Category: <span>Devotions</span>

A Merry Heart Does Good

March 28, 2023March 28, 2023
by Melissa

The Destruction of Complaining

With each dose of medication, it is even more important to get my daily dose from my Bible, God’s precious word. I honestly do no know how anyone can get through a day without the love and grace of my Lord and Savior.

Todays reading originated from chapter 8, Discouragement Trap. in the book Suffering, by Paul David Tripp, gifted to me by Pastor Jim at Quidnessett Baptist Church.

In this chapter, the author explains that discouragement in and of itself, is not a sin. However, what we do with that discouragement 1. sins against God, and 2. makes us suffer more. “When discouragement sets in and becomes the lens through which you see life, when if forms your assumptions about your life, and when it begins to shape your functional theology, you tend to complain.” Paul Tripp continues, “What’s the danger of a lifestyle of complaint? If you believe that God is not only in control of the grand movements of human history, but also in control of the particular details of your life, and if you believe that what is out of your control is under his control, then it is important to understand that there’s no such things as a purely horizontal complaint.”

So What Does This Mean?

If we believe that God is in control, then we can not complain. By complaining, we are in turn saying that God is in the wrong, and that is impossible.

Tripp explains further, “Complaint, because it tends to question God’s goodness, faithfulness, wisdom, and love, assaults your trust in Him…. the way to defeat the dangerous potential of complaint is not by silence but by praise. The more you commit yourself to counting your blessings, the more you will have eyes to see specific blessings in your life.

Scripture

Philippians 2:13-16 For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Do all things without murmuring and disputing that you may become blameless and harmless, children on God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.

I Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Romans 13:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God

Prayer

Dear Lord and Heavenly Father. Forgive me of my complaints. I put all my trust in you. I know I am where I am is by your will, and that you will be all that I need to endure. Thank you for being a God that keeps promises, and takes care of each and every detail on my path. I am blessed abundantly. Thank you for a husband that loves me, warms my heating pad every fifteen minutes, and gives me leg massages. Thank you for my two incredible children that facetime me several times a day, just to check in. Thank you for my parents, siblings, extended family and friends that have texted, called, delivered meals, and have given generous care packages. I am grateful for the doctors that reacted rapidly and have prescribed medications to treat this disease. I appreciate the many comforts of home that have made this experience more pleasant: blankets, pillows, slippers, tie waisted pants, a side table to hold my cups, plates and books. Thank you for the water from our tap and the plenty of plant based foods in our fridge and pantry. Thank you for your strength, peace, comfort, and even joy during this trial. You are sufficient for me. In Jesus name, Amen.

Devotions

We Suffer in the Way We Suffer

August 13, 2022August 13, 2022
by Melissa

Suffering by Paul David Tripp

Pastor Jim of Quidnessett Baptist Church recently gifted me the book Suffering by Paul David Tripp, and this morning I read chapter 2. It was exposing and humbling.

“You never just suffer the thing that you’re suffering, but you always also suffer the way that you’re suffering that thing.”

“What you think about yourself, life, God, and others will profoundly affect the way you think about, interact with, and respond to the difficulty that comes your way.”

“When the things you have been trusting (whether you knew it or not) is laid to waste, you don’t suffer just the loss of that thing; you also suffer the loss of your identity and security that it provided.”

“Weakness is not what you and I should be afraid of. We should fear our delusion of strength.”

“Your suffering is more powerfully shaped by what’s in your heart than by what’s in your body or in the world around you.”

“Suffering draws out the true thoughts, attitudes, assumptions, and desires of your heart.”

Reflection

The words in today’s reading were very profound and a lot to digest. I sat and thought back on times when I was suffering. I can recall three times in my adult life that I was suffering internally, and I had to examine and work at coping, learning and growing as I dealt with the pain.

One was about ten years ago, and my trial had been the conflicting plans I had made for myself, and those that God had laid out for me. The second was when I was confronted with an empty nest, and I had to reidentify myself. And the most recent being a year ago, facing the fact that I had run out of time, and the grief I felt from that loss.

Two Paths

I was a teacher of 19 years. I loved my job, and I was good at it. But I could hear God speaking to me, telling me of a path he had laid out. It involved me leaving my profession, along with my salary, pension, and health benefits, and instead work with my husband in the office, doing something I had never done before and with little security.

