Devotions

[PippaJane]

https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/full-post/2023/01/04/keep-me-teachable?utm_campaign=Daily%20Devotions&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=239773408&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9mtsjLtfYlm7ac0zZuFRV8f2txjM-3Mzbv4-eOgG7UjtMGYL6cgPsUWM3OTkPyLF2qheAswu21V4fjF-sTmFYw4YJm6w&utm_content=239773408&utm_source=hs_email#disqus_thread

Keep Me Teachable
January 4, 2023
by Trillia Newbell

“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!” Romans 11:33 (NIV)

I didn’t grow up in church and wasn’t exposed to Bible stories as a child. I became a Christian at age 22 but felt like a toddler. Everything was new!  Not only was I learning how to walk with God but also how to read His Word. Everyone seemed to know so much; at least that’s what I thought. I found myself tempted to approach God’s Word out of duty to gain more knowledge about Him to feel like I wasn’t behind. My relationship with God became about knowing more rather than enjoying and delighting in the One who saved me.  That is, until God showed me that the key to growing as a Christian is not to gain more and more knowledge and one day “arrive,” having learned all there is to know instead, the key is always to remain a student of Jesus.  One day, I was teaching a Bible study, and during our discussion, one of my sisters in the Lord told us that when she was younger, she prayed to the Lord: Keep me teachable. She was nearly twice my age and yet was eager to learn from me and the Lord.  My friend didn’t know it at the time, but she was teaching me at that moment to cherish learning about the Lord for the rest of my life.  As I listened and watched her, I realized she so loved her Savior that she never wanted to “arrive,” as if she could not learn more about Him. Her desire for knowledge was commendable, but it wasn’t just so she could answer trivia questions. No, she longed to be in relationship with the Lord. She longed for the humility it would take to be a lifelong learner.  After all, it’s absurd for us to think that we can get to the end of learning about God. The depths of God’s Word and His character are inexhaustible, as Paul proclaims in our key verse: “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!” (Romans 11:33).

We will be searching the depths for eternity!  If we desire knowing the Lord only to be able to say that we have knowledge, falsely thinking that one day we might “arrive,” we will miss out on two glorious benefits of the Christian life:  The wonderful joys of learning and being taught.  May we never be puffed up because of our knowledge. (1 Corinthians 8:1b) Instead, my prayer for you and me is that the Lord would keep us teachable all the days of our lives. The Lord opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. (James 4:6) He will give us grace upon grace as we humbly seek to learn.  A relationship with Jesus.  It’s scary to think that we can know a lot about God and not really know Him at all. As we read Scripture, we are indeed gaining knowledge, but the purpose is to grow in our relationship with and love of our Lord. We cherish God’s Word because we cherish God.  I have had seasons of Spirit-filled, worshipful and consistent time in the Word and seasons when reading felt like a duty rather than a joy and delight. We all find ourselves struggling from time to time to read the Bible and interpret it correctly. And here’s the good news: That’s OK. Any time in the Word is time well spent. Time in the Word won’t always feel like a worship service, but every moment teaches you one more thing about your Lord and Savior. It’s not wasted!  When we change our focus away from merely gaining knowledge, we can watch our time with the Lord transform from duty to delight.  Like my friend, let’s long to be teachable, always eager to hear from the Lord through His Word.

[Lil angel]

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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.

[Lost Soul]

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Two Powerful Steps for When You’re Uncertain and Unresolved
January 10, 2023
by Amy Carroll

“Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: ‘Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.’” Esther 4:15-16 (NIV)

During the first week of January 2022, the steady static of anxiety blared in my heart as I watched my friends post their New Year’s resolutions. I had joined them with enthusiasm in years past, charging with joy into our annual fresh start.  Last year was different.  I couldn’t nail down one resolution. Not even one.  A busy schedule, a personal crisis and a year of looming changes left me paralyzed with uncertainty. I could not see an obvious way forward, and I was fearful that any plans I did make wouldn’t come to pass.  Thankfully, God’s Word is the solution for every situation that stymies us. As I studied the book of Esther during this unsettled time, God gave me a new perspective. Instead of seeing Esther as a queen with a tiara, I saw her as a woman like me. A woman with uncertainty swirling around her.  When Esther was asked by her uncle Mordecai to go to her husband, the king, to interrupt a genocidal plot, she was wise. Esther 4:15-16 tells us, “Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: ‘Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.’”

Before charging. into a risky act with an undetermined outcome, she took two powerful steps. This is a path we can follow today to steady us in uncertainty.

1.  Pause for the plan.

Esther didn’t react immediately. She paused. It wasn’t a passive pause, though; Esther took three days to fast, a scriptural practice of abstaining from food to hear from God.  Instead of flailing ahead with our own ideas and agendas, let’s follow Esther’s example by getting quiet, sharpening our spiritual hearing, and watching for God’s perfect plan.

2.  Lean on your people.

When Esther paused, she didn’t do it alone. She did it with her community.  Esther’s story encourages us to lean into the people around us for support; however, there’s one caveat. Let’s make sure to choose our people wisely. When we reach out to people who love us and love the Lord, they can be the trustworthy sources of wisdom and support we can rely on. A spiritually mature community can be one of God’s most precious gifts in uncertain times.

If you’ve found yourself in uncertainty already this year, groaning inwardly that you don’t have any shiny resolutions to share, don’t despair. Being uncertain and unresolved can lead us to a place of beautiful dependence on God and others. It’s there that we begin to pause instead of plowing forward. It’s there that we become determined to keep our community close.

[PippaJane]

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Leaving a Legacy of Life-Giving Words
January 16, 2023
by Sally Clarkson

“The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.” Proverbs 15:4 (NIV)

My mother was not a deeply educated theologian, but she had a very simple trust in God.  I still remember one special Christmas when I was about 9 years old. She and I sat by our towering Christmas tree aglow with white lights and colorful, shiny baubles adorning every branch. Sipping our hot chocolates, we sat shoulder to shoulder, taking in the magical moment together.  Out of the blue, she nudged me, looked very solemnly into my eyes, and said, “One thing is important for you to remember the rest of your life.”

I sat up straighter, sensing this was a profound moment.  She said very clearly, “These words from the Bible have carried me my whole life: ‘If God is for us, who can be against us?’ Just remember: God is for you. He is on your side. He loves you just as you are. Say it with me: ‘If God is for me, who can be against me?’” (See Romans 8:31b, NIV.)

And so I did.  She continued, “There is one more of my favorite verses I want you to remember: ‘The LORD is my shepherd …’ You see, even as a shepherd cares for His sheep, feeds them, protects them, so God does with us and will do for you. You will never be alone. He will be with you every day and watch over you. You can always trust Him to take care of you.” (See Psalm 23:1, NIV.)

We sat beside each other and drank in the

 beauty of the moment together. And I have never forgotten it.

Even though my mother’s words were simple and I did not understand them fully when I was 9, they planted a tiny seed of faith in my heart that has grown, like a tree, throughout my life. My mother left a small legacy of words that made a deep impression on me. Proverbs 15:4 exemplifies this truth about the power of words: “The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.”

Since then, I have believed that God is on my side. That He is for me, that He will take care of me. Those words have carried me through many a challenge in life. My mother gave me her words, and they have stayed with me my whole life, even as I can see my 70th year just ahead.  How many of us carry in our hearts words that were spoken to us as children words that still hurt or words that carry God’s love right to our hearts? Words matter. We can leave messages of life and love with those we meet.  Words are like food to our hearts, minds and souls. They have the potential to shape destinies, inspire courage and instill character. Words can express assurance of love, shape our emotional health and lay foundations of truth that hold us fast our whole lives. Our words have the power to pass on a legacy of faith.  Shaping life-giving messages and building a legacy of unconditional love and faith requires intentionality. And it comes about as you give your words of affirmation to those around you as a habit of life.

[PippaJane]

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God Is Always Good
January 17, 2023
by Katie Faris

“For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” Romans 15:4 (ESV)

Motherhood isn’t what I expected.  It’s a whole lot more more joy and more sorrow  While I know that being a mom is a wonderful calling, this role has also exposed my heart to the wounding arrows of pain and grief. From newborn-feeding issues to my children’s serious medical diagnoses, my motherhood journey has included detours I never expected.  Maybe you navigate a child’s special needs, a teen’s rebellion or your own unique sorrows of motherhood.  These are painful realities in our broken world, and all the “feels” travel with them. Sadness, fear, anxiety, anger, disappointment and so many more unwelcome guests appear on our hearts' doorsteps.  Yet when life plays out differently than we hoped, in the big and the small, and our feelings are strong, sometimes we don’t feel God’s presence. Our sorrows can lead us to wonder, Where is God, and is He still good?

God designed us to feel deeply, which is wonderful, but our emotions aren’t reliable. We don’t live in Eden, and our bodies, relationships and circumstances experience the impacts of sin. Especially when life is difficult or unpredictable and we add some hormones our feelings are changeable.  But here’s good news for our fluctuating hearts:  God is still good, whether we feel like He is or not. Because He is good (and powerful and wise and all His other attributes), we can trust Him, even in our suffering.  The apostle Paul wrote in our key verse, “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Romans 15:4).

In other words, the whole Bible was written for our instruction and encouragement. Why?

