Devotionals for the Heart: Life lessons learned on faith and new beginnings

Faith in New Beginnings

A devotional by Wendy Wilson Spooner

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” 

–Proverbs 3:5-6 (KJV)

New beginnings usually feel marvelous, like a new year, which we have just begun.

We start going to the gym with a somewhat great attitude, and so it begins.

Grand new beginnings are an excellent way to start over. But what about the small ones? There’s nothing like waking up in the morning to see everything bathed in the light of the sun, which reminds us of Jesus Christ (God’s Son), who is the Light of the world (John 8:12). This new beginning alone can feel magical. Especially if the day before was a rough one.

This past year was a difficult one for me. 2020 was awful for everyone, but 2021 continued on its merry way for me, in a similar fashion. I found myself crying and pleading with God many times to give me direction. He sent me either comfort or peace when He didn’t send me an exact solution, but I got one or the other whenever I dropped to my knees.

Sometimes life will knock the wind out of you to the extent when you can’t breathe. Such as when a loved one dies, or divorce rocks your family, or when a child is struggling, and you don’t know what to do. The feeling can be like lying at the bottom of a deep pit with a ladder in view (Jesus Christ as your way up and out of the pit). But you only have the strength to pray for the will to crawl to Him.

Each of us gains the strength to overcome in our own time and in our own way. With Jesus by our side, it will be the perfect timing for every one of us. Leaning on Him and His Word (The Holy Bible) is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). Jesus is the only way to the path of renewal.

The most important thing to remember is that the direction you are moving in is more important than where you are at the moment.

Set aside some time to think about where you want to be and what it will take for you to get there. Jesus, our example to follow, often headed into the wilderness to pray. We need to do something similar occasionally to reset our thoughts and God-given spirits.

We should use time to our advantage. If we reflect daily on the attributes of Jesus and set goals one step at a time to become more like Him, then we’ll find peace and fortitude in the long journey through this mortal existence.

And if we take advantage of new beginnings, the large and the small with Jesus by our side, we can make progress that we could never make on our own. Maybe more than we dreamed of.

This year, I’m working on seeing time as my ally instead of my enemy. I’ve set a goal to strike from my thoughts and speech the words, “I don’t have enough time,” and just believe I do.

Because that’s what faith is. Faith in new beginnings, faith in Christ, and faith that He stands by our side as we start over, time and time again.

Let’s Pray: Dear God, help us to come to You, and to believe we can do all things with You. Bless us with faith to begin again whenever we need to. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.

~*~
Author Bio:

Wendy is a Genetic Genealogist by day, a writer by night, and an artist in between. 

Her love of what we can learn from history compels her to write the true stories she unearths because she’s found that truth is indeed much more exciting and inspiring than fiction.

Wendy writes about family, faith, grief, art, and overcoming obstacles in life by coming to know who we really are—the children of God, and the descendants of incredible people who paved the way for us—even if they really struggled. Wendy believes in learning from our ancestors, honoring them, and then standing on their shoulders to become a better generation.

As an award-winning family history writer, Wendy’s debut novel, Once Upon an Irish Summer, released April 3, 2020. This book is a dual timeline historical fiction novel about a young, gifted artist suffering from debilitating grief, who finds healing and inspiration in her Irish ancestry, and goes on to paint a masterpiece.

The sequel, Celtic Winter: Eliza’s Story, released November 5, 2021. The storyline goes back in time to the little sister left behind in Ireland to keep her family alive, woven with present-day Beth’s continuing story as she races the clock with the young man she loves to find the only person who could save his mother’s life.

When Wendy is not researching or writing, she hikes, paints, loves being a church youth leader, binges on epic Bollywood movies, and hangs out with her greatest loves—her family.

~*~
Connect with Wendy:
Website: https://wendywilsonspooner.com/
Blog: https://wendywilsonspooner.com/blog
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorWendyWilsonSpooner/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wendyspooner/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Wendy_W_Spooner

Thankful Thursdays: When God answers the prayers you didn't pray

When God Answers
A Thankful Thursday post by Alexis A. Goring

“Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.”

