I am a Christian, a retired teacher, a mother and a grandmother. I love to read and I love the Lord Jesus Christ! Unless otherwise specified ,all visual illustrations are from the YOU VERSION APP of the Bible.
This morning during my devotional, God spoke to me through various Scripture verses. I am grateful to Him for His Holy Spirit who leads me and guides me each day and shows me truth from His Word.
God works in each of us if we will allow Him to do so. He has a purpose and a plan and it pleases Him when we follow His plans instead of our own pursuits.
When we see others suffering and just pass by instead of being a Good Samaritan, then we are denying the fact that we are part of that suffering. We are all one, together. When one suffers, we all do.
Some of the people who consider themselves wise are not following the admonition to live humbly. I have always heard that if you toot your own horn, then no one else does. We are expected to make humble and wise decisions in ALL that we do, every day in every way.
This is a song that I used to sing in church many years ago, one that still gives me great pleasure as I focus on the coming Day of the Lord, when all of the Redeemed will gather together. There will be only joy, no sorrow or mourning. This particularly touched me today as a fellow co-worker from my school passed away Friday from Covid. He had been vaccinated, so there are a lot of questions in my mind about how this could happen. He was only in his fifties and leaves behind a loving wife and five children. I hope to see him again someday when all of us together go to Zion, singing with gladness because Christ has redeemed us and for all eternity there will be no more sorrow.
Thank you, my friends, for reading through today’s ramblings with me. I need God every day. I need to hear from Him every day. And, while I am still on earth, it gives me great pleasure to share His Word with you. Have a blessed day, filled with His Spirit. Be the Good Samaritan. Be the difference that the world sees and wonders about.
We are frequently deceived by outward appearances and judge people accordingly. My prayer is that I will look deeper, at the person that they are on the inside, the character that they have developed and the integrity that they demonstrate. Some of the most handsome and most beautiful people in the world are the most selfish and judgmental. It’s not the beauty on the outside that matters to God and it shouldn’t matter to us, either. Each of us is created to be a unique part of God’s creation. We need to find our place in this world and stand tall, knowing that we are children of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
May God bless and keep you close to His heart today.
It’s that time of year when thoughts turn to another year of work, another year of school, another year of setting and trying to keep goals. Yes, it is Labor Day. Did you know that this day was established back in the late 1800’s when people marched in NYC demanding better pay and time off? Of course, they were working twelve hours per day, six days per week. These days, there are many who have decided just to remain at home and get the paycheck from the government who has so willingly decided to make them dependents. My thoughts on that come from the Scriptures.
We are to work so as to not be a burden to others. Our primary goal is to do the work of the Lord, but we also have to have a job that pays for our food and shelter. The government, also known as the taxpayer, does not owe us anything.
Harsh words, right? I have read in several books that in establishing the colonies, several of the governors used this Scripture to make sure that the people understood that working was to be undertaken by everyone. How far we have come from this! It has become the responsibility of Uncle Sam to feed us (EBT), to shelter us (HUD) and to meet our medical needs, too. That was not how God established things to be. Work=Eat. Simple equation that we need to return to. I know what you are thinking: But, Covid….Yes, there was and is a pandemic (I prefer my daughter’s word for it, the “plandemic”), but God doesn’t say to work and eat as long as there are no dangers to your health. I don’t see any conditions to the statement above. We did what the government said to do for over a year. China sent us a virus, tanked our economy, influenced our election and still has many too afraid to go out to earn a living. Work=Eat.
The final word for Labor Day is that we should not get tired in doing good for others. I don’t know about you, but I am most energized when I have a purpose, a reason to get up in the morning and to get my day started. Imagine if every day, each of us awakened with a sense of having a partnership with God and doing good each day for someone! What a different world it would be! Instead of “me, me, me”, it would be “you, you, you.” I would like to live in such a world, a world where people are kind just because it’s the right thing to do, where people understand that we are all humans sharing this planet until God calls us home to be with Him. Our time on earth is finite, but our kind words and deeds can last forever. We just have to reach out to a hurting world and give them the same hope that Jesus has given us.
My prayer is for each of you to have a blessed Labor Day, reflecting on God’s goodness to you and directing it out to others. 🙏🏻
The brave men and women who were killed in Afghanistan yesterday laid down their lives for others. They had families at home, waiting for them and now mourning their loss. What are you willing to die for? Your loved ones? A stranger? Your nation? Dr. Denison’s Forum today brought tears to my eyes as I reflected on the sacrifices that our armed forces face daily. My husband served for over two decades and each time he was away, I prayed for his safety, but I never really thought he was in harm’s way. I never considered that he might not return to his family whole and sound. My heart aches for the families who will never see their loved ones again. And my soul cries out to God for a nation that sacrifices so many because of the incompetence of the leadership. Lord, have mercy on your people and lead us to the right path.
As the days become more and more evil and more people are turning away from God, it is up to us who bear His Name to be wise and to use the time we have wisely. Look at the newspapers. Listen to the news. There is nothing happening that surprises God, but there is a lot of evil in the world. It reminds me of the “days of Noah” when people thought that everything they did was just fine. And then, the floods came. God promised not to destroy the earth with another flood, but He also promised a new Heaven and a new earth. Perhaps we need to be looking up more and less at our electronic devices. Just a thought.
