Faithfulness and a coffee table devotional 2/26/2010

Faithfulness and a Coffee Table
Lynn Cowell

"In that room were a gold incense altar and a wooden chest called the Ark of the Covenant, which was covered with gold on all sides. Inside the Ark were a gold jar containing manna, Aaron's staff that sprouted leaves, and the stone tablets of the covenant." Hebrews 9:4 (NLT)

Devotion:
To most, it is just a coffee table. A table that has seen better days, and is maybe slightly out of fashion. But to her it is an altar of sorts. The coffee table is the place where she found Him; the day she received a new life in Jesus.

My mom has looked for new tables. Ones that match her decor. Ones that turn into spiffy serving tables. Ones with glass for displaying things of beauty. But still the old table remains.

The table serves as a reminder. A reminder of the things that God has done. A reminder of His faithfulness. A reminder of what He can do and lives that He can change.

The Israelites had reminders too. Hebrews 9:4 tells us that in the temple, in the Most Holy Place there was a gold incense altar and a wooden chest called the Ark of the Covenant. Inside this ark was a gold jar containing manna, Aaron's staff that sprouted leaves, and the stone tablets of the covenant. All reminders. Reminders of things that God had done. Reminders of His faithfulness. Reminders of what He can do.

I am a person of change. I love new things. My husband and I were recently strolling the aisles of Home Depot and as we passed my favorite counter I announced, "I love paint." "You love paint?" he repeated. "Yes! I love the change that comes with new paint; new color." I don't care to buy expensive things like designer purses or diamond jewelry; things I feel I have to keep. Things I feel I have to use. I like things that I can change.

But this verse reminds me of the importance of "old things." The importance of the things in our past that remind us of God's faithfulness. My things: The dishes that remind me of my grandparent's marriage - one that was full of true unconditional love that lasted a life time. The marred chairs around my table that were for our "new" home when my now eighteen year-old son was crawling. The quilt in my bedroom, handmade to keep my mother warm in the wagon on those below freezing Minnesota mornings as a child. Piles of scrapbooks that document the life that Greg and I have built with our children. All of these testify that though life is hard, God is good.

I haven't told her yet, but I hope that one day Mom's coffee table will be a reminder in my home. You see, it is by that coffee table that I knelt with my mama as a young girl and began my new life with Jesus. Nothing on this earth would bring me joy more than to one day kneel by that table with another young girl and continue with the memories it holds

Dear Lord, I need to be reminded daily of Your faithfulness. Reminders such as these give me hope; hope that as You have been for all time, You will be faithful again today and tomorrow. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:
Do You Know Him?

Family Enrichment Toolkit

Dwelling: Living Fully from the Space You Call Home by Marybeth Lagerborg

Visit Lynn's blog for more encouragement today.

Application Steps:
What in your surroundings remind you of God's goodness and faithfulness in your life?

What change can you bring to your environment that would invoke positive thoughts about God? Are there things in your home that you need to give a more prominent place? Are there things in your home that you need to remove because they cause you to have negative thoughts?

Take some time to attach positive stories to the things in your home with your children. The stories are in your mind, but our children need to hear them so that they too can build a history with God.

Reflections:
What are some specific times in your life when you saw God's faithfulness first hand?

Are you a "new" thing girl or "old"? Do you make a habit of reminding yourself of His goodness?

Power Verses:
Joshua 4:7 "Tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever."" (NIV)
Exodus 34:6, "And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness," (NIV)
Psalm 36:5, "Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies." (NIV)


© 2010 by Lynn Cowell. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries
616-G, Matthews-Mint Hill Road
Matthews, NC 28105
http://proverbs31.gospelcom.net/index.php

Trusting In Princes Devotional 2/25/2010

Trusting In Princes
Marybeth Whalen

"It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes."
Psalm 118:9 (NIV)

Devotion:
I had looked forward to this moment for days. I sat across the table from my friend and poured out my heart about a big decision I had to make. As I looked into her eyes, I just knew she would have the wisdom I needed. I waited expectantly for her advice.

Instead of an answer to my problems I got a mini sermon. One I needed to hear. My friend pointed out that I was looking to the answer and not the Source of all answers. I thought if I just made the right choice, I would solve all my own problems. "You need to take your focus off making the right decision and trust God," she said. "No matter what you decide to do, He will still take care of you and He will accomplish His purpose for you." (from Psalm 138:8)

I nodded soberly. My friend was right. I had gotten caught up in the outcome. I was placing my trust in princes—looking to people and circumstances for the answers—instead of accepting the truth that, no matter what decision I made, God was going to take care of me. I had made the decision so uber-important that it had eclipsed God's place in my life.

