Devotionals for the Heart: Reset

Global Reset
A devotional by Chaplain Paul Anderson

“But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” 

–Genesis 6:8 (NKJV)

Recently in my devotional moments, I was led to remember a global reset of biblical proportions.

You may be familiar with the story of Noah. It is found in Genesis chapters 6-8. An apocalyptic flood covered the earth and decimated the population. Noah and his family were quarantined within a floating ark of safety for one year and ten days. How did they survive? How did they prepare? How did they recover?

I have extracted six points of resiliency from this story that can be instructive to us as we weather the pandemic experiences of 2020 and beyond.

They are:

1. Proactive Spirituality

2. Prescriptive Preparation

3. Providential Provision

4. Perseverance

5. Buoyant Faith

6. Pioneering Resilience

Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. This means that Noah was known by God and Noah knew God. They had a conversational relationship. His relationship with the greatest of godly men, his father, grandfather and great grandfather would almost surely have brought him into the very real presence of God and an awareness of the character and desire of divinity.

When God chose him for the mission of global reset, Noah was 500 years old. He worked with proactive spirituality for 100 years to build a family and to complete construction of a vessel that had never existed for a contingency that had never happened. Yet, he persisted.

Proactive spirituality is what drives some to write books, start businesses, practice fidelity when distracting opportunities abound, even stay with seemingly errant spouses, believing that faithfulness matters and that a breakthrough is imminent.

Noah saw deeper and believed more fervently in the character of God than did those who for a time worked with him. He worked according to a supernatural pattern with craftsmen and suppliers who benefitted from the work as well as their exposure to Noah’s faith. Noah’s prescriptive preparation saved his family and could have saved many more, if only they had kept the faith.

For 100 years Noah lived and worked confidently under the providential provisions of God. They labored to harvest and store up food and materiel for the global reset that they expected. The biggest revelation of providential provision was when the animals came. Faith invested is always met with miraculous dividends. In this case, it was the arrival of unclean animals two by two and clean animals by seven.

Once Noah and family were secured in the ark they endured the 40 day storm. Then they drifted for 310 days. Even after they knew that they had been securely grounded, they had to wait another month or two before the land was dry enough to allow them to safely disembark.

Through it all, Noah and his family never lost their faith in God because they had evidence of His presence with them. Not idols, but memories. I also believe that there may have been some epiphanies during their cruise. Their faith did not languish nor expire. God was with them! That knowledge and confidence kept the ship afloat. Through it all, their faith and personalities remained buoyant.

The last element of their resiliency was the forward orientation. Many of us who are in quarantine, long for life as it was. Noah and his family came forth and created a new normal. Their reality was clear. Recovering the past was impossible. Forward was their only gear. So, they went and created a bold, new world.

In this new world, they initially carried forth the six points of resiliency. You can too. Our pandemic is far from over. The reset is still developing. Trust that God is with us in the midst of this upheaval. Make the best preparation that you can for yourself and family members. Expect and look for supernatural guidance and provision, even and especially during crisis moments.

Stay the course and don’t jettison your faith in God or jump overboard. Faith is your ark of safety. Persevere! As you do, your loads will feel lighter. Waves may crash into your world, but you will always spring back to the surface.

Do not try to bounce back. Rebound with a mission forward orientation. God will guide your feet and light your path. Be a pioneer and go boldly where no one before you has gone, or, follow the path of the faithful who have gone before you.

Wherever you go, know that God will never leave you nor forsake you. His grace will see you through whatever He has brought you to. If and when death assaults us, we believers will still be secure because not even death can separate us from the love of God.

~*~
Author Bio:

Chaplain Anderson served for 20 years as a U.S. Navy Chaplain. Over 26 years of active duty, he was promoted through the ranks from Seaman Apprentice (E2) to his final rank as Commander (O5) in the Chaplain’s Corps.

Prior to his Naval career, Chaplain Anderson pastored in the Allegheny East and Potomac Conferences of Seventh-day Adventists. His undergraduate preparation for ministry was completed at Washington Adventist University in Takoma Park, Md.

He has subsequently earned four graduate degrees: a Master of Divinity from Andrews University in Michigan, a Master of Education in Counseling and Personnel Services from the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland and a Masters of Sacred Theology in Religion and Culture from Boston University. His Doctor of Ministry degree was conferred by Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C.

Chaplain Anderson also completed four units of Clinical Pastoral Education at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. He also holds certifications in Suicide Awareness and Prevention, Civil Mediation, Alternative Workplace Dispute Resolution, Temperament Analysis, Marriage Enrichment, Workforce Diversity, and is a certified Life Coach.

