Devotionals for the Heart: Surrender

The Way of Surrender
A devotional by Jamie De Silvia

“Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”—Mark 14:36 (NIV)

I had very little church background when I gave my life to Jesus Christ on Valentine’s Day in 1988. With a great deal of curiosity and determination, I set out to learn all that I could about the One who had saved me. Oh, how I yearn to share with my 16-year-old self the insights and wisdom I've gained since then about walking with Jesus.

I would tell her not to worry so much about her sin, that Jesus went to the cross knowing she would make a million mistakes, both deliberately and unintentionally. I would assure her that our Heavenly Father is carrying her in His hands, not holding her at arm's length in disapproval. I would warn her against wasting years of her life trying to please God by performing in her own strength. I’d tell her that transformation isn’t her job—it’s the Holy Spirit inside her who will accomplish it. I would take her hand, look her in the eyes, and tell her that the answer to every problem and challenge is simply surrender.

Today, I understand what I could not comprehend on that special day 36 years ago: The most important thing for me to practice is letting go of control and putting my full trust in the Lord. It took me a long time to come to this realization because many things are easier than surrender. Worrying, performing, controlling, planning, and analyzing are all easier than surrendering. Jesus Himself showed us when He was pleading with God in the Garden of Gethsemane, how agonizing it can be to lay down your own will and accept God’s will instead.

Surrendering to the Father’s call to the cross was likely the very hardest thing that Jesus was required to do. Laying down His life and saying yes to God caused Him to feel “deeply distressed and troubled” and his soul was “overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” (Mark 14:33-34). This agony was not just about dying. Jesus knew that saying yes to God meant surrendering control over the present moment and the outcome—as well as His body, His voice, His ministry, His disciples, and His life.

According to Mark 14:36 (NIV), Jesus called to “Abba, Father” because God was the only One who could help Him. He professed his faith and trust when He said, “Everything is possible for You.” He still asked for an alternate path when He whispered, “Take this cup from me.” And finally He surrendered with these words: “Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

Knowing how difficult this was for Jesus gives us two helpful insights. The first insight is that He understands how hard surrender is to do. Jesus knows that surrender can feel like suffering, and even He wanted to suffer less. He knows it will take a lot of practice for us to learn to let God choose the cup that we drink from, surrendering all other alternatives as He did.

The second insight is that if true surrender pushed Jesus to His limit, how much more will it push us beyond our limits? I am here to testify that we absolutely cannot do it in our own power. We need Jesus to hold our hand and provide the willingness, determination, and power to lay down control of our lives and our will.

Beloved, Jesus sees how hard it is for you to let go. He knows the fear and grief that accompany surrender. He understands your questions and concerns. Share them! Invite Him into your wrestling and then ask Him to help you say, “Not my will, but Yours be done.”

Let’s Pray: Lord, I confess to wanting my own way so much of the time. Open my eyes to see the daily situations that allow me to practice yielding control. Jesus, show me the way of surrender. Teach me to trust in the Father as You did when You were here on Earth. Have Your way in me. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “I Surrender All” by CeCe Winans. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Jamie De Silvia is an author and speaker from Southern California with a passion for helping women connect with the heart of God. She hosts the “Pressing In” podcast.

She has authored two devotional books: Come Hear the Song of the Shepherd (a 30-day devotional journey through Psalm 23), and You Shall Be Praised (a 40-day devotional offering a fresh perspective on Proverbs 31).

You can find her on Instagram and Facebook daily, offering encouragement to help you draw closer to Jesus Christ.

Jamie is married with two adult daughters and a teenage son. She is also a homeschooling mom who enjoys oil painting, playing games with her family, and savoring a good chai latte.

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Connect with Jamie:
Website: https://jamiedesilvia.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamiedesilvia/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jamiedesilviaauthor
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jamiedesilvia
Email: jamie@jamiedesilvia.com

Devotionals for the Heart: Thrifting

Spiritual Thrifting
A devotional by Heather Martin

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” – 2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV)

I’m not exactly sure if they loved thrift shopping because we were poor, or they just loved the thrill of finding good things at discounted prices. Either way, it doesn’t matter. Growing up, my mother and grandmother religiously made weekly visits to two thrift stores in our neighborhood with my sisters and I in tow.

Whether it was an old book, a pair of skates, a doll, jeans, a church dress (my all time favorite one that had ruffles and a bell on the bottom), or a shirt, I always found something I just couldn’t go home without! It felt like a weekly adventure that I learned to look forward to and love! This was the beginning of my love affair with thrifting. 

I have found some of my most treasured things at the thrift store. Recently, I was so excited to find a vintage Gucci purse at the thrift store for a whopping $3! I get joy when someone walks into my house and admires this beautiful picture that I found at a thrift store. It is exhilarating! I could go on and on, but you get the point, I love thrifting!

In case you’re beginning to wonder what this has to do with God, here it comes…I highly recommend thrifting, but not when it comes to your relationship with God.

