Devotions

Nothing Like Home, … Or My Favorite Lipstick

Published on by Joan

I was recently cleaning out some old make-up and found several old tubes of lipstick. As I was gathering them together to throw away, my mind went back to several years earlier. One day I had gone to the store and thinking about how I’d like to get a new shade of lipstick. Ladies, you know how sometimes you feel like you have gotten into a rut and even a new shade of lipstick can make things better? That’s what I was feeling. I searched eagerly through all of the shades and happened to spot a shade I really liked. I picked it up and felt a little excited about purchasing it. (I know what some are thinking – it doesn’t take much to get me excited when my life seems boring!)

When I got home and started putting away my purchases, I took my new lipstick into my bathroom. When I opened up my make-up drawer and got my old tube out to compare it to my newly purchased tube, I was dumbfounded. The new tube I had eagerly purchased and was excited about wearing for the first time, was exactly the same shade I had been wearing. After being surprised for a moment, I had to laugh at myself. I obviously really liked that shade and felt it suited me, even though I thought I needed something new.

After re-living that memory today when I was cleaning up, I realized something. Sometimes in my spiritual life, I let things become a little boring. I get in a routine of reading my Bible and praying. It’s like I’m doing it out of habit and not getting a lot out of it. But when I approach my quiet time with a sense of anticipation and excitement, the joy I have in my relationship with my Lord is refreshed.

Life is like that. Or maybe I should say, humans are like that. We get stuck in routines. We get bored. And we come to the place where we feel like we need something new. Something more exciting. That longing inside of us can sometimes lead to things we are better off without. Especially if that longing is for something God’s Word says is forbidden.

Let me explain it this way. We very seldom go off on vacation. Sometimes, though, I just really want to get away. Go someplace new, see something new. But after being gone for just a short while, there’s just nothing like being back home. Home is my haven. My safe place. It’s where my heart is. It can be like that with our relationship with Christ.

When we allow things to become routine, when we don’t anticipate spending time with our Lord, we can start feeling like there has to be something more. When we start longing for more, we look for something new to fill that longing within us. We think that some new possession, or some new relationship, some new job, or some new whatever, will give us new meaning in life. But for those who have a real relationship with Christ, that searching for fulfillment should lead us into a deeper relationship with Christ. It should make us just want to go back home to Him. We will understand that our relationship with Christ was what we really wanted and needed all along, but we were the ones that allowed it to become stale.

It is good to be in a routine of reading God’s Word. But when we do read it, we need to remember it is God’s way of communicating with us. We need to read with an open heart and open ears, ready to receive the message and hear the Holy Spirit teaching us from it. When we pray, remember to not let it be a one-way conversation. Take time to listen and allow the Spirit to do the interceding for us.

We need to remember that longing we feel is often the Spirit nudging us to spend a little more time with the Lord and not pushing us to find something else to fill the space. We don’t need to look for something new and fresh and exciting – we need to rekindle the love we have for the One we already have within us. I didn’t need a new tube of lipstick. I needed to remember why I wore the one I had.

Who Caught the Birds?

Published on by Joan

I can’t say that I really enjoy washing dishes, but I often find my mind wondering over a variety of topics as I stand performing that necessary duty. One bonus, however, is that my sink is at a window, so I can look outside and watch the birds at the birdbath and bird seeder. They will fly from sitting on a nearby branch, down to the feeder, then back to the limb. Or will fly to the birdbath and splash around. There is something about watching them I find relaxing.

One verse that often comes to mind when I am watching the birds is this one from Matthew 6:26:  “Look at the birds of the sky, that they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather crops into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more important than they?”

One day as I was washing dishes, I saw a good size dove just sitting on the edge of the birdbath. It sat there for quite a while, I imagine, just enjoying the sunshine. This time I called to mind that when Jesus was born, Mary and Joseph brought Him to the temple.

21 And when eight days were completed so that it was time for His circumcision, He was also named Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb. 22 And when the days for their purification according to the Law of Moses were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord: “Every firstborn male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”), 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what has been stated in the Law of the Lord: “A pair of turtledoves or two young doves.”  Luke 2:21-24 NASB

As I watched the dove and thought about that passage, this thought came to mind: “I wonder who caught the birds?”

