Tag Archives: Hope

The Names of Jesus – Cindy Sproles
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Every knee shall bow at His Name

…that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth…Philippians 2:10 NIV

Tears welled as I listened to the man give his testimony of how his accidental addiction affected his life and his family. He talked about the changing power in the name of Jesus and how a boy, raised in the church, was not infallible…but human.

But when he began to list the many names of Jesus, I began to see truly, how He is all I need and all I am.

Savior, Redeemer, Prince of Peace, Son of God, Son of Man, Protector, Giver, Lamb, Shepherd, Confidant, Believer, Hope, Salvation, Peace of the World, Peace of Man, Maker, Creator, Leader.

Provider, Judge, Mighty God, Lamb of God, Guide, Director, Humble, Quiet, The Rain, Blessed and the One who Blesses, I Am, King of Kings.

He is the Rose of Sharon, the Bright and Morning Star, the Child of God. Almighty, Amazing, Lover of my Soul, Caregiver, King.

Healer, Friend, Father, Son, Awesome Father, Forgiver, Beginning and End, Teacher, One who Convicts, Restorer of my Soul.

Seamless, Breathe of God, Love, Peacemaker, Mighty Army, Planner, Seeker, Trinity, Listener, Speaker.

Each name struck a cord as I saw just how much Jesus meant to me…an active part of me who allows me to abide in Him while He cares for me. Suddenly the power in His name had a deeper meaning.

There were few in our group who stood dry-eyed at the confession, the testimony of this man, for we each one related to the power behind God the Father, God Almighty. My inclination was to fall to my knees and plead before Him but what happened next was far greater than anything. A wash of peace flowed across me and I understood the God behind the Names.

Throughout history God has made Himself clear to man. We are the ones who choose to muddy things to suit ourselves. Man has loved Christ and hated Him, yet I wonder if we ever really “get” Him.

Families who seem hopeless fall at His feet and are restored. Waters part, skies open, and miracles are done when we utter His name.

Our family is no different than any other. We’ve had our moments when we felt as though the world would crack open and swallow us, but in our faith we are made whole again. Our children have been raised in His shadow and even when they ignore the importance of their Father in Heaven, they feel His loving conviction in their hearts and they reap the rewards of His unconditional love.

Sit down. Look over your life. Name the names of Jesus and see just how much He is part of you. There is power in the all the names of Christ.

Cindy  is the founder of Mountain Breeze Ministries and cofounder of Christian Devotions Ministries. She has contributed  to Novel Journey and Novel Reviews, and Christian Devotions. She has written for PML Programs and contributes to the Times-News.net. Her devotions and articles are published weekly in several newspapers across the country. She cowrites the He Said, She Said devotions with Eddie Jones that publish in Common Ground Christian Newspaper  and other newspapers nationwide. Cindy is the coauthor of He Said, She Said: A Devotional Guide to Cultivating a Life of Passion.Cindy is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers. She attended Johnson Bible College and graduated with a BA in Business from the University of Phoenix in 2008.  She is a speaker who teaches and speaks frequently for ladies’ conferences, special events and writers conferences across the country. She is a contributing writer to CBN.com .  You can visit Cindy at www.cindysproles.com

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Fearing for a Life – Heather Spiva
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Believe it is in His Control

Don’t be afraid; just believe… Mark 5:36, NIV

If words could devastate, then the words the doctor gave me concerning my unborn child were the worst. There wasn’t going to be a child in seven months. It had died in-utero, and that was the end of it.

Death is kind of like someone pulling a bag over your head. Suddenly, I couldn’t hear, I couldn’t see, and my concentration disappeared. My thoughts were solely upon my circumstances. I had prepared for months for that child — mentally and physically adjusted everything around me. Life would change big time when that baby arrived. It was what we wanted and planned for… it was all part of the joy.

That bag was on my head for a week.

This news slipped us a fast one — that we wouldn’t hold this child in our arms…that this child didn’t fit into my life. How could I pick up where I left off? I couldn’t. That part had left, never to return. And when the days passed and I finally figured out how to move on, I believe God cared and actually had his hand on my life when the fear crept in, taking the place of shame, grief, and loss.

When Jesus was about to raise a little girl from the dead, He told Jairus, her father, not to be afraid but to believe. It was as simple as that. Everyone relates to death because it is a part of our life. Friends or family, someone we hold dear, born or unborn, will eventually die. What we don’t expect is early death. The surprise of it creates fear and sadness. Jairus despaired because he had lost hope. Here he had Jesus, the Son of God, right in front of Him and Jairus still feared; it paralyzed him.

Jairus had a bag over his head too.

