Devotionals for the Heart: How to know if you've truly forgiven someone

Have You Truly Forgiven?
A devotional by Joyce M. Averils

“And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”—Ephesians 4:32 (NKJV)

I truly thought I had forgiven my friend.

We had been close for over 20 years. Even though we lived in different states, we stayed connected with long phone calls, encouraging texts, and making it a point to see each other at least once a year.

But everything changed a little over a year ago. She shared a personal confidence of mine with several people—something I had trusted her to keep private. When I confronted her, trying to express how deeply betrayed I felt, she brushed it off. “It wasn’t a big deal,” she said. “You just need to get over it.”

But it was a big deal to me. And in that moment, our friendship dissolved. We stopped speaking. So, I did what I knew to do—I prayed. I asked the Lord to help me forgive her. I believed He had answered my prayer. I thought I had moved on. Then one day, I heard about a wonderful blessing she had received. And instead of feeling happy for her, my first thought was, “How could she get that after what she did to me?”

Immediately, the Holy Spirit convicted me. If I had truly forgiven her, why was I keeping score? Why was I weighing her worthiness? Who am I to decide whether someone deserves God’s goodness? The truth hit hard: I was still holding on to unforgiveness. And that is sin. Maybe you’ve been there too.

Have you ever replayed a confrontation in your mind, imagining how you’d say things differently, setting the record straight? Have you secretly felt satisfied when something negative happened to the person who wronged you? Or, like me, have you been shocked when God blessed them, wondering how He could pour out His favor on someone who hurt you?

These are the quiet, subtle signs that we haven’t extended true forgiveness. And Jesus Christ made it clear: forgiveness isn’t optional. Why do we forgive? Because God forgave us. The Bible says in Ephesians 4:32 (NIV), “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” None of us stand righteous before God apart from His grace. We have been forgiven more than we could ever repay. And just as God extended mercy to us, He calls us to extend it to others. Remember: Forgiving everyone is not a suggestion, it is a command from God.

Let’s read what Jesus says about forgiveness in Matthew 18:21-22 (ESV): Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.”

Peter wanted a limit – a boundary where he could say, “That’s enough.” But Jesus made it clear: true forgiveness isn’t about keeping count. It’s about a heart of grace.

It’s also important to remember that carrying unforgiveness has consequences. Matthew 6:14-15 (ESV) reminds us that, “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

This is one of the hardest truths in Scripture. Unforgiveness doesn’t just affect our relationships with others. It also affects our relationship with God. Holding onto bitterness blocks us from experiencing the fullness of His grace.

I’d like to address the misconception about forgiveness. Too often, we wait for an apology. We want the person who hurt us to acknowledge their wrongdoing, to understand the pain they caused, and to ask for forgiveness. But here’s the thing: God forgave us without demanding anything in return. That’s what grace is all about. Romans 5:8 (NIV) says, “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Before we repented. Before we asked for mercy. Before we could even see the depth of our sin, He forgave us.

So, if we require something from the person who wronged us before we forgive them, then we don’t really understand grace. But how do we truly forgive?

First, acknowledge the hurt. Forgiveness doesn’t mean pretending it didn’t happen. Jesus never minimized sin. He acknowledged it but chose to forgive anyway.

Next, surrender it to God. Let go of the desire to see justice done your way. Trust that God is the ultimate judge.

Then, pray for them. It’s hard to stay bitter toward someone when you’re genuinely praying for their well-being. Jesus told us to pray for our enemies because prayer changes our hearts, too.

Also, release the scorecard. Stop keeping track of offenses. If you’re still tallying the wrongs, you haven’t truly let them go.

Finally, remember who you are. You are a recipient of God’s mercy. And if you’ve been forgiven, how can you not extend the same grace?

Forgiveness is not about excusing wrong behavior. It’s not about letting people continue to hurt you. But it is about freeing your heart from the weight of bitterness. That’s what the Holy Spirit reminded me about my friend. So, I confessed my sin with a heart of real forgiveness this time. My friend and I are still not besties like before, but we’re speaking again. And I can honestly say that I have forgiven her because Jesus died for her just as much as He died for me.

