Salt of the Earth, Light of the World
by Deanna Carr You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:13-16 When I was little, we used to have a special speaker, well known in our denomination, come to preach every night at our church for a special week. It was always a big deal and I looked forward to it. We also were blessed with a children's story. One night, our special speaker told us he had something in his shoebox that he would show us the next night, that had never been seen before and would never be seen again after that night. All the next day, I thought about what it could be. I was very excited when we got to go up for the children's story that night. When we were all assembled at the front and we had been welcomed, he opened the box, took out a peanut in its shell, broke it open and ate it! My disappointment was probably palpable. I am only guessing, but I think I remember the gist of what he was saying. He was telling me that there was no one on earth like me and never would be. Awesome. No other peanut like me. I have a purpose. I told this story to many of my students. Jesus loves us all – all of us peanuts. I had great parents who loved me. They took me to church, where I had teachers, friends and formed lifelong relationships. I learned about Jesus, who taught us about being salt and light. I have to let His light shine through me to enhance the beauty of the world. My peanut is designed to uplift, enhance, and bring light and to glorify God, but I’ve gotta be out of the shell. So, is my life transparent so that the light of Jesus can shine through me; and does my life have the flavor that only God's grace can impart? What kind of peanut am I growing up to be? Thank you Jesus for being the Way, the Truth and the Life; and thank you for stories. Amen.
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Keep Playing
by Doris Homan Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9 A very dear friend sent me this little story many, many years ago. I keep it in a place where I can refer to it whenever I want, and I always hear an important message in it. Twinkle, twinkle, little star Wishing to encourage her young son’s progress on the piano, a mother took her boy to a Paderewski concert. After they were seated, the mother spotted an old friend in the audience and walked down the aisle to greet her. Seizing the opportunity to explore the wonders of the concert hall, the little boy rose and eventually explored his way through a door marked “NO ADMITTANCE.” When the house lights dimmed and the concert was about to begin, the mother returned to her seat and discovered that the child was missing. Suddenly, the curtains parted and spotlights focused on the impressive Steinway on stage. In horror. The mother saw her little boy sitting at the keyboard, innocently picking out “Twinkle, twinkle, little star.” At that moment, the great piano master made his entrance, quickly moved to the piano, and whispered in the boy’s ear, “Don’t quit. Keep playing.” Then, leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling in a bass part. Soon his right arm reached around to the other side of the child, and he added a running obbligato. Together, the old master and the young novice transformed what could have been a frightening situation into a wonderfully creative experience. The audience was so mesmerized that they couldn’t recall what else the great master played, only the classic, “Twinkle, twinkle, little star.” Perhaps that’s the way it is with God. What we can accomplish on our own is hardly noteworthy. We try our best, but the results aren’t always graceful, flowing music. However, with the hand of the Master, our life’s work can truly be beautiful. The next time you set out to accomplish great feats, listen carefully. You may hear the voice of the Master whispering in your ear, “Don’t quit. Keep playing.” Regardless of our age or situation, we can be sure our heavenly Father still has his arms around us and we can hear him whisper, “Keep playing!” Lord, thank you for transforming our meager efforts into greater blessings for your people. Help us to “keep playing,” knowing that you are there to help us. Amen Spring Cleaning
By Holly Hutchinson And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” Luke 12:15 I spent my earliest years in Pinedale, Wyoming, a mountain town famous for long, hard winters. The word “spring” was never spoken aloud before April first. But a woman in our town was a nut about Spring Cleaning. Her name was Madge. She moved to our town and became the lone employee of the Welfare office. Her tiny, century-old log cabin was one of the town’s first structures. Located on Main Street, the house was passed daily by everybody in town. Its living room had two chairs in front of the fireplace and a huge upright piano. Coats hung on a row of hooks. The tiny kitchen and bedroom were monk-like. The “facilities” were out back. The tiny windows made the interior somewhat dim, but colorful braided wool rugs adorned the floors. It was perfect for Madge. Not a stay-at-home person, she liked to be out and about. Playing piano by ear, she provided raucous music for local dances and community events, especially at the Episcopal Church. She started the town’s Campfire Girls, brought Red Cross swimming lessons to town, and helped start a museum. She organized a box supper for Valentine’s Day, an Easter egg hunt on the courthouse lawn, and Thanksgiving meals for shut-ins, where the deliverer sat down and shared the meal. But the event Madge directed every year on April first was unlike any other: Spring Cleaning Day. That day