Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Overview of Contents

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

Week 7

Week 8

Week 9

Week 10

Week 11

Week 12

Week 13

Week 14

Week 15

Week 16

Week 17

Week 18

Week 19

Week 20

Week 21

Week 22

Week 23

Week 24

Week 25

Week 26

Week 27

Week 28

Week 29

Week 30

Week 31

Week 32

Week 33

Week 34

Week 35

Week 36

Week 37

Week 38

Week 39

Week 40

Week 41

Week 42

Week 43

Week 44

Week 45

Week 46

Week 47

Week 48

Week 49

Week 50

Week 51

Week 52

RED authors

Thank you

Red

A year of weekly devotions from the authors at Pelican Book Group

Red

COPYRIGHT 2013 by H.L Wegley, Michael Duncan, Mary Manners, Sharon Srock, LoRee Peery, Delia Latham, Davalynn Spencer, Robin Bayne, Carla Rossi, Marianne Evans, Tanya Stowe, Jody Day, Marian Merritt, Anne Greene, Clare Revell, E.A. West, Susan Lyttek, Pamela S. Thibodeaux

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or Pelican Ventures, LLC except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

eBook editions are licensed for your personal enjoyment only. eBooks may not be re-sold, copied or given away to other people. If you would like to share an eBook edition, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with.

Contact Information: titleadmin@pelicanbookgroup.com

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version(R), NIV(R), Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com

Cover Art by Nicola Martinez

Pelican Ventures, LLC * www.pelicanbookgroup.com

PO Box 1738 *Aztec, NM * 87410

Publishing History

First Edition, 2013

Electronic ISBN 978-1-61116-366-7

Published in the United States of America

Dedication

To Nicola Martinez and the Pelican Book Group editors and staff who make it possible for us to call ourselves “published authors.” But even more importantly, these talented and hard-working individuals value and cherish the Blood of Christ.

Working with a Christian staff makes writing a special joy. The contents of this book are a tribute of praise to our Redeemer, Who alone is worthy of all the praise. But on this one page, we’d like to extend our gratitude to and love for the PBG staff. Thank you for doing what you do!

Overview of Contents

Week 1: When God Sees Red (Wegley)

Week 2: The White of Red (Duncan)

Week 3: The Treasure Box (Manners)

Week 4: Red + Red = White (Srock)

Week 5: Once Upon A Time (Peery)

Week 6: The Ultimate Valentine (Latham)

Week 7: If You Were God (Spencer)

Week 8: Beautiful Blood (Peery)

Week 9: Family Blood Lines (Bayne)

Week 10: A Fountain Filled with Blood (Rossi)

Week 11: Kerplunk…Splat (Latham)

Week 12: Earning God’s Forgiveness (Evans)

Week 13: A Thin Red Shell (Stowe)

Week 14: Love-colored Glasses (Day)

Week 15: Red Lilies (Merritt)

Week 16: Wet Towels (Bayne)

Week 17: Cleansing Blood (Greene)

Week 18: Blood Vessels (Latham)

Week 19: Caught Red-Handed (Duncan)

Week 20: Fire Light (Lyttek)

Week 21: The Blood-Bought Relationship (Wegley)

Week 22: Stolen Miracle (Latham)

Week 23: Blood Bath (Srock)

Week 24: The Blood of Redemption (Evans)

Week 25: No More Tears (Revell)

Week 26: Giving Back—Giving Beyond Belief (Peery)

Week 27: Reflection of the Heart (West)

Week 28: The Red Effect (Lyttek)

Week 29: Big Red (Merritt)

Week 30: Boundaries (Manners)

Week 31: The Fragrance of Forgiveness (Latham)

Week 32: Flames of Jealousy (Revell)

Week 33: Seeing Red (Lyttek)

Week 34: Beyond Seeing Red (Lyttek)

Week 35: Less Than Red (Lyttek)

Week 36: Seeing Through Red-colored Glasses (Lyttek)

Week 37: A Walk Through the Blood (Latham)

Week 38: Reading the Red (Day)

Week 39: Sin & Judgment (Evans)

Week 40: Do Not Weep for Me (Revell)

Week 41: No Scarlet Robes (Day)

Week 42: The Cross Within (Lyttek)

Week 43: Scaling the Mountain (Manners)

Week 44: Suffering (Stowe)

Week 45: Healing Hands (Revell)

Week 46: Forgive & Forget (Rossi)

Week 47: A Continual Washing (Thibodeaux)

Week 48: Blessed to Be Different (West)

Week 49: Song of the Cardinal (Peery)

Week 50: A Christmas Eve Vigil (Bayne)

Week 51: How Sweet it Is! (Latham)

Week 52: I Owe You One (Rossi)

Week 1

When God Sees Red

H. L. Wegley

Exodus 12:12-13—On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you.

1 Peter 1: 18-19 (KJV)—For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

Hebrews 10:12 (KJV)—But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God.

When I see red, it’s usually not a pretty sight. It was worse years ago. Objects might fly across the room, or regrettable words would fly from a poison tongue. With God, however, His wrath is preceded by opportunities to receive grace and mercy. I am so thankful that He doesn’t see red in the sense that I do.

We see red in another context, one that is often disturbing—the sight of human blood. It seems that God has placed something within us that instinctively realizes life is in the blood, and so we have an aversion to seeing blood spilled out. Even small children become frightened at the sight of blood. My son-in-law passes out. More than half of all human beings are thought to be genetically predisposed to this physiological reaction. Fortunately, not all of them actually pass out.

When God sees the red of blood, His reaction depends upon the source of that blood. After Cain murdered Abel out of anger and jealousy, God said in Genesis 4:10-11 , “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.” But even in punishing Cain, He was merciful in that He marked Cain so no one would kill the outcast man.

God also saw red at the original Passover, a foreshadowing of the time He would see Jesus’ blood. God sent the last and most terrible plague to the Egyptians, killing the firstborn of every Egyptian household. Only the Hebrew firstborn were spared by painting the blood of a lamb on their door frames, as God had instructed them.

In the church age, when God sees red it is but one shade of red, the red of Jesus’ blood, that one sacrifice made for sins forever. We are truly blessed to be able to approach a righteous, holy God by the shed blood of Jesus Christ.



Reflection:

Are you truly thankful that your sins are covered forever by the blood of Christ and that you have access to a loving heavenly Father? Or perhaps you have never painted the blood on the doorposts of your heart, never trusted Christ and His sacrifice as the payment for your sin. If so, then trust Him now. Your faith in Christ and His sacrifice will paint His blood over you so that when God sees you He sees, not your sin, but that one shade of red.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we are forever thankful that You have redeemed us not with perishable things, or an empty way of life, but with the precious blood of Christ, a Lamb without spot or blemish. And because of His sacrifice, that is how You see us. Thank you! Thank You…in His name. Amen.

Week 2

The White of Red

Rev. Michael Duncan

Isaiah 1:18—”Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be white like wool.”

Revelation 7:14—”I answered, ‘Sir, you know.’ And he said, ‘These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb.”

Hebrews 13:12—”And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood.”

A pale grey dawn opened upon the world as my wife and I cradled steaming cups of coffee. It was the start of just another day as she prepared to go to her class and teach an overactive group of second graders. With a gentle kiss goodbye and a wave from the window, I turned back to my home office to start my day as well.

Then it began to snow. Small flakes of winter from heaven lighted upon the ground. The advanced scouts gave way to a cavalcade of large, fluffy flakes—a massive snowstorm had settled in. Amazed and, with a child-like fascination, I stood and watched the show. It was beautiful to see the winter display. But something seemed out of place—the snow wasn’t sticking to the ground. For all the effort that the clouds gave, the ground rejected it. Flakes landed, shuddered, and melted on the grass.

But the snow was relentless. It did not fail, nor did it give up with the refusal of the ground. For every flake rejected, another settled. For every square-inch of grass, a thousand feet of snowflakes fell from the sky. And then the realization came—my eyes were opened to God’s illustration. Sometimes it takes a while for the snow to stick—but it will ultimately win the day. So, as I watched, the snow gained a foothold until all the earth was covered in a pristine blanket of white.

Consider the grace of God—poured out upon the whole world in the Blood of Christ. The red flow of the Holy Sacrifice, the overwhelming love of God in Jesus, sometimes takes a while to “stick.” But God is persistent. He continues to pour out His love and grace until those who are receptive begin to find their lives covered in His righteousness. It might take some time, but for the receptive heart, the relentless love of Christ will ultimately win the day.



Reflection:

If you ever question God’s love, all you have to do is look to the cross. God has loved you with an everlasting love—He has given His own Son to be the sacrifice for your sins and cover you in His righteousness.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, I need You to be the covering for my life. You loved me and shed Your blood on the cross to cleanse me from sin and now You offer me Your grace to make me clean. I receive Your mercy and know that even as the snow covers the ground, You will make my life whiter than snow.

Week 3

The Treasure Box

Mary Manners

Isaiah 65:17-18—Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy.

Micah 7:8—Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light.

Psalm 86:15—You, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.

Fridays were always fun days when I taught first grade because, as each school week drew to a close, my students and I gathered around the story rug for a respite from academics to dive into the most sought-after activity of all—searching for treasure. The Treasure Box was nothing fancy—simply a cardboard box decorated with stickers and cast-off costume jewelry. But, to a bunch of six-year-olds, it was the hottest item since crust-less bread. Oh, the power…the mystery…the joy and the tears!

Tears? Wait a minute—why tears? Well, the Treasure Box was part of a school-wide reward system implemented to encourage students to follow rules and complete assigned tasks in a timely and careful manner. It was a time when less certainly equaled more—less broken rules equaled a greater reward. Less distraction from the workload meant more production and a larger cut of the bounty. As the students, one by one, approached the Treasure Box and shared their behavior log, some students received treats and others, well…not so much. It was a time for anticipation, reflection, and discussion. Happiness did not always abound. Nonetheless, whatever the week’s outcome, each student knew that he or she returned on Monday with a clean slate.

As Christians, we know that our treasure is found in Heaven. Sometimes we soar like eagles and sometimes we stumble—or even fall flat on our faces. Thank goodness we don’t have to wait until Monday morning for a clean slate. The blood of Jesus washes us white and tells that, as believers, nothing here on earth can separate us from His love and grace.

So, gather ‘round to enjoy a respite in the healing power of God’s glory. Through the blood of His son, we are washed clean.



Reflection:

The treasures of Heaven await those who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. We are washed clean in His flowing blood, made new each and every day. There is no limit to the gift of God-given grace. The power of the blood of Christ Jesus is boundless.

Prayer:

Dear Lord, let me rejoice even in my shortcomings and turn to You for guidance each step of the way. I rest in the promise that Your blood sacrifice has washed me clean of my transgressions. My hope is in You, oh Lord, forever and always. In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen.

Week 4

Red + Red = White

Sharon Srock

Isaiah 1:18 (KJV)—Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

I took art classes in high school. I love color in all combinations. I know all about primary and secondary colors. I know how to make secondary colors out of primary colors.

Red is a primary color.

Red plus yellow equals orange.

Red plus blue equals purple.

Red plus white equals pink.

Red plus black equals yuck.

Red plus red equals…red…or does it?

They must have known this in Bible days as well. Isaiah says, “Come now, let us reason together.” It sounds to me like he was having a hard time grasping the concept as well.

Only in God’s laws of physics could we take two reds and make a white.

Crimson and Scarlet, neither a pure red, but both something darker, something contaminated. Appropriate to describe how sin contaminates our lives.

Jesus shed blood, pure and brilliant.

Cover the crimson and scarlet of our sins with the red of Jesus’ shed blood, pure and brilliant, and you get more red, right? No, you get the white of a life reborn. The white of a new chance. The white of the life God always intended us to have as we fellowship with and worship Him.



Reflection:

Do you want to be made new? Do you want to be made white? Give the crimson and scarlet to Jesus.

Prayer:

Jesus, work Your power within me. Please take the crimson sins in my heart and wash them white with Your blood.

Week 5

Once Upon a Time

LoRee Peery

Ephesians 1:7-8—In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.

Luke 23:44-46—It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.

Romans 5:8—But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Once upon a time God created a perfect man and a perfect woman and placed them in paradise. A poisonous viper promised god-like glory to the woman, and she fell for the impossible. The man followed suit and immediately they hid from their Maker, knowing they had sinned. Many, many years later, but only a second in God’s time, He provided the Hero. He gave His only Son, Jesus, to save the world from their sins.

When I was a girl, I’d get a tingle of anticipation every time I heard or read the words, “once upon a time.” Admittedly, I’m still that little girl inside, especially when it comes to love stories. Some familiar fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm are on the big screen and in our homes. They contain the components of story. Those stories involve hero, heroine, villain, good, evil, and often a moral of sorts if viewed with an open heart.

The villain we face in the 21st century is a subtle one and takes many forms. His is an evil voice that tries and often succeeds to influence our spirit, how we spend our time, and our thoughts. The enemy knows our weaknesses and whispers how we fall short, how worthless we are. This sly villain uses every taunt imaginable to divert our focus off the Hero of the greatest love story of all time.

Jesus loved me so much that He carried the weight of my folly and submitted Himself to torture. He did that for you, too. He died for us both. Such an unmerited expression of love equals ultimate grace, way beyond my comprehension. To think He poured out His pure blood for me! How do I handle that? Shame makes me want to hide, yet He welcomes me to His throne.



Reflection:

Revelation can take the form of a story, a true life event, or insight when the Holy Spirit removes a veil from the eyes. Spend some time at the foot of the cross, viewing our Savior’s endurance. Prayerfully ponder the hymn, “Alas and did My Savior Bleed.” The love He lavishes on us is unfathomable.

Prayer:

Oh, Father God, thank You for writing the greatest romance ever told—a true, one-of-a-kind tale with a happy ending—the only story to endure for eternity. And my dear Lord and Savior, thank You for Your unbelievable example of heroism.

Week 6

The Ultimate Valentine

Delia Latham

John 3:16 (KJV)—For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Romans 5:8 (KJV)—But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 8:37-39 (KJV)—For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1 John 3:1 (KJV)—Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God:

Cutesy red hearts of every size imaginable. Pretty, fragrant red roses. Beautiful red Valentine cards.

I walked through a local department store this past Valentine’s Day, and by the time I left, I could almost see red even with my eyes closed. The store looked as though someone had dumped a semi-truckload of red paint over its interior space.

Valentine’s Day is fun, and provides a wonderful opportunity to show someone that he or she is loved and appreciated. But I have to wonder…why red? Why is red the color of love?

My answer to that question won’t be found in any official textbook of history. But I like to think of it as a reflection of the ultimate “I love you.” The greatest of all love letters…the most poignant “Will you be mine?” was sent by our Savior from a rugged cross, by way of a stream of His own precious blood.

He presented us—His beloved bride—with the loveliest of all Valentines and called it the Holy Bible. And isn’t it interesting that, somewhere along the path of time, when man chose to print the words of Jesus Christ in a color different from the rest of the text, he chose red.



Reflection:

Enjoy the loved ones in your life. Tell them how much they mean to you. Any day can be Valentine’s Day. In all the busyness of life, don’t forget to spend some time with the Lover of your soul. Be sure He knows that He is your ultimate Valentine—on Valentine’s Day and every day.

Prayer:

Jesus, I want to thank You for the pure, untarnished love that nailed You to the cross, where You purchased my salvation. Thank You for Your redeeming blood. I want You to know, on this day when love is most celebrated, and every other day of the year, that You are the Love of my life! Amen.

Week 7

If You Were God

Davalynn Spencer

Leviticus 17:11—For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.

Revelation 12:11—They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.

John 1:14—The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

If you were God, how would you introduce yourself to your creation?

I’d be twenty-seven years old, a perfect size eight with a flawless complexion and an IQ of 145.

