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Bless Me then Let Me Be

Posted in Christian, Devotional, tagged , , , , , , on December 21, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Bless Me, then Let Me Be

by Julie B Cosgrove

 

How often does God want to bless us 

Or maybe He wants to test us,

But we tell Him, thanks, but no.

Let’s just leave things status quo.

Don’t take me somewhere new,

I’d rather stay right here, thank you.

Don’t stretch me or bend or challenge me

Just please leave me alone, let me be.

I like it here in my little box.

All safe and cuddly with all the locks

I have placed on it to keep You out.

I’d rather complaint and whine and pout.

I don’t want to grow, I want to stay idle,

Nor spend or time on my knees reading the Bible.

I’m a mess, I know that, but hey, that’s me.

So give your grace and mercy for free.

Change the other people in my life,

The ones that hurt me and bring me strife.

Keep me warm and secure and healthy.

Oh, and yes, I’d like to be wealthy.

But don’t change a hair on my head,

mold my heart, or have me be led

down a path of service or sacrifice.

Nor have your Spirit give me advice.

Just give me what I want, Lord – that’s all.

Oh, and please be there when I fall.

And when I die, open the gates Above.

Until then, grant me unconditional love.

There’s plenty of time to be my Savior.

I have all of eternity to win your favor.

But for now, let me just believe you exist.

Be there for me, but don’t insist

I do anything different with my life.

Don’t trim me with your holy knife,

Or alter my lifestyle or way of thinking.

Just love me Lord and keep me from sinking.

“I know your works; you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were either cold or hot….I reprove and discipline those whom I love. Be earnest, therefore, and repent. (Revelation 3:16,19)

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The Purpose Revealed- a Christmas Story

Posted in Biblical, Christian, Devotional, tagged , , , , , on December 16, 2013| 1 Comment »

Here is a Christmas story I wrote. You are free to share it with your family and friends.
 

ID-100124657The Purpose Revealed

by Julie B Cosgrove

It took all the effort Little Grass had, but he finally did it. The dirt that had surrounded him since birth no longer held him. He pushed through to the sunlight. Now he could grow tall. He could wave in the breeze with the other grasses and be drenched by the spring rains. He could feel the warmth of the sun’s rays cover him. So, he reached towards the sky. He grew and grew and grew. Life was great.

Then one day men came swinging large sharp things. Ouch! They whacked him off at the roots and bundled him up with the other grasses next to him.

“What is to happen to us?”

A wiser stalk of grass under him said, “I have heard stories. This is the end, my friend. No more water will seep up into our veins because we have no roots. They will dry us out. We will become yellow and brittle.”

“No,” Little Grass said. “There has to be more. We must have purpose.”

Another grass laying next to them laughed, but it was not a happy laugh. It sounded harsh and sad. “Our purpose is to be consumed. Either animals will eat us so they can grow, or we will be thrown over coals and caught on fire so others can be warm.”

Yet another groaned. “We don’t matter. We’re worthless now. This is the end.”

“I don’t believe you. Any of you.” Little Grass stretched himself as long as he could. “We have more purpose than that. We have to. Why else would we’ve struggled so hard to push out of the darkness? Something deep inside of us yearned to find the sunlight.”

“Yes, and all for nothing. Now, because we have no roots to draw in the water from the soil, the sun will bear down on us and parch us until not a drop of moisture is left in us. We will become yellow and brittle. Dead. Why did we ever push out of the ground?”

Sure enough, the grasses were spread out onto the dirt. The sun’s heat gleamed down onto them day after day. Little Grass could feel all the water in his veins leaving him. His stalk became stiff. He no longer could bend and dance in the wind as he’d loved to do. “But, at least this is making me stronger.” Little Grass smiled.  “Maybe there is a reason. I have to believe that.”

The other grasses sighed. “He’ll learn. The worst is yet to come.”

