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Author Archives: John D. Willome

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About John D. Willome

I post a blog of daily devotions that are my prayer journals based on scripture.

Colossians 3:16-17

25 Nov

Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.
Colossians 3:16-17

Dear God, what is the richness of Christ that is supposed to fill my life and I am supposed to share? It takes me back to a great sermon I heard from Andy Stanley last December. He started with a thesis that he understands why people can’t bring themselves to believe in the Jesus of the Bible and that all of the things the Bible says happened really happened. He got that. What he couldn’t understand was why anyone wouldn’t want it to be true. The Jesus of the Bible and his message was so compelling, why wouldn’t you want him to have been real?

So what is it about Jesus that I should want to be real? What is the richness of him that should fill me? Well, how about forgiveness of all of my mistakes and a clean slate between me and you? How about the fruits of the Spirit that enter and grow in my life when I am in relationship with you? How about the standard he and you (and the Spirit) ask me to live up to, asking me to live a life that loves you and loves others, and going and sinning no more?

I think when it comes down to it, the richness comes from something I continually go back to–the fruits of the Spirit. When love, joy, peace, gentleness, faithfulness, kindness, goodness, and self control (Galatians 5:22-23) are growing in your life and consuming the space that was once occupied by sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these (Galatians 5:19-21) then My life becomes richer richer.

Father, help me to be your ambassador. That starts with me being worthy of representing you. Help me to be worthy of people knowing I’m a Christian and evaluating a life spent submitted to you by looking at me. Let them see all of the fruits of the Spirit in me, and that will start by me actually giving you good soil in my soul where you can grow.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 25, 2019 in Colossians, Galatians

 

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When People Let You Down

23 Nov

Dear God, being a Baylor fan, it’s been hard over the last four or five years to know whom I should like and whom I shouldn’t. There’s been scandal and I’ve heard conflicting information from various sources. Some have said that one football coach was to blame. Others have blamed the coach, the school president and the athletic director (AD). Some say the board of regents threw the other three under the bus, but the fault lies with them. They haven’t made it easy to be a Baylor fan.

So three years ago, the school hired a new president, AD, and coach. I think I like all three of them, but I have admittedly guarded my heart against them and tried to remain skeptical–especially of the coach. And the coach has made it hard because, even when he went 1-11 in his first year, he sure says things that I like and seems like someone I can trust.

Last Saturday morning, I found the video I linked above. It’s a 20-minute video of the coach speaking at a men’s conference after his first season (1-11) at Baylor. It was strikingly good and seemingly authentic. It spoke to me on a personal level, but it also pushed me closer to allowing myself to trust in him a little more.

Why am I praying to you about this this morning? Well, I woke up thinking about what appropriate trust in others looks like and how we should respond to their failings. When I give this coach, this AD, and/or this president my trust, what am I giving them?

  • I’m willing to donate to the athletic department, trusting that they will use the scholarship money to develop a young person and give them opportunities they wouldn’t otherwise have.
  • I’m willing to cheer and applaud for the team(s), trusting that they are people worthy of my applause.
  • I’m willing to travel to see them play, trusting that they are worth the time I’m giving to cheering them on, win or lose.
  • I’m willing to show my support for them through the clothes I wear, stickers I put on my car, and the flag I hang on my house, trusting that they aren’t doing things of which I would be ashamed. For example, I threw away my Big 12 Championship t-shirt when the scandal broke a few years ago because I just couldn’t wear it anymore.

Of course, the danger is always putting my trust in people and not in you. I’m not looking to Baylor’s athletic performance or how they behave behind the scenes to give me any kind of peace, which can only come from you. That means, when they disappoint me (not on the field, but off of it), I will look to see how they respond.

But back to the video I posted above. I think this video shows me a vulnerability and depth of character and knowledge of you that really encourages me. When a friend of mine listened to it he said, “Wow, he’s a real Christian.” I think that is true. That doesn’t mean that he is incorruptible anymore than I am. In fact, he’s probably more vulnerable because he has a lot more notoriety and power than I have. But I believe he’s the kind of man who will repent after failing instead of pretending like none of it is his fault.

Father, the lesson for me is to love people and be vulnerable myself. If I am going to appreciate someone else, it should be for the character they show, even when they fail. I should not look to them for my joy, but appreciate the work they do to bring your kingdom into the world. Matt Rhule isn’t perfect. He will make mistakes and fail. But I appreciate his willingness to vulnerably represent you. Thank you for his example and for the work you are doing through him, regardless of wins.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 23, 2019 in Miscellaneous, Musings and Stories

 

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The Four-Way Test

21 Nov

The Rotary Four-Way Test

Of the things we think, say, and do:

  • First, is it the truth?
  • Second, is it fair to all concerned?
  • Third, will it bring good will and better friendships?
  • Fourth, will it be beneficial to all concerned?

