Devotionals for the Heart: God's promise to always be with you

A Promise of God’s Presence
A devotional by Essie Faye Taylor

“The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

 –Deuteronomy 31:8 (NIV)

I was in awe and utter disbelief as I stood before a small group of teens. I was teaching a lesson about integrity and hope. I’d asked if anyone in the group knew the story of Adam and Eve. One teen vaguely knew the details of the creation story. That fact struck a chord within me. To think that these teens experienced the absence of the presence of God’s Word in their lives was devastating. I could not imagine a life absent of God’s presence. I never want to imagine that.

My faith journey began as early as I could remember. I was practically born on a pew, surrounded by and steeped in faith. As a child, I knew God was present. His Word was present as I memorized Bible verses and by faith, believed them. The presence of God’s Word in my life has brought me great comfort and security. God’s presence in my life has always assured me of His provision. As the ninth child of fifteen, I saw God’s hand provide for our family daily. Because of my faith in God’s promise of His presence I knew that He would provide all of my needs. Philippians 4:19 (NIV) declares,“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” His provision for me is certain because of His presence.

God’s presence brings me peace amid life’s storms and despite my personal fears. His presence gives me hope that everything will be okay because God is in control of my world and I can trust Him with my life. I want all of my students to embrace the promise of God’s presence because in His presence we experience joy, hope, love, peace, and pleasures forever. I am a witness. I want teens to experience joy and hope in a world where depression runs rampant, destroying lives and families. I want them to experience true love and peace amid a world filled with those practicing hatred and environments full of chaos. I want them to know the pleasure of growing to know an incredible God who loves them unconditionally, just as they are.

God’s presence invokes His Deity. God is sovereign. He is the Creator of the Universe. He called this Earth into existence from nothing. He always has been and He always will be. He is omnipotent and omniscient. He is in a category alone. He is preeminent. There is no one comparable to God and there are no other living gods except Him.

God’s presence invokes His character. He is holy, sinless and without error. He is integral, faithful, and true. He makes no mistakes and He watches over His Word to perform it. He is morally pure and righteous. He is love and His mercy are everlasting. His truth endures to all generations.

God’s presence invokes His provision. The Earth belongs to Him, along with everything and everyone in it because He is the Creator. The cattle on a thousand hills are His. He named the stars and flung them into space. Heaven holds His throne and the Earth is His footstool.

God’s presence invokes His covenant. His promises are sure. He keeps His covenant throughout all generations. He watches over His Word to perform it. God’s Word shall last forever.

In Deuteronomy 31:8 (written by Moses) and Hebrews 13:5 (written by Paul), they testify that God will never leave or forsake His people. This is a promise that God will invoke His deity, His character, His covenant, and His provision in order to demonstrate His love and commitment to a people who were finicky at best. God’s children of Israel repeated the toxic cycle of faith and doubt throughout their course of history. Yet, God promised them His presence. They were given access to the all-powerful God who even called them His “child”.

In Matthew 28, Jesus Christ declares the same promise to His disciples just before He leaves them physically. God incarnate affirms His commitment to His followers, even in His physical absence. He is with us, by faith, always–even to the end of the age. We can rest in His presence and all that comes with that. God’s presence signifies that He will indeed take care of us. Of this we can be sure.

Call to Action:

Action #1: Believe that God is present with you, even in the face of adversity. 

Action #2: Embrace all the benefits of God’s presence in your life and be grateful. 

Action #3: Acknowledge God’s presence in your life by doing the things that honor Him and getting rid of those things that displease Him. 

Action #4: Remember, David the psalmist begged God not to take His presence from Him because that meant that His life would be void of goodness. Enjoy God’s presence and never take it for granted.

Let’s Pray:
Heavenly Father, I thank You for being present in my life. Your presence brings love, peace, joy, goodness, and mercy. Your presence brings Your essence, Your character, Your power, and Your provision. Thank You for assuring me that you are with me always. You’ll never leave me nor forsake me. I’m not worthy of such a gift, yet you extend it to me. I thank You. Help me to remain grateful for your love and mindfulness toward me. Thank you Father for hearing and answering me. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “Your Presence Is A Promise” by Mack Brock. Listen to it here.

~*~
Author Bio:

Essie Taylor is an author, educator, minister, youth advocate, recording artist, podcaster, and improviser. She earned a Bachelor of Arts from Northwestern University and a Master of Arts in Teaching from Rockford College.

