Wooed by the LORD .
Isaiah 45:21-23

Declare and present your case; let them take counsel together! Who told this long ago? Who declared it of old? Was it not I, the LORD? And there is no other god besides me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides me. Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn, from my mouth has gone forth in righteousness a word that shall not return: "To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear."

I preached about God’s questions and declarations in these verses several months ago. One notable fact: LORD is in all caps and that indicates the supreme, ultimate god above all other gods. The gods who were worshipped in Isaiah’s time and long after that were vindictive and demanding gods. They required sacrifices, ritualistic offerings, and they were very fickle. One never knew if the god was pleased or angry, or if the sacrifice was sufficient to either placate or compel to action whichever god was the subject of worship.

More than that, icons of the gods were crafted, and many of them were huge, made of wood, or gold or stone. If a family relocated, they had to take their icons with them; villages had to transport them to whatever location was designated for worship vs. the usual “holding place” for the statuary. These gods were constantly demanding, cold, uncommunicative and impersonal. For all these reasons, it was difficult for the prophets to convince their contemporaries that there was another god – one who deeply desired to be in relationship with them; a god who loved them and had offered, even after Adam’s fall, a way to paradise. Remember, Christ had not come on to the scene at this point.

God made his promise, and then swore by himself-since there was no one greater to swear by – sort of like we would say “I swear on my life.” It was serious and important. Even though we say we are “Easter People,” living out our resurrection promise, we continue to worship false gods, don’t we? There were and never will be any gods that offer what the LORD offers. Think about all the things and people we worship with our money, our time, our minds, our bodies. We haven’t really changed much as a race in all the thousands of years since Adam and Eve. We still think we can treat the LORD as we do all the other gods in our lives. We worship, honor, obey Him when it’s convenient. We seek His presence in times of need. We thank Him only when we receive what makes us happy.

All the other gods in our lives – every single one – wear out and disappoint us. None of them can fulfill and sustain us for a lifetime the way the LORD can. Have any of those other gods ever offered us anything close the priceless gift of Jesus, his life, death and resurrection? Do any of them even come close? People disappoint us, possessions burn up or are destroyed by flood or wind, stolen, coveted, hoarded. They zap us of our energy, our time and our resources. They do not replenish us. Nor do they offer us eternity in paradise. They are short-term gods, suitable and satisfactory only for the here-and-now.

Actually, they aren’t even satisfactory! If they were, we wouldn’t feel so bad pursuing them! God doesn’t require us to pursue Him. He is ready and waiting for us! He woos us and dotes on us and longs for us to realize He is already present in our lives. This is so counter to everything else in our lives, it may be difficult to grasp and believe. But it is true. The LORD wants you to be with him in heaven, and He has already prepared a place for you. That truth makes it a bit easier to give up all the other gods and offer all our honor, praise, prayers and thanksgiving to HIM. By Him, every tongue shall swear.

My prayer today is that you cast aside all the false gods in your life. And that you take comfort and rejoice in the truth that the LORD loves you and longs for you.

Mary  ¶ 8:41 AM

  A Better Possession .
Hebrews 10:32-36

32. But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, 33. sometimes being publicly exposed to abuse and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. 34. For you had compassion on the prisoners, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. 35. Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. 36. For you have need of endurance, so that you may do the will of God and receive what is promised.

Endurance is defined by dictionary.com as: the ability or strength to continue or last, esp. despite fatigue, stress, or other adverse conditions; stamina. The writer of Hebrews understood the perilous life of a practicing Christian in the years after Christ’s death and resurrection. In those times the persecution was very real – often unto death. Society wasn’t ready to hear that it’s more important to care for those less fortunate than to satisfy individual needs and whims. I’m sure it was quite discouraging to be a disciple at that time—being thrown out of town—and/or threatened with stoning, being ridiculed and shunned, having your home destroyed and your family put out on the street . . . every awful thing you can imagine – that’s what these disciples risked.

What message does that send to us in this modern day and time? We live in America where it’s against the law to discriminate in hiring practices and in selling homes, and cars and making college admission decisions based on certain criteria. Not to say it doesn’t happen, but as a society, we have said we disagree with these practices. How do we live out our faith, then, as citizens of the world, and disciples of Jesus Christ? What do we do when we know someone is being taken advantage of or abused? How do we fight discrimination? What do we teach our children about having endurance for doing what is right?

