If You Have Faith the Size of a Mustard Factory

By Cynthia Ruchti –

Recognize the quote? Jesus said, “If you have faith the size of a mustard factory, you can say to this mountain, ‘Be moved,’ and poof! It’s gone.”

That’s how the quote goes, right? Oh! Mustard seed. My mistake.

What if the Bible read the way we think? Has anyone taken on the task of creating a Bible translation/paraphrase called The Reality Bible: Truth twisted to match our thought patterns?

“Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your gym membership.”

“In all your ways, acknowledge your personal trainer, and he shall direct your paths.”

“Take up your yoga mat daily…”

“The love of money is the root of all evil, but infatuation with it will take you places.”

“If someone strikes you on the cheek, turn the other cheek, take a deep breath, and then flatten him with a right hook. If that doesn’t work, sue.”

“If we confess our sins, we can pretty much guarantee they’ll show up in the tabloids. Or on The View.”

“Therefore to him who knoweth to do good and doeth it not, to him it is most likely related to poor parenting on his mother’s part. Or an absentee father. Or a weak educational system. Or genetics.”

Interesting factoid about truth. We’re not supposed to change it. It’s supposed to change us.

If I created a tongue-in-cheek Reality Bible, I might find a publisher to take on the project. Some segments of our population would snatch up a “Bible” that thinks like a human.

I for one am grateful the project doesn’t exist on anyone’s drawing board. I’ll stick with the Truth that transforms me.

PRAYER: Lord, Your Word is my heart’s delight! May I read it, obey it, live it out in all its truth, rather than putting my spin on it. Make me faithful, Lord, to Your Word.

“Teach me, O Lord, the way of they statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end” (Psalm 119:33, KJV).

Today’s devotional is by Cynthia Ruchti, writer/producer of THE HEARTBEAT OF THE HOME radio ministry and president of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW). Cynthia’s debut novel—They Almost Always Come Home—releases with Abingdon Press May 1, 2010–http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtZb0by984g. Cynthia writes stories of Hope-that-glows-in-the-dark (www.cynthiaruchti.com).

Bless the Beasts, the Children and Women Like Abigail

By Cynthia Ruchti –

I have this friend (no, really I do!) who is struggling in her relationship with her husband. He’s not an ax-murderer or an adulterer, so she can’t just walk away. Nor would she want to. He’s a good man, but they’re not seeing eye-to-eye right now on a few dozen issues.

My mind flipped through the pages of Scripture and stopped to rest on passage after passage that revealed incidents of women who wrestled with less-than-ideal situations with the men in their lives.

That formed the basis of this prayer on her behalf. I’m posting it here because I’m pretty sure she’s not alone.

Great God of women with issues (of blood or otherwise),

…of women with jerks for husbands (like Abigail with Nabal),

…of women who are strong but misunderstood (like Deborah),

…of women who don’t like the choices their husbands make (like Sarai),

…of women whose husbands fail to take seriously their role as spiritual leader in the home (like Eve and Adam),

…of women who through the Adamic curse get their insides ripped out in childbirth while the men are “burdened” with oh-so-traumatic sweat and weeds, poor things,

…of women who are mentioned as followers of Christ and contributors to His work…but their husbands are not (like so many New Testament women),

…of women who “go to the tomb” because they care so deeply and have to do something with their sadness,

…of women who “happen” to be in the Garden to witness angel-speak because they care so deeply ,

…of women who put the pieces together when they hear that Jesus is alive, even though the men closest to them—who ought to know better—don’t get it,

…of women who wait for their husbands to return from war, to show up after work, to show up emotionally, and to “get it,”

PRAYER: Great God of women who from the beginning of time have found their strength—and their reward—in You, please place Your Hand of enduring blessing on the heads of the women who endure. Grant them a double dose of heart-peace for every bucket of patience they pour over their homes and relationships. Refill their reservoirs of grace, reservoirs so easily drained by life and people. May they find in You an inexhaustible measure of what their hearts most need—to be understood, appreciated, cherished, protected, encouraged, wanted, treasured, approved, believed, honored, embraced, covered and well-loved.

“Woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou?” (John 20:15a KJV).

Today’s devotional is by Cynthia Ruchti, writer/producer of THE HEARTBEAT OF THE HOME radio ministry and president of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW). She is the author of They Almost Always Come Home (Abingdon Press Fiction) and the soon-to-be-released The Heart’s Harbor in A Door County Christmas novella collection. Cynthia writes stories of hope-that-glows-in-the-dark (www.cynthiaruchti.com).

I Know That One

By Cynthia Ruchti –

My granddaughter (6) spent the Sunday morning worship service on my lap instead of in her children’s church service that day a couple of years ago. A dozen excuses seemed to boil down to the fact that she just needed to be close to me for a while. Seemed a good enough reason for me. Read more

Fresh Out of Creamed Corn

By Cynthia Ruchti –

I’ve never been fan of creamed corn and I can probably thank the school cafeteria for that.

It’s not a staple in my pantry or in my recipes. When I got three-fourths of the way through a recipe for sweet corn cakes to accompany the fresh fish on our supper menu, I realized I was missing 25 percent of the ingredients for sweet corn cakes—creamed corn. Read more

Catching Trophies or Catching Bait

By Cynthia Ruchti –

A lone boater caught my eye when my husband and I were in Florida months ago. We stood on a long pier from which tourists can fish for the curious, sun-speckled varieties the Gulf of Mexico offers. For a fee, tourists can rent a pole and use it to dangle something tantalizing before the nose of a fish. What camera-bedecked man or woman doesn’t want to land a lunker, a line-pulling, back-straining monster that might make its way to the photo Christmas card or the wall of the family room? Read more

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