His Steadfast Love

We are privileged to have guest devotion blog writers during the summer. Enjoy hearing from Judy Eick today!

His Word:  Prove me O Lord, and try me; test my heart and my mind.  For your steadfast love is before my eyes and I walk in your faithfulness.   Psalm 26:2-3  

Observation & Obedience: “I have proof.” We may have spoken those words as a child, to reinforce our point. Today I am speaking them as an adult because I have witnessed God’s steadfast love ‘with my own eyes’ (another childhood refrain) since my early childhood. 

June 11, is the day my mother was born and today I would like to share how God’s steadfast love sustained her hope and has strengthened me. 

These were a couple of her favorite verses:  I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord which made heaven and earth (Psalm 121:1& 2). 

Edith, my mother grew up on a flat land farm. Several years later on June 11, she married my father who declared with pride that he farmed ‘three sides of his land’. Our farm had hills!

At the age of twenty-four, Rheumatoid Arthritis attacked my mother’s body and a pain-filled silence entered into our family.

As she struggled to accomplish the everyday tasks of a farmer’s wife and meet the needs for our family of five, she embraced the verses of this Psalm, trusting that God who made heaven and earth would help her. To her, the hills were directing her eyes to the creator. We witnessed her HOPE.

My mother organized her time between rest and labor, offering her best – the best she could. Not the day of labor a healthy woman could offer, she offered her offering, grateful for the things she could do. I grew up thankful for a body that functioned without pain. 

Psalm 26:2: Prove me, O Lord, try me; test my heart and mind.

Because her Arthritis arrived three years before I did, I observed pain and suffering from an early age. Pain can pull the air out of a room and leaves no life untouched. From her, I learned you are not what happens to you. 

You are a child of the living God and you are so much more than your circumstances. Participate in life. Participate in living. Lift your eyes to the hills, remembering whose child you are and to whom you belong. I have been a registered nurse for forty years and God has tested my heart and mind. I have seen suffering and I have seen God’s steadfast love.  

Prayer:  “Dear Father, Thank you for teaching me I can trust your steadfast love. Help me walk in your faithfulness. When pain enters my life, as it will, help me to know you are with me. Help me to remember the times I have witnessed your faithfulness and to trust the future to you. Release me from my need to understand the present and know the future. Help me to trust you in every aspect of my life, now and for eternity. Amen.”

Encouragement: Encourage others along the way and as Francis of Assisi is quoted, “Preach the gospel at all times; when necessary, use words.” As you journey, praise God with songs, making worship and prayer a way of life. Let others see the hope that lies within you. Accomplish what you can, the best that you can, and God will deliver the MESSAGE.

Written by: Judy Eick

Proclaim His Greatness

We are privileged to have guest devotion blog writers during the summer. Enjoy hearing from Marion Smith today!

His Word: For I will proclaim the name of Adonai.  Come, declare the greatness of our God!  The Rock! His work is perfect, for all His ways are just. A trustworthy God who does no wrong, He is righteous and straight.     Deuteronomy 32:3-4 (CJB)

Observation & Obedience: How many of you remember the song, “El Shaddai,” penned by Amy Grant?  The lyrics evoke praise and worship that truly makes the heart soar. 

“El Shaddai, el shaddai, El-elyon na adonia; Age to age you’re still the same; By the power of the name El shaddai, el shaddai, Erkamka na adonai; I will praise and lift you high.”

The powerful descriptions of God help us to understand who He is and why we cannot help but praise and proclaim the name of God.

One of my favorite ways to study the bible is to read different versions.  What one version may say, another may put a completely different spin on the words.  In Deuteronomy 32:3, the Complete Jewish Bible translates scripture as, For I will proclaim the name of Adonai. Come, declare the greatness of our God!” 

The Message Bible paraphrases the verse as, For it’s God’s Name I’m preaching; respond to the greatness of our God! 

