Thursday Devotional – Jesus is Worthy as King of Kings (11/6/25)

Last week, we saw how “Babylon the Great, the Mother of Prostitutes” delighted in the destruction of God’s people and lured the rest of the world into abominable acts. She represents centuries of evil powers in the world. She and the beast will deceive many, but not those whose names have been written in the book of life – those who are faithful to Jesus, the true King of kings.

Revelation 17:6-14 ⁶ I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus. When I saw her, I was greatly astonished. ⁷ Then the angel said to me: “Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns. ⁸ The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because it once was, now is not, and yet will come.

⁹ “This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. ¹⁰ They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for only a little while. ¹¹ The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction.

¹² “The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast. ¹³ They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast. ¹⁴ They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.”

As believers, we are called to be wise and discerning, so we won’t be deceived by the woman (Babylon the Great) or the beast king. We gain this wisdom by daily studying and apply God’s truths from His Word.

Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

I want to have a mind with God’s wisdom so I can faithfully follow Jesus, the triumphant Lamb who is Lord of lords and King of kings! He will rule for all eternity, while the woman and beast will go to eternal destruction.

How are you preparing now to remain faithful to Jesus and not be deceived by the things of this world?

Thursday Devotional – Jesus is Worthy to Offer Protective Wisdom (8/14/25)

I often pray for wisdom, whether it’s for efficiency at work, parenting decisions, writing devotionals, or daily activities. Yesterday, we received a clear answer to NOT do what we were planning to do – going bowling before dinner and a church event. When we arrived, there weren’t any available family lanes. So, we went home with a little more time for dinner. In God’s better plan, Edmund then spontaneously met some grandkids of a neighbor and enjoyed playing basketball with them.

Last week’s passage ended with a call for patient endurance and faithfulness. This week’s passage ends with a call for wisdom. We need perseverance and faithfulness to face Satan’s war against God’s people and his deception through the beast. We also need wisdom to see through the manipulation of the second beast. Notably, Satan (the Dragon), the first beast, and the second beast seem to imitate God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, as seen in the rest of Revelation chapter 13.

Revelation 13:11-18 ¹¹ Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon. ¹² It exercised all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. ¹³ And it performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of the people.¹⁴ Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. ¹⁵ The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. ¹⁶ It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, ¹⁷ so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.

¹⁸ This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666.

So, where do we get this wisdom? Perfect wisdom comes straight from God Himself! Reading His Word, talking with Him in prayer, and listening for His answers will help us gain wisdom.

James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

Knowing God’s prophecy, like this passage in Revelation, will help us be prepared when these events happen. We will then be able to wisely discern the deception of Satan and remain faithful to God.

Thursday Devotional - All-Knowing God versus Ignorant Eliphaz (7/18/24)

Have you ever had a friend try to give you encouragement or helpful advice that was not helpful, encouraging or even true?

Job’s friends started out well. They compassionately sat with him for 7 days and watched his misery in silence. After Job’s lament in chapter 3, one of his friends tried to speak encouragement.

Job 4:1-9   Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:

² “If someone ventures a word with you, will you be impatient?
    But who can keep from speaking?
³ Think how you have instructed many,
    how you have strengthened feeble hands.
⁴ Your words have supported those who stumbled;
    you have strengthened faltering knees.
⁵ But now trouble comes to you, and you are discouraged;
    it strikes you, and you are dismayed.
⁶ Should not your piety be your confidence
    and your blameless ways your hope?

⁷ “Consider now: Who, being innocent, has ever perished?
    Where were the upright ever destroyed?
⁸ As I have observed, those who plow evil
    and those who sow trouble reap it.
⁹ At the breath of God they perish;
    at the blast of his anger they are no more.

Eliphaz recognized Job’s wise instruction to others and his help to the weak. However, he was confused by Job’s discouragement over his tragic circumstances. He didn’t understand why Job didn’t “know” that evil comes to those who do evil and innocent people don’t suffer.

Eliphaz needed to stop after verse 4. He could highlight the righteous acts he had seen, but he wasn’t all-knowing like God and able to truly explain why Job was experiencing such horrendous loss and pain. He was completely ignorant of all that had transpired between God and Satan.

