Hiding Behind Trees

By Peter Lundell –

I was walking by a junior high school physical education class and saw two boys hiding behind trees. The trees were six inches in diameter, maybe less. Anyone who looked their way would have seen these boys looking like fools trying to hide behind skinny trees. I stopped and stared at them, partly to make them nervous, but mainly for my own entertainment. Amazingly no one in the class noticed them, or maybe they did and paid no attention. The whistle blew and the boys ran out as if they’d participated all along.

Ding-a-lings. They might have felt good about succeeding in their little scheme, but I wonder if they’re taking little steps in a lifetime pattern of avoidance. I hope I’m overreacting here.

Yet it struck me that people can live their whole lives that way—hiding in the open and pretending to participate. Or not even bothering to pretend and always being spectators. Confession: I’ve done it, probably more times than I’d care to inventory.

How do we do this? By watching and listening without doing. By procrastinating on an idea until it fades. By learning and talking about something without putting it into practice. We’ve all “hidden behind trees” in some way.

My concern is that we fully engage with the life we’ve been given—rather than make ourselves comfortable and let life pass us by.

My deeper concern is that we fully engage with the spiritual life God offers us—rather than get complacent and let God’s promises and possibilities pass us by.

We all engage differently. But whatever we do, it will cost us time and energy and sometimes money. It takes effort and may involve risk. But it will be worth it. Always. And for eternity.

PRAYER: Lord, rebuke me if I ever hide behind trees. Lead me to engage in the world, to be a living temple of Your Spirit in the world around me.

“As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. ‘Follow me,’ he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him” (Matthew 9:9, NIV).

Today’s devotion is by Peter Lundell, author of the award-winning book Prayer Power. A rising new voice on connecting with God, Lundell is a pastor, Bible college teacher, and conference speaker. Visit him at www.PeterLundell.com for his inspirational “Connections” and free downloads of articles, parables, short stories, and book chapters.

A Microwave Heated Up My Prayer Life

By Aubrey Spencer –

I’ve become a regular at Sears. I know every appliance in the store. In fact, we are on a first name basis. I’ve met the lovely, shiny, way out of my price range, GE Profile. The fancy, bells-and-whistles, only-in-my-dreams Bosch. The Kenmores, the Maytags, the Whirlpools, and all of their “wouldn’t that look amazing in my kitchen” friends. I am not out to torture myself with endless, wishful window shopping. I’m on a mission. I’m searching for the perfect microwave: the over-the-stove, microhood kind. The one I had quit. No warning. No more warming. You wouldn’t think it would take so much effort to pick a microwave, but it has for me. I want it in a certain color. And—of course—a good price. I want it to look a certain way with the right handle, the right buttons, the right—well—everything. It has been such a tough decision. I found myself locked in the store two nights this week. That’s right, I was the last one there; the annoying shopper who holds everyone up from going home on time. You know, the one who ignores the repetitive announcements about the store closing in 10 minutes. . . 5 minutes. . . now! Not locked in just once, but twice! I did finally pick a microwave, felt happy with my decision, got relatively excited, then, found out it couldn’t be ordered. Out of stock. So, the entire process started over again!

The whole experience got me thinking. Am I putting as much effort into my prayer-life? I am a prayer-gal. I love to pray. I believe in the power of prayer. But, I have to wonder (I have to be honest), do I get lazy? Do I give up quickly when I don’t see the results I’m looking for? Do I let the devil convince me that I don’t have enough time? Am I attacking my prayers with the same fervor I did in my appliance search? Am I willing to “stay late” in the presence of my God in order to make sure that no praise is left unsaid, no detail left out, no blessing left unnoticed, no request left “on the shelf”?

Isn’t it interesting that in searching for the perfect microwave, I actually found a reheated prayer life?

PRAYER: Father, I want to make You my priority. Show me Your power and help me to not become lazy in my relationship with You.

