Category Archives: Devo Drops

Thoughts on daily devotional scripture readings

Well, Well, Well

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Well, the old well has served us well.

Don’t you love the English language?
Three uses of the word “well”—an interjection, a noun and an adverb—in one sentence.

But I’m not here to give an English grammar lesson.
I’m here to talk about wells: noun, plural.

Well #1
Abraham told his servant to go find a wife for his son, Isaac. So the servant journeyed back to Abraham’s homeland and stopped by a well. He prayed, “Let the girl who offers to water my camels be The One.” Before he finished praying, Rebekah arrived and volunteered to water the camels.

“The girl was very beautiful.” Genesis 24:16

Well #2
Isaac’s son, Jacob, was traveling and stopped at a well for refreshment. Rachel came along with her father’s sheep and Jacob offered to water her animals. It was love at first sight and Jacob kissed Rachel right then and there. Then he cried.

“Rachel was lovely in form, and beautiful.” Genesis 29:17

Well #3
Moses was on the run from Pharaoh and landed in Midian, where he sat down by a well. Zipporah and her six sisters showed up with a flock of sheep. Some shepherds started to harrass them, so Moses drove them away and drew water for the sheep. Zipporah’s dad said, “Marry that man.”

“Zipporah was admired for her loveliness.” Midrash (early Jewish literature)

See the pattern here?
It seems all the pretty girls hung out at the local watering holes.
It seems meetings at wells were especially significant.
It seems to be the reason why Jesus had to go to Samaria.

Well #4 (One more)
Jesus was hot, tired and thirsty. He sat down by a well and waited for a divine meeting with a woman. When she came, they talked about living water and true worship. Jesus mentioned the six relationships she’d had with men. Then He told her He was the Messiah. She believed Him. (John 4)

Isaac, Jacob and Moses all found their wives by a well.
Then the Bridegroom Himself
came to a well to win the heart of a Samaritan woman.
Jesus was her #7 (the number of perfection).

You can’t make this stuff up. It’s too good.


Hello, It’s Me

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It’s probably not good business sense to take a month off, but whoo-boy, it’s good for the soul.

Thanks to those of you who visited a small drop 3,273 times in August. I’m no big kahuna in the world of online blogs/substacks/current platforms, but the fact that so many of you stopped by when no one was home truly warmed my heart.

I did a little reading in August: Dante’s Divine Comedy — all 900 pages. Goodness gracious. Inferno was riveting. Purgatorio was a bit slow. Paradiso was glorious. It definitely clarified the eternal options and, believe me, you don’t want Inferno. *Horrified shudder* You want Paradiso. *Happy shiver*

I also re-read Theo of Golden by Allen Levi. I liked the book when I read it in March. I loved it when I read it in August. There were so many little things I missed the first time. The subtle foreshadowing that didn’t register in March, suddenly burst forth with depth of meaning in August. The quiet references to scripture stood out the second time through. Because I knew how the story ended, everything became clearer and much more significant. The characters came off the page and into my heart.

“Featherwood”
IYKYK

Re-reading books is a rarity for me.
(I currently have 429 titles on my To-Be-Read list—
so many books, so little time.)

But I learned something during my August Pause.

I know how The Story ends, which makes everything from Genesis to Revelation pop with meaning and significance. Every time I re-read those holy pages, I find something I missed before. A little more clarity. A little more understanding. More love—every time through—more love.

May the truth of God’s Word
jump from the page
into our hearts.
Amen.

“The Word of the Lord is worth more than gold,
even more than much fine gold.” 
Psalm 19:10

Things I Couldn’t Say Until Now

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For years, I’ve had a file folder in my desk drawer labeled
Things I Couldn’t Say Until Now.

Slips of paper with rants, complaints, and criticism were filed away.
Sharp-tongued chastisements were duly recorded and deposited.

“Someday,” I thought, “I will unload my righteous judgments.”

I came across that file folder this week.
Whoo-boy, it’s a good thing I didn’t say those things then.
There’s no need to say those things now.
It’s time to let it go.

I created that file folder years ago and since then,
I’ve found a better way to deal with expectations and disappointments.

I say,
“God, I give everyone and everything to You.”
And,
“God, I forgive everybody everything.”
And,
“God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

“Love…keeps no record of wrongs.”
1 Corinthians 13:5

Home Again

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We were only gone for three days last week,
but when we pulled into our driveway,
PB and I both let go with a happy sigh.
Home.

