Corona Devotionals

King David had proposed to build a Temple  to honor God, but (in His wisdom and authority), the Lord qualified that David's son Solomon would construct the  Temple . And it was time to start building that Temple . We too  are building a temple for the Lord's honor-- with our lives /our relationships/our efforts/and our hearts.  The "building blocks" that Solomon used in constructing his Temple  for God are excellent foundations for the "spiritual" temples that we are seeking to live out and "build" daily to honor the Lord as well. Block #1:  Be kind. King Hiram of Tyre had always been a loyal friend of David. When Hiram learned that David’s son Solomon was the new king of Israel, he sent ambassadors to congratulate him.   ~I Kings 5:1 King David had been kind to King Hiram, and in return, King Hiram was then kind to Solomon, David's son.  Our kindness may be the only kindness that someone receives today.  And likewise, the love of Chri...

All of us have experienced exile at one time or another. We've been separated, removed, even banished from "normal life" for a time. The causes of our exiles vary, but not the experiences while we are there. The loneliness is the same. The disconnect is similar. The detachment is comparable.  And the empty is equivalent. Sometimes we’re exiled for a day, and sometimes for full "seasons". You remember the sorrow, pain, trauma and grief during the exile of a death of a loved one. You recall the strife, humility, frailty, and helplessness while in the exile of an injury/health concern/sickness.   The detachment during the exile of depression may not seem so long ago.   Everyday (moment?) was (mental/physical/spiritual) work to get through.   We were spent, taxed, and empty.   The exile was all-consuming, exhausting, and almost hope-less.   Almost. Until God brought us back . Can you recall and relive coming out of exile ?   If we could...

In the earliest days of the very first "church", people were ignited to follow Jesus whole-heartedly. People were excited to spread the good and life-changing news of Jesus Christ to others. And... people were people..." But as the believers rapidly multiplied, there were rumblings of discontent." ( Acts 6:1). Can I get an "Amen"? I can recall members in one of my past church congregations leaving the church because of disagreements over the color of carpet being purchased for the sanctuary. You are only in disbelief of such a thing happening if you have never served on the "insides" of a church (or any team). Anyone who has been a part of a church/business/team/group/or family can attest that even when good things are happening, and in the midst of positive progression ( as the believers rapidly multiplied ) there is somehow always the disintegration of unity too ( there were rumblings of discontent ) , and we must be on our guard to wise...

Have you heard the phrase, "One to grow on"--referring to sound advice/a "best practice"/or a life-hack that someone provides to help us "do life better"? Years ago, I had a dear neighbor/friend/sister-in-Christ who passed away from cancer and although the doctors never pinpointed the catalyst of her lung cancer (she was a non-smoker), her philosophy was that it had stemmed from using too much bleach as a (cleanly) young mom. Months before she passed, she delivered little spray bottles filled with a vinegar/water mixture to me and other young moms on our street, encouraging us to use this safe, effective solution for cleaning, rather than the harsh alternatives on store shelves. I still use vinegar and water to clean, thanks to her "one to grow on" . The Bible gives us the very best "one to grow on's", and today's "dose" comes to us straight from King Solomon, who had a wise and understanding heart such as no one el...

What lengths will we go to get our way? Sometimes we are willing to kill someone else's dream/idea/joy simply because we have brokenness that has stolen ours. And sometimes the opposite is true: people seek to steal-our-joy because something/someone has stolen theirs. Only by seeking God's wisdom can we decipher our true motives and reveal the reality of others...and proceed with God's wisdom for rendering justice in our lives. Lord, help us to see through the pain/hurt/reaction of-the-response and help us to be wise in You, and wise in our response to others. You (alone) know the root of the response (ours and others) and only You can reveal it and heal it. Reveal your wisdom to us as we seek You today, Lord. Amen. Some time later two prostitutes came to the king (Solomon) to have an argument settled. ( 17) “Please, my lord,” one of them began, “this woman and I live in the same house. I gave birth to a baby while she was with me in the house. ( 18) Three days later...

Today is a good day to take Jesus at His word, especially in reference to what He says about His Word. ~~~~~ It's hard to make sense of all that happened to Jesus during the crucifixion, His time in the tomb, and then what "happened" to make it possible for the tomb to be empty on Easter morning and for Him to appear to people...after He had risen from the dead. It's very hard to make sense of that. Many would say that it is hard to make sense of the Bible: the verses, the examples from a different time and age... It's hard to make sense of a Savior Who would leave His post on high to come to earth to die a terrible death... out of love for us and to pay for our sin. It's very hard to make sense of all of that, no matter how many times you hear the stories. ... unless we had help in understanding . Unless Someone opened our minds to understand the Scriptures. Someone did. And someone does. When Jesus appeared to the disciples after His resurrection, t...