The Good News Translations says, I will praise the name of the Lord, and his people will tell of his greatness.

Yet, if you read the Wycliffe version, it states, For I shall inwardly call the name of the Lord; give ye glory to our God.

What kind of proclaimer are you?  Are you a mountaintop type of person that loves to evangelize by publicly professing your praise?  Or are you a mild type of person that loves to show others your praise by the quiet way you live? Whichever way you choose, God loves our praise, by our words and by the way we live.  

As proclaimers of Christ, what is the message we are to give others?  Regardless of the translation, Deuteronomy 32:4 tells us that the Lord is our Rock, our mighty Defender, perfect and just in all His ways, faithful and true, fair and just – simply put – a trustworthy God who does no wrong.  

He is a God you can depend upon, no exceptions, a straight-arrow God.  Whether life is going good or whether it’s turned upside down, praise the One who is worthy to be praised.  In other words…Proclaim His greatness!  

Prayer: “Precious Father, I praise You for who You are.  I want to thank you for all You’ve done, for creating this wonderful world that I’m in.  My arms are outstretched, Lord, a song is on my lips as I worship you all day long, morning, noon and night.  You are forever in my thoughts.  Great is Your faithfulness, God.  You are my Rock and my Defender, my Fortress and my Source of strength.  Thank you for sending Your son, Jesus, to die on the cross, for loving me in order to make a way for me to spend eternity with You.  I thank you also for sending the Holy Spirit and for the wisdom He gives.  You are amazing.  I praise and worship and give You glory.  Amen.”   

Encouragement:  Worship is like breathing: you’re created to do it all the time. It’s a lifestyle.   Joseph L. Garlington

Written by: Marion Smith

A Great Way To Start Your Day

As we turn the calendar to the first month of our long awaited summer season, we are reminded of the privilege that is ours to proclaim God’s love, His steadfast, gracious, unfailing love each morning and His faithfulness every night. Let His praise be on our lips and the testimony of His faithfulness be our witness as we continue to be a beacon of light, hope and encouragement to a lost and hurting world. 

Tonia and I have had some physical/health challenges over the past couple of months and we appreciate your continued support and prayers as we seek and trust in God’s perfect plan and purpose for each day. 

This summer we have the privilege and blessing of hearing from guest bloggers who will be sharing encouragement through God’s Word and our devotionals. Our guest bloggers are friends of Tonia who are members of the Michigan Christian Women Speakers group she helped organize. Please be encouraged to share His Love and how He has been faithful to you as these women are so willing to do for us. 

Thank You and God Bless,

Sharon and Tonia

There's No Denying It

We Remember And Give Thanks

How Do We Draw Strength From God?

His Word: Search for the LORD and for his strength; continually seek him.  I Chronicles 16:11 NLT

Observation & Obedience:  Our focus this month has been on strength. We’ve seen that our strength comes from God’s joy in and through us. When we are weary and don’t know what to pray, God’s Spirit intercedes.

We’ve recognized that the times when we have nothing left to lean on is when God’s power steps into our lives. He becomes the strength in our greatest weakness and he can always be relied on to fulfill His promises.

Are you in need of God’s strength today? Be honest. Have you tried fixing and controlling things in your own power and it’s not getting any better; in fact, you feel weaker and more defeated than ever before?

There is hope! We can learn a lot about how to plug into our power source through another psalm written by David during his reign as king of Israel. He gives us insight into five steps needed to draw our strength from God.

1) Be Thankful. Nothing weakens our spirit more than dwelling on our problems and misfortunes. Strength comes from being grateful. Give thanks to the LORD (v.8a NLT).

2) Sing Praises. I have found music to be a great strength builder. It takes my mind and focus off of me and onto God and his blessings in my life.  Sing to him; yes, sing his praises (v.9a NLT).

3) Tell others. Aren’t you revitalized when you hear others sharing how God has worked in their lives? Proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done (v.8b NLT) and tell everyone about his wonderful deeds (v.9b NLT).