When we walked into our house, we said,
“Ah, it’s good to be back.”

Home again, home again,
Jiggety-jig.

As a child, I loved the stories and poems from the red Childcraft books that were published in the 1950s. I grew up with those books and can still quote all five stanzas of the poem “Antonio.” Many lines from those literary treasures became part of our family’s sayings.

“Gone is gone.”

“An icery creamery conio.”

And this one:

I remember hearing my mom say,
“Home again, home again, jiggety-jig” after a long trip.
Then I started saying it when PB and I had little ones in the back seat.
I said it last week when we pulled into our garage.

That feeling of being home—
it’s only a glimpse,
just a tiny taste,
of what it will be like to arrive in heaven, our true home.

For this world is not our home;
we are looking forward to our everlasting home in heaven. 
Hebrews 13:14, TLB

Home again, home again,
Jiggety-jig.

Transformers

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Megatron, Optimus Prime, and Bumblebee weren’t the first Transformers.

Before a yellow Volkswagon Beetle morphed into a mighty robot warrior,
transformation was quietly happening all around us.
I have proof.
It happened on my kitchen counter.

Monarch caterpillars hatch and feed on milkweed plants. I don’t know all the science around it, but while milkweed is considered toxic to most insects, these guys gorge themselves on the sticky, gooey stuff this plant oozes.

PB brought home six of the striped crawlers.
We outfitted each one in its own cozy glass house
and fed them milkweed daily.

Free from predators and lawn mowers and thunderstorms, these guys thrived. Life was good. Fresh food magically showed up, piles of worm poop were disposed of, and giants on the other side of the glass seemed to be enthralled.

Then one day, this happened.

Then this happened.

I know.
This is a Kindergarten science project.
You’ve seen it all before.

I’d like to invite you to pause and think about it.
Ponder the beauty.
Meditate on the wonder of metamorphosis.

When Paul wrote to the church in Rome, he said,
“Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but be transformed.”
Romans 12:2

The Greek word Paul chose was “metamorphoo.”

Jesus-followers are supposed to be Transformers.

Our life apart from Christ was like being a wormy thing—
stuck crawling on the ground,
eating toxic goo.

The Spirit of the Lord takes such lowly beings as us
and completely changes our form,
making us new creatures who can rise to new heights.

“If anyone is in Christ,
he is a new creation.
The old has gone,
the new has come.”
2 Corinthians 5:17

The Old Apple Tree*

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When I was a young girl, I used to love the apple tree that was in the pasture by our house. It had a low hanging branch that made it easy to climb. I would take my Nancy Drew book, jump over the fence, and then hoist myself up to sit on a limb, resting my back against the trunk. Reading a book while sitting in a tree was magical.

These days, I might sit under a tree with a book, but my climbing days are over. Still, trees hold an allure for me. I’d take a walk in the woods over a stroll on the beach any day. (Unless it’s February — then a stroll on the beach can’t be beat.)

The opening song in the Hebrew book of prayers, Psalm 1, tells me to learn from the trees.

“…be like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither…” Ps. 1:3

There are some instructions on how to be this kind of tree:

  • Get planted in a good place
  • Be still to let living water saturate the roots
  • Pay attention to the seasons
  • Graciously share what develops
  • Stay refreshed and vibrant

So I’m asking myself some questions:

  • Where do I plant myself most days? In ungodly counsel and in the seat of mockers (Ps. 1:1), or in God’s Word, meditating day and night (Ps. 1:2)?
  • What am I soaking up? Fresh springs of living water from the Lord, or the lifeless stagnation of worldly advice?
  • Am I willing to accept seasons of dormancy and stillness, or do I constantly push for peak productivity?
  • During times of prosperity and growth, will I be generous and eager to share, or will I hoard the bounty for myself?
  • As I grow older, how will I keep myself from withering up and being blown away like chaff (Ps. 1:4)? Will I abide in the Vine, remaining in Him, bearing much fruit (John 15:5)?

What kind of tree would I like to be?
With over 60,000 species in the world,
there is plenty of room for variety.

I have no visions of becoming
a tall pine
or a stately oak
or a majestic redwood.
I would like to be an apple tree,
with a low hanging branch,
in a green pasture,
inviting small ones to crawl up
and sit a while with a book,
munching on the sweet fruit
of a life lived in Jesus.

