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Hope even in the most hopeless of times…. (devo reflection)

Ezra 7:10 For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the LORD and to practice it, and to teach His statues and ordinances in Israel.

Ezra’s heart is for God. His goal is to study God’s law, to practice it, and to teach it. Artaxerxes wants to placate any gods of foreign conquests so that he and his sons do not face the deity’s wrath. It’s a security measure, but God uses it to help Ezra with his heartfelt quest of knowledge and teaching.

Ezra 7:23a Whatever the God of heaven has prescribed, let it be done with diligence for the temple of the God of heaven….

This chapter brought Romans 8:28 to mind: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of the those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” When I think about all the mess I’ve seen, heard, and dealt with this semester, I know God can use all of it. He is using it. He is making a way where there is no way. Thanks be to God.

Ezra 7:23b …Why should His wrath fall on the realm of the king and of his sons?

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the reminder that You can use all things, even those things that seem impossible to be used for good. You can and will and do use all things for our good and Your glory. Give us hope even in the most hopeless of times, Lord, because You are making a way, even if we can’t yet perceive it (Isaiah 43:19). Thank You, Jesus. Amen.

Ezra 7:27 Praise be to the LORD, the God of our ancestors, who has put it into the king’s heart to bring honor to the house of the LORD in Jerusalem in this way.

Have a blessed day.

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Making a way…. (devo reflection)

Ezra 5:2 Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Joshua son of Jozadak set to work to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them, supporting them.

Ezra 5:5 begins “But the eye of their God was watching over the elders and the Jews….” I suppose that could be viewed as creepy or intrusive, but to me, it is very comforting. It puts me in mind of Psalm 139, especially verses 7-12, which begin, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence?” And in this Christmas season, it also puts me in mind of a babe born in a manger, “Immanuel (which means God with us”) (Matt 1:23).

Ezra 5:3 At that time Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and their associates went to them and asked, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and to finish it?”

In the difficult times, when I am giving my all, when my sacrifice is simply showing up and doing my best even though I feel I have nothing left to give, God is with me. He sees my sacrifice. He knows my struggle. When I try to pray for those who bully and hate, instead of responding in kind, God is with me. When I shine His light as a beacon of hope for all who are struggling to take the next right step, God is with me, with all of us. He sees. He knows. He is making a way in the wilderness (Isaiah 43:19). Thank You, Jesus.

Ezra 5:4 They also asked, “What are the names of those who are constructing this building?” 

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the reminder that You are with us. Always. When we struggle, when we fear, when we doubt, when we respond to hate with love, when we face impossible odds, when we shine Your light for others, You are there. You see. You know. You are making a way. Thank You. Amen.

Ezra 5:5 But the eye of their God was watching over the elders and the Jews, and they were not stopped until a report could go to Darius and his written reply be received.

Have a blessed day.

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God is in control (devo reflection)…..

2 Kings 7:1 Elisha replied, “…This is what the LORD says: About this time tomorrow, a seah of the finest flour will sell for a shekel and two seahs of barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria.”
I would encourage you to take a moment and read through 2 Kings 7 to see the whole story. The king’s guard could not fathom how God might solve the siege and famine. God used four lepers and auditory hallucinations to bring things to a remarkable end.
2 Kings 7:2a The officer on whose arm the king was leaning said to the man of God, “Look, even if the LORD should open the floodgates of the heavens, could this happen?”
I would have never seen that coming, and I think that’s part of the lesson God has for me in this chapter. I’m a planner and a thinker. I try to figure out the best way forward. But I am not God. I don’t have His mind or His resources. I can’t see the big picture nor how He is working all thing for my good and His glory. So I worry. A lot.
2 Kings 7:2b “You will see it with your own eyes,” answered Elisha, “but you will not eat any of it!”
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the reminder that I am not You and that when I fret about how You might take care of a situation, I needlessly fret because Your thoughts are not my thoughts and Your ways are far beyond anything I can imagine (Isaiah 55:8). Help me to trust and not worry because You are in control. Draw me closer. Amen.
2 Kings 7:20 And that is exactly what happened to him, for the people trampled him in the gateway and he died.
Have a blessed day.

