As old as whose hills?

The Scripture for today, April 24 (4/24), is Jeremiah 4:24 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

00-cover-kindle-medium-new“I looked at the mountains, and they were quaking; all the hills were swaying.”

I was living in a village near the bottom of Mt. St. Helens when it blew.  We had lived there for eight years. We had taken our children up to it and gone sledding, building snow forts, making snow angels, the works. 

It was our mountain. Our beautiful mountain. It reminded me of an upside-down ice-cream cone.  It was perfect in every way.  Everyone knew it was a volcano, but it had formed thousands of years before and would continue like it was for thousands of years in the future. It was our mountain, and it belonged to us to do with as we pleased.

But it wasn’t our mountain.  One morning I looked outside. It seemed as though we had been plunged into the inside of a furnace with all its ashes. I stared. It was snowing gray ash.  I stared more, wondering what the birds had done.  Relieved, I saw them huddled together under bushes.

Of course, the radio and TV had switched to Emergency. We were told to stay indoors because ash is deadly to the lungs. If we did go out, we had to wear surgical masks. If we drove, we were told to put nylons over the air filter and to not go over 10 mph.  Even then, the ash flew everywhere. Our freeway entrance and exit were blocked. The most disturbing thing I heard on the radio (yes, everyone kept their radio on) was that we were at the top of the San Andreas Fault.  And so, we like the birds, huddled and waited for more unknown.

Not only was our mountain turned inside out, but our world was too.

People have expressions that something is “as eternal as the mountains” or “as old as the hills.”  Not true. Nothing on earth is eternal. That also includes things, people, power, position, belongings, even dreams.  Eventually, they quake and sway and are gone. Only that which is spiritual is forever.

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Lead our young to relight the torch

00-cover-kindle-medium-newThe children, Lord. Make today’s children rebellious. Make them tell their “hippie” parents and grandparents, “No more. You do not want rules, but I do.” Lead this young generation to light the torch and carry it high so the world will see that Satan will not and cannot win. Help the teenagers of today do what they so naturally want to do. Help them rise up in rebellion against the immorality and lack of ethics that have raised their ugly heads in society. Help them find out who the only true God really is ~ not some high-minded imagination of people who make themselves gods by promising a religion full of emptiness.  Help these teenagers light the torch that reveals you to the world of their grandparents, their parents, their peers, and the next generation. May you be magnified and glorified through this next generation.

Lord, forgive me when I become suspicious of people’s motives. Why do I do that? You are the only one who can read hearts. I try to give a dollar here and there to beggars on the street and never question how they will use it; I just tell them they need to go home. But other people I do question. It is not up to me. That is up to you. No matter who does what, make me assume their motives are good, encourage them, and put my mind at rest.

Thank you, Lord God, for loving everyone, even my enemies. You give me courage when I have no courage. You give me strength when I am weak. You give me love when I do not feel it.  I am weak and sinful. Yet you love me and stay with me in your patience. I do not deserve you. I can only whisper over and over, thank you.

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And when I could stand it no longer…

The scripture for today, March 1 (3/1), is 1st Thessalonians 3:1,5 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

00-Hero Alone-COVER-KINDLE-Medium“So, when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens….For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter might have tempted you and our efforts might have been useless.”

In Thessalonica, there had been a riot, and the man who had given Paul and his helpers a place to live was hauled into court. Paul just couldn’t put his host through that, so “when we could stand it no longer,” he left the city and went off by himself so he wouldn’t jeopardize anyone else.

Still the great Apostle Paul ~ who went everywhere preaching non-stop for decades; who stood up under beatings, stonings, hunger, and shipwrecks; who explained to church leaders how to lead their congregation; whose letters were prophecy and became scripture ~ the powerful Apostle Paul still felt very tenderly toward his fellow Christians.

He worried about how they were getting along spiritually. And when he “could stand it no longer,” he wrote back to Thessalonica to find out how they were doing.

Do you feel this way about the spiritual well-being of other people? Is there someone you need to call or write to today because you want to find out how they are?  Do you have any words of encouragement for them? Any at all?

Tender love is a powerful love. A strong love. A love that will never, ever let go.

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Saturday 6/2 ~ Too busy to be inconvenienced?

The scripture for today, June 2, is Galatians 6:2 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

00-Cover-KINDLE-Thumbnail-New“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

In case you’re thinking people should take care of their own problems, you are right. But the term “burdens” here refers to overloads.

The main reason this is hard to do is that taking on someone else’s overloaded burdens upsets your daily routine and our peace of mind. It is inconvenient. 

Just remember, it is always inconvenient for those people to have an overload of burdens. They don’t want them. Many times they didn’t ask for them. But, even if they did ask for them with foolish acts, can we not roll up our sleeves and help them out for a little while (not forever)?

You do not have to take on all their problems. But you can give them relief of some of the basic problems so they can concentrate on the more serious ones.  If they need a babysitter, find one for them. If they don’t have decent clothes to go to work, take them to Goodwill.  If they’re behind financially, buy them a tank of gas.  If they haven’t written their parents for a year, sit with them while they write that letter. Take their overburden from them.

What if Jesus had said, “Hey, it’s not my problem! Those people on earth mess up their lives all the time. Why should I leave the comforts of heaven to live among sinners and misery?” But he didn’t say that. Thank God he didn’t say that.

