Daily Devotions for Saturday, July 18, 2020
MerkV814
Saturday, July 18, 2020
* Seek out that particular mental attribute which makes you feel most deeply and vitally alive, along with which comes the inner voice which says, 'This is the real me,' and when you have found that attitude, follow it. -- William James (1842 - 1910) American Philosopher and Psychologist
* If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses. -- Henry Ford
* I went out to find a fried but could not find one there. I went out to be a friend and friends were everywhere. -- Unknown
* When a train goes through a tunnel and it gets dark, you don’t throw away the ticket and jump off. You sit still and trust the engineer. -- Corrie Ten Boom
* The grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love and something to hope for. -- Joseph Addison (1672 - 1719) English Writer and Statesman
* I believe with all my heart that standing up for America means standing up for the God who has so blessed our land. We need God's help to guide our nation through stormy seas. But we can't expect Him to protect America in a crisis if we just leave Him over on the shelf in our day-to-day living. -- Ronald Reagan
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Costly Kingship
Scripture Reading — Judges 9:1-6; Matthew 27:35-44
They gave him seventy shekels of silver, and Abimelek used it to hire reckless scoundrels. . . . — Judges 9:4
The Israelites had asked Gideon to rule over them, but he had refused, saying, “The Lord will rule over you” (Judges 8:23).
But after Gideon died, his son Abimelek manipulated the people of Shechem to support him, and then he killed his seventy brothers and set himself up as king. Some people will do anything, pay any price, to achieve a position of leadership—also among God’s people.
The leaders of God’s people included some who lacked humility and self-control: for example, the judges Jephthah and Samson (Judges 10-16), the kings Saul and Rehoboam (1 Samuel 15; 1 Kings 12), and even the great King David, who committed adultery with the wife of a dedicated warrior— and then had the man killed in battle (2 Samuel 11; 23:29).
Truth is, none of us can bear the true cost of successfully leading God’s people. Bribery, smooth-talking, and manipulation may get us a position, but sooner or later our flaws and sin will find us out.
Unlike Abimelek, Christ was publicly declared king on a cross. There they mocked him: “If you are the King of Israel, come down from the cross.” He did not. He required no one’s life in exchange. His own Father did not deliver him from that horrible crucifixion. He surrendered himself to the grave to pay the price of all our sin. Then he rose again. Hallelujah! What a Savior!
Prayer: For “your dying sorrow, your mercy without end,” Lord, “let me never, never outlive my love for you.” In your name, Amen.
email: to...@thisistoday.net
TODAY is copyright © 2017, the BTGH
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Love Is the Answer
From Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Magic of Moms
By Nancy King Barnes
Be completely humble and gentle;
Be patient, bearing with one another in love.
~Ephesians 4:2
My mother-in-law, whom I called Grandma for twenty-five years, was a true Southern mom. Cooking was a gift she gave her family daily. The meals were routine — sausage gravy with biscuits, fried chicken, salmon patties, and chicken-fried steak. If you wanted fried potatoes or any of the above at midnight, she would make them with a smile on her face. The moment her feet hit the floor, the bacon and eggs hit the pan. This was her routine every morning, despite the fact that she lived alone for forty years. Widowed at age forty-five, she chose never to date again. There was only one love in her life — her husband of twenty-four years and the father of her two sons.
Unfortunately, Alzheimer's disease stole Grandma's independence. When she was no longer able to live alone, my husband and I agreed to ask her to stay with us. We made this decision with some misgivings, as we realized our own freedom would be limited. But Grandma's freedom had been taken from her forever by Alzheimer's. (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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Precious
You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing. Psalm 16:2
Scripture Reading: Psalm 16:1–11
“My precious . . .” First portrayed in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, the image of the emaciated creature Gollum in his maniacal obsession with the “precious ring of power” has become an iconic one today—for greed, obsession, even insanity.
It’s also a troublingly relatable image. In his tormented love-hate relationship with both the ring and with himself, Gollum’s voice echoes the hunger in our own hearts. Whether it’s directed at one thing in particular, or just a vague longing for “more,” we’re sure that once we finally get our own “precious,” we’ll be satisfied. But instead, what we thought would make us whole leaves us feeling even emptier than before.
