I am a Christian, a retired teacher, a mother and a grandmother. I love to read and I love the Lord Jesus Christ! Unless otherwise specified ,all visual illustrations are from the YOU VERSION APP of the Bible.
Author: vicklea
I love to read! I’m a retired teacher with a spouse of 45 years, three amazing children and nine wonderful grandchildren. I am blessed!
If you read the devotional, you will know that the obstacle between the Israelites and the promised land was a fortified city named Jericho. We all have obstacles in our lives that we have to overcome. Right now, mine is trusting God in the medical situation with our grandson. Each day, I have to give the anxiety and heartache to God, again and again. I know that God is sovereign and in control and that this tumor did not surprise Him, but it has shocked me. As I read about Jericho and God’s unconventional way of defeating that enemy, I know that the same God can lead our family past this obstacle. There is nothing God cannot do, and I am believing that He will use this for the benefit of those who need to draw closer to Him, including me. The wilderness seemed to be my own health problems and I thought all of that was done…but then, Isaac’s tumor was found. So, standing at the walls of Jericho, I am trying to maintain my trust and I am putting my hope in the Lord who created our grandson and loves him even more than we do. Obedience is the key to winning the victory. What God told the Israelites to do didn’t make a lot of sense in the natural order of winning battles, but they did it anyway. What God is speaking to my heart is to be still and trust…doesn’t make much sense to me when I want to find another answer, an alternative medical solution, something. But God says to be still and trust, so I am fighting myself every day to do just that.
I am sure that you have a Jericho in your life, too. Listen to God’s instructions about how to fight that battle and be an overcomer. As I told Isaac, “Nothing will happen today that you and God cannot handle together.” Reach out to God and ask Him what He wants you to do as you prepare for battle. And when He answers, do it.
What a great privilege we have to be able to read the entire Word of God and be encouraged by the fact that we know for a fact that God is working out His plan and He will ultimately triumph. Like Joshua, I face many battles of Jericho in my life, sometimes it seems more than others. With me, it has been a battle to continue to have faith for healing when the healing does not come. Nevertheless, God’s Word is true, regardless of my circumstances and one day I will have total victory over this rebellious body of mine. I am thankful to know that Jesus is the Commander of God’s Armies and is returning to lead a victorious people to conquer the enemy of our souls once and for all! I am looking forward to that day and rejoicing that God’s plan is still in place, He hasn’t changed His mind about what He is doing in the world, and we can rest assured that just as Joshua was victorious at Jericho, we will be victorious if we just hold on to the Lord. The victory here on earth may not be what we expect or when we expect or how we expect, but it is coming. We just have to let God be God.
This is a thought-provoking devotional today. I never considered the fact that an angel would not permit a man to worship him, so the Commander of God’s Armies does seem to be an appearance of the Lord Jesus. I think, if I recall correctly, that is called a Christophany, an appearance of Christ before He was sent to earth in human form. Anyway, I think it is important to note that Joshua was ready to be led by God. Joshua was a strong leader, yet he had to come to the realization that we are not the leaders of God’s army; God is. I like how this devotional puts into focus that when we go into the world, we are not taking God to the lost. God is already there. We go in order to get into step with God’s plans for those people who are lost and need to have a relationship with their Creator. All we do to promote God’s kingdom should be falling under the umbrella of God’s plan, not our own. Thought-provoking to me, and perhaps to you, too.
Have you ever been given a nicely wrapped and beautiful gift and immediately handed it back to the giver, saying that you are not interested and don’t want it? My guess is that hasn’t happened. Everyone likes to receive gifts, whether they are for a special occasion of a “just because” gift. My husband frequently surprises me with small tokens of his love, a gift that he got when he was out doing errands and thought of me. Did you know that you are on God’s mind all the time and that He has offered a free gift, the gift of salvation and eternal life, and yet some of you have turned away from the gift, rejecting it just as you reject God? The gift God offers cost you nothing; it is totally free. Yet to our Lord and Savior, it cost everything. We can only be right with God by accepting His gift. I can only imagine how much it must hurt God when so many people every day reject His gift, choosing instead the shiny things in this world that distract from the gift of the eternal life to come. We are only on this earth for a short while and what we do with our time here shows clearly what our priorities are and if we have accepted God’s gift of salvation. The era of technology that we live in today offers all kinds of glittery distractions to take our attention away from God and all that He offers us. Don’t be deceived. Your inheritance with the Lord is already there for you, but you have to accept it.
Justified by Faith
The letter to the Romans is packed with deep theological truths that are meant to shape the way Christians live. Paul, the writer of the letter to the church in Rome, covers the details of what is known as “the Gospel message”—a message that was handed down to them.
One of the central components to the Gospel is that salvation comes through faith alone. That means that we are saved by the power of God through believing and trusting in Jesus. Every Christian comes to God through faith—not through good deeds or by trying to earn salvation.
