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In the presence of our Savior…. (devo reflection)

Zechariah 2:10 “Shout and be glad, Daughter Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you,” declares the Lord.

Reading this section of today’s verse brought clearly to mind Matthew 1:23: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). God with us, God among us—to be in the presence of our Savior—that’s the goal, right?

Zechariah 2:11 “Many nations will be joined with the Lord in that day and will become my people. I will live among you and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you.

But scripture also tells us that God IS with us. Always. Even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20). He’s already here—in us, with us, through us, among us.

Zechariah 2:12 The Lord will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land and will again choose Jerusalem.

Lord, Thank You for Your word and for these things that I ponder in the quiet of my heart. Thank You that You are not only making a place for us (John 14:3) but also that You are with us, that You will never leave us (Deut 31:6, 8). My human mind can’t quite comprehend how all this is possible, but my eternal heart trusts You. Draw me closer. Amen.

Zechariah 2:13 Be still before the Lord, all mankind, because he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.”

Have a blessed day.

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Work to do…. (devo reflection)

Jeremiah 17:7 “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.”
If my confidence is in myself, then when things feel chaotic or out of my control, my life is going to be a mess. Even as I type this, I feel God whispering to my heart, “Does that feel familiar, precious child? Trust Me and find My rest.” Clearly I’ve still got work to do in this area.
Jeremiah 17:8a “They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.”
Ironically, this is the first time I’ve looked at these verses in terms of pride, my pride, getting in the way of my faith. John 15:5 illustrates this point even more clearly: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” Working outside of His will, working in my strength alone, severely limits my productivity and cuts me off from His blessings.
Jeremiah 17:8b “It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”
Lord, Thank You for continuing to work on my heart in the area of pride. Thank You for the reminder that if I am acting on my own—instead of in Your will—my efforts will never produce Your abundant fruit. Thank You for knowing my heart and for loving me fiercely. Draw me closer. Humble me before You. Amen.
Jeremiah 17:10 “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.”
Have a blessed day.
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Peace, peace…. (devo reflection)

Jeremiah 6:14 They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. ‘Peace, peace,’ they say, when there is no peace. (NIV)
The “they” referred to in this verse is the prophets and the priests. The corruption went so high that even the men of God were corrupted. That’s an insidious level of corruption, when even those you should be able to trust for right counsel steer you wrong.
Jeremiah 6:14 They offer superficial treatments for my people’s mortal wound. They give assurances of peace when there is no peace. (NLT)
Interestingly, the thing that really stuck out to me about this verse is how different it seems now. Then they were claiming peace when there was no peace. Now, I’m awfully bad to think the whole world is falling apart, when my precious Savior whispers, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)
Jeremiah 6:14 They dress the wound of My people with very little care, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace at all. (BSB)
Lord, You are sovereign. You are already on the other side of every battle, every heartache, every problem I will ever face. When life feels overwhelming, help me to cling to Romans 8:37: “No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.” When I try to say there is no peace in the chaos of life, remind me that You are my peace. Thank You. Amen.
Jeremiah 6:14 “They have healed the brokenness of My people superficially, Saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ But there is no peace. (NASB)
Have a blessed day.
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Grace…. (devo reflection)

Isaiah 5:21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight. (NIV)
This chapter illustrates a struggle that is very real and difficult for me to reconcile. Commentary declares that if a church member is unrepentant, members might need to push him out of the church’s protection. And while I am certainly not advocating that the church celebrates sin, if a sinner can’t find grace within the church, where is he supposed to find it?
Isaiah 5:21 What sorrow for those who are wise in their own eyes and think themselves so clever. (NLT)
My reading just before this chapter today was in John 13. Verse 1 says, “…having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.” Jesus knew Judas would betray Him. Yet He washed his feet and shared bread and wine with him at the Last Supper. He loved him to the end. I can’t reconcile that treatment of Judas with the advice to push an unrepentant sinner outside of the church’s circle. Jesus, Help me.
Isaiah 5:21 Woe unto them that are wise their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! (ERV)
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for scripture that causes me to study and struggle to make sense of it in light of what I know to be true. Thank You for Your grace, which covers me. I am a sinner saved by Your grace, Lord. Help me to love like You love. Draw me closer. Amen.
Isaiah 5:21 You are doomed! You think you are wise, so very clever. (GNT)
Have a blessed day.
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God’s love as my guide…. (devo reflection)

Proverbs 26:4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be just like him.
Take a moment and read verses 4 and 5. They are directly contradictory to each other. But they bring to mind for me Hebrews 4:12: “…for the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edge sword….”
Proverbs 26:5 Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes.
Like most things, these proverbs must be pondered and applied with the love, mercy, and compassion of Jesus. They aren’t one-size-fits-all. They are blind commands. (For the record, the command is to love each other as Jesus loves us—fiercely, compassionately, mercifully, through our mistakes and missteps, offering love instead of judgement. John 15:12) To be successful, I must use God’s love as my guide everyday.
Proverbs 26:6 Sending a message by the hands of a fool is like cutting off one’s feet or drinking poison.
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the example of Christ. Help me, daily, to love others as You love me—even through my foolishness and messes. Help me to draw closer to You and to shine Your light for all. Amen.
Proverbs 26:7 Like the useless legs of one who is lame is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.
Have a blessed day.
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The law of love…. (devo reflection)

