Your Daily Crossroad
30
Jul '20
Beautiful Fragrance
30
Jul '20
A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones. (Proverbs 17:22)
Have you ever had a friend or a person who lifts your spirits?
A person with a cheerful heart is kind, encouraging, and helpful.
They have an enthusiasm for the job at hand and zeal or zest for life.
They just seem to bring joy to those around them!!
God’s word tells us that a joyful heart is good medicine because it heals the soul and mind.
On the flip side, negativity and cruel words bring strife and destruction.
They can crush the spirit and dry up our bones.
And, the tribulations and trials of life can do that to us as well.
But, the Lord tells us that we are not meant to carry around burdens, hurts, and unforgiveness in our hearts.
Holding onto bitterness and anger will destroy us.
Did you know that to make perfume they have to crush the flowers? The process of perfume-making resembles what happens when we face hurts in our life.
But, God can use our pain and disappointments, trials, and suffering to create in us something beautiful!
As you examine your heart, are you good medicine to those around you? Are you a beautiful fragrance to others? Can you trust God with your pain or hurt and allow His joy to heal you!?
This devotion blessed me so much. I pray after reading it you are encouraged to ask yourself that very question. Are you good medicine to those around you? Are you a beautiful fragrance to others? Isaiah 61:3, …give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness…
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!
28
Jul '20
There is Purpose in Your Struggle
28
Jul '20
He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. (Isaiah 40:29)
Are you facing struggles today that are causing you to question God?
Are your troubles or difficulties diminishing your faith in God?
There is purpose in your struggle.
Your problems and limitations have a purpose!!
First, they remind us of Christ’s suffering. He knows and understands every single thing you are feeling or have ever felt.
Struggles also keep us dependent on Christ.
When you are weak, He is strong…enabling you to do what you cannot do on your own.
And remember, this earth is not our home! It is temporary.
When we experience frailty, grief, and stress we can either draw near to Christ and His strength or falter in our own.
We are not designed to handle life without God.
We need Him!
As you begin your day, ask God to help you and to strengthen your heart. He will give you His power to handle life with His help.
This devotion blessed me. I pray it uplifts and encourages you today to know that there is purpose in your struggle. Just today I read something that blessed me and I felt it went right along with this. “God is still in control, even when everything seems out of control. God is still God”.
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!
23
Jul '20
Help Needed!
23
Jul '20
They helped every one his neighbour; and every one said to his brother, Be of good courage. (Isaiah 41:6)
One of the great American authors, Alex Haley, had a picture on a wall in his office that attracted much attention. It always aroused the interest of his visitors because no one could understand the significance of the photograph to the writer.
On one occasion, a visitor with a perplexed look on his face asked, “Alex, why do you have a picture of a turtle sitting on the top of a fence post?”
Haley replied, “I try to remember how this turtle – me – got on the top of that post.”
Sometimes, perhaps most of the time for some of us, it is difficult to admit that if it were not for the help of others, we would not be where we are. From our earliest moments until this present hour, we are encouraged by nearly everyone to believe that “You can do it by yourself!”
Not so! We all need the help of others. Consider two words of advice from God. Speaking through the prophet Isaiah He said, “encourage one another with the words, ‘Be strong!’”
Each day God brings individuals into our lives who need help, encouragement, inspiration, an act of kindness, words of sympathy, or a look of empathy. He does this so we can help Him do His work in His world. It’s easy to encourage others by simply smiling and saying, “Be strong.”
Living life as one of Christ’s disciples, and doing the will of God, is to become a voice through which He speaks words of encouragement and a hand that He uses to help others.
Blessed is the Christian who enables others to “be strong!”
Father, may we take seriously the fact that You expect us to look to You for guidance and then reach out to others in love and mercy to show Your grace. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
When I read this devotion I was reminded of a quote I once heard that has stuck with me from a very young age and I remind myself of it often. Some people come into our lives and quickly go, some stay for awhile and leave footprints on our heart and we are never ever the same. My prayer is that we can leave footprints wherever we go and enable others to be strong. The very simple gestures are often the ones that have the biggest effect. Just your smile can change hearts and minds. Be kind.
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!
21
Jul '20
Unusual Kindness
21
Jul '20
Now when they had escaped, they then found out that the island was called Malta. And the natives showed us unusual kindness; for they kindled a fire and made us all welcome, because of the rain that was falling and because of the cold. (Acts 28:1-2)
Have you ever read a story on social media about someone who did something over-the-top for a stranger? Like tipping a server not just the standard 20 percent, but maybe 500 percent? I love these stories of excessive thoughtfulness, but Facebook isn’t the only place we find them.
Tucked in the pages of the New Testament is a two-word phrase that leapt off the pages of my Bible one day. It rearranged my thinking and became somewhat of a life mission. A subtle perspective shift that enables me to view each day as an adventure. It’s a straightforward concept that usually costs little but time, but still it seems mighty scarce these days.
In Acts 28:1-2, we encounter some unnamed natives who dwelt on a remote island where a boatload of people – including the apostle Paul – suddenly found themselves shipwrecked in the middle of a storm.”Once safely on shore, wefound out that the islandwas called Malta. The islanders showed us unusual kindness.”
Unusual kindness. Their welcoming behavior toward the group of strangers was so uncommon that Scripture doesn’t just chronicle this encounter with the single word “kindness.” Instead, the adjective “unusual” was intentionally hitched to kindness to give us a glimpse of the godly and counter-culture behavior of these folks.
I love the reason given for this above-and-beyond behavior. It doesn’t say this unusual kindness was shown, because “Paul and his companions were important people.” Nope. It doesn’t declare that the welcome and warmth was given (literally with a freshly built fire!), because “the people from the shipwreck had the exact political and theological views as the islanders.” No again. They were treated with this unusual kindness because – wait for it ?
“? it was raining and cold.”
Today we encounter all sorts of people who are up against the elements, perhaps not physically with rain or cold, but in life somehow nonetheless. We happen upon these people, knowing nothing about their beliefs or backgrounds. And perhaps they’re already in our everyday lives, right under our noses, but we have never stopped to help.
So, what can mimicking the Malta natives’ conduct look like for us today? And how do our acts of kindness morph into the unusual category?
Kindness holds the door open for an elderly person leaving the grocery store. Unusual kindness willingly carries their groceries all the way to their car, puts them in the trunk and sends them on their way with an “It was my pleasure,” when thanked.
Kindness is smiling at the maxed-out mom of two young kids pitching a royal fit in the department store toy aisle, rather than staring with stone-faced silence, judging her for her apparent lack of parenting skills. Unusual kindness recognizes all children misbehave, and this stressed-out mama is woefully outnumbered. So we tell her to hang in there. That she’s doing an important job. And maybe slip her a $10 bill and tell her to buy herself a large latte. She’s gonna need something to keep up her energy.
Kindness whispers a prayer for the just-moved-in-from-six-states-away neighbor who’s facing life (outside of work time) all alone. Unusual kindness invites him to your house for a weekend supper, folds him in to your family’s ordinary life and asks him questions to get to know him better.
Scatter some unusual kindness today. When you do, you’ll make someone’s day – and yours!
Father, as I encounter people today, help me remember the example of the islanders of Malta and show others unusual kindness done in Your name. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
When I went seeking a devotion for today I couldn’t shake one word, kindness. So when I came upon this devotion it resonated within my spirit and I knew it needed to be shared. Today, choose to scatter some unusual kindness.
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!