Deut 29:3 With your own eyes you saw those great trials, those signs and great wonders.
I am very aware, on this side of the veil, that I see through a glass darkly. I have seen, experienced, lived events that made utterly no sense to those who serve a loving, compassionate God. I’m not sure how heaven works, if all those questions will be answered immediately upon entering, if they will just no longer be important.
Deut 29:4 But to this day the LORD has not given you a mind that understands or eyes that see or ears that hear.
And while I know that there is so very, very much that I don’t understand, in varying degrees I am getting better about giving situations to Him, about saying, “I hate this. It is not my will. I don’t understand it. I don’t like it. But I know that You are loving and compassionate. I know You love me. I know You have a plan for my good and Your glory. Help me to trust and obey, even through my fear, anger, and confusion.”
Deut 29:5 Yet the LORD says, “During the forty years that I led you through the wilderness, your clothes did not wear out, nor did the sandals on your feet.”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for Your steadfast love and unending grace. Thank You for being big enough to handle my fears and insecurities, for the rock-solid faith I have in You. Help me to trust and obey, even when I am confused or scared or angry. Thank You for Your fierce, all-encompassing love. Draw me closer. Amen.
Deut 29:6 “…I did this so that you might know that I am the LORD your God.”
Have a blessed day.
Holding firmly to the faith…. (devo reflection)
Heb 4:14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith that we profess.
One method of prayer and study that I have become familiar with in recent years is reading a verse of scripture, meditating on it, and making note of the words from the verse that really speak to me or stand out to me. This form of prayer and meditation came to mind as I looked back over today’s verses.
Rom 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ….
Faith, peace, grace, access, and hope stand out to me in these verses. Jesus is the key. Our faith in Him allows us to tap into His peace, which surpasses all understanding. The grace which we receive from our relationship with Christ, allows us access to the Father. Because of our relationship and the access it allows us through faith to our Father, we can boldly approach God’s throne, seeking His love, grace, and mercy, no matter our need. Thank You, Jesus.
Rom 5:2 …through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for Your Son, through whom my relationship with You has been restored. Thank You for faith, peace, grace, hope, and for access to You through Your Son. Thank You for the confidence that can only come through Jesus, for the ability to call You Father, and for the joy that can only come from being Your beloved child. Draw me closer. Amen.
Heb 4:16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Have a blessed day.
Life is about choices…. (devo reflection)
Deut 30:15 See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and adversity.
It has been an unusual day, as evidenced by the fact that it is currently 6:35 pm, and I am just typing my devo reflection. I did my reading this morning, and these verses from Deuteronomy stuck with me. Life is about choices. Everyday. My choices determine how my day will go, how my life will go, whether people are built up or torn down in my presence. Help me, Jesus.
Deut 30:16 If you obey the commandments of the LORD your God that I am commanding you today…then you shall live….
This morning I had the choice to help two 12 year olds cook breakfast instead of write my devo reflection at the usual time. I chose to be an encouraging, helpful presence. It was good. As I was packing the car to drive home, I chose stress and temper over calm. I sincerely regretted that choice and ended up apologizing to my loved ones repeatedly. With every decision I face, I have a choice that will affect me and others for better or worse. Help me, Jesus.
Deut 30:19a …I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the opportunity to choose life, love, hope. Help me to make good, positive choices that encourage and uplift those around me. When I make choices that negatively impact me or others, give me to grace to apologize to them and to forgive myself. Draw me closer. Amen.
Deut 30:19b …Choose life….
Have a blessed day.
But God…. (devo reflection)
1 Cor 1:26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called….
When I was younger, I wanted to be a writer, but I struggled for a long time with whether or not I had anything of value to say. And then there was the vulnerability of putting my work out there for others to read. What if I found I did have something to say, but nobody wanted to hear it? Or what if they wanted to hear it, but they didn’t like what they heard? That kind of self-doubt eventually silenced my inner author.
