Posted on

My refuge and strength…. (devo reflection)

Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

Psalm 46:1 brings to mind Jesus’s words in Matthew 28:20, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Jesus is our refuge, our strength, our ever-present help in trouble because He is with us. Always. We learn that truth in religious education, but it doesn’t really become rock-solid faith until that’s all we have left to hold on to.

Psalm 46:2a Therefore we will not fear… 

Here’s my big issue: When I ask for help, I have a really clear idea of what that help should look like. I’m a planner. I have lots of ideas about how things should be. But God’s thoughts are not my thoughts. His ways are far beyond anything I can imagine (Isaiah 55:8). So while I’m freaking out because things are not as they should be, Jesus, my refuge and strength, my ever-present help in trouble is working all things for my good and His glory (Romans 8:28).

Psalm 46:2b …though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

Lord, There are so many things in this world that I don’t understand. But You don’t ask me to understand. You ask me to trust You. Help me to trust that You are with me always, even to the end of the age. Help me to trust that You are my refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Help me to trust that the worst thing isn’t the last thing and that Your ways are far beyond anything I could imagine. Help me to trust You. Always. Amen.

Psalm 46:3 though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.

Have a blessed day. I love you.

Posted on

Faith as small as a mustard seed…. (devo reflection)

Matthew 17:19 Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

I read an incredibly interesting piece by Nadia Bolz-Weber entitled “It’s a low bar (thank God)” this morning on this section of scripture. (I encourage you to google it. It’s worth the read.) She, like me, has always read this scripture as a rebuke from Jesus about the lack of faith in the disciples. Yet she talks about the significance of Greek grammar tenses and comes to see this scripture in a new light, as a reminder of the importance of the foundation of faith that we *do* have, no matter how small it feels.

Matthew 17:20a He replied, “Because you have so little faith….

My internal critic is really loud. She is mean and caustic. She berates me at every opportunity for all the things I cannot do well….and there are so many things. But Jesus, with His quiet voice of truth, is always there, whispering to my heart that He is with me, that I am His, that I am enough simply because I am His. That truth is my mustard seed, and it’s big enough to sustain me–He is big enough to sustain me–no matter what trials I face. Thank You, Jesus.

Matthew 17:20b …Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move….

Lord, This world is so loud, my doubts are so loud, my failures are so very loud. Help me to cut through the noise and chaos of life to hear You whisper to my heart–I am Yours, Your grace is perfected in my weakness, when trouble comes as it always does, my teeny, tiny, mustard seed of faith, of belief, in You can see me through. I just have to hold on. Amen.

Matthew 17:20c …Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Have a blessed day. I love you.

Posted on

In thriving, we honor Him…. (devo reflection)

Colossians 1:9 So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. 

This morning I was looking for verses about finishing well. We are in the last weeks of the semester, but it feels like being on mile 10 of a half marathon (13.1 miles)–We’ve gone too far to stop, but the finish line is still so very far away. But my precious Savior knows my heart, He knows my need, and He sent me to Colossians to be strengthened this morning.

Colossians 1:10 Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.

Living, working in survival mode does not honor God. He understands it. Just like with Doubting Thomas, He knows why we are struggling. He strives to give us what we need so that we can thrive because in thriving, we honor Him. Sometimes we have reasons for slipping into survival mode. Sometimes we are just exhausted and trying to keep our heads above water. Regardless of how we got to survival mode, God’s got us as we catch our breath. He wants us to live rich, full lives so that we can honor Him through them.

Colossians 1:11 We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, 

Lord, Forgive me that I have slipped into survival mode. Thank You for the reminder that that is not where you want me to stay. I can’t flourish here. I can’t honor You well here. Help me to move past survival. Give me knowledge and wisdom and understanding so that I can honor and please You well. And thank You for loving me enough to see me here, to hold me here, and to help me move past this place of just surviving. Amen.

Colossians 1:12 always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light.

Have a blessed day. I love you.