Job 18:1 Then Bildad the Shuhite replied:

An intriguing mention in commentary on this chapter is that “Bildad herein sinned against the law of love…,” which of course has me thinking about what, exactly, is the law of love. Job’s friends are looking at this situation through Old Testament eyes, eyes that encourage one to “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength” (Deut 6:5), Old Testament hearts that feel you can see a person is in tune with God by the favor in that person’s life. 

Job 18:2 “When will you end these speeches? Be sensible, and then we can talk.”

I’m looking at Job through New Testament eyes, through a New Testament heart that urges us to “…Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34), a heart that reminds me that “Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers all transgressions” (Proverbs 10:12–Old Testament, I know, but Job’s friends seems to have forgotten this one). 

Job 18:3 “Why are we regarded as cattle and considered stupid in your sight?”

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the reminder that life and love and Your nature go far beyond cut and dry, pat answers. You ask me to love You with all my heart and with all my soul and with all my strength. Help me to do so every moment of every day, Lord, and help me to love others as fiercely and mercifully as You love me. Always. Draw me closer. Amen.

Job 18:4 “You who tear yourself to pieces in your anger, is the earth to be abandoned for your sake?…”

Have a blessed day.

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The condition of our hearts…. (devo reflection)

Deut 22:22 If a man is found sleeping with another man’s wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die….
Deuteronomy is all about rules, and I am a rule follower, but one thing I’ve noticed about rules is that it can easily become about others. If I am making sure you follow the rules, I’m concerned with your behavior and not my own.
John 8:3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery….
Reading Deut 22 brought to mind John 8. There is a sharp contrast here. Deut is about rules and laws, necessary, especially given the Israelites’ behavior in the wilderness. Jesus brings us grace, mercy, and compassion. He cares about rules, but He cares more about people.
John 8:4-5 ….they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do You say?”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for Your grace, mercy, and compassion. Thank You that people are more important than strict letter of the law and that You care more about the condition of our hearts than about us policing each other’s behavior. Help us to never lose sight of what’s truly important. Draw us closer to You. Amen.
Hebrews 4:16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
Have a blessed day.

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A light in the darkness…. (devo reflection)

Exodus 27:20 “Command the Israelites to bring you clear oil of pressed olives for the light so that the lamps may be kept burning.”
My husband loves to build a fire in the fireplace most evenings in the fall and winter. The heat and light are comforting, but I think it is also the process of keeping the fire going that he enjoys. Several times this week, though, despite the fact that he’s done what he always has, his efforts have resulted in frustration. The fire doesn’t catch. It hisses and sputters and goes out. 
Exodus 27:21a “In the tent of meeting, outside the curtain that shields the ark of the covenant law, Aaron and his sons are to keep the lamps burning before the LORD from evening till morning.”
It occurred to me this morning that that floundering fire—hissing and sputtering, even though everything is as it should be for a roaring fire—that feels like such an accurate metaphor for my current spiritual state. I don’t know why, and it is incredibly frustrating.
Exodus 27:21b “This is to be a lasting ordinance among the Israelites for the generations to come.”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this clarity. Something is off on my end. The fire is laid correctly, but it won’t catch, won’t burn properly, and I don’t like it, but I’m not sure how to fix it. Thank You for leading me to this truth. Lead me through it and draw me closer to You. Help me to burn brightly for You instead of hissing and spitting in this state of frustration. Amen.
John 1:5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
Have a blessed day.

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With us. Always…. (devo reflection)

John 14:1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in Me.”
Lord, In a world that often leaves me feeling anxious and afraid, these verses strike a deep cord, and well they might, for in them, You are trying to prepare Your disciples for Your death, for the time when they would be without Your physical presence. Thank You that I can take comfort in those same words. Thank You that Your word is so transcendent that it still applies today.
John 14:16 “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to help you and be with you forever….”
Lord, Thank You for Your tremendous love for Your people, a love so great that You want Your disciples, then and now, to understand that even if You are not here physically, we are not alone. Your word is with us. Your commandments are with us. And Your Advocate, the Holy Spirit, is with us. Always. We are not alone. We do not have to be afraid. Thank You, Jesus.
John 14:23 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves Me will obey My teaching. My Father will love them, and We will come to them and make Our home with them.”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for making Your home with me. Thank You for providing for me, for making a place for me, and for returning some day to bring me home. Thank You for Your loving care. I am so grateful. Draw me closer. Amen.
John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
Have a blessed day. 

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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.