“Just as you cannot understand the path of the wind or the mystery of a tiny baby growing in its mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the activity of God, who does all things.” Ecclesiastes 11:5 I have a young daughter who often asks me, “Mama, do you know everything?” This is a very humbling moment for me, as you can imagine, as there are many things I don’t understand. For example, how does your skin hold you all together, yet it’s so fragile that even paper can cut it? How do galaxies keep going and never end? How does…
“And the disciples said to him, “Where are we to get enough bread in such a desolate place to feed so great a crowd?” And Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven, and a few small fish.” And directing the crowd to sit down on the ground, he took the seven loaves and the fish, and having given thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces left over.” Matthew 15:33-37 ESV Sometimes the task of reaching a lost and broken world can feel overwhelming and frightening. Cancel culture threatens us into silence, sin is celebrated, and many loved ones have walked away from the truth. It’s devastating, and if we aren’t careful, we will begin to shrink back and quiet ourselves. We are living in desolate times—a place of loneliness, confusion and questions. The disciples in the above scriptures ask, in the literal sense, where they will find enough bread to feed the crowd. It was their desolate place, and I imagine that they were perplexed and unsure of what to do…
“Forty years later, in the desert near Mount Sinai, an angel appeared to Moses in the flame of a burning bush.” Acts 7:30 Life has a funny way of catching us off guard, and usually at the most inconvenient times. Have you ever noticed that God can work that way as well? Moses probably thought that chapter of his life was over, after all, forty years had passed. But that is usually when God is up to something… in the silent, quiet, ‘everything is going well’ seasons of life. When I read this portion of scripture, this thought instantly came to my mind: God can call you at any time in your life. You may believe that the time for ministry or something new is long gone, but that may not be true. If you have breath in your lungs today, God has a purpose for you. Open yourself up to something new and exciting. Instead of just dipping your toes in the water, dive in. His will is perfect, and His plan for your life is beyond what you could ever dream. Devotion by Caitlin Walker
“My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.” Psalms 130:6 KJV We often associate night with trials, and darkness with struggle and rough seasons of life. I don’t know about you, but I do not enjoy harsh seasons. I see them as something I need to suffer through and claw my way out of, barely surviving. The above scripture in the New Living Translation says this, “I long for the Lord more than sentries long for the dawn, yes, more than sentries long for…
Romans 12:2 ESV “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” The word “world” in the above scripture means “period of time, age.” The age that we live in is one that is riddled with those who are struggling to win the war in their minds. Our thoughts hold us captive, and freedom seems to elude us. We are warned not to be conformed (to become similar, to comply, to agree) to this world, and then we are also told how not to do this. We must be transformed by the renewal of our minds. So how do we do that? 2 Corinthians 5:17 says this: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” We must always be in Christ. We must, as Psalm 91:1 says, “Abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” We are called to daily place ourselves under the care and protection that God offers. It requires a humble attitude, a determined mind and a…
Matthew 14:15-20 ESV “Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” But Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.” And he said, “Bring them here to me.” Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.” In the above story, a huge crowd was following Jesus and ended up in a very remote, desolate place. They had no quick access to a fast-food restaurant, and by the sounds of it, even villages were a bit of a journey away. The disciples wanted to send the people away so that they could buy their own…