This is why Jesus calmly laid a hand on his shoulder and told him to relax, not to fear, and just believe that He had everything under control.

This fear, even though Jesus decided not to resurrect my little one, is what I felt. What if I couldn’t get pregnant again? What if I lost that one too? Satan worked his way into my helplessness because he saw the weakness; he saw the propensity for me to go there; feeling like God didn’t care enough to save that child. But that isn’t like God. God’s timing is perfect and He is full of love. That’s what Jesus’ words reminded me of too.

So I trusted and believed. And today, my second son is a reminder that God is faithful to us all, especially when we believe Him.

When fear overwhelms you…believe.

Heather Spiva is a freelance writer who lives in Sacramento, CA with her children and firefighter husband. When she isn’t writing, she is reading and when she’s not reading, she’s enjoying (or trying to, anyway) the crazy and joyous atmosphere with her two rambunctious boys. Read Heather’s devotions.
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Mine, Mine, Mine – She Said
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Mine, Mine, Mine!

…for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills.  Psalm 50:10 NIV

“Mine. Mine. Mine. Mine. Mine.” My son rewound the DVD so we could see the sea gulls in Little Nemo fly around fighting for food. “Mine, mine, mine,” they screeched.

Chase roared. “That’s just like those birds on the beach last summer. Greedy.”

Sadly enough, I related to the greedy birds. Over the last few years, I’ve found myself grasping hold of things that aren’t mine…holding to what I thought would keep me secure. The harder I held on to these things and the more I circled and shouted, “Mine, mine, mine,” the farther away God seemed.

Don’t get me wrong. I know God has never left my side, but there are times I felt like He was veering away. I’ve come to call this time, my desert. I’ve wandered for months, said I was walking in circles, searching, waiting for God’s direction. With every circle I made I found myself saying, “Mine, mine, mine.” But God had the opposite end of my greed, yanking it back to Him. No, Cin…it’s mine. Give it back. It’s mine.

God is the infinite Creator. Everything I see, touch, or breathe is His but my tendency is to say, “Mine.” How Christian of me to say, “Everything is God’s.” It sounds really holy on my part, when the truth is . . . I just hope people believe I trust Him.

My heart has ached for weeks. I’ve shed more tears trying to please others, until I finally let go of the rope of greed.

My eighty-five-year-old mom had major surgery. As we walked her down to surgery, tears welled in her eyes. I knew, she knew, this could have been the last time we saw her. I kissed her head, told her I loved her, and squeezed tight to her.

I heard a whisper. She belongs to me. Let go.

“She’s not mine is she?” I replied.

No, nothing is yours including your fear, your insecurity and your worry. It’s all mine. I own it all and I’ve never agreed for you to have these things. I want you to have happiness.

“I’m tired of walking on egg shells, fearing I’ll upset someone. I’m tired of worrying. Tired of begging, God. Can’t you share?”

Yes, I thought you’d never ask. And He did.

A weight lifted, my heart opened, and God shared what was His…love, compassion, comfort, and peace.

The God who owns it all right down to cattle on a thousand hills simply waits for me to give up the greed so He can give me what I need. Is it time for you to let go? Loosen your grip and let Him take control.

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Eddie Jones and Cindy Sproles are friends and cofounders of ChristianDevotions.us. They cowrite the popular He Said, She Said devotions and host Blog Talk Radio’s Christian Devotions SPEAK UP! along with Scott McCausey. Eddie and Cindy travel and speak at conferences across the country and they are available to speak at your church or conference. Contact them at cindy@christiandevotions.us.

 

 

 

Do you sense something vital missing from you relationship with your spouse, children, and God? Try He Said, She Said: A Devotional Guide to Cultivating a Life of Passion. This compilation of 54 devotions includes scripture verses, space for journaling, individual prayers and words of wisdom from two of today’s funniest and insightful Christian authors. This heart-warming collection of stories will inspire you to reach for the true source of joy: a life lived for and through God. These deeply personal devotions offer biblical insights and spiritual truths from the perspective of one man and one woman.

Print version $9.95
NOOK eBook $2.99

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No Stone Throwing – Phyllis Freeman
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Don't Throw Stones

…Neither do I condemn you… John 8:11

Throwing stones is dangerous. Windows can be broken, someone may get a bruise, or my camper might end up with dents.

When I heard plink, plink, I peeked out my kitchen window. Two young neighbor children were peppering stones onto our driveway and a few of those stones hit our family’s camper.

If I yelled at the girls, as neighbors often did, it wouldn’t accomplish anything; that didn’t seem to work with them. So I left my home, crossed the yard, and knocked on their front door.

