The Lord, the Rock, the Word Devotions of a Follower

By Edwin Croyle

A collection of personal devotions of a former Christian school teacher and administrator. Jesus Christ has revealed His love and care to me many times over the years. "The Lord, the Rock, the Word" is a collection of 35 short writings that speak to His relationship with us and our relationship with Him. Because of my enjoyment of God's beautiful creation, I have included a photograph exploring that creation at the beginning of each devotion. I hope and pray that God may touch you through the words He has given me

• Language: English
• Publisher: Edwin Croyle
• Release date: Nov 3, 2016
• ISBN: 9781370374366

Edwin Croyle

I was born to a loving family in a town of 200 in southwestern Pennsylvania in 1941, grew up there and graduated from Forbes High School in the same small town of Kantner. After graduating from Penn State, I began teaching math and science in Dallastown Public Schools in Dallastown, PA. The next year my sweetheart and I got married in a double wedding with her twin sister and her fiance, and then took an eight-week camping honeymoon across the USA with Norma's sister and new husband (separate tents of course). After a few years I became a counselor and moved to York Campus of Penn State. My brother-in-law and I became interested in the potato chip business, and we started Saguaro Potato Chip Co. in Tucson, AZ. Our customers didn't do as good a job as we did, so we exited the chip business and re-entered education, leading to my position of business manager of Vail School District just outside Tucson. Within a few years the principal of Grace Christian School asked me to join the staff, and I agreed. I was math/science teacher and business manager until I got the bright idea to go into the photography business full time. Once again, the customers didn't do their part. After Norma retired from teaching, God called us into a ministry to people in campgrounds, Creation Beckons, and we have been in pursuit of doing that full time since then. In the midst of all this, God blessed Norma and me with three great blessings, our three sons, Tim, Brian, and Jason. Their presence in our lives is a larger blessing than I could have ever imagined, and they have brought three beautiful ladies, Michelle, Adrienne, and Danielle into this family with no daughters. Our latest blessings are seven grandchildren, Josh, Megan, Emily, Jonathan, Benjamin, Haley, and Noah. I never really understood how each of us could be God's favorite until I had grandchildren, but now I understand because I experience the same feeling that each one of my grandchildren is my favorite. Throughout my life I have enjoyed putting thoughts to paper, and when I began receiving inspirations from God, I began writing devotionals on many different topics. I hope you will enjoy the ones included here. God bless you with His best!

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Table of Contents

All In

This Is The Day

Labor Day

Other's Day

What A Day

What Should I Do Today?

Lunar Eclipse

A Few Good Men and Women

Friends and Old Friends

Mike Morgan

Weeds, Wildflowers, and Other Wonderful Things

Quilts

The Tongue

It's Not My Church

God's Compassion

God's Revelation of Himself

Who Is Jesus?

I Saw Jesus this Week

The Cross of Christ

He Is Still Risen

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

God's Beauty

The Armor of God

The Math of God

His Love Endures Forever

Truth

Quiet Time

Doubt, Can't Afford It

Uncertainty

Out On A Limb

Passion

Energy Shortage

Ahchoo

Worshipful Places

Wait Upon the Lord

End Notes

A Word of the Lord given to me January 29, 2013.

ALL IN?

"Believe me. Believe me. Believe me. I don’t lie. I have never lied. I will never lie. You know who lies. You know who always lies. You must choose whom you will believe because the one you believe has great effect in your life.

"I am so sure of my truth that I wrote it down in a book, a book that has survived and thrived for many centuries. I wrote it down so you could not only read it and learn from it, but I also wrote it down so mankind could check my truth. My written Word is as true today as it was when it was written.

"If you choose to believe me and believe my Word, I will work wonders in your life, but you have to be ‘all in.’ You can’t choose to believe only the parts that are convenient; you have to believe it all. And, you have to believe it all the time. I realize that may be difficult when the champion of liars speaks in your ear constantly, but you must realize he always lies. He lies to discredit my Word, and he lies to discredit me. He lies to put doubt in your heart. I know you hear his lies, but if you go ‘all in’ in believing me, I will encapsulate and smother those lies before they can get to your heart. I will cast them out of you as surely as physical waste products are cast out of your body, for that’s what they are, waste products.

"My Word is pure food. It has no waste products. It produces growth, health, and life. Feed on my Word as you read it and as you hear it proclaimed by my servants. Not all who speak are servants of mine, but I give you discernment to know who speaks my Word, which always agrees with my written Word, and who speaks lies.

Are you ‘all in?’ Do you believe me? Do you trust me? Do you love me? (My response – Yes, Yes, Yes, and Yes.) Good, if you are ‘all in,’ you can’t back out. You can’t leave part of your life and resources out. If you do, then you are not ‘all in.’ What you leave out will nag at you, will drag you down, and will pull you away. Are you ‘all in?’ (My response – Yes, Lord, to the best of my ability, I am ‘all in.’ If, and when I act like I am not ‘all in,’ please bring it to my mind. I repent now, ahead of time, of any time I may not be ‘all in.’")

This is a radical thing I ask of you. 'All' means all, and ‘all in’ means ‘all in.’ Expect and watch for my leading. Expect and watch for my reward. Being ‘all in’ with me is a winning hand, guaranteed. My guarantee is signed in blood. Now, put on the Champion’s belt, the Belt of Truth, and go forth.

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This Is The Day

"This is the day, this is the day

that the Lord has made, that our God has made.

We will rejoice, we will rejoice,

and be glad in it, and be glad in it.

This is the day that the Lord has made,

We will rejoice and be glad in it.

This is the day, this is the day.

that the Lord has made." Copyright Les Garrett 1967

The words are very simple, not much variety, but they are words of great importance. What can be better said about today than This is the day the Lord has made?

Every day is a day that the Lord has made, but this day of the week, the day we call Sunday, the day of worship, is certainly a day in which we should be glad and rejoice. It’s a day God has appointed for rest, for contemplation of God and His works, and for gathering together as His people to worship and praise Him. It is also the day in which we are encouraged by our fellow believers. See you at church.

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Labor Day

Labor Day, the day to celebrate and honor those who do the work that needs to be done, brings some thoughts to my mind. Colossians 3:23 (NKJV) tells us And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men. I have been the beneficiary of many people who work their daily lives according to this verse, some to the extent that they no longer need to remind themselves of this word of encouragement.

Too often today we complain of poor service or poor quality of goods. I would like to recommend that we instead look at the