spiritualsnippets.com

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

Oct 1

How Are People and Plants Alike?

by Brenda Poulos

John 15: 1,2- “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”

It was such a gorgeous fall morning, my husband and I decided to do some trimming in our yard. Slightly overcast, with a gentle breeze blowing, we worked and occasionally waved at neighbors walking by.

Quite a few tender shoots on our bushes had not grown in unison with the others, so (as much I regretted doing it) I cut them off. Doing so returned the bushes to the nice, rounded shape we desired.

As I trimmed each one, I thought of the Bible verse above. We are so much like plants, going astray from what God intended. We sometimes need pruning, too, in order to become more fruitful.

In this way, God returns us to our intended paths, removes bad habits, and establishes in us the joy of being in close relationship with Him once more.

The pruning is not always pleasant, but I have learned over the years that it is not as painful or as often, if I remain in the Word and make sure not to neglect praying for others, as well as for myself.

Biblical lessons Encouraging words

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Sep 24

Too Many Distractions

by Brenda Poulos

Matthew 6: 6,7- “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.” 

I remember a sermon in which the pastor went into depth in explaining that the Pharisees were admonished for their elaborate and prideful prayers (seeking attention from others on street corners, etc.)

God told the early Christians to pray in their closets!

This didn’t mean closets, literally, but that prayer was between them and God and not done so they could boast in their own eloquence.

This morning, a friend called me to ask for prayer. I realized that in order to focus on prayer, I needed to first turn off my television and computer. Then, in the quiet of my home office, I could pray effectively.

There are so many distractions nowadays, God’s Word gives us a gentle reminder of what we need to do in order to communicate with Him in our “quiet time.”

Biblical lessons Encouraging words

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Sep 10

“Watch Your Mouth!”

by Brenda Poulos

James 3:10- “Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.”

As a child, my Dad told me to guard my tongue more than once. And I got my mouth washed out with soap more times than I’d like to admit.

The Bible warns us that what we say is a reflection of what is in our hearts and it can hurt others.

If we belong to Christ, our speech should not only honor Him, but it should spread peace, love, and fruits of the spirit to everyone we come in contact with—starting with family and rippling outward.

How can we guard against the occasional slip of the tongue?

Start the day off right by reading scripture and meditating on it throughout the day.

Pray for God’s guidance in our interactions all day long.

Sound simple? It is—and it isn’t.

God reminds us that we must continually guard our hearts against the influences of the world around us because our hearts are easily swayed by worldly temptations.

And, if we let that happen, others will become the recipients of the hurtful things we say.

We can’t plant seeds of the gospel if our words don’t honor our Savior.

Biblical lessons Encouraging words

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Jul 2

This Really Humbled Me

by Brenda Poulos

Romans 1:1–Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God.

Looking for a book to read last week, I thought about one of my favorite authors. She hadn’t published anything for a long time, so I Googled her to find out why.

What I saw astounded—and humbled—me.

She has quit writing because God called her to prayer. Full-time prayer. 

This was a big-time author who had earned lucrative royalties. 

But she gave it all up when God spoke to her heart.

How often have we said to one another that we admired people who have gone to the mission field, but hoped God didn’t call us?

Away from family and friends, cozy homes, fulfilling careers…

Paul knew what it was like to be called and beaten and jailed for the cause of Christ.

He longed to hear “Well done, good and faithful servant” from the Savior one day.

My author friend was obedient to God’s calling, too. And I consider this morning whether I will be obedient to the command He has given each one of us.

For we have all been set aside to spread the Gospel.

Biblical lessons Encouraging words

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Dec 17

Do You Know Where You’re Going?

by Brenda Poulos

John 8:12- “When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

As my husband and I shopped at the mall, I lingered at an eye-catching display in one store window while he kept walking.

Once I realized he wasn’t with me, I rushed to find him in the crowd. As we reconnected—at our car in the parking lot—I told him that I’d been looking for him for the last thirty minutes.

And his reply? “If you’d kept up with me, you would have known where I was going.”

So it is when we are seeking Jesus. Have you wandered away?

Being a Christ Follower means staying close to Him. Daily prayer and scripture reading are essential as we seek to follow His will.

We can’t hear His voice, if we don’t stay close. Fortunately, He is our light and helps us find our way back to Him. 

Biblical lessons Encouraging words

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Nov 20

Anxiety or Peace?

by Brenda Poulos

Philippians 4:5-7- “Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

A girls’ lunch get-together is usually filled with laughter and lots of chatter. However, a few months ago, it was anything but.

Claire, the hostess for that month, told the group of four that she was again facing cancer, having been in remission for almost three years.

Sally confided that her husband was having an affair with someone at work.

Beth’s daughter had experienced a miscarriage and Ellen had to put down Charlie, her faithful Cocker Spaniel.

