Find God in Valentine’s Day

February 14, 2012 By Leave a Comment

by Dianne Neal Matthews:

Photo by ladyheart

Valentine’s Day is one of the most widely celebrated holidays. There are several different explanations for the holiday, which was declared a celebration of martyrs in A.D. 496 by Saint Pope Gelasius I. Some authorities believe the celebration was designed to divert Christians from the pagan observance of Lupercalia, an ancient Roman festival. Other experts link the custom of exchanging valentines with the old English belief that birds chose their mates on that day. Regardless of the holiday’s origins, we can find God in Valentine’s Day.

The early church had two saints named Valentine. In one story the Roman Emperor Claudius II forbade young men to marry, thinking that single men made better soldiers. A priest named Valentine disobeyed and secretly married young couples. Another version asserts that Valentine was an early Christian who made friends with children. When the Romans imprisoned him, the children threw loving notes through his cell window.

­Valentine’s Day is an especially good time to remember that Jesus condensed the Ten Commandments into two: Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love others as yourself (Mark 12:30-31). He said the love we have for one another will prove to the world that we are his followers (John 13:35). Once we experience God’s lavish, unconditional love, the ­only reasonable response is to share that love with others.

Jesus also gave a command that appears illogical and impossible: We are to love our enemies and do good to those who hate us (Luke 6:27). Our natural tendency is to love ­only those who love us, which ­Jesus said is no credit to us. The selfless love he described can be expressed only with supernatural help from God’s Spirit, but it offers the world an undeniable witness of God’s transforming love and power. Maybe we should use February 14 to reach out to those who ­don’t come to mind when we think of valentines. If we do that, we’ll be sure to find God in Valentine’s Day.

Enjoy this video about God’s love letter, the Bible, written to you:

© Dianne Neal Matthews. Dianne writes articles for magazines and websites, stories for compilation books, and daily devotional books based on God’s love letter. This material is adapted from The One Year On This Day (Tyndale House 2005).

 

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Find God in Failed Resolutions in the New Year

February 7, 2012 By Leave a Comment

By Dianne Neal Matthews

The tradition of declaring New Year’s resolutions dates back to the ancient ­Bab­ylo­nians. It’s thought that the most popular resolution at that time was to return borrowed farm equipment. Today we usually make resolutions based on something that will improve our life. We promise to break some bad habit or start a good one, such as losing weight, eating a healthier diet, or exercising.  (See the funny videos with Anita Renfro, below.) By the end of the month, however, most people have forgotten or given up on their good intentions. If we relate this tendency to the spiritual life, we can find God in failed resolutions.

Good intentions are no substitute for action. James points this out in his discussion of faith and deeds. He gives the example of a brother or sister in Christ needing food or clothes. If someone tells him or her, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well,” but does nothing about that person’s physical needs, what good is that? James asserts that in the same way, faith that ­doesn’t show itself by good deeds is useless and dead (James 2:14-17).

With our busy life, it’s all too easy to not follow through on our well-meaning intentions. We assure a friend that we’ll pray for a doctor’s appointment, and then we forget about it until we see the friend again. We feel led to call someone or write a note but never get around to it. When we fail to act on our good intention, it ­doesn’t count as a good deed. We create guilt for ourselves and miss an opportunity to be a blessing to someone. That person misses the touch of God in his or her life. All through the year we need to resolve to express our faith through good deeds, not noble intentions. Once we find God in failed resolutions, we can ask Him to help us carry through on our good intentions.

© Dianne Neal Matthews. Dianne writes articles for magazines and websites, stories for compilation books, and daily devotionals. This material is adapted from The One Year On This Day (Tyndale House 2005).

In this comedy routine, comedian Anita Renfroe jokes about failed intentions to control her eating:

Also click this link to see Anita’s music video, Before I Eat: a hilarious parody of  Carrie Underwood’s song, Before He Cheats: http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=7YDWLPNX

 

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Find God in the Super Bowl

February 4, 2012 By Leave a Comment

By Dianne Neal Matthews:

This Sunday while we watch one of the most popular American sporting events, we can also find God in the Super Bowl. During the early 1960s, the upstart American Football League (AFL) sought to compete with the more established National Football League (NFL). On January 15, 1967, the champions of these two leagues played each other for the first time. The Green Bay Packers of the NFL beat the Kansas City Chiefs of the AFL by a score of 35 to 10. When the two leagues merged to form the modern NFL in 1970, the championship game became known as the Super Bowl.