She is a veteran educator of Bilingual Education, English as a Second Language, and Spanish Language Acquisition with National Board Teacher Certification. She is an advocate of lifelong learning, language learning, and multiculturalism.

Essie is the CEO of KenMar Press, an author agency, and The Essie Faye Collection. Essie is the author of Finding the Love You Deserve: 30 Lessons in Self-Love & Acceptance, and Finding The Love Your Deserve: A 60-Day Healing Journal For Women of Faith.

She is deeply committed to motivating minorities, women, and youth to pursue God while chasing their dreams and carving out their life’s path. She loves God, people, and helping others.

Essie has been a Christian for nearly all of her 39 years. She was born again at 15 years old. She has been a bilingual worship leader and interpreter for 10+ years. By the grace of God, Essie helped to establish bilingual ministries at five churches in her young life. She is a survivor of domestic violence (verbal and emotional abuse) and marital abandonment in a prior marriage.

Essie is a Chicago native. She lives in Chicago with her husband Donald Taylor II.

~*~
Connect with Essie:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_essie_faye/
Website: www.essiefayetaylor.com

Devotionals for the Heart: Safety

Safe in God’s Love
A devotional by Christa MacDonald

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

– Romans 8:38-39 (NIV)

I am a worrier. In fact, if there were an Olympic Games of Anxiety, I would medal in every event. It can seem helpful in some ways (I’m a great manager, seeing threats in advance and planning around them). But, the toll it takes on my peace of mind can be extreme.

When searching for a way to return to that peace, the usual Bible verses about fear often bring little comfort. In fact, sometimes they make me feel like a failure. Why do I find it so difficult to not worry?

Years ago my two-month old son, Ben, broke out in a fever. It’s not a good thing for a baby that young to have a fever. At the ER, the doctor we saw was nice, but serious, almost stern. Ben was fighting an infection and it was bad. They’d need to do a spinal tap because the kind of bad it looked like was meningitis. A positive test would mean an airlift to Boston.

They asked me to leave the room, the nurse assuring me that it would be easier on everyone involved if I waited in the lobby. I texted my husband at home with our two older children and spent the next 30 minutes in the lobby completely overcome. While on the surface I was sitting calmly, inside I was in a panic spiral.

Ben is our rainbow baby, a term used for the child carried to term following a pregnancy loss. Like a lot of women who give birth after a miscarriage, I developed postpartum anxiety. So sitting in the ER that night with my emotional reserves already depleted, I had little left to face the dread that consumed me. Heart and mind in tatters, I prayed.

My prayers were pretty incoherent, but God heard them anyway. I was allowed back into the exam room, and the moment the doctor walked in, I knew the test was negative. The grim determination in her expression was gone, she was even smiling! They’d be admitting my baby to watch overnight, but his vitals were strong, and his fever was responding to the meds.

It's absolutely no fun to lay on a cot next to your son’s crib and watch him try to sleep while being wired up to machines. But it sure beats being MedFlighted to an uncertain fate. The doctors never could figure out what it was, but it resolved on its own, and we were just glad he was okay.

Anxiety and I have a long history. The vague, ever-present sort; the unexplained “Am I crazy?” kind; the sharp and all-consuming variety; the existential kind; the kind that invades your dreams, and also the type that keeps you awake … I am well-acquainted with them all. The words of Scripture should be a comfort to me in times like these, but again, I find many verses on fear hard to internalize when my mind is ravaged by anxiety. God's Providence is genuine, but it’s hard to feel when a panic spiral of “what ifs” derail my thoughts and try to rob me of any peace.

Romans is my favorite book in the Bible, and these verses especially. Some believe that these verses are the pinnacle of the Bible’s message of the Good News. I can genuinely feel that truth when I am at my lowest, at the point when all my human resources are exhausted, and I am like David in the Bible book of Psalm, crying out to God for deliverance. Paul’s words remind me that, regardless of the outcome, God has me in His hands. There's true peace in that. Not the kind the world offers, which is paper-thin; it's God's peace. Whatever road I am walking, it's His road. No trial, however difficult or fear-inducing, can separate me from His love in Christ Jesus.

When we repent and place our faith in Jesus, we receive His Grace in salvation and are made new. Do we suddenly lose our anxiety, or depression? Rarely. We still need to persevere through them, but we're no longer a slave to them. We're not alone in them; He is now there with us.