If you’re still holding on to unforgiveness for someone who hurt you, release it. Let it go. Walk in freedom because when we truly forgive everyone, we reflect the heart of Christ.

Let’s Pray: Lord, You have forgiven me for so much. Who am I not to forgive others? Help me to forgive those who hurt me. Help me to extend the same grace to them that You have extended to me. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “Forgiveness” by Matthew West. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Joyce M. Averils is an attorney by education and a retired judge who currently works as a Life Purpose and Business Empowerment Coach. 

She attended the University of South Carolina where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Humanities and Social Sciences, with a concentration in Political Science in May 1981. Upon graduation from the University, she attended The Ohio State University’s Moritz College of Law, where she graduated with a Juris Doctor degree in June 1984. Joyce was admitted to the Georgia Bar in November of 1984.

During her legal career, she served as the legal advisor for an episode of the American television program “Designing Women”. She also successfully argued a zoning case before the Georgia Supreme Court.

Today, she is the founder of Averils Omnimedia, LLC. It includes Her RICH Coaching where she helps high-achieving women of faith create a purpose-aligned life and business through coaching programs, workshops, and retreats. She recently launched 26th & Alden Paper Design House which will release its first paper product in early 2025.

Joyce believes that God created women to accomplish the extraordinary by living their purpose, calling, and assignment. He has chosen every woman to fulfill a calling that is hers alone. And if she does not answer that calling, then that work will never be done. Joyce knows that there are people who are waiting for help that only God can give and only God can use His people to help each other. Joyce believes that we are called by God to help each other. She wants to answer that call and inspire others to answer it too so we can be of service to God.

Her life verse is John 17:4 (NIV), “I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.” In addition to being an entrepreneur, Joyce currently serves as the Associate Teaching Director for the Community Bible Study International class in Georgetown, SC.

Joyce makes her home on the coast of South Carolina.

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Connect with Joyce:
Website: www.herrichlife.com
Facebook Ministry: www.facebook.com/groups/thepurposealignedwoman
Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/coachlabforaspiringchristianwomencoaches
Facebook: www.facebook.com/@HerRichLife
Instagram: www.instagram.com/herrichlife
Email address: joyce@herrichlife.com

Devotionals for the Heart: When you wonder if God cares about your pain

Does God Know Our Pain?
A devotional by Terry Overton

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”—Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV)

The bright rays of sunshine streaming through my kitchen window invited me to step outside onto my porch, hoping for the feel of an early spring.

But the chill in the air that greeted me sent a stark reminder that winter remained. There were no blooms, buds, or green leaves emerging on the trees. I glanced down at the brown branch of a rose bush with no bud. It was fitting that the scene in my garden matched my sense of being in the pit. This experience made me think, “Does God not see our sorrow?”

I glanced at the rose bush's lower limbs, and there it was—a tiny leaf struggling to push through and open to the sunlight. My own prayers asked for the same sense of hope in the future. I, too, struggle at times to stretch out my arms with gladness, knowing of God's love. Watching a loved one struggle with an untreatable health condition, knowing this was a long goodbye of sorts, I needed God's help desperately. Does He know my pain?

The Bible says in Psalm 56:8 (ESV), “You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?”

A thought raced through my mind: “Of course He knows. He knows all.” God knows the roses wither and die, but He restores them in the spring. He knows they will die before they do, and He knows when they will bloom again. A sense of peace overcame my soul. It is all in His hands. He not only knows our sorrows, but He will provide help.

The Bible says in Psalm 34:18 (ESV), “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”

Listening to the high-pitched chirps of tiny finches flittering through the brittle brown limbs of a nearby tree, I realized what a gift He had given me. I have the gift of seeing His handiwork, of witnessing His blessings all around me, and of time to share with my loved one who is still here with me. He had given me the gift of hope and the gift of joy in the moment as I stood by the rose bush.

The Bible says in Psalm 126:5 (ESV), “Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!”

Taking a deep breath, I returned to my kitchen with a peaceful heart and hopeful thoughts. Now, I was ready to meet the day that awaited me. I could not anticipate how I would be needed, but I knew I would be able to meet the challenges that would come my way. The strength of my heart had been restored.

