Morning Devotion

On January 14, 2022   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 63: 1         KJV

O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee.

To rise early in the morning,
While all is quiet and still,
Gives me time to mediate;
Time to seek His will,
Time to read the Bible,
Time to plan my day,
Time to let God cleanse my heart,
And throw the trash away.
Time for asking blessings,
Time to offer praise,
Time to ask forgiveness
For other wasted days.
The yoke is then much lighter;
I’m more refreshed and strong,
Ready to do the task at hand –
Knowing I’m not alone.

Jeanne Duren

In our putting away and cleaning up from Christmas, my roommate found this little poem that her grandmother cut out of the newspaper and saved. What a blessing. Her grandmother passed away in 2000 and yet she is still contributing to, not only our lives, but hopefully yours as well. Enjoy your morning devotional, courtesy of Mildred Perry.

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This Love

On January 13, 2022   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Proverb 6: 16

There are six things that the Lord hates, even seven that are disgusting to him.

Hate is not something Christians talk about or dwell in. However, even God hates a few things and I fear I have experienced a similar emotion.

A couple of weeks ago I was riding a bicycle class at the gym. These classes are set to music. The last song of the ride was What’s Love Got to Do with It by Tina Turner. It is a well known song but definitely has a dark side.  Most of the song consists of this lyric:

Oh-oh, what’s love got to do, got to do with it?
What’s love but a second-hand emotion?
What’s love got to do, got to do with it?
Who needs a heart when a heart can be broken?

Now, this is not a criticism of Tina Turner or even the songwriters but what kind of society do we live in that over 30 years after its release we are still singing such a horrid lyric? The person leading the bike class said, “Oh, I love this song.” Wow, that’s kind of oxymoronic, isn’t it? How can we believe in love at any level and accept such a denunciation of it?

You can empathize with someone who has been hurt and thus can relate to the song, but hopefully that person heals and comes to understand the soullessness of the song, even to despise the lack of faith and belief in love or even the possibility of love.

The song is about having sex with another person and the imperative not to let love enter into the exchange. How many things are wrong in that? I can say, I really do hate this song. It has a good beat and lures you into singing it but that day I wanted to get off my bike and leave the room. I simply cannot stand this song any longer. What does love have to do with it? Absolutely everything and that is what I answer, aloud, when I hear the song. And I did that day as well. You don’t want to be around me because I am going to push back. I am not going to let songs and lyrics like this poison my spirit, a spirit which, by the way, is sanctioned in love. The spirit which is within me was born in love, created by love.

We all get hurt and probably more of us than would like to admit can relate to Tina Turner’s song, but I hope she has found reason to sing a new song, a better song as I know we have. Love sent Jesus to earth for us. The more you intertwine your life with Jesus, the more the world becomes a strange place to live. It becomes harder to turn a deaf ear to language and ideas that are in direct contradiction with everything our Father is.

Let me get theological for just one moment. If that song is diametrically opposed to what our God is and what our Lord teaches, what is its source? Obviously, God had nothing to do with the writing of this song. Was it just damaged people expressing worldly ideas? Or is there more to it? I don’t know the answer, but it does make one wonder because this song undermines so much of what we believe in. Generations of children have grown up with this lyric. What has it done to their impressionable spirits? It has sown seeds of promiscuity and for denying the importance and power of love.

Love is the greatest force in the universe. He, Love, created this earth and all the stars in the heavens. He sent His beloved to this broken, decaying world to save all the silly little humans who live here so that we would not spend eternity in the lake of fire. There is so much more though. He, Love, is alive and well right now here on planet earth. He is here to live with us, to heal our broken hearts and to help us live better lives. He mends our spirits and restores us simply because that is what love does. Whatsmore, love is doing just that every day of the year. He will move into any heart that will have Him and heal the broken parts. He will give us as much healing and love as we will allow.

What’s love got to do with it? Absolutely everything . . . and everything meaningful is born of love.

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Growing or Going

On January 12, 2022   /   Word of the Day   /   2 Comments

Joshua 22: 24      GW

“We were worried because of the situation we’re in. We thought sometime in the future your children might say to our children, ‘What relationship do you have with the Lord God of Israel?’”