We belong to God. We have been saved by Grace and are children of God. That doesn't spare us from the trials in this life, but it is where we can draw strength and where we can set our hearts when we're struggling.

Remember: The road we are walking ends in God's presence, and nothing on this earth can compare to that beautiful reality. Just like the song by Mack Brock says, "Your Presence is A Promise."

~*~
Author Bio:

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

She began her writing career at the age of eleven, filling a sketchbook with poems and short stories. After publishing a few short pieces in her college’s literary magazine she took a long hiatus during which she embarked on a few different careers, got married, had three kids, and renovated an old barn masquerading as a house. 

Her most recent work, The Redemption Road, finished the Sweet River Redemption series published by Mountain Brook Ink.

When not working or writing Christa can be found ferrying her kids around, reading, or attempting something crafty. She and her family live along the coast of New England.

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Connect with Christa:
Website: www.christamacdonald.com
Newsletter: https://christamacdonald.com/connect-with-christa/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1538432676468229/
Amazon: https://amzn.to/33uk329
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CricketMacD
Christa's book publisher: http://mountainbrookink.com/about-us/authors/christa-macdonald/

Devotionals for the Heart: Thanksgiving and Heaven

Touching Heaven by Giving Thanks
A devotional by Patrick E. Craig

“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, come into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.” ~Psalm 100:4 (KJV)

The ancient Hebrews had a very structured set of rules by which they performed their worship in the Tabernacle of Moses and the Temple of Solomon. These rules were given to Moses on Mt. Sinai along with the Ten Commandments. In these instructions for worship,  God was giving the Jews a glimpse into the heavenly realm. 

This is what The Holy Bible tells us about Moses’ meeting with God:

“For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law: Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.”
~Hebrews 8:4-5 (KJV)

According to my understanding and paraphrase based on my study of the Greek word studies by Wuest Word Studies, what God was saying to Moses was, the pattern I showed you on the mountain – for your earthly worship – is a duplicate of the pattern that happens in the heavenly throne room, when the citizens of heaven worship me.

So the priests knew that if they followed the heavenly instructions they would align themselves with the heavenly realm, and in that way, actually experience the Divine presence. God responded to their faithfulness by revealing Himself to them as a pillar of fire, the Shekinah glory, on the Mercy Seat in the Holy of Holies.

The book of Psalms is the liturgy for Temple worship the priests used every day in their tabernacle worship. Step one was exuberant praise and thanksgiving. Psalm 100:4 told the priests, “Enter His gates with thanksgiving in your heart, come into His courts with praise.” 

When they followed this instruction, the priests were able to come through the gate of the Tabernacle into his “Courts”—remember that the tabernacle was a copy of the heavenly throne room— and from there, approach the very throne of God (represented on earth by the Mercy Seat) without hindrance. 

Praising and thanking God was the mechanism by which they opened the door into the presence of God. God gave them directions for living and forgave their sins as they stood before the Mercy Seat.

In a modern context God is showing us a way to actually catch a glimpse of the peace and joy that exists in Heaven, and to share that joy – like a down payment on the next life. God knows that the best way for us to deal with our problems is to put our attention somewhere else. And if I am being thankful to God for all the blessings in my life, instead of blaming Him for all the bad things, it’s amazing how the answers to every situation just seem to come, along with real peace.

The Apostle Paul understood this when he wrote these words in Philippians 4:6-7 (KJV): “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Paul also exhorted us in this way in Hebrews 4:16 (KJV): “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

When we sit down to our Thanksgiving feast this year, let’s remember that giving thanks is the key to his presence and peace in our lives. For it is at his throne that we will find the answer to all our questions and problems. Give thanks.

~*~
Author Bio:

Patrick E. Craig is a lifelong writer and musician who left a successful songwriting and performance career in the music industry to follow Christ in 1984. 

In 2011 he signed a three-book deal with Harvest House Publishers to publish his Apple Creek Dreams series. His current series is The Paradise Chronicles. The first book in the series, The Amish Heiress, a romantic suspense novel, was published by Patrick's company, P&J Publishing, in August of 2015 and remained on the Amazon Top 100 best sellers list in three categories for seven months.

The second book in the series, The Amish Princess, a historical romance novel, was released in December of 2016 and was on Amazon's Hot New Releases for over a month. Harlequin recently purchased the print rights for both books for their Walmart Amish series. Patrick also just released Cracking The Indie Egg—A Recipe For Publishing Your Own Book and it is available in most major digital bookstores.