The Bible says in Job 14:7-9 (ESV), “For there is hope for a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that its shoots will not cease. Though its root grow old in the earth, and its stump die in the soil, yet at the scent of water it will bud and put out branches like a young plant.”

The sight of the emerging tiny green leaf in the cold air was a message. It was a reminder that spring will arrive just on time. God sent a powerful reminder to me. Pain is not the end. Pain is the reminder. God will provide us with strength, peace, and hope.

Let’s Pray:

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for knowing my pain and helping me understand that pain is not the absence of joy. I know two things—joy and sadness—can exist in my heart, but You provide peace and hope to sustain me through it all. Thank you, Lord!

In the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, I pray.

Amen.

Song of Reflection #1: "He's Concerned" by CeCe Winans. Listen to it here.

Song of Reflection #2: “Here with You” by Donnie McClurkin. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Terry Overton is a retired university professor of educational and school psychology. She has an Ed.D. in Special Education and a Ph.D. in Psychology. 

Her professional experience includes teaching public school, teaching at the university level, and being a college dean.

She has two children, seven grandchildren, and one great granddaughter.

Her previous writing and publication experiences include textbook and journal articles in the fields of special education and school psychology. She now seeks to answer God’s call to share the good news and grow the church by writing Christian books and devotionals.

Over the years, Terry’s books have won the Mom’s Choice Award, Christian Indie Award, Firebird Book Awards, American Writing Winner Awards, Bookfest Winner Awards, Pencraft Award, Reader Views Silver Reviewers Award, and International Book Award Finalist. Her writing examines real world events with a Christian worldview. She enjoys writing for young children, middle grade readers, YA fiction, and adult level novels.

Terry’s background in teaching adults and children shine through her stories that often include a character with educational or learning challenges. Her Christmas series, The Oddball Ornaments, features a box of misfit ornaments who first learn the meaning of Christmas and then discover the meaning of forgiveness. In The Underground Book Readers series, one of the main characters is on the autism spectrum yet is one of the leaders of the group of teens. Book one of a new series, The Messiah Brigade, features an awkward middle school nerd who helps his school turn around a bully gang of kids. Adoption and family issues are the focus of her new book, Charlotte McMaster and the Messenger Angel.

Terry lives in Texas and enjoys reading, taking pictures for devotional posts on social media, visiting with her family, paying golf, and writing.

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Connect with Terry:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/terry.overton.71653
Author Website: https://www.authorterryoverton.com/
Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/overtont

Devotionals for the Heart: How to know true love and live in love

True Love
A devotional by Essie Faye

“And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.”—1 Corinthians 13:2 (NKJV)

I gasped as I witnessed an episode of road rage. Two cars sped by as one driver leaned out of the driver side window yelling obscenities while frantically waving his hands. The woman in the car to its left yelled back using offensive hand gestures. I was happy and relieved to see them drive far away from me.

Nowadays hatred and violence are all around us, but God’s love is very present. There are countless episodes of physical altercations, cyberbullying, injustice, discrimination, and verbal attacks in our world today. But we also experience random acts of kindness, outbreaks of joy, understanding, and safe spaces.

Darkness can never win when light is present. I can combat every display of evil with love. I can fight darkness with light. God loves humanity. He shows His love for us in various ways. He blesses us with life each day. He keeps us safe from harm. He spends time with us and provides for our needs. He even gives us what we want sometimes. Because God loves humanity passionately, He also wants us to do the same. As followers of Jesus Christ, our life’s mission should be to love.

In 1 Corinthians 13, the Apostle Paul defines true love. He clearly explains how true love acts, feels, and what it sounds like. He is a witness of the overwhelming love of God. When he ignorantly was an enemy of God, God’s love surrounded him. God’s love pursued Him and confronted him with loving truth and revelation. God forgave his murderous ways and accepted him as a son, though he didn’t deserve it. Love saw every flaw and shortcoming of his yet embraced him still.

