The Book of James focuses on the fact that none of us is perfect… none of us is righteous. And especially when it comes to keeping a tight rein on our tongue. In Matthew 12, the Pharisees were accusing Jesus of being Beelzebub, the prince of demons, after healing a man… but Jesus knew their thoughts and reckless words, and told them at the Judgment Day all would have to give account for every careless word spoken…”For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:37) Nothing gets us into more trouble than idle conversations or blurting out something before we’ve thought it through. And as James observes, if we can’t keep our tongue in check, how can we expect to keep our whole body from stumbling.
Tag: COVID 19 Daily Devotionals
Mother’s Day 2020
Over the course of this Corona Virus pandemic I have spoken with many a frustrated Mom. Trying to juggle working from home, with home schooling their kids, with keeping house, with maintaining social distancing, and only left feeling at the end of the day they’re failing at all of it! So on this very unique Mother’s Day, let’s get rid of all the mushy Hallmark ideas of what a Mother should look like and be honest…there is no perfect Mother. None of us is or will be everything to all our children…nor will every need be met every time. That’s not because we can’t or don’t want to do it, it’s simply because we’re not perfect. And try as we might to strive for perfection as a Mother, we usually end up struggling with guilt and regret for what we see as failure on our part. But trust me, there’s never been a perfect Mother, for not even Mary, the Mother of Jesus was faultless. For what Mother would leave Jerusalem after the Feast of Passover “assuming” that her young son was “somewhere” among the group of people they were traveling with, only to find him missing at the end of a full day of travel? (Luke 2:42-44) So today, take a deep breath and give yourself some grace…put aside the self-imposed shortcomings and congratulate yourself on what you have accomplished. For where there’s shadows, there always has to be light first! Happy Mother’s Day!
Zechariah 10:1 ” Ask the Lord for rain in the Springtime; it is the Lord Who makes the storm clouds. He gives showers of rain to men, and plants of the field to everyone.”
I was chatting with a neighbor the other day about Springtime and plants…and yes, we were social distancing! She sells wholesale plants to greenhouses in Illinois and was telling me that everyone was wanting to grow a garden this year. Which I can really appreciate the desire to grow your own food in these uncertain times. There’s something special about planting seed and watching the tiny plants emerge from the soil, and then harvesting the produce to feed your family. Springtime is a season of hope and renewal and a time to see God’s creative power vividly at work. To quote Psalms, “He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth; He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from His storehouses. He waters the mountains from His upper chambers; the earth is satisfied by the fruit of His work. He makes grass grow for the cattle and plants for man to cultivate – bringing forth food from the earth.” Spring is a time that the Lord demonstrates just how much He cares for us.
Romans 10:13 “For, everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
The notion of calling on the name of the Lord is seen many times throughout the Bible. Psalm 105:1 says, “Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name.” On the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:21), Peter quoted Joel 2:32 when he said, “And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” But while there is promise for all in the gift of salvation…the responsibility still remains with us to make the initial move towards God. It’s called free will…for we have to choose to either do God’s will or our own. Jesus talked about this in John 7:17 as He was teaching in the Temple courts, “If anyone chooses to do God’s will…” The promise of salvation is there for anyone to take advantage of, but it requires a decision…a choice to seek God and call upon His name.
Micah 2:13 ” One Who breaks open the way will go up before them; they will break through the gate and go out. Their King will pass through before them, the Lord at their head.”
In anything you do today…Jesus goes before you. In this verse of the Old Testament, the usage of the Hebrew word for “head” in the phrase, “the Lord at their head”, was carried forward into the New Testament and applied to Jesus. He spoke of this in Luke 20:17 when He referred to Himself as,”the stone the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.” And in Ephesians 2:20, Jesus is called the Chief cornerstone…the Head, and the One Who goes before us. Whatever barrier is holding you back today from being everything God desires for you…know that the Lord Jesus Christ has already gone before you…breaking open the way. Whatever the obstacle is that’s controlling you right now during this pandemic…fear, anxiety, doubt, anger, hopelessness…give it to the Lord and walk free.
Ephesians 1:22-23 ” And God placed all things under His feet and appointed Him to be head over everything for the Church, which is His body, the fullness of Him Who fills everything in every way.”
In the wake of this pandemic of the COVID 19 Virus, the idea of these verses take on heightened meaning for us today. This concept of the resurrected Jesus having supreme rule over everything was voiced by Him in Matthew 28:18, when He said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.” That means it’s a done deal…everything, (which includes the Corona Virus), is under Jesus’ power and authority. So just as He is the head of the Body of Christ – the Church- Jesus is the head…the Supreme Ruler over COVID 19, and these verses go on to tell us that God placed it under His feet…a place of utter submission and surrender.
Psalm 108:13 ” With God we will gain the victory, and He will trample down our enemies.”
One of the most over-used words right now is uncertainty. The uniqueness of the COVID19 Virus has everyone speculating as to what may or may not happen…how it may or may not spread…and if a vaccine will or will not be completely effective. Throw in the question about immunity, and we have to admit…we just don’t know what going to happen in the coming months. Couple this with what all the fears and doubts that self-quarantine, job loss, and isolation for weeks brings on – and this verse today is something we all need to hear. But we need to hear it clearly and correctly, for in this verse it’s God doing the work, not us. It’s with His help we can overcome the struggles facing us today…and it’s with His help we can possess peace as He fights the battles over our emotions. Psalm 44:6-8 had the right idea, “I do not trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory; but You give us victory over our enemies, You put our adversaries to shame. In God we make our boast all day long, and we will praise Your name forever.” Uncertainty isn’t in God’s vocabulary…and with His help we can be victorious over all our enemies.
Luke 6: 47-48 ” I will show you what he is like who comes to Me and hears My Words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.”
How can I apply what Jesus was teaching the crowd in these verses? The first thing comes from James 1:22, “Don’t merely listen to the Word…do what it says.” For I know I can be in my Bible daily, but if I don’t take what I’ve learned and make it part of my life, what have I gained? Secondly, I know my journey as a Christian isn’t going to be all goodness and light…sometimes it will involve digging down deep to the depths of my soul and going into areas of my life that are painful in order to build on God’s solid foundation. Finally, when the storms of life hit, I will with God’s help stand firm and not be shaken by the outside world…all the while being reminded of Psalm 62:2, “He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will never be shaken.”
Joshua 1:5 ” No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
If I’ve discovered anything the past few months during this pandemic…it’s that everybody has an opinion, a view point, or a determination…whether it’s good, bad, or indifferent. So who do we listen to? In this Scripture, the Lord was reminding Joshua that just as He was with Moses, the Lord would be with him…that as Moses listened to the Voice of Truth, so Joshua needed to follow it also. But what do we do when all these worldly voices are seeking to drown out the Voice of Truth? We have to choose to believe God, not the opposing voices that are filling our minds and the air waves. For there is only one Voice of Truth…one honest and correct way to go.
Jeremiah 29:11 ” For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
God’s intent…His plan and purpose for each one of us, is to give us hope and a eternal future with Him. Now the entire Chapter of Job is about a man suffering unspeakable losses, but we surprisingly find this encouraging word in Job 8:7, “Your beginnings will seem humble, so prosperous will your future be.” Right now you may be suffering…out of work, low on money, and depressed about what the future holds. But realize this, God is aware and understands your situation completely…and His intention for you is only good. For your future is securely in His hands, and your future is full of hope.
Safetypinlove 