Devotionals – Page 15 – Oh Lord Help Us

love, relationships, God's love, pure, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Intentions: Learning to Desire God’s Pure Love Above All

DevotionalsFebruary 18, 2019February 18, 2019

Desiring a partner is natural, but we must examine our intentions before we enter into relationships. We must learn to desire God’s love above all.

Boys, boys, boys. Oh boy. I’m sure it’s no surprise that I, a teenager, am writing about boys. But let me ask you this, am I the only age group who longs for a friend who’s more than a friend?

Eve was made for Adam as a partner and friend so don’t we all, as females, naturally have a desire for a counterpart? My personal struggle confuses the desire for another half with my delusional “need” for one.

Lust and love are vastly different yet look exactly alike. Loneliness and true longing are like night and day, yet wear the same colors. I find it difficult to see the differences between all of these so please join me as I work towards Christ’s desires for me rather than intentions of the flesh.

A Perfect Plan

First, I’d like to tackle what God says about this. I feel it’s only smart to start with truth and unravel lies and misconceptions from there. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 states that two are better than one. If one falls the other will be there to help them up. Genesis 2:4 talks about a man holding fast to his wife. We were made for this. We were made from and for love.

Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies.

Proverbs 31:10, KJV

Another verse I’ve loved digging into. We are a prize. Not a just helper; not a servant; a prize. We are precious and destined for love. We are helpers, not slaves. It’s easy to accept society’s view of women when we, as an entire gender, are a part of this society. The society that tells us what and who we are. However, God says I am a prize, you are a prize, and we are all precious.

Intentions

It’s a natural thing to want a boyfriend. So why do I abstain? This is something I struggle with quite often. Boys are cute and funny, but how much of my desire for one is righteous? Do I want a boy because I’m made for that companionship or because he’ll make me happy? Because he will fulfill the needs of my flesh, not my soul?

My main reason for withholding, aside from my age and stage in life, is because I often find myself caught between the right and the wrong reasons. My intentions are less than holy. Now, of course, we have to take into consideration the fact that a large majority of teenage boys have the mentality and brain capacity of my eleven-year-old brother. But how long can we, how long can I, make excuses for my own shortcomings and confusion?

I think it’s good to realize a lack of righteous intentions, but I find myself stuck on this plateau. Step one… I recognize I have a desire for a boyfriend. Step two… realize that I often want one for the wrong reasons. For fulfillment of the flesh and not Christ’s plan. Step three… well, I haven’t gotten this far. Before I journey into how I am to move forward, I’d like to bring out some old memories and share them with you.

Story Time

Freshman year of high school was when dating became a real thing for me. We were past the stage of telling a boy I thought he was cute. Although, I’m afraid I must confess that I hid these “relationships” from my parents for quite some time.

The first boy was sweet and funny but highlighted my lack of maturity it took to actually have a boyfriend. The second one didn’t talk to me for a week when I decided that’s not what I needed in my life. The third one came around when I was spiraling into depression and self-harm. He was mentally and sexually abusive and cheated on me several times with a number of girls. I wouldn’t discover this until after the second time I dated him. After I was able to convince myself I deserved more I ended up going back to boy number two from freshman year. He then sexually harassed me and we didn’t last more than a weekend.

After all of this, I was tired of boys. I was tired of accepting less than I deserved. Then comes along another one towards the end of my sophomore year. He and I started spending more time together and he then broke it off with his at the time girlfriend. We got very close, very fast. And if he hadn’t ended it due to my mental issues being “too much” (turns out he just wanted to hook up with my friend), he would’ve been my first love. But instead, he was my first horrible heartbreak.

True Love

All this being said, I struggle greatly with the aspect of love because I’ve been fooled into thinking I’d found it several times. I know I’m not the only one out there who’s had their heart played and their worth questioned. So, going back to step three, I implore you to keep looking.

This is how we’ve come to understand and experience love: Christ sacrificed his life for us.

1 John 3:16, MSG

Christ didn’t endure all the hate to just give up. No, He still went to the cross despite all our false perceptions of love and now we can find real, true, undying love. Search for Christ. Find Christ. You’ll find love in Him. Through Him, you’ll find a Man who’ll encourage you in truth, not the desires of this broken world. Dance with God. He’ll let the right man cut in.

Jesus still went to the cross despite all our false perceptions of love. Now, we can find real, true, undying love. Search for Christ. Find Christ. You'll find love in Him. Click To Tweet

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honor, hope, light, voice, social media, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Voice: Speak Hope in the Midst of Turmoil and Division

DevotionalsFebruary 17, 2019February 18, 2019

Every entertainer loves a captive audience. Yet, we do not have to become captive to the media’s show. We can rise above and be a voice of hope.

In our house, we have several little sayings that remind each of us who we are, and what we are called to. For example, I often hear a tiny four-year-old voice proclaim, “Harndens don’t give up,” when I am complaining that something is too hard. Our family motto declares “We are Harnden Heroes. We live by the fruit of the Spirit for the eternal purposes of God.”

These little sayings are fun and cute, but they constantly remind my kids (and my husband and I) that we are Harndens, and Harndens live according to God’s ways.

This same principle applies to the people of God. We are His chosen people, and because we belong to the King, we live according to the ways of the Kingdom of Heaven.

His Kingdom and Our Culture

My heart breaks over the constant political turmoil in our country. You don’t have to look too far or associate with a particular political party to recognize the incredible evil American humans are capable of. These are dark days to be sure. And the media doesn’t help one bit.

I have struggled with how to respond. Should I blast all my social media contacts with articles and memes that support my view in the name of standing up for truth and justice? Should I engage in online arguments that add fuel to the political fire? Or, should I be silent, say nothing at all and grow numb to evil so as not to offend anyone?

