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Sample
devotionals, from weekly emailings:
5/14/09, Details
And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Matthew 10:30,31
Details
While I was talking with someone the other day, she mentioned something going on in her life. I asked if she’d prayed about it. She replied no, she didn’t think God was concerned about something like that…..she prays about the important things but not anything as small as this. I could identify with this thinking, and at one time my thinking was….after all, God has a lot to do all the time!
Then one day I happened to be visiting a church. After the worship service the pastor asked if anyone would like to come up for prayer.
Several people did. Clearly some had physical ailments; others may have had financial, family, or work situations they were seeking God’s help in. One woman had a cold, and she went right up for prayer along with the others. The pastors and prayer team prayed for each person that came, including the woman with the sniffles. No prayer request was too large, or too small.
There is nothing under the sun that is not important to God. All we have to do is look at our solar system, the starry universe, how a baby is perfectly put together before birth, the cell structure in our bodies, right down to a perfectly and intricately made bumble bee in a minutely detailed single flower.
He is most definitely and assuredly in details. And He is totally interested in the details of our lives. The Word of the Lord is truth, and it says that even the hairs of our head are numbered by God. He knows every single solitary detail about us. He IS interested and involved in our lives.
No prayer request is too small for Him. He already knows what is in our hearts and minds, and longs for us to come to Him, our Heavenly Father, to ask and to talk things over. Through the Holy Spirit, we can come to Him, trusting and believing.
What an awesome and amazing God we have, that HE would be interested in every detail concerning us. So “give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” (1 Peter 5:7) How wonderful we serve a God of details.
That is good news.
5/7/09, Long After
Thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. 2 Corinthians 2:14
Long After
My mom ’s favorite flower was the gardenia. I remember she used to wear one in her hair on festive occasions. She is no longer here, but for years my dad had a beautiful gardenia bush in his yard in her memory. Today we have one outside too; the blooms seem to peak around Mothers Day each May which brings many memories to mind.
Gardenias are the most potent smelling flowers I know. The pungent fragrance of just one flower can fill an entire room. The blooms don’t last very long. The smooth, ivory petals turn yellow, then brown. Too quickly they look dried up and ugly.
Funny thing about gardenias, long after the appearance of the flower starts to go downhill, the powerfully sweet odor is every bit as strong as it ever was.
Interesting thing about saints: long after the outward appearance begins to degenerate, due to aging, accidents, or disease, a glorious aroma still radiates to the world. The Spirit in our hearts never dies or disintegrates.
And you can bet that when one leaves this world, there remains a sweet smelling fragrance. Long after.
That is good news.
4/30/09, Stairs to Nowhere
As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless.
2 Samuel 22:31 Psalm 18
Stairs to Nowhere
The wooden stairs appeared to lead up off the decking to something beyond, but what? Thick brushy mangroves bulged around the edges of the planking. As far as I could see from where I was standing however, the stairs led to nowhere.
I’ve been there….. on rabbit trails that take you to a dead end. On stairs that lead to nowhere. It just seemed I was getting somewhere, somewhere meaningful at that. In the end it was no more than like running on a hamster wheel. Maybe you can relate.
One of the best examples of intentionally mapping a route and following it is reading the Bible. It is the best roadmap for living there is. There are thousands, probably millions, of books that purport the same, yet none has stood the test of time like the Word of God.
I’ve heard it said that if you have no where in particular you’re going that you’ll probably get there. The Bible, not stairs to nowhere.
That’s good news.
4/23/09, The Fine Print
"Have faith in God," Jesus answered. "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins." (Mark 11:22-25)
The Fine Print
There it was, at the very bottom of the document, in noticably smaller size print. The disclaimer. Have you ever noticed these sections at the end of a contract or agreement? I’m reminded of the saying, “Read the fine print before signing on the dotted line.”
That little part stuck on at the end might sometimes be called “the catch”. When things seem too good to be true, they usually are. We ask, “What’s the catch?”
