Daily Devotions and More for Monday, July 20, 2020
MerkV814
Daily Devotions and More for Monday, July 20, 2020
* Praise is one of the best, yet inexpensive gifts we can give to others. -- Gail Lynne Goodwin
* The world is moved not only by the mighty shoves of the heroes, but also by the aggregate of the tiny pushes of each honest worker. -- Helen Keller (1880 - 1968) American Writer
* I come to the office each morning and stay for long hours doing what has to be done to the best of my ability. And when you've done the best you can you can't do any better. -- Harry S. Truman (1884 - 1972) American politician
* Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value. -- Albert Einstein
* Life's about friendships, the way you love your partner, the way you care for your children. That is what life is about. Not anything about earning a hundred zillion dollars because you toured America more than anyone else. I want life to be about creativity. -- Joe Strummer (1952 - 2002) Former lead singer for the Clash rock band
* Always pray to have eyes that see the best in people, a heart that forgives the worst, a mind that forgets the bad, and a soul that never loses faith in God."
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Jephthah the Outcast
Scripture Reading — Judges 11:1-11
Gilead’s . . . sons . . . drove Jephthah away. “You are not going to get any inheritance in our family,” they said. . . . — Judges 11:2
Jephthah’s family and community had rejected him because his mother was a prostitute. So he had fled to another land, where he made a name for himself and outlaws followed him.
Though Jephthah had been exiled, the elders of Gilead begged him to return and help them fight the Ammonites, whom God had set against Israel because they had worshiped other gods. The elders even said that Jephthah could be the leader over all of them. That sounded good to Jephthah, and he made them commit to their promise.
The elders and Jephthah are like mirror images—corrupted opportunists serving themselves. They did what seemed right in their own eyes.
But what do we do? In our communities and our families, do we simply do as we like? Or do we try to seek out God’s will, reflecting on the teachings of his Word to us, asking the Lord for guidance, and searching out the wisdom of others who believe and trust in God? If we only do what seems right in our own eyes, we won’t be much different from Jephthah and the Gileadites, acting in line with our sinful nature.
But through another child who had a scandalous birth and was often an outcast, God has provided another way. He sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to live a perfect life and to give up his own life for our sake. He defeated our worst enemies—sin and death—so that we can live at peace with God. Praise be to God!
Prayer: Lord, thank you for the Savior who brings us full life with you. Amen.
Arie Leder
email: to...@thisistoday.net
TODAY is copyright © 2017, the BTGH
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A Scene from Psycho
From
Chicken Soup for the Soul: Laughter is the Best Medicine
By Sheryn Smith
Life isn't like a box of chocolates. It's more like a jar of jalapeños. What you do today might burn your butt tomorrow. -- Larry the Cable Guy
My husband and I were so consumed with food that we sold our home, bought an abandoned mom-and-pop grocery store in an old, up-and-coming neighborhood, and built a cooking studio with a bedroom. Thus, our adventures in the kitchen began.
One of our missions was to master the art of pepper jelly. We had been purchasing the spicy condiment from a local deli, but at four dollars a small jar (fifteen in today's dollars), we felt we should try it ourselves. (Keep reading)
Reprinted by permission of Chicken Soup for the Soul Publishing, LLC. In order to protect the rights of the copyright holder, no portion of this publication may be reproduced without prior written consent. All rights reserved.
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Wise Aid
Encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 1 Thessalonians 5:14
Scripture Reading: 1 Thessalonians 5:12–15
As I stopped my car at a red light, I saw the same man standing beside the road again. He held a cardboard sign: Need money for food. Anything helps. I looked away and sighed. Was I the kind of person who ignored the needy?
Some people pretend to have needs but are actually con artists. Others have legitimate needs but face difficulties overcoming destructive habits. Social workers tell us it’s better to give money to the aid ministries in our city. I swallowed hard and drove past. I felt bad, but I may have acted wisely.
God commands us to “warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak” (1 Thessalonians 5:14). To do this well we must know who belongs in which category. If we warn a weak or disheartened person, we may break her spirit; if we help an idle person, we may encourage laziness. Consequently, we help best from up close, when we know the person well enough to know what he needs.
