Corona Devo 77

The sweetest breaths that I will take in all year occur today and for these few days.

 Lilacs are in bloom!

 Their scent is a special perfume to my nostrils that brings a smile to my soul.  I just love the aroma of these little lavender bursts of bloom.  
They might be tiny, but they are so fragrant!  And alas, they only last a couple treasured days.  But I breathe them in as deeply as I can for this special week each year.  

 We are not so different from the lilacs.  Sometimes our days can seem unending, but the truth is: our lives sprint past us in a blink.  
  • “Remember that my life is a breath;"  ~Job 7:7
  • "...surely all mankind is a mere breath!"  ~Psalm 39:11
  • "Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow."  ~Psalm 144:4
We don't like to discuss it, but death will come to all of us one day not so far down the line.  It is inevitable, but it is also not to be feared.  If we have accepted Jesus into our heart, and admitted our sin and His sovereignty--then when our season of bloom ends on earth, we will open our eyes to a glorious eternity in Heaven.  

 Like the tiny lavender flowers blooming outside my kitchen window and standing at purple attention in a vase on my table, we also have our season to bloom here on earth.  How are we spending our seasons of bloom?  

 As I breathe in the deep fragrance of my lilacs, I am challenged to step away from my complaints and criticisms of myself/people/life that often choke us like weeds, and remember that our time here is short, and we have a choice (and every opportunity!) to make the most of it.

How about if we not only chose to make the most out of our lives, but did so with Christ as our guide and inspiration.  
What if our lives could be lived out for Jesus in such a way that others sensed Christ in us, saw Him in us, and "breathed Him in" by the way that we live and love others?

15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing...  ~2 Corinthians 2:15

 I love this verse, and it is a perfect parallel as I breathe in my lilacs today.  
We can be that "sweet aroma" (if you will) to others, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.  We can emit His love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23) through how we live our lives.  Or we can at least try!

 Thank you, Lord for the brief but delicious bloom of lilacs.  A deep breath of them changes my entire mood!  May we have a similar effect on others for Your glory during our brief bloom here on earth.  
Blessings,
sarah

https://sarahsundy04.blogspot.com/

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Corona Devo 1156

Image
At work, we provide Trainings for customers, so that they can be updated and educated on all of the latest features (and how to use them) within our product.  Many companies do this--sharing "Best Practices" are a way to ensure positive outcomes on the customer and vendor sides of things. My kids often offer me "life hacks" that they have learned from watching an online video promising to "save time" and "make your life easier".  And just this week, my husband enlightened me about the "tear-away" feature built into most plastic rings holding cans/bottles of pop or Gatorade together.  When separated, the plastic rips open easily, releasing the bottle--saving wildlife that might be caught if it is discarded as trash, and saving me  frustration or angst because I no longer have to pull with all my might to get a bottle out of the plastic rings.  ( Who knew? )  Life hacks do save time and make your life easier! Who couldn't benefit from
Read more

Corona Devo 1217

Image
The unanswered “why’s” of life, the disorder of our days, and even the unfairness of our struggles can cause us to question ourselves and also to question our God. But the order-of-Creation and the systems that God has set in place are undeniable answers that swing back and forth like God’s pendulum-reminder that He set the world in motion, and He continues to keep order, even when it seems as if we and our world are in dis- order.   Job was a man going through some heavy and hard stuff.   Maybe we are too.   Job’s trials had caused him to question the order of life, and possibly God’s dominion over it.   We can relate.   The “Why’s?” and the “Why Me’s” can stack up in our minds and hearts, but like a parent exercising loving-authority over a child, God reminds Job and us--of His power, omniscience and of His ultimate authority over everything: Creation… and us today .   Then the  Lord  answered Job from the whirlwind: (2) “Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ig
Read more

Corona Devo 991

Running low on " good things " today?  Doesn't it (sometimes) seem like/trend like/read like/tweet like/water-cooler-chat or backyard-fence-visit like/intimidate like/depress like... there are no  good things in the land? . I know. It's no secret that many have abandoned  the Law of the  Lord,  and at times, that's us .   It is evident all around us that people have  followed each other  in this sin.  When we look around...or when we live our days...we can wonder: Are there  any  good things  left in the land? There are still some good things in the land ...and no matter how bleak we feel the "forecast" for today is...there will always  be  some good things in the land, because God is in the land.   T he Bible reminds us of that today.   ~~~ The Israelites (and their king, Rehoboam ) were God's people, but like all of us at times/seasons of our lives...they wandered from Lord and His ways.  They relaxed in their allegiance to the Lord, and then the
Read more