Psalm 51:7a Clean me with hyssop, and I will be clean….
This morning during prayer time, I found my thoughts bouncing around like pinballs in a pinball machine. I would begin a focused prayer and end thinking about who owes make up work or the difficulties I know students are facing. From a prayer standpoint, it was beyond frustrating, but I kept trying to refocus myself on my Savior and my conversation with Him. Help me, Jesus.
Psalm 51:7b …wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
This morning’s focus issues underscore for me why I need my precious Savior so desperately. I am human, and therefore fallible. Sometimes even my best attempts, like my attempts at focused prayer this morning, end in failure. My precious Savior knows my heart. He knows my anxious thoughts. He knows the prayer concerns on my mind even when they get lost in the labyrinth of life rolling around in my head. He loves me fiercely, sometimes despite myself. Thank You, Jesus.
Psalm 51:10a Create in me a pure heart, O God…
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for hearing my concerns, even when they get lost in the chaos of my thoughts. Thank You for being my compass, my center, my rock, and my refuge. Create in me a pure heart. Help me to focus my anxious thoughts on You. Draw me closer. Amen.
Psalm 51:10b …and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Have a blessed day.
Even if we can’t see it…. (devo reflection)
Psalm 139:13 For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I think many of us, when we look at ourselves, immediately see the things we don’t like, the things we wish we could change—features we find a little too big, traits that are a little too quirky or weird to be cute. We pick ourselves apart until we can’t even bear to look any more. But our precious Savior doesn’t see us that way. He sees us through the loving eyes of a Creator and Father. Thank You, Jesus.
Psalm 139:14 I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made….
Think of a cherished lovey from your youth, or of the story of the velveteen rabbit. The bare patch where all the fur has been worn off from years of hugs isn’t a sign of damage. It is a symbol of years of love and companionship. The missing eye or popped seam isn’t proof it’s ready for the garbage but rather proof of the inseparable friend and confidant it has been. It is all the more dear and loved because of its imperfections, and so are we—even if we can’t see it.
Psalm 139:15 My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place….
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder to see past the surface, to see the beauty underneath. Thank You for fearfully and wonderfully creating each of us—so uniquely different, yet absolutely the way You designed us to be. Give us eyes to see ourselves and each other the way You see us, as Your deeply, fiercely, unconditionally loved children. Help us to share Your light, Your love, and Your hope with everyone we meet. Draw us closer. Amen.
Psalm 139:16 Your eyes saw my unformed body….
Have a blessed day.
These truths that I cling to…. (devo reflection)
Psalm 62:6 He alone protects and saves me; He is my defender, and I shall never be defeated.
Sometimes life makes no sense. Sometimes circumstances lead me to fear. Sometimes my faulty feelings and perceptions lead me to worry. Sometimes stress and exhaustion lead me to throw in the towel before I have finished what You called me to do. In those times especially, Lord, help me to cling more closely to the things I know to be true.
Exodus 14:14 The LORD will fight for you; you need only be still.
I know that I am deeply, completely, fiercely, and unconditionally loved by my Creator and Savior. I know that this world is not my home and that praise and accolades from the world are empty. I know that my Redeemer holds me securely in the palm of His hand, even when it feels like the world is upside down. I know that He can and will use all that I am, all that I have, and all that I endure to draw me closer to Him.
Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God….”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the reality of Your presence and Your overwhelming love for me. Thank You for these truths that I cling to, for being present in every storm and struggle, for Your peace that surpasses all understanding. Help us, no matter what we face, no matter what we feel, to lay our burdens at Your feet and to wrap ourselves in Your loving peace. Draw us closer. Amen.
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….
Have a blessed day.
Lord, Thank You…. (devo reflection)
Heb 10:23 Let us continue to hold firmly to the hope that we confess without wavering, for the one who made the promise is faithful.
Lord, Thank You for a good week, especially after the incredible anxiety and grumpiness leading up to it. Thank You for Your presence and for unfounded fears. Thank You for this new group of students, Lord. I know that You put this combination together for a purpose and that we have much to learn and much to teach each other.
Psalm 51:10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Lord, Thank You for this current mental space, a beautiful place of gratitude and thanksgiving. Thank You for the growth and maturity that has and is taking place, even under my own roof, for the new ways of being and relating. Thank You for deep roots that sink down into You, for the growth below the surface, unbeknownst to us, for the roots that nourish our souls.
2 Chron 15:2 …The LORD is with you when you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you….
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this life. Thank You for walking with me down every road, through every trial. Thank You that all of it draws me closer to You. And thank You that as great as this world can be, that it is not my home, that You have something even better planned and prepared. Draw me closer always. Amen.
1 Cor 1:9 God is faithful….
Have a blessed day.
Willingly and intentionally choosing…. (devo reflection)
Isaiah 65:2 All day long I have held out My hands to an obstinate people, who walk in the wrong path, who follow their own imaginations….
As a parent and a teacher, it is incredibly frustrating to see a child headed down the wrong path. It is especially frustrating when you know those wrong choices can easily lead them to be hurt—physically or emotionally. To try to lead and guide them, to end up being rebuffed for my efforts, to have to help them deal with the fallout of their choices—these are very difficult things.