You may connect with Chaplain Anderson via email at this address, psanderson75@gmail.com.

Devotionals for the Heart: Flowers

Comfort Flowers
A devotional by Wade Webster

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”
– 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NIV)

“Keep them coming.”

“Please keep them coming.”

This has been the most popular response to something I've been posting on Facebook recently. I knew it would help folks get through this virus quarantine. That's why I do it.

Most of these friends are either family members or folks I went to school with in Michigan. Winter is depressing enough. Early spring isn't much better. When my mom was alive she said April was her least favorite month because the snow melt leaves everything dirty until things begin to grow in May.

I moved to Texas to get away from the long, cold days that seemed to never end. October was my favorite month to drive in Michigan because of the abundance of color on display from the fall foliage. April is my favorite month to drive in Texas because of the incredible wildflower show on the roadsides.

We had a mild winter this year with plenty of rain. That makes for an especially vibrant flower show So now I stop when I safely can and take pictures of these marvels of God's creation. People are now longing for my next exposition...even Texans who are cooped up in their homes.

As a truck driver, I get paid to get out to see this color show. I know I shouldn't hog it all to myself, especially with the technology available to me these days. There were too many times in my youth I longed for a camera. Now I have one built into my phone that I carry with me. Life is good.

I know how therapeutic the flowers are to me so I share it to apply 2 Corinthians 1:4 in a very real way. God comforts me with His beauty. I then in turn comfort others with the same flowers.

This is only one way this verse can be applied. There are several hardships we endure that give us an audience that will listen to us only because we've gone through the same thing they're going through.

I'm in a couple of Christian divorced groups where I can encourage others going through this same life stage that we never expected. My encouragement is accepted because of the stories I share about my divorce.

Nothing is wasted in God's economy. God will use your pain to comfort others after you learn to trust Him more. Jesus Christ’s disciples were only beginning to grasp His resurrection the day after it occurred. Their stories now inspire us in remarkable ways.

Find those who need to hear what you've endured. You can help build their faith now.

Let’s Pray: Dear Heavenly Father help us pass along the hard lessons you taught us through this life. Don’t let anything go to waste. In Jesus's name I pray, Amen.

~*~
Author Bio:

Wade Webster lives with his best friend (Jesus Christ) in Plano, Texas.

He attends Stonebriar Community Church and derives most of his income from driving 18-wheelers.

He enjoys running, dark chocolate and being in nature...but not necessarily in that order.

He's the author of 100 Prayers of a Writer and blogs at http://wadewebster.com.

Devotionals for the Heart: On Prayer

Prayer That Gets Answered
A devotional by Dana McNeely

Sitting cross-legged on the floor with the other eight-year-olds, I watched as the Sunday School teacher placed cutout figures on the felt board. Menacing soldiers held spears at the ready. Pagan-looking priests surrounded an altar. A king and a queen, dressed in purple robes and golden crowns, carried rich gifts for an idol. A white-bearded man, out-of-place in worn shepherd’s garb, pointed an accusing finger at the king.

I loved that exciting story—Elijah fed by ravens, the widow and her son sustained by the never-ending flour and oil, the boy raised from the dead, the fire from heaven, and after three and a half years of drought—RAIN!

Elijah was as staunch and unflinching as any action-adventure hero. And when he prayed, God answered—in miraculous, awe-inspiring ways. I’m inspired by his dramatic spiritual victories, but I’m just an ordinary person—flawed, selfish, and often cranky. How can I expect my prayers to have the kind of impact Elijah’s did?

Comparing yourself to another person’s success is never helpful. Praying down fire from heaven isn’t God’s plan for me, but he’s made clear I should pray for family, friends, enemies, leaders, the poor, the sick, and others he brings to mind. I should ask the Lord to make me a better person and thank Him for everything.

Despite his heroic persona, James 1:5 tells us “Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years!”

Earnest Prayer and An Obedient Life

Notice that James says Elijah prayed “earnestly,” There was some quality to the manner of Elijah’s prayer that was especially sweet to God’s ear. The dictionary defines “earnest” as sincere and intense, steady, committed, wholehearted, fervent, deeply felt. Elijah demonstrated all these qualities in his life as well as his prayer.

While others worshiped idols, Elijah proclaimed himself the Lord’s man. He told King Ahab, “As surely as the Lord lives—the God I serve—there will be no dew or rain during the next few years until I give the word!”

Elijah lived his life strictly by God’s revealed will. God said, “Go east and hide by Kerith Brook,” and Elijah went. “Drink from the brook and eat what the ravens bring.” No problem.

“Dwell with the widow woman in Zarephath.” Done.

