John 13:34 A new commandment I give you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.
In August of 2005, Hurricane Katrina caused widespread devastation to the southeastern US. My oldest was 4 months old, and I vividly remember holding him, sobbing, as I watched the destruction unfold on tv. Eventually, interspersed with the horror and destruction, were scenes of hope—people donating water, cleaning supplies, food, money, man-hours to help those suffering. There was no lengthy interview before helping, there was no assurance that the ones helped voted, loved, worshiped, believed in the same manner as the ones helping. People needed help, and people helped. End of story.
1 John 4:20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he sees cannot love God whom he has not seen.
In many ways, that experience shaped my active expression of faith. Repeatedly, the Bible tells us to love one another. As God loved us, we should love one another. To me, that means recognizing the divinely authored life in each person (even if they don’t), treating them with love, respect, kindness (even if they don’t)—not because they deserve it but because my Savior does that for me even though I don’t deserve. I take to heart the internet meme “Love everybody. I’ll sort them out later. ~God” To me, that embodies the message of Christ.
1 Peter 4:8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this deep conviction that You call us to love and serve Your people. Help me to love others as You love me—deeply, fiercely, unconditionally. Draw us closer. Amen.
1 John 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
Have a blessed day.
Our gracious Father always provides…. (devo reflection)
1 Kings 19:13 …Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
Let’s recap 1 Kings 19 thus far: Elijah is exhausted, frustrated, and overwhelmed. To address the exhaustion, the LORD sends nourishment and rest. To address the frustration and overwhelm, the LORD asks “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (1 Kings 19:9), listens to his reply (which is rooted in his frustration), and then shows up, personally, in the form of a gentle whisper to help Elijah’s refocus and realize that he is not alone. Part of the refocusing is the reminder of work yet to do, part is the reminder of the others working towards the same goal. God is so very good.
1 Kings 19:15 Then the LORD said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there….”
Heb 4:12 reminds us that “the word of God is alive and active,” which is exactly why I can spend four days wading through Elijah’s exhaustion, frustration, and overwhelm and see the parallels so closely mirroring my own story. This life can be so hard. And when we feel like we are isolated, the desire to curl up and give up is so strong. But just as Elijah wasn’t alone, we aren’t alone. Just as Elijah needed rest, release, refocusing, sometimes we do, too. And our gracious Father always provides.
1 Kings 19:18 “Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the ability to see myself in Elijah’s struggles, for the ability to be strengthened by his story. Thank You for being a loving, active presence in our lives, for seeing where we are and knowing what we need. Thank You for rest, renewal, and strength, for refocusing us on You, Your purpose, Your people. Draw us closer. Amen.
1 Kings 19:21 So Elisha…set out to follow Elijah and become his servant.
Have a blessed day.
In the presence of the LORD… (devo reflection)
1 Kings 19:9 …And the word of the LORD came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
After the LORD saw to Elijah’s physical needs, He sought to address his emotional and spiritual needs. He knew Elijah was exhausted, frustrated, afraid. But He also knew that Elijah was aware of God’s purpose, His call for Elijah’s life, and He wanted Elijah to tap back into that purpose, to realize that, regardless of what it felt like, he did not go it alone, his work was not in vein.
1 Kings 19:10 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected Your covenant, torn down Your alters, put Your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.”
It brings me deep comfort to know that even the prophet Elijah struggled with feelings of, “What am I doing here? Why am I busting my butt when no one seems to care but me?!?” It also brings great comfort to know that God cares and is infinitely aware of my headspace and struggles, my frustrations and fears. He cares enough to be present in these ugly moments, to listen to me vent, to speak to me in His still, soft voice, reassuring me of His presence, His sovereignty, His call for me. He is present in the striving. He cares about our fears, our exhaustion, our frustration. He actively seeks to help us find rest and renewal. Thank You, Lord.
1 Kings 19:11 The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder that You have work for us to do. Thank You for understanding when we struggle with frustration, doubt, and fear, for being with us in those moments, for reassuring us and redirecting us back to You. Thank You for wanting real, intimate connection with us, especially in the difficult places. Help us to come to You, openly and honestly. Always. Draw us closer. Amen.
1 Kings 19:12 …And after the fire came a gentle whisper.
Have a blessed day.
Rest and nourishment…. (devo reflection)
1 Kings 19:5 …All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.”
When I was led back to this passage yesterday, I was a little confused. I could see if it were the beginning of summer, but for a teacher at the end of summer break, this seemed an odd section for Him to call me to, but my precious Savior always knows what I need, and today’s section makes a lot of sense as I am poised to head back to school next week.
1 Kings 19:6 He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.
Elijah was exhausted and frustrated, and he poured all that out to God. God’s primary response was to take care of his physical needs—rest and nourishment. At the end of this summer break, I find myself grateful for the rest and renewal I feel, rooted in my Savior, accomplished through a summer of relaxing and traveling. I was exhausted. He heard my cry, allowed me to place my burdens at His feet, and gave me rest. Thank You, Jesus.
1 Kings 19:7 The angel of the LORD came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for sending nourishment and renewal when we so desperately need it. Sometimes I’m guilty of thinking, “If this is God’s will for me, I just have to buckle down and plow through, even if I’m discouraged, exhausted, or afraid.” Thank You that You don’t ask me to go it alone, that I can be real and honest with You about where I am. Thank You for understanding the magnitude of what You are asking me to do and for calling me to rest and renew in You. Help me to listen and obey. Renew my spirit. Draw me closer. Amen.
1 Kings 19:8 So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.
Have a blessed day.
God’s response…. (devo reflection)
1 Kings 19:3-4a Elijah was afraid and he ran for his life. …he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness.
This morning finds me back in 1 Kings, back with an overwhelmed, exhausted, frustrated Elijah. I understand the feeling of wandering in a wilderness, no trail, no map, no idea which way to go, feeling helpless, stuck, afraid, praying, “Please, Lord, make a way.” I understand giving 100%, day after day, year after year, and feeling like you are not making a difference. I understand mental and physical exhaustion.
1 Kings 19:4b He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die….
Was his prayer for death out of fear of Jezebel and her threats? Was it because he felt he’d been giving his best to the LORD and getting no where? Was it because he was just completely spent? Utterly exhausted? Was it because he took his eyes off his Creator and had himself a pity party over all he saw as wrong? What strikes me in this scene, more than Elijah’s exhaustion and frustration, is God’s response. He could have given a thunderous reply, “How dare you? Who do you think you are?” Instead, He sent rest, care, and nourishment.
1 Kings 19:4c … “I have had enough, LORD…. Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for understanding our fear, frustration, and exhaustion, for making a way. Thank You for calling us to be Your hands and feet in this world, for allowing us to shine Your light. Thank You that we can be real and honest with You about where we are and the ways in which we are struggling. Thank You for hearing, understanding, and responding to our needs. Draw us closer to You. Amen.
1 Kings 19:5 Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.”
Have a blessed day.
This work in progress…. (devo reflection)
Phil 1:6 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.
I have a dear friend, a phenomenal artist, who puts speed videos on social media that are incredible to watch. In the middle of the video, I see a beautiful picture and think, “What’s left to do?” But with a few deft strokes—outlines, contouring, shading—what was a beautiful work in progress becomes a magnificent finished product.
Psalm 138:8 The LORD will fulfill His purpose in me….
I, too, am a work in progress, though in my impatience and misguided efforts, I often try to snatch the brush from the Master’s hand. Thankfully, He is incredibly skilled at His craft. He can blend my mistakes and missteps into the masterpiece He is creating through this life lived to glorify Him. Thank You, Jesus.
1 Cor 1:8 He will sustain you to the end….
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the gift of recognizing the beauty in the unfinished masterpiece, and for this work in progress which is my life. Thank You for taking the mistakes and missteps, the trials and triumphs, the good, the bad, and the less-than-ideal and using all of it to shape my life into Your masterpiece. Thank You that I am Your work in progress. Draw me closer. Amen.
Eph 2:10 For we are God’s masterpiece….
Have a blessed day.
Putting away our fear…. (devo reflection)
Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
This morning’s reading took me to Genesis, to Abram, his loyalty to God, his desire for offspring, his faith in God’s promise. I went in search of commentary on this section, convinced that Abram’s deep belief, counted to him as righteousness, was what my Savior wanted me to explore today. And then I read this little gem: “God doesn’t tell us ‘do not be afraid’ without giving us a reason to put away our fear.”
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.
The truth of this statement resonates deeply with me, and scripture supports it readily—Fear not, for I am with you. Fear not, for I will strengthen you. Fear not, for I have redeemed you.—For someone who worries and frets over so many things, these promises are balm to my soul.
Isaiah 43:1 … “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this promise. Thank You for giving me reason to put away my fear—You are with me, strengthening me, upholding me. You have redeemed me and claimed me as Your own. When my thoughts become anxious and fearful, help me to remember and to cling to Your promises. Strengthen me in my weakness. Banish my fears with Your presence. Amen.
1 Cor 1:9 God will do this, for He is faithful to do what He says….
Have a blessed day.
