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Devotions

A Miracle Life

by TerryLema

I read a thought from Charles Spurgeon that stopped me in my tracks. “The life of a believer is a series of miracles wrought by ‘the Mighty God.’”

We love miracles, all of us do. Nothing better than to hear about a miracle. Maybe it’s a tumor that was there and after prayer suddenly isn’t. Or perhaps it’s an accident that should have happened while we were driving to work but somehow didn’t. Miracles do come in all shapes and sizes and to many different people.

But when I read Spurgeon’s comment that the life of a believer is a series of miracles, it truly made me stop and think. I came from a family whereby all indications I should be in therapy today! But God called me, me! He gave me an invitation to become His child. Then He provided the grace I needed to respond positively to that invitation. He did away with the old man inside me that had a dark, corrupted heart and made a new creation in me. He turned my hard heart into one that was tender before Him.

If that was not enough, He sent His Spirit to dwell in me, to lead, convict, guide, teach, enable me to become more like His Son, Jesus, my Savior. He speaks to me – God speaks to me! He speaks of His love for me – for me!

He has provided a miracle healing for a child of mine; He has kept a marriage going for 55 years; He has opened doors I needed to walk through and closed others.

He has promised me an inheritance kept for me in heaven. He’s promised rewards and crowns and the wonder of an eternity spent in His presence.

This is not limited to “me” – every believer can write a story like this of the miracles that have flowed into their lives from the Mighty God. What’s your story?

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The Good Shepherd

by TerryLema

I am seeking the care of my Shepherd today, looking for those green pastures and quiet waters He promises the weary and worn. What better place to find Him than in John 10, the chapter about our “Good Shepherd?”

Jesus says three things in that chapter that make my heart rejoice, but first he reminds us that He alone is the doorway to the sheepfold. There is no confusion, no uncertainty, no debate. We enter through Him, He is “the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father but through Him.” [John 10:7, 14:6]

But then Jesus goes on and tells his disciples what we will have when we enter His sheepfold. First, we have life, but not just any life – abundant life. When we enter that sheepfold, we give up death. It must relinquish its hold upon us because Jesus has made us alive in Him. [v10]

Not only do we have life, abundant life, but we have the assurance and the security that our “Good Shepherd” lays down His life for His sheep. No foe can harm us. We may face opposition in this life, we may even be taken from this life by the wickedness and evil around us, but we go straight to the loving arms of our Father God because God’s Son, Christ Jesus our LORD, gave His life on that cross for us. [v11]

The third thing Jesus reminds His disciples is that He knows His own sheep (and they know His voice). He knows us! He does not just know about us, or lump us all together in a group, or see us all the same. He knows us individually, our deepest needs, regrets, desires and wants. He knows our voice when we call out to Him and responds to us so that we grow to recognize His voice. [v14]

Ah, beloved, what a wonderful green pasture by a quiet stream to rest in today. Think about the Shepherd who opened the door, laid His life down for us, protects us, and speaks words of love, grace, and mercy to us.

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Until … Until

by TerryLema

I love mornings. I am an early riser, usually between 4:30 and 6:00 AM. I wake up, grab a cup of coffee and head to my bonus room in the quiet. I watch as the world gets lighter around me, darkness flees with each passing minute.

In those early morning hours, I write, I pray, I study, I converse with my LORD and Savior. Those hours are the most precious to me – I hate anything that interrupts them.

I think David must have been an early riser. Maybe all shepherds have to be so. Many of his songs speak of mornings and his attention to the LORD upon rising.

“But I will sing of Your strength and will joyfully proclaim Your faithful love in the morning. For You have been a stronghold for me, a refuge in my day of trouble.” [Psalm 59:16 HCSB]

God is a stronghold and refuge in the day of trouble. I think the last few years could be described so far as “years of trouble” not just days. They certainly have abounded with fear, misinformation, loss, hopelessness, and opposition. The horizon of change still seems to be far off. So much talk of things not getting back to normal until we end the pandemic … until inflation reverses … until mass shootings are stopped … until ….

There seems to be no set plan or date for returning to normal, and I wonder if the old normal will ever return.

Amid all this the church is being called upon to repent and turn back to God. So many heavy-duty issues to deal with daily. Still God continues to remind us that He alone is our stronghold, He alone is our refuge. It is His strength and His faithful love that comes to us every morning.

Thank you, LORD, for being there each day, providing a stronghold and refuge for your people. Amen.

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Still Standing

by TerryLema

One of the most difficult things about growing older and suffering from the fatigue and lack of stamina associated with some diseases is the inability to stand. I can walk much easier than I can stand still. Not too long ago I had to wait at a counter and after a few minutes I thought I would pass out if I did not find a place to sit or begin to walk around.  Standing still can be much more difficult than moving.