Patrick and his wife Judy, make their home in Idaho. They have two married children and five grandchildren. Patrick is represented by the Steve Laube Agency.

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Connect with Patrick:
Website - www.patrickecraig.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PatrickECraig
Twitter - https://twitter.com/PatrickECraig
Amazon Author page - http://tinyurl.com/n6sfagg

True Love Stories: My Date with the King

Today, Natalie Monk is sharing her unique take on Valentine’s Day as a single lady: She is celebrating this romantic holiday by going on a Date with the King! No, not the King of Denmark or France—she’s talking about God, the Creator of the Universe and Earth.

Curious to know how that’s possible? Read on to discover the answers to your questions in Natalie’s true love story. 

~*~
My Date with the King
Natalie Monk’s true love story

For singles, Valentine’s Day usually means working late then crashing with PJs, a tub of ice cream, a book, or a sappy movie, a box of tissues, and a large side of self-pity. 

This Valentine’s Day I’m doing something different . . .

I accepted Christ at a young age when I realized He died for my sin because He loved me. We’ve had sweet times of fellowship over the years. But as I grow older and get busier, it doesn’t take much for my devotional and prayer times to be crowded out, for the sparks of my fellowship with God to subdue to glowing embers.

This year, I want to grow closer to Jesus than ever before. I want to seek His face and His heart more than His “hand” or His blessings. I want to respond to Him, serve Him and make time for Him as I would a beau.

With that commitment in mind, I recently made a list of things I want to do to strengthen my fellowship with the Lord.

#1. “Bless the Lord” by giving Him my submission, respect and cheerful affection. From the Bible, I know worship and praise and adoration belong to Him. I know He’s interested in me, knows me better than anyone in the world. He desires for me to want Him to know me and for me to know Him more.

#2. Give Him myself, my thoughts my plans, my dreams, my longings.

#3. Serve Him. To do thoughtful, special things for Him with hidden meanings only the two of us know.

#4. Be proud of and speak highly of Him in the presence of others.

#5. Send Him “love note” prayers like, “I can’t wait to be in Your presence. You make life worth living. I don’t know what I’d do without you. I want to know You more. Tell me how to please you best. I want to carry your love-light in my eyes. I long for you, Beloved.”

#6. Make plans to be alone with God, without distractions or busy worries to take my mind from Him.

#7. Re-read His Love Letter (The Holy Bible) to me.

#8. Write with Him, share creativity together, and be sure He approves of my work.

At the end of this list, I wrote, “If God were my ‘significant other,’ I’d want to spend Valentine’s Day on a date with Him.”

Then it hit me. Aha!

When this Valentine’s Day rolls around, I’m going on a date with the King.

Here’s the plan:

I’ll take my Bible, my journal, Beverly Seward Brandon’s Bible study sheet on the husbandly attributes of God (read the full list of attributes by following this link,

http://sweetsouthblog.blogspot.com/2015/02/my-valentines-day-date-with-king.html) and a book bag filled with:

· Come Away, My Beloved by Francis J Roberts,

· Tortured for Christ by Richard Wurmbrand,

· A Woman After God’s Own Heart by Elizabeth George,

· Lady In Waiting by Jackie Kendall and Debbie Jones

· Morning and Evening by Charles Haddon Spurgeon, and possibly

· Girl Talk with God by Susie Shellenberger.

I’m going to dress nice and hope the coffee shop will have some type of red velvet hot cocoa or something Valentine-y to go along with the occasion.

I had initially planned to have this date at home. I’ve been known to exhibit inordinate social cowardice on Valentine’s Day—like hiding at home in my PJs browsing Pinterest just so I don’t have to see other couples holding hands and kissing in public.

This time, though, I feel God wants me in public for a testimony that He is enough to satisfy the longings of every soul. Probably no one will ask (usually people keep to themselves in our mid-sized town) but if they do, I’ll tell them about my date and use it as an opportunity to tell them about my Date. Hehe. See what I did there?

This Valentine’s Day, I’m throwing down the gauntlet. I challenge every single person to dump your PJs and Valentine’s Day self-pity. Grab your Bible and favorite devotional and get to know your Creator. Let Him be the Lover of your soul. Who’s with me?

