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Recentering myself on Jesus…. (devo reflection)

Philippians 4:10 I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 

Verse 11 is something that I am still working on–contentment in whatever circumstances. I know the secret to contentment in any circumstance, that’s in verse 13: I can do all things through Him who gives me strength, but the contentment is where I am working.

Philippians 4:11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 

Honestly, I’m still working on the process of finding myself discontent and breathing through it, recentering myself on Him. Deep breath in: I will be ok. Deep breath out: This will be ok. Deep breath in: God’s got me. Deep breath out: He is with me; He is for me.

Philippians 4:12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 

Precious Savior, Thank You for the truth of these verses. Thank You for Your strength and Your presence. When I find myself discontent, whatever the reason, help me to recenter myself on You–Your sovereignty, Your peace, Your love. Give me strength to be content exactly where I am. Help me remember that You are with me, holding me. Amen.

Philippians 4:13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Have a blessed day.

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Focusing on the good…. (devo reflection)

Philippians 4:8a Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable— 

Father, I know that I always see more of what my mind focuses on. If I look for the good, I find the good. If I look for the negative, it’s everywhere. Help me to focus on what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable. Help me to keep my eyes and my heart focused on You.

Philippians 4:8b …if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 

Lord, Help me remember that You are present, sovereign, and unchanging, regardless of my circumstances. I can focus on You and on what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, no matter my current circumstances. Help me to root my mind and heart in You. Always.

Philippians 4:9a Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice…. 

Precious Savior, Thank You for these truths that You reveal to me as I sit in my recliner each morning. Thank You for the truth that my heart so readily soaks up. Help me to remember Your word, Your truth, as I go throughout my day. Help me to remember Your sovereignty, regardless of my circumstances. Amen.

Philippians 4:9b …And the God of peace will be with you.

Have a blessed day.

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The Lord is near…. (devo reflection)

Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!   

The second part of verse 5, for me, is the key to today’s verses. “The Lord is near.” How can I rejoice in the Lord always? This world is such a mess. I can rejoice because the Lord is near. How can I let my gentleness be evident to all? This world will eat me alive if they see my tender heart. I can let my gentleness be evident because the Lord is near.

Philippians 4:5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.

Verse 6 is truly difficult for me. How can I be anxious about nothing? Because the Lord is near. And He wants me to hand every situation over to Him, through prayer and petition, with thanksgiving. Help me Jesus. You are near.

Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Precious Savior, Thank You for the peace and hope that is present in today’s verses. Help me cling to the fact that You are near. Help me to be anxious for nothing, to hand everything over to You, to have a thankful heart, so that Your peace, which transcends all understanding, can guard my heart and mind in You. Amen.

Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Have a blessed day.

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“…you whom I love and long for, my joy and my crown.” (devo reflection)

Philippians 4:1 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends!

Verse 1 makes me smile. “…you whom I love and long for, my joy and my crown.” These are his brothers and sisters in Christ that he’s speaking so dearly to, his family in Christ. It just warms my heart to hear the affection.

Philippians 4:2 I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. 

I am also intrigued to hear him call so many women by name. I tend to think of Christ’s disciples as male, of Christ’s society as male-dominated, and both are true, but clearly women were active in the cause as well. Again, it makes me smile.

Philippians 4:3a Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel…. 

Precious Savior, Thank You for the reminder that we all have a place in Your kingdom work. Thank You for the reminder to love our brothers and sisters in Christ as the family they are. Thank You for who You are and who You are to me. Amen.

Philippians 4:3b …along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.

Have a blessed day.

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Recognition of my Savior…. (devo reflection)

Isaiah 12:4a In that day you will say: “Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name;

When I look at the words that jump out at me from today’s verses, the ones that draw my attention are: praise, proclaim, exalted, sing, let this be known, and shout aloud. These verses are definitely about praising God.

Isaiah 12:4b …make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted.

I want my life, my recognition of my Savior to be exemplified by these words. Some days I’m incredibly successful at praising His name. Other days…when the world is crashing in, when life is veering completely off course, when nothing is as it should be…not so much.

Isaiah 12:5 Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world.

Precious Savior, Thank You for who You are and who You are to me. Thank You that on the good days, it is so easy to praise, proclaim, exalted, sing, let this be known, shout aloud, and sing Your praises. Help me, on the difficult days, to give You what praise I can. Help me on the tough days to remember that You are still sovereign, You are still good, You are still with me. Always. Amen.

Isaiah 12:6 Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.”

Have a blessed day.

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Why I’m so weary…. (devo reflection)

Isaiah 12:1 In that day you will say: “I will praise you, Lord. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me.

