Category: Devotionals

I should work in the yard this week. I should make that phone call I have been dreading so much to make that I have put it off for 3 months. I should write that letter to my friend who I haven’t seen in 20 years. I should quit eating so many sweets and watch my diet.

“I shoulds” and “I shouldn’ts” keep many people from either becoming a Christian or living a victorious Christian life. People think, “I should quit drinking and smoking. I should start going to church. I should start giving more money to the church. I should do this and I should do that.”

Yes, you should, but think about this: our Lord forgave the thief on the cross and promised him a home in heaven. That thief was guilty, but he never had an opportunity to repay what he stole, or go to the synagogue, or give his tithes and offerings before he died.

Jesus forgives us and accepts just as we are, because His grace takes care of all those sins. His sacrifice on Calvary paid the cost of all my sins-past, present, future. There is no sin I could ever commit that will  not be paid for. It is His righteousness, not mine, which is the basis for my salvation. Any other way implies that the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross was not enough.

However, as Paul said in Romans 6:1-2, “What shall we say, then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not!” (or as the King James Version says, “God forbid!”) The same grace that took care of my sins when I was born again also enables me to live a victorious Christian life. Thank God, He accepts us just as we are, but He doesn’t leave us there. God’s plan includes more than an eternal home in heaven. He loves us too much to leave us in our sorry state.

Lord, give me grace to live for you. I put it all in your hands-my life, my money, my habits. Enable me to be the person You have planned for me to be.

Sunday is my rest day. After church and lunch, I usually put my  nightgown back on and take a nice long nap. When my children were growing  up, they knew to be quiet or take a nap themselves. Sometimes we had friends  of the children over for Sunday afternoon on the condition that they would  play quietly in the bedroom and not disturb “mother.” The child that made  too much noise usually didn’t get invited back for a while.

When I was in the 5th grade, I was the Statue of Liberty in our school play.  I was dressed in some long silky gown, holding a piece of pipe covered in tin foil. I gave a speech about freedom and democracy and then we all sang “God Bless America” and pledged allegiance to the flag. I realized years  later that the reason I got to be the Statue of Liberty was that I was the tallest girl in our class that year.

We were patriotic back then. We pledged allegiance to the flag every morning and bowed our heads as the teacher lead us in prayer.

At the 4th of July celebration every year, we began with the “Star Spangled Banner” and the flag salute, plus a prayer for safety for the American Legion men who were putting on the fireworks display.

At the Will Rogers Memorial Rodeo parade each year, we stood at attention with our hands over our hearts when the horse and rider presented the U.S. flag. At the grand entry the first night of the rodeo, when the horse and rider raced around the arena with the U.S. flag waving high, we leaped to attention, again with our hands over our hearts. My heart swelled with pride until I thought it would leap out of my chest.

I guess patriotism isn’t as popular as it once was, but I noticed something lately. The Baby Boomers who were around during the 60s and 70s, criticizing the government, are now the most patriotic of all. We all remember our school days. We remember the songs our music teacher taught us to sing in 5th grade. We remember the flag salute and standing at attention when the flag was presented. We remember the 4th of July as a celebration of freedom, not just a 3-day weekend to play around at the lake with fireworks to watch.

Now it is our turn to show the younger ones that patriotism doesn’t go out of style.

Have you been crying your eyes out lately over some unresolved problem in your life? Does it seem like no one really cares about you, that God doesn’t hear you when you pray? Have you cried enough tears to fill the ocean or at least your iced tea glass?

Well, I have good news for you. Those tears may not be wasted after all. I found a scripture that speaks of this very situation.

In Psalms 56 David cried out to God, in his trouble, and put his trust and confidence in God. “You number my wanderings; put my tears into Your bottle; are they not in Your book? Then shall my enemies turn back in the day that I cry out; this I know, for God is for me.”
God is saving your tears in a bottle, recording them in His book. They are not wasted. “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.” Psalms 126:5.

“Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” Psalms 30:5.

Rev 21:4 says “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”

Lift up your head, brush away your tears, and put your hope in the Lord. He is keeping track of all those tears you have cried and He will take care of this situation for you. God is for you. God is on your side. He is not against you.

He’s never failed me yet.

Something Good

Remember the song, “Don’t Give Up on the Brink of a Miracle”? Wouldn’t you hate to get to heaven and find out that you gave up just before the answer came to pass? Keep that in mind today. Maybe the answer to your prayer is right there in the spirit just ready to come to pass, so don’t let go. Keep your faith up there.

The Bible speaks of “waiting.” That is not just sitting on your thumbs, groaning and complaining about the problem, wishing and hoping God or someone would DO SOMETHING!  No! Bible “waiting” is an eager anticipation of something good about to happen.

Oral Roberts had a motto some years ago, “Expect a Miracle” and his praise team on the show sang a song, “Something Good is Going to Happen to you, happen to you, this very day, something good is going to happen to you, Jesus of Nazareth is passing your way.”

Your assignment today should you chose to do it is, if you know that song, sing it all day. Hum it. Think about it. If you don’t know the tune, make one up and sing it to yourself.

Sing it this way,

Something good is going to happen to ME
Happen to me, this very day
Something good is going to happen to ME
Jesus of Nazareth is right here with me.

And then expect a miracle. Expect things to change. Don’t expect it all to continue as it has been in the past. Today is NEW DAY! Things are changing. Spring is in the air. The seasons are changing, the world is changing, the Church is changing, I am going to change with God.

I am not going to wallow around in the muck anymore, groaning and complaining that nothing good ever happens to me. No! I am going to sing and praise the Lord and expect a miracle today and every day until the Lord comes or I go to be with Him.

Shock yourself, your spouse, your family, your friends, by praising the Lord. We can change the atmosphere around us. It will make people wonder, “What’s up with her?” Put a smile on your face and a song on your lips and tell the world, I am glad to be alive today. Jesus died but He is risen! Praise the Lord. I don’t serve a dead God! My God is alive and He hears and answers prayers.

 Have you ever driven by a beautiful home and wished you could look inside? I love those magazines, like Southern Living, that show the insides of homes and how they are designed and decorated. And at  Christmastime, I love to drive around looking at the bright lights and  wondering how they have their homes decorated inside for the holidays.

John the Baptist saw through the open doors of heaven and he saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove and lighting upon Jesus. Then they heard the voice from heaven, saying “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.”

 Jacob in the Old Testament dreamed of a ladder reaching to heaven and angels going up and coming down. Isn’t it interesting that he saw them going up first? I like to think they were going up to the throne of God to get the blessings to bring them down to us.

 Stephen, as he was being stoned, looked into heaven and he saw the Lord Jesus Christ standing at the right hand of the Father. In Ephesians, it says that Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father, so  what caused Him to rise from His seat and stand? The martyr’s death of His  beloved disciple, Stephen. Jesus stood to welcome Stephen personally through the doors of heaven.

 Doors and windows are for two purposes, both out and in. So while the Lord has the doors of heaven open, pouring out blessings on us, I would like to look in. (I’m not quite ready to ‘go in,’ if you know what I mean!)

Looking through the open doors of heaven, through the Word of God, I get a glimpse of the grandeur to come.

 “I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.” Revelation 3:8NIV

Some day born-again believers will each pass through the doors of heaven to be received into the eternal presence of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Gates of pearl, streets of gold, mansions designed and decorate beyond the imagination. No Christmas light display will compare to the beauty of Jesus, the Light of heaven. Every day will be a holiday, a holy day.

Nothing can compare to the glory of eternity with Jesus.