Devotionals for the Heart: Gratitude

A Grateful Heart
A devotional by Glynis Becker

“To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the LORD has planted for his own glory.” –Isaiah 61:3 (NLT)

A few weeks ago we went to see the local high school’s spring musical. This was the first live production we’ve attended since February 2020 and it was everything I wanted it to be: energetic, fun, funny. It was a hand-clapping, toe-tapping, hum-under-your-breath good time. We saw many people we knew and chatted with friends we hadn’t seen in more than a year. I was grateful to be there.

But the greatest wave of intense, almost overwhelming gratitude came to me at the strangest time that evening. When I left the theatre at intermission and stood in line—a relatively long line—for the ladies’ room, I was overcome. It felt so normal! I have stood in a lot of lines at concerts, conventions, supermarkets, or movies, but never have I ever thought it was a blessing in disguise. Usually it’s just a nuisance. But the normality of waiting in a long line with so many strangers was a beautiful thing and I admit that I breathed a prayer of gratitude.

I love it when a circumstance that could be a source of grumbling and complaint suddenly becomes something different. A change in perspective can take the mundane and possibly annoying and turn it into a holy moment. I believe shifts like those are the Spirit’s way of reminding us that He has always been in the business of turning ashes into “a crown of beauty.”

These verses in Isaiah were the prophet’s words to Israel at a time of exile, judgement and hardship. But these are verses of hope, letting the people know that God would not only bring them through their circumstances, He would ultimately bless them in ways they wouldn’t imagine.

Their ashes would not only be removed from their foreheads but He would put a crown in their place.

Their mourning would not just be over, but they would be given a “joyous blessing” instead.

Their despair would not just be gone, they would break out into “festive praise.”

Aren’t those wonderful promises? Our world has been through a lot over the last year and we might feel tempted to lose hope. But don’t. God sees us. Jesus knows us. We’ve been given the Spirit as the ultimate Comforter and He wants us to take advantage of it. Run to Him and He will give you the comfort, strength, peace, protection, and help that you need.

Let’s allow Him to walk us through these hard times, but never forget the last part of those verses: the Lord plants us as oaks “for His own glory.” He blesses us for His own glory. He deserves all of the “festive praise” for whatever blessings He gives us.

Especially the blessings that come when we least expect them.

Let’s Pray: Father God, thank you so much for those quiet moments where You show up in unexpected ways. Thank you for blessings and promises we can hold onto on hard days and the ability to share those blessings with others. Allow us to be used by You every day. You deserve all praise and honor and glory always. In Jesus’s precious name I pray. Amen.

~*~Author Bio:

Glynis Becker writes devotions and inspirational fiction, hoping someday to have a published novel on her resume. 

She has co-written several screenplays, including the film Sinking Sand, available on DVD and digital streaming. 

Glynis, whose childhood was spent all over the country as an Air Force brat, has called South Dakota home for many years, along with her husband and two teenage children.

When she’s not writing or reading, she is watching more television than she should and crocheting. 

You can find her at www.glynisbecker.com.

Devotionals for the Heart: Our Hope

A Spring of Hope
A devotional by Christa MacDonald

“For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.” 

–Romans 8:24-25 (NIV)

I garden in New England, so every season I have to start a goodly amount of my annuals indoors. I don’t have a potting shed or greenhouse, so the large front window becomes my staging area. I have trays of seedlings sitting in the sun, waiting for the warmer weather.

This weekend, I finally came to terms with my first failure of the year. I had to give up on my chilies. I had planted two varieties and patiently waited. And waited. Saturday made it one month since planting, and there was simply no way they were going to sprout. I think I know what I did wrong – not enough heat. I won’t make that mistake next year. For this year, I’ll just have to buy chilies from the nursery. Happily, my tomato seeds germinated just fine, and those seedlings are four-inches high and rising, something that delights me to no end.