I would not show up as a baby, totally dependent upon two people who arrive in town after all the motel rooms are taken and have to sleep in a lean-to. Or a cave.

Good thing I’m not God.

But why a baby?

It’s simple, really. There is only one way to become a human and that is to be born.

The trouble with humans is that we can’t get away from the sin which prompted God to become one of us in the first place. The man Adam acquiesced to the enemy, Satan, and earned death. The entire human race was doomed because of one of its own.

Satan thought he had won. Because of the very laws of procreation that the Creator had put in place, the enemy would have every human thereafter.

But the Creator could not be duped. He knew the rules. And He knew since before time there was only one way to stop the madness, the inescapable, inherited sin trait. And that was unmitigated, selfless love.

So God stepped into time as Jesus. Conceived through a virgin birth and the perfect Spirit of God, not the seed of sinful man, He did not inherit the sin gene.

This perfect God-man, Jesus, lived a sinless life, so when, in the ultimate act of unmitigated, selfless love, He gave Himself up to be crucified, His sin-free blood was undeserving of death. That spotless blood paid the penalty of sin and washed away mankind’s debt.

A perfect sacrifice. A perfect act of love.

Only a loving God could come up with a plan like that.



Reflection:

If you were the Creator, where would you have stepped in to fix the mess that man had made?

Would you have become so vulnerable?

Would you have been able to wait thirty years before revealing your purpose?

Would you have loved those who planned to kill you?

Would you have laid down your life—your glory, your power?

Only if you were Love incarnate.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for Your perfect plan. Thank You for knowing our hearts, understanding our predicament, and making us new, whole, and clean through Your priceless sacrifice. Amen.

Week 8

Beautiful Blood

LoRee Peery

John 7:39—”By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.”

1 Corinthians 12:7—”Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.”

I Peter 4:10—”Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.”

The sacrificed, resurrected, and glorified Jesus Christ ascended back into Heaven, leaving with those He called to be His, a living Spirit.

He is in me.

If you are a believer, He is in you.

And we, as believers, are in one another, called to unity in this Christian life.

Individual believers are part of the church, and we all have a part in making the church work. I once heard the definition of love as God’s grace within me so I can extend that grace to others.

Three things usually go through our minds when we hear of another’s need. One is someone should do… Another is an excuse, as in I can’t or I don’t have the time. And a third is that still, quiet voice that whispers, “You can do that.”

Countless acts of service have presented themselves over the years. Through being available and trying different things, I have discovered where the Lord can use me to the benefit of others. The gift of teaching is for others, and I’m like a lump in the kitchen. But I can encourage and administer and organize. So when the church choir sings, I’m in the soprano section. When the need arises for someone to be in charge of live voices to answer the church phone on Sunday mornings, I make the contacts and plan schedules.

Thanks to Jesus’ shed blood and the gift of the Spirit, believers are enabled to serve. Through prayer and the power of the Spirit, the result of God’s love is beautiful. We serve God when we help others, all for His glory (Matthew 25:35-40).



Reflection:

We are spiritual siblings, bought by the same blood. That same beautiful blood runs in each of our spiritual veins. Every believer receives the Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts, as well. Do you know what your gifts are? If you don’t, pray about it. Your gift wasn’t given to be a secret. Use it for the good of others. The gift of self is a matchless picture of grace.

Prayer:

Oh, my precious heavenly Father, You are the limitless expression of grace. Dear Lord Jesus, Your sacrifice of blood is the beautiful gift of life everlasting. Only through the Spirit can any gift You’ve given to me be used for the good of others. Please express Your love into the lives of those You bring into my life. And I thank You for the blessing of all the believers who have touched my life. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Week 9

Family Blood Lines

Robin Bayne

Exodus 12:14—This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord—a lasting ordinance.

Genesis 17:7—I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.

Ephesians 3:21—to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Psalm 89:1—A maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite. I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations.

March 15th…the Ides of March. And my dear grandmother’s birthday—the ninety-sixth this year if God wills. She’s bed-ridden with Parkinson’s now, the disease having robbed her of mobility, memory and, most recently, the will to eat. The joy of food had seemed like the last earthly pleasure she could enjoy, and now this too has been stolen.

For the most part, I know health runs in our family’s blood, though Grandma is the first to test the near-century benchmark. And though the Ides of March, in history and mythology, was nothing to celebrate—we still gather to celebrate the life she has lived, and the life she has given us. Even if she can’t remember most of it, we can.

Will our bloodlines bring my own mother to such a grand age (in twenty years, or so)? Only the Lord knows. What I do know is that I will appreciate and be grateful for the time we’ve been gifted, good and bad.

When I recently visited Grandma’s assisted living home, I figured it would be a half hour session of my mother and me talking while Grandma dozed. Imagine my surprise when at least three times during our chat Grandma actually chuckled, and at the appropriate times! (Yes, one was when we noted she’d lost weight and I commented I was jealous!) Actually, her laugh was more of a snort, but she was still with the conversation for that short time.

Yes, I’m grateful for the bloodlines God drew for us, thankful for the sacrifice of Jesus Who shed His blood so that we could be part of His family—eternally.



Reflection:

Who are you grateful for in your life? Do you appreciate your bloodlines, regardless of whether you have healthy physical genes? Do you take into account that your spiritual genes—those genes that come from Jesus—are perfect?

Prayer:

Dear Father, thank You for all the blessings You’ve given, for allowing me to know my family and keeping us safe. I especially thank You for allowing me to be part of Your family, Your bloodline.

Week 10

A Fountain Filled With Blood

Carla Rossi

Ephesians 2:13—But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.

There is a fountain filled with blood

Drawn from Emmanuel’s veins;

And sinners plunged beneath that flood

Lose all their guilty stains.

~From There is a Fountain Filled with Blood,

written by William Cowper (1731-1800)

As a young pianist for a congregation, I met with the music director to search the church hymnal for songs we hadn’t sung in a while.

“Oh! There is a Fountain Filled with Blood,” I said.

She slammed the hymnal closed. “No.” She shuddered. “No fountains full of blood. That’s uh...no.”

Clearly, she imagined literal fountains filled with flowing blood and it somehow, well, grossed her out. But as a student of music and a lifelong churchgoer, I’d been singing about the blood of the Lamb forever. I’d been washed in blood, empowered by blood, saved by blood, covered by the blood, and cleansed by blood. I understood healing through Christ’s blood and salvation as a result of my Savior’s bloody death. So what was the big deal?

Everyone has their preferences and a right to their opinions, but it was difficult for me to imagine someone could be so appalled by the physical evidence of their benefactor’s pain. Crucifixion was a brutal, ugly death, but it is the cornerstone of my faith and the only hope for a lost and dying world. It is beautiful in its horror and hopeful in its promise of redemption for my sin.

William Cowper knew this. He wrote the stanzas after years of depression and mental anguish and as he neared his own death.



Reflection:

Are you disgusted by the brutality of the cross because it is not pleasing to the eye? The torturous death of Jesus is not something we wish to look upon, but must face in order to accept it as the overwhelming and painful gift it was.

Prayer:

Father, forgive me for forgetting the horror of the cross and for taking Your sacrifice for granted. Help me to daily remember the price of my salvation and eternal life, and be thankful for your beautiful blood. Amen.

Week 11

Kerplunk…Splat

Delia Latham

Acts 28:27—For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.

Romans 11:7-9—What then? What the people of Israel sought so earnestly they did not obtain. The elect among them did, but the others were hardened, as it is written: “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that could not see and ears that could not hear, to this very day.”

Mark 8:18—Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember?

Kerplunk. Splat. Kerplunk. Splat. Kerplunk. Splat.

Groaning, I pulled my pillow over my head, trying to drown out the sound of the dripping faucet. They say every cloud has a silver lining, but I was beginning to think every silver lining formed the path to a bigger cloud.

My husband and I had just moved into a new-to-us home in the country on three beautiful acres. We’d already met several nice neighbors who were close enough to keep us from feeling secluded, but far enough away to provide a wonderful feeling of privacy that we hadn’t known in the city. We were beyond thrilled.

And then, the very first night we bedded down in our new nest, we heard it: Kerplunk…splat. Kerplunk…splat. The master bathroom sink had a dripping faucet. Can anything be more annoying? We did everything we could think of to silence it and nothing worked. We finally resorted to a quick-fix—wrapping the faucet in a hand towel to muffle the annoying sound.

The next day, my husband attacked the plumbing with all the right tools, and we happily went about our day. But we’d no sooner settled into bed that night when…kerplunk…splat. Kerplunk…splat.

The plumbing in that bathroom was a mystery. Despite my dear husband’s best efforts, he was unable to conquer that faucet. As time went on, we noticed the drip less and less. It had become a familiar background noise.

A good thing? Uh…no. That drip was indicative of an underlying problem. We couldn’t afford to pay a plumber, so we just learned to live with it. Until the day, a couple of years later, when we awakened one morning to find a two-inch lake of water throughout the entire house.

Then we called the professionals, who promptly found the source of the problem and fixed it. After the complicated process of drying out our carpets and pads and getting the house back in order, we were able to return to our bedroom—where we stared into the darkness for hours. Neither of us could sleep…and finally we figured out why.

The sound of that leaky faucet, once so annoying to us, had become a part of our sleep routine. And now we had to learn how to drift off without the kerplunk…splat lullaby that had escorted us into Dreamland for so long.

That surprising realization woke something in me spiritually…a reminder that the blood of Christ has continued to flow through the ages of the past, into the present, and it will stream right on into the future. Because my parents raised me in the church, I can’t remember a time when I didn’t know about “the crimson stream of blood.” But familiarity can become a danger because—pardon the cliché, but…it breeds contempt. In this case, perhaps the right word would be “disregard.” It’s what happens when something becomes so much a part of the surroundings that it blends into the environment and is no longer really seen (heard, felt, tasted, smelled, etc.).

What a frightening possibility! Let us ever remain awake and alert to the ever-flowing stream of blood that flows for our salvation.



Reflection:

We can’t afford to become deaf to the dripping of blood from the cross of Calvary. That living flow is our spiritual life’s blood…it covers our sins, washes our hearts, and makes us clean. It is the reason we can approach the throne of our God and know that He will grant us audience. Flow on, Calvary’s fount!

Prayer:

Dear Lord, let me never drift so far from You that I can’t hear the rush of living water, and the steady, life-giving flow of Your blood. Thank You for taking the stripes for my healing, for giving Your life for my salvation. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

Week 12

Earning God’s Forgiveness

Marianne Evans

Colossians 1:13-14—For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Acts 26:17-18—I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.

Acts 13:38—Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.

Jesus, I know I’ve sinned. Jesus, I know I did something wrong. I know I’ve hurt someone. I’ve atoned, I’ve apologized. I’ve sought forgiveness in prayers to You, sincerely working to move forward…but…

I whisper the prayer in an earnest supplication for mercy and help. Then, as though on cue from Satan, in slithers guilt, and the realization that I’ve fallen. I’m a Christian, for cryin’ out loud, and I keep on messing up. Boy, am I a great poster-child for the Kingdom.

That’s when matters really become tangled. In order to apologize to God, I go to work triple-time, pressuring myself toward a goal of perfection I’ll never in this life achieve.

Welcome to the sin of pride—and, in another way, the sin of faithlessness. Now, quick, let’s get to the flip side.

Forgiveness.

God’s Word is true. God’s Word tells us that no matter how often we sin, He is there waiting for us. God’s Word tells us no matter how many times we fall short, He eternally offers His mercy. Christ’s death, the precious blood that washes me clean, helps me to re-center, calm down and remember that God never grows tired of a sinner who comes home.

No matter what Satan tries to tell me.

In an attempt to grow past this mistaken perception I’ve tried to look at this attitude of mine in the context of…a candy cane.

I’m the thin red stripe on a candy cane, signifying the sin that called forth Christ’s death and bloodshed in order to build a bridge to God. But do you know what else? I’m also the white, the cleansed, the purified and redeemed. So are you. The goodness of God shines in each and every one of us.



Reflection:

Think about the stunning mix of dark red and pure white that creates the pattern of your life. Consider the mix of what’s good in your life, and what needs to be worked on. Are there areas of your life you’re being called to explore more deeply, and reform? Take that streak of red to Christ in prayer. Make it white as snow.

Prayer:

Dear Lord, life is a mix of Your sacrificial blood and life-giving resurrection. Help me to celebrate and give thanks for what is divine and good in my life, for all of it comes from You. Help me also see the ways in which I can live my life more in tune with You. Where I fail, where I need Your strength and guidance the most, help me be a willing disciple and eager recipient. Amen.

Week 13

A Thin Red Shell

Tanya Stowe

Hebrews 9: 12—He entered once for all into the sanctuary, not with the blood of goats and calves but with his own blood.

Luke 4:1-2—Filled with the holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days, to be tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days and when they were over he was hungry.

The season of Lent begins forty days before Easter…forty days in remembrance of Christ’s time in the desert where he resisted Satan’s temptation. A time of prayer and fasting to unite ourselves with Christ’s suffering, to purify our minds and spirits, and to strengthen our resolve to resist temptation. One way to build our moral strength is to forgo small pleasures. It’s customary during Lent to “give up” something such as sweets or sodas.

In olden times, meat was a rare commodity not often available. With no freezers or means to preserve meat, giving up this special treat during Lent was a sacrifice indeed, a potent reminder that Christ gave up His life for us.

In Eastern European countries it was also customary to abstain from eating dairy products, including eggs. Of course, hens didn’t stop laying eggs just because it was Lent, so the eggs had to be preserved. They were hard-boiled and saved for the Easter day feast.

Since ancient times the egg has been a symbol of new life. Seizing upon this sign and making it new, European Christians would dye all those hard-boiled eggs red, in remembrance of the blood Christ shed for us. Like the earliest of Christians, they carried their baskets of red eggs and loaves of bread to service Easter morning to share with their neighbors.

Imagine…after months of bland, Spartan diets, they peeled back the thin red shell to find an egg, pure and white as the driven snow. Could there be any more appropriate symbol for an Easter feast? Just like the fragile shell that protects the egg’s contents, the thin red line of His blood is all that stands between us and an eternity without God.

We are bathed in the blood of Christ and made new. Reconciled with our Creator because of His sacrifice. The old symbol of life, the egg, becomes the new sign of rebirth. What a joyous way to celebrate the risen Christ on Easter morning!

Today we color our eggs with spring, and fill our Easter with signs of new birth—baby chicks, rabbits, chocolate, new hats and Easter outfits. These are all good signs, full of hope and joy. But it adds an extra dimension to our thankfulness to also remember—every day, but especially on the one designated each year to remember His resurrection—the price He paid for our salvation.

From now on, I’m going to make sure there are a few red eggs in my Easter basket.



Reflection:

What ways can we daily practice to strengthen our moral character? What small things remind of us Christ’s sacrifice? What is the best part of celebrating His risen Glory?

Prayer:

Jesus, we thank You always for the price You paid for our salvation. We love You, praise You and ask You to help us find ways every day to raise Your name to greater glory. Amen.

Week 14

Love-Colored Glasses

Jody Bailey Day

1 Samuel 16:7—But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

Hebrews 10:17—Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.

Psalm 103:12—As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

A very long way from home, expecting a baby and abandoned by my boyfriend, I cried out to God. My brief stray from the Christian path held important, life-changing consequences. I repented of my sin and set out to raise my daughter with God’s help.

When I tried to find a church during my pregnancy, I found that people didn’t know what to do with me. I overheard one pastor say, “This will color her life all her days. What she has done will never leave her or be forgotten.”

Questions entered my heart. “Does God look at me that way? Am I forever forgiven, but damaged in God’s sight?”

A caring Christian counselor reminded me that God looks on the heart wearing love-colored glasses, the love of Christ. Because of His perfect sacrifice, my sins are removed from me as far as the east is from the west. He doesn’t even remember them! Joy!

