Past Devotions

For some people, music captivates soul and spirit. I am one of those people. I can listen to a good message and come away contemplating a lot of things. I can read a good book and do the same. But when I hear or sing a good song, I find my soul and spirit soaring with the words and music.

I heard an old song recently that once again touched my soul. “Draw Me Close” was written by Michael W. Smith. The lyrics begin: “Draw me close to you, Never let me go, I lay it all down again, To hear you say that I’m your friend.” And the chorus declares: “You’re all I want, You’re all I’ve ever needed, You’re all I want, Help me know you are near.”

As I sang, I was captivated by that line, “I lay it all down again.” I realized once again that I often pick up what I’ve surrendered to the LORD. I go to Him in prayer; I cast all my cares upon Him. Then I turn around the next day and pick them up again.

I draw close to the LORD, and then I move away. He continually calls me to draw near. He continually urges me to lay it all down again. He knows that all I need is Him.

Oh, Lord, help me to lay it all down again. Help me to realize how near You are to me, how much a friend You are to me.  Amen.

As I mentioned in my devotion yesterday, I bought a treadmill designed for “seniors.” I remember what a doctor told me years ago, you must keep moving if you want to keep moving. I love walking outside, but with the heat and smoke I have not been able to do so.

At a recent doctor visit, my provider asked me if I was walking. I said, “I have a treadmill.” That made her laugh. She said it didn’t answer the question. I may HAVE a treadmill, but am I USING it! I told her that yes, I had begun and was working to increase my time on it.

Her comment has stayed with me. It’s not enough to HAVE something, we must also be USING it.

In John 14 Jesus promised His disciples, “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth….[He] will be in you” [NLT]

The Holy Spirit equips us with gifts, boldness, power, and guidance to serve others and glorify God. He transforms ordinary lives into testimonies of God’s grace, enabling us to live faithfully and courageously.

We HAVE the Holy Spirit … but are we USING Him (and allowing Him to use us) as Christ intended for us?

I bought a small treadmill recently. According to the advertisements, it is designed for “seniors.” It has full bars from front to back on both sides. It is small, only weighing 80 lbs. Bob and I were able to wrestle the 80-lb box into the bonus room, and even open the box and remove the parts. However, one look at the instructions made putting it together beyond our capabilities.

Our oldest grandson came over one evening and put it together. As he was reading the instructions and assembling all the pieces, I remembered when we took him to see the T-Rex named Sue in Idaho Falls in 2003 when he was eight years old.

We visited the gift shop on the way out and bought him a wooden T-Rex 3-D puzzle. It

was for 10–12-year-olds, but the puzzles for 8-10 didn’t interest him. A few months later I asked him if he ever got that puzzle together. He said, “Yes, but I lost the instructions.” When I asked how he was able to do that he said, “I thought like a dinosaur.”

Apparently, thinking like a dinosaur enables one to complete a dinosaur (puzzle). Do you think that “thinking like Jesus” will enable us to become complete in Him?

“Let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.” [Hebrews 12:1a-2B]

We don’t talk much about sin anymore. It seems the idea of sin has faded into the background. We have a lot of other labels for sin that do not sound quite as embarrassing. To tell someone I failed is easier than to tell someone I sinned. To admit to flaws seems more acceptable than to admit to the sin that so easily besets me. [Hebrews 12:1]

Recently, however, I was reminded that sin is nothing to mess with. In fact, sin is deadly. James 1:14-15 outlines the progression of sin. It begins simply with our own desires and then is modified by temptation that comes our way. That births sin in the heart, which if left unchecked bring death.

“Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.” [NLT]

The sin left unchecked brings all manner of death. It seldom affects just the one sinning but often overflows onto others. We need to be so careful to repent and confess our sin to the One who is faithful to forgive and cleanse.

 “If we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”  [1John 1:9 NLT]

I had a bout of dehydration a while back, which was odd since I usually have a bottle of water within reach all the time. I became weak and light-headed. After consultation with my doctor, I learned I can’t just carry that bottle of water around, I actually must drink it!

Apparently, the elderly are more prone to dehydration and can get that way faster than younger people. I looked up why that is true and found the cause is often a reduction in body water. Infants are 75% water; elderly adults are around 50%. There are other causes also such as health conditions, meds, and the way the body functions in older adults.

Growing older carries with it not just physical issues, but I am often reminded that it carries mental and emotional issues as well. We are body, soul, and spirit. When the body goes through trials, our souls and spirits often take on an added burden. We can grow spiritually weary, emotionally and mentally tired.

When my body thirsts, I need to drink water. When my soul and spirit thirst, I need the Living Water Jesus promised.

“Anyone who is thirsty may come to me!  Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” [John 7:37 NLT]

Being spiritually thirsty and dry is not a sin, but it is a condition that needs to be remedied before worst things happen. And the only remedy is found in Christ Jesus, our Living Water!

I attend a Bible study on Thursday evenings, and the focus of that meeting is sharing our faith with others. That is a core responsibility of believers.

Paul began with his standard salutation in his letter to Philemon, “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,” and then he immediately made note of his prayers for Philemon. “I always thank my God when I mention you in my prayers, because I hear of your love and faith toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints.”  

