APRIL 27
DAILY DEVOTIONS
"The waste land and the dry places will be glad; the lowland will have joy and be full of flowers. It will be flowering like the rose; it will be full of delight and songs; the glory of Lebanon will be given to it; the pride of Carmel and Sharon: they will see the glory of the Lord, the power of our God. Make strong the feeble hands, give support to the shaking knees. Say to those who are full of fear, Be strong and take heart...the reward of God will come; he himself will come to be your savior." - Isaiah 35:1-4 (BBE)
Have you ever felt exhausted, wasted and empty? Desert seasons can happen to anyone at anytime but most frequently after stressful times such as separation, divorce, illness, loss, or disappointments. However God's loving Grace can make the soul that was a wilderness to rejoice with joy and singing and blossom abundantly. The weak and faint-hearted can be strengthened, healed, and encouraged once more when the water of God's love is poured out on our parched souls. This is the Good News of the gospel. Ironically, fear weakens us the more we fight against it yet God promises us in these verses that he will come to save us from fear in due season and restore our strength. At that time, God says we will blossom like the beautiful flowers of Carmel and Sharon. These were Judean regions of fertile soil and abundant flowers.
The poet, Thomas Tusser, once said “Sweet April showers do bring May flowers.” Likewise Isaiah gives us a poetic vision of beauty and encouragement in today's scripture and a promise of God's earthly Kingdom Jesus will bring in due season. The prophet also offers a picture of the actual world the redeemed can anticipate when Creation itself will rejoice in God's goodness. A rainbow time will come when all life will be peaceful at last and everything will be made right. In the meantime, the Lord promises that you can experience God's Kingdom now and blossom right where you are. Take heart! God is on your side.
Prayer:
Holy Spirit,
may the rain bring my rainbow.
Amen.
Meditation For The Day:
Desert flowers are the strongest.
– May 23, 2017 by Rev. Dr. Mary Johnson (Author) Available from Amazon
Used with permission of the family of the late Rev. Dr. Mary B. Johnson.
Rev. Dr. Mary Johnson, D.Min., (1942-2018)
Mary was Ordained in 1975.
She served both as a Parish Pastor and in multiple Specialized Ministry Settings.
She worked on the Clinical Staff of New England Memorial Hospital and Middleton Pastoral
Counseling Center in Massachusetts and was a Director of Green Pastures Counseling Centers in N.H.
She was a state Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor,
Nationally Board-Certified Counselor (N.C.C.), and Nationally Certified Pastoral Counselor (AAPC)
and held certification as a Clinical Member of the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (A.C.P.E.).
She received a Doctor of Ministry Degree in Psychology and Clinical Studies
from Andover Newton in Newton, MA.
Dr. Johnson also founded Good News Specialized Ministries, Inc.
This unique ministry provided education and Clinical Christian Counseling to thousands of people over the decades and trained numerous Clinical Counselors and Counseling Ministers while offering weekly non-denominational worship services to the community for more than 20 years.
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I had the honor and privilege of working with Pastor Arnie Johnson
when I served as the pastor for the Richmond Community United Methodist Church in Richmond, NH from 2019 - 2022.
I personally have been deeply touched by Mary's writings. Her family has graciously allowed me to share them with you. - Pastor Sharon Sargent
"I always considered my ministry at Richmond as a shared ministry. Mary had the expertise that helped me function as well as I did. I received critiques on the way home after the services. I finally realized that I may have “arrived” when one day she was pleased with my performance with no critique! That took several years! So, I would love it if you would use the picture of the two of us and mention Rev. Dr. Mary Johnson as my spouse and partner in ministry, and she continued to be until the day she died, four days before the end of my appointment at Richmond." - Pastor Arnie Johnson
Rev. Dr. Mary Johnson is the author of eight other published books including:
"Activating The Power Of Pastoral Care: A Team Approach";
"Brief Devotions For Busy Lives: Daily Spring/Summer/Fall/Winter Renewal"(Vol.1-4);
"Flying Free: Transforming Grief and Loss into Renewal";
Following The Angel Trail: In The Steps Of Jesus";
"Love In Action: The Healing Heritage Of The Counseling Ministry Of The Church";
"Visions Of Hope: Voices Of Americana";
"Healing Streams: Journeys Of Healing".
She has also been published in the AAPC professional Journal "Journeys" and in the Keene Sentinel.