Notes on Hope Devotional

Rest and Refresh

Psalm 23:2 (NIV)
     He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters...

Psalm 23 is the most familiar psalm in the Bible. Recited at weddings and funerals, the poetic words form an indelible picture of God as our Shepherd.

Since it is so familiar, we can often miss the depth and meaning of each verse. Like a poem, there is a different structure, using fewer words that create imagery and emotion.

The second verse in Psalm 23 follows on the heels of the Lord being our Shepherd. The words “He makes me lie down in green pastures,” evoke a sense of tender protection. Other versions of the verse say, “He lets me lie down.”

My response is a sense of gentle guidance, offering me a place of secure rest. Because sheep follow the familiar, the voice of the Shepherd is calming and trustworthy. Like sheep, we are safe when resting and cared for by the Shepherd.

The second stanza, “he leads me beside quiet waters,” creates a sense of serenity. The location of being led beside quiet waters invites us to refresh our souls in the presence of water. Being near water, or “blue spaces,” is shown to reduce stress, deepen our sense of awe, and help us relax.

I’ve been reciting this verse lately to get my mind to slow down and meditate on being in green pastures and beside quiet waters. Both my brain and body need it. Slowly saying this verse aloud to myself is helping me see the provision and protection of One who is my Shepherd.  True rest awaits us as we are led by still waters and green pastures.

Dear Lord,
Thank You for being our Shepherd, who loves, leads, provides, and protects us. Help us let You lead us and guide us so we can experience the rest and peace You give.
In Jesus Name, Amen.

Notes on Hope Devotional

It’s Okay to Not Know What to Pray

Romans 8:26 (NIV)
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.

The entire 8th chapter of Romans is like a painting by Monet.  Each time you look at it, you discover something new and meaningful. I have underlined many verses in Romans chapter 8 over the years, mining the riches of the words. In verse 4 of chapter 8, Paul introduces the role of the Spirit in our lives.

In today’s verse, Paul declares, “the Spirit helps us in our weakness” as he continues to describe our inabilities to know what to pray for. This is where I need to stop and consider the premise of this. Honestly, there have been times when I do not know what to pray for. In the depths of my own pain, watching people I love suffer, and devastating times of frustration and confusion, I have no words. And here comes the next sentence:

“But the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.” What? “The Spirit, himself, intercedes?”

Let your mind sit in this truth: You don’t have to know what to pray for, or come up with the right words, or a convincing argument to pray. The Spirit will intercede for us, “through wordless groans.”

We’ve all been in the space where we express a deep sigh, a gut-wrenching groan, or a wordless expression of intense sorrow.

Reading “the Spirit himself intercedes for us with wordless groans” removes us from the equation that we have to pray a certain way, say it just right, or think it’s all up to us.

Prayer is knowing the Spirit is speaking on our behalf, without words, to the Father who is attentive, attuned, and alert to unspoken sounds. We can know, trust, and rest in the promise that we have a Helper who prays for us without words.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You, Holy Spirit, for praying for us, understanding our deepest pain, and going to the Father. Help us know and trust that the Spirit intercedes when we have no words.
With grateful hearts, in Jesus Name, Amen.

Notes on Hope Devotional

Even In It

Isaiah 46:4
Even to your old age and gray hairs
    I am he, I am he who will sustain you.
I have made you and I will carry you;
    I will sustain you and I will rescue you.

I love how the Word of God covers the entire lifespan. Psalm 139 tells us how God saw us before we were born. God’s promises endure from birth to death, ever reminding us of His faithfulness that is never-ending.

Today’s verse is filled with reassurance and reminders of God’s continued presence, provision, and power as we age.

Last month I celebrated another birthday. Now in my seventh decade, I am duly and fully a senior citizen. I have been for a while and always appreciate the discounts offered to seniors. Aging introduced me to more supplements, additional scans and tests, and not just one physical exam per year, but two. I joked with my doctor, asking, “Why do I need to come twice a year?” He smiled and said, “Well, we want to keep a good eye on the changes your body is making.” Which I thought, “Ok, kind of like an old car, more things can go wrong.”

So while we are changing, God doesn’t. “I am he, I am he who will sustain you.”

“I have made you and will carry you.” God created us, formed us in our mother’s womb, and knows the number of hairs on our heads. We have a history with Him from birth.

