Guidelines For Living Devotional

The Beauty of Holiness

One of the differences which distinguish man from lower forms of life is that man, made in the image of God, worships a god who is greater than he.  Worship is a universal act of adoration no matter where men and women are, no matter what their culture or background.  The worship of the true God begins when sinful man encounters a holy, righteous God. 

Our Response to God

A young man invested his life savings in a new Ferrari sports car, and having made the investment of his life, felt that he ought to have someone bless his car‑‑just to be on the safe side.  Unsure of whom to call, he phoned the local Catholic priest, who said, "Yes, it's a bit out of the ordinary but I do baptize things for people"; but then he added, "Oh, by the way, what's a Ferrari?"

Be Still and Know God

Do you find yourself caught up in the rush of living until you scarcely can remember which day of the week this is?  You jump out of bed in the morning, gulp down a cup of coffee and hurry to work.  Then you rush home, eat dinner quickly so that you can get to an evening appointment.  And then you're off to bed so that you'll be able to get up in the morning, gulp down your coffee and hurry to work again.

Overcoming Jealousy

Rejoicing in another’s good fortune never comes easy!  When your best friend marries the girl you dated, it’s hard to get excited.  When the employee whom you hired gets promoted, leap-frogging over you, you may wish him luck and be polite, but inwardly you’d probably like to put a dagger in his back.  Your neighbor wins the lottery—not you.  How do you handle other people’s good fortune?  Are you glad for them, or do you detest their good fortune, wishing it had happened to you?  There’s a part of human nature which remains the same, year after year, generation after generation.

The Power of Time

What is it that can bring down empires, can literally shake down a craggy granite peak, yet has the power to heal a wound and change a life?  Described as the greatest power on earth by some, that force is TIME.  It was time that defeated Napoleon's forces at the gates of Russia's wealth.  It is the erosion allowed by time's forces that will eventually split the granite peak and bring it crashing to the floor of the valley.  It is time which allows healing of the human heart when the heart has been broken by loss and grief.  Time has been described as the most powerful force on earth, for it ultimately brings down the mightiest of men.  Some 200 years ago Benjamin Franklin wrote, "Dost thou love time?  Then use time wisely, for that's the stuff that life is made of."

Who's Responsible

An eighteen-year-old fathers a child and then walks away saying, “How do I know that I’m the only one who could have done this?”  A widow with a considerable bank account is overwhelmed with the personal interest shown to her by a man young enough to be her own son.  Following a romantic fling, she marries him.   Her family is quite certain that the man is more interested in her money than in her.  A father of three children, a great musician whose worship choruses are sung all over the world, walks out on his family, saying, “I don’t want to be married any more!”

Never Too Late

When a reporter interviewed a prostitute on a late night TV show, he noticed that she was wearing a small cross on a gold chain around her neck.  “Are you a religious person?” he asked commenting on her cross.  Somewhat embarrassed, she quickly said, “Oh, not at all.  I got away from all of that.”  She then told how she had gone to Sunday school as a girl, but then as a teenager she strayed far from the teaching of the little church she once attended.

Searching For You

“Like a shepherd he takes care of his flock,” wrote Isaiah the prophet of Israel.  “He gathers the lambs in his arms.  He carries them in his arms.  He gently helps the sheep and their lambs” (Isaiah 40:11, GWV).  No wonder the soul of George Frederick Handel, the man who wrote Messiah, was stirred as he pondered those words.

The Source of Joy

"Joy," wrote G .K. Chesterton, "is the gigantic secret of the Christian."  Yet to many it appears to be such a well‑kept secret that they never fully discover what it all is.
            How many people do you know are known for their joyfulness?   The German philosopher, Frederich Nietzsche, noted the lack of joy in the lives of many who call themselves Christians.  He wrote, "I would believe in their salvation if they looked a little more like people who have been saved."  Yet Nietzsche's death as an agnostic in a mental institution does not have much to recommend his belief system.

The God Who May Be Found

"The problem with you Christians," commented an atheist, "is that you have monopolized all the holidays.  You have Christmas, Easter, Good Friday, All Saints Day, and what have you.  What we atheists need is a holiday all of our own."  With a wry smile on his face, the friend countered, "How about April 1?"  Centuries ago the Psalmist wrote, "The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God'" (Psalm 14:1).  But it could well be translated, "There is no God for me!"  A lot of people who describe themselves as atheists have second thoughts when the going gets tough.