Tag: devotionals

My house was very noisy this morning. My husband and daughters were hurrying to get ready for work. Music played in one room, and the television was on in another. A hairdryer whirred in one bedroom, while in the kitchen a blender whipped a smoothie. One daughter left only to return a few minutes later to print a shipping label she needed before heading out the door again. The house was at noise capacity when the phone started to ring. This was ‘way too much activity so early in the day.

Finally, my daughter and husband left for work, and all phone calls stopped. I inhaled and started to write and study Scripture. As I focused on Jesus Christ in the Scriptures the stress of the morning was washed away by His words, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29).

My soul did rest. It settled into the Word the way tired feet snuggle into comfy slippers. The angst and weariness in my soul was washed away by Christ’s encouraging words.

So many times during the day our souls are overwhelmed by the noise, stress and demands of our day. We will go to the snack machine, Starbucks or even the gym to alleviate the tension. Yet, only the Scripture will sooth the weary soul. Jesus invites His followers to step out of the world and go to the Scriptures, where He is waiting to bathe our souls in His rest.
Photo by Jason Rosewell

---

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

Subscribe to Ordinary Days on iTunes!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ordinary-days/id1339262108

Follow Denise Larson Cooper on Social Media!
https://www.facebook.com/OrdinaryDaysDevotionals
https://www.instagram.com/deniselarsoncooper
https://twitter.com/ordinarydaysdev

Check Out Denise’s Books!
Godnesia: Keeping God in Mind Each Day http://amzn.to/2GSquOD
Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASB
Life Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2

At the gym we tell our athletes that they must be comfortable being uncomfortable. In other words, we ask them to get out of their comfort zone. This phrase is cliché, but, simply put, if a gymnast is not willing to push herself beyond what she feels safe doing she will not be able to progress in this sport. I am not suggesting that a gymnast take undo risks to succeed. But what I have noticed is that a comfort zone is a zone of complacency. Gymnasts who are content with their gymnastics will not achieve new skills.

Complacency is a condition we often allow to creep into our faith. We snuggle into our understanding of God and decide that the knowledge we have of God will make us a good person and get us to heaven. However, this thinking does not address our real problem of sin. Any talk of sin or being a sinner makes us uncomfortable, but until we allow the Holy Spirit to address the sin in our lives we cannot move into a deeper understanding of God in Christ.

When God starts moving, our lives become uncomfortable. He convicts the sinful nature within us and makes us confront our sin. We do not want to confront our sin. We want to deny our sin. Denial does not remove our sin. Denial is how we stay comfortable with our sin. God will not allow us to remain in our sin; instead He exposes our sin and insists that we surrender it to Jesus Christ. Then through faith and by the power of the Holy Spirit, God moves us to the cross. There we see what Jesus Christ has done so that we are saved from sin and death.

It is a very uncomfortable feeling to know that Jesus Christ died for our sin. We want anything but that to be true. And this truth agitates our sinful nature, which battles against Christ. A sinner at the cross is uncomfortable until the grace of Christ brings comfort.

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith” (Ephesians 2:8).

Photo by Florencia Viadana

Subscribe to Ordinary Days on iTunes! https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ordinary-days/id1339262108

Follow Denise Larson Cooper on Social Media!
https://www.facebook.com/OrdinaryDaysDevotionals
https://www.instagram.com/deniselarsoncooper
https://twitter.com/ordinarydaysdev

Check Out Denise’s Books!
Godnesia: Keeping God in Mind Each Day – http://amzn.to/2GSquOD

Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASB

Life Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2

My husband does the gardening. He has already planted tomatoes and peppers in our vegetable garden and has just finished planting zinnias, pansies, and day lilies in the flower garden.

Each garden is unique and has a specific purpose in the yard. Flowers add cheer and bright colors to the yard. Fresh picked vegetables bring robust flavor to summer meals.

The Bible also tells us about two very important gardens: The Garden of Eden and the Garden of Gethsemane.

God created the Garden of Eden to supply all of Adam’s needs. The garden was full of the presence of God, and He shared what He had created with man. However, Adam became dissatisfied with God’s provisions and care, and he rebelled against His Creator. God banished Adam from the Garden for his lawlessness.

Because of Adam’s sin, God brought His Son Jesus Christ to earth. He had come into the world to obey the will of God and to complete the plan of salvation. His journey to the cross took Him through the Garden of Gethsemane, where He prayed for the strength He needed to carry out God’s divine plan.

In the Garden of Eden Adam succumbed to disobedience and sin and became estranged from God. In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus Christ remained obedient to God and carried the sin of mankind to the cross and reconciled the world to God.

“My beloved has gone down to His garden” (Song of Solomon 6:2 NASB).

Photo by Annie Spratt

Subscribe to Ordinary Days on iTunes! https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ordinary-days/id1339262108

Follow Denise Larson Cooper on Social Media!
https://www.facebook.com/OrdinaryDaysDevotionals
https://www.instagram.com/deniselarsoncooper
https://twitter.com/ordinarydaysdev

Check Out Denise’s Books!
Godnesia: Keeping God in Mind Each Day – http://amzn.to/2GSquOD

Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASB

Life Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2

My attitude today was abhorrent. I thought about things that were not honoring to God. There were times my words were sharp. I was short tempered when patience was needed, abrupt when the situation called for kindness and disagreeable when I should have been pleasant. Today my transgressions were crystal clear to me.

I would be totally discouraged and disgusted with myself were it not for the words of King David, who said, “For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me” (Psalm 51:3). David, it seems, had a day very similar to mine.

David also knew the cure for this type of day: God. He wasted no time getting before God and confessing His sin. He didn’t try to convince God that his sin was no big deal. He didn’t list the reasons for his sins or justify his behavior. He simply confessed, “Against You, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight” (Psalm 51:4).

His confession cleared a path for him to see the nature of God. As David admitted his sin God responded with His mercy, His unfailing love and His compassion. Through confession, David met His Savior and Redeemer by the power of the Holy Spirit.

God responds to me just as He responded to David. As I admit my sin, God shows me my Savior, Jesus Christ, who died on the cross to forgive me for this day of transgressions.

Photo Cred: Hendrick ter Brugghen: King David playing the harp

Subscribe to Ordinary Days on iTunes!

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ordinary-days/id1339262108

Follow Denise Larson Cooper on Social Media!
https://www.facebook.com/OrdinaryDaysDevotionals
https://www.instagram.com/deniselarsoncooper
https://twitter.com/ordinarydaysdev

Check Out Denise’s Books!
Godnesia: Keeping God in Mind Each Day –  http://amzn.to/2GSquOD

Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASB

Life Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2

Today at work a coworker asked me to address a specific situation with an athlete. She then told me what to say and what the consequences should be. Even when I worked things out exactly as she wanted, she still went back and addressed the situation.

