Author Topic: Devotions  (Read 1715 times)

Forgotten Mother

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Re: Devotions
« Reply #15 on: October 27, 2023, 03:07:00 PM »
https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/full-post/2023/01/13/running-past-snakes-what-to-do-when-you-face-a-distraction?utm_campaign=Daily%20Devotions&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=240604111&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-93wweDgLXqH0cY7DfjH43cZhORyDgoRCJKH2Uh2tSxfVgoTF8eyQA7o73I5A0NdoNO2njT_O8NnPDae6gsHFET1wNrKg&utm_content=240604111&utm_source=hs_email#disqus_thread

Running Past Snakes: What To Do When You Face a Distraction
January 13, 2023
by Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young

?Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.? Proverbs 4:27 (ESV)

A few months ago, I ran in the Diamond 13K race in Central California. The out-and-back course included a mix of shade and sun and a view of the majestic Sierra Nevada in the distance.  Taking off from the start, I found myself running next to my friend Sunny. We were chatting away as we started to ascend the first hill, named The Corkscrew. Then I saw it.  On the side of the trail, just a few steps away, was a coiled black-and-white snake. Did I mention I hate snakes?

I tried to stay calm and do the only thing I knew to do: keep running. ?Did you see that?? I asked Sunny next to me. ?A snake!?

?I missed it!? she exclaimed, wide-eyed.

I kept thinking about that snake for the next mile, feeling distracted and unsure of my steps.  Was it dangerous?

Should I have stopped to take a picture?

Would it be there on my way back down the hill to the finish line?

It was then that a proverb I had read came to mind:  ?Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil? (Proverbs 4:26-27, ESV).

The book of Proverbs provides for believers wisdom that King Solomon collected for a young man in his day.  The word ?ponder? in Proverbs 4:26 means ?to consider well.? In life (and while trail running), it?s important to consider well where we are going. This proverb reminded me to keep my eyes forward and my feet on the path.  After I reached the top of The Corkscrew, I made a decision to stop thinking about that snake. With 7 miles ahead of me, I needed to refocus on my race. If I continued to keep dwelling on the snake, I could get distracted, lose my footing and fall potentially causing myself injury or ruining my running time.  In putting the snake from my mind, I chose to dwell on other things. (Philippians 4:8) That?s when I started to enjoy my run. The sky was an azure blue, and the trail was lit up with greens and golds. I turned on my worship music and found the cadence of breath and steps again.  By the time I crossed the finish line, I had completely forgotten about that snake.  Later, I realized how much this experience was a mirror for life.  Sometimes as we go along, we encounter a ?snake? on the side of the trail. Perhaps it's a simple distraction, like a social media notification during our quiet time, a questionable television show we know we shouldn?t watch, or a task left unfinished that calls to us when we need rest. Maybe it's the enemy himself trying to lead us astray, to discourage us from pursuing our calling or to cause a misunderstanding in our relationship with God.  Many times in long-distance races, a runner called a ?pacer? will lead the rest of the runners. The pacer sets the pace for the other runners, but the other runners have to keep the pacer in view, making sure not to speed ahead or lag too far behind.  Friends, these are the moments when we have to make a decision to let Jesus be our Pacer in life and to keep running. When our eyes are focused forward on Jesus and where He?s headed, it?s easier to pivot away from distractions.  And when our minds simply won?t cooperate in the face of distractions, we can remember it was God Himself who created our minds. Let?s ask Him for the perseverance to focus on Him as we take each and every thought captive throughout our days.

Forgotten Mother

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Re: Devotions
« Reply #16 on: October 29, 2023, 04:11:12 PM »
https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/full-post/2023/01/19/we-can-stop-being-so-afraid-of-conflict?utm_campaign=Daily+Devotions&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=241195950&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8Z76nBhMl64LCJ9hHEi6OZAecBRHHMseAxzNRiUIXLWmhr9_Loe4di8K0aK8jXez44xiX3R16NiQsl-SGPvr5MOrEFcw&utm_content=241195950&utm_source=hs_email#disqus_thread

We Can Stop Being So Afraid of Conflict
January 19, 2023
by Lysa TerKeurst

?As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.? John 15:9 (NIV)

hen I was in my early 20s, there was nothing I disliked more than conflict.  I didn?t vocalize my opinion even when I felt strongly. I danced around needed conversations or boundaries because of fear surrounding what would happen to the relationship or what someone would think of me. I became a ?stuff it and smile? kind of girl.  What I didn?t know then, which I have learned now, is this: The problem with pretending to be fine when we're really not is that all that pent-up steam will eventually come out. And if you've ever held your hand too close to steam, you know how it can burn.  On the outside it may have looked like I was just conflict averse, but on the inside there was a deep-rooted people-pleasing trap I had stepped into.  Years later, I still fumble through this. I still don?t enjoy conflict by any means. I still struggle with wanting to please people more than I should. And as I?ve examined this, I?ve asked myself over and over: What am I truly wrestling with?