Today, the Super Bowl is played every year between the champions of the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The game is so popular with American television viewers that advertisers will pay an average of 3.5 million dollars for a thirty-second ad during this year’s game (Time magazine article, by Brad Tuttle).

Professional football players devote themselves to diligent practice and to performing their best in regular games with the dream of someday becoming Super Bowl champions. This same principle applies to the spiritual life. For example, when ­Jesus taught about finances, he said, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much” (Luke 16:10, NIV). If we prove ourselves in the little things, God will use us for bigger purposes.

While David tended his father’s sheep, he sometimes had to kill a lion or a bear. Because he had experienced these victories, David was prepared to battle Goliath and was confident that God would empower him to overcome (1 Samuel 17). If we are faithful in handling our ­every­day challenges, perhaps God will give us the privilege, as one of his champions, of slaying a giant. Reflecting on this truth will help us find God in the Super Bowl.

Learn about the first step of becoming one of God’s champions at www.GodTest.com.

 © Dianne Neal Matthews. Dianne writes articles for magazines and websites, stories for compilation books, and daily devotionals. This material is adapted from The One Year On This Day (Tyndale House 2005).

Enjoy this ad from Focus on the Family, which aired this month during the Denver Broncos vs. New England Patriots NFL Playoff game. Now that’s an ad for something meaningful and life changing!

 

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How to Find Peace

February 1, 2012 By 1 Comment

By Dianne Neal Matthews

While driving from errand to errand one afternoon, I thought of how my life seemed to be out of control—financial, relationship, and physical problems all at the same time. My tensed shoulders and hands gripping the steering wheel revealed the turmoil inside me. Little did I know that God was about to show me a sight that would remind me how to find peace through my relationship with Him.

I frowned impatiently at how slowly the stop-and-go traffic crept along in spite of the green light ahead. Soon I saw the reason. A mother duck was marching across five lanes of traffic, with four baby ducks in tow, who waddled behind her with a steady rhythm in front of the stopped cars. I sat mesmerized and wondered, “Why aren’t they frightened by all the cars and noise surrounding them?”

Then I noticed that the mother duck was staring intently at her destination—the other side of the street. The ducklings kept in single file with eyes fixed straight ahead. Suddenly I understood that God was reminding me of the secret to peace—to not look at the problems surrounding me, but to keep my eyes fixed on Jesus, “the author and perfecter” of my faith (Hebrews 12:2 NIV). I have learned how to find peace: by concentrating on Christ, my guide who has promised to get me safely to my destination, regardless of what’s going on around me.

Enjoy this hymn that describes the ultimate peace: It is Well With My Soul, from the album, “Together for the Gospel Live” from Sovereign Grace Music.

Learn more about the history of this beautiful hymn, its author, Horatio Gates Spafford (1828-1888) and the tragedy he experienced before writing it.

©Dianne Neal Matthews. Dianne is a freelance writer and the author of The One Year Women of the Bible and three other daily devotional books. Visit her at www.DianneNealMatthews.com.

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Find God’s Forgiveness in a 1963 Football Game

January 26, 2012 By Leave a Comment

by Dianne Neal Matthews:

Sports programming changed forever forty-nine years ago with the introduction of the instant replay. Our lives can change forever if we learn a spiritual lesson from that historic 1963 football game that will help us learn how to find God’s forgiveness. CBS director Tony Verna had been frustrated at the lulls between plays in games and the fact that the television audience missed much of what the live audience saw. He eventually discovered a method of marking videotape in a way that allowed fast and accurate rewinding.

Verna decided to test his “video replay” at an Army-Navy game (the “biggest” game before the days of the Super Bowl) and arranged for a 1,200-pound videotape machine to be transported from New York to Philadelphia. He had trouble with static and previously taped material appearing on the monitor. Finally, in the fourth quarter Verna was able to replay a touchdown. To prevent the viewers from being confused, the announcer said, “This is not live! Ladies and gentlemen, Army did not score again!”

Find God’s Forgiveness

Our brains come equipped with an instant-replay feature. We can replay a scene, a conversation, or a decision over and over in our mind for days, weeks, even years. This tendency can be beneficial for us if we handle it properly. The Bible urges us to “examine our ways” so we can see when we’ve strayed from God and return to him (Lamentations 3:40). By prayerfully rehearsing our actions and decisions, we can spot our weak areas and react in a more Christlike way the next time we face similar circumstances.