This is a perfect example of how we sometimes behave with God. We want Him to handle the circumstances of our lives, yet we tell Him exactly how to handle the situation. Even after He responds, we still go back and address the situation ourselves.

We think we know better than God does about what should be done and how it should get done. Quite simply we lack trust in God. To learn to trust God, listen to the words He spoke to Job, “Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand” (Job 38:2-4).

We do not and cannot understand the world or our circumstances as God understands them. He sees everything from start to finish. He possesses infinite wisdom but we are finite thinkers. Yet, we are convinced we know best.

Come to trust God as Job did so you can say to Him, “I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted” (Job 42:2).

Photo by Martin Miranda

---

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

Subscribe to Ordinary Days on iTunes!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ordinary-days/id1339262108

Follow Denise Larson Cooper on Social Media!
https://www.facebook.com/OrdinaryDaysDevotionals
https://www.instagram.com/deniselarsoncooper
https://twitter.com/ordinarydaysdev

Check Out Denise’s Books!
Godnesia: Keeping God in Mind Each Day http://amzn.to/2GSquOD
Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASB
Life Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2

When I first started working as a gymnastic coach, I knew nothing about the sport. I had not been a gymnast. I had never executed a flip. I had no experience or understanding of the sport. It would have been very easy in those early days to give up, quit and find another job. Instead, I chose to work at under- standing gymnastics.

Had I given up, I would have missed out on many valuable friendships and memories.

When I first started reading the Bible, I didn’t know any- thing about Scripture. So I read the Gospels, because they contained the stories of Jesus. At first I didn’t understand what I had read. But, as I continued reading, I could picture the surprised looks on the faces of the Pharisees when Jesus performed a miracle. I could imagine His walking along the beach and sleeping in the boat while a storm raged. I got to know Him through the stories. As I read, the Spirit taught me more about Christ, His life, death and resurrection.

If I had given up, I would have missed out on a valuable friendship with Jesus Christ, and I would not have grown deeper in faith and knowledge of God.

Yes, the Bible is hard to understand. But the Spirit is in the world to open our eyes to the truth in Scripture. Jesus said, “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13).
Photo by Everton Vila

---

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

Subscribe to Ordinary Days on iTunes!

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ordinary-days/id1339262108

Check Out Denise’s Books!

Godnesia: Keeping God in Mind Each Day http://amzn.to/2GSquOD

Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASBLife Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2

This afternoon I attended two graduation parties. The food was plentiful, the pictures numerous and the memories abundant. It was fun, not only to reminisce, but also to hear the graduates describe their plans. These celebrations are a time to honor the accomplishments of the graduate and show support for their future endeavors.

God encourages His people to celebrate. He calls us to gather in worship to honor Him for His accomplishments in Je- sus Christ. We come together as the family of God to remember all that His Son has done for us on the cross. We recall that through His shed blood we are saved from sin and death. Worship is about rejoicing that Christ our Savior has triumphed over death and has given us a future in the eternal kingdom of God.

In worship we have the privilege of joining Christ at the communion table through the power of the Holy Spirit. At the table we look back at the last night Jesus was on earth with His disciples. We remember that He shared the Passover meal with them. And when the meal was over “He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me’” (Luke 22:19).

At the table we also look forward to the day when the world is reconciled to God, and we “will be with Him in paradise” (Luke 23:43).

Worship is the celebration of God in Christ.
Photo by Erwan Hesry

---

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

Subscribe to Ordinary Days on iTunes!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ordinary-days/id1339262108

Follow Denise Larson Cooper on Social Media!
https://www.facebook.com/OrdinaryDaysDevotionals
https://www.instagram.com/deniselarsoncooper
https://twitter.com/ordinarydaysdev

Check Out Denise’s Books!
Godnesia: Keeping God in Mind Each Day http://amzn.to/2GSquOD
Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASB
Life Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2

My friend’s daughter is getting married. Today I listened to my friend describe the venue and the plans for the big day. I can hear the joy and the stress in my friend’s voice as she talks about all the preparations that must be completed before the big day.

The church is also in the midst of planning a wedding. When believers gather on Sunday morning for worship, they should embrace the joy of knowing that the bridegroom, Jesus Christ, will one day come for His bride, the church. Scripture says, “Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready” (Revelation 19:7).

The bride has made herself ready by accepting the sacrifice and love of her Savior. Christ has done everything through His death and resurrection to present His bride as “a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless” (Ephesians 5:27). Christ came down from the Father to be united to His bride. He died to save her and lives to love her. Therefore, the church should be a joyful place of preparation as believers celebrate and anticipate the day the bride and the bridegroom are united through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Christ is coming for His bride, and the faithful are invited to attend the wedding. “Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb” (Revelation 19:9)!
Photo by Mockaroon

---

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

Subscribe to Ordinary Days on iTunes!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ordinary-days/id1339262108

Follow Denise Larson Cooper on Social Media!
https://www.facebook.com/OrdinaryDaysDevotionals
https://www.instagram.com/deniselarsoncooper
https://twitter.com/ordinarydaysdev

Check Out Denise’s Books!
Godnesia: Keeping God in Mind Each Day http://amzn.to/2GSquOD
Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASB
Life Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2

The phenomenal beauty of the Grand Canyon was formed by the running waters of the Colorado River. Melting glaciers increased the river’s volume ten times. It overflowed and rushed across the earth’s surface, eroding the ground. The weight of the water and the persistent raging current abraded the rock, dirt and land, carving out the magnificent canyon. It is a stunning, breathtaking, spectacular wonder that has been revealed through the river’s destructive force.

The sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit runs like the course of the river. When the Spirit flows through the life of the believer, He destroys sin, churning and dislodging ungodliness and unrighteousness in the heart. The Spirit floods the soul, up- rooting transgressions, exposing iniquity and uncovering wickedness. The Spirit then cuts a course to the cross, where this filthy water of sin is purified by the cleansing blood of the Lamb.

As the Spirit cuts more deeply into the sinful nature, Christ’s stunning risen life, which resides within the believer, is revealed. The beauty of His holiness becomes evident, and the believer, aware of His presence abiding within, contemplates “the Lord’s glory” (2 Corinthians 3:18). By the powerful work of the Spirit, believers “are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:18).
Photo by Tim Peterson

---

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

Subscribe to Ordinary Days on iTunes!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ordinary-days/id1339262108

Follow Denise Larson Cooper on Social Media!
https://www.facebook.com/OrdinaryDaysDevotionals
https://www.instagram.com/deniselarsoncooper
https://twitter.com/ordinarydaysdev

Check Out Denise’s Books!
Godnesia: Keeping God in Mind Each Day http://amzn.to/2GSquOD
Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASB
Life Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2

This morning the sky was clear, except for one wispy cloud stretching like taffy across the sun and reflecting the sun’s rays across the sky. I considered the number of clouds that have passed in front of the sun. Some clouds change the intensity of the sun’s heat; others hide the sun from view. A cloud in the sky floating across the path of the sun can change the look of the sky and even change the look of the sun itself.

