Dec 9, 2025 – Screen(andlife)savers
The screensaver image that greeted me, when I woke my computer up this morning, was a Napa Valley vineyard with rows and rows of grape vines. All of the leggy vertical vines with bushy green leaves at the top looked like artfully pruned trees.
I’ve experienced my phone and computer seeming to listen to me and offering images of things I’ve talked about buying, but these screensaver images that come up have, so far, never been (that I know of) related to anything I’ve talked or written about. It has usually just been beautiful scenery, but never anything specific in my life, until today. Even though I didn’t use Napa in the post yesterday, I did listen to training videos and Napa was mentioned; so, I guess maybe the screensaver algorithm is listening to me too! Now that I think about it, there have been many mountain-themed screensavers which probably comes from me talking about the mountains here (or foothills as my brother, who lived in Colorado for many years, would say).
It’s interesting to correlate this with our faith life. The more our faith grows, the more we learn that God loves to talk with, and listen to, us. He wants to know what is going on in our lives so He can comfort, guide, and help us, like any good parent would do. The only thing about speaking aloud is that Satan also hears what we say and uses it against us in any way he can; so, praying a hedge of protection around ourselves and our loved ones is important. Thankfully, Satan can’t hear our thoughts; but, God can.
JA – “The brightness of My presence helps you in multiple ways. The closer to Me you live, the more clearly you can see the way forward. As you soak in this love-drenched light, I give you strength and bless you with peace. My radiance blesses not only you but also other people as it permeates your whole being. This time spent focusing on Me helps you become more like Me, enabling you to shine into the lives of others. I’m continually drawing My loved ones out of darkness into My glorious light.”
Prevail 343 – 2 Peter 2:8 – “Yes, Lot was a righteous man who was tormented in his soul by the wickedness he saw and heard day after day.” I feel the same as Larson when she writes, “I was so surprised to read that Lot was considered a righteous man….” Then she offers, “He did – after all – choose to camp among the ungodly.” Don’t missionaries and church planters do that all the time? Don’t some people have to do that at work every day?
She writes, “And, when he warned his family about the coming judgment, they didn’t take him seriously at first. Which makes me think he’d lost some credibility with them.” I really like the rest of the devotion especially when Larson writes, “But I love how God sees through our circumstances, past our appearances, and knows intimately what’s going on in the heart;” however, I still find myself back at the idea that sometimes we are called into ungodly places, even to live in them.
We need more information about how Lot lived in that ungodly environment, or do we? We can infer that he may have tried to profess his faith and affect attitudes and behaviors, but he was apparently worn down. And why? My guess is that he was living in his own strength. He didn’t have the Holy Spirit then as we do now; but, as we see throughout the Old Testament, He was still there. God was guiding them, when they’d listen. And He guides us, when we’ll listen.
Interestingly, if you Google Lot, you will read that he initially did camp and settle his family outside the “prosperous cities of the Jordan.” It seems that he started off in the right way based on his personality and abilities, but “He progressively moved closer to and then into the wicked city of Sodom.” So, instead of standing strong in the Lord and affecting change in the city, he allowed the city to affect change in him and weaken his faith. Larson concludes today with, God’s “patience in our process is breathtaking. He sees what’s true, and He will not abandon His own, no matter how messy the story or how long the process.” As we know, despite his assumed failures during that season of his life, Lot did not die in the cities that God destroyed.
Streams – 2 Corinthians 4:17 – “Our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” Cowman points out that our “momentary troubles…are teaching us not only the way to victory but, better still, the law of victory – there is a reward for every sorrow, and the sorrow itself produces the reward…. Joy sometimes needs pain to give it birth…. Remember, ‘Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning’ (Ps 30:5). From Songs in the Night.”
JC – “Be willing to go out on a limb with Me. If that is where I am leading you, it is the safest place to be. Your desire to live a risk-free life is a form of unbelief…. In order to follow Me wholeheartedly, you must relinquish your tendency to play it safe. Let Me lead you step by step through this day. If your primary focus is on Me, you can walk along perilous paths without being afraid.”