Unfortunately, Satan uses our “instant replay” against us. By rehashing the details of our past failures and sins, we become stuck in guilt and regret. Psalm 32:1-2 says that once we confess and repent of our sins, they are literally taken away so that God doesn’t even consider them. God ­doesn’t use instant replay of our sins that he has already forgiven, and neither should we.  We can find God’s forgiveness when we remember what happened in that 1963 football game and choose to fast-forward the tape in our mind instead of rewinding it.

What events in your life do you tend to replay over and over?

Enjoy this video of Tony Verna remembering the first use of instant replay:

©Dianne Neal Matthews (www.Dianne Neal Matthews.com). Dianne is a freelance writer and the author of four daily devotional books. This material is adapted from Dianne’s book, The One Year On This Day (Tyndale House, 2005).

 

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Drawing Closer to God, Book Review: Finding God in Questions

January 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Everyone is looking for answers—about God, about our relationship with Him, about how to live a life of meaning and fulfillment. God’s Word has the answer to any question we could ever ask; sometimes those answers come in the form of questions. The Bible is full of questions asked by God, His followers, His enemies, seekers, Jesus, Satan, and even a donkey. In Drawing Closer to God: 365 Daily Meditations on Questions from Scripture, author Dianne Neal Matthews shows that even as we look for answers in the Bible, we’ll be finding God in questions.  (At the end of this review, see also a related video on this topic: Questioning God by Sam Burke.)

Some biblical questions express doubts and struggles that all of us wrestle with at some point, but we may be reluctant to verbalize them. David cried out, “Why are you so distant, Lord? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” (Psalms 10:1) Gideon asked an angel, “If the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us?” (Judges 6:13)

Jesus used questions as a powerful teaching tool:

“Can any of you add an hour to your life by worrying?” (Luke 12:25)

 

God uses questions to comfort us:

“Is anything too hard for the Lord?” (Genesis 18:14)

… and to convict us:

“Why do you call me Lord but don’t do what I tell you?” (Luke 6:46)

If we read carefully, we’ll see that God has already answered many of our questions before we think of them. Before Pilate asked the universal question, “What is truth?” (John 18:38), Jesus had already answered it earlier that evening: “Your words are truth.” (John 17:17)

Carolyn R Scheidies of Author’s Choice Reviews appreciates the practical nature of the devotions. She writes,“Matthews takes the question she poses from the daily portion of scripture to be read for the day and melds explaining the Scripture with application for today. The devotionals flow from Scripture to the challenges and situations we face today.”

Each meditation in Drawing Closer to God ends with either a question for readers to ask themselves (self-reflection) or a question to ask God (prayer focus). Amazon reviewer M. Hausam agrees that this approach encourages readers to apply the concepts to daily life: “I like the way she encourages the readers as she guides them through the questions. The real-life examples she gives aids in seeking the Biblical truths and applying them in our own lives.”

In her introduction, Matthews notes that writing the book strengthened her conviction that “God is never offended by honest questions”. She also hopes that readers will be finding God in those questions. “Since our human understanding is limited, there are some things we’ll never fully understand during our earthly life. But we can know the One who is the answer to all our questions. I hope these meditations will encourage you as you draw closer to him.”

Here’s an interesting related video, Questioning God by Sam Burke:

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How to Find God in the New Year

December 31, 2011 By Leave a Comment

By Dianne Neal Matthews:

Photo by nasirkhan

Of all the holidays we celebrate, New Year’s Day is probably the oldest. It is also a good time to stop and think about how we might find God.

Most historians believe the celebration of the New Year was first observed in ancient ­Bab­ylon four thousand years ago. The celebration lasted eleven days, with different traditions observed on each day. The ­Bab­ylo­nians considered the new year to begin in late March, at the vernal equinox, with the focus on looking ahead to new crops and new growth. Other ancient cultures used the fall equinox or winter solstice as the starting point.

Today New Year’s Day is a public holiday in many countries. January 1 became generally recognized as the beginning of the year in the 1500s, with the adoption of the Gregorian calendar. In the United States, the holiday is traditionally considered to be a time to take stock of one’s life and to make resolutions for the coming year.

Most people find it fun to anticipate new things for the year ahead, but King Solomon expressed a cynical view in Ecclesiastes 1:9-10. He compared the seasons and repetitive cycles in nature to people’s lives. Nothing happens that hasn’t happened before. No one can do anything that is really new.

“There is nothing new under the sun,” he wrote. “Can you say that anything is new? It has already been here long before us” (verse 9-10).

Solomon’s comments about the monotony of life underscored the message he wanted to convey in his book: true meaning can only be found in a personal relationship with God.

