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By Anna McAllister (WITHIN Devotional Contributor)
I lift my eyes toward the mountains. Where will my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip; your Protector will not slumber. Indeed, the Protector of Israel does not slumber or sleep. The Lord protects you; the Lord is a shelter right by your side. The sun will not strike you by day or the moon by night. The Lord will protect you from all harm; he will protect your life. The Lord will protect your coming and going both now and forever. Psalm 121 (CSB) Recently I have been reading Eugene Peterson’s book “A Long Obedience in the Same Direction.” It walks believers through the Songs of Ascents (Psalm 120-134) sung by faithful Hebrews 3 times a year as they make the journey to Jerusalem for worship - to commemorate and refresh their memories of God’s provision of salvation and preservation. Peterson offers much practical encouragement for growth in obedience, joy, worship, and community to name a few all while taking readers on a journey through this songbook. Psalm 121 convicted me with a contextual note. At the time this psalm would have been written there would have been a lot of pagan worship going on in the hilltops. So verses 1-2 in Psalm 121 caught me this go round reading through “I lift my eyes toward the mountains. Where will my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” Why this verse? Well, as Peterson describes it - I find myself practicing “patent - medicine religion.” I know God “created the universe and accomplished our eternal salvation. But [I sometimes struggle to] believe that he condescends to watch [my] soap opera of daily trials and tribulations.” And so I buy my own solutions or remedies for those things. My own remedies are much like those pagan gods, no help. So as I meditated on Psalm 121 I wrote down the following truths in my journal to speak to this lie that God is not always present: Yahweh preserves and protects us His presence is personal - it is not reserved for the big things only. He accompanies us through the trials and troubles of each day. He guards us from every evil. Not only did He create the universe and establish your eternal salvation, but He rules in your heart by His Spirit to accompany you day to day; to move you from one glory to the next (2 Cor 3:18). He is not just there at repentance and glorification- He is the driving force compelling us to the finish line and we journey through being progressively sanctified! He is the author of the program prescribed in Hebrews - to keep our eyes on the only way, the truth and the life - Christ Jesus! He is the promise keeper to our archetypal pilgrim Abraham who was “sent out,” by Yahweh to be made into a blessed people who would ascend to remember where their help comes from; a people who would ascend to remember God’s saving ways. The maker of heaven and earth ascends with us daily. He walks with us and to ask Him for help with our daily troubles, seeking Him as our all in all, is precisely what we are instructed to do by Christ when He teaches us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” But don’t forget - the prayer begins with the request for God to “hallow” his name. He will get the glory! So this truth we can hold assured : His presence and protection is provision from here to glory and in the in between. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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:Proverbs 3:5-6 Psalm 33:20 Psalm 56:3 Hebrews 11; 12:1-3 Hebrews 13:5 Romans 8 2 Corinthians 3:18 Questions to Reflect on:
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By Meron Asnake (WITHIN Devotional Contributor)
Life has its way of happening to all of us, and I experienced just that when I lost one of my family members. A couple of weeks ago, my family and I buried a great man, whom I saw as an uncle. He left a void in our hearts especially in his wife’s and 5 adult children’s. What a surreal reality our mortality awakens when we suddenly learn that we have reduced in number. Time and distance have done their jobs in teaching us this hard lesson. It has been 6 years since we all saw each other at the same time, and it took this tragedy to call us in one room. It pained us to see each other mourn our loss and bear the gravity of bereavement. The day of the funeral, we gathered around my uncle’s casket in the memorial garden saying our goodbyes. I stood there numb, unable to process what was happening. Right in front of me, sat my cousin, who began to reach out his hand to touch the top of the casket his father laid in. He rubbed the head of the coffin as if he were lovingly tapping on his dad’s shoulders in reassurance. It seemed as if he was extending — both for himself and his dad — a courage to let go before they lowered him into the ground. His pain spoke volumes and resurrected the grief that I never knew I buried for the past 23+ years. I found myself mourning my own father, who I never got a chance to know long and well. I feel cheated of life experiences that an average daughter with an earthly father had, is