I’m ashamed to say that while my emotions may be raging and my heart pounding as I read the news, I usually fall into the last category. Be silent. Don’t stir up trouble. Social media doesn’t help anything anyway. Stay away from the political scene and just pray.

This is usually my default as I succumb to the lie that I don’t really have a voice.

Voice of The King

But I believe God has called me, and us, to something higher. We are not to be silent. Rather, we are the mouthpiece of the Living God. We do have a voice and that voice is called to speak the language of HOPE.

We hold in our hands and our hearts the answer to the world’s problems and it doesn’t sit with a politician.

Hope is in a Man, a King, who gave up His throne in Heaven to serve and love humanity. A God who chose to die, to give His own life, so we could know Him more fully! A God who lived and loved as a man on earth, who always spoke the truth, and demonstrated grace.

He healed the sick, turned water into wine, turned over tables, and hung on a cross with sinners. Jesus was fully God and fully man. He lived every day of His life by the power of the Holy Spirit, without sin. He loved unashamedly and He never once compromised. He changed the face of church and religion.

This Man, Jesus, dug deep into the pit of hell to set us free from the evil in this world. The evil in our own hearts. He rescued all people of every tribe and nation, and made a way for us to know Him and live forever with Him. He gave us the tools to live wholeheartedly for Him and empowers us daily to do so.

I want to be His mouthpiece!

Be a Voice of Light

You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.

Matthew 5:14, NIV

Jesus, Himself, called us forward to be light. He chose and set us apart. He placed us in our culture on purpose, so that we could bring light to the world around us. Are we meant to be light in a well-lit room? Of course not. Light shines best in the darkness. Does light fear the darkness? No, it overpowers it.

Our country is a dark place, but we are His lights! We get the incredible opportunity to walk in light and show others how to navigate the darkness.

And Sisters, if you know Jesus, He lives in you and gives you all the light you need.

Be A Voice of Honor

One way we can shine brighter than the mess around us is through honor. Our culture has forgotten how to show dignity one another. But, we live for a different Kingdom. The Kingdom of Heaven is a culture of honor.

Honor every person in every situation, stage of life, culture, political party, and position. You can greatly disagree and still choose to honor. We show honor to others because of who God is and who we are in Him.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a dedicated nation, [God’s] own purchased, special people, that you may set forth the wonderful deeds and display the virtues and perfections of Him Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

1 Peter 2:9, AMPC

God created every person in His image, and He is worthy of our honor. To be the voice of Jesus, we MUST be the voice of honor. We must choose to see people as God sees them. And we honor others because of who we are in Christ. A woman who is CHOSEN, ROYAL and SET APART is a person who respects those in front of her.

We are called to display the virtues of HIM. He called us out of darkness and into marvelous light. We, too, have the privilege to stand as a light and call others out into His light. Wow! What a calling!

Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.

Romans 12:9-10, NLT

For the Christian, choosing to honor is not an option. Because we belong to Christ, we are the voice of hope. Hope speaks with honor.

For the Christian, choosing to honor is not an option. Because we belong to Christ, we are the voice of hope. Hope speaks with honor. Click To Tweet

How To Be His Voice

We do not have to become captive to the media’s circus. We can rise above and speak life.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it [for death or life].

Proverbs 18:21, AMPC

The words we say in person or online are so important. We literally have the power to spark fear in people or bring comfort with just our voice. Here are a few things to consider when responding to the crises around us…

Speak hope, not fear. When you share and comment, let your comments be laced with love and the promises of Christ. Our world needs to remember that Jesus has overcome the world (John 16:33). We need to know that He is always with us and that God is just.

Spread good news…whenever you see or read it. Take every opportunity to use your words and influence to encourage others.

Listen before you speak. This one messes with me. I am NOT a very good listener because I have a lot of passion and a lot of things to say. But Jesus says through James that His people are to be slow to speak and quick to listen (James 1:19). In order to help the world, we have to hear their cries.

In all things pray. Before you click that “share” button simply pray. Ask Him to check your own heart to root out gossip and anger. And pray that Jesus will use your words for His purposes.

Our world is changing, but our God remains the same. We can be His voice of Hope to a very broken world.

Kelly Sikkema

determination, resolution, goals, motivations, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Motivations: Allowing Scripture to Guide Your Growth

DevotionalsFebruary 13, 2019February 13, 2019

Having a plan for personal growth is a positive venture. Being aware of the true motivations behind that desire can help determine the maturity actually derived from the pursuit of such goals.

Some people thrive on New Year’s resolutions. Having a plan forward motivates them to be purposeful about their goals. Whether it’s wellness, organization, education, or something else entirely, the ultimate objective is self-improvement. Get your stuff together! Make your dreams come true!

Others may opt-out of resolutions, citing they’d rather not make a promise they don’t intend to keep. This approach could be genius, or it may be an act of self-preservation. Regardless, it reminds me of the Dad’s number one rule in the movie The Croods: “Never not be afraid.”

Resolutions

Crushed dreams and unrealized goals often lead to a hardness of heart. Survival instinct kicks in and before we realize it, joy for the simple things has left us and we can’t seem to take our guard down.

This year, in lieu of a New Year’s resolution, I made a list.

More of:
Less of:
Start:

Personally, I have been on both sides of the fence at one time or another. Until recently, I fell into the “forget that!” category. But this year I decided to use Hebrews 12:14 as a jumping off point for growth…

Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.

Hebrews 12:14, ESV

Motivations

I’ve always been a fan of keeping the peace. Over the last year or two, I came to understand my motivations for being a peacemaker was oftentimes for personal gain. I aimed to make sure everyone was happy and pleased with me so I would feel comfortable, not so they would experience the peace of Christ through my tranquility.