There is nothing quite like gardening. Seeds go in the ground, or on the tray, or in the pot with great expectations or cautious hopes, and when the first shoots appear they bring joy with them. Spring is full of that particular kind of joy. Little green bits are popping up out of the ground everywhere. By the time May rolls around I’ll be setting out the veggies and the flowers, and a new phase of hope and expectation starts. I’ll be looking for flowers, and then fruit, with an eye to harvest-time.

Something about this particular kind of expectation reminds me of Christian hope. I think hope is one of the most difficult concepts in our faith. We often think of it like a wish or a desire we’re crossing our fingers that God will grant. Instead, hope is like that planted seed. We have an optimistic expectation because of Jesus. Hope in people and they will fail you. Hope in institutions and they will fail you. But hope in God and He will never fail you!

If you’re hoping that God gives you a million dollars, that’s not hope. Our hope rests in the truth that God is faithful. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6).

When we’re anxious, this is when we need to draw on this hope. We don’t know what will happen tomorrow but we know that God will provide. He may ask us to go through terrible trials, to struggle emotionally and financially, but He will be with us through it all. Nothing that we encounter in life can separate us from the love of God. Our hope is fixed and secure because Jesus Christ died (and rose again, completing the plan of salvation) so that we could live. We are able to have this security, this hope for eternity because Jesus paid the price for us. When we repent of our sins and place our faith in Him, we are redeemed.

When life is difficult, I try to remember how I feel when I see the first green shoots in spring. It’s the rainbow after the storm, a physical reminder of God’s promise to those who believe. I tuck that feeling in my heart, remembering my hope in God, the promise of salvation.

~*~
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: Hope

Seeds of Hope
A devotional by Glynis Becker

“Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” ~Lamentations 3:21-24 (NLT)

In the upper midwest of the United States, winter can often feel neverending. While the Black Hills where I live get a surprising amount of sunshine even in the winter, those gloomy days, cold temperatures, and biting winds can sap the strength of even the most ardent optimist.

But I know that spring will come, even if it’s still months away. Why? Because I live in hope.

Hope. Such a small word to hold such enormous promise.

Hope is the seed inside of me that says, “Tomorrow will be better.” Or “God’s got this.” Or “This journey won’t last forever.”

In the night, I hope for daylight.

In the pain, I hope for relief.

In the grief, I hope for joy.

in the chaos, I hope for order.

In the anger, I hope for peace.

Hope is not a wish or a dream. This is the foundational faith that the God I believe in will rebuild what is broken because in His Word He promised He would.

I find these verses from the book of Lamentations especially poignant. This poetic prophecy was written as a reflection on the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, and the subsequent exile of the Jewish people into Babylon. When the world crumbled around him from the turmoil of war, this man had a seed of faith allowing him to hope that the Lord would be merciful. He knew this would not be the end of the story for God’s people.

Jeremiah had stories from Creation, the Exodus, the conquering of Canaan, the life of David, which is a fairly short time-line compared to what we have. Today, with evidence from every book of the Bible and millions upon millions of stories from people around the world who continue to experience the presence, guidance, and faithfulness of God, how can we possibly feel hopeless?

So, the bulbs in my flower garden are currently buried under layers of frozen dirt, ice, and snow. But because every year the ground thaws, the sun comes out, and the birds come back, I have hope I will eventually see flowers bloom, even through the snow, if necessary.

Why can I say that?

God has never failed me yet. Great is His faithfulness.

My Prayer: Gracious God, I know You have always and will continue to show Your faithfulness to the world. In our darkness, sadness, brokenness, and mourning, have mercy. Remind us that even if it doesn’t happen today or tomorrow, Your Kingdom will come in all its truth and glory. Make us ready. In Jesus’ holy name, Amen.

~*~
Author Bio:

Glynis Becker writes devotions and inspirational fiction, hoping someday to have a published novel on her resume. 

She has co-written several screenplays, including Sinking Sand, available on DVD and digital streaming.