Paul says that we have peace with God by our faith in Jesus. Prior to that, we were considered ungodly and unrighteous, because we would live our lives in our own power, doing our own things. This led to separation from God.
However, by faith in Jesus, we are justified before Him. This means that through Jesus’ own right-living, we are made right before Him. Even though we still make mistakes, we stand innocent before God because of Jesus.
It’s through being justified that we become children of God. We can have a relationship with God because of our status in Christ. We have access to God Himself, knowing that He is transforming us through our relationship with Him.
This means none of us can brag or boast about being a child of God. We all receive grace freely through faith. So right now, take a few moments to thank God for the incredible gift of salvation that He offers you. Then, reflect on what it means to be included in His family.
The faith we have is meant to be shared with the next generation. They need to hear about how we came to believe in the Lord Jesus and all that He has done for us during our lifetimes. It isn’t enough that they see our lives, although that should be a good witness to them. They also need to hear the stories. I think I have told all of my children and grandchildren my testimony but since my memory is faulty, it will not hurt to tell them again. It is in the telling that I am reminded to God’s goodness to me just as I am telling others about all that He has done. Just as the stones were set up by Israel when they crossed the Jordan River, I have memories from all of the churches we attended and what I learned there. I have Bibles marked with verses from various sermons by various pastors and notes that I have taken over the years, both in my Bible and in notebooks. You may not think so, but your children and grandchildren need the evidence of your faith shown to them so that when times get hard for them, they can look back and remember to keep the evidence of God’s working in them and their own faith. God does everything for a reason; we often don’t understand it at the time, or ever here on earth, but God has a plan and a purpose and He knows what He is doing. I needed to remind myself of that today as our oldest grandson is facing a tremendous medical burden. Please pray for him and for his family. I don’t know what God is doing here, but I know that He is control and can take care of cancer and all of its ill effects just as He took care of me when I had a stroke. God is good…always and in all ways, even when we don’t understand.
There has never been a time in my life that I did not know that God was working things out, regardless of how difficult the circumstances became. I like the details in this devotional about what had to come together perfectly in order for the Israelites to cross the Jordan on dry ground. The thought of a super computer and engineers was amusing to me, because God just saw what needed to be done and did it, at the absolutely perfect time. It’s a good thing to keep in mind that when we are getting impatient and wanting God to act quickly, He is in no hurry because He knows that what He does and when He does it will be the best thing for us and at the right time.
This devotional presents one of the simplest and easily understood explanation of consecration that I think I have ever read. We have to turn away from the things of the world and turn towards God. The wisest man who ever lived, King Solomon, started out right, wholeheartedly devoted to God. He built the temple and dedicated it to the Lord in a long prayer asking for God to dwell there and bless His people. But as he aged, Solomon’s heart was turned towards the wives that he had married from other nations, the very thing that God had warned him not to do. In turning away from God, Solomon turned to the world, worshipping the false gods of Moab among others. As a result, God took the kingdom away from Solomon and Israel was divided between Jeroboam and Rehoboam. What great blessings could have continued for generations if only Solomon had kept his first love for God and not for his foreign wives! We will never know the outcome of that scenario because it didn’t happen that way. Solomon had consecrated his life to serving the Lord, asking only for wisdom to rule well. Then he turned AWAY from God and toward the world and his own ego destroyed his kingdom. How many times have we felt the pull of the world, the entertainment that others seem to get so much pleasure from, the language that others use freely and seem to be accepted because of their irreverence, the riches and success that the world clamors for? We feel the pull, but if we are turned away from the world and toward God, these things cannot capture our hearts and souls. They may capture our attention, hopefully only briefly, but not enough to entice us away from our commitment to God. Each time we feel a tug to turn towards the world, we must remember that leads to destruction, not to life. Only God offers life eternally. Thus, our consecration to Him must be wholehearted, sincere and with a complete knowledge that the choices we make today may affect our eternal destiny and the witness we show others affects the way they turn, either towards God or away. Solomon’s choices led to the destruction on a united nation; choices matter. God desires us to turn towards Him but He will not force us to do so. It is our free will choice, and therein lies the problem. We are a sinful people saved by grace, a fact that we must remember every day, especially when we are faced with the choice to turn towards the world instead of towards God.
Our everyday lives may seem very common, not extraordinary in any way. But we need to be aware of our important role in the lives of others even as we go about out daily routines. Others are always watching. Some are watching to see if we are genuine in our caring for others. Some are watching to see if we make mistakes and if we own up to them when we do. Some are watching in hope that they, too, can live a life that is founded on faith in God, but they don’t know where to start. You and I are the ones that God uses to allow others to see Him in us. We are not perfect, not by any means! Nevertheless, the glimpse that others get of God and His love through our words and actions may make a difference in where they spend eternity. Be conscious of your words and actions because you may not know it, but others are always watching. The light you shine today spreads into the dark places of others who are looking for the way to get that light into their lives. Be wise with Godly wisdom, make wise choices and shine that light brightly so that others will want what we have…Jesus!
