Saturday Devotional...3/21/12

Again?

As a child, I remember that it felt I was always forgiving someone. Whether it was my bullying brother or cousin, or some bratty kid that treated me badly, it seemed that someone was always being forced to say that they were sorry to me. I know I wasn’t a saint myself, and I had my apologies to make since I did like to tease and sometimes I tried to get back at the bad guy instead of turning the other cheek, but still more often than not, I was the recipient. After awhile, I would get so hurt in my heart I just didn’t feel like forgiving, “Again? I have to forgive again?” Can’t say that I recall the lesson giver, it was probably a parent, grandparent, or maybe even a teacher at the private Christian school I attended, but I learned that “yes” I always had to forgive.

I guess the good thing that came out of it was that I definitely learned to be a forgiving person. I never even held a grudge against the man who abandoned my child and that in itself has always shocked me, but it took me awhile to learn the lesson of “again?”

As a wife, there have been unhealthy recurring patterns over the years in our marriage. I’m sure most couples can relate. Two people learn all the right buttons to push, and when, say one is set off by mistake, a familiar ping pong match of words, tones of voices, looks, actions, or lack thereof follows. Though I can say that there has been progress made over the years, sometimes baby steps and other times giant leaps, something that is not always shared with each other is the question I pose to God, “Again? You mean I have to be the first one again? Do I really have to be the one who humbles herself and goes to him with kind words to end this charade? Again?” His answer of course is “yes!”

It’s a good thing that God doesn’t ask “again?” because it seems that I always need this lesson shown to me…again. I’ve found myself asking it in the area of serving…as I’m sure many Christians have. Whether it’s in children’s ministries, Bible Studies, or clean up duty before or after an event, I know many have wondered why they are the only ones who ever volunteer. There have been times I’ve asked God this question as a member of my congregation for one reason or another, “Again? I’m the one left holding the ball again?”

It never occurred to me why this question was repeated in so many areas of my life until a friend of mine gave a testimony. She’d experienced similar situations throughout her life, and her heart was open to hear the Holy Spirit, so God used her to teach all of us who were in her hearing. The question of “again?” is evidence of our sin. It reveals our self-centeredness, being only concerned for ourselves. It shows our inability to love unconditionally like Jesus loves and likewise our need to learn how to let Him love others through us. We’re not supposed to ask “again?” We’re supposed to respond with “always”. When faced with the opportunity, we’re to always do the right thing.

Now that I realize that I’ve done this, I’m surprised at how many different situations I’m tempted to ask “again?” He’s taught me to always forgive, always try to be the first to make amends (unless my husband beats me to it since I think he’s learned the lesson of “always” as well), and to always step up when you have the opportunity. So when I was faced with praying over my son as he was about to play in the last game of his baseball tournament and I was tempted to say, “Again? Do I have to pray for both teams again?” I knew the answer before the thought ever finished forming in my mind. I still wanted my son’s team to win, but I knew I was to pray for both teams even if I didn’t like the other team. I even know this lesson well enough to teach my own kids. So, when they lost to the team with the poor sportsmanship, when they came in second place to the first place team who we all thought didn’t deserve it for one reason or another, and my son looked at me with a look of, “Again? Do I have to congratulate them again? I gave a reassuring nod of, “Yes, you always have to do the right thing.” Yes, we always have to be Christ to the world.

Amie Spruiell 6/17/2011

Friday Devotional...2/20/12

Someone’s Thinking of You

This morning I received an unexpected phone call from a dear friend that I’ve not heard from in quite some time. Linda is an old high school girl friend from many years ago. She lives in Oregon and so we haven’t kept in touch much through out the years.

I was so happy to hear her voice as we chatted for a short while before our busy day got started. After hanging up, I thought to myself “It’s so nice to know that someone is thinking of me.” And then my mind began to think about the Lord and his continual thoughts on each and everyone of us.

The scripture says in Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD,

thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

And in Psalm 40:5 this Bible verse declares

Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done,

and thy thoughts which are to us-ward;

they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee;

 if I would declare and speak of them,

they are more than can be numbered.

My thought being… if you have someone on your heart and mind, pray for them and then give them a call or write them a short note just to say “God Bless You, I’m thinking of you today.”

I’m so thankful that Jesus is so compassionate toward us and that he has us continually on his mind and is working working working on our behalf to love us, comfort us and give us courage. He is more than just a friend!

                                                      Written by:

                                                                     Glenna Williamson

Thursday Devotional,,,4/19/12

Letting

What is so hard about this word? Letting someone else go first, letting someone else answer, letting someone else decide, letting go of unhealthy aspects of my life.

Dictionary.com describes “letting” as to allow or permit. It seems that since I would be turning it over to God, it should be easier to let go. Surely the God who created the whole universe and everything and everyone in it knows what is going on. Since He has complete knowledge and understanding of all things, including what is best for me and what I truly desire, I can safely trust in Him.

I can feel my heart beating a little faster than normal at this thought. Truth is I am afraid. Deep down, I have a fear that I won’t actually like what God has planned for me. I am not just talking about brussel sprouts or being nice to people I don’t like. Although, frankly, He probably only cares about the people one.

What if what God has for me isn’t something that makes me comfortable? I do know people who are longing for the opportunity to get outside of themselves and serve God wholeheartedly. They are ready to let go of all that hinders them and pour themselves into the work God has set before them. They don’t care what shape it is or how they will look to others, they just want to please God.

Galatians 6:7-8 (The Message)

Don't be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds. All he'll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God's Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life.

