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To understand and be understood…. (devo reflection)

Acts 2:5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven.

Language differences can be a huge barrier. I know just a tiny bit of Spanish. If I am talking to someone who only knows a tiny bit of English and we have no interpreter, it’s not going to take long for both of us to become frustrated because we are unable to clearly communicate with the other. Even as I type this, the feelings inside me are very tense and uncomfortable.

Acts 2:6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken.

So imagine if I still know my tiny bit of Spanish, the person I’m conversing with still knows only a tiny bit of English, there is no translator between us, yet we completely understand and are understood with every word that is spoken. Even as I type this, I can breathe freely, I don’t have that overwhelming feeling of stress.

Acts 2:7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 

Lord, Thank You for the reminder that to understand others and to be understood is such a gift. Help us, even when there are barriers, to seek ways to foster understanding with others. Help us to shine Your light. Amen.

Acts 2:8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language?

Have a blessed day.

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Trying to embrace joy…. (devo reflection)

Romans 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. 

This time of year is difficult for me for a host of reasons, but right now I feel like I am becoming someone I don’t want to be, someone I would not want to spend time around. My temper is short, my patience is gone, I grumble and complain A LOT.

Romans 7:18b …For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 

It seems the epitome of “…what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do,” and while a bad attitude isn’t necessarily “evil,” it certainly isn’t a good thing. It certainly isn’t something I want to continue. Jesus, Help me. Please.

Romans 7:19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 

Lord, I don’t understand my own behavior and I certainly don’t like it. Help me get a grip on this constant negativity, to embrace the joy that comes from being Your deeply loved child. Help me to give grace to myself and to others who are struggling, no matter the reason. I want to be a light for You, Lord. Please, Help me. Amen.

Romans 7:20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

Have a blessed day.

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Better than I could ever imagine…. (devo reflection)

Isaiah 55:8a “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the LORD….

I am terribly guilty for limiting God with my imagination. I think I know how something should be, should turn out, and all the while, God’s plan is so much bigger, so much greater, than I can even fathom.

Isaiah 55:8 b …“And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.

It’s no surprise that trust is the root of the issue here. And it feels frustrating and ridiculous that I struggle so to trust God, though I know that this struggle is part of being human. And honestly, I do trust Him, truly, but my fear–of the unknown, of what might be, of what won’t be– can become so great, so all-consuming that it becomes a living thing that overshadows God’s grace.

Isaiah 55:9a For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways….

Lord, I believe that You are God of all creation. I believe that Your ways are far beyond anything I can imagine. I trust that You have a better plan than I could ever fathom. I do trust, You, Lord. Truly, I do. I believe; help my unbelief (Mark 9:24). Amen.

Isaiah 55:9b …and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

Have a blessed day.

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Full of emotion…. (devo reflection)

Psalm 47:1 Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.

I love the Psalms because they are so full of emotion, just like I am. Some days, I am so overjoyed that every word out of my mouth, every thought in my head, is a shout of praise to God for all the good things in my life. Some days those good things are abundantly evident. Praise comes easy. God is evidently, abundantly good to me.

Psalm 47:2 For the Lord Most High is awesome, the great King over all the earth.

But the Psalms are also gritty, angry, and real. Some speakers are struggling mightily, they are questioning earnestly, they are accusing and grappling and so very angry. I love that God is big enough for all those really hard emotions. Psalm 46:10 reminds us that even in the midst of chaos and destruction, He is still God. He is still in control. We can trust Him, even when we are angry and afraid.

Psalm 47:5 God has ascended amid shouts of joy, the Lord amid the sounding of trumpets.

Lord, Thank You that so often I look around and all I can see is Your beauty and goodness, Your presence and blessing. Thank You that on those days, Your praise is abundantly flowing from my lips. Thank You also that on the hard days, the days where I am angry, bitter, struggling, You don’t try to quiet and redirect me. You allow and invite me to work through my emotions, You show me that You are there, You are good, through all the chaos. You draw me closer through my struggle and doubt. Thank You, Lord. Amen.

Psalm 47:7 For God is the King of all the earth; sing to him a psalm of praise.

Have a blessed day.

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Be still and know…. (devo reflection)

Psalm 46:7 The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

“Be still and know that I am God” is a verse that resonates with me and with many. It says to me, “Hush. Be still. Take a break from all the noise. Just breathe. Just listen. Just be. And once you are still, know–really know, that I am God.” However, this morning, I truly notice verse 10 in context with the verses around it.

Psalm 46:8 Come and see what the Lord has done, the desolations he has brought on the earth.

There is a lot of chaos imagery in Psalm 46: mountains fall into the heart of the sea, earth gives way, waters roar and foam, mountains quake, desolation, breaks bows, shatters spears, burns shields. And yet, through all of this upheaval, we are told, “Be still and know that I am God.”

Psalm 46:9 He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire.

Lord, Thank You that You are God when life is calm and composed as well as when life is chaotic and falling apart. Thank You that no matter the circumstances in my life, You command me to “Be still and know that” You are God. Help me always cling to that truth. Amen.

Psalm 46:10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Have a blessed day.

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An ever-present help…. (devo reflection)

Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

I have always liked Psalm 46. There are so many verses that speak to me here, like verse 5. I know the verse is not literally talking about a woman, but I like to apply the verse to myself–God is with ME, I will not fall; God will help ME at break of day. There is much power in claiming a verse in that way.

