Devotions
Just Pray – Matthew 6:8, Romans 8:26
In hard times, have you ever struggled with knowing just how to pray? I certainly have. I thought I needed the ‘right’ words for God to hear me. A prayer with eloquent sounding phrases and perfectly articulated expressions would better warrant His answering or at least solicit His comfort and reassurance when I was hurting. When I tried, though, I couldn’t make my prayers sound eloquent. In fact, they were deformed and downright ugly. Sometimes, [...]
For the Nobodys – Psalm 139:14
“I’m Nobody! Who are you? / Are you – Nobody – too?” When I was a sophomore in college, I recited these lines of poetry with gusto to an auditorium full of middle school students. I didn’t comprehend fully then what Emily Dickinson meant about that inner battle we all face between feeling like a ‘nobody’ while secretly wishing to be a ‘somebody.’ All I knew was memorizing and reciting her poem was my final [...]
Lucky Penny – Psalm 90:4
I sat behind the steering wheel, just listening to my children in the back seat deep in conversation. Their discussion revolved around a “lucky” penny they’d found. It’d been haphazardly discarded next to the cart return area in the grocery store parking lot. My resourceful son, of course, picked it up. One man’s trash, a little boy’s treasure, I suppose. “Sister, look at this penny.” I heard him say intently. “It’s soooo old!” “How old, [...]
Give and Take – John 19:28
When you step foot into Mother Theresa’s chapel of the Missionaries of Charity, you’ll find no pews to sit in. No chairs or kneelers. The walls don’t have stained-glass windows. The ceilings don’t have fancy florescent lighting either. You probably won’t even see a pulpit. What will catch your eye is a simple crucifix with two words next to it in bold black letters stating— “I THIRST.” For Mother Theresa, you see, these words were [...]
A Little Soul-Care – Isaiah 26:3
The day was cold and dreary, so I decided to distract myself by driving down to the local mall for an hour to do a little window shopping. As I walked along the brightly-lit halls, every store seemed adorned with the same message. Buy ‘this,’ and you’ll take care of yourself best. Wear ‘that,’ and you’ll get the pampering you deserve. Self-care was everywhere. Self-help on full display. I’ve learned over the years, however, that [...]
Hidden for a Purpose – Exodus 33:11
In the book of Exodus, Joshua must have felt this way at times. In this season of his life, he was simply Moses’ assistant. Moses led the people of Israel through the deserts of Sinai. Moses sought God on their behalf, and Moses was credited with supplying (through God’s miraculous provision) fresh water, food, and direction for all the people. Yet Joshua was there with him too. Joshua climbed the mountain with Moses to receive [...]
