Breaths of Life

“Then the Lord God took some soil from the ground and formed a man out of it; he breathed life-giving breath into his nostrils and the man began to live.”

(Genesis 2:7)

“Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father sent me, so I send you.’ Then he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.”

(John 20:21-22)

Of course, everyone knows that air is essential to life. My first real-life, practical experience with that fact stems from a traumatic incident which happened during my twelfth summer, as I cared for my younger sister and brother. My brother was a toddler. My sister must have been seven. The coal mine had closed for five years. My dad was forced to accept a job as a trash collector and my mom became a waitress. My older brother had a summer job in construction. That meant that for most of the day, I was in charge. I had many responsibilities. I saw to it that the house got cleaned, everyone ate and everyone stayed safe until one of my parents got home. Fortunately, I had extended family, ‘next door’, on whom I could call in the event of an emergency.

My sister could occupy herself with her toys, for the most part, but, occupying and entertaining my toddler brother was a constant challenge, especially as I tried to complete daily chores. Using our Electrolux Canister vacuum (which looked like a huge link sausage) was one of the biggest challenges for my brother and me.

Simply put, I tried to vacuum while he tried to play. One afternoon, as he attempted to hurdle over the vacuum cleaner, he tripped and fell directly onto it. Then he fell off the vac and onto the floor where he lay motionless. I thought he was dead! I tried to get my little sister to get my uncle from the house next door, but she was frozen in fear. I ordered her not to move, ran out of the house, jumped the shrubs and fence, screaming for my uncle the entire time. By the time my sleeping uncle and I made it to his side, my little brother was moving and trying to sit up.  “He just had the wind knocked out of him”, said my relieved uncle.  “Is

he okay, will he be okay?” I asked. “Sure”, said my uncle, “it happens to people all the time.”     It does! As a high school cheerleader, I witnessed it on the football field several times!

Divine Perfectionism

Written by Joanne Boyette                                                                                     inspired by Bod

“Each one, as a good manager of God’s different gifts, must use for the good of others the special gift he has received from God. Whoever preaches must preach God’s messages, whoever serves must serve with the strength that God gives him, so that in all things praise may be given to God through Jesus Christ, to whom belong glory and power forever and ever. Amen.” (Hebrews 4:10-11)

My parents were very hard workers. Diligently, in word and by example, they instilled in our family that honest, hard work was honorable. We were told that it didn’t matter what kind of work you were doing. You could be washing dishes, mowing the lawn, working in a coal mine, or working toward a ‘Camp Fire Girl’ merit bead. By their deeds and by their instruction, we learned that what matters is that you are doing your personal best, alone or as a member of any ‘team’. We were told that we owed it to ourselves and to God.

We were encouraged to work constantly to improve ourselves. Compete with yourself. Always remember to measure against your own self, not others. Respect the fact that Jesus loves us all the same, so never believe you are better than anyone else. Never give up. Never ‘sell out’, alone or as part of your team. God wants us all to strive to be the best we can be.

Usually, with great effort, I strived to be ‘the best’ at what I did. Most times, my reward was the satisfaction of completion and the positive verbal reinforcement I received from family and friends in a job ‘well done’. Still, today, I often try to

‘help others along the way’ and ‘go the extra mile’ because I believe it is a right thing to do. I learned many years ago, in Sunday School, and from my parents, that you may never know, until you get to heaven that when you did something for someone, who, perhaps, was one of the ‘least of these’, you were actually doing it for Jesus. I think that was the ‘hook’ for me. It was incredibly edifying and validating to believe that I could please Jesus as I pleased others.

But, speaking honestly, there were times in my life when I shied from such behavior, because I felt ashamed. The majority of these times occurred after high school. I have often been ‘accused’ of perfectionism. I say ‘accused’ because, on

many occasions, I was not being complimented. I was belittled for wasting time, ‘trying to pretend to be something I’m not’, showing off, competing, or being ‘a Miss Goodie Two Shoes’.

