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Preconceived notions…. (devo reflection)

John 5:5 One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years.

Commentary on these verses is very eye-opening and convicting. The invalid has a preconceived notion of how healing happens and, therefore, he “…limits God’s help to his own ideas….” However, when Jesus tells him in verse 8 to pick up his mat and walk, he does so in faith, without hesitation, and he is healed.

John 5:6 When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”

How many times have I been guilty of exactly the same thing? How many times have I told Jesus what  healing looks like in a given situation? And it is only when I surrender my will, my notions of how things should work, that I make room for His will to heal. Jesus, Help me.

John 5:7 “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”

Lord, Thank You for the fact that Your thoughts are not my thoughts and Your ways are beyond anything I can imagine (Isaiah 55:8). Thank You for working outside of what I know and understand. Help me not to limit Your power to my feeble, earthly notion of what’s possible. Help me to get out of Your way so You can work through me. Always. Amen.

John 5:8-9 Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.

Have a blessed day.

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“Do not be afraid….” (devo reflection)

Luke 1:13 But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John.”
In both verse 13 and verse 30, one of the first things the angel says is: “Do not be afraid.” Worry, fear, anxiety have been such a part of my life for so long that the angel’s words are a balm to my soul. “Do not be afraid.”
Luke 1:18 Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”
The other thing that strikes me about verse 13 specifically is the fact that the angel tells Zechariah that the Lord has heard his UNSPOKEN prayer for a son, the prayer that he held in the quiet of his heart, the prayer he had probably given up on. Zechariah reacts with disbelief (“How can I be sure of this?”). I feel his disbelief on a gut level as it is something I struggle with as well.
Luke 1:30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.”
Precious Savior, Thank You for the repeated reminder not to be afraid. Thank You for hearing the prayers that we hold in the quiet of our hearts. Thank You for the promise to never leave us nor forsake us (Heb 13:5), for the promise of a divine plan for us (Jer 29:11), for the promise to work all things to our good and Your glory (Rom 8:28). Help me never to lose sight of the fact that Your thoughts are not my thoughts and Your ways are beyond anything I can imagine (Isaiah 55:8). Thank You, Lord. Amen.
Luke 1:37 “For no word from God will ever fail.”
Have a blessed day.
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Drawing closer to God in the process…. (devo reflection)

Mark 9:21 Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?” “From childhood,” he answered.

I understand this father on a gut level. He had just, unsuccessfully, asked the disciples to rid his son of the demon, and they failed. His comment in verse 22–“if you can do anything”—isn’t about God’s ability but about his faith, which has already been shaken. I totally get that.

Mark 9:22 “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”

This passage changed my prayer life. Instead of praying, “God, please heal…” “God, please fix….” I say, “God, I know You can do all things. And *insert my will* is what I want. But Your ways are not my ways, so if that is not Your will, please give us strength to walk Your path and draw us all closer to You in this journey.”

Mark 9:23 “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”

Precious Savior, I believe. I know You can do all things. I also know that Your thoughts are not my thoughts and Your ways are beyond anything I can imagine (Isaiah 55:8). Help me to be specific in my prayers but also to put Your Will above my own, Your glory above all. Help me remember that if we are drawn closer to You in the process, then we are more than victorious. Amen.

Mark 9:24 Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

Have a blessed day.

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Jesus partners with me in my own healing…. (devo reflection)

Mark 6:1-2 Jesus left there and went to his hometown…. When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed….

Jesus was not very effective in His hometown, primarily because of the lack of belief on the part of those who knew Him before He began His ministry. This, coupled with yesterday’s reading, causes me to think that there is a definite relationship between our belief in Jesus’s ability to work and to heal in our lives and His working and healing.

Mark 6:3 Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.

What I mean is this: If I don’t think Jesus can work in my circumstances, He won’t be able to do so. I wouldn’t recognize His work, even if I were staring right at it. It is at once awe-inspiring and terrifying to think that Jesus partners with me in my own healing in this way. “I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24)

Mark 6:4 Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.”

