He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge. Psalm 91:4 (NIV)

Years ago when a storm came up, I went outside on the porch to watch as angry clouds sent down large raindrops that bounced off the ground so hard that they literally jumped up before hitting the ground a second time. It was amazing.

I looked up into the tree beside the porch, it's branches swaying wildly in the wind. There, on the near end of the branch was a fairly large nest. In the nest a robin stood with outstretched wings, covering her young, protecting them. The rain came down so hard but she stood her ground, hunkering down as the wind grew stronger. How caring and brave that mother bird was concerning her offspring. She endured until the end of the storm, protecting her young from the gale.

How like our Lord that bird was. His blood covers our sins, protecting us from eternal death. He endured the slings and arrows of Satan, who scorned Him until His blood spilled out, covering the sins of the entire world from Genesis to Revelation. Satan could not move Him, for He was anchored on the cross of redemption with Jehovah God backing Him up.

Have mercy on me, my God---for in you I take refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed. Psalm 57:1. We are invited to take cover beneath the wings of our Creator when trouble overtakes us.

Father, our trust is in You. Today we have Your assurance that we will be protected if we rely on Your Word to guide us each day. Amen.

(c) 2013 Evelyn B. Ryan

Cat-Mail

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer. Psalm 19:14 ( ESV)

One night, back when we used dial-up Internet service, I heard the modem connect in another room. Since I was the only one home, this seemed a bit odd, as did the sound of the keyboard.

As it turns out, one of the cats was sitting on the desk paw-typing. She had connected to the Internet, apparently by using the enter key on an active icon; opened the email program, the same way; and started a new cryptic email message, addressed to someone in my contact list. 

Laughing, I decided she needed her own email account, for I didn’t want her to misrepresent me by emailing who-knows-what with my name on it. I couldn’t afford for a business associate to receive a message that contradicted my principles. 

Far more serious are the messages we send through our words and actions, messages that contradict God’s principles. I get impatient with telephone customer service that lacks an understanding of the words “customer” and “service.” In turn, my tone sends a message that misrepresents my Father.

I get behind some day-dreaming driver who is doing 30 mph in a 45 mph zone. My eyes throw darts while my head shakes in disgust. The string trimmer line uncoils for the umpteenth time, and I forget the motor is no longer loud enough to muffle my words. I roll my eyes when someone ahead of me in line isn’t prepared for his turn.

Here I was worried about how the cat’s email might misrepresent me!

Oh, God, I’m sorry for the times I send messages that contradict your principles. Help me to represent you in my words and actions. Amen.

©2013, Nance

Healing Touch

I shall laud you because in a fear-inspiring way I am wonderfully made. Psalms 139:14a (NWT)

Recently I had a chance to say what King David said to God: I am wonderfully made.

Days ago, my dog jumped from my lap, her back feet gouged the back of my left hand, leaving a large triangular open wound. The skin was ripped away behind my middle knuckle exposing the tendons.

Surprisingly, there was not much blood. I sterilized the tips of my tweezers in scalding water. Then I gently grabbed the end of the flap of skin, drawing it back over the wound. I put antiseptic ointment on it and bandaged it.

Since it was the weekend, I went to a clinic to see if stitches were needed because the tear was large and deep. The doctor used surgical tweezers and pulled one end of rolled under skin out and applied two steri strips to hold it in place. Of course, I was given a tetanus shot.

Through the week I watched as the wound proceeded to heal. The naked eye could not detect the cells regenerating and attaching to the edges of the torn skin, but the tiny gap between the skin flap and the hand grew minutely smaller every day. In another week there will be only a pink line that will grow almost invisible. Eventually there will be only a 'V' shaped thin white scar to tell the story of the majesty of our loving God and His ability to heal that which was broken.

Thank You, Father, for the gift of Your healing touch. You perform miracles that stagger the imagination and delight the heart of those who truly love You. All praises belong to You, Father God. Amen

(c) 2013 Evelyn B. Ryan

Who Do You Trust?

Thus says the Lord, “Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind and makes flesh his strength, and whose heart turns away from the Lord … Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and whose trust is the Lord.” Jeremiah 17:5 & 7 (NASB)

In the barren wasteland of our culture people pursue what makes them feel good for the moment. They attempt to escape from the reality of life by seeking pleasure with people. But God offers us a different choice from the wilderness of our pursuit of fun and comfort in this world. He provides streams of living water when we choose to delight in Him (Psalm 1:2-3, John 4:10).