How good a Christian are you? Many of us would answer that question with a litany of our behaviors. It is also how we determine how good others are. The reality is, it is measured in how close you are to God and Jesus rather than in your good acts.

In the old days, this was a question of importance for the tribes. It affected the nations’ security and alliances. Today, we ask the question of ourselves as individuals. This question, though, contrasted with the old times, is not an opportunity for judgment. In other words, we don’t need to judge each other’s Christianity or even our own. Instead, we gauge where we are in our relationship with God. Are we growing the way we want to? Is our relationship with the trinity growing? Are the stressors of the last two years causing us to slip away a little?

We can go to church every week and still our hearts may not be as close to God as they once were. Church behaviors don’t make us good Christians, but they put us in a place where we can interact with others who love God and that helps us draw near to Him.

We live in a time when each person can have their own relationship with the God of Israel. We both individually and collectively develop that relationship so that we come to know God and hear Him speaking with us.

How good a Christian are you? The real question is, are you where you want to be? Are you headed in the direction you desire? If not, what can you do to cause your relationship with Yahweh to grow and flourish? If we draw near to Him, He has promised to draw near to us. I pray for you all, today, that your relationship with God is growing and giving you increasing comfort and satisfaction. I also pray that your children are reaping the benefits of a closer walk with Christ and that their relationship with the God of Israel, grows stronger each day.

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Meditative Journaling

On January 11, 2022   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 77:6

I will remember my song in the night; I will meditate with my heart, and my spirit ponders.

There are many good verses which encourage meditation, but this one is interesting because it combines singing and a revelation about one’s spirit pondering God’s miracles.

I wrote to you yesterday about using prayer and meditation to overcome weariness. Part of weariness is stress. I was reading a newsletter from my health care system when I ran across this advice for dealing with the anxiety and depression of the season. The author wrote, “Controlled breathing and journaling about your stressors are other good options.”

I didn’t write to you about journaling yesterday because I was saving it for today. Journaling, singing, prayer, and meditation are all methods you can use, daily, to alleviate stress so that it never collects to the level that you become weary and worn out as yesterday’s author was. Today’s verse isn’t specifically about journaling, but I chose it because it reveals a process of meditative communion that is fundamental in journaling with Jesus.

Journaling with Jesus is different than the type of journaling most of us learned initially. This type of journaling is actually a meditative process. You begin by slowing down your mind and body and then turning inward to hear the voice of God within you. As I intimated yesterday, beginning with your Bible is a fabulous way to start. As you immerse yourself in the Word, the world automatically begins to drift away. Your heart rate might even slow as you calmly breathe.

I often begin with the Bible. The next thing I know, I am speaking aloud to the Father. Soon I find myself led to another verse and before you know it, I am immersed in Bible, pens and my journal. I also make notes in my Bible. If something big went off in me, something personal for my edification, I might write the date in my Bible next to the verse.

In the 4 Keys to Hearing God’s Voice, Dr. Mark Virkler teaches two-way journaling. It is a method for helping a person to hear the voice of God. I recommend this book and the class as well.

The point is, I want you to invest time in meditating before God. This is time of communion between your spirit and His, a time to share thoughts and for Him to speak mysteries to you. The beginning is to slow yourself down and turn your attention to your own spirit and your Father. Then, perhaps, you engage with the Word. Inevitably, if you spend time in the Word you find something to talk with God about. And when you have spent time hearing God speak, then you are gonna want to write it down. Don’t forget singing, praising and prayer as ways to connect your heart to God’s.

I hope this helps you and that 2022 will be a year of greater intertwining of your heart and God’s. I pray that when you look back on 2022 you will remember it as a year when you drew closer to Yahweh. Be blessed!

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Tired and Weary

On January 10, 2022   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Proverb 30: 1 – 3

God, I’m so weary and worn out, I feel more like a beast than a man. I was made in your image, but I lack understanding. I’ve yet to learn the wisdom that comes from the full and intimate knowledge of you, the Holy One.

Some of you can relate to this passage. It reminds me of the song Peace in the Valley. Sometimes the weariness feels like it goes right down to your bones. This is a picture of someone who is over-stressed and tired. Any small thing becomes too much. What would you advise for someone in this situation?

