Devotionals for the Heart: When God wants something more for you

Desires of the Heart
A devotional by Colleen C. Howard

“And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.”—1 John 2:17 (NLT)

What are your heart’s desires?

Life pitches a variety of lies to us, and we tend to catch and keep quite a few along our journey. Believing the lie will quench our desire for a better life is like piling one lie on top of another. Pretty soon, the stack is too heavy to handle.

When our son was a little boy, he would experience boredom on a daily basis. As his mother, it wore me out! One year, as Christmas was getting close, he expressed his desire for a specific toy, which came with an enticing proclamation, “If I get this, I’ll never be bored again!” Did he receive that toy on Christmas morning? You bet he did! He played with it incessantly, and about ten days later, I listened to the familiar battle cry, “Mom! I’m b-o-r-e-d!” Well, bless his little heart. Playing with the toy nonstop reduced his interest level until he was no longer enchanted.

Haven’t we all succumbed to this lie at one time or another? Here’s a phrase that should put you on high alert, “If I only.” It sounds something like this, “If I only had a new car, if only I could get the promotion, or if only I had the latest cell phone . . . then my life would be perfect.”

But God wants something more for us––a deep connection with Him and with His children. He’s the only one who can satisfy our souls and fill our hearts. Longing for material things is overrated. The enemy uses these distractions to shift our focus off of Jesus Christ.

We need more of God! We need more time in prayer and a more generous spirit toward those in our circle. We need more grace, more patience, and more mercy for others in our lives! This is what will align our hearts with God’s desires.

Just like our son, who was certain he could be satisfied if only he had the toy he longed for, we will also find that material satisfaction is short-lived. Let’s return to matters of the heart. God’s pursuit for us is relentless, His love is unconditional, and His mercies are new every morning.

Let’s Pray: Dear God, You alone know the desires of our hearts. Open our ears to hear your voice and help us to sense your presence in every corner of our lives. Send your Holy Spirit to help us be aware of the enemy’s distractions. Equip us to do what pleases you, O Lord, that we may live with you forever. Thanks be to God. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “Lord, I Need You” by Hillsong Worship. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Colleen C. Howard is a Jesus follower, wife, mom, mimi, educator and author.

 

She lives with her husband in the beautiful Arizona desert where the sunsets are spectacular, the summers are hot, and the winters are a little slice of heaven. Her two adult children and their families live nearby. She considers it a joy to spend time with her family members!

She is a lifelong educator and co-founder of an educational professional development business. After spending her professional life in education, Colleen retired as the STEM Specialist for a large public school district. As she approached the end of that season, God placed a strong desire in Colleen’s heart to shine a light on God’s presence throughout ordinary days and encourage women in their faith-walk with Jesus Christ.

When asked what makes her faith walk real, Colleen replied, “It isn’t just one thing, but a million little things. Although some days bring trials and others bring joy, it’s never just another day.” She says when you give your heart to Jesus, each new day is another opportunity to walk hand-in-hand with Him and begin to know the heart of God. As you become more aware of His presence, stop, take a breath, and watch what God will do.

Colleen holds a Bachelor of Arts in Education from Arizona State University and a Masters in Educational Leadership from Northern Arizona University.

She has been published online via these websites: Inkspirations, Her View From Home, and Inside Out Worldwide.

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Connect with Colleen:
Website: https://www.authorcolleenchoward.com/

Devotionals for the Heart: Trusting the God who has all the answers we need

Unsolved Mysteries and the God who Knows Everything
A devotional by Suzanne Felton

“Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?”

—Job 11:7 (NIV)

I love a good mystery.

Whenever I find time to read for pleasure, I reach for a whodunnit. I scour the pages for clues as I read, trying to solve the puzzle before the fictional sleuth does. There’s a sense of satisfaction that comes from unravelling all the knots and tying up all the loose ends of the plot before reaching the end of the book.