Has God burdened your heart to help someone? Great! Now the work begins. Don’t assume you know what that person needs. Ask her to share her story, and listen. Prayerfully give as seems wise and not merely to feel better. When we truly aim “to do what is good for each other,” we will more readily “be patient with everyone,” even when they stumble (vv. 14-15).
By Mike Wittmer
REFLECT & PRAY
Father, help me to help wisely, and often.
When have others most helped you? What did you learn about how best to help others?
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
Most scholars agree Paul wrote 1 Thessalonians early in his eighteen-month stay in Corinth (around AD 49-51) during his second missionary journey (see Acts 18:1-18). Paul, Timothy, and Silas taught in the synagogue in Thessalonica over the course of three Sabbaths. During that time a number of Jews and God-fearing gentiles became believers in Jesus (Acts 17:4). But then rioters forced the trio to leave the city (vv. 9-10). Not long after, Paul sent Timothy back to check on the new church. When Timothy caught up with Paul in Corinth, he gave Paul a report that prompted him to write this letter. The book’s main theme is the second coming of Christ. Today’s passage outlines how to live in the meantime until He returns. -- Alyson Kieda
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Today’s Video: 'Spend A Life' David Dunn
“All I have is what You gave
Watching seconds turn to days
I was made for more then just to watch it fly
A few more turns around the sun
Could be hundreds could be one
Show me how to spend the treasure of my time
Show me how to spend a life”
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Today’s Verse: Amos 5:24 … 24 But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!
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Proverb of the Day: Proverbs 11:23 … 23 The desire of the righteous ends only in good, but the hope of the wicked only in wrath.
Our Daily Journey with God
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Wings over the Mountains of Life
A MountainWings Moment
Don't just stand there!
Direct link: www.CoachB.tv/0185
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Creativity
"Creativity is the sudden cessation of stupidity." -- Dr. E. Land
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Verse of the day
But he saves the needy from the sword of their mouth, from the hand of the mighty. So the poor have hope, and injustice shuts its mouth. -- Job 5:15-16 (NRSV)
Voice of the day
How can one give voice to the oppressed without controlling their voices? -- Michelle A. González
Prayer of the day
Christ who ushered in a new creation, may we partner with you in the holy work of laying down the desire to control, so that we can meet you in the messiness, the discomfort, and the ambiguity of truly reimagining this world. Amen.
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Admit it
Admit to being frightened, and your courage will grow. Admit to not knowing, and you will learn. Admit your weaknesses, and you’ll become stronger. Admit your mistakes, and you’ll begin to move past them.
Admit you don’t know what to say, and you’ll have said just the right thing. Admit that you’re confused, and you’ll begin to understand. Admit that you’re hurting, and you’ll begin to heal. Admit that you care, and the things that truly matter will grow stronger.
Being honest with yourself, with others, with life, can often be difficult and intimidating. Yet honesty is always the most reliable, the most direct route to truly attain whatever you seek.
Any attempt to deceive will ultimately end up wasting your precious time. Live the truth of who you are, and it will bring out the best you can be.
Copyright Ralph S. Marston, Jr. Used by permission. From The Daily Motivator® at www.dailymotivator.com
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The Spirituality of Half-Baked Chili Cheese Casserole
by Kristina Robb-Dover
The domesticated goddess in me made a new recipe the other night. (These days “domesticated” means trying out the dishes on sample at my local Trader Joe’s, so long as I can be assured of four ingredients or less.) So this evening we were to eat “Baked Chili Cheese Cornbread Casserole” (a bag of shredded cheddar over TJ’s cornbread batter and two cans of TJ’s turkey chili). Simple enough, right? You would think so- especially if you follow the directions.
We sat down to dig in and quickly discovered that the corn bread was only partially finished and that in fact, underneath the yellow crust was nothing but gooey batter. I apologized, but by way of example, proceeded to eat my serving. (It was getting late, and the kids needed to be in bed soon. Baking dinner any longer didn’t seem like an option at this point.) The ensuing dialogue from that evening goes something like this:
Kid 1 (normally my big eater): Takes one bite and decides she would rather be excused; without asking permission- she is two- she lets herself down and runs away before I can protest.
Husband (grimacing dramatically, as if he has just been asked to swim across the English Channel with ten-pound weights): “I’m sorry but I just really don’t think I can eat this.”