~*~

Author bio: 

A farm girl from the time she could shimmy under a string of barbed wire, Natalie Monk writes award-winning historical romance spiced with southern humor and small-town oddities. She is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers and is currently revising her second manuscript.

Natalie is a homeschool graduate from North Mississippi, a piano teacher, part-time portrait photographer, certified wedding planner, and devotional speaker. She loves sweet tea, reading, girl talk (usually about books), porch swings, and watching old musicals and action movies with her family.

~*~
Connect with Natalie:

Twitter- @NatalieDMonk

Facebook - www.facebook.com/nataliemonkauthor

Pinterest - www.pinterest.com/nataliedmonk

Blog - sweetsouthblog.blogspot.com

Website - defangyoursynopsis.blogspot.com

God is Good All the Time

There is a saying by church folk that goes, "God is good all the time. All the time, God is GOOD!" Never before have I had that point proven in such a profound way as of today.

Earlier today, I was going through a situation that was tough and I did not know what to do. But what did God do? Through my calendar notes a few hours later, He reminded me that I scheduled a devotional post for today. The devotional is written by a writer named Mary Hamilton and we scheduled it to be posted on my blog today (Dec. 29).

Wouldn't you know, after arranging this post and reading the devotional by Mary, God spoke to me through the words He inspired Mary to write? And by that I mean, Mary's words in this devotional resonated with me in a profound way especially the point about feeling close to God on sunny days and then something happens that makes you feel like you've been left in the dark on your own because that's what happened to me literally a few hours earlier today. But I emerged (from reading this) encouraged along my life journey.

So thank you Mary Hamilton for allowing God to use you through your written words to encourage my heart and remind me of this simple truth, God is good, ALL the time; ALL the time, GOD is GOOD! :) May you be encouraged by Mary's words too.

~*~

God is Good All the Time

A devotional written by Mary Hamilton

“Know therefore that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and his loving kindness to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments.” ~Deuteronomy 7:9

Why is it so hard to remember and experience God’s love in the midst of trouble?

So many times, I’ve been walking strong in my faith, enjoying close fellowship with the Lord. Convinced of His love for me, I revel in His presence surrounding me as I go through my day. Then, something happens—illness, a broken relationship, failed plans. Whatever it is, the enchanted spell shatters and I’m plunged into a dark abyss where I have trouble remembering all the aspects of faith I was so sure of only a few days before. I search for an awareness of God’s love and presence, but my circumstances make it seem like He’s left the building.

How do we hold onto that certainty of God’s love when darkness threatens to overwhelm us? We remind ourselves of God’s character.

What is character? It is the distinctive qualities that make up someone’s personality. It’s their reputation. My husband is known as an encourager, because he so often speaks words of encouragement to those around him. That’s his character. Someone who is not well acquainted with him might expect him to speak words of condemnation now and then, but anyone who knows him well has learned to expect only positive and encouraging speech. At times, he may choose to remain silent or there may be a conflict between him and another person, but that doesn’t change the way people expect my husband to act. They know his character, and are confident of his ways.

John tells us God’s character is love (1 John 4:8). James reminds us His character never changes (James 1:17). In Deuteronomy, Moses declares God is faithful and keeps his covenant of love even to a thousand generations. Our perception may change, but God’s character remains the same. Knowing Him well brings confidence that even when He is silent, He is near and His love for us has not changed.

If we want that assurance, we must study God’s character as revealed in His word and through His Son. We must know Him well enough to trust Him when our emotions and circumstances tempt us to think He is anything other than loving, faithful, and always present in our troubles.

~*~
Author bio:

Mary L. Hamilton grew up at a youth camp in southern Wisconsin, much like the setting for her Rustic Knoll Bible Camp series. Hear No Evil and Speak No Evil are aimed at ages 10 and up. Each book features authentic male characters who come to summer camp with their own “baggage” from home. But they leave with a new perspective and a deeper understanding of their relationship to God.

When she’s not writing, Mary enjoys knitting, reading and being outdoors. She and her husband make their home in Texas with a rescued Golden Retriever.


Connect with Mary:

Website/blog: http://www.maryhamiltonbooks.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/maryhamiltonbooks

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/mhamiltonbooks

Twitter:@mhamilton122

Buy Mary's books: 
Hear No Evil http://tinyurl.com/kl5bovo

Speak No Evil http://tinyurl.com/oaleqya

A holiday devotional about cardinals

Cardinals Color My World
A devotional written by LoRee Peery

Photo credit: LoRee Peery

Isaiah 1:18 (NIV)—“Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow, though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”

Psalm 51:7b (NIV)—“Wash me and I will be whiter than snow.”