Wouldn’t it be nice if real life were like a mystery novel? In a way, we are all amateur sleuths navigating life as best we can, using the facts and clues at hand to try to figure it all out. Sometimes we do have “aha moments” when the lightbulb goes on and the problem suddenly makes sense. But often, things happen that are simply beyond our comprehension. As one of my favorite mystery authors, Dorothy L. Sayers, once said, “Life is no candidate for the Detection Club.” Sayers, who was also a Christian apologist, explained that the “notion that all human situations are ‘problems’ like detective problems, capable of a single, necessary, and categorical solution . . . cannot be [true].”

Mystery stories appeal to our human desire for understanding. We want to know the “who, what, where, when and why” of the world around us. Any time we can make sense of something, life seems a little less overwhelming, and we feel a little more in control. Sometimes we can’t find the answers, though. Sometimes life just doesn’t make sense.

Perhaps the thoughts that ruminate in your mind are something like: I worked hard and excelled in my occupation, but I was still passed over for the promotion. I ate a healthy diet and did exercise regularly, but I still received an unwelcome diagnosis from my doctor. There is tragedy, injustice, grief, oppression, war, suffering, and hopelessness in the world. If God is good, why do these things happen?

The reality is that our human minds are not equipped to understand all of life’s mysteries, and that’s not really a bad thing. Isaiah 55:8-9 (NIV) says, “‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.’” God Himself tells us that His thoughts and His ways are too big for us to grasp. Shouldn’t this be a comforting thought?

When life doesn’t make sense to us, there is Someone who does understand it, who sees the big picture and knows how it all fits together. This Someone is never baffled or confused or overwhelmed by anything. That someone is Almighty God, and He is not only omniscient, but He is always good. That means that His thoughts and His ways are always good, too, even when we can't comprehend them.

It’s not always easy to be comforted by this knowledge, though. We are human, after all, and we were created with curiosity and a thirst for understanding. I think this is where faith fits in. If we were like God and understood everything, we would have no need for Him. If we had no curiosity or longing for knowledge, we would never seek Him. Faith grows when we are able to admit that our understanding is limited and trust that His is not.

My pastor, Dr. Kris Clifford, preached a sermon this week that resonated with this devotional I was already writing. He said, “Truth often comes wrapped in mystery. When we embrace mystery, we don’t grow in knowledge—we grow in faith. Paradox isn’t a problem to solve—it’s an invitation to trust.”

Some mysteries weren’t meant for us to solve. As hard as it is for us to accept, we won’t always be able to know answers to all the “who, where, what, how and why” questions of life. We do know, though, that God is God, and God is good. Those are the only facts we really need.

Let’s Pray: Heavenly Father, sometimes we don’t understand why things happen, and that’s hard for us to accept. We know that Your ways are higher than our ways, though, and Your thoughts are higher than our thoughts. We know that You are good. Please help us to trust You more each day. In Jesus’s name we pray, Amen.

Song of Reflection: “Glorious Unfolding” by Steven Curtis Chapman. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Suzanne Felton has been a writer for most of her life, even before she realized it. 

She has worked in a wide range of settings, from non-profits to science labs to government contracts to educational classrooms, all of which involved writing in one form or another.

Suzanne is amazed by the power of words and now uses her passion and experience to help authors and students as a writing coach. Encouraging others to find the words and the courage to share their stories is one of her greatest joys.

Suzanne’s devotionals have been published in periodicals and blogs including The Upper Room, The Love Offering, Keys 4 Kids, and The Swallow’s Nest. She is also a two-time finalist in the Cascade Christian Writing Contest for poetry.

She is a wife, mother, writer, reader, teacher, deep thinker, and sinner saved by grace. Suzanne and her family reside in Northern Virginia, but Suzanne will always call her native South Carolina home.

Married to her best friend for twenty-five years, Suzanne is active in her church, where she and her husband have served as deacons for over a decade. They enjoy watching sports and visiting national parks with their two teenage sons. Suzanne is also an avid birder, easily and happily distracted by anything with feathers.

