Creation!

"All the earth worships you
    and sings praises to you;
    they sing praises to your name." (Psalm 66:4)

You know, that first verse in the Bible--come on, everyone knows it--is pretty simple. Pretty straightforward. I've heard it my whole life. Believed it all my life. It's the first lesson in the curriculum for the one-year-olds I teach in Bible class.

But when's the last time you sat and really thought about this simple truth and all it encompasses?

I'm blessed to work for an organization whose goal is to spread the love of Jesus through building communities, connections, and relationships. This past week, we went to Pine Cove near Tyler, Texas, for our biennial staff retreat. In addition to various sessions about our actual work, and time spent reconnecting with friends who work in other places across the country, and yes, playing and having fun, we were encouraged--as in, it was on the official schedule--to find a quiet place to spend time with the Lord.

The picture below is one of the spots I chose. A wooden deck overlooking Lake Palestine. Gazing through tall, east Texas pines. Punctuated by the sounds of nature. And right in the middle of my view ... that sign.

CREATION
PS. 19:1-6

I said in the very first blog I doubted these #60seconddevotionals would tackle anything too deep or controversial. They're meant solely to encourage and uplift. But I have to tell you, sitting on that deck, I kept puzzling over the theory of evolution.

It's beyond my understanding how a rational person can't look out and just see God. He's there. In every ripple of that water. In every tiny pine cone, some so small it's hard to see they'll even be pine cones. He's in every bird song, every whistle and chirp. Every crisp sunrise and every peaceful sunset.

How can I not believe and honor Him for His incomprehensible creation? A world--and everything in it--so amazing as to be mind-boggling. The answer is simple: I can't.

I must worship such a Creator.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

• Take some time and read the following passages:
• Psalm 66
• Job 12:7-10
• Psalm 19
• Psalm 96:11 & 12
• Psalm 95:4-6
• Job 37:14 - 16
• Psalm 104:24 & 25
• Revelation 5:13
• Isaiah 55:12
• Nehemiah 9:6
• Isaiah 43:26
• So many more, but my 60 seconds are up. You find some. Find your favorite. Write it down. Put it somewhere you'll see it on a regular basis, and remember He created this for you.

Pursuing and Finding

"Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life, righteousness, and honor." (Proverbs 21:21)

Things get lost in my house. One person will leave something somewhere, usually meaning to come back to it or for it later. Great idea ... in theory. In a household of four, that something will get moved. Put away. Or--yikes!--thrown away. Drama ensues.

But on a fairly regular basis, while searching for that lost thing, we find something else. Something better sometimes. Something more valuable.

The wise writer, through the inspired pen of God, tells us to expect just such a serendipitous occurrence. He tells us, while seeking and pursuing righteousness, yes, we'll find righteousness, but we'll also find life!

LIFE!

Christ, Himself, tells us He came so we'd have "... life and have it abundantly." (John 10:10) Does that mean a long life? A life of wealth and ease? Maybe. Maybe not. Everyone receives different blessings. And God never promised us earthly wealth. He never even promised us happiness in this life. At least, not as the world sees happiness.

But He did promise we could have a life of joy in serving Him and others. Isn't that the best thing we could find while searching? While seeking righteousness--a wonderful thing to pursue in and of itself--we find life in Christ.

Life eternal.

What a find!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

• What have you found while pursuing righteousness? Think of those blessings--like-minded friends, peace, joy in serving ... what else?
• What examples can you give of your life being "more abundant?"

A Dry and Thirsty Land

"For I will pour water on the thirsty land,
    and streams on the dry ground;
I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring,
    and my blessing on your descendants." (Isaiah 44:3)

A few weeks ago, this verse was part of our daily Bible reading. It stuck with me. It's powerful imagery.

Here in Texas, around about late June or so, we stop seeing rain. Walk down nearly any street or sidewalk, and you can see the earth, dry and cracked, the edges curling like the pages of some ancient, dusty book. That land begs for water.

And then ... summer rainstorms! They don't usually last long--mere minutes sometimes. But it's often enough to heal those cracks. To refresh the wildflowers. And for a little while, everything is fresh and bright and clean and new.

Some days, my heart feels that way. Parched. Dry. Cracked. Longing for refreshment. And then I turn to God, His word, and He does exactly what He promised the children of Israel. He pours His living water on me. It runs down, washing me, healing wounds, refreshing me.

Streams that never run dry.

