Category: devotion

Cell Phones vs. Bible

Posted on by Susan Panzica
Evelyn shared this in my small group on the retreat:

CELL PHONES VS. BIBLE…

Ever wondered what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phones?

What if we carried it around in our purse or pocket?

What if we flipped through it several times a day?

What if we turned back to get it if we forgot it?

What if we used it to receive messages from the text?

What if we treated it like we couldn’t live without it?

What if we gave it to kids as gifts?

What if we used it when we traveled?

What if we used it in case of an emergency?

This is something to make you go…hmm…where’s my Bible?

And unlike our cell phone, we dont have to worry about our Bible being disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill!

Thanks, Evelyn!!
Susan

Indecision???

Posted on by Susan Panzica
Today on the radio, I heard the following statement: “Indecision may or may not be my problem.” I laughed out loud! That hit close to home!

Indecision has frequently caused me to procrastinate. I have a “to-do” pile that is expanding because I’m not sure what action to take. I’ll think that perhaps this might be the way to go, only to rethink that decision, and ultimately, I end up taking no action at all.

But there is one decision that I made almost 30 years ago that I will never rethink. I made the choice to accept the gift of salvation that God so generously offered. Moses told the Israelites, “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. … Oh, that you would choose life, that you and your descendents might live! Choose to love the LORD your God and obey Him and commit yourself to Him, for He is your life.” (Deut. 30:19-20) I chose life on Sept. 9, 1979.

But I find that I must choose every day to walk according to that life. Joshua said, “Choose this day whom you will serve.” Each day presents itself with new challenges that test my decision of 30 years ago. According to a footnote in my Bible, “The people had to decide whether they would obey the Lord, who had proven His trustworthiness. … It’s easy to slip into a quiet rebellion – going about life in your own way. But the time comes when you have to choose who or what will control you? The choice is yours. Will it be God, your own limited personality, or another imperfect substitute? Once you have chosen to be controlled by God’s Spirit, reaffirm your choice every day.”

Have you reaffirmed your choice to serve the Lord today? As Bob Dylan sang, “You gotta serve somebody.” So, if you find that you’re not serving the Lord, who are you serving? Have you been going your own way? Has a minor incident caused a major disconnect with God? Remember that as many steps as you may have taken away from God, it’s only just one step back – back into fellowship with Him and the blessings that accompany that relationship.

Susan

Hungry

Posted on by Susan Panzica

Tonight I had the privilege of serving the Lord by serving 10 homeless men. Several of us prepared and served the meal while others washed sheets, slept over, shared music and the Word, or drove the men to and from the shelter and the church where they stay for the night because the shelter is over-crowded.

One man asked for prayer for a job interview he has tomorrow at 1 pm. During the course of our conversation, he also asked for prayer for his sister who has been in a coma for 4 months. She suffered with a form of muscular dystrophy all her life, and now is on life support with no brain activity. He hasn’t seen her in over 4 years because he was incarcerated. His request? For God’s will to be done.

Hearing these stories and many others like them help put things in perspective. Somehow, issues like laundry problems (my daughter at college), car problems (my son’s leaks oil requiring major repair), relationship problems, financial problems, and so on, seem to be less consequential by comparison. Normally, I wouldn’t recommend comparison which causes all sorts of dilemmas, including envy, self-consciousness, and feelings of inferiority, to name a few. But in this case, seeing how men who own just a duffle bag’s worth of belongings are praising God, asking for prayer, seeking His will, humbles me. It puts things in perspective.

When I got home, I was going through some of my papers that had been put in a box several years ago and forgotten. I came across the following paragraph that talks about being hungry -hungry for God.

The strongest, most mature Christians I have ever met are the most hungry for God. It might seem that those who eat the most would be the least hungry. But that’s not the way it works with an inexhaustible fountain, and an infinite feast and a glorious Lord. When you take your stand on the finished work of God in Christ, and begin to drink at the River of Life and eat the Bread of Heaven, and know that you have found the end of all your longings, you only become more hungry for God. – John Piper

Wow! That is so true. I find that the more I get into the Word – the more I want to get into it more! Follow me? Does that make sense? The more time I spend getting to know God and getting to know more about God makes me want to know Him more and know more about Him.
Conversely, if I neglect time with God, I get into a pattern where I find myself going through the motions and living far too shallow an existence. Oh, that you and I would get our fill, and then fill up some more from that “inexhaustible fountain and infinite feast”.

Paul said, “I have learned how to get along happily whether I have much or little. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need. And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from His glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” Phil. 4:11-13,19 NLT

May you hunger only for more of Him, and may He satisfy you completely.
Susan

ps – Hi, Maria! Thanks for your encouragement tonight. Hope you enjoy reading this in the morning!

