Standard

Posted by

Posted on

August 25, 2016

Posted under

Challenges & Difficulty, Faith & Hope, Fear & Doubt, God's Promises, Today: Make it Count, Trusting God, Worry

GOING NOWHERE FAST

Be careful what you think, because your thoughts run your life. [Proverbs 4:23 (NCV)]

You cannot add any time to your life by worrying about it. [Matthew 6:27 (NCV)]

dead endAs I look out the window, I can see the cars and trucks speeding off to their various destinations. Meanwhile, I am at the gym, feverishly pumping away on the elliptical and going nowhere fast. What really annoys me is that, no matter where I put it, my Fitbit doesn’t fully credit me for my steps or distance. If I’m going to break a sweat and cover a couple of miles on that pitiless machine, I want credit for all my work! Next to me is my husband pedaling the stationary bike. Like me, he’s expending a great deal of energy to go absolutely nowhere and his Fitbit, like mine, won’t properly acknowledge his effort!

It occurs to me that worry is a lot like running on the elliptical or riding the stationary bike. We expend a lot of time and energy when we fret and fuss but all that effort gets us nowhere and accomplishes absolutely nothing. Moreover, we don’t even get credit for the time we spend doing it!

At least, we get stronger and fitter when we exercise; the opposite is true of worry. Along with stealing precious hours, worry can steal our health. Stress hormones like cortisol boost blood sugar levels and triglycerides and can cause fatigue, headaches, nausea, and shortness of breath. Excessive worrying and chronic anxiety can have even more serious consequences: suppression of the immune system, coronary artery disease, digestive disorders, and heart attack.

While God has blessed us with many things, including gyms, elliptical machines and stationary bikes, let us remember that worry, fear, stress and anxiety are not from Him and have no part in a Christian’s life. While the time we expend exercising (and getting nowhere fast) is not wasted, time expended in worry is. The time we spend in worry would be better spent on our knees in prayer—for it’s in prayer that we give Him our concerns and get His peace in return.

So don’t worry, because I am with you. Don’t be afraid, because I am your God. I will make you strong and will help you; I will support you with my right hand that saves you. [Isaiah 41:10 (NCV)]

The Lord himself will go before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forget you. Don’t be afraid and don’t worry. [Deuteronomy 31:8 (NCV)]

Copyright ©2016 jsjdevotions. All rights reserved.
Standard

Posted by

Posted on

August 24, 2016

Posted under

Attitudes & Behavior, Joy, Love & Works, Money & Wealth, Nature, Trusting God

THE ZINNIA MAN

zinnia - ACL20-horzweb

You’ll not likely go wrong here if you keep remembering that our Master said, “You’re far happier giving than getting.” [Acts 20:35b (MSG)]

“Wait a minute,” I called to the rest of the group as I paused at a house to take photos of some butterflies. The entire front yard was a palette of brightly colored blooms and I could see why the insects found it a delightful place to stop. Later that afternoon, we again passed by the same house. A man was in the yard tending his precious garden. I paused to thank him for the brilliantly colored flowers everyone enjoys as they walk through town. He replied that the rainbow of blossoms were zinnias and assured me these brilliantly colored flowers are among the easiest of plants to grow. “Let me give you one,” he said as he bent over to snip off a bright yellow bloom. I tried to stop him, telling him it would be wilted long before I reached home. Handing the stem to me, he told me just to enjoy it while it lasted.  “For every one of these I give away, I get another two flowers!” he joyfully added. He then cut a bright pink blossom and handed it to another passerby.

When this man gives away a flower, he not only gets a smile and a “thank you,” but he also gets two more blossoms! What a perfect illustration of the words, “It is more blessed to give than to receive!”

The most obvious lesson in Christ’s teaching is that there is no happiness in having or getting anything, but only in giving. [Henry Drummond]

Give away your life; you’ll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity. [Luke 6:38 (MSG)]

Copyright ©2016 jsjdevotions. All rights reserved.

