Thursday Devotional - Jesus is Truth – Enabling Fruit Production (2/22/24)

For Valentine’s Day, the school sold roses and messages that could be delivered to kids in their classrooms. We ordered one for each of the kids, but a couple of them came home broken or wilted. Without the roses remaining on the vine, they didn’t last long!

The same goes for us. If we don’t remain attached to our spiritual vine, we won’t last long either and will certainly not accomplish anything glorifying to God.

 

John 15:5-8  ⁵ “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. ⁷ If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸ This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

 

We can’t bear fruit by trying hard enough. We must remain connected to Jesus, His words and His commands. Then, He will grow the fruit through us. As we remain in Jesus, we will also desire things that are in line with His will and purpose.

 

What part of your and my day is spent with Jesus? Where could you and I spend more time with Him and His Word so our work is truly fruitful for Him?  

Thursday Devotional - Faithful God when We’re Too Scared (6/8/23)

It’s been a crazy week with all four kids starting swim and dive team practice, in addition to all their other activities. This is the first year for the twins. Alexis was super excited and Edmund was extremely scared. He said he couldn’t go and cried on and off all afternoon before the first practice. We talked through various scenarios and his siblings tried to encourage him. I reminded him that he felt similarly last year before his first baseball practice, yet he has loved it since!

On a much larger scale, Jeremiah was terrified to be a prophet for the Lord.

Jeremiah 1:4-10       The word of the Lord came to me, saying,

⁵ “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
    before you were born I set you apart;
    I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

⁶ “Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.”

⁷ But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. ⁸ Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.

⁹ Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth. ¹⁰ See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.”

When God calls us to do something, He promises to be with us and provide what is needed to do the job, no matter how scary it is.

As I prayed about whether Edmund was to start swim and dive team, the baseball scenario from last year kept coming to mind. So, even though he cried while waiting his turn to jump off the diving board, he did jump off and had a smile afterwards! Later that night as we were talking it over and comparing it to his experience with baseball, he said he was glad he did it. Then, he suddenly exclaimed – “and God was with me!!!”

Yes, God was with him! He is always with us, whether we are afraid of something big or small. What is scary for you right now? Will you take it to God and let Him guide you for your next steps? He will faithfully be with you!  

Thursday Devotional - God is with Us, Pursuing Goals 6/30/22

Can you believe we are halfway through 2022??? So, how are you and I doing on our 2022 goals? For those who set goals, did you and I ask God what His plans and purposes were for us this year?

Proverbs 19:20-21       Listen to advice and accept discipline,
    and at the end you will be counted among the wise.

²¹ Many are the plans in a person’s heart,
    but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.

Now is a good time to revisit our goals and have a mid-year check-in with God! How does He think we are doing in relation to His purposes and goals for us?

Alice 

Thursday Devotional - Adoption, Take 2

Thank you to all those who prayed for James last week! He is finally feeling better with no more numbness or blurred vision. We’re praising God!

This week, we willingly face a different set of challenges! We’re four becoming six! We fostered-to-adopt James and Sarah 4 years ago and God had plans for us to do it again (it’s a long story, but we had specifically told our licensing agency we were a closed home during the pandemic).

Tomorrow, twins (a boy and girl, turning 4 in October), will move into our home! They were born the exact day and year as the day we officially adopted James and Sarah!!! Finding that out was one of the many confirmations God gave us to “say yes” to fostering-to-adopt again.

We just took our foursome family photo the end of July, which I thought would be perfect for our Christmas card! I guess not… 😉

God continues to fulfill His purposes from the burden he placed on our hearts over 10 years ago about taking care of orphans.  

Isaiah 1:17   Learn to do right; seek justice.

   Defend the oppressed.

Take up the cause of the fatherless;

   plead the case of the widow.

James 1:27         Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Will you please pray for all 6 of us as we go this huge transition? It’s exciting and scary, all at the same time!

Alice

Thursday Devotional - Snake Bite Purpose

I wonder what Paul thought when he got the snake bite? Was he afraid? Did he wonder why God allowed yet another challenge and more pain?

After the drama we saw last week around the snake bite, we quickly see it was a way God used to draw attention to Paul and the Holy Spirit’s power and message through him.

Acts 27:7-10 ⁷ There was an estate nearby that belonged to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us to his home and showed us generous hospitality for three days. ⁸ His father was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and, after prayer, placed his hands on him and healed him. ⁹ When this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured. ¹⁰ They honored us in many ways; and when we were ready to sail, they furnished us with the supplies we needed.

The passage doesn’t say Paul preached the gospel and told the people on Malta about Jesus, but I don’t think Paul went anywhere where he didn’t talk about God’s message of Salvation. He must have told them it wasn’t his power (but God’s) that healed them. Paul could see now how God used the snake bite to give him a platform for sharing God’s power and message.  

This reminds me to have a different perspective when a family member or I experience pain or suffering. I can ask God for help AND ask Him to help me see how He is going to use it for His purposes.

That certainly wasn’t my first thought when my son, James, had a gymnastics injury Monday that left his vision blurred and half his face numb. I definitely asked God for help! It was a few hours, though, before I asked Him to show me how He might be using this for His purposes. As God answered prayers for direction and next steps (such as one of our doctors personally talking to us on the phone right as we got to ER and letting us come to his office immediately for an assessment, bypassing ER), we were able to share these answers to prayer with family members, coaches, and doctors!

James is still dealing with several issues, but we’re praising God he didn’t end up with a concussion and the nerve damage shouldn’t be permanent!

The next time you and I face a challenge, let’s remember to not only ask God for help, but to help us use it for His purposes!

Alice