1 Peter 3:15a …Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give reason for the hope that you have….
Interestingly, this scripture has always filled me with trepidation. It makes me think of the call to evangelism, which puts me in mind of folks going door to door, talking to strangers, uninvited, about faith, which is such a personal topic. I also think, “Well, I can’t possibly do that because 1. I am such a strong introvert, and 2. I am not going to defend my faith to anyone, and 3. What if they ask me questions that I can’t answer because there are just so many things I don’t know.” Jesus, Help me.
1 Peter 3:15b …But do this with gentleness and respect.
It occurred to me this morning, though, that Jesus calls us all to minister in such a way that fits the strengths He’s given us. My default is not to call these daily devos—where I wrestle with issues He has placed on my heart—“ministry,” but I would also say that I know He uses my words, which can only come from Him, to encourage and uplift His people, to point others to Him. And isn’t that what ministry is? Thank You, Jesus.
1 Peter 1:8a Though you have not seen Him, you love Him….
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the mystery of Your love and mercy. Thank You for my rock-solid faith in You, based on a rich history of seeing You, feeling Your presence, trusting You, through the good times and the bad. Thank You for calling me to minister through these daily devotionals, for Your presence and grace as I write and share them. Thank You for Your perfect plan for my life. Draw me closer. Amen.
1 Peter 1:8b …And even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy….
Have a blessed day.
A life of freedom in Your sovereign care…. (devo reflection)
Exodus 23:1 “Do not spread false reports….”
Rules can feel incredibly restrictive and oppressive. Often those being governed by the rules chafe under their weight, wishing only to be free. As a teacher and a parent, I have seen the power and necessity of rules again and again. That doesn’t mean I always like them or that they are always easy to follow. But they are important, even when they are annoying.
Exodus 23:2 “Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong….”
God’s rules are no different. He wants us to lead rich, full lives, he wants us to enjoy all that He has planned for His beloved. If we are weighted down by sin, we aren’t free to focus on Him, His love and mercy. It’s also important to remember the lessons learned from the Pharisees and Sadducees, who followed the laws so closely that they lost sight of the sovereign God at the root of them.
Heb 12:1 …let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us….
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for Your deep and abiding love for me. Thank You for loving me so much that You want to help me avoid getting tangled up in sin, so that nothing keeps my focus from You. As hard as it is to say sometimes, thank You for correcting me when I get off track and start down a dangerous road. I love You deeply, and I want to live a life of freedom in Your sovereign care. Draw me closer. Amen.
Isaiah 43:1 But now this says the LORD who created you…: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are Mine.”
Have a blessed day.
Without reserve and without reservation…. (devo reflection)
2 Cor 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort….
The last sentence of Max Lucado’s _Grace for the Moment _ today was a real zinger: “You will never be called upon to give anyone more grace than God has already given you.” This line, coupled with today’s scripture from a different devotion, has me thinking about the nature of grace and comfort, what is given to us, and what is asked of us. Help me, Jesus.
2 Cor 1:4a …who comforts us in all our troubles….
The nature of grace is unexpected. You expect punishment, you deserve punishment, but the punisher deliberately chooses not to punish. That’s grace. Comfort has a similar unexpected nature in that it can either come at an unexpected time or from an unexpected source. God freely and lavishly gives us both grace and comfort and asks us to freely and lavishly give them to others as well, without reserve and without reservation.
2 Cor 1:4b …so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for undeserved grace and unending mercy. Thank You for comfort in our time of need and for the compassion that comes from being on the receiving end of grace and mercy. Help us to freely give to others, Lord, just as You have freely given to us. Draw us closer. Amen.
2 Cor 1:5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.
Have a blessed day.
Unshakable…. (devo reflection)
Psalm 16:8 …With Him at my right hand, I will never be shaken.
Yesterday I volunteered to share my devo reflection to begin a meeting at church. I stumbled when I read the following: “Yet if I keep my eyes on You, if I will center myself on Your fierce love, I will NEVER be shaken by any doubt.” The line gave me pause because anxiety, worry, and fear often crowd my mind, especially when life feels chaotic. Does that mean I’m not living my faith?
Matt 7:9-10 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?
