Corona Devotionals

Have you ever skied?  You know that moment when you are at the top of an intimidating (too big) hill?  It's the reason you came.  You waited in anticipation to get here.  The mountain lays majestic and well, mountainous before you. There's nothing else to do but push off  and begin the adventure. I'm there.  Maybe you are too. I don't mean physically that I am at the top of a steep mountain ready to push off, I mean spiritually. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for  in prayer.  ~Matthew 21:22 Sometimes our faith places us at the same precipice as a black diamond ski hill.  We've prayed for direction... and received it.  We have completed the homework, laid the groundwork, and done the hard work...and now, t here's nothing else to do but  push off  and begin the adventure. But it's hard.   We get frozen.  Our mind races.  Our (physical and spiritual) knees buckle.   All ...

  It's been almost two years since my Gramma passed away but I regularly reflect on my last visit and conversation with her...and her response.  What message can we share with someone who is dying? The answer is...The exact same message that we share with someone who is living: The message of Jesus.  His offer of salvation, His command to follow His commands, His promise of the Father's love and of eternity with them, if we will accept .  That's the message for us today, for newborn babies arriving in this world, and for those knocking on death's door. God's message is always the same.  Our acceptance or rejection of God's "message" and entering into a relationship with His Son will define our eternity.  The entire Bible is filled with examples, historical accounts and invitations for us to receive that message. The scriptures ( John 14:1-27 ) that I shared with my Gramma in the days before she died tell the account of the message that Jesus shared wit...

(16) But as the Ark of the   Lord   entered the City of David, Michal, the daughter of Saul, looked down from her window. When she saw King David leaping and dancing before the   Lord , she was filled with contempt for him...   (20)  When David returned home to bless his own family, Michal, the daughter of Saul, came out to meet him. She said in disgust, “How distinguished the king of Israel looked today, shamelessly exposing himself to the servant girls like any vulgar person might do!” ( 21)  David retorted to Michal, “I was dancing before the  Lord...  He appointed me as the leader of Israel, the people of the  Lord , so I celebrate before the  Lord .  ( 22)  Yes, and I am willing to look even more foolish than this, even to be humiliated in my own eyes! But those servant girls you mentioned will indeed think I am distinguished!”  ( 23)  So Michal, the daughter of Saul, remained childless throughout her entire life...

(45) "Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!" Mary's Song (46) And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord (47) and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior... (49) for the mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name.   (50) His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.    ~Luke 1:45-46-47, 49 ~~~~~~~~~~ Need a spring in your step and a song i n your heart today? Feeling like an orphan in the family of God--as if we have no "relatives" sitting next us at the "faith family" table of life? Well, "Blessed is she (and he) who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!" /him, because the Lord will. (Luke 1:45) . When Mary (the mother of Jesus) was pregnant with Him, she paid a visit to her relative Elizabeth, who was also pregnant (with John the Baptist). Mary was led to speak, and to share, and to proclaim about the Lord. It was Mary's voice...

Coal + heat + pressure + time = diamonds Diamonds or Coal Dust?  It is up to us. Sometimes external pressure turns coal into diamonds.  But sometimes pressure turns coal into coal dust. A diamond is the strongest naturally occurring substance on earth. When cut and polished, it reflects light from every facet.  Diamonds are valuable, beautiful and highly desired.  In contrast, coal dust dirties and blackens everything. When inhaled, it stays in the lungs forever. Long-term exposure causes black lung disease in coal miners.  What’s true of coal is true for Christ-followers like us. Today and throughout our whole lives we will face hard things.  Sometimes the pressures of life squeeze us so hard our souls bleed.  Some Christ-followers become God’s diamonds, while others crumble into dust. Why? Why does one Believer grow more Christ-like under pressure, while another Christ-follower facing the same circumstances, falls into bitterness? It comes down to ou...

The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayers of the righteous.   ~Proverbs 15:29 The evil one will whisper (over and over) in our ear that we are wicked, but God whispers something else.  That we are righteous  once we put our faith in him.  That He has washed us clean, and if we love Him and seek to live for Him, that  we are righteous . Hard for many of us to accept, but just because it is difficult for us to fathom God's love and forgiveness does not make His love, forgiveness and righteousness  any less true of us. “If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.” ~1 John 2:29 “And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.” ~Romans 6:18 “Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” ~Matthew 13:43 And so, if we are righteous , God hears our prayers ( The Lord is far from the wicked, ...