Category: Uncategorized

Two-minute read.

God’s timing never ceases to amaze me. A few days ago, I checked on a friend going through difficult times. Texting her, I asked for an update on the situation, telling her I hadn’t stopped praying. While reading my Bible yesterday morning, she texted me back, sharing her broken heart. Reading this verse when I received her update, God gave me the perfect answer for her at the exact time I needed it. Immediately, I responded with today’s verse, praying for her as I did.

To me, when events occur such as the one I described, it proves God’s intimate involvement in our lives. In no way, shape, or form could I have made those circumstances come together. A friend invited me to read the devotional with her a month ago; she couldn’t have known I would need today’s verse at 5:00 a.m. on Dec. 3^rd to respond to a friend in need. Only God knows what the future holds and what we will need when we arrive at that time. Trusting the Lord’s plan over ours takes the pressure off us and places it squarely on the Savior’s shoulders. Jesus already knows what we need long before we need it.

Christ came to tell the truth. He promised us we would have struggles in this world, but take heart, He overcame the world. When life happens and people disappoint us, the Lord has the answer. Never leaving nor forsaking us, we can always trust Jesus and not expect people to do everything perfectly. People will break our trust for one reason or another, but the Savior never does. Like delivering the appropriate verse at the right time, God’s plan unfolds despite our best efforts to stop it.

When people break our hearts, allow the Lord to heal them. Instead of focusing on the pain, lay it at the foot of the cross and receive Christ’s grace and mercy. Set boundaries that protect your heart from further betrayal. If someone proves untrustworthy, don’t doubt their actions; instead, use the information to set boundaries that will protect the incident from happening again. You can overcome the pain with Jesus, who stays close to the broken-hearted and restores crushed spirits.

Trust builds over time, but can break in a moment. Let the Lord heal the heartache as you extend grace, trusting God in all things.

Journal Questions:

How has God’s timing proved perfect in your life?

When have you experienced broken trust?

How has God shown up for your broken heart and crushed spirit?

Friendship Application:

Expect perfection from God, not people.

Two-minute read.

As a Christ follower, we have the safest place of all to find refuge, in the Savior. No matter what we lay at the foot of the cross, Jesus loved and died for us. When God’s Son took His place on the wooden beams, He already knew every ugly thing we would do. The Lord lives outside of our conventional perspective of time. He can mourn with us in the present, but also rejoice over what will happen in the future that we can’t see. When life drops us to our knees, Jesus picks us up, dusts us off, and helps us get back on our feet. When you find yourself in the pit, you quickly discover you have company, and He will never leave nor forsake you.

In the same way, we can create a safe space for our friends. Giving people a judgment-free zone to share their worries and heartaches builds trust. Gratefully, I have many friends who have opened their homes to me, giving me refuge in the storm and an ear to listen. God’s hands and feet on Earth, wrapping me in their arms and helping me heal from life’s hurts.

To create a safe space for friends, you must first open up your heart to them. When we lead in vulnerability, confessing our sins, sharing our hurts, and giving others a glimpse of our hearts, it enables them to share theirs. The Lord will use the pain we’ve experienced to minister to others. He wastes nothing. As we become comfortable telling people our stories, they will want to tell us theirs. Heart connection happens when we intertwine our tales and find that God’s the cord that binds us together.

For example, I have a friend who has transparently shared the highs and lows of her marriage with me, well before I met Ron. During my dating years, she gave me wise advice about potential mates, saving me a lot of heartache, but never judging me if I disagreed with her opinion. When I met and married Ron, her and her husband quickly became mentors to us. We openly share our struggles and frustrations, as well as our joys, with them because of the safe space they created for us.

Intimacy in relationships develops when people can share their stories vulnerably. By creating judgment-free zones for them to open up, you build a more profound friendship that continues to grow over time.

Journal Questions:

Who do you go to when you need a safe space?

In what ways have you created a safe space for friends?

How can you become more vulnerable with your friends?

Friendship Application:

Create a judgment-free zone for your friends that gives them a safe space to open up and share.

Two-minute read.

Referring to a shrewd manager who got caught in his own schemes, today’s verse addresses handling someone else’s property. In Jesus’s parable, the employer finds out his employee has wasted money. In desperation, the worker shrewdly forfeits his pay, which impresses the rich man. Christ’s lesson to use worldly resources to benefit others will make you friends who will welcome you. Trusting someone with a little determines whether you can trust them with a lot.

As we develop relationships, we give our new friends the benefit of the doubt. We expect them to tell us the truth, keep their word, and walk with us on the journey. Becoming that kind of friend helps you develop those kinds of relationships. We can’t expect others to do what we won’t do ourselves.

“Why don’t you become the kind of woman someone would want to marry?” asked the show’s producer.

