Honest Reflections

One-minute read.

Holds Your Hand

For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”

Isaiah 41:13

In every good action movie, a pivotal rescue scene occurs. The hero, defeated and hopeless, hangs perilously from a cliff. He peers down at the ravine below, accepting his fate. On the verge of letting go, a miracle happens. From above comes a hand; looking up, our hero sees salvation as he grasps the proffered limb. With one mighty heave, the hero stands back on solid ground, ready to resume the fight.

God offers His hand to us, holding tightly to ours, helping us fight our daily battles. We don’t need to tiptoe around our challenges in fear; we can tackle them with faith, knowing the Lord holds our hand. Unlike the hero dangling from the edge of a cliff, we have a Creator who walks with us, not letting us fall. Nothing comes before us God doesn’t allow. We may not understand why, but we can trust Him to walk us through the storm, holding us tightly in His hand.

Look up today. Instead of focusing on the ravine below, focus on the Almighty. Trust that God holds your hand, walking with you in the battle. With your head held high, introduce your problems to the Master. Remember that God’s got this, just like He did yesterday and will tomorrow.

Application:

God’s holding your hand and helping you.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for holding our hand and helping us fight our battles. Please remove any fear we have from us as we face our challenges boldly with You.  Give us victory over our anxieties as we tackle our problems with faith, not fear. 

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Increased Strength

He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might, he increases strength.

Isaiah 40:29

In exile in Mesopotamia, the Jewish people grew weary. Thinking God forgetful and tired, they thought of Him as human, not understanding why they suffered. Isaiah’s words encourage them that the Lord hasn’t forgotten anything. Strong and in command, God gives power to the faint and helps them find the strength to persevere. When we turn to the Almighty, submitting our lives and circumstances, He guides us on the journey and sustains us to make it.

Sometimes, we don’t receive answers from God, which has more to do with us than Him. At lunch with a dear friend, she talked about people complaining to her because of the situations in their lives. They wondered why the Lord didn’t do something about it.

“Because they aren’t living under His covering,” is what I tell them.”

My friend accurately summed up a crucial aspect of faith. People don’t want to obey God or live according to His word but expect Him to do whatever they want. We don’t serve a magic genie in the sky, only calling on him when we need a wish granted. We serve a mighty God, Creator of the Universe, who expects us to include Him in our lives, not view Him as a vending machine for our desires. Maybe the reason life’s challenging us has more to do with our actions than God’s will.

To live under the Lord’s covering and receive His blessing, we must seek, follow, and obey Him.  Then He will give power to the faint and increase our strength.

Application:

God increases the strength of His children.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for giving power to the faint and increasing our strength when we submit our lives to You.  When we wander from the straight and narrow, draw us back with loving arms. Don’t let us forget You as we face the day’s challenges. Give us the tools we need to honor and serve You well.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Long Life

“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

Exodus 20:12

Only one of the Ten Commandments comes with a promise, the fourth one. God instructs us to honor our father and mother, and we will have a long life. For me,  I had the privilege of watching both of my parents pass into heaven. My dad took his last breath in the hospital in Franklin, PA, after battling cancer, all his children but one surrounding his bed. Mom died at home, with my brother and me by her side, when she moved to her heavenly home. I had the opportunity to honor both of them in their final days.

“I don’t understand why people want to be a victim. Your mama did this, your daddy did that. All they had to do was give you life and however good or however bad it was, now it’s up to YOU to make something of it.” Madea, Madea Goes to Jail[i]

For some, honoring their parents takes effort. Not everyone has ideal relationships with their father and mother. Accepting the imperfections of our moms and dads helps us come to peace with them, allowing us to honor them despite the hurts they may have caused. Asking God to help see them through His eyes can give a new perspective and grace toward the parents He gave us. We can start with gratitude that they chose life and honor them by living our lives well, forgiving them, and loving them as God desires.

God promises a long life when we honor our fathers and mothers. Applying Jesus’ teachings to our relationships, tapping into His strength to do the right thing, will help us obey the Lord’s command and receive the promise that comes with it.

Application:

God promises a long life when we honor our parents.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for giving us parents who chose to provide us with life. Please help us honor them despite the hurts we may have experienced. Give us the wisdom and discernment to do the next right thing, obeying Your commands and receiving Your promises. Let us live fully in Christ, becoming more like Him every day. 

IJNIP. Amen

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[i] https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1142800/characters/nm1347153

One-minute read.

All Things for Good

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,for those who are called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28

On Oct. 31, 2023, I had a seat booked on a flight to Egypt to spend ten days touring church projects, visiting the Pyramids, and riding on a camel. But in early October, war broke out in Israel, and the organizers canceled the trip because of safety concerns. Overwhelmed with disappointment, I trusted God and accepted, for whatever reason, He didn’t want me to go.