We also have clouds in our lives. These clouds are the difficulties or problems or annoyances that we face each day. We sometimes permit our problems to obscure our view of the Son in our lives. But problems also have a way of showing us Christ as we have never seen Him before. And at other times of trouble, God illuminates our mind with a new knowledge about His Son.

Christ is always in our clouds. Struggles often press us into reexamining our relationship with the Son, our Savior. As we face each problem, God opens our eyes of faith and gives us an opportunity to see Christ through a different lens. Through these lenses we are able to see Christ’s comfort, kindness, compassion and love during our times of trial. As our problems pass in front of God they are transformed into opportunities to reflect the Son.

“At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory” (Mark 13:26).
Photo by Tom Barrett

---

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

Subscribe to Ordinary Days on iTunes!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ordinary-days/id1339262108

Follow Denise Larson Cooper on Social Media!
https://www.facebook.com/OrdinaryDaysDevotionals
https://www.instagram.com/deniselarsoncooper
https://twitter.com/ordinarydaysdev

Check Out Denise’s Books!
Godnesia: Keeping God in Mind Each Day http://amzn.to/2GSquOD
Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASB
Life Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2

Yesterday a friend mentioned that she had said a little prayer. I have heard that phrase numerous times. However, this time, I spent the better part of the day thinking about those words until finally concluding that there is no such thing as a little prayer.

Prayer is always connected to the living God. It is His gift to us, so we can meet the risen Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. When we pray, we are ushered into the presence of God in Christ. That is never a little thing. We may consider our time in prayer brief, but God does not clock our time in prayer. He sees our hearts set on Christ, and Christ’s heart set on Him.

While we are on earth, our prayers will always be lacking, but Christ makes them complete. He prays with us, and through Him our incomplete thoughts, inadequate words and stumbling praises sound glorious to God. There is no gradation to prayer. Prayer is simply prayer. It is neither big nor small, right nor wrong if done through the Spirit in the presence of the risen Christ.

It is Christ who makes our prayers acceptable to God. He lives to intercede for us and through Him. “The words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart [are] pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer” (Psalm 19:14).

Don’t consider the size of your prayer; consider Christ, who prays with you.
Photo by Hanny Naibaho

My daughter and I went out to lunch today. We noticed that the couple at the table next to ours did not speak one word to each other for more than forty minutes, but instead they texted on their cell phones. We watched sadly as these two people ignored each other. There was no interaction or personal conversation. They left the restaurant without sharing thoughts, revealing secrets, or expressing feelings.

Scripture states, “For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen” (1 John 4:20). Here is the greater dilemma demonstrated by the couple at the table: They didn’t even seem to see each other. So, if we, as a society, aren’t even seeing each other, how will we ever see the invisible God and learn to love Him? It seems hopeless.

Of course, God has overcome the difficulty of our technological age. In other words, God is greater than the cell phone. “God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). Light makes things visible. God has made Himself visible in the person of Jesus Christ, and He continues to open our eyes to the truth of His Son through the power of the Holy Spirit.

By sending His Son into the world to die on the cross and then by raising Him from the dead, God made certain that He would not be ignored. “All the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God” (Isaiah 52:10).

Casper Nichols

---

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

Subscribe to Ordinary Days on iTunes!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ordinary-days/id1339262108

Follow Denise Larson Cooper on Social Media!
https://www.facebook.com/OrdinaryDaysDevotionals
https://www.instagram.com/deniselarsoncooper
https://twitter.com/ordinarydaysdev

Check Out Denise’s Books!
Godnesia: Keeping God in Mind Each Day http://amzn.to/2GSquOD
Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASB
Life Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2

A good friend has joined Facebook. Over the years many of her friends, myself included, and her family tried to explain how useful Facebook could be. However, she held her ground, and even after persistent pleading, we could not convince her to join.

So, you can imagine my surprise when I found her friend request tonight. Somehow, after all the years of rejecting social media, she allowed her daughter to sign her up.

I tell this story to remind us of the number of friends and family members who say they will never accept the reality of God or the truth of Jesus Christ as Savior. To them I say: Stay in prayer. The Holy Spirit is always working to bring the reality of God into every life. It is the work of the Spirit to reveal God in Christ and to transform lives. We must persist in prayer, ask- ing with sincerity of heart that the work of the Spirit be fulfilled in the lives of our loved ones, friends, coworkers, acquaintances and even enemies.

1 Samuel 14:6 reads, “Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving.” God brought His Son into the world to save the world. Nothing on earth can stop God’s plan of salvation in Jesus Christ. All that God intended to do for the purpose of salvation has come into the world in Christ.

Expect to be surprised one day because the Spirit is always at His work of transforming lives.

Jack Sharp

---

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

Subscribe to Ordinary Days on iTunes!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ordinary-days/id1339262108

Follow Denise Larson Cooper on Social Media!
https://www.facebook.com/OrdinaryDaysDevotionals
https://www.instagram.com/deniselarsoncooper
https://twitter.com/ordinarydaysdev

Check Out Denise’s Books!
Godnesia: Keeping God in Mind Each Day http://amzn.to/2GSquOD
Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASB
Life Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2

Now that the mornings brighten early I can walk or ride my bike. Being outside in the morning makes me feel peaceful. During the early morning hours there is a hush, a serenity that draws me outside. When I am in creation, I tune my ear to hear the gentle voice of God speak to me.

I relish these solitary hours. To me there is nothing as tranquil and reassuring as creation. I witness God’s created order in the rising of the sun. I witness the geese teach their young to flee from danger into the woods as I ride past. The wild turkeys gobble loudly, teaching their young to shout at intruders. A squirrel, with its baby on her back, scurries up a tree to teach her young that safety can be found in the nest. Teaching is a natural part of creation.

In the morning hours, God moves close to teach me. In the quiet I experience His presence. While I ride, Bible verses roll through my mind, and I know God is teaching me through these Scriptures. As I meditate on these verses, God teaches me a new insight or perspective about Himself, His Son or the Holy Spirit. I love the mornings, because then, more than at any other time of day, God teaches me.

“He awakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught” (Isaiah 50:4).

Jordan Steranka

---

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

Subscribe to Ordinary Days on iTunes!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ordinary-days/id1339262108

Follow Denise Larson Cooper on Social Media!
https://www.facebook.com/OrdinaryDaysDevotionals
https://www.instagram.com/deniselarsoncooper
https://twitter.com/ordinarydaysdev

Check Out Denise’s Books!
Godnesia: Keeping God in Mind Each Day http://amzn.to/2GSquOD
Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASB
Life Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2

There are days like today when life can seem overwhelming. Cancer is raging in the body of many of my friends. Young people I know are in crisis. Hatred in the world seems almost unbearable. Grief is an unwelcome visitor in the homes of many of my friends and family. On these days, when death, sin, wickedness, sorrow, hurt and despair are spitting in my face, I am reminded to turn the other cheek to see the glorious face of the risen Lord.