We were told in the Book of Leviticus that those who could not afford a lamb to offer as a sacrifice could offer the turtledoves. But who caught the birds? My sanctified imagination started going into overdrive. I could picture a small boy laying on his belly, maybe up under the edge of a bush, with a string in his hand waiting for a bird to go underneath the basket several feet away. Once the bird went under the basket to peck at the mound of grain, the little boy would pull the string connected to the stick holding up the basket, and voila! I could then see him carefully lifting the basket to get his hand on the bird to add to the others in a cage made of sticks to carry to the market to sell. I wonder how long he had to lay there watching? How many birds of the wrong species did he have to shoo away waiting for the right kind of bird suitable to be offered for sacrifice? Did he know the bird he just caught would be bought by Joseph, to be offered in the temple as a sacrifice for Mary giving birth to the Son of God?

Well, I guess instead of chasing a rabbit, my mind chased after that bird. I have no idea how things were handled in Bible days. Perhaps there were vendors who sold the birds used in sacrifices. Or perhaps God the Father allowed those turtledoves to land right into the hand of Joseph. But as my mind chased that bird and I thought of that little boy patiently lying under the edge of that bush, it made me think of how he was just performing a duty, a task. He was probably being obedient to his earthly father who was the vendor at the market. And when he took his birds to his father, he was given a smile and a, “well done, son.”

As I finished washing up my dishes, another thought came to mind. I hope someday to hear, “well done, child.”

“Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord and not for people, knowing that it is from the Lord that you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.” Colossians 3:23-24 NASB

Wait for the Signal

Published on by Joan

8 Now when the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, all the Philistines went up to search for David. And David heard of it and went out against them. 9 Then the Philistines went and made a raid on the Valley of Rephaim. 10 And David inquired of God, saying, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand?” The Lord said to him, “Go up, for I will deliver them into your hand.” 11 So they went up to Baal Perazim, and David defeated them there. Then David said, “God has broken through my enemies by my hand like a breakthrough of water.” Therefore they called the name of that place Baal Perazim. 12 And when they left their gods there, David gave a commandment, and they were burned with fire. 13 Then the Philistines once again made a raid on the valley. 14 Therefore David inquired again of God, and God said to him, “You shall not go up after them; circle around them, and come upon them in front of the mulberry trees. 15 And it shall be, when you hear a sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall go out to battle, for God has gone out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines.” 16 So David did as God commanded him, and they drove back the army of the Philistines from Gibeon as far as Gezer. 17 Then the fame of David went out into all lands, and the Lord brought the fear of him upon all nations. 1 Chronicles 14:8-17 NKJV

As I was reading through this passage one morning, one verse caught my attention. I will point that one out in a minute, but first, let’s look at what is taking place.

David had already asked God one time if he was to go to battle against the Philistines and God said yes. David and his army soundly defeated the enemy and burned the idols they left behind. One might would think that when the Philistines showed up again looking for another fight, David would just assume God still wanted him to fight that battle. Afterall, God gave David the victory one time, wouldn’t He give him the victory again? But instead of advancing against the enemy, once again David took the time and asked God before making a move.

We should never be quick to assume anything with God. We may have felt led to do the very same thing many times, but there is always the chance that God wants to use us in a new way. Maybe there is a deeper level of faith and trust He is wanting us to experience. David took the time to ask for God to guide him, just like we all should as stated in this proverb:

In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:6 NKJV

Although God still wanted David to fight the Philistines, this time God revealed a different military tactic. Instead of going out to face the army, God gave the instructions to circle around to the rear and wait for the signal. And what was the signal? The verse that caught my attention:

15  “And it shall be, when you hear a sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall go out to battle, for God has gone out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines.” 

God’s Angel Army went to battle on behalf of His people. We are not told exactly what happened or what the enemy may have seen or experienced, but when the sound of the marching was heard, David’s army was there to battle the Philistines as they retreated to the rear. Somehow, God’s Spirit sent the enemy fleeing directly into the hands of the waiting Israelite army. God had already won that battle for them; they just cleaned up the mess.

That verse just got me thinking. As believers, we are constantly in a spiritual battle. I firmly believe that God has His angel army around us and is helping us in those spiritual battles but we just cannot see all that is taking place. If we only had the spiritual eyesight to see, I believe we would be totally amazed!

When Paul was teaching the Ephesians how to live a Christian life, he gave them instructions on how to prepare for battle.

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—”   Ephesians 6:10-18 NKJV

Four different times in this passage, Paul says we are to stand. We are not to advance, we are not to retreat. We are to stand. We are to stand knowing that God has already won the battle. We are to stand knowing He has already gone before us, and behind us. (Psalm 139) We are to stand ready to listen for His orders.

Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.” 1 Samuel 17:47 NKJV

David had learned as a young boy going up against Goliath that the battle was the Lord’s. When he became king over Israel, he continued to look to his God for direction.

