Night Sounds now available on Amazon!

Click Link Below:

Night Sounds Now Available on Amazon

The Gift of an Apple

The Gift of an Apple

Father,

Thank you for waking us up this morning.  Please help us to overcome any obstacles this week may present and help us to be aware and appreciative of all the blessings it will bring.

Help us to be a light, a bright reflection of Your glory, to our families, our coworkers, and friends. 

As we go through each day, walk by our side, be our guide, companion, and loving Father.

We ask these things in Jesus’ Holy Name, Amen

I was the first grandchild born to Oliver and Kathleen Marsh, but, I was quickly followed by my brother and a large number of cousins. Grandma and Papa Marsh’s house was not far from my own, so I was able to be a part of their lives each week.  I made countless good memories there. Grandma was then, as she is now, very maternal and loving.  Growing up, she took me on shopping trips to the mall and bought me little girly things.  She’d rock me to sleep at my request even when I was too old to need it.  And, I enjoyed many a summer at White Lake by her side.  As an adult, she has always been encouraging and supportive.  Though biased, Grandma has always made me feel like I am as good as anyone else on the planet.  It is certain I have never doubted that Grandma has thought me special.

Papa was the quiet type.  He enjoyed the simple things in life and was a man of few words.  I knew Papa loved me, but in a more reserved fashion than Grandma.  With Papa, his demonstrations of love were small things like an ice cream sandwich from Pete’s store in Cameron or a carefully created set of 3 Little Bear Chairs or a wooden heart piggy bank. I loved my Papa.  I knew he loved me, but because he never just came right out and said it aloud to me, the moments he clearly paid attention to me were as valuable as prized jewels.

By the time I was about six years old, Papa and Grandma Marsh had four grandchildren.  Christmas that year was, as usual, an extended family affair with all of their offspring gathered together in one house to enjoy a meal, conversation, and a gift exchange. As kids will do, I began to search for my name on the package tags under the Christmas tree.  I saw “To Marlene From Papa and Grandma” on several of the gifts.  But, on one small roundish, firm feeling present the label simply read, “To Marlene From Papa.”  I was transfixed.  The label said, “To Marlene From Papa” and it was in different handwriting than all the others.

Now, even in my own brief experiences with Christmas, I had figured out one thing for sure, gifts from Papa and Grandma were chosen, purchased, wrapped, and labeled by my Grandma.  So, to see one imperfectly wrapped gift with a label that listed only Papa on the From line was a deviation from the norm I had known. I took the gift to my father to show him.  I asked him if he thought the gift was really from my Papa…was the tag in his handwriting….did he think my Papa had really chosen the gift for me….did he think Papa really wrapped it for me?  He answered all my questions in the affirmative.

As with most family Christmas gatherings, the Opening of the Gifts was painfully postponed until after visiting and mealtime.  But, I would not be parted with that gift…that smallest of the gifts under the tree.  I carried the little roundish semi-ball shaped item with me as I played in the yard and it sat beside me when I ate. When it was finally time to open the gifts, I opened this gift first.  Inside the now badly damaged Christmas wrapping paper was a bumped up and bruised red delicious apple.  A simple apple.

Was I disappointed?  Absolutely not.  That apple was a gift from Papa for me.  He chose it for me.  He wrapped it for me.  He wrote my name on the tag and placed Papa on the From line.  He hadn’t just given me an apple; he’d given me a whole afternoon of feeling special.  I loved knowing I was special to Papa…I wouldn’t have traded that gift for any trinket.

All of us realize that we are surrounded by many other people in our lives.  We cannot always be the favorite child, favorite sibling, favorite employee….we know we are one of many, yet we cannot help but want to know we are special to someone.  Most especially, we hunger to know we are important to our father, to our grandfather.  

My own earthly father and grandfathers have gone on to their rest.  But, I still have a Father, my Father in heaven. My desire to be special to Him is as great a need now as it was to be special to my Father and Grandfathers.  I know my Heavenly Father loves all of His children, yet I still want to be special to Him.  I want to know that I am special to Him.

What about you?  Do you ever question if the Lord really hears you and sees you?  Really cares about you?  Really sees you as unique and special when He has billions of other children on this earth?

The Bible is clear; you can know that you ARE special to the Lord!

Psalm 139:13-14 You alone created my inner being. You knitted me together inside my mother. I will give thanks to you because I have been so amazingly and miraculously made. Your works are miraculous, and my soul is fully aware of this.

This Psalm reminds us that we are created by God.  Have you ever watched someone lovingly create anything….like a woman sewing a quilt block by block…a man building a car engine part by part….a chef creating a meal ingredient by ingredient?  We are told the Lord knit us together in our mothers.  Can you envision what this means?  He knows you as intimately as a clockmaker knows his clock. 