Paul was multi-talented and multi-gifted, yet he says, “If I have the gift of prophecy… but I don’t have love, I am nothing.” In other words, he asserts that you can be incredibly gifted but if you don’t have love, your life lacks one of life’s essentials. Paul was well-studied. He was gifted to connect with people from different cultural backgrounds. Paul was blessed to operate in several of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. He was a gifted sailor, orator, teacher, writer, and witness for Jesus Christ. He won countless souls for Jesus. Paul was a mentor and founder of many Christian churches. He understood that love was most important in order to impact the world for the glory of God.

The Apostle Paul was a man of wisdom and great knowledge, yet he knew, in the words often attributed to Theodore Roosevelt, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” Love is transformative. Loving acts can melt the coldest heart and heal the deepest wound.

Love is essential to our survival. It is essential to living an abundant life and sharing the Good News with others. God is love. We who are His children on Earth should demonstrate love through our character, actions, and words. Paul teaches that only what we do for Christ will last. Therefore, we should not focus too much on our accolades and accomplishments that we make in this life on Earth because it is our possession of love that is most valuable and important. Love transforms people and situations. Love never fails!

Call to Action:

1. Assess your level of love for God, yourself, and others then check yourself.

2. Walk in humility, acknowledging that love is more important than your gifts, talents, work experience and knowledge.

3. Share the love of God with neighbors, loved ones, and enemies through your words and actions.

4. Share the Gospel message with others and allow your love to transform yourself first and others around you.

5. Remember: God’s love must be exemplified by His children (1 John 4:20).

Let’s Pray:

Heavenly Father, there is no god like You. You are Love. You gave Your only Son (Jesus) because you love humankind. You sent Your Comforter (The Holy Spirit) because you love us. You sent Your Word (The Holy Bible) also because of your love for all of us. Thank You for loving us passionately, unconditionally, and with abandon. Teach us how to accept this unfathomable love, though we don’t deserve it and we can never comprehend it. Help us to love one another with a love so pure and pleasing to You. Thank you for hearing and answering our prayers. In the Name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection #1: “Nothing Like Your Love” by Hillsong United. Listen to it here.

Song of Reflection #2: “Relentless” by Hillsong United. Listen to it here.

Song of Reflection #3: “Love is the More Excellent Way” by Babbie Mason. Listen to it here. 

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Author Bio:

Essie Faye is a woman of faith. 

She’s a bilingual author, educator, speaker, psalmist, and interpreter.

Essie is the author of the “Finding the Love You Deserve” series for women and teens. She is deeply committed to motivating minorities, women, and youth to heal themselves, love and accept themselves, and pursue God while chasing their dreams and carving out their life’s path.

Essie is a Chicago native.

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Connect with Essie:
Website: www.essiefaye.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_essie_faye/
Read Essie’s YouVersion Devotion Plan here: http://bible.us/r/Abn

Devotionals for the Heart: How God can use us to accomplish great things

What’s in Your Hands?
A devotional by Colette Lawrence

Then the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?”

—Exodus 4:2 (NIV)

A question the Lord asked me recently was, “What is that in your hand?”

I was asking Him to open doors for me and that's the response that came to me. I remember pausing at hearing the question. I didn't bother to ask the follow-up question because I knew immediately what He meant.

As I read Exodus chapter four, it paints a picture of Moses, unsure of himself and how God would use him to deliver the Israelites from their enemies. Like Moses, it’s so easy for us to see our insufficiencies and focus on what we think we lack that we miss what is right in front of our eyes! We don’t realize what God can do with what we already have.

I loved that in asking that question of Moses, the Lord demonstrated to him how powerful the one thing that he had in his hand that seemed so insignificant could be used so mightily. The "thing" we have in our hands is important! These aren't any old gifts and talents God placed on the inside of us. We need to surrender them to God and their use to Him then trust His plan. Just like God did with Moses, He will demonstrate to us what we can accomplish with what we have in our hands. However, it starts with trust. Without believing that God can use our gifts, they are limited in power and can't accomplish much without His anointing on them.

