love – Page 4 – Oh Lord Help Us

Oh Lord Help Us, love, neighbor, faith, spiritual growth, Christian, women, ministry

Neighbor: Living the Great Commandment of Love

Devotionals, Stay SaneJuly 17, 2018June 28, 2019

Loving our neighbor is more than loving the people directly next to us. It is loving all those whom God has created and has compassion for.

The dark was so encompassing on the cloudy night. It crept right up next to the young girl as she held tightly to her mother’s hand. They stumbled through the night desperately trying to keep up with the group that they prayed would lead them to freedom.

They were leaving behind a life of slavery and injustice. For over a year her mom had socked away a few coins from every odd job she could find. Her father had run ahead of them a few years before and had sent word that they should try and come. He had found a job, found a little house that he was sharing with some others who had escaped, and he missed them terribly. So a few weeks ago the little girl’s mom had given every penny she had saved to a group of men who promised to take them to freedom. And now here they were in the darkness, running across the rocky uneven terrain, stumbling, slipping, and praying for freedom.

The Darkness

That’s when the little girls life was turned upside down. The men who were “helping them” told her mother it was the little girl’s turn to help the men get more energy. The little girl was four years old. Mom screamed for her to run and then told the men she was happy to take on that responsibility, if they just let her girl go on her way. The little girl ran, hid behind a big rock and watched while a group of men did unspeakable things to her mother. They left her mother lying in the dirt. Torn and bloodied.

Even though there were many people in their group, no one spoke up. They turned their backs, covered their children’s eyes, and when it was over, kept walking through the darkness, leaving the little girl and her mother behind.

As day broke the mother moaned, got to her feet, took her daughter’s hand and kept walking. Now with no water, no clear sense of direction, and a broken spirit. They encountered another group later in the day. But were turned away because they couldn’t pay. One lady gave the little girl some water and a slice of bread though, and that kept them going for two days. That’s when they made it to the mighty river.

A Neighbor’s Help

The little girl’s mom told her that crossing the river was going to be tough, but after they crossed, freedom was on the other side. She took all their clothes, made a rope out of them and struggled across. Naked, broken, tired they trudged into the raging water. Barely half way across the little girl got dragged under. The mother, with her last burst of energy, yanked the rope to pull her daughter up.

From the other side a young man saw the two struggle. As fast as he could he ran down to the bank to help. He dragged the two out of the river. They didn’t speak the same language and couldn’t understand each other. The little girl was trying to cover her mother afraid of what another man would do to her. Thankfully this man was truly a helper. He wrapped the mom in his shirt and took them to his house, fixed them up as best he could without taking them to a doctor.

The Light of Neighbors

This was a story told to me by a fourth grader almost 15 years ago about how she and her mother came to our country. They lived in a little shack not far from the school and I had the pleasure of going to visit them several times. They were always so welcoming and kept their home open to anyone, any neighbor, who needed a meal. Can you imagine? Going through such horror and still opening your home to feed others. And let me tell you those tamales were the best I have ever had. The love in them was so evident.

Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?

Jesus replied: ‘Love the lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets and on these two commandments.

Matthew 22:36-40, NIV

Neighbors are Good Samaritans

Jesus made it very clear that loving God is most important, but loving our neighbor is also important. In the story of the Good Samaritan, He reveals God’s definition of neighbor as not just someone who lives next door, or someone who has the same faith, or language as you.

In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him.The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

^‘Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?’

Luke 10:30-36, NIV

God’s Call to Our Hearts

In a world that is turned topsy turvy about who our neighbor is, let God clear your eyes and heart. We are all neighbors in His eyes. While we may have to live within man’s rules and laws, God’s law comes first.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13:13, NIV

Dear God,

Please help us be the hands and feet of Your church. Let love be our guiding light. Thank you for showing me stories of people who have lived through life’s worst fears and come through with Your love and grace shining through them. Your word has been an anchor in my life and shown me the way, even when the world around is so loud and confusing. Thank you for the map and light in the darkness. Please help those in crisis and help us all be more like the Samaritan.

Love,

chuttersnap

Peace: No Longer Living with Shame in God’s Presence

Devotionals, Stay SaneJuly 11, 2018September 8, 2019

The everlasting love God lavishes on us through His Son is revolutionizing. We no longer live with shame, but have peace in His presence.

In high school I went on a trip with my youth group. We slept in sleeping bags on the floor of an attractive, comfortable church. It was located close to the inner city where we conducted back yard bible clubs during the day. Looking back, it seems silly to have driven several hours away to engage children in a different state when there were plenty who needed love in our own. But that’s beside the point.

During my excursion to the south, I grew rather chummy with a cute boy in my group. By mid-week I was feeling convicted about stealing away to the church’s nursery to make out. I Kissed Dating Goodbye, by Joshua Harris had just been published that year. Purity ring sales were skyrocketing among church-goers and girls everywhere were swearing off dating. Initially, I was in hearty agreement. I thought dating was a waste. Truthfully, I was pretty annoying about it. I remember mouthing off about a couple of 14/15 year-olds who had started “going-out” in our church. I pompously asked, “Where are they gonna go? They can’t drive!” You could’ve cut my sarcastic disdain with a knife. One of my best friends looked at me and said, “Oh shut-up, Emily!” I kept my opinions to myself after that. He did me a favor.

