A Devotion May Be Someone's Only Bible
Focusing our minds on Christ. . .studying His word, drawing tight into a relationship that is unbreakable. This is when His Spirit lives in our minds helping us keep our eyes focused only on Him.
The day stretched out in front of me—long, busy, and a bit intimidating. How would I even come close to accomplishing all I had to do?
I got up early and immediately went to work—not my normal routine. Neglecting my quiet time with the Lord niggled at my heart as I attacked my to-do list. I’ll stop and have my quiet time in a few minutes, I kept telling myself. But it never happened. As a result, my day fell apart, and my tasks went mostly undone. I ended up frazzled and exhausted.
“I don’t have space in my mornings to spend time with the Lord,” I’ve often heard people say. “It’s a luxury I can’t afford. I would never get anything done.”
What I’ve learned—the hard way—is that my time with the Lord is not a luxury. It’s a necessity. When I give Him the first part of my day, the rest of it goes much smoother. I accomplish more as I keep my focus on Him and depend on His strength, wisdom, and direction. It’s the only way I can, as they say, work smarter, not harder.
The Bible tells us to seek first the kingdom of God … first … not when we think we might be able to squeeze it into our busy schedule (Matthew 6:33).
When your days are the busiest, give God the first part. Let Him fill and equip you for the day ahead. He will redeem your time, bless the work of your hands, and help you work smarter. That’s a promise!
On a cold and dreary morning, I found Jesus interceding for me in a thrift shop.
I was in a season of life where everything had fallen apart, and my family’s plans had crumbled. We lived day to day with feelings of future uncertainty, trying to decide what to do next. I really wasn't even shopping, but for some reason, walking around in thrift shops after my weekend housecleaning chores were done—and looking at things people had decided to toss—gave me a few hours to escape the constant reminders at home.
As I rounded a corner, to my surprise, I saw a small white figurine of Jesus sitting in a prayerful position. At that moment, Romans 8:34 came to mind, and I visualized Jesus looking up to the heavenly Father, as if to say, “She needs our help.” I picked it up, found a $2.00 price tag on the bottom, and rushed to the front to purchase it.
Once I got into my car, I pulled out the figurine and realized that Jesus was on his knees, praying in the Garden of Gethsemane about His own future. Despite this new reality, my spirit still reminded me that Jesus is with our heavenly Father and intercedes for us.
In this season of total despair, this Scripture, which I had hidden in my heart many years earlier, came alive. It flooded what had been a defeated and discouraged soul trying to find peace in a thrift store with a renewed sense of hope for what the future would bring. I kept thinking how wonderful it was that Jesus intercedes on our behalf.
Knowing that lifted the heavy weight I carried and replaced it with hope.
If you are in a season of uncertainty, be encouraged. Scriptures are not just words. Instead, they are inspired to speak to your heart and soul at the right moment, reminding you that Jesus intercedes for you too. It cannot get better than that.
We always knew what to expect. After half a day in the car, we’d arrive in the wee hours of the morning and literally crash into the soft, quilted bed. Two or three hours later, we would be awakened by a gentle knock and an anxious call: “Y’all are going to have to get up. I can’t stand it anymore.”
At that point, my husband and I would stumble out of bed, open the door, greet his ninety-three-year-old grandmother, and begin the breakfast routine. Grandmother had some difficulty maneuvering, so she would stand at the stove and prepare the biscuits and cream gravy, while Steve and I set the table and shuttled items back and forth between the kitchen and the dining area.
When everything was ready, we sat down to our hot meal, only to wait. She required two things before we could consume any food: a prayer and a blessing over the day. The words offered in prayer varied from time to time, but the blessing never wavered. It was always the same. Grandmother folded her hands, as only she could, looked at us, and declared with confidence, “This is the day that the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.”
One might assume this was a ritual for the family’s matriarch. Instead, it was her way of breathing life into her day and declaring her faith. By speaking those words, Grandmother made a firm decision that nothing—pain or difficulty, suffering or stress—was going to happen to deter or disrupt her joy. It was a done deal. God had given her another day to live, and, therefore, thankfulness and rejoicing would excel above all else.
So today, as I remember Grandmother Kirk’s firm decision to rejoice and be glad, I will do the same. I will declare that my day will not affect me, but I will affect my day by breathing life into it before the sun ever peeks its rays above the horizon (Psalm 118:24).
This is indeed the day the Lord has made. Therefore, choose to rejoice and be glad in it.
The first time my toddler threw a temper tantrum was while I pushed a cart of groceries and had her brother in a swaddling carrier. Right in front of the cash registers, she used the aisle to flare her arms and legs like a snow angel on the floor. She proclaimed that the grocery trip needed to end. She was exhausted and had endured enough. Instead of getting angry at her behavior, I looked down, moved the cart around her, and stepped over her. I ignored her whining, but I recognized her needs. I looked back at her and said, “Come on. Get up. We are almost finished. You need to nap and eat.”
Elijah got tired, thirsty, hungry, and stressed out enough to whine to God (1 Kings 19:5-6). He declared directly that he wanted to die. He was physically and emotionally exhausted and tired of waiting for the people to turn their hearts to God. He also faced threats from Queen Jezebel, who wanted to kill him—which is why he fled to the desert.
God responded to Elijah by interrupting his whining—not with a grand proclamation, but with intimate care. God had Elijah take a nap and provided him with food and water. Elijah immediately went back to sleep. Later, God returned, had him eat again, and gave him extraordinary strength to sustain him as he continued his journey.
We all have those moments when we have had enough. When the burdens and challenges leave us feeling alone, exhausted, and stressed out. Sometimes, we are so steeped in our troubles that we can’t see the provisions God has laid before us. God doesn’t always reveal Himself in powerful, miraculous ways, but He does provide us provisions and strength.
God wants to restore your body and soul continually. Take time to nap and eat and notice how God sustains you.
Who knew that the songs I loved hearing my daughter sing and play on the piano would bring me to tears in the most unlikely and inconvenient places? Like the gym, a restaurant, the grocery store, or in the middle of a visit with friends. Getting past those intense moments of extraordinary pain and missing her is not a smooth transition. I wish it were easier. My mind can easily wander into one rabbit hole after another, following her memories and chasing her presence.
Sometimes I feel angry that a song came on the speaker, leaving me feeling this way when I want to feel the peace of God that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:17). But how do I get there? Where is the smooth transition that brings me from this present world into the truth of God’s promises?
Remember that Indiana Jones moment when he steps out over the jagged mountain cliffs and trusts that he will be supported? He took that step of faith. Took that step in faith, with active faith. It wasn’t a smooth transition from his mind’s space of fear and unrest.
Maybe looking for a smooth transition is the wrong endeavor. Perhaps the wisest endeavor is to act in faith—to put my mind space on the truth of God’s Word. For those who love and follow Jesus Christ, for those who have humbly accepted Him as their Savior, He will bring us into heaven when we die. He will wipe every tear from our faces and give us new bodies. Bodies without pain, minds without torment, hearts filled with so much love for Jesus and each other that we will be filled with awe as we bask in the presence of the Creator of the world.
Let God show you your smooth transition through your difficult time.