– Isaiah 65:24 (NIV)

It’s Thursday and I’m thankful that God always answers my prayers—spoken and unspoken—in ways I do and oftentimes do not expect.

Last week Friday was one of those nights when my issues were hitting me, hard. I went to bed feeling burdened and I woke up on Saturday morning with a lot of pain still weighing heavy on my heart. It built up within me to the point when I started venting to God. My venting session turned into anger and despair. It got to the point where I doubted that God cared about anything I was going through because I couldn’t sense His working in any aspect of all of the issues that were causing me deep pain and sorrow. 

I knew better than to tell God that He doesn’t care about me because the Bible clearly says He does (John 3:16, Jeremiah 29:11, Matthew 6:26, 1 Peter 5:7). However, my pain had pushed me to the point of almost believing that He didn’t care and He wasn’t there for me. 

The silence I felt on God’s end of the communication line was deafening…until He spoke!

No, I didn’t hear the audible voice of God from Heaven. But I did hear His Words spoken through people who care about me. Only a few hours after my venting session, one of my church friends texted me asking if she and one of our Bible study members could visit me that afternoon to pray for me.

Now I’m used to church people visiting people who they care about to pray for them when they’re sick or struggling in a crisis. But I never had experienced a church friend randomly calling me to ask if they can visit to pray for me. But don’t you know it wasn’t random? I soon found out that God was in the details.

When I asked the friend—we’ll call her Essence—why she wanted to pray for me in person, she said “Because that’s what the Father would have us do.” She was referring to God as our Heavenly Father. I agreed to the visit. An hour later, Essence and our friend D showed up. They greeted me and encouraged me with Scripture. They read the passage from the Bible from Mark 4:35-41 (scripture), which is about the time when Jesus Christ calmed the raging storm with His Words.

Scripture says that Jesus and His disciples were in a boat on the water when a fierce storm arose. Waves broke over their boat to the point where it was nearly swamped. His disciples woke Jesus and said “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” (verse 38). Jesus rose and rebuke the wind saying “Quiet! Be still!” And immediately, the wind died down and all around them became “completely calm” (verse 39). Jesus then turned to His disciples and asked them, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” (verse 40)

Essence then read quotes related to this Scripture from a Christian writer. She then added her own exhortation about why we as believers need to, as soon as we wake up in the morning, put on the full Armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18) so that we can stand strong against the devil’s schemes. She reminded me specifically to raise up my “shield of faith” to stop the darts from the enemy (the devil and his demons).

Essence and D then took turns praying for me and all of my family members. They reminded me that I am loved then gave me a hug before leaving.

Immediately after they left, I prepared space for my first virtual paint night led by a ministry leader’s wife from our church home. And guess what the theme of this faith-based paint night was? She spoke on how God doesn’t mean for anyone to go through life alone. We are meant to journey together. Always use wisdom and discretion about who you open up to but know that there are safe places for you to share your heart and our paint night, she said, is one.

Even the painting that we all created taught us a spiritual lesson. We painted mountains at sunset and our host (we’ll call her Valerie), told us that God can move mountains in our life, if we only just believe.

After the sunset that Saturday, God had fully filled me with His Love through the people He sent to love on me and He also taught me a lesson for this life on Earth. God taught me that no matter what I deal with, no matter how deep the pain goes, no matter how alone I feel, I need to remember that I am never alone. There’s song by Cheri Keaggy that says we are not without hope or love because we have Jesus Christ who is always present in our life and completely there for us. The song is called “Not With Jesus”. You can listen to it here.

So in the quiet of the evening, after paint night was over, I spoke to God again. This time, it wasn’t a venting session nor was it a lament about all of my sorrows and pain. It was a time I spent thanking Him for answering my prayers that I barely could pray (asking God to show me that He cares) and asking Him to forgive me for believing even for a minute that He doesn’t care about me. I thanked Him for always being there for me and asked Him to help me always remember this day, especially when the storms of life overwhelm me because in this life we will have trouble but the good news is God is greater than all of our troubles (John 16:33). 