“Your girls are throwing stones and hitting my camper,” I told their dad. “Would you have them stop?”

“Your sons started it,” he shouted. Then he said the girls were actually throwing rocks at my sons who hid behind our camper, teasing them.

“They were aggravating us,” the girls chimed in.

Red-faced, I apologized to the man. “I’m sorry, but if you and I can agree that they will stop throwing stones, then I’ll talk to my boys too.” He agreed. I had a session with the boys and the trouble stopped.

When a woman in the Bible was caught doing wrong, the Pharisees and other leaders wanted to stone her as the Old Testament Law dictated. Appearing to care what Jesus thought, they asked Him what they should do. Jesus told them to go ahead and punish her . . .“If any one of you is without sin . . .”

Each man stood there for a minute and thought about his own life. They individually decided they didn’t qualify as a stone-thrower. No one flung a rock her way. No one was sinless.

Throwing stones, whether they are hard rocks or harsh words is not God’s way of dealing with sin. He offers forgiveness instead of condemnation.

When we feel like flinging a stone at someone, let’s consider if we’ve ever committed a sin. If we have, let’s just back slowly away offering a kind word or a prayer.

Phyllis Qualls Freeman has over two-hundred-fifty published devotionals, human interest, and other articles. She is working on her first book. Phyllis loves reaching out to touch those who have long-term, life-altering situations to share God’s love. Married to her college sweetheart for fifty years, they have three children and five grandchildren. Pqfreeman40@yahoo.com.

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Your Grace is Enough – Elaine Price
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His Grace is enough

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. Romans 8:18

There was pain and suffering all around me. The woman at the end of the pew brushed away a tear. She grieved a lost relationship. In front of me a mother had lost the ability to speak. Now she signed every word. To the far end of the worship center, a couple held a severely handicapped child; her medical bills alone stressful, not to mention the day-to-day care.

The congregation sang an awesome song called “Your Grace is Enough.” The song proclaims God is bigger than my circumstances and His grace is enough to see me though them. As we sang, my heart was heavy for the people around me. “Your grace is enough,” we proclaimed as we sang. It was an amazing moment in worship when broken hearts cried out to God that their present suffering could not even compare with the greatness of Him or the grace He bestows upon us.

Everyone experiences struggles and suffering. This is as much a part of life as the sun rising each morning. It is in our trials we grow and here we learn to understand that His grace is sufficient. However, this life is but a vapor and eternity is unfathomable. When we reach eternity with Christ, there will not be one moment of suffering ever again. In light of this fact, “our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”

Therefore, I want to suffer with faithfulness. Whatever I am going through, I want to be faithful to God — even when I don’t feel like it. Join me as I express those feelings to God today. He is big enough to handle them. And His grace is enough… for me and for you.

Elaine Price is a minister’s wife, a freelance writer, and a student of God’s Word. Visit her blog at www.devotionsforthejourney.blogspot.com. She is also very active in the music and preschool activities at her home church. She and her husband and three young sons make their home in Odenville, Alabama.

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Indescribable Moments – Sabrina Savra DeCarlo
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Nothing is Ordinary with God

The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:22-24

“My life seems so small sometimes, God…what is so special about today?” The evening breeze of summer tickled my hair as I jogged through the park. I stopped to stretch as thoughts whirled in my mind.

I had plenty to be thankful for, but I wondered how the ordinary things I did at work and home while living in an ordinary town mattered to an extraordinary God. I scanned the park and watched the kids play. An audience listened to the bandstand concert. In the distance I noticed a mother and daughter — the girl was on her knees, searching in the grass. The mother watched, her dark green skirt rippled in the breeze. Something about the scene reminded me about a devotion I’d read.

As they drew nearer, I asked, “Are you guys searching for four-leaf clovers?”

“Yes,” said the girl, looking up at me. “And I found one. Want to see it?”

I nodded. Her mother smiled, snapped open her wallet and withdrew a somewhat smooshed, but intact, four-leaf clover. She handed it to me.

The girl shot up. “Mom. I found another one.” She held aloft another four-leaf clover. “Mom, can we save this one for my brother?”

“Great idea. Why don’t we give the other clover to our new friend here?”

They handed me the clover. As I jogged home, I marveled at the crumpled clover in my hand…an instant reminder that today, in all of its “ordinariness,” was still a day God had made, filled with indescribable moments.

In the hum-drum of your daily grind, look for the marvels that God slips inside your life. Nothing is ordinary with God.