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Connect with Suzanne:
Website: https://suzannefelton.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/l_suzanne_felton
Email address: suzannefeltonwriter@gmail.com

Devotionals for the Heart: Hope for when you're in a dark season of life

Without Reproach
A devotional by Aubrey Taylor

“You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. Yet now He has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.”—Colossians 1:21-22 (NLT)

Have you ever come across a devotional that was spot on and filled with perfect encouragement for those whose faith just needs a little boost, yet you feel worse after reading it than you did when you picked it up?

Perhaps you thought: Lord, why isn’t this true for me? I do all these things, yet I don’t feel any better! Even though I’ve been living free from chronic depression for three years, I am still sensitive to the way I would have felt during the darkest seasons of my life. I can read at a devotional or listen to a sermon and remember how I would have received it as someone who was severely depressed.

I realize that many devotional writers write for a general audience and simply cannot address every nuance in the human experience, but I also remember my experiences all too well. To those who find themselves in a season of depression, you are not alone. While there are many devotionals that are not written for you in this season, this one is.

We don’t always know how to interpret the feelings of depression, and others don’t know what advice to give. When we take well-intentioned suggestions such as, “Spend more time in the Word of God or turn on more worship music,” the hopelessness does not go away. We begin to internalize and blame ourselves, seeing sin in our life that is not there. This leads to feelings of condemnation, which leads to more depression. It is a vicious cycle.

Do you feel like words on a page, in a sermon, or in a song only serve to condemn you? Is Romans 8:1 (NLT) that says, “there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus”, something you know in your head but not in your heart?

At some point in my depressed past, I began to identify with the word reproach. I felt reproached by so many things—even things in the Word of God. The Collins Dictionary defines the word “reproach” this way: “to impute blame to (a person) for an action or fault; rebuke to bring disgrace or shame upon.” In light of that definition, let’s read the words from Colossians 1:21-22 (NLT) again. It says, “This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.”

If you are still battling your way through depression, if you haven’t found healing yet, whether supernatural or through medication or counseling or a combination of all three, hold onto this verse: “You are holy and blameless before Him without a single fault.”

God doesn’t look at your depression, or your inability to pull yourself up out of it, as a fault. Furthermore, the reproach you are feeling may not be an indication of any sin. It is very much tied to a marred perception of God’s heart. The promise that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus is more than empty words. God wants you to know it in your heart and experience it in your life.

If you are going through a dark season, I want to encourage you that there is healing. Your route to healing may not look like someone else’s. For me, it has included years of counseling with a godly woman who helped me re-structure my thought life, and medication to balance things that were out of sync. As He promises to do in 2 Corinthians 1:4, God has used this drawn-out process to help me understand others who are suffering, comforting me in my affliction so that I may turn and comfort those who are in affliction. Someday, He will use your suffering for His glory as well—and for the comfort of others.

Let’s Pray:

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You that Your Word is true. There is truly no condemnation for those of us who are in Christ Jesus! Because of Your sacrificial death, I stand before You, blameless without a single fault. Even if I don’t feel that way, it is the truth. Help me begin to see myself and my life the way You see me. Please guard my ears and heart so that I stop sensing condemnation and reproach when what I need is encouragement and comfort. Guide me into healing, so that what I have suffered may be used for Your glory. 

In Jesus’s name I pray, 

Amen.

Song of Reflection #1: "My Prayer for You" by Alisa Turner. Listen to it here.

Song of Reflection #2: "Hold On" by Katy Nichole. Listen to it here.

Song of Reflection #3: "I Almost Let Go" by Kurt Carr. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

As a child, Aubrey spent countless hours creating characters and writing stories.

 

Thirty years later, she took up her pen again, uniting her fascination for history with her passion for redemption. The stories she creates are a unique brand of gritty, honest wartime sagas, written from the German perspective.

