Corona Devo 1569

Ahhh, summer camp.  Church summer camp.  Our daughter and tons of other kids had a blast.  They made great memories and strengthened (or started!) their relationship with Christ, what better way to spend a week?  Bunk beds, swimming, Bible teachings, worship, kick ball and a dining hall.  It's (still) a lot like you remember it: good, clean, fun.

Wait...did I say "Clean"?  That wasn't the right adjective, at least in terms of what came out of her suitcase.  Judging from the grass stains, dirty clothes and muddy shoes, they must have been active and outdoors most of the time, and that's just fine with me.

But when I got to the bottom of her dirty laundry and bedding pile, and was putting the last load into the washing machine, I noticed one more item left in the clothes basket, and it wasn't a dirty sock or wet towel.

A chubby, yucky, creepy-crawly "camper" had come home uninvited with our daughter.  Where that thing had been hiding in her luggage, I am not sure, but I know where he is now...gone.  

It was an amazing week for our daughter, but that many-legged creature had tried to put a not-so-happy ending on it (for me).  

~~~

Yucky bugs don't just surface in our laundry room, do they?  

There are ugly-attitude people that crawl into our conversations.  There are unbecoming members of groups, teams, and families that can make situations uncomfortable (just by being there) because of their attitudes or criticisms.  

Yes, creepy-crawly people and feelings can surface when there is nary a bug in sight, but we can (and must!) stand firm for our faith and for Jesus, even when we are confronted with bugs that attempt to enter our space. 

Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”  ~I Corinthians 15:33  

Sometimes we hardly notice that we are accepting or enabling ideas, truths, or practices that are not of the Lord.  They can creep into our lives undetected, or we may consider them harmless...but the teachings of the Bible are non-negotiable (says God), and so we have to keep our eyes open and our minds on patrol for creeping false-doctrines or false-teachers.

These "unbecoming bugs" are not showing up today for the first time.  Paul preached against teachers who were creeping in to teach more "law" and "acts", rather than salvation by grace (because Jesus had provided the full means for complete salvation).  

Paul warned Believers not to fall back into thinking they needed to "earn" salvation, and he warned that those who were teaching such (contrary to Christ) ideas would eventually be squashed, like a bug. 

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery...

(7) You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth? (8) That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. (9) “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.” (10) I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion, whoever that may be, will have to pay the penalty.  ~Galatians 5:1, 7-10  

~~~

We are never expecting a multi-legged bug to emerge from our dirty-clothes pile, but if we spend a week in the woods, we should at least keep our eyes open for the possibility of one creeping around.  

In the same way, none of us are perfect, but we can and should seek to live lives that are glorifying to Christ, and we should surround ourselves with others seeking the same (Godly) goal.  

Fewer "yucky bugs" will wander into our personal space/mind/heart if we are living clean with God as our guide, and as our test-of-character.  

Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.  ~Proverbs 13:20   

~~~

The final thought that I had about that bug that gave me the heebie-jeebies was that sometimes that's me.  

Sometimes we are the ugly creature that causes others to wince...because of what we say/do/pass-judgment-on/critique.  Because of our pride or self-righteousness, we can cause people to shrink back from us, or (worse!), from the Lord.  That's not at all the influence or reaction we want to evoke from others.  

~~~

If others are creeping into our lives with anything but God as the goal, squash them like a bug.

And if we have become compromised in our faith or our attitude-of-Christ, then flush that attitude away today.   Anything, any attitude, any critical spirit, any part of us that is not reflecting Christ...we should dispose of.

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, (2) but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.  ~Psalm 1:1-2

~~~

Now...who's up for camping?  It should be good, clean fun.


Blessings,

sarah

https://sarahsundy04.blogspot.com


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Corona Devo 1156

Image
At work, we provide Trainings for customers, so that they can be updated and educated on all of the latest features (and how to use them) within our product.  Many companies do this--sharing "Best Practices" are a way to ensure positive outcomes on the customer and vendor sides of things. My kids often offer me "life hacks" that they have learned from watching an online video promising to "save time" and "make your life easier".  And just this week, my husband enlightened me about the "tear-away" feature built into most plastic rings holding cans/bottles of pop or Gatorade together.  When separated, the plastic rips open easily, releasing the bottle--saving wildlife that might be caught if it is discarded as trash, and saving me  frustration or angst because I no longer have to pull with all my might to get a bottle out of the plastic rings.  ( Who knew? )  Life hacks do save time and make your life easier! Who couldn't benefit from...
Read more

Corona Devo 1217

Image
The unanswered “why’s” of life, the disorder of our days, and even the unfairness of our struggles can cause us to question ourselves and also to question our God. But the order-of-Creation and the systems that God has set in place are undeniable answers that swing back and forth like God’s pendulum-reminder that He set the world in motion, and He continues to keep order, even when it seems as if we and our world are in dis- order.   Job was a man going through some heavy and hard stuff.   Maybe we are too.   Job’s trials had caused him to question the order of life, and possibly God’s dominion over it.   We can relate.   The “Why’s?” and the “Why Me’s” can stack up in our minds and hearts, but like a parent exercising loving-authority over a child, God reminds Job and us--of His power, omniscience and of His ultimate authority over everything: Creation… and us today .   Then the  Lord  answered Job from the whirlwind: (2) “Who i...
Read more

Corona Devo 991

Running low on " good things " today?  Doesn't it (sometimes) seem like/trend like/read like/tweet like/water-cooler-chat or backyard-fence-visit like/intimidate like/depress like... there are no  good things in the land? . I know. It's no secret that many have abandoned  the Law of the  Lord,  and at times, that's us .   It is evident all around us that people have  followed each other  in this sin.  When we look around...or when we live our days...we can wonder: Are there  any  good things  left in the land? There are still some good things in the land ...and no matter how bleak we feel the "forecast" for today is...there will always  be  some good things in the land, because God is in the land.   T he Bible reminds us of that today.   ~~~ The Israelites (and their king, Rehoboam ) were God's people, but like all of us at times/seasons of our lives...they wandered from Lord and His ways....
Read more