Thursday Devotional...2/9/12

Where is the Sunshine?

Today I was driving behind an old well-worn pickup truck. Have you ever driven a rust bucket or a bucket of bolts? That is slang terminology for a well-worn vehicle. My first car was a 1971, non-shiny, gray, 2-door thing. It looked like it was 20 years old rather than 10. It was a little clunker and certainly not my last one. But back to today.

I wasn’t in a rush; just enjoying the mild weather with my windows down when I noticed the two women in the truck. Listening to music they were chatting and happy at that moment. As I thought about them and what their lives might be like, I found myself admiring them.

They might be facing something huge: a divorce, a death, job loss, eviction, sickness, addiction, financial strain, any of the hundreds of troubles that any one of us might face this year. What I admired was that they were taking pleasure in that moment of sunshine.

A few days before Christmas in 1964, a popular music group, The Temptations, released the song that would be their 1965 top single: My Girl. The lyrics might be on your lips right now! The smooth melody and timeless phrases reminded us what anyone who has ever experienced first love knows, the incredible rush of emotions that flood over you, so that like the songwriter you can say, “I have sunshine on a cloudy day”.

Of course, over time, other emotions tend to move to the forefront of our lives. Even if we are still with someone we love, we might not still have that sunshiny feeling. All of our lives are full of struggles and challenges. Before we finish one thing, often something else happens (or two or three). Thankfully we still have God’s Love. He loves us with an everlasting love. It doesn’t fade or move into the back of God’s mind. It is too bad how easily we can forget about the only Love that will never disappoint us.

Psalm 103:6-18 (The Message)

God makes everything come out right; he puts victims back on their feet. He showed Moses how he went about his work, opened up his plans to all Israel. God is sheer mercy and grace; not easily angered, he's rich in love. He doesn't endlessly nag and scold, nor hold grudges forever. He doesn't treat us as our sins deserve, nor pay us back in full for our wrongs. As high as heaven is over the earth, so strong is his love to those who fear him. And as far as sunrise is from sunset, he has separated us from our sins. As parents feel for their children, God feels for those who fear him. He knows us inside and out, keeps in mind that we're made of mud. Men and women don't live very long; like wildflowers they spring up and blossom, But a storm snuffs them out just as quickly, leaving nothing to show they were here. God's love, though, is ever and always, eternally present to all who fear him, Making everything right for them and their children as they follow his Covenant ways and remember to do whatever he said.

Romans 8:37-39 (New Living Translation)

No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:26-28 (The Message)

Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit

 is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what

to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making

 prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far

better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition,

and keeps us present before God. That's why we can be so sure

that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.

Dear Lord, thank You for such clear reminders of Your love for me. Please help me to put aside all the worries and needs of the day that want to fill up my mind so that I can think of nothing else. I know I can trust You, please help me to focus on Your Word so that I will be filled with Hope and I can know again the happiness that comes from being loved and loving You. In Jesus name, amen.

Written by Mary M. Wilkins

Just for fun: an old recording on You Tube of “My Girl”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltRwmgYEUr8