Category Archives: Devotionals

Christian Growth, Devotionals

Keeping My Eye on You!

Parents and guardians have voiced it repeatedly, “I’m keeping my eye on you!” The statement is more of a warning than a message of protection. As children, we sensed the stories of them having eyes in the back of their heads might have some validity after all. We felt we were never actually out of sight. Maybe they had secret agents working in areas outside of their sphere of influence; they seemed to know even the slightest infraction.

As God’s children, we acknowledge that He is everywhere, judging not only actions but thoughts as well. Yes, He is keeping His eye on me, but it is not merely to observe my faithfulness to His commands. He lovingly never wants me to out of His sight. “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you (Psalms 32:8 NAS).” The Holy Spirit is my Counselor and guide; I never want to stray from His sight!

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Christian Growth, Devotionals

In a Fix!

Bad things happen. I lock my keys inside the car and remain stranded until a police officer arrives on the scene. Your fiancé picks up his tuxedo for your wedding; at the church, he discovers the trousers are wader length. The choir cantata is tomorrow and you have committed to sing a solo; you have a severe case of laryngitis. You are in a fix!

There seems to be no way out of your tough spot. Your pulse is rapid. Pacing solves nothing. Does the scenario sound all too familiar? We all experience the embarrassment and frustration of stressful situations. There is no time to debate the reason. Reason flew out the window, what you seek is an instant fix.

Spiritually speaking, I am aware that being in a fix is irrelevant in comparison to having a heart fixed upon abiding in the will of God. The Psalmist David said, “My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise (Psalm 57:7 KJV).” I was in a fix, in a lost and hopeless state. Jesus saw my quandary and delivered me from sin. That settles it!

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Christian Growth, Devotionals

Utter Nonsense

Skeptics brush aside testimonies as utter nonsense. In their way of thinking, man rules his own destiny and those who credit their fork in the road to God’s sovereignty are just touting fairytales. They brush aside a witness of saving grace and restoration easily as stories of little green men from Mars. A born again experience is laughable; the enlightened would never believe such tales. Why, it is utter nonsense!

In reality, all false teaching is utter nonsense and those who oppose it seek bold utterance.  “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints-and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel (Ephesians 6:18-19 NKJ).”    

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Christian Growth, Devotionals

Delta Dawn

 

My husband Norm and I host a lighthearted daily cable television program titled “Delta Dawn.” As the celebration of Easter Sunday draws near, I anticipate Son-rise service with our Bethlehem Baptist church family. Members will gather for a Delta Dawn!

We live in the agriculturally fertile lands of the Louisiana Delta and the term Delta tags everything from a geographic area to newspapers. I am in awe of God’s victorious triumph over death this morning as I ponder our coming Easter’s Delta Dawn…

“But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, bringing the spices which they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb (Luke 24:1-2 NAS).” They had a dawn encounter with God! “He is not here, but He has risen (Luke 24:6a).”

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Christian Growth, Devotionals

Help For Hank

“Please help me, I’m falling” was an urgent request crooned by Hank Locklin.  Fans listened to his woeful lyrics and deposited additional change in jukeboxes. Man has an innate fear of falling. We step carefully off curbs, hang onto railings and steer clear of high cliffs. Only thrill seekers take unnecessary risks; most like two feet firmly planted on the security of ground.

God has a message to those who are wary of losing their balance. “Now to Him who is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of his glory, blameless and with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time, now and forever. Amen (Jude 24-25 HCS).”

 

 

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Christian Growth, Devotionals

Rending of the Heart

I first felt the cutting knife of sorrow in my teens; Jesus came for Grandma. I sat in a morbid funeral home with the overwhelming smell of cut flowers, as recorded sounds of hymns on an organ droned on. People mingled, talked softly and offered heartfelt condolences. Sitting forlorn, I found strength through the tightly held hand of my best friend’s boyfriend.

Patrick was her intended but at that moment, he was my rock. Sorrow can smother us or it can be a doorway to intimacy with the solid Rock. Godly sorrow takes us by the hand and walks us down the pathway to repentance. There is a complete turn in the road but we need not fear. He has a firm grip on our hand.

We sometimes need to “get a grip.” Ezra shared the book of the law with the people of God (Nehemiah 8:4-9) and the word rendered their hearts. “For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law (Nehemiah 8:9b KJV).” He encouraged them in the Lord with the reminder of the joy of the Lord. (Nehemiah 8:10b) Yet, Levite leaders were compelled to express more affirmation.

