Rindy's Devotional Tidbits
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The Spiritual Cafe is pleased to share her daily facebook thoughts. It is our hope that her reflections will be a service to you on your spiritual growth journey.
Week 37 Archives
Year 5; Day 254 New...Every Morning
I have noticed the last number of months that some of the shelves in Walmart and Dominion (grocery store) are bare...like big time bare. Whole sections of shelving empty and not just stuff on sale. For two weeks I have not been able to get my usual dish detergent. I finally asked one of the workers who was putting "a bit" of stock out if there was a reason. He said they can't keep the shelves stocked. I am thinking maybe they need to get more each time they order. Also, more and more items are trucked and the only way for trucks to arrive in Newfoundland is by ferry. And the ferry doesn't cross from the mainland to the island (or the reverse) when the wind is high and the seas are rough. So high consumer demand, possibly insufficient ordering, and a sometimes unpredictable transportation system make for some empty shelves. Just because I need something, doesn't mean it will be there. Just because they usually have it, doesn't mean they always have it. Imagine if God were like that. Need forgiveness? The shelf is empty. Mercy? The truck should arrive in a day or two...or three. Hope? It's gone as fast as it comes in. Wisdom? Can't keep it in stock. Thankfully that is not how it is with God...ever. And periodically we need reminding. He is not like us. He is not limited. "Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:21-23) Compassions. Plural. Mercy. Love. Hope. Forgiveness. Faithfulness. Never fails. New every morning. Today is Monday. The shelves of God's provisions are never bare. They are newly stocked every single day.
I have noticed the last number of months that some of the shelves in Walmart and Dominion (grocery store) are bare...like big time bare. Whole sections of shelving empty and not just stuff on sale. For two weeks I have not been able to get my usual dish detergent. I finally asked one of the workers who was putting "a bit" of stock out if there was a reason. He said they can't keep the shelves stocked. I am thinking maybe they need to get more each time they order. Also, more and more items are trucked and the only way for trucks to arrive in Newfoundland is by ferry. And the ferry doesn't cross from the mainland to the island (or the reverse) when the wind is high and the seas are rough. So high consumer demand, possibly insufficient ordering, and a sometimes unpredictable transportation system make for some empty shelves. Just because I need something, doesn't mean it will be there. Just because they usually have it, doesn't mean they always have it. Imagine if God were like that. Need forgiveness? The shelf is empty. Mercy? The truck should arrive in a day or two...or three. Hope? It's gone as fast as it comes in. Wisdom? Can't keep it in stock. Thankfully that is not how it is with God...ever. And periodically we need reminding. He is not like us. He is not limited. "Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:21-23) Compassions. Plural. Mercy. Love. Hope. Forgiveness. Faithfulness. Never fails. New every morning. Today is Monday. The shelves of God's provisions are never bare. They are newly stocked every single day.
Year 5; Day 255 Hope
After having a hot, dry summer we have had several days of rain. As I laid in bed last night I could hear the drone of the ocean waves. Sometimes the wind would gust and I could hear the rain against the windows. We have watched with concern the various hurricanes, seen the pictures, listened to the stories. Mexico had an earthquake even as they had their own hurricane hit. There is a verse in Romans that says, "We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time." (8:22) Wild weather that seems to be getting wilder. Volcanoes. Drought. Famine. Earthquakes. Disappearing bees. Endangered species. Wildfires. Shrinking icecap. It does seem as if the earth itself is saying that it can't go on much longer as is...that something is on the way. Nevermind what humanity seems to be saying. Threats. Wars. Genocide. Greed. Isolation. Unity that can't stay unified. Entitlement. What are we to do? Withdraw? Panic? Hide? "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. " (Hebrews 10:23) Promised what? Promised redemption through His Son. Promised to never leave or forsake us. Promised peace in the storm. Promised to work all things, even the worst, for our good. Promised a plan and a purpose...not chance, coincidence, or luck. Promised there would be an accounting...justice will be served. Promised to return. And while we wait, we hold on with His strength, pray for those in need, and represent Him to others. He is faithful. Today is Tuesday. "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure..." (Hebrews 6:19) And this hope is Jesus.
