release from grief, but God’s presence became real to me again. I realized what God, through Jesus, had felt in the simple words after Lazarus’ death, “Jesus wept.” And I realized that grief is the companion of love, If we love we will experience grief. But God is always present and waiting for us to accept his gift of spiritual grace. 

Prayer:

Dear Lord, Thank you for standing beside us when we feel alone. Thank you for your steadfast and eternal love that transcends all earthly love. And thank you for forgiving our lack of faith when we are in a dry and weary land. Amen

This devotion was written by a member of our congregation 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/.

Seek the Lord while He may be found
Luke 15: 3-5 “ Jesus told them this story: If a man had a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders.”’

A wonderful 1st grade teacher, Linda Brothers, once asked me if I would be willing to read a book to her class at story time. I indicated I would love to, and asked her to recommend something appropriate for first graders. A couple of days later, she dropped off at my office a half dozen children’s books. I read them all and fell in love with one of them. So one afternoon the following week I sat in a rocking chair with a zebra striped blanket across my lap and 21 first graders on the floor in front of me. I read to them “I Promise I’ll Find You” by Heather Patricia Ward.

This slender volume has bright, colorful illustrations, all depicting a mother in search of a child. Each page shows the mom in some mode of transport, with rhyming verses explaining her search. The first page shows her in a little boat and reads, “If I had a little rowboat, I’d row across the sea. I’d row, row, row, and I’d bring you back to me.” Subsequent pages show the mother in an airplane, a choo-choo train, riding a horsie, in a race car, a rocket ship, a submarine, a hot air balloon, and on a motor bike. And all of the rhyming words convey the message of the tirelessness of the search.

The next to the last scene pictures a giant chasm with a child on one side and a mom walking a tightrope across to where the child is. The book says, “And if I had no other way, I’d walk or crawl or run. I’d search to the very ends of the earth, for you, my precious one .” The final scene shows the mom with her arms around her child. They are at home and together. The closing words are: “So remember this, my darling, for it is very true. If ever you’re apart from me, I’ll search till I find you.” On the dedication page the author has written, “This book is dedicated with love to all the missing children of the world.”

And the Good Shepherd left the 99, went and searched until he found the one that was lost, and brought it safely home. The Bible’s good news is a personal message to you: I’ll search till I find you. You are my precious one. I’ll do whatever it takes to bring you safely home to me. And God did what it took. The Cross.

Prayer

Loving, searching Good Shepherd, thank you for finding me. Amen.

This devotion was written and read by Herb Sadler.

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/.

Seek the Lord while He may be found All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35 and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need. Acts 4: 32-35

When I was a child, I remember a day where my father and I were in the kitchen putting an ice cube tray in the freezer. I asked my father, an engineer, what happens if water is at exactly 32 degrees Fahrenheit? Is it melting or freezing? To the best of my memory, I recall him saying that it would be doing both, while some molecules were becoming solid others would be melting to a liquid. And thus, I was introduced to the idea of paradox. 

It may seem a paradox that giving is the path to abundance and that emptying oneself is the path to fullness, but this path is not a simple straight line. This path is a circle that is ever increasing. Lines divide, but circles encompass, surround, hold, complete. 

Poverty means lacking. Poverty means absence. Poverty means emptiness. Lacking the ability to receive and accept is a quiet path to becoming impoverished. How can we give generously if we do not acknowledge that God is the source of all we have? There is reciprocity in giving and receiving: money, love, help. Sharing is a path to realizing that we have because we have been given… everything- life, intelligence, strength, love, education, challenges, health, illness. 

“I” is the loneliest, poorest word in the world. “We” is the most expansive and generous word in creation. Both sharing your wealth and love while also accepting with a joyful heart joins us to God and all of those that surround us. 

If you receive and receive but never share, then you will be impoverished. If you give and give and give but never accept, then you will be impoverished. When you give, if you do it with others, with God, with the knowledge that you are giving because of all that you have received from those that surround you, then you will have vast wealth that cannot be depleted. When you share in this kind of wealth your path is not a line that divides but a circle that connects. 

Our prayer today...

Dear God, May we always begin with a heart filled with all that you have shared with us and those around us. May we be one in heart and mind with all who surround us. May our circle be ever expanding.

This devotional was written by Jill Pope and read by Amy Large.

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/.

Seek the Lord while He may be found.

Listen to the Scriptures from the previous week of devotional episodes.

This episode is a mix of Bible verses with music. It's a different experience, even if you've already listened to every episode.

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/.

