Devotionals – Page 9 – Oh Lord Help Us

anger, emotion, God’s Word, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Anger: Slowing Anger to Help Us Conform to God’s Image

DevotionalsJune 4, 2019June 4, 2019

The anger is rarely righteous and does not help us reflect the image of God. We must look inward and to His Word to inform how we act upon our emotion.

As a child, I boiled over with outrage on a regular basis. I felt the anger so viscerally, I thought it was important to let those around me know how angry I was. My temper tantrums were the things of legends. Neighbors called to check on me. Mom and Dad tried different strategies to address them. All the while, I was content to just express the heck out of it.

Addressing the Problem

One strategy my parents tried was a punching bag. It was an inflatable balloon, weighted at the bottom so that when I hit it, it might fall all the way over and touch the floor and still right itself. The best thing about this new addition was that they put it in the basement.

The door of the basement led to wooden stairs and held a large ironing board. When I was told to go down to use the punching bag, I had the distinct pleasure of swinging the door open, causing the ironing board to swing and bang against the door. Then, I would slam the door behind me, producing a cacophony of banging as the board bounced back and forth. Subsequently, I got to stomp down the stairs, and this was all before I ever got to the punching bag.

I was very content to rage openly. I found satisfaction in releasing my temper in physical ways. Throwing things felt better than not throwing things. Yelling felt necessary.

As an adult, I had to work through this instinct to rage openly. I sought counseling and learned how to be slow to act on my anger. I learned how to be silent until I could address my hurts more dispassionately.

Discarding Entitlement

But let me tell you a secret. To this day, after all the counseling and all my study of God’s Word, that little stomping menace still lives inside me. I feel incredibly entitled to my outbursts. Even in apologizing, I feel the need to express how rightfully I held my anger. “I’m sorry but…” is a phrase I’m constantly running away from.

Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the heart of fools.
Ecclesiastes 7:9, ESV

The problem with this entitlement I hold so dearly is it is incredibly foolish. I need to have patience and grace for others. To do so is not only wise but in alignment with the two greatest commandments: to love God and to love others (Matthew 22:37-39).

The Anger of Man is not Righteous

The thing is, I like to trick myself into thinking that my anger is righteous. Even Jesus showed anger, right? He overturned tables in the temple, turned marketplace. He decried the Pharisees’ hypocrisy, calling them a brood of vipers (Matthew 21:12-17).

So, logically speaking, if Jesus lived a perfect life and expressed anger, then I, too, can express righteous anger.

And this is true, but there’s a small problem–my anger is almost never righteous.

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
James 1:19-2, ESV

Jesus’ Righteous Anger

Jesus was angry on the Father’s behalf. He saw people so steeped in sin and hypocrisy that He felt the betrayal against God. I, on the other hand, am angry that someone else’s sin hurts or annoys me. It gets in the way of me being happy or comfortable. This is not righteous anger. Even when I have been wronged, the anger that follows is still the anger of man, being fueled by the warring desires inside of myself.

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel.
James 4: 1-2, ESV

Feeling Anger vs. Sinning in Anger

We are all works in progress, battling the sin that wars inside us. But, how? Are we to never feel anger? That would not be in line with scripture, either.

Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.
Ephesians 4:26-27, ESV

Paul does not tell the church in Ephesus not to be angry, but to be angry and not sin. How we act on our anger is the opportunity to choose between conforming to the image of God or giving into sin, which gives the devil a foothold in our lives. We should always assess the source of our anger and find the righteous way to address it.

How we act on our anger is the opportunity to choose between conforming to the image of God or giving into sin. We should always assess the source of our anger and find the righteous way to address it. Click To Tweet

As Always, Look to the Word

The Bible is quite clear in how to address quarrels between people. We are to approach people in a spirit of both truth and grace. We are to avoid stirring up division. Paul even tells the Romans not to quarrel over opinions with people who are weak in the faith, cautioning them against passing judgment.

Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
Romans 14:4, ESV

I am a work in progress, and will probably battle with the sin of anger for my whole life. However, I will arm myself with the Word, gain intimate knowledge of what is righteous, versus what is simply of man. I will continue to strive to be slow to speak and slow to express rage so I can walk away from my entitlement. Away and into the arms of my Father who always upholds me because He loves me in my very most unrighteous moments.

eberhard grossgasteiger

Faithful, focus, godliness, God’s Word, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Now: How Are We to Practice Godliness in a Life of Tension?

DevotionalsJune 3, 2019June 4, 2019

In 2 Timothy, Paul talks about what will occur in the last days, or end times. Has every generation before now read this passage and thought, Is this now? I sure do. In a life of tension, how do we keep practicing godliness?

But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.
2 Timothy 3:1-5a, ESV

Focusing on Godliness

It is hard to imagine things worse than they are right now. And who, aside from the Father, determines the length of “last days” as to how long they will go on? Technically speaking, any day after Jesus ascended to the Father could be considered the last of them. It is similar to the morbid saying that we begin to die as soon as we are born.

Nevertheless, what feels more pressing in this current reality is how much the church has allowed itself to be deceived. Yet would that not also have been the case in Martin Luther’s day? So, instead of focusing on the potential of these times being the “last,” let us draw our attention to the instruction given, and seek to do the opposite of the aforementioned verses.

Be others focused
Do not love money, or what it affords
Practice humility
Be gentle and kind to those around you
Show honor to parents
Be grateful
Diligently pursue holiness
Be compassionate and loving
Practice forgiveness
Seek reconciliation
Do not gossip; rather, be self-controlled
Be peaceable, loving what is good
Be trustworthy
Love God, and recognize Him as the giver of good things
Worship the Creator of pleasure rather than pleasure itself
Practice spiritual disciplines which can lead to true godliness, not merely the look of it

Helpful Warning

I am thankful for the monumental heads-up Jesus gave when He said we would have trouble in this world. Still more, I am grateful for the promise which followed—He has already overcome the world and has won the victory (John 16:33)!

