Reference Point Devotional

“Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer; for he said, ‘Till now the Lord has helped us.’” (1Samuel 7:12 ESV)

“Come,” He said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water, and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” —Matthew 14:29–30 (NIV)

“Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.”
(James 3:13 ESV) 

Our profession is centered around information, and one could say that a step above information is wisdom. “Wise and understanding” are two adjectives coupled together to see truth with its application. I really like how one commentary on James describes it: “Understanding has seen how good wisdom in action is and knows why wisdom is good.” [1] Many people would prefer to just be told what to do (i.e., given a list of dos and don’ts). I think James shows that it just does not work that way, because if you know why a certain choice is right or wrong, you will be much better equipped to make the right choices in a broader context.

“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.”
2 Corinthians 4:6-7 ESV

In antiquity, people used clay vessels for many purposes. One of the main purposes was storage. Jars may hold ordinary, everyday items or preserve rare and important documents.

“And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14 b (ESV)

My first year of full-time librarianship was a wild one. Within twelve months, we had three different library directors and two different acquisition librarians. What had once been a thriving team of 5 full-time librarians and a part-time cataloger had dwindled to two full-time librarians and a part-time generalist librarian who helped us keep up with the ever-flowing stream of interlibrary loans. I felt overwhelmed as, after 3 months of distance work over the summer due to library renovations, which left us at half our previous square footage, I returned to campus shortly after the beginning of the school year to become the senior member of the full-time staff.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

I have often found that letting God steer my life leads to better outcomes than following my own plans. His timing is what truly matters.  I want to share that I love Contemporary Christian Music (CCM), and my family and I listen to K-LOVE radio every day.  My wife and I have three kids, and it is such a blessing to be driving in the car and hearing three small voices sing praises to the Lord.  Our current favorite is Katy Nicole’s song When I Fall because even the youngest sings along!  In early 2023, I began collecting CCM songs from K-LOVE on Apple Music, feeling a need to gather them for something special.  I imagined playing guitar and singing these songs on campus to share God’s love, not realizing I was preparing for a future in radio broadcasting.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. (1 Peter 1:3 NIV)

For those not familiar with Advent, it is the start of the Christian calendar. During the four weeks leading up to Christmas day, historically, a Christian was encouraged to prepare for the celebration of Christ’s first coming to earth with penance and fasting. Each week of Advent has a theme, week 1- hope, week 2- peace, week 3- joy, week 4- love; these themes can be enriched with many Scripture passages, family activities, and personal reflection.

“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:8

I recently participated in a Walk & Talk as part of my institution’s Spiritual Renewal Week activities. The event pairs a staff or faculty member with a student for 30 minutes of strolling across campus, chatting, and praying. I had never volunteered for the event before, but it sounded like a great opportunity to support our students, so I signed up. Then, being an introvert who had just signed up for an event that involves being paired with a stranger and talking to them for half an hour, I immediately regretted having done so. While simmering in my uncertainty about how the event would go, I heard the Renewal Week preacher mention that she had been praying for all of the events of the week including the Walk & Talk conversations. I was reminded and reassured that the Lord was going before me and would be with me during the event. I ended up having a good conversation with a student who really needed a listening ear and some encouragement, and I was honored to have the opportunity to pray with her at the end of our walk. As we were parting ways to head back to our regular afternoon plans, she commented that she had never participated in the Walk & Talk before and was really glad she decided to give it a chance. It seemed I was not the only one who had experienced a bit of trepidation about trying something new.

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work….” Exodus 20:8-10 NKJV

I’ve worked in academic libraries for 37 years: 19 at Indiana University, 12 at Point Loma Nazarene University, and 6 at Lenoir-Rhyne University. All three institutions had some kind of faculty status for librarians, and all three allowed for promotion in rank, service on faculty committees, and other faculty responsibilities and benefits. For the most part, I think faculty status has been a strong positive for libraries and librarians. With these systems in place, I was promoted several times, received tenure at two different institutions, and served in leadership roles on faculty committees at all three institutions.

^“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 NIV

When we are facing adversity and a spiritual battle, it is easy to blame God and to beg Him to remove us from it. “Why me?”  is something that easily falls from our lips instead of gratitude and worship. We think if we are doing battle, God is picking on us, or just AWOL. Libraries and librarians, as well as Christians, are facing a lot of adversity and uncertainty currently, and many of us are facing them in our personal lives as well.