Tag Archives: Devotional

Because God Said So

For you have rescued me from death;
you have kept my feet from slipping.
So now I can walk in your presence, O God,
in your life-giving light.
Psalm 56:13, NLT*

In this psalm David declares his trust in God and praises God for His promise. Twice he asks “What can men do to me?”

The first time, he follows with a list of what his enemies want to do to him. The danger is real. He asks God to prevent them from harming him. He reminds himself of how intimately God cares for him, and then he reaffirms his choice to trust in God.

Three times in the psalm, he praises God for “His promise” and I think that’s the promise that David would be king. At this point he’s still on the run from King Saul and is in the hands of the Philistines.

Logic and faith say he can’t be killed before God accomplishes His purpose, so David has confidence that his enemies won’t be allowed to kill him.

Most of us don’t have a specific, personal promise from God guaranteeing we won’t be harmed. We do have lots of promises, though. And if we don’t have physical enemies, we still have spiritual ones that would bind or hamper us and keep us from the life God promises.

One of the “enemies” stalking me is anxiety. Today’s verse is one I’m using as a prayer-promise. Another is “who the Son sets free is free indeed.”

Perhaps my favourite “weapon” this year is “I have a Good Shepherd.”

Father, Saviour, show us the individual promises to cling to for protection from the unseen forces, thoughts and behaviour patterns that want to deny the new life You’ve promised to grow in us. Yes, they could do it – if not for Your promises. Help us be confident in You, help us walk in Your presence and in Your life-giving light.

∞

Here’s Carolyn Arends singing “I’ve Got a Hope.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEKW4DCoVoA

*New Living Translation (NLT)Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Thriving and Trusting

Thankfulness as a Sacrifice?

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Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God,
and keep the vows you made to the Most High.
Psalm 50:14, NLT*

Usually our thanks is a spontaneous response to something that delights us. It’s sincere and heart-felt. It costs us nothing.

But is there more? In Bible times, the people of Israel had a regular schedule of sacrifices and offerings. You didn’t just sacrifice when you felt like it, although you could bring extra if you were especially thankful.

I keep a gratitude journal, but I don’t write in it every day. Not a very regular sacrifice, and it’s not that God isn’t active on those days. It’s that I forget to take notes, or more often that I forget to take note. I don’t see what He’s doing. I’ve forgotten to look.

There’s another aspect to this sacrifice: the Apostle Paul tells us to give thanks in all things. Even in the ones we don’t like and wish we’d never experienced. Ann Voskamp calls this the “hard eucharisteo” and her book, One Thousand Gifts, shows how important this intentional, teeth-gritted or tear-streaked thanksgiving is.

We may not be able to thank God for the pain, but we can always thank Him for His presence with us in it and for His power to make it count for something.

God our Shepherd, our Provider and Protector, forgive us for our ungrateful hearts and for the times we take Your gifts for granted. Open our eyes daily to see the many opportunities to give You thanks. Delight us with Your presence. And strengthen us to thank You in the hard times too.

∞

Matt Redman’s “Blessed Be Your Name” reminds us to praise in the good times and the bad.

Hope?

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Why am I discouraged?
Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
I will praise him again—
my Saviour and my God!
Psalm 43:5, NLT*

King David is discouraged. He has real, physical enemies oppressing him and bringing down his spirit.

Sometimes our troubles are solid like that, but often they’re not.

Usually I just have my feelings and the “voices in my head.” Circumstances can be fine but some worry or perceived threat will set up in my mind and steal my joy.

I had a weekend like that recently, moping around carrying a load that probably won’t become real and certainly wasn’t then. Saying “it’s been a bit of a struggle.” That’s what I believed because that’s how it felt. And it was a struggle.

Finally the sensible portion of my brain reminded me, “I have a good Shepherd.”

The rest of me said “oh, yeah” like I’d forgotten. Again. But choosing to believe and rely on that fact ended the struggle with my intangible but real feelings.

Shepherd of our souls, You are strong and kind. Whatever circumstances come, You will still be God, still sufficient for our needs. Forgive us when we entertain thoughts that bring us down. And please train us to hear Your truths faster and more clearly so we can learn to walk in Your freedom instead of our former bondage.

∞

Here’s Josh Bates singing David’s psalm in “The Altar of God,” from the first Glory Revealed album.

Where Our Hope Is

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Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord,
for our hope is in you alone.
Psalm 33:22, NLT*

How often can we honestly say our hope is in God alone?

We rely on what He’s given: jobs, doctors, physical strength and mental abilities. It would be silly not to make full use of them—after all, isn’t that why He provided them?

But let’s remember to look deeper and see where we’re really anchoring our hope. If some or all of our resources are taken away, God will still be God, still here, still loving and powerful.

Father, help us remember to put our hope and trust fully in You and not in what You give. Teach us to recognize Your hand at work, and give us grateful, praising hearts for all You’ve done.

