Enjoy these selections from the last 90 days of Walter Mouse's weekly "Field Mouse Evangelism" devotions. The devotions are listed in descending order by date with the most recent devotion at the top. Click here if you would like to read the Wending Our Way devotions.
If you would like to receive Walter's "Field Mouse Evangelism" devotions and Pam's "Wending Our Way" devotions in your email each week, you can sign-up at the Subscribe page of this website.
While visiting a friend recently, Bill's mom had a marvelous cup of Black Cherry herbal tea. She got all the information on it and scouted it out when she next went grocery shopping.
That night, she settled in with a good book and a cup of the tea. It was great--except that she was awake all night. Hardly got any rest at all!! It turns out that the tea wasn't herbal, although her friend had thought it was. It was loaded with caffeine. Mom didn't suspect the truth until she discovered how the tea affected her.
People can be like that. They might LOOK just fine but may be presenting themselves as one thing when they're really something else. If I check out how others AFFECT me, and not just how they LOOK, I can often build more relaxing and fulfilling relationships.
Matthew 7:15,16 ...Watch out for false prophets...By their fruit you will recognize them.
Bill really got slowed down when he was out driving the other day. We got stopped by two different work crews. We'd come to a sign saying, "Work Area Ahead" and soon there'd be a person with a stop sign. So, we'd wait while wires were strung or trees were trimmed or big machines moved about. It certainly held things up and made a mess, but it'll be worth it when they're done.
Maybe we should all wear signs saying, "Work Area Ahead." Then others would know that we might occasionally block traffic or slow things down as we negotiate God's upgrades in our lives.
Ecclesiastes 1:16 ...I have grown and increased in wisdom....
When Bill and I stopped for gas yesterday, a huge dump truck was just leaving. It was so high that the driver had to climb a small ladder to get into the cabin. Up he scrambled and off they went! It seemed such an odd way to get into a vehicle, but it worked.
As the day went along, I kept picturing that young man climbing the ladder to get into his truck. Unless he undertook the climb, he was stuck where he was. He was going nowhere.
God does the same thing in our lives sometimes. He'll put something just out of reach, and we find that we, too, must climb a bit to get moving again. He doesn't do this to STRESS us, but to STRETCH us. At such times, all He asks is that we take hold of the next rung and set our feet in motion.
1 Samuel 14:10 ...we will climb up....
We had the car washed the other day. The sign on the entry to the carwash said they use "rainbow soap". Cool! Though I suppose the car doesn't care, sure enough, as we started through, we were engulfed in a stream of pastel soap: blue, pink, green and yellow.
It looked kind of pretty actually. But, as the car moved forward, I saw that the foamy soap was actually white but was being sprayed past colored lights! It sure LOOKED like a rainbow as it landed on the car. Oh well--things aren't always what they seem.
It's a good idea to keep our eyes open to what really IS, so we're not taken in by what we've been led to believe is real.
Mark 13:5 ...Watch out that no one deceives you.
It rained one night back at our old house, so the seed in the birdfeeder got wet and stuck together. Bill emptied it out and was letting the feeder dry before refilling it with fresh seed. Since the feeder was empty, and near the deck, Bill sprinkled some seed along the deck railing so bird mealtimes wouldn't be interrupted. The first bird on the scene checked out the feeder, found it empty, and flitted to the deck railing to check out things there. So far, so good, but for some reason, the bird found the seed on the railing unacceptable---and flew off! It mystified us. Same seed, different spot.
Aren't we like this occasionally, though? We sometimes shy away from something because it's not in the place we expect to see it, but sometimes the greatest treasures are available only if we move out of our comfort zone and into somewhat unfamiliar territory. Through it all, we can expect God's Hand to remain active, even if our surroundings feel a bit strange.
Exodus 13:9 ...For the LORD brought you out of Egypt with his mighty hand.
Bill and I took such a delightful walk one day back at our old house. There was a cool breeze, lots of flowers in bloom, birds chirping...just perfect! Others were out walking, too, enjoying the beautiful day. It was really peaceful until we got about two blocks from home and then every dog in the neighborhood announced our progress as we toddled along. The barking sequence continued until we reached our front door. I think someone called all that canine noise a "Rovalert." It sure sounded like it.
I wonder if it'll be kind of like that when we approach heaven's gates. Will saints and angels and who knows who else announce our approach to Eternity? Sounds like a pretty nifty "Welcome Home!"