Yes, my life has been colored by the experience, but the color is blood red. Christ’s blood, shed for me on the cross, made me whole again.



Reflection:

Should we hold onto what God has forgotten? Let us remember to look at ourselves and others through the costly love that Christ gives so freely.

Prayer:

Father, thank you for casting our repented sin from us as far as the east is from the west. Thank You for redemption and restoration. Help us to see through the same love-colored lenses that You use. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Week 15

Red Lilies

Marian P. Merritt

Luke 22:20—In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.”

1 Corinthians 11:25—In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

Ephesians 2:13—But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

While the white lily is typically the flower associated with Easter Sunday, from the time I was a young girl, I’ve always thought the red lily more appropriate.

Each Spring I waited anxiously for the explosion of vibrant color from the multitude of red lilies my grandmother had planted along both sides of her house. It was the symbol of spring to me. A new birth when everything started over from a dormant state. The trees burst forth in all their greenery. Flowers awakened and spilled their color to the world. The lilies popped from their pods and splashed red all around my grandparents’ house. Those red blooms symbolized new beginnings. Hope. Energy.

When I moved away from home, I dug up several of those lily bulbs and planted them at my new house. I now had a piece of my grandmother’s prized lilies as well as my own reminder of new beginnings.

We moved five times and with each move, I divided the bulbs and brought them with me to be planted at our new home. It warms my heart to know that those bulbs may still be in our former yards blooming each spring for strangers to enjoy. I know my grandmother would be happy to know her lilies live on and are touching many lives.

It’s the same when we reflect Christ’s character. We’re like those red lilies blooming as reminders of new beginnings. Covered by the blood Jesus shed to give us the freedom from sin, we can go forth with hope, energy, and confidence. We can awaken from our dormant state and burst forth. And each time we show Christ to someone we meet, we leave a part of Him behind to bloom forth.



Reflection:

Do you reflect the character of Christ to the people you encounter? What an amazing way to leave a lasting impression by leaving the impression of Christ.

Prayer:

Father God, help me to be more like You and reflect Your character to everyone I meet. Give me the strength to offer hope, confidence, and energy to someone who needs to be reminded of You. Amen.

Week 16

Wet Towels

Robin Bayne

Ephesians 2:12-14—But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Romans 3:24-26—God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished.

Hebrews 9:13-15—How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God.

Lucy’s laughter rang through the family room, a hearty sound my sister Donna and I really enjoyed. No sullen teenager my daughter, Lucy kept up her end of the conversation quite well.

“And then Coach announced the team had to wash our uniforms for a month.” Lucy and Donna erupted in more giggles, and I couldn’t keep myself from grinning as well. I stirred my coffee, relief easing the tension in my shoulders as I acknowledged that my girl was maturing, growing finally into a more responsible and happy young woman.

“Pass the cream,” Donna asked, and I complied. Our little trio gathered around my small bistro table in the sunroom. Soon Lucy would have to leave for her after-school job.

A sudden bolt of lightning struck nearby and thunder cracked, causing us all to jump. Rain began to pound the roof and windows, and we sat in silence, admiring nature.

“Mom! Someone left the dining room door open again! We’re flooding!” My son’s voice relayed his panic, and I raced toward him. He slammed the French door closed.

“Grab towels!”

The four of us sopped up rain water from the hardwood floor, then my son disappeared. I wiped a tired hand over my forehead before turning to my daughter.

“How could you be so careless? Haven’t you grown up at all? You knew you left this door open! You do it all the time when you go out back to sunbathe!”

Lucy’s eyes widened and Donna blanched.

“So what do you have to say?” I spit out.

“Mom, I—”

“Wait—” Donna began.

I threw up my hands and stomped from the room. I heard Lucy running up the front steps, but I didn’t care. My pulse pounded and I braced my hands on the kitchen sink.

Soon Donna was behind me. “Are you going to go after her?”

I stared straight ahead, stubborn as ever.

“Listen,” she went on, touching my shoulder. “Lucy’s a beautiful girl, who spent her day talking with us. And liking it. Most teenagers would be holed up in their rooms, on the phone or playing games or music. But she chose to be with us. So what if she forgot about the door? It was a gift that she spent time with us.”

I sighed.

“Forgiveness is a gift, too. A sacrifice.” She picked up one of the soaked cotton towels, and made a show of wringing it out over the sink. “Like Christ’s blood, let’s have this water wash away each other’s sins.” She yanked my hand toward the towel and squeezed out more fluid. I suddenly understood. This must have been what Helen Keller experienced when water on her hand brought enlightenment.

“Thank you,” I whispered. “I’m going to talk to Lucy.”

I took a wet towel with me.



Reflection:

Who in your life have you had to forgive? Did you wring out the towel, figuratively? Did you think about it as something Christ did for us?

Prayer:

Dear Father, thank You for all the times You’ve forgiven me, and for allowing me to learn to forgive others. I thank You for giving me this story through a dream as a reminder for my own life. I especially thank You for the blood Your Son shed in sacrifice for us all.

Week 17

Cleansing Blood

Anne Greene

I Peter 1:19—For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver and gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

Hebrews 9:14—How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

I didn’t go to church until I was fourteen. My older sister and I walked the seven blocks from our house to the pretty stone church on the corner with the lovely stained glass window in front. We didn’t sit in the pews. We sang in the choir. And we didn’t miss a Sunday for the next five years. But I never once heard that Jesus would save me from my sins.

And I carried a load of sin.

I could never please my father. He found something wrong with everything I did. Not that he let me do much. He didn’t. Years later, I learned he suffered from Paranoid Schizophrenia. Because of his illness, he was distrustful and controlling. And he kept me aware of every shortcoming in my life. My load of guilt strained my back.

So, I felt small and dirty and inferior. I visited other churches in my little town, but none of them gave me any hope. The ministers spoke of God, and perhaps of Jesus’ miracles, but never of His blood. My load of sin grew heavier.

I married, left home and moved to a different state. I was drawn by a strong power to a small church near the apartment my husband and I had moved into. The pink building was uninviting and didn’t look anything like a church, but an inner compulsion urged me to visit. In my other church most of the people were middle-aged and seldom spoke to one another. At this church, young people my age flocked up the stairs and into the double doors, laughing and talking to one another. This was no staid, look-your-Sunday-best-for-other-people kind of church. I was almost afraid to go inside. These people had some aura about them that I didn’t recognize. Maybe they were snake handlers. Maybe they danced in the aisles.

The pastor was young, dark-haired, handsome and dynamic. And what he said totally changed my world, my husband, and me. He told me Jesus shed His blood on the cross for my sins. I was twenty-one years old and had never heard that Christ died a cruel, bloody death on the cross for me, was buried, and rose the third day to buy me back from sin and let me live with God. That day I became a new creation in Christ, as did my husband.

All the dirt, shame, guilt and inferiority I had carried all my life just slid off my back and disappeared. Christ cared enough for me that He would accept torture and death to make me fit to enter into God’s presence. His blood truly made me clean.



Reflection:

As the old hymn states, “There is power in the blood, in the soul-cleansing blood of the lamb.” I know. I received that power. I lost all my sin, guilt and shame. I zoomed out of darkness into light. I know the exact day, hour, and minute when Jesus’ blood washed over me and I became a child of God. Have you taken time to reflect on the power in Jesus’ blood? He washes away all your sin.

Prayer:

Jesus, I ask You to make Yourself real to me. I want to claim the power of Your blood in my life, and become a new creation in Christ Jesus. Please take all my darkness of sin, pain, and unworthiness. I leave them now at the foot of Your cross. Thank You for Your cleansing blood. Amen.

Week 18

Blood Vessels

Delia Latham

2 Corinthians 4:6-7 (KJV)—For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

2 Timothy 2:19-21 (KJV)—Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.

What is a blood vessel? I am. You are too, if you’re a follower of Christ.

In the natural—and in very simplistic terms—we think of blood vessels as the part of the body’s circulatory system that transports blood throughout our bodies. That’s an important role, considering blood is the life force of a human body.

The network of blood vessels is actually far more complex than that description makes it seem, but let’s keep it simple. Three major types of vessels keep the blood flowing: Arteries carry the blood away from the heart; capillaries enable the exchange of water and chemicals between the blood and the tissues; and veins carry blood from the capillaries back toward the heart.

A perfect circle of life.

Circulation is hindered when any one of the three blood vessel types stops doing its job. For obvious reasons, that kind of situation could quickly become dangerous—threatening loss of limb in some situations, and loss of life in others.

We are the earthly vessels God uses to keep the blood of Christ distributed. We carry the Good News of the Gospel of Christ—some taking it to foreign lands, others spreading the Word on a local front. Through the lives we live and the words of our testimonies, we share the Living Water with thirsty souls, and keep the body of Christ hydrated and balanced. God has called each one of us to lead others back to Him…and that completes the circle, taking the flow of blood right back to the heart, which is Christ.

The word “vessel” simply means a hollow container made to hold or transport contents of one type or another. And isn’t that what we are, you and I as Christians? Just empty vessels the Lord has “prepared unto every good work” by filling us with the Holy Spirit, making us able to transport the life-giving blood to every part of the body of Christ.



Reflection:

Let us be careful not to become the vessel that is pinched or cut off from the central system (Jesus Christ), causing circulation problems within the body of Christ (the Church). He has created a perfect circle of life. Whether our function is a vein, a capillary, or an artery, it is necessary to the undeterred flow of that crimson stream of life-giving blood.

Prayer:

Father, I want to be a vessel of honor…the kind of vessel You can trust to serve well in whatever function You choose to use me. Let me never be the source of a “clogged artery” or “pinched vein” within the body of Christ. I’m only a vessel of clay, but Your love can shine through me, Your blood can flow through me for Your glory. I ask that it be so. In Jesus precious name. Amen.

Week 19

Caught—Red-Handed

Rev. Michael Duncan

Psalm 40:2—He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.

Psalm 18:12—He reached down and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters.

Colossians 1:20—…and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

Long ago, in the days of summer, at the tender age of eight, I spent a good amount of time at my grandma’s home. Actually, it was at the pool in her trailer court. With my brother and sister, we would walk to the clear, blue water which offered its cool invitation. My brother would jump in first; he always did. My sister would enter slowly, with a one-toe-at-a-time approach. Me, well, since I had just recently learned how to swim, I was always eager to try out my new-found skills. Nirvana waited!

Now, before I go any further, you must understand that my dad would tell me to stay in the shallows and not venture in over my head. But I was young and brave and egged on by the other children, so I stepped onto the single diving board and jumped in—right into the deepest part.

Water engulfed me. The swirling clear delight became a suffocating trap with the grip of death that tried to pull me under. I struggled, clawed and fought for the surface, gasping for air—desperate for help. My brother quickly came to my rescue. Yet for all his effort, he did not have the strength to save me. In my panic, I grabbed him and now both of us faced imminent doom.

Then, from above, a mighty hand reached down and hauled us to the surface. It was a grip that would not be resisted and a strength that did not falter. With one great heave, my brother and I were on the deck—alive.

All of us are drowning in the depths of sin. Engulfed by the maelstrom, we thrash and splash in desperation to try and save ourselves. Our loved ones try to rescue us, but it’s all in vain. They have no power to deliver us from the end that waits.

Then there’s God!

In Christ, God reached His hand into the waters of humanity to pull us out. He saved us from our own foolish sin and set us firmly upon the Solid Rock. If you ever doubt that just look at the nail-scarred hands of the Lord Jesus, stained red by His own blood shed on the cross. If you are in Christ Jesus, you have been caught by the mighty grip of God. You have been caught—red handed.



Reflection:

Have you ventured into a life that is over your head? Did you ignore the warnings from God and others and now find yourself in the depths of sin—flailing about but unable to deliver yourself? God’s mighty hand is there to pull you out, just trust Him and give Him your life. He promises to set you on solid ground.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, I need Your deliverance. I cry out to You. Save me from the sin that seeks to drown me, pull me out for I trust in You.

Week 20

Fire Light

by Susan Lyttek

Ezekiel 34:11-12—“‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness.

Hebrews 13:20-21—Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

1 John 1:7—But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

When I am stressed and cold, nothing beats the warm, red glow of a wood fire. Every crackle reminds me that I am sheltered and safe.

As a child, I was a Girl Scout for nearly five years. I went camping quite often with my troop, and we almost always went to the same campground. On one trip, our campsite was one of the more remote ones in the area.

As an experienced Scout, I knew the rules and the buddy requirements…but all I had to do was use the facilities. I told my buddy I’d be right back. When she protested, I assured her it was OK. “I’ve camped here dozens of times. I know my way around.”

I had no difficulty finding my way to the restrooms. It was easy to see the exterior light that marked the main building. Unfortunately, I’d been in such a hurry to get there, I hadn’t noticed the path.

On the way back, heading in what I assumed was the direction of our campsite, I could see only trees and darkness. Suddenly, every noise magnified. Panicked, I broke into a run, crashing through brush and unoccupied campsites.

Then I saw it. A faint red glow. Relieved, I followed the flickering light and arrived back at our campsite, and the fire we had started in order to cook our dinner.

I had been gone less than twenty minutes, but it felt like hours. I vowed never to do that to myself again. What would I have done without the fire to guide me home?

As I passed a church recently, I saw a message on their placard out front that reminded me of those camping days. It read something like “the sheep know the light of their master’s fire. In its glow, they have no fear of the wolves.”

When I crash about every which way in the woods of life, Christ—our “great Shepherd of the sheep”—keeps the fire lit to lead me home. And once I return, whether through prayer or reading His Word, He keeps me safe and at peace no matter what happens beyond the fold.

But, no matter how bright the red glow of firelight, or how safe “home” might be, I must choose to walk out of the dark forest of sin and into the safety of the “campsite.” Our risen Savior, Jesus Christ, walks only in the light—there is no darkness in Him. Our Shepherd rose, and through the power of the blood spilt upon the cross, became our redemption and salvation. In communion, we partake of that blood, the essence of His Light.



Reflection:

When you wander into dark, sinful places, do you stumble around in the dark, relying on an obscure path to guide you home, or do you calm yourself, remember the Light and search for that flicker to lead you back to safety?

Prayer:

Jesus, You keep the fire burning so I can find my way home. You keep the blood flowing to wash off the stains of sin I acquire in the darkness. But I have to “walk in the light, as [You are] in the light,” (1 John 1:7) in order for the blood of the Shepherd—Your blood to work in me. Help me to avoid the darkness, but if I should find myself there, guide me back to You.

Week 21

The Blood-Bought Relationship

H.L. Wegley

Hebrews 9:22-24—…without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness…Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence.

Hebrews 10:11-12—Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God...

I scraped the thick layer of moss from the protruding limestone boulder, and we both gasped at what lay underneath. A clear, sparkling vein of crystal ran through the center of the big rock. For two young boys, it might as well have been gold.

“I’m going to get some of that.” Colby pointed to the exposed crystal.

I wanted a share of that gem too, so I looked around for a makeshift hammer, but all I saw were smaller pieces of limestone, little shards and a few big pieces almost too heavy for a ten-year-old to lift.

Determined now, Colby picked up a thirty-pound rock and strained to raise it above his head.

When I saw he just might accomplish that, I looked down at the seam of crystal he had targeted.

A small rock rolled down. It would deflect his blow.

“Wait a minute, Col.” I reached in to move the rock. I didn’t notice that Colby’s downswing had already started, a motion he didn’t have the means to stop.

My right index finger lay on the small rock, the anvil, when the thirty-pound sledge hammer smashed it flat.

Crimson sprayed across the boulder as my finger split open.

The funny thing was, it didn’t hurt. My finger was numb. But when I looked at it that was a different story. My scream came from the sight of the filleted finger, not from pain.

Run to Colby’s house. His mom will know what to do.

