This blog is designed to create community for believers and provide support for seekers. I encourage all readers to share their faith in an effort to lift and encourage one another.
Psalm 9: 7-10 “The Lord reigns forever, He has established his throne for judgment. He rules the world in righteousness And judges the peoples with equity. The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, A stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you, For you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.”
There is so much content in these few verses. It all touches on who God is. Just look at the verbs in the first four lines: reigns, established, rules, judges. Read those four lines again and catch a glimpse of the magnificence of our God. The next two lines show us a small part of who our Lord is: a refuge, a stronghold. What words to cling to in times of danger or despair. In the last two lines, the psalmist speaks directly to our Lord about those who know and seek Him. With confidence, we can trust Him and know He will never forsake us.
Lord God, I am amazed at your power and might. Yet, with all that strength you are gentle enough to provide us refuge when we seek it. Thank you for your faithfulness.
This devotion is the first one I ever submitted, and the first one I published! Was I ever excited when I first saw it in “The Secret Place. “
Ahh, Spring!
Spring is in the air, and the sunshine draws me to the nearby nature trails. As soon as I enter the park, serenity covers me like a blanket. The trees, still black and bare of leaves, stretch high above my dirt pathway. The winds blowing up over my head sway the trees, causing their bare branches to clack against one another. On either side of my path, green shoots poke tentatively from the ground. Frogs in the nearby pond seem to sing, “Spring is coming.”
Soon these trees will wear lush canopies of green, and flowers will dot the countryside. Suddenly, I encounter a white-tailed deer staring at me. A mere ten yards away, her huge brown yes watch me gingerly pass by. Then I notice two more keeping watch. As my peaceful walk draws to a close, I exit the park through the overarching branches. The city streets loom hard in a barren contrast to the park. Walking home, I vow to take the beauty and serenity of God’s world with me, allowing it to awaken spring in my soul.
Precious Creator, let the springtime around me awaken the springtime in my soul. Let my heart know that you are God.
“The way to happiness: Keep your heart free from hate, your mind from worry. Live simply, expect little, give much. Scatter sunshine, forget self, think of others. Try this for a week and you will be surprised.”
― Norman Vincent Peale
Lord, help me to keep my focus on all the is pure and lovely. Help me to keep my mind on you and your glory.
Wishing you all a beautiful Tuesday. Enjoy the tulips. I took this phot last year at Botanica. They always make me smile.
Want to be closer with God? The psalmist is clear. All we need to do is call on him. Earnest prayer and quiet time with God is the path to closeness with him.
Have a blessed Monday, my friends, and take some time to draw closer to the Almighty today.
“Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Ephesians 5::2
However you choose to honor God with your offerings, monetary or otherwise, may that offering be as fragrant to our Lord as a freshly baked pie is to us. I think that walking “in the way of love” every day would be especially fragrant to God.
What do you see as ways we can “walk in the way of love”?
I love all the praise in this psalm! It begins and ends with the joy of the Lord’s name. As many of you know, this first verse is the lyric of a beautiful song that fills me with delight.
Speaking of delight, if you haven’t had the opportunity to view the stars at night away from the city lights, you’ve missed a wonder of creation. As David notes, viewing the wonder of God’s beauty in the sky: the sun, the moon and the stars, is so humbling. Every day God paints a gorgeous sunrise and an amazing sunset. How can we be arrogant when we view the glory of the heavens?
“Lord, our Lord,
How majestic is your name in all the earth!”
Thank you Lord, for the beauty of your creation. Open our eyes that we may see the beauty of the heavens. Let us notice and appreciate the flowers and trees, the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea, and the animals on dry land. All praise and glory to the Creator God.
Sometimes this can be challenging. When the world, or your own personal world, feels as if it is falling apart, remember the joy of having a savior and the beauty he places around us. Drink in his creation and his word. Yes, think of all the excellent things he has gifted us. Have a wonderful day, my friends.
Thank you. Lord, for the glory of your creation that surrounds us every day. Thank you for the promise of eternal life and for gifting us with abundant life on earth. Thank you for your faithfulness. Keep my mind focused on you, in all your glory.
Sitting on the glider on the backyard swing set, I bask in the beauty of an early spring day. As I rock gently back and forth, the soft squeaking of the glider mesmerizes me, like the gentle creaking of a comfortable rocking chair. High in our mulberry trees, the male cardinal calls for his mate. A beautiful bush grows three feet taller than our privacy fence, its branches laden with pale green leaves and thousands of tiny, fragrant white flowers—sweet-smelling, like honeysuckle. A black butterfly, splashed with white spots and bold, orange stripes, lights on the flowers; he is hungry for their nectar.
The sunshine warms my face and arms. A breeze blows—not a typical spring gale, but a gentle breeze, enough to ruffle my hair and start the cottonwoods softly whispering. Far overhead planes from a nearby airport drone, whisking their passengers to some distant city. The bark of the neighbor’s dogs occasionally punctuates the quiet morning; they beg for our attention.
My husband works in the garden, turning up the rich, brown soil. It’s time for the second round of beans to be planted. One by one, he drops the seeds into the soil, and then buries them deep in the brown earth. Soon we’ll enjoy the tender vegetables.
Consider the miracle of the seed. Buried two inches beneath the surface, the lifeless seed slowly awakens to new life. As the sun warms the soil, the seedling begins to stir until it cracks the seed open, much like a chick cracks the egg which shelters it. After the seed has cracked open, the seedling toils to break free into the fresh air and sunshine. Bent over, it slowly pushes through the earth, letting its back do all the work. Within a week the soil cracks and splits, evidence of the seedling’s labor. In another day the pale green seedling appears, still bent over. Soon the seedling completely emerges from the dark earth. Straightening its back and unfurling its leaves, it stands erect, lifting its head toward the warmth of the sun. Carefully, we nurture the seedling. Providing water and keeping the weeds away, we anticipate a harvest of delicious green beans.
Observing the plant life that God has created makes it so much easier to understand spiritual truths. Planting a seed and watching it germinate and grow is a metaphor for resurrection. Watching seeds emerge from their burial and watching perennials, dead through the winter, emerge to new life prepares our feeble human minds to understand resurrection and anticipate the glorious new life that awaits us in heaven with God. We need not fear death. We need not fear being buried in the earth, for we know, like the seed, we will rise to a beautiful new life, basking in the Son’s bright light.
Father, thank you for the burial and resurrection of your son. Thank you that we who believe no longer need fear death, for, like the seed, we too will one day emerge from our graves to a new life with you.
I Corinthians 15:20 “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.”
Some inspiration this spring morning from Charles H. Spurgeon
“Every promise of Scripture is a writing of God, which may be pleaded before Him with this reasonable request, ‘Do as Thou hast said.’ The Heavenly Father will not break His Word to His own child.”
Father, thank you for your Word and for always keeping your promises. Great is your faithfulness.
Growing Our Faith Together 