Watching a reality TV show about a group of single friends, one of the girls desperately wants a husband, but doesn’t want to change her ways. Promiscuous and flirtatious, she enjoys drawing attention to herself with her exploits. When the producer asked this question, she had a flippant reply.

“Why would I want to do that? Why can’t I just have fun and he be okay with that?”

Can you see the dilemma? She wants one thing but acts another way and doesn’t want to compromise her lifestyle. For married ladies, you already know how important compromise becomes in marriage. In the same way, we must become the type of friend we want to have. We can’t expect others to keep our secrets if we won’t keep theirs. Healthy relationships create safe spaces for people to become vulnerable. Having the ability to share our thoughts with someone and have them listen and respond with love develops long-lasting relationships, whether friendship or marriage. If we want trustworthy friends, we must become someone people can trust.

When someone asks you to keep a secret, keep it. If a friend withdraws, go after them and find out why. Put their needs before yours, ask them how you can pray for them, and create a safe space for them to turn to amidst life’s storms. Become the friend you want to have, and you will discover a plethora of friendships that will uplift and encourage your soul.

Journal Questions:

What characteristics do you look for in a friend?

What areas do you need to work on to become the kind of friend you want?

How do you build trust in a relationship?

Friendship Application:

Think of one aspect of friendship you want to work on today and do it.

Two-minute read.

Have you ever made a snap judgment, followed through on it, and then regretted it later? I certainly have, more times than I can even begin to confess. Most of those decisions revolved around taking things personally that had nothing to do with me. But of course, because of my self-absorbed, sinful nature, I made it about me. If only I had sought the Lord before jumping to wrong conclusions and causing harm in the relationship.

One time that sticks out in my mind and makes me cringe happened at a women’s tennis retreat that I led. Captaining a United States Tennis Association (USTA) team, we traveled to Wintergreen for an intensive weekend of training. The tennis pro, whom we had worked with before, didn’t realize I had taken over as team leader. As our Friday night session got underway, he kept addressing the old captain for guidance, ignoring me. And I let his actions get to me. Instead of explaining, I now led the team; I developed an attitude that needed no words, ignoring the easy solution, and allowing my anger to build.

“Is everything ok?” he asked, becoming aware of my negative body language.

“No, I didn’t organize this weekend to come here and be disrespected.”

Lord, how I wish I could take back those words. And how I wish I had put my trust in you first instead of letting my selfish ego take the lead. If I had sought God in prayer, I would have allowed Him to speak to my heart. Instead of letting pride seep into my soul’s core, I would have received the Lord’s grace, which would have softened my heart instead of hardening it. Once we build a wall around our core, it becomes difficult to penetrate. Only when we turn to the Savior will the bricks fall, and our hearts soften.

Instead of letting anger build, I could have resolved the situation with kind words and not caused the cringeworthy memory. Once the pro realized his mistake, he quickly adjusted his approach, and things went well the rest of the weekend. But I still feel bad for my harsh words and wish I could take them back.

Instead of jumping to quick conclusions from your limited perspective, ask the Savior for His viewpoint. Let God lead you on the right path by allowing Him to go first. Trust in Jesus, follow His cues, and you will have healthier relationships and fewer regrets.

Journal Questions:

When has a quick judgment damaged a relationship in your life?

How can you find ways to pause and seek God’s viewpoint before acting?

In what ways can you actively trust the Savior first?

Friendship Application:

Ask God to give you His perspective on a problematic relationship.

Two-minute read.

Batah, the original Hebrew word for trust, means to rely on, put confidence in; to lead to believe, make trust.[1] God truly teaches us what trust means. Keeping His promises from thousands of years ago, Jesus’s life and death on the cross fulfilled over 300 prophecies about Him. We have the luxury of hindsight: reading the scriptures written by over 40 authors over 1600 years from 1500 BC to 100 AD, we can see how God kept His word, which makes Him trustworthy. To define trust, we can look to the Savior for guidance.

When I first started walking with Jesus as an adult, I took tiny steps. Finding scripture that applied to my situation, I would take a step of obedience and see what happened. Getting baptized, the full dunk, developed my relationship with God. At first, I didn’t understand why the church I attended placed such an emphasis on baptism, so I scheduled an appointment with the pastor to explain the importance of getting soaked. Walking me through the scriptures, he outlined the importance of publicly declaring your faith in Christ. Compelled by the pastor’s words, I entered the baptismal pool the following Sunday and experienced a life change. I felt the Spirit of the Lord descend upon me as I came up out of the water. I have no other way to explain the moment than to say it sealed my relationship with the Savior, and life began anew.

And for those who wonder, placing your faith in Jesus opens the door to salvation, not baptism. But publicly declaring your faith through the baptismal waters does deepen your relationship with God in a way you can only understand through doing it. Applying God’s word to your life will build your trust in Him and help you know what it means to have complete faith in the Savior.