The United States is in a big mess, not that we didn’t make the mess, just an observation that it exists. Of course, we made the mess, so we might as well own it. For years, we have rested on our laurels, knowing that we are the best, the most powerful, the peacekeeper of the world. And then, things started to change. First, with a President who wanted to put America first. Now, we have a President who wants to put America last. Neither attitude is right. The correct attitude is to clean up America and put her at the feet of Jesus, submissive to the will of God.
“And Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he was king for thirty-one years in Jerusalem. And he did what was correct in the eyes of the Lord, and he walked in the ways of David his father and did not turn either to the right or left. And in the eighth year of his reign, while he was still a young boy, he began to seek out the God of David his father; and in the twelfth year he began to cleanse Judah and Jerusalem from high places, Asherah poles, idols, and carved and cast images. So they tore down the altars for the Baals, and he cut down the incense altars that were above them and smashed the Asherah poles and carved and cast images. And he crushed them to dust and scattered them before the graves of those who sacrificed to them. In the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, and as far as Naphtali, in their ruins all around, he broke down the altars, beat Asherah poles and the images into powder, and cut down all the incense altars throughout all the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem.” 2 Chronicles 34:1-4, 6-7 MEV https://bible.com/bible/1171/2ch.34.1-7.MEV
An eight-year old ruler of Israel was wiser than any of our 500 + Congressmen, our President and our Supreme Court. He recognized that the way back to prosperity and peace was by cleaning out the sin and the idols and following only God. My prayer for our nation is that we turn back to God.
It broke my heart yesterday when I saw what was happening in Afghanistan. No, I do not think that we could or should stay there forever, but whenever a vacancy is allowed to happen, evil has a tendency to sweep in and take over. That is what is happening in Afghanistan. Evil is reigning there, and we are powerless to stop it. The plan to leave the country in the hands of their own military failed because they were not ready. Do you leave your three year old to cook dinner after showing her how it is done? And when she gets burned or destroys the house, do you then say, “I thought you were ready for this responsibility. I guess I was wrong” and then walk away? How sad that this is exactly what the U.S.A. did to Afghanistan!
My prayer today:
Have a blessed and safe day. Please keep the Afghanis in your prayers.
Our world these days seems to be spiraling downward quickly into the abyss of sin. We wring out hands and look up, expecting that Jesus will return soon to save us from this crazy mess. But what if He doesn’t come back, today or tomorrow or even imminently and we are stuck with people who seem to have turned their backs on God and on us, His namesakes? We are representing Christ on earth, so who is to say that those who are devouring each other because of their own unbelief will leave us alone? That is a lot to ponder today and I’m up early to think about it. No, I didn’t arise earlier than usual eager to head off to my recliner and my Bible. I got up early because I was gasping for breath. It started as a little wheeze, progressed to a lot of coughing and wheezing and ended when I got out of bed, using my inhaler and came into the den to sit in my chair. Every breath is a struggle sometimes when you are asthmatic and this was one of those days. I never know when I may have a problem breathing. It has been months, and then this morning, without warning or any triggers that I am aware of, I awakened with my throat closing and wheezing breaths coming from my shallow breaths. It’s scary sometimes, but it isn’t as scary as thinking about the fact that our world as we have known it is ending and we are faced with ungodliness everywhere we turn.
I belong to various online book groups since reading is a favorite pastime of mine. But they are changing to accept the current cultural norms, norms that do not pass the standards set by God. Just about every book that I pick up these days has a character who is gay or just discovering their propensity to be gay. I try not to judge the author too harshly but when I am reviewing, I cannot help but be influenced by the fact that many authors seem to be delving into political correctness because their only goal is to sell books. For the first time ever, I received a book from an author, an autographed copy no less, and threw it in the trash. I wouldn’t dare pass on garbage like that to a friend or relative, so the book went where it deserved to be before being published, into the garbage. The only really safe books to read these days come from Christian publishers like Revell. The same is true of television shows. It is much more satisfying to watch old shows from decades ago than the new fodder that glorifies self-gratification and sin. Turning off the TV has become more common in our household than watching it. My husband, an avid sports fan, has been disgusted with the recent lack of patriotism displayed by major sports teams and athletes at the Olympics. I am one of those who was actually happy that the U.S. women’s soccer team lost to Sweden. After all, it couldn’t happen to a more arrogant and self-serving bunch of women who claim to represent our nation. Like the former football star Herschel Walker, I want to know why they are even in the Olympics representing the U.S. if they don’t love our nation. I also wonder if they have tried to live in another nation that does not offer the freedoms that we do. China and North Korea come to mind. Does anyone really believe that the athletes from these countries would be allowed to display the antics that the American athletes proudly boast about (without ending up in a prison somewhere, that is)? Thus my husband who used to watch all the baseball and football games possible is watching golf and hockey, the sports in which the athletes act as though it’s a privilege to play and don’t “take a knee” or disrespect our nation and the sacrifices of those who gave them their freedoms.
