Devotionals for the Heart: Don't miss God when He's right in front of you

Disguised But Right in Front of You
A devotional by Kerry Sue Teravskis

But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” “I am,” said Jesus. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”—Mark 14:61-62 (NIV)

My sister had dressed up for an event at church, completely disguising herself.

She became a pregnant blonde, and she was anything but that. She decided to leave it on when she picked up her new husband from the airport. Having known each other a long time before marriage, they easily would recognize one another.

Julie arrived in the airport, ready to meet her man. She was eager to see him and she was a sight. The travelers streamed off the plane and into the airport, not taking too much notice of her. She spied her husband, Jeff, first and waited for his reaction. To him, she was just a face in the crowd. Jeff remembered his wife as a brunette, a young bride and definitely not pregnant. She waited. As he nearly walked past her without recognizing his own wife, their eyes locked.

There was something familiar in those eyes to Jeff. The hair and her shape didn’t fit, but those eyes did. He burst out laughing as he realized what she had done, and she joined in the fun. Others laughed too as they saw this happy couple recognize each other, even though one was disguised.

When Jesus Christ was on earth, He made a point of telling others not to tell others about His identity. His time had not yet come. But most could not help themselves. He had done miracles, fed thousands, and healed many people. Naturally, the word got out. But many still chose not to believe or to see Him even though He was right in their midst.

We are told to walk by faith not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7), but while Jesus was on Earth, He was in plain sight. He did not disguise Himself. He was out in the open doing the work His Father sent Him to do (John 6:38). Many chose not to see.

They were looking for an impressive king, their Messiah who they expected would announce His advent with much pomp and circumstance. But Jesus came to Earth as a tiny baby born to humble and poor parents in a little town called Bethlehem. And then it was thirty years before He began His public ministry.

Jesus spent time with a rag tag group of followers, hung out with ‘sinners’ and answered only to His Father. He was in their midst, but for those who had eyes to see, there was understanding and belief.

Have you been looking for Jesus in your life and cannot find Him? Are you asking for His guidance but don’t see it? Could it be your vision is clouded or you are not looking into His eyes?

Jesus is right here with us and promises never to leave nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). But there may be times when we are so busy looking for the “wow” that we miss the humble. Just like the Pharisees were looking for an impressive King.

In my day-to-day I want immediate answers and quick responses from God. I am selfish and want what I want when I want it. But Jesus is asking me to trust Him, to look right in front of me because He is there—whether I see Him or not is up to me. His Presence could be bold and obvious, or it could come as a gentle whisper. He could walk on water (Mark 6:45-51) right beside me, or He could be holding the yoke open (Matthew 11:28-30) for me to step back into it. He could be serving me at the banquet table (Psalm 23:5) or He could be holding me in His lap (Hebrews 4:16).

The point is: He is here. Now. In the present.

Am I seeing Him? Are you?

There may be times our vision is clouded by the cares of this world or the bells and whistles our enemy tries (and often succeeds) to distract us with. Let us keep our sights set on Jesus so our vision can be clear to see Him clearly and take comfort in knowing He truly is right here with us.

Let’s Pray: Father God, thank You for being there for me, for others and being completely present. Please forgive me for looking in the wrong places and into the wrong eyes. You are whom I am honestly looking for and honestly seeking to lead me in this life. I am here, acknowledging You right beside me and it is good. In Your name I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “I Know You’re There” by Casting Crowns. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

As a wife and Marmee to three adult children and one brand new daughter-in-love, Kerry Sue’s life is very full. She met her husband in college and served in the mission field with him for a few years before settling down back in the United States of America to raise their family.

Kerry Sue’s family was a homeschooling family for 20 years and they enjoyed it immensely. For the last 23 years they have lived on a small farm in Northern California where they have raised many farm animals, along with growing and preserving their food. Kerry Sue’s family farm has been a great source of enjoyment and a place to host many family gatherings. She maintains an open-door policy for dear friends—old and new.

Following and serving Jesus Christ is an integral part of Kerry Sue’s life as well as her family’s.

