Corona Devotionals

  33  They marched for three days after leaving the mountain of the  Lord , with the Ark of the  Lord ’s Covenant moving ahead of them to show them where to stop and rest.   34  As they moved on each day, the cloud of the  Lord  hovered over them.   35  And whenever the Ark set out, Moses would shout, “Arise, O  Lord , and let your enemies be scattered! Let them flee before you!”   36  And when the Ark was set down, he would say, “Return, O  Lord , to the countless thousands of Israel!”  ~Numbers 10:33-36 Let's talk to God as Moses did! I love how Moses started his days.  As he traveled with the Israelites through the wilderness on their way to the Promised Land, Moses knew the Lord had ordained their journey and so he kicked off their days with energy and trust in the Lord ( Arise, O  Lord...!) .  Let's be like Moses today! When we are not-quite-sure or merely "hopeful" about something--we speak softly about it.  But when we have a sure-bet we speak with authority. 

The way of the Lord is a stronghold to those with integrity, but it destroys the wicked.  (30) The godly will never be disturbed, but the wicked will be removed from the land. ~Proverbs 10:29-30  I was mailing a package at the customer service desk when I noticed a little white case on the floor by my shoes.  I had seen similar cases, but it didn't excite me.  As I completed the transaction, our oldest walked over and he followed my nod down to the floor.  The little white capsule-case excited him.  He picked it up and upon inspection found it held a pair of earpods, or in this case, Apple AirPods, which are the latest method of what we used to call headphones.  They are tiny and stick right in your ears for listening to music, etc.  They  are tiny, but their cost is not.  They run about $129.00 even at Walmart.  My son does not have a pair...until this moment.    I say nothing.   We walk away from the counter and he is gushing (as much as a 14 year old boy gushes).  These are a m

7 “O my people, listen as I speak.  Here are my charges against you, O Israel: I am God, your God! 8 I have no complaint about your sacrifices or the burnt offerings you constantly offer. 9 But I do not need the bulls from your barns or the goats from your pens. 10 For all the animals of the forest are mine, and I own the cattle on a thousand hills. 11 I know every bird on the mountains, and all the animals of the field are mine. 12 If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for all the world is mine and everything in it. 13 Do I eat the meat of bulls?  Do I drink the blood of goats? 14 Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High. 15 Then call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory.” 23 But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me.  If you keep to my path, I will reveal to you the salvation of God.”  ~Psalm 50:7-15, 23 Heavenly Father, please take the routine and monotony out of our service and gif

As our car sped down the highway the other day, I watched as we approached a lone hawk sitting high and proud in the top of a leafless tree.   My eyes followed him as we rushed by and I was surprised to see that construction vehicles were cutting limbs and branches only a few trees down from where he was perched.   And yet, the hawk had been stoic.  Still.  Calm.  Unhurried and unaffected by his surroundings, and at peace.   Even with the change/transition/progress (or regression!) that was occurring around him, that hawk was doing what he and his bird-ancestors have done year after year ever since the day they were created by their Creator.  He was being a hawk. Then God said, “Let the waters swarm with fish and other life. Let the skies be filled with birds of every kind.”  ( 21)  So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that scurries and swarms in the water, and every sort of bird—each producing offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it was good.  ( 22)  Then

32  “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows.   33  And since you don’t know when that time will come, be on guard! Stay alert! 34  “The coming of the Son of Man can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. When he left home, he gave each of his slaves instructions about the work they were to do, and he told the gatekeeper to watch for his return.   35  You, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know when the master of the household will return—in the evening, at midnight, before dawn, or at daybreak.   36  Don’t let him find you sleeping when he arrives without warning.   37  I say to you what I say to everyone: Watch for him!”   ~Mark 13:32-37 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ When I babysat during my teenage years, even though I was never quite sure  when the Mr. & Mrs. of the household would return,  I always purposed to have the house picked-up and the dishes done before the pare

