Category Archives: Devo Drops

Thoughts on daily devotional scripture readings

Lists

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This is my to-do list for yesterday. I love the look of a to-do list that is all ta-done. There’s a sense of victory in knocking off each item, like a mighty conqueror.

My mind is constantly making lists. The process starts early in the morning and carries me through the day. I like having a plan that keeps me on track. Yesterday, it worked. That doesn’t happen very often, hence the picture of my glorious slip of scribbled paper. Most days are a mix of surprises and interruptions with some mayhem thrown in. Perhaps this penchant for making lists is my way of willing some order into the universe and control over my day.

I’m not the only one who likes lists. The scriptures are full of them. Some are monotonous lists of who begat whom or what tract of land each tribe was given. Some lists are familiar, like the 10 Commandments or the Beatitudes. See?  God likes lists too. One of the best is a pretty short one, and tucked into one of those obscure books that forces one to use the Table of Contents. Micah, speaking for God, said, “What does the Lord require of you? 1) To act justly 2) to love mercy and 3) to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8  

Don’t think I’ll ever be able to cross off that list. It’s hard to act justly when so often life isn’t fair. (“The fair comes to town once a year and for the rest of the year, it’s just not fair.” – famous quote of my aunt.) I love mercy, because I need so much of it. I don’t always love mercy enough to extend it to others, though. I do my best to walk with God, but the “humbly” part, that needs some work.

Maybe I should give more attention to Micah’s to-do list. What would happen if every morning, we all wrote down those three things and carried that list around all day? I’m thinking we’d change the world.

Step It Up

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“Take the time and trouble to keep yourself spiritually fit.” 1 Timothy 4:7 (Phillips version)  

Last year our insurance company sent out pedometers to everyone covered by their health insurance plan. We were told to wear them every day and then regularly plug them into our computer where the steps would be logged. At the end of the year, depending on how many steps taken, each person would be rewarded. I figured a little motivation couldn’t hurt and it wasn’t a big deal to clip the pedometer on my belt loop every morning. When I realized the reward could potentially be as much as $300, I got serious. Getting paid to walk? Are you kidding? I’m in!

Unfortunately, not everyone in the household was on board. One day I noticed an unused pedometer sitting on  the counter and *cha-ching*, I saw money walking out the door. So I clipped it on next to mine. Not sure that’s ok. I feel slightly guilty, so it’s probably not ok.

Perhaps I’ve lost sight of the real motivation for all this. The money is nice, but exercise and good health is really what this deal is all about. Wearing my hubby’s pedometer might garner me a few bucks, but it will do nothing for his health. When it comes down to it, everyone needs to be responsible for their own steps if they want the true reward.

How Do I Love Thee?

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You’ve probably seen that commercial where a man and woman are at a park sitting on a blanket and the man says, “I love this new Miller Lite aluminum pint.”  “Oh really,” she says. “Why do you love it?”  And he begins to expound on all the reasons why he loves his beer can. He’s articulate and passionate. He doesn’t have to stop and think; the many reasons for his ardor roll off his tongue effortlessly. The annoyed girlfriend then asks the inevitable question, “And why do you love me?” Suddenly tongue-tied, he tries too hard to sound natural, but stutters and stammers some idiotic blather about her hair and teeth. She’s not impressed. In fact, she’s ticked.

In another episode, a young man is obviously falling hard for a beautiful young woman. His voice-over leads us to believe he’s found “the one” for him.  Except “the one” turns out to be a keg of beer in his fridge.

Sometimes I feel like those shallow guys on the beer commercials. I can wax eloquent about a book or movie I just love. I can go on and on about the joys of quilting or the thrill of finding a deal at a flea market. I can even be a fairly convincing sports fan. (I do love enjoy baseball.) But when the still, small voice whispers in my spirit, “And why do you love Me?” I am suddenly speechless. Like the guy in the commercial, I struggle to express anything with depth of meaning. “Gahhh…uhhhhh…’cause You, like, made everything and ….You’re….. you know, really great and … well…….  Thou Art Worthy…”  When I start talking like that, I know I’m trying too hard and not being real. Good gracious.

Instead of trying to come up with some high and lofty sounding words of righteous praise, I need a new approach. Maybe I should just give God a compliment. Something like, “My, You really outdid Yourself this morning with that sunrise.” Or, “Nice job on that flower. Great color and design.” Or, “I really love it when You do that.”

How do I love Thee? Let me make a list.

Funny what beer commercials can teach you.