Whether it’s singing in our church choir, teaching children or leading and lecturing at a women’s Bible study, Kerry Sue loves to demonstrate her love for Jesus by giving to Him in service. She’s been a blogger for more than eight years, a Bible study writer for two years, and a devotional writer for about one year.

Kerry Sue writes about finding God’s Sovereignty in our pain and suffering.

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Connect with Kerry:
Blog: https://www.sovereignblog.com/home
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kerry.teravskis
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ksteravskis/

Devotionals for the Heart: Messiah

Jesus Christ: Our Ultimate Promise
A devotional by Karen Marstaller

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” –Isaiah 9:6 (ESV)

The people of Israel had received the promise of their long-awaited Messiah from the prophet Isaiah well over 700 years before the infant Jesus Christ was ever placed in a feeding trough in Bethlehem. It was an inauspicious beginning for their eagerly anticipated King and was mostly overlooked in the history of God’s people. They had waited such a long time and they missed the child born to two poor, weary travelers in the middle of the night.

Even though many missed Christ’s birth, in today’s world, so many years later, it seems as though most people eagerly wait for December 25 to arrive. It’s a holiday, a day with friends and family, a day to open presents and drink lots of hot cocoa. But it’s so much more than that.

Right now, we enter the season we call Advent, the four weeks before Christmas when we consider not only the birth of Jesus Christ, but also His return. For some of us, it’s a time of quiet contemplation of the wonderful gift of our Savior, Jesus. Others experience a yearning in our heart to see our Savior return to Earth. And for others, it’s a deeply rooted longing to join our Jesus in Heaven, to live with Him for all eternity. For many others it’s all three, but they all involve one thing—waiting on God’s timing.

A few days ago, a dear family member and I were talking about Advent and what it means. We spoke of looking forward and looking back. We talked about waiting and the joys of seeing God’s promises fulfilled and those waiting to be fulfilled. Then she said, “It all depends on what we do while we’re waiting.” That struck a chord—do I practice active waiting?

Her comment sent me on a path of personal discovery. In the beauty and stillness of worship, do I remember to praise the Maker of Heaven and Earth as I thank Him for the promises He has brought to completion? While I long for His return, am I telling others about His first coming and the reason He came—to save us from sin? As I live every moment of the day, do I humbly obey my Lord and Savior when He says, “Follow Me?” (Matthew 16:24)

Do I? Or am I all tied up in my own agenda and miss all that God is showing me? So many times, the answer is yes. But, thankfully, our Father in Heaven is rich in forgiveness, and He wants so much more for me than my self-serving desires.

So, join me, followers of Jesus, as we walk through this Advent season together. Let’s make a deliberate choice to look back with reverent hearts to God’s miracle of a baby in a manger. Let’s look forward as we pray for the moment when our friends and loved ones accept Jesus as their Savior. Let’s spend our time ministering to the needs of the people around us. And when our Lord says, “Follow Me” into a place we’ve never even considered, let’s embrace His perfect plan and obey His loving invitation.

With joy we will watch. With hope we will wait. And we will live in humble obedience to our Lord and Savior. God’s promise of Messiah took many years to be fulfilled, and His prophecy about the return of Christ is what we still await. But in the meantime, we devote ourselves to praise, to thanksgiving, to petition, and to service whenever and wherever He directs, not just for one month out of the year, but for always.

The psalmist urges us to “be strong” and “wait for the Lord” (Psalm 27:14 ESV). The Apostle Paul encourages us to make the “best use of the time” that we have because “the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:16 ESV). So, in the whirlwind of parties, concerts, get-togethers, and holiday traditions, let’s praise the Lord for our Savior, King Jesus, and then let’s wait expectantly for God’s promise of His return to take us home with Him.

Let’s Pray: Dear Lord Jesus, You are our Promise, our only hope of Heaven. Thank You for coming to Earth to save us, and we rejoice that You’re coming again! Help us to follow You whole-heartedly wherever You lead us. We wait for You, Jesus! In Your precious, Holy Name we pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “Messiah” by Francesca Battistelli. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Karen Marstaller is a retired high school teacher who spent most of her career challenging creative students to write. Her heart is for her readers. 