I’ve been pondering and praying about this since last night, and I was reminded by my precious Savior of when my boys were little and we had a terrible storm. We were safe inside, yet they were still afraid. As their parent, I wasn’t angry about their fears. In fact, I sought to reassure them further that they were safe and protected. And now, all these years later, they don’t struggle so.
Matt 7:7 “Ask and it will be given to you….”
Precious Savior, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for understanding my doubts and fears and for loving me and reassuring me through them. My faith is so much stronger than it was, and even when I am afraid, I KNOW You hold me securely, I KNOW that I am Your deeply loved child. Even if this world crumbles to dust, I KNOW that my eternity is with You. Those truths are unshakable, and that is solely because of You. ‘Thank You’ feels so inadequate, and yet, I know You know my heart. Draw me closer, Lord. Help me to shine Your light, so that others can understand Your unshakable truth. Amen.
Psalm 16:10 …You will not abandon me….
Have a blessed day.
Even this…. (devo reflection)
Psalm 16:8a I keep my eyes always on the LORD….
Lord, Forgive me for all those times I take my eyes off of You, fretting instead about things I cannot change or things that may or may not come to pass. Give me the strength, always, to fix my eyes solely on You, to trust Your direction and Your care, to know that You have me safely in the palm of Your hand, that You can and will, if I allow, use anything and everything I experience for my good and Your glory.
Psalm 16:8b …With Him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Lord, Thank You for providing me with a firm foundation, for being my rock and my shelter. The circumstances of my life sometimes whisper “Can He handle even this?” Yet if I will keep my eyes on You, if I will center myself on Your fierce, unending love, I will NEVER be shaken by any doubt. You ARE big enough, powerful enough, loving enough, and merciful enough to handle ANY circumstance that life throws at me. Help me NEVER to lose sight of that fact.
Psalm 16:9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body will also rest secure….
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this truth. Thank You for being my portion and my cup, for making my lot secure (Psalm 16:1). Help me, no matter my circumstances, to keep my eyes on You, to keep my heart in line with Yours, and to close my ears to the lies and deceit of this world. Draw me closer. Fill me with joy in Your presence (Psalm 16:11). Amen.
Psalm 16:10 …because You will not abandon me….
Have a blessed day.
Bringing me to the end of myself… (devo reflection)
James 1:2 Consider it pure joy…whenever you face trials of many kinds….
I’ll be the first to admit that I my default reaction when I am facing trials in my life is not to rejoice. But as I think about my faith, my ability to praise God and to cling to Him, even when it feels like life is falling apart, I know that that faith was born of the fact that He has brought me through past difficulties when I saw utterly no way out. He has blanketed me with His peace, a peace which surpasses all understanding, when I didn’t even know which way to turn. He’s held me securely through previous trials, and I have every confidence that He will continue. Thank You, Jesus.
James 1:3 …because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
I’m pretty stubborn, and self-sufficiency, in this world, is praised, so it’s hard for me to admit that I can’t handle something, but it is only when I admit my helplessness, my inability to handle a situation, that I can truly get out of God’s way so He can work through me. Trials often take me to the end of myself, which is when I can finally see, feel, and understand His fierce love and great compassion for me. Thank You, Jesus.
James 1:4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for drawing me closer to You. Thank You for bringing me to the end of myself so that I can understand in part Your overwhelming love for me. Thank You for grace, wisdom, and mercy, for peace that surpasses all human understanding. Help me to rejoice, always, in Your great love for me. Amen.
James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
Have a blessed day.
Return to Me…. (devo reflection)
Psalm 51:1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your unfailing love; according to Your great compassion blot out my transgressions.
The note at the beginning of Psalm 51 tells us that it was written “when the prophet Nathan came to [David] after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.” He willfully sinned and realized the evil of His act. He implored God to forgive him, not according to David’s character, deeds, or goodness but according to God’s unfailing love and great compassion.
1 John 3:15 Anyone who hates a brother or sister is really a murderer at heart….
It’s pretty easy to stand in judgement of David and his transgression. Adultery is wrong. But scripture tells us that hate and anger are, too, because they separate us from God. He feels so strongly about them that He equates those who feel those emotions to murderers. I know that there is no “Scale of Sin” showing the worst offenses down at one end and those that aren’t so bad at the other. Adultery is sin. Anger is sin. Hatred is sin. I don’t know about you, but I am beginning to feel the need to implore my Savior using David’s own words: “Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your unfailing love; according to Your great compassion blot out my transgressions.”
