Devotionals Archives - Page 9 of 9

31 Days, Christian Living, Devotionals, Disability

Day 19 – Trusting Him in the Road Ahead

“Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.” ~ Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust is something we all struggle with from time to time. I know for me it is hard, especially when I do not know what is ahead. I am a planner by nature, and I like to know exactly what is going on. However, God has reminded me lately to rest in Him and not to stress or have so many questions over what is ahead. “When will I get better?” “When will I be able to work again?” “When will God bring that future husband that I have prayed for, for years?” As these questions have gone through my mind God has reminded me of the past and how through every season He has been faithful to guide me.

It does not matter if I do not know what to expect in my future, but what does matter is that I stay obedient to the Lord and trust in His daily guidance.

It is comforting to me during times of the unknown to know that Jesus loved me so much that He died on the cross so that I might have life. Trusting in that great love can never lead me wrong and that is the only consistent thing that brings peace in all of my uncertainty. I pray that wherever you are that you can trust God today with your uncertainties and that you can find the peace that comes with resting in Him.

To read more posts in this series visit here.

31 Days, Articles, Christian Living, Devotionals, Disability

Day 11 – Restless

Lately, I have been restless. I could sit here and tell you that the reasons I am restless are that I have had major health problems this year, had to put my job on hold, or am single, but that would not be true. Do those things contribute to my restlessness? Yes, but they are not the main reason. The main reason for my discontentment is that I am not trusting God as I should. I am a planner and like to have everything figured out. However, I am in a season where nothing seems to be figured out, but I think that is exactly where God wants me. It is so easy to feel content when all of my plans are working out, but that is just it, the focus is on me and not God. I have been craving peace lately, but in my finite ways, the mindset is that peace will come when things in life work out. That is wrong thinking. The Bible says that God will give me perfect peace no matter what my circumstances in life are (Isaiah 26:3).

It is such a comfort to know that even when I am restless God is not, and in order to have peace all I have to do is trust. When you choose to love Christ above all else, peace will rule in your heart no matter your circumstances.

My prayer today is that I have the Christ-like attitude that Paul had when he stated in Philippians 4:12 “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” Paul’s contentment was found in Christ alone and that was all he needed, and is all you or I need. If you are restless today, give your restlessness to Christ and He will give you His perfect peace. Nothing or no one could be better than that.

To read more posts in this series visit here.

31 Days, Articles, Christian Living, Devotionals, Friendship

Day 10 – God is Faithful

One week ago today, my dear friend Erin got married. It was such a joyous day and I was so thankful to be a part of it as a bridesmaid. That day was such an answer to many prayers prayed over the years and evidence of God’s faithfulness in both her and Jeremy’s lives. Even in crazy hurricane weather, with power that did not come on until thirty minutes before the ceremony, all ended up being well and everything was beautiful. It was such a great time of seeing and catching up with old friends.

Weddings are also a reminder for me of God’s faithfulness and the great love He has for His children. We are His bride, His beloved, and He pursues us daily. He is always standing at the end of the aisle with a smile and embrace ready for us to come to Him and commit. He treasures us and fulfills our greatest desires with Himself. He is truly the greatest lover of all time and any other love is second to His.

God is my rock and even in the midst of this season of trial, God has shown up and reminded me that He is faithful in ALL things, even in the hard. He is the faithful leader in my life and has great plans for me even when I do not understand. He rejoices in me and wants me to rejoice in Him. Isaiah 62:5 states, “As a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you.” As I have spent time in the Word today that is exactly what God has been reminding me of. On the days where I feel tired, overwhelmed, or lonely, He reminds me that He is all I need and He loves me with an unfailing love! When I think of God in this light it is hard to be discouraged because His faithfulness and love are so evident. Take a moment and dwell on God’s faithfulness in your life today and thank Him for all the ways He has been there for you.

To read more posts from this series visit here.

