Blog Entries tagged 'celebrate'

Celebration Cup

linda@dailydevotions.com.au — Fri, 14 May 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Even during those weeks that seemed incredibly tough and draining, I have been able to identify a point of celebration.

Colossians 4:1-18

Reference: v.2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. (NIV Bible)

Explore: During our church service we have a segment called our 'Celebration Cup.' This is a time when anyone can come up the front and share a moment of celebration from their week. In an act of giving thanks they pop a coin into a special coloured box and all the money raised goes towards supporting our sponsor child from the Philippines. In this way, our thankfulness helps someone else who is in need. I have committed within myself to contribute to the Celebration Cup every week. I do this for two reasons. One, I am blessed with numerous coins every week and so have decided to share my wealth with our sponsor child. And two, this is a great chance for me to look back throughout my week and notice points of celebration. Even during those weeks that seemed incredibly tough and draining, I have been able to identify a point of celebration. However, if I had not committed to contributing weekly to the Celebration Cup I may have never noticed the special points of thanksgiving I have experienced throughout my week.

Application: Life can get so busy and hectic at times that we forget to stop and notice the areas of celebration in our week. It seems the stresses and complications in our life take up more of our headspace. It's important to have times that we can put aside to really focus on prayer and thankfulness. It doesn't have to be big chunks of time; in fact the celebration cup only takes up a small part of our service. However the significant impact that it makes far outweighs the short amount of time that it takes to complete.

Prayer: Lord, even in our darkness moments there are things we can be thankful for. Help us to take some moments out of our lives to stop and be thankful to You. Amen.

What is something that you are thankful for?

How Could God Allow This To Happen

linda@dailydevotions.com.au — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100

I think that this is a huge question to grapple with and it is an important one to deal with in times of tragedy.

Jeremiah 2:1-37

Reference: v.27 They say to wood, 'You are my father,' and to stone, 'You gave me birth.' They have turned their backs to me and not their faces; yet when they are in trouble, they say, 'Come and save us!' (NIV Bible)

Explore: Whether it's a terrorist attack, a natural disaster or a personal disappointment, the question is often heard, 'How could God allow this to happen?' I think that this is a huge question to grapple with and it is an important one to deal with in times of tragedy. However I would love it if people would ask this question, not just at a time of devastation, but also at a time of ecstasy. When you stand in front of some profound natural beauty; when your company gives out substantial Christmas bonuses; when you fall in love with someone who loves you in return: 'How could God allow this to happen?' I think we would have a greater perspective of life if we looked to God at these times of great joy, as well as the times of pain.

Application: It seems our response to turn to God only when disaster hits is not a new phenomenon. Once the Israelites were established in the Promised Land they soon began to worship other things but had the audacity to question the Lord when times turned bad. I'm not saying that we should not question why things happen, but I think it is important for us to look to God in all situations and strive to understand what the pain, as well as the joy, means.

Prayer: Lord, You are there, through the pain and the joy. May we always look to You for comfort and celebration. Amen.

Look at a situation you are going through at the moment and ask, 'How could God allow this to happen?'

Record Keeping

linda@dailydevotions.com.au — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100

While it seems like a fairly boring and mundane task at the time, when you look over that book now it's so interesting to see what has happened.

Ezra 2:1-70

Reference: v.64 The whole company numbered 42,360. (NIV Bible)

Explore: When we started our new congregation, my mother encouraged me to create a notebook where I could record details about the weekly service as well as special events in the life of the church. My parent's church began over 30 years ago and my mother has been keeping a record of attendance, preachers, baptisms and other special occasions. While it seems like a fairly boring and mundane task at the time, when you look over that book now it's so interesting to see what has happened. It's a really nice way to look back and celebrate how far God has brought a group of people.

Application: When we get to a passage like Ezra 2 we tend to roll our eyes and skim through the names. I've heard people say that the reason they don't read the Old Testament is because it's just lists and lists of names they don't understand. Yes, there are a few places where there are some decent lists but it's hardly a good reason to shut off from all the wisdom and knowledge in the rest of the 802 pages! To be honest, these names don't mean a great deal to me either, and I'm sure it would take a detailed historian to get some sort of significance out of their meaning. And yet, it's a good record of people who were committed to make a huge change due to their commitment to being God's people. It is all these people that picked up all their belongings and moved back to their town of origin. They had a huge task ahead of them, to rebuild these towns, and yet they were committed to being a part of it. When we read over their names, and when we read through the Old Testament, we read of important events that have taken place and we can celebrate how far God has brought a group of people.

Prayer: Lord, You have called us to be Your disciples. May we be willing to live a life so that we can look back and celebrate how far you have brought us. Amen.

