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While it was still dark…. (devo reflection)

John 20:1 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance.

Yesterday I read a devo from The Upper Room devotional. It referenced John 20:1, specifically the phrase “while it was still dark.” The writer talked about the fact that even in the darkness, God was already at work, already making a way.

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 and streams in the wasteland.

This idea—that God is at work, that He’s making a way even when I can’t yet perceive it—is why I love Isaiah 43:19 and hold tight to it especially in difficult times. For all my fear and worrying, I absolutely trust that God is making a way in my difficulties, even when I can’t yet perceive it.

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

Risen Savior, Author of all creation, thank You for the certainty that You are at work in my circumstances, that You are making a way where there is no way, even if I cannot yet perceive it. Help me to trust to You always, “even while it is still dark.” 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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Like Jesus…. (devo reflection)

Proverbs 11:2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.

Lord, I feel You calling me again to examine pride and humility. I know I get a little too smug sometimes when I’m mentally passing judgement about what someone else is or is not doing. Help me, Lord.

Proverbs 16:5 When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.

Lord, You know I tell my students all the time that “we don’t know what we don’t know.” We have to stay open to listening, to hearing, to learning, or we will never grow. Help me to find that balance. I don’t want to be a doormat. I don’t want to be a know-it-all. I want to be compassionate and merciful and loving, like You. Help me, Lord.

1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.

Lord, You tell me again and again that if I seek You with my whole heart, I will find You. I know that if I am open to seeing You, to seeking You, I will find You, sometimes in the most unlikely places. Help me, Lord. Amen.

Philippians 2:3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

Have a blessed day.

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Near to us…. (devo reflection)

Philippians 4:4-5 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.

Lord, Thank You for being near to us. Always. Thank You for the reminder and encouragement to rejoice in You always—not because LIFE is always good but because YOU are always good, and You are always near to us—in our joy, in our sorrow, in our longing. Thank You.

Philippians 4:6a Do not be anxious about anything….

Lord, There are so many anxious thoughts that crowd around us in this life. Help us to block out the noise of the world, to concentrate on Your presence, Your voice. You are with us—in the joy and the fear, in the certainty and in the chaos. You are holding us securely in the palm of Your hand. Thank You.

Philippians 4:6b …but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Lord, Thank You that You are here, that You are hearing me as I try to draw nearer. Thank You that I can bring all my messy humanity and lay it at Your feet. Take my sorrow and my pain, take my sadness and my fear, take all my uncertainties, Lord. I lay them at Your feet. Help me leave them there. Grant me Your peace. Please, Jesus. 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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The Lord is near…. (devo reflection)

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

What strikes me in this passage is that Paul is encouraging them to rejoice in the Lord always and is modeling this attitude of rejoicing for them while he is in prison. There’s no irony in his words. He doesn’t say he’ll rejoice when he is released. There’s only joy and encouragement in the Lord.

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

And how is it that he can rejoice, even in his present circumstances? How is it that he can be anxious for nothing, pray about everything, be thankful? Because the Lord is 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.

Lord, Forgive me when I grump and complain. Thank You for the example of Paul’s attitude of rejoicing in and prayers and petitions to You in all circumstances. Help me to be mindful always that You are near. Wrap me in Your peace. 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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I want to know Christ…. (devo reflection)

Philippians 3:7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.

The hubs and I have been married for 25 years, together for 26, and I’m still learning about him—who he is, what he values, how he changes. Because I love him, I seek to know him better, even as we both grow and change through this life.

Philippians 3:8a What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things….

My relationship with Christ should have a similar dynamic. Christ doesn’t change, but I do, and I need to continuously seek to know Him more, know Him better, as I learn and grow. That’s not impossible, but it does take time, effort, and intention.

Philippians 3:8b-9a …I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him…

Lord, This world offers lots of shiny, beautiful distractions, but I don’t want this world. I want You. I want to know You more, better, every single day. Help me be intentional in my pursuit of You. Amen.

Philippians 3:10 I want to know Christ….

Have a blessed day. I

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Less focused on myself…. (devo reflection)

Philippians 1:15 It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill.

I admire Paul’s attitude in this section for a host of reasons. For one, in the verses just before these, he is rejoicing in all the good (the spread of the gospel) that God has brought from his imprisonment. Talk about beauty from ashes.

Philippians 1:16 The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel.