Reading this reminded me that less is often better, especially when it comes to words! I can speak true and sincere encouragement from what I have seen and not give advice or offer speculation on things I haven’t seen and don’t know. Whether it’s commenting on world events, giving encouragement or offering advice, let’s prayerfully speak.

 

Proverbs 17:27-28 The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint,
    and whoever has understanding is even-tempered.

²⁸ Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent,
    and discerning if they hold their tongues.

I don’t want to be an ignorant friend like Eliphaz, but wise and discerning with my words! May we point others to our All-knowing God for His truth rather than our tainted understanding!   

Thursday Devotional - Chasing After the Wind of Strength (8/17/23)

This summer my kids took turns walking my sister’s dog with my Dad. My sister’s dog, Patty, probably weighs more than most of them! However, my Dad helped them learn how to control her, even if they aren’t stronger than her. I guess you could say they learned how to outsmart rather than overpower.

Solomon was impressed by wisdom’s power over strength.

Ecclesiastes 9:13-18    I also saw under the sun this example of wisdom that greatly impressed me: ¹⁴ There was once a small city with only a few people in it. And a powerful king came against it, surrounded it and built huge siege works against it. ¹⁵ Now there lived in that city a man poor but wise, and he saved the city by his wisdom. But nobody remembered that poor man. ¹⁶ So I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” But the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are no longer heeded.

¹⁷ The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded
    than the shouts of a ruler of fools.
¹⁸ Wisdom is better than weapons of war,
    but one sinner destroys much good.

Strength isn’t everything. We can desire strength in order to gain power or fame, but it can crumble in an instant. Man’s wisdom can outsmart the strong, but as Solomon points out, even that can be fleeting. Seeking God’s wisdom has eternal significance, though!

James 3:17-18             But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. ¹⁸ Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.

Are you and I chasing after strength or wisdom? For what purpose and by what means? Let’s seek God’s wisdom for an eternal harvest of righteousness.

Thursday Devotional - Our Christmas Letter/Picture 2022 12/22/2022

The Reas - 2022 (Joe, Alice, James (10), Sarah (8), Edmund and Alexis (6))

God challenged us through our Bible Study Fellowship memory verse, II Chronicles 20:12b “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” We’ve had ups and downs, but God is faithful to us when we look to Him.

January rang in with my wrist broken after ice-skating! The kids mastered dishes, showers and zippers quickly. 

February started w/COVID for all! Thankfully it didn’t flare up James’ asthma (“COVID is better than a cold!”)

March ended with another set of twins (born to my sister) and a long/scary NICU stay for the boy.

April brought exciting horse-back riding for Sarah, even doing jumps! (“How many days until the next lesson?”)

May started new sports, w/soccer for some and T-ball for Edmund (“I’m not going!” but waits ready in the car).

June included a refreshing marriage retreat and a new experience on a swim/dive team for James and Sarah. 

July was long-awaited by Alexis, as she finally got to join a gymnastics pre-team! (“I can walk in myself, Mom!”)

August included fun camps/trips before a drastic change starting kindergarten for Edmund and Alexis!

September was filled with Edmund’s machine pitch and James’s school soccer seasons.  

October added Detroit Youth Opera Chorus rehearsals, with Sarah joining James, cousin Mark and aunt Jane. 

November unexpectedly brought several rental property issues and repairs for Joe.

December nervously started with a level 4 gymnastics competition for James and several music concerts.

James and Sarah practice piano daily before school while Edmund and Alexis do a math paper. They all continue to run regularly with me and even the twins competed in a 2-mile middle school cross country race! It’s never dull around here! As organized as I try to be, I have forgotten to take or pick up a kid at the right time!  

Merry Christmas!

I pray when you and I don’t know what to do (and even when we think we know what to do) we will look to God for wisdom and direction (as II Chronicles 20:12 says). Nothing in our lives is a surprise to Him and He already has a plan!

Alice

Thursday Devotional - Faithful God versus Foolish Rehoboam 10/20/22

What do you think it would have been like to grow up with the wisest and wealthiest parent on earth?

Solomon’s son Rehoboam had the wisest and wealthiest father ever, but he didn’t seem to use that to his advantage. Soon after becoming king, he lost most of the kingdom (10 tribes) by heeding poor advice.

