Corona Devotionals

Who do you think you are?   I had a rotten day yesterday, and most of it seethed with an internal conversation in my mind that I applied to many things and people around me, and the core was always the same:   Who do you think you are?   Everything and everyone was dissatisfying to me.   I was discontent, unhappy, short and almost tormented by the lack of peace inside my mind and heart.   It was ugly.  I was ugly.   And if I thought it was bad for me , I seriously pity my family that were forced to be around me.   I have since apologized sincerely to them.   I didn’t want to be in that ugly place, and I didn’t want to treat them the way I did while I was there.   All the while, I saw myself as vindicated and I was selfishly thinking (of other people/situations): “Who do you think you are?”.  But a more appropriate and convicting question would have been to ask myself , “Who do you think you are?”  “Look at the proud! ...

10 Give thanks to him who killed the firstborn of Egypt. His faithful love endures forever. 11 He brought Israel out of Egypt.  His faithful love endures forever. 12 He acted with a strong hand and powerful arm.  His faithful love endures forever. 13 Give thanks to him who parted the Red Sea.  His faithful love endures forever. 14 He led Israel safely through, His faithful love endures forever.   15 but he hurled Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea.  His faithful love endures forever. 16 Give thanks to him who led his people through the wilderness.  His faithful love endures forever.  ~Psalm 136:10-16 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Give thanks to him who killed the firstborn of Egypt.  His faithful love endures forever.   ~Psalm 136:10. At first glance, this verse is heavy and harsh and violent.  God is love, and God is good, right?  But what people often forget, or do not want to acknowledge is that God is...

Have you ever heard it said that someone "couldn't see the forest for the trees"? Sometimes I get so wrapped up in the tasks I create and assign to my circumstances, that I forget what a blessing the circumstance itself is.  I muddy it with details and have-to's and perceived perfections that are self-imposed.   Some days are hard or sad or trying, but today I have nothing pulling me down, except myself.  My circumstances are good, blessed even!  But as I looked around, I became frantic in trying to prune my "trees", water my trees, dig-up and move my trees to other spots because they might be better over there, arrange my trees and then become bitter and cranky at my trees, even though all they have done the whole time is stand still right there.  They are trees of blessing, creating a forest around me, but I have worked myself into a busy-frenzy because I cannot see the forest for the trees. Then I stopped and sat down with Jesus and the Bible.  He g...

It's hard to think of anything positive resulting from the death of someone you love (at first).  The immediate feelings are emotional and sad.  But within the process of wrapping up an estate or will, there can be the hidden blessing of an inheritance.  Initially, a windfall of money might be your first thought, but often an inheritance can be of "less worth" than money, but contain more meaning.   My Gramma passed away in February, and I inherited her kitchen salt and pepper shakers.  Simple, maybe, but every time I pick them up (daily), a warmth flows through my heart knowing that she used to pick them up too.    God has a beautiful inheritance for His children.  And it is worth far more than any amount of money can buy.  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope...

Lord , you alone are my portion and my cup;   you make my lot secure.  The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.  ~Psalm 16:5-6 Maybe it is the new freedom of being able to run to the store, connect with a friend (in person!) or just the relief of less fear in my mind/heart of the what-if of Corona, but emotionally, spiritually and physically: I am in a more pleasant place lately.   Maybe it was a couple lean years filled with too many deaths and stifling sorrow that I have felt melt away: but i am laughing with (true) joy sometimes.  And even as it happens (praise the Lord!), i catch myself because it almost feels foreign.  The valleys of life come, and for some of us, we walk a long time in them.  It is lonely, but we can cling to the Lord and His word, and He holds us tight.  He is our portion of sanity and hope to get through the heavy veil of life at times.  And the...

Mentally, I have been trying to prep (and guard) myself for the re-entry into tasks, schedules, appointments and obligations.  I will be honest: the Corona shut-down showed me the blessing of slowing-down, and I have been on my guard to avoid getting too busy. But sometimes we get caught up worrying about assumed problems, and we forget to anticipate blessings that can occur within the same process.   Re-entry into practices, people, driving, etc. was not something I was looking forward to.  I liked the peace of being at home with the family, suppers together, and I didn't miss the rush-rush that used to fill our daily schedules. But I had missed something else, and I didn't notice how much I missed it, until I got a fresh (Post-Corona shut-down) taste yesterday: Community.   Friends.  Sisters-in-Christ.  Friends-of-the-heart.  Compadres.   The Lord knows us very well.  He knows what we don't want, but He also knows what we...

Has anyone ever played the Wii U Game, "Just Dance"?   You select a song, and characters perform dance moves on the screen to it.  You also dance to it, and the Wii controllers that you hold register your "moves".  The closer you mimic the characters on screen, the more points you receive.  The best performer wins. As I read scripture today, I realized this idea is not too far off from the challenge we have in following Christ.  Our lives should mimic Christ.  The closer we get to Him and His word and ways--the more in-sync our thoughts/hearts/actions are with how He would react, comment, and treat others.  Our experience in life (and the experience of those around us) is elevated--the closer we mirror Jesus. What are some classic "Jesus moves" that we can imitate?  I found a few in Micah (a prophet of the Lord), Chapter 7. How about the difficult twist of forgiving others  when they hurt us or sin against us?  (... pardons the guil...

“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”  ~John 4:23-24 What "time" are we waiting for?  Were we waiting for a time when life slowed down enough for us to have time to spend with Jesus?  I think Corona allowed that.   Are we waiting for a time when we feel "ready", "prepared", or "good enough" to approach Jesus? Do we just feel like "getting close to God" will happen sometime down the road? Now.  Jesus is stating plainly in these verses that our time is now.   “Yet a time is coming and has now come..." (John 4:23).   No more excuses, and we should have no reservations.  He welcomes us in relationship with Him, and He commands it here. "when the true worshipers" ~John 4:23.   Lord, we want to be your  true worshipe...

Have you ever met someone famous?  Even if it is just a local hero, or a live concert where you are watching someone you admire--it is quite a rush.  Your pulse quickens and you might get sweaty.  And if you get the opportunity to speak with them, why is it so easy to get tongue-tied?   Something about being in the presence of someone "famous" trips our nerves and often our tongues.   Have you ever mused about what it will be like to be in God's presence? 11 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. 12 In a loud voice they were saying: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!”  13 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: “To him who sits on the th...