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Thursday Devotion

7/27/2017

Good morning lovely ladies! It's a beautiful day! How are you this morning? I've been sleeping a bit better the last two nights and have woken up with more energy. Yay! It sure makes a difference. Thank you for your responses yesterday. It's good to hear about the things going on in your lives and to pray for one another. Today is the annual Big Sandy Camp tour that our District does. PK drives the bus, and I think there are three churches participating. It's always a fun time, with a stop for sweet rolls and coffee along the way. I decided not to go this time since I've traveled quite a bit lately. A quiet day at home to catch up on things, and maybe a trip to the dog park with Molly. Oh, and Thursdays are the Maple Grove Farmer's Market, which is right across the street. I've been wanting to check that out! How about you? Anything special today?

Devotion

What a great devotion today. A good reminder to us that storing up God's Word in our hearts brings knowledge and understanding...and joy! If you haven't checked out the First 5 phone app, you might want to. At least to see if it might be something that works for you. The link is at the bottom. Have a great day and a Thankful Thursday ladies!

“Make Your First 5 Count”

“My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you … then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.”
Proverbs 2:1,5 (NIV)

Have you ever felt something stirring in your spirit that wouldn’t go away?

I had one of those things on my heart a few years ago. And it all started with my middle daughter Ashley.

Ashley is a driven and responsible girl. Three years ago, she went off to college and while she had always excelled academically, the same couldn’t be said for her spiritual life.

As her mom, my heart broke over her struggle in her relationship with the Lord. I just couldn’t understand it — she grew up going to church, learned Bible lessons and saw me read Scripture each day.

But no matter what we did or said, we just couldn’t make it connect for her.

If you’re in that place right now with your child or your own walk with the Lord, I understand. I think for Ashley, the Bible felt complicated and disconnected from her everyday life issues.

As I cried out to the Lord on behalf of my daughter, the word that kept coming to mind was poverty. “Poverty” might seem strange for this situation, but when I saw the lack of spiritual nourishment in Ashley, parallels from physical to spiritual lined up.

I chased down this thought a little more — what causes poverty? A lack of opportunity. So many people around the world simply don’t have access to the nourishment they need to survive.

But this wasn’t the case with Ashley. Good gracious, we’re like most Americans with multiple copies of the Bible under our roof. The poverty I sensed was not a lack of opportunity.

So what was it? As I wrestled with this, God brought me to the book of Proverbs.

“My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding — indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.” (Proverbs 2:1-5)

One word in this passage is repeated over and over: understand! Solomon says if we want the fear of the Lord and knowledge of God, then we’ll crave understanding.

Meanwhile, at school, Ashley found herself in a Bible study, challenged by her leaders to just spend the first five minutes of her day in the Word.

After admitting she hadn’t been reading her Bible and hearing her friends talk about the benefits they were getting, she finally gave it a try. Each day, little by little, her interest in the Bible grew. Her life and attitude was being transformed.

Then one day, when I visited her at college, I could hardly believe my eyes.

She was a completely different girl.

At one point during our time together, I asked, “What finally made following Jesus wholeheartedly click for you?” She said, “Mom, I’ve made friends who love Jesus. I saw a joy in them that I wanted. So, I started doing what they do even when I didn’t want to. At first I thought getting up to read the Bible was unrealistic. But as I kept doing it, the Lord started changing my thought patterns. And when I started thinking about life from the standpoint of Truth, I had so much more joy.”

I can hardly type these words without crying.

As Ashley began to share what was happening, I also had a light switch go on. Her spiritual poverty wasn’t caused by a lack of access, but rather a lack of understanding.

In that moment, the burden on my mama heart turned to a vision for a hurting world.

What if Proverbs 31 Ministries could help every mom recommend a tool to really facilitate their kids getting into God’s Word for at least five minutes every morning?

What if we could bring the Word of God to busy college students, parents, business owners and grandmothers across the globe in a way that made the first minutes of every day life-changing? So, the minute they pick up their phones in the morning, instead of getting distracted by other things, they’re invigorated with Truth.

With God’s vision and your help, we created a free app that would help bring life and Truth to the first five minutes of every day. And I’m excited to say we’re now celebrating the two-year anniversary of the First 5 app!