Jesus has gone before us. He has overcome the world and He wants to help us be overcomers of this world too.

In closing, I’d like for you to watch this full episode from Better Together TV. It’s called “Overcoming Anger with God”. You can watch it here.
 


Be encouraged, dear friends. The Creator (God) of the Universe LOVES YOU and He is NOT going anywhere!

With love,

Alexis A. Goring
Founder of “God is Love” blog

Devotionals for the Heart: Worthiness

A Worthy Heart
A devotional by Tessa Huckstep

“In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.” –Ephesians 1:7 (KJV)

We all have struggled with self-worth at some point in our lives.

Some of us work strenuously to obtain it, others quietly shove the desire down, feeling it is sinful and selfish. But in each human heart is the desperate longing to be worthy.

This elusive idea of worth is a deep and God-given desire of our human hearts. We long to be worthy. We long to possess value.

If we are all striving toward self-worth, why do so few of us reach this level of worthiness and even fewer can maintain it?

It all began with the Fall of humankind, as detailed in The Holy Bible. Read Genesis 3 for the full story featuring Adam, Eve and the serpent (Satan in disguise) who deceived them and led them to sin. After Adam and Eve had sinned, worthiness for humanity became unattainable. Many of us who follow Jesus Christ work tirelessly in church ministries, hoping others will see us as “good Christians”. But when you see people like us, do you see a captivating and worthy heart, or do you see a tired heart pleading for others to tell them their worth?

Striving is not the answer to our quest of discovering self-worth. Striving is our own human way of attempting to attain worthiness on our own. I know it’s counter-intuitive, but in your journey of seeking self-worth, you will never achieve anything through your own effort. Worth is not based upon your appearance or performance.

Picture an auction in your mind’s eye. People crowd the aisles of items for auction and the auctioneer continues to shout the bids. You watch as the next item is brought forward, a large blank painting. The blood drains from your face as the scenes of your life flicker across the painting—every failure, every mistake, every heartache—the very essence of who you are.

You duck your head in shame as the auctioneer asks for a bid. No one would want this ugly, useless, unvaluable painting.

“I’ll take that one.” A Man shouts from the back. The astonished crowd parts and the Man who had spoken is gazing knowingly into your eyes.

“How much, sir?” The auctioneer asks.

The Man did not hesitate. “My Son.”

What determines an object’s price is not how pretty or accomplished it is. What determines price is how much the buyer is willing to pay. And you, dear reader, are worth the precious and infinite blood of Jesus Christ.

When God’s Son (Jesus Christ) died on the cross, He knew that with each fallen drop of his life-giving blood, your sins—your every failure and mistake—were being placed upon Himself. That is what redemption is all about. Our filthiness and unworthiness were placed upon Christ and His own worthiness and righteousness was placed upon us. Because of Christ’s sacrifice, God (our Heavenly Father) now sees His Son’s worthiness in us.

All throughout Ephesians, the apostle Paul uses the phrase “in Christ”. You will not find worth in striving to be better. You will find your worth in Christ. Everything else is just a cheap imitation.

How then do we get this knowledge of redemption from our head to our hearts? Are you already striving to make this supernatural occurrence take place within you, planning to read your Bible more and pray more? Take a moment and stop. God says you have a worthy heart. You may not feel that you have a worthy heart, but belief is not an emotion. Belief is a choice—emotions will come later. Dear reader, are you going to choose to believe what God says about you? Are you going to start this journey of recognizing your self-worth by renewing your mind?

If your answer is “yes”, then I encourage you to open The Bible and read through Ephesians Chapter 1. As you read, underline everything God says of the Ephesian believers and make it your own. Take this passage and meditate over it. Renewing your mind will take time, but I promise the results are worth it.

