Categories
PWTE Daily Devotion

What’s on the Horizon?

Faith is God’s gift to help us deal with the future.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“Give all your worries and cares to God,
for he cares about you.”

1 Peter 5:7 New Living Translation

The day that Janice and I traveled to Blue Lakes Reservoir was the beginning of very wet weather for much of Colorado that included tornadoes and flooding. We might have anticipated this kind of weather gazing at these clouds, but then again, maybe these clouds would disappear.

How do we know what’s on the horizon?

Blue Lakes Reservoir, Colorado
Blue Lakes Reservoir, Colorado

The fear of what’s on the horizon might be on our minds: fear about our finances, family, or fitness. These fears might be rooted in some reality in our lives. We’ve been told that something isn’t right with our blood work. Our son or daughter calls us and says that they’re dropping out of college. We hear rumors at work that the company is reorganizing.

Fear of the future is a present reality for many of us.

I wish that Peter had given us the instruction manual on how to give all of our “worries and cares to God.” You and I know that God cares for us. We believe that he cares for us, but we don’t always know how to give our cares and worries to God.

The bridge between giving our anxiety to God and knowing that God cares for us is faith. Faith holds on to the reality that God cares for us even if we don’t know how. This faith in a compassionate God allows us to open our hands of worry and let God carry the burden.

What’s on the horizon? We don’t know, but we trust in the One who holds that future in the palm of his hand.

NOTE: Our hearts and prayers go out to victims and their families of the shooting in Colorado. May God raise up his people to instruments of healing.

Copyright Douglas P Brauner

Categories
PWTE Daily Devotion

It’s Time to Put on the Brakes

Taking a break is important for our health.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.”
Psalm 145:5 English Standard Version

There is nothing worse than driving your car and the brakes go soft, or worse yet, your brakes fail. The only time that I’ve experienced brake failure was driving an old WWI vintage flatbed truck (at least my boss told me that it was) whose top speed was maybe five mph. My life wasn’t in danger.

Golden, Colorado
Golden, Colorado

There are times that we need to put on the brakes.

  • We’re so busy that we don’t have time for our family.
  • We’re on the computer so long that we forget to eat.

A fast food restaurant declared, “you deserve a break today.” We may not “deserve” a break but we sure could put on the brakes. We might want to start by putting the brakes on how we’re leading our life and find time to meditate on our redeeming God.

Some of you are better than I am at putting on the bakes. When I get up in the morning I find myself planning and worrying about the day’s events. I’m trying to set a new routine, a routine that includes three things; stretching (old age), Bible meditation and reading.

I don’t know what will work for you, but I do know that God’s wants you to put on the brakes and enjoy his presence.

Copyright Douglas P Brauner

Categories
PWTE Daily Devotion Uncategorized

Singing Our Thanks to God

Singing with our loved ones is a great way of giving thanks to God.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

It saddens me that Black Friday has supplanted the beauty of Thanksgiving Day. Many commercials have filled the airwaves with the importance of Black Friday, but not near as many about giving thanks to God for our loved ones.

Though it has been more than two years since my mother-in-law joined the Church Triumphant, I still thank God for her. I had not celebrated Thanksgiving with her for several years before she passed away, yet I know that Thanksgiving this year will once again not be same without her at the table in Mt. Angel, Oregon.

Lillian Nickodemus
Lillian Nickodemus

The jokes without punch lines, the songs resonating from the piano, and the expression of “glory” will be missed as always, but most of all, her presence will be missed.

Mom loved to sing

“In that wonderful day you will sing: ‘
Thank the LORD! Praise his name!
Tell the nations what he has done.
Let them know how mighty he is!'”
Isaiah 12:4 New Living Translation

Today is the day to sing. God’s mercy is greater than any electronic gadget, perfume or slippers. Mom wasn’t afraid to let people see her heart of thankfulness to the Lord for his mercy. She wasn’t afraid to sing.

She wasn’t afraid to sing ABOUT her Savior.

She wasn’t afraid to sing TO her Savior.

As you gather with family and friends today, don’t take them for granted, nor simply mention them in a prayer. Listen to them. Laugh with them. You might even sing with them.  In short, be present with them. This is our song of praise to God.

A blessed Thanksgiving to all!

Copyright Douglas P Brauner