Do Small Things

“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” — Mother Teresa

Teach me, Lord, to do the small things that will make a difference in another’s life. Teach me to do this with great love.

Remember His Deeds

Yes, Lord, I remember the stories from your word, how you parted the Red Sea, how your son was born of a virgin. I remember the ways He healed, both body and spirit. And Lord, I remember the miracles you have performed in my own life. You are mightly, indeed.

As the Deer Pants for Water

In late August the hot sun scorches the earth.  The brittle grass browns and breaks.  Moisture-starved leaves yellow and flutter to the ground.  The baked earth, cracked in every direction, cries for rain.  Insects buzz in erratic dances—nothing else moves.  The stifling heat rises in nearly invisible waves.

Safe in her thicket, the deer stirs.  Hot and parched, she must drink.  Gingerly, she ventures to the brook to quench her thirst.  Frequently, she pauses to sniff the air, sensing wolves and other predators lurking nearby, eager to taste her flesh.  They too must drink, so her danger heightens as she nears the life-giving water.  In spite of the danger, her extreme thirst drives her to the stream, for she pants for water.  She mustdrink.

On a hot summer’s day, we guzzle glass after glass of cold, refreshing water, attempting to slake our thirst. If our souls truly pant for God the way the deer pants for water, what would we do?

O God, give me a thirst for you.  Make the thirst in me so strong I must satisfy it. Give me the discipline to drink deeply at your never-ending stream.

Psalms 42:1&2 “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God.

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.”

All of You

“An infinite God can give all of Himself to each of His children. He does not distribute Himself that each may have a part, but to each one He gives all of Himself as fully as if there were no others.”

― A.W. Tozer

Thank you, Father, for your undivided attention and love, for giving me and the rest of humanity, all of yourself.

“Our greatest fear should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter.”

— Francis Chan

Yikes! If that isn’t a quote to cut you to the quick! How often, Lord, do I put earthly success ahead of knowing and loving you? What about the new job or raise, the beautiful home, the new hairdo or clothes? Do I value these spiritually insignificant things more than I value a relationship with my God? It gives me pause. Lord, forgive me when I value other things more than you. Help me to keep my focus and my values on spiritual matters.

The Body of Christ

Let me add verse 24 b to the beginning of this passage: “But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it….

Father, it makes me weep to see the body that you put together bicker and argue among themselves and with others. Forgive us, Lord. Teach us to honor one another and to work together to be the body of Christ and to do your work together.

Rivers of Peace

In a world torn by conflicts and war, people seek peace.  They question why war exists; hasn’t God has promised peace?  When you listen to the news, it seems peace doesn’t exist.  Even in our homes, it can be elusive.  Couples bicker and divorce, siblings argue and fight. 

The book of Isaiah sheds light on peace: “If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river”(48:18a NIV).  One prerequisite to peace is obeying God’s commands.  But what about peace…like a river?  To fully appreciate this concept of peace like a river, imagine a great river running through the land.

The broad river, a constant presence, flows despite obstacles.  Sometimes the river runs smoothly; at other times it runs headlong into a snag, separating and diverting its water to other paths.  The water flows peacefully on, until downstream it smashes full force against the rocks, shattering spray high in the air.  Flowing to the top of a sharp drop-off, the water rushes forward, falling… falling…rushing over the edge, churning and boiling at the bottom.  After a time, the waters collect in a still pool, resting, reveling in the quiet. 

During my mother’s last years, her mind ravaged by dementia, my river of peace constantly ran against snags of her lost memory.  My peace plummeted over the precipice of countless hours watching her mind rapidly losing rational thought and memory.  Constantly swirling and eddying, the waters rushed me from work to my parents’ home to assist Dad in caring for her. Emotional whirlpools threatened to spin out of control. 

The only thing that kept my sanity during this difficult time was God’s peace. You may ask how I can feel peace when my world was turned upside down.  In Galatians 5:22, we learn that peace is a fruit of the Spirit.  Only the spirit of God can give us peace in the midst of the snags, rocks, waterfalls, and whirlpools of life. 

 So how do we receive this peace?  We can’t buy it in a store; we can only receive it as a gift from God.  Once again, scripture aids us in our search for peace.  “You[God]will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trust in you” (Isaiah 26:3 NIV).  Our peace comes when we place complete trust in God and obey His commands (Isaiah 48:18). 

 When our life’s circumstances shatter against the rocks, placing trust in God’s perfect will keeps us at peace despite trying circumstances.  Jesus tells us he leaves us peace, but “I do not give you [peace] as the world gives” (John 14:22 NIV).  The countries of the world may continue to fight, and we will still experience difficulties and tragedies.  But when we obey God’s commands and trust Him, no matter how difficult our circumstances, we experience His peace, flowing like a river deep within our souls.

Thank you, Father, that you provide peace for our souls, even in the most difficult circumstances.

Living Simply

“The people who influence us most are not those who buttonhole us and talk to us, but those who live their lives like the stars in heaven and the lilies in the field, perfectly simply and unaffectedly. Those are the lives that mould”

― Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest

Show me, Lord, how to live as sincerely and genuinely as the flowers in the field and the stars in the sky. Let me live for your glory.

To Know Christ

Wow, this is such a powerful verse. To know even a little of the power of Jesus’ resurrection would be such a privilege. Open my eyes and my spirit Lord, that I might have a better understanding of Your power and might. Let me know you and worship you.