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Long to Return: Resting Our Hearts and Minds During the Holidays

DevotionalsDecember 8, 2019December 8, 2019

With the hustle and bustle of the holidays, December can be a restless month for many. We long to return our souls to rest. How can we calm our hearts in the midst of all the busyness?

It’s December, y’all!

Are you relishing in the cooler weather, holiday traditions, and pretty lights? Maybe you’re more like me with a rush of adrenaline accompanying this month and the feeling that no matter how you try to prepare for the busyness you still always feel caught off guard by it.

Either way, it’s here along with the hustle and bustle, Christmas cookies and school plays, family visits and visiting family. This time of year is supposed to be one of peace and joy. Yet so often it’s easy to be short-tempered and on edge with places to go and deadlines to meet that leave us always going to the next thing.

We want to slow down and enjoy this season and remember our Savior, but the to-do list is daunting. It appears nothing can be cut from it. Let’s face it. December is just plain busy and exhausting!

Return

You guys, I get it. December sneaks up on me every year. I know it’s coming, but somehow, I’m never ready. My husband works for a shipping company which means, of course, this is their busiest time of year. He’s always working, and we always miss him. Our daily schedule is at the mercy of his daily changing work schedule. The lack of consistency and family time wears on us all. Each year I think I’ll be better prepared, though each year I find myself blindsided, unable to breathe in the midst of the busy.

How do we balance keeping the obligations and traditions that are necessary and important while still finding rest in the middle of the business?

Speaking to Our Soul

Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;
Our God is merciful.
The Lord preserves the simple;
When I was brought low, He saved me.
Return, O my soul, to your rest;
For the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.
Psalm 116:5-7, ESV

When I need to breathe again, I often go to this passage. Here, the psalmist speaks to himself. “Return, O my soul, to your rest.” As the psalmist did, I must also speak to my own soul. I must reach into my hurried heart and speak the reminder “return to your rest.”

Where does this rest come from? What provides rest to weary, busy souls? The rest comes in remembering the Lord’s work.

Rest For the Restless Days

Before speaking to his own soul, the psalmist spoke to God’s work in his life. God is gracious and righteous. He is merciful and preserves the simple. When the psalmist sunk into the depths, God saved him. He reminds his soul of this. Yes, soul, “the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.” That is where his soul finds rest…in the bountiful work of his God, his Savior.

Following the example in this passage, I speak to my own soul. “Soul, rest in His work. God has dealt bountifully with you. He is faithful. The Lord keeps His promises always. He saved you and called you Daughter. Return, O my worn and weary soul, to your rest. He will refresh you.”

This time of year, we remember and celebrate the birth of Christ. When we see the images of our Savior in the manger, that God-man in infant form, let us speak to our souls. Let us remind our busy minds and distracted hearts of the ways this child King has dealt bountifully with us.

As we sing Christmas carols of infinitely precious truths, let them be reminders to our souls of His gracious care of us.

While we are out and about going from one place to another to attend to our family’s holiday schedules, let us keep with the example of the psalmist and breathe, speaking truth to our souls and find rest in the restless days of December.

Dear one, return, you precious soul, to your rest, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.

Annie Spratt

Advent, Christmas, Jesus, pressure, holidays, rest, busy, season, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry, nonprofit

Remembering Jesus: Overcoming the Pressure of the Holiday Season

DevotionalsDecember 3, 2019December 3, 2019

The pressure of the holidays can be suffocating. Remembering Jesus, our Savior, and resting in His presence allows us to overcome the lies and expectations.

I can already feel the lies of the season…

Do all the things. Be all the things. Give all the things.

»Pressure«

Why in the world does this happen during the Christmas season? I know it’s all been said before, it’s all been penned, it’s all been discussed…

Busyness vs. Peace • Mantle vs. Manger • Presents vs. Presence.

Expecting Gifts

Christmas isn’t about the things… We all say this, but we fall prey to the trap every year. We allow it. It creeps in with every Christmas song, movie, and commercial. With every dollar-spot stop at Target. Every ‘SALE! SALE! SALE!’

GIVE all the things…

I’m seriously contemplating -deep breath in- little to no gifts this year. GASP! As everyone screams, ‘Look away! Look away!’ The horror. The nerve.

The freedom…

Imagine, for just a moment, if the pressure of buying the perfect gift, or anything at all, was lifted from our shoulders. Imagine if Christmas was about the conversations, the number of hearts beating in the same room, about being around, not the presents.

What if the gift of the season was about experiencing each other, hearing each other, breaking bread together, grieving together, laughing together, living life together…

Giving what we have…giving ourselves. Our Creator provided us unique gifts to pour out on those we love. Baking, making, hospitably serving, singing, reading, smiling. Giving love, listening ears, open doors… Giving Jesus. Jesus – the most perfect gift.