But, over the years, as I’ve matured in my faith and understanding of my life journey, I’ve come to the understanding that my parents were ‘spot on’. They, of

course, were helping God to lay a foundation within me from which, with the help of God, I would continue to grow and mature. With my ‘eyes fixed on Jesus’, (Hebrews 12:2), I realized the ‘opportunity of a lifetime’, could be realized by striving toward my best life in Christ’s Divine Perfectionism. (I don’t recall exactly when my parents got so smart, but I’m so thankful and so very blessed that they did! Surely, they are together in heaven, looking down and smiling at me, at this very moment.)

This past Christmas, I was given a ‘perfect’ gift. It is a Bible, specifically designed to be read in one year. One of the things on my ‘bucket list’ was exactly that! So, January first, I started toward my goal. After approximately three weeks, my husband joined me. Now, every day, after taking the kids to school, we share a Bible reading time, together. After nearly two months, it has become one of the highlights of our days!

As we read Genesis, we marveled at the perfectness in the completion of God’s amazing creation of earth, man, bird and animal. In Exodus, there was provision for every need in every aspect of His divinely perfect plan! Nothing was too much to ask! God made the skies rain down food. He made winds which tamed river

currents and became walls to allow only God’s people safe passage. God made rocks which spewed water and clothes and shoes that would last an entire forty years!

Then, while reading Leviticus, we discussed the time, detail, and perfectness of His law!

We were amazed! God wanted things done in His way, to perfection. In this way, God could test the obedience and sincerity of the Israelites desire for Him. Over and over again, God gave precise instruction for the construction of “tabernacle furnishings”. Curtain fabrics, precious metals, specific woods and precise measurements were specified exactly. In addition, every law, every offering, every possible crime, every consequence and every sacrifice was included. No detail was too small. No detail was overlooked. Even the gender of animal sacrifices and clothing worn during sacrificial ceremonies, all the way down to under garments, was specified! Nothing was compromised. Nothing was too precious.

Everything was perfect. The stage was being set for His Son, Divine Perfectionism in the Flesh. God’s perfect will would be done, even if the cost was the perfect sacrifice of His Perfect Son!

And, it was! Hebrews 9: 13-14, says, “The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a burnt calf are sprinkled on the people who are ritually unclean, and this purifies them by taking away their ritual impurity. Since this is true, how much more is accomplished by the blood of Christ! Through the eternal Spirit, he offered

Valentine Cocoons

Written by Joanne Boyette                                                                                     inspired by God

“As Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him in private. ‘Tell us when all this will be,’ they asked, ‘and what will happen to show that it is the time for your coming and the end of the age.’ Jesus answered, ‘Watch out, and do not let anyone fool you.

Many men, claiming to speak for me, will come and say,’ ‘I am the

Messiah!’ and they will fool many people. You are going to hear the noise of battles close by and the news of battles far away; but do not be troubled.

Such things must happen, but they do not mean the end has come. Countries will fight each other; kingdoms will attack one another.

There will be famines and earthquakes everywhere. All these are like the first pains of childbirth. Then you will be arrested and handed over to be punished and be put to death. All mankind will hate you because of me.

Many will give up their faith at that time; they will betray one another and hate one another.

Then many false prophets will appear and fool many people. Such will be the spread of evil that many people’s love will grow cold. But whoever holds out to the end will be saved. And this Good News about the Kingdom will be preached through all the world for a witness to all mankind; and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:3-14)

Sunday is Valentine’s Day and I wanted to write an inspirational with an uplifting ‘love’ theme. I read the Bible and I read devotions written by a few others. Then, I reflected on the children’s sermon for this week. Christ’s love poured out for us, through his life, death and resurrection, is most certainly the greatest true love story ever told!

As I pondered Christ’s life-saving act of love, I remembered having taught the story of the resurrection to three, four, and five year olds, at a Christian preschool, a few years ago. In an effort to help young children

understand the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, we used the illustration of the three-stage life cycle of a butterfly; caterpillar, chrysalis/cocoon, and butterfly.   We likened the lowly, crawling caterpillar to Jesus’ humble life, as He walked about the earth. The ugly dark cocoon where the caterpillar underwent life changes was likened to the dark time Jesus’ spent in transformation within His tomb. And, finally, we likened the beautiful butterfly which emerged from the cocoon having a ‘new kind of life’ to the ‘new kind of life’ Jesus experienced in His beautiful resurrection. Without doubt, we rejoiced in the resulting, ‘new life’ for butterflies and for our Savior! We called them miracles, Gods handiwork!