There is an amazing promise in the bible that might sound too good to be true. About a week before Jesus was killed and came back to life, He was talking with His close friends. He said if you believe, you can have anything you ask for in prayer (Mark 11:24).
Could it be that easy? Perhaps the very next sentence is the fine print to the promise. Practically in the same breath, Jesus continues, essentially saying that we have to forgive anyone we hold a grudge against first. Could even be ourselves.
The fine print of forgiveness. It’s a decision, not a feeling, a key to unlocking and releasing God’s promises. That’s good news.
4/16/09, The Great Inventor
We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them. Acts 24:15b
Has not my hand made all these things? Acts 7:50
The Great Inventor
When you were a child, did you ever wonder how the ocean didn’t slide off the earth? How all the water didn’t spill out and eventually there would be no more water in the oceans? What a great invention! Sometimes even now I think of how amazing is our God about soo many things. Like how the ocean doesn’t.
Psalm 104 majestically tells of God, the great inventor. Who but God could design oceans teeming with unimaginable sea creatures from microscopic algae to gigantic whales and countless colorful marine life in between? Plus grasses and coral and sand and, well the list is infinitesimal.
Years ago, our family did a little snorkeling and some diving. Under the sea it was eerily silent, a whole other world. ‘Beautiful’ doesn’t even come close to describing it.
The fabulous worship song by Nicole C. Mullen (Redeemer) proposes these questions: Who taught the sun where to stand in the morning, Who told the ocean you an only come this far? Who showed the moon where to hide 'til evening, Whose words alone can catch a falling star? And the lyrics answer perfectly: Well I know my Redeemer lives, I know my Redeemer lives; All of creation testify, This life within me cries, I know my Redeemer lives.
The Great Inventor and our Redeemer, one. One God. That is good news.
Praise the Lord , O my soul. O Lord my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty. He wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters. He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind. He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants. He set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved. You covered it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. But at your rebuke the waters fled, at the sound of your thunder they took to flight; they flowed over the mountains, they went down into the valleys, to the place you assigned for them. You set a boundary they cannot cross; never again will they cover the earth. He makes springs pour water into the ravines; it flows between the mountains. They give water to all the beasts of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst. The birds of the air nest by the waters; they sing among the branches. He waters the mountains from his upper chambers; the earth is satisfied by the fruit of his work. He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate- bringing forth food from the earth: wine that gladdens the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread that sustains his heart. The trees of the Lord are well watered, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted. There the birds make their nests; the stork has its home in the pine trees. The high mountains belong to the wild goats; the crags are a refuge for the coneys. The moon marks off the seasons, and the sun knows when to go down. You bring darkness, it becomes night, and all the beasts of the forest prowl. The lions roar for their prey and seek their food from God. The sun rises, and they steal away; they return and lie down in their dens. Then man goes out to his work, to his labor until evening. How many are your works, O Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number- living things both large and small. Psalm 104
4/9/09, Holding Onto the "B"
The Lord is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed. Deut. 31:8
Holding Onto the "B"
On a family vacation, three year old Tommy wore a new western hat that was nearly half the size of him. He was thrilled the day his dad took him by the horses. He’d never been this close to a horse before.
I watched Tommy struggling to reach through the fence and stroke the horse’s nose. He was holding his “B” In his left hand, the blankie that went everywhere with him. Even on the airplane and out to see the horses. Only thing is he couldn’t quite negotiate getting his hand through the fence hole, without dropping the “B”. And he wasn’t about to drop the “B”.
I couldn’t help but think of how many times there is something good out there, I want to move forward, take the next step. Yet I want to hold on to the security of the past. I just can’t let go of something for fear of how I would be able to manage without it. Kind of reminds me of a story I heard once about a daddy and his young daughter who had a strand of pink plastic pearls.
