Corona Devotionals

The other night (while writing), I couldn't think straight!    Our kids were wild:  Chattering and laughing and studying(?), and helping each other study.  I heard math equations flying around and "tutoring" happening.   Numbers, orders of operations, and heavy thinking pumped out from each of them.  There were direct jabs as one person would grow impatient in explaining a concept, and then I could also hear as light bulbs went "on" when someone grasped a concept.  And in the middle of it all and over  it all, there were giggles, deep belly laughs, and banter, banter, banter amongst the three of them.   I couldn't get a thing done, and I wondered how they were.    I couldn't concentrate, and at first, my pulse rose as I watched the minutes pass...past their bedtimes and mine, with much work left to be done for everyone.   Their conversational dance went on and on...back and forth, and it was loud, silly, and ...

Sometimes we just want to whine or lament.  And sometimes we are validated in doing so, because life can get so heavy or sad or overwhelming that it almost buries us.  Lots of bad, and not so much good (or so it seems).  Burdens are a personal and personalized thing.  Each of us bears our own, and no one else knows exactly what we are facing.   But God does. And sometimes He calms and snuggles us with His Word...   “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."    ~Matthew 11:28 And sometimes God rejoices over us with His Word...   For the  Lord  your God is living among you.   He is a mighty savior.   He will take delight in you with gladness.   With his love, he will calm all your fears.  He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”  ~Zephaniah 3:17 But in reading my Bible today, I was reminded of a season a few years ago when I was walking th...

Can we praise the Lord today? Will we?   Psalm 92  speaks ( proclaims/sings/ prays/praises) for us today.  Let the words of Psalm 92 be our words.  Let's praise the Lord today. ( 1)  It is good to give thanks to the  Lord ,  to sing praises to the Most High.  ~Psalm 92:1   It is good to give thanks to the  Lord :   He is so good to us.  So merciful, so sovereign.      ~~~ ( 2)  It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning...  ~Psalm 92:2 Where I live, it's been really cold out lately, like way  below freezing.   There's something about the warmth of being burrowed into the blankets on your bed when it's that cold.  You don't want to leave!  It's hard to get up and you certainly don't want to get out.  But I did want to get out today.  My (Florida) sister texted me early one morning, wondering what might motivate us Ohioans to get out of bed on ...

One of my vices is Diet Coke.  I wouldn't say that I'm addicted to it, but I really like it.  I certainly don't drink it everyday, but I do like a can of Diet Coke once in a while, and my "while" doesn't usually last that long. But Diet Coke is expensive!  And the truth is, I don't even need name-brand Diet Coke.  Most often (unless there's a sale), I buy generic and enjoy it just as much.  But for Christmas, I unwrapped a heavy rectangle that was planted under our tree and lo and behold, Santa had stuck a 12-pack of (name brand!) Diet Coke under the tree for me!  Well, actually, it was from my husband, and while you might laugh at soda-pop wrapped up as a gift, this was actually one of my favorites gifts under the tree, and my husband knew it would be.  He knows me (and loves me), and he spoils me.  Diet Coke is just one example, and it was a special gift for me! Fast forward a couple weeks and some very cold weather that we are having, and ...

In a wealthy home some utensils are made of gold and silver, and some are made of wood and clay. The expensive utensils are used for special occasions, and the cheap ones are for everyday use.  ( 21)  If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work.  ~2 Timothy 2:20-21 ~~~ Do you have any  special utensils  that you only use on special occasions?   I still have the knife and spatula that my husband and I used at our wedding reception to cut and serve our wedding cake.  I get them out sometimes on our anniversary or if we are hosting guests.  They are special utensils , reserved for special use. The Bible calls us  to be  special utensils for God.  Not run-of-the-mill, do-what-everyone-else-does cheap utensils , but pure, honorable,   special utensils , ready to be put to the Masters' use. It's a neat com...

Pray first of all  today .   Not as a last-ditch effort or as an afterthought. Pray  today .  Not weakly, timidly, or superficially, but pray today with intention, fervor, and expectation. Pray  today in  petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving. Pray  today for whom?   For all people. Pray  today for whom, specifically?  F or kings and all those in authority. Pray for our President today. Blessed is the nation whose God is the  Lord , t he people He has chosen as His own inheritance.  ~Psalm 33:12 Pray that our President would seek counsel from the Lord and from the Bible.  A nd pray that our President would seek counsel from Godly men and women.  Pray  today, I urge you. I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—( 2)  for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peacefu...

The Bible is built of verses and sayings that we can trust.  And the Bible as a document is trustworthy , and worthy of our trust.   We might be familiar with a number of  tru stworthy saying s in the Bible, such as:  For God so loved  the world that he gave  his one and only Son,  that whoever believes  in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  ~John 3:16 The  Lord  is my shepherd;  I shall not want....   ~Psalm 23:1 But I came across a new (to me)  trus tworthy saying today, and it is worth reading.  It is worth trust ing.  It is worth embracing and living out. ~~~ This is a trustworthy saying:  If we die with him,  we will also live with him.   ( 12)  If we endure hardship,  we will reign with him.   If we deny him,  he will deny us.   (1 3)  If we are unfaithful,  he remains faithful,  for he cannot deny who he is...