This page of my blog has spiritual devotions I've written, some submitted and published in additional locations. Comments are turned off for this page.
This year many people are saying it’s been unusually cold but that is especially true for my area which has a sub-tropical climate. We’re used to wearing cropped pants, short sleeves and flip flops all but about one or two months of the year.
The local TV stations have instructed us to cover our more vulnerable outdoor plants with breathable fabrics (not plastic) and to leave them on for several days, not just for the overnight hours during the freeze warnings.
We have done that. Since it’s also been very windy, it’s taken the two of us to get the bushes covered and to secure the fabric with clothes pins to the branches.
After a week of this, the weather is finally warming up. Now it’s time to remove those coverings. That has proven to be a questionable revelation as to the effectiveness of trying to protect our landscaping. At least 3 of our bushes are looking not only poorly, but possibly dead.
A family member advised us last year to not be too hasty declaring the demise of the bushes. She said we might be surprised in the coming weeks to see that after a careful pruning, there may be signs of renewed growth at the base of the plant. She was right!
I am reminded of Philippians 1:6 which says, “Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
While our bushes may, or may not, come back to life, the people for whom I pray for a renewed interest and dedication to the Lord are definitely not a lost cause.
God finishes what He has started, and His word does not result in emptiness.
Isaiah 55:11 tells us God’s Word does not return to Him void but accomplishes what He pleases, and it prospers.
I John 5:14-15 tells us if we ask Him anything according to His will, He hears us and we will have those requests.
What a promise that is! We must pray that He will open the hearts of those who have been frozen to the invitations of the Holy Spirit. My faith is bolstered as I think on these things!
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Wonderful Counselor
At Christmastime we hear descriptions of the coming Jesus with words like “Wonderful Counsellor,” “ Mighty God,” “Everlasting Father,” and “Prince of Peace.”
When I suddenly became a widow, a lot of questions bombarded my thoughts, things I could no longer expect my husband to address.
How to operate the sprinkler control box?
How to change smoke alarm batteries?
What is the password for …..?
What to do when the car’s tire pressure is low?
Where have I placed such-and-such?
Where did he file that document?
For 50 years I was blessed with this man who took care of so many things without my intervention, but suddenly these matters were now my responsibility.
One of the first lessons I learned was to be discerning about who to ask for help. One person usually cannot accurately respond to all of the problems and questions.
I also had to force myself to be more brave in hunting down what is lost, misplaced, or just a mystery to me. (I learned I am smarter than I thought!!)
But of the most comfort to me has been to realize the absolute practicality of Jesus being the “wonderful counsellor” (Isaiah 9:6).
That thought is re-stated in Colossians 2:3 which says: “[Christ] in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”
Yes, of course, all of our spiritual questions are resolved in Jesus Christ, but He, being God, has all the wisdom and knowledge about everything!
To my thinking, He can get me the answers I need about the most practical of matters!
For virtually all of my life as a Christ-follower, I have sought the Lord for wisdom, but as a widow that seeking took on a more practical and at times a more urgent, dimension.
I’ve learned that not all questions need an immediate answer. As a matter of fact, it seems the Lord sees the need for me to WAIT for solutions as being more important than to immediately get the answer itself.
Trust has become magnified to me. Ask for help and then wait, fully convinced that He will respond at the right time with the right solution.
Widowhood has been (and continues to be) God’s instrument to teach me to seek Him, to trust Him, and to wait on His timing.
He has come through for me on so many things (and never too late). For those matters yet unresolved, my reliance on Him has grown exponentially.
He is, indeed, the Wonderful Counsellor in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
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The Comfort of Scripture
Having been raised in a strong Christian home where we prayed before every meal, attended church services and various meetings as a family throughout the week, and then continued those practices as an adult, I have been strongly influenced by the Bible all of my life.
Just like everyone else, my life had its ups and downs. My beliefs, commitments and determination were tested. Also, like most people, I occasionally stumbled along the way, but I remained devoted to the Lord. Clearly, He was devoted to me.
Then at age 70 I was put to the most severe test of my faith. My husband of 50 years died from a brief illness. None of us in the family saw that coming.
Suddenly I felt as though I was positioned on the handlebars of a fast-moving bicycle of which I had no control but was careening fast toward an unknown future.
I am thankful to be able to say the foundation of Scripture held firm. The reliability of God’s Word was a benevolence to me. In my grief I sought Scripture intensely.
Since there was no one in my house to please except myself, I used a heavy pen to write out many Bible verses on large sheets of paper. Then I hung them in nearly every room with tape or clothes pins, not caring what it looked like. I just wanted to be able to see God’s Words to me in all the places where my eyes tended to focus throughout the day:
the window above the kitchen sink
the bathroom mirrors
outside of the shower stall
inside closets
inside and outside of cabinet doors
the laundry room
at the end of a hall
It has been a little over five years since my husband passed into Heaven. I have since remarried and moved into another house. While I no longer have Scripture clipped and taped all over our home, I do have decorative art pieces scattered throughout the rooms with verses that bless me daily.
The first thing I read every morning and the last thing I read at night is Scripture. I’ve learned to pray those words, making God’s Words my own as I begin and end every day.
I have set the Lord
continually before me;
because He is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.
Psalm 16:8
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Black-eyed Peas
Cold weather calls for warm comfort foods. While I was growing up, the New Year’s habit in my family was to include the Southern tradition of black-eyed peas. Presumably this legume would ensure good luck in the coming months. Although we did not claim to be superstitious, it was a fun excuse to have black-eyed peas, “just in case.”
While I enjoy black-eyed peas, a few years ago I decided to give up on them. Superstition or not, the previous year had ended terribly for me, so discarding them seemed a good option, again, “just in case.”
This year we enjoyed yellow cornbread baked in a cast iron pan, accompanied with sliced ham and green beans. That’s about as traditional of a Southern New Year’s menu I was willing to serve.
In the Old Testament, Job 23:10 says, “The Lord knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.”
In the New Testament, Romans 8:28 gives this promise to those who are committed to the Lord through Jesus Christ: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”
I am learning to rely on the Lord with both my good and bad experiences because He is in charge, and He knows how best to refine me for His purposes. With that in mind, regarding the black-eyed peas, I’ll probably add them to my menu next January 1st!
