Forgiving Deeply

Devotion:  Ephesians 4:32, Luke 7:47

How many of us carry unforgiveness in our hearts?  It may be  a past offense someone committed against you or maybe it’s as fresh as this morning’s words over breakfast.  It stole your appetite and replaced your hunger with acid reflux. It’s amazing to me how the mind can make our stomachs churn and our hearts burn.  Some tend to hold onto offensive words and actions much longer than others.  Just as long term acid reflux causes scarring in our throats, long term unforgiveness damages our minds and hearts.

We’ve all heard that it takes ten kind statements to counteract one that is unkind.  The Bible says, “To whom much is given, much is required.”  We have been given a “clean slate” by our Lord Jesus.  He removes our sin from us as far as the east is from the west and remembers it no more.  Although our minds may be unable to forget; we can choose to forgive the action, every time it comes to our minds and “the peace of God” will flood your soul, like an antacid.

The quicksand of deadly words or actions; will try to control your every waking thought.  Practice taking those thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ.  Picture corralling them within a fence and then visualize Christ’s blood covering those life taking thoughts.  Replace them with His life giving words. You will be amazed at how your mind will be restored and renewed.

In Motion:

Lord, may we forgive deeply the one(s) who have spoken unkind words or performed unkind actions toward us.  Remember, “He who forgives much will be forgiven much.”

 

 

Looking for the Grey-Haired Man

Devotion: Job 12:12, Job 32:7

My husband tells the story of a man named Gene Locklair. Gene, a project manager in commercial construction, was my husband’s friend and business partner for many years. Gene who is now in heaven; was full of wit and humor, so  you never knew what would come out of his mouth.

Gene was in a business meeting with job superintendents, field personnel and other project managers.  A difficult decision needed to be made, so Gene started to look around the table for the grey- haired man.  It dawned on him that he was the grey-haired man.  You see in Gene’s mind, the grey haired man always had more experience, more knowledge and more wisdom.  He had always depended on the grey-haired man to help resolve any problems and work out the details, in order to complete the job.

Wisdom and understanding always comes from the Lord God above.  The Bible says “A multitude of years should teach wisdom, but there is a spirit in man, and the breath of the Almighty gives him understanding.”  It’s our human spirit that gets us into trouble.  We can so easily be wounded, offended or become angry in a skinny minute, provoked by the words someone says to us.  The Lord knows we need His Holy Spirit to control our human flesh and only He can supply wisdom beyond our years.

When we don’t know what to do; our eyes  must be on Him.  Our ears must be listening for the Holy Spirit’s answer.  Our hearts must be ready to receive His wisdom.

In Motion:

Ask the Lord to give you wisdom beyond your years. “In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.”

 

 

 

Your Stuff, My Stuff

Devotion: Matthew 7:11, Psalm 55:22

We all have stuff.  And lots of it.  We have our physical “stuff”. Then we have our “heart stuff”.  Physical stuff is a lot easier to deal with than the heart stuff.  We tend to stuff our stuff into the hidden closet of our hearts; where no one except God can find it.  We hide it there; hoping to forget about it, but our “stuff” always surfaces at the wrong time.  The ugliness of our stuff; surfaces when we are tired and worn out from the dailyness of life.  It pours out from under the already overly stuffed closets of our heart. Why is it so hard to keep stuffing our stuff?  We forget to purge out the past stuff; in order to make room for the present stuff.

Are you sick of the word stuff by now?  I am.  Heart sick.  I want to rid myself of some physical stuff but more so; I long to rid my world of all the heart stuff.  Jesus said, “In this world you will have tribulation, but don’t be afraid because I have overcome the world.”  There will always be ” heart stuff”.  The Lord Jesus waits for you to hand over all of your stuff, but especially your heart stuff.  He came to seek and to save our buried hearts; buried under the load of our cares and burdens.  Did you know you have a burden bearer?  He will carry your heart stuff.  He longs to lighten your load.

In Motion:

See His arms open wide.  Hand it over to Him, right here, right now…all your stuff.

A Thankful Heart

Devotion:Psalm 100

“Give thanks with a grateful heart.  Give thanks to the Holy One.”  I heard the congregation belting these words with gusto.  How many of us truly give thanks only on Thanksgiving day?  We become sentimental this time of year; as we gather with our families and friends to commemorate and celebrate, what the Indians and pilgrims celebrated so long ago.  Freedom of religion and peace among men; was the whole reason these families traveled the vast ocean waters.