When God told Elijah to show himself to Ahab, Elijah went. He didn’t shrink from that unpleasant duty, even though the king had been seeking him with evil intentions for three years. Elijah was the Lord’s servant. He was all in.

Prayer That Gets Answered

“O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this at your command. O Lord, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself.” – Kings 18:36, 37 (NLT)

· At the time of the evening sacrifice, Elijah ‘came near’ to the altar—though he was expecting an answer by fire! What faith in God’s power and protection!

· Elijah wasn’t afraid to remind Yahweh of His covenant with the nation of Israel, boldly addressing Him as “Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, Israel.” For us today, a covenant relationship is the privilege of a believer to plead that relationship, to remind God that we are set apart for Him because of the blood of Jesus. 

· Elijah’s first request was to glorify God: “Let it be known that you are God.” His second was that the people would know the Lord and come into a right relationship with Him.

The prayer on Mount Carmel reveals Elijah’s strong faith and his life’s purpose—to serve God, glorify his name, and bring people to Him. This is the kind of prayer that gets answered.

For further thought:

Do you ever feel you’ve made a mess of things and have no right to bail you out?

Here’s hope for you. The Bible says, “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” ~Hebrews 4:16 (NIV)

God wants to answer your prayers too. Don’t be afraid to seek Him!

Other posts about the prophet Elijah ~ Love in the Time of Drought, In the Waiting Room, A Widow, a Prophet, and Provision from God, An Intersection of Time and Eternity, and Ways to Handle Drought, and On the Mountaintop.

~*~
Author Bio:

Inspired by the Bible story of Elijah and the widow’s son, Dana McNeely wondered why the prophet had come to stay with these two. Who were they? What was their life, before? And how did the boy change after dying, seeing the other world … and coming back? 

Dana began research for her novel, “Rain,” which tells the story of the three-and-a-half-year drought from the boy’s perspective.

No stranger to drought, Dana lives in an Arizona oasis with her hubby the constant gardener, two good dogs, an antisocial cat, and migrating butterflies. She writes biblical fiction, cozy mysteries, and has written for magazines and newspapers. Her short story “Death in the Butterfly Garden” appears in SoWest: Killer Nights (2017).

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Devotionals for the Heart: Peace

Perfect Peace

A devotional by Susan Lindstrom 

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble but take heart! I have overcome the world.” — John 16:33 (NIV)

I stand at the back window staring at my current trouble; a large pond that spans not only the width of our yard but the neighbors on each side of us as well. And it’s growing by the minute. At least the ducks swimming in it look happy.

This is a rare occurrence and only happens when we get a consistent rain over three inches. So, when it does happen we jokingly name it ‘Lake Lindstrom’ and think we are pretty clever to have skirted the high taxes that come with real lake front living. The jokes on us though as the rain continues to pound the roof and the water drainage next to our home overflows seeping into our septic system, which backs up into our pipes so if we do anything that requires using water, there is nowhere for it to go, because it’s full. Right up to the brim.

And there’s not a thing we can do about right now. We just have to wait until the water recedes and the drainage can flow freely again. We’re told it was an error in judgement when the house was built 45 years ago and will require a lot of money to fix it. A lot, as in more than we have. I wonder why it slipped the previous owners mind to not mention this little detail.

Whatever, it’s our problem now.

It’s an odd feeling knowing you can’t use the water inside your home. Kind of like tent camping in a permanent structure. I tried pretending it was a hundred years ago, you know, before indoor plumbing, but I can’t ignore the fact that I’m already spoiled with modern conveniences and there is no outhouse to run to.

This isn’t the first time, it’s actually been a few springs now so we have learned the fine art of being frugal with our water usage. We also have learned who our real friends are, the ones that let us come over to shower and rack up their water bill. It may be the best kind of friendship, or maybe it’s pity.

But today is day three and there is more rain on the way. It’s getting harder to ‘take heart’.

I know that eventually this problem will get resolved and I’ve lived long enough to know there’ll soon be another to take its place. A saying comes to mind, "We are either coming into a problem, in the middle of one or coming out of one." 

And even though it would be awfully nice to have a trouble-free life, it’s unrealistic. Jesus actually tells us to expect it and to deal with it. But He doesn’t leave us hanging with the how-to, He wants us to do life together. He wants us to have peace in the midst of trouble, His Peace. It is, after all, one of the amazing gifts from the Holy Spirit. It shows us God’s character and is an attribute that calls us to be like Him. The peace He so lovingly gives us is a state of tranquility or quietness of spirit, the total opposite of stress and worry.

Yes, those two troublemakers that slip in when I’m not paying attention, causing knots in my shoulders not to mention the ache in my heart.