How full this makes my heart.

Two years of providing a healthier alternative to hopping on social media in the first moments of our day.

Two years of equipping people all over the world to better understand the Word of God. Because when we know the truth and live the truth, it changes everything.

What beautiful reasons to celebrate.

If you haven’t downloaded the app yet, I would love to invite you to today by clicking here.

Yes, we must exchange whispers with God before shouts with the world. Instead of immediately checking in with social media with the first moments of our days, we can truly make God first by giving Him our first thoughts.

Dear Lord, I want to get into Your Word and let Your Word get into me. Help me understand and apply what I’m reading as I study the Bible, so I can help others do the same. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Proverbs 31 Ministries
Lysa TerKeurst

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Hebrews 4:12a, “For the word of God is alive and active.” (NIV)

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Wednesday Devotion

7/26/2017

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Good morning! Somehow we made it to the middle of the week already. I hope you had a good night of rest. I remember waking up at one point to see a flash of lightening through the blinds. I guess the storm woke me up. We've had that hot and humid, summer stormy kind of weather for weeks now. Every once in awhile, we get a cooler breeze, but not often. Just yesterday we went to the doctor early in the morning and it was humid when we left. When we came out of the doctor it was breezy and pleasant. By afternoon it was hot and humid again. Later in the evening we went out to a movie and it was cooling down, and when we came out the wind was blowing and a storm moved in. All in one day. Crazy!

Well, today our little Elliott is two months old! He is such a sweet boy and growing so much. What a blessing he is! People told me how fun it is to be a grandma and they were right! When I go to the store now, I usually head right for the baby department---even before I go to the craft section! There is usually something to buy that I just can't resist!

Devotion

As I was reading this devotion today, I could almost feel what the author was describing. If we all thought about it, I'm sure we can come up with times in our lives in which we've felt "invisible." Needing to be noticed, appreciated, loved. Our nature seems to go to places that won't give us what we are really craving. God alone gives us what we need. The sooner we come to this realization in our lives, the easier it will be, and the more complete we will feel. For me, it was a long progression, and there are still times that I have to remind myself of these truths. How about you? Have a Wonderful Wednesday ladies!

“When You Feel Invisible”

“Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these stars? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.”
Isaiah 40:26 (NIV)

We were six months into parenthood when my father-in-law passed away.

If I close my eyes, I can picture the moment we found out. Five missed calls. My husband stood in the driveway saying, “Don’t say that, don’t say that,” over and over again into the phone.

I knew.

A lump formed in my throat, as I unbuckled our baby boy from his car seat. We were 90 miles away. I remember the sun was shining, even though it shouldn’t have been. I remember standing in the driveway, while my husband and I cried with a baby sandwiched between us. I remember the drive — we stopped for roast beef sandwiches — and I remember walking into my mother-in-law’s house and calmly placing my blue-eyed baby — my only offering, 15 pounds of innocence — in her arms.

It’s a strange thing to experience birth and death so close together. My son’s first year of life will always be marked by the deepest grief our family has ever known. Our whole lives became walking contradictions. One day, the baby giggled at his reflection in the mirror. The next day, we stood in a room full of caskets. How can you be joyful and devastated all at once? When is it okay to laugh? When is it okay to cry?

Ecclesiastes chapter 3 tells us there is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens, but how can grief and delight possibly coexist?

My first year of motherhood was entirely consumed by two things: learning to take care of a baby and learning to support my husband through a life-shattering loss. I didn’t know who I was outside of those responsibilities. I tip-toed around my own house, desperate to keep everything and everyone intact. It was just another contradiction: Even though I had a baby glued to my hip, I’d never felt so alone.

“I feel invisible,” I confessed to my husband one night. “I feel like I am trying to be everything to everyone, but nobody is trying to be anything to me.”

“I feel depressed,” he confessed in return. “When my dad died, it’s like a part of me died, too.”

We ping-ponged confessions back and forth that night through tears, until I was struck with a startling realization.

I couldn’t rescue my husband. And he couldn’t rescue me.

We each wanted so desperately to be healed, loved, noticed and understood in that season, but our eyes were turned sideways instead of upward. We were both looking for a Savior, something we would never find in each other.