More Treasure

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Remember Hushai the Arkite? (See my last post if you have no idea who Hushai the Arkite is.) It seems that Hushai was not one of those obscure biblical names that gets mentioned once and is never to be heard of again. Although I’ve never heard a sermon on Hushai, and he wasn’t in the Sunday school material, and I doubt if he’s on the list of great men of the Bible, Hushai actually plays pretty big in the saga of King David. (Read the biblical account for yourself in 2 Samuel 15-17.)

When David’s son Absalom attempted to usurp his father’s throne, David decided to leave Jerusalem rather than go to battle against his son. It was a tearful departure from the royal city and “the whole countryside wept aloud” as David and his entourage march out. “David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went.” “When David arrived at the summit…..Hushai the Arkite was there to meet him.”

I love Hushai for that. He was there in the glory days of David’s reign when it was an honor to be on the king’s list of insiders. And he was a faithful companion in David’s saddest, darkest days. I imagine David was comforted to see his friend’s face up on that Mount. There are friends you can call on in times of need, but then there are friends who just know when to show up at your door.

Hushai went on to enter the service of Absalom in order to be a spy for David and he played a key role in undermining Absalom’s plans to attack David. The name Hushai pops up one other time. David’s son Solomon followed his father as king and he appointed twelve district governors, one of which was Baana, son of Hushai. (1 Kings 4:16) It seems that while their fathers were at work in the palace, Solomon and Baana were forging their own friendship.

Friendship is a true treasure. Thank you for being a friend.

 

Treasure

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My reading this week took me through four solid chapters in 1 Chronicles that consisted of lists of names like Meshelemiah and Zabdiel and Joshbekashah and Happizzez (I kinda like that one). There were lists upon lists of priests, singers, gatekeepers, treasurers, officers and overseers. I thought, “Come on. Really? What’s the point of pages of kooky names from 450 B.C.?”

Perhaps as a reward for muddling through those boring chapters, God saved a treasure for the end of the lists. After naming all the “officials in charge of King David’s property” and recording all the individuals in “the book of the the annals of the King”, there is a pause at the end of chapter 27.

The final list is short – only five people. These men weren’t in charge of the temple or the music; they didn’t stand watch at the gate or do an inventory of the temple treasury; they didn’t lead a division of soldiers or tend the vineyards. These men took care of the King.  They were:

1) Jonathan – (a sensible name) David’s uncle, “a man of insight and a scribe”. David needed an older family member, someone who had known the King when he was just a wee boy and young shepherd. David relied on this man, who had wisdom and knew the scriptures.

2) Jehiel – “took care of the king’s sons”. Not an easy job, as there were at least 19 sons, as recorded in 1 Chronicles 3. Jehiel must have been quite a man to be put in charge of that rowdy crew.

3) Ahithophel – “was the king’s counselor”. We all need counseling.

4) Joab – “the commander of the royal army”. David’s right hand man and confidante.

Here’s the best part:

5) Hushai – “Hushai the Arkite was the king’s friend.”

Herein lies the treasure. Even kings need friends.

Scrabble Attitude

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We play Scrabble at our house. Some of us like it, some of us do not. Those who like to play usually talk the others into joining in for the sake of family harmony. It never ends good, though. The wordsmiths among us can’t seem to let up enough to let the others actually have fun and finish the game with a measure of self-esteem.

So imagine my joy yesterday when I found an old Scrabble game at Vinnie’s and inside the box was a paper entitled, “10 Ways to Become an Instant Scrabble Game Expert”. At last, dominance on the Scrabble board! Besides, I’m always a sucker for 10 Ways to Becoming anything, especially if it promises expertise (or a way to prevail over my children in board games).

The first nine tips were strategic ways to “rule the board”, but the 10th one really got my attention. Here’s what it said:  “ATTITUDE: Keep in mind that anyone can beat anyone else with a certain amount of luck. Also remember that everyone draws poor combinations of tiles at times, so when you do, take pleasure in making the best play you can. Finally, don’t dwell on your mistakes. Everyone makes them, so go easy on yourself and just enjoy playing!”

Now there’s a philosophy on life for you! Following the “Shampoo Bottle Prayer” idea (July 9th post), let’s pray. Dear Lord, help me to remember that this day is not about winning or coming out ahead or being lucky. I might have a great combination of events and relationships today. Or I may not be able to make any sense out of the things that come my way. Help me to take pleasure in just doing the best I can. Give me the ability to let my past mistakes go and stop beating myself up for them. Help me play this day out with joy. Amen.

