Devotionals for the Heart: How to take refuge under God's wings of protection

Under His Wings
A devotional by Tessa Huckstep

“Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.”

–Psalm 57:1 (KJV)

Where do you go to find refuge when life gets tough?

Where can we go when everything around us is falling apart? Do we try to find refuge by diverting our thoughts or distracting ourselves with busyness?

I recently started researching the idea of resting under the wings of God and what that means to me. One thing I have found is that under the wings of God is a place of refuge and restoration. If I am hidden under the wings of God, I am concealed from the world around me so that I cannot be harmed or negatively influenced by the world. I am concealed from the opinions and words of others because the outside world no longer matters. When I am safely trusting under the wings of God, only He matters. The voice of the world is muffled by the feathers of God’s wings and my soul can find rest and refuge in silence and peace.

The most amazing part of being hidden under the wings of God is that I am so much closer to Him. There is no closer or more intimate place to spiritually stay than under the wings of God. When we choose to find refuge under the wings of God, He draws us closer—closer to His heart, closer to His love and goodness. When we rest under God’s wings, we can rest in the knowledge that He is by our side. God is always with us, but when we rest under His wings we feel His strong presence beside us.

How are we to find refuge under the wings of God? Is it an elusive spiritual place that only the spiritually mature and capable can find? God calls each of His children to find refuge under His wings—this is not a privilege for the spiritually mature. God wants to draw us near to Him and He wants us to feel at peace knowing He is by our side.

We can learn to rest under the wings of God by building our relationship with Him. As with all relationships, we need to spend time with God to grow closer to Him. Praying and reading your Bible might seem basic, but this is the communication that will bring you closer to God. If you are seeking to deepen your relationship with God, I highly encourage you to keep a prayer journal. Whenever you feel distant from God, you can simply look back on previous prayers and rejoice at how faithful God has been in hearing you and staying with you through each step of the way.

The more you pray, the more visible the feathers of God’s wings surrounding you will be evident to you. This will help you see that God was with you the whole time. He has never left you and He never will. Sometimes, we just need to lean in, seek a deeper relationship with God, and wait for Him to reveal just how good and faithful He has been to us. There is peace, rest, and safety under the wings of God.

Let’s Pray: Dear Lord, thank You for calling each of us to find refuge under Your wings! Please help us to remember Your faithfulness and that You are present with us in all things. Help us to lean into Your goodness, love, and kindness. Open our eyes to the endless possibilities and fulfillment that will come from a life fully lived under Your wings. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “Under His Wings” by William Cushing. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Tessa Huckstep grew up in rural Illinois. She was born to Christian parents and has known Jesus Christ personally since the age of five. 

Currently, Tessa is attending community college and majoring in elementary education. In the future, she plans to teach in the public school system, hoping to bring the love of God with her.

Tessa enjoys being active in her local church. She serves as a co-teacher for the two-to-five year old class where there is never a dull moment.

It is Tessa’s passion to be a girl after God’s own heart and through her studying of God’s Word, Tessa longs to draw closer to her Savior. Through her writing, she longs to take others with her on this journey of faith.

Tessa loves all things Regency, needlework, and dainty teacups of every size.

When she isn’t writing or studying for exams, she can be found in the kitchen with more flour in her hair and on the floor than in the bowl, though the mess is always half the fun!

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Connect with Tessa:
Blog: https://beautifulbeloved937002841.wordpress.com/

Devotionals for the Heart: Reasons why we can completely trust God

Trust With Abandon
A devotional by Cyndi Staudt

The eternal God is your refuge, and his everlasting arms are under you. He drives out the enemy before you; he cries out, “Destroy them!” 

–Deuteronomy 33:27 (NLT)

Years ago, on a trip to Texas to visit my sister and her family, I learned a valuable lesson about trusting in God. We had gone to the community swimming pool to find relief from the intense summer heat. My youngest nephew, not yet knowing how to swim, seemed perfectly content wearing his swimmies on his arms playing safely in the shallow waters of the kiddie pool.

I vividly remember his face lighting up with delight when his daddy decided to pick him up and take him into the big pool. He seemed satisfied resting in the security of his daddy's arms as he carried him around the pool. But soon he was begging his dad to take him to the side so he could jump in. I watched with nervous anticipation as his father set him carefully on the pool deck, wondering if he would chicken out. On the contrary, as soon as his little feet hit the deck, he turned around and flung his little body boldly into the air, confident he would land safely in the arms of his father.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we would have that kind of total trust and faith in our Heavenly Father? Instead of being apprehensive or fearful, or dwelling too much on the past, what if we would just exercise courage and trust about plunging into the unknown, anticipating stepping into something incredible?

Those without God must forever be cautious. One mistake may wipe them out. But as believers, we should be more like Peter, confidently climbing over the side of a boat to walk upon the waves of the sea, knowing that even if we falter and take our eyes off God, He never takes His eyes or focus off of us. We should maintain what I like to call “vertical vision”, fixing our eyes on Jesus Christ, the author and perfecter of our faith.