As I remembered, the final image was, of course, still beautiful, yet, I

couldn’t seem to get the image of the cocoon out of my mind. I thought

about how rough a year it’s been, thanks to the ravaging effects of the Covid pandemic, political upheaval, social chaos, unleashed evil, and, consequently, the degradation and eradication of many cherished religious and moral values. From being required to wear a mask, warnings against social gatherings, home schooling, working from home, shopping from home, to closed restaurants, closed theatres, missing ‘old folks’ benches, closed parks, and, especially, imitations on our churches and their related services and activities, it seems as if the ‘walls’ of the entire planet are closing in, confining each of us to the darkness.

Down-hearted, I selfishly wondered if the terrible conditions of this year would somehow affect ‘love’, the spirit of Valentine’s Day, to be diminished or completely spoiled. That may seem trite, but honestly, I’d lately even wondered, ‘Is this the beginning of the end?’ It feels as if we are a bunch of individual tiny cocoons all living in one huge dark and dingy cocoon.

Like the caterpillar inside the cocoon, we are truly struggling, today, dealing with an unprecedented number of negative changes. Cocoons and caterpillars undergo ‘natural’ changes. But, as humans our ‘changes’ are, of course, much more complicated. We are overwhelmed by the evils of the world. Before we are able to hear and digest a fraction of the news of the day, more news is upon us, waiting for us to sort it out and deal with it.

As Christians, we understand free will in its purest sense because it’s been given to us by our God. Our job, is to choose to accept or choose to reject the ways of the world.                   Very often, it’s all so very confusing. And, the stakes couldn’t be higher. As Christians, our ‘metamorphous’ will determine how we will spend eternity.

“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.” 2 Chronicles 7:14

If, during and after our mistakes, misfortune and misery, we look deeply enough, we sometimes see that the very things meant to ‘undo’ us are many times filled with ‘God-sends’. The Bible is filled with such examples. In Genesis, Chapter 50, it is obvious that Joseph had received from God, the gifts of forgiveness and understanding. Joseph told his betraying brothers, as they sought his forgiveness for trying to kill him and cover-up his death, “Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in

order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today.”                                                                       Such is still the case in today’s world. During and after disaster, we might be blessed with new awareness, new understanding, new perspective, constructive criticism, a helpful suggestion or even, a warning, all of which God intends for our good.

But, we have to be looking deeply enough. Halfway isn’t far enough!

With eyes open wide and attentive ears, serious Christians ‘fear not’ and willingly work hard, to get ‘all the way down to the real nitty gritty’ in search of Christ’s face! Psalm 27:8 says, “When You said, 'Seek My face,' my heart said to You, 'O Lord, I will seek Your face. '” Yes, God wants us to seek His face. And, we tell God, “We will seek His face!” The question is, ‘Will we?’ The verse is clear and simple. Christ waits for us at the ‘bottom line’. Christ IS the bottom Line! The difficulty begins in the application and execution of God’s direction. What happens? Fear gets in the way!

The Israelites are perfect examples of those afraid to seek His face and be in the presence of God. We know they believed in God because they delighted in God’s mercy, in His desire to bring them out of Egypt. It was

evident that they trusted God, speaking through Moses, because they obeyed when Moses gave them God’s instruction. And, the Israelites accepted and depended upon all of God’s provision plus all of Moses’

intercession on their behalf. All of this, yet, the Israelites still begged Moses to continue his intercession for them, saying, “if God speaks to us, we will die.” Their situation was life and death! Without God, they were ‘flat-lining’! All of this was ‘bottom line’! They were down to the ‘nitty gritty’! Still, fear got in the way!