Ironically, there I was, only a few weeks later, confronted with cravings I’d never experienced before. The timing was completely inconvenient! Talk about embarrassing. The poster girl for no-dating wanted to be a relationship with a boy. It was in a season in my life where my faith was becoming my own and not just a borrowed one. Falling in love with Jesus was exciting! But temptation was knocking and I was searching for ways to have it all. Proverbs warned me about how pride comes before a fall.

Anyone who’s ever been to a church camp knows Thursday night is an emotional one. Our youth leader had purchased a trinket of some sort for every teenager. Taking his time, he passed out each item, sharing why it reminded him of the receiver. When he got to me, he handed me a small figurine of a baby looking up with a monumental pout on its face. He knew what I was wrestling with. Probably more fully than I even did at the time. With compassion in his eyes, he told me he knew I had some tough choices to make, but I could do all things through Christ who would give me strength.

Shame…

Unfortunately, I had developed a wrong view of God and I wasn’t able to receive the encouragement appropriately. I felt scolded. Even more, I thought God was angry and disappointed in me. I knew better. The Old Testament was full of the same repeating story:

God instructs His children
They disobey
God gets angry and turns away
Then God has compassion and makes a new covenant
His people are restored

I didn’t know what I had to do to reconcile with God, but it felt overwhelming. The shame was crushing. I felt marked by sin in a way I’d never imagined. How long would God hide His face from me? Could I bear it?

Everlasting love brings peace…

If I could talk to 15-year-old Emily today I would tell her:

What you’re suffering from, dear one, is the effects of a performance-based relationship with your Creator. And your shame is a result of your wounded pride; not because you’ve grieved the heart of your Father. Jesus is your Lord, but not your Savior. Yes, God did say in Isaiah that He ditched His children and fell off the map for a while.

For a brief moment I deserted you, but with great compassion I will gather you. In overflowing anger for a moment, I hid my face from you, but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,’ says the Lord, your Redeemer.

Isaiah 54:7-8, ESV

The beauty is, Jesus was the embodiment of the everlasting love in Isaiah 54:8. God made a way to place all His overflowing anger on Jesus…forever. He hid His face from Jesus on the cross. So now, God doesn’t hide from us anymore. We have peace with God because of Christ’s sacrifice. There is never a moment where He cannot immediately be found because of the gift of His Spirit. Emmanuel, God with us. Like the prodigal son, all you have to do is return to Him. Show up. He is waiting, not with a wagging finger and a scowl, but with open arms and a smile on His face. Seek to understand the love God has for you. I assure you, you will not be let down.

We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death He died He died to sin, once for all, but the life He lives He lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Romans 6:9-11, ESV

But He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed.

Isaiah 53:5, ESV

We have peace with God because of Christ’s sacrifice. Click To Tweet

The love of our God is fierce! Nothing is going to stop His pursuit of you!

reckless, love, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, ministry

Reckless: Understanding the Radical Love of God and Why We Need It

Devotionals, Stay SaneJune 18, 2018July 30, 2019

At the core of every human being is the requirement to be known and to be loved. It’s not optional; our Creator placed it there. And His reckless love is the key to filling our need.

I’ve had the song How Deep the Father’s Love for Us in my head for weeks. When I wake up, it’s playing in my mind. I sing it driving down the road and to my son at night. Like an ear-worm, its melody penetrates my concentration throughout the day. Unavoidably, that is where my attention has focused and praise. be. to. God. This soul of mine is being restored amidst the pursuit to fully grasp His astonishing, endless love.

Simple

My husband Sean and I were talking this morning of how we complicate the clear-cut love Jesus modeled. Selfishness and pride can get in the way when we feel our importance or level of respect is being threatened. Yet Jesus was secure in the Father’s love for Him even though all the popular kids wrote Him off. Nor was Jesus deterred by ridicule because He was confident that He was known and seen and loved by God. What keeps us from getting that? Why is the proverbial “God-shaped-hole” unable to fill up?

What is it, then, that this desire and this inability proclaim to us, but that there was once in man a true happiness of which there now remain to him only the mark and empty trace, which he in vain tries to fill from all his surroundings, seeking from things absent the help he does not obtain in things present? But these are all inadequate, because the infinite abyss can only be filled by an infinite and immutable object, that is to say, only by God Himself. He only is our true good, and since we have forsaken Him, it is a strange thing that there is nothing in nature which has not been serviceable in taking His place; the stars, the heavens, earth, the elements, plants, cabbages, leeks, animals, insects, calves, serpents, fever, pestilence, war, famine, vices, adultery, incest. And since man has lost the true good, everything can appear equally good to him, even his own destruction, though so opposed to God, to reason, and to the whole course of nature.

– Blaise Pascal, Pensées VII (425)

Longing

Adam and Eve experienced unadulterated happiness with God before sin entered the world. The imbalance between their once known genuine happiness and brokenness sent people into a frenzy. Often without even knowing why, humankind incessantly longs to be whole. Unfortunately, we seek fulfillment from created things. Instead, we must allow our Creator to woo us. He is no man. He is God. His persuasion isn’t selfish; it doesn’t carry ulterior motives. There are no games. Only His purpose to treasure us, give us life, and bring us to Himself for His glory.

