Category Archives: Devotions

Yesterday, I felt like I had been punched in the gut.

Circumstances were going one way and then in a totally unforeseen twist, they went another.

If I am honest, I experienced all of these emotions: anger, confusion, irritation, extreme frustration, bewilderment, disappointment, and sadness. And maybe a teeny tiny desire for revenge on the person who was causing all the trouble.

Have you ever felt that way?

What is a Christian to do when God allows something that He could have prevented and you have no idea what He is doing?

First of all, pour out your heart to Him. Be brutally honest. He can take it. He knows what is in our hearts already. Unless you get it all out, it will fester and twist and morph into bitterness, which only pleases the enemy and poisons a soul.

In fact, I Peter 5:7 tells us to “Cast the whole of your care (all of your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all), on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.”

In the original language, the word “cast” means ‘to throw”  The connotation is of just hurling a thing as hard as you can onto something else. It is a very deliberate, decisive action.

In this case, you are not throwing your cares into a void. You are throwing them right onto the strong and everlasting shoulders of Jesus, who is the only source of true Help and Hope.

And what do you get back in return? Not condemnation, not rebuke, not shame.

This is what you receive:

Grace (spiritual blessing and favor), mercy, and heart peace be yours from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. (I Timothy 1:2)

Time and time again, we see the giving character of our magnificent God in His Word. He is not in any way stingy. He does not give grudgingly. He gives lavishly, extravagantly, abundantly, exceedingly more than all we could ask or imagine.

This verse tells us that grace, mercy, and peace flow to us from His good, kind, and merciful heart.

Let’s look at the definitions of each in the original Greek.

Grace : that which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness, good will, kindness and favor; the merciful kindness of God, benefit, bounty, the absolutely free expression of lovingkindness of God to men

Mercy:  kindness, goodwill towards the miserable and afflicted, joined with a desire to help them

Peace: the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot, of whatever sort that is.

THIS is the heart of God toward you, even when you are hurting, angry, and resentful.

It is this type of relentless, perfect divine love that melts the hardest heart, causes bitterness to evaporate, turns complaints into gratitude, forges steel into a trembling soul, grants courage to the faint-hearted, and gives abundant grace that allows one who has fallen to get back up in the  powerful Name of the One who defeated death.

And in the process, the enemy’s plan is thwarted. This enemy of our souls is rendered helpless, powerless, and revealed to be the loser he truly is.

Whatever valley you may be walking through this day, do not allow your circumstances to obliterate your view of your Savior. He is there. He is at work in ways you cannot see. He promises to work all things to your good. He will never stop doing good to you. He brings beauty from the ashes.

Rather than suffer and die in the desert of human reasoning, out-of-control emotions, and consuming worry, pull up stakes and place yourself under the waterfall of His never-ending, endless rush of GRACE.

Then take His hand and walk side by side with Him along the path that He has chosen (with great love and care) for you to walk.

Right now, at this very moment, grace, mercy, and peace from the throne of God  are streaming into your life  with such a tremendous deluge that it makes Niagara Falls look like a trickle .

You are safe in Him.

Believe it. Receive it. Watch Him work.

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. —(Joshua 1:9)

Yesterday, I listened to an online sermon from James MacDonald’s series “Always True.”

He is teaching about the fact that God has given us many “great and precious promises” (2 Peter 1:4) and that we can rely on those eternal promises even more than we rely on the things that we can see.

The title of this particular message was “God Is Always Good: I Will Not Despair.”

James said something in the midst of that sermon that has had a life-changing effect on me.

“Every ‘no’ from God is a mercy.”

Those words hit me like a ton of bricks.

Recently in my life, I have been dealing with what seems to be a very long, drawn-out NO from Jesus.

It is mysterious and completely baffling to me. The thing that I am asking Him for is very reasonable, something He commends in His Word as beneficial. Nothing extravagant, nothing self-aggrandizing, nothing harmful or bad.

Yet, He still says no.