Believe it or not, sleep may not be the answer. Yes, sometimes our bodies need rest and it is important to get that rest and allow your body to renew. What I hear in this passage, though, is emotional and mental fatigue. The author has come to the end of himself and needs more of what God offers his life. Too much sleep, in fact, could lead to depression so, in this case, the author needs proactive remedies.

The scriptures offer rejuvenation. Reading the Psalms can be particularly revitalizing and comforting. Any book or passage which stimulates your relationship with God is good though. Jesus is found in every book of the Bible which I hope I proved in my book,  Journey Through the Bible. I also recommend Isaiah when you feel worn out and beaten up.

Read slowly and absorb. Stop and consider what might have motivated the author. What was he feeling when he wrote the passage? What synonyms could you use in the passage and what do those synonyms offer? If a passage has struck you, stop and read it in several versions. Let those other versions add color and fulness. As you read and absorb it is natural to meditate on what you are reading. As you ponder the scriptures, it is also the most natural thing in the world to begin to pray.

Prayer is a remedy all to itself. We think of prayer as a request for God to do something for us and that is not wrong, but it is only one type of prayer. Prayer, at its base, is conversation with God. When you are worn out and frazzled, prayer is a soothing balm. Nothing, in fact, is more soothing that God’s reassurances and gentle touch.

Take time for restoration. It is the new year and that means that you probably need some recovery time. It is also a good time for us to adopt some healthy habits, like meditation and prayer for example. Be restored and blessed.

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Deposits

On January 7, 2022   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Ephesians 3: 16        NLT

I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit.

As you can tell, I am still hanging out in Ephesians. It is such a rich book that I sometimes hardly get past one verse before I have to stop and contemplate. When Paul stopped and considered all the great works of God’s hands, he fell to his knees and prayed. Undoubtedly, he praised God for all the glorious things He has done. That isn’t all though. Paul’s pastor’s heart shows here. All that awe and wonder turned into a prayer for the people Paul served. Paul prayed an intense prayer. This is my prayer for you today.

We cannot fathom the quantity of glory and resources God has. It boggles the imagination even trying. Take that imagination, that image, however you see it and try to picture God filling you with it. Imagine His might filling you, making you strong in your inner self. Paul asked for God’s Holy Spirit to flow into people and leave, within them, deposits of God’s glory and His ability. I cannot even imagine what resources Paul might have been thinking about but God’s wisdom, patience, insightfulness, and resilience might be some of the resources the Holy Spirit has for us.

The question is, what do we need? God has a resource for every need. I pray Paul’s prayer, that the Holy Spirit will fill you with every glorified resource you need for your life. I also pray that He gives you a new and bigger dream so that you need to pull on those resources more and more. May the God of Glory, the Son of Righteousness and the Spirit of Life shine on you today and leave deposits of their essence in your spirit. Amen.

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Smell the Roses, Enjoy the View

On January 6, 2022   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Ephesians 3: 14 – 15            NLT

When I think of the wisdom and scope of god’s plan, I fall to my knees and pray to the father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.

In some respects, perhaps, this verse seems unremarkable. The words which captivated me and inspired me to write were, “When I think.” It seems as though Paul stopped to consider what God was doing. Were I to pause, maybe I, too, would be overwhelmed and fall to my knees in humble adoration. Maybe, I just don’t think, enough, about God’s greatness.

I hope you heeded my advice yesterday to write some goals. I think I have happened upon a new one for myself today. Stop and smell the roses, we might say. In other words, it would behoove me to stop and consider the wonder of God’s presence in my life, daily. It is easy to get so busy that we don’t appreciate the scope of God’s touch on our lives. Maybe we even begin to take it for granted. I don’t want to do that. I want to appreciate all the things He is doing for me daily.

When I do pause, I find there are many, many small things being orchestrated for me in addition to the big things. This year is going to be momentous for us and I want to be mentally and emotionally alert enough to see it unfolding. Also, if you believe what I am writing to you today, you can ask Dad to open your eyes. Ask Him to reveal what He is doing. He likes to share with us.

God’s plans and creativity are at work right now. Things are unfolding. Many people will drive past a beautiful view; only some will actually see it. Take time today, and each day, to consider the glory of God’s handiwork in the world and in your life. Observe the magnificent things He is doing, and be blessed.

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