Forest Lake Talks

8/8/22 Devotional from Ed

August 8, 2022

Text: 2 Timothy 3:14-17 (Common English Bible)

But you must continue with the things you have learned and found convincing. You know who taught you. Since childhood you have known the holy scriptures that help you to be wise in a way that leads to salvation through faith that is in Christ Jesus. Every scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for showing mistakes, for correcting, and for training character, so that the person who belongs to God can be equipped to do everything that is good.

Devotional:

We talk A LOT about baseball in the Black household - everything ranging from ballparks to Derek Jeter to "who's better" comparisons. And last week, my children, and all sports fans around the world, had a chance to remember one of the baseball icons who left us.

There's a reason why a street outside Dodger Stadium is named after Vin Scully. He was the longtime announcer for both the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers, which is even more impressive when one considers the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles from Brooklyn in 1957! His sixty-six year career (can you imagine) was filled with great calls in multiple sports by great players.

Vin Scully had a gift of knowing when to talk and knowing when to let the moment sink in. He called some of the most iconic plays in baseball history - Hank Aaron's record-breaking homerun, Kirk Gibson's pinch hit World Series homerun - and if you listen to these calls, you'll hear Vin get out of the way and let the moment speak for itself. You simply hear the crowd. And his radio calls made it feel like he was speaking directly to you: "And a very pleasant good evening to you."

He was THE VOICE of baseball for generations of fans who grew up in eras when all games were not televised and on demand.

Scripture has a remarkable way of feeling like it speaks directly to us, also. Whether we read the Word or hear it proclaimed, how is it that we walk away so many times thinking, "That's what I needed to hear/read today." This only happens, however, when we take a step back and allow the Word to seep in, and it only happens when we devote the time to studying it.

Teaspoon by teaspoon full, Scripture, coupled with the Holy Spirit, can work its way into our lives and become life-giving and changing. However, we need to be diligent and open to reading it! And, we need to pause (pray maybe?) to truly "hear it" after reading or listening to it.

When you read Scripture this week, take a moment to pray and ask for the Word to reveal itself to you in that moment and place. Or, take a moment to just pause and let it sink in. See if you feel a difference.

Prayer: Holy God, let your Word seep into our hearts and minds this day and beyond. Amen.

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