Dear Lord, thank You for living in me and not leaving me alone. I do want to let go and allow and permit You to prepare me and train me to live a life that pleases You. Please forgive me when I cry and complain about how hard a day has been. Please give me the grace to accept the difficulties as opportunities to become patient and mature. In Jesus name, amen.

Written by Mary M. Wilkins

Wdnesday Devotionsl 4/18/12

"Making Christ Top Priority"

God so desires for us to put Him first in our life, from the time we wake up in the morning until the time we go to bed at night. We each have a choice how we will prioritize our life.

His word tells us in Matthew 6:33

"But seek first the Kingdom of God

and His righteousness,

 and all these things

shall be added to you."

That is certainly a wonderful promise to cling to. He tells us that if we will seek Him and allow Him to be number one, that every arena of our life will be provided for and blessed. He will take care of all those things that concern us.

As we cry out to God on a daily basis and ask Him to partner with us, He is overwhelmingly ready to do just that. We are His daughters and He wants only the best for us.

Putting Christ first in all that I do is always the excellant way and worth making it a lifestyle.

In His Powerful Grace,

Sandy Billingham

Tuesday Devotional

Romans 6: 28

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God,
to them who are the called according to his purpose.

_______________________________________________________________________

This verse captures the essence of what a Christian absolutely must have faith in, if he wants to conduct his life without falling into the same state of mind that Solomon did as shown in the book of Ecclesiastes. We, too, are subject to our own unstable convictions, opinions, and decisions.

In addition, we are subject to decisions and circumstances that others make and over which we have no control, yet which cause us to descend into a blue funk. We seem to be powerless over people making these decisions, so life seems unfair that such things should happen.

But we Christians cannot lose our perspective! Romans 6:28 has the right perspective for a Christian, a wonderfully encouraging and comforting promise. However, it does not automatically apply to everyone. Two conditions must be met.

First, we must respond to God's grace, to His gift, to His calling, to His gift of Christ, to His gift of the Holy Spirit, to His gift of revealing to us knowledge and understanding of what is happening. We must respond—that is, love God in return.

Second, we must be one of "the called according to His purpose," one of the elect. This does not apply to those who have merely received an invitation from God, because that summons goes out to many more than actually respond to it. Just as in advertising, the call, the invitation, may go out over radio, television, or through the newspaper to millions of people, but few respond as compared to the mass of invitees. The calling of God is similar: The invitation goes out to many, but few become part of the elect ( Matthew 22:14).

If we meet these conditions, God is with us, and we can be encouraged and take comfort in that assurance.

submitted by: Annie

Monday Devotional

Feelings

I am thinking lately how fickle “feelings” are. They want to be as a bridle on a horses neck and lead me in a direction that serves them. A master of the life they reside in. The one who is in charge…Often they can rise up from a look, a word, waking up in a poor mood…To be led around by them is to be owned by a strange task master, a fickle lover, or a false friend.

One time riding by bycycle in Monterey, it began to rain. Stinging my face, hurting my hands, making me miserable. I had just started my ride, so I had a choice; turn around and hide to cover, or change my attitude…all of a sudden I got the giggles, rain dripping of my nose, hair in my eyes and me yelling, “Yahoo!” What changed my day? I began to look at creation, the light in the clouds, the feeling of water dripping off my nose, and became thankful.

God’s promises are true, no matter what the circumstances of our life are, it does not change the fact that HIS promises STAND. They are not held up by our thoughts, our feelings, or our own beliefs about something. They simply stand, supported by the one who made them.

2 Peter 1:3-5  As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, ⁴ by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature…..

Written by

Kathy Bireley

SNOW!

devotional for Sunday, 4/15/12

My husband and I are on a short vacation trip to the Grand Canyon. We took a train ride, with "Wild West" entertainment, to the Grand Canyon. Here it is, the middle of April, and what was the weather? SNOW! It has been snowing off and on for almost 24 hours. We don't usually get to see snow now that we live in the middle of Arizona. But in the "high desert" and northern part of the state, they do get occasional snow. But in the middle of April? Did it have to be on the one day we go on vacation to the Grand Canyon?

I must say it was a treat to see the snow piling up as high as it could on the evergreen branches, bending the boughs low, covering the ground with a white blanket, but leaving the streets fairly clear. It was a joy to see elk resting and playing in this unexpected spring cover. The flakes were cutting through the air sideways at times, as the wind blew so fiercely that even the birds had trouble making headway. It had no effect on us as we were taking it all in from the comfort of a first class train car. When we got to the canyon, the tour bus canceled it's trip to the rim because the snow was preventing the people from seeing the canyon at all, like a dense fog. However, patience paid off, when we walked to a lookout site and waited for the lulls in the storm. When the sun fought it's way through the cloud cover occasionally, and the snow slowed or even stopped briefly, there were indeed some beautiful sites in spite of the snowstorm. It was a wonderful reward to see how white the snow was as it laid to rest on all the surfaces, no matter how minute, even each pine needle. Yet the the areas untouched by the crystals provided colorful contrast, the areas beneath the ledges, the nooks and crannies, the undersides of the branches, all with their own variations of tones, tints and shades.

Snow is such a pure white. Can anything be whiter than snow? Only God, who made the snow to be white, can make anything even whiter than that. When we ask God to cleanse us, he not only makes our souls clean and free from dirt and sin, he makes us even whiter than the snow:

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Psalm 51:7 NIV

Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, whose death and resurrection we celebrated last week, is our own cloak of snow, changing our blood red sins to pure white innocence.

Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. Isaiah 1:18 NIV

Thank you, Lord, for your cleansing blood on the cross that makes my scarlet sins white and my soul even whiter than snow, and for coming back to life so that I might live with joy, eternally with you in heaven. In your name I pray, AMEN.

written by Jan Andersen