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Weekly Devotions

St. Andrew's is focused on providing opportunities for all to experience the love and grace of Jesus. We offer a variety of ministries that allow everyone to grow closer to God.

Each Wednesday, a devotion is posted here, sent via email to our email list and also posted on our Facebook page. If you would like to be part of our email list please contact the church office. In addition, check out past Devotions on our Facebook page. 

I often receive feedback that the devotions are rich in content and are complex. Reading devotions whether short and concise or longer and complicated should never be read once quickly. All types of devotions should be read multiple times using contemplation, reflection and pausing. In those spaces of contemplation and reflection we experience the Holy Spirit interacting with us. Sometimes, individuals will reach out and provide their thoughts and reflections on their devotion. My intent has always been to create a dialogue. So read these in the way that best works for you to experience the Holy Spirit and create a dialogue with others in our community.

Wednesday April 17, 2024

Hi St. Andrew’s UMC Community ….

Yesterday, in one of the packages the church received a fun fact as printed on a small card which was – π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘Žπ‘£π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘”π‘’ π‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘ π‘œπ‘› 𝑀𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑛𝑑 π‘Žπ‘π‘œπ‘’π‘‘ 𝑠𝑖π‘₯ π‘šπ‘œπ‘›π‘‘β„Žπ‘  π‘œπ‘“ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘–π‘Ÿ 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒 π‘€π‘Žπ‘–π‘‘π‘–π‘›π‘” π‘“π‘œπ‘Ÿ π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘‘ π‘™π‘–π‘”β„Žπ‘‘π‘  π‘‘π‘œ π‘‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘› π‘”π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘’π‘›. What do you think of that? Colleen said, how can one know. And then our discussion turned into waiting and the challenges and benefits of waiting. So today’s devotion is on waiting! Let’s not wait any longer …

π–πšπ’π­π’π§π  𝐒𝐬 π…πšπ’π­π‘

𝐺𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑠 1:9

The Hebrew Word, Χ§ΦΈΧ•ΦΈΧ”, is normally translated as gathered together and yet it’s meaning is to wait. So, Genesis 1:9 is typically translated as God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered together into one place, and let dry land appear,” and that is how it was (CJB). Or we can translate it as God said, “Let the water under the sky wait into one place, and let dry land appear,” and that is how it was. In using the meaning of the word as wait, the waters themselves had to wait on God before forming into the seas.

Wait on God before forming. What does that sentence mean to you? What does it mean to wait on God? What does it mean to wait on God and be formed? Often times in this world, we want what we want and we want it now. I have to say that hardest part of faith for me is waiting on God and wondering where is God. For many non-believers because God doesn’t act in a way that someone wants or acts in a way to stop suffering, God doesn’t exist. It seems that for many waiting on God proves God doesn’t exist.

Waiting on God is faith. Not faith in getting what you want, but faith that being formed into something more than what you once were. The waters had to wait to become the sea as God transformed them from water to sea. Each of us has to wait to be formed into something greater than we can imagine but into what God knows we can be.

How often do you choose to not wait on God and do your own thing? Maybe even justifying it? What will it take for you to wait on God and be transformed and formed into something greater than you can ever imagine?

π‘‚β„Ž πΊπ‘œπ‘‘ π‘œπ‘“ π‘€π‘Žπ‘–π‘‘π‘–π‘›π‘”, π‘“π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘šπ‘–π‘›π‘” π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘‘π‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘›π‘ π‘“π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘šπ‘–π‘›π‘”. 𝐻𝑒𝑙𝑝 π‘šπ‘’ π‘‘π‘œ π‘Žπ‘π‘π‘’π‘π‘‘ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘€π‘Žπ‘–π‘‘π‘–π‘›π‘” π‘˜π‘›π‘œπ‘€π‘–π‘›π‘” π‘Œπ‘œπ‘’ π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘’ π‘“π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘šπ‘–π‘›π‘” π‘šπ‘’ π‘–π‘›π‘‘π‘œ π‘ π‘œπ‘šπ‘’π‘‘β„Žπ‘–π‘›π‘” 𝐼 π‘π‘Žπ‘›’𝑑 𝑠𝑒𝑒. 𝐻𝑒𝑙𝑝 π‘šπ‘’ π‘‘π‘œ π‘Žπ‘π‘π‘’π‘π‘‘ β„Žπ‘œπ‘€ π‘Œπ‘œπ‘’ π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘’ π‘“π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘šπ‘–π‘›π‘” π‘šπ‘’ π‘–π‘›π‘ π‘‘π‘’π‘Žπ‘‘ π‘œπ‘“ π‘šπ‘’ π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘ π‘–π‘ π‘‘π‘–π‘›π‘” π‘Œπ‘œπ‘’. π΄π‘šπ‘’π‘›.

by Rev Dave Piltz