Some days when the world is in my face, I am tempted to stare back. Instead, I have to look at my Savior, who dealt on the cross with all the raging and raving of the world. When He died, sorrow and pain and anguish died with Him. When He rose from the dead, He left those evils behind and brought back into the world life and hope and joy through His resurrection.

Regardless of our circumstances, the reality of Christ’s resurrection makes us “more than conquerors” (Romans 8:37). We do not have to live under the rubble of hopelessness; instead through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can live in the hope and glory of the risen Christ. The world will continue to stalk us and threaten us, but God in Christ will raise us with Him to be victorious over the world.

“Christ has indeed been raised from the dead!” (1 Corinthians 15:20)

Photo by Fineas Gavre

---

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

Subscribe to Ordinary Days on iTunes!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ordinary-days/id1339262108

Follow Denise Larson Cooper on Social Media!
https://www.facebook.com/OrdinaryDaysDevotionals
https://www.instagram.com/deniselarsoncooper
https://twitter.com/ordinarydaysdev

Check Out Denise’s Books!
Godnesia: Keeping God in Mind Each Day http://amzn.to/2GSquOD
Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASB
Life Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2

Today, my daughter bought some new clothes. She pulled out her purchases to show me and realized two items were missing. She searched her bedroom and bathroom. Together we retraced her steps from the car to the house. Finally, I asked if she had put them in another bag. My words reminded her that the clothes were in the trunk of her car.

Losing things is part of this life. From pens to car keys and jewelry to money, we spend many hours of the week looking for something that has been lost to us. Some things we can retrieve. Some things we fail to find.

In the garden of Eden, Adam’s disobedience caused him— and as result all of humanity—to lose the presence of God. Satan made sin look so desirable that Adam wandered away from the living God. So humanity strayed. Unfortunately, man found himself in a dark, broken, fearful world apart from God and subject to death. But God made certain that, while we had lost Him, He would not lose us. God made sure that He could find all those who were lost to sin and death. In Ezekiel the Sovereign Lord says, “I will search for the lost and bring back the strays” (34:16). Without hesitation, God sent His Son Jesus Christ into the world to find the lost.

In Christ Jesus, God made sure that we could find our way back to Him. “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost” (Luke 19:10).
Photo by Bryan Minear

---

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

Subscribe to Ordinary Days on iTunes!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ordinary-days/id1339262108

Follow Denise Larson Cooper on Social Media!
https://www.facebook.com/OrdinaryDaysDevotionals
https://www.instagram.com/deniselarsoncooper
https://twitter.com/ordinarydaysdev

Check Out Denise’s Books!
Godnesia: Keeping God in Mind Each Day http://amzn.to/2GSquOD
Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASB
Life Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2

One of my athletes earned a spot on the level 10 Regional team, so she will compete at the Junior Olympic National competition. Making this team was difficult. She has prepared herself for this meet every day in practice for the last year. She finally triumphed at the Regional competition. Her daily preparation was the key to her success.

To prepare His people to meet Him, God spoke to Israel through His prophets. To Amos He said, “prepare to meet your God” (Amos 4:12). These are practical words from God, who is reminding His people that a period of preparation is necessary to enter into a relationship with Him.

God must prepare us for such a relationship as well, because we are not like Him. We are imperfect, weak and sinful. God is perfect, powerful and holy. He is divine, omniscient and om-nipotent. God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to prepare us and fit us for a relationship with Him. We have none of the qualities we need to meet God. Yet by faith in Christ and His work on the cross we are prepared to come to God. Through Christ’s redemption, we are made holy and perfect.
Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters

---

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

Subscribe to Ordinary Days on iTunes!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ordinary-days/id1339262108

Follow Denise Larson Cooper on Social Media!
https://www.facebook.com/OrdinaryDaysDevotionals
https://www.instagram.com/deniselarsoncooper
https://twitter.com/ordinarydaysdev

Check Out Denise’s Books!
Godnesia: Keeping God in Mind Each Day http://amzn.to/2GSquOD
Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASB
Life Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2

The internet is so slow tonight that it is hardly worth using. It has taken the better part of 30 minutes to get this evening reflection posted because the technology is limping and stutter- ing along, causing me frustration.

Everything online is difficult. My pictures won’t upload; my words won’t post; and a black rectangle on my home page won’t go away.

It occurs to me that this is how many of us live the Christian life. We are frustrated. We can’t seem to read and make sense out of Scripture. Our prayers seem flat, and we doubt God hears. Worship seems lifeless.

Here’s the problem: Many of us try to live the life of faith under our own power. We count on our human effort, which leads to frustration. When our human efforts fail, we think that the Christian life is hardly worth pursuing.

The risen Lord told His disciples to “stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49). This power is the Holy Spirit, and it has been given to us to live a vibrant life of faith in God. We do not need to live powerless Christian lives. We need to call on Christ, who willingly sends us His Spirit. In this way we will live vital lives of faith.
Photo by Fatih Özdemir

---

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

Subscribe to Ordinary Days on iTunes!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ordinary-days/id1339262108

Follow Denise Larson Cooper on Social Media!
https://www.facebook.com/OrdinaryDaysDevotionals
https://www.instagram.com/deniselarsoncooper
https://twitter.com/ordinarydaysdev

Check Out Denise’s Books!
Godnesia: Keeping God in Mind Each Day http://amzn.to/2GSquOD
Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASB
Life Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2

I have had a Mastercard since 1999. But when there was a problem with my card today and I called, they had no idea who I was. The first representative I spoke with could not comprehend the meaning of customer or service. So that conversation ended abruptly when he said he could no longer hear me. Funny, I could hear him.

It was a very frustrating few minutes as I tried to confirm my identity for this representative. It didn’t matter that I had been a card holder for 16 years. It didn’t matter that I pay my bill on time every month. It didn’t matter that I could tell him the account number and other pertinent information. Because I couldn’t answer his two questions, I had no identity.

Fortunately, when I called back, the next representative understood the meaning of both customer and service and she was able to confirm my identity and then quickly resolved my issue.

God has always known who I am. Our relationship is so intimate that, according to Psalm 139, He “perceives my thoughts”; He’s “familiar with all my ways”; He knows “when I sit and when I rise”; and He even knows the words on my tongue before I say them. There is no identity crisis here, nor will there ever be.

God knows me. He knows you too. Now the only question that remains is do you know God?
Photo by Kyle Glenn

---

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

Subscribe to Ordinary Days on iTunes!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ordinary-days/id1339262108

Follow Denise Larson Cooper on Social Media!
https://www.facebook.com/OrdinaryDaysDevotionals
https://www.instagram.com/deniselarsoncooper
https://twitter.com/ordinarydaysdev

Check Out Denise’s Books!
Godnesia: Keeping God in Mind Each Day http://amzn.to/2GSquOD
Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASB
Life Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2

It has been a long day of travel. I flew to Orlando, Florida, from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The flight was quick. The conversation on the plane was pleasant and the landing smooth.