At this point, it is almost comical the number of doors He has closed. At least, it would be comical if it wasn’t heartbreaking to me.

Recently, a praise was shared during our church service about someone being granted the very thing for which I have been asking for so earnestly. I was completely unprepared for the tears that immediately sprung to my eyes and the  shocking, unexpected feeling of devastation in my heart.

I kept my head down and opened my Bible, determined to keep the tears from spilling over and running down my face. “Jesus, where are You?” 

My soul cried out for the One, who by His actions, seemed like an enemy intent on continuing to cruelly slam doors in my face; but in reality was my closest, dearest, and most tender-hearted Friend.

And of course, I found Him where He always is: in the pages of His Word, that very Word that became flesh over 2000 years ago (John 1:14).

And I found His Spirit one with mine as He spoke to my hurting heart through the healing balm of that Word.

“I will never stop doing good to you.” (Jeremiah 32:40).

“I speak tenderly to you.” (Hosea 2:14)

“I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.” (Jeremiah 31:3).

“I know what I am doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.” (Jeremiah 29:11).

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.” —(Isaiah 55:8-9)

With those tender words of comfort also came a warning: “You shall have no other gods before Me.” (Exodus 20:3).

How easy it is to let our desires—even for good things— become bigger than our love for our Savior, who IS our life and our greatest Gift.

That is a one way ticket to heartbreak and I don’t want to go there. It reduces our one precious life to a furnace-like desert existence where our thirst isn’t quenched…even though the well of  crystal clear Living Water is within our reach. We stubbornly want to drink from our own well, which is the  polluted and empty promises of ultimate satisfaction in this fallen world.

In recent years, Jesus has used His Word, as well as various sermons and books, to open my eyes to the amazing beauty and sheer depth of the Gospel.

He has already and forever taken care of my greatest need (forgiveness for my sin). He came to rescue me when I could not rescue myself. In that moment, He gave me all of Himself…which is everything I will ever need.

Jesus + Nothing = Everything.

Not only that, He also promises to provide every other thing I need in this life. (Romans 8:32).

It is those times when what I don’t have looms larger than all the gifts Jesus has given me that I head into dangerous waters.

Yet what to do with the hurt feelings  and bewilderment that rise up in a heart when the closed doors and unanswered prayers continue with no end in sight?

Remember that every no from Him is a MERCY.

In the Hebrew, the word mercy means: “compassion and tender love.”

In His perfect love, His “no” is bestowed  with the utmost compassion and most tender love. 

Yes, that involves being willing to live with mystery. I can’t see how these no’s are a mercy in the midst of my pain and confusion. With my (extremely limited) knowledge, a yes would make everything so much better.

Yet His knowledge is perfect. He sees the big picture I cannot see and I must yield to His wisdom rather than clinging to mine.

So that is my choice: magnify the pain  OR magnify what I KNOW to be true of God’s character as revealed in His Word.

His Word (and my life experience of walking with Him for so many years)have proven that He is faithful, kind, good, and sovereign. His ways–and His timing—are perfect.

Knowing this and trusting His heart is what keeps me going. That, and the promise He has given me concerning this season in my life.

He has done this many times before. Just before a difficult season gets underway, He gives me a promise from His Word and invites me to believe Him for it.

Of course, I would like to claim the promise on Monday and see it fulfilled on Tuesday…but that never happens. 🙂 Often, the time between the promise and the fulfillment is months, if not years. Sometimes all looks lost and circumstances mock that promise. Yet, I cling to Him and His promise…and He is ALWAYS proven faithful. And in that clinging, I am transformed and my love for Jesus grows deeper.

I was given just such a reminder last night when I showed up at our church to watch David Platt’s “Follow Me” simulcast from an undisclosed location in the Middle East. The day had been a rough one and I was tired. My spirits were low.

No sooner had the crowd gathered when we were told via video that due to technical difficulties the simulcast was rescheduled for the following week.

Our pastor then took the opportunity to share a short devotional and when he read the Scripture passage, I nearly fell out of my seat.

