Devotionals for the Heart: Why we need to persevere and move forward

Stay in the Race
A devotional by Desiree Future

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”—Galatians 6:9 (NIV)

As I was approaching my fifty-second birthday, I realized that I was very overweight. Exercise was difficult for me because of underlying health problems. However, I knew I had to find a way to get around that obstacle.

By the grace of God, I received notice of a walking-step challenge. This would be perfect since I had to shed a few pounds. Having to walk a set amount of steps every day gave me the motivation I needed. My friend joined me in this challenge and that was even better. I was so eager to start the five-week challenge that I didn’t thoroughly read all the requirements. Somehow, I misread the instructions and didn’t notice you had to take 1,000 steps per day.

As a cancer survivor, I live with side effects from the medications. It limits what I can and cannot do. Having to walk 1,000 steps every day made me cringe. But I had already committed to it. There was a week for warm-ups when I walked almost 1,000 steps in one day. That was truly a record for me. Normally I get about 3,000 to 5,000 daily steps in, depending on how I’m feeling.

During the first week, when the steps counted toward the goal, I averaged 5,600 steps. My four teammates averaged about 1,300 steps. Needing to reach the goal or at least catch up to the others, I vowed to work harder but my body simply wouldn’t cooperate with my mind. At one point I thought, “Why would God bring me here to be the person with the lowest score on my team?” To me, there was no logic behind it.

The following week I averaged 6,400 steps. One of those days I walked 10,200 steps! However, that was nowhere near what my teammates did. They averaged twice the amount and more of myself. I wanted to quit because I felt like I was holding my team down. I felt like a complete failure. How could I not have read the fine print of what I was joining and gotten my friend to join me as well?

My friend and I discussed this in great lengths. She said it doesn’t matter about your place number. It matters that you’re in the race. Her words of wisdom blew my mind. I was so focused on my low score that I missed the biggest picture: My name was listed as part of the team.

Here I was, questioning why God sent me to be the last person. To me, it just didn’t make any sense because I was holding my team back—or so I thought. When, in fact, He sent me to be one of the people on the team.

In life, sometimes we tend to only look at the smaller picture. However, God always has the biggest picture for us. For instance, that tiny pebble that you see among the larger rocks could be the biggest and brightest diamond ever. You just need to look past the size to see its actual value.

After the walking-step challenge ended, I felt renewed. Even with my health challenges, I still managed to stay in the race. Not only that but I took off a week due to having the flu then after I recovered, I jumped right back in.

God’s purpose for me the entire time, I learned, was to stay in the race.

Let’s Pray: Father God, I’m not sure who needs this message but please let them know they can do this. They just need to stay in the race and keep the pace with You by their side, allowing You to guide them every step of the way. Thank You, Lord! In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection #1: “Walk with You” by Michael Bethany. Listen to it here.

Song of Reflection #2: “Pieces” by Meredith Andrews. Listen to it here.

~*~
Author Bio:

Desiree Future is a self-improvement blogger at “Hope Faith & A Smile” where she pens inspirational and encouraging posts. 

This blog that she started as a place for her upcoming novel turned into something far more than she expected. It developed into a home for conversations with people from all walks of life. By writing about everyday events that occur in her world she makes her posts very relatable. As some commenters have said, “Desiree talks to us and not at us.”

In 2013, she self-published The Pastor’s Heart, a Christian romance novel. The following year in 2014, she self-published its sequel, It’s a New Season.

Desiree has been a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) since 2020. She’s also been a member of a writing critique group through her local ACFW Chapter since 2021. Several of her articles have appeared on the official blog for ACFW. In 2022, she became a contributing author in the encouraging devotional, The Courage to Write.

This child of God may not have a church home yet, but God is first in her life.

Desiree is a cancer survivor who calls New Jersey home. She enjoys traveling to different places to spark ideas for her next article. She likes thrifting and going to the theater to see the latest matinee.

~*~
Connect with Desiree:
Website: https://desireefuture.com/
E-mail: desireefuturewrites@hotmail.com

Devotionals for the Heart: A life lesson on exercise and God's love

How exercise helps me love myself as God loves me
A devotional by Jessica Brodie

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” –Psalm 139:14 (NIV)

A few months ago, worn down by tension headaches, I was frustrated. Nothing brought relief—not medicine, sleep, or even massage. I was desperate for relief. I decided to try an experiment: do some simple stretching exercises daily for a few weeks and see what happens.

