Devotions by Meredith

Hearer or Doer?

James 1:22- 25

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the word, this one will be blessed in what he does.

 I wonder if there are people who think they have to have a super encounter with the Lord, like a Scripture written in the clouds, or an angel appearance before they will get up and be a doer of the Word. Here in James, the Lord is giving specific instructions to us to be obedient in doing the work of God. We are to hear what He is saying to us, and then do what He is saying for us to do. When we hear and then do nothing, it is one sign of a deceived heart. True faith in our God acts. I am reminded of one of our precious spiritual daughters who came from a hard background. She had no support in furthering her education, no encouragement verbally or financially. She enrolled in a Job Corp program and pushed hard to get good grades. She began attending our services, and quickly became a favorite daughter in the house. She always has had such a giving, helping heart. We were having a fund drive to raise money to finish building our Children’s Home in Kenya. This precious daughter got a huge plastic Coke bottle, about three feet tall, and began saving her change to fill this bottle up. It was amazing to watch! I don’t remember how long it took her to fill it, but fill it she did. Here was a young lady, all out in the world on her own, with no support from parents, or other family members, pushing to get some training to be able to make a living for herself, saving to help others in need. Her gatherings reaped a substantial amount to give towards helping these orphaned children. A few years later, she was able to go on a team to Kenya to minister to these children God’s love and grace. It was a trip of a lifetime for her, and we were so glad she was able to go with us. Yet there were some who had far more to work with financially, yet wouldn’t give very much towards this needed fundraising. Multiple cars, and beautiful homes, five and six digit incomes, fine clothes and cottages on the lake. I wonder if we will hear the Lord praise us for all of these blessings He has bestowed on us. And don’t get me wrong, God wants us to be blessed and enjoy all the blessings He gives us, yet He also wants us to consider those less fortunate than us. He doesn’t want us to just say glib sayings like, “That’s too bad.” Or “poor thing,” and quickly move on with our busy lives. Abba would have us slow down and do whatever we can as our part to help someone else who has far less and possibly no help at all to move out of the dilemma, they find themselves in. I want to be a quick doer of the Lord’s Word. 

What about you? Can you begin today to move quickly on behalf of those hurting and suffering in the world? Always talk to the Lord about what to do and give. He will direct you and you will become a great blessing to others. Blessings on your day. 

Show Mercy

Micah 6:8

He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?

How often do we really see and sense others around us and what they may be going through? Most of the time, everyone is so busily on their way with whatever is on their mind, that, not because of cruelty in the heart, but because of the busyness of life, others who are in pain, suffering and just plain in a hard spot may go unnoticed. The word mercy in Hebrew is chesed. It means kindness, lovingkindness; un failing love; tenderness, faithfulness. In Psalm 136, the phrase, “His mercy endures forever” is written 26 times. Hosea 6:6 reads “I desire mercy an not sacrifice.” Mercy in the Bible, is said to be one of “the more weightier issues of the law.” Mercy and kindness is one of the things that God expects man to practice and develop. Once I was in a foreign airport, (not one of the more modern ones), where foreigners were not welcomed warmly. As I was waiting for my flight in a primitive waiting area, an older nun was passing through and in a hurry to catch her next flight, when suddenly she slipped and fell rather hard on the concrete floor. Jumping up and running as quickly as possible, I reached down for her arm to help her come to her feet, although rather wobbly. Not one other person in that busy airport slowed down to even notice she had taken a bad fall. Yet, I was in Chicago O’Hara Airport when an older lady was attempting to step onto a escalator when her dress somehow got snatched by the escalator stairs and viciously ripped off her like a hungry, ravishing lion yanking at its prey. The poor older lady was standing there in her modest underwear looking totally stunned. Before anyone could move towards her, a gentleman passing nearby her, immediately took his long London Fog rain coat off and quickly covered her nakedness. My heart immediately melted over his kind and quick thinking heart. What a hero he became to me, and I’m sure to this poor woman as well. Again, many just stared and quickly passed by as if to get involved would bring embarrassment to their overly self-importance. I don’t ever want to be so busy and filled with myself to not be able to see others around me who may be hurting, whether physically or emotionally, that I can’t or won’t take time to reach out to them. One of the men who passed my the man lying injured in the ditch in the Bible, was a religious man. It’s sort of like us driving 60 miles and hour on the way to church passing by those who would take you up on an offer to come to church with you, if only they were offered a ride. How religious of us! Yet, the good Samaritan found time and even financial accidence to help this poor fellow survive his mishap. Let’s make every effort today to slow down, notice others, and show mercy wherever we can.