4) Worship. God is worthy of our thanks, praise and testimony. By rejoicing and glorifying in his name, we can’t help but be filled with his power.  Exult in his holy name; rejoice, you who worship the LORD(v.10 NLT).

5) Seek him. Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always (v.11). God has promised to never turn his back on those who diligently seek him. Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O LORD, do not abandon those who search for you (Psalm 9:10 NLT).

So what are you waiting for? Take the action needed today to renew your strength and recharge your power. God is waiting; his strength never runs out and he never tires of us coming to him for help.

Prayer: “Dear God, some days I’m depending on my own limited strength to get me through this life. Why I think I’m more powerful than you, I’ll never understand! Keep my mind focused on your goodness. Keep my eyes open to see all you’ve done for me. Help me to share your wonderful deeds with others who need your strength. May I never stop giving you the worship you deserve and seeking you every day. Amen.”

Encouragement: No one enjoys feeling weak, whether it is emotionally, spiritually or physically. There is something within the human spirit that wants to resist the thought of weakness. Many times this is nothing more than our human pride at work. Just as weakness carries a great potential for strength, pride carries an equally great potential for defeat.     Pastor Charles Stanley

Who Do You Think You Are?

Who Do You Rely On?

His Word: But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. You are my strength, I sing praise to you; you, God, are my fortress, my God on whom I can rely.   Psalm 59:16-17

Observation & Obedience: Throughout Psalm 59, King David pleads with God for deliverance from his enemies, safety from their swords and protection from those who seek to destroy him.

Deliver me from my enemies, O God; be my fortress against those who are attacking me. Deliver me from evildoers and save me from those who are after my blood (vs. 1-2).

See how they lie in wait for me! Fierce men conspire against me for no offense or sin of mine, LORD. I have done no wrong, yet they are ready to attack me.  They return at evening, snarling like dogs, and prowl about the city (vs. 3,4a, 6).

David knew who his enemies were but he also knew who would go before him and fight for him.  He knew that God was his fortress, refuge and strength. He knew he could rely on him at all times and in all situations. 

You are my strength, I watch for you; you, God, are my fortress, my God on whom I can rely. God will go before me (vs. 9-10a).

Did David’s confidence in God just come naturally to him? We see in His Word that David chose to praise God in the morning; even when he didn’t know what or whom he would encounter that day.  

How was he so sure of what he was saying? David and God enjoyed a close and personal relationship; one where David recognized and acknowledged God as his fortress, his refuge and his strength. 

What was the basis of David’s strong belief? David believed God would do all he asked and all God had promised because he had seen him do it before. His experience proved that God was a faithful and reliable God. 

How do you approach God at the beginning of your day? Is it with a list of your own wants or a list of God’s wonders? Is praise to him on your lips or problems you need fixed?  Choose to praise God regardless!

The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy (Psalm 65:8).

Is your relationship so close with God that you can say with confidence that he is your fortress, your refuge and your strength or are you trying to cover these roles yourself? Let go and let God do what he does best!

But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them that those who love your name may rejoice in you (Psalm 5:11).

Have you experienced God’s faithfulness? Is there anyone else who is more reliable than him? He longs to prove himself to you; you just need to be willing and watching. Open your eyes and heart to his love today.

Prayer: “I will shout with joy to you, my LORD! I will worship you with gladness. I choose to come before you, singing with joy. I acknowledge that you LORD are God! You made me, and I am yours. I will enter your gates with thanksgiving;  go into your courts with praise. I give thanks to you and praise your name. For my LORD is good!  Your unfailing love continues forever, your faithfulness continues to each generation! Amen” (Psalm 100).

Encouragement: Everyday we have a choice: we can let doubt beat us up or we can let God’s truth build us up.  Renee Swope

What Do You Boast About?