It can be so easy to go to church and listen to a sermon without going home to study the Bible for yourself. That’s spiritual thrifting. Or to listen to someone else’s testimony without being introspective. That’s spiritual thrifting. Becoming a member of a church not because you are convicted of the message, but because it is a family tradition. That’s spiritual thrifting.

Am I saying that spiritual thrifting is entirely wrong? No. I am just suggesting that the basis of our relationship with Jesus should be personal, not passed down or “thrifted.”

Don’t get me wrong, we do need and use the testimonies and experiences of others to help make us stronger, and better Christians. However, God wants each of us to have a personal relationship with Him (2 Corinthians 5:18). He also wants us to work! 

According to 2 Timothy 2:15 (NLT), He wants us to “work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.”

The God who “knows how many hairs are on our head” (Matthew 10:30) and “knew us when we were being formed in our mother’s wombs,” (Jeremiah 1:5) desires for us to know Him just as intimately and personally.

There is a gospel song that says “I had a praying grandmother,” and this is great. But will you pray? Will you study God’s Word (The Holy Bible) for yourself?

Would you want a doctor to operate on you if He could only tell you of the experiences his fellow doctors had doing the surgery? No, you’d want the doctor who actually had tons of experience doing the surgery himself to do your operation because he has an experience that equips and qualifies him for the job.

As a Christian, it is our duty not to solely rely on the testimonies and prayers of others, but to have our own personal encounters with God. It will make us more powerful and qualified to live this life, and be a witness to others.

Don’t allow your relationship with Him to be completely second-handed or thrifted. Get to know God on a first hand basis and oh, the treasure you will find!

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Author Bio:

Heather Martin was born the last of six siblings in New Orleans, Louisiana. She was raised by an amazing single mother (Rebecca Trotter) and was taught at an early age to love God and how to sing! 

She graduated from Oakwood University with a Bachelor's Degree in Language Arts Education and later received a Master’s Degree in Education from Kaplan University.

Shortly after graduating she followed God’s call to minister. She joined the Stellar, Dove, and Grammy-nominated gospel group Virtue, which was founded by her two older sisters Ebony Holland and Karima Kibble several years prior. Virtue has used their talents to spread the love of God across the world! They have recorded 7 studio albums and have been the recipients of numerous awards.

God has not only blessed Heather professionally, but personally. She met her husband, Dr. Colin Martin, and they have been married for 14 years. They have four children: Colin Jr. 11, Harper 10, Clark, 7, and Charleston 5.

In 2016, Heather started an online blog and vegan and allergen-friendly cooking channel called “Chef Mommy.” Heather (Chef Mommy) has cooked with numerous celebrities and top chefs to spread the news of healthy cooking and lifestyle.

In addition to this busy schedule, Heather enjoys, running, reading, writing and spending time with her family.

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Connect with Heather:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeatherTMartin
Instagram for Heather: https://www.instagram.com/thechefmommy/
Instagram for Virtue (Heather’s singing group): https://www.instagram.com/virtuegirls
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chefmommyhm

Devotionals for the Heart: New Faith

In The Beginning
A devotional by Victoria Bylin

“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” –1 Peter 3:15 (NIV)

May is a big month for my family. We celebrate Mother’s Day, three family birthdays, plus my husband and I mark our wedding anniversary. That day always takes me back to the beginning of our faith walk, especially to a particular night at my parents’ front door.

Mike and I weren’t Christians when we started going out, though people were praying for us. We were just friends, and my then-boyfriend was out of the country. Mike, figuring I was bored, graciously (ha-ha!) asked if I wanted to see the new Star Trek movie. I said, “Sure. Why Not?”

Before we knew it, we were enjoying each other’s company far more than we expected. We went to more movies, grabbed a few dinners, and then that night happened. Mike knocked on my parents’ front door and said, “Vicki, I have to tell you something.”

“I have to tell you something too.” 

In unison we said, “I’ve been reading the Bible.”

Mike would tell you he experienced utter joy the moment he accepted Christ. The sun literally burst through gray clouds. Me? Not so much. Becoming a Christian wasn’t all sweetness and light. In fact, it was a tough, bitter decision, because I knew my life would change. But my parents were praying for me, and I finally cracked. “Okay, God,” I said in the dark. “If you’re real, I want to know You.”

In the Bible, the Greek word “dunamis” means power, strength, or ability. It’s used about 120 times in the New Testament and is the root for our word “dynamite.” With that prayer to know if God was real, I lit the fuse and—just like I thought—everything in my life changed, or more accurately, it exploded.

The decision to pray that first prayer took me down a road every bit as intellectually challenging as my time at UC Berkeley. The Bible came alive for me in a personal way, but faith needs to be grounded on more than emotion. One more question demanded an answer: Did Jesus Christ really rise from the dead?

The pastor of our church at the time approached the question as a skeptic determined to disprove the resurrection. During a series on Easter, he went down the list of possible explanations. Not one of them held up under logical scrutiny. The last theory—that the disciples stole Christ’s body to protect their lies—didn’t work any better than the others. The apostles all martyred, except John who was exiled, and they died horrible deaths. Who would do that for a lie, especially a lie that wouldn't pay off?