Aubrey is the mother of three children, and she is married to her best friend Brian.

When she’s not writing or taking care of home and family, she can often be found making music, reading, or spending time with friends.

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Connect with Aubrey:
Website: www.aubreytaylorbooks.com
Blog: www.aubreytaylorbooks.com/blog
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aubreytaylorbooks
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aubreytaylorbooks/
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/aubtaybooks

Devotionals for the Heart: How to cure an identity crisis with God's truth

The Only Title that Matters
A devotional by Joyce M. Averils

But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.”

—Isaiah 43:1 (ESV)

A while ago, I had a coaching client who found herself in the middle of a full-blown identity crisis.

On paper, her life looked great. She had a good-paying job, a supportive family, and the kind of professional status that turns heads in a room. But when she sat across from me on Zoom, her eyes filled with tears. She whispered, “I hate my job. Every day, I feel like a piece of me is dying. I want to quit, but I just can’t.”

It wasn’t about money—she and her husband had already discussed it, and they were on the same page. The bills would be paid. The kids would be fine. The issue wasn’t her bank account. It was her identity.

“I don’t know who I am without this job title,” she said.

Maybe you’ve never said those exact words, but I wonder, have you ever felt like you were only valuable because of what you do at work or at church? Have you ever wondered who you’d be if the titles, the accolades, or the responsibilities were stripped away? If so, you’re not alone. This is something many women, especially high-achieving women, struggle with. They’ve spent years climbing ladders, meeting expectations, and wearing masks just to prove their worth.

I want to lovingly remind you of this truth: You are not what you do. You are who God says you are. The life of Abraham gives us a powerful reminder that our identity is found in belonging to God, not in doing great things for God.

If Abraham had a LinkedIn profile, it would be impressive: left his homeland in obedience to God’s call, trusted God for a child in his old age, nearly sacrificed his son out of sheer faith. But let’s be honest, Abraham had some missteps too. He lied (not once, but twice) about Sarah being his sister instead of his wife. He and his wife became impatient and tried to help God’s plan for a heir of their own along by having a child with Hagar who was Sarah’s servant. And there were moments when his faith wavered. But, despite all of those wrong turns and lack of unwavering faith in the promises of God, Scripture tells us in James 2:23 (ESV), “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God.”

God didn’t define Abraham by his failures or his achievements. He saw his faith. He saw his heart. And He called him friend. Isn’t that encouraging? The Creator of Heaven and Earth doesn’t look at your résumé, social media followers, or your to-do list to determine your worth. He looks at your heart. And when He sees you in Christ, He sees righteousness, holiness, and redemption (1 Corinthians 1:30).

We live in a world that constantly tries to name us: successful, unsuccessful, too old, not enough, behind, broken, busy, burnt out. But you and I don’t belong to this world. We belong to a kingdom where value isn’t based on performance, but on presence—God’s presence in you. We matter to God because we belong to Him. Our security and true identity are found in being a follower of Jesus Christ, a child of the Eternal King. We are not truly defined by our job title nor is our worth in it. You have priceless value and are treasured by God not because of your perfectly curated life nor because of your ministry work for Him. Your identity, your value, your wholeness all comes from being in Christ. This is the truth: Your identity as a child of the Most High God is the greatest title you will ever carry.

So don’t let the enemy—or your own inner critic—put any other label on you. Not “failure”, not “has-been”, not “too late”, not “not enough.” God calls you chosen, beloved, redeemed, and His Child. That’s the only name that matters in eternity.

You may change careers. You may shift roles. Life may take you through different seasons. But none of that changes who you are in God’s eyes. You are His. Period.

So today, if you’ve been finding your identity in what you do, I invite you to lay it down. Just lay it all at His feet. And in its place, pick up the truth of who you really are. The world may celebrate what you do, but Heaven rejoices in who you are.

