Weekly Devotions

“O LORD, God of my salvation, I have cried out day and night before You. Let my prayer come before You; Incline Your ear to my cry” Psalm 88:1-2, NKJV.

Imagine you awaken one morning and discover you have no internet, no phone service, no water or food, in fact, you suddenly realize that these things that are missing are the least of your worries. Your home is destroyed; neighborhoods are decimated; you are alone in surroundings unrecognizable. This is the reality for the people who managed to survive Hurricane Helene just days ago.

Getting caught up in the day-to-day issues of politics, work, and family seems so normal to most of us. Yes, we read and hear about various wars taking place around the world, but when we lay our heads down at night, few, if any of us worry we may not live to see the morning. Lately, with the unrest in Europe and the Middle East, when I turn the light off at bedtime, I am keenly aware of something for which I have otherwise taken for granted most of my life—quiet! No bombs exploding, no running to a shelter, no wondering if I will endure another day. And yet, many souls around the world ask themselves these very questions and wonder about survival, theirs and the people they love.

Friend, we have a God who hears every cry for help, even when no one else hears. You and I will never know when or how the Lord met the cries of those who perish from this earth, either by natural disaster, or war, or sickness, but I do trust the One Who promises, “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6).

When the lights go out and the future looks uncertain, I pray you can face any circumstance with courage, and the knowledge that the Creator of the light, the One who is “the Light,” Jesus Christ will rescue you either from your circumstances, or through them.

Father, God of all creation, be with those around the world, especially citizens, friends, and family right here at home who are suffering from the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Help the search and rescue teams find the missing and injured. Jesus, You are the Author of hope! Give courage to the victims and strength to the faint-hearted. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.

“Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” Ps 91:1 NLT

I love Sunday naps. A light blanket to snuggle under. A rainstorm is an added bonus. Comfort. Rest.

Sometimes that naptime is interrupted because of a to do list that becomes an internal rainstorm. The busy-oh-I-have-to-get-to-make-that call cloud rolls in. Some of the nap distractions are wispy clouds – the grocery list, the dentist appointment, gotta-get-gas. And then there are black heavyweight storm clouds – the MRI results, the argument that has no resolution, the family prodigal.

Rainstorms, the need for shelter, circling shadows can blow through us anytime of the day or night. What settles us? What grounds us when things are too overwhelming, tender, heavy?

Here it is from Psalm 91:1
Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

Live in the shelter of the Most High.
Rest even in the midst of all that is going on. Eyes, heart, will, mind, fixed on the Almighty. Peace that passes all understanding. Guarding our hearts and minds in Christ.

Here’s one more thought from Jesus found in Matthew 6:5-6
Go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

The Father sees us in our quiet, secret, place. God already knows. God sees when we need to nap, cry, wait, wonder, question, trust, celebrate, forgive, hide, rest or run. 

Because those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.  Isaiah 40:41

Stay in the shadow.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Galatians 5:22-23 ESV

I sat in church listening to a sermon about fruit of the spirit, and I thought about my kitchen. For years, we had Galatians’ nine virtues adorning the walls near the ceiling of our kitchen.

Every time we entered to get a slice of watermelon or a bowl of cereal, those words stood out in blue calligraphy. And we had a chance to ponder them.

Paul in his letter to the Galatians deliberately described ‘fruit’ as singular – one fruit with nine flavors. When in the kitchen, we can choose a pear or a peach or a popsicle, but we have no liberty to pick and choose fruits of the spirit.

All of these qualities – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control — belong together. They’re meant to grow on the same tree. And that tree has to have deep and healthy roots. It has to be nourished and fertilized by God’s grace.

We display the fruit of the Spirit as a result of the Holy Spirit at work in our lives. When we come to Christ, the Holy Spirit fills us and begins to produce good fruit in us. He begins to work in us, sanctifying us and making us more like Jesus. As we pursue God and follow his teachings, the Holy Spirit continues to produce more and more good fruit in us.

Apart from Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit, we can do nothing. We can’t truly be loving or patient. We can’t have real joy or peace in our lives. We surely won’t show kindness and goodness. And don’t count on us to be gentle or temperate.

For our lives to be fruitful and faithful, we must be infused with the Holy Spirit. And it doesn’t hurt to have our kitchen walls plastered with Scripture!

“And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, ‘Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die’” Genesis 2:16-17, NKJV, emphasis mine.