having, and will have. Phew...I know. I know this one is heavy. However, it is my hope to encourage all of us that might be dealing with grief and all its side effects that manifest themselves in varied voids. My experience can be unique to me, but I do not believe it is new to mankind— for Ecclesiastes 1:9 assures me. What has been what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. The truth of the matter is I feel unequipped and unprepared to handle unannounced grief. I have yet to unpack all the pain and hurt I have masked over the years; most importantly, I have yet to mourn the loss of my dad. My hope for this devotional is for it to serve as an alarm for our spiritual walks. To give us an opportunity to do an inventory about our pains and hurts that mask themselves in the spirit of isolation, loneliness, and even strength. For us not to be the strong friend, the resourceful one, the connected one, the educated one, the reliable one, and so much more. We pride ourselves in being these things for others, so these social graces will hide the reality within. I pray it is time for us to recognize His grace that is our strength (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). As we uncover our hurts and mourn our losses, I pray we feel the Lord’s closeness to our broken hearts, who saves our crushed spirits (Psalm 34:18). Beloved, I am praying for us. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 34:18 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 1 Peter 5:7 Matthew 11: 28-29 Questions to Reflect on:
By Yodit Kifle Smith
Encouraging one another is God’s idea. It’s good for our flourishing. Countless times in Scripture, we are admonished to encourage and edify each other because God’s love is beautifully seen through the encouragement we give one another. But can I just say, God never gives us something edifying to our faith without making sure we first rely on HIM as the source of it before receiving it from others. I’ve personally seen the vicious cycle in my own mental and spiritual health when I’ve been the one encouraging but not receiving the encouragement. I’ve seen how draining it becomes when you’re only counting on people to give it to you. And the truth is we don’t always encourage others the way we are supposed to. We fall short of doing it or we willingly withhold it. Through it all, God has shown me how I had subtly made an idol of encouragement in my life. He showed me how much it consumed me when I felt like I wasn’t receiving it. Or how highly I thought of myself for being the one who didn’t withhold it. And one thing about good things becoming “idols” is if it keeps us from worshipping God rightly, then we’ve lost focus of whose encouragement really matters. This isn’t to discourage encouragement. By all means, please do the work of God in encouraging one another. It keeps us from being hardened by sin (Hebrews 3:13). It keeps us enduring in the faith (1 Thessalonians 5:11). It keeps us reminded of God’s goodness (Colossians 3:16). It upholds us in our moments of suffering and trials (Colossians 2:2). It's clear that Scripture shows us the great purposes that encouragement serves in our life. But for the one who is waiting for encouragement to feel significant, please KNOW and TRUST His delight of you as His child, right where you are. May His nearness be tangible in your weariness. May His Word revive your heart to the truth that He sees you, even if others don’t. May His Spirit empower you to keep going. And ultimately, may we make it a habit to encourage ourselves in the Lord our God just as David did (1 Samuel 30:6). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 Samuel 30:6 1Thessalonians 5:11 Hebrews 10:23 1 Peter 4:8 Ephesians 4:29 Proverbs 12:25 Colossians 3:16 Colossians 2:2 Romans 14:19 Questions to Reflect on:
By Diana Rose (WITHIN Devotional Contributor)“This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” -Psalm 118:24
Eve: This is my first day here and we are all together. Everything is new and good. Adam and I are so happy and we are rejoicing in all this beautiful creation. God has made so many amazing things! We walked together with Him in the cool of the evening tonight and we continue to marvel at all He has made in this paradise for us to enjoy. We are giddy with gladness for He is so good. Eve: Today our hearts are breaking. We have been cast out of Eden. We will have to labor and sweat toiling the land and raising children. It hurts so much to be separated from the Lord, and I don’t feel the same closeness to Adam I felt before. But God has promised to provide one who will crush that deceiving serpent's head. God is still good. Although my eyes are streaming with tears, I am exceedingly glad for His mercy. “This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” -Psalm 118:24 Mary: Today was long and hard, but so amazing. I went into labor after several days of journeying to the city of David in Bethlehem. The city was bursting at the seams with people when we arrived. I could barely hold myself together as Joseph searched for a private place for me to deliver the baby. Now that He