Corona Devotionals

Do not give up. Do you have a cause that is close to your heart, but the gusto that once propelled it seems to be fizzling out? Are you like The Little Engine That Could , but as you chug and chug along each day, the load seems to be heavier and the resistance even stronger? Keep chugging! If your cause is righteous and your heart is pure in seeking it, then be persistent and stay vigilant in prayer. The world (and it's people/situations/anxieties) can burden our spirits and cripple our energy, but God is always listening to the cries of our hearts. Keep praying. Keep believing and keep seeking what is right. Even the strongest Christ-followers, can become burdened and bound by their circumstances, which is why Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up (Luke 18:1) If Jesus spoke persistence into His chosen 12, then He also speaks it into us today. Do not give up. Keep praying for what is right! 2 He said: “In a certain town...

There has been a lot going on in our house lately.  Yours too?  Family gatherings, cousins in from out-of-town, late nights, full days and fun. Mostly.   If you do the math of everyday life plus the listed things above (or non-stop activity) then you know that there has to be some Jesus-glue to hold things together.  We need to apply Him to our attitudes, spirits and sanity, otherwise the pace of life, regardless of how festive, cannot be (safely) maintained. Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.  ~Luke 4:45  Here and there over the past few days I have heard some not-so-nice things come out of our children's mouths, and whoops, I may have heard a couple not-so-nice things fly out of mine.  What's in our hearts comes gushing out of our mouths, and I was saddened by some of our overflow recently.   But then I realized that in the bustle of the past few days, we (as a family) had neglected our normal Bible study time/discussi...

It might be the time of year or perhaps just my state-of-mind, but I find myself taking stock of where I am (emotionally, spiritually, physically), and thinking about what's next and around the bend. What will be our plan for the coming Year ? What regimen will be most beneficial? And in the same timeframe of me looking around and within for direction and grounding came these verses from my Bible. Like stakes anchoring the tent of my soul, Psalm 37 pounded in God's grounding for us today and in the days to come. 3 Trust in the Lord and do good.  Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. ~Psalm 37:3 Today, tomorrow, and forever, God keeps it simple and crystal clear: Trust in the Lord and do good.  He is in charge and we can Trust in the Lord . Let Him lead us today. And once we submit our will and ways to Him, do good. My daughter shared with me just today that the way to feel j-o-y is to "serve J esus, O thers, and then Y ourself". Her best frien...

Taste and see that the Lord is good.  ~Psalm 34:8 The food, dishes and delicacies that have graced our tables over the past few days have been a cornucopia of flavors and memories too.  Some new recipes showed up while others that we have come to expect each year mixed and mingled to create delicious gatherings with family and friends. As I sit back and pat my belly, I realize that the extensive spreads are a parable for the blessings in our lives.  Some traditions resurfaced (like favorite recipes) this year, and we also did a few things differently than ever before (much like adding a new dish to the table next to our stand-bys).  The result was different from years past, but enjoyable in it's own way. Taste and see that the Lord is good.  ~Psalm 34:8 Don't believe the hype.  The news media wants us to lament and be depressed about every day and month of the last Year, but don't believe the hype.  Think it through for yourself.  There were chang...

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem...wise men from the east arrived in Jerusalem saying, "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews?"... When King Herod heard this he was deeply disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.   ~Matthew 2:1-3 It was not just Herod , in his jealousy and self-preservation that missed/misunderstood/mistook the true meaning of what the birth of Jesus meant for him.  It was also  all Jerusalem with him  that were deeply disturbed.   We know about Herod's response and misguidance--in hating Jesus because he did not want to give up his reign and power as king.  But that tiny phrase after Herod made me catch my breath when I read it today for what seemed like the first time. When King Herod heard this he was deeply disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him .   ~Matthew 2:3 People like you and me, people who had been reading the Scriptures their entire lives  foretelling of a coming Savior missed Jesus  and His significan...

Have you ever been expecting the commotion of a situation or preparing for the friction of life, only to be sweetly surprised by the opposite? Blessed are the peacemakers,  for they will be called children of God.  ~Matthew 5:9 All of us are different, with varying perspectives and opinions, bias' and upbringings.  The truth is, if we are honest, often our natural tendency is to clash with others because by nature  we differ in so many ways.   This has always been true, but add our current political and Covid opinions/stances into the mix, and there can be tense talk and situations where we don't see eye to eye with others.   Blessed are the peacemakers,  for they will be called children of God.  ~Matthew 5:9 But have you had the good fortune to be around someone who brings peace to the table, even while others are setting it for discord?   Are we one of those people? God calls them peacemakers , and He also calls them His c...

Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress… (Isaiah 9:1) Wake up! It’s Christmas Day, and the gifts under the tree do not hold a candle to the Light of Christ and the Gift that He is to us. This past Year has been a disappointment in many ways. But realize what Christ being born today means and has always meant: there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress...(Isaiah 9:1) . The social distancing/family dynamics/political turmoil/mental-tennis-matches can weigh us down, but today, unwrap the gift that was sent from Heaven for you . The mental and physical wear and tear of life is real, but so is the Hope of Jesus! There will be no more gloom for those who were in distress...(Isaiah 9:1). Jesus will not wipe away the pain/sorrow/difficulties of life (yet!) but He does remove the gloom . Gloom is not of God. Gloom is the result of things-other-than-God sitting on our hearts and minds for too long. God knows the distress we have been wal...

Do you realize we are all part of the puzzle? The big Jesus-puzzle that makes life worthwhile and gives us purpose . Each of us are an integral piece. No, I am serious. Although day to day we can tend to feel dispensable or "ordinary", God disagrees, and so does the Master Plan that He set in motion before He created the world. Each of us are a critical piece of His puzzle, and together, we make up the story of Him. But we have to play our parts. And God has given us each unique pieces of his puzzle to live out. Have you noticed that try-as-we-might, we cannot force ourselves into someone else's piece of the puzzle? We may think the grass is greener across the street, but our neighbors's piece of the puzzle is theirs, and we have one cut-out to fit us. God has a plan, and it is perfect. We are each a crucial piece of His majestic puzzle. Sometimes it is hard to figure out how we fit into His puzzle of life. And because life is constantly in-motion and ever...

We cannot get lost in the rules, the have-to's, the requirements of life (and holidays!) only to miss the purpose and point (and pleasure) of why God has put us here during this life (and these holidays). The other day our son made the comment that "it just doesn't feel like Christmas yet". And believe me: it is almost Christmas. I am well aware of the food that still needs to be prepared, the gifts that still need wrapped, and the pressure of making Christmas, well, Christmas. And then I realized that perhaps I am why it's "not feeling like Christmas" yet: because Mom isn't feeling/behaving in the true spirit of Christmas yet. I am planning/prepping/rushing/listing to get ready for the day of Christ's birth, but because of all of that , I am missing the point of the day of Christ's birth. Ouch. And it doesn't have to be days before a holiday for us to get lost in the doing of our days instead of being present in our days. For...

“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,  because he has come to his people and redeemed them... (74) We have been rescued from our enemies so we can serve God without fear, (75) in holiness and righteousness for as long as we live. ~Luke 1:68, 74-75 Did you catch the salvation and freedom declared in these verses?   God  has come to his people and redeemed them AND  We have been rescued from our enemies so we can serve God without fear... "we can serve God without fear." (Luke 1:74). For the past weeks my heart has gotten tied up in knots of unrest on Sunday mornings as I listen to the sermons being preached.  At first I could not identify the weight, just that something felt incomplete or irrelevant.  The messages are Biblical, but they just don't seem to be applicable to today and the uncertainty that is swirling around us .   And I think that I (like so many sitting in the pews) are starving for God's direction on how to live today....

I get these grandiose ideas. They are never life-changing thoughts, but I always want to make an impact for the Lord, or touch someone's heart in Christ's love, and so I get thoughts, and I plot and plan about how I or we (my family) can carry out these thoughts. (8) “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.  (9) “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.  ~Isaiah 55:8-9 I have (almost) figured out the hard/backfire/less-of-me-more-of-Jesus/ way that God needs to "give (His) greenlight" to our thoughts. Me "pushing-things-through" has caused hurt feelings, disconnects in my marriage/other relationships, and missed opportunities for serving Christ in His ways , which I have missed because I was too busy doing things my way. The Bible teaches us to seek wisdom and direction from God, and so I am trying not to "push" my i...

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.  ~Psalm 34:18 Ho, Ho, Ho.  It's the most wonderful time of the year, isn't that what they say? But at times, this season is not always filled with laughter and joy, is it?  The gatherings, songs, nostalgic decorations, recipes and traditions can bring sorrow and sadness.   The world tries to paint a plastic smile of lights and Christmas jingles across our faces, but underneath, many of us know the sadness that can be woven into the holidays.   The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.  ~Psalm 34:18 The reality is, we all have loved ones that are no longer here to gather around the tree for gifts or at the table for Christmas dinner.  Their memories linger and bring both a smile and sorrow.  It might be the memory (or smell) of baking Grandma's cookies or mincemeat pie.  It might be hearing dad's jolly belly-l...