I Kings 12:12-15     ¹² Three days later Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam, as the king had said, “Come back to me in three days.” ¹³ The king answered the people harshly. Rejecting the advice given him by the elders, ¹⁴ he followed the advice of the young men and said, “My father made your yoke heavy; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.” ¹⁵ So the king did not listen to the people, for this turn of events was from the Lord, to fulfill the word the Lord had spoken to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah the Shilonite.

Rehoboam foolishly listened to his peers. Israel was divided into two kingdoms after this. God was faithful to David, though, by keeping a descendent on the throne of Judah. God was also faithful to his promise to Solomon to tear the kingdom away from him and his descendants because of his sins. God is faithful, whether it’s a lavish blessing promised or a forewarned consequence.

Where might you and I be foolishly listening to peers instead of seeking and heeding God’s wisdom? We have the wisest and wealthiest Heavenly Father!

The Art Of Listening

His disciples came and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?”

He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not.  To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.  That is why I use these parables,

For they look, but they don’t really see.
    They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand.”  Matthew 13:10-13

 When do you speak?  When do you listen?  These have been questions in my mind for most of my life.  When I was young, I would run into the house library where my mom was on a conference call with her government colleagues.  Before I could say a word, she would raise up her pointer finger.  That meant for me not to talk and wait patiently until she was done.  Sometimes, it would only be for a moment.  Other times, it felt like hours.  Once, I actually fell asleep on the floor waiting for her to be done.  However on other occasions when I was fully alert, I would watch her negotiate and debate issues with her esteemed coworkers.  It was fascinating listening to her.  In the process as I grew older, it also taught me to be a rather good listener.  For example, I learned to pause before speaking whenever it seemed a person and me were both talking at the same time.  It would also make sense that you should let a person talk 75% of the time for greater understanding of what to say.  All of this is probably funny to many who know me because they will tell you I can talk with the best of people.  But it was only because I was always willing to listen first.  The same applies when it comes to God. 

We must always prepare ourselves to listen to what He has in store for us.  In today’s verses, Jesus shared with His disciples the purpose behind His parables.  It forced them to pay attention and hear what He had to say.  It also required greater thinking to thoroughly understand what He wanted them to learn.  It is great to talk with God about our troubles and shower Him with praises.  But every so often, I find myself doing all that and not really listening to what He wants me to do.  Perhaps I read something and might dismiss it or hear His prompting but fail to act.  Listening to God is the only way to acquire wisdom.  Prime example.  Have you ever tried to read a book with someone trying to talk to you?  It is far easier to reflect on what is read in a nice quiet place than amidst calamity about you.  More importantly, how much do you retain when uninterrupted versus interrupted?  The point is if you are busy talking to God or listening to other things, how can you truly hear Him?  And if you cannot hear Him, how can you acquire the wisdom He provides?  How can you pause and reflect to understand what it all means? 

God expects us to listen to Him.  Put another way and as today’s verses point out, we cannot be close to God unless we gain knowledge of who He is.  The importance of this lies in verses from the book of Proverbs, where it says:

Joyful is the person who finds wisdom,
    the one who gains understanding.
For wisdom is more profitable than silver,
    and her wages are better than gold.  Proverbs 3:13-14

Wisdom and understanding are the true currencies in the Kingdom of God.  As such, let us focus our attention spending time on what God is saying to us.  Do you dedicate time to ensure you are listening to Him?  What techniques allow you to best meditate on what God is telling you?  My prayer is that we utilize time and efforts toward hearing God through the art of listening.  Amen.

Thursday Devotional - Chasing After the Wind of Explanations

Thank you to Matt Brumage and Renae Phelps for writing the last couple Thursday devotionals while I was on vacation!

Back to Ecclesiastes…

We often seek out explanations, whether it’s in the news, with our kids or our co-workers. In fact, three-year-olds are great at asking “why” about everything! I’m glad my kids aren’t in that phase anymore! They still ask “why” a lot, but not over and over.

How much do you and I ask God “why” over and over? He wants us to know Him and ask Him questions, but there are going to be things we won’t ever be able to understand this side of Heaven. Even the wisest man, Solomon, had many questions for God that he didn’t get answered.