So that even when we feel sad, confused or any number of other things, we might have hope.  When our feelings scream loudly, we need bedrock truths about God, and those are found in His Word:

1. God is with us even when He feels far away. “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10, ESV)

2. Challenging circumstances don’t mean God has forgotten us. “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” (1 Peter 5:10, ESV)

3. Whether it feels like it or not, God is always good. “The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.” (Nahum 1:7, ESV)

4. God is good when we don’t deserve it. “… God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8, ESV)

Sisters, when life goes smoothly, it’s easier to say that God is good. However, when life is hard, it takes faith to trust Him. But it’s our faith even a little faith that pleases God. (Hebrews 11:6)  Feeling (or not feeling) something doesn’t make it true. If I’d relied solely on my emotions when my newborn struggled to gain weight or my children were diagnosed, I don’t know where I’d be today. By God’s grace, the Holy Spirit used Scripture to encourage me and give me hope. He can do the same for you today.

[PippaJane]

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Receiving God’s Gifts in Others
January 20, 2023
by Jasmine Williams

“Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve others, as good stewards of the varied grace of God.” 1 Peter 4:10 (CSB)

Last spring, we found ourselves in a muddy situation literally.  We had unintentionally created 10 tiny ponds in our backyard and a huge safety hazard for the kids! See, my husband and I had come up with this exciting (and perhaps overly ambitious) idea to start a backyard orchard. On a whim, I ordered 10 fruit trees and started dreaming of picking my own apples.  It was a lovely dream, but in reality, we dug 10 huge holes and then didn't have enough time to finish planting. It rained so much that week that by the time we got back outside, the holes were completely filled with muddy water.  After trying unsuccessfully to scoop the water out with a 5-gallon bucket and use the hose as a siphon, my tired husband was about to head to the hardware store when I suggested he text our neighbor. We both felt a little silly about it. How often do you get a text saying, “Hey, do you have anything I can use to get water out of the huge holes in my yard?”

But he asked anyway, and to our surprise, our neighbor had the perfect solution! He’s into boats and had a pump that’s typically used to get water out of things like … well, boats. Who knew?!

We sure didn’t.  For us, this was a wonderful reminder that God designed us to be in community. First Peter 4:10 says, “Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve others, as good stewards of the varied grace of God.”

I often look at verses like this and think only about my responsibility to help, but let’s consider the flip side of it: In community, we also get to be the recipients of God’s gifts in others.  There are skills, crafts and hobbies we simply do not have but someone connected to us just might. While a co-worker’s love for painting or sewing may not come to mind in all situations, it's there for us to tap into when we do need it. That’s the power of community. We don’t have to individually possess every talent or have access to every resource we may need along the way.  And God, being the good Father He is, loves when we do life with others and benefit from the blessings He’s placed in them. If I’m delighted when my kids help each other with schoolwork and chores, then God, who’s an infinitely better parent than I am, surely takes joy when we help one another.  We’re all made better by the exchange of good ideas and resources. Looking at it this way, we see our individual imperfections give us an amazing opportunity. We get to feel more complete when we thrive alongside others, filling each other's gaps when needed.  While my husband and I would’ve eventually found a way to empty those holes, our neighbor helped us do it in peace, with half the effort. In unity, we can strive less. Perhaps this is one reason Jesus said, “Take up my yoke and learn from me … and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:29-30, CSB).

Being connected to Him also connects us to the greatness He has put in those who follow Him.

[Cocopops]

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What Holds the Key to Your Heart?
January 26, 2023
by Lysa TerKeurst

“When Jesus heard this, he said to him, ‘You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’” Luke 18:22 (NIV)

I long to be a woman who follows hard after Jesus.  I want the kind of soul-satisfying closeness that can only come from daily keeping pace with Him, not a life full of “good Christian” boxes I check off.  The checklist can be such a tempting routine to fall into, can’t it?

Rules and regulations were an everyday reality for God’s people in the Old Testament. There were lists of do’s and don’ts to help sinful people maintain fellowship with a holy God. First the Ten Commandments. Then law after law about sacrifices and ceremonies, food and cleanliness.  But in the New Testament, Jesus fulfilled the law (Matthew 5:17-18) and turned everything upside down with His message of grace. A message that declares, “Following rules won’t get you into heaven. Being good won’t earn you bonus points. Lay down your checklists your agendas everything and follow Me. Believe in Me. Receive Me. Live like Me.”

It was a complete shift in thinking. One that left people perplexed, like the rich ruler in Luke 18.  We first meet the rich ruler when he approached Jesus with a question: “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 18:18, NIV).

