Honest Reflections

One-minute read.

All Things for Good

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,for those who are called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28

On Oct. 31, 2023, I had a seat booked on a flight to Egypt to spend ten days touring church projects, visiting the Pyramids, and riding on a camel. But in early October, war broke out in Israel, and the organizers canceled the trip because of safety concerns. Overwhelmed with disappointment, I trusted God and accepted, for whatever reason, He didn’t want me to go.

Five months later, after having a second blood clot removed, I learned stents placed in my abdomen after my first clot from a birth defect caused another one. Once I went off blood thinners in early October, weeks before my scheduled trip, another one formed. If I had gone on the journey to Egypt, I would have had a high likelihood of developing the clot while in a foreign country without the advanced medical aid we have in the United States. Cancelling the trip could have saved my life, and I didn’t even know it then. But God did.

All things work for the good of those who believe and trust in the Lord, even when we don’t understand. In time, God reveals truths to us we can’t see now. Hindsight gives us 20/20 vision.

Whatever disappointment or discouragement you face today, trust that God will bring good from it. You may not know how right away, but eventually, you will realize God had your back the entire time.

Application:

God works all things for the good of those who believe and trust.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for always having our backs, even when we don’t understand. As we move through life’s disappointments, give us faith to trust in Your sovereignty. Use our lives for Your purposes, bringing good from what we perceive as evil and helping us always trust in Your divine guidance.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Divine Deliverance

For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.

Psalm 91:3

God protects us from the schemes of evil people, their manipulations a trap. When people plot against us, the Lord knows their plans and doesn’t let them come to fruition. Evil intentions get thwarted when we trust God.

During college, I worked as a night clerk at a local hotel. Upon becoming friends with another associate, I didn’t realize she had evil intentions. Unbeknownst to me, she stole from the cash drawer and tried to blame it on me. Our manager, a wise woman, never said a word but instead started scheduling us on different shifts. Within days, they caught the thief because money started to go missing on her shift, but not mine. God saved me from the fowler’s snare I didn’t know existed.

A comic strip I saw years ago showed a little boy sleeping soundly in his bed while a robber peered in the window. Behind the villain, a cop stood, ready to capture him. The image comes to mind when I think of God protecting me from the unknown. The Lord protects us from things we didn’t even know existed.

God gives us divine deliverance before we even know we need it. Take a moment to thank the Lord for protecting you in ways you never even imagined.

Application:

God delivers us from all kinds of evil.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for protecting us from the fowler’s trap, and for problems we didn’t even know existed. Remind us of Your protection when our faith wavers, and help us stay steadfast in our missions as we trust You to protect us from the enemy’s attacks. Let our firm foundation in You stand strong against the evils of this world.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Fights for Us

The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.

Exodus 14:14

Moses, leading the Israelites out of Egypt, stands before the Red Sea with the Egyptian army bearing down on them. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, in what looked like a dead end, Moses calms the people with these words:

“Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”

Exodus 14:13-14

Then, God commands Moses to lift his staff, stretch his hand over the sea, and divide it. Miraculously, the waves parted, the Israelites safely crossed, and the army got swallowed up in the closing sea. Nothing the people did brought them victory; the Lord did all the work. And He promises to do the same for us, turning dead ends into miraculous victories. 

Without a problem, we can’t experience a miracle. Jesus promised we would have trials in this life, but to take heart, He overcame the world. Nothing we do gives us salvation; Christ did the work for us on the cross. Trust that God will fight for you. He has already defeated death for us, and whatever mountain we face now doesn’t stand a chance against the Lord.

Remind your problems of the God you worship. No giant can stand against the Lord. When we trust God, He parts seas, moves mountains, and slays the beast.

Application:

God fights for us.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for fighting for us. Help us remember our victory in You when we face our battles. No matter how hopeless the situation may seem, we have hope in You.  Let us stand firm in the face of adversity, knowing You will provide the victory. In You, we can trust. 

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Steadfast Faith

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,  for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.

James 1:2-3

“You’ve been through so much this past year; I didn’t read your entire file.” Words you don’t want to hear at the doctor’s office when having an ultrasound done on your abdomen to check the stents keeping your artery from crushing your vein and causing another blood clot. I met the ultrasound tech last year from the same area of Pennsylvania; we instantly connected, not knowing we would have a reunion so soon.

As I lay on the hospital bed, quietly letting her scan my body, her words contemplated in my head. “Yeah, I have been through a lot this past year,”  I hadn’t thought about it until she said those words. I had much to complain about from a worldly standpoint, but from a spiritual perspective, I had many more things to rejoice over.

