Deut 16:10 Then celebrate … by giving a freewill offering in proportion to the blessings the LORD your God has given you.
As I was reading this morning’s chapter, this question came to mind: Do I praise God in proportion to the blessings He has given me? Sadly, the answer is no. Not always, not most days, not nearly often enough. And these long days of quarantine, where every little annoyance is amplified, these days aren’t helping me any toward that end.
Deut 16:17 Each of you must bring a gift in proportion to the way the LORD your God has blessed you.
The humanity in me wants to castigate myself for these transgressions, to beat myself up for my failures, but to give in to that desire would mean that there is no hope of change, and with my precious Savior, I ALWAYS have hope. Thank You, Jesus!
Phil 4:4 Rejoice in the LORD always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for Your blessings and the hope that can only yet always be found in You. Thank You for the many blessings in my life, Lord. Help me to rejoice in You always, as a gift to thank You for Your sovereignty and love. Draw me closer. Amen.
Habakkuk 3:18 …yet I will exult in the LORD; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation!
Have a blessed day.
Rejoice in the LORD…. (devo reflection)
Deut 12:12 And you shall rejoice before the LORD your God….
If God never did anything else for me save sacrifice His only Son so that I could be restored to a right relationship with Him, I would still have reason to praise His name for the rest of my life. But I am so deeply human, so often driven by my fickle feelings that I don’t always, maybe don’t often, praise Him as I should, as He deserves.
1 Thess 5:16 Rejoice at all times….
But God doesn’t want empty praise. He wants praise that overflows from a thankful, grateful, devoted heart, even when it’s hard. And, y’all, sometimes life is so hard—global pandemic, freak accident or illness, death of loved one—hard. A friend once related a story about her aunt. I don’t remember all the details, but she had dealt with sickness and death of several family members, and when she was told of yet another death, her response was, “God has been so good to me.” THAT is praise from a grateful heart.
Phil 4:4 Rejoice in the LORD always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder to rejoice always in You. Thank You for the example of my friend’s aunt, who rejoiced in Your blessings, even in the midst of her loss. Help us to rejoice in You always, even when it’s difficult. Thank You for Your abiding love. Draw us closer. Amen.
Psalm 33:1 Rejoice in the LORD….
Have a blessed day.
Even my misdirected efforts…. (devo reflection)
Rom 7:15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate, I do.
I try so hard to do the right thing. I want to love, encourage, and uplift others, point them to our precious Savior, remind them that He is with them, that He is making a way in their wilderness, that He loves them fiercely, completely, unconditionally. But I am human and fallible. Sometimes my best intentions just make things worse, more traumatic, for the ones I’m trying to encourage. Jesus, Help me.
Phil 2:13 …for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill His good purpose.
My default, when I get in that mental space of defeat, is to mentally berate myself, which my inner critic just loves. But I am not who I once was, and I can recognize my intention and my heart and give all of it—my efforts, my intentions, my mistakes and missteps—to my Savior, knowing that He can use ALL things, even my feeble, fallible, earthly efforts, for His glory and for the good of His people. Jesus, Help me.
2 Chron 31:21 In everything that He undertook…he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the reminder that You know my heart and my intentions and that You can use even my misdirected efforts for Your good. I want to bring You glory, Lord. I want to comfort Your people and shine Your light. Help me, Jesus. Draw me closer. Amen.
Jer 29:13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
Have a blessed day.
A purpose for me here…. (devo reflection)
Matt 7:7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”
Lord, I know that You have called me to this space, this place, that You have a purpose for me here. Help me, every moment of every day to seek Your will and Your purpose for my life. Help me to ask what You would have me to do, to seek Your presence, Your grace, Your heart, and to knock on Your door, inviting You into every moment of my life so that I can draw closer to You.
