Devotionals for the Heart: Hope for when your faith is on life support

Hope For When Your Faith is on Life Support
A devotional by Sarah Cole 

“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” –Mark 11:22-24 (NIV)

Skyrocketing gas prices, empty shelves in stores, a border in chaos. These are just a few examples of what the media tells us is occurring in the United States each day.

We're certainly a nation desperate for good news.

Like many Americans who are struggling to make ends meet, I live from paycheck to paycheck, and the pain at the pump—and everywhere else—makes me wonder if there's hope on the horizon. Maybe you've had your doubts, too.

Sometimes, the cares of this world consume us, and when the Good News (The Gospel of Jesus Christ) takes a backseat to bad news, we often allow fear to hijack our faith. This results in spiritual amnesia, because we forget about God’s sovereignty, His promises, and His power. 

In times like these, we need reminders of who God is and what He’s done. In other words, we need a faith reset. In Romans 10:17 (NKJV), Paul writes that “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” This verse tells us that when life throws us one curveball after another, God's promises are the anchor that keeps our faith strong. Strong faith is worth the time and effort it takes to build it.

For the past several months I've been working out with my personal trainer, and thanks to my partnership with Carrie, I’m stronger than ever. But it took a lot of patience, discipline, and hard work to get there. Faith, like a muscle, won’t grow without resistance, so unless adversity tests our belief system, we will remain spiritual infants, at the mercy of one crisis after another.

I am grateful that God is never taken by surprise, and that He—not the government, or the economy—is my “ever-present help in times of trouble” (Psalm 46:1 in the Berean Study Bible). He is an immovable anchor during the storm, and He is the same “yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8 ESV). If God can raise Jesus from the grave, supply manna to the Israelites in the wilderness (Exodus 16:4), and part the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21), He will do the miraculous in your life, too—even when the bottom falls out and your faith is on life support.

Friend, whatever bad news is keeping you up at night, Jesus knows all about it, He is in control, and He cares deeply for you. I encourage you to take a deep breath, lay your burdens at his feet, and consider taking these steps:

Step #1: Take an inventory of all the ways God provided for you this year, especially when you least expected it. I think you will see His fingerprints all over your life.

Step #2: Make a faith declaration. Tell yourself in your own words that whatever crisis is threatening to take you under, God keeps His promises, and He will take care of you, regardless of what you hear on the news.

Step #3: Find promises in the Bible that address your challenges and start committing them to memory. Develop a library of truth in your mind, so the next time fear rears its ugly head, your faith will be in the driver’s seat.

Someone once said that fear appears instantly in the dark, but faith, like a photo, takes time to develop. As you step out in faith today, remember that Jesus walks with you, He sees the twists and turns ahead, and He will take you safely to your next destination.

That’s good news you can count on.

Let’s Pray: Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for taking such wonderful care of me in every season, both lean and plentiful. When the news goes from bad to worse, help me remember the good news that You are in control, and You will equip me to handle whatever comes my way. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “In Times Like These” by the Cadet Sisters. Listen here.

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Author Bio:

Sarah Cole’s interest in writing began in grade school when her poem was published in the local paper. As she got older, her mother’s chronic illness inspired her to design a line of greeting cards. 

Since then, she has written for her college newspaper and two community newspapers where she wrote restaurant reviews and articles for their “Best of” spread.

Her experience as an administrator in the marketing field gave her the opportunity to write ads for a local business journal.

After a 20-year detour and a three-year season of adversity, God reignited her passion to write. Two divine appointments later, the short story she wrote about her father appeared in the St. Paul Almanac, and a short story about her cocker spaniel Gigi was published in Guideposts (magazine) Mysterious Ways. She believes her adversity was worth the lessons God taught her.

During this year (2022) and the next (2023), Sarah’s devotionals will be published in The Secret Place by Judson Press, as well as David C. Cook’s Devotions and The Quiet Hour. To this day, she smiles, pinches herself and gives God all the glory.

When she’s not writing, Sarah enjoys watching cooking shows, designing cards and mugs, and taking day trips.

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Connect with Sarah:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smittyc65
Twitter: https://twitter.com/@SarahCo45835279
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarah.cole.52

Devotionals for the Heart: Division

A Church Divided Isn’t What Jesus Started
A devotional by Gena Anderson

“I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive. No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.” – 1 Corinthians 10:23-24 (NIV)

History is full of conflict. World wars, civil wars, and religious conflicts fill the pages of history books. Humanity has been fighting for something, it seems, since the dawn of time. 

The Bible is filled with tales of nation against nation, Jews against Gentiles, and religious leaders against a Savior. People fighting should come as no surprise to us, yet many feel shocked, angry, saddened, and exhausted with all the division around us.

