“The Sunny-Side-Up Car”

By Susanne Scheppmann

Key verse;

 “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.” (Philippians 2:3 NIV) 

Devotion:

Twice in one day, I received an obscene hand gesture as I was driving. “What in the world?” I thought. I am a careful and considerate driver. I could not remember the last time I had angered another driver to that extent. Today, it was not only once, but twice. Strange! 

Then just a few blocks from home, a woman in a sporty yellow convertible raced by me, honking obnoxiously and glaring at me. Finally, it began to dawn on me why this was happening. I usually drive an SUV—shiny and big. Today, I was tooling around in our old car with very faded paint and eggs splattered across it. A few weeks ago someone had egged the car, and by the time we discovered it, the egg had adhered permanently. We scrubbed and scraped. In the heat of Nevada desert, the eggs had baked into the paint.

An “ah-ha” moment popped into my thoughts. People judged my driving skills and me, by my sunny-side-up egged car. Their attitudes became aggressive. They felt they needed to put me in “my place.” Their angry actions told me, “Get that thing off the road. Don’t you know how to drive, woman?”--all because my car looked like a disaster.

Sadly, I know I have misjudged, misinterpreted, and misunderstood other people because they look and act differently than I do. Unfortunately, sometimes I inspect the outside and never delve beyond the exterior of the person.

However, today’s Key Verse[mt1]  instructs us differently— to consider others better than ourselves. In addition, Romans 12:16 states, “Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.” (NIV) 

I guess I am thankful for my sunny-side-up egged car. Every time I turn the key in the ignition, I will be reminded that appearances do not matter.

Prayer:

Dear Lord, forgive me for the times I have judged someone by his or her outward appearance. Remind me that we are all your children. Grant me the grace to love unconditionally as You do. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Application steps: 

Read Philippians 2:1-11. Make notes on how “your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus,” (5).

Reflections: 

In what circumstances do I tend to judge people by their outward appearance?

Do I truly believe that God loves everyone?

Power verses:

Romans 12:3, “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. (NIV) 

Zechariah 7:10, “Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other.” (NIV) 

© 2008 by Susanne Scheppmann. All rights reserved.

“Two Left Feet”

By Susanne Scheppmann

Key Verse:

“But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NIV)

Devotion:

The accordion wheezed in and out with the melody, while the tuba burped out the rhythm—oompah pa pa oompah. The oompah band, dressed in traditional Bavarian style attire—red knickers, canary yellow knee socks, small hunter green vests and green felt caps with bright red feathers wagging from the brim--played for the crowd. Each musician clutched his instrument as if it were his lover and then nodded toward the audience, encouraging them toward the dance floor.

Several members of my extended family stared at the video recording of my father-in-law’s retirement party. We sat mesmerized as we relived the gaiety of those priceless moments. With oompahs playing in the background, we watched ourselves hitch arms and jig in a large circle. And, of course, human nature as it is, we all wanted to see ourselves dance to oompah music.

Suddenly, I spied myself. I thought, “Ugh!” Unfortunately, my father-in-law paused the video and said with an air of surprise, “I didn’t know you had two left feet.”

I have many deficiencies—two left feet is a minor one. Trust me, I have some really doozies of problems in my life—like we all do. But I know for a fact that no matter how large or small my deficiencies, Christ is all sufficient in my life. I have been a Christ follower for over thirty years and not once has Jesus failed to meet my needs. I can say along with King David who wrote, “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song” (Psalms 28:7 NIV). I may have a myriad of deficiencies, but I can still sing for joy in His strength.

We all have deficiencies. God created us that way. Why? So that we must learn to depend on Him as our key verse states, “But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

So today, I am going to dance in faith with my two-left feet. Will you join me in trusting Jesus, our Almighty God, with your deficiencies?

Prayer:                                                                                                                                                             

Dear Lord, I recognize my need for Your strength in my life. My day-to-day existence is fraught with deficiencies. Thank you for being more than enough in my life. Thank you for being my Almighty God. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Application steps: 

 Consider in what areas you need the strength of Christ today. Take a short time to pray and ask Him to give you endurance and the hope to see you through each difficulty or deficiency you face today. Remember He is our Almighty God.  

Reflections: 

What type of “deficiency” do you feel you have? 

Do you believe you can overcome it by yourself?

How can God’s strength enable you to endure difficulties?

 Power verses:

 2 Corinthians 1:20-21, “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God.
Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ.” (NIV) 

Psalms 37:39, “But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble.” (KJV)

Psalms 147:11, “Those who fear God get God's attention; they can depend on his strength.” (MSG)

© 2010 by Susanne Scheppmann. All rights reserved.

“Embraced by the Father”

By Susanne Scheppmann

Key Verse:

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.” (1 John 3:1 NIV)

Devotion:

Her smile lit up the room when her daddy entered the room. Her rosebud lips spread into a wide beam of a smile. Her silky black hair leapt about her face as she bounced excitedly on the balls of her feet. She looked like Snow White after a large cup of espresso. The man started the music and began to walk toward her. He stopped and opened wide his muscular arms—the familiar invitation to dance. She raced to him and perched herself atop his feet. They began two-stepping to their special song, “My Personal Penguin.” The princess was dancing with her Prince Charming—her daddy.

Bittersweet joy washed over me like a warm spring rain as I witnessed this scene between my son and granddaughter. Happiness for my granddaughter flowed into my heart, but there was also a tinge of sadness. I regretted never having experienced the same type of father-daughter relationship with my earthly dad.

My own father resembled the character of Rhett Butler from Gone with the Wind. He was suave, handsome, and self-assured, but a rogue. I traveled through my childhood and adolescence wishing for a Rhett Butler type of man to whisk me off my feet. I desired a rogue to embrace me with a wild and untamed love. Because of my “father image,” I actually desired imperfect love from the people I loved the most. A flawed love would hurt, but it still appealed to my broken heart. I believed falsely that love could only be achieved through volatile sparks of emotion, fueled by the uncertainty of the love.

           

Of course, it was all a misguided representation of a girl’s broken heart. But now, I have learned to know a perfect love—the love of my heavenly Father. Only He has been able to fill my heart with a perfect love. The night I accepted His love, He began to reveal to me the character of a faultless Father. As the Father embraced me, my idea of errant love slid into oblivion. I learned the true meaning of love as I gained knowledge of God. He taught me His characteristics and personality through the diversity of His names, but my favorite will always be Father—Abba—My Daddy.

Do you know Abba—the heavenly Father? He is waiting for you with His arms wide open.  Come and be embraced by the Father.

Prayer:

Dear Lord, thank you for revealing the true love of a Father to my broken heart. Help me to learn to live out my life in Your perfect and holy love. Remind me that You love me just as I am—flaws and all. Thank for Your love.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Application steps: 

Read Zephaniah 3:17. Write down the activities that sound like a father loving his daughter. Imagine yourself sitting on the Father’s lap and allowing him to sing over you.

Reflections: 

What is my mental image of a father?

Do I believe that God loves me as a perfect father would? Why or why not?

What hinders me from accepting God’s unconditional love?

 Power verses:

 1 John 1:2-4, “The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us.
We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
We write this to make our joy complete.” (NIV)

Galatians 4:6, “And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” (NLT)

© 2010 by Susanne Scheppmann. All rights reserved.