Surely Paul would have taken this to heart as he encountered his own various trials. The brutal honesty in which Paul communicated the life of a Christ follower is refreshing. He could have stopped at simply disclosing the tribulations he endured for the sake of the Gospel, but he continually gave God the glory for rescuing him again and again.

My persecutions and sufferings that happened to me…which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me.
2 Timothy 3:11, ESV

Faithfulness Now

In Paul’s first letter to Timothy, he encouraged Timothy to pay attention! He charged Timothy to persevere in what he was learning and to keep a close eye on what he was teaching the people around him.

Pay close attention to your life and your teaching; persevere in these things, for in doing this you will save both yourself and your hearers.
1 Timothy 4:16, CSB

In the second letter to Timothy, Paul reiterated his instructions.

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it, and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
2 Timothy 3:14-15, ESV

The Word of God gives wisdom for salvation, both individually, and for the people who hear. Even more, since Scripture is God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16), studying and applying its instructions is sufficient to understand how to live a godly life. There is no higher authority! What a provision of grace! But this grace is not just for ourselves. As we pursue godliness, our lives testify of faith in Jesus Christ which leads to salvation.

Chasing Fairytales

For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.
2 Timothy 4:3-4, ESV

These verses are palpable in today’s society. The time has come. It is now. All the more, the truth of the gospel humbles and comforts me! How often do I go searching for someone or something that will tell me what I want to hear? Justify me. Validate me. Tickle my ears. It is a slow decline over time, one where daily meditation on God’s Word is gradually abandoned. Advice is sought elsewhere, even a wicked way of thinking within myself.

Solomon talked about this trap in Proverbs: it looks like a sparkly fairytale, but it ends in death (Proverbs 16:25). Therefore, every suggestion, whether from our own minds or others, must be weighed against the Word of God. Does it align with His character? Is the purpose to bring Him glory or myself? Will following the advice move me toward godliness or away from it? Where does it focus my affections?

How often do we go searching for someone or something that will tell me what I want to hear? However, every suggestion, whether from our own minds or others, must be weighed against the Word of God. Click To Tweet

Worthy Pursuit

The main pursuit of sinners is self—looking out for #1. If the interests of the world are adopted (such as whatever the current American dream is) then the pathway to God has been deserted. The quest is no longer holiness but an evil adventure of heartily approving of the ways of the world. Avoid this way! Why? Because delighting in the instructions of the Lord have incomparable purpose and joy; not just for the life to come, but now!

The life of success spoken of in the Bible does not look anything like the prosperity gospel being peddled to the masses today. Unlike the godly person, the wicked do not prosper in everything they do (Psalm 1:3-4). Even when we cannot see it, God knows, because the Lord knows those who are His (2 Timothy 2:19). With that assurance, we can make peace with the constant tension of living a life for the glory of God.

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?
Romans 8:31-32, ESV

Now, children of the King, press on!

Shashank Rana

darkness, deeper, God’s Word, relationship, understanding, salvation, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Deeper: Diving Deep Into God’s Word Instead Of Treading On Its Surface

DevotionalsJune 2, 2019June 2, 2019

We have been given the best treasure for finding and knowing God. The only true way to truly know Him is by diving deeper into the Bible.

Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness covered the surface of the watery depths, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.
Genesis 1:2, CSB

What Treasures Lie Below The Surface?

Have you ever noticed the deeper you dive into scripture, the more you seem to find? Hidden treasures lie deep below the surface of the Word. We are not meant to tread on its surface because it will only give us a small glimpse of who God is and what He has for us.

When we tread on the surface of the Word, we also find ourselves face to face with the darkness that covers it. This darkness is where we find ourselves lost, tempted, and treading in the territory of the enemy.

Instead of living our lives on the surface, we should dive down deep to see what hidden treasures we will find in the waters below. Doing this, we will gain a deeper realization of who our Creator is, a deeper relationship with His Son, and a deeper reason for diving further into the scriptures.

Dive deep with me today, Dear Reader, as we explore together these hidden treasures.

My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, listening closely to wisdom and directing your heart to understanding; furthermore, if you call out to insight and lift your voice to understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it like hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and discover the knowledge of God.
Proverbs 2:2-5, CSB

Deeper Realization of Who God Is

God wants us to know who He is. He created us in His image. If we desire to know how we are supposed to live or be, then we would be wise to know who God is first.

Knowing the attributes of God will help us better understand ourselves. Before I knew Jesus as my Savior, I read the Bible. I knew how to read each and every word. Yet, I had no clue what it was saying. I was only reading on the surface.

It wasn’t until I was saved that the Word of God became easier to understand. Even then, I remained on the surface when I read. I would read a random place in the Bible, mostly the New Testament, and then try to apply what I read to my life.

The scriptures helped me, but they didn’t give me fully what God had originally designed. He wanted me to dive deeper. He wanted me to come to a deep realization of Him. I couldn’t do that by reading the Bible the way I was; which was for mostly selfish reasons.

God’s word is full of encouragement and good stuff, but it’s much more than a ‘pick you up when you feel down‘ book. When we dive deep in the scriptures and ask ourselves, how does this scripture characterize God? first, then we understand the direction clearly on how to apply His Word in our lives.

I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.
Ephesians 1:17, CSB

Deeper Relationship With His Son

Understanding who God is will inevitably lead to a closer and deeper relationship with His son, Jesus Christ. If we only allow ourselves 5 minutes a day in our Bibles, how deep can we expect our relationship with Christ truly to be?

I’m not saying that we should all spend our days with our noses shoved in our Bibles doing nothing else. Although, if given this option, I’d happily welcome it. All I am saying is the amount of time we invest in the relationship, is what we will naturally expect to get out of it.

