Parasites

"And all that believed were together, and had all things common;"
Acts 2:44

I love Spanish Moss.  I think it is so lovely hanging from large trees.  But Spanish moss is a parasite.  The word parasite is defined as one who lives at others' expense without making any useful return.  Eventually, the moss can kill a tree by sucking the very life from it. 

You and I, as Christians, cannot afford to be parasites.  We are called to follow the example of the disciples.  This verse states that they had "all things common".  That means they shared everything they had.  We must always be ready to share our material blessings with those around us.  But even more important, we must be faithful to share the message of Gods' love and provision for us.

Word Meanings

"But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;"
I Peter 1:15

As I sat listening to family tales the other day, the word "trap" kept coming into the conversation.  When I hear the word "trap" I think of steel jaws intended to injure or kill, and I could tell from the talk that this was not what they were referring to.  Finally, I asked that they define "trap" for me as they were using it.  This is the answer I received:  "trap" - a small pasture area for keeping horses or cows in to avoid having to search for them over a large section of land. 

Words have different meanings in different geographical areas or over periods of time.  For instance, the word "conversation" as used in the above verse means "behavior" rather than just talk.  So, to get the most out of our bible study, it is good to add readings from bible dictionaries and commentaries.  That's why it is not wise to be too hasty about rejecting new translations of the bible.

My prayer for today:  Father, help me to not just hear Your Word, but to understand it as fully as possible.

Scrap Craft

"Hath not the potter power over the clay; of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonor?"
Romans 9:21

I love to do craft work.  One of my special favorites is called "scrap craft".  That means making do with leftover materials, or turning something old into something new.  Right now I am working on making angels from old shoulder pads.  They are very pretty when finished and no one would suspect what they started out as. 

The same thing happens to us when we are saved and begin to grow in the Lord.  If we allow Him to work with us as the potter does with the clay, He can make something so beautiful of our lives, that others will never know what we might have been before salvation.  When you look at a vase, you don't picture a cold, wet lump of clay.  When you look at these little angels, you don't see shoulder pads.  And when others look at our lives in Christ, they don't see the selfishness and pride that once controlled our lives.  I am grateful to God that He is in the "scrap "craft" business.

My prayer for today:  Father, make of me something useful and appealing to others, that they might be drawn to You.

Jealousy

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour."
I Peter 5:8

I've shared many things with you resulting from our morning walks.  Here is one more.

The paths we walk are becoming increasingly narrow and muddy, so I often walk behind my husband.  This is when the dog does her running and investigating.  But if I step up to walk beside him, she pushes between us.  Jealousy, I guess. 

Satan does that.  Once we are saved, he knows he can't have our souls, but he is jealous of anything we do to draw closer to God.  As long as we lag behind, Satan is satisfied to only pitch darts our way.  But when we strive to walk hand-in-hand with God, watch out.  Satan will wedge between us any way he can.  Our troubles will become greater and our footsteps less sure.  But if we remain faithful, Satan will eventually tire, as our dog does, and will bother someone else for a while.

My prayer for today:  Hold my hand, Lord.  The path is slippery.

Giggle Box

"These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full."
John 15:11

Giggles are contagious.  Did you ever notice that?  Just watch a group of little girls.  When one of them gets tickled, it isn't long until all are gripped in total laughter and joy.  My dad used to call it, "getting your giggle box turned over".  Giggles are a sign of joy.  It can be over the smallest possible thing, but the laughter pours from a heart overflowing with fun and joy.

Well, you and I, as Christians, have more reason that anyone else to be joyful.  Christ spoke the above words to us.  He wants us to live lives filled with joy.  Yet as we get older, we seem to lose our joy and our ability to laugh at things.  How wonderful it would be if we so exhibited joy in our lives that it would be contagious to the lost world.  If we really bubbled over with the joy of our salvation, maybe it would be.  It's worth a try.

My prayer for today:  Thank You, Father, for the gift of laughter.  Help me use it.

Spool net / Safety net

"Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light?  Let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God."
Isaiah 50:10

If you do any sewing, you know that there are certain types of thread, like the large cones of thread used with a serger, that work more smoothly with a spool net on them.  A spool net is a soft mesh net which slips over the spool and smoothes the thread as it unrolls.  It works like a safety net, helping to avoid snarls and tangles which can break the thread in mid-seam.  This is especially true with the new embroidery machines.  If the thread breaks in mid-design it can be difficult to overcome the results. 

You and I have a safety net in the bible.  If we start each day with bible reading, our day doesn't snarl and tangle as badly.   That is not to say that troubles won't come our way.  But our "net" helps smooth our way and guide us through life's difficulties.  Don't walk in darkness, let the bible light your way and be your safety net.

My prayer for today:  Father, thank You for giving us Your word - Your direct communications to us to help us live as we should.

Rest

"And He said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while:"
Mark 6:31a

Look at the difference in attitudes toward rest.  Ask any small child if he/she would like to take a nap.  You get fireworks and tears.  Ask the mother of that child if she would like the nap and she will likely jump at the chance.  When we are young, running different directions all day long, we have little time for sleep, but we really need it.  On the other hand, as we grow older and have plenty of time, we often cannot get to sleep. 

Jesus wasn't referring to sleep, but He did understand the importance of rest.  Sometimes, He just pulled away from the crowds and the responsibilities and took time to rest and draw new strength from the Father.  If He needed to do that, and encouraged His followers to do so, we surely need to also. 

So sometime during each day, rest awhile.  Let your mind and body be totally centered on God and His will for your life.  You will come away refreshed and renewed.