How to Live with Wisdom
The world is full of ways to grow in knowledge and become smarter. We can learn from schools, books, or other means. But more important than gaining knowledge is growing in wisdom. Wisdom increases when we apply ourselves well in relationships and circumstances, and make good decisions.
However, Scripture also says that true wisdom begins with God. While there are many people on earth who are wise, in God’s eyes real wisdom begins with our relationship with Him. God is perfect in truth and knowledge, so all wisdom must begin with Him.
Those who live with true wisdom will be a bright light for God in a dark world. How we act and speak matters. We are representatives for God to the rest of the world, so it is important that we act wisely.
One aspect of living wisely is being righteous. Righteousness is living in accordance with God’s law and ways of life. When we live according to God’s Word, we are living in accordance with His design for our life.
Jesus says that other people will know we are His disciples by the way we love others (John 13:35). That means that loving others is living according to God’s Word. And, by loving God and loving others, we will point other people to Jesus.
This is why Jesus says we are a city on a hill that cannot be hidden, and a light in the darkness (Matthew 5:14). Daniel 12:3 says that as we live wisely and righteously, we will shine bright like stars in the darkness.
The way we live, think, and act matters. Those are the primary ways that other people will see the love God has for them. So consider your own life. Think of ways you can live in accordance with God’s Word. Write down one or two ways you can shine the light of Jesus by loving others in tangible ways.
Sometimes impossible situations are there just to show God whether we are truly ready to take Him at His word and believe for the impossible to become possible. God is still the God of miracles, and we are still the instruments He uses to show others that He is still God.
As the German army invades the Netherlands in 1940, Aleida van der Zee Martens escapes to London to wait out the Occupation. Separated from her three-year-old son, Theo, in the process, the young widow desperately searches for her little boy even as she works for an agency responsible for evacuating children to the countryside.
When German bombs set London ablaze, BBC radio correspondent Hugh Collingwood reports on the Blitz, eager to boost morale while walking the fine line between truth and censorship. But the Germans are not the only ones Londoners have to fear as a series of murders flame up amid the ashes.
The deaths hit close to home for Hugh, and Aleida needs his help to locate her missing son. As they work together, they grow closer and closer, both to each other and the answers they seek. But with bombs falling and continued killings, they may be running out of time.
My Thoughts
This is a powerful and compelling story of a mother’s love, a reporter’s dedication and the hardships faced by those in the middle of the Nazi blitz of London during WWII. Aleida Martens is a sympathetic character who tugged all of my heart strings after she was separated from her beloved preschooler Theo as she fled from the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. Knowing only that he was given to strangers to take to London, Aleida determinedly sets out to find him, with no evidence that he even exists. In her quest, she meets Hugh Collingwood, a brave and intrepid reporter for the BBC who is trying to make a name for himself and live through the danger all around him. The two together make a formidable team as they try to right the wrongs being done do the refugee children as well as solve murders that seem to be connected and are piling up. This book was hard to put down and is haunting in its descriptions of the ravages of war and the toll it takes on the most innocent among us. I enjoyed the realistic characterization, the detailed research and the fast-paced plot. The entire book pulled me quickly into the story, captivating me in an era of challenging times but also presenting an unwavering faith in God in spite of circumstances. Mostly historical fiction but also mystery and a commentary on society’s values, this book is one not to be missed and one that will long be remembered as an insightful look at war, dedication and love. No single other author tells a war story as realistically and as skillfully as Sarah Sundin! Disclaimer Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16th CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
Christian Fiction, Rated PG due to intense war scenes and abusive spouse
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sarah Sundin enjoys writing about the drama and romance of the World War II era. She is the bestselling and Christy Award-winning author of Embers in the London Sky (February 2024), The Sound of Light (2023), Until Leaves Fall in Paris (2022), When Twilight Breaks (2021), and several World War II series. Sarah’s novels have received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and Booklist. Until Leaves Fall in Paris received the 2022 Christy Award and was a semi-finalist for the 2023 Carol Award, The Sound of Light, When Twilight Breaks, and The Land Beneath Us were finalists for the Christy Award, and The Sky Above Us won the 2020 Carol Award. A mother of three, Sundin lives in Southern California and enjoys speaking to community, church, and writers’ groups. Sarah serves as Co-Director for the West Coast Christian Writers Conference. You can find more information about Sarah and her books at her website https://www.sarahsundin.com/
With true appreciation to Revell Reads Blogger Program for introducing me to Sarah Sundin when she wrote her first book and for inviting me to read this ARC of her latest book. Sundin never disappoints and always entertains, with faith as a firm foundation and impeccable research. Thank you, Revell, for providing uplifting Christian Fiction!
www.bible.com/reading-plans/13696/day/24
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Vickie's Book Nook and Meditation Corner 