Let’s Pray: Dear Lord, thank You for taking our unworthiness upon Yourself and offering us Your rightful worthiness. Please help us to release our tendencies to strive toward worthiness and find our worth in You alone. In Jesus’s Name I pray, Amen.

~*~
Author Bio:

Tessa Huckstep grew up in rural Illinois to Christian parents and has known Jesus personally since the age of five. 

She is currently attending community college and majoring in elementary education. In the future, she plans to teach in the public school, hoping to bring the love of God with her.

God’s dream of Tessa becoming a writer was revealed to her at the age of sixteen and she hasn’t been able to stop since. Though she has not yet been published, Tessa enjoys writing historical romance novels and speculative fiction.

Tessa believes God loves stories, and through her writing, she wants to reveal the happily ever after God dreams of for each of his daughters—one where Jesus is the knight in shining armor.

Tessa loves all things Georgian/Regency, needlework, and dainty teacups of every size. When she isn’t writing or studying for exams, Tessa can be found in the kitchen with more flour in her hair and on the floor than in the mixing bowl, though the mess is always half the fun!

~*~
Connect with Tessa:
Blog: https://beautifulbeloved937002841.wordpress.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beloved.bookworm/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/101227159

Devotionals for the Heart: When you are under construction, built by God

God’s Construction Project
A devotional by Glynis Becker

“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work among you will complete it by the day of Christ Jesus.” –Philippians 1:6 (NASB)

I have a fascination with construction projects. 

We live in a rural area, so we don’t see anything in the way of skyscrapers or really tall buildings, but watching the process of creating a road where once there was only dirt or seeing a shopping center rise from a plot of land is pretty amazing.

Do you know what I’m most amazed by, though? When a project completely changes the landscape.

A few years ago in our area, a hill that had been used for waterslides was leveled to make way for something new. Construction equipment moved tons and tons of dirt and completely flattened the land for an enormous building. The amount of work—through resources and manpower and equipment and time—that goes into a project of that scale is unbelievable to me. Anyone new to town would never be able to guess that there used to be a huge hill there.

God is also in the construction business. He wants to transform our hearts, our lives, our wills, into something He can use. We need to allow Him to do whatever work needs to be done. Sometimes that involves sledgehammers tearing down walls we’ve created through sin and idolatry. Sometimes He helps build bridges to reconciliation and healing for ourselves and others.

I love hearing people’s stories of how God has brought them out of addictions or the occult. Those dramatic witnesses are huge construction projects and important for the collective story of what the power of Christ can do here and now. But what if you and I have stories that are more like remodels than from-the-ground-up projects? Those are certainly important too. 

What if one day I realize I no longer feel a need to gossip? Or that the way I relate to my family or friends has become a lot more grace-filled? Those might not make headlines, but they are important steps to a better life for ourselves and a better world for everyone. 

Those small steps of transformation often lay the groundwork for something greater. Each time we see God’s handiwork in our lives, it becomes an opportunity for us to be of better use to Him in the world.

It’s a new year, which naturally brings a time of self-reflection and opportunity. What sort of changes would you like to work with God to bring about this year? Do you need an attitude shift or a major overhaul? Pray about it. Be humble about it. He is faithful and He is good.

Remember: There are no DIY (“do-it-yourself”) projects around here! These changes only work if God is the one in charge!

Let’s Pray: Father God, help me be humble enough to ask for Your help this year and always. Show me where I need a change. Give me the strength to let You build me or break me, whatever is the best for Your kingdom. You are the Great Builder and only through You can I do anything. In Jesus’s precious name I pray. Amen.

~*~
Author Bio:

Glynis Becker writes devotions and inspirational fiction, hoping someday to have a published novel on her resume. 

She has co-written several screenplays, including the film Sinking Sand, available on DVD and digital streaming.

Glynis, whose childhood was spent all over the country as an Air Force brat, has called South Dakota home for many years, along with her husband and two college-age children.

When she’s not writing or reading, she is watching more television than she should and crocheting.

