That doesn’t mean everything in life will be easy, with rainbows and unicorns every day. It means that when things get really tough, my faith carries me through. It means that when things are really good, I have faith that I can thank someone for watching over me. It means that when things are complicated, I can take time to pause, pray, and have faith that things will get better.
Read MoreGrowing up as a kid in a household that didn’t go to church, the only training I received about Christianity were the Davey and Goliath Easter specials or when Linus would read the passage from Luke in the Charlie Brown Christmas special. Religion wasn’t a focus for us.
In Grade 3 we were given a copy of the Gideon’s New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs. I remember the little red book; it was like a rite of passage, because I got one like my sister did when she was in that grade. I’m pretty sure they stopped doing that not long afterwards, probably around the same time they also stopped saying the Lord’s Prayer in school.
So really, when I was growing up, the only comparison to God we had was Santa Claus. Don’t take that sacrilegiously or anything, we were kids, and that’s the closest we could think of. Here was someone who could see what you did all year, knew whether you were being good or bad even though you couldn’t see them, and if you were good rewarded you with something you wanted. I suppose that is a pretty simple comparison, easy enough for a child to understand. There would be talk on the playground of those who did and didn’t believe in Santa, and often those who did believe had to keep it quiet.
Read MoreIf it wasn’t for this testimony in John 4 about the Woman at the Well, I likely wouldn’t be writing this devotional. I likely wouldn’t consider myself saved at all.
How could someone like me, who fell for every lie that was told to her, who denied her true self to believe the lies of others, be worthy of saving? Not that I thought I needed anyone to save me — I could save myself! What did I need anyone else for?
That is what I thought until I read this story, where Jesus sat in in the heat of the noon day sun beside a well in Samaria. He was there alone while the disciples went to go find some food. He sat and waited for someone he knew would be there.
The Woman at the Well.
Read MoreWhat do we do when fear seeps into our lives?
It can be such a tricky foe. Sometimes it’s quiet and subtle, like if you’re afraid of spiders and you see a spider as you walk into a room. It’s something that’s there, that we have to confront (or get the next nearest human to dispose of it for us.) The same with fears of snakes, moths, or other creatures. Those kinds of fears are normal and confrontable, if still a bit inconvenient. We see something we are afraid of, we come up with a solution, and we move forward (or around) them.
Read MoreThis time of year can be difficult for many people. There are struggles of loneliness, depression, feelings of not having enough or not being enough to others. The advertising around the holidays often show “perfect” families with “perfect” dinners in “perfect” settings, and that is not the reality for most of the world.
Read MoreWhat if you can do this new skill? What if you pass the test? What if people don’t even notice if you fail because they are so wrapped up in their own lives (spoiler alert: everyone on the planet except your nearest and dearest are too busy with their own lives to worry if you succeed or fail at something, and your closest companions will always cheer you on and support you.)
Read MoreWe spend so much of our time running from God, running away from the blessings he’s given us, running away from the guidance he’s provided us, because we’ve done such a good job at twisting his message. People take his love, his grace, his mercy, his goodness, and twist it into something they use to take power, privilege, money, and fame.
Not all people have done that, but too many have, and too many have shattered the lives of innocent people, making them fearful and angry at anything that has God’s message attached to it.
God’s running after us, because as humans, we keep messing up.
Read MoreThink of the joy we have, whether in making something new and sharing it with other people, or sharing how to make something with friends. Wouldn’t you like to learn a skill that you can share with the next generation in your family? Or the next generation growing up in the world? All this while reaping the benefits of better communication, and hand-eye coordination.
Read MoreSometimes you just need that extra bit of encouragement. Okay, not necessarily a sword, but someone encouraging you that you've got the tools to take the next step and continue your journey, whatever that may be.
Read MoreDon’t be afraid, for I am with you.
Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.
I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.
Fear and discouragement often go together. It is so much easier to be discouraged when we feel afraid. It is so much easier to be afraid when we are discouraged. It’s kind of like bacon and eggs, Laurel and Hardy, peanut butter and jam, or any other pairing here that makes sense to you.
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