More to Life Today

"Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." Revelation 2:10

Since childhood I have heard about heaven. My mind cannot imagine what it will be like to leave this world and be in the presence of the Saviour that I have loved and served. The Bible does not give us a lot of detail about what happens after we pass from this life. We know that our soul will return to God, and eventually we will have an immortal body. So many of our ideas of heaven are formed from the hymns that we have sung through the years. In the concluding chapter of Revelation, we read about the New Jerusalem, where the plan of the ages is finally fulfilled. There will be no tears, no sickness, and no sorrow. But the best part will be seeing Jesus face to face and knowing that we will spend eternity with Him.

Like Paul may we each be able to say: "Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. II Timothy 4:8

Within the pages of God's Word

are promises so great.

Eye has not seen nor has ear heard

the splendour that awaits.

We trust the promise that He gave

One day to come again.

He paid the price our souls to save

And with Him we shall reign.

This is the goal we press toward

When pearly gates swing wide.

Eternity with Christ our Lord

Forever at His side.

Thought For Today: We are looking for that blessed hope.

Devotion by Anne Johnston

"But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19

Those of us who are parents realize that what our children want may not be good for them. We do our best to supply everything that they need but there are times when we must refuse their requests. They may not understand at the time why we say no to some things. Often we know that to give them what they are asking would not be in their best interests.

Because our heavenly Father knows what our future holds, He knows what is best for us. He has a plan and a purpose for each of us. He wants us to bring all our requests to Him in prayer. But He does not give us everything we ask for.

David said in Psalm 37:25 "I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread."

Paul writing to Timothy advised him to be content with his lot in life. I Timothy 6:6-8 "But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content."

This verse in Philippians is a promise from the Lord to supply all our needs. We can trust Him to provide us with food, clothing, and shelter. I am thankful for all the other blessings that He provides as well, out of His abundant riches in glory, He blesses us with family, friends, and a beautiful world to enjoy.

Psalm 68:19 "Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation."

Sometimes the promises of God are conditional.

Psalm 84:11 "No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly."

Psalm 37:4 "Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart."

Jeremiah 29:13 "And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart."

Thought For Today: What do you need from the Lord? Trust Him today.

Devotion by Anne Johnston

"For he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." Hebrews 13:5

Without Jesus, where would I be?

I am so thankful that I learned about Jesus when I was just a child. As I look back over my life, I am reminded of times when without the Lord, my life might have gone in a different direction. He was there with me through my teenage years, protecting me from getting involved with things that would lead me astray.

In every circumstance of life, the Lord has been with me, directing my steps. I thank Him for the wonderful man I was married to for thirty-five years. We were blessed with three wonderful children. The Lord was with us as we faced the challenges of raising them. When my husband went home to be with Jesus, twenty-six years ago, the Lord gave me peace. I proved the Word true, that Jesus would never leave nor forsake me.

Thank God for the promises that we can stand on no matter what circumstances life sends our way.

Isaiah 43:2 "When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee."

Proverbs 18:24 "There is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother."

Philippians 1:6 "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ."

Matthew 28:20 "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world."

Isaiah 41:10 "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness"

Our world is filled with evil and violence. As we listen to the news each day, it is hard to imagine how wicked mankind has become. I often wonder how people who do not know the Lord Jesus cope with it all. Where would we be without Jesus? I never want to know what that is like.

Thought For Today. Give your fears to Jesus and trust His promises.

Devotion by Anne Johnston

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30

Have you ever asked someone to do something for you and they have replied,

"rest assured that it will be done?" In most cases we trust the person and so we go our way, feeling confident that it will happen. What a disappointment it is if someone fails to keep their word.

There is always One that will never disappoint us. Whatever God has promised us we can rest assured that it will happen. The scripture above assures us that no matter what circumstances we find ourselves in we can go to the Lord for rest.

Things that cause us to be heavy laden:

Grief – Most of us know what it is like to lose a family member or a beloved friend. Often grief can linger for an extended period. The enemy will try to tell us that God has forsaken us. But remember the promise in Isaiah 53:4 "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows."

Fear – In a world filled with turmoil and strife, it is easy to let our hearts fill with fear. Fear for the future, fear for our families. But we have a promise. I John 4:18 "but perfect love casteth out fear:"

Sickness – As followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are not immune from all the sickness and disease that is in our world. But remember Exodus 15:26 "for I am the LORD that healeth thee." and Isaiah 53:5 "with his stripes we are healed."

Troubling Thoughts – Whenever we find hurts from the past filling our minds, we can bring them to the Lord and He will give us rest. II Corinthians 10;5 "Casting down imaginations, …. and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ"

What has you burdened down today? Bring it to Jesus and rest assured in Him, He will never fail.

Thought For Today: Hebrews 4:9 "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God."