~*~
Connect with Glynis:

Website: www.glynisbecker.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beckerglynis/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GlynisBecker7

Devotionals for the Heart: Life Lessons Learned from A Labor of Love

Protecting Your House
A devotional by Erin M. Handley

“The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” 

–Psalm 18:2 (ESV)

“We must protect this house!”

These are the words that are chanted by teams in unison. Sometimes on football fields, sometimes in summer camps, and sometimes in large groups that exist within various work environments. These are the very words I remembered when I made the decision to be a better steward of my God-given gifts.

I made the time to decorate one of the rooms in my home. It was a well-deserved, labor of love to that room. It took time. Moving furniture. Cleaning the room. Painting. Collecting the décor items. In total, it took a little over five months to plan and collect the items for the project, and a week to execute the vision.

In the beginning, I knew I wanted to give the room a new look so I could utilize that space for a specific purpose. I wanted the room to reflect the quality of work I desire to produce in that room. Additionally, I wanted the room to reflect the quality of life I envision – the life I want to create for myself. My decision to take action to decorate this room was made after the realization that for many years, this room went unused, untouched, and unnoticed. This room was neglected.

I had been given the gift of having a place to call home. Not simply a place to reside, but a place to be able to find security and refuge when things outside are too tumultuous. And here I was neglecting a part of the gift. I failed to protect the gift by not appreciating the home in its entirety. So, I used the opportunity to decorate this room in my home as a gift to my home, to the room, and to myself. I did so in efforts to be a better steward of the gift of the very thing I am able to call my own.

In the end, the tedious, tiring, labor of love is exactly what I envisioned some time ago. Sometimes I still sit in awe of the space I created for myself. The time and attention devoted to this space created a final product that surpassed my expectations even though it is exactly what I envisioned. But it all started with the act of giving attention to the part of the gift that was going unnoticed.

In the same way many of us utilize and care for each room in our homes, are we giving the same love and attention to the separate parts of the gift we were given that collectively help deepen our relationship with the Lord?

The home represents the security you find in Him. Your relationship with God is based on how you utilize each room within that home. It may be your room of service and how you show love and grace to others as a reflection of how He showed love and grace to you. Maybe it is your Word room where you seek His words in the scriptures to increase your spiritual gift that is the Word of Knowledge (1 Corinthians 12:8). Maybe it is your room of praise and worship where you sit in awe of his magnificent existence. Or maybe it is your prayer room where you simply take the opportunity to communicate with the Lord.

Be sure to pay attention to each room within your gift. Clean it. Purge the things that no longer serve a purpose to that gift. Use it. Take advantage of the opportunity to have it bestowed to you. And at the end of it all, be a good steward of the entire gift, not simply the rooms that make us comfortable. Don’t neglect a single room in your place of refuge. You must protect the home you find in Him. That home houses each individual gift that draws you closer to Him.

Let’s Pray: Lord, we thank You for a place to call home. Whether it is an apartment, a house, a condo, a mobile home, or even if we find ourselves in a transitional living situation, you always give us the opportunity to make a physical space into a home. We are thankful for the physical space where we reside. We are also thankful for the home of comfort we find in You! In You we seek shelter, security, and peace. Your unwavering love for us teaches us to be good stewards of the gifts you have given us. It also reminds us that in order to be a good steward of a gift, we have to use it. We won’t forget it. We won’t neglect it. We will protect it. We will love and nurture the gift just as you love and nurture us. We love You, and we thank You. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

~*~
Author Bio:

With an ever-growing desire to continually learn the Word of God and present teachings based on Biblical principles, Erin M. Handley is committed to her calling of teaching and inspiring others to ‘be more by doing more’. With this in mind, Erin mentors young women and appreciates seeing the growth and change in the lives she impacts. 

While she sincerely enjoys mentoring and speaking to young people, she is most passionate about educating and empowering women from various stages of life about Biblical Womanhood and how to live out those principles in today’s world.