Have you ever created anything?  I made a scarf recently.  I chose the yarn myself….carefully selecting the perfect skein based upon the color I desired, the soft texture I loved, and what I envisioned as the final look.  I carefully wove the yarn night after night, pulling the yarn tight here, loosening it there to get a beautiful finished product that I would be proud to wear and claim as my own design.  Now, when I look in my drawer of store bought scarves, the only one that truly stands out to me is the one that I created myself…because I know every inch of it well, because my own hands made it, because I chose every quality it possesses.  If I feel this way over length of woven scarf I created, how much more so your creator must feel about you!

1 Peter 2:9 However, you are chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, people who belong to God. You were chosen to tell about the excellent qualities of God, who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

AND

Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

God not only created you, He chose you to belong to Him.  He created you in His image to tell others about His excellent qualities.  Think about it….God is Holy…He is Royal…He is Magnificent….He is Glorious...  He is light…and we haven’t even touched the surface of all of His qualities. He chose you to demonstrate His qualities to the world….what must this say about you?

Psalm 119:73-74 You made me; you created me. Now give me the sense to follow your commands. May all who fear you find in me a cause for joy, for I have put my hope in your Word.

This Psalm reaffirms that we are made by God.  We are to stay in communication with our creator, following His wishes.  Think about this carefully.  Those things that you have created are valuable and special to you, correct?  You wish NO harm to come to them.  You are especially careful with them. Right?  Choices you make as to the care of a quilt you sewed, a car engine you built, a scarf you knitted take into consideration the implications for the item because you care very much what happens to them.  It is the same with your creator….asking for and following His guidance is prudent, as He cares deeply about what happens to you.

Isaiah 64:8 Yet you, LORD, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.

Have you ever watch a potter at work on the wheel?  He takes a lump of shapeless clay…clay that in its original form cannot serve in any capacity…and with skilled hands and focused attention; he slowly raises that clay up from a lump into a glorious, useful form of art.  The potter will take the clay and create a pitcher to serve fresh water, a platter to serve a meal, a vase to hold beautiful flowers.  Did you know that if a flawed area arises in the process, he does NOT throw the project away….he takes it back down to lump form and begins the upward rise again?  The potter does not give up, he carefully crafts the clay despite any imperfections that may arise, into the beautiful piece he knows it will become.  When complete, the potter is satisfied and proud to display his work.  The Lord will not give up on you….you are His work of art.

Matthew 10:29-31 What is the price of two sparrows–one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.

Many know this comforting verse.  Sparrows are all around us, too numerous to number, yet we are told that not one in all the world dies without our Father knowing it.  The scripture goes even further, reminding us that our Father even knows how many hairs are on our heads.  Think of that, as special as your spouse is to you, as beloved as your mother, father, brother, sister, or child is to you, you have no idea how many hairs are on their heads.  Yet, you are so special to your Father; He DOES have this information about you.

If he values all sparrows enough to keep track of every one, imagine the value He places on the child on whom He knows each hair.

Jeremiah 1:4-5 The LORD gave me this message: “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”

The Lord knew you before He even formed you in your mother’s room. 

Jeremiah 29:11:For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

If you have been a Christian for any length of time, you have heard this verse.  Listen to what it says to you….The Lord has PLANS for you.  He didn’t form you, then set your feet on this planet to let you bumble around and to find your way in a random fashion.  He made plans for your life.  His plans for you are for you to prosper.  To prosper is to be successful.  The Lord plans for you to be successful.  And Hope!  The Lord loves you enough to give you hope and make plans for your future.  You must be special for the God of the universe to make plans for your future.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

The Lord created you!  Over and over the Bible states that you are the work of His hands!

Psalm 139:16 You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

The Lord knew you even before you were born. The Lord had every day of your life recorded in His book.  Did your mother have a baby book for you?  Did you keep a school book for your children?  You only go to the effort to keep a book about all the details of someone’s life when that someone is VERY special to you.  God is keeping details about you in a book because you are that special to Him.

 1 Corinthians 12:25-28 This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it. Here are some of the parts God has appointed for the church: first are apostles, second are prophets, third are teachers, then those who do miracles, those who have the gift of healing, those who can help others, those who have the gift of leadership, those who speak in unknown languages.

AND

1 Peter 4:10-11 God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.

The Lord considers each of us so special, that He didn’t give us all the same gifts.  He handpicked a particular gift for each of us. 

 Psalm 139:2-4 You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, LORD.

The day to day activities of life can seem mundane.  Do you know every time your  own child stands or sits?  Do you even give it a great deal of thought when you do it yourself?  God knows when you do.  He knows your thoughts, keeps His eye on you when you travel and when you stay home.  He even knows your words before you form them. The God of history, the present, and the future…the Creator of the entire Universe considers you so special, He is mindful of your every act, thought, and word.

Romans 8:32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?