What is it that the Israelites were afraid of? What is it that we are afraid of? Maybe we’re afraid of being vulnerable. After all, we live in a world currently drowning in superficiality and abounding in opportunistic evil. The pandemic has definitely been a health crisis, but it continues to be a

‘springboard’ for additional crises which touch nearly all other aspects of our lives. It would not be advisable to ‘wear our hearts on our sleeves’ in the midst of unprecedented political and social chaos. Supposedly, masks are being worn to help reduce the spread of germs, but they are being used as an ever-present reminder to ‘sit-down and shut up’. So, even if we desire to share, through our masks, our nitty gritty, be it Christian or otherwise, it can be uncomfortable or difficult.        And, basic communication, exchanging thoughts and ideas, casually or with specific reason, remotely or in person is discouraged and may cause you to be censored or cancelled. It’s dehumanizing, hurtful, dangerous and wrong.

And, while we’re being honest, let’s remember that we live in a world of superficiality.   Modern technology allows for us to pretend to be whatever we wish. The options are unlimited.  The possibilities are endless. Nitty gritty Christian life, be damned! If our fingers can type it or photograph it, we’re in business! We can choose to tell the truth or touch it all up with cosmetics. When assessing ourselves and comparing our lives to the lives of others, we want to, at least, ‘measure-up’. And, sadly, many of us do not stop there.

After all, opening ourselves up to expose all of our short-comings is embarrassing. We don’t want others to know our sins and misdeeds and, perhaps, think less of us. We don’t want unhealthy habits to be scrutinized and judged by others. We don’t want our ‘little ways’, our idiosyncrasies, to define who we are. We don’t want our deepest secrets and desires exposed on Facebook and shared with the entire world. And, we don’t want to have our kindness and gentleness make us appear ‘weak targets’ to the evil in the world. Whether it’s sparkling clean, like filthy rags, or somewhere in

Stand Up for Righteousness!

Written by Joanne Boyette                                                                                     Inspired by God

“Be alert, be on watch! Your enemy, the Devil, roams around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Be firm in your faith and resist him, because you know that your fellow believers in all the world are going through the same kind of sufferings.” (1 Peter 8-9)

The days continue to darken at speeds that can ‘make you head spin’! The devil has stepped up his game! A new, radical administration cries “unity” as it seeks to impeach the out-going president and punish his administration and its’ supporters, in addition to undoing many of the late administrations accomplishments. Citing unity as ‘our hope’ for the nation, the in-coming president has made it clear that it is not within his job description to ‘put America and Americans, first’. Further, the new plan seeks to ‘deprogram’ and/or

‘reprogram’ us, insisting conservatives are cultists under the leadership of the out-going administration.

Our individual freedoms are under attack. Free speech is facing extinction. Propaganda is replacing a great majority of the news. Our educational systems are quickly becoming places to indoctrinate our children in immoral ways and places which squelch children’s dreams and aspirations by teaching them that their self-worth is determined by the color of their skin. Big Tech’s appetite to control and discriminately disenfranchise is insatiable.

Worst of all, our freedom to worship our God is hanging in the balance. Perhaps you think that I’m over-reacting. Just take a moment and think back over this past year. At best, America is up-side-down!

How did this happen? Although activists of Marxism move quickly, there have been warnings. Yet, sadly, many of our conservative leaders ignored, turned a blind eye toward, or ‘caved’ in to the push toward extremist agendas. Our right-wing leaders are obviously not blameless.  But, neither are we!  On several occasions, out-going Vice President, Mike Pence, stated, “Weakness arouses evil.” In that regard, we are partially responsible for our current plight. Need an example? Maybe we didn’t push Him out, but few stood in the doorway, blocking the crowd from kicking God out of our schools.  Yes, Christian Friends, our ‘kindness is being seen as weakness’, by the enemy. Our weakness is an invitation to that roaring lion who seeks to destroy us.

Label it as you choose, Marxism, communism, or socialism is becoming reality. It’s evil!