Ecclesiastes 8:14 and 16-17    ¹⁴ There is something else meaningless that occurs on earth: the righteous who get what the wicked deserve, and the wicked who get what the righteous deserve. This too, I say, is meaningless…¹⁶ When I applied my mind to know wisdom and to observe the labor that is done on earth—people getting no sleep day or night— ¹⁷ then I saw all that God has done. No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun. Despite all their efforts to search it out, no one can discover its meaning. Even if the wise claim they know, they cannot really comprehend it.

No one can comprehend or explain all God has done. We are assured that in the end, though, it will go best for the God-fearing.

Ecclesiastes 8:12-13 ¹² Although a wicked person who commits a hundred crimes may live a long time, I know that it will go better with those who fear God, who are reverent before him. ¹³ Yet because the wicked do not fear God, it will not go well with them, and their days will not lengthen like a shadow.

We can pray and ask and study the Bible to understand what God enables us to understand. We can stop the repetitive “whys” and accept that we aren’t going to get answers for everything. God wouldn’t be God if we could fully understand Him!

Alice

Thursday Devotional - A Kid's Prayer

We got to drive to Connecticut to visit my youngest sister and her family to celebrate Easter this past weekend! My sister, Mary, took this picture of us on Easter.

James and Sarah really enjoyed playing with their younger cousins. In fact, James cried off and on and complained about having to leave for at least the first hour of our drive home. ☹ He wished we lived next door to them. 😊

James wasn’t always the best role model as the oldest kid for the weekend, but he easily spotted when another kid wasn’t doing the right thing. In fact, when James, Sarah and Jack (almost 3) were playing under their deck, Jack picked up a big stone. James recounted this story to me later and said he didn’t think that was a good idea. I think James may have told Jack to put it down and he didn’t. A parent wasn’t right there and James said he wasn’t sure what to do so he asked God what to do. Right after he prayed, Jack put the stone down! James said it was a miracle! Yes, God had answered his prayer!!!

I was thrilled to hear James is learning he can pray about anything at anytime! We’ve been studying Solomon together in Bible Study Fellowship, all the wisdom God gave him and all the wisdom we have access to today through the Holy Spirit, prayer and God’s Word. Praying for wisdom is one of the best things we can pray about, especially when it isn’t for selfish motives.

In fact, on our way to CT, we had read James chapter 4 together as a family the night we spent in a hotel. The first part talks about praying with the wrong motives.

James 4:1-3 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? ² You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. ³ When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

What are most of your and my prayers about? Are they for wisdom or selfish desires? God wants to answer our prayers and desires that they be in line with His purposes and for His glory!

Alice

Thursday Devotional - Loving Concern

James started kindergarten last week! He was super excited, but I was quite nervous. In fact, over the past month, he told everyone he saw that he couldn’t wait until school started! He then would add, “but Mom’s worried…”

James is a loving, compassionate and caring child. He loves life, has lots of energy and is quick. So, he often doesn’t think before he acts, needs re-direction at times and is easily distracted. I talked to the kindergarten teacher about that at orientation. As much as we’ve reviewed appropriate school behavior this past month, I’m still concerned about his discretion in the moment.

Similarly, Paul was concerned for his “children in Christ” and gave them some final reminders as he closed his letter to them.

Romans 16:17-20 ¹⁷ I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. ¹⁸ For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. ¹⁹ Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice because of you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil. ²⁰ The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

Like James and the Romans, where do you and I need reminders?

How can we prepare well now, so that in the moment we make wise decisions and aren’t easily misled or distracted?

Let’s welcome those giving us godly warnings, out of loving concern, so we can make wise choices in the moment.

Alice

The Beauty of Wisdom

I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence;
    I possess knowledge and discretion.
To fear the Lord is to hate evil;
    I hate pride and arrogance,
    evil behavior and perverse speech.
Counsel and sound judgment are mine;
    I have insight, I have power.
By me kings reign
    and rulers issue decrees that are just;
by me princes govern,
    and nobles—all who rule on earth.
I love those who love me,
    and those who seek me find me.
With me are riches and honor,
    enduring wealth and prosperity.
My fruit is better than fine gold;
    what I yield surpasses choice silver.
I walk in the way of righteousness,
    along the paths of justice,
bestowing a rich inheritance on those who love me
    and making their treasuries full.  Proverbs 8:12-21

Some of the most beautiful things one might hear comes from the poetry.  My middle name comes from a famous poet; Ralph Waldo Emerson (FYI – My initial is E  😊).  There are many quotes that are attributed to him.  For example, “Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful, for beauty is in God’s handwriting.”  Not bad, eh?  One of his poems, Give All To Love, says about love:

‘Tis a brave master;

Let it have scope:

Follow it utterly,

Hope beyond hope:

High and more high

It dives into noon,

With wing unspent,

Untold intent:

But it is a god,

Knows its own path

And the outlets of the sky.