What about you? Can you slow down long enough to evaluate how fast you are traveling through life? Do you easily notice others who could use a little mercy in their lives today? Let’s ask the Holy Spirit to help us be sensitive and mindful of those around us who could use a merciful touch today. Be His hand extended to others all around us this day. He loves them so.  

His Thoughts, My Thoughts

Isaiah 55:6, 8-9

6 Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. 8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.

Here is an open invitation for us to come find the Lord. He is inviting us to find Him, and call upon Him, talk to Him, seek Him out and draw near to Him. This is more than some ritualist rote prayer. This feels like the Lord is telling us to come as we are, and to share what is deep within our heart, even down to the very deepest concerns and questions that are rolling around in us. Often, I believe, many thoughts within us remain unprocessed and therefore unanswered and left buried, often to only arise randomly again to trouble us. “Come,” says our heavenly Father “and find Me. Call out to Me. I’m not that far away. I am near.” He already knows all our thoughts. In fact, the Word tells us that He even knows our thoughts afar off. Often we may feel like no one would understand how we feel, and even how to address our questioning thoughts. But Abba tells us He knows every thought and He knows all our ways. Father knows our thoughts better than we do. He even states that His thoughts are not our thoughts, His ways are not our ways. Many times in our humanness, maybe because of how our family attitudes and postures were, or because of the influence of our friends or even our church family, we may have set thought patterns that are not what the Lord’s thoughts are for us presently. I remember when Stephen and I were invited to come to New York to pastor our present church. Here we were, from the vast state of Maine. We both had grown up on farms, out in the country, with a definite country way of thinking and living. It was a good way to grow up. But the very thought of “New York” must have sent shivers up and down my mother’s spine. She adamantly told us that was not where the Lord wanted us to settle. I think she was envisioning New York City with its high-rises and very crowded neighborhoods. Subways, and heavy traffic. and whatever else she had seen of it on television. Yet our first building was located in a beautiful, lush country area with lots of woods, wildlife, and winding, endless roads that go on for miles and miles in upstate New York. We now presently have resided here with our awesome church family for 43 years. We came to New York, even though my Mom’s thoughts were not for it. We can get a strong mindset about people, places, timing, what should have been, and what could have been, and actually become very stubborn in our thinking. The Holy Spirit has to work with us to help us receive the mind of the Lord in whatever we may be struggling with. I pray you are pliable clay today and always will be able to receive the mind of the Lord for your life. And remember, He is always near.

What about you? Are you wrestling over something? Turn it over to the Lord asking Him to give you His thoughts, ways, and direction. He wants you to have all of what He has for you. Be in a posture of surrendering to Him and then also be ready to receive and hear from Him. He loves you so!   

No Anxiety

Proverbs 12:25

Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression. But a good word makes it glad. 

