This devotional was written several years ago during my lunch hour at work. I was just taking a few moments to relax after eating my lunch and was meditating about a verse God gave me that morning during my devotions in Proverbs 15. Verse 25 says, The Lord will destroy the house of the proud: but he will establish the border of the widow. It is the last part of the verse that stuck in my mind on that particular morning.

I looked up the words establish and border because I found them to be a little curious. I found that the word establish means, “Stand firm, cause to stand erect or tall, fix or make to stand.” The word border means, “Coast, landmark, space, quarters or territory enclosed within a border.”

As I often do when I want to know how God really wants me to apply a verse in my life, I started to mull it over in my head and figure out how this applied to me personally. I had been a widow for a little over a year at that time and had been struggling to know just what my role in life was after my husband had gone to Heaven. This verse stood out to me and comforted me in many ways. Knowing that God was in control of my life in that time made this verse very special to me.

This verse confirmed for me that God would establish my border; to me, that meant that He would help me to stand firm and to be fixed wherever I might be as I moved forward in my life. The word border talks about a space or an enclosed territory. This made me think of how God would always protect me inside and around my home, wherever He chose this to be for me. Just as my husband always took care of me and my home while he was here, God promised to take care of me here on earth while my husband was not here. He would help me to stand strong and be what I would need to be when I would need to be it. It also made me realize that God would always give me a place to live and would never leave me without a roof over my head. He has, in a sense, become my Husband and the One Who has promised to make me strong and to stand tall, even in my weakest moments.

I cannot begin to count how many times I have thought of this verse throughout the past five years when I have struggled with things in my life! After all, I have grandchildren and children who still look up to me in many ways and are watching every move that I make. I need to be strong and show them that what I taught them when they were young is still true in my life as a widow. Nothing has changed, and God will always be there for me because He …will establish the border of the widow.

Throughout the years, I have heard of many men of God who have been taken from their wives and children suddenly in tragic deaths. Many of these men have been preachers, missionaries in foreign countries, and servants of God, as my own husband was. My heart goes out to these widows and their families. I just want them to know that God …will establish the border of the widow. Do not despair! He loves you and will take care of you from this day forward. Stand firm in your faith!

by April Hernandez

I was asked recently if waiting on God for the man He had chosen as my husband was worth the wait. I will be the first to say that it most certainly was! The wait was not always easy but definitely worth it.

However, during these times, I battled the temptation to quit waiting on God’s choice and to find someone just to get married. On many occasions, I thought about giving up and doing whatever I wanted, even if it was not God’s will. I just wanted a husband of my own. All of my friends were married with families, and I longed for a family. Even though I was grateful that my friends would include me, I felt like a third wheel, always tagging along with them.

At times, the loneliness was overwhelming. I would sit in my room and throw myself a pity party. I knew that it was unscriptural to feel sorry for myself, but I was so obsessed with getting married that I would scheme, trying to force anything I could do to get a husband. Spiritually, I knew waiting on God was the right thing to do, but  (or carnally) in the weakness of my flesh, I just wanted what all my friends had. Little did I know that God already had a plan in place.

I was thirty-six years old when God brought my future husband directly in my path. We were members of the same church for about six years prior but had never really talked or even interacted. Different people mentioned him to me as a possibility, but I would always dismiss it. I told these people, “He doesn’t even have the guts to come talk to me!” About four months before he asked me for our first date, I was at a friend’s house, helping her with some decorations, when her husband commented about Ross to me. He mentioned how he thought we would be good together. Of course, I immediately dismissed it. Over the next few weeks, I had a couple of interactions with Ross but continued to brush off the comments about him from others. I was with another friend one day when Ross’s name came up in conversation. I jokingly mentioned how some were saying we should date. Then, my friend said that he had asked about me. I was completely shocked!

A couple of days later, he asked me to go to an airshow with him. Ross loves airplanes, so this was an event at which he would be very comfortable; however, I was worried because I did not think we would have anything in common. I soon discovered that we have a lot in common. Many more dates followed, and in less than a year, Ross and I were standing at an altar making our marriage vows to each other before God.