Verse 2 has my attention today. I long for the ability to trust and not be afraid. And while I know God is my Savior, my refuge, my strength, I still struggle in the trust and no fear department. It is truly aggravating, and yet, I know I’ll get there eventually. I’ve been working on it long enough.

Isaiah 12:2a Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid….

Verse 2 might hold the key to why it is so difficult. While I know the Lord is my strength and my defense, I still have a stubborn, independent streak a mile wide. I’ll toil and scrap and labor under my own strength in my own defense, trying to be independent. And eventually I’ll realize I’m carrying a burden that was never meant for me. Maybe that’s why I’m so weary.

Isaiah 12:2b …The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense ; he has become my salvation.”

Precious Savior, Thank You for whispering to my heart these truths that I know yet I persist in ignoring. Thank You for loving me fiercely even though I have way too much in common with a recalcitrant toddler at times. Help me to lay my burdens at Your feet and to rest in Your peace. Amen.

Isaiah 12:3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

Have a blessed day.

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Weary…. (devo reflection)

Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 

Jesus’s invitation in verse 28 is so appealing to me right now. At this time of the school year, I’m pretty exhausted, worn out, weary, burdened. My soul needs rest. And Jesus is telling me to come to Him and He will give me rest.

Matthew 11:29a Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart…  

There are no qualifications. It’s not “Come to me if your burden is important enough,” “Come to me if I deem your burden relevant,” “Come to me if your burden is from doing my work and not from the general weariness of life.” Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Matthew 11:29b …and you will find rest for your souls.

Precious Savior, Thank You for Your open invitation to come to You if we are weary and burdened, period. Thank You for the rest that You can and will provide. We are all weary, Lord. Help us to see our deep need for You. Help us to come to You so we can rest. Amen.

Matthew 11:30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Have a blessed day.

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Like little children…. (devo reflection)

Matthew 11:25 At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. 

I’ve mentioned before that Jesus disrupted the status quo and turned the hierarchy on its head, and today’s scripture is another example of that. The wise and learned are…well, wise and learned. Little children are considered naive, perhaps ignorant. And yet, the Father has chosen to reveal His truths to little children.

Matthew 11:26 Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.

Here’s another thing about little children–they usually soak in everything. They pay attention. They ask questions and seek deeper understanding. “But why?” is a constant refrain. They want to learn, and there are not many preconceived notions that stop them from it. The wise and learned less so.

Matthew 11:27a “All things have been committed to me by my Father. 

Precious Savior, When it comes to learning more about You, to drawing close to You, help us be like little children–eager to learn, full of questions, soaking everything about You in. And help us to shine Your light with the joy of a child. Amen.

Matthew 11:27b …No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

Have a blessed day.

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To save sinners…. (devo reflection)

Matthew 11:20 Then Jesus began to denounce the towns in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent.   

In verse 20, Jesus is denouncing towns where he performed miracles and they did not repent. His goal is a change of heart for all so that they can be with Him eternally. It brings to mind 1 Timothy 1:15: “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.”

Matthew 11:21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

Jesus’s goal isn’t fame. It’s not money. It’s not power. His goal is to save sinners. He subjected Himself to all on this earth to give us an opportunity to see the error of our ways, repent, and spend eternity with Him. The selflessness truly boggles my mind.

Matthew 11:22 But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.

Precious Savior, Thank You for loving us so much that You came to earth in the hopes that we would see, believe, and repent. Forgive me when my heart is hardened. Help me to see the areas of my life that I need to surrender to You. Help me to repent so that I can spend eternity with You. Amen.

Matthew 11:23 And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades. For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. 

Have a blessed day.

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Kids these days…. (devo reflection)

Matthew 11:16 “To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others:

What comes to mind as I read today’s verses is the saying “Kids these days…” You can apply that phrase to almost any situation. “In my day, we didn’t…., but kids these days….” However, I’m not sure that kids these days are really that much different. Neither are adults these days.

Matthew 11:17 “ ‘We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’

I guess what I mean is that there are certain tenants of human nature that just happen. Always. Folks are skeptical. Folks believe that certain things are immutable and certain things change every single day. I look at “kids these days” and I think how very similar I was in a lot of ways. Yet Hebrews 13:8 reminds us that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” THAT is a comforting thought. I can count on Him. Always.

Matthew 11:18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 

Precious Savior, Thank You for Your unwavering strength and goodness. No matter how much life changes, no matter how much people change (or don’t change), YOU are constant. Help us to make You our firm foundation. Always. Help us to sink our roots deep into Your eternal strength. Amen.

Matthew 11:19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is proved right by her deeds.”

Have a blessed day.