Let’s Pray:

Heavenly Father,

Help me to remember that I am Yours not because of what I do, but because of who You are. Strip away every false identity I’ve clung to and remind me that I am accepted, loved, and enough just as I am. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection #1: “The Truth” by Megan Woods. Listen to it here.

Song of Reflection #2: “Who You Say I Am” by Hillsong Worship. 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: Why waiting on the Lord is always worth it

When Dreams Come True After a Long Wait
A devotional by Jessica Brodie

“The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.”

—Lamentations 3:25 (ESV)

Have you ever waited for something you prayed for, something you desperately wanted to come to fruition? And when it finally did, it was almost unbelievable, like maybe you were dreaming and this wasn’t actually happening?

That’s how I’m feeling this month as a dream I’ve had since I was a child is finally coming to pass. This week, my debut novel releases, The Memory Garden, book one in a contemporary Christian fiction series set in a fictional town in South Carolina. Excitement is thrumming through my fingers as I write this—can you feel it?

It’s funny, though, because now that this day is here, I realize why the wait took so long. Right now, this particular time in my life and in the world around me, is the absolute perfect time for my book to release. I cannot imagine it releasing at any other phase in my life. Yet even saying this is such a strange feeling.

I know that God’s timing is perfect, but it’s as if, in this situation, I’m experiencing His perfect timing firsthand. I see His love and care for me and for this book, a book God himself laid on my heart to write.

I’ve shared before that one of the first toys I remember as a kid was my mom’s old typewriter. She would let me write all of my imaginary stories on the old machine, and while there was no paper, I remember that feeling of satisfaction as my little girl fingers would mash those keys to my heart’s content. I spent my childhood practicing my craft, everything from scribbling in my diary to writing short stories.

I was 21 and a recent college graduate when I started writing my first (unpublished) novel. And now, finally, here I am—almost three decades later. And it’s time. This feels right. But the waiting was long—do you know what I mean?

Heartbreakingly long. Often I wondered if it would ever happen to me, if my dreams would ever come true. While I’ve been blessed to make my career as a journalist, my passion has always been fiction. And it feels surreal to know this precious thing that has stirred in my heart for so long truly is becoming a reality.

It reminds me of other long waits for dreams come true—a period of infertility, then two children. Three years walking alongside my daughter as she battled terrible depression and anxiety, now so much better. During that waiting, it felt like it would last forever. Some days felt agonizing, like an endless storm. Yet over and over, I found myself on my knees in prayer, my wilderness drawing me ever closer to Jesus Christ. Eventually, the clouds lifted.

Waiting can be incredibly hard, especially when you’re waiting for something you are certain is in line with God’s will for your life or the life of someone close to you. But just like metal must be refined in the fire before it is perfected, sometimes we also must go through a difficult period of waiting before we are refined enough to enter that next phase in our life. And when that time comes, we see so clearly why the wait was needed.

In his book A Shelter in the Time of Storm, Paul David Tripp wrote, “Remember, waiting isn’t just about what you are hoping for at the end of the wait, but also about what you will become as you wait.”

Sometimes we wait because God is preparing us for what is to come. Sometimes it’s because something isn’t God’s plan for us. Sometimes it’s necessary to draw us closer to Him. The trick is to settle your soul during the waiting, letting that time hone and craft you into the person God needs you to be.

If you’re waiting, remember: God loves you, and you’re waiting for a reason. Even if you don’t understand why, trust in the Lord anyway. His plan is the best, now and always.

Let’s Pray: Heavenly Father, thank You for the waiting, even during the times I struggle against your will and want what I want so badly. Help me to settle under your always loving hand, knowing that your way is the best way. Help me submit to your rule and your plan for my life, now and always. Help me grow to be the person you need me to be so I can shine your light in the world all the better. In your holy and precious name I pray, Amen.

