Devotionals for the Heart: When God gives you space to struggle

Space to Struggle
A devotional by Tessa Huckstep

“But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.”

–1 Peter 5:10 (KJV)

Have you ever heard it said that if you help a butterfly escape his chrysalis, he will die shortly after?

It is difficult to watch the butterfly struggle to push out of its chrysalis. We don’t enjoy sitting back and watching difficulty or suffering. But it is this struggle that strengthens the butterfly and prepares it for the future.

This past year at university, I had a professor who would not answer all my questions. After I asked a question in class she would say, “Hmm, that is interesting. We should explore that.” I knew by the look in her eyes that she knew the exact answer to my question, but she wanted me to figure it out on my own. At first, I was baffled that she would not just answer my questions. Answering questions is what teachers do! But after researching my questions and coming to answer them on my own, I understood why my professor would not just give me the answer. I learned so much more through the process of searching for the answer than I would have if she would’ve given me the answer as soon as I asked the question.

In the career field of Education, there is a certain area of learning that all teachers strive to guide their students toward. As students learn, they move toward things they are capable of understanding, but do not yet understand. In this area of learning, students struggle. However, the place of struggle is the optimal environment for learning to take place. The best learning takes place during the struggle.

I have often been guilty of going to God and asking why He would allow me to struggle. It is okay to ask God questions, but it is not always easy to hear His answers. Sometimes, we struggle because in our struggle we are learning to lean on God for our strength–far more than we would without the struggle. Through our struggles, we are spiritually strengthened and more established in God’s love.

A butterfly must struggle out of its chrysalis in order to survive in its new and beautiful life. As Christians, we are learning to live a new and beautiful life in Jesus Christ. The struggles we go through are a natural part of life, though they can be painful in the moment. Take hope to heart as you remember this truth: After the struggle, you will be stronger and more established in your relationship with Christ than before and you’ll be better because of it.

Let’s Pray: Dear Lord, thank You for the struggles You send our way to strengthen us! Please help us to remember that our struggles are only for a season. You are preparing us for a new and beautiful life. Help us to look beyond our struggle and keep our eyes on You and trust that You are working all things out for our good. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “Not for a Moment” by Meredith Andrews. 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: Absolutes

The Absolutes
A devotional by Nanci Rubin

"Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever."

~Hebrews 13:8 (KJV)

Our world is in such turmoil, and our youth struggle to find their place in an ever-changing environment. Teens look to their peers for acceptance as parental influence becomes almost nil. Don’t we all look for acceptance? The youth desire to be loved. They need to know God loves them.

I have worked with kids all my life. I was Head Nurse in the Health Center at our local university and when I was nursing I worked in pediatrics. I’ve taught Sunday School to middle-grade kids. I love children, and I’ve seen first-hand how easily they can get into trouble. We’re all familiar with the cute toddler who reaches out to grab something, stops, looks you in the face waiting for your response. A “no-no” will be uttered, and those tiny hands quickly grab the desired object and drop it almost at the same time. They push you beyond your limits. The urge to rebel doesn’t seem to go away, even into adulthood there remains some residual. We appear to like the forbidden thing.

I remember when I worked at the college some of our freshman students would come totally unprepared for the liberal world-view, and the freedom associated with being away from home for the first time. It was such a culture shock that some couldn’t handle it, and they ended up leaving school. We had a sweet young lady named, Roxanne. She was so naïve and easily upset that she refused to sleep in the dorm and received permission from the Dean to sleep in the infirmary. She did that her entire freshman year. It wasn’t long into her sophomore year that Roxanne embraced college life with both arms. I watched her bloom where God planted her. I’m glad we took the time to nurture Roxanne, she needed the extra care. She was worth it. However, there is a universal mantra they all relate to. It is, “I hurt, and I’ll do anything to stop the pain.” And they try whether it’s by drugs, promiscuity, or rebellion. They call out for help. But are we listening? 

Our young people need validation. They need to know how special they are, not only to their parents, friends, and relatives but to God. He created us in His image, so we’re starting off ahead in the game of life.

"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."~Genesis 1:27 (KJV)

God knows us before we’re born. He has chosen us and selected our DNA before we were a glimmer in our mother’s eye. I like that. And I’m awed by it.

"Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations."~Jeremiah 1:5 (KJV)

I would like every young person, old person and all in between to realize God didn’t make a mistake when he formed you. He made each of us unique and special. No one on planet earth has your fingerprint, your thoughts, memories, and your personal quirks. God didn’t make junk when he made you!

