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.
Lord, Thank You…. (devo reflection)
Heb 10:23 Let us continue to hold firmly to the hope that we confess without wavering, for the one who made the promise is faithful.
Lord, Thank You for a good week, especially after the incredible anxiety and grumpiness leading up to it. Thank You for Your presence and for unfounded fears. Thank You for this new group of students, Lord. I know that You put this combination together for a purpose and that we have much to learn and much to teach each other.
Psalm 51:10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Lord, Thank You for this current mental space, a beautiful place of gratitude and thanksgiving. Thank You for the growth and maturity that has and is taking place, even under my own roof, for the new ways of being and relating. Thank You for deep roots that sink down into You, for the growth below the surface, unbeknownst to us, for the roots that nourish our souls.
2 Chron 15:2 …The LORD is with you when you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you….
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this life. Thank You for walking with me down every road, through every trial. Thank You that all of it draws me closer to You. And thank You that as great as this world can be, that it is not my home, that You have something even better planned and prepared. Draw me closer always. Amen.
1 Cor 1:9 God is faithful….
Have a blessed day.
Willingly and intentionally choosing…. (devo reflection)
Isaiah 65:2 All day long I have held out My hands to an obstinate people, who walk in the wrong path, who follow their own imaginations….
As a parent and a teacher, it is incredibly frustrating to see a child headed down the wrong path. It is especially frustrating when you know those wrong choices can easily lead them to be hurt—physically or emotionally. To try to lead and guide them, to end up being rebuffed for my efforts, to have to help them deal with the fallout of their choices—these are very difficult things.
Jer 7:24 Yet they did not listen or pay attention, but they followed the stubborn inclinations of their own evil hearts. They went backward and not forward.
God is the Creator of the universe. He could have preprogrammed us to obedience, but He doesn’t want automatons. He wants people who willingly and intentionally choose Him, which means He allows us our stubborn disobedience, even if it hurts us, even if it hurts Him.
Deut 32:15 But Israel soon became fat and unruly; the people… abandoned the God who made them and they rejected the Rock their Savior.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for loving us enough to let us choose You, even if it takes a while. Thank You for Your goodness and mercy, for Your grace which surpasses all understanding, for Your fierce love. Help me to lay aside my stubbornness and choose You. Always. Draw me closer. Amen.
Psalm 106:25 They grumbled in their tents and did not listen to the voice of the LORD.
Have a blessed day.
A beautiful world…. (devo reflection)
1 Peter 3:8a Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic….
I used to have a poster by my door which said, “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” While the poster has been swapped out for another, the sentiment is one I still fully believe in. What if we were all like-minded in our desire to lift people up and encourage them? What if we went through every day trying to outdo each other in honor (Romans 12:10)? What a beautiful world it could be.
1 Peter 3:8b …love one another, be compassionate and humble.
Another sign, which has had a place of honor in my room for years, reads, “Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind. Always.” Such wise words, that are sometimes incredibly hard to follow, especially if you are the one in mid-battle. Someone said to me the other day, “Hurt people hurt people,” and I find that so very true, but what if our mission in life was to try to bring comfort and kindness, to show God’s love to a weary world? What a beautiful world it could be.
1 Peter 3:9a Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult….
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for these things that I ponder in my heart. Thank You that lifting up and encouraging others lifts me up as well. Thank You that we have a choice to reach outside our circumstances, our frustrations and pains, in order to shine Your light. Help me, always, to choose joy, kindness, compassion. Draw me closer. Amen.
1 Peter 3:9b …On the contrary, repay evil with blessings, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.
Have a blessed day.
This beautiful place…. (devo reflection)
Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.
Lord, Thank You for the twists and turns that have brought me to this point in my life. Thank You for every broken heart and broken dream that led me to this beautiful place. Thank You for giving me a life so much richer and more nuanced than I could have ever dreamed for myself. I am so grateful.
Proverbs 3:6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.
Lord, Thank You for allowing me to hear and respond to the call of Your heart, for sitting with me each morning, for calling me to task on these things within me that cause barriers to You. Thank You that, with every loss and disappointment, I know I’m safe and protected in Your arms. Help me grow closer to You with each passing day.
Isaiah 43:19a See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for Your love, grace, and mercy. There are so many things in this life I don’t understand. Thank You that this life and its confusion are not my home, that my ashes will be turned to beauty and my mourning into dancing. Thank You for the family and friends You have blessed me with, so many wonderful people for whom I am so thankful. Help me, daily, to live with an attitude of joy and gratitude, giving You glory. Always. Draw me closer. Amen.
Isaiah 43:19b …I am making a way in the wilderness….
Have a blessed day.
Not through my own efforts…. (devo reflection)
Rev 3:10 “Since you have kept my command to endure patiently….”
I try diligently not to pull out partial scripture when I write my reflections, but as I was reading this morning, thinking about my anxiety and grumpiness in the last week, thinking about yesterday, which really was a good day, I was struck by this passage in Revelation. If I had to give myself a grade for patient endurance to God’s call for me this past week, I would definitely have failed. Thankfully, my precious Savior applies much more grace and mercy to my shortcomings than I show myself. Thank You, Jesus.
1 Cor 1:21 For God in His wisdom made it impossible for people to know Him by means of their own wisdom….
My Savior knows He created me to try to understand—why something happened, what something means, why I keep making mistakes and missteps when I want so much to please my Savior and bring Him glory. 1 Cor 1:21 helps me see the value in the seeking. I will never fully know my Creator through my own efforts, but every day, with every quest for understanding, I feel I get to know Him just a little bit better. Thank You, Jesus.
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 I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for my inquisitive nature, for Your mercy and grace. Thank You for allowing me to seek You daily, understanding pieces of You and of myself just a smidge better with every attempt. Thank You that You cannot be fully known, fully understood, through my own efforts. Thank You that one glorious day, when we stand face to face, that I will see everything clearly. Draw me closer to You. Amen.
Matt 7:7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”
Have a blessed day.
Complete faith…. (devo reflection)
James 2:17 So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.
When I was a sophomore in high school, I had a teacher who changed my life. She believed in me before I could believe in myself, and I knew from the age of 15 that I was created to be a teacher. I wanted to do for others what she did for me. And I love my job, but the re-entry from summer to a new school year keeps getting more difficult. This year I feel oppressed by a cloud of grumpiness I just can’t shake. James 2:17 really hit me this morning because, while I have complete faith God has me just where He needs me, I don’t feel that with this “cloud of grumpy,” that I am doing my part in the way that He has called me to do. Jesus, Help me!
Luke 6:38 “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
Lord, I don’t know why I’m struggling so at the beginning of this school year, but I am certain that 1. where You have me is exactly where You need me and 2. my attitude MUST change. Help me to set aside my grumpiness so that I can give these young people my best. Help me to encourage, support, and love them as they get their feet under them and move forward toward their dreams. Help me to push them outside of their comfort zones while helping them to see how much strength they have within them. Grant me Your strength and Your peace as I do Your work.
Heb 3:15 As has been said: “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts….”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the fact that You are not happy with my current attitude and neither am I. Thank You that we can change our attitudes and our perspectives, even if we can’t change our circumstances. Thank You for a job I enjoy, one that makes a difference. Thank You for Your love and support as I carry out Your will. Draw me closer. Help me shake my attitude so that I can live Your joy. Amen.
John 1:15 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
Have a blessed day.