Read Genesis 6-8, the story of Noah

Now reread Genesis 7:5 “and Noah did all that the Lord commanded of Him.”

How difficult that must have been for Noah, think about what God asked him to do.  First God asked Noah to build an ark, a huge boat, in the middle of the desert.  The task itself must have been daunting, overwhelming to say the least. To build anything alone, is quite an accomplishment, but to build something of that size without help? But really, Noah did have help, he had God there with him the whole time, guiding him, leading him through each step.  But the building was just the first step. Then Noah needed to gather all the animals, all of the food, everything he would need for this journey that he knew nothing about. Noah and his family did not know what to expect. Instead they just trusted in Him. Which is where verse 5 comes in, “and Noah did all that the Lord commanded of Him.”  If we substituted our name for Noah, would that verse still hold true? Have we been asked by God to do the seemingly impossible task? Do we obey God to the fullest? As I pose this question to myself, I would honestly have to say no. I look at what God has asked me to do, and sometimes I do not trust enough to allow Him to help me.  Specifically, I look at the challenge that God has given me in regards to writing this devotion for you and the bible curriculum. Every week I struggle with the right words to put down and constantly wonder if they are my words or God’s. God has put this on my heart, that we need a new way to reach the children of our center, a different approach. One that speaks directly to our little ones. My desire is to glorify God in my writing and at the same time help you, my amazing teachers, while bringing the simplest of messages to our students. I believe that Noah spent the entire time that he was building, gathering, and floating in that arc speaking to God. I need to do that, keep in constant prayer as God trusts us with the tasks he presents to us. I want to be able to say that “I did all that the Lord commanded of me”.

My challenge to you this week:  First, pray! Pray for your own challenges that God is giving to you.  Second, ask someone else to pray for you and a challenge you face. Third, think about what you are asking of your children. God knew exactly what He was asking of Noah, and He knew that Noah would do it. When you ask your children to do something, are you sure they can do it, are you prepared to walk with them, step by step until they are successful? 

Week 2 Devotion-Adam and Eve

Read Genesis 2

Now reread Genesis 2:2-3.   By the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on the seventh day He rested from all His work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it He rested from all the work of creating that He had done.

Rest, siesta, break, vacation, etc. all of these words describe a particular action that means to take time off, smell the roses, appreciate your blessings. But we have a hard time with this. For us, resting feels wrong. We feel bad when we are not working. Even on our days off, we have long lists of things that we need to cross off. So we do not rest. Have any of you ever needed a vacation after your vacation? You come back more exhausted than when you left?

This is problem that goes back to the Old Testament. It was not enough for God to say “Rest” instead, He needed to make rules, He needed to tell the Israelites exactly what they could and couldn’t do on the Sabbath.

As Christians, we do not follow the Sabbath rules anymore, we do not live by the legalistic rules of the Old Testament instead, we live in the Love of Christ. But maybe we need to reconsider our Sabbath. Maybe we need to make it Holy again.  We need to make REST a four letter good word, not a bad word.

It is time to sit back, relax, put our feet up and open our bibles, and spend some time soaking in some of Jesus words, close our eyes and feel His love, be quiet and listen for His whisper. Because He is whispering to us. Jesus is saying. “Nothing else matters, only Me.” “Put your trust in Me” “Put your hope in Me.” “I love you” When was the last time you were quiet enough to hear those words? Make today that day.

Your challenge for this week is to take a moment to sit in your classroom either when it is empty or when the children are sleeping and just listen for God to whisper to you. Ask Him for guidance with the children that you have and then sit back and wait.

Devotion Week 1-Creation

Read Genesis 1

Creation is such an amazing story. It signals beginnings. The beginning of everything. It is like the beginning of school, when all the school supplies and clothes smell new. When the tennis shoes are still white or the lights still light up. The same is true for creation. Everything was new. Nothing had ever been seen before. The sun, the moon, the stars! Imagine seeing stars for the first time. Or the first babbling brook. Eating the first apple, laying on the soft grass, looking up at the trees swaying in the wind.

As teachers we can see our children in the same way. Exciting and new, pretend like you have never met them before and look at each child as a creation of God, can you see them in a different light? Can you forget the naughtiness or the defiant for a moment and just love on them? Can you tune out the crying or screaming and just hear laughter and see joy.

God calls us to do that, He expects us to treat His children like He treats us, with love, compassion, and never-ending patience. His expectation is that we will cherish the children He has entrusted us with. Sharing His love with them at all times and in any way we can.

So for this week, observe and note not the bad, but something amazing about each of your students.    

See them as God sees them.

This weekend and throughout this upcoming week take time to pray about seeing your kids in this way.  To see these children not as hard or difficult but in a new way. Take some time to really try to have a new outlook on each kid both the "difficult" ones and "less difficult" ones. Pray about the situations that you have encountered so far and the ones that are still to come. And pray for the families that are connected to you through your children.

In the past we have had children in certain classes that the teachers had a hard time with, then the teacher was told to pray about the particular child. After taking time to really pray and look into how she could help the child and not how the child could change, she ended up finding the situation to change for the better. Please take this to heart and really look at each child and see them for who they are and how God sees them.

The first day of school is like New Year to me. As a teacher it is a new beginning, fresh start. How can I do better, what can I change? But with these questions, one must also ponder what has happened in the past to encourage a person to do that. I look back at this last year and nothing anyone could have said would have prepared me for the year ahead. If someone had told me that two of my children would be married by the beginning of this school year, I would have laughed at them. First grandbaby coming any day? No way. Depression and anxiety taking over my common sense and sometimes will to live and move forward? Nope, not me. Unbelievable grief over losing my Mom. None of these things were a part of my life one year ago, but now they are my reality.  Even finishing graduate school seemed a bit too far-fetched for who I was. I am a person who loves to start new and exciting things, but I am not likely to finish.  Even when I was asked to start a new classroom at work, everyone knew I would find someone else to take over very quickly. But I didn’t, I actually stuck it out for the entire year. That little class was the best thing that happened to me in the school year, it gave me purpose. I loved those kids, for one year, they became my life. It gave me a glimpse of who I used to be. But now those little guys are starting Kindergarten, hopefully prepared for the year ahead. All of them meeting new teachers and beginning new adventures of their own. So where does that leave me? Back in my little hole in the wall office, away from all the action, missing my spot at the front where I could greet each parent individually. Now I have a new role and I have to recreate myself again.  The question I have now is can I do it? Do I still have the ability, the desire, the energy? I am not the person I used to be, I am not a better version of my old self.  For the first time I find myself not wanting to go ahead, but rather, return to my old self. The person I was.  But is that even possible? What if I can’t, what if this new me, is my new reality? I am not sure I can live with that.

My bible verse for this year was so simple, “My grace is sufficient for you.” 2 Cor. 12:9 I had no idea that when I picked it (or God revealed it to me) that I would rely so heavily on it.  I have never needed a verse so badly before. One that I could hold on to.  Hold on to like a life raft. Until this year, I did not know that my bible was just that, a life saver.  But now I know. I learned a lot this year, when nothing else matters, God still thinks that I matter. So I can share that, right? I can share that God does not abandon us, no matter what we are going through.  No matter how badly we want to abandon Him. God will pursue me, He will pursue you also. My prayer for this year…Lord, please pursue me, even when I don’t want to be pursued.