Weekly Devotions

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits; Who pardons all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases; Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;Bless the Lord, all you His hosts, You who serve Him, doing His will.” Psalm 103:2-4, 21

The plate hit the floor and broke into too many pieces for it to be repaired. The design on it was so pretty that I could not bring myself to throw it away. So I took the pieces and glued them to a picture frame and now I have a pretty and unique frame to use.

I had a Balleek china dish that belonged to my grandmother. One day I dropped it and it split completely in half. I am named after my grandmother so this piece is special to me because it belonged to her. The town that I lived in at the time had a well-known glass shop. I took it to them and they were able to repair it for me. You can barely see where the pieces were put back together and now I am able to use it on a table in my living room.

I have another vase that I really like and someone dropped it and broke off part of the bottom in such a way that it could not be repaired. However, rather than throwing the vase away, I found that once I fill it with flowers and turn it just right on the table, you cannot see the broken bottom.

Although each of these pieces are not new and whole and perfect, I am still able to use and enjoy them.

We are a lot like those pieces. Genesis 1: 26 says “Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness. We are made in God’s image and as such, are men and women of beauty and purpose. Yet, because of sin we are broken. We are broken in our relationship with God and with one another.

But God has a plan for our brokenness. His plan is Jesus. Through His life, death and resurrection, Jesus repaired our relationship with God. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, God takes us in our brokenness – our character flaws, our bent to sinning, our not doing what we know that we should do, our wanting to do things our way – and uses us for His purposes and His glory.

Just as the pieces I have are not perfect yet are usable, so we are not perfect yet God uses us. He uses each of us uniquely. He is not going to use me like He uses you and vice versa. What He is going to do is use all of us to accomplish His will and His work on earth.

I don’t know about you but sometimes my brokenness is really on display. I can be bossy, pushy, grouchy and selfish. It is not pretty! But, Jesus loves me so much that He takes the time to repair me – to change me and make me more like Him – and then He uses me. Know that He does the same for you. To God be the glory!!

“He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following Him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean” Revelation 19:13,14.

Recently, a well-respected Bible teacher here in Nashville suggested reading the first 3 chapters of Genesis paired with the last 3 chapters of Revelation. These chapters bookend God’s pursuit of mankind after the fall and His redemption and restoration in the end.

Interestingly enough, it is Revelation Chapter 19 that hits close to home.
My sweet husband, Dean, graduated from West Point. Upon completion of flight school and Ranger school, he (or should I say “we” J) served 7 years in the US Army.

The instant community, the steadfast commitment to uphold “Duty, Honor, Country” coupled with a willingness to sacrifice…all very good things that come with the territory. The thing that never “comes with the territory” is a white uniform on the battlefield.

Fatigues, in a variety of patterns and colors, are worn by the various branches of military service. Fatigues are considered to be the combat or field uniform. When a soldier dons a white uniform…there is cause to celebrate…this has never been more true than in the case of Revelation 19:13,14. The saints wear white linen and enjoy the MOST splendid victory lap as they follow their Redeemer into a battle that He has already won on their behalf.

Talk about a reason to rejoice! Take heart sweet friends, the victory lap is coming!

“Who has a claim against me that I must pay? Everything under heaven belongs to me.” (Job 41:11, NIV)

The phone rang this morning; when I answered, my niece spoke sweetly from the other end, “Did I wake you up, Aunt Sherry?” Actually, she had not, although I confessed to still being in bed petting one of my (as she calls them) “fur babies.” We talked about her upcoming visit this weekend and how we were looking forward to our time together. You see, my sister, her mother, Dianne, passed away only a few weeks ago unexpectedly from the Coronavirus that is plaguing our world currently and this will be our first time together since her death.

We discussed the trials our family has endured with other members who have also been very sick, thanking God for their recent healing. My niece, whose name is also Dianne shared her struggle of letting God know that another loss of life so soon would be too hard to accept. I think she was surprised when I told her that I had had the exact same conversation with God. Because I am older and a little more “seasoned” in my Christian faith-walk, perhaps, than the younger generation, the perception is often that I am somehow less prone to the human weakness of doubt that accompanies waiting on God. One of my favorite books is by C. S. Lewis, The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. When the young character, Lucy, meets the Lion, Aslan, the representation of Jesus, she asks, “Is He safe?” The person to whom she asks the question responds, “No. He is not safe, but He is good!”

We live in a world with a broken environment filled with broken occupants; these two things are not exclusively independent of one another, which is why believing one can fix the other is foolishness. As many of you know, my husband Richard died almost seven years ago from a form of Alzheimer’s disease at the age of only sixty-seven-years-old. During his years of illness, I prayed for healing that obviously did not come in the way I had hoped. However, there is no question that God walked this very difficult road with us in profound ways. In the Scripture above, when Job had lost everything in his world, unarguably he felt physical, emotional, and spiritual pain. We might expect for God to answer Job’s self-pity with expressions of sympathy, but He did not. Instead, God questions Job by asking him rhetorically, who are you to question Me when everything, including you belongs to Me? (Job 41:11, paraphrased and emphasized by me).

Friend, just because we ask God for what we want in prayer does not make Him bound to our wants and expectations. He loves when we bring our concerns and “wants” to Him, but He adores even more when we trust Him beyond what our eyes are able to see and our hearts are able to fully comprehend. Is God safe? No, He is not safe, but He is always, always good!

“Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.” (2 Corinthians 7:10, NIV)

This past week I was looking through the Bible and the verse in 2 Corinthians caught my eye. What is “Godly sorrow,” I thought to myself, versus “worldly sorrow?” One thing I have learned over the years of studying the Scriptures is never take Bible passages out of context simply to make it fit a desired point. So, I read all of chapter seven to understand why the apostle Paul separated the two sorrows into different categories.

Most of the New Testament in the Bible contains letters written to the Christian churches in the known world after the death, resurrection, and ascension into heaven of Jesus Christ. The Christian communities were newly founded on the teachings of Jesus and some of those in leadership roles were at times misrepresenting Jesus. They had only the Torah, the Jewish scrolls in a written text and were being guided and taught often from afar by the apostles. Hence, the letters were written, such as Second Corinthians. In both the first and second letters to the church in Corinth, Paul teaches and admonishes the believers on how to live as representatives of Jesus. Paul also reminds the church that as followers of Jesus Christ they will endure hardship, just as he has endured. Understanding and experiencing the “growing pains” associated with being a Christ follower caused sorrow. But Paul explains that “godly sorrow brings repentance [change in behavior and attitude] that leads to salvation and leaves no regret…” On the other hand, “worldly sorrow brings death.”

Every person has room in our lives for improvement. Change is often hard! Sorrow can be a motivator and when it springs up out of a desire to bring glory to God, the outcome leads to goodness and growth. “Worldly sorrow” brings condemnation that results in death of hope and loss of joy. As Christians, when we are willing to learn, our journey on the road to salvation will “leave[s] no regret.”

“I have loved you with an everlasting love.” Jeremiah 31:3

I was at my desk early one morning looking out the window and watching the snow fall and the birds eating at the feeders. My mind was instantly filled with so many past snow memories – from making snow angels and snowmen, to sledding in the park and in our neighborhood, to putting out seeds for the birds, to sleeping in my pajamas turned inside out so school would hopefully be cancelled to making snow ice cream to taking long walks in the neighborhood with my best friend, Kim. As soon as it would start snowing, we would call each other and get dressed to walk in the snow. With the snow falling, everything looked beautiful and peaceful and there was always a sense of stillness and quietness. We would start off laughing and talking a lot, but it wasn’t long before we would grow quiet and simply enjoy the crunching sound of our boots in the snow.

As a teenager, I marveled at the beauty God created when everything was covered with a blanket of snow. It’s amazing how a few snowflakes changed my perception of the world around me. The crisp air and snow heightened my senses and I always felt I was witnessing a transformation taking place. Those times lifted my spirits and filled me with an extra measure of joy, hope and excitement. I love how God uses even snowflakes to remind us of Himself.

All these years later, I still have that same joy and hope. Now I know the true source of that joy – my relationship with Christ. Even back then, the Holy Spirit was working in my heart to draw me to a personal relationship with Christ.

Now when I see snowflakes falling, I immediately think of God’s word. He tells us in Matthew 6:26-27, “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” God used the birds feeding in the snow to remind me how very much He cares for me and to not live in a state of worry.

He tells us in Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God.” That’s exactly how I feel walking in the quietness of snow. I know God is with me, around me and walking with me every step of my life. I often need to slow down, take time to be quiet, focus and remember that He is God and He is in control – not me!

Just as snow seems to transform the world we see, God’s word and His love transforms me. We read in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” I love how God is continually transforming me through daily reading and studying of His word.

As God blankets the earth with the beauty of snow, He also blankets us with His love. We know this love from John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” This love is everlasting and is freely available to every single person who asks.

I’ve read that no two snowflakes are alike. Only God could create so many different ones. He tells us in Psalm 139:13-14, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” It is a blessing to know He created each of us uniquely and for His purposes and pleasure. He knows us personally and His love for us is eternal.

I hope as you experience snow this season or maybe just a few flurries, you will take time to slow down, be quiet and watch the snowflakes fall and remember God’s great and everlasting love for you!

“Peace be with you.” John 20:19

Today we remember the man who refused to give in to the hate and injustice of his day. Martin Luther King, Jr, insisted that loving the enemy while walking in peace, was the way to go in a day when dogs and dogma attacked truth.

Today we live in a bewildered, broken, divided nation. Words and actions to and about family, neighbors, and people we don’t know have left us all feeling pain. Our grief in the loss of life, uncertainty, and the unknown is staggering.

Was the world any different for the followers of Christ after his crucifixion? The Romans had secured the torturous death of Jesus and wielded a firm hand over their empire. The Jewish religious leaders spoke their own version of truth and burdened their people with it. Those closest to the Messiah were bewildered, defeated, doubtful, and afraid in a locked room.

Then Jesus is suddenly standing in their midst and says:

“Peace be with you.”

He showed them his wounds. And the room was filled with marvel, joy, and wonder.

Jesus says again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.”

Then he breathed on them and said,

“Receive the Holy Spirit.   If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” (John 20:19-23)

These words reverberate through the ages because Jesus still speaks to his followers. The chaos of the world still needs hope, rescue, tender mercy and grace.

Wherever you are in this moment, however you are feeling, whatever your specific circumstance:

“Peace be with you.”

Image Jesus’ breathing on you and saying:

“Just as my Father sent me, just as I sent my disciples, I’m sending you. Receive my Holy Spirit. Forgive those who have hurt you. Forgive those who have brought pain to your life, your home, your treasures.”

Today is a day to remember we are the ones who can move towards family and friends, into the neighbor with kindness, generosity, hope, forgiveness. Our neighbors, friends, and families need this sweetness. Our nation needs the sweet salt and light of Jesus.

Listen and welcome the words of the Prince of Peace.

“Peace be with you.”