Me: “If we were in some parts of Africa right now, we would be eating this just because it’s food.”
Husband grudgingly and painstakingly takes another bite.
Kid 2 (whiningly, having not tried it but now taking his cue from Dad): “Mommy, I can’t eat this.”
Me: “Oh alright. I guess you can give yours to Carter (Carter is our dog.)”
Husband: “I’ll make some mac n’ cheese for the kids.” (He’s secretly dying for some mac n’ cheese. I can see it written all over his face.)
Me: “Fine. Give it to Carter then.”
The three bowls make their way to the floor as part of a nightly ritual of plate cleaning in which Carter is happy to indulge. Only this time, of course, Carter has really lucked out, or so I think. Carter eats one bowl and decides he has had enough…
Sometimes, when it comes to the depth, adventure and rich texture of a relationship with Jesus Christ, I wonder if we in the church often pull out half-baked chili cheese casserole for people and expect them to eat it. Which is one reason why so many folks these days find food for their souls outside the church.
To be fair, the term, “spirituality,” is actually quite young here in America: it has only been “baking” for so long. Eric Leigh Schmidt’s Restless Souls, which chronicles the development of what he describes as a quintessentially American, spiritual restlessness, locates the first textual use of the term in the early nineteenth century.
But the reality is that these days what many people are looking for and seemingly not finding in the church is a very real experience of God’s presence in the stuff of their lives. When “church” each Sunday becomes little more than another social gathering and the “sermon” a self-help pep talk, people naturally will resort to looking for God outside Christians’ prescribed holy places. Because understandably most of us are looking for more than half-baked dishes. We want something that not only feeds us but tastes good and is nourishing.
“Taste and see that the Lord is good,” the Psalmist says. ”Take my yoke upon you, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest,” Jesus says (Matthew 11:25). What if Christian spirituality were as simple and profound as feeding on God’s goodness and taking on the yoke of Jesus (which is really a way of describing what it means to walk in step with Jesus and get to know Him)? What if we the church learned to talk about why we gather in terms of just these two things and nothing more? Would we still be feeding people half-baked chili cheese casseroles?
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A WITNESS FOR CHRIST
by Margaret Cagle
Can we find time, O Christian,
In the busy lives we lead,
To be a witness for our Savior
And sow those precious seed?
We sing, "It Is Well With My Soul,"
And that is a beautiful hymn,
But for many souls, it is not well.
Are we concerned about them?
We need to witness to the lost.
The harvest truly is great.
When a soul dies without Christ,
For that person, it's too late.
God wants us to tell others
About salvation full and free,
So who will go and win them?
It is a privilege for you and me.
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Dear Lord Jesus Christ,
I offer myself to You as Your servant.
Please work in my life and accomplish Your will through me today.
Every little thing and every great thing that is accomplished today, I will praise You for it and I will give You all the glory.
Thank You for blessing my life with Your love, Your power, and Your presence.
In Jesus' name, I pray,
Amen.
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A Creation Poem
Read: Genesis 1:1–2:3
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (v. 1 KJV)
Personally, I am not very interested in the creation or evolution debates associated with this passage. Instead, I simply want to point out something usually overlooked: this passage is a poem. The structure parallels itself—on day one God says “let there be light,” and on day four he places lights in the heavens. On day two God separates the waters from the land, and on day five he creates creatures in the waters and in the open air. On day three God creates plants on the land and on day six he creates land animals and humans to steward over the plants and all creation. The second three days complete what was started on the first three days.
This is a narrative poem, full of theology and pastoral wisdom, which begins in chaos and ends in a garden. The point is not how, it’s who. God and his creation are bound together, and this is the foundation that our understanding of God is built on. This is bedrock. How creation works is a mystery, but we are invited to behold, to affirm, and to be in relationship with the God who creates by speaking his Word.
Creation is good, “filled with the grandeur of God,” as the Jesuit poet Gerard Manley Hopkins wrote. As we will see over the next few days, the wonder and beauty of creation is a theme repeated often in the Bible. —Jeff Munroe
As you pray, focus on the who of creation instead of the how.
Words of Hope
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Here’s to Your Health
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Think Zinc for Better Blood Sugar ControlDid you know that zinc is a really important mineral? It is especially crucial for blood sugar management. Many vegetarians could well be low in zinc.