I fought God on this. I made pros and cons lists, to show Him why my plan made more sense, and being a loving father of Grace, he gave me the choice. I dabbled in his plan and hated it. I cried daily. I felt lost and confused. I didn’t know who I would be if I wasn’t a teacher. Eventually I took the leap of faith and trusted God’s plan. I resigned from my teaching position and worked full time in the office. I haven’t looked back since and the Lord has blessed me in ways I could not have imagined.

A Lost Identity

I lost my identity a second time when I became an empty nester. I had been a mom for over twenty years. Now what? The kids were in college and my house was quiet, lonely, and had lost all life. It really did feel like a death had occured.

It took some personal examination to realize I was putting my purpose and happiness on those around me, when in fact my identity should have been as a child of God, and my joy should be in Him.

Out of Time

Last summer I watched two loved ones take their last breath, one month apart from the other. The first was my brother in law.

He had not been a believer in Christ, and I had made several attempts to lead him to Jesus, including from his death bed. He passed without me knowing if I will see him in Heaven one day. That has been a heavy burden on my heart. I had run out of time and found myself questioning if I had done enough.

A month after his passing I lost my dad. It was unexpected. He had the most unbelievable funeral with person after person coming to the pulpit to speak praises of my dad.

He was so loved and had touched more lives than I had ever realized. I wanted so badly to spend more time with the man they were describing, but yet agin, I was out of time. These losses led to an internal suffering as I looked back on my life.

Right Now

Right now, I am feeling okay. That in and of itself can put me on edge, knowing that at any moment, the bottom can fall out of my bucket, and all that I know can be changed. Currently I find myself watching others suffer. My mom with her physical pain and grieving my dad so profoundly. My in-laws, with mom’s dementia and dad’s daily trials in caring for her. Cass and Zach as they navigate finances and romantic relationships.

I guess, through trials and observations, my theology on suffering and what I bring to the table at this time is this.

Don’t try to control it or make sense of it. Give it to God.
Don’t identify yourself with earthly circumstances (wife, mother, widower, etc) but instead as a child of God.
What we think matters, probably doesn’t. God doesn’t care about our accomplishments, comforts, positions, or things. He simply wants us to love, trust, and submit to Him. If we do that, it will work out according to His plan.
His plans are better than ours, we just may not see it. He does not reveal his plan to us, because He wants us to trust him.
Suffering is a tool God uses to expose ourselves and to prune us to who He wants us to be.
Try to look at pain as a gift. He will use the pain for something. We may not ever know what it will be for. It may not even be for our good, but for the benefit of someone else. The point is, to know that God will use it. We are only here to serve His needs and plans. We are only serving a temporary purpose here. In the meantime, try to thank Him for choosing you to be his steward.

A Final Quote from Paul David Tripp

“Suffering confronts us with the fact that life is not about us but about God. It is not about our glory, but His. It’s not first about our pleasure, but about his. It’s not about our plans for us, but about his will for us. It’s not about our control but his. It’ not about our successes but about the display of his majesty.

Prayer

Lord, thank you for joining me for coffee this morning. There was a lot of food for my soul in today’s reading. You revealed to me some of the places I have sinned against you. I too often rely on myself instead of trusting you. I connect my joys, accomplishments, and worth to my earthly roles. I have unrealistic expectations of this life, thinking and hoping I have more time than I may. All too often I do not prioritize according to your ways. Thank you for showing me where I need to continue to grow. Lord, I pray for those that suffer around me. For my mom, I pray that she learns to live with her pain. She is not only suffering from the physical pain, but from the pain that has come about as she copes, being alone, scared, anxious and lost. I pray for sister-in-law and the kids. I do not want to run out of time in sharing your gospel. Show me how to reach them. Use me to demonstrate your redeeming love and saving grace. I pray for my in-laws as they suffer through dementia and aging. Help me to see their time here as fleeting and to cherish our times together. I pray for Cassidie and Zachary as they suffer through the trials of young adult life, learning to navigate financial and relational challenges and lessons. I pray that they turn to you and live according to your will and plans. I want to live as an example to them. Thank you for the scripture and the authors that speak their experiences as they also grow and develop. I am grateful for the connectedness it provides. In Jesus name, Amen.

