Posted on

His blessings daily…. (devo reflection)

Ezekiel 17:22 “ ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will take a shoot from the very top of a cedar and plant it; I will break off a tender sprig from its topmost shoots and plant it on a high and lofty mountain.’”
One thing that I have noticed in an overwhelming way as I read through Ezekiel is that there is always this undercurrent of hope. This idea of hope brought Romans 15:13 to mind: May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Ezekiel 17:23 “‘On the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it; it will produce branches and bear fruit and become a splendid cedar. Birds of every kind will nest in it; they will find shelter in the shade of its branches.’”
The older I get the more I cling to hope, realize the necessity of hope. Life is hard. Full stop. There will be loss and pain and difficulty. But God is so very good. He showers us with hope in the form of His blessings daily.
Ezekiel 17:24a “‘All the trees of the forest will know that I the Lord bring down the tall tree and make the low tree grow tall. I dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish.’”
Lord, Fill me with all joy and peace as I trust in You. Help me to overflow with hope by the power of Your Holy Spirit. Amen.
Ezekiel 17:24b “ ‘I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it.’ ”
Have a blessed day.
Posted on

Even when I don’t understand…. (devo reflection)

Jeremiah 50:6 “My people have been lost sheep; their shepherds have led them astray and caused them to roam on the mountains. They wandered over mountain and hill and forgot their own resting place.”
There is a lot going on in this chapter, but the theme of redemption is strong here. Romans 8:28 was strongly on my mind as I read: “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.”
Jeremiah 50:7 “Whoever found them devoured them; their enemies said, ‘We are not guilty, for they sinned against the Lord, their verdant pasture, the Lord, the hope of their ancestors.’”
I’m not going to lie, though, it took A LOT of destruction to reach this prophecy for redemption. I struggle with the destruction. And not to justify it, but just to try to reconcile it in my own mind, I do recognize that God took a fully rebellious people and brought them to a space where no guilt, no sin could any longer be found in them. That is miraculous.
Jeremiah 50:20 “In those days, at that time,” declares the Lord, “search will be made for Israel’s guilt, but there will be none, and for the sins of Judah, but none will be found, for I will forgive the remnant I spare.”
Lord, I struggle with destruction, but I recognize that Your thoughts are not my thoughts and Your ways are far beyond anything I can imagine (Isaiah 55:8). I look at the world through human eyes and often miss eternal implications. Help me to trust You, even when I don’t understand. Draw me closer. Amen.
Jeremiah 50:31 “See, I am against you, you arrogant one,” declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty, “for your day has come, the time for you to be punished.”
Have a blessed day.
Posted on

This is the promise…. (devo reflection)

Jeremiah 24:6a My eyes will watch over them for their good, and I will bring them back to this land….
This section brings Romans 8:28 to mind: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him….” Here He is saying that the exiles, those who have been led out in captivity, are still under His care, still in His sight. He is still making a way in their wilderness, even now (Isaiah 43:19).
Jeremiah 24:6b …I will build them up and not tear them down; I will plant them and not uproot them. 
I love the phrasing, “I will give them a heart to know Me” (v7). Isn’t that the center of our faith? A heart that is eager to know God? Returning to God as our center always? This is the promise He gives to the captives.
Jeremiah 24:7a I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord….
Lord, We are captive to so many things at times, and usually because of our own bad choices. And yet, You still love us fiercely and are eager for a relationship with us. “Thank You” is so inadequate to express my level of gratitude at Your desire to have a relationship with me. Give me a heart to know You. Allow me to return to You with all my heart. Amen.
Jeremiah 24:7b …They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart.
Have a blessed day.
Posted on

Season of anticipation…. (devo reflection)

Jeremiah 10:3 “For the practices of the peoples are worthless; they cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel.”
This weekend, for the first time in my memory, we went to a tree farm to select our Christmas tree. Yesterday, we brought it in, set it up, put lights on, placed the angel on the top, and began placing ornaments. It was an activity of both nostalgia—reminiscing about all the ornaments and their origins—and anticipation—preparing our home and our hearts to celebrate the birth of Jesus.
Jeremiah 10:4 “They adorn it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so it will not totter.”
As I read this chapter of Jeremiah, Romans 8:28 came to mind: “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.” The presence of the Christmas tree in so many homes as we prepare our hearts to celebrate Christ’s birth seems a perfect example of this verse in action.
Jeremiah 10:5a “Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field, their idols cannot speak; they must be carried because they cannot walk.”
Lord, Thank You that You can and will and do use all things for our good and Your glory. Thank You for this season of Advent and the ability to prepare our hearts and our homes for Jesus. Be with us in this season of anticipation. Draw us closer. Amen.
Jeremiah 10:5b “…Do not fear them; they can do no harm nor can they do any good.”
Have a blessed day.
Posted on

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.
Posted on

Focus on hope…. (devo reflection)

