One Minute Devotionals (4)
Where, O death is your victory? Where, O death is your sting? I Cor 15:55
Did you know that when a bumblebee stings you it leaves its stinger in you? A bumblebee without a stinger can't hurt you. But a bumblebee withouta stinger still looks like a bumble bee that CAN hurt you. So what do we do? We fight them off and run away as fast as we can.
When Paul asks, "Death where is your sting?" – I'm reminded of the bumblebee.Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Exodus 20:3
Mrs. Campbell was a sweet, first year kindergarten teacher who loved all her 'babies' but fell in love with my middle son Jai and Jai fell in love with her. His older brother Nico would tease him by singing the Campbell soup song ... 'Um, Um Good! Um, Um Good! Mrs. Campbell Soup is Um, Um Good.' Jai held Mrs. Campbell in such high esteem that he would fight Nico every time he sang that song.
After kindergarten graduation Jai missed Mrs. Campbell so much that I finally talked to her and I took him to her house for a visit. We found Mrs. Campbell working in her flower garden and after a brief stay and a quick hug Jai was ready to go.
In the car I asked him why he wanted to leave so soon. With a sad face he answered, "Mommy, I didn't know Mrs. Campbell could get dirty. And she was barefoot too." Jai realized that the teacher he idolized was just like the rest of us ... human.
How many times have we idolized our leaders, our teachers, our preachers, our pastors? How often do we put them on pedestals just to realize that we have placed an imperfect person into an impractical position and doomed them for failure, confusion and disappointment? It's wrong to idolize any person my friend. I enjoy watching American Idol but I love worshipping the idol ... God the Father!
Campbell Soup
Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Exodus 20:3
Mrs. Campbell was a sweet, first year kindergarten teacher who loved all her ‘babies’ but fell in love with my middle son Jai and Jai fell in love with her. His older brother Nico would tease him by singing the Campbell soup song … ‘Um, Um Good! Um, Um Good! Mrs. Campbell Soup is Um, Um Good.’ Jai held Mrs. Campbell in such high esteem that he would fight Nico every time he sang that song.
After kindergarten graduation Jai missed Mrs. Campbell so much that I finally talked to her and I took him to her house for a visit. We found Mrs. Campbell working in her flower garden and after a brief stay and a quick hug Jai was ready to go.
In the car I asked him why he wanted to leave so soon. With a sad face he answered, “Mommy, I didn’t know Mrs. Campbell could get dirty. And she was barefoot too.” Jai realized that the teacher he idolized was just like the rest of us … human.
How many times have we idolized our leaders, our teachers, our preachers, our pastors? How often do we put them on pedestals just to realize that we have placed an imperfect person into an impractical position and doomed them for failure, confusion and disappointment? It’s wrong to idolize any person my friend. I enjoy watching American Idol but I love worshipping the idol … God the Father!
I will protect you because you know My name. Psalm 91:14b
One of my childhood best friends was my cousin, Connie. We did everything together. When we weren't in school we were in church. We loved the Lord and Tabernacle Baptist Church. We were choir members, Sunday school students, Youth Ministry officers and we even baby sat for our pastor. Our bratty little brothers called us 'Church Girls' but contrary to their beliefs, we didn't have church on our minds 100% of the time.
You see, we were normal teenagers and although we never crossed the line to being 'bad girls' we did bend the rules a little every now and then. Connie would spend Friday nights with me so we could go to basketball or football games together. Before leaving the house we had to listen to Rosie's lecture ... "Don't ya'll go getting in no cars with no boys and be back here by 11." Connie would laugh as I made crazy faces behind Rosie's back because we'd heard the lecture 100 times before. We'd always answer in unison, "Yes ma'am, Aunt Rose." And then what did we do? Two blocks down the street we'd jump in the car with our dates and head to the game.
Today's scripture declares ... 'I (the Lord) will protect you because you know My name.' Even though Connie and I were disobedient, God protected us and no hurt, harm or danger ever happened to us. You see, we knew our Protector's name, but most important, He knew ours and loved us in spite of our disobedience. He blessed us both to grow from foolish church girls to faithful Christian women.
Rev. Brenda Stripling Nichols - One Minute Devotional
I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.
Psalm 37:25 (NIV)
When Hubby’s company transferred him to Charleston, South Carolina, we had a five year old, a newborn baby and more expenses than money. One Sunday morning, after paying all the bills and buying meds for our oldest son and me, we found ourselves without money for groceries. This was a first for us.
With no family or friends to turn to, worried and in low spirits we decided to go to church anyhow. I remember the preacher saying, “There’s someone here today who doesn’t know how they’re going to feed their family.” My hubby dropped his head and started to cry. “But I promise you,” the preacher continued, “before you get hungry this day the Lord will provide!” I buried my face in my baby’s neck to hide my tears from my older child.
Trusting in the preacher’s promise and believing God for a miracle, we drove around downtown before heading home. When we arrived at the house my husband’s Mother and sister were waiting … having driven all the way from Florida to surprise us!
“Boy,” his Mama yelled, hugging and kissing us, “Where have y’all children been? We just finished shopping! Get here and get these groceries out the trunk before they spoil!”
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