spiritualsnippets.com

Seeing life's events in the light of God's Word.

Make A Difference

The current image has no alternative text. The file name is: pexels-photo-17780409.jpeg

2 Corinthians 11:27- “I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep. I have known hunger and thirst . . .  I have been cold and naked.”

I was going to blog about breaking my toe yesterday, and hoping for a little sympathy. But this morning I read several verses from 2 Corinthians.

Of the many hardships the Apostle Paul went through, my broken toe pales in comparison.

Hunger, thirst, nakedness, sleep-deprived, beaten with rods, imprisoned, put in shackles, stoned, and crucified himself. All for the cause of Christ and the gospel.

In spite of all these, Paul “found” time to write most of the New Testament! 

What are we willing to do to make a difference in our world? 

Leave a comment »

Two Become One

The current image has no alternative text. The file name is: pexels-photo-7910460.jpeg

Matthew 19: 4-6 “. . . at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’,   so they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

If my parents were alive, they would be celebrating their seventy-ninth anniversary today.

That’s not completely true because I never knew of them actually “celebrating” on September 20th.

They were just about as perfect together as any couple I’ve ever known. They took the scripture seriously. Every day, Dad would tell Mom, “Always remember, we are as one.”

When my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and needed to live in an assisted living facility, it was only natural that Dad would sell the house, give up the life they had known, and move into the apartment along with her.

Mom passed first, then less than a year later, Dad reunited with her in heaven.

Their marriage lived out God’s intention for all of us “married folk” to live together “as one.”

Leave a comment »

Even the Smallest of Creatures Has Purpose

The current image has no alternative text. The file name is: pexels-photo-32868071.jpeg

Genesis 1:21. “So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems, and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.”

My husband and I love hummingbirds. We never tire of their visits to our patio. They usually stay next to our feeder or drink from our flowering plants. However, sometimes—like yesterday—they hover close by, as if to watchi us as intently as we watch them.

The Bible does not mention hummingbirds specifically, even though they remind us of God’s great love for all of His creatures. Even the very smallest of birds.

People everywhere are in awe of their beauty and grace. Along with butterflies, they are one of the most delicate of God’s winged creations. 

They remind us that even the smallest of creatures have purpose and reflect God’s love and handiwork.

Sunrises and sunsets, rainbows, gentle rain and cooling breezes, flowers with their myriad scents and colors are just some of God’s creations bringing human beings delight and much happiness.

Which reminds me of this verse in Matthew, telling us we are infinitely loved by our heavenly Father:

Matthew 6:26- “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”

Leave a comment »

What the Sabbath and Labor Day Have in Common

The current image has no alternative text. The file name is: pexels-photo-37000756.jpeg

Exodus 20:8-10 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God…”

The first Labor Day in 1887 was established to “celebrate the social and economic achievements of American workers. . . to recognize those contributions made to America’s strength and prosperity.“

After Rosemary explained to her grandson what “Labor” meant, he asked her why we celebrate Labor Day with parades, picnics and trips to the lake. “Why don’t we do work on Labor Day?”

“I guess it’s a time to rest from our hard work and enjoy the day with family and friends,” she told him. 

After he’d gone home, she pulled out her Bible to see what God had to say about resting from our labors. She came across the passage above from Exodus in which God talked about the Sabbath as a Day of Rest. 

Rejuvenating our lives physically, mentally, and spiritually.

We should model ourselves after God, who rested on the seventh day of creation. We use the Sabbath as a day of rest from work and an opportunity to reconnect with God.

Leave a comment »