Moses’s declaration in Deuteronomy 33:27 is that God is our refuge, our only true security. So often we entrust our lives to other things such as money, career, a noble cause, or a lifelong dream. But these things will always fall short of providing any guarantees or anything of lasting value to our lives. Our only true refuge is the eternal God, who always holds out His arms to catch us when the shaky supports that we trust collapse and fail. No storm can destroy us when we take refuge in Him. No weapon formed against us can prosper.

Because we live for God, we can dare to be bold. We can take chances and step courageously into all God has called us to be. Like Esther in the Bible, we can risk putting our neck on the line knowing that the God who loves us enough to die for us goes before us and paves the way for our victory. We can live fearlessly, daring to believe that God has exceedingly more for us than we can ask or imagine. Whatever God has ordained for our lives He has also equipped and empowered us to fulfill. Let’s commit to aim for new heights today and not worry about falling, because the arms of our Heavenly Father are open wide and ready to catch us if we slip.

Let’s Pray: Loving Father, thank You for being my Rock, my Fortress, and my Deliverer. Forgive me for the times when I put my faith in other things only to come running back to You when they let me down. I choose to remove fear and anxiety from my life, placing my complete trust in You to guide me and lead me into Your perfect will, or catch me when I stumble and fall. Help me to live with abandon, stepping confidently into Your will for my life. Let me dare to be bold as I live for You and seek to walk out this life You created me for. To You and You alone be the glory, in Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

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Author Bio:

Cyndi Staudt is a Jesus-loving, adrenaline junkie who is devoted to living her life for Jesus Christ until the day she is living with Him. 

With a passion for cultivating a craving for God’s Word, her devotions and Bible studies are saturated with faith and hope to stir your soul to connect with God in deeper, more intimate ways.

Through her writing she hopes to ignite your desire to read God’s Word, invite your heart to experience God’s love, and inspire you to live your live life “souled out” to the One whose love has no limits.

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Connect with Cyndi on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/souledoutcyndi/

12 Days of Christmas Joy: The Prince’s Fake Fiancée (book) by Darcy Flynn

Interview with Darcy Flynn about her book, 

The Prince’s Fake Fiancée:

Alexis: Why did you write this Christmas holiday story?

Darcy: I’ve always loved any news about the royal family in England and having lived there for a year with my husband, I became even more enamored. I’d been brainstorming ideas for a Christmas story and my love for all things royal seemed to be a great place to start. I’ve always enjoyed Cinderella retellings, as well, so it seemed only natural to combine the two. My stories tend to lean toward more light-hearted, romantic comedy themes, so I let my heart guide me from there.

Alexis: Tell me about your story’s heroine, Samantha Keller. What does she look like? Sound like? Act like? Believe in? What are her deepest desires and most obvious weaknesses?

Darcy: Samantha is a no-frills kind of gal. Having been compared with her beautiful stepsister since childhood, she’s grown to accept her looks with practical indifference. As a girl from Queens, New York, she’s not afraid to speak her mind, nor is she afraid of work. She has a deep desire to protect others, even those who’ve been unkind to her and who have taken advantage of her.

Alexis: Why does Samantha love her job? What is her role? Is she good at her job? Explain.

Darcy: Wearing a badge affirms her desire to protect and serve others. Even though she is no longer with the New York Police Department, she’s still able to protect clients through the security firm she works for. She is conscientious and takes her role with the firm seriously.

Alexis: Why does Samantha enjoy being unnoticed and overlooked by most people, especially men?

Darcy: After her father’s death, during her childhood, Samantha came to accept the continued and sometimes hurtful comparisons with her gorgeous stepsister. As a practical girl, she accepted her looks as less than those of the beautiful Tiffany. She convinced herself she was okay with that and being a young woman of character she found other things in life far more important than preening over one’s looks and going out of one’s way to attract a man. She found it safer and less painful to hide behind her no make-up, “Plain Jane” façade.

Alexis: Tell me about your story’s hero, Prince Marcus de Blecourt of Sterlyn. What does he look like? Sound like? Act like? Believe in? What are his strongest features and most noticeable flaws?

Darcy: Prince Marcus is dark-haired and enormously handsome. He’s tall and physically fit, and a polo player like his father before him. When he speaks, his deep voice is every girl’s dream of what a prince should sound like. He believes in the Crown and the Sterlyn’s monarchy. His father’s death was difficult for him and without his presence and guidance, Marcus found, that in some areas, he’d lost his way. On the surface he presents utmost decorum and respectability…until he doesn’t, of course. And that’s usually when he’s traveling abroad doing his best to put an end to Lady Pricilla’s determination to marry him.

Alexis: How does Samantha feel when she learns that she has been assigned to guard a playboy prince?

Darcy: Samantha has mixed emotions upon discovering she’s to guard Prince Marcus. At first, she refuses, but when that refusal threatens her job, she relents. She’d grown up crushing on the poster of the prince that hung in her bedroom throughout her teen years, but as she followed his life and career she’d become disappointed at his playboy lifestyle in his adult years.

Alexis: What is the prince’s first impression of Samantha? Does that ever change? If so, how and why?

