By Mariah Strong (WITHIN Devotional Writer)
​Something that we often hear asked is: “Why do bad things happen to good people?” I don’t pretend to fully know the answer, but I will certainly share where I believe the Holy Spirit led me in my searching. 

Fallen World. 
The story of Adam and Eve is where we can begin. God created the world-- the light, the lands and seas, living creatures and living beings. All were created to show forth the goodness of God and to demonstrate His glory.  As many know, God gave clear instruction to partake in the fruit of the land, excluding the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The adversary showed up and ultimately caused Adam and Eve to sin, going against God's original design and plan. From that, sin or evil entered into the world and will remain until the return of Jesus Christ. (Genesis 3)

Display of God’s Glory.
In John chapter 11, a friend of Jesus, Lazarus had fallen sick to the point of death. Jesus was notified a couple days earlier that Lazarus was extremely sick as his sisters had sent a message to Jesus, yet He delayed His arrival. By the time He had arrived, Lazarus had been in the tomb for 4 days - 4 DAYS! Despite the doubt and sorrow surrounding Lazarus’ death, Jesus called Lazarus from his grave and he regained life and walked out of the grave. Jesus told them before the miracle occurred that it would be done for the glory of God and that the Son of God would be glorified. 

So, where does that leave us? I’m glad you asked?

As believers, we will have to still endure the ills of this world in one way or another (John 16:33), yet as believers we have access to God who is able to help us escape or endure the challenges that we will face (1 Corinthians 10:13). Knowing that, I choose to find glimpses of God in the midst of the darkness, for light will always blot out the darkness. I will not allow this world to distract me from seeing the goodness of God!

What if challenges came to show us that God is still fighting for us?
 
What if struggles came to show us that in our weakness His strength is made perfect?
 
What if all of these things have come, one at a time or all together, to make room for God to reveal a different dimension of who He not only is, but who He desires to be in our lives? Present help, Provider, Way-Maker, Healer, Mind-Regulator, Peace, and most of all Father. 

I find that in the seasons of my greatest challenges, opportunities present themselves for me to not only read about an attribute of Our Father, but for me to tangibly experience His goodness. So, when the opportunity comes for me to share His story I can share, not only from what I’ve read, but from what I have experienced and come to know to be true.  
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The weekly devotionals seek to encourage you to dig deeper into Scripture as you take the time to daily read, meditate, and internalize the verses in the devotional, along with the passages provided below to give greater context. Take the time to read them throughout the week (repetition is important) and ask the Holy Spirit to help you grasp what God is showing you about Himself, about you, and how to live in light of these truths. 

Passages to read/memorize/meditate:
Genesis 3
John 16:33
1 Corinthians 10:13
Psalm 34:18
Isaiah 25:4
Isaiah 26:3
Philippians 4:19
Questions to Reflect on:

1. In what ways has God demonstrated His goodness to you?
2. How can you allow challenging situations to push you closer to God?
3. How can we share the goodness of God in our lives to bring hope to others?

By Anna Pempeh (WITHIN Devotional Writer)

​“In those days Hezekiah became terminally ill. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz came and said to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Set your house in order, for you are about to die; you will not recover.’ Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord. He said, Please, Lord, remember how I have walked before you faithfully and wholeheartedly, and have done what pleases you. And Hezekiah wept bitterly. Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah: ‘go and tell Hezekiah, This is what the Lord God of your ancestor David says: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Look I am going to add fifteen years to your life”
Isaiah 38:1-5
​
In a conversation with my small group at church recently, we pondered the question, “How do we renew our minds and put off sinful attitudes/actions (Colossians 3) in order to put on the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5)?” One sister bought up looking at the examples of faithful saints of old who show us examples of this very thing. I have been wrestling with what unencumbered, trusting faith looks like practically and this made me think about Hezekiah in Isaiah 37 - 38.
 