Maybe this doesn’t touch you like it did me. I just know that in this fallen world in which we live, with all of the fussing and fighting over issues that are clearly labeled as right or wrong in the Bible, but are deemed as a personal choice to the world, it’s hard to know what battles to fight; when to speak and when to be silent; whether to advance or circle to the rear.

Do I fight the fight, or stand firm? Yes. We do both.

We put on the armor of God. We acknowledge Him as our Lord and King. We ask Him for direction. And then we listen for the sound of marching. God’s already won!

Lesson of the Potato

Published on by Joan

I’ve stated this before, but I just love it when God will use ordinary situations and general conversations to reveal spiritual truths. And then in my Bible reading, the Lord will confirm with a perfect scripture to go along with that spiritual truth over which I had been pondering.

One day as my husband and I were having a meal with my daughter and her fiancé Michael, we began talking about potatoes. (Like I said, just a general conversation.) Michael shared with us how he once worked in the produce section of a local grocery store. He said when arranging the bags of potatoes, they were to do a quick visual inspection and smell to detect any bad potatoes. I believe most people recognize the distinctive smell of a rotten potato!

The thing about those potatoes is that they may often still look okay on the outside, but they put off that odor that gives away their true condition. Other types of produce can be the same. Such as watermelons.

Michael stated that once an odor was coming from a bin of watermelons. And of course, it was after taking each watermelon out of that bin and he reached the bottom and picked up a melon, that he could feel the shift in the weight as the liquified bad contents moved and the bottom of the melon revealed the rottenness not seen from the top. If rotten produce is not removed as soon as their condition is discovered, their close proximity with other items can cause multiple items to go bad quickly.

As Michael was talking, I just started thinking.

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could be fully warned in some way, like with a bad odor, of those people we should avoid because of the possibility of them affecting (or infecting) us? You know, the people who seem to be one way, but after getting to know them, you find out they are not what they profess. Sometimes, relationships with the wrong individuals can cause us to fall ourselves. Or perhaps we don’t fall, but we are betrayed and hurt for trusting and confiding in someone unworthy of the confidence we had placed in them.

But this topic can be looked at from both sides. It’s not just about figuring out the people we should distance ourselves from, but being sure that we live what we profess. That we are not “that person” that puts off a foul odor and spreads the rottenness of our behavior to others.

So, what are we to do?

Go to the Word. The Bible is full of scripture to help teach us who we should avoid.

13 Take hold of instruction; do not let go. Guard her, for she is your life.
14 Do not enter the path of the wicked And do not proceed in the way of evil people.
15 Avoid it, do not pass by it; Turn away from it and pass on.  Proverbs 4:13-15 NASB

But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to a form of godliness although they have denied its power; avoid such people as these.  2 Timothy 3:1-5 NASB

4 Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin. 6 No one who remains in Him sins continually; no one who sins continually has seen Him or knows Him. 7 Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; 8 the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one who has been born of God practices sin, because His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin continually, because he has been born of God. 10 By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother and sister.  1 John 3:4-10 NASB

Now you may be thinking, “I thought we were to love everyone? Didn’t Jesus day ‘Go into all the world’?”

Yes. We are told to love. We are told to be witnesses. We are to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with everyone. We are to live among them, but we are not to live like them. The way we live should distinguish us from those who do not trust in Christ as their Savior.

14 Do not be mismatched with unbelievers; for what do righteousness and lawlessness share together, or what does light have in common with darkness? 15 Or what harmony does Christ have with Belial, or what does a believer share with an unbeliever? 16 Or what agreement does the temple of God have with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said,  “I will dwell among them and walk among them;
And I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
17 Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,” says the Lord.
“And do not touch what is unclean;
And I will welcome you.
18 And I will be a father to you,
And you shall be sons and daughters to Me,”
Says the Lord Almighty.     2 Corinthians 6:14-18 NASB

So, we have read of those we are to avoid. The Bible also tells us how we are to appear before others.

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; 2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.  Ephesians 5:1-2 NASB

This verse says that Jesus’ sacrifice was a pleasing aroma to God. When we receive Christ as our Savior and the Holy Spirit then resides within us, then the same sweet aroma that the sacrifice of Christ lifted up to God the Father, should be rising up from us. Afterall, we are to be crucified daily with Christ. If the crucifixion of Christ resulted in a fragrant aroma to the Father, then our daily crucifixion should be a pleasing aroma rising constantly before our Father!

The following verse expounds on this truth.

