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Sample
devotionals, from weekly emailings:
11/13/08, String Us Together
"I pray …. that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. " John 17:20,21
Hand crocheted by my grandmother, this treasured tablecloth has individual squares that were made first, then sewn together.
String Us Together
A couple of buttons snapped off in the laundry. As I was sewing them onto the shirt, I began to think about how the Holy Spirit uses a sewing stitch to ‘string’ together the believers, the body of Christ.
In my mind’s eye, the picture of a lovely, plush Christmas tree came into view. It was decorated from top to bottom with garlands of cranberries and popcorn. I could almost smell the pungent pine aroma wafting in the air. The cranberries were fresh, strung together with heavy thread; the popcorn held together by some rough, tan twine.
This past week I attended a ‘women of faith’ conference. There were women of all ages there, from teens to, I’d guess, eighties. People were from all walks of life, lifestyles, churches and denominations.
As we stood together, all around the huge arena, singing and praising God, we were most definitely being ‘strung together’ by the love of God and the presence of the Holy Spirit.
I thought of the old song ‘Bind Us Together’ with new words, string us together, Lord……string us together with Love.
Lord, Thank you that in Your mercy and grace it is Your plan to string together Your children, Your body, Your church. Thank you, Lord! In Jesus’ name, amen.
11/6/08, Painless Surgery
Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working." John 5:17
Painless Surgery
Growing up in a large city, I learned to have many fears. I guess they stayed with me, buried underneath the twists and turns that life takes when you’re growing up. So they never really went anywhere, and would surface from time to time in different ways.
Recently a situation came up that would normally cause me to become frightened, even panic. Yet I felt calm and peaceful. In fact, I didn’t even realize I hadn’t been scared, until later.
Somewhere along the line, the Lord did surgery, and took out the unwanted, unnecessary fear. Painless surgery; I wasn’t aware of when it took place.
God is so good to us! He is always at work, helping us and changing us to grow us into His image and likeness. Sometimes we know it, and other times not.
I’m thankful for Holy Spirit who helps us do what we cannot on our own, through Jesus’ name.
That is good news.
10/30/08, White Butterfly
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge Him and will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5,6
White Butterfly
My husband and I were threading our way down the path from our trek up to the waterfall. Nothing around. No people, no birds, no animals... except for one very small chipmunk scurrying from rock to rock to avoid our big scary shoes coming toward him.
Then a tiny white butterfly appeared. It fluttered along in front of us all, as if leading the way. All the way down the trail to the bridge at the bottom. There, by the river's edge, it flew into the woods, only to reappear behind us when we moved on.
We weren't lost. But sometimes we don't have to be completely lost to need a little guidance and direction. Or even reassurance, comfort.
Ten thousand feet up in the Rocky Mountains, could a white butterfly be a reminder saying God will go ahead of us to lead the way? And that He will also come behind us?
God tells us in the Bible, "I will never leave you or forsake you." (Joshua 1, Deuteronomy 31, Hebrews 13)
It's a promise! That's good news.
10/16/08, In A Hurry
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1
In A Hurry
Things can change in a hurry. The first week of September, the narrow white-trunked aspen trees were very green due to a long wet summer season. Three days later, they were tinged with yellow. In less than a week, they were solid gold. What a majestic sight!
The climate, the length of daylight hours, the temperature, all contributed to what seemed like a quick change. In reality, all these things took time for the leaf color change to occur.
Maybe you, or someone you know, is in a not-so-great place, and can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. It seems to go on forever, like it’s never going to change.
Change it will, though. Everything has a season. Nothing is forever, except the love of God. The bible tells us, in the book of Psalms, the love of the Lord endures forever.
While waiting for things to change, reading the Psalms can give us comfort, and reassure us that there is a God who loves us and is very present with us.
Never give up! It’s true that it’s always darkest just before dawn. Hang in, and hold on to the Lord, and to His promises. Search the scriptures, and find verses that speak to you and your situation.
We sometimes get impatient for things to change. They will, in God’s perfect timing, and then it will seem as if it happened ‘in a hurry”.
10/09/08, Have You Ever?
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.. learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Matthew 11:28-29
Have You Ever?
Traffic was picking up, with rush hour about thirty minutes away. As I drove along a street paralleling the railroad tracks, I noticed a truck off to my left.
It was parked on an empty lot which had overgrown scrub grass and tall weeds. The cab was jackknifed; I slowed down to look closer.
A man in the driver’s seat had his head back, obviously sleeping. It wasn’t a truck stop, or anything; I figured he probably had gotten so tired he just couldn’t go any farther.
Have you ever felt that way? Like you were too tired to go any farther? Like you just couldn’t give more; like you couldn’t do one more thing, go another mile?
The solution that’s given, in the wisest book ever written, says the answer is ‘rest’. Just as the truck driver was doing. And not only physically rest (sleep), but rest emotionally, mentally and spiritually as well.
The Message says, "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life…Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." (Matthew 11:28-30)
Yes, there is an answer, in a Person, to feeling too tired to go any farther. That is good news.
10/02/08, Chattering
Praise be to the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds. Praise be to his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and Amen. Psalm 72:18,19
Chattering
The morning dawned bright and clear. We’d barely gotten onto the trail, strolling rather than seriously hiking, enjoying God’s handiwork.
So far, we were the only ones in sight. I heard a faint noise, a ticking or cheeping. It grew louder as I stepped slowly off the trail. I figured it must be a mountain jay or some other kind of bird. Peering up through the the tall evergreens, my eyes strained to se motion. Nada, zip, zero.
The chattering increased, and the perp came into view: a brown squirrel, quite small, tail just a-twitchin’. He was perched on a branch and boy was he mad. Clearly he did not like us being in his territory. The closer I inched, the noisier the chattering got, until he scampered off.
