Honest Reflections

Two-minute read.

As a burgeoning gardener, I’ve learned much about seasons. In our first garden, we planted too late in the season. This year, I planted it a little early. Thankfully, I still harvested, but I had to cover the plants more than once to keep them from freezing. When God’s word speaks of season, I have a deeper understanding of planting and harvesting than ever before.

Not every season feels beautiful.

Some seasons carry pain and confusion, like when I planted zucchini and squash. At first, they flourished, then I noticed the leaves dying and wilting. Upon closer inspection, I saw the squash bugs that had taken over the plants, feeding on the vines and killing them. My confusion disappeared when I discovered the culprit, and I grieved the loss of my crops.

From planting the seed to harvesting the vegetables, I must wait and pray. Whether the plants take weeks or months to mature, I can’t rush the process. Instead, I make sure they have enough water and keep the weeds at bay, praying over the plants as they grow and hoping for a bountiful harvest.

No matter the season, the Lord remains sovereign over them all.

God has made everything beautiful for its own time.

Solomon reminds us that the Lord sees the whole picture when we can see only a small piece. We will have seasons of suffering and pain, but God continues to work even when we don’t understand, and He uses everything for good for those who believe and trust in Him. When we want God to make something beautiful right now, He says, “Trust me with the timing.”

Because the Lord has planted eternity in our hearts, we crave something more than the temporary world we live in today. We long for things to make sense, for lasting relationships and significance. The longing for something eternal points us to the Creator.

God made us for more than getting through daily routines. He created us with an awareness of something bigger than we can see. We can’t see the scope of the Lord’s work; we only see today, but God sees the beginning, middle, and end. He knows the seasons and the outcomes. When we trust in the Savior, He leads us through the seasons and helps us discover eternity with Him.

Journal Questions:

• What season of life am I currently in, and what might God be teaching me through it?
• What is something I don’t understand or can’t see clearly right now that I need to trust God with?
• Where do I need to remind myself that God sees the whole picture, even when I can only see today?

Application:

Release your demand to understand everything and trust God with the parts of your story that remain unfinished.

Two-minute read.

Waiting seems passive, but it’s not. Active trust looks to God with an attitude of trust, patiently depending on Him to answer. Placing our confidence in the Savior leans into His promise of strength and renewal, something we can’t produce on our own.

Like most people, I struggle with waiting. The Lord’s timing does not align with mine most of the time. I want things yesterday. God doesn’t see things the way I do. My heavenly Father sits on the throne, not me. Whenever I question the waiting, I’m reminded of His sovereignty. Thinking of other periods of waiting, I remember how God delivered the victory at exactly the right time and in the right way.

Everyone’s waiting.

If you asked the people around you, “Are you waiting for anything?” They would say yes. People wait for the perfect job, the perfect spouse, and the perfect paycheck. In their minds, they create a narrative of what those things look like. The more detailed they get in their story, the harder the waiting seems. And when God doesn’t do what they thought, look out, trouble brews.

But if we wait with active trust, we won’t create narratives that fall short of reality. Instead, we’ll keep a continuous conversation with God going, asking Him for His will, not ours. When questions arise, we can ask Him, and He will answer. But in His time, not ours. And one day, when the Lord calls us home, we’ll have the answers He didn’t give us in this life. But until then, we can trust.

Some days, you may feel like you’re soaring; other days, every step takes energy. Some days, you can barely manage to put one foot in front of the other. No matter the season, God’s faithfulness doesn’t change. Waiting for Him to move says, “Lord, I don’t have the strength for this on my own, but I trust You to give me what I need for today.”

With God, you can experience the miracle of walking without fainting and soar high with the eagles.

Journal Questions:

• What area of my life am I trying to handle in my own strength instead of waiting on and trusting God?
• Am I in a season of soaring, running, or simply walking? What might God be teaching me in this particular season?
• What would it look like for me to intentionally wait on the Lord this week and trust Him to provide the strength I need?

Application:

Turn your waiting into active trust through prayer.

Two-minute read.

When David wrote these words, he contrasted the temporary success of wicked people with God’s lasting faithfulness. We’ve all had that feeling of unfairness.

Doing your best at work but getting overlooked.

Watching a dishonest person prosper when you tell the truth.

