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.
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Bill and I were in a store recently and watched as a young man with a pronounced limp made his way around the department carefully straightening shelves, ringing up sales, answering questions and generally doing a fine job of serving the public. His hip had to be painful after a day on hard floors, and movement of any sort was certainly awkward for him, but he never lost his smile or his effectiveness. Every time we go in that store, he's there, happily doing whatever comes next.
What an inspiration! He's like Paul, who had some sort of "thorn" to live with also, but who also kept on keeping on in service to the Lord.
God doesn't disqualify us from service because we're not perfect. He's the only One Who needs to be prefect. He just asks the rest of us to show up faithfully and to minister to His people. His grace is sufficient. It shines through the lives of those who do His bidding...even amid difficult circumstances.
2 Corinthians 12:7 ...there was given me a thorn in my flesh....
Bill and I were shopping several years ago. We'd stopped in a really big (and really wonderful!) bookstore. People were meandering around, many with small children or toddlers.
As one innocent looking little fellow (he was maybe four) approached the exit doors, he stopped in front of his mom and gazed intently at her face. He was checking to see if it was OK to go ahead through the door and out into the parking lot. His look was one of complete trust and peace, and total assurance that she knew about the places he needed to go. She smiled lovingly at him and gently guided him through the door.
Could we not look to Christ with such trust and assurance that He, too, knows the way and will guide us just as lovingly?
Mark 9:7b ...Listen to him!
The other night, Bill was in his favorite rocker, contentedly reading a wonderfully engaging book. He passed a fair amount of time peacefully page-turning and gently rocking. As the evening progressed, so did his novel and the rocker. As his reading unfolded the silent journey in the book, the rocker meandered off on its own journey across the living room. When Bill stopped reading and looked up, he discovered the chair wasn't anywhere near where he'd started.
Our lives can be like that, too, sometimes. While we're busily engaged in things, God moves us forward and we "arrive" in a new and different spot, having completed a journey that was actually rather effortless.
Judges 18:6b ...Your journey has the LORD'S approval.
Bill's mom had a small candle burning the other day when we visited. When she blew it out, Bill noticed that the wick end had burned kind of funny, so it looked just like a cobra's head. The rest of the wick looked like a cobra's body sticking up.
I only know two things about cobras: 1. They're poisonous. 2. They can't leap at you. They can only reach as far as the upper part of their body can go--about a foot or so. The coiled part stays on the ground. This means that if you stay about two feet from a cobra, you're safe, no matter how much it threatens.
Sin's the same way, actually. If we just stay far enough away, it can't get us, either.
Ezekiel 18:30b ...Turn away from all your offenses...
Bill and I were at a restaurant the other day and a woman at a nearby table ordered a Seizure Salad. No kidding! (I heard it even through the lining of Bill's jacket pocket.) Poor Bill stifled a laugh, but I cracked up right where I was. (Even a loud mouse doesn't make much noise.)
The waitress knew what the woman meant, bless her, and a Caesar salad arrived shortly thereafter.
This got me thinking about prayer. Do you ever really mangle a prayer and then wonder if maybe it doesn't make sense to God? Don't worry--like the waitress, God understands what you mean and will bring the right thing every time.
Romans 8:26b ...but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.
Bill's mom has a soy candle. She told us that it burns a long time, produces no soot and has a strong fragrance. This one was eucalyptus/lavender, and it certainly did smell good! And when she snuffed it out, it just went out. No trail of smoke heading upwards to stain the walls and ceiling or pollute our lungs.
Jesus burns like that--just Pure Light and Love. No added smoke and soot to mess things up. Just Light and Love--the Glorious Essense of all we need in this life and the next.
Isaiah 10:17 ...their Holy One a Flame....
On one of our walks last winter, Bill and I passed two preschoolers gaily coating down a hill in their own back yard. Their house was on a gentle slope that led into a neighbor's yard. We'd had a 6' snowfall topped with ice, so it was perfect for sledding. The kids were sailing down the hill at a moderate rate of speed, shrieking for all they were worth because of the 'great speed." We could see the mixture of anticipation and fear on their little faces, but the bottom line is that they trusted Dad to provide a safe hill for them.
