Scribbled on my Heart

Proverbs 3:3-6

Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.
Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

The word tablet has a very different meaning today.

It's interesting how, through the years, the definition of words has changed. When I was a child, I rested on a blanket in the yard and watched the clouds float past. Now I save my stories, devotions, and book reviews to an invisible cloud I can access from my computer or phone. In college I listened to my professor drone on and on, now a drone flies in the sky (with those clouds I mentioned earlier) and snaps photos. The birds in my trees tweet in the morning, so do my friends on Twitter. The tablet I mentioned is an electronic device I use to connect with social media. Wow!

In the Old Testament, people often wrote the words from scripture on a small scroll, tucked it into a tiny box, and tied the box to their heads, arms, or necks. That way, they could remember God's intervention at the time of Exodus, and his promises to them.

I scribbled Proverbs 3:5-6 on the tablet of my heart years ago. Trust in the Lord. In this world with its sorrow, blessings, sadness, and joys, what else could I do? For the one thing that never changes are the promises and love of God. He calls me to trust him no matter the circumstances. He asks me to seek him, whether through scripture, prayer, or the new Bible app my daughter showed me.

I may still watch the clouds and listen to the bird's tweet. But I can also use the new tools God gives me to seek him and glorify him.

What have you written on your heart?  

I Kind of Love my Dishwasher

1 Thessalonians 5:18

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

I propped the dirty plate in the dishwasher, and a weird thought came to me. Or maybe not so weird. "I have a machine that washes my dishes for me." At 62 years old, I'm kind of fascinated with this machine. I washed dishes by hand for many years. Honestly, that was my quiet time, because the rest of the family usually scattered as I filled the sink with suds.

As I type on the keys of my laptop, the sound of the dryer tumbling my clothes dry serves as my background noise. Of course the washer cleaned the clothes for me, first. If you are reading this, you're most likely on a computer or smart phone. I'm not trying to toot technologies' horn, but how much do we take for granted the ease of modern life? How often do we thank God for the things that enhance our lives, that give us time to pursue Bible study, hobbies, prayer, sports or time to help our neighbors or community?

How often do we take time to thank God for our circumstances? 

When I come across a scripture like 1 Thessalonians 5:18, I'm reminded to humble myself and thank God for the numerous blessings of life. Even when life's problems rear their ugly head, I pray God reminds me to be grateful and give thanks in all situations.

 “As with all commandments, gratitude is a description of a successful mode of living. The thankful heart opens our eyes to a multitude of blessings that continually surround us.” – James E. Faust

Thanksgiving is just around the corner. I challenge you to make a list, either on paper or mentally, of all you have to be thankful for. I think you'll find a reason to praise God.

Wait for It...

Romans 8:25
But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait patiently.

Small tan chapel

When I got home from work, I was all set to write a devotion about the beauty of the changing seasons. I opened my computer and prepared to search for a scripture. I popped open Google Chrome to get to Bible Gateway and lo and behold, I had no signal. No wi-fi, no anything. I tried reconnecting and rebooting. Nothing. Let me say this, I thought about taking a walk before I settled in with the laptop. I probably should have but I saw a window of quiet time where I could get a little bit of writing done. I wanted to write and post this devotion and a book review that's due tomorrow. Instead I called the cable company, who couldn't help me over the phone, and scheduled an appointment with them for Saturday morning.

Two things in this world try my patience more than anything else, a car problem or a technology issue. I like my laptop, I have access to so much through the internet. But, when the connection doesn't work, I'm frustrated. I enjoy posting on my blog and on Facebook. I like being connected to friends and family. What I don't like is trying to be patient when my resources stop working. But I've learned from a young age that one of the fruits I'm supposed to produce as a follower of Jesus is patience. At times I struggle. Yet, I still try. For now I'm going to close the lid on my laptop, enjoy the beautiful weather and work on my patience. Praise God for his patience with me.

What tries your patience? I shared mine :)