The other morning I woke up and immediately began to feel a sense of anxiousness creeping into my mind. One little trickle of a concern began to rehearse in the depths of my mind, and then another. It seemed like these two thoughts were playing “tag, you’re it,” in my head. I went into another room where I have my morning time with the Lord, and felt down, depression trying to creep over my soul. The suggestive pounding of these thought narratives were working on my inner being. I listened to some anointed worship music on my phone, trying to determinedly lay these hindering rehearsing reminders of past concerning fears over and over and over yet again. I was getting nowhere. I decided to try reading the Word and opened to this underlined verse in Proverbs12:25—“Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression. But a good word makes it glad.” I felt like my heavenly Father, by the power of His omniscient power, flooded my mind with what was really happening. The enemy was slyly trying to throw me off from any intimacy with the Lord in prayer for me this morning. Slowly, cunningly, craftily, a vexing demonic spirit had begun whispering in my ear even before I was fully awake, first one, then another concerning thought after another. Proverbs 15:13 says, “A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance, but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.” Proverbs 16:3 tells us to “Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established.” God never wants us to live in fear, worry, or distress. Our eyes can be on Him, our hope and light, who will give us direction, rest, and a sure sense of His Presence in guiding us and speaking to us. When we awaken and immediately, before we can even begin to think and put our thoughts together, a negative, anxious avalanche crashes down on our mind, know that that is a vexing spirit come to hinder you and slow you down in entering into your time of prayer, or sent to disrupt your peace throughout your day. When this happens, immediately turn your face to the Lord. Commit whatever the troubling thoughts are right back to the Lord. The word “commit” means to roll, to remove. I encourage you today not to buy into the slick attacks of the enemy. He likes nothing bitter than to stop you from praying, and to bring fear and anxiety into your life. God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and omni-present. Nothing can stand against Him. Run to Him! The enemy will leave on the run! His door is always open and He never slumbers or sleeps and never goes on vacation. He’s available and with us, never to leave us. Slow down and get before Him and put the enemy on the run. 

What about you? Are you being attacked in your mind? Can you tell when it is the enemy? If it’s negative, distressing and fearful, it is not of God. God is rest, and peace, guidance and direction, and intimately will care for you. Give it all to Him. He knows and will help you overcome. Blessings on your day.  

Once a Wanderer

Psalm 107:4-7 TPT

4 Some of us once wandered in the wilderness like desert nomads, with no true direction or dwelling place. 5 Starving, thirsting, staggering, we became desperate and filled with despair. 6 Then we cried out, “Lord, help us! Rescue us!” And He did! 7 He led us right into a place of safety and abundance, a suitable city to dwell in.

When you first read these verses, you easily can think that they are written about the children of Israel wandering in the wilderness. But upon taking a closer look, this is not what the psalmist is writing about. God is speaking to us concerning His dealings with the hearts of His people. Each of us are His children and he knows the life’s journey we are on. High school/college days can be tempestuous, to say the least. The confusion to establish your own standards and beliefs is a time of wrestling within the soul and can be such a place of long processing before one comes to life conclusions. I remember feeling very far away from God during these years, like a nomad wandering in a dry spiritual desert. What direction do I take? Where should I live? Which way should I go for my life? There are similar seasons all throughout life when the flow of the Holy Spirit’s presence, just seems to dry up and can’t be found even when sought with tears. Quiet silence surrounds our spirit and we begin to anxiously cry out “Lord, help me! Rescue me!” Our heavenly Father hears every prayer and sees every tear as we cry out to Him. He wants to know His heart and the way He has for our lives. There is another thing that is often happening in the midst of this wilderness experience—He often is leading us right into the very place he has for us, not away from it during this time, when in reality, you feel like you’re wandering in that dry, discouraging desert. Where will I land? How will I ever get to the place the Lord has for me? Or doing the job He has for me, and how will I know this is really from the Lord? Does the Lord have reconciliation and healing for me in this failed relationship? Our hearts can feel broken and devastated in conflicts with others, and we wonder will we ever come to a place of rest and peace in it, yet God is in it, working and orchestrating our way out of this wilderness place. He is leading you right into a place of safety and abundance, a suitable city to dwell in. You may not see the light of this city right now, yet it is there because our heavenly Father said it was there. Our response should be to praise the Lord for His goodness, Psalm 107:8. He is on your side. He hears your cries and is right there with you. Draw close to Him today, not away from Him. Wait on Him; read His word. He is drawing you closer to Him and developing your trust in Him. He’s got you and is working all things out for your good.