Jesus, already knowing this man’s checklist mindset, began naming several of the Ten Commandments. It was a list the rich ruler felt he had kept well. But Jesus had more to say: “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me” (Luke 18:22).

It would be so easy to gloss over this moment and think Jesus was simply talking about money. But the words in this conversation are actually talking about something much deeper. The core issue Jesus was getting at is this: What holds the key to your heart?

Oh, how I want my answer to be this: “Jesus.”

I want to want Him the most. To live completely captured by His love. Enthralled with His teachings. Transformed into living proof of His Truth.  There have been others who have gone before me desiring this as well. Imperfect heroes of faith we read about in the Bible who, despite their shortcomings, pleased God through faith. (Hebrews 11) It wasn’t perfect actions that carved a path to God’s heart. It was something else. Something less defined that couldn’t be outlined or dissected. Something that was sometimes messy and offensive. But something so precious at the same time.  Surrender letting go of anything pulling them away from God.  It’s a word used to describe a little girl leaping from the bed’s edge, completely confident her daddy will catch her. It’s the same thing that fueled David’s courageous run toward Goliath with nothing but a sling and five smooth stones. It’s what fueled Joshua. And Moses. And Noah. And Paul.  And it’s the one thing Jesus was asking of the rich ruler. Not a life lived perfectly but a heart of perfect surrender. So this is the prayer I’m saying today:  Everything I have. Everything I own. Everything I hope for. Everything I fear. Everything I love. Everything I dream. It's all Yours, Jesus. I trust You in complete and utter surrender.  Sadly, this was the one thing this man felt he could not offer. He stood on the edge of everything uncertain, with the arms of all certainty waiting to catch him. And he just couldn’t jump; he lived his life entangled in lesser things.  He was not captured by, enthralled with or transformed into living proof of the reality of Jesus. And so he walked away from the only One who could ever truly satisfy his soul.  Oh, friends. Let’s not allow this to be the tragedy of our lives. Let’s be captured by Jesus’ love, enthralled with His teachings and transformed into living proof of His Truth. Let’s live with abandon and fully trust Him.  The life that follows Jesus with surrender and trust is the life that gets to experience His presence, His provision, His promises, His soul-satisfying abundance.

[Cocopops]

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God’s Not Afraid of My Pain
January 27, 2023
by Alicia Bruxvoort

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

She’d been dancing in the kitchen before she disappeared. She’d twirled and tangoed to the music as I scrubbed the breakfast dishes, but when her feet slipped, her peal of giggles gave way to a squall of sobs. And with a sad shriek, the pirouetting princess stumbled out of the room.  I dropped the dishrag in my hand and headed upstairs. It wasn’t the first time I’d gone looking for our resident preschooler. And it wouldn’t be the last.  This precious girl had come to live with my family while hers was in crisis. Though she'd found refuge under our roof, my arms weren’t the comfort she sought in times of anguish. So she often chose isolation over consolation.  I found her tucked in a corner of her bedroom, head buried in her hands, shoulders drooping low.  I settled on the floor across from her and spoke quietly: “I’m right here.”

I extended my arms in an unspoken invitation to hold her, but she turned away with an angry-eyed harrumph.  It was tempting to be frustrated, but I also recognized myself in her prickly posture and guarded heart. After all, little girls aren’t the only ones who withdraw when life hurts.  I, too, have sat alone in my sadness and detached in my disappointment. More often than not, when my heart is aching, I’m prone to run from God instead of toward Him.  But lately, I’m discovering a different way. When I’m tempted to run and hide, I turn to the psalms in Scripture and let the words of the psalmists serve as my gentle guide. And as I follow their example, I’m learning the ache in my heart need not keep me from the comfort of God.  What the psalmists knew and what I’m finding, too is that God’s invitation to draw near (James 4:8) isn’t limited to epic moments of worship or poignant times of praise. His summons stands even when we can’t.  The vulnerable expression of lament in Psalm 38:9 reminds me I don't need to disguise my despair or misery “O Lord, all my longing is before you; my sighing is not hidden from you.”

I can give God more than my worship; I can bring Him my wounds as well.  Sometimes turning to God in our pain looks like vulnerable scribbles in our journal. Other times, it looks like naming our disappointment or voicing the hard questions that spill from sadness. And once in a while it looks like tears falling fast without words as we trust the Holy Spirit to say what we can’t articulate. (Romans 8:26)  No matter how we bring our lament to God, when we dare to follow in the steps of the grievers and believers before us, we meet hope in the midst of our hurting.  And best of all, pain doesn’t get the last word. Rather than carving a canyon between God’s heart and ours, our ache paves a path right into His presence.  I was still sitting on the floor when the dancing girl lifted her head and narrowed the space between us with a quiet crawl.  “I’m sad and I’m mad,” she muttered.

