Category: Devotion

Chaos can drive us crazy.  When all seems out of our control, it can be frustrating and debilitating.  We don’t know what to do with it all.  We seek out things to control – anything that will help us regain the sense that it is not all unraveling.  Chaos leads to decisions which are rushed and not always the best.  Anger seems to surface to unleash the fear.  Our minds tell us we are a victim and there is nothing we can do.  Our bodies react to the stories we tell ourselves.  We either feel defeated or we come out fighting.  Either can be destructive.

What do we do when chaos ensues?  It always seems to show up at the most inopportune times.  We are often unprepared.  We are taken by surprise and all we know to do is react.  But what if the point of life is not control?  What if we readily relinquish control to the One who is the Creator of it all?   What if, instead of reacting, we prepare by learning to give over control to the only One who can actually bring all back into order?  Could it be that in the process we realize we were never in control of anything anyway?  We might just understand we had a false sense of security in things rather than finding true security in God.  

It’s difficult – I’m the first to admit.  And this doesn’t mean we give up our sense of responsibility.  There are things to do.  We are here for a purpose.  We are not a mistake nor are we a failure.  We are children of the Most High God.  That alone gives us enough purpose to move forward.  But it seems to me we could rest better and function more adequately if we stop trying to control things and follow the leading of God.  I always try to remember I cannot control anyone but myself.  And maybe, the answer is for me to give myself to God – he created me and certainly knows what is best.  Maybe giving up control doesn’t lead to chaos.  Maybe it leads to peace when the control is given to God.  

Matthew 7

⁹ Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for bread, will give a stone? ¹⁰ Or if the child asks for a fish, will give a snake? ¹¹ If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

Worry can consume us.  It happens without us even realizing it.  We are fine, moving forward, and BAM – it hits us.  We can often worry about things which we have no control.  I find that is most often the case.  If I could control it, I would.  But since it is out of my control, my next progression is to worry.  Even those times when I tell myself I will not worry about something, it creeps in.  It is in the back of my mind.  It shows up in my sleep.  Before I know it, I feel it in my body.  It tires us out.  It drains our mental energy.  Most of all, it steals our joy.  

It would be easy to just say – stop worrying.  That isn’t helpful.  I also hear that worrying is a lack of faith.  That is also not helpful – it can just make someone worry about not having enough faith.  It is difficult to “give it to God” because it is something we cannot control.  It seeps back in as soon as we give it up.  But what about gratitude?  

Gratitude seems to begin to change things – even if it is ever so slight.  When we begin to remind ourselves of the things which we are grateful, it causes us to change our view.  We begin to seek the good.  Joy seems to fill our hearts despite our circumstances.  Don’t get me wrong – it is not a quick fix.  It is also not the absolute answer to everything.  But there is something about gratitude which causes us to shift – to experience life differently.  Maybe that’s why Paul writes for us to give thanks in all circumstances.  It isn’t so much we give thanks FOR the circumstance.  Rather, it is a way of redirecting our thoughts away from the circumstance that is consuming us.  Maybe the key to battling worry is gratefulness.  Is there something you can live grateful for today?

I Thessalonians 5

¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

As you rise from bed this morning, there is a gift which awaits.  It is more than you can imagine and yet, passed by most every single day.  There is so much potential in this gift – more than any of us realize.  We are reluctant to consider this a gift – feeling this can be more of a burden some days.  Yet, there is so much brimming to the surface, just waiting to be reached.  The gift?  The gift is staring you in the mirror.  The gift is YOU.

You are God’s gift.  He created you with amazing talents.  He only created one of you.  You are uniquely and wonderfully made.  He sees more potential in you than you could ever imagine.  He knows your heart.  He knows your abilities.  He also knows your fears, your worries, and your anxieties.  He sees the good in you, even if you don’t see it in yourself.  He doesn’t see a mistake.  Instead, he sees the gift you are and how you are growing and learning.  He sees just how extraordinary you really are.

We often just see wrinkles and scars, weight and bad hair.  We are blinded by our failures.  We see all the times we have failed.  God sees how many times we have risen.  We can easily fail to see the beauty.  It begins on the surface but sinks all the way down deep in our core.  We are beautifully made.  God sees us as his child.  He sees the good.  