Local election advertisements have been running on television for the past few weeks. It is so discouraging to hear candidates speak about each other in such disparaging terms. I would be thrilled to hear what the particular candidate will do for me as a citizen rather than have them expend energy and time running down their opponent.

I view these ads, though, almost like a mirror. It puts right in my face how the world operates, what is acceptable behavior, and makes me take a stand. Do I allow myself to be influenced by these ads? Or do I educate myself on the voting records of the candidates? How about being turned down as a potential candidate for a writing assignment because of a decidedly Christian point of view—being told “Your writing is just too Christian, we’re looking for someone spiritual” for our publication. Yep! It’s true! Isn’t that a form of persecution? How about being shunned at work – excluded from “group activities” outside of work because of your behavior as a Christian?

Society has very subtle ways of making it difficult to be a Christian today. People and organizations of all kinds have become pretty skilled at subterfuge and those “unspoken” practices that are so rampant in workplaces and even in the homes and neighborhoods of Christians today. But we are encouraged by these scripture verses. We are to do the will of God and receive what is promised. All we need is endurance to be obedient – and God is the source of our endurance through Jesus Christ.

When we’ve reached our end – God is just beginning. He’s waiting to take over. Remember Jesus saying, “For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." [Matthew 11:30]? That’s because we don’t endure alone! We know we have a great reward waiting for us at the end of time as well! That’s how we make it in this life. That’s how we can be true to what we believe. We have the Risen Christ as our strength and our example.

My prayer today is that you stand firm against any kind of prejudice, malice or discrimination. And that you do the will of God, finding all endurance through Christ.

Mary  ¶ 8:18 AM

  God’s Connect-the-Dots .
Lamentations 3:21-24

But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness. "The Lord is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him."

This morning is one of those times when I cease to question God’s care and concern and intimate involvement in our lives. I won’t bore you with all the details of some of the latest dramas going on in my life right now, suffice it to say there have been several, and they have been potentially life changing. So this was a great morning to receive this scripture e-mail!

Sometimes I find myself uncharacteristically calm, true to my calling as a faithful believer in God’s mercy and the healing love of Jesus Christ. At other times I have found myself railing at God and wondering how much more He expects from me. This morning I am reminded whatever I go through, He will be there in the midst of it all. He has already laid in place everything I need to get through, and His plans are perfect, so I need to wait on him, be still, trust and persevere.

While I have had my quiet morning time the past two days, I was just not up to posting a devotion. I had some oral surgery and so was a bit under the weather. I found my energy was depleted, partly from the surgery itself, and from the antibiotics I’ve been on for who knows how long—in any case they’re starting to zap some of my energy! I’m feeling on the way back to my full energy and strength though, as I have gone to bed early and tried to keep moderately active without overdoing it.

This has all been part of a process, I know. The world doesn’t stop spinning when I don’t post a devotion. But I feel very committed to this. I’ve heard from others that they rely upon my words, divined through God, which on any particular morning, speak to them, just as they have spoken to me! That’s pretty amazing to me. As I think about the fact that I “officially” started this ministry in April 2004, it is the one constant in all that time. To me, this is further evidence of God’s weaving together of a life – a life full of love and joy, laughter and wonder; also sorrow, loss, pain and disappointment. All of it weaves together into an intricate pattern we can only see on those rare occasions when we catch a glimpse of God’s divine plans for us.

Those glimpses are sacred and divine. My day was like that on Saturday. Long story . . . won’t go into it all. Saturday was a day full of those glimpses—so many seemingly random dots in my life became connected on that day. It was amazing. I was awed and at one point I actually had to pull off the road and just sit and cry a bit and wonder at a God so huge and vast who took the time to lay in place a plan for my life so perfect and so divinely planned. On a day like that it’s much easier to have faith, and to trust that God’s mercies never fail.

On a day when someone loses a job, or a loved one dies, a friendship ends, or some other devastating event plays out in life, it’s more of a challenge. Maybe that’s why we receive those “Saturdays full of glimpses of the divine” every so often: To remind us, to encourage us, to uplift and fortify us for the times when we wonder where God fits into the picture. He is there. He always has been, and he always will be. He has already laid out a plan, full of safety nets and second chances, third and fourth chances, too! He’s already taken into account the wrong turns and the U-turns you’ll make. He’s already got a place in heaven for you—and for me.