There is no substitute for Jesus. When we look to a spouse, a friend, a child or an Internet audience for the love, healing and recognition only a Savior can offer, we’ll always, always come up short.

Are you feeling invisible today? Unnoticed and unseen, desperate for someone to meet you exactly where you are?

Take comfort in today’s key verse, “Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these stars? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.” (Isaiah 40:26)

Whether you’re crying in the bathroom at 7 a.m. or folding the ninth load of laundry at 7 p.m. or rocking your baby at 3 a.m., please rest in this: God sees you, God notices you, God loves you.

Every single minute of every single day, you are fully known and loved by Him. After all, if God calls out every star in the sky by name, how much more must He know and love you?

Lord, thank You for seeing me when I feel invisible and for loving me when I’m broken. Please keep my eyes upward, on You, and remind me that I am forever and always Your child. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Proverbs 31 Ministries
Ashlee Gadd

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Psalm 139:1-2, “You have searched me, LORD, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.” (NIV)

Psalm 139:7-10, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.” (NIV)

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Tuesday Devotion

7/25/2017

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Good morning ladies. It's back to a schedule of sorts today after several weeks of vacation and family. The last of our guests, Maria (Casey's girlfriend) left late last night on a bus to Chicago and home to her family. Casey starts his new worship internship today and his part-time job will begin next week. So, it will be good to be back to order around here. I will say, though, that it seems very quiet. Today I plan to catch up on some household things, including unpacking my last two bags. I've been on the slow schedule of unpacking. I also have a few thank-you cards to send out. What are you up to today?

Devotion

Are you easily annoyed at little things about others, either in your family, at work, or just in general? It can be too easy to not only get irritated, but to let that fester and become something even worse. Today's devotion reminds us that we should "overlook an offense." It takes intentional effort. Have a Terrific Tuesday ladies!

Everybody’s Got Somethin’

“Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.”
Proverbs 19:11 (ESV)

My intense irritation at my husband’s actions didn’t show visibly. Since his mother was in the backseat of our car, I was careful to remain calm. However, I did sneak a darting glance toward him — a dagger that accurately conveyed how very much I hated what he’d just done.

His dire offense?

Failure to use his blinker when changing lanes.

I am a by-the-books driver. My kids chuckle when I dutifully use my blinker before turning into our driveway, even when no one is around — which is nearly 99 percent of the time, since we live near the end of a road with a cul-de-sac. Therefore, it aggravates me when my dear husband sometimes behaves as if turn signal usage is completely optional.

This particular day, we were shuttling my mother-in-law to her doctor’s appointment. As I sat in the waiting room, my mind began to tally, one-by-one, other perfectly irksome things I didn’t like about my man’s behavior.

He leaves the closet and cupboard doors open. Open! He didn’t return the stapler to its proper place when he finished using it the other day. That time we bumped into his co-worker, he didn’t even introduce me. He never remembers the details of our conversations. As each scenario popped into my mind, I grew more and more annoyed.

Across from me sat a chatty elderly woman. The weather reports were calling for an ice storm later that afternoon. She spoke of some people all in a tizzy about the impending inclement weather, declaring they needed to remember one important fact, “Everybody’s got somethin’.”

I asked her just what she meant by that. “Well,” she elaborated, “when we lived in Kansas, it was dust storms and tornadoes. Then, the few years we lived in southern Florida, we had to prepare for hurricanes. And, when we were stationed in California, oh what a drought we had that one year. Like I say,” she restated, “Everybody’s got somethin’.”

My waiting room friend’s atmospheric observation spiritually snapped me to attention that day.

Why, oh why, do I let certain aspects of my husband’s personality and conduct bother me so easily? Surely I do things that drive him equally crazy? Undoubtedly, I sometimes irk or offend him with my behavior? In fact: “Everybody’s got somethin’” — some behavior, quirk, practice or habit that wreaks havoc on others, tempting them to become slightly irritated or even all-out furious.