1 Cor 1:26 …Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.
But God…God had other plans for my dream of being a writer, a dream I fully believe He placed in my heart. At this point, I have been writing these daily reflections for probably five years, sharing with at least my sisters almost from the beginning the truths and insights my precious Savior shows me in His time and His way. I write daily. I publish, by blog and text, daily. God created me to be a writer, and in His time and His way He has helped me live into His purpose. Thank You, Jesus.
1 Cor 1:27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this dream of becoming a writer. Thank You that You help me draw closer to You through my writing, that You bring others hope, peace, encouragement through my writing. Anything of value from my writing is about You, because of You, and for You. Thank You for fulfilling this dream in a way that helps to further Your kingdom and comfort Your people. Draw me closer. Amen.
1 Cor 1:28-29 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are so that no one may boast before Him.
Have a blessed day.
Even if we can’t see it…. (devo reflection)
Psalm 139:13 For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I think many of us, when we look at ourselves, immediately see the things we don’t like, the things we wish we could change—features we find a little too big, traits that are a little too quirky or weird to be cute. We pick ourselves apart until we can’t even bear to look any more. But our precious Savior doesn’t see us that way. He sees us through the loving eyes of a Creator and Father. Thank You, Jesus.
Psalm 139:14 I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made….
Think of a cherished lovey from your youth, or of the story of the velveteen rabbit. The bare patch where all the fur has been worn off from years of hugs isn’t a sign of damage. It is a symbol of years of love and companionship. The missing eye or popped seam isn’t proof it’s ready for the garbage but rather proof of the inseparable friend and confidant it has been. It is all the more dear and loved because of its imperfections, and so are we—even if we can’t see it.
Psalm 139:15 My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place….
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder to see past the surface, to see the beauty underneath. Thank You for fearfully and wonderfully creating each of us—so uniquely different, yet absolutely the way You designed us to be. Give us eyes to see ourselves and each other the way You see us, as Your deeply, fiercely, unconditionally loved children. Help us to share Your light, Your love, and Your hope with everyone we meet. Draw us closer. Amen.
Psalm 139:16 Your eyes saw my unformed body….
Have a blessed day.
Even my misdirected efforts…. (devo reflection)
Rom 7:15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate, I do.
I try so hard to do the right thing. I want to love, encourage, and uplift others, point them to our precious Savior, remind them that He is with them, that He is making a way in their wilderness, that He loves them fiercely, completely, unconditionally. But I am human and fallible. Sometimes my best intentions just make things worse, more traumatic, for the ones I’m trying to encourage. Jesus, Help me.
Phil 2:13 …for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill His good purpose.
My default, when I get in that mental space of defeat, is to mentally berate myself, which my inner critic just loves. But I am not who I once was, and I can recognize my intention and my heart and give all of it—my efforts, my intentions, my mistakes and missteps—to my Savior, knowing that He can use ALL things, even my feeble, fallible, earthly efforts, for His glory and for the good of His people. Jesus, Help me.
2 Chron 31:21 In everything that He undertook…he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the reminder that You know my heart and my intentions and that You can use even my misdirected efforts for Your good. I want to bring You glory, Lord. I want to comfort Your people and shine Your light. Help me, Jesus. Draw me closer. Amen.
Jer 29:13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
Have a blessed day.
These truths that I cling to…. (devo reflection)
Psalm 62:6 He alone protects and saves me; He is my defender, and I shall never be defeated.
Sometimes life makes no sense. Sometimes circumstances lead me to fear. Sometimes my faulty feelings and perceptions lead me to worry. Sometimes stress and exhaustion lead me to throw in the towel before I have finished what You called me to do. In those times especially, Lord, help me to cling more closely to the things I know to be true.
Exodus 14:14 The LORD will fight for you; you need only be still.
I know that I am deeply, completely, fiercely, and unconditionally loved by my Creator and Savior. I know that this world is not my home and that praise and accolades from the world are empty. I know that my Redeemer holds me securely in the palm of His hand, even when it feels like the world is upside down. I know that He can and will use all that I am, all that I have, and all that I endure to draw me closer to Him.
Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God….”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the reality of Your presence and Your overwhelming love for me. Thank You for these truths that I cling to, for being present in every storm and struggle, for Your peace that surpasses all understanding. Help us, no matter what we face, no matter what we feel, to lay our burdens at Your feet and to wrap ourselves in Your loving peace. Draw us closer. Amen.
Isaiah 43:19 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness….
Have a blessed day.
With perfect clarity…. (devo reflection)
1 Cor 4:5 Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the LORD comes. He will bring to light what is hidden….
Last month I wrote about the title of this blog and the fact that I am, we all are, a work in progress—each day striving to be a little better, a little more godly, than the day before. While I can usually apply that philosophy to my own life, I sometimes have difficulty remembering that all those I come into contact with are works in progress, too. God loves them as He loves me. Just as deeply. Just as fiercely.
1 Cor 13:12 Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.
Sometimes, especially on those days when I think I’m getting life right, it is easy for me to forget that I’m looking at the underside of God’s masterpiece. My knowledge is both imperfect and incomplete. I can’t judge others because 1. I am not the judge, and 2. I don’t have all the facts. And yet, so often I run ahead in judgement anyway, forgetting that we are all still in progress. God’s not done with us yet.
Rom 14:13 Therefore let us stop judging one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the fact that You are not finished with us yet. Help me concentrate on becoming the person You designed me to be. Help me to stop trying to judge others and to instead help them along their path. Draw us all closer to You. Amen.
Jer 16:17 For My eyes are on all their ways. They are not hidden from My face….
Have a blessed day.
Delayed gratification…. (devo reflection)
Matt 6:2 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will receive no reward from your Father in heaven.”
Delayed gratification is a difficult concept to embrace. According to britannica.com, it is “the act of resisting an impulse to take an immediately available reward in the hope of obtaining a more-valued reward in the future.” Unfortunately, like Veruca Salt, we often stand, hands-on-hips, demanding gratification NOW! And this world is happy to oblige.
1 Cor 4:5 Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the LORD comes…. At that time each will receive their praise from God.
But God doesn’t call us to work for the accolades of this world. He knows our hearts, He sees our efforts, our setbacks, our triumphs. He’s not here to stroke our egos. He’s here to build His kingdom, a task which transcends this world, a task more important than anything the world will ever ask of us or celebrate us for achieving. Building God’s kingdom is incompatible with instant gratification. I have every hope that He will one day say, “Well done, good and faithful servant,” but that will not happen while I walk this earth.
Col 3:23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as though working for the LORD, not for human masters…
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the reminder that You see us, You know us, You are paying attention. The human side of me longs for recognition of my efforts, but I know that meaningful recognition can only come from You. Give me peace and hope as I continue working for You. Help me transcend the need for earthly accolades. Draw me closer. Amen.
Romans 12:2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind….
Have a blessed day
Finding contentment in Him…. (devo reflection)
Heb 13:5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
Contentment, in this world full of noisy, insistent comparison, can be exceptionally difficult. To say, to feel, to live contentment in the face of a culture, of media and personal attitudes of “keep up with the Joneses,” is no small feat. And I fail at it regularly. The “If only” trap I wrote about recently is one such example. But this verse in Hebrews reminds us to be content with what we have because of Who we have. God is always with us. Always.
Heb 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
When we have plenty and when we feel want, He is there. When we “If only,” when we pine for something that’s not ours or not in His will for us, He is there. We can be content with what we have because at any given moment, we have Him, and He will supply all our needs (not necessarily our wants), He will make a way in our wilderness, He will hold us securely in the palm of His hand. Thank You, Jesus.
Heb 13:15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess His name.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for Your presence. Thank You that we can find contentment in You, especially since this world makes it so difficult at times to feel content. Help us to remember that You satisfy our needs, always, even if it is from one moment to the next. Help us to trust in Your love, Your mercy, and Your provision always. Help us to find true contentment in You. Draw us closer. Amen.
Heb 13:1 Let mutual love continue.
Have a blessed day.