Tag Archives: Devotional

Watching the Wasps

Leave a reply

wasp

But godliness with contentment is great gain.
1 Timothy 6:6

Today I saw several wasps and they were utterly engaging. I watched, with awe, as they industriously visited each trumpet flower in search of sweet nectar. And surprisingly, I marveled at how beautiful they were, in their own way. This may seem quite insignificant, yet you would be impressed if only you knew how much I detested wasps in the not-so-distant past. Granted, I generally love all of God’s creation, but there are certain creatures, wasps, for instance, that cause me consternation rather than pleasure. In all fairness, my wasp phobia was the direct result of being allergic to their stings, but that understanding did little to improve my attitude.

Why the sudden change?

As I have previously shared, the last several months have been quite difficult for me. My health had been in decline for quite a while, when a week-and-half ago, I landed in the emergency room with a  new, daunting challenge –one that will take a bit to overcome. As a result, I find that my physical senses are dulled. However, the opposite may be said of my spiritual and emotional senses —they have only been heightened.

My experience riding home from the doctors’ office was much like that of watching the wasps. I have always tried to be content living here, in the flatlands of the Midwest where God has placed me, but my heart has always dreamt of living in a cabin near cool mountain streams and flowered meadows, of hiking  through scenic mountain trails. Sometimes, if I close my eyes and shut out the sights and sounds of the city, I can almost smell the evergreens. This only deepens my longing. But today, much to my amazement, I looked  upon  this old, familiar scenery in a whole new way; it never looked as pleasant or as beautiful, nor have I ever appreciated it as much.

Physical challenges seem to have a way of changing our perspective, but why must it take something like this, I wondered, to allow me to fully enjoy certain things. I promptly repented for all the times I grumbled about my dull and unappealing surroundings. Yes, my heart will continue to dream of all the beautiful places that I would love to visit, but I have determined  to be more like the Apostle Paul who said, “I have learned to be content in whatever situation I am in.” (Philippians 4:11).

There is, after all,  great peace in contentedness.

Like A Flood

Leave a reply

flood

 

Where have I been for the last few months, you might ask? Truthfully, I have been battling a rather serious health issue; one that has knocked me down more than once, but rest assured, I’m not down for the count. In fact, I plan to resume blogging now, despite my weakened condition. But first, I want to share a post from my archives because it seemed very appropriate amid the physical and emotional storms that so many are facing. I will share this post both here, and on my Rays of Light page, but check back soon because no matter what, God’s mercies are too great to keep silent and I will, Lord willing, be adding new posts to both sites very soon.

Today, as I gazed upon the brightest, most beautiful sky that I have seen in weeks, I couldn’t help but think of those living in flood-ravaged areas; and right now, there are plenty of those. I also wept for a few dear friends who are going through some very devastating storms in their personal lives. It seems that so many of us are going through heavy storms of one type or another. Don’t give up, friends, even when those storms seem to come against you………..

LIKE A FLOOD

Sometimes God calms the storm. Sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms His child.

This past weekend, the weather here was horrendous. We were hit with the whole gamut of storm threats, including tornadoes, hail and flooding. In fact the hail stone pictured –or should I say hail boulder- was one of many that pounded this region. There was quite a bit of property loss in our area, but praise the LORD, there were no serious injuries.

hail

I thought of the second half of Isaiah 59:19: When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him. However, the ancient Hebrew texts did not have commas, or paragraphs for that matter, so instead of reading:

When the enemy shall come in like a flood —the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him

the verse could just as easily read

When the enemy shall come in —like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.

What’s the difference? The difference is where you place the emphasis. Dear reader, when you are bombarded with the storms of life, do you focus more on the storm, or on the one who can calm it?

It is only natural to feel completely overwhelmed at times. Undoubtedly, many of the folks here that lost their homes in the tornadoes felt that way. I’m sure they could relate to the words of King David did when he penned the following:

My heart is in anguish within me;
the terrors of death have fallen on me.
Fear and trembling have beset me;
horror has overwhelmed me.
I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!
I would fly away and be at rest.
I would hurry to my place of shelter,
far from the tempest and storm.
Psalm 55:4-8 NIV

But David didn’t stop there, allowing his situation to flood him with despair. Instead, he confidently proclaimed, “As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me” (verse 16).

Dear reader, I leave you with these encouraging words from the same Psalm; may they flood you with peace during your roughest storms.

“Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved (verse 22).

(Like a Flood originally posted April 2012)

Depths of Despair

Leave a reply

cross on bible

“Can’t you even imagine you’re in the depths of despair?” Anne (of Green Gables) asked. “No I cannot,” was the reply. “To despair is to turn your back on God.”

Although I see Mirilla’s point, I don’t entirely agree. The Lord God understands all of our human frailty and our pain, even when we slip into the “depths of despair”  and I am very grateful that he does. Even though I am a person of faith, I felt pretty far down in those depths recently, because the last month has been an extremely difficult one; filled with an overwhelming amount of emotional pain.