My prayer for today:  Teach me Your rest, Father, that I might grow from it.

Honey Bees

"wherefore he put forth the end of the rod that was in his hand, and dipped it in an honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth:  and his eyes were enlightened."
I Samuel 14:27b

At church one day, I noticed a lady sitting on the front row of the back section, and there was a constant flow of people who stopped before her.  You could see their love for her as they smiled and spoke, many reaching out to touch her hand.  It reminded me of honey bees gathered around a lovely flower, each wanting to draw from the sweet nectar to enrich their own lives and the lives of the queen back in the hive.  Wouldn't it be wonderful if more of us were so filled with the love of God that we were a source of enrichment to every life we  touched?

We can be.  That ladies' secret was that she yielded her own life totally to God and He, in turn, used her as a vessel in His service.

My prayer for today:  Father, help me to "flower" in Your service.  Use me to enrich individual lives and home situations as well.

 

Bridges

"For through Him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father."
Ephesians 2:18

Baptist believe in what is called the "priesthood of believers".  That phrase is defined as "the doctrine that those who believe in Christ are able to have direct access to God'. (page 59, The Guideposts Family Concordance).  The above verse speaks directly to that.  The Latin word for "priest" is literally "bridge-builder".  Christ, in His death on the cross and His resurrection, became that bridge for us.  And now, "through Him" we can directly approach God the Father.  We don't need a human priest or preacher to intercede on our behalf. 

Even though it is always great to know that others are praying with us and for us, there is even greater joy in knowing that we don't have to wait until we reach our pastor or priest to make our needs known to God.  A bridge always leads somewhere and makes a way over difficult terrain.  Christ bridged the gap between this life and eternity, over all sin and death.

My prayer for today:  What a builder!  What a bridge!  Thank You, Father.

You call yourself...?

"For what saith the Scripture?  Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness."
Romans 4:3

Have you ever had someone angrily turn to you and say, "And you call yourself a christian"?  Other people, especially non-christians, seem to know how a christian should behave.  And it is true that we have a responsibility to control our anger and our tongue, to avoid sinful places, to treat everyone fairly.  But none of that makes us a christian, and that is what people often are mis-led by.  This verse tells us Abraham "believed" God, and "it" - that belief - was counted unto him for righteousness.  So it was his "belief" or his faith that saved him, not what he did or didn't do.  How grateful I am that my salvation rests securely in the "grace" of God, not in me.  So as I live my life, I can serve Him better knowing that all He asks of me is my best.  And when I fail, He loves me still.

My prayer for today:  Father, thank You for Your saving and keeping power.  May knowledge of Your love spur me to ever greater service.

Fry in Crock Pot?

"And there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit."
I Corinthians 12:6

We are all familiar with this verse and have probably heard many sermons on it.  But I heard a great illustration the other day I want to share with you.  Those of us who do a lot of cooking have special pots we use for special tasks.  For instance we don't use a dutch oven to fry chicken in and we don't use our frying pan to make soup in.  We don't fry eggs in a crock pot.  Each pot has special qualities that enable it to be better equipped for certain jobs.  As the teacher pointed out, we are the same way.  Some of us do a better job frying and some are better at boiling and simmering.  So there should be no room for jealousy or envy.  Would a skillet envy a dutch oven?  Of course not.  See?  We can even learn from our kitchen tools.

My prayer for today:  Father use me according to Your own wisdom and plan for my life and just help me be the best I can be in that position.

Keep Silence Before Him

"But the Lord is in His holy temple:  let all the earth keep silence before Him."
Habakkuk 2:20

This is a verse many of us grew up on and were taught at very early ages.  When we went to church, the sanctuary was a special place of silence and reverence.  I miss that today.  Our children today are not taught to be still and quiet.  They are not taught reverence.  They wiggle and talk.  They get up and walk in and out.  They rustle papers.  Many of these children come on the church bus and have never been taught any better.  We have to accept that and try to help teach them ourselves.  

But, sad to say, many are with young parents and these parents aren't teaching them this important lesson.  Maybe those of us who are older didn't teach our own well enough.  Or maybe these young parents weren't taught.  Whatever the case, we need to exercise patience and tact in dealing with the younger generations.  We need the silence, not because we were taught it and it is a tradition, but to regain a sense of reverence and awe that brings God closer to us.  We need to help them see what they are missing.

My prayer for today:  Father, even as we stand to sing praises to You, help us keep that special silence in our hearts that invites You in.

Cocklebur

"...it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks."
Acts 9:5b

This morning something kept sticking my right ankle.  I couldn't figure it out for a while.  I finally sat down and examined my sock, and there was a cocklebur embedded in it.  Every step I took, it reached out and stuck in my ankle.  I hadn't seen a cocklebur (or grass burr) in years.  Habits can be like burrs.  They can become so embedded in our lives that we are constantly affected by their pricks.  That's all right if they are good habits.  For instance, if I miss my bible reading each morning, my day just doesn't go right.  But habits are most often bad... we can't give up an addiction or we can't quit gossiping or something along those lines.  That is when our conscience becomes a "burr" to prick our heart and cause us to want to get things straightened out.  I'm grateful for those "pricks".

My prayer for today:  Thank You, Father, for a sensitive conscience that reminds me when I need to change direction in some area of my life.

