Whole Heart Devotion

"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked."  Psalm 1:1   I have made plenty of horrible choices in my short-lived life on this earth.  However, I try my hardest not to let those poor choices be made in vain.  I make an intentional effort to learn from every despicable thing I've done in an effort not to repeat it in the future.    I also try really hard to learn from other people's mistakes.  Sometimes our best lessons come from the strife or turmoil that others face as a result of their poor choices and decision making skills.  Some of their worst moments and experiences can provide us our best education.   I'm always intrigued in Scripture whenever we can glean a lesson and learn from someone who isn't a follower of Christ.  Sure, the Bible is filled with plenty of examples where God's people offer great wisdom to us, but there are many instances throughout the Bible where God has used "pagan" people to teach us a less

"In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness."  Matt. 23:28 There are some things in this world that can never be faked.  One of them is peanut butter!  Peanut butter is almost sacred and should never be tampered with!  On a quest to eat fewer calories, I made a spontaneous purchase while grocery shopping and bought a "Peanut Spread" that has zero calories, zero fat, and zero sugar.  Yep, you guessed it -- it had zero taste!  It tasted absolutely nothing like the real thing.  I couldn't even find a hint of what could have been mistaken as a peanutty taste.  It was probably the worst thing I've ever put in my mouth. From the outside, it looked like peanut butter.  It's label claimed to have an unbelievable likeness in taste and consistency to the real thing.  It claimed all kinds of benefits of choosing to eat this product. Unfortunately, this product couldn't t

"But I tell you who hear me:  Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you."  Luke 6:27-28 I'd like to think that I haven't made very many enemies in my lifetime.  I'd also like to think that I am not considered to be an enemy to someone else!  Unfortunately, when I'm honest with myself and see what Christ has to say, I know for certain that I have enemies.  Jesus took the time in His ministry to spell out who our neighbors are whenever He was was asked by a Jewish scholar about how to inherit eternal life.  The scholar acknowledged that he already knew that we are supposed to love our neighbors, but he pressed Jesus to clarify who our neighbors are.  Jesus then teaches the parable of the good Samaritan and lets the scholar deduce that a neighbor is anyone in need. Well, Jesus not only takes the time to define who our neighbors are, but He also very clearly tells us in Scripture who an enem

"We want each of you to show the same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure."  Hebrews 6:11 I married into a family where racing and speed runs through their veins.  Whether it be actually sitting behind the wheel of a racecar or riding vicariously in the car of the racers on TV, they are racers through and through. Every Sunday from February until November, you can almost guarantee that our day will consist of:  Church, Lunch, Couch ( to watch a race )!  As the racing season kicked off yesterday with one of the biggest races of the year, I was reminded that it takes a lot to keep a racecar driver from finishing the race. Their car has to be practically annihilated to keep that driver from wanting to crawl back in and cross the finish line with the rest of the pack.  If a wreck has caused them to go to the garage for repairs, they'll quickly do whatever needs to be done and head back to the track, even knowing that there is no feasible way for

"Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching.  My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him."  John 14:23 I once overheard someone make the comment that they felt their child had a better chance of staying out of trouble when they become a teenager because they go to church regularly and participate in church activities.  While there might be some truth to that, I wanted so badly to interject and tell them that the church is not capable of fulfilling that great of a task! One of the most disheartening parts of ministry is seeing Christians who don't bring Jesus home with them.  They talk about Jesus at church, they might even teach Sunday School or serve in a leadership role, yet you'll never hear Christ's name mentioned within the walls of their home. Many children grow up never hearing a parent pray for them, with them, or over them.  Many children grow up seeing mom and dad open their Bibles in church

"These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever."  Joshua 4:7c Hope.  That's not just another word in the dictionary for me.  'Hope' was the middle name my husband and I had picked out for the baby we lost several months ago.  We were never told that the baby was in fact a girl, but in my heart of hearts, something tells me that it was.  Ironically, the word 'hope' has become a word of comfort for me when I hear it, not a word that reminds me of sadness.  It's a word that reminds me of the healing that has taken place in my heart since the time that it was so badly broken.  It's a word that reminds me of how faithful God is and how He walked beside me the through some very dark days.  Within the past few months, I've come in contact with many 'Hope's.' My husband has had two different nurses during a recent medical procedure whose names were 'Hope.' I've seen store clerks with that name and it

"Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."  Hebrews 12:1 I have been on a roll of "unsubscribing" from the plethora of emails that I receive on a daily basis.  All of the stores, hotels, restaurants, and various online sites that have ever been privy to my email address have been bombarding my inbox!  Most messages come from online retailers that I have done business with at some point in time in the past, and they must have misinterpreted my purchase from them as an open invitation to send me emails every day of the week!  I honestly felt like I was casting off invisible chains with each email feed I would "unsubscribe" to!  Just as I have to make a concerted effort to keep the junk in my inbox at bay, there have been other forms of junk that I have recognized in my life through the years. I stopped to think about the various things in my life that I ha

"Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone."  Colossians 4:6 I recently sat and chatted with someone at a church function.  As she and I talked, I kept having to remind myself that I was not talking to her mom because their voices, expressions, and mannerisms are so much alike.  On many occasions, my own mother takes on the voice of her sister.  There's a sweet comfort to hearing that as her sister is now living with Jesus. You might often hear someone compare your appearance to a family member or possibly even a celebrity, but has anyone ever said that your voice sounded like someone else's? One of my goals as a Christian is for people to get my voice confused with Christ's.  I want them to walk away from a conversation with me and say, "Her words are genuinely loving and gentle.  She sounds just like what I would imagine Christ to sound like!" So, ask me . . . has that eve

"But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed."  Isaiah 53:5 My husband is a history buff and could sit for hours and watch program after program on the History Channel.  Several times over the last couple of months he has stumbled on Alex Haley's drama Roots .  He very intently sits and watches the gruesome portrayal of the African slave trade and subsequent years of horrific misery that took place in the mid 1700s and which unfortunately lasted for many generations to come.  Say whatever you'd like, but I can't watch it with him.  My stomach literally begins to tie in knots as I see the appalling way that the African slaves were treated by white men, simply because of the color of their skin.  I recently told my husband that watching it made me feel ashamed for being a white person. In 2004, Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ profit

"Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."  Matthew 25:40b Since I was a child, I've always envied the little children who grew up during the time of Jesus' ministry.  You know, those children who clamored around Jesus prior to the disciples attempt to 'shoo' them away.  I wanted to be one of those children!  I wanted to have the great privilege of crawling up into Jesus' lap and maybe even stroking His hair with my fingers, as little girls like to do.  Well, unfortunately, I was born almost 2000 years too late! You and I might not have had the opportunity to physically crawl into the lap of God or even grasp for the hem of His garment, but we do have the opportunity to touch the very heart of God.  Jesus tells us in the verse above that whatever we physically do for someone here on Earth, then we're essentially doing it for Him. When we wrap our arms around someone who needs encouragement, it's as i

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."  James 1:17 Today is a day when love is in the air and flowers and chocolates are being bought by the tractor trailer full!  Many people around you will either have gift giving or gift receiving on their mind today.  While we're already in the mode of thinking about gifts, it's a perfect day to reflect on the gifts God so graciously bestows on us and the gifts that we can offer to Him. The gifts that are given to us by God are innumerable and completely undeserved.  We receive many gifts from Him on a daily basis that we don't even recognize!  Here are a few of the greatest and most valuable gifts that He gives: JESUS :   "Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift !" 1 Corinthians 9:15 GRACE :  "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift o

"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."  Ephesians 2:10   This love language that we speak to God can be one of the hardest for Christians to keep in proper perspective.  Unfortunately, I have encountered so many people that are trying to earn their salvation by doing good works or acts of service.  They think that the more positions they hold in the church, the more coats they provide for the homeless, and the more hours they spend visiting shut-ins, then they will be more deserving of God's love and the sacrifice of His Son.   We must always remember that Christ's death on the cross provided complete atonement for our sins and that His death proved God's love for us (Rom. 5:8).  No good works we will ever perform will cover up any of our sins nor cause God to love us any more than He already does.  He gave us a gift with no strings attached.  All we have to do is believe.

When asked what some of God's promises are, the one that is often quoted first by many Christians is that God will never leave us nor forsake us.  That promise comes from the book of Joshua and then is quoted again in Hebrews.  That promise gives us peace and comfort in times of uncertainty.  It gives us the calm assurance that God is right there with us, no matter what we are facing.   He doesn't just walk with us through the tough times, He is right there beside us during the joyful times.    "The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save.  He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."  Zephaniah 3:17   We serve a God who isn't a "part-time god"!  He is ALWAYS there for us.  David very beautifully reminds us that we can never get away from the presence of God:   "Where can I go from your Spirit?  Where can I flee from your presence?  If I go up to the heavens, you

"Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.  Praise the Lord."  Psalm 150:6 Dr. Gary Chapman's best-selling book, The Fire Love Languages , is based on the concept that each person has an innate desire to receive love in one of five ways.  These five ways (or "languages," as he refers to them) are:  Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Acts of Service, Gifts, and Physical Touch. After some time reflecting on what my personal love language is and the love language of my husband, I realized that God speaks each and every one of the five love languages to each of us.  So, if God speaks in each of these five ways to us, shouldn't those who love Him aspire to speak them all fluently back to Him?  Everyday this week  I am going to focus on each of the five love languages and how we as followers of a Loving and Holy God can learn to express love to Him in the same way He expresses it to us. Words of Affirmation Our words are powerful.  I know how much

"Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!  It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest."  Proverbs 6:6-8 Whenever I open up a new window within Internet Explorer, the initial page that opens up shows  me about eight of my most recently viewed websites.  As I scroll over each website listed, it then tells me what my activity level has been on each site.  It will say either "Very Active," "Active," or "Less Active." I began to think.  What would it look like if God scrolled His divine little mouse over my life and it revealed my activity level for each of my life's various activities?  I wonder if I would be shocked by any areas that revealed a "Very Active" participation or disappointed in those that showed "Less Active." I think we fool ourselves into thinking that we're more productive with our time than we actually are.  O

"My sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me."  John 10:27 There was a popular cell phone commercial some years ago where a gentleman was testing cell phone reception in various areas of the country.  That commercial probably initially made you laugh and then eventually got on your nerves.  The popular catch phrase that he repeated in every location and multiple times on every commercial was, "Can you hear me now?"  Just as we want to know that whenever we pick up our cell phone that the person on the other end is going to hear us loud and clear, we also like to know that people we are talking to face to face are clearly hearing what we say.  If you've ever spent much time talking to someone with hearing loss, you feel as if you have to raise your voice to an uncomfortable level just to hold a conversation. I wonder if God is sometimes looking down on us saying, "Can you hear me now?"  "Can you hear me now?"  I im

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your soul."  Matthew 11:28-29   I don't think there is anything heavier or more awkward to move from one place to another than a piano.  If you have ever witnessed or taken part in the moving of a piano, you know exactly what I am talking about.  You would think that a piano was filled with a ton of lead if you ever tried to pick one up!   I just witnessed the moving of a piano the other day.  As I watched my husband, his friend, and his father struggle with the grueling task of lifting the piano up a set of stairs, I was reminded of all of the people I come in contact with on a daily basis that are trudging through life carrying various heavy burdens along the way.    Our society is so emotionally, physically, and spiritually exhausted.  There is a world of weary people ( Christia

"Therefore, I  urge you, brothers in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God -- this is your spiritual act of worship."  Romans 12:1 I celebrated my thirty-third birthday about a month ago.  Out of all of the birthdays I've been granted, thirty-three was the biggest milestone for me thus far. Sure, turning sixteen, then eighteen, and even turning thirty had their own excitements, but there was something different about turning thirty-three. We glean from Scripture that Jesus began his earthly ministry around the age of thirty years old.  His short ministry lasted about three years and concluded around the time He was thirty-three.  I wish I could say that prior to my thirty-third birthday that I was totally surrendered to Christ.  Sure, I was faithful to Him, but I rationalized my service to my family and my various church responsibilities as sufficient service to Him. This birthday was different, though.  I

"When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened."  Jonah 3:10 Are you someone who wants grace quickly given to you, yet you tend to be slow to extend grace towards others?  I am. I admit that ashamedly.  I want all of my shortcomings overlooked, all of my sharp-toned words forgiven, and all of my failures quickly forgotten. Unfortunately, when it comes time for me to bestow that same grace to others, my response time is a little bit slower than what it should be.  My sin nature takes over and I quickly forget what it feels like to be the one in need of grace. This unfortunate state of mind is very reminiscent of a character we see in the Old Testament.  This gentleman is Jonah. You're probably familiar with Jonah's story, but let me shed some light into Jonah's heart for you.  Jonah was like me.  He wanted grace granted to him, but he absolutely did n

"And you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."  Acts 1:8b My heart gets convicted whenever I think of all of the places I avoid in an attempt to shelter my children from excessive exposure to the sin that is so prevalent in our society today.  In our little town, you don't have to go much further than the local shopping mall on payday weekend to get an earful or an eyeful of various behaviors that will make a good Christian girl shudder! You see, that's the problem.  I'm not necessarily trying to shield my children.  I'm ashamed to say that I avoid those people and places because they make me feel uncomfortable.  Should my exposure to people who don't act or look like me make me feel so uncomfortable that I bypass an opportunity to shed a little light into the dark places of the world? ABSOLUTELY NOT. John tells us in his account of Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman at the we