Devotionals for the Heart: On Praise

Praise: An Untapped Power
A devotional by Nanci Rubin

“I will bless the Lord at all times, his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” 

~Psalm 34:1 (KJV) 

I wish we understood more about the power of praise. Do you know someone in the Bible who praised their way out of a bad situation? I’m reminded of Paul and Silas locked and shackled in a dark, dank prison cell for the crime of preaching, Jesus. Paul didn’t complain about his situation or the tribulations he’d endured preaching the gospel. No, he said, “Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, rejoice" (Phil. 4:4). He and Silas began to praise and worship God. They knew how to release the untapped power of praise, and the prison doors opened!

One of the quickest ways to release God’s blessings in our lives is to give Him praise. He inhabits the praises of His people. You ask, how can I praise Him when all of these horrible things are happening? Anyone can praise God when everything is going well, but it takes faith to praise God in the hard places. It takes faith to praise him when you’re surrounded by impossibilities. We need to thank Him for the victory. Thank Him for who He is. Praise encourages faith. Hope rises and you focus on His ability to succeed in your life, not on yours to fail. God is for you.

There was a season in my life when I felt all was lost. My daughter at nine months of age was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis. The doctors told us she would probably never live to age two. Hearing those words produced a malignant fear that gripped me by my throat and chocked out my hope. After hearing that diagnosis and prognosis, I roamed the hospital campus moving like a sleepwalker, numbed and afraid.

I wish I could confess to you that I stood in faith for her healing. I didn’t at least not right away. I allowed fear to control my life for an entire year marking off the days until she turned two. Thinking that on her second birthday, she would be ‘taken’ from me. I believed the lies from the enemy. Yes, when you’re down he’ll kick you a little more. I began to speak God’s truth over my situation and finally, the enemy’s efforts no longer had a negative effect. As I praised God, I learned I could draw a line in the sand. You can too.

Her second birthday came and went. My prayer life began to change. I started thanking God continually for her. I took my eyes off our circumstances. Praise became a powerful tool that dispelled the fear I’d lived with for too long. My child’s courage and strength kept me moving forward. I praised God for the privilege of being her mom. We didn’t allow her sickness to kill our joy. Praise extended her life. She passed away a few months shy of her sixth birthday. She'd lived beyond anyone’s expectations.

Victory is always assured when you stand in faith on God’s Word. And when you praise Him before you actually see your victory, it’s then that you’re giving him a sacrifice of praise. He’ll be faithful to intervene in your affairs and to give you the desires of your heart. Praise Him and see your mountains move out of the way!

~*~
Author Bio:

Nanci writes Amish Love Inspired and 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’s a retired nurse who does volunteer work two days a week and is active in an intercessory prayer ministry at her church.

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 spending time with family. Follow her on Facebook.

Devotionals for the Heart: Authority

Is God Arbitrary?
A devotional by Linda Wood Rondeau

“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.” 

–Exodus 20:2 (NIV)

When it came to authority, our teenage son resisted any edict that did not mesh with his own crafted idealism. Every rule we made resulted in endless hours of debate. We tried to explain our rationale for the decisions.

However, discussions generally ended with the final statement, “Because, we said so. We are your parents, and we are responsible for you. We know things you do not. You will obey.”

Eventually, he concluded resistance was futile and acquiesced, if not from comprehension then out of respect for our position and if not out of respect for our position then out of respect for our power.

We held the purse from which his blessings flowed.

I reminded him: My ways are not your ways.

Throughout the Books of the Law, God explained his reasons for expectations. He instituted blood sacrifices, sin offerings, grain offerings, and wave offerings. He specified under what conditions each could be offered. Aaron, as the priest, was given explicit instructions on his wardrobe, his deportment and his handling of the offerings.

In some instances, God offered explanations for his edicts. Ultimately, however, God reminded Moses who was in charge and from where the blessings flowed.

According to Leviticus 11:45 (NIV), God said, “I am the LORD who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God: therefore, be holy, because I am holy.” He also said in Leviticus 19:37 (NIV), “Keep all my decrees and all my laws and follow them. I am the LORD.”

As we read the Law in our modern world, even the least pious among us will not argue the wisdom behind many of God’s ordinances. Our knowledge of the harmful effects of bacteria lends credibility to the handling of the meat and blood following sacrifice, the confinement of persons with infectious skin diseases and discharges, avoidance of certain sexual behaviors, and the fair and trust treatment of others.