“Let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.” Ephesians 4:23

Shampoo Bottle Prayer

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As I was standing in my shower trying to memorize my laminated Bible verses (see Showers of Blessing, June 26th) I discovered a wonderful prayer on the back of my shampoo bottle. It was right there on my bottle of Suave Daily Clarifying Shampoo. Here’s what it said:

Suave Daily Clarifying Shampoo deep cleans and clarifies hair – for less than the more expensive brands. Penetrating lather completely removes the dulling build-up of hair sprays, mousses, gels, and over-conditioning, leaving hair refreshed and full of body. Deep cleaners eliminate the residue that can make hair dull and lifeless. Ph balanced formula is gentle enough for everyday use.

Here’s my version: Dear Lord, I ask You to daily deep-clean my heart and clarify Your purpose for me this day. Penetrate completely into my inmost parts and remove the dulling build-up of sinful thoughts and desires. Leave me refreshed and full of joy. Let Your Holy Spirit clean deep and eliminate the residue of this world that makes me dull and lifeless. Thank You for Your gentleness as You deal with me daily. Keep me balanced. Amen.

Right there on my shampoo bottle. Who knew? I wonder if there are other labels out there that contain spiritual truths. It might be fun to look. She who has eyes to see, let her see.

 

VBS Week

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Remember Camp Week?  (June 21 post)  Well, now it’s VBS (Vacation Bible School) Week and the rules all change.  No more no-laundry-no-cooking-sit-on-the-deck-reading-magazines nonsense.  This is my week to throw an all-out party for 60 kiddos for four straight nights.  So the rules are:

1) Don’t even think about blogging.

2) Remember why I am doing the VBS thing:  One day, when one of our little 1st graders is sitting in her college dorm room and her roommate brings up the topic of religion and how boring and stupid church is, I want our little 1st grader to say someday, “MY church wasn’t boring at all!  I had great times growing up in my church.  Our church loved kids and had a huge impact on my faith.”

Amen sister.  Back to the party.

Showers of Blessings

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My son (daughter), pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart. Proverbs 4:20-21

So, we can pretty much agree that keeping the Word in our hearts means putting those words to memory, right? But I’m realizing my memory isn’t what it used to be. There was a day when I was able to memorize pages of notes the night before a test, using all manner of tips and tricks to stuff the data into my brain. I would walk into the classroom the next day, spew out every bit of information on the exam, walk out the classroom and forget everything. I got a lot of A’s that way, but didn’t retain any bit of real knowledge.

I’ve tried lots of techniques for scripture memory as well, but heard a good one recently that’s worth a try. Type up a verse or short passage, laminate it (or put it in a ziploc bag), and hang it up in the shower. That’s at least five minutes of every day that won’t be  interrupted with a phone call, media and social network bombardment, or a kid looking for a pair of socks. It would actually be refreshing to have something else to think about in the shower other than the soap scum that needs scrubbing or the waistline that needs slimming.

I admit that there would be a strong temptation to post a few verses in the shower stall aimed directly at the heart of other family members. Something like, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord,” or “If a man will not work, he shall not eat.” But I am gently reminded that scripture is to be used to fight against the enemy of our soul, not the people we love and live with.

Are you willing to soak up the Living Water while soaping it up in the shower? What verse will you be memorizing?

“Cleanse me with hyssop and I will be clean; wash me and I will be whiter than snow.” Psalm 51:7

Overflow

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“Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.”  Luke 6:45

 

There’s a flow about our lives. Most of the time we don’t even realize the circuit that courses in and out of us. Until the overflow.

When I was a senior in high school, there was a group of four or five sophomore boys who liked hanging around me. They probably all had a secret crush, but figured I’d never actually date any of them, so they settled for adopting me as their big sister. I liked hanging around them because they gave me a break from the inevitable high school drama surrounding girls’ friendships. Plus, they were fun. But they had a problem with their mouths so I took it upon myself to clean up their salty language, as any big sister would. Every time an offensive expression was heard, I responded with “Watch your mouth.” I was certain my influence would have a lasting effect on those punks and that I was doing the world and God a favor. It didn’t help much. But I did get a cool t-shirt for a graduation present from my little gang of guys. Printed on the front of the shirt were the words “Watch your mouth.”

What I didn’t understand then, and regularly need to be reminded now, is that when the mouth has a problem it’s not really a mouth problem. It’s a heart problem. I should have paid more attention to the condition of the hearts of those silly sophomore boys. In an effort to teach his own boy, Solomon said, “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” Proverbs 4:23 In other words, what’s in my heart is going to come leaking out of my mouth.

There’s a flow about our lives. It begins with what we see and hear, travels to our thoughts, turns into desires and sets awhile in our hearts. Then one day, the cup runneth over. Good or bad, our words reveal the state of our hearts.

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14