Christian Devotionals and Scripture Applied to Everyday Life

I have always found it interesting how people end their correspondence. In recent years email has taken the place of written letters, but the complimentary close has stayed similar though quite varied. Often we tend to sign off our message with the word "Love." In business it is more official to say "Sincerely." Yet there have been numerous other niceties I have come across over the years such as "Thanks," "Affectionately Yours," "Blessings," "Joyfully," and the plain old "From." Some try to be very creative with phrases like “For God and His glory,” “Serving His Kingdom,” and once I even read, “Here, there, or in the air!" I wonder whether we really think about what we are saying, or is it just a perfunctory habit.

Black and white, tall and short, high and low, new and old – these comparisons all have something in common: they are opposites. Each adjective describes something, and by virtue of having one quality, the other one doesn’t fit. If an item is black, then it isn’t white. If it is tall, then it isn’t short, and so forth. Even a child can understand the differences in certain things when they look at the noticeable characteristics. These contrasts are particularly apparent when it comes to humans and God. When measuring the two against each other, there is absolutely no comparison.

Most people like to have the last word. When it comes to arguments we each feel that our point of view is correct and work really hard to get our opponent to see our side. In a healthy relationship each party can give and take and come to an agreement, or at least agree to disagree, but sometimes the effort is not worth the trouble. Sometimes the effort produces more damage than help. Any regular study of the Bible will reveal that humanity has not changed much: customs and living conditions are different, but the basic human nature stays the same. Then, as now, there are many who have turned from God’s point of view to their own understanding of the world. The desire for relevance and the need to justify sinful actions creates a tension between believers and unbelievers. While we as God’s children are called to point others to the truth from God, there are times when we must give up our aspiration for the last word.

Regularly I am reminded of times past as I prepare for upcoming antique auctions. This week one of our featured items is a checklist reminder. This old time memorandum is painted on a wooden board and uses pins to mark the pantry items which were running low. While taking photographs for our website I came across this gem and was surprised to see how few items were represented on the list - twenty-seven to be exact. Times sure have changed! Life was simpler way back when and people were satisfied with much less than we are today. Grocery stores are now supersized and things once considered conveniences are now necessities. This trouble follows us into almost every area of life. We never seem to have enough, and more is always better. Satisfaction and thankfulness are things of the past.

Shhhh! Just be quiet! These are words you have heard me say over and over again. Children tend to be noisy. (Wouldn't you agree?:-)) Many times over the years I have needed to reign in an escalating conversation and call for peace and quiet. Silence is often needed to be able to think straight. While this is something that most parents need to do from time to time, did you know that we must also use this same tactic on ourselves? In this day and age we don’t like silence. We have learned to think with our eyes and our ears instead of our brain. We hardly go anywhere without a device secured to our person. It is the first thing we look at in the morning and the last thing we check at night. We watch the news and read other people’s views on it. We bombard our minds with movies portraying what we think life should be like. We play music to pump us up or calm us down. We surf the web for answers to our questions about anything and everything. This stimulation is a constant companion and shapes our understanding of the world. Why think for ourselves when there is someone else to do it for us?

Most people hate the word “No.” When we have a request and ask someone to fulfill it, we hope the answer will be “Yes.” Being denied is a great disappointment and not very fun. But sometimes there are good reasons for the rejection. Sometimes the “No” leads to something even better than we had hoped for. As a teenager I loved being at camp. When I was thirteen I started on staff at a small Christian camp in Pennsylvania. For six years I spent my summers there before applying to larger conference center in Speculator, NY. Camp of the Woods has always been known for its amazing musical talent. The accomplished music staff prepares for weekly concerts that rival any of the best shows you can find. Being from a musical family I thought that was where I would best fit. But God had other plans. He said, “No” to that desire and instead placed me in the education program teaching the Bible to fourth through sixth graders while their parents were in chapel.