What if we took just a moment to see ourselves as God does?  What if we saw the potential rather than the limitations?  What if we saw the beauty rather than the imperfections?  What if we saw ourselves as his beloved rather than the outcast?  May God give you eyes to see just how amazing you really are.  May he show you how much you are loved.  May you realize YOU are the gift.  

1 Corinthians 15

⁵⁷ But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁵⁸ Therefore, my beloved, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

Psalm 139

¹³ For it was you who formed my inward parts;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
    Wonderful are your works;
that I know very well.

There are times when we are in such distress and despair that words of hope do not resonate.  They do not sink in.  We are not in a place to hear them and accept them.  Hope can feel so very far away – maybe even non-existent.  It doesn’t mean the search has ended – we all, in some way, are looking for it.  We want to live hopeful.  We want to feel there is some sense of hope still to be found.  But to just read it can fall short – our heart may not be in a place to accept the gift.  

And yet, we can experience hope in others.  We can see it in them.  We want that hope.  We want to know where it can be found.  It isn’t that the other person has it all together.  It isn’t that their life is perfect.  It’s often quite the opposite.  We see their life actually in shambles and yet…there is something there.  There is glimmer of light which we crave.  We are not envious or jealous of the other.  We simply want to observe.  What is it that keeps them going?  What do they see that we cannot see in our current pain?  

The key is often an experience with hope.  The reminder that this is not the end.  There is good.  There still is joy to be lived.  There is a promise of peace.  There really is hope.  Good is still out there.  Good is still in here.  We are not alone.  This path does not define us.  Can you see the hope?  

Here are some places where I am reminded of the hope deep within (sometimes so deep it takes seeing it in another to really know it is still there).  Hope is still here:

Psalm 33

²² Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us,
    even as we hope in you.

Psalm 42

⁵ Why are you cast down, O my soul,
    and why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
    my help ⁶ and my God.

Psalm 62

⁵ For God alone my soul waits in silence,
    for my hope is from him.
⁶ He alone is my rock and my salvation,
    my fortress; I shall not be shaken.

Psalm 71

¹⁴ But I will hope continually,
    and will praise you yet more and more.

Psalm 130

⁵ I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
    and in his word I hope;
⁶ my soul waits for the Lord
    more than those who watch for the morning,
    more than those who watch for the morning.

We can easily get caught up in the difficulties of life.  We need to do challenging things.  We have to push ourselves outside of our comfort zones.  The path is rarely easy.  For those who struggle with anxiety (and even for some who don’t), the solution seems to be to hide – to tap out – to simply pretend it all doesn’t exist. Some go on vacation.  Some call in sick.  Some drink or smoke or do drugs.  The pressures can seem so heavy.

We cannot escape the hard things of life.  We cannot avoid all of the challenges.  None of us get to live an anxiety free life.  But what if we knew beyond any doubt that we were not in this alone?  What if we knew – like really knew – the things we faced we could conquer?  What if we approached the challenge knowing we may not win but we would not be destroyed?  What if we simply woke up knowing that God was with us – no matter what?  Would it change things if we knew God was by our side?  Would it give us more confidence if we knew that the Creator of the Universe was walking with US?  

You might guess I would tell you that he is – God is with us – God does not leave us – God is by our side.  We don’t often live like it though.  We try to go it alone.  We allow the weight of the world to drag us down.  We get caught in the cycle of difficulties and cannot see our way out.  It even happens to us as believers.  It happens to the most faithful of us.  I think it helps to be reminded of a few of the things God says.  We may not be able to take them in right now.  We may not be in a place we believe these things.  But reading/hearing them can begin to plant a seed inside of us – and when we least expect it, it grows and then God shows up and shows off.  I love it when he does this.  Do it again, God…Do it again.

Here are just a few:

-John 14:27, “²⁷ Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.”

-Psalm 27:1, “¹ The Lord is my light and my salvation;
    whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
    of whom shall I be afraid?”

-Joshua 1:9, “⁹ I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

-Matthew 28:20b, “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

God with us – Emmanuel.  What is such a powerful reminder as we travel the journey of life.  We face many challenges.  We come up against mountains we must traverse and rivers we must swim.  Sometimes we do this with grace and dignity.  Sometimes we are a complete and total mess.  But we always find ourselves traveling with God.  He promises us that he will not leave us.  He has given us his Spirit to guide us (when we listen).  He has shown us he has not forgotten us.  