She writes to encourage them, to make them laugh, to show them that life is a beautiful journey, and regardless of their past, to show them that there is joy ahead if they will just keep looking.

Karen and her husband live in central Texas in a sweet little home that they completely remodeled. They enjoy spending time with their family, which includes seven precious grandchildren.

Most of all, Karen writes in obedience to the command to love your neighbor, to offer a cup of water to those who are dying of thirst, and to comfort others with the comfort she has received.

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

Devotionals for the Heart: God's Love

When God Entered the World
A devotional by Kay Pflueger

“In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” 

–1 John 4:9-11 (ESV)

Adam and Eve had everything they wanted or needed in the Garden of Eden; that is until they broke God’s heart in disobedience. He loved them fiercely and was saddened by their actions. The world that should have been a perfect place of love and peace became dark with sin and hatred. Generations of God’s people longed for salvation and prayed to Him for peace and a restoration of His kingdom on earth.

When God deemed it to be the perfect time, He sent an angel to Mary to tell her that He had chosen her among all women to bear His son. That child to be born would bring God’s love back into the world. As we read in 1 John 4:9 (ESV): “the love of God was made manifest among us.” He loved us so much that He chose to become like us and to walk the earth among us. Mary knew in her heart that the child she would deliver was the Messiah—the one sent to save the world. In Luke 1:48-49 (ESV), she praised God saying: “For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.”

The baby born to Mary in that stable in Bethlehem is the focus of our Christmas celebrations, but the true revelation of God’s love for us did not happen that night but on the cross at Calvary. Before his sacrifice for our sins (dying on the cross), Jesus Christ walked on the earth. He lived and loved selflessly. He showed us how to love one another—those poorer than us, those who hate us, those who demand things from us, and those who speak against us. We are to love them all just as He did. He knew that real, genuine love would fix the human heart and He willingly walked the road to the cross to show that same real, genuine love for us.

We were made in the image of God, and He desires for us what He planned for Adam and Eve. He wants our lives to be full of love, beauty, wholeness, and goodness. He loved us with such an immense love that He sent His Son to suffer a painful death, so that we could spend eternity with Him (John 3:16-17).

In 1885, Christina Georgina Rossetti penned a beautiful poem titled “Love Came Down at Christmas” which was later set to music. The first stanza portrays an inviting image of the love of God descending to earth while the angels and the stars heralded the event. It says that love divine came down at Christmas. It says that the Savior of the world was born. Angels announced His birth and stars in the sky guided the people to the place of His birth (a manger inside a stable located in Bethlehem). Open a Bible to read the full story of Christ’s birth in Luke 1 and Luke 2.

This is the story of love. This is the story of Christmas. Love came down at Christmas. Unwrap that gift and share it with others.

Let’s Pray: Father God, thank you for the gift you gave us in that stable in Bethlehem. You sent your Son to show us how to love and we ask that you help us share that love with those who need it most. Let us not be concerned with how many gifts are under the tree but rather with that gift that is in our heart. Your love came down at Christmastime. Let us rejoice! In Jesus’s Name we pray. Amen.

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Note from Alexis: Kay’s devotional reminds me of the Christmas song “When Love Came Down” by Point of Grace. 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 that 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.

When she is not spending time with her married son and three grandchildren, she is either reading, cooking, writing, or working on pursuing her Copyediting Certification.

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

She is an active member of Victory Lutheran Church in her hometown of San Diego, California.

Kay enjoys writing devotions to be shared on her church’s website and personal social media.

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Connect with Kay:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kay.m.pflueger
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/irishsweetpea/

Little Lamb Books Spotlight on Cairo’s Christmas Journey

Interview with Janet L. Christensen about her book, 

Cairo’s Christmas Journey:

Congratulations on writing and publishing this Christmas story! Let’s talk about it …

Alexis: Why did you write this book?

Janet: I have always loved the Christmas story…the bright star beaming, hosts of angels singing, and a tiny baby resting in a lowly stable. But I wanted to retell it in a new way, with a slightly different message…and a super fun main character, of course!