Today’s key verse states that “good sense makes one slow to anger” and that it is a person’s “glory to overlook an offense” (Proverbs 19:11). In the original Hebrew language, the word “glory” conveys “beauty, honor, splendor” and even “adornment.” The original essence of this verse unearths for us this line of thinking: Our patience in passing over an offense — refusing to speedily go from zero to furious over the actions of others — adorns us with true beauty and honors them.

I’m not saying it’s easy. However, it is the right — and righteous — thing to do. Why? Because we mirror the gospel when we overlook another’s unpleasant behavior and love them anyway.

So how about it? Is there someone in your life who sometimes gets on your nerves or under your skin — or maybe even both? Does your response to their behavior leave no doubt about your level of frustration? How about we try a new approach — intentionally
overlooking irritating behavior? Yes, that means we keep our cool. Don’t say a word. Smile instead, and love despite.

In other words, reflect the gospel to a watching world. More importantly — to a watching loved one.

Father, may I learn not to let the little quirks or even the bigger missteps of my loved ones provoke me to instant anger. Teach me to overlook an offense as I remember how much You’ve forgiven me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Proverbs 31 Ministries
Karen Ehman

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
James 1:19-20, “My dear brothers and sisters, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, for human anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness.” (CSB)

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Monday Devotion

7/24/2017

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Good morning ladies! I hope you're still with me. Whew! It's been a whirlwind of a month! I didn't know I would do this, but when I arrived in Michigan I decided to take some time off and just relax, which meant a little break from sending these out to you. Not that I don't enjoy it fully....I do! But it was nice to sleep in a little and then get up and chat with my Mom and Dad over coffee. I even had a chance to share in some of the devotions they do.

I had a wonderful time over the last few weeks with my family. It was definitely a good decision to go. Besides spending time with my parents, I was able to enjoy some extra time with my sisters as well. One day we went to a tea house, did some shopping, and drove around the little town that I grew up in. We also had some great family get-togethers with both my side and PK's as well. On the Hercula side, we got a 5-generation picture with baby Elliott, as well as many other great pictures. And you know me, I love pictures! I'm still working on them. My I-Cloud storage told me that it was full!! How can that be?? Anyway, I hope you've all been doing well and are having a great month of July. I can't believe it's almost over. It certainly seems to go faster when you're busy with activity. Write a little note and tell me what you've been up to if you have time. I'd love to hear from you!

Devotion

Oh, how I can relate to this devotion today! We've moved many times in our 28-year marriage. But I can also relate to change in general, as you can too. Some people embrace changes in life, but others have difficulty. We are encouraged today that God is always with us, even ahead of us, preparing the way. Have a Marvelous Monday ladies!

“Traveling Toward the Unknown”

“But Ruth said, ‘Don’t force me to leave you; don’t make me go home. Where you go, I go; and where you live, I’ll live. Your people are my people, your God is my god; where you die, I’ll die, and that’s where I’ll be buried, so help me GOD — not even death itself is going to come between us!’”
Ruth 1:16-17 (MSG)

When I think of major transitions in my life, I think of road trips that involve a big yellow moving truck and a sense of home fading in the rearview mirror.

Nearly a decade ago, I moved away from my hometown after marrying my high school sweetheart, to begin his career in the military.

He was being stationed in Yuma, Ariz.

Do you know where that is?

Yeah, I didn’t either. (And if you do, good for you!)

I soon learned it was a town on the Mexican border known for its oppressive heat, Cracker Barrel location and historical prison preserved from the Wild West.

A newlywed’s dream, right?

Leaving home was a hard choice. In fact, when we stopped at a gas station, I spent a moment on the curb crying and whispering to my new husband, “I don’t think I can go on. Maybe this is a terrible idea.”

And I think that’s often what big transitions feel like: an enormous, sacrificial choice; an act of faith that begs of God, “You won’t abandon me, right?”

Change involves movement — old to new, known to unknown, native to foreign. It always requires a road trip of sorts.

We see this theme in the book of Ruth. It opens with Naomi and her husband, Elimelech, leaving their hometown to settle in Moab. A few verses later, after Naomi’s husband and sons die, she moves again, but this time with her daughters-in-law.

Somewhere on that road trip back to Bethlehem, Naomi encourages Ruth and Orpah to turn back. She gives them an easy out, essentially saying, “You don’t have to do the hard thing here. You can go home.”