Fence post

"For there will come a time when your limbs will tremble with age, and your strong legs will become weak, and your teeth will be too few to do their work, and there will be blindness, too."
Ecclesiastes 12:3 (TLB)

I was noticing a worn out old fence post the other day.  It had broken at some point in time and now only held one strand of the barbed wire which made up the fence.  The post made me think of how we feel as we grow older.  Perhaps, when we were young, we did it all... taught Sunday School, sang in the choir, visited, ministered.  Just as that post originally held up all three strands of wire.  It had an important job and was dependable, just as we were.  

But as we grow older and our bodies begin to break down, like that old post did, we are no longer able to carry a full load.  Don't be discouraged.  We can still hold up that lowest strand of wire, and that is important.  We do that by being faithful in prayer.  And in the long run, that may be the most important job of all.  It's not as obvious as teaching or singing, but how could our churches function without the prayer support of our cherished old saints?  Don't short change yourself.  Prayer support is vital.

My prayer for today:  Father, remind us as our bodies fail, that our spirits are just growing stronger and stronger.

Devil made me do it

Submit yourselves therefore to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
James 4:7

Do you remember when the phrase, "The devil made me do it." was popular?  Boy, I do.  It seemed such a handy phrase to use if I gave in to temptation... bought that dress I didn't need.... ate that second helping of chocolate cake... whatever.  But the simple truth is, Satan doesn't really have that kind of control over us.  This verse tells us to "resist the devil".  God wouldn't tell us to do something He didn't empower us to do.  

In another verse of scripture we find, "...greater is He that is in you (The Holy Spirit), than he that is in the world (Satan)."  So, although the phrase is catchy and cute, let's not fool ourselves.  We are responsible for our actions, and we have the power to be over-comers.

My prayer for today:  Father, remind me often of these two verses.  I need them to give me determination and strength over the temptations Satan waves in front of me.

Beauty From Pain

"Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it."
Matthew 13:46

Most of us know that a pearl is created from pain.  A grain of sand or other obstacle gets inside the oyster shell and the oyster surrounds it with a thick glaze to stop the pain and irritation it is causing.  Eventually this results in a beautiful pearl.  

Strange as that seems to us, it often happens.  God can bring beauty out of pain if we allow Him to work His will through it in our lives.  I used to question why we used the term "Good Friday", knowing the suffering and death Christ endured.  What could possibly be good about that?  Yet look what His suffering brought about: glory for Him and eternal life for those of us who accept the gift of His sacrifice.  As hard as it is to accept, pain can be changed to beauty in our lives if we only turn it all over to the Father.  It isn't easy.  But it works.

My prayer for today:  Father, although we often do not see the final results You are bringing about, help us just hold on to faith in Your wisdom.

Comfort Zones

"And they said unto her, Surely we will return with thee unto thy people."
Ruth 1:10

Every so often a new phrase gains popularity and you hear it everywhere you turn.  One that comes to mind is reference to one's "comfort zone".  We are told by christian leaders that we need to learn to stretch ourselves and get outside these comfort zones.  Comfort zones remind me of the familiar creaks in an old house.  After you have lived in the same house for many years, you learn which boards creak in which room.  You know when someone is on the stairway when you hear a certain creak.  

But if you are new to the house, the creaks are scary.  You feel threatened and afraid.  Who can be crossing the room?  I think that is often our problem with christian service outside our "comfort zone".  It seems scary.  We don't know what will be asked of us or how we can manage it.  You can bet that Ruth left her "comfort zone" far behind when she followed Naomi back to her homeland.  But look at the blessings that followed them both.  Surely it was worth the risk.

My prayer for today:  Father, help us break out of our well-defined routines - our comfort zones.  Help us be willing to take risks for You.

Grass over sidewalks

"Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy:  for I am the Lord your God."
Leviticus 20:7

The city did a great thing a few months ago by creating sidewalks for several blocks around each of the schools.  The unfortunate thing is, since property owners are not tending the growth along the sidewalks, the grass is gradually reclaiming those sections of the ground.

Sin is like that.  When we are saved, we find our feet firmly planted on the "walkway" to eternal life with Christ.  Nothing can change that.  But, if we are not careful, sin, like the creeping grass, will slowly and quietly creep back in and smother or hide the path we should be following.

Even though Satan has lost his chance to own our soul, he can damage our testimony and keep us from heavenly rewards by obscuring our relationship with God.  Just as property owners need to exercise vigilance in the fight against the weeds, we as christians need to exercise vigilance in our christian life.  Let 's not let Satan keep us from walking a path which clearly shows others the way to Christ.  We must be holy, as he is holy.

My prayer for today:  Thank You, Lord, for helping us keep our pathway clear.

Choices for Growth

"Judge not, and ye shall not be judged:  condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned:  forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:"

Luke 6:37

Many things in life, we have no control over.  But our christian growth is not one of those.  Notice the admonitions in this verse.  We are told not to judge, not to condemn, and to forgive.  Now those actions don't just happen.  They come about from choices we make.  We have to decide to refrain from judging and condemning.  We have to make that choice and then act upon it.  

These are not easy choices.  Sometimes we have to fight our own nature and continue to determine to stick by these choices, because Satan will continually try to weaken our resolve.  But, with Gods' help, we can do it.  And the more we practice, the stronger we become.  Every choice we make in life has a result.  If we look at the results Christ promised in this verse, it helps us make the right choices.

My prayer for today:  Lord, strengthen me that I might make right choices, for my own sake and for the sake of my christian testimony.

Plain and Simple

"And I, brethren when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God."
I Corinthians 2:1

I had a recipe the other day which called for canned, diced tomatoes.  Now, I have a pantry full of food, but no plain canned, diced tomatoes.  I had stewed tomatoes with onion and bell pepper.  I had tomatoes seasoned with oregano and basil - good for spaghetti sauce.  But I didn't have what I needed.  Everything was too fancy.