That is where the beauty of the second half of Hebrews 12:14 comes in: “and [strive] for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.” It goes beyond giving people warm fuzzies and glitter. Those are fun gifts! Who doesn’t like to feel harmonious? Yet I am making it my aim to go one step further.

Pursuing righteousness that comes from Christ for the purpose of helping others to know and believe the love God has for them, not stopping at the good vibes modern society tells us to achieve. As followers of Jesus, we are compelled to reflect Him in the very way we live our lives.

That’s where my little list comes in.

Determination

More of: Memorizing God’s Word

…train yourself for godliness;

1 Timothy 4:7b, ESV

Psalm 119 is full of David talking about how wonderful God’s Word is and how useful it is for training in godliness. Hebrews 4:12 calls God’s Word living and active, sharper than a two-edged sword.

Peppered throughout the Bible, God’s Word is described as flawless, useful for teaching and training in righteousness, a light. Matthew 24:35 says heaven and earth will pass away, but God’s Word is forever. Sister, let us hold on to and soak in that which is eternal!

Less of: Sarcasm

Yep. This is a hard one for me. I never saw the movie Anger Management, but I heard a line from it: “Sarcasm is anger’s ugly cousin.” Me? Angry? Surely not. Undoubtedly it came from crushed dreams or unrealized goals.

There is a fine line between being funny and being passive-aggressive. And not to brag, but I’ve gotten pretty good at blurring the line. On second thought, that’s nothing to brag about. It’s honestly a hostile place for the heart to be.

In God’s mercy, I had two friends on separate occasions call me out on it. It stung and ticked me off, but they did so in a loving way, exhorting me to “check your heart, sis” before dropping a sarcastic comment. Once again with the motivations! I am catching myself more often before letting the sarcasm fly and seeking to unearth the force behind the remarks.

Something New

Start: Sticking to a weekly task

So far this aspect of my list has been more off-the-cuff, but also fun. The first several days in the new year I determined to have a clean kitchen before going to bed.

The next week I made sure the living/dining room area was tidy. Pillows placed, couch throw folded (even if I wasn’t the one who used it), trash picked up, etc. I would argue it is universally soothing to have one clean room in your home to relax in!

Then it was to make my bed every day, and so on. On the surface, these are small, yet attainable victories, but they aren’t just about me. They affect my family in a positive way that shows value.

I don’t know that I would have been able to accomplish these tasks a few years ago when my children were younger. Who am I kidding? I didn’t accomplish it! And that is okay. The point is not about the action, it is about the motivations behind the action.

Jesus loved us and gave Himself up for us. For me this month, a way to reflect Christ’s love to my family is finding ways to create a calm environment. We are in a busy season, full of new things and crazy growth! So for my military husband, a quiet, tidy space gives him life. For our two teenage daughters at school with 4000 other kids, having a place to relax in is rejuvenating. And for our son who is navigating what it means to be a godly son, brother, and friend, home is security.

Keep It Up

Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith.

1 Timothy 6:11-12, ESV

Tomorrow will hold something new. Each day we have breath, presents a fresh opportunity to exhibit the love of God in the life of someone else. It doesn’t have to be momentous. Remember who you’re doing it for. If I grab my neighbor’s trash bag from their porch and take it to the dumpster, God sees and is pleased. I don’t need to find a way to let them know it was me!

May we live like we have an audience of One.

Tomorrow will hold something new. Each day we have breath, presents a fresh opportunity to exhibit the love of God in the life of someone else. It doesn't have to be momentous. Click To Tweet

Annie Spratt

doubt, fear, vulnerable, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Vulnerable: Letting Go of Fear and Embracing God’s Guidance

DevotionalsFebruary 12, 2019February 13, 2019

Fear is the enemy and the answer is becoming vulnerable. That seems crazy, yet God calls us to be a little crazy. Let go of the fear and embrace God’s guidance.

“I don’t know.”

Why do these three little words cause such fear and anxiety in us? I hate saying these words. They make me feel weak, vulnerable and most of all like a failure.

It’s Okay to Struggle

As I’m writing this I’m listening to my son try to work through a hard coding problem and he is really struggling. He has worked on this problem for at least four hours. I keep hearing things like: What do you mean? Ohhh now I get it! Why won’t this thing work? Can’t you just…

But here is what I am learning by watching him struggle – he keeps struggling. Eventually, he will get it, because he doesn’t give up. As a young kid, I don’t know doesn’t fill him with fear. He is okay not knowing the answers. He accepts that as a child, as a student, he is learning. I don’t hear I don’t know followed by silence. He quickly follows up with a question, a wondering, or a workaround.

Isn’t that what God is calling us to – to be like children. He wants us to realize we don’t know it all. To ask Him for help, wonder and search for the answers in His name, and call on Him to be our guide.

Whoever then humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a child like this in my name welcomes me […] Woe to the world because of stumbling blocks! It is necessary that stumbling blocks come, but woe to the person through whom they come.

Matthew 18:4-5,7 NET

Let Go of the Fear

We can’t fear I don’t know. Vulnerability is not easy but we must embrace it and let God lead us. Sometimes the path to the answer is long and difficult, full of those stumbling blocks. Sometimes the struggle is the answer. That can feel difficult and leave you wondering if it was worthwhile. I find myself struggling with many uncertainties in times like this. The fear and vulnerabilities of I don’t know often creep in.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, we must get rid of every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and run with endurance the race set out for us.

Hebrews 12:1, NET

This verse is the answer to my feelings. Feelings of not wanting to say those dreaded words. Cling to those who are steadfast in God’s corner. Let them be my touchstones and have faith in the journey. It’s not a sprint. Ask questions, be vulnerable, admit when you are unsure. Don’t be a stumbling block for others, but be a witness to God’s endurance.