After a week, my headaches were much improved. One afternoon after a hard deadline on my newspaper, a headache began to rear its ugly head. I slipped into something comfy and started my routine. Within five minutes, my headache was gone.

I kept my stretching up daily, and soon I noticed more than just headache relief. I was becoming more in tune with my body and more appreciative of it. I was learning to focus on deep breathing and allowing myself grace. I was calmer, happier. I felt stronger, too. Soon, I added back in a daily walk, another something I’d let slip. This week, I’m adding in some arm weights and pushups, too.

For I’ve noticed something significant: All this attention I’m paying to my physical body, the care I’m giving myself through stretching and other exercise, is helping me grow as a Christian, too.

See, part of what I enjoy about exercise is its focus on centering myself in the now and appreciating the moment and the body I’ve been given. As a driven, type-A personality who loves a plan, I can get so focused on the future, on results, that I zip on by the “journey” part of life. I like to have a “job,” a task, something to focus on, and admittedly have a tough time relaxing.

Yet the Bible verse from the first half of Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God” (NIV), began calling to me some years ago, beckoning me to sit and rest at God’s feet and know in my soul that He has it all under control. Doing things in nature, such as hiking or photography, help me do just that—be. Be still. Be still and know, truly know, that the Great I Am has His infinite hand upon me now and forever.

Still, I’m a busy working mom and wife jugging what can feel like a gazillion priorities. And most days—while I want to relax, to be a “Mary” from Luke 10:38-42 sitting rapt at Jesus’s feet—I’m going ninety miles an hour, barely stopping to sit down for lunch.

When I do take that time to slow down, I’m better for it, both as a person and as a child of God.

That’s what daily exercise has been helping me understand. Taking the time to breathe, to stretch, to feel the glorious wonder of muscles and tendons and skin all working together in a beautiful dance of flexibility and rhythmic movement, is a beautiful reminder of the blessings God has given us. As Psalm 139:14 (NIV) reminds me about the Lord, “I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”

Remembering that, remembering the omnipotence and glory of God and my place in His creation, is an important aspect of my faith journey. When I’m rushing here and there, never stopping or slowing down, I’m focused on the world, on doing, on me—not on God or love or peace or anything of the things He wants me to care about.

But that’s one critical thing we are offered in Jesus: Peace. Rest. Reprieve.

Colossians 3:15 (NIV) tells us we are to “let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.”

And Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV) says we should not be anxious but instead turn it all over to God, for when we do that, “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

And as Romans 12:2 (NIV) urges, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

For me, exercise gets me to that state of renewal, that reminder of the importance of fusing mind, body, and soul in unity with God. You might run, or nap in a hammock, or spend the day in a canoe fishing—whatever it is you do, prioritize that. Know that rest, refreshment, and renewal is important in our spiritual walk, no matter how culture tries to convince us otherwise.

Comment below—what do YOU do to find renewal?

Let’s Pray: Dear God, thank you for the body You have given me. Help me appreciate it, knowing I am created by You to be a beautiful masterpiece, a magnificent creation. Help me to know I am wholly and fully loved now and always. In Your name I pray, Amen.

~*~
Author Bio:

Jessica Brodie is an award-winning Christian novelist, journalist, editor, blogger, and writing coach and the recipient of the 2018 American Christian Fiction Writers Genesis Award for her novel, The Memory Garden. 

She is also the editor of the South Carolina United Methodist Advocate, the oldest newspaper in Methodism, and a member of the Wholly Loved Ministries team. 

Learn more about her fiction and read her faith blog at http://jessicabrodie.com.

YOU are invited to Bible Boot Camp! It's FREE and available online.

The July 2019 edition of Bible Boot Camp starts on July 1 and continues every morning from 5:00 a.m. (EST) to 5:30 a.m. (EST) until July 31! 

These boot camp sessions are hosted by Pastor Paul Graham via
Full Circle Ministries. 

So "Wake up and stretch your spiritual muscles" every morning this July! 

Join the LIVE sessions here, http://live.fullcircleministries.com.