Loving someone who doesn’t love you back.

Praying faithfully and someone else receives the answer you desperately wanted.

Doing the right thing and experiencing heartache.

Seeing someone who hurt you appears to have an easy, successful life.

The list can go on and on. David wrestled with the reality that people who do wrong sometimes seem to get ahead while people trying to do right struggle. I know I’ve wrestled with this myself.

David doesn’t pretend unfairness doesn’t exist. He acknowledges it.

But then the king reminds us that the story doesn’t end there. The wicked may appear to flourish in a season, but their success doesn’t last. God’s justice, goodness, and faithfulness ultimately prevail.

Therefore, David tells us what we should do: commit everything to the Lord, trust Him, and He will help you.

God doesn’t always explain why something happened. But we can trust the One who sees the whole picture when we can only see one page. Trusting the Lord with everything takes the burden off our shoulders. We no longer must think about fairness, because we know, at the end of the day, God will make all things right. And He uses everything for His good.

And so, every Sunday morning, I commit my plans for the upcoming week to the Lord. Opening my calendar and my Bible, I pray over every appointment and give it to God. Then, I let it all go and trust Him to work out the rest. When things get canceled, I know God has a reason. If something gets added, I know He has a purpose in it. And when everything changes, I let the Lord lead the way.

As I close my prayer time, I write these words: “My life is Yours, Lord; use me as You will,” completely surrendering my life, my calendar, and my desires to Him.

The wicked may flourish for a moment, but the Lord always wins.

Place life’s unfairness in the Lord’s hands. We don’t have to understand for God to work. We only have to trust.

Journal Questions:

• What situation in your life feels unfair right now, and what would it look like to truly place it in God’s hands?
• Are you trusting God with the outcome, or are you trying to control how and when things should work out?
• What is one thing you can do today to release your worries and commit your plans, relationships, or future to the Lord?

Application:

Lift your concerns to the Lord, and ask Him to use you as He will.

Two-minute read.

In his letter to the Romans, Paul asked them to surrender their bodies as a living sacrifice to the Lord. Paul appealed to them because of the mercies God had already done for them. This means giving God our actual, everyday lives, not just giving Him our thoughts for an hour on Sunday.

After all, if you only ate once a week, what would that do to your body?

Living for Christ means more than just going to church on Sunday and then putting Him back in the box. Following Jesus means choosing to pursue Him every day. Our bodies become a living sacrifice when we continually surrender to God.

In other words:

Your hands belong to God.

Your words belong to God.

Your time belongs to God.

Your choices belong to God.

Your ordinary Tuesday belongs to God.

All this equals faith expressed in how we actually live.

So this morning, when I cleaned out my attic and craft room, I did so to the Lord. Taking my time and systematically going through everything, one object at a time, I created piles for donation, trash, and keep. Then I organized everything into one of these three categories. Once finished, I loaded my car, drove to a local Christian organization, and made my donation so they could make money from what I no longer needed.

The Lord calls us not to become like the world, but to become like Christ. We shouldn’t just identify what we shouldn’t do; we should allow God to transform us into new creatures. When transformation happens, we become altogether changed.

And it all starts in the mind.

As we renew our minds in Christ, spending time with Him, in the Word, and with others, transformation occurs.

“Someone else can use this” became my prevailing thought this morning as I worked. Thinking about others and working as if for the Lord motivated me to finish the job when I wanted to quit. When I wanted to leave everything to sit for a day before donating it, a nudge from within said, “Do it today.”

And so I did.

And now, having finished the mundane job, I feel God’s pleasure at my obedience. My thoughts led my actions, and even in the most boring tasks, the Lord transformed me.

God’s mercies change what we give Him; His truth changes how we think. And a transformed mind produces a transformed life.

Journal Questions:

• What area of your everyday life do you need to surrender more fully to God as an act of worship?
• What thoughts, attitudes, or influences may be shaping you more than God’s Word, and how can you allow Him to renew your mind?
• What would a genuinely transformed life look like for you in this season, and what is one step you can take toward becoming more like Christ?

Application:

Commit an everyday task to the Lord and see how He uses it to transform you.

Two-minute read.

