Devotionals for the Heart: The Key to Remembering What Matters

Remembering What Matters
A devotional by Sarah Cole

“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I won't forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.”—Isaiah 49:15-16 (NIV)

My father introduced me to Post-it Notes when I was too young to need stationery.

He was a born salesman, and his job selling commercial office supplies for 3M company took him around the globe. I vividly remember the days he arrived home, tired from jet lag. He would walk in the door, saying, "Sarah, your Papa is home!" At the sound of his voice, I would run down the stairs as fast as my legs could carry me. My mother prepared his favorite meal and we ate the delicious dinner together. Afterward, he sat me down beside him, opened his briefcase, and showed me samples of the latest Post-it Notes in various shapes, colors, and designs.

Now that I'm older, my memory isn't what it used to be. But I don't need Post-it Notes to remember that when my cluttered mind tries to keep track of hundreds of details, I forget to seek God. There will never be enough hours in the day to juggle home, work, and church responsibilities. But if I wait until the end of the day to pray and read His Word (The Holy Bible), it's usually too late because I'm too tired to focus on anything but a pint of Ben and Jerry's ice cream and Netflix.

My friend Sharon doesn't share my struggle. She is one of the busiest people I know, yet she intentionally stays focused on God by posting Bible verses on sticky notes throughout her home. By reminding herself of God's promises, she has a solid foundation when storms come.

Psalm 139:1-6 (NIV) describes God's constant presence and perfect knowledge of us. Let's read: 

“You have searched me, Lord,

and you know me.

You know when I sit and when I rise;

you perceive my thoughts from afar.

You discern my going out and my lying down;

you are familiar with all my ways.

Before a word is on my tongue

you, Lord, know it completely.

You hem me in behind and before,

and you lay your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,

too lofty for me to attain.”

Friend, if God watches over you with such great care and knows the paths you take in intimate detail, you can trust him to take care of the things you forget. His involvement in your life goes beyond significant life decisions to the everyday challenges you face. And He doesn't need a sticky note to remember to answer your prayers, bless your family, guide your choices, and heal your loved ones. He can't forget you because He's engraved your name on His hands (Isaiah 49:16).

Before your feet hit the floor each morning, I challenge you to ask God to help you plan your day. You will notice that, in return, He'll give you the grace to accomplish more in less time, and stressful situations will be more manageable. As the Author of time and space, He knows everything about you and the demands you face.

Let's Pray:
Dear Father, as the Sovereign Ruler over all creation, You alone are worthy of my undivided attention. As my to-do list gets longer and the days seem shorter, help me stop spinning my wheels and remember Your promise that everything else will work itself out when I put You first. In Jesus's Name I pray. Amen.

~*~
Note from Alexis: Sarah’s devotional message today reminds me of the song “Make Room” by Jonathan McReynolds. Listen to it here. It also reminds me of the song "Remember Me" by Mark Schultz. Listen to it here. 

~*~
Author Bio:

Sarah Cole’s interest in writing began in grade school when her poem was published in the local paper. As she got older, her mother’s chronic illness inspired her to design a line of greeting cards.

Since then, she has written for her college newspaper and two community newspapers where she wrote restaurant reviews and articles for their “Best of” spread.

Her experience as an administrator in the marketing field gave her the opportunity to write ads for a local business journal.

After a 20-year detour and a three-year season of adversity, God reignited her passion to write. Two divine appointments later, the short story she wrote about her father appeared in the St. Paul Almanac, and a short story about her cocker spaniel Gigi was published in Guideposts (magazine) Mysterious Ways. She believes her adversity was worth the lessons God taught her.

During this year (2022) and the next (2023), Sarah’s devotionals will be published in The Secret Place by Judson Press, as well as David C. Cook’s Devotions and The Quiet Hour. To this day, she smiles, pinches herself and gives God all the glory.

When she’s not writing, Sarah enjoys watching cooking shows, designing cards and mugs, and taking day trips.