Be Vulnerable

A friend and I were talking recently and sharing some hard fought truths. What struck me most was that despite being hurt and broken at times in her life, she was not bound to that in her faith. Her faith is strong and supersedes any hardships life has given her. I read a quote recently in Tim Tebow’s book Shaken: “God will never waste pain that’s offered to Him.”

But he said to me, ‘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.

2 Corinthians 12:9, NIV

My friend has such a child-like spirit and asks a million questions. She is always searching for God’s answer, His will. Truly, she is a beautiful example of running the race with endurance and grace. Being vulnerable is her gift and she shares it to God’s glory. I want to be more like that.

Get to Work

Admitting our limitations gives God room to work. He is the one that makes all things possible. But I am such a sinner. I need to be vulnerable. I need to find the edge of my possibilities so that I can stop relying on myself and trust in my Creator.

Wow, that is a powerful lesson I feel God working to teach me in this season of my life. Trust in God, be vulnerable, and put fear aside.

So I am in a battle of wills over this, right now. I know in my heart that this is right and good. It is God’s will. My head keeps getting in the way though. I hold on to fear: not knowing the answers, letting God lead my life, trusting in a future that sometimes seems murky.

Admitting our limitations gives God room to work. He is the one that makes all things possible. We need to be vulnerable. To find the edge of our possibilities and fully trust in our Creator. Click To Tweet

Vulnerable Prayer

But every day I am waking up right. Praying this prayer:

Dear God,

Help me loosen the fist of fear that lives inside of me. I am so weak and can’t do it. You have to do it for me. Let me, let You be strong for me. I know that You are my answer. I feel that truth in my heart. Quiet the doubt that creeps into my head. Thank you for the encouragement you place in front of me. Thank you for not abandoning me when I waiver. You are my rock and foundation.

love,

If you are on the journey to vulnerability with me, bless you. It is hard. But have faith in our Creator. And remember His promise:

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28, KJV

Katarzyna Urbanek

love, stubborn, trust, devotion, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Stubborn: The Lord’s Overwhelming, Relentless, Sacrificial Love

DevotionalsFebruary 11, 2019February 11, 2019

The Lord is stubborn in His pursuit of our devotion. His love is relentless and sacrificial. He knows the pain we carry and is waiting for us to trust Him.

“You need to get off the table,” I spoke as calmly as humanly possible. Deep breaths. Preparing for what was to come. We were on day 3 of having our foster son. It felt like day 103.

“No.”

Another deep breath. Stilling my voice. “You need to get off the table.”

With all the defiance he could muster, he flung the plastic tray from the game we were playing onto the floor. It did not have quite the dramatic effect he was hoping for. I was going to simply ignore it. Instead, my younger son – age 7 – demonstrated to me what Christ’s love truly looks like…

Selfless Love

My seven-year-old had been sitting at the table coloring, quietly observing the interaction that was taking place. The tray had been thrown, and he didn’t hesitate. He immediately got up from the table, picked up the tray, and calmly set it back on the table before sitting back down. The tray was thrown again, with even more effort. A second time, he stood up, got the tray, and set it on the table. A third time. A fourth time. Even a fifth time.

Each time he was so calm. Each time, he was showing love to him. I stood there in complete awe. Never before have I seen such a tangible and applicable way to show love the way Christ shows love. Continuous love, resilient love, stubborn love. My son would have kept coming back to serve him in such a simple way as many times as were needed. The Lord does the same for us.

Stubborn Love

After my son picked up the tray five times, and the game pieces following that, I found myself in a final stand-off situation with our foster son. We both had a grip on the next object that was going to feel his wrath. After seeing the example of my son, and praying for wisdom on how to respond, I looked him in the eyes and said, “We will not stop being nice to you.” At that, he let go and got off the table. He then proceeded to go under the table to silently sob.

He is only 4 and a half, Y’all. To have been done wrong so much in his so few years, no wonder he is ticked off and looking for a fight.

I sat down on the floor, his back to me. I said, “I know you’re mad, and it is ok.” Then I asked, “Can I hug you?” He didn’t say no, so I pulled him onto my lap and swayed to the music that was on in the background. He let me hold him like that for nearly 5 minutes. Those five minutes changed everything. Tears were streaming down my face as I held him; my 7-year-old sitting nearby and smiling sweetly at me.

Stubborn love changes everything.

Relentless Love

If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also.

Matthew 5:39

Jesus lived this out to the ultimate sacrifice. His oppressors were beating him, ridiculing him, killing him. His response was to advocate forgiveness from the Father for them.

“Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”

Luke 23:34

The Lord has been relentlessly pursuing us with stubborn love from the earliest of days. Preparing a way when there was no way. He has been fighting for us, even having to fight us in order to earn our devotion back.

The Lord has been relentlessly pursuing us with stubborn love from the earliest of days. Preparing a way when there was no way. He has been fighting for us, even having to fight us in order to earn our devotion back. Click To Tweet

Sacrificial Love

The book of Hosea is a heart-wrenching, but beautiful love story of how the Lord pursues His people. What a godly man Hosea was! He lived out a true-to-life analogy of what relentless love looks like. He married a woman he knew would be unfaithful.

Repeatedly, she would run off with other men. Repeatedly, Hosea would go and bring her home. The book shows all of God’s emotions in this pursuit.