Satan-proofing

Posted on by Susan Panzica

After writing about responding well to irritations, don’t you just know that I spent too much time yesterday feeling quite irritated and responding poorly!! Oh Lord, help me to apply what I know to be true! Help me to see people and situations with Your eyes! Help these irritations to smooth away whatever in me doesn’t look like you. James says, “Consider it joy when you suffer trials…” The Phillips translation of this verse says, “Welcome your trials as friends…” Wow! That’s a challenge, but I can welcome trials if I recognize that God is using them to produce Christ-likeness in me. Please, oh please, help me to be swift to respond as You would have me.

I received this email from Ron Hutchcraft ministries. It is so worth sharing! Enjoy!

Whenever we’ve had a young grandchild come over to our house, it was almost all good news. The reason I say almost is because of the preparations we have to fly into to get ready for the arrival of like a two-year old. Yes, I said two-year old. That’s two as in “super inquisitive.” See, our little grandchildren have had a way of exploring, experimenting with every object within their reach. There are two kinds of things that need to quickly disappear before a young grandchild starts his little adventure at Grandma and Granddad’s house. Things that can damage either the child or that he could damage. So as we joyfully anticipate a little one being with us, we also fly into a frenzied little exercise called baby-proofing our house.

I’m Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “Satan-Proofing.”

It’s a good idea to remove anything that our grandson can make a mess with. It’s a whole lot better than cleaning up the mess or repairing the damage.

There’s someone who pays regular visits to your life and mine who is not an angel like our grandson. It’s your enemy, the devil himself. He can do a lot of damage unless you anticipate his coming, look around your life, and remove the things that he could use to mess things up. It is called Satan-proofing your life.

In our word for today from the Word of God, Paul talks about playing defense against our enemy’s attempts to bring us down. In 2 Corinthians 2:11, he says we take precautions “in order that Satan might not outwit us, for we are not unaware of his schemes.” Okay, eyes wide open, looking around our lives for what our enemy might use to sink us, and getting it out of the way – Satan-proofing your day.

In the instance Paul is talking about here in this verse, there is an issue of a man who did a lot of damage in the church; a man Paul says they need to be sure that they have forgiven. Why? Because a grudge, un-forgiveness toward someone is something the devil will grab at his first opportunity and he will use it to poison you and everyone around you. But Paul identifies the area that needs to be dealt with “in order that Satan might not outwit us.”

Here’s a sentence for you to complete. It will help you defend yourself against the tactics that Satan’s used over and over to bring you down. Finish this: “The devil brings me down whenever I ___________.” What goes in that blank is what needs to go. In a sense, you’re analyzing your past defeats so you can remove what your enemy has used to beat you in the past.

So, Satan-proofing your life today might mean praying for someone you’ve had hard feelings toward, asking God to remove your bitterness and replace it with His love. It might mean staying away from negative people who make you negative, from friends who lead you where you should never go, or staying away from the music, or the Internet garbage, or the TV shows that wear you down morally, or turning your fears, or your worries totally over to God so the devil can’t use them again to discourage or depress you.

When a baby’s coming, you baby-proof to avoid damage. When Satan’s coming, and he will, you Satan-proof to avoid the damage he wants to do to your life. There have been enough times you’ve left out the very things that he’s used over and over to bring you down. You’re not “unaware of his schemes.” So start fighting back so that when the devil comes prowling around your life today, he will find that what he usually uses to make a mess, you have put way out of his reach, because you’ve given it to Jesus.

Susan

The Hammer, The File and The Furnace

Posted on by Susan Panzica

Yesterday’s post has a followup that has ministered to me greatly over the years. In his book, “Encourage Me”, Chuck Swindoll related the story of “The Hammer, The File and The Furnace”. Here is an excerpt from that tale:

The hammer is a useful and handy instrument. It is an essential and helpful tool, if nails are ever to be driven into place. Each blow forces them to bite deeper as the hammer’s head pounds and pounds. But if the nail had feelings and intelligence, it would give us another side of the story. To the nail, the hammer is a brutal, relentless master – an enemy who loves to beat it into submission. That is the nail’s view of the hammer. It is correct. Except for one thing. The nail tends to forget that both it and the hammer are held by the same workman. The workman decides whose “head” will be pounded out of sight…and which hammer will be used to do the job. This decision is the sovereign right of the carpenter. Let the nail but remember that it and the hammer are held by the same workman…and its resentments will fade as it yields to the carpenter without complaint.

The same analogy holds true for the metal that endures the rasp of the file and the blast of the furnace. If the metal forgets that it and the tolls are objects of the same craftsman’s care, it will build up hatred and resentment. The metal must keep in mind that the craftsman knows what he’s doing … and is doing what is best.

Heartaches and disappointments are like the hammer, the file and the furnace. … As difficult as it may be for you to believe this today, the Master knows what He’s doing. Your Savior knows your breaking point. That bruising and crushing and melting process is designed to reshape you, not ruin you. Your value is increasing the longer He lingers over you.