There’s a better way to live. As David expresses in Psalm 16, when the longings in our hearts threaten to send us on a desperate, futile quest for satisfaction (v. 4), we can remember to turn to God for refuge (v. 1), reminding ourselves that apart from Him we have nothing (v. 2).
And as our eyes stop looking for satisfaction “out there” to gaze instead on God’s beauty (v. 8), we find ourselves finally tasting true contentment—a life of basking in the “joy [of God’s] presence,” walking with Him each moment in “the way of life”—now and forever (v. 11 nlt).
By Monica Brands
REFLECT & PRAY
God, forgive me for thinking I can find what I need apart from You. Thank You for always being there even when I forget to look for You. Draw me to Your side to live in the joy of walking with You.
What’s the thing you often turn to for satisfaction when you lose sight of God? Who can be a source of support and love for you when you feel trapped in your addiction to “more”?
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
In many psalms, introductory information precedes the actual song. This brief title or superscription sometimes identifies who the composer is and why the song was written (see Psalms 3, 18). The superscription can also provide information regarding dedication, performance, instrumental directions, and musical tunes (see Psalms 6, 7, 56, 60).
The introduction to Psalm 16 identifies it as “a miktam of David.” This annotation also appears in five other psalms (Psalms 56-60). Because Bible scholars don’t agree about what miktam means, most English Bibles make no attempt to translate it. Some think it could simply mean “inscription”; others suggest it designates psalms that deal with atonement for sin because its root word means “to cover.” -- K. T. Sim
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Today’s Video: Violinist Tyler Butler-Figueroa Plays 'Blessed Assurance'
“Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine;
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.”
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Today’s Verse: Hebrews 12:2 … 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
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Proverb of the Day: Proverbs 16:19 … 19 Better to be lowly in spirit along with the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud.
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Our Daily Journey with God
Wings over the Mountains of Life
A MountainWings Moment
When Were You In Your Best Shape?
Direct link: www.CoachB.tv/0130
"I cried because I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet."
-- Nikos Kazantzakis
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Verse of the day
Fools find no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing their opinion. -- Proverbs 18:2 (CEB)
Voice of the day
There is also the danger in our culture that because a person is called upon to give public statements and is acclaimed by the establishment, such a person gets to the point of believing that he is the movement. – Ella Baker
Prayer of the day
Oh God, in our justice work, may we center the bringing about of Your Kingdom about here on Earth, and not center the fact that we are doing said work. May we seek to understand, and not be to be understood. Amen.
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Let happiness flow
Have you ever felt so good that you did not want the moment to end? But eventually, it did end, and cleared the way for an even better experience later.
If the good times never ended, they would cease to be so good. Without change, without growth, without challenge, life would become stale and empty.
Are you afraid to let yourself be happy because you fear that the happiness won’t last? Rather than worrying about when it will end, live it fully and then take the best of it with you.
For when you fear losing your happiness, you’ll never have it in the first place. And so you really have nothing to lose.
Yet you have everything to gain by living every happiness with richness and joy. For once you do that, the essence of that happiness is always with you, no matter what turn of events may come.
Life is always changing, and what a blessing that is. Let the happiness flow without restraint.
Copyright Ralph S. Marston, Jr. Used by permission. From The Daily Motivator® at www.dailymotivator.com
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BETTER THAN MEDICINE
By Ann E. Vitale
If purring could be encapsulated, it'd be the most powerful anti-depressant on the pharmaceutical market. -- Alexis F. Hope
Against my better judgment, I visited the cat room at the shelter. Given free rein, I would have filled my pockets with kittens. It didn't help that my husband, John, and I had recently euthanized Abby, our seventeen-year-old black, orange, and white calico. From the day Abby joined our family, John said she was better entertainment than television. I saw how much he missed her.