Expressions of hurt…

“…what should I do with you?” asks the Lord. “For your love vanishes like the morning mist and disappears like dew in the sunlight…” (6:4)

Anger at the betrayal…

“What sorrow awaits those who have deserted me! Let them die, for they have rebelled against me. I wanted to redeem them, but they have told lies about me…” (7:13)

Plans to fight for us…

“Oh, how can I give you up, Israel? How can I let you go?” (11:8)

Feelings of jealousy…

“…You must acknowledge no God but me, for there is no other savior…” (13:4)

Longing to reunite…

The Lord says, “Then I will heal you of your faithlessness; my love will know no bounds, for my anger will be gone forever…” (14:4)

Through all of it, He had a plan of redemption. A way to restore His people. But in His mercy, He still leaves the choice to us.

Unending Kindness?

Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?

But because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself. For a day of anger is coming, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.

Romans 2:4-5

But there is an end, isn’t there? Oh Lady, please hear my heart. I so desperately want you to know the love our Lord has for you. It is not to condemn you, it is to bring you freedom. Life. He knows you are angry, hurt, scared. And it is ok.

I implore you to turn from the lie that God is holding out on you. Run into His arms. Feel the security of His embrace.

Annie Spratt

All scripture is quoted from the New Living Translation.

depression, hope, joy, darkness, faith, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Depression: Fighting for Joy in the Midst of Darkness

DevotionalsFebruary 10, 2019February 10, 2019

As believers, we may think depression and faith could not occur together. But because of the cross, we who face despair can still find hope.

Depression is something we hear about all the time. I’m here to tell you it is much more than just being sad. Most Christians I know who have struggled with being depressed, have found themselves wracked with guilt and despair. I know I have. I am not an expert, but I know what I have experienced and I want to share about my fight for joy.

Subtle

It starts with thoughts like: Why try? It builds to: Why bother? It evolves into a feeling of heaviness. For me, it is best described as a hot, wet blanket. It’s like concrete in my shoes.

It’s like my to-do list slipping into Jello. My emotions are on edge. I think everything is about me. I think people believe I am a failure. I can barely function, but just enough.

Complicated

Most people think of the person who is never around or hidden. My friend Brandi and I talk about the active depressed person. I’m involved in my life, but I am dying on the inside. It takes all I have to get my clothes on. All I have to convince myself what I am doing is worth it. What I do matters. That I still have purpose.

I find it hard to believe that anybody notices me. This is not wanting to end life. This is not wanting to hurt anymore or it’s the desire to feel again. You begin to doubt that you will ever be happy again.

Noise

Have you ever tried to have a conversation while someone vacuumed or ran a noisy dishwasher? Did you really hear all the words? Not well, right? Depression is like that.

The words are coming toward you but the thoughts cannot really get through. You read the Bible. You pray. You fight for joy. But the words on the page don’t mean anything. They can’t prick your heart.

If you do feel anything, it’s often guilt at not being more joyful. It’s despair that you will always feel like this… Why bother? You aren’t really worth much. You are a disappointment. You won’t ever have purpose. You did once, but now you are just trouble.

Depression Is Not the Final Say…

I have had multiple issues with depression. I find the winter is usually the worst. Especially gray, rainy ones. My hormones can play a big factor: pregnancy, nursing, middle age. Stress can make it take center stage. But, it’s not the end…

I have seen God do amazing things in the middle of my despair.

Always Hope

How do we face depression as believers?

We continue to look to His word for who we are. Depression tells us we have no purpose and we are worthless. But God’s word can break through and remind us of what is true – He is the one who gives His people purpose. He will never leave us and He is the One who will see us completed to the end.

We can listen to music that glorifies Him and praises Him in spite of what we feel or think. He has not changed and He can be trusted even if our thoughts cannot. This is where I have seen God move in mighty ways. The battles I have fought while depressed, have been the bricks God laid to remind me He is faithful, He is sovereign, He is trustworthy. Even in the darkest days.

We confess what we are feeling to other safe mature believers and ask for prayer. We are tempted to hide what we are experiencing but that only leads to more isolation. This is not how the church works. We can believe that being vulnerable will make Christ look less. But when in actuality I have heard over and over that my willingness to share my neediness has challenged others to do the same. They have seen that God cares about every part of their lives especially their suffering.

We seek out help. This can look differently for different times. I have sought counseling. Medicine was necessary at one point. Every situation will not call for the same solution. But hear me, we do not have to stay in despair and depression.

We can be tempted to hide our experiences but that only leads to more isolation. This is not how the church works. Being vulnerable encourages others. Only then can we see how intricately God cares for our sufferings. Click To Tweet

No More Hiding

I do know one thing that does not work. Hiding. Hiding only makes my life feel worse. We are in a battle for our hearts and minds. We are believers and our eternity is secure. I want more than just security. I want to live a life that finds joy in Christ and in His truths. I am His. Some days that means depression and despair. He is still enough when I have those days. He is still enough.

God hear my cry; pay attention to my prayer. I call to you from the ends of the earth when my heart is without strength. Lead me to a rock that is high above me, for you have been a refuge for me, a strong tower in the face of the enemy. I will dwell in your tent forever and take refuge under the shelter of your wings.

Psalm 61:1-4, CSB

Ian Espinosa

friendship, grace, love, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Friend: Loving at All Times Through God’s Abundant Grace

DevotionalsFebruary 6, 2019February 6, 2019

We can all be tempted to be a superficial friend. Being a true friend requires God’s abundant grace to lay down our lives.

Resting on my desk in a silver frame is a photo of beloved friends sitting, smiling, and leaning into each other around a table. It was taken at a favorite restaurant in early December 2016. We had gathered to celebrate the season. Eating, laughing, and exchanging the silly gifts we each had brought.

Weathering Life

This group of 11 consisted a majority of a community group my husband and I led at the church we attended at the time. But a number of us had been together for several years and had walked many roads hand in hand. We had prayed, studied, laughed and cried together, which has a tendency to bond folks. In addition, we had weathered cancer, parents with dementia, kids moving away, babies being born, and mid-life career changes.