Bub Paul didn’t stop there. He goes on to show Philemon his continual prayers for him. “I pray that your participation in the faith may become effective through knowing every good thing that is in us for the glory of Christ.”  [v4-6 HCSB]

What an interesting prayer! Paul reminds Philemon that it is in actively participating (or sharing) the faith that we gain a fuller understanding (knowledge) of every good thing we have in Christ Jesus. Then because we gain a fuller knowledge of every good thing that is ours in Christ, we want to participate in sharing that faith even more.

Simply put, the more I know of God, the more I want others to know. And the more I share with others, the more knowledge of God I gain, especially as I see Him at work in their lives.

Our faith is not static. It is to be ever growing. Our knowledge of God is to be ever expanding and deepening. We are never satisfied with where we are or what we know but should have a hunger to know more of God and to grow exponentially in faith as the knowledge of Him increases.

And as faith grows and knowledge increases, our passion to share the good things we have in Christ Jesus with others should become greater. Amen&Amen

Last Sunday our daughter and son-in-law came to visit. They brought their dog, Bennie, with them. It was Bennie’s birthday, He turned 15, which I guess in dog years is about 105. He’s showing his age. He’s deaf now, and has problems with his feet and hips, but his face is young and still full of joy

Bennie seemed to enjoy my 86-year-old husband’s attention and often returned to sit by Bob. Watching these two “old gentlemen” made me smile and I thought of the joy that can be found in the most simple of pleasures.

“Lord, you are my portion and my cup of blessing, you hold my future. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places: indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance …. You reveal the path of life to me, in your presence is abundant joy, at your right hand are eternal pleasures.” [Psalm 16:5, 11 HCSB]

Across my 79 years, I have experienced trials, just like most of us. Yet, despite trials, my life has been resplendent with pleasures. The greatest of these were the simple ones, and perhaps none so great as simply experiencing the presence of the LORD amid the trials.

There were times when I felt as if God had pulled me onto His great lap and hugged me, wiping away my tears and softly whispering that He was with me and always would be.

And to know that the “lines have fallen for me in pleasant places,” – that God has given me salvation and a promised inheritance – is the best of all.

It was 53 years ago this month that I surrendered my life to Christ Jesus. I was 26 and did not yet realize what an awesome salvation that I had in Him. With the arrival of each August over the years, I have come to rejoice more and more. Knowing God’s favor upon His children should produce a glorious response in us.

“Let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them sing joyful praises forever. Spread your protection over them, that all who love your name may be filled with joy.  For you bless the godly, O Lord; you surround them with your shield of love.” [Ps 5:11-12 NLT]

“The Lord is good, His mercy [love] endures forever” is the theme of the Old Testament. That song was sung at the dedication of Solomon’s temple, repeated by the psalmists. It was sung by Jehoshaphat’s army as they went in to battle and by the people who returned from captivity at the completion of the foundation for the post-exilic temple. It was acknowledged by Jeremiah and by Daniel.

In the New Testament it was Peter who reminded us that the Lord is good. “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.” [1 Peter 2:2-3 NIV]

Have you tasted that the LORD is good? If so, there should be a joyfulness that stretches far beyond circumstances and trials. There should also be a loud rejoicing that expresses that joy so that others might hear and come to “taste” that the LORD our God is Good!

August, the month in 1973 in which I surrendered my life to Christ Jesus as LORD and Savior, always reminds me of how precious that salvation is – and what my future holds!

Jesus told His disciplines in John 14 that He was going to prepare a home for them in the Father’s Heavenly House and had reserved their rooms in that house. He also told them, “You know the way to where I am going.” 

When He said that, Thomas told Him that they didn’t know where he was going, so how could they know the way. Jesus’ response is one that every Christian can probably recite. “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” [vs 4-7 NLT]

Jesus’ statement is one of the most crucial statements regarding salvation ever uttered. Either what He claimed was the absolute and perfect truth, or He was a madman. We can be assured, that the resurrection of Christ Jesus following His crucifixion (one of the most attested to events in history) was God’s confirmation that Jesus was exactly who He said He was, God’s Son—the Way, Truth, Life—and the ONLY avenue to the Father.

That truth both narrows and expands salvation. It narrows it by denying the claim that there are many paths to God. There is one path, a narrow one, and it goes through Christ Jesus.

In another way, however, it expands salvation to “whosoever believes.” We don’t need to belong to a certain ethnic group, a certain denomination, or a certain country to be saved. We don’t need to trace our linage or worry about our gender or social status or education. We simply come to Jesus as Lord and Savior. What a glorious salvation! Amen&Amen

Ever get discouraged? Ever think that you will never reach maturity in Christ? I do. Every time I do something dumb, I remember how flawed I am – how so unlike my Savior and LORD.

When that happens, I need to remember the promise of God found in 1 John 3:2: “Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.” [NLT]

Five words burst forth in that chapter and give me hope … “we will be like Him!”

Not “we might be like Him,” or we “could be like Him,” or we will be a little like Him.” No, “we WILL be like Him!”

We became “God’s Children” when we surrendered our lives to Christ Jesus. Our adoption into the Family of God was all because of Him. Now … we have the amazing promise that we are not only “related” to Christ Jesus, God’s Precious Son, but there is coming a time when we will “resemble fully” the One who loves us so much!

The flaws will stay in the grave. Our old nature will not follow us into glory! We WILL Be Like HIM! Amen&Amen