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!  

Our Journey to Adoption, Part VII - Trusting the Shepherd

John 10:1-5  “Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. ² The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. ³ The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ⁴ When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. ⁵ But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.”

Jesus, the Good Shepherd, always acts with integrity and can be fully trusted. He doesn’t scatter or harm his sheep, but personally interacts and calls each one by name. He leads His sheep in the right direction. He doesn’t always hold and carry each sheep and doesn’t have any of His sheep on a leash, but He is always there to protect and lead. As His sheep, we have the responsibility to listen and follow, even through difficult terrain.

In February last year, James and Sarah’s biological parents’ rights were finally terminated. However, more uncertainties surfaced. Their biological mom had a certain amount of time to appeal and she said she did appeal. In addition, an uncle was found that wanted the children and a former foster family expressed interest in adopting them. We appeared further down on the list of possible parents.

Since the children were now up for adoption, a new adoption worker and adoption organization were given their case. Knowing we were one of several couples in the “hat,” we nervously continued a new round of interviews, fingerprints, physicals, background checks, paper work, etc. All the while, we were growing in our love for the kids as we continued to do weekend respite care. It was a daily struggle to not let all the uncertainties weigh me down and stress me out. We kept praying for God’s will and direction while continually remembering that He’s the one who brought us together in the first place!

In what situation right now do you and I need to trust Jesus, our Good Shepherd, and follow His lead? He cares for us, loves us and is always there to lead us!

Alice

Thurs Devo: Death Planned

Most of us will not know ahead of time the exact time and place of our death, but Aaron did.

Numbers 20:22-29       ²² The whole Israelite community set out from Kadesh and came to Mount Hor. ²³ At Mount Hor, near the border of Edom, the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ²⁴ “Aaron will be gathered to his people. He will not enter the land I give the Israelites, because both of you rebelled against my command at the waters of Meribah. ²⁵ Get Aaron and his son Eleazar and take them up Mount Hor. ²⁶ Remove Aaron’s garments and put them on his son Eleazar, for Aaron will be gathered to his people; he will die there.”

²⁷ Moses did as the Lord commanded: They went up Mount Hor in the sight of the whole community. ²⁸ Moses removed Aaron’s garments and put them on his son Eleazar. And Aaron died there on top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain, ²⁹ and when the whole community learned that Aaron had died, all the Israelites mourned for him thirty days.

God blessed Aaron by telling him ahead of time when and where he would die. God also told Aaron how to prepare and who would take his place as high priest. Moses and Eleazer weren’t left to try to figure it out on their own.

A relative of a friend of mine died in a bicycle accident last year. As sad as it was, the whole family saw God’s hand preparing them ahead of time. The guy who died had recently told his wife that he thought something might happen soon, so he made sure she knew what all their passwords and accounts were, etc. That was just one of several ways God prepared them.

As sad as death is in this life, we can look to God for direction on how to prepare for and/or handle death, whether our own or someone else’s. God is Sovereign over life and death.   

Alice

Split Decisions

 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.  But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.  Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.  Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.  James 1:5-8

As much as I love the Lord and follow Him, there are times that I struggle with the latter.  It is not because I do not want to follow God.  Instead, I feel torn between the love I have for my fellow man and the love I have for God.  It explains why I really struggle with condemnation.  Sure, we all must be accountable for our sins and grow to be better advocates for God.  But there are people who I love dearly, and God has said that they are living in sin.  That’s a tough pill to swallow!  Thus, my world feels like it is unstable.  These are the times I realize my spiritual growth is a continual work in progress.

The word of God is meant to be a spiritual guide.  We all have situations where we are either unsure of what to do or how to respond on a spiritual matter.  The words of James thus seem to be words of condemnation for those in that divided world.  In fact, lots of the Book of James seems like it (ex. Faith is dead without good works – James 2:26b).  However, these are words of guidance and clarity.  If we look at these verses through that lens, one receives God’s wisdom in reading it, and thus is not in the ‘should not expect to receive anything from the Lord’ camp.  The words are welcome to the troubled and torn because they give direction.  We must look at the word of God, and pray that we find guidance in it and have both the courage and conviction to follow it.