These rules were intended for blessing, good health, and safety. Disobedience brought about death and disease. The Creator knows its creation and the result of its misuse.

We imperfect humans understand that our knowledge, as imperfect as we are, is of a greater scope than an infant’s. We make rules for our children to keep them safe, and we do this because we love them. Our decisions for the welfare of our children are not based upon their understanding or permission. We make our decisions based upon our knowledge of their individual needs and circumstances, our knowledge and experience, and the lessons we ourselves have learned from our own mistakes.

The future happiness and security of our children is our primary concern. We expect obedience even though they may not fully comprehend our reasons for the rules. How much more than does our Heavenly Father, perfect in every way, desire good things for His children?

God’s Laws are not given to cause hardship and drudgery. They are given to help us be secure in Him. When we are obedient, blessings will flow as a natural result. According to Leviticus 26:12-13 (NIV), God said, “I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians; I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk with heads held high.”

Conversely, as a natural result, disobedience will beget unpleasantness, separation, and death. In the list of calamities that God tells Moses will befall the disobedient, God warns in Leviticus 26:18 (NIV), “If after all this you will not listen to me, I will punish you for your sins seven times over.”

Yet, even after His harsh warnings, God provides atonement for those desiring to return to Him. According to Leviticus 26:45 (NIV), He said, “But for their sake I will remember the covenant with their ancestors whom I brought out of Egypt in the sight of the nations to be their God. I am the LORD.”

God did not institute His Law arbitrarily. He cares for us.

Let’s Pray: I thank you Lord that you know what is best for me. I thank you that your discipline is never arbitrary. You are Sovereign. Help me to trust you and renew my confidence as I increase in obedience.

~*~
Author Bio:

Award-winning author Linda Wood Rondeau writes to demonstrate our worst past, surrendered to God becomes our best future. 

A veteran social worker, Linda now resides in Hagerstown, Maryland. 

Readers may visit her website at www.lindarondeau.com. 

Connect with Linda on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google Plus and Goodreads. 

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Happy New Year 2017, dear hearts! :)

I hope and pray that God will be with you always. May He fill your life with His Love, your mind with His Peace, and your heart with His Joy throughout 2017 and beyond! :)

Love,

Alexis

True Love Stories: When God Orchestrates Your Love Story

“Just let God do His thing. It’s easier for me to say that now but I really had to embrace that. Once I embraced that I wanted to focus on me and be sure that I was a whole person and I was enjoying my life as me, that’s when I met my husband.” 

~Mrs. D’Anya Brezzell

~*~
When God Orchestrates Your Love Story
D’Anya Brezzell’s true love story

He met her at a Friday night mixer hosted by a church in Maryland. She lived in New York at the time and was in town to visit her sister-in-law. The date was July 2011. He was the photographer for the event.

Nick the photographer walked over to D’Anya and introduced himself. He wanted to take her picture. After the photos were taken, D’Anya and Nick had their first real conversation and in the moment, D’Anya realized for the first time that was “it.”

“It was one of those things and it was funny because we’d both been in long term relationships and it didn’t work out,” she said. “We both were at a point where we said we need to just focus on ourselves and stop trying to find somebody.”

Nick took a step of faith and asked D’Anya for her phone number. Thirty minutes later, Nick approached D’Anya again, asking for her number because he did not save it properly in his phone. It was a courageous action that to D’Anya spoke volumes about Nick’s character as a man.

“Nick is what I like to call, ‘A man’s man’. He reminds me so much of my dad,” said D’Anya. “Little girls want to marry a man who has the best qualities of their dad. Nick takes on what I call the ‘three-P’s’ that are non-negotiable when finding a mate: He’s a provider. He’s a protector and he’s a priest.”

After their first telephone conversation, D’Anya and Nick spent every weekend together. D’Anya would often visit Nick’s church in Maryland to perform special music on stage during the worship service. One Saturday morning after performing, D’Anya sat down and had a serious, silent one-on-one conversation with God.

“You know, God, I moved to New York without your permission and where I really want to be is here,” D’Anya said. “But I want to be here knowing that You have orchestrated for me to be here.”

