The Devotional

Papa “J” says

If the telephone in your office is broken, don't try to impress the visitor that your job is important by high powered talking on a dead phone! The visitor is most likely the telephone repairman.

It must be time for another “fatso and skinny” event. As you may remember we have three birds, two finch and parakeet. The parakeet is named cutie pie. On Saturday Louise called me into the bird room, she was alarmed and fear was in her voice. “I think one of the finches is dying”! I looked into the cage and sure enough, fatso was lying on his back at the bottom of the cage. Just as I went to open the cage, skinny flew from somewhere in the cage and landed right on top of fatso. Skinny jumped up and down on fatso's chest a few time and then flipped his friend over. With that both birds flew to a perch and sat there side by side as if nothing happened. Both Louise and me were sort of in disbelief. Did we see what we thought we saw, one bird giving CPR to another? Well, it was a most amazing thing to witness and we really don't know what happened, but it sure looked like what I just explained. Well, all three birds are doing well. I am thinking maybe I should take skinny with me the next time I go on the ambulance for a chest pain call.

Psalms 5

Psalm 5:1-3 If you involve yourself with the reading of Psalms daily, then you most likely are a very strong communicator with God. Nearly every Psalm carries the power of prayer within it. The ability of placing ourselves in the first person position, rather than observing God as a third person reader is critical to our walk with the LORD. We should strive to be as close to Him as the apostle John referred to himself as being. John 13:23, the gospel writer was awestruck that Jesus loved Him and we should have the same awe.

God gives ear to our conversation, He knows our emotions, He understands when our meditation is real and He is more intimately involved with answering than a brother or another close friend. So why would we seek to pray to God from rote prayer that has little or nothing to do with what is going on in our heart. God is interested in talking with you. Someone said to me once that times have changed. Well, no rocket science there, but guess what. God has not changed, nor will He ever! Hebrews 13:8

So Psalm five prepared by David is a guide to pray with words like: Give ear, consider my, take heed. David says; to my words, my meditation and my cry. These are personal entreaties. Then David identifies the One with whom He is in conversation with. My King and My God (My Lord and My Savior). How about you? Do you direct your voice personally to the LORD each morning, do you look to God and order your personal thoughts to His attention? I hope you do.