This devotional series has been about paying attention.  It has been an invitation to see God among us.  If indeed he is with us, we should be able to notice.  But we instead pay attention to our wants and desires.  We miss him – right before our own eyes.  He has provided so much beauty among the heartache.  He has provided so much love in the midst of hatred.  He has held us tight when we have fallen apart.  He has held up our heads when we were beat down.  He is with us – have you seen him?

My Dad’s favorite Psalm is 139.  I think it is only appropriate to end this series with this Psalm he loved so much.  While the entire Psalm speaks volumes, there is a particular verse that draws my attention today (verse 7).  The Psalmist asks where he can go from God’s spirit.  Where can he flee from God’s presence?  His conclusion throughout the Psalm is that God is everywhere and he can go nowhere that God is not.  God with us – Emmanuel.  This is our reminder he is among us – pay attention.  He has given us so much beauty to behold – pay attention.  He has provided us so many good things – don’t miss it!  

God loves you more than you can possibly imagine.  He loves you in spite of yourself.  He loves with an unexplainable, unconditional love that set us free – free to live an abundant life.  We are, after all, God’s beloved.  Look around you, there are signs everywhere.  God is here, among us.

Focus Scripture:

Psalm 139

¹ O Lord, you have searched me and known me.
² You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
    you discern my thoughts from far away.
³ You search out my path and my lying down,
    and are acquainted with all my ways.
⁴ Even before a word is on my tongue,
    O Lord, you know it completely.
⁵ You hem me in, behind and before,
    and lay your hand upon me.
⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
    it is so high that I cannot attain it.

⁷ Where can I go from your spirit?
    Or where can I flee from your presence?
⁸ If I ascend to heaven, you are there;
    if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
⁹ If I take the wings of the morning
    and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
¹⁰ even there your hand shall lead me,
    and your right hand shall hold me fast.
¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
    and the light around me become night,”
¹² even the darkness is not dark to you;
    the night is as bright as the day,
    for darkness is as light to you.

¹³ For it was you who formed my inward parts;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
    Wonderful are your works;
that I know very well.
¹⁵     My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
    intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶ Your eyes beheld my unformed substance.
In your book were written
    all the days that were formed for me,
    when none of them as yet existed.
¹⁷ How weighty to me are your thoughts, O God!
    How vast is the sum of them!
¹⁸ I try to count them—they are more than the sand;
    I come to the end—I am still with you.

¹⁹ O that you would kill the wicked, O God,
    and that the bloodthirsty would depart from me—
²⁰ those who speak of you maliciously,
    and lift themselves up against you for evil! 
²¹ Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord?
    And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?
²² I hate them with perfect hatred;
    I count them my enemies.
²³ Search me, O God, and know my heart;
    test me and know my thoughts.
²⁴ See if there is any wicked way in me,
    and lead me in the way everlasting.

Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery.  Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery

It can be easier to help than ask for help.  Many find it most challenging to seek others when they are in the most need.  When we are falling, we don’t want to be in that place so it is difficult.  It is difficult to ask for help.  It is difficult to admit we need help.  It can be a vulnerable time and there are many who simply struggle to seek what is needed.  And I find that those who help others the most are those who have the most difficult time asking for help.  When they fall, they fall hard because they are not willing to seek others.  

This Psalm (145) reminds me God understands.  He knows our hearts.  He knows how challenging it is for us.  He also knows how hard we fall.  He sees us struggle.  He hears our cries.  And the Psalmist writes of how he holds us up.  God carries us forward.  It isn’t pretty.  It is often really humbling.  It is not where any of us would choose to be.  But God does not forsake us.  He upholds us.  He loves on us.  He will not leave us to suffer alone.  Even in our stubbornness, he gets it.  

When you find yourself falling, do not be ashamed.  Do not suffer alone.  Do not give up.  God is here.  He is here to lift us up.  He is here to carry us until we can get back on our feet.  He will guide our steps.  Call upon the name of the Lord – he hears our cries.  

Focus Scripture:

Psalm 145:14

¹⁴ The Lord upholds all who are falling,
    and raises up all who are bowed down.

Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery.  Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery

We are given instruction to lift our heads – to lift our eyes.  We look to the hills, that is where our help comes from.  We lift up our eyes to see the heavens.  When we pick up our head, we can see all the beauty around.  When our eyes are lifted, they can seek God.  We are looking at God’s good creation.  We see his handiwork.  We understand that God is still doing the work of making things good, despite our destructive ways.  When we plant, we are working with God, participating in the act of creation.  We see God in a completely different way, head lifted, eyes looking to him.  God is at work and we have the joy of being able to experience this.  

