Tag Archives: saunirinehart

Strong in Him – Sauni Rinehart
avatar

Posted on by

…He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ … Philippians 1:6 NKJV

I woke up with creaking joints and aching muscles. Before I could read anything, I had to put on my glasses. I stumbled to the kitchen, made breakfast, along with a side of vitamins, supplements, and needed medications. Boy, it’s tough to age, and the older I get, the more I realize, I’m wearing down—physically, at least.

Then I read a verse from my favorite book of the Bible. I’m told God is doing a good work in me that will one day be completed. In other words, I’m a work in progress—aching joints and all.

Really? In progress?

God is working to complete me spiritually. I’m continually being refined as silver, and one day I’ll be as pure gold. It’s so comforting to remember I’m not complete yet. God is still at work in me. As I often say, every day God wakes me up and I get out of bed, is a day to serve His purpose. And I pray that one day I’ll stand before my Lord and hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Yes, my body may be wearing down, but as long as I stay focused on God’s plan for my life, I can be assured that He really is completing His good work in me. And one day, when I do stand before Him, I’ll be doing so in a new, strong body.

I can’t wait!

Sauni Rinehart is a speaker, vocalist, and writer through Triple-E Ministries (www.saunirinehart.com). Visit her blog at http://saunirinehart.blogspot.com. She is also involved in worship arts and women’s ministries at her home church. She and her husband make their home in Eastvale, California.


Read Sauni’s devotions.
Receive a daily devotion on your Kindle!

Feeling the Love – Sauni Rinehart
avatar

Posted on by

Because Thy loving kindness is better than life, My lips will praise thee. Psalm 63:3, NASB

I feel unloveable. There are days when I’ve snapped at others one too many times or ignored my family for too long. I’ve failed to complete  projects at work — even just felt ugly.

Sometimes I look in the mirror and think, “What is there to love?” And when I look deeper and see my inner struggles, I know just how unlovable I am.

I’m impatient. I’m prideful. I’m selfish. Who could love me?

Then I hear that still small voice whisper, “I not only love you, my daughter, but I adore you.”

“But how can you love me?”

“Because you are my beautifully-designed child.”

God loves me so much, it’s beyond my human comprehension. He shows me His love in so many ways. He loves me enough to bless me with a wonderful husband, a special family, and supportive friends. He’s blessed me with provision beyond my need.

God loves me so much that He wants to transform me into the image of Christ, to take that impatience and pride and selfishness, and make me a loving, humble child.

He demonstrated His love for me by providing a way for my salvation, reminding me of that verse I memorized as a child: He loves me so much He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him [and I do] will not perish, but have eternal life.

That’s how much He loves me. That’s how much He loves you. So praise Him and feel His love.

Sauni Rinehart is a speaker, vocalist, and writer through Triple-E Ministries (www.saunirinehart.com). Visit her blog at http://saunirinehart.blogspot.com. She is also involved in worship arts and women’s ministry at her home church. She and her husband make their home in Eastvale, California.


Read Sauni’s devotions.
Receive a daily devotion on your Kindle!

Fixing Your Hope – Sauni Rinehart
avatar

Posted on by

Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed. 1 Timothy 6:1-7-19, NASB

If you have monetary wealth, you are blessed—as long as you keep your focus on the supplier of your wealth. Any riches you have aren’t yours. Sometimes I think otherwise. Then I remember that everything I have, including my money, is on loan to me from God. I believe He wants me to enjoy what He’s given me, but He also expects me to bless others as I have been blessed.

I read somewhere that if Christians in the United States who are in the top ten percent of earners would tithe to ministry-minded churches, we could wipe out poverty in the U.S. And if they gave twenty percent, it would take care of the world.

I ask myself: How much do you really need, Sauni? And where is your money going?

I can’t take it with me. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to stand in front of God one day and show Him my financial portfolio. I’m positive He wouldn’t care anyway. What I want is to be able to talk about the missionaries my tithing supported or the children who were raised in the Sunday school program that my church invested in.

God commands us to give to those in need, to share what we have. He doesn’t expect everything, but He expects something. More so, the promise to open the storehouse of blessings will hold true. The lesson my Father strives for me to learn is the more I willingly give, the more He gives back to me.

