Thursday Devotional – Jesus is Worthy of our Focus this Lent (3/6/25)

In answer to my prayers about how to best observe Lent as a family this year, I was given a few ideas after talking and brainstorming with my kids!

1. First, Sunday, we were given a booklet about Christians in difficult situations around the world and prayers we can pray for them. So, one thing we plan to do is to daily read a page from the booklet and pray for that group of Christians.
2. Second, Alexis suggested we stand to read the Bible at night instead of comfortably sitting on the couch while we read.
3. Third, another kid (I think Edmund), suggested we look for an attribute of God from that day’s Bible passage (which we already usually do). However, that led me to think about a way we could further focus on Jesus’s attributes. So, last night I put together a chart of 40 attributes. Each day we will focus on a different attribute of Jesus. As a challenge, we will need to find and read a verse in the New Testament that talks about that attribute, whether directly or indirectly. On Sundays, we will pick a verse from the previous week and memorize it.

Since Lent started yesterday and I put the chart together late last night, I gave everyone a Scripture for the first attribute and asked them to start today to find their own verse.

Yesterday’s attribute – Living

Scripture – Revelation 1:18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

By Easter Sunday, we will have meditated on 40 different attributes of Jesus and memorized 6 of the related verses. Feel free to join in the challenge!

How else are you and I planning to observe Lent?

Jesus is worthy of our focus this Lenten season!!!

Thursday Devotional - Faithful God when Confusion Continues (5/18/23)

Habakkuk was certainly confused by God’s plan to use the Babylonians to punish Judah! He took all his questions directly to God. He first acknowledged God’s eternal, holy, just and Sovereign character.

Habakkuk 1:12-2:1 LORD, are you not from everlasting?

    My God, my Holy One, you will never die.
You, Lord, have appointed them to execute judgment;
    you, my Rock, have ordained them to punish.
¹³ Your eyes are too pure to look on evil;
    you cannot tolerate wrongdoing.
Why then do you tolerate the treacherous?
    Why are you silent while the wicked
    swallow up those more righteous than themselves?
¹⁴ You have made people like the fish in the sea,
    like the sea creatures that have no ruler.
¹⁵ The wicked foe pulls all of them up with hooks,
    he catches them in his net,
he gathers them up in his dragnet;
    and so he rejoices and is glad.
¹⁶ Therefore he sacrifices to his net
    and burns incense to his dragnet,
for by his net he lives in luxury
    and enjoys the choicest food.
¹⁷ Is he to keep on emptying his net,
    destroying nations without mercy?

2:1 I will stand at my watch
    and station myself on the ramparts;
I will look to see what he will say to me,
    and what answer I am to give to this complaint.

I love how Habakkuk first remembered God’s attributes before he relayed his additional questions. Then, he resolved to expectantly wait for God’s second response! I want to do the same with some issues going on in my life.

It’s always comforting to focus on God’s attributes first. It helps me have a better perspective. We have been dealing with several issues (for years) with one of our children. As much as we pray for help and try different approaches, things don’t seem to improve. In fact, it seems some issues have gotten worse and not better! I know it isn’t a surprise to God and He has a plan. I want to be like Habakkuk and station myself above the chaos (“station myself on the ramparts”) to be able to clearly hear God’s answer and direction for next steps.

How about you? What situation is frustrating or confusing to you right now? Will you take time to first praise God for who He is and list out His attributes? Then, take your honest questions to him and position yourself in a place to clearly hear His response.

Alice

Thursday Devotional - Revealing God

Sharing the Gospel with others can be overwhelming, especially if we do it in our own strength or out of guilt, instead of a natural outflow of our love for God.  In studying the book of John this year, I noticed how Jesus shared the truths of God. He didn’t insist on continuing a conversation to convince someone of the truth. He did answer questions and He did initiate conversations. Also, most of His teaching was to a select few – the 12 disciples. He revealed God and “discipled” them so they could then go out and share the truth with others who would share the truth with others.

John 17:6-9     ⁶ “I [Jesus] have revealed you [God] to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. ⁷ Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. ⁸ For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. ⁹ I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours.

God gave Jesus 12 men to lovingly disciple for 3 years. Who has God given to you? Whether it’s a circle of friends, family, co-workers or neighbors, He has uniquely placed us in those relationships. We have the opportunity to reveal Him to those closest to us! Jesus took His responsibility seriously and faithfully prayed for and shepherded His disciples.

As a new parent, I realize what an awesome responsibility it is to pray for and reveal God to my children. It’s such a huge blessing to watch them grasp different aspects of who God is! James has really understood the fact that he can talk to God at any time about anything and take all his cares to Him. A couple weeks ago James (and I) were getting nervous the day before his major surgery. We had definitely prayed about it many times together, but as he was thinking about it in the car on our way home from my sister’s he asked if he could pray. Of course! So, he prayed!

Who will you and I pray for today? How can you and I reveal attributes and characteristics of God to them?

Alice