Tag: devotionals

Life changes and new opportunities have brought my sister back to Illinois.

She is coming home to rest and roost. My sister is not the exception; when the harsh realities of life hit, for many of us, our first thought goes to home. We grow tired of battling this cantankerous world, and we want solace from its badgering. We are weary of its meanness. We come home to regroup and refresh and redirect our plans. When the unloveliness of the world slaps us, we find loveliness at home.

Jesus Christ knows the hassles of living in this world. When He walked on this earth, He encountered every ignoble, contemptible act of the world. He, too, tired of the ongoing conflict and drama of life. He longed for the day when He would be again with the Father, when He would again be at home. When sin drove us from the Father’s presence, the Father promised to bring us home.

The prophets relayed God’s message. Jeremiah and Ezekiel each speak of the promise God makes to return us safely home. In Zephaniah 3:20 God is emphatic, “At that time I will gather you; at that time I will bring you home.” Jesus came to keep God’s promise to us. When He calls us to follow Him, He is calling us to follow Him home.

The reward of discipleship is that through the power of the Holy Spirit we can follow the Son of God home to be with the Father.

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

Subscribe to Ordinary Days on iTunes!

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ordinary-days/id1339262108

Check Out Denise’s Books!

Godnesia: Keeping God in Mind Each Day http://amzn.to/2GSquOD

Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASBLife Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2

My daughter and I joined a workout gym. Until today, the only time I have worked out on machines was in a hotel.

So, today, my workout was essentially, just an introduction to the equipment, but my muscles still recognized the change to my morning routine. This afternoon that difference surfaced at work. My legs felt good, my arms and shoulders were loose and my energy level had the girls at the gym questioning my chocolate consumption.

The small changes to the morning had made a big difference. Our spiritual habits need small changes now and again. We can get into a spiritual rut. We put on the coffee, open the same devotional and recite the same prayers. We are comfortable with the routine. Unfortunately, if we are not careful, routine can quickly become complacency towards the Spirit.

If your spiritual life has become routine ask the Spirit for a new workout program. Maybe He is already trying to shake up your quiet time or asking you to begin a quiet time. If you have considered rising ten minutes earlier for prayer, do it. Maybe you need to put your Bible near your bed so you can read in the evenings. Perhaps He is encouraging you to memorize Scripture or teach a Bible study.

Listen to the Spirit and let Him make the little changes that will make a big difference in your time with God in Christ. “Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress” (1 Timothy 4:15).

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

Subscribe to Ordinary Days on iTunes!

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ordinary-days/id1339262108

Check Out Denise’s Books!

Godnesia: Keeping God in Mind Each Day http://amzn.to/2GSquOD

Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASBLife Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2

In John 7:24 Jesus says, “Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment.”

We assume that Jesus wants us to look beyond people’s physical attributes to their inner person. However, that is not the context of Jesus’ statement. Jesus’ remark comes while discussing God’s Law with His critics. The Pharisees had decided that infant circumcision on the Sabbath was acceptable, but Christ’s healings on the Sabbath were unacceptable. Decisions have “appearances.”

We all make decisions based upon their outward appearance.  The choices we make—buying cars, houses and clothes—all have roots in “appearances.” Even our careers, political choices and religious affiliations are attached to “appearances,” which are our worldly views.

As followers of Christ how things appear in the world should not be the standard by which we reach decisions. The Pharisees decision to allow circumcision but reject Christ’s healing was unacceptable to Jesus because the Pharisees were basing their decision on monetary gains, not on furthering Christ’s kingdom on earth.

Jesus points us beyond the earthly perspective to God’s outlook. God’s view incorporates His entire eternal plan of salvation. If we are to “make a right judgment” (John 7:24), then our decision must align with the work and character of Christ.

Jesus calls His disciples to make choices based on God’s heavenly perspective, which He gives to us through the Holy Spirit. Only through the Holy Spirit are we able to make a “right judgment” and base our decisions in God.

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

Subscribe to Ordinary Days on iTunes!