When I find myself reading my Bible with intention, I tend to be led to discover sweet treasures of God and His relationship with His son, Jesus. This prompts me to feel a love so high and so deep between the two of them that it moves me to tears. I need to be truly invested in what I’m reading in order to get that kind of emotion and reaction.

For example, my younger sister LOVES to read! I’ve always admired this about her. She will sit and read an entire book as big as Harry Potter in one sitting if allowed the time. She always tries to explain the story to me when she is done reading, but I never seem to have the same reaction she had.

This is because she was invested in the story and the characters of that story, while I was not. She got to know their character well; So when those characters experienced something very tragic or very exciting, she experienced it too. Her ability to understand them as the role they were created to be in that story, is what drove her into an intimate and deep connection with them.

This is the same way God designed us to read His Word. When we allow ourselves to understand the main characters of the story, which is not us, then we will reap a more meaningful relationship with them. You can not know the Father without knowing His son. And you can not know His son without knowing the Father. When we know the main characters, we then deeply come to know ourselves.

They saw the Lord’s works, his wondrous works in the deep.
Psalms 107:24, CSB

Deeper Reason For The Dive

Upon looking at the scripture in Genesis 1:2, I found a startling discovery. The scripture says that darkness covered the surface of the watery depths. When you think of darkness, what comes to mind?

For me, these words are triggered: isolation, depression, lost, blind, fear, cold, temptation, and evil. We all have been there. We all know it well. It isn’t a place we enjoy living in. God understood this fact which is why, if you dive into His word, you’ll find His sweet warning from the very foundations of the earth.

The fact that God reveals to us from the beginning that darkness covers THE SURFACE of the waters, is not accidental. He intentionally put that there for our own benefit and knowledge as a warning not to tread there. Knowing this will help us stay away from the surface and dive down deep for all things good. There is a reason for God’s placement of scriptures. He wants us to unlock these mysteries and find as many hidden treasures as we can.

Today, Beloved, I urge you to do this very thing. Read your Bible to know who God is. Read your Bible to grow in a deeper relationship with His son, Jesus Christ. And understand, Sister, there is a deep reason for EVERY. SINGLE. WORD!

The words of a person’s mouth are deep waters,
a flowing river, a fountain of wisdom.
Proverbs 18:4, CSB

Read your Bible to know who God is and grow your relationship with His son, Jesus Christ. Understand, Sister, there is a deep reason for EVERY. SINGLE. WORD! Click To Tweet

Jason Leung

focus, provision, attention, overwhelmed, supply, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Refocus: Centering Our Lives on God While the World Fades Away

DevotionalsMay 29, 2019May 29, 2019

Being overwhelmed by the responsibilities of this world should not take our focus off of God. We must refocus our lives on God and let the world fade away.

My relationship with God is my number one focus. If I nurture and grow my relationship with Him, He will take care of everything in the world around me.

Gracie Kay

Center of Attention

April and May bring prom season to the world of high school. Young girls are adorned in beautiful gowns, sparkling jewelry, and Cinderella-like shoes. Young men look dapper in their tuxedos. When its time for pictures all the cameras are focused in on the couple. They are the center of attention.

One late afternoon in May, I found myself inside beautiful Duke Chapel focused on my son and his date in order to capture picture-perfect memories. Handed a high dollar camera, I was faced with a dilemma. I tried to focus, turning the lenses back and forth, but the camera just didn’t want to cooperate with me.

My oldest rolled his eyes and took the camera and proceeded to give me in-depth instructions. Within the next hour, the young couple was the center of attention. Cameras and phones flashed, taking what seemed like millions of pictures.

Later that night as I was thumbing through pictures, God seemed to whisper in my ear, “Where is your focus?”

Where is Your Focus?

When God spoke to me, my heart fell and I felt ashamed. You see ladies, I have been focused on so many different pressures in my life, that my focus has not been on God and His ultimate plan.

Life is overwhelming sometimes! Our time and energy are pulled in different directions. Jobs, school, kids, ailing parents, church commitments, organizational commitments. All of these responsibilities and more threaten to take our focus away from God. No matter how young or how old you are, you are not immune to this dilemma. So, take a moment and do an inventory of where your focus is. Let me share mine with you:

Selling a house.
Building a new house, in a new city.
Applying for financial aid and trying to find scholarships as a single mom.
Scared to death to start graduate school, but know this is God’s path for me.
Blogging
Editing my second book
Raising three kids, while trying to be mom and dad, both.
Church commitments.
Job commitments.

Your list may look a lot like mine, or it may be different. None of these things could be taken off my list and I certainly would not consider them unhealthy. However, if our list or commitments take our focus away from God’s will, then we need to refocus our lens.

Refocus Your Lens

How do you refocus your life on God and not the responsibilities of this world? In church Sunday, we sang a new praise and worship song and it gave me the answer. Read the words and let them sink into your soul…

If you’re not in it, then I don’t want it. Let all else fade away.
Passion, “Fade Away”

Talk about some powerful words. If God is calling us to do something, He will enable us to do it. He will provide us with whatever means necessary to accomplish the task He has set before us.

If you are taking care of an ailing parent, He will give you strength and wisdom. If you are balancing work and going back to school, He will provide you with effective time management skills. God provides patience if you are waiting for a situation to be taken care of.

But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19, KJV

If God is calling us to do something, He will enable us to do it. He will provide us with whatever means necessary to accomplish the task He has set before us. Click To Tweet

All

I love this verse because it reminds me that God will supply all my needs. A-L-L. All, not some, not when He feels like it, but all my needs. There is great comfort in these words. God also brought the words of an old hymn from my childhood to my mind.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.
Helen Lemmel, “Turn Your Eyes upon Jesus”

We must focus our eyes on Him. We must nurture and grow our relationship with Him by reading our Bible, praying, worshiping and fellowship with other believers. Let us all refocus our lenses. Focus on God and let the world fade away!