Psalm 46:2-3 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.

It doesn’t mean that there won’t ever be troubles, missteps, darkness, wilderness. Just look at verses 1 and 2. What it means is that God will be with me through whatever earth-shaking trouble I encounter. I will be able to take one slow, faltering step at a time because of His ever-present help.

Psalm 46:4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.

Lord, Thank you for this reminder that You are our refuge and strength, that You are ever-present help no matter what trouble we face. Thank You for the reminder that because You are in us, even though we may stumble, we will not fall. You’ve got us. Thank You. Amen.

Psalm 46:5 God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.

Have a blessed day.

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One in heart and mind…. (devo reflection)

Acts 4:32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.

One of the things that strikes me in today’s verses is the unity and positivity: “one in heart and mind,” “shared everything,” “filled with awe,” “together with glad and sincere hearts,” “praising God.” It’s entirely too cynical of me, but as much as I love the descriptions, I’m thinking, “Yeah. Right.” It often feels like we, as human beings, have gone too far down the path of turmoil to have this kind of unity.

Acts 2:43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.

I am the only person I can control. I can love God and love others. I can aim for being “one in heart and mind” with Christ, “sharing everything”–ok, it might be more realistic to say sharing things with a generous heart, which is sometimes hard for me, “filled with awe” at the way I see God at work in the world and in me, “together with glad and sincere hearts”–approaching all tasks with an earnest desire to love God and love others, “praising God”–always, always praising God.

Acts 2:46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts…

Lord, It is easy for me to feel overwhelmed at the enormity of trying to fix all the problems, all the darkness I see in the world. Thank You for helping me to see today that You aren’t calling me to fix everything. You only want me to be a light to others where I am. You only want me to put good into the world in my little corner. If all of us focus on putting good into our little corner, Your light will shine in the darkness and the darkness will never overcome it (John 1:5). Amen.

Acts 2:47 …praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Have a blessed day.

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God created us for community…. (devo reflection)

Ecclesiastes 4:9 Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor:

God created us for community, for relationship. I know for me, personally, I cannot thrive in isolation, which is ironic, considering I am not a huge people person. People exhaust me. But I know what it feels like to feel “other than,” which is why I try to let others know that I see them, I see Christ in them–their value and worth as a human because they are His.

Ecclesiastes 4:10a If either of them falls down, one can help the other up….

God made me an encourager, but spring is a tough time for me for a host of reasons. However, I am finding that the one sure way I can connect with Christ’s peace, even now, is by encouraging others. Sometimes it is with a kind word. Sometimes it is just by sharing my own struggles so that others know they are not alone in theirs. I have found that if I allow Him, God can use me, always, to encourage others, and He will bless me in the process.

Ecclesiastes 4:10b …But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.

Lord, Thank you for this deep need to encourage Your people. Thank You that You can use my struggles to buoy others, that I know without a doubt that any good that comes from me is because of You, and that I know when I get past myself to encourage Your people, You will always bless me in return. Thank You for this need for community–even though people are hard for me–and for the connection and relationship with others that always brings me closer to You. Amen.

Ecclesiastes 4:12b …A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Have a blessed day.

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Receiving encouragement and support…. (devo reflection)

2 Corinthians 12:8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 

We all have our struggles and burdens…days, weeks, months that are just hard. This morning has me thinking about how God uses other people in our lives–to show His love, grace, compassion, encouragement. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 says, “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up….” I think community, coming together to support and uplift each other, is an important part of God’s kingdom on earth.

2 Corinthians 12:9a But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 

I appreciate my ability to be self-sufficient, to take care of myself and others, to get things done. But even I need people, and for someone who is used to DOING, it is hard to sit back and receive encouragement and support. But I think that’s part of what Paul is talking about here–my weakness means I’m not completely self-sufficient. God’s grace means I’m not meant to be. As a believer in Christ, *I* am part of His power on earth for others. And *I* am also in need of that support.

2 Corinthians 12:9b …Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Lord, No one likes the idea of being weak, but in You, the ability to admit that I cannot do life alone, that I need other believers–so that I can uplift and encourage them and so that they can uplift and encourage me–that ability, that admission, is a strength because it frees me from the need to try to shoulder the world alone. Thank You, not only for the people that I get to love, pray for, and encourage, but for the people who love, pray for, and encourage me as well. Amen.

2 Corinthians 12:10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Have a blessed day.

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Strong roots in good soil…. (devo reflection)

Colossians 2:6-7 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

I am not a gardener, my thumbs are more brown than green, and yet, the image that comes to mind when I read the verses above is that of a plant. For a plant to thrive, it needs strong roots in good soil. My faith is equivalent to the roots of a plant. Jesus is my soil. Time, prayer, praise, trials–they all lead my faith roots to grow longer, stronger, deeper within the soil of Christ.

Colossians 2:8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.

“Overflowing with thankfulness” makes me think of blooms on a plant–the joy, the thankfulness,–overflowing, bursting from the inside out, sometimes a riot of color, sometimes a quiet little pop of joy, always a beautiful miracle, always a blessing.

Colossians 2:13-14 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. 

Lord, Some days are just hard. Help me remember, even on the hard days, that I am rooted and built up in You, that I am strengthened in faith. Help me to always overflow with thankfulness–not because of my circumstances but because of Your great love, mercy, and compassion. I am not worthy, but I am so very thankful. Amen.

Colossians 2:15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

Have a blessed day.