'
1.) Nails & Needles
Someone I am very close to has been experiencing a painful foot condition. Her treatment consists of getting shots in her feet. She, like many people, has an extreme dislike for needles, especially ones that are going to be inserted in her feet. When she told me this morning that she has to go get shots again soon, I thought about the times I was in labor with my children. When the contractions became extreme, I would think about how painful the crucifixion must have been for Jesus. While in labor with one of my children, as each contraction would start, I would sing in my head the following words: Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, there's just something about that name. If I sang it slowly enough, by the time I got to this point in the song, the contraction would be ebbing. Thank the Lord for that old, comforting song. These memories this morning, triggered a thought that I shared with my loved one. I told her it might help as she's getting the shots to think,
"It's not a nail meant to hurt;
It's a needle meant to help!"
If you have an aversion to needles I pray that meditating on this thought will be helpful to you.
2.) Well...a Deep Subject
One of my sons is known, at least in our family, for telling corny jokes. They amuse him, and his amusement with them amuses us. I love it when he calls to share a new one he has heard. The last one he told me was actually pretty good. When you hear it, and know that I have classified it as good, you will get a taste for what the others must be like. I can't imagine who he inherited that corny gene from. Well, shucks, I guess it's time to tell you the joke. If my son doesn't like me sharing this about him, I'll patch it up with him later. Using the Lord's vernacular, whoever has ears to hear, let him hear. Here goes...
"Why did the blind man fall in the well? Because he couldn't see that well."
I read two verses back to back in my devotional book this morning. They got me to thinking. There are two wells I don't want to fall into, no, I want to dive into them. The very reason being, because I can see well, spiritually speaking. These two wells are the Remember Well, and the Do Well. Deuteronomy 7:17-19 says: "You may say to yourselves, 'These nations are stronger than we are. How can we drive them out?' But do not be afraid of them; remember well what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt. You saw with your own eyes the great trials, the miraculous signs and wonders, the mighty hand and outstretched arm, with which the Lord your God brought you out. The Lord your God will do the same to all the peoples you now fear."
The second well is found in 2 Chronicles 19:11. "Act with courage, and may the Lord be with those who do well." If we remember well the Lord's faithfulness to us in the past, we will be encouraged to do well, and incur His blessings in the future.
3.) The Straw
I woke up around three this morning with a severe headache. I thought I might feel better if I sat in my recliner for a while. When my husband got up he voluntarily brought me a cup of hot cinnamon tea. I asked him to also bring me some cold water in an insulated cup before he left. I didn't know how long it would be before I would feel like getting up. I went to sleep and a few hours later woke up thirsty. I reached for the insulated cup. It was one of our larger ones, and it is a bit cumbersome. I was happy to find that my husband had poked a straw through the slit in the lid of the cup. The straw made it much more convenient to get a drink. This little thoughtful act, deeply touched my heart. This is the stuff marriage is made of. I certainly appreciate the big things, like my husband's love for the Lord, his faithfulness to provide for us, his strong leadership qualities, etc., but the little, unexpected, going the extra mile, deeds --- the ones he does that are are an inconvenience to him, but a blessing to me --- they are special treasures!
It just occurred to me that Jesus talked about a person not losing his reward for the simple act of giving someone a cup of cold water in His name. I can't help but think that the reward must be greater for the added thoughtfulness of including a straw, for the recipient who doesn't feel well.
The beautiful thing about acts of kindness, is that they often have the added benefit of inspiring the one on the receiving end to reciprocate. That's what I meant by saying small, thoughtful deeds are the stuff marriage (and other relationships) is made of. Jesus modeled this kind of behavior --- esteeming others better than Himself --- and actually commanded us to do it too. "A new commandment I give unto you. That you love one another as I have loved you..." John 13:34.
I'm convinced that if we were more conscientious about the details --- like my husband was this morning --- all along the way in our marriages, we would never reach the final straw.
4.) "You're surrounded," --- a Good or a Bad Thing
My husband and I have been watching old westerns lately. Youtube has an abundance of them. I especially like the ones from the forties and fifties. While not primarily religious in nature, elements church attendance, worship of God, and brotherly love are often incorporated, and are cast in a positive light. It's true that many of them contain the same basic storyline --- the good guy beats the bad guy, and gets the girl --- but after all, how can you improve on that? Another common element is the capture of the bad guys. Their hideout is discovered and in swoop the good guys. After a little gun-play, they yell to the villains, "You're surrounded! Come out with your hands up!" The bad guys surrender to the good guys and are hauled off to jail.
Having watched my share of these scenes lately, caused me to see a verse I read this morning in a little different light. "The Lord surrounds His people both now and forevermore." Psalm 125:2. This verse is probably meant to evoke the image of a nurturing mother hen. Remember what Jesus said in Luke 13:34? "Jerusalem, Jerusalem...how often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings..." Psalm 91:4 declares: "He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge..." Yes, the Lord encircles us...enfolds us, but the word choice surrounds in this verse, lends itself to thinking of God as the good guy who calls to us imploringly "Come out with your hands lifted up. Surrender. I will be merciful to you." The difference is, God doesn't want to haul us off to jail. He wants to free us from bondage.
5.) On Being an Example
It grieves my heart to know that I have failed to set a perfect example for my family. I am an arrow that has missed the mark. I often bemoan my failures, but there's wonderful news! While my arrow's tip will never be buried dead center in the bull's eye, it can be used as a marker that consistently points to the perfect archer.
