Devotionals for the Heart: Life Lessons about Waiting on God to Show Up

Waiting On God
A devotional by Sharon Musgrove

The Lord said, “Go out and stand at the mountain before the Lord. The Lord is passing by.” A very strong wind tore through the mountains and broke apart the stones before the Lord. But the Lord wasn’t in the wind. After the wind, there was an earthquake. But the Lord wasn’t in the earthquake. After the earthquake, there was a fire. But the Lord wasn’t in the fire. After the fire, there was a sound. Thin. Quiet. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his coat. He went out and stood at the cave’s entrance. A voice came to him and said, “Why are you here, Elijah?” 

–1 Kings 19:11-13 (CEB)

How do we respond when God does not show up when we expect Him to?

Do we question Him along the lines of: Is He real? Does He care?

Maybe we question ourselves thinking, Did I misunderstand? Am I a fool for waiting on Him? Questions like these can be detrimental to our faith, tearing us down from the inside. But rather than wondering what went wrong between us and God, these are times that build us up in relationship with Him.

Elijah’s experience, written in 1 Kings 19:11-13, of waiting on God has helped me stay steadfast in faith and quiet the internal relationship interrogation. Elijah was told that God was coming and to wait for Him. Elijah waited through all sorts of calamities that any of us would hope to find God in. Yet God did not present as expected.

This passage reveals that though we go through difficult times, God will show up in His time, not ours. And when He shows up, we will be filled with awe. I had this experience years ago when our family took a week’s vacation to Hawaii. Upon landing, I had this sense that God wanted to say something to me. So, I began each morning reading my Bible and opening my ears to what He wanted to disclose.

Day one of listening for God to speak went by and yet I heard nothing. Day two...nothing. Days three, four, and five...still no word from God. I began to question both God and me. Looking heavenward I prayed: Hello, up there. God, did You say to listen or am I just making it up?

By day six I was weary of the waiting. I felt like I had wasted a vacation waiting on God’s arrival. But in that moment, I felt an urgency to take my journal down to the seashore. Yet it was raining outside, so I prayed: Father, I have trusted You all week. I am confused and disappointed that I am not hearing what You have to say to me. Yet as Elijah, I will take my journal to the ocean as soon as the weather clears.

The weather cleared the day we were departing. Remembering my promise to God, I gathered my book and pen and walked over to a rocky inlet near our accommodations then sat in silence.

In that cove there was a sea turtle eating greens growing on the volcanic crag. Waves rolled in and out, tossing that creature wildly to and fro. To my eyes it seemed a dangerous place for an animal to be, the Pacific’s strength working against her.

In that moment, God visited me. He spoke to my heart about His design on my life, using the unique sea turtle design, the hard shell, sharp beak, and the flipper-like feet, as metaphors for His equipping me to live in rough “surf”. Immediately I was filled with awe and humbled to the core for the personal word spoken over me. The doubts I’d had throughout the week dissipated and my faith grew in our relationship.

Are you struggling in your relationship with God because of hard times? Have your expectations of Him gone unmet? Friend, God is not absent nor unaware of your problems. He will arrive to meet you in your moment at the perfect time, one that grows your faith in Him.

Let’s Pray: Heavenly Father, we thank You for sharing Elijah’s story to help us know You. We ask to be built up in our relationship with You that we might be faithful people to You and an encouragement to others. May we always look on You with awe. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection #1: “Wait on the Lord” by Donnie McClurkin. Listen to it here.

Song of Reflection #2: “In the Waiting” by Vicki Yohe. Listen to it here.

~*~
Author Bio:

Sharon Musgrove is a self-proclaimed sociologist. The opportunities opened to her, over the years, have led her on a fascinating journey observing human behavior.

She has a diverse background in business, fitness, and health industries. This background led her to a unique position writing curriculum and teaching for two private, Christ-based, residential recovery programs. Both programs primarily served women in the homeless community.