When I stood to run, I saw the look in my buddy’s eyes. That look hurt more than my finger ever would.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to,” he kept yelling as I ran toward the house at a pace he couldn’t match.

By then I had already forgiven him...completely.

Even if he’d hurt me on purpose, I still would have forgiven him, because that’s what you do when you have a real relationship with someone, especially a childhood buddy.

His mom doctored my finger; it healed, and years later that finger led my right hand through many arpeggios on my guitar.

My shed blood wasn’t a planned sacrifice. But when Jesus shed His blood it was a sacrifice planned by God from eternity. His sacrifice brought the real possibility of forgiveness, forgiveness coming from both God’s love and His desire for relationship with people. Christ’s blood bought that relationship. And just as between Colby and me, relationship means love, love means forgiveness is available, and love covers a multitude of sins.

“Hey, Col! If I forgot to tell you that day, don’t worry about it. I forgive you.”



Reflection:

Our forgiveness through the blood of Christ is so full, so complete, so freely given that it would be a shame to hold onto guilt. Ask Him to forgive you. Is there someone to whom you need to show Christ’s example of love and forgiveness? Remember, love combined with forgiveness is the most powerful apologetic for the Christian faith, one that repairs and restores relationships.

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, I thank You that when I have committed sins, You made forgiveness available through the precious blood of Jesus. Help me to offer forgiveness to others. And I thank You, Jesus, for shedding Your blood—one sacrifice for sins forever.

Week 22

A Stolen Miracle

Delia Latham

Leviticus 15:25 (KJV)—And if a woman have an issue of her blood many days out of the time of her separation, or if it run beyond the time of her separation; all the days of the issue of her uncleanness shall be as the days of her separation: she shall be unclean.

Luke 8:42-48—As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. “Who touched me?” Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.” But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.” Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”

Hebrews 10:19-22—Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.

We’ve all heard of the woman with the issue of blood. She spent all she had on physicians, trying to find a cure for her disease. How sad that something for which she was not to blame shamed her and caused her to be considered unclean!

Imagine the scene. Jesus and the disciples are trying to make their way through a massive crowd. You’ve been there—Disneyland on a summertime weekend, folks. Jesus Christ stops dead in the middle of this pressing throng and demands, “Who touched me?”

Can’t you just hear the harried disciples’ sarcastic replies? “Who touched you? Excuse me, Master, but take a look around us—we’re in the middle of a mob here! Everyone’s pushing and shoving and bumping into one another. And you want to know who touched you? Puh-leeze!”

But Jesus says, “Uh-uh, dudes! Somebody just siphoned virtue right outta my skin. Now, who touched me?”

This “unclean” woman has just stolen a miracle. Not only has she defied tradition by being amongst the crowd, but she has broken the law by deliberately touching Jesus while she bled, and now she must come forward and confess what she did. How frightened she must have been when He demanded to know who had touched Him! But Jesus’ reaction, of course, is to love her. “Daughter, your faith has made you whole,” he says. Daughter. Now she’s family. Now this unclean thief of virtue is a blood relation to the Son of God.

Man oh man! I want to steal a miracle!

Or do I?

Do I possess the kind of courage, tenacity, and determination it must have required for this weak, sick woman—this pariah of society—to get where she needed to be to claim her miracle? She struggled through a crowd of humanity, crawling when necessary to make her way through the pushing, shoving throng. She may well have been knocked down a time or two before she achieved fingertip distance of that holy garment. By the time she was able to brush against it, she almost certainly had scraped knees and bruised elbows, a dirty face and tousled hair. More than once, she probably thought she wasn’t going to make it. But she kept at it, fighting and clawing her way through until she got close enough to reach out and take the miracle that hadn’t even been offered to her—one she sneaked up on and claimed as her own.

How blessed we are that Jesus, by the shedding of His own pure blood, opened the way for us to approach Him, with all our filth and uncleanness, to claim our blessings!



Reflection:

What amazing wonders might we see if we are willing to make the kind of sacrifices this incredible woman made, to suffer ridicule and disrespect, to dirty our hands in the filthy soil of life, in order to obtain the things we need from God. Are we truly grateful enough that we no longer must go to such measures to touch our Lord? No matter how dark our sins, they are all cleansed and covered forever by the blood of Christ, and the door to His chambers are forever opened. It is the only miracle we need to make all other miracles possible.

Prayer:

Precious Father, You are the one and only true Miracle Worker, and I need to touch the hem of Your holy garment. Lord, make me willing to make whatever sacrifice is needed to claim what Calvary made possible for me. Give me courage to face ridicule, and tenacity to keep plowing through the obstacles until I reach You and claim my own miracle. I ask it in Your precious Name. Amen.

Week 23

Blood Bath

Sharon Srock

Matthew 5:16 (KJV)—Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Hebrews 12:1 (KJV)—Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.

I washed my car today. I’m always amazed at the amount of dirt that accumulates on the surface of my vehicle between cleanings, so much dust, mud, and road grime. I don’t take her into dirty places intentionally. If there’s a puddle I can avoid, I do, but even with the care I take she occasionally needs a good scrubbing.

She’s a new car, and the filth accumulating on her beautiful paint is through no fault of her own. It’s simply a byproduct of doing what she was designed to do. Worse than the dirt is the fact that she is at my mercy to make her clean and restore her to her intended glory.

I brought her home, stepped up on the porch, and turned back to look at my handiwork. Everything about her shone in the sunlight.

Our lives are a lot like my car. When we give our lives to Christ, He doesn’t remove us from the world we were designed to live and function in. We still have to go about our daily lives, brushing up against a filthy world. We’re exposed to the dirt and grunge everywhere we go. Perhaps we aren’t doing anything wrong intentionally; we’re simply living the lives God created us to live. Before we know it, dust and grime cover our lives. The Glory of God that should shine through us becomes dimmed, and we need a good scrubbing.

Thank God we are not at the mercy of a fickle human schedule when the need for cleaning comes. We can come to Him anytime of the day or night and be cleansed in the fountain of His shed blood. And once we’re washed clean, how gloriously we’ll shine for the Son.



Reflection:

Has your radiance been dimmed by the accumulated dust of the world? Come to the fountain.

Prayer:

Jesus, wash me clean once more. Make my life the beacon You intended it to be to the world.

Week 24

The Blood of Redemption

Marianne Evans

Ephesians 1:7—In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.

Colossians 1:13-14—For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loved, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Romans 3:24—All are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

I’m beyond redemption. My sins are too great.

God’s mercy and grace may spread through the entirety of the world, but it isn’t meant for me individually. Personally. Intimately.

How could The Creator of the entire universe possibly treasure me alone? There are billions upon billions of souls in the world. God? And me? One-on-one? I can’t grasp it, or get my head around it.

When I hear comments like this, I can see Christ on the cross. I can feel the stream of pure red blood that tracks down his arms, chest and legs…and erases every argument against solitary forgiveness. We are precious. We are treasured. Every bead of red proves it.

I imagine Him suspended on wooden beams, high above the evil of our world, pleading with His Father: “Bring them to You. They’ll never fully understand the depth and reach of Your love. Bring them to You anyway. That’s why I give My all.” That image has become my answer to each one of those comments.

When you reform, when you regret, when you work toward atonement, through the Body and Blood of Christ, you are never beyond the reach of God’s redemption. You are why Jesus surrendered His life. Yes, He shed His blood for the many, but He shed His blood for you. You alone. He would have died on that cross if you were the only sinful person on the face of the earth—no matter how grave that sin—so long as you came to Him in acceptance, reform and in faithful trust of his forgiveness.

That’s the miracle. That’s the grace. That’s the roadmap to peace, joy, love and eternal life. He loves you that much, that unconditionally and that powerfully. Yes—you.



Reflection:

Reflecting on the way God gave His only begotten Son, delivering salvation and redemption through the birth of Jesus Christ, consider the deeper ways you might embrace that truth not just in broad brushstrokes but individually—and personally. Talk to Jesus, one-on-one. Pour out your heart, your joys and fears, your hopes and your sins. He’s waiting and He loves you no matter what. Go to him.

Prayer:

Dear Lord, Redemption through the Blood of Christ is the most precious gift we are given. Help us to focus on the truth that Your love is meant for each and every individual. From there, help us to bring Your light and love to everyone around us, no matter what their life circumstances. Help us learn the joy of redemption. Amen.

Week 25

No More Tears

Clare Revell

Revelation 21:4—He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.

Isaiah 65:19—I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more.

When we were kids we used to love going to visit Nanna and Grandad. Every afternoon during the school holidays, Mum would walk the four of us the mile and a half from Townhill Park to Midenbury in all weathers. It was great. We started by crossing the road opposite our house and running down the hill. Then we’d have to wait for Mum and pram or pushchair or toddler on a bike to catch up.

We’d run—because kids never walk if they can run—along the path a little bit until we got to the wall. Oh, the wall. A nice long slope to begin with, before a long wall to walk along. Or we’d run up the steps and down the slope instead. A little further along was another wall. Not so tall, so we’d do this one on our own without having our hands held. This one was yellow. The only yellow brick anywhere on the estate.

A little further on was the shops. If it was a Tuesday, we’d have to wait while Mum got the family allowance. After that, it was up the hill, past the bombsite to the corner of Nanna’s road, before running up the hill to her house. We’d always ring the bell twice so she’d know it was us. We’d sing a really off-key version of We Plough the Fields and Scatter because she didn’t like that hymn. Any more than she liked being called granny.

One time we were going up to number 43 as it was known, and I fell really badly. Bumped my knees and both hands, taking the skin off in a couple of places and picking up what looked like at least half the pavement at the same time. In tears, I followed the others the rest of the way. Nanna sat me on her kitchen table and cleaned up my knees and hands. She looked at me and told me very matter-of-factly, “If it’s not bleeding, then you can’t cry.”

“But it is…”

“But you know the blood is making it clean, don’t you?”

I tilted my head. “Huh? But you’re cleaning the blood off.”

“Yes, but the blood is washing away all the dirt and germs from your cuts and making them clean.”



Reflection:

The blood of Jesus washes us and makes us white as snow. It doesn’t matter how old we are, or what part of the world we come from, or how rich or poor we are. We have all fallen, gotten cuts and scrapes from the dirt of sin and need to be washed in the blood and made clean.

Prayer:

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for loving us enough to wash us from the stains and grime of everyday life and free us from the sins that cling to us. We know we’re not perfect and won’t be this side of Heaven, yet You love us regardless.

Week 26

Giving Back…Giving Beyond Belief

LoRee Peery

John 10:11—I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

John 10:14-15—I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.

Hebrews 13:20—May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep.

Lifeblood. We need blood to live. In January 2013, I went to the local blood bank for my donation appointment. A sign announced that it was Blood Donor Month, celebrating the heroes who gave. I commented to those around me that I didn’t consider myself a hero.

We visited for a time and someone asked why I donate. I answered that it was an interesting question because there was a time when I almost fainted at the sight of my blood. They made a big deal out of it being my 60th donation, and a PR person asked for my story.

I responded by saying that I write about fictional heroines and heroes, and believe it “heroic” when they “face their fears.” In a way, that’s what I did. Prior to September 11, 2001, I fought passing out when giving a simple blood draw at the doctor’s office.

Post 9-11, I sought a way to do something, whatever I could, to help others. I was prompted to donate when I heard how vital giving blood could be in a disaster situation. I already knew of friends and family who had been given the gift of life through blood transfusions.

Heroes are selfless people who give to others on a daily basis through their jobs, or as volunteers. Police officers, the military, and firefighters lay their lives on the line every time they clock in. Those in the medical profession give of themselves for the benefit of others, sometimes putting their own health at risk.

I don’t feel like a hero when I donate blood. It’s just a way to give a little something to humanity, a small time commitment involving a pinprick in the arm. I continue to donate because it is one way I can give back or pay it forward. A small gift on my part, but that gift of blood may save another’s life.

Blood saves lives.

Jesus Christ gave up more than a vial of His blood. He laid down His life for me. That is giving beyond belief.



Reflection:

What do you give? Preparing to give blood or give your time in service, are perfect opportunities to reflect on what life-giving blood is all about. It’s a gift from one to another, a gift that saves lives. And that’s what Jesus did for us all. He saved us. With His blood.

Prayer:

My Dear Shepherd, when I consider what You did on the cross, it is a gift beyond belief. You laid down Your life by the giving of Your blood. You showered us with Your inexplicable love for us, Your sheep. I thank You for all the unsung heroes, whether they donate blood, their time, or risk their lives for others. To You be all the glory, Father. Amen.

Week 27

Reflection of the Heart

E.A. West

James 3:9-10—With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.

Psalm 139:4—Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely.

Proverbs 4:23-24—Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips.

One of my family’s rules has always been no swearing. As children, if any of us said what some consider a mild curse word, we received a lecture about the importance of keeping our language clean. If a lecture didn’t do the trick, our parents had no qualms about washing dirty mouths out with soap as a reminder to clean up our language. Through witnessing others experience this particular reminder, I learned early on not to use certain words. I didn’t fully understand why some words were OK while others would get me in trouble, but I did whatever it took to avoid the risk of tasting soap.

This gave me a strong foundation of right and wrong when it came to language—something that made my teens years a struggle. Surrounded by people who swore like the proverbial angry sailors, I was accused of being uptight or straight-laced if I said anything about the foul language making me uncomfortable. I was laughed at for not using words that I had grown up knowing were off-limits, yet were so common among my peers. It still didn’t make sense to me that words could cause such contention, but I could see a difference between those who used foul language regularly and those who didn’t.

My friends who cursed every other sentence tended to be angry, discontent, and irreverent. They had little use for authority, and parents were people they had little to no respect for. The friends who avoided foul language tended to be better adjusted, respectful, and hopeful for the future. A little more comparison between the two groups brought to light a major difference, one I believe made all the difference. Those who kept their language clean regularly attended church and had accepted Christ as their Savior. Those with filthy mouths avoided church like the plague and thought Christians were deluded wimps.

The words that come from our mouths are a reflection of what exists in our hearts. For those whose sins have been covered by the blood of Christ, swearing is distasteful because it’s at odds with the cleanliness of their hearts. But we have to guard our hearts. It’s easy to fall into bad habits. The dirt of sin can rub off on those who have been cleansed of their sins, just as mud will turn a white floor brown. Thankfully, if we seek God’s grace and mercy, He will clean away the mud of the world and make the floor of our hearts shine white as snow once more.



Reflection:

Our words and thoughts reflect the contents of our hearts. Pay extra attention to what pops into your mind and out of your mouth when you’re angry or frustrated. Are they words you would use in front of Jesus?

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for Your precious gift of salvation, for making me white as snow through the sacrifice of Your precious Son. Cleanse my heart of the dirt of this world. Please help me to always use words that praise and honor You, and avoid words that hurt and curse. In Jesus’s name I pray, amen

Week 28

The Red Effect(s)

Susan Lyttek

2 Chronicles—7:14 If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

Isaiah 6:10—Make the heart of this people calloused;make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.

Hebrews 12:23b-25—You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven?

Recently I read an article about the effects of color on our behavior, particularly when we’re inclined to spend time or money. Advertisers are often reluctant to use red because it grabs the viewer’s attention and demands a response. Usually, because of history and conditioning, the response people give is to stop, then act forcefully. Since buyers initially respond to red like a stoplight, then with aggression, it often inhibits sales.

Red encourages the viewer to stop, look and then turn.

Now isn’t that odd? It is exactly the response God wants from us when we see the blood of His Son. Stop at the foot of the cross, look at what our sin has done to the Lord of Lords, and then turn from sin to walk into a new life.

Red is also seen as a warning. It speaks of pain and violence. The sight of red can trigger our fight-or-flight reaction. This vibrant color can awaken emotions and thoughts we’d rather not confront.

