June 13, 2026 – Childlike
Yesterday afternoon, I heard the happy music outside that had me running for my wallet. Don was just coming in the door as I opened it and he was again surprised (and pleased) by my childlike joy of almost running to the waiting ice cream truck!
Days – “The sweetness of the lips increaseth learning” (Prov. xvi. 21). [Ice cream offers great sweetness on the lips!!] Simpson’s statement of the obvious, “Life is very largely made up of words” leads us to an important point that we tend to forget: “They [words] are not so emphatic, perhaps, as deeds. Deeds are more deliberate expressions of thought.” What comes to mind here is the saying, do as I say not as I do. Simpson explains why we must not lean on that excuse and rather should be mindful of what we say, “The true Christian, therefore, is righteous in his ways and upright in his words. His deeds appeal to men; but in speech he is looking up, for God is listening. His words are sent upward and recorded for the judgment…. So, we should speak, dear friends, with our eyes ever upward, never forgetting that we shall some day meet the words that we have spoken.”
New – Luke 12:4-5 MSG – “I’m speaking to you as dear friends. Don’t be bluffed into silence or insincerity by the threats of religious bullies. True, they can kill you, but then what can they do? There’s nothing they can do to your soul, your core being. Save your fear for God, who holds your entire life – body and soul – in his hands.” Slawson adds her thoughts about the power of words, “The Pharisees of Jesus’ day were looking for any excuse to trap Him in His own words…. They were an intimidating presence to the disciples, no doubt, and Jesus knew this. Thus, He warned them about caving in to the pressure. When we’re outnumbered by the crowd usually we either keep our mouths shut or feign agreement…. Jesus warned His disciples against both…. Galations 5:1 (NIV) says, ‘It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.’ …We have been freed from the bondage of human opinion and religious legalism. We are free to follow Christ without fear. We are held in the palm of His hand.”
JC – “I am creating something new in you: a bubbling spring of Joy [like standing at the ice cream truck awaiting my turn to order] that spills over into others’ lives. Do not mistake this Joy for your own or try to take credit for it in any way. Instead, watch in delight as My Spirit flows through you to bless others. Let yourself become a reservoir of the Spirit’s fruit.”
Prevail #164 – Larson warns, “When God is doing a new thing, the devil hides in the shadows with a plan. He aims to demolish everything God creates. Thankfully Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil.* On of the most important Scripture passages for the believer comes from Proverbs 4:23: ‘Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.’ …If the enemy can’t dismantle our destiny in big, traumatic ways, then he’ll send in the little foxes [Song of Songs 2:15] – harassment, distraction, irritation, and temptation, just to name a few. We’ll make little concessions here and there and think nothing of it. But then one day, a crisis hits, and we realize it could have been prevented had we paid closer attention to our hearts and to the work of God in our lives. Study where God is working in your life…. Is the enemy picking away at your resolve? Don’t put up with it. Guard your heart….”
Streams – John 14:27 – “My peace I give you.” Cowman shares Henry Drummond’s thoughts about resting in Christ, “Outwardly, Christ endured one of the most troubled lives ever lived. Storms and turmoil… Yet His inner life was as smooth as a sea of glass, and a great calm was always there…. Even as the human bloodhounds were dogging Him in the streets of Jerusalem, He turned to His disciples, offering them a final legacy: ‘My Peace.’ Rest is not some holy feeling that comes upon us in church. It is a state of calm rising from a heart deeply and firmly established in God.”
JA – “LET MY PEACE PROTECT your mind and heart…. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to Me, and I will come close to you.”
Power – Joyce implores, “God needs to be able to depend on us. People need to be able to depend on us. If we ever want to have any self-respect, we need to be able to depend on us too! When you have a problem, if you are determined to remain stable, the enemy will see it as a clear sign he is defeated (see Philippians 1:28) and it will be a sign to God to bring deliverance in your life…. Remain stable and do the right thing even while the wrong thing is happening to you.”
JL – “Faithful God, Help me to learn the secret of being content in any and every situation…. I am so grateful that I can pour out my heart to You…. please deepen my awareness of Your continual Presence with me…. It is good to sing praises to Your Name…. In Your loving Name, Jesus, Amen.”
*See 1 John 3:8.
