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Depression Related Forums => The Depression and Religion Forum => Christian => Topic started by: Pip on February 26, 2023, 05:39:50 PM

Title: Devotions
Post by: Pip on February 26, 2023, 05:39:50 PM

https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/full-post/2022/02/04/eternity-changes-everything?_hsmi=201767785&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8u0hrf32f0lQEoY1adv3jBQSsTZMcFiFGG9XNhE-VZxnaCeuq7K_8l7JqSuL3Y82VBy6RFPOFkwEzyl2O8jsJ1zCfPJw#disqus_thread

Eternity Changes Everything
February 4, 2022

by Laura Bailey

"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end." Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NIV)

The room overflowed with boxes. Clothes still secure in zipped suitcases assured me this was just a temporary layover. I was jobless and living in my brother's house. I felt like the prodigal sister not exactly the life I'd planned.  My brother graciously reminded me that my visit didn’t come with an expiration date. I could have unpacked in an attempt to settle into my new “home,” but placing my things in drawers and personalizing the room symbolized permanence.  This was only a short-term stop, not my final destination.  Eventually, I jumped back into the workforce, married and moved into what my husband calls our “forever house.” This move meant permanent residence. Yet I still wrestle with wanderlust, a feeling that this house isn't really my home. Drawers and cabinets now hold all of my personal possessions, and family photos hang on walls painted in colors chosen by me. My bold personality resonates throughout our abode, so why do I still feel unsettled?

Maybe you've felt this way:  Whether you’re in between jobs or you land your “dream job,” it's not enough.  Whether you’re in the midst of relational heartbreak or you’re surrounded by family and friends, you still feel something is missing.  Whether you’re struggling to balance your budget or you have all the latest gadgets and a fridge full of food, you still feel unsatisfied.  Why?

Because God didn't create this temporal world to be our one and only dwelling place or to satisfy us fully. In other words, the here and now is not the end.  Reflecting on his very full life, King Solomon noted that the things of this world are “meaningless, a chasing after the wind” (Ecclesiastes 1:14, NIV). For some readers, Ecclesiastes evokes feelings of gloom and doom, but beware of dismissing Solomon’s words as the depressing rant of a frustrated man. Instead, allow them to rouse within you a desire to know God's heart, trust His purpose for creating us and follow His plan for our lives.  Like Solomon, we may find pleasure in financial security, job titles, a beautiful family and home, or other worldly treasures, but they will never sate our longing for more. Anything other than an intimate relationship with our heavenly Father leaves us dissatisfied, discontent and disappointed. The inner void we desperately seek to fill can be filled only by Christ.  Our key verse explains why we feel tension when our perspective shifts from eternal to temporal: “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end” (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

The verses preceding Ecclesiastes 3:11 list different seasons we experience throughout life, with the reminder that God is sovereign over everything in every season of life. God created humans to glorify Him and to enjoy Him forever. However, ever since humans sinned by wanting to be like God, we have chased after every form of worldly pleasure in pursuit of joy that comes only from loving, trusting and obeying our Creator. But we chase to no avail.  We have lost proper perspective. Instead of living as “temporary residents and foreigners” (1 Peter 2:11, NLT), we live, instead, as though this world is our final destination. The enemy seeks to derail us from living an eternity-minded life at every turn; he whispers convincingly, just as he did in the garden of Eden, (Genesis 3:1-5) that we deserve to be happy today, no matter what it costs us tomorrow. He wants us to believe that this life is as good as it gets, and he delights in our pursuit of the next big thing to captivate us. Satan knows that by ignoring the Lord's design for His creation, we miss out on our only source of true peace and lasting contentment.  Child of God, embrace eternal “wanderlust” and keep your spiritual bags packed, ready to follow Christ. Travel with your guide, God’s Word, and enjoy the journey, looking forward to the day you will finally be at rest in the glorious presence of your heavenly Father in the eternal home Jesus Himself has prepared for you. (John 14:3; 2 Corinthians 5:1)

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on March 08, 2023, 01:19:46 PM

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What Breaks Our Hearts Does Not Have To Destroy Our Lives
February 17, 2022

by Lysa TerKeurst

“The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:18 (NIV)

If there is one thing I’m certain of, it’s the inevitable heartbreak and loss we will face in this life. The kind of devastation we didn’t see coming, the kind we’re unsure if we will survive.  We’ve all prayed the desperate prayers asking God, Do You see me?

Why are You not intervening?

Can You not see how much I’m hurting?

I understand these prayers. I’ve let them leave my lips more times than I can count.

Yes, when the expectation of what you thought your life would be and the reality you’re living don’t match up, it’s heartbreaking. And the heartbreak you’re carrying makes it not just difficult but nearly impossible to find God’s hand in the midst of it.  I used to think I had to force a fake smile and muster up the courage to carry on in the middle of what was breaking my heart. That I had to hold it all together and have everything perfectly in line.  But I don’t think that’s what God wants for us at all. I am more convinced than ever that God sees. He knows what’s happening. He will not be mocked by what others may be doing to you. And He intimately cares about every detail of what you’re walking through.  Look at the hope offered in our key verse today: “The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18).

Personalizing the original language for this verse, you could read it like this: The Lord draws near to the one who’s had her heart shattered and delivers her from exposed grief to victory.  I’m learning that, sometimes, trading grief for victory means choosing to see what is instead of being blinded by what isn’t. It’s a tough choice in some moments. Brutal, actually. But it’s a battle that is worth fighting.  We don’t have to let what breaks our hearts destroy our lives.  This breaking of you will be the making of you. A new you. A stronger you. Strengthened not with the pride of perfection but with the sweet grace of one who knows an intimate closeness with her Lord.  He draws you near despite the sharp evidence of your grieving heart. The anger. The deep disappointment and disillusionment. The questions of why you, and why now? The comparisons that make you feel as though God loves other people more. The crying and banging your fist on the steering wheel. The shame and anguish. All of these are shards of being shattered.  But God isn’t afraid of your sharp edges that may seem quite risky to others. He doesn’t pull back. He pulls you close. His love and grace cover your exposed grief. And step by step, He leads you to a new place of victory. Today is part of that process.

So today …

Thank God for the gift of this day.

Enjoy today despite the messiness.

Receive the blessing of this day.

Dance it out at least one time today.

Fill in the gaps with prayer throughout the day.

And remember there is so much more to this one incredible life than the sum total of our heartbreaks.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on April 09, 2023, 04:57:17 PM

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You Don't Have To Be Perfect
March 10, 2022

"I'm scared, Mom."

I saw the text message pop up on my phone at 11:30 p.m. My teenage daughter was away on a school trip in Florida.  My husband and I had just gotten a late-night phone call from a foster care worker asking if we could take in a sweet little 7-month-old boy with medical complexities who needed to be placed in a foster home that night.  After discussion and prayer, my husband and I felt we were supposed to step out in faith and say yes. So we did even though we had zero experience with Down syndrome, cleft lip/palate or feeding a baby through a g-tube.  I read the rest of the text from my daughter. She was sharing honestly how she felt overwhelmed by how hard it might be to take on the task of caring for this tiny boy. She was worried that all of the doctor appointments, potential surgeries and therapies ahead might be too much to take on especially since we already had a baby of our own.  Crafting a reply, I typed the truest words I knew to say to her: “I’m scared, too.”

Because I was. The doorbell was about to ring, and the DCS worker would be standing there with a little boy who needed a lot of care, love and nurturing. If I played out all of the unknowns of what saying “yes” to him might mean, it felt overwhelming to me.  Then I sent a second text to my daughter: “Both Dad and I feel strongly that God has called us to say yes. So we are going to trust God to help us one day at a time. I don’t know what five years from now holds, but I’m just going to trust God for today. Can you do that with me?”

We texted back and forth for a few more minutes, and by the end of the conversation, I sensed the heaviness and fear had lifted. My girl felt seen. She felt heard. She knew she was not alone. And we were in this together trusting God together in spite of our fears.  My kids don’t need a perfect parent who can preach persuasive sermons. They need a mom who loves them, listens to them and points them to Jesus.  Think about it: If I were perfect, I wouldn’t need Jesus. The whole reason Jesus came to earth and died for me is because I am not able to achieve perfection.  As Colossians 2:13-14 says, “And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.”

When I read this verse, I feel such deep gratitude. Christ’s finished work on the cross has canceled the record of our debt.  He took upon Himself the punishment we deserved for our sins.  He paid our debt in full. Not because of who we are or what we have done but because of who He is and how much He loves us. Because of this, when God looks at us, He sees Jesus. This is the gospel. This is the Good News!  His death on my behalf allows me to live with freedom and joy free from having to live life chasing after pleasing other people, being perfect or managing my reputation.  Whether it’s parenting, marriage, working at our job or just living life with others, we will never do it all right. And that’s not the goal. Let’s be people who are honest enough to admit our mistakes and imperfections and our need for Jesus each and every minute of the day!

Title: How Asking for Help Opens Doors
Post by: Pip on April 10, 2023, 01:09:58 PM

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How Asking for Help Opens Doors
March 15, 2022

by Abby McDonald

“Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.” 1 Kings 19:18 (ESV)

“If I can get to the end of this section, I’ll be OK,” I told myself.

I willed my legs to move forward, but they felt like Jell-O. The ropes course stretched out ahead, and I forced myself not to look down.  As I watched my boys go on with ease, I wondered, Why did I agree to this adventure?

Oh yes, to spend time with my kids and make memories. My body begged me to stop and shook in one final attempt to surpass the obstacle. Then I heard the instructor say it: “Do you need help?”

What I wanted to say was “Yes.” But I hesitated. My pride said, “Keep going. Show your boys how strong you are.” But after several moments, I knew I couldn’t pull myself over the wood plank blocking my path. “Yes,” I replied. “I do.”

If I’m honest, my reluctance to let the instructor help me is a reflection of what often happens in my spiritual life. Instead of inviting God into a difficult situation, I act as though He’s not there. When life’s stresses leave me anxious and I realize everyday burdens are too much, instead of calling out, I hesitate. I convince myself I already know how the story will end.  When we look in Scripture, too, we see this mindset. It’s not new; it simply presents itself in new ways. Take Elijah, for example after he demonstrated God’s power to the Baal worshippers by calling down fire from heaven, he heard of Jezebel’s plot to kill him. Instead of turning to God, he ran.  God met Elijah on Mount Horeb, where He asked, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (1 Kings 19:9b, ESV).

Elijah said he was the only one left who’d been faithful to the Lord, and he was tired. He’d been zealous, and everyone had turned against him. But was this true?

Elijah thought he knew the end of the story, but God had been raising up an army.  “Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.” (1 Kings 19:18)

It isn’t until we see our need for God that He shows us the army He’s raising on our behalf. It’s there, in our humility, that He reveals His plan to us. Sometimes God humbles us with earthquakes and wind, like He did with Elijah, and other times He humbles us with our inability to move any further. His purpose is never to stop our forward movement but to bring us to the Guide. He opens the door to the next chapter a little wider, and He gives us a glimpse of what He’s doing. But we have to ask. We have to acknowledge we don’t have the answers.  When I finally asked the instructor for help, she pulled me to the next platform, then let me complete the course. By letting her assist me, I was able to experience the exhilaration of the zip line finish. I had assumed we’d skip this part, but I was wrong. Asking for help ended up opening the door to a new adventure.  The same is true when we ask for help from God.

Title: Finding Your Mission Right Where You Are
Post by: Pip on April 20, 2023, 06:23:29 PM

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Finding Your Mission Right Where You Are
March 22, 2022

by Tim Tebow

“There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:42 (NLT)

Have you ever wondered what your life’s mission is?

What your purpose is?

Most of us have wondered that at some point. I learned a lot about mission when I met my friend Jaden.  Twenty-three-year-old Jaden Barr has had Type 1 diabetes since he was 15 years old, as well as recurring cholesteatoma, which has resulted in hearing loss in both ears.  While he admits he has fallen short time and time again, Jaden aspires to live what I call a “mission-possible life”: a life that glorifies God through living out his unique purpose.  I had the opportunity to spend a few days with Jaden in 2015. Part of my mission was to encourage him, but by the end of our time together, he was the one encouraging me! It’s funny how God works that way so often.  In light of the health challenges Jaden has had to endure, he recognizes what it means to live a mission-possible life.  Jaden told me, “God created me with a purpose: to know Him and to make Him known. It’s easy to fall into the temptation of thinking life is about me and my plans, but I’m always reminded that the mission I’ve been given by God is much bigger and better than any worldly pursuit. By giving God control over my plans and following His instead, it makes the work I do have meaning and significance.”

This amazing young man has a heart that desires the greater things, what Jesus called “the good part” (Luke 10:42, NASB) or, as the New Living Translation puts it, the “one thing worth being concerned about.” We find this verse in the story of Mary and Martha. Jesus is speaking to Martha about her sister Mary, who had discovered the one important thing.  “There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:42)

And what is that one thing?

Pursuing God, sitting at His table, being in His presence without worry, fear, anxiety, resumé́-building or winning a title. It’s not that we never think about those things, but we don’t let them dominate our vision. We strive and strain forward in this life with Jesus as our focus, with His will as our goal, and with His rewards as our prize.  Even at his young age, my friend Jaden has the wisdom to point out the dangers of me-centric living. This is tempting for all of us, no matter how young or old, no matter if you’re a parent or a preacher, a student or a teacher, a web creator or a music maker.  I love what Jaden once shared with me: “You’ll end up empty if you make life or your mission about yourself. I feel most fulfilled and in line with my purpose when I’m looking outside of myself and my own desires and putting that energy into pouring into others. When you look outside yourself, that’s where true mission is found.”

This reminds me of the power and passion that come when you are focusing your energy outside of yourself. I want to live each day more alive and more passionate because of what Jesus has done for me. The past His death and resurrection keeps me motivated in the present to change the future.  When we determine to live “mission possible,” we won’t look back one day and wrestle with regret, or wonder what we did with our lives. Because we, right now, have a specific role to play in bringing faith, hope and love to a world in need.

Title: Broken Promise
Post by: Pip on April 22, 2023, 07:03:15 PM

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Broken Promise
March 23, 2022

by Blair Linne

“God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?” Numbers 23:19 (NIV)

Honest confession: I’ve broken promises before. Maybe you have, too. Even when I’ve desired to keep my word, for one reason or another, I didn’t or simply couldn’t!  Just two days ago, a friend invited me to have lunch with her. I told her that once I ran an errand I would text her to confirm and completely forgot. Despite desiring to spend time with her, my own fallibility my forgetfulness was the barrier to me fulfilling my promise to my friend.  And not only have I dished out my share of broken promises, but I have been on the receiving end of them, too.  There have been times when I thought God was promising me something when He wasn’t. Sometimes friends with the best intentions can proclaim promises that God never did.  Like promising that, if you are faithful, you will be given a spouse.  Or if you are good with children, it must mean you will have a child biologically.  Or if you put God first, then you will have a fabulous marriage with no challenging times.  Sometimes we blame God for not fulfilling a promise He never said He would. Familiarizing ourselves with His Word helps us know what He intends to accomplish. The point of God’s promises is not to indulge our desire for all of our Christian wishes to come true, but it is to make us holy.  We can take comfort in the character of God. This is what we know to be true: Yahweh is holy. He is not like us: He never forgets a promise He made. He is changeless, and it is impossible for Him to lie. (Hebrews 6:18) When He makes a declaration or oath, He always completes it. He never says “oops!” and He never has to take back what He spoke because His “yes” is “yes,” and His “no” is “no.” As our key verse says, God is not a human being that He should change His mind:  “God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?” (Numbers 23:19).

When we understand God’s conditional and unconditional declarations, we better understand the verses that may seem to suggest God has changed. God doesn’t change, but He does respond favorably to people who approach Him humbly.  If a person or people marked for judgment respond with repentance, God responds with mercy because that is who He is. Returning mercy in the sight of humility is what He does. (Micah 7:18)  Therefore, “Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?” (Numbers 23:19b-c). We know these are rhetorical questions because the answer is: Of course not! God will never make a promise and not fulfill it! He will accomplish everything He said. He cannot lie because He is the Truth.

And the best news of all, friend, is that all of God’s promises find their fulfillment in Christ Jesus. (2 Corinthians 1:20) He is the Promise who was literally broken for us, to show that God simply doesn’t break any of His promises.

Title: Living a Life of Holy Fulfillment
Post by: Pip on April 24, 2023, 06:13:17 PM

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Living a Life of Holy Fulfillment
March 28, 2022

by Kate Crocco

“The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.” Psalm 16:5-6 (ESV)

A few years ago, as the December days grew colder and shorter, I found myself becoming unanchored.  You might know the feeling: I was slowly slipping back into old behaviors that, in the past, had led to burnout. Exciting opportunities arose that I didn’t want to pass up. Past perfectionistic patterns began to resurface, and I began working more than ever before.  As I rocked my 16-month-old to sleep, I caught a glimpse of the swaddle hanging above her bookcase, imprinted with an interpretation of Esther 4:14 that said, “Perhaps, this is the moment for which you have been created.”

Right then, the pressure that had been building felt as though it might swallow me whole. I had no choice: I couldn’t fail.  At the time, I felt immensely blessed. But I was tired. I was running on adrenaline. And I had no idea how out of alignment I was about to become. I prayed that I could find a way to rest, disconnect from the pressures of work and be more present for my family.  Maybe you’re there today, too, barely hanging on by a thread. Not only are you striving to nail that opportunity and make the next right decision, but you’re also flooded with the pressure to impress your boss, be the best partner to your spouse, keep your kids’ juice cups filled and diapers changed, provide top-notch services to your clients, remember not to lock the dog outside in the rain, keep in touch with your high school bestie, serve at church and text your mom back.  What if I told you it’s possible?

You can begin living a life of peace, simplicity, freedom and abundance. Free from the pressure of missing the mark, passing over opportunity, failing the first time or feeling the dreaded FOMO (fear of missing out). What if life could just feel like that four-letter “E” word no one ever talks about? You know, “easy”?

It all begins by drawing the line setting boundaries and limits in any and every crevice of our lives. Alignment is born from knowing our own boundary lines and fiercely guarding them. Allowing anything to cross those boundary lines will inhibit you from living the life God has available for you, a life of holy fulfillment.  As I held my sleeping child, I closed my eyes to breathe in this passage and slow my pounding heart:  “The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.  I bless the LORD who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.  Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.  You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:5-11, ESV).

I believe this is God’s definition of drawing the line: standing firm in our limits and stepping into the aligned lives He has available for us.  It looks like this: our lines or boundaries are set in pleasant places, and we trust God’s great provision. A spiritual line connects our hearts to God’s Truth in unshakable faith, secure in His plan and the path He has placed before us — in fullness, joy and even more than we can ever fathom.  How beautiful is that?

Is this not the best depiction of God’s promise for you when you seek it?

If, like me, you wonder when you’ll know you’re in alignment with God’s purpose for you, here’s the secret, friend: You will 100% know you are in alignment when, even if life is hard or devastating, your hope in Jesus is not shaken. You know, despite the grief, loss, uncertainty or whatever you are facing, He hasn’t left your side for one minute.  You may want to throw in the towel and doubt His plan, but you know you will be OK in time. And if you’re not OK God is not done working.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on April 26, 2023, 12:27:29 PM

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When People Forget, God Never Does
April 1, 2022
by Elizabeth Laing Thompson

“But Zion said, ‘The LORD has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me.’ ‘Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!’” Isaiah 49:14-15 (NIV)

I knock, and my parents’ front door swings open. Dad stands there uncertainly, his collared shirt half tucked into old sweatpants.  I wait for the flash of his crinkle-eyed grin, but he just blinks and says, “Hi?”

The question guts me. My own father doesn’t recognize me.  “Dad, it’s me, Elizabeth.”

His eyes brighten. “Elizabeth! Come in.”

“I’ll make us coffee,” I say, trying to keep moving so I don’t cry.

Dad’s been forgetting things for a while, but this not recognizing his own family is new.  We soon cradle steaming mugs at the kitchen table. I steer our conversation to familiar topics, but we keep stalling out. Dad can’t remember his favorite restaurant, our family vacations, the songs we used to sing.  On my drive home, the tears finally come. I pray, but it comes out muddled: Lord, it feels like our memories never happened.  And seeing Dad’s dementia worsen in spite of all our prayers it makes me wonder if You, too, have forgotten me.  Maybe you know the feeling: You pray and plead but get no answer or at least not the answer you want. You reach out for God, your heart hurting, but He feels distant. Silent. And doubt starts to whisper: Maybe God doesn’t care.  Maybe He’s forgotten me.  We aren’t the first to feel insecure with our Father. In moments of crisis, God’s people sometimes expressed similar feelings in the Bible. Once, when Israel was under threat from an enemy nation, the Israelites cried, “The LORD has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me” (Isaiah 49:14).

Now that my dad has dementia, I can more fully appreciate the way God’s response mingles painful truth with staggering kindness: “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!” (Isaiah 49:15).

By saying, “Though she may forget,” God acknowledges that people even the people we need most aren’t always there for us. Sometimes they can’t be. But God is always there, and He never forgets: “I will not forget you!” (Isaiah 49:15b).

Ironically, when tough times hit, we may become forgetful. Hardship makes it hard to remember the good. We forget the comforting truths in God’s Word. We forget His kindnesses in the past. We forget.  so we feel forgotten.  Here we can find guidance from Asaph, one of the biblical psalmists. Like us, Asaph asked, “Has his promise failed for all time? Has God forgotten to be merciful?” (Psalm 77:8b-9a, NIV). But Asaph revived his faith by digging through his memories: “I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will … meditate on all your mighty deeds” (Psalm 77:11-12, NIV).

We, too, can overcome doubt, that lonely, God-has-forgotten-me feeling, with remembrance. We can intentionally recall specific times when God has proven faithful. Times when He has met our needs, answered our prayers, comforted our hurts. When we meditate on God’s faithfulness, the enemy’s lie God has forgotten you loses its power.  The next time heartache comes knocking, try clinging to God’s promise by recalling the many ways He has already kept that promise: I will not forget you.  God always remembers us.  Let’s make sure we remember Him, too.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on May 04, 2023, 09:37:54 AM

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More of Jesus, Less of Me
April 8, 2022
by Nicole Domitro,

“He must increase, but I must decrease.” John 3:30 (ESV)

While I’ve never been punched in the stomach, I am quite familiar with that gut-wrenching, hunched-over, arms-clenching experience.  That is exactly how I felt after the flood of comments started pouring in from a controversial social media post I made.  Oh. My. Word.  Literally, my words. My intentions were to create an encouraging conversation where my friends from all seasons of life and all denominations and beliefs could collectively come together with differing opinions and encourage one another despite our differences. Unfortunately, I was left with cruel words and condescending comments.  Insert stomach punch.  I let this uncomfortable feeling resonate within me and actively asked the Holy Spirit to help me see what I had missed. Surprisingly, John 3:30 almost instantly ignited in my mind:  “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

Though I wasn’t sure how this verse applied to me, I just knew it was what God had put on my heart. Later that day, as I was dissecting the social media post with my husband, something he said managed to completely tear open my heart with conviction: “Do you feel like God was glorified by that post?”

Suddenly John 3:30 made more sense. These were the words that John the Baptist spoke in reply to his followers. His followers were arguing over the issue of purification, and they felt like John’s popularity was decreasing: “And they came to John and said to him, ‘Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him’” (John 3:26, ESV).

These followers essentially said, “Hey this dude, Jesus, is baptizing more people than you. What's up with that? Aren’t you going to say something?”

John readily responded by exalting Jesus. He didn’t argue or rebuke his followers; he simply explained how it was his joy to be the best man, not the bridegroom. (John 3:29) Even though John was baptizing and doing great things for God’s Kingdom, it wasn’t about him. It was about Jesus.  Even though my intentions seemed pure, my heart wanted to exalt my opinion over other social posts I had been reading all week. I wanted my opinion heard so that there would be some justice for the hurt I was witnessing all around social media.  That’s where I failed. But that’s also where God met me. My opinions weren’t the problem the problem was sharing them without first considering if my words glorified God. That gut-wrenching feeling wasn’t because people disagreed with me; it was because I didn’t feel like anything I said pointed others to Christ.  Just like John, we are ambassadors for Christ, paving the way for His return. Arguing across social media or anywhere else is not how we show others the love of Jesus. We allow God to increase when we humble ourselves in constant prayer, (Romans 12:12) trust God's promises (John 16:33) and hold our thoughts captive to Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:5)  And when we do this, sister, we allow the gospel to be glorified and others to better know Jesus for who He is. That is something worth the gut punch every time.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on May 08, 2023, 03:27:00 PM

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Finding God in the Scars
April 13, 202
by Amina from northeast Nigeria

“That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:10 (NIV)

Editor’s Note: Amina’s story is difficult yet powerful. Her husband was killed for his faith by Boko Haram, an Islamic extremist group in sub-Saharan Africa. The group terrorizes Christians and anyone else who does not adhere to their strict interpretation of Islam. It’s estimated that more than 25,000 people remain in Boko Haram captivity.

I thank God I grew up reading the Bible and that the Bible didn’t hide from me anything about persecution. I would read about Paul and how he suffered. He was beaten, stoned, shipwrecked, arrested, and imprisoned again and again. (2 Corinthians 11:23-27)  But through it all, he walked with and trusted Jesus, knowing that the trials revealed the strength of Jesus in his life. Jesus’ power in Paul’s life gave him strength to stand, as the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 12:10:  “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

From Scripture, I learned that anything can happen anytime, anywhere. Looking back, I know God’s Word prepared me to face my trials.  I lived with my husband, Daniel, and our five kids four sons and one daughter in the northeast region of Nigeria, in Maiduguri, a city of 1 million people.  But that was before October 2, 2012. That evening, our whole family was inside watching TV, trying to get away from the 90-degree heat outside, when we began to hear pounding on the front gate. In seconds, men with guns had forced their way inside, shouting at us. It was chaos. They told Daniel, “Today is your day; tomorrow is not yours.”

When I heard this, I started praying, God, I do not want to be a widow; please help me, Lord!  They took Daniel and my sons outside and told them to denounce Christ. When my husband and sons refused, the attackers told them, “If you are not going to denounce Christ, we are going to kill you today.”

That day, I became a widow. The Lord spared the lives of my sons. Praise God! They were in the hospital for a month with severe injuries, but they are with me today. My sons say the scars from the attack are their testimonies evidence of the existence of God.  Five years after that, I had no idea my faith would also be tested in the same way as my husband’s. I was on my way to a funeral, traveling with 15 other people, when we heard gunshots. We all fell on the floor of the van, and I silently prayed Psalm 118:17: “I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD” (KJV).

The terrorists took most of the women into the Sambisa Forest, where we lived in captivity for the next five weeks. Each day, we spent most of our time fasting and praying. They would send their imam (Muslim teacher) to preach to us, and after, they would ask: “Who amongst you wants to denounce Christ?”

Each time we said, “No,” I knew that breath might be my last. Philippians 1:21 became our verse: “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (NIV).

I believe the years I spent studying the Bible gave me strength for these days in captivity.  Eventually, after negotiations with the government, we were freed. The day we came home, I remember going into a room by myself, kneeling and thanking God, praising Him through tears. I came out of the room singing the words of a song I now sing often:

By His grace, I am alive.
That’s why I’m singing.
Jehovah saved my life.

By God’s grace, I have slowly learned to live without my husband and be a single parent. All these things that happened to me make me come closer to Jesus, more and more.  Like Paul, I understand that my trials can reveal Jesus’ strength if I stay with Him and walk with Him. Sometimes I feel so weak and weary, but I know that it is Jesus’ strength that holds me up.  I want to ask you, my sister, to pray for me. Pray for wisdom as I raise and take care of my family. Pray for protection and for God to continue to give us strong hearts. What these men did has forever changed our lives. But through God’s grace and provision, the physical and emotional scars continue to heal in me and my family. Our scars continue to draw us even more deeply to Christ.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on May 12, 2023, 12:16:27 PM

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Moving Past Shame Into New Life
April 22, 2022
by Laura Bailey

"So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.” Romans 8:1-2 (NLT)

When I think of the hardest person in my life to forgive, guess who comes to mind?

Myself!  Extending grace to others comes much easier to me than extending grace to myself. Instead of eagerly offering myself grace like I do to others, I tend to wallow in a deep pit of shame and guilt. Past transgressions plague my thoughts, crippling my ability to remember that God has fully forgiven me and made me a new, different person in Him.  Deep down, knowing that sooner or later I will fall short again, I wonder if God could ever use someone like me for His glory.  Who will listen to me once they know my past? I am such a phony.  Why did I give in again?

I am never going to change.  What was I thinking?

God is probably so disappointed in me.  Recently, I read a book about the 12 disciples, nearly breezing past references to Peter, whose life was already the most familiar to me. Oh, but what lessons the Lord revealed upon closer examination of this most impulsive disciple!  During the Last Supper with His disciples, Jesus spoke of Peter’s imminent denial of Him, which Peter emphatically asserted he would never do. (Matthew 26:33-35) Yet hours later, Peter did just that, not once but three times. Subsequently, as foretold, the rooster crowed, leaving Peter to bear the weight of guilt and shame for his cowardly actions.  Mercifully, Peter's story didn't end with his courtyard betrayal of Jesus. After Jesus’ death and resurrection, He reappeared to the disciples, taking time to meet specifically with Peter. There is no record of harsh words or recriminations. Instead, Jesus not only reinstated Peter but tasked him with a vital mission: “Feed my sheep” (John 21:17e, NLT).

Romans 8:1-2 tells us, “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.”

Neither Peter nor any of God’s children need wrestle with feelings of failure and inadequacy. Christ’s work on the cross freed us from the power of sin and darkness, enabling those who trust Him to move past the bondage of shame and despair, into the light of joy and gladness. We stand ready to fight feelings and thoughts that counter the Lord’s purpose for our lives. How?

I like to use the acronym “M.O.V.E.”

Meet with God.
When suffering the pain of shame or guilt, open your Bible and ask the Lord to transform your mind through His Word, silencing any thoughts or feelings that aren’t from Him. (Romans 12:1-2)

Own your story.
Instead of hiding or denying your past, share the good news of God's redemptive power, that He didn’t give up on you and never will. Don’t be too proud to tell others how the Lord has changed you and continues to work in you since you trusted Christ as Savior.

Veto negative thoughts.
Conviction of sin comes from God, leading us to confession and repentance. Shame comes from Satan, our accuser, leading us to despair, doubt and insecurity. Colossians 1:22 is just one of many verses that assure us that our heavenly Father grants repentant sinners free and full forgiveness and never accuses them again. Never!

Elicit help.
We need Christian community to speak the truth in our lives, pray with us and hold us accountable. Don’t fight this battle alone; call on your brothers and sisters in Christ to help you walk in truth.

On this side of eternity, we will never be sinless; only Jesus Christ lived a sinless life. However, like Peter, when we accept God’s gracious gift of salvation through faith in Him, we can M.O.V.E. past shame and guilt and walk boldly in the new life and ministry to which God has called us. To God be the glory!

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on May 12, 2023, 04:32:04 PM

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Stirring Up the Spirit of Joy for Our Kids
April 25, 2022
by Blythe Daniel

“Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NLT)

When I was growing up, my mom modeled joy to me. It was written all over her face and still is. It wasn’t because things always went her way. In fact, it was often quite the opposite.  Because of her mom’s sharp words and anger outbursts due to anxiety and addiction, my mom didn’t fully experience joy in the way that a child longs to experience joy in their home. She learned over time that her mother’s approval and words over her did not dictate her level of joy. She discovered that joy is what you choose to focus on.  When my mom became a mom, she brought joy from above for my brother and me. It was as if she grabbed hold of a balloon that had temporarily lost its way in the sky, bringing delight and celebration back to us.  My mom brought me joy in the hardest moments. When girls whispered around me but didn’t talk to me, I felt left out, but Mom consoled me and showed me that my heart was worth much more. Mom helped me to see what I could be thankful for as she spoke to me. I needed to possess joy and not allow others to diminish the joy the Lord put in my heart.  Now, with my children, I’m passing down what I hope is a handful of hope and joy on days where balloons seem to have escaped in their childhood. I get to show them how to invite joy into their lives. Children don’t always have the skills to overcome defeat, but they can take hold of joy.  We know that children can’t follow what they don’t see. As moms, we need to give them something bigger to rejoice in not their friends, not their activities or successes, but the very goodness of Christ, who defines joy from the Father.  Recently I experienced the joy shown by two elementary-aged sisters at church one blind, using a white cane, and the other with eyesight, walking with forearm crutches who leaned into each other to get to the front of the room to worship God. It undid me. They showed joy in spite of their circumstances. It made me think about their mom and the joy she possessed to raise them in love. The girls carried the joy that Christ offers and held on to His love as they held on to each other.  How I daily grasp joy and bring it fully into our home sets the tone for how my children pivot their joy. As women, we are joy-setters in our homes. If it doesn’t start with us, it will not trickle down to our children. I hope you’ll join me in grabbing hold of joy through the following ways:

1.  Invite joy into your life. It is an outward expression of our inward hope in God. Make it your mission! Joy comes when we invite it in, when we see it way off in the distance and call it home.

2.  Model the spirit of joy for the people in your life, especially your children. Joy isn’t something we decide to wear on a particular day, putting it on, and taking it off when things don’t go well. Rather, joy is a firm place in our hearts that flows through every area of our lives what we say, what we do and how we act.

3.  Every day, remember to make the spirit of joy the center that you frequently revisit. No one can shake your joy without your permission. Joy is rooted in rejoicing. So when we choose to rejoice in God and with God, even in short sentences, alone or with our children, the gifts of joy find their place in our hearts and minds.

4.  Don’t wait for joy to come knocking on your door open your heart and home to it always. It is hard for children to anticipate having joy even in disappointment. But if we are strong role models of joy, our children will see that we can welcome joy and sadness in the same breath and bless our children with words that point them to the only One who will not disappoint.

Paul wrote to the church of Thessalonica, saying to respect each other, encourage the timid, help the weak and be patient with everyone. (1 Thessalonians 5:12-15) He shared this right before the verse that says we are always to be joyful and thankful, and we are never to stop praying: “Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

When our children can wake up and find us on our knees or with our Bibles open, may they know that this is indeed where our joy comes from.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on May 21, 2023, 08:37:32 PM

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Welcome the Word and Watch It Grow
April 26, 2022
by Jasmine Williams

“but the worries of this age, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.” Mark 4:19 (CSB)

Have you ever read a passage in the Bible or heard a timely message and thought, Wow, this is really gonna change my life, only to soon forget the impact of that moment and have your life not really change much at all?

I have. More than once.  And when the next “change my life” message comes along, I’m filled with new optimism that it’s for real this time. Without a little effort on my end, though, it typically goes the same way. From Jesus’ parable of the sower, Mark 4:19 says, “but the worries of this age, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.”

This well-known passage talks about the “seed” sown when people hear the Good News of God’s Kingdom. That seed has been sown in each of us who has heard the gospel. And it thrives based on the environment in which it grows. What we do in the moments after hearing God’s powerful Word can help cultivate “good ground” (Mark 4:8, CSB) as we trust Him to produce growth in us.  Reflect on some of the principles you’ve established for yourself. Maybe you always wake up at a certain time or you’re in a habit of reading your Bible daily. Perhaps you make it a practice to start a load of laundry every morning. Whatever those things are for you, they started as small ideas you allowed to blossom. You gave those “seeds” the proper environment, and they have become fruitful in your life. You didn’t just have the idea or inspiration and then move on to something else.  When the Spirit opens our hearts upon our first hearing of God’s Word, it has a place to flourish and become something wonderful in us. Too often, though, as we age in our faith, we get sidetracked by other things, many of which aren’t necessarily bad but are distracting. Admittedly, I’ve spent hours reading about home décor styles or income opportunities on days that I definitely didn’t give God that same amount of enthusiasm. Are either of those things bad?

No, not inherently, but when they distract me from what God says or take my attention away from meditating on the most recent seeds He has given me, they become bad for me.  Other times, in our fast-paced, distraction-filled lives, we hear parts of God’s Word and acknowledge them but never really let them inside us. If we’re honest, we’ve all been there, and it’s just like God to know it would be a weakness many of us have, hence the parable of the sower. It gives us the encouragement we need to continue being fruitful.  Mark 4:20 says, “And those like seed sown on good ground hear the word, welcome it, and produce fruit thirty, sixty, and a hundred times what was sown” (CSB).

One key phrase there is “welcome it.” Some translations say “receive” (KJV) or “accept” (ESV). Think about how it feels when someone welcomes you into their home. They invite you in, offer to hang up your coat, maybe provide a meal or coffee, and just spend time engaging you. It feels so nice to be loved that way!  When we welcome God’s Word, giving it time, space and priority, it’s an expression of love for Him and helps create the exact environment those seeds need to grow.  We can find beauty and fun in activities of the world without being distracted by them. I won’t pretend to know the exact formula for how to do this consistently, but I do know it starts with truly welcoming God’s Word and those messages inspired by Him. Somewhere in the midst of all the things, maybe we just need to sit and have a cup of tea with the last “change my life” seed He gave us. Welcome it, and watch it grow.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on May 21, 2023, 08:42:38 PM

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Why Are You Here? Finding Your Way Out of Negative Mindsets
April 27, 2022
by Denise Pass

“When Elijah heard it, he covered his face with his robe and went out and stood at the entrance to the cave. Suddenly a voice asked him, ‘Why are you here, Elijah?’” 1 Kings 19:13 (NET)

Sliding carefully out of the hospital bed, I steadied myself slowly. Just breathing took effort while I tried to absorb my new reality. I pinched myself. No, this was real.  My body had succumbed to pneumonia after a stressful season in my life. Pneumonia and I had been acquainted before, many times. But my biggest struggle wasn’t physical. It was mental.  What occupied my mind was worry over the well-being of my five children while I was in a hospital away from them. Fear over what would happen to me filled my mind as the doctors did not have answers. And doubt deceived me as I wondered why God allowed me to go through pneumonia once again.  “Why am I here, God?”

“Will you let Me use you here?” was His response.

Sometimes I wish God would just give answers instead of questions or remove the problem, but He is helping me to think higher. So often I don’t see what He sees or think what He thinks.  God’s thoughts are greater than ours. (Isaiah 55:8) Believing our thoughts above God’s surrenders our mindset to our emotions and flesh rather than to the Spirit. (Romans 8:5-6) Fixing our eyes on Jesus sets us free. (Colossians 3:2) But this is so hard when our own thoughts deceive us. (Jeremiah 17:9)  When life is too much, our own thoughts can defeat us, tempting us to abandon faith as we wander into the wilderness of negative mindsets rather than resting in God’s Word and promises.  Elijah, a man God used to change the minds of masses, had his mindset breached by the enemy when Elijah was threatened by Jezebel. When these threats intensified and became personal, terror gripped Elijah’s mind and he fled for his life.  This led him into the wilderness literally and mentally. Elijah allowed his mindset to shift from bold faith to abject fear, causing him to doubt the same God who had just brought down fire from heaven against the prophets of Baal and their false “gods.” (1 Kings 18:19-40)  The story of Elijah reminds me that the enemy’s tactics in mental warfare are nothing new. Fear. Hopelessness. Doubt. Confusion. But in that place of emotional turmoil, God challenged Elijah by offering both His presence and a question to reset his mind. God reminded Elijah that He was with him. He asked Elijah this question twice, in 1 Kings 19:9 and 1 Kings 19:13: “Why are you here, Elijah?”

Elijah’s answer seemed reasonable as to why he had fled to the wilderness. Circumstances. Fear. Death threats. (1 Kings 19:10)  But God knew where Elijah was. He knows where we are. His question to Elijah is the same question He asks us. His questions aren’t about how we got into our mess but about helping us to think of His purposes while in that place. When life just becomes too much, our God invites us to think higher than our own thoughts. Even when we shrink back in fear, God still has a plan.  God was not through with Elijah yet. Though Elijah had retreated this time, God used Elijah mightily to mentor Elisha, who would eventually take his place as prophet. (1 Kings 19:16) God’s directives for our lives and His grace to get us there are greater than the limits we have in our minds.  That day God asked me, “Will you let Me use you here?”

My thought was, Oh, anywhere but here. But yes, Lord, here I am; send me.  God wants to rescue us right in the middle of places we wish we could escape and invites us to go on mission with Him. There in that hospital room, I answered the call to be on mission. I wandered the halls with my oxygen tank and saggy hospital gown, writing scriptures on the dry erase board and giving gifts to other patients. And suddenly I had uncontainable joy. My suffering was not about me, and it was not in vain. God had me there on mission, and He even moved in the heart of a nurse to accept Jesus as her Savior.  Like me, you might have struggled with the same question: “Why am I here?”

But why something happened is not as important as what God’s purposes are in that place. We do not have to stay trapped in negative thoughts. We can make up our minds to see past our circumstances, adopting God’s thoughts as our own, transformed by the mind of Christ even in the fires of this life. (1 Corinthians 2:16)

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on May 25, 2023, 04:57:15 PM

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Choosing To Forgive: The Step We Trip On
April 29, 2022
by Sharon Jaynes

“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Colossians 3:13 (NIV)

At a Saturday college football game, I was doing what I like doing best people-watching.  My seat was on the end of a long row of blue bleachers, and there was a steady flow of fans up and down the concrete steps. After a while, I noticed that four out of five people tripped on the step right in front of me. At halftime, I measured and discovered that the step was about a quarter inch higher than the others. So the people tripped.  I’ve learned that forgiveness is like that step. It’s just a little bit higher than anything else we practice as Christians. Unfortunately, it’s the one step a lot of us seem to trip on the most, myself included.  Growing up, my home was rife with anger, heartache and pain. After my parents and I came to Christ, a lot of forgiveness had to take place, as you can imagine. Trust me; it didn’t come all at once but in stages.  The decision to forgive happened in an instant like a pellet sinking to the bottom of a glass of water.  The revision of emotions happened over time like a pellet sinking to the bottom of a glass of thick oil. It was a hard, high step.  Still, despite how hard forgiveness can be, Jesus tells us it is at the very core of the Christian faith. It’s a foundational theme in Jesus’ teachings. For example, in Mark 11:25, He said: “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins” (NIV).

Throughout Old Testament times, God’s people offered animal sacrifices for the forgiveness of their sins, according to God’s instructions. But their sacrifices were never enough to cover all their sins every new sin required another sacrifice.  Centuries later, God sent His Son, Jesus, to die as the final sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins. His sacrifice was enough to cover our sins: past, present and future. I love how author and pastor Brian Zahnd describes Jesus’ forgiveness as “grace that takes the blame, covers the shame, and removes the stain and the endless cycle of revenge.”

But we aren’t merely recipients of forgiving grace through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross; we are also called to be givers of that forgiving grace.  When something triggers the hurt in my heart all over again, instead of giving in to the hurt that can so quickly turn to bitterness, I have to remind myself that I have already forgiven that person. Then I ask God to help me deal with my very real emotions. I also remind myself of Paul’s words in Colossians 3:13: “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”

“As the Lord forgave you.”

Let’s allow that to sink in for just a moment. When I remember how God has fully forgiven me for everything I’ve ever done to wrong Him, that makes it easier to forgive those people who’ve hurt me. God’s forgiveness of me drives me to forgive others.  In teaching His followers to forgive, Jesus identified no exceptions no loopholes that let us off the hook from forgiving. He mentioned no crime too heinous, no abuse too perverse, no act too vile, to warrant holding on to unforgiveness. Sister, we can trust that Jesus knows just how deeply people may have hurt us. But He also knows how deeply destructive unforgiveness can be to a human heart.  When we choose to forgive, we not only live out a foundational tenet of our faith, but also we put a stop to the endless cycle of revenge releasing the burden of bitterness and making the world beautiful through grace. I want to be a part of that. Don’t you?

Friend, the step of forgiveness may be a bit higher than some of the other steps in our faith journey, but by the power of the Holy Spirit, we can do it.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on May 28, 2023, 05:05:38 PM

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Laying Down the Need To Defend Ourselves
May 4, 2022
by Abby McDonald

“Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.” 1 Peter 3:9 (NIV)

As soon as I read the person’s comment on social media, I felt my blood pressure rise. The words insulted me on a deep level and questioned my integrity as a believer. Immediately, I wanted to defend myself. I began remembering and searching for scriptures that would disprove this person's opinion and validate my stance. But as I searched my Bible app, I sensed a conviction in my spirit.  Stop. Wait.  I admit I didn’t want to listen. After all, didn’t I need to prove this person wrong?

Didn’t they need to know their words were not OK?

But the longer I sat in my recliner, pausing instead of reacting, the more I knew a retort would not accomplish anything. A response made in self-righteous anger would only fuel dissension.  This was not the first time someone said something offensive to me, either on social media or in person. Often, the world around us can seem like a minefield where we never know how people are going to respond to our words.  So what do we do when we feel the need to defend ourselves?

How do we distinguish between defending ourselves and defending Jesus?

How do we know when to speak and when to stay silent?

Let’s look at the Gospels, in which no one claimed more fierce loyalty to Jesus than Peter did. He even said he would die for Jesus. (Luke 22:33) When the Roman soldiers and high priests came to arrest Jesus, Peter cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant Malchus. But instead of letting Peter defend Him, Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?” (John 18:11, NIV).

Jesus made it clear that the disciple’s job was not to defend Him with violence or in anger.  Later, in 1 Peter, we see a complete transformation in this disciple. God opened his eyes to see that retaliation against those who wrong us does not serve His purposes, and Peter instead gave this command to the Church:  “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing” (1 Peter 3:9).

To be certain, we can trust that the Lord, our Advocate, never asks us to tolerate abusive situations or relationships and wants us to live in freedom. Seeking help and removing ourselves from such situations is different from knee-jerk reactions of wounded pride. In today’s world of instant replies, it has never been easier to react based on our first emotions rather than respond with intentionality and love. Our enemy knows this. He seeks to divide us and provoke arguments, and often we fall blindly into his schemes.

But when we let God take His rightful place as our Defender and respond to others in His love, something beautiful happens. Instead of the focus being on us, it turns to Him. People are drawn to God in us instead of being repelled because they notice something contrary to the me-first attitude our culture promotes.  Jesus has already won the battle against our true enemy. One day, Christ will return to claim those He calls His own. But until then, He asks us to love others. When we follow this simple but often difficult command, we don’t have to worry about fighting for ourselves because He fights our enemy for us. Our armor is His Truth, and it gives us surpassing peace.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on May 28, 2023, 05:11:17 PM

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God’s Wild Love for You
May 5, 2022
by Lisa Bevere

“Be here the king is wild for you. Since he’s your lord, adore him.” Psalm 45:11 (MSG)

Before I knew Christ, I’d chosen a path of destruction that would have ground to dust every dream and hope I dared to harbor.  I still remember the tangible sense of relief I felt that night when I first heard that God actually loved me and wasn’t angry with me.  But the good news did not stop there. I learned that, on the cross, Jesus blotted out the record of each and every sin I’d ever committed. I felt immediately lighter. My breathing became deeper, and my jaw unclenched. The heavy shroud that sin and shame had layered upon my frame was stripped away, and a mantle of Christ’s righteousness took its place.  God is the only One capable of keeping an exacting record of our sins, and yet He refuses to. Rather than itemize our sins, He plunges any recollection of their taint and violations into oblivion, as Micah 7:19 says:  “He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea” (ESV).

I love the imagery captured in this verse. Out of compassion, God crushes the very things that threaten to crush us. Our evil actions and vices crumble under the weight of His step. And once those idols of sin and shame are ground into unrecognizable fragments, He hurls them into the sea, where they sink to its cold, shadowed depths, never to rise again.  This is an invitation to tremble in awe and wild wonder of the Most High God, who knows all and yet loves us so well. In fact, it’s time for us to challenge the way we think God thinks about us.  Perhaps you’ve entertained beliefs like I once had that God is angry and displeased with you. I encourage you to apply what the psalmist suggests in Psalm 45:11: “Be here the king is wild for you adore him.”

Adoration results from revelation of His wild love for you!  The God who is Truth cannot lie. He is wild about you!  As daughters and sons of our Lord, we are under His rule, and His rule is love. One way we can honor His lordship is by choosing to accept how He feels about us. His love for us is not subject to how we feel about ourselves, no matter what we’ve done or how tempted we are to dwell on the past.  His love is selfless. He is love. His love is independent of how we look, feel or act. We might as well surrender to this love that is beyond our comprehension.  This revelation that God, who is love, loves us is exciting. If we are bored with the idea that God loves us, it could be because we’ve heard it but never experienced it. This realization that He constantly thinks of us is thrilling and should awaken a fresh enthusiasm in every aspect of our walk with the Father.  He means what He has said about us. His heart is set on us, and nothing we do or say can remove His seal of love from us. In Christ, His love is forever settled.  It is now time for us to settle it for ourselves.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on June 08, 2023, 05:43:31 PM

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Chuck Lawless
June 24, 2022
Why We’re Sometimes Surprised When God Answers Prayer

The early church had been praying for Peter’s release from prison, yet they were surprised when God actually responded (Acts 12:1–17). The story would be comical if it didn’t so clearly describe us, too. It happened to me, in fact, recently God answered a long-term prayer, and I was astounded. Here are some reasons we’re sometimes surprised when God answers our prayers:

1. We haven’t studied enough of the Bible’s stories of answered prayer. God’s always been a prayer-answering God. In the Scriptures he answered prayers for Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Hannah, David, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Hezekiah, Jesus, Paul and so many others. When we don’t know the stories, though, we don’t always expect God to hear us.

2. We fail to consider the incredible truth that God welcomes us coming to his throne boldly (Heb. 4:16). He wants us to come to him. He’s a good, good Father who wants to give us good gifts for his glory and our good. Indeed, he gave himself to us that we might have a genuine relationship with him. When we forget these truths, God’s answers to our prayers might catch us off guard.

3. We struggle believing prayer works. We know prayer matters because we know it’s in the Bible. We talk about it. We read about it (though not enough, as No. 1 shows us). We hear sermons about it. We might even write about it but still battle unbelief. Prayer demands faith, and faith is sometimes hard and we’re pleasantly surprised when God responds.

4. We’ve prayed prayers sometimes for a long time God hasn’t answered yet, and the delay hits at our faith. I suspect that the longer we wait for an answer, and the deeper the need that evoked the prayer, the harder it is to keep trusting that God’s listening. We cling to what seems to be diminishing hope and when God comes through, we have not been expecting it.

5. We know our hearts and we know we’re hardly perfect. Perfection is not a requirement for answered prayer, but obedience does matter if we expect God to listen (Isa. 59:1–2, Ps. 66:18). We’re still sinful people, however, so we wonder if God will respond to us. When he does respond, we’re surprised. 

6. We don’t always hear of answered prayers even when God does answer. Most of us are guilty here. Even when God does indeed meet our requests, we’re not inclined to let others know of his gracious response. Churches do the same thing when they publish a prayer request list but never update the congregation when God answers a prayer. We never hear these testimonies so it sometimes surprises us when God intervenes in our lives.

May God help us to be amazed not surprised when he answers our prayers.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on June 21, 2023, 01:33:03 PM

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Do You Need To Feel Seen by Jesus Today?
May 25, 2022
by Beth Knight

"neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:39 (NIV)

Jesus unexpectedly showed up at my cash register that day.  Although my heart was hurled into the depths of despair before my shift, I had a job to do. So I wiped away my tears, buried my emotions beneath a pasted-on smile and strolled through the door with my head held high.  I worked at a local Christian bookstore, so books about Jesus surrounded me, and songs about Jesus serenaded me, but the grief inside me made me feel separated from Him. I was a champion at hiding my pain from God and others, and my trophy was gut-wrenching loneliness.  By God’s provision, one customer saw past my pretenses. As I rang up her items, she stopped me and said, “I sense the Holy Spirit leading me to hug you. May I come around the counter?”

I agreed to her proposition and watched her slowly walk around the counter to embrace me. My tense shoulders softened within the warmth of being seen.

This happened 20 years ago. I don't remember the woman's name or what she looked like, but I will never forget what God taught me through her obedience.

1.  Our deepest sorrows do not signify a separation from God’s love. In today’s key verse, Romans 8:39, “separate” comes from the Greek word chorizo, which means to divide, separate oneself, depart or go away from.  Paul makes it clear that “neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate [chorizo] us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Praise God! Not even the depths of despair can cause God’s love to depart from us.

2.    Feeling separated from God often stems from a longing to feel seen. While we may be surrounded by people at church, at the grocery store or in our own home, our inner turmoil can seem invisible to others. Yet God sees us so clearly that He knows every single hair on our heads. (Luke 12:7) And sometimes, He’ll send a willing vessel to remind us that He sees us. At other times, we can be that willing vessel to those who are grieving.  Unforgettable, holy moments can happen in unexpected places when someone is sensitive to the Holy Spirit's leading. Because of one woman's obedience, I carry a vivid reminder that God is near to the brokenhearted. (Psalm 34:18) Are we willing to have the same obedience?

Precious friend, if you are alone and hurting today, I pray the Lord will miraculously show up through His Word and through His people. He sees He is near and as John 10:28 says, nothing will ever snatch you out of His hands.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on June 27, 2023, 08:07:06 PM

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Living Unrushed When Work Is Unfinished
May 30, 2022
by Christina Patterson

“But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.’” Luke 10:40 (ESV)

I grew discouraged as I put away the seemingly infinite amount of folded laundry, knowing there was already another load, ready to fold, in the dryer.  I’d promptly get to it after I put the groceries up, which I couldn’t do until I cleared the refrigerator to make room for said groceries.  The magnetic calendar on my refrigerator door reminded me of a project I’d put off for months and the endless list of other responsibilities awaiting my attention and holding hostage my hope for accomplishment.  I immediately felt like the list of tasks I needed to finish that week: undone.  If I can speed up, I thought to myself, I can get more done faster. However, I only ended up feeling like a hamster on a wheel, moving fast but getting nowhere. This rushed pace of life left me frustrated with my work, impatient with my family and restless in my thoughts that were more focused on what needed to get done than on my God, who would empower me to do it.  As busy women, it’s easy to think our worth is tied to our productivity and fall into the temptation to speed up our pace so we can get more done. This lie only leaves us empty and agitated with ourselves, those we love and even God.  When Jesus visited the house of Martha, in Luke 10, Martha was in a rush to get preparations together for His visit. I imagine her cleaning the house, cooking the meal and preparing the table, only to realize there was more to be done than there was time to do it.  In her rushed frustration, she accused her sister Mary of not helping and blamed Jesus for not holding her sister accountable.  “... ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.’” (Luke 10:40)

The same woman who had the heart to invite Jesus into her home allowed her own rushed pace to make her accuse her most honored Guest of not caring. The danger of a rushed life is that it hinders us from loving well because love is patient; it’s not in a hurry. (1 Corinthians 13:4)  Like Martha, we often rush in an attempt to outrun the unfinished work always looming over our heads because we believe unfinished work means we’re undone. But that’s not true. We find the truth in Jesus’ loving response to Martha’s hurried heart:  “‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her’” (Luke 10:41-42, NIV).

Jesus did not condemn Martha for her unfinished work but invited her to let go of the trap of rushing so that she could embrace what was more important.  The truth is, we have a choice. We don’t have to live rushed lives and accept overwhelmed hearts as a usual way of life. There will always be “many things” to worry about or do, but not all things are an emergency deserving of a rushed heart.  Jesus invites us to focus on one thing better than them all: Himself.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on June 27, 2023, 08:12:42 PM

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Finding the Beauty in Our Limitations
May 31, 2022
by Meredith Houston Carr

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every aspect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” Hebrews 4:15 (ESV)

I am not a fan of limitations.  Apparently, my daughter feels much the same way. This fact became painfully evident as we undertook the all-important job of decorating her Valentine’s Day “mailbox” where she would receive cards and candy from her elementary-school classmates on February 14.  Her creative little heart worked for hours at our kitchen table cutting, painting, coloring and finally gluing on all her ornate creations of felt puffs and pipe cleaners. But as she found out the hard way, there’s only so much a bottle of glue can do.  When her mental masterpiece turned out to be a dismal disaster, that sweet baby lay on the floor and cried her big blue eyes out. I’m not the crafty-mom type but even if “Miss Pinterest” herself showed up at our door, this mailbox was never going to look the way my daughter had envisioned.  The limits of glue and gravity left her heartbroken, discouraged and defeated.  Boy, can I relate to those feelings. I wonder if you can, too. Our world preaches the gospel of “you can do anything” and “transcend your limitations” yet deep in our souls, we know this gospel is false.  We face limits in our bodies, minds and jobs every day. We experience roadblocks in our relationships. We reach the end of our talents. And when we regularly run into limitations of our character like those temptations we can’t seem to resist our confidence wanes.  We may even begin to wonder if our limitations render us unusable to God. When we beat our wings against the walls of our weaknesses, Satan taunts us with the fear that we’ll never measure up to our own standards much less God’s.  But God knows we can’t measure up on our own; that’s why He sent His Son, Jesus.  “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15)

Graciously, the writer of Hebrews reminds us how much our Savior relates to and sympathizes with our humanity. Jesus was fully divine, yet we can’t forget He was also fully human. Like us, Jesus became tired and hungry. He experienced temptation. (Luke 4:1-13) He wept from heartache. (John 11:35) He fully understands the limits of our humanity.  And still He calls us into Himself. He says, “I understand, and I have the mercy and grace you need most.” (Hebrews 4:16)

As we invite Jesus into our limitations, prayerfully answering these questions can help us make progress and grow in faith:

1. What do I believe this limitation prevents me from achieving or becoming? God often uses our weaknesses to reveal areas of misplaced trust or idolatry. Are we looking for worth in a particular relationship? Are we putting our confidence in our accomplishments? Asking these questions can help us root out beliefs and motivations that may be hindering our growth.

2. What lesson or truth might God be trying to teach me through this limitation? Our shortcomings frustrate us, but more often than not, they are packed with important lessons. We can better hear God speaking new spiritual insights into our hearts when we take a step back and ask Him for wisdom.

3. What specific scriptures can I pray over my heart? God’s Word is full of Truth that equips us for any and every weakness we encounter. We can invite the power of His Word into our weak spots by praying specific verses over them.

It’s easy to feel like our limitations disqualify us from meaningful Kingdom work, but what if we rejected the enemy’s lies and began to view our weaknesses through a different lens? What if they’re not simply something to cover up or conquer but are an invitation into deeper fellowship with the God who understands and loves us?

Dear one, our shortcomings don’t have to hold us back or rob our joy. Here’s the beautiful truth: When our limitations lead us to Christ, our souls find the comfort they crave. So today, may we willingly lean into our limits and let the strength of our Savior carry us through.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on June 30, 2023, 02:22:54 PM

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Letting God Reshape What’s Shattered
June 2, 2022
by Lisa Appelo

“I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” John 10:10b (ESV)

I hate my life.  With my hands wrist-deep in sudsy dishwater, I couldn’t believe I’d let that admission bubble to the top of my thoughts. The house had quieted with my kids tucked in upstairs for the night, and now, alone with my thoughts, my honest confession startled me.  Months before, I had gone to bed happily married and woken up the next morning a widow. On the pillow next to mine, my husband was taking his last breaths as I slept. Though his strange breathing had awakened me, neither my efforts at CPR nor my prayers for God’s mercy had brought the miracle I desperately wanted.  In the space of one night’s sleep, my life had shattered into a thousand pieces. So much of the life I’d wanted and the life I’d hoped for had been buried with my husband. Now, my days were a mix of brutal grief, single parenting, decision overwhelm and juggling a too-long list of tasks meant for two.  We often tell God: This is not the life I ordered. There are lots of ways a life can shatter in loss.  Maybe for you, it’s been a diagnosis that has upended life as you know it.  Maybe a spouse you should have been able to trust has walked out, or maybe, like mine, your spouse has died far earlier than you ever imagined.  Perhaps you’ve buried a child in an unthinkable turn of events, or maybe miscarriage has forced you to grieve a dream that feels farther and farther away.  What do we do when life doesn’t turn out like we planned? Do we simply consign ourselves to live out the leftovers of the life we wanted?

John 10:10b shows us another way. In our key verse, Jesus tells us He came so that we would “have life and have it abundantly.” That doesn’t mean “life abundant” only when things are going well. Or “life abundant” when we get the outcome we want.

The abundant life Jesus died to give us doesn’t start and stop based on our circumstances.  The night of my honest admission over a sinkful of dishes, I had to let go once more of the life I wanted. As I did, I leaned into the truth that while our circumstances may change, God’s promise of abundant life does not.  Yes, life felt bad. And while this was not my plan, God had allowed it. As such, God had as much abundant life on this side of loss as He did all the time before.  Over the last few years, as I’ve let go of the life I wanted and worked to embrace the life God has given, I can see the fresh beauty and goodness God has for me here. And while life is never perfect, I can honestly say, Thank You, God. I love this life.  God doesn’t give us second best. There are no leftovers in a life with God. When we trust God with the broken pieces of our life, He can reshape what’s shattered.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on July 02, 2023, 02:59:08 PM

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Hope When Life Just Doesn’t Make Sense
June 3, 2022
by Stacy Lowe

“‘My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,’ says the Lᴏʀᴅ. ‘And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.’” Isaiah 55:8-9 (NLT)

My life has a lot of moving parts that I’m constantly trying to keep organized. But speaking reminders into my phone is a great way to help.  Instead of voicing well-structured sentences and ideas, though, I tend to speak in a shortened code of sorts. Most of the time, this works out well. Sometimes, though?

Not so much.  Not too long ago, I spoke such a direction to my phone. Instead of complying, my phone verbalized that it didn’t understand what I meant. Not that it couldn’t understand the words, but it didn’t understand the meaning behind them.  I tried again with the same results. Frustrated, I spoke at my phone, “You don’t need to understand because I know what it means. Please just do what I’m asking!”

Truthfully, though, I can relate to my phone. Maybe you can, too.  There are days I wonder what in the world God could possibly be up to with my life. Surely, this piece of who and how I am couldn’t possibly be a part of His plan. This piece must be a mistake.  But then there are today’s key verses from Isaiah:  “‘My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,’ says the Lᴏʀᴅ. ‘And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts’” (Isaiah 55:8-9).

If God’s thoughts are nothing like my own, and neither are His ways, it stands to reason there will be times when I don’t understand. There will be situations where nothing makes sense to me. And that can be hard because I want to know how it all fits together. If I could just understand the purpose behind this one thing, it would make it all so much easier to swallow.  Just like my phone, though, I don’t need to know what it all means because He does.  God sees a far bigger picture than we could ever hope to grasp. He sees how each part of who and how we are fits into the tapestry He’s been weaving since before time began. Even those broken pieces from living in a broken world are made into something beautiful and useful when placed in His hands.  While we may not understand it all in the moment, one day we will. One day, we will see how God lovingly looked after each and every detail of our lives to bring His plans and purposes to fruition. Until then, we can remember God’s incredible love for us and choose to trust Him.  That’s what I’m choosing today. Will you do the same?

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on July 06, 2023, 05:08:40 PM

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Shaping Worries Into Prayers
June 13, 2022
by Sharon Jaynes

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” Philippians 4:6 (NLT)

Recently when my niece’s daughter Harper and I were having a visit on FaceTime, she told me all about her new best friend: Skittles the guinea pig.  He went down the slide with her, nibbled on baby carrots at her tea parties and nestled in her mini stroller during walks. Oh, how she loved Skittles.  “I had a guinea pig named Oscar when I was a little girl,” I shared.

“You did? What happened to Oscar?” she asked.

“Did he die? Did you give him away? Do guinea pigs go to heaven?”

I was not expecting those questions and wished I had kept my guinea pig history to myself. When we said our goodbyes, I realized Harper, even at 5 years old, was worried about her little friend. She was anxious about Skittles’ future. Goldie the goldfish had a short life, and well, do guinea pigs live longer?

It seemed like such a small thing and then I wondered if my anxious thoughts seem like small things to God.  I worry about my son, and then I remember God has a host of angels surrounding him. (Psalm 91:11-12) Protecting Steven is a small, easy thing for God.  I grow anxious about COVID-19, and then I remember all my days have been numbered since before there was even one of them. (Psalm 139:16)  It is so easy to fall into the trap of worrying about world events, especially wars and rumors of war. The media shows us horrific details of bombed-out buildings and burned-out homes. People fleeing and parents weeping.  And I get anxious. I grow worried. But when we witness such suffering, God calls us to respond out of trust in Him, not worry: “Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed ....” (Isaiah 1:17, NLT).