For over 15 years, Erin has worked with youth and adolescents in the fields of mental and behavioral health, education, and ministry. When reflecting on her experiences in ministry and non-ministry settings, her most memorable encounters have been those that allowed her the opportunity to teach the Word of God in a way that is most relatable to the audience she served in that moment. She has enjoyed writing since her youth, but only recently felt the call to share her writing with the world.

With an undergraduate degree in English and a graduate degree in Ministry and Pastoral Counseling, Erin M. Handley has been fortunate to be able to leverage her gifts and her passions throughout her career in Education. 

Aside from reading, writing, and mentoring, Erin enjoys dancing, interior design, cooking, and most other activities which allow her to utilize her creativity.

Devotionals for the Heart: Mirrors

The Only Mirror That Matters
A devotional by Sarah Cole

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”–1 Samuel 16:7 (NIV)

As a kid, I loved going to the State Fair.

Unlike my friends, it wasn't cotton candy or carnival rides that thrilled me; I was crazy about the house of mirrors. While my parents ate cheese curds and watched the crowds go by, I stood in amazement as my head and body morphed into something out of a poorly written sci-fi movie. It was wildly entertaining, but it didn't reflect the real me.

When I hit puberty, I spent countless hours in front of the bathroom mirror trying to find the right combination of clothing, hairstyles, and makeup to gain the acceptance I craved. My dad called it "preening". Dozens of outfits later, I hoped my new look would give me favor with the "in'' crowd. Sadly, I was mistaken.

Unlike our Heavenly Father, humans are fickle, aren't they? The right appearance or performance this week doesn’t guarantee the acceptance our souls crave the next.

The good news is that in God's eyes our worth is a settled issue, and we don’t have to do anything to earn it. In the first chapter of Ephesians, Paul tells us that in Christ we are chosen, blameless, predestined, redeemed, and forgiven (Ephesians 1:4-8). Isn’t this great news? When we rest in His perfect love, we can enjoy our lives and celebrate our identity as children of the King.

But Satan doesn’t give up without a fight. He holds up a variety of mirrors to lure us away from God's unconditional love, hoping we'll look to the world instead for fleeting acceptance.

The mirror of popular culture shines brightly on every magazine rack. Each glossy page bombards us with beauty we can only dream of having. Pop star icons, entrepreneurs, and politicians whose powerful careers we can't compete with take up our thoughts. This peddles Satan's lie that beauty and performance define our worth. But it leaves out the fact that addiction, promiscuity, and broken lives run rampant among the rich and famous people in this world.

The mirror of social media needs no introduction. Gazing into it too often can lead us to become envious or competitive and can keep us from enjoying real relationships. The enemy whispers the lie that our friends have happier, more successful lives based on a snapshot in time. Yet these posts don't reveal the entire picture—just as someone's appearance doesn't tell us who they really are! God created us each to be unique masterpieces, so there is no need for comparison. When He created each of us, He broke the mold.

Finally, there's the rear-view mirror! I imagine that if we ask anyone on the street if they have a regret or two, the answer would be “yes.” However, in God's eyes, it doesn't matter how much we think we've messed up. We’re all on a level playing field when it comes to making mistakes and as humans, we can’t escape them. Thankfully, God forgives and forgets them all. He is a God of grace, and His mercies are new each morning.

When God’s Son (Jesus Christ) died, He not only paid our sin penalty in full; He also broke the curse of sin and death, and His resurrection makes it possible for us to dwell in His presence forever. We can stop striving for acceptance because we are already perfect in His eyes.

So, in the pursuit of what truly defines us, God's Word (The Holy Bible) is the only mirror that isn't distorted. When we look into God’s mirror, His ageless truths reflect to us our true worth as one of His dearly loved children!

Let’s Pray: Dear Father God, thank You for the acceptance You lavish on us. You have created us each to be a masterpiece, unique in our calling and giftedness. As we follow You, help us to give ourselves grace, and honor you in all that we do. In Jesus’s Name we pray. Amen.