Although God is called the Ancient of Days, he delights in doing new things. When we place our faith in Christ, God makes us into a “new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17). We have a new nature and a new way of living. As we grow in our faith, God shows us new ways to use our gifts for him and reveals fresh insights from his Word. Someday He will give us a new home where we will live with Him forever.

New Year’s Day is a good time to think and plan for the year ahead. And if we live wisely, we will be able to find God in each day between now and December 31.

© Dianne Neal Matthews. This article was adapted from Dianne’s book, Drawing Closer to God: 365 Daily Meditations on Questions from Scripture (Baker Books, 2010). You can find out  more about the history of the New Year at Infoplease.com.

 

Enjoy this funny video of kids expressing the most common New Year resolutions they most likely hear from the adults around them!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zV3MUpN8vA0

 

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Finding God in an Empty Present

December 23, 2011 By Leave a Comment

By Dianne Neal Matthews

I was enjoying first grade to the fullest until one day in December when the little girl behind me set “it” on her desk. It was the tiniest Christmas present imaginable, less than an inch on each side with white glossy paper tied up with a sliver of red cellophane. Immediately I was captivated. I had never seen anything so exquisite. Day after day the tiny box caught my eye, and my active imagination tried to guess what miniature treasure might be inside. It had to be something wondrous beyond description. Little did I know that this miniscule object would be instrumental in my finding God.

I longed for that object with all the power a five-year old can muster. Finally, I became convinced that it should be mine. After all, I deserved it because I desired it. Since I rode an early bus to school, it was a simple matter to slip into the empty classroom one morning. My hands eagerly tore open the tiny present. Inside I found—nothing.

Staring at the destruction in my hand, anticipation dissolved into disappointment and confusion. Gradually my childish mind grasped the fact that the little package had been nothing more than a hollow decoration. I sat at my desk with the empty paper and an empty feeling, sickened by the knowledge of my guilt.

That morning I had no idea that this scene would repeat itself many times in my life. As I grew up the world enticed me with all sorts of shiny, gaily wrapped “presents” that caught my eye and promised happiness. Too often when I accepted what the world was offering and tore away the wrappings, my excited expectations were replaced by feelings of emptiness. Over and over I found myself proving the old cliché: You can’t judge a gift by its wrapping.

One Christmas as I carefully arranged the pieces of our nativity scene, I was struck by the humble setting of the event that lies at the heart of the season. An insignificant village, an obscure young couple, a rustic stable, shepherds and animals, a baby laid in a manger. Who would have picked such a lowly setting for the most precious gift ever given?

Today I still struggle with the tendency to be deceived by the outward appearance of a gift. This time of year it’s especially easy for me to be attracted by the fancy wrappings of what the world offers and long for packages that are empty inside. I may take my eyes off the gifts that truly matter, like listening to the soft strains of “Silent Night”, or seeing the wonders of the season reflected in the shining eyes of a child, or choosing just the right gift for someone I love or for an anonymous child in need of help. If I’m not careful I may even shift my focus off the Gift whose grace is the reason we celebrate.

So every December I remember that long ago morning when I stole a Christmas gift. And every December I am grateful that God loves us so much that he’s waiting for us to find Him—even in an empty present.

© Dianne Neal Matthews ( www.DianneNealMatthews.com) . Dianne has written numerous devotionals, magazine articles, newspaper features, and stories for compilations and is a regular contributor to Finding God Daily.

 

 Here’s a little video with the children’s book Celebrate the Gift of Jesus (by Tim Wesemann) read by a child.

 

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How to Find God in a Word Puzzle

December 21, 2011 By Leave a Comment

By Dianne Neal Matthews:

Photo by clarita

The first known published crossword puzzle appeared in the New York World in December in 1913. Arthur Wynne, a journalist who had immigrated to America from England, created the first word puzzle (called a “word-cross” at the time). By the early 1920s, newspapers across the country picked up on the new pastime. Within ten years almost all American newspapers featured crossword puzzles. It’s the most popular and widespread word game in the world. But if you want to know how to find God, what does a word puzzle have to do with that?

Many people think of the Bible as a puzzle that ­can’t be solved. Some verses and passages seem to contradict each other, when isolated. Others seem to be included in Scripture for no apparent reason or seem impossible to interpret.

But when we dedicate ourselves to prayerfully study the Word and open up to the Holy Spirit’s teaching, we can usually fill in answers to what puzzled us before. We see that the whole Bible fits together perfectly. Passages that we thought contradicted each other actually complement each other. We see applications for our life from Scriptures that before seemed irrelevant to us and to modern-day life.