Until we meet again… Gracie

mitsuo

restoration, healing, beautiful, beauty, create, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Restoration: Allowing The Lord to Heal Our Brokenness with Beauty

DevotionalsMay 28, 2019May 28, 2019

When we hand over the broken pieces of our hearts to the Lord, we can expect restoration. We emerge from His mending with even greater beauty and value.

A few years ago, I found myself in one of the most lovely places I’ve ever seen: Duck, North Carolina. A tiny barrier island at the northernmost tip of the Outer Banks, Duck is nestled between the peaceful sound on one side and the mighty ocean on the other. It was such a blessing to spend a week in this coastal paradise.

I made the trip with a group of eight close friends who were walking intimately with the Lord and with one another. One of the women in our group had a friend who owned this gorgeous beach house, and she allowed us to use her home for our annual girls’ getaway.

The place was palatial! Beautiful balconies off of each bedroom provided perfect perches for sipping coffee and savoring quiet time in the bright morning sun. Sprawling wrap around decks with rocking chairs and hammocks offered comfy spots for leisurely reading or napping in the afternoon shade.

The rooftop deck invited early evening musings as we took in stunning sunsets over the ocean. And incredible waterfront views on every side lent a picturesque backdrop for sweet conversations or time alone with the Lord.

A Sisterhood of Believers

In this place, we were surrounded by such magnificent beauty; yet each one of us had brought broken pieces of our hearts that needed mending. (For the sake of anonymity, I will not use my friends’ real names).

Nancy’s husband had been in and out of the hospital for over a year with repeated major surgeries and life-threatening infections. Rosalynn’s daughter was struggling with anxiety and other mental health issues. Sara’s husband had a severe health problem that forced him to indefinitely halt his career as a commercial airline pilot. She was also heartbroken over her son’s battle with alcohol and drug addiction.

Ana was dealing with severe exhaustion from issues related to her diabetes. I was in the middle of a very deep financial wilderness season where I could barely keep my kids fed and a roof over our heads.

Each one of us had arrived with so much brokenness, suffering, and strife. Our hearts longed for restoration and peace. Throughout that week, the Lord refreshed our souls with the natural beauty of the island. He comforted our hearts with the sweet fellowship of this sisterhood of believers.

Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
1 Thessalonians 5:11

Three Artists

One of our dear friends almost didn’t make the trip. The previous year, Mary had suffered a tragic loss in her family–a loss involving the ocean. Reeling from the emotional aftershocks of the incident, Mary was still trying to find her bearings. She was not sure if her heart could handle returning to the sea. Shortly before we left for the trip, however, the Lord gave Mary the courage to go.

One afternoon, I was standing in the kitchen visiting with Mary and Sara. To set this up properly, I should mention that–in very different ways–all three of us are artists. Mary is an amazingly gifted painter, Sara is a wonderful poet, and I am a songwriter. As the three of us gathered around that kitchen island, the Lord did something beautiful for our broken artist hearts. He gave us a glimpse of the tender beauty and care that He so lovingly uses to mend the hearts of His beloved daughters.

He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.
Psalm 147:3

A Poem…

Sara had brought a poem that she wanted to share with Mary. The piece described the Japanese art of Kintsugi, which means “golden joinery or repair.” This ancient art form involves the restoration of broken pottery with a lacquer that’s mixed with powdered gold. The resulting pieces–the mended vessels–hold even greater beauty and value than the originals.

As Sara recited the sweet poem, we beheld a beautiful depiction of the way the Lord heals our hearts. Just like the Kintsugi artisans, He carefully considers and deftly handles each delicate and fragile shard. And with His loving touch, He gently puts us back together again. Restoring us, He fills our seams and our scars with something even more precious than gold–His love is the bond that makes us whole. Under His master hand, we emerge even stronger and more beautiful for the mending.

But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.
Job 23:10

Restoring us, God fills our seams and our scars with something even more precious than gold–His love is the bond that makes us whole. We emerge even stronger and more beautiful for the mending. Click To Tweet

A Painting

As Sara finished reading the poem, Mary was in tears. Mary shared how she had just returned from a long walk on the beach with the Lord. She had been so reluctant to return to this place of such heartbreak and loss. Yet the Lord–in His tender and merciful way–had softly touched her heart by opening her eyes to the beauty surrounding her.

As she took each step on the soft sand, He guided her gaze to a new colorful sight. Each one contained uniquely beautiful tones and hues. The soft pinks and subtle blues of the seashells were like watercolors. Puffs of white foam on the grey sand strewn with black sea bark–a black and white rendering. Stark streaks of marigold and turquoise across the sky–a bold acrylic abstract. Wisps of bright green sea grass gently waving from the breezy dunes–a simple yet alluring landscape scene.

Like a palate resting on her arm as she made brushstrokes on her canvas, this natural array of color offered new creative possibilities. Her Creator was reawakening her painter’s heart. All of this splendor was right there in front of her, on magnificent display.

Through the beauty of this simple seaside setting, the Lord was showing His beloved daughter one of His most treasured works. It was not the physical scenery that lay before her–it was her very own heart. She was a daughter after His own heart. A painter, gifted and trained by the Master. And she was His masterpiece.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2:10

A Song

As Mary finished sharing, I almost couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Earlier that day, the Lord had taken me on a similar journey on the beach, and He was speaking to me through all the broken seashells along the shore.

