Devotionals for the Heart: Walking with God in this broken world

Walk Humbly With God
A devotional by Wade Webster

"He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.

And what does the Lord require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy

and to walk humbly with your God."

–Micah 6:8 (NIV)

When my brother turned 50 he went golfing because it's what he loved to do at that stage in his life...even though it was November 19 in Michigan. The temperature was in the mid-30s with a colder wind chill. It's not surprising that he had the course to himself.

A year and a half later I knew I had to do something special for my 50th birthday, too. Since I discovered my love of writing at 47, I began my blog on my 50th birthday. Yeah, much more climate controlled. I started sharing about my life growing up on a farm in Michigan. By late summer I caught everybody up on where I was then so I needed something else to write about every week. I decided to do a devotional Christmas series based on the first Christmas.

For those of you familiar with The Chosen series my devotionals were in much the same I kept the characters in their biblical setting but gave them contemporary language. To get more familiar with this very familiar section of the Bible I read and re-read the verse(s) I would be writing about while I ate my breakfast. Yeah, I had breakfast with Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth, the shepherds and everyone else involved. It was quite an eye opening experience.

I didn't used to think the Bible had much to say about Joseph, Jesus's stepdad. Now I know he was an extremely remarkable teenager. The more I learned about Joe, the more I realized he lived out Micah 6:8 better than anyone I ever knew in my life.

The first part of the verse that Joseph emulated was when he acted justly about what he planned to do with Mary after he learned she was pregnant with a child that wasn't his. He knew he couldn't marry her because she wasn't trustworthy.

He had three main options when it came to putting Mary away. He could have her stoned, He could divorce her publicly and taken her dowry, or he could divorce her quietly and simply walk away from her. By choosing the third option he proved that he loved mercy on his beloved.

After Joseph's dream visit by an angel who confirmed to him that Mary was telling him the truth about becoming pregnant with the Messiah, Joseph did a mighty deed that hardly any teenager would do. By not having intercourse with his wife until after the Messiah was born, an act that he was well within his rights to do, he showed how much he humbled himself before God.

As we come into this Christmas season, let’s see what we can do to improve ourselves in living out Micah 6:8 in or own lives.

Perhaps you can act justly by not winking at sin quite so much. Admit it for what it is.

Don't condemn folks caught in sin, show them mercy as Jesus did so many times.

And walk humbly with God by remembering what He did for you to bring you into His family. The Cross was the ultimate reason for Jesus Christ coming to Earth. His death was made in our place to restore our relationship with God our Heavenly Father. Now we can walk as God’s child in complete dependence on Him.

I hope that this Christmas brings you closer to this baby (Jesus Christ) who died for you (John 3:16) and now lives for you.

A Christmas Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, break into my life like you broke into this world. Quietly, yet brilliantly. Help me be just, merciful and humble...just like Your Son. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

~*~
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 for the Heart: Life lessons learned from a puppy named Halo

Bound to God
A devotional by Glynis Becker

“And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.” —Isaiah 58:11 (ESV)

We have a sweet rescue poodle named Halo. She’s been part of our family for the last seven years. She was a stray, so we have no idea where she came from, how old she is, or what her life was like before us.

For many years after we got her, when we went to put her on her leash to go for a walk, she would pull and jump and twist for blocks and blocks. (Her penchant for turning circles is what gave us the idea for her name.) She would wrap herself up in the leash and we’d have to stumble around her and stop every so often to untangle her. It was annoying, and funny, and sometimes a little dangerous. We would look at her and say with great affection, “Halo! Why can’t you just be normal? Why can’t you just walk with us?”

Now that she is older, her eyesight is starting to dim. She can’t see where she’s going quite as well, so when we put the leash on her, she isn’t quite as excited. We sometimes have to pull her along beside us. Because of her lowered energy level and partial blindness, she isn’t as comfortable walking in unfamiliar places. She is more easily scared. So these days we say, still with great affection, “Halo! Why can’t you just let us lead you? Trust us. We won’t let you get hurt.”