“I know,” I murmured as she climbed into my lap and buried her head in my arms.

I held her close and hoped my presence spoke louder than my words: “It’s OK to cry. I’m not afraid of your pain.”

[PippaJane]

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You Are Not Enough (And You Were Never Meant To Be)
January 31, 2023
by Meghan Mellinger

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NIV)

A friend told me the other day that I’m highly favored and loved by God.  I didn’t believe it.  Me?

Highly favored?

My life is like an amusement park ride sometimes I’m up, sometimes I’m down, sometimes a screw pops out of something important, and someone’s putting up caution tape. The only consistency for me is always being stressed, sleepy and hungry.  The things I know I need to do?

I haven’t done them.  The things I know I shouldn’t do?

I've done them all.  No matter how hard I try or how many social media tutorials I’ve watched, my performance always falls short. Why would a perfect God love someone so imperfect?

Because God is love.  Which makes these famous scriptures on the topic of love a clear snapshot of our God:  “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).

We’ve perhaps heard this passage at weddings and seen it crocheted on pillows, but it changes the game when we think of God this way, doesn’t it?

Because Jesus lived and loved perfectly, God loves His people without conditions or a checklist to satisfy. He’s not keeping score or holding a grudge against His children. His love is perfect. And it’s free. The price for it has already been paid in full by Jesus on the cross, and we don’t have to perform perfectly to earn it.  This is a perfect love from a perfect God, given as a gift to imperfect people.  Seems too good to be true, right?

It’s hard for us to believe this because the version of love we see every day is conditional. It’s a love based off of the numbers on the scale or the numbers in our bank accounts. Swipe left or swipe right if you don’t measure up, you’re not worthy. If you don’t get the grades or the job, you’re not enough.  The truth is: We are not enough.  The good news is: We were never meant to be.  This means we are free free from our fears, our obsession with performance, our unrealistic expectations.  We will always fall short, but God isn’t keeping a tally of every mishap and slip-up to condemn His people. He offers forgiveness. God doesn’t need our performance He wants our surrender. He wants us to give up trying to earn our worth and instead believe what is unfair and undeserved:  We are unconditionally loved.  We are redeemed by His sacrifice.  We are highly favored when we walk with Him.  We are not enough, but His love is.  And that’s the beauty of the gospel message.  Let’s believe it and receive it today.

[heartbroken]

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When God Gives You More Than You Can Handle
February 2, 2023
by Lysa TerKeurst

“Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.” 2 Corinthians 1:9 (NIV)

I felt sure there had to be some sort of awful mistake. I had no family history of breast cancer. I was young(ish) and healthy. And I was already walking through an incredibly hard season that was making life feel impossibly heavy.  Yet there I was, sitting in a pink chair, wondering what you’re supposed to do after you get a cancer diagnosis.  I kept thinking about that statement everyone loves to throw out in times like these: “God won’t give you more than you can handle.”

But that’s not actually in the Bible.  God does say He won’t allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear and that He always provides a way out. (1 Corinthians 10:13) But that’s not the same as God not giving us more than we can handle.  God didn’t cause my cancer. But He was allowing it. And He sometimes will allow more and more.  As I type these words, I know I’m not the only one who feels they’ve been given more than they can handle.  The world is filled with people who are dealt more than they can handle. And, surprisingly, so is the Bible.  The Apostle Paul wrote: “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead” (2 Corinthians 1:8-9, NIV).

No, God doesn’t expect us to “handle” everything we’re facing. He wants us to hand it over to Him.  He doesn’t want us to rally more of our own strength. He wants us to rely solely on His strength.  If we keep walking around thinking God won’t give us more than we can handle, we set ourselves up to be suspicious of God. We know we’re facing things that are too much for us.  After my diagnosis, I had some really difficult days. I needed God to show me His perspective so I could set my perspective. But it didn’t come right away. And that frustrated me. I was filled with fear and questions like, Why this?

Why now?

Why me?

The story I started telling myself was that life would never get any better.  But while I was thinking about everything I didn’t know I wasn’t getting anywhere. So I started listing things I did know. And the main thing I know?

I know God is good. I didn’t know the details of God’s good plan, but I could make His goodness the starting place to renew my perspective.  So now let me tell the story of the recent events in my life using God’s goodness as the central theme. Because I had a mammogram at the exact time an appointment was available, the doctors caught a cancer early on that needed to be caught. And because they caught a cancer that needed to be caught, I had every fighting chance to beat this cancer. And to God be the glory that I am now cancer free.bbYou see, we’re all living out a story, but then there’s the story we tell ourselves. We just need to make sure we’re telling ourselves the right story. Yes, God will give us more than we can handle. But He always has eventual good in mind.  We don’t have to like it, but maybe knowing this can help us live through it.

