Devotionals for the Heart: When God calls you into a season of silence

Words and Wonder
A devotional by Anthea Kotlan

I am a logophile. I love words of all kinds and sizes, and seldom can I say I am at a loss for words. Hence my love of writing. When I was in school, word limits seemed so unfair. I want to write more, not less. I also love conversations where words are exchanged in all the best possible ways.

It is not surprising that the Lord would have me raise two daughters who are also lovers of words and communication. Ironically, when they were growing up, my two girls feared one punishment most of all. To be given “a silence” and instructed not to speak. If either of them could not communicate for even five long minutes, it got their attention in ways that very little else did.

During December, many Christians around the world participate in Advent. The four weeks leading up to Christmas allow believers to anticipate the nativity and spend time in quiet contemplation and wonder. Many people prepare for Christmas by re-reading the stories surrounding Jesus’s birth. I can relate deeply to so many of these characters.

In these Bible stories, God used angels to tell certain critical people about what He was about to do. One man, who is given an essential assignment, is a priest named Zechariah. The apostle Luke describes him as “righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all commandments and statutes of the Lord” (Luke 1:6 ESV). He seems uniquely qualified for whatever God is going to entrust to him.

One day Zechariah was serving in the temple, and suddenly, everything changed. Let’s read about it in Luke 1:11-12 (ESV): “And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him.”

Zechariah reacted to the angel with fear. The story continues in Luke 1:13-17 (ESV): “But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”

Luke also explains that Zechariah was older, and his wife was barren. Imagine how surprising this news must have been. Let’s read more of this story in Luke 1:18-22: And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in the temple. And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them and remained mute.”

When Zechariah expresses both doubt and fear in the face of God’s messenger, he receives an opportunity to be quiet. His sentence of silence would last nine long months while his wife carried an exceptional child. Eight days after the birth, Zechariah would regain his speech just as his son’s name was declared John.

What was God doing for Zechariah during this season of holy hush? What wonders did God reveal during this set-apart time?

Perhaps God used this season of silence to strengthen Zechariah’s faltering faith. He likely spent more time in quiet anticipation than he ever had. Can a silent servant hear more from God?

How might God use silence in your life? Could you practice just five minutes in the presence of the Lord without any words? Could you stretch it to 10 minutes or even more?

How might God speak into our lives if we listened and stopped talking? What wonders would He reveal to each of us?

Let’s Pray:

Lord, help me to seek you in silence in this season. Help me attune my heart to You and what You tell me. Help me to be quiet before Your throne and listen to Your voice. Allow me to hear the assignments You have for me. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “I'm Listening (Lyrics) Ft. Hollyn” by Chris McClarney. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Born in the highlands of Scotland, Anthea Kotlan made her way to Texas as a third grader. 

After studying the new language at length and mimicking the Houston locals, she found ways to blend in. Years later she floated down the San Marcos River, attended Journalism classes, and completed an undergraduate degree in in Journalism.

After getting married to Bill, she completed a graduate degree in English at Texas A&M. Ever the multitasker, she had two daughters and carried one of them into her graduation ceremony hidden under her billowing graduation gown.

Over the years she has served as a women’s ministry leader in several churches, spoken at women’s events, taught college freshmen English, lead various Bible studies and writes whenever she can on her blog.

Anthea makes her home in Conroe with her husband Bill, a bi-vocational priest and engineer, and spends all the time she can with her two grandchildren, Ian Michael and Margaret Yael.

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Connect with Anthea:
Website: www.antheakotlan.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anthea.kotlan
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/antheakotlan/

Devotionals for the Heart: Be a voice that takes a stand for Jesus Christ

A Voice or an Echo?
A devotional by Kay Pflueger

“The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, as it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way”—“a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’ ” And so, John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” 

– Mark 1:1-4 (NIV)

In the first chapter of Mark, we meet John the Baptist. He was the appointed messenger who was spoken of in the Old Testament by the prophet Isaiah. John’s role was to herald the coming of the Messiah—to prepare the way for the Lord. His voice was heard loud and clear after 400 years of silence and lack of prophecy to the nation of Israel. 

He was called by God to come out of the wilderness to preach and to teach. His message was clear: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” (Mark 1:7-8 NIV)

The past few years have been particularly noisy ones in our world, filled with many voices clamoring for attention and wanting to be heard. Voices shouting for equality, for unity and reform in our government, for answers in our global health crisis. Like John the Baptist, those voices had a message to proclaim.

We as Christians need to be concerned about equality in our nation. We should seek a government that works together and for the benefit of all people. We long to be free from the effects from the pandemic. However, I have found it hard to hear those messages above all the noise. It has become an “I can’t see the forest for the trees” kind of situation for me as they were drowned out by all the clamoring.

Social media has made it difficult to sort the voices that need to be heard from those that are echoes. The news channels seem to share those voices that are the loudest but are not always the ones with a true message of hope. We are wandering in the wilderness. We are confused by what we see and hear. We don’t know who to listen to or whom to trust. 

Facebook is filled with echoes—posts being shared without thought—just for the sake of “likes”. Instagram is filled with influencers who live for those clicks regardless of what harm their posts are causing. What the world needs is not more of those echoes; but rather, more voices that can be heard above all else. Voices that stand up and declare what is right. Christians are called to be different and not to echo what the world is sharing.

John the Baptist stood out. He did not follow “social media” to decide what to wear, what to eat, what to say. He was different and because he was different, people listened. He used his own voice to proclaim the good news.