What about you? Is there doubt, fear, or trust in your heart? Lay all down before Him today. God knows what you are going through. He also knows how it ends. His thoughts are good towards you, and He is working for your good. Trust Him today. He loves you so.  

Everything Matters

Matthew 25:23 TPT

23 Commending his servant, the master replied, ‘You have done well, and proven yourself to be my loyal and trustworthy servant. Because you were faithful to manage a small sum, now I will put you in charge of much, much more. You will experience the delight of your master, who will say to you, “Come celebrate with me!’”

Often in life, one can feel like what we do does not really matter. It’s sad that we don’t notice and express our thanks more often with one another. How many meals have we eaten that we have never told the cook what a great meal it was, and “thank you,” for taking the time to probably purchase, prepare and serve this delicious meal? Often those around the table don’t even stay around to help clear the table and forget about scrubbing the pots and pans! The all-encompassing feeling of self-importance can be a seducing drug to our egos, as if we are too busy or entitled to condescend to such menial labor. What a joke! Our passage for today tells us that the master noticed every detail of what the servant had done. Friend, God notices you! He sees everything you do, whether with a willing, humble spirit, or with a begrudging, defeated heart. God sees it all. If you can settle it in your heart to do all things, no matter what they may be, from changing baby diapers, to washing pots and pans, to typing out long documents for your mate, etc., God sees it all. He encourages you to take the posture of having a servant’s heart in all things. This doesn’t mean you are to be a doormat, but someone who doesn’t think too highly of themselves. God is watching, even as God’s eyes were on Joseph went he landed in Potiphar’s house, and being put over all of the affairs of his household. People notice, and God notices how well we respond to the tasks we have been given. It isn’t just flesh and blood that brings promotion, but God is the one who brings promotion. Nothing can stop the plan of God. Whether people notice or not, whether people like you or not, God sees it all. He watches and sees how you keep your home, how you encounter difficult tasks with a willing, helpful heart. He watches and sees it all. He is the one who was watching Joseph from Potiphar’s house, then in prison and what responsibilities and how he managed them there, as well as preparing to appear before Pharaoh and becoming second in command of Egypt as God promoted him for his faithful attitude and work ethic. Remember, God sees everything, and remember, He has bigger plans for you than you can imagine! Stay humble and pure before Him and watch what He will do!

What about you? Are you tired of the same old, same old? Stay faithful dear one. God’s eye is upon you. Prove faithful and true and trust Him to promote and bless you as you stay diligent before Him. Blessings on your day.  

When the Lord Stirs You Up

Haggai 1:14a

So the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel. 

What does it mean to be “stirred up?” It means to rouse, awaken, excite, raise up; to incite; to arouse to action; to open one’s eyes. This saying is used of an eagle stirring up its nest. Deuteronomy 32:11 says, “As an eagle stirs up its nest… Psalm 108:2 speaks of a musical instrument being awakened or warmed up for playing. In Isaiah 50:4, the Lord awakens the prophet each morning and “awakens” his ear to heart God’s message. This is describing when the Lord begins to speak and lead you to do something special He has for you to do. Zerubbabel was “stirred up” by God to lead the people to work on the temple again. Haggai, a prophet of the Lord, in verse 14 of Haggai 1, spoke the Lord’s message to the people saying, “I am with you.” This is when the Lord also spoke to Zerubbabel to help lead the people to work again on the temple. The people’s hearts had grown cold and God was “stirring up” their hearts and giving them a renewed desire to do the will of the Lord in completing the temple of the Lord. Carpenters, stone masons, and helpers got their tools out and with renewed energy began working again. Haggai, the prophet prophesied to them, “Be strong, …and work.” This is how God often moves in our lives, He stirs us up. There can be times when some thought comes in your mind and it will not leave. It’s like a reoccurring word or sentence, or a rolling around of some thought that makes you even wonder what could be wrong with you that you are repeatedly thinking about something or someone. Can you recognize the “stirring up” of the Lord? This is how He often will speak to us as His children. Hannah Whitehall Smith, an old classic Christian writer would often write, “Mind the checks!” When a recurring thought does not leave your mind, this very possibly could be the Lord stirring up your spirit even as He stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel for a specific task and plan to be put in place. We can receive a clear call, a specific stirring from the Holy Spirit, and try to ignore it. That’s not a great place to be in. It can feel like you have something caught in your teeth and you can’t get it out. Well, the stirring up by the Lord feels very much like that—something caught in your spirit and the only way for it to be released is to be obedient to what God is stirring in you, even as Zerubbabel did and began building God’s house once again. 

