LOW INTENSITY FIRES

The angel of the Lord appeared to (Moses) in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. Exodus 3:2

 

Forest fires have been around for millions of years. Many pine and conifer species have been maintained by natural, frequent, low intensity fires every few years. These fires are important in the maintenance of forest trees and plants, wildlife habitat, nutrients, and other aspects of the ecosystem. But the catastrophic fires we are seeing today, which may be caused in part by overuse of the land and by climate change, are destructive to nature and communities, and must be controlled. Some ways to manage these uncharacteristic fires is to use reforestation techniques and controlled burning.

 

Throughout the Bible, God uses the image of fire to demonstrate to His people that He will destroy what is worthless but protect what is good. Moses came upon a bush that appeared to be burning but was not consumed (Exodus 3:1-9). God spoke to Moses out of this bush, saying, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground” (v. 5). That certainly got Moses’ attention! Then God told Moses that He planned to deliver the Israelites from their plight at the hands of the cruel Egyptian pharaoh. Another example of God using fire to show His power is in the third chapter of Daniel. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refuse to denounce their God, so the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar had them bound and thrown into a fiery furnace (I Kings 3:19-20). But not only did the three men survive the fire without so much as a blister, a fourth man, presumable an angel of the Lord, was clearly seen with them in the furnace (v. 25). And in 1 Corinthians 3:11-15, the Apostle Paul speaks of work done for God by us on earth that “will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each has done” (v. 13). Paul makes clear in this passage that those doing acceptable work will be rewarded, but even if work is not accepted by God, those who strive to do good deeds will not be punished (v. 14-15).

 

Oh, God, You created fire for good. Save us from the devastating fires that destroy the land, nature, and people. Amen

 

Meg Blaine Corrigan tells stories of wisdom, strength, fear, joy and risk-taking. Daughter of a raging alcoholic mother, and survivor of sexual assault at gunpoint, Corrigan has shaken a dismal past and flung herself into the arms of Christ, Who sustains her in her daily walk of grace. She shares with her listeners her incredible story of surviving and thriving through many trials during her seven decades walking this fragile earth. She has been described as a Renaissance Woman, integrating her formal training in psychology and counseling, an enlightening experience as a percussionist for a Polynesian show troupe, and most recently as an inspirational author and blogger. Her exposure to many life experiences has enriched her passion for spreading Christ’s word and helping other trauma survivors. She has a Master’s Degree in Guidance and Counseling and thirty-plus years of experience in the field of counseling and social work.  She lives in Lake Elmo, Minnesota, with the love of her life, Patrick, and their formerly disenfranchised rescue dog Ginger. www.MegCorrigan.com    MegCorrigan@comcast.net

WORLD PEACE

I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 1 Timothy 2:1-2

 

World Peace? How is it possible to imagine that in today’s world? According to worldpopulationsreview.com, “As of 2018, there are…a total of fifty nations that have a dictator or authoritarian regime ruling the nation to this day. Europe is home to one.., while three…can be found in Latin America and South America…,eight…in Asia, seven in the Eurasian region of the world, and twelve…from the northern parts of Africa to the Middle East.” And worldatlas.com reports Syria is the most war-torn country in the world, followed by Iraq and Afghanistan; other countries experiencing “war” (including threats from other nations, civil unrest, gang and drug conflicts, etc.) today include Ukraine, Yemen, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mexico, and Central African Republic. Many other nations are dealing with ongoing political partisanship, the rise of hate groups, and religious and human rights battles among their populace. The concept of world peace seems further away than it did even a decade ago.

 

1 Timothy above among our daily readings for today. I remembered that Jesus came into this world during a time of political and civil unrest. At the time of Christ’s birth, Israel was an occupied nation, under the strong arm of the Roman government. The Romans, in concert with the Jewish religious leaders of the day, executed Jesus on false charges. The Romans were still in power when Paul’s protégé Timothy was a leader in the Christian church at Ephesus (now modern Turkey). Paul urged Timothy to pray “for kings and all those in authority” in the hope that these prayers would bring “peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” It’s hard to think of strong-arm governments like the Roman Empire allowing the people to live “peaceful and quiet lives!” Indeed, the Romans sought to keep the people in line!

 

Paul’s admonitions apply today as well. We must continue to pray that world leaders will take their responsibilities seriously. We can pray fervently that leaders who see themselves above their people will have a change of heart and move towards compassion for others.

 

Lord, heal this broken world, we pray! Bring all nations into “peaceful and quiet lives.” Amen

 

Meg Blaine Corrigan finds ideas for her devotional blogs in everyday places and events, from comic strips to magazines and books, comments on the fly from people she meets, ancient memories of her childhood, and nigglings from God. To date, she has written nearly 700 different devotions, filling one book of daily readings, Saints With Slingshots: Daily Devotions for the Slightly Tarnished But Perpetually Forgiven Christian, published in 2015. Meg is working on a second book (Saints TWO) which she had hoped would be completed by now. She posts once a week, which means in seven years, she will have enough entries to fill a second book. Sometimes life gets in the way of writing, so Meg is pacing herself, enjoying spending time with her husband, their four daughters and spouses, ten grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, as well as their rescue dog, Bassett/Beagle mix Ginger. Meg is involved in volunteer work at her church, Christ Lutheran in Lake Elmo, Minnesota, and also with sexual violence/sex trafficking prevention and education. She speaks to groups whenever she if offered the opportunity. She is a voracious reader of other people’s writing, which gives her lots of ideas for more devotional blogs. Read more about her at www.MegCorrigan.com or contact her at MegCorrigan@comcast.net .