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Today’s Recipe …
CROCK POT CUBED STEAK WITH GRAVY
Prep time 10 mins
Cook time 8 hours
Total time 8 hours 10 mins
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
1 packet of au jus gravy mix
1 can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 can French onion soup, undiluted
1/2 cup of water
1 1/2 - 2 pounds cubed steak
to thicken gravy:
3 tbsp. cornstarch
3 tbsp. cold water
To Prepare:
In the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker, combine cream of chicken soup, French Onion soup, packet of au jus and water.
Stir well.
Put cubed steak in slow cooker with gravy mixture.
Cover slow cooker and cook steak on low for 6-8 hours.
After cooking, it's time to thicken gravy. In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and cold water. Stir mixture into crock pot.
Turn the setting to high and cook for 30 minutes (until gravy is thickened.)
Notes
Serve with mashed potatoes.
If you are sensitive to salt, use lower sodium options where possible.
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What’s on the Web?
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iMom Espresso Minute … How to Have a Good Marriage in Just 38 Words
Before I got married, I read a lot about
the importance of communication in marriage. How hard can that be? I wondered. What's so difficult about
talking to each other? Little did I realize how much is packed
into that one word. There are some big picture rules to live by that can lead
to a happy and healthy marriage and several of them can be boiled down to
simple, specific words and principles.
That's great news for those of us who feel overwhelmed by the idea of finding
time to read another marriage book (or convincing our husbands to read it with
us!). So here, in just 38 words, is how to have a good marriage.
Focus on one set of words per week and notice the changes in your home.
Pillow Talk: Ask your kids, “What are your three favorite words
Word of the Day: stewardship
[stoo-erd-ship, styoo-]
Part of Speech: noun
Meaning: the responsible overseeing and protection of something considered worth caring for and preserving:
New regulatory changes will result in better stewardship of lands that are crucial for open space and wildlife habitat.
How is stewardship used?
As the 50th anniversary of Earth Day approaches—in a year that feels unsettlingly bleak—committing ourselves to more active Earth stewardship seems a logical, fitting and entirely necessary outcome. -- Wendy Paulson, "In a bleak year, the natural world stirs hope," Washington Post, April 4, 2020
Stewardship means, for most of us, find your place on the planet, dig in, and take responsibility from there—the tiresome but tangible work of school boards, county supervisors, local foresters—local politics. … Get a sense of workable territory, learn about it, and start acting point by point. -- Gary Snyder, Turtle Island, 1974
What is the origin of stewardship?
Stewardship is a compound of the common noun steward “a manager of someone’s property or finances” and the native English suffix –ship, which denotes condition, office, or skill. From about the beginning of the 20th century, stewardship in many Christian denominations has acquired the sense “obligation for the responsible use of time, money, and talents in the service of God and of one’s neighbor.” Stewardship entered English in the 15th century.
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A DOZEN DIRTY TRICKS
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Walmart CowboyYou can see some strange things in a Walmart parking lot but have you ever seen a cowboy lasso a thief? That’s exactly what happened when 28-year-old cowboy Robert Borba stopped by his local Walmart in Eagle Point, Oregon to pick up some dog food. He was riding his horse, wearing his cowboy hat, and had his two dogs for company. This all spelled bad news for the thief who didn’t make it out of the parking lot.
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A Couple’s Final Words to Each Other Accidentally Recorded
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvzl4qMbfxU
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English
These Mnemonic Tricks Will Make You a Better Speller
A mnemonic device is a memory technique used to help us retain information more easily. If you struggle with spelling, these 30 mnemonic devices will come in handy.
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Building stronger communities through caring-----
God’s Strength in our Shortcomings
Moses feared he didn’t have what it would take to do the big things God was asking of him. Sound familiar? Watch the video to be reminded that even when God asks us to do bold, brave things, He also promises “I will be with you.”
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Was Jesus a revolutionary?—Abisko National Park, Sweden
Pursue God's Promises
http://www.powerminute.com/p/pm2020-02-27.mp3
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The Chicken Soup for the Soul Podcast with Amy Newmark:
Marriage Means Happiness Ever Laughter
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Compiled by Marilyn L. Van Driesen
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