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)
“And by reason of the exceeding greatness of the revelations, that I should not be exalted overmuch, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, that I should not be exalted overmuch. Concerning this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he hath said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my power is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Wherefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in injuries, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, ASV
The toilet paper holders in our old house were on the left side in the bathrooms I tended to use. In this house they are on the right. Whenever I use the toilet, I reach to the left for paper, but it isn’t there. I have to consciously turn the other direction. It is a hard habit to break. Now, it is a habit, because my body is used to doing one thing and now I am making it do something different, but it isn’t a bad habit. I’m not trying to quit smoking or biting my nails. I’m not trying to establish an exercise routine (although I probably should.) I am simply trying to break the habit of looking left when I need to look right.
We are people of habit. At Lent and Advent and at the New Year we try to break ourselves of old bad habits or begin new good ones, but there are so many things we do naturally that are neither good nor bad. They just happen. We do things daily that become a part of who we are, muscle memories that we don’t even have to think about. How many actions do you do in just a few minutes of driving that happen naturally, but when you buy a new car you have to think about how to do them? Our latest car has the gear shifter between the front seats, but our last car had the shifter on the steering wheel shaft. It took weeks to retrain my hand to reach down instead of up.
We can’t compare our muscle memories to those habits that we truly need to overcome, especially those that are dangerous to our spiritual health. We can, however, trust that God will help us build spiritual muscle memories that will make us live the life He has called us to live. With His help we can learn new habits of daily prayer and service that will glorify God. His grace is truly sufficient to change our lives.
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“I have called upon thee, for thou wilt answer me, O God: Incline thine ear unto me, and hear my speech. Show thy marvellous lovingkindness, O thou that savest by thy right hand them that take refuge in thee from those that rise up against them. Keep me as the apple of the eye; hide me under the shadow of thy wings, from the wicked that oppress me, my deadly enemies, that compass me about.” Psalm 17:6-9, ASV
This whole process has been especially stressful on the kitties. It has been stressful on all of us, but they don’t know or understand as we do. They saw that we were packing, and their experience is that packed bags mean they will be abandoned for a time. They saw furniture being moved, and they don’t know what to make of the changes. They saw us working so hard that we had little time to cuddle with them or play.
On moving day we locked them in a bedroom so they wouldn’t get underfoot or escape out of open doors. Then we put them in pet carriers, which they hate, and took them in a car, which they hate even more. We locked them in another room, in a house they didn’t recognize with smells they did not know. They each found a hidden corner to hide and they stayed there for hours. They refused to come, even when we offered treats and tuna fish to them. We opened doors when things settled down and all our helpers went home, but they still did not want to come out. It was late in the evening when the first kitty, Sammy, began exploring. Eventually they all came out. I think they all spent the night discovering this new house.
They are getting comfortable; at least they know we haven’t abandoned them. They started to relax when they discovered the furniture with familiar smells. They are still a bit confused; it will take time for them to find their favorite spots and get used to new patterns, but I think they will be very happy here. Unfortunately, the first few weeks of living in a new house generally means visits from professionals. I had the cable guy here one day, the cleaners here another day and a locksmith here today. Each time someone comes in this house the kitties disappear into some hidden corner. This house is big, with lots of hidden corners. They are going to be impossible to find. I found one kitty before I left this afternoon, but I worried the whole time that the others escaped when the locksmith was not paying attention. Fortunately, they were too skittish to even be near the locksmith and they appeared when I came home.
We may not be afraid of cable guys, housecleaners or locksmiths, but we have our own fears. We hide, perhaps not in closets, but from the things that concern us. What stresses are you experiencing in your life today? Where do you hide when you don’t want to face your fears? There may be good reason to be afraid, for there are truly things and people in this world that want to hurt us. But we do not need to hide in a closet; we can hide in God’s lovingkindness. He is our refuge.
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
Scripture on this page taken from the American Standard Version of the Holy Bible which belongs to the public domain. Some scripture on this site taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.
As you may be aware, I also write a weekly devotional on Wednesday called "MIDWEEK OASIS." For those of you who are familiar with lectionary scripture sources, MIDWEEK OASIS is based on the 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. We are now using the lectionary for our A WORD FOR TODAY texts. This devotional is posted on Wednesday, at both A WORD FOR TODAY and 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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