I know I can’t control the water situation but I can control my thoughts. And coming to Him in prayer I choose to rest in His Peace and to trust in His Power and Wisdom to make all things work together for our good.

Thank you, Lord.

I pray that whatever trouble is going on in your life that you choose to turn it over to El Shaddai, The All Sufficient One, the One that is bigger than your troubles. 

Accept God's gift and take heart in His Perfect Peace.

Now, I wonder if the ducks would mind if I joined them?

~*~
Author Bio: 

Susan Lindstrom is not an award-winning writer yet unless you count that ‘best story’ award in third grade but stay tuned to see what God has planned!

Writing has always been a passion but raising a family, running her sewing and design business, involvement in women’s ministry and teaching Sunday School has kept her plenty busy.

Now retired and an empty-nester she trusts in God’s amazing timing and has jumped in to embrace this new adventure of writing.

Her first book is for children and will soon be released. It's the first in a series of real-life adventures focusing on the fruit of the Spirit.

She grew up on both the East and West coasts and now calls the beautiful state of Wisconsin home. She’s a wife, mom, and grandma to 10 children.

Susan listens to a wide variety of music, loves live performances and believes that laughter is the best medicine.

When she is not indoors writing, reading or pretending to clean the house, she’s outdoors enjoying the beauty of God’s Creation.

She’s a proud member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW).

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Devotionals for the Heart: A Drought, God's Love and Rain

Love in the Time of Drought
A devotional by Dana McNeely

Now Elijah, who was from Tishbe in Gilead, told King Ahab, “As surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives—the God I serve—there will be no dew or rain during the next few years until I give the word!" ~ 1 Kings 17:1 NLT

There are always consequences, aren’t there? Tough love. Maybe you’ve told your child, “Stop that right now or you’re grounded.” Or “Get your homework done before dinner or no TV.”

When the prophet Elijah appeared on the scene, the northern kingdom of Israel had grown worse than the most disobedient child you can imagine. They no longer worshiped Yahweh, the one true God, but many gods. Their king, Ahab, had married Jezebel, a pagan princess from the city of Tyre. As queen of Israel, she’d convinced her husband to build two temples to the Ba’als, the gods of the Canaanites. Those gods promised fertile harvests and encouraged followers to participate in drunken fertility rites. Ba’al worship became popular throughout the land while Yahweh worship all but ended. Queen Jezebel was killing all the prophets of Yahweh she could hunt down, so prophets and believers kept a low profile.

Except for one prophet, an in-your-face kind of guy. Elijah strode into the temple of the rain god and announced there would be no more rain until his say so.

Bold words from a mere shepherd. And they didn’t fall on friendly ears. Israel had already suffered about six months of drought as harvest ended, and they expected “the early rains” to soften the ground for planting. King Ahab was probably there enjoying the wine and the beautiful priestesses. His palace guards were there to protect him. They could have silenced Elijah with a sword stroke.

But God had sent him for a purpose. Like a good father, God intended to allow Israel to reap the consequences of their actions. Three and a half years of drought devastated the rural community that depended upon rain for crops and herds. Tough love. It wasn’t as if God hadn’t warned them.

"Be careful. Don’t let your heart be deceived so that you turn away from the Lord and worship other gods. If you do the Lord will shut up the sky and hold back the rain and the ground will fail to produce its harvests." ~ Deuteronomy 11:16, 17 (NLT)

God is love. But love wears many faces. It may be gentle or stern. The Lord, our father, and shepherd, won’t allow his children to keep walking a path that leads away from Him, that leads to destruction. He calls us back. He turns us around. We may need tough love.

What are your thoughts?

· Do you ever read the Old Testament? Do you find it has relevance for your life?

· How could Elijah so bravely confront evil powers? Hint – James 5:17

· Was God unkind to send drought and bring Israel to its knees?

· Not every hardship that comes is a result of sin. But I’ve experienced God’s tough love.  

Afterward, I also found blessing. What about you?

~*~

Author Bio:

Inspired by the Bible story of Elijah and the widow’s son, Dana McNeely wondered why the prophet had come to stay with these two. Who were they? What was their life, before? And how did the boy change after dying, seeing the other world … and coming back? Dana began research for her novel, “Rain,” which tells the story of the three-and-a-half-year drought from the boy’s perspective. 

No stranger to drought, Dana lives in an Arizona oasis with her hubby the constant gardener, two good dogs, an antisocial cat, and migrating butterflies. She writes biblical fiction, cozy mysteries, and has written for magazines and newspapers. Her short story “Death in the Butterfly Garden” appears in SoWest: Killer Nights (2017). 

Connect with Dana on Facebook, Twitter, or DanaMcNeely.com

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