God asks us to grow in our Christian walk. We don’t have to do it alone, in fact we can’t. 1 Peter 2-3 says, Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. The “meat”, more of God, is a blessing,
Our “B’s” are wonderful for a season, then comes a time we no longer have to hold onto them. May we have the courage and grace to let go and trust our Heavenly Father to take care of us in the next step He has for us. He is already there anyway;
I had a friend that used to put it this way, “you can’t go anywhere that God is not already there.” That is good news.
4/2/09, Light
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. (Isaiah 9:2 and Matthew 4:16) The light shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot overcome it. (John 1:5)
Light
A quick trip to see some friends out of state. My husband was driving, on our way out to dinner. It was pitch dark, and we weren’t quite sure where we were. We both watched for identifying landmarks to guide us back.
I never saw the big warehouse that night, but next day I did. In the daylight, so easily visible, it was plain to see. Funny, because it was huge. We wondered how we could have missed it!
That got me thinking about when we are “in the light”, and we see things we never saw ‘in the dark’. How many times have I asked myself the question in regards to something in the past, “How was it I didn’t know that? How come I didn’t realize??”
The answer is always the same. I couldn’t see it. Enlightenment is just that; receiving understanding IN the light. Jesus truly is the Light of the world. As we live and walk in the light of the Lord, the Holy Spirit continually bathes us in revelation.
I am wondering, “What am I not seeing today?”
Prayer: Lord, please come and shine your Light on anything that is shadowed, or in darkness, in my life. Let me see clearly, through the eyes of Jesus. Amen.
3/26/09, Overly Stretched and Stressed
For you have been my refuge, a strong tower…I long to ..take refuge in the shelter of your wings. Psalm 61:2-4
The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. Proverbs 18:10
Overly Stretched and Stressed
The young owl was venturing out on his own, enjoying the sunshine and soft breeze. He sat stock still in the marked off spot for an endangered species.
I couldn’t quite get the photo I was after. Slowly I tiptoed closer, full lens camera magnification on. His small head swiveled around to check out possible approaching danger.
Just as I zoomed in he disappeared from view. I was too close for comfort, and that bird was scared and stressed.
Leaning in, I cautiously put my face near the 6 inch poly pipe only to see - not the baby ground owl, but his not-at-all happy mother. Her head was all fluffed up nearly filling the space, totally protecting her young one somewhere behind her. She looked intimidating enough that I dared not step any closer.
I snapped this picture of the Mom ‘guard’; and thought how this scenario was a reminder that when I’m feeling overly stretched and stressed, it’s good to remember where to go. I can run to our strong tower, our father God. He is waiting, arms stretched out wide, to shield and protect us. That’s good news.
3/12/09, Bumpy
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7
Bumpy
Uh oh. It was beginning to get bumpy. Fifteen or twenty thousand feet above the earth, our commuter plane was experiencing turbulence.
“Everyone, please go back to your seats, and securely fasten your seat belts.”
Apparently a bumpy ride is routine when crossing over the mountain range of the Continental Divide in the Rockies. A twinge of fear grabbed me as we lurched sideways, then a slight drop. More bumps.
I had read in the bible about fear, that it does not come from God. The Holy Spirit was faithful to bring that rhema word to me, as I was strapped into my seat on the plane. Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
The Lord reminded me that His word is for the moment, living and active. This will be good to recall, when life brings other bumps. Just as the river water perseveres and rolls right over stony bumps, we we can carry on. And we have a great promise, the Holy Spirit is with us to be right alongside us.
That is good news, especially when its bumpy.
3/5/09, The Source
Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. John 1:3
The Source
Sometimes when hiking, we try to take a trail that leads to a waterfall. I’ve loved each of the few we’ve ever seen. A trickling peaceful waterfall, tumbling down slippery rocks. One that thunders and is powerful and majestic. A waterfall that splashes in a swift current below over time-worn boulders, to meet up downstream with yet another river.
I’d never seen the source of any of the waterfalls, until this one particular day. The trail zig-zagged up a wooded hillside, then a rocky, open area. A sign here and there prodded us onward and upward, to catch a glimpse of the Top-of-the-Waterfall.