The true message of who Jesus Christ is as our Lord and Savior needs to be heard. We are called to be a voice not an echo.

Let’s Pray: Lord, fill us with the desire to share Your message with everyone. Make our voices loud and clear enough to be heard above the noise in our world. We are not to be ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but rather we are to proclaim it to all the world. Open the ears of those who need to hear Your Voice through us. In Jesus’s Name we pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “I Am Not Ashamed” (song) by Heritage Singers. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Learning to read as a young child opened a world of adventure for Kay Pflueger. She came to realize words can have a unique power and beauty. 

Choosing to share those words in her devotional writings has become a joyful and rewarding experience for her. As a widow, she feels a special affinity towards those who are grieving or experiencing loss.

Kay recently completed a Copyediting certificate program and is currently pursuing a Creative Writing certificate. Her leisure time is spent with her married son and three grandchildren or in writing, reading, or trying new recipes.

She is an avid baseball fan who looks forward every summer to following her favorite team, the Chicago Cubs.

Kay is active member of Victory Lutheran Church in her hometown of San Diego, California and she enjoys writing devotions to be shared on the church website as well as on her personal social media.

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Connect with Kay:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kay.m.pflueger
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/irishsweetpea/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/pflueger_kay
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/9793471-kay-pflueger

Devotionals for the Heart: Hope for your heart and the holiday season

Hope Beyond the Holidays: Celebrating the REAL reason for this season
A devotional by Mirachelle Canada

“And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” Luke 1:45 (ESV)

As the leaves fall from the trees and the cold ushers us into the winter season, let us also welcome in a season of hope as we close in on the end of another year.

In this time of holidays, family gatherings, and giving of gifts let us be reminded and of the greatest gift, the Lord Jesus, the Prince of Peace that came at an unexpected time and in the most unique of ways.

In Luke 1 (read it in The Holy Bible), Elizabeth, wife of the priest Zechariah, was barren. The Lord looked on both Zechariah and Elizabeth as righteous in His sight (Luke 1:6) and because of this He chose to bless them with a son, John, who would usher in the coming of Jesus. But Zechariah did not believe such a blessing was possible because he was old, and his wife was advanced in years (Luke 1:18). So, God caused Zechariah to be mute until His promise was fulfilled in the birth of John. A time of silence was needed to still Zechariah’s spirit. He had to die to self-doubt, as a tree dies in winter.

Though Elizabeth’s husband could not tell her what transpired, she had to believe. For five months, she kept herself hidden, knowing God would take away the doubt and disbelief of people who would not think Zechariah’s visitation was possible (Luke 1:24-25). Though she couldn’t see what was going to happen, she chose to believe. Elizabeth was like the life force of a tree that lives dormant and hidden beneath the ground until the time of new birth.

Six months later, an angel appeared to Mary, a virgin, who was engaged to be married. He proclaimed that she would give birth to God’s Son, Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit. Though Mary didn’t completely understand how this was possible (Luke 1:34), she accepted the angel’s decree and welcomed it as God’s humble servant. The angel also told Mary of her cousin Elizabeth’s miraculous pregnancy and proclaimed, “For nothing will be impossible with God” (Luke 1:37). Mary welcomed the gift of God and the unknown. Like a strong tree in winter, Mary would stand firm and weather the storms because her roots were firmly planted in the promise of God.

When Mary visited her cousin, Elizabeth’s unborn child leapt in her womb upon hearing Mary’s voice (Luke 1:41) and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She received the news of the coming of God’s Son and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!” (Luke 1:42) She was humbled that the mother of the Lord would come to visit her and knew Mary would be blessed because of her belief in God’s plan (Luke 1:45). Like a tree that raises its branches in praise toward the sun in all seasons, these women gave thanks and praise to God for His great mercy.

The time then came when Elizabeth gave birth to her son and her relatives saw what God had done for her and rejoice (Luke 1:58). At the child’s naming ceremony where he would have inherited his father’s name, Elizabeth instead called him John as the angel had decreed, which confused the people. As soon as Zechariah confirmed the name in writing to the people, his voice was restored, and he blessed God (Luke 1:65). The story of John’s birth went out among the people because the hand of God was on him. John was the evidence of God’s faithfulness, like the new shoots that appear on a tree, signaling the closing of winter and paving the way to renewal of life.

Finally, a few months after John’s birth, Jesus the Savior and bringer of all new, and renewal, of life was born in a stable. He was laid in a manger cut from a tree that was sacrificed and molded into something new in order to hold the world’s most precious gift.

Jesus is the essence of all life!

Remember to celebrate Him as we go into this Christmas season.

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Author Bio:

Mirachelle Canada is a writer, playwright, screenwriter and theatre director/producer from Northern Virginia. She teaches television production at C.D. Hylton Senior High School.

She earned her Master of Fine Arts in Script & Screenwriting from Regent University and is a member of Act One: Hollywood Film & Television Writing Program, American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), ACFW Virginia Chapter, The Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild, and Your Novel Blueprint.

Mirachelle is passionate about awakening creativity and the gifts of God in everyone. She is currently working on her first historical fiction novel set during WWII, inspired by her time studying theatre education in London, England.

In her spare time, she also writes and directs Christmas and Easter passion plays at Christ Chapel Assembly of God in Woodbridge, Va.

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Connect with Mirachelle:
Website: www.mirachellecanada.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mirachellecanada/
Instagram: https://instagram.com/mirachelle77/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/miracan