Many times, preachers have trouble with the concept of the plain and simple gospel.  They work so hard at giving us "fancy" sermons...sermons that follow a three-point outline, or sermons that use high and lofty terms which often go over the heads of most of us.  Just like fancy canned tomatoes, these sermons have their time and place.  But most of the time we just need the down-to-earth application of the Word of God which tells us how much we are loved, faults and all.

My devotion for today:  Jesus loves me, what more do I need to know?

Faithful Shepherd

"I am the good shepherd:  the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep."
John 10:11

This verse came to mind recently as I sat and listened to a friend tell of his trip to the Holy Land.  He remarked that he never saw a flock of sheep without a shepherd close by.  Sometimes the shepherd was momentarily hidden from sight, but if you look around for a few minutes, you would see him.

God is that way with us.  He is always close by.  He loves us and cares for our every need.  Sometimes, we might feel that we have lost touch with Him and we can't find Him in our lives.  But He is there, perhaps just out of sight.  We do the drifting, He doesn't.  Isn't it comforting to know that we can never be a sheep without a shepherd?  We have the words of Christ to count on.  Since He gave His life for us, He is not going to leave us now.

My prayer for today:  Lord, thank You for Your every act of love and caring toward me.

All Things / Our Good?

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose."
Romans 8:28

In the August 3/10, 1996 issue of World Magazine there is an article about the family of one of the victims of the crash of TWA flight 800.  The young man was only twenty and was on his way to France for a month of mission work.  It would be so understandable if this family had stood on the shore and cried out in anger to God asking "Why?".  He was young.  He had already dedicated his life to God's work.  What could possibly be gained by his death?  

Yet that is not what this family has done.  Instead, they have used their own grief to reach out to others suffering the same loss.  They have prayed with, witnessed to, and passed out tracts.  There is just no telling how many lives have been touched by the testimony of this precious family.  Never have I seen this verse so completely put to work in life application.  I admire them greatly.

My prayer for today:  Father, help all of us that we might truly apply this verse to every area of our lives.  Even things so hard to understand.

Fishermen

"And He saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."
Matthew 4:19

I have never done much fishing.  When I was growing up, I only remember going fishing with my dad once.  Dad worked two jobs so little time was left for fun and games.  But I believe there are things we can learn from fishermen... things which help us to follow Christ's command to be "fishers of men".

First, we must go where the fish are.  Often we, as christians, surround ourselves with other christians and never give ourselves opportunity to meet people who may not have heard the gospel.  I don't mean go to bars or gambling casinos.  But just be open to make new acquaintances.

Next, we need to take the right bait.  A real fisherman knows what bait attracts what type of fish, and he goes prepared.  For us, that bait is love, concern, and simplicity in presenting the gospel message.

And last, but far from least, fisherman must have patience.  They don't go out expecting to catch their limit in the first hour of effort.  We mustn't either.  We have to be willing to invest days or even years of our lives loving the other person if we expect to convince them of the reality of the christian message.

My prayer for today:  Father, give me patience in my witnessing, that I might truly be a "fisher of men".

Early Mornings

"He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it shall be counted a curse to him."
Proverbs 27:14

Let me paraphrase this verse for you.  Here is the "Frances" version:  "Don't talk to me early in the morning."  I have two problems with mornings.  First, they come too early in the day.  And second, they start with a meal called breakfast, which I only like late in the day, and preferably cooked by someone else.  The fact that I don't like to get up before 7:30 A.M. doesn't mean that I never do, it just means I don't wake up all smiles and energy.  I wish I did.

On the other hand, I can stay up all kinds of late hours, whereas my husband likes to go to bed at an earlier hour.  These are the kinds of compromises we make in life.  And I think the secret to better compromise is in understanding that just because we like different things, doesn't mean either is wrong.  It simply means each of us is unique.  And wouldn't it be dull if we were all alike? 

So be a friend.  Don't "bless" someone "early in the morning" if they are not an earlier riser by choice.  And I won't "bless" you after 9:00 P.M.  Deal?

My prayer for today:  Thank You, Father, even for our differences.

Tickle in Throat

"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,"
Hebrews 12:1

I have a lot of sinus drainage.  I get this little tickle which feels like a feather in my throat.  I can swallow hard, or cough, or clear my throat, but it seems to move neither up nor down.  It is a little thing, but irritating.  Many sins are like that.  They are tiny, but hard to get rid of.

This verse speaks of the "sin which doth so easily beset us".  Most of us are on the lookout for the big sins.  But those little sins of attitude or mindset are harder to root out.  They will move neither up nor down, it seems.  It takes both hard work and patience to keep on keeping on in our fight against them.  But eventually, just like the tickle in my throat, we can overcome.

My prayer for today:  Father, make me as aware of the little besetting sins as I am of the bigger, and more obvious sins, that together we might root them out of my life.

Poor Reception

"And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient."
II Timothy 2:24

Lately, we have experienced very poor reception on our television.  The fault is not with the TV station, it is with our set.  But we can't seem to pinpoint the problem.  The same thing is often true of our witnessing.  It reflects very poor reception.  Usually, unless we are just over zealous, the fault is not with us, it is with the receiver.  And as with our television set, we may not be able to find the problem.  It may be some deeply rooted pain in the life of the one we seek to share our witness with.  But rest assured, the effort of witnessing is not in vain.  As this verse says, we must be "gentle" and "patient".  God will take care of the rest.