Jeremiah was God’s prophet in a culture similar to ours. God spoke through Jeremiah to give His people a serious wake-up call. In the passage above, we see a contrast between people who depend upon other people and those who trust God. When we rely only on other human beings for our strength and turn away from God, Jeremiah reminds us that our lives become like dry deserts or uninhabited wildernesses (Jeremiah 17:6).

But those who trust in the Lord, have lives that flourish even under adverse circumstances, such as divorce or a job loss. God says that people whose trust is the Lord need not be fearful or anxious in difficulties because He will bless them like a tree planted by a stream (Jeremiah 17:8).

God gives us a choice between a life seeking fulfillment in the world or true life in Him through faith in His Son. As believers in Jesus, we know life on earth is not perfect, but we entrust ourselves to God. In Him we find abundant life.

Oh Lord, teach us how to make you our trust.

© 2013 Diane E. Hussey  

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

 

Focus

I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. Philippians 3:13b‑14 (NLT)

“You’re making him lose his focus!” I laughed as characters from Monsters Inc. cavorted on the television screen, voices squawking. I don’t know how many times I’ve mimicked that line, joking with friends or bantering with my husband.

It seems that focus is an issue these days; at least for me. At work, remaining single‑minded is difficult as so many things vie for my attention. Attempting to escape the frenzy at home leaves me disappointed. Cleaning, cooking, and laundry fill the schedule. Bills pile up and the phone rings. Mother needs help. I barely have time to speak with my husband, let alone talk with God.

So where does God fit into my busyness? Must He be relegated to Sunday, or can He take part in my daily routines? At work, can I reveal peace in the face of stress; patience when conflicts rise? At home, am I kind? Do I serve my family with love?

Athletes have coaches to keep them focused. Those competing at the highest levels work together on strength and endurance, technique, diet, and even time management. Loss of focus can mean the difference between first and second place, or even last. If I allowed God to coach me as I run for the prize, His voice would cut through frustration, fatigue, pain, and stress. He would encourage me to stay on track and finish strong.

Lord, help me focus on your voice as I run. When I reach the finish line, I want to hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

© 2013 Katherine A. Fuller

An Amazing Mother

And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:7                                 (NASB)

Do you wonder how Mary felt giving birth to her first Son under the circumstances in which she found herself that day? Today we have soft new baby clothes and clean blankets to wrap our newborn babies. Luke tells us that Mary “wrapped him in cloths.” This loving Mother did her best to keep her baby comfortable with what she had available.

We plan and prepare for our new babies: buying cradles or cribs with matching sheets and bumper pads. Nothing is too good for our little ones. But Mary placed her precious Son in a manger, a wooden or stone feeding trough for animals. Was this tiny Baby really placed on scratchy hay?

After we give birth in clean hospitals, we bring our babies home to warm houses or apartments. Mary would have given birth in her home, but she was traveling and could not find room in a hotel. Was the stable cold and dirty? It could not have been very comfortable. Imagine giving birth to your first baby in a barn with smelly animals!

What an amazing Mother Mary was! We have no indication in scripture that she complained about the conditions surrounding the birth of her Son. She did not make demands for a better place for herself and her baby. This special Mother treasured in her heart all that happened at the birth of her Son.

Thank you, Father, for choosing an amazing Mother for your Son. Please provide for mothers who do not have basic necessities for their babies. 

© 2012 Diane E. Hussey

 

 

The Jacket

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.” Matthew 6:25a (NIV)

I looked at my worn out jacket still hanging in the closet. I had searched for months at thrift stores, but a jacket in my size at an affordable price was not available. God knew what I needed before I asked (Matthew 6:8), and He took care of me in an amazing way.

I had entered a competition at the facility where I work out, and discovered that I won. What a surprise to learn that one of the prizes was a gift card to a clothing store that was going out of business. Only four jackets remained on the rack, and one was in my size. The original price for this jacket was $109.99, but the close-out price was $15.99. My gift card was for $10.00, so this new jacket cost me $5.99! An extra bonus was the reversible zip-out liner—two coats for the price of one.

I was so amazed by what God had done that I started telling everyone the story of God’s provision. Not only did God provide one jacket, but two, and they were brand new! A verse from Ephesians came to mind: Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think (Ephesians 3:20a).

God is so good to us! We worry about buying clothes and food, but the God who takes care of birds and flowers assures us that we are worth much more than they are. He will provide for us, too.

Thank you, Father, for the ways you surprise us with your abundant provision.

© 2013 Diane E. Hussey