It’s the same evil as that which was in the Garden. First on the Devil’s ‘to do’ list is to eradicate God. Erase God from all memory, systematically discourage, destroy and redefine “family”, and take away capitalism so that promotion and wealth have no basis in merit or deed. Instead, seize all capital and redistribute on the basis of skin color and ‘equity’, not

‘equality’. With Big Tech sharing control, free speech will be policed and a mandate for masks will likely never end. The ‘old folks’ benches’ in Walmart and shopping malls will likely never return. Like communism, we’ll all have a share in ‘little of nothing’, no individualism in thought, art, or creativity, and no God with whom to seek divine relationship. Think about that! The doors of our precious little miracle church will close forever. There will be no person or God upon which we will be permitted to depend. We will be totally dependent upon ‘the state’.

Such evil antics aren’t anything new. Think about the temptation of Jesus! The Devil waited for Jesus to be in a difficult moment. Jesus had not eaten for forty days. The Devil offered Jesus power over his entire earthly domain, and all Jesus had to do was agree to worship the Devil, instead of His Heavenly Father! The Devil wanted Jesus to forfeit His very soul. Later, ‘Innocent Jesus’ was crucified. Eventually, there was the persecution of Jesus’ followers. Unleashed evil was the reason.

This is not how we wish to live. This is not how God wishes for us to live. We must stand up for righteousness.

The Bible asks in Mark 8:36-38, “Does a person gain anything if he wins the whole world but loses his life? Of course not! There is nothing he can give to regain his life. If a person is ashamed of me and of my teaching in this godless and wicked day, then the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

So what do we do? The first thing we do is to ‘Fear not!’ That phrase or phrases similar to it appear hundreds of times in the Bible. Don’t pretend evil doesn’t really exist, whether it appears in a stranger or your best friend. Identify it! Don’t be afraid!  Ask God to help you resist it!

We must stand up for righteousness. We bow or kneel to no one but our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. (Proverbs 1:7)

It is God, Our Creator, Who is in control, not mere mortals. Put all trust in God. (Psalms 56:3-4)

Read God’s Word.   Pray, asking God for guidance and wisdom. (James 1:5) Ask Him for alertness and strength to stay focused. (Psalm 19:7)

Don’t just stop at reading the Bible. Be diligent. We must learn to ‘live out’ our faith in

our day to day lives. We must ‘walk our talk.’ (2 Timothy 3:15-16)

Every day, without fail, let’s prepare ourselves for battle against evil.

“Finally, build up your strength in union with the Lord and by means of his mighty power. Put on all the armor that God gives you, so that you will be able to stand up against the Devil’s evil tricks. For we are not fighting against human beings but against the wicked spiritual forces in the heavenly world, the rulers, authorities, and cosmic powers of this dark age.” (Ephesians 6:10-12) Let’s commit to preparing for encounters with the enemy by wearing the gospel armor of God, as directed in Ephesians 6:14-18a.

No matter what, remain faithful. In faith, call out to the Lord! And when He saves you, praise Him. Hebrews 11:1 says, “To have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain of the things we cannot see.” Further, Matthew 13:58 says, “Because they did not have faith, he did not perform many miracles there.”

Finally, on a practical note, we must set priorities. We cannot allow it to consume our lives. We have to put the Covid19 situation in perspective. Yes, waiting in lines is annoying. But, while we are waiting in our vehicles in long lines, let’s praise God for ‘Operation Warp Speed’ and the resulting vaccines, instead of grumbling about ‘wasting

Belief Beyond Science

Written by Joanne Boyette                                                                                     Inspired by God

“If I were you, I would turn to God and present my case to him. We cannot understand the

great things he does, and to his miracles there is no end.” (Job 5:8-9)

More and more, as this world continues to spin, often ‘crazily out of control’, when controversy after controversy seem to arise, the popular secular recommendation is to ‘trust the experts’ or ‘follow the science and technology’. The Cambridge Dictionary defines science as, “knowledge from the careful study of the structure and behavior of the physical world, especially by watching, measuring, and doing experiments, and the development of theories to describe the results of these activities. Technology is defined as, (the study and knowledge of) the practical, especially industrial, use of scientific discoveries”.