All of which combine to personify the purpose of the spilt blood of the cross.

In the Old Testament, people knew the purpose of the blood. It didn’t just pay for your sins, it reminded you that you did sin. Can you imagine the sea of blood the priests dealt with on a daily basis when the Israelites tried to obey the law?

We no longer have to step past a slain lamb to request temporary atonement. The blood our Lord shed on the cross was and is more powerful than any sacrifice ever made. He is the everlasting Lamb of God, not a temporary one. But without the blood right there in front of us, its message is often overlooked or ignored.

Today, let His blood anoint you as you stop, see its need, flee from the sin that caused the pain, and let it cleanse you anew.

Because blood is red, and red demands a response.



Reflection:

We could have seen in black and white like some animals and insects. But God created our eyes to see and react to the colors of the rainbow.

Prayer:

God of all creation: Our world is filled with bits of red, from the stop signs we see on the road, to the apples in the fruit basket. Remind us of the red that brings salvation, the blood shed by Your Son, every time we encounter the color. Thank You for all, Lord! Amen.

Week 29

Big Red

Marian P. Merritt

Proverbs 3:5-6—Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Jeremiah 17:7—But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.

Last year my husband, a vintage automobile fan, went on a mission to find the perfect truck to pull our travel trailer. After months of searching the Internet, he called me over to look at a picture on his iPad. He said, “Look at this. I think this is it.”

My husband saw a mint condition 1973 Ford F-250.

I saw an old red truck.

As he read off its attributes and marveled about the low miles, well-kept interior, and perfect exterior, all I thought about was the cost and whether this vehicle could meet our needs.

After discussing it for two weeks, he decided this was the one. The challenge was how to get the truck from Seattle, Washington to Northwest Colorado. My husband had the perfect solution. We would fly to Washington and drive it back. He’d spoken to the seller and felt it would be OK. The pickup was worthy.

Needless to say, this wasn’t my perfect solution. The practical side of me kicked into overdrive with all the reasons why this wasn’t a good idea.

“C’mon, it’ll be fun.” He nudged me. “I think we’ll be OK.”

The small voice of my adventurous side said, “Trust him. It’ll be fun.”

How could I pass up fun? How could I not trust that my husband wouldn’t put me in harm’s way?

So we flew to Seattle and drove the pickup truck we’ve named “Big Red” safely home to Colorado. And it was fun.

The landscape along the way was rich and vibrant. During that drive home, my husband and I laughed, talked, planned, and enjoyed our time together. I’m sure we’ll fondly remember that September adventure for a long time.

Now I look back and think, what were we thinking? How could we trust that a thirty-nine year-old vehicle we knew nothing about could get us safely home?

But with God’s protection, it did.

Through that experience, I’m reminded of how often I’ve failed to trust God’s voice when he says, “Trust me, I’ll get you safely home.”

Instead of listening, I’m thinking about what I need to do or about all the obstacles in my path. So many times, I’ve allowed my reason and logic to override my faith, forgetting that His shed blood covers me. Protects me. And has opened the door to a lasting relationship with Him.

His protection has gone far above getting me safely home in an old red truck. He’s protected me during times that I ignored Him. That’s how faithful He is.

In the times I let go and trust God, my life may not be easier, but I change. My view of the world and my situation is through a different perspective. Somewhat like looking at the landscape through the windshield of an old Ford pickup. Although the ride may be a bit bumpy, it’s filled with richness and vibrancy.



Reflection:

Have there been times when trusting God seemed impossible? God’s shed blood opened the door for the great relationship. As Christians, trusting God is a big part of relationship with Him and should be the easiest thing for us. Unfortunately, it’s not always our first path of choice. Many times we come to Him after we’ve failed because we’ve trusted our own ideas first. By remembering that He will always carry us safely home, placing our trust in Him should be our first and only option.

Prayer:

Father, continue to draw me closer to You. I pray that Your Holy Spirit nudges my spirit when I fall short of trusting You as deeply and completely as I should. Lord, keep me reminded that Your blood never loses its power to be my protection and help me to always trust You first, knowing that You will accompany me on the road that leads me safely home. Amen.

Week 30

Boundaries

Mary Manners

Lamentations 3:21-23—This I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness.

Psalm 86:15—You, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.

Psalm 143:8—Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.

My seventh birthday was a momentous occasion mainly because in my family, turning seven meant I was sure to receive what I imagined, in my child’s mind, to be the greatest gift of all—a shiny new bike.

It was a beauty—a splash of bubblegum pink with streamers flowing from curved handlebars. Pedal brakes and a chunky banana seat rounded out the mix. One look and I knew that suddenly I had my freedom, my independence, and the power to travel all the way to…the end of the block. It was better than the confines of our meager, chain-linked back yard. I grew up in Chicago, after all, and the streets could be a dangerous place.

My dad taught me how to ride. An hour, a few scrapes and bumps later, and I was ready to go. No helmets back then and no fancy riding gear…just the wind at my back and pure pedal power. Dad outlined the riding boundaries, cautioning me not to cross the street at either end of the block or the alley that ran behind our house. Cars were dangerous.

Dad’s firm warning rang through my mind for the first week or so, at least until my sister challenged me to a race around the block. We’d ride off in opposite directions, keeping our progress top-secret, until one of us returned to the starting line—and victory—at the front of our house.

Guilt niggled as I launched myself, pedaling into the wind. To circle the block and claim my victory I’d have to cross the alley twice, breaking my dad’s rule. Yet, the desire to be one of the ‘Big Kids’ along with my sister only served to make me pedal faster. The sky smiled clear-blue as the streets whispered encouragement. What could possibly go wrong?

Closing in on the alley, I picked up speed. The faster I crossed, the faster I would be done. No sound of an engine, nary a car in sight. Perfect until…

Crash!

My gaze kissed the cerulean sky as the front tire of my bike plowed a canyon into the passenger door of an approaching Chevy station wagon. I sailed over the hood to sprawl, several yards beyond, across the unyielding concrete.

Needless to say, in the time it took for the frantic driver to scoop me off the cement, I knew that I suffered a much worse fate than losing the race to my sister. I’d broken my father’s steadfast rule. There was no choice but to return home and confess my transgression. The evidence was clearly etched over my cheeks…and my knees…and across my throbbing elbows.

But, just as it is with my Heavenly Father, Dad was more concerned about my welfare than my transgression. He cleaned my wounds and we had a long talk. Dad repaired my bike, and eventually my bruises—both physical and emotional—healed.

I learned a valuable lesson that day, one that remains with me decades later. Boundaries are set for a reason—not to confine but to protect with the deepest love. Yet, even when our freewill takes us across a dangerous road or down a shadowed alley, God our Father welcomes us home with open arms and forgiveness. His blood has washed us clean with the promise that nothing can separate us from Him.



Reflection:

We are God’s children and there are times, despite the fact that we know what He expects and desires for us, that we choose to stray. We should immerse ourselves in God’s word, drinking daily as we grow in the knowledge and understanding of His boundless love. When we stray, we must remember that God is waiting for our return with open arms. No sin or transgression can separate us from Him. The precious blood of Jesus shed for each of us stands as an eternal promise.

Prayer:

Dear Lord, help me to be ever cognizant of Your boundless and unfailing love. Hold my feet firmly to the path You have set before me. Thank You for the life-giving blood shed to cover my transgressions. Let me be ever-mindful of Your precious sacrifice. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

Week 31

The Fragrance of Forgiveness

Delia Latham

Ephesians 1:7 (KJV)—In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

Ephesians 5:1-2 (KJV)—Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour.

Romans 4:7 (KJV)—Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.

As a child, I spent more time at my grandmother’s house than at my own. In later years, she became my best friend. It was long after she died before I found another person I could confide in like I had in Granny.

One particular day, after being seriously betrayed by a friend, I rushed to Granny’s grave and spilled my heart to her, just like always. Someone had left roses in a Mason jar on her gravestone. I pulled one from the bouquet and breathed in its sweet fragrance. My fingers picked at the petals while tears wet my cheeks and bitter words tumbled from my mouth. Without thinking, I closed my fist around the delicate flower, crushing its perfect beauty.

Tossing the broken petals aside, I buried my face in my hands and sobbed. Eventually the overwhelming fragrance of roses caught my attention. It sweetened the air all around me…but clung strongest to the hand that had crushed the rose.

Granny? God? Are you trying to tell me something? I was answered by silence. No thundering affirmation or still, small voice of comfort.

Driving past a local church the next day, my gaze fell on their marquee, which read, “Forgiveness is the fragrance given by flowers when trampled upon.” The words hit me like a two-ton sledge. I pulled my car to the side of the road and wept, because I suddenly knew, with absolute certainty…that’s what God and Granny had tried to convey with the rose—to forgive, just as that helpless flower forgave my cruelty, leaving its lovely fragrance on my killing hands.

Parked on the shoulder of a busy road, just beyond the marquee that spoke my name, I cried. And prayed. And finally…let it go. Made the decision to forgive. The ugly stench of my anger and resentment melted away, and into the empty space it left behind, God poured the warm, soothing aroma of forgiveness.



Reflection:

Jesus did it too. The Sweet Rose of Sharon’s petals were bruised and broken by rejecting hands, trampled under the feet of those He loved the most. Yet He erased all their ugly sins with the cleansing flow of his precious blood. He blessed those responsible for his pain and anguish with the sweet fragrance of Salvation…the fragrance of forgiveness. Oh, what a Savior! Oh, what a Rose!

Prayer:

Jesus, Sweet Rose of Sharon, thank You for spilling Your precious, forgiving blood to wash away my ugly sins. Please create in me a forgiving heart, and help me remember that You offered the ultimate in forgiveness. Give me the grace to be like You. In Jesus name. Amen.

Week 32

Flames of Jealousy

Clare Revell

Exodus 34:14—Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.

Psalm 79:5—How long, Lord? Will you be angry forever? How long will your jealousy burn like fire?

Song of Solomon 8:6—Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame.

Jealousy. It’s a nasty word, yet something that we all find ourselves feeling—a lot. Known as the green-eyed monster, it takes many forms. I’m the first to admit I find it hard when other authors get stunning five-star reviews. They get movie deals, and make millions, from something that I wouldn’t touch with a bargepole, never mind want to write.

I donate a copy of my book to the local library and they put it straight into the bargain bin. Why? Because they are labeled “Christian” fiction, but they keep the “other” books.

What I am feeling, though, is not true jealousy. It’s envy.

But did you know that “jealous” in Hebrew means something different? The word in the Bible that is used to describe God as Jealous is qin’ah, which means to be jealous, envious, or to be filled with zeal. The root of that word is “to become red,” as in burning with anger, becoming hot under the collar or to become red in the face. To want to keep something that is exclusively yours. The anger a husband feels when his wife has cheated on him. The anger God feels when His people, whom He created, turn their backs on Him and follow other gods. Because no matter if its fame or fortune or just putting oneself first, if it’s getting in the way of a relationship with God, then it’s an idol.



Reflection:

God’s anger burns red against a sinful people. But He provided a means of escape. Jesus shed His blood to take away our rebellion, to pay the price in His own body, that we might have that relationship with God once more.

Prayer:

Thank You, Lord, that though we fall many times, You forgive those who call upon Your Name. You love us with a jealous love, a red hot love. Let us too, burn with a desire to love You the same way. Amen.

Week 33

Seeing Red

Susan Lyttek

Ephesians 1:18 (KJV)—The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints…

Galatians 5:13-14—You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

1 Peter 1:22 (KJV)—Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently.

When I became a Christian, God redefined ‘seeing red’ for me. No longer did it mean getting angry and seeking my own rights at the slightest offense. It meant seeing others, especially fellow Christians, through His blood.

One Sunday, I sat in the pew waiting for the service to start. I was there a little early, so I read my Sunday school materials as I waited for my husband to join me. The kids, who usually went to ‘big church’ with us, had decided to attend a special youth church event, and my husband had taken them there.

Someone tapped my shoulder. Expecting a friend who wanted to talk, I turned with a smile.

“Why do you homeschoolers come to this church?” A woman I barely knew launched into me. We had worked together a little during the last Vacation Bible School, but not long enough for me to know anything about her other than her first name and that she had sons. Not waiting for me to answer, she continued. “I bet you’re even one of those arrogant ones who plans to homeschool until college.”

Not sure how to react, I admitted that we planned to homeschool as long as we could.

That only raised her ire. “How in the world do you expect to have normal kids? Instead, you act like you’re so much better than the rest of us.”

I protested that we were only trying to do what we felt right for our family, but she didn’t listen. Her tirade delivered, she marched off to sit in her chosen row. I was still shaken, and frankly angry, when my husband sat next to me.

When I had time to discuss it with him, he started to get angry, too; then slowly shook his head. “We don’t know what prompted that, Susan. Obviously, something bothered her to lash out at you like that. And just as obviously, she doesn’t know you, your motives or your attitudes about school choices.”

“So what do I do?”

“What can you do?” he asked. “You can get angry and spread the bad feelings—we’ve seen what that does to churches before. Or you can pray for her and ask God to handle it.”

So I did, and I think Gary did, too. Also, whenever we had a chance to serve her or her family, we did so.

And now? If she sees me at church, she says hello with a big smile. We’ll probably never be the best of friends, but God took away any animosity and made us friendly.



Reflection:

Unfortunately, for most Christians, other Christians are human. We catch each other on bad days, we analyze actions and comments via our own lives and circumstances, and we compare ourselves to boost or abase our egos. In other words, we sin on a daily basis and interact with each other based on that sin. In the church, especially, that can cause tension, rifts and division. Where we can, let us heal the strife by pointing each other back to the cross of Christ.

Prayer:

Father of us all: You have asked the body of Christ, Your church, to dwell together in unity. Help us today to live in the remembrance of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross by putting others first instead of ourselves. Help us see those around us with Your eyes and through the red lens of Your blood so that we can build them up in love. Amen.

Week 34

Beyond Seeing Red

Susan Lyttek

1 John 1:17—But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

Acts 17:11—Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

John 3:21—But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

The color spectrum includes many variations of light that we cannot see. Traditionally, the light and color list begins with red and goes through the rainbow until we get to violet. Above the violet is ultraviolet light—responsible for causing many sunburns or allowing investigators to see traces of biological residue. But on the other end of the color range, beyond red, is infrared.

Infrared light, by God’s design, paints a picture of Christ’s blood for the believer. Think about the different things infrared light and radiation can do. First of all, infrared light detects heat gain or loss. Similarly, the blood of Christ pulls those even slightly warmed to His love to the throne of God. In addition, His blood will convict believers if sin causes them to lose the heat of enthusiasm for the gospel of Christ.

Next, infrared light can see the unseen. As it allows the military to see the enemy at night, so the blood allows us to fight against unseen kingdoms and principalities in the spiritual realm. Through prayer and soul-searching, it points out our targets so that the arsenal of God’s Word can bring down strongholds.

Infrared light penetrates. It can be used to speed the healing of wounds external or internal. The blood also heals and restores—by His stripes, we are healed.

Under this amazing light, truth shines. Art experts can use it to detect the difference between a masterpiece and a forgery. So, too, Christ promises us that He will know the difference between those who called Him “Lord, Lord” as lip service and those that mean it with body, soul and spirit. Paul tells us that the work will be revealed for its truth through the Light and the Fire.

Lastly, infrared light and radiation warm safely. They find regular use in heat lamps, radiators as well as topical heat wands for potential pain relief. Through the blood, we are brought into God’s family and restored into the fellowship He intended for us. I can’t think of anything warmer than that!



Reflection:

Christ, our mediator through the sacrifice of His spilt blood upon the cross, shines a spiritual infrared beam upon each of us every day. Through it, He draws us to Himself and heals us unto new life. Through its power, He points out our unconfessed or forgotten sin, heals wounds to our soul and spirit, warns us of the enemy who besets us, and warms us in Christian love and fellowship. If God created infrared light, a picture of His son’s sacrifice to do so much to serve mankind, imagine how much more, even beyond our imagining, Christ’s blood can do for us who love Him!

