Christian Devotionals and Scripture Applied to Everyday Life

I can’t get it out of my mind! A couple of weeks ago while vacationing at Camp-of-the-Woods we heard Erwin Lutzer, the pastor emeritus of Moody Church in Chicago, Illinois, speak. During his sermon He mentioned that every day he prays, “God, glorify Yourself at my expense.” Since then I have continually thought about the meaning of those words.

“The world says that ‘seeing is believing,’ but God wants us to believe in order to see.” I read this quote yesterday in L.B. Cowman’s devotional, Streams in the Desert, and it really struck me because it highlights one of many huge differences between God and the world. God’s way of doing things is often opposite of our way of doing things. We say, “Make it happen;” He says, “Wait.” We say, “Stay;” He says, “Go.” We say, “Worry;” He says, “Trust me.” We say, “Forge your own way;” He says, “Let Me guide your path.” Following Him is often counterintuitive to our nature, but it is always best. Faith is what pleases God.

I’ve gotten the clutter bug. I don’t know what has done it, but it has come on full force. Maybe it is because you kids are starting to move out and I don’t need as much stuff as I once used to. Maybe it is the fact that I see lots of household items sell at auctions and don’t want to leave someone else with a huge job of cleaning out. Or maybe it’s just because I can think better when things are organized and clutter-free. Whatever the reason I have been on a rampage to eliminate all unnecessary belongings. We all gather stuff and need to purge once in a while, but some people have a real problem with collecting and keeping things. These hoarders continually buy and stock up on items they think they might need. Some buy because they think they have found a bargain and want to beat the system. Others are fearful and want to be prepared for an emergency. In my experience hoarders seem to buy multiples of the same thing, tucking them away unopened for future use – only most of the time the items never get used. In extreme cases they get lost in the wall of boxes that grows and grows until the hoarder’s house is packed from floor to ceiling with only small pathways connecting each room. What a suffocating existence!

History is being made right now. For the past couple of nights our country has been glued to the television listening to prestigious speakers tout their reasons for choosing their party’s presidential candidate. The speeches are vicious and persuasive as each tries to convince the nation to vote for their candidate of choice.

I have some news to break to you. There will come a time when you are forgotten. Not a time when you are accidently left at church because we thought you were with someone else, but a time when people on the earth will not know who you are or were. It’s sad, but true! This truth was brought home this week more than once as we spent time at a wonderful place in the Adirondack Mountains. While relaxing on the sandy shore of Lake Pleasant and enjoying times with friends and family, I reminisced about the years I spent working at this Christian retreat and conference center, Camp-of-the-Woods. Time has passed, things have changed, and most vacationers and/or current staff members have no recollection of the summers I spent teaching children and lifeguarding in this very spot.

The flowers and herbs had been sitting on our porch for over a month. I had been bitten by the gardening bug and bought them with the full intention of planting them in pots to liven up the side porch. But I had put the project on the back burner as more pressing tasks became necessary. Finally, I found a brief window of time to transplant them and was all set with hand shovel, watering can, fertilizer, and extra potting soil.