As we who live in the United States watch our country and our own friends and family be divided by their views on everything from racism to vaccines, we all react differently. Some fight back when met with resistance, others back down in retreat, and some go on offensive attack. I’ve stayed quiet, spoken up, offered sympathy, and everything in between. Recently I considered the damage that has resulted not to our country and relationships, but to the Body of Christ.

Jesus Christ came to create a united new body of people (Ephesians 2:14-15). Don’t misunderstand, He didn’t do that by accepting sin and rolling past ungodly conduct. Jesus was clear on God’s expectations, but He didn’t compromise his position on the whole “love one another” thing while making his points. That’s something we can’t say about how we’ve been acting lately.

When asked which commandment was greatest, Jesus says first to love God and second, to love others (Matthew 22:37-38). As Christians, we can’t allow our feelings to control our words and actions because those emotions often betray our love for the Lord and serve ourselves more than others. James 1:19-20 tells us to be quick to listen and slow to speak, as well as slow to become angry because doing so will cause us to dishonor God. When we reverse those recommendations and are quick to speak in anger and slow to listen, we are making God and Christians look bad, and dividing the church that was intended to unanimously carry Jesus’ message of love to the world.

So what are we to do when the world seems to be turned upside down and we feel in conflict with so many? If we listen to Paul’s words in the verse above, we would do good to remember that everything we think isn’t meant to be said out loud. Furthermore, the things we feel we have the right to say and do might need to be set aside for the good of others. In fact, I don’t see anything in those top two commandments about anyone's rights.

Jesus loved all of us so much that He gave His life for us, and silently endured persecution and crucifixion. We can surely bite our tongues for the sake of bearing our cross. In the name of Christian love, we can seek to listen and understand more than we strive to be heard. When we feel ourselves frustrated with the unprecedented situations around us we can take a moment to remember we serve a God of power, provision, and presence who wants us to point others to Him.

When we speak and act, we can let the Holy Spirit lead us to discern how to do so in a way that is rich with the love of God and others, and void of arrogance and pride. I am going to try to do better, what about you?

Let’s Pray: Lord, help us remember that you are always in control, and we have no reason to fear. Forgive us for allowing our emotions to control us. Help us to call on your Spirit and follow its prompting, and to be more skilled in listening than we are in speaking. We are so thankful for and humbled by your never-ending love. In Jesus's Name I pray. Amen.

~*~
Author Bio:

Gena Anderson is a Jesus-lover, writer, nurse practitioner, and blogger who loves to share wellness information and inspiration with the world around her. 

She is the author of The Well Woman: A Journey to Wellness Through Loving Jesus, which is available on Amazon.com.

Gena proudly holds the title of wife, mom, and the world’s most average CrossFitter. She loves writing, reading, traveling, and brownies. She's working on that last one.

Gena lives in Hutto, Texas with her husband and two children.

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Connect with Gena:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wellwoman.blog
Website: well-woman-blog.com
Email: wellwomanbook@gmail.com

Devotionals for the Heart: Why we need the love of God in our hearts

Where Is the Love?
A devotional by Angela Anderson

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” 

–1 John 4:7-8 (NIV)

As I picked up my phone and scrolled through the news, my heart sank. The headlines read: “Man dead following shooting at apartment complex.” “Mother arrested after 1-month old baby thrown at father.” “Man threatened to kill family during home invasion.” “Over 800 hate groups operating in the United States.” One headline after the other, I skimmed each subheading and article wondering why these horrific events were so prevalent. How could people be so hateful?

When I was growing up, there was a song that used to play on one of my dad’s favorite radio stations. I can still hear Jackie DeShannon singing the tune to music composer Burt Bacharach’s song, “What the World Needs Now Is Love.” The lyrics often play in my mind: “What the world needs now is love, sweet love. It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of...”

This sums it up: Love is the missing ingredient to the recipe of life.

One thing I have noticed in my lifetime is that there are a lot of people walking around this earth who are feeling unloved. Love is missing from their lives because they have not experienced or accepted love or, they do not love themselves. If you do not love yourself, you cannot possibly love others—at least not the way you are supposed to love others.

The Bible defines love in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (NIV): “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails...”

Love is the answer! It is no wonder we hear of senseless killings, domestic violence, sexual abuse, abuse of power, acts of terrorism in all forms, political wars, and the list goes on. There is no representation of love in these acts, specifically the love previously mentioned. Fortunately, all hope is not lost.

There is a remedy for all of these societal ills. This remedy is presented in John 3:16-17 (NIV):

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

The love of God is so far-reaching! It’s life changing and it’s everlasting. It never fails!