We took Abby's remaining food and litter to donate to the shelter and I ventured into the cat room, where three white-mittened black kittens climbed the cage bars and reached out as kittens often do. Sitting primly in the midst of the chaos of the three boys was their sister, a white, gray, and sand-colored calico, a pastel version of Abby. She looked like a real lady, not inclined to climb curtains and upset houseplants.
I coaxed John to come and look at the little calico I had spotted.
"If you want the cat, get the cat," he said.
I took her out of the cage and handed her to him.
"What's this smudge on her nose?" He rubbed her nose with his thumb and then handed her back to me. "If you want the cat, get the cat."
"That's not dirt on her nose. It's a little spot of gray fur. Do you want to think about it over the weekend?"
"Here," said John as he reached for his wallet. "She may be gone on Monday."
Smudge promptly proved me a bad judge of kitten character. Her prim lady act in the shelter cage could have garnered an Academy Award. One evening we heard her crying but couldn't find her. Somehow she had opened a bathroom vanity drawer, climbed in and wiggled until it glided shut. Several days later, she opened the same drawer, but this time it didn't shut. It blocked the door and barricaded us out of the bathroom. We kitten-proofed the drawers. She pulled towels off the rods and piled them in the sink to use as a comfy bed. She hid her toys in our slippers at night, pushing them down into the toes so we would have a real wake-up call in the morning. John encouraged her wild behavior, like her racing up and down halls and stairs that we dubbed "the evening zips." He would put her in a plastic grocery bag and drag it on the floor. She loved it.
Several weeks after Smudge's adoption, severe back pains felled John. Medication and rest did nothing to improve his condition. After two weeks, he could no longer go to work, even for a short time. Stoic, John spent the day lying on quilts on the den floor. Before I left for work each morning, I would assemble a box of Smudge supplies: sheets of aluminum foil for John to make into balls, ping pong balls, shoelaces, and a yardstick notched for a string, to which John could tie ribbons or feathers for his kitten to chase. When I came home at noon to get John's lunch, I would crawl around to retrieve and re-box the Smudge supplies.
John's condition worsened. Physical therapy exacerbated the pain that was misdiagnosed as sciatica. A month went by and the pain traveled to his leg as well as his back, and narcotics helped him rest at night. Smudge grew and slept with John on the floor. Tucking herself between his arm and chest, she snoozed when he did and played when he needed diversion. Several more weeks passed with additional X-rays, an MRI, and then the true diagnosis. The head of the femur was dying and collapsing in a condition called aseptic necrosis. He needed a hip replacement, but his loss of weight and muscle strength over the preceding months forecast a lengthy recovery.
The day after surgery, John had a bad reaction to the medication and stopped breathing. After two days in critical care and further complications, his physical therapy was behind schedule. I stayed with him fourteen hours a day, sleeping in a motel near the hospital, dashing home to tend to mail and to check on seven-month-old Smudge. I would find her in the sphinx posture on John's recliner or on his quilts on the floor where they had spent the days. She ate but had no interest in her toys or in me. She mewed when I called to her but held her position on John's territory. I could have cried over her obvious distress at the change in her life. Ten days after surgery, John was transferred to a nursing facility closer to our home to catch up on rehabilitation. The next morning I walked into his room.
"Good morning," I said.
"Where's my cat?" he answered.
I felt cold fear. Was there lack of oxygen after surgery? Did he have brain damage? Didn't he know where he was?
"John," I began quietly. "Smudge is at the house. You're in a nursing home."
"I know that," he said. His eyes had a touch of the old mischief in them. "I checked. If a pet has all its shots, it can come and visit. Go get her."
I raced home, grabbed health papers, put Smudge in her elastic harness and then in her carrier. The harness would ensure I wouldn't be chasing her down the hall or fishing her out from under the bed. But how would she react? Would John be upset if she panicked? I put the carrier on John's bed and opened the door. Smudge crept out cautiously. John spoke to her and extended his hand. Smudge walked up to him, sniffed his face, and then lay down at his side between his arm and chest, just like she did during those long weeks on the floor at home. She spent the next four hours on his bed catnapping with him, chasing a ribbon, and amusing the staff. John's blood pressure dropped to a near normal level. He needed fewer pain pills. Smudge made several more visits before John came home to continue treatment as an outpatient. It was May. Smudge had been his emotional therapy since January. A month later John was back on his garden tractor.
