From Our Hearts

DEVOTION: There have been many stories of the damage severe weather, flooding, and tornadoes have caused lately. We stand in prayer with each and every person affected. The Lord is with you! While watching a recent news story about the devastation, I was reminded of a story a young father one shared with us. He told us the story of how God gave him revelation in regard to his children. He said a few years back, during a tornado warning that was issued very close to their home, he hurried his wife, children and the family dog into an interior bathroom and settled in to wait out the warning. Within minutes he could see the fear sweeping across their faces. His five year old son looked up at him and asked, ”Dad, is Jesus going to let us die?”

DEVOTION: Even though I knew God spoke specifically to women about not gossiping (1 Timothy 3:11 and Titus 2:3), I did it anyway. The Holy Spirit led me to change my heart and empowered the purification process I still continue to go through. I want to be known as a woman who is a friend of women; a woman who is for other women rather than being against them. What did that entail? Sharing words that are full of grace (Colossians 4:6), kind (Proverbs 16:23-24; 31:26), pleasant, constructive, and instructive. It also means having speech edify and minister grace to our hearers (Ephesians 4:29). Have you ever sat down with a group of friends to have joyful, encouraging fellowship only to have the momentum start swinging in the direction of gossip? I think we all have. If you are a young lady then I believe it is pretty safe to say that you have at least once in your life entertained the thought of joining in or have actually participated in gossip.

DEVOTION: When we view prayer as explained by God through the language in the Bible, we must keep in mind that prayer has always been the principle means by which man, created in God’s image, has evidenced sentiment toward Him. From the earliest times, prayer has been an integral part of the worship of God. Believers of all ages have expressed their hearts through praise, thanksgiving, prayer, and intercession to and before God. That’s why it is so important for God’s people to learn to pray.

DEVOTION: There is so much devastating news coming through the media every day now. The tragedies of the Coronavirus and the subsequent shutdowns of entire countries including our own; the destructive storms and tornadoes; famine; unemployment; and so many more are or daily reality. How can we find peace in such turmoil? How We Can Obtain This Peace? True spiritual peace comes with knowing that our heav­enly Father is continually with us — and indeed He is! God is omnipresent and therefore fully aware of every detail of our life at every moment and in every place. He knows our needs at all times and in every situation. As Psalm 139:7-12 teaches, we can never be anyplace, from the heights of heaven to the depths of the sea, where God is not present with us and available to us. The key to our peace then is not the absence of conflict, but the presence of God no matter the conflict.

DEVOTION: In late fall of 1990, Operation Desert Shield became Operation Desert Storm. That meant war. I still remember holding my breath as President George H. Bush addressed the nation on television and spoke the words every military family dreads. He was authorizing the call-up of reservists. Jim was an Army Reservist. As a registered pharmacist, he was assigned to the Medical Service Corps. After 25 years of routine monthly meetings and after Jim finally qualified for army retirement, we were not prepared for what could happen. Still, it is what we signed up for as a military family. If it was his time to serve then we would serve alongside him, keeping the home alive. Knowing what might be asked of him, Jim’s unit began to prepare for the possibility of going to war. The same thing has happened again here in America and across the world.

DEVOTION: This is normally the time of year every high school, college, and grad student looks forward to; a commencement ceremony to celebrate and applaud their years of diligence and hard work. This year the activities may look a little different, but there are some things that remain the same. For example, following the graduation usually consists of more pondering the next steps in this phase of life. Life is full of choices. However, the issue is not the mere act of making choices itself, but rather learning how to make not just good choices or better choices, but the best choices. None of us are perfect. The key is to gain wisdom and biblical insight from each stumbling block and turn it into a stepping stone to a greater future!

DEVOTION: Jesus tells us in John 13:34, “As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” What does this kind of love look like? It is a sacrifice of self, which includes our expectations. This can be hard as it’s opposite of how our natural mind, and desires, works. This kind of love involves effort, not mere emotion. It requires action, not just feeling. It comes from God and leads us to being content.

DEVOTION: With every new growing milestone in life there comes a small twinge of fear and uncertainty. Even those who seemingly have it all together will ponder whether or not they are making the right decisions. They may wonder how they will handle all that this new adventure in life will bring and that is normal.

DEVOTION: Our nation, our world, is in His hands. In times like these, we can choose to sit idly by and hope for the best, or we can offer ourselves as a vessel and intercede on behalf of others. So today, in honor of two holidays celebrated in May: Mother’s Day and the National Day of Prayer, observed annually on the first Thursday of May, we want to extend our voices to God on behalf of Mothers on the Front Lines. We ask that you please join us in prayer for these heroes.

DEVOTION: If you’re a mom, your calling is a high and noble one, a momentous stewardship as God entrusts precious children—His special creations—to you! You’ll find encouragement for your own faith journey as you learn how God has comforted, helped, and provided for women in the Bible. Start or end your day with the powerful reminders of God's work in the lives of these women.

DEVOTION: In these weeks and days before Mother’s Day, I want to encourage and equip ALL moms to carry on the good work of raising children after God’s own heart. As a mom, God has graced you with an incredible calling. As you meet your children's needs, know that God has given you a unique position of influence over their lives—you guide their hearts.

DEVOTION: Hannah appears in the Bible during the last days of the judges of Israel when “there was no king in Israel and everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25). More than anything, Hannah wanted a son, and when God gave her one, she fulfilled her vow to give Samuel back to the Lord. Her sacrifice was rewarded by God with the births of five more children. Samuel grew up to reflect his mother’s godliness and became a man of prayer and intercession for God’s people all his days.