Devotionals for the Heart: Smile

The Power of A Smile
A devotional Jessica Brodie

You know how those famous actresses and models seem to light up the world with their mega-watt smiles? It’s not just because of their big, toothy grins, either—it’s as though their very eyes are sparkling with warmth and laughter, sending lightning bolts of friendliness that dazzle you from head to toe. They don’t even need to be gorgeous, though most of them are. That smile does it all.

I read once that it’s because they’re really smiling with their eyes, not their mouths. Sure, their lips curve up and their teeth show, but take a look and see what I mean: You could cover the bottom half of their face and still tell that they’re smiling.

All this mask-wearing I’ve been doing since coronavirus began to spread has been making me think a lot lately about the power of a smile—a real smile, the kind that lights up your eyes and radiates love. Most communities now are recommending we wear face masks to protect ourselves—and others—from the virus, which spreads largely through respiratory droplets from one person to another. 

Masks are not terribly comfortable, and they tend to fog up eyeglasses and leave interesting dents in your hair, not to mention make us even hotter in the summer than we already are, and they’ve made lipstick-wearing more than a bit obnoxious. It doesn’t matter if they’re cloth masks, the ultra-extra filtered kind, or the N-95s—whatever style you wear, they typically cover your face from mid-nose to chin, with straps tucking behind the ears or all around your head.

There are other drawbacks, too—they muffle sound, so it can be really hard to hear cashiers, bank tellers, and others you’re in conversation with. I’m a bit hard of hearing, so this means any lip-reading I do is now officially out the window when it comes to public exchanges.

But they’re necessary. Masks save lives. They’re a way to love my neighbor, a small bit of self-sacrifice I can do to protect others from any germs I might be carrying (and perhaps me from getting whatever they carry, as well). It’s the responsible thing to do.

Still, for me, the worst part about masks is that it makes the generic social smiling I do incredibly difficult. See, I’m a big fan of smiles in general. My daughter teases me that I even drive my car smiling. Somehow, a smile is the expression that tends to rest on my face. I don’t mind this, even though she says it makes me look a bit loopy sometimes (ha!). That’s because I love what a smile can do for others. It can offer a small bit of friendship in a scary, difficult world. It can encourage someone having a tough day. It can serve as an invitation to talk, or send the message to someone needing a little help: “Go on. It’s OK. You can ask—I won’t bite.”

But now, it sometimes feels like I’m a walking robot as I don my mask and push my cart through the aisles in the grocery store. Everyone’s just wearing their mask, focused on their task, getting in and out of the store as quickly as possible. No more small talk with the people in the checkout line. No more pause-and-chats. It’s all business, or at least it feels that way.

However, a couple weeks ago, standing in line at the grocery and listening to the cashier huff and groan as she swiped items across the scanner and into bags, I could see she was having a hard day. My heart tugged. And suddenly, those smiley-eyed actresses and models popped into my head.

When it was my turn with the cashier, I greeted her with as friendly and sincere a hello as possible. I cocked my head at her and gave her as warm-eyed a smile as I could. My body language instantly felt more relaxed, more expansive, which was an interesting observation.

And I could see the effect it had on her, which was even more interesting. She slowed her pace, then swiveled her head a little my way. We made small talk about nothing and nonsense—the weather, that sort of thing—and then I was on my way.

But it transformed our interaction, this smiling-with-my eyes thing. So I’ve started doing it everywhere I go, and guess what? It seems to have a universal effect. Plus, focusing on letting that joy spill out of me in new and more obvious ways had a surprisingly relaxing effect. It warmed my heart, literally and figuratively.

When we feel joy, it should spread through us and not stop. Our joy in the Lord should explode—into a smile, into our eyes, and keep going! Our whole body should radiate that love and light! Our joy doesn’t depend on emotion—it isn’t rooted in happiness or mere feelings. We can feel joy even in our darkest, most painful hours.

I close with some Scriptures that encourage:

“A cheerful heart is good medicine.” — Proverbs 17:22a NIV

“A happy heart makes the face cheerful.” — Proverbs 15:13a NIV

“Those who look to him are radiant.” — Psalm 34:5a NIV

“Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”
— Romans 5:3-4 NIV

God bless you, and remember to let your light shine always, no matter what. 

That light could draw someone else to Jesus Christ.

~*~
Author Bio:

Jessica Brodie is an award-winning Christian novelist, journalist, editor, blogger, and writing coach and the recipient of the 2018 American Christian Fiction Writers Genesis Award for her novel, The Memory Garden.