I have noticed that whenever I travel the time in the air goes by quickly. But the time after landing is always slow. We had to wait for luggage, the rental car, dinner, ice cream and the hotel room check-in.

When I travel like this I remember the trip that the Son of God made. Jesus said, “I have come down from heaven not to do my will but the will of Him who sent me” (John 6:38). Jesus made many stops before His travels on earth were over.

He entered this world as the newborn of a young virgin, and He lay in a humble manger. As a boy, He spent days in the temple of Jerusalem teaching about the Father. And as a man, He became a threat to the leaders, who once had been astounded by the knowledge of the boy.

This threat led to His suffering at the hand of Pilate and His death on the cross at the hand of the Roman soldiers. After His death on the cross, Joseph of Arimathea laid Him in a tomb. However, dark, cold death could not hold Him, and after He descended into hell He then rose again to life. Finally, He ascended into heaven.

These were the travels of God on earth, and He traveled every step for our salvation.
Photo by Miguel Bruna

---

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

Subscribe to Ordinary Days on iTunes!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ordinary-days/id1339262108

Follow Denise Larson Cooper on Social Media!
https://www.facebook.com/OrdinaryDaysDevotionals
https://www.instagram.com/deniselarsoncooper
https://twitter.com/ordinarydaysdev

Check Out Denise’s Books!
Godnesia: Keeping God in Mind Each Day http://amzn.to/2GSquOD
Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASB
Life Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2

I was watching some of my young gymnasts train for vault today. As they sprinted down the vault run their heads moved up and down as their eyes looked down at the floor or up at the ceiling. One athlete ran while glancing from side to side. Apparently looking straight ahead at the vault table is a difficult thing to do. Watching these girls run, I realized the distractions in the gym were more interesting to them than the vault table directly in front of them.

Sometimes the world looks interesting. For instance a shiny, black Tesla can grab my attention. When my friends go on an exotic vacation I start choosing my own vacation spot. New clothes, technology and even houses can catch my eye. But if I am looking at all the baubles and beads of this world I am ignoring my Savior. Some days it is difficult to gaze directly at Christ on the cross—His tortured body writhing in pain for my sins, His precious blood dripping down His face for my peace, His side pierced for my iniquities. This sight is gruesome.

But I keep gazing straight into His divine face, and His holiness shines through. The glories of heaven are reflected in His loving eyes, and the things of this world fade away in the light of His resurrection.

Proverbs says, “Fix your gaze directly before you” (4:25). Directly before you is Christ the Savior and risen Lord.
Photo by Slava Bowman

---

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

Subscribe to Ordinary Days on iTunes!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ordinary-days/id1339262108

Follow Denise Larson Cooper on Social Media!
https://www.facebook.com/OrdinaryDaysDevotionals
https://www.instagram.com/deniselarsoncooper
https://twitter.com/ordinarydaysdev

Check Out Denise’s Books!
Godnesia: Keeping God in Mind Each Day http://amzn.to/2GSquOD
Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASB
Life Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2

This afternoon I was reminded of two very painful periods in my life. The pain in both cases was delivered by the political hand of the church. The sad reality of these situations was not only did I get hurt but so did many members of the congregations.

I stayed away from the church for many years. I thought I was just avoiding more pain, but the Spirit pointed out to me that my absence was caused by my anger towards the church.

One day, while studying, I came across this verse, “Christ is the head of the church, His body, of which He is the Savior” (Ephesians 5:23). The church is the body of Christ. I could not say that I loved Christ but hated His body. That would make me a hypocrite. To abandon my life fully to Christ, I had to love His church. At the time, that realization was a hard pill to swallow. I wanted to hold a grudge. But the Spirit enabled me to release my anger toward the church, forgive and move on.

When I finally surrendered to the Spirit, my anger and hatred toward the church ended. Then God said, as He did to Peter, “Do you . . . love me?” (John 21:15). When I responded, “Yes, Lord” (John 21:15), He instructed me to make His church strong. I don’t know exactly what that means or how it will look, so for now, I stay close to the Spirit and follow.
Photo by Stefan Kunze

---

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

Subscribe to Ordinary Days on iTunes!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ordinary-days/id1339262108

Follow Denise Larson Cooper on Social Media!
https://www.facebook.com/OrdinaryDaysDevotionals
https://www.instagram.com/deniselarsoncooper
https://twitter.com/ordinarydaysdev

Check Out Denise’s Books!
Godnesia: Keeping God in Mind Each Day http://amzn.to/2GSquOD
Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASB
Life Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2

I am awful with technology. I am illiterate when it comes to the language of technology, and I don’t understand how any of the devices I own work. Technology baffles me and mocks me. I use it, but I’d rather lose it. My brain and today’s technology are not friends.

Still God insists that my ministry require a computer, access to the Internet and Facebook. Lately He seems to be nudging me toward blogging. So I spent an hour this morning trying to figure out the difference between a blog and a website. Through this experience, I have come to understand Moses’ position when God called him to speak to Pharaoh.

Moses had a stutter and wasn’t comfortable speaking, so he asked God to let Aaron do the talking. So here I sit, stuttering and stammering with technology, praying God will send me an Aaron. I need someone with the capability to understand computers, blogs and the Internet and to explain this cyber world to me. Warning: you will have to explain things more than once.

My inabilities show me God’s abilities. I must depend upon Him to meet the needs of this ministry. Every day, I am reminded of how truly helpless I am with technology, and then I marvel at what He accomplishes, in spite of my clumsy, faltering ways.

“Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Photo by Karsten Würth (@inf1783)

---

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

Subscribe to Ordinary Days on iTunes!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ordinary-days/id1339262108

Follow Denise Larson Cooper on Social Media!
https://www.facebook.com/OrdinaryDaysDevotionals
https://www.instagram.com/deniselarsoncooper
https://twitter.com/ordinarydaysdev

Check Out Denise’s Books!
Godnesia: Keeping God in Mind Each Day http://amzn.to/2GSquOD
Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASB
Life Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2

When I talk to children I instruct them in the way I want them to go. For instance, instead of saying, “Don’t leave your plate on the table,” try “Please put your plate in the dishwasher.” Instead of “Don’t throw your clothes on the floor,” say “Please put your clothes in the laundry basket.”

Plant in their minds the action you want them to take.

Jesus’ words direct people toward the action He desires from them. When He called the disciples He said, “Follow me” (John 1:43). Healing the invalid, He said, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk” (John 5:8). He instructed the blind man to “Go . . . wash in the Pool of Siloam” (John 9:7).