For whom would you give your own child as a sacrifice?  The Lord gave you, gave YOU, His very own son to pay the penalty of your sin so you can gain entrance to Heaven.  Would He have permitted His own son to suffer for you if you were not special to Him?

Father,

We realize that our sins break Your divine laws and that the penalty for our transgressions is eternal death and separation from you.  We are grateful that You sent Your own beloved Son as a sinless sacrifice for us….that His death atones for our sins….that because He paid the penalty of death with His death to give us an everlasting life.  We openly confess our full faith in our salvation through Jesus Christ.  Help us, daily, to grow in our personal relationship with Jesus, so that we will better know the One that died so that will live. 

It is in the name of Jesus we pray, Amen

The same Christ that is present in the Old Testament, revealed in the New Testament, and displayed in Creation is the same Christ that is interwoven in the fabric of the lives of His people.  God is the Master of the Universe, yet cares deeply about every tiny detail of your day.  Seek the Biblical lessons to be learned in all of your experiences.  

Audio of A Paddling Psalm --A Lessons Learned in a Small Town devotional

A Paddling Psalm

Dear Lord,


In a world that constantly calls out to us to pay attention first to this thing, then to that, we are grateful for the quiet moments You give us to reflect on Your goodness and offer You worship. Help this message get across Lord, despite human lips. Let it touch those in need of encouragement.

We ask for Your presence and sweet peace.

It is in Jesus’ Name we pray.

Amen



The past few years have been pretty jam packed. Working as I did, in a large ministry, getting a few days off in a row was a challenge. As a result, my husband, Kevin, and I have had few opportunities to get away and just relax. On those rare occasions that we could get away, we have always opted to take our kayaks to a river to really unwind.

I love to kayak. Well, let me put that into a percentage. I love roughly 95% of a kayaking adventure. Now, I am not talking about whitewater kayaking. Kevin and I mostly kayak in local rivers like Rocky or Deep River or a few hours up the road in the New River.

The New River is a misnomer. Of the world’s rivers, it is the 3rd oldest. THIRD OLDEST IN THE WORLD. The Nile and Amazon are younger. The river wears her age beautifully.

The experience of being alone in a kayak on an ancient river is incredible. Because I choose not to fish, I am free to paddle my boat wherever my whims may take me. While I keep my eye on Kevin’s location (he fishes), I may paddle on ahead of him, or lag behind him many times during a day trip on the river. Occasionally we will paddle side by side, to access sunscreen, grab a bottle of water, to decide on a picnic location.

Mostly, though, I float along with the current, daydreaming a bit. I watch the clouds as they pass overhead and I soak in the peaceful atmosphere. I paddle in close to the bank to admire a carpet of wildflowers and mountain laurel. I take pictures of the hundreds of geese we move past on our journey or of the black and white cows on the bordering pastures. Truly, after a few hours on this watery Eden, all my cares just melt away. What I have described, though, accounts for the 95% of the river experience that I love.

Now, for the other 5% (actually, probably less than 5%, but feels like a lot when it happens). The New River as it flows near Sparta, has very few rapids and of those rapids, few are considered challenging. For the most part, I can steady myself in the kayak, focus on paddling, and get through them just fine. For the most part. However, with every kayaking trip, one, if not two, rapids will scare me senseless.

When approaching a rapid that makes me nervous, I paddle steadily to keep from going into it until Kevin is in his kayak right behind me. When Kevin is within a few yards of me, I will steel up for the challenge, point my kayak into the rapid, do my best paddling and keeping the kayak steady, and move through it as safely as I can. Most of the time, I am successful. Most of the time.

This summer, the class 3 rapid, got the best of me. Despite my best efforts, my kayak got sideways and took on water rapidly. Kevin paddled to my sinking boat, jumped out of his, and with one hand he held on to his kayak while trying to force mine up to stop it from going under. But, with several gallons per second pouring against his body into my boat, he was doing the best he could just holding onto my kayak and his at the same time. All the while with me crying like a little girl.

I was up against a bolder and he told me to climb onto it, which I gladly did to have the feeling of solid steadiness for a moment. Kevin continued to try to pull my boat up, but one handed still made it a near impossibility. He told me to get into his boat and ride it on out of the rapid. I cried more, telling him I didn’t want to go on and leave him behind with no kayak. As women will do, I already had visions of the millions of things that could happen to him if I left him behind without a boat….maybe he’d slip on a moss covered rock and hit his head. Maybe he’d float down too fast in the river and break his neck. Maybe the sinking kayak would dislodge and crush him against a bolder. You name the horrible thought, I had it. I was afraid for my own safety initially, but the real horror for me surrounded the possibility of Kevin being hurt or killed because of me.

