Christian Devotionals and Scripture Applied to Everyday Life

The world is a big place! It is made up of many nations and peoples with numerous languages, customs, and physical characteristics. Most of the time we get caught up in our own little personal world and we forget about the bigness of God’s creation. But when you take the time to think about it, the fact is overwhelming! Recently, I was thinking about prayer. God wants us to pray all kinds of requests for all kinds of people. This is a good and acceptable practice to Him. Though there are millions throughout the world who have not heard the name of Jesus Christ and many more who have heard and rejected Him, there will come a day when every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. The nations will be His inheritance and the very ends of the earth His possession as He comes to reign in His heavenly Kingdom. We should ask for this to happen.

When the going gets tough sometimes it’s easy to get discouraged. We start out gung ho with an endeavor but time runs short, problems occur, and a thought of abandoning the whole idea teases the brain. This is when we need to focus on the goal and continue to plug along. Last Wednesday I was so excited. It was the first day of a photography class I signed up for. I arrived early with my Canon and my laptop ready to go. My motivation was high and I was sure I would be taking brilliant photos by the end of the week. By the middle of the first class my hopes drooped as I realized this new hobby was harder than I thought, and my appreciation of skilled photographers rose to a new level. This was going to require time and work. Isn’t that just like the Christian life? Often when someone comes to know the Lord as their Savior they are thrilled about being a part of the body of Christ. They have become a new creation and now have a relationship with God along with a sure hope for their eternal future.

Goal setting is a common practice in all walks of life. Cross country runners seek to attain a personal best time as the run their race. Businesspeople set goals for advertising and financial gain. Weight watchers choose a goal weight for their height and bone structure. And teachers decide what goals they want to accomplish in the education of their students. The Apostle Paul was a very active writer with very specific goals. He penned numerous letters to various churches for the purposes of strengthening, encouraging, and teaching the members about the things of God. In the book of 1 Timothy, Paul wrote to an individual. Timothy, his protégé in the faith, was a member of Paul’s missionary team, and at Paul’s request he stayed in the city of Ephesus to stand against some tough opposition to the church and the Christian faith. Paul recognized the difficulties Timothy was facing and wrote him a letter. It wasn’t a newsy note, but a letter with a purpose. Early on Paul explained that his letter would be full of instructions with certain goals in mind. He desired that Timothy and the Ephesian congregation would develop love from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith.

Have you ever noticed how often prideful words come back to haunt you? It has happened to me lots of times. Knowing when to keep my mouth shut is an important lesson to learn, but some habits are hard to break. Often the recompense for my boasts is known only to me but other times . . . AARRGGHH!!! It was the summer of 1987 – that glorious summer Dad and I met. As is common with young couples falling in love, I went through various emotions of elation and insecurity. I was constantly trying to be my best self so as to impress the guy who had succeeded in making my heart beat wildly every time he was around. In the course of one of our conversations the topic of cooking came up. Well, what better way was there to capture a man than with culinary skill? So I casually worked into the conversation my amazing abilities to create lovely dishes – my specialty being lemon meringue pie. I figured there was no need to mention that I had only made the pie a few times, and that with the help of my grandmother.

When you know someone well, it is easy to identify his or her handwriting. Each person has a particular way of putting the printed word on the page. We even use our signatures to verify our identity on documents. As a notary public, I check a signer’s driver’s license if I do not know them, but when they are personally known there is no need for this proof. I can vouch for their signature because of our relationship. When I was young my grandfather sometimes sat at the table and practiced his signature. He loved to write and his name was penned in old-style, free-flowing loops and clipped lines. I would recognize it anywhere. If I found a piece of paper where he had been practicing I would know his writing even if his name were not on it. At the end of the book of 2 Thessalonians Paul gives a personal comment about his own handwriting. In a time where scribes would often take dictation, Paul mentions that this letter is penned with his very own hand and that it is a distinguishing mark in every letter. It seems strange that he would stress that this is the way he writes, and you wonder why he was making such a big deal about it.

Everything is a gift for which we must give thanks. As children one of the first things we are taught is gratefulness. “Say, 'Thank you,'” was constantly on my lips when you were babies as a reminder to be grateful for what you were given. It is polite and kind but it is also an obligation. When we receive a gift, the correct response is thankfulness. The Bible tells us in many places to give thanks. 1 Chronicles 16:8 “Oh give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples.” Psalm 92:1 “It is good to give thanks to the Lord and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High.” Ephesians 5:20 “…always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father;” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 “In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”