(The psalmist is speaking to God here): “Remember fervently the promise to Your servant in which You have caused me to hope. This is my comfort and consolation in my affliction; that Your Word has revived me and given me life.” —(Ps. 119:49-50)

“Remember My promise to you,” He whispered. “Your hope is ALWAYS in Me.”

A smile broke across my face as the power of His Word did indeed revive my flagging spirits. I will not despair. I will not give up. I will not lose hope. No matter how long it takes.

One day the “yes” will come.

His Word never returns void and His mercies are new every morning.

Even when He says no.

“One of the greatest moments in eternity will be the day God peels back the space-time curtain and unveils His sovereignty by connecting the divine dots between our prayers and His answers…and when God finally reveals His strange and mysterious ways, it will drop us to our knees in worship. We will thank Him for the prayers He did answer. We’ll also thank Him for the prayers He didn’t answer because we’ll finally understand why. And we’ll thank Him for the answered prayers we weren’t even aware of.”–Mark Batterson

 

I love wedding shows.

I watch the entire lineup of such shows on The Learning Channel and this afternoon, I was delighted to see my favorite, Say Yes To The Dress. (The Kleinfeld’s one based in New York City; the Atlanta one just doesn’t do it for me for some reason. I think it is due to the absence of the fabulous Randy Fenoli, who treats even the worst Bridezilla with the utmost respect and kindness).

At any rate, today’s twenty-something bride was amazing. She had recently been diagnosed with cervical cancer and came to Kleinfeld’s in search of her perfect wedding dress while in the middle of chemotherapy treatment. Her hair would not be back in time for her wedding day but she had made the incredible choice to not let this deter her in the least. Her plan was to walk down the aisle on the happiest day of her life with a bare head: beautiful, proud, and radiant.

She explained her reasoning as follows: “Courage is my only option.”

As soon as I heard this brave young lady utter those words, I thought that  it is the perfect motto for the Christ follower.

Think about it.

We follow a Savior who has looked death full in the face without flinching. He took the absolute worst that this world (and the enemy) had to offer…and He triumphed gloriously with His resurrection.

Jesus has never known fear (and never will). Those whose redeemed hearts are joined with His possess an extraordinary legacy: the supernatural ability to meet every single thing in this life without fear and with astonishing courage.

Hear His jubilant promise: “In the world you will have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer! Take courage! Be confident, certain, undaunted! For I have overcome the world. I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.”—(John 16:33, Amplified).

Read and re-read these words (His promise) over and over again until you believe them.

Whatever it is you are facing this day, your inheritance in Christ is COURAGE.

Let no person and no circumstance defeat you.

The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is alive in you because HE is alive!

Courage is your only option.

Live like it.

In John 17:1, Jesus prayed the following: “Jesus…lifted up His eyes to Heaven and said, ‘Father, the hour has come. Glorify and exalt and honor and magnify Your son, so that Your Son may glorify and extol, and honor and magnify You.’

Today, let this be your prayer: “I will glorify and exalt and honor and magnify Jesus.”

THIS is the path to certain victory for your soul.

Regardless of how you feel.

Regardless of your circumstances.

Regardless of what your eyes can see.

When Jesus prayed this prayer, He was on His way to the cross. There is nothing you are facing this day that is worse than that.

Make the choice right now, that no matter what comes against you, no matter the disappointment or heartache, you can do this. 

Stop magnifying the darkness.

You do not honor and magnify Jesus by worrying, fretting, holding onto unforgiveness, or being angry.

Decide instead to walk and live and sing and dance in the Light.

Lift up your eyes from the brokenness of earth and fasten them on the beautiful perfection of your Savior, who speaks to you both in His Word and through His dazzling creation.

When you do this, you will find His peace saturating your soul like water on thirsty ground.

Simply praise,

Simply trust.

This glorifies Him in the midst of your situation and utterly defeats the enemy, who constantly seeks to defeat you.

Glorify Him.

Exalt Him.

Honor Him.

Magnify Him.

And watch the ashes become beauty at the touch of His nail-scarred hand.

