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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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)
“See how great a love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God! For this cause the world doesn’t know us, because it didn’t know him. Beloved, now we are children of God. It is not yet revealed what we will be; but we know that when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him just as he is. Everyone who has this hope set on him purifies himself, even as he is pure.” 1 John 3:1-3, WEB
Drew Barrymore was just nine years old when she starred in a film called “Irreconcilable Differences.” It was not her first film when it was released in 1984. She filmed more than twenty films before she turned twenty. It is not surprising since she comes from a family of notable performers that goes back to the 19th century. She had her first paid part in a dog commercial when she was just eleven months old. She admits that she struggled with substance abuse, went to rehab, and was institutionalized at thirteen because she was exposed to the pressures of fame at a very early age. Was this the life she wanted for herself or was she forced into the business? It was not necessarily the life that Drew wanted. Children are dependent on their parents for their early days, and sadly, parents do not always do what is the best for their children.
The movie “Irreconcilable Differences” was about a young girl who was the daughter of two famous people who were in the business (a novelist/screenwriter and producer). They spent too many hours away from home and barely knew their child. The housekeeper was much more like a mother to the girl. She decided to divorce her parents so that she could move in with the housekeeper and live a normal life with a parent who was willing to give her the love and attention she needed.
We might think this is just a problem with the rich and the famous, but it is a problem in many average families today. Many parents from humble households do not spend enough time with their children, leaving them to fend for themselves. This is not just about finding food to eat or clothes to wear. Many parents leave children to find their own beliefs and moral understanding. We live in a time when many families need two paychecks just to survive, so children are left in the care of daycare and then school. Even stay-at-home mothers can get caught up in life that they forget to spend time with their family. I confess that I did this when my children were young; I justified my work by claiming it was for the children, for their future. The parents in the movie thought they were doing their best, giving their daughter everything she could possibly want, but all she needed was time as a family.
This happens in every household to some degree, but I think it is more difficult for those in positions of authority or jobs that are in demand. Actors spend months away from home filming television shows or movies. Corporate executives fly all over the world to inspect their facilities or to cut deals. Entertainers spend night after night on the road going on tour from city to city to perform. Military members are sent around the world to serve. These parents do not see their children on a daily basis, often rushing the reunions as they prepare for another trip.
I have heard stories lately about stars who have made the conscious decision to leave their hectic world behind having realized that the hustle and bustle of their job leaves no room for raising their children. I saw an interview with Celine Dion. She talked about how difficult it was to be on the road so much. She decided to make a long-term commitment to sing at a casino so that she could spend her days with her daughter, while working only a few hours each evening. She said she just wanted to drive her daughter to school. She was more interested in her daughter than working hard to give her the things she did not really need.
The character Drew played in the movie did not feel like a daughter to her parents anymore. They were never around, they never listened to her problems, and they never saw her achievements. She didn’t want the big house and the best toys; she just wanted the love of the people who she loved. Sadly, there are people who feel that way about God, particularly at times when it seems like the world is falling apart around us. Where is God? Is He too busy to care about my problems?
God, our heavenly Father, is not like the parents in the movie. Even though He is the King of Eternity, the Creator of all things, He has time to take each of us by the hand, sit us on His lap and love each of us personally. He is with us through everything: the good and the bad, calm and the chaos. We, who are nothing more than specks compared to the wholeness of the universe in time and space, are called children of God. He is with us, transforming us into His image, manifesting Himself through our lives. As we grow in the hope of that which is to come, we are changed to become more and more like Him. He wants us all to be His children, for us all to look to His grace for our lives. This is why it is so important for us to constantly work on our faith and help others see God’s grace, beginning with our children, so that they will see that God is always near, that He is active in our world, and that He is always working to make all things right according to His good and perfect Word.
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“But you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, steadfastness, persecutions, and sufferings - those things that happened to me at Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. I endured those persecutions. The Lord delivered me out of them all. Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you remain in the things which you have learned and have been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them. From infancy, you have known the holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness, that each person who belongs to God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:10-17, WEB
We visited Hadrian’s Wall when we lived in England during a trip to Scotland. The wall was built by the Romans to keep the ancient people of Scotland out of England. I tend to buy books when we travel so that we can remember the places and people where we have been. In one shop I found a cookbook describing the foods and cooking methods of the ancient Romans. They used mostly earthenware jars, which has seen a resurgence in modern kitchens. The Romans ate plenty of fruits and vegetables, seafood, beef, and pork. They used strong sauces and herbs to hide the taste of the meat, particularly when it became rancid from storing too long. The cookbook had some recipes for typical Roman food, some of which had unusual ingredients. This book included a recipe for snails with instruction on how to fatten the snail with milk before frying it. This was a delicacy for the men and women who ate it. I don’t think many people purchase that book with the expectation of living as the Romans lived. I still have the book but have never once tried any of the recipes.
Quite frankly, I don’t use recipes very often. I like to throw things in a pot and hope for the best. Of course, I do have some I use regularly, and I have a bookshelf full of recipe books. I often download recipes that I see on Facebook, and I have tried quite a few. Most of those recipes have worked out just fine. When you purchase a cookbook in a bookstore or find one on the Internet, you expect them recipes to be accurate so the food will be edible. The integrity of the author is at stake, so the recipes are usually tested and tasted to be sure the food is good.
A few years ago, I created a cookbook with recipes from my husband and my mothers for their grandchildren. It was a daunting task, especially since some of the recipes were very old, hard to read, and included ingredients I could not identify. How much is 15 cents worth of saccharine? It doesn’t help that their generation often kept incomplete recipes! I confess that I didn’t test every recipe before including in my book, but most of them were so well used and beloved, we had already eaten those foods many times.
The author of the cookbook included a disclaimer telling the readers that he did everything he could to ensure the recipes were accurate, but the chefs who helped him edit the book refused to taste a few of them, like the one for the snails, so he could not guarantee the results for those who might try them.
The Bible is our recipe for life. Inside the pages of God’s love story for us are the directions for living a life which is in harmony with Him, so that we might be part of His Kingdom as we were created to be. To understand and follow the directions in this book, we must read and study it on a regular basis and follow the directions. Throughout history, the words in this book have been tried and tested and have been found to be the Truth. In his second letter to Timothy, Paul encourages us to listen to his teaching, to follow the ways that God us through him. He reminds us that there are people who try to twist God’s Word, to manipulate people with it to get their way. But he assures his readers that the scriptures are the foundation of our salvation and our life in God’s Kingdom. We know God’s word from a lifetime of reading the Bible, but it is like an old recipe we return to over and over again, certain and delicious for us to consume.
Do you follow a regular pattern of scripture reading? The pastor at our church has encouraged us to do “the first fifteen,” a time of prayer and scripture reading to start our day. It is good to include a devotional such as A WORD FOR TODAY, but do you do more? Do you read the scripture used in context and ask God what it should mean in your life today? Do you have His Word written on your heart so deeply that you are able to share it with those who are placed in your path? It doesn’t do much good to have a cookbook in which the recipes are never tried. Neither does it do much good to have a Bible whose spine is never cracked. Get out your Bible today. The words within have been tried and tested over the ages and are Truth. Read it, then live it. That’s how you will be equipped to do the work God is calling you to do.
The following links provide some specially chosen scripture that tell the stories of the Birth and Passion of our Lord as Savior 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 honor Him today. Thanks be to God.
The Story of our Savior'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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