Behold how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity.

Psalm 133:1, ESV

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As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.

Proverbs 27:17, NLT

My husband and I live in another state now…

Sweet Melody

One of those friends called me today. Her voice was like a melody to a music-deprived ear. I’ve assumed they’ve all moved on without me/us. She had assumed we’re always busy with grandchildren. She began to cry as she shared how much she has missed us. My tears joined hers as we dispelled the lies the enemy had whispered in our ears. And we promised to do better, to call when we think about the other, to not listen to the lies…

Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel.

Proverbs 27:9, ESV

Because God knows we need our friends, wherever they live. The enemy knows this, too; he prefers to keep us isolated and alone.

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm, alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him – a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, ESV

Isolation is Unhealthy

According to God, we’re just no good alone; we don’t function at full capacity. I know this personally. Left to my own devices, I am a natural loner, an introvert. When I am unhealthy spiritually or emotionally, withdrawal is my first choice. Like a wounded animal, I crawl into what feels like a safe corner, keeping supposed predators away.

But in that corner, there is no one to lift me up, no one to keep me warm or help me prevail against my enemy. I am actually more vulnerable there.

The enemy prefers to keep us isolated. But God knows we need our friends. We're no good in isolation; we can't function at full capacity and tend to be at our most vulnerable state. Click To Tweet

Bad Rap

If you were to ask 5 people what a friend is, you’d likely receive five different answers. They may be similar descriptions, but all slightly nuanced to what that individual needs a friend to be to them personally.

You know, women get a bad rap as friends. Generally speaking, we can be the best of friends one day and the worst the next. We can be terrible gossips, revealers of secrets, and queens of jealousy. We can also show up with a hot Starbucks when night class is about to begin, (a friend once did that for me).

We’re also the first to recognize when something is troubling a co-worker and ask what’s up. We show up with a meal when someone we know had a baby or got a bad diagnosis.

Being a superficial friend is something women can do naturally. Being a true friend requires God’s grace…

That’s just how we are…which is why we must look to an unchangeable Word to instruct us on how to be a friend.

A Friend Is…

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

John 15:13, ESV

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A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

Proverbs 17:17, ESV

There was a time when I believed that laying down your life meant literally dying – and certainly, in some cases, it has. However, despite this culture’s obsession with death and the vast entertainment industry saturated with death, the truth is – the spiraling depression, anxiety and ever climbing suicide rates among our young reveals that it seems a much easier choice to die than to live and lay down one’s life daily.

Because, you see, the two are completely different.

Oswald Chambers wrote:

…It is much easier to die than to lay down your life day in and day out with the sense of the high calling of God. We are not made for the bright-shining moments of life, but we have to walk in the light of them in our everyday ways. There was only one bright-shining moment in the life of Jesus, and that was on the Mount of Transfiguration. It was there that He emptied Himself of His glory for the second time, and then came down into the demon-possessed valley, (Mark 9). For thirty-three years Jesus laid down His life to do the will of His Father.

Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest

At All Times

What does it mean to lay down my life for a friend? My first thought is to be inconvenienced, probably because most of us don’t flex well. For an example, simply drive down the road and stop to let someone pull out in front of you. Often, the non-flexers behind you will honk irritably! Try it sometime.

It may be something different for you; you know what it is. Sadly, too often, I place conditions on friendships. My version sometimes reads:

A friend loves when it works within my schedule.

Or:

A friend loves when the other person doesn’t hurt my feelings.

Or:

A friend loves when the other person agrees with me doctrinally.

The list could be limitless, but being a friend would be limited. Proverbs 17:17 helps define true friendship: a friend loves at all times – not only when she agrees with me on parenting, politically, theologically or anything else, for that matter. I don’t read a waiver in the verse, do you?

Sisters, will you choose with me to lay down your life this year? It won’t be easy, but the Spirit will walk with us every step of the way.

Evan Kirby

peace, darkness, still, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Noise: Allowing the Lord to Carry Us Towards Ultimate Peace

DevotionalsFebruary 5, 2019February 5, 2019

It is difficult to truly find stillness with all the noise surrounding us. In the darkest of seasons, the Lord will carry us towards His ultimate peace.

How I longed for the feeling of peace. To be able to sit in stillness and feel the Lords comforting arms wrap around me like a warm blanket. To have peace of mind, knowing that we can put all of our burdens at the feet of Jesus. Acknowledging He will carry me through the darkest of seasons, was something foreign to me.

It is a difficult task to find peace of mind with all the noise in today’s world. We are constantly being pulled in many directions, sometimes all at once. Our minds never quiet long enough and our bodies are never still enough to feel the full presence of peace.

Noise

I remember moving into our new home nestled on 3 acres away from the city noise. Once we were all moved in and the house was quiet, I heard this loud ringing in my ears. I couldn’t shake it. My husband couldn’t hear it, but it was loud as day to me.

Come to find out I have the condition called Tinnitus. Tinnitus is a chronic ringing in your ears and it affects 1 out of 5 people. The quieter it is the louder the ringing is. So, over the years, I consumed my days with being a self-proclaimed busybody. I overcommitted, overextended, and became overtired. I did everything to drown out the ringing in my ears.

Darkness

Then the ringing was replaced with anxiety, depression, and voices telling me that peace didn’t exist. So, I controlled my environment. I surrounded myself with validation that what I was doing was the norm. My family suffered, my health suffered, and I was truly suffering.

I had nothing left in my tank. My cabinet was filled with orange medicine bottles to help me stay overextended, but the Lord spoke to me and said, “It’s time for you to be still.”