Ecc 9:4 As long as we are alive, we still have hope….
Once again, I am intentionally choosing to focus on hope as I read Ecclesiastes. The second half of verse 4 is: “…just as a live dog is better off than a dead lion.” Not very positive. But the first part, as long as there is life, there is hope, I can definitely get behind. Hope, God’s hope, is what keeps me going.
Ecc 9:10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might….
And with verse 10, I choose to focus on hope, shoving aside the second part of the verse, which says, “…for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.” I know that God can use ALL things (Romans 8:28), so whatever the task in front of me, I’ll work at it with all my might, as though working for God instead of human masters (Col 3:23).
Ecc 9: 17 The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded than the shouts of a ruler of fools.
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the hope that can only come from You. Thank You for allowing me to focus on the positive and uplifting. Help me to shine Your light for all to see. Draw me closer. Amen.
Ecc 9:18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.
Have a blessed day.
Posted on

Jesus is my hope…. (devo reflection)

Ecc 7:14a When times are good, be happy….
Once again the speaker takes a depressing view of the situation (look all the way to the end of verse 14), but I just can’t. Again, I know the speaker’s endgame is to remind the audience that only God’s presence gives life meaning. When I look at these verses, that truth is what I see.
Ecc 7:14b …but when times are bad, consider this….
The end of verse 14, the fact that “Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future,” is supposed to be the real zinger, but that’s where I find the most hope. I can’t know what the future holds, but I know Who holds the future, and I know He can use all things for the good of those who love Him (Rom 8:28). That’s why, “…I will always have hope….” (Psalm 71:14). Jesus is my hope.
Ecc 7:14c …God has made the one as well as the other. 
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the hope that can only come from You. Infuse my spirit with Your hope so that I can share that hope with the world. Draw me closer. Amen.
Ecc 7:14d …Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future.
Have a blessed day.
Posted on

I am a work in progress…. (devo reflection)

Psalm 107:6 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and He delivered them from their distress.

I typically have the best of intentions in all that I do. However, unfortunately, I often find the principle of Rom 7:21 at work: “…when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong.” For me this doesn’t look like life-shattering evil but rather being unkind or selfish instead of showing God’s love and compassion. To God, I think they look very similar.

Psalm 107:19 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress.

I’d like to say I’m getting better, and undoubtedly, that’s true at times. However, I’m eternally thankful that God knows my heart and my potential, that He sees me as I continue to try to draw closer to Him, that He understands that I am a work in progress, will probably always be a work in progress, but that I am inching, sometimes imperceptibly, ever closer to Him in my thoughts, words, and deeds.

Psalm 107:28 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and He brought them out of their distress.

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for Your mercy and compassion. Thank You for understanding that I am a work in progress and for helping me, daily, to keep doing the work to draw closer to You. It is so easy to be overwhelmed with the shortcomings of humanity, Lord. Help me to see others with the same hope and potential You see when You look at me. Draw me closer. Amen.

Psalm 107:43 Let the one who is wise heed these things and ponder the loving deeds of the LORD.

Have a blessed day.

Posted on

Waiting in joyful hope…. (devo reflection)

Psalm 77:1 I cried out to God for help; I cried out to God to hear me.

It is an incredibly painful feeling to feel like God must hear your prayers, your anguished cries (how can He not?), and yet to feel He does not respond (or does not respond in the way you want Him to).

Psalm 77:10 Then I thought, “To this I will appeal: the years when the Most High stretched out His right hand.”

Coming to this point can absolutely be a crossroad of faith. Asaph’s response when he reaches this crossroad is to remember God’s faithfulness in the past. He makes the choice to trust God in the present and then comforts himself with memories of God’s past actions as he “waits in joyful hope” (Rom 12:12) in the present.

Psalm 77:11 “I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember Your miracles of long ago.”

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the hope that can only be found in You. Thank You for Your love and faithfulness always. Help us to wait for You in joyful hope in the present, no matter our circumstances. Draw us closer. Amen.

Psalm 77:12 “I will consider all Your works and meditate on all Your mighty deeds.”

Have a blessed day.

Posted on

The schemes of man…. (devo reflection)

Psalm 64:1a Hear me, my God, as I voice my complaint….

Who can understand the schemes of man? Personally, I can’t even understand my own actions and reactions half of the time. I certainly don’t have any insight into why other people act the way they do. But I cling to the sovereignty of my Savior, and I claim the power of Genesis 50:20: “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good….”

Psalm 64:1b …protect my life from the threat of the enemy.

Just like David in this psalm, I cry out to God to thwart the schemes of my enemies. What else can we do in times of trouble but call on our Savior and trust in His provision and protection, clinging to 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.

Psalm 64:10a The righteous will rejoice in the LORD and take refuge in Him….

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You that even when life doesn’t makes sense, You do. Thank You that I can pour out my heart and my fears to You and You hear me. Help me, Lord, to understand Your will for me in all circumstances. Use all things for Your glory. Draw me closer. Amen.

Psalm 64:10b …all the upright in heart will glory in Him!

Have a blessed day.