April 8 Raised with Christ

Col 3:1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
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Hmmmm... what did the Apostle Paul mean when he said that I have been raised with Christ? It is Easter Sunday. We know this... He is Risen!

And me? How does this effect me?

My sins were on that cross with Him when He died. He arose and conquered sin.

I accepted Christ's work on the cross for my sins by asking God's forgiveness and for Christ's work to be applied to my heart. In that, I renounced my sin and a sinful lifestyle.

Therefore I have been raised with Christ too. Wow.

Where is my wonderful Lord now? At the right hand of God.

Where should my heart and mind be? My thoughts, my heart, my passions ought to be set and intentional toward higher things.

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-- think about such things.

Post note: I hope to continue with a devotional daily blog like this after Easter. I will have a link to this site.

This photo was taken in our living room this morning. We have the grave and the crucifix set from Fontanini. Everyone seems to go hog wild on Christmas decorations. I have started collecting some spiritual themed Easter decorations for our home. I get them mostly on e-bay as they are pricey items. http://www.fontanini.net/ The Easter stuff is in the Life of Christ series.

April 7 The Wait

Ro 8:25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

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When I was little, I heard that God answers prayer in 3 ways. "Yes," "no," and "wait awhile."

Some days it feels like I'm always waiting. Waiting for God to show me His will. Waiting for Him to answer prayer. Waiting for Him to help a challenging situation be more tolerable.

But waiting is what we do. There's something about faith in the midst of patience that God likes. The disciples and His followers actually lost hope after Jesus died. They forgot His promise to rise again.

Sometimes waiting feels like God forgot. Like maybe He died and is buried in the tomb. He'll never deliver.

Wait.

This photo was taken a couple mornings ago in our backyard. The tulip has unfolded now - but I had to WAIT for it!

April 6 Thorns Hurt

Mt 27:29 and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. "Hail, king of the Jews!" they said.
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The Soldiers
Hands struggled
To twist
Thorny branches
Around
The Prize
Is ready
In a purple robe
He is crowned
See the glistening
Red jewels

Thorns hurt. When I tried to prune some wild rose bushes in our back yard, my hands hurt for days.

Thorns hurt. He suffered. He was mocked and teased. He was brutally killed. He died.

For me.
For you.

This photo was taken in our back yard this morning of the wild rose bushes.

This poem was written by me in a college creative writing class during Easter.

April 5 Brokeness

Luke 22:19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me."

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Today is Maundy Thursday. On this day of Holy Week the church reflects on the night Jesus was with His disciples celebrating passover right before He died on the cross.

Jesus took bread and broke it. Was He thinking at that moment what it would take to break Him?

He knew He had to die on the cross.
He knew that He would raise from the dead.

He knew that He would live eternally.
He knew this sacrifice would save me from my sins.
He knew He would be broken for me.

Some days I feel broken, beaten down and discouraged. We all do. But on days like that, I usually pray more asking for God's help. When I feel like I can't do it, I come to Him.

Curiously, in the Psalms, God reveals how much He appreciates a broken attitude. Thank you, Lord for modeling brokeness for me.

Ps 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

This photo was taken yesterday morning in our backyard with a communion set.

April 4 Christ's Love

II Cor 5:4 For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all.

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Christ's sacrifice for all mankind is such amazing love.

This is what must drive my Holy week... my life.

Help me, Lord, to love others like you do.

Motivate me. Compel me.

Worship chorus:

Amazing love, how can it be, that you my king would die for me. Amazing love, I know it’s true. It’s my joy to honor you. Amazing love, how can it be that you My king would die for me. Amazing love, I know it’s true. It’s my joy to honor you. In all I do I honor you.

Photo taken this morning in our flower bed.

April 3 Perishable

1Cor 1:18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
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Grass. Sometimes beautiful and lush. Sometimes full of dandelions, or brown and patchy. When we lived in San Antonio, TX it seemed impossible to have nice grass. Even with TruGreen Chemlawn, and all their advice, we still had dying patches.

The Bible tells us that grass will wither (Is. 40:7). It is perishable. So are people according to Psalm 103: 15.

The cross of Christ is not a perishable thing.

We are. Especially without the cross.

By the blood of Christ on the cross, we are given eternal life. That's amazing. That's powerful.

If one doesn't know about this, it sounds absurd.

Don't perish. Embrace everlasting life.

For me.

For you.

John 3: 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (King James Version)

This photo was taken last Saturday morning in the meadow near our home.

April 2 In His Steps

I Peter 2:21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

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This verse was the inspiration for the book, "In His Steps" that spearheaded the question, "What would Jesus do?"

Holy week is the perfect time for me to reflect on this. Christ's life wasn't an easy one - especially His last week before His death. He was misunderstood, set up, betrayed by friends, beaten...

Yet in everything that happened He kept the faith. He stayed close to God the Father. He prayed. He loved those around Him. He was gentle and kind.

Help me, Lord, to follow in Your steps.

This photo was taken yesterday at a castle a couple miles from our home. The date on the crucifix is 1704.

