"7" Minutes Alone with God

If You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us   (Mark 9:22) A father, perhaps with hopes generated by Jesus’ growing reputation as a healer, came seeking His help for his demon-tormented son.  But when he arrived he found, not the renowned miracle worker, but nine of His disciples.  Apparently willing to settle for any help he could get, he transferred his faith to them.  When they were not only unable to heal the boy but became embroiled in an argument with the scribes who were watching, his hopes must have been dashed. Jesus’ appearance on the scene doesn’t seem to have restored much of his earlier confidence, as indicated by the if that prefaced his request.  The nine had failed; perhaps their leader would, too. How often do our requests for help arrive at God’s throne with that same, perhaps unspoken, if ? Turning a problem over to God means trusting Him to provide a solution even though there is little, if any, evidence that one is po...

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit,  but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself;  do not merely look out for your own personal interests,  but also for the interests of others (Philippians 2:3-4) A friend who grew up in the South refers to bad behavior as being or acting ugly. Perhaps you, too, use that terminology or have heard it used.  Certainly it is descriptive of how we all act at times, how such behavior makes us feel, and how we look to others. Sometimes it doesn’t take much provocation to get us into an ugly mood, and once we are there, we have difficulty shaking it off.  It hangs over our heads like a black cloud, and taints everything we think, say and do. Most of us don’t really need instructions on how to be ugly; it just comes naturally.  However, the following recipe may serve as a checklist to help us recognize, and even guard against ugly behavior:  RECIPE...

You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb.   I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:13-14) These verses from the 139th psalm are indications that we are all created differently; uniquely. While we share some things in common, no two of us are exactly alike.  Take for instance my two oldest grandsons.  The older one was born redheaded and fair complexed, while the second was toe-headed with a warm tint to his skin, and they could not have been more diverse in nature. Around three months, Collin’s personality began to emerge, and from that point on it was apparent he shared little in common with his 2½ year old brother, Cord.  Collin was a quiet child, content to be in his playpen or crib, watching Cord who was in perpetual motion.  At Collin’s age, Cord had loved the wind-up swing but Collin preferred to be held, rocked, and cuddled. In those early days, my daughter sometimes expressed con...

For as we have many members in one body but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ,  and individually members of one another.   Having then gifts differing according to the grace  that is given to us, let us use them   (Romans 12:4-6) I enjoy fruit salad, and serve it often to my family and guests.  Not only is it flavorful, it’s healthy, and pretty in the bowl, especially when made with a variety of fruits. Peaches; pears; pineapple; strawberries; grapes, both red and green; bananas; maraschino cherries; fresh, canned or frozen, or a combination thereof. The variety is endless, the choice individual.  Each fruit, with its unique flavor and texture, adds a special quality to the mix.  So it is with Christians. There is much we can do alone, but by combining our diverse personalities, interests, and abilities with other believers, we are more fully equipped to carry out Christ’s...