I had been pouring out my heart to Him. Desperately seeking peace and assurance that my family would survive this wilderness season of deep hardship and lack. And as He often does, He brought me solace through the lyrics of a new song. I sang it there in the kitchen for my friends, as I knew it was meant not only for me but for their hearts as well. It’s called Broken Seashells:

Broken seashells, on the seashore: works of art, strewn in the sand.
In this masterpiece, He has created, even the refuse is grand. O even the refuse is grand.
We all long for beauty, the desire’s built in.
Made to reflect His glory, we’re hewn by a master hand. Yes we’re hewn by our Master’s hand.
With a blueprint on every fingertip, and a light in every eye,
a love in each heart, and a story to live by. It’s His story we live by.
We all long for meaning, for a purpose within.
Made to trust His leading, and follow a master plan. Yes we follow our Master’s plan.
With a blueprint on every fingertip, and a light in every eye,
a love in each heart, and a story to live by. It’s His story we live by.
Broken people, on the seashore: works of art strewn in the sand.
In this masterpiece, He has created, even the refuse is grand. Yes, even the refuse is grand.
Broken seashells, on the seashore…
Hope Anderson, “Broken Seashells”

Restoration

So the Lord used a poem, a painting, and a song to bring restoration to our hearts. And although not every wound was completely healed in that week, He touched our hearts in such beautifully unique ways that we could not deny the goodness of our Creator.

What has the Lord used to bring restoration to your broken heart? Do you know that your heart contains the bonds of His love, which is far more precious than pure gold?

Olivier Mesnage

All scriptures are from The King James Version of The Bible.

God’s call, God’s love, righteousness, communication, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Abandon: Answering God’s Call to Surrender Our Lives

DevotionalsMay 27, 2019May 27, 2019

God would call us a thousand times if He has to. May we not ignore His call and surrender our lives to live for Him with reckless abandon.

A few weeks ago, while driving to the beach with our oldest granddaughter, we drove Gary, my husband a bit mad with blasting chick music. Since she and her sister were young, the three of us have jammed to the likes of Adele, Sara Bareilles, and of course, Taylor Swift. I even remember dancing around my family room holding their baby brother a few times… He’s now eleven!

Nevertheless, Gary surreptitiously turned down our tunes with his steering wheel control, (he needed earplugs, I suppose,) but when I noticed, I cranked it back up so that Anna and I could belt it out, singing with abandon to our old favorites.

We didn’t care who might be watching in passing cars or how we sounded, (although she is an accomplished musician who performs publicly). The two of us were just, well, jamming our hearts out.

Hello…

One of the all-time favorite songs that my daughter and granddaughters have joked around with, in the past few years is Hello, by Adele. It’s so melancholy that we naturally feel the need to overdramatize it when we mock-sing it.

Hello, it’s me
I was wondering if after all these years
You’d like to meet, to go over
Everything
They say that time’s supposed to heal ya
But I ain’t done much healing

Hello, can you hear me?
I’m in California dreaming about who we used to be
When we were younger and free
I’ve forgotten how it felt before the world fell at our feet

[Pre-Chorus 1]
There’s such a difference between us
And a million miles
[Chorus]
Hello from the other side
I must’ve called a thousand times to tell you
I’m sorry, for everything that I’ve done
But when I call you never seem to be home
Adele, “Hello”

I know this has happened to you…

Earworm

Since our trip, this song WILL NOT LEAVE MY MIND!!! I can be vacuuming, applying makeup, planting flowers and what wafts through my head? “I must have called a thousand times…”

Oh, my sweet Lord! How can I rid myself of this song, which I used to enjoy, but has now become a pesky irritant?! My addled brain has gotten stuck in a groove that just might cause permanent damage!

Finally, recalling that God has a record of speaking in various and, to us, unusual ways, (Numbers 22:28, through a donkey; Exodus 3, through a burning bush) I finally stopped fighting the words in this song and began to listen. What in all that is righteous and good are You trying to say to me, Jesus?! Because, slow as I am to hear, SURELY You are speaking through this song.

I must have called a thousand times…

Those words played a loop in my head. Often, I ask God to speak to me about specific situations or decisions that need to be made. At times, I find myself pleading for direction. The truth is, He is speaking all the time. If there is a problem with communication, it’s on my end.

Are You Home?

Statistics reveal a lack of communication is one of the top complaints in couples seeking marriage counseling.

God has the same issue with us… He calls; we don’t answer…or pretend we didn’t hear: “Was that God or the devil?”

As Adele said in her song, “When I call you never seem to be home.”

I wonder if we don’t “meet (with God) to go over everything,” (Adele, verse 1), because unconsciously we fear He may require something of us which we aren’t willing to give. Or, perhaps He may want to tear down that invisible wall we erected around a deep wound, inflicted years ago.

Even the thought of God asking us to take these actions is too painful to contemplate, so we don’t answer His call…or abandon our will to the Father. We settle for His gifts and working for Him.

Abandon

In Mark 10:28, ESV, Peter proclaimed boldly:

“See, we have left everything and followed you.”

As a young man, Oswald Chambers wrote:

Our Lord replies in effect, that abandonment is for Himself, and not for what the disciples themselves will get from it. Beware of an abandonment which has the commercial spirit in it…Abandonment is not for anything at all. We have got so commercialized that we only go to God for something from Him, and not for Himself. It is like saying, “No, Lord, I don’t want You, I want myself; but I want myself clean and filled with the Holy Spirit; I want to be put in Your showroom and be able to say – ‘This is what God has done for me.’” …Abandonment never produces the consciousness of my own effort, because the whole life is taken up with the One to Whom we abandon.
My Utmost for His Highest

Oh Beloved, in moments of total honesty, stripped bare of our false piety and bangles of good works, can we truly accuse our Father of wanting to harm us? How can we entertain the notion that we can’t trust His goodness when He loved us enough to hold nothing back from us, not even His only Son?

Missed Call

Many years ago, Gary and one of our sons went to Russia on a two-week mission trip. We were never apart for that long, so I did not want to miss the one phone call he was going to make while they were gone. The other two kids and I were getting out of the car from church when we heard Gary leaving a message on the answering machine, (I told you it was years ago).

I was frantic to get in the door to catch him but was too late. Needless to say, I was very disappointed and cried. My oldest child thought I was being a bit dramatic, but I didn’t care. This was my Beloved. I loved and missed him; I needed to hear his voice. (He called again later.)

