“A miserable heart means a miserable life; a cheerful heart fills the day with song” (Proverbs 15:15, The Message). It’s easy to have a merry heart when things are going my way, but God’s Word tells me that I can have joy even when I’m faced with affliction. In all…
“Don’t for a minute envy careless rebels; soak yourself in the Fear-of-God – That’s where your future lies. Then you won’t be left with an armload of nothing.” (Proverbs 23:17-18 in The Message). My dreams may not be coming true at this point in my life, but I must learn…
While reading the incredible account of Mary’s response to the news of her part in God’s plan of redemption in Luke 1:26-55, I was inspired to write these words of encouragement for a hurting friend today: “God approves of you! God sees you. Don’t be confused, disturbed or afraid. The…
A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.” Proverbs 25:11
I have always been fascinated by this verse, and can see a picture in my mind of a basket of golden apples set in a silver frame.
I am sure all of us wish that our words always conformed to this picture, but it takes a lot of wisdom to consistently speak words that are pleasing to everyone.
I came up with the following acrostic for Wisdom:
W Words can come so easily
I If we open our mouths wide
S Speaking without thinking
D Destroys our neighbour’s pride.
O Only speak what is good and pleasing to the ear
M Making people happy, spreading hope and cheer.
Prayer: Lord, I desire that my words might always reflect your wisdom, and not offend or hurt anyone else.
Devotion by Anne Johnston
“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
“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
“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
“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
“…. 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