Devotion by Anne Johnston

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." Acts 2:38-39

I believe the greatest promise that the Lord gave us is the gift of His Holy Spirit. I was thirteen years old, when I accepted this gift and spoke in tongues for the first time. Although I did not fully realize just what I had received, I still remember the experience. Through the years I have learned that the Holy Spirit is not just a blessing in church but an abiding presence in every moment of my life.

Unpacking This Promise:

It is free. Isaiah 55:1 "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price."

Offered to all: Acts 2:39 "The promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off." Young, old, rich, or poor, nobody is excluded.

Gives us power to share our experience with others. Acts 1:8 "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."

Illuminates the Word of God to us. John 16:13 "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth."

Guides our steps. Romans 8:14 "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God."

It gives us a prayer language. Romans 8:26 "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered."

What a wonderful promise this was to the disciples. And it is still offered freely to us today. God is still pouring out His Spirit on whosoever will yield their hearts to Him.

Thought For Today: Have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed?

Devotion by Anne Johnston

"I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep." John 10:11

Everyone is familiar with Psalm 23. David was familiar with the work of a shepherd, and in this Psalm He paints a vivid picture of all the benefits the Lord has promised to His people. Today, we will look at some of those promises.

Verse 1 "I shall not want." Jesus has promised that He will supply our every need.

Verse 2a "He maketh me to lie down in green pastures." Jesus has promised us rest and provision for our daily bread.

Verse 2b "He leadeth me beside the still waters. "Jesus promises peace and safety, a shelter from the storms of life.

Verse 3a "He restoreth my soul." Jesus renews our spirits each day.

Verse 3b "He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness" Jesus guides our steps each day, and when we fail, He leads us back to the path.

Verse 4a "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil" Jesus promised to be with us even in the dark times in our lives.

Verse 4b "Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." Jesus reproves and corrects, but He does it with love and grace.

Verse 5a "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies." We can rest in Him, even when the enemy is against us.

Verse 5b "thou anointest my head with oil." Jesus has promised that His Holy Spirit will continually fill us with joy and gladness.

Verse 6 "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever." Jesus has given us hope not only for today, but a promise of a future with Him.

So many great and precious promises are in this Psalm. And we can claim them all as ours when we accept the Lord Jesus Christ as our Shepherd. We will consider many of them in greater detail over the next few days.

Thought For Today: Take time to read Psalm 23 again and thank the Lord for all the promises He has given us because He is our Shepherd and our guide.

Devotion by Anne Johnston

"According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises." II Peter 1:3-4a KJV

Every promise in the book is mine, Every chapter, every verse, every line,

All are blessings of His love divine, every promise in the book is mine!

Do you remember singing this chorus at Sunday School? It is a catchy tune and easy to sing but is it true? Is every promise given in scripture one we can claim as ours?

God always keeps His promises. Solomon stressed this in his speech at the dedication of the temple in 1Kings 8:56 "Blessed be the LORD, that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise."

Personally, there are some promises that I read, especially in the books of the prophets, that I do not want to claim as mine. As we read of the judgment that the Lord promised to pour out on Israel, we certainly hope that the Lord has not promised that to us. Of course, we can learn from the mistakes they made that caused the judgment to be pronounced. But we do not claim those promises as ours. The Bible does tell us in II Timothy 3:16 that "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness."

Think of the promise that God made to Abraham and Sarah. I cannot imagine having to raise a child at the age they were when God fulfilled His promise to them.

So, I do not believe that we can say every promise in the Bible is ours. BUT God has made wonderful promises in the Word that are for you and me today. Over the next few days, we will consider familiar promises that we can trust the Lord to keep.

Thought For Today: What is your favourite promise in God's Word? Has it been fulfilled in your life?

Devotion by Anne Johnston

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit." Psalm 51:10-12

Renew – Restore – Uphold. These three words are lavished with peace and power.

Do you remember how excited you were when you started living for God? I was fifteen when I received the Holy Ghost, and I told everyone I could about God's love: my friends, the barista at Starbucks, people waiting at the bus terminal… everyone!

I lived out 1 Peter 2:9, "that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." Praise was continually on my lips.

Over the years, my excitement has been ignited and quenched. The fire that once blazed vibrantly in my life has been stomped out by people's opinions, criticisms, and even by my own insecurities and sin. My once effervescent passion for God has been tainted by the everyday happenings of life. The good news is that I didn't have to stay in those places because God is a restorer.

Have you been there before? Maybe you are in this place right now. If you feel like you have lost your fervent adoration for God, there is hope. I encourage you to read and pray Psalm 51 aloud—God can renew and restore the joy of your salvation.

Prayer: Lord, I pray that you would restore the joy of your salvation in my life today. Remind me of where You have brought me from. I am thankful for Your grace and mercy in my life.