Dear God, I joined Rotary over 12 years ago and I’m so glad I did. I’ve learned a lot, and it has been a good way for me to engage in community service outside of the work I do through the social service nonprofit where I work. One of the problems with working in a nonprofit focused on a single issue like healthcare, children or animals is that you can become myopic about your cause and you lose sight of other areas of need in the community. I would imagine that working in a church would present a similar problem.

Being in Rotary, however, exposes me to a variety of service projects. And even the speakers we have will sometimes talk about their social service activities or teach us something new. Frankly, it has also helped expose the nonprofit where I work to the members with whom I serve.

At the end of each meeting, we recite the four-way test I listed above. I’ve actually used this test several times. Years ago, I was in the middle of a crisis with our facility that ultimately resulted in our organization suing the builder. I didn’t want to do it, but their insurance company told us they wouldn’t engage with us until we brought a lawsuit. Through the whole process, however, whenever I had a decision to make or needed to give my advice to our board of directors, I would actively try to run it through this four-way test.

My problem with some Rotary clubs when I visit them is that they add a fifth test–Is it fun? Really? That’s a way to measure whether I should do something or not? I should base my decision making and choices on whether or not something is fun? No. I reject that. I prayed with my wife this morning and told her that a hard thing I had to do yesterday passed the four-way test, but it was not fun. As Fred Smith reminded us in his blog this morning, there is also duty, and oftentimes duty is not fun.

Father, help me to remember that you pretty much gave us a two-way test:

  • Am I loving you with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength?
  • Am I loving my neighbor as myself?

Paul said that a fruit of the Spirit is joy, but nowhere are we told in scripture that joy, fun or happiness should be our pursuit. That is just something Thomas Jefferson threw into the Declaration of Independence. Happiness is fleeting, but joy comes to us from the peace of doing our duty. Help me to do my duty today.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 21, 2019 in Miscellaneous, Musings and Stories

 

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Psalm 95

20 Nov

Come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come to him with thanksgiving. Let us sing psalms of praise to him. For the Lord is a great God, a great King above all gods. He holds in his hands the depths of the earth and the mightiest mountains. The sea belongs to him, for he made it. His hands formed the dry land, too. Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the Lord our maker, for he is our God. We are the people he watches over, the flock under his care. If only you would listen to his voice today! The Lord says, “Don’t harden your hearts as Israel did at Meribah, as they did at Massah in the wilderness. For there your ancestors tested and tried my patience, even though they saw everything I did. For forty years I was angry with them, and I said, ‘They are a people whose hearts turn away from me. They refuse to do what I tell them.’ So in my anger I took an oath: ‘They will never enter my place of rest.’”
Psalm 95

Dear God, since these are meant to be songs, sometimes I try to imagine sitting in church and singing them. Or singing them with my family. The first half of this psalm lends itself to that picture, but the last part seems like an awkward thing to sing. But is it?

The next thing I like to do is see who wrote it (this one is unknown) and then try to put myself in their place as they pinned these words. In this case, it seems that someone wanted to acknowledge you and worship you, but part of that worship was to fear you and your judgment for disobedience. At first, that seems harsh to me–a bit of a downer for a song like this. But is it?

Father, yes, you are powerful and worthy of my worship. And yes, you are demanding and worthy of my obedience. To obey is better than to sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22). So help me to worship you through both my praise and my intentional obedience. Love through me. Work through me. Enter the world through me. And let your kingdom come and will be done through me.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 20, 2019 in Psalms

 

Psalm 1:1-3

19 Nov

Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.
Psalm 1:1-3

Dear God, my wife and I were driving the other day and she noticed a cypress tree in someone’s yard. She remarked how good it looked even though it wasn’t by a river–where we usually see cypress trees. Obviously, that tree has access to water from somewhere.

What do I do to make sure I have access to enough water? The psalmist here has some thoughts on both what to do and what to NOT do:

  • NOT do: follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.
    Do: delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night.

So am I doing enough to guard my heart against being wicked? Do I join with mockers? Do I NOT love? Or do I delight in your law? Do I follow it? It reminds me of the teaching the exhorts is to follow your laws because you designed them for our joy and peace, not just to arbitrarily give us laws to follow.

