A Devotion May Be Someone's Only Bible
Trust is hard. It’s easy to say there is trust but actually taking the step – making the leap into mid-air without a visible net is the most difficult thing man can do. But with the Spirit of God our leap lands us safe in His palm.
A friend of mine serving in Africa wrote to me about a delightful patient—one the staff nicknamed Rocky because she had the determined spirit of the film boxer.
Rocky was a six-year-old Senegalese with extreme “knock knees” that made walking challenging. After surgery, she was six weeks in plaster casts. Finally, the day arrived for her to learn to walk on two straight legs. She slid from her bed and grasped the walker. Her physical therapist held her gown from behind should she start to fall, but she whirled around and barked in Wolof, “Let go!” All the translators laughed joyfully at her courageous enthusiasm.
Soon, Rocky eagerly visited the other children in the ward, urging them to get up and walk with her. She became a regular sight, marching down the hospital’s corridors with a parade of children’s walkers behind—the mother duck commanding them not to be scared but to walk with one foot following the other.
This story called me to rise and step out in faith, knowing my victory can draw others to Christ’s healing and fellowship. It came at a time when I had stalled, not confident enough to step forward in God’s call to write encouragement for others.
We, too, can follow the footsteps of a little six-year-old child, for Jesus calls us to have the faith of children to follow the course He calls us to.
What will it take for you to have faith like a child?
(photo courtesy of pixabay.com.)
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“Hey, look at this. It just came out!” my young friend Loretta said.
Then she showed me a real estate ad from a local newspaper. I knew her affluent family was selling their older upscale home.
She smiled as I read aloud the listing’s ending: “Five bedrooms, four baths, sauna, quarters.”
“What’s quarters?” Loretta asked.
“That’s a real estate term for a bedroom and bathroom for a live-in housekeeper,” I explained.
Loretta nodded. “We have a room like that off the kitchen. It’s where my nanny stayed years ago. But we use it for storage now.”
“Well, I think your agent saw that, knew what it could be, and worded the ad that way,” I said.
Saying she had to get to work, Loretta moved on with her paper. But after she left, I thought more about our conversation and realized an unexpected spiritual meaning.
Loretta’s agent worded the ad to reflect how a storeroom could be something better, which is how God works in my life. This typically occurs when I want to serve the Lord but don’t think I can because I’m too ordinary and average. But that’s certainly not how God sees me.
Too often, I forget that if the Lord’s plans include a particular task, He will provide what I need to accomplish it. I can follow His plans because an empowered servant isn’t ordinary.
God has wonderful plans for us, but if we accept the challenge, we must trust Him. When we do, we shouldn’t hesitate because we feel inadequate.
How can you better trust God to help you carry out His plans?
(photo courtesy of pixabay.com.)
(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)
Icebergs and sin are similar.
Icebergs change colors and shapes as they age. Some surfaces break off into the sea and become icebergs themselves. Accumulating precipitation increases its size over time. They continue growing in the cold waters of the Arctic and Antarctica, where most of them form. When drifting into warmer waters, icebergs can break apart or melt entirely. Although they are made of freshwater, we find them in salt-filled oceans.
An iceberg led to the sinking of the Titanic—the “unsinkable ship”—on its maiden voyage on April 15, 1912. More than fifteen hundred passengers and crew died. Edward John Smith, the ship’s captain, reportedly said, “Not even God himself could sink this ship,” but an iceberg did when the captain ignored a series of warnings about icebergs in the area.
When engineers built the Titanic, it was the largest manufactured mobile object in the world. The most up-to-date technology and engineering went into the ship’s design. By all standards, it was the most luxurious and safest vessel in the world. But whether millionaires or immigrants, each passenger faced the same fate.
Icebergs are like sin—breathtakingly beautiful but destructive for those venturing too close. Pieces of icebergs can kill or cause significant waves to capsize boats.
The Titanic holds a spiritual application. An iceberg’s danger is what you can’t see since only about 10 percent of an iceberg rises above the water. Ninety percent lies underwater with an unknown shape or location. Sin in our life is like an iceberg. We may see irresistible beauty, but the hidden part can destroy us.
Because sin appeals to us doesn’t mean it’s good for us. The Bible contains instructions for living. Being mindful of what we see is beneficial, but being concerned about the 90 percent we can’t see is imperative. Don’t risk getting too close to sin. It can be irresistibly enticing.
How can you be more aware of the icebergs of sin in your life?
(photo courtesy of pixabay.com.)
(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)
But, God, I can’t do that. It’s too hard. I’m too scared! Too shy. Too weak. Too busy. Can’t You send someone else?
Although I know what God has called me to do, I tend to present a barrel full of excuses, justifying why I haven’t obeyed God’s direction or instruction. Such excuses keep me paralyzed from moving forward and treading down the path I know He has called me to walk.
Moses was an excuse-making machine too. “But, God, who am I to go before Pharaoh? I don’t know what to say. They might not believe me. I’m not eloquent enough.”
To each of Moses’ concerns, God assured him that He had equipped him to accomplish the task and provided him with precisely what he needed. God sent Moses’ brother Aaron as a helper before Moses even knew he needed his brother. God never failed to provide for Moses abundantly.
While God might not task us with addressing pharaohs or leading nations, the tasks He has assigned us are crucial to furthering His kingdom, fulfilling His plan, and sharing the message of hope available through Christ. When fear or excuses paralyze us, we should remember God will equip us with what we need, assure us of His presence, and send helpers when needed. Our job is to obey and step forward in faith. God will supply whatever we need.
What excuses are keeping you from following God’s plan?
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(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)
I was coming out of the lowest point in my life when I discovered small acts matter.
I was a single mom with a four-year-old, reaping the consequences of bad choices. A friend invited me to a single mom’s Bible study. There, my relationship with Jesus began.
Money was tight as I struggled to begin a better life. I had started a new job but had not received my first paycheck. After childcare and rent, I had nothing left for food. With my last two dollars, I put gas in my car and went to church. As I walked through the parking lot after the service, a woman from my Bible study approached me with a large box of food and said, “Do you need food? I got it from the church Care Closet.”
I thanked the kind lady, got into my car, and cried tears of joy and gratitude. She showed me God takes care of His children through His people. Years later, I volunteered at our local food bank. I know what it is like to need food and what a blessing it is to receive it when you don’t see how you will feed your child.
Sometimes we feel we need to do something big for God. Or perhaps we think our small action, kind word, or prayer won’t make a difference. John the Baptist never performed a sign, but everything he said about Jesus was true, and many believed in Him. John’s ministry made a lasting impact and influenced others.
We may never perform a sign or a miracle, but that does not minimize our small actions toward those around us. Delivering food when someone is struggling, taking a meal to someone sick, visiting someone in the hospital, or simply praying for someone can significantly impact others for God’s kingdom. We don’t have to perform a miracle to see one happen in the changed lives of others.
What small acts could you perform that would impact others for Christ?
(photo courtesy of pixabay.com.)
(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)