Devotional

An Ode to Joy

Barbara Kain Parker Devotional, Inspirational , , , , , , , ,

Falling asleep recently while praying something to the effect that my life would be pleasing to God, I seemed to hear the words, “Ode to Joy.” This was a poem written by Friedrich Schiller in 1795, and is best known as the fourth movement of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, which was completed in 1824.

Ironically, Schiller, who died in 1805, wrote a letter in 1800 to a longtime friend and patron whose friendship had originally inspired him to write the ode. He said that he considered his poem to be, “detached from reality [and] of value maybe for us two, but not for the world, nor for the art of poetry”.

Like Schiller, I imagine we may often underestimate the legacy that both our words and actions have left behind. For example, I cherish enduring lessons from a teacher I had in eighth grade, a teacher with such a reputation for being ‘mean’ that I was really disappointed to find out I’d been assigned to her class. Yes, she was pretty old, kind of grumpy and yes, she was definitely strict; but she also turned out to be one of the best teachers I ever had. Mid-year, she became very ill and was never able to return, so we had a substitute. Interestingly, I can recall nothing about her except that she was younger and more easy-going. I wonder if Mrs. Light ever knew what an impact she made on students throughout her long teaching career. Probably not.

Consider just a few biblical figures with enduring legacies. Did Jonah have any idea that thousands of sermons would be preached in years to come about his story? Did the minor prophets such as Joel, Habbakkuk or any of the other minor prophets ever dream that the God-given words they recorded would touch millions of lives? Doubtful!

How many of the members of the Faith Hall of Fame (Hebrews 11) had any idea that their sacrificial faith would still inspire people thousands of years later, near the end of time? Not likely!

But our God sees the end from the beginning; he knows both what has been and what is yet to come:

“…remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose’…”
Isaiah 46:9-10

We should also keep in mind that bad examples often live on in infamy. Whom among us would like to carry the reputation of the hard-hearted Pharoh or Judas Iscariot, Hitler or Musolini? Few, I hope. But what of the bad examples set by ordinary people: perhaps parents, teachers, pastors or polititions who’ve done irreperable harm to both individuals and large groups of people? For better or worse, righteous or unrighteous, things that we say or do may well be remembered far longer than we’d expect, perhaps touching people we may never even meet, but God sees it all:

For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the Lord, and he ponders all his paths.
Proverbs 5:1ESV

The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.
Proverbs 15:3 ESV

O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.
Psalm 139: 1-6

We would all be wise to live as if everything that we say and do will endure long after we’re gone, and to focus on living for Christ Jesus:

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God,
what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Romans 12:1-2 ESV

May we, like the Apostle Paul, be able to declare:

For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Galatians 1:10 ESV

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Philippians 1:21 ESV

My Prayer

Barbara Kain Parker Devotional, Inspirational , , , , , , , , , , ,

Going through old journals, I came across a morning prayer from December 2009, which is shared below. Following each phrase or paragraph are scriptures that illustrate the biblical truths that God had planted in my heart.

I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word. Psalm 119:15-16

In the stillness; You are here.

Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! Psalm 46:10


In the midst of turmoil; You are here.

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1


In joy, in grief, in pleasure, in pain; You are here.

You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence
and the pleasures of living with you forever. Psalm 16:11 NLT

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort.
He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others.
When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same
comfort God has given us. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

In gladness or sadness; You are here.

You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,
that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever! Psalm 30:11-12


Here or there, near or far; You are here.

Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.
If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,”
even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day,
for darkness is as light with you. Psalm 139:7-12


It matters not if I feel Your presence; it matters not whether I hear Your voice and all around me is silence; You are still here, closer than my next breath, indwelling my body and watching over me.

The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
Job 33:4

Do you not know that you are God’s temple
and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? 1 Corinthias 3:16

All that concerns me matters to You. You know my every thought, You know my every emotion; so now in the quiet morning stillness just before dawn, I turn to You and wait for You. As I wait for the sun to rise up in the sky, I wait for You to rise up in my spirit and make Yourself known.

Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.
ou hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high;
I cannot attain it. Psalm 139:4-6

But as for me, I will look to the Lord;
I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.Micah 7:7

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope;
my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning,
more than watchmen for the morning. Psalm 130:5-6

I have much for which to give thanks; I have much for which to be sorrowful; I have many questions and few answers. But this I know, You are still here and You are always faithful to me.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thesalonians 5:16-18

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23

He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. 1 Thesalonians 5:24

Please, my Father, my Lord and my God, deal with that which concerns me, and keep me safe in the center of Your rest in the meantime. Draw me into the center of Yourself; turn my eyes upon Jesus; wash me anew in the life-giving blood, and pour Your water of lifeover me.