Devotions

I Should Have Dressed In The Armor of God

January 29, 2022January 29, 2022
by Melissa

I Made Some Mistakes

I made some major mistakes this week. I knew that I was making them, but kept on. Today I read the chapter called , ”Face The What ifs, Even If You’re Afraid.” Mistake #1 Read from God’s word everyday, not just the weekend when it is easier to make time. Maybe if I had made the time each morning, I would have avoided more mistakes

What Is Fear

Fear is often defined as an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous. But when I look at my mistakes this week, I see that they were the result of fear. Not because I had a dangerous threat. In fact, when I look back at it, there was no outcome to have feared. Regardless, fear is the emotion I was experiencing.

I was afraid of failure. I was afraid of looking stupid. I was afraid of being a disappointment. I was afraid to be out of my comfort zone. I was afraid of learning something new. I was afraid to admit a lack of knowledge. I was afraid of hard work.

My Reactions Were Fueled By Fear

Now for the power of reflection when I spend time with God. So often we are called to do something, but many times the ”something” is merely a tool to have us learn something different entirely.

Although my ”somethings” involved taxes, W2s, 1099s, profit and loss statements, certified payroll and prevailing wage, these are not the ”somethings” that matter in the big picture. What God was really calling me to do was to lean on him, pause in each moment to feel His presence, to have faith that God will provide me with what I need, to maintain self control, to find contentment in all circumstances, and to do it all to please Him.

Ther lies the long list of mistakes there after. Not only did I make mistakes in the “somethings” at work, but I also failed in my Jesus following somethings. I cursed, I cried with frustration, I quit, and I doubted everything. I see some areas where I have improved in my reactions to others, but I rarely extend the same grace to myself.

Had I read today’s reading throughout the week, I would have been dressed in the armor of God.

Ephesians 6:10-18

Sheila Walsh shared the following verses

2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of Fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

Matthew 17:20 Jesus told them, ”I tell you the truth, if you have faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain ’move from here to there’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.

Matthew 19:26 Humanly speaking it is impossible, but with God everything is possible.

There is a very good chance that my outcomes and reactions would have been different had I been reminded of these truths daily.

And on a side note, had my circumstances and season of life been different, I think the message from today’s reading might have been different as well. That’s how God works.

Prayer

Good morning, God. I come to you this morning with a heavy heart. I made mistakes. I went about my week in the flesh and of this world. I let my daily tasks rule over me and I allowed Satan to break into my heart. I see where I need to improve and I pray for your forgiveness, patience, and grace. I want to focus on what YOU are asking of me. It is not enough just to invite you into my day, but I need to submerge myself into your word to arm myself with your truths. Lord, help me prioritize and make time. Thank you, Lord, for your unconditional love. In Jesus name, Amen.

Devotions

OUT OF THE PIT

January 16, 2022January 16, 2022
by Melissa

Something said in a sermon

It was said at one of our Sunday morning church services a while back, and it was something I haven’t forgotten. The visiting Pastor told a story of tough times, dark days, and hitting rock bottom.

A man had fallen into a pit and couldn’t get out. A doctor strolling by heard his cries for help and looked in. He assessed the situation and tossed in a prescription before moving on. The man remained in the pit and a second passerby heard his cries. This was a church elder. “I will pray for you,” said the elder, and he continued on. A third person heard his cries, and seeing the trouble, jumped into the pit. “Why would you do that? Now we are both stuck in this pit!” The man replied, “ I have been in this pit before. I know the way out.”

Chapter 2

i was reminded of this parable while reading chapter 2 during my devotions.

In todays reading, Sheila Walsh wrote about dark times, and how that is when we feel alone. It feels like doors have been slammed in our face and we are left on the outside, standing in a hallway.

The key points that resonated with me are

We all have troubles. We don’t know why other than the fact that we live in an imperfect world.
When we are in the midst of troubles, we need to admit it, surrender it, and know that it is temporary.
Know it will not be wasted.

Have you seen the movie Inside Out?

In that movie, there is a character named Sadness. We learn in this movie, through this character, that even sadness has a role in our lives. It is through sadness that we know sympathy, empathy, compassion, and kindness.

Sheila Walsh said the following. “God never rushes us through our pain. He sits with us as long as it takes. But as you begin to receive His comfort, you might look around and see that you’re not alone in the hallway.”

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God gave us.