 

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

August 22, 2016

Posted under

Fruit of the Spirit, God's Grace & Love, Joy, Love & Works, Nature, Sharing Our Faith

FIREFLIES

You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. [Matthew 5:14-16 (NLT)]

catching firefliesWarm summer nights at the lake mean campfires, s’mores and fireflies. As the darkness descends, bug jars appear and the children start chasing these fascinating insects. How odd that the same child who will shirk away from any insect during the day will give chase to and capture these flashing winged beetles at night. By the end of the evening, the children have collected a jarful of tiny flying stars (that will be released as soon as the little ones are tucked into bed).

Officially, they are Lampyridae—unofficially, they are the lightning bugs that bring magic to our yards and smiles to our faces. They have little light factories in their abdomens that take in oxygen and combine it with luciferin and other harder-to-spell chemicals to produce light with no heat. Actually, these bioluminescent creatures are just highly efficient flying light bulbs!

Unfortunately, many scientists believe Lampyridae are disappearing from the landscape because the grassy meadows and ponds that were their home are now parking lots and housing developments. The bugs’ biggest threat, however, comes not from urban sprawl or pesticides but from the lights that accompany civilization. Fireflies light up so they can communicate with one another and each of the 200 species has its own unique flash pattern. What we see on a summer’s night is actually a firefly’s version of a singles’ bar. As they flit around flashing their lights, they’re looking for a mate. The glow from parking lots, street lamps and car headlights can interrupt a firefly’s signals for several minutes meaning these tiny guys can’t find one another to do what fireflies must do to survive.

While watching my yard light up with these flying light factories, I think of how Jesus calls us to be the light of the world. Like fireflies, we are to shine in its darkness. Just as children are drawn to the firefly’s light, people should be drawn to ours. As Christians, we should sparkle and shine and be a welcome sight to all who encounter us. That glow of love should help others recognize us for what we are—followers of Christ. There’s no need to chase and capture us since we’ll joyfully share the source of our light with others. But, like the firefly, the world around us threatens our survival. While it’s light that endangers the firefly, it’s the world’s darkness that endangers ours. We must never let it keep us from shining brightly.

Heavenly Father, thank you for the blessings of summer nights and for the fireflies that remind us to shine our lights brightly in the darkness of this troubled world.

 All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle. [Francis of Assisi]

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. [John 1:5 (NLT)]

Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon. [Isaiah 58:10 (NLT)]

Copyright ©2016 jsjdevotions. All rights reserved.
Standard

Posted by

Posted on

August 19, 2016

Posted under

Attitudes & Behavior, Family, Friends & Fellowship, Joy, Love & Works, Patience & Perseverance, Wisdom & Guidance

THE “WE” MARRIAGE

Mallards
Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. [Romans 12:10 (NLT)]

Today is my 49th wedding anniversary and, as I was looking for material for a message about marriage, I came across a 2010 article from the New York Times. Titled “The Happy Marriage is the ‘Me’ Marriage,” it asserted that marriage is no longer about putting the relationship first. People in what the author calls a “sustainable marriage” have spouses who “make their lives more interesting.” In something called “self-expansion,” partners “sculpt” each other “in ways that help each of them attain valued goals.” As for sculpting my partner, I may have sanded off a few of his rough edges in all these years but no relationship is sustainable when we’re trying to change our partner instead of ourselves!

I then linked to “The Sustainable Marriage Quiz” where questions were to be answered on a scale of one (not very much) to seven (very much). According to the author, the higher the score, the happier and “more sustainable” the marriage would be. It asked questions about how much our partner increased our ability to accomplish new things, increased our knowledge, resulted in our having new experiences, or was seen as a way to expand our own capabilities.