Prayer:

Father God and Holy Creator: You told us in Your word that all are without excuse because Your very creation shouts Your name and reveals Your plan. Thank You for the gift of infrared light, that we are still tapping, and the gift of Your Son’s blood which will abound to us eternally! Amen.

Week 35

Less Than Red

Susan Lyttek

Hebrews 10:19-22—Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.

1 John 1:7—But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

Hebrews 9:14—How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

As a homeschooler, I led many science experiments to help my children learn concepts and reinforce the lessons in their books. One of the first experiments we did had to do with color. We took paint in the primary colors of red, blue and yellow and mixed them with each other as well as black and white. I think the boys’ favorite color to create at the time was brown—pretty much a mixture of it all.

However, they liked the strength of the real colors. In accordance with the experiment instructions, though, we added and combined colors. They were horrified when we added white to the red. “That’s pink!” my younger son groaned. “That’s much less than red!”

Once the experiment was officially over, they tried to make the pink red again. They added more red to it. They added black to it. But it couldn’t go back to a real red. They could only have red when they started fresh with plain red paint.

In a similar way, I often add something to Christ’s sacrifice for me. Instead of relying simply on the powerful and real red of His blood, I lighten His power with busyness, churchgoing, and other good things. They, like colors on the wheel, are all right in their place, but they cannot atone for my sin. They cannot affirm and confirm my relationship with the heavenly Father.

Instead of adding or subtracting anything to the blood of Jesus, I need to rest in the fact that He paid everything to include me in His kingdom—and allow the good things to flow out of that as an offering to Him.



Reflection:

Have you ever noticed the lack of power in your faith? Maybe, like me, it is because you have added something to the blood and made it into something much less than what it is. Fortunately, God allows us to start over daily by confessing our sin, our lack and our guilt as we trust anew in the cross.

Prayer:

Father God, I confess that I consistently want to try and pay for my sins on my own. But I cannot. Help me to stay true to You today and to rely on the powerful blood of Your son, Jesus Christ.

Week 36

Seeing Through Red-Colored Glasses

Susan Lyttek

Exodus 12:23—When the Lord goes through the land to strike down the Egyptians, he will see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down.

1 Corinthians 13:12—For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

Acts 26:17-18—I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.

I surround myself with red. As I type this, I sit on a red chair, gazing at a red computer, through red-rimmed glasses. When I try to catch a thought, I stare into my backyard at the birds and the squirrels, looking through red sheers to do so.

I’m so predictable in my color choice that one of my students bought me a red tape dispenser for Christmas.

Research has proven that looking at red energizes people and helps them stay alert. Maybe that’s what it does to me, on some level. All I know is when I look at red, it reminds me that I was bought through Christ’s blood. I can relax because His yoke is easy and His burden is light.

I grew up attending weekly services at a mainline, traditional church. Some of it was beautiful, particularly around Advent, but most of it was so formal that it meant nothing to me. As a teen, I rebelled—big time. I embraced the occult.

I started with astrology and charting the horoscopes of my friends and acquaintances, then graduated to studying palmistry and reading futures. With some success or at least notoriety from all of that, I went looking for a spirit guide. With such a young, open and willing mind, is it any wonder that one found me?

It gave me visions with tastes of success and power to keep me coming back. But it demanded so much more. Stability was lost, and I was thrown repeatedly into pits of despair without reason. It stole time; I lost entire sections of my teen years. I would wake up sometimes and not know where several days or even weeks had gone.

But through it all, God protected me and steered me towards Him. At sixteen, I went abroad as an exchange student. An occult experience there scared the daylights out of me, and I gave up “trying” to follow my guide. Without the Holy Spirit to fill me, though, I couldn’t rid myself of the other one.

Seven years later, just after my twenty-third birthday, I came to Christ. He took the anxiety and filled me with the Holy Spirit of peace. He promised to redeem the time that evil had stolen from me with days of purpose and joy.

Shortly thereafter, my husband and friends helped me go through my writing and journal collection. I was astonished at much that I saw in my own handwriting. I had no recollection of living through some of the documented encounters with demons, parties where we saw spirits and many other creepy things. In a ceremony to separate myself from my previous life, we burned it all.

“Lord, if You never want me to write again, I won’t,” I prayed as piles of paper went up in flames.

And for three years, I didn’t. Then, from our apartment in Germany, as I looked one day out over a vineyard through another pair of red sheers, a Christ-centered poem dropped into my mind unbidden. I did not have to craft it, change it or mold it. It was a gift. God had given writing back to me…this time to serve Him.



Reflection:

I surround myself with red to remind me that Christ paid for me and redeemed me. As the Israelites saw the blood every time they sacrificed or wiped it above their mantle at Passover to remember the price paid for sin, so the visual reminder restores my love for my Lord and a grateful heart.

Prayer:

Beautiful Savior: After a life in the lies of sin, the truth of Your blood and the love of Your sacrifice shines all the brighter. Help me, daily, to see my life through You and to live each moment for Your glory. Amen.

Week 37

A Walk through the Blood

Delia Latham

Revelation 12:11 (KJV)—And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

Ephesians 1:7 (KJV)—In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.

Psalm 107:2 (KJV)—Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy.

What is Satan’s biggest fear?

You guessed it—the blood of Jesus Christ.

Want to know why? Because it threatens his evil kingdom more than anything else. Just one drop of that precious blood has the power to redeem a human being (Satan’s prey) from the very clutches of the enemy (the devil himself). The scripture states that we are redeemed from the hand of the enemy. That’s pushing it close…but that’s how God is glorified—by doing the impossible when it seems it’s too late.

Satan had us. We were in his grasp with no way out…and then the blood flowed.

We dangled helplessly on the devil’s fishing hook…and then the blood flowed.

Satan was already shouting a victory song while he watched us turning on his soul rotisserie…and we disappeared before his eyes, hidden underneath the blood. Safe from his clutches, saved from sin, bought with the ultimate price and redeemed forevermore.

Because the blood flowed.

Satan has good reason to fear the blood. It is the only substance that can hurt him, and the only thing between him and his desire to claim every last soul on earth.

He cannot risk contact with that precious, crimson flood. In all of the universe, the blood of Jesus is the only thing that makes the enemy tremble with fear, weep like a frightened child, and shake in his cloven-toed slippers.

That makes the blood our most powerful weapon, does it not? If we stay on our knees…at the cross…under the blood flow…Satan has to walk through the blood to reach us.

Ain’t gonna happen.



Reflection:

Keeping a permanent residence at the foot of the cross ensures we’ll be caught in the life-cleansing flood of Christ’s blood. Retaining that position, on our knees before a riven Christ, forces Satan to walk through the blood to get to us…and we know he’s far too big a coward to come into contact with that holy flow. It’s the safest place in the world for a Christian to live!

Prayer:

Dear Jesus, thank You for snatching me out of Satan’s clutches, covering me with Your precious, redeeming blood, and making it impossible for the enemy to reach me…as long as I remain beneath the crimson flow. Help me to stay safely within that stream, no matter what kind of siren call the world sends my way. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Week 38

Reading the Red

Jody Bailey Day

1 Corinthians 2:16—Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

1 Corinthians 6:20—You were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

Luke 12:7—Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

My grown daughter called me the other day.

“Mom, you remember that song you taught us when we were little? I find I still need it.”

I hadn’t thought of it in a long time. When my children experienced fear, I taught them to sing a little song I made up.

Go away bad thoughts

Go away I say

Go away, don’t come back on another day.

I am bought with a price

And have the mind of Christ

What I think is a link to my heart.

As a man thinketh in his heart

So is he, So is he

As a man thinketh in his heart

So is he.

Fear doesn’t leave us just because we grow up. Fueled by worry, we entertain all manner of scenarios. Mark Twain said, “I’ve had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened.”

The Bibles I saw growing up had all the words of Jesus in red print. My Sunday School teacher used to say, “Just read the red.” Jesus said “Fear not…” many times in the New Testament. The entire Bible records over three hundred instances of the phrase. Jesus paid so dearly for our salvation, and that includes freedom from fear and worry. We need to read the red and think the red. We can have the mind of Christ!



Reflection:

I encouraged my daughter to commit the words of Christ to memory. It’s a ready arsenal against bad thoughts that lead to worry and fear. Go away, bad thoughts!

Prayer:

Father, thank You for providing a way for me to escape worry and fear. Help me to remember Your precious words, “Fear not!” In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Week 39

Sin & Judgment

Marianne Evans

Matthew 26:28—This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

Luke 3:3—He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

Luke 24:47—Repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in His name to all nations.

I have a confession to make. It’s not something I’m proud of, and doesn’t paint a very positive picture of me as a Christian, but I’m human. I stumble, bumble and fail with the best of them. But I’m trying to progress through my faith walk, grow in the Spirit and figure it all out along with everyone else. Here, then, is what trips me up sometimes.

There are instances when I taste bitterness on my tongue as I watch forgiveness being extended to someone I don’t see as deserving that grace and mercy. That man plowed into my mother-in-law’s car, under the influence, and killed her—changing our lives, our family, forevermore. My father-in-law wept openly and painfully when this circumstance affected us all. What he said, immediately, was: “We have to forgive him. If we don’t, it’ll eat us alive.”

There are other far less dramatic times when I feel like the big brother of the Prodigal Son—watching sinners being welcomed, cheered and rejoiced over when they return from the badlands while I feel like I’ve done everything “by the rules” and “the right way.”

As if I’ve never been there—forgiven and beloved.

Oh, does the devil deceive! The often-overlooked aspect of redemption, especially in the face of a self-righteous, angry mindset, is the price of sin. In the rejoicing over a returned sheep is the fact that regret, sorrow, pain and a call to reform is what led the sinner home. Remember how miserable the Prodigal had become? How can we not be joyous over his return?

There’s a price for sin. The crimson blood that poured down the body of our Savior wasn’t for “them”–it was for me. It was for you. In one way or another, we are all searching and lost. We all require Christ’s cleansing.

To conquer pride, I’m learning to pray and absorb the beauty of God’s mercy unfolding. I deliberately soften my heart. Then I remember a wise piece of advice I once received: Don’t judge someone just because their sins are different than yours.



Reflection:

Christ’s crucifixion, the brutality of his death is a blood offering for salvation. An atonement. That atonement is personal. To you and to me. For your sins and mine. That precious flow isn’t meant to be broad-based and general. It’s deeply intimate—in a way that can only come about as the result of a limitless love. Consider that miracle the next time you forgive—or witness forgiveness.

Prayer:

Jesus, Your sacrifice of body and blood welcomes us sinners home. You love us beyond reason—beyond condition or circumstance. Help us always remember and rejoice in the miracle of Your forgiveness, Your redemption, Your mercy and grace. In Your holy name we pray. Amen.

Week 40

Do Not Weep for Me

(but Weep for Yourselves…)

Clare Revell

Luke 22:44 (ESV)—And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

Hebrews 9:22 (ESV)—Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.

How many times as parents do we, usually in sheer exasperation or due to the fact we’re helpless, tell our children, “Big boys don’t cry”? Or “If it’s not bleeding you can’t cry.” Or “Don’t make such a fuss over nothing. It’s not as if it’s gushing blood, it’s just a scratch.”

Blood is usually a sign of serious injury, or a way of the body cleansing a wound from infection. It can be shed in drops, or trickles, or if an artery is torn, it gushes in a never-ending stream. And we usually shed more than a few tears of pain, even if we do try to hide them. But our tears and sorrow are for ourselves.

As Jesus hung, torn and bleeding on the cross—first with drops, then trickles and finally a flood from numerous whip cuts, thorns and nails, His cries and pleas were not for Himself. He wept for his mother, His friends, the criminals crucified with Him. Even in the most agonizing of pain…pain we can’t begin to imagine…He cried for others. His final cry, more commonly translated as “It is finished” can also be translated as “Paid in full.”



Reflection:

Sin has always required a blood sacrifice, right from Old Testament times, in order to gain forgiveness. People would take an unblemished or perfect lamb to the High Priest to be slaughtered, and this blood sacrifice needed to be made year after year. Jesus, the most perfect of all sacrifices, shed His own blood to pay our debt in full—once and for all.

Prayer:

Thank You, Jesus, for shedding Your precious blood to pay the debt we owed, that we might go free.

Week 41

No Scarlet Robes

Jody Bailey Day

Philippians 2:13—For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good pleasure.

1 John 1:9—If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Isaiah 1:18—”Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”

I heard a man give his salvation testimony this weekend. He shared that before he knew Christ, someone asked him if he knew any Christians. He replied, “I don’t think so, or at least they haven’t blown their cover in front of me.” The quip got a lot of laughs, but it got me thinking.

Is my faith undercover? I don’t wear a scarlet robe like a cardinal or a scholar. So how do people know who I am? Sure, I’m a church lady and everybody knows it. I wear my cross, but to the world that’s just a fashion statement. But in the workplace and in the community, have I really lived in a way that makes an impact? My reflection reminded me of an ugly face I made when someone pulled out in front of me on the street the other day. My actions didn’t reflect my faith in that moment. That’s not what I want.

We are human, and no matter how great our faith, we make mistakes in front of those we’d like to impact for Christ. They need to see our repentance as well as our good works. We may be dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, but the world needs to know we wear the white robes of forgiveness.



Reflection:

Let’s “blow our cover” and let those around us know that Christ lives in us. When we mess up in front of the world, let’s be quick to acknowledge our dependence on Christ.

Prayer:

Father, forgive me when I sin before those who don’t know You, and when I fail to demonstrate Your love. Please help me to live the Christian life in a way that shows others Your love and forgiveness. Thank You for living in me and helping me to act according to Your good pleasure. In Jesus name, amen.

Week 42

The Cross Within

Susan Lyttek

Ephesians 4:16 –From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

Colossians 1:15-17—The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Ephesians 4:17-19—So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.

When the leader walked into our AWANA council time and drew a cross on the whiteboard, I knew what he planned to talk about. He was going to explain the cross to the kids and tell them how it formed the bridge to bring us back to Heaven and a right relationship with God.

I was totally wrong.

He had come to talk to us about laminin.

Webster’s dictionary defines laminin as the glycoprotein component of connective tissue basement membrane that promotes cell adhesion. It basically acts as a glue to keep all our parts together. The four ends of the laminin molecule join with other laminin molecules, or even other types of molecules, to knit together the body. The AWANA leader pointed to the cross and told the kids that laminin looked just like that. Having expected their skepticism, he turned on the overhead projector and showed them a magnified image of the molecule, and indeed, it looked just like a cross.

I thought that amazing, so I went home and did some research. Turns out that the visual of this molecule had taken the Christian community by storm. Several different Internet links told about the cross that holds us together and used this scientific fact to witness about the hand of God in our lives.

But that isn’t what gave me the chills.

I saw the power of God and the testimony in the current scientific research about laminin and its effect on blood vessels and the circulatory system. When the body has insufficient laminin, various diseases, syndromes and problems occur. But when there’s not enough in the arteries, it leads to atherosclerosis.

Not enough of the cross in the body, and the heart and blood vessels harden. ‘Do not harden your hearts against Me,’ God said time and again in His word. He also said that after repeated refusals, He would harden our hearts. The lack of the cross restricts blood flow on both a physical and a spiritual level. However, with the cross in our lives, Christ’s blood flows in us and through us, allowing us to become the children of God.

I was right, after all, when I saw the speaker draw that cross on the board. He did talk about the cross of Christ.



Reflection:

From the beginning, the Word says that God formed us, that He knit us. The way laminin works to knit all the parts together while allowing them to work together is simply another way that God shows us His authorship of the world around us. We should strive to keep the spiritual laminin connected and supple by turning to Christ daily, allowing His blood to flow in us and through us.