Matt 7:8 “For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”
Lord, You want us to have deep, rich, fulfilling relationships with You. You want us to seek to know You better, to spend time in Your presence and in Your word. You want us to be Your hands and feet in this life. Help me, daily, to seek to draw closer and to know You more—at home, at work, in the car, at the store. Everywhere.
Matt 7:11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him!
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the invitation to know You better and to walk with You more closely. Thank You for the care You used to create my being, for the plan You have for my life, for walking this road right beside me. Draw me closer to You. Always. Amen.
Phil 4:19 And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus.
Have a blessed day.
The present moment…. (devo reflection)
Matt 6:11 Give us today our daily bread.
I am an admitted worrier. I tend to stress and fret about all manner of things that 1. tend to work out fine anyway, 2. don’t amount to much, and 3. rob me of joy in the present moment. This morning my precious Savior is showing me another tendency that needs adjusting. It is my tendency to get stuck in “if only,” as in “If only I had another week of vacation instead of going back to work tomorrow.” or “If only this thing had happened (could happen) instead of this one.” Jesus, help me.
Phil 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Just like with worrying, the trap of “If only” robs me of the joy of what is. And just like with worrying, the solution is to trust my Savior for His daily provision and to trust the truth of Romans 8:28, “…we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” Thank You, Jesus.
1 Peter 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder to trust You daily, that You will provide what I need, give me strength for what I need to handle, that where You have me is exactly where I need to be right this moment. Thank You for showing me how living in the mindset of “If only” is robbing me of the joy and beauty You have for me today. Help me to place my burdens at Your feet, to live fully in this moment, and to love what is. Draw me closer. Amen.
Matt 6:25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life….”
Have a blessed day.
This work in progress…. (devo reflection)
Phil 1:6 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.
I have a dear friend, a phenomenal artist, who puts speed videos on social media that are incredible to watch. In the middle of the video, I see a beautiful picture and think, “What’s left to do?” But with a few deft strokes—outlines, contouring, shading—what was a beautiful work in progress becomes a magnificent finished product.
Psalm 138:8 The LORD will fulfill His purpose in me….
I, too, am a work in progress, though in my impatience and misguided efforts, I often try to snatch the brush from the Master’s hand. Thankfully, He is incredibly skilled at His craft. He can blend my mistakes and missteps into the masterpiece He is creating through this life lived to glorify Him. Thank You, Jesus.
1 Cor 1:8 He will sustain you to the end….
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the gift of recognizing the beauty in the unfinished masterpiece, and for this work in progress which is my life. Thank You for taking the mistakes and missteps, the trials and triumphs, the good, the bad, and the less-than-ideal and using all of it to shape my life into Your masterpiece. Thank You that I am Your work in progress. Draw me closer. Amen.
Eph 2:10 For we are God’s masterpiece….
Have a blessed day.
At work in my mess…. (devo reflection)
Psalm 127:1a Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain.
Last night I finished a memoir, entitled Fractured not Broken, about a woman who was paralyzed from the neck down in a horrible accident involving a drunk driver. She was only 19 at the time, athletic, intelligent, with her whole life ahead of her. The memoir chronicled her journey, her recovery, her struggles, her faith. The novel was a beautiful testimony of how God was working in her life, even through horror and hardships. It was incredibly inspiring.
Psalm 127:1b …Unless the LORD watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.
This morning my caustic inner critic is at work again, wondering who I think I am sharing my mundane life, my prosaic struggles through these daily reflections. My story doesn’t hold a candle to the inspiring memoir, but here’s what my inner critic needs to understand: I am a deeply, fiercely loved child of God. I am also infinitely human, flawed, and fallible. I try to be transparent, to share my struggles and missteps, to share my precious Savior, so that others may see Him at work in my mess and find hope in the middle of their own mess. My Jesus is strong enough, good enough, merciful enough to use me to glorify Him if I let Him. Thank You, Jesus.
