spiritualsnippets.com

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

Oct 14

Taking Time

by Brenda Poulos

 

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Ecclesiastes 3:1– “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.”

 

My husband said to me recently, “You’re always busy. Why don’t you ever take time to just sit and relax a little?”

As I visited with my mother later in the week, she gave me a poem she had cut out of the newspaper some fifty years ago, entitled, “Take Time.”

“God,” I said as I drove toward home, “are you trying to tell me something?”

So, just in case He might be speaking to you about the busyness of your own life, I will include “Mom’s” simple poem:

                           Take Time

Take time to live; it is one secret to success.

  Take time to think; it is the source of power.

Take time to play; it is the secret of youth.

                   Take time to read; it is the foundation of knowledge.

                    Take time for friendship; it is the source of happiness.

Take time to laugh; it helps to lift life’s load.

                                          Take time to dream; it hitches the soul to the stars.

                                          Take time for God; it is life’s only lasting investment. 

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Oct 7

Not Forgotten

by Brenda Poulos

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Luke 12:6- “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God.”

 

I instinctively turned my shopping cart down the PET aisle. I even reached for the KITTY LITTER before I acknowledged the reality: I had made the decision to put my beloved cat down the week before. The vet had diagnosed his problem as Kidney Failure. Nothing could be done, except to ease his pain.

I cried for days.

We no longer devote laundry room space to Brinkley’s dish or litter box. But, our memories are vivid…our hearts heavy.

Pets don’t have a soul. They have no knowledge about God. They don’t know what it is like to experience His love.

Or do they?

Scripture tells us that God knows when a bird—one of His smallest creatures—falls from the nest. He cares for them!

God created all things according to His purpose. So, I want to believe that, whether in Heaven or on the New Earth, we will once again experience the unconditional love of our pets.  

Just as I cannot envision a world without colors, fragrances, stars, and music, I believe God will allow us to continue to enjoy the companionship of animals for all eternity.

  

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Oct 1

The Shade at My Right Hand

by Brenda Poulos

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                                      Psalm 121: 5-8 – “The Lord watches over you—

                                  the Lord is your shade at your right hand;

                                     the sun will not harm you by day,

                                nor the moon by night.

                                    The Lord will keep you from all harm—

                                he will watch over your life;

                                    the Lord will watch over your coming and going

                                both now and forevermore.”

 

I have had a lot of trouble, recently, with my eyes. Out of necessity, I purchased a pair of expensive sunglasses that were invented especially for surfers. They block out glare when sunlight hits waves.

The sunglasses do help me, but I find I still need to stay indoors as much as possible, or at least out of direct sunlight.

So, when I came upon a two-mile stretch of roadwork-related delays last week, I found myself looking for a way out of the traffic jam. However, I was hemmed in by barricades on one side and fellow travelers in front of me, in back of me, and in the lane to my right. With my eyes burning from the glare and tears flowing down my cheeks, I prayed to God for something—anything—that would offer relief. 

When the traffic light turned red, the flow of vehicles came to a halt. As I stopped my car, I found it was shaded by the only tree on that block! 

The light turned green and I was able to make it into the next block before the traffic light ahead turned red. Again, my car was shaded by a tree growing in the median!

As I thanked God for the second tree, I was reminded of Psalm 121. The Lord was surely watching over me. 

He was—and is—the shade at my right hand!

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Sep 23

A Life Prolonged

by Brenda Poulos

 

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Deuteronomy 5:33– “You shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days (in the land which you shall possess.”)

My mother recently celebrated her 91st birthday at a family dinner. As we were eating dessert, I asked her a question that I often hear asked on the morning news show when they interview a person celebrating a milestone birthday.

I said, “Mom, I’ve heard people say that they owe their long life to such things as drinking a beer a day, eating a raw egg, walking a mile…and so on. Why do you think you have lived such a long life?”

“Well, I try to live each day for the Lord. I don’t know for sure, but maybe that’s why.”

Over her many years, Mom has chosen actions that are pleasing to God. Whether this has resulted in God granting her a long life, I do not know, but there are instances in the Bible where that seems to be so.