The irony of it…..when going into a situation that made me fear for my safety, I wanted Kevin to be near me precisely because I knew he would do everything within his power to keep me safe. I knew Kevin loved me sacrificially----that he would put my safety above his. But, in practice, it chilled me and warmed me to the core both at the same time.

You see, Kevin and I have been married for over 26 years. We have known each other over 28 years. He’s told me he loves me every day of those years. He has committed his life to me. We have a child together, a home together, have gone through ups and downs together, and been true to each other all that time. So, my mind knew Kevin loved me in theory and in practice. I know I’d give my life for him without hesitation, and assumed he would for me. But, to actually see that in action…..to see a man jump out of a safe, dry kayak into a rapid to give you his boat to ride safely out, To see him muscle it up out of the water after many minutes of fighting a forceful torrent of water…..to know there are dangers….well, simply put, to see someone risk their safety to ensure yours takes love to a level few get to experience firsthand. It is a mixed blessing, to have the scariest aspect of your life also to be the most heartwarming one as well.

Kevin loves me sacrificially. Because I know that, the moment I was scared I looked for him and wanted him close by.

That day, it dawned on me….Isn’t that exactly what I do with Jesus? When life is all roses and smooth pathways, I keep my eye on Jesus. I make sure I don’t venture far from him and have many occasions during the day where I touch base. But, like with Kevin, don’t I avoid going into scary situations without him by my side? When I am anxious, don’t I pray and ask him not to send me into the rushing waters alone?

What about you? Do you find that as the challenges of life head your way, you avoid rushing in without prayerfully asking the Lord to hold your hand, even guide your steps and words…never leaving your side as you enter the scary unknown?

The Bible gives us assurance that the Lord wants us to call out to him and invite him to enter the battle, the challenge, the trial, the rapid by our side.

I have given this a lot of thought. I think my river experiences with Kevin are very much like my life experiences with Jesus. On the river, I am at peace, in Kevin’s presence I am able to enjoy the beautiful wildlife in relative solitude, frequently interacting with him because I love him, and occasionally meeting up in the river for sunscreen, a meal, or water. When the river gets scary, I seek him out, and want him close by. He encourages me when things get nerve-racking, finally just taking over when I can’t do it alone. In life, when things are going well and I can enjoy the simple pleasures, I interact with Jesus often because I love Him, occasionally those interactions are longer than my usual daily prayers like with church or intercession for a friend in need. When my own life gets scary, I seek Him out, and want Him close by. He encourages me when the darkness closes in. If a situation is incredibly difficult, I know that He will carry me through.

Kevin’s love for me is sacrificial. I have watched him risk his well-being for me.

Christ’s love for me is sacrificial. He already gave His life for me. I’ve done nothing to deserve this sacrificial love from either one…but, the preciousness of it does not escape my notice or appreciation.

God’s people have always been assured that in their time of need, when they seek God, He is ready to be of assistance.

2 Chronicles 15:14

4 But in their distress they turned to the LORD, the God of Israel, and sought him, and he was found by them.

When a child of God seeks comfort or strength, the Book of Psalms is an incredible resource. It provides such blessed assurance of a powerful, loving God that is eager and capable of rescuing us from the tribulations of life.

Psalm 72:12

For he delivers the needy when he calls, the poor and him who has no helper.

Psalm 107:6

Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.

Of the 150 Psalms, over 70 are attributed to King David. As a young person, I could only identify with David a tad bit, as he was a mere youth when he slew Goliath. But, our similarities began and ended with his age. Beyond that, for most of my life, King David was not a person with whom I had anything in common. After all, he lived 1000s of years, ago, he faced and killed a giant, he commanded armies, was a KING, and was famous even during his own lifetime. However, as I have lived my life. As I have had fears and heartbreak. As I have seen dark days and called out to the Lord, even speaking of tear-stained pillows and overwhelming sadness…..as I have read King David’s words in Psalms, I have heard my own heart echoed. King David was a man, made of flesh and blood just like me. He had known joy, but he also endured incredible days of darkness. Like me, some of his challenges came about because of his own poor choices, but others came about simply as a result of living in a fallen world. His Psalms mirror my own experiences, too….crying out to the Lord first in pure overwhelming anxiety, eventually culminating in the peace that surpasses all understanding as the realization dawns that we are the children of an omnipotent, merciful, loving Father that can and will render all needed assistance, guidance, and comfort in the midst of life’s more terrifying and heartbreaking moments.

Just a few of those Davidic Psalms include:

Psalm 34: 17-18

When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those who are crushed in spirit.

Psalm 70: 5

5 But as for me, I am poor and needy; come quickly to me, O God.

You are my help and my deliverer; Lord, do not delay.

Psalm 34:6

This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.

Psalm 22:19

But you, O Lord, do not be far off! O you my help, come quickly to my aid!


Psalm 23:4

Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.