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Rejoicing, always, in the Lord…. (devo reflection)

1 Samuel 2:1 Then Hannah prayed and said: “My heart rejoices in the LORD….”
At the end of my prayer time this morning, the Lord laid Phil 4:4 so clearly on my heart, “Rejoice in the LORD always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” This verse echos Hannah’s prayer as she leaves her firstborn, this child for which she prayed for so long, in her Father’s house: “My heart rejoices in the LORD….” Commentary on this verse says, “She could not rejoice in leaving her son, but she could rejoice in the LORD. In the most desperate situations, when we have nothing else to rejoice in, we can rejoice in the LORD.”
1 Samuel 2:18 But Samuel was ministering before the LORD—a boy wearing a linen ephod.
This commentary strikes a deep cord because I have lived it. In some of my darkest hours, I have turned to God to acknowledge, “I don’t understand what’s going on and I certainly don’t like it, but I know that You are sovereign. I know that You are love. I know that somehow You can use this for my good and Your glory. I trust You, Lord, even though I do not understand. I trust that You are here and in control.” I considered it a prayer of desperation, but in light of Hannah’s prayer, I can see the praise it contains.
1 Samuel 2:21 And the LORD was gracious to Hannah; she gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the LORD.
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for being so clearly present with me as I struggle with the idea of loss. Thank You for bestowing on Your children “a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair” (Isaiah 61:3). Help me, always, to rejoice in You. Draw me closer. Amen.
1 Samuel 2:26 And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the LORD and with people.
Have a blessed day.

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Making a way…. (devo reflection)

Ruth 4:13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife….and she gave birth to a son.
The short book of Ruth seems the embodiment of Isaiah 61:3. From Naomi’s bitter return to Bethlehem, lamenting “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter” (Ruth 1:20) to the women’s celebration of “Praise be to the LORD, who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer” (Ruth 4:14), we see Naomi and Ruth claiming “…beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair…” (Isaiah 61:3).
Ruth 4:14 The women said to Naomi: “Praise be to the LORD….For your daughter-in-law, who loves you…has given…birth.”
Perhaps the book of Ruth also helps me explain (or perhaps justify?) my hope is 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….” In the ashes of their broken hopes and dreams, Naomi and Ruth could not yet perceive the way forward that God was already working out. No matter what ashes you feel you are sitting in the middle of right now, know that God is already making a way for you, too.
Ruth 4:17a The women living there said, “Naomi has a son!” And they named him Obed….
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the hope that can only come from You, a hope exemplified in the book of Ruth. Thank You that even when we can’t see beyond the grief of our shattered dreams, You are already making a way, even if we can’t yet perceive it. Draw us closer to You. Amen.
Ruth 4:17b He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.
Have a blessed day.

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Hasty in my judgment…. (devo reflection)

Judges 15:3 Samson said to them, “This time I have a right to get even with the Philistines; I will really harm them.”
Samson is not impressing me, which surprises me because my childhood memory of Samson was of a physically strong, attractive, flowing-haired servant of God. But the Samson I see here seems impetuous, willful, selfish and self-centered. He seems to wear his “set-aside-for-God” title as a cape of privilege instead of as earnest, loving obligation.
Judges 15:7 Samson said to them, “Since you’ve acted like this, I swear I won’t stop until I get my revenge on you.”
What is even more surprising to me is that even though Samson could star in his own episode of “Israelites Behaving Badly,” God still uses him mightily. Perhaps I’ve been hasty in my judgment. Perhaps I should be MUCH slower in writing people off because of their behavior. Perhaps God’s thoughts are not my thoughts and His “ways are far beyond anything” I can imagine (paraphrase of Isaiah 55:8).
Judges 15:8 He attacked them viciously and slaughtered many of them. Then he went down and stayed in a cave in the rock of Etam.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for Your willingness and ability to use us in Your kingdom work, regardless of other people’s opinion of our usefulness. Help me to look at others with love and not judgement. Draw us closer. Amen.
Judges 15:14-15 …The Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon him…. Finding a fresh jawbone of a donkey, he grabbed it and struck down a thousand men.
Have a blessed day.