God has given each of you some special abilities; be sure to use them to help each other, passing on to others God’s many kinds of blessings.
1 Peter 4:10, TLB

Christmas Busy

Christmas is about spending time with loved ones…Yet we still fill our time with events, parties, and programs that take us away from intimate moments with the ones we love. ‘Tis the season to be busy. Christmas parades, Christmas programs, Christmas events…

Christmas is stamped at the beginning of these words, adding a new level of pressure to attend. We run ourselves ragged making sure to show our faces, our kids’ faces, our spouses’ faces at it all.

Please understand I’m not trying to close everyone off from societal traditions. I’m simply trying to spark inspiration in finding rest, seeking the warmth of hospitality, and taking pleasure in the calm.

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6, NLT (ephasis added)

Yes, this verse refers to a time when governments practiced seasons of peace. However, through His sacrifice on the cross, Jesus offers peace to us all, at any moment. He offers us calm in our spirits, though there’s strife all around. He provides quietness through the hustle and bustle. Falling into Jesus brings rest, comfort, and a stillness that is unmatched in this world.

Overcoming Pressure

Christmas is about Jesus… But we fill the season with so much that Jesus isn’t. From the moment of conception to the moment of ascension, every bit of Christ’s life is what we cherish at Christmas, and all the other 364 days. Well, it should be.

For what Jesus accomplished in our place, we should be filled with overwhelming joy. He came to earth as the Son of God, died on the cross for all our sins, rose from the dead three days later, and gave us hope for eternal life with our Father. From that joy should spring forth immense generosity… supernatural generosity.

Though they have been going through much trouble and hard times, they have mixed their wonderful joy with their deep poverty, and the result has been an overflow of giving to others.
2 Corinthians 8:2, TLB

The load is lifted from my chest, and I take a huge sigh of relief. It’s beautiful. Warm. It’s Jesus. Only Jesus. Rejoicing in His gift, being in His presence, and resting in His hope is what the days ahead are all about… it’s what life is about.

Sister, I pray we can join together in overcoming these lies of the holidays. That we can shift the ‘normal’ expectations and rest in Jesus. Rest in remembering Jesus.

eberhard grossgasteiger

sovereign, trust, questions, prayer, rest, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

The Potter: Trusting Our Sovereign God to Take Care of Us

DevotionalsJune 25, 2019June 25, 2019

Asking God ‘why’ is natural. But we can rest and trust in God; His decisions, His timing. He is the Potter; Sovereign over us, His children.

The Life-Force is a sort of tame God. You can switch it on when you want, but it will not bother you. All the thrills of religion and none of the cost.
C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

I wonder, sometimes, if we Christians don’t wish for a tame God as opposed to One who has given us a way in which to live our lives…and actually requires it of His followers. You know, a god who is just nice and loving and gives us what we want. I had to ask this of myself recently when I realized that I was questioning God about a prayer that seemed not to be answered.

The Potter

Oh, I wish it was the first time or the hundredth time I had questioned Him about the way my Father handled things, but sadly, it wasn’t.

Have you ever prayed for a long time for a loved one to come to Christ and they remain unconverted? Or for someone to be healed and they weren’t? Have you asked for (fill in the blank) and it hasn’t happened?

Me too.

But this time, when I began to question God’s working, the Spirit reminded me of an old song called ‘The Potter’s Hand’, from a 1998 Hillsong album. He uses music with me often because it has been such a pivotal part of my walk with Him since the time of my salvation. This, in turn, led me to several scriptures concerning God as our Potter.

Woe to those who seek deep to hide their counsel far from the Lord, and their works are in the dark; They say, ‘Who sees us?’ and, ‘Who knows us?’ Surely you have things turned around! Shall the potter be esteemed as the clay; For shall, the thing made say of him who made it, ‘He did not make me’? Or shall the thing formed say of him who formed it, ‘He has no understanding’?
Isaiah 29:15-16, NKJV

Why, God?

When I was a hospital chaplain, I often heard the agony of heartbroken family members asking why ‘God had done this’ to their loved one who had a terminal illness, died unexpectedly, or suffered in a prolonged way. At the beginning of my career, despite my training, I wanted to defend God while comforting them.

It wasn’t possible.

And God didn’t – and doesn’t – need my pitiful defense.

But now, O Lord, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And we are the work of Your hand.
Isaiah 64:8 NKJV

What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not!…You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?” But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?” Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?
Romans 9:14-21, NKJV

I hope you will find time to read the entire chapter of Romans 9, as it reveals God’s compassion and sovereignty more completely than these few verses.

Historical Familiarity

In my lifetime, we have developed a familiarity with God that generations before us did not possess. Sermons such as Puritan preacher Jonathan Edwards’ “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” would hardly be tolerated today in most churches. Although it is considered the most famous sermon ever preached in American history, I dare say the majority of Christians in the 21^st century have never heard of it or Him.

