God Remains

I Corinthians 15:57-58

But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

After a busy day of visiting with family and sharing a meal on Thanksgiving Day, my daughter posted this on Facebook: “Thankful to know that at the end of the day God remains”. Most days when I wake up, I ask God to guide me and make me aware of opportunities that lead me to serve him and love people. By doing this I attempt to have a positive and humble attitude. But too often discouragement jumps in my path before I even get started.

But I am reminded, through the Bible, that God walks beside me and that the Holy Spirit directs my path. No matter what the day brings just knowing that God’s goodness continues gives me hope. Like the warp threads that are wrapped tightly around a loom waiting for the weft threads to be woven through, God holds strong as we weave our life in and out of his hands. Knowing that he remains the same day after day fills me with his peace and joy.

Pray With Me

Psalm 100:3-5

Know that the LORD is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.

I listened to my daughter explain why we celebrate Thanksgiving to her niece. Surrounded by children’s books, she showed her pictures of the Pilgrims and the scene where they feasted with the Native Americans. As she told the story, she shared how the Pilgrims escaped the English countryside to seek a place where they could worship God without restriction.

This year as I plan to enjoy turkey and dressing with my family, I praise God for living in America, a country where I can worship, write about and talk about God freely. I live in a land that does not restrict me from walking into my church to sing and learn.

Please join me this year as I pray for those who do not share that freedom, the many Christian folks around the world who must hide their praise, memorize the Bible as they find one because they cannot own one, meet secretly, give their lives for God and quietly share their faith with their children. “For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

Pure Wisdom

James 1:5

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt…

James 3:17
But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.

My husband and I attend a small group each week. We get together with friends, study the Bible and pray for direction in our lives. This week we talked about passion, and one of the ladies asked us if we would share the one thing that energizes us with enthusiasm. I tend to be a person who enjoys many different activities, especially anything to do with reading, writing, and arts and crafts. I also love spending time with Tim, and our family and sharing in the Women’s Ministry at church.

The one thread that weaves its way through all that I enjoy and find exciting is learning. I love to learn. While knowledge adds depth to my life, the most important understanding that I will ever gain is the wisdom that comes from God. Knowledge helps me in life but wisdom leads me in to eternity. James tells us what wisdom from God looks like. As I journey here on earth, I seek God’s wisdom in my life so that I might be peace-loving, considerate, submissive to God, full of his mercy and the Spirit’s good fruit, impartial and sincere. I love learning from God’s word. Now that’s exciting!

A Comfort Like No Other

Isaiah 49:13

Shout for joy, you heavens;
rejoice, you earth;
burst into song, you mountains!
For the LORD comforts his people
and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.

Living on earth brings pain, sadness, suffering and grief. I know that is a depressing way to start this devotion, but unfortunately that is the truth. The good news is, is that life also offers the joy of seeing a child grow, the beauty of spring, the warmth of friendship, the love of our family, and the opportunity to fall in love with Jesus.

Recently I’ve heard a lot of sad news about people I know and love. As I walk through this journey with them, I am reminded that God gives us a comfort like no other. He wraps his arms around us and holds us close. His compassion brings me joy. No matter what you are going through, if you are a believer in the grace of Jesus, God holds you in his heart and hears your prayers. He loves you.