Song of Reflection: “In the Waiting” by Vicki Yohe. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Jessica Brodie is an award-winning journalist, author, blogger, editor, writing coach, and devotional writer with thousands of articles to her name. 

Since 2010, she has served as the editor of the South Carolina United Methodist Advocate, the oldest newspaper in Methodism, which has won 123 journalism awards during her tenure. Her latest book is Preparing Our Hearts: An Advent Devotional to Draw Closer to God at Christmas.

Jessica has won more than 100 writing awards. She is a seasoned speaker and frequent contributor to Christianity.com, BibleStudyTools.com, and Crosswalk.com, among many others. She has a weekly faith blog at JessicaBrodie.com and is part of the team at Wholly Loved Ministries, with her work included in many of their devotionals and Bible studies.

She’s also produced a free eBook, A God-Centered Life: 10 Faith-Based Practices When You’re Feeling Anxious, Grumpy, or Stressed.

Brodie holds a Master of Arts in English, and she graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in communications/print journalism from Florida International University. Born and raised in Miami, Brodie now lives in Lexington, South Carolina, just outside Columbia. She has also lived in Ohio and in the mountains of western North Carolina. She and her husband, Matt Brodie, have a blended family of four teenage children and stepchildren.

Brodie has written several novels and is actively seeking publication through her agent Bob Hostetler of The Steve Laube Agency. Her novel The Memory Garden won the 2018 Genesis contest for Contemporary Fiction from American Christian Fiction Writers, and her novel Tangled Roots won a third place Foundation Award in Contemporary Romance at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference in 2019. She is finishing the third in the series, Hidden Seeds, now.

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Connect with Jessica:
Website: https://www.jessicabrodie.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorjessicajbrodie/
Twitter: https://x.com/JessicaJBrodie
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/jessicajbrodie
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicajbrodie/
Podcast: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/jessica-brodie
Download her free e-book:
https://www.jessicabrodie.com/ebook-god-centered

Devotionals for the Heart: What can happen when you ask Jesus to stay

Three Hours One Sunday
A devotional by Chaplain Paul Anderson

“Were not our hearts burning within us while He talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” — Luke 24:32 (NIV)

It was Resurrection Sunday.

Jerusalem was still reeling with grief and confusion. Jesus Christ, whom many had believed to be the Messiah, had been crucified just three days earlier. His followers were heartbroken. Their hopes, it seemed, had died on the cross with Him. Among them were two disciples who left Jerusalem and began a seven-mile journey to a village called Emmaus. This walk—just about three hours—would become one of the most transformative encounters in Scripture.

According to Luke 24:13-35, two people—one named Cleopas and the other unnamed—were talking and reasoning together as they walked. I would offer the conjecture that Cleopas was walking with his wife on this seven-mile journey. Why? Because their conversation was intimately heavy—full of sorrow, grief and confusion. Also, because as they neared their destination, they strongly invited Jesus to have dinner at their house and to spend the night.

As they strolled along together, they spoke of Christ’s suffering and death, of the rumors that His body was missing, and of the women who claimed they had seen angels announcing He was alive. They were trying to make sense of it all.

At some point in our lives, each of us has or will have a walk to Emmaus experience. This happens when our realities conflict with our expectations and we feel like God has left us. We are walking our own road to Emmaus when questions and doubts about what we believed God would do for us is incongruent with what has actually happened to us. We thought He would fix our marriage, heal our illness, restore our finances…and now we’re walking away from Jerusalem, from the place of pain and dead expectations.

But here is the comfort: Jesus meets us, like He met them, on the road of disappointment. Scripture says, “Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing Him” (Luke 24:15–16). He joined them, not with condemnation, but with companionship. The risen Savior doesn't just meet us in the sanctuary; He meets us in our sorrow.

Jesus listened patiently as the two disciples poured out their grief. Then He spoke—not about His resurrection at first, but about the Word of God. Luke says, “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself” (Luke 24:27).