April 1 Palm Branches for the Lamb

Rev 7:9 After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.

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Palm Sunday. The beginning of Holy Week. Our last week of Lent.

"Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!" (John 12:13, Psalm 118:25-26)

"Worthy is the Lamb that was slain." (Rev.5:12)

The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29) is worthy of my praise. Telescopically from Palm Sunday in Jerusalem, to thousands of years as the church celebrates this day, to my own homage in my heart, to the end of the ages when people from every nation and language honor Him.... He is worthy of all praise.

This is the refrain of one of my favorite hymns:

Refrain
I will praise Him! I will praise Him!
Praise the Lamb for sinners slain;
Give Him glory, all ye people,
For His blood can wash away each stain.

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/i/w/iwillpra.htm

This photo was taken recently near our home.

March 31 Draw Near to God

Heb 10:22 Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.
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I approach the end of Lent... heading in to Holy Week. For five weeks I've meditated on nails, blood, suffering, my sinful nature... these things that have put my Lord on the Cross.

Life has joy, life has sorrow. Some days these past five weeks have been hard. Life is like that. This devotional site has often been the highlight of my day. It reminds me of the strength that comes from my Lord in spite of any struggles I face.

I love today's verse.

Draw near to God.
Draw near with a sincere heart.
Draw near with full assurance.
Draw near in faith.
Draw near cleansed.
Draw near without a guilty conscience.
Draw near washed pure.

Draw near.

I do, Lord.

Today's photo was taken this morning at a brook in the woods behind our house.

March 30 Come Closer

Ephesians 3:13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.

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"If God seems far away, guess who moved?" I heard this quote for the first time when I was in high school. It was on a group of stickers I put around my space.

There are times in our life that God seems far away. Before come to know Him in a personal way. When we are living a life that isn't pleasing to Him. When we are depressed and don't care about much of anything.

But He made a way for us to be so close to Him. Through His blood, He is our dearest friend. He is closer than a brother. He is never far. He is as close as we let Him be.

I need to sense your presence, Lord, in a fresh way. Teach me how to draw closer each day.

Hebrews 10:22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.

This photo was taken recently a block from our house (the other direction from the sheep). The horses are far away in the pasture.

March 29 Pampered

Ephesians 1: 7-8a In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us.

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Women, what makes you feel pampered? Chocolates? New jewelry? A day at the spa?

Guys, what makes you feel grace and love lavished upon you? You come home from a tough day and the wife has bread in the bread maker? Steak and ribs? A back rub? A hike to the top of a mountain?

God has forgiven us. Redemption in this verse implies the Old World concept of being released from a terrible prison sentence.

Released from the prison of our sins. Paul uses the term "riches" related to God 6 times in the book of Ephesians. God is so good to us. He longs to lavish His grace and love on us.

Let Him.

He did it.

For me.

For you.

March 28 Crucified with Christ? WHAT!?

Galatians 2: 20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

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So I go to the garage, looking for a rough piece of wood. Can't find that. Instead I find a nice smooth piece for woodworking. That'll do. Next I place my hand on it and imagine the nail... that large rusty nail probably covered with tetanus germs slamming into my wrist or my palm.

Wake me up from this nightmare!

Such a pretty verse, sung so sweetly by Phillips Craig and Dean. Sorry, I can't seem to find a good clip of it online to share!

How horrifying to imagine myself crucified. And yet that is the attitude I should take about my sins. Put them to a horrible death. Live for God. He did it. With His strength, I can live for Him.

This photo was taken this morning with wood from our garage. Taken with my left hand.

March 27 The Price

1Co 6:20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.


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How much for my soul?
How much?
How much did He pay for my Soul?

A coin here.
A bill there.
My tax return.

How much did He pay for my Soul?

The blood.
His blood.
That messy stuff.
From His hands.
From His feet.
From His side.

How much for my soul?
How much?
How much did He pay for my Soul?

This photograph was taken this morning in the dew. My husband recently had a business trip to Turkey and brought back this lovely coin purse. The shiny coins and bills are a mix of Euros, US dollars and cents, and Turkish change.

March 26 The Joy of the Prize

Heb 12:2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

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The JOY set before Christ? Was that like a medal that awaits at the finish line of a race? The medal was my Salvation? Yes, that must be it!

First of all, He had my salvation (and the world's) in mind when He headed to the cross. It helped Him endure the cross. It helped Him get over the shame of taking on my sins and the sins of the world. He thought of ME and what He'd do for me and it got Him through the worst day of His life. His death.

Because He got through it by thinking of me, I can get through anything by thinking of Him!

When I fix my eyes on Him, and what He made it through to do for me... I can get through my own suffering and inadequacies.

OK, this photo is not going to win any contests. Here's the story. I took an award my son got in high school this morning after I wrote the devotional. I photographed it by our ivy in the sun to get the medal to shine. Of course my reflection ended up in it, taking the picture. Yet, I thought... how appropriate! I am the prize, the medal, that Christ thought of when He went to the cross. So the photo works for today!