Ropes were tied around the grasses and they were lifted high onto the back of a donkey. Little Grass lay on the very top of the bundle.  “I had no idea the world was so big. All I could see before was the tops of other grasses. Now I can see trees, and birds, and mountains. Oh, this is wonderful.”

The other grasses sighed. “He just doesn’t get it, does he?”

They traveled all day. At night, the stars shone down on the grasses as their animal carrier and the men rested. One star gleamed so much brighter than all the others.

“Oh, look at that, Little Grass gasped. “I have never seen such a beautiful sight.”

The next day the caravan journeyed over hills and down into a valley. Then, at dusk, the donkey carrying the grasses stopped.  Little Grass craned to see why. People shuffled by. There were so many of them, and other animals, too. Their footsteps kicked dirt into the faces of the other grasses. They coughed and complained.

Little Grass wondered where all these people were going? He saw a building up ahead with lanterns shining in its windows. “Are we going in there? Into that golden light?”

“No.” One of the other grasses sighed. “We will be laid in the stable. Soon the animals will eat us and we will die.”

The little piece of grass said, “I don’t believe that. Something else will happen to us— something wonderful. We were made for another reason. I just know it.”

Then, a man gathered the grasses and spread them in a manager. “There. In the morning, the animals will have a feast.”

The grasses all groaned and told each other goodbye. All except the little piece of grass.

In the middle of the night, strange noises woke the grasses. A donkey came in with a man and a woman. She groaned and huffed deep breaths. His voice was soothing and calm. Then, after a while,  a third voice sounded—a soft babbling. It came from a very small human.

The woman took off her shawl, wrapped the wiggly baby in it and laid it on top of Little Grass and the others. Immediately a warm glow spread through them. They became soft again, not stiff and scratchy.

“Oh, “Little Grass said. “He has made us alive again.”

They wrapped their stalks around the child to keep him warm.

The grasses heard beautiful voices singing from above. Day and night, people came to look at the baby hugged by the grasses. They bowed and worshiped him as his parents stood by smiling.

“Praise be to God he found us this dry stable and these warm, soft grasses in which to lay his son, Jesus, “ the man said.

The people all said, “Praise be to God for the stable and the grasses.”

The smallest amount of moisture left deep inside Little Grass formed into a drop, like a tear of joy. “See,” he said. “I knew we had a special purpose.”

“Yes, you were right after all,” the other grasses admitted. They glowed with happiness and cuddled themselves around this child of God. Together, the grasses worshipped him the only way they could—by being there for his use.

For Scripture says… I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display  my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.

Romans 9:17 NIV

May The Lord bless you this Christmas and reveal His purpose for you in the upcoming year.                    

   Julie B Cosgrove

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Wait for the Morning

Posted in Biblical, Devotional, tagged , , , , , on December 13, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Never had he seen it so dark.

The young sentry squinted his eyes into slits. It didn’t help.He couldn’t see his hand in front of his face, much less any enemy lurking. It was as if a dark blanket had covered the whole earth. No moon, no stars. Just thick swirls of black fog.

His ears picked up the muted call of his fellow guard at the tower to the north. “Three o’clock and all is well.”

The sentry repeated the call to the next tower, per protocol.  But it was more of a wish than a declaration. How could he be sure? A whole army could be hiding.  Instead of being here, he longed to be home, in his bed spooned next to his wife and feel her hand stroke his shoulder. He paced the twenty feet that was his guard post as he peered into the thickness that would not reveal what it cloaked.

He yearned for the evenings when the stars twinkled their welcome. At times they seemed so close to him high in his tower, he could almost reach out and grab one. Or the nights the full moon illuminated the hills with soft tree-shadows that reached across the meadows like the beckoning fingers of his grandmother. But tonight, there was no light at all. No way to keep his bearings.

Three more hours until dawn. Would it ever come?Oh, how he wished for this night to be over. He wanted to breathe in the smell of honey and hot porridge waiting for him when he traipsed in at dawn. Feel the steam envelope his nostrils and the warmth slide down into his belly.He crossed his arms and rubbed them to keep out the chill–not so much from the temperature as from the ominous feeling he  could not shake. Evil lay out there like a tiger waiting to pounce. He needed reassurance that he’d survive the next few hours unscathed.