May you be willing to yield to His plan, knowing that He can be trusted and that He has your best interests at heart.

Susan

The Princess and The Pea

Posted on by Susan Panzica
It was there. I knew it. I just couldn’t find it.

Every step I took told me there was something sharp under my foot. I took off my slipper. I took off my sock. I shook them out. I put on my sock. I put on my slipper. I took a step. Arrrgh! Still there! Over and over, I repeated this on-off-on procedure until I discovered a tiny,but sharp pebble deeply embedded in the fleecy fur of the slipper. I felt like the storybook princess who felt a tiny pea buried under her many mattresses. Something so small disturbed her terribly.

This tiny stone irritated my foot and annoyed me greatly. How about when a piece of sand gets in your eye? It rubs and scratches and grates against the delicate tissue causing redness, tears and ultimately destruction if it is not removed.

A few (quite a few!) years ago, I was on a retreat with several friends. Nancy, Neil and I were walking, and I had trouble with the stairs due to an old injury to my right knee. At 16 years old, I had surgery on the knee after a bad fall that chipped part of the back of the kneecap (among other things). The surgery removed the chips and repaired the ligaments & tendons, but the surgeon did not smooth the back of the kneecap, as he should have. Consequently, the knee was (and is – despite 2 additional surgeries) a “constant source of irritation”. When I explained my knee trouble to Nancy & Neil, I mentioned those words “constant source of irritation”. Immediately, Nancy turned to Neil with a smile (or should I say smirk) and said, “Neil, you are a constant source of irritation!”
We have laughed about this for years since. But if you have someone, or something, in your life that is a constant source of irritation, it usually is not a laughing matter. Just the sight of that person can raise all sorts of emotions. Just the reminder of that situation can cause physical responses such as tightening of the muscles, headaches… do I need to go on?

But take that very same grain of sand, that source of irritation to the eye, place it in an oyster, and something magical happens. When that irritant is caught inside the oyster’s shell, the oyster starts to secrete a substance called nacre. This substance coats the irritant and encapsulates it. According to Wikipedia, “Nacre, also known as mother of pearl, is strong, resilient, and iridescent. This substance is called “mother of pearl” because it is literally the “mother”, or creator, of true pearls.” What begins as an irritating annoyance is transformed. The insignificant grain of sand has become a valuable pearl.
What is important to note is the fact that the irritant in the eye is exactly the same as the one in the oyster. What is different is the response! Scripture is clear that God allows tribulations in our lives (John 16:33). Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” The phrase, “you will have trouble” is sandwiched between “you may have peace” and “take heart. I have overcome the world!”.

Whatever is your “constant source of irritation” can be transformed into a valuable pearl if you respond as the oyster. Won’t you be “strong, resilient and iridescent” (reflecting the light!)? Would you receive your irritation as the beginning of a beautiful transformation in your life? Will you recognize that God allowed this person or situation to be close to you for your benefit, so that you can be transformed? And take note – there would be no valuable pearl without that annoying irritant!

In the fable, the princess was troubled by a small matter. In real life, you are a princess (1 Peter 2:9) You are a daughter of the King. Do not let yourself be troubled by what really is a small matter compared to our kingdom, our eternity! Allow that nuisance to bring about transformation – Christlikeness – the most precious, priceless, valuable quality you could ever possess.

Susan

Super Fan, part 2

Posted on by Susan Panzica

Don’t you know that after my Super Bowl post, ideas kept floating in my head keeping me awake that night! So, I just have to share a short followup here:

A Fan:
wears a jersey, t-shirt, face paint, anything that bears the team colors.
A Christian:
wears a garment of praise, is clothed in righteousness, puts on the full armor of God.
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Col. 3:12

A Fan:
reads all the news and statistics regarding her favorite team.
A Christian:
reads God’s Word to know God and to know about God.
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man (or woman) of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Tim. 3:16-17

A Fan:
watches her sports idol from afar.
A Christian:
has a deep, personal relationship with the Lord who knows and loves her.
Praise be to the LORD, for He showed his wonderful love to me. Psalm 31:21
We love because He first loved us. 1 John 4:19
O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. Psalm 139:1-2

A Fan:
cheers for her favorite team until she is hoarse.
A Christian:
praises the Lord because He is worthy of praise, and tells others about Him and so they can know the joy and peace He alone can bring.
Therefore I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations; I will sing praises to your name. 2 Samuel 22:50
Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. 1 Chronicles 16:9

And now here’s a cheer to rock the house!!:
Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” Rev. 5:13

It’s good to be a fan, but it’s great to be a Christian!!
Susan

Having a Bad Day? Check this out!