14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us reveals the fragrance of the knowledge of Him in every place. 15 For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing: 16 to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things? 17 For we are not like the many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God.  2 Corinthians 2:14-17 NASB

When we are Spirit controlled, the words we speak and the actions we take reveals the fragrance of life to those who are saved and are being saved. However, to those who do not know Christ and who are refusing to heed to the drawing of the Spirit, then our lives are a fragrance of death to them.

Allow me to illustrate it this way. If my husband and I have been working outside all day, we become dirty, sweaty and smelly. Normally when he showers, the fragrance from the body wash can be smelled easily even after he is dressed, and it’s very pleasing. If we both are filthy and then he showers first, the clean fragrance of him seems to intensify the smell of my own dirtiness.

When we live lives controlled by the Holy Spirit, unbelievers around us are confronted with the truth of God. If they are refusing Christ, then they are really smelling the fragrance of the eternal death they are facing apart from Christ, and that aroma to them is not pleasing.

The verse I came across that confirmed the spiritual truth I had been pondering after our conversations about rotten potatoes was this:

13 Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus. Acts 4:13 NASB

Peter and John were being questioned by the religious leaders. Not only had they performed a miracle in the name of Jesus, but the way they handled themselves gave evidence of Christ. How I hope and pray I am recognized as having been with Jesus! I long to exude that sweet fragrance of being crucified daily with Christ, without a hint of the rottenness so widespread in our world.

Living in this world is hard. The Bible clearly teaches what things and behaviors are sin. But this world has accepted certain things once considered wrong as right. Those things, those lifestyles that God deems sin, is affecting us all. Sadly, it’s becoming harder to detect the real Christian because they are living lifestyles so closely resembling those we were instructed to avoid.

So, after thinking about rotten potatoes, I found myself asking these questions, and I hope you will ask the same of yourself.

Do I handle myself in a way that others can see Christ in me? Do I put off a fragrance that is sweet, rising up to my heavenly Father? Or do I put off a fragrance of rottenness that tells others I have been too closely associating with the unbelievers around me?

The most important question to ask yourself is: have you truly received Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, or is the rottenness coming from you evidence that the Holy Spirit is not living within you?

13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, 15 but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; 16 because it is written: “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:13-16 NASB

The Adoption Story

Published on by Joan

by Christy Hahn Carter

As a nurse, there are certain moments that stick with you forever. In those moments, there are memories that impact not only your nursing career, but your life as well. As a believer in Christ, I often say a prayer as I am going into work for God to use me and work through me. On one particular night at work, I received the blessing of experiencing a deeper understanding of the unconditional, undeniable love of God through witnessing an adoption story.

I have been a nurse for 12 years. The last four years, I have had the privilege of taking care of mothers and their newborns. It has absolutely been my favorite nursing job thus far. Each newborn is a blessing and a gift from God, and I am able to be a part of His miracles every time I go to work. While those little miracles do grow up and become the hardest job any parent has ever had, they are still God’s creations, uniquely designed and each one with a purpose. Every birth has a story and is nothing short of a miracle.

Becoming a parent brings on a whole new meaning of love. Experiencing the depth of love for your own children makes it difficult to fathom the magnitude of God’s love towards us all. It never gets old to hold one of God’s craftsmanship and to be able to see God in the miracle of the life of a newborn. I’m always amazed by the details of the little fingers, toes, eyes, and hair, and for the unseen inward being woven intricately together by God, with His intention of calling them His own.

Everyone has their own birth story that is significant and special, but when a birth story is also an adoption story, it brings on a whole new meaning for me. We all have probably seen videos of parents waiting to adopt and then seeing them see their child for the first time. Recently, I was able to witness an adoption story, and I walked away truly blessed and amazed by God. He moved through that adoption story and He moved me.

The birth mom and the baby were initially together in the same room but on a different unit from the one I work on. The decision was made to put the baby up for adoption. With that being the case, the baby was moved out of the birth mom’s room and became one of my patients. The nurse taking care of the baby up until that time brought the most beautiful baby girl, with the chunkiest cheeks and a head full of dark hair, to one of my rooms. As we were waiting for the adoptive parents to arrive, God revealed to me the similarities of an earthly adoption story to that of an individual’s heavenly adoption story into God’s family. 

I am not condescending or condemning the birth parents in any way. I don’t know their story. Sometimes adoption is the right and best choice for a child. I applaud those who realize that and make that decision. With that being said, I imagine at some point in that child’s life, she will probably feel like she was let down by her birth parents and wonder why she was “given away” or “not wanted.”

We all face those times. We will all be let down by the people we think should love us the most. We, ourselves, will also let those down we love the most. We’re all humans, all sinners. There are none that are righteous. Jesus is the only perfect human to ever walk the Earth, and that’s because He’s God. God is the only one that will never let us down. He’s always with us and will never forsake us.

