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Anne Johnston

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A Better Way

2 Mins Read

“Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.” Ecclesiastes 4:9

I was reminded of an incident that happened many years ago. We had some heavy rain and our vegetable garden was rather muddy. My younger son decided to go pull some carrots as he loved to eat them right from the garden. Needless to say, he found himself stuck in the mud. His older sister went to his aid, but when she tried to lift him out, his boots stayed in the ground, and both of them tumbled backwards into the mud. We laugh at it now, but it wasn’t funny at the time. My husband got some boards to lay down for them to walk on, and with his help they were able to get back to solid ground.

There are times when we see someone going through a problem, or having some difficulty and we want to rush to their aid. It is often a good idea, to talk to the Lord about it, and let Him show us what the solution is. As we pray, and seek His guidance, He will show us the right way to deal with it and we save ourselves a lot of frustration. It is His will that we help one another, but we need the Lord’s wisdom in every situation.

Prayer: Lord help us to be aware of ways that we can help one another, and show us the right way to go about it.

Devotion by Anne Johnston

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Devotions

His Hand

2 Mins Read

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.” Psalm 37:23-24

Man has no goodness in himself, we are all prone to faults and failures. Our only goodness comes from God. As we yield ourselves to His will, He changes our desires and leads us in the way of righteousness.

There are times when we will falter and fail, yet He has promised we shall not be utterly cast down. He upholds us with His hand, catches us when we stumble, directs us to the right path, and sets us back on track.

What joy, what delight it is to walk in God’s way, to feel His loving hand gently resting on our shoulder, as He directs our every step. Sometimes He may not lead us in paths that we would choose, but He knows best, and we must trust His guidance, knowing He will always be there.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, there is nothing good in us, but we trust in your goodness and your mercy to lead us day by day.

Devotion by Anne Johnston

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Devotions

Which Way?

2 Mins Read

“And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.” Isaiah 35:8

When we were raising our family, we did not have a lot of money to spend, especially on entertainment. In those days, gas was not as expensive as today, so often on Saturdays, we would pack a picnic lunch and set out on a road trip. Sometimes we would go to the Airport and watch the planes take off and land. This was before there was so much security. Other times we would visit the lift locks and watch the ships go through.

But the most exciting times for the kids (and us as well) was when my husband would set out through the country, turning off on every little road that appeared. Sometimes we would come to a dead end and have to turn around. We never knew exactly where we would come out. Of course, the kids thought we were lost, but I am sure my husband knew approximately where we were, and we always made it back home safely. At my husband’s funeral, one of the children remarked that they grew up thinking all families went driving and got lost.

Sometimes in life we seem to get off on byways, things seem very unfamiliar, and we wonder how it is all going to turn out. But our driver, the Lord Jesus Christ, knows exactly where we are and He will steer us in the right direction to get us back on track and bring us safely home. All we have to do is trust the Driver.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, sometimes we get sidetracked, but we depend on your Holy Spirit, to lead us in the right way.

Devotion by Anne Johnston

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Devotions

Slow Down

2 Mins Read

“Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.” Psalm 27:14

I recently made a road trip that usually takes me about two hours, but due to the large amount of construction, this time it lasted almost four hours.

Signs would appear saying that the left (or right) lane would be closed 5 km. ahead, and traffic started to slow down, both lanes were congested, until finally it would narrow down to one lane. So many people get impatient, shift lanes because they think one is moving faster than the other, and this only compounds the problem. The speed limit posted was 80 km, but in a lot of cases we were down to about 5 km per hr.

I always carry some SG cd’s with me so was able to listen to some inspiring music, sing along with the ones I knew, and just thank the Lord for His presence with me. I had lots of fuel in my tank, and no deadline to meet, so took the time to just relax and enjoy the trip.

Many times, when life seems to be going full speed ahead, something happens to make us slow down. That is when we need to just trust that the Lord is in it, and use the time to draw closer to Him. His timing is always right, He knows what is best for us, and in those waiting times, He can reveal His will and His way.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the times when life slows down and we can draw close to you.

Devotion by Anne Johnston

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Devotions

Straight Paths

2 Mins Read

“…. Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth” Luke 3:4-5

John the Baptist came to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah, fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah 40. There were mountains of pride and valleys of despair that needed to be broken down before Jesus could come. Many listened to his message. Those who did not respond, did not recognize Jesus when He came. But those who saw a need for change, discovered in Jesus what they needed.

John told them they needed to repent for the Kingdom of God was at hand. Repentance is still the first step to be taken today if people desire a change in their life. Many want the blessings of God, but do not want to change their lifestyle. When we truly repent, turn our hearts toward God, He can work in our lives, smoothing out the rough places, and setting us on the straight and narrow way that leads to life. The blessings His Holy Spirit bring into our lives are so far greater than anything that He has removed.