Apple of His Eye

Multiply that a gazillion trillion times and that is how the Father loves us. We are His Beloved, the apple of His eye.

For this is what the Lord Almighty says: “After the Glorious One has sent me against the nations that have plundered you – for whoever touches you touches the apple of my eye…
Zechariah 2:8, NIV

»«

Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me under the shadow of Your wings, From the wicked who oppress me, from the deadly enemies who surround me.
Psalm 17:8-9, NKJV

I pray we won’t miss the times the Lover of our souls calls us to abandon our lives to Him in a fresh way. May we not expect Him to ‘call a thousand times,’ although He will. May we run to Him like a gazelle each time He whispers our name, and joyfully obey whatever He asks.

Do we not meet with God because we fear He will ask something of us? Or maybe He wants to tear down the walls we’ve built around pain? His call is for us to abandon our will for the Father’s. Click To Tweet

Annie Spratt

freedom, God’s love, identity, loved, truth, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Loved: Knowing God Desires Us for Who We Were Created to Be

DevotionalsMay 22, 2019May 22, 2019

We believe so many lies. One of the easiest to believe is that we cannot be loved. But God desires and loves us for who He created us to be!

I’m a pretty good driver. The only accident I’ve ever been in was entirely not my fault. I’ve never received a ticket. Never even been pulled over. So I really believe God intervened the night I ran over a raccoon and hit a deer within a 20-minute time span.

The few months leading up to that life-changing drive were some of the worst months of my life. I was working as the middle school director for a summer camp. A job I loved but caused me to endure some vicious slander from a young woman I lived with at the time. A sister in Christ.

Her verbal attacks made me believe maybe I wasn’t a good leader, a good friend, a good follower of Jesus. Her accusations wore me down emotionally and even spiritually.

Attacked and Abused

Then our summer staff came to camp. I always enjoyed the weeks of training new staff and seeing how God brought us all together to teach His truth to campers. What I didn’t enjoy, though, were the two young men who flirted rather heavily with me. Two young men with girlfriends, I might add.

I remember the disgust I felt as I attempted to dissuade their flirtatious interactions. Here they were, men who claimed Christ as their Savior, using me for some fun without care for my feelings or, of course, their girlfriends’ feelings.

The few weeks leading up to that fateful drive, my days consisted of listening to a fellow Christian attack my character and attempting to ward off flirting games.

I was sickened. I felt used and abused.

The Ugly Anti-truth

From then on, I allowed Satan to take their words and actions and twist them into an ugly version of truth. This ugly anti-truth didn’t stop at crushing my character, though. It placed the words and actions I was receiving from sinful humans over God’s character. Before I realized what had happened, I began to struggle with believing the truth that God fully and uniquely loved me.

I knew Christ loves all people equally, but I struggled. If He truly loves us all the same, how was I special to Him? How was I unique to Him? How could I be loved by Him?

I prayed over this lie. My friends did, too. I sought wisdom from others. I saw Satan’s schemes for what they were. Yet I couldn’t move past the thought of, But what if he’s right?

Freedom

It was on that drive when I found freedom. God revealed His answer to my prayers. I had tears threatening to spill as I drove home from Bible study. I cried out to God, asking Him why these fellow Christians were treating me like an afterthought. Why wouldn’t He remove this lie from my heart about who He was and how He loved me?

And that’s when I hit the raccoon. He had run out in front of me so quickly, I had barely seen him… I felt the thud, and I just burst into tears. This was not what I needed.

But as I wept, I decided enough was enough. So I numbed myself from the pain of my attackers. I took all my emotions and pushed them as far away from my heart as possible. I wiped my tears, set my jaw, and would fight back by simply not caring.

And that’s when I hit the deer. I remember looking at my speedometer for half a second. When I looked up, he was just standing there, right in front of me…

Overwhelmingly Loved

As the impact — physical and emotional — of what just happened tore through me, I once again began to weep. I cried out again and again, Why?? Why now? But instead of silence and my continued sobbing, I heard God’s answer…

He reminded me of the many ways He physically protects me. My love language is touch, and He had kept me safe from harm my whole life. There were different scenes that played out in my mind’s eye of moments when I should’ve been seriously injured — the current one included — but instead, I had not a scratch.

For reasons I know as the Holy Spirit, my mind was released from the lie that God doesn’t love me perfectly and exactly the way I need love. The evidence overwhelmed me.

His love overwhelmed me.

I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, ‘You are my servant’; I have chosen you and not rejected you.
Isaiah 41:9, NIV

The Only One

God reminded me how He knows every part of me, even the ugly parts, yet He still loves me. While human love will never satisfy, His will. While human love will always love flawed, His love never will. In fact, He rejoices over me.

The LORD your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.
Zephaniah 3:17, NIV

You might be facing this same lie or a number of other ugly anti-truths. But know, God has chosen you and not rejected you. He has engraved you on the palms of His hands. And if you were the only human on earth, He still would’ve sacrificed Himself for you. That’s how much He loves you.

No matter what others say about you or how people treat you, the perfect, unique love of our Savior is ready to wash you clean from your wounds. He is the only One who sees every aspect of you and loves you more than you can imagine.

Rejoicing in Truth

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Ephesians 3:17-19, NIV

His love surpasses our understanding and knowledge. Yet we can rest in the truth that His love is not measured in human standards. How we love one another should reflect God’s love for us, not the other way around.

So whatever lie you face this day, continue to give it to Jesus. Continue to hold it up to the truth of Scripture, knowing He rejoices over you with singing.

And my prayer is that it won’t take hitting a raccoon and a deer, for you to know the truth that will set you free.