How to Find God?  Not So Puzzling

The key that unlocks the Bible is ­Jesus.

  • He is Eve’s promised offspring who would crush the serpent’s (Satan’s) head (Genesis 3).
  • He’s pictured in the scarlet thread Rahab tied in her window so her life would be spared (Joshua 2).
  • Every object in the Jewish Temple represented Jesus; the old laws and regulations were only shadows of the reality that would come later through his birth, ministry, death and resurrection (Colossians 2:17).
  •  Jesus became the perfect Pass­over lamb sacrificed for sin (John 1:29).
  • ­Jesus fulfilled more than three hundred prophecies in the Old Testament about the promised Messiah.
  • And the New Testament explains that Jesus reveals the Father to us. “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father,” Jesus told one of his disciples (John 14:9 NIV).

Seeing how the Old and New Testaments fit together is more exciting than solving the most challenging crossword puzzle, because eventually we come to see that there’s a cross all through the Word. We can’t rely on a crossword puzzle when we need to know how to find God. But in the Bible, God has given us all the clues we need to know him.

Want to know how to make your own crossword puzzle, just for fun? See this how-to video:

You can also watch a  four-time American Crossword Puzzle Tournament champion complete a New York Times puzzle in record time—about 2 minutes.

Are you a history buff? Love word puzzles?  See the first published crossword puzzle from 1913.

© Dianne Neal Matthews ( www.DianneNealMatthews.com). Adapted from her book : One Year on This Day (Tyndale House Publishers).  

 

 

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Finding God in Sacrifice: King Edward VIII’s Abdication

December 19, 2011 By Leave a Comment

By Dianne Neal Matthews:

In 1936, King Edward VIII became the ­only British sovereign to voluntarily resign the crown. Edward wanted to marry Mrs. Wallis Simpson, an American who was in the process of obtaining her second divorce. Because of her status, the marriage was firmly opposed by the royal family and the Church of England. Nevertheless, the king submitted his abdication. Some people considered his decision as part of an endearing love story; others saw it as shocking and scandalous. Either way, the king’s abdication is a good place to be finding God in sacrifice when we look at it in light of the Christmas story.

It would be easier to romanticize the story if we ignored the prince’s earlier relationships. At age twenty-three, Edward began an affair with a married woman which lasted sixteen years. He also had a long-term relationship with Viscountess Thelma Furness, who introduced him to Mrs. Simpson. It took Price Edward two years to end his relationships with the other two women and make Wallis Simpson the only one in his life.

Edward didn’t decide to renounce the throne lightly after reigning only ten months. He knew such a move would be controversial. He understood that he might face disapproval from the public and the political establishment. But since it was impossible for him to marry a divorced woman with a living ex-spouse and remain on the throne, Edward was forced to choose between the two.

On a radio broadcast the day after Edward’s abdication, the former king explained: “But you must believe me when I tell you that I have found it impossible to carry the heavy burden of responsibility and to discharge my duties as King as I would wish to do without the help and support of the woman I love.”

Edward and Mrs. Simpson were married on June 3, 1937, when her divorce was finalized; they remained together until his death thirty-five years later.

The throne of England is nothing compared to what ­Jesus Christ gave up for us.

Philippians 2:6-8 explains that although ­Jesus was God, he temporarily set aside his divine rights and left the glories of heaven to be born as a helpless baby in a stable. ­Jesus willingly accepted the frailties and limitations of a human body; he also knew he would suffer humiliation, persecution, and a horrible death to pay the price for our sins.

Each time we see a nativity scene, the baby in the manger reminds us of all that Jesus sacrificed to become the Savior of the world. Even though King Edward’s love for Mrs. Simpson pales in comparison to the love that motivated Jesus, we can still be finding God in this historical event.

Enjoy this beautiful music from the band Downhere, singing “How Many Kings”:

© Dianne Neal Matthews ( www.DianneNealMatthews.com) Adapted from her book : One Year on This Day (Tyndale House Publishers).  History  buffs can see  the full text of  King Edward VIII’s speech at historyplace.com and the 1936 newspaper article about Edward and Wallis at guardian.co.uk.

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Finding God in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

December 17, 2011 By 4 Comments

By Dianne Neal Matthews

Photo from Wikimedia Commons/Wikipedia.

One of my favorite Christmas traditions is to kick off the month of December by watching TNT’s 1999 movie version of Charles Dickens’ novella, A Christmas Carol.Although many scholars don’t consider the book to be one of Dickens’ important literary works, its popularity can’t be denied. This beloved tale of redemption and a changed heart has spawned countless play and movie adaptations, ensuring that each year more and more people are finding God in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.