Sabrina Savra DeCarlo is a freelance writer who mainly writes about home and living-related topics, along with the occasional devotional. Her work has appeared in MakeItBetter.net and The Upper Room. She currently writes about frugal living from a Chicago angle as the Arlington Heights Frugal Living Examiner for Examiner.com. She is also a freelance graphic designer and lives in the Chicago area with her husband. Read her articles at www.examiner.com/chicago.
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Obedient Prayer – Marie Weaver
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Pray, Pray, Pray

Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them… Matthew 19:13

A deep sense of urgency almost overwhelmed me. “Pat, we must pray for Jennifer.” My body was warm, like someone was holding me.

I had been sitting on the floor playing with my preschool class of children. At 10:30 that morning everyone was happy, clean, and full of energy. Another teacher, Pat, had come to my room with her one-year-old class. We were pushing trucks back and forth along the floor, watching all of them play together, when I felt this sense that something was terribly wrong. Jennifer, a little girl in Pat’s room was in surgery, and we hadn’t heard how the procedure had turned out.

So, we prayed—prayed Jennifer would be healed and back with us soon.

The next morning, the director of the center came to my room. “Your prayers have been answered. Jennifer is still very ill, but recovering.”

“It wasn’t easy, though,” her mom said. “About 10:30 Jennifer’s heart stopped. The medical team worked for several minutes. Miraculously, her heart began to beat and she started to cry. Everything is okay. Her surgery was a success.”

Matthew tells us they brought children to Jesus so He could lay His hands on them and pray. The disciples tried to keep them away, yet the Lord said the children shouldn’t be kept away. Instead, He said the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to them. Jesus calls us to pray for the children today as well. Sometimes we may be called to pray specifically for a child.

Wow. What an exhilarating experience for me. God knew what was going on, and Pat and I knew to pray. No coincidence here. We heard our Master’s voice and followed His direction. I felt truly humble and thankful that the Lord chose me for His purpose.

Allow God to use you for His purpose. Listen to the voice of God. He will speak to you and guide you in your work for Him.

Marie Weaver lives in Elizabethtown, Kentucky with her husband and two children. She is currently a caregiver for a disabled American Veteran and a contributor to Christian Devotions. She writes children’s books and stories.
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Take One for the Team – She Said
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Each strike...He took for the team.

He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. 1 Peter 2:24 NIV

“No worries,” our Christian Devotions Speak UP! radio host teased. “You guys have beautiful weather down south and here in Michigan…it’s freezing. I’ll take this one for the team.”
I had to chuckle as we bantered with Scott about the warm spring weather we’d experienced in the south while he…well…weathered the weather. At least it’s just weather, I thought. It could be something terrible, something unbearable.

I’ve heard this phrase a lot recently. In fact, I’ve even been told …take one for the team. Most of the things I have to take are fairly simple when I compare them to Christ. I consider myself more than fortunate, especially when I look abroad at the conflicts, hunger, and pain. But when I think about sucking it up and taking one for the team, nothing compares to the beaten body of Christ. No one “took one” like Him.

Peter lopped off a guard’s ear when Christ was arrested. Jesus healed the man then took one for the team.

Pilate challenged Christ: “Why have you come?”

Jesus replied: “So that you might know the truth.” He was handed over to be crucified and Jesus took another one for the team.

He was beaten. Spat on. Verbally abused. Yet He said nothing, and still He took one more for the team.

As Jesus hung on the cross, He found the strength to forgive a criminal and plead for those who carried out this horrible deed. Christ took one more for the team. And not once…not once…did He look back.

I’ve prayed relentlessly for guidance and direction in the choices I make and the dreams I pursue. There have been moments when the weight of responsibility seemed more than I could bear. In a sad attempt of comparison, I felt the worry of my inability, the judgment of my inadequacy, and the sting of those who circle like vultures waiting to attack. And nothing comes close to what Christ felt as He hung on the cross, weighted by my unborn sin.

For every strike of the hammer to the nail…Christ took one for the team.

I’m not sure where you stand or what you’ve experienced but I can promise you, Christ has already taken “one for you.” By His wounds you are healed. Accept His gift.

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Eddie Jones and Cindy Sproles are friends and cofounders of ChristianDevotions.us. They cowrite the popular He Said, She Said devotions and host Blog Talk Radio’s Christian Devotions SPEAK UP! along with Scott McCausey. Eddie and Cindy travel and speak at conferences across the country and they are available to speak at your church or conference. Contact them at cindy@christiandevotions.us.

 

 

 

Do you sense something vital missing from you relationship with your spouse, children, and God? Try He Said, She Said: A Devotional Guide to Cultivating a Life of Passion. This compilation of 54 devotions includes scripture verses, space for journaling, individual prayers and words of wisdom from two of today’s funniest and insightful Christian authors. This heart-warming collection of stories will inspire you to reach for the true source of joy: a life lived for and through God. These deeply personal devotions offer biblical insights and spiritual truths from the perspective of one man and one woman.