He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. Psalm 138:8

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding,
so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true,
in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 1 John 5:20

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another,
and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:7

On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out,
“If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me,
as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ ”
John 7:37-38

Life Interupted

Barbara Kain Parker Biblical Insights, Devotional, Inspirational, Standing In Faith , , , ,

A couple of weeks ago I received an email thanking me for teachings about hope in difficult situations. To be honest, I couldn’t remember what I’d written until I looked at my website and realized (with a shock!) that my last post, Hope When All Seems Hopeless, was two years ago (though hope has also been a theme in previous posts). Has it really been that long? Yes; and as a result, I’ve had to update all of my pages!

Life has a way of interupting, whether those hiccoughs in our agendas are wonderful, tragic, or anything in between. The blips in my own life have traveled that spectrum; but in the midst of it all, God is as He has always been – faithful.

God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
1 Corinthias 1:9 ESV

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape,
that you may be able to endure it.
1 Corinthians 10:13 ESV

It’s an often-observed fact that when times are tough, people cry out to God and draw nearer to Him. It happened in the early church when persecution of Christians was the reason the gospel initially spread throughout the known world, flourishing under the Roman Empire:

But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district.
Acts 13:50

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood:
May grace and peace be multiplied to you.
1 Timothy 1:1-2 ESV

Turnng to God in tough times remains relevant today, and there are many reports of how Christianity is booming underground in Muslim nations. Meanwhile, here in the USA, Christians are making a big difference by standing up in courts of law to overthrow unjust laws that discriminate against them, with some victories reaching as high as the Spureme Court.

Certainly, most of us are familiar with the saying, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” The implication is that in the midst of situations when life becomes very difficult or unpleasant, people with strength and determination will take action and find a way to keep on keeping on. Sadly, when oneself is the source of that strength, we often fail; and anxiety, depression and hopelessness result. But, when God is our source, even in difficult situations we can still be at peace.

And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
Ephesians 3:18-19 NLT

I learned of God’s sufficiency during 2006, while battling breast cancer; it was a struggle that I’ve written about extensively in I’m Still Standing. When your life is interupted, He wants to proove Himself to you too:

God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
God is in the midst of her;
she shall not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
Come, behold the works of the Lord,
how he has brought desolations on the earth.
He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the chariots with fire.
“Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
Psalm 46 ESV

Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
2 Corinthians 3:4-5

The New Commandment

Barbara Kain Parker Biblical Insights, Devotional, Inspirational , , , , , ,

Most Christians are oh-so-familiar with Jesus’ familiar words about the first227062-20140710 and second greatest commandments, a teaching that occurred during His final week in Jerusalem, just days before the crucifixion:

And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:28-31 ESV)

It is a beloved passage, one that many of us have taken very seriously. But how often have we considered Jesus’ new commandment, which was given a few days later on the eve of His crucifixion as He met in the upper room with the disciples?

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35 ESV)

As I read this passage a couple of weeks ago, late on the Thursday night before Good Friday, I was struck by how many times I’ve seen or heard it—probably hundreds over the years—but have not really pondered very deeply its significance. This new commandment far exceeds what He had spoken about previously! This commandment is to love as He loves, but how often do I/we fall terribly short of that goal? His perfect love is the mark for which we must aim and the Love Chapter, as it is often called, provides a good ‘recipe’ for love.

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.  Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8a ESV)

Did you get that? God’s model of love is patient and kind, never jealous or boastful or proud or rude, doesn’t keep track of the offenses of others, is not happy about the wrongs of others and is very happy when truth prevails. But that’s not all; love never gives up or loses faith in others, it is always hopeful and endures hardships, and it also lasts forever. I believe that this example is only reflective of where Jesus’ love for us begins, because He was also willing to suffer and die for our sins. Anticipating his death the following day, he went on to say:

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13 ESV)

The thing is though, Jesus wasn’t just another everyday hero; you know, the kind we see on the news when a brave soldier saves others at the cost of his/her own life; or, as just happened this week, when a heroic lady at the Jewish synagogue shooting in Poway, CA threw herself into the line of fire, saving the life of her Rabbi and dying as a result. Yes, our everyday heroes do lay down their lives for their friends and that is a great love indeed, but Jesus took it a big step farther. When he willingly went to the cross, he took upon himself the punishment that was due to each of us for our sins; He died not to save our physical lives so we could thrive for a few more years on earth, but to make eternal life with God possible. Eternal life—that means unending life, living happily-ever-after forever and ever and ever—and that’s a whole lot more that anyone’s natural lifespan by a very long shot!

Considering Jesus’ new commandment to love as He had loved, I have to think that the love we think we have for others often leaves much to be desired. As we endeavor to become conformed to His image, we would do well to remember the last phrase of 1 Corinthians 13, …but the greatest of these is love. After all, this is how the world will recognize us as His disciples.

