Corona Devotionals

When you drive a distance, do you ever take note of the mile-markers along the way?   They count down the miles to a state line and they can be an excellent guide to where we are going.  If we know where we are headed, then the mile-markers are critical in charting and confirming our trip along the way.   ~~~ Interestingly enough, in the Bible ( Ezekiel Chapter 39) , God provides some mile-markers in  Israel’s timeline. Are some of those mile-markers happening today?   I’m not sure: but, we should know what they are  so that we can recognize them if and when they occur.  And to understand God's (Israel) mile-markers, we need to read the Bible.   The timing is (of course) up to God, but at least we can be aware of what to watch for. Many Believers-in-God who have come before us may have wondered if Ezekiel 39 would occur in their lifetime, and w e can also question if some of the mile-markers on God’s (Israel) timeline could be occur...

The wicked run away when no one is chasing them,  but the godly are as bold as lions.  ~Proverbs 28:1 What are we afraid of?  Lord don't let us  run away from what you have in store for us today.  Don't let us run away from your plans for us.   Don't let us  run away because we're anxious, or worried, or frozen-with-fear, or overwhelmed.  Make us as bold as lions for you, Father.   ~~~ What will it mean for us to be as bold as lions today for God?   What if we were as bold as lions  with ________ ---with what ?  With whom ?  Whoever or whatever just popped into our mind---what if we are  as bold as lions with that/them ?  Why are we running away ?  Don't we trust God?  We can,  Beloved.  We can have faith in our Lord.  And when we do , and if we will ...if we will be as bold as lions , then we will see the "what-if's" fall away and the fears melt.   No one i...

Sigh. I was taking one of our kids to a school event the other day, and about a quarter-mile out, I saw another student walking to the same function.  My gut-reaction was to slow-down and ask them to "hop in", so that I could give them a ride the rest of the way.  (If it was me, that's what I would have wanted, and it seemed like the right thing to do.) Do you have teenagers? Apparently offering a ride to school-people is not the norm, and my child (going to the same location) mildly revolted at the idea, and I kept driving.   But as my foot continued depressing the gas pedal, I knew that I had just compromised in my faith because I had compromised in my actions . Be kind today, and let's let our faith lead our actions and good deeds (and not what we think others might think  about us doing them). We let the approval and judgment and "what if" of what others' think shape and control our decisions and our faith far too often.  Faith is action  to...

Do you have a green thumb?  Not so much with me...but my husband does.  He knows (and you may too) the steps and the processes and the patience involved in producing fruit or vegetables, or a bloom.  It takes time.   The ground must be prepared.  The soil tilled--and possibly fertilized. Building in to the area of the planting builds up the probability of a productive harvest, and so it's worth the preparation and unhurried pre-processes.   And then comes the seeds.  Planted (and spaced and buried) appropriately, and then watered.  Daily and carefully and (pardon the expression): religiously.   Yes, a fruitful outcome requires much intended and purposeful effort.  But the harvest?  I have to give that credit to the Lord.   He created all of these plants and species: we can plant  and water , but God makes it grow .   The peaches, nectarines, berries, basil, kale, and cukes in our yard: my hus...

I'm not very well-versed in horsemanship, but I know that a bridle is headgear for a horse that involves straps and a bit-piece placed in a horse's mouth, with which a human uses to steer, train, or control the horse.  An (often metal) piece fitted into your mouth and controlled by pressure or pain will do the trick in managing behavior, and that's probably why bridles (in some form) have been utilized ever since humans have documented their activity with horses.  The  power  of a bridle in affecting (controlling) behavior makes it all the more interesting and appropriate to see that God chooses the word  bridle in  James 1:26 to refer to the controlling/steering/training of our tongue. If anyone  among you thinks he is religious, and  does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion  is  useless.  ~James 1:26 Specifically,  if we think  (or another translation says " claim ") ourselves to be...

I'm not sure why, but on the one day a month that I visit our local nursing home, the scenario is always the same:  I never leave enough time for my food/books/activities preparation It's never an ideal day for me to be absent from work for a couple hours It ends up being one of my most spiritually-fulfilling days of the month I was rushing around on my visit morning, and while looking forward to the time with my elderly friends, the stress-of-preparation and circumstance made me question if this was what I should be doing that day?  Life pulls us in a million directions: how do we know which one is God's will for us today? The answer (always) is: Ask God.  “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  ( 8)  For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened."  ~Matthew 7:7-8 I (ashamedly) did not sit down (first) with God and His Word t...