Sharon has traveled multiple times to Kenya, serving on medical teams and teaching in the rural Maasai communities. She’s been privileged to participate in Leadership camps for maturing young women. These annual camps have a mission of encouraging and empowering the impoverished, underprivileged, and often abused young Maasai girls.

Identifying personally with the brokenness of the women she’s served, Sharon sees all people as needing more encouragement regardless of cultural or socioeconomic status. Within these ministries, Sharon has witnessed the transformative power of loving words spoken to the broken-hearted. Sharing God’s love and witnessing its transformative power has become her passion.

In her leisure time, Sharon enjoys her garden, health food, travel, and a good story. She and her husband, Jeff, divide their time between Oregon and Hawaii. They have two grown children.

Currently, Sharon is encouraging others via her inspirational blog, but prefers sharing face to face. Additionally, she is studying Christian fiction writing.

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Connect with Sharon:
Website: Sharonmusgrove.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Sharon-Musgrove-Untethered-102208978041060

Devotionals for the Heart: Trusting Jesus Christ to guide us through life

Trusting the Shepherd in Troubled Times
A devotional by Tema Banner

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil.”

– Psalm 23:4a (NIV)

I have been in Israel with my daughter and a wonderful group that I now call family. 

When we left for our trip, the first week of March, spring was not yet here, daylight savings time had not begun, and the Coronavirus had not reached the fever pitch that it would soon reach. In fact, it was something that was taking place on the other side of the world and even though a cruise ship had been infected, there was no real concern to most Americans.

The trip was amazing, a spiritual journey that I will treasure the rest of my life.

As we flew home, Psalm 23 came to me, given the condition of our world as it relates to the concern over the Coronavirus, it reverberated with me as I am sure it does with you.

During our time on our trip, we were immersed in the word of God, walked the streets that Jesus walked, visited the towns of His ministry and saw the Bible come live! We knew what was happening in the rest of the world, so we took precautions, but we did not allow it to dampen our enthusiasm for the trip and our spiritual pilgrimage. Even when our planned excursion to Petra was canceled, we knew God was in control. 

There were many God moments along the way: those who miraculously received the funds for the trip, airplane schedules fell in line, the necessary rooms we required when our Petra trip was cancelled, became available, and many other instances in between that told us God was, and is, in control.

As I journeyed home, returning to the reality of everyday life, seeing the soft green, yellow fuzz on the tips of the trees that tell me spring has arrived, to the clock on my car dashboard that has yet to be sprung forward, I am reminded that Jesus is my shepherd, He loves me, He loves you, and carries us on His shoulders. He protects us no matter the path we tread.

Relax in His love and be secure in His everlasting, everyday protection. Let His words seep into your ear and settle in your heart. God is not surprised by anything that is going on in the world, nor anything that happens in your life. Trust that He is with you, even if you walk through the valley of the shadow of death.

~*~
Author Bio:

Writing stories that take the reader on a journey to parts unknown has been a lifelong love for Tema. She enjoys all history and continues daily to hone both her knowledge of history and her writing skills. 

God is her guiding light and the reason for every endeavor in her life. She is a member of the South Carolina ACFW chapter as well as an active member of her local RWA chapter, Carolina Romance Writers.

Tema has served as past President and Secretary as well as holding various chair positions. She is the honored recipient of the Harold Lowery Service Award, presented by the Carolina Romance Writers.

God has gifted her with a loving husband, two children and three grandchildren who are the delight of her life. In her spare time, she gardens and digs into genealogy for nuggets to use in her stories.

~*~
Connect with Tema:
Website: https://temabannerauthor.com
Blog: www.temabannerauthor.com/blog
Instagram: Instagram.com/temabanner

Devotionals for the Heart: Thoughts on How to Satisfy Soul Hunger

Spiritual Olestra
A devotional by Chaplain Paul Anderson

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” 

–Matthew 5:6 (KJV)

Recently, I went on a retreat. It was not a vacation.