When we face circumstances vastly out of our control, like a pandemic and war, we can also be reminded time and time again of who God is, and what He does, through the Scriptures.  He runs things. He is not aloof. He is not absent in life’s happenings. As He told Moses at the burning bush, He sees, and He hears He is concerned. (Exodus 3:7)  I need to remember God has a providential, not accidental, plan for history. The word “providential” means “to see before,” to have a particular end or goal in mind. What happens in history, and with you and me, is not happenstance. He is in control of the sacred and secular. World history and my history.  I imagine God saying, Oh honey, don’t worry about what’s going on in the world at large or in your life right now. The circumstances are not a surprise to Me. I’m still in control. I’m still on My throne. And remember: Nothing is too difficult for Me. Your worries may loom large for you, but they are not too difficult for Me.  So what do we do when those anxious feelings creep in? When our hearts start to race, our palms start to sweat and our blood runs cold with worry?

As tempted as we might be to feed the worry, obsess over it with our friends or loved ones, or go into “fix-it mode” with Google, our first action should be to pray and give our burdens and worries to God. (Psalm 55:2)  Paul wrote, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done” (Philippians 4:6).

The Message paraphrase of Philippians 4:6-7 says it this way: “Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.”

Don’t you love that?

“Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers.”

Like a potter shaping clay into beauty, we have the opportunity to shape our worries into beautiful petitions to God.  I don’t know what you’re anxious about today, but I do know God is in control. And He is good.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on July 06, 2023, 05:12:18 PM

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Strength in Stillness
June 14, 2022
by Sarah Freymuth

“The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:14 (NIV)

The afternoon sun streaks through my living room window, and I settle into my seat, finding just the right spot for the light to warm my body. On my windowsill, books bend into one another, and pens spill from their holder; my daily Bible verse calendar shows an image of majestic mountain peaks and a scriptural assurance of faith I cannot see.  The call to faith in the unseen resonates deeper than I wish it to.  I’ve spent these past six months fighting for my mental and physical health. I’m still wrestling with the lingering aftermath of COVID-19 and anxiety, comparing my state of exhaustion to where I was before I got sick.  When I see my life as it was, and I see the setbacks I’m battling, I can’t help but be tempted to spiral down the “why me?” rabbit hole. The daily battles leave me worn and wondering just how this will play out.  My camp is close to crumbling, and I need reinforcements. If I have the Lord of heaven’s armies with me, what is His tactic?

What is His next move?

Is it to strengthen me supernaturally so I can take ground where I have loosened my hold?

Is it to storm my enemies and knock them down in one motion?

Is it to wait for me to say the right prayer or scripture and believe just a bit more for my faith to come to life and be “useful” in my healing?

Or is it possible God is calling me to something radically different? What if God’s will looks something like this: “The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” (Exodus 14:14)?

The more I meditate on this verse, the more I realize I’ve been carrying much more stress than I need to. I’ve hoisted the weight of my health on my shoulders, striving to learn answers, comparing what was to what is now, and holding heavy, unrealistic expectations in my heart and mind.  Maybe you are, too. Maybe we’ve all been holding on to our own designs of how life should be and having trouble wrapping our minds around reality.  What do we do with the vise grip we’ve put ourselves in?

Be still. Stop the swirling thoughts and expectations of where you should be and rest in where you are. Here is now, and God is present here. The gift of His grace overpowers any shame, guilt and disappointment we may feel about ourselves. And His grace extends to His command for us to release the effort and allow Him to do His deep, restorative healing in our hearts as He fights for us. In stillness lies our strength.  Take the burden off your shoulders and relax into the Lord. He is the One who will fight your battles. Our God has our best in mind, for our good and His glory. His love is making a way in our lives because the battle belongs to the Lord.  Sometimes, the best thing we can do is be still with this truth and believe. We can turn over our trust to His capable ways, lift off what weighs us down and let Him do the heavy lifting.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on July 10, 2023, 07:42:52 PM

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God Heals All Wounds
June 17, 2022
by Kia Stephens

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Psalm 147:3 (NIV)

My new read was different from most of my nonfiction books.  It was clinical in nature, written by a psychotherapist and filled with a bunch of words I had to look up. It had been recommended to me by my husband early on in our marriage, but it took me 18 years to finally read it. Initially, I reasoned it wasn’t for me, until life led me to it.  Then I couldn’t put it down.  Reading this book felt like a cross between therapy and intense research. With each page, I was learning more about myself. Eventually, I was struck by a single, numerical list: 20 needs that should be fulfilled in the life of every child. If unmet, these needs have the potential to create wounds in unsuspecting adults. They had done so in me.  I held my breath as I read through the list of needs: safety, validation, guidance and many others. Those words described needs I missed. Then I thought about the circumstances surrounding my unmet needs: my single mother, my absent and alcoholic father, and me.  It all felt so overwhelming. I was a 42-year-old woman attempting to process wounds I was still discovering.  But God was not surprised.  He already knew His children would incur wounds in this life. He knew what we eventually discover: In a broken world, with broken people, sometimes we will get cut. I believe this is why God inspired the psalmist to pen the words of Psalm 147:3: “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”

Verse 2 of this psalm lets us know that the psalmist is specifically referring to the exiles of Israel, but these words are applicable to all believers. God is communicating His concern for every brokenhearted individual.  In Psalm 147:3, God is reminding us that His power is unlimited. He is mighty enough to heal all wounds no matter when or how they occurred in our lives. Our pain is not beyond His tremendous power. He is the Great Physician, able to reach into our pasts and heal our souls.  The scripture says, “He heals,” meaning this healing is ongoing. It is not a one-time deal but rather a supernatural act that can occur over and over in the lives of the brokenhearted. For as much and as long as we need healing, God’s compassionate care is available to us.  The Hebrew meaning for the word “brokenhearted” is defined in relation to the inner person, encompassing the mind, will and emotions. Thus, the psalmist reminds us that God is capable of healing all types of wounds.  If our wounds are physical, He can heal them.  If our wounds are mental, He can heal them.  If our wounds are emotional, He can heal those, too.  God not only heals the souls of the broken; He also binds up our wounds. He takes the time to tenderly bandage the wounded places in our lives so we can be made whole. This level of tender care communicates several truths about God:  God cares about those with broken hearts.  God’s power to heal is infinite.  God loves His children deeply.  God is capable of healing all wounds.  I have seen these truths in my own life. God has taken the little girl who grew up with a single mother and an absent father, and He is making her whole. God, my heavenly Father, is teaching me how to look to Him to meet every unmet need from my childhood.  In Him, there is safety.  In Him, there is validation.  In Him, there is guidance.  In Him, all our needs are met.  He does not abandon us with our wounds. God steps into our lives, heals our broken hearts and binds up every wound.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on July 12, 2023, 03:24:52 PM

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Loving the Little Children Like Jesus Did
June 28, 2022
by Karen Wingate

“Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’” (Matthew 19:14, NIV)

Heading down the meat aisle of my local grocery store one Sunday afternoon, I paused as my eyes caught the antics of a small boy crouched on the lower deck of a shopping cart. I smiled and said, “Hi! You’re having a great time.”

The father turned from the meat counter and made a disparaging comment about his active son.  “Oh, he’s just a small boy having fun.” I shrugged. “What is he 2?”

“He’s 4,” the father said dryly.

My face flushed with shame, not so much for the father as for myself. His words were an echo of my own voice in years past when, in moments of exhaustion and stress, I sometimes acted like my children were hindrances to my happiness, an inconvenience rather than a joy. It also reminded me of the times wiser friends came beside me, saying approving words that put smiles on my children’s faces and renewed my resolve to be a better parent.  That was the past; this was the present. I smiled again at the boy, wished them both a good day and moved on. Yet my heart was troubled. Was there something more I, a stranger, could have done or said to affirm that little boy in the name of Jesus?

Just that morning, I had taught a group of children the account of Jesus taking time for kids. I told them children were important to God, even when they didn’t seem important to anyone else.  Jesus told His disciples, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” (Matthew 19:14).

Now, it seemed God was calling me to learn from the lesson I taught and look more closely at how Jesus treated children so I could do the same.  Seeing and hearing adults follow Jesus’ example is crucial to children’s acceptance of God’s love. Words can leave scars that scorn a child’s self-worth and restrict their acceptance of the healing touch of Jesus’ salvation. Affirming words can build bridges to a deeper understanding of God’s love and regard for each child.  We can start with our own children if we are parents, but it doesn’t have to stop there. Taking time to interact with the children around us, whether in a family gathering, in a classroom, on the soccer field or behind a cart in a store checkout line, adds one more confirmation in their memories that they are important and cherished. And if we hear a child devalued, we can accept it as God’s invitation to step forward and treat them as Jesus would, praying God will help us respond with wisdom.  When we stop to pay attention to a kid, kneel at their level, and give up our adult conversations so we can listen to them and watch their latest escapade, we relinquish our superior position and make ourselves equal with them.  As Jesus said, “Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:4, NIV).

Children were lower on the social ladder of Jewish society than they are in our current culture, yet Jesus called His disciples to take on the lowly position of a child.   We may never know the hurtful words a child has already heard, but our attention and simple positive acknowledgement may provide a beam of hope that will ultimately lead them to the light of Christ’s love.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on July 23, 2023, 03:09:31 PM

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The Good Part About the Waiting Room
July 7, 2022
by Jennifer Dukes Lee

“Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!” Psalm 27:14 (NKJV)

There I was, in yet another waiting room, while we waited to see yet another doctor. Our teen daughter had been passing out nearly every day, and no one could figure out why.  After many months, it had seemed like our time in the waiting room was ending. Doctors had determined her fainting spells were caused by a neurological disorder. The diagnosis was an answer to prayer, and we were grateful to God.  Unfortunately, the fainting continued. And because of that, our waiting didn’t end.  Instead, we entered a new kind of waiting room. We waited for God to bring full healing. We waited for God to stop the spiral of depression our daughter had fallen into. We were stuck in a waiting room that seemed to have no exit.  That long season of waiting was painful and isolating, but it seems these seasons are simply a part of life.  Think for a moment of the hours upon hours we spend waiting each week. Sometimes, it’s for the little things: waiting on the traffic light to turn green, the next episode to air, the coffee to brew, the airport security line to move faster.  Sometimes, the waiting is unbearable and bewildering, like when you’re waiting for God to heal someone you love.  I'm guessing you are waiting on something too: a cure for the cancer, a job application to be reviewed, that uncomfortable silence to end, the words “I forgive you” to finally come.  If you’re like me, you want to push through the hard times, but instead, you find yourself paralyzed in a waiting room miles from where you want to be.  Waiting can feel like a weakness, especially in a culture that places a high value on making things happen.  But waiting is not a weakness.  It’s actually empowering. Yes, empowering! There is something miraculous happening while we wait.  Here’s how I know:  “Wait on the LORD He shall strengthen your heart” (Psalm 27:14).

God is strengthening our hearts while we wait!  When I came across that verse, it gave me the courage to wait on God.  Now, after three long years, we are seeing the fruit that grew in the waiting room.  We are still waiting on a lot of things, but we have much to be grateful for. Our daughter’s fainting spells have been reduced to a minimum. She is being treated for depression. And here’s my favorite part: She is sharing her story publicly with teens and their parents because she wants them to know God is good all the time.  Hers is a beauty-from-ashes story that couldn’t have been written anywhere else but the waiting room.  When I look back, I see how God strengthened our hearts. Waiting was not an in-between place. Real work was being done as my family grew closer to one another and to God.  I don’t know what you’re waiting for, but I’m guessing you’re waiting for something.  May you be encouraged in knowing that waiting is not a waste of time. It’s an investment of time. God is strengthening your heart.  May you find that God is always, always worth the wait.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on July 26, 2023, 03:07:53 PM

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Please Don’t Give Me a Packaged Christian Answer
July 14, 2022
by Lysa TerKeurst

“Jesus wept.” John 11:35 (NIV)

I love Jesus. I love God. I love His Truth. I love people. But I don’t love packaged Christian answers.  Those cliches tie everything up in a nice, neat bow and make life a little too tidy. But there just isn’t anything tidy about some awful and sad and so incredibly evil things that happen in our broken world.  And God help me if I think I’m going to make things better by thinking up a clever Christian saying to add to all the dialogue. God certainly doesn’t need people like me with limited perspectives, limited understanding and limited depth trying to make sense of things that only make sense to Him.  Is there a place for God’s Truth in all this? Absolutely. But we must, must, must let God direct us. In His time. In His way. In His love. And when things are awful, perhaps we should just say, "This is awful.” When things don’t make sense, we can’t shy away from simply saying,“This doesn’t make sense.”

There is a difference between a wrong word at the wrong time, and a right word at the right time.  When my little sister died a horribly tragic death, it was because a doctor prescribed some medication no child should ever be given. And it set off a chain of events that eventually found my family standing over a pink, rose-draped casket. Weeping. Hurting. Needing time to wrestle with grief and anger and loss.  And it infuriated my raw soul when people tried to sweep up the shattered pieces of our lives by saying things like, “Well, God just needed another angel in heaven.”

Besides being off base theologically, statements like that took the shards of my grief and twisted them even more deeply into my already broken heart.  I understand why they said things like this. They wanted to say something anything to make it better. Their compassion compelled them to come close. And I wanted them there. And then I didn’t.  Everything was a contradiction. I could be crying hysterically one minute and laughing the next. And then I’d feel so awful for daring to laugh that I wanted to cuss. And then sing a praise song. I wanted to shake my fist at God and then read His Scriptures for hours. There’s just nothing tidy about all that.  But the thing I know now that I wish I knew then is that Jesus understands what it is like to deeply feel human emotions like grief and heartbreak.  We see this in John 11:32-35 when Jesus received the news His dear friend Lazarus had died:  “When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother [Lazarus] would not have died.’ When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. ‘Where have you laid him?’ he asked. ‘Come and see, Lord,’ they replied. Jesus wept” (NIV).

Yes, Jesus wept and mourned with His loved ones in that devastatingly heartbreaking moment. And the fact that He can identify with my pain is so comforting to me. He meets us in our grief. And we can bring the hope He promises and the comfort He supplies when others are grieving too.  You want to know the best thing someone said to me in the middle of my grief?

I was standing in the midst of all the tears falling down on black dresses and black suits on that gray funeral day. My heels were sinking into the grass. I was staring down at an ant pile. The ants were running like mad around a footprint that had squashed their home. I was wondering if I stood in that pile and let them sting me a million times if maybe that pain would distract me from my soul pain. At least I knew how to soothe physical pain.  Suddenly this little pigtailed girl skipped by me and exclaimed, “I hate ants.”

And that was hands-down the best thing anyone said that day.  She just entered in right where I was. Noticed where I was focused in that moment and just said something basic. Normal. Obvious.  Yes, there is a place for a solid Christian answer from well-intentioned friends. Absolutely. But then there’s also a place to weep with a hurting friend from the depths of your soul. A time when there really aren’t any words that can help the pain.  May God help us to know the difference.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on July 26, 2023, 03:12:15 PM

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He Who Holds the Pillars Firm
July 15, 2022
by Sarah Freymuth, COMPEL Training Member

“When the earth and all its people quake, it is I who hold its pillars firm.” Psalm 75:3 (NIV)

It’s been a roller-coaster time for my family: My 2-month-old nephew has been hospitalized for bacterial meningitis.  His sweet little body flush with fever. Swelling in the brain, at the base by his spinal cord. A PICC line to better receive antibiotics rather than struggle with his tiny veins.  The days drag, slow, uncertain. We don’t have answers to most of our questions, just prayer and possibility, and I feel helpless that I can’t make his body better.  Sometimes, it’s torture to wait. I pray in every style I know how, and still I can’t quite grasp God’s presence in this. I know in my head that He’s here, but the knowledge doesn’t fully make its way to my heart. My heart my heart is on shaky ground, grasping for sure footing.  What do we hold to in times like these?

With no solid ground beneath our feet, we stand on the Word of God, build our faith on who He is and the pillars of His protection.

*  God is, above all, loving. Our Abba loves us with a fierce, delicate and selfless love that stretches from one corner of the cross to the other. His affection is gentle, and His tenderness is great. His love is pure.

“Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (1 John 4:8, NIV)

*  God is faithful. His eyes never stray; His heart stays fixed on us, and He tenderly keeps us close with unwavering loyalty. From the beginning, God made and kept His promise never to leave nor forsake us. God has our good in mind, and there is nothing that can separate us from Him.

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” (Hebrews 10:23, NIV)

*  God is in control. This crazy world can spin right off its axis, but it will roll right into His capable hands. Our God holds the pillars of the universe in His grasp how much more does He care for us? When the darkness doesn’t seem to fade and night stretches on, God is there, unfazed.

“When the earth and all its people quake, it is I who hold its pillars firm.”(Psalm 75:3)

*  God establishes our steps. As we walk along life’s path, it can get uneven and sprayed with loose gravel, but our God guides us through tight and tough spaces. There’s peace knowing He’s our journeyman, coming alongside us, holding our hand and not allowing us to go alone.

“The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.” (Isaiah 58:11, NIV)

I don’t have the outcome yet for my nephew, but I know an outcome will arrive. And each breath of prayer is another foundation laid at the foot of the cross, where Jesus Himself breathed out to the Father for us all. He who holds the pillars firm holds us. We can trust Him with our hearts, fears and all the unknown. He is the One called faithful and true.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on July 29, 2023, 12:05:32 PM

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Missed Exits: Turning Up the Voice of God
July 18, 2022
by Shala W. Graham

“And when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left, your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’” Isaiah 30:21‬ (NRSV‬‬A)‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

Last summer, a colleague picked me up from the airport to take me to a conference. We had a long stretch of highway to drive, with Google Maps ready to lead the way to the conference location.  We laughed and talked as we rolled down the road.  Then something didn’t look quite right.  “We missed the exit!”

No problem. I’d missed exits before, even with Google Maps giving me a play-by-play. But here’s the thing my colleague had issues connecting her phone to the audio in the car, so we couldn’t hear the lovely voice that gives the directions well in advance. Google Maps was silent! And because we were in a more rural area, the next exit to turn around and get back on track was several miles down the road.  Thankfully, we weren’t in any rush, so the detour was just a minor inconvenience. But how often do we miss the exit or the on-ramp because we either can’t hear the directions or we simply aren’t paying attention?

This is what happens when we don’t hear the voice of God directing us or we’ve turned down the volume to prioritize another voice in our lives.  In Isaiah 30, we see the people of Judah being warned not to rebel against the Lord by depending on Egypt to help them instead of relying on God. Isaiah also spoke a prophetic blessing over them if they would just return to God for help:  “Truly, O people in Zion, inhabitants of Jerusalem, you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when he hears it, he will answer you. Though the Lord may give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself any more, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left, your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it’” (Isaiah 30:19-21, NRSV).

What a blessing it is to have the Holy Spirit dwelling in our hearts if we trust in Jesus today! Like our personal GPS, He says, “This is the way; walk in it.”

But we have to tune in. We have to make sure we are connected to the Spirit of God. We have to intentionally seek out His voice and presence.  One of my favorite ways to seek God is through worship. So many of my favorite worship songs are simply scriptures set to a tune. As I proclaim biblical Truth in those songs, it becomes my prayer, and the Holy Spirit stirs in me to communicate with God and receive what God is saying. In those moments, as I submit my will to His, I can hear God affirm in my spirit what is needed of me. It’s like an internal check in my heart that feels so crystal clear.  It’s like when you look into the eyes of a friend, and though no words emerge from her mouth, you simply know everything she is communicating. You feel her words, and you stand in that truth with her.  As I worship, the peace of God rests over my spirit and guides me to confess, not worry about, the mistakes and wrong turns that plague me, even if I know I’ve "missed an exit" by trying to follow my own route for my life. There is grace for course correcting.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on July 31, 2023, 05:04:13 PM

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On Wailing and Worship
July 19, 2022
by Karen Ehman

“God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and in truth.” John 4:24 (CSB)

I stood and worshiped one Sunday morning while burning tears of grief cascaded down my face. My heart was overflowing with fresh sorrow due to several recent losses in my life.  My worship and pain might have seemed a contradiction. Is it possible to express deep worship while simultaneously revealing intense sorrow?

Jesus’ personal encounter with a New Testament woman seems to say worship and wailing can coexist.  One day around noon, a Samaritan woman went to draw water from what was known as Jacob’s well. That’s when she met Jesus, and a conversation ensued.  Jesus began to mention certain details about her life including the fact that she’d had several husbands and was now living with a man to whom she was not married. His keen insight into her life situation seemingly without having any prior knowledge caused her to believe she was talking to a prophet. (John 4:16-19) Well, if there’s a prophet standing in front of you, you’re going to seize the opportunity to ask any questions you have, right?

So she asked Jesus about worship, inquiring if she should worship on the mountain, where her ancestors did, or in Jerusalem, where others said was proper. Jesus replied, “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and in truth” (John 4:24).

The Greek word used here for “spirit” is pneúma and means “spirit (Spirit), wind or breath.” While it sometimes indicates human breath, the most frequent translation of pneúma in the New Testament is written with a capital “S” Spirit meaning the Holy Spirit.  The Greek word for “truth” is alétheia. This indicates words that are honest, sincere and straightforward. When we take worshiping in Spirit and couple it with being entirely truthful, we can get two actions that although they seem opposite intertwine perfectly together.   Wailing and worship.  Wailing and worship can hold hands. We observe this in over 50 of the psalms penned in Scripture that are classified as psalms of lament, in which the authors cry out to God in times of overwhelming distress or deep despair. The psalmists typically ask God for intervention to deliver them from suffering, sorrow or an enemy. Then these petitions often end with expressions of faith and worship as the author places his trust in God.  But it’s not only in the Bible where wailing and worship hold hands. They can in our lives today.  We can worship both in Spirit and in truth. We can worship God through the power of the Holy Spirit, who leads and guides us. We also can worship in truth. This is no candy-coated worship, full of clichéd spiritual phrases. No, we can be honest, candid and straightforward with God, even going so far as to lament and wail, telling the Lord all about that which is causing pain in our lives. We may do this audibly as we pray to God in a secluded place. We might do it through writing out our sentiments in a journal. Or we can listen to some worship songs about crying out to God, echoing the words in our hearts as we do.  Pour out your heart to Jesus, raw emotions and all. He sees your situation. He understands your pain. And best of all He loves you with a deep and unconditional love that will never, ever end.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on July 31, 2023, 05:18:20 PM

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Take Up Your Bed and Walk
July 20, 2022
by Kelly Anne Burns

“… ‘Do you want to be made well?’… Jesus said to him, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk.’ And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked.” John 5:6,8-9a (NKJV)

I have always struggled with fear. In fact, there was a time not so long ago when you could say, from a worldly stance, fear owned me.  It owned my thoughts.  t owned my actions.  It owned my perspective.  And it certainly owned my emotions.  For over 20 years, I prayed for an instantaneous, healing miracle I never received. I desperately wanted God to set me free from the fear that plagued me.  After all, miracles had happened to others around me. So why that person and not me?

Why were they miraculously freed, while I was left here in this awful darkness?

Why did God pick and choose like that?

And worst of all was this thought: Why didn't God choose me?

Yes. I said and thought and yelled out these things (and so much more) in my anger at what I saw as God intentionally not rescuing or protecting me. Or just simply not caring enough to help me. I was disillusioned with the fact that I sought Him out consistently while others did not, and He gave me back what felt like a big, fat nothing.  So the only reasonable thing in my mind was to stop trusting God. If He wasn’t going to protect me, then I would have to protect myself.  And I did until I couldn't anymore.  In my resolve to do this came an ever-increasing awareness of my own powerlessness to help myself or change what was. And that is where we find the afflicted man in the following passage:  “In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water.  Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, ‘Do you want to be made well?  Rise, take up your bed and walk.’ And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked” (John 5:3, 5-6, 8-9a, NKJV).

This is a man who knew suffering well, who knew the frustration of being overlooked and forgotten.  And in the world?

He was.  But what he didn't know yet was that God had not forgotten him. And the time had finally come for him to be healed.  So why did God wait so long?

Why didn't He heal the man years earlier?

Because, friends, there is so much more to what God is doing than what is happening around us and to us. A purpose is being worked out in the heavens that is so much bigger than our minds can presently conceptualize.  In the end, all that is real and lasting is God’s glory displayed through us to touch a dark and weary world that does not yet know Him.  Is God willing to sacrifice something in our story for something grander in scale?

Well yes. Yet sometimes we are surprised, disappointed and disillusioned when this happens, even though our lives belong to Him. We feel forgotten, out of control, afraid.  But if we believe God’s promises as they are laid out in His Word, then we will know …

We are not forgotten. (Isaiah 44:21)
We have been given the Holy Spirit to guide us. (2 Timothy 1:7; John 16:13)
We have nothing to fear. (Isaiah 41:10)

God has made you a key player in His redemption story. So what will you believe about Him, His promises and His purposes?

I used to see my weakness as a crutch I had to eliminate to feel normal. But it is through my weakness that God displays His life-changing, fear-fleeing glory.  And friends, when that happens, guess what? We become the miracle.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on August 01, 2023, 11:27:27 AM

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Where To Look When We’re Prone To Wander
July 22, 2022
by Beth Knight

“Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.” Proverbs 4:25-27 (NIV)

I knew the margin for error was small; one slight drift to the left or right, and damage would ensue. So I glued my eyes to my rearview mirror and clutched my steering wheel with a white-knuckled grip.  For years, I’d avoided parking my minivan in our garage, fearful I might back into our narrow garage door opening. However, my scorching-hot driver’s seat, courtesy of the Georgia summer heat, persuaded me otherwise that day.  With determination, I inched my car backward when suddenly a loud “Mom!” disrupted my focus.

As I glanced over my shoulder at my son in the back seat, a cringe-worthy crunching sound alerted me I had wandered off the straight and narrow path, drifting toward destruction.  I had no idea I had turned the steering wheel slightly toward the right; a misplaced focus caused a subtle yet dangerous drift. My face burned with shame at the damage I’d caused.  Like the old hymn says, I’m also “prone to wander” in my spiritual life. More than anything, I desire to walk wisely and live faithfully for Christ. Yet I easily drift toward the desires of my flesh and cares of this world.  King Solomon understood the propensity of God’s people to stray, so he pleaded with his sons in Proverbs 4 to pursue God’s wisdom at all costs. He ended the passage with three instructions:  “Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you” (Proverbs 4:25).

What I fix my eyes on is what I will follow. So, to walk wisely, I must keep my eyes on Jesus, the founder and perfecter of my faith. (Hebrews 12:2) No news outlet, self-help book or social media influencer will suffice.  “Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways” (Proverbs 4:26). Ephesians 5:15-16 says, “Be very careful, then, how you live not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil” (NIV).

Carefully living out my faith presents a divine opportunity to proclaim Christ.  “Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil” (Proverbs 4:27).

Psalm 119:9 reveals we can keep our feet from evil by living according to God’s Word. But a determined will isn’t enough; wise living is only accomplished through the power of the Holy Spirit and prayer.  When I detour from these instructions, I feel mashed up and broken, just like my dented-in car door. Thankfully, God’s grace is sufficient to repair what is broken and redirect my steps.  Precious friends, distractions will come. But distractions needn’t completely derail us if we’ll keep our eyes on Jesus.  So, when suffering and tragedy discourage, look to Jesus. When divisions and disunity dishearten, look to Jesus. When tempted to compare yourself to others, look to Jesus.  Come what may just keep looking up.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on August 05, 2023, 06:29:59 PM

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Peace By Piece
July 29, 2022
by Brenda Bradford Ottinger

“Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.” 1 Corinthians 13:12 (NLT)

The relentless heat of a late southern summer hung in the air as I cheered from the sidelines of my son’s football game.  At halftime, while I stretched beneath the searing sun, a curious wonder caught my eye. High above the field, like a vivid smile in the sky, was an upside-down rainbow!  Puzzled by this unusual sight, I did some research and learned this atmospheric anomaly wasn’t technically a rainbow but a “circumzenithal arc”: a vibrant arc formed from the refraction of sunlight through ice crystals rather than through raindrops, which form traditional rainbows.  The calendar has now turned many a year since that afternoon at the football field, but my mind often returns to that upside-down rainbow, for it mirrors life in many ways.  So often, parts of our lives can feel upside down, rearranged in ways that don’t appear quite right according to our human understanding disrupted plans, health struggles, discouraging news, complicated relationships, financial setbacks, etc. We naturally comprehend life from a right-side-up perspective of normal and familiar, so we can easily perceive those upside-down pieces of our stories as backward and awry.  Yet more and more, I’m realizing the legacy of those upside-down pieces of our stories for the God who shaped our souls for purpose understands every part of our lives from the eternal perspective of completion.  In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, he speaks of our hazy, human perspective compared with a heavenly perspective: “Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely” (1 Corinthians 13:12).

Paul’s illustration of a mirror was apt for an audience of Corinthians, as bronze mirrors were manufactured in the city of Corinth. Those ancient mirrors reflected less clearly than modern-day mirrors, but even modern mirrors reflect backward images that aren’t as clear as direct sight.  The Greek word Paul uses for “reflection,” αἰνίγματι, translates to “in a riddle” and is where we get the English word “enigma.” An enigma is something puzzling or hard to understand. Just as that upside-down rainbow seemed an enigma to me that afternoon at the football field, so the seemingly upside-down pieces of our stories can feel puzzling, as well.  When we walk through the confusing arcs of our lives, we often long to understand the whys and hows and whens. Yet the peace we seek from these answers can’t be found in the partial, earthly understanding we have available to us now. Paul speaks of a greater, perfect perspective we’ll hold in eternity, assuring us that one day the upside-down pieces of our lives will make sense, complete in purpose and perception.  Still, how can we reconcile this with our spirits today, while we’re still in the throes of questions and confusion? By developing a habit of living peace by piece: We receive His abiding peace in exchange for every puzzling piece of our stories.  Day by day, hour by hour, peace by piece we release each confusing piece of our lives into the able hands of Peace Himself. (Judges 6:24)  Sweet friend, when you can’t understand the puzzling parts of life that feel so upside down right now, may your soul find rest in God, who has infinite insight for every word in every chapter of the story He’s writing upon your life.  Start right where you are today; ask the Lord to help you release each confusing piece of your story to Him, and receive the perfect peace of the eternal God who sees the end from the beginning and does nothing without purpose. (Isaiah 46:10)

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on August 09, 2023, 11:00:09 AM

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Shining Your Light for Jesus
August 3, 2022
by Karen Wingate

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16 (NIV)

When new friends learn of my lifelong limited eyesight, they often ask what will help me see my world the best. My answer is simple yet surprising light.  I see best when light comes in from the side. I’m sensitive to glare, and if the light is too bright, I avert my face from the light source. To further complicate life, I have a rare disorder called nystagmus, which makes my eyes jitter. Some lights flicker more than others, and light flicker combined with my eye jitters can make me feel disoriented.  Good light makes all the difference in how well I function.  In our key verse, Jesus tells us we’re the light of the world. Our good light makes all the difference for the world and the Kingdom of God.  We’re coming into a season of the year with new beginnings for shining our light: the startup of school, sports, church activities, and a new slate of community events. That means we’ll be rubbing shoulders with new acquaintances, and we’ll have opportunities to live our faith out loud to those with whom we connect.  Jesus calls us as Christ followers not to be timid about sharing His good news, for we hold the answers to what happens after death and how to have a restored relationship with God.  Jesus tells His followers that God’s good news is as alluring and essential as salt and light. (Matthew 5:13-16) But how can we encourage others to accept this eternity-changing message?

Is talking and preaching the only effective way to influence people? Jesus answers that question when He says, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

In the previous verses, Jesus gives the first step: Don’t keep this good news to yourself. Then, in verse 16, He outlines how we are to share this new life. First, He says, let the good deeds speak the message. Second, He clarifies we should do good deeds in a way that leads people to glorify God instead of praising us.  It’s not enough to tell someone about Jesus or to do a kind deed, expecting the person will make the connection between what I do and my faith in Christ. How I tell and how I live will determine the effectiveness of my message.  With the memory of what kind of light helps me see best, there are three words I keep in mind to help guide my good deeds on a daily basis. My good deeds need to be directed, balanced and consistent.  Directed: The good I do in Jesus’ name should direct people’s attention to the deed, not to myself. If what I do makes people look at me, they will miss the intention of my good deeds: to show them the love of Jesus. I can check my motives by asking, “How will this action point to Jesus and His way of living?”

Balanced: Jesus says we need to do good quietly, as if one part of our body doesn’t know what the other part is doing. (Matthew 6:2-4) It’s a balancing act. Jesus doesn’t want us to hide our righteous acts, but He cautions against spotlighting what we do. Like those Jesus praised in His parable of the sheep and goats, (Matthew 25:31-40) we’ll reach the proper balance when what we do becomes so much a part of our lifestyle that we’re hardly aware we are doing it.

