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.

Devotionals for the Heart: Life Lessons Learned from Making Banana Cake

Banana Cake
A devotional by Wade Webster

“While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it's not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life.” 

– 2 Corinthians 5:4 (NLT)

My life as a truck driver is fraught with many challenges. One of the main ones is the choice on what I'll eat while out on the road for several days at a time. Truckstop food is better than it used to be but can add up quickly in costs and calories. Squeezing a big rig through a fast food drive thru is a challenge I don't even want to think about.

Growing up relatively poor made me appreciate simple solutions for my meals. Sandwiches are a great option for me. I can make enough to last a week before I leave home. The small fridge in my tractor is a fantastic tool, too. Adding some fruit and nuts makes my diet quite healthy in an occupation known for making its minions fat. I fit it all in a cooler to transport it to work.

That is when I remember to pack everything into said cooler before I exit my apartment. One week, I left my bunch of five bananas on the kitchen counter instead of bringing them along for the ride. When I returned home Friday night they were still waiting patiently for me. They just had less of a green tint and much more of a brownish yellow hue. That's the challenge with bananas, they don't have a long shelf life.

My mom did her best to keep all seven of her children well fed as we grew up. Bananas were an important part of that regimen. When she had to buy yellow ones they would go bad before we could eat them all. No, we didn't throw much food away. She always used those mushy fruits in a recipe that would change their consistency and shelf life.

Fortunately, one of my sisters made a cookbook for me that she put some of mom's favorite recipes in. I found the banana cake recipe and fired up the oven. After putting several of those pieces of cake in the freezer, I ate those bananas for several weeks.

God has a similar challenge when it comes to taking His children home to heaven after our shelf life is completed. The first 10 verses of 2 Corinthians 5 explains in detail how we groan in our current bodies but that God gives us new bodies after we die. Yeah, the older we get the more we groan.

2 Corinthians 5:9 (NLT) gives us a great summary and life goal to reach for. “So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please God.”

So, my friend, groan if you must to make it through your day. It's normal and good.

Remember that a new, pain-free body is waiting for all who accept Jesus Christ into their heart, believe in Him and follow Jesus all the way to Heaven!

Do your best to please our Heavenly Father (God) while in this decaying body here on Earth.

Let's Pray: Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for seeing me through another day. Use my aches and pains to remind me of the perfect body you have prepared for me when you bring me Home.

~*~
Author Bio:

Wade Webster is a farm boy turned city slicker, heathen turned born-again Christian, truck driver turned writer doing his best to point folks to his best friend, Jesus Christ. 

He currently lives in Plano, Texas.

Wade is the author of 100 Prayers of a Writer, a book that didn't begin as a book, just weekly prayers to a group of writer friends.

He enjoys spending time in nature, running for exercise and dark chocolate, though not necessarily in that order. Apart from driving 18-wheelers for a living he has a part-time job painting houses on the side...and the front and back and inside.

As a teenager, he told his friends he never wanted to be considered normal. So far he's done a pretty good job of living up to that aspiration.

Devotionals from the Heart: How to have freedom from fear

Freedom from Fear
A devotional by Alexis Newlin

“For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear but you have reviewed the spirit of adoption as sons by whom we cry, Abba! Father!”
–Romans 8:15 (ESV)

Let me tell you about something I seriously hate: FEAR. It is by far the worst thing that is out there in this world. It’s running thick in this season in many people around us. It is the very enemy of our souls. Once it attaches itself to you, its bondage can be very difficult to break.

This is my story:

I spent the majority of my life bound up in fear. My mom was a believer but a worrier, and she often expressed her worries to us. She had many worries, mostly financial. There were many times we were facing homelessness, not having enough food, having the lights turned off. It was a high stress environment. Because of our family’s lack in my childhood, I vowed to never struggle financially as my mother did. I would never require help from others and I would do everything myself. I set out to be financially independent.

Everything I did in my life was based upon this fear: that I would not be able to take care of myself and have no one to depend on. There’s a lot of pride in this belief that it is up to me to provide for myself. I was a believer, but my actions stated that I did not believe or trust that God would take care of me.

With my way, I thought I was being safe. I thought I was free.

In reality, I was deceived. I had become a slave to my fear.

And sadly, like fear does, it flows into other things: fear of love, fear of losing loved ones, fear of losing control, fear of sickness, fears about what others think, etc. In my mind, if I didn’t have any of the above fears happen, I’d be okay. Life would be good.

Then my biggest fear happened: I lost my mother.

I ran to God, but I also started building a wall. I closed myself inside it. I vowed to not let anyone in for the fear of the pain of losing someone again.

The beautiful thing about God is, that once we are His children, He’ll only let you live in bondage for so long before He comes in and starts shaking things.

That’s exactly what He did to me. He brought a friend to kick a hole in my wall. Then another. And another. I started to venture out, to see what life could be like outside the walls of my self-protection. When scary things happened I would run back inside. Eventually, I would stay outside my walls longer and longer. I’d let more people in, start new friendships, try new things, find new adventures.

My walls were still there until one day, after I had another world rocking moment, God knocked my walls down. I felt exposed, vulnerable. God said, “It’s time to learn how to live free.”

My life has never been the same.

It hasn’t been easy. I still deal with fear daily. I just choose not to live by it. It no longer rules over my life. In fact, I do many things that I fear. But, I am doing them with God. He’s always there. He always will be. He loves me and as soon as I cry out to Him, He’s right there.

Once that truth is realized, there is so much freedom. We are not meant to live in fear. It is bondage. It’s a spirit of slavery and we are NOT slaves. We’re meant to be free, just like God says in the following verses from His Word (The Holy Bible):

“For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear but you have reviewed the spirit of adoption as sons by whom we cry, Abba! Father!”
–Romans 8:15 (ESV)

“for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”

– 2 Timothy 1:7 (ESV)

“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” – Galatians 5:1 (ESV)

In this current season where fear is running rampant and we’re questioning our mortality, remember this: God is bigger. He is bigger than our fears. Bigger than any virus. Bigger than our “what ifs.”

Run to Him. Trust that He cares for you. Choose to live in that freedom.

~*~
Author Bio:

Alexis is a 36-year-old lover of Jesus, loose leaf tea, roller coasters, writing stories and going on adventures. Originally from Marietta, GA, Alexis now resides in Fresno, CA. 

You can always find Alexis outdoors enjoying a walk in her neighborhood, scoping out the newest food truck, hanging out with friends or planning her next trip.

Her church, The Revival Center, and family mean the world to her. They have supported her through the loss of her mother and her own cancer diagnosis.

Alexis enjoys encouraging others by reminding them not to look at what they see, but to always look to God, who is working in the unseen.

Alexis currently writes for several online ministries and launched her first podcast – The Brave Podcast – in January 2020.

~*~
Connect with Alexis:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/apeachincali/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/apeachincali
Podcast: http://thebravepodcast.buzzsprout.com
Website: www.apeachincali.com