And Smudge? She is now six years old and regularly clears counters of anything she is capable of moving. Jar lids become hockey pucks on the hardwood floors. Shake out a plastic bag and she leaps into it for a ride, still not in the least inclined to be a lady.
As seen in Inspiration Plus
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SERVING MY LORD
‘Tis an honor to serve my risen Lord,
And to walk with Him in sweet accord.
At times I displease Him, this I know,
But He forgives, and His love bestows.
‘Tis a privilege that He calls me “friend”,
But I must trust and obey to the end.
The love He shows, I cannot explain,
If you know Jesus, you’ve much to gain.
‘Tis a great advantage to be God’s own,
Love, mercy, forgiveness; greatly shown!
Then one day, I shall be His heir,
And all that He has, with Christ, I’ll share!
I’m so grateful He chose lowly me,
And from all my sins did set me free.
I thank Him daily for faith He gave,
And thru’ that faith, Christ my soul did save!
Serving my Savior, gives me great joy,
Joy that no one can ever destroy.
Service to God; is the least I can do,
I can ne’er repay, salvation true!
‘Tis a wondrous blessing to serve Him,
May my love and willingness ne’er grow dim.
How I do love and praise God always,
I’ll continue to thank Him all my days!
By: His servant, Connie Kramer Feb.26,1996
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Be sober, be vigilant;
because your adversary the devil
walks about like a roaring lion,
seeking whom he may devour.
1 Peter 5:8
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Dear Lord,
I am so aware of how the devil picks at me and tries to trip me all the time.
I know there are spiritual dangers around me.
Please help me to remain alert and to be under Your Holy Spirit's control at all times.
I want to submit to You, as James wrote in his letter ...
Therefore submit to God.
Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
James 4:7
Please protect me and my family from harm and evil.
Thank You for Your love, concern, and protection.
In Jesus' name, I pray,
Amen.
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The Beauty of the Bible
Read: Psalm 23
The LORD is my shepherd. (v. 1)
American novelist and theologian Frederick Buechner says that reading the Bible as literature is like reading Moby Dick as a whaling manual. Although there actually is a lot about whaling in Moby Dick, ultimately that’s not what it’s about. Likewise, there is a lot to admire literarily about the Bible, but ultimately, that’s not why we read the Bible.
The Bible has peaks and valleys, and while all Scripture is useful and inspired, for each of us some parts inevitably soar higher than other parts. We will spend the next two weeks at high altitude, looking at selections I’ve made of some of the Bible’s greatest passages. We’ll pause to appreciate the writing, but in each instance we’ll also pause to consider what these beautiful passages are saying about God. I’m going to be using the King James Version of the Bible and would encourage you to do the same. Nothing matches its literary splendor.
Is there a more beautiful passage in the Bible than Psalm 23? Much of its power comes from its simplicity and brevity. Using the metaphor of God as shepherd, this psalm packs a lot into six verses. Verse 4 takes a deep turn, and brings death into the conversation. The psalm ends on a note of hope, affirming eternal life in the house of the Lord. Life, death, provision, restoration, comfort, goodness, and mercy are all included, and all are in the hands of our dear Shepherd.
As you pray, thank God for the gift of his Word, and for the ways the Bible helps us know God.
—Jeff Munroe; Words of Hope
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Here’s to Your Health
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Do Sweet Drinks Boost Your Risk for Cancer?French people who consume sweet drinks frequently are more likely to be diagnosed with cancer.
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Today’s Recipe …
Low / No Fat: WEST COAST COBB SALAD
Ingredients:
12 cups torn romaine lettuce
2 cups diced grilled chicken breast or roast turkey
1 cup diced tomato
1 cup diced avocado
1 medium carrot, shredded with a potato peeler
1/2 cup chopped red onion
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
4 slices turkey bacon, cooked and crumbled
3/4 cup shredded nonfat or reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup nonfat or light ranch or olive oil vinaigrette salad dressing
To Prepare
Arrange a quarter of the salad greens over the bottoms of each of 4 plates. Top the lettuce on each plate with a quarter of the chicken or turkey and a quarter of the tomato, avocado, carrot, and onion.