In high school, I worked at Montgomery Ward in their women’s department. One night, not long before my graduation, I had a meltdown. While inventorying scarves, my thoughts spiraled out of control, and I began crying. Worry about what would happen in the months ahead consumed me as I faced the brink of adulthood. My co-worker tried to assure me things would work out, but my anxiety won that battle.

And things did work out. But I didn’t know that then.

Just like the Israelites didn’t know what would happen to them when they lived in exile in Babylon. Far from home, living in circumstances they hadn’t chosen and couldn’t change, they must have wondered about their future. Had God forgotten them? Would they ever have their normal lives back? What did their future hold?

Everyone wonders about the future.

God understands our curiosity.

And He gives us a message: He has it under control.

Relaxing into the Savior’s plan for our lives should come easily, but it doesn’t. Knowing Christ’s miraculous death and resurrection, we have victory over whatever comes our way. But we still need reassurance that God has a plan for our lives, and we need to trust it.

The Israelites couldn’t see what their future would look like, and neither could I all those years ago. My anxiety and worry caused me to miss out on the moment. Life doesn’t let us skip difficult seasons; we must go through them. And in those valleys, the Lord teaches us valuable lessons that transform our lives. We learn to trust Him, even when we don’t understand.

Our inability to see the plan doesn’t mean God doesn’t have one.

Hindsight gives us 20/20 vision. Decades later, I can see the Lord’s hand in my life, guiding, directing, and protecting me along the way. I didn’t need to spend that evening in anxiety; I only needed to trust in God’s plan for my life and let it unfold.

The Lord sees the beginning, middle, and end.

We only see today.

But we can trust; God hasn’t forgotten us.

Hope lies ahead, as He continues to write our story.

Journal Questions:

• What area of my life feels uncertain right now, and how can I choose to trust God with what I cannot see?
• Have I been so focused on where I want to be that I’m missing what God may be doing in my life right now?
• What would it look like for me to hold onto hope and take one faithful step toward the future God has for me?

Application:

List ways God has provided for you in the past and let that strengthen your trust in Him for the future.

Two-minute read.

Ron and I hosted our first connection group for our church. In the days leading up to the first meeting, we tried to prepare well. Planning the menu, we chose something adult- and kid-friendly. The day before, we cleaned the entire house and made sure we had everything we needed. Once we texted the final details, we felt ready.

And things went well. All the preparations paid off. But the one thing we didn’t think about caused the problem. We have a black trash can that we use for dog food. The bottom has a foot that came off, leaving a small, exposed metal bar. When one of the kids started crying, it didn’t take long to find the culprit. Thankfully, the minor injury didn’t take long to overcome. But it never fails: what we worry about never comes to fruition, and the one thing we never think of does.

Jesus addressed worry. People worried about food and clothing, the things needed for tomorrow. First, the Savior reminds His audience about creation. God feeds the birds and clothes the flowers. If He cares for them, how much more will He care for His children? (Matthew 6:26-30).

Then Christ tells His followers what they should do to combat worry:

“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”

Matthew 6:33

When we seek God above all else and strive to live for Him, He will give us everything we need. The Lord holds tomorrow in His hands; we don’t have to live tomorrow today. Worrying about what might happen in the future takes us out of the present.

In the now, we find God.

Jesus doesn’t mean we should live carelessly and irresponsibly. We shouldn’t ignore legitimate preparation. Ron and I should prepare for our group. Planning comes from wisdom. But we shouldn’t let anxiety steal today’s peace because of our desire to control tomorrow. Spending emotional energy on what might happen makes us miss out on the now and the blessing of the moment.

God gives us grace for today.

We don’t need tomorrow’s grace now.

When tomorrow arrives, God will meet us there.

Journal Questions:

• What are you worrying about right now that you need to surrender to God and leave in His hands?
• How would your day look different if you focused on today instead of trying to figure out tomorrow?
• What is one practical step you can take today to trust God more fully with your future?

Application:

When your mind starts to wander to tomorrow, pray, “Jesus, help me stay present with You today.”

Two-minute read.

Since I started following Jesus, He has transformed my life.

The Lord has helped me work through my anger issues and process the losses I’ve experienced. God continually refines me. Over the past weekend, I suffered the consequences of a social media post I made in frustration: nothing horrid, but one I regret posting because it unintentionally offended a friend. As I pray through how to move forward, growth happens, and the Lord transforms my life a little bit more.