Each time they got to the bottom of the hill, they picked up their coasters and ran back up to the top of the hill. Their dad was there, unobtrusively keeping watch.
This mixture of anticipation and fear is so often a part of our earthly life. Often life presents us with situations that call us to move through our fears as we look forward, anticipating upcoming blessings. We know that God is watching over us and that He brings us to hills that are just the right size for us!
Judges 1:19b ...They took possession of the hill country....
I'm reminded of one day last spring when Bill and I had an awful start to our day. First, we got help up by road construction, then we got held up by a garbage truck, and finally we got held up by a school bus. As we sat in a long line of traffic waiting for the last youngsters to get on board and get seated, the thought came to me that waiting while kids get on the bus is like one thing we're called on to do in our Christian walk--wait patiently as the people around us get on board.
Those around us come from various places and they enter at various speeds. No amount of honking or revving our engines or fussing at them shortens their walk. The most helpful thing, for the children and for our fellow travelers as well might be a simple prayer for their safety. Care to join me in that?
Matthew 7:1 ...Do not judge....
Bill opened a box of tea this week and was surprised to find a small rabbit figure tucked in among the teabags. There was a card enclosed inviting him to "Add to your collection today!"
Then he found a free baseball card in a box of cereal. Its enclosure said, "Kids! Collect all ten cards!"
Both boxes tried to convey the urgency and importance of getting the whole collection...and ASAP. But what FOR? The animals and baseball cards have no value of their own and certainly can't bring peace, security or salvation to their owner. Not that collections are bad--many people enjoy them tremendously--but the real urgency in life is counting moments with Christ, where we DO find peace, security and salvation!
Isaiah 57:13a ...let your collection of idols save you!
Bill has a small, battery-operated clock on one wall here at the house. When the house is completely quiet, we can hear it ticking faithfully away. It's kind of reassuring somehow. In a sense, it always gets where it's going--one tick at a time. It never ticks any faster or slower--just maintains a steady pace.
Maybe our lives should be like that, too--one step at a time, moving faithfully on toward wherever God has pointed us. No concerns about dashing forward or hanging back--just one steady pace. One tick at a time.
Hebrews 6:12 ...We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.
Bill's mom had a candle burning when we stopped in the other night. The air currents must've been disturbing it because the flame was flickering all over the place. It finally settled down to a smaller, steady flame, but it certainly looked like it was wearing itself out for a while there.
Sometimes this happens in life, too. We get so buffeted by what's going on around us that we exhaust ourselves trying to keep up. It's often good, then, to take a deep breath and settle back down to a smaller, steady approach. The jobs will still get done, but we won't get so worn out burning up extra energy to get there.
Exodus 18:18 ...You and these people who come to you will only wear themselves out.
A friend's son just broke his arm and wound up in the ER. The family was there quite a while because the unit was very busy and because of the Triage system in operation there. Triage is the process of sorting injured people into groups according to the severity of their medical need. It assures that those most threatened by their injury or illness get treated first. It also means that broken arms wait until car accidents, heart attacks, strokes and poisonings have received care.
This all got me thinking about the triage of heaven. There ISN'T any!! Nobody has to wait to get in. As soon as we leave this earthly realm, the Pearly Gates open for us. Each person's need is as great as the next person's and God sees to it that all are taken care of right away.
1 Peter 1:4 ...and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade--kept in heaven for you....
Today we drove behind a car that made a turn and then left its turn signal on. We followed it for several miles like that. It got annoying after a while. The light was serving no purpose but just kept blinking pointlessly. We turned off somewhere along the way, so I don't know if the driver ever became aware of it or not.
Sometimes conversations wind up like that blinker. Folks can endlessly repeat messages that are no longer useful or informative. Sometimes it's good to check out what we're actually saying so we can turn off the stuff that's gone on too long. Our fellow travelers will thank us, and it gives us a chance to refocus and move on.
Job 27:12b ... Why then this meaningless talk?
Click here to read the Wending Our Way devotions.
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This page was last revised on February 23, 2020 at 7:41 PM.
