Daily Thoughts about God Posts

Published September 19, 2008

Our Few Days

By Marilyn J. Ehle
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“Teach us to number our days and recognize how few they are; help us to spend them as we should.  Psalm 90:12 (Living Bible)

Do you read the obituaries in your local paper? Lately I find my attention drawn to several sobering issues as I scan this page. First, my heart aches when I read about an infant: “Born yesterday, died today.� How devastated must be these parents, grandparents and friends. Expectations of joy have suddenly been replaced with grief. Precious newly purchased baby clothes must be folded with tears and packed away.

Next, I read about equally loved elders who have lived eighty or ninety years and are now gone. These families must soon sort through papers, clothing and long-stored memorabilia—often with tears but perhaps also with gentle smiles as days in the distant past are recalled.

Perhaps most jarring are the paragraphs that detail the sudden death of a person in the prime of life. Too often in our scarred world these deaths occur because of senseless violence or tragic accidents. It is during this reading that the psalmist’s words vividly leap to mind: Teach us to number our days and recognize how few they are; help us to spend them as we should. In The Message, Eugene Peterson paraphrases thusly: Teach us to live wisely and well.

If I knew that my obituary would be written tomorrow, would I change the activities of today? Would I alter my attitude toward today’s activities? Would I allow petty disagreements to linger? Would I harbor ill-will based on incomplete truth? Facts as well as experience teach us that life is short but we too often live as though that obituary will never be written.

Lord, help me live each day with inner joy and a “clean slate� regarding my relationship both with you and with others.

What do you need to do to make today a fresh start? Perhaps you will want to write a note of apology or gratitude. Make it a practice to enter each new day with a cleansed heart.

You can comment on this devotional online at:
https://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/2008/09/19/me_few-days/

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Marilyn Ehle has worked closely with businesswomen in the USA setting up and participating in luncheons and discussion groups which focused on issues pertinent to today’s employed woman.
A writer, she writes devotionals for Thoughts About God  and Christian Women Today

 

Thoughts by All thoughts by Marilyn Ehle Thoughts by Women

Published September 19, 2008

Alert Coffee

By John Grant
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“Be on guard! Be alert ! You do not know when that time will come. It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back — whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!'”  Mark 13:33-37

When the alarm went off, I wanted to throw it across the room, but did not have that option, as I had an appointment and more than six hundred miles to drive. Staying up too late the night before was no excuse. As my bride says, “You can’t hoot with the owls and then soar with the eagles.� I quickly splashed some water on my face, dressed, loaded the last baggage in the car and headed down the road.

It was long before dawn and as I drove, it seemed to be getting darker rather than lighter. I was struggling to stay awake, so pulled into a convenient convenience store for a cup of java. I was amazed… there were more than ten selections to choose from….. various flavors and added ingredients.

But, one pot caught my eye. It did not have a fancy name like the others. It was simply labeled ALERT! Alas, I had found my solution, so I purchased a jumbo cup and headed southward. Within thirty minutes, I was wired and the yawns were a thing of the in the rear view mirror. Wow, was I wired!

I thought about how the Bible tells us to stay on alert and to be on guard. Jesus said  ( Mark 13:9) “You must be on your guard.� He knew the risks, temptations and dangers of the world around us.

I enjoy watching wildlife in the woods. Whatever they are doing, they are always on the alert for dangerous predators and they are always looking for a place of security to run to. There are predators in our world…..so many snares and temptations in our world. It is easy to get caught up.

The best way for us to be on the alert is to be grounded in God’s Word and to be ready to seek his security when we run from danger and temptation. As Jesus told us, we must always be on guard and alert to the ways of the world.
(a thought on life from John Grant )

You can comment on this devotional online at:
https://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/2008/09/19/jg_alert-coffee/

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John Grant is a former Florida State Senator and is a practicing attorney. He is an active writer and frequent speaker.  He can be reached by e-mail at John.Grant@johngrant.net

 

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Thoughts by All thoughts by John Grant Thoughts by Men