Somewhere in the ’60s, we decided we liked the soft-sell of the Gospel as if there is one. A loving Father full of mercy was more palatable than the complete picture, which adds a Father who disciplines those whom He loves (Hebrews 12:6; Proverbs 3:12).

Do you recognize the peace and love of the 60’s-70’s permeating the church? The Potter, Who molded and created us…well, He was so 1800’s!

The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying: ‘Arise and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause you to hear My words.’ Then I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something at the wheel. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make. Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: ‘O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?’ says the Lord. ‘Look, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel!’
Jeremiah, 18:1-6, NKJV

And as His children, we, my friends, are no different.

Just Puppets?

Does this mean we can never ask God why? Are we His docile puppets? I believe we know the answer to that.

Let’s frame that in the context of a parent with a child. If you are not a parent, then look back to your childhood. How do you respond when your children ask you questions concerning a decision you have made on their behalf?

What was the motive for your decision? Was it out of anger or love? For their good? Their safety or health? This is vitally important because our Father’s motives are always pure and loving (Hebrews 12:10).

Were their questions for understanding or due to defiance, opposition, or insolence?

Don’t we believe that our Heavenly Father can be trusted to be a better parent than we are/were/had?

He is Sovereign

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
I John 3:1, NIV

Whatever you are living in at the present, trust Him.

Ask, but trust. Rest and trust.

As the beautiful, lyrical song professes, He is Sovereign over us.

We can trust our Sovereign God. It doesn't mean we can't question, but we can rest in His timing, decisions, and goodness. Click To Tweet

Andrew Buchanan

goals, journey, rest, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Restful: Settling In to the Long Journey of the Unknown

DevotionalsJanuary 29, 2019January 29, 2019

The unknown can be restful, once we accept that our goal is not in arriving somewhere or accomplishing anything. Our goal occurs within the journey.

Five years ago we began the process to foster to adopt in South Carolina. Soon after we were licensed, we moved to North Carolina, having to begin the process all over. Here in North Carolina, they require prospective foster families to wait a year after a major life event. During our year of waiting, the Lord changed our hearts from fostering to adopt, to straight foster care. We began classes in February, went through the home study, revealed every part of our lives to the state, and were licensed in the fall. Then, a week before Christmas we opened our home to a four-year little boy.

While at a Christmas party, I was sharing that we had a little boy coming and a bit of what I knew about him. A friend there made the observation that when we began this process five years ago, he was not even born. His comment made me remember a piece of advice that was given to me back in South Carolina by a veteran foster mom.

This foster mom has served over 50 foster children throughout the years. She has definitely experienced all the ups and downs of fostering. Her encouragement to me was in the waiting. It was good encouragement, as I have been waiting for quite some time! The exact comment was, “The child God has for you may not even be born yet.” Perhaps that was a prophetic word?

Unknown…

Now, it is not in our plans for him to become ours through adoption, but for the time he is in our home, he is our child. God has entrusted him to our care for however long this season may be. This is where I am learning to love sacrificially. And it is scaring the crap out of me. It’s also pulling crap out of my heart. I am loving a child who may or may not love me in return; who may or may not remember me in six months; who may or may not ever say my name right.

He may be in our home for a month, or six months, or forever. Or it could be next week if they find a family member who is willing to take him into their home. I may need to register him for kindergarten. I may need to find new caretakers that are closer so I can provide transportation. Or I may need to pack up all his clothes and send them on in that big, black, plastic, garbage bag that is a notorious indicator of foster children.

My days are spent calming tantrums, breaking up arguments, teaching routine. It is intense and constant. But I am most fatigued by the mental drain of the unknown. How do I provide consistency and stability for this little boy, when those two things are not reality?

Lessons…

I knew the Lord would teach me so much through fostering, and I have been excited about that – in a masochistic sort of way. He is teaching me about His love for humanity, and how His sacrifice was given with no guarantee of love in return. I am learning how to show love and mercy to those who are hurting. The Lord is convicting me of the judgment I have held for other’s decisions. And He is revealing to me how I need to love the children I gave birth to with the same freedom and openness.

It is in seeing His love for His people that I find solace. That sacrificial love is constant. From the beginning of time, His love for His people has never wavered.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.

Psalm 136:1

In this love I can trust that provision is given in all things. The ultimate provision has already been given. We have salvation.

Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?

Romans 8:32

His love doesn’t mean things won’t be hard. But we do not need to fear the hard because He walks through the hard with us.

Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me.

Psalm 23:4

And through the turmoil, He provides comfort.

For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ.

2 Corinthians 1:5

Relax…

Someone asked me once how I could handle the mental challenge of running marathons – so many miles, for so many hours? My response was that I settle in. I relax in knowing that there are many miles to come, so I must focus on the step in front of me. Yet another life lesson from running marathons.