The short book is packed with memorable characters and poignant scenes that linger in the mind long after the last page is turned. Early in the story, a frightening encounter between Ebenezer Scrooge and a ghost sets the mood and reveals the theme of the book. When Scrooge finally accepts that he’s seeing the spirit of his former business partner who had died seven years earlier, he doesn’t understand why Marley’s ghost is in such misery. He asks why Marley is fettered with a great chain wrapped around his waist. Marley explains that he forged this chain in life, link by link, as he devoted himself to making money rather than helping his fellow man. He informs Scrooge that he also has forged a massive chain—one that was already as heavy and long as Marley’s seven Christmases earlier. Scrooge glances down at the floor but sees nothing.

Like Dickens’ characters, we all have chains that weigh us down. We carry around the burdens of our past mistakes, failures, and disappointments; other links were added when someone hurt us. God doesn’t want us to live like that. He wants to break off our invisible chains so that we will be free to enjoy a life of true fulfillment.

The Bible (New Living Translation) tells us to “pour out” our heart to God (Psalm 62:8) and “give all our worries and cares” to him (1 Peter 5:7).  Jesus explained that he came to the earth so that his followers might live a rich and more satisfying life. (John 10:10)

Thanks to the lessons that Scrooge learned from the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future, he became a changed man. The former lonely miser became a friend to mankind, generously giving to all within his reach and enjoying true friendship. Once we have an encounter with God through Jesus Christ, we too become a changed person with a new life. Thanks to the allegories in Dickens’ novella and the many televised productions of it, this December people are sure to be finding God in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.

Enjoy this clip from the 1999 TNT version of  the movie, showing Scrooge and Marley’s encounter.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62R8Du6Id1U

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Finding God in ‘Silent Night’

December 12, 2011 By Leave a Comment

by Dianne Neal Matthews

The familiar carol “Silent Night” was performed for the first time on December 24, 1818. Joseph Mohr, a young priest in Austria, wrote the original six stanzas for the song in German. On Christmas Eve, he took the words to his friend, musician and schoolteacher Franz Gruber, and asked him to write a melody and guitar accompaniment. Every year since then, people all over the world have been finding God in ‘Silent Night’.

On that long-ago night at Midnight Mass at St. Nicholas Church in Oberndorf, the two men sang “Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!” backed by the small choir repeating the last two lines in harmony. Sometime later, an organ repairman took a copy of the composition home with him, and the carol began to circulate around the world. “Silent Night” has now been translated into hundreds of languages and is sung by millions ­every­ Christmas season in every setting imaginable.

We forget that God sometimes moves powerfully in quiet, humble settings. A Christmas carol that has touched the hearts of people around the world arose from a modest curate and a musician known ­only within their village. In a similar way, God stepped into our world through a baby born in a stable in an obscure village. This event, which would change the world forever, occurred in quietness and humility except for the host of angels praising God in the sky before the shepherds.

When another Bible character Elijah needed a touch from God, God sent a mighty windstorm, an earthquake, and a fire. But the Lord wasn’t in any of these. God’s presence came in a gentle whisper (1 Kings 19:11-12), soothing and refreshing the weary prophet’s soul. Our modern Christmas celebrations are often like a powerful windstorm or earthquake, full of too much noise and clamor. And God is often lacking in them. What many of us need for Christmas isn’t more gifts or activities, but a silent night so we won’t miss finding God in his gentle whisper.

This devotion is adapted from Dianne’s book, One Year on This Day (Tyndale House 2005). Used with permission.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOHqKhCY1_U

(Vienna Boys’ Choir singing “Stille Nacht”)

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Finding God in the Giant Redwoods

November 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment

By Dianne Neal Matthews

The "Grizzly Giant" tree in Mariposa Grove, Yosemite National Park. Used by permission from Wikipedia.

When my husband and I took a vacation last month, I didn’t expect to be finding God in the giant redwoods (also known as giant sequoias) of California. A stop by the Redwood National Park headquarters gave us plenty of facts: trees that live to be 2000 years old and grow more than 360 feet tall. Some of the giants tower five stories higher than the Statue of Liberty. Along the coast are three redwoods that visitors can drive their car through. All this information did nothing to prepare me for the sensation of standing next to the world’s tallest trees.

