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.
We were created by God to be noticed by others, especially non-believers. Our witness to them should stick out, so much so that they want to know why we are “different.” If we are just like everyone else in the world, then how do we convince others that they should be like us and follow Jesus? The answer is that we are living in this world, but we are called to separate ourselves from it. We are called to be different, the spokespeople of the Lord of the Universe.
We are not created to be like a chain of paper dolls, all looking and sounding the same. We each have our own distinct physical features and we are all called to share our own unique testimony about the Lord and His gift of salvation to us personally. God doesn’t want robots; He desires the people whom He created to have a relationship with Him, the Creator. Then, He wants us to share the relationship we have with others so that they can come to know Him, too.
Can you see it? There is a chameleon in this photo. We are not supposed to blend in like this so others don’t notice us at all. We are people, created in God’s image, to represent Him to the world. We aren’t trying to hide from the dangers the world presents, although that might not be a bad idea sometimes. We aren’t supposed to blend in with the sinful people, but rather, we should be representatives of the One who has called us to be holy. We are supposed to be so different that others want to know why we are filled with joy during challenging times, not cursing God because of the weather and giving God the credit for all of our blessings instead on insisting that our own effort brought our success. There is only one me, only one you. And that was planned by our loving Heavenly Father.
The Bible is filled with promises from God, things He promises to His dear children, which is all of us who love Him.
Do you remember your parents making promises to you? I don’t remember the exact wording, but I remember things like “I’ll take you to the pool later” or “If you take care of your brother, I will take you to get ice cream later.” Unfortunately, some (perhaps many) of those promises didn’t happen. But I didn’t wallow in bitterness and self-pity because I knew that life interrupted those plans, so the plans (and the promises) had to change. I am certain that I told my own children many things that I planned to do and promised them we would do them…but then, life happened and those things didn’t.
The great thing about God’s promises is that He is actually able to keep all of them because He is in charge on the plan. Life doesn’t get in His way, circumstances don’t thwart His plan. He says it and He then fulfills it.
Do you see how these verses go together? God doesn’t lie. He fulfills what He says He will do. One of His promises is to watch over us, always. That doesn’t mean that we don’t get hurt sometimes. I have fallen more times than I can count and from my position on the floor, it didn’t look a lot like God was watching over me. But I know that He was. A few broken bones, but no serious damage or lasting harm. And each time I fell, I learned a lesson about how not to fall, like moving more slowly, not rising quickly and using my cane or Walker consistently. God watches over us, but He does expect us to use the tools that He has already given us to try to keep us safe.
Sometimes, the fulfillment of God’s promises don’t look like we imagine and then we start thinking that He didn’t keep His promise. Yes, He did and He does, just not always the way we expected. In the long run, what God does to keep His promise will be better than we expected and more than we needed. God does keep His promises in His Word, but sometimes we have to be in tune with the Holy Spirit to see God working in our lives as He fulfills His Word to us. If we are depending on our natural eyes to see God’s hand at work, we won’t see it. God is Spirit, and as hard as it is for us to understand, we cannot put Him in a box and say that He promised thus and so and it has to be exactly what we expect. Allowing God free rein (also reign) to work in our lives is the best way I can think of to release Him to fulfill His promises in our lives.
I am a person who loves to check off lists. So, here is one that I think you can use, too.
God saved me. ✅
God shows His love for me. ✅
God fulfilled His promise to sacrifice His Son for me. ✅
God sent the promised Holy Spirit to lead me. ✅
God desires a relationship with me. ✅
What can you add to this checklist that shows more promises that God has fulfilled in your life? As I said at the beginning, the Bible is full of His promises, and so are our lives.
Whenever one looks for a new job, they go through the interview process and are asked a lot of probing questions about their experience and suitability for the position. Having moved so many times and being a teacher, I went through interviews each time. And although I did not say it aloud, I was thinking to myself, “What are the benefits of this job for me?” I was thinking of perks, health insurance, vacation days, bonuses, etc.
When I became a Christian over five decades ago, I heard about Jesus, read about all He had done for me in the book of John and accepted Him as my Lord and Savior. There was no interview in which the Holy Spirit asked me what I was bringing to the table. Nor did I wonder what were the benefits of this new relationship. I just knew that God had sent His Son to die for me so that I could be reunited with Him, freed from sin and shame and a new child of the King.
In today’s devotional, the verse was from Isaiah 53, probably a verse familiar to those of you who regularly read and study the scriptures.