[heartbroken]

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A Battle Plan for the Weary
February 6, 2023
by Meredith Houston Carr

“For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” 2 Chronicles 20:12b-c (ESV)

As my husband drove us home from marriage counseling, I sat quietly and ruminated on the list of books and exercises we’d been recommended. Exhaling deeply, I tried to rid myself of a nagging thought: I am just too tired to do this anymore.  Month after month, we’d done what “good Christian couples” were supposed to do: seek counseling, have date nights, express feelings in a calm manner, etc. But it wasn’t enough, and we found ourselves wrangling the same issues over and over.  Exhaustion set in, and I simply didn’t know how to keep fighting or if I even could.  I wonder if you’re also fighting a seemingly endless battle that’s leaving you empty. Maybe it’s a prodigal child or a dead-end job or a difficult diagnosis. Or maybe you, too, are fighting for your marriage, but a tidal wave of fear drowns out any sense of progress.  You’ve done everything you know to do, but the battle rages on and you’ve got no more fight left in you.  Thankfully, the Bible is full of stories where God showed up and showed off in the midst of His children’s battles. Today’s scripture comes from 2 Chronicles 20, which details the story of the Israelite King Jehoshaphat and the dire situation he faced. After being fiercely pursued by relentless enemies, God’s people were exhausted and confused.  However, instead of planning a typical military approach, Jehoshaphat called an assembly and led the people through a different “battle plan” of sorts a three-step process that we, too, can implement:

1. Seek the Lord through honest, vulnerable prayer. Though perhaps, as king, he “should” have had all the answers, today’s key verse details how Jehoshaphat readily admitted his weakness:  “For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you” (2 Chronicles 20:12b-c).

Don’t you love this relatable prayer?

It’s one we can pray over our trials too. When weariness and confusion surround us, let’s keep our knees down in prayer and our eyes up to heaven.

2. Worship through the fear and doubt. Jehoshaphat and “all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the LORD, worshiping the LORD” (2 Chronicles 20:18, ESV).

In the face of fear and fierce enemies, they chose to sing songs of worship and praise anyway. Praising God in the presence of the enemy is an act of faith that pleases the Holy Spirit, who fights for us and with us in our battles!

3. Trust God’s direction; then move forward in faith. God answered Jehoshaphat’s powerful petition with clear direction: “Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the LORD will be with you” (2 Chronicles 20:17, ESV).

The people faithfully obeyed, and as promised, God showed up and miraculously delivered the enemy into their hands!

However God chooses to work specifically in our battles, we can trust that His heart is always good toward us. It’s been years since my husband and I battled for our marriage, and I can confidently say there was never a day God failed to provide what we needed to keep fighting.  Dear one, whatever battles you’re facing, God will meet you on the battlefield. And He’s full of the strength you lack. Today, may we pray, worship and trust and fight the good fight another day.

[heartbroken]

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God Doesn’t Work by Coincidence
February 7, 2023
by Tracie Miles

“He has made everything beautiful in its time.” Ecclesiastes 3:11a (NLV)

I nervously typed up the email and reviewed it a few more times for accuracy.  For more than a year, I had been working on this new project. But now I knew it was time to trust God, move forward and spread the word rather than continue to let fear and procrastination keep me stuck.  As my fingers hovered hesitantly over the keyboard, I finally hit the “send” button. And off it went. A sense of anxiousness came over me but was quickly interrupted by a quiet voice stirring in my spirit.  What is today’s date, Tracie?

God whispered.  Perplexed, I glanced at the calendar and was instantly taken aback. It was not until that very moment that my eyes were opened and I realized the significance of the date.  It had been exactly seven years, to the day, since my 26-year marriage imploded and my entire life turned upside down. My thoughts were instantly drawn back to the painful memories, overwhelming emotions and crippling fears that had brought me to my knees on that unforgettable, traumatic day seven years ago.  But God quickly shifted my thoughts and helped me refocus. I certainly hadn’t planned on kicking off my new business project on this particular day, and at first I thought, It's just a coincidence. But was it?