After having a hot, dry summer we have had several days of rain. As I laid in bed last night I could hear the drone of the ocean waves. Sometimes the wind would gust and I could hear the rain against the windows. We have watched with concern the various hurricanes, seen the pictures, listened to the stories. Mexico had an earthquake even as they had their own hurricane hit. There is a verse in Romans that says, "We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time." (8:22) Wild weather that seems to be getting wilder. Volcanoes. Drought. Famine. Earthquakes. Disappearing bees. Endangered species. Wildfires. Shrinking icecap. It does seem as if the earth itself is saying that it can't go on much longer as is...that something is on the way. Nevermind what humanity seems to be saying. Threats. Wars. Genocide. Greed. Isolation. Unity that can't stay unified. Entitlement. What are we to do? Withdraw? Panic? Hide? "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. " (Hebrews 10:23) Promised what? Promised redemption through His Son. Promised to never leave or forsake us. Promised peace in the storm. Promised to work all things, even the worst, for our good. Promised a plan and a purpose...not chance, coincidence, or luck. Promised there would be an accounting...justice will be served. Promised to return. And while we wait, we hold on with His strength, pray for those in need, and represent Him to others. He is faithful. Today is Tuesday. "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure..." (Hebrews 6:19) And this hope is Jesus.
Year 5; Day 256 Unswervingly...Without Wavering
Sometimes a verse from a post just keeps on speaking to me...like yesterday's. "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful." (Hebrews 10:23) The hope we profess is in Christ and all He represents. The foundation for our hope is the character of God. He cannot lie. What He says is true. We are to hold on "unswervingly". The KJV says "without wavering". Those words mean: not leaning, firm, unmoved. When I read the definition, I thought of David and his mighty men. One of them was named Eleazar. While taunting the Philistines, the men of Israel got scared and retreated, "but he stood his ground and struck down the Philistines till his hand grew tired and froze to the sword. The Lord brought about a great victory that day..." (2 Samuel 23:10) Eleazar was unswerving...unwavering...firm...unmoved...in his courage, in his loyalty, in his faith. He stood his ground against all odds and fought alone. Except Eleazar wasn't alone. The Lord was with him and gave him a great victory. He fought so unswervingly that his hand "froze to the sword." I imagine his hand cramped to his sword and his fingers probably had to be pried off. We need that same kind of determination today. No matter our circumstances, no matter the headlines, no matter what is going on around us...we hold on unswervingly/without wavering to the hope that we have in Christ and to our trust in a faithful God. Today is Wednesday. Then we can become mighty men and women for God...even when we stand alone.
Sometimes a verse from a post just keeps on speaking to me...like yesterday's. "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful." (Hebrews 10:23) The hope we profess is in Christ and all He represents. The foundation for our hope is the character of God. He cannot lie. What He says is true. We are to hold on "unswervingly". The KJV says "without wavering". Those words mean: not leaning, firm, unmoved. When I read the definition, I thought of David and his mighty men. One of them was named Eleazar. While taunting the Philistines, the men of Israel got scared and retreated, "but he stood his ground and struck down the Philistines till his hand grew tired and froze to the sword. The Lord brought about a great victory that day..." (2 Samuel 23:10) Eleazar was unswerving...unwavering...firm...unmoved...in his courage, in his loyalty, in his faith. He stood his ground against all odds and fought alone. Except Eleazar wasn't alone. The Lord was with him and gave him a great victory. He fought so unswervingly that his hand "froze to the sword." I imagine his hand cramped to his sword and his fingers probably had to be pried off. We need that same kind of determination today. No matter our circumstances, no matter the headlines, no matter what is going on around us...we hold on unswervingly/without wavering to the hope that we have in Christ and to our trust in a faithful God. Today is Wednesday. Then we can become mighty men and women for God...even when we stand alone.
Year 5; Day 257 When the Opportunity Presents Itself
Jesus was teaching in the synagogue on the Sabbath and a man whose hand was shriveled was there. The religious leaders were looking for an excuse to accuse Jesus and they were watching Him closely to see if He would heal on the Sabbath. Healing was considered work and you weren't suppose to work on the Sabbath. "But Jesus knew what they were thinking..." (Luke 6:8) Jesus knew they were out to get Him. He knew they were looking for a reason, an excuse, anything to trap Him. Their jealousy so consumed them that they were unable to have any compassion towards the man with the withered hand. Jesus could have waited until Monday. He could have told the man to come back or explained how the Pharisees were hostile. Except the opportunity to do good was now...the man was right there. On Monday he might be gone. Maybe he wouldn't have the faith to come back. Maybe Jesus would have moved on to another community. Maybe lots of things. Jesus knew there would be consequences to healing the man. Hatred towards Him would intensify. It seems no one actually cared about the poor man and his plight except Jesus. And so Jesus healed that man's hand. The opportunity was there, now. It could have been a missed opportunity. It would have been easier. Kept the heat off Jesus a little longer, kept the mouths of the religious leaders shut. But when an opportunity to do good presents itself, there is no guarantee it will be there tomorrow. We need to act now. Part of Christ's mission was to heal the sick. So He did. When it was convenient, inconvenient, when He was tired, and when the law was against it. Today is Thursday. How committed are we to taking advantage of opportunities for Christ when they first present themselves?