An Invitation to the May 2019 edition of Bible Boot Camp: "Level Up!"

YOU are invited to "wake up and stretch your spiritual muscles" when you participate in Pastor Paul Graham's Bible Boot Camp!

Taking place every morning this month of May 2019 from the comfort of your own home! All you need to attend Bible Boot Camp is a computer with Internet connection.

The program starts at 5:00 a.m. (EST) and ends at 5:30 a.m. (EST) via Full Circle Ministries which is owned by Pastor Graham. Join here.

Hope to see you there!

Devotionals for the Heart: Ginger's thoughts about God's Temple

Temple of God

"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." ~1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (ESV)

I started a new way of eating today. It’s not a diet. Diets are temporary. I plan to make this a way of life. But it’s hard. I haven’t even made it through one whole day yet, and I want to quit.

I am very overweight. I need to lose 75 lbs to be on the top side of my “supposed” height/weight bracket. I weigh over 100 lbs more than when I got pregnant with my first child and 50 lbs more than I did 9 months pregnant with ANY child. But that was seven kids and 25+ years ago. And yet that’s no excuse.

I need to take responsibility for my bad eating habits. Today. Not tomorrow. I’ve put it off until tomorrow for the last 12+ years. Tomorrow has come.

I’m ashamed of how I’ve let my temple fall apart. I haven’t done my best. I’ve been lazy, kind of like the sluggard in Proverbs 13:4 (NIV), “A sluggard's appetite is never filled, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.”

Or Proverbs 26:15 (NIV), “A sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.” Except I brought it back to my mouth, repeatedly. Full of cookies, candies, soda, and every other kind of thing that “tasted” good. I didn’t care if it was good for me.

So now I’m making a choice to change. It’s not a diet. It’s a new way of life, a new way of eating. I MAY be able to bring back a few of the items I truly enjoy, but that’s a long way down the road.

I’ve made choices for most of my life to glorify God in my words, in my books, in my online presence, in my family, at my church, but my eating...not so much.

And today, I’m making a choice to honor God’s sacrifice. I’m choosing to glorify God in my body by making it the healthiest I can.

Let me be clear. I am not judging whatever you do. This choice is about me. It is between God and me. I don’t have any stake in your choices – good, bad, or somewhere in between – whether in regard to eating or anything else in your life.

It is time for me to change. To be as healthy as I can be. That’s all. And if you find a bit of encouragement in my struggle, then that’s all the better.

And along with the reminder that my body is God’s, I remember what Paul said to the Philippians 4:13 (ESV), “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

What is one choice or change that you’ve made that seemed insurmountable, but you persevered and accomplished your goal? I (and probably others) need the encouragement.

~*~
Author Bio: 

Ginger Solomon is a Christian, a wife, a mother to seven, and a writer—in that order (mostly). 

She writes or reads inspirational romance of any genre, and if she’s busy homeschooling, doing laundry, or fixing dinner, books are on her mind.

She’s a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, president of her local writing group, and blogs regularly for InspyRomance.com and at gingersolomon.com.

Devotional by Laura Thomas: Running the Race that God Marked Out for You

Spiritual Fat
A devotional written by Laura Thomas

How do you feel about running? We tend to fall into one of two camps: the enthusiastic, marathon-goal, effortless gazelles, or the eye-rolling, couch-preferring, pretty-much-exhausted plodders. Personally, I think I’m somewhere in the middle, I love the IDEA of running. Unfortunately, my body is not always agreeable.

Running an actual race is a whole other thing. That gets most of us skittish. Yet here we are, each one of us running the “race marked out for us”, the race of our lives. Some shuffle, some struggle, some bound with effortless energy toward the goal. Those “effortless energy” types have one thing in common—they are all in really good shape. They shed the pounds and got rid of any hindrances.

“Therefore since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”~Hebrews 12:1 (NIV)

The previous chapter in Hebrews lists the greats of the Old Testament—such ancients as Abraham, Joseph, and Moses. They are our “great cloud of witnesses” recorded to encourage us. None of them lived perfect lives on easy street. In fact, they were all presented with seemingly insurmountable hurdles throughout their races. But they chose to dig in, shed the “pounds” of sin that might slow them in their endeavor to follow God, and they persevered in spite of all the odds.