“I will sustain you, and I will rescue you.” We have a future with God, as we grow older. God promises to sustain us, carry us, and rescue us. I don’t know what you need rescuing from today, but here’s the thing. God will be in it with you. God carries us through loss, illness, surgeries, procedures, and appointments. God carries us through watching our children suffer, parents who are aging, and our grandchildren getting sick.

God is present, period. We will all age. Even in it, God is with us.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You for this promise of Your presence as we grow older. Thank you for carrying us and sustaining us. Help us stay steady as we hold tightly to You.
In Jesus Name, Amen.

Notes on Hope Devotional

Our Personal Pilgrimage

Psalm 121:1
I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
    where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven and earth.

Psalms have been called God’s Prayer Book, David’s Journal, and the Bible’s Book of Poetry. Over the past eight years, I’ve parked myself in the Psalms after my husband suddenly died. From that place, I’ve called the Psalms a first aid kit for my soul.

I learned the practice of lament; pouring out my heart to God through words and tears, asking God, “Why?” and “How long, O Lord?” From the first chapter in the Psalms, there is imagery of trees, mountains, water, and beauty to create a visual to go with the words. The hope and comfort from the Psalms have been tangible.

This verse in Psalm 121 invites us to “lift up my eyes to the mountains, where does my help come from?”

Psalm 121 is included in the Psalms of the Ascents. The context is during a pilgrimage where the people are physically walking to Jerusalem. They are on the move, with unknowns ahead and distractions along the way. The verse comes from the midst of where they are, filled with questions, uncertainty, and an unfamiliar landscape. But there is one thing that stands out in the middle of that journey: a recognition of the power of God, who is their strength and help. The words declare, “My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”

There in their wandering comes the wonder and awe of God, who is their help.

We are all on our own pilgrimage, in the middle of where we don’t want to be, going through something that creates doubt and fear, distracted by the noise and chaos. As the psalmist says, “I will lift up my eyes to the mountains” and declare “My help comes from the Lord.” We can do the same, as we trust, depend, and consider God as our source of help.   

Dear Lord,
Thank You for being our Help, Deliverer, Refuge, Source, and Strength. Deepen our desire to run to You quickly, knowing You see, hear, and will supply what we need. Thank You.
In Jesus Name, Amen.

Notes on Hope Devotional

Blessed

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:3 (NIV)

Fun fact: the word “blessed” is used 356 times in the Bible. The definition of  “blessed” has taken on a different meaning over the last few decades. From T-shirts, mugs, posters, and hashtags, it offers a sense of happiness, well-being, and experiencing good things.

When looking at the word “blessed” in Scripture and comparing it to what our culture considers to be “blessed,” there are some stark contrasts.

This verse in Matthew 5:2, Jesus offers a completely different look at what blessed means.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.” Talk about two concepts that appear contradictory. Blessed and poor?

In my bible commentary, the word “poor” is described as:

 “A person who is spiritually and emotionally in need of God’s help.”

This is the one Jesus calls “Blessed.”  Not the one who has it all together, or who doesn’t have any problems. Not the one who has a full bank account and is free from illness. Quite the opposite, it’s not what the world would consider “blessed.”

God’s kingdom is upside down. The first shall be last. Giving is better than receiving. Jesus spoke directly to the core of people’s hearts.  The Sermon on the Mount was a tutorial on living out kingdom principles that went against the culture then and now.

We are blessed when we need God’s help for everything, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Dependence and reliance on God are given high regard in God’s kingdom. We are called “blessed” when we are in a posture of complete trust and radical recognition of our need for God’s help. Jesus reminds us “theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” as we live in between what is and what is to come. Let us be blessed.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You for the Word that declares the truth; we are blessed when we rely and depend on You. Give us the strength to stay steady in the present kingdom as we wait for our kingdom to come.
In Jesus Name,
Amen.

Notes on Hope Devotional

Seek & Hide

Psalm 17:8
Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings.

As children, we can all remember playing the game, “Hide & Seek.”  Finding a good spot to hide was essential to not being seen. The whole purpose was not to be found. I preferred being the one who hid first, rather than seeking out the others who were hiding. Today, I find I want to seek others who are hiding and invite them to be seen.

We all have times of wanting to hide for good reasons: pain being a major one. We hide from others, so they won’t see our weaknesses or faults. We hide from ourselves so we can deny and pretend we are okay when we are really aching inside.