Trust requires obedience—a necessary ingredient that puts faith into action. When the Lord tells us what to do with what we have, it's imperative that we be willing to do it. I know it's not easy. There are times when we have our own preconceived notion of how things should work so we miss the opportunity because it doesn't look the way we expect it to. The question then becomes, “How can God expect me to use that? I have tried using it before but it didn't work!” It had a limited effect and people didn't believe it could make a difference.

What would happen if we took a different approach? What if we confess to God our limited thoughts and ask for faith and trust to increase within us? What if we ask God for the obedience to move in His direction then ask Him to show us how to use what we have in our hands? We know at the end of the Bible story in Exodus chapter four, the Lord used what Moses had to accomplish His will.

This Bible story rings true for us in our modern day! Are you struggling with knowing what to do and asking God to open doors for you? Is God asking you the same question He asked Moses in Exodus 4:2? Are you willing to, like Moses, lay your “rod” down and trust that God will demonstrate His power within you for you to do what He has created you to do?

All I can say to you is that God is faithful. He is a promise keeper. All the time I was praying for God to open doors for me, God wanted me to release what I had in my hand to Him and move by faith. As I did, God opened opportunities for me in two paying clients and I am continuing to believe for more opportunities. As I opened my hands and laid my rod down before Him, I believe He was waiting on me to expose what He already gave me and if I trusted Him with my gifts, then and only then could He use them for His glory and honor.

But it starts with answering the question by identifying what we already have, exercising our faith to move and trust Him enough to believe that He will make the way plain, open the doors that need opening and provide at each step of the way.

My encouragement for you is that like Moses, question God, but don't stay at that place. Move forward by putting your faith in action! If your faith is weak and you don't trust that God can use you, pray for your faith to increase. I am praying for you to walk in obedience, knowing that if God is asking you to acknowledge what is in your hands, He has a plan to use it through you, for His glory and honor.

Let’s Pray:

Spirit of the Living God, I place my friend before you today. You are aware of the space they are in. You know that they are unsure of what you have called them to do. They don’t know how to use the gifts You’ve given to them. I pray You will demonstrate your power before their eyes! Please use the very thing they may believe is unimportant to show the power they have in their hands. Help them to trust You like Moses did so You can use them to do wonders in your Kingdom! In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “Confidence” by Sanctus Real. Listen to it here.

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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.

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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: Why we need to persevere and move forward

Stay in the Race
A devotional by Desiree Future

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”—Galatians 6:9 (NIV)

As I was approaching my fifty-second birthday, I realized that I was very overweight. Exercise was difficult for me because of underlying health problems. However, I knew I had to find a way to get around that obstacle.

By the grace of God, I received notice of a walking-step challenge. This would be perfect since I had to shed a few pounds. Having to walk a set amount of steps every day gave me the motivation I needed. My friend joined me in this challenge and that was even better. I was so eager to start the five-week challenge that I didn’t thoroughly read all the requirements. Somehow, I misread the instructions and didn’t notice you had to take 1,000 steps per day.

As a cancer survivor, I live with side effects from the medications. It limits what I can and cannot do. Having to walk 1,000 steps every day made me cringe. But I had already committed to it. There was a week for warm-ups when I walked almost 1,000 steps in one day. That was truly a record for me. Normally I get about 3,000 to 5,000 daily steps in, depending on how I’m feeling.

During the first week, when the steps counted toward the goal, I averaged 5,600 steps. My four teammates averaged about 1,300 steps. Needing to reach the goal or at least catch up to the others, I vowed to work harder but my body simply wouldn’t cooperate with my mind. At one point I thought, “Why would God bring me here to be the person with the lowest score on my team?” To me, there was no logic behind it.

The following week I averaged 6,400 steps. One of those days I walked 10,200 steps! However, that was nowhere near what my teammates did. They averaged twice the amount and more of myself. I wanted to quit because I felt like I was holding my team down. I felt like a complete failure. How could I not have read the fine print of what I was joining and gotten my friend to join me as well?

My friend and I discussed this in great lengths. She said it doesn’t matter about your place number. It matters that you’re in the race. Her words of wisdom blew my mind. I was so focused on my low score that I missed the biggest picture: My name was listed as part of the team.