What is a significant event in your past that has helped to shape where you are today?

Everyone Celebrate

linda@dailydevotions.com.au — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 00:00:00 +0100

You don't need to be professionally trained and you don't need to go to classes before hand, you just need to come along and be willing to have a go.

Deuteronomy 16:1-22

Reference: v.11 And rejoice before the Lord your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name - you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, the Levites in your towns, and the aliens, the fatherless and the widows living among you. (NIV Bible)

Explore: Bush dancing is one of my favourite ways to celebrate. Growing up in country Victoria our family used to attend Bush Dances quite regularly. The great thing about these events was that even if you don't know how to dance there is a person up the front calling out instructions for everyone to follow. You don't need to be professionally trained and you don't need to go to classes before hand, you just need to come along and be willing to have a go. I've never been to a Bush Dance that wasn't filled with laughter and celebration with lots of people all interacting over the dance floor.

Application: Life can be filled with challenges at times but there must be times for celebration as well. Even with all the laws and guidelines that God gave to the Israelites He also factored in celebrations. So often we get the impression that to truly worship God means we need to be demure and quiet. Now, there are certainly times where it's appropriate to be like that before the Lord, but there are also times to celebrate and rejoice in all He has done. And God tells us that everyone should be involved in those celebrations. May you find a time in your life that you can truly rejoice in the Lord.

Prayer: Lord, Your love and grace are so great it should be hard for us not to celebrate You everyday. When we rejoice, may we rejoice in You. Amen.

What do you have in your life that you can celebrate God for?

Celebration Time

linda@dailydevotions.com.au — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 01:00:00 +0100

We don't just have to wait until momentus occasions to celebrate.

Nehemiah 12:27-47

Reference: v.27 At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, the Levites were sought out from where they lived and were brought to Jerusalem to celebrate joyfully the dedication with songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, harps and lyres. (NIV Bible)

Explore: To stop and celebrate is an important part of any process. I'm not just saying this because I love good food and great people spending time together! I do think that it's great to look back over past successes and celebrate them. The Israelites had come a long way since being exiles in Babylon. Here they are, their wall rebuilt, their faith reconfirmed and the new season of their people was well on it's way. To stop and take some time in dedication and celebration was an important step in ushering in the new stage of life.

Application: Sometimes we can be so driven in pushing forward that we forget to stop and celebrate what has been. As people get older they even become hesitant to celebrate birthdays and don't acknowledge the previous year of their life - although I think this may be a reluctance to embrace being one year older! But we don't just have to wait until momentus occasions to celebrate. Every time something significant happens we can take some time to celebrate. To be honest, every day holds a moment worth celebrating. Often before I go to sleep I will go through my day in my head and just thank God for moments that may have seemed insignificant to someone else but has brought a moment of celebration for me. Let's not leave celebration out of our lives. Let's be thankful for each and every day.

Prayer: Lord, you are a God of praise and thanksgiving and we want to give you all the praise you deserve. Thank you for giving us this day. May we celebrate the life you have given to us. Amen.

What is something you can celebrate in your life at the moment?

We Like To Party

linda@dailydevotions.com.au — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

By Sunday afternoon, my father - no doubt surprised at our extended slovenly behaviour - reminded me that my 16th birthday was not an attempt at a Jewish feast.

1 Kings 8.62-66

Reference: v.65b They celebrated it before the Lord our God for seven days and seven days more, fourteen days in all. (NIV Bible)

Explore: For my sixteenth birthday I invited four of my closest school friends to stay over for the weekend. We commandeered our living room, covered the floor with mattresses and basically ate and watched videos all weekend. By Sunday afternoon, my father - no doubt surprised at our extended slovenly behaviour - reminded me that my 16th birthday was not an attempt at a Jewish feast. Now, having read how Solomon celebrated the dedication of the Temple, I can see where Dad was heading. In today's standards, a party is considered extreme if it goes all night; in Solomon's day, a party was considered standard if it went all week! Our party planners could certainly learn a thing or two from the Jewish celebrants.

Application: All the parties I can think of celebrate other people. What kind of party would we put together to celebrate the Lord? This could not be just any kind of party, we would be worshipping and honoring God through our celebration. What a joyful time it should be. I wonder if it would be a glimpse of Heaven, to spend extended amounts of time worshipping and celebrating God. I realise that as Christians we dedicate every day to God but the regularity often makes it mundane. Do our worship services add an element of celebration? Does our quiet time promote a party atmosphere? Our God has given us all things, surely He is worthy to be celebrated in the best way possible.

Prayer: O Lord, you are worthy of all our praise. May we celebrate you today with thankful hearts. Amen.

What would you ultimate worship party look like?