Did you note that in each of the Psalms, the Lord’s assistance came as a result of one of His children looking to Him for help? We are in relationship with Him. He delights in helping us, but desires the interaction of us realizing we need Him and calling out to Him from that need.

Did you pick up on the pure faith David expresses in his words? Because of his long relationship with God, he knew from experience, that the Lord would readily assist him in his hour of great need.

It is no accident that our relationship with Jesus is expressed as a husband’s love for his bride. My husband and I are in continual fellowship. We interact throughout the day. We share the joys and quiet times together. I know from experience that should I need him, all I need to do is ask, he is there for me. And, as good as a friend is, this love of my husband for me, his bride, transcends the natural human inclination of self-preservation….it is a love that willingly sacrifices self for the well-being of the other.

In the river, what I thought to be true in my mind was made evident as truth in reality. I sought Kevin’s assistance in my time of need, and he granted it….even to the point of risking his own life. Had I not encountered the scary episode in the river, I would not have witnessed his sacrificial love for me before my very eyes.

You know, as frightening as many aspects of this life can be, if we did not have to experience them, would we ever truly get to witness the all powerful, all encompassing, sacrificial love of Christ?

Looking at flowers and floating peacefully in the river didn’t spotlight Kevin’s love for me. He had no opportunity to prove his love for me in a way I would never forget. Sunny days, perfect health, and effortless finances never give Jesus an opportunity to demonstrate His power, His unfailing love, or His willingness to sacrifice Himself to bring us home to live eternally with Him in His kingdom. As much as I love Kevin, I didn’t feverishly search for his presence when watching deer at the river’s edge….but, I did at the first sign of white water. As much as I love Jesus, I don’t clamor for His attention or favor when times are good, but I my heart yearns for His presence as I encounter the trials of a fallen world.

Both with the earthly husband the Lord has given to me and with Jesus, seeking their presence in tough times is always followed quickly by their full attention and assistance.

No matter what you are facing today, Jesus is delighted to help you. Call out to Him. Nothing is beyond His ability. For many, financial situations that seem insurmountable are constant stressors. Call out to Jesus for assistance in ways you may not even be able to imagine with your limited human mind. Many have health issues that range from persistent discouragement, to out-and-out life threateners. Call out to Jesus. Even in the midst of a dire diagnosis, the Lord can give you a peace that will carry you through without anxiety. Perhaps you are experiencing a heartbreaking relationship issue. Call out to Jesus. He can do miracles that no word or effort on your behalf can accomplish. I know many of you today are dealing with a death that has left you devastated. Call out to Jesus. Only Jesus can comfort you with assurance that your loved one is experiencing a peace this world could never offer.

Father,

We realize that our sins break Your divine laws and that the penalty for our transgressions is eternal death and separation from you. We are grateful that You sent Your own beloved Son as a sinless sacrifice for us….that His death atones for our sins….that because He paid the penalty of death with His death to give us an everlasting life. We openly confess our full faith in our salvation through Jesus Christ. Help us, daily, to grow in our personal relationship with Jesus, so that we will better know the One that died so that will live.

Lord, you crave a relationship with your beloved. Help us to be in hourly fellowship with you. And, Lord, when we face troubling challenges in our lives, remind us to call out for You. Assure us always that You are always ready to help us in our time of need.


It is in the name of Jesus we pray, Amen


The same Christ that is present in the Old Testament, revealed in the New Testament, and displayed in Creation is the same Christ that is interwoven in the fabric of the lives of His people. God is the Master of the Universe, yet cares deeply about every tiny detail of your day. Seek the Biblical lessons to be learned in all of your experiences.

Audio from Of Black Snakes and Bluebirds

Appearance on The Candle of Hope Radio Show

Of Black Snakes and Bluebirds

Dear Lord,

As we come to You today, please give us a few tranquil moments to fully engage in the message and hear what You would say to our hearts.  Keep the hectic world at bay, Lord, and let us simply sit at your feet and feel Your presence.

It is in Jesus’ Name we ask,

Amen

I love my domestic pets.  Animals that I have called my furry children have run the gamut from wild turkeys to American dingoes.  What I can’t tame, I still enjoy providing for.  I love leaving food outside for the deer, fox, songbirds, opossum, and more.  I fall somewhere in between Noah and Ellie Mae.  It makes me happy that so many creatures feel safe at my home.  I’ve watched several generations of God’s creatures play in my yard, learn to fly from my trees, and grow up under the pines.  I have welcomed them all.

Unlike many people, I have no irrational fear of snakes.  In fact, unless they are venomous, I have no reaction to them at all.  A few summers ago, a five foot long blacksnake took to hanging out around the house.  One day he’d sleep in the butterfly bush, another he’d sun along the edge of the lawn.  He even wound himself occasionally in a dogwood tree that grew alongside my front porch.  It was not unusual for him to crawl across the concrete even as I sat in my rocker.  He seemed friendly enough.  Because he wasn’t venomous, I didn’t discourage his familiarity with my yard.  I never once as much as “shooed” him away from any location he chose.  I was comforted by the fact that I knew he would consume the frogs that frequented my walkway and would discourage any mice from venturing too close.