Seek the Lord while He may be foundYet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your hearts, with fasting, with weeping, and with sorrow; tear your hearts and not your clothing,  Return to the Lord your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, very patient, full of faithful love, and ready to forgive. (Joel 2:12-13 CEB) 

In the midst of Judah’s desperate situation occasioned by locust, plague and drought, and with God’s judgement hanging over them because of their past actions, God utters the words: “yet even now”. They were offered hope, it was a moment of Grace.  The power of one little word changed everything. Through it, Joel reveals how long-suffering and patient our God is with us. 

We, like the people of Judah, at times find ourselves overwhelmed.  Life events are weighing us down and perhaps we are feeling ashamed for past or current actions. We feel that we are under judgement and maybe feel that there is no hope of things getting better. In these circumstances that word “yet” makes all the difference.  

“Yet” is the Lord’s refusal to accept the situation as it is, and God’s determination to forgive us and to welcome us back, no matter.what we have done. God’s constant loving “Grace” is God’s great “nevertheless.”

The good news of faith is that God’s “yet” in our lives is stronger, more powerful than anything we are facing or any decision we have made.  God’s love is always available to us , To receive it we need to repent.. No matter what we have done, repentance is always an option.  God’s grace is always at work in. When we turn and seek God, we find God is already there waiting for us, forgiving us, and loving us. We should not take this for granted but in humility receive daily the gift of Grace offered by God who is patient with us and loves us.

Prayer

Loving God, thank your for that powerful word, “Yet” which reminds us that no matter where we are in life, there is hope, forgiveness and new life.  Help us to seek your Grace by walking in your way.  Amen

This devotion was written by Bill Green 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/.

Seek the Lord while He may be found

Today’s scripture comes  from the book of Hebrews Chapter 11 verse 6. 

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. 

Another verse instantly came  to mind from the Book of Jeremiah, a prophet during the years of the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of Solomon’s temple. Chapter 29 verses 11 through 13 were part of a letter Jeremiah wrote to the people in exile. It reads:

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

How do we seek God with all our hearts? These people in exile must have struggled to believe that God exists just as we do today in difficult circumstances. It is easy to be paralyzed, afraid to act, when we don’t know the right way forward. 

This is a time when our community of Christian believers can help, we can solicit advice and counsel from those who may have experience in what we are facing. We often hear the adage “Wait on God” and it’s tempting to just do nothing.  When we have a discussion with a friend we usually don’t wait weeks to figure out what it meant. Do we put God on hold because we are too afraid to step forward? 

The times I’ve made a choice to move forward even while I’m unsure, it has quickly become apparent if I’m moving  the wrong way! Even a bad outcome can be a good example. Are we seeking God in all the ways we can? He may be speaking through those around us, through events, and through study. 

Will you pray with me?

Loving God, help us to have ears to hear you in all the ways You speak to us, minds to discern, and hearts to put your words into practice. Amen. 

This devotion was written by Leslie and Owen Ragland.

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/.

Seek the Lord while He may be found. “The Lord is with you when you are with Him. If you seek him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.” 2 Chronicles 15:2 (NIV)

God seeks to have a relationship with his creation so it is only natural that if we seek him he will be found.

How do we then, seek him? It is not incidental – it must be intentional.  We learn this in Jeremiah 29:13 (NIV) – “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

“Seeking” means finding ways to have a heartfelt relationship with the Lord. One must Intentionally find ways to cultivate that relationship such as daily prayer, setting aside time each day to meditate and seeking God’s guidance in your life.

In many ways “seeking God is finding God.” The process of continually seeking God promotes spiritual growth and development whereby we find a relationship with God in which we discover the full measure of his love and grace. By seeking his love and grace, we find love and grace.

In your busy life have you drifted away from God? If so, ask Him back into your heart by seeking His presence in your life, and He will be found by you. His presence will bring comfort, fulfillment and heart warming closeness to you.

Seeking God is not a one time thing – it requires an on going commitment of communication, repentance and sincerity. In return we are promised a closer and more fulfilling relationship with God.

Today take time from your hectic schedule to seek God with your whole heart and He will be found. His love and grace can transform your “seeking” into “finding” a deep and personal relationship with God.

Prayer:

Father, We rejoice in the fact that you have promised that if we seek you, you will be found. We ask that you forgive us for all the times that we have forsaken you. We have learned through scripture that you are always there for us, and that if we actively seek your presence in our lives we will find peace and comfort. AMEN.

This devotion was written by Gary Hensley and read by Owen Ragland.

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/.