That’s the whole point. We have hope because of Jesus. He arose a new creature, and so will we. We are washed clean, made new and acceptable to God through the salvation won for us on the Cross. How can a God so big and mighty, strong and powerful, even think to do that for us? How could He love us so much He can’t stand to think of heaven without us in it?! Doesn’t it just make you want to stop what you're doing and cry a little?

My prayer today is that you see glimpses of the divine throughout your day. And that those seemingly random dots in your life become connected.

Mary  ¶ 8:00 AM

  God’s 10-10-10 .
1 Peter 3:3,4 RSV

Let not yours be the outward adorning with braiding of hair, decoration of gold, and wearing of fine clothing, but let it be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable jewel of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious.

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.

How we dress, the jewelry we wear, even the car we drive and where we live – these are not the things that God cares about. These are man’s concerns alone. What God cares about is what is in our hearts. Everyone’s heard the saying, “beauty is only skin deep.” Well it’s true. The beauty God desires has nothing to do with our physical appearance either. His view of beauty is pretty clear: a gentle and quiet spirit. He calls the inward adorning of that spirit an imperishable jewel. That’s pretty clear to me.

How do we go about accomplishing this gentle and quiet spirit in an incessantly loud and busy world? How do we carve out the kind of life that affords us gentleness and quiet? How do we live apart and still function in the world – which is certainly a necessity for our physical survival, if nothing else? That’s pretty clear as well: fear God and keep his commandments. The writer of Ecclesiastes goes so far as to tell us that’s our only responsibility! Or at least it’s the only one we should be certain we fulfill.

I hope no one assumes I have the answers! I only know that when I deliberately and intentionally draw away and spend quiet time with God, the rest of my life seems to be in order. Well . . . more order than when I don’t even bother to seek God’s guidance and just run headlong into my day. I have counseled some women friends that it may mean getting up a few minutes early several times a week. The understandable response for these overstressed, overworked women is a loud groan. Many of them are already arising before dawn to fit in everything they need to get done in a day.

Another suggestion I make is one I only recently began to follow – and it’s even tougher to do: get rid of some of the items on your “to do” list. Your kids will turn out just fine even if they’re not involved in thirty-seven different leagues and teams and organizations – trust me! You won’t feel any less fulfilled when you’re 75 if you opt not to serve another term on the PTA or church administrative board, or not to be the “go to” person for a million and one other activities and events in your world. Trust me.

No, trust God. It’s pretty clear what’s important to Him. I don’t really want to think about facing Him at the end of time and having to tick off all the ways I lived in obedience – to Him and to man. That puts a genuine and deep fear of God in me. More than that, I recently read an article in a magazine about a woman who adopted a 10-10-10 way of setting priorities for herself – a mother of several children working a high-profile job. She said she asks herself what will be the impact of my choices and my decisions about how to allot my time in ten minutes, in ten days, and in ten years. It’s not a new concept, but it reminded me to keep my perspective—and to keep my focus on God and what is important to Him.

My prayer today is that you use God’s 10-10-10 rule for all your decisions. And that you strive to acquire the imperishable jewel of a gentle and quiet spirit.

Mary  ¶ 9:25 AM

  Wait Quietly .
Lamentations 3:25-26

The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul that seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

My study/office is situated in a corner of our garage. It is very comfortable and “fully wired for sound” as they say. This space is one of the reasons we decided we really wanted to buy this house. My husband immediately said he wanted me to have this room as my own, which I consider a tremendous gift. I need time apart, away from television, music, conversation and the rest of the world sometimes.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a very social person. I thrive in a crowd, and enjoy overhearing snippets of conversations, choosing which ones to join and which ones not to touch with a ten-foot pole! I am a joyful and generous entertainer too. I am happiest when I have a few friends sitting on my deck, having been fed more than they should have eaten, and anticipating dessert, or celebrating on Christmas Eve, with friends of every make and model stopping by to eat and socialize, and even the non-Christians enjoy the fellowship and celebrate our friendships.

That’s probably much more than you even cared to know about me, but I’m setting the stage! You see, as much as I enjoy being with others, I need time alone. My office is decorated in an angel theme. I have angel border paper up with scripture verses on it, and I’ve hung pictures of angels. Hanging from window I face as I type is a sun catcher that says PRAY. I need to be surrounded by these angels and this reminder to pray if I am going to make it through any given day.