One day, when Tommy and I returned from a shopping trip and began bringing bags onto the porch I spotted what appeared to be a cowboy boot inside my bluebird house.  I thought it was a boot because of the color and the pattern I saw in the opening.  It took my brain a few seconds to wrap around the reality.  I was seeing snake skin in the bluebird house. 

I called my daddy to come help me. It took great effort to prod the snake into coming out.  I was astonished as all five foot of the black snake emerged from a bluebird house that was less than 1 foot square and already full of nest and nestlings.   When he was out, it was clear---nothing could be saved.  The nest was destroyed.  The babies gone.   The snake had simply done what snakes do.  The problem is that I did not do one thing to discourage it from happening.

The snake felt safe at my house.  The bluebirds felt safe at my house.  The issue was this, the bluebirds had an enemy and their enemy was the snake.  I had provided that snake a comfortable environment on my property in their proximity. I had willingly harbored the enemy of my beautiful bluebirds to devastating effect.  Because I had given the snake free reign of my yard, these parents lost their children.  Their home was destroyed.  Their future of caring for and loving their little ones was gone.  This was a family I would never see learn to fly.  This was a generation that would not live to create more beautiful bluebirds for the woods around my home.   The snake slithered in and destroyed everything because I didn’t think about who might suffer the consequences of his appetite.  I had provided him with a home and ample opportunity to do as he pleased.

In a seemingly off topic subject, I’d like to make a confession.  Now, I’ve been a lifelong church congregational member and have loved the Lord for as long as I can remember.  I am baptized and saved.   I don’t willingly sin.  I carry on near-constant conversations with Jesus.  I have even served on a ministry staff for several years.  But, can I tell you something?  Never once I had I asked the Lord to cleanse me of all sin.  I really had never thought about asking Him to purify me of hidden sin.

One day at church a while back, a lady was giving me her testimony and spoke of her prayer that God “search her heart and uncover any unrighteousness.”  And instantly, I thought, “Wow, I’ve known Jesus as my Savior longer than she has and even I’m not ready to ask Him to do that!”   It bothered me that I felt that way….but, it didn’t bother me enough to rectify the situation for quite a few years.  However, recently it really dawned on me.  I love the Lord, He is abundantly good to me, He has even created a beautiful home in eternity for me, He suffered and died for me….and I have the nerve to willing shelter His enemy, the devil, in my being!!!!!!  It was right then and there, I decided I’d have no more of that!

How had I been so compliant, for so many years?  How had I managed to feel comfortable with permitting the devil safe harbor anywhere in my life?

How about you?  Have you ever asked the Lord to search for satan in your heart?  Have you asked Him to cleanse you of any dark blot?  Are you giving satan a foothold in any area of your life?

Let us break it down for ourselves. 

God is our Father.  Personally, in each of our lives, we can recount a multitude of times (including sending His Son to offer us salvation) that God has loved us, cared for us, tended us, rescued us, taught us, fed us, provided for us and the list goes on and on.  Wouldn’t you agree?

Zephaniah 3:17 expresses this very well - The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by His love; He will exult over you with loud singing.

Psalm 121:3 states: He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber.

Matthew 10:30-31: "But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. "So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.

Now, let us define sin:  To sin is to transgress against God’s divine laws.

God has instructed us, His beloved children, to not partake in sin because the penalty of committing a sin is a death that will eternally separate us from Him.   

God lovingly sent His son Jesus to us to accept the penalty of death upon Himself to pay the price for all of our sins.  However, in order for His death to pay our penalty, we must accept that Jesus is the son of God and that He died to pay our penalty (He offers us the gift of salvation), and we must willingly accept that gift. 

In James 1: 13-15 we read:  When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

Hebrews 2:14  speaks of Jesus in saying:  Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, He himself likewise partook of the same things, that  through death He might  destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil.

Throughout the Bible, it is made abundantly clear that satan is the enemy of your Father. 

Examples include:

Revelation 12:9; 20:2 “And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan,  the deceiver of the whole world— he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him …

Isaiah 14:12  “How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low!

Acts 13:10  And said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?

Satan, as the enemy of God, seeks to tempt us to engage in sin.

As God’s enemy, satan desires to thwart God’s plans where it hurts the most….satan wishes to make Jesus’ death on the cross a wasted effort by preventing God’s children from accepting Christ and keeping them, instead, preoccupied with the world and engaged in perpetual sin. 

Matthew 13:19 "When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart.