I had the privilege of being in a big, old church yesterday.   Gorgeous stained glass windows.   Ornate carvings on pillars.  Flying buttresses (they sound funny, but look amazing!),  Biblical moments and stories depicted by mosaics and pictures.  It was overwhelming in a glorious way.  Old churches have beauty, history, and a sense of.... A s I sat in service I tried to put my finger on it.  A sense of what...?   Then I realized that this old church was providing a beautiful and historical reminder of what all churches represent in our lives: Stability.  Community.  The cycle-of-life.  And the strength we draw from those that we go through life with.  And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.  ~Matthew 16:18 What Jesus "started" with Peter, has spread like wildfire generation after generation since.  I pray we have a fire for Christ and His Church burning in our hearts today.   Churches are the

Dear friend, I hope all is well with you and that you are as healthy in body as you are strong in spirit.   ~3 John 1:2 I strive, am committed to, and feel compelled in my daily attempt to be  strong in spirit , but please do not ask how I am doing at being  healthy in body. In a number of places the Bible reminds us to  strive, be committed to, and feel compelled  to be  healthy in body and I am also feeling the Lord encourage me through real-people examples in my life as well.   My niece and nephew (ages 5 and 9) ran a "fun run" the other day.   Good for them!   Were you running at that age?  Why am I not choosing to have "fun" in  exercise today? I have witnessed 3 people in the last month do a "handstand-push-up" in front of me.  (It is exactly what it sounds like.)  It requires such strength!  Where (if anywhere) is my physical strength being displayed in my life today?   One of my best friends does a 5 A.M. spin class.  I admire her drive and obedien

I have to (shamefully) admit: I am not obeying God's Word. Maybe it's the altered but ongoing frustration of public/social limitations, or maybe it's my own emotional junk that keeps churning in my heart and mind. Maybe for you it is health, sorrow, pressure or doubt. Maybe it is a lot of things for a lot of us. But there has been a dark cloud parked over my attitude for way-too-long, and I am not dealing well with it. God's Word comforts us, leads us, and sometimes God's Word shakes us out of our selfish revelry. That's what "heard" as I read Numbers 9 today: The Lord telling me to "Wake up", and live for Him, even while there is a cloud hovering over me. 15 On the day the Tabernacle was set up, the cloud covered it. But from evening until morning the cloud over the Tabernacle looked like a pillar of fire. 16 This was the regular pattern—at night the cloud that covered the Tabernacle had the appearance of fire. 17 Whenever the clou

Buckle up, Y'all!  We are in for a rough ride!   But if we keep our eyes on the destination (Heaven!-- But the one who endures to the end will be saved. ~Mark 13:13 ), and know the purpose of our journey ( But  this will be your opportunity to tell them about me.  For the Good News must first be preached to all nations. ~Mark 13:9-10)  then we can enter into any difficult times with motivation and intentionality. But the road is going to bumpy, and it is more-than-likely that we are going to take a few hits as followers of Christ.  While God's Word holds truth for every generation, I feel a fresh connection to the warnings of persecution that Mark 13 references:  (5) Jesus replied, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, (6) for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will deceive many. (7) And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. (8) Nation will go to war against nation

Have we forgotten that we are  special  to God?   The chores stack up, the bills keep coming, laundry is never finished, and some days we digress into wondering " What's the point? ".   These feelings are errant and they stem from forgetting  that we are blessed .  God has a plan for every human created and born.  (He  created us  and the  miracle of birth!) When our daily demands, schedule, stress or worries strap us down...God's blessing on our lives releases us!   Knowing  that we are His  people  brings freedom from the monotony, and His blessing is intentional and encompassing over our lives. (22) Then the Lord said to Moses, (23) “Tell Aaron and his sons to bless the people of Israel with this special blessing: (Numbers 6:22-23) The  people of Israel  were those following after God and seeking to pattern their lives after His ways.   We too  are the  "people of Israel".   The Israelites were sojourning through the wilderness because God had a plan for