Tag: God

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Recognizing God’s Generosity

Badlands National Park landscape stretching for miles
God’s generosity extends further than we can imagine.
Matthew 8:10 (ESV)—When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith.

“God is generous to give us this time,” I told my husband while he drove us along Interstate 90 through South Dakota during a spur-of-the-moment trip. He agreed and we continued to enjoy the scenery.

What sparked this thought?

A moment of clarity about faith as I thought about a devotional I was writing. God loves and wants to be there for us even when our faith is not immediate or when our belief wavers. Even more, he marvels when we recognize his authority in our lives.

This recognition of God’s authority brings his Kingdom to life for others as well as ourselves. Our declaration that “God is generous” reveals the blessings we have received and it may lead others to put on the same faith so they may receive their own blessings from God.

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Accepting the Invitation

Three-course dinner menu propped against a vase of flowers in the foreground of the train window.
Luke 10:8-11 (ESV)—Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’

Settling in my coach class seat, I shot my hubby a hopeful look. “Maybe the train attendants will offer dining reservations to us today.” I crossed my fingers. From past experience I knew that the staff would offer the three-course dining-car meal to the coach passengers only when room was available. My reservation wasn’t guaranteed, and even if I received one, it locked us into a specific time.

Unlike a reservation, Jesus’ invitation of salvation is available to everyone, everywhere, at any time. This formal request for us to live for him on earth while we wait to live with him in heaven is ours for acceptance.

When we accept this invitation, we accept God’s mission for our lives, the same as the seventy-two’s: to spread the message of salvation.

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Sharing Our Hurts

Hurt, such a small word for such a big emotion. Hurt comes in many shapes and forms, from a harsh but true critique of our writing from a trusted friend, to feeling like a failure when we receive yet another rejection.

Hurt, however, drives our spirit toward God. When we share our cry to the Lord in our writing and, more important, God’s healing result, other people receive a truth about God. Indeed, our proclamation of God’s truth makes others aware of God’s power to heal hurt, driving them toward the Healer.

So let’s share our truth, our cry to God, remembering he can bring our words to life for others.

1 Kings 17:21 (ESV)—Then he stretched himself upon the child three times and cried to the Lord, “O Lord my God, let this child's life[a] come into him again.”

1 Kings 17:24 (ESV)—And the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth.”
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Offering a Broken Spirit

I am a broken spirit loved by God.

Our sin runs deep, yet despite our faults God remains faithful. Faithful to demonstrate his love when we reveal our broken spirit in our books. Faithful to provide wisdom to others when we divulge our deepest thoughts in our devotionals. Faithful to comfort others when we share our stories in blog posts.

Because he is faithful, we can write with a broken spirit and offer our brokenness to God. Then he can use our words for his good.

Psalm 51:17 (ESV)—The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
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Fixing God in the Foreground

A highlander cow standing in a grassy field
Proverbs 16:1 (ESV)—The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.

A caption caught my attention while I browsed photos telling stories of Frank Lloyd Wright. The simple landscape photo, part of an exhibit in the Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center in Madison, Wisconsin, showed a field with cows in the foreground. According to the caption, Wright pointed out to the landowner that the cows in the foreground made the view of the grassy field better.

The same can be said when we fix God in our foreground. The plans of our heart transform from a flat view of a grassy field to a field with a clear focal point. The next steps of God’s plan for us become more evident.

Before we take our next steps, let us seek the Lord’s wisdom. When we seek his wisdom, we can hear his voice and discern his purpose. Then we can move forward with God in the foreground to guide us.

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Finding Refuge

Psalm 25:20 (ESV)—Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me! Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.

I admit, I love a good airfare deal. The question becomes, do I pay the price as is or do I upgrade? Do I suffer the one-in-the-morning landing time with eight-hour layover or pay more for the arrive-at-a-decent-hour nonstop flight? Do I settle for the economy seat and hope for the best comfort possible or shell out the money for the extra-legroom-included seat?

Such questions tempt us to look to the value of creature comforts, a right-now solution with no guarantees of our future comfort. When this “promise” of comfort comes from Satan, he tempts us away from the best deal in life we’ll ever receive: obedience in exchange for God’s refuge.

Our obedience to God reveals value greater than creature comforts: protection from shame, God’s forgiveness and mercy, freedom from anguish, and God’s instruction.