Consistent: Our Christ-infused behavior needs to be constant and consistent, something people can depend on. If I extend kindness one moment, then react in a hurtful way the next, I’ll leave my recipient confused about the message I’m trying to convey.

As we speak God’s good news and engage in consistent good deeds of compassion and righteousness, I pray that God will light a fire in the hearts of those watching us and that God will be honored and magnified by all we do and say.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on August 17, 2023, 05:33:22 PM

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How Do We Keep Going When Our Situation Still Looks Hopeless?
August 11, 2022
Lby Lysa TerKeurst

“'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,' declares the LORD. 'As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.'” Isaiah 55:8-9 (NIV)

I am a planner. A problem-solver. So when I bring my struggles to the Lord in prayer, I also tend to bring my carefully thought-out ideas and suggestions He can choose from.  Here’s what I think will work, Lord. I just need You to sign off on one of these, OK?

But the longer I walk with Him, the more I’m discovering that simply isn’t the way God works. His ways?

They aren’t our ways. (Isaiah 55:8-9)  Today, I want to introduce you to an Old Testament friend who has something to teach us about God's ways: Joshua.  In the sixth chapter of the book of Joshua, we find Joshua and the Israelites experiencing a problem of epic proportions. There was a massive wall preventing them from moving forward into their promised land. I’m sure there was no shortage of ideas or opinions on how they should tackle the wall, but God didn’t ask anyone for their opinion. Not even Joshua, Israel's leader.  Instead, God asked for His people's complete and unwavering obedience. Obedience in the face of a battle plan that would make no sense to their rational minds. A plan that actually involved no “battle” whatsoever.  All God wanted them to do was march. For six days straight, they were to march around the walls of Jericho. Then, on the seventh day of marching, they were to end with trumpet blasts and a great shout. God declared this mighty sound would bring the walls down. (Joshua 6:5)  What moves me most about the Israelites’ part in this story isn’t so much their willingness to take that first step of obedience. It’s how they kept taking steps of obedience. Step after step after step. Even though nothing appeared to change even though there wasn’t a single sign of cracking or crumbling in those massive walls they kept marching.  What if they’d stopped after day two?

Or day three? Or even day six?

Think of all they would have missed. They would have cheated themselves out of certain victory from God.  I don’t say any of this casually as if it’s easy to keep going with God’s instructions when there’s no evidence of our situation changing. It’s hard to continue marching when we don’t see God move the way we thought He would. It’s sometimes difficult to trust He’s working behind the scenes.  So what do we do when He asks us to move in ways that don’t make sense to us?

How do we keep “marching” when the situation still looks hopeless?

We make the same choice the Israelites made. We choose to walk by faith, not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7) We take God at His word and hold fiercely to His promises. (Hebrews 10:23)  God had promised Joshua that He would deliver Jericho, its king and its army into Israel's hands. (Joshua 6:2) And that is exactly what He did.  The victory of God's people never hinged on their ability or any of their well-thought-out plans. It was solely dependent on their unwavering obedience offered to a loving and mighty God.  I don’t know what steps of obedience God is currently calling you to take that don’t make sense to you. But let me be the gentle whisper in your ear encouraging you to keep going. Keep trusting. Keep taking step after step after obedient step.  We don’t have to understand the “why” of God’s ways. But we do have to keep choosing to follow them.  Let’s not stop short of our victory with God. He is working things out. He is present. His plan is still good, and He can still be trusted. These are certainties even when life feels so very uncertain.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on August 21, 2023, 11:27:58 AM

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The Cost of Control
August 22, 2022
by Sharon Hodde Miller

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7 (NIV)

For two weeks in the fall of 2018, I became a meteorologist.  Not literally, of course, but emotionally.  In September of that year, Hurricane Florence was forecasted to plow through the state where my husband and I lived. For weeks, we monitored its progress and prepared for the worst. At its most powerful, Florence was a Category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of 150 miles per hour, and our local weatherman warned that we might suffer a direct hit.  This forecast sent me into a tailspin for two reasons.  The first is obvious: Hurricanes are scary! I had lived through only one hurricane in my life, so I was not exactly a seasoned veteran. I wondered if we should pack up the kids and go stay with my parents, but there was another complicating factor that was also contributing to my stress.  My husband and I were weeks away from launching our church. We were planning to hold a practice service on the very weekend Florence was scheduled to hit, and we weren’t quite sure what to do.  As my imagination ran wild with all the worst-case scenarios, I did the only thing that gave me some sense of predictability. I tracked that hurricane’s every move. I downloaded our local news channel’s weather app; I clicked “Yes, I DO want notifications!” and I became intimately acquainted with the Weather Channel’s website. I followed each new development, in real time, 24/7.

And then, as the date of our church’s practice service neared, something happened that I didn’t expect. The hurricane’s path shifted. On a dime, weather experts changed their predictions and speculated it would skirt our area entirely.  In the end, that hurricane never did hit us. In fact, we experienced only an ordinary amount of rain, so when I look back on how I responded to the hurricane, the source of my anxiety is clear: My stress was the fallout of taking my control issues to the internet instead of to God as 1 Peter 5:7 instructs: “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

This is the great temptation of our age. Thanks to technological advances like the internet, smartphones, satellites, modern medicine, air travel and more, we have access to more knowledge, more choices and more certainty than any generation before us which is, by and large, an enormous gift. However, underneath all of these daily habits of checking our phones and combing the internet, our technology is nurturing in us a belief in an attractive lie: the illusion of control.  The illusion of control is convincing because we mistakenly think knowledge is the same thing as influence. But as a friend once told me, “Knowing how the weather works does not mean we can control it.”

When we forget this distinction and then turn to the illusion of control to help us, it cannot provide us the peace we crave.  In fact, it will only provide the opposite.  That is the paradox of control. The more we seek control, the less we feel it. We experience this anxiety in relatively harmless situations like tracking the weather or an incoming package, but we experience it more acutely in other situations.  In the church that my husband and I lead, some of the greatest anxiety I have experienced has resulted from my naive belief that I could make people think or act a certain way. I was convinced that if I just explained something enough, I could walk people back from the self-destructive decisions they were making. In short, I thought I could control them, and this illusion of control has been the source of many sleepless nights and strained relationships over the years.  Control is a false gospel of sorts, promising us a security that only Jesus can provide. But while the promise of control is quite literally a devil’s deal dating all the way back to the garden of Eden the good news is this:  We don’t have to settle for the enemy’s offers of power or peace because we can have the real thing in Jesus.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on August 30, 2023, 11:44:02 AM

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Help Is Here
September 14, 2022
by Max Lucado

“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8 (NKJV)

Somewhere in my mid-30s, I ran out of fuel.  While serving churches in Miami, Rio de Janeiro and San Antonio, I resolved to study hard, counsel wisely, solve problems, organize committees and satisfy each cranky member.  But after three or four years, I lost my energy. Suddenly, I could not sleep. How does a person lose the ability to sleep?

When my head hit the pillow, my mind would race. I thought of members to be called, decisions to be made. On more than one Sunday morning, I stood before the church having had little, if any, sleep. I was desperate.  In those late-night hours while I was still awake, I would climb out of bed, pad down the stairs, kneel at our couch and pray. What a dejected figure I was. Not Max the pastor. Not Max the church leader. That fellow in the crumpled pajamas was Max the depleted, confused disciple.  My prayers were moans. My faith was a frazzled thread. I couldn’t even summon the energy to fake it. I was honest. Honest to God, I was. Turns out God has a soft spot for an honest prayer.  Little by little I began to sense the Spirit. He led with a kind touch. He wooed with a whisper. Mysterious?

By all means. But figment of my imagination?

No. Not at all.  I requested strength. He gave it. I asked the Spirit to heal the sick. More than once, He did. I prayed for vitality and joy. Both returned.  Why?

Because the Holy Spirit comes with power.  Jesus told His disciples, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

Mark it down. Power. Power to make good choices, keep promises, and silence the inner voices of fear and failure. Power to get out of bed, get on with life, get busy about the right things in the right way. Power to face the unexpected, unwanted passages of time. This is what Jesus promised then, and this is what Jesus promises still.  How is your power level?

Maybe today you find yourself lacking energy, enthusiasm or strength. Your step has lost its spring; your voice has no song. You want to be a joyful, empowered person, but you are weary from life’s chaos.  Friend, I want to encourage you that the Spirit of God longs to give you His great power. He will guide, teach and energize you. He will shoulder the burdens you were never intended to carry.  Help is here.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on September 01, 2023, 05:16:38 PM

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We Can’t Please All the People All the Time
September 15, 2022
by Lysa TerKeurst

“Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.” Galatians 1:10 (NIV)

Hello, my name is Lysa, and I struggle with people-pleasing.  For years I’ve had to face the reality of being a “yes” woman even when I didn’t have the capacity or honestly the desire to do what others were asking of me. And if I’m really honest, it often wasn’t purely out of love for people that I would stretch myself way too thin. It was because I couldn’t figure out how to manage the fear of what disappointing them would cost me.  And this mindset became a very apparent obstacle as I tried to draw healthy boundaries in my relationships.  You see, this people-pleasing struggle made me the perfect candidate to resist boundary-setting and to view any kind of boundaries as unkind. But the problem is that if we live allowing other people’s opinions to define who we are, we will be desperate to try and control people’s perceptions of us. We will spend our lives managing opinions to ensure they're always favorable toward us so we can feel good about ourselves.  But think about the tragic reality of this.  Being too concerned with gaining the approval of others can give us a heart divided with God. Ouch.  Our key verse today points out this issue: “Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ” (Galatians 1:10).

It’s impossible to please all the people all the time. We know this. Until we forget especially with people whose opinions affect us. So when we disappoint people, think differently than they do, don’t do everything they think we should do, or try to draw boundaries they don’t agree with, then others might think poorly of us. And if they think poorly of us, we fear it will be impossible to feel good about ourselves.  I think this hits at my core fear around setting boundaries. If I set a boundary, someone will no longer see me as I want them to see me. They will no longer know me as I want them to know me. They will no longer believe the best about me, and there’s something inside of me that really wants them to believe the best about me.  But here’s what I’ve failed to realize until now: All people have limits physically, financially, relationally, emotionally. We are all limited. Only God is limitless. People-pleasing will tell you that drawing boundaries means you’ve failed. But I think drawing boundaries means you’ve had the beautiful, biblical revelation that only God can meet everyone’s needs. (Philippians 4:19)  Do I want to be loved by others?

Of course I do.  Do I want to fear another person’s love for me is based on me always making them happy?

Absolutely not.  Love should be what draws us together, not what tears us apart. And I’ve seen how much boundaries help with this in my own life.  As you let all these words sit with you, I want to leave you with these simple words I first wrote in my journal years ago: “God’s love isn’t based on me. It’s simply placed on me. And it’s the place from which I should live loved.”

Live loved today, friend.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on September 01, 2023, 05:21:38 PM

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When You Feel Like You’re Not Enough
September 16, 2022
by Brenda Bradford Ottinger

"And Elisha said, 'Borrow as many empty jars as you can from your friends and neighbors. Then go into your house with your sons and shut the door behind you. Pour olive oil from your flask into the jars, setting each one aside when it is filled.'” 2 Kings 4:3-4 (NLT)

I’m a woman of habit, so every morning, like a playlist on repeat, I make the bed, shower and dash downstairs to the automated grace that brews my cup of caffeine.  One morning, as the water ran low in my single-serve brewer, I thought, Oh, how my weary spirit can relate. I, too, felt like I was running low low on time, skill and energy to pour into the people and places God had called me to flow into. Perhaps I don’t have enough or I am not enough to make a difference.  But as I refilled the reservoir on my brewer, pouring water into the tank while the brewer simultaneously splashed tea into my mug, I noticed the water level in the tank remained unchanged. Even though the machine was withdrawing water to fill my cup, the water pouring in restored the water pouring out.  Immediately, my mind chased the biblical story of the widow’s flowing oil jar. A distraught widow approached the prophet Elisha with news that her husband, the household provider, had died, and creditors were looming. The only valuable possession she had left was a flask of olive oil.  “And Elisha said, ‘Borrow as many empty jars as you can from your friends and neighbors. Then go into your house with your sons and shut the door behind you. Pour olive oil from your flask into the jars, setting each one aside when it is filled.’ So she did as she was told. Her sons kept bringing jars to her, and she filled one after another. Soon every container was full to the brim!” (2 Kings 4:3-6a, NLT)

What a wonder it must have been for that widow to pour and pour while the oil level in her meager flask remained unchanged! Yet abundance didn’t flow from her flask until she lifted it up in faith and poured.  The Lord could have commanded Elisha to produce a bounty of oil for this widow in need, yet instead God chose to pour into her jar as she faithfully showed up and poured out. Trusting God, she filled every borrowed jar from her humble vessel, selling the oil to pay off her debts, with enough money left to support her family. (2 Kings 4:7)  Much like that widow assessing the meager resources she had for her family, all too often I can feel that what I have to offer is insufficient. But that morning, God reminded me that my lack is ample means for His measure.  You see, as we lift up the small vessels of our lives in faith, trusting they're more than enough for our big God to use, He pours His abundance into us as we pour it out into the world just as the Lord poured oil into the widow’s jar while she simultaneously poured out.  Believing our modest offering is enough can sometimes feel unnatural, as it presses us to move beyond comfort and perceptions. That impoverished widow exercised faith when she risked disgrace and discomfort, asking her neighbors for multiple empty jars without having obvious means to fill them. Yet she wasn’t distracted by notions of inadequacy or comparison.  Friend, even when it feels like everyone else has an overflow of all we seemingly lack when we feel empty of ability, opportunity or means may our faith inform our feelings, for our God is able!  We need not rely on our own power or perceived enough-ness; rather, let's rightly place our faith in the God who is able to do infinitely more than we can ask or think. (Ephesians 3:20) For when we make ourselves available vessels for Him, He pours His full measure of love into us as we pour out His love into the world.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on September 06, 2023, 11:18:00 AM

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Where the Exhausted Find Strength for the Battle
September 26, 2022
by Beth Knight

"Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God." Psalm 20:7 (NIV)

As we made another trip down the hallway toward our infant twins’ bedroom echoing with late-night wails, my husband sarcastically quipped, “If God loves us, wouldn’t He want us to sleep?”

With tired smiles, we soothed our sweet babies back to sleep and tiptoed back toward our bed.  Nine years later, I reluctantly roll over in bed to check the time on my phone: 3 a.m. I’m wide awake. Again. I fail to find this season of exhaustion cute or humorous because, unlike the passing newborn phase, this season seems endless.  Like me, do you desire to live faithfully for Christ, but your body is oh so tired?

Sleep feels essential during this time in my life because I am trying to heal from chronic illness. And when the sun comes up, I have children to raise, a husband to love, friendships to nurture and personal sin to battle.  Weary from approaching my daily tasks with heavy eyes and limbs, I burrow deeper beneath my blankets and question God. How am I supposed to do all You’ve called me to do when sleeplessness and chronic fatigue are relentless?

In the quiet of the night, a still, small voice gently reminds me that my confidence is not in how well-rested I am but in how well I am resting in Christ.  Psalm 20:7 comes to mind: “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.”

At first glance, warriors with chariots and horses appear to have the advantage. Yet King David put his complete confidence in the name of the Lord for victory in battle. Other psalms also echo this trust.  “A horse is a false hope for victory; Nor does it deliver anyone by its great strength.” (Psalm 33:17, AMP)

“It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure.” (Psalm 18:32, NIV)

Although I may not trust in chariots and horses, I’m guilty of thinking worldly advantages will assure my success. I often believe I would be a better reflection of Christ in my roles as a wife, mom and friend if only I had more ________. Being well-rested, having more help or having everything go my way might make me feel better prepared for my daily battles. But the Bible tells me victory is found by calling on the name of the Lord and relying on His strength.  As difficult as it may be, this means being utterly depleted is a gift from God because it’s teaching me total dependence on Christ. I might be exhausted right now as I rely on Him, but nothing would be more exhausting than trying to live for Christ in my own strength.  So, precious friend, there’s no way around it becoming warriors for Christ requires that we first become weak. Though we desire physical advantages, the strongest you and I will ever be for battle is when we're fighting on our knees in prayer.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on September 15, 2023, 11:07:48 AM

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A Little Goes a Long Way
October 10, 2022
by Rachael Adams

“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Luke 2:11-12 (NIV)

“A little goes a long way” is a familiar saying we apply to all sorts of things spice, garlic, logic, flattery, perfume, jewelry, makeup … The list goes on.  But beyond our kitchens, closets, philosophies and compliments, every little thing we do can go a long way in God’s hands. I am learning small things make a big difference, especially when done consistently over time.  Consider Jesus Himself, born in a manger in the middle of tiny Bethlehem, who grew up to save the entire world. God’s greatest plan began with something small, as our key verses show:  “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger” (Luke 2:11-12).

During Jesus’ time on earth, He demonstrated the importance of “a little.”

    He valued the little things: hairs on our heads, birds in the air, and flowers in the field.
    He noticed the little gestures: a slight touch of His garment, a tax collector perched in a tree, and a widow and her two coins.
    He served in little ways: washing feet, holding children and cooking fish.
    He rewarded little deeds: the woman who washed His feet with her hair, the leper who said “thank you” and the woman by the well who gave Him something to drink.

Nothing was too insignificant for the Savior of the world. So why do we regularly consider bigger to be better?

We want our lives to count, but we feel minuscule, like our ordinary, everyday moments will never amount to anything. We take stock of the families we were born into, the towns we grew up in and the positions we serve in, then determine they are of little value in His Kingdom. If we aren’t careful, we can start to believe that who we are, where we are and what we are doing don’t really matter.  But, friend, God sees and values every little thing you do. You can impact others while standing in the checkout line or sitting on the sideline of the game, while walking the dog or talking to a colleague at work. Believe it or not, when you partner with God, He can use even the most minute things to affect eternity in ways beyond what you can imagine. People like you and me can accomplish great things in our everyday moments by offering all we are and all we have to God.  Little things aren’t little to God. He rejoices in what is right, not necessarily what is big. So let’s be faithful in the small things, begin where we are, do what we can and leave the results to God. When we do, I believe we will discover that a significant life is simpler (and smaller) than we think.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on September 15, 2023, 11:13:01 AM

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You Don't Have To Hang On; It's OK To Fall
October 12, 2022
by Rachel Norman

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:3 (NIV)

For many years, I operated at the end of my rope. Through international moves, marriage crises, pregnancies, postpartum seasons and normal life, I was nearly always in survival mode.  I’d reach the end of my rope, tie a knot and hang on for dear life. My prayers during the worst of times were usually something like, God, I’m sorry my life is not together! I’ll do better tomorrow please forgive me!  Some nights, I’d lie in bed with all the ways I’d failed that day running through my head. I wasn’t as present as I wanted to be. I got short with the kids and used a tone that wasn’t great. The house wasn’t quite clean enough, and the dinner I cooked wasn’t quite organic enough, and my pants were a little too tight.  Since I’m a capable person, being at the end of my rope felt like one more problem to solve. I’d do a “brain dump,” make a list, think up 12 different strategies for my three largest problems and start fresh the next day.  And this strategy worked OK until it didn’t. Until the day I got a devastating health diagnosis that made me physically, mentally and emotionally incapable of hanging on any longer.  I truly reached the end of my rope, and I had no more energy. So I fell. I went into a free fall, which previously would have been my worst nightmare. But what I found in my free fall was a beautiful surrender.  I was so terrified of what my future held but unable to affect any real change with my best efforts and human strength. Because of that, I felt free to release all control. All striving. Instead of hanging on to the end of my rope and telling God all the ways I would become a better person, I surrendered to whatever His plan was. I became poor in spirit and desperate for God’s presence. And because I wasn’t “putting my best foot forward” and avoiding my own reality, I was able to receive His comfort.  Matthew 5:3 says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

I love The Message paraphrase of this verse: “You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.”

What began as my worst nightmare became the best year of my life. That year I learned to come to God raw and real, without trying to prove my worth to Him. It was then I learned that I didn’t need to hang on for dear life because I could fall into His comfort, grace and peace.  A free fall was just what I needed to realize that I was never in control anyway and He always was.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on September 21, 2023, 06:55:09 PM

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Giving Our Kids a BIG View of God
October 24, 2022
by Jennie Allen

“Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” Deuteronomy 11:18-19 (NIV)

I remember one time when my oldest son was 3 and we were driving in the dark. We had gotten lost out in the country where there weren't any streetlights. Now, this was before iPhones, and I didn't have a map with me.  I was exasperated because I didn’t know what to do, but my son said, “Mom, we need to pray.”

He started praying the most passionate and sincere prayer I've ever heard. He knew and believed as a 3-year-old little boy that God could deliver us from whatever was causing us to be stuck, lost and scared. That is the faith of children.  In Matthew 18, Jesus talks about this idea when He says, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3-4, ESV).

Let me tell you, as I watched my son pray that night, I realized that he really believed that God could change things for us. He believed that God heard his prayers and that there was a God powerful enough to lead us out of the darkness we were in.  So how do we help our kids have this BIG view of God?

I think as we get older and more pragmatic, we tend to lose this view ourselves. But as parents, we are uniquely equipped to partner with God to help our kids experience His power and love for them. We can join God, day by day in the little moments, in raising up a generation who believes not only that Jesus is real but also that they can talk to Him, hear from Him, walk with Him and know He's going to take care of them.

Here are three simple ways we can give our kids a BIG view of God:

1.  Share our mistakes.

We sometimes think parenting needs to be this great exercise in perfection, but perfection steals the need for God. When our kids see we are imperfect, they see us need God just like they need God so let’s become the best apologizers and confessors our kids have ever known.

2.  Learn about God with our kids.

We will have sweeter conversations if we study and discover God together. And this is actually a command in Scripture:  “Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up” (Deuteronomy 11:18-19).

We don’t need to know everything we just need to trust God, and our kids need to see us do so.

3.  Have the end goal in mind.

There are a million other things to do, but there's nothing more important than giving our kids God. These years go fast. This can make us feel a lot of pressure, but it can also give us a lot of vision. We don’t have to set aside tons of structured discipleship time. Let’s be intentional in the little moments throughout our days. This will help our kids see God throughout their daily lives as they grow.

My prayer is that we would use these short years with our kids to set the foundation of their understanding of God’s character and spark a friendship with Jesus that they’ll carry the rest of their lives. I want to reassure you that you are not doing this alone God is working with you and is going to use your shepherding, no matter how imperfect.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on September 23, 2023, 04:52:40 PM

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When Saying “I’m Fine” Doesn’t Keep the Peace
October 25, 2022
by Lysa TerKeurst

“But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” James 3:17 (NIV)

When someone we love says something or does something that breaks our hearts, what is the godliest way to respond?

Is it to pretend that everything is fine so we can keep the peace? Or is it to confront the person to prove how wrong they are?

Well, it’s neither.  If ever I catch myself pretending or proving, I know I am not trusting God with the outcome and am processing my hurt the wrong way.  The right way is approaching this situation with soul integrity responding in a way that's not only honest but also peaceful. Our key verse, James 3:17, says, “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure [honest]; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere” (emphasis added).

Yes, I want this kind of wisdom, this kind of soul integrity. I want to be honest and peacemaking at the same time. But how?

We first must decide to commit to real honesty. Not all expressions of my feelings are real honesty. You see, my honest feelings may not be truthful assessments of the situation. I can be honest with how I feel and still exaggerate or misinterpret what is true. I can feel justified in being blatant about my feelings not hiding a thing and prideful for being so “real,” all under the guise of being honest.  But what I’ve come to realize is that honesty that isn’t true isn’t honesty at all. It may just be emotional spewing. That's why we need peacemaking honesty honesty reined in by the Holy Spirit if we’re going to have authentic soul integrity.  So if I want real honesty, I have to ask the Holy Spirit to show me real truth. I need to see things from the other person's perspective. I need to ask questions of that person with the desire to better understand instead of throwing out statements of accusation. Ultimately, my goal should be to add peace to my honesty.  It must grieve God to see fake versions of peacemaking that aren't reined in by honesty. That's what we do when we pretend everything is OK.  The upside of pretending everything is fine is that we have the semblance of “peacemaking.” But when we do so at the expense of honesty, we harbor a corrosive bitterness that will eventually emerge. Either it will erode our health and later present itself in a host of emotional and physical anxiety-induced illnesses or it will accumulate over time and surprise everyone when the peacemaker eventually erupts.  Saying “I’m fine” to keep the peace when we’re really not fine isn’t honest. Ouch. Trust me when I say this steps all over my toes.  I’ve learned that sometimes dishonesty comes in the form of saying things that aren't true. But it's also dishonest when we fail to say necessary things that are true. It may seem godly in the moment, but it’s false godliness.  Truth and godliness always walk hand in hand. The minute we separate one from the other, we stray from soul integrity and give a foothold to the instability that inevitably leads to giving up the best of who we are.  Yes, we’re pursuing soul integrity honesty that is also peacemaking that leads to godliness.  This soul integrity brings balance to chaotic relationships. It makes us true peacemakers people who aren’t proving or pretending but rather honestly demonstrating, in a godly manner, what we are experiencing. And being a true peacemaker reaps a harvest of great qualities in our lives: right things, godly things, healthy things.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on September 26, 2023, 02:54:53 PM

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It’s Not Unchristian To Require People To Treat You in Healthy Ways
November 3, 2022
by Lysa TerKeurst

“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” John 15:13 (NIV)

I’ve been studying the life of Jesus a lot.  How He reacted when people hurt Him deeply. How He handled the whiplash of being loved one minute and tossed aside the next. How He knew Judas was going to betray Him, and He washed his feet anyhow.  I want to be like Jesus. I want to hold fast to His Word. But if I’m honest, it can feel so challenging to apply biblical principles when I’m experiencing relational hurt at the same time. Especially when commonly used Bible verses get weaponized against me or appear to be unclear with their instructions.  I’ve been bumping up against this as I’ve been learning about establishing boundaries in some of my relationships.  And here’s what I’ve begun to realize: Just like our bank accounts can get overdrawn, so can our emotions. Just like spending that gets out of control can bankrupt a person’s finances, expending too much emotionally can bankrupt a person’s well-being. We have emotional limitations.  In the past, I think I’ve tried to work around this. I’ve thought things like …

    The more I do for people, the more Christian I am.
    If I know about a need, it’s my moral duty to meet that need.
    If someone hurts me, wrongs me or takes advantage of me, instead of addressing it head-on I should just manage my feelings and see it as an opportunity to demonstrate unconditional love.

There are good intentions in every single one of those statements above. And on the surface, many of those mindsets have a noble sense of self-sacrifice and Christian character. They even hint so closely at some well-known Bible verses that they seem like the right way to react. However, there’s more context and truth we must consider here.  Let’s take a look at John 15:13, for example: “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

You see, in the past, I thought this verse meant that the greatest act of love I could show is to lay down my own life for the good of others even when it’s to my own detriment.  Yes, Jesus literally laid down His one glorious life one time, and it was for a high and holy purpose. But Jesus didn’t lay down His life to enable evil, perpetuate unholy or irresponsible behaviors, or try to keep others happy.  When Jesus made this statement in John 15, He was speaking within a context when friendship in the ancient world was truly valued and sought after. This type of friendship involves the sharing of deep personal trust as well as possessions. Love expressed and experienced between friends is a beautiful thing and shouldn’t be dismissed or overlooked. In our daily lives, we should want to share and, within reason, give to our loved ones and friends. But here’s the caution: We can be a resource for others when needed, but we should not become the source of what sustains them.  The instruction here isn’t so much about our willingness to literally lose our lives or sacrifice our needs to the point of self-detriment. Rather, Jesus is reminding us to have a willing spirit to show and extend a type of love that is honorable and willing to be self-sacrificial when necessary.  And from that place, I’ve come to understand having boundaries in our relationships isn’t selfish. It’s actually exercising self-awareness by realizing only God is limitless in His capacity. We, as humans, are limited.  Friend, if you have struggled with wondering if setting boundaries is biblical, please know I’ve been in your shoes. But here’s what I want you to know:

    It’s not unchristian to come to terms with our limited human capacity and set healthy parameters in our relationships.
    It’s not unchristian to require people to treat us in healthy ways. And for us to do the same for others.
    It’s not unchristian to call wrong things "wrong" and hurtful things "hurtful."

We have to know how to spot dysfunction, what to do about it, and when to recognize it’s no longer reasonable or safe to stay in some relationships. But we can do all of this with honor and kindness, learning how to love others well without losing the best of who we are.  And isn’t that what we really want? After all, God’s ultimate assignment is for us to love Him and love others. And this is exactly what Jesus taught and modeled. John 13:34 says, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (NIV).

Love must be honest. Love must be safe. Love must seek each person’s highest good. And ultimately, love must honor God for us to experience the fullness and the freedom of the sweetest connection between humans.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on September 27, 2023, 11:38:08 AM

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You Can Love Them but You Can’t Change Them
November 8, 2022
by Lysa TerKeurst

“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:16 (NIV)

Do you have a relationship in your life where you know something is wrong, but you can’t figure out what to do?

You’ve prayed about this behavior or situation. You’ve talked about this. You’ve tried to navigate it. You may have even tried to stop it. You've made changes. You've listened to wise advice and done everything you know to do.  But in the end, nothing has worked.  And maybe you've started to realize if the other person doesn't want things to change, you cannot change them.  So what can you do?

Apply boundaries.  I know.  This feels impossible. Relationships come with many of their own complex layers. Maybe you’ve even tried to set boundaries before and it didn’t go well.  Do any of your challenging situations look like one of these scenarios?

You know you need to set a boundary, but this person is someone who:

    Personalizes everything and is prone to being very offended. You can’t figure out how to address something they repeatedly do that is not acceptable to you. You know you need a boundary, but you don’t know how to communicate this need without causing more drama than you feel you can handle right now.
    Is in authority over you at your job, and it doesn’t feel like boundaries would work.
    Lives in your home, and though you need some distance, setting a boundary doesn’t feel very realistic.

Whether your challenging relationship situation is like one of these or not, here’s what I’ve realized: Most of the time when we feel like boundaries don't work, it's because we have tried to use them to force another person to change. Boundaries can’t be an attempt to control another person.  Instead of putting a boundary on another person, we should establish a boundary for ourselves in that situation. The purpose of a boundary is to help you stay self-controlled and safe. You can ask yourself, If this other person is unwilling to make, or incapable of making, needed changes, what is within my ability to change?

You get to establish what is and is not acceptable for you and what you do and do not have to give.  Obviously, this isn't easy. But without drawing healthy boundaries, the only other option is allowing the unhealthy relational patterns to continue and secretly wondering if you are the crazy one.  And, friend you may be brokenhearted. You may be sad. You may be afraid and possibly angry. You may be focused on trying to fix what isn’t within your ability to fix. And you may even be fixated on trying to figure everything out.  But you are not crazy. It is not selfish to establish healthier and more sustainable patterns within your relationships.  Boundaries aren’t going to fix the other person. But they are going to help you stay fixed on what is good, what is acceptable, and what you need to stay healthy and whole. You can love the other person, but you can’t change them. So be honest with yourself as you consider this: Where there is relational chaos, there is usually a lack of boundaries. Love should be what draws two people together, not what tears one of them apart. Our key verse today tells us we can “approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

Oh, friend, God cares about us and He cares about our relationships. None of this is easy, but you don’t have to figure all of this out on your own. As you continue to process and pray through all of this, you may also find it helpful to talk with a trusted Christian counselor or wise friend.  Take a deep breath. And take a few minutes today to really think through the truth that the only change you have control over is making a sustainable change for yourself. We may be powerless to change someone else, but this doesn’t mean we’re powerless to experience change in our own lives. Boundaries give us this gift.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on October 01, 2023, 07:52:00 PM

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Building Your In-Law Relationship Is Worth the Effort
November 11, 2022
by Stacy Reaoch

“Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8 (ESV)

On a cold January morning, my newly married husband and I loaded a truck with all our worldly possessions namely, my in-laws’ hand-me-down furniture and a plethora of new Christmas ornaments.  Ben and I were just returning from our honeymoon and preparing to move to the “arctic tundra” of Minnesota. My in-laws happened to be moving at the same time, thousands of miles across the ocean to South Africa.  I loved Barb and Ron, my in-laws, and was excited to see them pursue God’s call on their lives. Naively, I had no worries about communication or building a relationship with them. We were all Christians, so that connection should have made the relationships easy, right?