For another, he talks about all those spreading the Good News regardless of motive. Some were rejoicing in Paul’s imprisonment because they could be seen as more than or better than Paul. Instead of being angry or jealous about their motives, Paul rejoices that they are preaching Christ.

Philippians 1:17 The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains.

Lord, in this day and age we aren’t geared to react as Paul did—rejoicing in the preaching of Your word, regardless of motives. Help me to be more like that, Lord—more focused on You and Your word. Less focused on myself, less focused on the motives of others. Amen.

Philippians 1:18 But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice….

Have a blessed day.

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God’s got me, no matter the trials I face…. (devo reflection)

Mark 16:1 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body.

Two thoughts and two verses came immediately to mind as I read this scripture this morning. The first thought is that Mary and the other women wanted to honor their Lord by preparing His body properly for burial, something there was no time for in the rush before Passover. This brought to mind Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Mark 16:2 Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb…

The second thought that struck me at verse 3 was that as they approached the tomb, they were worrying about how to move the stone that was much too heavy for them so that they could get to the body to prepare it properly. (I’m a worrier. Trust me, I get their worry.) This brought to mind Philippians 4:19 And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

Mark 16:3 …and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”

Lord, Thank You for this beautiful illustration of Your truths in action. These women wanted to honor You by preparing Your body for burial. They were called according to Your purpose. You supplied their needs by removing the stone and by showing them that Your physical body was no longer in that tomb. You are risen. Help me to take these truths, this knowledge with me always, knowing that You’ve got me, no matter the trials I face. You will work all things to my good and Your glory and You will supply my needs. Thank You, Jesus. Amen.

Mark 16:4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away.

Have a blessed day.

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Motives…. (devo reflection)

Proverbs 25:6 Do not exalt yourself in the king’s presence, and do not claim a place among his great men….
These verses talk about the fact that it’s better to humble yourself by sitting in a lower place and to be exalted by being invited to sit in a seat of higher honor than to be humiliated by sitting in a place of honor and to be asked to move. While true, the mindset, to me, still does not seem humble. The motives seem suspect. Maybe I’m too cynical?
Proverbs 25:7a …it is better for him to say to you, “Come up here,” than for him to humiliate you before his nobles….
Phil 2:3 came strongly to mind as I read Proverbs 25:6: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourself.” The motives here speak more of putting someone else before yourself NOT to keep from being humiliated but to help take care of your neighbor. Totally different motives and much more in line with Jesus.
Proverbs 25:7b-8a …What you have seen with your eyes do not bring hastily to court….
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for knowing my heart and understanding my struggles when it comes to humbling myself before You. Help me to care more about my neighbor than myself. Help me to always put You first. Draw me closer. Amen.
Proverbs 25:8b …for what will you do in the end if your neighbor puts you to shame?
Have a blessed day.
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Peace in the chaos…. (devo reflection)

2 Samuel 20:1a Now a troublemaker named Sheba son of Bikri, a Benjamite, happened to be there…. 
Today has me praying for peace in the chaos. My feelings and emotions, my overflowing inbox and PO box, my social media feed, and my own concerns and fears about the upcoming school year and the health and well-being of all, tell me that I should be panicking, that fear is the best response given what’s ahead. But God….
2 Samuel 20:2b …He sounded the trumpet and shouted, “We have no share in David, no part in Jesse’s son! Every man to his tent, Israel!”
God tells me to “Be still and know….” (Psalm 46:10). God tells me to give all my worries and cares to Him because He cares for me (1 Peter 5:7). God tells me to be anxious for nothing, to bring my requests to Him with thanksgiving, and that His peace, which surpasses all understanding, will guard my hear and my mind in Christ Jesus (Phil 4:6-7). 
2 Samuel 20:6 David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba son of Bikri will do us more harm than Absalom did. Take your master’s men and pursue him, or he will find fortified cities and escape from us.”
Lord, Thank You for this day and for this much needed reminder to turn away from the chaos of this world, to turn away my fears, and to bring all of my worries and lay them at Your feet. Thank You for the reminder that You are sovereign, that You are present, that You are my refuge and shelter. Grant me Your peace in the midst of my chaos. Draw me closer. Amen.
2 Samuel 20:22 Then the woman went to all the people with her wise advice, and they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bikri and threw it to Joab.
Have a blessed day. I love you.

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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.