How like our walk with the Lord is this? When things are new and the days are filled with sunshine, we get excited to be on the path with Him. We let Him lead us in His way, full of passion for the Gospel, the Good News that Jesus Christ is Who He says He is. Passion for the lost, love for our fellow humans and a need to be close to Christ take over our lives and we’re happy to go where He wants us to.

But as the days get darker and we’ve been on this path longer and longer, sometimes we lose sight of the fact that the Lord is still leading us. The more we read the Bible and pray, we should learn that we need Him more, not less. We should learn that being tied to Him is the best place to be. But sometimes we need to be dragged into something new or different or uncomfortable. Or we wander “off the leash” and find our own kind of trouble.

Today I’m praying that I allow God to lead me wherever and to whatever He has for me. I don’t want to miss His call on my life because I’m too busy pulling at the leash.

This image makes me think of the classic hymn, “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing.” One line from the lyrics written by Robert Robinson says:

“O to grace how great a debtor

Daily I’m constrained to be!

Let that grace, Lord, like a fetter,

Bind my wand’ring heart to Thee.”

I don’t want to be bound to anything that isn’t eternal. Only God’s grace, like in this hymn, can give me everything I need to walk with Him. That is what will lead me where He wants me to go.

Let’s pray: Dear Lord, bind me to You. No matter how hard I might push back, remind me that You know and want what is best for me. I want to love Your grace more than the things of the world. Help me trust that even if You lead me into something hard, you will never leave me to face it alone. Make my words be a light to others that will lead them to You as well. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

~*~
Author Bio:

Glynis Becker writes devotions and inspirational fiction, hoping someday to have a published novel on her resume.

She has co-written several screenplays, including the film Sinking Sand, available on DVD and digital streaming.

Glynis, whose childhood was spent all over the country as an Air Force brat, has called South Dakota home for many years, along with her husband and two teenage children.

When she’s not writing or reading, she is watching more television than she should and crocheting.

You can find her at www.glynisbecker.com.

Devotionals for the Heart: Spur On

Spur On
A devotional by Malinda Fugate

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." 
–Hebrews 10:23-25 (NIV)

Jesus Christ changed everything. 

The very first believers were learning how to transition from their Jewish rituals to follow Christ, and it wasn’t as simple as attending church once a week. Yes, they gathered together regularly to worship and learn (and often shared a delicious meal!), but their new lifestyle required a daily difference. Letters from Paul and the other apostles helped them as they walked by faith in the Lord.

The writer of Hebrews knew that changes from Jewish tradition to Christianity took some adjustments. He took care to discuss how God remained faithful and consistent while fulfilling His covenant though His Son. The people knew and believed that Christ died and lived again, so now what would they do about it?

Suddenly, God was closer to His people than ever before. No longer was a priestly mediator required; Jesus did that once and for all! So what is the response to an up-close God? The answer remains for us today as true as it was for the early believers. Hebrews 10:22 makes the priority clear: “Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings.” Snuggle up closely.

Spend as much time with Him as possible. Additionally, we are to “hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23). Christian life is full of challenges, but survival is possible because of our God who keeps promises –  including promises to care for us, fight for us, and never leave us. 

Life in Christ begins in our individual hearts, but we are not intended to walk with Him alone. In the very next breath, the writer of Hebrews speaks of community. “Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together…. encouraging one another” (Hebrews 10:24-25). To “spur” is to urge, and most of us can’t help but think of a cowboy’s footwear, motivating his horse to gallop! From our hearts overflowing with God’s love, we spill onto one another to encourage and support. 

We can inspire enthusiastic action that glorifies Him!

The early church had the uncertainty of newness, and thankfully we have the opportunity to learn from our spiritual ancestors. They probably could relate well to some of our modern challenges, like a charged political climate that divides friends and family or the pressure to focus on our individual selves while the Lord calls us to be community-minded. Christ was as countercultural then as He is now! 