The adoptive parents arrived, and it was no easy task for me to hold it all together. The mom’s eyes were wide in amazement and already full of love for her baby girl. Her first reaction was to pick up her baby girl and hold her in her arms. I can’t help but imagine the moment unbelievers surrender to the calling and drawing of our Heavenly Father. His first reaction is to pull us close to Himself and hold us in His arms.

The adoptive parents had been waiting for so long to finally be able to hold their little one. God, our Father, longs for you to be in His arms and to call you His own. These particular parents started the adoption process two years prior to that day. I’m sure once they made the decision to adopt, they couldn’t wait for the moment to hold and call a child their own. I imagine God longs for the moment one of His children finally surrenders their lives to His drawing. He wants you now. No matter your circumstances, how others see you, your background, or even what you think of yourself, He created you, He loves you, and He’s ready for you now.

This baby was born two hours away from the adoptive parents. When the parents got the call, with no hesitation, they jumped in their car and tried to get to their baby as soon as possible. They were willing and ready to meet her right where she was. God will meet you right where you are. You may be drowning in sin and at the point of no return, but He’s there waiting and ready for you.

In all honesty, we all are drowning in sin before meeting Christ. We can’t have hope, peace, or love without Christ. We cannot save ourselves. Like newborns, we all need to be fed, nurtured, and loved. We all need guidance and direction to grow and mature. The question is, who or what are you looking at to fulfill those longings and needs? The only One to deeply satisfy and provide what we truly need, when we need it, is our Heavenly Father. You can fill your life with so many things and so much “stuff,” but it will only pacify your true desires for only a short time. Only Jesus Christ can save you and give you a hope and a future.

A quote from Alisha Illian’s book, Chasing Perfect, came to mind. “We often say the three most powerful words in the English Language are ‘I love you.’ I don’t believe that is the case. I think the three most powerful words are ‘I choose you.’” (Illian 134)

In adoption, you are chosen. Being adopted into God’s family means He has chosen you. That is love. Handpicked, by God, for Himself.

The initial union of the adoptive parents and their baby brought many tears and much excitement. There was a sense of celebration. Can you imagine the celebration in Heaven when a new soul has surrendered and been adopted into God’s family? To watch these parents fall in love in a matter of seconds, doesn’t even come close to the kind of love God provides and freely gives. Even if you aren’t a believer, even before I was a believer in Christ, God’s love has always been there for us. But once you’re adopted into God’s family as a believer in Christ, fully surrendered and repentant, now you get to experience the overwhelming power of His love. And His love far surpasses any earthly love we could ever experience.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons and daughters through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, with which He favored us in the Beloved.”   Ephesians 1:3-6 NASB

The Great Divide

Published on by Joan

Looking back on the year of 2020, one thought keeps coming to mind.  To me, it was the year of the Great Divide. And it wasn’t just in one area, but many.

My mother-in-law was in a nursing home. Each visit we had when the pandemic started was hampered by her being inside her room and us looking through her window. She did not understand the situation so our conversation was one-sided and consisted mainly of us just watching her. It was heart-breaking not being able to cross that divide.

Another area of divide that still exists today is the whole pandemic thing. It has caused division within our lifestyle, our family activities, and the opinions of everyone. One person believes in using masks, another doesn’t. One person believes in gathering in crowds, another doesn’t. And I could go on and on.

The most divisive part of the year was the politics. What had been building for years fully erupted. Even among professing Christians, so many became very upset over all that was taking place. Being forced to choose between conservative views that included a very outspoken, divisive voice and a dignified voice pushing anti-Bible beliefs was polarizing.

How I wish we could agree to disagree. How I long for unity, especially within the body of believers. Unfortunately, many of the things that divided us are still ongoing. So, what are we to do?

The answer to every situation of life can be found in God’s Word. I urge you to study 2 Timothy 2.

Paul is teaching young Timothy great life lessons. He is urged to be strong in the Lord. He is told that he will have to face hardships as he stands strong. He is told to not get caught up in the affairs of life that will distract him from the real battle of the One who enlisted him. He’s told to remember the main thing – Jesus Christ, risen from the dead. And in doing that, he should not dispute with words, but to have a true understanding, expounding the Word of God. To avoid empty chatter, that leads to a spreading gangrene, leading many away from God. To embrace the role God has purposed for him, speaking skillfully and patiently to guide others to truth and repentance.

How does all that apply to living a Christian life in a divided world?

