Devotionals for the Heart: On Loving Everyone, including the outcasts

Rescuing the Outcasts
A devotional by Amanda Wen

“The Lord builds up Jerusalem; He gathers the outcasts of Israel.” 

–Psalm 147:2 (ESV)

I had never heard such a squawking ruckus in all my life.

I was about twelve years old, biking with my family at a nearby park that summer evening. The shrieks and honks alerted us to the presence of a young Canadian goose, still covered with downy gray fluff, being chased away by a pack of hissing, flapping adult geese. The rejected gosling was running for his life, but it was clear he had no shot against the furious flock at his heels.

Fortunately for the little outcast, my dad stepped in. He chased off the adults, wrangled the gosling, quickly biked home to get our car, and brought him home with us for the night. The young goose—who we nicknamed Waddles—snuggled down for the night in a plastic bin, greeted the next dawn with enthusiastic peeping, and stole all our hearts.

We couldn’t keep him as a pet, though, much as we might have wanted to. So that day we called an acquaintance who ran a local wildlife rehabilitation facility. He retrieved the gosling, cared for him, and eventually gave the little guy a safe home with a new, welcoming family of Canadian geese.

That incident reminds me so much of Jesus. Throughout His time on earth, He rescued those the world had tossed aside. The blind and the deaf. The lame and the leprous. Women. Children. Members of ethnic groups He, as a Jew, was supposed to despise. Jesus welcomed them all with open arms and met them with the message that God loved them. He hadn’t forgotten them, and He offered them forgiveness from sin and a chance at a brand-new life. The woman who bled for twelve years. The man possessed by a legion of demons. The Samaritan woman at the well. The children the disciples wanted to chase away. All these outcasts—and countless more—came away from their encounters with Jesus forever changed.

But I also find that incident convicting. Do I, as someone whose life has been changed by Jesus, have the same heart for the outcast that He does? Do I look around in the midst of my busy life to reach out to those who, for whatever reason, don’t meet our society’s mold of “acceptable?” Do I share the same message of love, redemption, and the opportunity for forgiveness during my interactions with them?

Jesus rescued me when I was an outcast. A sinner, rebelling against Him. He met me when I had no hope and gave me a new life, a new purpose, and a new eternal destiny. 

As a child of God, I need to be intentional about seeing the outcast. The downtrodden. The ignored. Those our society—and even our churches—may deem “less than.”

And once I’ve found them, it is my joy—and my sacred responsibility—to share the same message of unconditional love and complete forgiveness that I have received, in hopes that these former outcasts will be brought into a similar life-changing encounter with Him.

~*~
Author Bio:

Amanda Wen is an award-winning writer of contemporary inspirational romance and split-time women’s fiction. 

A first place winner in the 2017 Indiana Golden Opportunity Contest, she also placed first in the 2017 Phoenix Rattler Contest, the 2017 Great Expectations Contest, and the 2016 ACFW First Impressions Contest, among others. In addition, she was a finalist in the 2018 ACFW Genesis Contest.

Amanda is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and regularly contributes author interviews for their Fiction Finder feature. She’s also been spotted onstage with the worship team at recent ACFW conferences. Amanda is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency.

In addition to her writing, Amanda maintains an active and rewarding career as a freelance cellist, frequently performing with symphony orchestras, string quartets, and her church’s worship team. She lives in the Midwest with her amazing husband and their three adorable and hilarious Wenlets.

~*~
Connect with Amanda:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/authoramandawen
Twitter: www.twitter.com/authoramandawen
Instagram: www.instagram.com/authoramandawen
Website: www.amandawen.com

Devotionals for the Heart: Refreshed

A Refreshing New River
A devotional by Sharon Musgrove

“For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland. The wild animals in the field will thank me, the jackals and owls too, for giving them water in the desert. Yes, I will make rivers in the dry wasteland so my people can be refreshed.” 