Father, one of the fruits of the Spirit is the “joy” that the psalmist refers to here, and the way to cultivate the soil of my heart (or at least one of the ways) is to simply avoid evil and mockery and embrace your commands. Help me to be mindful of both of those facts as I go through this day.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 19, 2019 in Psalms

 

John 17:13-20

18 Nov

“Now I am coming to you. I told them many things while I was with them in this world so they would be filled with my joy. I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They do not belong to this world any more than I do. Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth. I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message.
John 17:13-20

Dear God, the actual verse posted on Bible Gateway today was 17: Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth.

I wonder what Jesus meant by “your word.” Even The Message translation uses “word.” What does that mean in this context? Our current Christian vernacular would say that it’s the Bible, but only the Old Testament existed back then and they didn’t have it readily available in their homes like we do now. No, I don’t think that’s what Jesus meant by “word.”

I wonder if your word and truth are imparted knowledge through the Holy Spirit. But, boy, that seems like a dangerous system for us to cling to. It’s bad enough that some of us interpret the Bible for ourselves the way we do (like I’m doing right now). But I suppose that, when it comes down to it, you just want to make me holy. You want me to be open to the Holy Spirit’s conviction. I currently have some theological views that are more liberal than the ones I held 20 years ago? Am I wrong now? Was I wrong then? The correct answer to both questions is, “Yes.” Even now, I am sure that I’m wrong about a lot of things.

Father, just help me to be holy and continue to teach me. Keep me from spreading heresy. Live through me. Love through me. Draw people to yourself through my life.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 18, 2019 in John

 

“The Faithfulness of God” — Lamentations 3:14-24

17 Nov


The above image is from Revealed: A Storybook Bible for Grown-Ups by Ned Bustard. The image itself is called “Lamentations: Send Your Rain” and was created by Steve Prince.

My own people laugh at me. All day long they sing their mocking songs. He has filled me with bitterness and given me a bitter cup of sorrow to drink. He has made me chew on gravel. He has rolled me in the dust. Peace has been stripped away, and I have forgotten what prosperity is. I cry out, “My splendor is gone! Everything I had hoped for from the Lord is lost!” The thought of my suffering and homelessness is bitter beyond words. I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss. Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!”
Lamentations 3:14-24

Dear God, yesterday, over lunch with a friend, I talked about how I’ve been disappointed with you in the past. I felt like you let me down when I had done my best to be faithful to you. My path got harder and more painful than I thought I deserved. What a beautiful portrait of that kind of pain this passage from Lamentations is! It expresses exactly what I was describing to my friend yesterday. I was filled with bitterness and felt you had given me a bitter cup to swallow. My peace (which I treasure from my relationship with you more than anything) was gone. “Everything I had hoped for from the Lord [was] lost!” But you used that experience to help me enter into a completely new place. I haven’t arrived. I’m not perfect. And I still can revel in self-pity with the best of them. Yet you taught me through that time to still “dare to hope.” You taught me to turn loose of what I thought I deserved at every level. Marriage. Children. Work. Money. Okay, like I said, I still fall into the traps of feeling like I deserve those things, but I can feel the progress I’ve made, and I’m grateful.

As for this image by Steve Prince, let me spend some time with it and see what be noticed and put into it.

  • It appears to be a tribals-type woman who is not fully clothed.
  • There is something ominous behind her. I originally thought she held the umbrella, but it is the mysterious figure behind her that holds the umbrella for her.
  • She has her right hand around her abdomen. Is she pregnant?
  • The train is not only falling, but it is blowing in from an angle. This isn’t just a shower. It’s a storm that requires the umbrella to be held against it.
  • It looks like umbrella is made of some time of leaves or thatch.
  • The man holding the umbrella has his left hand (with pretty gnarled fingers) around the woman’s waist.
  • The man is under the umbrella with her.
  • The man’s clothes cover more of him than her clothes cover of her. He even has a head covering while she has none.
  • Her scarf is blowing in the wind to support the idea of a storm.
  • It looks like she is trying to help with the umbrella, but it’s obvious that he is the one with control over it.
  • Her eyes are closed and she looks like she is just surviving, while the man looks confident and sure. His left arm around her indicates care.
  • The more I look at the picture the less ominous the man looks. He is becoming more noble in my eyes.
  • The piece is titled “Send Your Rain.” Is this storm from you for my good? Is this a rain that actually nurtures while it challenges? I like that thought.

Here is what Bustard says about the image:

This print is from the same series as Exodus: Bread from Heaven and therefore is intended to be a look at an Old Testament passage through the lens of a love story. This image shows a couple walking through a storm, which is symbolic of the suffering, pain, and destruction documented in the book of Lamentations. The husband clings to his wife as they move in faith through the storm. In the midst of the raindrops three elongated figures forms (alluding to the Trinity/Holy Spirit) create a covering over the couple. The woman clutching her abdomen is a symbol of hope and renewal as it represents the imminent arrival of a child. The presence of the Cross is created by the subtle placement of the woman’s finger overlapping the rod of the umbrella. It is by faith they walk, and the Holy Spirit amplifies their love through the storms of life.