~*~
Connect with Sarah:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smittyc65
Twitter: https://twitter.com/@SarahCo45835279
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarah.cole.52

Devotionals for the Heart: God watches over the sparrows and you

God’s Valuable Sparrows
A devotional by Karen Marstaller

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 

–Matthew 22:36-39 (ESV)

While in college, a friend invited me to join a new choir that was forming. Not particularly blessed with any kind of singing voice, I went because there weren’t any tryouts and because some of my friends were joining. In all, 350 students came together to sing.

We were a happy bunch, always full of laughter and fun. There was no pressure, so when I knew there was no way a high C was coming out of my froggy throat, mouthing the words became my way to participate. Lip synching wasn’t even heard of back then, but I was pretty good at it.

Our choir received many invitations to sing, and one festival stands out among all the rest.

It was spring, and the weather was beautiful, especially since the venue was outdoors. The day was warm, but the breeze was cool. We’d been on the stage for a long time, running sound checks, and moving people around a little bit. Then our director surprised us by telling us to take a seat. Those of us who stood on the stage ended up sitting on the floor, and I ended up near the director’s stand.

We waited, and then an elderly woman stood up from her seat in front of us and slowly made her way to the stairs. A couple students helped her up the steps, and then she made her way to the microphone that now replaced our director’s stand. Beaming at the audience in front of her, she turned and looked at all of us behind her. Then she said something I couldn’t hear, but the people in front of her did. Gentle laughter rippled across the arena.

An expectant hush prickled my skin, and then the most wonderful, melodious, rich, and full contralto began to saturate the air around us. She sang about the sparrows, a song we all knew. Listening to her that day was like basking in God’s perfect light, and although I didn’t know God personally at the time, I was drawn into her music.

As she reached the end of the song, she began to speak the words instead of singing them. She said, “I know.” She waved an arthritic index finger at the large crowd, and with all the strength in her, repeated, “I know. I know Who holds the future. And I know…” She cupped her hands as though she held her audience. “That He watches….” She turned to her left and to her right, cupping all of us on the stage in her hands, too. Then with both hands full, she brought them together in front of her and said, “Over we.”

At that moment, something I’d always known but had never crystallized before became solid and real to me. We are all citizens of the world God has created, and it doesn’t matter from what country we originated, what language we spoke, or what color our skin happened to be. We are all held in God’s hands as Ethel Waters demonstrated that day. We, all of us, are the collective “we,” the sons and daughters of the Lord God Almighty. He holds us and He loves us, and He knows every beat of our heart, and every tear, along with every joy.

He truly does watch over “we.”

And we, in turn, love Him. Jesus tells us that we are to care for “the least of these” in Matthew 25:40. He says that our care for others is literally the way to care for Jesus Himself. When we love Jesus, our love for others defines our lifestyle. It’s the things that we do, not just the things we talk about. It’s the true, demonstrable love we show for those around us. Care and compassion motivate us, concern for the lost consumes us, and Jesus Christ’s love compels us.

That day so long ago still touches my heart. Ethel Waters was driven by her love for God’s people. Love brought her to that festival, even though she was quickly approaching her final homecoming. Love assisted her up those steps. Love opened her mouth to share her vision of the Lord, and of His care for each one of us. And finally, her cupped hands symbolically holding all of the people around her, remain a beautiful picture of our oneness in Christ Jesus.

Let’s Pray: Dear Lord God, You have told us to love You with everything we are, and to love each other the same way. We try, but sometimes we aren’t very good at loving other people, so we ask You to help us. Show us how to love You better than we did yesterday. Help our love to be so rich and pure that it spills out into the lives of those around us. Help us to love Your children, all of them, in the same way we love You. Thank You. In Jesus’s Name we pray. Amen.

~*~
Note from Alexis: Karen’s devotional reminded me of the song “His Eye Is On the Sparrow” and I found an old recording of it by Ethel Waters. Listen to it here.

~*~
Author Bio:

Karen Marstaller is a retired high school teacher who spent most of her career challenging creative students to write. Her heart is for her readers.