I think that is true not only in my natural world but also in the spiritual.  Paul wrote about spiritual warfare in Ephesians 6. Three times in that chapter (vs 11, 13, 14) he references standing. “Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand … having prepared everything to take your stand … Stand, therefore….”

In Philippians 1:27, Paul urged his readers to “Live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or am absent, I will hear about you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind, working side by side for the faith that comes from the gospel.”

Peter wrote in 1 Peter 5:12: “I have written you this brief letter through Silvanus … to encourage you and to testify that this is the true grace of God. Take your stand in it!”

We are living in difficult times. These last years battling a pandemic, now with the addition of war, out of control inflation, mass shootings, political discord, and social unrest, have left us all a bit battered. That does not even consider the personal storms that some of us have endured. All that eats away at our joy and our spirits.

Yet, we are still here … and even more we are still standing. Whatever the storm, no matter how strong the winds, we have not collapsed. We are still standing by the grace of God. Amen & Amen

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Again

by TerryLema

This devotion came up in my “memories” on Facebook the other day. I thought I would re-send it this morning!

 

I had a cousin, Tommy, on my father’s side of the family. He was a few years older than I. Tommy’s mother contracted German measles when she was in her first trimester and Tommy was born mentally challenged. It was before there were schools available, so Tommy spent most of his time in his room with his record player.  We visited them in Cleveland, Ohio, when I was around nine years old.

Tommy loved to play his records. The problem was, he’d get stuck on one song and would play it over and over and over again. That weekend Tommy was stuck on “Sixteen Tons” by Tennessee Ernie Ford.  To this day whenever I hear it, I think of Tommy.

This morning as I was walking and listening to my worship music, “Amazing Grace” came up, and as it always does, it made me weep. I spent most of my walk thinking about God’s amazing grace. I thought when I get back home, I’ll sit and write about God’s amazing grace. It always just amazes me so!

Then I thought, good grief girl, if you write about amazing grace again, they are going to think you are a broken record. Then I started to laugh and thought, I am not so much different from Tommy – I could listen to “Amazing Grace,” and write about amazing grace all day long!

I don’t want you to think I am a broken record, however, so I won’t talk about how God’s grace is so amazing. I won’t remind you that we are justified freely by God’s grace through Jesus Christ. I won’t even remind you how God is able to make all His grace abound to you.  I won’t write that it is by God’s grace you are strengthened. I won’t even speak of the incomparable riches of grace that will be ours for all eternity.

Nope, won’t talk about any of that. Don’t want you to think I’m a broken record!

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The Irony

by TerryLema

I love the irony found in 1 Peter 2:16: “Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.”

The word Peter chose to use for “servants” in this passage is doulos in the Greek. It means “slave.”  What Peter wrote is, “Live as free men…live as slaves of God.”

We have been set free. But set free for what? To use our freedom as a cover-up for evil? Heaven forbid, as Paul might say.  No, we have been set free so that we can willingly and enthusiastically take this free life and place it under the authority and LORD-ship of Christ Jesus.

Our salvation is more than mere words spoken one day at an altar. Our salvation is more than simply repeating “The Sinner’s Prayer.” Our salvation decision is merely that, a decision. (and I’ve made a lot of decisions that I never carried through on when I found the path was too difficult or the cost too great.)

Our salvation decision is a good first step, but it must be followed by a true conversion, which encompasses producing fruit from our repentance and a willing and complete surrender of our will, our life, to the LORD-ship of our Savior.

To stop short of that is to live in a very dangerous place. We may think it is enough to just get by, but when it comes to being saved, I sure don’t want to “just get by.”

I want to freely give all to the One who loved me and died for me. I want the world to know I love Christ Jesus and am willing to lay it all down for Him.

 

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Remember

by TerryLema

I was sitting in church last Sunday and Pastor Laura said something about the greatness of our God. I remember thinking, “Yes, and God is ….”

So today I am simply noting a “few” things to remember about our God if you are burdened or worried today:

God is Great. (Deuteronomy 32:3)

God is Compassionate. (Psalm 86:15)

God is Gracious. (Exodus 34:6)

God is Faithful. (Psalm 41:8)

God is our Rock (and there is no other like Him). (1 Samuel 2:2)

God is Truth. (John 14:6)

God is the Sustainer of our life. (Psalm 54:4)

God is Good. (Psalm 106:1)

God is Almighty. (Genesis 17:1)

God is Love. (1John 4:8)

God is Holy. (Psalm 99:5)

God is our Provider. (Genesis 22:14)

God is our Strength. (Psalm 46:1)

God is High and Lifted Up. (Isaiah 6)

God is a Miracle Worker. (Psalm 77:14)

God is the First and Last, the Beginning and the End, the Alpha and Omega. (Revelation 22:13)

God is our All in All. (1 Corinthians 15:28)

God is LORD. (2 Samuel 7:28)

God is our Righteousness, Sanctification and Redemption (1 Corinthians 1:30)

God is KING of Kings and LORD of Lords. (1 Timothy 6:15, Revelation 17:14, 19:16)

God is our Refuge. (Psalm 73:28)

Our God Reigns (Psalm 47:8)

I could go on and on, but if you are worried today, remember … God is ….