My prayer for today:  Father, help me to know when to "broadcast" and when to remain silent, that You might do Your work in the hearts of those we yearn to see won to salvation.

Echoes

"Hear attentively the noise of his voice, and the sound that goeth out of his mouth."
Job 37:2

Webster defines the word "echo" as "the repeating of a sound by reflection of sound waves from a surface".  I guess I always thought of an echo as something you experienced on a hill side or in a canyon.  But as we walked the other morning, a dog began to bark at us and his bark echoed off the wall of a nearby brick building, making it seem that we were being fussed at from two sides at once.  I was both surprised and amused.  

After I thought about it a while, I realized that you and I can be the "surfaces" that "reflect" the love of God to those around us.  Even for those people we have trouble loving on our own, we can "echo" Gods' love to them.  A sound wave doesn't damage the wall which reflects it, and we wouldn't be any worse off for letting God "reflect" off us to those hard to love people.  It may not always be easy, but it will be worth the effort.  After all, hopefully, our hearts are much more tender than a brick wall.  So we should be willing to be used in this way.

My prayer for today:  Father, use me to "echo" Your love to those around me.

Lift Up Your Eyes

"I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help."
Psalm 121:1

The key phrase for today is "Lift up mine eyes".  When we walk, I have this terrible habit of keeping my eyes on the path directly below my feet.  Believe me, walkers and joggers, that can be very dangerous.  There are over-hanging limbs out there just waiting to slap you in the face, and street signs which delight in bashing you on the head.  So look up.  

The same thing holds true in our spiritual walk.  We need to keep looking up for our direction, not down at the path we are trying to walk.  As we lift our eyes, both physical and spiritual, we find new understanding and better direction.  It becomes easier to avoid the traps and pit falls waiting for us out there.  And as the writer says, when we lift up our spiritual eyes, our help comes from the Lord.  What better direction could we hope for?

My prayer for today:  Father, help me to walk close to You, looking up into Your precious face as I seek to find my way.

Narrow Minded

"Jesus saith unto him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life:  no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
John 14:6

In the Houston Chronicle, on August 3, 1996, there was an article which stated, "But hell is no laughing matter for most religious traditions.  That's because most religions insist that the idea of a just God suggests that the good are rewarded and the evil punished.  And most believe there is a hell to which the damned are condemned."  No problem so far.

But it goes on to say a little later in the article, "And a lot of the concern about hell comes from religious zeal and the narrow conviction that there is only one way to heaven."  Now my problem is the placement of the word "narrow" when referring to that belief.  Our writer uses the word in a way that makes us look shallow and uncaring.  But we, as christians, didn't come up with that "only one way".  Christ did.  And Christ used the word "narrow" in Matthew 7:14 where He warns us that the path to life with Him is "straight and narrow".

Maybe our writer should take up his ideas with the Authority on the subject.

My prayer for today:  Father, help us be "narrow" in the right way.

Servant

"And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient,"
II Timothy 2:24

Boy, that word "servant" brings out a lot of peoples' anger real quickly.  We think in terms of slaves or mistreated and abused workers.  But that is not the biblical meaning, and we cheat ourselves of a lot of joy when we refuse the "servant" role in our lives.

For instance, it brings me great joy to have my family over for a meal and get up often to refill their tea glasses or get something from the refrigerator or pantry for them.  I do it because I love them and enjoy bringing pleasure to their lives, not because I feel I'm a door mat.  That is one of our weak points as modern day christians.  Instead of "serving" others and trying to win them with love, we often stand on our "rights" and try to cram religion down their throats.  This verse says we should "teach" and what better way to teach than by example?  If we want others to treat us with kindness and love, we must first show them the way.  There is fulfillment in that beyond the understanding of many people today.  Don't be afraid to "serve".  Christ did it.  Are we better than Him?

My prayer for today:  Father, thank You for teaching me the true joy of servanthood.

Priorities

"And Jesus saith unto him, "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay His head."
Matthew 8:20

Sometimes it is so hard to keep our priorities straight.  Like, should I save this money for my old age, or shall I spend it on a family vacation while the children are still here to enjoy it with us?  Shall I follow every new trend in fashions, or shall I find a style that fits my tastes and stick with it, therefore spending far less on clothes.  The answers to these questions are, of course, personal and individual.  But we do have some guidelines.

For instance, in the above verse we see that Christ wasn't loaded down with earthly possessions, or even what we see as necessities.  Now, I know we can't all live like that.  But we can use it to remind us not to be overly anxious to own "things".  Sometimes that results in the things owning us.  

In a bible study several years ago, I heard the following question asked, "Have you ever seen a hearse pulling a U-Haul?"  That kind of sums it up, don't you think?

My prayer for today:  Father, help me enjoy what You give me today, remembering that there may not be a tomorrow for me.

BLT Sandwiches

"Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin."
James 4:17

My favorite sandwich is a BLT.  Now you have to have all the ingredients for it to be a real BLT.  If you are out of tomatoes, it would only be a BL sandwich.  If you were out of bacon, it would be an LT.  See what I mean?  It takes it all to be a real bacon/lettuce/tomato sandwich.  

The same is true of the christian life.  It's real good to keep all ten of the commandments (if you could), but it would still be an incomplete christian life.  To live a life like the one Christ lived, we must add the positives to the negatives.  We can't just practice the "Thou shalt not" rules of life.  We must also practice the good works Christ left for us to do.  That's why this verse warns us that if we aren't doing what we should, we aren't doing it right.  Be a balanced christian.  Be God's BLT.