Experiencing trials of various kinds drew me closer to God. My conversations with the Lord, the grace I discovered when I sought Him, and the strength He gave me to persevere make me thankful for my issues. If I hadn’t had the challenges, I wouldn’t have spent nearly as much time with God, time I treasure and crave. From my newfound intimacy with my Maker, I have found joy and steadfast faith that carried me through the valleys.

In the trials you face, turn to God for help. Cry out to Him, meditate on His promises, and discover a joy that only comes from the Lord. In Him, you can have steadfast faith to endure any challenge.

Application:

Steadfast faith comes from persevering during trials.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for carrying us through our earthly trials. Strengthen and guide us through the storms of life, helping us find joy in You.  Let our faith grow as we persevere, passing the tests because we cling to You. We give You the glory in all things, knowing You give us victory over our challenges. 

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Righteous Life

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds, you have been healed.

1 Peter 2:24

Jesus died on the cross to give those who believe in Him new life. Living righteously happens when we follow Christ, doing what He taught us: love God and others. During His three years in ministry, Jesus exemplified right living. Always with the perfect response, God’s Son brought love into the world, giving it to us and expecting us to share it with others. We discover the righteous life as we learn to love one interaction at a time.

Accepting the punishment for our sins, with each lash of the whip, Jesus bore our sins on His body. Dying to sin, we can live righteously because of the pain Christ endured on the cross. Every right decision we make, denying the flesh and living for Jesus, honors His sacrifice. As we become new people, living counter-culturally means we put the needs of others before our own. Instead of life centering around our selfish desires, we seek God’s will in all things and live for Him.

When Jesus declared, “It is finished,” on the cross, His words echoed through eternity. Death defeated, the grave overcome, sin no longer has a hold on us when we decide to follow Christ. Receiving the Holy Spirit gives us the strength to resist temptation, acknowledge our sinful ways, and choose a different path that leads to eternal life with God. By His wounds, we have been healed.

Application:

Jesus gives us a righteous life.

Prayer:

Jesus, thank You for bearing our sins on Your body. Thank You for suffering in our place and giving us victory over death and sin with Your actions. As we live out our righteousness in You, help us do so well. Acknowledging You in all things, let us wisely choose how we spend our time, honoring You with all we do.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Holy Work

Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.

Proverbs 16:3

Commit means “roll” in today’s verse. God wants us to roll our burdens onto Him, depending on His assistance to accomplish our tasks. Our work becomes holy when we commit our jobs to the Lord and let Him help us. Not everything we put on our calendar pleases the Lord, but when we roll our burdens onto Him, God weeds out the things we shouldn’t do and prioritizes divine tasks.

For years, I have written Proverbs 16:3 in my journal at the beginning of the week, usually on Sunday mornings, and then I pray over everything I have on my calendar for the next seven days. Lunch meetings, tennis classes, writing agendas, exercise classes, prayer meetings, trips, whatever I have scheduled gets prayed over and rolled onto the Lord. As the week unfolds, some things drop off my calendar, and others get added. Having prayed over my agenda, I know the Lord leads the way, and I trust when unexpected changes take me places I didn’t have on my calendar.

Roll your burdens onto the Lord. Talk about your calendar with Him.  Ask God to help you prioritize your time and talents; He will help you make the most of your days. Trusting God with your work will help you accomplish the divine tasks He has for you. Living for Christ will give you a pep in your step and an attitude of gratitude for the work He gives you to do.

Application:

God establishes our plans.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for establishing our plans and helping us make the most of our time. As we roll our burdens onto You, help us complete our tasks, trusting Your guidance. Let our work become holy as we commit it to You, letting You turn the mundane into the divine. 

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Good Plans

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Jeremiah 29:11

Jeremiah, speaking to the exiles, encourages them with today’s promise. Despite their circumstances, the Lord has good plans for the Israelites that give them hope and a future. Paul, in his letter to the Philippians, reiterates the promise for those who place their faith in Jesus:

“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” Phil. 1:6

Bad things happen to good people, and good things happen to bad people. Why, we don’t know. But we can trust God’s promise of hope and a future. Often, what we judge as bad turns out good. When I lost my job, it devastated me, but if that event hadn’t happened, I wouldn’t have started on my current journey, living my God-given dream of becoming a writer. The Lord had to get me into a position that forced me to do something different; my loss preceded my gain.

Each day, eternity unfolds. Following Jesus, we mustn’t judge the circumstances around us too quickly because He hasn’t finished the story. No matter what we experience in this world, our heavenly home awaits us, far better than anything we can imagine. God promises a future filled with hope, and He will deliver.

