DEVOTIONS
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Today’s Truth
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
James 1:2-4
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I can be pretty wimpy sometimes. I thrive on routine, and I don’t like change. Which means I have a difficult time dealing with trials as well. Often times I just simply shut down.
But recently I faced a situation I couldn’t wimp out on. I found out I was pregnant just three months after a traumatizing miscarriage. I was so unbelievably thankful for a baby I could hopefully hold earth side. However, this time I faced different complications, and the news that my baby could likely have disabilities. I found myself driving to a specialist every few weeks, feeling terrified all the time, and honestly, barely functioning.
It all felt like way too much, and I let it completely
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Today’s Truth
‘We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,’ they answered. ‘Bring them here to me,’ He (Jesus) said. And He directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, He gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.
Matthew 14:17-21
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The feeding of the 5,000 is one of my favorite Bible stories. Aside from the resurrection, it is the only miracle recorded in all four Gospels … and what a miracle it was!
Jesus borrowed a little boy’s lunch. Feeding 5,000 people with just five loaves and two fish was extraordinary in itself, but the Greek word used in Matthew 14:21 refers to males. The women and children present were not included in that number. Many Bible scholars believe the actual number fed that day could have been between 15,000 and 20,000 people. Absolutely amazing!
The setting for this miracle is important. Jesus and the disciples had been ministering to the crowds all day. It was getting late, and they
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Today’s Truth
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.
Acts 16:25
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Trials can lead us to a greater dependency on God and a deeper trust in His sovereignty if we let them. I’m reminded that in every situation I come to a crossroad and have a choice: I can pout or I can praise. I can turn away from God because I don’t understand or I can turn toward God in full assurance that His understanding is enough for the both of us – even if it hurts – even if anger lingers – even if doubt looms.
Have you been to these crossroads?
God shows us a powerful example of praise-over-pout behavior in chapter sixteen of the book of Acts. During the Apostle Paul’s second missionary journey, he and his
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Today’s Truth
Jesus replied, ‘Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?’ Then He said to them, ‘Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.’
Luke 12:14-15
Friend to Friend
Oh, it starts innocently enough.
It’s that small (or not so small) obsession with shoes. A little time on Zappos.com never hurt anyone.
Or the collection of books that seems to be growing by the nightstand (because Amazon 1-click makes it just that easy…)
It’s that drawer of gadgets, full of tools that will save you oh-so-much time in the kitchen or at work.
I’ve been there so many times – when I’ve been buying too much. More than I need or could really even use. Amazon becomes dangerous. Going to the mall becomes a mind battle. And don’t even get me started on darkening the doors of a Barnes & Noble. I’ve caught myself too many times in the grips
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Today’s Truth
Those who look to Him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.
Psalm 34:5
Friend to Friend
If you’ve been around Christian believers for any length of time then you have probably heard people talking about their “life verse.” Having a life verse isn’t a Biblical mandate and it doesn’t make anyone sprout wings of holiness, but it’s a thing. A thing that often redirects us to God’s Word. Which is always good.
Back in the day of Joshua, the people of Israel were led through the Jordan River when the Lord made a miraculous way. After they reached the other side safely, God told the leaders to go back into the water and gather 12 large stones, one to represent each tribe, and to place them by the water’s edge. The stones became a visual
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Today’s Truth
The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.
Psalm 37:23
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I stared at the pile of papers, unsure for the first time about how to complete them. It was the middle school registration packet for my oldest son Ethan. I wasn’t sure how to fill out a few blanks. It all seemed so much more complicated than elementary school.
The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.
I had faith this verse even applied to middle schoolers.
Like in the game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, I decided to “phone-a-friend” for help. Not just any friend…my middle school counselor friend.
You see, just a few months before deciding on where Ethan would go to middle school, we joined a small
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Today’s Truth
Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.
Psalm 1:1-3
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It was one of my favorite trees. And it was dying.
We live on a lake, and my dying tree was truly a “tree planted by streams of water.” So how could it be dying? How could branches right in the smack dab middle of the bushy green be turning into kindling? It didn’t make sense.
I called an arborist to come out and take a look. He saw the problem right away.
“Ma’am, see how that tree looks like a telephone pole stuck in the ground? That’s not the way a tree should be planted. You should be able to see some of the roots spreading out from the trunk. Those roots are covered up with dirt, grass, and these
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Today’s Truth
Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.
Proverbs 4:25–27
Friend to Friend
Girl, please believe me when I tell you that I really didn’t mean to do it. Even saying it out loud feels a combination of mortifying and wholly embarrassing. It was just one quick glance sideways that ended up monopolizing my entire flight with something fruitless.
From the moment I sat down in 18C, my eyelids felt heavy. I’m pretty sure I was asleep before the plane even lifted into the air. The lady beside me had seemed friendly enough; she smiled and obliged easily when she had to move so that I could access the window seat. She didn’t say anything, and I was so tired from a week of travel that I didn’t have much to offer
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Today’s Truth
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort!
2 Corinthians 1:3
Friend to Friend
Tears streamed down my face as I held our seven-year-old grandson, watching him sleep. “Mimi, please lay down with me. Let’s snuggle. I’m so cold,” he asked. I would do anything for this child. He has my heart.
The beeping machines recorded his heart rate, oxygen level … and other vital statistics that simply underscored how sick Justus was. His temperature had risen to 106 but now hovered around 104. The lymph glands in his neck continued to swell to the point that he could not turn his head or open his mouth. Test results confirmed the fact that he had a bacterial infection and a viral infection.
I heard him scream as they tried to draw blood. I held
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Today’s Truth
The LORD has made the heavens His throne; from there He rules over everything
Psalm 103:19
Friend to Friend
I don’t know about you, but my emotions have been all over the board about this upcoming Presidential election. It is so easy to fall into the ravine of worry, anxiety, and outright fear. So let’s just talk about it a minute.
During one of my “less than trusting” days, God reminded me that He is still in control. Yes, God does give us the risky gift of choice, but He is still sovereign and sitting on His throne.
God reminded me of King Cyrus. Jeremiah prophesied that the Babylonians would take the rebellious Israelites captive for seventy years. Years later, that’s exactly what happened. Jerusalem was destroyed and the Israelites were taken captive for seventy years.
Jeremiah also prophesied that
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