∞

Robin Mark’s song, “My Hope is in the Lord,” is a good reminder.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eYiIta8Ya8

With us is God

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And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
Matthew 28:20b, NLT*

Sometimes hearing the familiar re-worded or presented in a different way helps us take a fresh look—or listen.

A devotional in the Names of God Bible translates Immanuel as “with us is God.”

I’m used to “God with us.” It’s familiar. Maybe I take it too much for granted.

“With us is God.”

It has me thinking.

We can be encouraged, be reassured, comforted. Wherever we are, we’re not alone or abandoned. Even if it’s a hard place.

We can also be motivated: don’t slack off, because He’s here. We can’t hide anything. Yes, He understands and forgives, but because we love Him we don’t want to disappoint Him.

God our Maker and our Saviour, ever-present with us, help us remember You are near. Help us take courage, and help us live alert and obediently. Teach us a healthy fear of You, and deliver us from that unhealthy fear that would ruin us. Help us love and serve You, and let others see Your love in us.

∞

A good reminder song is Jeremy Camp’s “Right Here.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdHTOC4pfJQ

*New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

What’s On Your Mind?

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May the words of my mouth
and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing to you,
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
Psalm 19:14, NLT*

This is a familiar passage often prayed before meetings or in other gatherings where we desire God to be honoured. I always took it to mean “what we discuss and decide or plan here”

But what about all the other things in our hearts when we’re alone?

Isn’t that what meditation means, to focus on or rehearse? To dwell on? To, perhaps, stew over?

How many times do we let our thoughts swim with negatives and complaints? We wish a conversation could have gone differently, we pick at what we didn’t like about Sunday service, we fret over grievances.

Not exactly the “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise” that we’re called to do.

Holy and good God, who searches our thoughts and knows our hearts, forgive our sins and retrain us in Your ways. May the words of our mouths and the meditation of our hearts be pleasing to You. And when they’re not, please get our attention and bring us back on track. Don’t let anything pull us away from nearness to You.

∞

Let Kathryn Scott’s song, “Search Me, Know Me,” be our prayer today:

*New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Doing Life God’s Way

Relying on the Truth

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I know the Lord is always with me.
I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.
Psalm 16:8, NLT*

Sometimes we just need to declare the truth and choose to believe it, whether it feels true or not.

God is patiently retraining my responses to stressful or fear-inducing situations, and my part is to remember—and rely on—the truth.

Travelling to and from Write! Canada the other week let me practice. My route to the conference involved two planes, a commuter train and a bus. It seemed like a good idea at the time.

I actually suspect God allowed me to miss my train stop as part of the lesson. Not that He caused me to forget, but it was just after that stop a thought popped up: check where you’re supposed to get off.

It really was good practice to get off at the next stop muttering “I have a good Shepherd” and using the truth to subdue the muscles that wanted to clench. I repeated it in my mind when I had to ask a transit information worker for help.

My Shepherd had a friendly person on the desk, who didn’t yell at me or make me feel stupid. Instead, she told me what bus to take from there. No backtracking, no paying a second fare.

This retraining will be ongoing for some time, but after all, it took years for the problem to get this deeply entrenched. And it’s getting easier as long as I stay on guard.

God who rules the universe and yet who knows our smallest need, thank You for Your care. You love us, You save us, and You don’t leave us in the messes where You find us. Thank You for the truth in Your Word. Help us use all the armour of Christ and to cooperate with You in working out our salvation. Thank You that who the Son sets free is free indeed.

∞

As an echo to today’s verse, here is Vineyard Music’s “I Will Not Be Shaken.”

*New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

A Good Grip on the Truth

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[A church leader must] have a good grip on himself, and have a good grip on the Message, knowing how to use the truth to either spur people on in knowledge or stop them in their tracks if they oppose it.
Titus 1:8-9, MSG*

The Spirit caught my attention with “have a good grip on the Message, knowing how to use the truth.” That expanded to include “have a good grip on yourself.”

For me, the reminder is to get and keep a good grip on myself—take troubling thoughts captive to Christ, use the armour of God, keep repeating the words He gives me about His shepherding and my freedom. Hold tightly to Scripture and use it wisely.

The challenge in the verse is to do this in cooperation with Him for my own healing and growth, and at the same time to keep alert to the wider picture to see where and how He wants to use me in others’ lives.

God my Shepherd, Healer and King, Your Word is the sword of truth. Help me use it wisely, in battle for myself and for others, as You equip and direct.

∞

Here’s a classic hymn that has blessed me a few times this week (most notably at the close of this year’s Write! Canada conference… over 200 voices, singing exuberantly): “Great is Thy Faithfulness,” sung here by Chris Rice.

Janet Sketchley

Writing Christian Mysteries & Suspense

Tag Archives: Devotional

Because God Said So

Thriving and Trusting

Thankfulness as a Sacrifice?

Hope?

Where Our Hope Is

With us is God

What’s On Your Mind?

Doing Life God’s Way

Relying on the Truth

A Good Grip on the Truth