We were rewarded with the most glorious sight, the place where the waterfall begins. From the waterfalls we’d seen before, we knew of course that they started somewhere. There was a source, even though we couldn’t see it.
Though we cannot actually see God, our source, If we know Jesus then we have seen Him. (Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? John 14:9)
2/26/09, Winds of Change
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8
Winds of Change
A few years back change was brewing in our home. We had enjoyed a season of peace and calm without sickness or crises. However change was in the wind. Circumstances were stirring with my husband’s job. For awhile it was a breeze, not a full gale hurricane.
Everything is for a season, the good times as well as the bad times. Each change takes some of the old with it, yet brings something new. That’s always somewhat difficult for me. Change is certain, yes. But the unknown is still a little scary.
In the Bible, we read that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. In the book of Matthew (28:20), Jesus promises that the same faithful God who is with us today will be with us in the newness of tomorrow. We don’t have to be alone! That takes the fear out of it.
I have to remind myself, sometimes daily, that when I feel anxious I have jumped into the future. Staying rooted in the moment will make anxiety flee. I need to ask the Lord to send an angel to hold my feet and ankles and help keep me grounded in the present.
The book containing the wisdom of the ages, the Bible, says this: Do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them. The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, (Deut. 1:29,30)
Winds of change may continue to blow. Yet we cannot go anywhere God is not already there.
That is good news.
2/19/09, First Comes Love
Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Matthew 22:37-40
First Comes Love
The treats were cold, creamy, and delicious. We wiped up the melts and drips from the ice cream and piled back in the car. Traffic was heavy, requiring my full attention. My grandson began pestering his sister, who was trying in the nicest way to ignore him. That didn’t work so he upped the teasing, and starting tapping her knee. She asked him once, twice, a third time to “Stopppp it!” He was getting the better of her, but she knew how to get him. She began softly chanting, “…. sittin’ in a tree, k-I-s-s-I-n-g; first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes with the baby carriage.” I remembered the rhyme; as kids, we used to recite it jumping rope. When my grandson’s face began to turn red, his sister knew she had him.
First comes love. This morning the scripture verse on my calendar was: “The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, and peace”. I thought, “LOVE, joy, and peace.” First is love. That is the most important. Without it, can we have the others?
I was mulling this over. Surely, all of these; indeed everything, flows from the fountain of Love. Love is the prerequisite to the others. There is no joy without love, no peace without love.
The 13th chapter of Corinthians is the great ‘Love chapter’quoted often at weddings (“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”). And 1st John, chapter 4, is loaded with LOVE stuff, especially 7-12 and 16-18.
Yes, the evidence (fruit) in believers’ lives is “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22) And first comes Love.
We love because He first loved us. 1 John 4:19
2/12/09, A Thing of the Heart
“The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7
A Thing of the Heart
“This season, approaching so soon?”, I mused. Seemed like just a month ago we celebrated, not a year!
There would be some extra planning and work involved, yet I was excited about being together with family members. My mind drifted to the relatives who would be joining us. Some we saw often, others hardly ever, except maybe weddings and funerals.
As I pictured each person, I thought when it comes to relatives, and relationships with them, it doesn’t seem to matter how much time you spend with them. Being with them is important, for sure. But the main thing seems to be if you just like them or not, and they, you. The connection is not rational; it’s a thing of the heart.
Like my husband’s aunt. We hit it off from the moment we met, many years ago. We seldom saw one another, and though she’s already gone to be with the Lord, to this day I think of her with great affection. A thing of the heart.
God may have made you smart, handsome, talented, pretty, or funny. But that is not why He loves you. He loves you because you are you. He loves your heart…..with His heart.
It’s a thing of the heart; that is good news.
1/29/09, Daisies in Winter
….the joy of the LORD is your strength. Nehemiah 8:10
Daisies in Winter
Winter doldrums. Drizzly. Cool. Cloudy. Overcast. Dreary. One day warm, next day, cold. Seems like one gray day after another. Have you ever been there?
