The Mirror of the Word and other works by C.E. White can be purchased on her website, cewhitebooks.com or on Amazon

“He who said to them, ‘This is the place of quiet, give rest to the weary,’ and, ‘This is the resting place,’ but they would not listen. So the word of the Lord to them will be, ‘Order on order, order on order, line on line, line on line, a little here, a little there,’ that they may go and stumble backward, be broken, snared, and taken captive.”

—Isaiah 28:12–13

The Lord wants to teach us the truth that leads to a place of quiet and gives rest in Jesus. 

But in our stubbornness, we often only see his rules—“order on order, line on line.” Like toddlers, we haven’t proceeded beyond the “milk” of understanding (Isaiah 28:9), so we see these rules as arbitrary, not believing there are greater purposes behind them. 

And we remain spiritual toddlers for far too long, feeling like God is restricting us unfairly or trying to prove our “goodness’ by following them.

But there is only one work that will not perish: “that you believe in him whom he has sent” (John 6:29). This means we can believe all he says and follow it even when we don’t understand the objective reasons behind his rules. 

Viewing God’s commandments as “orders upon orders” (instead of simply believing Jesus and all he taught) will only ever lead to pride if we’re really good at keeping them (like the Pharisees) or despair if we aren’t.

Only the obedience that comes from love (John 14:15) leads us to quiet, freedom, and rest, because it comes from trust that all he says is good and truly best for us. It doesn’t require the straining and striving we normally put into obedience when we truly believe it will also bring about the best good for our lives.

The post MAY 17-The Quiet Place appeared first on C. E. White.

The Mirror of the Word and other works by C.E. White can be purchased on her website, cewhitebooks.com or on Amazon

“We are of good courage and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to him.”

—2 Corinthians 5:8–9

Sometimes this life is hard, and as faithful followers who have a sure eternal inheritance, we might wish to skip the current difficulty and go ahead and start that existence that has no tears, pain, or sorrow (Revelation 21:4).

There’s nothing wrong with that wish. To be with the Lord fully should be our greatest desire as believers.

But we don’t get to choose when we get there. It’s the Lord’s will and wisdom that ushers us into heaven at the right time, but it’s by living his will and pleasing him now that we make our lives here most like what they will be in the eternal kingdom.

Our whole ambition is to be set on pleasing our Lord.

Matthew 6:10 says, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

Though the world around us may not help build the kingdom, we can. With every simple act of obedience, we grow nearer to our Lord, and our lives become more and more like they will be once we reach the kingdom of God, revealing more of the nature of God and his kingdom to others. Through this, our joy is made full even now (John 15:11).

Let us press on, longing for our Lord and eager to please him now just as we will in eternity, even while we still live in the troubles of this world.

The post MAY 16-Longing for Home appeared first on C. E. White.

The Mirror of the Word and other works by C.E. White can be purchased on her website, cewhitebooks.com or on Amazon

“But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to raise his eyes toward heaven, but was beating his chest, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’”

—Luke 18:13

This tax collector was so aware of his sins he would not even lift his eyes to the heavens while praying.

The Pharisee, in the meantime, prayed to thank God they were not like these other sinful men, but that they were good and righteous, boasting in the middle of their prayers by listing all the good things they did.

Jesus tells us that the tax collector went away justified in the sight of the Lord while the Pharisee did not (Luke 18:14).

This story strikes home when we consider the times we’ve seen someone else’s sin and thought something like, “Well, at least I don’t struggle with THAT.”

We may not be putting those words in our prayers, but if the attitude exists in us at all, we’re missing a trait that’s essential for followers of Jesus—humility.

There will never be a time in our Christian walk when superiority and disdain for other peoples’ struggles will be acceptable. There will never be a time we don’t need to pray, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” just as much as we ever did.

We are always to come to the Lord and walk through life in humility.

“For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 18:14).

The post MAY 15-Have Mercy on Me appeared first on C. E. White.

The Mirror of the Word and other works by C.E. White can be purchased on her website, cewhitebooks.com or on Amazon

“A time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance.” 

—Ecclesiastes 3:4

Our world would have us believe we should never have to weep and never have to mourn—that our supreme goal is happiness and fun, and that we should be exempt from sadness and pain.

But this is a recipe for disillusionment and denial. We will all face pain and sorrow in this life. 

Our efforts to ignore, bury, or run from it will not change that. 

When it’s time to weep, don’t be afraid to weep. When it’s time to mourn, don’t be afraid to mourn. We don’t have to hide or ignore it. We don’t have to act like we enjoy our suffering. The Lord never says to pretend everything is fine. 

