Corona Devotionals

The age-old question asked today (Halloween) is, "Who are we going to be ?"... "Who are we dressing-up as?"..."What will our costume be?"..."Who will we imitate ?" And why? Today's verses give us the Biblical answer--not only in who we should imitate , but also to how we should live ...and why. No tricks, just the verse-by-verse treats of what a life lived imitating God should be and how we should dress-ourselves, inside and out. Who should we be dressing-up as today? Who should we be imitating ? Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children.  ( 2)  Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.   (3)  Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people.   (4)  Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be tha...

Sometimes we have to ponder, dissect and digest God's Word in the Bible to understand it.  And sometimes, it pours off the page and into our hearts like a cup of water onto a parched houseplant.  Isaiah Chapter 25 is like that--it's easy to soak up and it refreshes and revives, regardless of where we are at today.   Isaiah 25 begins by reminding and reassuring God's children (us!) that God is in charge.  He has this world, our lives, and wonderful things planned , and because He is God , He planned them long ago... we can trust Him today ...a nd we can  honor and praise  His  name  for all of it. O   Lord , I will honor and praise your name,  for you are my God.   You do such wonderful things!   You planned them long ago,  and now you have accomplished them.   ~Isaiah 25:1 ~~~ If it feels as if we are being defeated today, be watered by God's Word today.  Remember and stand-up-stra...

They found him on the other side of the lake and asked, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” (26)  Jesus replied,  “I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs.  ( 27)  But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval.” (28)  They replied, “We want to perform God’s works, too. What should we do?” (29)  Jesus told them,  “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.” ~John 6:25-30 Jesus had just fed 5,000 people with only five loaves and two fish, and the people wanted to know how He was doing this holy work? They also wanted to know how they could perform God's works, too ? " What should we do?” (John 6:28). It's a (spiritually) gutsy question, isn't it? And it could be taken a few different ways. (1) Th...

Do we know Esther? She was a strong woman who found herself in one of the most high-ranking positions in her land: Queen to King Xerxes. The story of how she got there is too-crazy to have been made up.  But basically, the previous queen, Vashti,  said no   to the king , which meant that V ashti was deposed as queen .   Now Xerxes needed a new queen.   It was a surprise to Xerxes that he needed to fill the position of queen, but not to God.  God had created someone for that position.  God had raised-up and chosen one of his children for that position and that time.  God had been preparing   someon e  for that position.   And now was the time for Esther to serve in that position.  King Xerxes had many women to choose from, but he chose Esther.   If all truth-be-known and told (and  read in the Bible)...and  in perfect-timeliness...and in His all-knowing power: God chose Esther. She became Que...

Where are our thoughts when the chips are down? How strong is our faith when the wind has gone out of our sails? What is our spiritual tone when we have been taken-down?   If you are like me, you might prefer to "pass" on answering these questions publicly, because our answers (our faith in God during challenging times), can be something that we are less-than proud of. Many times our faith falters when our house of cards falls.  But true faith, mature faith, strong faith and faith-to-be-emulated does not waiver, even in the winds and whompings of life. Ask David.   He had a true faith.   Even when he was losing a battle, he kept his winning attitude and hope in God.  David knew God would come through , and we can know that today too. Psalm 60 ( 1)  You have rejected us, O God, and broken our defenses.   You have been angry with us; now restore us to your favor.  ( 2)  You have shaken our land and split it open....

So I commend the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life God has given them under the sun.  ~Ecclesiastes 8:15 In other words: Go to the pastry shop today. ~~~ Yes, we read the headlines and they are heavy.  Yes, we shake our heads in disbelief as the people of this world make up their own truth and abandon God's Truth. Y es, we see wrong being championed as right, and right being persecuted as wrong.   Yes, we seem to be going to hell in a handbasket...and we shouldn't be surprised because the Bible tells us that this will be the case: 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.  ( 7)  Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world....