I had prayed to make the right decision. I had journaled pages to Him about it. But ultimately, I reasoned, since He hadn't written the solution in the skies for me, I had to make my own choice based on what I felt was right. I had forgotten that He would still be there working all things together for my good after I made the decision, just as He had before.

If you are facing a big or little decision in your life, seek Him above all. Don't let the outcome or the opinions of others become more important that the One who "opens His hands and satisfies the desires of every living thing." (Psalm 145:16)

No matter whether you make the right decision or the wrong one, He will still be there walking with you, loving you, and helping you. Pray about your decision. Read His word. Seek out godly counsel. And then make the best decision you can. Sometimes the biggest decision is to simply make one. Place your trust in Him and rest in the fact that He will meet you on the other side of whatever decision you make.

Dear Lord, thank You that because of Your grace I know You will always be there. Thank You for the promise in Romans 8:28 that You will work all things out for good. I pray that my life brings You glory and I trust You to work in all circumstances to make that happen. Help me to place my trust in You and not in princes. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:
Do You Know Him?

The Reason We Speak General Editor Marybeth Whalen

Visit Marybeth Whalen's blog

For the Write Reason General Editor Marybeth Whalen

Application Steps:
Look up Psalm 57:2 and Psalm 100:3, and write them in your journal. Spend time reflecting on these verses and how they apply to your life today.

Reflections:
Are you trusting Him to work out His purposes for you today? Are you offering up whatever decisions you must make or steps you must take to Him and letting Him take care of the rest?

What "princes" in your life are throwing you off track?

Power Verses:
Psalm 146:3, "Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save." (NIV)

Psalm 60:11, "Give us aid against the enemy, for the help of man is worthless." (NIV)


© 2010 by Marybeth Whalen. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries
616-G, Matthews-Mint Hill Road
Matthews, NC 28105
http://proverbs31.gospelcom.net/index.php

Becoming Today Devotional 2/24/2010

Becoming Today
Amy Carroll

"Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom."
Psalm 90:12 (NIV)

Devotion:
As my plane landed, I wondered if she'd be there. The retreat weekend simply wouldn't be the same without her. I would miss her encouraging looks as I spoke and the women of her church would certainly have hearts that ached with her absence. All year I had thought about the words that she had spoken the previous fall, and I needed to ask her more probing questions.

She had a secret that I longed to know. There were many women from the group who I wanted to ask about, but as the event coordinator and I waited at the luggage carousel, I started with my most important question, "Will Ruth Clark be coming?" My heart rejoiced as I heard the reply that was given with a smile, "Ruth has had a lot of health problems this year, but she'll be there!"

Entering the room at the retreat center, my eyes searched for Ruth among the small clusters of chatting women. I found her dear, smiling face quickly and headed to greet her. She opened her arms wide, hugged me and said, "I've been praying for you all year." After asking me to wait for a minute, Ruth opened her purse, took out a well-worn pink book full of small cards and began to leaf through it. Finally, she found the card for which she had been searching, and pulled it out. On it was a black-and-white photocopy of a picture of me with my name written underneath. She explained, "Each day I use this book to remember who to pray for. I put you in my book after the retreat last year, and I've prayed for you every day."

I looked at her face, creased with crows' feet and laugh lines, the product of many wide smiles and tender glances. I took in her white hair, the walker beside her and her comfortable shoes and had a single thought—"Beautiful!"

Ruth is the woman that I want to be when age has settled onto my features and slowed my steps. Her beauty is an internal light that has grown brighter with time and experience rather than being extinguished. Knowing Ruth has changed my life and set me on a journey. When we first met, I immediately knew she had something I wanted.

After listening to this delightful woman talk for a while, I asked her, "What is your secret? How have you continued to grow in the Lord, stay positive and exude joy?" She answered quickly and confidently, "Be today who you want to be tomorrow."

Profound!

So, how can you and I apply Ruth's advice in our lives while we're still younger women? We can ask to God to reveal our own sins and flaws, repent of them and ask for His mercy to start living differently today. He's given me a very personal and specific list of where to start! I can ask God's help to stop my tendency toward complaining about difficult circumstances and develop the habit of praising Him for molding my character through trials and tests. I can ask Him for the spiritual fruit of self-control so that I resist flying off the handle in a grumpy, hormone-fueled fit for no good reason. I can ask Him to stop my free-flowing river of words and help me listen to others compassionately before I speak. I could go on, but you're getting the picture. Are you starting to make a list of your own?

Although thinking about our own aging and watching loved ones age sometimes generates fear, we can face the future with tremendous hope and faith when we know that we can begin shaping our tomorrows today. I truly believe that becoming the woman today that we want to be tomorrow is the key to becoming the woman of grace, love and wisdom in our 70s and 80s that we so desire to be.