“So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, Hold your peace, for the day is holy; neither be ye grieved (Nehemiah 8:11 KJV).” Grief over faithlessness opened the passageway to outward fellowship with food and drink and a revelation of God’s word. (Verse 12) I do not enjoy the rending of my heart yet it brings time of refreshing and renewal…

 

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Christian Growth, Devotionals

Segmenting Time

“Tick-tock, tick-tock”… I start my day with eyes half open and a trip to the chest of drawers to cut off my alarm clock.  Time is central in scheduling the remainder of the day.

I recently found myself with a little “time on my hands” and pondered how we fragment our lives into segments of time:

 

Seconds

Minutes

Hours

Morning

Afternoon

Evening

Night

Days

Weeks

Workweek

Weekend

Months

Seasons

Quarterly

Years

Decades

Centuries

Millennium

 

God focuses on:

Day

Eternal

“For he says: ‘In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you. Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2 NKJ).”

“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent (John 17:3 NKJ).”

God simplifies and sanctifies segmenting time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Christian Growth, Devotionals

Still in Preschool

I have an affinity with the Creator. I am in awe of His ability to create masterpieces. Think about it, He is an artisan in a vast array of fine arts.

He paints vibrant orange sunsets and uses white for wispy clouds with wide open skies as canvas. We step back to take a closer look and know He has granted us an unforgettable privilege of viewing the work of the Master.

The sculptor in Him formed majestic mountains. He added a final touch of color to increase a dramatic effect. Some He covered with green trees yet others are nearly red with jagged rocks.

Music is in the heart of Him. He plays hushed melodies with wayward winds, eye-openers through the songs of birds, and lullabies with rolling waves reaching shore.

He is the most deserving of all for the Pulitzer Prize. His word is not contained in simple newspaper, book, E-book, or audio-book form.

“I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people (Jeremiah 31: 33b NIV).”  

As a writer, I am still in preschool. I worship at the feet of the living Word.

“In the beginning was the Word and the Word was God (John 1:1 NIV).”

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Devotionals

Peek and Poke

Many men and women thoroughly enjoy cooking and baking, not me. It is a chore and a necessity; only on very rare occasions do I get my kicks in the kitchen. I have never won any blue ribbons but my easy to please husband usually pushes away from the table with parting words, “Mighty fine!”

Some cooks and chefs strictly follow recipes to the minutest detail but multitudes who have achieved recognition through their craft wing it. They add a pinch of this, a dash of that and one for good measure. Seldom do they fix it exactly the same way twice, which makes it difficult to share the recipe with friends. Perfect timing is also a talent.

A timer device may be handy and even used, but nothing is reliable as peeks and pokes. Cooks open the oven door or lift lids to take a sneak peek at their work in progress. They need to check to see if their food is finished cooking. They poke it with a fork or toothpick and estimate the time of completion. Even confident cooks repeat the process when baking a cake; in disappointment, they sense the need to pop it back into the oven.

Writers often feel the same disappointment when working on an article or a book. They are anxious to complete the task and to bask in the accomplishments of perfection. Yet, sometimes we have to deal with discouragement, stay in the kitchen and pop it back into the oven. “The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times (Psalm 12:6 KJV).” Seven times an artisan popped silver in the furnace. Patience paid off!

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Christian Growth, Devotionals

Buddy Row

Enos Strate was no dipstick! The shy southern deputy had a head on his shoulders and eyes for Daisy. He lit up when he saw her and bent over backwards to please her. Enos worked for Roscoe and had a tough row to hoe. He balanced walking the straight and narrow path while working for a crooked boss.

Unpaved back roads and paths through open fields were no obstacles for the skillful driver. If he had passengers in the patrol car, he’d give a shout. “Buckle up! Hold on Buddy Row!” They’d fly through the air and bounce back down on all four smoking wheels. No one had injuries in the fictional Hazard chase scenes. Reality is not always so easy on those involved in wrecks.

Life often propels us at supersonic speed. God holds out His protective hand and in a still small voice might whisper something much like “Hold on Buddy Row!” Will we heed the warning? “holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain (Philippians 2:16 RSV).”

 

 

 

 

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