Alexis: In what ways do you hope that this holiday story will bring parents and children together as they read it?

Janet: This story is fun and engaging to read. There is a lot of action along the way. I know that I enjoy reading it to little ones as much as they enjoy hearing it. It is just one of those stories that begs for fun voices and dramatic reading. It is a great experience for everyone, and I hope it proves to be a story that gets read over and over as we prepare our hearts for the coming of our Savior.

Alexis: Tell us about Cairo. How did you come up with this character’s name? What is Cairo’s mission? How far will this character have to travel until he reaches his destination?

Janet: Cairo is a tiny cricket that has used his gift of music to help others find rest. He has traveled far and wide and is currently working with a bunch of shepherds outside of Bethlehem. These poor shepherds have some sheep that don’t like to go to sleep at night. Cairo uses his gifts to help them fall asleep. On the night Jesus is born, an angel comes to Cairo to ask him to play his music for the restless newborn Messiah. While the shepherds are just a few miles outside of Bethlehem, when you are only an inch tall, that is nearly an impossible journey. But nothing is impossible with God.

Alexis: What are the hardest and easiest parts of Cairo’s journey to Bethlehem?

Janet: Cairo runs into all sorts of challenges on his trip. From a cluster of grumpy blackbirds, to a sticky situation with an anthill, there is not much about Cairo’s journey that isn’t hard. But along the way he meets some new friends…friends that are just as willing to share their gifts with Cairo as Cairo is to share his gifts with the Messiah. Cairo soon learns that these helpers that God sent him along the way can help smooth out even the bumpiest of journeys.

Alexis: Why does Cairo want to play a song for the newborn Messiah? Will this be an original song that he composed? Or a tune that’s already known?

Janet: Cairo loves to play his music, and when the angel asks Cairo to play for the new baby, he is honored, even though the journey is daunting. Cairo’s music is something unique and special to him. It is a brand-new tune…a soothing tune…one that only Cairo can play. Cairo’s music has been bringing rest to the rowdy sheep night after night. He is happy to share that gift with the new family in Bethlehem.

Alexis: What role does faith in God play in this story?

Janet: The angel has asked Cairo to do a big job. Being just a tiny cricket, the journey into Bethlehem could take days. But Cairo needs to get there that night. The angel tells Cairo that God will send him all the help he needs to get there. Cairo has to believe that God will help him on his journey. Cairo’s big faith and his new friends get him to his destination.

Alexis: What lesson are you hoping to teach young children through this story?

Janet: I want kids to know that even though they are small, they have so much to offer to God and others. Maybe, like Cairo, their gift is music...maybe they like to help their grandma make cookies…maybe they are a fast runner. Whatever talents they have, those talents make them special and God wants them to share those talents with His world, to help make it a better place.

Alexis: Thanks for the interview, Janet! Would you like to share closing thoughts?

Janet: Thank you so much for having me! It was my pleasure. Cairo’s Christmas Journey is available for purchase at Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com and many other booksellers. Blessings for a joy-filled Christmas season to you and all of your readers!

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Author Bio:

Janet L Christensen is an award-winning writer, speaker and encourager that loves to captivate audiences with inspiring stories.

Whether it is with the stories she writes or with the stories she tells with the help of one of her puppet friends, Janet is sure to deliver an entertaining message of hope and love.

When she is not writing, Janet enjoys living the life of a pastor’s wife and leading children’s or women’s ministry projects.

She is the proud mother of two teenage sons and a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Sully.

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Blurb for Janet's book Cairo’s Christmas Journey:

Cairo, I have a job for you. 

It's a special night and Cairo is a cricket on a mission: he's on his way to Bethlehem to play a lullaby for the newborn Messiah. 

If only Bethlehem weren't so far away!

Our miniature hero isn't sure he has what it takes to make the journey. But with the help of a new crew of friends, Cairo sees God always finds a way.

On this holy night, Cairo's adventure shows us that it's in sharing our gifts that we truly glorify the newborn King.

