Christian Devotionals and Scripture Applied to Everyday Life

Have you ever had something you don't like about yourself? I think most people do at one time or another. When I was young I was always the tallest girl in the class. This made me feel awkward because I was taller than most of the boys. Though I am not one to slouch, at that time I was tempted to scrunch my body so that I could blend in a little easier. The insecurities of youth can carry into adulthood if we are not careful. The only way to combat these lies of Satan is to slam them with the truth.

The rising sun's golden fingers gently touched the thick ice of the frozen lake that cold winter morning in 1953. Fourteen-year old Johnny enjoyed the warm caress of the rays as he sat on the edge of the lake lacing on his racing skates. He had arrived a few minutes early for his shift on the Packanack Lake, New Jersey, Ice Patrol. 

Who is controlling you? The Bible says there are two forces that can guide what we do and how we act. These opposing stimuli are our sinful flesh and the Spirit of God. How we live our lives depends on which power is filling us.

The constant and all-encompassing presence of the Lord is so comforting - or is it? This would seem an odd question for those who love and obey the Lord. To them, His presence brings eternal blessing and joy. These obedient followers desire to live in the light of His presence continually experiencing His salvation, His strength, His protection, and His goodness. They cannot even imagine a better place to be than under God's watchful care and they would despair at the thought of separation from the One they love and need so desperately. But there is another group of people. For this circle of individuals, God's constant presence is very uncomfortable. They may even be Christians, ones who belong to God, but who desire to keep parts of their lives from His control. They do not like the idea that there is no secret place where they can go to hide from God's all-seeing eyes. Deep down they know that their words and actions are not pleasing to their Creator. But rather than revise their ways, they seek to do their deeds in a secluded place where they think that no one will notice. Though they may be able to pull the wool over the eyes of even those closest to them, there is no private place that is hidden from the Lord. His presence fills the heavens and the earth. "God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5)."  He is Francis Thompson's The Hound of Heaven, Who will never stop seeking them.

Beauty is breathtaking! Every so often I stumble upon something that just stuns me. It happened the other night as the sun sank behind the horizon. The sky surrounding our house was transformed with a blend of colors from peach to pink to purple. It seemed that our whole property was enveloped in a coral glow like the insides of a conch shell. Preparation for dinner halted numerous times as we gazed at the awe-inspiring artistry of God's creation. The view from the kitchen table. It's in times like these that I am overwhelmed with the beauty of our God. The Master Designer of our universe has revealed a glimpse of His exquisiteness in the mirror of His creation, and those who recognize it must take a moment to gaze upon it and worship Him. As the writer of Psalm 27 voices his confidence in God during times of difficulty, he also expresses his desire to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord by seeking Him in His temple. His deepest longing is to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of his life. He has seen God's goodness and longs to experience His presence continually.

What are you afraid of? Come on, now, everyone is afraid of something! It may be that you're afraid of meeting a scary stranger while trying to find the car in a dark parking lot. Or maybe you fear failing a big test. Possibly you are afraid of rejection or of receiving bad news from a recent medical test. Everyone is afraid of something. I love to take walks, but sometimes, depending on the time of day or the place, I am afraid to go by myself. Usually, I will take Cherokee, our black German Shepherd, with me. Though she is such a sweetheart, she can look mean and I believe she would protect me if I got into a dangerous situation. I feel much safer when she is with me. Moses, the great leader of Israel had just died, and Joshua, his aide, was taking leadership of the children of Israel. He was assigned the task of bringing the nation into the land that God had promised them. This was not going to be an easy job because there were very strong and violent inhabitants already living in the land. They were not going to take kindly to this group of nomads coming to take their lands.