What does hiding look like in a good way? This verse invites us to consider a certain space, “in the shadow of your wings.” The image of hiding in the shadow of wings elicits a sense of safety and protection. The words of Boaz to Ruth, in Ruth chapter 2, echo a similar space, “the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.” 

When we are feeling vulnerable, weak, and insecure, we are primed to hide in the place where we are securely attached to the Lord. We are seeking safety. We long for a place where we are taken care of.

The phrase, “Keep me as the apple of your eye,” describes our immense significance and specialness to God. We are not less than or invisible. We are lavishly loved and extravagantly cherished.

Remembering who we are to God propels us to run to hide in His wings, where He holds us, tenderly reminding us of His love. Hiding in the shadow of His wings is where we are protected. Hiding isn’t about running from, but to being found by the One who loves us and longs to protect us.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You for being our hiding place. Thank You for Your extravagant love. Help us fully and completely receive it, relishing in the security of being “hidden in the shadow of Your wings.”
In Jesus Name, Amen.

Notes on Hope Devotional

Perfectly Placed

Isaiah 40:26
Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens:
    Who created all these?
He who brings out the starry host one by one
    and calls forth each of them by name.
Because of his great power and mighty strength,
    not one of them is missing.

Last week, I watched intently as the Artemis II parachuted and descended into the ocean 60 miles off the coast of San Diego. As a high schooler, I recall sitting in front of the television watching Neil Armstrong take the first step onto the moon, saying these words, “That’s one small step for man, and one giant leap for mankind.”

Today’s verse invites us to look up at the stars and the moon, and consider God as Creator of the entire universe. Knowing God perfectly positioned and named each star, galaxy, constellation, and planet is awe-inspiring. When I find myself in a window seat on a flight at night, and look out, I only get a glimpse of the enormity and expanse of the sky. The darkness displays the majesty of God’s power; “Because of his great power and mighty strength.”

Then the verse offers the minute details that not only do they each have a name, but “not one of them is missing.” There is completeness to the universe, an entirety that cannot be matched.

What grabs me most in this verse is how God controls the rising of the sun, the moon, and the stars, and wants to have a relationship with me. My smallness in light of His greatness and majesty; God’s power in light of my weakness. The same God who made the starry hosts knows my name and numbers the hair on my head. I can identify with David when he says in Psalm 139:5, “such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.”

Go outside tonight and look up, then go to bed knowing the God who placed each star in place, not one is missing, sees you, knows you, hears you, loves you, and is with you.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You for evidence of Your exactness and precision in placing each star in the sky. Help me wrap my head around the truth of Your greatness, majesty, and faithfulness in the dailiness of my life.
In Jesus Mighty Name, Amen.

Notes on Hope Devotional

Hard and Good

Isaiah 43:19 (NIV)
See, I am doing a new thing!
    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
    and streams in the wasteland.

When you are in a hard season, it’s almost impossible to see beyond it. Death, divorce, or a diagnosis throws us into an abyss of the unknown. We wonder if there is hope on the other side. Our brains are in a juxtaposition; the hard place we are currently in, and the good that awaits us beyond. What if there is something in the midst? What if where we are is exactly where we are supposed to be?

While in my online writing group, a young woman asked us if we had heard of a word, agathokakological (¦a-gə-(ˌ)thō-ˌka-kə-¦lä-ji-kəl). I definitely said no. She gave us the definition from the Greek, meaning, good and bad together. Having a word that I can hardly pronounce to describe what much of life is was profound.

This verse in Isaiah appears to offer a glimpse of being in the midst of a hard season, while waiting for good to come. Wilderness and wasteland do not seem like ideal places for growth to take place. Yet, it is where something new awaits; “way in the wilderness, and streams in the wasteland.”

It’s right in the midst of the hard place, where we are, that we can wait with hope for God to do something new, unexpected, and different from what we have known. There is a process of something new being formed out of, in the middle, coming from, while we are in a hard season. There may be a question, like the verse offers, “Do you not perceive it?” Doubt doesn’t diminish what God is doing. There is hope in the middle of the hard and good.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You for making a stream in our deserts, a way in the wilderness. Help us cling to You in the process of waiting in hope for the new thing You are doing.
In Jesus Name, Amen.

Notes on Hope Devotional

Willing to Receive

John 13:5 (NIV)
After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

During Lent, part of my daily readings has been in preparation for Easter. Reading the Gospel accounts, each writer brings events to life in the days that lead up to the crucifixion. This verse in John can easily go unnoticed amidst all the other miracles, encounters, and teachings Jesus did. Yet, there is something so profoundly powerful in the act of pouring water into a tub to wash someone’s feet.