~*~
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: When you learn how to wait on the Lord

Worth The Wait
A devotional by Angela Anderson

When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

 — John 11:32 (NIV)

The phone kept ringing. Finally, my call was answered – but it was voicemail again. That was the third person on my “favorites” contact list who I tried to reach. I was on the verge of tears, and I desperately needed to speak with someone. I just wanted to hear a comforting voice, but no one was coming to my rescue. My heart sank as my fourth call went straight to voicemail. Why weren’t any of my friends available when I needed them the most?

I imagine Martha and Mary felt the same way when they made a SOS call to their Best Friend (Jesus Christ), and there was no immediate answer. You can open a Bible and read John 11 for the full story. Here’s the short story: Their brother Lazarus was deathly ill, and they knew Jesus could make him well. The situation was critical and there was no time to waste. Yet Jesus casually stayed where He was for two more days before starting on His journey to see Lazarus! When Jesus finally arrived on the scene, Lazarus had been dead for four days!

When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she ran to meet Him. She greeted Jesus with these words: “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died” (John 11:21). Later in the same chapter, Martha’s sister Mary also confronted Jesus with those same words (John 11:32).

Have you ever cried out to God in distress, but your prayer seemed to be lost in a black hole?

Have you ever wondered where was God when you were going through the darkest moments of your life? Martha and Mary were crushed with disappointment. They felt as though the friend who they depended on did not show up when they needed Him the most. But Jesus did show up and when He did, He was filled with compassion. He felt their pain and immediately responded to their sorrow. According to John 11:33, “When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.”

Jesus asked to be led to the tomb where Lazarus lay dead, then He did something beyond anything they could have ever imagined: He raised Lazarus from the dead!

God also wants to do something amazing for us in the middle of a tragedy or disappointment.

We may be expecting something immediate, but sometimes God’s delay is intentional. As John 11:15a reads: “And for your sake, I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe.”

God postpones His arrival to our situation in order to strengthen our faith, so that when He appears with all power and might, there will be no other option than to believe that it is God coming to our rescue.

The uncertainty in the waiting is hurtful, but He feels our pain and knows our hurt. When we cannot feel His presence, God is ever so present! Although there may be a delay, it does not mean there is a denial. God will show up, and when He does, it be worth the wait.

Let’s Pray: Dear God, You are wonderful and amazing in so many ways. Thank you for coming to our rescue in the past and for promising to be there in the future. May we trust and believe that You are with us, no matter how we feel or what we may expect. You have proven to be a faithful God. Strengthen us as we wait on You. In Jesus’s Name I pray, Amen.

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Note from Alexis: Angela’s devotional message today reminds me of the song “I Don’t Mind Waiting” by Juanita Bynum. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Angela Anderson was born in Brooklyn, NY, and raised in NJ. She found her love for writing when she was in elementary school. She continued writing through high school, college, and into adulthood.

Angela is the author of a devotional book titled, Just When I Thought I Knew God, and a children's book that is not yet published.

In 2021, Angela started writing articles for an online magazine called Christian Women Living, where she focuses on writing messages for mothers and sharing advice on parenting. In addition to this, Angela wrote a devotional that is featured in a book published by Proverbs 31 Ministries. The book title is Hope When Your Heart is Heavy.

Angela has a passion for inspiring and impacting others through her writing as well as speaking. She is the co-founder of Anchor Moms, a ministry to cure loneliness in Motherhood. Currently, this ministry meets via a group on Facebook.

Angela has been married to the love of her life, Duane Anderson, for 17 years. Together, they have two sons: Thomas (age 9) and Ryan (age 4). Angela’s favorite pastime is journaling, and she also enjoys spending quality time with her family. Her personal mission is to empower others to achieve their goals and dreams.

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Connect with Angela:
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/angela.thomasanderson
Facebook fan page for her devotional book, Just When I Thought I Knew God:
https://www.facebook.com/jwitikg/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angelanderson1104/