D’Anya is a teacher and wanted to stay in that career. So she filled out online profiles for school systems located in Maryland. Soon after, D’Anya received a phone call from a representative from a charter school in Washington, D.C. who wanted to arrange an interview. D’Anya was certain of God’s leading when this school system she did not fill out an application for decided immediately to hire her which moved D’Anya to another heart-to-heart with God.

“Wait, God, this is going too fast. I got the call on Monday. Here it is on Tuesday and I’ve got the job,” D’Anya said. “And He (God) was like, ‘Listen, if you want me to do something, it’s on My time, not on your time.’”

D’Anya filled out the paperwork and went through the necessary employment procedures. Meanwhile, she said another silent prayer.

“I told God if He wants to me be there, I need a financial blessing as well,” she said. “So the school exceeded my expectations and gave me a signing bonus. So I knew I had to move to Maryland.”

The Week Before the Proposal

After two months of dating Nick said to D’Anya, "You know, we should just get married. We’ve been there, done that. It’s like when you know, you know."

The marriage conversation happened in November 2011.

“He said he’s from a traditional family like me so he needs to talk to my dad to ask for my hand in marriage,” said D’Anya. “My dad is a tough cookie—no man is good enough for his girls and he has this like, sternness about him even when he has his idle face on. He’s very intimidating.”

A fearless Nick and a cautious D’Anya traveled to Massachusetts so Nick could meet her dad.

“My dad and Nick bonded over a common love—fishing. My dad told Nick before they finished fishing that he was going to give Nick his blessing even before he asked based on the good character he (my dad) saw in Nick over the past weekend spent with family,” D’Anya said.

It was the first week of December 2011 when Nick set up the scene for the real marriage proposal. He asked D’Anya to come over to his house in Maryland and bring her dog so they could take Christmas photos. Nick turned the living room into a studio with his professional camera equipment. He set the camera on a timer and began the photo shoot.

“As we’re taking pictures together, he kisses me for the first time and it was caught in the cycle of pictures,” D’Anya said. “He’s got the camera going every seven seconds and that’s when he proposed so he caught my real reaction. I was surprised!”

The wedding dress

Finding the perfect dress to fit her short and petite body frame was a concern for this bride, until she found the dress that was made just for her in David’s Bridal.

“I tried the off-white, one-shoulder dress. It was really pretty and I was like, 'This is really beautiful,'” said D’Anya. “But my sister-in-law was like, ‘Try on the pink one.’ And I was like, 'Pink?! No one’s going to wear a pink wedding dress! That’s so non-traditional. I’m a traditional girl.'"

But the sales associate convinced D’Anya to try it with one simple compliment.

“You have the personality to wear this dress,” she said. “None of the brides that come in here have the personality to pull it off. You however, my friend, do.”

D’Anya tried on the pink dress and emerged from the dressing room in love with it and unexpectedly caused quite a stir.

“The people in the lobby stopped looking at their brides and looked at me when I came out of the dressing room,” she said. “Everyone there said “yes” to the dress!”

Wedding Day News

“We actually got married three weeks before our wedding in Maryland on March 9 which is my birthday,” D’Anya said. “The pastor prayed with us at the office in the church, talked with us, signed the marriage license and that sealed it.”

D’Anya became Mrs. Nick Brezzell for the second time in April 2012 during their wedding ceremony held in front of family and friends at D’Anya’s church in Springfield, Massachusetts.

“I knew I should get married at home—the church was free, the church was beautiful,” D’Anya said. “It was free because I grew up there, my parents had their membership there and my grandma had been the organist for like 80 years. So it only made sense and then my grandmother really wanted to play me down the aisle.”

A baby born on Valentine’s Day

“She was our surprise baby,” D’Anya said of her and Nick’s firstborn child, Payton who will turn two years old today. “She’s a firecracker in attitude, stature and all of that. She’s not a pushover by any means.”

Payton was born on Feb. 14, 2013. The Brezzell’s second child, a boy named Cole, was born on Sept. 30, 2014 which made the Brezzell’s a family of four.

“He is a miracle baby like Payton. He was planned. We wanted to get it done and get it out the way,” D’Anya said. “I think Nick really wanted another girl but he’s happy with Cole.”

Advice for single ladies on Valentine’s Day

“Don’t get so caught up in finding someone. Embrace your singleness. Embrace God working on you because you can’t be in a relationship with two broken people,” D’Anya said. “You need to be a whole, happy person paired with another whole, happy person to have a whole, happy relationship and a happy marriage.”