I will allure her; I will lead her back into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her. From there I will give back her vineyards to her, and turn the “Valley of Trouble” into an “Opportunity for Hope.” There she will sing as she did when she was young, when she came up from the land of Egypt.

Hosea 2:14-15, NET

Questions

At times we feel like God has forgotten us. And we falsely believe He is too small to care. Then our minds start running parallels and before we know it the beast of disapproval is haunting our thoughts.

You don’t have it that bad.
Don’t you know there are plenty of people who have it worse than you?
How selfish of you to think your hurt matters in comparison to third world hunger.
If you believed enough you wouldn’t be feeling this way.
You should just get over this.

But ask yourself, how differently would you live if you understood the intensity of God’s unchanging love? For you. His love is not like what’s on television or in books. It isn’t even what you grew up with, because even the best love you’ve experienced on this earth is only a shadow of the reckless adoration the Father has for His children.

Answers

The Lord answered, “Could a mother forget a child who nurses at her breast? Could she fail to love an infant who came from her own body? Even if a mother could forget, I will never forget you. A picture of your city is drawn on my hand. You are always in my thoughts!

Isaiah 49:15-16, CEV

I love this! Plus, Jesus painted us a picture of the prodigal son who didn’t have to beat himself up in order to receive forgiveness. He just had to show up. The father immediately welcomed him home with joy and celebration! That’s the fascinating theme of our God. He wants us more than we could possibly want Him. Before we can get over ourselves and polish up a pretty speech, He is already dancing with excitement to envelop us with His tenderness. The love He has for us is beyond our capability to show or understand. I cannot explain it, but with all my soul I am grateful for His scandalous, overwhelming, reckless love.

I will not boast in anything,
No gifts, no power, no wisdom;
But I will boast in Jesus Christ,
His death and resurrection.
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer;
But this I know with all my heart –
His wounds have paid my ransom.

– Stuart Townend, How Deep the Father’s Love for Us, vs. 3

What is keeping you from experiencing the fullness of God’s reckless love?

Sharon Co Images

Warmth: Bask in the Overwhelming Love of the Lord

Devotionals, Stay SaneMay 21, 2018June 28, 2019

We have been given new life, and the gift of eternity with the Lord. Nothing will change His passion for us. May we all know the warmth of His overwhelming love.

I love the sun. The way it feels on my skin, how it makes everything so bright and mostly how it lightens my mood. I spend the last month or so of winter every year with a slow creeping sadness moving through me. It starts the end of February and lasts until the sun’s energy pushes through the atmosphere at just the right angle to warm the earth and give us warmer weather. The day I put on shorts and go outside and dig in the dirt for the first time in spring is a day my soul sings.

This year, I went outside to clean out a bed; literally, a wrought iron bed that had been turned into a overgrown weed pot. It took me two days to dig out the bed. I had to dig down about 18 inches, hack through several roots that had grown over the top of the side rails and saw through a tree. It took almost a week for my muscles to recover. And I loved every second.

A gift…

While I was in this struggle with nature, I was playing music and singing. I just put my playlist on shuffle. Billy Joel played right along side Matthew West. Alabama Shakes played next to Big Daddy Weave. I mix my genres all the time. About an hour in, Pentatonix Mary Did You Know started playing. I love this Christmas song, but my brain rejected it. I went to push “next” thinking “today is a day for bright sun, work in the dirt to bring order to my garden, bringing life back to my spirit…Oh, wait…I see you God, it’s Christmas”.

No, I’m not getting out my tree and decorating. I’m not going to go shopping for gifts or bake more cookies than anyone should really eat. I’m feeling the spirit of Christmas. God’s son, Jesus, was given earthly form to bring us a way to salvation and give our spirits a bridge to rest with our Father for eternity so we never have to fear death. Sounds like springtime to me.

Mary did you know that your baby boy would one day walk on water?
Mary did you know that your baby boy would save our sons and daughters?
Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you’ve delivered, will soon deliver you?

I am sure Mary anticipated amazing things from her son. But I wonder if she could comprehend the scope. Two thousand years later we are singing songs about her and praying to her son. We are studying his ministry and reading his words. That seems a lot to take in for a new mother. Then again, Luke 2:19 does say, “But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.”

A passion…

As I’m in the dirt, hacking away at a very stubborn root. All these thoughts are rolling through my head. Christmas in the spring, Mary being the mother of God, and the message He was laying on my heart. Another song came on: Cloverton’s Hallelujah. If you haven’t heard this version you really should. It moves my spirit and implores me to raise my arms to the heavens.

I know You came to rescue me
This baby boy would grow to be
A man and one day die for me and you
My sins would drive the nails in You
That rugged cross was my cross, too
Still every breath You drew was Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah,Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Overwhelming love…

Okay at this point I’m feeling a little schizophrenic. Christmas and Easter. What are you saying to me, God? I kept hacking at the root in the garden, occasionally switching off to dig up more of the bed. I really felt God pulling at me trying to get me to understand something. More music plays: Cyndi Lauper, Alan Jackson, Adele. By this point my muscles were aching, my hands beginning to blister, but my mind was really wrestling with what God was showing me so I really didn’t notice yet.