In Isaiah 37, Hezekiah prays that God would save Israel from King Sennacherib of Assyria. He appeals to the Lord to save them “so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you Lord, are God - you alone” (Isaiah 37:20). Once again, in Isaiah 38, Hezekiah prays to God to spare his life and God answers. Hezekiah, in both instances, exhibits faith that is rooted in knowledge of who God is, and faith that is aware of His power, faithfulness, and tender care. And this tender care is where I want to sit. We often can approach God well aware of His power but forgetful of the love He not only exhibited in the cross, but still does through His nearness-- especially seen in His Word and experienced in prayer.
 
Hezekiah’s faith in Isaiah 37 and 38 shows a saint responding twice to tension, temptation, distress, and affliction with a simple firm faith of dependence. Crying out to God in prayer is where he “[turns] his face.”  I long to turn to and run to God - our Abba Father -  more like this! Hezekiah prays honestly and desperately!
 
My Tony Evans study Bible has a “hope word” here that says, “prayer is relational communication with God.” And though it seems simple enough to admit, I often forget God is El Roi - the God who sees; and I can find myself  treating Him as though His heart is weak and blind as mine; trying to hide my groans and feigning fear as if He is not the all- knowing, sustaining, Creator God - already aware of my struggles.
 
Sisters, when we abide in a place of intimacy with our Father in heaven through prayer, our identities are informed by our status as children of God, and we are empowered to operate in a greater measure of faith.  And we learn this in the trials we face the most. We can take comfort in God’s response to Hezekiah, “I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Look I am going to add fifteen years to your life” (Isaiah 38:5).
 
God is concerned with the intimate details of our lives and our pain. Psalm 56:8 says “you yourself have recorded my wanderings. Put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?” How amazing is this? God is aware of our suffering and ultimately took on humanity and suffered in our place! We know Christ sympathizes with our weakness (Hebrews 4:16). This is beautiful - our faith is strongest when we see the depth of our weakness and need; and because of Christ’s work on the cross we can cry out before God, in bold desperation to find fresh mercy and grace in our times of need.

Sisters, our hope rests, not in the tests of our faith being removed, but because our God is faithful and he delights for his children to pour out their hearts as He works out His divine purposes.
 
We can pray that God would show himself strong over every stronghold that threatens to shake our faith because we know He who holds us fast will never be shaken! Know this sisters- God hears and responds to our prayers and He will sustain us by His Word (Isaiah 50:4).
 
Let us rejoice and delight in this truth and take comfort in who our God is! He sees us, He listens, and no tear goes unnoticed. Most importantly he is near and we get to commune with him.
 
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The weekly devotionals seek to encourage you to dig deeper into Scripture as you take the time to daily read, meditate, and internalize the verses in the devotional, along with the passages provided below to give greater context. Take the time to read them throughout the week (repetition is important) and ask the Holy Spirit to help you grasp what God is showing you about Himself, about you, and how to live in light of these truths. 

Passages to read/memorize/meditate:
Psalm 9:9-10
Psalm 32:7-8
Proverbs 18:10
Ecclesiastes 3:14
Isaiah 26:3-4
Isaiah 40
Isaiah 50:4
John 15
1 Peter 5:6-11
Hebrews 4:4-16
Questions to Reflect on:

1. Are there any barriers in your life preventing you from praying to God like Hezekiah- aware of your desperate need for God?
2. Mark Vroegop, pastor & author of “Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy: Discovering the Grace of Lament,” defines lament as “a prayer in pain that leads to trust.” How does this definition reshape the intimacy of our prayer language with God?
3. What practical ways can you make more space in your life to be more intentional about time in prayer?

By Diana Rose (WITHIN Devotional Writer)And they remembered His words,” -Luke 24:8 ​

We will always remember 2020. The pandemic, the fires, the school closures and distance learning, the headlines and the heartaches. Every single one of us has been profoundly affected by the events of this year. How do we move forward and recover? 