What about you? Is there anything the Lord is “stirring up” in you today? Are you afraid to obey what He is asking of you? Is your heart pliable and soft before the Potter? Or are you lazy, stubborn or afraid? I would encourage you to yield to the stirring of the Holy Spirit. God will walk with you and guide you all the way. And you will be blessed as you see the fruit of your obedience. Blessings on your day.  

No More Tears

Revelation 21:3, 4, 5

3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. 5 Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new."

Some days the cares of life, the sorrow, the sickness, the pain, all become too much. Our limited capacity for such things, like an overloaded electrical board, short circuit and shut down. Personally, I have suffered over the years, with the great loss of one of my own babies, a brother at an early age, grandparents and parents that I have dearly loved. I know we will be together again and what a great day of rejoicing that will be! But as a pastor, many times we must walk beside those who are walking through the valley of the shadow of death, or they too are feeling the pain of losing someone dear. My finite and limited mind and spirit can only take this in for just so long, and once again I must find a secluded place to weep and release the pent up feelings and memories that are conjured up as we walk with one of our own. The Word tells us to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. This is what we do. Yet our verses today fill my soul with great comfort and peace as our heavenly Father tells us this is not the way it will always be. As Stephen and I read this portion of Scripture together this morning, we both began to weep, yes, at the release of sorrow held deep within. You see, today we celebrate the life and home going of one of our own yet again. Someone who died way too young, leaving a young wife and young children. We know he is with the Lord, and the days of his suffering are over, much to the relief of us all. No more suffering. Yet as we heard and received the heart of God in this passage, our minds and emotions almost couldn’t take it all in—God Himself will be there with us. He will personally wipe away every tear from our eyes. Imagine that! Our Father loving and caring for each of us so! And then He tells us there will be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. My mind can’t get around this thought! No more!! As we read this together, weeping with many tears broke through our tired and earth worn souls to soak in what the Lord was saying to us. No more!  We are like those who dream of how awesome this will be! But it will be because He says it will! Think of it! No more pain, for the former things have passed away. Can you get your mind around this today? I pray you can. Then He tells us, “Behold, I make all things new.” ALL things!! I can’t even imagine how marvelous this will be! Can you? Whatever you are presently walking through, whatever you have suffered or are presently struggling with, know a new day is coming and you will be there, a part of the great family of God.

What about you? Can you embrace Father’s great plan for you today? I pray you can. Be encouraged in Him today. He loves you so.  

Hate the Sin

Hebrews 10:14-15, 17

By one sacrifice He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this… "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more." 

