Sunny&80The Bling (#jammed daily devo day 11)
Posted on January 11, 2018
January #jammed : Grace in Life’s Face
Day 11: Wisdom always Matches.
“They are a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck.” Proverbs 1:9
“…they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck.” Proverbs 3:22
“She will give you a garland to grace your head and present you wth a glorious crown.” Proverbs 4:9
Outfits for the week are picked out on Sunday night. Mine is laid out the night before and my coffee is hot before alarms go off. I leave myself just enough time to hop into the car and make the allotted drive to wherever we’re going. There are no spare minutes to wait for slow moving daughters.
“Get your coat on, ” I inform.
“Get your coat on!!!” I plead.
“GET YOUR COAT ON.” I demand.
Wouldn’t it be easier to comply hastily to the first, cordial, request? Parents repeat themselves when something is important or urgent, and I believe God does, too.
The three verses in today’s devo all talk about a garland or necklace …adornments. Even Old Testament types valued some bling. Kings and those of stature wore them frequently, but I don’t think this message is reserved only for them. I believe the average folk of the day …the working class …the farmers …who dressed up only for special, “joyous” (NIV notes) occasions were included in the audience.
“They,” in today’s text, refers to all things wise. Those who follow wisdom “add beauty and honor to their lives.” (NIV notes)
The morning may be last place we want to cram in another task, but the repeated sentiments God leaves in His Word are worth enough for the alarm to sound with an extra five minutes to spare. A little wisdom compliments any outfit.
Father, You are powerful to instruct us with simple analogies, unwrapping the verses of Your Living Word like presents at Christmastime. Thank you for Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, that brought all promise and precision of your grace to life. We confess not carving out a piece of our morning for You, and pray for the discipline to do so. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
What phrase do you find yourself repeating? Share a moment when you felt like you didn’t fit in. Get the conversation started by commenting below, and let’s encourage one another as we face life in 2017 armed with grace!
#greatgrace17
Happy Five Minutes!
Megs
Get the #jammed Daily Devo sent straight to your inbox each morning, by subscribing to Sunny&80.
The Long Leash (#jammed daily devo, day 290)
Posted on October 17, 2017
October #jammed: Free Grace.
Day 290: Room to run.
“WHOA!!!! CHERRY!!!!” 
For some reason, though we pass triple the amount of geese every morning when we walk the pier, that afternoon my dog had decided it was the perfect time to teach them all a lesson with her vicious doodle-self barreling after them …my arm yanked along in tow.
“Crazy doodle!!!” I hollered as I shortened her leash. She looked up at me with her really sad and “I’m sorry” eyes.
“Sorry, girl,” I told her, “back to the short leash …you can’t be trusted!”
Today’s verse keeps us on a short leash, because we can’t be trusted. We’re all human, and though we all have good intentions, they fail us. Intentionality is fleeting unless it has been marinated in God’s wisdom.
Not giving up meeting together: The Greek word translated “giving up” speaks of desertion and abandonment. -NIV Study Bible Notes.
The community in this verse was under siege. Christians were not always allowed to meet, and small groups were suspicious to the government that wanted to eradicate them. The world hasn’t changed as much as we’d like to hope it has. Radical hate and genocide still run rampant in this world. It’s not fair. But what will we do in the face of persecution and threats?
When we stop meeting together …when we stop meeting with God in His Word …when we forgo daily prayer to rush into the day’s routine …we begin to forget. That’s why these meetings are so important. Because not long after we forget, we run the other way. We run the other way, and then we abandon what we once knew. It’s not that far-fetched. Peter denied Jesus, and we do, too.
But when we meet together, we are promised that God is with us. When we stand in worship to praise Him, He is there. When we gather together to seek Him in His Word, He is there. The Spirit moves us, and we remember. We are reminded. Of God’s love for us. Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross to save us. And the Spirit’s constant presence in translation.
When we meet together, we keep ourselves on a short leash, so we don’t sprint off to chase things that don’t even hit our plane of sight when we’re close to Him.
Father, Praise You for church communities and those that gather in Your name. Thank You for the magic that happens when the Spirit moves through those rooms and our hearts. Forgive us for neglecting to take the time to spend with the One who created time. Help us to trust Your hand on the minutes of our days. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Get the conversation started by commenting below, and let’s encourage one another as we face life in 2017 armed with grace!
#greatgrace17
Happy Gathering,
Megs
Get the #jammed Daily Devo sent straight to your inbox each morning, by subscribing to Sunny&80.
The Bling (#jammed daily devo day 11)
Posted on January 11, 2017
January #jammed : Grace in Life’s Face
Day 11: Wisdom always Matches.
“They are a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck.” Proverbs 1:9
“…they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck.” Proverbs 3:22
“She will give you a garland to grace your head and present you wth a glorious crown.” Proverbs 4:9
Outfits for the week are picked out on Sunday night. Mine is laid out the night before and my coffee is hot before alarms go off. I leave myself just enough time to hop into the car and make the allotted drive to wherever we’re going. There are no spare minutes to wait for slow moving daughters.
“Get your coat on, ” I inform.
“Get your coat on!!!” I plead.
“GET YOUR COAT ON.” I demand.
Wouldn’t it be easier to comply hastily to the first, cordial, request? Parents repeat themselves when something is important or urgent, and I believe God does, too.
The three verses in today’s devo all talk about a garland or necklace …adornments. Even Old Testament types valued some bling. Kings and those of stature wore them frequently, but I don’t think this message is reserved only for them. I believe the average folk of the day …the working class …the farmers …who dressed up only for special, “joyous” (NIV notes) occasions were included in the audience.
“They,” in today’s text, refers to all things wise. Those who follow wisdom “add beauty and honor to their lives.” (NIV notes)
The morning may be last place we want to cram in another task, but the repeated sentiments God leaves in His Word are worth enough for the alarm to sound with an extra five minutes to spare. A little wisdom compliments any outfit.
Father, You are powerful to instruct us with simple analogies, unwrapping the verses of Your Living Word like presents at Christmastime. Thank you for Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, that brought all promise and precision of your grace to life. We confess not carving out a piece of our morning for You, and pray for the discipline to do so. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
What phrase do you find yourself repeating? Share a moment when you felt like you didn’t fit in. Get the conversation started by commenting below, and let’s encourage one another as we face life in 2017 armed with grace!
#greatgrace17
Happy Five Minutes!
Megs
Get the #jammed Daily Devo sent straight to your inbox each morning, by subscribing to Sunny&80.
The Preview of “The Space…”
Posted on March 30, 2016
God gave us grace to enjoy this place.
The space He creates to replace our race
…just for a little while.
Life’s rip current can relentlessly grip and pull…
It’s essential to bask in the space of blessings.
Where time stops …and minutes stretch.
Joy’s beach.
Waves of emotion may ebb and flow, and even erode …
but when the tide subsides,
it’s unchanged.
Christ is constant.
He’s my constant.
I may weep but only for a moment …
Anger will break like the surf but then foam back into the sea.
For me, Jesus is joy
…and I cling to His hold on my hand.
Between this post and the last, I have been hanging out in the space…
I can’t wait to tell you about it…
Stay tuned…
Happy Tidings…
Megs
“Be joyful always.” 1Thes.5:16
Sunny & 80 …by Meg!
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