Month: December 2018

1 Cor 3:16 Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?
Yesterday in Sunday School, we were talking about Luke 2, about Simeon and the fact that “the Holy Spirit was upon him” (v25), about what that means and whether we feel His Spirit upon us today. I had this verse pulled up yesterday but decided to wait and use it today instead, sort of a New Year’s resolution reflection. But I love the way God works because when I looked at the verse this morning, what jumped out was “God’s Spirit dwells in you”.
1 Cor 3:17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.
So the answer to the question of whether we are still filled with the Holy Spirit today is a resounding yes. But what does that mean for our lives and in our service to Him? How do we tap into that Holy presence? Isn’t the Holy Spirit dwelling in us the fulfillment of Matt 1:23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a Son, and they will call Him Immanuel” (which means “God with us.”)? What does that mean exactly?
Romans 8:9 You, however, are controlled not by the flesh, but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you….
Lord, Thank You for this day and for these verses and ponderings. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit within me. Help me to tap into Your Spirit so that I can know You more and serve You better. Draw me closer, Sweet Savior. Help me to shine Your light. Amen.
1 Cor 6:19 Do you not know your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own….
Have a blessed day.

Mark 9:22 “…if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us out.”
On the surface, this father’s comment is absolutely shocking. He is talking to the Son of God, and he has the gall to say, “if You can do anything…”?!? But in reality, how often have I said the equivalent in my own life? Even now, a situation springs immediately to mind where I feel He still hasn’t acted, hasn’t resolved things. Has there been lack of resolution because of my lack of faith? It’s possible.
Mark 9:23 “If You can?” echoed Jesus. “All things are possible to him who believes!”
One commentary I read posits, “God is no less powerful due to our fear that leads to faithfulness, but many times He holds His power in check until we surrender in faith.” That’s definitely got me thinking. I know fear is a huge hurdle for me, one that trips me up way more than I care to admit. And we see time and again in the Bible healing that is limited by the faith of the believer. What more could God do in my life, through my life, if I remove all barriers to His power, if I remove all stumbling blocks of doubt and fear?
Mark 9:24 Immediately the boy’s father cried out, “I do believe; help my unbelief!”
Lord, Thank You for this day and for laying this matter again on my heart. I believe that You are the One true God, that You sent Your Son for my sins, that there is more to this life than this world. I believe in Your goodness, Your love, Your mercy, and Your grace. I believe, Lord. Help my unbelief. Help my faith in You, always, to be bigger than my fear. Help me to trust and not doubt so that I can unleash Your mighty power in my life. Draw me closer. Amen.
Eph 6:16 …take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
Have a blessed day.

Eph 3:16 I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being….
My morning reading, prayer, and reflection time is incredibly important to my relationship with my Savior. It is a time where I try to listen for (and listen to) His still soft voice, to lean into Him, to discern His will. What began many years ago as a Lenten practice has evolved into an essential part of my morning.
Eph 3:17b-18 …And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ….
I also know that being a part of a community of believers is vital to my faith. Not only is being together important, but praying for each other, supporting each other, and listening to each other are also important. I truly believe that sharing our stories of Christ’s presence in our lives is a vital part of understanding Him and His love. 
Eph 3:19 …and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for the ability to know You more and to understand You a better, for the ability to lean into You as I study Your word, for the ability to shine Your light as I tell of Your presence in my life. Thank You for the ability to see more of You as I listen to the stories of others, seeing You at work in those around me. Draw us all closer, Lord, to You and to each other. Amen.
Eph 3:21 …to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Have a blessed day.

Eph 3:19 …to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (ESV)
I pray over and with my children every morning before we leave for school. This beautiful tradition was born out of frustration. Especially when they were younger, to get both of them up and ready took a lot of cajoling, nagging, and yelling on my part. Often, by the time we headed for the door, I was so angry and/or frustrated that my day was on a downhill trajectory. Life is too short for that mess, so prayer became my antidote.
Eph 3:19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and the power that comes from God. (NLT)
One of my main prayers, even from the beginning of this habit, has been that our boys will understand how deeply we love them, with all that we are and all that we have, and that they will understand that God, through Christ, loves us all even more—more than we are capable of loving, more than we are capable of understanding. I hope that they understand in some small measure this concept of the scope of His love for us, which is truly difficult to wrap my head around.
Eph 3:19 You will know Christ’s love, which goes far beyond any knowledge. I am praying this so that you may be completely filled with God. (GW trans)
Lord, Thank You for this day and for Your fierce and abiding love for all of Your children, a love “which goes far beyond any knowledge.” Thank You for the opportunity to pray for our children, to root them and ground them in Your love each morning. Help us to seek daily to know You more, to understand You better. Help us to shine Your light. Draw us closer. Amen.
Rom 8:39 …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.
Have a blessed day.