Stepping into the hushed, mist-filled forest, I gazed upward until I almost toppled over backward. Next to the sheer height and girth of these trees, I must have looked like an overgrown bug.  And what was my life span compared with their two thousand years? I felt awed—and insignificant. Centuries ago, Israel’s poet-king expressed a similar feeling as he contemplated the splendors of nature.

“When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers— the moon and the stars you set in place—,” David wrote, “what are people that you should think about them, mere mortals that you should care for them? (Psalm 8:3-4 NLT)

When we contemplate the vastness of space or the beauty and magnificence found in nature, we can start to feel insignificant. That sense of smallness vanishes when we remember what a special place we have in God’s Creation. God didn’t just create us; he also came to earth to die for our sins so that we can be forgiven and live a life of purpose and significance. To think that God would even be interested in us is amazing enough, but his concern took him all the way to the Cross. Taking a trip to the Redwood National Park can renew that sense of wonder and awe; while there, you just might be finding God in the giant redwoods.

Enjoy this video about the giant redwoods from National Geographic:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9LHjV48e9s

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Finding God in a Cross Country Meet

November 20, 2011 By Leave a Comment

By Dianne Neal Matthews

Each fall, the U.S. Olympic Committee gives a special award to “an athlete, coach, or official in recognition of an outstanding act of fair play and sportsmanship displayed during the past year.” Instead of the usual pro- or college-level recipients, this year the award went to a high school runner from North Carolina named Jenna Huff. The teenager’s actions last year may have caused her to lose a race she could have easily won, but her selflessness touched onlookers and made finding God in a cross country meet a winning moment.

Last October, Jenna’s team competed in a regional championship meet to determine which schools would qualify for a shot at the state championship. From the beginning of the race, Jenna was slightly behind another runner named Deb Guthman. With a hundred yards left to run, Jenna got ready for a final sprint to help her outstrip Deb. As the two girls approached the chute, the crowd erupted into wild cheering. So far the two teams had tied; the first girl to cross the finish line would determine which school went to the state competition.

A mere 50 yards from the finish line, Deb suddenly stopped running and doubled over, clutching her hip. (Doctors would later discover that Deb’s growth plate had popped off her bone, causing pain comparable to breaking a bone.) Instead of sprinting by Deb, Jenna made a split-second decision that stunned onlookers. She stopped, took Deb’s arm, and guided the crying girl forward, encouraging her to complete the race. At the finish line, Jenna pushed Deb one step ahead of her, ensuring that Deb would win.

Although the rules called for both girls to be disqualified, officials decided to let the results stand. Deb’s team would go to state, but Jenna’s would not. However, that day’s race made two former strangers close friends and impacted all who heard of Jenna’s sacrifice.

Deb’s coach, David Malady, said, “I’ve coached track and cross country for 10 years, and I’ve never seen anything like it. You just don’t stop and grab somebody and help them. It’s like an unwritten rule. You just don’t. But Jenna did.” For more of this article, click HERE.

The Christian life is often compared to a race or marathon. Like Deb, we have Someone running beside us, always ready to help us no matter how broken or battered we get. Jenna’s sacrifice reminds us that Jesus gave his life so that he can help us finish our own race well. The drama of that October day proved that people can be finding God in a cross country meet.

To see an interview of Jenna Huff and Deb Guthman on Youtube, watch below:

For more on the story, click HERE.

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Finding God During National Adoption Awareness Month

November 17, 2011 By 3 Comments

By Dianne Neal Matthews

People are finding God during National Adoption Awareness Month. Take a closer look to find out how.

Did you know that Massachusetts was the first state to proclaim National Adoption Week, in 1976. The idea spread as additional states began to declare a special week to focus on adoption, until National Adoption Month was instituted in 1990. Each November the president proclaims National Adoption Awareness Month to draw attention to the increasing number of children in our child-welfare system waiting to be adopted into stable, loving families.

Throughout the country, individuals, families, communities, businesses, and organizations celebrate National Adoption Awareness Month to focus on adoption as a way to build families. Special programs and campaigns highlight the needs of children waiting for permanent homes. The adoption.com website includes a “National Adoption Awareness Calendar” suggesting a month’s worth of  related ideas and activities intended to be fun for the entire family. The celebration now includes National Adoption Day, on which many local adoption ceremonies are performed simultaneously.

According to the Bible, the moment we enter into a relationship with Jesus, God adopts us as his beloved child. The Holy Spirit within us serves as our adoption certificate, proving that we have become a part of God’s family—as loving and permanent a family as we can get. Although God is our heavenly Father, the process is not yet complete. Romans 8:23 looks ahead to the day “when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us.”

