“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” Psalm 51:17 There are over two-hundred bones in the human body, but nothing hurts more than a broken heart—it is an all consuming pain. As women, we are not too good at compartmentalizing our feelings (like men), so we will carry our hurt to work, to lunch with friends, and even to church. Maybe you are broken while reading this devotion right now. There may have been times when your life has been shattered into a million little pieces and it…
I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. Psalm 139:14, KJV. Blank Canvas I don’t know what it is about rainy weather that makes me want to be creative and cozy. Right now all I want to do is make a hot cup of coffee, cook a new comfort-food recipe, or paint something for my home. Cozy things, you know? A few years ago I bought two blank canvases, acrylic paint, and paintbrushes. Hobby Lobby had a sale—that place can be such a danger zone! I purchased these items with the intention of painting, but when I arrived home I packed them in a storage closet. From time to time, I would take the canvases out, look at them, and then put them back. I was hesitant about painting on them because I did not want to ruin them by making a mistake and I didn’t want to waste my paint. Then—I had an epiphany. Wasting Potential I realized I have been wasting my canvases for three years by not using them. The purpose of a canvas isn’t to sit in a dark closet in my house; its…
In John 13:34-35 Jesus says, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” This unconditional love is the core aspect of the culture of the Kingdom and one of two core elements of God’s character (see 1 John 4:8,16). The other core element of God’s character is holiness—“Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16). The culture of the world would have us believe that love and holiness are two concepts in direct opposition to one another. In the world, love is associated with tolerance, and holiness with intolerance, which is belief in any kind of absolute truth is overly religious, narrow-minded, and dangerously radical. But if love and holiness are essential attributes of God’s character, then how are Christian men and women supposed to reconcile these two attributes? How can we express unconditional love while maintaining uncompromising holiness? The best example of a life in which love and holiness were perfectly aligned is found in Jesus Christ. For thirty-three years…
“And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.” Colossians 3:17 The Greek word for “name” in the verse above is onoma, which means “name, character, reputation, authority.” According to Hebrew tradition, a person’s name is inseparable from the person to whom is belongs: thus, a name contains something of the essence of its owner. This is partially why the revelation of the name of Jehovah (Jesus Christ) in the New Testament is so momentous, and also why this command in Colossians is…
“I believe in you” are four powerful words. I am who I am because someone believed in me. When I attended Bible College, I realized I was different when I compared myself to others. I was different—I had no apparent giftings because I was too nervous to sing, play piano, teach, preach, or even read a scripture in front of people. Fear paralyzed me from pressing beyond my insecurities. In the midst of the incredible talent of others, their beauty, and charmed heritages I felt like I had nothing to offer God—other than my love. The Power of Believing One of my teachers at Bible College, Sister Ann, saw something in me before I saw anything in myself and she believed in me before anyone else did. Sister Ann created opportunities for me to minister in a safe environment where I could either fail or succeed without the pressure of a penalty or a reward. I was oblivious to the fact she was discipling me because she operated with love and faith, while demonstrating genuine care for my future ministry. I do not know who I would be without Sis. Ann’s encouragement in my life. She has passed on from…
“And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.” (Genesis 2:2-3, ESV) Do you have a “usual” Sunday schedule? Mine begins with spending time in the house of God (a priority), followed by a good meal, and then an afternoon nap. Sometimes my day will include relaxing and chatting with a friend, either in person or by phone. I try to make Sunday “a day of rest” — a disconnect from the busyness of the week. While we call it “the day of rest,” often it isn’t restful at all. Some use Sunday as a time to catch up on errands or to do household chores before the start of a new week? We fill it with activity, not reflection and relaxation. God instituted the sabbath as a holy day, a day to cease work and rest. When the Bible tells us in Genesis 2 that God rested on the seventh day of creation, it wasn’t…