Thankfully, the Lord never forsakes us in our time of need. While I sat in the therapeutic massage chair at my chiropractor’s office, feeling the wonderful relief of muscles relaxing, I enjoyed the soothing instrumental music. Aside from the sweet presence of the Lord, I was alone in the room at the time and therefore felt comfortable quietly singing the lyrics  to myself:

“… My sin—oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!—
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!”

Very gently, the Lord spoke to my heart and reminded me to nail my burdens to the cross and bear them no more. As a Christian, I know to do that, but sometimes, I get so distracted with pain and such, I simply don’t relax in the promises of the Lord; promises for peace and comfort. Can you relate?

Today, I am reminded of the thirtieth chapter of I Samuel. When King David and his men returned to their city and found it burned, and all the women [and children] carried away captive, David was “greatly distressed” yet he “encouraged himself in the Lord his God.”

Dear reader, we are only human; we will experience pain, and sometimes we might even feel that we are in the “depths of despair.” Surely, the apostle Paul felt this way at times, but he too encouraged himself in the Lord. I’m sure he never denied feeling despair, but he boldly denied its right to remain. We can certainly learn from his example. He encouraged others by reminding them, as I now remind you:

“We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed…” 2 Corinthians 4:8-9

<< To read the incredible account of  why   “It is Well with my Soul”  was written,  click here: IN THE MIDST OF PAIN, GOD! >>

***********

 

{Please excuse the following commercial, if applicable. They are part of my platform until I pay to have them removed –I do not have the opportunity to preview, nor endorse any commercial}

On My Knees

Leave a reply

Cleaning: Getting More Soapy Water

Some day, I plan to buy a steam cleaner for my kitchen and bathroom floors. But I have to admit, there are times when I actually enjoy getting on my hands and knees and scrubbing them the old-fashioned way. Of course, I do have a mop and bucket, but once-in-a-while I just get that toothbrush-to-the-nooks-and-crannies, kind of urge to do some deeper cleaning.

Last week, while I was on my knees scrubbing away, it occurred to me that some of the most rewarding things in my life are done on my knees —playing with children, cleaning, gardening, and praying, to name a few.

If only I could get up and down like I used to!

Since I can’t, I find the time on my knees is becoming less and less frequent. And for that reason, I don’t even pray on my knees as much as I used to. This has never really concerned me though, since our Lord hears our prayers despite our physical position. Many times, the luxury of praying on bended knee is not afforded us. In fact, it was reported of General Stonewall Jackson, “While the battle was raging and the bullets were flying, Jackson rode by, calm as if he were at home, but his head was raised toward heaven, and his lips were moving evidently in prayer.”¹

Still, there is just something special about those times spent on our knees in prayer. Scripture informs us that even Jesus prayed this way at times. Thus, I leave you with the following words from the apostle Paul:

For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. (Ephesians 3:14-21).

¹ America’s God and Country, William J. Federer, p.27

In Memory of…

Leave a reply

In loving tribute to my dear friend, Barbara “Hugs” Hammond, who crossed into eternity January 7, 2015

barbara.11

Everyone needs to have some “hugs” in their life. I am so grateful that Barbara was mine for so many years. 

*******************

The following  is a re-post (edited slightly) from several years ago, but Barbara, being the blessing that she was, inspired me to write this one in the first place, so I thought it only fitting to share again.

click on this link →   FRIED WORMS

fried-worms-3

“I Just Gotta Eat!”

Leave a reply

boy eating

Ah, the simplistic honesty of children. Years ago, when our oldest son was three, we had asked him to pray over the evening meal. He bowed his head and exhaled deeply. Then, with great intensity, he said these exact words: “Dear God, I JUST GOTTA EAT!”

Those words have echoed through my thoughts many times over the years. Seldom in regards to physical food, though. Jesus said, “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst” (John 6:35). Yet I find that there are times in my life, like now, when it seems the more spiritual food I eat, the hungrier I get.

To be honest, there have been times when I was spiritually hungry because I skipped a few meals. But this isn’t one of those times. I hope that everyone senses what I do. I truly believe we are on the brink of a very special move of God. Our world is in distress and times are getting darker, but the beautiful, sweet presence of God is moving over the face of the earth to bring comfort and joy to all who will receive it.

I also sense a fresh awakening of God’s people. It seems that so many have been drowsy for too long. Content to live on fast food, spiritually speaking, we have become sluggish and unhealthy. All the while, God has offered us a well-balanced banquet and bids us to come eat.

Partaking of spiritual food parallels the physical. The more spiritual manna we partake of, the healthier and stronger we become. In turn, we find ourselves becoming more energetic and active again. Rather than being couch potatoes, we find ourselves being about the Father’s business all the more. And this increased level of activity, creates more hunger in our hearts.