No matter how much I drink, there will always be a renewed stream. No matter how dry my spirit, He will always quench my thirst. And only He can refresh my spirit with His blessings.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

• Consider the times in your life when God has refreshed you with living water. How many times has He poured out blessings on you? As the song says, "Count your blessings, name them one by one."

Laundry Day

"Create in me a clean heart, O God,
    and renew a right spirit within me." (Psalm 51:10)

Honestly, if I hadn't promised these devotionals would be short and sweet, I'd include this whole psalm. Every verse is beautiful and chock full of what I want in my heart. But this verse is the one that truly speaks to me.

Raise your hand if you love doing laundry. Come on, be honest. I know there are one or two weirdos out there who love the whole process. I once worked with a woman who said ironing was like therapy to her. Me? I need therapy because of ironing.

So for the rest of us who hate it--the sorting, the lugging to the washer, the moving to the dryer (stopping to hang all the things you don't machine dry), the folding, the matching of socks, ohhh, the socks! Yes, for those of us who don't love laundry, imagine you could snap your fingers, wiggle your nose, or bob your head, and voila! It's done! All of it. Washed clean, stains gone, fresh as it was when all those clothes were brand new.

Well, if we let Him, God will do just that with our hearts. How encouraging. How utterly amazing to know when we ask forgiveness, He erases the sins that stain our spirits. And He does it every single time. Every. Single. Time.

What an awesome God we serve. My Daddy used to start every prayer with the words, "Our kind and loving heavenly Father ..." If God's mercy, His willingness to create and re-create a clean heart in us, isn't the epitome of loving kindness, I don't know what is.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

• Do some laundry this week. If you haven't already done so by the time you finished this blog, pray for a clean heart. A renewed, right spirit.

Put on Your Coat ... er ... Kindness

"Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive." (Colossians 3:12 - 12)

For various reasons, kindness has been on my mind lately. I've seen a couple of people I care about hurt recently. One situation was the result of someone being petty and small. One was the result of a handful of people being thoughtless (literally not giving thought to) in regard to another. One was just poor judgment on the part of one person toward another.

In my view, all of the people--petty, thoughtless, unwise--were unkind. Kindness, based on that verse up there, is a very conscious act. We're told to "put on" compassion and kindness. Have you ever accidentally put on a coat? Living in Texas, I rarely wear a coat, so when I do, it's because I chose to do so.

Don't you think kindness is the same sort of thing? Certainly kindness can become a habit, but the words and actions that result from kindness aren't accidents. They don't just happen. You choose kind words, whether in response to something or to prompt happiness in someone else. You choose to do a kind act for someone.

Kindness is often listed in the New Testament with other traits--fruits of the Spirit--such as humility, meekness, love, joy, peace, and so on. We hear about love all the time. Joy, peace, patience. But kindness kind of gets the short end of the stick, doesn't it? If the inspired writers of the Bible considered it on a par with love, why don't we?

I can sing about the fruits of the Spirit all day long, but if I'm picking and choosing the ones I want to exhibit and leaving others out, I don't really have the right attitude, do I?

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

• Think of people who might need a kind word or act from you. List them, along with ideas to show kindness to them. (It doesn't have to be huge. A smile, a compliment, a cup of coffee ... a little kindness goes a long way toward making someone's day.)

Who's Got Your Six?

"What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31)

Imagine facing a room full of your greatest enemies. They hate you. They're all hoping you'll fail at everything you put your hand to. They will do anything in their power to ensure your failure. You tremble and cower, knowing the combined strength of all those enemies is easily able to overpower you.

We have sayings about friends who support us. She's got my back. He's got my six. She's always here for me.

Everybody knows what those phrases mean. If you've got someone's back, if you're watching their six, it means you're protecting the areas they can't see. If you tell someone you're here for them, it means you'll drop everything to help them out, to listen, to support them. All of those phrases cover a lot of bases in a typical friendship.

But no matter how supportive our friends are, things happen. We're human. We let people down, in spite of our best efforts, and people let us down.

So imagine that room full of enemies again. And then you look over your shoulder. And you remember Who is on your side.

"... who can be against us?"

The enemy does not exist who can overtake me when God is on my side. Does this mean I'll never suffer disappointment or failure? Not at all. But with God on my side, my disappointments and failures aren't the end of my story. They won't drag me down and cause me to give up.

"... who can be against us?"