God had orchestrated our relationship without my help at all. God so graciously taught me through this experience that He does not need my help and that I must trust in Him as He directs my path. Proverbs 3:5-6 have always been my favorite verses, but I learned to live them through the years of waiting and then finally letting God choose. God taught me that giving our paths to Him and just trusting Him is the road to true happiness.

The best and hardest thing I did was to decide that I was done: done looking, done trying to force it, done scheming, done planning, and done with trying to do it all on my own. It was when I finally decided that, no matter what, I was going to do what was best for me physically and spiritually––letting God guide me completely––that God put Ross directly in my path. I had to become content with the stage of life in which God had me. I have heard this quote from Dr. Jack Hyles many times over the years: “Don’t rush the washing machine. This cycle is for a purpose.” God taught me to remember not to rush to the next stage of my life and to just enjoy the stage I was in at that time. Waiting was not easy, but in the end, I am so glad that I did not settle by just getting married to be married. 

So, to those who ask if waiting on God is worth it, I say an emphatic, YES! It may not always be easy, but it will be absolutely worth it.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

by Patricia Patrick

A few years ago, I made a career change and found myself in need of a vehicle. For the first fifteen years of our marriage, my husband and I were able to make do with just one vehicle. The Lord had worked it out so that we worked together at the same company, we worked at different companies that were within walking distance of one another, or we had schedules that allowed us to share the car we had. However, at this point, one vehicle no longer would suffice.

We began our search during the Great Used Car Famine of 2021. We prayed for a specific car, but knowing that used cars were in short supply and that new cars were coming out of the factories slowly due to a microchip shortage, we were open to whatever reliable vehicle God would give us. After hours of researching, shopping, and negotiating, we were able to find a new car. It happened to be the exact model for which we had prayed, and we found it for a reasonable price.

What a blessing God had given us! We were super excited and grateful to take “Sapphire” home the next day. (Side note: if you do not give your car a name, do not be surprised when you have car troubles in the future!) Now, I am not a car expert or aficionado; my husband both laughs and cringes every time I tell people my car is a V-4. When I picked out my car, I chose the make based on reliability and the model based on size and the ability of use for various purposes. I did not go looking for the fanciest car with all the bells and whistles. However, this car did come with some nice, additional features.

One of these features is called “lane-keep assist.” If I were to veer out of my lane without using the proper turn signal, the car will basically fight me to keep me in my lane. The steering wheel will vibrate and shudder as it manhandles me back into my lane. I rarely trigger this feature because I am fairly consistent with using turn signals. My husband and Sapphire, however, have a knock-down-drag-out fight on just about every trip to church. As he is accustomed to driving his work trucks, he is not used to Sapphire’s delicate and refined requests.

One day, while heading to an appointment, I was traveling in the right lane when I attempted to get onto the interstate. As is common in most major cities in America, the roadways in Jacksonville are constantly under construction. What normally would have been a right lane that continued straight with a gentle shift to the on-ramp was now a sharp shift to the right in a zig zag pattern. I had not left my lane nor tried to turn, making the use of a turn signal unnecessary. However, Sapphire did not see it this way. She became hysterical. The steering wheel began shuddering and pulling left.

“It’s ok, Sapphire,” I said aloud in my car. “It’s just a lane shift.”

My words did not comfort Sapphire. She vibrated her steering wheel with more aggression. Then, she did something that I had never experienced her doing. She applied the brake! The car slowed in spite my foot firmly planted on the gas pedal.  I flicked my blinker on and off quickly so she would stop her nonsense. The car following closely behind me swerved to the left to avoid a collision. I am sure he was thinking as he passed me, “What is this crazy woman driver doing?”

“What is wrong with you, Sapphire?” I shouted. “Have you lost your mind?” 

I almost caused a collision while fighting with my vehicle all because I had not followed her rule. Now, from my perspective, the rule was ridiculous and rather unnecessary. The rule at this point was even wrong. However, it is HER rule. The manufacturers created this mechanism after many years of research. They had studied traffic patterns and driving habits for years, if not decades. Surely, they watched thousands of hours of crash videos from many perspectives. They had observed the collisions from an armchair quarterback perspective with the whole picture in mind. From study and experience, they knew just how to program this feature to provide the safest possible driving experience.

