Beverly Joy Roberts

This week’s devotional will be my last devotional until June 3, 2020.  I will be taking a break for 6-weeks (or possibly longer).  At this time, much is available on Facebook, Twitter, and the internet from our local churches to encourage people that I thought I would step back for these few weeks.   Thanks for following my devotionals ...and remember, I'll be back.   I trust you will be blessed and encouraged by all that your local church is offering you online.   See you in June. (or maybe later)  It often takes a crisis to bring out the best in people.  When there is a crisis, this can be the Christian's opportunity to show the love of the Lord by ministering outside the box.   Recently, I heard a few stories of people who choose to minister outside the box even   amidst the social distancing.  One person told me of a child in line at the grocery store who was looking at a small toy near the checkout line.  The three-year-old was looking a

We have all had to get back to the basics this past month; like handwashing.  I was shocked by how little I thought about washing my hands until my health hung in the balance. New terminology and practices have become the norm like; shelter in place, social distancing, self-quarantine, keeping a six-foot distance from everyone,  less than ten person gatherings, no face touching, no handshaking, detoxing groceries before bringing them into the house and wiping down surfaces more often. I have disinfected my light switches, countertops, doorknobs, banishers, remotes, cell phone, iPad, and computer keyboard more in the last month than I had in my entire life proceeding this pandemic.  I've even wiped down my car steering wheel and all the places in the car that I touch.  I don't think I ever thought to disinfect my car before.  Clean yes, but disinfect--never.  But, I do now. For the past few weeks, my new ritual of bringing groceries into my house is to empty all

The book of Hosea is an enigma when it comes to faithfulness.  After all, this book of the Bible begins with a story about a wife who is unfaithful and a husband who is longsuffering.   Most of us without a counseling degree or maybe even with one would be telling this husband, Hosea, to kick that girl, Gomer, to the curb and move on because we would tell Hosea that he deserves to be loved, respected and have all his wife's attention, and he did give her plenty of chances to behavior. In the book of Hosea, when we look at this story as a living parable, it is easier to see the truth God is driving home to our hearts.  When we grasp the truth of this book, it will give us more compassion for Gomer and give us a new thankfulness for the ever-enduring Hosea. Parables have long been a means that both God the Father and Jesus, His Son have used to teach us.  The best description I've heard to describe a parable is this; words become a paintbrush to create a portrai