His Word: But he (God) said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I (Paul) will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.    2 Corinthians 12:9

Observation & Obedience: If anyone had a reason to boast, it would have been Paul. His resume was the envy of every Jewish man. He was educated at the finest scholarly institutions. No one dared discredit his experiences and his references were from among the best of the best!

Yet, in His Word, we see Paul boasting about his weaknesses; and with gladness no less. I’m sure this was a change from the old Paul. A self-sufficient and driven person doesn’t often admit to having weaknesses.

If we go back a few verses, we see what I believe God allowed in Paul’s life to keep him humble. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me (v.7).

We are never told what this “thorn” was. Some believe it could have been a physical limitation. It was an irritant and at times interfered with his ministry. Whatever the case, we do know it was with him until his death.  

Did Paul ever ask God to remove this “thorn”?  Yes, three times in fact. Did God hear his prayer? Yes, and answered by choosing not to remove it. But Paul received something greater than healing. He was given more grace from God, a stronger character, humility and an ability to empathize.

Paul knew his “thorn” was there to remind him of his limited power and God’s infinite strength. He grew to accept his weaknesses and view them as signs of God’s love and grace. He proved that in verse 10: That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.

For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Although God did not remove Paul’s physical affliction, he did promise to demonstrate his power in and through Paul. We must rely on God for our effectiveness rather than simply on our own energy, efforts or talents.

Our weaknesses not only helps develop our Christian character, keeps us humble and enables us to empathize with others, it deepens our worship. By admitting our weaknesses, we in turn, affirm God’s sovereignty. 

Has God given you a “thorn in the flesh” to keep you humble and close to him? How have you responded to it; with grief or gladness?

Have you spent a lot of time asking “Why?” “Why me?” “Why now?” “Why this?” “Why again?”  We may not always get a clear answer. Often God just wants us to trust and know that his grace is the only answer we need.

Without weaknesses, God knows our tendency would be to rely on our own strength. Instead, his power is made perfect in them. We will see that when we are at our weakest,  we are strongest! Choose to boast in your weaknesses and live a life dependent on God’s grace and power!  

Prayer: “Dear God, I know I don’t thank you for my weaknesses like I should. I tend to want them gone; out of my life and never to have to deal with them again. But that’s not always your plan and their purpose is to remind me of your power. If they were no longer around, I would soon forget what they taught me and return to my prideful and self-sufficient ways. Like Paul, they are an irritant and interference in my life, but they are there for a reason; to draw me closer to you and your grace. Amen.”

Encouragement:  Humility leads to strength and not to weakness. It is the highest form of self-respect to admit mistakes and to make amends for them.   John J. McCloy

When You Don't Know What To Pray

His Word: And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.  Romans 8:26 NLT

Observation & Obedience:  Our theme for the month of May is: Our weakness; God’s strength and power. So many times we try to do everything in our own strength first and then turn to God when we fail. 

Where does God’s strength come from? We’ve seen in Nehemiah 8:10b that it is God’s joy that gives us strength to face whatever comes our way. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the LORD is your strength!

In Psalm 73:26, it is God’s presence that makes us strong when we are physically, mentally and emotionally weak. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.

In 2 Timothy 1:7, we recognize that fear, weakness and timidity doesn’t’ come from God, but  from the Enemy.    For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

His Word for today gives us another example of our limited human capacity. This time it has to do with prayer. Have you ever struggled with what to pray for or how to pray? 

Some of the weakest times in my own life have left me speechless; not knowing how or what to pray for. In fact, this is what prompted us to create our Prayer Postcards.

But we don’t have to feel hopeless. We don’t need to think we have to have all the right words in order for God to hear us. Know that God has not left us to our own limited resources to cope with life and its problems.

The good news is that even when we don’t have any words, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us. His words are personal, powerful and perfect; better than any prayer we could ever put together and present to God. 

Isn’t it reassuring to know that we have the Holy Spirit praying for us? How does he know what to pray? And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will (8:27 NLT).