Everyone everywhere is adjusting, doing what they can in their personal microcosm to establish a new normal . Our current reality looks nothing like it did prior to March, so where do we start? Michael Jackson said it best, start “with the man in the mirror.” 

2020 may be the setting I find myself living in but I am not my circumstances. Grief, anger, and fear may be the initial response of my heart but I am not my emotions. The media, the government and my peers may occasionally attract my attention but I am not defined by the world. 

As a child of God I am liberated by Christ to find my hope, my peace, and my identity in Him. Jesus gave His perfect, sinless life to redeem my broken and dying soul. Out of His abundant grace He calls me to continually remember Him, His good works, and His precious promises. 

In every circumstance, through every emotion, in every relationship, and through every season I must first remember God, remember what He has done, and remind myself of what He has promised to do. Secondly, I must remember who I am in Christ. 

 When I have an identity crisis, I remember: 
“and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” -1 Corinthians 11:24 

When I am alone, I remember: 
“Remember these things, O Jacob, (insert your name) 
And Israel, for you are My servant; 
I have formed you, you are My servant, 
O Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me.” -Isaiah 44:21 
When I am exhausted, I remember: 
“When I remember You on my bed, 
I meditate on You in the night watches,
For You have been my help, 
And in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy. 
My soul clings to You; 
Your right hand upholds me.” -Psalm 63: 6-8 

When I am afraid, I remember: 
“When I saw their fear, I rose and spoke to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people: “Do not be afraid of them; remember the Lord who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives and your houses.”” -Nehemiah 4:14 

When I am grieved, I remember: 
“This I recall to my mind, 
Therefore I have hope. 
The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, 
For His compassions never fail. 
They are new every morning; 
Great is Your faithfulness. 
“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, 
“Therefore I have hope in Him.” -Lamentations 3:21-24 

When I am depressed, I remember: 
“Why are you in despair, O my soul? 
And why have you become disturbed within me? 
Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him 
For the help of His presence. 
O my God, my soul is in despair within me; 
Therefore I remember You from the land of the Jordan 
And the peaks of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.” Psalm 42:5-6 

When I am tempted, I remember: 
“Remember Lot's wife.” -Luke 17:32 
“O Lord, I remember Your name in the night, 
And keep Your law.” Psalm 119:55 

When I sin, I remember: 
“Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for the sake of your goodness, O Lord!” Psalm 25:7 

When I am tested, I remember:
“And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not.” -Deuteronomy 8:2 

When I am weak in faith, I remember: 
“Remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me,” Isaiah 46:9 

“Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith.” -Hebrews 13:7 

Prayer: Lord help me to remember all the great things you have done, and please forgive me for the times I forget your lovingkindness and faithfulness. Lord keep me in your word that I would be filled with remembrance of you and your great and precious promises. In Jesus name amen. 
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The weekly devotionals seek to encourage you to dig deeper into Scripture as you take the time to daily read, meditate, and internalize the verses in the devotional, along with the passages provided below to give greater context. Take the time to read them throughout the week (repetition is important) and ask the Holy Spirit to help you grasp what God is showing you about Himself, about you, and how to live in light of these truths. 

Passages to read/memorize/meditate:
1 Corinthians 11:24 
Hebrews 13:7 
Isaiah 46:9 
Deuteronomy 8:2 
Psalm 25:7 
Psalm 119:55 
Luke 17:32 
Psalm 42:5-6 
Lamentations 3:21-24 
Nehemiah 4:14 
Psalm 63: 6-8 
Isaiah 44:21 
Questions to Reflect on:
1. Under which circumstances are you more prone to forget what the Bible calls you to remember? 
2. How will remembering God and what He has done for you bless you today?

By Debbie Ramamoorthy (WITHIN Devotional Writer)

What does Mercy mean to you? I did a quick google search of the biblical meaning of Mercy and words such as: compassion, kindness, pity and love that requires nothing in return, came up.
 