In our former home I didn’t have the luxury of a completely private place to pray and reflect, but I did have what I called my sacred space. I arose early and went to my favorite chair in the living room. Others I know have an end of the sofa in a den or other space where they can be comfortable, and alone in the quiet.

OK, I’ve been stalling with this confession: I am a lousy “waiter”! It’s true, I don’t like to wait. I don’t mind being in a line at the grocery store, because of course there are people there with whom I can strike up a conversation or simply “people watch” while I’m waiting! It’s the life stuff I don’t wait for well. I don’t do well at waiting on God to lead and guide and direct me. I spend way too much time and expend way too much energy trying to do things my way, in my time. I know this about myself. I freely, though shamefully, admit it! Yet, God and I are ever at odds with waiting.

I am so very grateful that he gives me so many chances to try it again, to come back to the starting point and let Him be in charge. I am so humbled that He loves me enough to keep at it with me. I am in awe of the vastness of a God who is big enough to do the same for each and every one of us on this earth! I can’t even wrap my head around that one! When I do wait quietly for Him, I am rewarded generously. When I wait and listen and pray, I discover more and more of God’s kindness and bounty.

My prayer today is that you find a quiet place to wait on God. And that you allow Him to be your guide, your comforter, and your friend.

Mary  ¶ 8:41 AM

  God’s Abundance .
Proverbs 16:8,9 NIV

Better a little with righteousness than much gain with injustice. In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.

We often think we’re in charge of our own destinies. We do make decisions on many levels throughout our lives – marriage partner, family size, career path, geographic location, church, and on and on. How often do we wait on God for these big decisions? How many times do we rush in to make a choice without ever taking the decision to God? Speaking for myself, it happens all too often.

That’s probably the reason we are so surprised when things don’t work out as we planned! God is in charge of every aspect of our lives. Even if we don’t seek His wisdom and guidance in the initial choices we make, He is there when we deal with the end result – favorable or not. He uses our choices – poor ones and wise ones – to teach us and mold us and refine us until we are perfected in Him.

Verse 8 advises that it is better to have less and be in line with God’s plan, than to have riches and live without God as the core and guide of our lives. All the material wealth in this world is valueless in heaven. Have you thought about that? It is worth absolutely nothing. Doesn’t that put a different spin on how we labor and what we labor for?

We are so short-sighted as human beings. All too often we just don’t take the time, or even think about whether to let God guide our decisions. We live in the here and now, and God lives in eternity. I guess that’s why it’s so challenging to change our focus, we can’t even picture eternity! But God is there! And He wants us to join Him. That’s why He oversees our lives and wants to guide our decisions and choices. He loves us too much to allow us to run but so far from Him.

My prayer today is that you take the time to rest in God. And that you allow Him to be the guide and core of your life.

Mary  ¶ 8:50 AM

  Our Sins Are Like Scarlet .
Isaiah 1:16-18

Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your doings from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow. Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.

Isaiah 33:15,16 RSV

He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, who despises the gain of oppressions, who shakes his hands, lest they hold a bribe, who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed and shuts his eyes from looking upon evil, he will dwell on the heights; his place of defense will be the fortresses of rocks; his bread will be given him, his water will be sure.


In other words . . . don’t be worldly. Don’t be like everyone else. Don’t act like them, or speak as they speak. Don’t make your plans based on what they say is important. Don’t strive for anything except God’s approval.

I was struck by the sharp visual contrast in the verses from Chapter 1: The crimson of our sins, the stark, pure white of God’s love. God has high expectations of us, doesn’t He? His instructions, through Isaiah, are to do exactly the opposite of what we have been doing, and adopt a new lifestyle. Turn our backs on the world, and set our sights on heaven. That’s what God is imploring us to do. Obeying these instructions means taking some huge risks. People will look at us differently. They may even call us fools, or dreamers.

The entire focus of our lives, from God’s perspective is . . . well . . . God! The great I AM, the Alpha and the Omega, the Source of all life, calls us to make Him the center of our lives. He calls us because He loves us. He bids us to honor Him by how we live our lives. He longs for us to live forever with Him in heaven, and so He tells us how to get there. Wow! He gives us all the answers!