As we strive for obedience, let us evaluate the value of our choice and ask if it offers God’s refuge.

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Losing Our Old Self

Luke 9:24 (ESV)—For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.

Headphones on a bus to the airport. iPhone on an airplane. Glasses either at a bed and breakfast or at the terminal gate. Reading light and pajama pants in a hotel room.

I am a woman who loses things while traveling.

Although I know these things have only earthly value, and I lost money when I replaced some of the items, I mourn my losses. Especially the pretty purple headphones my hubby ordered in my favorite color. Sigh.

One loss we do not have to mourn: our old self. Because, when we pick up the cross and follow Jesus, the death of our old self saves our new self. Our life in Christ gains us our eternal reward.

As we examine our life today, let’s ask ourselves, “What other loss leads to gain?”

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Stewarding God’s Ministry

Beach with seashells and seaweed 
Colossians 1:24-27 (NIV)—I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness—the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people.

The beach teemed with people lounging under umbrellas and tents. Cooler tops were popped open and towels were draped over chair backs.

The perfect beach scene…until I looked more closely. The tide touched an abandoned plastic bottle, pulling it out to sea. A broken bottle cap played hide-and-seek in the seaweed.

Beach lover that I am, I picked up the trash. I wanted the aquatic life to live by God’s design, not live a shortened life caused by clumsy human disposal.

Like stewardship makes a more beautiful beach, our stewardship of God’s ministry on earth makes God’s word more meaningful. Our rejoicing in our God-appointed commission even during our afflictions reveals to the people around us the mystery of God, our hope of glory.

Because Christ lives in us, we do not suffer for nothing. Our suffering acts as a beacon of light for other sinners to find salvation. And when other sinners find salvation, they too, like us, live life by God’s design.

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Writing in Service of God

I work with fellow writers in God's service

Last weekend, I attended She Speaks 2024 online. One big lesson I learned came not only from the many wonderful speakers but also from the attendees.

Success scares us.

My thoughts tread along a steep, rocky path of fear: If I become published, do I have to live in the spotlight of social media rather than in my cozy wallflower home? What if I botch the message I want to share? What if God calls me to reveal something deeply personal?

For these questions, I found encouragement in 1 Corinthians 3 about our work as God’s servants. First and foremost…

  1. we are all servants of God (v. 5). We belong to a community of like-minded believers, writers wanting to nurture our readers with God’s truth, a truth we can plant alone but not nurture alone. As part of God’s ministry team…
  2. we have built-in writing support (v. 6). This team supports us in our writing and we support their writing as well (through critique groups, through book launch teams, on social media, through prayer, etc.). By tending to our own stories as well as contributing to others’ writing journeys…
  3. we work together in God’s service (v. 9). Our writing offers fields of nourishment, for example, a soldier might write a book of their experiences with PTSD that provides spiritual nourishment for other soldiers. Our writing offers a shelter of understanding, for example, a blogger whom God has healed from alcoholism might build a shelter for an alcoholic seeking refuge from temptation. Our writing ministry combined with others’ expands our Kingdom reach.

When we write in fear of success, our work may stay merely a seed in the ground. And seeds that stay in the ground end up rotting. Instead, let’s call upon our fellow workers to help us build stories on the foundation of Christ. Let’s come together in his name to grow bountiful fields and to build useful buildings. Let’s turn the spotlight from us to God, whose love helps us grow through our community and uses our writing as part of his ministry.

1 Corinthians 3:9 (ESV)—For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building.
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Canceling on God

Job 42:2 (ESV)—“I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.”

Cue a sad face. Our household had been struck. With the virus. The excitement of our weekend getaway dissolved like salt in hot water, the salty brine a damper on our weekend, no more so than when I hit the Cancel Reservation button for the very first time. Sigh.

Have you ever tried to hit the Cancel button on God? Cue an inward cringe, because who hasn’t been there? Hitting this button obscures the truth that God is sovereign. The message confirming the cancellation says we’re free to question, complain, and challenge God, because why else does debt rule our lives, why did our friend abandon our relationship, why did our child die in a car accident?

The answer to these questions (and more): God is sovereign. He has the power to give and take abundance. Just ask Job.

Thankfully, God also rejects our cancellation request. He fixes our broken spirit, giving us eyes of faith and lips that confess and repent. He restores our souls.