So many sad stories. So many reasons to be downhearted and fearful of the future.

But instead, Sally pulled out a recent Bible Study and read the scripture from Philippians to the women at the table. Then, she led her friends in prayer. That was followed by an opportunity for each woman to share a reason to praise God.

By the time Claire served lunch, there was a smile on each face and hope in each heart.

Biblical lessons Encouraging words

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Nov 6

Just the Three of Us

by Brenda Poulos

Matthew 18:20- “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

My friend, Coco, and I were disappointed that the other two ladies in our home Bible study were unable to attend our weekly meeting. However, we decided to go to our neighborhood park just to visit and pray.

Coco asked my counsel about raising her son as a single mother and we prayed together for several minutes. Coco’s prayer was heartfelt and I as I looked up after the final “amen” I  expected to see tears in her eyes. However, I found my friend’s face to be radiant.

“God has been here with us,” she said. “I felt his presence as we talked and prayed.”

As I walked home, I thought about the wonderful time of fellowship that we’d had that day—just the three of us.

Biblical lessons Encouraging words

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Jul 3

Pray Away the Darkness

by Brenda Poulos

1 John 1:9- “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

I met with a group of other writers at a church coffee shop this past week. And as we sat discussing our current work, we were jarred by the sound of the door opening and banging against the wall.

A young woman stumbled in, wailing one of the most awful sounds I have ever heard, and threw herself onto the concrete floor about six feet from our table. Her shirt wet with tears, she lay prostrate on the floor and yelled, “No one can help me.”

Our small group went over and began to pray. The woman continued to cry out that she’d done something so bad that she felt even God would not choose to help her.

The coffee shop manager called the pastor of the church, asking him to come and talk with the young woman. When he arrived and introduced himself, she willingly went with him to his office.

Praise God that this  woman—even though she thought herself unworthy of forgiveness—came the the “right place” where she would hear of God’s love and mercy.

When our meeting ended, the door to the pastor’s office still remained closed. We prayed again for this person to accept God’s forgiveness and begin a victorious life in Christ.

The verse I chose to highlight today is likely one that the pastor quoted to her. 

Pray for someone you may know who needs to hear they can experience forgiveness, too.

May the love of God shine into the dark places of their souls.

Biblical lessons Encouraging words

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Sep 19

Don’t Be Afraid

by Brenda Poulos

Matthew 10:26- “So do not be afraid (of them), for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed or hidden that will not be made known.”

Did you notice there was no blog post from me last week?

That’s because my computer died. It was sudden. I’m sure it felt no pain.

But I sure did.

In Matthew, Jesus is giving directions to his disciples as they are being sent out “into the world.” But, as I prayed for my computer’s memory to be restored, the last part of the verse kept coming to mind. So I prayed that all of my data would be disclosed and made known.

After a week of repeated disappointments from those I went to for repair help and data recovery—along with much prayer, God directed me to just the right young man to tackle the problem.

As of last night, my computer is up and running.

Knowing that all perfect gifts/blessings come from the Father above, my praise is to Him for restoring my computer to good health and for providing skill and wisdom to the troubleshooter who helped me here on earth.

If I ever doubted that God cared about the little trials in our lives, I will never do so again! 

God’s love is eternal and all-encompassing.

No matter the circumstance, we need not be afraid.

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Apr 11

Calling All Sheep!

by Brenda Poulos

John 10:14- “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—My sheep hear my voice and they follow me.”

Most of the kids in our neighborhood played outside from the time we got home from school until we were called for supper.

Although there would sometimes be several parents calling their own brood home at the same time, each of us knew when it was our mother’s or father’s voice shouting  “dinnertime!”  

God reminds us that He is our Good Shepherd. When He says that His sheep know His voice, he is referring to those of us who are “His”—those who have put their trust in Jesus Christ as their Savior.

How do we distinguish His voice, from that of others?

Simple: If it is written in His Word, the Bible, then we can be certain it is truly His voice. The Bible also tells us that He will speak to us when we seek the wisdom of Christian friends, pastors and other church leaders. Many Christians tell of instances when they “hear” God’s voice in the form of an “impression” in their mind after a time of prayer, meditation, and/or fasting.

What we do when we hear His voice is important.

If I had heard my mother calling me to dinner, and had not heeded her call, I would have been pretty hungry by bedtime. In the same way, if we do not follow-up on God’s call with some kind of action on our part, we will likely find that we have missed more than a meal. We will have missed a banquet!

I’m not saying that you are going to miss the Marriage Supper of The Lamb. I am referring to missing out on the daily relationship with God and His blessings for those who respond to Him out of obedience.

Set aside time for daily prayer and get back into The Word. 

Become familiar, again, with the voice of The Good Shepherd.

**Revised from an earlier blog post.

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