So, I never thought of them as being a couple. I was thinking more of the woman representing your people and the man representing you. We are your bride. But you are in the umbrella? Hmm. That’s interesting. I have to admit, I really like the idea of this depicting my wife and me going through this together. Over the last 10 years, we’ve really needed each other in ways we never imagined. And we’ve needed you.

Father, help me to hold on to you. You don’t have to take away the storm for me to have faith in you. I’m slowly learning that. And help me to really believe and have faith in the fact that your steadfast love never ceases and your mercies never come to an end. You renew me every morning through your faithfulness to me. Great is your faithfulness, oh Lord. You are my portion, and I will hope in you.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 17, 2019 in Lamentations, Revealed: A Storybook Bible for Grown-Ups

 

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Faithful Grinders

16 Nov

Dear God, it is so important for us to be part of others’ lives. Yesterday, I talked to you about “making old friends” and seeing what surprises there might be in developing relationships with people from my past with whom I didn’t use to have anything in common. Then there’s the other side of the spectrum. It’s those existing old friends who just impress you and inspire you.

Last night, I spent the night with one of the most amazing couples I’ve ever known. The husband was my high school youth minister. I first met them over 32 years ago. I knew them before they were engaged, much less married. Keeping up with them and knowing them now is an unbelievable inspiration. Of course, you know them and their story better than I do, but they they have faced a lot of adversity. They’ve each had significant health problems. And I mean significant. They have lived their children through difficult paths and watched them grow into fine people who love you. They exemplify everything that is true about gifts of the Holy Spirit. They exhibit love, joy, peace… And there is nothing flashy about them. They are still getting up every day and grinding their way through life. They are still facing challenges. But I see zero bitterness. I see no selfishness or self-pity. My goodness, you radiate through them.

Father, help me to be more like you by being more like them. Oh, how I still like to feel sorry for myself. I still like to see the negatives. I’m sorry. Thank you for this couple. Thank you for showing through them that you don’t have to completely remove the struggle from our lives for your joy and peace to be in us. And I’ll add here, please guide them. Provide for them. Help them to feel your love. And help them to see a little of what they contribute to your kingdom through just living their lives and radiating you.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 16, 2019 in Miscellaneous, Musings and Stories

 

Making Old Friends

15 Nov

Dear God, I read Fred Smith’s weekly blog this morning, as I do every week, and this week’s post’s title made me think before I even read the piece: “Making Old Friends”

I suppose you could interpret that sentence in several ways, but my first instinct was to think back to high school and wonder if I could ever be close to people I didn’t care for back then. Would the change in us over the years make us more compatible than we were then? Have I written people off because my image of them is that of the 16-year-old they were instead of the 50-year-old they are?

Then there are others I know, but have never taken time to know well. Do I need to take a better look around me and see if there are friendships that you would like me to cultivate for my benefit, their benefit, and the benefit of your kingdom? I’m sure the answer is yes.

There was a man that lived here when I first moved here nearly 14 years ago. He was in his 70s and single so I assume a lot of his actions were driven by loneliness, but he had lunch out almost every day with someone different, including me. He would call me about 10:00 in the morning and invite me to lunch. I’d go out to lunch with others and see him there with someone (almost always someone different). He was a man about town who attended three church services at three different churches very Sunday so he could sing in three choirs. I wonder if I don’t need a little bit more of him in me.

Father, lead me into local relationships here that will help me to grow closer to you and will bless you and those around me. Yesterday, I sat and ate alone in a restaurant for lunch. A little later, a widowed volunteer came in and sat by herself as I was finishing. I wish I had asked he to lunch. I should have thought about her having that need. So open my eyes so that I can see what you are trying to show me.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 15, 2019 in Miscellaneous, Musings and Stories

 

1 Peter 3:18

14 Nov

Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit.
1 Peter 3:18

Dear God, my head is kind of in football season right now. Maybe that’s why, when I read this verse this morning, my first thought was that this is kind of getting back to fundamentals. Blocking and tackling. Jesus never sinned. He was martyred so we could be brought home to you. Everything builds off of that. There’s more that we add to it, but without it we have nowhere to start. Without it, I’m not here right now typing this prayer to you.

Father, help me to always remember this gift from you and not take it for granted. Help me to remember this picture of your love for me and all of us. And thank you. Thank you for the peace, joy, and hope you give me.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 14, 2019 in 1 Peter

 
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