God loves you. He wants nothing more than to save you. God wants to be part of you, to live inside of you, and show you how to love yourself so that you can love others. He sent a part of Himself, His Son Jesus Christ, to live among us and then die for us while we were yet sinners. It did not matter to him that he might be rejected. Even now, He still pursues us because He loves us that much. If you have not experienced this love, I urge you to give it a try. You have nothing to lose, but everything to gain. Jesus is waiting to enter your heart, but He can’t and He won’t unless you invite Him into your heart.

Let’s Pray: Dear God, may we recognize Your presence in our lives. For those of us who have already experienced Your love, I pray that we take the opportunity to renew our relationship with You daily. Then for those who have not received You into their hearts, I pray that they will make that decision so that they can experience You and the life that You have in store for them.

~*~
Author Bio:

Angela Anderson was born in Brooklyn, New York. She was raised in a Christian home in New Jersey. Angela dedicated her life to Christ and was baptized at the age of 12. 

As a child in elementary school, she developed a penchant for writing book reports and entering writing contests. By high school, she was taking advanced placement courses in English and Speech & Creative Writing. Angela’s love for journaling also had its beginnings in high school and it evolved into prayers journals and detailed notes for prospective book ideas. As a result, Angela is the author of a published 40-day devotional book titled Just When I Thought I Knew God. She also wrote a children’s book that is not yet published.

Although Angela wanted to somehow incorporate writing in her life, she is currently a Certified Human Resources Professional. Angela graduated from Rutgers University in NJ with a double bachelor’s degree in Labor/Employment Relations & Sociology. She also has an MBA from Strayer University.

Angela founded a non-profit 501(C)(3) organization called Head to the Sky, Inc. It was formed in order to assist those in prison with their transition into society and to reduce the rate of recidivism in the community. During this venture, Angela received a certification in grant writing from The Edyth Bush Institute for Philanthropy & Nonprofit Leadership at Rollins College. Angela was very passionate about teaching, training, and sharing the love of Christ in this ministry; but she had to refocus her passion when she and her husband decided to start their family.

Angela has been married to the love of her life, Duane Anderson for 16 years. Together they have two sons: Thomas (age 8) and Ryan (age 3). Angela’s favorite pastime is journaling and she also enjoys spending quality time with her family. Her personal mission is to empower others to achieve their goals and dreams.

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Connect with Angela:
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/angela.thomasanderson
Facebook fan page for her devotional book, Just When I Thought I Knew God:
https://www.facebook.com/jwitikg/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angelanderson1104/

Devotionals for the Heart: On Loving One Another like Jesus loves us!

Let Us Love One Another
A devotional by Nanci Rubin

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” 

– John 15:13 (KJV)

As I was driving to church for Bible Study the other night, my thoughts and prayers focused upon our nation and of the recent tragic events that have occurred. There is so much discussion given to the whys of aberrant behavior, but the fact remains we are losing many of our youth.

The enemy of our souls has always targeted our children. Years ago my dear grandmother used to say to me, “Child, the world is dying from the lack of love.” It has always been true…

And we know who is love. God is love. According to 1 John 4:7-8 (KJV) we are to love one another! That verse says, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God and everyone who loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.”

According to these scriptures, it seems that those who love and are able to share their love with others know God. The world doesn’t recognize this kind of love and are totally unable to understand it. Agape love is a Greco-Christian term referring to love, "the highest form of love, charity" and "the love of God for man and of man for God". The mark of a true believer is their willingness to love, to forgive others and to look beyond one’s self.

Not so many years ago, all of our institutions of higher learning in the United States of America were governed by the church. Today they have become battlegrounds fighting for the minds of our young. We may not be able to physically go to the battleground but we can pray and disrupt the enemy’s evil plans. The Holy Bible advises us to, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” (James 5:16 KJV)

Young people won’t be interested in coming to the “First Chosen Frozen Church” where there hasn’t been a smile seen in twenty years. Our youth are hurting, frightened and have few absolutes in their lives. Fatherless homes are fractured and the children receive no validation. The only true hope is Jesus Christ.

The church family is one of God’s greatest gifts, after Jesus who is our first and finest gift. We need to help our children to realize the love of God for them. The Bible says in Psalm 127:3 (NIV), “Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from him.”

It’s time for the local church to step up and reach out to the youth. We have a couple of churches in the area where I live who making an effort to reach our teens. One church in particular has made a real impact. What they’re doing perhaps others will follow suit. The music is loud, they have strobe lighting and I get a headache when I go, but kids are coming by the drones. They are being told that God is not mad at them, but mad for them. The results are amazing!

We have to work while it is yet day (John 9:4), for the time may come when we will not be permitted to minister to the lost. The Bible says in, 2 Timothy 4:3 (KJV), “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears.”

In James 5:20 (ESV) the Bible also says, “Let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.” We are God’s hands and feet upon the earth. We’ve been commissioned to go and if not now, when?