Powerful words that remind me God is always on my side. He wants me to gain that ultimate prize, eternal life in heaven.

"... who can be against us?"

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

• What struggles are you facing right now? Pray specifically for God to grant you wisdom and strength to handle them.

Chosen

"and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him." (Romans 8:17)

When I was a kid, adoption wasn't often discussed. I remember thinking it must be bad to be adopted. I can recall hearing people speaking in whispers, "She doesn't know she's adopted." In retrospect, I still don't understand the secrecy in most cases.

Now I know several couples who've adopted children, usually at a significant financial cost. Attorneys' fees, other fees I probably don't even know about, travel expenses sometimes. But it's not about the money to those couples. It's never about the cost.

It's about bringing someone else into the family.

Oftentimes, the couple I know who've adopted a child have traveled to a foreign country and chosen a child. And that's the word I wanted to get to when I started this blog.

Chosen.

We refer to the Israelites as God's chosen ones. And they were. They were His people.

Then Christ died for us, and a new covenant took effect. A covenant under which I was adopted. Suddenly I was one of God's chosen. Me! Who am I to be chosen by God? The Israelites could trace their lineage and tell you which tribe they belonged to. Meanwhile, I'm a mutt. If I did one of those DNA tests, I figure it'd look like a wheel of fortune. A little slice of this, a tiny sliver of that, and a whole lot of how-did-that-end-up-there? Like a chihuahua and a Great Dane.

But you know what? It doesn't matter whether I can trace my ancestry back to the Mayflower, the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria, or even a boat on the sea of Galilee.

God adopted me. He chose me. I didn't deserve it. I can't earn that inheritance. I will never be worthy of being His child. And yet ... here we are.

So I encourage you to consider what that means for us. What does it mean to you, personally, to be adopted, chosen by God? Blessed. Humbled. Thankful.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

• Spend some time thinking about the cost of your adoption--Christ's sacrifice. Really think about what that means, to be chosen by the Creator to be one of His own children.

A Love That Lasts Forever

"For the mountains may depart
    and the hills be removed,
but my steadfast love shall not depart from you,
    and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,”
    says the Lord, who has compassion on you." (Isaiah 54:10)

This verse was part of our daily Bible reading this week. I read it a couple of times.

"... my steadfast love shall not depart from you ..."

People come and go in our lives. Someone moves away. Friends grow apart. Let's face it, sometimes people fight and choose to end a relationship.

We're often amazed when we hear of a couple celebrating a lengthy marriage. Fifty years. Seventy-five. Or maybe you know of someone who's been friends their whole lives. I'm friends on Facebook with the little blonde girl who was my best friend in first grade. That's been a year or two.

But no matter how long a marriage lasts, no matter how long you've been friends with that kid from first grade, a love that lasts forever is nearly beyond human comprehension. Especially--especially!--when you consider how unlovable we often are.

Imagine a mountain. Pick any mountain. Doesn't even have to be a mountain. It can be a really big hill. Now try to figure out how long it'll take for the wind and the rain to wear that mountain down into a plain. I can honestly say I've never seen that happen. Our yard has a distinct slope to it. Enough that one section could even be called a small hill. And no matter how much dirt ends up in our driveway every time it rains, that slope hasn't flattened out.

Now imagine a God who will always love you. No matter how long you live. No matter what you do. No matter the storms that come into your life. He will always love you. (Mind you, I'm not condoning a life of sin just because God loves you anyway. The Bible is very clear regarding punishment for sin.)

Not only does He love me, He has compassion on me. Merriam-Webster defines compassion as a "sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it." God is always aware of my sufferings (those storms I mentioned). I am never alone.

How can I not love such a God? How can I not want to worship Him and give Him my all?

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

• Look back on your life and consider the times you know you were unworthy of God's love. Write them down. Then throw the page away, because God loves you anyway.

The Danger of Shallow Roots

"rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving." (Colossians 2:7)

I am a notoriously bad gardener. When I buy a poinsettia in December, the poor thing starts dropping leaves before I get it home. When I tried to grow bean plants with my great-nephew--beans! Everyone can grow beans!--the only thing that sprouted in that foam cup was a sad little fungus.

Seriously. I can kill a plastic plant.

Both my parents had green thumbs. Mom kept houseplants alive for years, rooting new ones from cuttings with ease. Daddy had a garden in the back yard which flooded the kitchen counters with tomatoes, peppers, okra, and lettuce. Mom stuck a sprig of mint in a bed beside the patio once, and the stuff flourished.