I have told you these things so that in Me you may have perfect peace and confidence. In the world you will have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer (take courage, be confident, certain, undaunted!). For I have overcome the world. I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you..—John 16:33, Amplified version

This morning, I was reading Mark Batterson’s small book, Praying Circles Around Your Children and I was absolutely blown away by this passage:

“My friend Wayne…prayed through the entire Bible with each of his children in mind, starting with his oldest son, Timothy. He circled and underlined verses that were Timothy-specific. He wrote notes in the margins. He literally prayed every promise for his children. Then a few weeks before Timothy graduated from high school, Wayne planned a special event at a nearby restaurant…a handful of influencers in Timothy’s life presented him with gifts…But the most significant moment and the most significant gift, came when Wayne gave Timothy the Bible. In Wayne’s words, “My greatest joy is knowing I have prayed every word of God, every promise of God, with Timothy in mind.” Wayne said it was one of the few times in his life when he saw grown men sobbing uncontrollably.” (pp. 98-99).

When I read those words, I was awestruck.

There are many gifts we give our children over a lifetime. Most of us will leave things to our children when our journey on earth has been completed. But every single one of those things is temporary. They will get old, break, rust, lose their value.

What if we leave them the ONLY thing that will remain forever: God’s Word? There is no greater gift, no greater legacy!

I am much less concerned about leaving my kids my legacy (which is that I am a sinner who has been saved by radical, breathtaking, extraordinary grace) than in leaving them with One Name forever imprinted on their hearts and minds: JESUS.

I can think of nothing more wonderful than to leave them each with a Bible that has been selected by my hands. Read over. Prayed over. Highlighted. Underlined. The margins filled with my handwriting, recording my deepest prayers for their lives. A precious gift that will be with them for the rest of their days to guide, encourage, equip, and strengthen them for the journey.

In doing so, I will be giving them an eternal gift. His Words that He breathed onto the pages of the Bible so that all of us could know and experience Him, will live forever. 

The single most valuable gift we can  give our children is our prayers…Scripture soaked, Gospel-intoxicated prayers. Anything else that we do for them on this earth will end when we take our last breath. But this gift—of His Word and of our prayers—will continue on, long after we have left the scene. Why?

Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away. —Jesus (Matthew 24:35)

Jesus has promised that He hears every single prayer that His  followers pray to Him.  Regardless of what we feel or what we can see, our prayers ascend directly to the center of His heart. And because He is eternal and His throne is eternal, our prayers remain long after our work on earth is done.

I have lived long enough to know that this life can be heartbreaking. My children will also know heartbreak as they live out their own stories. I want to leave them with a solid anchor, the one thing they can touch and see that will breathe life into their very souls: God’s Word.

There is truly no more beautiful gift. 

The good news is that it is never too late! Even if your children are grown, you can still do this for them! You can do this for your grandchildren!

Nobody on the face of this earth loves your children as much as you do.

Begin today by leaving them an eternal legacy. Purchase those Bibles and begin your journey deep into the heart of God on behalf of your precious children.

You will never regret it.

The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the whole person; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making the wise simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure and bright, enlightening the eyes. The reverent fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; they are sweeter also than honey…by them (we) are warned (reminded, illuminated, and instructed) and in keeping them there is great reward. —Ps. 19: 7-11

I just finished reading an amazing  book: Surprised By Grace: God’s Relentless Pursuit Of Rebels  by Tullian Tchividjian.

The following is an excerpt from the last page:

“There is a story told from the Civil War days before America’s slaves were freed, about a northerner who went to a slave auction and purchased a young slave girl. As they walked away from the auction, the man turned to the girl and told her, “You’re free.”

With amazement, she responded, “You mean I’m free to do whatever I want?”

“Yes,” he said to her.

“And to say whatever I want to say?”

“Yes, anything.”

“And to be whatever I want to be?”

“Yep.”

“And even go wherever I want to go?”

“Yes,” he answered with a smile. “You’re free to go wherever you’d like.”