Then, in succession came Greater by Mercy Me,

There’ll be days I lose the battle
Grace says that it doesn’t matter
‘Cause the cross already won the war
He’s Greater, He’s Greater

Next came, He knows My Name by Francesca Battiselli

Spent today in a conversation
In the mirror face to face with
Somebody less than perfect
I wouldn’t choose me first if
I was looking for a champion
In fact I’d understand if
You picked everyone before me
But that’s just not my story
True to who you are
You saw my heart and made
Something out of nothing

And then, Overwhelmed by Big Daddy Weave.

I hear the sound of Your Voice
All at once it’s a gentle and thundering noise
Oh God
All that You are is so overwhelming.

Warmth…

Do you see the message? It hit me square in the face. I was washed in love, God’s love, agape love. I am His and He is mine. No matter what, that truth CANNOT and WILL NOT change. So simple, so powerful, and yet I forget it from time to time, or push it aside while living my life.

David said about him: ‘I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand,I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest in hope, because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, you will not let your holy one see decay. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.’

Acts 2: 25-28, NIV

I hear you, God! I am rejoicing and hope that you, dear reader, find God’s love as overwhelming as I do.

Dear God,

Thank you for Your Word and for those who use Your word to inspire and uplift. I feel Your presence in my life and want to strive to hold on to that every day. Forgive me for forgetting You in my winter blues, but thank you so much for the Son that died for me so I can stay in Your warmth forever.

love,
me

I was washed in love, God's love, agape love. I am His and He is mine. No matter what, that truth CANNOT and WILL NOT change. Click To Tweet

Conner Baker

relationship, love, intimacy, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, ministry

Relationship: From a Love Affair to an Intimate Closeness with The Father

Devotionals, Stay SaneApril 22, 2018June 27, 2019

Love affairs are intense, exciting, and fleeting. Our feelings of love will fizzle over time, which is why we must be continually falling in love with our Lord. This maturing of our love leads to a deep, intimate relationship.

Every now and then I realize a need in my psyche to listen to chick music. I’ve told my husband that this is necessary for healthy, female existence…at least for me. It consists of different artists for each of us, but I imagine you know what I mean. Your gal may growl out her salty words or she may purr velvet blues, but depending on the day and my mood, I can bounce from Sara Bareilles wanting to see me be brave to Adele sending her love to his new lover. Probably like you, I can swing from Julia Fischers’ fingers dancing over her violin strings to Taylor Swift singing “Getaway Car.”

And that, dear sister, is where I landed the other day while upstairs doing particular household chores which I least enjoy. It was a Taylor day. Her song, “Sad, Beautiful, Tragic,” tugged at my heart in an unusually strong way. I replayed it several times, listening intently to the words as I questioned internally why this and one other song (“Begin Again”), on the album was arresting my attention. Most chick music falls in this category: girl meets boy; boy breaks girl’s heart; girl is shattered, can never trust again OR she’s tough, moving on, getting revenge, etc.

It occurred to me that too often over the years my relationship with God has been more like a love affair than an intimate, covenant relationship; maybe yours, too.

A Love Affair…

Love affairs are initially characterized by warmth, infatuation and hormones raging. Dr. Richard Schwartz, associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and a consultant at McLean Massachusetts General Hospital said that in the early stages of love our levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, rises in our system. In addition, love turns on the neurotransmitter dopamine, which stimulates the brain’s pleasure centers, and drops the levels of serotonin, which “adds a dash of obsession.” When this formula is added together, the equation always equals the exciting, crazy, dare-I-say silly feeling of an early infatuation/love. As the love-year progresses, chemicals gradually return to a normal balance and, if both hang around, a mature type of love follows. The hormone and neurotransmitter oxytocin increases to produce calm and helps to cement the bond that is being created between the two people involved. Other brain specialists concur.

Pretty amazing how the Lord-of-all worked those little details out, huh?

The problem is, we humans like that crazy, exciting, OMG! first-love feeling all the time…in every relationship.

It might explain our divorce rate…might help us understand why so many singles hit the dating web sites night after night…

Might even explain our prayerlessness.

Falling in Love…

While some of us still possess the buzz of the first blush of being a new Christian, many do not. So, as John Wimber, (one of the founding leaders of Vineyard USA), said to his first pastor after a few months of sitting in a pew, “You mean I gave up drugs for this?” Wimber wanted to do what he saw Jesus doing in the gospels, but didn’t see it happening in his church. Unlike many of us, however, he didn’t settle for a cooling agnosticism to replace the fire of his first love. Wimber studied the scriptures faithfully and passionately; he learned that if our love affair wasn’t with Jesus, it would be with something else. “Show me where you spend your time, money, and energy, and I’ll tell you what you worship.” he often said. Further, Wimber later claimed,

It seems the more I think about not sinning, the more I sin, but the more I think about just loving Jesus, the less I seem to sin. Falling in love seems to be the key.

