ALTHOUGH THEY KNEW GOD

“ For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.” Romans 1:21 NIV

I read this reference today in another devotion and went to search for myself.  Every translation I read indicated that the people knew God but did NOT thank him. (I read every translation offered on-line). And I thought surely this is wrong. Perhaps Paul was not speaking about people who knew God. Apparently “knowing” God indicates the people believed God existed, but they did not acknowledge His love and provisions for people. Still, as I studied and read commentaries, I was reminded of today’s culture.

I find I am reflecting a bit more than usual about the reasons I must thank God. Since about four days before Christmas, we have endured some hard times physically. First, my new hip replacement pulled from socket (because of my own foolishness.) As I was recovering and doing quite well, my husband fell from a ladder and miraculously did not break bones or receive major injuries. (perhaps an 86-year-old man should not be on a ladder.) I recovered from virus right after thanksgiving, and he tested positive in the ER. And we thank God for His mercy in these situations.

 My family is predominant in my reflections. I thank God for each of them and the love they have for God and His kingdom. I am thankful for the love they have for one another, and the love they show for the world around them.  And as my husband and I grow older and sometimes do rather foolish things resulting in physical injury, I am thankful for our children and grandchildren and the way they watch out for us (each in their own special way).

Those of us who “know” God should be showing the world around us how very thankful we are for the love and mercy He shows in our everyday life. God’s glory should be a part of our conversation and our actions as we live in today’s environment. If not, I fear that as the people of ancient days our “thinking will become futile and our foolish hearts darkened.”

PRAYER: O Lord bless us even though we don’t always acknowledge how very good you are to us each day. We thank you for forgiving us and showing us your mercy. In Jesus name Amen

THANK YOU FOR TECHNOLOGY

THANK YOU FOR TECHNOLOGY

During this season of pandemic, I feel a need to acknowledge how thankful I am for technology in the simple daily things of life.

In this past week, I ordered my groceries and picked them up without leaving my vehicle. I saw my great-granddaughter’s new braces via Facetime. On Instagram. I saw the smiling face of my other great-granddaughter as she and her mother were successful in a day of deer hunting. I watched my adult granddaughter lead a worship service in Montana as I sat in my Illinois living room.

I checked my phone and found where each of my children were at any given moment. I saw the daily activities of my daughter and son-in-law in Florida as they celebrate 38 years of marriage with a short vacation.

My husband received a text message each day reporting on a friend with virus. I saw my Florida friends enjoying their Monday morning coffee via text message and video. Facebook kept me up to date with my friends if they wanted to share, and the never-ending television broadcast of all the latest markets and world news. (I cannot say I am always thankful for this; however, I know it would be missed in our household.)

I have only skimmed the surface of how technology has touched me personally in the past week. And I can get out if I choose. I think what all this might mean to those who are alone, lonely or handicapped. Our doctor’s visits and all that has taken place in the search for a vaccine for the virus are a part of this thanksgiving. I realize many might disagree, but I feel it has become so much a part of our life that we accept it. Is it all good? Of course not! But it is a part of my thankfulness in this season.

I have many more important things in life for which to be thankful. My list can go on and on. I have good health, a wonderful healthy husband,(for our age), a loving family, a beautiful devoted church family, many caring friends, a home in Illinois and another in Florida, sufficient finances and all that any one woman would want or need. And for that I am truly thankful, but today I thought about what technology does for me and am thanking God.

SPIDER WEB

This post is taken from my book JUST WALKING, but felt it was appropriate for today. I just went out to mailbox and walked into one of these lovely, sticky webs. Reminded me of this devotion and thought probably few people remember it...don't intend to do repeats but for today I will share this.
I do have books for sale or you can purchase them online. (Good sales pitch there :-)
SPIDER WEBS
As I step outside my front door, I walk into a spider web. It stretches across my face like a mask at Halloween. I detest the sticky, creepy feeling. I reach to wipe it from my skin. In the early morning fog, I see spider webs are everywhere-on the grass, on the fence, even in the branches of the trees. The droplets of dew highlight each one, and then the sun slides through the fog and illuminates each masterpiece! I stop in awe and gaze at the webs that had been such a bother to me a few moments before. I see the promises of God.
I walk in the beauty of God's world as the sun makes rainbows in the spider webs. The intricate, thin thread spun into each individual, lacy pattern reminds me that I am God's unique creation. His beloved child! He knows the number of hairs on my head and promises me he will take care of me if I will let the light of his Son shine through the fog of my life. Just as the sun coming through the fog turned spider webs into works of beautiful, shimmering, woven lace, so can I be beautiful to God.
Too often I let the fog of worry and the fatigue of everyday concerns engulf me. I let the entanglement with the spider web obliterate the beauty around me. I let the concerns of life keep me from the beauty God has prepared for my life as his child. I could be the witness he intends for me to be here on earth if I would let the light of his love create rainbows in my daily life. Clinging to God, my life could be like the sun reflecting through the damp spider webs clinging to the fence-a thing of beauty.
The problems in my life become so like the spider webs across my face-clinging and sticking to me as I, by myself, try to wipe them away. Jesus told us, "Do not worry about your life. Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they...and why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that bot even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these"(Matthew 6:25-29)
And then he tells us what I so often forget, "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Matthew 6:33)


Do enjoy this season as we see what God has given us to walk through.
Clella

SPARE THE ROD

I find that I do not remember the minor happenings of my children’s early years as some mothers do.  I am not sure why.  My children probably had the chickenpox, but I don’t remember. And I didn’t save the first tooth they lost, and neither do I have a lock of hair from their sweet little heads. I remember being very frightened about taking care of my first born. I write of this only to assure young mothers that most babies who are loved by their mothers and  have no physical problems will grow to adulthood despite us.

When my son was a few days old he slept in a “basket” in front of the shelf where I placed the baby products…Vaseline, powder, swabs etc.  As I reached to get a diaper, I accidentally knocked the Vaseline bottle off onto his crib. He awoke startled and screaming, and I also began sobbing convinced that I had injured him for life.  Of course, my husband chose this moment to come home and found a sobbing young mother rocking his screaming, red faced infant son.

This was not the last time I accidentally hurt my son, but I remember it as the first time. I know I have hurt both my children physically and emotionally. Hurting our children always brings us pain. Emotional hurts bring even more pain than physical hurts. Spare the rod and spoil the child seems so outdated and yet God offered this wisdom in the book of Proverbs. (Proverbs 13:24)

Society has come away from this admonition because many people have abused this idea as the world does many of God’s instructions.  A child can be raised without any physical punishment and become a fine, upstanding young adult; however, the generations before us who used the Lord’s method of punishment are not to be scoffed at.  Loving physical reproofs, loving smacks in the proper places are not to be taken lightly as an excellent form of punishment.  My husband says that sometimes it is the best method for getting the child’s attention to help the child realize a problem exists.

Countless people are against physical discipline and that opinion deserves respect. Because each child has a God-given distinct personality, it is necessary to choose the discipline to fit the child. For some children, a gentle reproof is enough, for others getting their attention with a gentle hand in the right area is needed.

Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish them with the rod, they will not die. Proverbs 13:24

NOTE TO READER: This blog post is an excerpt from the book I am writing now. At this point,it is entitled THREAD OF LOVE, but that may change. I hope to finish this winter and will try to post a few more examples. Let me know in comments below how you responded to this.