“Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.” Luke 9:1-2 You are probably wondering about the title of this devotion, but as I was seeking the Lord for inspiration this morning, those words came to my mind as I thought of the disciples that Jesus chose to proclaim the message of His Kingdom. The definition of motley is “incongruously varied in appearance or character.” Look at some of the men that Jesus chose…
“Hear me as I pray, O Lord. Be merciful and answer me! My heart has heard you say, ‘Come and talk with me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.’” Psalm 27:7-8 NLT In 1845, William W. Walford composed a beautiful hymn that still contains a great message for us today. I wonder if the author had this verse in Psalms in mind when he wrote the hymn, especially verse 3: Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer! Thy wings shall my petition bear To Him whose truth and faithfulness Engage the waiting soul to bless. And since He bids me seek His face, Believe His Word and trust His grace, I’ll cast on Him my every care, And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer! David was a man of prayer. Many of his psalms deal with prayer. He sought the Lord in mostly all the circumstances of his life, in the good times and the bad. He trusted the Lord to protect him. His prayers always contained words of praise to the Lord for the blessings he received. The Bible tells us that prayers never die. Revelation 8:3-4 “And another angel came and stood at…
The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18. God is drawn to the proximity of your brokenness and if your spirit is crushed, He is ready to save you. Grieving can make your world tremble and paralyze your voice. Suffering losses, whether it is the repercussions of a national disaster or the passing of a loved one, can pillage language by stealing your ability to articulate what emotions and sentiments you’ve experienced. Another aspect of known language is when a person can define a word, but has never experienced its meaning. For instance, the literary devices of past, present, and future tense are fundamental to the formation of sentence structures and considered elementary. However, what do you do when the present-tense phrase, “I love” turns to the past tense phrase, “I loved.” The fundamental parts of speech are no longer elementary, but compounded into emotional responses you cannot prepare for. Express Yourself Vocalizing the depth of our brokenness can be next to impossible at times. How can someone articulate the complexities of their emotion into words? Thankfully, God knows the cry of your heart and the pain you have experienced. We serve…
Motherhood is more than sleepless nights, seemingly endless feedings, and desperation to find a new routine. Motherhood is full of moments of unconditional love. My heart grieves at the thought of a child being torn away from the nurture of their mother. In their vulnerability, who do they turn to for comfort, nourishment, and love? There is no greater honor in my life than to hear my little girl or boy cry, and to be the one who can soothe her tears. It is terrifyingly beautiful to have this weight of responsibility to take care of these tiny humans who…
“For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” Exodus 20:11 God doesn’t just suggest or encourage rest, He commands us to rest (Exodus 20:8–11) and He led by example (Genesis 2:1–3; Exodus 20:11). Walter Brueggemann in his book, Sabbath as Resistance: Saying No to the Culture of Now,” makes a great statement about God resting. He says, “Divine rest on the seventh day of creation has made clear (a) that YHWH is no a workaholic, (b) that YHWH is not anxious about the full functioning of creation, and (c) that the well-being of creation does not depend on endless work. (p.6)” When Rest Feels Like Work Rest, to many of us, is exhausting—which sounds very contradictory. When we try to find time to pray, read our Bible, fellowship with believers, or attend church we can feel overwhelmed. Thinking of everything we have to do diminishes the importance of things we are commanded to do. It’s important to recalibrate in those moments and remember that just because we can be busy, doesn’t mean we should be. Finishing your to-do list is not a demand given by…
“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10. Being still is difficult for me because I feel like I’m not accomplishing anything. Being still in the presence of God can feel like a waste of time, it sounds terrible to say, but it is true for me. We are people of action and so it can be a foreign practice to just sit at His feet and worship in His presence. I don’t know how many times I have acted like Martha, clinking dishes together trying to do something great for my Savior, instead of being still and gleaning wisdom at the feel of Jesus, like Mary. However, when I’m being still in the presence of God and meditating upon His word, amazing things can take place. In pursuit of obeying Psalm 46:10 I am trying to learn ways to quiet my mind of expectations, to-do lists, deadlines, and whatever else is preoccupying my thoughts. Here are a few things that help me focus during my time of devotion: Consistency: Have a specific time everyday that you spend with the Lord. Your prayer life…