John Wimber, Power Evangelism

There it is, again – falling in love. But this love is ongoing, maturing. It’s the kind of love that is patient, kind, and not envious, boastful, or rude. This love doesn’t always have to have its’ own way, and isn’t irritable or resentful. It doesn’t do a happy dance at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love in its’ truest sense bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. In fact, it never, ever ends (I Corinthians 13:4-8).

Impossible, right? Why yes, it is!! Apart from the power of Christ within me, I am the antithesis of all of those attributes listed! I can be impatient, envious and rude -all in one breath! I can be irritable and demand my own way when my coffee isn’t prepared the way I like – all before 8 a.m.!

But God…

…has rescued me from the power of darkness and transferred me into the kingdom of His dear Son…

Colossians 1:13, NLT

It seems the more I think about not sinning, the more I sin, but the more I think about just loving Jesus, the less I seem to sin. Falling in love seems to be the key. ~John Wimber, Power Evangelism Click To Tweet

Intimate Love…

Why, WHY does the Father continue to rescue, forgive, and empower me?

Because He loves me…and you…with a deep, everlasting, intimate love that surpasses human understanding. When we became His children, God made a covenant with us through the work of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 6:13-20). It is a covenant of grace, filled with mercy, authored by Love.

It seems like drinking from a cracked cistern, really, when we, you and I, continually search for a new ‘first love’ feeling or sense of fulfillment by sipping in new relationships or attractions, whatever those may be, when Love Himself, the fountain of living waters- who has loved us like no other – is available to us at all times. He is waiting to give you, and me, a fresh drink.

For My people have committed two evils:
They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters,
And hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water.

Jeremiah 2:13, NKJV

Sharon McCutcheon

You are fiercely loved…

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Want: Seeking A Good God Rather Than His Good Gifts

Devotionals, Stay SaneFebruary 20, 2018July 30, 2019

God is a good God who gives good gifts. But let us not fall for the temptation to want those gifts more than we want the Giver.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

Matthew 5:6, ESV

Have you ever wanted something so desperately you were willing to pay any price?

Want

In 10^th century BC, the Queen of Sheba caught wind of a very wise king. She had heard rumors about Solomon, and the God he received his wisdom from. Seeking truth, she traveled approximately 1,600 miles to Solomon’s kingdom in Jerusalem, though she had no invitation. Her entrance to the city was flashy, maybe like Aladdin’s when he went to Agrabah as Prince Ali.

Solomon received her and answered all of her questions. Once she realized Solomon’s God had indeed blessed him with profound wisdom, she picked his brain on how to better govern her own country. She brought a staggering amount of wealth to trade for the wisdom she hoped to discover. Upon her departure, she gave Solomon a ton of spices, precious stones, and approximately 192 million dollars in gold.

For wisdom is far more valuable than rubies. Nothing you desire can compare with it.

Proverbs 8:11, NLT

The queen did not appear to need anything. She had great wealth and a kingdom of her own. Leaving the safety of her home to travel so far posed incredible risk. She could have sent envoys, but she wanted to see and hear for herself. Authentic truth was out there and she wanted it.

Seek

I can see myself in her. My kingdom is much smaller, my wealth pales in comparison; but I have everything I need and a lot of what I want. Still, I long for more. Some days I dream about packing up and heading to some place quiet and secluded. Not for the sake of escape; though I’ve been there before. No, simply for the purpose of seeking wisdom without the daily distractions.

The greatest adversary of love to God is not his enemies but his gifts. And the most deadly appetites are not for the poison of evil, but for the simple pleasures of earth. For when these replace an appetite for God himself, the idolatry is scarcely recognizable, and almost incurable.

John Piper, A Hunger for God

Matthew 12:42 tells us the Queen of Sheba traveled from the far ends of the earth to acquire the wisdom of Solomon, but we have something greater than Solomon. We have Jesus. A wise person can’t give you their wisdom. But by seeking Jesus, we can attain it.

In whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Colossians 2:3, ESV

Find

I’m compiling a list of all the good things that act as stunt men for God in my life. They aren’t inherently evil. Seeing them written out, they’re pretty vanilla. Achieving genuine transformation is not just acknowledging where the infraction is. Asking forgiveness is another important step; but the key to lasting change is to replace the love for the thing with a greater love for God. James 1:7 says every good gift is from God. How quickly we exchange our love for the Creator to love for His gifts!

Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.

Colossians 2:7, NLT

What good gifts in your life are stealing your affections for God?

If you have found this inspiring, share the encouragement…

The key to lasting change is to replace the love for the thing with a greater love for God. Click To Tweet

Adorn: Abandoning the Old and Clothing Ourselves With Salvation

Devotionals, Stay SaneJanuary 21, 2018September 8, 2019

Worldly garments look completely different than spiritual garments. Clothing ourselves in sin hinders our ability to adorn salvation daily.

Clothes. Such a necessity. But why, oh why, do they have to produce laundry? I absolutely loathe laundry. It is one of those chores that we will never see come to completion. Unless you’re a family of nudists (not judging, but kind of). I really have tried the one “load of laundry a day” tip. Y’all, this is not realistic.

