Looking for an earlier Watchword?
- Thursday, May 7 – That Terrible Day - That terrible day? Do you remember? Good Friday. That’s when our Lord and Savior, as he was dying, prayed the Prayer of Forgiveness. Do you remember what some of His last words were there on the cross? “Father, forgive them.” He was saying, “I forgive them and, Father, I ask you to forgive them and not to put this on their account, not to blame them.” His cry, his plead to God, was for us. He was crying out that they, you and me, would be released; that God would forgive us. There is a side to the Prayer of Forgiveness that is a form of intercession; a side where we stand in the breach, that God would not remember the sin of the person who has sinned against us. Our sin is all-inclusive. God’s forgiveness is all-inclusive. Why? Continue reading
- Wednesday, May 6 – Meet Me in the Morning - Jesus Calling a few days ago was so strong and encouraging, and even though many of you follow this devotional, I include it here as our meditation for all those who may not have seen it: “Meet Me in morning stillness, while the earth is fresh with the dew of My Presence. Worship Me in the beauty of holiness. Sing love songs to My Holy Name. As you give yourself to Me, My Spirit swells within you till you are flooded with divine Presence. The world's way of pursuing riches is grasping and hoarding. You attain My riches by letting go and giving. The more you give yourself to Me and My ways, the more I fill you with inexpressible, heavenly Joy.” Sarah Young Continue reading
- Tuesday, May 5 – Cinco de Mayo! - Cinco de Mayo, everybody! Time to celebrate! Drink up! Oh, what are we celebrating? Nothing, really. This is the day celebrated by bartenders everywhere! The distilleries are alive with music. Some believe that we celebrate Mexican independence, but, no. That is in September. Then what? The Virgin Mary? No. How about Kahlo? Or Hidalgo? Juarez? What then? Tequila! Drink up! Is that a false holiday? Maybe, depends of how you look at it. Maybe celebrating a day, any day, is a good thing. Which is more important? The day, or the celebration? Continue reading
- Monday, May 4 – Given by God - In this scripture passage, John is answering his worried disciples that everything he had was given by God, a gift. Even they, who followed John, likewise, were gifts from God and as gifts, they had a purpose, for which they should be grateful. John knew who he was, he was not the Christ. He made that plain. In the Jewish wedding customs of that day, the friend of the bridegroom was like a combination of best man and wedding planner, they arranged everything, and wanted no attention. John saw his role was to bring two people together; Christ and His bride, you and me. In our societal mind set we think we know what a bridegroom is but in Biblical terms, it means that Jesus is God. Continue reading
- Sunday, May 3 – His Word Unchanged - Sometimes when we read the Message version of the Bible we hardly recognize the…well, message. Sometimes, however, it speaks to us more clearly than, say, King James, even though it is James! In King James, the subject of this passage is right up there in the first sentence: ‘If any of you lacks wisdom…’ Wisdom. In the Message, the subject is implied, ‘If you don’t know what you are doing…’ Yet, to me, the instruction in the Message is more straightforward on how to proceed, ‘Ask boldly (of God), believingly, without a second thought.’ In other words (King James), no doubts. Continue reading
- Saturday, May 2 – Silly Saturday - What are you doing in this isolation to keep your mind working and your hands active? I could not help but notice so many nests, piles of stuff that I wanted to get to “someday”. Well, I tackled one of those nests a few days ago and I came across a book that was given to me in 1972 entitled Pop/Rock Lyrics 3, Copyright 1971. It was surprising to me how prophetic some of those lyrics were, that I hardly paid much attention to them, back then. Let’s review. Remember this by Joni Mitchell? Can you name it? "They paved paradise and put up a parking lot With a pink hotel, a boutique and a swinging hot spot..." Continue reading
- Friday, May 1 – What Are You Afraid Of? - hat Are You Afraid Of? The 11-year-old girl stands at the service line of her school volleyball game. It is the first time she has been called upon to serve. The score is tied and her team is counting on her. She is nervous, she is fearful. She never expected the coach to put her into this important game, and now, here she is about to serve. All she could think about is getting this ball over the net. Her parents, in the crowd of cheering parents and fellow students, are thinking the same thing, “please let her get the ball over the net”! Her hand is shaking and breathing is not easy. She starts to serve, strikes the ball, and it sails… Fear. Fear hits us all, maybe differently in you or in me, but, nevertheless it’s part of our lives, it’s part of how we function in this complicated and difficult time of life. What are you afraid of? Continue reading