He takes our crimson, sin-soaked souls and washes them clean, not just once! He washes us and makes us new each and every day. Every day we start with a clean slate, white as snow. Every day, God has already set in place everything we will need to make it through that day. Of course, we often don’t see that until months or years later. I guess that’s true because God’s view of time is so much different than ours. Perhaps its because we’re not in the habit of looking for it! Perhaps if we spent a few quiet minutes at the end of every day, ticking off all the ways our needs were met, we would realize how intimately God is involved in our lives.

God has granted us eternal life through Jesus Christ. All He asks from us in return is to honor and love our Creator with our very lives. All? Just? Only? I know . . . but think about what God has given us. Then our questions will be: All!? Just!? Only!? Why me? How could I be loved that much? What should I do in gratitude and awe and thanksgiving to merit all that?

The answer of course, is to make God the main thing, the center and focus of your life. Everything else falls into line then. The past unfolds to reveal God’s presence there through it all and the future holds the bright promise of eternal life. The Great I AM suspends time and space to wait for you to find Him. I say it again: Wow! Why me?

My prayer today is that you will make God the focus of your life. And that you lift a prayer of thanks for His unspeakable love.

Mary  ¶ 8:29 AM

  On Purpose .
Colossians 3:16-17

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teach and admonish one another in all wisdom, and sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the
Father through him.

Wow. These instructions place a tremendous responsibility upon us in terms of how we operate in the world and interact with the other occupants of said world, don’t they! Do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus. Does that give you pause? It certainly makes me stop and think about all the various interactions I’ve had in the last 24 hours. And guess what: a majority of them don’t measure up!

Now I do certainly sing spiritual songs – well . . . I hum them . . . constantly. I do have thankfulness in my heart too. The challenge is to express that thankfulness with intention, on an ongoing basis. There’s that word intention again. I could really dislike that word. How about you? Intentional means deliberate, with forethought and planning. It means on purpose. Ouch. Using that idea to review my past 24 hours, I would like to rewind and reframe and redo quite a bit!

Teach and admonish one another in all wisdom. The wisdom referred to here is not our own wisdom. It doesn’t say that everyone is entitled to our opinions about anything and everything. It means that we are to use Spirit-inspired, Spirit-gleaned wisdom. Speaking only for myself, if I only spoke Spirit-inspired, Spirit-gleaned wisdom . . . I would speak much less often, and in a different tone, and with different words.

Really these verses can be summed up with “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.” When Christ dwells in us richly we can’t help but be joyful, loving, peaceable, gentle and kind. I’m not speaking from any authority here – only what I imagine and strive for! When Christ dwells in you richly, your entire life is influenced and overtaken by the gift of God’s grace through Christ. It’s radically different than how the world operates. It turns all conventional wisdom on its ear.

In this vision of the world, there is no war, no poverty, no hunger, no violence or abuse, no elitism, racism, sexism or any other kind of oppression. I know this is all pie-in-the-sky thinking. But if we don’t at least think it, how will it ever come to pass? If we don’t talk about it and hope for it how will we ever make it through this life? It’s all too easy to believe that we can’t do anything that will make a difference, not as just one person. That’s a cop-out, though on some level, isn’t it? Perhaps the way I treat others won’t end world hunger, but it will be one less thing wrong with the world! That’s a more manageable way for me to view the consequences of what I say and do.

There are individuals right now working to make a positive difference in the world. Some of them are former presidents; some of them are famous, influential people who are given a voice by the media. But many of them are essentially nameless and faceless. They work in the trenches, so to speak. They provide care to the sick, injured or dying. They feed the hungry and minister to them in tangible, concrete ways, as well as to their spirits. We don’t see them, we don’t hear about them, but there are thousands of them all over the world. They are each one person, making a difference. They are each striving for the kind of world we hope for and long to create.

My prayer today is that you will be one just one person who makes this world a better place. And that you do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Mary  ¶ 8:27 AM

  Reading Between the Lines .
Luke 6:35-37 RSV

But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the selfish. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. "Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven...

Matthew 6:14 NASB

For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

These passages have some pretty tough instructions for us. Love your enemies? Be merciful, even as God is merciful? Don’t judge others? Well of course we’ve heard all of these our whole lives. Not too often have I personally witnessed them in everyday life of the people around me. For that matter, I don’t live up to them on any regular basis to be honest. And that’s the point. We never will!

These passages are not intended to remind us how far we are from Christ’s perfection. They’re not about how we win eternal life either. They’re not even about how we earn God’s grace. In order to glean the true message behind these words, we need to “read between the lines,” rearrange the sentence structure, and add a few words.