My boys are so very blessed with loads of clothes (pun intended). They have clothes for each season. Clothes for school, for playing, for sleeping. Church clothes, Christmas clothes, sports clothes. Seriously, I’m really contemplating becoming a minimalist. But, no matter how many clothes they have, my boys still have their favorites. The ones they will wear whenever they are clean (sometimes even dirty). Special clothes that wear out, tear, have stains. Even still, these items are chosen over shiny new ones.

Have I hit the point yet? This is moving toward matters of the heart…

Adorn: Dirty Clothes

We do this, don’t we? We all have “items” we put on day in and day out. For me, I’m constantly trying to change out of perfectionism, negativity, and insecurity. The list goes on but these are my comfortable clothes. These are the 8-year-old yoga pants I do chores in because they have bleach stains all over. They fit perfectly, and I NEED something to clean in, right?!

Because I’m a mere mortal, it is not in my nature to habitually clothe myself with supernatural adornments. It does feel good to put on freshly laundered clothes. But, why is this such a difficult process in our own spirits? When sin creeps in and goes unaddressed, we become more and more comfortable wearing it. The elastic starts breaking in, so to speak (I think I’ve pushed this analogy as far as I should).

Worldly garments look completely different than spiritual garments. Clothing ourselves in sin hinders our ability to adorn salvation daily.

Adorn: Daily Clothes

Sneaky sin is not what our Heavenly Father wishes for us. He has created the most beautiful spiritual ornaments. However, spiritual clothes are more difficult for us “put on”. In the midst of anger, how easy is it to be compassionate? When depression overwhelms, it’s difficult to be joyful. Anxiety makes us feel a need to act quickly, instead of being patient and trusting in the Lord.

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
Colossians 3:12, NIV

It takes daily submission and acceptance of this truth; we are His chosen. In every worldly situation and circumstance, we are to stand out. We are set apart and should not be wearing the same yoga pants as everyone else. These are not to be worn for our own glory, but for everyone to witness God’s glory. For all to see the precious gift of salvation through Christ Jesus.

Sing to the Lord, all the earth; proclaim his salvation day after day.
1 Cronicles 16:23, NIV

Adorn: Salvation Clothes

Most of us can remember the moment we accepted Jesus as our savior. It took me longer to understand what truly happens when we leave our sinful nature behind and accept the forgiveness and mercy of God. When we adorn our clothes of salvation, we are adorning ourselves in all that God has offered. Rest, protection, righteousness, joy, forgiveness, gratefulness, comfort, love.

I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
Isaiah 61:10, NIV

In our salvation, it takes more than just washing our dirty clothes, we must learn to completely abandon them. Every. Single. Day. Salvation is the only piece of clothing I want or need to put on. For in salvation all else rests. It is humbling to know I can approach the throne of God in my ugly yoga pants, because He prepared a way for me to ditch them. In Him, I am made new. My old clothes don’t fit anymore.

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Tammy Strot

I was tired, worn out, and dirty, but God…

This is the newest item in the Oh Lord Help Us Shop. It serves as a reminder that we are no longer who we were. The story has changed.

love-letters, desire, commitment, God, Jesus

Love Letters: Expressing Our Desire and Commitment to God

Devotionals, Stay SaneDecember 10, 2017June 28, 2019

Coming to know the Lord in deeper ways, it is natural to express our love to Him. Writing our prayers as love letters expresses our desire and commitment.

Have you ever received a love letter? Maybe in elementary school, the kind that said “check yes or no”? From a first boyfriend that included some attempt at romantic poetry? Or your fiancé or spouse that said how much they love you and couldn’t wait to be with you again because you make their life better? My husband and I used to exchange these types of emotional, gooey, heart-felt letters when we would spend time apart. They would make me feel so warm and special, and still do when I look back and reminisce over them. I still love him so much that I can’t imagine a day without him in my life, even after more than 20 years of marriage.

Love Letters: An Affair with the Creator

Recently, I have started a new love affair that surpasses all of that. This love affair is grander than all of those other lovely, beautiful, essential loves because this love affair is with the Creator of all the others. With all of my heart singing and shouting, I proclaim: “I am in love with God!”

Dear friends, let us love one another, because love comes from God. Whoever loves is a child of God and knows God.

1 John 4:7

I have always thought of myself as a Christian. I have gone to church, prayed, read the Bible and even talked with others about my beliefs. But recently I have finally begun to understand Agape love – the love of God for man and of man for God. Not just understand it, but feel it. The enormity and pure emotional connection that God has laid out to you and me is awe-inspiring. No one loves us like our God. He loves us before we existed and that love only multiplies.

For God so Loved the world that He gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life.

John 3:16

My husband, children, family, friends and students have all held pieces of my heart and I’ve doled out an equal piece to God. Seems reasonable, or it did to me. But I’m seeing now how much I’ve been missing. God GAVE me all the other relationships. Without Him, none of the others matter because they don’t exist. He loves us so much, He gave you and I a heart to love people. Why shouldn’t we love Him the most?

We love because God first loved us.

1 John 4:19

Love Letters: A Glimpse of God’s Love

About a year ago I started writing my prayers down. I did this as a way to be more intentional about my prayers and as a way to thoughtfully consider what I wanted to say. If it sounds technical and clinical, it was. Like a check list, I would make sure I had told God what I was thankful for, confess at least one sin, ask for forgiveness, and then ask for one thing for the world (peace, an end to hunger, for safety).

