NorthStar Community Daily Devotional

Day 289 – Fundamental Facts

Having a Heart in a Sometimes Heartless World

Scripture focus: The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see. The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd. Hebrews 11:1-2 The Message

We looked at ten life lessons learned from Randy Pausch. What lies beneath these principles? Was Pausch simply born with a perky brain? Possibly. Did his family system of origin feed his optimism and equip him for living large? Absolutely. Did Randy have a charmed life? Well, if you call getting pancreatic cancer in your forties charming, I suppose you could call him lucky. Speaking of lucky, was Randy lucky at love, work, and finances? Maybe.

But here’s the deal – I’ve known lots of people who we could label “lucky” in life – that could not have given “The Last Lecture” with such authority and authenticity. So what is it about Randy Pausch and his beloved wife Jai that made their story so compelling? For me, it was their faith.

I loved how they told their story. They made it personal. Neither one tried to tell us how to live, but simply recounted how they were choosing to live. Maybe it’s just me, but listening to their stories reminded me of God’s word. And it made me think about how alive and well God’s words were expressed in their daily lives.

For example – when Jai was asked how she daily dealt with the reality of Randy’s inevitable demise, she told us that with the advice of her therapist, she learned to say, “not helpful” when her thought life was dangerous. She reminded me of a few verses in the book of Philippians.

Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute! Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious - the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies. Philippians 4:4-9 The Message

Jai shows us how to model these principles in all our affairs.

Lesson ten: Live life God’s way.



Recommended reading: Jeremiah 28 and 20 in the morning; 1 Timothy 1 and Psalm 62 in the evening

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