Certainly, I believe we’re to enjoy whatever riches we’ve been blessed with. But we must make certain we’re pleasing the Father by doing as Paul instructed: “Do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share.”

Sauni Rinehart is a speaker, vocalist, and writer through Triple-E Ministries (www.saunirinehart.com). You can visit her blog at http://saunirinehart.blogspot.com. She is also involved in worship arts and women’s ministries at her home church. She and her husband make their home in Eastvale, California.


Read Sauni’s devotions
Receive a daily devotion on your Kindle!

Entrusted – Sauni Rinehart
avatar

Posted on by

The heavens are Thine, the earth also is Thine; The world and all it contains, Thou hast founded them. Psalm 89:11 NASB

I’m a born and bred city girl (although I definitely have a country gal’s heart). I was raised on city lights rather than blankets of God-placed stars. But those times when I can get away from the flashy neon to the dark night of the mountains or the desert, I see the “heavens [that] are Thine.”

It’s humbling to see the grandeur of the night skies or the roar of the ocean or the beauty of a snow-capped mountain—and think that God made it all. He is the great Creator.

However, sometimes I’m all too human, and it’s easy to take focus from the real owner of all things. We tend—I tend—to describe my stuff as, well, my stuff. I forget, too often, that none of it is mine. Not my home, my car, my clothes. Not my husband, my friends, my family. None of it is mine. It all belongs to the One who founded this world.

Yet He’s loaned it to me. He’s trusted me to take care of His things.

Wow. When I think about it like that, it makes me pause a moment. What am I doing with what He’s entrusted to me?

Am I caring well for the possessions, the relationships, the gifts He’s given on loan to me? Or do I neglect them? Do I take them for granted? Do I abuse them? Or worse, do I view them with unrighteous pride, somehow thinking I have anything to do with what I’ve been given?

I’m humbled to say the last is often true. And I pray I remember more often that everything—“the world and all it contains”—is His. My job is to manage it well for His glory—nothing more, nothing less.

Sauni Rinehart is a speaker, vocalist, and writer through Triple-E Ministries (www.saunirinehart.com). Visit her blog at http://saunirinehart.blogspot.com. She is also involved in worship arts and women’s ministries at her home church. She and her husband make their home in Eastvale, California.


Read Sauni’s devotions.
Receive a daily devotion on your Kindle!

The Root of Evil – Sauni Rinehart
avatar

Posted on by

But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
1 Timothy 6:9-10, NASB

I don’t think the Bible is against the rich. If God has blessed someone with wealth, and that person is generous to those in need, holds his riches loosely…I believe God is pleased.

These days our “more is better” society can truly “snare” people. In order to amass greater wealth, we’ve turned into workaholics, neglecting our marriages and our children. We live and breathe by the stock market. Our financial statements dictate our happiness—or our misery.

Reading the Wall Street Journal is more important than reading our Bible.

I’ve fallen into the “snare” myself. Eight years ago, my husband and I were caught up with the “McMansion” hype, selling our perfectly adequate 1200 square foot home for a totally unnecessary 3071 square foot home. It served us well, especially when we brought my mother-in-law in to heal after a couple of falls and surgery. And we’ve watched God bless others as they’ve been able to stay here.

But now, we realize that bigger isn’t really better. After the blessing of being laid off in February, we’ve begun doing without. We’re trying to simplify, and it’s been time-consuming and somewhat difficult as we sort through all the “stuff.” We’re beginning to see how much we have that’s unnecessary, and we’re even talking about down-sizing. We’ve learned that money can indeed be a trap, and now we’re fighting our way out.

So ask yourself. Have you gotten caught up in the “more is better” mentality? Have you become consumed with having “stuff?” A bigger house? A nicer car? A fatter portfolio?

Confess to the Lord your preoccupation with the “mighty dollar,” and ask Him what you can do to make Him the priority of your life.

Sauni Rinehart is a speaker, vocalist, and writer through Triple-E Ministries (www.saunirinehart.com). Visit her blog at http://saunirinehart.blogspot.com. She is also involved in worship arts and women’s ministries at her home church. She and her husband make their home in Eastvale, California.


Read Sauni’s devotions
Receive a daily devotion on your Kindle!