Looking back at it now, I see how clueless I have been in my love and understanding of God. God was right there for me though.

What we see now is like a dim image in a mirror; then we shall see face-to-face. What I know now is only partial; then it will be complete as God’s knowledge of me. Meanwhile these three remain: faith, hope, and love; and the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13:12-13

He took my meager attempts at communication and started talking to me, presenting opportunities to have conversations with Him that have grown my love immeasurably.

May the Lord lead you into a greater understanding of God’s love and the endurance that is given by Christ.

2 Thessalonians 3:5

First He put new friends in my path that loved me before I loved them. He showed me His heart through their compassion and love for each other. We have read and studied His word together and every time I see these people I feel God’s presence.

Then he started putting books in my path that spoke to my heart and pushed my head out-of-the-way: Present Over Perfect, Shine, Hurt Road, She’s Got Issues, and The Circle Maker. These books all have been instrumental in my newly awaked love.

There is nothing that God loves more than people who are at home with Wisdom.

The Wisdom of Solomon 7:28

Love Letters: Intimacy with God

Finally, God has opened a life line of hope and joy in my life that I have always searched for. I have always wanted to feel His presence, but quite frankly haven’t except in the rare moments that I would call out from a place of brokenness and sorrow.

This hope and joy has come through prayer. But not just any prayer, love letters. I write God a love letter almost every day.

Dear God,

Thank You for loving me. I need Your love today to be my best self. Help me to hear Your desires so that I can reflect Your love and passion to those around me. I love You! Help me to love others the way You love me. Speak to my heart. I need to step out in faith, believing that You have me tight in Your arms, so I can never truly fall even if I fail. Help me remember to move toward Your miracles.

Love,

Me

Be ready for God to answer you.

He said, “God loves you, so don’t let anything worry you or frighten you.” When he had said this I felt even stronger and said, “Sir, tell me what you have to say. You have made me feel better.”

Daniel 10:19.

Maybe it will be with a feeling of calmness, words from a friend or family member that come at just the right time, or a Bible verse that just pops up. He loves you beyond all words – let Him hug your heart today.

All scripture used is from the Good News Translation.

If you are interested in the books mentioned, please consider purchasing them through these affiliate links. There is no extra cost to you, and a small portion goes to help support this ministry:

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John Jennings

but God… loved

This is where our stories change.
Believing the truth that you are fiercely loved by the Creator changes everything.

Friendship: A Practice in Sacrificial Love

Devotionals, Stay SaneDecember 3, 2017September 8, 2019

Worldly standards on friendship can hinder our ability to be a Godly friend. In our quest to become the “truest” friend, we often stretch our personal boundaries and limits to the point of breaking. The Bible offers a multitude of advice on friendship and why sacrificial love is key.

I have the worst habit of telling new, potential friends that I am a “bad” friend. I began believing this idea when I started comparing what my friendships looked like with other friendships.

Surely a good friend should be able to drop anything at a moment’s notice. Isn’t a true friend able to carry the other through any darkness with strength and perseverance? Aren’t you “supposed to” go shopping, do lunch dates, talk on the phone?

I figured, since I wasn’t able to follow through on these standards 100% of the time, it meant I was not a “good” friend.

Well, that’s a load of junk.

Friendship: The Honest Truth

In my experience, stereotypical norms discourage Godly friendships from thriving. The world standards of “girl-friends” doesn’t always align with my personality type. I am not one for getting excited about shopping dates. I sometimes cringe at the thought of play dates. Socializing leaves me feeling exhausted. Typically, I get heavy after long conversations. Not by the subject matter, but by over analyzing my words and interactions.

Most people cannot commit to answering the phone WHENEVER the call comes; work, sleep, and alone time are extremely important. Many of us can say that we will not ALWAYS make that coffee date; life happens and money is sometimes tight. We cannot ALWAYS keep it together while the other is going through a valley; pretending to have it all together is tiring, and quite frankly, insincere.

So, are these the reasons friendships go awry? Does lack of perfection cause us to feel guilt and give up?

Friendship: Where We Go Wrong

When thinking back on fizzled out friendships, I was surprised to find they were completely within my control. Instead of enriching relationships inside my own God-given strengths, I shook them off. I compared and belittled what I brought to the table.

Having a successful relationship, doesn’t usually fit into obvious standards. Feeding into the lie that we have to be like all the other friendships, is where we go wrong. God created us to be exactly who we are: unique. Thus, our friendships will be unique.

You use steel to sharpen steel, and one friend sharpens another.

Proverbs 27:17, MSG

God ordains friendships knowing that each person has what the other needs. When we try to operate outside of this knowledge, we mess it all up. When we refuse to allow God’s love to fill in the empty spaces, our friendships die.

Friendship: What the Bible Says

The Bible emphasizes love as the greatest way to be a friend. When we come together IN love, TO love, we are committing our hearts to serving the Lord.

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.

1 Peter 4:8-9, NIV

Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Romans 12:10-12, NIV

Jesus spoke the most significant advice on friendship…

This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you. This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends. You are my friends when you do the things I command you.