Lord, Thank You for making me an active participant in my faith. Thank You for being willing and able to move mountains and work miracles if only I believe. Help me never to lose sight of the fact that: “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the LORD. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine” (Isaiah 55:8). Open my mind and my heart to see the ways in which You are working in my life. Amen.

Mark 6:5-6 He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. He was amazed at their lack of faith.

Have a blessed day.

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Trusting beyond my comprehension…. (devo reflection)

Matthew 14:27-28 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

Commentary says: “It is easier to have faith when we think we know how God might provide….” In my nascent faith, I found this to be true. I didn’t realize that believing He would work in ways I knew He could work wasn’t true faith in Christ. It was trust in what I knew was possible.

Matthew 14:29-30 “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

It wasn’t until I learned Isaiah 43:19 as a prayer of faith in Him that I truly learned to trust in things beyond my comprehension. When I could honestly, earnestly pray “Lord, I know You are making a way in this wilderness, even though I can’t yet perceive it, can’t fathom how You will move here. I trust You,” that was the foundation of faith in God alone.

Matthew 14:31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

Lord, I believe, but I am also fallibly human. When I can’t fathom how You might provide in my life, help my unbelief. Help me, always, to cling to the promise that You are making a way, even if I cannot yet perceive it. Thank You for the healing power of complete faith in You. Draw me closer. Amen.

Matthew 14:35-36 And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.

Have a blessed day.

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Nothing like I had hoped or imagined…. (devo reflection)

Zechariah 10:1 Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime; it is the Lord who sends the thunderstorms. He gives showers of rain to all people, and plants of the field to everyone.

Commentary says, in part, that this scripture is about trusting the Lord and asking Him specifically for what you need. It goes on to say that the Lord will provide abundantly for His people. This brought to mind the fact that I still have so much to learn about prayer.

Zechariah 10:2 The idols speak deceitfully, diviners see visions that lie; they tell dreams that are false, they give comfort in vain. Therefore the people wander like sheep oppressed for lack of a shepherd.

This scripture, and everything I understand about prayer, indicates that it is important to pray specifically. What trips me up is the fact that the Lord will answer my prayer but in His way and His time. Additionally, His thoughts are nothing like my thoughts and His ways are far beyond anything I could imagine (Isaiah 55:8), meaning that the answer may look nothing like I had hoped or imagined.

Zechariah 10:3 “My anger burns against the shepherds, and I will punish the leaders; for the Lord Almighty will care for his flock, the people of Judah, and make them like a proud horse in battle.

Lord, Thank You for the understanding, again and again, that to fully live in You means to trust You implicitly—Your will, Your way, Your timing, Your love, mercy, and compassion, everything. Forgive me when I struggle. Help me to never lose sight of Your fierce love for me. Help me to let go of my expectations and cling to You alone. Amen.

Zechariah 10:4 From Judah will come the cornerstone, from him the tent peg, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler.

Have a blessed day.

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Limited by my own imagination…. (devo reflection)

Zechariah 8:6 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “It may seem marvelous to the remnant of this people at that time, but will it seem marvelous to me?” declares the Lord Almighty.

In today’s reading, the Lord describes a rebuilt Jerusalem, filled with wise older residents and the young, both of whom are scarce in the current city in the process of rebuilding. The Lord says that this vision may seem marvelous—incredible, unbelievable—to the remnant, but God’s thoughts are not our thoughts. His ways are far beyond anything we can imagine (Isaiah 55:8).

Zechariah 8:8 I will bring them back to live in Jerusalem; they will be my people, and I will be faithful and righteous to them as their God.”

When it comes to God’s glory and goodness, when it comes to trying to understand His ways, when it comes to trying to imagine what heaven might be like, I know I am limited by my own imagination. What’s possible is shaped by what I’ve seen, by my understanding of the workings of the world, which is so incredibly limited as to be laughable.