31 Days, Articles, Devotionals, Disability

Day 8- Mama Said There’d be Days Like This

The struggle is real, folks. I am crazy exhausted today. My health is still recovering from this past weekend and yesterday I was in Charlotte most of the day for a doctors appointment and tests. That being said, my body is rebelling and shutting down and yelling, “I am so tired!” My brain is foggy and I feel like the sentences in my mind all sound the same so my words will be few today.

My plan for the day is to rest and more importantly relax by spending time with the Lord and in His word. So often we get caught up in the hustle, bustle, and stresses of life and forget that it is just as important to take time to rest and re-energize our body and souls. The verse that is coming to my mind right now is Psalm 46: 10 which states, “Be still and know that I am God.” Take some time to be still before the Lord today and allow His presence refuel you.

To read more posts from this series visit here.

31 Days, Articles, Christian Living, Devotionals, Disability

Day 7 – Remember Calvary

Happy Wednesday, friends. Thanks for staying with me on this 31 Day writing journey. Over the past few days I have had some sleepless nights, but each day God is showing me His grace in new ways.

One of my favorite missionaries is Amy Carmichael. Amy was a missionary in India for many years, but later in life dealt with physical illnesses and suffering that left her homebound. During that time she wrote about things that the Lord was teaching her. Last night I read this quote from her that helped put things in perspective for me. She states,

”Above all there is this, look at Calvary. Look steadfastly. Take time to look and all within you will be hushed. For power streams forth from Calvary. We never need to know defeat.”

Wow! When I read that it reminded me of what Jesus did for me on the cross and that I am not alone in my suffering. There is nothing that I am experiencing that Jesus can’t relate to, and He is always by my side offering His comfort and strength. I do not know what you are facing today but whether it is good or bad take time to dwell on Calvary and take comfort in the healing presence of Jesus. As Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble, but take heart I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33). Praise God for that, and for the gift of Jesus, for with Him we can make it through anything that comes our way.

To read my other posts in this series visit here.

31 Days, Articles, Christian Living, Devotionals, Disability

Day 6 – Joy

Philippians 4:4 states, “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice.” Note, that this verse does not tell us to only be joyful in the good times but to be joyful always no matter what comes our way. All of us have been through seasons where certain struggles tempt us to be less joyful than others. In my own life recently I have had some health problems, and some days I do not feel like having joy in the midst of them. Other examples could be struggling to find joy in your singleness, the mundane of your job, your marriage, etc. As I have said in previous posts, some days are just plain crappy. Thankfully though, we have the word of God that leads, guides, and helps us to find the joy of Christ each and every day in these and any other situations we may face.

An excellent example in Scripture of a person who displayed joy in good times and in difficult ones was Paul. Paul experienced many hardships and sufferings while following Christ, and Scripture tells us that he dealt with a “thorn in the flesh,” but through it all he remained joyful. Paul tells the secret to this joy and contentment in a letter he wrote to the church of Philippi. Philippians 4:11-13 states, “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content in whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether fed or hungry, whether in plenty or in want. I can do all things through him who gives me strength.” With Christ, we can endure anything because of His strength that promises to sustain us through whatever comes.

No matter what is going on in and around you, you can still have joy even in the worst of times. That is when Christ can shine the most. It is easy to get caught up in what we want, and be selfish. It is also easy to think that a joyful life is defined by a series of good moments and fulfilled desires.

However, life is really defined by the work Jesus Christ is doing in you, and how He allows the “not so good moments” to mature you.

I want to encourage you today to not let your circumstances steal your joy. Be thankful for what God has given you. Spend time reading His word daily and ask him to give you His never-ending joy, and follow His command to rejoice always! If you do this, the weight of your worries will lessen, and life will suddenly seem brighter. Be encouraged that in his presence their is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11), and remember that God works out ALL things for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28). I am praying for you today as you put into practice this fruit of the spirit and embrace the joy Christ has for you. I ask that you pray the same for me.

