Month: June 2016

Categories
PWTE Daily Devotion

Where Do You Hang Your Hat?

Home is found in the One who was crucified for us.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified.”
1 Corinthians 2:2 New Living Translation

I’ve inherited many baseball caps over the years which are packed away in a box somewhere in the bowels of my basement. This is one of those hats. I didn’t remember this hat until I recently ran across this picture, stuffed away like the hat in an envelope in my desk drawer.

June 02Beyond reminding me of where this hat resides, this pictures also brought to my mind the time when I made an effort to hike a number of trials in and around Colorado Springs. Most of the time I took these hikes by myself with my old Olympus OMG 35mm film camera and for some reason, on this hike, I decided to take a picture of my hat hanging on my trekking stick.

Where do you hang your hat? Where is that one place where life comes together, makes sense, and gives you peace?

Like many of you, I’ve tried to hang my hat on things that I can touch, taste, feel, smell and hear. Yet, I cannot hang my hat on those tangible things and discover that for which I’m looking.

For Paul, there was only one place to hang his hat while ministering among the baptized in Corinth. It was on Jesus Christ crucified. Paul knew the depth of his sin; sin that nodded its head of approval at the stoning of Stephen. The only thing that could remove his guilt was the unmerited love of Jesus. The only place Paul could hang his hat was on Jesus Christ crucified and resurrected.

Saddled with our guilt and shame, the only place for us to hang our hat is on the One who bore our sin for us: Jesus Christ.

Picture and Text Copyright Douglas P Brauner

Categories
PWTE Daily Devotion

Steer Me in the Right Direction

Taking the bull by the horns.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

It’s a truly beautiful summer day. The sun is out, the grass is green and lush and the mountains are majestic. But I can’t see any of that. All I see is the threat before me—this angry longhorn steer. The beauty of God’s day has dissolved into this threat to my safety.Longhorn steer-comp

This happens to us. We can’t see the beauty of our Lord for what ugliness has overtaken our view. Satan stands in our way trying to block our view of God with anything he can use to distract us — fear, temptation, possessions or earthly goals.

We totally miss what’s out there — the beautiful view of our beautiful God and his blessings. A promised hope and future. His plan for our lives.  Gifts given us to use for HIS glory. How can we overcome this?

“We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.”
Hebrews 12:2 New Living Translation

“Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand.  Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.”
Colossians 3:1-3 New Living Translation

“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.”
Philippians 4:8 New Living Translation

So arm yourself with these spiritual truths, take the bull by the horns and stand firm in God, then nothing will block your view of His glory!

Text and Picture Copyright Desiree Bustamante