1.) Nails & Needles
Someone I am very close to has been experiencing a painful foot condition. Her treatment consists of getting shots in her feet. She, like many people, has an extreme dislike for needles, especially ones that are going to be inserted in her feet. When she told me this morning that she has to go get shots again soon, I thought about the times I was in labor with my children. When the contractions became extreme, I would think about how painful the crucifixion must have been for Jesus. While in labor with one of my children, as each contraction would start, I would sing in my head the following words: Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, there's just something about that name. If I sang it slowly enough, by the time I got to this point in the song, the contraction would be ebbing. Thank the Lord for that old, comforting song. These memories this morning, triggered a thought that I shared with my loved one. I told her it might help as she's getting the shots to think,
"It's not a nail meant to hurt;
It's a needle meant to help!"
If you have an aversion to needles I pray that meditating on this thought will be helpful to you.
2.) Well...a Deep Subject
One of my sons is known, at least in our family, for telling corny jokes. They amuse him, and his amusement with them amuses us. I love it when he calls to share a new one he has heard. The last one he told me was actually pretty good. When you hear it, and know that I have classified it as good, you will get a taste for what the others must be like. I can't imagine who he inherited that corny gene from. Well, shucks, I guess it's time to tell you the joke. If my son doesn't like me sharing this about him, I'll patch it up with him later. Using the Lord's vernacular, whoever has ears to hear, let him hear. Here goes...
"Why did the blind man fall in the well? Because he couldn't see that well."
I read two verses back to back in my devotional book this morning. They got me to thinking. There are two wells I don't want to fall into, no, I want to dive into them. The very reason being, because I can see well, spiritually speaking. These two wells are the Remember Well, and the Do Well. Deuteronomy 7:17-19 says: "You may say to yourselves, 'These nations are stronger than we are. How can we drive them out?' But do not be afraid of them; remember well what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt. You saw with your own eyes the great trials, the miraculous signs and wonders, the mighty hand and outstretched arm, with which the Lord your God brought you out. The Lord your God will do the same to all the peoples you now fear."
The second well is found in 2 Chronicles 19:11. "Act with courage, and may the Lord be with those who do well." If we remember well the Lord's faithfulness to us in the past, we will be encouraged to do well, and incur His blessings in the future.
3.) The Straw
I woke up around three this morning with a severe headache. I thought I might feel better if I sat in my recliner for a while. When my husband got up he voluntarily brought me a cup of hot cinnamon tea. I asked him to also bring me some cold water in an insulated cup before he left. I didn't know how long it would be before I would feel like getting up. I went to sleep and a few hours later woke up thirsty. I reached for the insulated cup. It was one of our larger ones, and it is a bit cumbersome. I was happy to find that my husband had poked a straw through the slit in the lid of the cup. The straw made it much more convenient to get a drink. This little thoughtful act, deeply touched my heart. This is the stuff marriage is made of. I certainly appreciate the big things, like my husband's love for the Lord, his faithfulness to provide for us, his strong leadership qualities, etc., but the little, unexpected, going the extra mile, deeds --- the ones he does that are are an inconvenience to him, but a blessing to me --- they are special treasures!
It just occurred to me that Jesus talked about a person not losing his reward for the simple act of giving someone a cup of cold water in His name. I can't help but think that the reward must be greater for the added thoughtfulness of including a straw, for the recipient who doesn't feel well.
The beautiful thing about acts of kindness, is that they often have the added benefit of inspiring the one on the receiving end to reciprocate. That's what I meant by saying small, thoughtful deeds are the stuff marriage (and other relationships) is made of. Jesus modeled this kind of behavior --- esteeming others better than Himself --- and actually commanded us to do it too. "A new commandment I give unto you. That you love one another as I have loved you..." John 13:34.
I'm convinced that if we were more conscientious about the details --- like my husband was this morning --- all along the way in our marriages, we would never reach the final straw.
4.) "You're surrounded," --- a Good or a Bad Thing
My husband and I have been watching old westerns lately. Youtube has an abundance of them. I especially like the ones from the forties and fifties. While not primarily religious in nature, elements church attendance, worship of God, and brotherly love are often incorporated, and are cast in a positive light. It's true that many of them contain the same basic storyline --- the good guy beats the bad guy, and gets the girl --- but after all, how can you improve on that? Another common element is the capture of the bad guys. Their hideout is discovered and in swoop the good guys. After a little gun-play, they yell to the villains, "You're surrounded! Come out with your hands up!" The bad guys surrender to the good guys and are hauled off to jail.
Having watched my share of these scenes lately, caused me to see a verse I read this morning in a little different light. "The Lord surrounds His people both now and forevermore." Psalm 125:2. This verse is probably meant to evoke the image of a nurturing mother hen. Remember what Jesus said in Luke 13:34? "Jerusalem, Jerusalem...how often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings..." Psalm 91:4 declares: "He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge..." Yes, the Lord encircles us...enfolds us, but the word choice surrounds in this verse, lends itself to thinking of God as the good guy who calls to us imploringly "Come out with your hands lifted up. Surrender. I will be merciful to you." The difference is, God doesn't want to haul us off to jail. He wants to free us from bondage.
5.) On Being an Example
It grieves my heart to know that I have failed to set a perfect example for my family. I am an arrow that has missed the mark. I often bemoan my failures, but there's wonderful news! While my arrow's tip will never be buried dead center in the bull's eye, it can be used as a marker that consistently points to the perfect archer.
