Corona Devotionals

I have told you this so that you will have peace by being united to me. The world will make you suffer. But be brave! I have defeated the world!”  ~John 16:33 GNT   Those were not exactly the words of Jesus that I had wanted to hear, but when I read my "verse of the day" at 10 PM last night in the emergency room, these were (His) words that greeted me, and they fit.   The world will make you suffer...  (John 16:33) Yes, yes it will.   Are you suffering in some way today?   The world will make you suffer...  (John 16:33) ~~~ About 9 PM yesterday our son said he was having stomach pain, (and for him to even mention a discomfort, I knew that it must be a significant "pain"), and we wondered if it could be his appendix?   As God would have it, we "happened" to have a cousin and her husband (both physician assistants) in town and a few minutes away.  They both diagnosed him with (probable) appendicitis, and at their ...

Is it time to update our resume?  When creating our own (resume), we usually list our (self-identified) qualifying features, but (in the Bible), God gives us His feature-listings for a man (or woman) after His own heart.  When was the last time we updated our spiritual resume?  God is giving us timely and timeless bullet points that are life-changing, and it is up to us if we would like to add them to our personal resume.  The Lord has given us His (holy) laundry list of items to strive for and Paul cites them in the book of I Timothy  as he encourages elders in the church to press on in these ways.  ~~ Who are elders of the church?      An  elder  is a leader  at  the church and world.      An  elder  is a leader  in  the church  and world.      An  elder  is a leader  for  the church  and world. Elders  are leaders and example-...

On vacation recently, it was about 12:45 AM on a brand-new day, but I was finally wrapping up the previous one.  Stepping outside, I wanted to take-in the stars and sea for a moment before going to bed.  Gazing out, something caught my eye from the right, and in turning my face, I saw what looked to me like a large bird.  It had a big wingspan, and they were outstretched, but the unique and amazing thing that I recall was that the head and torso of the bird were illuminated.  Glowing, but not exactly: “illuminated” is the most appropriate word that I can find.     And then the bird dropped back a few hundred yards, and it changed to look more like a glowing light in the near-distance.  But it moved.  I watched it move up and down and forward and back for about ten minutes until I decided that my husband should come and view with me.  He woke with a start, but his squinty eyes grew large as we watched a single(?) light jitter and bounce a...

Anyone who knows me and my family knows that we have a heart for  un believers. Can we introduce the forgiveness, love, grace and freedom of Jesus Christ to someone that has not accepted Him yet?  Then let's do it!  And this is a call that Jesus has on every Believer's life:   Therefore go and make disciples of all nations...  (Matthew 28:19). Expect a smile, invite, event, or prayer from us in the hopes of an opportunity to open the door to stepping closer to Christ and His salvation. But this week, I was reminded... no immersed,  in a separate call that the Lord has on the life of a Believer:  to  encourage   each other. This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it.  ( 10)  This is why we work hard and continue to struggle, for our hope is in the living God, who is the Savior of all people and  particularly of all believers.    (11)  Teach these things and insist that everyone learn them. ...

The Lord is in control today.  We can trust that to be true, just as sure as we can trust that the day will follow the night .   Did we see the sunrise this morning?   Even if we missed it...we can trust that it occurred: am I right?  The sun rises and sets every day, and in fact, the day has followed the night every day (and night) since the Lord created and started the dawn of time.   The Lord is in control of what happens to us today, just as certainly as the sun rose (again) this morning. Even if we have doubts or fears about what might transpire today, the Bible promises us that God's got it under control because Jesus is in control.  Jesus reigns.  Jesus does what is just and right , and that includes the events and interactions of our daily lives...including today. The Lord is in control today.  ~~~ We might have heard that there was a baby born in a manger that angels told shepherds to visit and that wise men from a...

Where can I go from your Spirit?  Where can I flee from your presence?   (8)  If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if  I make my bed in the depths, you are there.  (9)  If I rise on the wings of the dawn,  if I settle on the far side of the sea,  (10)  even there your hand will guide me,  your right hand will hold me fast.   (11)  If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me  and the light become night around me,”  (12)  even the darkness will not be dark to you;  the night will shine like the day,  for darkness is as light to you.  ~Psalm 139:7-12 ~~~ Where is  the "far side of the sea" ? Have you ever looked out from a ship out on the water?  The flat expanse of water seems to extend forever, and then cease.   The far side of the sea ?  Who can see it?  None of us.  Surely that is why people of all ages thought that the wor...

Merry Christmas!   Hoping for the greatest gift today?   It's ours, and it is God's love. God knows all about us and He (still) loves us completely.   Did you know that the Bible says that He  knit us together in our  mother’s womb ?  (Psalm 139:13) This means that even before we were born, He was thinking of us, and He had intention and purpose for our days...and for us today.  God ordained the plans of our days  before one of them came to be. (Psalm 139:16) This same God who sent His Son to be born (in a manger) and to die (on a cross) for us...this God (of the universe) LOVES US.   He knows us.  The Lord knows what we face, what we follow, and what we fret. And He loves us yet. His love is steadfast.  Merciful.  Sometimes disciplining, and alw ays forgiving. Hoping for the greatest gift today?  It's ours, and it is God's love. (1) You have searched me,   Lord ,  and you know me....