What a Bible study that must have been! Their hearts burned, though they still did not recognize Him. In that moment, He resurrected their hope! That’s what happens when the living Word comes alive in us.

When they reached Emmaus, Jesus acted as if He were going further. But they urged Him, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over” (Luke 24:29). Jesus accepted their invitation and as He broke the bread at dinner, they recognized Him! Then, He disappeared!

In my life it was not until I invited Jesus to stay, until I made room for Him in the ordinary moments of my life, that my eyes opened. In that intimate moment of reverence, as Jesus broke the bread for them, revelation came, through the simple act of fellowship and shared bread.

Then they said: “Were not our hearts burning within us while He talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:32). Their despair turned into joy. Their confusion turned into clarity. Their restored hope reinvigorated them. Their perspectives, desires and direction in life changed.

Though it was late, they immediately returned to Jerusalem. The same road that had been marked by discouragement was now charged with mission. They had encountered the risen Christ. How could they stay silent? How could they wait until sunrise when they knew that the Son of God had risen?

Three hours. One Sunday. That’s all it took. From remorse to revelation. From sorrow to joy. From confusion to clarity. From walking away to walking with purpose. The risen Christ still walks with us on our Emmaus roads. When our faith falters, He meets us. When our hearts are heavy, He speaks truth. When we invite Him in, He opens our eyes. Therefore, I encourage you to walk with Him. Listen to His voice. Let your heart burn again. Because three hours with Jesus—on any day—can change your life forever.

Let’s Pray: Thank You, dear God, for Resurrection Sunday and every day since then. For now, we live in the light of redeeming grace and anointed service to our living Lord. We don’t look back in grief but forward in faith that soon and very soon, “He that shall come, will come and will not tarry (Hebrews 10:37).” In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “Resurrecting” by Elevation Worship. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Chaplain Anderson is the Director Emeritus of Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries for the North American Division. In this role, he was the friend, advocate and gatekeeper for the profession of chaplaincy among Adventist pastors. 

His new mission is to specialize in personal and personnel development coaching. He journeys with and guides clients, personal and corporate, as they define their goals and grow into their full potential.

His pastoral career began in the Allegheny East Conference where he was ordained.

Subsequently, he served in the Potomac Conference at the Sligo and Seabrook churches. His professional dream was to be a chaplain in the United States Navy. He got to live that dream and achieved the rank of Commander before retiring from Naval service in 2015 with 26 years of service.

Chaplain Anderson has earned four graduate degrees: He earned his Master of Divinity Degree was earned at the seminary at Andrews University. He earned a Master’s of Education from the University of Maryland and a Master’s in Sacred Theology from Boston University. His Doctor of Ministry was conferred by Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington D.C.

Chaplain Anderson and his wife Debra have been married for 41 years. They have two healthy, saved and well-adjusted adult children who picked good spouses and delivered four grandchildren.

Adventures through traveling, reading, praying, preaching, teaching and writing are the avenues of ministry and self-care that define his now and his destiny.

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

Devotionals for the Heart: Learning how to abide in Jesus Christ

Learning to Abide
A devotional by Jennifer Hamill

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”—John 15:4-5 (ESV)

Sometimes we walk through life believing that we are abiding in Jesus Christ and believing His truths and promises for our lives.

But instead, we are walking in our own strength, hope and wisdom. We get frustrated or discouraged when our prayers seem to go unanswered, when at the same time, the Lord is faithfully providing exactly what we need for that moment.

Have you ever found yourself in a pit of anxiety, anger, or hopelessness because the season in which you are walking and what you are experiencing seems to be tumultuous and full of silence from the Lord?

If so, you are not alone.

Sometimes we can have all the right answers and seemingly be doing all the right things, yet our hearts are not at ease and our spirit is full of confusion, despair, and discontentment. Just because we have the knowledge of God’s promises and Biblical truth does not mean we are truly believing them in our heart and abiding in His peace, hope, and rest. Knowledge and actively believing/abiding in the Truth are not the same. The first is solely based on the mind, whereas the latter is known to the mind, felt in the heart, and accompanied by the fruit of the Spirit and Christ-likeness in our lives.