When we believe in Jesus Christ, we become children of God. Since we are God’s children, Christ speaks directly to us through the Holy Spirit. He makes His directions clear, and His instructions to us will line up with His cross. Christ will always point us towards His cross. He will ask us to align our actions with His actions of sacrifice and commitment to God. Then He will direct His Spirit to teach us “all things and . . . remind [us] of everything” (John 14:26) that He has said to us.

Jesus applies straight talk to our lives through the Spirit. He tells us to forgive one another, love one another and treat one another with kindness. When Jesus speaks to us, He plants in our minds the actions He wants us to take to glorify God in the world.
Photo by Reymark Franke

---

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

Subscribe to Ordinary Days on iTunes!

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ordinary-days/id1339262108

Check Out Denise’s Books!

Godnesia: Keeping God in Mind Each Day http://amzn.to/2GSquOD

Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASBLife Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2

The gymnasts’ routines become automatic this late in the season. They have done them repeatedly for months. The coaches’ challenge becomes to keep the gymnasts’ minds engaged in the process of honing the execution of the skills. At this point, the gymnasts can easily let their minds slip into neutral and let their bodies go simply through the motions of the routine.

To help the athletes stay focused, coaches create workouts designed to keep their brains stimulated and interested in the routines. Small changes like the introduction of a new drill or game fuel the athletes’ desire to stay mentally connected to the routine.

Sometimes our spiritual lives become captives of routine. We start our day automatically with a Scripture verse, hurried prayer and short devotional reading before racing out the door to tackle the day. Without realizing it we have allowed our minds to slip into neutral and our hearts to become disengaged from God. What was once a fresh and vibrant aspect of our faith life then becomes stale and bland through repetition. We sometimes become more connected to the routine than to God.

The things of God that are “new every morning” (Lamentations 3:23) go unnoticed, because the routine dulls our minds to the unique activity of God in Christ in our lives. We need the Holy Spirit to stimulate our minds and open our hearts to the working of God. We need Him to jar us loose from our routines and reconnect us mind, body and soul to God.
Photo by Mag Pole

---

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

Subscribe to Ordinary Days on iTunes!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ordinary-days/id1339262108

Follow Denise Larson Cooper on Social Media!
https://www.facebook.com/OrdinaryDaysDevotionals
https://www.instagram.com/deniselarsoncooper
https://twitter.com/ordinarydaysdev

Check Out Denise’s Books!
Godnesia: Keeping God in Mind Each Day http://amzn.to/2GSquOD
Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASB
Life Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2

During practice today one of my gymnasts needed to make one correction that would help her complete a layout vault. I asked her to focus on that one correction. She chose to think about everything but that correction. After exhausting herself, she disciplined her mind to focus on that one particular correction and her vault was finally successful.

I thought about how many times as Christians we exhaust ourselves by failing to focus on Christ’s cross. We exhaust our- selves following current events, questioning the brokenness in the world and, perhaps, in moments of real doubt, wondering whether Jesus accomplished anything while He walked on earth.

Here’s the particular correction on which to focus: Christ’s accomplishment was the cross.

When we focus on the cross the Holy Spirit shows us the Man-God dying for our sins. When we focus on the cross the Spirit shows us that our sinful hands jammed that crown of thorns onto the Innocent Victim’s head. We know our sin caused His scourging. Our sinfulness hammered those nails into His holy hands. We know He was punished for our guilt.

When we focus on the cross the Holy Spirit shows us the God-Man dying for our salvation. On the cross the Spirit shows us Jesus, the willing, perfect sacrifice, offered to God for our redemption. The Spirit lets the holy words of Christ, “Father, forgive them” (Luke 23:34) pierce our hearts and heal our souls. And the Spirit makes us look at the Savior’s blood shed for us so we can have peace with God.

Photo by Christian Erfurt

---

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

Subscribe to Ordinary Days on iTunes!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ordinary-days/id1339262108

Follow Denise Larson Cooper on Social Media!
https://www.facebook.com/OrdinaryDaysDevotionals
https://www.instagram.com/deniselarsoncooper
https://twitter.com/ordinarydaysdev

Check Out Denise’s Books!
Godnesia: Keeping God in Mind Each Day http://amzn.to/2GSquOD
Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASB
Life Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2

A week ago I was in Ohio in the Eastern Time zone. On Monday, I was back home in the Central Time zone. Yesterday, I traveled once again into the Eastern Time zone. When planning a trip to another time zone I make decisions for travel according to the loss or gain of an hour. I get ready for departure based on my current time zone while anticipating my arrival in the next.

As Christians, we live in different time zones as well: Now we live in the visible world; however, one day in the future, when the Son of God returns, this world will be recreated and reconciled to its original condition. Until that day, Christians live with the current condition of this world while anticipating the arrival of the heavenly kingdom. So, we have to make decisions by taking both worlds into account.

To make sound decisions for this life, we must be obedient to the Spirit of God. The work that He accomplishes through us in this world will continue in the realm of God through Him. All the work that we do in this world in cooperation with the Spirit is part of the reconciling work of God in Christ. Our work with the Spirit will bring change to this world and will ultimately be completed when the kingdom of God is revealed in all its fullness on the day of Christ’s return.

James wrote, “Someone will say, ‘You have faith and I have works.’ Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works” (2:18 ESV). James reminds us that the work we do here with the Spirit reveals our belief in Christ’s promise to return and demonstrates our faith in the reality of God’s eternal kingdom.

Photo by Luis Cortes

---

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

Subscribe to Ordinary Days on iTunes!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ordinary-days/id1339262108

Follow Denise Larson Cooper on Social Media!
https://www.facebook.com/OrdinaryDaysDevotionals
https://www.instagram.com/deniselarsoncooper
https://twitter.com/ordinarydaysdev

Check Out Denise’s Books!
Godnesia: Keeping God in Mind Each Day http://amzn.to/2GSquOD
Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASB
Life Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2

Our athletes’ training includes cue words that we use to help them focus their minds on the tasks at hand. I tell the girls to stick to the script. They are not allowed to change these words or take their minds off them when they are competing on an event. These words—the script—help the gymnasts to anchor their thoughts and, thus, to alleviate the fear and anxiety that come with competition.

The Scriptures are the script from God, given to us so we can focus our minds on Christ and His work. When we read Scripture, we can anchor our thoughts to God through the power of the Holy Spirit. As we spend time reading God’s Word, our fears and trepidation surrender to peace and hope.

The Scriptures contain the truth that God comes near to us in the person of Jesus Christ and remains with us in the Person of the Holy Spirit. In Scripture we are reminded, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31) Through the Word God reveals His might through all He has done in the life, death and resurrection of Christ. These words of assurance anchor our thoughts and focus our minds on the reality that God has reconciled the world to Himself in Christ.

We have nothing to fear because God is with us.

We often spend many hours of the day fretting and worrying and brooding over our circumstances. All this angst can be defeated by reading the Scriptures and allowing God to speak to you through His Word.

