Corona Devotionals

Perhaps there are children that admire the blaze of color-glory in the sunrise and sunset, but mine never seem to care very much.  And to be honest, I am not sure that I did at their age.  One of the ways that I know I am aging is because I delight so much  in the pink and orange curtain that is pulled wider across the horizon as dawn breaks or dusk sets.  Perhaps because I am old I am enthused by God's morning and evening creation in the skies, but could it be that with age also comes wisdom in appreciating such things?     Because can anyone (truthfully) deny the intelligent creation of our universe, galaxies, and heavens?  The longer I live, the more convinced I become of God's sovereignty over creation, and thus over me. Psalm 19 connects God's heavenly realms arched high above our heads to His perfect Law in the Bible, which arches over our lives.  In perfection and with supreme knowledge God created both with purpose and for our enjoyme...

Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in the synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness among the people.  ~Matthew 4:23 Here's a thought-revelation: all three things that Jesus "did" in this verse are actually segments of the same thing. He taught , which brought the verity of God's Law and the Scriptures to the leaders, and also challenged their hypocrisy.  He preached , which made the scriptures relatable and able to be understood by the people, and he healed the diseased and sick, which evidenced the power (and promise!) of all three: Jesus' teaching, preaching, and miracles. ..."teaching in the synagogues"  (Matthew 4:23) : Jesus explained to the Pharisees, Saducees and teachers in the synagogue (as His Word/the Bible explains to us) about God's laws and best-practices for our lives.  It jolted the religious leaders because they had been staunchly raised in the Jewish tradition of following rules...

Do we really have any idea how very much our heavenly Father loves us? Truly--a part of God's heart is bound up  in us, and God desires for our lives to be bound up  in Him.   As Genesis describes the close and strong bond of love that Jacob had with his son, Joseph, it touched me.  But as I stepped back from the story, I felt a realization wash over me that this is how God feels about us as His sons and daughters too. Jacob had a special fondness for Joseph from birth, and when Joseph's brothers sold him to traders and told their father that Joseph had died, Jacob thought Joseph was gone for good.  He grieved and lost a piece of himself in losing his child.  I believe the Lord grieves similarly when we choose to walk away from Him or choose our own will over His.   Our (F) ather’s life is bound up in ( Genesis 44:30) us!  He loves us that much! After Joseph was separated from his dad and family for many years, and he rose to second-in-c...

Have you ever had someone call you out on a sin or sinful behavior in your life? As iron sharpens iron,  so one person sharpens another. ~Proverbs 27:17 It's awkward.  It's uncomfortable, and it's very hard, especially when you know they are right.    Most times, I don't think we actually want  to be in the sin , or falling prey to the sinful behavior, but regardless of the impetus, the sin is present.   And what do we do  when it is revealed to us?     Surely we each have consciences, and if we know Jesus, then we are already aware that we are breaking one of God's rules (something inside has been at least whispering this to us).  But so often we believe we are sinning unbeknownst to anyone else .  And so when confronted, it is humbling.  Maybe angering.  Maybe relationship splitting. Have you been in this situation?  First of all, it takes a friend with real guts to call-us-on-the-carpet about something th...

Experiencing Jesus in our lives or sharing Him with others does not have to be a formal, highly-scripted, pomp-and-circumstance type of occurrence.  Indeed, I feel that is almost never is. We can get caught up in thinking  that it should be (formal), or that "strong Christians" would be able to sit down with someone and discuss a full Chapter of the Bible in depth and length.  But who can really  do that?  And who do we know that would have their needs met by a lecture?   In an attempt at a word-picture--that kind of experience would be "draping someone with the full robe of Jesus".  Giving them deep Biblical knowledge, historical references, and explaining all that the Bible says in an intellectual and correct way.  But who (of us) can do  that? Most of us, and many of those that God wants to touch through us, will be changed/touched/have-their -needs-met  not by being draped in a full robe of Christian doctrine and advice, but by ...

Once in a while, we can feel in-the-groove with God.  By His leading, we serve or pray or somehow make a difference  to someone, and there is no parallel to that high.  Being used by God is a blessing and a gift, but are we tapping into it all possible levels? As I read a scripture about Jesus (like today's), I realize how very, very far away  I am from being anything like Him.  Even on my best day, I have seeds of selfishness wanting to sprout and while I yearn to show compassion to others, so often my surrounding situation snatches my compassion and I replace it with impatience or duty.   Jesus always put the duty  of compassion over everything else on His docket, regardless of the surrounding situation or His mood.  Even in my best moments, I still have so far to go in doing this.   We are so easily emotionally derailed, and yet, even in a moment of sorrow and pain, Jesus could not turn away from those who needed Him.  ...

The day was going fine:  Working, driving, humming, thinking, visiting, prepping; cleaning, even praying.  I was good.   But then like storm clouds rolling in, I felt the sadness wash over me.  Maybe for you it is anxiety.  And sometimes it is just a huge sense of feeling overwhelmed.  Whatever it was, the weather in my spirit changed, and I felt closed in, heavy, and sad.   Have you been there?   For me, the sadness was out-of-the-blue, and about a loss that I really felt I had gained a healthy grip on.  I don't recall a trigger or memory, just a blanketing sense of sorrow settling over me.   It can also happen that quickly for me with the week's outlook: I am excited about the schedule, the activities, the connections.  And then out-of-nowhere...WHOOSH!  Like a wave crashing over me, I feel frantic, overwhelmed and pressured: sure that it will never all work-out and angry that I have boxed myself in with s...