everything from her cabin (except the piano) was carried outside. The house was dusted, scrubbed, and polished. Madge didn’t accomplish this alone; she recruited people to help—expecting us to honor the frontier tradition of “pitching in”—and she could be a little bossy. Kitchen cupboards were emptied; shoes and clothing were taken outside; rugs were draped over the fence; curtains were hauled to the laundromat. Then, after the last corner was swept and the last window washed, Madge started putting things back. But before each item was returned to the house she asked two questions: What is it for? Do I need this? Madge said this yearly ritual helped maintain her balance. Not interested in possessions, she did not give or receive gifts. She appreciated beautiful things, but did not need to own them. “I need Spring Cleaning Day to eliminate clutter and make way for what is important,” she said. Don’t we all? The season of Lent is a good time for de-cluttering our messy lives, and changing the focus to our faith and the lessons of Jesus. Prayer: Heavenly Father, I know I spend too much time counting, organizing, maintaining my possessions; and not enough time maintaining my relationships with people. I am determined to use this time before Easter to work on this, to “get my house in order.” Amen. Beauty Grows from Trials
By Mark Hershey “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.” Psalm 139:14 I love woodworking, and I love wood. One of my favorite things to work on is wood burl. No one knows for sure what causes it, but it is widely believed that it is caused by an injury to the tree, by severe stress, or disease. Most burl will appear as a growth, or a misshapen part in a growing tree. While it may appear ugly on the outside, when it is opened up, worked, sanded, finished and the inside is exposed, you will see amazing beauty in the wood. This beauty comes from the continual growth as the tree is healing from its wounds or stress. The swirling grain is not only more beautiful, it is also much stronger than the normal straight grain of the tree. The burl is almost impossible to split apart, where the straight grain will split apart easily. As I was thinking about this, I realized that God can, will, and does do the same for us. If we continuing to grow, face challenges, work through hurts and stress, but look to God to heal the damage in our lives, we will come out stronger, and more beautiful than we ever were before, as only God can make us. We need to allow ourselves to open up to God and to each other to expose this new beauty created in our lives by these trials and scars. We may never know how us opening our hearts and allowing people to see the scars and the beauty that God has made of it will impact other people’s lives . We also need to open our eyes to the beauty of the same growth and change in other people’s lives. The grain is never the same from tree to tree. Each has its own unique and wonderful pattern, just as no two people are the same. God has touched us each uniquely and created in us his own imprint and pattern of beauty. Prayer: Lord, thank you for being right there with me through all the trials and struggles in my life. They have formed me and made me who I am today, and without Your love to carry me through them, I don’t know where I would be. I am forever grateful You carried me through and made me stronger for them. Amen
Make Me Your Vessel
by Jean Hershey Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work. 2 Timothy 2:21 I remember hearing about the conversation that my dad had sitting in the presence of his doctor and surrounded by some of my siblings. Upon hearing that his heart was failing and his time on earth nearly over, he didn’t break down. Instead, he gave a very dignified response about how he had lived a good, full life. His kids were all grown and doing well and he was ready. I often think about how I might respond in that situation. Would I be able to say I’m ready? It leads me to think about my life, how I’ve lived it, and am I worthy in God’s eyes to say I have been a servant and a vessel for His use. I try to be, but as you may relate, it’s hard to stay on track. I fail, I fall, and it seems to become a daily struggle and need for forgiveness, for cleansing. There is a worship song by Hillsong Worship called New Wine that goes over and over in my mind each time I hear it. The chorus says: Make me Your vessel; Make me an offering; Make me whatever You want me to be. I came here with nothing But all You have given me. Jesus, bring new wine out of me. The song goes on to say much more, but that pretty much sums up my daily prayer. Thank you, Jesus, for making it possible that I can be forgiven and cleansed, even daily, and filled with the Holy Spirit so that I can be a vessel, forgiven and sanctified – useful to the Master! Amen. Even When They Are Old
By Lyna Kittelmann Wilkins "Good people....will take root like trees that stay healthy and faithful, even when they are old." Psalm 91:14 Some people dismiss older citizens as old and useless. They see the white hair, the hearing problems, and the physical disabilities as hindrances. They are! However, like leaves on a maple tree, as they age seniors become more beautiful. They have experiences, wisdom, and inner strength to help others. God gives us all gifts to use to help others. We just need to let him lead us in what he wants us to do—no matter our age. To God we are beautiful, created in his image! Dear Lord, lead senior citizens, especially me, to further your kingdom and to bring Jesus’ love to others. Amen. Are You Making Use of this Power?