She is also the editor of the South Carolina United Methodist Advocate, the oldest newspaper in Methodism. Learn more about her fiction and read her faith blog at http://jessicabrodie.com.

She has a weekly YouTube devotional, too. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and more. She’s also produced a free eBook, A God-Centered Life: 10 Faith-Based Practices When You’re Feeling Anxious, Grumpy, or Stressed.

Devotionals for the Heart: Life Lessons learned from Jesus Christ

Learning from Jesus
A devotional by Karen Marstaller

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” 

–Matthew 11:28 (ESV)

Many times, the promise of Jesus Christ in Matthew 11:28 (ESV) comforts us during rough patches in our lives. He says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

These beautiful words lift our trembling hearts and fainting limbs when we face fearful circumstances or difficult decisions. We cling to Christ’s promises to provide rest and peace in the storm. He is right there with us.

The next two verses of Matthew 11 continue His directive. In verses 29-30, Jesus says, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Wait a minute. A yoke? Seriously?

When studying westward expansion in the United States, it’s easy to imagine the Conestoga wagons that transported half a nation across the lonesome prairies.

Teams of oxen, mules, and horses pulled each wagon. The success or failure of such a move depended upon the strength and stamina of the beasts that were yoked into the harnesses and hitched to the wagons. As the great migration headed out, the animals strained against the weight behind them until the bulky wagons began to roll. Uphill or down, the long string of emigrants moved farther from their original homes to the places that awaited them at the end of the endless journey they dared to undertake.

If the animals in the trains were yoked properly, they moved unrelentingly west. If they were mismatched, or if the yokes were rough or misshapen, the wagon had to stop. The animals, injured or afraid, simply could not continue until the problem was remedied.

Now let’s go back to Jesus. He tells us to slip into the harness with Him. Walk step-by-step with Him unswervingly; obediently putting one foot in front of the other as we work in tandem with the Lord. Along the way, we learn how to live abundantly. We discover how to let Him lead us, how to grow in faithfulness and love, and how to keep our eyes focused on our ultimate home in Heaven.

Jesus then refers to Himself as “gentle and lowly.” Jesus, the King of all creation, the promised Messiah, the Lord of Lords, and the Savior of the world didn’t pursue fame. His promised rest for His children began after His death on a rough and misshapen cross. After His resurrected body could no longer be contained in a tomb, He rose again! Jesus is Alive! His sacrifice bought our salvation—His gentle rest for our souls. He won the battle over sin and death, and now He calls His believers to “yoke up.”

An “easy” yoke isn’t fluffy; it’s one that fits well. When we take on the yoke of Jesus and go through life beside Him, He uniquely shapes His yoke to fit us. When it’s perfectly suited, whatever work He gives us to do becomes lighter—easier. It’s manageable, and with His help we become productive children in God’s kingdom.

Today, in the middle of our worldwide pandemic, Christ’s call to us is vital.

As we slip into a side-by-side relationship with our Lord, the work that we do becomes more meaningful and more relevant to the hurting ones who surround us.

People everywhere need the rest that Jesus promises, and He allows us to share His gift of hope with them. Yoked with Jesus, He multiplies our frail efforts. We begin to listen with His ears, and to see with His eyes, and to show His love with our hands and our hearts. And always, we focus on Jesus, “the founder and perfecter of our faith.” (Hebrews 12:2 ESV)

What is my response to His yoke?

Let it be, “I’m in, Lord Jesus! Hitch me up!”

~*~
Author Bio:

During this time of quarantine, Karen enjoys reading, writing, and connecting with friends and family via phone calls, texts, emails, blogs, live-streams, and video conferencing. 

She is grateful that the Lord has provided so many ways for humankind to stay in community, even when we are all hunkering down in our homes.

Karen says, “In this unprecedented time, we know that He has prepared us for such a time as this! To God be all the glory!”

You can reach Karen by emailing her at this address: klmarstaller@gmail.com

Devotionals for the Heart: Trust

Trust Without Borders
A devotional by Julia Wilson

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” 

–Proverbs 3:5 (NIV)

As I write this devotional on March 25, the world is held in the grip of the Coronavirus pandemic. People are naturally fearful because we have never been here before. But there is One who knows the end from the beginning. We can trust Him with all our heart. In fact we must trust Him with all our heart.

As The Passion Translation of The Holy Bible says in Proverbs 3:5, “Trust in God completely … with all your heart rely on Him to guide you and He will lead you wherever you go.” Whatever we face in life, whatever surprises us, we can trust God because nothing surprises Him and He always has our back.

