says it like this, “For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.” Believing that God has our lives under His control, it’s much easier to start new chapters and live them out while standing on the promises of God. So do you know someone beginning a new chapter in life? If so, stand with them and remind them that God has their back. Help them embrace their new beginning as they anticipate what God has written for this next part of their story.
Lord, help us to help others as they move into new chapters of their lives. Amen.
11…THE LIGHT
Good morning! In the last couple of days, I’ve had reminders of the benefits of having light. Last night I ran into a piece of furniture as I was trying to get a drink of water during the night. I should have turned the lights on but I didn’t and as a result, I have a whopper of a bruise to prove that I needed the light to guide my way. If the truth be known, I need lots more than just a 60-watt bulb being turned on.
A few days ago I added more light in my house by having an all glass storm door installed on my front door. Now I can open the inside door and let the light in. It has been so amazing to see what that extra light has done for me. Not only has it brought light to the front part of my house, it has brought a smile to my face. I have always heard that when you’re feeling a little down that going outside and getting some sunshine does a world of good for you. I couldn’t agree more. But the Light that does the best for our life is the Light of Jesus Christ. Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” The more we dig into scripture, the more of God’s word fills us up. Meditating on God’s word throughout the day keeps our focus on Him which helps us see the happenings in our life through His eyes.
I think John 8:12 is my favorite verse when it comes to God’s light. In this verse Jesus says, “I am the light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” I’m so thankful I’ve been called out of darkness into His glorious Light. If you haven’t come out of the darkness into His glorious Light, I’d like for you to consider asking Jesus to be your Lord and Savior today so that His Light can overcome the darkness of living without Him. In His Light we will find all we need for living a productive life.
Lord, please help us to see that all we ever will need is found in your glorious Light. Amen.
12…RUNNING THE RACE
Good morning! I do cardio rehab at one of the hospitals in my area. My thought process has always been that if I have to do something I’m going to have fun doing it and rehab is no different. I’m a competitive soul and there’s a guy there that I’ve become rather competitive with, in a fun way. There is one machine in particular that has spurred on quite the competition between us. As I write this devotion, I currently have the higher score. I know in two days that could change but for now I’m basking in my numbers. lol
Our Christian walk with the Lord is a lot like rehab. We start strong, all excited to do better and serve the Lord. Then as the days and months and years pass by, some of that excitement fades away and we get content with just being comfortable. We go through the motions but we are not growing. The competition with my friend keeps me striving to do better physically but what keeps us growing in our faith?
Hebrews 12:1 says, “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us…” There’s our motivation. We are to run the race with endurance, which is the capacity for something to last or to withstand wear and tear. During my rehab there is definitely a lot of wear and tear going on and in our Christian walk we also have trials and tribulations. But running a race with endurance means we don’t give up. When we fall, we let Jesus pick us up, dust us off, and set us back on the right path. And each time that happens, we grow in our faith. We’ve all heard the old saying, “no pain no gain.” Well that is as true in rehab as it is in our walk with Christ. Some of my greatest faith lessons have come during times of great pain, but oh what gain they have produced.
Lord, help us run the race You have set before us. Please help us to run with endurance and finish strong. Amen.
13…RINGING OUR BELL
Good morning! I have a Ring doorbell at my house. It sends a notification to my phone when anyone is at my front door. The only problem is that there is a slight delay since it has to go through Wi-Fi. That delay was very apparent the other day when my sister came over for a visit. She was actually sitting inside before the doorbell quit ringing. She said it reminded her how God tries to continually get our attention.
There are many ways that God uses to get our attention. His written word is one of those ways. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” As you read God’s words, the Holy Spirit will convict you of issues He wants you to deal with.
God also uses the words of our brothers and sisters in Christ to get our attention. If several people tell you the same thing in a short span of time, then the Lord might be trying to speak to you through them. I like the story in 1 Samuel 3 where Samuel kept hearing his name called out so he went to his master each time only for Eli to send him away since he did not call for him. After the third time, Eli realize that it was the Lord calling out to Samuel. And he told Samuel that if the Lord spoke again to say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”
One way in which God gets my attention is through a lack of peace in my spirit. When I have that restlessness, it is my cue to just hang tight and seek out what God is wanting me to see or do. But no matter which way God uses to get our attention, yielding to His guidance is always the wisest thing to do.
Lord, please be patient with us as You try to get our attention. Sometimes we just don’t hear You. Please forgive us for not answering on the first ring. Amen.
14…TRUSTING HIM
Good morning! Do you ever have “aha” moments? You know when someone says something and it makes you shake your head in agreement and say something like, “That’s so true and I never thought of it that way.” I had one of those moments a couple days ago as I was speaking to a couple of very wise friends. I’ll get back to that in a moment. Aren’t there things in each of our lives that we would like to have more control over? In my life, I would like to have more control over the heart episodes that I have. I’ve been struggling as to what I need to do when one hits since I now live alone. And after talking with my friends what I realized was that there is not going to ever be a full proof plan that will cover everything that could happen when I have these episodes. And then the “aha” moment came and the struggle was over. I’ll do what I can and trust God will do the rest.
I’m sure we all know people who are missionaries in other countries. While they are serving the Lord there, we trust that He will take care of all of their needs, including their safety. We are helpless to do anything tangible for them if they would get in trouble since they are halfway across the world. If I can trust the Lord to take care of these missionaries where they are then why can’t I trust Him to take care of my needs where I am? That’s a crazy question because I do trust Him to care for me. Sure I’d like to have more control over my heart but I’m not going to sweat it anymore because I know that the Lord has me covered in all areas of my life. Psalm 33:4 says it like this, “For the Word of the Lord is right and true; He is faithful in all He does.” The Lord will not turn against me, let me down or abandon me...ever. It all boils down to just one simple question. Do we trust God to be faithful in all He does? If we can trust Him for one area of our life, surely we can trust