Print version $9.95
NOOK eBook $2.99

Receive He Said, She Said on your Kindle!

Wilted and Dried – Lara Beard
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Harvest from the Work

This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone. Titus 3:8

“They’re so thirsty. Oh, the poor things.”

Each year toward the end of June, my husband and I enjoy perusing the clearance racks of unsold annual and perennial plants at the garden centers.

“Why don’t they just give the flowers a little water?” I said.

“They’re just trying to get rid of them. It’s too expensive to keep watering them. It cuts down on what little profit margin is left.” My husband fingered over a row of tomato plants, the leaves yellow and their stalks wilted. I was impressed by the small green and red tomatoes the plants continued to produce.

It was as if the beleaguered plants shouted out to passersby, “See me. I’m still alive. Look at my fruit. It’s still good. Water me.” Seeing the tomatoes struggle to live amid neglect made me think of people in our communities who are still capable of “producing fruit” but like the tomatoes, begin to wither away for lack of attention and care.

Do we sometimes try to “get rid of” people that “cut down on our profit margin”—our time, our money, or our emotional and physical energies? These may be people who would produce wonderful fruit for the Kingdom, but like the forgotten tomato plants, are unattended and wilting.

Paul encouraged Titus to stress the importance of doing what is good. He insisted these things were excellent and profitable for everyone. Much is lost except for just one more action.
It’s easy to turn my back and walk away from necessary things I should do. I, like so many, needed to recognize the needs and work to meet them.

How often do we neglect situations until it is too late? Take time to nourish the neglected “plants and flowers” you meet. Remember Paul’s encouragement. We might not always see the fruit of our actions, but plants we nurture and love, grow.

Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.” Don’t pass up an opportunity to minister to those capable of producing fruit for the Kingdom . Like the tomatoes, they’re calling out for attention. It’s up to us to take action.

Lara Beard is an educator with a Master’s Degree in Exceptional Education. She has taught for twelve years and especially enjoys working with students with autism. She has published articles in local and state newspapers, environmental magazines, and is a secret poet. She has also published a church newsletter, served as a former children’s Sunday school teacher, and published three booklets of poems by her students. She recently attended the Kentucky Christian Writers Conference in Elizabethtown, KY, where she makes her home with her husband, Kenny, and welcomes home their three children on college breaks.
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Behold My Hands – Sarah Lynn Phillips
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Risen

The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.” Matthew 28:5, 6

They drove most of the night. A series of phone calls sent them scurrying to find suitcases, maps, and hospital addresses. Five hours away, their daughter’s life hung in uncertainty.

Long past dawn, Dad and Mom found my hospital room. Their breath caught as they stared. My face, stitched and swollen beyond recognition, made my identity impossible. Could this be their precious daughter? Mom finally recognized one thing—my hands.

Somewhat like my parents, a man from another century struggled to recognize and confirm the identity of someone precious to him. Thomas failed to see much evidence of the resurrection. Even after the other disciples exclaimed, “We have seen the Lord,” skepticism kept him in disbelief. How could Jesus be alive?

Eight long days passed. Behind closed doors, the disciples gathered together. Perhaps Thomas crossed his arms and eyed them from a distance.

Suddenly Jesus stood in their midst. “Peace be with you,” He announced. Thomas’s eyes must have opened wide with astonishment. Jesus spoke directly to him. “Put your finger here; see my hands…stop doubting and believe.”

Recognizing Jesus, He could only exclaim, “My Lord and my God!”

At that moment, Doubting Thomas doubted no more. All Christ’s claims to deity made sense. The scars in the Savior’s hands and side proclaimed an eternal redeeming value: “That whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Time has passed since my parents visited my bedside, yet I still find myself standing beside Thomas in the inner room of my heart. Like him, I often long to see more tangible evidence of how God works seeming tragedies for good. As Christ offers His peace to me, I echo the sentiments of the disciple whose walk of faith began with the words, “My Lord and my God!”

I finally recognize that every wound, every scar God allows in my life has an eternal purpose—even when that purpose may not be visible to me. When doubts and questions nag in the quiet of the night and I can’t see God’s sovereign hand, Jesus’ words breathe hope into my heart. “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Today, “we live by faith, not by sight.”

Sarah Lynn Phillips and her husband Barry, live in northeastern Pennsylvania and have been married for thirty years. They have three daughters. Sarah is a freelance writer and the editor of The Women’s LINK, a seasonal newsletter for the women in her church and community. She enjoys homemaking, reading, and quilting.
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