Glynis, whose childhood was spent all over the country as an Air Force brat, has called South Dakota home for many years, along with her husband and two teenage children.

When she’s not writing or reading, she is watching more television than she should and crocheting. You can find her at www.glynisbecker.com.

Devotionals for the Heart: Jesus Christ as The Lion and the Lamb

The Lion and the Lamb
A devotional by Sara L. Foust

"And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth." ~ Matthew 28:18 (KJV) 

"And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!" 

~John 1:36 (KJV) 

Spring is coming! I’m so excited. I often joke that I am really a lizard. I miss the sun when it is cold and wet all winter. And as soon as it starts to warm up, I am outside soaking in all that glorious Vitamin D.

I love the way the winds blow spring into East Tennessee. Like with each gust, it is pulling spring from the other side of the world, bringing it to us in warm breaths. Wrapped up in the power of those winds, I find myself looking to the Creator and each spring being in awe of His amazing creation. The tiny stems of life that sprout from the ground and in the nests in the trees never cease to amaze me.

Each March I think of the old saying, “In like a lion, out like a lamb.” March here is often unpredictable. Sometimes warmth creeps in early. Sometimes late. Sometimes early warmth fools us into thinking spring is here and we get slammed with a late snowstorm. (Like the blizzard of ’93, which, if you lived through it, you still talk about like it is a big deal 25 years later, because nothing has happened like it since.) In the middle of these unpredictable changes, I am reminded of my Savior, whose perfect sacrifice was enough to cleanse me from my sins. Not because He changes, but because He changed me. That He willingly laid His life down for me is humbling, to say the least. I am not worthy of that kind of sacrifice. There’s nothing I could ever do to earn it. Yet, He offered himself as a lamb on a pain-filled cross altar for me. Never had a more perfect sacrifice been found. Never will it be found again.

Now He protects me with his lion-like majesty and power, watching over me, guarding me, guiding me each step I take. Protecting my soul from harm and lending His power as a blanket over me.

Thank God, Jesus was that perfect sacrificial lamb! Thank God He loved me enough to suffer and die! And that He continues to love me enough to get me through each and every day. To bring me to another beautiful spring. To let me witness daily the incredible intricacies of His creation.

Have you heard this song, Big Daddy Weave, “The Lion and the Lamb”? It’s such a beautiful expression of Jesus’s twofold ability to be both the lion and the lamb. To both save and protect, humble and make strong. I am so thankful that God is able to be everything I need. 

Aren’t you?

~*~
Author Bio:

Sara writes Inspirational Romantic Suspense from a mini-farm in East Tennessee, where she lives with her husband and their five homeschooled children. 

She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science from the University of Tennessee and is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Tennessee Mountain Writers. Her debut novel, Callum's Compass, won second place in Deep River Books' 2017 Writer's Contest. She also has a story, “Leap of Faith,” in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Step Outside Your Comfort Zone. 

Sara finds inspiration in her faith, her family, and the beauty of nature. When she isn’t writing, you can find her reading, camping, and spending time outdoors with her family. To learn more about her and her work or to become a part of her email friend’s group, please visit www.saralfoust.com. 

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Love is in the Air: The Many Dimensions of Spring

Today we have an author who likes for you to call her"Ellie," visiting my blog today! :)

Ellie is a wonderful writer who loves springtime. She says this season has "many dimensions" and has prepared a wonderful devotional for you on that very idea.

I hope you will enjoy your time with Ellie today! :)

~*~
The Many Dimensions of Spring
A devotional written by Eleanor “Ellie” Gustafson

Years ago, I read a love fantasy that had me guessing until at least halfway through. The story started out depicting a grumpy old hag—totally unattractive to the male figure in the story. As time went on, however, she began to take care of herself and look even pleasant. To his surprise, she soon became sumptuous, well-endowed, alluring. But after this tantalizing period, even heavy, multi-colored makeup couldn’t mask her aging.