A New Year’s Prayer

Barbara Kain Parker Announcement, Biblical Insights, Devotional, Inspirational, Standing In Faith , , , , , , , , , , ,

2016On December 31, 2015, New Year’s Eve, I awoke from a vivid dream in which I’d been surrounded by others at the sort of conference center that one might find in a nice hotel. A pianist was playing nice background music from the lobby, catching my attention as she began to play a familiar tune. As I began to sing, many others joined in:

God bless America, land that I love
Stand behind her and guide her
Through the night with a light from above
From the mountains, to the prairies
To the oceans white with foam
God bless America
My home sweet home

I’d sung the words as a heartfelt prayer, with my eyes closed. When I opened them there was a nice looking man standing next to me who I believe was the Lord, and He encouraged me to keep on singing. Today, as I welcomed 2016 during my quiet time, He directed me to Psalm 100 and Psalm 101:1:

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!
Know that the Lord, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!
For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

I will sing of steadfast love and justice;
to you, O Lord, I will make music.

May 2016 be a year in which we, His people, seek Him above all else and joyfully sing His praises, for:

If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14

May God bless all who read this, whether you are in America or in any other nation on earth, for He is there. May 2016 be a year in which you encounter Him  and His sufficiency, His grace, and His mercy in every aspect of your life.

God’s Voice

Barbara Kain Parker Biblical Insights, Devotional , , , , ,

BibleHow easy it is to take things for granted until, suddenly, they disappear—jobs, friends, health, finances, and on and on. Not long ago, I experienced this firsthand as laryngitis ravaged my throat and I lost the ability to talk. In a positive sense, perhaps it could be viewed as one way to guard my tongue and avoid saying things better left unsaid; but I could also seek out what the Lord might want to teach me. So I looked up scriptures relating to ‘voice’, and was impressed anew by the majesty and power of our God. Though He sometimes speaks so quietly we may miss His message, it’s not because he has laryngitis but because He wants us to listen carefully for His words. He wants us to tune out the things of the world and carefully heed His voice:

And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.  And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper.  And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 1 Kings 19:11-13

The voice of God can be quiet and comforting—even conversational at times—but it can also be frightening. The incredible power and majesty of His voice cannot be fully described, but Elihu and David gave it a pretty good shot:

At this also my heart trembles and leaps out of its place. Keep listening to the thunder of his voice and the rumbling that comes from his mouth. Under the whole heaven he lets it go, and his lightning to the corners of the earth. After it his voice roars; he thunders with his majestic voice, and he does not restrain the lightnings when his voice is heard. God thunders wondrously with his voice; he does great things that we cannot comprehend. Job 37:1-5

The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord, over many waters. The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty. The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon. He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild ox. The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire. The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth and strips the forests bare and in his temple all cry, “Glory!”  Psalm 29:3-9

To heed God’s voice results in blessings, but destruction comes when He is ignored or denied:

If you will fear the Lord and serve him and obey his voice and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, and if both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the Lord your God, it will be well. But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then the hand of the Lord will be against you and your king. 1 Samuel 12:14-15

As the prophet Samuel encouraged the people of Israel to obey God’s voice, so we are also enjoined to listen carefully:

Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years.  Therefore I was provoked with that generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways.’  As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest.’” Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.  But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.  For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. As it is said, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” Hebrews 3:7-15

From beginning to end, the Bible illustrates the voice of the Lord as creative, powerful, and true. In Genesis 1, “God said, ‘Let there be…” and creation of the heavens, earth, and all that in on the earth occurred; and in the last chapter of Revelation, He speaks of the end of the world as we know it:

“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star…Surely I am coming soon.” Revelation 22:16,20

May we hear His voice; may we cherish the words He speaks; and may we agree with John the Apostle, “Even so, Lord Jesus, come.”

Aging Gracefully

Barbara Kain Parker Devotional, Inspirational, Parables, Pug Parables, Pugs , , , ,

page47colorThe righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the LORD, they will flourish in the courts of our God.  They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, “The LORD is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.  Psalm 92:12-15

During the last few weeks of her life it seemed that Sheba was sweeter than ever.  Time after time, even as we waited to cross a street, people would stop, roll down a car window, and comment on what a great dog she was.  And invariably, as practically every person we met on the sidewalk would pause to pet her and comment on her wonderful personality, that curly little tail would wag back and forth and those beautiful, big brown eyes would overflow with love.

Galatians 5:22-23 tells us that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  My prayer is that I will age as gracefully as my sweet little Pug, and that at the end of my days, my life will overflow with the Holy Spirit’s fruit, proving to the world that I am God’s and He is mine.