The article and quiz seemed to put the burden of our growth on our spouse. Granted, our spouses should motivate and encourage us—that’s what love does. Nevertheless, it remains our task to improve ourselves and become more accomplished, knowledgeable, interesting, and capable. The responsibility for our happiness and growth falls squarely on our shoulders, not those of our spouse. I think of the character in Jerry McGuire who said, “You complete me.” Becoming complete is not someone else’s task; it is ours!

No relationship lasts if it becomes stagnant but I wonder how long anyone can sustain an effort to keep giving one’s spouse new experiences, skills, or knowledge. As much as I love adventure, there is something delightful about doing some of the same things again and again with the person I love! The article cited research done at universities and I suspect the subjects were younger. Their concept of a “long-lasting relationship” was probably quite different than mine. When I think of a relationship as “sustained,” I think in terms of several decades not just a few months or years.

Although I believe the happy marriage is the “we” (rather than “me”) marriage, the truly sustainable marriage has a third party in it—God. As my husband and I have grown in our faith, we have grown in our love for one another. The more God-centered our marriage has been, the richer our relationship and the happier we have become. At close to half a century together, ours is not just a long-lasting relationship, but also one that is truly satisfying and sustainable. It is sustained by the grace of God through prayer and hard work. It is sustained by the effort we each make every day to love one another in a way that both meets our needs and honors God. It is sustained by thinking “we” and not “me.” It is sustained by a commitment to make the marriage work and by remembering that “love never gives up.”

Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. [1 Corinthians 13:7 (NLT)]

The question is asked, “Is there anything more beautiful in life than a boy and girl clasping clean hands and pure hearts in the path of marriage? Can there be anything more beautiful than young love?” And the answer is given. “Yes, there is a more beautiful thing. It is the spectacle of an old man and an old woman finishing their journey together on that path. Their hands are gnarled, but still clasped, their faces are seamed, but still radiant; their hearts are physically bowed and tired, but still strong with love and devotion for one another. Yes, there is a more beautiful thing than young love. Old love.”  [author unknown, found in “Stories for a Faithful Heart” compiled by Alice Gray]

Copyright ©2016 jsjdevotions. All rights reserved.
Standard

Posted by

Posted on

August 18, 2016

Posted under

Bible Stories, Faith & Hope, God's Plan, God's Promises, God's Word: The Bible, Knowing Him, Salvation: A New You, Wisdom & Guidance

THE FABRIC OF OUR LIVES

Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path. … See how I have loved your guiding principles! … O Lord, in keeping with your mercy, give me a new life. There is nothing but truth in your word, and all of your righteous regulations endure forever. [Psalm 119:105,159-160 (GW)]

loom at Golondrinas I often find myself lost in the Bible, fascinated by this amazing book of history, poetry, passion, and wisdom. Comparing translations and reading commentaries helps me understand the context and meaning of verses. Knowing something about the specific church to whom Paul was writing, for example, allows me to better understand his directions, many of which seem peculiar in today’s world where churches don’t argue about circumcision and food isn’t offered to idols. For example, Paul wasn’t playing fashion police when giving instructions about hair length and head coverings to the church in Corinth. Although Greek women worshipped without head coverings, Jewish women had always covered their heads in worship—an uncovered head for them was a sign of loose morals. Moreover, in Corinth (the city with Aphrodite’s temple and its 1000 prostitutes) both long hair on men and short hair on women were signs of prostitution. Paul was trying to unify both Jewish and Gentile believers and prevent anyone’s appearance from interfering with their ability to be a witness for Christ. Bible study also makes old familiar verses take on deeper meaning. David’s sorrowful words of repentance in Psalm 51 are even more poignant when we know they refer to his adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah. Bible study, however, is far more than an intellectual exercise; it enables us to know God as He revealed himself in Scripture and then to weave His word into our daily lives.

