Posted on

Traveling Mercies…. (devo reflection)

Psalm 90:12 So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.

As I’m typing this, I’m sitting in the airport. We boarded a flight in Anchorage at 1am this morning, and we’ve finally made it home-adjacent….four time zones and a lot of hours later.

2 Peter 3:8 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with
the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

And as I sit here waiting, I’ve thought about this long travel day and all of the blessings sprinkled throughout: a man who had an upholstery business for 40 years and fixed my bag’s busted zipper, a gorgeous pink sky as we flew our first leg, so many smooth flights, the sweet little toddler who smiled and waved as I was stewing about how stinking long it was taking to retrieve this checked bag.

Ephesians 5:16 Making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.

Lord, Teach me to number my days. Give me a heart of wisdom. Help me spend and invest time wisely, with an attitude of grace and love. Thank You for reminding me to pay attention to You, always, because You are always there. Amen.

Proverbs 16:9 The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.

Have a blessed evening.

Posted on

God’s glorious handiwork…. (devo reflection)

Psalm 29:1a Honor the LORD, you heavenly beings…

I have seen some of the most amazing views this past week—mountain peaks, blooming flowers, rushing streams. I have had the time, I have taken the time, to slow down, to marvel and appreciate God’s amazing handiwork.

Psalm 29:1b …honor the LORD for his glory and strength.

Vacation often works like that—allowing me to slow down, to marvel. But God is present in my everyday life, too. Sometimes I marvel—rainbows, sunrises and sunsets, but more often, I am so busy doing that I fail to notice and appreciate like I should.

Psalm 29:2a Honor the LORD for the glory of his name….

Father of all Creation, Thank You for Your glorious handiwork on this earth. Help me, daily, to marvel and appreciate Your goodness. Amen.

Psalm 29:2b …Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.

Have a blessed day.

Posted on

God’s thoughts…. (devo reflection)

Psalm 139:17a How precious to me are your thoughts, a God!…

Lord, I wonder what you think about. I know from scripture that Your thoughts are nothing like my thoughts. I know that You care about things on a much larger scale than I can imagine.

Psalm 139:17b …How vast is the sum of them!

But I also know that You care about each of Your children. You’ve got Your eye on the sparrow, so I know You care about me, too.

Psalm 139:18a Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand—

Lord, it’s easy to feel like I can get lost in the shuffle, like with all You’ve got on Your plate, there’s no way You have time to think about me, too. Thank You for the certain knowledge that You care deeply for me. Help me to care for Your people the way You care for me. Amen.

Psalm 139:18b …when I awake, I am still with you.

Have a blessed day.

Posted on

Grace upon grace (devo reflection)

Psalm 139:13a For you created my inmost being….

Lord, We are quirky, idiosyncratic people. Help us to give ourselves and each other grace upon grace, knowing that You created us, knit us together, that we are uniquely and wonderfully made by You.

Psalm 139:13b …you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

Lord, Help us to be slow to judge, quick to love, quick to forgive. Help us to be patient, kind, and compassion towards ourselves and each other.

Psalm 139:14a I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made….

Lord, Your works are wonderful, we know that full well. And we *are* Your works, even when we forget, even when we lose patience, even when we are disgruntled and angry. Help us to love ourselves and each other the way You love us. Completely and always. Amen.

Psalm 139:14b …your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

Have a blessed evening.

Posted on

Trust in the Lord (devo reflection)

Psalm 32:8a I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go….

I want to talk about verse 10 today. I do not consider myself to be wicked, but I know that my lack of trust has caused many woes in my life.

Psalm 32:8b …I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.

The simple solution—simple but not easy, is imbedded in the verse itself: trust in the Lord, which brings Proverbs 3:5-6 to mind.

Psalm 32:10 Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him.

Lord, Thank You for the reminder that You want me to trust You, that my life will be smoother, less chaotic (not necessarily easier) when I do so. Help me. Amen.

Psalm 32:11 Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!

Have a blessed day.

Posted on

You are my hiding place…. (devo reflection)

Psalm 32:6 Therefore let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found; surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach them.

If you know me at all, you know that I’m a planner. I usually have a plan and a back up plan just in case. When things don’t go to plan, I can get myself into a state.

Psalm 32:7 You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.

But God taught me an important lesson yesterday in gratitude, in being grateful for what is instead of upset about what’s not. He reminded me that He is sovereign, trustworthy, in control. Always and everywhere.