Following God is not meant to be easy as Jesus said, “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way.” (Matthew 7:13)  But do not be discouraged by your past and current struggles for after telling Peter he would deny Him, Jesus said, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.  There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?” (John 14:1-2)  It is ok to struggle with things God says to us.  The key is to keep walking toward Him.  Never give up.  Never lose faith.  What is your struggle with God today?  How will you continue to rely on God when split between God and the world?  My prayer is that we continually challenge ourselves to rely on God when facing split decisions.  Amen.

Change We Can Believe In

Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away.  These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.

So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters.  Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens.  He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.  He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.  James 1:14-18

Someone once told me that the only thing in life that you could consistently count on is that it is ever changing.  Since being born again over a decade ago, there has been a lot that has changed for me.  It’s really amazing when it’s something you have never done before.  You gain a strength that you never had, and before you know it, you’ve changed for the better.  That is what this lent season was for me.  God showed me that He would be with me always, and I learned to call on Him when I felt weak.  Thus, I could stay true to His will for my life.  He proven that while He is the same God as He has always been, my relationship is ever changing for the better.

The best rewards are found in our ever changing relationship with God.  Many people have stated that God changes for an ever evolving society.  They most commonly refer to beliefs on slavery and the gay community as examples.  This is simply not true.  God’s word is true, and He is never changing.  What does change is our understanding of His will for our own lives.  Through His grace, we learn to forgive others, and through His love, we learn that love never fails.  Through His wisdom, we make better choices, and by trusting in Him, we find true purpose for our lives.  Through reading His word and growing through His Holy Spirit, we are the ones who change as our understanding is both deeper and greater.

We are all changed through Jesus Christ.  John 1:12:13 says, “But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.  They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.”  That moment is only the beginning, and we continually evolve into the wonderful children of God that He loves so much.  What is God challenging you to change today?  What changes can strengthen your relationship with God?  My prayer is we embrace God’s ability to change us for the better for this is as a famous campaign slogan said, “Change we can believe in.”  Amen.

God Directs His People

How would you like to be directed by a cloud? What if it only gave you a short amount of time to pack up all your belongings to move? What if you didn’t know whether you would be moving tomorrow or a year from tomorrow?

Numbers 9:15-23        ¹⁵ On the day the tabernacle, the tent of the covenant law, was set up, the cloud covered it. From evening till morning the cloud above the tabernacle looked like fire. ¹⁶ That is how it continued to be; the cloud covered it, and at night it looked like fire. ¹⁷ Whenever the cloud lifted from above the tent, the Israelites set out; wherever the cloud settled, the Israelites encamped. ¹⁸ At the Lord’s command the Israelites set out, and at his command they encamped. As long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle, they remained in camp. ¹⁹ When the cloud remained over the tabernacle a long time, the Israelites obeyed the Lord’s order and did not set out. ²⁰ Sometimes the cloud was over the tabernacle only a few days; at the Lord’s command they would encamp, and then at his command they would set out. ²¹ Sometimes the cloud stayed only from evening till morning, and when it lifted in the morning, they set out. Whether by day or by night, whenever the cloud lifted, they set out. ²² Whether the cloud stayed over the tabernacle for two days or a month or a year, the Israelites would remain in camp and not set out; but when it lifted, they would set out. ²³ At the Lord’s command they encamped, and at the Lord’s command they set out. They obeyed the Lord’s order, in accordance with his command through Moses.

God directs his people. He gave the Israelites the notice He knew they needed in order to pack up and prepare for each move. The Israelites were quick to complain about food and water, but there is no record they complained about God’s timing in directing them for each move.

As we seek God’s direction today, we can trust His timing to let us know what we need to know when He determines it’s best for us know. Sometimes I think I need to know “now” about this and that, but I’m not sovereign. I don’t see the big picture.

In what area of your and my life are we seeking God’s direction?

Will you and I trust God’s timing to provide the direction He knows is needed?

Alice