  1. Study God’s Word. Seek His truth and avoid spreading the opinion of humans, including the promotion of our own if it is contrary to God’s Word.
  2. Seek to fight the only battle that really matters – the Lord’s.
  3. Speak words of affirmation, edification, and love that comes from repentance and faith in Christ instead of judgement and condemnation.

The only division we should really be concerned about is the one great divide that lasts for eternity.  My mother-in-law, who was separated from us for so long, crossed into eternity on Christmas day. Because of her trust in Christ Jesus as her Savior, she is now eternally secure in her new home. For those who do not trust in Christ, their eternity will be a division from Christ that can never be mended or crossed.

That division is the one we should be speaking the most about.  We need to be telling everyone about the love of Christ. We need to proclaim the death, burial, and resurrection of a Savior that can forgive and save. Divisions in this life can be mended, or at least tolerated, if we agree to disagree. But the division between eternal life or death can never be dissolved. That great divide lasts forever.

2 Timothy 2:1-26 NASB

You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful people who will be able to teach others also. 3 Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him. 5 And if someone likewise competes as an athlete, he is not crowned as victor unless he competes according to the rules. 6 The hard-working farmer ought to be the first to receive his share of the crops. 7 Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything. 8 Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendant of David, according to my gospel, 9for which I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal; but the word of God is not imprisoned. 10 For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory. 11 The statement is trustworthy: For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him; 12 If we endure, we will also reign with Him;
If we deny Him, He will also deny us; 13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself. 14 Remind them of these things, and solemnly exhort them in the presence of God not to dispute about words, which is useless and leads to the ruin of the listeners. 15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a worker who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. 16 But avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness, 17 and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18 men who have gone astray from the truth, claiming that the resurrection has already taken place; and they are jeopardizing the faith of some. 19 Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His;” and, “Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to keep away from wickedness.” 20 Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver implements, but also implements of wood and of earthenware, and some are for honor while others are for dishonor. 21 Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be an implement for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work. 22 Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 23 But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that they produce quarrels. 24 The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, skillful in teaching, patient when wronged, 25 with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.

Days of Noah

Published on by Joan

If you stopped by because you read my devotion today over at Encouragement Cafe, WELCOME!   So glad you are here!

As I read my Bible one morning, Jesus was telling His disciples about the signs of the end time.  He stressed to them the importance of being ready. Read the account in Matthew 24.

I have read these verses so often about the end days being like the days of Noah.  This time I took a moment to imagine that time. Noah had received a word from God, instructing him to build an ark. It had never rained before and he was not on the water. So even though this command seemed so strange, Noah obeyed.

I can imagine all of his neighbors calling him crazy.  He was probably ridiculed and maybe even harassed. But He obeyed. When the flood waters came, everyone else then realized that what Noah had been talking about was true. By then, it was too late for them to be saved.

I’ve seen people try to set dates of when the Lord will return. When the calendar was nearing 2000, not only did people think all computers were going to crash and the world would go dark, some said that would be the beginning of the tribulation. Other times through the years have also been marked, just like things seem to be pointing to His return now.

The truth is no one knows when Christ will return.  Not even Christ, Himself.

“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” Matthew 24:36 NKJV

I’ve often thought that the world probably rolls their eyes and starts laughing every time they hear Christians talk about the coming of Christ.  But what I worry most about are us Christians who are starting to not believe it either. Sure, we read about it, and may agree with others when they talk about it, but we are not living like we believe.

Look at this verse again.

“For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark.” Matthew 24:38 NKJV

In other words, they were going about their daily lives, living how they wanted to live. Aren’t we all doing that? We go about our daily lives, working, planning our next vacation, looking forward to the next big purchase we can make, plan for retirement, etc. But how much time are we spending in God’s Word? How much are we seeking God’s presence?  To who all are we witnessing?

Read the next part of Matthew 24.  Jesus talked about the good servant who was faithfully carrying out his duties as a servant. The bad servant did not carry out his duties.  The Good Master returned suddenly to find one servant faithful and one servant partying.

We could think of these months of social distancing and having to attend church virtually as the period of time when the Good Master in Matthew 24 was away. When He returns, will He find us faithfully studying His Word? Will He find us trying to be the servant who checks on their fellow man, helping where we can? Or will He find us not reading the Word, content to fill our fleshly desires and not thinking about anyone else around us?

Another thing about the Days of Noah. God was working right there in the midst of everyone.  God was instructing Noah how to build a massive structure. It had to have been visible for miles, or at least word of it had to have spread by gossip for miles. But the people still carried on with their daily lives.

We need to open our eyes. Look for the massive way in which God is trying to work in our midst right now. Let’s not miss seeing Him. Let’s be ready for His return.