As a girl, I used to weave potholders and I’ve taught both my children and grands to do the same. We attached fabric loops across a small metal loom and interlaced other loops at right angles. Over and under the loops we’d go until the loom was filled. When finished, instead of a bunch of unconnected loops, we had a thick potholder that could withstand heat. While that’s the only thing I’ve woven, I try to weave God’s word into the fabric of my life daily. Unlike the Corinthians, I don’t live in sin city but, like them, I’ve been challenged to live up to God’s standard of morality and to behave in a way that is considerate to the sensitivities of others. I’ve neither committed adultery nor murdered anyone’s husband but, like David, I have allowed my sins to drive a wedge between God and me. Yet, as I weave God’s word into my life, I can handle all of life’s circumstances, even when I get into hot water.

“The touch, the feel, of cotton…the fabric of our lives,” the television ads for cotton tell us. Sorry, Madison Avenue, but neither cotton, linen, wool, polyester, nor silk are the fabric of my life. That honor belongs to God’s word.

A Pew Research poll in 2010 found that evangelicals ranked only a smidgen higher than atheists in familiarity with the New Testament and Jesus’s teachings. [Newsweek Magazine (1/2015)]

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching the truth, rebuking error, correcting faults, and giving instruction for right living, so that the person who serves God may be fully qualified and equipped to do every kind of good deed. [2 Timothy 3:16-17 (GW)]

Copyright ©2016 jsjdevotions. All rights reserved.
Standard

Posted by

Posted on

August 17, 2016

Posted under

Attitudes & Behavior, Challenges & Difficulty, Faith & Hope, Fear & Doubt, God's Grace & Love, God's Promises, Peace of God, Prayer, Worry

LEAVE THE PACKAGE AT THE DOOR

Leave all your worries with him, because he cares for you. [1 Peter 5:7 (GNT)]

Relieve me of my worries and save me from all my troubles. [Psalm 25:17 (GNT)]

Estes Park, COMy doorbell rang and, by the time I got to the door the FedEx man was walking away, having left a large box on the porch. As he backed out of the driveway, I shouted a thanks and brought in my latest order from Amazon.

Let’s pretend that we’re FedEx drivers and we arrive at the designated recipient’s house. After ringing the bell, the man of the house answers and we show him the package. Unlike my delivery man, however, we don’t leave it with him. Instead, we get out the packing slip and tell him the contents of the box. Then we open up the carton and show him everything in it. Finally, we tape it up again, lug it back to the truck and stow it there for another day. I’m not sure why we won’t leave the carton but perhaps we’re afraid the man of the house won’t take good care of the precious shipment. The next day, however, with even more packages loaded in the truck, we do the same thing, bringing the  boxes to his door and then returning to the truck with the same load. Eventually, we need a hand cart to carry all those cartons to the door, the truck gets overloaded, and we want to quit. How easy our job would be if we’d trust the recipient enough to leave the packages at his door where they belong!

Just as the FedEx man always leaves my packages, we’re supposed to entrust our cares and concerns to God the first time we come to His door. It does no good to carry our worries and fear to the Lord’s doorstep if we won’t leave them there. It’s futile to unpack our sorrow and anxiety for God if we just repackage them and keep carting them around. We need to trust that once we’ve given our concerns to God, He’ll tend to them. Moreover, instead of a friendly wave or thanks, God will give us His peace when our worries are left at His door.

Heavenly Father, how often we give you our troubles only to take them back again. Reassure us of your strength to handle any and all of them so we willingly leave our problems with you. May we always remember your incredible love for us so that we know our cares are safe in your hands.

Worry is the antithesis of trust. You simply cannot do both. They are mutually exclusive. [Elisabeth Elliot]

Worry implies that we don’t quite trust that God is big enough, powerful enough, or loving enough to take care of what’s happening in our lives. [Francis Chan]

Don’t worry about anything, but in all your prayers ask God for what you need, always asking him with a thankful heart. And God’s peace, which is far beyond human understanding, will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with Christ Jesus. [Philippians 4:6-7 (GNT)]

Copyright ©2016 jsjdevotions. All rights reserved.