The unknown can be restful, once we accept that our goal is not in arriving somewhere or accomplishing anything. Our goal is to become like Christ, and that occurs within the journey.

There are many miles to go for me, and likely you feel the same. Shall we settle in?

The unknown can be restful, once we accept that our goal is not in arriving somewhere or accomplishing anything. Our goal is to become like Christ, and that occurs within the journey. Click To Tweet

All scripture from the NLT Bible.

Katarzyna Urbanek

rest, season, shelter, suffering, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Resting: Experience God’s Gentle Shelter During Brutal Seasons

DevotionalsJanuary 13, 2019January 14, 2019

Some seasons of life can be extremely brutal. We can feel exposed and vulnerable. But we can draw near to God, resting in the shelter only He can offer.

My son Evan and I have spent the past 90 days in Philly after his transplant. We had finally been given the green light to return home. I had every vision of how this return home was going to go, but nothing prepared me for how hard, emotionally and physically, this would be.

The holidays were in full swing. I was surrounded by expectations. My own, my children, my own… did I say my own?! Rather than home feeling like a safe place, it felt too open, too germy, too exposed. I know I asked for prayer before we left and while we were there, but now that we are home asking for prayer seems too personal and too raw.

Elijah

My thoughts were drawn to Elijah, the prophet. I love his heart and the kind way God treats him throughout his journey. One particular event has always stood out to me…

Elijah prays for there to be no rain in the kingdom of Israel. It has not rained for 3 years. The lack of rain is in direct defiance to the king and queen ruling at that time. But the time for no rain is coming to an end. God is going to use Elijah to bring rain back to the dry ground and reveal His power to his people.

Elijah gathers 450 of Baal’s prophets. Two bulls were offered as a sacrifice. Whoever’s sacrifice that was accepted will show who the one true God is. This story is amazing all by itself. However, the story I am interested happens after this test. Elijah calls down fire from heaven. His sacrifice is burned completely, and Jezebel, the queen, calls for Elijah’s very life. It’s amazing and dramatic and all the feels. But Elijah is utter toast when this event is over.

Then he was afraid and he arose and ran for his life […] and he asked that he might die, saying ‘It is enough O Lord take away my life,’

1 Kings 19:3-4, ESV

Depleted

Go back and read that verse again. Elijah, the prophet, the one who called down fire from heaven, wants to die. He had nothing left. Depleted. Worn out. God sends an angel and what happens next gives me every confidence that God is more than I could ever imagine.

The angel gives Elijah food and drink twice and gives him rest. Not very exciting news. It can feel pretty anti-climactic. But how God treats Elijah after a hard battle, speaks volumes to me as another weary traveler. I cannot say I have fought 450 prophets, but I do know what it is like to be weary down to the end of my very soul.

Rather than eat, sleep, and recharge, I wrestle with all of those. I want action or a plan, but I do not want to rest. There are a million excuses for not resting. I say, “But if I don’t…” or “Without this, the consequences could be devastating.” Yet Elijah did exactly that. He took to resting as he prepared to meet with God.

Brutal to Resting

I am in a season that I would not wish on anyone. It has been brutal and it is far from over. We will be watching my son for signs of rejection for at least the next 6 months. We will see a doctor every 2 weeks and multiple other specialists over the next coming months. My nature is to do. And yet God, in His gentleness, calls me to be still. After one of Elijah’s greatest victories, he felt the most helpless and alone. I can relate to this.

I, even I only, am left […]

1 Kings 19:14

In the middle of all the suffering Elijah was experiencing, God shows himself in a low whisper. How do I live in the midst of my suffering? I could continue to fight and work and do. But I can also rest. I can fight to rest. Crazy thought, isn’t it? That resting would be a fight. My guess is rest doesn’t come naturally to any of us.

Come to me and I will give you rest—all of you who work so hard beneath a heavy yoke. Wear my yoke—for it fits perfectly—and let me teach you; for I am gentle and humble, and you shall find rest for your souls; for I give you only light burdens.

Matthew 11:28, TLB

What about you? I don’t know where you are or what you are dealing with. But I do know this: He is offering us rest. I will admit, I am not even sure what that looks like, but I want to know. That has to be a start.

Elijah experienced major suffering but God draws near in a low whisper. How do we live in the midst of suffering? We find rest in the gentle shelter of God. Click To Tweet

Aleksandr Eremin

hope, pain, rest, season, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Season: Learning to Rest in Times of Pain and Suffering

Devotionals, Stay SaneDecember 10, 2018January 13, 2019

There are many different times in life. During a season of suffering, it is important to remember that it is okay to not be okay, but we are called to rest in Jesus.