Darcy: He sees a very plain, unremarkable looking woman, but he’s intrigued by her forthright attitude and the fact that’s she’s not at all impressed by his royal standing in the world. He finds it refreshing that she speaks her mind. He begins to see in her a rare beauty and is amazed she thinks so poorly of her looks.

Alexis: Why doesn’t Prince Marcus like the lady who his family wants him to marry?

Darcy: Lady Pricilla Rothschild is perfect in every way…outwardly. But she is a snob and at times says cruel things about others. She openly admits their marriage would be one of convenience and is more enamored about the position she’d hold as Princes of Sterlyn than any love for him. She is fond of him, of course, but that simply isn’t enough for Prince Marcus.

Alexis: How does Samantha compare to the woman who the prince’s family chose for him?

Darcy: They are complete opposites in the looks department and even more so in their character. Samantha thinks of others and goes out of her way to be kind and thoughtful. Pricilla thinks only of herself and her position in society. She has little use for those she feels are beneath her.

Alexis: Why does Marcus think he has to turn Samantha into a supermodel?

Darcy: Marcus is used to wealth and position that comes with his office as Prince of Sterlyn. In trying to thwart Lady Pricilla and his mother’s insistence he marry Pricilla his plan when he travels is to be seen with a beautiful woman by his side—to set the press to speculation as to who his “latest” is. Samantha’s no fuss – no frill façade would never do. He must keep up appearances for his ruse to work. Who would believe it, otherwise?

Alexis: What brings Samantha and Marcus together then what threatens to tear them apart?

Darcy: The Queen’s hiring her through Colfax Security brings them together. There is something in Samantha’s past that threatens to tear them apart. This comes to light by the scheming duo of Lady Pricilla and her stepsister, Tiffany.

Alexis: Why did you choose New York as the setting for this story? What makes it a special place for your main characters in this story?

Darcy: There’s something about New York City at Christmas time. I’ve had several visits there at Christmas and it is one of the most spectacular and festive places I’ve ever seen during the holidays. Truly magical.

Alexis: What do you want readers to remember most about this holiday story?

Darcy: I’d like for my readers to remember two things: #1: Angels are real. #2: That God doesn’t give us dreams to frustrate us, but to motivate and inspire us. Dreams are what keep us positive and hopeful, anticipating what very well may come. They get us through disappointments and the rough patches in life and who knows, an angel may even help us along the way.

Alexis: Did you play Christmas music while writing this story? If so, which song was your favorite and how did it inspire your storytelling?

Darcy: I’ve read of authors who listen to music as they write, but I’m not one of them. I tend to prefer quite as I write. I do occasionally create playlists to help set a mood or inspire my writing, but I didn’t for this book.

Alexis: What is your favorite Christmas holiday treat? Did it help you while writing this story? If so, explain.

Darcy: Caramel cake is a holiday favorite in my home. It was the perfect dessert for Miss Ellie to serve Samantha and Prince Marcus in her attic apartment.

Alexis: If you could give one of your characters a Christmas gift, what would it be? Why?

Darcy: I’d have Samantha give her stepmother a book of memories, but only the good ones. Sometimes memory loss needs a little help.

Alexis: Thanks for the interview, Darcy. Merry Christmas!

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Author Bio:

Award-Winning Author Darcy Flynn, is known for her heartwarming, sweet contemporary romances. 

Her refreshing storylines, irritatingly handsome heroes and feisty heroines will delight and entertain you from the first page to the last. Miss Flynn’s heroes and heroines have a tangible chemistry that is entertaining, humorous and competitive.

Darcy lives with her husband and a menagerie of other living creatures on her horse farm in Franklin, Tennessee. She stargazes on warm summer nights and occasionally indulges in afternoon tea.

Although, published in the Christian non-fiction market under her real name, Joy Griffin Dent, it was the empty nest that turned her to writing romantic fiction. Proving that it’s never too late to follow your dreams.

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Blurb for Darcy's book:

No nonsense, Samantha Keller loves her job at Colfax Security Agency. 

The no-frills environment is the perfect compliment to her simple hair cut and no makeup lifestyle. After living in the shadows of her glamorous but hateful stepsister for so many years, Samantha’s quite content to be unnoticed and overlooked.

When she discovers her latest assignment is to guard a popular playboy prince, she’s anything but elated. Even worse, when she finally meets him, she learns her job has nothing to do with protection.

Prince Marcus de Blecourt of Sterlyn is looking forward to visiting New York on what could be his last trip abroad as a single man. But he hasn’t given up his freedom yet. This trip could be the perfect opportunity to thwart the family’s ‘arrangements’ with Lady Pricilla Rothschild.

Prince Marcus is anything but impressed with the unattractive woman from a security firm who arrives as his escort. Unless he can turn her into a super model overnight, it will take a minor miracle to pull off his plan. But when he learns who’s responsible for the setup, he’s even more determined to succeed. He decides to turn the tables, only to find the tables have indeed already turned…but on him.

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Buy Darcy's book on Amazon or Barnes and Noble

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Connect with Darcy:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DarcyFlynnAuthor/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2975929.Darcy_Flynn
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/dflynnauthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/darcyflynn/

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