Ephesians 1:6 tells us that our badness is never to be an issue for us who are in Christ. Jesus takes every sin away when we come to Him and we are accepted “in the One He loves.” We must remember that we are loved even if we don’t know the Lord. Or if we are born again, that Jesus loved us before we ever came to Him. Romans 5:8 tells us, “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” In our human, limited thinking, we often can feel superior because we have a born-again relationship with God. Yet, there is no one who is righteous, only God Himself. I remember when our children were little, we were gifted with a free week of vacation in a friend’s beautiful cabin on a nice lake. The children were so excited, and we were all looking forward to having some family time. We were no sooner there, when one of the kids came saying they didn’t feel well. Fever, achy, itchy skin, etc. They were coming down with the chicken pox. Needless to say, the siblings were like falling dominoes, each one succumbing to this sad illness. Our plans had been foiled. Frequent runs to the nearby pharmacy for Calamine lotion and Tylenol were made. Long naps were encouraged with lots of story reading and favorite movies running while they each would find a comfy spot to struggle through to feeling better. Here’s the point—not one of them were exempt. Each one of them fell prey to this troublesome virus. Then gradually, one by one, they would wake up to feeling better with only a few pox marks left in random places on their body. No one was better than another. All came under the nasty effects of this childhood attack. And each of them had to go through the same process to come to the place of full healing. It is no different with the sin that has so easily beset us on our life’s journey. Nothing is hidden from God. He saw our misery, our sadness, our bent up emotions and sense of failure. This is why He sent Jesus to become the perfect sacrifice for man’s sin. Jesus was and continues to be, the exact medicine, as His precious blood is applied to our hearts, as we confess our sins and confess our great need of Him, our Savior. Just like our children, who really wanted to be rid of all the pox marks and itchy skin and uncomfortableness, so those who do not know Christ have opportunity to, even right now, ask Jesus to wash them as white as snow, receiving forgiveness and cleansing by the Blood of the Lamb. None of us are exempt from needing a Savior and Jesus is that powerful, loving Savior who loves us all. Hate the sin! Be done with it! Salvation is God’s greatest gift to you. We will rejoice and thank Him for all time and eternity.

What about you? Are you cleansed by the precious blood of the Lamb, Jesus? Do you hate the sin that wants to cling and hinder you in your life? There is a cure. Hate the sin. Do not live with it anymore. Jesus is the cure. Receive Him and all He has for you today. He loves you so!   

Some Trust in Chariots

Psalm 20:7

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the Name of the Lord, our God.

What have you ever put your trust in? Maybe in your IQ, or your profession, or your income, or people around you, or many even people who are near and dear to your heart. We can get our eyes and our trust on our government or symbols of power, whatever they may be. Other people may try to convince you to put your trust in many different things. Yet here we have the Psalmist stating that he did not trust in anything other than in the Lord his God. We have a much greater more reliable and dependable sure place to put our trust, and that is in the Name of the Lord, our God. King David would speak and write in the times of his greatest need for military help in the time of war, that he needed chariots and horses. Yet he knew the battle was completely and ultimately won by the hand of the Lord. Don’t settle for putting your trust in what will only lead to disappointment and despair. Put your trust in the One who will not let you down nor cause you shame. Moses, as he led the people of God said, “It wasn’t because we were greater than this other army, it’s because God was fighting for us,” and isn’t that the whole point? This is why we do not put our hope and trust in anything or anyone in this world because God is greater as He is the very One who created the entire universe to begin with. Our ultimate source of trust is our God. He alone is worthy of all our trust, and we can put our hopes and all our plans and all our dreams, our family, our work, absolutely everything we have and will ever be, we can trust God with it all. His Name is worthy of all our trust. Today we can deliberately turn away from trust in this world, and only put our eyes and trust on the Lord. As long as our trust is in the Lord, we will not be moved because He is our strong tower that we can run into. We will find shelter, hope, and healing there as we put our trust in Him. May we never hold back anything as if we could keep it and manage it in our own strength. If you are struggling with your finances, or over a health challenge, or a relationship challenge today, turn it all over into the everlasting arms of Jesus. He is our strong Protector, Provider, Keeper, and Advocate, Healer, Counselor, and Prince of Peace. Release it all to Him. Fully put your trust in Him We can trust Him completely even when we don’t understand why, trust Him. Some trust in chariots, some trust in horses, but we will trust in the Name of the Lord, our God forever.

What about you? Are you fearful today, or disappointed or confused? Give all to Him. He knows and understands your heart even better than you do. You can put your trust in Him for He can be completely trusted. Rest in Him today. He loves you so.