Living Light - Violet Nesdoly

Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, “Arise and go toward the South along the road which goes down from Jerusalem from Gaza...” (Acts 8:26)
Philip isn’t being asked to leave the Samaritan revival to go to on holidays. The passage above continues, “This is desert.”

But we hear no demur on Philip’s part. No, “But I'm being used here ..." Just, "So he arose and went," without any further explanation from the angel about why or exactly where.

He gets that when he reaches the desert and sees the chariot with its Ethiopian passenger. Then the Spirit whispers, “Go near and overtake this chariot.”

From that point Philip is on his own again in that he has to run to catch up, then use his intellect, experience and common sense to figure out what the man’s spiritual need is and how to address it.

But from God’s point of view the situation is puzzle pieces fitting together. This official of Candace’s court is interested in spiritual things, has just made a trip to Jerusalem to worship God and is engrossed in and mulling over the prophetic writings of Isaiah. Philip is the perfect one to explain things to him. Even more important, he's God's 'yes-man'!

Philip takes a sum of the situation and wastes no time explaining the Gospel to the Ethiopian, who accepts it to the extent of requesting baptism at the sight of the first sizable puddle.

Then Philip’s work with him is done. After the baptism “...the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so the eunuch saw him no more and he went on his way rejoicing.”

I’ll bet. And I would think Philip felt the same joyful. Because if there is any feeling on earth as wonderful as realizing that the God of the universe cares enough about little me to answer the question of my heart, it’s when God uses me to be part of that answer – whether to many, or one.

Such unselfconscious asking (and getting), such care-less obeying (knowing that sometimes obeying means not being whisked away; sometimes it means sticking with the already-given assignment and faithfully doing the day’s duties without any visible sign that heaven is involved) is, I think, part of what Jesus meant when He said, “My yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:30)

****************

Web: http://violetnesdoly.com
Blog: promptings
Daily devotions for kids: Bible Drive-Thru
Twitter: @vnesdoly

Sourdough Thoughts - Pam Mytroen

"Would you like a batch of sourdough? It makes delicious muffins and loaves."


I nearly tripped as I backed away from the well-meaning gift bearer. My girlfriends all fled the scene with a smirk, but somehow before I could craft a polite 'no thank you', I held a warm, smelly container in my hands, complete with bonus recipes. "Add raisins, chocolate chips, or dried apricots for a different flavour."

It's still sitting in my freezer. Nothing against the delicious cinnamon topped, warm from the oven muffins, but my kids have made it clear they're tired of the growing, overflowing dough on my countertop.

Sourdough reminds me of my stinking thoughts. It starts out with an innocent thought like 'why am I so tired?' or 'what will happen if my plan fails?' or 'what will my boss say if...?' However, rather than taking that thought out and exposing it to fresh air, I stir it every day. Soon it begins to grow. Then every few days I toss in a few more negative thoughts such as 'maybe it's a disease I have'. Before long I have a mess of worry that begins to overflow. Fear stinks. Anxiety carries an offensive aroma.

"Casting all your care on Him for he cares for you," (I Peter 5:7). If only I would think of this first, rather than allowing the yeast of anxiety to grow.

Today I shared a worry with a friend of mine. She immediately shared her perspective on it. She had a line of reasoning I hadn't thought of. New information and knowledge opened my eyes to another way of thinking. My worry shrunk. Instead of stirring it and adding more yeast, I left the lid off and open to the fresh air. Now it has no chance to fester.

It reminds me of lifting a rock and watching the insects scatter. They don't like the light nor the breeze. Worry starves when we add the truth of God's light and the wind of His spirit.

My sourdough thoughts were exposed by my friend. God used her to share truth and light. I would like to return the favour. I wonder, would she like some frozen sourdough? I hear you can use applesauce in place of oil...

© Pam Mytroen

Waiting Expectantly - Lynda Schultz

Abby likes violets. Somehow she knows they are in bloom. Whenever I enter the bedroom she waits below the stand by the window where I keep the plants. She waits expectantly in the hopes that I will gives her a flower to eat.

Both cats know how to wait. They know how to make their wishes known. At daybreak, Abby sits by my head, meowing gently. She's waiting for her teaspoon of milk. Both Abby and Lou Lou Belle "park," sprawled in the doorway to the kitchen or right where they know I have to walk while they wait for their dishes of wet cat food—a cat's "breakfast of champions."

Every new bag of dry food that comes into the apartment has to be taste-tested. They hang around, underfoot, until I open the bag and give them a few nibbles. This same exercise is repeated at night. They know when it is time for bed, and that last little treat of the evening, the cats' version of breath mints.

Lou Lou waits patiently just outside the shower. She has a "thing" for the water that gets caught in the cracks between the sliding doors as I shower.

I admire their patience as they wait. They know me well enough to understand that I will not fail to meet their expectations. They simply have to persist in waiting. They have to "be there."

I am reminded of Jesus' admonition in his parable about the persistent widow in Luke 18. She insisted, even in her dealing with a judge who had no regard for God or for her. Eventually the man broke down and gave her what she asked. Jesus says: "And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly" —Luke 18:6, 7 NIV.

The next statement is the most telling. He has told his disciples to persist in prayer and wraps up his story with this: "However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"

Abby and Lou have faith that I will respond to their expectant waiting. Can I demonstrate any less faith in my loving, Heavenly Father? Will he find me waiting expectantly?

Speak the Truth in Love - Janet Sketchley

We usually take Scriptural statements about the power of the tongue as a warning—and so we should, considering the damage we can do. Yet we’re to “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.” (Eph. 5:19a, NIV). Jesus used Scripture to counter Satan’s attempts to twist it in the desert. “The sword of the Spirit...is the Word of God.” (Eph. 6:17, NIV)

We have a wealth of Scripture at our disposal to speak into others’ lives—and into our own. “The Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Heb 4:12, NIV)

I don’t know if it’s any more powerful spoken aloud, or if our minds just believe it easier that way. I do know that reciting passages from the Psalms, declaring them resolutely in the face of despair, has strengthened me when I was overwhelmed.

When anxiety was gaining ground, I needed to be lovingly reminded that: “Whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything.” (James 1:2b-4 NLT) I knew the truth, but I needed to hear it to anchor myself in its power.

Often we don’t speak Scripture to one another because we don’t want to come across as pious, trite or hypocritical. Certainly we need to speak from a place of humility and empathy, as the Holy Spirit nudges us. There are times to be silent and cry with a hurting believer. But there are times for a well-placed word of encouragement, and what better word than from the Word?

Scripture is not a tool that we use as we see fit. (This separates Christians from those who simply decide what they want and then try to speak it into being.) But if we spend time daily with the Lord in worship and prayer, reading and absorbing His Word, we will find sections that stand out to us—words to speak to Him in prayer, to ourselves for strength, or to others in love for their encouragement and edification.



© Janet Sketchley, 2009
--------
For devotionals, reviews and conversation, stop by Janet Sketchley's blog, God with Us: Finding Joy.