This is similar to the authority relationship between the Christian and God. God gave us the Bible as our supreme authority. We are to obey the rules in God’s Word, even when they may not make sense to us, because God sees the big picture. He knows the entirety of His plan. God also gave us spiritual authority in the form of parents, pastors, Sunday school teachers, etc. God puts them in our lives to help guide us in making wise decisions. Much like the car manufacturers, these spiritual authority figures have experience and wisdom from which to draw the sound advice we need to avoid the collisions in life.

About fifteen years ago, my husband and I sought advice from one of our spiritual authority figures. We met with him and explained our situation. He gave us some counsel that did not really sit well with me. As a matter of fact, in my stubborn mind, it seemed quite wrong; I was bothered when hearing this advice. His “nudges and shudders” of counsel to help keep us on the right path was not what I wanted to hear.

When we got home, I quietly expressed my concern to my husband. (Attention single ladies: this next part is why choosing the RIGHT husband is important.) My husband patiently listened to me, and then lovingly and firmly said, “It doesn’t matter what you or I think. The counsel he gave does not contradict the Bible. He is our God-given authority, and this is the advice he’s given us. We’re going to do it, and if––IF––he is wrong, God has promised that we have protection because we followed His authority. So, we’re going to obey and rest in God’s promise of protection.”

Thank God for godly husbands! When I wanted to ignore the “nudges and shudders,” my husband applied the brake and kept me in the right lane. Now, fifteen years later, I can say that the advice we were given was hard but wise. I can look back now and see the whole picture of how the entire situation played out until the end. It did not make sense to me at the time. I could not see the whole picture back then. It did not even seem right in my eyes. I cannot even boast that I obeyed that authority figure; I was obeying my husband and still skeptical of the authority figure. However, God still blessed immensely because of our yielding to His wise counselor, despite my lack of faith in him.

Just like Sapphire, God gives us safety features in the form of godly counselors. Hebrews 13:17 says, Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves:… God gives us the Bible, full of safety rules, to help us live our lives in the best service to Him. When life shifts, just like that lane amidst the construction cones, He gives us counselors to help direct us into the safest path forward. All we need to do is submit, heed the gentle “nudges and shudders,” and flick the blinker, allowing Him to guide us through the construction zones of life.

by Krystal Salm

I was reflecting this morning on my current stage of life. My oldest just turned 12 and is on the verge of joining our church’s teen group. I realized last night that later this month will be the last time he sings with the children’s choir in church. Last month, he had his last board game activity with King’s Kids, the children’s church group. He raced his car in his final pinewood derby at Christian school this past week. While these final events make me a bit nostalgic, I would not wish to hold him back as he ages out of these things. It does make me consider the limited time I have left with him as a child.

As I reflected, I thought about what the Bible says concerning time and stages of life. The first passage that came to mind was Ecclesiastes 3:1: To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: Solomon continued the rest of the chapter by listing the times for various things—birth, death, laughter, weeping, planting, harvesting, etc. In my life, there also have been specific life stages— child, teenager, young adult, new wife, mother of young children, and now mother of school-aged children. Each of these stages were unique, and each of these were “for a time.” Grasping for the next life chapter robbed me of the joy of the stage which I was presently experiencing. During my years as a single lady, I wished badly to be married instead of just enjoying the freedom I had being single. (For the record, it was when I finally decided to be content about being single that God brought my husband into my life.)

I also realize I cannot return to a previous life stage. I can only imagine the horror that would be on my son’s face if I were to try to give him a pacifier and rock him to sleep! In my life, I must be careful not to get so enthralled with a past stage of my life that I keep trying to reach back to it. I hope I learned what God had for me while I was in those previous life stages. I want to look back on the lessons learned and to praise God for the promises fulfilled and the prayers answered. With that thought, those things I learned should be an encouragement for me to want to continue learning and growing in my current stage of life. A helpful truth that can be applied in any stage, each having its unique worries and uncertainties, is one I learned in a difficult time financially during my first year of marriage: If God took care of us then, He can take care of us now.

