Daily devotion

Silly Goose!

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 Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. Romans 12:3

As a teen-ager I lived on a small farm for about two years. Every day I had pigs to slop, cows to milk, chickens to feed and even a couple of goats to tend. But of all the animals we had on the farm the ones I liked the least were the geese. Yes some mornings the cow could be ill- tempered, the pigs were smelly, and the chickens needed constant protection from the local raccoon but the annoying thing about geese is how they acted like they were better than any of the other animals on the farm.

photo of white goose

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Whenever I approached to feed them they would stick out their necks and hiss and flap their wings in a phony show of courage. But if I took a few steps toward them, they would turn tail and run as fast as their clumsy webbed feet could carry them.  No matter how much they hissed, flapped or ran they never really convinced anyone of their importance. In fact one of my favorite things on the fourth of July was to shoot bottle rockets close to those geese and then laugh uproariously as they hissed and honked –  (Remember I was a teen-ager!) 

But before feeling so smug about how foolish those geese were I need to ask myself about the  times when to God I must have looked a lot like those geese. He sees me put on a great show of bravery and self-importance for my family, neighbors, or church; but when faced with real danger I have often run for the hills. How amazing that God still loves me and doesn’t treat me like I sometimes treated our poor silly geese. Instead He gently corrects me and tells me to remember that my importance isn’t about being better than others. No one is better than anyone else in God’s family. We are all loved and are each given a different job to do. So let’s not act like silly geese. Yes, God has made us special –  but not better than anyone else on the farm! 

 

Mid-Night in the Storm

/ pastorpete51 / 1 Comment

Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ Acts 27:23-24

When my sister and I were making too much noise, my Mom used to yell at us “Quiet! I can’t hear myself think!” That is exactly what both Paul and the sailors were experiencing in a fourteen day storm. One of the greatest difficulties during heavy storms is our inability to think or even communicate with others. But no matter what our circumstances we can continue to pray. When it seems most difficult we need to encourage ourselves with the reminder that God often sends His message at mid-night. In fact He not only sent a message to Saint Paul in the storm at mid-night but He chose a few other times in the Bible to do the same:

white and black moon with black skies and body of water photography during night time

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It was at mid-night that the angels appeared to the shepherds – And at mid-night that Jesus came walking out over the waves – It was midnight when the call went out, “The bridegroom is coming.” – And at midnight God will send His message to us. At mid-night when we are least expecting God’s help He comes.  At mid-night He stands by our side and says, “Don’t be afraid.”

What are you facing today?  Is it mid-night in your storm? It is not too late! In fact mid-night is the perfect time for Jesus. He comes at mid-night with a message of Hope!

 

Grace and Starfish

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But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  2 Corinthians 12:9

 In the ocean there are more than 2,000 kinds of starfish, but each has its own unique place in the sea. They thrive at the bottom of the ocean under enormous pressure because that is where they belong.

starfish underwater

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When we are under pressure sometimes we try to pretend. We pretend we aren’t afraid when we face danger or we may pretend to know the answer when in fact we are confused. The problem with pretending to be someone else is that we forget who we really are.

The apostle Paul  chose to remember who he was (and wasn’t),. He even spent time reminding others of his weaknesses, problems and difficulties. Because Paul’s style of life was sincere others, like Luke and Timothy and thousands of  became willing to follow Jesus just as they were also.

God has designed each of us like different kinds of starfish and has put us exactly where we belong! We don’t need to pretend that we are a whale or a shark. When the pressure builds up just hold on to who God has planned you to be and He will hold onto you by His grace – which is the greatest power of all.