Wrong.  I didn’t anticipate that the distance, combined with busy lives (not to mention the lack of technology that we now have today text messages, Zoom calls and social media), would create a gap in our relationship. I was so focused on creating my new family that it was easy to neglect the relationship with my mother-in-law.  When my husband and I finally saved enough pennies to go visit his parents, conversations didn’t flow as easily as I anticipated. Things felt awkward, catching each other up on surface-level news without sharing the deeper issues of the heart. So much had happened in both our lives since the wedding.  Where should we even begin?

It became clear that our lack of communication was bearing unripe fruit. We didn’t really know each other in our new roles.  In hindsight, I wish I would have been more intentional in communicating with Barb. It can be hard for newly married wives to see the value of building a good relationship with our mothers-in-law; however, moving toward our mothers-in-law in love is not only a way of strengthening the in-law relationship but of loving our husbands.  The mother-in-law/daughter-in-law relationship is notoriously difficult. It’s a unique dynamic of two women who love the same man. What God has designed to be a beautiful picture of love and respect within a family can often become a means of competition. Will your husband honor your preferences for a quiet Christmas at home or default to his mom’s preference of an extended family gathering at her house?

In the times when we’re tempted to feel wounded by words or actions, we need to put into practice the words of 1 Corinthians 13:4-5: “Love is patient, love is kind, it keeps no record of wrongs” (NIV).

We need to put away the scoreboard and choose to show love and honor to all in our lives. First Peter 4:8 tells us to “keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.”

Even when there have been challenges and hurts in our relationship, we can look for the lovely things about our in-laws. And we can trust God to give us an authentic love for them.  By the grace of God, we can move past our hurts in our in-law relationships to reflect the steadfast love of Christ. We can pick up the phone and initiate conversation, even when it’s hard. We can look for ways to speak well of our in-laws in front of our family and friends. We can even bend to their preferences out of a heart of humility.  Twenty-two years have passed since my wedding day, and I can honestly say that God has helped Barb and me to develop an authentic love and care for each other. He has more than redeemed the strained years of our relationship.  The in-law relationship doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, it can be one of the most beautiful backdrops to showcase the work of Christ in our own hearts. And most importantly, as we love the in-laws God has placed in our lives, we demonstrate the unfailing love and grace God bestows on us.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on October 03, 2023, 06:09:24 PM

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Praying in Partnership With the Holy Spirit
November 22, 2022
by Karen Wingate

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.” Romans 8:26-27 (NIV)

Dear Lord, I prayed, peeking at my prayer journal in front of me, these ladies need You.  Pausing, I searched for my next words. They’ve walked away from You they’re ignoring You and they’ve forgotten that You really can fix the situations they’re facing.  The facts laid out, I launched into my petition: Can You wake them up and, I stopped. To my ears, this sounded judgmental and clumsy at best. I was making a mess of this “prayer” thing.  While I was once close with the women on my prayer list, I’d lost contact with them over the years, only hearing about their tough life situations from social media or friends and family members. My heart broke when I heard two of them had renounced their faith in God.  Prayer is now the greatest influence I can have in their lives. But how should I pray for them?

Many times, I find myself just reciting the list of names, trusting that God knows what they need better than I do.  We all know prayer is a significant part of our faith journey. Yet one of the greatest hindrances to a healthy prayer life is the same one I face: “I don’t know the words to use,”

I often hear new and not-so-new believers say. We feel clumsy, limited and so very human.  That’s why I love Paul’s encouraging words from Romans 8:26-27: “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.”

How reassuring! God’s Holy Spirit lives within us. God knows our deepest thoughts, even the thoughts we can’t put into words. The Holy Spirit interprets our wordless groans and infuses our squeaky, one-word calls of “Help!”

He translates our faulty theology and revises our rough-hewn grammar to align with His will and His plans for the person we’re praying for.  How does this happen?

Perhaps you’ve had a taste of this in everyday life. You become so close to a friend or your spouse that you can complete each other’s sentences. When one person’s tongue gets tangled, the other instead of correcting the mistake says, “I knew what you meant.”

In time, like any other skill, our efforts at prayer will improve. We’ll crave to know how to pray more specifically. I find myself imploring the Lord, Show me how to pray for this person. Many times, sometimes even within that day, I’ll find out details about them that help me specify my prayers.  Yet even in my finest moments of verbal clarity or in my closest relationships, I have to admit God still knows the person and the situation better than I do, and the Holy Spirit is still doing His work of intercession on my behalf.  God knows us more intimately than the human beings closest to us. As we stutter over our prayers, God, in His grace, smiles and says, “I know what you mean.”

Better yet, He’ll add, “I’m ready to help.”

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on October 04, 2023, 03:25:32 PM

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A Single Christian Girl’s Survival Guide for the Holidays
November 23, 2022
by Meghan Mellinger

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” 1 John 3:1a-b (NIV)

It’s November, so you know what that means: ’Tis the season for homemade pies, twinkling lights and if you’re single like me, everyone in your family asking you, yet again, why there isn’t a ring on your left hand.  I don’t have enough money to pay my male co-worker to be my pretend boyfriend for the holidays like women do in those cheesy, made-for-television movies I can’t stop watching. Thankfully, God's Word offers a better way to thrive in not just survive the upcoming season. Maybe you or the single women you know are content with the gift of singleness, or maybe you’ve been asking for a refund for years. No matter where you are on the relationship spectrum, you can wear these biblical truths like an ugly Christmas sweater: with pride.

Survival Truth #1: You are more than your relationship status. (1 John 3:1)

Putting your identity in your relationship status is like anchoring a boat with a balloon: disappointing. Relationships, jobs and appearances fall short, change and can be lost … But who God says you are — His child who is loved and chosen, filled with purpose and worth never changes.

Survival Truth #2: You are complete in Christ. (Colossians 2:10)

There is nothing wrong with you. You are not a puzzle with a missing piece, a hamburger looking for its cheese. You are whole in Christ, and in Christ alone. No earthly person can “complete” a heart God created.

Survival Truth #3: God doesn’t withhold any good thing from His children. (Psalm 84:11)

Romantic relationships and marriage are good things. But they may not be the best thing for all people at all times. Maybe God is protecting you in your singleness. Maybe He’s refining you. Maybe He has other things for you to be doing now that will glorify Him more than you being in a relationship.

Survival Truth #4: Your purpose remains the same. (2 Corinthians 5:20)

Married or single, our purpose remains the same: We are ambassadors of Jesus. Single women often have the blessing of more undivided, undistracted time. Are you using it to know God and make Him known? The end goal of your life is not to get married. The end goal of your life is to become more like Jesus in a world that needs Him.

Survival Truth #5: God always sees you and hears you. (Genesis 16:13)

Whether you cry tears of joy or heartache, God sees you, hears you and is there beside you. God doesn’t promise to give us a tall, dark and handsome husband but He does promise to give us comfort, joy and peace. The best gift God will ever give us is the gift of His presence.

If you hear nothing else this holiday season, hear this: You are not less-than if you are single, just as married people are not more-than. Because of Jesus, we each have an identity, worth and purpose that never changes, no matter our relationship status. And here’s a bonus: Single ladies don't have to share our holiday leftovers.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on October 04, 2023, 03:31:43 PM

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Thankfulness in the Thick of It
November 24, 2022
by Jodi Harris

“Though the fig tree does not blossom And there is no fruit on the vines, Though the yield of the olive fails And the fields produce no food … Yet I will [choose to] rejoice in LORD; I will [choose to] shout in exultation in the [victorious] God of my salvation!” Habakkuk 3:17-18 (AMP)

When I lost my job last spring, I had peace that God would provide. But as weeks rolled into months, cents rolled into dollars, and worry and doubt crept in.  I’m used to God working when all seems lost and impossible, so I was ashamed at my faltering faith. But trusting God for His provision doesn’t come naturally. Doubt and worry? Easy. Like a dog with a bone, I chew down my worry and choke on the splinters.  If God has always provided, why am I doubting?

I wonder if that’s how Jesus' disciples felt when He said He was going to feed thousands of people with five loaves of bread and two fish. (John 6:1-15) They couldn’t see how. They may have believed He could feed them, but all they saw was the one little lunch and one very big crowd. Philip exclaimed, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” (John 6:7, NIV).

It didn’t add up.  I think the same about my situation. With bills in one hand and an empty bank account in the other, it doesn’t add up. I’ve seen Jesus do miracles in my life before, and I know He can do it again. But I cannot see how.  It must have been strange to watch Jesus give thanks for the way-too-small amount of bread as if it could actually fill all those stomachs. (John 6:11) I used to move right past the “giving thanks” part of this Bible story because it seems typical to give thanks before a meal. But that's when there is plenty of food. Jesus gave thanks for the not-enough, trusting God, the Provider, to turn it into more than enough 12 baskets of leftovers, in fact. (John 6:13)  He gave thanks before the miracle.  Thanksgiving is an expression of joy, not because of what God provides but because He is the Provider. Our joy comes not from what we have but from who He is, and giving thanks opens our eyes to see more of Him.  The prophet Habakkuk also struggled to see God’s provision in his life. He argued with God, complained and wrestled things through with Him. Finally he surrendered and said:  “Though the fig tree does not blossom And there is no fruit on the vines, Though the yield of the olive fails And the fields produce no food … Yet I will [choose to] rejoice in the LORD; I will [choose to] shout in exultation in the [victorious] God of my salvation!” (Habakkuk 3:17-18).

Giving thanks is not reactive but proactive. Habakkuk chose to rejoice. He chose to give thanks when there was nothing, trusting God for the something. Like Jesus, he knew the Provider of all things. While he couldn't see the how, he saw the who.  Do you have a “not-enough” situation in your life?

The rent is due, but your car broke down.  You feel trapped in a dead-end job or dead-end relationship.  Your child struggles in school, but you don’t know how to help.  Will you join me in thanking God for the not-enough moments and seeing them as opportunities for Him to give more than enough?

Thanking God in all circumstances for what we can see opens our eyes to what we otherwise cannot see. It ushers in God’s peace (Philippians 4:7) and emboldens us with His strength to persevere. (Nehemiah 8:10)  After all, if the situation were solvable without Him, we would miss the moment He will do immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine. (Ephesians 3:20)

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on October 09, 2023, 03:10:20 PM

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The Danger of Making Assumptions
December 2, 2022
by Abby McDonald

“My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.” Job 42:5 (NIV)

God, do You even care about my husband’s health?

Why the delay, God?

I didn’t voice the thoughts out loud, but I may as well have. My attitude about the situation my family faced was bleak at best.  For months, we’d prayed for a resolution to my husband’s health issue. Friends around the globe prayed, too, and each time my husband and I spoke with them, we updated them with any progress.  Although the solution was simple, the equipment needed to address the problem was in short supply. A long waitlist of other patients was ahead of my husband, and each day we hoped for a miracle.  Sometimes it’s easy for me to see God working through hardships in others’ lives, but when it comes to my own life or my family members’, I make assumptions about His intentions. If it appears as though He’s not answering on my timeline or not listening, I may question whether or not He wants to help.  Have you ever been there?

You pray with persistence, and you believe God will deliver you or a loved one, but when the answer doesn’t come, you wonder whether or not God sees the hurt and the weariness. Or perhaps you think your troubles are somehow part of God’s judgment and you stop coming to Him altogether.  It can be difficult to open up about our heartache when we feel as though God has already made up His mind about the situation. But God warns us, in His Word, against this type of limited thinking.  Recently, I studied the book of Job, and God’s response to Job’s friends captured my attention: “I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has” (Job 42:7, NIV).

In this passage, Job had just lost everything, and his friends assumed his suffering was due to his own sin. But whereas Job spoke directly to God about his heartache and frustrations, his friends merely spoke about God. They thought that Job’s afflictions were a sign of punishment or that God was acting out of judgment.  In our key verse, Job speaks from a place that can only be found when we encounter God personally:  “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you” (Job 42:5).

Even though Job suffered as much as anyone in Scripture, he never made assumptions about God based on his circumstances. He questioned God, but he did not say false things about God’s character. Instead, Job spoke to God in his anguish, with an honest heart, and God answered. Although God didn't give Job a reason for his suffering, Job’s one-on-one conversation with Him helped Job realize God was still there in the midst of it.  What if we decide to do the same thing?

What if the next time we encounter a situation where it appears as though God is absent, we come to Him and have an honest conversation?

And what if God answers in ways we never expected?

This is what I finally did in my frustration over my husband’s health issue. And somehow, God helped me see His presence right there in the middle of the weariness and waiting.  When we continue to come to God with our hurts despite the lack of an answer, He shifts our perspective. Our circumstances may not change, but His peace reigns as He shows us who He truly is. Like Job, we can encounter God in a new way. And because of this fresh encounter, our assumptions can be replaced by awe and worship.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on October 09, 2023, 03:48:16 PM

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The Mom They Need
December 5, 2022
by Nicki Koziarz

“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19 (ESV)

In every season of motherhood I’ve experienced so far, I’ve found myself in moments of feeling like I’m at a loss for what to do.  When bringing my babies home from the hospital and in those newborn days that followed, I remember staring at them and asking myself, OK, now what do I do?

Now, in recent late nights, with tears of frustration from teenage rebellion freshly fallen on my shirt, I’ve found myself asking God, OK, now what do I do?

The truth is, I can’t think of very many times even outside of motherhood struggles when I’ve prayed for wisdom on the next thing to do and it has simply come to me.  Of course, if I need an answer immediately, I’ll say a quick prayer asking God for His help, and I’ll call or text a trusted friend. But most of the time, wisdom comes from a slow, gradual understanding of what needs to happen. Godly wisdom comes from experience, time and slow growth with God.  Praying and taking the time to slowly understand the Bible are some of the ways I experience growth. And so one of the prayers for wisdom I’ve prayed throughout the years is: God, please make me the mom (insert child’s name) needs, not the mom she wants.  This prayer came from understanding Philippians 4:19 a little better than I used to. Paul, the author of these words, was writing them specifically to the church at Philippi about their financial generosity: “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

While we should not take this verse out of context and use it as a way to believe God will give us whatever we want, these words, this promise from God, can extend into all areas of our life, including the need for wisdom. But we have to pause and understand the difference between our needs and our wants.  In parenting, the mom my kids want is super “chill” about laundry and messes. She’s always understanding about homework and to-dos not getting done. She never loses patience on their bad days, is generous with money and is always fun.  While those are all great qualities, that’s not always the mom they need.  Sometimes they need firm reminders to get things done or to push themselves to be the best version of who God created them to be. The more I ask God to show me what my kids need, the more glimpses He gives me into their hearts.  And sometimes, when their decisions make me feel like I’m going over the edge, God reminds me that my kids need a mom who prays for and believes in the best of who they will become.  So when we are at a loss for what to do whether it’s in parenting or a different area of life asking God to be the God we need, not the God we want, is always wise. And this simple prayer I pray over my kids can transfer into any area of our lives: friendships, jobs, volunteer roles.  God, show me what this person needs from me today.  But may we also be prepared when God shows us what they need and it reflects those same things we need from God grace, mercy, love, kindness and compassion.  Ultimately, when our view of God is based on need, not want, it will flow into all areas of our lives.  When we find ourselves asking the question What am I supposed to do?, we may not have an instant answer. But we can have a process with God the God we can trust to see us through until the answer is clearer.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on October 12, 2023, 03:35:24 PM

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That Prepared Me for This
December 12, 2022
by Binu Samuel

"Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.” Zechariah 4:10a (NLT)

My team at work is the best! I sincerely appreciate what every one of my co-workers brings to the table. Our most recent hire came to us with no previous pharmacy experience, but he had enthusiasm and a desire to learn, so we brought him on.  Every day, he shows up on time and ready to work. He’s flexible. He’s energetic. He’s efficient. He’s bilingual. You should see the way customers’ faces light up when they hear the words “habla español?”

After one of the most head-spinning, most overwhelming and busiest workdays EVER, I had to ask him, “What’s your secret? How do you stay so calm?”

His response made me laugh and got me thinking.  “Yesterday was nothing compared to when I used to work at Burger King at my university. The lunch hour there was crazy!”

Burger King?

While fast food restaurants and pharmacies are both fast-paced and high-energy workplaces, who would’ve thought that a job in a totally different industry would have prepared him for this?

God uses everything we go through to teach us and equip us. Every humbling and exhausting experience either prepares us for the next humbling and exhausting experience or prepares us for a mountaintop experience where we appreciate God’s sovereignty in a whole new way.  We see this throughout Scripture.  How was Moses prepared to lead over a million Israelites out of Egypt?

After killing an Egyptian man to defend an Israelite slave, Moses fled to the desert and worked under his father-in-law, Jethro, tending sheep. Caring for flocks of sheep prepared him to care for God's people.  Long before Moses was born, Joseph was put in charge of a prison before he was put in charge of a nation.  Later, at the end of the Israelites' Babylonian exile, Nehemiah’s role as a cupbearer to the king granted him the favor and the resources needed to pursue his passion of rebuilding Jerusalem’s wall.  Zerubbabel was also a leader after the exile. He was involved in spearheading the reconstruction of Jerusalem’s temple. There was an overwhelming amount of work to be done, and it was easy to be discouraged.  But God spoke through the prophet Zechariah: “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand” (Zechariah 4:10a).

Friends, the work God desires to do in us has to start somewhere!  We’ve all had days and seasons of life where we have wondered, How could this be preparing me for anything?

But it always does.  God uses ALL things clueless sheep, prison walls and even hungry college students to equip us, prepare us and launch us into His will for our lives. Sometimes that means humble beginnings build our character for future roles God has in store; it also means knowing we never have to be “promoted” to serve God. After all, Jesus spent His time on earth as a humble carpenter and traveling minister, “for even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve” (Mark 10:45, NLT).

Even if it looks small right now, let’s be faithful where we are and submit our desires to God. I believe we will be amazed at the mighty work God can do in and through us!

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on October 14, 2023, 05:19:08 PM

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You’re Never Too Much for God
December 19, 2022
by Jodi Harris

“Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these … will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” Matthew 6:28b-30 (NKJV)

I’m so angry! I cry out to God. My chest tightens as I clutch the couch pillow.  Anger is the outside armor protecting my tender heart from the rejection I feel beneath. I want to be closer to my loved one, but fear tells me I’m just too much for them.  My lament to God continues: It’s like I’m this rose, but they see me as a cactus. So they give me the attention a cactus requires: not much. But a rose needs more. It needs shade and sun in the right amounts; it has thorns that need navigating, soil that needs nutrients and water, dead branches that need pruning.  In other words, I realize midprayer, roses are high maintenance, and so am I. Sigh. I can see that. It is a lot.  I am a lot.  As I sit in silence, listening for the Holy Spirit, I envision Him as the One who loves me just as I am. Oh, Lord, help me release my loved one from fulfilling a role that isn’t theirs but Yours.  God brings to mind an image of my yard full of blooming roses bursting with color, planted by previous owners years ago. They’ve never bloomed like this since we’ve lived here until this spring. I was so taken by them the pinks, yellows, whites, lavenders, peaches and reds in various shapes and sizes.  God, why this?

I wonder. Then I feel Him speak these words tenderly to my heart:  My beloved daughter, look at those roses I have nurtured and brought to full bloom! See how I care for them exactly as they need to flourish. If I can create and nurture a gorgeous garden of roses for you to enjoy, I can nurture you just the same.  Your longing to be valued as you are is only fulfilled in Me. You are never too much for Me! I created you and will nurture you perfectly so you will flourish, but you have to come to Me. You cannot put that burden or role on anyone else. I’m the only One who knows you fully and can meet your needs. Will you let Me?

This gentle voice of God sounds a lot like the one that taught the people on a hillside long ago:  “Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these … will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” (Matthew 6:28-30).

Those words from Jesus in Scripture jump off the page and into my heart and life as I experience them firsthand. I am not too much for God. I am deeply valued and loved just as I am.  In the days following, I wander through my yard, soaking in God’s constant reminder that He not only cares for the roses surrounding my home but also the rose inside.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on October 14, 2023, 05:28:04 PM

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Lift Our Eyes
December 20, 2022
by Sarah Freymuth

"I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth." Psalm 121:1-2 (ESV)

Dusk is coming, but instead of letting it slide through the windows of my apartment, I am drawn to seek more of the sun. I’m tired physically, mentally and emotionally but I don my down jacket and scarf, slip out the door and put my feet to pavement.  It’s an unusually warm day for this time of year in Wisconsin, so I take advantage of the fleeting good weather and head to a tiny park that consists of one small but steep hill.  It’s been a long season full of unanswered questions, loads of waiting and a plethora of uncertainties. There have been times I’ve prayed and pleaded with God only to get no answer, and I’ve felt alone and unheard.  But this week, Psalm 121 has been ringing in my mind. I’ve been drawn to it, read it many times, and remembered God as Helper and Keeper.  My boots transition from the pavement to patches of grass and snow as I enter the park. All the while, I repeat portions of the psalm to myself, breath crisp and clear:  “I lift my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:1-2).

The sun’s lowering behind clouds, but there’s enough color left to know there’s a sunset coming. I begin my climb up the hill, which is already slick with packed-down snow and a layer of ice. After slipping in my boots, which are designed more for comfort than functionality, I cling to the snowy fence posts and haul myself slowly to the top, where I watch the sky churn raspberry, blazing orange and soft red as the sun breaks through the clouds.  Rays of orange light spike through the charcoal and purple clouds into the still-bright blue sky. Worship music in my earbuds, I stand with hands outstretched, knowing I’m meeting with the God to whom my eyes have lifted. I watch and worship the God who’s spinning colors effortlessly.  My situation doesn’t change or immediately clear up, but as I stand and worship, simply being in His presence helps remind me that He is over all things, that He is the maker of heaven and earth.  “The LORD will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.” (Psalm 121:7-8, ESV)

We may be weary from things that don’t seem to change health struggles, strained relationships, job challenges, loneliness from a need for community but we can lift our eyes to the Lord, who will not allow us to stumble. He who provides beauty in a sorbet sunset atop a small hill surely sees us, His children. He invites us to rest in His unchanging grace, soak in His strength, and be still and know He is with us.  When we pause and take in the magnitude of His glory, we get to remember how faithful He has been to us in the past and trust He is taking care of us today.  When we lift our eyes to the hills and set our hopes higher than our eyesight, the Lord comes into view.  He is above our challenges and pain, yet He personally resides within us, drawing us close, whispering to our hurting hearts. Let’s lift our eyes to the hills of hope and look to where our help comes from: God, who makes a way and holds us steady.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on October 18, 2023, 01:58:01 PM

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An Unexpected Way To Set Your Life on the Path of Godly Wisdom This Year
January 5, 2023
by Lysa TerKeurst

“Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.” Proverbs 13:20 (NIV)

I’m not great at setting New Year’s resolutions.  However, I do like to examine my everyday habits as I enter a new year. Taking inventory of my daily rhythms can give small indications of whether I’m pointing my life toward order or chaos, health or unhealth, wisdom or foolishness. I’ve learned it’s more realistic for me to tackle adjusting my small decisions rather than listing out some big, major changes I want to make in the new year.  Better small decisions lead to better habits. Better habits lead to positive changes. Daily positive changes over time lead to life change overall.  Here’s how this has played out for me on a practical level just a few days into 2023: I've noticed that I have a bad habit of putting dirty dishes in the sink and thinking, I’ll get to this later. The problem is the longer they sit there, they never get better on their own. And they don't magically end up in the dishwasher. Honestly, they just get grosser and grosser. By the time I finally face them, it is a much more awful task than if I’d just done the dishes right away. So I’m trying to start with the dishes and teach myself the habit of tackling things right away, as they come, rather than putting them off and making them harder in the long run.  I think sometimes I hope life will fall naturally in order. But unfortunately, most of the time, that’s not the case.  This is true inside our homes, and this is also true inside our relationships. If we want more peaceful relationships, we have to pivot from accepting chaos to pursuing peace. We can’t wait for other people to bring order into our lives. We have to initiate decisions that lead to peace. And I’ve discovered a big part of this comes through establishing boundaries where dysfunction is present.  Now, I’m not saying boundaries are a quick fix for some of our most challenging relationships. People are complicated. We ourselves are complicated. So, of course, relational dynamics are going to be complicated. But I’ve found the communication and consistency that good boundaries provide bring such clarity around what to do when we’re navigating damaging dysfunctions.  Dysfunction doesn’t come from God, nor did He create the human heart for unhealthy relationships. However, I do believe God can help us with these realities. If we want to have real, loving, thriving relationships and know what to look for to determine what is unhealthy and what is healthy, we need God’s wisdom.  Let’s turn to Proverbs 13:20:  “Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.”

A relationship can only be as healthy as the people in the relationship. Like that verse tells us, living in the company of people who have set their lives on the path of wisdom will lead to us experiencing wisdom ourselves. So we need to be looking for patterns in someone’s life that are moving them (and us) toward wisdom or away from wisdom.  As we pay attention to others’ choices, we have to remember to also examine ourselves, both our actions and our reactions. In order to rightly look at someone else, we must first rightly look at ourselves.  After careful examination, if we are trying to move toward wisdom and another person is moving toward foolishness with their choices, therein lies the need for a boundary. Even after this discovery, boundaries are going to be challenging to implement. But at least we know what to do even if it’s still hard. The worst part of dysfunction in relationships is the feeling of hopelessness and powerlessness that too many of us have been swirling in for years.  Over the last year, I’ve established some healthy boundaries and, as a result, had some really important relationships transform and become healthier and more life-giving. I’m amazed and thankful. There’s a freedom to enjoy these people in my life now without the hesitations and pitfalls that used to create so much chaos and pain. I’ve also had to say goodbye to some unbiblical and destructive relationships. I still grieve those losses in deep ways. And I can now see why it’s so crucial to use godly wisdom to process all of this, remembering we shouldn’t use our boundaries as excuses to shove other people away but rather use them to keep us in a place where we love others well without losing the best of who we are.  None of this is easy. But it is worth it. I’m more convinced than ever that good boundaries work, and when set appropriately, boundaries really do serve to help keep us safe and healthy and in a place where we can honor God in all of our relationships.  This is possible for you, friend. Let’s make 2023 the year of better relationships, one wise choice at a time.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on October 20, 2023, 02:17:01 PM

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Let Silence Be the Source of Your Renewed Prayer Life
January 6, 2023
by Denise J. Hughes

“In the same way the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings.” Romans 8:26 (CSB)

The doctor entered between the flimsy curtains in the emergency room. He said the CT scan showed multiple pulmonary embolisms in both of my lungs, which explained my difficulty breathing.  As my impaired lungs struggled for every breath, I lay in that hospital bed, unable to say much of anything, much less pray anything. God, please help was the best I could muster.  In that place, God taught me about the power of silence in my prayer life.  My words were more desperate than eloquent, pleas from the depth of my being. Sometimes that’s all we have to give. Thankfully, that’s enough for God.  Have you ever experienced a season when you just couldn’t utter more than a few words in prayer?

When you weren’t even sure what to pray for?

Maybe the physical pain was overwhelming. Or maybe your heart was suffering more than your body. All you knew was that you needed help. And only God in heaven could understand the depth of your pain.  I’ve been there too. It’s never fun, but God has consistently shown Himself faithful. Every time.  Our small prayers, offered with a sincere heart, can be the equivalent of the widow’s two coins given sacrificially to the temple treasury when “many rich people were putting in large sums” (Mark 12:41, CSB).

That’s what I experienced when my clotted lungs struggled to squeeze out audible words. Even if I tried to pray quietly inside my heart, the pain proved too distracting. My groanings were more exact. Which is why I’m so grateful that God understands even this and that He provides for us in those moments when we don’t know what to say or maybe can’t say anything at all.  In our key verse, Paul says “the Spirit also helps us in our weakness.” This could mean physical weakness, but it could also imply spiritual weakness. When we’re distraught beyond words and we don’t know how to pray, the “Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings” (Romans 8:26).

What a gift this is to God’s people.  Whether we consider ourselves to be mighty prayer warriors or we admittedly sometimes struggle with it, prayer remains a central part of every believer’s life. It’s a fundamental way we express our dependence on God. When we go to Him daily, we acknowledge that we cannot supply anything for ourselves. We look to God for everything we need, including every breath we take.  This idea of daily dependence on God counters everything we hear in the world, yet it’s an elemental part of cultivating a quiet heart in a loud and restless world.  While the “quiet life” Paul talks about in 1 Thessalonians 4:11 (CSB) speaks more to a person’s inner quietness of heart, it’s also wise to experience actual quiet from time to time.  Whenever we’re not sure how to pray, we can lean into the silence and let the Spirit do His healing work inside us.  To experience deep quiet, take inventory of the sounds around you. Then turn off as many sounds as possible. For some of us, we may be so unaccustomed to actual silence that we find it eerie or unsettling at first, but don’t let this sway you.  I can’t promise that your prayers will lead to spiritual fireworks, at least not instantaneously. For me, my lungs were not immediately healed, but slowly, over time, God was faithful to meet me in those quiet hours that filled each day. And in His time, He restored my breath.  Let the power of silence be the source of a renewed prayer life. For when we are still, God often does His best work.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on October 24, 2023, 06:24:55 PM

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Divine Fingerprints Everywhere
January 9, 2023
by Shauna Niequist

“Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,’ even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.” Psalm 139:7-12 (NIV)

Last fall, our younger son, William, started middle school, and that meant I needed to walk him to school and from school every day, about a 30-minute walk each way.  It’s a good thing, really it’s great one-on-one time, and it’s good exercise.  But for the first month, getting used to it was embarrassingly hard after more than two years of William walking with friends to his school just one block over, this new schedule felt like a lot I was always late and dressed wrong for the weather, and my legs were mortifyingly sore, as though I were training for a marathon, not just walking to the West Village.  Something shifted, though, about six weeks into this new routine: I found that I’d started to look forward to it. My legs weren’t constantly tired anymore, and the part of the walk I did alone after dropping him off or on the way to meet him in the afternoons started to become one of my favorite times of the day.   I started what I call “delight hunting,” being on the lookout for beautiful, interesting or funny things: an ivy-covered building; the sun glinting off the Hudson River; a dog in a backpack, his front paw slung over his owner’s shoulder in such a human way that I still giggle when I think about it. I found a little secret garden near the school and sometimes left home early to sit there in the quiet. The walk became a source of delight, and I began to see God’s divine fingerprints everywhere. The psalmist of Psalm 139 seems to have felt the same way: “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,’ even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you” (Psalm 139:7-12).

We see what we’re looking for. You know the phenomenon: You buy a Jeep Wrangler, and all of a sudden it seems like every third car on the road is a Wrangler. When you get a puppy, everywhere you go, there are puppies! Were there always this many puppies?

The opposite is true, too, of course. When you wonder if a friend is mad at you, every text from that friend supports your sneaking suspicion. After a series of delayed or canceled flights, when you look at the “arrivals and departures” board, all you see are the delays.  We see what we’re looking for, and what I’m looking for these days is delight. Beauty. Evidence of God’s sacred presence all around us and within us, in the face of every person on the sidewalk, in the intricacy of the flowers in that secret garden, in the sky as the sun rises and sets everything ablaze.  Theologian Eugene Peterson has said that “to eyes that see, every bush is a burning bush.”

That’s how I want to live: a witness to the glory of God all around us. Even especially on the school-pickup walk, on plain old streets and sidewalks, in the daily moments of life.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on October 28, 2023, 02:15:36 PM

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Nothing Else Satisfies
January 18, 2023
by Wendy Speake

“For I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish.” Jeremiah 31:25 (ESV)

When I was a young child, my mother dolled me up in homemade dresses and black patent-leather shoes and took me to church. Sometimes she’d let me skip my Sunday-school class and skip all the way into the main sanctuary with her.  Sliding down the sleek wooden pew, I’d settle in at her side. Familiar faces were all around me in our pew.  To my left was always the old man with bushy eyebrows who smelled of Aqua Velva and butterscotch candies. Not only did he always sit in the same place and smell of the same aftershave, but each time Communion was served, he’d pass the elements my way and say the very same words.  Taking a small piece of bread in his wrinkled hand, he’d lean down close and whisper with butterscotch breath, “Christ’s body was broken for you; take this in remembrance of Him.”

He would then place the bread in my hand and pass the silver tray to my mom, with a grandfatherly nod.  Similarly, when the grape juice was passed down our pew, he’d give me a miniature plastic cup and tell me what to do: “Christ’s blood was poured out for you; take this in remembrance of Him.”