- Faithful Love - Last night I was in turmoil when it was time to turn the light out and go to bed. I had written a meditation for this morning, but, frankly, it was silly and I wasn’t happy with it. Yet, beside the crazy twists and turns that my mind was doing, I had my conversation with God and then went to sleep…6 hours! For me, that’s great! This morning, the turmoil of yesterday was gone, and in its place, we’re five separate thoughts, each born of my morning meditation readings. One, had to do with my book on Barabbas that is in the hands of the publishing house, and I can’t change a word without losing the fall release date. Still, it’s a thought, so I jotted a note to myself. Continue reading
- Tuesday, April 28 – Peace is Not Fear* - Peace is not fear… With God, our fear doesn’t stand a chance! (Excerpt from an essay, Holy Fear, 2008): “We are humans, we all experience fear in some form or another; for our own safety, sometimes the fear is of the unknown, or comes out of our worry about tomorrow. We hear plenty of scripture passages that say to us do not fear, and certainly do not worry about tomorrow… What about holy fear? The kind of fear that God implants in us that guides us closer to him?” In Acts 2:1-4, we read about the event during Pentecost in the temple in Jerusalem. It was a fearful, violent wind and tongues of fire. All that would be fearful enough, but then they were filled with the holy spirit. God’s purpose, God’s plan. Sunday night, some of you may have watched Pastor Robert Morris, TBN, who dedicated his entire broadcast talking specifically to me. Continue reading
- Sunday, April 26 – T’ween Heaven and Earth - In my manuscript, Middle of Nowhere, there are parallel narratives: a mortal and a heavenly. There has just been a collapse in the mine with loss of life, and the tragedy that has been observed in Heaven: “Far above the valleys, the thunder rolled on and on, and clouds gathered, illuminated by flashes of lightning. In the midst of the chaos in the Heavenly Vast, a voice; a voice that said, “Do not surrender to discouragement, my little ones. The Great One reminds us that for lo these many years we have been on the glorious mountaintop with the believers, gathered in Living Light. All those happy years were meant to teach and to strengthen our faith. Put all doubt aside.” “What happened? Those poor Mortals, and those poor, sad children. Why would Great One do this? We don’t understand.” Continue reading
- Saturday, April 25 – Worrier’s Prayer - Back when my granddaughter, Hazel Jane Escott, was 5, 6 or 7, she and I had a song that we would sing. We were pretty lousy and we were pretty hokey but we enjoyed each other. She’s old now, a sophisticated 16-year-old, accomplished cellist, a serious young lady. I wonder if she would sing that with me? Well, of course she has, but only in the family. The other day I was playing with the lyrics, and I came up with this version to match our present State of affairs. You know the song, here are the new words... Continue reading
- Friday, April 24 – Faith Kicked In! - Faith Kicked In! If you follow Our Daily Bread, then you read the one for this past Wednesday, entitled ‘The Saddest Goose’. Geese, you may know, are social critters, they have partners for life, and they live in a flight of fellow geese. I’m sure you’ve seen them gather, sometimes in the most nuisance kind of ways. Watch where you step! The ODB author speaks about human beings being created for community, as well. In the Ecclesiastical reading, Solomon describes how vulnerable we are when we are alone. For many readers of this email, you are blessed to have a spouse, a partner, your children to enrich your lives. Blessings beyond measure, most of the time. How does one live as a solo, a single, separated from the grounding that loved ones give to your life? How do you love from afar? Continue reading
- Thursday, April 23 – Voice of God - What does the voice of God sound like? Have you heard it? How do you hear it? Under what circumstances? Did the voice seem familiar? Had you heard it before? Can you sort out God’s voice from all the other voices that you hear? Was it a loud voice, or was it a small voice, even a whisper? Perhaps you thought it was just your conscience giving you trouble. Maybe, God used the voice of a loved one? In 1 Kings 19:1-13 is the story of Elijah fleeing for his life because he was carrying out God’s instructions, and Ahab wants him dead. Now he is hiding in a cave and the Lord spoke to him: “What are you doing here Elijah?” Elijah tells God that he has carried out God’s instructions, but now he wants to die, it has been too much. God tells him: “Go out and stand before the mountain.” Continue reading