Stunningly, Ruth chooses sacrifice. She tells Naomi, “Where you go, I go; and where you live, I’ll live” (Ruth 1:16b).

Ruth didn’t just choose Naomi, she chose the God of Israel (“your God is my god”). The same is true for all of us in the midst of hard decisions. We aren’t just choosing the destination; we are choosing to believe in the trustworthy nature of God. We are binding ourselves to His provision.

Like Ruth, we’re often compelled to go somewhere new without knowing what waits on the other side. Rarely do we have a divine explanation as to how this moment will work out when we travel toward the unknown. Still, we walk toward the promise that God is good, even when the circumstances are unclear.

Oftentimes, God draws people to Himself by drawing them out of their comfort zones first. When we’re estranged from comfort, we gain clarity on His redemptive work in our lives. Our faith grows roots when we lack tangible stability.

The book of Ruth concludes with a testimony to how even the most painful transitions can be redeemed for good. Ruth opens with famine and death but ends with fulfillment — Boaz marrying Ruth and Ruth giving birth to Obed.

But the redemptive story doesn’t end there. From Ruth and Boaz’ union and lineage came David. And through David came the Savior of the world.

If you’re making a hard choice or facing a tough transition today, be encouraged. Ruth’s story serves as evidence that even the most painful interruptions can double as God’s provision, that God is present and active in our midst and that no road trip can ever lead us to a place where God hasn’t already arrived.

Thank You, Lord, for the way You’ve guided my life, though at times it’s been hard to see the providence for all the plot twists. Help me to trust You, regardless of where the story takes me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

Proverbs 31 Ministries
Bekah DiFelice

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Isaiah 43:19, “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” (NIV)

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Tuesday Devotion

7/11/2017

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Good morning from East Lansing, Michigan! I've been at my parent's house for just over a week now and I can't believe how fast time seems to be going. Of course, we've done a lot in that time. On the 4th, my sister and brother-in-law came over and we had a little birthday celebration for me, going out to eat and having a party. Later that evening we went to a park in Lansing to watch a concert (my Dad is in the Lansing Concert Band) and they provided us with some wonderful music, including patriotic songs. They also did a Disney tunes medley, as well as a Pixar movies medley. So fun! After the concert, there were fireworks. I loved it! I haven't been out to see fireworks in several years. It was a great birthday. On Friday, the whole family came out...both of my sisters and their families, including my great-nephew Spencer who I hadn't met yet, and my nephew Alexander, who's been in India for the past year. So that was a great time! We went to another park that evening for another concert. We got there early to get good seats up front (bring your own lawn chairs), and after awhile a park attendant came over the microphone and announced that a storm was in the town a few miles down and we should just be aware of it in case it moved our way. Well, it looked beautiful out to us so we really didn't think too much about it, and we certainly didn't prepare by going to get umbrellas from the car. Before long, a few raindrops started to come down, but it wasn't looking "storm-ish" or anything. In fact, there was part of the sky that still looked clear and sunny. Well, I guess we should've heeded the announcement. Before we knew it, it started to DOWNPOUR!! Okay, so it was time for the umbrellas, but at that point, we were already all drenched! Yuck! But the concert was great and we all survived. Lesson learned. On Saturday, I had a nice surprise. My Mom and Dad and I went up to their cabin near Clare, about an hour and a half away, and we stayed until yesterday. I haven't been to the cabin for a few years (or more--I can't even remember the last time). It was so nice to sit out on the deck and look at the lake and hear the birds singing and bullfrogs making whatever sound it is they make! I took a lot of pictures. Today is a resting day, but I might go fishing with my Dad. They got me a fishing rod and a tackle box for my birthday so I have to try it out! I couldn't go at the lake because it's too dangerous for me to get into a boat right now, and there are too many steps for me to get down to the lake... 44 to be exact! So, that's my week so far. The devotions may continue to be sporadic until we all get back home, which will be Wednesday the 19th, but Nate, Natalie, and Elliott will be with us through Saturday, so it might be the following Monday before I get back on track. Thanks for being so patient. How have you ladies been? Tell me about some things you've been up to.