She writes to encourage them, to make them laugh, to show them that life is a beautiful journey, and regardless of their past, to show them that there is joy ahead if they will just keep looking.

Karen and her husband live in central Texas in a sweet little home that they completely remodeled. They enjoy spending time with their family, which includes seven precious grandchildren.

Most of all, Karen writes in obedience to the command to love your neighbor, to offer a cup of water to those who are dying of thirst, and to comfort others with the comfort she has received.

You can reach Karen by emailing her at this address: klmarstaller@gmail.com

Devotionals for the Heart: God Cares

God Cares
A devotional by Mirachelle Canada

“Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never permit the righteous to be moved.” –Psalm 55:22 (ESV)

Have you ever stood in front of the mirror and admired your best feature? 

In my online dating days, there was often a question about choosing your best feature. Most people base this off of what they get the most complimented on. Mine was my smile. In fact, I prided myself on it.

Statistically, the smile is the first thing people notice. It often indicates our current mood and gives off the signal to approach or get away. I never thought my smile asset would change, but I was wrong.

Stress comes in many forms, especially when we deal with it internally. In the Bible book of Psalm, David tells us to “cast our burdens (or cares) on the Lord” with the following promise that He will sustain us. Why? Because God will never let the righteous be moved (or shaken). To be righteous is to place our complete faith in God, entering into covenant with Him, and by such faith, seeking to live according to His word. I seek to be righteous, but sometimes I stumble in my efforts.

In the past year, I have been stressing about a combination of factors that involuntarily led to my clinching my jaw at random times and grinding my teeth at night. Because of this my teeth have shifted inside my mouth, forcing the lower front teeth to push together, and creating a gap in my upper teeth that I now notice in pictures, especially when I smiled. I was crushed and frustrated. My best asset was no longer working for me!

Recently, I attended a conference where my best asset usually gives me confidence. However, because of my growing problem I was losing it. During one afternoon, I took a nap and literally felt my teeth shifting in my mouth while I slept. After dinner, I had to rush back for a late-night meeting before attending the “worship and write session.” After the meeting, I got a quick look in the mirror and what did I notice? My gap was bigger! I pointed to it and shouted, “Look, Lord, my gap is growing! Make it stop!”

Yes, I felt silly. My moving teeth was a crisis, but only to me. I also know people going through real major health crises that needed more of God’s intervention. So, when I sat down to write during the worship time, I tried to focus on things other than my silly teeth.

In Psalm 5:12 (ESV), David says, “For you bless the righteous, O Lord; you cover him with favor as with a shield.” As we wrote, two ladies from the conference staff prayed for people. I chose not to go up for prayer, but to write and let God flow through my pen. After the prayer lines were complete, one of the prayer partners gave a word from the Lord and said, “There is someone here who is worried about their teeth...”

I literally burst out laughing and hung my head as I felt the Lord’s shoulder-poking prompt, ‘That means you.’ I walked over to the prayer partner and immediately explained why I felt so foolish, but she immediately reminded me that God cares, even in the small things. He cares about the things we care about. He cares about the righteous who live by faith, but in return we have to have faith in Him to take all our cares.

I had to give God my teeth, which He told me He would fix so it would no longer hinder me. Yes, they are just teeth, but He showed me cares about them as much as I do.

Do you have a need? A growing problem? Small or large, cast your cares upon the Lord. He cares, and He’s ready and waiting to show you just how much.

~*~
Author Bio:

Mirachelle Canada is a writer, playwright, screenwriter and theatre director/producer from Northern Virginia. She teaches television production at C.D. Hylton Senior High School.

She earned her Master of Fine Arts in Script & Screenwriting from Regent University and is a member of Act One: Hollywood Film & Television Writing Program, American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), ACFW Virginia Chapter, The Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild, and Your Novel Blueprint.

Mirachelle is passionate about awakening creativity and the gifts of God in everyone. She is currently working on her first historical fiction novel set during WWII, inspired by her time studying theatre education in London, England.