- Wednesday, April 22 – The Shack - I am sure that many of you have read William Paul Young’s book The Shack. It was a Best Seller in 2008, may even have been the subject of adult Christian Ed. Classes at some point. It has been described by the author as a ‘metaphor for the places you get stuck, you get hurt, you get damaged…where shame or hurt is center- most (in one’s life). If you have read the book or seen the movie, then you may have a different perspective on its meaning. If I were to paraphrase what the author would say to us today, it would be more like: a metaphor for how isolation, quarantine, grief and inactivity can damage, if those negatives are the center of your being. Continue reading
- Tuesday, April 21 – Do Not Be Afraid - In a Jesus Calling recently, He tells us ‘do not be afraid, for I am with you’. He goes on to tell us that no matter what happens ‘I will never leave you or forsake you’. This is his assurance to us that we need to take in, let it soak into our minds and hearts and feel that sense of God’s peace flowing through us. In Psalm 46 we read ‘though the earth giveaway and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, you need not fear’. That’s a big thing, not something to be minimized. Continue reading
- Monday, April 20 – Time Out? - Miracle in your home? Have you thought about that? Miracle, right there where you live. Have you thought about what God is doing within the details of our lives, even as we sit here and consider these 35 days or so that we have been in isolation? What has changed? We have, you know, each one of us. We are not the same. Sometimes change can be so subtle that it is like a gentle breeze that just goes through and we hardly notice. Sometimes change is like an abrupt something that happens, and our lives are redirected. Or, maybe it exposes something of which we were unaware. Or perhaps expose is too strong word, maybe reveals, is better. Maybe he reveals something within us that we weren’t aware of because of all the distractions. Now that the distractions are stilled, was our blindness lifted? An attitude adjustment? Continue reading
- Sunday, April 19 – Communion - When was the last time you received the sacrament of communion? For many of us it was the last time we were in church or the last time it was offered. Pastor Amy (Zion) distributed sanctified elements to our membership during that first week of our isolation. For the next two weeks, I followed Communion instructions, just the Lord and me. Last week I followed the instructions while in FaceTime with a loved one, and will do the same this morning. I still have the blessed wine of communion, but have substituted my bread for the Body of Christ. Ordinary communion is conducted by an ordained member of the clergy. Continue reading
- Saturday, April 18 – Abide with Me - I think too often when we hear that phrase ‘be strong and of good courage’ we may think of action heroes coming to the rescue, saving us from really bad things, at the very last moment. But it is God saying to us to abide in his word and not lose faith, He will walk with us through this present Jordan. There is a commentary on Verse-A-Day that says: ‘It is striking how often the truth of scripture points to the quality of our relationship with Jesus’. As believers in Jesus Christ we need to allow ourselves to be led by the Holy Spirit then to reach out with courage and compassion tor others who are suffering through this time. We cannot do this on our own, that’s the reality of our frailty. But we can do it with Jesus who will give us the strength. Continue reading
- Friday, April 17 – Trust Him - Borrowed from Jesus Calling: Jesus tells us to trust Him and do not be afraid, despite the many things that feel out of our control. This ‘new normal’ is not running very smoothly, slightly out of kilter, the old balance that kept us pointing in the right direction, needs adjustment. You know the imbalance that under-mines our security. What is that, you say, Lord? “Let Me lead you to the rock that is higher than you and those circumstances that seem to cause you to separate yourself from Me.” “The rock that is higher than me? What does that mean, Lord?” Continue reading
- Do you love Me? Part 2 - Jesus Speaks, Part 2: Years ago, I read a wonderful faith story from India, about a man who rushed up to a Monk who was passing through his village and said to him, Give it to me! The Monk replied, Give you what? What you have in your pack! Last night I had a dream and in the dream God instructed me to ask the first monk I see walking through the village to give me the precious stone he carried. So give it to me! “Oh, you must mean this”, said the Monk, reaching into his pack. “I found it during a walk in the forest.” He pulled out the largest diamond the man had ever seen. It was huge and sparkled brightly in the morning sun. Well, the man was ecstatic. He ran home, happy beyond words. That night he found it impossible to sleep. Continue reading