For us as a family, we have had a situation that has required us to lean fully on God and to trust Him completely. The situation was completely out of our hands. We had nowhere else to go but to trust and to turn to God in prayer. James 5:16 (TPT) says, “For tremendous power is released through the passionate, heartfelt prayer of a godly believer.”

And believe me, we have pressed into God, believing that He would hear us and that He would answer. I have trusted with all my heart and as I write this, God has answered and performed many miraculous signs. But there is still a way to go, and so I hold on to Him, trusting for that light at the end of the dark tunnel.

We all trust in something … We trust that a chair will hold us up, we trust that gravity will keep our feet firmly planted, we trust that Australia exists. Why? Simply because we have been told or we have experience of these things. So why do we find it so hard to trust God for our family, our finances, our jobs etc.?

We have been told of our faithful God over and over again in the Bible. I think we like to be in control but there are times when we simply have no control. It is in these times that we turn to God and we trust Him completely because there really is nowhere else to go.

What would our lives look like if we trusted God always? God urges us to “pray continually” (1 Thessalonians 5:17 NIV). As we pray, we join with God. When we pray, we must not worry, for if we worry it would be like saying to God that we did not trust Him to move. Prayer goes hand in hand with trust, not worry.

When I was a child I trusted (and I still do) my Dad completely. He said he was always there for me and he was. (I do realize that some will not be as lucky as I was). God says “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5 NIV) and yet we do not always believe Him. The promises God makes, God keeps, so why do we not trust Him always?

I absolutely love the worship song “Oceans” by Hillsong. It is a song that I have been singing a lot in recent weeks.

Allow me to paraphrase some of my favourite lyrics from the song that I love: The singer asks God’s Holy Spirit to lead her to a place where her trust in God is without borders. She asks God to help her walk upon the water (like Peter did in a Bible story). She asks God to help her trust Him to lead her and that she will answer His call and follow Him. She asks God to take her deep into her faith journey with Him. She trusts God to take her places that are greater than her wildest imagination. She asks God to strengthen her faith as she walks with Him. She feels blessed by the presence of her Savior (Jesus Christ).

Let’s Pray: Dear God, in these turbulent times, help us to learn to trust You completely. Please bless us with a trust that is without borders. In Jesus’s Name I pray, Amen.

~*~
Author Bio:

My name is Julia Wilson but I also go by Christian Bookaholic.

I live with my husband and five cats in a small town in Worcestershire on the banks of the River Severn (England). We have four grown up children and three granddaughters.

I have always loved reading and have always been surrounded by books. I used to work as a teaching assistant for special needs in the local high school. Ill health forced me to stop working in December 2015. I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (known as M.E.) and fibromyalgia. I now have plenty of time to read and review books!

Our eldest son set up my Christian Bookaholic blog. I review every book I read. I read over 300 books a year. I read Christian and mass market. I prefer stories set from 1850 onwards. My favourite type of books to read is stories set in WWI and WWII, and Russia under Czar Nicholas II.

I am a historian, having a Combined Humanities degree where I majored in History and minored in English. I also love swimming. I only learned how to swim in 2017 and go swimming four mornings a week for 90 minutes before breakfast, it keeps my joints going.

I am also a crazy cat lady. I absolutely love my cats. I have grown up with cats and cannot imagine life without them. My dream is to own an old fashioned seal point Siamese … but not while we have our young rescue cat as she hates other cats!

I love God and love going to a large lively church called Lifecentral. I cannot imagine life without God. He gives a peace even when life does not. He guides my life. He is my Rock.

Devotionals for the Heart: Hope for your heart in troubled times

Hope in Desperate Times
A devotional by Christa MacDonald

“Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” – Romans 5:3-5 (NIV)

How are you holding up these days?

As I write this, the world is in the midst of a pandemic. My husband has been furloughed from his job, and at mine, my staff has had their hours cut and the administration has let me know that I will likely be next.

Our family is facing the fear of illness and death as well as a financial disaster, just like so many others. Those are the plain facts. But it’s also spring, my favorite time of the year. I’m a gardener, so these weeks ahead of summer are all about preparing and working for the future. It’s hard not to be cynical and fearful of the days ahead right now. It has been a struggle to keep ahold of the joy this season usually brings.

Planting a garden is an act of hope. Every year I am amazed at what comes from the tiny seeds that I stick in the dirt, hoping for the best. I have trays of seedlings sitting next to me now, stacked on shelves in a window, straining towards the sun. That sight usually fills me with an expectant joy. But this week I had read too much of the news and started to feel hopeless, that the virus would eventually reach us no matter how hard we’re trying to keep it at bay and that I’d die before I could see them transplanted in the ground. I let fear take over completely and drag me down with it.