Such is the case in Deuteronomy. God gives Moses a message to pass on to the Children of Israel.

He said that a life lived well—following His commands—would result in a prolonged life!

Still…

I researched meanings for “prolonged.” Surprisingly, the word doesn’t only mean “to make longer.” It can also mean “to make larger…fuller.”

Perhaps that is what God was telling Moses. If so, that is His message for us, today.

We may not live longer, but if we live each day for the Lord, our life will be richer and fuller.  

 

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Sep 9

The “Christian Game”

by Brenda Poulos

 

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John 14:6- “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

 

When I visit my parents at their assisted living apartment, they often suggest playing “the game.” (Actually, there are two games they like and we alternate playing them.) It’s a great ending to what sometimes is a stressful day filled with personal care, doctor visits, and organizational issues.

Playing games is fun. People connect, laugh, and relate to each other in an atmosphere that is usually non-threatening.

But, there is a game—a very serious one—that people sometimes play. It is very misleading to others, but can also be just as deceptive to the player, himself.

It’s the “Christian” game.

Let’s say a guy (we’ll call him Sam) accepts someone’s invitation to church. He’s comfortable there. He gets to know people. He joins in activities, sings the songs, listens to the sermons.

He looks—and acts—the part of a Christian.

He tells himself that he is a Christian because he does all these “Christian” things. And, others may see him as a Christian, too, not realizing that he has not yet made the most important decision of his life. 

In order for Sam to become a Christian, he needs to recognize that Jesus died on the cross for his sins, repent and place his faith in Him. He must depend upon Jesus--not himself–for his salvation, realizing that He is The Way, The Truth, and The Life.

Sam now desires to worship God and serve others because he in relationship with his Heavenly Father. Sam feels different inside because he is different. He is a child of God and his actions are now a result of this new life in Christ.

“Behold, all things have become new.”

The Christian “Game” is a thing of the past.

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Sep 2

A Tweet or a Psalm?

by Brenda Poulos

Psalm 22:22- “I will declare your name to my people; in the assembly I will praise you.”

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One of my goals this year, has been to better understand—and even navigate—in the world of TWITTER.

I started out slowly by reading TWEETS.

Now that I am feeling comfortable with that, I am moving on to Replying to TWEETS.

Yesterday, I replied to a one that asked me to share my thoughts by completing this sentence: “I Like it When:” I clicked on the reply icon and wrote a few comments.

As I finished my Bible Study this morning, I was prompted to spend a few moments in praise. I decided to “phrase my praise” as “I Love it When:”

Here are a few I sent heavenward:

I Love it when a cool breeze blows on my face. Thank you, Lord, for cool breezes.

I Love it when I see a rainbow after a storm. Thank you, Lord, for your promise in the rainbow.

I Love it when God sends me a special verse of comfort or direction at just the right time. Thank you, Lord, for the truths in your Holy Word.

David’s Psalms were too lengthy to qualify as modern day Tweets. If he were living today, he’d probably choose to share his praises on Facebook or a website where he could expand his thoughts.

But, whatever the length, our God is Most Worthy of Praise! 

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Aug 26

Enjoy the Bounty

by Brenda Poulos

John 4:36- “Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together.”

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My sister and her husband plant a garden every spring. This requires a lot of work—especially in the hot Arizona sun. However, they reap the rewards of fresh vegetables for many weeks.

I have a friend whose parents are farmers. They have many acres devoted to corn. Even though family members have other jobs outside of farming, each one also helps with some aspect of the endeavor.

Each of them has distinctly different responsibilities. 

Some plant. Some harvest. All enjoy the bounty.

It is the same principle in God’s kingdom. The one who plants and the one who harvests are not necessarily the same person(s).

One sows the word in the heart of an unbeliever, another may nurture that person and lead him along, and someone totally different may be the one who leads him in the confession of faith, bringing him to salvation in Christ.

And all rejoice with gladness—along with heaven’s angels—when a new soul comes into the kingdom. 

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Aug 20

A Commandment With A Huge Blessing

by Brenda Poulos

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Deuteronomy 5:16– “Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the Lord your God is giving you.”