Living for Jesus means continual spiritual progress.

We never “arrive.”

God always has more to teach us.

Paul, the author of Philippians, accomplished an extraordinary amount for Christ, but he didn’t consider himself spiritually finished. And we shouldn’t either. Jesus’s followers never stop growing and learning; our lives are in constant sanctification as we continue to pursue the Savior.

Sanctification means becoming more like Christ. First, we experience justification, becoming right with God by repenting of our sins, and then transformation begins. Each morning, I have things to confess to the Lord. By surrendering my sin, God teaches me how to make amends, humble myself, and persevere as I try again. Sanctification never stops; the ongoing process of becoming more like Jesus only ends when God calls us to our heavenly home.

We must let go of our past, failures, and successes to keep moving forward. Failures keep us looking backward with regret. But our successes can cause us to believe we’ve done enough. In the Lord’s economy, we always have more to do. He gives us a purpose to fulfill, and we can only do that when we let go of the past and move forward with Him.

“Onward and upward!” Famed pastor Charles Spurgeon preached on May 25, 1873. His famous sermon focuses on these verses and reminds us, 150-plus years later, that the race doesn’t end. We must keep our eyes on Jesus and run towards the eternal goal.

Learn from your mistakes.

Enjoy your successes.

Then move onward.

Saved doesn’t mean finished. Our security in Christ’s gift doesn’t mean we stop growing. With the seed of repentance and acceptance of the Savior, transformation begins. Paul didn’t casually stroll towards the end goal; he stretched forward, longing for more. And we should as well.

Don’t live life looking in the rearview mirror. God’s plan unfolds each day. Each morning, we get to choose to follow Him again.

Journal Questions:

• What part of my past—whether a failure, disappointment, or even a past success—do I need to surrender to God so I can move forward?
• In what area of my life is God inviting me to grow and become more like Christ right now?
• What is one practical step I can take this week to “press on” toward Christ and continue growing in my faith?

Application:

Write down your biggest regret on paper. Then crumple it up and throw it away. Ask God to help you let it go.

Two-minute read.

Driving the winding mountain road to the top of Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park, my stomach fell. Sharp drop-offs afforded incredible views and fed into my fear of heights. By the time we reached the pinnacle, fear engulfed me, and I told my husband I would stay in the truck.

Which I did.

When Ron went to take in the view, I opened the Bible app on my phone and turned to Psalm 121:

“I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.”

Psalm 121:1-3

Over and over again, I read the Psalm, especially verse three, “He will not let your foot be moved.” Eight words that helped me overcome my fear. “God’s holding me up,” I thought. Praying, I asked Him to remove the fear and anxiety from me and give me the strength to gaze upon His creation.

He did.

When Ron got back in the truck, I surprised him with my determination to take in the miraculous view. Because we had our dog Ruby with us, he stayed in the truck with her. Then I went and gathered with the rest of the tourists at the highest peak on the East Coast of the United States and beheld the Lord’s glorious work.

God lives with us in the present.

We need not fear.

He goes where we go.

To the highest mountains and the lowest valleys, our Savior walks with us. He keeps our feet from stumbling and does not sleep, always watching over us. Grasping the Lord’s love for us will give us the confidence to overcome our fears and find victory in Him.

Instead of focusing on your fears, focus on your Savior. Ask Him to give you the strength to climb the mountain and enjoy the view. Surrendering our lives to the Lord could seem daunting. But letting go of our desires opens the door for God’s. And His ways far outweigh ours. In Him, we find life to the fullest.

Journal Questions:

• What fear or situation are you facing right now that God is asking you to place in His hands? What would it look like to trust Him with it?
• God promises, “I will strengthen you and help you.” When have you experienced His strength or help in a difficult season? How does remembering that experience encourage you today?
• What would change in your thoughts, choices, or attitude if you truly believed that God is with you and will never abandon you?

Application:

Ask God for the strength to take the next step. Then take it.

Two-minute read.

What do you do when you don’t know which way to go?