Posted on

I am here. You are not alone. I am with you. Always…. (devo reflection)

Matthew 28:16-17 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 

Today I want to focus on Matthew 28:20, the last part of the verse: “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Jesus says this to the disciples after His arrest, after their denial and betrayal, after His crucifixion and resurrection, after He sends them out in His name. He has already been with them through all of these trials. He knows that what He is asking of them now–Go and make disciples of all nations–will involve even more trials, and He promises to be with them. Always. No matter what.

Matthew 28:18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 

Just like every human on the planet, my life has had its ups and downs. There have been times when nothing made any sense, my pain, anger, and bitterness were through the roof, there were no answers, there seemed to be little comfort. I was angry and bereft. And in my darkest times, when I felt nothing but the pain and hurt, when I desperately wanted answers that weren’t mine to have, Jesus sat with me in that silence, whispering to my heart, “I am here. You are not alone. I am with you. Always.”

Matthew 28:19-20a Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

Lord, I want answers, comfort, smooth paths. You don’t promise any of that. You promise to be with me. Always. In my doubt, in my fear, in my pain and questioning. Thank You for understanding that I need You more than I need anything else. Thank You for helping me to learn that truth as well. You are with me. Always. You are all I need. Amen.

Matthew 28:20b  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Have a blessed day. I love you.

Posted on

The doubters in the Gospels…. (devo reflection)

Matthew 28:16-17 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 

As someone who doubts and questions and examines as a routine part of life, I appreciate hearing about the doubters in the Gospels–why they doubted, how they were received, how they learned to move forward. I grew up believing (and whether I came to this conclusion myself or was taught it, I still don’t know) that doubt was weak faith. So hearing in multiple Gospels that the original disciples doubted brings me comfort that it’s not just me.

Matthew 28:18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 

And I know with certainty that when I come to Jesus with my doubts and fears, when I lay them before Him, when I surrender those doubts and fears to Him again and again and again, wrestling with myself to surrender them completely, my faith is strengthened, my relationship with Christ is strengthened.

Matthew 28:19-20a Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

Lord, There is so much that I don’t understand. There are so many things that bring me doubt, fear,  grief,  pain, bitterness. Thank You that I can freely come to You with my doubts, without fear of rejection or worse. Thank You that I can be honest with You about how I am feeling. Thank You that You are bigger than my feelings, bigger than my fears, bigger than my doubts. Help me to trust You always, even when I don’t understand. Amen.

Matthew 28:20b  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Have a blessed day. I love you.

Posted on

Battling bitterness and resentment…. (devo reflection)

John 20:21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”

Nelson Mandela is attributed as saying, “Resentment is like taking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.” When we are consumed by anger over a person, a situation, an act, whatever, we cannot connect with Christ’s peace. It’s possible that my anger has no impact on the other person, but it can destroy me from the inside out if I’m not careful.

John 20:23a If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; 

And as much as I would love to lay out for you exactly how to go about forgiving things that feel unforgivable, I cannot because it is something that I struggle with myself. But I understand the intense negative feelings that come with bitterness and resentment. When those feelings are boiling through my heart and veins, Christ’s peace is nowhere to be found. If I am not filled with His peace, it is going to be hard for me to accomplish the tasks He has set for me.

John 20:23b if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

Lord, Thank You for understanding that we need You, we need Your peace, in order to do Your kingdom work. Thank You for the knowledge that when I hold on to the sins and transgressions of others, I allow anger and bitterness to grow, which keeps me from experiencing Your peace. Help me, Lord, to lay those burdens at Your feet so that I may be lavished with Your peace. Amen.

John 20:24-25 But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.

Have a blessed day. I love you.

Posted on

Peace be with you…. (devo reflection)

John 20:19 When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”

Three times in the span of ten verses, Jesus tells the disciples, “Peace be with you.” Why? This is shortly after His death and resurrection. He hasn’t yet ascended into Heaven. There is still so much confusion and fear for Jesus’s disciples and loved ones. They meet in secret, behind locked doors. They whisper and fret. And yet–three separate times–Jesus transcends locked doors and says, “Peace be with you.”