Application:

God has good plans for you.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for giving us hope for the future. As we face today’s challenges, let us take heart in Your promise, knowing that You have good plans for us and our welfare, not evil. Help us persevere in the hope of things yet to come, knowing that in all things, You work them to the good of those who trust and believe.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Strength for the Journey

But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:31

With a majestic view from above, those who wait on the Lord will receive the strength of eagles, mounting up on wings and soaring effortlessly through the sky, able to continue the journey without becoming weary. God supports our efforts and gives us the energy to complete our mission. The Lord can hold up the stars and provide strength for our tired bones. In Him, we have all we need.

My bones feel weary as I battle a head cold. Each morning, I wake, hoping the pressure in my head will decrease and my dry cough will disappear. Little by little, my body’s miraculous healing powers help the cough subside. God’s presence at times like these comforts me. I can hear my heavenly Father saying, “Rest.” 

Finding strength in the Lord helps me move forward despite my situation. Knowing my strength comes from my Maker, I trust His diagnosis. Resting my weary bones, I trust the Lord to provide all I need for the journey ahead as I wait for my health to improve.

God provides the strength we need to fight whatever battle we face. Waiting on the Lord’s direction gives us the power to soar through the skies like a mighty eagle, effortlessly continuing our journey. Sometimes, we must rest before we take flight. Other times, we’ll mount up with wings and soar. Either way, the Lord guides us on our journey.

Application:

God provides our strength.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for strengthening our journey, letting us mount up like eagles, and gain a majestic view of the path ahead. Help us trust in Your provision, lay our weariness at Your feet, and accept divine assistance on our journey. In You, we have all we need.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Sufficient Grace

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

God’s divine reply to Paul’s thorn in his side surprised the apostle. Instead of removing the thorn, the Lord told Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you.”  Accepting God’s answer, Paul boasted of his weakness because he gained the Lord’s strength through it. Would Paul depend on God as vehemently if he didn’t have the thorn? Probably not.

As a person who had two blood clots, I consider it a thorn in my side. On blood thinners for the rest of my life, I must constantly monitor what I eat and do so it doesn’t interact with my medication. As a result of my thorn, my relationship with Christ has deepened. I talk to God more, seek His direction in ways I never have, and rely on His grace to strengthen my weakness. I now understand what Paul meant when he said he would boast in his weakness more than I ever have.

We all have things in our life we wish we didn’t have. Thorns that cause weakness make us rely on God’s strength. Drawing closer to the Lord, we will experience sufficient grace for our trials. As Paul did, we can become content in our sufferings, knowing they glorify God. Boasting in our weaknesses illuminates the power of Jesus in our lives, our weaknesses made perfect in the Lord’s grace.

Application:

God gives us sufficient grace for our weaknesses.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for Your sufficient grace. As we accept the thorns in our flesh, help us relish in Your strength. Let us accept our weaknesses as an opportunity to glorify Your strength in us. Help us find contentment in the storm as we trust You, knowing You will give us the grace we need to survive

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Rest for the Weary

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Matthew 11:28-29

After teaching four hours of tennis lessons, my entire body hurts. Coming home, taking off my tennis shoes, and putting my feet up brings relief. My weary bones welcome the soft cushions of the recliner as I rest. God wants us to live in His rest, not carrying our burdens alone. Putting on His yoke, we can relax and let our souls rest in the Lord.

To put on God’s yoke, we must develop a daily discipline of seeking Him. We can’t find His rest if we don’t spend time with Jesus. Establishing a routine helps us wear the Lord’s yoke. Each morning, spending time in the scriptures, allowing God to search our hearts, and laying our burdens at His feet will enable us to put on His yoke, receiving rest for our weary souls.

Like putting up our feet after a hard day’s work, we can let go of the day’s stresses, trusting God will take care of them. Tired souls need the Lord’s rest to persevere on the journey. Renewing our strength by trusting in God’s promises will spur us onward to victory. But our weary souls won’t find rest if we don’t seek the Lord, choosing to put on His yoke.

Make the choice today to put on God’s yoke, trust His promises, and find rest for your weary soul.

Application:

God will give you rest if you put on His yoke.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for giving us rest for our weary souls. Help us put on Your yoke as we seek You, laying our burdens at Your feet. Renew our spirits, give rest to our souls, and help us move forward on the journey, refreshed and energized. Let us learn the lessons You have for us and apply them to our lives, continuing to grow into a new creation. IJNIP. Amen