Obviously, I’m not the only one who is getting hungrier. All across this nation, people are crying out to God for more- more of His presence, more of His power. And God is faithfully answering because He never turns away the hungry.

It is truly my heart’s desire that everyone- those who know God and those who do not, will begin to feel such hunger pains that we more fervently seek our heavenly Father and cry out to Him, “Dear God, I JUST GOTTA EAT.”

Walking Upon Possibilities

Leave a reply

soldier

“Permanence, perseverance and persistence in spite of all obstacles, discouragements, and impossibilities: It is this that in all things distinguishes the strong soul from the weak.” Thomas Carlyle, Scottish Historian.

Sitting in a crowded waiting room this past week, I watched a very young girl make her way slowly across the room. Tears pooled in my eyes at the thought that this crippled child would have to use crutches for the rest of her life. But she wasn’t the least bit sad. From the sweet, careless smile which lit her innocent face, it was quite obvious that she didn’t give her legs a second thought.

I was reminded of William Pitt the Elder, a British Politician, who was an extremely influential figure during the French Revolution. What Pitt lacked in physical strength, he more than made up for in determination. The concept of limitation was a foreign one to him.

Though he rarely delegated duty, he had at some point during the war given a direct command to one of his officials. When the man balked at the impossibility of the task, Pitt reprimanded him by pointing to his crutches and confidently declared: “Sir, I walk upon impossibilities!”

There is no question that all of humanity is currently facing difficulty and hardship. The future holds many uncertainties and without God, I believe, little hope. With God, however, there is much hope because with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26).

Whatever you are going through right now, dear reader, remember that we may all lose a few battles, but we will most assuredly win the war. Now is not the time to give in to discouragement; there is too much work to do. It may be difficult, but let us all rise to the challenge.

Marie Currie, French physicist and Nobel Peace Prize winner summarized this well. She said “Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that…. We must believe that we are gifted for something, and that this thing, at whatever cost, must be attained.”

It is far too easy to allow circumstances to cripple us. And when they do, we can choose to accept them as insurmountable, henceforth hobbling on emotional crutches. Or we can look them squarely in the face and declare, as Mr. Pitt did, “I walk upon impossibilities!” Let me remind you again, with God nothing shall be impossible (Luke 1:37).

Too Heavenly Minded?

Leave a reply

stairway

Through the years I have heard a few preachers say that we can be “too heavenly minded to be of any earthly good.” Modern translation: Radicals need not apply. When I read my bible, however, I find numerous accounts of “radical” servants of the Most High who turned their worlds upside down with their passion for God and His kingdom.

The first sermons of Jesus recorded in scripture were about the kingdom of Heaven. In fact, everything He taught, every miracle He performed, every body He healed, even His death on the cross, were all about the kingdom of Heaven. Who amongst us would ever think Him to be so heavenly minded as to be of no earthly good? And we are supposed to be imitators of Jesus Christ aren’t we?

No, I don’t think it possible to be too heavenly minded. In regard to God’s instructions, scripture commands that you impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. (Deuteronomy 6:7)
In other words, all the time!

Furthermore, blessed is the man whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night. (Psalms 1:2)

Why is he blessed? When a man meditates on God’s word, he acts on God’s word. It is the heavenly minded who does this world the most good –that which lasts for eternity. The more “radical” believers are, the more likely they are to turn this world upside down for the furtherance of God’s kingdom.

So then, can a believer be too heavenly minded to be of any earthly good? Again, I don’t think so. I doubt that is what we should be asking anyway. Perhaps we should be asking the opposite:

Can a person be too earthly minded to be of any heavenly good?

–just a little food for thought.

Home is Number 5

Leave a reply

cell phone

We were sitting around the dinner table when the subject of numbers came up. Addressing my husband I joyfully said, I know what number I am -number 2. To understand the very special meaning of that statement, please read one of my most popular blogs, “Second Place Love.”

“Yes,” he said, smiling. “You are even number 2 on my speed dial.”

That surprised me. “I thought home would be number 2 and my cell would be number 3,” I replied.

He pulled his phone from its case and turned the keypad toward me. The number 5 is in the center of my phone, he explained, so home is number 5 because everything revolves around home.

I already knew that my husband’s life revolved around his family, but to hear this little tidbit just blessed my socks off because I love the imagery of it.

Dear reader, no matter how strong our prayer lives are, there will always be those times when we need to ‘speed dial’ the LORD. After all, urgent matters can arise very quickly. When they do, (and even when they don’t) it is good to know that our Heavenly Father is already right in the center of our lives, where He belongs.

I love the LORD, for he heard my voice;
he heard my cry for mercy.
Because he turned his ear to me,
I will call on him as long as I live.
Psalm 116:1-2

Second Place Love