Tag

Violet Carr Moore

Browsing
Devotions

The Destination

1 Min Read

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting, (Micah 5:2, Holy Bible, New King James).

    My favorite Old Testament characters, ancestors of Jesus associated with Bethlehem, are woven through time. From weeping to rejoicing, Jacob buried Rachel, his beloved wife, there. Ruth, a foreigner from Moab, married Boaz. Samuel anointed David to be King of Israel. When Joseph of the New Testament journeyed there with Mary, his betrothed wife, for the required census, the greatest celebration of all occurred. Tiny Bethlehem, you made your mark when You became the birthplace of Jesus, the Savior of the world.
    Prayer : Eternal God, You spoke of Bethlehem’s importance from ancient days. Immanuel—God with us—at the birth of Jesus linked the past to a new world with a future. Amen.
    Devotion by Violet Carr Moore
Keep Reading
Devotions

The Journey of Promise

1 Min Read

Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child, (Luke 2:4-5, Holy Bible, New Living Translation).

    Joseph, a descendant of David, had to travel from Nazareth, Galilee to Bethlehem, Judah to be counted in the census decreed by Caesar Augustus. The journey, estimated to between seventy and ninety miles (up to 140 kilometers) through rough terrain, had to be a major challenge for Mary, his espoused wife, heavy with child. I tried to visualize Mary on a donkey, a familiar Christmas-card scene. I can’t imagine her walking that distance either. No matter how she made that journey, it had to be uncomfortable if not down-right agonizing. She did not question the journey knowing that life would not be a smooth road, but understanding that each step led toward a promise.
    Prayer: Dear Lord, help me to enjoy the journey You have outlined for me.
    Devotion by Violet Carr Moore
Keep Reading
Devotions

Choosing a Name

1 Min Read

And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21, Holy Bible, New King James).

    Baby name selection is one of the first things young parents think of—maybe long before a baby is expected. Prefer Victorian for your baby girl? Maybe you’re searching for unusual names for identical twin boys that evoke courage and strength. Perhaps you want to include grandparent names. Mary had none of these options. An angel announced the name of her Holy-Spirit conceived child to Joseph. Jesus, a name above all names, selected in heaven, received on earth, etched into eternity. “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved,” (Acts 4:12, Holy Bible, New King James).
    Prayer : Lord Jesus, Your name continues to bring salvation to a needy world. Amen.
    Devotion by Violet Carr Moore
Keep Reading
Devotions

The Expectation of Hope

2 Mins Read
    Some would think me fortunate to have drawn the Christmas week for devotionals. Piece of cake, right? Wrong. Everything that could be said about that first Christmas—the day Jesus was born in Bethlehem—has been told, retold and debated for two millenniums. Christians devoted to this blessed event along with skeptics who view the same crèche admit the main characters are always Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus surrounded by animals. An angel heralds the event to shepherds working in the fields who make their way to find the Christ child. Certainly not a great opening scene by today’s book-publishing expectations. But this is not the beginning of a story. It’s the focus of the prophet Isaiah, the culmination of the angelic annunciation to Mary that a child conceived of the Holy Spirit would bring eternal life to all. It is the unchangeable story of Christmas.

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace,” (Isaiah 9:6, Holy Bible, King James).

    Prayer: Lord Jesus, many babies have been born since the beginning of time, but you are the only one who brought the expectation of hope to all humanity. Amen.
    Devotion by Violet Carr Moore
Keep Reading
Devotions

Natural Ingredients

1 Min Read
    Ever look at the transparent bottom of a juice bottle without shaking first? Without reading the label, the first word that pops into my mind when I see the discolored flecks of residue is c-o-n-c-e-n-t-r-a-t-e. Ingredients are solidified, removing natural fluids. When ready to market, water is introduced to return the product to liquidity. Flavor and nourishment are lost in the process. Concentrate is a good word when associated with the thinking process, but all natural, not-from-concentrate word of God is best for Christian nourishment.

Don’t let anyone condemn you by insisting on pious self-denial or the worship of angels, saying they have had visions about these things. Their sinful minds have made them proud, and they are not connected to Christ, the head of the body. For he holds the whole body together with its joints and ligaments, and it grows as God nourishes it, (Colossians 2:18-19, Holy Bible, New Living Translation).

Prayer: Lord, keep me connected to You with nourishment from Your pure and natural word. Amen.

    Devotion by Violet Carr Moore
Keep Reading
Devotions

The Ultimate Survey

1 Min Read
    “Now Jesus and His disciples went out to the towns of Caesarea Philippi; and on the road He asked His disciples, saying to them, ‘Who do men say that I am?’ So they answered, ‘John the Baptist; but some say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.’ He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered and said to Him, ‘You are the Christ.’ ” (Mark 8:27-29, Holy Bible, New King James).
    Opinion surveys are effective in local issues. Online surveys assess consumer habits. Instructors distribute printed surveys at the close of workshops and seminars to determine if the experience met the teacher’s expectations. When Jesus asked for public opinion, His disciples replied with a variety of responses. When Jesus asked for personal understanding, Peter had the correct answer, “You are the Christ.”
    Prayer :Thank You, Lord Jesus, for asking me this same question. Like Peter, I know You are the Messiah. Amen.
    Devotion by Violet Carr Moore
Keep Reading
Devotions

God’s Memoirs

1 Min Read

blockquote>And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day (Genesis 1:5, Holy Bible, King James).

    My writing friends journal in notebooks, recording daily events that may blossom into a memoir. I don’t journal, but I carry a small notebook to jot titles and thoughts for devotionals. From those brief scribbles, God inspires me with Scriptures and themes, a reverse approach. In the beginning, God used a straight-forward pattern, separating light from darkness and naming those divisions day and night. Although God created light first, He switched to a reverse order, calling the evening and morning as the first day. With that decision, God established a reverse pattern for the universal law for time. Each day begins in midnight darkness, not sunrise. Read about it in the Genesis, God’s memoirs penned by Moses.

      Prayer:Eternal God, creator of the universe, You established time recognized by every nation. Even those who do not believe in You live by this pattern of time. You are omnipresent in light and darkness. Amen.

      Devotion by Violet Carr Moore
Keep Reading
Devotions

Faith Keepers

1 Min Read

    I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith (2 Timothy 4:7, Holy Bible, New King James).

      A visiting minister taught our congregation the precepts of being a kingdom keeper using Joash, the keeper of the oil, as an example. Although one of David’s mighty men of valor, Joash was appointed as Oil Keeper. Apostle Paul, orator, writer, and missionary, summed his position as Keeper of the Faith. That position is always open for new volunteers.
      Prayer : Lord, whatever I can do for You, never let me forget that keeping the faith is a top priority.
      Devotion by Violet Carr Moore
Keep Reading
Devotions

Immeasurable Thoughts

1 Min Read
    How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! (Psalm 139:17, Holy Bible, New Living Translation)
    Precious is described as rare or unique. Something valuable to be treated with care. Although the Psalmist describes God’s thoughts as precious, he proclaims them to be immeasurable. Each of God’s thoughts is precious, a rare jewel, but the highest capacity computer cannot calculate the total.
    Prayer : Dear God, Thanks for thinking about me. Your precious thoughts to me are more than the sands of the sea or the stars in the sky. Their value is beyond measure. Amen
    Devotion by Violet Carr Moore
Keep Reading