John 8:44 "You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

1 John 3:8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.

Can you agree with me on these points from our scripture reading?  Isn’t it clear that the Lord is our Father and loves us?  Didn’t He send His son to suffer and die to prevent us from suffering the sin-penalty of eternal death that would separate us from Him?  Doesn’t scripture make it clear that the enemy of our loving Father is satan?  Isn’t it without question that satan is at work to keep us sinning and separated from God, the Father that loves us?

Because I thought there was no harm in the blacksnake, I didn’t recognize that he was the enemy of my sweet bluebirds.  I gave him a place in my domain, and from that location, he destroyed their lives.

Because I hadn’t given permission to the Lord to run satan fully out of my life, I was giving his enemy shelter in my very being!  And, from that vantage point, he was free to do whatever damage he so chose with ease and comfort.  Imagine that, me –harboring the enemy of the Lord that loves me!  When I finally realized this, I immediately prayed and gave the Lord full, unhindered permission to run satan out of my yard!

The Lord loves you.  He has been good to you.  He wants to bring you home to live with Him in paradise.  He has an enemy….an enemy that cares nothing for you and has hatred for God.  Do you intend to give satan a place to hide in your heart?

Please join me in our closing prayer:

Lord, too often we have given satan a comfortable couch in our livingroom even when we know of his hatred for you.  We now open the doors to our house wide open to You, Lord.  Please come in and seek out satan.  Open every door, every cabinet…look under every bed and dresser.  Anywhere you find him, Lord, drive him out.  Never again let it be said that this child of Yours gives refuge to Your enemy.

It is in the name of Jesus we pray, Amen

The same Christ that is present in the Old Testament, revealed in the New Testament, and displayed in Creation is the same Christ that is interwoven in the fabric of the lives of His people.  God is the Master of the Universe, yet cares deeply about every tiny detail of your day.  Seek the Biblical lessons to be learned in all of your experiences.  

The Gift of an Apple~Lessons Learned in a Small Town Devotional

You CAN know that you are Special to God!





Y

Lessons Learned in a Small Town Graphic

Designed by Thom Fecik

The Rooster's Spur Devotional~Lessons Learned in a Small Town

Stuggling with forgiving yourself of past sins?  Know someone that does?  There is freedom from self-condemnation!!!

The Rooster's Spur~ A Lessons Learned in a Small Town Devotional

The Rooster’s Spur

When I was a small girl, my Papa Nixon owned a few chickens.  Their pen was attached to his workshop.  While I had no business messing around with the chickens, I did so frequently and they often escaped their enclosure as a result.  It wasn’t long before Papa decided to get rid of his flock altogether.

As I grew older I began to spend a great deal of my time with the Brooks family in Cameron and my love affair with chickens was renewed.  Archie Brooks, was raising his 3 daughters and 1 son to know the value of self-reliance and an appreciation for the simple farm life.  Milking cows and gathering eggs were a part of their daily chores.  I adored helping with their little brood of gentle laying hens.  This world lost a gem when Archie Brooks went home to his savior, but he left behind a Godly legacy in his children and grandchildren….and he infused his love of small farm life into his family and a great number of neighbor kids like myself. 

When I married, I was fortunate enough to find myself a farm-boy of my own, one that had grown up in Chatham County and knew chickens from beak to feet.  So, we kept our own little flock for many years. 

Anyone that has ever owned chickens can tell you that the blessing of fresh eggs does come with its challenges.  From protecting the chickens from predators, to protecting them from disease and each other, a poultry owner must be vigilant.  Too, there is the occasional 10 foot tall and bullet proof rooster that is willing to pit his 12 pound, 2 foot tall body against that of a full grown man or woman.  Many times I have been spurred when accidentally turning my back on the wrong rooster.

One such rooster and I battled often.  He got to where he was brave enough to flog me even when I was facing him.  I carried a rake into the pen to shield myself from his attacks at feeding time.  The one time that I did take a swing at him and actually made contact, I became sick to my stomach with guilt at hitting the little guy, and decided I needed to disarm him in order to disarm myself.

Now this rooster had uncut spurs.  He was a Rhode Island Red with large legs with long, sharp spurs.  They were so long, in fact, that they affected how he walked.  Try to picture this with me.  To avoid scratching one leg with the spur from the opposite leg, the rooster had taken to walking with a sort of bicycle peddling type step.  He would slid one foot backwards, then up, then forward and down and then repeat with the other foot.  It had to be tiring and somewhat clumsy for him.  It slowed him down and kept him from running.  He looked awkward and comical.

My husband, Kevin, and I have a friend from West Virginia, Chad Lester.  I have always admired Chad’s no-nonsense way with animals.  One day when he was at the house, the subject of that rooster came up.  He offered to cut the spurs on the rooster to help him walk better and make him less dangerous for me.

So, he grabbed a pair of clippers and without hesitation, walked right up to that bowed up rooster, flipped him upside down, and with two strong snaps removed the spurs and plopped him unceremoniously back onto the pen floor.