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Fruit

by TerryLema

We have two neighbors on our street, each with three little girls. Listening to their squeals as they play is a delightful experience.  I’ve met the neighbors next door, but not the ones down the block.  Those neighbors moved into a home where the previous owners planted four fruit trees outside the fence next to the sidewalk. Seemed like an odd place to put fruit trees, but then I guess anyplace they’ll grow is a good place. They planted an apple, peach, pear, and cherry.

As I walked past those trees recently, I noticed that the cherries were ripe. I wondered if the new couple would pick them, and then I spotted the entire family last Saturday with buckets in hand. The little girls and mom were having a great time picking cherries and filling their buckets while Dad and the dogs watched.  I was glad that the fruit would not go to waste.

At the end of the Sermon on the Mount recorded in Matthew, Jesus reminds his listeners that “by their fruit you will recognize [prophets].” Then Jesus uttered a stark warning, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” [Matt 7:20-21]

Frankly, people who walk into a church and say “Lord, Lord” and walk out to live their lives as they please are a dime a dozen. They profess Christ as LORD with their mouths but rarely obey His word. It doesn’t cost anything to be a “professing” Christian.

However, it costs everything to be a “true” Christian who not only says, “Lord, Lord” but also “does the will of the Father in heaven.”

We have done a great disservice to people by allowing them to think that Christianity can be acquired by mere words. In truth, it is a life totally given over to pleasing God.  It costs everything.

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Overcomer

by TerryLema

An ad in my email asked me “Are you an overcomer?” Then it went on to tell me there is a book I can read that will help me to be an overcomer. This book will tell me how to overcome fear and rejection, shame and sickness, and other such bondages. I am sure it is a good book; the author has verifiable credentials and apparently a successful ministry to people who are hurting.

I wondered as I read the ad how the author became an overcomer … perhaps by reading a good book?  Perhaps even by reading “The Good Book?”

 I encourage people to read “The Good Book” themselves. We should be going through our Bibles—all the way through them—at least once every two years, preferably once a year. Yes, Old Testament and New Testament. Psalms and Proverbs, even Leviticus and Job!

If you want to overcome the enemy of your soul, you need to know God, love God, obey His commands and place your faith in God.

How do you know God, except by reading His book? How do you know what He commands unless you read His book? How do you know God is worthy of Your faith? You read His promises and see His mighty power proven first in the Scriptures ad then in your life.

John tells us, “This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.”  [1 John 5:3-5]

You want to be an overcomer?  You can read what others have gleaned from the Scriptures about God, or you can read the living word of God yourself and learn through the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit.

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Criminal?

by TerryLema

There is an annoying commercial. Is that redundant? Aren’t all commercials annoying?  Anyway, this commercial airs frequently on the channels where we watch baseball. The commercial is for youth advocacy programs. In the commercial a young man says, “I’ve done some stupid things, even committed some crimes, but I am not a criminal.”

The youth advocacy programs are probably quite good, mitigating for youth before they end up in prison and begin a cycle that often cannot be broken. It is just that comment that bothers me, “committed some crimes, but I am not a criminal.”

Merriam-Webster defines criminal as “a person who has committed a crime,” not as a person who has been convicted of committing a crime.

I am a criminal. I break the law every time I drive somewhere, usually a few miles over the speed limit. Sometimes I do not stop completely at a stop sign. I have never been convicted of my crimes, but I am still a criminal.

But it is my criminal activities against the Law of God which are far more important than my driving offenses. God is quite clear about His law. It is summed up “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” [Deuteronomy 6:5, Leviticus 19:18, Luke 10:26-28 HCSB]

Jesus told an inquirer that if you obey that law, “you will live.” Which means the reverse is true, if you do not obey that law, you will not live.

All of mankind is criminal because not even the greatest have been able to love God with all their heart, soul, strength and mind, or their neighbor as themselves. That is why Jesus came, to fulfill God’s law in all righteousness and then impart that righteousness to us.

It is a mystery, yes. It is difficult to understand, of course. But, oh the love and grace of God that is displayed for us criminals there.

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