In the Luke passage, verse 35 might be read this way: Because God loves you in spite of your ill will toward your enemies and even though you keep an accounting of everything you lend/give to others, and are selfish and stingy with your time, your talent, and your money. . . God loves you! That’s why we love our enemies and lend freely to all in need: In gratitude for God’s abundant, all-inclusive, gracious love!

We show mercy to others because of God’s great mercy toward us. We don’t judge others, because we are all sinners, born in sin, and saved only because of the Cross. The verse from Matthew can be read: Since your heavenly Father forgives you for your sins—past, present and future— forgive others. In other words, show them the same mercy God shows you. Give them the benefit of the doubt—because God overlooks your sins.

This is not intended to be a lecture about how inherently bad we are. It’s not my desire to make everyone feel bad about themselves. I don’t want anyone to feel hopeless. The whole point is there is hope! God is hope! Christ gave us direct and irrevocable access to that hope in God. How can we respond in any other way than to strive for the perfection of Christ? Knowing we will never achieve it until we are perfected in heaven, we still must strive for it. It is in the striving that we are made pure and perfect. The result of our striving is a side benefit, really.

My prayer today is that you will strive for the perfection of Christ. And that you thank God for the unspeakably wonderful gift of His Son.

Mary  ¶ 8:23 AM

  God Himself is With Us .
Revelation 21:1-4

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband; and I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away."

My hair is damp and cool as I return from walking this morning. The meteorologist on my local news station would say it’s because of the dew point – with the temperature and the humidity being so close together. That may be the case, but I had a different take on it! I felt as if the Holy Spirit was coating me, saturating my skin with love and peace as I began my day. That may sound a little corny, but I can’t help it. It was a refreshing change from the oppressive heat we had walked in even at 6:30 or 7 am on the summer mornings of July and August.

And, somehow, I’m not too surprised that such visual, comforting, exciting verses would be waiting in my email in box this morning! My walking buddy and I have both felt very challenged to fit in everything we need to get done in a day. Over the months, we’ve been “sleeping in” and meeting to walk at 6:30 or 7 in the morning. Lately, though, we have found our days so full that we don’t have the quiet, quality time with God that we both relished in months past when we arose and met to walk earlier. I’ve been thinking to myself for the past several weeks, that we needed to move our walking time back again, but didn’t want to voice it, as I was secretly afraid my buddy would agree! I don’t remember who actually said it first, but we agreed immediately that it was a change we needed and wanted. Today was the first day we met at 5:30 am in several months.

I do recall the only conscious thought I had as I pushed the start button on the coffeemaker, is “what were we thinking?” What a rare treat greeted me as I walked out my front door, though! The moon was full and bright orange. The mist that dampedened my hair, veiled the moon, and it had a soft, almost muted appearance, like a water color where just a bit too much water had been added to the brush. That is due to the pollution, I know, but I just marveled at how God could use something so harmful to create such a glorious visual to reward me for my self-discipline this morning! As we made our circuits around the school, we witnessed moonset and anticipated the upcoming Harvest Moon when the moon appears so large and round and bright that it seems as if you could reach up and touch it.

That bright orange moon reminded me of a new heaven and a new earth. It was a beacon, just for me to remind me that God is with me even at 5:30 a.m., before most of my little part of the world is even conscious! I know that, and believe it completely. Sometimes I just need a little extra reminder that the God of the bright orange moon is the same God who created me. He sends the cool morning mist to give me a tangible assurance of His presence in my world. Our conversation this morning was so animated and hope-filled and . . . continual . . . that I didn’t even notice the day breaking. I don’t know at what point it actually became light and we cut off the flashlight. And daylight happened without my orchestrating, planning or being in charge of it! God really spoke to me this morning!

My prayer today is that you take a moment to look around God’s world of nature. And that you realize that the same God who made the wildflowers and the rain without any assistance, also made you.

Mary  ¶ 7:44 AM

  Creator and Source .
Daniel 2:20-22

Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever to whom belong wisdom and might. He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding; he reveals deep and mysterious things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him.

Hosea 3:4-5

For the children of Israel shall dwell many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or pillar, without ephod or teraphim. Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God, and David their king; and they shall come in fear to the Lord and to his goodness in the latter days.