My prayer for today:  Father, help me live a balanced life of service along with faith.

A Friend Loveth

"A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity."
Proverbs 17:17

Throughout my life, I have had many occasions to prove the truth of this verse.  And I think that it is safe to say that the word "brother" in this verse can refer to our christian brothers and sisters as well as blood relatives.  Certainly, I have had christian family that helped me through an extremely painful divorce (is there any other kind?), through the deaths of each of my parents to cancer, and through times of illness in myself and in my husband.  These friends let me cry when I needed to, talk when I needed to, or just sit quietly when I needed to.  They provided meals and transportation and prayer support.  They ignored the busy routines of their own lives to fill a need in mine.  

A friend "loveth at ALL times".  That means even when I am not at my best; even when I can do nothing in return for their kindnesses; even when it is terribly inconvenient for them.  Praise God for real friends.

My prayer for today:  Father God, help me be that kind of friend.

Psychics

"That in the ages to come He might shew the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus."
Ephesians 2:7

Every way we turn these days we see people offering to tell our future or be our "psychic" friend.  Well, you don't have to be "psychic" to know the future of christians. It is given to us in this verse. Let me show you. 

• "In the age to come" that is all of the future, from now on through eternity. 
• "He" is God. 
• "might show the exceeding riches of His grace" refers to the priceless gift of salvation. 
• "toward us" means everyone who accepts this gift. 
• "through Christ Jesus" explains the only means of being a christian. Everything else falls into place. 

That doesn't mean we won't experience troubles and pain in this life, but do we really want to know about those ahead of time?  The eternal future is what we should be most interested in.  After all, this life won't last long anyway.  But eternity, wow, that's a long time.  Get yours settled today.  If you do, I can honestly forecast a great "eternal" future for you.  Not because I am psychic, but because God gave us that promise.

My prayer for today: Thank You, God, that I can trust all my future to You.

History

"Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world."
Acts 15:18

When I was in high school I was a pretty good student.  I managed to stay on the honor roll.  But history just about did me in.  I received my only failing slip ever in history.  I couldn't understand why we should care who fought what war, when, or why.  So it has come as a surprise to me as I've grown older, how much I enjoy bible history.  I think the above verse has something to do with it.  

It is fascinating to me how God inspired the old testament writers to predict events which would take place in new testament times.  And suddenly, it becomes very important that we know who was coming, where, and why.  As we see the fulfillment of old testament prophecy in the life and teachings of Christ, we are enabled to rest more securely in knowing that God knows ALL of the whens and whys in life.  He is in complete control and nothing takes Him by surprise.  What a Savior.  What a Father.  What a God.

My prayer for today:  Thank You, God, that I don't need to know all the answers.  You have already taken care of everything.  Even things yet to come.

Security in God

"Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He, I am He who will sustain you.  I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you."
Isaiah 46:4 (NIV)

We read so much today about how social security is going broke, and medical costs are spiraling upward.  Terrorism is everywhere, even in America where we thought it could never happen.  All of this is true and could really depress us if we dwelt on it.  But I believe with all my heart, the truth of this verse.  We have to be wise in our stewardship, but we can't worry every minute of every day about every possibility in our lives.  God didn't say He would guide us around troubles, He said "I will carry you".  He wants us to do our best, but to trust HIS power and HIS control over everything.  I've seen His miracles in my life, and I expect that if you think about it for a few minutes, you can name some in your own life.  

God made us, and He cares for us.  Earthly family may walk away, but God never will.  Even to our "old age and gray hairs".

My prayer for today:  Rescue me, Father, not only from the evils of this world, but also from my own selfish ways.

Freshly Cut Wood

"Is not this the carpenter's son?  is not his mother called Mary?  and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?"
Matthew 13:55

My husband is a wood worker and I love the smell of newly cut wood.  Now we have a new group of houses being built just down the street from us, and that smell drifts to us on the breeze most of the day.  Freshly cut wood always makes me think of positive things... of CONstruction rather than DEStruction.  Jesus was a "carpenter's son", therefore he learned the carpenter's trade.

That's the positive side.  Unfortunately, the negative side is that mankind took a tree and instead of building something lovely from it, they used it to hang our Savior on.  But He turned even that into something positive and constructive.  He used it to provide our salvation.  He built a bridge across the gap between a righteous God and sinful man.  What a Carpenter.

My prayer for today:  Lord, each time I smell freshly cut wood, remind me of Your great building program and help me share it with others.

The Hart Panteth

"As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God."
Psalm 42:1

I am a chocoholic.  Anyone who knows me will testify to that.  Chocolate is so rich and creamy....so velvety smooth.  I really have to fight myself to keep from including it in every meal and every snack.  I guess I "pant" after chocolate like the "hart panteth after the water brooks".  But look at what this verse says:  "so panteth (in the same thirsting way) my soul after thee, O God".  Not after water for physical needs, or chocolate for pure pleasure, but for God Himself.  Do we really do that?  Are we addicted to learning more about God and how to live our lives in the center of His will?  Those are treasures far outlasting the temporary pleasures or even supposed needs of this life.

My prayer for today:  Father, let my desire to learn of You increase daily and the pleasures of this world fade slowly away.

Shadows

"He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty".
Psalm 91:1

A shadow serves several purposes.  It can offer protection from the searing heat of the sun.  It can show direction of east or west.  Jesus speaks of this in a slightly different way in Luke 13:34 when he tells Jerusalem how he would have "gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings".  The symbolism is the same.  The shadow or the hovering wings protect those under them. 