I Corinthians 13:11 says, When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. As I watch my son begin to put away some of these childish things, I am reminded that I am responsible to be fully engrossed in the stage where God has me. I must also allow my son to be in the stage where God has placed him. I am not planning for his high school graduation quite yet, but neither am I mourning the end of my son’s elementary school years. I am going to enjoy this stage and each moment of it.

Ladies, let us be content in the stage where God has placed us.

Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. – Philippians 4:11

 by Vicki Voorhis

He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. –Matthew 28:6

Many times, when we read a familiar story in the Bible, we overlook certain phrases. Such was the case when I read the resurrection account in Scripture recently. However, this verse was on a calendar that I keep next to where I read my Bible. This phrase from the verse struck me one morning. …as he said. Jesus had told His disciples and His other followers that He would rise again; but when it indeed happened, why did they not believe it? Probably for the same reason that we do not believe God’s promises to us: a lack of faith.

See, it is not difficult for us to believe that Jesus rose from the grave because we have read it in the Bible, but for those who lived during that time, it was hard to believe that it would truly happen. It is not difficult for us to believe that Moses parted the Red Sea, that Daniel was delivered from the lions’ den, or that the Hebrew children were delivered from the fiery furnace. We have read about it and believe those accounts really happened. However, the men in the Bible had to have true faith in order to trust in God, stand up for what they believed, and worship God no matter the outcome.

There have been situations in my own life when I did not see how God was going to deliver me from that circumstance, but He did! Then, the next time I face uncertainty or a situation that looks as if there is no way out, how can I believe that God will deliver me? I can because He has done it before, and He will do it again! The past is a promise! There is a song that my family likes to sing, and the chorus goes like this:

I just go back to the moment He saved me;
I just go back to every prayer He’s answered for me.
Then I don’t have to worry about my next blessing;
The past is a promise I’ll have all that I need.

How do I know that God will supply all my needs? He promised that He would, as He said! How do I know that God will answer my prayer? He promised that He would, as He said! How do I know that the Lord will return someday? He promised that He will, as He said!

by Erin Montgomery

Psalm 37:23 – The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.

Though raised in a Christian home with a mom and dad who were faithful to church and to the Lord, my salvation was something with which I struggled. I went back and forth about it in my mind for twenty-three years. I was following in the steps of the world and living a life of sin. On January 19, 2011, I asked Jesus to come into my heart. I became a testament to others that God can save anyone at any age, no matter the circumstance!

After getting my salvation settled, I was baptized the following Sunday and quickly wanted to start serving the Lord with my life. I started coming to Saturday soulwinning, but I was very nervous! Talking to people and knocking on doors was not something with which I felt comfortable. However, I knew that God had commanded me to do it, and I asked the Lord for help. After going soulwinning for some time, I was able to see many who asked Jesus to come into their hearts, just as I recently had done.

One Saturday, I went soulwinning with my friend Tracie, and we were knocking on doors down a certain street. We came to our last door, and still no one was home; no one had been saved. She grabbed my arm as we walked to the car and said, “You know what, let’s just go across the street and see if anyone is home. We’ll knock on this one last door.” We did. We knocked on the door, and a young teenage girl came to the door. We showed her from the Bible how to be saved, and she ended up accepting Christ as her Saviour. I will never forget that day! If we just go—doing right by obeying God’s command—He will bless our efforts.

Sometime later, I was sitting in church as I do on any other Sunday and Wednesday and, all of a sudden, the Holy spirit whispered in my ear, I want you to teach Sunday school. I had a conversation in my heart that went something like this: Well, I don’t think so, Lord. I’m very nervous in front of people, and I start rambling and almost pass out! After that service, I tried to forget what He told me.