“…pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done” (Philippians 4:6 NLT).

Today’s devotional is by Aubrey Spencer. Aubrey is a “real housewife of northwest Kansas.” She is a minister’s wife and a mom to two little miracles, Oliver and Ava. She has a passion for writing and entertaining but realizes her greatest ministry at the moment is to raise her children to be people after God’s own heart. She loves to see how God shows up in everyday situations. Read more of her writings at http://ministrymama.blogspot.com.

Ankles and Feet

By Robin J. Steinweg –

Work boots, maybe with a steel-reinforced toe; that’s the fellow two doors down. Black suit  hem, polished black shoes; the man across the street and down one. Tennis shoes, jeans; that’s the young mother next door. Nice slacks, sturdy shoes; next door on the other side.

This is my neighborhood in the winter. My neighbors are a variety of footwear, trouser-bottoms, and an occasional glimpse of sock. How can I obey God’s command to love them as myself if I never see them? And what keeps these folks isolated? Garage Door Closers—I think they’ve conspired together. In the mornings, a car with tinted glass backs out of its nightly cell and turns left or right. The Garage Door closes as the car disappears around the corner. It admits no one till evening. If I bent down quickly as it closes the gap between itself and the pavement, I might witness evidence of a real human presence. I might see enough of my neighbors’ shoes to guess whether it’s male or female, white collar or blue, adult or small child.

What can quell this wintertime technological conspiracy? The only thing I can think of is a significant fall of snow. Then the air comes alive with the surrendering groan of Garage Doors opening to release boots: tall, rubber, zippered, buckled, black, blue, pink, heeled or flat. Snow suits and heavy wool socks fill them, jeans or slacks tucked in. Shovels push the snow ahead of them, or snow blowers roar to pave a path. The Garage Doors are forced to stay up.

An elderly neighbor, someone with health issues, or an unfortunate whose snow blower is on the fritz could proclaim: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring glad tidings of good news.”

“Here, let us clear that for you.”

This is my view of the neighborhood in the winter. My neighbors are more than a variety of footwear after all, and I guess the Garage Door Closers haven’t taken us hostage!

AUTHOR QUOTE: The best way to overcome closed garage doors is to invest in a pair of beautiful feet.

“…Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39b NET).

Today’s devotional is by Robin J. Steinweg. Robin’s life might be described using the game Twister: the colored dots are all occupied, limbs intertwine (hopefully not to the point of tangling), and you never know which dot the arrow will point to next, but it sure is fun getting there!

Love the One You’re With

By Cynthia Ruchti –

How long ago was that song written? Relationally a disaster in the making, the popular song said, “If you can’t be with the one you love, love the one you’re with.”

Not great counsel for sustaining a marriage, but good advice for contentment with other issues.

Our yard was dipped in liquid nitrogen last night. I awoke to a frosty scene. The temp isn’t bad for this time of year—twenty-two balmy degrees. But my computer’s screensaver is calling to me—a thatched hut in Tahiti with a crystal-clear infinity pool spilling over into a sun-soaked turquoise ocean.

That’s where I’d rather be. Someplace tropical. Warm. Where I could sit outside to read a book without risk of frostbite. Where I could eat seafood and a crisp salad under the stars. (Okay, technically, nothing’s stopping me from doing that here, but lettuce doesn’t fare well in a deep freeze, which is what the weatherman’s predicting for later this week).

I watch the realty—as opposed to reality—shows on HGTV and wonder what it must be like to have an outdoor room you can use year ’round. The wicker furniture on my front porch is buried under a foot of snow right now. On my porch!

The Lord was at my elbow this morning as I looked out over the white-on-white scene. “Lord, what am I going to do about the mismatch between what my world looks like and where I wish I was?”

He whispered, “Take pictures.”

Huh?

“Take pictures and send them to the young woman at church who sets up the data projection slides for worship lyric backgrounds. She’s always looking for new photography to set the stage for worship.”