Fear’s Antidote

Barbara Kain Parker Devotional, Inspirational, Parables, Pug Parables, Pugs , , , , , ,

Sheba circleGod, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful…There is no fear in love.  But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.  The one who fears is not made perfect in love.  1 Corinthians 1:9 & 1 John 4:18

Sheba loves people and has no awareness that there are those who would abuse her, and even if she did I doubt that she’d be afraid because she knows that she belongs to us and she trusts us completely to take care of her.  As a result, she happily goes up to anyone and everyone she sees with no fear of rejection.  She also knows what behavior is expected of her and that she will be reprimanded if she misbehaves; yet she remains unafraid because she loves and trusts us.

Perfect love casts out all fear, and God loves us perfectly, so why are we afraid?  He’s not “out to get us.”  We don’t have to fear his wrath unless we disobey his commands; and even then, while we can expect a gentle reprimand, isn’t that what we need—what we want?  A master who loves us enough to correct us, to show us the right way to behave; yet a loving master to whom we can take our problems as well as our joys without fear of rejection.

As Sheba reflects our love for her by fearlessly loving others, so should we also reflect God’s love for us by loving even those who may seem frightening to us—those whose lifestyles are different than ours, those of whom we don’t approve.  Jesus himself reached out to the sinners of his day, even living and socializing with them!  They were the tax collectors, the prostitutes, the people who were looked down upon by the religious leaders.  He was criticized for it too.

Later when Jesus was eating supper at Matthew’s house with his close followers, a lot of disreputable characters came and joined them. When the Pharisees saw him keeping this kind of company, they had a fit, and lit into Jesus’ followers.  “What kind of example is this from your Teacher, acting cozy with crooks and riffraff?”  Jesus, overhearing, shot back, “Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? Go figure out what this Scripture means: ‘I’m after mercy, not religion.’ I’m here to invite outsiders, not coddle insiders.” Matthew 9:10-13 The Message

What a role model! Lord, let me love as Jesus did—fearlessly!

Bitter Medicine

Barbara Kain Parker Devotional, Inspirational, Parables, Pug Parables, Pugs , , , , , , , ,

Sheba on PillowNot only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.  Romans 5:3-5

Like most senior citizens, Sheba has a collection of pills that she takes daily, medications and food supplements to maintain her health and relieve her allergies and arthritis.  These are very effective treatments, and as long as they’re consumed she moves around quite comfortably.  But Sheba doesn’t like her pills—apparently they taste bad—and if they’re given alone she won’t touch them. Added to dry dog food, she’ll eat all around the pills and leave them in the dish; every morsel will be gone except the few tiny bites that will keep her healthy and pain free.  So we disguise them with moist food, coating each pill so thoroughly that she never even realizes she’s eaten something that’s good for her.

Life typically hands us a lot of ‘bitter pills’, and we all endure unpleasant experiences that ‘taste bad’.  But amazingly enough, these hardships that we despise so much may be the very medicine we need—opportunities disguised as problems that God allows so that we can become stronger.  And when it all just seems too much to swallow, Take the old prophets as your mentors.  They put up with anything, went through everything, and never once quit, all the time honoring God.  What a gift life is to those who stay the course! You’ve heard, of course, of Job’s staying power, and you know how God brought it all together for him at the end.  That’s because God cares, cares right down to the last detail.” (James 5:10-11, The Message)

Hurry Up and Wait

Barbara Kain Parker Devotional, Inspirational, Parables, Pug Parables, Pugs , , , , , , , , ,

 Kev & Sheba on Wade PorchBut do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.  The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness.  He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.  2 Peter 3:8-9

It seldom fails that Sheba decides it’s time to go outside at the most inconvenient times, and she is notorious for taking a very long time, sniffing everywhere for a place that meets with her satisfaction.  Now, Sheba may be deaf, but she’s not blind—in fact, she can probably see farther than I can.  So, though all I want her to do is hurry up and take care of her business, she’ll stop and gaze off into the distance if she catches sight of someone walking toward us.  Without moving, she’ll watch every step until they reach us.  Then she turns on the charm and usually manages to get the inevitable attention that she wants—few can pass her by without stopping to give her a pat on the back or a scratch behind the ears.  When they finally move on and turn the corner out of sight, she’ll get back to the reason we’re standing out there in the first place—and meanwhile I’m praying that another neighbor won’t decide to go for a walk so we can finish up and go back inside.

How often do we have an urgent task that needs to be accomplished—a purpose to be met—a destiny to be fulfilled by becoming all that God has called us to be; but we get sidetracked and let our attention waver toward other activities that appear more gratifying at the moment?  Unlike me waiting impatiently for Sheba, God is patient, and he waits lovingly and faithfully until we regain our focus and turn back to him and his agenda for our lives.  Then, he brings us back into his house where we are welcomed as “fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household…with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.” (see Ephesians 2:19). I can’t think of any place I’d rather be!