Inconvenient for him to take our overloaded burdens to his cross? Yes. Did he want to do it? No. But he did what was necessary to rescue us. Do we really and truly want to be like Him?

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Friday 4/20 ~ Your light: Do you know where you left it?

The scripture for today, April 21 (4/21), is Mark 4:21 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-HS-592 VersesExamined-COVER-Thumbnail“Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don’t you put it on its stand?”

Jesus said something similar in Matthew 5:14f, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

Do you spend your energy on yourself and family? That is good. Your family needs your light. But try going further. Do something for someone else. But who? It requires looking around. Looking around your neighborhood, your school, your job, your club, your community.  

Someone is in darkness and needs light to see by. Always keep looking around. Keep searching for little nooks and crannies in the lives of others where you can bring the light of a good deed to someone’s world.

Dare to spread light over them so they know where they are going. They need your light. Can you find it? Do you know where you left it?

Monday 4/2 ~ What is that in your hand?

The scripture for today, April 2 (4/2), is Exodus 4:2f as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

00-Cover-KINDLE-Thumbnail-New“Then the Lord said to him, ‘What is that in your hand?’ ‘A staff,’ he replied.”

God had just called Moses to go into Egypt and free his people from their slavery ~ one man against an entire nation. Moses objected that he couldn’t do it. Five times In Exodus 3 and 4 he argued with God. “BUT I’m not famous,” “BUT they won’t believe I come from the God of their ancestors,” “BUT they won’t believe God sent me, “BUT I’m not a good speaker,” “JUST send someone else.”

Then God replied, “What is that in your hand?”.

Moses had a staff. God showed him how to use it to perform miracles. Today, are you using excuses to claim there is nothing you can do to show the love of God? “What is that in your hand?” It is a steering wheel, a shovel, thread, a computer, a spoon, a wrench, a cookbook, a band-aid. Whatever is in your hand, God can use to bless people through you.

God does not take ‘no’ for an answer. God challenges you. He wants to stretch you to do what you think you cannot do.  You are God’s hands and feet. Go ahead. Use them. Today.

Scripture for Wednesday 12/20 ~ Follow Your Heart

The scripture for today, December 20, is 2nd Corinthians 12:20b as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

00-cover-kindle-medium-new“….I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorder.”

It can happen among well-meaning people trying to accomplish the same good work but from a different angle. Do we insist our way is the best way, and people will be lost if the committee/congregation doesn’t do things our way? Do we then get hurt and think (or say) everyone else doesn’t love the lost like we do? Then are we tempted to just drop out?

A good test when personalities clash is to ask ourselves, “Would this congregation survive without me?” Of course it would. It did before we came and would after.

A good solution: If our heart is set on a certain good work, but no one else’s heart is, do what we can alone. We don’t need a committee to follow our heart.

Let us prefer one another, honor one another, and love one another. We are family ~ God’s family.

Scripture for 12/6 ~ You are stronger than you think

The scripture for today, December 6 (12/6), is 1st Corinthians 12:6 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

00-cover-kindle-medium-new“There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.”

Later in this letter, Paul explains, “The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you!’ And the head cannot say to the feet, ‘I don’t need you.’  On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable” (12:21f). He further explains, “For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body….” (12:13).

For ambitious people in the church who “fight for position,” this may be hard to take. The visible workers noticed by everyone are dispensable, BUT those who do the seemingly menial works (the “weaker”) are indispensable ~ those who take food to the bereaved, who read the Bible to the sick, who clean the bathrooms, who daily pray for members and the lost, who give a tract to a friend, who share a bulletin with a neighbor, who send a thinking-of-you card to a lonely person, who mow the church building lawn, who watch the nursery, who periodically quote a Bible verse to a friend in distress ~ such works that are in the background are the ones that are indispensable.

To you who are jealous of people who get to have a more public position in the church and stand in front of the congregation and act like a leader, take heart. God is working just as much or more in you than them.

You may seem weaker to the others, but to God you are strong. God sees things that we do not. And rewards us accordingly.

So, stay the course. You are stronger than you think.

Scripture for Monday, July 31 (7/31)

00-cover-kindle-medium-new

The scripture for today, July 31(7/31) is 1st Corinthians 7:31b as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“For this world in its present form is passing away.”

How easily that which we have slaved for over a period of years can pass away. It can happen as the result of fire, flood, storm, war, economic crisis. Every day something in this world “is passing away.”

What are you working for day to day? That which can so easily pass away? Or that which is eternal and will never pass away? What are your plans for today? Think about it.

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Scripture for Thursday, April 20 (4/20)

The scripture for today, April 20, is 1st John 4:20 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

00-COVER-KINDLE“If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.”

Jealousy and hatred are very much akin. Are there people you are jealous of? Do they have a position you want, and so you say and do things to undermine their character or work, in order to get their position? Do you have a position you love, and there is a new person who could perform better, so you undermine that person’s ability in order to protect your position?

God eliminates jealousy this way: What you accomplish in public isn’t as important to him as what you accomplish in private. Jesus said those who receive praise by people already have their reward, so will not be praised by God (Matthew 6:1-5, 16-18). As much as it goes against human nature, prefer to do your good deeds in private, and God will reward you openly.

 

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