The Bible tells us many names for the Lord God. Some of these are:
Jehovah-Jireh......the Lord will provide (Genesis 22:14), Jehovah-Nissi......the Lord my banner (Exodus 17:15), Jehovah-Shammah....the Lord is there (Ezekial 48:35), Jehovah-Tsiudkenu....the Lord our righteousness (Jeremiah 23:6, 33:16), Jehovah-Rophe (or Rapha)....the Lord heals (Exodus 15:26), Jehovah-M’kaddesh......the Lord who sanctifies (Leviticus 20:26), and Jehovah-Rohi (or Rohe)...the Lord our shepherd (Psalm 23:1).
I often say that another name for the Lord might be Jehovah-Surprise. He is good at gifting His children with surprise and joy!
May the Holy Spirit overtake you with joy today, with “daisies in winter”. A little bouquet, a breath of spring, or even summer. Look for them; God is sending you daisies today.
1/22/09, Impossible
“For nothing is impossible with God." Luke 1:37
Impossible
Kids were climbing all over the large half-grapefruit. Others were swarming onto the waffles with butter and sticky syrup. Starfruit, kiwi, and orange slices garnished the ‘plate’.
A bunch of children climbing on fruit and waffles. Impossible. Impossible! Unless, of course, it is a play area with equipment created to look edible.
It’s true that ‘nothing is as it seems’, and ‘there’s always a bigger picture’. Recently I’ve heard many stories from and about persons who are in ‘impossible’ situations, all different kinds.
If you happen to fall into that category today, or you know someone who does, it’s good to remember the Hope of a great God-promise, that’s given twice in the book of Luke. The Message says, "No chance at all," Jesus said, "if you think you can pull it off by yourself. Every chance in the world if you trust God to do it." (Luke 18:27)
No matter what things look like, you and God are an overwhelming majority. And nothing is impossible with God.
That is good news.
1/15/09, An Andrew Thing
The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah!” And he brought him to Jesus. John 1:41-42
An Andrew Thing
As my husband says, ants always seem to find me and, I have a fascination with them. They are pretty interesting insects. I’ve written about them a couple of other times and how I can never seem to be rid of them.
This morning they were in the sink. I could not tell whether they were coming out of the drain, or coming from high in the closet under the door frame. There was a steady stream in both directions. So I put a dot of my handy dandy ant poison liquid near the sink stopper.
In no time there were miniscule ants climbing all over each other to get to the tiny pool. When they had whatever their tiny selves could hold, they were in a major hurry to get it back to wherever they came from .
The mission: take their new treasure and share it with others. Reminds me of Mission Impossible, “Should you choose to accept this mission...........”
It is kind of like an “Andrew thing”. They could just not wait to share with others what they had found. Not that it was a good find. It was not. Yet their enthusiasm and energy was every bit as unflagging as if it were something of value, not something that was going to make them sick and even kill them.
This morning, with the ants, was a good reminder to me to rekindle zeal to practice the ‘Andrew thing, and share the Gospel with others, because…. that is the Good News!
1/8/09, Keys in the Snow
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9
Keys in the Snow
We had a treat a few years ago when our friends invited to their home in the mountains. My husband was thrilled to have an opportunity to get out his skis and head for the slopes. I, too, enjoyed the R & R in a place so very different from our home in Florida.
Off the back wooden deck of the house, there was a large iron antique key. Keys in the snow, like seeds buried underground in winter. Some big, some smaller. The seeds aren’t just lying there doing nothing. They are gathering energy - while resting - to germinate and sprout. And when the inactivity of a winter season is over, spring gets underway. Pretty soon what’s going on is visible to our eyes. A tiny green blade pokes through, and it’s on the way to blooming.
The dream God has crafted just for you, might be your seed. Perhaps it is still buried deep under a thick layer of snow. The blanket of insulation can protect it, while preparation is happening. God gave you the dream. He takes care to let nothing happen to it.
In the midst of New Year’s resolutions and plannings, it’s good news to remember there’s a divine plan for our ‘keys in the snow’. |