As I meditated on this verse, I saw the suffering Jesus, the One who did no wrong and yet paid the ultimate price for mankind. But I also saw the benefits I have as a Christian. My transgressions and iniquities are gone, no longer a part of what God sees as He looks at me. The peace that I need daily to face the challenges of life is mine as long as I press into my Savior and depend on Him. Finally, I am healed. Most people would ask, “How can you say that? You still have asthma, a compromised lung and one kidney that is failing?” All true. But the healing from the Lord is not just physical. I am healed emotionally from a childhood that was less than perfect, I am healed mentally from always feeling “less than” and, most importantly, I am healed spiritually. I have been made whole. All of my physical infirmities are part of being in an imperfect body in an imperfect world. God can and does heal physically, as I well know since I am a stroke survivor. But He doesn’t always heal the physical because His emphasis is on our spiritual well-being. Part of being close to God is having physical problems that persist, even when we are Christians. I think of Paul who had an unknown “thorn in the flesh” that we don’t even know what he suffered from. We just know that he had asked God repeatedly to “take it from him.” So, I count my life as a blessed one and I am healed in all the ways that matter. Yes, I have aches and pains, all part of the aging process. But I am thankful for life, even with all of the physical limitations that I have. God is always God and life with Him is filled with blessings and benefits!
The second definition in Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary is “belief and trust in and loyalty to God.” The sub-definition is “firm belief in something for which there is no proof.” First, I was concerned about why faith in God is not the first definition. That place belongs to the word “loyalty.” I can see that, but my personal opinion is that the definitions are not in proper order. Nevertheless, now that we know from the dictionary what faith is, what is it really? What does the word “faith” mean to you?
To me, faith is what allows me to go through hard times, knowing that the God I love and serve is waiting for me on the other end. Faith is also what I tried to show to my children and still try to show to my grandchildren. I show them through my prayers and my testimony and my Bible study that I truly believe in God. Proof that He exists? Faith is not dependent on any scientific study but rather it depends on a relationship that is established on the day you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior and start a relationship with the Father.
Faith is not a feeling that you get, but a heartbeat that pumps inside you and becomes part of who you are. I could no more wake up without faith than I could awaken without a heartbeat. I wouldn’t exist as the person I am without my faith in God, my belief that He is there working on my behalf and will never let me down.
My faith in God started as a small seed, trusting Him to save me from my sins and to bring me into a right relationship with Him. How did that seed get sown? By reading God’s Word and believing it! And every day that I read and study His Word to me (and to you), my faith is nurtured, much like watering the rose bush outside my window.
We have faith that when we go out to start our car in the morning, the car will turn on and we will go. We have faith that the GPS giving us directions knows what it is doing. You get the idea. Can you see all of the internal workings of the car that make it go? No, but you trust that it will. Do you understand how a GPS works? I guess some real brainiacs will say “of course” but I don’t understand it and doubt that most people do, but I still trust it will get me to where I want to be, even with a several “re-routing” statements along the way.
Faith in God is kind of like believing and knowing without seeing or totally understanding. I know that God created me because His Word says so. It is not by accident that I was born or that birds can fly or that fish can swim. God designed it all this way and He is the sovereign One who continues to watch over His creation. How do I know that? Because I have faith that the Word of God is totally accurate and true.
Whatever you believe in or have faith in is what your life focus is. If your belief is only in yourself, then you focus on keeping yourself happy and secure. I am glad that my focus is on God since I don’t have to be so self-centered on my happiness and security since it is a part of what God promises me, i.e. contentment and provision.
Others have used this analogy so it is not mine originally, but we cannot see the wind, but we can feel it. And if there is a big storm, we can hear it. The wind is there whether we see it or not. So is God. He is there, working behind the scenes of our lives to help us to get to know Him better. But we have to do our part. When we know a hurricane is coming, we prepare by gathering supplies like batteries and toilet paper. The Bible tells us that Jesus is coming again. Are you getting ready? Are you faith-filled and prepared to meet the Lord? You can get ready by spending time with God and His Word. Learn what it says to you about His love, sacrifice and plans for you. Every day that you spend with God is a blessing and an opportunity to build your faith.
We cannot know the future, and I don’t think I would want to know it, honestly. But I can trust that whatever the future brings, God will be right there with me. That is faith.
We may not know where life will take us each day, but we can rest assured that the One who is leading will be faithful to lead us through the storms, out of the valleys and ultimately into His presence.
Many of us who are Christians have come to the realization that the process of being more like Christ is one that takes time, a daily choice to follow Him and to be more like Him. In a world of instant oatmeal, coffee and fast food places on every block, a relationship with Jesus is not something we can just pick up one day and say it’s done. Like a baby plant, it has to be watered, nurtured and coaxed to flower.
We grow by feeding ourselves from God’s word and by spending time with Him daily, praying and worshiping.
We also grow by establishing relationships with other Christians in church. I am glad today is church day. I have been awake since 3:30 a.m. and I am tired, but I am excited about seeing my brothers and sisters in Christ, sharing words of encouragement with them and helping one another to grow. Fellowship is an important part of growing as we hold each other up and don’t allow one another to wither.