WOLVES IN SHEEP’S CLOTHING

And you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free. John 8:32

 

At a training seminar on child safety recently, I sat next to a woman who had just returned from missionary work in war-torn Syria. She told me how surprised she was to return to the United States and listen to national news broadcasts here. She had forgotten how sensationalistic our news programs were. In Syria, she said, the news was delivered with solemnity and very little drama, which she found refreshing. I would agree. I long for the days when newscasters like Walter Cronkite, Chet Huntley and David Brinkley reported in a straight-forward and honest fashion, without shoving microphones into traumatized people’s faces asking, “How did you feel when…?” Our national discourse has become sharper and more divisive in recent years, and it doesn’t appear to be likely to improve any time soon. The internet, for all the good things it brings us, has also made it harder to know what is true and what is a lie.  We must be careful to examine what we hear and read and be wise about what we take away from all sources available to us. The old saying goes, “If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.” But what we “stand for” to begin with must be based on the truth and not some twisted spin on reality.

 

Jesus warned against “false prophets,” people who “will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive…even the elect” (Matthew 24:24). So even practicing Christians—the elect—with strong faith in God can become confused. Jesus added to His warning, “See, I have told you ahead of time” (v. 25). We as Christians have no excuse not to heed Christ’s warning: it is up to us to listen to the Spirit as He helps us discern the truth in this life (1 Corinthians 2:14). Albert Einstein said, “The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything.” We will overcome the darkness of lies and false teaching by shining the light of Christ into the midst of that darkness. We must stand firm in our faith and seek God’s wisdom over that of questionable sources.

 

Jesus, You are our true Redeemer. Walk with us in the light of Your wisdom and justice. Amen

 

Alone on a Colorado mountain, Meg Corrigan faced the unthinkable, a situation that almost ended her life. Learn the details of her astounding rescue from the hands of a gun-wielding attacker and how she walked off that mountain. Hers is a story of tragedy turned holy, a journey of sorrow and healing, a powerful message of hope in the darkest hour. In her memoir, Then I Am Strong: Moving From My Mother’s Daughter to God’s Child, Meg credits her resilience to the grace of God. She is also the author of Perils of a Polynesian Percussionist, tales based on her years as a drummer in a Hawaiian show band; and Saints With Slingshots: Daily Devotions for the Slightly Tarnished But Perpetually Forgiven Christian, released this month. Meg is a retired college counselor, author, speaker, trainer and sexual assault survivor. She speaks to churches, civic groups, college students, mental health professionals and law enforcement personnel, as well as youth in juvenile facilities. She lives in Lake Elmo, Minnesota with her husband, Patrick. She loves to coax seemingly dead plants out of the soil in her yard. The couple have four daughters, ten grandchildren and a great-grandchild on the way. Contact her at MegCorrigan@comcast.net or www.MegCorrigan.com .

TATOO

Be Strong and do not lose courage, for there is reward in your work. 2 Chronicles 15:7

 

A never-ending soliloquy scrolled through my brain asking to be heard so that it could be corrected by the editor of life. It was a constant reminder of my feelings of worthlessness. My mind was void of self-love and fraught with emotional turmoil that lugged me into a space of believing my life’s work was not good enough for God.

 

I contemplated my struggles and lack of inner peace. Once a month, at Sunday morning service, I would sit pouring my heart out onto the blue prayer request card gently coaxing the prayer team to pray for me. Each ended with a request that they receive prayer and blessing as well.

 

Weeks after a particularly hard request, I forgot about it and moved on. I sat at my desk opening my mail. To my surprise there was a handwritten envelope from the prayer team. I opened it and a card with an image of mountains surrounded by fluffy clouds and a pinkish-orange sky jumped out. A patch of velum glued to the inside of the card carried a bible verse that spoke of strength, courage and reward. I left the card on my desk for about a week but when my clutter became unbearable, the card found a new home in my recycle bin.

 

Two months later, I decided I was going to adorn myself with a tattoo. I wanted something that would speak clear meaning into my daily life. I looked at images online. I flooded my brain with hearts and overused quotes until finally I gave up on looking.

 

My body slunk down comfortably into my office chair and my eyes landed on a small piece of paper on my desk. I picked it up and saw a familiar phrase staring me in the face, “Be strong and do not lose courage for there is reward in your work”. The velum paper, my tiny piece of prayer, had found its way back to me months after being cast aside. It was fully detached from the card, but the words were about to find a far more permanent home: One that would serve as my daily reminder of the rewards in my life.

 

Lord, show me how to be strong and courageous so that I may experience the impact and rewards of my work here on this earth. Amen.

 

Jennifer Bierma is a certified massage therapist, business owner, psychic medium and the author of the memoir, A Life Lived Medium: A Psychic’s Journey from Fearful to Almost Fearless. Her connection to spirit gives her a unique call to action in life that she believes motivates people to live out their goals in an authentic way and create a ripple that empowers others to live their lives to the fullest. For a full bio, blog posts or to purchase her book go towww.JenniferBierma.com.