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.
Giving situations to Him…. (devo reflection)
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.