Be still and know that I am God.

Psalm 46:10

Stillness

For someone like me who is wired to constantly keep moving, sitting still was not on my task list. He demanded it because His love for me was stronger than anything I had planned for the week. I had a hard choice to make. I felt like I had to slowly detox from the life I was living at the time.

There were days my anxiety was so overwhelming that I was literally on the floor. But I was determined to change. I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but I knew His plan for me was far greater.

Peace

I am learning that it’s not just about sitting still. It’s also about being present; ready to receive what the Lord has in store for me. He shows us every day the beauty that He created for us, but we often are too busy to see it. The more I sit and surrender control, the more peace I feel. The more peace I feel, the closer to the Lord I feel.

I remember the day that I felt it…

It was an unfamiliar calming feeling that washed over me. It was like I was looking through a lens and I could see the beauty in the sunrise. I felt a huge sense of gratitude for painful experiences that led me to new beginnings. Tasks that would have seemed daunting made me feel excited and hopeful. That is where I realized the Lord was showing me true peace; His peace.

God shows us every day the beauty He created for us, but we often are too busy to see it. The more we sit in stillness and surrender control, the more peace we will feel. Click To Tweet

Kari Shea

I am a mother of 2 amazing daughters, a wife, a friend, and the real deal. I am a child of God who is messy, honest, and loved. I am a firm believer in rewriting your story even if there is a ton of typos.

-Nicole James, Artisan Director of Oh Lord Help Us

future, hope, plans, surrender, trust, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Uncertain: Allowing God to Guide Through the Unknowns

DevotionalsFebruary 4, 2019February 4, 2019

We all have the desire to know our future is secure. We fear the uncertain. When we surrender our plans to God, we have an assurance that He works for us and puts things together for our good.

Life is full of uncertainties. I fight against this fact, tooth and nail. I am a planner. Knowing what to expect in situations is important to me. I love predictability. I don’t care for the uncertain and unknown. This may make me boring in some ways. But if you take me on a road trip, you can be sure I will find all of the awesome attractions along the way.

While I may have a desire to know the future and to have confidence in my stability, I am slowly learning this is not how life works. When we over plan and anticipate every aspect of our lives, we steal away God’s opportunity to show up for us. When we are laser-focused on making the uncertain certain, we fail to ask God for help. We fail to fully put our trust in Him.

God’s Certainty

For I know the plans I have for, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Jeremiah 29:11, ESV

We see and hear this verse so much that we may have become desensitized to its truth. God knows the plan for us. He is certain. Nothing is unknown to Him. More than that, the plan God has for us is for our good. It gives us hope and a future.

When we take the time to read this verse and let it resonate in our hearts, we come to realize that the unknown doesn’t have to be scary. This is where faith requires us to take action. We have to offer our future and our uncertainty into His hands. We will never have complete knowledge of what tomorrow brings, but we can be sure it is good and full of hope.

Uncertain Direction

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.

Psalm 32:8, NIV

One aspect of uncertainty is not knowing the right decisions to make. There are infinite amounts of outcomes to any one decision. We want to know that the choices we make are the right ones.

In attempting to make the right choices, a lot of times, we forget to seek counsel from our greatest teacher. The Lord promises He will instruct us and teach us the way to go. He does this because He loves us. We are required to trust in Him and learn to listen to His voice.

When we try to figure things out on our own and ignore God’s teaching and instruction we will make the wrong choices. We know that God will use all things. Nothing we do can change His ultimate plan for us, but if we don’t trust His counsel, our free will can cause it to take longer to get to what God has for us.

God’s Plan

God’s plan is always greater than our own. There are things that are in play that we can not imagine or prepare for. While planning and preparing are good, when we try to over plan and take control of our own lives we miss out on God’s blessings along the way.

‘My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,’ says the Lord. ‘And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.’

Isaiah 55:8-9, NLT

God’s way is always greater than our own. We can plan and prepare all we want but our best will never measure up to God’s ways. We must surrender our plans and our desires for certainty to Him. For when we do this we have confidence that our future will be bright, hopeful, and beyond anything, we could ever imagine.

God's way is always greater than our own. We can plan and prepare all we want, but our best will never measure up to God's ways. We must surrender our plans and our desires for certainty in the Lord. Click To Tweet

Annie Spratt

promise, signs, rainbow, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Rainbow: Seeking and Recognizing Signs from God

DevotionalsFebruary 3, 2019February 4, 2019

The Lord knows we need to see signs from Him in order to believe. So as we walk with Him, we can ask for and receive a rainbow that builds our faith.

Then Jesus said to him, Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe.

John 4:48, NKJV

The Rainbow…

I remember the scene vividly. I had just left my mom’s place and was driving from the country back into the nearby town. As I crested a long, steep hill on the highway, I saw the sign. Although it had stopped raining over an hour earlier, seemingly out of nowhere, a huge rainbow appeared. And this was not your ordinary faint, wispy post-rainstorm showing. This was a phantasmagoric display of epic proportion! The giant parabola stretched from one side of the sky to the other, setting the entire horizon ablaze with its bright, almost neon cascade of colors.

It was the kind of incredible sight that could cause an unbeliever to seriously consider the prospect of an actual God. But to me–a believer, who desperately needed His reassurance–that rainbow was an impeccably timed sign that put my troubled heart at ease. You see, I had just left my mom at her place, and I did not feel good about the situation. At all. I’d been praying for the Lord to show me what to do. Should I have left her there? Should I turn back around and insist that she come with me? Would she be safe?