On just about any given day, news channels and social media show images of people making demands of some sort. Often, demands are made toward government, or by the government especially in an election year. And then, there are the annoying self-serving demands of “canceling” someone over a perceived insult. In fact, “demands” are heard and seen in every arena of life, and this is nothing new. All we need to do is reflect on the demeanor of people since the beginning of time. In the Book of Exodus when God told Moses to lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt into the land God was giving them, the Israelites complained about God’s provision of manna, lamenting they were better off in slavery and demanded “meat” (Numbers 11).

So, what is the difference between the two terms, demand, often coming from people and command as seen throughout the Bible commonly by God? The question and answer may seem trivial but seems worth exploring. According to the dictionary, demand is “an insistent and peremptory request, made as if by right.” And command is defined as “an authoritative order.” How fitting that when God makes a command, He speaks with authority; when humans demand, we speak from a sense of entitlement.

God is so very gracious when dealing with His creation. From the Garden of Eden when humankind failed to acknowledge God’s authority and sinned by demanding the right to do things his own way, yet God has made every effort to forgive us, provide for us, and to bless us. He never gives up on us. In 1 John 5:14, Jesus’ disciple writes, “Now this is the confidence we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us” (NKJV). My prayer is that when we approach the throne of God, that we come with humility and a tender heart, knowing that it is by the blood of Jesus we have been granted an audience before the King of Kings.

For deeper blessing and understanding, please read 1 John 5.

“There are six things the Lord hates, no, seven things he detests: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord in a family” (Proverbs 6:16-19, NLT).

When I was growing up, a popular phrase went something like this: “Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words will never harm me.” Most children and adults alike understand the meaning behind this childish saying, and that what is not said aloud is the true meaning, which is I don’t care what you think or say about me! Of course, we have all probably been on the receiving end of someone’s hurtful words, and though no bones were broken in the process, hearts were broken and spirits crushed.

For those of us who follow Jesus Christ, we should try hard to watch what we say and uplift those around us rather than tear them down with our very powerful words; however, this requires self-governing, not government governing. But I digress…

As with many catch words, or phrases, “hate speech” seems to echo throughout the modern culture. A recent newsletter article heading reads: “We Protect Kids, So Now We’re a Hate Group” (The Clarion Caller, 2024). Without getting into the gist of the article, please consider what the Bible tells us about God. Proverbs 6 acknowledges that, “God hates…” What does He hate? “Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, a false witness who pours out lies, [and] a person who sows discord in a family.” Would that the human standard for “hate speech” were set so high.

Friend, let us seek to look above our delicate carnal human nature to learn how to hate what God hates. As we read and perhaps re-read the list in Proverbs 6, about what God hates, may it guide you and me toward biblical truth, rather than being influenced by a culture that has highjacked God’s “Dictionary.”

For deeper understanding, please read, John 3.

Cushman, Candi. The Clarion Caller. Patrick Henry Advisory Council Newsletter. The Family Foundation, Volume 5, Issue 2, 2024.

“O LORD, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways” (Psalm 139:1-3. NKJV).

Social media sites have created a phenomenon around the world. Depending on one’s platform and content, overnight stardom is possible. However, stardom comes with a stark warning: Be careful what you say! Lives have been ruined as quickly as popularity grows. Putting oneself onto the stage of popularity is like intentionally asking to stand before a jury of one’s peers for judgement in the court of public opinion. Facts rarely matter in this court; judgement is quick, subjective, and final. Children creating content on the internet is giving them access to one of the most dangerous places in the world and giving that same world access to them. Even in our homes with doors locked and the alarm set, online predators have no barriers.

The younger generation and some not so young spend hours every day working solely on becoming “influencers.” Lucrative income is possible. Subscribe and click the ‘Like’ button below. Instantly, hundreds, sometimes millions of eyes are watching everything you write, and the “jurors” are deliberating.

Someone else knows you and me Who transcends time, space, technology, and cultures; His name is Yahweh, God. The psalmist wrote thousands of years ago, before humans developed internet technology, that before you were born, God knew you. Before you “were made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth…” (vs. 15). God knew you. You, my friend, are an “Influencer” of the highest order. Unlike the world, God loves you and desires only His best for your life. He sees not only what you write, God knows what you think. He wants you to succeed, not in worldly popularity, rather in becoming who He created you to be.

When the sun, stars, and moon no longer exist; when the internet shuts down after the final curtain call, only One will remain Who matters. Jesus Christ will be “high and lifted up” for all to see: The Ultimate Influencer.

For deeper understanding and blessing, please read Psalm 139.