God's love surpasses our understanding and knowledge. We can rest in the truth that His love is not measured in human standards. Click To Tweet

Emily Saxe was born and raised on the east coast but currently resides in Indiana with her husband. Working as a full-time freelance writer and editor, her heart and her pen are drawn to stories of faith as she helps people share how God is working in their lives. Everyone has a story to tell, and Emily loves helping to give people a voice to share their own story. Read more of Emily’s articles on her website, To Unearth. You can also find Emily here: Pinterest Instagram Facebook

Anita Austvika

constant, depleted, God’s character, infinite, sustain, surrender, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Finite: Surrendering to God’s Infinite Power and Grace

DevotionalsMay 21, 2019May 21, 2019

We often forget our humanness. When we accept that we are limited and finite, God’s infinite power can work. It’s through Him we can do anything at all!

I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.
Ephesians 3:16, NLT

Confronted… face to face with my own limits.

After months of adding more, and more, and more to my plate, I finally hit the proverbial wall. Scrambling to evaluate what was important, pieces began to fall off with or without my permission… “But God! You brought me here. All of these things, You need ME to do.”

Confronted… face to face with my infinite Savior.

Finite

I am human which means I am finite. I am bound by limits, but often forget this truth until I’m facing the insurmountable. Until I’m facing circumstances and other humans out of my control.

I’ve overbooked my schedule – I cannot be in two places at once.

Here, put this hat on, this hat, and this hat – I cannot be all things to all people.

But you said you could last week – I cannot peer into the future ahead.

As I started coming to terms with my limited nature, I heard the Holy Spirit speak:

Let God be God. In His infinite power and mystery, let God work and move. Stop getting in the way. Stop trying to measure Him, put boundaries around Him. Nothing concocted by human minds or built by human hands can contain His sovereignty. Trust in His strength, His love, His forgiveness.

Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.
Ephesians 3:17-18, NLT

Limited Humans

In order to completely accept my finite nature, I must also recognize the limited nature of my fellow humans. I cannot hold others to God-like infinitude but must remember the grace and love of the One.

Because we are relational creatures, we focus on what other humans can supply… we rely on others to fill our gaps; forgetting it’s only through His power and glory that any other human can provide anything for anyone. Only HE can supply all we need and lack.

For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen.
Romans 11:36, NLT

Intricate

We are so intricately woven together as His beloved children. He created every working and operating part in our bodies, but left one major component that ONLY He can touch… our souls.

How often have I tried to fill the void in my own soul? How often have I tried to be the savior of another’s? ONLY God’s infinite and immeasurable love can cover the multitude of darkness in our human hearts and souls.

May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
Ephesians 3:19, NLT

Infinite

Praise God! He is infinite… He is never-ending, never-changing, constant and stable.

‘I am the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end,’ says the Lord God. ‘I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come—the Almighty One.’
Revelation 1:8, NLT

Who can figure out our Mighty God?? Our finite minds cannot fathom. Our will is minuscule… we cannot move the oceans or bend the wind. We cannot command the skies or the mountains to rise.

Take a long, hard look. See how great he is—infinite, greater than anything you could ever imagine or figure out!
Job 36:26, MSG

We may appoint man to rule, but only One is appointed to take on the limitless depths of sin. ONLY ONE is crowned the limitless Savior of the world and beyond.

Praise God! He is infinite… He is never-ending, never-changing, constant and stable. Only He has overcome the limitless depths of sin and been crowned the limitless Savior of the world. Click To Tweet

Surrender

My Savior blankets me in the grace that only He can give. Over and over He pours out tenderness to my depleted nature. When I strive to be all, see all, know all, do it all in my strength He’s waiting. Waiting for His Beloved to finally surrender. Surrender to His unlimited nature beyond fathom…

God fills and sustains. He inflates our lungs to speak Truth. He ignites our hearts and sets fire to OUR plans. His Spirit dances inside us as we lose ourselves to God’s overwhelmingly infinite love.

Now glory be to God, who by his mighty power at work within us is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of—infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes.
Ephesians 3:20, TLB

Have you come to terms with your own limits? Have you surrendered to God and His infinitude?

Free Nature Stock

empty, God’s word, God’s love, flawless, purpose, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Empty: Supplying Everything We Need from Our Limitless God

DevotionalsMay 20, 2019May 20, 2019

If you constantly run, you’ll grow tired. If you’re always running out of gas, but never filling back up, you cannot go anywhere. Why choose to be empty when we can choose to overflow with the love of God?

Running On Empty

Lately, I’ve been living from moment to moment. What’s next? What am I looking forward to? I don’t need to tell you this, but it’s exhausting. Always looking forward to whatever’s coming up instead of living for Christ, is no life at all.

I know how much it sucks to feel empty. Why then, do I continue doing the exact same thing? That’s insanity! We cannot live off of momentary pleasure. Instant gratification ultimately leads to death…

Where do we go once we’ve reached a goal? We make another one. Then another and another. We’ll run out. But with Christ there is no end; we can’t “use Him up” or reach His end because He has no end.

Free Refills

We’ll never be able to wrap our minds around the vastness that is Christ. God is so infinite and wide which includes His love, mercy, and plan for us. We will not just be filled in Christ, but we will overflow! Why live on empty if all we have to do is believe and love the One who first loved us?

It’s so simple, so straightforward. Accept Christ, you’re saved. Love the God who turned His back on His Son to bring you home, you’ll overflow. Why is it then, that I choose to turn my back? Who am I to walk away from Christ?

Well, I’m no one. But God has given us the choice between Him and our own plan because He loves us so much. How, though, do we choose life over death when death is so enticing?

Choose Life

The hardest part of this, for me, is actually doing it. What does it look like to live for and like Christ? I haven’t been in the word for one. I guess I don’t realize how utterly vital it is to be reading the literal word of Christ. How can you be in relationship with someone you know nothing about? You can’t!

