How Can a Squash Remind Us Of God’s Mercy?

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

I have immense respect for those who do not acknowledge Halloween, but if you do in your household, I thought this a nice little reminder of how to find Christ in even our daily activities like pumpkin carving. If you have little ones or teach a Sunday school class, this is a nice way to keep kids (and us!) focused on what God can do for even the messiest of us!

“Being a Christian is just like a pumpkin! Let me try to explain, I brought this pumpkin here to help me illustrate what I mean.”

First, God picks you from the pumpkin patch and brings you in from the field. The Bible says He selects us out of the world. We are in the world, but no longer of the world.

He then washes all the “dirt” off the outside that we received from being around all the other pumpkins. All the outside influences of our former life must be cleaned up. Old things are passed away and all things are become new.

Then, He carefully removes all the “yucky stuff” called “sin” out from the inside. Look at this! Yuk! Sin will not have such internal power. He then changes us from the inside out by the Power of His Word. That’s why it is important to go the church and learn about God’s Word.

He carefully removes all those seeds of doubt, hate, greed, and fear. He replaces them with the seeds of faith, hope and love. After Jesus is invited inside, you begin to experience the changing power of God’s love in your life.

Then He carves a new smiling face. Our countenance is changed by the power of His presence in our life. We then become so grateful. It can even show on our face!

Now we are going to light this candle inside. Look! This pumpkin now reflects the light from inside out. So too, when Jesus, who is called the Son of Light, lives inside of us, He shines through our life for all to see. We can let His light reflect through us to reveal His presence. “Let your light so shine before men that they may be able to see your good works and glorify your Father, who is in heaven.”

So you see, we Christians are really like this pumpkin! We will never be the same with Jesus inside of us. We can say like this jack-o-lantern, “Thy presence, my light!”

The prayer below is written by author Liz Curtis Higgs. If you are going to be carving pumpkins with your kids or grandchildren this is a great little prayer to say while you are doing it!

{cut off top of pumpkin}
Lord, open my mind so I can learn new things about you.

{remove innards}
Remove the things in my life that don’t please you.
Forgive the wrong things I do and help me to forgive others.

{cut open eyes}
Open my eyes to see the beauty you’ve made in the world around me.

{cut out nose}
I’m sorry for the times I’ve turned my nose at the good food you provide.

{cut out mouth}
Let everything I say please You.

{light the candle}
Lord, help me show your light to others through the things I do. Amen

By: Liz Curtis Higgs

And here is a sweet song “Pumpkin Patch” by Mary Rice Hopkins
Listen here

I’m a pumpkin how ’bout you?
Once I was little but then I grew
Specially picked there I sat
God picked me from His pumpkin patch
He picked me from His pumpkin patch
He took the yucky stuff out of me
Carved a smile and eyes to see
Then He came inside my heart…
See Mary Rice Hopkins’ site for more

Prayer: Lord, I know I am a mess inside. . . I try to so hard to do the right thing, and then all of a sudden I falter–sometimes less than a few minutes after I have asked for your strength and joy. When I am doing those everyday tasks like making a meal or carving a pumpkin, remind me that I can always find you through it all.

You can now read this on your Kindle. Find out more at http://TodaysDevotionOnKindle.com

Do you have a favorite children’s song that describes your life or the journey it’s taken you on?