Another Fall…

Mom had recently been discharged from a rehabilitation facility where she had completed a couple months of physical therapy. At 77 years old, she had fallen and fractured her pelvis in five places. But, miraculously, she had healed extremely quickly. And now, her sole focus seemed to be going back home to her little off-the-grid shack. But given the severity of Mom’s injury, her history of heavy drinking, and the rigors of her rustic lifestyle, my siblings and I were very reluctant to let her go home. She would be all alone there, and we worried that she might have another fall.

So, we had devised a plan for Mom. She would transition from the rehab facility to her friend’s place while we tried to secure a small efficiency apartment for her. I had traveled from North Carolina to Indiana expecting to have a week or so to look at apartments and get Mom’s living arrangements squared away. But my first day there, Mom’s friend called and said that she couldn’t stay there any longer. Apparently, Mom had been drinking, getting mouthy, and being downright belligerent. And her friend refused to take the abuse another day. So, I rushed over to pick Mom up, but at that point, there was nowhere for her to go…other than back to her place.

Heading home…

The dark rainstorm matched my gloomy mood as I slowly drove the winding, narrow country roads back out to Mom’s homestead. Despite the dreary weather and an abrupt departure, Mom was practically giddy with excitement. She’d been away from her little shack for the whole winter, and now she was finally going home! Her excitement was so palpable, it was nearly contagious. As we pulled into the little gravel patch that constituted the driveway, I was trying to muster up some positivity about the whole situation.

But as we got inside the house, my heart hit my stomach. And as I took my first breath of the thick, musty air, my stomach about made a return trip–bypassing my heart and heading straight for my throat. The curtains were drawn, yet there was just enough light to see a scene that would make an arachnophobe run for the hills! Entire colonies of spiders appeared to have taken up residence–their elaborate webs weaving a thick tapestry throughout the entire space. As my eyes adjusted to the dim light, other disturbing sights came into view. There were old wooden soup bowls with moldy, putrid bits of who-knows-what and bushel baskets brimming with rotting root vegetables.

She Intended to Stay…

Emphatically, I told Mom there was no way I was going to leave her there. I suggested we go into town to buy some cleaning supplies and stay at a hotel. The next morning, we could come back out, and I’d spend the day cleaning the place up. That way, at least it would be somewhat inhabitable until I could find her a suitable apartment in town. But Mom flat out refused to leave. She said she was finally home, and she was not going anywhere.

I tried to reason with her. I pleaded with her. But all to no avail.
Mom was home, and it was clear that that was where she intended to stay. She really wouldn’t even allow me to clean anything up. As evening approached, I was feeling extremely worried, overwhelmed, and defeated. Futilely, I offered one more time to take her with me, but she simply said, “No.” So, telling her I’d come back in the morning, I gave her a hug, said goodbye, and left.

The Weight of the World…

As I drove away, I felt the weight of the world on my shoulders. I knew I had just left my mom in a potentially dangerous situation. Even though it was her choice to stay, if something were to happen to her, I’d never forgive myself. Hot tears welled up and flooded my face as I cried out to the Lord to show me what to do. “Should I go back, Lord? Will she be safe there, Lord? What should I do?!”

The tears were coming on so strongly that I could barely see to drive. So I decided that when I got to the top of the hill, I’d pull over and pull myself together. And when I reached the top of that hill, that’s when I saw the sign. The biggest, brightest rainbow I have ever seen in my life. And right then and there, it was as if all the weight of the world were lifted off my shoulders. Precisely when I was in desperate need of reassurance—some clear confirmation that my mom would be safe—God gave me a sign.

I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind…

Genesis 9:13-15, NIV

Showing Me Rainbows…

As I sat there taking in that amazing view, I was so touched because I knew the Lord was ministering directly to my heart. You see, for about six months, He had been showing me rainbows. My husband and I had been in an extremely difficult wilderness season. And when I’d get to what felt like the end of my rope, I would go for a walk. Almost every time, I would just happen to look up and either see a rainbow prism in a clear sky or an actual rainbow following a storm.

Once I saw a complete 360 degree rainbow around the sun, and twice I saw a double rainbow. My rainbow sightings were happening so frequently that I could no longer write them off as mere coincidences. Even when my faith felt very weak, and I was angry with God, He would still show me these signs. And I couldn’t deny that He was right there with me, even in my wilderness.

So sometimes it’s a rainbow. Or maybe for you, it’s a butterfly, a certain number, a song, or a scripture He uses. The Lord shows up and speaks to us in so many different ways. Each sign is so idiosyncratic–so specific to who we are and what we need at that exact moment! As Jesus said in John 4:48, He knows that we need to see signs in order to believe Him. Because His signs confirm His word. They show us that He truly is good. That He is, in fact, paying close attention to us. He is who he says He is, and that He does what He promises to do.

God's signs confirm His word. They show us that He truly is good. He is paying close attention to us. He is who he says He is, and He does what He promises to do. Click To Tweet

Somewhere Over the Rainbow…

A few months after I saw that rainbow, I got a call from Mom’s friend. She said, “Oh Hopey, I’m so sorry to tell you this…but your mommy died today.” She went on to say that from what they could tell, it looked as if Mom had died peacefully in her sleep. She was in her own bed. In her own house. She was home. And as hard as it was to hear those words, in some way, it all made perfect sense.

During those last few months, as Mom was alone with the Lord, she had managed to set her house in order. Many old disputes with friends and neighbors were resolved. Folks who had visited her during that time said she was the happiest and healthiest they had seen her in years. One woman even told me that the last words Mom said to her, eyes twinkling as she beamed from ear to ear, were, “I just love my Lord Jesus!” Knowing Mom, she’s probably up there, perched on a rainbow, singing with Him and the angels this sweet little refrain: “Somewhere over the rainbow…”

Has the Lord shown you a sign? What does He use to speak to you?

Corey Hearne