*Re-post from January 10, 2022—Be Like a Tree

Other posts about trees:
Tree of Life
My Tree
10 Things I Learned in January

Withering Sights

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“Flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come.”
Song of Solomon 2:12

This is true.

The peony bush that we were gifted 4 years ago bloomed for the first time.
I literally broke out in song.

“The grass withers and the flowers fade….”
Isaiah 40:8

This is also true.

The next morning my magnificent bloom was busted.
I literally groaned.

“The grass withers and the flowers fade,
but the word of our God endures forever.”
Isaiah 40:8

This is the truest of truths.

I may be radiant one day and wrecked the next,
but the Word of God will never wither or fade.

“It is impossible for God to lie.
We have this hope as an anchor for the soul,
firm and secure.”
Hebrews 6:18-19

First Responders

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We should be very thankful for First Responders. They are true servants, willing to be called on at anytime—night or day—to help people in trouble. These highly trained professionals often arrive first at the scene of an emergency, not knowing what they will be facing. No matter what, they are expected to take action in crisis situations. Because of their hours of intense training, they are equipped to handle just about anything.

I couldn’t do it.
In high-pressure situations, I tend to freeze.
And then cry.
And then pass out, if blood is involved.

First responders don’t ask who is in trouble, or what caused the incident, or how the situation escalated. They just go as fast as they can to whoever needs rescue. They’re not motivated by public recognition, medals of honor, or accolades on Facebook. Caring for people and the community is what drives them.

Could I be a first responder of a different kind?

I’ve been training in the ways of Christ for over 50 years now.
I’m aware of the dangers that living in this fallen world can create.
Am I willing to enter into perilous places for the sake of rescuing others?
Can I be someone who responds first by
noticing a need,
offering a hand,
running into the fire,
if necessary?

The world needs true servants, willing to be called on anytime—night or day.

“Be merciful to those who doubt;
save others by snatching them from the fire.”
Jude 22-23

Send in the Replacements

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“We don’t stop loving a person when they are hurt or sick.
No, we grow stronger so they can lean on us.”*
The Great Alone, Kristin Hannah

My brother had hip replacement surgery this week.
A few years ago he had both knees replaced—at the same time.
Then a hip.
Then a shoulder.
And now, the other hip.
All those new joints should keep him pain-free for a long time.

I spent a couple days with him this week.
I filled his water bottle.
I replenished his bird feeders.
I ran his errands.
I waited on him.
Just like old times.

It’s amazing what modern medicine can do.
The doctor removed a diseased bone structure
and swapped it out for an artificial one.

It’s amazing what modern medicine can’t do.
The doctor couldn’t create a new, living joint
just like the one my brother traded in.

It’s astounding what God can do.
He can take a hard, sick heart
and replace it
with a soft, healthy heart
and throw in a new spirit, too.

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; 
I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”
Ezekiel 36:26

*Quote from Grandpa Dan’s daily emails “Think Great Thoughts—Live Great Lives”

Join the Conversation

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“God spoke today in flowers,
and I, who was waiting on words,
almost missed the conversation.”
~ Ingrid Goff-Maidoff ~

I spend a lot of time waiting on words.
Hours have been spent staring at a blank screen—
hoping letters will drift down and come together in words,
praying the words will join up into concise sentences,
trusting the sentences will band together into sensible paragraphs.

If I stay close enough to the Author of Life,
I figure I stand a chance at catching a few meaningful words.

On my “About Dinah” page I wrote: “Writing has always been my pathway to finding the truth in both my heart and God’s heart. Words swirl in and out of my life in many ways. I like to read them, write them, sing them and put them into crossword puzzles.”

That’s as true now as it was in 2010. (16 years ago?!) 

But lately, I’ve been awakened to another way of capturing truth, beauty and goodness. It seems the Author is also a Gardener.

Charles Spurgeon said that the created world is God’s “outward temple” and that nature is “the second Bible.”

David wrote psalms about stars and skies, the sun and moon, oceans and trees.

Jesus taught that there is much to learn when we are attentive to nature. He suggested that a meditative look at a wild flower could help us become less anxious. (Matthew 6:28-29)

“All nature sings and round me rings the music of the spheres.” *

Here I’ve been, waiting on words,
and in the meantime,
I’ve been missing out on the language of
lilies, oak trees and the Milky Way.

May this be the summer of listening for the music
and joining the conversation.

* “This Is My Father’s World,” Maltbie D. Babcock, 1901