is here I cannot express my joy in spite of my fatigue and the humble surroundings we find ourselves in. I am holding the Son of the Most High in my arms, and as I gaze into his tiny face my heart is overflowing with gladness and joy. He has come! A Samaritan woman: This is the day my whole life changed. Today at Jacob’s well I met a Jewish man and He spoke to me! I was so shocked because no one ever speaks to me, especially not a Jewish man! He talked to me about living water and He asked me questions that pierced my heart. When I discovered that He knew all that I’ve ever done, I began to wonder who He was. My heart is so free and light after talking with Him. I must go tell the others! I believe he is the Messiah! “This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” -Psalm 118:24 Mary Magdalene: Today a miracle happened, and I am shaking with awe and wonder! Mary and I went to the tomb, but we never expected what happened when we got there! It was terrifying and wonderful all at the same time. Jesus wasn’t in the tomb, but we saw an angel whose appearance was like lightning and his clothes were as white as snow. He told us, “I know you seek Jesus who was crucified, but He is not here, for he has risen, as he said.” Then he told us to run and tell the disciples. We took off full of great joy to share the news! He is risen, rejoice! Diana: I am tempted to believe that today is just another ordinary day with the same mundane rhythms and routines as yesterday. It’s so easy to believe I am just a cog in the machine at work, just another face in the crowd at church, just another account on Instagram. My days turn into weeks, turn into months and years with no apparent purpose or significance. But Jesus changes everything. Jesus gives life, he gives mercy and hope. Jesus gives joy and freedom to our broken and enslaved hearts. Jesus is our victory and our redeemer. When we acknowledge that each day is from Jesus and for Jesus and through Jesus, our pain has purpose, our weakness has worth, and our struggle has significance. The Bible says, “this is the day the Lord has made.” He made it. He has made every single day since the beginning (see Genesis 1.) He planned this day, and His plans are perfect. His purposes will be accomplished today both in my life and yours. “Let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Our job is to respond in faith believing that Jesus has made this day, to respond in gladness having experienced the love of Jesus, and to rejoice, making much of Him and His good gift of today. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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: Read Psalm 118 Questions to Reflect on:
By Saron Tadesse (WITHIN Devotional Contributor)
The story of the Israelites in Exodus always fascinates me. Partly because of the miracles God performed to get them out of slavery and sustain them on the journey to the promise land and another part because of the constant cycle of the Israelites’ disobedience and mistrust in God. God had rescued them from slavery after 400 years through wondrous miracles; He parted the red sea so they could pass through the waters, fed them bread from heaven (Exodus 16), and led them by cloud during the day and by fire during the night (Exodus 13). After all they had witnessed, they were quick to turn against God and worship a golden calf they made for themselves. Exodus 32:1 reads, “Now when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people assembled about Aaron and said to him, “Come make us a god who will go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him” The Israelites fell gravely into sin because Moses was “delayed” from his journey to receive instructions from the Lord on their behalf. They could not wait for Moses to get back to them on time, so they made a god for themselves to worship. In their eyes, Moses’ delay meant that he was never coming when in reality he was already on his way to them with a word from God. The more I observe the Israelites’ behavior, the more I see the same pattern showing up in my life. There have been times where I fell into sin and disobedience because I could not wait on God’s timing. Deep down I did not trust that God would answer me, so I decided to take matters into my own hands. That only made things worse for myself and anyone involved in the long run. One thing I have learned, however, is that God’s timing is always right. It is never too late nor too early. It is perfect. Most times we rush into taking matters into our hands when things seem delayed on the surface, but we must remember that God is always working even when we don't see it nor feel it. He is the one who established time and exists outside of time so His purposes for our lives are not bound by our limited timeline. Let us then be courageous in knowing that God is never delayed so that we do not fall into sin and disobedience. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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: Ecclesiastes 3:11 Isaiah 40:31 Psalms 27:14 Questions to Reflect on:
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