The next service He spoke again, and the next, and the next! It did not even matter what the topic of the sermon was. The Lord would not leave me alone about teaching Sunday school. After this continued for some time, I decided to go talk to my pastor about what God kept telling me I was supposed to do. My pastor responded in a way I was not expecting. He said something like this: “I have been praying for the same thing. I’ve been waiting for you to tell me because God already told me that He wanted you to teach Sunday school.” Let us just say that I was shocked, but at the same time, I knew this was what God obviously wanted me to do and that I needed to do it!   Teaching on my first Sunday, I was so nervous and honestly fearful of saying something wrong. However, I trusted the Lord, and He helped me. The lesson was about salvation, and after the closing prayer, I asked the entire class if they knew for sure that they were saved. One of the young girls came to me and asked if she could get saved. I showed her how to ask Jesus into her heart, and she got her salvation settled that day. I was so excited because there is nothing that compares to telling someone about Jesus!

We must remember that Psalm 37:23 says, The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord:… Just as I was back then, sometimes we can be so stubborn in our Christian lives. We actually tell the Lord, “No way! I don’t think so,” because we do not have confidence in Him. We must be quick to remember that we have the Holy Spirit with us to lead our steps and to go along with us. If He is telling us to do something, we should step out in faith and just trust Him. Tracie and I decided to listen to the Lord and trust Him that day when we were out soulwinning. We knocked on one more door, and because we obeyed the Holy Spirit’s leading, a soul was saved. Because I finally listened to the Lord and taught Sunday school, a soul was saved. If we just trust Him and let Him lead our steps, He will do the rest. Imagine what great things the Lord will do through us if we will just let Him order our steps!

by Mandy Harper

I began my day on an emotional roller coaster. I was almost eleven weeks pregnant with my fifth child (sixth if the one in Heaven were to be counted). I found myself overwhelmed with the feelings of exasperation and failure. I was exasperated about the mounds of dirty dishes found throughout my house, trash overflowing, laundry piling up everywhere, and the fact that I had no energy to do anything about any of it, not to mention the nausea that I was battling twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. To add to the exasperation were the feelings of failure about my four children, whom I obviously had not reared correctly because they could not ever seem to get along, enjoyed living in filth, and had very selective listening skills.

I found myself questioning the fact that I was going to bring another child into this world. Why would God give me another child when I was obviously failing with the four I already had? Why would He not give the child to someone who was childless or, in the very least, a better mother than I?

I cried. I prayed. I cried some more, and to my surprise, though I should not have been, God showed up that day! God always shows up when His children need Him. God reminded me that day of some things that I had forgotten and of some that I had not realized.

Parenting is hard; in fact, it is the hardest job on earth. There are no manuals to study (There are plenty of books, but all contradict each other.) and no tests to pass to say that someone is ready to be a parent. Sure, I have God’s Word, the Instruction and Rule Book for all areas of life. I must say that the greatest parenting tip anyone will find within its pages may be in John 15:5, …for without me ye can do nothing. I am not saying this is the best parenting tip that we will ever learn, but I am saying that it is the hardest tip to accept and apply!

Without Christ, parenting is absolutely impossible! We all know plenty of people who do not go to church or who do not even believe in God who had children who have turned out great or who became great parents themselves. However, let me remind us that those who do not believe in God or do not go to church have a much easier job; they are not rearing their children to live for God. Because of this, they do not need to fight the enemies of God for the sakes of their children.

When rearing our children for the Lord, we may feel as if it is a constant battle, because it is! We are in a war with the enemies of God. Their weapons are not swords, guns, or missiles; instead they are guilt, fear, discouragement, failure, etc. The enemies convince us that we cannot rear children for the Lord in today’s society and that everything we are doing is wrong.

Unfortunately, we often choose to listen to the voices of the enemies and believe their lies because we are fighting them in our own power and strength. We are trying to rear our children in our way and according to our plans. We think that they must become our “ideal” versions of human beings. We may say that we are raising them for the Lord: We bring them to church, educate them in a Christian school, and even say a few prayers, but we have neglected to accept the fact that they are not our children at all! We are to rear them according to God’s plan and His ideal. Our children belong to God and always have; He has just entrusted us to instruct them for Him.