Through the past year, I have had some of my lowest lows and some of my highest highs. I am currently, by the grace of God, in a season where everything seems to be going well. I am feeling more confident and am having a lot of good days. Because of that sometimes I forget that I am allowed to have bad days. I focus a lot on what “should be” instead of facing what is. We all go through different seasons of life but in every season we must hold tight to our Savior.

Having it all Together

Sometimes, as Christians, we tend to think that we have to have it all together. We are constantly bombarded with phrases that lead us to believe that we are not allowed to have bad days or to feel upset for a time. When we confide in people they usually respond with “just have faith” or “you just need to pick yourself up”.

While this is all true, we also need to realize that there will be seasons of pain and times where we don’t feel okay. And the truth of the matter is that it’s okay to not be okay. The pain will fade and God will come through for us and bring relief.

After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, the one who called you into his eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will himself restore, empower, strengthen, and establish you.

1 Peter 5:10, CEB

A Season for Everything

There truly is a season for everything, and that includes seasons of not ‘okay’. Scripture clearly states that there is a time for crying and laughing and a time for mourning and dancing. Life happens in seasons. Sometimes that season is one of pain. We are allowed to feel pain and to not be “on” all of the time. At times we must rest in our suffering and our pain.

There’s a season for everything and a time for every matter under the heavens:

a time for giving birth and a time for dying, a time for planting and a time for uprooting what was planted, a time for killing and a time for healing, a time for tearing down and a time for building up, a time for crying and a time for laughing, a time for mourning and a time for dancing, a time for throwing stones and a time for gathering stones, a time for embracing and a time for avoiding embraces, a time for searching and a time for losing a time for keeping and a time for throwing away, a time for tearing and a time for repairing, a time for keeping silent and a time for speaking, a time for loving and a time for hating, a time for war and a time for peace.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, CEB

Suffering

The Bible is clear that there are times where we will not be ok. The difference comes when we learn to give it to Jesus and learn to be ok again. We are not called to live a life without suffering but to give our suffering to our great God.

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

Romans 5:3-5, NLT

We can rejoice when we run into problems and trials. Some other versions say that we can rejoice in suffering. When we generally think of trials or suffering the word rejoice does not come to mind. But, it is clear that we all go through suffering and that it happens for a reason…

That reason is hope. Suffering will also ultimately develop hope. A hope that will never let us down. A hope that can only come when we give everything over to Jesus. Jesus died so that we do not suffer alone.

He took the punishment for our sin. He suffered so that we can trust in Him. Jesus knows first hand what it is like to not be ok. We have a confidant, a supporter through all of life’s trials. This is the hope we need in order to see the good in our suffering. To learn to rest in it.

Suffering will ultimately develop a hope that will never let us down. A hope that can only come when we give everything over to Jesus. He died so we do not suffer alone. Click To Tweet

Suffering with Each Other

When others are suffering, we are called to stand with them. We need to help them. We need to be a safe place for people to be able to talk about what they are going through. It is important that we give people permission to not be okay. There are times when people are looking for help solving a problem and times when they just need someone to listen to them. As believers, we are called to do these things.

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Galatians 6:2, NIV

Carry each other’s burdens. This is what scripture implores us to do. Part of loving one another is carrying each other’s burdens. When we are in times of pain and suffering, having someone carry the burden with you can change everything.

God did not create us to go through life by ourselves. When we are in times of turmoil it is important to seek Godly counsel and support. When we are the ones giving the support, we must do so in a way that is helpful, loving, and honest.

Joy Comes in the Morning

It is truly okay to not be okay for a season. We all have days or weeks or even months of not being okay. The difference comes when we give our pain over to God and learn to rest in Him. We may have bad days, but we can have confidence that we will be okay again… the sun will rise.

For his anger lasts only a brief moment, and his good favor restores one’s life. One may experience sorrow during the night, but joy arrives in the morning.

Psalm 30:5, NET

wait, rest, stillness, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Wait: Allowing Stillness in the Lord to Become Dancing

Devotionals, Stay SaneNovember 6, 2018January 13, 2019

So much of life is waiting. It’s easy to allow our minds to race towards an ‘out’, but it’s in the wait, in the stillness that we find our faithful Lord.

I’ve kept a quote before me for years, decades now, I guess. It goes with me on my desk from location to location. Somehow these words ground me during the in-between times, the liminal spaces. The words were penned by the twentieth-century poet T. S. Elliot, but lest you think me a poetry buff, be informed that I found them quoted elsewhere, lifted from one of his works:

I said to my soul, be still and wait…

So the darkness will be the light,

And the stillness the dancing.