In Matthew 9:13, Jesus had just finished calling Matthew to follow Him. This created tension with the Pharisees, who saw that not only had Jesus called Matthew, who was a tax collector, but He was sitting, reclining and eating with tax collectors and sinners! The Pharisees questioned all of what they were seeing, asking, "why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" (Matthew 9:11). A part of Jesus' response to the Pharisees was, "... I desire mercy, and not sacrifice. For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners." Which is why I started by asking, what is this “mercy” that Jesus is asking of us?
 
In the days that we live in, filled with fear of the pandemic, civil unrest in the US, losses, sickness and more, our identity and role as believers of Jesus takes on an entirely different perspective from the world. When most are turning inwards, we are to turn outwardly. And this is where mercy comes in.
 
Mercy is actually entering into those spaces of action and proactiveness. Mercy is about inviting in the discomfort and the unknowns. Mercy is less about doing more but about hearing from our Heavenly Father. Mercy requires sitting at the feet of Jesus and surrendering our ways to Him and asking Him to move us with His Spirit.
 
Tangibly, what does this look like? Sitting and eating with sinners and tax collectors. And there is so much I have yet to learn, but amidst the little that I am certain of, it's this: The more you sit with those who are different, unfamiliar and maybe even, a little scary, the easier it is to love them. The more you hear one's story, the easier it is to bring them in. The more you reach out and invite the unknown into your familiar, the easier it is to bridge those gaps.
 
I am currently living outside of my home country in the Amazon Jungle, in South America. When people initially hear this, some of their instinctual thoughts are, "wow! What a sacrifice!" It's almost as if simply living here is the work done. What they don't know is that it’s just the beginning.
 
The sacrifice is not living here, in this beautiful country, amidst the incredible people. Obedience to Jesus in following Him here is not about being far away from family, being unemployed (thanks COVID!), never being able to see about 2-3 months ahead of me, living across oceans from my people and community, or not getting to go visit family once every year or two (if even).
 
Jesus isn't seeing whether or not I will go and check a box saying, "yes, I sacrificed, my work is done." Nor does He desire for us to think that He owes us anything just because we aren't getting what we may have initially mapped out for our lives!
No, Jesus desires Mercy! And mercy is seeing sacrifice as simply the starting point to actually acting out mercy. Sacrifice is our awareness of what we have given up. And that's just leading to the path that Jesus is paving out for us to live out mercy. We are often acutely aware of everything we are giving up and see that as sacrifice and all that Jesus wants for us.
 
Sacrifice isn't the starting and end point. Mercy is recognizing that Jesus Himself spent most of His ministry on Earth alone, making His disciples His family. He spent most of His time misunderstood, mistreated, questioned, doubted, and probably exhausted. Yet, He continued to walk amongst the sinners, the tax collectors, the ones who didn't think like Him, rejected Him and often even spited Him. Yet, He not only walked with sinners, He died and rose again to wipe away their sin for those very same sinners. 
 
So, my encouragement to you sisters is this: Mercy is simple. It's compassion. It's extending an arm out to those we probably wouldn't want to. It's inviting in those we probably would overlook. It's praying for those we probably wouldn't think twice about. Mercy is tangible. Mercy is what our Heavenly Father desires of us. Let's seek Him and ask Him what mercy looks like in our day to day life! 
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The weekly devotionals seek to encourage you to dig deeper into Scripture as you take the time to daily read, meditate, and internalize the verses in the devotional, along with the passages provided below to give greater context. Take the time to read them throughout the week (repetition is important) and ask the Holy Spirit to help you grasp what God is showing you about Himself, about you, and how to live in light of these truths. 

Passages to read/memorize/meditate:
Matthew 9:13
1 Samuel 24:14
Psalm 145:9


Questions to Reflect on:
1. What do we think about when we hear the word Mercy?
2. What are some areas of your life you think God is calling you to extend mercy to those around you?
3. Are there tangible ways you can act on mercy in your life right now?