Here I was, questioning why God sent me to be the last person. To me, it just didn’t make any sense because I was holding my team back—or so I thought. When, in fact, He sent me to be one of the people on the team.

In life, sometimes we tend to only look at the smaller picture. However, God always has the biggest picture for us. For instance, that tiny pebble that you see among the larger rocks could be the biggest and brightest diamond ever. You just need to look past the size to see its actual value.

After the walking-step challenge ended, I felt renewed. Even with my health challenges, I still managed to stay in the race. Not only that but I took off a week due to having the flu then after I recovered, I jumped right back in.

God’s purpose for me the entire time, I learned, was to stay in the race.

Let’s Pray: Father God, I’m not sure who needs this message but please let them know they can do this. They just need to stay in the race and keep the pace with You by their side, allowing You to guide them every step of the way. Thank You, Lord! In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection #1: “Walk with You” by Michael Bethany. Listen to it here.

Song of Reflection #2: “Pieces” by Meredith Andrews. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Desiree Future is a self-improvement blogger at “Hope Faith & A Smile” where she pens inspirational and encouraging posts. 

This blog that she started as a place for her upcoming novel turned into something far more than she expected. It developed into a home for conversations with people from all walks of life. By writing about everyday events that occur in her world she makes her posts very relatable. As some commenters have said, “Desiree talks to us and not at us.”

In 2013, she self-published The Pastor’s Heart, a Christian romance novel. The following year in 2014, she self-published its sequel, It’s a New Season.

Desiree has been a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) since 2020. She’s also been a member of a writing critique group through her local ACFW Chapter since 2021. Several of her articles have appeared on the official blog for ACFW. In 2022, she became a contributing author in the encouraging devotional, The Courage to Write.

This child of God may not have a church home yet, but God is first in her life.

Desiree is a cancer survivor who calls New Jersey home. She enjoys traveling to different places to spark ideas for her next article. She likes thrifting and going to the theater to see the latest matinee.

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Connect with Desiree:
Website: https://desireefuture.com/
E-mail: desireefuturewrites@hotmail.com

Devotionals for the Heart: The great love our Creator (God) has for us

How Do You Spell Love?
A devotional by Kerry Sue Teravskis

“God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.”

—1 John 4:16b (NIV)

Spelling is either your thing or not. If spelling bees were part of your growing up years, you understand that statement because you were either able to advance with your spelling acumen, or you were sent retreating in the first couple of rounds.

There are times when we need things to be spelled out for us because we don’t understand. This can happen when a challenge presents itself in a relationship, on the job, or something else. Our minds try to catch the drift, so to speak, but it eludes us. It is at this juncture where a friend will spell out what we missed. This is much like our understanding of God’s love, or rather our lack of understanding or a misunderstanding we harbor in our heart. How can we get it straight? How can we know this love God has for us?

In Scripture, all throughout its pages, God unfolds His multifaceted love for us. In the Old Testament, He points us to Jesus Christ (His Son) by demonstrating that the Law was not enough to wipe away our sins. It only covered our sins but did not blot them out. In the New Testament Jesus spells out God’s love for us: the giving of His Son as the sacrificial Lamb required for the forgiveness of sins (John 3:16).

Jesus is the ultimate definition of the love of God. He is God’s only Son, whom God loves very much. Jesus is the embodiment of love. It is hard to fathom. It is hard to comprehend how such a holy God can love a sinner like me, like us. Yet, He does in a myriad of ways.

As aforementioned, God sent His Son Jesus to die for us as a demonstration of His love (Romans 5:8), but He shows us His love in other ways too. These ways include, but are not limited to, a beautiful sunset just when you needed that beauty or the hug of a friend or grandchild comforting your heart when you felt alone, and the kind words of a stranger after other words from someone else had stung.

All throughout the Bible we can bask in God’s love. We can be reminded nothing can separate us from Christ’s love and God’s love, just as the Bible says in Romans 8:35 and Romans 8:38-39. The Apostle Paul told us twice in just a few verses the hold God and Christ’s love have on us. Nothing, absolutely nothing can come between us and the love of God. The enemy may try by throwing obstacle after obstacle in our way, on our way, at us, behind us, before us. But to no avail. God’s love conquers all.