All he could do is wait, and hope. Trust in the God of his fathers to protect him, protect his family inside the walls, protect the whole village. He lifted a simple, plain-spoken prayer to Heaven beyond the stars he could not physically see.

I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits,
    and in his word I put my hope.
 I wait for the Lord
    more than watchmen wait for the morning,                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          more than watchmen wait for the morning.     Psalm 130:5-6

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I hope my story encourages you today. If you are in a dark, uncertain place right now, take hope. Your Lord will watch over you, protect you and guide you through it. All you have to do is ask, then wait in hope. He can see what you cannot.

Let His love envelope you like a cloak. There is nothing that He will not hold you through, so cling to that belief and feel His peace.

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Wrapped in Prayer

Posted in Christian, Devotional, Life Experiences, tagged , , , , , , on December 9, 2013| Leave a Comment »

buster on blankieIt’s been bitter cold for Texas. Schools have been closed. Icy roads and parking lots that resemble skating rinks have kept holiday shoppers at bay. Large tree limbs and power lines have cracked and tumbled from the weight of the ice. Facebook is littered with ice and snow pictures.

Even churches shut down for Sunday services and told their congregations to stay home and stay safe. They posted their lessons and sermons online so their flocks could cyberspace worship.

Our thin,Texas blood, designed for 100 plus F temps in the summer, is not insulating us very well from the sub-freezing digits that have settled over the state.Fleece sweat pants, knobby sweaters and gallons of hot tea and cocoa are not sufficient to keep the chill off the back of our necks.

Same for our pets! But they are smart. My cat decided the left hand side of my desk was optimal for catching the blast of warmth from the central heating vent. But he was still cold. So, I took my prayer shawl, which always hangs on my desk chair ready for use, and folded it for him to lie upon. He slept peacefully and allowed me to get my praying, writing, and Bible study done. And yes, check my email and Facebook, and bank online, too.

And of course, God decided to use my cat nestled in my prayer shawl as a lesson. That is where I found Him today. He showed me (again) that —

Prayer is our insulator. When life bears down on us and the world seems harsh and cold, the warmth of God’s love can envelope us like a towel fresh from the dryer. All we need to do is to wrap ourselves in His peace, settle in and rest.

But instead, how often do I try other ways to “stay warm”? Do I dash for chocolate and carbs, or veg out on a favorite TV show that allows me to escape the things on my mind, or indulge in a computer game with superficial cyber-friends?

Prayer can cushion us from the icy stares of others, from the slippery paths that tempt us, and the cold harshness that those without faith call reality.

But instead, how often do I turn to other sources or people for advice, direction and protection?

Prayer can soften the hard, frigid surfaces of our lives and bring us comfort.

But instead, how often do I seek comfort in other ways?

Lord God, blanket me in Your love today. Let me feel the warmth of Your Holy Spirit wrapped around me. Cushion me for the world and comfort me with your inestimable love. Let me seek you first, and not the things of this world. And in all things, let me ever praise You and seek Your blessings in all that happens. I choose to nestle in You and not in the things that fade. I pray this through Your Son who hung on the cross for my sake.  Amen.

 

 

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Hope, Joy and Peace

Posted in Biblical, Christian, Devotional, tagged , , , , , on December 7, 2013| 1 Comment »

ID-10057677In the bustle of what can be the holidays, the temptation to overspend and regret it later, and the crowded confusion of lights, music and noise that fills the stores, it is easy to lose the true reason for the season. But tucked into a message to the Roman Christians two thousand years ago is the key to keeping Christmas what it should be – a time to draw nearer to God as we recall Him drawing nearer to us in the form of a babe lying in a manger.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by
the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.( Romans 15:13)

We hear those words this time of year – hope, joy, peace. We hear them in Christmas carols, read them on greeting cards. The first Advent candle is for hope, the third for joy, and the fourth reminds us of the angels singing, “Peace on earth and goodwill to all mankind.”