Prayer:

Word of the Beginning: The more we learn of Your universe and the more we learn of Your creation, the more obvious Your stamp upon it all becomes. Help us to recognize You in the world around us even more today. Amen.

Week 43

Scaling the Mountain

Mary Manners

Psalm 40:13—I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.

Psalm 126:5-6—Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him.

Romans 5:3-5—We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

My dream of having a big family began when I was just a little girl. Married at twenty-three, my husband and I put off having children for a few years while we established our careers. Soon we were ready, but after two full years of unsuccessful attempts, I began to see a fertility specialist. Every test known to man was administered but no problems were found. Every time I went to the doctor, I brought my prayer book and prayed Matthew 21:22 without ceasing, “For, whatsoever you shall ask in prayer, that you shall receive.” Finally, three more years and several procedures later, it happened—I was pregnant at thirty.

All went well and I thanked God for the wonderful blessing of life that grew inside me. My husband and I rejoiced, and as the months progressed, we set up a beautiful nursery and shared our good news with friends. My tests were all perfect, until one snowy day just before Christmas when I went in for a routine ultrasound.

The technician’s somber gaze into the monitor was the first sign that something was wrong. She excused herself to summon a nurse, who called for my doctor, who then consulted with a colleague while I lay on the exam table, chilled and frantic with worry. The news came like the raging storm of a hurricane—a genetic disorder too complex for me to even attempt to pronounce had claimed the life of my precious daughter only weeks before her delivery date.

I am sure my wails echoed through the clinic as the poor, blindsided medical team tried to help me make sense of what had happened. How could something that had begun so beautifully end like this, after such a long and faithful journey? I imagine, though, that my pain was nothing in comparison to what Jesus must have felt as He scaled Mount Calvary with a heavy cross on his lacerated back, heading toward certain death to shed His blood for our salvation. He had to be so weary. He’d already prayed, “Father, let this cup pass from me!” But it didn’t. He had to endure such pain. For us.

Yet, for weeks I wandered aimlessly, refusing to do any more than cry out to God, who had seemed to abandon me. I went to bed night after night with tears drying on my cheeks. Then, one night I had a dream. I was in a river, sinking in the water so I could not breathe. As I flailed, panicking, Jesus came to wrap His arms around me and lift me onto his shoulders. He whispered gently, “Don’t be afraid. I’m holding you and everything will be OK.”

The next morning I woke with a profound sense of peace. God had not abandoned me, but was waiting patiently for me to turn back to Him. I dusted off my Bible, slipped into a chair, and immersed myself in the Word. There, I found the verses outlined above. My faith was rekindled as I remembered faith is not a promise of smooth waters, simply a promise that God will always be there to pick me up and carry me when I find it too difficult to stand on my own. It is also a promise that one day, I will meet my sweet, firstborn daughter in Heaven and we will spend eternity together.



Reflection:

Life is not always easy. Sometimes things happen that are heartbreaking and leave no room for earthly understanding. But, God’s power and divine plan go far beyond the boundaries of the earth. In the difficult times, let Him carry you and trust in His plan for you. Keep hope in your heart, and a song in your soul. The blood of Jesus—which He forced His weary, battered body up the hill to shed—is God’s promise of your place in Heaven, at His side, for eternity.

Prayer:

Dear Lord, when the darkness comes and the hill seems much too difficult to scale, help me to remember Your plan for me. Fill me with hope as You carry me in my weakness and help me to become strong in Your promise. Let me always remember Your precious blood, shed for me, as Your promise of our eternal life together in Your Kingdom. In Your name I pray. Amen.

Week 44

Suffering

Tanya Stowe

1 Corinthians 1:18 (NAB)—The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Revelation 21:4(NAB)—He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing, or pain, [for] the old order has passed away.

We are redeemed. Saved. Death has been conquered. The Good News has spread across the world. The Kingdom of God is at hand and the darkness now has light.

But for many, believers and unbelievers alike, this message of hope and peace is hard to accept in the face of so much suffering. If God is good, why does He allow such pain and loss, especially in the innocent…even the unborn?

We know that suffering is in the world because of our own sin. The choices we make separate us from union with our Creator. Still, when faced with the unexplainable loss of a loved one, an incurable illness or the horror of child abuse, our faith is shaken. Why does our loving God allow this to happen? We sometimes grow angry with Him because we fail to understand the message of the cross.

In his book Making Sense Out of Suffering, Peter Kreeft says that ancient philosophers gave mankind reasons and just cause for suffering. They said that suffering for the greater good gave it meaning. Modern man, however, places ‘self’ before the greater good, so modern philosophy gives no purpose for suffering, only “a million ways to avoid it.”

Suffering is our greatest fear. We spend a good portion of our energy, technology and work, finding ways to prevent it. We even take the suffering form of Christ off the cross.

But Christ crawled onto the cross for us. He suffered for us. We are bathed in His blood and made new. What’s more, He invites us to follow Him.

We tremble at the very thought. Could it be that God’s greatest gift to us is also the antidote for our greatest fear? Of course it is! His willing death on the cross…the shedding of His blood for our salvation, made it possible for us to hide beneath that crimson stream. In doing so, we become one with God. God is love, and “perfect love casts out fear.”

Teresa of Avila said that everything is grace. Suffering is something. Therefore suffering too must be grace.

So how do we accept Christ’s invitation? How do we unite ourselves with His suffering and turn it into joy? First, we must accept suffering as an opportunity. God’s loving hand moving us closer to Him. Then we can see a sleepless night spent in anxiety not as a sign of weakness or a lack of control, but an opportunity to pray for those situations and people we care about. Injury or illness—not a punishment but an opportunity to slow down, to bask in the beauty of God’s world and to praise Him in appreciation and wonder of our amazing bodies. To witness the suffering of an innocent is a call to prayer and action, an opportunity to become a light in a dark world. Cancer may be the path that allows us to long for a release into our Creator’s waiting, loving embrace.

Researchers looking for a cure for health-care-burnout asked Teresa of Calcutta how she and her sisters were able to serve the poorest of the poor, year after year, and still were able to love mankind. She said she did not do it for love of mankind but for love of Christ.

Let us, too, love Christ, unite with him, and turn our suffering into joy.



Reflection:

How do we turn our fears, our mistakes, and disappointments into joy? How do we overcome the dull, drab, monotony of everyday life to see God’s hand even in the smallest things?

Prayer:

Lord, we ask You to pull away the veil of humanity so that we may see more clearly Your handiwork even in our suffering. Help us to overcome our fears. Teach us to unite with Christ so that even the simplest of our difficulties can become a joyful offering for a world full of hurt, mistrust and misery. We ask all of this in Your name.

Week 45

Healing Hands

Clare Revell

Hebrews 2:14—Since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity so that by His death He might break the power of him who holds the power of death.

Jeremiah 8:22—Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is there no healing for the wound of my people?

Psalm 147:3—He heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds.

It was just a cold, I told myself as my ten-week-old son sniffled and cried and choked on his feed before refusing it again. That night when the doctor rang out of the blue and heard the baby wheezing I still insisted it was a cold. Half an hour later we were in the hospital, in ITU, with my son on a ventilator fighting for his life with bronchiolitis.

Two days later, with his oxygen levels decreasing despite the vent, he stopped breathing and was put on total life support. The cardiologists appeared. My son had a serious congenital heart defect—supra cardiac total anomalous pulmonary venous drainage. In layman’s terms, his pulmonary vein was connected twice to the same side of the heart. No oxygenated blood was being pumped around his body. The hole in his heart, which still hadn’t closed, was keeping him alive.

My son, my perfect baby son was dying. He’d never walk or talk even if he lived beyond the age of five. Unless I signed the forms for open heart surgery.

The day they operated, I handed him over feeling powerless. His life lay in the hands of the surgeon. One man could save my son. That was one of the longest days my husband and I have ever known.

The following day we sat beside a pale white baby, a single red line down the center of his chest the only color in his body. And we watched as he died. He went stiff, and blue and the monitors flat lined. The doctor, who was right by the bed, started CPR and threw us out of the unit. We sat in tears, praying constantly that our son would be saved, for hours. Until word came that they had brought him back. Technically dead for thirty minutes, and although they didn’t know what caused the heart attack, they couldn’t stop it happening again, but thanks to a talented physician he lived.



Reflection:

On our own we are powerless to avoid death. We too have to put our lives in the hands of the only One who can save us, the heavenly Doctor who healed us by His stripes.

Prayer:

God of Glory, we thank You for the gift of life. We thank You that You are the Heavenly Physician. You have formed us as a living, breathing and bleeding people. You and You alone can heal our wounds, both physical and spiritual. Thank You for loving us and caring for us and ours better than we ever could. Your mercies astound us and send us daily back to the foot of Your throne. Amen.

Week 46

Forgive and Forget

Carla Rossi

Mark 11:25—And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.

Matthew 6:14—For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

Matthew 18:21-22—Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”

To forgive is a powerful thing.

Not to forgive is even more powerful. But not in a good way.

Huh. I guess I should be working on that…

I’ll explain.

I am a lifelong Christian. My first love was Jesus, my first classroom was Sunday School. My godly mother instilled in me the basic truths of my faith, and I embraced them. I obeyed the Ten Commandments, loved my neighbor, and exercised my mustard seed faith. As far as I knew, I’d learned how to turn the other cheek, love my enemies, and forgive—just as God instructed over and over in His Word.

Then last week as I talked to a friend about a sad period in my life when I was hurt, betrayed, and persecuted by those who were supposed to be my friends and fellow believers, I stumbled upon a terrible truth about myself: I was the owner of a king-sized grudge. The more I shared with her about how I was wronged and cast out, the more anger and resentment bubbled inside me, and I knew if anger and resentment resided there, it was because total, honest forgiveness had not taken place. I was shocked I had failed in this area when I knew God’s supreme sacrifice had been for my own forgiveness—that the blood of His Son was shed for me. His blood sacrifice covered everything. And I was harboring sin in my life.

I decided to investigate further.

I asked my husband. “Do you think I hold grudges?”

“Yes.” He didn’t even hesitate.

I was appalled. “Really?”

“Aw, c’mon. You’re still mad at me for things I did fifteen years ago.”

“I am not.”

“You are. Remember when I accidentally mowed down your wisteria?”

I became royally agitated. “Give me a break! I put a bright orange ribbon on a huge wooden stake. How could you not see that? A satellite could detect it from space, and you just mowed right over it!”

“I rest my case.”

Oops.

Next stop: prayer closet.

I began to prayerfully explore hidden anger and buried resentment. I asked God to show me where I’d messed up, who I’d neglected to forgive, and what I needed to do. I delved into submerged pain and forgotten hurts and one by one asked God for help. And the funny part? I realized I never had any trouble asking for forgiveness, I just had a hard time giving it.



Reflection:

Take a look inside yourself. Are you harboring resentment? Or withholding forgiveness from someone who needs to know it’s OK? The time and energy spent holding that grudge is time better spent receiving the blessings you’ve missed.

Find it, fix it, forgive it, forget it.

Prayer:

Today, Lord, I ask You to reveal the hidden grudges I’ve failed to let go. Help me to recognize what I have not forgiven, and release buried anger that has held me back. Allow me to love as You have loved me, and to forgive as You have forgiven. Amen.

Week 47

A Continual Washing

Pamela S. Thibodeaux

Ezekiel 11:19 (NLT)—And I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them. I will take away their stony, stubborn heart and give them a tender, responsive heart.

Psalm 51: 10-11 (NLT)—Create in me a clean heart, oh God, and renew a loyal spirit within me.

Proverbs 4:23 (NLT)—Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.

Psalm 19:12 (NLT)—How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults.

The Bible is full of scriptures that talk about the heart and teach us that the blood of Jesus is a fountain, a continual washing that cleanses us of sin. Most people equate sin with some act of violence or immorality (lying, cheating, stealing, murdering), but sin is so much more than that.

Sin is anything that separates us from God!

1 John 4:16 tells us that “God is love and he who dwells in love, dwells in God.” This being true, it is clear that everything we say or do from a heart filled with anything but love could be considered sin.

Anger, jealousy, greed, ungratefulness, selfishness, depression, self-pity—all of these thought patterns stem from a heart lacking in love…love for God, love of who we are in Him, and love for others. I believe it is this—a heart lacking in love—that is a major ‘sin’ of the world today and a cause of evil and injustice in our society.

How wonderful it is to know that, though our sins may be hidden and unknown even to us, they cannot hide from the blood that cleanses them away. That crimson stream flows to every hidden place in our hearts and makes it purest white…empties it of all that is not love, and replaces those things with the pure love of God.



Reflection:

In Psalm 26:2 the psalmist prayed, “Examine me, oh Lord, and prove me.” How have you shown a lack of love today? Study scripture and meditate on the love of God. Receive His love for you. Believe in the power of His love to save, heal, cleanse, renew and restore, then open your heart to share that love with the world.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, may the blood of Jesus cleanse me of all sin and heal my mind of hurtful, unloving thoughts and make me a channel of Your love unto the world. Thank You and Amen.

Week 48

Blessed to be Different

E.A. West

1 Corinthians 12:4-6—There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.

Isaiah 64:8—Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.

2 Timothy 2:20-21—In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use. Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.

I was in kindergarten the day I realized I wasn’t like other kids. My older brother had been telling me for quite some time that I was actually from Jupiter and had been mistakenly traded at birth, but I knew he was just being silly. That day on the playground, however, I realized that there might be some truth to my brother’s claim.

Now, I never believed I was an alien, but I knew without a doubt I was different from those around me. I never fit in, no matter the group. I experienced the world differently from everyone else. No matter how hard I tried to be like other kids my age, I just couldn’t do it. Unfortunately, no one had any answers for what made me different. My mom assured me I was normal for me, and the doctor said there was nothing wrong with me.

The other kids had a different opinion. They labeled me weird, a freak, and bizarre. Although they included me, I was still an outsider. I fell for the same jokes over and over because I didn’t understand that phrases could have two meanings. The strong need so many of my peers felt to be like everyone else was as foreign to me as an alien language. On the other hand, they couldn’t understand why I enjoyed spending time alone and didn’t mind being told I was strange.

As I grew older, I learned to embrace my differences. I accepted Christ as my Savior when I was eight, and I knew without a doubt that whatever made me different was something God had chosen to put into my make-up. I was who God created me to be, and He loved me with all the things that made me weird to other kids.

After being washed white as snow in the blood of the Lamb, I realized that being different could be a blessing. While those around me struggled with life, I rested in the arms of my heavenly Father. Where others saw only hopelessness, I found reasons to hope. As my unsaved friends wrestled with guilt, I had the assurance of forgiveness for my sins.

In my late twenties, I received a diagnosis of an autism spectrum disorder. Although that diagnosis finally explained what made me different from my peers, the most important difference in my life was accepting the free gift of salvation.

Reflection:

By shedding His blood on the cross to pay for our sins, Jesus gave each of us a way to be different from the world around us. Through the gift of salvation, we become children of God and gain a new family of brothers and sisters in Christ. Although unbelievers may see Christians as weird or freaks, we can rest in the knowledge that we have been made whole in God’s eyes.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank You for loving me enough to sacrifice Your Son to save me from sin. Help me to praise and honor you in everything I do, and use me to help others find their way into Your loving arms. Please help me to always remember that You created me, and that I am special and beautiful in Your eyes. In Christ’s precious name I pray, amen.

Week 49

Song of the Cardinal

LoRee Peery

Isaiah 1:18—Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.

