Corona Devotionals

Did we know what we were signing up for when we decided to follow Jesus?  Do we ever wonder what we will be when we grow up (in Christ)?   Many of us are mostly  grown , but the Bible gives us a glimpse (prophecy) of what tomorrow holds for God's faithful few...and before we get to the streets-of-gold that Revelation says we will walk and leap(!)... The twelve gates  were twelve pearls,  each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass.  ~Revelation 21:21    Looking at his disciples, he said... (23)  “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy,   because great is your reward in heaven.  ~Luke 6:20, 23 Yes, the future for Believers-in-Christ is bright ...b ut, yes,  the earthly coming-days will get darker before we experience Heaven's eternal Light, and we must be strong in the difficult times, knowing that we are being  refined, cleansed, and  made pure. Daniel go...

Make every effort to keep the unity  of the Spirit through the bond of peace.  ~ Ephesians 4:3  ~~~ Gravy is something I always took for granted on the Thanksgiving table, and at any meal that we enjoyed it.  There was just magically always a bowl or boat or small pitcher of it available to pour over mashed potatoes and turkey.  I also don't mind gravy over my stuffing, how about you?  Also, I even like gravy on my corn, green beans and I don;t mind it drizzled on a roll as well.  Gravy seems to pair well with just about everything on a Thanksgiving plate. Gravy ties the flavors of everything else together, while at the same time enhancing their differences.  Covering things, but not muffling their unique contribution to the savory feast: gravy goes all-in and performs a beautiful connecting medley on the plate.  Thanksgiving without gravy wouldn't be half as smooth and tasty, or well-melded. Be the gravy today. Make every effort to live in p...

Somewhere along the (early) line of our (then developing) family, my husband and I would use a tracing of one of our tiny-children's hands to make a little turkey to put on each person's plate at the Thanksgiving meal.  In the tail "feathers" (fingers) of each turkey were words or phrases describing things that we were thankful for in that person specifically.   For example, if you are Gramma, then one of your feathers usually says "mashed potatoes", because she makes the best.  If you are cousin Scotty, then the word "fun" finds its way onto a turkey feather every year because, engaging and intentional... he is fun.   The words are not (usually) deep or complicated, but they are personalized thoughts-of-thankfulness that our family feels towards that person.   I really don't know what the thankful-turkeys mean to the recipients.  Some people tuck them in a pocket or purse to bring home with them, and others leave them on the table seemingly ...

Whoever gives to the poor will lack nothing,  but those who close their eyes to poverty will be cursed.  ~Proverbs 28:27 Look for the poor one today...and give to them...   Give of our time, our talents, our extras...and of ourselves.  Give the love of Christ to the poor  today.   Give to the ( spiritually/physically/financially/emotionally)  poor   today.  Let's  see their need... and meet it.   Whoever gives to the poor will lack nothing... (Proverbs 28:27).   Give a hug to someone that is lonely and  poor in community today. Give  a visit to someone who is relationally poor and without friends or family today.       Whoever gives to the poor will lack nothing... (Proverbs 28:27). Be (give) family to someone who is family- poor today.  Speak with them, invite them over.  Invite yourself over. ~~~ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; ...

A couple years back, we were blessed to visit Mount Rainier in Washington state.  Huge and massive even from far distances, the mountain seemed to grow even larger and more powerful as we came upon it.  Have you ever gazed upon the majesty of a mountain?  Or a range of mountains? Tall.  Solid.  Majestic.   We, by nature, are drawn to look to something solid for help : A person.  A bank account.  Logic.  Science.  Leaders.  Nature.  Mountains. Lift your eyes to the mountains.    Powerful.   Strong.  Immovable.  (Seemingly) timeless. Mountains appear to have been here forever and as if they will be here forever.  Something (permanent and huge) like this seems like where our help could come from. ... Should we find our help in the mountains of nature, or the "mountains" of this world?  The strong "peaks" that man/science/culture/emotion have erected often seem like the logical...

When we look in the mirror today ...what do we see?  Who do we see?   And when we look in the mirror "tomorrow" ...(in our "tomorrow" when Christ appears ): what will we see? The answer is the same for both questions: we will be like God.    If we know the Lord, then we know  how very much our Father loves us , and we will desire to look-like/be-like Him today. If we know the Lord, then we know that  he calls us his children , and therefore we will want to love, serve, and live like our Heavenly Father.  We want to be like him. It's futuristic, it's spiritual, it's (even) holy... to imagine what it will be like--   what WE  will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.  ( 3)  And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure (I John 3:2-3). We don't know exactly what "tomorrow" brings in terms of our reflection of God, bu...

In the book series, Harry Potter, no one can speak the name of "Voldemort", because he is the bad guy: so awful and powerful that it is an accepted stance throughout the series of novels that no one speaks the name of "he who must not be named".   ...And thus: no one does.   Our culture is similar with the term/title/word/ reality of the Antichrist . When was the last time we spoke of the Antichrist or any such antichrists  at the supper table or water cooler? We don't. It's accurate to say that most of us consider the Antichrist as "he who must not be named" (or even thought of).  And thus, we don't. But we mustn't call taboo (or ignore) what God has recognized and called out by name.  The Bible warns us of the Antichrist and also of those who fall prey to leaving their churches for him. Let's open our eyes today, dear children (Brothers and Sisters in Christ).   We can't be deceived!  And we won't be--if we keep reading the Bi...