31 Days, Articles, Devotionals, Disability

Day 4 – His Grace is Sufficient

So you know how you have ideas of how a day or a week is going to go and then everything falls apart and nothing goes how you imagined. Well, that is what happened to me this week. On Tuesday, I was all excited about the rest of the week because I was going to wake up early every day and have a nice long quiet time, then get lots of writing done. Guess what? It went nothing like that. When you have health problems sometimes they override the best intentioned of plans.

Tuesday morning started out so insane. First, I overslept. Then I get up and had a major disaster with my ileostomy bag that resulted in literally a bunch of crap to clean up. This little episode took a while. Then I dropped my phone and ruined my phone case. Thankfully, the phone survived the drama, but a new phone case, preferably an OtterBox will be on order soon. And all of this happened BEFORE I had my coffee. That tells you how the rest of the day went. Wednesday morning at 3:00am I woke up having severe bladder spasms and had issues all day that caused me to have to take medicine and stay in bed. As a result, I had to cancel appointments and the plans I had made for the day. I apologize to those of you I have frequently cancelled with due to health issues. Your grace is always much appreciated.

Thursday was the same type of day, and my mom and I were leaving to go out of town on Friday. Naturally, I was a bit frustrated and overwhelmed as to how all was going to get done and how my health would hold up. However, that is when the Lord so sweetly reminded me of truth from His word in 2 Corinthians 12:9 which states, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” Everything maybe didn’t get done the way I had planned but things were still okay in the end, and God reminded me that instead of getting upset to rest in His amazing grace. He has control of everything and in my weaknesses He is strong.

So whatever you are struggling with today, or if you feel overwhelmed with the task in front of you, take a moment to stop and pray. Rest in the grace and strength that God so freely gives to anyone who asks and that will give you a whole new perspective.

Articles, Christian Living, Devotionals

Purity of the Mind

Hey friends. This is an article that I wrote a while ago, and stumbled upon it recently. I thought it would be a good addition to what I wrote on Wednesday. Read and be encouraged!

Philippians 4: 8-9 states, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”

One thing God has been challenging me with lately is purity of the mind. As Christians, we should daily check what we allow to go through our minds. I know for me it is not always the purest and most holy of thoughts. It is easy to allow our minds to be filled with worry, stress, anger, bitterness, jealousy, etc. At times one may wonder why we can’t get such thoughts from our minds, or why we can’t feel God’s presence. However, if we are feeding our minds with things of this world, that is why we are unhappy, discontent, fearful, or worried.

In the early years of my parent’s marriage, my dad worked the night shift. Because of that, mom was alone in the evenings and often felt afraid. However, one night in particular she was more fearful than normal. She prayed for the Lord take her fear away, and to remove the feeling of darkness that was around her. She had been watching a television show and immediately felt the Lord tell her “Sara, how can I take the Devil out, when you are putting him in by what you are watching?” From that point forward my mom was more selective regarding the things she watched, read, and listened to. I was reminded of this recently, and realized that I have let my guard down in this area more than I should have. Below are some questions that I ask myself regarding these areas and I thought I would share them with you.

Questions to ask ourselves:

1. Are the television shows and movies I am watching glorifying to the Lord? How do I feel once I’ve watched it? Does it make me have sinful thoughts or attitude?

2. Does the music I listen to glorify the Lord? Does it cause me to want to draw closer to Him or does it make me discontent?

3. Does the books and magazines I read glorify the Lord or do they bring negative thoughts to my mind?

4. Does the conversations I engage in glorify the Lord or myself? Does the words I use affirm others or tear them down?

Bible verses to ponder:

Romans 12:2: “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Proverbs 4:23: “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.”

Ephesians 4:22-24: “To put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”

As you go throughout your week ask God to show you what habits you need to do away with or change. Focus on the verses above and commit them to memory as they will help focus your mind and heart on the right things. Praying for you all.