We live in a fast-paced world. The challenges our kids face is unique from our generation. They face a different kind of enemy and it’s growing like a malignancy: social media.

And as with all things, there is good and bad. Let’s offer them a hand up not a push down. 

Let’s get serious in our prayers, in our youth groups and in all activities that include our youth. They are our future.

Let’s Pray: Father God, create in us a clean heart and a right spirit so that we may see others through your eyes. Help us to love the unlovely and lend a hand to those who are lost from you. In Jesus Christ’s Name we pray, Amen.

~*~
Author Bio:

Nanci is a poet and short story writer published in Cypress News, Family Times E-Zine, Free Verse and the Commonwealth of Poetry. 

She belongs to RWA, ACFW, and Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild where she’s enrolled in his novel writing program.

Nanci lives in Northern Virginia with her husband and cats, Romeo and Juliette, along with their newest member of the family, Roni who is a seven-month-old Goldendoodle.

Recently, Nanci completed her debut novel, A Betrayal in Cross Keys. It is an Amish romance that she has placed in her agent's capable hands. The rest is up to God.

A Devotional for Thanksgiving Day

In EVERY Thing
A Thanksgiving Day devotional written by Becky Melby

Your mother-in-law will be here in two hours with her green Jell-O with cottage cheese in it. The four-year-old has the sniffles and the baby woke three times during the night—which is why you overslept and just put the turkey in. The kitchen floor is sticky, the windows are smudged, and you’d hoped to paint the guest room before Thanksgiving. The pumpkin pies are crispy on top because your teenaged daughter had her earphones in when the timer went off. The tablecloth needs ironing so you ask her to do it. Now the corner of the cloth is scorched. Needing a break, you check Facebook and read a scathing remark from your sister. While you were fighting with the giblets in the half-frozen turkey, your husband sucked up too many Legos with the vacuum cleaner and the belt broke. Now the house smells like burnt pies, tablecloth, and rubber and—help!—the breakfast the four-year-old just threw up. 

Time to cancel Thanksgiving. The last thing in the world you want to do is give thanks. Or host a dinner. If only you could push a magic button and transport yourself back to a simpler time.

Let’s push that button. You’re now living in a tiny house in an idyllic seaside town. The air is crisp and clean. The nights are starlit and quiet. You’re living green here—your husband and a few of the neighbor men built your one-room house using only things found in nature. Your home is heated by a fire in the hearth, which is also where you do your cooking. And today there will be a lot of cooking. Because today is a feast day. The whole town is gathering to celebrate the harvest. You glance at the bounty on the rough-hewn table. Potatoes, pumpkins, onions. Cooking on a spit over the fire is the pheasant you plucked before dawn. Life is simple. Life is good. Your heart is full. There is so much to thank God for. You have a roof over your head. Food on the table. Friends. Family . . .

In a place like this you could give thanks, right? No distracting electronics, no malfunctioning appliances. No daughter texting. No green Jell-O.

Here, your heart is full to overflowing with gratitude—to the God who protected you and your husband and daughter through the long, bitter winter and brought new friends who taught you how to survive in this new place. You give thanks to Almighty God for being your comfort on the arduous journey that brought you here and for His Presence when the baby died on the ship and when you buried your four-year-old in the frozen ground. You are grateful for your widowed mother-in-law who lives with you, grateful for the company of another woman. Life is hard, but this you know—God is good. Your daughter is doing her needlework. You pull your shawl closer, pick up the stump of a candle, and walk across the dirt floor to read the verses she’s stitching: Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing; In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

And once again—in spite of grief, in spite of the wind that whispers of another hard winter, in spite of fear—you rejoice and give thanks for today’s provision and the hope of heaven tomorrow.

The comparison is sobering, isn’t it? I’m sure there were Pilgrims who whined and complained, but I wonder how many of us, people who moan and groan at mere inconveniences, would choose to mark the end of a year of hardship and loss by giving thanks. That first feast was not held because of tradition or family obligation, but a genuine desire to rejoice and give thanks to God for salvation and provision.

Thanks-giving is a choice, isn’t it? A way of looking at life that has little to do with our circumstances. Life is far from perfect, yet still we can choose to remember God is good. We can choose thanks-giving.

Lord, today we choose to remember your goodness. Today, with your help, we choose gratitude over grumbling.

~*~
Author bio:

Burlington, Wisconsin author Becky Melby writes Contemporary Christian Fiction. Do You Know What I Know? is her sixteenth book. 

Married for 44 years, mother of four, grandmother to fifteen, Becky thrives on writing, reading, camping, rides on the back of a silver Gold Wing, and time with family. 

Connect with her online at these sites, www.beckymelby.com or Facebook.