Such winsome words; truth rings out through their beauty. Scripture repeatedly bears out the value and reward of waiting, even in darkness and confusion…

To Wait Is Life

I’m trying to remember a time when waiting was ever my strength, my forte…

Nope, the memory isn’t coming. Yet, as I gaze over my lifespan, so very much has involved this very thing that most of us cringe at, wrestle with, and squirm under – waiting. Whether it’s waiting in the carpool line, waiting at the ATM, or waiting for the Amazon order, we don’t like to wait in this instant society.

If we find ourselves caught in a line, if you’re like me, our minds begin calculating similar to a military general. We search for ways to circumvent the system in order to expedite our exit. We’ve got things to do, deadlines to meet, people to have coffee dates with – WORK WITH ME, WORLD!

Consenting Where We Are

And don’t even mention waiting on God! He definitely has NOT entered the 21st Century of the Western world! Isn’t there a newer version of the Bible that has changed Psalm 37:5 from “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him,” to something like, “Get moving with God and He’ll get moving for you!”?

Right. I haven’t seen it, either. It’s just as well because I think we’d miss out on verse 9 if we rewrote verse 5…

For evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait on the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.

Psalm 37:9, NKJV

Generally, as long as life hums along smoothly, waiting quietly before the Lord seldom comes to the forefront of our minds or hearts. Waiting, you see, “is consenting to be where we really are,” as a monk from the Abbey of Gethsemane once said.

People recoil from it because they don’t want to be present to themselves. Such waiting causes a deep existential loneliness to surface, a feeling of being disconnected from oneself and God. At the depths there is fear, fear of the dark chaos within themselves.

Sue Monk Kidd, The Heart That Waits

Crisis

Unless a level of crisis disrupts our carefully choreographed days, the daily or weekly Bible Study usually suffices. Which may be why God orchestrates or allows, (however you choose to see it), an occasional crisis.

My most recent ‘crisis’ has been moving to another state. Being closer to grandchildren has been life-giving. Leaving close friends, our oldest son and his wife, and the familiarity of home have been more of a challenge. Believing I would hit the ground running, making friends, immediately involved in ministry, was a mind-trap I should have been prepared for. But, somehow wasn’t. I’m a master at setting myself up for the enemy’s lies of unrealistic expectations.

So, this is key; I need to be very careful and keenly aware of what is pulling my heart to rush away from the stillness. Here is the point where I can continue to make the situation all about me, have a pity party, call some friends to join me, (for prayer bandaids or commiseration), and not learn one thing from this period between death and resurrection. The other alternative is to sit before the Lord and ask Him, with the Psalmist, to:

Show me Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me. For You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day.

Psalm 25:4-5, NKJV

How Long?

Am I willing to wait all day long (or a month or a year?) for the Lord to teach me His truth about this time in my life? Throughout the Psalms, David asked God to teach him His ways and to lead him on the right path, but there is never an indication that David believes the process will be instant. One of my favorite Psalms bears this out.

I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord.

Psalm 27:13-14, NKJV

David believed in the goodness of the Lord. He didn’t lose heart – although he could have – because he was waiting in faith. His was a faith that had seen God deliver him over and over again. He anticipated God delivering, again.

How long are we willing to wait for the Lord to deliver us? Like David, we shouldn't lose heart, but have faith in God to reveal His truth. Click To Tweet

First Light

If you’ve ever sat through the night rocking a sick child…or if you suffer from insomnia, you know what it means to watch for the first light of morning slicing through the clouds. Sometimes, waiting on the Lord is like that.

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, And in His word I do hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning – yes, more than those who watch for the morning.

Psalm 130:5-6, NKJV

This much I know, waiting is difficult, but the loving-kindness of the Lord never ceases. He knows my weaknesses. He meets me where I am.

The song “Here Again” from Elevation Worship has bolstered my spirit as I have been preparing this devotional, mainly because this is a place I have to return with God repeatedly. He meets me here again…and that is cause for dancing.

guide, rest, trust, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Guide: Resting Our Futures in the Hands of a God Who Cares

Devotionals, Stay SaneNovember 2, 2018January 13, 2019

Life can throw many hardships and heartache at us. There are times it’s hard to trust in God, but He cares immensely for us and will guide us towards a hopeful future.

It’s a Tuesday morning, and I’m at my ladies’ Bible study, sitting in a circle of wise women who are on average 30 years older than me.

“Does anybody know Jeremiah 29:11?” the leader asks.

Betty says, “I know the plans I have for you…”

I chime in, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you,”

Someone in the circle finishes, “to give you a hope and a future.”

By the time I had spoken those words, my brother-in-law was already dead. That was the day I started to believe a lie…

False Doctrine

Like all lies, this one seeped into my soul without my consent. I didn’t understand why my healthy, hard-working, funny brother-in-law was taken from us. He died of natural causes from an undiagnosed health issue, and it came as a complete shock to everyone.