Hebrews 9:22b (NIV)—“Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”

My sister and I have an affinity for cardinals. Whenever I hear the recognizable cardinal’s song, I smile as though God is greeting me through that bird. My sister loves cardinals so much she even recorded one singing for her time in Arizona where cardinals are not native.

I like to imagine what the red bird is saying: “I’m here, here, here”; the higher “find me, find me, find me”; or the lower whistle sounds to me like a repeated “cheery, cheery, cheery.” I’m sure the birds are happy because God gives them a joyful song to greet the day (and lift human hearts). My sister claims no two cardinals sound alike. I stop what I’m doing to lift my eyes in order to find the source, usually high on a branch. Once in a while the vocal trills like a wolf whistle. I’ve tried to answer the way my dad did when I was a girl, but I’m not a whistler.

My dad could be crusty with people and gentle with small creatures. While building the bedroom additions onto the back of our tiny farmhouse when I was a girl, he made a pet of a male cardinal. Dad and that bird whistled back and forth until it eventually flew in through the windows and perched on his finger. For three or four years afterward, my sister and I often woke up to a cardinal’s song (we thought it was the same bird), right outside our bedroom on the northwest corner of the house.

Many years later, a singing fake cardinal in a cage often greeted my sister’s only son when he entered the house. After he was tragically killed at age twelve while riding his bicycle, she thought of him every time that fake bird pealed. For years now, her adult daughters, my nieces, are welcomed by cardinals wherever they live. Who knows? Angels may take the form of cardinals, simply for God to let us know He cares as He colors our world.

In my own novel, Sage and Sweetgrass, I looked at cardinals from my character’s viewpoint. “The brilliant scarlet males against the pure snow, perched vivid in the ethereal backdrop, brought to mind the shed blood of Jesus. Once a soul believed, Christ saw a saint as pure, white as snow. Without sin.”

And that purity is what I see when that familiar flash of red, especially bright against the whiteness of snow, further brightens my landscape.

I decorate with cardinals at Christmas. A beloved writer friend, Delia Latham, also loves cardinals. Early this fall, she sent me a cardinal ornament. I set it aside knowing it would soon decorate the Christmas tree I set up in the TV room. The new bird didn’t stay in the box long. In October I unwrapped it and hooked it where I can see it from my easy chair. When the sun hits the ornament during the day it glows an iridescent glassy red. At night it shines silver calls to mind angel wings reflecting on my Delia and me.

Even in the summertime I pull up pictures I’ve taken of cardinals flashing crimson against the snow. The vivid red birds are a constant reminder of Jesus, who gave His blood, the perfect sacrifice for me.

We live in a hurtful world. Tragedy and heartache strike all of us at some point. But God in His goodness always gives us hope. Because I’m a country girl, He shows Himself to me through nature. For others, it’s the smile or laughter of a child or any numerous ways. Wherever we are physically or emotionally, He reveals Himself through ways that only speak to individual hearts.

All we have to do is open our souls and listen.

Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, 

Thank You for placing me in the country, in a state where seasons abound. Thank You for the reminder each time I see a cardinal, especially against the snow, that though my sins be scarlet, You have washed me clean. Thank You, Jesus, for shedding your blood for me. Amen.

Note: Portions of this devotion appeared in RED, a free author devotional available at Pelican Book Group. http://tinyurl.com/nbbsk3a

~*~
Author bio:

A Nebraska country girl, LoRee Peery attempts to see God’s presence every day. Often that gift comes from nature, and she is most relaxed in the outdoors. The call of a cardinal draws her to look for the distinctive flash of crimson. A meadowlark’s melody always transports her to the farm where she grew up. A rainbow holds special significance, since one appeared the day of her father’s funeral and means the promise of the Lord’s presence in her life. She clings to I John 5:4 and prays her family sees that faith. 

You can find her at www.loreepeery.com or the Pelican Book Group site http://tinyurl.com/kwz9enk

Connect with LoRee:

Website, www.loreepeery.com 

Follow on Twitter, https://twitter.com/LoreePeery
"Like" or "Friend" LoRee on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/LoReePeery

Buy LoRee's books via Pelican http://tinyurl.com/