James 5:7 “Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord.  The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains.”

It is so neat to watch the plants in my garden grow from seed to fruit in a season.  We have strawberry plants that came back this spring in spite of the birds and other creatures trying to destroy them last year.  The beans have sprouted and will soon begin to wrap themselves around whatever they can reach.  I have an empty spot in the garden though.  It looks like nothing is planted there but I know I must wait and be patient.  Carrots take a long time to germinate and I know from last year that if I water and wait, they will grow.  Just as I cannot expect to plant seeds and have a mature plant and fruit the next day, so it is with my soul.  Each day I receive the nutrition I need from the Lord and I grow a little more.  I am not the only plant in the garden.  He waits for his precious crop to mature and the harvest will be soon enough.  He is patient with each of us, so I must be patient with myself and others.  Today I will thank Him for the growth he has provided and the growth yet to come.

Lord,

Your words seep into my heart like the gentle rain seeps into the roots of a little seedling.  Help this food nourish our souls so we continue to grow in you.  Thank you for nurturing us.   May the fruit I produce glorify and praise you.  Amen.

Jonah 1:3 “But Jonah set out to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.  He went down to Joppa and found a  ship going to Tarshish; so he paid his fare and went on board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord.” 

What in the world was Jonah thinking?  If he was thinking clearly he would know there is no place to run from the Lord.  He was born and raised a Hebrew, worshiping the “God of Heaven” according to verse 9 of this story.  Of course as we read on, a storm causes all sorts of trouble for the sailors and after doing all they can to save the ship, per Jonah’s request, they throw him overboard.  Jonah ends up saved from drowning by being swallowed by a great fish.  Even in the belly of that fish, Jonah knows God is there.  He prays to the Lord from the belly of the fish with no doubt that he would be heard.  As the story continues Jonah continues to battle wills with God and, of course, loses.  In my life, it is often in retrospect that I can see the will of God is a better choice than mine.  How often have I tried to run away or argue with the Lord about what I should do?  In the end, after near drowning, more arguing and a bit of humble pie, I come to my senses again and realize God is Lord of all, even me.

Lord,

Please forgive my disobedience and arrogance.  Thank you for the reminder of Jonah and the strife he subjected himself to out of disobedience.  Help me follow you in truth and humility this day and tomorrow too.  Amen.

Genesis 9:11, 13 “I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth. 13 I have set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.”

It seems we have a fascination with rainbows.  My kids always get excited when I water the garden in the morning because the sun shines right through the spray of water drops and they see a little rainbow.  I used to love seeing “rainbows” when I ran through the sprinklers as a kid.  Kids aren't the only ones who look to the skies for this sign of beauty.  Recently there was a double rainbow nearby my home and I only know this because pictures were plastered all over social media and local news channel webpages.  I catch myself searching the skies whenever I see clouds and the sun shining at the same time.  Why are we so enthralled with rainbows?  Maybe it is simply because they are so pretty and peaceful.  Maybe it is because they do not come frequently so they are special when we do see them; we do not take them for granted.  Maybe it is the small seed of promise and covenant we still hold in our hearts that we seek to remember in gazing at the beauty of a rainbow.

Lord,

Thank you for the beauty on this earth and thank you for your promises to us.  Open our eyes to see the beautiful signs of love and mercy you send us each day.  Help us see the “rainbows” you give us today.  Amen.

Ephesians 1:20 “God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,”

We live in a world of power.  With the push of a button we have access to the world through our televisions and our computers.  With the invention of batteries we can even take our tools for connection with us.  There are laptop computers and smart phones that fit in our purses and pockets; the world truly is at our fingertips.  Some of us get so used to having access to these things that when they are gone we are lost without them.  We come to rely on them too much.  We are certain to plug in our cell phones and computers so they do not run out of power but how often do we remember to plug ourselves in for a recharge from the Divine power source?  We cannot truly live simply by fueling our bodies and minds.  We need to receive power for our spirits as well.  I encourage you to take time each day to plug in to the Lord.  Recharge your spirit and soul with his power of truth and love.  There will never be a power outage in God’s world regardless of the shortages we experience in our world.

Lord,

Thank you for electricity and batteries.  These inventions make our lives so much more convenient that they used to be.  Use these common everyday tools to remind us to plug in to you for spiritual strength and renewal, nothing is more important.  Thank you for always being there, providing and renews us when we ask in your name.  Amen.

1 John 4:21 “The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.”

Our hearts and souls are made for love.  We seek love from the moment we are born until the moment we leave this earth whether we recognize that search or not.  I thought about all of the songs that have been written throughout time that speak about love and I suspect that there is no subject that has been written about more.  This call to find love, to share love is put into our souls by God.  He is love and he created us in his image.  This world is fractured and broken so our love is not perfect either but his command is to love.  Do something kind for your neighbor; give your kids or friend a hug.  Make or buy a little gift for someone you know, spend some time visiting a lonely person.  Pray for your friends and family; pray for your antagonists and enemies.  I have found as I work on this specific discipline it is much easier to love them even if I do not really like them.  Take some time to soak in the love of God this morning and then find a way to spread that love to someone else.  All we need is love...

Lord,

You fill us up whenever we come ready to be filled.  Help us prepare our hearts for you so we can fully receive the love you have for us each day.  Open our hands and hearts to receive and then again to share the blessing of love you give for all.  Amen.

Hebrews 3:6 “Christ, however, was faithful over God’s house as a son, and we are his house if we hold firm the confidence and the pride that belong to hope.”

The reference to us being his house caused a little research on my part today.  I know the common belief that his spirit lives in us and we are his temple but this verse felt different.  The verse made me think of nobility and I know very little about that.  Most little girls like to dress up and play princess and mine is no exception.  She often tells me she is a princess, my son is the prince, I am the queen and my husband is the king.  I tease her and remind her that the princess is not in charge so she needs to remember to listen and obey the queen.  A short time ago, Prince William of England married Kate bringing her into the house of Windsor.  I think about her being molded and formed into royalty as it is expected.  We too have been brought into a house of royalty.  We are being molded and formed into royalty as it should truly be.  We are his house because he is our ruler; we are his heirs and subjects.  Go into your day feeling blessed to be a part of the house of Christ.  Live as heirs of his kingdom and we will serve him well.

Lord,

Thank you for making us a part of your royal kingdom.  We are blessed to be in the house of Christ and I pray that we will live bringing honor and glory to your holy kingdom, the one true kingdom that reigns forever.  You are my king; I bow to you and you alone.  Amen.

Ezekiel 36:26-27 “A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.  I will put my spirit within you, and make you follow my statutes and be careful to observe my ordinances.”

The bible is filled with stories of Israel being disobedient, turning from their sins and coming back to the Lord.  In this passage, the Israelites have not turned back to the Lord.  He brings renewal and blessings to them despite their wandering ways in order to bring honor to His name.  God desires nothing more than our devotion.  He longs for us to listen and follow him; to honor and praise him with all we do and say.  We are no different than the Israelites of long ago.  We are often wayward and deceived people.  We are self-oriented and self-serving most of the time.  I long for the day when I will wake up each morning acknowledging the presence of the Lord, and continue each moment of the day honoring and living for Him.  I long for the day when this nation I live in will turn to Him for guidance in all we do and seek to serve Him in every way.  I know this is coming...someday.

Lord,

We need you but we do not seek you.  We seek you only to turn the other way when we do not want to follow.  Forgive our sins and give us new hearts and spirits for you.  Open our hearts and spirits to be led only by you, all for your glory.  Amen.