As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. 5 No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. 6 I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you.

Genesis 17: 4

According to my concordance, “Abraham” literally means “exalted father.” Yet when when God promised Abram that he would make him the father of nations, I can only imagine what Abram must have thought. He was a faith-filled man. He trusted God. He’d left his home and family to travel where he was told to go, and he’d expectantly waited for he and his wife Sarai, to have children. Years had gone by. The new land, they’d found. But this? Thus just seemed impossible!

Yet his faith prompted him to wait on God, to eagerly anticipate the fulfillment of the promise, even to the extent of becoming circumcised at the age of 99, along with every male in his household, as a sign of the covenant God had made with him.

God’s promise to Abram, now Abraham, wasn’t fulfilled right away. The vision took years before all of the pieces were in place for Isaac to be born. Yet God was at work, fulfilling his promise during all of that time, and Abraham did his best to remain faithful during the wait. [Read more…]

I wanted to write this month about new life, about rebirth. As we’ve already mentioned, it’s Carol’s birthday this week. And life is something to be celebrated, not just once a year, but every day. It’s when we wait to say how much someone means to us that we risk the possibility of waiting too long.

Yet, as I was doing my research for this devotional, I was reflect on the winery that I enjoy working at. I know I’ve mentioned this before, but there’s powerful imagery here that I’m still dwelling on, hoping it will shape itself into some kind of coherent teaching lesson or article. Who knows?

Many of us are familiar with John 15:5. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

Less familiar, perhaps, are the verses that lead up to it. In it, Jesus talks about the work of the gardener, before the vine can bear fruit. I know from firsthand experience that when a new vine is planted, it goes through many difficulties that must feel unnatural to it. [Read more…]

Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them. But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. I will say, “Salvation comes from the Lord.”

Jonah 2:8-10

The recurring theme of the day yesterday seemed to always come back to gratitude. Early in the day, I was asked, “How do you create and maintain optimism?” This led me to reflect on my own practices that give me encouragement and hope, all of which stem from seeking God’s leading for my life and this day.

Later in the day, I was again, “What’s one piece of spiritual wisdom you’ve learned from times of difficulty?” It’s to be aware of all of the blessings He’s given to me. Sometimes they seem small and inconsequential, and yet they can still be deeply touching once you stop and actually see them.

I had a friend who died years ago. Some of you will remember him from this church. His name was Rudy Gerger. Rudy always had a song in his heart and a smile on his face, and almost every conversation with him ended with “Have a grateful day.” His words still echo regularly through my ears. I even sometimes take a chance and use his signature parting words. [Read more…]

Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.

Proverbs 19:21

I’m all for planning.

When I work with my clients, we create plans. Marketing plans. Editorial calendars. Content strategies. Sales projections. Lots and lots of plans.

As a Mom, I find myself doing the same thing. Who needs to be where, and when? How will I manage to be 3 places at once, or who’s drawing the short end of the stick this time?

It’s always something… My ever-growing To Do lists reflect that.

I’ve actually begun to nervously wonder if the next time I update my will I should leave at least one or two of them to someone; just to make sure they don’t get forgotten. [Read more…]

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28

Have you ever felt like God is trying to get your attention? Perhaps you keep hearing the same phrase, or having different people tell you the same thing. Or maybe, during your prayer time, it seems like God keeps telling you something that you’re just on the verge of understanding, but not quite there yet.

I’ve been going through some tough things recently. It seems like there’s never enough money in the bank, time in the day, gas in the car, food in the fridge… Well, you get the idea… There’s just one of me and suddenly way too many things clamoring for my attention.

At the same time, I have one teenager who’s been conscientiously reminding me that there are only 18 more months until she leaves home for school. And there are so many things I still want to teach her before she launches out into the big wide world.

Then there’s my son’s upcoming birthday. I’m seeing him become a young man before my very eyes, and wondering whether I’ve taught him enough to be a good husband to someone some day, or what’s missing that his future wife will lament I never taught him? [Read more…]

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:13-14

As with the start of any new year, we tend to focus on New Year’s resolutions. What are the goals we want to set for the year ahead? What will it take to get there?

As writers, do we even have resolutions? The inspiration for today’s devotional comes from Paul’s statement to the Philippians about pressing on toward the goal.

In each one of our hearts, God has placed thoughts, inspiration, and wisdom. His intent is for us to share what He’s teaching us and what we’ve learned. But if we don’t take the time to write down what He’s sharing with us, it may be lost forever. As time passes and we grow older, memories of days gone by fade and lose their meaning. [Read more…]