Devotionals for the Heart: Celebration

On Celebration
A devotional by Lisa Lickel

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”
~Luke 4:18-19 (ESV)

"Far and away the most important benefit of celebration is that it saves us from taking ourselves too seriously." ~Richard Foster, The Celebration of Discipline

Walking with Jesus should be a continual dance, leaping and shouting and rejoicing that we have been set free! Free! Free! Hallelujah! That’s how Jesus began his earthly ministry, remember? He went to church, took his place reading scripture from Isaiah about the Year of Jubilee which nobody since the time of Leviticus honestly held—like, ever—and, voila!, announced his purpose. In the writing world, writers recognize this as the supreme story-telling method. He stated the need, the conflict, and the resolution all at once. Subtle, hey?

The term "celebration" is used in many denominational parts of a worship service. The word probably brings up a different picture for everyone. What do you think when you hear it? What do you celebrate?

In the United States, the months of November, December, and January can be dreary with bad weather and darkness. They are also the months of a national Thanksgiving, the recognition of Christmas, and rejoicing in a New Year. However commercial we like to complain our society has become, we can’t change the origin of the celebrations. 

The heart of the national day of Thanksgiving is an appreciation for a (okay, brief) season of mutual interaction that helped a small group of determined religious refugees survive. They praised God for their new friendships which led to the first harvest. When Abraham Lincoln made the day a federal holiday, he made sure everyone knew we publicly party on behalf of the goodness of God. Recognizing the glad tidings of great joy in Christmas undergirds the spirit of Christ’s birth and what it means, and of course, a New Year is our chance to examine our hearts and redirect our faith journey.

What’s not to celebrate? Christianity is the practice of “do”: Do love the Lord, do love those around us. Jesus came to blast away the dourness of rules tacked on to grace and mercy. He came to remind us of who he is. God proclaims his love and the result of that love, the satisfaction of sin debt. He frees us from the ravages of that sin debt on each other and the world he built for us. He lifts us out of the pit we throw ourselves in; he makes the lame leap for the joy and turns mourning into laughter. He wishes we wouldn’t take ourselves so seriously that we forget to have honest, good, clean fun that helps keep our focus trained on Him; joy that glorifies his name and makes others want to join us.

What I’ve learned this year of renewal is that while I worried I’d taken a left when I should have veered right, I was still making progress. The rabbit trails weren’t in vain and The Holy Spirit always had my whole being wrapped in his embrace. I allowed the Great Physician to examine me and unclog my ears, remove the plank from my eye, and un-stuff my arteries. It’s not permanent, I know. That’s why the faith walk is a journey, a practice of disciplines—one to celebrate.

My Prayer: I will praise You (God) forever with my whole being, remembering with joy that you are the author and finisher of my faith.

~*~
Author Bio:

Lisa Lickel lives in the rolling hills of western Wisconsin. 

A multi-published and award-winning novelist, she also writes short stories and radio theater, is an avid book reviewer, blogger, a freelance editor, and workshop leader. 

She is a member of Chicago Writers Association and part of Novel-in-Progress BookCamp and Writing Retreat, Inc., mentoring writers from across the United States and Canada.
~*~
Connect with Lisa:
Website: http://www.LisaLickel.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lisalickelauthor
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/lisalickel
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/lisajlickel
Amazon Author page: http://amzn.to/2bPxi2X

Devotionals for the Heart: Confession

On Confession
A devotional by Lisa Lickel

“And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” ~James 5:15-16 (ESV)

“If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” ~John 20:23 (ESV)

"In acts of mutual confession, we release the power that heals. Our humanity is no longer denied but transformed. "~Richard Foster, The Celebration of Discipline

I am in awe that being a Christian is a process, a journey of many steps that is a call for continual renewal and examination. When I accepted Jesus Christ into my life and confessed him as my Savior and Lord, I became a Christ-follower. We share the ABCs of faith: Accept, Believe, Confess. Confess Christ as the Savior, yes, as well as allow ourselves to confess to each other that the Belief part—the part where I act on what I believe—is often a quagmire of ugliness from which I need help to escape.

Admitting I’m wrong or make mistakes has always been a hotbed of fear for me because the punishment was old-fashioned—swift and sometimes physically and always emotionally brutal. I have been harder on myself, too, for the desire to make excuses, to not take the time to make certain the information is correct, for taking the easy way out. I have lashed out at others in fear and pride; I still cluck my tongue at others’ intentional or accidental acts of insensitivity when I’ve committed similar acts in the past.

Often, the worst thing we can do is treat others as we want to be treated. Those are the times we need to step outside of our comfort zones and examine our motives. Forgive me, my neighbor, for not noticing your need. Forgive me, Lord, for glossing over spending fifteen minutes with you and you only. Forgive me, friend, for sharing a thought that was painful for you.

Having a physical prayer partner or a being part of a small group Bible study which has a sharing time can fulfill this need to confess and accept forgiveness. I realize that unconsciously I have participated on both sides with my new friends in Christ and desire to be more intentional; hearing confession is never a time to store gossip fodder. Confession is good. It is healing. It is a lesson in growing and becoming, in transforming my life. 

Confessing should result in genuine change. I don’t want to confess simply to relieve my personal sense of guilt and shame—sure, that’s the bandage effect, but not the antibiotic to heal the deep sin-wound in my soul. 

My confession makes me want to spend more time getting to know my neighbor; for realizing that my Jesus is waiting for me—me!—to sit down with him; and for listening more than spouting off platitudes, even if personally I would rejoice in the response.

My Prayer: Thank you, Lord of my life, for reminding me of your loving presence, always waiting patiently for me to come and share the best and the worst of myself with you.

~*~
Author Bio:

Lisa Lickel is a Wisconsin writer who lives in the rolling hills of western Wisconsin. 

A multi-published and award-winning novelist, she also writes short stories and radio theater, is an avid book reviewer, blogger, a freelance editor, and workshop leader.

She is a member of Chicago Writers Association and part of Novel-in-Progress Bookcamp and Writing Retreat, Inc., mentoring writers from across the United States and Canada.

~*~
Connect with Lisa:
Website: http://www.LisaLickel.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lisalickelauthor
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/lisalickel
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/lisajlickel
Amazon author page: http://amzn.to/2bPxi2X