March 30

There is an owl couple that lives in the trees surrounding my home. Sometimes they make their presence know by screeching, other times they quietly watch the squirrels, and my little dogs, waiting for the perfect opportunity to snatch one up. My son-in-law captured a picture of them snuggling, trying to convince me that they were more than predators that scoop up their victims while they are still alive. I must admit that they are cute when they nuzzle one another, so I decided to name them! Now, I have Ahab and Jezebel keeping watch outside my home. I used to rebuke them every time I heard them, because they remind me of the presence of evil, but I’ve relaxed a bit, being we are always surrounded by evil. We have to pray for protection, and trust that God has us covered. The lesson today is to remain in communication with the Almighty, and never take your eyes off of Him, follow His lead, and you will be victorious over the likes of Ahab and Jezebel.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Matthew 6:13

March 29

As I was sitting on my porch contemplating what to write about this morning, I took a look around, and realized that I have surrounded myself with things that bring me joy, like the smell of coffee, the birds chirping, flowers in bloom, and my blanket that’s keeping the chill off, just to name a few. There are things I would like to eliminate, like the sound of vehicles, and the dogs barking in the next neighborhood over, but if I concentrate on those noises instead of the sound of birds, then some of my joy has been snatched away. Sometimes we get so caught up in the negative things going on around us, that we forget to enjoy the good. We’ve all met people who are negative, you might be one, their minds are set on what is wrong, and their brain goes down that path with everything. If this is you, make it a point to begin to concentrate on the good in every situation, and you will slowly begin to renew your mind and see your life from a different perspective. You’ll be a lot happier, I guarantee it!

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Philippians 4:8

March 28

What are your goals for this lifetime? Is life just something you are surviving or are you thriving? We all disappoint ourselves, but we must not let our disappointments define us. We are who God says we are, and if we set out to please Him and let Him set our goals, rather than surviving, we will thrive! I watched my four year old grandson try out a new sport; he’s tried baseball, but lost interest in it very quickly, however, he got to try out karate to see if it was something he might like, and took to it like a fish to the water! Baseball didn’t define him, and karate won’t define him, but it may be a means to teach him discipline, and give him a place to exert his energy. He had survived baseball, but with karate, he will thrive. It’s amazing that God will begin a good work in us even at a very tender age. He may not stick to karate, but he will learn lessons through it that will last a lifetime. Train yourself to look for the lessons in your trials, rather than sulk in your losses.

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6

March 27

Anxiety is one thing that each of us has to deal with at some point or another. Some people are more susceptible to bouts of anxiety than others. I believe that fear is the major cause of it, sometimes making it debilitating. The Bible mentions that we should not fear, and that we should be anxious for nothing. The remedy for this is easier said than done, but faith in God is what we lack when we become fearful and anxious. The solution is to strengthen our faith, but to do that, we must step out beyond ourselves, put our trust in Him, and practice taking steps of faith. Whatever you are anxious for today, you can be sure that it is nothing new to God, He knows all and sees all, and is present with you while you are overthinking your problem. You must still be diligent in your efforts to resolve the issue, but you must trust God for the outcome. I pray that whatever you are anxious and fearful about today, that God would give you the peace you need to overcome it.

"Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.” Isaiah 35:4

March 26

Squirrels are very sneaky, and they drive my dogs crazy. They are as cute as can be, chasing one another around the trees, but in the minds of my dogs, they are the enemy. They will sit just high enough in the tree so that they can’t be reached. My dogs think that it’s their job to protect us from such creatures, and they make a racket trying to frighten them off. The truth is that even though my dogs are both under eight pounds, they think they are big, and no matter what size the animal is, they do their best to try and defend our family from such evil. They are fearless! We would do well to follow their example. As warriors of the kingdom, we are safe, and those who come against us are the ones who should be in fear. They may be successful in injuring us in the flesh, but nothing can destroy us forever, because our salvation comes through Jesus.

and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. Philippians 1:28

March 25

Saturday morning took us to the park where we joined the festivities of our grandson‘s karate school. It was an interesting mix of people from all different walks of life, joined together to support the students, and have a little fun. You could see the heart of the instructor who owns the school and his love for what he does. Karate is not a cheap sport, but you could tell by some of the students and their families, that he probably barters to help them afford the training. It was a feast! I expect that one day when God has prepared a table before me in the presence of my enemies, it might look something like that. It may be a little more posh, but the mix of people, and the common bond will be similar. The funny thing is that it’s not at all what I pictured the feast before my enemies to be, but God reminded me that it would be very similar. Is it ever what we picture when it comes to the things of God? Keep your heart open to people different than you. You will learn new things, and you will be exhibiting the behavior of Jesus.   

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Psalms 23:5

March 24

I’ve started my post four times this morning and have four different stories going. Some days are harder than others to get things together. I’ve prayed, studied, drank my coffee and I’m still finding it hard to come up with a devotional. My mind seems to wander off, thinking about what I’m going to wear to church, how long do I have before I start getting dressed, and how much I really don’t want to engage in activities away from home today. I know that God will sometimes send me through a trial just to give me a lesson to share. I believe today is one of those days. I need to relax and let Him take me on this journey, not worry about what comes next; it’s not my plan anyway. Here’s what I got: get up, wash your face, put on some clothes, and don’t worry so much about what others think of you. Go to church and worship God in spirit and in truth. Make today all about Jesus, set your face toward Him and Him alone. 

But the Lord GOD helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame. Isaiah 50:7