Jesus was teaching in the synagogue on the Sabbath and a man whose hand was shriveled was there. The religious leaders were looking for an excuse to accuse Jesus and they were watching Him closely to see if He would heal on the Sabbath. Healing was considered work and you weren't suppose to work on the Sabbath. "But Jesus knew what they were thinking..." (Luke 6:8) Jesus knew they were out to get Him. He knew they were looking for a reason, an excuse, anything to trap Him. Their jealousy so consumed them that they were unable to have any compassion towards the man with the withered hand. Jesus could have waited until Monday. He could have told the man to come back or explained how the Pharisees were hostile. Except the opportunity to do good was now...the man was right there. On Monday he might be gone. Maybe he wouldn't have the faith to come back. Maybe Jesus would have moved on to another community. Maybe lots of things. Jesus knew there would be consequences to healing the man. Hatred towards Him would intensify. It seems no one actually cared about the poor man and his plight except Jesus. And so Jesus healed that man's hand. The opportunity was there, now. It could have been a missed opportunity. It would have been easier. Kept the heat off Jesus a little longer, kept the mouths of the religious leaders shut. But when an opportunity to do good presents itself, there is no guarantee it will be there tomorrow. We need to act now. Part of Christ's mission was to heal the sick. So He did. When it was convenient, inconvenient, when He was tired, and when the law was against it. Today is Thursday. How committed are we to taking advantage of opportunities for Christ when they first present themselves?
Year 5; Day 258 God's Choice
I make choices every day. And most of them are based on what I want, where I want to go, and what I want to do. I haven't eaten green beans in years, I don't wear high heeled shoes, and I love collecting things. Many of my choices are positive and give me pleasure (I guess that explains why I might not ever reach my "skinny" goal...no pleasure in vegetables) The other day I heard a clip somewhere (maybe Graham Cooke) and the person quoted a verse that said we are God's "choice". I was struck by the word "choice". The Common English Bible (CEB) reads, "Therefore, as God's choice, holy and loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." (Colossians 3:12) The NIV says, "Therefore, as God's chosen people..." and the KJV says, "Put on therefore, as the elect of God..." I looked up the Greek for elect and it said: select, by implication favorite, chosen from, out of, a deep personal choice or preference. God has "chosen and selected" us to be His children...His "favorites" even when we were/are separated from Him through sin. He offers us---by His choice---the gift of salvation and relationship. He is no respecter of persons. Is that not marvelous? He chooses us! We/me/you are His personal preference. Flawed. Imperfect. He still chooses us. The decision then falls on us. Do we choose Him back? Do we accept Him through Christ? Does He become our choice? Today is Friday. As God's choice, we have God's love. Simply amazing!
I make choices every day. And most of them are based on what I want, where I want to go, and what I want to do. I haven't eaten green beans in years, I don't wear high heeled shoes, and I love collecting things. Many of my choices are positive and give me pleasure (I guess that explains why I might not ever reach my "skinny" goal...no pleasure in vegetables) The other day I heard a clip somewhere (maybe Graham Cooke) and the person quoted a verse that said we are God's "choice". I was struck by the word "choice". The Common English Bible (CEB) reads, "Therefore, as God's choice, holy and loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." (Colossians 3:12) The NIV says, "Therefore, as God's chosen people..." and the KJV says, "Put on therefore, as the elect of God..." I looked up the Greek for elect and it said: select, by implication favorite, chosen from, out of, a deep personal choice or preference. God has "chosen and selected" us to be His children...His "favorites" even when we were/are separated from Him through sin. He offers us---by His choice---the gift of salvation and relationship. He is no respecter of persons. Is that not marvelous? He chooses us! We/me/you are His personal preference. Flawed. Imperfect. He still chooses us. The decision then falls on us. Do we choose Him back? Do we accept Him through Christ? Does He become our choice? Today is Friday. As God's choice, we have God's love. Simply amazing!