I started to avoid Jeremiah 29:11. I knew, without a doubt, that my brother-in-law wasn’t meant to die so young. It felt as though the story of his life had ended mid-sentence, and we were left to flip through blank pages that would never be filled.

The only way I could reconcile my faith in God with this death was to unintentionally believe a lie. False doctrine filled my head in the guise of biblical truth.

I moved on to actively rolling my eyes at Jeremiah 29:11. I knew that God was good, that He truly wanted to rescue us, and that He loved us. But did He have plans for us? I didn’t think so anymore. I chose to believe that God’s design was for salvation, but anything other than that was beyond His intervention.

In my shock and sadness, I made God small, weak and unloving. Without even meaning to, I erased from my mind His care for us and His intentions for our lives. The very idea of God’s guidance made my heart hurt.

Simple Truth

I thank God I didn’t stay in that place. It was the simple truth of His words that removed the lies I believed…

With your unfailing love, you lead the people you have redeemed. In your might, you guide them to your sacred home.

Exodus 15:13, NLT

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‘Go in peace’, the priest replied. ‘For the Lord is watching over your journey.’

Judges 18:6, NLT

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I will bless the Lord who guides me; even at night, my heart instructs me.

Psalm 16:7, NLT

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The Lord says, ‘I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.’

Psalm 32:8, NLT

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You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny.

Psalm 73:24, NLT

Peace for the Future

God used these verses to gently show me I was deceived about Him. And, friends, He was so kind to me. Instead of feeling shame about what I’d believed, I felt only peace and joy. The fact that He cared enough to show me the truth meant that He did, in fact, have plans for me.

I’ve come to a place of awe over the mystery of life and death, and I feel freedom in my limited understanding of God’s plans. I’m happily resting in the reign He has over my life, and I trust His guidance once again.

If you’re having trouble trusting in God or are questioning how much He cares, I’m praying you can come to know the truth. God has good things for you. He’s ready to guide you into a full, abundant life. You will face challenges, hardships, and unexpected loss, but take heart, because He has overcome the world.

God will Guide

The truth is that God has numbered the hairs on your head and collected each of your tears. A God who cares so infinitely for you hasn’t left you to navigate life alone. You might not be able to see it or understand it, but God has plans to prosper you and to give you hope.

God cares so infinitely for us that He hasn't left us to navigate life alone. God has plans to prosper us and to give us hope for the future. Click To Tweet

You can trust in His guidance, and He’ll forgive you even if you’ve rolled your eyes at His words, as I did. He’s waiting to fill you with truth, love, and hope. Just open His word and receive.

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.

John 16:13, NLT

Laura is a wife and stay-at-home mom who loves encouraging others and passing along grace out of her own flawed experiences.

She shares light-hearted words of inspiration and faith at her blog, Cheered on Mom, and she can’t wait to cheer you on.

You can also connect with Laura on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!

darkness, hope, rest, victory, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Held: Resting in God, Who is Present in Our Darkness

Devotionals, Stay SaneOctober 2, 2018January 13, 2019

When we stand face to face with the dark and unknown, we can rest. We rest because we are held in the loving arms of our Almighty God, who has given victory over darkness.

This summer, my family took a vacation to Kentucky. We had a wonderful time visiting a horse farm, the Ark Encounter, and Mammoth Cave. My husband and sons love exploring caves, and Mammoth Cave is one of the largest in the world.

The inside of the cave was beautiful! The rock formations, rooms, everything, was simply breathtaking. We were on a group tour and following a guide, who told us the history of the cave and other interesting facts and stories. I did my best to stay close to the guide because I didn’t want to get lost in the largest cave in America.

Yet, like, most cave tours, we came to the inner part of the cave and the guide turned out the lights, asking all of us to turn off all cell phones and flashlights, as well. All of a sudden, utter and complete blackness consumed us. I have never experienced anything as dark as in that moment.

God in the Dark

I held tightly to my kids’ small hands assuring them of my presence, all the while trying not to panic in the black. I couldn’t even see something right in front of my face! My heart was pounding as I silently reminded myself that I was safe, and the darkness wouldn’t last.

How do you feel when the dark is closing in? When you can’t see your way, and you don’t know if God is there?

In a moment of utter darkness, it is easy to want to panic. When we can’t see very far ahead of us, or anything around us, when we can’t see God, it can be difficult to rest.

But in that deep, dark place, Jesus is there. He has been there since the beginning, always working in the darkness. Creation itself came out of a place of darkness and emptiness.

The earth was without form and an empty waste, and darkness was upon the face of the very great deep. The Spirit of God was moving (hovering, brooding) over the face of the waters.

Genesis 1:2, AMPC

Held in the Dark

Jesus is not afraid of or taken aback by the darkness. Nothing is unknown to Him, and even when we cannot feel it, He is there.