 ~Isaiah 43:19-20 (NLT)

Recently, my husband and I drove south, down the I-5 corridor, through Northern California. We were taking the trip to witness my Grandfather’s entombment. The landscape was dry, rocky riverbeds laid open, and trees reached long arms in search of water. Despite the winter season, the terrain cried of its recent forest fires. I had been made aware of the drought and wild fires through the National news. However, driving through this territory, in the tracks of death and grief, I felt akin to a dry riverbed and an outstretched tree. My heart was cracked and brittle from parched hours of watching a precious life go. My eyes were seeing in this landscape what my heart was grieving. God used this trip to help me see more fully His love.

God does not leave His children in a wasteland. His heart is for renewal of life! Scripture repeats this beating of God’s heart like the hospital monitor I had spent so many hours watching. The Israelites entered the promised land (Joshua 24:28), Job’s fortunes were restored (Job 42:10), and Jesus came that we might have a life of freedom, good pastures and abundance (John 10:9-10). The constant, familiar beating comforts, but change sets off alarms throwing me into a fear that keeps me staring at death rather than trusting God and His renewal process.

For my Grandfather, the changes in his heart rhythms were indications of something new. For months he had been praying for his life to come to an end because that life had become his dry wasteland. I heard him say repeatedly, “I am ready to go,” yet our last conversation was over “one regret.” That regret kept my Grandfather’s eyes fixed on the wasteland and tethered to his life. His eyes, like that of the jackal or owl were staring at empty burrows and dry riverbeds for life.

It was here, along the California freeway, that I too found a choice in where I cast my eyes. I could stare long at regret and loss and choose to live in desolation and sadness, or I could look to something new. Now following the Interstate northbound, we headed home. Having turned, this same pathway now revealed something new…snow in the mountains! Little did I know that while I was traveling in the desert, my eyes downcast, God was preparing refreshment on the high hills. God's magnificent nature was doing what it thrives on doing…renewal! I could see it! He had already begun storing up the waters that would refresh this dry and thirsty land!

In an instant I felt refreshed! My heart swelled with joy and my spirit knew hope renewed! The compass on my outlook on Grandfather's life had been reset to true north. My eyes were no longer downcast nor my grieving heart. My Grandfather had lived a lifetime with Jesus and was now resting in peace with the hope of eternity. The California landscape might have to continue to be as patient as an old man living a challenging life, but I know I can access the refreshment today.

~*~
Author Bio: 

Sharon Musgrove is a self-proclaimed sociologist. The opportunities opened to her, over the years, have led her on a fascinating journey observing human behavior. 

She has a diverse background in business, fitness and health industries. This background led her to a unique position writing curriculum and teaching for two private, Christ-based, residential recovery programs. Both recovery programs served women primarily from the homeless community. 

Sharon has traveled multiple times to Kenya, serving on medical teams and teaching in the rural Maasai communities. She's been privileged to participate in Leadership camps for maturing young women. These annual camps have a mission of encouraging and empowering the impoverished, underprivileged, and often abused young Maasai girls.

Easily identifying personally with the brokenness of the women she's served, Sharon now sees all people as needing more encouragement regardless of cultural or socioeconomic status. Within these ministries, Sharon has witnessed the transformative power of loving words spoken to the broken-hearted. Sharing God’s love and witnessing its transformative power has become her passion.

In her leisure time, Sharon enjoys her garden, health food, travel and a good story. She and her husband, Jeff, make their home in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. They have two grown children. Currently, Sharon is writing her first Christian historical fiction novel utilizing her study, experience, and understanding of self-destructive behaviors.

Thankful Thursday: God's Extravagant Love for You and Me

It's Thursday and I'm thankful for the fact that God's Love is "Extravagant"! :)

One of my favorite Christian singers, Meredith Andrews, sings about this fact. But first, I'd like for you to listen to her speak on the meaning behind her song, "Extravagant". Here's the video:

Isn't that wonderful news? Meredith's words about you and I being children of God is not her personal opinion, it's a fact. Read about it here in The Holy Bible.

God created the entire universe and he thought that you should be in it, so He created you! He loves you will ALL of His divine heart!

I'm going to keep this message short today because I want you to meditate on the words from the story behind the song and soak in the message from the actual song, "Extravagant" by Meredith Andrews.

So here it is, enjoy!