Now to many, this may not sound special, but to a romantic at heart like me, it is where I can just sit back and let it marinate in my mind for days.  There are some of you who would focus on the poet’s mention of love being ‘a god,’ and of course, there is only one true God.  My thought is Emerson’s point is we are to focus on the limitless potential of love we have.  This is not only toward others but also God.

I bring this up to discuss today’s verse focusing on the topic of Wisdom.  We all aspire to have it, and some might say we aspire for it more than anything.  Even love.  So, what is it?  What does it look like?

Wisdom is an amazing gift given by God.  The verses in Proverbs 8 speak in words that initially come across as if wisdom is the finest girl at the dance.  But if we take a poetic approach to it, perhaps we read it as God sharing with us a vivid description of when we are blessed with it.  Wisdom is “fear the Lord.”  Additionally, there are other characteristics it has.  Counsel, sound judgment, hating of evil, pride, and arrogance, but in the path of righteousness and justice.  Thus, it becomes a guide of what wisdom both ‘sounds’ and ‘feels’ like, and like all things God gives us, wisdom “loves those who love it.”  Thus, today’s verses in a poetic sense is God’s instruction of how we are to desire, embrace, and share with others the wisdom that He bestows on us.  It provides clarity on how it is gifted as a reward for one who follows Him with discipline, devotion, and love.

We should desire the wisdom that God provides.  It is more than just being the right thing to do.  It is God inspired for even as Solomon wrote the book of Proverbs, God had granted him incredible wisdom as noted here:

God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore. 1 Kings 4:29

The whole world sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart. 1 Kings 10:24

Let us aspire to be guided by the same kind of wisdom God placed on Solomon’s heart.  What areas of your life are you praying for God’s wisdom?  What wisdom has God placed on your heart to share with others?  My prayer is that we embrace and understand the poetic beauty of wisdom.  Amen.

Thursday Devotional - Prayer in Dilemma

In addition to praying for my Dad’s health last week, I also prayed for wisdom to know when to let my Mom and sister, Jane, know about the situation. When we first headed to the ER, my Dad had asked me not to tell them (since it was the middle of the night where they were and he didn’t want to worry them so far away). So, I only let Mary (my sister in CT) know. I kept Joe and Mary updated as tests progressed.   

James 1:5-8 ⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. ⁶ But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. ⁷ That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. ⁸ Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

After praying and talking to Joe and Mary about when to tell Mom and Jane, one idea was to wait until after all the tests were over. However, I wasn’t at peace with that and kept praying. Finally, after hours of tests Sunday night and just before heading into a stress test Monday, with a heart catheterization most likely on Tuesday, I felt God clearly gave me an answer.

If my daughter, Sarah, took Joe to the ER while I was far away, what would I want her to do? I would want her to tell me even if Joe asked her not to tell me!!! It seemed like a dilemma between honoring one parent over another, but I didn’t feel right about not telling my Mom. It seemed God kept having me play the Sarah/Joe scenario in my head until I understood it as my answer.

Where do you need wisdom today? God gives wisdom generously! So, let’s ask Him for it, patiently wait for it, and actively look for it!

Alice

Thursday Devotional - Prayer Struggles

On Sunday night I took my Dad to the ER with chest pain. They ran lots of tests, confirmed he hadn’t had a heart attack (at least not yet) and kept him overnight to run more tests and do a heart catheterization. It was quite scary.

My Mom and one sister were out of the country and it was the middle of the night for them so I didn’t call them right away. I did let my other sister (in CT) know so she could be praying with us. I was struggling in prayer, though. I didn’t want to pray for God’s will but for what I wanted. I knew God was in control and I could trust Him. I knew He was listening. However, I also knew that His plans are different than mine and His ways are higher. What I think is best and what He knows is best can be very different. I did know God would give us what He knew we needed, when we needed it. 