What is keeping us from understanding this great love God has for us? What’s preventing us from seeing His love, from feeling and embracing this love? Maybe our definition of love needs to be redefined or spelled out for us. Read all of 1 Corinthians 13 to learn how God defines love. The Apostle Paul, who wrote this passage in the Bible, did a beautiful job of defining love from God’s perspective. While reading these verses, try inserting Jesus in place of the word love. You will not be the same when you see how much God loves you.

Another way to spell love is T-I-M-E. Think of the people you spend time with and you will quickly understand how this can be true. We do not intentionally spend our precious time with people who we do not love. We give our time to the people who we want to hang out with on a regular basis. Time is a piece of ourselves we can never get back. Our time spent talking with our loved ones will not be given back to us, but it will go a long way in fostering that relationship.

This is similar to how we can foster our relationship with Jesus. Do we spend time with Him? Not just a minute here or there, or an hour when we’re in church on the weekend, or out of obligation, but real time from our everyday life. Do we spend time with God from the moment we wake up and continue the conversation to the moment we lay our heads down to rest?

What does this realistically look like? Praying in a physical prayer closet or having our noses in the Bible all day long may not be feasible, nor necessarily advisable. We still need to go to work so we can pay our bills, feed our pets, do the laundry and take care of our loved ones. Yet, giving God our time is as individual as each one of us. Reading and studying the Bible is a good way to spend time with God—not just for a minute but taking adequate time to soak it in as we meditate on the words on the page. Prayer to God can be short throughout the day. We can have tiny conversations with Him that have no ending nor beginning but picked up where it was left off last. Time is a sacrifice. It is the giving of ourselves in that moment to one person. It is single-focused, purposeful and shared.

Isn’t this what God does for us? He is faithful and never leaves us. God never changes. He seeks us, pursues us and lavishes His love on us. He embraces us when He finds us, He comforts us when we hurt, and He holds us when we bury our head into His shoulder. Let’s receive this love from God. Let us give this love to God and to others. Because love never fails.

Let’s Pray:

Father God, thank You for Your love and Your definition of love—Jesus. Forgive me for pushing You away and not accepting this love or making it to be something it was never intended to be. Your love is beautiful and deserves its proper place in my life and in my heart. Thank You for loving me. I give my love to You, fully. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “How Deep the Father’s Love for Us” by Selah. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Kerry Sue’s life is very full because she is a wife and Marmee to three adult children—two of whom are married—and a new grandson. 

Kerry Sue met her husband in college and served on the mission field with him for a few years before settling down back in the United States of America to raise their family.

Kerry Sue’s family was a homeschooling family for 20 years and they enjoyed it immensely. For the last 24 years they have lived on a small farm in Northern California where they have raised many farm animals, along with growing and preserving their food. Kerry Sue’s family farm has been a great source of enjoyment and a place to host many family gatherings. She maintains an open-door policy for dear friends—old and new.

Following and serving Jesus Christ is an integral part of Kerry Sue’s life as well as her family’s. Whether it’s singing in the church choir, teaching children or leading and lecturing at a women’s Bible study, Kerry Sue loves to demonstrate her love for Jesus by giving to Him in service. She’s been a blogger for more than eight years, a Bible study writer for four years, and a devotional writer for more than two years.

Kerry Sue feels led to write about finding God’s Sovereignty in our suffering because of her own ongoing journey of more than four years, with the hope to encourage others.

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Connect with Kerry:
Blog: https://www.sovereignblog.com/home
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kerry.teravskis
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ksteravskis/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sovereignblog

Devotionals for the Heart: We need to stand firm in our faith in Jesus Christ

Standing Firm in Faith
A devotional by Christine Monteiro

“But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.”—Daniel 1:8 (NIV)

Scrolling on social media seems brainless. We don’t think about what we see. But the eyes can’t lie. We love what we see—the perfection of someone’s life.