In her spare time, she also writes and directs Christmas and Easter passion plays at Christ Chapel Assembly of God in Woodbridge, Va.

~*~
Connect with Mirachelle:
Website: www.mirachellecanada.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mirachellecanada/
Instagram: https://instagram.com/mirachelle77/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/miracan

Devotional by Laura Thomas on dolphins and God's Love for your life

Loved Into Life

A devotional by Laura Thomas

Playing with dolphins has never actually been on my bucket list, but when the opportunity presented itself in Jamaica, my family jumped at the chance. Quite honestly, I was somewhat petrified and even had nightmares leading up to the event. Yes, totally irrational nightmares—where a deranged dolphin dragged me to the depths of the ocean. I know, dolphins are just SO terrifying!

But when crunch time came, the experience was, in fact, magnificent. The dolphin, named Beta, felt as smooth as silk, was tremendously playful, and had absolutely no desire to drown me! We swam and danced together...I even kissed her.

Laura's son kissing a dolphin in the Jamaica blue waters

Our entertaining Jamaican “dolphin dude” regaled us with a plethora of facts about this gorgeous creature and one in particular stuck with me. He asked if any of us in the group were currently pregnant. I had a nasty flashback of morning sickness just thinking about it! He then went on to explain that a dolphin could actually detect pregnancy through the water, due to its powerful sonar abilities. How utterly amazing is that? 

“My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body…” 
~Psalm 139:15-16 (NIV)

My mind was immediately drawn to Psalm 139. The Creator and Sustainer of life itself wove ME together in “the depths of the earth”. I am no accident and neither are you. We were perfectly formed by One who makes no mistakes.

If God created a dolphin that could sense new life, how much more does He Himself know when one is formed?

If there is ever any doubt of the significance of our existence on this crazy, spinning planet—we need only turn to Psalm 139. It’s hand down (or hands up) one of my favorite passages of Scripture, rich with words of love and affirmation.

It assures us that a baby does not merely begin at birth, furiously sucking in its first gulp of fresh air. God the Creator beautifully and miraculously knits his created little one together in the womb, precious to Him even then. When a baby is born, he is already loved by the Father. He is loved into life. 

“Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;
all the stages of my life were spread out before you,
The days of my life all prepared
before I’d even lived one day.”
~Psalm 139:16 (The Message)

Let’s back up and read that again: “The days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day.” Each and every life is highly valued by the Creator of the Universe. We are loved and worthy, even on the days we don’t feel like it. Even on the days that the world tells us we are not good enough, smart enough, pretty enough, rich enough.

You know who is enough? Jesus. And we find our “enough” only in him. Just as we are part of God’s plan, so was Jesus—His sacrifice on the cross was the stunning masterpiece of the Father’s plan. It cost Him greatly, but He did it for us.

Surely, this should shake us and cause us to feel loved even more deeply by our Heavenly Father. Do you need reminding that you are His beloved child? That He made you in “the secret place”? I invite you to read Psalm 139 slowly and prayerfully as you drink in the miraculous beauty of His love for you.

Whenever I see a picture of a dolphin, I remember Beta in Jamaica, and I marvel at the intricacies of creation. I was fairly in awe that day when we swam with her, and some fabulous memories were made. But that experience pales in comparison to the fact that our lives are prepared in the secret place by One who loves us more than we can possibly imagine, and that we were quite literally loved into life!

~*~
Author Bio: 

Laura is a published Christian author with a heart for inspiring and encouraging readers of all ages. 

She is truly multi-genre—with a published Christian teen fiction trilogy, marriage book, children’s stories, devotionals for Union Gospel Press, musings on her blog, and she now has a literary agent representing her Christian romantic suspense novel.

Laura is English and Canadian, married to her high school sweetheart, mom of three, passionate about faith and family…and chocolate!

~*~
Connect with Laura:
Website - www.laurathomasauthor.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Laura-Thomas-183771121724664/?ref=hl
Twitter - https://twitter.com/laura_thomas_
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/lauracthomas/
Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/lauracthomas/

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