Straight to our Heart

Straight to our Heart

“In the wilderness prepare
the way for the LORD^[a];
make straight in the desert
a highway for our God.”

(Isaiah 40 vs. 3)

            When driving in the UK where the roads are windy and twisty, occasionally we come to a long straight road that goes on for miles. My wife, a Brit, explained to me that those are ancient Roman roads laid out 2000 years ago. I found that impressive.

            In ancient times leaders built roads in the desert for their armies to move. They are long and straight and efficient so they could move quickly. The valleys are filled by pushing the tops of the hills. They facilitated the need. In New England where I grew up, there are very few straight roads. They paved the cow paths and horse trails which tended to follow the river beds. It is tough for strangers to find their way.

            The message today is that we need to be sure of our road to the lord; that it is straight. There needs to be a straight connection between God and our hearts. We need to allow the simplest two way travel possible in our complex world; straight to our heart. 

Thought for Today: Today let’s think about where our road takes us; where are we going. Perhaps we can take a few bends out and travel straight. 

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, we live in a complex world and are surrounded by too much activity and we are overcommitted. Today we thank you for being with us and pray that we may keep our hearts open to you and stay on a straight and holy path.

Amen

Spring!

00508 Spring

"In the bulb, there is a flower,
in the seed an apple tree;
in cocoons a hidden promise:
butterflies will soon be free!

In the cold and snow of Winter
there's a Spring that waits to be,
unrevealed until it's season,
something God alone can see."
(Hymn of Promise, Verse 1, Natalie Sleeth, 1986)

        This is s glorious time of the year. The northern hemisphere goes into the transition to Summer. It is a time when the resolutions from the new year are long since successful or forgotten. A time of vacation planning, garden planting and the anticipation of the beauty of the warm season. A time of hope led by the visible evidence of God's presence around us.

This is a time for reflection and review of our dark side. A review of the negative forces in our lives. This is Spring and we need to recover the "...hidden promise..." in our personal lives "... that God alone can see." Through our faith and belief, our Lord will share with us the pleasures of life.

Thought for Today: It is spring, take special notice of its wonders. Smell the flowers and enjoy the showers. Let us share these positive feelings with others and encourage positive feelings around us.
Prayer for Today: Heavenly Father we pray for an end to senseless killing and the guidance to understand this violent world that surrounds us. There seems to be a dominant hate factor that is not created by Godly forces. There needs to be more prayer and less negative logic.  We pray that the world’s religions may see You as one God. We pray that somehow through your divine guidance, killing, hate, and violence may come to an end.

Happy Landing

00427A Happy Landing

“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because,

having stood the test,

that person will receive the crown of life

that the Lord has promised to those who love him.”

(James 1 vs. 12)

            Perseverance is life, we need to persevere in many ways and the easiest way is through meditation, prayer, and having the faith that the Lord will bring us through our lives. We all hope for an easy life without illness or discomfort; always having a job; a life partner to share things with, and the list goes on. In other words, we want to be born to live happily ever after!

           

It is a beautiful sunny day in Minnesota and we are in the nearing the end of what has been an easy winter for the weather. Today, we are still shut down due to COVID-19, but persevering! Government reports seem better, but there are also forecasts for follow up waves and epidemics; this is part of our journey!

           

            Recently a local church posted the following on their sign, “Life is not about having a bumpy flight. It is about having a smooth landing!” We need to keep our faith to persevere on this bumpy ride to receive that …crown of life”. Remember, the best part will be the landing!

Thought for Today: Today is the first day of the rest of our lives. Let us be spiritual and use it well.

Prayer for Today: Dear Father, we are experiencing a very bumpy ride. Concerns about this virus are magnifying all the world’s problems. We give thanks for having the faith to get through it so we may experience the landing.

Patriots Day and COVID 19

This year COVID 19 has shut down events including spring athletics. We are all sad and somewhat fearful. This year will be remembered and will reshape our world and priorities. There will be a new normal!

Patriots Day

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run,

but only one gets the prize?

Run in such a way as to get the prize.

Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training.

They do it to get a crown that will not last,

but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.”

(1 Corinthians 9 vs. 24& 25)

            In Massachusetts, April 19^th is Patriots Day. That gave me two choices to write about today; Paul Revere’s ride or the Boston Marathon. There is a similarity and it is not direction!

           

The marathon involves over 30,000 participants, one woman, and one man will make a six-figure paycheck and be declared winners. As many as twenty others will receive appearance money and have good paydays. Most will receive personal gratification, be the recipient of a great engine for their body from the training and recognition for a great effort. They do it out of the passion that endurance athletes have and the feeling of accomplishment.