Zechariah 8:13 Just as you, Judah and Israel, have been a curse among the nations, so I will save you, and you will be a blessing. Do not be afraid, but let your hands be strong.”

Lord, Thank You that You are not limited by my understanding, imagination, or humanity. Thank You that Your ways are beyond anything I can imagine. Help me to trust You, even when I am afraid, even when I don’t understand. Draw me closer. Amen.

Zechariah 8:16-17 These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts; do not plot evil against each other, and do not love to swear falsely. I hate all this,” declares the Lord.

Have a blessed day.

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How life is done…. (devo reflection)

Zechariah 4:2 He asked me, “What do you see?” I answered, “I see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl at the top and seven lamps on it, with seven channels to the lamps.

The end of Zechariah 4:6 says ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty. That verse brings me incredible comfort. I’ve never felt particularly mighty or powerful. I’m definitely not competitive. If that’s what it takes to win at life, I stand absolutely no chance.

Zechariah 4:3 Also there are two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left.”

But 2 Chron 20:15 says, “This is what the LORD says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.” It’s ok that I’m not powerful or mighty. It’s ok that I’m not competitive. That’s not how life is done. ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.

Zechariah 4:5 He answered, “Do you not know what these are?” “No, my lord,” I replied.

Lord, Your thoughts are not our thoughts. Your ways are far beyond anything we can imagine (Isaiah 55:8). Thank You for the truth of Zechariah 4:6. Thank You that the battle is not mine but Yours. Thank You that Your strength is perfected in my weakness. Help me to draw closer to You, to shine Your light, to comfort Your people, to glorify Your name. Always. Amen.

Zechariah 4:6 So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.

Have a blessed day.

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Be utterly amazed…. (devo reflection)

Habakkuk 1:2 How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save?

Lord, I am so tired, and it seems the more exhausted I am, the more I try to “get all up in Your business,” trying to be sure You see, You know, You understand all that is going on in this world. Forgive me for my arrogance.

Habakkuk 1:3 Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds.

Lord, I don’t often understand what You are doing. Help me cling to Isaiah 55:8: “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the LORD. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.” Help me to trust You always, even when I am exhausted.

Habakkuk 1:5 “Look at the nations and watch—and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.

Lord, I pray the words of Psalm 25 to You: 1 O LORD, I give my life to you. 2 I trust in you, my God! Do not let me be disgraced…. 4 Show me the right path, O LORD; point out the road for me to follow. 5 Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you. Hear my prayer, Lord. Amen.

Habakkuk 1:6 I am raising up the Babylonians, that ruthless and impetuous people, who sweep across the whole earth to seize dwellings not their own.

Have a blessed day.

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The Lord God Almighty is his name…. (devo reflection)

Amos 4:6 “I gave you empty stomachs in every city and lack of bread in every town, yet you have not returned to me,” declares the Lord.

I am thankful that God does not act like I do. His actions here aren’t out of anger but out of His fierce love for us and His deep desire for us to return and repent so that we can enjoy a full relationship with Him. Thank You, Jesus.

Amos 4:8 People staggered from town to town for water but did not get enough to drink, yet you have not returned to me,” declares the Lord.

Even if I had started in a place of love with this correction, the repeated ignoring, the blatant refusal to return and repent would have led me to anger, which would have turned any loving acts intended to correct into vengeful acts intended to punish. Help me, Jesus.

Amos 4:12 “Therefore this is what I will do to you, Israel, and because I will do this to you, Israel, prepare to meet your God.”

Precious Savior, Thank You for Your fierce love of us, a love that leads You to great lengths to encourage us to return and repent. Thank You that You aren’t human and fleshly and easy to anger as we are. Help us to cling to Isaiah 55:8–knowing that You have much bigger plans for us than we could ever imagine—and to return to You with our whole hearts. Amen.

Amos 4:13 He who forms the mountains, who creates the wind, and who reveals his thoughts to mankind, who turns dawn to darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth— the Lord God Almighty is his name.

Have a blessed day.