Today's Word
You are welcome to use the writings on these pages or pass them on to others who might find a touch from God in the words. Our purpose is always to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the world. Please remember to give credit to the Author who has given you everything, and keep in remembrance the vessel which He used to bring these words to you. We pray that this site may be a blessing to you and anyone with whom its been shared. All rights reserved. Peggy Hoppes
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Salisbury PlainClimb a Hill, Look at a Rock Day
Our Lord is so good, He grants us many blessings. We can see Him in the daily course of events, in our homes, our jobs, our lives. I pray that these words help you to grow in your faith and recognize His hand in even the most mundane circumstances.
The picture to the right is of a Celtic Chapel located in Cornwall England. This building is approximately 1700 years old, and contains a holy well known for its healing powers.
(Click for enlarged)
“Paul stood in the middle of the Areopagus, and said, ‘You men of Athens, I perceive that you are very religious in all things. For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription: “TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.” What therefore you worship in ignorance, I announce to you. The God who made the world and all things in it, he, being Lord of heaven and earth, doesn’t dwell in temples made with hands. He isn’t served by men’s hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he himself gives to all life and breath, and all things. He made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the surface of the earth, having determined appointed seasons, and the boundaries of their dwellings, that they should seek the Lord, if perhaps they might reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. “For in him we live, move, and have our being.” As some of your own poets have said, “For we are also his offspring.” Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold, or silver, or stone, engraved by art and design of man. The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked. But now he commands that all people everywhere should repent, because he has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he has ordained; of which he has given assurance to all men, in that he has raised him from the dead.’” Acts 17:22-31, WEB
In Psalm 66 the psalmist, likely David, sang, “Praise our God, you peoples! Make the sound of his praise heard.” This song encourages all God’s people to praise Him for His blessings. However, the blessings found in this psalm are not wealth, health, or power. The psalm praises God because He has preserved their lives through trials. The singers praise God that He has refined their lives through the suffering they faced. The psalmist wrote, “You brought us into prison. You laid a burden on our backs.” And, “You allowed men to ride over our heads. We went through fire and through water, but you brought us to the place of abundance.” They may have struggled, but in the end God brought His people to a place of abundance.
This Psalm refers to the time of suffering in Egypt before the exodus with Moses. It is easy for us to blame the Egyptians; after all it was Egypt that turned the relationship of Joseph and Pharaoh into the oppression of an entire nation. However, the psalmist recognized that Egypt was never in control, that God knew full well the work He was doing in and for His people. We may be bothered by this train of thought; many are offended by a God that allows suffering in the world. There is no justification for a people enslaved and mistreated, especially if there is an all-powerful and omnipotent God in control.
Today is the Feast of St. George. George lived in the latter days of the Roman Empire. The stories that describe his life are extraordinary, even his martyrdom is incredible; it seems embellished. George was a soldier who lived in the later days of the Roman Empire. He is a favorite saint of many young people because his story includes a dragon!
The story took place in a place called Sylene, a city found in Libya. A very hungry dragon lived in the swamp near the city. After he had eaten all the sheep, he began to eat the humans. One day as George was passing through the town, the people were about to sacrifice the princess to this dragon’s appetite. George spoke of faith in Jesus Christ and told the people that if they would all agree to be baptized in Jesus’ name that he would slay the dragon. They agreed, he slew the dragon, and the entire town came to faith in Christ.
George lived during the time Christianity was persecuted by the Romans. One day on the battlefield, the pagan priests were divining through the use of animal entrails to tell the future to the emperor. The Christian soldiers recalled their baptism by making the sign of the cross on their foreheads, which angered the emperor. He ordered that all Christian soldiers be punished and dismissed from service and that all Christian priests make sacrifice to the pagan gods. George ripped down the edict that was hanging on the emperor’s door. He was put into prison, tortured, and died a martyr’s death for his faith in Jesus Christ.
George gave up his high position as a soldier for the empire so that he could be a soldier for Christ. His extraordinary life was filled with great sacrifice and generosity. He shared his worldly possessions with the poor so that he would be free to serve the Lord wherever he was needed. Though these stories seem outlandish to us today, they are examples of the life we are called to live, one of selfless sacrifice for the sake of our Lord.
Paul risked much for the sake of the Gospel. In today’s text we see that he approached the people of Athens from their own point of view. He called their attention to all the altars throughout the city that paid homage to the many gods of this world. Then he pointed out the one that they had set up for the unknown God. Paul told the people that the Lord God Almighty is that unknown God, but that He is knowable.
Christianity was spreading at that time and so was the hatred of Christianity. Paul was an intellectual, a Roman who risked his stature among the intellectuals by speaking about the foolishness of a God who died and rose again. Paul did not skim over the issue. He said that since God was revealed in Jesus Christ, no one had any excuse for continuing to live apart from God. He called the people of Athens to repent.