In friendships, we build trust by doing the next right thing: keeping our word, showing up when needed, putting their needs before ours, investing in their lives with our time and talents, all things Christ does for us. Become trustworthy by following the Savior, experiencing His perfect peace, and then sharing it with others. Confidence in Jesus will help you build confidence in your relationships.

Journal Questions:

How has Jesus taught you about trust?

List ways the Savior shows His trustworthiness.

How can you build trust in your relationships by following Christ?

Friendship Application:

Build trust in your friendships by applying Jesus’s teachings to your relationships.

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[1] NIV Exhaustive Concordance Dictionary Copyright © 2015 by Zondervan.

Two-minute read.

“If we have the joy of the Lord, others will see it!”

In the closing message of a seven-part series on who Jesus is, the pastor ended with that statement. Immediately, people came to mind whose light shines brightly in my life. Women from around the world who have enriched my life with their love of Jesus. Their lives shine brightly amidst dark tragedies and impossible odds. Never doubting the Lord’s plan, they take what comes their way and give it to the Savior, allowing Him to work through their circumstances, their lamps never dimming but growing brighter.

Remaining upright in heart during difficult days requires a decision: trust God. Most of the time, the Lord’s work remains a mystery to us. We can’t comprehend His thoughts, so we can’t always understand His ways, but we can trust them without understanding all the details.

“Even during the darkest days of our trials, my joy came when I took tentative steps in God’s direction.”

Laura Story, When God Doesn’t Fix It.

Writing about her twenty-eight-year-old husband’s battle with a brain tumor, singer, songwriter, Laura Story discovered the Lord’s joy in her darkest days when she moved towards Him. Maintaining an upright heart means keeping it tuned into Jesus. When we take steps towards the Savior, He meets us more than halfway. The Lord wants us to experience His joy and live in His presence always, no matter what our circumstances. In our pain, when we lie at the bottom of the pit, our situation forces us to look up, and when we do, we will find Jesus and discover His joy.

As our 31-day journey comes to an end, I pray you have discovered a joy in the Lord you never knew before. Even tiny steps in the Savior’s direction will draw you into His arms. Experience the love of Jesus, and allow His joy to strengthen you one day at a time. In Him, you have everything you need not only to persevere, but to do so joyfully.

Journal Questions:

How has taking steps toward the Lord helped you discover His joy?

In what ways do you maintain an upright heart?

How can you be glad in the Lord today?

Joyful Application:

Turn to Jesus and experience the joy He longs to give you, now and always.

Two-minute read.

When we first place our faith in Jesus, we feel invigorated and ready to take on the world. But as time goes by, the fire can fade if we don’t stoke it. Aware of the potential to lose our vigor, Paul tells the believers what will fan the flames. First, we must rejoice in the hope of salvation. As life’s problems stack up around us, remembering the temporary nature of today and focusing our eyes on eternity to come gives us hope to persevere. Having the hope of Christ gives us the patience to endure tribulation, and staying connected to the Savior through prayer helps us remain connected to our life source, which provides everything we need to overcome the struggles we face in this world.

My most recent struggle, an excruciating ear infection, had me crying out to Jesus. Unable to sleep, I tossed and turned, trying to find a position that would alleviate the pain, crying out to the Lord for mercy and help. As I prayed, I began thinking about a young friend who has fought a 14-year health battle because of a botched surgery. In constant pain, her latest episode involved another operation. Still in pain, they haven’t resolved the issue, still searching for a way to help her. The pain I felt made me think of her pain, and I started to pray for her. Then those prayers expanded to other people I know, dealing with different health issues, living in pain. In that moment, the Lord taught me lessons I hope not to forget.

Rejoicing in the hope of the Savior helped me persevere with patience, and constant prayer allowed God to use my pain to help me grow and transform. Abiding in Christ, staying attached to the vine, will supply us with all we need to face the day’s battles, not only with hope, but with the joy of the Lord who strengthens us.  

Journal Questions:

How has rejoicing in the hope of salvation strengthened you?

In what ways has God helped you persevere with patience?

What does staying in constant prayer with the Lord do for your life?

Joyful Application:

Rejoice in the hope of the Lord and live in His divine joy.

Two-minute read.

At the end of my prayers, I type five letters: IJNIP. The abbreviation represents “In Jesus’ Name I Pray.” From my earliest memories, my mother taught me to pray this way, though I did not understand why until I became an adult. Speaking to His disciples, Jesus tells them that after His resurrection, they will experience profound joy as they come to understand the truth of His teachings. Now, through Christ, they can ask God anything and He will answer their prayers.

Knowing God will answer our prayers if we ask in Jesus’ name gives us joy. Our faith gives us confidence that the Lord will provide whatever we ask. When we pray in Jesus’s name, we use His authority, according to His will, not just to get what we want. In other words, when we align our hearts with the Savior, His desires become our desires, and we ask for things He wants.