           

In 2013 two young terrorists interrupted things a bit at the finish line. That was a sad day for all involved and it infuriated Americans and the free world. It demonstrated that there is a world war in the process, and we need to function normally through it.

This year there will be no race. There will be prayers, hard work in the ICUs of the world. The 30,000 would-be participants and hundreds of thousand spectators will be sheltering;…and praying for a solution to this world crisis.

           

In 1775, Paul Revere and William Dawes raced out of Boston with a message that the British were moving out. Their message to the people of greater Boston was the call to arms. Unfortunately, Paul did not get very far because he was picked up in west Cambridge by a British patrol. However, he did get the poem named for him. William Dawes did not rhyme as well! They were both on a mission to benefit humanity, both were unselfish and both are American heroes.

           

Being fit is a matter of spirit mind and body. Life is not a sprint. It is a marathon. This virus is like mile twenty through twenty-five …tough! We need to race it and live it with our eye on the ultimate prize that is promised through our faith: “a crown that will last.”

Thought for Today: Let us focus on our race for the prize; take a step closer to perfection.

Prayer for Today: Dear Lord and Father, we pray for survival from this terrible virus! …and that the people of the world will learn from its experience. That the new normal will be more peaceful and loving!

Amen

Covid 19 Easter!

00414 Joyful Easter

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, ^[a]all you lands!
² Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
³ Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and ^[b]not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

⁴ Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
⁵ For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations.

 (Psalm 100 New King James Version)

            The Psalmist who wrote this knew what Christianity was all about. We are told to be happy, enjoy our loves and sing it out loud! Can we do that today? Can we say Happy Easter? Is the bunny going to wear a mask?  

All days are not created equal and some are just awful. Today, the world is on lockdown at some level. COVID-19 has captured our attention, changing our lives and will affect us forever. There is reason to be concerned. Having a strong faith is an advantage.          

Gloomy is a mindset. Keeping the Lord in your life can turn a day bright and make it easy to make a joyful noise! Keep that in your thoughts tomorrow! Happy Easter.

Thought for Today: Celebrate Easter and the joy of our faith!

Prayer for Today: Dear Lord and Father, today we pray that we can keep our focus on the joys of our faith and that we may share those joys with those around us.

Amen

Enough is Enough!

00417 Enough is enough

“Unless the LORD builds the house,

its builders labor in vain.

Unless the LORD watches over the city,

the watchmen stand guard in vain.”

 (Psalm 127 vs.1)

            The competitive nature of our society has generated a workaholic mentality. In the 1960s, we occasionally met someone who worked a 50 hour week and in some families both the wife and husband had full-time jobs but they were not commonplace. Today it is common that people work way too much; on the internet, every day, attached to cell phones and then overloaded with our sports and recreational commitments.
           
 In “When I Relax I Feel Guilty”, Tim Hansel wrote the following regarding our present state.
            “We are called to be faithful, not frantic. If we are to meet the challenges of today, there must be integrity between our words and our lives and more reliance on the source of our purpose.

“Unless the LORD builds the house,

its builders labor in vain.

Unless the LORD watches over the city,

the watchmen stand guard in vain.

² In vain you rise early

and stay up late,

toiling for food to eat—

for he grants sleep to those he loves.”

             In the Christian sense, running here and there volunteering is now required to be considered a dedicated, sacrificing, spiritual Christian. Perhaps the seven deadly sins have created another member- Overwork!
           

We need to remember that our strength lies not in hurried efforts and ceaseless long hours, but our quietness and confidence. The world says today; enough is enough!

Thought for Today: Slow down, take a break.

Prayer for the Day: Dear Lord we thank you for our many blessings. Through you, we have enough.
Amen

Our Rock

COVID-19 has captured our attention, changed our lives and will affect us forever. The devotion below appeared in God is My Spinach in 2012. The foundations of our society have been shaken. There is reason to be concerned. Having a strong faith is an advantage

Our Rock

“There is no one holy like the LORD;
there is no one besides you;
there is no Rock like our God.”

(1 Samuel 2 vs. 2)

            Growing up in New England we often fished in streams and frequently crossed them by stepping from rock to rock. When we stepped on a loose one or slipped from one we got cold and wet. The analogy I am getting at is we chose the wrong rock! That is not an option with God.

            The Lord is the rock of our life; our foundation, and always with us. There are times when we forget that simple truth; when we feel lonely; when we will not let Him in to help. During those times we can feel cold and lonely. (Hopefully not wet!)

            Prayer and devotionals will help that situation. If you are reading this today you are probably sitting squarely on the rock.

Thought for Today: During hard and scary times, we need our foundation; our rock!

Prayer for Today: Heavenly Father, today we recognize you and give thanks for being our rock and foundation. We pray for ourselves, our families and our world.