In other words, when life makes you fearful, stick to the script of Scripture.

Photo by Gabriel

---

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

Subscribe to Ordinary Days on iTunes!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ordinary-days/id1339262108

Follow Denise Larson Cooper on Social Media!
https://www.facebook.com/OrdinaryDaysDevotionals
https://www.instagram.com/deniselarsoncooper
https://twitter.com/ordinarydaysdev

Check Out Denise’s Books!
Godnesia: Keeping God in Mind Each Day http://amzn.to/2GSquOD
Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASB
Life Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2

This morning, one member of the book study that I attend at church commented that our selection, Surprised by Hope by N.T. Wright, was giving her new insight into the pastor’s sermons. Others agreed. I remarked that perhaps reading Scripture as frequently as other books would also help us gain greater understanding from sermons and more knowledge of God in Christ.

We read all types of material each day. We devour magazines, books, newspapers, blogs, devotionals, pamphlets and Facebook posts. Reading Scripture with that same enthusiasm would certainly benefit our lives.

However, many of us stay away from reading the Scriptures, for what I see are three reasons:

1) We are afraid that we won’t understand what we read and

2) that lack of understanding will cause us to question the reality of God.

3) Or, we are afraid that we will understand what we read, and that makes us fearful of what God will require of us. This avoidance causes many faithful Christians to be what I call scripturally illiterate.

When we fail to read the Scriptures, we can’t receive what the Spirit can teach us through the Word. In essence, our faith lacks knowledge and understanding of God’s purpose and work in Christ. Our belief becomes vulnerable to false teachings and errant doctrine. We find ourselves living in doubt instead of truth.

The Spirit relishes an opportunity to teach us through the Word. Jesus spoke of the teaching ministry of the Spirit by quoting Isaiah 54:13: “They will all be taught by God” (John 6:45).

Let the Spirit teach you the Scriptures.

Photo by James Coleman

---

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

Subscribe to Ordinary Days on iTunes!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ordinary-days/id1339262108

Follow Denise Larson Cooper on Social Media!
https://www.facebook.com/OrdinaryDaysDevotionals
https://www.instagram.com/deniselarsoncooper
https://twitter.com/ordinarydaysdev

Check Out Denise’s Books!
Godnesia: Keeping God in Mind Each Day http://amzn.to/2GSquOD
Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASB
Life Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2

Right now there is a celebration going on at my house. My daughter has received some good news. My two girls are talking and planning and playing. They are including me through Facebook and phone calls. I am feeling the excitement, even though I am eight hours away in a hotel room. The distance can’t dampen my enthusiasm for their excitement.

Celebration is a central part of the Christian life. We tend to forget the joy and amazement that the disciples felt when they first saw the risen Lord. The women were elated to go back to the frightened disciples to share the news of Christ’s resurrection.

“So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell His disciples” (Matthew 28:8).

We sometimes forget that the resurrection is an event to be celebrated not just one day a year, Easter Sunday, but through- out the year. Christ is alive, and that fact gives us reason to celebrate and rejoice. The dark days of sin and death are over, and He is alive, in heaven and on earth. We should be celebrating “on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).

The Holy Spirit resides in the world to help us celebrate and rejoice in the truth that Christ is risen. As Christians we should celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ with the same enthu- siasm and energy as the celestial beings who surround His throne singing, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come” (Revelations 4:8).

Celebrate with great gusto and zeal the resurrection of our Lord.
Photo by Erwan Hesry

---

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

Subscribe to Ordinary Days on iTunes!

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ordinary-days/id1339262108

Check Out Denise’s Books!

Godnesia: Keeping God in Mind Each Day http://amzn.to/2GSquOD

Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASBLife Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2

For believers this is a night of grief. Jesus’ cries of anguish have been silenced by death. But by faith we still hear His voice cry out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Psalm 22:1; Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34)

I have wondered whether on this night 2,000 years ago the disciples might have asked God similar questions: “Why have you forsaken us? Why did you send your Son into the world to die in the world?” They had been so certain that Jesus was the Christ, who would reign as king of Israel. Instead, their Messiah had died on a Roman cross.

These men and women longed to hear Christ’s voice one last time. They yearned for a parable or teaching from Jesus. Like all who grieve, they wanted more time, one last moment together. They regretted words left unspoken. They mourned His absence. And perhaps they even wondered how they could have been so wrong about Jesus. They questioned, as Christ did, if they were forsaken by God.

In their grief and pain of loss what else could they think? Christ left them. And if He was gone, then God must also be gone.

Tonight is the closest we will ever come to imagining the world without God. Christ had come into the world to reveal God, and now with His death, any revelations of God would cease with Him. Think long and hard about these disciples’ feelings and thoughts as they contemplated an absent God.

The world is cloaked in a holy silence tonight. Jesus is dead.
Photo by Steve Halama

---

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

Subscribe to Ordinary Days on iTunes!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ordinary-days/id1339262108

Follow Denise Larson Cooper on Social Media!
https://www.facebook.com/OrdinaryDaysDevotionals
https://www.instagram.com/deniselarsoncooper
https://twitter.com/ordinarydaysdev

Check Out Denise’s Books!
Godnesia: Keeping God in Mind Each Day http://amzn.to/2GSquOD
Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASB
Life Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2

I left the Maundy Thursday service in silence tonight. It is a somber, sobering experience to walk away from the sanctuary of God without a sound. Silence forces me to spend time alone with my thoughts.

These thoughts center on the last meal that the disciples shared with Jesus. He spoke of service, and love and the disciples worked through the tension and sorrow in the room to try to understand Jesus’ teaching.

Across town, the religious leaders and teachers of the law were meeting; theirs was not a meeting of silence, but one that was loud and boisterous, as these men created false charges and accusations, which would enable them to arrest Christ. After the Sanhedrin (comprising the Pharisees, Sadducees, and the chief priests) convened, the consensus became “it is better . . . that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish” (John 11:50). They failed to recognize the truth of those words. Indeed, Jesus was going to die for all people. At that moment, however, they were simply trying to silence the man.

On that night as the world bellowed and conspired against Jesus, God stayed silent. It’s not the noise of the world we re- member from those many years ago. It’s the silence of Christ, who spent the night in prayer, calling for strength from God to accomplish salvation for all people.

This night, God let the world silence His Word, so three days later, God’s Word would rise from the dead and silence the world.
Photo by Jametlene Reskp

---

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

Subscribe to Ordinary Days on iTunes!

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ordinary-days/id1339262108

Check Out Denise’s Books!

Godnesia: Keeping God in Mind Each Day http://amzn.to/2GSquOD

Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASBLife Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2

One of my gymnasts had a disappointing meet. She had done very well in the competition. Her routines were strong, and the mental and physical preparation she had worked so hard on was paying off. But, on her last event, she made a costly mistake that stopped her from advancing to the National com- petition.