There is so much turmoil and strife all over the world but can we find something to be thankful for, even in the midst  of national as well as personal struggles?  Of course we can;when we know Jesus and trust Him fully. Today, I give thanks for you dear reader, and appreciate that you love God and His Word.  I pray that you are encouraged and refreshed as you read His Word and these devotionals.  

You are the reason He wrote the Bible, through His people so long ago.  He created you to have fellowship with Him continually and longs to hear your praise, your intercessions; as well as your thanksgiving.  He is pleased to have fellowship with you His beloved child; twenty four seven, because He neither slumbers nor sleeps.  He is listening for your voice and is ready to walk and talk with you always.

Thank you Lord; for this precious one reading these words.  I pray You will pour thanksgiving into their hearts, minds and spirit, this day and everyday.  May they come before your gates with thanksgiving in their hearts and enter your courts with praise.

In Motion:

Be thankful to the Lord and bless His name.

 

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Family Defined

Devotion: Acts 3:25

Family is defined as “a group of people who are related to each other.”  I was grafted into the Williams’ family when I married my dear husband.  Can I say, I love his family?  With all my heart, I love them!  Some of them are hysterically funny with their witty humor.  Others are more serious in their demeanor.  Our God chosen precious daughter in laws, were grafted into the Williams family. We are the Williams clan by God’s design. Through our sons and daughter in laws, our grandsons will carry on the Williams’ family name. Those who’ve gone before us and those still here on earth, define our earthly family.

“I’m so glad I’m a part of the family of God.”  Bill Gaither penned that song many years ago but it still resonates in my mind and heart!  No truer words have ever been spoken; for the blood bought, born again believer in Jesus Christ.  Think of your dearest friends, the ones with whom you will spend eternity. Although you are not blood related, your brothers and sisters in Christ, are part of God’s family.  He is the head and we are  His children.  He uses our Christian family to minister to us emotionally, physically and spiritually.

We are known as the bride of Christ, His church.  He gave His life on our behalf; so that we might live abundant life on earth and spend eternity with Him after we die.  Wow!  Oh what a Savior, who grafted us into His forever family!  I am so glad to be part of the family of God!

In Motion:

Bless a brother or sister in Christ today through an act of kindness or an encouraging word!

What If?

Devotion:  Proverbs 3:5-6

What if?  We have all asked ourselves this question a million times.  What if someone rejects me because of a decision I made?  What if that teenage son or daughter has an accident?  What if I can’t do this new job? What if I fail at this goal I’ve set for myself?  What’s the worst case scenario?

As  a Christian, it matters how you handle your “what ifs”.  You must decide ahead of time; “after having done all, to stand and see the salvation of the Lord”,  through every trial, heartache and disappointment. The Lord your God is able to handle any and all of the  “what ifs”, through-out the whole course of your life.

What if you don’t try because you are afraid of the “what ifs”?  That is worse than not trying at all because when you give into fear and defeat, you give up on your hopes, your dreams and your plans. What if we decide; “to trust in the Lord with all of our heart and lean not unto our own understanding”?  What if we believe that God is able to do exceedingly and abundantly beyond what we could ever ask or think or imagine?   What if we begin today;  to trust, try and prove Him, inspite of our impossible circumstances?  What if we begin to “love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength like our life depended upon it?  It does, if you live like you believe; “I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me.”

In Motion

Identify your what ifs and tell the Lord you will choose to trust Him and believe the above scriptures; as they apply to your what if circumstance.

 

 

Transferred

Devotion: Colossians 1:13

When our sons were five and two, my husband was transferred to Myrtle Beach.  We packed up our little family lock, stock and barrel and moved to an apartment in Garden City, SC about a mile off the South Carolina coastline.  We could walk to church and the beach; our two favorite places.

Getting a transfer brings change into our lives.  The transfer may be perceived as good or bad; depending upon the person’s attitude during the readjustment period.  If we continue to brood over the loss of close contact with former friends and family; we probably won’t adjust as readily.  Although everything changes, putting down roots in an area that’s new to you; can bring positive outcome to the whole family.

