Archieved Devotionals
May 2010
No Pain, No Gain
By Gail Chastang
Luke 12:11-12, And when you are brought to trial in the synagogues and before rulers and authorities, dont worry about how to defend yourself or what to say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what needs to be said.
In Luke 12:1-12, Jesus was speaking out against hypocrisy. He told the crowd that there would come a time when things they tried to hide or cover up would be revealed. He also told them that if they were to deny Him as the son of God, they could be forgiven. But He added that for them to blaspheme the Holy Spirit was unforgivable.
We learn from what Jesus said that life is about more than accumulating material goods to put on a good front. Many years of my life were wasted as I stayed mired in denial. I was dying inside. I became spiritually bankrupt. I kept telling myself that accumulating more stuff would make me a better person and make me look better in the eyes of others, or so I thought. I had lost sight of my relationship with God and what really matters in life, but I just didnt have the willingness to do whatever it would take to change. I was willing to sit in my pain rather than to make an effort to improve the quality of my life and my attitude.
In His teachings, Jesus said that living the good life has nothing to do with monetary wealth or material things. I know today that being fulfilled starts from the inside out, by reaching out to God, taking His hand, and never letting go.
Its having that one-on-one spiritual link to God 24/7. Its about sharing the good, the bad and the ugly with God each and every day that I draw breath. Its about being grateful and thanking God for everything in my life, even when I dont particularly feel grateful. When we go to God in prayer with our problems, He responds by opening our eyes to what we need to change. He also helps us to adjust our attitude toward the problem.
Growth and change are painful, but Ive always heard the saying, no pain, no gain. Yet sometimes I expect a quick fix even from God. I want Him to fight my battles and deal with whatever it is that Im either in denial over or dont want to do myself. I get lazy, ungrateful, and too into my own head and self. I want my own way, and my struggles, insecurities and fears to go away so I will quit hurting. But life doesnt work that way. Sometimes I have to walk through the darkness before I see the daylight.
I know that God is with me always and will be my constant companion through lifes dark moments. All I need to do is to start each morning by thanking Him for another day and a new opportunity for growth, ask Him to guide my actions throughout the day, and thank Him at the end of the day.
Psalm 23:1-6 (A psalm of David):
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
June 2010
Daddys Little Girl
by Lea Pickard
The first time that I saw you
You smiled and I smiled too,
I knew that you were special
And I could count on you.
You killed the spiders quickly,
Chased the monsters all away,
You held me close on rainy nights
And knew just what to say.
The teen years made me change so much
Somehow you stayed the same,
No matter what I said or did
Your love for me remained.
Days turned into weeks,
And weeks turned into years,
You were there to help me grow
Through laughter and through tears.
When it seemed that I was all grown up
Somehow, someway you knew,
My friends thought I was on my own,
Yet I still needed you.
I know that youre that special man,
My hero in this world,
Near or far, no matter what
Im still Daddys little girl.
July 2010
Life is a buddy system
I can do everything through him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:13 NIV)
Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.
(Matthew 22:37-39, NIV)
Some of us have a hard time admitting that we cant go it alone. Its difficult to admit to our innermost selves that we arent perfect. We dont know it all and cant do everything. Its easier to suffer in our misery than it is to ask another human being for help, or to admit our weaknesses. And those of us who havent forgiven ourselves for past regressions are afraid to even ask God for help. We feel so unworthy.
God is our father, brother and friend, and has known, loved and nurtured us since before we were born. He knew that some of us would have life paths that included many struggles and hoped we would learn from them. Hes always been with us, no matter which way our feet and our thinking have taken us. If we strayed and shut him out of our lives, he was still there patiently waiting for his beloved child, sister and friend to return to him.
God is my savior, my higher power, my strength. He lives in my heart and his love feeds my soul. He is my all and my everything, and without him I have nothing. Hes large and in charge!
He created us to have relationships with others, so we must go beyond casual acquaintances with others and let them in so they can know and love us. But before we can get to that level, we need to work on our relationships with God and with ourselves.
God wants us to love ourselves, even if we feel unlovable. We must learn to do that before we can transfer that love to others. He wants us to not only love others, but to help and learn from them. He comforts us and teaches us to comfort others. He wants us to share our time and talents with them and for them to do likewise with us.
We must trust in the Lord, put all our faith in him, and ask him to direct our walk and thoughts. If we remain God-focused instead of self-focused, we will then be able to turn that focus towards loving and sharing with others. Our eyes will be opened to the beautiful world around us and our brothers and sisters in it. We will take the hand of another and the love of God as we have come to know it will flow from our fingertips into theirs.