Isaiah 52:8 ...Your watchmen lift up their voices....
Bill was doing laundry this morning, and I noticed that there's a button on the dryer that says, "Press On." Hmmm...that turns the dryer on, I guess.
This is just what we're supposed to do in life, too, even if the road before us is dreary and bumpy and rough, and life seems way too discouraging and much too hard.
If we keep on "Pressing On," we'll find the way opening before us and will reap a harvest at the appointed time.
Galatians 6:9 ...Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap harvest if we do not give up.
Bill bought a box of teabags this week. He had the worst time finding his usual brand at the grocery store because they'd changed the appearance of the box. It said, "New Look!" The box color and designs were way different than they had been. The tea was the same, but the container wasn't. Bill almost bought the wrong thing.
Jesus called the Scribes and Pharisees "whitened sepulchers" and "painted tombs" when they spiffed up their packaging without improving what was "inside the box."
God doesn't care much about my external appearance. It's what's inside that's important.
Psalms 51:2 ...Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from sin.
We were visiting Bill's mom this week. When we arrived, she'd just made herself a cup of herbal tea. We started to chat and she thought she'd left the teabag in long enough, but when she went to drink it, it was awful--way too weak! No flavor at all. It worked out OK, though. She stuck the teabag back in the water again and about five minutes later it tasted fine. It just needed a little more time.
As I was wandering around under Mom's kitchen table searching for crumbs, it came to me that I'm often rushing the cups God sets before me. It's so hard to wait for stuff to happen that I sometimes try to hurry things along before God has finished the brewing process. This can leave me with a weakened version of the blessings He has planned for me.
It's better to wait patiently and give God time to let things fully develop around me.
James 5:7b ...See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop....
Bill and I stopped at a hospital to make a visit a while ago, and wonder of wonders, two elevators became available at the same time. Both were going up, as we were, so it didn't matter which one we took. We hopped on one and soon arrived on our floor.
It seems to be that God occasionally puts us in situations like that-- where we have two possible choices and one's as good as the other. I know Bill has been there. At one point he prayed and prayed about a new job offer but never got a clear leading from the Good Lord. Finally, God seemed to be saying, "I'll use you in whichever place you choose." How freeing! Bill chose to take the new job offer and was happy there for many years.
Sometimes, if we prayerfully consider one of several options and receive no clear understanding of God's will for us, it may be because He's leaving the choice in our hands and will use us wherever we are.
Ecclesiastes 3:6 ...a time to search and a time to give up.
Bill loves crosswords. (I try to help him with them, but I'm not very good at it.) He especially likes the ones that are a bit challenging. He loves it when one clue leads to an answer and a while later, another clue leads to another answer.
He doesn't need to see results all at once. Sometimes he carries a clue around in his head for days, awaiting an inspiration. He doesn't seem to mind the empty spots on the page or the erasures, or mysteriously obscure clues. He just keeps plugging away.
Isn't life like that---full of input and connection, but often equally full of empty spots, start-overs and mysterious silences. Through it all, we know that God is watching over us, and that life, like crosswords, comes together as we live it.
Psalms 121:3 ...he who watches over you will not slumber....
Bill and I stopped for gas this morning, a frightening experience at best! As Bill headed toward the station to pay, he stepped on a huge manhole cover. Nothing unusual there--we've walked on it before, but this time it made the worst racket when Bill's foot hit it. It scared us half to death!! Nothing seemed to be actually wrong, so we just continued on our way.
On the way back to the car, we discovered the cause of the noise. A good-sized stone had found its way onto the manhole cover and rattled loudly whenever someone stepped on it. Now we knew that we could ignore the noise and go on with our day.
Life can be like that, too. Some things can be very noisy without necessarily requiring our response. Once we're sure nothing's actually amiss, we can often ignore some of the noise that crosses our path.
Isaiah 18:4 ...I will remain quiet and will look on from my dwelling place.
Click here to read the Wending Our Way devotions.
Copyright © 2011-2026 Pam Frame - All Rights Reserved. This entire website, including all images, scripts and text, and including devotions and quotations from Pam Frame's books, is protected worldwide under United States and International copyright laws. Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of The Zondervan Corporation.
This page was last revised on February 23, 2020 at 7:41 PM.