Sprinkle each salad with some of the egg, bacon, cheese,
and walnuts. Serve immediately accompanied by the dressing.
Yield: 4 servings
Serving size: 1/4 of recipe
Nutritional Information Per Serving:
Calories: 413; Protein: 40 g; Sodium: 838 mg;
Cholesterol: 166 mg; Carbohydrates: 27 g; Fat 16 g
Exchanges: 4 Lean Meat, 4 Vegetable, 2 Fat
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What’s on the Web?
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iMom Espresso Minute … Help your child overcome anxiety with this simple story
My son used to experience anxiety about going to school. He was feeling the pressure to make friends, fit in, listen to teachers, and make good grades. At the dinner table, he would remember he had school the next day and lose his appetite. At drop-off, he wouldn’t get out of the car without a fight.
That problem took care of itself thanks to COVID-19, but new ones have popped up. Your kids might be anxious because of the lack of traditional school or because of adult conversations they’ve overheard. Anxiety is tough for kids. After all, they’re just learning how to name their emotions. But I found a trick for helping my son battle anxiety in a very unexpected place.
Pillow Talk: Ask your kids, “What types of things do you worry about?”
-----Word of the Day: Savant
sa-VAHNT
Part of speech: noun
Origin: French, early 18th century
1 A learned person, especially a distinguished scientist.
Examples of Savant in a sentence
"We hired him based on his reputation as a savant in the field of biochemistry."
"I was honored to be seated next to the department’s savant at the reception."
About Savant
In French, “savoir” is a verb meaning to know. We adopted the present participle (savant) as a noun in English for an impressively learned person. The woman who wrote every book on a given subject, and the professor at the top of his field? Savants.
Did you Know?
You might be familiar with the condition called “savant syndrome” from the movie “Rain Man.” In it, Dustin Hoffman plays a man with autism who has incredible skill with numbers and memory. Savant syndrome applies to people with mental disabilities who have exceptional skill in certain areas.
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All Pro Dad Play of the Day … 4 Ways You Accidentally Teach Your Son to Be Mean
Recently, I overheard my son talking to one of his friends about political opinions we had discussed as a family. I became concerned when I noticed the strong tone of the conversation—and that my son actually used the word “hate” to describe his feelings and opinions. Thankfully, after talking to him, he realized his poor choice of words. However, it was a humbling reminder to me as a dad that my son picks up on things, positive and negative, verbal and nonverbal, from me.
This is true for all of us. Boys don’t become men, or gentlemen, without coaching and guidance from good men in their lives, especially their fathers. And mean boys don’t become mean without influence either. Are you guilty of inadvertently instilling or encouraging meanness in your son in any of these 4 ways?
Huddle up with your kids and ask, “Why do you think it is bad to hate someone?”
'MY PARENT'S MONEY PROBLEMS BECAME MINE'
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Nothing like the blues to make you feel betterLove it!! People from around the world playing together in virtual reality.
https://biggeekdad.com/2019/05/walking-blues/
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English
Why We Use Euphemisms
By Richard Nordquist
Most style guides treat euphemisms as a dishonest type of wordiness—something to be avoided in formal essays and reports. But are all euphemisms inherently dishonest?
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Grammar Matters … Repair ZoneBy Patty Gibbons Saunier
Grammar Matters for Jul 15, 2020
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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-----
The MountainWings Power Minute 60 Seconds of Living PowerMake Peace With God
http://www.powerminute.com/p/pm2020-02-25.mp3
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Did you miss any of these recent podcasts?
• When Your Child Is Miraculously Meant to Be Yours
• Miracles, Money, and Divine Intervention
• FRIEND FRIDAY - Incest, Murder, and a Miracle
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Compiled by Marilyn L. Van Driesen
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