If we have to be outside in the heat of the day we would be foolish not to take advantage of a shade tree if possible.  Isn't it, then, even more foolish not to hide under the shadow of the Almighty?  The choice is ours.  I don't know about you, but I prefer the shade.

My prayer for today:  Thank You, Lord, for hovering over us with Your eternal care.

Sunflowers

"For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."
II Corinthians 4:6

Have you ever noticed how sun flowers seem to follow the sun?  They seem to lift their faces toward whichever direction the sun is shining from.  In the morning they face east, at noon straight overhead, and in the evening west.  Wouldn't it be wonderful if we did that?  If we turned our faces towards God's Son at every hour of every day, how much better our lives would be.  

This verse says we experience the "glory of God" in the "face of Jesus Christ".  In what better direction could we look, then, than the direction of Christ as revealed in scripture and in every day life.  Let's not let a flower be wiser than we are.

My prayer for today:  Father, lift my eyes and my heart to You every moment of every day.

 

Dragonflies

"And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years."
Revelation 20:2

Do you ever wonder where we get some of the words we use?  This last weekend, I was watching several dragonflies darting back and forth across the yard.  I have always thought them so lovely, with their wings reflecting beautiful glimmers of color.  So, if they are so lovely, why do we call them "dragon" flies?  In the bible, Satan is described as a dragon, one to avoid at all costs.  Well, I looked up "dragon-flies" in the dictionary and here is what I found:  "Large, harmless insect with a long body, four filmy wings, huge eyes and strong jaws".  It goes on to say that they eat bugs and look very fearsome to other insects.  Unfortunately Satan is wiser than the dragonflies.  He doesn't come to us looking fearsome and deadly.  He works in the opposite way.  He comes with all the beauty of the colors of the rainbow, but hidden within he is vicious and cruel.  It is easy to see why he is called a dragon.  We would do well to fear him.

My prayer for today:  Father, help us to see with spiritual eyes, that we won't be led astray by seeming beauty.

To Touch A Child

"Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour."
Exodus 21:19

Mothering is a role I have always loved.  I am a biological mother, a step-mother, and a grand-mother.  I have also been room mother, foster mother and den mother.  So it is especially sad to me that there is a trend today to falsely accuse people of improper behavior with a child.  I am sure that much of it is justified.  But I am equally convinced that much of it is simply "tall tales", often generated by over zealous protection agencies.  

In working with small children in vacation bible school, I often find myself inclined to reach over and brush a strand of hair from a little girl's face, or touch her hair bow and compliment her on it, or hug a little boy who has scratched his knee on the concrete.  Yet I draw back, afraid of how it might look to others.  

I wonder who the biggest loser is here...we adults who really love children, or the children themselves, who hunger for a gentle touch or a kind word?

My prayer for today:  Guide us, Father, that we might honestly love, without being seen as perverted in our relationships with children.

Vacation Bible School

"And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, "What doest thou here Elijah?"
I Kings 19:13b

Sometimes God has to kind of hit me over the head to get my attention.  I don't respond to "still small voices" too well.  I am working in vacation bible school (VBS) for the first time in several years, and I can't get used to children not obeying.  You tell them to stop doing something, and they look you straight in the eye and continue to do it.  

The first night, instead of God asking me what I was doing there, I was asking Him -  something alone the lines of, "Lord, I don't know why on earth we are wasting our time.  You surely can't do anything with this lack of discipline and atmosphere of total chaos."  Not a pretty prayer, I admit.  One little boy was so rowdy that I called him aside and promised to sit right beside him if he didn't behave.  I thought that was the meanest thing I could offer to do to a child that age.  But the second night, he came to me asking if I would sit by him again.  He actually wanted me to and was much better behaved when I did.  

If I would just stop boxing God in, He really can speak, even in the midst of confusion and chaos.  It doesn't matter what I am doing here.  What matters is what He is doing here.

My prayer for today:  Thank You, Father, that You aren't limited as to how and where You touch lives.  Help me be more open to Your possibilities.

Instruction Book

"Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine."
I Timothy 4:13

I want you to know I am really observant.  We have had our Jeep for a little over three years, and only yesterday did I learn that the luggage rack is adjustable.  I never knew that.  :-)

I never even thought about it.  

They say when you get something new, the first thing you should do is read the instructions.  I seldom do.  So when I learned this neat new capability of my Jeep, I began to wonder what other features it has that I am not aware of.  Then I went one step further with the thought and wondered how many great things the Bible has for me that I have never taken advantage of, because I never studied the "instruction book" enough to know they were there.  So often we miss out on blessings because we don't know the right think to do or say in certain circumstances.  I encourage you to let the "instruction book" help you.

My prayer for today:  Father, show me what I may have been missing out on.  Help me be wise enough to take advantage of all that You have for me.

Wasted Land

"Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone."
James 2:17

Several years ago, when our oldest son was only about eight or nine years old, and his dad was a cross-country truck driver, they went together on a trip to Portland, Oregon.  As they drove along between Gallup and Farmington, New Mexico, Phillip gazed out at the barren landscape.  Finally, he turned to his dad and said, "Dad, there sure is a lot of land going to waste out here."  

I wonder if God doesn't look at our lives sometimes and think, "There sure is a lot of talent going to waste out there."  So often we don't make use of what He has given us.  Just as the desert land can be irrigated and used, each of us has abilities which God intends us to use in His service.  When we don't use our talents to work for Him, we don't show our faith to those around us.