Jer 7:24 Yet they did not listen or pay attention, but they followed the stubborn inclinations of their own evil hearts. They went backward and not forward.
God is the Creator of the universe. He could have preprogrammed us to obedience, but He doesn’t want automatons. He wants people who willingly and intentionally choose Him, which means He allows us our stubborn disobedience, even if it hurts us, even if it hurts Him.
Deut 32:15 But Israel soon became fat and unruly; the people… abandoned the God who made them and they rejected the Rock their Savior.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for loving us enough to let us choose You, even if it takes a while. Thank You for Your goodness and mercy, for Your grace which surpasses all understanding, for Your fierce love. Help me to lay aside my stubbornness and choose You. Always. Draw me closer. Amen.
Psalm 106:25 They grumbled in their tents and did not listen to the voice of the LORD.
Have a blessed day.
Break these chains…. (devo reflection)
Jer 1:16 “I will pronounce my judgment on my people because of their wickedness in forsaking Me…in worshiping what their hands have made.”
I woke up around 3:30 last night and could not go back to sleep. Despite my intentions of giving gratitude (something I try to do when I’m awake in the middle of the night to keep from getting grumpy about my inability to sleep), my mind kept hopscotching from one thing to another—what still needs to be done to prepare my classroom, what still needs to be done to prepare my lessons—absolutely irrelevant things at 3:30 in the morning, and things that I know will fall into place, even though I always fret about them. When I read Jer 1:16, it felt very much like my worrying and lack of gratitude were both ways of forsaking my Creator in favor of fretting over what my hands have made. Jesus, Help me.
Psalm 121:1 I lift my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from?
Ironically, I read Psalm 121 first this morning and immediately recognized the realignment needed. I was trying to look to the heavens in gratitude but was allowing myself to remain earthbound and waylaid by my mess—the things occupying my mind. Jesus, Help me.
Psalm 121:2 My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the reminder that I MUST keep my eyes on You, always, instead of allowing myself to get sidetracked by the concerns of this world. Help me to praise You, to lift my eyes to You, to give You glory always. Break these chains that keep dragging me down with worrying and fear. Help me lay my burdens at Your feet, leave them there, and wrap myself in Your peace. Draw me closer. Amen.
Psalm 121:3 He will not let your foot slip—He who watches over you will not slumber….
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.
Walking humbly with my precious Savior…. (devo reflection)
Psalm 143:10 Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. May Your gracious Spirit lead me forward on firm footing. (NLT)
I recently saw an image on social media which has had more of an impact than I imagined. It was an image of a young girl clutching a beloved stuffed animal. Jesus stood in front of her with His hand out. Behind His back was a grander version of the girl’s prized possession. There was a caption, but I don’t remember it. The gist was that Jesus wanted her to give up something she loved dearly, and in return, He had something even better for her. What sticks with me, though, are the tears in her eyes, the clear love she has for the object, and the fact the He wants her to surrender it to Him. Even seeing something bigger and better behind His back, my immediate question is still “Why? Why, Lord, would You ask this of her?” It is absolutely the wrong question. I understand that.
Psalm 143:10 You are my God. Show me what you want me to do, and let Your gentle Spirit lead me in the right path. (CEV)
Micah 6:8 reminds us that the LORD requires of us “…to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” Walking humbly with my precious Savior means putting aside my deep need to know the why behind life’s actions and saying instead, “I know You want this of me. Teach me how. Help me to make Your will for my life MY will for my life, even if it hurts, even if it means letting go of something I love deeply. I know what I gain in return, if I act according to Your will, will be far beyond what You ask me to surrender.”
Luke 22:42 “…yet not my will, but Yours be done.”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for the image that sparked this reflection, for the difficult spaces You lead us to and always lead us through. Help me to walk humbly with You, deferring to Your fierce love and deep mercy. Give me wisdom and discernment to know what You are calling me to, and grant me Your strength and Your peace as You shepherd me through. Draw me closer. Amen.
Matt 25:23 “…Well done, good and faithful servant….”
Have a blessed day.
Closer to His heart…. (devo reflection)
Psalm 145:1 I will extol You, my God and King, and bless Your name forever and ever.
What struck me as I read these verses this morning was the fact that I am not being as faithful with this task, blessing my Savior’s name forever and ever, as I should. I praise Him, certainly, but I must admit that I’m awfully quick to grumble when circumstances are not ideal. And the truth of the matter is that He never promised to make my life perfect. He simply promised to be with me. Always. Thank You, Jesus.
Psalm 145:2 Every day I will bless You and praise Your name forever and ever.
As I reflect over my life, the sunny days and the stormy trails, I know, unshakably, that He has been with me. Always. And those dark times, where I couldn’t even discern which way was up, He was holding me, guiding me, protecting me. Through those times, particularly, He’s drawn me closer to His heart. Thank You, Jesus.
Psalm 145:8 The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the reminder of Your presence with me always. Help me to live Psalm 145:1-2 in a way that has not been possible before. Help me to praise You, to bless Your name, always—in the sunshine and the storm, on the summit and in the valley, when I’m soaring and when I’m slogging. I know You are with me always. Thank You, Jesus. Amen.
Psalm 145:21 My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD.
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.