Devotionals for the Heart: Why we should focus on Jesus Christ

The Shift
A devotional by Colette Lawrence

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!

Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”— Isaiah 43:18-19 (NIV)

Have you been looking at the past and wondering “Lord, when?”

I know I have done that so many times when life gets hard, the challenges seem overwhelming, and there is no light at the end of the tunnel.

This is the start of a new year. It carries with it the promise and hope of change. However, not all of us are at the place where we can receive that promise. Instead, we are fixated on what didn’t work, the number of times we have tried and failed, the turmoil we face in our relationships, the loss we suffered, and so on. We complain about what God hasn’t done, and we get upset with Him like petulant children.

Today, the Lord is reminding us through His words advising us to not focus on the past that we are to not to dwell there because He is doing something new in our present. My friends, if our focus remains on the past and on what God didn’t do, then neither you nor I are in a place to “see” what God is doing. We cannot look backward and forward simultaneously, so the decision is ours. Where will your gaze be fixed?

I know it’s not easy to believe that a shift is coming, but it is. In the same way that the Lord gives us seedtime and harvest and reminds us that there is a season for everything under the sun, we can trust that He will keep all of His promises. The promise made to the children of Israel of making a way in the wilderness and streams in the desert (Isaiah 43:19) can also be claimed by us. They went through judgments and would face even more. However, the Lord reminded them that He was still their God when He said in Isaiah 43:15 (NIV), “I am the Lord, your Holy One, Israel’s Creator, your King.”

The Lord knows you, your challenges, heartache, and pain. He is touched by the feelings of your infirmity, and He understands how you are feeling and sees you right where you are. What I love about this is that the Lord understands the season we are in and where our gaze is fixed. I believe God is saying gently to you, “Look to Me. Focus your attention on Me and then all your cares—everything that is affecting you—will become dim in My presence.”

You may be in the wilderness or approaching it. Wherever you are in that journey, you can be comforted with the promise that as you fix your gaze on the Lord, He will make streams in the wasteland for you (Isaiah 43:19). Last year might have been a very hard year for you. I understand because it was true for me as well. However, as I look forward, I am comforted with the hope of a promise that I know will be fulfilled because He who has promised is faithful.

There is a shift coming, a change. I pray that you will be ready to see it and prepared to receive it. Whatever challenge you may be faced with, God is with you, right by your side, and He has wonderful plans for you. Look up and see that He is doing something new for you! Look back to reflect and express gratitude for what God has done then look forward to continuing to move into what God has for you in the future. Ask Him for spiritual eyes and discernment to see His revelations as they unfold.

Let’s Pray: Heavenly Father, I pray that You minister to every soul who needs a gentle reminder to look up to You today and to know that You keep Your promises. May they rest in the fact that what You say You will do, You always will do. Thank You for the shift that is coming. We look forward to the future you have for us with anticipation. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus” by Helen Lemmel (Grace Johnston) | North Palm Worship | Throwback Thursday. Listen to it here.

~*~
Author Bio:

Colette Lawrence is an empowered woman who inspires women to be who they were created to be. Her core message is empowerment. She is an author, certified life coach, podcast host, and trainer with the Maxwell Leadership team. 

Colette believes that an empowered woman empowers others and is powerful in knowing who she is and what she can accomplish. Colette is on a mission to impact the lives of the women assigned to her, whether she is their coach or trainer or shares a word that will transform their lives.

Colette utilizes her Christian principles as the base of all her engagements. She is passionate about fulfilling her life purpose of empowering women to know who they are, rebuild their confidence, and use their voices as tools to uplift themselves and others.

​​She is the founder of the M.E.E. Movement L.L.C., a faith-based empowerment ministry business that helps women of faith rebuild their confidence and use their voice to walk in their purpose through life coaching, mentoring, and empowerment speaking. Colette believes in using the gifts God has given her to help women be who God has called them to be and ultimately fulfill the purpose for which they were created. She lives by Romans 8:28 (NIV), that promises, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

A native of Jamaica, Colette resides in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She is the mother of two beautiful young women, a son-in-love, and two grandsons.

Colette enjoys reading, writing, watching good movies, and chatting with her daughters and friends.

~*~
Connect with Colette:
Blog: https://www.colettemarie.online/blog
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colettemarie_cm/
Website: https://www.colettemarie.online/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ColetteMarie-cmc
Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2367935
Email: Colettemarieonline@gmail.com

Devotionals for the Heart: How to delight in God and trust Him

Delight in God
A devotional by Mirachelle Canada

“Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

—Psalm 37:3-4 (ESV)

When the world around us seems to be in chaos it can feel overwhelming, or hopeless. Yet, God’s Word (The Holy Bible) encourages us to be of good cheer because He has overcome the world (John 16:33)! We serve a great God who promises to never forsake us in our time of need.

When we need a reminder of God’s faithfulness, the Bible book of Psalms (especially the verses that were written by King David) is a great resource. King David was a man after God’s own heart, and quite often his Psalms reflect exactly how we are feeling today or what we want to say about our current situation.

