Corona Devotionals

My husband's grandpa used to bring doughnuts over when he would visit the family, and somewhere along the way, a tradition formed in which the adults and children in their family would "hide" their extra doughnut of choice--out of sight from others, often in a high place. Fast forward to today, where (surprise, surprise), my children (and husband) will "hide" things of value (including a preferred doughnut) in high places, like on top of the kitchen cupboards or the refrigerator.   This idea of hiding a doughnut high and out-of-reach seems silly, but the concept and functionality of  placing a  highly valued item  out of reach on a high   area i s smart, proactive, and protective.  It also demonstrates how highly treasured the item being "hidden" is. ~~~ Remember today how much God loves us and the lengths that He will go to in order to protect us. For he will conceal me there when troubles come;  he will hide me in his sanctuary....

“But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.  ( 17)  I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but they didn’t see it. And they longed to hear what you hear, but they didn’t hear it.  ~Matthew 13:16-17 Do we have our "Jesus eyes" open today? ~~~ When I was little, my Papa would take us grandkids berry-picking.  Dressed in long pants and long sleeves in the heat of summer, we would step into the thorny thickets of berry hedges on the outskirts of his property or in the woods across the street.  When I first looked, I usually saw one, maybe two raspberries or blackberries hanging in the tangle of leaves and thorns.   But then I would get my "berry-eyes" open.  The more I concentrated and the more I looked to see... the more berries I saw.   We would fill wicker baskets berry by berry and my Gramma would make the best pies and cobblers I ever had.  But first....

I don't think " cycle " is the correct term (because it explains the repetition of occurrences, but not the root of them).  I believe that " cause and effect " is a more appropriate way to describe the seasons of blessing, favor, sin, consequence and " rest " that we experience as individuals and as God's people. Looking for an example?   For thirty-one years, the people of Jerusalem lived, followed and enjoyed a great and God-fearing King named Josiah .    He did what was pleasing in the  Lord ’s sight (2 Chronicles 34:2) .   When we follow the Lord/His Word (the Bible)/His ways=L ife is good. ~~~ But then, the cause-and-effect of us being human occurs: people focus more on themselves than God and we pull away (or allow ourselves to be distracted) from His desires and we feed into our own.  Sin enters. Things can't work-out the (good) way that God has planned for us...if we will not defer to Him and allow Him the authority to work in o...

Does " Jonah " keep "turning up" in our lives?   Well, he is now !   I have a friend who asked me recently if she had told me about "Jonah".  The way she said it, I felt like there was a new man in her life.  I found out that this was sort of true. Jonah , a man from the Bible  keeps coming up in her life, as God continues to speak to her through Jonah's story.  It started when she was asked to teach the Bible account of Jonah at an upcoming Awana meeting at their church.   So, she did what she always does when preparing to teach about God's Word: she studied the Book of Jonah . Then, her women's Bible study moved to a new person in their "Bible Personalities" study... you guessed it: Jonah . This week the cable guy came out to do some work at their house.  His name was Jonah. And then last night as I sat by her at the movies ( Go see "Jesus Revolution!" ), one of the Bible accounts that is highlighted in the movie was... ca...

What do we do in the middle of the mess? What can we do when the (spiritual/physical/moral) world seems/feels/IS crumbling down (or exploding!) around us? What  do we do ?   ~~~ Sometimes we have to ask ourselves this, and I couldn't help  but ask myself this the other night... I had just gotten off the phone with my brother to check on him--There was an explosion in a nearby factory that shook him in his office chair  a quarter mile away.   An hour later I looked out my own back window to see a dozen firetrucks and emergency vehicles  surrounding the business that butts-up to our backyard. And in the middle of all this, we were watching a based-on-a-true-story movie  ( The Cokeville Miracle)  about a crazy man who brings a bomb into an elementary school and rounds up all of the kids and staff up into a room with him. What  do we do   in the middle of life's messes?   What   can  we do ?   ...

Is it me? As I was reading in the Old Testament Book of 2 Chronicles , it gives an account of King Josiah implementing a Passover celebration for the first time in a long time  with the people of Israel.   Josiah had the idea, but as I read through the verses...do you know who did so much  of the work?  The Levites.   See if you (like me) notice a (workhorse) pattern here, heavy on the Levite- responsibility side:   (1) Then Josiah announced that the Passover of the  Lord  would be celebrated in Jerusalem... ( 3)  He issued this order to the Levites, who were to teach all Israel and who had been set apart to serve the  Lord : “Put the holy Ark in the Temple... ( 4)  Report for duty according to the family divisions of your ancestors... (5)  “Then stand in the sanctuary at the place appointed for your family division and help the families assigned to you as they bring their offerings to the Temple.   (6)...

He issued this order to the Levites, who were to teach all Israel and who had been set apart to serve the  Lord : “Put the holy Ark in the Temple that was built by Solomon son of David, the king of Israel. You no longer need to carry it back and forth on your shoulders. Now spend your time serving the  Lord  your God and his people Israel.  ( 4)  Report for duty... ( 5)  “Then stand in the sanctuary at the place appointed for your family division and help the families assigned to you as they bring their offerings to the Temple.  ~II Chronicles 35:3-5 In literal translation, the priests had been assigned to carry the Ark of the Covenant back-and-forth, into the Temple during worship, and back out afterwards.   Th e priests dutifully carrying the Ark symbolized the presence of God being brought-in (on their shoulders).   But here, King Josiah issues  a new order:  Put the holy Ark in the Temple... You no longer need to carr...