There is a gentleman in our Life Group from church who’d seemed troubled for several weeks but never mentioned anything nor asked for prayer. One evening, he finally asked for prayer. He’d begun to doubt what God had for him, and he felt he couldn’t be of use to God any longer because of his age. So many seniors believe their age can hinder their work for God. I am reminded that Sampson did greater feats at the end of his life than in the beginning. The patriarchs of the Bible were mighty men in the later years of their lives. God is not done with you yet. He is no respecter of persons.

"For God shows no partiality [no arbitrary favoritism; with Him one person is not more important than another]." ~Romans 2:11 (AMP)

No matter your age or station in life, you are God’s creation, and He loves you. He has a purpose and a plan for each life. Teach your children whom they can believe and count on. God will lead them through life. These are the absolutes they can hold onto. Be blessed and listen to His still small voice that says:

"Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen." ~Matthew 28:20 (KJV)

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Author Bio:

Nanci writes Inspy Amish romance. She lives in Northern Virginia with her husband and two fur kids, Romeo and Juliet, rescue cats. She is working on her debut novel, Plain Justice.

She retired earlier than planned from nursing to care for her mother, diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Her mom passed last year at the age of ninety-nine and Nanci has delved more into her writing.

She is active in an intercessory prayer ministry in her church, belongs to The Woman’s Club, a service-oriented volunteer organization dedicated to the welfare and enrichment of the community and volunteers two days a week at the Mary Washington Museum.

Currently, she's enrolled in Rhema Bible College’s correspondence Bible studies. She belongs to ACFW and RWA. When she’s not working, reading or writing she’s hiking with her husband at Shenandoah National Park.

Words of Faith: Christine's story on kids and discipline

Leaving Our Kids to God's Discipline

A Words of Faith story by Christine Lindsay

As a Christian mom I knew I was supposed to pray and leave my worries about my children to my Heavenly Father. After all, according to His word, He loves them even more than I do. But back in 2006 I was praying hard for Lana, and feeling pretty desperate that maybe God wasn't hearing my prayers for my daughter.

At the time I'd been struggling with whether or not I trusted God to fix my kid’s life or was there something I could fix. Lana was making all the wrong choices as a young adult at university, and paying for those choices in painful ways that have left physical scars to this day. Everything her dad and I had taught her about obeying the Lord’s will, she did the opposite.

Let’s face it, life can be hard, and when our kids hurt, we hurt.

One day as I was cleaning our den I found a box of old photographs, old degree diplomas, and came across a faded blue airmail letter that I'd received back in 1980. It was a letter from my grandmother upon my engagement.

In that letter she wrote how thankful she was to the Lord that I had found a good partner in life, that her prayers for me were answered, that I was living the joyful things that God had planned for me.

For most of my life my grandmother and I were separated by the Atlantic Ocean. With her still in Ireland and me living in Canada, she didn’t have much opportunity to do things for me, other than pray and write letters. She certainly didn’t have the opportunity to “fix” things for me if I messed up my life which I certainly did until I turned around and started obeying God.

My grandmother died in 1984, but many years later in 2006 as I re-read her letter, and I was the mom of an adult daughter, I felt the Lord’s comfort. Behind my grandmother's writing was the Lord's voice right when I needed it, and His gentle reminder to trust Him with Lana.

I resisted the urge to “fix” everything in Lana’s life. It wasn’t a matter of letting her suffer the consequences and to learn from that. We had to by faith put her into God’s hands, to trust that He would open her eyes. It was hard at first to stand back in faith and let God work. But then we saw the Lord start to work in her life. We saw our prayers for Lana answered. In 2010 the Lord brought her back to Himself, and her faith was all the stronger for it, because it was her own faith in Christ, and not just that of her parents.

As much as we want to, we cannot save the ones we love. Only Christ can do that. Give your loved ones over to God. Trust Him to save them, because ultimately seeing Him save my child reaffirmed in my soul that He had saved me.

Seeing our kids desperate need of God underlined for me that I too desperately need the Lord for everything, my heartbeat, my breath, my salvation. There is not one single thing that we can do to “fix” anything in life. It’s a matter of stepping back and letting God do the saving.

“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved."~Acts 4:12 (NIV)

And even though at the time I was praying so hard for my daughter she was an adult, in my heart she was still my little girl. And Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there. ~Matthew 19:14-15 (NIV)

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Author bio: 

Christine Lindsay is the author of multi-award-winning Christian fiction. She is currently writing her 8th novel. Aside from being a busy writer and speaker, Christine is the happy wife of David for 35 years, a mom and a grandma. 

She makes her home on the west coast of Canada, and in Aug. 2016 she will see her long-awaited non-fiction book released, Finding Sarah, Finding Me: A Birth Mother’s Story. 

Please visit Christine’s website www.ChristineLindsay.org or follow her on Amazon or Twitter. Subscribe to her quarterly newsletter, and be her friend on Pinterest, Facebook, and Goodreads.