Psalm 148:3 Praise Him, sun and moon; praise Him, all you shining stars.
This verse carries me back before the birth of our firstborn. Our nursery theme was sun, moon, and stars, and this verse was situated right over the crib. We were so inexperienced and had such grand plans about our role as parents and what we would teach our children.
Proverbs 24:16 For the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity.
We still think often about what we are trying to teach our children. Primarily, we want them to know our deep love for them, and, more importantly, the deep love our Savior has for them. We want them to learn to lean into Him and trust Him, even when they are terrified or baffled. We want them to realize that mistakes are an invaluable part of learning, that they will make them, and when they do, they need to dust themselves off, draw closer to Him, look for the lessons, and move forward. We want them to understand that God is love, that He is making a way, even when they can’t yet perceive it, that He is with us, always, even when we can’t feel Him, that we can trust Him with our lives, and that we are His hands and feet in this weary world.
Isaiah 41:10 Fear not, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.
Lord, Thank You for this day and for these precious children. Thank You for Your love and guidance as we love and guide them. Help us all learn and draw closer to You when we make mistakes. Help us, no matter what, to trust You, to lean into You, to shine Your light. Clothe us in Your love, grace, and mercy, and help us to share them with all Your people. Draw us closer. Amen.
Phil 3:13 …one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead….
Have a blessed day.

Acts 7:51 “You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised….You always resist the Holy Spirit!”
Looking back at yesterday, I, sadly, come face-to-face with my own shortcomings. The vast majority of our Christmas was by far the best we’ve had in a very long time. If I had gone to bed at my accustomed hour, it would have remained so. But the last hour and a half went downhill quickly, and short tempers and exhaustion made the whole thing worse. I did not, in that time, embrace the imperfections. And every time I awoke in the night, I felt the sting of my lack of grace.
Matt 7:2 For with the judgement you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.
All of the verses placed in my path this morning felt like chastisements and warnings—You, Beth, are being stiff-necked. You, Beth, are judging. You, Beth, will be judged. But the still, soft, beautiful voice of my sweet Savior has been whispering repeatedly that His love, His grace, and His mercy are enough to cover ALL of my imperfections and shortcomings, even on Christmas. Thank You, Jesus.
John 12:47b “…For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.”
Lord, Thank You for this day and for Your mercy, love, and grace—even when we screw up, especially then. Thank You for whispering healing words to my soul and for allowing me to block out the noise and the guilt so that I could hear Your truth. Thank You for Your forgiveness and grace. Draw us closer. Amen.
John 12:46 “I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in Me should remain in darkness.”
Have a blessed day.

Luke 2:6-7a While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son.
Reminiscent of yesterday, today’s devotional readings underscore the imperfections of the holy birth. They were not married. They were traveling because of the census. There was no room for them, so the divine birth place was in a stable. With livestock. The first resting place of our Savior was a food dish. Talk about imperfect. I’m not sure it could have been any less perfect if they had been trying. And yet, our Savior was born. Right on time. The angels announced His birth. The shepherds came to see Him. The the many, many, many imperfections did not take away from the glorious news that our Savior was born. There is a lesson in that.
Luke 2:7b She wrapped Him in cloths and placed Him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
I can guarantee that there will be imperfections today. Probably, there will be many, many, many imperfections. Disappointments. Tempers. Folks who should be with us but aren’t. But I pray that regardless of the imperfections we deal with today, that we do not lose sight of the holy infant lying in a manger, who is Jesus Christ, our Savior.
Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Lord, Thank You for this day and for sending Your Son for us. Help us to look past any imperfections and disappointments of this day and celebrate the gloriously imperfect birth of our Savior, who is perfect love, perfect peace, perfect salvation. Thank You for this amazing, undeserved gift and for Your unending love. Draw us closer. Amen.
Luke 2:11 Today in the City of David a Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord!
Have a blessed day.