One of the greatest realizations to which we can come is the one of which I was reminded that day. God created me for my children, and my children for me. No other mother on the planet could parent “my” children; I am the perfect match.

We may have some mother whom we admire—she whom we think is the epitome of the greatest mother. We must remember that we are not she, nor are we parenting her children. Each mother was designed by God especially for “her” children, and each child was designed especially for “his/her” mother. We cannot compare ourselves to some other mother, just as we cannot compare our children to someone else’s children. (II Corinthians 10:12)

Every child is unique, not just within the human race, but within his own family. Parenting one child in the family may not be the way to love and parent other children in the family. All five of my children are different; they each have unique personalities. I must love all of them equally, but that does not mean that my parenting style will be the same for each child.

One child may be independent while another is needy of time and attention. They should not be parented in the same manner but only in the same amount. God created the parent and her child for each other, but we must not forget that without His help we can do nothing, and that absolutely includes parenting.

We must learn to turn our children over to the Lord and ask for His help. That means not to stop parenting but to stop parenting in our way. We must pray and teach our children to pray. We must read our Bible and teach our children to read theirs. We must practice true love (I Corinthians 13) and teach our children to do the same.

Parenting is hard, but it is even harder when we forget to include the Lord. When our children do wrong, we show them that we are disappointed, but more importantly that the Lord is disappointed. We must teach them that all sin is disobedience to God; when they disobey us, it is really the Lord Whom they are disobeying. We must rear our children not to please us but to please God, for if they please God, we will be pleased.

We must stop worrying about what others will think of our parenting jobs and start worrying about what God thinks. We will answer to God and no one else for how we parent our children. Let us do ourselves a favor and get rid of our ideals of motherhood and our children, and instead seek God’s ideals. Parenting without Him is a recipe for failure and enables the enemy to prevail.

Parenting is the hardest job on the face of the planet, but as Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 19:26, …With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. When we feel as if we are drowning in the sea of parenting, we just need to reach out and grab hold of the One Who walks on the water and give Him control. It will still be hard, but it will no longer feel impossible!

You CAN do this, Momma, because your relationship with your children is truly a match made in Heaven!

by Crystal Collinsworth

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Ecclesiastes 3 begins, To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die… What grabs my attention is what is not mentioned here. I am not saying that the Bible is not accurate, that something is missing, or that something should be added to it. I realize that the Bible is giving comparisons which all have their purposes. My thought lies in the “in-between.” What happens between a time to be born and a time to die? That would be living, or a time to live.

Picture a gravestone with a person’s name in big, bold letters. Maybe it says something significant about that person and includes his date of birth and of death. What is often overlooked—the most important part—is found between the dates. It is the dash.

Why is the dash so important? The dash represents the life that person lived. Though seemingly insignificant on that gravestone, that small punctuation holds years—some many and some few. What happened in that dash—those years—makes all the difference. In that dash, did the person get saved? Did he live his life for the Lord? Did he give every part of his heart and live for Christ fully? Did he instead live with regret for not doing as much as he could have for the Lord? Was he a light for God?

Starting the journey and finishing well are what most people seem to focus on, and while those matter too, let us consider how we are living in the dash. Yes, we all should want to finish well. However, to finish well, we must purpose in our hearts to live righteously and completely for the Lord.

When it came time for the Apostle Paul to die, he said, I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith… He knew the life he lived—from the time of his salvation on the road to Damascus until his execution at the hands of the Romans—was lived fully for Christ. In this sense, it was his “new birth” to death. He lived in his dash as sold out completely to the Lord.

What are we doing in the dash? Are we giving our best to God or giving Him the leftovers? Are we reaching others? Are we committed to shining the Light of the world for the lost to see Christ? What we are doing in the dash—right now, right where we are—matters for eternity.

Take this challenge to make your “dash” count!

by Taylor Hill

An innocent Man had just been put to death in a gruesome way by a rabid mob. A Wednesday noonday sky turned as black as night for three hours straight. An earthquake shook the ground, so much so that graves opened up and the dead arose!