On the basis of technology and science, our behavior is becoming increasingly

‘conditioned’ by the world through our leadership, educational systems, and, especially, our media. How many of us can honestly say that when we need answers to questions and problems in our lives, that our first inclination is to consult the Bible? You know what we do! When in doubt, we ‘Google’ it. We consult Big Tech. The not-so-subtle message is, Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft, and Apple have all the necessary answers and tools to access an infinite supply of all necessary learning and knowledge.

Consider me, for example. Since I began writing this devotion, I have used my Bible, my computer, an ‘on-line’ version of The Cambridge Dictionary and, of course, Google. We have become extremely dependent upon these electronic communications. We rely on technology! Computers and phones are our best friends! They are our information sources.

Social media provides us a feeling of identity. To be brutally honest, we live in a world consisting of many “electronic identities”. When we are ‘electronically connected’ to our phones or computers, we can ‘be anything we wish to be’ as long as we can access the correct app. And, we can appear to be most intelligent and knowledgeable because we have access to what seems to be unlimited information. That’s why many of us panic when we misplace our phones. And, that’s why we become frustrated and angered by electronic glitches which waste our time and cause us confusion. We feel that our senses of self and our public images are being challenged.

It is our dependency upon the scientific and technological advancements of the secular world which have brought us to the unsecure brink of secular disaster, upon which we stand today! Don’t get me wrong.  Technology is extremely important to life, as we know it, today.  Science was, is, and will continue to be, a gift from God.                                                                                       One very recent example

Immanuel, Our Omnipresent God

Written by Joanne Boyette                                                                                     Inspired by God

“’She will have a son, and you will name him Jesus—because he will save his people from their sins’. Now, all this happened in order to make true what the Lord had said through the prophet, ‘A virgin will become pregnant and have a son, and he will be called Immanuel’ (which means, ‘God is with us’).” (Matthew 1:21-23)

“The Word became a human being and, full of grace and truth, lived among us. We saw his glory, the glory which he received as the Father’s only Son.” (John 1:14)

Finally, Christmas is here! Once again, this year, expectant hope, heavenly peace, unspeakable joy and perfect love have joined together, culminating in the celebration of the birth of the tiny Babe, born King of All Kings, Lord of Lords, Word in the Flesh, Immanuel!

I think about how Joseph and Mary were able to comprehend the entire scenario, before, during and after the birth of Jesus! Both were humble and righteous, of course.  Both proved to be of great faith. But, imagine being told by God’s angelic messengers, that you were to raise, protect and nurture a tiny babe, God’s Only Son, whose purpose it would be, to save all believers!

Certainly, Mary and Joseph were all of the things most of us aspire to be! But, imagine knowing that the child you would parent was the fulfillment of an Old Testament prophecy! Surely, the Spirit of Immanuel dwelt within them even before Jesus was born! Just imagine! Your baby would be God in the Flesh! He was coming into the world where He would live in the hearts and souls of all believers…..forever!

It’s a hard enough task for most of us believers just to wrap our minds around the fact that our God doesn’t just seek to have a relationship with us, He wishes to dwell within us because He loves us that much! How much more personal can a relationship be? He

came to be our friend and to show us how to live. And, when we ‘mess up,’ He comes to be our God of ten thousand chances! He doesn’t condemn us! He forgives us over and over and over again. His mission is to prove to us that death and sin don’t always have to be the winners. And, He tenderly came into our hearts as a tiny, innocent baby to assure us that we are never alone!

There is a beautiful song, sung by Mr. Mister, called ‘Kyrie Eleison’. The chorus, Kyrie Eleison is an invocation sometimes used in Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox or Anglican Churches.

The words are; Kyrie Eleison, Christe Eleison, Kyrie Eleison.

Translated, the words are;    Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy.

Yes, Jesus Loves Me!

Written by Joanne Boyette                                                                                     Inspired by God

“For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that

everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

It’s the last week of advent! Love is soon to be born anew, as a tiny innocent babe! Certainly, love is in the air! And, this love, according to John 3:16 is promised to all believers!