Often, our heads are down when we are worried or anxious.  Our heads are down in shame or fear.  We lift our heads when we want to truly see.  I think of what Bob Goff teaches when he is helping people understand how to love.  He says something like – keep your head on a swivel.  Always be aware of what is around, look for where God is at work and get involved in that.

Today, pick your head up, there is beauty to behold.  Lift your eyes, God is at work.  See what amazing things God has for us.  Our help really does come from the Lord – the maker of the heavens and the earth.

Focus Scripture:

Psalm 121:1-2

¹ I lift up my eyes to the hills—
    from where will my help come?
² My help comes from the Lord,
    who made heaven and earth.

Psalm 123:1

To you I lift up my eyes,
    O you who are enthroned in the heavens!

Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery.  Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery

I was searching, looking everywhere.  I had the light shining just right so I would find it.  I backed up and tried looking from different angles.  It was frustrating to just be still and look so intently.  How could it have gone far?  It was just in my hand.  Now, it is small, so it is a little challenging to see.  The main problem is I need the very thing I am looking for to find it.  I dropped my contact.  Now that’s a predicament.  

I need my contacts to see but I dropped the thing that helps me to see.  You would think a small contact would just fall straight down.  It doesn’t.  It seems to float and land in the most inconspicuous places.  I have found them on my shirt, on Wendy’s sink, and the best – on my hand.  This one I finally found on the bottom side of the faucet.  I still don’t know how it got there – but I found it.  The exciting part is I found it before it dried.  Your window for searching is fairly small because once it dries, it cracks and then is useless.  So my morning began with the search for the missing contact…without contacts to see.  

I wonder how many times we search for things that are hidden right in front of us?  I think this happens more than we might imagine.  We seek but we really cannot see because our view is distorted.  God is taking care of us and providing for us but we see it as the work of our own hands.  God rescues and redeems but we discount the miracle.  God loves on us but we push him away because we feel unworthy.  We are given so many gifts all around us.  We don’t find them because we seek blindly.  We don’t really look because we have limited what God can do in our minds.  We don’t find because we expect one thing and God has provided something completely different – something way better.  

What do you seek this morning?  Maybe we look for where God is working.  We just might find he is with us through it all when we seek him with all our heart. 

Focus Scripture:

Deuteronomy 4:29-30

²⁹ From there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find him if you search after him with all your heart and soul. ³⁰ In your distress, when all these things have happened to you in time to come, you will return to the Lord your God and heed him.

Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery.  Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery

You may not have noticed.  It is easy to miss, even for the most observant.  It often takes the vivid, the most brilliant, to attract our attention.  I would have missed it because I was inside the house watching TV.  I didn’t even know what was going on until I got the call.

Last night, my mom called and asked me to look outside.  I interpreted that to mean something was wrong.  I just knew there was something bad happening that I needed my help.  But that wasn’t the case at all.  She told me to go look out the front door.  Our living room is in the back of our house so I see the morning sun peeping in.  So I would have never noticed something in the front.  I ventured onto the front porch and there it was – the most beautiful sky filled with colors of purple, orange, red and every variant in between.  It was magnificent.  She was right – it was worth seeing.  As you probably know, these only last for a few moments.  I tried capturing them on my phone but the photos simply do not portray the breathtaking beauty of being there.  David Cain is great at capturing these moments – but not me.  So I welcomed the indescribable sunset to wash over me.

We are doing this life together.  We forget this.  We get caught up in our own lives and we forget we are not alone in this.  We are experiencing God together.  He has made us for each other – to be in community.  He wants us to work together and serve him using our own gifts.  How many times do we experience God and not share?  We may not even think it is all that important.  But when we bring someone else along on our journey of seeing God, we experience life in a whole new way.  

Today, maybe we help someone else to see what we see.  Maybe we help someone else find the love of God in the unexpected.  Maybe we just point out what is going on that amazes us.  It could be just what is needed. We are in this together.  

Focus Scripture:

Psalm 27:8

⁸ “Come,” my heart says, “seek his face!”
    Your face, Lord, do I seek.

Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery.  Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery