I am so thankful for the way God has carried me through some tough days over the past couple of weeks. Thank you to the many people who prayed for me. I definitely felt uplifted!
Today I am doubly thankful because my friend Patricia Knight has graciously allowed me to share another of her great devotionals with you. And I don’t think the subject of this devotional is a mere coincidence—more like what Pat and I call a “God-incidence.” Pat, I thank you, my dear, dear friend!
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By Patricia Knight
Is there any place a child would rather be than hoisted up onto his father’s broad shoulders, with legs wrapped securely around his dad’s chest, held in his firm grasp? What a view from the child’s loving perch at the top of his world! The boy’s little hands run playfully through his dad’s hair until his father suddenly lunges forward, pretending to stumble. Suddenly the child reaches out in desperation as his once relaxed body contracts in fear. When his jerking hands instinctively reach to grasp something safe, he lands a choke hold on his father’s neck. Then his dad laughs uproariously, vowing to play no more tricks. The child relaxes once more in the shelter of his father’s love and protection. The playful ride continues until the father is happily exhausted.
Being lifted up and revered is not just child’s play. We all crave protection and the ability to view the world buoyed by the safety of our heavenly Father’s shoulders. “Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in Him, for He shields him all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests between His shoulders” (Deut. 33:12).
Our heavenly Father never stumbles nor will He ever carry us into dangerous territory. When times in our life are tough, God often carries us on His shoulders, the safest place in the world to be. Who among us doesn’t long for absolute security and safety? Moses reminded God’s people, “The Lord your God carried you as a father carries His son” (Deut 1:31).
Our ride of assurance by God is not a one-time, fun-time. “I’ve been carrying you on my back from the day you were born, and I’ll keep on carrying you when you’re old. I’ll be there bearing you when you’re old and gray. I’ve done it and will keep on doing it, carrying you on my back, saving you” (Is 46:4, The Message).
Remember, when we attempt to navigate the seemingly insurmountable trappings of life, we are not alone. God, who created us, will sustain us. Relax your tight muscles of fear. Enjoy the promise of your Lord’s vast resources of peace and safety, love and kindness, faithfulness and forgiveness.
God’s shoulders are massive, supporting us when we are burdened with a load of care. He delights in His children, desiring to lavish all of us with His love and grace. Let us rejoice in the abundant encouragement God offers. Only then can we enjoy the ride through life, held securely on His shoulders.
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When every step is so hard to take
And all of my hope is fading away
When life is a mountain that I can not climb
You carry me, Jesus carry me.
You Are strength in my weakness
You are the refuge I seek
You are everything in my time of need
You are everything, You are everything I need
When every moment is more than I can take
And all of my strength is slipping away
When every breath gets harder me
You carry me, Jesus carry me.
You Are strength in my weakness
You are the refuge I seek
You are everything in my time of need
You are everything, You are everything I need
I need You
You are everything I need
I love everything about You
You Are strength in my weakness
You are the refuge I seek
You are everything in my time of need
You are everything, You are everything I need
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I hope you feel as encouraged as I did when reading this. Like so many of us, Pat is very familiar with chronic daily pain but she doesn’t let it get her down. She knows she can count on Him to carry her on His shoulders when she needs Him the most.
I normally share devotionals by my friend and mentor, Patricia Knight, on Treasure Tuesdays because Pat is such a treasure in my life. But I am also extremely thankful for her presence in my life so I wanted to share one of her “thankful” devotionals with you today. This devotional is from her book, Pure Joy.
“Give credit where credit is due.” That maxim is as old as most of us and still good advice. It simply means thanking the person who has done something nice for you, congratulating a person for a job well done, or recognizing the ability of someone whom has made a discovery. There are many other instances to describe the adage. Not only should be understand the meaning, but also apply the principle we learn.
There is something troubling about the above phrase. Why are we so reticent to thank God and give Him credit and honor for all that He creates, maintains, and sustains? If a friend presented us with a painting of a beautiful sunset, we would give prolific gratitude. God creates a new sunrise and sunset each day. Their explosion of color in the sky is nothing short of miraculous. Surely each of us has seen an occasional display of God’s palette in the sky. In a sunset, sunrise or a rainbow we are reminded of the Master Artist. More importantly, we need to thank Him for the beauty, the peace and serenity the color display creates within us. God deserves credit for splashing His vibrant colors throughout the world. Let’s give Him credit by worshiping Him.
God is the Creator of every living and non-living item on earth. He spent a whole six days making the world and everything in it. We are His greatest creation because we were formed specifically to fellowship and communicate with Him. Then, He placed all His other creations under us, to use, enjoy and care for them. (Genesis 1:30).
Repeatedly in Genesis after God had completed creation for the day, we are told, “And God saw that it was good” (Genesis 1:31). If God was pleased with all He made ought we not to be the first to praise Him? We could choose an item a day for which to give thanks and we would never exhaust the supply!
An awareness of God is all we need. Think of His contribution in our lives and put Him first in our thoughts, our thanks and our worship. As we admire the intricacy yet simple pleasures of a rose, we need to stop to thank God for His creation. Who else but God could create the softness and delicate rose petals with perfume that further attracts us to the bush? But then we discover the thorns, which protect the plant. God creates contrasts of beauty and harshness, softness and prickliness. God sprinkles wild flowers throughout the woods, marshes, and pastures of the world. He has created natural flower gardens for our pleasure and surprise.
What is lovelier than a baby’s soft skin and sweet smell? Children are a direct gift to us from the Heavenly Father, who treasures them. He further instructs us to have the faith of a child (Mark 10:13-16). Contrast the lovable baby with a formidable raging thunderstorm that rattles our bones, confuses our senses and demands our attention. When the storm is past, the earth smells refreshed and renewed. God is the Creator of all things great and beautiful.
God created vegetables, fruits, and all green plants (Genesis 1:29). He showed great imagination when He formed a cluster of grapes. A vineyard with thousands of clusters of grapes is a wonder to behold. Compare the rough exterior of a cantaloupe with the inner succulence. God’s humor is evident when we examine an ear of corn. Ever wonder how God so perfectly lines up those straight rows of corn? Consider the many textures of a tomato or the luscious taste of wild blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries occurring from God’s own nourishment and tender care.
God formed the tiniest one-cell animal and the hundred pounds of whale. The oceans are teeming with life for our use. Even the lowly seaweed has numerous uses in food manufacturing and processing. The lobster is a delicacy but quite an ugly-looking creature. It will never win a beauty contest even though it changes costumes mid-program!
The skies are the domain of the mighty eagle (Isaiah 40:32) and the midget hummingbird. It is a privilege to watch the flying abilities of each species. God has taught His creation to swim, hop, slither, fly, leap, and run. He matched all the stripes of a zebra and fashioned a carrying pouch for the mother kangaroo to cradle and transport her young. He provides sheep for wool, cows for milk, and the horse family as beasts of burden and for transportation for many cultures.
God is mighty and loving, creative, and protective. He fiercely loves and provides for His children. He is also a jealous God and craves our worship and admiration (Exodus 34:14). If we know a person who is an artist, a seamstress or a carpenter, we would not hesitate to compliment them for creative expression, original ideas, and work well done. It is time to sensitize our thoughts and words for the most excellent God, the only God in the universe. He has created the world and everything in it. Then, He does not abandon nor manipulate His creation for His benefit. He sacrifices His life and love for us, that we may live eternally. Let us “give credit where credit is due.” Keep God in your constant thoughts and thank Him at every opportunity for His love, greatness, and grace.
Thank you again, dear Pat! I know you’ll be as blessed as I am to have Pat’s book, Pure Joy. If you’re interested in purchasing a copy of Pure Joy, please let me know by commenting in the section below this post.
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Lord, you are my God;
I will exalt you and praise your name,
for in perfect faithfulness
you have done wonderful things,
things planned long ago. —Isaiah 25:1
Earlier this year, I shared with you that God gave me the word enough for 2013. I blogged about it here and here and will continue to do so whenever I read, write or come across something significant about this simple word.
Today I read this piece in Wayne Stiles’ blog, Connecting the Bible and Its Lands to Life and knew I needed to share it here. The emphasis on the word enough (just like this) is mine.
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Their request seemed like commonsense. But it wasn’t.
“Let this land be given to your servants as a possession,” the people of Reuben and Gad said to Moses, “do not take us across the Jordan” (Numbers 32:5).
(Photo: Land of Gilead, overlooking the Sea of Galilee. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)
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The tribes of Reuben and Gad had huge herds, and the land of Gilead and Jazer had lush pastures.
So they settled east of the Jordan River instead of crossing over into what God had promised.
Bad idea.
Their choice shows us why we should never settle for second best with God.
When God’s Best isn’t Good Enough
Rather than wait on the Lord and receive the best of what He had planned for them on the west side of the Jordan River, they settled for what they saw in front of them.
History bears the constant struggle these tribes would endure because they chose this land.
God’s best for us seldom comes immediately. But it’s always worth the wait. (Tweet that.)
How often have we run ahead of the Lord instead of waiting for His best?
Many people fail to see God work in their lives because they fail to wait on Him to supply.
Let us then look on what we have and give God thanks for it, and know that if we should have more, He would give more. —Richard Greenham
Why We Should Never Settle for Second Best with God
The Scriptures reveal the Lord can provide anything, anywhere, and at any moment:
God’s promise to provide frees us to concern ourselves only with obedience to Him. Never settle for second best with God.
What God wants to give us is always far better than what we want Him to give us. (Tweet that.)
We should never settle for second best because we only see today. God sees the implications for eternity.
The grass will always seem greener east of the Jordan.
But can God also not richly bless within His will?
Question: How have you experienced that waiting for God’s best pays off? You can leave a comment by clicking here.
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Beloved, have you ever ran ahead of God, thinking that your way was better than His? I have definitely been in that position at various times in my life and have finally learned [I hope!] to wait on God’s timing, trusting that He always knows what is best for me.
I pray you are as blessed by this as I was and I wish you enough.
Back in 2006, a few of my devotionals were published in an anthology titled Anytime Prayers for Everyday People. This is one of those devotionals.
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From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. —John 1:16-17, NRSV
Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. —2 Corinthians 4:16, MSG
The amazing grace of the Master, Jesus Christ, the extravagant love of God, the intimate friendship of the Holy Spirit, be with all of you. —2 Corinthians 13:15, MSG
If your life honors the name of Jesus, he will honor you. Grace is behind and through all of this, our God giving himself freely, the Master, Jesus Christ, giving himself freely. —2 Thessalonians 1:12, MSG
Most Compassionate God,
Where would I be without Your grace—full and free and wonderful? It picks up in the very spot where I leave off, tucker out, and finishes the job for me. When I’m too frail to do the right thing, Your grace gives me the boost I need to finish in the winner’s circle. When I find it impossible to forgive, to believe, to go on, Your grace shows me a way where there is no way. Your grace is more than amazing—it’s astonishing!
Lord, I want to thank You for Your grace. I heard somewhere that it stands for God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. I’ll never understand it, giving me so much when I’m so completely undeserving. I guess it’s pretty hard to explain.
Help me, Father, to find ways to pass along the message of Your grace to my friends and family. Some of them don’t know how much You love them. They’ve never experienced Your grace—even though it has always been there, poured out for them just as it was for me. Don’t let me miss even one opportunity, Lord, to pass on to others Your riches, purchased by Your precious Son.
Amen.
Grace comes into the soul, as the morning son into the world; first a dawning, then a light; and at last the sun in his full and excellent brightness. —Thomas Adams
[From Anytime Prayers for Everyday People. Copyright © 2006 Bordon-Winters LLC]
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Exactly one year ago today, I enjoyed a day completely free of pain. I know this because it was so remarkable that I made a note of it on my calendar. Why? So that I would be able to express my thankfulness to God—every year on this day—for that special, pain-free day in 2012.
And to remember that it is good for me to be thankful for everything in my life.
Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name. —Psalm 100:4
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Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe. —Hebrews 12:28
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While I’m in this thankful attitude, I’d like to update you a bit on my ongoing health issues. The new medication I started in December did absolutely nothing except make me feel worse, so I ended that trial run in mid-February. This is typically the way Rx meds work for me—they don’t! I believe that is part of the many sensitivities I have from FMS, which include light, sound and chemicals.
I was very discouraged by the failure of this medication, but more so because even though I was no longer taking it, I started feeling much worse—and I didn’t know that was even possible. Since last May, I have been eating gluten-free and dairy-free, and slowly discovered that I also cannot tolerate soy and peanuts. These foods cause extreme GI distress plus nauseous migraines.
My most recent gut-wrenching (literally) allergy discoveries were onions and garlic. Both my parents were born and raised in Italy and immigrated to the USA in the late 40′s. I was raised in an Italian household where tons of garlic and onions were included in the wonderful food Mom made for us. So I was very sad to have to give up these savory foods. How does one cook great Italian food without being able to add onions and garlic anyway?
Around that same time I had a very bad reaction to eating popped sorghum, which is very similar to popped corn but much better for me according to the glycemic index. And then I had a light bulb moment. I had been having several really bad days, so I searched through my food diary and realized I had eaten the popped sorghum for a snack two days in a row. And then on a hunch, I checked out the ingredients list of a crunchy cereal I have been eating practically every day since last May.When I saw that sorghum was the main ingredient, I knew I had been slowly poisoning my body with sorghum.
You see, sorghum flour is slightly sweet and a good addition to many gluten-free foods and baking mixes, and I had been adding a crunchy sorghum cereal to my regular cereal—I absolutely love me some major crunch in my cereal!
Most people who have to eat gluten-free can easily tolerate sorghum, but apparently not yours truly. I like to have cereal for breakfast because it is easy and doesn’t require any cooking—a must for this definitely UN-morning person! And the only time I vary that routine is if I’m away from home, which is not that often.
So I had been consuming some sorghum almost every single day for a good 10 months! Plus I had eaten the popped sorghum as a snack for several days in a row.
My body was absolutely rebelling, and now I know why.
It has been about 3 weeks since I stopped eating any kind of sorghum and I had to give away about a dozen different gluten-free baking mixes that contain sorghum. BUT what a huge improvement in how I feel! I still have migraines when we’re experiencing a nasty weather front up here in the mountains, but my energy level is improving and I am not sleeping as much of my life away these days.
I’m starting to feel like I have the “new normal” me back—you know, the one with those chronic illnesses but who is still able to get through most of my days without feeling like I am constantly being run over by a semi.
Thank You, Lord!
Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. —1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Beloved, how about you? What are you thankful for today?
As we end this special month of acknowledging the Father’s unending love for us, please watch and listen to this wonderful video, How He Loves Us, by the David Crowder Band.
Beloved, did you find your eyes leaking as you focused on the awesome words? I know mine did—and do—every time I hear it!
I am a lover and follower of Jesus Christ and live in northern Arizona with my husband, Rick. I am blessed to say that Rick and I are at the bottom corners of a triangle where Jesus sits at the top corner.
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