"And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba. And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs. And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bow shot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept. And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? Fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is." Genesis 21:14-17.

I don't know about you, but when I read Hagar's story, my heart grieves for her. Her life was profoundly shaped by decisions made for her, not by her. She was not wealthy, not a matriarch, and not even free. She was an Egyptian servant girl in Abraham and Sarah's home.

I know we can judge the situation with Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar, but let's consider Hagar's part of the story. Other people's desires and decisions controlled her life, and even if she had an opinion, it was likely dismissed because of her social status.

I can only imagine the weight of expectation she must have carried when her handmaiden told her she was expected to conceive a child on her behalf. And, it seems, when she did conceive, she loved him, clung to her baby, and became a really good, loving mother.

Hagar's story took another turn years later when Ishmael was caught mocking Isaac, the promised child. It was during this juncture of life when she and her son were commanded to leave the only home she had known for years of her life.

Some seasons in our lives feel like we have been sent away from everything familiar. Some people we thought would be in our lives forever are no longer there. Or we find ourselves in a wilderness that we never intended to enter.

This is where we find Hagar and her son Ishmael.

Abraham sent Hagar and his son away with some bread and water; honestly, those two things in a desert environment would not sustain anyone for very long. I can only imagine Hagar's anguish when the water runs dry, when the food runs out. She finds shade, places Ishmael under a bush, and weeps nearby. Honestly, I would weep too. Then God speaks through His angel. "I have heard the voice of the lad where he is." Scripture doesn't record what Ishmael said, but it shows that God hears the cry of despair in the wilderness.

God hears the voice of the broken. He hears the voice of the bruised and discarded.

You may be in a place you never imagined you would be. You may face circumstances you cannot change, carry a burden you cannot explain, or grieve a loss that has left you feeling empty. Perhaps the water has run out, and you have no idea how you will make it through another day.

Your present moment does not limit God's ability to reach you. God can provide a future beyond the place you feel your story may end. This is not the end for you, or your children, or your family. There is hope today. So if you find yourself in a wilderness place today, don't give up. Keep trusting God, even when you cannot see the whole picture. Keep praying, even when the words are difficult to find. And keep believing this painful chapter isn't the only chapter; many more pages are still to be added to your story.

"And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9 (KJV).

There is something beautiful about knowing we don't have to be strong all the time.

As believers, we often feel the need to keep moving, keep serving, keep showing up, and keep believing, even when life becomes difficult. We remind others to trust God and hold on to His promises, yet sometimes we need that same encouragement ourselves.

The truth is, faith does not mean we will never grow weary. Trusting God doesn't mean we will never cry, and walking with Christ doesn't mean we will never have seasons when life feels heavy. 2 Corinthians 12:9 reveals a beautiful promise: God's grace is sufficient for us, and His strength is made perfect in our weakness.

Notice that God does not require us to hide our weakness. He reminds us that His strength is made perfect right in the middle of it. We do not have to pretend we have everything together to experience His grace. We simply have to come to Him as we are.

Grace does not always change our circumstances immediately, but it meets us in the middle of them.

Be honest with God about what hurts, and bring Him your concerns, disappointments, and the questions you still try to understand. You do not have to find the perfect words or put on a brave face when you enter His presence. The God who created you already knows your heart, and He welcomes your burdens.

1 Peter 5:7 reminds us to cast all our cares upon Him because He cares for us. What a comforting truth! The God who holds the universe in His hands is also concerned about the details of your life. Nothing that weighs on your heart is insignificant to Him.

Galatians 6:2 encourages us to bear one another's burdens. We were not created to navigate every hardship alone. God often uses the people around us to remind us of His love and faithfulness. A trusted friend, a faithful brother or sister in Christ, a pastor, or someone willing to listen can encourage us when we need it most.

There is no shame in needing support. Sometimes, God answers our prayers for strength by sending people who are willing to help us carry what has become too heavy.

Even Jesus received help carrying His cross on the road to Calvary. Luke 23:26 tells us that Simon of Cyrene was compelled to carry the cross behind Him. If someone helped carry the cross on the journey to Calvary, we should never be ashamed to acknowledge that we need help along the way, too.

As we walk through seasons of grief, disappointment, and change, we may discover that some experiences leave a lasting mark on our hearts. We may never understand every circumstance, and some losses may always hold a tender place within us. But we can keep trusting that God is present in every season.

Our hope is not that life will always be easy. Our hope is that God will remain faithful, even when life is hard.

Perhaps today you are tired from carrying responsibilities, grieving someone you love, navigating an unexpected loss, or simply trying to find your footing in a season you never anticipated. If so, take a moment to breathe and give yourself permission to rest. Make room for your feelings, spend time in God's presence, and let the people He has placed in your life love you through this season.

God's grace is sufficient for this moment, this day, and this season of your life.