Prayer: Thank you Lord Jesus, for the change you have made in our lives, removing the curse of sin, and giving us your Spirit.

Devotion by: Anne Johnston

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Stand on the Rock

2 Mins Read

“And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock” Exodus 33:21

Moses desired to see God, and God told him that no man could see His face. But if he would stand on the rock, He would cover Him with His hand until His glory passed by, and then he would see his hinder parts. As Moses had this experience with God, it gave him strength to continue his duty leading the children of Israel.
We need to find a secret place each day to meet with the Lord. We need to make sure that our feet are settled on the solid rock. Early morning is the best time for this as we satisfy our spiritual thirst, and gain the strength to face the day. All day long, we can draw on that early morning experience, periodically worshipping the Lord and partaking of His Spirit.
Just as drinking water in the morning and several times throughout the day can prevent our natural bodies from becoming dehydrated, so spending time in the presence of the Lord early in the day, and worshiping periodically through the day, will keep our soul saturated with His Spirit, and our feet on the Rock.

Prayer: Jesus, you are the solid rock on which we stand, keep us firmly planted.

Devotion by: Anne Johnston

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Devotions

Cruise Control

2 Mins Read

“For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.” Psalm 48:14

I love to travel and I am very thankful for Cruise Control when I am on the highway. I don’t like driving in the rain because I must turn the Cruise Control off. It is too dangerous to use it when the road is wet. Cruise Control can be dangerous also if we are driving when we are tired. If we are not careful we get too relaxed and before we know it, we are hitting the rumble strip.

How often in our spiritual walk, do we get in trouble because we are just drifting along, not really paying attention to what is happening. Maybe we neglect our Bible reading and prayer for a day or so, maybe we have missed a church service or so because we were tired or busy at something else. We are depending on our past experience with the Lord to keep us going.

Thank God, He places some rumble strips along the way, and gives a nudge to wake us up and make us pay attention to what is happening. Maybe it is the lyrics of a song we are listening to, or a message from our Pastor, or just a word from a good friend. What a relief it is, to call out to the Lord for help, spend some time with Him in prayer and get back on track.

He is our guide, and is always there to hear us when we call out to Him, but He wants us to stay alert all the time, and take time for Him every day.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us not just to cruise along, but to let you guide us every step of the way.

Devotion by: Anne Johnston

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Little is Much

2 Mins Read

“And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman’s wife.” II Kings 5:2

Can you imagine what life was like for this little servant girl. She had been taken away from her family and friends, and the life she had known. Captive of an enemy, servant to his wife, forced to obey every order, even though she was grieving for her family. The Bible does not give her a name nor tell us how old she was.

I would like to think that Naaman’s wife used this little girl well, that she had the food she needed, clothing to wear, and a comfortable bed to sleep in at night. Nothing could really make up for not being with her family.

Whatever her situation, she had not forgotten what she had learned as a child. She remembered the stories of miracles that had taken place at the hand of the prophet, Elisha. So, when her master became sick with leprosy, she went to her mistress and told her about the man of God back in her homeland. She had faith that if he would just go there, he would be healed.

This story shows us that children who are taught to love the Lord when they are small, will remember what they have learned. It gives me faith to believe that my son, who is not serving God at this time, will one day return to the faith of his childhood.

Prayer: Lord we thank you that we can teach our children to know you and to love you, and that you will always be there for them when they call on you.

Devotion by: Anne Johnston

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Guard My Speech

2 Mins Read

“Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.” Psalm 141:3

Am I the only one who often finds myself wishing I had never opened my mouth and said things that would have been better left unsaid? I am sure it happens to all of us at one time or another.

Perhaps, it is something that a friend has told us in confidence, and in a conversation with others, we mention it, and too late, realize we were not supposed to tell. We can ask those who heard us to keep it quiet, but we know that they are going to do the same thing we did and tell someone else.

Perhaps, in a moment of frustration with someone, we lash out with unkind words. Even though we apologize, and they have said they forgive us, the situation will come back to haunt us when we are trying to get to sleep at night
Sometimes, it may be thoughts that we have let build up in your mind, and without intentionally wanting to, we blurt them out, knowing that we should not have done so.

This verse in Psalms is one I pray in the mornings, asking the Lord to guide my thoughts and my words for the day. For out of the abundance of our heart, our words come and they have power to hurt and to humiliate others. We will always make mistakes, but as we pray and seek God, He is able to give us victory over this problem.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, guard my every word and help me to only speak what gives honour and glory to you.

Devotion by: Anne Johnston

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