The argument that the resurrection didn't happen, because it couldn't happen, is circular reasoning. If we take a step back and ask, "What if it’s true?” all sorts of possibilities open up—but we're not done yet. I'm not advocating blind acceptance. We need historical verification and archaeological evidence—and it's there. How many times have you heard a news story about a fresh discovery that confirms Biblical history? The more we dig in the ground, the more truth we unearth.

Many years have passed since that night at my parents’ front door. Mike and I have lived in three states, owned or rented nine homes, and raised a family that’s grown into the next generation. We’ve had careers that have astounded us, survived heartache, and rejoiced at the small pleasure of birds nesting in our backyard.

We’ve lived through a lot of change, but one thing is certain: Our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is on solid ground.

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Author Bio:

Victoria Bylin is the author of 18 traditionally published romances. Known for tackling difficult subjects with great compassion, she delights in stories that shine the spotlight of God’s love on ordinary men and women facing realistic challenges.

Writing has always been a part of Victoria’s life. As a child, she wrote hundreds of letters and scribbled in journals. As an adult, she worked as a freelance journalist and editor before taking on the challenge of fiction.

She had one goal when she started her first novel: to finish a book-length manuscript, good or bad. That first effort will never see the light of day, but it led to a second manuscript and a sale to Harlequin Historical. Since then, she has written westerns and contemporary romances for both mainstream and Christian publishers, with Together With You winning the 2016 Inspirational Readers Choice Award for Best Contemporary.

Writing is a joy and a challenge for Victoria, but faith, friends and family matter to her far more. She’s a wife, mom, proud grandmother, and a dog-mom to a wacky Jack Russell Terrier. Originally from California, she and her husband currently make their home in Lexington, Kentucky. 

When she’s not writing, Victoria enjoys long walks, travel, and dark chocolate.

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Connect with Victoria:
Website: https://www.victoriabylin.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Victoria.Bylin.Author
Twitter: https://twitter.com/VictoriaBylin
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/victoria-bylin
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/568102.Victoria_Bylin

Devotionals for the Heart: On Worship

On Worship
A devotional by Lisa Lickel

"God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."

~John 4:24 ESV

In his book Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster said, “Worship is our response to the overtures of love from the heart of the Father.”

As I develop a deeper sense of the with-God life, I find worship in general and corporate worship with fellow believers becoming richer, more personal.

There was a poster I saw when I was in college that struck me deeply enough to resurface every now and then, thirty-five years later. It was a photo of the inside of a richly appointed church during a service. A figure who was unmistakably Jesus was asleep in the front row. “Peace be within Thy walls" (Psalm 122:7 KJV) wasn’t meant for us to be that kind of comfortable.

Worship at its heart is communion with our triune God. We have awe and respect for God Almighty, the Father, and a deep abiding love for His sacrificed Son our Lord, Jesus, and the ability to come to our knees through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Being able to commune is a two-way street. If I don’t listen, how can I hear and know? If all I am is a noisy, clanging symbol, as Paul puts it in his letter to the Corinthian church, what am I telling God?

Like prayer, worship comes with vulnerability. Quieting ourselves might be unnerving if we’re used to working in a place humming with activity, or having a radio or television or music on constantly.

Questions run through my mind. What if I hear nothing from God? Or what if I do? Am I crazy? What if I don’t like what I hear? What if God asks me to do something I don’t want to do? How can I tell if it’s truly God?

Jesus reminds me, “No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you" (John 15:15 ESV). He reminds me that questions are good, but anxiety is a stumbling block. The purpose of Worship, I am learning, is to help me know God better. I grow in faith, in trust, by spending more time in His company.

Richard Foster says, “To worship is to experience Reality, to touch Life."

Worship heightens my senses in this new exploration of the with-God life. I am learning holy dependency, “to be utterly and completely dependent upon God.”

My reaction to that Love may be with praise, a hymn, a hallelujah, a dance, a prayer, an offering or a new understanding of Scripture. But the outcome will always certainly be a changed and growing heart for God. My desire to “seek first the Kingdom of God” is renewed.

My Prayer: Thank, you Lord for growing my faith, for surrounding me with your saints to uphold me and encourage me and challenge me. Help me hear you, live for you, love you, and share that love with others.

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Author Bio:

Lisa Lickel is a Wisconsin writer who lives in the rolling hills of western Wisconsin. 

A multi-published and award-winning novelist, Lisa also writes short stories and radio theater. She's an avid book reviewer, blogger, a freelance editor, and workshop leader. 

She is a member of Chicago Writers Association and part of Novel-in-Progress Bookcamp and Writing Retreat, Inc., mentoring writers from across the United States of America.

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Connect with Lisa:
Website - http://www.LisaLickel.com
Facebook -http://www.facebook.com/lisalickelauthor
Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2839406.Lisa_J_Lickel
Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/lisajlickel
Amazon Author page - http://amzn.to/2bPxi2XSaveSave