Devotion

As hard as it was to read this devotion, I'm sure we can all make a list of some pretty difficult, even devastating things that have happened to those in our families and groups of friends. As she tells us though, God is more concerned about teaching us to trust Him and shaping our character, and through everything, He gives us the "glory moments." Have a Terrific Tuesday ladies!

“When You Don’t Like the Story God Is Writing”

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

If it were up to me, I would have scripted some of life’s stories differently. So many tragedies have struck people near and dear to me that if I were the writer, they would have been changed.

Fortunately, I’m not the author, because each of these women impact thousands upon thousands of women all over the world with her powerful stories of God’s redemption. God turned their pain into purpose, their misery into ministry and their devastation into anointed messages of hope and restoration. Sudden glories fill and spill from each of their lives.

Their journeys have led them through dark valleys and back out into the light on the other side.

But if I had to decide?

My second child would not have passed away before she was born. Carol’s son would not be in prison. Linda’s daughter would not be a quadriplegic. Barbara’s daughter would not be bipolar. Patty’s 21-year-old daughter would not have been in a fatal car accident. Jennifer’s husband would not have succumbed to a brain tumor.

Difficult times are pregnant with glory moments — moments when we see God’s plan just waiting to be birthed in the lives of those willing to labor through the pain. The key is not to allow bitterness and anger to make our hearts infertile to God’s gifts.

One way to avoid the darkening of the soul is by constant communication seasoned with thanksgiving — a continual acknowledgement of God’s presence.

After my husband and I graduated from college, we moved to Charlotte so he could open a new business. But after we moved, the man who was to be his business partner changed plans.

“Sorry, Steve,” he said. “I’ve changed my mind. Good luck, son.”

I was so upset. OK, I was flat-out angry. Angry with the potential partner. Angry with God. We had prayed, fasted and felt this was where God was leading us. We had no money. No job. And school debt.

Three months later, a situation opened up that was far better than our original plan. It was Ephesians 3:20 in action: “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us …”

Well, why didn’t God do that in the first place? Why didn’t He lead us directly to that second opportunity when we did all that praying and seeking? He could have.

But He is far more interested in developing our character than in doling out a life of comfort and ease. C.S. Lewis notes: “If you think of this world as a place intended simply for our happiness, you find it quite intolerable. Think of it as a place of training and correction and it’s not so bad.”

That’s where Proverbs 3:5-6 comes in: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

We are ever the students. He is the teacher still. Trials rip away the flimsy fabric of self-sufficiency and become the raw material for God’s miracles in our lives. And those miracles are moments of sudden glory.

Oh that we would trust Him even if the twists and turns never make sense this side of heaven. That’s what trusting God is all about. As we live and move and have our being in Him, life’s dark places are simply opportunities to trust that God knows the way — and the perfect time to hold on tight.

Especially since He’s still writing the story.

Father, thank You for always knowing and doing what is best for me. Forgive me when I don’t trust You but think my way is best. I know that You have wonderful surprises in store for me when I simply trust You in all things. Thank You for being the Teacher. Help me to be a good student of Your Truth. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Proverbs 31 Ministries
Sharon Jaynes

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (NIV)

Psalm 100:4, “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and a thank offering and into His courts with praise! Be thankful and say so to Him, bless and affectionately praise His name!” (AMPC)

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Thursday Devotion

7/6/2017

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Good morning lovely ladies. Yes, I'm still around. I'm currently at my parent's in East Lansing, Michigan, and will be here until the 18th. We are having a great time! On the 4th, my sister and brother-in-law came and we celebrated my birthday with a little party and going out to lunch. In the evening we went to a 'concert in the park/fireworks celebration' in downtown Lansing. My Dad plays in the Lansing Concert Band so that was a real treat! I've been wanting to go to this for several years now and I finally got to go. He plays again on Friday night at a different park, and I'm told it's a much calmer, quieter (you can actually hear the music) kind of venue. Also, it's on a lake. So, I'm looking forward to that as well. The first concert was almost overcome by fireworks nearby from the Lansing Lugnut game (minor league), so it was difficult to hear the music, especially near the end. We had double fireworks! Today will be quieter, but I think Mom and I will do some shopping; we're thinking Hobby Lobby. Yay! It's so nice to be here and enjoying my family. What have you all been up to? How was your holiday?