I hate to burst your bubble, but a new car, fancy house, or bright clothing doesn’t necessarily align with Jesus’s heart. The Savior never drove a car, lived in a fancy house, or wore expensive clothing. God’s Son didn’t have electricity and running water when He resided on the Earth. A carpenter by trade, Jesus didn’t work with power tools; He worked with His bare hands, transforming wood into valuable items such as tables and chairs.

Jesus desires for everyone to know Him and the saving grace He offers. Connecting people to His Father matters most to the Savior. Praying for lost souls to give their hearts to Christ pleases the Lord. Desiring for God’s family to grow and heaven to become crowded brings joy to the Father. Jesus’s joy transcends to us when we align our hearts with His, asking for His desires, not ours.

Align your heart with Jesus, and allow His joy to overflow in you.

Journal Questions:

How has aligning your heart with Jesus changed your perspective?

How does praying in Jesus’ name empower your prayers?

What desire of Christ’s heart do you need to align your heart with today?

Joyful Application:

Experience the joy of Christ by aligning your heart with His

Two-minute read.

Watching “A Christmas Prayer”[1] on Pure Flix, the movie revolves around a child’s Christmas prayer list. Tasked by her Sunday School teacher, sweet Caroline, instead of making a wish list for Santa, creates a prayer list for Jesus, asking for things for other people. For Hank the postman, she asks God for a plane ticket to see his daughter. A school friend who needs a new coat and boots gets added to her list. Poinsettias for her neighbor who lost her husband, happiness for her widowed father, and a big client for her grandfather, Caroline’s list contained needs for the people she loved.

When a children’s book illustrator finds the list, it inspires her not only to meet the needs on it, but also to write a faith-based series about Adeliene the Angel. As the movie plays out, the true meaning of Christmas becomes apparent as Jesus works miracles in everyone’s lives. The spirit of those involved rejoices in God, their Savior.

Jesus’s presence with us causes actions outside of us. Although fictional, the movie portrayed how acts of kindness, motivated by Christ, have an eternal ripple effect that we won’t honestly know until God calls us home. Every small act impacts someone in ways we can’t imagine, helping the doer more than anyone else.

Within each of us, as Christ’s followers, we have the Holy Spirit. As soon as we place our faith in the Savior, He takes up residency in our hearts. Transformation begins immediately as the Lord’s grace and mercy root out our sin. As we draw closer to God and allow Him to search our hearts, He reveals the truth that helps us become more like Jesus. Walking with the Lord, He purifies us and fills our hearts with His divine joy, strengthening us for the journey.

Journal Questions:

How does having faith in Jesus motivate you to good works?

In what ways does the Holy Spirit prompt you?

How does your spirit rejoice in the Savior?

Joyful Application:

Rejoice in Jesus today as you allow His Spirit to lead you to good works.

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[1] https://www.imdb.com/title/tt37593923/

Two-minute read.

From generation to generation, people continue to witness God’s acts of love. Recently, I discovered Sean of the South, a columnist who writes and sings about life in the American South.[1] Scrolling through his posts, you will discover tales from years gone by of heroism and faith that touch the heart. On Thanksgiving, I shared his post about a Methodist hymn, sung by four chaplains as their ship sank in 1943. The post that led me to his work centered around one of my favorite hymns, “It Is Well With My Soul,” by Horatio Spafford.

Sean sets the scene, describing Horatio’s wife, Anna, and their four daughters, bound for a mission trip to Europe to participate in revivals. A few days into their journey, another boat strikes the ship, causing it to sink. People jumped overboard into the water. Anna and her girls knelt by the bow and prayed for God to deliver them or give them the strength to endure what came next. The next morning, a sailor in a dinghy saw Anna clinging to a piece of wreckage, barely alive, rescuing her and taking her to Wales, where she sent a telegram to Horatio:

“Saved alone.”

Their daughters did not survive the shipwreck. Horatio boards another boat to meet Anna and comfort her. Midway through the journey, a shipmate knocked on his door to inform him that they were passing the place where his daughters drowned. Weeping over the memory of his four girls, he wrote a poem that became a cherished hymn.[2]

When peace like a river, attendeth my way
When sorrows like sea billows roll
Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Despite his profound heartache, Horatio focused his eyes on Jesus and allowed Him to comfort his broken heart. God’s love prevails, no matter the circumstances, passing through the generations and continuing into eternity. We must keep the Son in our eyes to experience His divine presence. When we do, like Horatio, we can say, “It is well with my soul.”

Journal Questions:

How does Horatio’s faith inspire you?

In what ways have you seen God’s love in your life?

Describe how Jesus makes your soul well.

Joyful Application:

Discover the joy of faith in Jesus as you focus your eyes on Him.

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[1] https://www.facebook.com/seanofthesouth

[2] https://www.facebook.com/reel/2024993515000656