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God IS greater…. (devo reflection)

Numbers 11:23 The LORD answered Moses, “Is the LORD’s arm too short? Now you will see whether or not what I say will come true for you.” (NIV)
Deut 23, the chapter I read this morning, is a continued recitation of laws, rules, and expectations. On the cusp of entering the Promised Land, the Israelites are being reminded of what’s expected of them so far as behavior goes. The Israelites are fallibly human, just like all of us, so reminders are important.
Numbers 11:23 The the LORD said to Moses, “Has My arm lost its power? Now you will see whether or not my word comes true!” (NLT)
As I did some reading in Numbers this morning, I thought about other reasons why reminders are important. Human beings are forgetful and short sighted. We panic easily at times and we are often quick to forget that God is with us always, especially when confronted with trials. But God IS with us, greater than anything we will ever face. We’d do well to remember that.
Numbers 11:23 The LORD answered, “I can do anything! Watch and you’ll see My words come true.” (CEV)
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the reminder of Your love, sovereignty, steadfastness. Help us to trust You, to lean into Your presence. Always. Draw us closer. Amen.
Isaiah 59:2 Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor His ear too dull to hear.
Have a blessed day.

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Firmly rooted…. (devo reflection)

Numbers 31:22-23a Gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, lead and anything else that can withstand fire must be put through the fire, and then it will be clean….
There is so much I do not know, do not understand, about this chapter, but as I was praying over what to write today, I felt God very clearly direct me to Isaiah 43:2: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”
Numbers 31:23b …But it must also be purified with the water of cleansing. And whatever cannot withstand fire must be put through that water.
This is certainly a time of testing. With fear and uncertainty so pervasive, I am daily, hourly, being tested so far as where I put my trust, my faith. With changes happening so quickly, it is easy to feel like I am balanced precariously on shifting sand, but the truth is that my feet are firmly planted on the Solid Rock, and I would do well not to forget that.
Matt 7:24 “Everyone then who heard these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the reminder that we are firmly rooted in You, and that, because of that, even though the howling winds and lashing rain may assault us, You are our Shelter, our Rock, our Foundation, and our Hope. We will be ok in the end because we are Yours. Help us never to forget that, Lord. Help us to remind each other, shining Your light, sharing Your hope. Draw us closer. Amen.
Matt 7:25 “And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.”
Have a blessed day

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To praise You…. (devo reflection)

Leviticus 9:4 “‘…For today the LORD will appear to you.’”
Lord, This is the day that You have made. Help me to rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118:24) Help me to throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles and to run with perseverance the race marked out for me. (Hebrews 12:1)
Leviticus 9:23 … and the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people.
Lord, Your love is better than life. Help me never to lose sight of that fact. Let my lips glorify Your name always. (Psalm 63:3) I want to praise Your name as long as I live, to lift up Your name in praise. (Psalm 63:4) I cling to You because I know Your right hand upholds me. (Psalm 63:8)
Leviticus 9:24a Fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the alter…
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this opportunity to spend time with You, to praise You. Thank You for loving me so deeply, for writing my name in the palm of Your hand (Isaiah 49:16), for making a way in my wilderness, even when I cannot yet perceive it (Isaiah 43:19). Thank You, Lord, for Your love, Your grace, Your mercy, Your hope. Draw me closer. Amen.
Leviticus 9:24b … And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell facedown.
Have a great day.

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A precious baby who would save the world…. (devo reflection)

Exodus 16:4 Then the LORD said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you….”
Commentary on this verse “…reminds us that God may provide from resources we never knew existed. Sometimes He provides from familiar resources, sometimes from unexpected resources.” This idea puts me in mind of Isaiah 43:19 “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way….” 
Exodus 16:14 When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor.
How often do I try to limit God to resources I know, solutions I understand? Thankfully, His thoughts are nothing like my thoughts, and His ways are far beyond anything I could imagine (Isaiah 55:8), like when He sent His son as a newborn baby in order to save the world. So I try to cling to Isaiah 43:19 and trust His promise and provision, even when I don’t understand, even when I cannot see a way forward. He’s making a way, in His time, with His resources.
Exodus 16:15a When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was….
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder that You are in control and You are making a way. Thank You for not limiting Yourself to solutions and resources that I understand. Thank You for the birth of Your Son, a precious baby who would save the world. Draw us all closer. Amen.
Exodus 16:15b …Then Moses said to them, “It is the bread the LORD has given you to eat.”
Have a blessed day.