As the next day progressed, the surgeon found blocked arteries during the heart catheterization and put in two stents. So, we stayed another night in the hospital. God provided peace through it all, especially to my Dad. He wasn’t even scared for the procedure (but I was a little anxious)! We are thankful to God he is recovering well and hasn’t had any complications!

Romans 11:33-36 “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.  Romans 11:33-36   

I don’t deserve anything from God. As this passage says, He doesn’t owe me anything. However, He is always faithful to listen to my prayers, offer peace in difficult circumstances, and give wisdom when I ask.

What are you struggling in prayer about? Even if we don’t get the answer we are wanting, God will always provide wisdom, strength and comfort when we genuinely seek it. He has all wisdom and knowledge beyond our comprehension!!!

Alice

Wisest Above All

The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.   As the Scriptures say,

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise
    and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.”

So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish.  1 Corinthians 1:18-20

I am sure many of you have seen the long debates of this season.  No, I’m not talking about the Presidential candidates.  I’m talking about the real ones.  The one’s that require long thought and lots of back and forth dialogue.  Yes, I’m talking about the infamous Facebook debates!  At first, I would let it bother me particularly when something was posted that was heavily untrue or hurtful.  Then literally after thousand word essays and numerous replies that would have made for a miniseries, I decided to step back, and reflect.  I realized it was more important to understand and appreciate the opposing views, and then share my view not with the intention to win over.  Instead, it was to say while we may be divided on key views, we are united by one God.  Somehow, that has been totally forgotten in today’s discourse.  You see, it is perfectly fine to have a healthy and hearty debate, but to do so, you must have God at the center of your thoughts.  Will it mean you will eventually agree?  No.    So what’s the point?  First, realize that our love for God will not allow for us to ever be divided.  Furthermore, love for each other means we albeit separated by philosophy are together in Christ.  Thus if we focus on that which is most important in God’s eyes, our debates no matter how heated will always bring us to the same conclusion; God is in control no matter what and He knows more than we do.

When you trust in God, you grow beyond the wisdom of your own understanding.  Whenever people would debate me on if God is real noting the empirical evidence against that fact, I simply stated that while all you say may be true, I have had things happen in my life that underlined God’s existence beyond any doubt.  I feel His presence, and He has made a way for my life when there was not a way.  Through this, He has opened my eyes to know that our color, politics, gender, and even culture make us different, but our God makes us the same.  While they may not agree with this, they appreciate it because it does not attack their belief.  It merely points out the truth in mine (aka telling them what I’m for and not what I’m against).  We can display the wisdom of our faith that allows us to deal with many disputes.  So it is possible to kneel for injustice and still love your country.  We can disagree on principle but learn to come together for the sake of our future.  A man can be a head of a household and treat his woman like a queen on a royal thrown.  We can be from different parts of the world, but we can freely worship an awesome God right here and now.

Trusting in God’s wisdom always leads to the best outcome.  Someone wrote me about a prior devotion focusing on the topic of what I want versus what God wants.  If we are focusing on what we want and do not get it, we will never find contentment.  However if we focus on what God wants, we fully trust in Him, and even if our outcome does not work the way we would like, we will always be at peace.  Remember God understands.  How much trust do you place in an all knowing God?  How can you focus on the wisdom God has given you versus on what you feel you do not have?  My prayer is that we open our minds to God’s ways knowing He is wisest above all.  Amen.

Heartbreaker

 When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.  I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.  Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.  May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.  Ephesians 3:14-19

Having an election every four years is one of those things that I believe our forefathers were really smart about.  They knew how we as people might change our minds like the wind, and while today you are very popular, you might have people wanting your head on a stick the next.  This can create some spirited debates that cross multiple lines.  As Christians, we vote with our conscious, but we do not always agree.  One might believe being pro-life is the greatest priority while others might lean toward poverty.  One talks about civil rights while the other talks about LGBT rights.  One might even say they are all important, but then the question becomes who do you know that checks all of the boxes?  Hearing all this at times stresses me out.  It was at that point I began to pray for peace and serenity.  In that prayer, I remembered something from long ago.  It contained a simple phrase.  Let my heart break for what makes Your heart break.  While this does not necessarily solve the debate, it gave me clarity as to what I can do going forward.