I hope you have a blessed Sunday and take time to grow closer to God today.
If you want to have a relationship with our Creator, it is imperative that you spend time with Him. One of the best ways to do that is to spend time reading and studying His Word. That is where you find out about His love and His promises to each of us. It is hard for us finite beings to conceive of an infinite God, One who is not restrained by time and who set the whole world into motion. In reading His Word, we get a small understanding of who He is, more and more each day we spend time with Him. He shows us who He is, what His plan for the world is, and what His purpose for us is, all through His Word.
When you sign a contract, you think that it will all be carried out. But sometimes, that just doesn’t happen. Marriage comes to mind. Most of us enter into marriage with the idea that it is for life. Then, problems come up and one or both of you decide to “void the contract” and start a new life without that other person. I have never suffered that break in a contract, but I have had numerous friends and family members who have. Divorce is not an easy thing to go through because promises were made and then somehow broken. Sometimes our experiences in life keep us from wanting to have a close relationship with God because we don’t really trust someone we can’t see. After all, those we see are constantly disappointing us.
God is different in a way that is almost impossible to describe because each individual has to have a personal relationship with Him in order to get to know Him. And you cannot get to know Him without starting with faith and a belief that He will do just as He has said in His Word. The ironic thing is that you won’t know what is in His Word unless you read and study it. So, we have come full circle. Why read God’s Word? The short answer is to know Him. The real answer is to know who you are meant to be in relationship with Him. We were never meant to travel this world with unfurled sails and without a rudder or compass. God provides both in His Word, both the power and the direction we need to go. I hope that if you have not started already, you will begin a daily journey of getting to know the One who knows you best and loves you most. Just pick up a Bible and read God’s love story to you. I recommend that you start with the Book of John. Find a Bible plan online and stick to it. Get together with a friend or a group of friends to discuss what you have discovered about God each week. Establish a firm foundation with the One whose word never fails.
Throughout the Bible, we see examples of peace being a state of wholeness, calm, and renewal between God and His people. In the different stories from the last few days, we might notice that peace isn’t a one-and-done experience. Instead, it’s an ongoing process that ultimately brings us closer to God.
People in Scripture lived in the tension of receiving God’s peace each day, while also finding ways to share His peace with the people around them.
Yesterday, we read Matthew 5:9 NIV, when Jesus said:
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”
Notice it says “peacemaker”—not “peacekeeper.” Peacemaking is an active process where we all have a role to play. It doesn’t mean we go along with every opinion that gets thrown out around the dinner table. It also doesn’t mean we have to agree with everything our friends and family believe. Those actions may avoid conflict, but they don’t make peace.
It’s also tempting to ignore conflict or pretend it’s not there. But Romans 12:9 reminds us that love must be sincere. If we hide our hurt feelings, we’re not bringing peace—we’re avoiding the process of making peace.
So how can we bring peace to our relationships with God and others?
1. We recognize we already belong.
On Day 8, we learned we have the gift of peace because we belong to God’s family. This peace can’t be taken from us because of who gave it to us. Still, there will be moments, circumstances, and seasons in our lives where it might be more difficult to find peace.
It might be in an unexpected diagnosis, a long-running relational tension, or when it feels like those around us are far from God. In these moments, we can choose to trust and believe that God is working in our lives and the lives of those we care about. And we can take these concerns and worries to our heavenly Father, believing that He will replace our anxious thoughts with His perfect peace.
2. We acknowledge reality.
Sometimes when we feel a lack of peace, it’s because we’re struggling with how we wish things around us were different. In order to experience the state of wholeness, calm, and renewal that God’s peace promises us, we must acknowledge where we are right now. When we do, we can better identify steps to make peace around us.
3. We share what we have.
Not only is peace a gift we receive from God, it’s a gift we share with those around us. We have confidence in what we know is true of God—His faithfulness, kindness, patience, and more. And we choose to share this goodness with our friends, family, coworkers, and community. It starts small, like choosing to listen with empathy and curiosity, praying for those you disagree with, and taking a step to reflect God’s character to others.
When we practice peace in these ways, we’ll be able to see the wholeness, calm, and renewal that God wants for each of us.
My Thoughts
When I think of peace being ongoing and having to work at it, that seems like a dichotomy to me. Shouldn’t peace just rain down from heaven and fill each of us? Well, maybe, but my experience has not shown that to be true. As the devotional points out, there are actions we can take to help make peace a reality in our lives daily, not just for ourselves but for those around us, too.