You Can’t Take it with You – Sauni Rinehart
avatar

Posted on by

For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. 1 Timothy 6:7-8, NASB

This is so very true . . . when we leave this world, we leave everything behind. After my mother-in-law died, my husband and I prepared to sell her house. We found a few treasures, but mostly we found a lot of clutter. Much of it was thrown into a dumpster.

That may sound heartless, but really, think about your own home. Is there anything of lasting value? There may be a few items of sentimental value for those you leave behind, but for you . . . will any of it matter?

Not at all.

Our earthly possessions are short-term. There may be temporary pleasure in our “stuff,” but none of it matters in eternity. So it’s important to hold the earthly possessions loosely. Be thankful for anything God blesses us with, but also be content with next to nothing at all.

That’s true contentment. Learning to be sincerely thankful for having your basic needs met—which God promises to do—then the rest is icing.

Try this: Walk through your home and begin to “purge” it of unnecessary things. Start decluttering and simplifying your home . . . and your life. Learn to live more simply. Then not only will you learn to be content with less, you’ll also leave less for your heirs to sort through.

This is a challenge for you—and for me, as well. Are you ready to take on the challenge? Let go and let God provide.

Sauni Rinehart is a speaker, vocalist, and writer through Triple-E Ministries (www.saunirinehart.com).  Visit her blog at http://saunirinehart.blogspot.com. She is also involved in worship arts and women’s ministry at her home church. She and her husband make their home in Eastvale, California.
Read Sauni’s devotions
Receive a daily devotion on your Kindle!

Three Score and Ten Years – Sauni Rinehart
avatar

Posted on by

The days of our lives are seventy years; And if by reason of strength they are eighty years… Psalm 90:10, NKJV

Have you played with a Wii? I don’t have one (and I’ve never played with one), but I understand they have a program where you can do a few exercises and determine your “actual” age versus your “real” age. Some in their twenties are “actually” fifty. And some in their fifties? You guessed it: twenty something.

While early characters in the Bible lived into multiples of hundreds, by the time the psalmist wrote this verse, reaching seventy looked mighty good. And with a bit of strength (or health, according to the CEV), one might make it to eighty.

I come from a family with a history of longevity. All four of my grandparents lived well into their eighties, with my paternal grandmother dying just shy of her ninety-fifth birthday.

Grandma Rose was strong and amazingly healthy, living at home—by herself—until the day she died. She walked every day. She cooked and baked, two of her favorite things. She spent time with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

But more than her physical health, she was amazingly healthy mentally and spiritually. And she would have been the first to tell you that much of her physical and mental well-being was a direct result of her faith. She loved Jesus with her entire being, and she was never shy about telling people of His goodness and grace.

That’s the key, she’d say. If you want to live a strong, healthy, into-your-eighties (and beyond) life, be strong spiritually. In fact, she’d paraphrase Mark 29 and tell you, “Love the Lord with heart, soul, and mind, and your strength will follow.”

Wise words from Grandma Rose. Won’t you follow her example?

Sauni Rinehart is a speaker, vocalist, and writer through Triple-E Ministries. Visit her website at www.saunirinehart.com or her blog at http://saunirinehart.blogspot.com. She is also involved in worship arts and women’s ministries at her home church. She and her husband make their home in Eastvale, California.


Read Sauni’s devotions

Are You Rich? – Sauni Rinehart
avatar

Posted on by

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Jesus Christ. Philippians 4:19 NKJV

I guarantee that some of you read the title of this devotion and said, “No way am I rich.” I heard recently that if you have a household income of $40,000 or more, you are in the top 1 percent of earners in the world. 1 percent. That means you’re richer than 99 percent of the world’s population.

We in the United States have a really skewed idea of what “rich” means. If you’re reading this, you own or have access to a computer. If you’re using a computer in your home you have two things: a home and electricity. You likely took a shower today and drank a glass of water. Clean water. Millions of people don’t have clean water.

You are rich. Especially when you remember that God promised only to supply your needs, not your wants. If you have a roof over your head, clothes on your back, and water and food to sustain you, your needs are met.

But God loves us so very much that He’s blessed many of us beyond basic needs. Cars to drive. Televisions to watch. Gadgets to play music or view movies.