Today, I still remember. I remember that memory, but most of all, I remember that God satisfied the payment for my sins.  Satisfied. What a beautiful word. God fulfilled every debt I owed. Paid in full. All my need for saving was fully satisfied the moment I believed that the gospel was true. However, if I’m honest, I don’t always remember to live satisfied. In recent years, I’ve found myself running to other things to fill my hungry heart. Bypassing my Bible, I've feasted on empty fillers that only reinforced the emptiness.  I know I’m not alone.  We are a generation of Jesus-hungry women who tend to misplace our spiritual hunger. We take our appetites to the wrong stuff all fluff false fillers that never fulfill.  In the mornings we reach over our Bibles and pick up our phones. We scroll through social media, then make ourselves a cup of coffee. When emotions well up midafternoon, we take our angst to the wrong wells broken wells that don’t satisfy. We go from sugar high to sugar high instead of turning to the Most High. With a phone in one hand and a fork in the other, we consume all day long, but we never have the time to ingest the Truth in our Bibles.  Then, when we find ourselves utterly weary and heavy laden (on the backside of another caffeine crash), we hop on over to Amazon Prime, or we hop in our car and drive to Target, only to miss the bull’s-eye again.  None of those things has ever satisfied. We were made for more. We were made for God. And our Bibles are where we will find Him. It is time for us to open up God’s Word and feast! The One who satisfied our outstanding debt all those years ago does an outstanding job of satisfying us still.  There is a feast that satisfies. Christ, who satisfied our eternal debt, is more than able to satisfy every hunger we have today.  The feast is already on the table. Don’t rush past it today. Pull up a chair, open your Bible, and dig in.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on October 31, 2023, 05:46:39 PM

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Broken Crayons Still Color
January 25, 2023
by Toni Collier

“‘Then neither do I condemn you,’ Jesus declared. ‘Go now and leave your life of sin.’” John 8:11b-c (NIV)

One evening after dinner, I walked into the living room to a pretty wild scene.  All over the floor in mini piles were crayons that looked like they’d gotten into a fight. My preschool-age daughter, Dylan, had peeled off their paper wrappers and broken each and every last crayon.  When I asked why she’d ruined all the crayons, she just looked at me and said, “Mommy, color.”

Later, as I was on my knees scraping up the crayons, I broke down exhausted, alone and in tears. This wasn’t about crayons; it was about a life that had come crashing down into broken pieces of despair broken like the crayons scattered on our carpet.  I’d been let go from a church that had promised me a promotion and raise a few months earlier. Countless nights had been spent shuffling through divorce papers because I couldn’t afford a lawyer. Looking at my finances and the bills I would now be carrying as a single mom, I didn’t see a way out of this valley of complete darkness.  Thinking back on Dylan’s comment “Mommy, color” I realized she was saying, “Yeah, I broke the crayons, Mom, but they still work!”

Here I was in a valley, thinking that my brokenness discounted me. And yet there are stories all throughout the Bible showing broken people, including broken women, whom God rescues and welcomes.  There’s a hard but beautiful story in the Bible that shows a picture of Jesus’ desire to choose those of us who struggle to see our value. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who was caught in adultery to the temple courts where Jesus was. Could you imagine being caught in the very act of some of your biggest mistakes, arrested on the spot, and dragged to a public setting to be killed?

“When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, ‘Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.’ Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.  4At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’  ‘No one, sir,’ she said. ‘Then neither do I condemn you,’ Jesus declared. ‘Go now and leave your life of sin’” (John 8:7-11, NIV).

You see what just happened?

He flipped the script.  Not only did Jesus create accountability for the public shaming, but He also chose to show love to a woman who, to her community, was blemished and worthy of death. Her brokenness didn’t discount her access to, and love from, the Savior of the universe.  When you decide to bring your hurts into the light, hope and healing can be yours. Through this act of choosing the woman in John 8, Jesus is showing us today that He chooses you and me as well. Jesus is choosing you right now. The question is: Will you be brave enough to fight for your greatest hope by fighting through your greatest hurt?

We all have things that have deeply hurt us, things we need to heal from. We need restoration and true freedom. Our childhood wounds can be transformed into adult scars that are healed and sealed.  You can absolutely look at all your past mistakes, your past pain, the parts of your story that you just want to forget, and declare that they don’t get to have the final say in your life. That’s exactly what Jesus did when He died for you declaring that those things don’t get the final say, but God does. And, friend, He’s not done with you yet. Broken crayons still color!

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on November 04, 2023, 06:07:22 PM

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Is Everything OK in Your Heart?
January 30, 2023
by Andy Stanley

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)

We spend a good deal of time teaching our children to monitor their behavior. But what about guarding their hearts?

The Old Testament book of Proverbs is filled with extraordinary wisdom. That so much good advice is packed into this ancient document is all the more reason the following statement should cause us to sit up straight and pay attention:  “Above all else, guard your heart …” (Proverbs 4:23).

Not our wallets?

Our purses?

Our daughters?

Why our hearts? And why “above all else”?

“… for everything you do flows from it.” (Proverbs 4:23)

Think about that. Everything we do on the outside originates on the inside. If that’s true, then, by all means, we should pay attention to what’s going on inside. Jesus agreed. He said this:  “For out of the heart come evil thoughts murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander” (Matthew 15:19, NIV).

According to Jesus, these sins originate in our hearts. They come from within. That being the case, we would do well to guard our hearts. The problem is: No one taught us how to do that.  One evening as I was putting Andrew, my son, to bed, I decided to take the direct route. Andrew was probably 6 years old at the time. We had already prayed and were chatting about the events of the day. Right before I got up to leave, I put my hand on his chest and said, “Andrew, is everything OK in your heart?”

Andrew smiled and said, “Yes, sir, Daddy.”

That became a bedtime routine I eventually did with all three of our children. I decided the first step to guarding their hearts was to help them get in the habit of paying attention to what was going on in there. Over time I added several other questions. Eventually, the list looked like this:

    Is everything OK in your heart?
    Did anybody hurt your feelings today?
    Are you mad at anybody?
    Are you worried about anything?
    Did anybody break a promise to you today?
    Is there anything you want to tell me, but you’re not sure how?

One night I was working through my list with my daughter Allie, and for some reason, I added, “Is there anybody whose failure you would secretly celebrate?”

She was so young at the time that I wasn’t sure she would understand the question. Her response shocked me.  She immediately blurted out a name. Fortunately, it wasn’t one of her brothers. But it was one of her brother’s friends.  I said, “Allie, do you know what that question means?”

She said, “Yes, sir, Daddy. It means if they didn’t do good at something, I would be happy about it.”

Turns out she had something lodged in her heart that needed unlodging. So every once in a while, I would toss that question into the mix.  This was our routine for years. These questions became so ingrained that one night, as I was putting Allie to bed, she lay down, closed her eyes and said, “Daddy, everything is OK in my heart. Nobody hurt my feelings. I’m not mad at anybody. I’m not worried. And nobody broke a promise. Good night.”

The questions we most often ask our children communicate what’s most important to us and what we’re convinced should be most important to them.  For our entire lives, we’ve been encouraged to monitor our behavior. But if Jesus is correct, guarding our hearts may be more important than monitoring our behavior. His Word is filled with guidance related to behavior, but at the same time, He instructs us to get in the habit of paying attention to what’s swirling around on the inside because what’s on the inside doesn’t stay there. Our hearts direct our behavior.  And the author of that statement from Proverbs isn’t wrong. The condition of our children’s hearts is “above all things” (Proverbs 4:23) because their emotional health determines their relational health and, ultimately, their behavior and their lives.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on November 08, 2023, 05:28:05 PM

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God’s Pursuit of Us
February 1, 2023
by Kia Stephens

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17 (NIV)

“God is an ageless romancer” were the words of the beloved Bible teacher at an all-female retreat.

Her words took me by surprise and appealed to my heart. I have always been a hopeless romantic a sucker for rom-coms, Christmas movies on Lifetime, and happily-ever-after endings.  Having grown up in church, I often heard God described as Father, Friend, Way-Maker and Wonderful Counselor, to name a few. These names were easy to accept as true, but “romancer” was a bit difficult to embrace.  I'd reserved the word “romance” for men on white horses who slayed villains and rescued damsels in distress. Romancers were Prince Charmings in tuxedos, with roses in one hand and chocolates in the other. When I imagined a romancer, I didn’t imagine God.  But over the course of the weekend retreat, God began to enlarge my understanding of romance. This word isn’t limited to novels and date nights. This word encompasses God’s tremendous love and His relentless pursuit of humanity. I saw it throughout Scripture.

God pursued Adam and Eve after they sinned in the garden of Eden. (Genesis 3)
God pursued Hagar when she ran away from her problems. (Genesis 16)
God pursued Elijah when he ran from Ahab and Jezebel. (1 Kings 18-19)
God pursued Paul on the road to Damascus. (Acts 9)

And God pursues us.  Motivated by unexplainable love, God pursues humanity. No matter our state in life married, single, dating, living for God or running from Him God seeks to win the affection of our hearts by relentlessly and faithfully pursuing us.  We see a clear depiction of this pursuit in our key verses, John 3:16-17: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

The love John refers to in this scripture is agape love, which is sacrificial and considered the highest form of love that exists. This love was costly for God, but He pursued us through the radical act of sacrificing His Son. God’s love is unmatched and far greater than any box of chocolates or bouquet of flowers.  And even more astounding is that God demonstrated His lavish and sacrificial love while we were sinners. He pursued us while we weren’t thinking about Him. His actions on our behalf overshadow the man on the white horse. Once and for all, God valiantly saved humankind from the spiritual villain Satan when we were in distress.  But God’s pursuit of us did not end with Christ's sacrificial death and resurrection. For all our days, He will continue to pursue us with His unexplainable love.  If you long to be romanced and pursued, may this be an encouragement: You are the object of God’s affection. He has relentlessly pursued and will continue to pursue you.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on November 12, 2023, 05:26:16 PM

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Is My Speech Sweetened With Grace?
February 3, 2023
by Beth Knight

“Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.” Proverbs 16:24 (ESV)

The words came tumbling out of my mouth like boulders in a rock slide barreling down a sharp cliff. One by one, they rolled off my tongue toward their unsuspecting victim: my dear husband.  In front of my kitchen sink, I stood tall upon my list of grievances: the leftover coffee cups forming a community on our bathroom counter, the clothes piled on the floor beside the laundry basket, and the dishwasher he forgot to start yet again.  On and on I droned when suddenly a sound interrupted my self-righteous rant:  Drip.  Drip.  Drip.  The kitchen faucet that had remained silent during my tirade gently spoke up to remind me that “a quarrelsome wife is like [a] constant dripping” (Proverbs 19:13, NIV).

My lips merged into a guilty grin as I thought, Holy Spirit, why do You have to call me out like that?!

Proverbs 16:24 says, “Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.”

Personally, the sweetest words I’ve ever heard are found in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus tasted the bitter wrath of God on my behalf so my soul could taste the sweetness of His grace. And because I’ve been saved by grace, I’m called to live and speak with grace.  But why do I so easily fall short of this calling and speak words dripping with sarcasm, anger or an unquenchable desire to be right?

Well, like most of my troubles, it begins inside my heart. Luke 6:45 warns, “out of the abundance of the heart [the] mouth speaks” (ESV).

So the ungracious thoughts I’ve secretly stored inside will eventually make their way toward my mouth, spilling over onto unsuspecting family and friends or the neighbor I’m called to love.  That day in the kitchen was no exception. My ungracious words flowed directly from the thoughts and grumblings that had been stirring inside my heart over the previous days and weeks. I’d been exhausted, overwhelmed and anxious. And instead of focusing on all the wonderful things my husband does for our family, I’d been focusing on minor irritations I could’ve easily overlooked.  Friend, does your heart ache just like mine when you wish you’d been more careful with your words?

No one wants to be the wife, mom, family member or friend who is quarrelsome or uncharitable toward others in thought or speech.  We desire to make our homes sanctuaries of safety from the harshness of this world. Yet we are fallible and prone to weariness, making us vulnerable to taking out our frustrations on the ones we love most.  Speech sweetened with grace will only overflow from a heart overwhelmed by God’s grace. Therefore, our only hope is to approach God’s throne of grace daily with confidence, (Hebrews 4:16) trusting Him to flood our hearts with the mercy and grace we desperately need.  Faces lift, shoulders soften and hearts heal when gracious words are spoken. Today, may we let God’s grace wash over our souls so our speech will be healing and sweet, drenching others with the love of Christ we have first received.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on November 15, 2023, 12:46:53 PM

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Letting Go of Lonely
February 8, 2023
by Denise Pass

“O Lord, all my longing is before you; my sighing is not hidden from you.” Psalm 38:9 (ESV)

Reaching for the tub of ice cream in the freezer, I settled for a movie night to soothe my lonely soul. But extra calories and escaping into someone else’s story could not satisfy the ache in my heart.  Loneliness was still waiting for me the next morning. Comfort food was not what my soul needed. I needed God to be my comfort.  Loneliness relentlessly followed me wherever I went because it was in my mind. Loneliness surrounded me even in a crowded room and made me feel like everyone knew I was alone.  Then I saw her. Another lonely woman like me: Hagar. Running away from her lonely, harsh circumstances, she found herself alone in the desert yet seen by God. “You are the God who sees me …” she said (Genesis 16:13, NIV).

Then God sent her right back to the lonely place she came from. (Genesis 16:9)  What?! (Insert tire screech.)

That kind of deliverance does not make sense to me. I feel God’s rescue should have removed her from the lonely place she escaped and should have surrounded her with people who loved her. But there in that holy, lonely place, Hagar let go of loneliness and held on to God.  God’s deliverance is often through life’s pain rather than around it.  What can we learn from this?

Loneliness is not a place. It is a state of mind. God wants to meet us in our loneliness just like He met Hagar.  God’s deliverance wasn’t just that He saw her; it was that Hagar was no longer alone. God’s presence gave her strength to return to a hard place. She could live loved, knowing God was enough.  Similarly, King David knew God saw him in his suffering too. His friends had abandoned him, but God hadn’t. David wrote our key verse, which says:  “O Lord, all my longing is before you; my sighing is not hidden from you” (Psalm 38:9).

David did not give in to his loneliness. He fought through it by crying out to God and found himself comforted.  So how does being seen and known by God help us?

We are never alone.  We are significant.  We are accepted unconditionally.  We are loved by God.  Living loved isn’t a matter of location or situation it is a matter of the mind that impacts our souls.  Now, rather than feeling lonely, I feel cherished. Lonely moments are now embraced places of solitude where I run and hide away with God. I have learned that nothing can comfort me like being still in His presence.  And I’ve also learned that loneliness is not dependent upon a relationship status. We can be lonely when we are single or married, divorced or widowed. Loneliness is not a respecter of persons.  But, friend, the good news is that our loneliness is seen by God. So we are never truly alone. Let’s live loved because we are.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on November 21, 2023, 02:40:13 PM

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Come … Bare Your Soul
February 15, 2023
by Rachel Marie Kang

“But the LORD God called to the man, 'Where are you?'” Genesis 3:9 (NIV)

I have a welcome mat by my home’s front door that reads: Bare your soles.  As in, bare your (feet) soles, but also bare that actual soul of yours. Smooth out that wrinkle on your forehead, calm your beating heart, and come to stillness, to presence.  The mat at my door is like a welcome sign that beckons visitors to walk and enter through, all barefoot and barely breathing, all desperate for a couch to catch their tired bodies.  I cannot help but think of how the same is true of a blank page, a blank canvas or an empty stage they are all invitations that bid:  Come.  Bare your soul.  On the blank canvas, page or stage, you are welcome to create. You are welcome to bare your heart, the very words buried within. You can create in confidence, all while withholding criticism, as you work through the wandering and the wondering of your soul.  Thinking back to the garden of Eden, to our beginning, it’s so vital to know that God’s call for humans to bravely bare their hearts was not meant to instill condemnation leading to hopelessness. Rather, it was to inspire confession leading to hope.  In Genesis 3:9-13, after they had sinned, God called to Adam and Eve, asking, “Where are you? … Who told you that you were naked? … What is this you have done?” (NIV).

With these questions, these invitations to tell truth, God presented His presence. God established Himself as an eternal audience of one, ever listening and leaning in to the laments of our living, loving and losing.  God is still that safe place indeed, He is the safest. And He welcomes our stories, our honest words and artful songs and poems and posts and paint-filled pieces.  Could it be that black ink on blank pages might help make sense of all that doesn’t make sense in the world?

Could it be that baking cakes and stretching limbs long toward lofty skies might help release peace into every unseen piece of our lives?

We write and sing and dance that we might experience the exhale of God again, the sigh and sound of His voice that reminds us of His plan to fill our lives with light. Yes, by way of art, we can stand bare before a God who does not badger or beat the truth out of us. He is a gentle, whispering God standing with, not against, His people through it all. He moves us to breathe a brave release to confess and gradually push back our darkest memories and moments.  God calls for you and also comes to you, telling you it is OK to bare all of who you are even the parts that need forgiveness and healing and through Him, you can become new in spite of it.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on November 28, 2023, 04:48:33 PM

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How God Shows Us the Path We Can’t See
February 24, 2023
by Abby McDonald

“He split rocks in the wilderness and gave them water as abundant as the seas; he brought streams out of a rocky crag and made water flow down like rivers.” Psalm 78:15-16 (NIV)

I was lost again, driving in circles in our new town for the hundredth time. My phone’s GPS was just as confused as I was. When I consulted it for directions, my location didn’t even appear on the map.  After trying to reroute, I called my husband to ask for help. He had worked in the area for several months before we purchased a home there and was familiar with parts of town I hadn’t explored.  Later that week, he encouraged me to learn several routes to get to the same place. That way, I would know multiple ways to get home, even when I was detoured or my GPS failed. But for years, I didn’t follow his advice. I knew one route to my destination, and if I couldn't take that route, I was completely disoriented.  Sometimes this same type of thinking overtakes my spiritual life. I have a specific need or request in mind, and I map out the steps to fulfill the need. But because life and God do not adhere to my well-laid-out plans, I often encounter a detour.  My obsession with getting from point A to point B keeps me from seeing there are multiple ways God can provide what I need. We serve a God who creates roads unknown to any GPS, but my limited vision keeps my eyes locked on my way.  In Psalm 78, Asaph recounts countless miracles God performed after delivering Israel from Egypt. He used the most unlikely circumstances to show His power and created a way in one impossible situation after another:  “He split the rocks in the wilderness and gave them water as abundant as the seas; he brought streams out of a rocky crag and made water flow down like rivers” (Psalm 78:15-16).

But even though the Israelites repeatedly witnessed God’s miraculous power, they wandered in the desert for 40 years. Like me, they roamed in circles. And when they finally got to the promised land, they sent spies to scout it and were fearful of entering because of the army they would face. (Numbers 13-14) Instead of remembering their God who makes a way, they only saw the opposition.

How do we remember we serve a God of limitless possibilities?

When we only see one solution to our problem, how do we shift our focus toward the God of infinite vision?

Honest confession. When we tell Him how we’re feeling and what our hang-ups are, He often answers in ways we can’t comprehend.  Following the outline of many of the psalms, my prayers go something like this:

    An honest admission to God about what I’m feeling.
    A call for God to open my eyes to the truth.
    A recognition of God’s unfailing love.
    A decision to praise God despite the roadblock I’m facing.

Here’s the miracle: When I practice this in my daily life, God opens my eyes and shows me the path I can’t see on my own. My admission of my lack shows me new possibilities in Him.  God won’t leave us stuck when we come to Him with an honest plea for guidance. He longs to be our Guide. And when we come to Him, He just might show us a path we’ve never seen before, overflowing with hope and opportunity.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on December 02, 2023, 05:22:48 PM

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Having Anxiety or Depression Doesn’t Mean Your Faith Is Flawed
March 3, 2023
by Bonnie Gray

“.... I have loved you with an everlasting love ....” Jeremiah 31:3 (NIV)

Out of the blue, as a new mom, I started having panic attacks, debilitating insomnia and anxiety and I didn’t know why.  On top of that, I found it hard to confess I was struggling emotionally because people might question my faith. They might accuse me of not trusting God enough or just tell me worry was a sin. If I told them I was feeling numb, lonely, anxious or depressed, they might say I just wasn’t praying enough, reading the Bible enough or applying Scripture correctly.  But mental health issues happen to everyday people even to believers who have strong faith and godly community. I know because it happened to me.  Unfortunately, some Christians did make me feel ashamed about my emotional struggles. But as I discovered God’s view on healing, I realized my hardship wasn't caused by flawed faith. It was others’ views toward mental health and faith that were incorrect.  Still, I didn’t want anyone to think I was broken, so I kept quiet and prayed it would go away.  But God wanted to heal me, not shame me.  My PTSD therapist told me a soldier doesn’t experience trauma when he’s fighting on the battlefield but when he’s finally home safe to face what was too difficult to process at the time. It’s a function of the human nervous system, designed by God to protect us when hurt, fear or loss is too overwhelming.  I’d never experienced physical abuse. But what my therapist said next changed everything: “Did you know emotional abuse has the same impact as physical abuse? Emotional wounds need healing too.”

Feeling emotionally broken is not a sign that your faith is weak. In fact, seeking healing for your heart may be the most powerful act of faith God is calling you to today.  To encourage you, here are three myths and truths that I discovered as I researched Scripture during my own healing journey:

    Myth: Jesus commanded us not to worry, so if you worry, you are failing God and disappointing Him.

    Truth: Jesus tells us not to worry because He cares about us. He’s lovingly concerned about how worry affects our well-being.

In Matthew 6:25, Jesus encourages us not to worry because God promises to provide for us just as He does for the birds and flowers. God doesn’t expect us to be perfect or worry-free, and He understands why we worry. He tells us not to worry because, out of His unconditional love, He doesn’t want us to live a life ruled by worry or fear. He comforts us in all our troubles. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4) The more we learn to run into His arms, the less worry owns us.

    Myth: If you don’t have peace or joy, you must not be trusting God enough.

    Truth: Emotional honesty is part of faith, as is the intimate act of trusting God with your real self instead of hiding how you feel or trying to do more.

Jesus whispers, “Don’t hide.”

He invites us to come and rest, (Matthew 11:28) whether we’re weary, anxious, angry or stressed. Jesus tells us to come as we are imperfectly His.

    Myth: If you read God’s Word more, pray more, praise more and give thanks more, you’ll have peace surpassing all understanding.

    Truth: Faith is not emotional amnesia. Faith in God gives us the courage to face the brokenness of life and seek healing for the losses we’ve suffered.

Jesus Himself obeyed, prayed, praised and gave thanks perfectly. Yet He suffered emotional anguish, overwhelmed by impending physical and emotional abuse, abandonment and betrayal: He said, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” (Mark 14:34, NIV).

You matter to God, and how you feel matters to God. In Jeremiah 31:3, He says, “I have loved you with an everlasting love.”

Especially when you’ve been hurt, He wants to take care of you with His powerful, healing presence.  Moving by faith with Jesus toward wellness is unique to each woman. For some, healing with Jesus means being more honest when we pray and receiving God’s comfort instead of hiding our emotions. Healing may involve asking Jesus to give you courage to draw healthy boundaries in toxic relationships so you can flourish instead of living in constant stress and fear.  Healing with Jesus also includes breaking the code of silence. When we share with faith-filled women for support, encouragement and prayer, our hearts heal. And if you, like me, have suffered emotional trauma or loss, God can give you strength and wisdom to investigate and heal your wounds with the help of a Christian therapist or counselor.  God’s Word will give you strength to heal, with His hand holding yours. “The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18, NIV)

Let God love you. You are beloved.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on December 06, 2023, 12:11:22 PM

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Willing and Waiting
March 10, 2023
by Carrie Zeilstra, COMPEL Training Member

“Yet I am confident I will see the LORD’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living. Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD.” Psalm 27:13-14 (NLT)

My favorite photo of me with my son is far from the best picture of the two of us. It’s not Instagram-worthy or even very flattering.  But whenever I see this particular picture, I remember the moment it was taken childlike giggles tumbling out of me, tears of joy caught in my eyelashes, and my heart feeling light in that moment. To me, this is a picture of God’s goodness.  Nearly two years before my husband snapped that picture, we had experienced the loss of our infant daughter.  Grief overwhelmed me. My family would never be complete on this side of heaven, so I couldn’t imagine happiness on this earthly soil. In an effort to make sense of it all, I formed a belief that God’s goodness must be reserved for heaven. That life on this earth was meant to be survived like a prison sentence.  In the months following the loss of my daughter, God drew me to the psalms in Scripture. I craved the real and raw writings of poets like David, who lamented to the Lord yet also chose to worship Him. I felt my soul connect with David. But then I got to these verses:  “Yet I am confident I will see the LORD’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living. Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD” (Psalm 27:13-14).

How could he make such a claim? Was this true just for him? Was this promise of seeing the Lord’s goodness on this side of heaven meant for me too?

With a doubt-filled spirit, I wrote out these two verses and asked God to prove Himself. Show me Your goodness, Lord, I prayed. Each day, I read the verses out loud. There were days my voice held a hint of sarcasm.  But little by little, the goodness of the Lord started to show up. In my son’s giggles. In the arms of my husband. In the beauty of creation. In moments of authentic conversation over coffee.  I started to realize the Lord’s goodness had been surrounding me all along. Perhaps David wasn’t claiming a change in his circumstances. He was willing his heart to see what was already there. And he was waiting for God to display His goodness again. Willing and waiting.  These verses started to chip away at the negativity of my soul. I started to be willing to see the Lord’s goodness and even anticipate it.  God’s goodness does exist on earth because God is good. Despite my circumstances, my hurts and my fickle feelings.  Whenever I walk through a difficult season, my pessimistic mind often anticipates the worst. But the Holy Spirit uses David’s words, and my favorite photo, to remind me that even in hard times, this side of eternity is filled with God’s goodness.  I need only to be willing and waiting to see it.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on December 09, 2023, 04:33:48 PM

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When It’s Not Your Day
March 13, 2023
by Karen Wingate

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5 (NIV)

After rounding the first corner of a fitted sheet over my mattress, I moved to the second corner but discovered I had started with the short end. Rotating the sheet, I tried again. But as I smoothed the second corner, the first popped off. Ugh!  I jerked at the sheet in frustration, muttering, “Not my day.”

Wait a minute. Where did that come from?

Had I not written to my Facebook friends about the joy of the morning just hours before?

"It’s a beautiful morning. Sun shining, cool breeze, birds singing, warm mug of coffee.  Happy moment!”

Yet suddenly, my mouth spouted words that categorized the entire day as bad because of one obstinate bedsheet.  In the scheme of things, a fitted sheet is a blip on life’s radar. And no matter what struggles enter my day, I don't need to default to a “bad day” mentality. God is still on the throne, He is good, He loves me, and His blessings embrace every aspect of my life.  Still I catch myself thinking those irrelevant, negative phrases more often than I care to admit:  You always do that.  They’ll never change.  I’m not good enough.  I can never do anything right.  I know they’re not true. And I could wave my thoughts aside, justifying them in the emotion of the moment, but the problem is, if you and I say or think those negative ideas often enough, they become like tiny seeds that germinate and take root in the well-watered corners of our memories. Soon, the same thought comes more frequently with greater intensity, and we accept as truth what is actually a lie our enemy would have us believe.  I like the how-to advice Paul gave the Corinthian church in 2 Corinthians 10:5: “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

Why should we destroy and imprison arguments and statements that go against what God says?

Because if we don’t, they are free to run wild. They’ll take up residence in our brains. Eventually we'll say them, and those who hear us will be infected too. Those casual, untrue statements are as unwholesome as any foul language and do nothing to build up our faith or benefit those who overhear us. (Ephesians 4:29)

We can’t prevent those thoughts from sounding in our brains, but we can refuse to mull over them. Think about the imagery Paul used: “take captive every thought.”

Like putting up a blockade to divert unwanted traffic, we have the choice to confine our negative thoughts and false words. We refuse to let the thoughts continue; in fact, we walk away from their influence.  Another of Paul’s letters encourages us to keep our minds focused on what is true, just, lovely and admirable. (Philippians 4:8) As you read that, you might think, But my thoughts are true! Just not always positive.  If that’s you, consider this: Looking at the positive or lovely reveals just as much truth as looking at the negative side of things so why not balance our talk with positive words?

I considered this as I took a breath and unclenched the sheet in my fists. It was my day. More importantly, it was God’s day because He made it. Nothing had to separate me from thoughts about the great love God has for me not even a fitted bedsheet.  You don’t have to let unruly negative talk infect your day either. Fight back with the words God has spoken about who He is and who you are through Him.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on December 21, 2023, 10:52:41 AM

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Where Ministry Begins
March 24, 2023
by Meredith Houston Carr

“As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. Jesus did not let him, but said, ‘Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.’” Mark 5:18-19 (NIV)

“Mom! I know what I want to be when I grow up!” My daughter’s eyes sparkled as she continued, “A famous YouTube star!”

I blinked a few times and tried to cover my surprise at her answer. “OK. Famous for what, exactly?”

“Who knows?! But I’ll have a million subscribers and then I can tell them all about Jesus!”

She skipped off, and I chuckled, relieved that Jesus factored into her YouTube plans.  Smiling, I thought of my own childhood desire for visibility. (Star Search, anyone?) I’d sit glued to the TV during awards shows, amazed and inspired when someone with a large platform spoke of their love for Jesus and I imagined one day doing the same thing.  But that day, as I returned to the mountain of laundry before me, the persistent whisper of discouragement hit my heart. I couldn’t help but think of how far my quiet and simple life was from those youthful aspirations. Is my humble everyday life making any difference, God?

I wonder if you can relate to this doubt, especially considering our culture’s daily messaging: Be someone! Make something out of your life! Let them hear your voice! Bigger is better! We can begin to believe the lie that the one is somehow less important than the 1 million.  Maybe you long to share your testimony of healing and hope in your community or social media circles. But when you take stock of those circles, they can seem so small. As a result, you may feel insignificant and wonder: How can I possibly make a significant impact in my home, community or workplace?

If you’ve ever struggled with feeling small, you’re not alone! In Mark 5, we read the incredible story of Jesus healing a man possessed by a legion (i.e., a lot!) of demons. After this miraculous healing, the town begged Jesus to leave  but the man He’d healed had a different request:  “As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. Jesus did not let him, but said, ‘Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you’” (Mark 5:18-19).

Had I been in this man’s shoes, I imagine I’d have made much the same request: “Take me with You, Jesus! Let’s leave this town and travel on to bigger and better things!”

Of course, Scripture doesn’t tell us Jesus’ thoughts or why He said no, but we do see Jesus express concern and care for this man’s most immediate ministry: his family and friends.  The man wasn’t told to share his testimony with the entire region or drum up a following of thousands. Instead, Jesus recognized the value of the souls right there in his town.  Happily, this man responded in obedience and “began to tell how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed” (Mark 5:20, NIV).

While we don’t know if their amazement turned to faith, it’s not hard to imagine there are souls in heaven because of this man's willingness to testify.  Dear one, if you’re feeling small, let the truth of these scriptures remind you that your life and testimony matter! Your ministry begins right where you are: with those under your roof, down the street, in the cubicle next to you, or in the church pew beside you.  You don’t need a million subscribers or a megaphone to influence others with the love and truth of Jesus. Indeed, those God has placed in your circle matter deeply to Him and He’s given you the incredible, humbling job of sharing your testimony with them!  Today, let’s step out boldly and proclaim His mercy and healing in our lives.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on December 22, 2023, 04:53:43 PM

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Promise-Filled Words for a Weary Heart
March 28, 2023
by Lysa TerKeurst
Dean Malenko

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.” Romans 8:26a (NIV)

Can I encourage you with something today, friend?

Even if you don’t see it, you are healing. You are growing. God is shaping you into who He created you to be.  I know it can be tempting to doubt it, but today is another step forward into a future that God is paving for you. A future that may look different than you thought but a future He has deemed good.  You see, the longer I live, the less I see healing as a destination and the more I see it as a daily choice. In case your heart is feeling a little weary today, I hope you’ll feel a little more encouraged that you’re not alone and that your beautiful, unique story is still unfolding. The circumstances of today are part of your story, but they are not the whole story.  I understand that sometimes all this pain can feel so very pointless. I know what it’s like to:

Start to wonder if these hard situations will be never-ending …
Feel that the hurt will last forever …
Question if you’ll survive this time of suffering and come out on the other side …
Process even more devastating news that makes your mind race, your throat tighten, and your eyes swell with tears …
Try to pray in moments when God feels incredibly distant …

Over the last couple of years, I’ve had to face one hardship after another. At many points I’ve wondered how I would make it through. Even now, I’m still very much in process. Yes, I’ve done the hard work with my counselor and processed all the things with my closest friends. I’ve been healing. I’ve gained perspective and understanding for how to move forward. I’ve made progress. But none of that changes the deep heartbreak I went through.  The reality is: Sometimes it still stings. And when that pain bubbles back to the surface, I wonder why God doesn’t just take it all away. Wasn’t it enough that I had to suffer through the trauma?