What am I so unsure of?

What is the great dread in my soul?

Besides just fearing other people will walk away from me, what is the deeper fear driving all of this?

Maybe it?s deeper than just my fear of someone rejecting me because of a conflict that didn?t go well. Maybe I fear I must get from people what I am unsure God will provide for me. And if I fear God?s provision is incomplete, I must fill in that gap with other people or I won?t make it in this big, sometimes scary, often threatening and always chaotic world.  Therefore, I?ve made people the answer to my security rather than God Himself. I?ve made rationalizations to avoid conflict and upsetting others, hoping this will bring me the peace I really long for.  Yikes.  It?s an inverted security that only makes us more and more insecure with every realization that people aren?t designed for or capable of filling in the gaps of our doubts about God. The smoke screen is ?I don?t want to appear unkind or unchristian by stirring up conflict with my ?no? or setting a necessary boundary.?

But the raw truth is we will always desperately want from other people what we fear we will never get from God.  Trying to please people won?t ultimately satisfy us or the other person, and it certainly doesn?t please God.  Even when we look at the life of Jesus, He did so many amazing and sacrificial acts of love for others. He fed people, washed their feet, taught them, comforted them, and modeled a different way to act and think. But He didn?t do it so people would fill a need in Him. He served from a place of fullness, not for a feeling of fullness. (Matthew 20:28)  Jesus was obedient to God and loved people well. He didn?t people-please, hoping to be well liked and accepted by everyone. And when people didn?t like what He had to say and they walked away from Him and many people did He didn?t drop His boundaries, chase the people down, and beg them to take Him back. Jesus loved people enough to give them the choice to walk away.  What does all of this have to do with our own fear of conflict?

 Everything.  God calls us to obey Him. God does not call us to obey every wish and whim of other people and keep them happy at all costs. God calls us to love other people. God does not call us to demand that they love us back and meet every need we have.  If we are afraid someone will think poorly of us, potentially abandon us or try to make us feel crazy when we speak up about something, chances are that, without wise boundaries, they will eventually do all three of these things to us.  So how can we stop being afraid of conflict and step away from unhealthy people-pleasing?

We can start by breathing in the words of Jesus in John 15:9: ?As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.?

When we remember we are loved by God, we can remain in His love. We can allow this truth to inform our thoughts and actions. Knowing we?re loved, we can prayerfully consider needed conversations or necessary boundaries in our relationships. We can pursue a healthier approach to inevitable conflicts we all deal with, facing issues with grace and humility. Knowing we?re loved, we can release the fear and anxiety people-pleasing breeds in us.  Ultimately, knowing we?re loved by God allows us to live without carrying the weight of what others think of us.  I don?t know about you, but I nt to live like I?m loved today. Will you join me, friend?

Forgotten Mother

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Re: Devotions
« Reply #17 on: February 08, 2024, 02:34:07 PM »
https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/full-post/2023/04/21/learning-to-chase-gods-glory-through-each-day?utm_campaign=Daily%20Devotions&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=252897507&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9afXMftAfnemRxduh1IevoD9N0OpCMQu-sIduRPHYL_-noJ6b_KfcIEeRkhI_XsK8GbbnBg2IdRR1tNP1oceIhkM2RKA&utm_content=252897507&utm_source=hs_email#disqus_thread

Learning To Chase God?s Glory Through Each Day
April 21, 2023
by Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young

"Moses said, 'Please show me your glory.' And [God] said, 'I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name "The LORD." And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.'" Exodus 33:18-19 (ESV)

When I was a little girl, my mama used to sing this little chorus to help me wake up in the morning: ?Rise and shine, and give God the glory, glory ??

I was never an ?early bird.? I more often dragged myself out of bed than I jumped up with energy. Mama?s song was a cheerful welcome to a new day. She invited me to start with God?s glory.  I chose the word ?glory? as my annual theme word several years ago.That sent me on a treasure hunt through Scripture and everyday life in search of glory. That year, my husband died of cancer at age 40, just four short months after his diagnosis. I was left a widow with three young daughters. I had no idea how God would use that theme of glory to challenge, inspire and lift me during the darkest year of my life.  We talk and sing about it at church and find the word mentioned more than 500 times in Scripture, but what exactly is glory?