I have a family member who is very contentious and hard for me to live at peace with. When I visit, I have to hold my tongue, keep my opinions to myself and hope that she doesn’t explode from something I say or do. I confess that I have been avoiding the process of making peace, as the devotional points out. It is up to me to love sincerely by sharing the truth, even if she doesn’t want to hear it and it’s hard for me to share. With the reality of God’s peace and knowing that I am accepted by Him, I think I can do it. At least, I plan to try.
First, I must admit that the days before an election have found me anxious and fearful for the future of our nation. Over and over again, God has spoken quietly to my heart and told me to have peace, that He is sovereign and in control and nothing is impossible for Him. But it was not until this morning that I had a real breakthrough.
After the strong storm came up and Jesus awakened and calmed the storm, Jesus’s words to His disciples, those who had been following Him and seeing all of His miracles, were, “Where is your faith?” That is what He asked me this morning. If my faith is in a man to lead this nation and help us to become more moral again, then my faith is in the wrong thing. If my faith is in a party or a church leader or anything or anyone that is not God, then my faith is misplaced. The same God who commands the winds and waves commands the whole world and He can take care of the United States or judge it or whatever He want to do. Whatever God chooses to do is part of His ultimate plan and I can neither change His mind or divert Him from His plan. So, instead of being afraid in the rocking boat, I am choosing to do as Jesus did, to be at peace and to rest, trusting that the Father has it all under control.
As a side note, another interesting thing I got from my devotional this morning is the times Jesus healed and told the person not to tell others. Jesus wants us to focus on the majesty of God, on His glory, grace and mercy, not on the miracles He does for us. Yes, they are numerous and they happen every day. Sometimes we aren’t even aware of what God has done for us in any given day. But the focus of our lives should not only be on what God has done for us, although gratitude is important. Our focus should on our response to what God has done. Are we truly in awe of Him and His power and actions for us? Are we honestly thankful or do we just take Him and His work for granted? Do we tell others the testimony of how He has changed our lives and we are not the same? Or do we only talk about miraculous healing? I am not saying that miracles are not important; they are, but they are not the reason we seek God, or at least I hope that isn’t the reason. God wants a relationship with us, not for what He can do for us, but just because He loves us and wants us to love Him because He is our God. God is not our personal genie (I said the same thing in a previous post long ago.) There is no magic bottle that we can rub and summon the Lord God. He is always there, right beside us, listening to us and waiting for us to come into a right relationship with Him, one of respect and genuine amazement at who He is, yet He still notices us and all the little details of our lives. Our God is truly an awesome God!
For many years, my priorities were out of balance. My military husband was absent frequently from our home, so the children we had became a priority over him. I was busy building my career, so that too superseded my thoughts of our marriage. It was only when I had a stroke and I recognized his loving care for me that God pointed out that Harry had been there all along, waiting for me to notice him. I think God has always been my first priority, but I confess that my husband was not in his proper place until the last ten years. We missed a lot of time together because I just didn’t make that a priority. May God redeem the time and may our years together be filled with joy, peace and love!
I have heard this short phrase most of my Christian life (over five decades), but it has only become more real to me recently as I have pondered what it really means to live for Christ. Does it mean that I cease to exist and that all that matters to me is no longer important? God is slowly revealing to me that He wants all of me dedicated to Him but He does not want me to be a Christ-figure. He wants me to be walking around, doing what I do and be Christlike in my attitude, words and choices. Christ died for me, so the least that I can do is live for Him.
In other words, I should not be making choices to gain something for me, but to expand the Kingdom of God. My own happiness matters to God so I need to let go of trying to make myself happy and start trying to do and say what would please the Lord and lead others to Him so that they can find true fulfillment in a relationship with Him. It’s frustrating being around people who don’t serve or worship God. Imagine how difficult it must be for God, our Creator, to constantly deal with people who refuse to acknowledge Him in spite of all of His blessings to them! I don’t lose anything by serving and living for Christ, but I lose everything if I just choose to live for myself.
I don’t know if I want length added to my years or not unless it is for God’s benefit. I just want to do what pleases Him and to stay here on earth for as long as he wants me to. Sometimes, I get weary…bone-weary, spiritually exhausted. Then God tells me to get up and keep going because He isn’t finished with me yet. If I am living for Christ, I need to be willing to keep on keeping on until God tells me that my race is done.
This is a prayer I say often and not just as a thing to say to appease God. I say it because I truly want to please the Lord. He is all to me, my reason for being, so I want my life to reflect His. My prayer for you is that you will grasp hold of the concept of living for Christ and know that it means turning over your words and your heart to Him completely. He is worthy and capable of giving you the words to speak and a changed heart to show others.
May your day be filled with the wisdom that comes only from the Father, the joy and comfort from the Holy Spirit and the compassion and love of the Son.
www.bible.com/reading-plans/11667/day/18
Vickie's Book Nook and Meditation Corner 