March 25 Oh Joy

Romans 5:11 We also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
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Reconciliation is making a relationship smooth between two people. I need this, through the grace of our Lord, for my daily relationships. But I also need this on a much bigger level. With Him.

Because of the cross, I am now reconciled... my relationship is smoothed over, with Him...God. My relationship with Him is pure and right. Nothing between us. And that is joy.

I think of the chorus of this hymn... "Nothing Between."

Nothing between my soul and the Savior,

So that His blessed face may be seen;

Nothing preventing the least of His favor,

Keep the way clear! Let nothing between.

http://www.hymnal.net/cgi-bin/hymns/index?t=h&n=372

The photo of today was taken at lunch time. I bought some German frozen fries yesterday that look like smiley faces. They were so cute I had to take their photo. They were delcious. Husband ate them with ketchup. Yum.

March 24 Leap For Joy

Hebrews 10: 17b-18 "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more." And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin.

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There's so much in these verses related to things I have been meditating on.

God will remember my sins no more! (Help me not to dwell on them either). Yippee!

AND when these sins have been forgiven, there is no longer any need for further sacrifices. Once and for all. The book of Hebrews makes that so clear. Christ doesn't need to die again and again. And that lamb that is leaping? Well, he will never need to be a sacrifice on the alter for someones sins.

Shout to the Lord! Leap for joy! My sins are forgiven, and it is no small matter.

http://www.spiritandsong.com/jukebox/songs/66872

This photo was taken last week a block from our home. This was the only successful photo that captured the spring in the step of the lambs. They jumped straight up. They kicked their hind legs. They ran into each other and butted heads. What an example of sheer joy to be alive.

March 23 Far and Away

Psalm 103:12 As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us...
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Sometimes I just can't let go, Lord. When I am called up short I feel just terrible. I am a people pleaser. I think I am a God pleaser too. I really, really want to keep in Your favor and live right.

But that means letting go and feeling the freedom of forgiveness when I've told You I'm sorry for my sins. Sometimes when I've gotten angry, or done something else that displeases You... I ask for Your forgiveness. Then I just can't let go. I keep thinking about it.

I must believe YOU when you tell me these sins are now GONE!

Song by Audio Adrenaline

They're all behind you

They'll never find you

They're on the ocean floor

Your sins are forgotten

They're on the bottom

Of the ocean floor

http://www.jesusfreakhideout.com/lyrics/OceanFloor.asp

Childhood song:

Gone, gone, gone, gone
Yes my sins are gone.
Now my soul is free
And in my heart's a song.
Buried in the deepest sea
Yes that's good enough for me
I shall live eternally
Praise God
My sins are
G-O-N-E, Yes my sins are gone.




I took this photo about 2 weeks ago in a town on the Mosel River in the region of Bernkastle-Kues. I took it from a castle on the hill. Looking over the hills and the river is a small reminder of how far the east is from the west - the great expanse.

March 22 Whiter than Snow

Isaiah 1:18 "Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.

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Once again, late March, I awoke to snow coming down. Changing my selected verse for today to Isaiah 1:18, I ran outside to find a fresh illustration.

What do you think about the garbage cans? You can see the snow coming down... the patterns of the white stuff dancing around them and settling on the lids. Snow makes even garbage cans look interesting.

Similarly Christ covers our garbage with His purity. But He does more than cover it. He transforms it to be whiter than snow. Like it is no more.

This photograph was taken in our neighborhood a few minutes ago.

March 21 Once and For All

Hebrews 10:10 ...We have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
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"Jesus, could you die on the cross again? My friend just sinned again."

How preposterous!

Yet why doesn't Jesus need to die each time someone becomes a Christian, or each time someone sins? If you read the verses before this verse, you find that Jesus came voluntarily as God to the cross. (Hebrews 10:5-10)

A blood sacrifice for sin was required by God in Old Testament times. A sheep, pigeons, or even a young bull. It was like a temporary patch on a tire. Jesus, being fully God, and fully man, was a perfect person without blemish. His sacrifice on the cross was considered supreme. God. The perfect sacrifice. Once and for all.

Testament also can mean covenant. Have you ever thought why they call the two parts of the Bible the Old Testament and the New Testament? It is about the covenants God makes with man.

When Christ came, and sacrificed Himself, a new covenant was established that wiped out all the old ones. The old ones merely give us the history and the need for the new one.

Jesus. The New Testament.

This photo was taken recently in the field about a block from our house.

March 20 You Light up my Life

I John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
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I have always loved kaleidoscopes. Last year my husband gave me one for Christmas. If you don't look at the light, you can barely see the vibrant colors in it.

Jesus, the Light of the World, brings vibrancy to my life when it seems darkest. Yesterday several issues made me feel very heavy. But I started the day with devotions and extra prayer. As the day wore on, it became obvious that in the difficulties, He was with me. Unexpected things happened to make it better... mainly from that "fellowship" with others.

Thank you Lord. You transform my life everyday! Help me to walk in the light, expecting to see you brighten my path.

This photo was taken through my kaleidoscope looking out the window into the sun.