John 15:13-14, MSG

Friendship: The Promise

Jesus’ sacrifice gives us the greatest example of how to truly be a friend. Laying down our lives doesn’t necessarily mean our hearts stop. Sacrificing our lives looks like prayer. It looks like following through, being trustworthy, showing respect. Sacrificing ourselves resembles grace in the midst of pain; love in spite of selfishness. Love looks like 1 Corinthians 13.

I have come to terms with the fact that I will always be in a state of progress. I will never, ever be a “perfect” friend because I am not Jesus. Understanding and accepting these truths, has made me realize, I’m not a “bad” friend just because I’m not a “perfect” friend. I may not commit to every coffee date, phone call, or outing. But, I can promise, from the depths of my being, that I will love fiercely.

If we can become comfortable with who we are and what we have to offer, I believe we would see less broken relationships/friendships. Striving to love in friendship, honors God more than striving to do and be all the things.

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Don Ross III

To love our children is to teach them to obey. First, to the Lord, and, in turn, to us. How do we teach our children to be obedient and respectful?

Living the Obedient Life

Devotionals, Stay SaneSeptember 27, 2017January 13, 2019

To love our children is to teach them to obey. First, to the Lord, and, in turn, to us. How do we teach our children to be obedient and respectful?

Yikes! That title is super intimidating, but let me sell you for a second. What if I told you it’s vital for Christian living? It’s God’s love language. Our obedience makes His heart happy! Doesn’t it make your heart happy when your children do what they are told without a grumble or a whimper?

“Whoa! How do you get results like that, Katie?” I don’t. Not always. And, I don’t always give my Lord the same respect. I also grumble and complain.

As a parent, I give in. I’m clear on the rule, I communicate the consequence, but, if I am honest with myself, I can be easily swayed. Not hearing the complaining and the whining is a reward to my mental state. This is one of the biggest lies I feed into. “You will be happier if you don’t have to hear one more tantrum.” Am I teaching true obedience to my children if I continually buckle under the pressure of the arguments and crying fits?

Our youngest, at the ripe age of 2, quickly learned to cry for Mommy when he wanted a drink of water at night. The rule is set: no drinks in bed. Consequence: a wet bed, extra laundry, and a grumpy child. It seemed that no matter how many bottles of water I filled during the day or how much was consumed at dinner, his thirst was not quenched until he had that last sip while snuggled under his super hero blankets. We stood firm. Water Nazis, if you will. The worst ever. The tears, the anguish. Ultimately, I submit to one more sip of water to ease my ears and my patience. Choose your battles, right? No. He’s not thirsty. He’s letting me know that he can be disobedient without recourse. He’s getting his way.

Parenting is not for the faint. It’s a constant cycle of holding to account our child’s actions and being held accountable for our own. It’s absolutely impossible to be a successful parent without first bowing to the Lord. How do we teach our children to be obedient and respectful? The answer for obedience is obedience. Respecting and submitting to the Lord’s commands. Love God with our whole existence. To love God is to be obedient to God because He loves us.

I call Heaven and Earth to witness against you today: I place before you Life and Death, Blessing and Curse. Choose life so that you and your children will live. And love God, your God, listening obediently to him, firmly embracing him. Oh yes, he is life itself, a long life settled on the soil that God, your God, promised to give your ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Deuteronomy 30:19-20 (MSG)

Because of this verse we have this verse:

Children, do what your parents tell you. This is only right. ‘Honor your father and mother’ is the first commandment that has a promise attached to it, namely, ‘so you will live well and have a long life.’

Ephesians 6:1-3 (MSG)

To love our children is to teach them to obey. First, to the Lord, and, in turn, to us. The lie says we will be happier in the end, but the truth is the exact opposite. When we choose disobedience in any form, we choose death. Life or death? Thanks, I’ll choose life. Somehow I think that if I would just remember this in the midst of a battle of wills, I would find strength to follow through. If I would just remember that when my children choose to be disobedient they choose to be separated from the Lord. Heavy. No, most children can’t grasp the intensity of this. Especially when it’s “just a sip of water”. So, how do we convey the importance?

Write these commandments that I’ve given you today on your hearts. Get them inside of you and then get them inside your children. Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street; talk about them from the time you get up in the morning to when you fall into bed at night. Tie them on your hands and foreheads as a reminder; inscribe them on the doorposts of your homes and on your city gates.

Deuteronomy 6:6-9 (MSG)

We can’t instill honesty, kindness, love, self-respect, responsibility, and OBEDIENCE in our children with “giving in.” We have to LIVE in obedience without wavering. We have to speak the truth of God. We have to completely submerge our whole existence in God’s living word! This is the most important assignment the Lord has given his followers and ultimately those he has bestowed parenthood upon.

When we choose disobedience in any form, we choose death. Click To Tweet

You’re turn!

Listen, Ya’ll! I feel convicted, even now, while writing this post. It’s difficult. Life is hectic and nuts! It’s easy to let the day pass with just a short devotional, a 5 sec prayer, or even nothing at all (Gasp! For shame!). Honestly, it happens. It shouldn’t but it does. It does for every single one of us. That’s how I know this message is important. Parent or not.

In what ways can you better your obedience to God?

How can we practically show this important lesson to our children?

Daiga Ellaby