What is it that weighs us down in our pursuit of living a Christ-filled life? It’s so easy to be drowned by worry, enslaved by fear, consumed by work, distracted by the sparkly things in life, or simply disillusioned. When we carry these extra pounds of sin—and that could be absolutely anything that takes our focus from the Lord—the race is decidedly harder. It’s like running through bog mud in the pouring rain. The journey is miserable, the blessings to others and ourselves are dampened, and we are tangled miserably in our hindrances.

“Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in.” 

~Hebrews 12:1b-2 (The Message)

We need to slim down by shedding our spiritual fat!

Just as a focused runner prepares for a marathon by losing the extra weight to run lean and keen, so we need to “throw off’ the excess baggage weighing us down. Not flippantly disregarding our sin, but rather laying it down before the One who bears our every burden. Sometimes it can be a painful process, but once that metaphorical Band-Aid is stripped off, we heal and move much more easily. And then we can joyfully and energetically run the “race marked out for us”.

David, one of the Old Testament late greats, cried out, “Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.”~Psalm 54:4 (NIV)

We aren’t in this race alone. God so desires for us to live joy-filled, Christ-glorifying lives, and He WILL sustain our every step. The faltering foot, the confident stride, the desperate dash, the persistent plod, the weakest limp… He will never leave us to run alone. Never.

It’s healthy to reflect once in a while on how our walk/run is progressing and to keep a check on what’s weighing us down. All of us have some spiritual slimming to do in order to run effectively; it’s an on-going process, isn’t it?

Surely, we should want the race to be more like an energizing sprint on a perfectly sunny day with the end in sight, pulse racing, a feeling of joy and contentment in our every step. We all know there will be hurdles and pitfalls en route, but with God as our Sustainer, we can strive to strip off our sin, shed the spiritual fat, focus on Him, and “run the race with perseverance” all the way to the finish line.

Transforming hindering pounds to limitless bounds and spiritual fat to fit!

~*~
Author bio: 

Laura is a published Christian author with a heart for inspiring and encouraging readers of all ages. 

She is truly multi-genre—with a published Christian teen fiction trilogy, marriage book, children’s stories, devotionals for Union Gospel Press, musings on her blog, and she now has a literary agent representing her Christian romantic suspense novel. 

Laura is English and Canadian, married to her high school sweetheart, mom of three, passionate about faith and family…and chocolate. 
~*~
Connect with Laura:
Website - www.laurathomasauthor.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Laura-Thomas-183771121724664/?ref=hl
Twitter - https://twitter.com/Laura_Thomas_
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/lauracthomas/
Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/lauracthomas/

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Words of Faith: Jodie's story about faith and muscles

Faith and Muscles
A Words of Faith story written by Jodie Wolfe

“For I assure you: If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” ~ Matthew 17:20 (HCSB)

I'm not crazy about working out and building up a sweat. The only weights I've lifted are those little hand ones that are only about 1-2 pounds. You might call me a weakling. My muscles look more like this photo to the right:

Okay, maybe not even quite as impressive as that.

Now don't get me wrong, that doesn't mean I don't exercise...I just don't work out with weights. I do walk, though that's a subject for a different day.

I've found through my many years of being a Christian that faith is like a muscle. You only develop your faith by exercising it. In other words, you have to use it in order for it to grow.

Faith starts out small, like a mustard seed - small, insignificant. But when planted, the seed cracks open and produces a tree that grows as high as 20 feet. Jesus said the mustard seed was smaller than any of the other seeds of the ground. (Mark 4:31)

Our muscles may start out as small and flabby but as we continue to work out our arms and our bodies, we strengthen them. The muscles harden and grow and may become as strong as this photo in the middle: 

Faith may start out small, like a mustard seed or a flabby muscle. But each time we choose to believe, choose to trust in God and His faithfulness, even when we can't see the outcome, it grows. With each circumstance and situation we face, we have a learning opportunity to exercise our faith and strengthen our spiritual muscles. 

I don't know about you, but I desire my faith to be like the second photo! :) Are you ready for a faith workout?

~*~
Author bio: 

Jodie Wolfe loves to stroll through history with the characters she creates. 

When not writing she enjoys spending time with her husband, reading and walking. 

You can connect with Jodie via her website, Facebook and Twitter.