But, have you ever heard of this scenario? Someone with more than one child, takes each child aside, separately, and tells them this: ‘Don’t tell your brothers and sisters, but of all my kids, you are my favorite!’

I must admit that, at first thought, this action has serious overtones of prejudice and fraud, not to mention scandal, especially when handled indiscreetly!    Parents who openly favor one child over all of their other children, often cause serious discord within the dynamics of their entire families. Think, for example, of the complications in the story of Joseph’s coat of many colors. Although we often joke about it, sibling rivalry was and, still is, no laughing matter!

But, the Bible tells us that on many occasions, God told many of His people that they were favored by Him. God actually spoke to Moses and Noah, telling them of His favor. Add Abraham and David. Actually the list is quite long. And, of course, included in the list are Mary, Joseph, Zechariah, Elizabeth and John the Baptist. God sent messages to them through angels such as Gabriel, telling them to not be afraid, they had been chosen and favored by God. Because of that favor, God had instilled special purposes within each of them. When His purposes had been accomplished, God’s kingdom would be expanded and God would be honored and glorified.

Imagine the favor and love God bestowed upon His Only Son, Jesus! God had a divine purpose for Jesus. Jesus was to serve as the conduit for God’s love! Just think of it! In all of the kazillions of gifts of God’s creation,

Joy, On Purpose!

Written by Joanne Boyette                                                                                   Inspired by God

“Mary said, ‘My heart praises the Lord; my soul is glad because of God my Savior, for he has remembered me, his lowly servant! From now on all people will call me happy because of the great things the Mighty God has done for me.’” (Luke 1:46-49a)

In an article about ‘joy’ by Nivine Richie, writer for unlockingthebible.org., Nivine explains something many of us ‘know’, intellectually, but rarely ‘act like we know’ in living out our day-to-day lives. Joy and happiness are not the same. Joy is having that special characteristic of ‘lasting through’ hardship rather than ‘fleeing from’ hardship.

Happiness is temporary and fleeting. Joy lasts. Unlike happiness, joy is satisfying because it is complete within its self. It doesn’t yearn for bigger or better. Joy is an ‘always present’ and supernatural gift of the Spirit. It is a divine presence within each of us which sometimes needs a deep new breath to freshen it. Sacrificial joy is found in understanding that one is doing God’s work for the furtherance of His Kingdom. Joy isn’t found in the promotion of oneself. Joy is a deliberate act of obedience and thanksgiving in response to all that God has done. Joy is characteristic of God’s people. Joy comes in knowing,

understanding and living out one’s Godly purpose.

That is exactly what Elizabeth and Mary knew! Mary’s youth and inexperience were not barriers to her joy.    Elizabeth’s adult life spent unsuccessfully trying to conceive, followed by her pregnancy, even though she was very old, did not stand in the way of her joy, either! Mary and Elizabeth knew their purpose in God and they believed that there was absolutely nothing that He could not do. Every day of their lives was a testament to that knowledge! No matter the oppression of the Roman Emperor Augustus or the insane kingly rule of Herod, or the uncertainty of the unfolding ‘scandal’ of Mary and Joseph, Elizabeth, Mary, and even their unborn children, Jesus and John the Baptist, experienced unspeakable joy!

“When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby moved within her. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and said in a loud voice, ‘You are the most blessed of all women, and blessed is the child you will bear! Why should this great thing happen to me, that my Lord’s mother comes to visit me? For as soon as I heard your greeting, the baby within me jumped with gladness. How happy you are to believe that the Lord’s message to you will

come true!’” (Luke 1:41-45)

Imagine! The joy of purpose in God was so strong that it couldn’t be contained! Even their unborn babies perceived that supernatural joy! While still deep within the wombs of their mothers, Baby Jesus and Baby John the Baptist overflowed with divine joy!