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ordinary-days/id1339262108

Check Out Denise’s Books!

Godnesia: Keeping God in Mind Each Day http://amzn.to/2GSquOD

Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASBLife Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2

When our children go through difficult times, we parents can’t get them off our minds. We pray for them, offer solicited and unsolicited advice, and analyze their situations. Our thoughts of them keep us awake. Our minds won’t rest for thoughts of scenarios, and our plans for solving their problems dance in our heads.

God’s children are always on His mind. The Israelites had become enslaved in Egypt. God heard their cries of pain. Exodus 2:24 says, “God heard their groaning and He remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob.” God remembered them, which means His people and His plan to liberate them were constantly on His mind.

God’s plan of liberation continues to operate in the world through His Son. We are all bound by the slavery of sin. Even in our day, God remembers His promise to take away the sin of the world. God never forgets our struggles with sin or His Son’s struggle on the cross to free us all from the bondage of sin. The Father’s everlasting plan of salvation is always at work in the Son through the Spirit. There is never a moment that the Son is not on the mind of the Father. And never a time when we are not on the mind of the Son.

“Then you will be remembered by the Lord your God” (Numbers 10:9).

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

Subscribe to Ordinary Days on iTunes!

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ordinary-days/id1339262108

Check Out Denise’s Books!

Godnesia: Keeping God in Mind Each Day http://amzn.to/2GSquOD

Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASBLife Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2

My office lamp has an energy saving bulb. When I flip the switch, light floods my dark office for about twenty seconds and then the bulb dims. Any bulb will save energy if it’s not giving off light. To be absolutely candid, I hate this bulb.

However, that crazy energy efficient bulb reminds me of this world. Before we come to Christ we think the things of this world are bright and shiny and wonderful. We are attracted to its beaming baubles and flashy trinkets. It’s hard not to turn our heads at the glint coming off a new car. Sparkling diamonds or other jewels hold our attention.

The material things of this world appear effulgent until we come to Christ. Suddenly, that which we were so certain was bright and brilliant dims in the light of the Lord. The bright lights the world offers are no match for the clear, pure light of Christ that shines in our darkness. Jesus said, “I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness” (John 12:46).

The brightest lights of the world are still dark compared to the light of Christ. The Light of the world not only outshines the dull lamps of this world but also illuminates our path to the eternal God. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world” (John 9:5), and His light will never fade, dim or grow dark.

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

Subscribe to Ordinary Days on iTunes!

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ordinary-days/id1339262108

Check Out Denise’s Books!

Godnesia: Keeping God in Mind Each Day http://amzn.to/2GSquOD

Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASBLife Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2

When circumstances in our lives change we get mad, because we are people who embrace status quo and reject change. When things are status quo, they are comfortable, predictable, and familiar. Life isn’t perfect, but it’s manageable, and we like manageable.’

We also want to keep things manageable, familiar and predictable in our spiritual lives. But Christ is living in us, making transformative changes, and moving us forward into deeper knowledge and understanding of God. God has hard things to say to us, teachings that He needs to apply to our spiritual lives so we can grow deeper in grace and truth.

When He shakes things up in our lives we are more likely to give Him our attention. This is what happened to some of Jesus’ disciples (not the Twelve) in John 6:52-69. Specifically, these followers argued about Jesus’ statement, “This bread is my flesh” (John 6:51). They asked “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” (John 6:52). These followers thought they had God figured out and then Jesus presented them with this difficult teaching. The followers said to Him, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?” (John 6:60) Many of these followers did not accept the hard teachings of Christ and they “turned back” (John 6:66) to their manageable understanding of God.

The hard teachings of Christ till and prepare our souls for seeds of grace and righteousness and truth. The changing of circumstances, when life is out of our hands, make us pliable in His hands. Don’t manage God; let God manage you.

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

Subscribe to Ordinary Days on iTunes!

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ordinary-days/id1339262108

Check Out Denise’s Books!

Godnesia: Keeping God in Mind Each Day http://amzn.to/2GSquOD

Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASBLife Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2