Devotionals for the Heart: The Woman at the Well and the Savior of the world

At the Well
A devotional by Mirachelle Canada

Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.” 

–John 4:13-15 (ESV)

She was struggling, and He knew it all. Every detail that could be used against her. She saw no way out and had resigned to stay in sin. She was an outcast and went to the well in the heat of the day to avoid the ridicule and judgement she probably felt internally every minute of the day.

How often do we too choose to stay in difficult situations because of sin and feelings of shame?

Jesus Christ waited at Jacob’s Well for the sin-struggling Samaritan woman. She was the first to whom He verbally revealed Himself as The Messiah. The significance of His act is that it placed them both in a precarious position. Jesus was a Jewish man talking to a Samaritan woman. He had crossed a cultural boundary, “for Jews did not associate with Samaritans” (John 4:9), as well as a social one, for He as a man conversing with an adulteress woman at a public place. It could be classified as a meeting contrary to everyone’s expectations of the “savior of the world” (John 4:42).

Jesus took a risk to change the woman’s life because as the Messiah, He was and is the bringer and sustainer of life. The woman was intrigued when she thought she could receive a ‘living water’, never to grow thirsty again or have the need to keep coming to the well; to keep from facing her sin (John 4:15). But what Jesus was offering her was not the chance to run from her problems, but to change them by His spirit and truth.

Why then don’t we immediately bring our burdens and surrender them to the one who knows all? Jesus was not repelled or offended by the woman’s sin. He offered her the chance at a new life despite it. It was her chance to be saved and to be changed by the living water of eternal life (John 4:13). He afforded the same offering to all that believe on Him as the woman did (John 4:42).

I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t always come to God first but have relied on my own experience to work around some of my problems. Truthfully, I have never found my own way through them either. The solution has always been to surrender them to Jesus, the one who’s always waiting with unconditional love. I know that He sees me beyond the situation I am in. Each time, instead of asking me to draw the water from the well where He’s been waiting for me, I am given the living water straight from His loving hands.

Will you bring your current burden to Jesus at the well with me today? Let us come and seek our savior at the well-spring of life. He knows what we need and what we should do. In turn, He’s waiting to reveal more of Himself, His truth, and His love as only the Savior of the world can.

~*~
Author Bio:

Mirachelle Canada is a writer, playwright, screenwriter, and theatre director/producer from Northern Virginia, where she teaches television production at her high school alma mater.

She earned her Master of Fine Arts in Script & Screenwriting from Regent University and is an alumnus of Act One: Hollywood Film & Television Writing Program.

Mirachelle is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, American Fiction Writers Virginia Chapter, The Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild, and Your Novel Blueprint.

She is currently working on her first historical fiction novel set during WWII.

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Connect with Mirachelle:
Website: www.mirachellecanada.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mirachellecanada/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/miracan

Devotionals for the Heart: Christa's thoughts about our human heart

Matters of the Heart
A devotional by Christa MacDonald

He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.” –Mark 7:20-23 (NIV)

One of the biggest fallacies in modern thinking is the idea that human beings are basically good and that when someone does wrong, it’s because they were taught to do so or influenced somehow. “He was a good kid until he started hanging around the wrong people.” 

While it’s true that friends can influence each other to do terrible things, that’s not the whole truth. Evil exists. I often say that anyone who doubts original sin needs to spend time with toddlers. They’re terrible people: selfish, mean, and hot-tempered. They have to be taught to be nice. How many times do you hear a mom correcting her children to be kind, don’t tease your sister, and don’t harass the cat.

In the verse above Jesus has just been explaining that it’s not the food we eat that makes us unclean, it’s our hearts. Most of us go through life without committing any of the big sins in deed, but boy, if someone could read our thoughts … It’s tempting to think that it’s the world that influences us to do wrong. But this is a complete misunderstanding of sin and the fall. It’s in us to do wrong. But for the Grace of God, we are all capable of great evil. It’s why we so desperately need Jesus.

The world is full of temptations and bad influences. While these may facilitate our sin, maybe even amplify our sins into ones of deed and not of thought, they are not the source. Our hearts are. What can we do? Face the fact that the sin is in you, repent, put your faith in the saving Grace of Jesus Christ and lean on Him for the strength to turn from the path you are on and walk in the light.