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Living Water Church                                                                              May 19, 2022

Water from the Well

With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

(Isaiah 12:3)

Today, More Than Ever, It’s Time, So Do Something

written by Joanne Boyette                                                                                                                      inspired by God

“So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1:27)

“Do Something” by Matthew West

I woke up this morning

Saw a world full of trouble now Thought, how'd we ever get so far down How's it ever gonna turn around

So I turned my eyes to heaven

I thought, God, why don't You do something? Well, I just couldn't bear the thought of

People living in poverty, Children sold into slavery The thought disgusted me, So, I shot my fist at heaven, Said, God, why don't You do something? He said, I did, I created you

Now listen

If not us, then who, If not me and you Right now, It's time for us to do something If not now, then when, Will we see an end

To all this pain, Oh, it's not enough to do nothing It's time for us to do something

Na-na, na Na-na, na Na-na, na Na-na, na I'm so tired of talking

About how we are God's hands and feet But it's easier to say than to be

Live like angels of apathy who tell ourselves It's alright, somebody else will do something Well, I don't know about you

But I'm sick and tired of life with no desire I don't want a flame, I want a fire

I wanna be the one who stands up and says I'm gonna do something, If not us, then who If not me and you

Right now, It's time for us to do something Yes, it is, c'mon, If not now, then when Will we see an end To all this pain

It's not enough to do nothing It's time for us to do something We are the salt of the earth We are a city on a hill

We're never gonna change the world By standing still, No we won't stand still

No we won't stand still, No we won't stand still If not us, then who If not me and you

Right now It's time for us to do something If not now, then when

Will we see an end To all this pain It's not enough to do nothing

It's time for us to do something (na-na, na) It's time for us to do something

It's time for us to do something (na-na, na

One morning, as I listened to this song from 2012, “Do Something”, by Matthew West, I really concentrated on the lyrics. As I listened, I was inspired anew! I was strengthened! I was encouraged! And, I was motivated to write this devotion.

So, I researched the song. I found out that Matthew wrote “Do Something” because he was inspired by the story of a young lady, named Andrea. “Songfacts” reported the following conversation in which Matthew West explained his inspiration this way; "I will never forget meeting Andrea. If I were judging a book by its cover, I'd say she looked like a college girl, maybe in a sorority or something, lots of friends, bound to be successful someday. And in a way, that would be a correct assessment. But that is not the whole story. Andrea, a former University of Colorado student had chosen to spend a semester abroad learning micro-financing in Uganda. While there, she happened upon an orphanage in critical condition. The children were being badly neglected and even abused. Her heart broke for these orphans who had no advocate. That's when this college student decided to do something. She called her parents and said, 'I'm not coming home.' She refused to leave these children until something was done to improve the conditions."

"By sheer determination and refusal to give up, Andrea and her sister convinced the Ugandan government to close down that orphanage, which left about forty children with no place to go. The government handed the children to her," West continued. "Andrea brought this need back to the States with a new vision and desire to create a safe place for these children to grow and learn. Today, Musana (which means 'sunshine') is a thriving orphanage in Iganga, Uganda, housing over one hundred children! Andrea prefers spending most of her time in Uganda, not the US. She's a long way from a sorority house or a college campus. She's reaching the world, and bringing hope to people, one helpless child at a time. When asked what it was that made her fight for these children she simply said, "I just kept thinking, 'if I don't do something, who will?'"

"Andrea's story floored me," West concluded. "Today, so many of us Christians talk so much about being the hands and feet of Christ, but never really displaying what that looks like. Andrea has gone to the extremes to show us all what wild abandon to the cause of Christ looks like. It's not about talking. It's about doing!!! It's time for us to do something!"

It’s been ten years since this song was recorded. It’s been nearly 2000 years since The Holy Bible scriptures were completed. Although much has changed from a secular standpoint, little has changed spiritually. We, Christians, still embrace the full benefits of Our Heavenly Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit and the divine attributes of each. We enjoy the promises of God’s provision and faithfulness, the salvation of Jesus and promise of life eternal, and the leading and comfort of The Holy Spirit. From a Christian perspective, it’s nearly the same world now as it has been since God’s Infallible Word began to be ‘lived out”. We experience good and evil. We still have free will to choose between the two.