Devotions

[PippaJane]

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Following God With All Your Heart
June 5, 2025
by Karen Wingate

“And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left and also many animals?” Jonah 4:11 (NIV)

I was, for the most part, an obedient child. But I still had ways of expressing resistance. I’d delay obedience until I heard my parents call my name a third time, then drag my feet into the room with my shoulders slumped. My body language communicated, I’m doing this because you asked me to, but I would rather be somewhere else.  The prophet Jonah had a rebellious streak too. When God sent him to Nineveh, the capital city of his enemies in Assyria, Jonah boarded a boat headed in the opposite direction. God stopped the boat with a storm, and the terrified sailors threw Jonah overboard. Then God had a large fish swallow him and deposit him in the right direction to try again.  This time, Jonah obeyed. But the fourth chapter of the book of Jonah reveals his heart was not in the mission. He was bitter about God’s mercy toward the Assyrians. Jonah made it clear he did not want to follow God’s leading.  Many of us who call ourselves believers aren’t outright defiant like Jonah, but like I did as a child, we may drag our feet, get distracted, or inwardly wish for another task than what our heavenly Father assigns. We balk because we feel insecure in our own abilities, uncomfortable mingling with people different from us, or doubtful that God will do His promised part.  Still, God daily invites us to join Him in His work. This includes showing kindness, forgiving and serving others, and boldly proclaiming His message of salvation. So what’s the secret to following God’s leading?

Jonah 4:11 gives the answer: “And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left and also many animals?”

God invited Jonah to share His concern for lost people. He wanted the prophet to see that the Israelites’ enemies were needy for God like anyone else.  God is interested in who we are as much as what we do. He wants us to do more than just serve others; He wants us to love those we serve, just as He does. If we view others through His eyes and with His heart, we will be far less likely to resist His calling.  What is the Holy Spirit of God asking you to do today?

If you’re feeling a bit reluctant, ask the Lord to strengthen your trust in Him and your love for the people He calls you to serve. When you say “yes,” you’ll step into His will for you, confident that He will empower you to do all He has asked.

[PippaJane]

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In Our Suffering, God Gives Us Grace Through Others
June 6, 2025
by Sarah Freymuth

“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” Proverbs 17:17 (ESV)

Another season of crippling anxiety and insomnia has left me depleted, fearful, and falling into the mercy and strength of Jesus. Body and mind exhausted, I have nothing left at the end of the day and implore God to show up for me.  And He does.  I take comfort in the steadfastness, strength, and optimism of my husband, Eric; in my mother’s care and practicality; and in the powerful scriptures prayed over me by friends who are always pointing me to God’s Word and His promises. I’m carried on the faith of others while I wait for mine to be renewed. They are evidence that God has not left me alone.  God often shows up for us through the people around us.  When we wonder where God is in the middle of our hurt and suffering, here He is: in those He’s placed in our lives. We find God’s grace through others when we drop our guard and admit that we need help, that we can’t hold it all together.  God made us to help each other (Genesis 2:18). Whether we're digging deep in the trenches or dusting off shoulders and skinned knees to try again, we get to be God’s representatives when people desperately need Him.  God reaches out His arms toward us in the shape of a shoulder to cry on, a warm embrace on a lonely day, and a burst of laughter that lifts our hearts. He can even come to us in the face of a stranger who says just the right word our weary heart needs to hear. Our key verse emphasizes the importance of others in our times of hardship:  “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity” (Proverbs 17:17).

Even if you feel like you don’t have a community around you, God can build one. Is there a nearby church or small group you can attend?

Is there a local book club or hiking club you can join to meet others who have similar interests?

You could even look at an online ministry you admire and see if there are any local chapters in your area.  God means for us to go through life in community and connection. He gives us the grace to get through our struggles as He gives us one another. When we long to feel God’s presence with us in our pain, let’s look around and count the good people He has given us as we journey on.  What a gift to help get us through.