God is the source. The source of everything--all wisdom, might, time, and seasons. Any time we may feel inclined to take credit for any success or recognition or monetary reward or fame we do well to remember the source of it all. Not just the creator—the source. The beginning of it all – in infinity before time began. That’s the God in charge of my life. That’s the God who makes the sun rise and then set, the tides come in and retreat. He’s the one who reveals deep truths to us. He has seen the darkness – since he created it and he banishes it.

Sometimes, though, we fail to acknowledge or recognize our source/creator. It is not until we dwell many days without our King of Kings that we begin to realize our lives are meaningless and insignificant without Him and His leadership and His guidance and His presence. It’s not until then, so often, that we admit we can do nothing without our God. Oh, we’ll go through the motions of our lives. We’ll meet all our worldly obligations and do all the man-centered/man-focused activities on our to-do list. But we won’t feel whole or satisfied if we are moving through our days without God in them.

So often, we reach a point where we wonder what’s missing in our lives. Then we realize it's that close, warm, loving relationship with God that He so desires to have with us. When we spurn him and strike out on our own, we’re refusing Him and all He longs to share with us. And we feel it, too, deep in our bones, and in the back of our mind. Something just doesn’t feel right. Everything seems almost as if it’s in another dimension or in a dream, perhaps. When we turn our lives back over to God, we feel more like we’re on an even keel.

A teraphim is an idol, or the small image of one. An ephod is a sacred garment that looks sort of like an apron, worn with a waistband by the high priests. Hosea’s words are saying the Israelites won’t even have their false gods or prayer vestments upon which to rely when they are in such a rebellious state of being. Like them, when we live outside of alignment with our values and core beliefs, we feel adrift and alone. When God steps in, finally, to rescue us, we feel right with the world again. Or at least right with God!

My prayer today is that you cast off all the idols and the distractions in your life. And that you call out to your God who is the Creator and Source.

Mary  ¶ 2:03 PM

  ’LORD’ in All Caps! .
Jeremiah 1:7,8,19 KJV

But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD. And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee.

Matthew 10:19,20 NASB

But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say. For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.

In other words: No Excuses! Again we find LORD in all caps, referring to the one, true, supreme God over all. HE is telling Jeremiah and us that no matter how overwhelming a challenge may seem God will help us deal with it. No matter how hard a task appears, we don’t need to feel inadequate because God is in it with us. That's the LORD! Remember him? He made the heavens and the earth. He created everything in the universe, including us and all the circumstances surrounding us in our lives.

I also read in this passage from Jeremiah, that God is pretty firm and pretty clear in His instruction. Do what I say. Just do it. It may not be easy. It may not be pleasant. But do it anyway. Because I said so. I don’t know about you, but while I might not have accepted that explanation from one of my parents, when God says it, I’m inclined to listen—and obey!

In Matthew, we go one step further. Not only will God be with us, comfort us, protect us, but Jesus will be our power and our wisdom. That’s quite a promise and a reassurance, isn’t it? We don’t need to defend ourselves or make excuses to others. When we respond to God’s call and command in obedience and humility, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us, giving us the words we need, the knowledge we require to act in obedience and be effective disciples of Jesus Christ.

That imparts a tremendous sense of responsibility, too. This tells me that the words I speak ought to be words of love, peace, comfort, encouragement. The things I do better be actions that make the world more livable, peaceable, loving. The way I live my life should reflect what I believe: that God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are in charge of my life. And I offer my life to the triune God who created me and gave me a divine purpose.

That’s pretty overwhelming, isn’t it? Which takes us full circle to the Jeremiah passage! From a human perspective, it is impossible! From God’s point of view: a piece of cake! “Don’t rely upon your own power and wisdom, Mary, rely upon mine.” I can almost hear God saying that, and see Him shaking his head. I am so very grateful He is patient and gentle with me! I am pretty hard-headed as anyone will tell you! God knows this, so He sends multiple opportunities for learning and growth my way, until I figure out it’s about Him and His will, not about me and my plan.

Are you hard-headed? Do you have trouble obeying with absolute submission and humility? My advice is give it to God. Let Him work in you as He does in me. He desires only good for us. And He’s big enough, kind enough, gracious enough to wait for us to figure that out.

My prayer today is that you throw out all the old excuses for not doing what God commands. And that you allow Jesus to be your strength, and the Holy Spirit to be your wisdom.

Mary  ¶ 8:39 AM