Psalm 32:8a I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go…

Lord of all creation, Thank You for Your peace and Your presence, for reminding me what’s important, for gratitude in the simple things. Amen.

Psalm 32:8b …I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.

Have a blessed day.

Posted on

A reminder to love God and love others…. (devo reflection)

Psalm 24:1 The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it….

A friend and I were talking the other day about what happens when you look at one verse of scripture and focus on a different word each time. The first time I read these verses last week, having recently returned from the beach, I focused on the fact that the Lord created the creatures on earth and in the sea.

Psalm 24:2 …for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters.

Today, however–probably in part because of yesterday’s sermon, different words hit me, specifically, “and all who live in it….” Those words strike me today as a message of inclusivity, a reminder to love God and love others. God created everyone and everything. We are all His handiwork, even those who don’t acknowledge Him, even those who don’t look or act, vote, love or worship like us.

Psalm 24:3 Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place?

Lord, It is truly astounding how much difference our focus on Your Word can make. Thank You that I can read the same scripture multiple times and take away new truths each time. Thank You that I can share Your word with others. Thank You that we can ponder, question, and discuss Your word to draw us closer to You and each other. Amen.

Psalm 24:4 The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god.

Have a blessed day.

Posted on

Focused on Christ…. (Devo reflection)

Psalm 141:3 Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!

This morning’s devo was about keeping our thoughts focused on Christ. These days—this time of year? This season of life?—I’m not doing so well with that. It’s definitely an area I need to surrender more fully to Him.

2 Corinthians 10:5 …take every thought captive to obey Christ….

When I allow my mind to drift toward the negative, when I don’t surrender those thoughts to Christ, when I allow myself to wallow in the negative….nothing true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, or commendable comes from that. Ever.

Colossians 3:1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

Lord, Thank You for reminding me of this issue. Help me to lay the negative, unproductive thoughts at Your feet so that I can be useful in Your service. Amen.

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Have a blessed day.

Posted on

Resting in Jesus…. (devo reflection)

Psalm 62:5 (NLT) Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him.

I have mentioned the Jesus Calling devotional before. This morning I was met with these two lines: “Rest in Me, My child. Give your mind a break from planning and trying to anticipate what will happen.” These lines resonate deeply today. As a scholar, teacher, wife, mother, planning plays an integral part. It can be exhausting. Resting in Jesus sounds delightful. I don’t do it enough.

Psalm 62:5 (NIV) Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.

And the reminder couldn’t have come on a better day. We celebrate our graduate today, now that he has diploma in hand, rough outline for his future. I need to remind him, in my words and in my actions, that resting in Jesus is a crucial part of a successful life, that planning is important, but resting in Jesus is more so.

Psalm 62:5 (BSB) Rest in God alone, O my soul, for my hope comes from Him.

Lord, My mornings with you, waiting quietly before You, listening to You whisper to my heart, these quiet morning moments are essential for my peace of mind. Help me to take that peace with me throughout each  day. Help me to teach my children to wait quietly before You each day. Before You is the only place hope can be found. Thank You, Jesus. Amen.

Psalm 62:5 (CEV) Only God gives inward peace, and I depend on him.

Have a blessed day.

Posted on

The effects of this constant gathering….(devo reflection)

Exodus 16:19 Then Moses said to them, “No one is to keep any of it until morning.”

I am the queen of squirreling things away in case I need them for later. I do it with food (a random bag of chips, a “sweet treat” that I don’t want now but might at some point, a bottle of water that I know I’ll drink…eventually). I do it with things–things that I don’t need, don’t want, but I might….someday.

Exodus 16:20a However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning…

I don’t know how much I’ve ever paid attention to the effects of this constant gathering, this constant fear of being without, this constant, self-reliant squirreling away. But it feels terrible, the emotional equivalent of manna being full of maggots and stinking.

Exodus 16:20b …but it was full of maggots and began to smell. So Moses was angry with them.

Lord, You are my Shepherd. I lack nothing. I know this is true, and yet, I fear, I scrounge, I squirrel away manna that was never meant to be kept. Forgive me. Lead me beside quiet waters. Refresh my soul. Help me to fear no evil, Lord, because You are with me. Your rod and staff comfort me (Psalm 23:1-4). I don’t want to be a grumbling Israelite, hoarding manna that You freely provide because You love me. I want to be Your faithful, trusting servant. Help me, Lord. Amen.

Exodus 16:21 Each morning everyone gathered as much as they needed, and when the sun grew hot, it melted away. 

Have a blessed day.