Just because we can…. (devo reflection)
1 John 4:7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God….
It is pretty easy to love those who are like me, much harder at times to love those who are different, those who are prickly. It’s easy to draw lines of division between myself and those who don’t think like me or look like me, vote like me or worship like me. I had a dear friend tell me once that any time we draw a line between “us” and “them,” God is always on the other side, lumped in with our “them,” separated from us. That idea has stuck with me in a powerful way.
1 John 4:10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us….
Vince Lombardi once said, “…love respects the dignity of the individual.” I find these words to be powerfully true and in keeping with Jesus’s teachings. God loves us fiercely, unconditionally, even when we screw up. The miracle of His love is not our capacity to love Him, it is the fact that the Creator of the Universe loves us, deeply, fully, even though we are infinitely human and fallible, even though we have nothing of value to offer in return. And He asks us to love others in the same way—just because we can, not because they deserve it or earned it or can repay it. Help me, Jesus.
1 John 4:16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for Your fierce, unconditional, unending love. It can be incredibly difficult to put aside differences and to love others simply because they are Yours. It is tempting in this world to disqualify people, deem them unworthy of loving, based on views or beliefs, based on so many things. But You call us to love as You love—deeply, fiercely, completely, even though the other person doesn’t deserve it, didn’t earn it, may not even show they want our love. Help us to love as You love, Lord. Draw us closer. Amen.
1 John 4:19 We love because He first loves us.
Have a blessed day.
Seeking Him…. (devo reflection)
1 Kings 19:11 …Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind….
One of the things my guys were hoping for when they hit the trail was to see God, and He has definitely been present for them on this journey. They have seen Him in glorious sunrises and sunsets over rolling hills and mountains. They have seen Him in rugged landscape, more varied and breathtaking than they could have imagined. They have seen Him in the kindness of strangers and in strangers who became tramily, forever tied to their lives. They have seen Him again and again on the trail, in ways they’d imagined and in totally surprising ways.
1 Kings 19:12a After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire….
But we have seen Him on the home front, too, in friends who are framily, who are loving and supporting us through this adventure, in a sweet friend who has fed us weekly since my guys hit the trail, in a friend more like a brother, who has helped us unstick the mower and loaned us power tools, in friends who text just to be sure we are doing ok, in a toad sunning himself on the deck, in a rainbow reflecting off the pouring rain, in so many ways. And maybe that’s the ultimate miracle—not only that they are finding Him on the trail, but also that we are finding Him, again and again, in so many little ways here at home, too.
1 Kings 19:12b …And after the fire came a gentle whisper.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for Your presence on the mountain tops, in the valleys, and everywhere in between. Thank You for revealing Your presence in big ways and small, for speaking to us in unmistakable ways and through a still, small voice that sometimes we have to strain to hear. Thank You for always being present in both the adventure and the routine. Help us to look for You, always, no matter where we are, knowing that if we seek You, we will always find You. Draw us closer. Amen.
Jer 29:13 You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.
Have a blessed day
Walking humbly with my precious Savior…. (devo reflection)
Psalm 143:10 Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. May Your gracious Spirit lead me forward on firm footing. (NLT)
I recently saw an image on social media which has had more of an impact than I imagined. It was an image of a young girl clutching a beloved stuffed animal. Jesus stood in front of her with His hand out. Behind His back was a grander version of the girl’s prized possession. There was a caption, but I don’t remember it. The gist was that Jesus wanted her to give up something she loved dearly, and in return, He had something even better for her. What sticks with me, though, are the tears in her eyes, the clear love she has for the object, and the fact the He wants her to surrender it to Him. Even seeing something bigger and better behind His back, my immediate question is still “Why? Why, Lord, would You ask this of her?” It is absolutely the wrong question. I understand that.
Psalm 143:10 You are my God. Show me what you want me to do, and let Your gentle Spirit lead me in the right path. (CEV)
Micah 6:8 reminds us that the LORD requires of us “…to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” Walking humbly with my precious Savior means putting aside my deep need to know the why behind life’s actions and saying instead, “I know You want this of me. Teach me how. Help me to make Your will for my life MY will for my life, even if it hurts, even if it means letting go of something I love deeply. I know what I gain in return, if I act according to Your will, will be far beyond what You ask me to surrender.”
Luke 22:42 “…yet not my will, but Yours be done.”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for the image that sparked this reflection, for the difficult spaces You lead us to and always lead us through. Help me to walk humbly with You, deferring to Your fierce love and deep mercy. Give me wisdom and discernment to know what You are calling me to, and grant me Your strength and Your peace as You shepherd me through. Draw me closer. Amen.
Matt 25:23 “…Well done, good and faithful servant….”
Have a blessed day.