Psalm 37 tells us not to worry or be envious of wrongdoers. “For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb” (Psalm 37:2 ESV). Have you ever noticed how insignificant a blade of grass is, and how easy it is to cut or tear down? When joined together with other blades it can seem fortifiable, but in reality it takes very little effort to mow it all down. This is how God wants us to see our circumstances, because from His vantage point and according to His will, it can swiftly be dealt with. Meaning, what is and seems wrong will not overcome us.

Instead of submitting to or being overcome by worry, David encourages us in Psalm 37:3 (ESV) to “Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.” To befriend faithfulness means to embrace and champion God’s faithfulness to us in the past, present, and future. His faithfulness brings us to the other side of our problems, often turning beauty from ashes, and always with an outcome for good.

After championing God’s faithfulness, David calls for us in Psalm 37:4 (ESV) to “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” This does not mean our own earthly, fleshly desires. When we trust in the Lord and befriend His faithfulness, His desires become our desires because we fall in line with His Holy Spirit. God’s Heart becomes our heart. With our eyes and hearts focused on God, we find delight in Him as He finds it in us. We commune with God, and in His joy and presence there is freedom.

Be encouraged today to shift your focus from the world (and its worries) to God. Put your full focus on God. Trust Him, befriend His faithfulness to you, and delight yourself in Him. Psalm 37:5-6 promises us that our God will act and bring forth righteousness and justice when we commit our way to Him.

Hallelujah!

Let’s Pray: Dear Lord, thank You that in the midst of trouble I can turn to King David’s Psalms and be reminded that You have overcome the world. I only need to trust You, standing in Your faithfulness, and delight in Your goodness to regain the right perspective. Thank You for helping me to commit to Your ways and trust You to act in every circumstance for our good. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “Trust in God” by Elevation Worship. Listen to it here.

~*~
Author Bio:

Mirachelle Canada is a writer, playwright, screenwriter, and theatre director/producer currently residing in Northern Virginia. 

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, ACFW, ACFW Virginia Chapter (Treasurer), The Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild, and Your Novel Blueprint.

Mirachelle is passionate about awakening creativity and the gifts of God in everyone. Her first historical fiction novel is set during WWII, inspired by her time studying theatre education in London, England. She loves horses, cats, dogs, and all things peppermint!

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

Devotionals for the Heart: Stress, Love, Service and A Mission Trip

Overcoming stress through love and service
A devotional by Jessica Brodie

I’m just going to admit it: I’ve been a giant ball of tension and stress recently. Kids, work, illness, and a silly-but-debilitating fitness-inspired injury—you name it. Even though I’ve been trying hard to breathe, to rest in the presence of my Creator, and give all my concerns to the Lord, the fact remains that I’m doing too much, not giving myself enough downtime, running on empty, not getting quite enough shuteye, and it’s been taking a toll.

As I write this, I’m also knee-deep in preparations to head off with my husband on a one-week mission trip to help hurricane victims in Puerto Rico. And ironically, I know deep down the trip, more than anything else I could possibly do, is my ticket to stress-busting.

See, I know it’s not going to be easy. We’ll be staying in the mountains in rather rustic conditions with no electricity, and the work will be grueling: tarping, tear-out, roofing, rebuild.

But if I’ve gleaned one bit of wisdom in my life so far, it’s that pushing myself aside to focus on others is probably the best stress-reliever is existence.

We all know that Jesus said the two greatest commandments are, first, to love God with everything we are, and second, to love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:35-40). But what we might not know is that the secret to bliss also has everything to do with keeping those commandments. In today’s me-driven secular society, we get so many mixed messages about happiness. We’re told we need to prioritize ourselves and do what feels right.

But as Christians, I think we need to ignore that and instead focus on turning ourselves over to the Lord in whatever way He calls us to do. Sacrificing—our time, our money, our material possessions, our very lives—helps us become one with God. Why do we think Jesus taught that it is more blessed to give than receive? I think He knew that relinquishing control and worry over ourselves and our needs was a consuming, ever-downward-spiraling track to despair. His path is the one we are to follow: the way of truth, love, and humble service with God at the center.

The Apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the Philippians, “Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others” (Philippians 2:1-4, NIV).

Loving others, for me, is serving others. And whether that service is through reading to kids, cooking a meal for people in need, being a shoulder for a friend (or stranger), being a cheerleading encourager, or hopping on a plane for a weeklong mission trip to Puerto Rico, you can be sure of one thing. Putting myself on the backburner to engage in some love-filled Christian service is a balm to the soul.

~*~
Author Bio:

Jessica Brodie is an award-winning journalist, Christian author, editor, blogger, and writing coach. 

She is the editor of the South Carolina United Methodist Advocate (AdvocateSC.org), the oldest continuously published newspaper in Methodism. 

Learn more about her fiction and read her blog at http://jessicabrodie.com/