If we ever hope to truly have a merry Christmas, then we must let the merriness grow in our hearts and not let the outside world taint it. Because we have hope through our Savior for eternal life later and for guidance now, we can have a joy that is not dependent on good cheer, highly caloric foods and the latest gadget in the electronics department or jewelry design from the diamond stores.  And once we experience that ebbing joy that comes form the Holy Spirit, we can find peace in the midst of  all the cacophony that can be the holidays.

So when the season starts to crowd in, take two steps back. Find a quiet place, even if it is in your parked car, and ask the God of hope to refill you with His joy. Let the power of the Holy Spirit flow through you and bring you that peace that no one understands, but everyone wants to experience.  Then, maybe, just maybe, you can bring joy to others– especially the frazzled shoppers and store clerks, hope to those who are not having a merry Christmas due to grief or hurt, and peace to all you meet.

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Are You Prepared?

Posted in Devotional, Life Experiences, tagged , , , , , , on December 5, 2013| Leave a Comment »

NEWSFLASH:

00436172Despite all the jinglely commercials, the glistening decorations, and the seasonal music playing on the radio…

IT IS NOT CHRISTMAS!

Not yet. The 12 days of Christmas start on December 25th.

This is the season of Advent. “Advent” means preparing. We are on the verge of something grand and wonderful that will soon happen. Like a bride who prepares for her wedding day, we are to prepare our hearts for Christ.

Okay, you say, I thought I did that when I accepted Him as my Lord and Savior. Yes, you did. Just as the bride said, “Yes, I will” when her love asked her to marry him. And, as you proclaimed it at your baptism and asked the Holy Spirit to dwell in you, so the bride  and groom proclaim to the world, “I do” and take each other’s ring as a token of their vows of love, cherishing and fidelity.

But it doesn’t stop there. Each day, that husband and wife should renew their vow to each other. “Today, I again choose to keep fulfilling my promise to love, cherish and be faithful to you.” And perhaps, their upcoming anniversary serves as a reminder they should be doing that. So it is with Advent for the Christian.

We should daily renew our vow to Christ, because, let’s face it, we are tempted each and every day to slip back into the worldly view. We still need a Savior. We still need forgiveness, Like Paul, we still do the things we know we shouldn’t do.

???????????????????????????????????????Advent is a time of re-examination. It is a time to prepare, and perhaps repair, the manager of our souls in which Christ lays. The reminder that He came to earth in human form for our sake should spur us to look deep into our own lives and see if we are shining His light into the world just as that star shone that announced His birthing.

As Jesus humbled Himself to be born as an infant who dwelt in his mother’s womb, so we should be reminded that we are to humble ourselves so He can dwell in us – each and every day. We are now His light shining into the dark world- and has there ever been a time more dark than this secular age?

Advent is the time to rub the soot of the world off our lamps so they can again shine brightly as a beacon of hope, love and peace.

Matthew 5:16     In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

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I Need More Light

Posted in Christian, Devotional, tagged , , , , , , on December 2, 2013| Leave a Comment »

icon_1_image_x16 IMG_20131202_092238_869Our cat kept scratching his notched ear. He’d rub it against the carpet. Not all the time, just every now and then. Still, obviously  something in that ear was bothering him. So I held the squirming fur ball as my son peered into his ear cavity. But because of the curved folds, my son couldn’t really see.

“We need to carry him into the light so I can see deep inside of his ear,” my son suggested. So, we went  into the bathroom where the light was stronger. The cat really squirmed now.

“Hmm. I think there is some gunk in the cat’s ear, but I still need more light.”

My son got the pen flashlight and  aimed the beam deep into the cat’s ear canal.  “Aha. No wonder he was scratching it!”