Another thing that makes it impossible to be in relationship is not TALKING TO SOMEONE! We have to be in constant communication with God otherwise we grow distant. Emphasis on we. God knows us and wants all of us so we cannot blame any faults or shortcomings on Him. He’s so graciously given US the choice to live and live with Him. There is no flaw in Him. He is full; He is not empty and He will never leave us empty.

For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.
Romans 6:4, NLT

Flawless

If you’ll allow, I’d like to go off on a little tangent…

I mentioned there is no flaw in Him. That means the things He creates are flawless as well. You are flawless. Tainted by sin yes, but you are no mistake. No accident.

This is something else I’ve stumbled upon in these season of emptiness…

Self-esteem. A battle I’ve been fighting for a while is finding the balance between, well, I am a sinner, but I am also saved and a part of Christ’s perfect plan. So, I really can’t question any part of myself. God made me the way I am on purpose. God made you the way you are, on purpose.

My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Galatians 2:20, NLT

Full

What a beautiful picture. Nothing to prove and nothing to lose because He lost it all so we could win. So He could win. We don’t have to spend our days waiting for the “next big thing” because He is always filling us up. We overflow. With Christ, we are no longer empty. With Christ, we are full.

He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.
2 Corinthians 5:15, NLT

We don't have to spend our days waiting for the next big thing because He is always filling us up. We overflow. With Christ, we are no longer empty. With Christ, we are full. Click To Tweet

Annie Spratt

honor, inspiration, memory, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Remembrance: Erecting Memorials in Our Hearts to God

DevotionalsMay 19, 2019May 19, 2019

Jacob and Joshua erected stone memorials for remembrance of the Lord’s work. Do we actively create memorials in our hearts for Him?

My father passed away in November. It seems surreal to think that I am living a part of my life without him in my background. In a quiet moment, I might remember that he is no longer with us. Memories flood me. Remembrance of him, for those of us closest to him, is easy. Still, my mother, sister, and I made plans with other family members to erect a tangible reminder of his life.

Stones

There will be no headstone, as he was cremated rather than buried. Instead, we will purchase a bench or a sitting stone with a memorial plaque to place near one of his favorite places in the mountains in Colorado. This is a common practice for memorializing someone in our culture. There is usually a stone, brick, or plaque somewhere to remind those who come after us that our loved ones were here and made an impact.

The people of the Old Testament were no different. They used stones quite frequently to serve as reminders to those who came after them of significant events. Unlike the headstones of today, though, these stones of remembrance were to point towards God’s presence and actions, rather than memorializing men.

Inspiration

Jacob had encounters with God that commanded and inspired him to move forward in the Lord’s work. In response, he built a pillar to God…

And God said to him, “I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall come from your own body. The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give the land to your offspring after you.” Then God went up from him in the place where he had spoken with him. And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he had spoken with him, a pillar of stone. He poured out a drink offering on it and poured oil on it. So Jacob called the name of the place where God had spoken with him Bethel.
Genesis 35:11-19, ESV

Generational Remembrance

Joshua had men take twelve stones from the Jordan once they had crossed it. They then erected a memorial to remind their children and their children’s children that God had cut off the waters of the usually overflowing Jordan so that they might cross over it easily. Joshua commanded that one man of each tribe carry a stone.

This action was not merely symbolic or a literary contrivance that looks nice on paper. “Look, there are 12 tribes of Israel, 12 stones, and 12 disciples!” No, Joshua commanded each tribe’s participation, ensuring everyone’s investment. Not one person would forget to hand down the tale because they merely stood on the sidelines watching it happen. No, their hands carried and laid the stones. It was a moment of significance for each tribe individually and collectively.

The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they encamped at Gilgal on the east border of Jericho. And those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal. And he said to the people of Israel, “When your children ask their fathers in times to come, ‘What do these stones mean?’ then you shall let your children know, ‘Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground.’ For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over, so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever.”
Joshua 4:19-24, ESV

Eradication of Sin

Joshua also renewed the covenant the Lord had made with Moses after God had given Ai into their hands. God had dealt swiftly with the sin that was rampant in Ai, just like he did in Jericho.

At that time Joshua built an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal, just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded the people of Israel, as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, ‘an altar of uncut stones, upon which no man has wielded an iron tool.’ And they offered on it burnt offerings to the Lord and sacrificed peace offerings. And there, in the presence of the people of Israel, he wrote on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written.
Joshua 8:30-32, ESV

Bear Witness Against Men

More stones were erected when Joshua told the Israelites to choose who they would serve. These stones memorialized that choice accordingly, bearing witness to their feeble promise to God.

So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and put in place statutes and rules for them at Shechem. And Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God. And he took a large stone and set it up there under the terebinth that was by the sanctuary of the Lord. Joshua said to all the people, ‘Behold, this stone shall be a witness against us, for it has heard all the words of the Lord that he spoke to us. Therefore it shall be a witness against you, lest you deal falsely with your God.’
Joshua 24:25-27, ESV

Christian Life Today

In today’s world, we don’t need stones to remind us of God’s mighty works. We have the evidence of His goodness, His greatness, His wrath, and His correction in our Bibles. In other words, the Bible is a nice, portable collection of stones for us to sift through and reminisce about.

I don’t need to go sit on the bench or stone we will purchase to remember my father. I have placed pillars in my heart that will remain forever. But, do I do that for the Lord? Have I learned enough about Him? Do I love Him with the love of someone who knows her Father intimately enough that stones are unnecessary? Do I recognize the great and miraculous works He performs in my life, and subsequently love Him more for them?

We don't need stones today to remind us of God's mighty works. We have the evidence of His goodness, His greatness, His wrath, and His correction in our Bibles. Click To Tweet

Building My Own Pillars of Remembrance

I vow to read and actively study my Bible more. I promise that I will learn more about God so that I might love him more fiercely every day. And I commit myself to recognize His work in my everyday moments. Therefore, let the stones of remembrance I place in my heart act as memorials and as witnesses to my personal promises to God.

Jon Phillips