John 20:21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”

This repetition feels really important. There are so many things going on in this life, in our personal lives, that cause fear and anxiety, doubts, grief. These people who loved Jesus so mightily are dealing with His death, the disappearance of His body, the loss of a Savior whom they thought would save them from Roman rule. They don’t yet understand how He is making a way in their wilderness, and Jesus is concerned first and foremost with restoring to them a sense of peace that can only come from Him. “Peace be with you.”

John 20:26  A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 

Lord, You have important kingdom work for all of us, but until we are calm, focused, centered in You, covered in Your peace, our ability to serve is limited. There is so much causing fear, doubt, grief, Lord. Help us to center ourselves on You, to breathe in Your grace, to hear, to listen, to believe when You whisper, “Peace be with you.” Amen.

John 20:27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.”

Have a blessed day. I love you.

Posted on

In love and compassion…. (devo reflection)

John 20:26 A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 

Today, I want to focus on verse 29: Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” Sunday’s message enlightened me that Jesus was blessing me when He said those words, but I don’t feel I earned that blessing. I am Doubting Thomas in so many ways.

John 20:27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.”

I fret and fear, worry and wonder. I have endured crises of faith where, like Thomas, I have demanded, angry, bitter, grief-stricken, that “Unless I see the mark of the nails in His hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in His side, I will not believe.” I have been that obdurate, yet Jesus still loves me fiercely enough to reassure me that He’s there in my wilderness, that it’s really Him, despite my fears.

John 20:28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 

Lord, I have always seen the first part of verse 29 as an accusation to Thomas, but that’s not who You are. You show Thomas Your scars because You love him and want Him to experience Your peace. Thank you for responding to my doubts, my fears, in love and compassion, not censure. Thank You that we are all deeply blessed because we are Your fiercely loved children. Amen.

John 20:29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”

Have a blessed day. I love you.

Posted on

Meeting us where we are…. (devo reflection)

John 20:26 A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 

A week has passed since the last verse, but it seems that not much has changed: the disciples are still sequestered, the door is still shut (presumably locked), there is still fear, doubt, disbelief. Jesus again appears, he again declares peace to all His disciples.

John 20:27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.”

But this time Thomas is present. Jesus invites him to touch His scars, to put his hand in His side. He doesn’t belittle him immediately for needing proof. He understands the fear, doubt, and disbelief. He has a role for Thomas to play in His ministry, but first he must believe, so Jesus invites him to touch and see, to believe.

John 20:28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 

Lord, You know us intimately because You created every fiber of our being. You know our doubts and fears, our anger and bitterness, our love and compassion, our strength and joy. Thank You for always meeting us where we are, for giving us what we need–not always what we want or hope for–so that we can accomplish the tasks You set before us. I believe, Lord. Help my unbelief. Amen.

John 20:29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”

Have a blessed day.

Posted on

Doubting Thomas…. (devo reflection)

John 20:24 But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 

I really feel for Thomas being dubbed “Doubting Thomas” because of this scene. After all, scripture since the Resurrection has been littered with folks who at first did not believe, were confused, were afraid. Even before the crucifixion, folks flocked to Jesus to see a miracle, to see proof of what they had been hearing about Jesus’s abilities.

John 20:25a So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord…” 

With the crowds during His ministry, sometimes He gave them miraculous signs, sometimes He didn’t. It depended on what He was trying to accomplish at that moment. With the Roman officials, He gave no proof, only saying of His identity, “You say that I am.” He was utterly unconcerned with who they thought He was. But with the disciples, His beloved disciples, He wants them to know He is still with them. He wants to bring them peace and comfort.

John 20:25b …But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side… 

Lord, In so many ways, I am Doubting Thomas, hurting, bereft, in doubt. Thank You for Your love, even in my doubt. Thank You for the many little ways You show You are with me every single day. Help me to show Your love to others, especially those who doubt and fear. Help me to comfort Your people. Amen.

John 20:25c …I will not believe.”

Have a blessed day. I love you.