Dear Lord, I long to be a growing, godly older woman until my very last breath. Help me to begin today in developing the character and spiritual disciplines that I'll need to follow You victoriously throughout my life. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:
Do You Know Him?

The Woman I Am Becoming by T. Suzanne Eller
Find more encouragement from other "Ruths" with the P31 Woman magazine

Visit Amy's blog-Ponderings from the Pathway

Application Steps:
Imagine yourself in your 80s. Make a list of words that you would like others to use when they describe the 80 year old you.

Reflections:
Which of my personal character traits could become ugly when magnified by age?

Have I limited God by an "I'll work on that later" attitude?

Power Verses:
Isaiah 46:4, "Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you." (NIV)

Psalm 71:18, "So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come." (ESV)


© 2010 by Amy Carroll. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries
616-G Matthews-Mint Hill Road
Matthews, NC 28105
http://proverbs31.org/

Jesus in the Fog Devotional 2/23/2010

Jesus in the Fog
Tracie Miles

1 Peter 5:7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you (NLT)


Devotion:
I was full of emotions as my husband and I drove to pick up my dad for surgery. A knot formed in the pit of my stomach. I was worried about the extensive surgery that he would face later that morning. I was anxious, knowing that the possibility existed to receive very bad news from the surgeon. I was fretting over various circumstances, and as I prayed for God to intervene, I began to feel hot tears stinging my eyes.

But then, through those tears, I saw something in the fog.

Due to the dense, heavy fog, my husband was driving slowly when I noticed the figure in the distance, walking straight towards us. I thought it was odd for anyone to be walking outside on such a cool and foggy morning, but as we got closer, my eyes widened, and my heart began to pound.

This figure began to resemble a silhouette of someone I recognized - someone who should not be standing in the middle of the road on a misty, foggy morning. As we approached this person, in front of my dad's house, I noticed that he had on baggy tan pants, a soft white shirt, and was wearing no shoes. He appeared to be in his mid-thirties, with brown wavy hair and a full beard, neatly kept. He looked peaceful and kind.

He looked exactly like Jesus.

My heart skipped a beat. My thoughts were racing. My intellectual mind knew that Jesus would not be standing in the middle of a road on a foggy day in a small beach town in North Carolina, but my heart told me that He was there. I could not take my eyes off of this person, as chill bumps flushed my body from head to toe. As we drove slowly past him, this man in the fog made direct eye contact with me, and a sweet, gentle smile washed over his face.

For those brief moments, it felt as if I was looking into the eyes of Jesus, and a feeling of peace flooded through me. It was as if His holy peace penetrated my heart, and assured me that, regardless of the outcome, everything would be okay. Throughout that day at the hospital, I could not get the man in the fog out of my head, and I truly felt as if I had experienced a Jesus encounter.

Now I am not saying that I actually saw Jesus, of course, but I do believe that He divinely designed that meeting in the road, and that He used a sign that I would recognize as Him, to saturate my heart with the reminder that He really does walk among us. God knew I needed to know that He saw my daddy, understood my fears, and cared. He also knew I really needed to "see" Him that day.

Throughout life, we are all faced with fears of the unknown and personal problems that seem hopeless or scary, and it is so easy to get caught up in our emotions, forgetting to look for God. In some situations, we may even find ourselves wondering if God is really aware of our problems, and doubt if He really cares, but 1 Peter 5:7 is a sweet reminder that He is aware, He does care, and He is with us.

At times, life can make us feel like we are in a fog - a fog so dense and heavy that it seems nearly impossible to feel or see God at all. But even if we can't "see" Him, He has promised to be with us, if we surrender our hearts and sincerely seek out His face. Then as we walk with Him, and sincerely believe He is walking with us, we enter into a place to receive His provisions, His blessings, His comfort and His peace.

When we prepare our hearts to experience Him, He will prepare our eyes to see Him.

Dear Lord, I seek Your Face with my whole heart. Help me to see You in a special way. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:
Do You Know Him?

Journey to the Well by Diana Wallis Taylor
Come Thirsty: No Heart Too Dry for His Touch by Max Lucado
Visit Tracie at her blog today
Application Steps:
If you are full of fearful or discouraged emotions today, close your eyes - picture Jesus walking in the fog, straight towards you, with eyes full of love, a heart full of compassion, and a smile that melts you heart.

Reflections:
Have I had a hard time seeing God in the midst of my life lately?

Are emotions and doubts clouding my vision?

Do I fully trust God to work in my situations?

Power Verses:
Matthew 5:8, "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God." (KJV)

Matthew 5:8, "You're blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world." (MSG)


© 2010 by Tracie Miles. All rights reserved.


Proverbs 31 Ministries
616-G, Matthews-Mint Hill Road
Matthews, NC 28105
www.Proverbs31.org