A NEW - and different - KIND OF DAILY DEVOTIONAL

Devotional Bible reading - intentional and ongoing interaction with Scripture - can bless, encourage, and strengthen our spiritual lives. Such predictable encounters provide recurring reminders of God's involvement in and vision for the world. Without planned visits to its pages, however, the Bible is a book we hear about only from others, likely in worship or Sunday school settings. Devotional reading fosters reflection and feeds the soul. TRANSLATION: It's a good thing!


But it can also be a time consuming thing. If the thought of regular rendezvous with Scripture appeals to you, but you're not sure you have the time or discipline to make them happen in your life, we invite you to check out our new daily devotional called "ONEverse" that will launch Wednesday, May 1, on our website and Facebook page.


Every day, ONEverse will offer a single verse from somewhere in the Bible, Old Testament or New, along with a few comments, observations, and/or questions created by our pastor, Bill Coley.  The mission of ONEverse will be to encourage and challenge you in your spiritual journey, and to do so in a way that won't ask for much of your time. Some verses will remind you of your place in God's family. Other verses will hold a mirror up to your life and invite you to engage in honest self-evaluation. All verses will have the potential to bless.


You might wonder about the context of the single verses this devotional will present - after all, surrounding verses almost always deepen our understanding of individual verses. That's a great point to which we have three responses: 1) the ONEverse verses will be chosen in part because they speak for themselves, or because their obvious meanings don't conflict with nearby verses; 2) Bill Coley's comments will often refer to surrounding verses; 3) we'll include a link to the New Living Translation of the larger passage of which each verse is a part as found at biblegateway.com.


We intend for ONEverse to be a quick but thoughtful addition to your day. Look for its debut on May 1!

before your first oneverse

Every day ONEverse will introduce you to or remind you of a single verse from the Bible, either the Old or New Testament. The verses, hand-picked by our pastor, Bill Coley, will variously inform, challenge, encourage, and strengthen you, while holding you accountable for the grand potential God has planted within you. Here's one way to make the most of your ONEverse experience:


1) BEFORE ANYTHING! Take ten seconds to be quiet before God, to ask God to open your heart and mind to the verse you're about to read.


2) Read the verse at least twice. What does it say? What do you notice about it? How might it apply to your life, family, friends, community, and/or world? (Not every verse will apply to your specific circumstances!)


3) Read and reflect on the accompanying notes and questions. 


4) Ask yourself, what's the word God has for me today through this ONEverse?



[For additional insight into each verse, read the larger passage in which it resides by clicking the provided link.]

mAY 8, 2024: Deuteronomy 24.19

CONSIDER:

Today’s verse initiates a double dose of Deuteronomy in this devotional, and directs attention to a prominent, but often overlooked, biblical theme: concern for people who face challenging circumstances. Christians who focus on the New Testament and its proclamation of the good news about Jesus might be surprised to learn that Old Testament writers make nearly 200 references to impoverished people, and dozens of references to widows and orphans, nearly all of them commanding compassionate, supportive, and active concern.


We get a taste of said concern for the poor in the verses that precede today’s directive about forgotten grain bundles: 1) weather-protective outer garments given as collateral for loans must be left overnight in the borrowers’ possession; 2) taking advantage of poor and destitute workers—who, by the way, must be paid before sunset each day because they’ll need the money—is prohibited; 3) justice for foreigners is a command, not simply an objective. We’re not surprised that Bible writers care about people who are poor or grieving or alone, but the frequency and passion with which those groups receive their attention ought to cause us to pause.


One biblically defensible approach to today’s verse is to replace the phrases “harvesting your crops” and “don’t back to get it” with blank lines, then direct consumers of its reconfigured instruction to supply the everyday activities of their choosing, along with responses to each circumstance that are in-keeping with the verse’s obvious concern for others. Some examples:

When you arrive simultaneously with another driver at a prime parking space at your favorite grocery store, yield the space to him or her. The LORD your God will bless you in all you do.

When at the checkout of said grocery store and the checker asks whether you’d like to round up your purchase amount so as to donate to what you consider to be a worthy cause, say yes. The LORD your God will bless you in all you do.

When a friend is grieving the loss of a family member or struggling with some other dimension of his or her life, make contact. The LORD your God will bless you in all you do.


Most of us aren’t farmers, so we won’t have grain bundles to distribute to people in need. But at the core of this ONEverse is the directive to make available to others what we DO have, that our abundance—of time, talent, passion, finances, et al—is fuel for our responses to others’ needs. God provides for us so that we can provide for each other. And in return, the LORD our God blesses us in all we do.


Be a blessing.



ASK YOURSELF:

1) What’s one area of abundance in your life from which you share with others?

2) Do you have to be reminded to respond to others’ needs?

3) What’s one action you can take in the next week to demonstrate your faith in God’s provision to you so that you can provide for others?



MORE THAN ONEverse - TODAY'S VERSE IN CONTEXT:

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=deu+24.10-22&version=NLT