He says, “In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). 

We can have courage even while we weep and mourn, because we know the overcoming is already accomplished. 

But we should also not be afraid to laugh and dance. Christianity is not meant to keep us from enjoying the good things the Lord has given us in this life. Joy is one of the fruits of the Spirit, and solemnity is not a mark of righteousness.

If we’re in a time of weeping and mourning, we don’t have to lose hope. And if we’re in a time of laughing and dancing, it shouldn’t become the source of our hope.

The seasons of this life will always shift unsteadily, but we have a God who never changes, cannot lie, and who has promised the life to come is free from weeping, pain, and sorrow. All of heaven will be a time for joy.

The post MAY 14-A Time for Both appeared first on C. E. White.

The Mirror of the Word and other works by C.E. White can be purchased on her website, cewhitebooks.com or on Amazon

“There is a way which seems right to a person, but its end is the way of death.”

—Proverbs 14:12

We can make sensible decisions at every turn in life yet end up far away from the Lord or any good purpose he has for us. This is why asking the Lord for wisdom (James 1) is so important. Worldly wisdom—what makes sense to us if we are treating this world as our home—is rarely going to lead us down the narrow road to Christ.

We often get worried when we’re taking a path others question; their disapproval makes us insecure. We wonder if we’re doing the right thing or going off on a foolish quest.

But the Lord’s path will often look like a foolish quest to people who are worldly–wise (1 Corinthians 1:27). And sometimes the Lord gives us a path we can’t explain, just like he sent Abraham out without telling him where he was going. 

Many would say, “The Lord wouldn’t just tell you to ‘Go,’ without any further direction. You need to wait for more instruction.” But often, the Lord is waiting for our obedience in order to show us the next step.

Others’ questioning shouldn’t cause us insecurity about our choices unless we know them to be godly people who are also walking with the Lord. And even then, God puts us all on unique paths, so ultimately, our decisions can only be made by being obedient to and meditating on God’s Word, constantly walking in the Spirit (John 3:8; Galatians 5:16–17), and praying without ceasing.

The post MAY 13-Led by the Spirit appeared first on C. E. White.

The Mirror of the Word and other works by C.E. White can be purchased on her website, cewhitebooks.com or on Amazon

“And he said, ‘Come!’ And Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water, and came toward Jesus. But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and when he began to sink, he cried out, saying, ‘Lord, save me!’”

—Matthew 14:29–30

Not all the disciples asked to get out of the boat . . . but look what happened when Peter did ask! Because his confidence was in the Lord, he walked on the water.

Even though it was storming, his faith in Christ was stronger than his fear of the storm . . . until it wasn’t.

The wind didn’t bring him down. The waves didn’t bring him down. His fear and doubt did. He looked around at the wind and started thinking about how strong the storm was instead of how strong Jesus was.

If we keep our eyes on Christ and we’re doing something he has called us to do, we will go on without being tossed about or sinking even when life is stormy.

But if we start focusing on the overwhelming circumstances and believing that maybe Jesus really doesn’t have the situation in hand, we will start to sink.

Let’s ask the Lord if we can get out of the boat and watch what he will do in and through us. If we feel the circumstances start to overwhelm us, we put our eyes back on him and remember he is the same God who calms the wind and waves, the same God who raised Jesus from the dead, and the same God who has gotten us through so many things and provided for us in so many ways before.

The miracles come when we don’t look at the circumstances, however overwhelming they seem, but instead look at him.

The post MAY 12-Storm-Strong Faith appeared first on C. E. White.

The Mirror of the Word and other works by C.E. White can be purchased on her website, cewhitebooks.com or on Amazon

“For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

—Matthew 16:25

We often look at the first part of this verse and think how hard it is. Rarely do we look at the second part of the verse and rejoice. We’re so focused on the difficulty of dying to self, we forget about the joy of what we’re guaranteed in its place.

When we’re still encumbered with trying to “save our lives” on this earth, we’re beset with all sorts of concerns, desires, and anxieties.

Can I do it?

Will it work out?

This isn’t fair!

Needing this life to fit our expectations straps us to the circumstances around us. We’re dependent upon them meeting our desires and fulfilling our expectations. And if they’re not what we want or think they should be, we drift into anger, anxiety, bitterness, or disappointment. We’re at the whims of this uncertain world.

But when we’re willing to lose our lives for Christ’s sake, our ability to be full of love, joy, hope, and all the other fruits of the Spirit is no longer dependent on the ever–changing conditions and situations we find ourselves in.