These instructions were meant for such times as these. They are a prescription for the ills of society. Jesus goes against the flow and through His word shows us how to live the best life in Him. It starts inside and works its way out as the kingdom of God spreads quicker than a mustard plant, heart to heart in a growing community of brothers and sisters in faith. When we are actively living God’s word, it affects everyone and everything around us.

As we draw near to God who holds our hearts, let’s look at how we can spur on one another. Sending a text, email, or hand-written note of support goes a long way to lift up a loved one. Invitations to serve and worship the Lord together strengthen the body of Christ. 

When we see someone stepping out in faith, strengthening their cause with our time, money, and prayer glorifies God and fulfills His instructions to spur. James tells us we can’t just hear the Word, we have to do what it says. 

Take action today to be intentionally close to our Heavenly Father and pull someone else in close with you. What can you do today to encourage a sibling in the faith?

~*~
Author Bio:

Malinda Fugate writes from the heart. 

Though she serves full time as the Children’s Education Director at a church in Southern California, she is also a crafter of words published in books, including The Other Three Sixteens (May 2020 release with Ambassador International), Bible Time for Active Kids, which is an activities-based devotional that is available for purchase on Amazon, and The Pen and the Sword: Connecting With the Word of God, which is an interactive creative writing journal. 

Malinda earned a communications degree with a theatre emphasis from Azusa Pacific University, then worked behind the scenes at the Los Angeles Salem radio stations, including The Fish and KKLA.

Her writing includes children's faith resources, commercial copywriting, and various faith-based stage and screenplays. Malinda lives by the beach with her pup, Yoshi.

When she's not writing or working at church, she might be creating art, reading, or exploring the many adventures to be found in the Los Angeles area.

~*~
Connect with Malinda:
Website: www.malindafugate.com
Blog: https://malindafugate.wordpress.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/malthestar/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/malthewriter/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/malthewriter/

Devotionals for the Heart: Inner battles and the spiritual lifestyle

Should vs. Want
A devotional by Linda Wood Rondeau

“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth." 
~John 16:13 (NIV)

I know the drill. I hear it from my doctor with every visit. Lose weight, eat more nutritiously, and get more exercise. After my physician has kindly reminded me of the benefits derived from healthier lifestyle choices, I make well-intentioned promises of changed behaviors.

I vow to increase fiber, though to me it’s not much better than cardboard. I promise myself I will lose 50 pounds, do aerobic activity for 30 minutes a day, drink eight glasses of water, and consume the requisite servings of fruits and vegetables. I pride myself on my good intentions.

With gusto and determination, I dust off the treadmill, put motivational stickers around the house, and keep a diary of my new healthy ambitions. Sadly, however, my behaviors slowly drift back to my comfortable unhealthy choices within a few weeks. “I just don’t have enough willpower,” I tell myself while pouring my fourth cup of coffee.

Is my inability to change due to lack of motivation? Am I too weak of spirit? “Why”, I reprimand myself, “can’t I do better?”

Perhaps it is because I suffer from the shoulds. I should drink less coffee, I should exercise more and I should lose weight. Every magazine I pick up has more than half of its content devoted to the shoulds.

The problem in compliance is a lack of the wants. Oh, it’s true it would be nice to be as beautiful as Miss America, as athletic as an Olympic champion, and as enthusiastic as a political candidate, but do I have the want for these things? Am I willing to make the sacrifices and commit to the long haul? My resolve wanes because I lack the wants.

Attitudes regarding change are shaped according to whether we desire the change out of a feeling of guilt or whether the change is motivated due to a conviction. The shoulds are a result of guilt; the wants are born from conviction.

Guilt is laden with self-incrimination and self-loathing. It is a heavy burden to carry. It tends to slow progress and cause depression. Guilt may propel us into action initially, but the momentum is difficult to sustain. When we fail, we convince ourselves there is some intrinsic flaw within us that dooms us to a cycle of attempts and failures. With each failure, the desire to try again is diminished.

