“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7 Did you know that men can actually turn their brains off and think of absolutely nothing? When I first learned this fact, I was completely stunned.…
“I sought the LORD, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears” (Psalm 34:4). Fear, worry, and anxiety distress us. They tie us up in knots and steal our peace. We may not all face the same fears, but sooner or later we all encounter some…
“What I’m trying to do here is get you to relax, not be so preoccupied with getting so you can respond to God’s giving.” (Luke 12:29 in The Message Bible) This time of year there is lots of laughter, music, fun and happy children, but there are also many suffering…
In case any of you dear readers are thinking that my “Lessons in the Wilderness” posts are just sweet, inspirational thoughts from a person who has it all together and wants to help to rest of the world as they limp along in life… They’re not. In fact, the reason…
Anxiety is an unpleasant state of inner turmoil, … It is the subjectively unpleasant feelings of dread over something unlikely to happen, such as a feeling of imminent death. Anxiety is not the same as fear, which is felt about something realistically intimidating or dangerous and is an appropriate response…
“Trust me,” my husband likes to tease. But trust is not something that comes easy for me. Fearful and anxious, I am reluctant to try many things. Too often people have let me down, and I hesitate, leery of giving them another opportunity to hurt me. Life is full of pain and disappointments. Who is safe? Is there anyone that I can trust? Do they mean what they say or is there a hidden agenda? Am I being manipulated? The Word of God declares, “God is faithful” (1 Corinthians 10:13). That means that He is trustworthy, true, loyal, constant, staunch, steadfast, devoted, and true-blue!
Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for Your faithfulness. You are a rock in the middle of the uncertainties in my life. I am so thankful.
Devotion by Bonnie Peacock
“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden light.” (Matthew 11:29-30 in the King James Version of the Holy Bible)
These words of Jesus invited the hearers to enjoy a reprieve from the load they were carrying. The Jews groaned under the weight of their ceremonial laws. The yoke Jesus spoke of was not overbearing; it was not a burden; rather it was a yoke that was easy and a burden that was light.
I hear so much about burnout in the ministry and I wonder how this is possible if we are wearing His yoke. Is it because we are carrying extra baggage that He never intended for us to carry? When I put on His yoke, I find peace, joy and hope. Either His Word is true or it is not!
Prayer: The instructions from Your Word direct me in every area of my life and I thank You for that today, Lord. Thank You for lightening our load. It is not difficult to do Your will. It is easy!
Devotion by Kaye Singleton
“The center of the word “life” is if? If I get that promotion… If my husband doesn’t get sick… If my children behave… If I had a bigger house… If it doesn’t rain tomorrow…
Life is full of uncertainties. Instead of enjoying life, we often tread water, wallowing in worries about the future. We delay enjoying our spouses, children, homes, and friends until the perfect time that may never come.
Why take a vacation, if it’s not the perfect vacation? My furniture is worn, I can’t possibly entertain! I’m overweight, no one wants to be my friend.
Life doesn’t come with guarantees. Until we can be happy in the middle of the “if’s,” we will never really experience life.
Prayer: Dear Lord, You’ve told us to be content with what we have (Hebrews 13:5). Thank you for each blessing. We want to really “live” our lives. With Your help, we can.
Devotion by Bonnie Peacock
“Trust me,” my husband likes to tease.
But trust is not something that comes easy for me. Fearful and anxious, I am reluctant to try many things. Too often people have let me down, and I hesitate, leery of giving them another opportunity to hurt me.
Life is full of pain and disappointments. Who is safe? Is there anyone that I can trust? Do they mean what they say or is there a hidden agenda? Am I being manipulated?
The Word of God declares, “God is faithful” (1 Corinthians 10:13). That means that He is trustworthy, true, loyal, constant, staunch, steadfast, devoted, and true-blue!
Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for Your faithfulness. You are a rock in the middle of the uncertainties in my life. I am so thankful.
Devotion by Bonnie Peacock