Devotion

Do any of you remember the tight rope walker that walked across the Grand Canyon a few years ago? Whew! I think I held my breath the whole time I watched...at least it felt that way. Talk about getting out of your comfort zone! Even for this experienced man, it still was NOT easy. The wind was against him the whole way. And that's what it can feel like in our lives when we come up against battles. But as you will read, God is always with us, speaking into our hearts and giving us confidence and hope. Have a Thankful Thursday ladies!

“I Don’t Know if I Can Do This”

“This is a catalog of the kings of the land whom Joshua and the Israelites defeated … 31 kings in all.”
Joshua 12:7a, 24b (VOICE)

I didn’t really want to keep watching, but for some reason I couldn’t stop.

A real-life tightrope walker dared to cross a gorge near the Grand Canyon on live television. I didn’t know this man, but my fear for him and his potential plummet to the bottom of the canyon was real. With each step I prayed, Please God, let him make it across!

The wind blew so hard at times he’d stop and squat on the rope to lower himself beneath the gusts. He would pause and pray, then stand and continue across.

Yet possibly the craziest part was this wasn’t his first attempt at something so risky.

If I ever crossed a canyon, or a waterfall, or something else really high on a tight-rope and I survived, let me assure you — that would be the first and only time you’d see me do such a thing.

Stepping out of our comfort zones can be scary. But to do it more than once takes true faith. That’s the kind of faith the Israelites had. We see this especially as they conquered the Promised Land.

In our key verse, we read “This is a catalog of the kings of the land whom Joshua and the Israelites defeated …” (Joshua 12:7a). The chapter ends with “… 31 kings in all.” Tucked between these verses, we find the names of kings in the land of Canaan who fought, but couldn’t defeat, Joshua and God’s people as they entered the land God promised them.

After the walls of Jericho fell, the army marched, God moved in power and the Israelite army conquered 30 more kings.

And I wonder, with each new foe: Did they worry about the outcome? Did they question if God would show up this time like He did that day at Jericho?

Too often, I march into daily battles, wondering if this will be the time God doesn’t show up, rather than charging full speed ahead, knowing Whom I’m following and counting fully on Him.

Like the time I sat behind the wheel of my van with a long drive ahead. I’d made this drive many times; however, this time, I faced the road as the sole adult in the car with all six of my kids.

Enter fear, panic, doubt, maybe even a few tears.

But before I fell completely over the edge, God interrupted. He reminded me of prayer and my direct access to Him at all times. He pointed me to the many times He’d provided and counseled me to count on Him again.

So instead of wondering if God would show up, I threw all my concerns on His shoulders.

Dear God, help us go the whole way without one stop. Help no one have to use the bathroom. Help the kids not fight. Help the traffic keep moving. Help me not get tired. Help no one get hungry.

I’ve heard confidence defined as “demonstrated ability.” And I think we can apply this definition to our spiritual lives.

I don’t know how Joshua and his army approached each battle following the victory at Jericho, but I know how they should have — confidently. God had demonstrated His ability at Jericho (and many other times, too).

This same confidence is available to us through Jesus. When we make Jesus Lord of our lives, God is not only with us, He is also in us. And since God is able, and God is with us, we can count on Him.

As the man on the tightrope crouched beneath the winds, one thing changed everything. Across the canyon, his father spoke into a microphone linked to an earpiece that fed directly into his son’s soul.

The son walked, as the father talked.

The father encouraged, supported and guided. Another step. He cheered, comforted and listened. Another step.

No matter how hard the wind blew, the son knew his father saw him, and he heard his father say, “You can do this.”

And just like that father and son, God walked me down my road, guiding me and my car full of kids safely from one place to another.

Is it time for you to step out on the tightrope of trust?

Dear God, without You I can do nothing, but with You all things are possible. Increase my faith! Help me rely fully on You today as I count on Your unending love, unbridled power and unchanging character. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Proverbs 31 Ministries
Katy McCown

TRUTH FOR TODAY:

Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (ESV)

Joshua 1:9, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (ESV)

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