When we truly want to change, we are convicted to change. Conviction alters our perspective, renews our energies, and drives us toward a positive outcome. Even if a first attempt is unsuccessful, we will keep trying until we experience ultimate success.

What of our spiritual lifestyles? We believe we should read the Bible more, attend church regularly, and give a tithe unto the Lord. Every devotional article we read reminds us of the benefits when we do these things. Yet, our striving toward these goals wean as life’s mundane needs erode our best intentions.

God does not desire us to follow a blind pattern of religiosity. Doing good deeds, merely because one should do them, will produce meaningless exercise that does little to uplift the believer.

God has provided the believer with the Holy Spirit. It is The Spirit’s working within us that will bring the believer to conviction. He places a hunger within the believer that propels us toward God’s word. Rather than condemn our past, He uses our failure as a lamp to show us what our future could be when we walk in obedience. As we grow in our desire to walk more closely with God, we no longer pray simply because that’s what a Christian should do. We pray because our day is incomplete without spending time alone with Him.

~*~
Author bio:

Award-winning author Linda Wood Rondeau writes to demonstrate that our worst past surrendered to God becomes our best future. 

A veteran social worker, Linda now resides in Hagerstown, Maryland. 

Readers may visit her website at www.lindarondeau.com. 

~*~
Connect with Linda on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google Plus and Goodreads.

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Falling in Love with Jesus: He Was There All the Time

Welcome Amber Schamel to the blog today! She's a Colorado-based author who loves Jesus and loves serving her community!

I love this concept of how God is "there all the time"! It's beautiful and it's Biblical! Read Hebrews 13:5 for proof. 

Amber's story reminds me of this song of the same title "He Was There All the Time." I hope you will find encouragement and hope for your journey through life as you read her story.

Enjoy! :)

~*~
He Was There All the Time
A Falling in Love with Jesus story written by Amber Schamel

My love story with Jesus began the day I was born. Both of my parents were raised in church, and they believed in giving us that same foundation. I spent my childhood going to Sunday school, learning about Jesus in our homeschool, memorizing Scripture songs and singing Jesus Loves Me. And I always knew that was true. Jesus loved me. I knew it in my head, but it hadn't yet sunk into my heart.

When I became a teenager, my family went through some real struggles. Our home life was full of strife, and my parents even separated for a while. Through this time, I turned to friends for the love and companionship that I wasn't getting at home. But my friends failed me. There was a yearning in my heart that no one could fill.

That's when Jesus stepped in. He'd been there all along, but He was waiting like a gentleman for me to open my heart to Him. When I needed Him most, He was there. He held me in the darkness as I cried. He whispered words of encouragement and love when I felt alone. When my friends abandoned me, He stayed. There were nights when I literally felt His hand holding onto mine. Through my struggles, He was proving to me that He loved me.

One night, I realized that I had not been loving Him back the way He deserved. Sure, I'd accepted Him as my Savior when I was seven, but I'd served Him out of a fear of going to hell, out of a fear of missing the second coming. All this time He'd been faithful to me. Stayed with me. Loved me unconditionally. And I served Him out of fear. He deserved so much more than that. I fell on my knees and told Him that from today, and for the rest of my life, I would serve Him because I love Him.

That night took our relationship to a whole new level. Since then, we've spent a lot of time together. We walk together, talk together. He sends me love notes. I write love songs to Him...and believe it or not, He writes love songs for me too. Jesus is the love of my life, and my best friend. There is none that can compare. Nothing like a moment in His presence. I wouldn't trade His love for the world, or anything in it.

Each and every day, I strive to know Him better. To serve Him more fully. And every day I fall deeper in love with Him. With Jesus, I have a true Happily EVER after that will span into eternity.

~*~
Author bio:

Author of over half a dozen books, Amber Schamel writes riveting stories that bring HIStory to life. 

She has a passion for travel, history, books and her Savior. This combination results in what her readers call "historical fiction at its finest." 

She lives in Colorado and spends half her time volunteering in the Ozarks. Visit her online at www.AmberSchamel.com/