According to data collected by the North American Council on Adoption, during 2010 more than 107,000 children were waiting to be adopted while more than 52,000 left the system to become part of a family. Regardless of our standing here on earth, God longs to adopt each one of us into his family. Take a closer look and while you’re at it, consider finding God during National Adoption Awareness Month.  

Note: This article is based on a devotional in Dianne’s book The One Year On This Day (Tyndale House, 2005).

To see more about National Adoption Awareness Month, watch the Youtube below:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCs8rtmlhzY&feature=related

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Filed Under: In Life, In the News, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , ,

About Us

October 3, 2011 By 47 Comments

We are so glad that you have found us and hope that you will check in often.  We work hard to find news about God that is interesting, inspiring, encouraging, enlightening, and/or delightful.

Finding God Daily is brought to you by Right to the Heart’s God Test website, where you can take a quick test to see how well you know God.  Right to the Heart is a 501 (c) 3 ministry that serves in many different ways and has seen hundreds of thousands of people come to faith, and find helps and encouragement.

Linda Evans Shepherd, the President of Right to the Heart, is also the publisher of Finding God Daily and pens many of the articles.  She’s been married for over 30 years and has two children.  She’s also the author of over 30 books, including:

 

She is a busy speaker and has spoken in almost every state in the USA, she’s the head of AWSA (Advanced Writers and Association), the publisher of the Right to the Heart of Women ezine and oversees the work of Right to the Heart Productions.

 

Meet our Writing Team

Dianne E. Butts

Dianne E. Butts has over 275 articles and short fiction in more than fifty publications including Enrichment Journal, and Encounter, and Clubhouse and eighteen books including Chicken Soup for the Soul. Her articles have appeared in Great Britain, Bulgaria, Poland, Canada, and Korea. Her most recent book is Deliver Me: Hope, Help, & Healing through True Stories of Unplanned Pregnancy. See the blog HERE. She wrote Dear America after 9/11, is an aspiring screenwriter, and enjoys riding her motorcycle with her husband, Hal.

Lane Jordan

Lane Jordan has been speaking for over 15 years, to women ofevery age, all across the country.  Her topic centers on organization but with an emphasis on time management.  Because of this, she has been asked to speak to many staffs of colleges, businesses and ministries, requesting her help and direction.  With her easy, relaxed and humorous presentation, she is as enjoyable to listen to as she is to learn from.  Visit her website at: www.LaneJordanMinistries.com

 

Deborah Lovett

Deborah Lovett is an International Speaker for Women’s Events, Retreats, and Conferences. If you are looking for a speaker with a fresh Word from the Lord, Deborah is your woman.

She is the author of Gushing Springs, a Bible Study on the “Woman at the Well,” which is available at her website: www.DeborahLovett.com. Join her on facebook, twitter, linked in, and her blog through her website.

Dianne Neal Matthews

Dianne has written numerous devotionals, magazine articles, newspaper features, and stories for compilation books. Her four daily devotional books include The One Year Women of the Bible and Drawing Closer to God: 365 Daily Meditations on Questions from Scripture. Dianne also enjoys teaching at writers’ conferences. Learn more at www.DianneNealMatthews.com.

 

Janet McHenry

Janet McHenry is a national speaker and author of 19 books, including the best-selling PrayerWalk. Her business name is Looking Up! because that is what she enjoys doing most — encouraging others to turn to God through prayer and a deeper spiritual walk. An avid prayerwalker, Janet has been featured widely in magazines such as Health, Family Circle, and Today’s Christian Woman because of the dramatic changes she experienced, as well as countless answers to prayer in her community. See her blog HERE.

 

Karen Moore

Karen Moore is the author of more than fifty books and is a popular speaker, trainer, and coach for authors and new writers. She teaches courses on greeting card writing and devotional book writing. She lives near Orlando, Florida.

 

 Karen O’Connor

Karen O’Connor is an award-winning author of 70+ published books, hundreds of magazine articles, a featured speaker at conferences and ministry events, and a writing instructor and editor for the Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild. Visit Karen on the web at karenoconnor.com.

Laurie Winslow Sargent 

Laurie Winslow Sargent is a magazine article writer (28 publications), speaker, writing instructor, and author of the books The Power of Parent-Child Play and Delight in Your Child’s Design. She has also contributed articles/stories of faith to eight additional books. Laurie, on Twitter as @LaurieSargent, offers encouragement for parents, teachers and child advocates at ParentChildPlay.com and tips for writers at SellYourNonfiction.com.  Check out Laurie’s blog, click HERE.

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