Articles, Books, Christian Living, Devotionals

Time with God

Hello sweet blog readers. Lately I have been struggling to have time with the Lord. Since I’ve been sick and during my recovery process, my schedule has not been consistent and when I lay down to sleep each night I remember–“Wait, I didn’t spend time with Jesus today.” I know the Lord understands sickness and circumstances that may not always allow you to spend extended amounts of time in the Word. However, God desires us to put Him first in whatever way that looks like in our present circumstances. In different seasons our quiet time can change, but God asks us to do what we are able to do in that moment, and gives us the grace to do so. I have lots of extra time at home right now so I need to use it by sitting at the feet of Jesus and soaking up His word instead of spending my time doing trivial activities to entertain myself.

I recently began reading “The Cross and the Switchblade,” by David Wilkerson. I am not too far into it yet, but his story is powerful. If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend it. In the book, David tells a story about how he loved watching “The Tonight Show” each night once all of his family had gone to bed. That was the one activity he enjoyed doing to unwind. One night he was convicted about needing to spend more time in prayer, but thought that he didn’t have more time in his day. However, that was until God reminded him of the calm quiet hours that he stayed up watching television. God began leading Him to give up that time of tv watching, and spend it in prayer instead. Since David was the only one in the household who watched television he told the Lord that he would put an ad in the newspaper advertising that his tv was for sale. If it sold in the first half hour of the newspaper releasing then he would give it up. Well guess what? Within the first 29 minutes the television sold, and David began to use that time each evening for prayer and communion with the Father. It was hard for him at first but he would tell you that it was worth it. I want to clarify that I am not saying we should all sell our televisions and never watch them again, but I do think we need to make spending time with Christ the most important part of our day. Therefore, if television, movies, reading, social media, activities, etc are taking us away from Him then we need to adjust our priorities.

I can tell when I am not spending enough time with the Lord because my mind starts to be anxious, and I start to worry and fret over every little thing. I also start to feel discontent and not satisfied with life. This is not how the Lord intends for us to live. He wants us to enjoy being with Him, and live in the freedom that He gives us each day. Nothing or no one can satisfy the longings and discontentment in our hearts, except for Jesus. We think we can fill ourselves up on worldly things, and that will give us the satisfaction we need, but that only leaves us wanting more. Jesus desires for us to come to Him each day, seek, and get to know Him. He is ready and waiting to be our beloved and best friend. So will you join me daily by spending time with your Savior? It doesn’t have to be a long time each day. God knows you’re heart and what you are able to give so give the best of every day to Him and you will not regret it. Make Jesus your treasure. Below are some tips that I have found helpful over the years in spending time with God and I hope they encourage you as well.

Read the Bible – Daily Bible reading books are a helpful resource in this. Also, Apps like YouVersion and She Reads Truth have different plans you can choose from to read each day. Also, John is a good place to start and Psalm 119 is one of my personal favorites. So much truth there.

– Prayer Journaling – Write out your prayers to God. This helps you stay focused and journaling is also a good way to remind yourself of God’s faithfulness.

– Devotionals – Nothing should replace the word of God but doing devotionals can be a helpful addition to your Bible reading each day. Some of my favorites are: My “Utmost For His Highest” by Oswald Chambers, and “A Lamp Unto My Feet by Elisabeth Elliot.

Also, I am currently going through the book, “To Live is Christ,” by Beth Moore that highlights the missionary journeys of Paul, and it has been amazing.

How do you spend your quiet times? I would love for you to share what God is teaching you and how I can pray for you. Be encouraged!

Day 19 – Trusting Him in the Road Ahead

Day 11 – Restless

Day 10 – God is Faithful

Day 8- Mama Said There’d be Days Like This

Day 7 – Remember Calvary

Day 6 – Joy

Day 4 – His Grace is Sufficient

Purity of the Mind

Time with God

ameliamcneilly

ameliamcneilly

Subscribe for Updates