Heavenly Father, I confess it’s easy to miss seeing You moving in our midst. I get complacent and focus on the things I have to do in my daily life. Forgive me for not focusing on You. Show me, Lord, how I can be that faithful servant working for You. Don’t let me miss seeing the wonders of Your hand.  Thank You, Father, for loving me and sending Your Son to die for me. May You find me busy doing Your work when You return.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

The Presence

Published on by Joan

If you stopped by because you read my devotion today over at Encouragement Cafe, WELCOME!   So glad you are here!

So many things in our daily lives have been affected by the coronavirus. We have had to endure quarantines, restricted access to restaurants and shopping, and limited social gatherings. Zoom has become a common occurrence and even considered as a normal form of meeting. Sporting events have been cancelled or played without fans. Even live TV shows have resorted to virtual audiences.

As I watched one sporting event on TV, it was obvious that they were playing crowd noise even though there was no crowd there. It seems that playing crowd noise will help the players perform better. It’s the unseen presence that makes them feel like people are cheering them on.

As a true believer in Christ, we often feel like we are standing alone against this world.  Society often mocks our beliefs and ridicules the stands we take against immoral behavior. God knew and even warned us that we would have trouble and not be accepted by this world.  Which is why Christ promised we would never be alone.

“If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. 19 “A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. 20 At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. 21 He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” John 14:15-21NKJV

The Holy Spirit living within us is an assurance that we belong to God. And because of that, even if we have to take a stand alone in this life, God is still with us.  He’s that ever-present source of comfort and strength. He’s that peace we feel when there’s chaos all around. He’s the encouragement we need to keep on keeping on in spite of our flesh wanting to give up.  He’s the ultimate cheer leader, giving us that extra surge of adrenaline to face the next play in the game of life. He’s that “crowd noise,” but delivering in a whisper to our spirit, “Don’t give up. You got this!” He’s the unseen Presence we need.

When you start to feel like you are all alone, remember the promise of Christ. He will never leave us or forsake us. And through the presence of the Holy Spirit, He will guide us through every situation we face.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Presence in my life. Thank You for Your promise to never leave me alone or on my own. Help me to live daily allowing Your Presence to fully control my every thought, word and action. Help me to share with others the truth of the love of Christ and how You can be ever present with them.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Warming The Bench

Published on by Joan

I was recently thinking about a time when my daughter played softball.  She played throughout elementary and high school on school teams and community teams, at different positions on the field.  Most often she played second base, right field and she pitched. 

One season she had a coach who very seldom put her on the field. She was frustrated, and as a protective mom, I was frustrated because she was frustrated.  She felt like the coach didn’t like her.  She thought she must be an awful player if he didn’t allow her to play. 

We finally questioned him at one point and he seemed to be taken by surprise.  His answer was he didn’t see her as a second baseman or right fielder.  He saw her as his relief pitcher.  He saw her as valuable.  He said that if he allowed her to play another position until he needed her to fill in for the starting pitcher, he risked her getting hurt and then he would be without his relief pitcher.

Although she didn’t like warming the bench while others seemed to be having all the fun, when she was called upon, she was fresh and eager, and ultimately performed well as a pitcher. She was still part of the team and had a specific task to perform.

Sports teams often have “specialty” players whose task is to perform in one assigned area.  When they are not performing in that one area, they are on the bench.

Think about these facts I had to look up.  In football, only eleven players are on the field at one time, even though a football roster can list fifty-three team players. Basketball has five players on the court at one time with twelve players on the roster. Baseball has nine players on the field, but an active roster of twenty-five players.  The point I am making is that not everyone is a starter. While a limited number of team players are on the field or court, there are even more on the sidelines.  They’re suited up, equipped, prepared to play, but warming the bench, never the less. 

But each member of that team does the same thing.  They practice, practice, and practice some more.  They get coached and taught how to handle various situations.  They get equipped with the proper gear.  They show up prepared to play and wait for the coach to give them directions.  They don’t wait until the coach calls their name to get suited up.  No, they are ready to go the moment they are called.

We are to be that way spiritually.  The Lord could call us at any moment to speak to someone who needs to hear of His love.  He could need us at any moment to be His hands and feet.  Some people serve fulltime in a ministry and may be “starters on the court,” but we all are to be ready at a moment’s notice to serve ever how God leads. Just because we are not in the limelight, doesn’t meant we are not to serve.

