Devotions from the Road of Life

Rein in Your Tongue - Devotions from the Road of Life

2012-01-09T17:49:00.000-08:00

"The New Testament book of James offers a lot of teaching in a small volume. In only five chapters, James discusses how to achieve the goal of leading a Christian lifestyle. For example, he urges us to 'be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.' (James 1:19-20)

Much of the third chapter deals with the importance of Christians controlling their tongues and speaking in an appropriate manner. For a piece of tissue that weighs only a couple of ounces, the tongue wields great power."
Read more here.

Blinded by the Past - Devotions from the Road of Life

2012-01-06T12:05:00.000-08:00

"When I worked as a home-health care provider many years ago, I would sometimes be astounded by how impatient family members could be with an elderly parent or grandparent. How could they be so short-tempered with that sweet little old person? Recently, I think I gained some insight into their behavior."

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Getting a Handel on Christmas - Devotions from the Road of Life

2011-12-20T21:07:00.000-08:00

"Christmas was near as daddy and I attended a dinner program on the campus of the New Orleans Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. I don't remember much about the dinner or the program - after all, I was just a child reveling in the joy of being with my dad at a grown-up event - but I remember the end of the evening vividly."

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A Christmas Heart - Devotions from the Road of Life

2011-12-20T21:03:00.000-08:00

"Is Christmas a day, a season or a way of life? Can you change the way you prioritize it?

Lord, help me keep a Christmas heart-
A heart that holds the season dear..."

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Thanksgiving Meditation

2011-11-19T16:48:00.000-08:00

"As we approach Thanksgiving, let us remember not only the physical things God gives us, but also the second chances and fresh starts He offers. Most of all, let us remember the greatest Gift of all, His Son.

Father, please accept our meager thanks and keep us in a grateful spirit every day. When we get so busy that we forget to say the words, may You find them inscribed on our hearts in praise for You."

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Autumn's Gems - Devotions from the Road of Life

2011-11-03T21:41:00.000-07:00

"Ecclesiastes reminds us that 'to everything there is a season.' As the season of autumn surrounds us, we have an opportunity to sample a tiny bit of God's riches through the gems of His creation."

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Training the Next Generation-Devotions from the Road of Life

2011-10-17T21:43:00.000-07:00

"I know that Father's Day is a few months past, but lately I've found myself dwelling on the subject of fatherhood and parenting in general. A couple of things have honed my focus.

The first is the latest movie from Sherwood Productions, 'Courageous.'"

Read more here.

'God Bless You': Offended by God - Devotions from the Road of Life

2011-10-10T17:34:00.000-07:00

"A recent news story related the uproar caused by a teacher banning the phrase 'God bless you' following a sneeze. He lowered students’ grades and generally seems to feel that a sneeze is a bad enough disturbance without the addition of a phrase following it. Later reports indicated that the class in question was using the blessing to deliberately cause a disruption, a sad indictment of the faith level of those students."

Claim or Shame? Which Best Describes Your Attitude Toward God? Read more here.

Reaching Out to the 'Least'

2011-07-30T10:34:00.000-07:00

"And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." Matthew 25: 40, King James Version

In these days of economic problems, the words of Jesus ring ever more true. No matter where we look, there are "the least of these my brethren" needing our help. For one California school teacher, this premise shines as a guiding light.

Learn how one person reaches out here.

Filling My Spiritual Tank

2011-05-29T21:03:00.000-07:00

"I find certain Bible verses draw me when I am feeling as though I am at the end of my resources. When I have to take a deep breath and say, 'Lord, I'm worn out. I can't keep going. It's up to You
now.' That's when He sends a reminder from His Word and fills my tank with His power."

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Triumphant Entry for a Gentle King - Devotions from the Road of Life

2011-04-15T21:48:00.000-07:00

"You came on a donkey, not in a chariot,

With a retinue working people:

Fishermen, farmers, tax collectors and such.

No armored guards, weapons glinting in the sun."

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Artwork courtesy of FreeChristImages.org.

At the Foot of the Cross - a Poem of Good Friday

2011-04-14T06:58:00.000-07:00

As Good Friday approaches, what's on your mind? Here's what I've been thinking about.

Why isn't it raining?

The very skies should be weeping.
Evil has taken Goodness
And impaled It on a cross.
Our hopes lay shattered
In the splattered blood coloring the dirt
Beneath the vicious construction.

Read more here.

Easter in My Heart - a Look at Some Scriptures that Mean Easter to Me

2011-04-12T16:21:00.000-07:00

"Easter brings with it conflicting emotions: the sorrow of the crucifixion, the fear of the followers, and the joy of the discovery of His resurrection. Promises made and promises kept pass in review as I ponder the meaning of Easter.

Before He was taken, Jesus talked about the difficult times ahead. He promised peace and a place with Him."

Read more here.

Calvary-The First Christmas Tree

2011-03-25T22:08:00.000-07:00

"I recently had a strange sort of a thought. I don't know where it could have come from, except from God, because I don't think I could have come up with this alone. Here it is: the very first Christmas tree was the Cross of Calvary.

As I pondered the idea, I realized how much sense it made. If we call the day 'Christmas' or 'Christ-mass,' a mass celebrating His birth as the start of a sacrifice, then the very first Mass was the day of His sacrifice, the Crucifixion. Which would make the cross to which He was nailed the tree of the first Christ-mass."

