Category: Devotionals

My Valentines from first grade showed up at Mother’s home a few years ago. What a treat! Names I hadn’t thought of in 30 years showed up wishing me Happy Valentine’s Day. Be Mine. U R sweet. With love. Best friends.

In 1999, Mother’s home was flooded with 3 feet of water, the third time since she has lived there. The first two times, in the 1960s, were disastrous, but this time was a blessing in disguise. Mother never throws much of anything away, so as we started going through the wet things in her home, we ran across items that would normally have been discarded.
Most people of our generation only get to go through their parent’s home after a death or a move to the nursing home, so we felt privileged to be able to do it with Mother still alive. (She will be 95 later this month.) We made a party out of it. We could laugh and cry over things we found; some could be salvaged, some could not, so the things we had to throw away we treasured for that moment, then tossed in the trash.

We discovered that the valuable items were not hurt by the flood. Letters from my daddy when he was away in World War II dried out nicely. Most photos were not ruined by water; they were separated and allowed to dry naturally. The edges curled, but the images were fine. The old solid-wood furniture wasn’t damaged; the cheap pressed wood stuff fell apart. The stuffed furniture and bedding had to be replaced, but most appliances dried out and worked fine.
During that time we discovered just where our priorities were. Mother was fine, after being taken out of her home by two nephews walking a rowboat through her yard up to her doorstep. Even if she had lost everything, we have her and that is all that matters.

You cannot take your first-grade Valentine cards to heaven with you. Your pictures, your antique furniture, your knick-knacks and fine china will pass to someone else. Your money will be left behind.

“And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” I Cor. 13:13
What can you take to heaven with you? Only the ones you love.

 

In Acts chapter 27, a great storm came up on the Mediterranean Sea when Paul was a prisoner, being taken to Rome. He had tried to tell the captain of the ship that there was a storm coming, but they decided to chance it and sailed anyway.

According to some recent studies, this was the worst storm that ever came on that sea and was recorded by the local historians. This was a killer storm.

 As the ship tossed and rolled on the waves, Paul was fasting and praying. He came to the deck and told them, “Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost.

Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me and said “Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.

.And I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me.” Acts 27:21–25 NIV

Some of the men tried to leave on lifeboats but Paul told them “Unless these men remain in the ship, you cannot be saved,” so they cut away the lifeboat and let it fall. Then he urged them to eat, because they hadn’t eaten in 14 days and again he said, “Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head.”

 Paul had a destiny and the destiny of all those on that ship with him was tied up with his. Because Paul must live, they would live too. Paul had enough faith for them all.

 Who is sailing through the sea of life with you? Your family, your friends, your neighbors. Their destinies are all tied in with your destiny. Remember this promise when you are praying for them.

 God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.

 

1.      Put a smile on your face. Proverbs 15:13, “A happy heart makes the face cheerful.”

2.      Treat everyone equally well. James 2:9 “If you show partiality, you commit sin.”

3.      Watch what you say. Ephesians 3:29 “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth.”

4.      Look everyone in the eye and have a firm handshake. Keep your word. A deal is a deal. You can’t buy integrity. Proverbs 19:1, “Better is the poor who walks in his integrity than one who is perverse in his lips and is a fool.”

5.      Give a lot of hugs and kisses. II Corinthians 13:12 “Greet one another with a holy kiss.”

6.      Act loving to everyone. Ephesians 5:1-2, “Therefore be imitators of God as dear children and walk in love.”

7.      Quit worrying about everything. Philippians 4:6 niv, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

8.      Stop thinking about the bad things that are happening in the world, and start thinking about good things. Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

9.      Practice contentment with what you have. Paul said in Philippians 4:11-12, “I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content. I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.”

10.  Recognize that you can’t do any of these things consistently without Jesus Christ as your Savior. Paul said, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Phil. 4:13.

Your body is going to grow older, but your spirit, the real you on the inside, is young and beautiful. The more you live the life of love, the younger you will look until you will be young enough for God to call you to your heavenly home.