Social media often showcases luxury, beauty, and success, subconsciously creating a desire for these things. We see people traveling along with beautiful scenery from one country to another. People we follow on social media showcase their accomplishments in many things and sharing their achievements in business, academic, career, etc. It is as if it is an easy achievement. Not to mention, these days, with beautiful camera filters, people look flawless. Beauty treatments seem to be more common everywhere. New beauty products are made available for purchase almost every day. Slowly, we start to compare ourselves and feel dissatisfaction, diverting focus from spiritual growth. We forget our true worth in the eyes of our Creator (God). We need to learn how to see ourselves as He sees us.

Lately, I’ve been studying the Bible story about Daniel. His decision to stand firm in his faith while held captive in Babylon reminded me of how we should stand firm in our faith while scrolling social media. We read in the first chapter of the Bible book of Daniel that Daniel was taken captive in Babylon during the Babylonian exile when King Nebuchadnezzar conquered Jerusalem. The king sought to assimilate these young men into Babylonian culture by educating them in the language and literature of the Babylonians and providing them with royal food and wine.

Despite the pressure to conform, Daniel decided not to defile himself with the royal food and wine. He requested permission to eat only vegetables and drink water for ten days as a test (Daniel 1:12). After ten days, Daniel and his friends appeared healthier than those who ate the king’s food. This spectacular result happened after Daniel and his friends consumed what we know in our modern day as “The Daniel Diet.” God blessed Daniel and his friends with knowledge and understanding. God gave Daniel the ability to interpret dreams and visions.

Living like Daniel today is difficult—not only with our food and drink choices but standing firm in our faith amidst social media temptations. However, we can take some steps to maintain our faithfulness and not be drawn to the temptation we see.

The first step is to discern what you consume on social media. We should pick and choose what we are exposed to. The right content will help our faith grow. The second step is contentment: We need to find contentment in God’s provision rather than worldly possessions because worldly possessions are temporary. The third step is to focus on God’s plan. Think about your purpose in life, what God has planted, the Godly desire instead of the worldly desires and the fleeting desires promoted online.

Let’s evaluate our social media habits and make conscious choices to prioritize our faith. When we are faithful to God, the reward is beyond our understanding. Just like God was with Daniel, He is with us, providing strength and guidance. Let’s maintain our eternal perspective, valuing spiritual growth over material gain.

Let’s Pray:

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for being such a good Father to us. Even though we face difficult choices in life, we believe you are there to give us strength and guidance. Please give us wisdom in choosing the right thing to do. Teach us to be content with what we have now and show us how to focus on eternity instead of the temporary pleasures of this world. Thank You for your love and mercy in our lives. In Jesus’s name, I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection #1: “Magnificent” by Hillsong Worship. Listen to it here.

Song of Reflection #2: “Beautiful Savior” by Planetshakers. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Christine Monteiro is a certified transformative coach, writer, and keynote speaker who is passionate about helping others navigate the complexities of purpose, personal growth, and resilience. 

Christine’s journey to becoming a coach started four years ago, following the loss of her husband to brain cancer. That experience left her feeling as though she had lost her purpose—a feeling she deeply understands in clients who she works with now. Through self-discovery and training, Christine found the missing pieces in her life and regained her purpose and drive that now motivates her to help others.

Christine coaches her clients from all walks of life—from young adults to retirees—helping them to embrace change, set meaningful goals, and confidently pursue their dreams. She has received training through Creative Results Management and holds credentials from the International Coaching Federation (ICF). Christine also has certifications in Positive Psychology and Mental Health Coaching from Yale and Light University. Her diverse approach to coaching her clients combines empathy with strategic insight, helping them to navigate every stage of life.

When she writes, Christine likes to focus on topics like finding purpose, coping with grief, and achieving personal transformation. As she writes, Christine draws from her own experiences as a single mom and empty nester. She enjoys sharing these insights on various platforms to reach a wider audience and foster community support.

When not coaching or writing, Christine spends her time sipping black coffee and swimming in the pool. She has found that having three independent children gives her a privilege to have a lot of “me time” that she didn’t have when they were growing up.