As her coaches, we tried to offer solace, but the pain was too intense for her. However, time will help her cope with the disappointment.

For a brief moment I questioned my own work. Athletes and coaches spend hours and hours working together, preparing for these events. When athletes win, the recognition validates our work, but when they lose, our work sometimes appears meaningless.

However, Scripture tells us that our work is worthwhile. Ecclesiastes 2:24 says, “A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work.” Work is satisfactory not because an athlete wins or loses, but because it is given to us by God. Regardless of the work we have chosen, it’s meaningful when it springs from our faith and is rooted in Christ. God gives us work, and He chooses the work we have. In this way, all work has meaning.
Photo by Bethany Legg

---

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

Subscribe to Ordinary Days on iTunes!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ordinary-days/id1339262108

Follow Denise Larson Cooper on Social Media!
https://www.facebook.com/OrdinaryDaysDevotionals
https://www.instagram.com/deniselarsoncooper
https://twitter.com/ordinarydaysdev

Check Out Denise’s Books!
Godnesia: Keeping God in Mind Each Day http://amzn.to/2GSquOD
Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASB
Life Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2

People who work out know the importance of doing something active every day. We also know that the pitfall of exercise can be taking off two days in a row. After that second day, a person lets down mentally, gets out of the routine and often wants to stop altogether. Instead of taking a day off, it’s important to stay active on the off days.

In our spiritual lives, we should adopt a similar discipline and structure to our day. We should develop a routine of Scripture reading, prayer time, worship, and study. For many of us, we begin with the great expectation of rising early and reading a devotional before the world, particularly our families, wake up and infuse our quiet with noise and demands and needs. Per- haps, though, after a few days of success, we stay up too late trying to finish the days’ responsibilities. We sleep in the next three mornings, and suddenly, our morning devotional time is gone. We won’t return for many months.

The cure is to stay active spiritually: Do something for your spiritual life every day, no matter how small you think it may be. Spend one minute singing a praise song. Read a short Bible verse, and say a quick prayer. All these little steps will keep you from abandoning altogether your time alone with God. Eventually life will swing back around, and you will be ready to go back to more in-depth hours with God.

“Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith” (Hebrews 10:22).
Phot by Josh Applegate

---

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

Subscribe to Ordinary Days on iTunes!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ordinary-days/id1339262108

Follow Denise Larson Cooper on Social Media!
https://www.facebook.com/OrdinaryDaysDevotionals
https://www.instagram.com/deniselarsoncooper
https://twitter.com/ordinarydaysdev

Check Out Denise’s Books!
Godnesia: Keeping God in Mind Each Day http://amzn.to/2GSquOD
Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASB
Life Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2

My house has been full of laughter tonight. The girls and I have been telling jokes and sharing funny stories and humorous situations. There is a wonderful energy created by laughter. It melts away weariness and brings a renewed enthusiasm to life. Laughter lifts a burdened heart and brings joy to the soul and harmony to a household. When we laugh pain is eased, stress is relieved and relationships strengthened.

The Psalmist wrote, “Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy” (126:2). When the Lord fills us with His joy and we can no longer contain the delight and happiness He has graciously lavished on us, we laugh. It is an expression of our appreciation to Him for all the wonderful things He has done on our behalf.

Laughter is an utterance of gladness. It is an offering we bring to the Lord, because He has secured our salvation through Jesus Christ. When we laugh we articulate our great relief that sin and death have been lifted from our lives through Jesus. We are no longer oppressed by sin and a slave to death. Through His blood shed on the cross, Christ has saved us from our re- bellious ways and our disobedience toward God. When by faith we accept salvation from Jesus Christ and know that His work on the cross has brought us redemption; then God “will yet fill [y]our mouth with laughter and [y]our lips with shouts of joy” (Job 8:21).
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez

---

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

Subscribe to Ordinary Days on iTunes!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ordinary-days/id1339262108

Follow Denise Larson Cooper on Social Media!
https://www.facebook.com/OrdinaryDaysDevotionals
https://www.instagram.com/deniselarsoncooper
https://twitter.com/ordinarydaysdev

Check Out Denise’s Books!
Godnesia: Keeping God in Mind Each Day http://amzn.to/2GSquOD
Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASB
Life Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2

My neighbor and I walk together regularly. Our first few steps are important because we use them to match our strides and speed so we are walking side by side. In this way we can carry on a conversation. If our steps don’t match we can’t walk together. One of us will always be ahead of the other. Walking together keeps us motivated and builds a stronger friendship. In other words, it’s a good time.

In Galatians 5:25 Paul writes, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” As Christians we need to work closely with the Spirit and match steps with Him. He is in the world to be our companion on our faith journey. We can’t navigate the path of faith in this world without Him.

We sometimes think it is His job to match our strides, and we want to be the ones in charge of setting the pace and the course. We have neither the wisdom nor the foresight to chart our way. To keep in step with the Spirit is to walk with God. We are not to walk ahead of Him or behind Him, just with Him, conversing and growing deeper in faith. Matching the Spirit’s stride keeps us inspired and strong when the path of faith is rough. As we walk with God we know we can trust the course and pace He has set for our journey.
Photo by Tomasz Woźniak

---

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

Subscribe to Ordinary Days on iTunes!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ordinary-days/id1339262108

Follow Denise Larson Cooper on Social Media!
https://www.facebook.com/OrdinaryDaysDevotionals
https://www.instagram.com/deniselarsoncooper
https://twitter.com/ordinarydaysdev

Check Out Denise’s Books!
Godnesia: Keeping God in Mind Each Day http://amzn.to/2GSquOD
Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASB
Life Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2

Yesterday, our dog Buddy was acting strangely. He kept moving his head as if urgently looking for something. His body trembled, and he couldn’t stand up. We got him to the vet immediately. He had an infection in his brain that caused extreme dizziness. His equilibrium improved; now he can walk short distances.

Buddy’s lack of balance made me think of the number of times the sin of this world tries to knock us off our spiritual equilibrium. The world throws us off balance by insisting that sin has more power to ruin our lives than God has to save our lives. Suddenly we stagger in doubt, questioning whether Jesus Christ’s death on the cross has the power to bring us salvation. Our sinful nature makes us question whether we need the cross at all. It deceives us into thinking that we are not sinful and have no need for a Savior.

Scripture tries to right our imbalance and speaks very clearly to our condition. “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8).

The world tries to throw us off balance by insisting that we can by our own merits overcome our sins. In fact, the world won’t even talk about our rebellion and disobedience towards God. It will instead tell us that Jesus was just a man.

Stay in balance; hear the Scriptures speak: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15).

Phot by sarandy westfall

---

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

Subscribe to Ordinary Days on iTunes!

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ordinary-days/id1339262108

Check Out Denise’s Books!

Godnesia: Keeping God in Mind Each Day http://amzn.to/2GSquOD

Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASBLife Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2