Mary woke up early the morning after Jesus was born with the glow of His birth lingering around her. The memory of the shepherds’ stories of angels singing in the night sky brought back memories of the angel who stood before her and told her she would conceive and give birth to a son who would be the Son of the Highest. “And you shall call His name Jesus.” Luke 1:31 NKJV.

She pondered in her heart that early morning the words the angel had spoken to her and remembered how she had replied. “Let it be to me according to your word.” Luke 1:38.

And now in the light of day, looking down at the newborn Baby who had come into the world just as the angel had said he would, she had no trouble believing that the Baby was the Son of God. She knew she was a virgin when she conceived the Baby Jesus. She knew and God knew. She still didn’t know how it had taken place. She only knew that God had done what He said He was going to do. He had fulfilled His promise to her through the words of the angel that day.

She must have wondered just what was expected of her now that the Baby was born. Maybe she expected the angel to return and give her more instructions, but when he didn’t, each day she did what every other new mother did in Judah. She fed her Baby, dressed Him, and taught Him day upon day. And when He was old enough, His step-father Joseph began teaching Him and taking Him to the synagogue. And she pondered in her heart the ability of Joseph to raise a son who wasn’t his as if He were his very own.

“And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon Him.” Luke 2:40

All because one woman Mary in faith said “Yes” to God.

 

 

Everyone is talking about the Dec. 21 Mayan end-of-the-world prediction.

 Now we have a “Fiscal Cliff” in national politics to worry about at the same time.

Unemployment is down to 7.9% but in addition, many people have given up trying to get a job, so those people are no longer counted.

Iran gets nuclear capability. Syria has chemical warfare capability to use on their own people.

It’s enough to make people want to go into a fantasy world for a little while.

No wonder one of the most popular TV shows this season is award-winning Walking Dead, a show about survivors in a post-apocalyptic world. The Walking Dead—where living people battle dead people, a.k.a Zombies, for food, water, shelter, while all the time having to watch their back to keep from being killed by living people. These survivors are “Walking Alive” through a war-torn land searching for other survivors, and looking for a city where they can finally have a peaceful life, happy and free, and united once again with those they love.

These survivors are searching for heaven.

In Hebrews 11:10, God’s Great Hall of Fame, it says of Abraham, “For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.”

“But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God.” Hebrews 12:22NIV

That is our destination. Just like those survivors who are walking alive among the walking dead, searching for a place to live, those of us who have received Jesus are looking for a city.

But that is where the comparison ends!

We are not killing the walking dead; we are telling them about Jesus and getting them born again. There is a new life for those who are walking around in their sins and trespasses and we are responsible for telling everyone we come in contact with that Jesus can give them that new life. Then they can go on this wonderful journey with us to heaven.

Are you a zombie, walking around, feeling dead inside, just going through the motions of living? The good news is zombies can live again through Jesus Christ the Savior.

 

 

I learned to drive in Drivers Ed in 10^th grade, but my Uncle Cecil trained me in many skills. He had me practicing my parallel parking skills in downtown Vinita in front of the Center Theatre at 9 o’clock on Saturday night when one show got out and the other was starting.

We Vinita kids honed our driving skills running up and down Main Street every Saturday night after the football game. I wish I had kept track of how many miles I actually drove those 3 years.

I went to work for SBC in 1971 as a telephone operator and put many miles on my vehicles over the 13 years I worked that job. Then I transferred into the network department, and since we drove company vehicles, we had to take on-the-job drivers training and yearly driving tests.

One of the most important things I learned from the Southwestern Bell drivers training was to scan the road a mile ahead of you, as far as you could see, to anticipate any hazard that might occur, so you could take evasive action.

Most of us drive one block at a time, instead of looking ahead. In Tulsa traffic, you’ll miss your exit that way. You should be planning ahead and looking for an opening in traffic two miles ahead of your exit. It takes training.

We should train our spirits to take the long view, to look ahead, further and further down the road.

”I will lift up my eyes to the hills—From whence comes my help? My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:1

Raise your eyes up from your feet, where you are watching each step, the drudgery of everyday life. Don’t look at life one step, one day at a time. That may be how you are having to live your life right now, but lift up your eyes to the Hills of Glory. Your help is on the way. The Lord God of heaven has a plan.

Take the long view.