Why do I now have to suffer with random memories that pop into my brain and cause me to face the loss over and over again?

It’s hard to feel confident in the goodness of God when parts of our story don’t at all feel good. But, friend, whether we’re trying to make sense of relational fallout, processing fresh grief, or just desperate for a few moments of encouragement, there’s something so very important God wants you and me to know: He is near to us in our heartbreak, and He cares about our despair. Past, present and future, God is still here.  Right this very minute, in the middle of our own difficult circumstances, we get to choose to cling to truth more than ever before. We can allow hope to be infused into even the most impossible-looking circumstances. And when we do, we let the devil know he has messed with the wrong girl this time. We can command our weary hearts to remember God is in charge and we are not, and that’s a freeing place to be.  As you wrestle with it all, the progress made, the steps forward still to be endured — the painful, time-consuming, beautifully refining process of healing I want us to read a few verses in Romans 8 that are so comforting:  “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:26-28, NIV).

Every time I read these words, I’m reminded I can simply surrender to Jesus and trust Him with every part of the journey I’m on. The more I surrender to trusting the Lord rather than trying to make my own way through this, the less I will suffer. And that brings great peace to my healing heart.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on January 01, 2024, 12:46:59 PM

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Breathe In God’s Love and Breathe Out Your Worries
April 3, 2023
by Bonnie Gray

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7 (NIV)

I grew up in an 800-square-foot duplex in the middle of a busy intersection in California’s Silicon Valley. The oldest child in a divorced family, I was the responsible one who didn’t want to cause any trouble. Because I was busy making sure everyone else was doing OK, it was easier to ignore my heart and put my needs aside.  I felt invisible because I had no one to share my worries and burdens with.  Do you, too, often pay attention to the needs of others but neglect your own well-being? Like you’re the one responsible to pick up the pieces and shoulder the worries of people around you?

If so, you’re like me and most women! Studies show women suffer from burnout more than men. Being overly responsible wearies us with worries.  But for me, in fifth grade, God used an experience to let me know that He cared about me and that my worries weren’t invisible to Him: I went on my first hike, at science camp in the mountains! Stepping off the bus, I looked up at the redwood trees and felt peaceful. Even the air smelled different. I could breathe.  Our camp counselors said the big event was the night hike. We gathered at the trailhead after sunset, excited. But everyone fell stone silent once we learned we would be sent hiking solo in the dark. The counselors sent each of us to hike alone on the trail, staggered five minutes apart, because they wanted us to experience the quiet beauty of a moonlit hike and see beautiful stars twinkle far from the city’s light-pollution glare.  We were told to walk quietly, but if we got scared, all we needed to do was call out. Camp counselors stationed at points along the trail would help us.  That night was breathtakingly beautiful. The foliage felt like a soft carpet under my feet. I wasn’t afraid. The stars glimmered above.  The deeper I journeyed on the trail, something beautiful and unexpected happened: I began to see in the dark! And I realized that when I knew someone was there to help me, I no longer felt overwhelmed or alone.  I’m reminded of what the psalmist David whispered to God:  “… If I make my bed in the depths, you are there” (Psalm 139:8, NIV).

“ … Your right hand will hold me fast” (Psalm 139:10, NIV).

“Even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you” (Psalm 139:12, NIV).

That experience of walking in the dark helped me learn that when we’re not able to see what’s ahead of us and we feel scared, God’s love can light the way. God’s love is like a light in the darkness that helps us feel comforted, calmed, and no longer overwhelmed by our worries.  Nothing in life no stress, confusion or overwhelming troubles — can keep God’s goodness from us. God can see us in the dark, and His voice is our light. God’s voice of love whispers, Lean into Me. Let Me love you. Rest in Me. As we listen to God, our spiritual eyes adjust, and we begin to see the beauty of the journey we’re on.  Does the path in front of you look dark and overwhelming? God’s love and His Word can light the way ahead. The God who loves you not only knows the way but intimately knows your way.  One practical way to light up the darkness is to breathe in God’s love and breathe out our worries to Him using this soul care tip: Intentionally write down God’s promises from Scripture. His Word is a lamp to our feet and a light on our path. (Psalm 119:105) Then use Scripture to pray a “breath prayer,” a simple way to pray using the natural rhythm of your breathing and God's Word. Breath prayers will oxygenate your soul with God’s peace and restore calm.  Hand over your problems to Jesus as you pray this breath prayer from 1 Peter 5:7: “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

Inhale: I cast all my anxiety on You.
Exhale: Because You care for me.

With each breath you take, name each worry to give it to God in prayer.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on January 03, 2024, 11:13:20 AM

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Helping Our Kids Know Jesus for Themselves
April 4, 2023
by Erica Renaud, COMPEL Training Member

“Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray.” Matthew 19:13a (ESV)

My mother is a master at interior decorating. She got her “degree” from Better Homes and Gardens. Every corner, counter and shelf in her house looks beautiful.  My children love visiting Grandma’s house at the beginning of a new season. They bust through the front door and run through all the rooms to see how she redecorated.  When my husband and I bought our first home, I was so excited to decorate it. I couldn’t wait to make it our own and have it reflect our style and likes.  But it didn’t take long to realize I knew nothing about design. I couldn’t figure out what I had done wrong, but as I looked at the rooms throughout my house, they not only lacked beauty, but also I didn’t even enjoy them.  The problem was that I only did what I saw my mother do purchase items and put them in my home. I never actually learned the elements of good design or how to make a space look lovely. It wasn’t until months later that my mother explained the “why” and “how” behind her design decisions and a bit of her process in getting there.  When it comes to design, I’m OK if my children don't inherit their grandmother’s genius. But when it comes to prayer and faith, I don’t just want to pass on what it “looks” like.  Without intentionality or explanation, my children will only learn to imitate my actions. But just as my buying and placing items on a shelf didn’t mean I understood design, my children knowing how to bow their heads doesn’t mean they know how to engage God in prayer.  Though I feel like I fail more than I succeed, my husband and I have made it our mission to come alongside our children in prayer so that they might know how to seek God for themselves.  For instance, after recently hearing of a natural disaster, we sat the kids down to share about it and watch a short news segment describing the event. Then we decided to pray. But before we did, we talked about the importance of prayer and how God hears us. We reminded them of the time Elijah prayed for it to stop raining, and the rain stopped. (James 5:17)  And prayer is not just something we do as parents; we invite the children to take the lead. Sometimes they are the only ones who pray out loud.  I’ve discovered that children can have incredibly meaningful times of prayer on their own too. After chatting with my older daughter about a problem she was having, I was at a loss for how to help her. “Well, you should pray about that,” I told her.

My suggestion was genuine, but I’m embarrassed to admit that I was also buying time to think of how else I might help. Her response surprised me: “Oh, I have been!”

She went on to say she had been praying about it in her journal.  Wow! She didn’t need me to tell her to pray. She knew she could seek God all on her own that she could meet with Him about this problem, share her burden, and trust Him to handle it.  Friend, let’s not just imitate prayer so our kids become outwardly good at it. Let’s take them along for the ride so they experience the ins and outs of prayer. We can invite them into prayer in good times and really hard seasons. We can walk them through the theology of prayer and the value of prayer, teaching them how to pray.  Matthew 19:13a says, “Then children were brought to [Jesus] that he might lay his hands on them and pray.”

Just like the parents, grandparents and caretakers in Matthew, let’s bring our children straight to Jesus so they can experience talking with Him themselves!

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on January 10, 2024, 03:04:08 PM

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"Good Friday" Reminders To Keep for an Ordinary Day
April 7, 2023
by Lysa TerKeurst

“'My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,' he said to them. 'Stay here and keep watch.'” Mark 14:34 (NIV)

We all know what it’s like to wrestle through those deep disappointments in life that linger on and on.  We’ve all had situations in which we’ve prayed countless prayers, pleading with God to intervene and make things different.  But what I am so quick to forget is that even Jesus lifted up tear-filled prayers of desperation for God to make things different.  First, let’s look at the words from Jesus after He left the Last Supper with His disciples: “‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,’ he said to them. ‘Stay here and keep watch’” (Mark 14:34).

Jesus was now in the garden of Gethsemane, feeling the crushing weight of what He knew He must endure. He very much knew what He would soon experience during the crucifixion. Jesus knew that heart-crushing feeling. He felt it. He wrestled with it. He carried it.  During the Easter season, I have found such comfort in remembering the humanity of Jesus in this scene. Yes, Jesus was sinless, but He very much knew the overwhelming blows of being sinned against. Jesus understood betrayal, abuse and abandonment by people He should have been able to trust.  Later, in Mark 14:36, He said, “Abba, Father everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me” (NIV).

I so relate to these words of Jesus as He wrestled with thoughts like the ones I think all the time: God, everything is possible for You. So why aren’t You fixing this for me right now? Why does this have to be the plan?

I don’t want this to be the plan. Let there be a different plan. I mean, God, everything’s possible for You. And isn’t that part of what’s so complicated in our relationship with God? What makes our faith so strong is that we're utterly convinced that God is capable of everything. But what makes our faith feel like it’s falling apart is that we're so hyperaware that God is capable of everything, and we perceive He’s not doing the one thing we’ve begged Him to do.  But here’s the good news we can find on this Good Friday: The cross wasn’t the end of the story for Jesus. Actually, it was only the beginning. And because of the resurrection power Jesus brings, Good Friday is only the beginning for us too.  Suffering may be a part of our story, but it doesn’t have the final say in our story.  Heartbreak may be a part of our story, but it doesn’t have the final say in our story.  Grief may be a part of our story, but it doesn’t have the final say in our story.  Good Friday is our reminder that when everything feels lost, when darkness seems to take over, there is hope on the way. We know a better ending because we know a victorious Savior. Darkness may last for a while, but joy comes in the morning. (Psalm 30:5)  Easter isn’t just an annual celebration. It’s a personal revelation for right now. It’s where the unknowns of today feel less excruciating because of the certain victory of tomorrow. Oh, friend, take heart. Keep holding on to the hope you have in Jesus. He really does understand the depth of carrying sorrow and hope at the same time.  Keep these Good Friday reminders for an ordinary day when you need to be reminded you are not walking alone in your pain. Jesus hears you. He sees you. He understands you.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on January 27, 2024, 04:01:51 PM

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Hope for the Overlooked Heart
APRIL 12, 2023
by Whitney Akin, COMPEL Training Member
 
“So she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, ‘You are a God of seeing,’ for she said, ‘Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.’” Genesis 16:13 (ESV)

I remember the moment as if it were in slow motion. Every syllable of the word made me shrink a little smaller as he called me invisible.  It happened years ago when my husband was in a ministry that traveled to churches to lead worship. We spent a week at a small church in south Georgia. One of the members opened his home for a hamburger dinner after the last service on Wednesday night. We ate and laughed with his family. We listened to him tell vivid stories with a thick Southern accent.  When it was time to go, I stood by my husband as our host offered a boisterous goodbye to the other guests. But when he approached me, he looked confused, as if he’d never met me before.  “Well, you’re just invisible back there, aren’t ya?” he told me.

It wasn’t said with malice. It was just a matter-of-fact statement. After a week at his church and an evening in his home, I was as forgettable as a stranger.  I felt embarrassed, insignificant and so alone that night, surrounded by all those people.  Feeling invisible hurts. If we could sit down together and swap stories, you could probably share a moment when you felt deeply unseen. Every heart longs to be noticed. Simply open up Facebook or Instagram for proof that people everywhere will do just about anything to be seen.  But for most of us, being seen isn’t an empty ploy for attention. It’s a deep and abiding desire to be truly known. In our attempt to fulfill this desire, we desperately turn to the distracted world around us and wonder, Does anybody really see my heart?

The hard truth is that people aren’t always great at seeing each other. Only when something is loud, exciting, shiny or new are we prompted to lift our heads and notice. That means for most of us the average women we feel the sting of being overlooked.  Our key verse comes from a woman who must have felt much like I did that day in south Georgia invisible. Hagar was an Egyptian servant who was pregnant with Abraham’s illegitimate child and was fleeing the harsh words of her mistress, Sarah, in Genesis 16. All alone in her wilderness, she encountered a life-changing truth: There is a God who sees the overlooked.  “So she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, ‘You are a God of seeing,’ for she said, ‘Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.’” (Genesis 16:13)

This is the first time in Scripture we hear this name: El Roi, the God Who Sees.  The name is sweeter because Hagar spoke it first. It isn’t just that God sees but that God saw her. Hagar’s story shows us that God doesn’t just see and love the key players, the ones from the right story line and bloodline and family line, the called and set apart, the covenantal children He sees and loves the overlooked too.  This name, the God Who Sees, doesn’t simply describe what God does; it reveals His character. God is omnipresent, everywhere all at once. He’s also omniscient, knowing everything all the time. So God, by His very nature, cannot overlook us.  When we feel invisible to the world around us, we do not go unnoticed by our Father. We can be sure He sees every heartache, every unspoken word, every sacrifice and every longing. When we lift our eyes to Him, like Hagar, we can declare, “I have seen Him who looks after me.”

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on January 27, 2024, 04:09:18 PM

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God Sees, God Knows, God Cares
APRIL 13, 2023
by Lysa TerKeurst
 
“For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him. You have done foolishly in this, for from now on you will have wars.” 2 Chronicles 16:9 (ESV)

Trying to control your own life is exhausting.  Ask me how I know.  With my mouth, I say I trust God, but in reality, I get overwhelmed by trying to fix and control things myself. “I trust God” becomes nothing but a statement I feel I should say rather than what I’m actually living out.  Distrust settles in. Self-reliance becomes my go-to. And then I wonder why I feel more and more exhausted.  If you can relate to these confessions, there are specific passages of Scripture I want us to look at together today.  Second Chronicles 16 is the last of three chapters detailing the story of Asa, king of Judah. Sadly, though, this chapter stands in sharp contrast to the two just before it. In 2 Chronicles 14-15, we learn that God had given Asa “rest on every side” because of his dependence on the Lord (2 Chronicles 14:7; 2 Chronicles 15:15, NIV). God even gave Asa victory in the face of a massive army. Yet in Chapter 16, when King Asa found himself in a border conflict with King Baasha of Israel, Asa had a sudden and surprising shift in behavior. Instead of crying out to God as he had before, Asa immediately turned to his own means of addressing the situation — misusing the treasures of the temple and placing his hope in an unwise military alliance.  The ultimate result? Unrest for Asa and his people. This king, whose faith meant victory in the past, invited battles into his future because he refused to trust God in the present.  I find his story convicting, sobering and so very important to pay attention to. Just like Asa's, our past declarations of faith are no guarantee that we will rely on God in the future. Faith is a present, ongoing choice for every believer.  That’s why I want us to look at two truths from 2 Chronicles 16 that will help us keep choosing to trust God, not just with our words but also with our actions:

1) God is not blind to our circumstances or our choices to trust Him.
When life gets hard, we can sometimes wonder if God is blind to all we’re facing. But there’s a beautiful reminder tucked into the words the prophet Hanani spoke to Asa in 2 Chronicles 16:9a: “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him.”

We serve a God who sees. He is an all-knowing, ever-present God who is continually aware of every detail of our lives. And not only is God aware, but He’s also looking to strengthen individuals who are willing to wholeheartedly place their trust in Him.

2) God has been faithful before, and He will be faithful again.
I wonder how differently Asa’s future would have turned out if he had stopped to remember God’s faithfulness to him in the past.  Fear makes us forgetful. This is why we must purposefully look back and trace God’s hand of faithfulness in our lives. God’s faithfulness before assures us He will be faithful again. (Hebrews 10:35-36) We see this truth not only as we look back at our own lives but also as we read the story of God’s faithfulness woven throughout all of Scripture.  Oh, friend. Let’s take inventory of any areas where we’re inviting not only exhaustion but possibly destruction into our lives because we’re refusing to rely on God. Do our frantic and controlling actions fail to match our faith-filled declarations?

Let’s not just declare we have faith. Let’s live out loud that we believe God is good, faithful and trustworthy.  Let’s stop running to fix things our way because then we can fix our eyes on God. (Isaiah 26:3) He sees. He knows. He cares. We can rest assured.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on January 29, 2024, 11:41:19 AM

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When God Hasn't Given You the Desires of Your Heart
April 14, 2023
by Grace Valentine

“Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4 (NIV)

God has blessed me with so many good things. A safe place to live, food to eat, people to love and serve yet if I’m being really honest with you, I always seem to desire more.  I want a relationship with a good man who enjoys sushi as much as me, and I want a pretty house, maybe even one with a pool in the suburbs. I would love two goldendoodles who hopefully don’t have any expensive vet bills.  Also, I desire more brunch plans with fun friends, a way to stay healthy while eating fast food every day, and a career I love that pays the bills.  Is that too much to ask for?

The other day, I thought about all the things I desired that weren’t happening, and out of my frustration, I felt a sarcastic laugh bubble up. Ha ha, God, You said You would give me the desires of my heart. But nope, I’m not seeing them. So much for that.  I was frustrated because I thought if I was holding the pen writing my story, my life would be different. I thought if I was “good” good would come my way.  But here I am. I still juggle a couple jobs while I write on the side. My mornings are early, and my small house has an old, white fridge that could die any day. I sometimes feel left out by my friends, but I know it’s probably more my insecurity than their actions. I struggle with my body image and friendships at times, and I am single.  So in response to my frustration that I didn't have more of my desires, I went back and read the Bible passage where I thought God promised to give me the desires of my heart.  Read it with me, friends:  “Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun” (Psalm 37:3-6, NIV).

If you also feel like you want more in your life and feel a little disappointed that God hasn't given you some of your want then let's break down these verses together. I noticed when rereading this passage that God calls us to trust, delight and commit. Understanding this changed my perspective and gave me peace in the midst of a season of wanting more.

1.  “Trust in the LORD and do good … ” (Psalm 37:3, NIV, emphasis added)

Notice this verse doesn’t say, “Trust in your plans and do good.” We are called to trust in the Lord and let God be sovereign over it all. Even when we don't understand the chapter, we must trust that the Author of our story is good. We should also do good, but not as an exchange for good to come our way. We do good because God is good to us. While we wait on blessings, instead of sitting around wishing for more, we should be a blessing to others.

2.  "Take delight in the LORD …” (Psalm 37:4, emphasis added)

Before the verse even mentions the Lord giving us the desires of our hearts, it reminds us to take delight in the Lord. When we delight in God, we care more about what makes His Kingdom grow than what makes our happiness grow, and celebrating Him helps us remember our lives were never meant to be all about ourselves. When we delight in the Lord, we realize we don’t need expensive things, a picture-perfect life, or the fulfillment of all our dreams to find joy. We can find His presence and His joy in big moments, sure but also in the little moments. Getting coffee with a friend, watching our child get excited when they pass a hard test, enjoying a sunny day in the midst of winter. When we delight in God, our desires become less about us and more about His will and peace.

3.  “Commit your way to the LORD … ” (Psalm 37:5, NIV, emphasis added)

When we commit to doing life with God, we have a real relationship with Him. Just like when a husband and wife commit and share vows, our commitment to Christ means our lives are no longer our own. We now have a purpose and meaning that's not about being the main character and life going our way. We trust God because He loves us. As a result, even in the midst of a busy Thursday, while running errands, or during back-to-back meetings, His joy shines bright like the morning sun. He gives us peace in the chaos and unexpected hardships.

So today, it is my prayer that you and I will desire more of Jesus and less from the world. With Jesus, when we trust, delight and commit to the Lord, we can find peace in His plan and be OK even when life isn't going how we dreamt it would.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on February 16, 2024, 06:24:24 PM

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The Unexpected Gift of Kind Words
April 26, 2023
by Carolyn Lacey

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32 (NIV)

When my children were younger, I encouraged a “no banter” rule in our home.  While banter is generally considered good-natured and harmless, I know that teasing remarks, even made in jest, can cause deep hurt. After all, there’s usually some truth behind those lighthearted comments that could spark feelings of failure, guilt or worthlessness.  It’s easy, in an unguarded moment, to join in with banter, make an unkind comment, drop a sarcastic reply or quick-witted retort. But we often don’t stop to think about how our words might land.  A few months ago, I broke my own rule and joined in some lighthearted joking with friends. I made a quip about a friend’s tendency toward pessimism, and as soon as the words left my mouth, I knew they had inflicted pain.  My friend already knew she struggled with negativity she didn’t need me to point it out, especially in front of others. She felt guilty and frustrated that she wasn’t as cheerfully optimistic as other women. She didn't need me to use her struggle as fuel for entertainment.  As I saw her face fall and later watched her retreat to another room, I felt ashamed. My words were cruel, not kind. They put her down instead of building her up. They caused harm, not good.  I am grateful that my friend was quick to show grace when I asked for forgiveness. She didn’t hold a grudge or try to make me feel worse than I already did. She spoke words of kindness I did not deserve.  And that’s the thing about kindness: It is always undeserved.  Our key verse, Ephesians 4:32, commands us to “Be kind and compassionate to one another.”

In the New Testament, the Greek word most commonly used for “kind” has less to do with being nice and sweet and more to do with generosity and grace. It isn’t an automatic response to someone else’s good deeds but is an undeserved and unexpected gift. That’s why kind words can have such a deep and lasting impact on those who receive them.  When we know we deserve rebuke or correction but instead are offered patience or affirmation, it makes all the difference to our day.  This is what God does for us in Christ.  We were His enemies because of our sin, but if we place our faith in Him, He calls us “friends” (John 15:15, NLT). We deserve to be shut out of His Kingdom, but He invites us, “Come” (Matthew 11:28, NLT). We deserve His righteous wrath, but He offers forgiveness. (Ephesians 2:3-7)  He consistently encourages our hearts through the Scriptures with words of kindness. To the lonely, He says, I am with you. To the rejected, I love you. To the weak, I will strengthen you. To the hurting, I will heal you. (Isaiah 43:3; Jeremiah 31:3; Isaiah 41:10; Ezekiel 34:16)  Our heavenly Father lavishes words of kindness on us. And He can shape our speech so that we can learn to do the same.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on February 18, 2024, 02:19:42 PM

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Starving Our Scarcity Mindset
April 27, 2023
by Lysa TerKeurst

“These were his instructions to them: ‘The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.’” Luke 10:2 (NLT)

Have you ever wondered if there’s any need for you and the dreams tucked in your heart when there are already so many successful people out there?

I totally understand.  Several years ago, I remember pouring out all the best words I had through pixelated letters-turned-pages-turned-book proposal. I tucked my heart and dreams into a purple OfficeMax binder and hoped for the best.  That summer, I gave my proposal to several acquisition editors. For months after sending out my proposal, I dreamed about the day some publishing house would say yes.  I can’t tell you the number of afternoons I’d stand at my mailbox, holding my breath, praying there would be good news inside. When the rejection letters started coming, I tried to keep up the hope that surely there would be one positive answer. I just needed one publisher to say yes.  Soon, I’d received a no from all but one publisher. And when I got that final rejection, I felt so foolish for thinking I could actually write a book. My dream was nothing but a sham. I had no writing skills. And I must have heard God all wrong.  At the same time, I had other writer friends who were getting different letters from publishers.  Amazing letters.  Dreams-come-true letters.  Letters that turned into book contracts.  In my better moments, I did the right thing and authentically celebrated with them. But behind the scenes, there were hard moments happening inside of me.  Moments where I felt like my friends’ lives were rushing past me in a flurry of fulfilled goals, new opportunities, and affirmations of their callings from God. It seemed the world was literally passing me by. On the inside, I just kept thinking, Ouch that means less and less opportunity for me even though, on the outside, I declared, “Good for them.”

I wrestled, and I processed.  And I decided to get still. But this stillness wasn’t passive. I actively had to make the choice to reject the fears that said I’d been left out and left behind. And I had to starve my scarcity mindset of thinking that opportunities had passed me by altogether.  Then I could see new and life-giving possibilities. Maybe I wasn’t ready yet, but that didn’t mean I wouldn’t ever be ready. Now was the time to stop looking around and start focusing on becoming the best writer I could be. And eventually, I wrote something worth publishing.  Looking back on that season, this is the nugget of wisdom that sticks with me: Her success does not threaten yours or mine. When a sister in Christ does well, we all do well. All tides rise when we see her making this world a better place with her gifts.  When I finally started believing this, my stillness turned into readiness. And that was over 25 published books ago.  Even if your dream isn’t book writing, let Jesus’ words in Luke 10:2 sink into the deep places of your heart today: “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”

And this is where we have a choice to make.  We can look out and see the unlimited, abundant opportunities God has placed before us. To create. To write. To try. To grow. To serve. To sing. To be and become. To harvest for Him.  Or we can stare at another person’s opportunity and get entangled in the enemy’s lie that everything is scarce. Scarce thinking. Scarce supply. Scarce possibilities. And we start seeing another person's creations as a threat to our own opportunities.  Oh, friend, there is an abundant need in this world for your contributions to the Kingdom your thoughts, words and artistic expressions your exact brand of beautiful. Know it. Believe it. Live it.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on February 24, 2024, 01:48:06 PM

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I Was Glad I Went to Church
May 8, 2023
by Anitha Abraham

“Eli answered, ‘Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.’ She said, ‘May your servant find favor in your eyes’. Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.” 1 Samuel 1:17-18 (NIV)

The Saturday before Mother’s Day, I started preparing my husband in advance “I don’t want to go to church tomorrow.”

Tearful, I was in a complete funk.  Graciously, he listened and kindly talked me through what I was feeling. “Where is this coming from?” he asked.

I didn’t have a good answer for him.  The fact that my husband and I don’t have children has never consumed me. However, over the past few years, Mother’s Day has become increasingly difficult. It started when my young nephews gave me a Mother’s Day card at church. I immediately started crying in the lobby. Ever since then, I’ve become more aware of how sensitive I am about this holiday.  By skipping church, I wanted to avoid the tears as much as possible. At least I didn’t want other people seeing me ugly cry. I just wanted to be by myself.  After I finished talking to my husband, I decided to go for a walk. I hit “shuffle” on my music app and immediately heard the words of a worship song:  “My weapons are praise and thanksgiving. This is how I fight my battles ...”

I felt God stirring my heart with these words. Was I fighting my battle, or was I retreating in isolation?

While solitude can be healing sometimes, in my case I realized I wanted to run from the house of God so I could hide, not heal. Really, church was exactly where I needed to be surrounded by God's people in a saturated environment of God's presence.  In 1 Samuel 1, there is a story of a barren woman named Hannah. Her situation was especially difficult because of a sister-wives competition that was going on. “This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the LORD, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat” (1 Samuel 1:7, NIV).

Year after year drama and heartache. Going to the temple was a reminder of what she didn’t have.  Hannah didn’t let that stop her. She went to the house of God and took her heartache to the One who could do something about it.  She poured out her soul to the Lord and told Eli, the priest: “‘... I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.’ Eli answered, ‘Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.’ She said, ‘May your servant find favor in your eyes.’ Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast” (1 Samuel 1:16-18, NIV).

In that moment, nothing about her situation had changed, but something in Hannah did.  I don’t know what is going on in your world that may cause you to say, “I don’t want to go to church,” like I did.

Maybe it’s a holiday that is a painful reminder of what you don’t have or maybe there are people at church who have hurt you or maybe it's just the opposite you don’t feel like anyone knows you at all.  I want to encourage you to go to the house of the Lord. Position yourself to receive from your heavenly Father and from the saints around you. Both can be a healing balm to our souls if we are open to them.  I’ll tell you I am glad I went to church that day. I worshipped and prayed. I heard a wonderful teaching from a pastor who was grieving personal loss. I enjoyed fellowship with friends and family afterward. We celebrated with our moms. It was a great day.  My situation hadn’t changed, but something changed in me. Does this mean I will never struggle again with these feelings? No. But I pray I remember what I learned that weekend: “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the LORD’” (Psalm 122:1, NLT).

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on March 05, 2024, 10:53:36 AM

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Trusting God With the Outcome
May 10, 2023
by Tara Sun

“Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act.” Psalm 37:5 (ESV)

I was 14 when a doctor diagnosed me with fibromyalgia, a debilitating chronic illness that usually affects women in their later years.  Up until this moment, life had been relatively easy. Smooth sailing. Not too many bumps in the road or deviations from the plans that I had for my life until that harrowing diagnosis.  Suddenly, life took a completely different path than I ever expected. Through that diagnosis, God showed me how I was holding on to my plans and my story, however well-intended, with a white-knuckled death grip instead of trusting Him to direct my paths.  You see, the world preaches a seductive message of manifestation, girl-bossing and the power of positive thinking. It’s flashy and enticing at first glance. I mean, it doesn’t sound half bad the idea of focusing on the positive and going after what we want in life.  But here’s the catch, my friend: Planning, dreaming and living responsibly in light of what God has given us is one thing. But holding on to our plans so tightly that we are not willing to surrender to God’s sovereign hand and plan?

That’s another thing.  King David instructs us in Psalm 37:5 to give our plans to the Lord: “Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act.”

This commitment is a trust in Yahweh not ourselves to produce the outcome. We provide a surrendered heart, and God provides the outcome of our stories.  When Jesus spoke to His disciples in Luke 9:23-27, He laid out what it means to follow Him. The first step was to deny themselves, or relinquish personal control over their lives. This message is for us too. The idea of “letting go and letting God” is difficult and countercultural. I, too, have struggled with surrendering my life to God for fear of not getting what I want out of life. But the good news is that surrender brings more freedom, purpose and fulfillment than striving and controlling ever could.  Because God created us and loves us, we can trust that He has a better outcome for our lives than we could ever imagine. Because God knows all and sees all, we can trust that even if our stories don’t turn out the way we originally thought, He is a redeemer who works all for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28).  When we offer our lives as living sacrifices in surrender to God, we can rest assured that God will act in accordance with the goodness of His heart and the promises in His Word. We are safe in surrender. We are free not to have it all under control because we serve a God who does.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on March 13, 2024, 12:37:12 PM

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Devotions
The One Voice I’m Learning To Listen to as a Mom
May 15, 2023
Ruth Schwenk
by Ruth Schwenk

"The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children." Romans 8:16 (NIV)

Long gone are the diapers and sippy cups. No more onesies. Or high chairs. And as my children have outgrown one season and grown into another, becoming teens and young adults, I’ve been experiencing some “proud mom” moments coupled with sighs of relief as I see the fruit of my labor as a mom becoming a reality.  No, this relief isn’t because my children are perfect or because I feel like I have “made it.” The relief is that through 20 years of being a mom, I am learning who to listen to.  We all have those voices in our lives, often speaking with sincerity, that try to help us by telling us what we should or shouldn’t do or be. Those voices can seem especially loud for us moms. Maybe it is even our own voice speaking words of insecurity, shame or inadequacy. Whatever voices seem the loudest, this new season of mine is marked not by becoming deaf to those voices but instead by becoming far more discerning. I still want to listen and learn. But when it comes to who I listen to and am shaped by, I'm more selective.  It’s no surprise that as we turn to the pages of the Bible, we are often told to listen to voices of wisdom and truth. A good example is Romans 8:16: “The [Holy] Spirit himself,” Paul writes, “testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”

One of the primary jobs of the Holy Spirit is to speak to us. He reminds us who we are. His job is to testify to what is true. So the voice I am learning to listen to the most is God’s voice.  Yes, we listen to the voices of others to learn and grow, but ultimately God’s voice guides us and grounds us in this journey. Here are three reasons we listen to God’s voice above all the rest:

1. God’s voice reminds us that we are loved.

What really grounds us is not seeing the fruit of our labor, getting thanked for it, or feeling respected and fulfilled because of it. What steadies our souls is that our Father deeply loves us, and we are in Christ through faith. We are God’s children, fully accepted and cherished, not because of our works as moms but because of the work of Christ.

2. God’s voice leads us without driving us.

People’s voices try to drive us as moms, telling us what we should be and do. Too often, we get caught up in the chorus and become driven by fear, pride or insecurity. In contrast, the voice of God is one that “will guide you into all the truth” (John 16:13a, NIV, emphasis added). He reminds us that motherhood is not a race or a competition. Just as He is leading us, He is leading our children. We don’t have to be anxious, fearful or envious.