I was laughing as I thought, “He is ‘that’ big, and I’m ‘that’ big. You’d think he wouldn’t fuss at something so much bigger than he is!”
I didn’t see him on the way back down. While I was keeping an eye out for him, it crossed my mind how sometimes I get annoyed if things aren’t going the way I’d planned, and ‘chatter’ at God.
I’m finite, He’s infinite. I’m a ‘blade of grass, here today and gone tomorrow’, and He’s forever. I know hardly anthing, He knows everything. He alone is omniscient, omnipresent, sovereign. I hope that, if I start ‘chattering’ at God, I can catch myself and think about what I’m saying.
Lord, thank you for the beautiful world You gave us, and thank you for continually showing us, growing us, and teaching us, and as my grandson Tommy says, “thank you most of all for your Son, Jesus!’
9/25/08, The No Make-Up Friend
God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8
The No Make-Up Friend
A quick shower, and …uh-oh, it was already time for my guest to arrive.
“Well, no time for make-up now, “ I said, out loud, to myself. Then, “That’s OK. It’s Sandy; it’ll be all right.”
It’s OK to be ourselves with a good friend. In fact, it is a great blessing. You don’t have to worry about putting your best foot forward, or trying to win them over. It is comfortable to ‘just be yourself.’
I saw a sticker the other day that said, ‘Jesus is my best friend’. How about, “Jesus is my ‘no make-up friend’ ”.
It’s true: there’s nothing you can do, and nothing you cannot do, that would change the love of God for you. He can never love you less, and never love you more. He just loves you. That’s it; He loves you.
God IS love. And He loves you. Just the way you are. Make-up, or no make-up. That’s good news.
9/18/08, Known Only to Him
My soul finds rest in God alone...my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken…he is my refuge. Psalm 62:1-7
Known Only to Him
We were visiting from out of town, and arrived a little before the service started at a church downtown. We slid into seats on the side up near the altar. It felt so peaceful, and we were thanful for a place to worship, hear the Word of God and be with other believers.
Near us, I saw an older man come in and sit by himself. He was dresse; his body looked thin and fragile, yet strong. I couldn’t see hi face until passing him later. It was then I noticed the sadness in his eyes. His whole demeanor actually seemed sort of limp with, perhaps grieving.
My heart went out to him; I breathed a little prayer. I don’t know him and probably never will. But I know someone who does.
God alone knows our deepest thoughts. He alone knows our heart of hearts. In reality, we are known only by Him.
In 1952, Carl Stuart Hamblen wrote the words and music to the gospel song:
Known only to him are the great hidden secrets
I'll fear not the darkness when my flame shall dim
I know not what the future holds
But I know who holds the future
It's a secret known only to Him
In this world of fear and doubt
On my knees I ask the question
Why a lonely, heavy cross I must bear
Then he tells me in my prayer
It's because I am trustworthy
He gives me strength far more than my share
Known only to him are the great hidden secrets
I'll fear not the darkness when my flame shall dim
I know not what the future holds
But I know who holds the future
It's a secret known only to Him
How wonderful this same God is loving, kind, merciful, and comforting towards us.
9/11/08, Celebrity Status
You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9
You are .. holy to the Lord your God. Out of all the peoples on the face of the earth, the Lord has chosen you to be his treasured possession. Deuteronomy 14:2
 
Celebrity Status
Everybody’s a celebrity in somebody’s eyes.
The high-profile, obvious ones might be athletes, olympians, singers, or movie stars. It could be a mom or dad to a young child, or perhaps an older sibling. Maybe a student would have a teacher filling that role, or a ball player, a coach.
Perhaps someone you don’t even know thinks of you as some sort of celebrity. Your smile might light up the day for a weary check-out person at the market, and buoy up his outlook. Or the elderly receptionist handling the front desk in the office may think of you as a celebrity-type, because each day you take an interest and ask how the family’s doing. Or maybe you are the only person in months who has thanked the hardworking person who’s cleaning the turnpike restroom.
Whether you’re aware of it or not, you’re a celebrity in God’s eyes:
He made you. (Genesis 1:26,28 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image... God blessed them)
He loves you. (John 16: 27 the Father himself loves you) ( Revelation 1:6 To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen)
He paid a high price to have a relationship with you. (1 Corinthians 7:23 You were bought at a price)
And, you are always on His mind (Isaiah 49 15,16 “I would not forget you. See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands.)
Enjoy your celebrity status today. Walk in it, knowing that in Somebody’s eyes, you are just that, a celebrity.
That’s good news.
9/4/08, Promises
I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Genesis 9:13
Promises
We were on our way to a business meeting. The morning was dismally gray and rush hour traffic was still bumper-to-bumper on the interstate.
My associate was despondent. She shared with me how it seemed her life was falling apart around her, even as she muddled through it. I was listening, and in my mind, trying to formulate words of encouragement.
Then, right there in front of us, stretching all the way across the horizon, were double rainbows. What a sight! Not just one, but two, with a message proclaiming the gift of comfort and hope that God gives us, because of His presence and His Word.
Rainbows speak of a promise God gave a long time ago. After the flood that destroyed nearly all life (chapters 6-9 in the book of Genesis), God made a covenant, with Noah and his descendants, for all generations to come. The Lord said, “Never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth. This is the sign of the covenant....I have set my rainbow in the clouds....whenever it appears...I will remember the everlasting covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth.”
Rainbows are the colors of God’s love, a visible sign that He is a faithful God. Can they speak to us today? They brought a message to us, the day my friend needed a good word. And each time we see one - or two! - we can be reminded of God’s promise and His faithfulness to us.
That is good news.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for the outward signs You give us to help recall that You are a covenant-making God, and that You are our faithful heavenly Father. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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