The hearts of Jesus’ followers were broken. With Jesus dead, what were they supposed to do now? Would He live again as He had said? How could this be? Their thoughts may have been that, when all of this happened in the span of a few short hours, the end of the world was upon them. There must have been confusion and pandemonium. Fear certainly burned in the hearts of humankind. No one knew if they would see tomorrow, and rightly so.

However, it was only the beginning of a prophecy fulfillment that would change the world forever. The Saviour had paid for the sins of mankind as His blood was shed on the cross. He was now on His way to place the blood on the Mercy Seat in the presence of His Heavenly Father. There would be no more need for animal sacrifice. There would be no more ritual or replacement for achieving salvation. No! In three days, Jesus Christ would rise from the tomb. Forgiveness would be available for everyone. No one would need to wonder if they could achieve eternal life, guess that they might see God after death, or think that maybe they would get to Heaven one day. Mankind would be given the greatest gift that ever was and that ever will be: certain eternal hope!

Twice I have had the wonderful privilege to stand in the shadow of that simple hill called “Golgatha,” I thought of the blood staining the ground beneath the cross. I thought of the tears of the disciples and His other followers mingling there in the dirt only a short walk outside of the Old City walls of Jerusalem. Emotions flooded in as I considered that dark afternoon of unbelievable fear, devastation, and loss for those who loved Jesus.

Then, my thoughts went to an early Sunday morning just three days later, when the earth shook again and the stone rolled away from the tomb. I thought of the wonder in the eyes of Peter and John upon finding the empty tomb. I imagined the joy in Mary Magdalene’s soul when a risen Jesus spoke her name. Death could not keep Him! The grave could not hold Him! Sin could not conquer Him! He arose as He had said to save the world from their sins.

Today, that unimposing, rocky slope still attracts believers from around the world as a reminder of that unassuming Wednesday when the death-burial-resurrection that forever changed the history of mankind began!

“There is a fountain filled with blood

Drawn from Immanuel’s veins,

And sinners plunged beneath that flood

Lose all their guilty stains:

Lose all their guilty stains,

Lose all their guilty stains;

And sinners plunged beneath that flood

Lose all their guilty stains.”

– William Cowper

by Tracie S. Burns

I am going to preface this by saying that I am a science teacher who loves I love science. I also love Biblical applications of science. 

The Bible speaks much about light. In fact, one of the first things God created was light. I also have been thinking about what it means to be the “light of the world.” I John 1:5 says, …that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. In John 8:12, Jesus says, …I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. In Matthew 5:14, Jesus tells His followers, Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Then, Jesus says in John 9:5, As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. There are many verses that talk about Jesus being the light and about Christians walking in the light.  

While Jesus says that He is the light, He also says that we are the light of the world. Matthew 5:14 does not say that we can be the light of the world or that we should be the light of the world. Instead, He says that we are the light of the world. This knowledge set my science brain to thinking.

Jesus is like the sun; He gives off His own light. He is always shining whether we are facing Him or not. That fact is worth a whole separate devotion! We, however, do not have light on our own. We are just flesh, but we reflect Christ’s light as we spend time with Him.

We are like the moon. The moon does give light, but sometimes it gives more light than it does at other times. During certain days of month, we see the part of the moon that is facing the sun when there is a full moon. On other days, we can barely see the side that is away from the sun when there is a new moon. A new moon is visible in the sky, but it can be difficult to see. While there are various phases in between the full moon and the new moon, it is easiest to see the moon and its light reflected from the sun when it is full.

Therefore, how can we be a full moon?

First, we must spend time with the Lord. We cannot reflect what we do not see. If the sun were to stop shining, the moon would just be a piece of rock in space. Similarly, when we do not spend time with the Lord, we give as much light as the new moon. We cannot be an effective light to point people to Christ unless we stay within that light.

Second, we need to make sure that we are showing that light to others. In space, a new moon is just as bright as a full moon; we just cannot see it. The dark side is facing us. In the same way, we must not be afraid to let our light shine. It is okay if the people with whom we work know we are Christians. It is good when the places we regularly shop know we are children of God. While it is probably not a good idea to be constantly preaching at them, it is okay to invite them to church or even to treat them with Christian kindness.