Luke 1:46-48 And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has looked with favor on the lowliness of His servant.”
I will admit that I often fall into the trap of the way things “ought to be.” It is easy to bemoan the state of my house, the frustrations of my job, the losses I’ve suffered because things “ought to be” different. But there is prodigious danger in the specter of what “ought to be,” most especially the danger of missing the beauty and grace of what is.
Luke 1:51b-53 …He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; He has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.
Mary, an unwed, pregnant teen, could have easily bemoaned her circumstances. In the blink of an angel’s visit, her entire world of “ought to be” was shattered. But Mary doesn’t sulk and moan at the life she envisioned, now irrevocably altered. She rejoices and praises God, who “looked with favor on the lowliness of His servant.”
Matt 1:23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a Son, and they will call Him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
Lord, Thank You for this day and for the birth of Your Son, a gift utterly undeserved and deeply precious. Thank You for loving us, even at our worst, and for subverting our notions of what “ought to be” through the birth of Your Son, our Savior, to an unwed teenage mother, in a stable of all places, with announcement of the good news to lowly shepherds watching their flocks. Help us to see what “ought to be” through the lens of Your love, Your grace, and Your mercy. Draw us closer. Amen.
Isaiah 9:6 For into us a child is born, unto us a son is given….And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Have a blessed day.

Deut 4:29 But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.
This morning I am rejoicing in the approachable nature of our Savior. He doesn’t hide, reserving Himself for a select few. He patiently waits for us to seek Him, and when we earnestly seek Him, we find Him. He is infinite and multifaceted. His mercies are new every morning (Lam 3:23), and His word is alive and active (Heb 4:12), so even if we have been studying Him and getting to know Him for years, there is always something new to discover.
2 Chron 15:4 But in their distress they turned to the LORD, the God of Israel, and sought Him, and He was found by them.
It is true that times of trouble send me seeking Him with renewed focus, for He is always willing to fight for me (Exodus 14:14). It is true that times of sorrow and broken-heartedness cause me to hide in the shelter of His wings (Psalm 147:3, Psalm 91:4). But He isn’t only a Savior for those in distress. 
Jer 29:13 You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.
Lord, Thank You for this day and for Your desire to be in relationship with Your people. Thank You for Your fierce love, Your unfathomable mercy, and Your unending grace. Thank You that we can find You, draw closer to You, when we earnestly seek You. Help us, daily, to seek You. Help us, daily, to spend time in Your word. Draw us closer. Amen.
Deut 4:31 For the LORD your God is a merciful God; He will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your ancestors….
Have a blessed day.

Heb 2:14a Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. 
In yesterday’s reading I stumbled upon an article entitled “What those who have recently lost someone wish you knew.” What struck me about the title was the word “recently.” My dad has been gone over nine years and my mom almost two, and I still miss them terribly. Christmas is no exception. But this scripture gives me renewed hope.
Heb 2:14b For only as a human being could He die, and only by dying could He break the power of the devil, who had the power of death.
This scripture is not a telling of the Christmas story, but it is a very important reminder to me that love was born that day in a manger. God loves us so much that He sent His Son, Himself, in human form because He wanted to restore us to Himself once and for all. The Christmas miracle is that this tiny baby was born to willingly suffer and die for us, so that we could be eternally restored to Him. But this story doesn’t end in death. It ends in His resurrection, in His power over the grave, in His fierce, all-consuming love for us.
Heb 2:15 Only in this way could He set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, and for the love and hope that was born in a manger, born out of Your deep love for us, and Your desire for a restored relationship. Thank You for relationships that are so powerful that years later we still feel the ache of their absence. Perhaps that ache is a glimpse into Your heart when You think of Your children who are still separated from You? Thank You that death is not the end, that Your love wins, and that Your hope springs eternally. Draw us closer as we anticipate the coming of our Savior, Your Son. Amen.
Heb 2:18 Since He Himself has gone through suffering and testing, He is able to help us when we are being tested.
Have a blessed day.