In the same way, I held onto my little one’s hands in the deep of the cave, in the same way, I hold them close in the middle of the night, Jesus holds us close to His heart, to assure us He is near.

And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Colossians 1:17, ESV

As I read this verse, I like to picture the big arms of God wrapped around me in a loving embrace. He knows me. He sees me. He knows and sees you!

I don’t always know what God has in store for me or my family. I can never really be sure what the future holds. And that scares me a little, sometimes a lot.

What I CAN be sure of is that I am following a good God, who knows all, understands all, sees all and loves me! I don’t always know where we are going, but I always know I am held. Even when I can’t feel Him, I know He is there, and I know He is good.

Jesus is not afraid of the darkness. Nothing is unknown to Him, and even when we cannot feel it, He is there. Click To Tweet

Victory in the Dark

The darkness was never meant to overwhelm us. We can have victory in the dark when we choose to trust our Guide, Jesus Christ, the Light of the World. He is always present. He never changes. He always wins!

In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

John 1:4-5, ESV

A tiny seed is planted in the dark ground and grows to be a magnificent oak. Lava rumbles in the dark and unseen and erupts into a powerful volcano. And the Earth we live on came out of emptiness and formless dark. Do not fear the dark, rather, expect victory to come from it.

I can see, and that is why I can be happy, in what you call the dark, but which to me is golden. I can see a God-made world, not a man made world.

Helen Keller

provision, need, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, ministry

Provision: Trusting God to Provide Daily For All of Our Needs

Devotionals, Stay SaneJuly 9, 2018September 8, 2019

God’s character lets us know He is in the providing business. We can trust Him to bring provision through daily bread to us. There is no need to fear.

I have always loved to read the stories behind the exodus. Moses and his own faults. The Israelites and their constant mistakes. I read their mishaps and feel pretty good about my own constant inability to stay faithful. Exodus is one story of God being over and over again faithful in the face of constant unfaithfulness. I am overwhelmed by God’s provision- parting the Red Sea, talking through the burning bush, and performing numerous miracles. The one I come back to over and over again is the one about manna. The people are in the desert with no means for food and God provides them with this cracker like substance. They are so confused by its appearance that they are said to name it, “what is it?” or “manna.” This substance feeds them for 40 years and it ceases to appear when they reach Canaan.

What is the provision?

What is God providing through this manna? All of the circumstances surrounding the manna is nothing short than miraculous. Any extra gathered will spoil. There is always enough for every person in the camp. Not a single person goes without or is hungry. The portion gathered on Saturday does not go bad enabling the people to take a Sabbath rest. On and on the provision happens.

Who is receiving the provision?

And don’t forget that these are not deserving people. Have you considered who God is providing for? These are the same people who will die in the desert. They are the ones who refused to take the city that He had promised them. They had constantly murmured and complained about Him and given Moses continual grief. Yet, He provides a substance for them that will supply them with food for 40 years. That’s a long time by any standards.

Who is giving the provision?

Why does He take care of a people who are so unfaithful? The provision of the manna has little to do with the people receiving and everything to do with the God providing. His character is what matters. Nehemiah speaks about this event saying,

Forty years you sustained them in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing. Their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell.

Nehemiah 9:21, ESV

In your great mercies you did not make an end of them or forsake them, for you are a gracious and merciful God…who keeps covenant and steadfast love.

Nehemiah 9:31-32, ESV

God’s provision is always a reflection of His own faithfulness and steadfast love. Jesus called himself the bread of life.

Whoever comes to me shall not hunger.

John 6:35, ESV

If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever.

John 6:51, ESV

Provision that never ends…

He was the manna that would not end, would not spoil, and would always bring life and rest. Manna was a temporary solution to a very real and permanent problem. The Israelites died in the desert knowing that God’s care had never wavered. He had cared for them then and he is caring for us now through the bread that will give eternal life. Jesus is the bread that brings us life. This is through salvation and it is through his sustaining power. He gives us life through His spirit and through His word.

I will ask the Father and he will give you another Helper… even the Spirit of truth…

John 16:15, ESV

Enough provision for today…

As encouraging as it is to know that Jesus gives me life and he sends a helper, I still struggle to look ahead and see that all my days are taken care of. I struggle to rest in his goodness and his care knowing that he has promised enough provision for today. Enough provision for my daily bread. Remember that prayer? Jesus asked for daily bread and I can ask that way too. It doesn’t mean that I do not follow good and sound steward principles, but it does mean that my plans are just that- human plans. God owns it all and He has the resources to provide for me daily. He is that kind of God. I can trust His provision of me and know that I will have daily bread for today and that gives me hope for tomorrow.

God owns it all and He has the resources to provide for me daily. He is that kind of God. I can trust His provision of me and know that I will have daily bread for today and that gives me hope for tomorrow. Click To Tweet

Ales Krivec