As we grow in Christ, a heart for God will provide us with the will to do what our minds know is God’s will.  Often times, we will struggle to determine what is best in a situation.  When faced with the dilemma of two or more seemingly even choices, Paul gives us a good basis for a course of action.  Going to our knees in search of spiritual guidance is an absolute must, and praying for God to instill in our hearts what He desires is important because while the mind can have the right idea, the idea fails to come into being without the drive of our heart.  Thus our prayers are not only for wisdom but also those things that motivate us to do His work.  I know there have been times where I did not do the right thing because my heart was not in it.  Yet when I pray to God to make my heart right, my mind and spirit align with it to make for an unshakable faith.  Spiritual growth becomes exponential when our hearts, minds, and spirits align with what God wants.  The mind knows the word, and the spirit is God in us.  But only the heart can move us where God wants us.

Our hearts, minds, and spirit must all be aligned for us to truly do God’s work here on Earth.  As we continue in our walk of faith, we know that God wants every bit of us.  But it is the heart that love comes from, and as Paul said, “Love never fails!” (1 Corinthians 8a)  So when our hearts our broken for what God sees as wrong, we will never be on the wrong side.  Where is your heart broken today?  Is it broken because of what you want or what God wants?  My prayer is that we look to God with our hearts open to enable Him to break our hearts for that which breaks His.  Amen.  

Minds, Hearts, and Mouths

If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom.  But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying.  For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.

But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere.  James 3:13-17

The other day, I was figuratively thrown under the bus.  In a discussion, I had said something that was the truth as I knew it only to have someone else give an entirely different version of it.  Furthermore, they said that not only was I naïve about it but also too nice to recognize that it even existed.  Having heard this, there was a part of me that wanted to go into a demeaning tirade toward that person.  However, I stopped and paused to reflect for a moment.  What stopped me?  When everything in my body wanted to just ‘light them up like a Christmas tree,’ why did I hold my tongue?  My only explanation was that this must be what wisdom is about.  When everything in you wants to rage out of control saying the angriest, cursed, and vehemently horrible things that you feel inside, something within says, “Wait.  No not yet. Just wait.  There is a better way to respond to this.”  It is that something within that gives you an opportunity to where you might actually help that person instead of destroy them.  In this case, I would later sit down with that person to discuss when the right time to bring something up is.

 God wants for us to walk with wisdom in our journey of faith by tempering down that which we might often say or do.  Everyone growing up should remember the saying ‘Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.’  Those who truly believe that obviously had not read too much of the 3^rd chapter of James, which says, “People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish,  but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God.” (James 3:7-8) While actions definitely speak louder than words, our words do matter.  If I cannot use the restraint that comes from wisdom to control what I say, then I run the risk of offending and/or hurting others, which is not what God would intent.  This is not to say to be dishonest as verse 14 clearly states we should not be.  However as verse 17 also states, the truth should be peace loving, gentle, full of mercy, and the fruits of good deeds.  It’s knowing who to call ‘jerk’ and who to ask, “Do you think it was the best way to handle that?”  If we are following and growing in Christ, we gain the wisdom to distinguish between the two.

Gaining wisdom from God is a vital step of our growth toward being a true follower of Christ.  Today’s verses speak of wisdom that is an inspiration toward doing the right things.  When our words are in lock and step with our good deeds, others, both believers and non-believers, benefit as they stand to see the glory of God from within us. Thus, a controlled response followed with actions from one’s humble heart will always be reflective of true wisdom from God.  What greater wisdom can you gain from measuring your responses?  Will you commit to ensure your words match your actions?  My prayer is that we are inspired to act with God’s true wisdom in our minds, hearts, and mouths.  Amen.

Thurs Devo: Call for Wisdom

Last week’s passage ended with a call for patient endurance and faithfulness. This week’s passage ends with a call for wisdom.

Revelation 13:11-18  ¹¹ Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon. ¹² It exercised all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. ¹³ And it performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of the people.¹⁴ Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. ¹⁵ The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. ¹⁶ It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, ¹⁷ so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.

¹⁸ This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666.

Where do we get this wisdom? Perfect wisdom comes straight from God Himself! Reading His Word, talking with Him in prayer, and listening for His answers will help us gain wisdom.


Knowing God’s prophecy, like this passage in Revelation, will help us be prepared when these events happen. We will then be able to discern the deception of Satan and remain faithful to God.

Alice