Your Daily Crossroad

Praise God!

All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah. (Psalm 66:4) 
 
In the springtime, I love to sit outside alone in the early morning chill to sip a mug of hot coffee, read the word and bask in the sounds of nature. Each creature praises God in its own way. I especially enjoy the symphony of praise performed by all the different birds that live nearby. The orchestra often includes the loud trumpet sounds of Canada geese flying overhead, the high-pitched whistles of black-capped chickadees jostling for a place at our bird feeder, and a lone woodpecker holding down the percussion section in a tall oak tree. Each bird has its own unique sound, but together they generate a beautiful morning chorus of praise. Just like the birds, we each have our own distinctive, God-given voices with which we can praise God. Some people have the ability to praise God out loud for all to hear; some have the same gift of quietly praising God during conversations with others; some are skilled at soundlessly praising God through prayer. Like the birds, we can merge our unique voices and together share a magnificent melody of God’s praise for all the world to hear!  
 
Dear God, help us become more aware of the many reasons for praising you. Amen. 
 
This devotion blessed me. Give God praise, for He is worthy to be praised. 
 
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord! 
 
Today’s Reading is 2 Samuel 7:22 

 

 



Why So Afraid?

Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and the mother with the children. (Genesis 32:11) 
 
One time in elementary school I said something mean to a kid in my class. Mike was a tough kid and much bigger than I so I expected that when we went outside for recess, he was going to beat me up. I worried the whole day. When recess came I told Mike, “If you’re going to hit me, please hit my arm so it won’t hurt so much.” He laughed and said that he wasn’t planning on hitting me, that he had forgotten all about it. I had worried over nothing. Fear does serve a purpose. If not for fear, we would take foolish risks, endangering our lives. But we can’t fear everything. Jacob cheated his brother Esau out of his rightful inheritance twice, and then ran away for years. When God told Jacob to return home, he feared his brother would kill him and his family. Jacob wasted years fearing his brother’s vengeance — for nothing. Esau had long since forgiven his brother. If we can do something to fix a bad situation, then we should do it. Regardless, we can exercise our faith and turn our worries over to God. 
 
Heavenly Father, we know you care about every aspect of our lives. Help us to trust you more and to worry less. Amen. 
 
This devotion blessed me. I feel we can all be reminded to trust God more and worry less. Today, take a moment and do as today’s devotion says, exercise your faith and turn your worries over to God. Turn your worries into worship and and watch God turn your battles into blessings. 
 
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord! 
 
Today’s Reading is Jeremiah 17:7-8


Making a Difference

And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. (Luke 6:31) 
 
Two mornings a week I take the bus into town. I find that bus ride an uplifting experience. I am constantly struck by the presence of God in the lives of the people around me. The drivers are kind and caring, often waiting for people who are running late to catch the bus. They greet everyone, not just the regulars, and go out of their way to help those with disabilities. Similarly, the kindness of the passengers is an inspiration. If anyone needs help, two or three people will immediately offer assistance — by giving up their seats to those who are frail and elderly, by lifting heavy suitcases, and by helping mothers with strollers and children. We often think that we must do great deeds to make a significant difference in the world. However, my morning bus ride reminds me that small acts of kindness done by ordinary people are just as significant. What a lovelier place our world would be if we all treated other people as we ourselves would like to be treated. We can serve God faithfully every day by showing kindness to one another. 
 
Loving God, use us to show your love through our kind actions and words to people we meet each day. Amen. 
 
After reading today’s devotion I was blessed by the truth of it. Today, may be stop and reflect on this very statement, “What a lovelier place our world would be if we all treated other people as we ourselves would like to be treated”. Be the change you want to see in the world. 
 
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord! 
 
Today’s Reading is Acts 4:12 


More than a Symbol

Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. (Philippians 2:3-4) 

 

On the verge of making team history, University of Iowa basketball star Jordan Bohannon intentionally missed the free throw that would have broken a twenty-five-year-old school record. Why? In 1993, days after Iowa’s Chris Street had made thirty-four free throws in a row, he lost his life in a car crash. Bohannon chose to honor Street’s memory by not breaking his record. 

 

Bohannon showed a keen awareness of things more important than his own advancement. We see similar values in the life of the young warrior David. Hiding in a cave with his ragtag army, David longed for a drink from the well in his hometown of Bethlehem, but the dreaded Philistines occupied the area (2 Samuel 23:14–15). 

 

In a stunning act of bravery, three of David’s warriors “broke through the Philistine lines,” got the water, and brought it to David. But David couldn’t bring himself to drink it. Instead, he “poured it out before the Lord,” saying, “Is it not the blood of men who went at the risk of their lives?” (vv. 16–17). 

 

In a world that often rewards those who seize whatever they can grasp, how powerful acts of love and sacrifice can be! Such deeds are much more than mere symbols. 

 

Instead of advancing your own agenda, how can you celebrate someone else and their efforts? How do our acts of love reflect God’s own? 

 

Father, guide my heart today. Rearrange my priorities so that I value the needs of others as well as my own. Amen. 
 
 

Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord! 

 

Today’s Reading is Galatians 5:22-23