Daily Devotional for December 14, 2011

Psalm 144:3-4, 15
I wonder why you care, God — why do you bother with us at all? All we are is a puff of air; we're like shadows in a campfire.

How blessed the people who have all this! How blessed the people who have God for God!

Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.

We are experiencing periods of heavy fog this week. When this happens, Greers Ferry Dam completely disappears from view out our back window. The dense fog keeps us from seeing even the bright lights that line the sides of the dam’s roadway and guide drivers safely from one end to the other. A visitor would never know that a big concrete dam was holding back the water on the river below our house. And the fog can rise very quickly on the river. Often the dam is visible one minute and gone the next.

We like to think about living a long life… and how important each and every minute, day, and year of our lives is in the scheme of things. But truly, we are here one day and gone the next. If you don’t believe me, just think about the past year and what has happened. I remarked to my husband a few days ago that I had to remove the names of several dear friends and loved ones from my Christmas card list, because they have gone to heaven since this time last year. Our lives are very much like a vaporous fog.

So why does God bother with us? He is, after all, GOD! In the time continuum and scheme of things, how can one of us be that important? And yet we are! Each one of us matters greatly to God. Our life, however lengthy or brief, matters. What happens to us – our hopes, dreams, needs, desires, the way we conduct ourselves and how we serve Him – all has significance. And we truly are blessed to have such a God.

Sadly, we take God for granted so much of the time. Amazingly, we fail to honor the One who has done such great things for someone as small as we are in the overall picture. But we can change this… and we can start today. Begin by thanking God in your prayer time for all He does in your life. Then start to live in a way that shows Him you mean what you said. Seek out ways to serve Him… to show kindness and love to others… and to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ – in word and deed. Act like you are as important as God thinks you are… and praise Him for choosing us… and for being such a great and mighty God to each of His “vaporous puffs”!

©2011 Debbie Robus

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