As I pondered this, God calmed my anxiousness and gently reminded me that over the past seven years, He had turned my life around completely, exchanged my sadness for joy, and transformed my pain into purpose. In His perfect timing, He had brought me to a place where I never thought I would find myself healed, restored and filled with passion for a purpose I never even imagined.  I immediately recalled how, in Scripture, the number seven often symbolizes a sense of fullness or completeness. In fact, throughout the Bible, the number seven appears 735 times, and it often references the holy works of God, repeatedly serving as proof of the perfection and beauty God orchestrates.  In today’s key verse, we read that “[God] has made everything beautiful in its time” (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

This verse reminds us that all things are crafted by God including time. He is behind all things and the way they will turn out. It also reminds us that everything happens exactly when it should. Not by chance or irony but by a divine plan beyond our comprehension.  On this day ordained by God, after experiencing a devastating heartbreak I thought I’d never recover from, I stepped out in faith, pushed past my insecurities and pursued a dream God laid on my heart. I had no idea this was the day God had appointed for me to take this leap of faith. But it was. Certainly not a coincidence, this had been planned long before my time on earth even began.  My faith soared, and this evidence of God’s sovereignty reminded me to put all my trust in Him for all things. Always. Why?

Because nothing is random with God.  He had been divinely orchestrating behind the scenes to turn my ashes into beauty, in His perfect timing, exactly seven years later.  God is in the process of perfectly planning out your life as well, in a way only He can. Trust that He is in the details, and believe with all your heart that one day you’ll see His perfect plan for you fall into place.  I promise it will cause your heart and your faith to soar.

[PippaJane]

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When You Feel Insecure or Uncertain
February 13, 2023
by Meghan Ryan

“But Ruth replied, ‘Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.'” Ruth 1:16 (NIV)

It had only been a week since I moved to a different city where I didn’t know anyone. A new co-worker had invited me to her friend’s house for a party. I was thankful for the invitation but simultaneously felt nervous.  The bubbles in my stomach got progressively worse the entire way there as I followed my GPS and silently questioned my choice of outfit. When I arrived at the unfamiliar house and timidly walked through the front door, my mind filled with questions:  Would these become the people I called my friends?

Would they like me?

Walking into a party full of people I didn’t know is a small example of a bigger fear lying underneath, in the deeper places in my heart that were full of unknowns, unanswered prayers, uncertain outcomes and unending time of waiting.  Will God be faithful to me in this new season?

Moving scared me, and leaving behind a life I loved for one I knew nothing about made me feel vulnerable. Vulnerability exposes how we are hiding, but it also exposes us to hard things we’ve been hiding from. In this case, it showed what I really put my trust in and it wasn’t always God.  Maybe you’re in a place that has made you question God’s faithfulness toward you. Whether in a specific circumstance we are facing or across years of wondering where God is and what He is doing, it can be easy to cling to whatever is around us to make us feel safe and steady. When those things are no longer there, where do we turn?

This is why I admire Ruth so much. When she spoke the words of today’s key verse to her mother-in-law, Naomi, Ruth chose to leave behind her entire life and everything familiar to her:  “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God” (Ruth 1:16).

Ruth left her people and home to follow Naomi and a God she barely knew. And the place she moved to did not typically welcome Moabites like her, as they were considered enemies of God’s people.  But she trusted God’s faithfulness without knowing what the outcome would be. How did she do it?

1.  She committed to go and stay where God called her. Regardless of whether or not she would be accepted, she decided to believe God would be with her. She didn’t wait for Him to show up in a huge way; she simply followed where she thought He was leading.

2.  She chose to cling to God as her God. When it would have been easier to follow after the false gods and life she knew in Moab, she placed her identity in God. Regardless of what was ahead of her, she trusted Him.

Like Ruth, we have a choice: to cling to what is comfortable and familiar for our security or to trust God. We can look to His Word and His character, which have proven He is who He says He is and He will do what He says He will do. Not just for Ruth but for you and me too.  When we feel insecure, God’s promises are sure. When we feel uncertain, God’s faithfulness remains.  When you look back at your life, where do you see glimpses of God’s faithfulness?

They may not be big, extravagant instances, but if you are alive and reading this today, it’s proof God has been faithful in His pursuit of you.  The ultimate proof of God’s faithfulness is in Jesus. The same Jesus who was born through the lineage of Ruth’s family is going to make all things new in this world. (Revelation 21:5)  When you find yourself insecure and uncertain, remember: God is faithful, and we can cling to Him.

[PippaJane]

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The Confidence To Believe You Belong
February 17, 2023
by Brenda Bradford Ottinger

“You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!” Psalm 139:16-17 (NLT)

It was my first day at a new school midyear, in a place where everyone knew each other and no one knew me.  Naive and 9 years old, I had yet to understand the insecurity that clothed my spirit.  From my first timid step off the school bus that day till the final bell rang after class, I wore a long red coat totally extra for the wink of winter a southern U.S. season contains.  Walking unfamiliar halls as the new girl wearing a bulky red coat, indoors and out, can set you apart in a way that doesn’t serve your social life well; I don’t recommend it. Yet my antsy insecurity found comfort in my cocoon of a coat that day.  Despite the awkward start, eventually I lost my timidity in that new school, but never would I lose the insecurity that gripped my spirit. Long have I lacked an innate confidence to believe I belong.  As the years grew, I sensed God working in my life and trusted He had plans for me. Yet I still struggled to confidently enter any space believing I was enough to belong.  This mistaken mindset began to shed its grip on me, however, when God met me in the center of my insecurity one day and traded new life for old lies.  That day, as I attempted to skim over a familiar Bible passage, the Lord prompted me to linger with the words rather than rush past them, and I read these truths afresh:  “You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!” (Psalm 139:16-17).