She looked at him intently and replied, “Then I will go with you.”

Jesus has come to the slave market. He came to us there because we could not go to Him. He came and purchased us with His blood so we would no longer be a slave to sin but a slave to Christ, which is the essence of freedom.

And there’s no freer place to be in life than going with Him…the One who is Himself our true liberty.” —p. 182

Do yourself a favor and buy this book today.

It is that rare book that is at once deeply  and mercifully convicting but also incredibly liberating.

Open the pages of this book and take a journey straight into the center of your heart. Discover the ways you might be running from God. See the storms in your life as His mercy, not His punishment. Experience the softening of your stubborn heart. Ask for forgiveness. Than watch your life become a fountain of gratitude for the amazing grace of the One who loves you too much to allow you to stay where you are.

When you close this book, you will give thanks anew for the breathtaking and scandalous grace of Jesus, who relentlessly and lovingly pursues sinners like you and me, offering us the sheer beauty of redemption and  new life.

There is Hope and Life and Light and Freedom…and His Name is Jesus.

I have a friend whose husband is not at all supportive. She is basically on her own.

She texted me and asked, “So what can you possibly do with someone who doesn’t see anything wrong?”

This was my reply: “What you do is throw your entire self onto Jesus. This is a rubber-meets-the-road moment. You do not have a supportive earthly spouse (yet) but but you DO have a Heavenly One who longs to be to you all those things that your husband is not. Your situation with your husband is Jesus’ invitation to you to allow Him to show Himself strong on your behalf. You are NOT alone in this situation! Claim Phil 4:13 and I Corinthians 10:13. Write them down and carry them with you EVERYWHERE until He has written them on your heart.”

Whether you are facing a difficult marriage, a long trial, financial strain, job loss, health issues, there is HOPE for you if you belong to Jesus!

WHATEVER you are dealing with, it is NOT meant to defeat you! (That is what the enemy wants you to believe).

Jesus intends that you TRIUMPH in the midst of it because you are relying on Him to be your strength (both emotional and physical).

Imagine Jesus saying this to you:

Dear ___________,
Through Me, you have strength for all things. I empower you. You are ready for anything and equal to anything through Me. I infuse inner strength into you. You are sufficient in My sufficiency…No temptation has overtaken you and laid hold on you that is not common to man. NO trial has come to you that is beyond your human resistance or ability to bear. I am faithful to My Word and My compassionate nature. You can trust Me not to let you be tempted and tried beyond your ability. I will give you strength and the power to endure. When you face temptation, I will always provide the way out ( a means of escape, a landing place) so that you will be capable and strong and powerful to bear up under it patiently.

NOTHING is too difficult for Me. 

I love you with an everlasting love,
Jesus

Those are not my words. They are His words and they are found in the above verses, as well as Jeremiah 32:27 and Jeremiah 31:3. (Amplified Version).

This is NOT wishful thinking. This is an exercise of your faith. A determination to live according to His Word and not your feelings or preferences. Yes, trials hurt and we would rather not deal with stormy skies. However, when Jesus allows these things to touch your life, it is not punishment. It is   His invitation to you to find true life, which is not in the things and relationships of this world but in HIM.

Just as He came to the disciples in the midst of a furious storm and stilled the wind and the waves, He will do the same for you. If He does not stop the storm, He will blanket your heart with His peace until He ends the storm in His perfect timing.

Speaking of His timing, do yourself a favor and stop fighting Him on this issue. I have walked with Jesus since I was thirteen years old and I cannot remember even one instance when my idea of perfect timing matched His. It is futile to fight. We see only a microscopic fraction of the big picture that He sees. We simply have no idea what we are talking about when we rant and rave and remind Him for the thousandth time that we cannot take one more minute of this trial.

Surrender to His timetable by deciding to trust His heart and His purposes…which are perfect. 