If you believe God brought about this transfer in His perfect timing and sovereignty, then you will begin to look for the blessings, through the people He brings across your path.  He longs for you to transfer your hopeless estate, over to His ocean full of hope, your lack of faith to His faithfulness, your ashes to His beauty, your bondage to His freedom, your anxiety to His peace and your impatience to His patience.

When we transfer our heart of stone to Him;  He gives us a heart of flesh.  We trade eternity in hell for eternity in heaven.  Now there’s a transfer that makes a huge difference, an eternal difference, all because we believe in our hearts that Jesus died for us, rose again and made a way for us to have life everlasting.

In Motion:

Thank God for your physical transfers as well as your spiritual transfers.

Looking Up

Devotion:  Psalm 121

There is something about lifting your head and your hands toward heaven; with a heart full of worship and praise, that literally affects your spirit.  When we seek to magnify the name of our Creator, Redeemer and God of all Comfort; He is high and lifted up.  You were created for His good pleasure; to bless the name of the Lord at all times, in Spirit and in truth.

We “look up” to those who have great wealth, who are people of position and influence in our society.  Many demand the respect; while others deserve the respect, they have earned, from a life full of hard work and integrity.

There is no name higher than the LORD our God; no president, no king, no emperor, no dictator, no one!  There are those in authority over us, whom we must honor the position of the office they hold.  God asks us to pray for those in authority over us but we serve an Omnipotent God who is all powerful.

To give more honor to a human in authority; than we give to the Lord our God, is idol worship.  We must fear and revere His Name above all others.  Look up, lift your eyes and your hands toward the throne room of heaven.  Our Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father, ever interceding for you and for me.  He is your help, your keeper, the preserver of your soul.

In Motion:

Magnify His Name with me.  Let us exalt His Name together.  Lift up your head and your hands today with a heart full of worship and praise for the One who saved you and raised you up.  You are seated with Him in the heavenlies.  Hallelujah!

Looking Down

Devotion:  Psalm 14

“The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men,…”  The Bible tells us, “The eyes of the Lord search to and fro, looking for those whose hearts long to be completely His.”  Christians can take great comfort in knowing God’s eyes are always upon them.  He is always looking, watching, longing to be an active part of our lives.  “If you seek Him, you will find Him; when you search for Him with all of your heart.”

God’s gaze is fixed upon you, His beloved disciple.  Your loving Father watches over you, as a parent watches over His child.  As a child, I thought my mom and dad had eyes in the back of their heads, because even when they weren’t in the room, I would hear, “Libby!”  How did they know I was doing something other than what I was supposed to be doing?

Remember when John baptized Jesus.  The heavens opened up and God’s voice was heard from above, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”  As a child of the Most High God, we long to please our Heavenly Father.  As He looks down upon you today, will He find you seeking after Him as well?  I pray that He will find us faithfully doing what He created us to do. He never gives up on you and He will accomplish what concerns you.

In Motion:

Remember when you were little and your parents were looking down into your face.  They would say, “Look at me.”  Look full into the face of your Lord Jesus today, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.

 

In Style

Devotion: 1 Corinthians 12:4

I am not a fashionista; like my good friend Shari Braendel.  She always looks as if she should be on the cover of a fashion magazine.  She is always dressed in beautiful clothes and as women listen to her message; she encourages them not only to look their best, but to be modest in their dress. “Man looks at the outward appearance but God looks at the heart.”  A woman can dress beautifully and godly at the same time.  It is not necessary to reveal anything but her dignity; according to Shari.

Woman was taken from man’s side and when Adam and Eve sinned in the garden of Eden; the first clothes were fashioned out of leaves, sewn together.  We have come quite a ways from those first clothes; to clothes of all styles and types, made from cotton, silk, polyester and a plethera of other materials.

In the Christian church, there are as many styles of preaching , teaching, and worship; as there are fashions in the clothing industry.  Pastors, teachers and worship leaders bring different gifts and talents to their congregations.  Some use a lot of humorous stories to convey their points, while others preach or teach from a more somber personality.  There is one Lord, one faith and one baptism; which we all cling to for the basis of our salvation.  Your style of church is a matter of personal preference.  As long as the Word is being taught and Jesus is high and lifted up, God receives your worship!

In Motion:

Celebrate your style of worship before the Lord your God today!