Posted on by Susan Panzica

If you think you’re having a bad day, please take inspiration from this man. Sometimes, God doesn’t give us what we think we need because we would never become what He wants us to be if we had those things

I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Phil. 4:11-13

Super Fan or Super Fanatic?

Posted on by Susan Panzica

Well, unless you’re living in a cave, you’ve heard that the Super Bowl is this Sunday. Whether you love football or not, chances are you are aware that this is the biggest one-day sporting event of the year. I just saw a news clip that reporters from around the globe will be at the Super Bowl broadcasting in 34 languages! The word “touchdown” is said “touchdown” in every language! Across the country, even the world, people will gather for Super Bowl parties. They’ll eat, cheer, scream, cry, laugh. (By the way, do you know that more avocados are sold at this time than any other time of the year? Guacamole Time!!) Even if you normally don’t follow either team in the game, a ticket to this event is in high demand, despite its extremely high price.

People proudly bear the “badge of honor” – FAN. Recently, my son has complimented me on my “fanhood”! Is that even a word? Ok, I admit it – I am a football fan. And this year, I’m rooting for the underdog Cardinals. If you haven’t heard of quarterback Kurt Warner, you must check out his testimony even if you don’t know the difference between football and cricket (that’s a trick question – in England, football is cricket, and soccer is football. Go figure!) Click here to read about Kurt’s testimony.

People who are fans are followers of various things – sports, celebrities, authors, movies, tv shows, hobbies, etc. Fans know information and statistics about the object of their choice. They spend significant amounts of time engaged in activities relating to these interests.

As a Christian, I am follower of Jesus Christ, Savior of the world, a “fan” of the Lord Most High! Some might (and do) say a “fanatic”. So why is it okay to be a “fan” of earthly activities, yet followers of Jesus are considered “fanatics”? But, that’s besides the point. My point is this – as a Christian, we ought to be engaged in activities that draw us closer to Him with the same (or greater) zeal that fans show to their earthly interests.

In a book I was reading, Henry Blackaby says, “The result of the Holy Spirit coming upon the disciples was earthshaking. No, it extended much further than that – these Spirit-filled believers literally shook the gates of hell. So dramatic was the Spirit’s coming upon them that onlookers could not help but be in awe: ‘They were all amazed and marveled’; ‘they were all amazed and perplexed’; ‘they were filled with wonder and amazement’; ‘they marveled’. (Acts 2:7, 12, 3:10, 4:13) Does the world marvel at the church today? Unfortunately, much of what happens in the contemporary church is little more than a reflection of the values and the reasoning of the surrounding culture, instead of a clear demonstration of God’s power.”
He says that we must stop asking, “What can I do for God?” which is self-centered. Rather ask, “What does God want to do through me?” Making that subtle shift in thinking will have dramatic results in your life, for what you’ll witness will be God’s power to transform lives, not just your own ability to help people in need. … You’ll discover that merely watching the activity of God from a distance could never compare with the thrill of being fully involved in the Spirit’s active work.”

I love that last sentence – instead of being a fan on the sidelines, get in the game!! Be a part of the greatest show on earth, so to speak. Partner with God to participate in securing victory for His kingdom! Huddle with God to get His game plan, then go defeat the enemy in His strength!

I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes. Rom.1:16

I am suffering, yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day. 2 Tim. 1:12

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Phil. 4:13

May you truly have a super Sunday as you worship the Lord Almighty!
Susan

Miracle Worker

Posted on by Susan Panzica

I received this in an email (thanks Kim!).
This image put a lump in my throat.
.
Let’s be sure to thank God the for miracles, big and small, that He does every day.
.
Today, my daughter had a pressure-cooker day. In the “hi!” message she left on my home machine, her voice wavered, a sign of the stress she was feeling. When I arrived home and checked the mailbox, I sent her a text message that the schoolbooks she ordered had come. Later she called and said with a laugh, “God cracks me up!” She shared part of what her struggles had been that day, and at the very moment she was lamenting to herself that she really needed those books for her class, she received my text message that they had arrived. It was like releasing the lid of the pressure-cooker. God’s fingerprints were all over the timing in that small matter.
.
I sometimes have trouble grasping the fact that the God of the universe, who sets planets in orbit and galaxies in motion, is just as concerned about our individual trials and tribulations. They are not small matters to Him. And I think that is what is so astounding to me! I could possibly grasp that He is the Creator of this vast universe. Or I could possibly grasp that He is my Friend or that He loves me as His precious child. But to be both just boggles my mind! You may have heard it said: He is so big the universe cannot contain Him, yet He is so small He fits inside our hearts. Close your eyes and imagine the far reaches of the universe. He is there. Close your eyes and take a slow deep breath – inhaling the very Spirit of God. He is there. What an awesome, unfathomable, loving, caring God we serve!! Won’t you ask Him to reveal Himself to you more, show you something new today?
Susan