 I think that the quick human tilt-a-whirl ride that day that ended with his weapons being swiftly removed gave that old rooster a renewed respect for people.  From that point forward he always remained out of hands reach.  But, I could not help but notice his walk over the weeks and months that followed.  That had not changed.  He still walked with his bicycle pedal stride.  The spurs were gone.  He was no longer in danger of scrapping his little rooster ankles with his own sharp nails, yet he still walked as if they were there....still awkward, still clumsy, still slow…  He was free of the spurs and the pain they inflicted, yet he was still being held back by the memory of his past condition.

What about me?  Is there anything about the old me that still trips me up today?  The pain I once endured or even caused in the past….is that pain still causing me to act as though I still hurt?  Sins I have committed in the past, is the guilt of them still haunting me?  Do I somehow still feel chained to the old, pre-Christ, worldly me?

What about you?  Are you struggling with coming out from under the weight of choices you made in the past?  Have you caused yourself pain over the years that still hurts you to this day?  Are you having trouble forgiving yourself for sinful acts or thoughts you indulged in before you came to know Christ?  Are you a prisoner behind the bars of the old you?

The Bible is clear, you do NOT have to carry the burden of your pre-Christ self.  You are a new creation….free from the worldly bonds of shame and the chains of self-condemnation.

Please open your Bibles and read along with me 2 Corinthians 5:11 NIV Version

11Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade others. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience. 12We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart. 13If we are “out of our mind,” as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

16So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:^a The old has gone, the new is here! 18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21God made him who had no sin to be sin^b for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

What you just heard just now….isn’t that beautiful?  Isn’t that freeing?  Didn’t it stir your soul?

I love how the Apostle Paul tells the Corinthians that if he is out of his mind, as some have accused him of being, then he is out of his mind for God.  Folks, when you pull away from the world and begin to display a passion for Christ, you will be called crazy, a religious nut, a Jesus freak---you name it.  I love how Paul doesn’t defend himself against the accusation, he owns it. 

In particular I want you to recall this line, “For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.”  Did you catch that?  Paul is saying that because Christ died for all of us, all of us died.  He reminds us that because Jesus died for all of us, we are to no longer live for ourselves, but are to live for Him.  So, if we died, then the old “us” died…..that old sinful, condemned, hurt and hurting self died.  The new, alive you is no longer living that old life, but rather a new life in Christ----free from condemnation.

Paul also brings up a very important point…if we are no longer bound to our old, worldly self, then we are to remember that other Christians are enjoying that same freedom and we are not to recall or judge them by their pre-Christ character and choices.  We are a new creation in Christ and so are our Christian brothers and sisters.  The old you died…..the new you lives and is liberated from guilt, from shame, from bondage. 

Paul comforts the Corinthians with the reassurance that through Christ’s sacrifice, God reconciled us to Him, it is not His intent to count our sin’s against us.  As reconciled children to a loving Father, as the saved people of a risen Christ, we are to act as ambassadors --- to reach out to others in love and the knowledge that an eternal life and a freedom from a sentence of death is available through Christ.  We are to share with those held in worldly bonds that we gained our freedom, our fresh new start, through a renewing relationship with Christ.

Did you hear Paul?  Did you really HEAR him? Did you hear him tell you that you are free?  The old you died.  You cannot continue to hold yourself back by old choices.  Paul said your relationship with Christ has made you a new person.  Will you claim that freedom and shed those painful shackles that hold you to the old ways and the old shame?

Yes, my rooster was just a testy, odd, old bird, but was he any different from the rest of us?  He had learned to walk a certain way to avoid causing himself pain from the spurs on his legs.  Those spurs handicapped him.  When he was free from the spurs, he still remained handicapped by them.  It was sad to watch, but, no sadder than watching a Christian refuse to permit him or herself from enjoying a glorious new life in Jesus, his bicycle pedal walk no more uncalled for than a clean and sober Christian still clinging to the shame of past years of drug and alcohol abuse, his clumsy steps no more unnecessary than a Godly woman refusing to testify to her walk with Christ because of remorse over a scandalous youth. 

The rooster was set  free, but wouldn’t embrace his liberty.  You are free….don’t follow the rooster’s example, follow Paul’s guidance instead!  Accept that you are a new creation in Christ and enjoy the freedom that is completely yours as a result of Christ’s sacrifice on your behalf. 

Father,

Because the old us died on that cross with Christ, we are able to enjoy full freedom from condemnation.  We want to remember this daily.  Please help us.  Help us not to dwell in the dark past, but walk in Christ’s light.  Help us to remove the shackles from our wrists and chains from our ankles that once bound us to our history of painful regret and put us on a path of complete liberty and reconciliation.

It is in the name of Jesus we pray, Amen