And in the quiet of that moment, I felt a freedom I hadn’t known before, as the truth of God’s eternal heart for me covered my spirit with a comfort like no other.  In this passage, David declared to God, “You saw me before I was born,” recognizing that before he’d ever spied a ray of light or cried a breath of life, his very person was intimately known by God.

This is our confidence: Before we had an earthly identity, God regarded us!  Before oxygen filled our lungs, the Lord laid out every moment of our lives according to His purpose. God hasn’t simply recorded the hours we’ve already spent; rather, from the second He sketched our identities to the futures we’ve yet to reach, He has borne witness to it all.  We can confidently believe we belong anywhere He places us because the Ancient of Days, our eternal God, has made it His business to know and adore us and to tenderly record His trustworthy plans for us.  May we reject the enemy’s lie that we’re not enough to belong, for our confidence is grounded in God’s authority as we walk together with Him into every space He’s already prepared for us.  No earthly brand of belonging can compare to the belonging we have in God.  Dear friend, the God who saw you ahead of your birth whose precious thoughts about you are greater than numbers can contain recorded purpose for you long before your life existed in time!  You can shed every lie of insecurity that drapes your spirit today and walk confidently in the truth that your story is already sealed in God’s book. You are a woman precious to your Maker, and you belong where He places you, for you enter with the authority of His divine script.

[PippaJane]

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Stringing the Pearls of Your Beautiful Story
February 22, 2023
by Beth Moore

“… the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” Matthew 13:45-46 (NKJV)

The most precious keepsake in my jewelry drawer is a string of my mother’s pearls. They were a gift to her from my father in the second decade of their marriage.  Imagining her wide-eyed, opening a fancy box and finding a string of real pearls inside, always makes me smile. For one thing, it was the only piece of jewelry she owned, besides a humble wedding ring, that wasn’t costume jewelry. For a second thing, my parents had a rocky marriage, and I cherish hints of happy seasons.  The clasp on the necklace is old and weak, so I’m too afraid to wear the pearls. Still, I hold them often, rolling them with my fingertips, and think of my mom. And her mom. And my daughters. And my daughter’s daughters. All of us women who’ve longed to find beautiful lives even after fairy tales proved fraudulent.  The pearls are yellowed now, perhaps from age, but I smile as I wonder if a blend of cigarette smoke, cologne and Clairol hair color might have contributed. Life has a way of rubbing off on our pearls, doesn’t it?

I’ve spent the last year or so looking back over my life. A common inclination of those who reach that famous age benchmark of 65 suggests wrongly, I believe that it’s all downhill from here. But I savor life and relationships more than ever and find myself more secure and at deeper peace.  The words of Scripture are so dear to me after all the years of looking to God through them that I often can’t read my Bible without tears welling up. My soul still teems with life and purpose, but let’s admit I’m at a fine age for praying Psalm 90:12: “… teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom” (NKJV).

As I looked back over the past year, I drew a timeline from my birthdate to the present. I placed bold dots where the most life-shaping events or seasons of my journey took place whether positive or negative and labeled them. Until now, I’d been reluctant to take a sequential look back because, in my thinking, it had all been such a jumbled mess. Too much pain and failure. Too much sin and defeat. Too many tears and regrets.  But an uncanny thing became clear to me: how often something wonderfully providential came next to something wildly painful. So many hard things have happened, but goodness and mercy have indeed followed me all the days of my life. (Psalm 23:6)  That timeline became a string to me, and those dots became pearls. I realized that each element bad or good had caused the “one pearl of great price,” as God’s Kingdom is called in Matthew 13:46, to increase in value to me.  “The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” (Matthew 13:45-46)

Have you, like me, needed Jesus so badly?

Looking back, was He there for you, even if you see Him only in hindsight?

Did those life-shaping things ultimately increase, in your eyes, the surpassing value of the one thing no one can take from you?

Then, lo and behold, you did find a beautiful life, one that will only increase in worth with time and trust. Faith is the clasp on your string of pearls. Faith in Christ and His power to redeem your life will keep those pearls from getting lost.