Five months later, after having a second blood clot removed, I learned stents placed in my abdomen after my first clot from a birth defect caused another one. Once I went off blood thinners in early October, weeks before my scheduled trip, another one formed. If I had gone on the journey to Egypt, I would have had a high likelihood of developing the clot while in a foreign country without the advanced medical aid we have in the United States. Cancelling the trip could have saved my life, and I didn’t even know it then. But God did.

All things work for the good of those who believe and trust in the Lord, even when we don’t understand. In time, God reveals truths to us we can’t see now. Hindsight gives us 20/20 vision.

Whatever disappointment or discouragement you face today, trust that God will bring good from it. You may not know how right away, but eventually, you will realize God had your back the entire time.

Application:

God works all things for the good of those who believe and trust.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for always having our backs, even when we don’t understand. As we move through life’s disappointments, give us faith to trust in Your sovereignty. Use our lives for Your purposes, bringing good from what we perceive as evil and helping us always trust in Your divine guidance.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Divine Deliverance

For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.

Psalm 91:3

God protects us from the schemes of evil people, their manipulations a trap. When people plot against us, the Lord knows their plans and doesn’t let them come to fruition. Evil intentions get thwarted when we trust God.

During college, I worked as a night clerk at a local hotel. Upon becoming friends with another associate, I didn’t realize she had evil intentions. Unbeknownst to me, she stole from the cash drawer and tried to blame it on me. Our manager, a wise woman, never said a word but instead started scheduling us on different shifts. Within days, they caught the thief because money started to go missing on her shift, but not mine. God saved me from the fowler’s snare I didn’t know existed.

A comic strip I saw years ago showed a little boy sleeping soundly in his bed while a robber peered in the window. Behind the villain, a cop stood, ready to capture him. The image comes to mind when I think of God protecting me from the unknown. The Lord protects us from things we didn’t even know existed.

God gives us divine deliverance before we even know we need it. Take a moment to thank the Lord for protecting you in ways you never even imagined.

Application:

God delivers us from all kinds of evil.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for protecting us from the fowler’s trap, and for problems we didn’t even know existed. Remind us of Your protection when our faith wavers, and help us stay steadfast in our missions as we trust You to protect us from the enemy’s attacks. Let our firm foundation in You stand strong against the evils of this world.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Fights for Us

The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.

Exodus 14:14

Moses, leading the Israelites out of Egypt, stands before the Red Sea with the Egyptian army bearing down on them. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, in what looked like a dead end, Moses calms the people with these words:

“Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”

Exodus 14:13-14

Then, God commands Moses to lift his staff, stretch his hand over the sea, and divide it. Miraculously, the waves parted, the Israelites safely crossed, and the army got swallowed up in the closing sea. Nothing the people did brought them victory; the Lord did all the work. And He promises to do the same for us, turning dead ends into miraculous victories. 

Without a problem, we can’t experience a miracle. Jesus promised we would have trials in this life, but to take heart, He overcame the world. Nothing we do gives us salvation; Christ did the work for us on the cross. Trust that God will fight for you. He has already defeated death for us, and whatever mountain we face now doesn’t stand a chance against the Lord.

Remind your problems of the God you worship. No giant can stand against the Lord. When we trust God, He parts seas, moves mountains, and slays the beast.

Application:

God fights for us.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for fighting for us. Help us remember our victory in You when we face our battles. No matter how hopeless the situation may seem, we have hope in You.  Let us stand firm in the face of adversity, knowing You will provide the victory. In You, we can trust. 

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Steadfast Faith

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,  for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.

James 1:2-3

“You’ve been through so much this past year; I didn’t read your entire file.” Words you don’t want to hear at the doctor’s office when having an ultrasound done on your abdomen to check the stents keeping your artery from crushing your vein and causing another blood clot. I met the ultrasound tech last year from the same area of Pennsylvania; we instantly connected, not knowing we would have a reunion so soon.

As I lay on the hospital bed, quietly letting her scan my body, her words contemplated in my head. “Yeah, I have been through a lot this past year,”  I hadn’t thought about it until she said those words. I had much to complain about from a worldly standpoint, but from a spiritual perspective, I had many more things to rejoice over.

Experiencing trials of various kinds drew me closer to God. My conversations with the Lord, the grace I discovered when I sought Him, and the strength He gave me to persevere make me thankful for my issues. If I hadn’t had the challenges, I wouldn’t have spent nearly as much time with God, time I treasure and crave. From my newfound intimacy with my Maker, I have found joy and steadfast faith that carried me through the valleys.