If we study the scriptures that mention it, we discover God?s glory is the very essence of who God is, His character. Glory is what sets God apart. It?s the way God reveals Himself to us.  In the book of Exodus, Moses was discovering God?s glory. He wrote this book to help highlight the fulfillment of God?s promises, and through Moses, the Lord revealed His purposes to Israel. Over time, Moses recognized that he didn't want to make decisions or move anywhere without God?s presence. He begged God to show Himself:  ?Moses said, ?Please show me your glory.? And [God] said, ?I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ?The LORD.? And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy?? (Exodus 33:18-19).

Most of us are like Moses. We want to feel God?s presence in our chaos, our crises and our casual conversations. We would like to see and experience God?s glory but we are not sure how to pursue it.  The Hebrew word for ?glory? is kabod, meaning someone or something heavy in weight, wealth, abundance, importance or respect. Does that sound like God?

We can experience glimpses of God?s glory all around us, but we have to lift our eyes to notice them and respond.  God always makes Himself known through His Word that comforts us during trials. Sometimes, He may also show His glory through a sense of peace gifted to us while we wait for a diagnosis or a breakthrough in a strained relationship. I?ve tasted His glory in a delectable meal prepared by a friend and seen it in the unique pattern of a snowflake or a baby?s eyelashes, all carefully created by Him.  Friends, let?s not miss the examples of God?s glory right in our midst. Let?s call out the glory we see so that others might experience His presence too.

Forgotten Mother

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Re: Devotions
« Reply #18 on: February 19, 2024, 05:37:22 PM »
https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/full-post/2023/05/01/lonely-hurts-but-god-can-redeem-it?
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Lonely Hurts, But God Can Redeem It
May 1, 2023
by Jessica Manfre

?But Ruth said, ?Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God.?? Ruth 1:16 (ESV)

As a military spouse, I?ve become deeply familiar with embracing hard things, purposefully leaning into grace and navigating challenges well.  But sometimes even the strongest of foundations develop cracks. Holding it all together with Band-Aids of positivity doesn?t work long term; it?s just not strong enough and is simply a quick coping mechanism.  Can I make a confession?

In my mind, I?m not supposed to feel lonely or struggle with mental health issues. As a therapist, I have helpful knowledge and tools swirling inside my brain, ready to be utilized. How dare I submit to something I know how to combat! But loneliness, and the basket of negative symptoms it brings, has reared its ugly head and held on to me with a fierceness I wasn?t prepared for.  The book of Ruth was the light in the dark, the scripture I desperately needed to break the grip of loneliness. Though I've always loved the rich narration of the story, reading it during a desperately lonely season of my life was revolutionary. I saw myself in both Ruth and Naomi in so many ways as a military spouse leaving home for a foreign land with no support, experiencing what felt like continual loss, and finding myself questioning my faith.  God doesn?t always prevent us from experiencing life stressors and working through the very real emotions that accompany them. But when we feel lonely, God is standing ready to love us through it while His Word gently reminds us that we?re never truly alone.  Sometimes it takes working through something really hard to reawaken the truth and bring back the good.  ?But Ruth said, ?Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God.?? (Ruth 1:16)

This pagan woman was so sure in her convictions and faith in a God she?d only just begun to love and worship! Here?s what I personally take from Ruth?s incredible story:  God doesn?t always prevent us from feeling pain or experiencing hardship. But that doesn?t mean He?s forsaken us. When I lost my grandmother in 2019, my heart shattered into a million irreparable pieces. It would take a stranger sharing my grandmother?s last words in the hospital room to give me the reminder I so desperately needed: ?I?m going home.?

I?d carried such immense guilt because of all the time I?d missed with her due to this military-led life. But it washed away in an instant as I read God?s Word and heard His gift in my grandmother?s final words. He is our home and sanctuary in the midst of hurt.  With God, our trials, hurts and lonely seasons can be used for good. There?s such a redemptive blessing in sharing your deepest struggles out loud. Not only does it remove them from the box you?re so frantically trying to hide them in, but I promise your pain is a shared one. Lean into your Bible, community, family and friends. We have a tendency to act like bitter Naomi in Ruth 1:20-21, pushing away support as we navigate the waves of the bad things drowning us.  I like to believe I hear God whispering this when I feel lonely: Where you go, I go. But it isn?t only imagined He is always with us. We just have to be ready and willing to hear Him.