“The terrible storm raged for many days, blotting out the sun and the stars, until at last all hope was gone.” (Acts 27:20, NLT) First Century travel was nothing like travel today. When we plan a trip, we have numerous options. We can drive, take a train, book a flight, or, for some locations, take a ship. When Paul and his companions traveled, not for vacations but for evangelism, their two primary modes of travel were walking and cargo ships. (Passenger ships as we know them did not exist.) It is estimated that Paul traveled over 10,000 miles during his…
“Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?” Romans 9:21 A year or two ago, I decided to try a new craft with my two girls: air-dry clay. I had watched many videos and tutorials on how to make adorable little animal figurines and was determined to create some of my own. I (unfortunately) hyped my daughters up and convinced them that they would be masters of air-dry clay in a matter of seconds. You can probably guess how this venture ended. Air-dry clay is a formidable foe, and at the end of one hour, all we had to show for ourselves were dirty hands and a pile of clay that sort of, slightly, not really, resembled a mushroom, a unicorn, and a cow. This led me to wonder, am I sometimes difficult to work with in the hands of God? Do I fight the process, resolving early on that my ways are better and that I understand more than He does? Does my distorted perception interfere with my seeing clearly what God is trying to do in my life? Personally, the answer…
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” Jeremiah 29:11 Plans. We women love to make them. We purchase cute, trendy calendars at the beginning of each year in an often futile attempt to plan the next 365 days of our lives. We display calendars on our walls, have apps on our phones, and take mental notes of upcoming events on the schedule we need to plan/attend. I feel flustered and exhausted even typing this. Too often, our need for control and desire to see into the future bleeds over into our relationship with God. Surrendering control can appear daunting, but I echo the words in Psalms 37:25: “I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.” In moments of doubt and uncertainty, when complete surrender seems to be too much of God to ask, I have never been forsaken by the One who authors my story. The KJV translates the word “expected” in the above verse as “cord, hope, the thing that I long for”. I imagine it as a constant connection, always in view of one another…
“Trust in Him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before Him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.” Psalms 62:8 Have you ever had something you wanted to talk to someone about but thought it might be too heavy for them to handle? That perhaps they would get a glimpse of the deepest, darkest parts of you and run for cover? Or maybe think to yourself that they would never be able to look at you the same way again? We all have sin; it’s just the way it is. We all struggle with different temptations and…
“All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth.” Hebrews 11:13 Have you ever watched an old clip of Winnie the Pooh and noticed how gloomy Eeyore is? His head is hung, his eyes are pointed toward the ground, and his mood is depressed. If he were real I imagine his body would ache from his poor posture, and his mind would be weary. Some of us have an Eeyore attitude from time to time —I know I do. Down in the dumps, tired, and just worn out from the lows of life. What would happen if we decided to change our position and look up? What would we see? If we strained our eyes and focused a little bit, maybe we could see a promise on its way. If we looked really hard, perhaps we could see God at work in our lives. It’s easy to hang our heads and put no effort into seeing the good, but it requires effort and faith to see beyond current circumstances.…
“And exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.” Romans 1:23 ESV The human race is fickle. We can be easily swayed in one direction or another, tossed about by every wave or wind that comes our way. We struggle with loyalty, and standing up for what is right and good, and most importantly, what is moral. This isn’t something new. Scripture tells us time and time again that God’s children wrestled with their flesh and to keep their eyes fixed on Him. We often settle for what is good instead of what is best. The people in this story decided to worship idols that held no comparison to the glorious, ever-living God they knew. What are your eyes fixed on today? Are you settling for something less than what God has for you? His plan for you is perfect, and there is safety in His will. Take the time today to adjust your focus and allow God to sit on the throne of your heart once more. Devotion by Caitlin Walker