Spirit & Heart

Suckered. That's what I was—plain, outright, suckered. If it wasn’t bad enough knowing I’d fallen for this deception, it was worse knowing that I’d done my research.

We’d lost our sweet dog a year earlier, and I finally came to the point where I was ready to open my heart to a new puppy. I’d done my due diligence, researching as best I could, but these scammers had managed to disguise their ruse very well. I made my deposit on the puppy, and then it started. The cost of a flight. Wait, this was a local breeder. The puppy was held at the airport in California waiting for a ticket. CALIFORNIA! That’s not local.

I’d been scammed. I immediately picked up the phone and called the police. Within minutes, they were running checks, but the snakes had slithered into hiding. The culprits are sly, and they’ve found loopholes to hide. They lie in wait, hoping to bring us into sin and failure. Despite my best efforts to research, I was still deceived.

God gave Adam and Eve specific instructions not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. For a time they obeyed, but then the snake slithered in and deceived Eve. Satan convinced her God was lying. “You won’t die.” And Eve fell for it. Sin entered the world through the door she opened, and Satan chalked up a win.

Deception comes in many forms. Sometimes we see it coming, and at other times it blindsides us. There are times we fall into deception and times we succumb and make a choice to give in to earthly desires. Mankind’s weakness was proven in the garden, but we do have the ability to be strong. We only have to call on the name of the Lord, who is our strong tower. God asks for our obedience, but He understands our frailty.

Despite our failure to obey, the Father stands ready and willing to bring us into Him. To love us as no other can. And to forgive us. His love and forgiveness don’t negate consequences, but God is faithful to His children. His love supersedes all.

Strengthen your bond with the Father, and follow in His footsteps. Don’t be deceived, and be on guard for the evil one's attempts to fool you. You can trust in the Father’s promises. He will never deceive you.

(Photo courtesy of pixabay and Inspiredimages.)

(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)

Sitting at my desk with my daily Scripture portion spread before me, I clear my eyes of sleep and prepare a hot cup of tea to sip. I try to corral my thoughts, but despite my efforts, they have escaped as if on stallions galloping toward the horizon.

One horse carries the worry about my car’s costly mechanical repairs. Another steed trots off with concern about serious damage to my husband’s left eye, revealed in a recent exam—which will entail continuous treatment. An acquaintance took offense at something somebody said, and a rift erupted. We know how it goes. This is life, and we must live in it. But oh how worrisome and wearisome it is. And when it interferes with that special time with the Lord, it’s so annoying.

I feel defeated and unworthy as I struggle to order my thoughts before I read His Word. If I can’t restrain them, how can I honor the Lord? My eyes glance down and catch on the words of Jesus. The issue is not about settling and resting my mind.

When Jesus says, “above all else,” He speaks of the priority of seeking God before my tasks. Jesus didn’t deny the reality of trouble—all those things bouncing around in the saddles of my galloping horses. He addresses my tendency to ask all the what ifs that take away from embracing the now and interfere with my ability to trust in Him. He suggests staying in the moment with God, trusting Him for what comes next. He is in charge of those chargers.

Suddenly, I realized I didn’t need to get my thoughts in order to read God’s Word. I needed to read it to get my thoughts in order.

How can you seek God above all else?

(Photo courtesy of pixabay and StockSnap.)

(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)

On any given day, disappointments can be overwhelming, and conquering through praise doesn’t come easily.

Enter the life of a middle school Language Arts teacher. For the first three weeks of school, the program we use for grades, homework, lesson plans, lunch, announcements, and payment was up and down because our internet was up and down.

On one particular day—as the students attempted to work through an online grammar exercise—the internet dropped us at least fifteen times within forty minutes. Frustrating. Making lesson plans was challenging due to the intermittent connection. What normally took an hour took an entire day. Student lunch orders didn’t process. One fellow teacher threatened to throw her computer out the window. I thought about it myself. Of course, all of this had nothing to do with our computers.

Since our lives as teachers are so dependent on the internet, several weeks of issues tax us and make finding anything positive difficult. And of course, we have to toss in staff meetings, parent meetings, and other student-related matters.