 

I sighed as I waited for Dad to put in his hearing aids and Mom to retrieve her purse. Looking up at the clock, I realized we would likely be late for their doctor’s appointments. I asked my sister get our parents up to the front of their care center while I pulled the car around the building so we could load them—and Mom’s wheelchair— inside with easy access.

If you assist with the care of aging parents, you know very well the time and patience—not to mention commitment—it takes to keep going back day after day.  

It also takes a lot of love. And, for most of us, it is because of love that we persevere.

The Bible tells us to honor our father and mother. Growing up, honoring may have meant showing respect and obedience. Later on, it might have meant remembering to visit, observing holidays, birthdays, etc.

But as they have grown older, our parents may need “honoring” of a different sort. It may require running errands, assistance with household chores, helping with bills, and even physical care.  

I am fortunate to have a brother and two sisters to help do all that is necessary for our aging parents. In their nineties, this requires a lot of time—even if it only means sitting down with them to look—over and over again—at old family photos or listen to stories of times-gone-by.

If you are in similar circumstances, I want to encourage you from God’s Word, today. 

Even though you may grow weary, you will be blessed beyond measure. You still have your loved one(s) with you. You can still do things together that create beautiful memories you will treasure when they are no longer physically here.

As you follow God’s commandment to honor your parents, you will be a blessing to them, and you will be blessed by God for your obedience, in return. 

As your own children observe your actions toward your mother and father, they learn a powerful lesson from God’s Word. They will be there for you, when the time comes.

I pray that The Holy Spirit will guide you, give you patience, and bless you with peace and wonderful memories.

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Aug 12

Restored

by Brenda Poulos

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Matthew 26:28- “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

 

We experienced a huge Monsoon storm in the middle of last week. It began with a gentle breeze blowing as I left my Bible Study group at 8:00 p.m. About ten minutes down the road, it began to rain. It was a full-fledged storm by the time I neared home.

I entered my neighborhood to find that the power had gone out. That meant I had to run from my driveway around the house to the front door, since my non-working electric opener prevented me from pulling into the dry garage.

My umbrella bent in the strong wind, so that by the time I got the door to the house open I was drenched. My hair, cut and styled earlier that day, was sopping wet. My shoes and legs were muddy. My hallway, littered with grass and twigs.

I was a total mess. The face that had looked passable enough to me to take a “selfie” a few hours before, now needed a good scrubbing.

Power was finally restored around 2 a.m.

Have you ever felt wonderfully clean inside after you partake of communion at church? After you spend time in quiet reflection, confession of sins, and then experience the feeling of being totally forgiven? And, for those few moments following, as you listen intently to the sermon, feeling so much closer to God…without that load of sin between you and Him?

Then, before you know it, your mind wanders and you think a sinful thought? Or, you get all the way to the car before making an unkind remark to your spouse?

You suddenly find yourself in that sin-confession cycle once again…in need of cleansing…going before the throne and asking for forgiveness…wanting to be in right relationship with the Heavenly Father…knowing that although you mean well, you are human and will mess up many more times? 

The good thing is that He is willing to forgive and restore us each time we come to Him with a humble and contrite heart. We don’t have to wait for communion Sunday or until 2:00 a.m. 

We have access to the Father—and his cleansing grace—twenty-four seven!

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Aug 6

The Great “I AM”

by Brenda Poulos

 

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Exodus 3:14- “And God said to Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shall you say to the children of Israel, I AM has sent me to you.”

 

A friend was relating his son’s experience taking “Spanish” instruction last semester. He said the difficulty was with conjugating verb tenses.

I remember taking Spanish in high school, myself, and doing drills on verb tenses: I was. I am. I will be…and so on—words denoting past, present, and future states.

God refers to himself the I AM. Tenses don’t apply to Him since He has always existed, He exists now, and He always will. 

He has no beginning and no end.

He will always be there for you.

He’s unchanging. He’s 100% committed to you. 

You’ve no need to wonder, worry, or fret.

You can count on the one who loved you before you even came into being—the one who will love you throughout all eternity…

Because

He is The Great I AM. 

 

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