by Jeanie Hershey "And you will know God’s great power. It can’t be compared with anything else. His power works for us who believe. It is the same mighty strength God showed. He showed this when he raised Christ from the dead." Ephesians 1:19-20 NIRV Recently I was reading something online about a product that sounded promising for a need that Lyn and I were facing. As I neared the end of the fairly lengthy information, I began to sense that something sounded familiar. Sure enough, we already had some bottles of that supplement that sounded so miraculous. The only thing is that we had not opened the bottle! The Spirit nudged my heart then that that is a picture of the many wonderful promises He has made to us, the work He has done for us, and yet I often don’t access. The Scripture for today is an amazing example of this: We recognize the power that raised Jesus from the dead. And, that is certainly crucial to the Easter story. But, I believe that same power is available for our everyday life and just as important. We are not expected to live life on our own. Actually, we really can’t do that very well as we were created to live a life of faith that claims this resurrection power for our everyday life. As I understand it, the word that Paul used for power was dunamis, a word that gives us our word, “dynamite.” He is saying here that God wants to give us dynamite power that can change our life, transform us into the being He created us to be. How exciting! Dear Father, we come to you in the name of Jesus who demonstrated this mighty power through the resurrection. Forgive us for the times that we have tried on our own rather than look to you for the great things you have provided for our lives. Amen. Dad’s Reveille
By Pam Hardenbrook …the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 As a young adult, my father met Jesus - and became a joyous, enthusiastic disciple. It was his fondest hope to be alive at Christ’s return. However, when Dad died in 2009, that desire wasn’t realized. After musing about this for several months, I came to realize that surely, Dad was not disappointed. My reflections resulted in the following poem. Throughout his life of faith on earth, one longing he held dear: “To see Christ coming in the clouds – that trumpet sound to hear!” Eyes keenly focused on the sky, with yearning he gazed at the blue. Would this be the day that the firmament rends, and joyfully, Jesus steps through? Ears expectant and eagerly open, he’d anticipate Gabriel’s tune. “May your ‘glorious appearing’ mark the end of my days. Come, Lord Jesus; yes, please come soon!” But early that morning he left us. All was quiet; dozing near him we stayed. No trumpet sounded to our ears, but to his – was a reveille played? Or the angel band – was it jamming, rehearsing their song for That Day? Maybe Gabriel tuning his trumpet was the sound that called Daddy away? But that last trumpet solo, he’ll hear it! And the limbs of that great redwood tree will shake as he jumps up to answer that call – just imagine with me! Alive on this earth or asleep when Christ comes – where I’ll be, I really can’t say. Dad would tell us, “Just watch and be ready, For you may hear that trumpet today!” Thank you, Lord, for your promise: that at Jesus’ return, I will reunite with my loved ones – and I will finally see you face to face. How these words comfort me! Give me watchful eyes and listening ears, and prepare my heart for my own reveille. Amen. Trees
By Joyce Turnbaugh I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who makes things grow. 1 Corinthians 3:6-7 I think that I shall never see A poem as lovely as a tree. A tree whose hungry mouth is prest Against the sweet earth’s flowing breast; A tree that looks at God all day, And lifts her leafy arms to pray; A tree that may in summer wear A nest of robins in her hair; Upon whose bosom snow has lain; Who intimately lives with the rain. Poems are made by fools like me, But only God can make a tree. - Joyce Kilmer, 1886-1918 This was my mother’s favorite poem and it was written in 1913, the same year she was born. I was named after the author, Joyce Kilmer. I have always loved trees, flowers, and other plants. Have you ever wondered how it is possible to plant a small brown seed into dull brown soil and have bright orange carrots, or vibrant yellow sunflowers emerge? I can prepare the soil and provide the water necessary, but only God can make the seeds grow and infuse the plants with all the colors of the rainbow! Planting our humble little seeds of faith, kindness, and God’s love works very much the same way. When our beloved Savior, who gave his all for us, takes over from there, just stand back and watch them grow! Heavenly Father, give me grace to plant seeds of faith, kindness, and love in your world and give me humility and patience as I trust you to bring those seeds to life. Amen The Labyrinth
By Kay Haley Note: You may want to print out this devotion before listening to it. It has an interactive graphic that will enhance the devotion’s meaning. You have made known to me the paths of life; and you will fill me with joy in your presence. Acts 2:28 NIV One summer a couple of years ago I spent five months in the mountains at Sawtooth Methodist Camp. It was the epitome of the phrase “God’s country.” A very special place for me was the labyrinth. I once read that a labyrinth turns a simple act of walking into a peaceful journey with God. The labyrinth at camp was my silent retreat. As I entered I felt peace, and as I walked I talked to God and he helped me with all my heartaches, fears, and joys. During this Lenten season, a wonderful way to spend time in meditation is with this printed labyrinth. Follow the path with your finger or color your way to the center. As you follow the lines ask God to walk with you. Stay in the middle and just be still with God. Then as you follow your way back, thank God for all the joys in your life. Dear Lord thank you for using this time to pull me closer to You. By your grace, I will walk by faith and not by sight. In Jesus’ name, Amen |
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