So, entertainment these days is a big old bust. What are we to do? We are to stand and wait for the salvation of our God. If we are under the illusion that the world has never been this bad before, then we have forgotten the history of other great empires like Rome. God has a tendency to humble those who stand proudly before Him and mock His name and His laws. The Roman Empire fell, much to the surprise of all of the jubilant party-goers who thought life was one big party and the only rules were those they made for themselves. God established the rules for living a holy life long ago when He gave Moses the Ten Commandments; Jesus came and died for each of us so that we can stand holy before the Lord. But we cannot fool ourselves into believing that no matter what we do, we are our own little gods. Same sex marriage, that’s okay and even encouraged. Drugs are legal. Living with your boyfriend or girlfriend is accepted. I just completed forms for a new doctor and one of the questions is marital status, including “living with a partner or significant other.” And don’t get me started on what bad examples some churches or pastors are being with their acceptance of the whole gay/transgender agenda! My prayer is that all of these people, including pastors, church boards, authors, television producers, news reporters, everyone who has bought into the great lie of Satan that sin will not kill you, will come to the knowledge of the power and sacrifice of Christ before it is too late for them.
What do I do in the meantime? I worship. I pray. I wait. I found a song on YouTube this morning that I have not sung in a long time and hope that it encourages you as it encourages me. Jesus has not changed. His charge to the church He left behind to continue His work has not changed. The task may seem harder, with more people turning against God daily, but Jesus didn’t say it would be easy to follow Him. He said to follow and that the way would be narrow. We have to navigate our way through a morass of people attempting to divert our attention from what is truth. Calling a lie the truth does not make it one. God’s Word is truth and He does not compromise His stand on things like homosexuality or any other kind of ungodly behavior. We just have to recognize our need for our Savior daily in order to make it through to the end of the race.
Each time I read this verse, I question myself, “Who is my enemy?” Is it the person who cut us off in traffic? The disagreeable or rude person in the store? Or is my enemy the radical leftists who are trying to change the country that I love from the inside out? My conclusion is that all of these may be an enemy at some time or another, depending on my own frame of mind. You see, we choose how we see others. If we see them as an enemy, then we may treat them differently than we treat our friends or family members.
How many of us walk into a room filled with people and seek out those that we don’t know well or whom we never really wanted to get to know well? No, if you are like me, when you are in a social situation, you seek those who are like-minded, those with whom you feel the most comfortable. But was that the pattern that Jesus established for us? Of course not! He was chastened for eating with sinners and for his choices of companions everywhere he went. The Pharisees would never have thought of going to a tax collector’s home to eat and fellowship. Nevertheless, that is what we are called to do. Jesus said clearly that the well don’t need a physician, so He chose to hang out with those who needed Him the most.
As a disciple of Christ, I would like to say that I also choose to hang out with those who need Him the most. But that would be untruthful. Like most of you, I tend to gravitate towards those with whom I feel most comfortable. The God of the Universe tells us to love our enemies and the best way that we can love them is to show them the love of Jesus and to invite them to get to know His saving grace, too. Of course, we must be wise in approaching others, especially in these times when Christians are seen as rabble rousers and instigators of rebellion. Is today any different than in the days of the early church? I don’t think so.
I am choosing to love my enemies, to seek out those who need a touch from the Master and to allow Jesus to lead me to them. The rude woman in the store may not have enough money to buy the food that she needs for her children. The man cutting you off in traffic may be rushing home because of an emergency there. We just don’t know. People are not our enemies. Our only enemy is the enemy of our soul who would destroy us if he could. Thus, we must treat others the way we wish to be treated. We must reach out a helping hand, extend grace and mercy and say kind words ourselves. We must be the example that we want others to follow. After all, that is what Jesus did. He didn’t just preach loving your enemies; He lived it, even when He was on the cross and asked for His Father’s forgiveness on the crowd there to crucify Him.
Final note: I have been absent from the blog lately because we were traveling and visiting children and grandchildren. What a special family time we had! We got to meet our new grandson Nathan, a month old, and attend the graduation party of our grandson Tyler. Those special times were ones that we were blessed to be able to attend, especially since we were in a car accident the week before we were supposed to leave. Our car is still being repaired and we are using a rental. The other insurance company extended grace to us after I told them that we had made plans for this trip back in March and told us to feel free to travel to wherever we needed to go, to just let the repair shop know that we would be out of town. The accident was bad, but God is good and my heart is filled with God’s graciousness and mercy toward us in allowing us to visit family after almost a year of not seeing them.
May each of you be blessed with a special touch from the Lord today and may you know deep in your heart that it is the Savior who has touched you. For it is for such a time as this that we were born. It is no accident that we are here during these turbulent times. We just have to ask God to help us to reach out to others just as He would do. After all, we are His hands and His feet, His eyes and His mouth here on earth. May you each be blessed with the knowledge of how much God loves you!
bible.com/bible/1171/gal.2.20.MEV
bible.com/bible/1171/1sa.16.7.MEV
Vickie's Book Nook and Meditation Corner 