As parents, we often see our children struggle with sin and we focus on the temptations we see leading them astray. It’s hard not to call out their video games, friends, or social media for encouraging their sinful behavior, but we need to get to the source, their heart. 

Jesus met people where they were, led them to feel the conviction of their sin, and then forgave them. Our kids, our families, our friends, and our communities need to know the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We all need to resist the distractions our culture offers. These are targets that are tangential. We need to reach hearts.

The Bible clearly tells us our primary work is spreading the Gospel. Christ-followers need to be actively sharing the Gospel in our communities, in our circle of friends. That doesn’t mean you have to find a street corner and start preaching or handing out tracts. Ask God in your prayer time, how you can actively share the Gospel in your day to day life then be open to the Holy Spirit leading you to act or to speak. 

We don’t have to save the world. 

We need to tell the world of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.

~*~
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: Freedom

Abundantly Free
A devotional written by Paula Moldenhauer

"Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we’re a free people—free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth."

– Ephesians 1:7–8 (MSG)

Because of Christ’s sacrifice, we are abundantly free. Free from our imperfections. Free from our guilt. Free from the constant demand to “live up” to unrealistic standards.

Let me paint a picture of freedom. Many years ago when I was a young mother, my kids and I had a really bad day. I was unkind. Mean even. And then I felt awful! Shocked by the pain in their precious eyes, I gave myself a timeout—only it wasn’t a healthy one.

Instead of confessing to the Lord my shortcomings and accepting His forgiveness, I wallowed in self-loathing. I hated the way I acted and felt I didn’t deserve His grace. I couldn’t forgive myself. In the more distant past, I would have wallowed in guilt for days. But praise be to God for His marvelous grace, He’d begun breaking that cycle within me. I was growing in my ability to understand that since Christ took my sins upon Himself, and I was covered by His righteousness, I could live a life without condemnation, even during my failings (Romans 8:1).

The happy ending of that hard day is that I cried out to the Lord to help me, and He did. My emotions calmed. I went to my children and asked their forgiveness. Then an amazing thing happened. My oldest son, then about ten-years-old, ministered to me. I don’t remember what scriptures he spoke that day, I only know they were led by the Holy Spirit, and they offered God’s heart of forgiveness.

Soon all four children and I piled up together. We forgave each other, ordered a pizza, and watched a movie.

It was over. Just like that.

And that is freedom.

Relationship. Forgiveness. Moving on.

If you ever are tempted to punish yourself when you blow it, please consider this: Christ died so we could have forgiveness. He took our punishment upon Himself. He doesn’t want us to penalize ourselves. Scripture says He didn’t come to condemn the world, but to save it (John 3:17). He took our life of failings upon the cross and replaced it with the perfect and complete freedom to enjoy His grace.

As I’m learning to rest in the grace of Jesus, there’s a beautiful side effect. God is changing me into His image. I’m still not perfect, of course, but as I accept the gift of the cross—freedom from the judgment and punishment of my misdeeds—some of the old junk I struggled with is simply dropping away.

Won’t you join me, my precious friend in Christ, in accepting the abundant freedom of His grace?

My Prayer: Jesus, thank You for the deliverance and salvation that comes through Your blood. Your gift of forgiveness, the remission of our shortcomings and trespasses, is an example of the generosity of Your gracious favor. Empower us to walk in the freedom of Your grace. 

*Note: My prayer is a paraphrase of Ephesians 1:7 in the Amplified Version.
~*~
Author Bio:

Author, speaker, and mom of four, Paula Moldenhauer encourages others to live free to flourish. She shares this message when speaking at women’s events, and it permeates her written work. 

Paula has published over 300 times in non-fiction markets and has a devotional book series, Soul Scents. Her first published novella, You’re a Charmer Mr. Grinch, was a finalist in the ACFW Carol Awards, and she now has six published works of fiction. Her most recent release is included in A Bouquet of Brides. 

Paula and her husband, Jerry, are adjusting to a sometimes-empty nest in Colorado. Today’s devotion was adapted from her devotional book, Soul Scents: Bloom.

Watch your calendar because you can download Soul Scents: Bloom for free to your Kindle on July 24 and 25! Or sign up for Paula’s newsletter at www.paulamoldenhauer.com for updates on these free days and to get a weekly Flourishing Moments devotional.