Children everywhere love the stories of St. George. Though the stories of his adventures seem incredible, this great man of God teaches us some valuable lessons. The greatest lesson of all is that our life should be lived for the sake of the One who gave His life for us: our Lord Jesus Christ. Whether or not St. George slew the dragon or gave up his entire fortune for the poor, he praised God with his life even amidst his struggles and lived for the sake of the Gospel. May we all find strength and courage in the promise of Christ so that we might do the same.
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“God blessed them. God said to them, ‘Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’ God said, ‘Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree, which bears fruit yielding seed. It will be your food. To every animal of the earth, and to every bird of the sky, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food;’ and it was so. God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.” Genesis 1:28-31a, WEB
The first Earth Day was held on April 22, 1970, organized by a group of concerned citizens. Things were looking pretty bad: pollution was apparent to all the senses in many parts of our country and the world. We could see, hear, smell, touch and even taste the neglect humans had for our environment. The plans began only a few months before the scheduled date, with little funding or help. The organizers advertised in the New York Times and the event took off because the media picked up on the story and so many people were already concerned about the state of our environment. Add to that the fact that modern science discovered a number of invisible problems that were being reported to the nation, and you have the recipe for a highly successful event.
On the morning of April 22, they had no idea how many people would be involved. By the end of the day, millions had done something for the environment. Now, fifty-four years later, Earth Day is still celebrated, mostly with educational opportunities, rallies, and clean-up days. The modern celebration of Earth Day is controversial to many, including environmentalists who think that we have not gone far enough, but many people plant trees and flowers or do some other small act that might help save our environment. In 1969, the environment was not even considered to be an issue for the people in America. By 1970, it was the top issue. Since that day, we have done much to clean up God’s world.
Isn’t it amazing that it took a national movement to get Americans to do what God commanded at the beginning of time? In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. He created water and land, the stars, sun and moon. He created the plants and the animals. Then He created humankind. He created man and woman in His image and placed them in the Garden of Eden to worship Him and care for His creation.
Though we were created in the image of God, human beings have always had a tendency toward self-centeredness and satisfaction. We have to admit that we have become apathetic in our comfort. With modern conveniences, technological developments, and industrial explosion we have certainly filled and subdued the earth beneath our feet. God began populating the earth with just two, and that number has grown to nearly eight billion people today.
One of the catch phrases of the environmental movement is “We don’t own the earth; we are borrowing it from our children.” While this is a lovely sentiment, and it is true that we should be taking better care of the earth for those who come after us, there is an even better reason to be good stewards of these gifts. God gave us the earth and all that is in it to enjoy and to use for His glory. We are the crown of His creation, those whom He chose to rule over everything from the fish in the sea to the eagle on the mountain. The earth is a gift from God, but such a great gift comes with responsibility. If we continue to destroy the earth, we not only make it impossible for future generations to enjoy this great gift, but we also dishonor the One who created it.
There might be those who have taken the ideology of environmentalism too nearly religious fervor, but there are others who are callous to the need to protect the green spaces and wildlife on this earth. Quite frankly, many of our health issues might be caused by the very issues that began the first Earth Day. Our air is cleaner than it was fifty years ago, but there are still particulates that cause respiratory issues. We spend so much of our time and resources to make ourselves healthier, without realizing how much healthier we would be if we took care of God’s beautiful creation. Today, as we remember Earth Day, let us learn better ways of caring for the resources we have to use and enjoy so that we will glorify with praise and thanksgiving the One who gave it to us.
The following links provide some specially chosen scripture that tell the stories of the Birth and Passion of our Lord as Saviour Jesus Christ, as well as a fictional perspective of the Crucifixion. Spend time in God's Word, read about His life and learn of the wonderful gifts He has for you. Know Jesus Christ and honour Him today. Thanks be to God.
The Story of our Saviour's Passion
The Crucifixion, a fictional perspective
When researching, I use several versions of the bible, including the New International Version and English Standard Version. Due to copyright restrictions, I have not included quotes for the scriptures on some of the archives, but highly encourage you to open your own bibles to read the scripture passages for yourselves. Where scripture is quoted, it is usually the American Standard Version or World English Bible which belong to the public domain. Any other versions used in quotes are identified.
The devotion posted on Wednesday is based on the Lectionary texts used by millions of Christians each Sunday. The Lectionary consists of four texts: an Old Testament passage, a Psalm, a passage from one of the Epistles and a Gospel text and follows the church calendar. Archives for these writings are found at Midweek Oasis.
You are welcome to use these words to share the Gospel of our Lord Jesus. Please remember to give credit to the Author who has given you these gifts, and keep in remembrance the vessel which He used to bring them to you. We pray that this site may be a blessing to you and anyone with whom you've shared it. Peggy Hoppes
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