Thursday Devotional - Jesus is Truth – Desiring Our Presence (3/7/24)

 Before we met, Joe lived in Italy for a couple years. It was an amazing experience for him to live in Rome with so much history! He talked about it a lot. It was hard for me to understand all that he talked about, since I hadn’t been there, much less lived there. However, we had an opportunity to go to Italy and France our second year of marriage. Joe was excited to show me where he had lived, what he had seen, and who he had met!

We usually don’t want to keep our amazing experiences a secret, but want to share them with others, especially those we love. Jesus has the same desire! He wants us to join Him in Heaven and experience all the blessings of knowing His full character and creation as it was intended.

John 17:24-26         “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. ²⁵ “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. ²⁶ I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”

Oneness with and nearness to the perfect and righteous Father in Heaven is the greatest experience anyone will ever have! Jesus wants to share that experience with you and me for all eternity! Will you be joining Jesus for this forever marvelous experience? If so, who will you pray for today about joining you and Jesus?

Thursday Devotional - Jesus is Truth – Preparing Followers (2/29/24)

Happy Leap Day! Just as leap days help us stay in sync with the seasons, the Holy Spirit helps us stay in sync with God’s truths. Without him, we are left to flounder in life with an incorrect worldview.

Jesus opened the disciple’s eyes to see so many misunderstood truths of God. Just before his death, he promised additional help, through the Holy Spirit, for further understanding about God’s plans.  

 

John 16:7-11 ⁷ But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. ⁸ When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: ⁹ about sin, because people do not believe in me; ¹⁰ about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; ¹¹ and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.

 

The Advocate (Holy Spirit) convicts people about their sin, rejection of Jesus as God’s Son, inability to earn a right standing before God, and the reality of God’s just condemnation of those who reject Him. There are absolutes – God’s absolutes. We don’t get to choose what is right for us, God does.

 

Jesus prepared His disciples for His departure with new revelations about the Holy Spirit’s work! He also prepares us! Can you think back through your life and recognize how Jesus prepared you for various challenges, situations, relationships and jobs? Will you jot it down in a journal or share it with a close family member or friend, giving glory to God?

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 - Jesus is Truth – Giving Perfect Love Gift (2/15/24)

 

I didn’t realize when I took this picture that it looked like a heart! The kids spent hours one snow day last year building a huge igloo! I thought it was an appropriate Valentine picture.

With Valentine’s Day yesterday, what’s the best love gift you’ve ever received?

 

I think the Holy Spirit is the best love gift we could ever receive here on earth! He’s permanent, never wears out, never stops working, can’t be stolen, can’t be damaged, is always in perfect condition, is always ready and has full power!

 

John 14:15-21         ¹⁵ “If you love me, keep my commands. ¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— ¹⁷ the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. ¹⁸ I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. ¹⁹ Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. ²⁰ On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. ²¹ Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”

 

Jesus commands us to love him and keep his commands. He also gives us the means to do that through the gift of the Holy Spirit! The indwelling Holy Spirit enables believers to lovingly obey.

What is your and my relationship with the Holy Spirit? Does He live within you? What evidence is there that the Holy Spirit lives in you and me?

Thursday Devotional - Jesus is Truth – Revealing His Betrayer (2/8/24)

Kids tattle on each other! My kids are no different. My sister’s kids, that are slightly older than my oldest, have tried to tell my kids that it is often best to work things out with your siblings rather than tattling frequently on little things. In fact, sometimes both kids get in trouble in a tattle situation, and that’s just what happened the other day!!!

Betrayal is far worse than tattling. Jesus had just washed Judas’s feet when He announced one of his disciples would betray him. He lovingly didn’t reveal the person’s identity. I think He also gave Judas one more opportunity to respond to truth, yet Jesus knew Judas wouldn’t.

John 13:16-21         ¹⁶ Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. ¹⁷ Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.¹⁸ “I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill this passage of Scripture: ‘He who shared my bread has turned against me.’

¹⁹ “I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am who I am. ²⁰ Very truly I tell you, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.”

²¹ After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.”

There are so many truths and lessons in this! Jesus lovingly revealed truth without shaming anyone (further evidenced by the rest of John 13). Jesus also prepared the other 11 disciples so that they would see yet again how trustworthy He is, recognize one more prophecy fulfilled, and know it was all used by God to accomplish His purpose.

Wow, I pray for that kind of love – to especially be able to reveal truth to my kids and discipline them without shaming them. I also pray I can prepare them well, so they know they can trust Jesus even when troubles come.

Where will you pray for help to put this kind of love into practice in your own life?

Thursday Devotional - Jesus is Truth – With full Control (2/1/24)

Control – many of us like to think we are in control of our life or want to be in control or want more control! However, God is the One who is really in control, not only for this life, but He’s in control of life after death!