Humility and Honesty

The first thing to do when we are in the dark, is to acknowledge it. Admit it to God and let it go. God will be with us, and we need to allow Him to love us and comfort us. As time heals, we may be the very needed comfort to someone else.

This is not easy. As a people, we often fail to admit we are hurting and that we need help. So often we hide our hurt. Maybe it’s shame, or embarrassment, or denial. There is also a fine line between sharing and hanging out your dirty laundry for all to see.

I have not mastered any of this. I am not going to pretend I have. But I do know this. I like real people. People that are humble. Honest. Raw. I love this song by Andy Grammar, inviting us to get deep and real in our conversations.

If I am being honest, sharing my thoughts and feelings is my least favorite part of this blog. I like the reading, reflecting, and creativity, but not the sharing. But when I feel the nudge of God, I try to obey.
I’m not sure what I have to share that may be helpful, but I will try to be vulnerable, humble, and honest.

Book Talk

My mom is reading this book too and we are having our own little book club. It was really good getting deep and dirty with her. Talking about the book led to a raw discussion. It was good. We talked about how circumstances can lead to feeling of numbness and a loss of joy. I know that joy comes from the Lord, not circumstances, but there is still a loss.

Sheila Walsh wrote this prayer, and I encourage everyone to join me in praying it too. Why let our pain be wasted if it can be used for good. “Lord, give me eyes to see what I might miss. Give me ears to hear beyond what someone might be saying to what is happening in their heart.”

Poem- I Googled The Address For Joy

I googled the address for Joy and plugged it into my GPS.Lost, I eagerly rushed through the streets of life.
Turning here and merging there, not paying attention to what was passing me by.
You have reached your destination.
Leaping from my car, I hurry for the door when I seeJoy through the window.
Joy is right there. I’m on the outside looking in, but I can’t seem to knock.

Devotions

Jesus, Would You Like To Join Me For Coffee?

January 9, 2022January 9, 2022
by Melissa

1 Peter 5:10

And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast.

Good morning, Jesus. Would you like to join me for coffee?

So much goodness in today’s reading. As I begin 2022 with my one little word RESTORE, I am reminded of how I do not need fixing. That I am enough because God says so.

2 Corinthians 12:9 My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.

Last year’s word was grace. God is clearly speaking to me. Maybe I am not broken. Maybe I haven’t really lost anything. What I really need to do is put God first.

Sheila Walsh wrote, “I lived a good part of my life adding Jesus as a hashtag. I didn’t mean to. I didn’t know I was doing it, but I was. Whether I was dealing with loss, or depression, or financial or relational struggles, I did my best to fix things. I tried to do better, and then asked Jesus to help me. It was as if prayer was an add-on and Christ was only involved once I’d given it my best shot.”

#Jesus

That’s what I have been doing. #Jesus.
I want Jesus to be with me all day, every day. I want to invite Him there, and feel His presence. I know He is there. I would not have survived 2021 if He wasn’t. But I have been numb. Not really feeling much of anything. I want to be restored.

Psalm 51: 10-13 Create in me a clean heart, o God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me with Your generous spirit. Then I will lead transgressors your way and sinners shall be converted to You.

So what will I do now?

I will invite Jesus to be with me throughout the day. Jesus, will you please join me for coffee? What do you say, Jesus. You ready to go to the office? So, Jesus, chicken or fish for dinner? These may not be long prayers, but invitations to be with me from the beginning, not just a hashtag.
I will continue with this blog. I had started it in 2020 when my word was story and had not planned to continue. But today in 1 Peter:5 and in Psalm:51, it seems as though Jesus wants me to share what He tells me. God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Perhaps the Lord will use my feelings, thoughts, and experiences to help others and to lead them to His glory.

Prayer

Dear Jesus, thank you for this coffee time together. I feel you and I hear you. Thank you for your grace. Thank you for reminding me that I am enough because your grace is sufficient. Thank you for being my strength. Forgive me for so often putting you as an after thought. How blessed I am that you offer such love and grace. Lord, if it is your will and desire that I make my thoughts, feelings, and experiences public, then use me. Guide me and give me the words. I would love to leave this world one day knowing I brought people to you. I can’t think of any greater accomplishment. I love you and praise you. In Jesus name, Amen.

Now, how about we make breakfast. Would you like to join me for bacon and eggs?