We are the light of the world and a representation of the light Himself, Jesus Christ! Let us all determine to not be dark, like the new moon, in this world that needs light so badly. Shine brightly! Be a full moon to light the way to the One Who is the light of all the world!

by Vicki Voorhis

In recent years, I have taken up gardening—or, to be more accurate, gardening has taken up me! Through these past few months, I have come to understand there is something special about a garden. In the beginning, God chose to begin all of mankind by placing him in the garden. In the garden, there is planting, watering, development, growth, and life. Sadly, there is also disappointment, loss, and death in the garden. It was also in the garden that God watched His Son give up His will for the Father’s will for mankind. The garden has become my favorite place to do my morning devotions. When my children wake up in the morning, I can hear them as they come trampling to find Mommy in the garden. They greet each of the plants and tell them “Good morning! How’s it growing?” The garden has become a source of many lessons for me personally.

Although many lessons can be found among these leafy greens, one lesson became particularly clear this morning. A month or so ago, I planted yellow crookneck squash seeds and watched with wonder and delight as they transformed from seeds into sprouts, then into a giant jungle with which I cannot begin to keep up! I squealed with delight when I saw my first fruits develop—finally, a reward for all of my labor! Then, to my horror, I discovered what has become one of my greatest foes in the garden—pickleworms. My new morning routine consists of garden devotions followed by heartfelt praying and rigorous spraying for my squash plants. With heartbreak, I have watched plant after plant succumb to the pickleworms as their leaves wither, their stalks droop, and their fruit ultimately fails.

“What is the point?!?” I cried out in sincere frustration one morning. I thought to myself, “Why should I continue battling these pickleworms? Is the fruit really worth it? I have spent countless hours working this soil, protecting these plants, and providing them with water and nutrition. All of this work, for what?” When I peeked behind yet another heartbreak of hole-riddled squash, I saw…a squash blossom! Hope! Quickly, I ran to hand-pollinate the squash with some zucchini blossoms I saw earlier that morning. In my excitement and hope, I forgot all about the heartache of seeing the fruit that succumbed to the pickleworm. Instead, I dedicated myself to the task of making sure the next squash would make it!

My life lesson from the garden that morning was much like the parable of the sower. He went forth to sow seed in Matthew 13, and …some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. The sower was faced with heartbreak when seeing some of his seed be devoured by fowls, scorched by the sun, and choked by thorns. He must have also asked himself, “What is the point?” That is, until one day, he saw the fruit come forth. The hope that was desired had finally come! It was finally worth it all!

Proverbs 13:12 says, Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life. Maybe you are facing this same situation in your own life. Maybe you are seeing those lives in which you have invested time and prayer be caught up in the sin and succumb to the worms of the world. The heartbreak is real. There is no doubt about that; but we cannot forsake the hope that lies in future generations by staying defeated by some losses in the past. There are fruits just waiting to be harvested if we dedicate ourselves to continue in the work! In the garden, there is going to be heartbreak, but there is also hope. As the Lord touched my heart that morning, I pray this thought resonates with you that there is always hope!

by Beth Payton

Back in 2023, the Lord provided us a new vehicle to drive. Along with that, my husband gifted me a membership at a local car wash. Recently, I was driving through the car wash with every intention of availing myself of the “free” vacuums included with my membership. However, the line was unusually long, and I was pressed for time. I thought, “As long as the outside is clean, that’s all that matters.”

As soon as that thought came across my mind, the Holy Spirit reminded me of I Samuel 16:7: But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.

This thought consumed me the rest of the day. I was reminded of all the times I got ready for the day on the outside (showered, got dressed, styled hair, applied makeup, etc.)—what others would see—but failed to “clean” the inside—what only God can see.

Many times, we are in such a hurry in the mornings that we fail to take time to prepare the inside of ourselves for the day. Let us determine to be like the Psalmist and ask the Lord, Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. (Psalm 51:10) 

by Erin Montgomery