After raising Lazarus and later entering Jerusalem on a donkey to a welcoming crowd, many people sought to get closer to Jesus. Many probably hoped he was going to overthrow Roman rule with his power. However, Jesus instead talked about death and not clinging to this life.  

John 12:20-26         ²⁰ Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival. ²¹ They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” ²² Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.

²³ Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. ²⁴ Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. ²⁵ Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. ²⁶ Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.

The sooner we realize we aren’t in control and surrender our lives to God’s will and His control, the more peace we will have. As we follow Jesus’s example of humble surrender, it will become more and more natural to serve God rather than ourselves.

 

Where are you and I looking for honor for ourselves instead of for Jesus?

Thursday Devotional - Jesus is Truth – Deserving Unlimited Honor (1/25/24)

This week is spirit week at school and the kids have enjoyed dressing up as different characters. They’ve also enjoyed winning best costume! I don’t know if there is a written rule about a kid only winning once, but that seems how it’s been handled. One kid hasn’t won everything all week. I assume they want to spread the honor instead of giving it to just one kid.

Jesus deserves all the honor everyday! He’s always the best dressed! He’s dressed in holiness, righteousness and selflessness. Mary recognized His worthiness and value.

John 12:1-8  Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. ² Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. ³ Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

⁴ But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, ⁵ “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” ⁶ He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.

⁷ “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. ⁸ You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”

I’ve read this passage numerous times and often thought of Mary as impulsively lavish with Jesus. However, this time, knowing that the dinner was planned ahead of time for Jesus’s honor, I wondered if Mary planned out her act of worship in advance. To me, that makes it even more significant! If she calculated the cost and still went ahead with her plan, she put aside her security, comfort, and reputation.

 

How about you and me? What sacrificial honor and worship will you and I intentionally give to Jesus today and this week?

Thursday Devotional - Jesus is Truth – With Purpose in Delay (1/18/24)

Have you ever asked God for direction or provision for something that seemed to be according to His will, but His answer didn’t appear timely?

That’s happened several times to me. I’ve thought God directed me to do something, but then things seemed to fall apart or didn’t resolve in the way or timing I expected. With the adoption of James and Sarah, God miraculously connected us with them. However, the process was delayed and quite frustrating. Various people seemed to step up or appeal for them. Looking back, we can see how God received greater glory through all the delays! He made it more and more clear He intended us to adopt and that He was in control to bring it about.

 

God’s seeming delay is always for His purposes and His glory. As with the raising of Lazarus, Jesus delayed for God’s glory and the benefit of his disciples.

John 11:1, 3-6, 14-15  Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha… ³So the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Lord, the one you love is sick." ⁴When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." ⁵Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. ⁶Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days… 

¹⁴So then he told them [disciples] plainly, "Lazarus is dead, ¹⁵and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him."

 

Can you think back over your past situations and see how God received greater glory and grew your faith through seeming delays? Let’s remember that as we face new situations that don’t seem to be working out in the timing we think is best.

Thursday Devotional - Jesus is Truth – The Perfect Shepherd (1/11/24)

Jesus, the Good and Perfect 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.

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 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, call and lead. As His sheep, we have the responsibility to listen and follow, even through difficult terrain. In order to do that, we must know His voice. To know His voice, we need to hear it regularly.

How do you and I plan to hear Jesus’s voice regularly in 2024?  

Where might Jesus be leading you and me in a new direction for 2024?

Jesus, the Perfect Shepherd, personally loves us, cares for us as individuals and is always there to lead us!

Alice

Thursday Devotional - Our Christmas Letter and Picture 2023 (12/21/2023)

 

With cries for peace, it’s comforting to know Jesus offers security! Our recent verse in our BSF John study was John 8:12. Jesus said “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”  

We rang in the new year with my sister, Mary, and her family in Texas! Then, it was back to our busy school, work, Bible study, music and exercise activities! Not long into the new year, Joe rented a cherry picker to cut down a huge tree in our yard. Thankfully God helped him finish before several big ice-storms!

James and Alexis improved and competed in gymnastics while Sarah transitioned to an excellent new equestrian center doing jumps. Edmund played soccer for the first time and really caught on quickly (scoring most of the goals each game).

James and Sarah excitedly practiced for their first children’s opera at the Detroit Opera House! Less excitedly, they continue piano practice each morning before school, but they do enjoy lessons with aunt Jane much better than with me!

All four kids were asked to sing the National Anthem for some patriotic events in our community and rose to the challenge. They also daily practiced and weekly competed on a swim and dive team this summer. Edmund and Alexis were terrified of the big pool at first, but Sarah reminded them God is always with them! Yes, may you also experience His presence today and always! 

Merry Christmas from the Reas!

(Joe, Alice, James (11), Sarah (9), Edmund (7) and Alexis (7))