Unfortunately, it is not a simple flip of a switch for us to understand or know how to truly abide in Christ and all of the promises God has given us. Fortunately, God is committed to the process of completing the good work He began in us, His children. God’s very intention toward us is to teach us how to abide in Truth and depend on Him rather than ourselves; and that lesson requires humility.

According to the dictionary and my own understanding, to “abide” means to remain stable or fixed on something; additionally, to abide means to “accept or act in accordance with (a rule, decision, or recommendation).”

Given these definitions, a question to consider is “Does my current life reflect a life of abiding in peace, hope, and rest because I am choosing to abide in God’s promises and the truth of His character? Or does it reflect a life of self-reliance, frustration, and exhaustion?” More simply put, we can ask ourselves, “What type of fruit am I bearing? If others were around me 24/7/365, what fruit would they see and/or experience?”

Some of these “x-ray” questions can simply serve as a resource to take a step back and evaluate if we are truly living in light of the truths and promises of the Gospel.

Recently, I was in a conversation about the heart of gratitude. I found it interesting to consider how sometimes we can say we are grateful for something. But in reality, we are not truly appreciating it and experiencing gratitude on a heart level. Furthermore, we can say we are praying about something. But in reality, we are not surrendering it to the Lord on a heart level.

We naturally love control. But humility and abiding in Christ requires a release of control into the heart posture of faith. This requires us to make a choice. Sometimes we are faced with a decision as simple as, “Am I going to pause, breathe, and take this concern to the Lord who is good, sovereign, and perfect in all His ways, or am I going to keep trying to solve my own problem, research one more thing, ask one more question?”

It is important to remember, though, that abiding does not just happen spontaneously or naturally. It is intentional. It requires intentional time in the Word of God (The Holy Bible), intentional time of prayer, intentional meditating upon Scripture and characteristics of God as well as attributes of God. Furthermore, abiding does not mean that all is wonderful and life is free of hardships. Abiding in God’s faithfulness, love, character, and Truth actually offers our soul a hope, peace, and rest that is unattainable in ourselves, others, or anything else this world has to offer us.

I hope you will take a moment to pause and reflect with the Lord today. How are you truly doing? What are you abiding in? What are your concerns and what are you doing with them? What are you believing about who God is and His character in this moment? Pray through these thoughts and answers. The Lord is for you and is with you; let Him teach you how to abide in Him.

Let’s Pray: Father God, thank You for being good and faithful. Thank You for your perfect provision for this day. Thank You that I can experience true hope, peace, and rest as I look to you and abide in your Truth and promises. I ask for Your help, Oh Lord. Teach me how to surrender, abide, and depend on You. May my heart trust Your good intentions, perfect wisdom, and sufficient provision. In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection #1: “Abide” by Dwell Songs. Listen to it here.

Song of Reflection #2: “Lay It Down” by Jaci Velasquez. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Jennifer Hamill obtained a Bachelor of Social Work, a Master of Ministry in Intercultural Studies, and a certification in Biblical Counseling. 

Her educational training has afforded Jennifer the opportunity to work with various populations—such as foster care and adoption, refugee women, homeless, under-resourced youth, international students, and local churches. It has been through these experiences that she has seen a need for women of all ages to understand their true identity as a child of God in order to experience the promised abundant life and freedom.

By working as a Biblical Counselor and Coach, Jennifer focuses on helping others discover who God is and to know their true identity in Jesus Christ. Through her professional work and ministry, she helps people learn how to carry out their specific purpose and calling in building God’s Kingdom that is not of this world.

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Connect with Jennifer:
Website: www.rootedandfixed.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/rootedandfixed
Email address: rootedandfixed@gmail.com