I know some young moms who feel like they are not actively serving God because all of their time is devoted to their homes and families. They feel like they are just in the background, warming the bench. We need to remember that God gives us different roles, different spiritual gifts.  Some are teachers, some preachers, some the gift of hospitality, and more. The point is, we are not to compare ourselves with each other. We each need to be suited up, equipped, prepared for whatever comes our way. And if that means we are at times on the bench, we are still to be prepared. We need to stay in His Word, continue to pray without ceasing, and when He has a task for us to do, we will be ready.   

Heavenly Father, please forgive me for comparing myself with others. Sometimes I feel like I am not accomplishing much for You. But then You remind me that You have uniquely equipped me in ways that others are not equipped to serve You. May we be ever ready and prepared to serve in whatever way You lead. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Before God Gets Tired

Published on by Joan

I’ve come to the point where all I can say is that I am so tired of the way things are in our country right now. Common decency seems to be dead. Respect for anyone or anything is gone. Honestly, I had so many things listed as examples about how things are, but I deleted them. I’ve come to believe that even though people say everyone should have freedom to express their own opinion, if those opinions aren’t favorable to those who don’t adhere to Christian principles, then they are blasted as hateful.

But I will say this. Beliefs this country were founded on are considered archaic and dispensable, even though it was because of those beliefs that God blessed our country. It is because of those beliefs that people have the freedom to live the ungodly lives they are living and calling anyone not believing in their lifestyle intolerant. Getting away from founding principles is leading to censorship of ideas and opinions, unless they adhere to those who are the farthest from the God our forefathers looked to for guidance to establish this nation.

Do people not understand that by not adhering to the principles on which our nation was established, it is moving toward a society in which we will be told what to think (we already are) and what to do (we already are) and how to do it? The very freedom that men and women died for is now being used against the Christians, to tell us our opinions are wrong and intolerant. The freedom that gave people the right to work hard and become whatever their hard work allowed them to achieve, is the same freedom that allows others to expect a handout, taking from those willing to work. Yet the ones who have, are being shamed by those who have not. Those demanding the freedom to riot are taking away the freedom of the very ones whose Christian faith built the nation. If this country loses the Christian principles once held fast, we will lose freedom – period.

I’ve always been drawn to the book of Jeremiah. I don’t really know why since it’s not a very uplifting book. It’s full of God’s plans for His wrath to fall onto His people because they lost what their nation was built upon – their relationship with God. God had brought them to the Promised Land. He fought their enemies.  He allowed them to prosper and grow mightily. Yet, in spite of all of the blessings God had bestowed upon them, their hearts wandered away. They wanted to be like the other nations.  They wanted to worship the gods of other lands. They sacrificed their children through fire to foreign gods in an attempt to receive what that god might could give them. Which was nothing.

Until God finally got tired.

“Who will have pity on you, Jerusalem? Who will mourn for you? Who will stop to ask how you are? You have rejected me,” declares the Lord. “You keep on backsliding. So I will reach out and destroy you; I am tired of holding back.”  Jeremiah 15:5-6 NIV

Through the prophet Jeremiah, God gave the people the warning that He was going to destroy them. Jeremiah faithfully prophesied the warning. I believe this is why I’m so drawn to Jeremiah. He remained faithful and steadfast.  He spoke the words God gave him, even though no one listened. God warned, but the people didn’t listen. So, God poured out His wrath and the nation was destroyed.

But even then, God was faithful. He had told the people that He would preserve a remnant. He would one day gather the nation together again. He would put His covenant, not on a tablet of stone, but on the hearts and in the minds of the people. He would restore them to Himself. And He did that through His Son.

God is warning us. Our nation has turned away.  People are worshipping foreign gods, things made by the hands of men. They are sacrificing their children through abortion. They are seeking after their own ways instead of following the ways of God. And like in the days of Jeremiah, one day God is going to be tired of holding back. He will send Christ to rapture the Church, preserving the remnant of faithful believers. Those left behind will experience the wrath of God unlike anything we can imagine.

I confess I have found myself praying for God to pour out His judgement on those trying to lead our nation away from God. But God said vengeance was His.  It’s not my place to pass judgement. But it is my place to be like Jeremiah and proclaim truth. The Great Commission gives all believers that task.  We are to spread the gospel, the good news of Christ. We are to warn them of the penalties of refusing His Son. And then we look to the faithfulness of God to preserve the souls of those who have trusted in Him. 

So, yes, I’m tired. But we are called to be faithful. And when God finally gets tired of everything Himself, He will send Christ to remove His church from this place. That fact is what keeps me going.  That hope is what keeps me speaking. This world must turn to God and receive Christ as their personal Savior. And it must be done soon – before God gets tired of holding back His judgement.