Yet many reasons to praise exist. We work in a smaller atmosphere where peer and student-teacher relationships are closer. Fights among students are almost non-existent. So is backbiting and jealousy among teachers and staff. We also get to bathe everything we do in a Christian worldview. I can talk about Christ and biblical principles as often as I choose. In fact, I’m instructed to.

I’ve encountered some disappointing times during my lifetime. When I’m under a heavy load of whatever, it’s challenging to discover the light—but there is one. And it is for everyone if they want it to be.

Knowing Christ as Savior gives us reason to praise Him. Realizing all our sins—past, present, and future—were forgiven at the cross is worth shouting about. God is also omnipotent. He controls everything. The reason for the disappointment is immaterial. He has authority over the situation. Looking for the positive in all situations helps too. We can see glasses of water as half full or half empty. The choice is ours.

Let God teach you how to use praise so you can conquer disappointing times. 

(Photo courtesy of pixabay and StockSnap.)

(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)

As I write this, my cousin Joyce’s husband of nearly sixty years stepped into heaven almost one year ago.

He had experienced declining health for several years before his passing. Joyce loves the Lord and trusts in Him totally, but as any of us would, she grieved her husband’s death. About two months after his death, Joyce had to make the difficult decision to put their sixteen-year-old pup, Maggie, to sleep. Then came new grief. Joyce needed a touch from the Master’s hand.

Shortly after Maggie’s death, Joyce walked through her backyard one day. She heard the most beautiful music as she approached a large tree in the center of the yard. She looked around to see if any neighbors were playing music outside. She checked for any traffic on her road that could have the radio turned up. She even looked up for an airplane.

Nothing, but the music continued. Finally, Joyce looked into the heavens and declared, “Oh God!” She knew it could only be from Him. She could distinguish the different instruments—horns, harps, and cymbals—as she stood rooted to the spot.

She walked around the tree, and the music faded a bit. But upon returning to the original spot, the music was as loud as before. As she reached into her pocket for her phone to record this concert, the music stopped as suddenly as it had begun.

Joyce related this divine encounter to me. “God knew I needed to hear from Him,” she said. We are convinced this angelic presentation was for her ears only. She asked a couple of close neighbors if they had heard anything. Of course, they hadn’t. Joyce was tuned in, so to speak. She listened for that still, small voice—the voice in the thin silence—and she heard.

God speaks in many ways, and He is the master musician. We may not all be blessed to hear an angelic concert, but we all have ears and should listen for however God speaks to us.

What are some ways God has spoken to you? 

(Photo courtesy of pixabay and Joenomias.)

(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)

My heart broke for my friend.

When she told me she and her husband were separated, I could see her brokenness. With each tear that trickled down her cheek, I felt her agony–her suffering. All I could do was hold her hand and listen. Through my divorce, I learned that well-meaning words from loved ones often cut deep rather than offer hope. “You won’t walk this path alone.” I squeezed her hand. I knew there was a plan–somewhere.

Paul began this chapter in Romans by describing how difficult things were at the time. He noted that even creation longed for the day of Christ’s return to redeem things. Paul conveyed that God is at work, even in our suffering.

As Christ-followers, there is a redemptive factor in that God is available to us through any suffering. Things may not turn out how we expect them to, but in the long run, He has taken those things and woven them together with peace, hope, and His plan for good. Regardless of the situation, God never stops working. He is present, and His promise is perfect.

We are called by Him who loves us, and though we cannot see it immediately, God will work good through the situation according to His plan. He is there for us. We simply reach out and grasp His promise. Hold tight and trust. In and through our suffering, God will work good.

Does God wish for us to suffer? Absolutely not. But remember, Christ did not suffer so you would not suffer. He suffered so that you would become more like Him when you do suffer. Get closer to the Father. His redemptive arms are always open.

We all have tough things that we must face. Rethink your perspective regarding your circumstance, and know that God is faithful. Trust in His promises. He will work all things for good because He loves you and has called you as His child.

(Photo courtesy of pixabay and 1388843.)

(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)