Face your situation head on. Rise up and meet it in the spirit of conquest that He freely offers you. Confess your exhaustion, frustration, heartache to Him. Let those things drive you deeper into His Word, which will show you His heart of love and grace toward you. Believe Him to be huge in your situation. Trust Him to do exceedingly abundantly above all you could dare to ask or imagine. Allow Him to reveal any idols that you may be clinging to and leaning on to save you. Praise Him for the ways He is healing your heart through the struggle.

The trial He has allowed is actually a  love gift in disguise…because if you let it, this is the vehicle He has chosen to give Himself to you.

There is no greater gift.

“Bride of Christ, no matter how frumpy, ordinary, and dull you may feel, your faith exists in the great storm of a fallen world. Your faith is the power that ravishes the heart of God Almighty. Keep holding on.”—Peter Hiett

Like everyone else in our nation, I have been glued to the television screen as the sights and sounds of utter destruction from the tornado in Moore, Oklahoma once again remind all of us that life on this planet is broken.

Time and again, I have heard brave souls give praise to their God as they stand before the microphone of a reporter while all around them is debris and chaos.

“The Lord gives and the Lord takes away,” said one man in a strong, clear voice.

“I thank my Savior Jesus Christ that He has seen fit to let me live to see another day,” said another, hat held in hand.

These words, these attitudes are evidences of people who live their lives walking step by step with the risen Christ. They possess eyes that see beyond the pain and heartache and trinkets of this world to the coming world where Jesus will wipe away every tear from the eyes of His people and will make all things wonderfully, blessedly, and beautifully new.

This morning  I was reading Isaiah 49. The Israelites were suffering greatly and in the midst of their pain, they accused God of forsaking and forgetting them.

I imagine that is what some of the victims of this tornado are feeling this morning, particularly those who have lost loved ones.

This was His response to  them: “Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yes, they may forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have indelibly imprinted (tattooed a picture) of you on the palm of each of My hands; O (people) your walls are continually before Me.” (Isaiah 49:15-15, emphasis added).

The word “indelibly” means: “cannot be eliminated, changed, erased, forgotten, or removed.”

The word “continually” means: “without cessation or intermission, unceasingly, always.”

When storms (either literal or figurative) strike our lives, leaving desolation and devastation in their wake, it is easy and tempting to think that there has been a terrible mistake, that our Savior has forgotten and forsaken us.

Nothing could be further from the truth….despite what our circumstances and feelings tell us.

Our situations are continually before His eyes and on His heart.

Jesus said, “I am with you all the days (perpetually, uniformly, on every occasion) to the very close and consummation of the age.” (Matthew 28:20).

This verse is His promise that He is with us on every occasion. He has not abandoned the people of Moore, Oklahoma.

I was reminded of another man who lived during a time when his homeland had been reduced to utter ruins. His name was Nehemiah. As he looked  at the  rubble  around him and began to rebuild, he wrote these words, “Be not grieved and depressed, for the joy of the Lord is your Strength and Stronghold.” (Nehemiah 8:10).

In the original Hebrew, the word stronghold means: “place of safety, protection, refuge.”

We would do well to remember that true joy, security and safety will never be found in this temporary world. Any of our possessions that we tend to rely so heavily upon for status and support can be taken from us in an instant. Our good health can vanish with a diagnosis or a car accident. Our bank account could be wiped out.

Ironically, the things that we can see turn out to be flimsy and impossible to keep.

Yet, the Person we cannot see (Jesus) turns out to be  our most solid and sure foundation; our source of unlimited strength, our only safe and truly secure  place of refuge in a broken world.

Whatever storm is blowing in your life right now, cling to Him. He will never leave, fail, or forsake you. You can count on it.

Who shall ever separate us from Christ’s love? Shall suffering and affliction and tribulation? Or calamity and distress? Or persecution or hunger or destitution or peril or sword?…Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors and gain a surpassing victory through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded beyond doubt that neither death nor life not angels nor principalities, not things impending and threatening, nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. —Romans 8:35, 37-39

Pray that the people of Oklahoma whose lives have been forever changed by this tornado will turn to Jesus for the hope, comfort, and power they so desperately need.