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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.

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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.

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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.

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Insecurity and wounded pride… (devo reflection)

Esther 3:2 All the royal officials at the king’s gate knelt down and paid honor to Haman, for the king had commanded this concerning him. But Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor.

The final line of commentary about this chapter echos in my mind this morning: “…all of this came to pass because of the insecurity and wounded pride of one wicked man.” All we need to do is take a good look at yesterday’s top US news story to see exactly what kind of damage the insecurity and wounded pride of one man can do. 

Esther 3:5 When Haman saw that Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor, he was enraged. Yet having learned who Mordecai’s people were, he scorned the idea of killing only Mordecai. Instead Haman looked for a way to destroy all Mordecai’s people, the Jews….

Interestingly, the word that trips me up is “wicked.” I’m not saying Haman is not wicked. His actions certainly indicate that he is. But wicked seems to imply beyond repair, and as God’s deeply beloved, I don’t think any of us are beyond God’s reach. We all know folks who have done wicked things. Sometimes those folks lead wicked lives for years and years. But I also know folks who turned from those ways and have come out on the other side, folks who are good, loving people.

Esther 3:8 Then Haman said to King Xerxes, “There is a certain people dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom who keep themselves separate. Their customs are different…and they do not obey the king’s laws; it is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them.

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. I am struggling with what to do with wicked, proud, insecure people, people whose actions hurt others, destroy property, disrupt democracy. We are all Your deeply beloved; we are all Your masterpieces. Show me how to see and love You, even within those who don’t acknowledge Your sovereignty. Help me cling to Gen 50:20 and Romans 8:28, knowing You are in control and can work all things, even things meant for evil, to our good and Your glory. Draw me closer. Amen.

Esther 3:10-11 So the king took his signet ring from his finger and gave it to Haman…. “Keep the money,” the king said to Haman, “and do with the people as you please.”

Have a blessed day

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Hope even in the most hopeless of times…. (devo reflection)

Ezra 7:10 For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the LORD and to practice it, and to teach His statues and ordinances in Israel.

Ezra’s heart is for God. His goal is to study God’s law, to practice it, and to teach it. Artaxerxes wants to placate any gods of foreign conquests so that he and his sons do not face the deity’s wrath. It’s a security measure, but God uses it to help Ezra with his heartfelt quest of knowledge and teaching.

Ezra 7:23a Whatever the God of heaven has prescribed, let it be done with diligence for the temple of the God of heaven….

This chapter brought Romans 8:28 to mind: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of the those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” When I think about all the mess I’ve seen, heard, and dealt with this semester, I know God can use all of it. He is using it. He is making a way where there is no way. Thanks be to God.

Ezra 7:23b …Why should His wrath fall on the realm of the king and of his sons?

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the reminder that You can use all things, even those things that seem impossible to be used for good. You can and will and do use all things for our good and Your glory. Give us hope even in the most hopeless of times, Lord, because You are making a way, even if we can’t yet perceive it (Isaiah 43:19). Thank You, Jesus. Amen.

Ezra 7:27 Praise be to the LORD, the God of our ancestors, who has put it into the king’s heart to bring honor to the house of the LORD in Jerusalem in this way.

Have a blessed day.

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The struggle with loss…. (devo reflection)

1 Samuel 1:6 Because the LORD had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her.
Even though the story of Ruth brings so much hope, I still struggle with all the loss. Naomi lost her husband and two sons. Ruth lost her husband, her homeland, her way of life. And yet, what they gained was so much more, and more importantly, as Ruth’s son Obed is in the direct lineage of Jesus, our Savior, the world gained so much more.
1 Samuel 1:10 In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the LORD, weeping bitterly.
I was texting with a friend yesterday about struggling with all that was lost, even with the gain. Her response has given me much to ponder: “I think that very issue is at the crux of the division between God’s values and ours. God’s priority is our salvation. Our priority is a happy life/strife free life/ loving life/ on and on but always life. We want our life on this earth to be long and happy. God wants as many souls in heaven as possible.”
1 Samuel 1:20 So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I asked the LORD for him.”
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for friends with whom I can honestly share my struggles. Thank You for the truth of Romans 8:28, for working all things—even those involving pain and loss—to Your glory. Thank You for loving the one so much that You go after that one wholeheartedly every time. Use us in Your kingdom work, Lord. Draw us closer. Amen.
1 Samuel 1:27 “I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of Him.”
Have a blessed day.