1 Cor 2:1 And so it was with me….When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the inspiring memoir I just finished. Thank You that You can use even me, even my ordinary story, to shine Your light if I allow. Thank You that You are present in the middle of my mess, that You can and do draw me closer to You through my missteps and adversity. Help me to seek You, to praise You, always. Help others to look at me and see only Your goodness, Your mercy, Your love. Draw me closer. Amen.
Phil 4:13 I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.
Have a blessed day.
Always and through everything…. (devo refection)
Phil 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
I have read this section of scripture many times—in fact, I wrote a reflection centered around Phil 4:4 not that long ago—and yet, as I read this scripture this morning, I am captivated by the content, beginning with verse 7.
Phil 4:5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
What do I need to do to feel the peace of God, which transcends all understanding? Instead of wasting time and energy with anxiety, which I’m incredibly guilty of, I need to go to God—prayerfully and with thanksgiving. I need to act with gentleness, with humility, and not forget that the Lord is near. Always. He has promised to never leave me nor forsake me. And I need to not get so caught up in worries, anxieties, hopes, fears, future plans that I lose sight of all I have right this minute because of my precious Savior. I need to rejoice in Him—His presence, His love, His mercy—always.
Phil 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture, for the comfort and peace that comes from You, for the wisdom to see Your word with new eyes this morning. Thank You for all that I am and all that I have because I have You. Thank You for the ability to bring all of my hopes and fears to You, to lift them up and lay them down, to move confidently forward knowing that You are with me. Always and through everything. Draw me closer. Amen.
Phil 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.
God is my strength…. (devo reflection)
Psalm 18:1 I love You, LORD, my strength.
My reading this morning took me to Psalms and this beautiful passage. I think Psalm 18:1 is the embodiment of both “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Phil 4:13) and “My strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor 12:9). The verse, to me, seems a celebration of the fact that God is my strength and that I recognize and embrace that fact.
Psalm 18:2a The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer….
This verse puts me in mind of Rocky Face Park and the Vertical Mile Challenge, which has what at times feels like an interminable section straight up the side of a mountainous rock. While it takes determination and perseverance to traverse it, the rock itself is utterly solid, immovable, impenetrable. The images in this verse—my rock, my fortress, my deliverer—speak to the strength and safety that I find in my Savior. Even when the world feels like it is falling apart, I am safe in His arms. He’s got me. He’s holding me, shielding me, protecting me. Thank You, Jesus.
Psalm 18:2b …my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge….
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the reminder that You are my strength and my refuge. Thank You for holding me, always, especially in the midst of the chaos and storms of life. Thank You for being my strength, especially when my strength is gone. Thank You for preparing a place for me, for going before me, for never leaving me. Thank You for my rock-solid faith, for the assurance that I can always depend on You. Draw me closer. Amen.
Psalm 18:2c …my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
Have a blessed day.
Circle of control…. (devo reflection)
Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.
Today has me looking at images of Stephen Covey’s circle of control. God is once again reminding me that I cannot do His job, and I’m not supposed to. (Truthfully, I don’t want to do His job, but I keep fretting over things that definitely fall in His jurisdiction.) I control myself, my thoughts, words, and actions, but I have no control over anything or anyone else. I have to lift those situations and people up to God. Jesus, Help me.
Proverbs 3:6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.
You would think by now I’d have that idea down pat, but I’m still worrying and fretting over situations that are completely out of my control. The result of my trying to control situations outside of my control is a boatload of anxiety along with a short temper. It is miserable. God doesn’t want that for me, either. He wants His peace to flow through me like a river. Jesus, Help me.
Phil 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Lord, Thank You for this day and for the reminder that You are in control and that when I try to control situations outside of my control, it does not go well. I know You love my loved ones even more than I am capable of loving. I know that You can be trusted to work ALL things for our good and Your glory. Help me stop trying to control things outside of my control. Help me to bring it to You and leave it Your sovereign hands. Draw me closer. Grant me Your peace like a river. Amen.
1 Peter 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.
Have a blessed day.