Psalm 51:4 Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight….
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this insight. Thank You for the reminder that sin is anything that separates me from You. Thank You for Your unfailing love and great compassion, for valuing my life and my relationship with You so much that You sweep my offenses, no matter how big or small, away like a cloud. Help me to guard my relationship with You diligently and not to let anything come between us. Draw me closer. Amen.
Isaiah 44:22 I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.
Have a blessed day.
Claimed and cleaned…. (devo reflection)
Psalm 51:1 Have mercy on me, O God, because of Your unfailing love. Because of Your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins.
I have a pair of white capri pants with a lovely pink stain on the seat from an unfortunate laundry mishap involving a homemade tie-dyed shirt. I have tried bleach (several times), Oxy-Clean, everything I can think of, and while the stain is much lighter than it was, it’s still there. I’m not sure it will ever come out.
Isaiah 1:18 …”Even though your sins are like scarlet, they’ll be white like snow….”
This laundry mishap came clearly to mind when I was doing my reading this morning. David’s sin with Bathsheba was HIS doing, yet nothing he could do after the fact could remove the stain. And his plea for compassion and mercy is not based on his worthiness but on God’s unfailing love and mercy for His children.
Isaiah 43:1 But now, this is what the LORD says—He who created you, Jacob, He who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are Mine.”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for Your fierce and unending love for Your children. Just like the laundry mishap, Lord, I am prone to making mistakes and missteps, some by accident and some by blatant disregard. Thank You for Your unfailing and steadfast love and mercy. Thank You that for Your sake, You wash me clean. I am not worthy. I can never earn Your forgiveness. I certainly can’t do it on my own. Thank You, precious Savior, for restoring me to Yourself, for cleansing me of my sins. Help me never to take Your mercy for granted. Help me always to shine your light. Draw me closer to Your heart. Amen.
Isaiah 43:25 “I—yes, I alone—will blot out your sins for my own sake and will never think of them again.”
Have a blessed day.
Refocusing on my Savior…. (devo reflection)
Psalm 51:7a Clean me with hyssop, and I will be clean….
This morning during prayer time, I found my thoughts bouncing around like pinballs in a pinball machine. I would begin a focused prayer and end thinking about who owes make up work or the difficulties I know students are facing. From a prayer standpoint, it was beyond frustrating, but I kept trying to refocus myself on my Savior and my conversation with Him. Help me, Jesus.
Psalm 51:7b …wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
This morning’s focus issues underscore for me why I need my precious Savior so desperately. I am human, and therefore fallible. Sometimes even my best attempts, like my attempts at focused prayer this morning, end in failure. My precious Savior knows my heart. He knows my anxious thoughts. He knows the prayer concerns on my mind even when they get lost in the labyrinth of life rolling around in my head. He loves me fiercely, sometimes despite myself. Thank You, Jesus.
Psalm 51:10a Create in me a pure heart, O God…
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for hearing my concerns, even when they get lost in the chaos of my thoughts. Thank You for being my compass, my center, my rock, and my refuge. Create in me a pure heart. Help me to focus my anxious thoughts on You. Draw me closer. Amen.
Psalm 51:10b …and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Have a blessed day.
Personalized and focused…. (devo reflection)
1 Cor 13:4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
I have several books about praying the scriptures for your children. They recommend inserting the name of your children into scripture to make it more personalized and focused. Then yesterday as I was driving home, listening to FM radio on a loaner car while my van was in the shop, the DJ recommended the same technique with my own name for these verses from 1 Cor 13. I found the results incredibly powerful.
1 Cor 13:5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Beth is patient, Beth is kind. Beth does not envy, Beth does not boast, Beth is not proud. Beth does not dishonor others, Beth is not self-seeking, Beth is not easily angered, Beth keeps no record of wrongs. Beth does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. Beth always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
1 Cor 13:6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this opportunity to make Your word so much more personal. Thank You for the goal of living into this version of love, this version of the person You designed me to be. I have made progress, Lord, but I still have a long way to go. Help me to embody Your love in my life. Help me to shine Your light. Draw me closer. Amen.
1 Cor 13:7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Have a blessed day.