Year 5; Day 259 Loving the Enemy Pt. 1
Most of us think of love as a positive thing. We like it. There are people we love and things...lots of things. We use the word freely...I love you, loves ya', love it, love 'em and so on. It is something that there never seems enough of. Jesus talks about love. "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you." (Luke 6:27,28) Who does that? Love your enemies? The word enemy usually excludes the love part. An enemy is someone you don't like at all...often for a reason. I looked up the word for love in that verse and the definition says: to welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, to love dearly. So loving your enemy not only involves a feeling but also action. Jesus seems to expect hospitality, warmth, and maybe even food to be included in the enemy loving activities. If we love our enemies, do good to them, bless them, and pray for them, would they still be considered our enemy? Would we even be able to think of them with hostility if we did all that loving on them? Maybe that's the point. Maybe loving God and hating one of His creations don't go together either. It is an easy verse to skim over...to nod and move on...to not really allow it to affect our thinking or change our behaviour. Except it is there. Jesus said it. Jesus demonstrated it. Jesus meant it. Today is Saturday. Love your enemies...isn't that what God did for us when He sent His Son?
Most of us think of love as a positive thing. We like it. There are people we love and things...lots of things. We use the word freely...I love you, loves ya', love it, love 'em and so on. It is something that there never seems enough of. Jesus talks about love. "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you." (Luke 6:27,28) Who does that? Love your enemies? The word enemy usually excludes the love part. An enemy is someone you don't like at all...often for a reason. I looked up the word for love in that verse and the definition says: to welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, to love dearly. So loving your enemy not only involves a feeling but also action. Jesus seems to expect hospitality, warmth, and maybe even food to be included in the enemy loving activities. If we love our enemies, do good to them, bless them, and pray for them, would they still be considered our enemy? Would we even be able to think of them with hostility if we did all that loving on them? Maybe that's the point. Maybe loving God and hating one of His creations don't go together either. It is an easy verse to skim over...to nod and move on...to not really allow it to affect our thinking or change our behaviour. Except it is there. Jesus said it. Jesus demonstrated it. Jesus meant it. Today is Saturday. Love your enemies...isn't that what God did for us when He sent His Son?
Year 5; Day 260 Loving the Enemy Pt. 2
Jesus was pretty specific when it came to enemies...we are to love them. And not just say, "I love you". He gave a list of actions and behaviors to go along with the loving. "...do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you." (Luke 6:27,28) These are not shallow, casual comments said in passing. Do good to those who hate you. If I thought someone actually hated me, I would do my best to avoid them, stay out of their way, have as little contact as possible. But Jesus said to not only love them, but to do something nice for them. Who does that? Well, His followers should be doing that. We are suppose to be doing that. I am expected to do that. And that's not all. When someone curses on me, I am suppose to retaliate with kind words of blessing. Being mistreated in some way? Jesus said to pray for them...and I don't think He meant to pray for them to fall in a hole or drop off the face of the earth. Jesus doesn't use weak, pale words. Enemies. Hate. Curse. Mistreat. Love. Do good. Bless. Pray. Hopefully, most of us don't have too many people in our lives who hate, curse, and mistreat us. But I expect all of us are familiar with that annoying, aggravating, irritating, creature who has the ability to drive us nuts. If we are to treat our enemies with love, doing good, blessing, and prayer, do we treat them with anything less? I think not. Today is Sunday. My thoughts are rebelling against what Jesus is commanding us to do. Some self-examination is in order.
Jesus was pretty specific when it came to enemies...we are to love them. And not just say, "I love you". He gave a list of actions and behaviors to go along with the loving. "...do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you." (Luke 6:27,28) These are not shallow, casual comments said in passing. Do good to those who hate you. If I thought someone actually hated me, I would do my best to avoid them, stay out of their way, have as little contact as possible. But Jesus said to not only love them, but to do something nice for them. Who does that? Well, His followers should be doing that. We are suppose to be doing that. I am expected to do that. And that's not all. When someone curses on me, I am suppose to retaliate with kind words of blessing. Being mistreated in some way? Jesus said to pray for them...and I don't think He meant to pray for them to fall in a hole or drop off the face of the earth. Jesus doesn't use weak, pale words. Enemies. Hate. Curse. Mistreat. Love. Do good. Bless. Pray. Hopefully, most of us don't have too many people in our lives who hate, curse, and mistreat us. But I expect all of us are familiar with that annoying, aggravating, irritating, creature who has the ability to drive us nuts. If we are to treat our enemies with love, doing good, blessing, and prayer, do we treat them with anything less? I think not. Today is Sunday. My thoughts are rebelling against what Jesus is commanding us to do. Some self-examination is in order.