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Connect with Janet:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janetlchristensen
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janet_l_christensen_author/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/j_l_christensen

Devotionals for the Heart: Thoughts about Jesus Christ as our Messiah

“I Thirst”
A devotional by Chaplain Paul Anderson

“After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.” –John 19:28 (KJV)

This simple verse of scripture is full of wisdom, spiritual depth and assurance.

It first speaks of Messianic fulfillment. Jesus Christ became Messiah to fulfill the law and to be the typological fulfillment of the visions that the prophets of old intoned. Jesus may well have been quoting Psalm 69:20 where the psalmist was beseeching the Lord to hear of his plight and intercede in his behalf, with his marauding adversaries. Under real persecution the psalmist says that the enemies had reproached and dishonored him.

Reproachment comes in many different ways. Subtle marginalization, economic distancing, othering, then physical assaults. The psalmist pled his case before God: They have broken my heart, depressed my psyche and left me pitiful. They served me soured mush made with bile. When I thirsted they gave me vinegar to drink. It was so bitter that my head shook reflexively in disgust, and they laughed at me.

When Jesus hung, crucified, dehydrated, bruised and helpless, His persecutors treated Him with disdain and reproachment of historical reflection. He was reminded of the psalmist cry. Bearing the sins of the world and making right the wrongs of sin, he even took on that burden and said, “I thirst.” They lifted a sponge to His mouth after soaking it in a vat of cheap wine mixed with vinegar and water. When He took it, He carried the pain, shame and inequities of life for every one of us, all the way to the cross.

Christ fulfilled a prophecy showing that He knows where we are and what is going on around us. He fulfilled a prophecy assuring us that He can fulfill the purposes that were coded into our DNA.

The second concept is that because of the brutality that he had endured, Christ was physically parched and thirsty. There is no physical need that is more compelling than thirst. You can be hungry and last awhile without food. Your other sense may at times cry for fulfillment, but none will drive you quite like thirst.

In your thirsts, know that there is no temptation, no unmet need or desire that Christ has not felt (1 Corinthians 10:13). He feels what we feel and have felt. He knows how compelling loneliness can be. He knows about physical pain and desire. He knows about emotional distance and isolation. He knows about unmet expectations and unfulfillment. He carried that to the cross too, yet without sin!

Take hope and be encouraged by Christ that you too can overcome the world, including your own body, and be victorious through Christ who strengthens us.

Through it all, God was with His Son Jesus Christ. You can have that same assurance that God is with you and you can come through the challenge victorious. It may involve pain, isolation, or deprivation, but on the other side is validation, vindication and salvation.

I would like to think that when Jesus shouted into the swirling winds of dark, demonic presence as He hung dying on the Cross, He was declaring His victory over sin, death and the grave. He was claiming his victor’s cup and taking to himself the bride of Christ, His church of which we are members.

Christ’s words, “I thirst” were the intonation for all time that Jesus won and has redeemed us, not just for yesterday, but for tomorrow, and for all time and I just want to say, “Thank you, Lord!”

Let’s Pray: Thank you Lord for saving my soul. Thank you Lord for making me whole. Thank you Lord for giving to me, Thy great salvation so rich and free! To God be the glory! In Jesus’s Name I pray, Amen.

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Author Bio:

Chaplain Anderson served for 20 years as a U.S. Navy Chaplain. Over 26 years of active duty, he was promoted through the ranks from Seaman Apprentice (E2) to his final rank as Commander (O5) in the Chaplain’s Corps.

Prior to his Naval career, Chaplain Anderson pastored in the Allegheny East and Potomac Conferences of Seventh-day Adventists. His undergraduate preparation for ministry was completed at Washington Adventist University in Takoma Park, Md.

He has subsequently earned four graduate degrees: a Master of Divinity from Andrews University in Michigan, a Master of Education in Counseling and Personnel Services from the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland and a Masters of Sacred Theology in Religion and Culture from Boston University. His Doctor of Ministry degree was conferred by Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C.

Chaplain Anderson also completed four units of Clinical Pastoral Education at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. He also holds certifications in Suicide Awareness and Prevention, Civil Mediation, Alternative Workplace Dispute Resolution, Temperament Analysis, Marriage Enrichment, Workforce Diversity, and is a certified Life Coach.