On a recent vacation in New England, we rode our bikes around Acadia National Park. Lined with carriage roads donated by John D. Rockefeller. Forty-five miles of motor-free trails create a biker’s heaven. Rustic guardrails created from granite blocks line the edges, called Rockefeller’s teeth. Decorative stone bridges command attention as you enjoy the scenery. And now and then, we came to a crossroads that required a decision.

Every time we didn’t know which way to go, we stopped and looked at the map. Once we got our bearings, we chose a direction and rode until we reached the next one. Eventually, we covered all 45 miles and made memories we’ll cherish.

God’s word gives us a roadmap for life.

When we don’t know which way to go in life, the Lord directs us. But first, we must stop and seek him. Like consulting a map at a crossroads, we only know which path to take by consulting God.

The Lord not only knows the path we should take but also straightens it for us.

During our rides around Acadia, we rode around a lake and a mountain. When we started our trek up the steep inclines, I thanked God for my electric bike and used every ounce of it to reach the summit. We rarely had straight, flat paths. But when we did, we appreciated them.

Riding on even ground requires less energy. We can go further because we preserve strength. With the Lord as our navigator, we will avoid mountains and valleys. The more we lean into the Savior and trust His ways instead of ours, the better we will find the best path to follow.

When you don’t know which way to go, stop and consult the manual. Open God’s word and spend time in it. Seek His guidance, and the Lord will provide it. Surrendering control to the Savior and acknowledging Him straightens our path and gives us solid direction.

Divine navigation leads to the best destinations.

Journal Questions:

• What situation in your life are you struggling to trust God with because you want to understand or control the outcome?
• What would it look like for you to seek God’s will before making decisions instead of relying solely on your own understanding?
• What is one “next step” you believe God may be asking you to take, even though you can’t see the whole path ahead?

Application:

Acknowledge God in your situation and let Him make your path straight.

Two-minute read.

 “Beth, can you hear me?!”

My mother’s frustration came through in her tone. When I had done something to agitate her, the way she said my name told me all I needed to know. With a slight soprano pitch, she would call to me, trying to find my latest hiding place to avoid her wrath. I always knew the sooner I faced the music, the less punishment I would receive. Eventually, with head bowed and eyes diverted, I would reveal myself to her, and we would work through the issue. One thing remained true: I always recognized my mother’s voice; whether angry, glad, or sad, I knew it belonged to her.

When Samuel served in the tabernacle under Eli, messages and visions from the Lord didn’t happen often. During a spiritually difficult time in Israel, people didn’t hear from God as they had in the past. So when Samuel heard his name called one night while sleeping, he assumed Eli needed him. Three times the young boy heard his name, and three times he went to Eli. Finally, the older prophet realized who called Samuel’s name: the Lord.

Eli instructed Samuel to answer God.

And the fourth time he did.

“Speak, for your servant hears.”

Samuel didn’t just hear God’s voice; he also learned to recognize it, as I learned to recognize my mother’s.

We must learn the same.

In the myriad of voices we hear daily, we can easily miss the Lord’s. Divine nudges go unnoticed because of worldly distractions. God took the initiative with Samuel and called out to him. The growing prophet and eventual leader of Israel didn’t seek a dramatic encounter with the Lord; he served him faithfully where his Creator placed him.

And God called out to him.

Sometimes we expect the Lord to speak only during extraordinary spiritual experiences, but Samuel’s encounter happened in the middle of ordinary faithfulness. God knows your name, and he knows your heart. Wherever the Lord places us, we must serve faithfully, as Samuel did. We may not understand why, but God does. By trusting Him, we can glorify Him in the mundane with our faithfulness.

You never know when God will call.

Samuel didn’t expect the Lord’s calling that night. And we might not expect ours when it comes. But God designed us for a purpose. He calls us to it and directs our steps to fulfill it. First, we must learn to recognize his voice. When we do, as Samuel did, God will work miracles through us as we trust and follow Him.

Journal Questions:

• What distractions or “noise” in your life make it difficult for you to slow down and listen to God?
• If you sincerely prayed, “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening,” what do you think God might be asking you to hear or pay attention to right now?
• Is there something God has already asked you to do that you’ve been hesitant to obey? What would it look like to respond with Samuel’s attitude of willingness?

Application:

Sit quietly and ask God what He wants you to do. Then wait for an answer.