I was depleted, physically, emotionally and spiritually. I did not know why I felt so drained. I am healthy. I’m overweight, but vibrant and strong. In my devotional quiet, I came to the awareness that my soul was empty. I had a clawing, soul hunger.

My thoughts were: How could my soul be empty? I have an active devotional life.

I would pray and listen to hear God speak. I knew that even though I was in the right space, personally and professionally, I was in a wrong place on the inside. God called me to explore my inner life.

The vacuous gaps in my soul confronted me. My unconscious tics and subconscious habits became visible to me. Then I became aware that some of my conscious behaviors were counterproductive to my spiritual growth.

I used to love Pringle’s Potato chips, until I found out that they were produced with Olestra. Olestra is a chemical compound that is used as a fat substitute that prevents absorption of fat and some nutrients during digestion. Some of my life habits were like Olestra, in that they prevented my soul from digesting the goodness and graces that God was granting, new every morning.

God confronted me that it was time to let go of some of my old pacifiers. I was led to a blog post written by Rachel Foy that listed “11 Signs of a Hungry Soul.” I was inspired to inventory the idols/vices that blocked or stole my spiritual fiber and left the hunger in my soul. Because drugs and alcohol were not vices that I embraced, I had to search a bit deeper in my core. It was there that I found 12 of my own.

My exercise in transparency below may be instructive and inspirational for you. If it drives you to reflect and create your own list then my writing and your reading will have been successful.

My "spiritual Olestra" included:

1. Insatiable appetites

2. Self-medicating behavior that soothed the soul pains of my childhood and youth.

3. Buying stuff that I could afford but didn’t need.

4. Overwhelmed and stuck

5. Pensive and irritable

6. Boredom with unwillingness and inability to be creative

7. Mindless TV watching and flights of fantasy

8. Emotional doldrums

9. Unrefreshing sleep

10. Inexplicable anxiety

11. Hollow expectations

12. Intentional isolation excused by natural introversion

The remedy to my “soul hunger” was discovered by addressing the list above with spiritual conviction. Shifting from one side of the continuum to the other was where I regained my stride and found my soul hunger could be satisfied and my spirituality reinvigorated.

If you are moved by my list then I advise you to make one of your own. Put the depleting behavior on the left side of a horizontal line. Ask yourself what the opposite or desired behavior would be. Place that on the right end of the horizontal line.

By creating that continuum, you can begin to visualize and quantify the journey to wholeness that you must now begin. Remember, soul hunger is not a sin. In fact, the texts above promise a blessing to those who admit, identify and share their hunger with God. He promises not to leave us famished and will give us the desires of our heart.

Evading the signs of soul hunger may lead to sin. Don’t settle for spiritual junk food or devotional fast food. Go to the God’s Table instead. After dining there, Psalm 23 in The Holy Bible assures us that goodness and mercy will follow you. Then, you will dwell in God's peace with inexplicable joy.

I think that is where Heaven on Earth is found. I’ll see you there.

~*~
Author Bio:

Chaplain Anderson served for 20 years as a U.S. Navy Chaplain. Over 26 years of active duty, he was promoted through the ranks from Seaman Apprentice (E2) to his final rank as Commander (O5) in the Chaplain’s Corps. 

Prior to his Naval career, Chaplain Anderson pastored in the Allegheny East and Potomac Conferences of Seventh-day Adventists. His undergraduate preparation for ministry was completed at Washington Adventist University in Takoma Park, Md.

He has subsequently earned four graduate degrees: a Master of Divinity from Andrews University in Michigan, a Master of Education in Counseling and Personnel Services from the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland and a Masters of Sacred Theology in Religion and Culture from Boston University. His Doctor of Ministry degree was conferred by Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C.

Chaplain Anderson also completed four units of Clinical Pastoral Education at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. He also holds certifications in Suicide Awareness and Prevention, Civil Mediation, Alternative Workplace Dispute Resolution, Temperament Analysis, Marriage Enrichment, Workforce Diversity, and is a certified Life Coach.