He got a Q-tip and gently ran it along the inside folds of the cat’s ear as our beloved fur ball wiggled in my arms. One hind leg began to thump, as it tried to to stop him. But success.The Q-tip came out full of dark, yucky wax.

I let our cat down and off he skittered to hide under the dining table. I bent down and sweetly reminded him we loved him and we did that not to be mean or cruel, but for his own good.

okay- I know some of you are squirming right now as much as the cat did. Some may say, “Oh, they shouldn’t have stuck a Q-tip in there.” But instead of going there, read on…
 

Where did I see a God message in this? Am I not the same way when it comes to sin? It bothers me now and then, but do I really want to have it exposed to God’s light? Do I want Him to dig deep down inside of me to get it out?  Do I squirm in the process? And, like my cat, do I then hear Him gently tell me it has to be done because He loves me?

“This is the verdict: the Light has come into the world.. Everyone who loves evil hates the light,.and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.” John 3:19a,20

None of us want our faults exposed. But God know they are there. His Holy Spirit will keep reminding us of that one little area we have yet brought before the throne. Like  the gunk in my cat’s ear, it will irritate us now and then. Is it not better to let God hold us in His arms of love and gently pry the sin form deep inside of us? Sure, it will be uncomfortable, but it will be worth it.

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When Do You Give Thanks?

Posted in Biblical, Christian, Devotional, Life Experiences, tagged , , , , on November 27, 2013| Leave a Comment »

” Jesus asked, ‘Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this one foreigner?’ ”  Luke 17:17-18

I really do not think the other nine lepers were ungrateful or rude. Leprosy was a horrible disease. Not only did it eat away your skin, but it ate away your existence in the community. You could not associate with anyone. Your spouse or your children could not get near you to hug you. It was a very lonely and isolating disease.

My guess is that the other nine dashed away rejoicing and seeking their friends and families. Their arms had ached for their loved ones and now miracles of miracles they could hold them. They wanted everyone to share in their joy. Perhaps they even gave the credit to this man Jesus whom they met on the road.

When things are “eating me”, I can feel isolated if  I let myself get in a slump and throw a pity party. When I receive God’s mercy and grace, I, too, want to run and tell everyone, “Look what happened. Look what God did!”  When I know people have been praying for me, I want to tell them their prayers were heard. I certainly want to hear that from others I’ve been praying for. Then when things calm down, I go to my closet and thank my Lord for His wondrous love.

Have I been praising Him to others before I take time to praise and thank Him? Probably. Like a  child who gets the Christmas present they earnestly desired, how often have I ripped open God’s blessings wrapped especially me, gasped, bounced up and down in excitement and joy, and then dashed off to enjoy it without hugging my Daddy around the neck and thanking him?

Heavenly Father, forgive me for not turning to You and thanking you immediately for the gifts you bestow on me – your healing mercy, love and grace.  Forgive me for not sharing my joy with you first and foremost as ID-10067151quickly as I  share my sorrow and distress. I do praise You and love You and need You daily in my life. Cleanse me from whatever is eating me and remind me that I need to lay it all at the foot of the Cross in praise and thanksgiving- good and bad – because all is Yours and all is for purpose. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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Just Be

Posted in Biblical, Christian, Devotional on November 25, 2013| 1 Comment »

Be still and know that I am God.   Psalm 46:10

At a church women’s conference, a new friend shared with me a more meaningful way to read this way-too familiar Woman Meditatingverse. Sometimes we hear a Scriptural verse so often, it loses its impact.  Take John 3:16.

This was true for me for Psalm 46:10. I have it on my bulletin board near my computer and see it every day, yet way too often I do not be still. In fact, I am anything but that. I know He is God, but do I let that absorb deep into my soul? Breaking down the verse as she showed me renewed its meaning.

Be still and know that I AM . . . Even though I know He is God, do I let Him be God over my life, or do I, more often than not, put Him on the back burner until I need His presence? He is my Father and Provider, My Lord and Savior, Omnipotent Creator, King of all kings. When Moses asked Him what His name was, God replied I AM. Jesus told the Pharisees that before there was Abraham I AM. He is here and now, not just in the Bible stories of the past. He is forever present, be it two thousand years ago or two thousand years from now. There is nothing that is more powerful than He, and He is in control.