So while I can't grow anything green to save my life, I understand about roots. One of the best examples I can think of to demonstrate roots are cottonwood trees. If you don't have cottonwoods (also known as poplars) in your area, Bradford pears will work for this illustration, too.

Cottonwoods grow tall. I mean, really tall. They can tower over neighborhoods, growing year after year, blanketing everything with their fluffy, white-fibered seeds. Making most of us sneeze. When I was growing up, we had a really big cottonwood in the back yard. The roots from that tree branched out, blocking pipes, crawling across the yard, tripping us up every chance they got.

But you know what? Those far-reaching roots weren't deep. One day, that tree literally fell over. Same thing has happened in my current neighborhood. The builder planted Bradford pears on all the easements. They're all pretty big now, their branches reaching into the sky above rooftops. And ... shallow roots. We've had two fall over in our yard. It's like they just give up one day, and say, "I'm done. I can't do this anymore."

So no matter how big you think your faith is, no matter how strong you believe you are spiritually, if your roots aren't deep, you may find yourself knocked down by a stiff wind. The winds of doubt, winds of change, winds of trial and tribulation. So many winds out there. Please make sure your roots are deep.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

• How can I make sure my roots are deep enough to withstand trouble? Which of my friends can I turn to to help shore up my roots if needed?
• What areas can I work on to strengthen my roots?

Higher Ways, Plans, & Waiting

"For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:9)

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." (Jeremiah 29:11)

"Wait for the Lord;
    be strong, and let your heart take courage;
    wait for the Lord!" (Psalm 27:14)

During the past week, I had the opportunity to talk to two young ladies. Neither was happy about the situation in which they found themselves. Completely different situations, and these girls are separated by a decade. While I quoted scripture to both of them, I didn't quote these three scriptures. But in retrospect, all three apply (and I happen to know both young ladies read my blog).

The first, I believe, speaks to both a warning and a promise. The warning, that I--and you, too--just don't have the capacity to think of everything, to always know the right way, or to always make the right choice. Thus, I look to God. The promise? Well, it's the same thing. There's always One whose thoughts, whose ways, whose answers will be better than mine. My life may not always work out perfectly, but if I'm following His ways, my life's imperfections are easier to bear and easier to work with.

The second ... I hear that verse quoted so often. The context (because, as my favorite preacher says, "Context is everything.") is God speaking to the Israelites in Babylonian captivity. The prophet Jeremiah, with pen inspired by God, is encouraging the exiles. "Hold one. This isn't the end. God has plans for you, and they're good plans." Of course, that's paraphrasing. But I want both of these young ladies to remember: what you're going through is not the end. I may not know what they are, but I know God has many blessings in store for you. Trust me on this.

And then there's that last verse. Waiting. I hate waiting. Don't you? The doctor's office. Restaurants. Movie lines, amusement parks, the post office ... don't even get me started on traffic. But then we have that little phrase ... it's worth the wait. Even the examples I used above are usually worth the wait, aren't they? The doctor makes you feel better, you get a good meal, watch a good movie, all of those examples.

So how much more worth the wait are God's blessings? I've watched so many people wait and pray while waiting. Do we always get the answer we want, even after waiting and praying? No. And I'm not going to pretend we understand life's disappointments. But I do know, at the end of the day, and more importantly, at the end of my life, God loves me.

God does have plans for you. I don't begin to know them because of that first scripture. His thoughts will always be higher than mine. His plans will always be better than mine. And if I wait and pray, I know I'll spend eternity in a life better than I can imagine.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

• Think about those situations in your life about which you're unhappy. List them (as in, write them down). Now pray about those specifically.
• Wait. Pray some more. Look for God's blessings that may be unexpected answers to your prayers.

What Do You Bleed For?

"And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them." (1 Kings 18:28)

You're trying to figure out where I'm going with this verse, aren't you? Bear with me. (I say that a lot in these devotionals, don't I?)

A little context. The prophet Elijah challenges the people of Israel (under Ahab's ungodly rule) to pick who they intend to follow. He tells them if the Lord is God, to follow Him, but if Baal is, to follow him. He goes on to call the prophets of Baal to meet him. Y'all know this story, right? It's one of my favorites.