You are rich. But if you look beyond the “stuff” you have, you’re even richer. True wealth doesn’t come from a paycheck. It doesn’t come from your stockbroker or financial planner. It doesn’t come from a savings account or IRA.

True wealth comes from knowing you’re a child of the King. You’re an heir to an eternal home with our Lord God. The “stuff” you have here on earth is temporary. One day, much of your “stuff” may be in a landfill somewhere. It’ll be destroyed by rust or stolen by thieves.

So the question is: Are you rich? And since I’m pretty sure you are, what are you doing with the riches God has blessed you with?

Sauni Rinehart is a speaker, vocalist, and writer through Triple-E Ministries. Visit her website at:  (www.saunirinehart.com) or visit her blog at http://saunirinehart.blogspot.com. She is also involved in worship arts and women’s ministries at her home church. She and her husband make their home in Eastvale, California.


Read Sauni’s devotions

With All Boldness – Sauni Rinehart
avatar

Posted on by

… my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified … Philippians 1:20, NKJV

Have you ever noticed how small children and dogs seem to respond to their bad behavior in the same way? (Not that I’m saying small children are dogs!) Eyes downcast. Lips turned down in a pout (well, children, anyway). Tail between the legs (do I really need to clarify?).

You don’t even have to guess. They’ve done something wrong and they’re ashamed. Grown-ups (the human kind, at least) learn how to hide their shame. We learn how to not be transparent; how to wear masks—sadly enough, our children mimic us as they grow older.

Feeling shame when we’ve done something wrong is a sign of a healthy conscience. We should feel shame if we’ve sinned against God and others. And then we ask for forgiveness. However, in one area of our lives we should never be ashamed: our walk with Christ. On the contrary, we should, as the apostle Paul writes, always with all boldness strive to live like Christ.

Why?

So He will be magnified in our lives. Magnify: Make larger—see more clearly—draw nearer.

I will ask you the same questions I ask myself: Are you magnifying Christ with your life? Or is He minimized? Let’s all strive never to be ashamed of the gospel. Instead, let Him be bigger and bigger so the lost will see Him, and Him alone.

Sauni Rinehart is a speaker, vocalist, and writer through Triple-E Ministries (www.saunirinehart.com) or visit her blog at http://saunirinehart.blogspot.com. She is also involved in worship arts and women’s ministries at her home church. She and her husband make their home in Eastvale, California.


Read Sauni’s devotions

Thicker than Water – Sauni Rinehart
avatar

Posted on by

“Friends come and friends go, but a true friend sticks by you like family.” Proverbs 18:24 The Message

There’s a saying, “blood is thicker than water,” which means you’ll usually be closer to your “blood” relatives than to your “water” friends.

And I love my family. I really do.

I come from a great legacy of integrity, character … and love. We don’t have great wealth. We aren’t famous for anything. We’re not ever going to make headlines. But we love each other.

My mom has always been prayerfully supportive of me, and has loved me with a true unconditional love (and believe me, in my younger days, I threw out all kinds of conditions). My siblings are great examples of God-honoring people of faith, and they’ve raised genuinely terrific children. Now we have the next generation with my eldest niece’s children. They, too, are being raised to love and honor God—and each other.

There’s only one problem. We live hundreds (even thousands) of miles from each other, and we see each other rarely. Yes, we can call, text or facebook each other, but it’s not the same.

So, God has brought me other families that I love. I really do.

I have an amazing husband who, after nearly 22 years of marriage, is my best friend. He’s my family. He supports me and loves me with a quiet, certain love.

And my other family? My friends. I have a handful of friends to whom I can go—to rejoice—to celebrate—to mourn. These friends really are as close as sisters. They pray for me. They laugh with me. They cry with me.

I’m blessed beyond measure that, when I can’t be with my blood family, I can be with my “water family.”

And water can be pretty thick sometimes.

Sauni Rinehart is a speaker, vocalist, and writer through Triple-E Ministries (www.saunirinehart.com) or visit her blog at http://saunirinehart.blogspot.com. She is also involved in worship arts and women’s ministries at her home church. She and her husband make their home in Eastvale, California.
Read Sauni’s devotions