For daily Flourishing Moments "Like" Paula’s author/speaker page on Facebook. Here's the link, https://www.facebook.com/PaulaMoldenhauerAuthor/.

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Devotionals for the Heart: Learning how to live by faith in God

Living by Faith 
A devotional by Nanci Rubin

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

~Heb. 11:1 (KJV)

I think we all struggle in areas of faith. How do we get it? How much do we need? Will I stand in faith during the hard times? God’s Word says, "So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God." ~Romans 10:17 (KJV)

How much faith do we need to move the mountains in our way? Jesus said, “Because of your unbelief: verily, I say unto you, if ye have faith as a grain of a mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.” ~Matthew 17:20 (KJV)

So now we know that we all have a measure of faith. From my own perspective, I have learned in order for me to have faith in the hard times I have to stay "built up" before they come. I strive to stay in God’s Word and prayed up so when the crisis arrives I won’t be caught unprepared. We should always be ready for the unexpected. God is faithful, and we can trust Him no matter what comes our way.

Another criterion for water-walking faith is not to live in sin. The Bible says, "If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." ~1 John 1:7 (KJV)

As long as you walk in what light you have, there is cleansing from all sin by the blood of Jesus Christ. However, if you persist in living in wrongdoing, you are going to get into trouble sooner or later. However, God extends His grace to us so that when we confess our sins, He is just to forgive us (1 John 1:9). The sin issue is a biggie. We all sin. I often feel like Paul by doing the things I shouldn’t and not doing the things I should. The older I get the more aware I am of my shortcomings but when I confess my wrongdoing God is faithful and reminds me He’s not done with me yet.

In the eighties, my husband and I were preparing for a life-changing trip to Israel. Where we lived at the time there were many home invasions going on. Being away for ten days caused some concern, but I trusted God to protect what belonged to us. We had no family in the area but a wonderful older couple who lived next door. My husband was expecting a package to arrive while we were away so I asked our neighbor if they would look out for it. They were happy to do so. Needless to say, our trip was and still is the most amazing trip of our lifetime. Our return home brought us a total surprise and definitely renewed our faith in God’s promises to us as believers.

I walked over to our neighbors not only to pick up our mail and package but to give them the gift we’d picked out for them. My neighbor told me what a wonderful alarm system we had. She eagerly related that when she opened the storm door to pick up the delivered package, the alarm went off. I had a huge smile on the inside of me because that was God’s alarm system. I couldn’t wait to tell her that we didn’t have an alarm system. We had prayed that God would protect our home and bless His name, He did. That was a wonderful testimony and an opening to witness to our precious neighbor.

I can’t tell you how many times God has done the miraculous in our lives. I remember reading somewhere that God is as faithful as we believe Him for. I strive to walk by faith. There are many areas where my faith is weak, but I work through the trust issues. I can honestly say He will be there when you call on His name. WE CAN TRUST HIM.

I hope this is an encourager for you today. Our world is so stressed and there are so many hurting people, especially our youth. I can’t urge you enough to trust God with your loved ones and family. He is as close as your next breath. Things might appear hopeless and a situation impossible, but I can honestly say He has not forgotten you. So, remember you have a measure of faith, and you can build it up by believing YOU are who GOD says you are. If we stumble and fall and make a mess of everything God ‘s not going to be mad at you, instead He’ll be mad about you. He loves you more than you can imagine.

~*~

Author Bio:

Nanci writes Inspy Amish romance. She lives in Northern Virginia with her husband and two fur kids, Romeo and Juliet, rescue cats. She is working on her debut novel, Plain Justice.

She retired earlier than planned from nursing to care for her mother, diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Her mom passed last year at the age of ninety-nine and Nanci has delved more into her writing.

She is active in an intercessory prayer ministry in her church, belongs to The Woman’s Club, a service-oriented volunteer organization dedicated to the welfare and enrichment of the community and volunteers two days a week at the Mary Washington Museum.

Currently, she's enrolled in Rhema Bible College’s correspondence Bible studies. She belongs to ACFW and RWA. When she’s not working, reading or writing she’s hiking with her husband at Shenandoah National Park.

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