In the trials you face, turn to God for help. Cry out to Him, meditate on His promises, and discover a joy that only comes from the Lord. In Him, you can have steadfast faith to endure any challenge.

Application:

Steadfast faith comes from persevering during trials.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for carrying us through our earthly trials. Strengthen and guide us through the storms of life, helping us find joy in You.  Let our faith grow as we persevere, passing the tests because we cling to You. We give You the glory in all things, knowing You give us victory over our challenges. 

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Righteous Life

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds, you have been healed.

1 Peter 2:24

Jesus died on the cross to give those who believe in Him new life. Living righteously happens when we follow Christ, doing what He taught us: love God and others. During His three years in ministry, Jesus exemplified right living. Always with the perfect response, God’s Son brought love into the world, giving it to us and expecting us to share it with others. We discover the righteous life as we learn to love one interaction at a time.

Accepting the punishment for our sins, with each lash of the whip, Jesus bore our sins on His body. Dying to sin, we can live righteously because of the pain Christ endured on the cross. Every right decision we make, denying the flesh and living for Jesus, honors His sacrifice. As we become new people, living counter-culturally means we put the needs of others before our own. Instead of life centering around our selfish desires, we seek God’s will in all things and live for Him.

When Jesus declared, “It is finished,” on the cross, His words echoed through eternity. Death defeated, the grave overcome, sin no longer has a hold on us when we decide to follow Christ. Receiving the Holy Spirit gives us the strength to resist temptation, acknowledge our sinful ways, and choose a different path that leads to eternal life with God. By His wounds, we have been healed.

Application:

Jesus gives us a righteous life.

Prayer:

Jesus, thank You for bearing our sins on Your body. Thank You for suffering in our place and giving us victory over death and sin with Your actions. As we live out our righteousness in You, help us do so well. Acknowledging You in all things, let us wisely choose how we spend our time, honoring You with all we do.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Holy Work

Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.

Proverbs 16:3

Commit means “roll” in today’s verse. God wants us to roll our burdens onto Him, depending on His assistance to accomplish our tasks. Our work becomes holy when we commit our jobs to the Lord and let Him help us. Not everything we put on our calendar pleases the Lord, but when we roll our burdens onto Him, God weeds out the things we shouldn’t do and prioritizes divine tasks.

For years, I have written Proverbs 16:3 in my journal at the beginning of the week, usually on Sunday mornings, and then I pray over everything I have on my calendar for the next seven days. Lunch meetings, tennis classes, writing agendas, exercise classes, prayer meetings, trips, whatever I have scheduled gets prayed over and rolled onto the Lord. As the week unfolds, some things drop off my calendar, and others get added. Having prayed over my agenda, I know the Lord leads the way, and I trust when unexpected changes take me places I didn’t have on my calendar.

Roll your burdens onto the Lord. Talk about your calendar with Him.  Ask God to help you prioritize your time and talents; He will help you make the most of your days. Trusting God with your work will help you accomplish the divine tasks He has for you. Living for Christ will give you a pep in your step and an attitude of gratitude for the work He gives you to do.

Application:

God establishes our plans.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for establishing our plans and helping us make the most of our time. As we roll our burdens onto You, help us complete our tasks, trusting Your guidance. Let our work become holy as we commit it to You, letting You turn the mundane into the divine. 

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Good Plans

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Jeremiah 29:11

Jeremiah, speaking to the exiles, encourages them with today’s promise. Despite their circumstances, the Lord has good plans for the Israelites that give them hope and a future. Paul, in his letter to the Philippians, reiterates the promise for those who place their faith in Jesus:

“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” Phil. 1:6

Bad things happen to good people, and good things happen to bad people. Why, we don’t know. But we can trust God’s promise of hope and a future. Often, what we judge as bad turns out good. When I lost my job, it devastated me, but if that event hadn’t happened, I wouldn’t have started on my current journey, living my God-given dream of becoming a writer. The Lord had to get me into a position that forced me to do something different; my loss preceded my gain.

Each day, eternity unfolds. Following Jesus, we mustn’t judge the circumstances around us too quickly because He hasn’t finished the story. No matter what we experience in this world, our heavenly home awaits us, far better than anything we can imagine. God promises a future filled with hope, and He will deliver.

Application:

God has good plans for you.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for giving us hope for the future. As we face today’s challenges, let us take heart in Your promise, knowing that You have good plans for us and our welfare, not evil. Help us persevere in the hope of things yet to come, knowing that in all things, You work them to the good of those who trust and believe.

IJNIP. Amen