3. God’s voice makes us more like Jesus.

Many times, the voices around us tell us what we’re not. God's good and gracious voice reminds us of the hope of who we are becoming. Motherhood is not about perfection; motherhood is about God making us more like our perfect Savior, Jesus, every day. This process of being perfected is a lifelong journey of the Holy Spirit’s work inside us that will one day be complete when Christ returns. We are to tune our ears to Him the Author and Perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:1-2). He alone can truly help us when we are weak, and He humbles us when we rely too much on our own strength.

So today when you hear all those outside voices, or maybe even the ones inside, stop and listen. But listen first to the voice of love and truth the voice that matters the most. The voice of a good and perfect Father who saves all who trust in His Son, Jesus. The voice of the One who calls you His own.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on March 28, 2024, 03:04:57 PM

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On Stashing and Storing
May 19, 2023
by Karen Ehman

“Your word I have treasured and stored in my heart, That I may not sin against You.” Psalm 119:11 (AMP)

It was a sunny, 73-degree day, and I decided to take my laptop and some cold-brew coffee out to the back deck to continue whittling down my inbox in the fresh air.  But as I rounded the corner into the kitchen, I spied my husband already out on the deck, putting on the patio furniture covers, stashing away the pillows, and cranking down the umbrella.  “What are you doing?” I asked. “I was just about to take my coffee out there and work.”

“Check your weather app, Frances,” he chirped back, tossing in my middle name for a tease.

Sure enough, in less than a half hour, the brightly colored radar showed severe storms headed our way. A high-wind advisory had also been issued, thus my husband’s batten-down-the-hatches behavior.  In just a few hours, the meteorologists’ predictions came true. Gusting winds, thunderbolts and lightning flashes ricocheted around our backyard. My husband’s careful and timely preparation had thwarted any damage to our patio furniture or anything that got in its way had the wind picked it up!  Psalm 119:11 gives us a glimpse of a person who spiritually prepares for future storms specifically, the storms caused by temptations to sin: “Your word I have treasured and stored in my heart, That I may not sin against You.”

This depicts a person both treasuring and storing God’s Word in their heart to prevent the damage of sin that results when we choose wrongly.  In the original rendering of this verse, the concept of both treasuring and storing Scripture is captured by a single Hebrew word: tsaphan. Upon studying this word, I can see why it is not easily translated into one simple English word.  Tsaphan on one level means “to hide, save up, treasure or store.”

But it doesn’t stop there. It also portrays the acts of lurking, stealthily watching and ambushing! When we roll it all into one, we see just how to combat sin by having our hearts armed with the Word of God.  Just like my husband secured and stored away our patio furniture before a huge thunderstorm, we can treasure and store Scripture in our hearts and call it to memory when we need it for weathering the temptations of sin that blow our way. God’s Word aids us in defending against Satan’s schemes. We can stand armed and ready to pull out the weapon of the Word when we feel enticed, just as Jesus did in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11).  When I am tempted to lash out in anger, James 1:19 can invade my thoughts and remind me, “My dear brothers and sisters, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger” (CSB).

When I’m just about to open my mouth and let some gossip leak out, I can recall Proverbs 11:13: “A gossip goes around revealing a secret, but a trustworthy person keeps a confidence” (CSB).

Sometimes heartaches in life come from the wrong and sinful choices that we make. The fallout of such choices finds us anxious and regretful. But we can purpose to prepare for the temptations that lie ahead before they reach us by knowing that they’re inevitably coming (John 16:33). We can not only read and study our Bibles; we can also commit verses to memory. We’ll be better equipped to stand firm through life’s storms when we prepare for them before they’re here.  Let’s prepare for the times of testing that most certainly come. When we treasure God’s Word enough to store it in our minds and hearts, we stand ready to rely on its power in times of turmoil or temptation.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on March 28, 2024, 03:11:39 PM

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Looking for God’s Goodness While Waiting for His Good
May 22, 2023
by Alicia Bruxvoort

“Yet I am confident I will see the LORD's goodness while I am here in the land of the living.” Psalm 27:13 (NLT)

“I know God can work all things for good,” I admit as we sit outside the coffee shop, hot mugs in our hands and warm sunshine on our backs. “I just wish He’d give me a glimpse of what He’s doing in all this.”

My friend doesn’t need a detailed definition of this. She’s walked me through a recent heartache and prayed with me for a miracle. She’s shown up with groceries, lattes and hugs and has refused to offer pithy platitudes when the outcome of our prayers hasn’t matched the longing of our hearts.  I pull a yellow slip of paper from my pocket and hand it to her so she can read my scribbles: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28, NIV).

For months, I’ve carried this promise around as a reminder that even though my circumstances don’t feel good, God is still working for my good.  I’ve turned Romans 8:28 into a prayer of faith, and I’ve waited expectantly for God to answer. Yet as my circumstances remain unchanging, my hope is slowly waning.  My conversations with God have begun to shift from I know You can take this mess and do something marvelous with it ... to Where are You, and what are You doing?

As my friend and I sip our coffee, I wrap words around my discouragement, and she listens without judgment. She nods in understanding, then speaks a gentle truth: “Even when we can’t see how God is working for our good, we can choose to see His goodness.”

Her wisdom dangles in the silence between us as she digs for something in her purse. “I carry a verse with me too,” she says with a playful wink. “It’s a reminder to open my eyes.”

She hands me her phone, and I read the pixelated promise splayed across the screen: “Yet I am confident I will see the LORD's goodness while I am here in the land of the living” (Psalm 27:13).

The verse brings both comfort and conviction. When did I stop noticing the Lord’s goodness? I wonder as the psalmist’s words stir my heart.  We head home when our coffee grows cold, and I tuck that crumpled piece of yellow paper inside my prayer journal. I won’t stop believing God’s promise in Romans 8:28 and waiting in expectation. But there’s something I need to do in the meantime.  I turn to a fresh page in my journal. Lord, help me to see Your goodness, I whisper. I slow my swirling thoughts and think back through the moments of my day. Then I put pen to paper and name what I see:

1.  A friend who speaks in love.
2.  Tulips blooming in my yard.
2.  Laughter around the dinner table.

My discouragement doesn’t instantly disappear, but as I turn my scribbles into praises, my heart feels lighter, and my frustration grows quieter.  I close my journal and fold the corner of the page to mark my spot. Tomorrow I will pause to notice again. Because a wise friend is teaching me that even before we see God’s promised good, we can rejoice in His present goodness.  And it’s there at the intersection of faith and sight that hope grows.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on March 30, 2024, 01:39:17 PM

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Raising Kids With Steadfast Faith in a Culture of Darkness
May 24, 2023
by Nicole Hunt

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Philippians 4:8 (ESV)

As a millennial mom to four kids in the middle school and young teen years, I feel like the world has been turned upside down.  All around us, evil is called good, and good is called evil. Our culture tells us right and wrong are relative. It rejects the objective standard of Truth for a much more convenient and subjective standard of “your truth.” And while it preaches tolerance, this worldview insists that everyone conform to its secular ideology.  So as parents, how do we raise children who are steadfast in their faith when culture relentlessly seeks to deceive and confuse them?

In the times of the early Church, the Apostle Paul was in a similar situation with the church in Philippi. In Philippians 4:1, Paul lovingly encouraged the church to be steadfast in the Lord.  In the verses that follow, Paul directed them to think about “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise” (Philippians 4:8).

Essentially, Paul called these believers to be steadfast in their faith by developing godly character and conduct the results of pursuing biblical wisdom.  Parents can adopt this same plan when it comes to raising kids in today’s culture. We must lead our children to intentionally develop biblical wisdom and discernment so they may live with steadfast faith in this broken world.  Easier said than done, right? What practical steps can we take to raise children who are steadfast in their faith?

1.  Guide your children in the pursuit of biblical wisdom and discernment.

God’s Word is the very best source of wisdom and wisdom leads to godly actions and right living.  Intentionally set aside time to read the Bible with your children. As they get older and are able, encourage them to read it on their own too. Then offer to discuss what they’re reading and learning.  Romans 12:2 instructs us to live with renewed minds, and the path to a renewed mind is through the intentional pursuit of godly wisdom.  Knowing about the fruit of the Holy Spirit is one thing; choosing to live it out is another (Galatians 5:22-25). And yet another layer of the conversation is discerning whether or not our actions are consistent with God’s call on our lives to exhibit the fruit of the Spirit. Getting to that last layer helps us grow in wisdom and discernment.

2.  Be gentle with your children, always leading with love.

The pursuit of wisdom and steadfast faith will inevitably include failure. It’s not about perfection but the pursuit of excellence.  We want to inspire our kids with God’s Truth not break their spirits or push them away from God. This requires gentleness and love in both our words and actions.

3.  Live it out in your own life.

If we hope to teach our kids to pursue godly wisdom, we must first pursue godly wisdom ourselves. If we hope to inspire steadfast faith in our children, we must aspire to it in our lives. Let your life successes and failures be an example to your child.  As parents, the very best thing we can ever do for our kids is model an authentic and growing relationship with Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior of our lives.  And we can be encouraged that God is with us every step of the way as we guide our children in the pursuit of wisdom and godly character. The journey may seem daunting, but we are never alone or without His faithful guidance.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on April 01, 2024, 12:47:08 PM

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What if the Next Big Step God Wants You To Take Is Small?
May 25, 2023
by Lysa TerKeurst

“in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:6 (NIV)

It was a hot day inside and outside at the orphan village in Liberia. Twelve boys inside, practicing choir music, found their eyes wandering over to the soccer field, where the promise of fun and the cheers of their friends tugged at them.  They were feeling the pull of wanting to go outside and play soccer. But these boys determined the choir was worth the sacrifice.  Years earlier, Liberia had been ravaged by a civil war that left more than 25,000 orphans to be cared for. So to raise money and support, an a cappella boys’ choir was formed to travel throughout the country of Liberia and perform in churches.  Two of the teenage boys in that choir, Jackson and Mark, had been orphaned as babies when their parents and most of their siblings were killed by rebel forces.  Night after night, these boys knelt beside their makeshift beds and poured out prayers of thanksgiving and hope that one day they’d hear six simple yet life-changing words: “You are my child welcome home.”

God had a perfect design for their prayers to be answered and worked miracle after miracle to bring the boys’ choir to America. But little did I know my family would be part of the answer to Mark and Jackson’s prayers.  Life was already busy and full, as I was a mom to three little girls. So you can imagine my surprise that the night I went to see The Liberian Boys’ Choir concert at our church, I was stirred to consider adoption.  As I sat in the concert, God whispered to my heart that two of those boys singing were mine. No, I thought. Not me. I felt like sticking my fingers in my ears and singing, La, la, la, la, la I’m not listening to You, God! But the stirring in my heart wouldn’t stop.  I decided to try a new tactic with Him: Lord, I just came here tonight to bring my girls. I’m not looking for a major life change. Life is already very full with work, speaking, writing and home-schooling. Besides, all my friends would think I was crazy.  But God wasn’t discouraged by my response. His directive in my heart became more intense as the evening went on. After the concert, I asked the coordinator of the event which of the boys still needed homes. He told me eight of the boys still needed to find families and encouraged me to walk into the reception area where they were. If God intended for some of these boys to be part of my family, he was sure I’d know it.  Reluctantly, I walked into the reception area. In a matter of seconds, Jackson and Mark walked up to me, wrapped their arms around me, and called me Mom.  I was moved and terrified at the same time.  What began as a small heart prompting had turned into a very big decision.  I cried out to God, desperate for His guidance and wisdom as I pondered every aspect and wrestled with this decision deep in my spirit.  Still, doubts and questions flooded my mind.  One day, I called a friend and poured out my heart. She patiently listened without much response as I asked, “Why me?”

Then, quietly and prayerfully, she answered: “Because God knew you’d say ‘yes,’ Lysa.”

I was stunned. I think that was the highest compliment I could have ever received. My heart was filled with joy as my mind was filled with memories of the years of small steps God had me take to reach the place where I could be prepared to take this much bigger step.  Now, many, many years later, I think back to sitting in that church pew, just going about my ordinary life when God’s extraordinary invitation burst forth. I could have so easily walked out of that church and ignored God’s stirring. I’ve done that more times than I’d like to admit. But look at everything I would have missed out on had I done that.  Hear my heart: I’m not saying everyone is called to adopt. Honestly, the next big step God wants you to take might actually be small. But we’ll never know what that next step is if we don’t “submit to him” everything we do, as Proverbs 3:6 instructs us.  Each day, we can look for His invitation to leave our plans behind to join Him in His wondrous work through small steps of obedience.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on April 03, 2024, 10:57:49 AM

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Beautifully Broken
May 30, 2023
by Stacy J. Lowe

“For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.” Colossians 3:3 (NLT)

SMASH!  The sound of shattering clay filled the room, and my heart sank. An artist’s project, many hours in the making, had somehow toppled off the table and crumbled on the cement floor below.  And this wasn’t the first accident, either. This likeness of the artist’s own head, so carefully and skillfully crafted over a number of weeks, had suffered a previous minor fall from a drying rack.  Now I watched the artist’s eyes widen in horror at this new, much more devastating blow. Oh, how my heart went out to her!  While not a sculptor myself, I do know how it feels to have something you’ve poured yourself into suddenly crumble away without warning. It hurts badly. To the point where it can leave you wondering who you even are anymore.  The Apostle Paul could surely relate to a sudden life detour. He was a sold-out, faithful follower of Jesus, preaching and teaching the Good News throughout various regions. But it wasn’t all smooth sailing. Instead, he suffered many bouts of persecution and imprisonment for his actions (2 Corinthians 11:23-28).  Despite all that, though, he understood there was a greater reality and a higher purpose than what is immediately visible in the here and now. That’s why he tucked this important nugget of truth in a letter he wrote to the church in Colossae:  “For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3).

Paul’s words challenge God’s people to be transformed by the love of Christ and remember the truth of who they really are. Sometimes, though, figuring out what that looks like can be hard, especially in seasons of struggle and uncertainty. But that day, amongst the shards of broken clay, it became startlingly clear for me.  You see, it was at that moment I noticed that while most of the sculpture had crumbled to dust, the face itself was unchanged. It had somehow remained intact through all the mishaps and was still fully identifiable as that of the artist. And that’s when I realized the sculpture hadn’t just been broken; it had been beautifully broken and made even more compelling than the original piece.  That’s the thing about brokenness it always leaves a mark behind. But when we choose to couple our own shattered remains with God’s goodness and grace, we, too, become beautifully broken, and that’s how the very best stories are told. Stories of hope those around us are desperate to hear stories we ourselves may need reminding of at times.  This is what I’m now reminded of when I read those words from Colossians 3.  Because of Christ, I am not my circumstance. Because of Christ, I have a much higher calling on my life than anything that could ever happen to me here on earth. Because of Christ, no matter where I find myself or how shattered I may feel, my real life the core of who I am will never change. I will always and forever be identified as God’s chosen daughter.  Therefore, because of Christ, when I feel stripped of who I am, I can choose to remember whose I am, and I will embrace this gift of being beautifully broken.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on April 12, 2024, 11:58:47 AM

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When Your Heart Is a Muddy Mess
June 12, 2023
by Kelly Basham, COMPEL Training Member

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me … For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." Psalm 51:10, 16-17 (ESV)

While scrolling through social media, I landed on a post that infuriated me. I know I shouldn’t have, but I read the comments.  Many of the responses were in retaliation to what this person shared in their post. My heart also yearned to leave a witty comeback. With my thumbs poised over my phone's keyboard, I tried to devise a reply to let this person know their post was wrong.  Several retorts came to mind, but I ultimately decided it was better to do nothing in my furious state, so I shut off my phone and tossed it on the couch.  Satisfied with my good behavior, I mentally patted myself on the back for my ability to exert such excellent self-control.  But as I went about my day, my thoughts tormented me.  Didn’t I do the right thing?

Isn’t God happy with my behavior?

Why don’t I have any peace about it?

Then God brought to my mind a familiar passage of Scripture: Psalm 51. Scholars suggest this psalm was written by David after Nathan the prophet confronted David regarding his sins against Bathsheba and his murder of her husband, Uriah (2 Samuel 11-12).  In his prayer, David said, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me … For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” (Psalm 51:10, 16-17).

David longed to be made right with God and understood that God wanted more than his empty sacrifices and burnt offerings; God wanted a sincerely repentant heart.  Doing the right thing is good in many ways, but it doesn’t change what’s in our hearts. Jesus tells us that sin starts in the heart (Matthew 15:18-19). If our sin isn’t dealt with at the core, it will grow out of control until it permeates our entire being, affecting our relationship with God.  Although I practiced self-control by not posting a comment, my heart was unrepentant. Outwardly I looked clean, but on the inside, my heart was a muddy mess that still oozed pride and fury. Despite my good behavior, I still needed to seek the Lord in true repentance.  Friends, we should always try to do the right thing but let’s not forget that God delights in hearts that are genuinely remorseful more than He delights in empty sacrifices of good behavior. Psalm 51:17 says, “a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”

Admitting we are wrong is never easy, but as David explains, God doesn’t detest a repentant heart.  We can follow David’s example and bring ourselves to the Lord in wholehearted confession and repentance, without fear, for He is good to extend mercy and forgiveness to us just as He did to David.  Rather than presuming our good behavior is enough to make us right with God, let’s approach Him with a desire to be made clean and with a spirit that wants to be made right so we can enjoy our relationship with our heavenly Father.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on April 22, 2024, 05:12:43 PM

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Lord, What Should I Be Doing Today?
June 21, 2023
by Binu Samuel

“In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army … But David remained in Jerusalem.” 2 Samuel 11:1 (NIV)

He initiated the conversation, and he was beyond transparent. Without my husband or me even asking, our young friend told us everything and it wasn’t pretty.  My stomach was in knots. As he went through the details, all I could think was, How does someone get themselves into this kind of situation?

In 2 Samuel 11, we read about another young man who found himself in a place of regret.  “In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army … But David remained in Jerusalem” (2 Samuel 11:1).

King David, who should have been at war, decided to take it easy in his palace. He ended up on his rooftop. From there, he spotted a beautiful woman bathing. Fully knowing that she was married and that her husband, Uriah, was off to war (where David himself should have been), David summoned her to his home.  Long story short, sin got a hold of David, and because of his terrible decisions, King David made a huge mess for himself and others. Not only did he sin against Bathsheba, but he committed murder, too, as he arranged for Uriah to be killed at war (2 Samuel 11:15).  Now that escalated quickly. Sin left unconfessed usually does.  Every time I read this story, so many questions go through my mind. How did King David even get himself into that situation?

He was a king. Kings go to war. Why wasn’t he at war? Did he forget who he was?

The more I study this chapter, it becomes clearer that 2 Samuel 11 isn’t simply a lesson about moral failure; it’s a lesson about daily failure (and success) as well.  What if David had started off his day asking the Lord one simple question: Lord, as Your appointed king, what should I be doing today?

I am certain the sinful events of 2 Samuel 11 would not have been on God’s to-do list for David that day … but joining his troops in battle might have been.  The truth is, David wasn’t the first king to have forgotten his God-appointed assignment, nor was he the last. Before I can get too judgmental, the Holy Spirit begins to ask me a few questions: As a daughter of the King, are you always doing what you should be doing?

Do you always remember who you are and the purpose I have for you?

According to 1 Peter 2:9, if we have accepted Christ into our hearts, we are “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession” (NIV, emphasis added).

You and I are royalty! The choices we make and what we do throughout our days matter to God just as much as King David’s choices mattered to God.  What if we started our days by asking God this same question: Lord, what should I be doing today? Do You have any special assignments for me?

Then as things come to mind, we can jot them down and add those things to our to-do lists.  It might be something as simple as calling or texting someone whom God wants to connect us with. Or perhaps the Lord will show us someone to pray for … and unlike King David in this story, we can go to war for them and cry out to God on their behalf.  As the conversation with my young friend came to a close, I was inspired not by his mistakes but by his quick confession and humility.  The Holy Spirit was clearly at work in my friend’s life. His willingness to repent and receive advice, correction and rebuke assured me that despite his slip-up, he was going to be OK. God’s plans for him still included a great hope and a victorious future.  Friends, it’s summertime. Do we know what God wants us to be doing in this season?

If not, let’s take a few minutes to ask Him. Then let’s take a few more minutes to listen, giving Him time to answer.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on April 26, 2024, 07:17:42 PM

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You Are the Bride of Christ
June 26, 2023
by Sarah Geringer

"For your Maker is your husband—the LORD Almighty is his name—the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth." Isaiah 54:5 (NIV)

I put on a new white garment and pulled my hair up into a chignon, just like I did when I was a young bride. But this time, I was headed to the attorney’s office.  After many years of effort, my marriage of 21 years was ending against my will.  I dreaded the first attorney meeting. Not because I expected it to be contentious we had agreed on an uncontested split. My dread stemmed from the knowledge that this would be the first official step toward the end I had resisted with all my might.  The meeting started fine. I answered the attorney’s requests for names, dates and addresses. Then he asked where we were married.  “Gatlinburg, Tennessee,” I said.

A city that only held good memories for me of our trip to plan for our happy day, then our wedding a few months later, and a return trip for our 10th anniversary. The memory threads pulled at my heart, and an unexpected gush of grief spilled out.  In my many moments of sorrow during our difficult marriage, I had turned to Isaiah 54:4-8 for comfort. I clung to the hope that when I felt unloved, God’s promises were always true:  “For your Maker is your husband the LORD Almighty is his name the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth” (Isaiah 54:5).

The God of the whole earth, the Lord of hosts and the holy One of Israel, says He is my Husband. He calls me back to Him when I feel deserted and distressed in spirit (Isaiah 54:6). When I feel afraid, disgraced, ashamed and rejected, He shows me deep compassion (Isaiah 54:4; Isaiah 54:7). When I feel abandoned, He draws me near with everlasting kindness (Isaiah 54:8).  As followers of Jesus, we can be comforted by these intimate promises. People in our lives may break vows, abandon us, and let their love for us run cold but our Lord never treats us this way. Instead, He promises that our weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning (Psalm 30:5). He gives us “a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair” (Isaiah 61:3a, NIV).

One day, the Church will be presented to Jesus as His bride, and everyone who believes in Him will feast together at the supper of the Lamb in heaven (Revelation 19:7-9). We will be wearing white, dressed beautifully for our Husband (Revelation 21:2).  For now, I take great comfort in knowing Jesus is right beside me every day, protecting me and loving me as my Redeemer and my heavenly Husband.  If you have placed your faith in Jesus, you are His bride, too, my friend. Whatever hurts you’ve experienced, He can handle. Whatever betrayal you’ve endured, He understands. His loving presence has been a constant balm to me in this difficult season. I pray that you will adorn yourself daily as His bride, enjoying spiritual intimacy with Him now as you wait expectantly for His return.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on April 28, 2024, 04:04:07 PM

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While You Wait
June 30, 2023
by Tracie Braylock

“I wait for the LORD, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.” Psalm 130‬:5‬ (NIV)‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

The phone hanging on the waiting-room wall is used by families to call into the operating room, acting as a lifeline for those wanting to know what’s taking place.  As the operating-room nurse, I’d often answer the phone and hear a concerned voice on the other end requesting information about their loved one’s condition.  “Excuse me, doctor, the family would like an update,” I’d say.

Often, the response would be something like, “Everything is proceeding as expected.”

Because of these experiences, I’ve developed a great deal of empathy for those waiting for answers, for those who simply want to know their loved ones are safe and still in good hands.  I’m also keenly aware of the work taking place in the operating room that very few get to witness. The spaces being surgically opened, cleaned out, newly constructed and masterfully stitched back together. The work that relieves pain, mends wounds, makes way for healing, and ensures living this life remains possible.  You see, sometimes, for those on the other end of the phone, the information that everything is proceeding as expected is enough to calm their obvious concern and curiosity. Other times, this answer isn’t enough. The person standing in the waiting room wants more detail, certainty or even a definitive timeline.  Maybe these people have been in the waiting room so long that they've noticed others, who had previously been waiting with them, have left. Others’ prayers seem to have been answered. Others’ operations have already been completed. Others have gotten to move on while they are still waiting and pacing the floor.  My friend, if you find yourself in one of life’s waiting rooms watching and wondering when you’ll get to move on I encourage you to focus your attention on this passage of Scripture: “I wait for the LORD, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope” (Psalm 130:5).

You don’t have to spend another moment doubting, worrying or pacing the floor. You and your whole being can wait for the Lord as you redirect your attention and put your hope in His Word.  Even though it seems like you’ve been waiting for so long and there’s no end in sight, know that everything is proceeding as He expected. You don’t need the details or a definitive timeline to know that God will keep every promise He has made concerning you and your future. He is opening doors, cleaning out debris, constructing new paths and masterfully stitching together more than you could imagine.  You may not be standing in the operating room of your situation, able to see what’s happening or witness the process firsthand, but you can trust that God is moving on your behalf, and the work is indeed taking place.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on May 03, 2024, 04:58:52 PM

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You Are Chosen
July 5, 2023
by Meghan Mellinger

“You didn’t choose me. I chose you.” John 15:16a-b (NLT)

Thirteen-year-old me wasn’t a fan of gym class for a few reasons: I was an artist, not an athlete, and I was always picked last for any team sport.  Fast-forward a few years, and I’d still rather draw a ball than kick one. But rejection and I have become close friends, and my disappointment résumé is full of line items:

    My crush asking another girl out on a date instead of me.
    Seeing my friends post on social media about an event I didn’t get invited to.
    Not winning sweepstakes for my own private island in the Caribbean.

It’s a lot easier to think of the times I haven’t been chosen than the times I have been.  We all desperately desire to be chosen because it means someone truly and fully sees us. The real, unfiltered versions of ourselves. On the good days when we’re well fed, rested and have adequate sunlight and on the not-so-good days during rush-hour traffic when we use words and hand gestures our grandmas wouldn’t approve of.  No matter how old we are, sometimes we’re still that awkward kid with braces who shouldn’t have cut her own bangs, waiting and wishing in that gymnasium for those magical words: “I choose you.”

We want to be the one selected, preferred and hand-picked for a reason.  I wonder how Jesus’ disciples felt when He said these powerful words to them in John 15:16a-b: “You didn’t choose me. I chose you.”

Our perfect Savior picked some of the most imperfect people to be a part of His team: a doubter (Thomas), a hothead (Peter), and a guy who had a full-time job profiting off of his own people (Matthew). Most came from lowly, insignificant lives. They weren’t the richest or most important. They were often overlooked. They were flawed, unrefined and unqualified.  I’m sure they didn’t feel like the best or most appropriate choice. Yet Jesus saw them fully and chose them anyway.  And together, with Him, they changed the world.mmAs a perfectionist, I feel like this seems too good to be true. But as a human being, I know it’s a sigh of relief.  God doesn't choose perfect people: He just wants us to come as we are.  Every imperfect inch and pound of us, every thought and action.  The real challenge is quieting the doubts and lies in our minds long enough to hear and receive those three affirming words: “I chose you” (John 15:16b).

Jesus is calling you to be a part of a greater team than the eighth-grade elite dodgeball squad.  You have not been overlooked; you are fully seen by our all-knowing God. Your brokenness, imperfections and failures have not disqualified you from His purpose for you.  Disappointments and rejection will be a part of earthly life, but your unconditional worth in Jesus will never change.  Today, you may feel undeserving and inadequate. You may feel you’re trying too hard or not trying hard enough. But today, you are fully seen and known. And today, just like yesterday, our God is in the habit of using imperfect people for His perfect plan. So come close and listen to His words:  “I choose you.”

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on May 07, 2024, 07:27:59 PM

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Slip Away and Pray
July 6, 2023
by Anitha Abraham

“But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Luke 5:16 (NIV)

After months of planning, my sister, Binu, and I finally had a chance to grab dinner with a particular group of friends. The Thai food was delicious plus, the conversation was fun and meaningful.  Before we could even start thinking about what sugary item we should end our evening with, Binu spoke up: “Hey, ladies, when we’re done, maybe we could all get in my van and pray!”

If you knew Binu, you wouldn't find this shocking. First of all, she loves her van. We have taken many a road trip in it. Secondly, she loves to pray. Her sons have often come home from school to find her praying in their room. She still does this even though they are in college and living away from home during the semester.  When I call her to “vent” about troubles in my life, she listens, advises and says, “Why don’t we pray?”

Then she goes straight to God’s throne room with me on the phone. For big and small things, I will often get a text from her asking for prayer. She believes in the power of prayer and lives it out.  So after dinner that night, instead of going somewhere for dessert, we all hopped in Binu’s van to pray. I’ll admit I was ready to go home and get in my pajamas, but I knew Binu had chosen the better thing time with the Lord.  We took turns sharing our needs along with the needs of people around us. One by one, we prayed over those requests. The atmosphere was ripe with God's power. The Holy Spirit was truly moving among us in that van.  Praying seems easy, but honestly, it can be hard for me. When I see how intentional Binu is about prayer, I am inspired. But even more so, did you know Jesus was intentional about prayer?

“… Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (Luke 5:16, emphasis added).

“After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray” (Matthew 14:23a, NIV).

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed” (Mark 1:35, NIV).

Jesus the second Person of the Trinity, the one and only Son of God made time to pray.  I am thankful for the Apostle Paul’s charge later in Scripture to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17, ESV). This invites us into an all-day conversation with God, no matter what we are doing. But the examples of Jesus' prayers in the Gospels are very telling as well. While I have no doubt He was in constant dialogue with His Father, the fact that Jesus still slipped away to pray, often in solitude, sets an example for us.  If Jesus prayed in this manner, shouldn’t I?

I don’t want to miss out on time with God by not slipping away. I want what was said of my sister and my Savior to be said of me that I often withdraw to pray.

Title: Re: Devotions
Post by: Pip on May 09, 2024, 11:48:28 AM

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When Satan Tempts You To Despair
July 7, 2023
by Asheritah Ciuciu

“Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died more than that, who was raised to life is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” Romans 8:34 (NIV)

For years, most of my prayer journal entries started with confessing the same sin struggle over and over again. Few things are as humbling as facing a long record of your own shortcomings in black and white.  For some of us, that record is physically written in our own handwriting. For others, it’s evoked by mental flashbacks to past behaviors we’d rather forget. For still others, it’s whispered by the enemy, who tells us all the ways we fall short. I’m reminded of the old hymn “Before the Throne of God Above”:  “When Satan tempts me to despair, And tells me of the guilt within, Upward I look and see Him there Who made an end of all my sin.”

There really is an accuser who hurls allegations against God’s people before God (Zechariah 3:1-2; Revelation 12:10). And let’s be honest: We all sin. Most of those allegations are probably deserved.  But do you know who now stands before God's throne, interceding on our behalf?

Jesus.  Thanks be to God that Jesus is standing right there defending us before the Father. Not because our good deeds outweigh our bad ones. We have no hope of that. But because Jesus offers His own perfect righteousness to cover all our sins:  “Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died more than that, who was raised to life is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us” (Romans 8:34).

We will still struggle against sin as long as we live in these earthly bodies. And it’s healthy to keep short accounts by regularly confessing our sin and receiving God’s forgiveness.  But we do not have to struggle alone. In the fight against our own flesh and the forces of evil, God equips us with the breastplate of righteousness to stand against the enemy's schemes: “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place …” (Ephesians 6:14, NIV).

The wonder of the breastplate of righteousness is that it is not our own righteousness that protects us: It's the perfect righteousness of Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:21).  What shields your core the very center of your being, the most vulnerable place an enemy would try to attack you is not your own ability to do the right thing. In that case, our breastplates would be full of holes where sin struggles have eaten through like rust. Rather, the protection that covers our front and back is the titanium-strength, sin-proof, perfect, spotless righteousness of Jesus.  Like Adam and Eve trying to cover themselves with fig leaves in the garden of Eden (Genesis 3:7), we could never cover ourselves with our own righteousness. It’s only the sacrifice of the spotless Lamb of God that covers us from head to toe.

When God the Father looks at you and me, He sees Jesus’ perfect righteousness, not our own repeated failures.  Hallelujah! What a wonderful and merciful Savior!  So let’s come boldly before the throne of God to receive mercy and grace in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16).  Let’s put on Jesus’ righteousness by confessing our sin struggles and receiving His forgiveness and grace. We can ask Him to prepare us for battle as we put to death the sins of the flesh and walk in obedience to His Spirit. And we can rest in the victory of Christ Jesus as we continue walking in His righteousness day by day.