The prophets of Baal build their altar, ready their sacrifice, and pray. And pray. And pray some more. From morning until noon, they cry out to Baal, and there is no answer. To add insult to injury, Elijah's standing on the sidelines mocking them. Mocking their so-called god. "Maybe he's sleeping. Maybe he's in the bathroom." You have to admire that kind of smack talk.

The idolatrous prophets double their efforts. They cry and cut themselves "... until the blood gushed out ..." And that brings me to the title of this blog.

What do you bleed for?

So many things demand our attention. Jobs, school, hobbies, family, friends, entertainment, health issues. None of these things are bad, in and of themselves. But when they become a higher priority than serving God, do they not become idols? What are you crying out for? What are you willing to bleed for?

What do you bleed for?

Oh, and in case you're not familiar with this story and its ending, Elijah finally has enough. He digs a trench around his own altar and readies the bull for sacrifice. Three times he calls for four jars of water to be poured on the altar, the bull, and the wood. So much water the trench is filled. Then he calls on the Lord. The true and living God. And that God--THE God--sends down fire from heaven that burns the bull, the wood, the altar, and even the water in the trench.

What do you bleed for?

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

• What are the things in your life that sometimes distract you from truly worshiping God? Name them specifically and pray for those areas to remain where they should in importance.
• Join me in praying for focus so we never lose sight of the God we serve.

Tattoos and Engravings

"Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;
    your walls are continually before me." (Isaiah 49:16)

When I first considered writing these devotionals, I asked my friends on Facebook to tell me what their favorite scripture is. I got this one about three times. I think that speaks volumes about believers.

We take strength and comfort in knowing we belong to God.

I have three tattoos. Each one means something special to me. One is a combination of the meaning of my kids' names. One is a quill pen (writing), with three tiny hearts (my husband and children), and the inscription COL317 (Colossians 3:17, which I blogged about earlier). The third is Hebrew, eshet chayil (that's the woman in Proverbs 31, and it means woman of valor).

Each of those tattoos was somewhat painful to have done. And they're permanent. To have them removed is even more painful, I'm told, and it's an expensive procedure. More costly than the original tattoo. So before I got my tattoos, I thought about it. I considered it. I weighed questions. And then I got them (not all at once). And now, when anyone asks about my ink, I'm proud to explain what each tattoo means.

Engravings are much the same. I wear my grandmother's wedding band alongside my own. Engraved on the inside are my grandparents' initials and their wedding date: EM to CM 8-22-25. Almost 100 years, and the engraving is still clear. To remove it would destroy the slender band.

If my tattoos and the engraving on that ring--and what they represent--mean that much to me, how much more do I mean to God that He engraved my name on His hand? My name. Your name. The name of every one of His children.

Engraved on His hand.

That's permanent. I belong to Him. I can choose to reject God, but He's not going to remove my name or cover it up like that ex-boyfriend's or girlfriend's name.

Engraved.

Think about that. Think about the assurance of belonging to the Most High God. The Creator.

I will never be worthy of having my name on His hand. But thanks be for grace and mercy and forgiveness. Because without those, my name would not be there.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

• This blog is all about encouragement, so how can you use this verse to encourage someone today? How can you use this verse to show how God loves us?

Leaning

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
    and do not lean on your own understanding." (Proverbs 3:5)

That was one of my mother's favorite scriptures. But she didn't just love that passage. She lived it. Every day of her life, she lived that verse.

Mom would've been 88 years old today. I was beyond blessed to have had her in my life for almost 50 years. Because to have that kind of example is absolutely a blessing.

It was my mother who lead my father to Christ. It was Mom who taught about a million Bible classes--pretty much all ages. It was Mom who set an example for me of how to be a wife and mother, how to be a friend and sister, how to be a Christian.

When I say she lived that verse, I mean it. Mom trusted the Lord would always love her. And no, she didn't live a completely carefree life--she had a husband and four kids, after all. But during those times she didn't understand why sometimes things turned out the way they did, she never lost that trust in God, the trust that He was in control.

The funny thing is, Mom didn't talk about this a lot. I mean, she talked about Jesus, His love for us, her love for Him ... her walk with Him. But I don't remember her ever specifically talking about this verse and what it meant in her life. Instead, she truly did embody this type of faith.

Mom's been gone about seven years now, but every time I hear this verse, I think of her. Every time I question why something has happened in my life, I think of her trust. And I thank God for her every day and the example she was to me and others.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

• How can you apply this verse to your life and live it on a daily basis?