When we can’t succeed, when things aren’t fair, and when things don’t work out, we can still go on with hope. We are free from our wants and expectations. 

When we give up our lives intentionally for Christ’s sake, we cannot be shaken. We become fixed on the only unchanging, sure foundation, so when the world around us crumbles, we don’t fall apart with it.

The post MAY 11-The Joy of Letting Go appeared first on C. E. White.

The Mirror of the Word and other works by C.E. White can be purchased on her website, cewhitebooks.com or on Amazon

“But now God has arranged the parts, each one of them in the body, just as he desired.”

—1 Corinthians 12:18

This verse calms one of our greatest fears—the fear that we have no purpose and God cannot use us.

It reminds us that he created each of us just the way he meant to, and he is not going to abandon the work of his hands (Psalm 138:8). 

Sometimes we don’t seem to be accomplishing much at all, and it feels like maybe he has forgotten his work. But when we remember what the Word says—that he is never–changing and cannot lie—we are assured that he is faithful to complete his good work in us (Philippians 1:6).

The Lord knows the path each life needs to take. He knows all our weaknesses and failures. He doesn’t need us to be talented enough, skilled enough, or knowledgeable enough.

Moses wasn’t a good speaker (Exodus 4:10). Gideon wasn’t a natural leader (Judges 6:15). David committed adultery and murder (2 Samuel 11). Peter denied him (Luke 22:54–62). 

The Lord is going to fulfill a good purpose in and through us despite our lack of innate ability and even despite our sin as we repent and turn back to him in obedience.

The most purposeful thing we can do when don’t feel capable or when we fail is to run straight to God with our weaknesses. The creator knows what he made each of us for, and as we submit, he will accomplish it.

The post MAY 10-Even Me, Even Now appeared first on C. E. White.

The Mirror of the Word and other works by C.E. White can be purchased on her website, cewhitebooks.com or on Amazon

“‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord of armies.”

—Zechariah 4:6

We go through much of our time thinking, “How will I ever get the stuff done, achieve success, figure out what I should do, pay the bill, or navigate this relationship?” 

This is the answer to all of it—not by might, nor by power, but by his Spirit. We learn and work hard, we practice and grow, we live responsibly and act in wisdom, but, ultimately, all our human effort can only go so far. We’re blind to so much behind the veil of time, knowledge, and experience. None of us have enough strength or know–how to navigate all the uncertain waters of this world.

As long as we lean on and trust in our own intelligence, understanding, talents, skills, abilities, or our own financial and time resources without taking things to the Lord, we will continue asking, “How will I ever . . . ?”

We don’t know enough or have enough. But the Lord does.

So next time we think, “There’s not enough time or money; I’m too tired, confused, and hopeless,” let’s remind ourselves, “It’s not by how much time or money I have or by my own strength; it’s only by his Spirit.”

Then we can take it to the Lord in prayer before we’ve worn ourselves out with human effort. We don’t have to come to God with things as a last–ditch effort after we’ve proven that our might and power are not enough. We can do it from the start, asking him for wisdom, and moving forward with the confidence he’s guiding us all along the way and growing us in grace and knowledge (2 Peter 3:18).

The post MAY 9-More Than Effort appeared first on C. E. White.

The Mirror of the Word and other works by C.E. White can be purchased on her website, cewhitebooks.com or on Amazon

“If the dead are not raised, let’s eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”

—1 Corinthians 15:32

We sometimes wonder at the fact that the world doesn’t live righteously according to God’s Word, but from their perspective, doing whatever feels good in this life makes sense. They might as well enjoy all the earthly things they can because they believe the good this world offers is the only good they will ever get.

If there’s nothing to come after death, why wouldn’t they pour all their efforts into attaining riches, pleasure, and happiness right now? Their chances to achieve these things and enjoy life decrease the longer they live. There’s no reason to do otherwise.

But as Christians, we know we will have eternal delight in the presence of the Lord with no more pain, tears, or sorrow (Revelation 21:4). We know that following the Lord, even where it means denying our earthly desires, brings us closer and closer to eternal happiness.

Instead of judging people for the lack of understanding that leads them to walk in the flesh, we should have compassion for their eternal souls and strive to show them truth so they can learn to seek the true, lasting pleasure of being in Christ.

One way we can do this is by living our lives in a way that shows our hope is not dependent on this world’s successes or pleasures. We can enjoy those things if we have them, but because of our eternal hope, we can live in contentment even if we don’t.

The post MAY 8-More Than This Life appeared first on C. E. White.