Be still and know . . . know not just with my brain, but with every fiber of my being. To know is to be certain, without a shadow of a doubt, or an ounce of hesitancy. We say, “I know for a fact . . .” when we are adamant about something.  Do I know God?  How can I know Him better? The answer is simple – by spending time with Him. That requires that sometimes I don’t do all the talking in my prayer life, but I stop and listen.  And to listen, I must . . .

Be still. . . How very easy, and yet very hard.  To be still is also for me to be silent. Silence is hard to achieve in today’s world. We are surrounded by noise. But often it is only in silence that we can hear the powerful voice inside of us that we know is not from us. Being still requires effort, a conscious act of not being distracted. But, when you get right down to the heart of the matter, this is where you can find God and understand He has always been right there.

Be – that is all God requires of us. We just need to be what we were created to be. Jesus’ death on the cross restored the relationship of man to God before the Fall of Adam and Eve. It returns us, through Christ’s blood, to our natural state of grace once we accept Him as Savior  . But, our human nature mucks that up, doesn’t it? So, we need to remember to just be. Our merciful God accepts us as we are, with all our short comings and all our faults, and through the eyes of His Son, sees us as pure, blameless and made worthy when we come into His presence and ask for forgiveness. We don’t need to be perfect- Christ makes us that way.  We only need to be willing to “be”.

If a Bible verse starts to lose its impact, dissect it down. Read each word and find new meaning, with God’s help. Scripture is alive and breathing with His Spirit. We are not to just read it, but to digest it, make it a part of us, and live it.

Heavenly Lord, breathe in us the desire to know You more and more. Instill in our hurried state the yearning to be still, and to be content to just be, knowing that in You we are made complete. Amen.

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Divided and Enslaved

Posted in Christian, Devotional, Life Experiences, tagged , , , , , , on November 20, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Almighty and everlasting God, whose will it is to restore all things in your
well-beloved Son, the King of kings and Lord of lords: Mercifully grant that
the peoples of the earth, divided and enslaved by sin, may be freed and
brought together under his most gracious rule; who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen

 

If you ever watched one of the Three Musketeer movies, you’d see them all with swords raised high and points touching as they cried, “All for one and one for all.”  Another saying, often used for the United States, is “united we stand, divided we fall.”

Satan wishes to divide. God wants to re-unite us back to the right relationship before sin entered the human heart. That is the story from Genesis through Revelation, and on into today. But why does sin divide and enslave?

Sin divides because it causes each person to put him or herself as the center of focus. I once heard a speaker on a retreat say both sin and pride have “i” in the middle. But the other deadly sins focus on the “me want” factor as well-  gluttony, envy, greed, wrath, slothfulness. Lying has “i” in the middle as well, doesn’t it? People lie to try to get out of messes they have caused, or to look more important out of envy and low self-worth. The more people do it, the stronger the chains of sin wrap around them, making it harder to break free.

Yet, through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, He comes to restore each of us back to a state of grace- free from sin. He frees us from the guilt, the anger, the isolation, the misguided pride that so often rule our thoughts and actions. Of course, this is still a daily battle  because our human nature wants to crawl back into those chains. Why? It is the norm. Change takes effort. But God knows that- that is why He sent His Spirit to guide, correct and comfort us in this effort.

With Christ as our center, our focus is now off ourselves. It is on loving God and our neighbor (the two greatest commandments onto which all else is hinged). Some call it servitude attitude. Since all find worth in Him- all have a common bond, so there is no more envy or greed, pride or a need to lie.Low self esteem won’t lead to gluttony or slothfulness.

As Chris Tomlin sings in his version of Amazing Grace from the movie by the same name- “these chains are gone, we have been set free.”

Click on it. Listen, and then pray. Be released.

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