Have you figured it out? Think of winter, spring, summer, fall as a single character with multiple, evolving personas. A clever plot device.

I love spring. I’ve decided, though, that my favorite part comes before it actually happens. The anticipation of spring quickens me—so close but not yet here. I love summer, too, but with the sun beginning its southward run, can winter be far behind? I watch eagerly for those early, sparse signs of spring, but once spotted, the season quickly becomes an overwhelming flood that leaves me gasping. Not enough time to take all of it in!

I record the yearly dates of Important Spring Things: the first blackbirds, snowdrops, croaking frogs and peepers, forsythia, magnolias, daffodils. AND the first sprigs of asparagus in my garden. I can check previous years in my notebook to see if we’re early or late. Big-time late this year—not surprising, considering our horrendous New England winter.

Getting back to the love story, I see a parallel paradigm. I started my life as a grumpy, wrinkled bit of hardship for my parents. I grew to be reasonably intelligent and capable, became fruitful (three wonderful children) and productive (five published novels with another on the way), and now I’m again collecting wrinkles.

But there’s another level of spring that also has that period of anticipation. Here I am, a bit long in the tooth and nearing the end of the road. But like living in the sure expectation of the glories of spring (note the above), I am similarly anticipating the glories of heaven. I’m not there yet, but as new spring life invariably appears out of winter’s death, so heaven is guaranteed by Jesus’ death. Our Savior took the seed of life into the grave, and there it sprouted, bursting the bonds of Death.

I’ve read enough about near-death experiences to note commonalities: bright light, indescribable colors, vibrancy, overwhelming beauty, boundless energy—on and on. There are, of course, those who get a glimpse of hell and on recovery, quickly change their ways. But heaven is certain Reality for those who commit their lives to Christ.

The difference between our spring and God’s heaven is the problem of death. When spring first appears, it totally conquers winter’s death, but only for a brief moment. Death’s sword will soon leave its mark, first with snowdrops and daffodils, then forsythia. In heaven, though, Death has been totally defeated. We see Life as originally intended in the Garden of Eden.

My novel Dynamo addresses some of these spring-winter issues. Jeth Cavanaugh is searching for a new life along one of Pennsylvania's mountain ridges when he stumbles upon a stable of jumpers, as well as a volatile stallion named Dynamo. Jeth will do anything to work there. He’s hired to train and show the jumpers, but Dynamo becomes his primary passion. Everything changes when God enters his life—by means of a hard slap by his girlfriend. After that slap, their love relationship becomes wintery, at best. Any chance for them to experience spring? It comes, but in a shape neither of them expect.

Yes, enjoy each season of life here on earth, but keep your eyes fixed on the place where we can enjoy a whole, glorious eternity with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

~*~
Author bio: 

Ellie grew up in Branchville NJ in a county that had more cows than people. She loved horses and the annual County Farm and Horse Show. Ellie attended Wheaton College in Illinois as a music major. She is married to a pastor/college professor/tree farmer/organist and writer. Together, Ellie and her husband have 3 kids and 8 grandchildren. 

Music was Ellie’s first love until she “tried on the cloak of writing and found that it fit quite well.”

“God first touched me through a story, and he has molded and kneaded me all my life,” Ellie said. “I love Him passionately!”
A writer of huge influence on Ellie’s life is Eugene Peterson. She says Peterson’s books are “meaty and challenging.” Peterson endorsed Ellie’s novel The Stones (about King David) and since then, Ellie refers to Peterson as her “forever friend”.

Ellie hopes that her readers will enjoy all of her books and says, “The Stones may taste good to you too!”

~*~
Buy Ellie’s books:
Dynamo - http://amzn.to/1HW4cHg
The Stones: A Novel of the Life of King David - http://amzn.to/1Pbpm4P

~*~
Connect with Ellie:
Blog/website - www.eleanorgustafson.com
E-mail - egus@me.com