God knows the cares and concerns that are breaking your heart and are keeping you from being able to put words to your feelings. He knows your deepest needs. He knows what is keeping you up at night and anxious during the day. He knows it all, that’s how he understands the Spirit’s groanings.

We must remember two things:  1) The Holy Spirit only intercedes for believers; those who believe in and have accepted Christ as their Savior and have the Holy Spirit dwelling within them.

2) The Holy Spirit pleads for us in accordance and harmony with what God’s will is for us. He’s not going to ask God for something that goes against his plan and purpose. 

In our weakness, we can go to God in prayer knowing that the Holy Spirit is waiting for us to ask for his help.  He is always available to intercede for us. We don’t have to wait until we have all the right words. And because he prays from our heart, we can trust that God understands and will always answer according to his will; with what is best for us! 

So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most (Hebrews 4:16 NLT).

Prayer: “Dear God, thank you for the indwelling of your Holy Spirit. It’s so good to know that when I don’t have the energy or words to say, he will intercede for me with all that’s weighing me down. May I not think I have to have all the right words in order to pray or depend on my own wisdom and strength to be heard. Amen.” 

Encouragement: We must pray with our eyes on God, not on the difficulty.   Oswald Chambers

God's Joy Is Our Strength

His Word: This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.   Nehemiah 8:10b

Observation & Obedience: When Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem, there was no joy to be found. The walls still lay in ruin and the people were without a leader to help them rebuild their city and their own lives.

Nehemiah was the leader they needed. He was a man with a plan; God’s plan to restore his people to himself. It would not be easy. They would encounter intimidation and dangerous threats from their neighbors. 

Under the leadership of Nehemiah and with God’s protection, the Jews prevailed and the city of Jerusalem was reborn!  Despite the interruptions and doubts of those watching, the wall was rebuilt in just fifty-two days!

When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God (Nehemiah 6:16).

The time to celebrate had come. The wall was completed. The people were once again protected from their enemies and could rebuild their lives. But something important had to happen first before they would be successful.

When Nehemiah first arrived in Jerusalem he found more than broken walls; he found broken people. Now it was time to take care of them. He gathered the people together to listen to the prophet Ezra read God’s law. 

Nehemiah 8:3 tells us that Ezra read from the Law of Moses (the first five books of the Old Testament) from daybreak to noon. And because Ezra was standing, the people stood, out of respect and in anticipation.

The people were overwhelmed by what they heard. Their hearts were touched by God’s love and they turned to him for forgiveness. They were overcome with emotion and grateful for a new life. They were told: “This day is holy to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law (8:9).

The people of Jerusalem were exhausted. They had worked day and night to rebuild the wall. They had fought for their lives and their families’ safety. There were times when they wanted to just give up on the project. 

Now they found themselves standing for hours in the hot sun listening to God’s Word being read aloud.  Their emotional grief was taking its toll on them physically. Nehemiah recognized this and encouraged them.

Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength (8:10).

Nehemiah wanted them to know that what they had done, confessing of their sin and turning their lives back to God, thrilled God! And it was from his joy that they would gain strength to do whatever he asked of them. 

We can have that same strength as well. When we listen to God’s Word and it causes a change in our lives that brings us closer to God, he is filled with joy! He in turn, fills us with his strength. 

Do you feel weak today? Is your spirit grieving over a sin in your life? Do you find yourself lacking joy and strength? The answer is to do what the Israelites did: absorb God’s Word, allow it to convict and comfort you, admit your sin before God and then accept the strength of his joy!

Prayer: “Dear God, I don’t want to live my life in physical and emotional exhaustion. You were with the people as they rebuilt the wall and you are with me as I build my life; a life established on your Word. I can’t build this life on my own. So today I choose to gain my strength from the joy you give me when I confess, obey and worship you. Amen.”

Encouragement: Following Jesus makes your life better, and makes you better at life.   Andy Stanley