My prayer for today:  Father, help me not to be a barren wasteland.  Help me use my every resource for You.

Patchwork Vest

Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age:  and he made him a coat of many colors."

I have a vest made of patchwork.  My aunt made it for me several years ago from material in her scrap bag.  It is very colorful and pretty.  But beyond the beauty of it, I realize that making it was a labor of love, so I understand how proud Joseph was of the coat his father made for him.  Clothes were not easy to come by in those days, and this must have been a very beautiful garment.  

In the same way, to put all those small scraps of cloth together into a pleasing and colorful pattern for my vest was a difficult and time-consuming job for my aunt.  But she did it out of love.  Today, it seems so much easier to run to the nearest store and buy a gift.  But think of the difference it makes to receive a gift that says, I love you enough to give of myself as well as my income.

My prayer for today:  Thank You, Lord Jesus, that You gave of Yourself completely that I might have the gift of salvation.

Fiber Optics

"And when He thus had spoken He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth."  And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave-clothes:  and his face was bound about with a napkin.  Jesus saith unto them, "Loose him, and let him go."
John 11:43 & 44

I have a lamp which is truly beautiful.  It doesn't give any light, but it is fascinating to watch.  It is a floral display of fiber optics.  Now I don't begin to understand fiber optics, but then, I don't understand television or VCRs, or any number of other things.  But that doesn't stop me from enjoying them.

This lamp has slender threads of plastic coming up through the center of the flowers.  At the very tip end of each fiber of plastic, the light shines.  The fiber itself doesn't light up, only the tip end.  Since it has a color wheel under it, the colors of the light change continually.  So what you get is this constantly changing panorama of twinkling star points.  It's like looking up into the heavens on a beautiful clear night.  Only this is in color.  I can't really explain it.  

And I think this is how Lazarus felt after Christ restored him to life.  You notice that nowhere do we read about what he saw or did during those four days that he was dead.  I expect what he experienced was so far beyond human understanding that Lazarus couldn't begin to describe it.  So he didn't even try.  He just enjoyed the memory and looked forward to experiencing it again someday.

That's the way it is sometimes.  Some things are just to be enjoyed, not explained.

My prayer for today:  Thank You Father, for the many joys You give us in life.  Especially those we don't understand.

"You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay!  Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, "He did not make me"?  Can the pot say to the potter, "He knows nothing?"
Isaiah 29:16

It really bothers me that so many young people today are unhappy with their lot in life.  I know a young girl who hates that she was born a girl.  Yet God made her a girl, so I believe He had a purpose for her which only being a girl could fill.  

All of us fall into that trap occasionally.  We wish we were taller or shorter, heavier or thinner, had blonde hair or brown.  And many of these we can do something about.  But the things God didn't give us control over, such as where we were born, what color our skin, what parents we had, these things we have to trust to God as being right for us.  We need to stop wishing we were something we aren't and start looking for ways we can best serve God as we are, where we are.  Only then can we find real joy and satisfaction in life.

My prayer for today:  Father, help me to be the very best I can be with who I am and do the very best at what You have for me to do in life.

Even the Little Things

"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God."
Philippians 4:6

That first phrase "Be careful for nothing" can also read "Do not be anxious about anything".  It means don't worry about trivial things.  Did you know that God is concerned about every single thing in life that concerns you?  I have seen God work wonders in financing for our family.  I have seen Him provide healing we had not dared hope for.  But these are big things.  I have also had Him open a space in a hospital parking lot when I was feeling desperate to get in to see a loved one.  You might call it coincidence.  But it has happened too many times and in too many ways for me to believe that.  I believe that this verse can be taken literally.  It says, "let your requests be made known unto God" and I think He means ALL our requests.  When Christ walked the earth He was interested in people and their needs on a personal level.  I believe He wants the same relationship today.

My prayer for today:  Father, thank You for always being interested in my concerns.  Help me not forget the part about "thanksgiving" when I pray.

Gray Hair

"Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteous life."
Proverbs 16:31 (NIV)

We have all heard the ad, "Only her hairdresser knows for sure".  I guess I am unusual, but I like gray hair.  To me it isn't so much a sign of aging as it is a sign of wisdom.  When I first started turning gray, my dad would pull each strand out as soon as he saw it.  I used to tell him that for every one he pulled out, two grew in its place.  He finally gave up, or I would be nearly bald today.

I learned to love the scriptures at my grandmother's knee and she had almost snow white hair.  I loved her so very much, and I think that is why this verse is special to me.  I always think of her when I read it.

If you are living for the Lord, each year just grows sweeter and age doesn't really matter so much.

My prayer for today:  Father, I thank You for the godly grandmother who left so much love in my life.  Help me leave that kind of legacy to my own grandchildren.

Neighborly

"So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof:  for the people had a mind to work."
Nehemiah 4:6

I love to read and my favorite settings are either bible times or early American history.  I especially love stories set in the pioneer days.  There seemed to be such unity among those courageous people who came west to settle our great land.  We read about the barn raising's, where neighbor joined with neighbor to build, or rebuild, a house or a barn.  Women got together to quilt or to can the produce of their crops.  Doing these things together formed bonds such as we seldom see among neighbors today.  Nehemiah hit it on the head with the words, "The people had a mind to work".  Occasionally we read of this happening today.  But it is only in times of crisis.  How sad.  Any load carried by two is divided in half.  Why don't we practice that in our everyday lives?  Why wait for tragedy?

My prayer for today:  Father, help me to be sensitive to those around me and be a real neighbor in the old-fashioned meaning of the word.