Psalm 51:7b—Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

Hebrews 9:22b—Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

Some of my family members have an affinity for cardinals. My dad could be crusty with people and gentle with small creatures. While building the bedroom additions onto the back of our tiny farmhouse when I was a girl, he made a pet of a male cardinal that flew in through the windows. Dad whistled back and forth with that bird until it eventually perched on his finger. For three or four years afterward, my sister, Renée, and I often woke up to that bird’s song (we thought it was the same bird), right outside our bedroom on the northwest corner of the house.

Many years later, a singing fake cardinal in a cage often greeted Stanley, Renée’s only son, when he entered the house. After Stanley was tragically killed while riding his bicycle, Renée thought of him every time that fake bird trilled. For years now, her adult daughters, my nieces, are welcomed by cardinals wherever they move. Who knows? Angels may take the form of cardinals, simply for God to let us know He cares as He colors our world.

I smile whenever I hear the recognizable cardinal’s song, and imagine what it is saying: “I’m here, here, here”; the higher “find me, find me, find me”; or the lower whistle sounding like a repeated “cheery, cheery, cheery.” And I stop what I’m doing to lift my eyes in order to find the source, usually high on a branch. I’ve tried to answer the way my dad did, but I’m not a whistler. I’m sure the bird sings because it is joyful to be alive.

Borrowing from my own novel, Sage and Sweetgrass, I looked at cardinals from my character’s viewpoint. “The brilliant scarlet males against the pure snow, perched vivid in the ethereal backdrop, brought to mind the shed blood of Jesus. Once a soul believed, Christ saw a saint as pure, white as snow. Without sin.”

And that purity is what I see when that familiar flash of red, especially bright against the whiteness of snow, further brightens my landscape. I decorate with cardinals at Christmas. The vivid red birds are a constant reminder of Jesus giving His blood, the perfect sacrifice for me.



Reflection:

We live in a hurtful world. Tragedy and heartache strike all of us at some point. But God in His goodness always gives us hope. Because I’m a country girl, He shows Himself to me through nature. For others, it’s the smile or laughter of a child or any numerous ways. Wherever we are physically or emotionally, He reveals Himself. All we have to do is open our hearts.

Prayer:

Dear heavenly Father, thank You for placing me in a state where seasons abound. Thank You for the reminder each time I see a cardinal, especially against the snow, that though my sins be scarlet, You have washed me clean. Thank You, Jesus, for shedding Your blood for me.

Week 50

A Christmas Eve Vigil

Robin Bayne

Proverbs 8:34—Blessed are those who listen to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway.

Psalm 46:10—He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

1 Corinthians 13:7-9—It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails.

Exodus 12:42—Because the LORD kept vigil that night to bring them out of Egypt, on this night all the Israelites are to keep vigil to honor the LORD for the generations to come.

“Mom-Mom, I hear him,” I whispered, sitting up slightly in bed. With the covers sliding off, I leaned toward the other twin bed where my grandmother slept, or tried to, during my all-night vigil, watching for Santa. Cool air touched my skin, but my excitement warmed me. “I hear something on the roof.”

I still recall the sweet scent of her beauty-salon hair-do, as she shook her head and whispered for me to go to sleep, or Santa couldn’t come visit our house. Mom-Mom stayed overnight every Christmas Eve, it was a family tradition. I was no more than five at the time, but the memories of that dark night have never faded. I knew Santa was out there, somewhere, nearby, and likely to sweep in close when I wasn’t looking. I had been good all year, and had faith that Santa knew that.

Deeper into the night, I looked over and saw my grandmother, appearing to be sitting upright in a rocking chair. When I woke her to tell her this, she wasn’t pleased.

“Robin, please go to sleep.” She still whispered, but with an edge to her voice now. “You’re trying too hard. You know he’ll be here.”

But as I lay there, staring into blackness, my belief grew stronger that Santa was with me, whether or not I could see or hear him.

Fast-forward about forty years to a similar conversation. This one wasn’t about Santa, but about God, and knowing He will be there for us. Now, as an adult, I tried to relay what I’d learned over the years about His presence, about the relationship I had with Jesus, and was thrilled that my grandmother felt the same way. With the onset of Parkinson’s disease, she has gradually lost her ability to talk meaningfully with me, but I know what’s in her heart.

We celebrate the birth of Jesus on Christmas. Jesus knows who has been naughty and who has been nice. We have faith that He knows His children, the children who await His coming by their being covered by the blood. Just as the children of Israel didn’t have to fear the coming of the angel who took the firstborn of unprotected households because they had applied the blood of a perfect lamb to their doorposts, we can rest in knowing that when Jesus returns for His children, He will know who they are by His own precious blood which removed all the “bad” from their hearts and lives, leaving only the purest white of blood-bought salvation.

When we stare into long moments of blackness while watching and waiting for the coming of our Savior we need to keep the childlike wonder fresh, and know that He could be on our roof at any time. Even better than Santa, God is with us every day.



Reflection:

Life can be very long, or very short, and it’s sometimes hard to remember what we are always waiting and watching for. Christmas is a time to be still and keep the things of Christ in our hearts, to ponder them and be glad. But, even as we celebrate His birth, let us take time to remember His death on Calvary, for it is that death, that shedding of Jesus’ blood, that makes it possible for us know Him, and to know that He will surely return for His children.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, please watch over me and my family as we wait for the celebration of Your birth. I pray You know what’s in our hearts, regardless of whether or not we can communicate our feelings. Let us be still and know, and to be ever thankful for the crimson stream of blood, so willingly shed by Your Son, that makes that knowing possible. Amen.

Week 51

How Sweet It Is

Delia Latham

Matthew 26:28—This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

Psalm 34:8—Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.

The blood of Christ is the world’s most multi-purpose substance. It heals, cleanses, justifies, sanctifies, glorifies…satisfies. It is sweet to the tongue and satisfying to the soul.

Speaking of taste, I love the tale of how the Christmas candy cane came to be. Here’s a nutshell version:

A candy maker, in the spirit of making a candy that would be a witness, designed what we now know as the Christmas Candy Cane. Did you know that this familiar Christmas icon contains a number of symbols for the birth, ministry, and death of Jesus Christ?

He started with a hard stick of pure, white candy—white, to symbolize the virgin birth and sinless nature of our Lord; hard, in recognition of the solid Rock and the firmness of God’s promises. What a wonderful foundation! This innovative Christian candy maker then shaped the candy in the form of a “J” to represent the precious name of Jesus. Of course, if the candy cane is flipped upside down, it then resembles a shepherd’s staff…which our loving Shepherd uses to lift up His fallen lambs. Mr. Candymaker looked at his product and saw that it was good, but somewhat plain.

So he stained it with red.

This bright, winding stripe on the candy cane shivers my soul. Three small stripes to represent the blood Jesus shed on the cross to give us the promise of eternal life.

What a beautiful symbol!

I hang candy canes on my tree each Christmas, because the kids love them—they love anything sweet…they’re kids. But most importantly, I hang them as a reminder. Yes, we are so very grateful for the birth of Christ, which we celebrate during the Christmas season. But it was through his death and resurrection…the shedding of His sweet, perfect blood to atone for our sins and His rising again in triumph over death and Hell…that we are saved.

Oh, how sweet it is!



Reflection:

The words of an old southern gospel song say this: “That same Jesus you’ve heard of can take a black heart without love, wash it in red blood, and make it whiter than snow.” No earthly artist could find a way to mix black and red and come up with purest white. Only the Master painter…the Creator of the Universe…the Lamb for sinners slain can create that kind of miracle.

Prayer:

Father, thank You for the precious gift of Your son! His blood is the miracle cure for sin, the antidote for spiritual death, the cure-all for the human condition. Let me never forget the price He paid for my redemption, and ever remember to praise Him for the drops of blood He shed only for me. In Jesus name. Amen.

Week 52

I Owe You One

Carla Rossi

Romans 8:32 NIV—He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

Romans 3:23-26 NIV—…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

There is a yellow sticky note on the counter in my kitchen. It reads IOU one bulb planting. My son—my single adult son who’s out of my house—still comes up short from time to time. Pesky expenses seem to come more often than his paychecks. Every once in a while there’s a phone call.

“Mom? Do you have anything I could do for twenty dollars? I’m about out of gas and I don’t get paid until Friday.”

Of course, I’ll give it to him...I love him and I don’t want him to be stranded. But because he doesn’t want to be a complete deadbeat and because I don’t want to be a complete pushover, he’ll do something I need around the house in return. It’s usually something my husband and I can do ourselves, but hey, if we don’t have to... Recently, he needed the twenty dollars and I didn’t need any cheap labor. Thus, the IOU for bulb planting when it comes time for me to put the caladiums in the ground.

You may wonder why I don’t simply get the twenty dollars back when he gets paid on Friday. Or why I give it to him at all. Isn’t it time he learned to stay within his budget? Sure… Still further, you may wonder, since he is my son, why don’t I just give it to him? I contemplated this myself.

Our arrangement is not about the money, the debt, or the caladiums. We realize the only debt we ever really owed has already been covered by the precious blood of Christ when He died on the cross for us. Passing twenty dollars back and forth seems pointless and insignificant when held in contrast to the great love between mother and child and the boundless love of our Father for us.

We are always going to owe someone something. A co-worker covered lunch last week, now it’s your turn to pay. You bought your girlfriend’s movie ticket so she’ll spring for the popcorn. It is scriptural to treat others fairly and cover our debts.

However, there is so much more joy in forgiving the debts owed to us.

I do not possess limitless resources. I work, budget, and pay my bills like everyone else. But a cup of coffee? A loaf of bread and jar of peanut butter for the county food pantry? I can do that.

My salvation—my life—cost me nothing. It cost my heavenly Father a Son. What does it cost me to be like Him? Twenty dollars for gas—given freely because of my love for my child. My son’s help around the house? That’s just the right thing to do.



Reflection:

What debts can you forgive? What can you let go and stamp paid in full? If you owe someone, pay them. If someone owes you and it’s possible, release them. Let God handle the details.

Prayer:

Father, help me to daily remember the debt You covered for me. Remind me of the sacrifice and of the blood that was shed for my sake. Help me to extend that freedom to others and be a reflection of You. Amen.

RED authors

ROBIN BAYNE is the award-winning author of 13 novels and novellas, and a variety of short stories. She compiled a collection of devotionals for writers titled “Words To Write By,” and lives in Maryland with her husband of 22 years. Visit her at www.robinbayne.com or https://www.facebook.com/rlbayneauthor.

JODY BAILEY DAY writes inspirational fiction that looks at life through love-colored glasses—the love of Christ. Her debut novel from Harbourlight Books is Washout Express. She is represented by Terry Burns of Hartline Literary Agency. Visit Jody at www.jodysdevotionaljournal.blogspot.com

PASTOR MICHAEL DUNCAN has served the Lord for nearly 25 years, sharing God’s message across the U.S. and beyond. He is a co-host on the Alive in Christ radio network, serves on the executive board of the Northwest Baptist Convention and as a board member of the Northwest Christian Writer’s Association. You can find Michael at his website – http://www.michael-duncan.net.

MARIANNE EVANS is the award-winning author Devotion and Heart’s Communion. Discover more at www.marianneevans.com and www.marianneevans.blogspot.com.

ANNE GREENE, author of the Scottish Historicals, Masquerade Marriage and Marriage By Arrangement, and A Texas Christmas Mystery, as well as the soon releasing, Angel With Steel Wings, a World War II Women test pilots Historical, hopes you will visit at http://www.AnneGreeneAuthor.com.

THERESA LYNN HALL, author of Southern Comfort, is a second grade teacher and mother of two sons, two stepdaughters and two Boxer dogs. She spends all her free time with kids, grading papers, and of course, writing. http://theresalynnhall.com/

TANYA HANSON is a happily married grandma who writes contemporary inspirational romances set on a Colorado ranch. www.tanyahanson.com

DELIA LATHAM is a Christian wife, mother, grandmother, sister and friend who loves to write Inspirational Romance for her other family…the inspirational romance readers who are the reason she does what she does. Visit her at http://www.delialatham.net or http://delialatham.blogspot.com.

SUSAN LYTTEK is a homeschooling mom and online coach to middle and high school students through Write At Home, as well as the author Homeschooling Can Be Murder. Visit her at www.sajlyttek.com or https://www.facebook.com/SusanAJLyttek to learn about other titles and projects in the works!

MARY MANNERS is a middle school algebra teacher and inspirational romance author who loves to run marathons and read. She lives in the beautiful foothills of the Smoky Mountains with her husband Tim and their two cats, Lucky and Gus. Find more information about this author at http://marymannersromance.com.-

MARIAN P. MERRITT writes from the home she shares with her husband and Labradoodle, Chili. To learn more about her Southern style writing and to get her Cajun recipes visit: http://www.marianmerritt.com.

If money and time were no object, ROBIN PATCHEN would travel the world. Instead, when she’s not playing helpmate to her amazing husband or taxi driver to her three great kids, she writes Christian fiction, traveling the world of her imagination. Visit her website blog at www.robinpatchen.com or @robinpatchen on Twitter.

LOREE PEERY strives to remember the Lord’s redeeming grace each day when she surveys her sense of place in Him and where He has placed her. She is the author of the Frivolities Series. LoRee can be found at www.loreepeery.com or https://www.facebook.com/LoReePeery.

CLARE REVELL lives in a small town in England with her husband and children. She writes inspirational romantic suspense full time and works part time in a school. To find out more visit www.revell124.plus.com/clarerevell.

CARLA ROSSI is the author of Unlikely Praise, Dr. Noah and the Sugar Plum Fairy and more. Visit Carla at www.carlarossi.com or facebook.com/carlarossiauthor.

SHARON SROCK lives with her husband, Larry in Rural Oklahoma. She has one and three-quarters jobs and writes in her spare time. Visit her BLOG at: http://www.womenofvalleyview.blogspot.com/

Connect with her on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SharonSrock#!/SharonSrock.

TANYA STOWE has had an eclectic career in market research, arts education and event coordination. She has written for television, publicity firms, national publications, and even collaborated on a Christmas musical. Tanya has been married to her high school sweetheart for forty years. They have four children and eighteen grandchildren. Recently her husband retired from government work to take a new position. They live in the Middle East and are sharing many new adventures. Visit Tanya at www.tanyastowe.com.

Award-winning author, PAMELA S. THIBODEAUX is the Co-Founder of Bayou Writers Group and Marketing Manager of TWJ Magazine. Multi-published in romantic fiction and creative non-fiction, her writing is tagged as, “Inspirational with an Edge!” ™ and reviewed as “steamier and grittier than the typical Christian novel without decreasing the message.”

Website: http://www.pamelathibodeaux.com

Blog: http://pamswildroseblog.blogspot.com

H L WEGLEY is a retired meteorologist and IT professional who writes inspirational thrillers and high-action romantic suspense.Visit him at http://hlwegley.com or http://weatherscribe.blogspot.com.

E.A. WEST is a lifelong lover of books and storytelling. In high school, she picked up her pen in a creative writing class and hasn’t laid it down yet. Visit her at http://eawest.mcphitty.com or http://thewestcorner.wordpress.com.

Thank you for picking up this Pelican Book Group title. For other inspirational titles, please visit our on-line bookstore at www.pelicanbookgroup.com.

For questions or more information, contact us at customer@pelicanbookgroup.com.

May God’s glory shine through

this inspirational work.

AMDG

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Overview of Contents

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

Week 7

Week 8

Week 9

Week 10

Week 11

Week 12

Week 13

Week 14

Week 15

Week 16

Week 17

Week 18

Week 19

Week 20

Week 21

Week 22

Week 23

Week 24

Week 25

Week 26

Week 27

Week 28

Week 29

Week 30

Week 31

Week 32

Week 33

Week 34

Week 35

Week 36

Week 37

Week 38

Week 39

Week 40

Week 41

Week 42

Week 43

Week 44

Week 45

Week 46

Week 47

Week 48

Week 49

Week 50

Week 51

Week 52

RED authors

Thank you