Turn my heavy heart into worship? What a novel idea!

It worked. I ran outside with my camera to take advantage of my surroundings and the artistic beauty of a Creator God who thought the world would miss something if it didn’t have a place for snow and cold.

With His help, I found a way to be “content whatever my circumstances.” If I couldn’t be with the setting I loved, I could love the setting I was with—to totally butcher the song’s original lyrics.

Did I say “butcher”? Maybe “improve” is a better word. And how might that principle play out in other “hard to love” situations?

PRAYER: Lord, whether it’s an icy morning or a tough assignment or a person I’m having a hard time loving, help me find ways to love the one I’m with, to take a snapshot of the underlying beauty or the You I failed to see in the picture.

“I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances,” (Philippians 4:11b NIV).

Today’s devotional is by Cynthia Ruchti, writer and producer of the radio ministry THE HEARTBEAT OF THE HOME and Professional Relations Liaison for American Christian Fiction Writers. Cynthia’s debut novel—They Almost Always Come Home—released from Abingdon Press in Spring 2010 and A Door County Christmas novella collection (Barbour Publishing) released Fall 2010. Cynthia writes stories of hope that glows in the dark. www.cynthiaruchti.com.

Spiritual Vitamin B

By Donna McCrary –

Spiritual Vitamin Bs are guaranteed to boost your energy to supernatural highs, give you better mental focus on what is important and create an overwhelming sense of peace that cannot be explained!

Directions: Take one dose of the following Vitamin Bs each morning. Vitamins can be taken all at once without regard to meals. (However, a healthy diet of scripture and prayer will maximize the long term benefits.) Extreme caution must be taken while consuming these vitamins. The overall effect is so powerful you will be bombarded by others who will want to know the secret to the “new you.”

• Vitamin B1 – Be thankful (Colossians 3:15). This vitamin is known for its ability to increase positive mental thoughts and foster an attitude of humility towards others.
• Vitamin B2 – Be purposeful (Proverbs 3:5-6). This one vitamin boggles the minds of scientists because of the staggering stress reduction properties. Remarkable evidence supports this vitamin’s ability to clarify decisions and redirect energy to an eternal purpose.
• Vitamin B3 – Be teachable (Colossians 3:10, 16). This vitamin paired with scripture must be consumed on a regular basis for best results. Accepting weakness and learning from failures is the key ingredient to an overall sense of wellbeing.
• Vitamin B4 – Be you (Ephesians 2:10). B4 is simply the most fascinating antidote to improved health and mental clarity. Even though scientists haven’t cracked the exact way it works they all agree it is by far one of the most amazing spiritual vitamins known to man. You are unique and created with a divine purpose.
• Vitamin B5 – Be your best (Colossians 3:17-24). Be the best you can in all things simply because it brings glory to God. This vitamin is essential to establishing increased focus on one’s personal perspective. It is widely regarded as the number one way to find satisfaction in even in the most mundane tasks.
• Vitamin B6 – Be love (Corinthians 13:1-3). This vitamin is absolutely essential for every person. Studies prove with overwhelming statistics the magnitude of this one vitamin—love. Its value to the human body and soul is so necessary scientists can only speculate the damage caused when this vitamin is not consumed. The most amazing aspect of this vitamin is the “give away” phenomenon it produces in people. The more B6 love vitamins you consume from the heavenly Father the more unconditional love you are able to share. Simply indescribable!

PRAYER: Father, I’m grateful for the supplements You give me so that I might grow into the vital, vibrant Christian You want me to be. Help me absorb each of these vitamins in a way that will result in bringing You more glory.

“And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Colossians 3:14-17).

Today’s devotion is by Donna McCrary, a spiritual vitamin guru. Learn more about her ministry and the powerful life changing new curriculum she co-authored called DIVAS of the Divine: How to Live as a Designer Original in a Knock-Off World at www.walkofpurpose.com.

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