Normally, I’m a practical person, and when it comes to things that scare me I like as much information as possible so I can make the best decisions. Like so many others, I want to know what the worst is so I can prepare. Typically, I find some comfort in that. Not this time. It might be because I was already dealing with a number of crises in my extended family and stress has been my constant companion since November. Perhaps I burned through whatever reserves of calm and rationale I had. Hope is already an audacious thing in this broken world, and it seems impossible in times like these.

After days of struggling with flashes of panic and hopelessness, I realized where I went wrong in all of this. There’s no plan I can make, no human power I can access, no steps I can take to save myself or my family. I am not in control. But, if my control is an illusion, and if my strength is gone, that’s okay.

God is in control, God gives us the strength it takes to live, one day at a time, moment by moment. For those who place their faith in Jesus Christ, hope abounds. The real stuff, too, not wishes or dreams. Hope of Heaven, secure in the knowledge that this time of suffering is God’s will and whatever happens and however it ends it will be for the good of those that love Him.

We persevere, bringing the Gospel to the world around us, serving others as we are able in the time and place that He has given us. Not despairing, not tiring, but pressing on in hope.

~*~
Author Bio:

Christa MacDonald is a 2017 ACFW Carol Award finalist for contemporary Christian fiction.

A native New Englander, she was inspired by her travels through the north woods of Maine to write The Broken Trail, which would become the first in the Sweet River Redemption series published by Mountain Brook Ink.

Christa's writing focuses on the real-life challenges of the modern world, love’s sometimes crooked path, and the redemptive power of Grace.

When not working or writing Christa can be found ferrying her kids around, reading, or attempting something crafty.

She and her husband live with their three kids, two cats, and one dog along the coast of New England. Connect with Christa at www.christamacdonald.com.

Devotionals for the Heart: Service

Washing Feet
A devotional by Sharon Musgrove

“If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.” –John 13:14-15 (ESV)

This devotional is being written as I prepare to leave India, traveling home at a time of crisis. My husband and I have been on a two-week tour seeing and experiencing the great history and culture of this country. Our itinerary has not only covered great sites like the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort, but included visiting families choosing a more “primitive” lifestyle, homesteading in the country. We peeked into yesterday’s grand India while walking in today’s culture.

When meeting our Tour Director, I expected a guide with great knowledge and an energetic personality, but Mr. Kohli’s demeanor surprised me. He was highly educated and polite, yet reserved. In hindsight, I understand his decorum was appropriate, however initially I was skeptical thinking he was stand-offish.

With only four in the group, it was really more of a private tour. My husband and I were joined by a Canadian woman and her special needs adult child. Our group dynamic was a complete twist from what I had anticipated. Special needs require special attention.

As we traveled from city to city, touring monuments, memorials and museums, the days were long and full. The energy of crowded streets and minimal regimen created a sensory overload. The stress proved difficult, not just for us, but especially our fellow travelers. The growing coronavirus pandemic rolled in like an ominous bank of storm clouds, adding temptation to worry.

It was Mr. Kohli’s calm confidence that made a successful trip possible for us. Had he been one to ride on adrenaline, we’d have been in chaos. This man was our North Star in many ways. He was a teacher. He was an authority. He was our protector. But overall, he was a servant.

Sometimes I have difficulty relating to the stories in the Bible to my everyday life. Are you like me? Jesus Christ’s last supper act of washing feet is hard to identify with because we don’t practice that service in the western world. Remaining focused on that fact, I lose the meaning of what Jesus was conveying.

In a time of great personal distress, Jesus took off his coat, rolled up his sleeves and served. He asked his followers to do the same. Don’t let this timing be lost on you! Jesus was moving toward suffering and death, and yet, he bent low, washing foot after grimy foot, leaving out no one.

Mr. Kohli, though not of Christian faith, has diligently served the four of us foreigners in a time of significant worldwide stress. He has gone above and beyond with our awkward group. He has washed my feet.

As I wrote this devotional, I was preparing to board one of four flights to return home. Each of those planes has a crew whom are not flying home during crisis. They are washing my feet.

I cannot know what will be happening in future weeks, with respect to the Coronavirus pandemic, but I know the position I must take: that of washing feet.

I am not immune to the temptation to worry or be swept up in speculation, therefore I must be intentional in keeping my mind set on the examples of Jesus and those following his example.

Whose feet are before you?

~*~
Author Bio:

Sharon Musgrove is a self-proclaimed sociologist. The opportunities opened to her, over the years, have led her on a fascinating journey observing human behavior. 

She has a diverse background in business, fitness and health industries. This background led her to a unique position writing curriculum and teaching for two private, Christ-based, residential recovery programs. Both recovery programs served women primarily from the homeless community.

Sharon has traveled multiple times to Kenya, serving on medical teams and teaching in the rural Maasai communities. She's been privileged to participate in Leadership camps for maturing young women. These annual camps have a mission of encouraging and empowering the impoverished, underprivileged, and often abused young Maasai girls.

Easily identifying personally with the brokenness of the women she's served, Sharon now sees all people as needing more encouragement regardless of cultural or socioeconomic status. Within these ministries, Sharon has witnessed the transformative power of loving words spoken to the broken-hearted. Sharing God’s love and witnessing its transformative power has become her passion.

In her leisure time, Sharon enjoys her garden, health food, travel and a good story. She and her husband, Jeff, make their home in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. They have two grown children. Currently, Sharon is writing her first Christian historical fiction novel utilizing her study, experience, and understanding of self-destructive behaviors.

Devotionals for the Heart: Grace

The Peace of Grace
A devotional by Allison M. Wilson

Key Scripture: 
John 16:13, Philippians 4:4-8, 1 John 4:18, Mark 9:24 (NASB)

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,” or a variation of that greeting, is used by the apostle Paul 16 times in the New Testament when addressing the church in various cities in the New American Standard Bible (NASB) version of The Holy Bible. In three of those cases, Paul adds the word mercy to the blessing. In the current times of this worldwide Coronavirus pandemic, this particular phrase from the Apostle Paul speaks to me.

Why are grace and peace, with the addition of mercy now and then, the preferred greeting from Paul? Grace, in the original Greek charis, means kindness. Peace, eirene in Greek, implies welfare. What is Paul doing with this blessing?

Paul was reminding the believers of the unmerited gift they had received … grace. He was also reminding them that the grace they were given had an amazing side effect … peace. But, as believers in Christ, are we allowing that peace to be freely felt?

For the last few years, God has really brought home a message to me. Every problem has one question attached to it: “Do you trust Me?”

No matter the issue, that's the ultimate question. If I trust Him, then there is no fear in any issue, because I know God will see it through to my ultimate good and to the transforming of me into the image of Jesus Christ. Even if I cannot see the good yet, God’s promises tell me that is the end goal.

Every blip on my radar that seems to stir up negative emotions ... Do you trust Me?

Every person who can't seem to remember the rules of the road ... Do you trust Me?

Every time I see one of the kids making poor decisions or going through a hard time, and want to jump in to "fix" it ... Do you trust Me?

Health issues in family members ... Do you trust Me?

And, that "Do you trust Me?" is also asking if I know just how much God loves me. Do I trust that what He says is true? If so, why do I doubt? If so, why do I fear? If so, why do I look at the circumstances rather than look to the Solution?

When we allow the Holy Spirit to teach us the truth of grace (John 16:13), we find that peace follows. Our perception of what we are going through, whatever the situation, has to change in the light of the incomparable love of our Father. Accepting and internalizing the love of God for us will change our thinking, too. We can go from fear of everything to fear of nothing. 1 John 4:18 tells us why that is true.

But, it boils down to a lack of belief. His grace is there, too! Mark 9:24 is one of my favorite verses. It shows us that we can believe, yet need help in our belief. God doesn’t leave us on our own. He has given us many ways to cry out to Him for more grace, more peace, more faith. He longs for us to reach for Him rather than for something in the world – be it food, relationships, or even security in things we think we can control.

Grace and peace really do go together. When we get what grace really means, the peace that passes all understanding will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, as Philippians 4 tells us. That section of Scriptures gives a step-by-step way to have your mind and heart guarded by Christ. That is grace and peace at its finest.

Let’s Pray: Dearest Jesus, You have already given us so much, yet You want to give us even more. Peace is a fruit of the Spirit that You have put into our hearts, but we think our way out of it so often. Remind us of Your grace. Remind us of what is truly means in order for our peace to be complete. Bring those verses and Scriptures to mind when the world is swirling around in chaos in front of us, and do as You promised You would do…guard our hearts and minds in You. In Your precious Name we pray, Amen.

~*~
Author Bio:

A very early reader and lover of the written word, Allison M. Wilson has been writing since the age of 8 with the heart to impart stories and God's truth.

She has judged countless contests for the last 25 years, reviewed for several online publications, professionally edited, and written articles and devotionals.

Wife, mother, writer, editor, teacher, mentor, and mompreneur, God keeps her busy while living in east central Florida with her family.

~*~
Connect with Allison:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/allisonmwilson
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amwilson