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Didn't You Used to Be...? - Devotions from the Road of Life

2011-01-23T17:57:00.000-08:00

In an old movie I saw recently, a scene took place between a faded celebrity and a cocky young man. The young fellow approached the older one in a restaurant and asked, in a sneering tone, "Didn't you used to be...?" and he gave the character's name.

The young man meant to demean the older man in an attempt to impress his buddies. His tone implied "You're a has-been. You're nobody now, just an object of pity. You're a relic."

For more of this devotion, click here.

The Miracle of Twelfth Night - Devotions from the Road of Life

2011-01-04T21:55:00.000-08:00

Adoration of the Magi by Leonardo Da Vinci

“When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.” Matthew 2:10-12, King James Version

January 6 marks Kings Day or Twelfth Night, the day traditionally set aside as the arrival of the wise men at the birthplace of Jesus. In some cultures, the day is celebrated as Little Christmas.

I often wonder about the magi. The Bible doesn’t tell us a lot about them. We have no names or detailed descriptions, only the bare bones facts that they came, they worshipped, they brought gifts and they thwarted Herod’s plan to locate the Holy Infant.
For the rest of this devotion, click here.

Watch Night - Devotions from the Road of Life

2010-12-30T23:17:00.000-08:00

"When I was a child, my family attended a small neighborhood church, Grace Baptist Church in New Orleans. We didn’t have a lot in terms of money or pomp, but we had a devoted pastor who worked hard to keep his little flock on track."

For more of this remembrance, click here.

No Room - a Christmas Edition of Devotions from the Road of Life

2010-12-24T12:12:00.000-08:00

"And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn." Luke 2:7, King James Version

“No Vacancy.” The sign means good news for an innkeeper, but trouble for a traveler. The situation was no different that first Christmas. Although Luke doesn’t tell us so, I can picture Joseph and Mary trudging from one place to another in growing desperation.

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A Song of Thanks, A Hymn of Praise - Devotions from the Road of Life

2010-11-15T21:44:00.000-08:00

“And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground: and he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to his disciples to set before them; and they did set them before the people. And they had a few small fishes: and he blessed, and commanded to set them also before them. So they did eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets.” Mark 8:6-9 (King James Version)

We come now, God, to give Thee thanks, and ask

That Thou will show us how to act as one

To share all that which we receive in Thee

With others who have less, or worse yet, none.

Click here for the rest of this Thanksgiving prayer.

An Elijah Christmas - Devotions from the Road of Life

2010-11-14T22:45:00.000-08:00

And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son. For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth. And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah. 1 Kings 17: 13-16, King James Version

"One of my favorite Christmas memories comes from the late 1970s. Back then, times were tough and money was tight-a lot like things are today. My husband, my son and I didn’t have a lot, but we had enough to get by, even if there was nothing left over afterward. Christmas was a lot of fun anyway, because I always started planning on December 26 for the next year."

Click here for more of this Christmas memoir.

Smooth the Stumbling Blocks - Devotions from the Road of Life

2010-10-09T00:09:00.000-07:00

“Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.” Romans 14:13 (King James Version).

Today the US Supreme Court is hearing a case dealing with protesters picketing funerals of deceased military personnel. Members of Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, KS, were sued for interrupting the funeral of Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder with protests, stating their belief that “…U.S. deaths in Afghanistan and Iraq are punishment for Americans' immorality, including tolerance of homosexuality and abortion.”(1)...

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No Admittance - Devotions from the Road of Life

2010-10-09T00:05:00.000-07:00

“I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep…I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.” John 10: 9-11, 14-15 (King James Version)

The sign on the door read “No Admittance-Authorized Personnel Only.” As I waited for the saleslady to return from her foray into the forbidden territory of “No Admittance,” I wondered about how often those signs show up...

For more on how to gain admittance, click here.

Made for a Purpose - Devotions from the Road of Life

2010-10-08T23:59:00.000-07:00

“I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!” Psalm 139:14-17, King James Version

I often pause to admire a classically beautiful fountain nearby-an elegantly sculptured young lady bearing a large jar of war. The tipped jar directs water to flow into the upper bowl of the two-tiered receptacle. Serene and lovely, she poses above the bowls. Her hair curls gracefully in careful arrangement, her enigmatic expression frozen in place...

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Praying for My County - A Devotion in Rhyme

2010-08-02T17:52:00.000-07:00

We've all sung the words to 'America (My Country, 'Tis of Thee).' Sometimes it doesn't feel as though freedom is ringing from every mountainside anymore. So here is an updated version for today's world.

'My country, ‘tis for thee
Now on my bended knee,
For thee I pray.
Come back to freedom’s start-
Faith at your deepest heart.
May God His strength impart
To thee, I pray.'"

Click here for the rest of the song.

Dead to the World

2010-07-12T22:14:00.000-07:00

“For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2: 19-20 (King James Version)

When my son was a baby, he slept very soundly. My grandmother used to say he was “dead to the world.” And it was true. Once he fell deeply asleep, very little would disturb his slumber.

I recently finished reading a study in Galatians, and I’ve come across the phrase again. This time, though, it’s referring to a lifestyle rather than sleeping styles.

Click here to read the rest of this devotion from the road of life.