A few years ago, I attended a Good Friday service at my church. The sanctuary was dimly lit with candles while music played softly. Once I was seated, I could see the plastic tubs on the floor with a towel nearby. Scripture was read describing the scene with Jesus washing the disciples’ feet. Then my pastor invited us to come to have our feet washed. My first thought was uncertainty. My feet probably smell. My skin is rough. I have ugly toes. Letting those thoughts pass, I stood up and walked to the chair, sat down, and placed my feet in the tub. A lovely young woman I know welcomed me with a smile as she gently lifted one foot up and let the water spill over my foot, then the other.

I began to weep. It was completely humbling to receive such tenderness while feeling so vulnerable. Maybe that’s why Peter said no to Jesus in verse 8: “You shall never wash my feet.”

As the young woman dried my feet, I was still crying. When she was finished, I stood up to thank her, and we hugged.

As I walked back to my seat, I sensed I had just received a gift.

I didn’t do anything to deserve it, earn it, or even feel worthy of it.

For those of us who have a hard time receiving, because we are more comfortable in the giving role, it was uniquely awkward, yet refreshingly affirming. The entire experience was exquisitely humbling.

As you go into Holy Week next week, I pray you can see the depth of love poured out for you and the beauty in the humility of Jesus as He went to the cross.

Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank You for demonstrating the act of washing the disciples’ feet. Thank You for a symbol of such love. Help us receive all You have given us as we enter Holy Week.
In Jesus Name,
Amen

Notes on Hope Devotional

Simple Prayers

Isaiah 33:2 (NIV)
O Lord, be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress.

I have a vivid childhood memory of saying my bedtime prayers with at least seven dolls next to me in bed. “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord, my soul to keep.” Being alone in a dark room, those words gave me a sense of God’s nearness.

As I grew older, I found prayer to be a reality of talking to God. Along the way, I found tools, like ACTS: adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication. When my brain was scrambled, these gave structure to how I prayed. Then, there are times I skip the formalities entirely and go into “panic prayers,” simply saying, “God, help me and please hurry.”

Reading today’s verse, it appears Isaiah is calling on God in the midst of difficult circumstances. His words are direct with no fluff.

In the verse immediately before this prayer, Isaiah is talking about distress and betrayal. Asking the Lord to “be gracious to us, we long for you,” is the cry in the midst of pain, bewilderment, and confusion.  There’s nothing like pain to wedge us in and cause us to identify our deepest desire.

Amidst the bewilderment, Isaiah asks God to “Be our strength every morning.” There is an acknowledgment of a daily dependence and reliance on God as the source. When we are without, God has what we need. Every day, all the time, God is consistently faithful.

The last phrase, “our salvation in time of distress,” solidifies God’s character and the relationship Isaiah has with Him. Hope is embedded in calling on God for strength. In times of distress, God is present. In times of worry, God is near. In times of sorrow, God is with us.

Let our prayers come from the deepest place, where we long for God, in His graciousness, to be our strength and salvation.

 Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You for being faithful and gracious. We deeply desire more of You. Thank You for being our strength and salvation. We need You every hour of every day. Help us radically rely on You.
In Jesus Name,
Amen.

Notes on Hope Devotional

 A Different View

Psalm 61:1-3 (NIV)
Hear my cry, O God;
    listen to my prayer.
From the ends of the earth I call to you,
    I call as my heart grows faint;
    lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
For you have been my refuge,
    a strong tower against the foe.

Earlier this month, I bought a new Bible. It was time. Having a large-print Bible makes it easier to read, but my old Bible has my highlights, dates, and markings next to verses where I’ve journeyed with God. The most-used pages of my old Bible were found in the Psalms, where I’ve parked for the last 8 years. The Psalms have my heart. It’s where I’ve found words when I’ve had none. Throughout the 150 chapters, there is poetry, prayers, and heartfelt descriptions of pleas, praises, promises, and petitions.

Today’s verses in Psalm 61 allow us to identify with David in his desperation.

First, he tells God to listen; “Hear my cry, O God. Listen to my prayer.” He’s telling God to pay attention.

Second, David describes where he is: “From the ends of the earth, I call. I call as my heart grows faint.” Even in a state of desperation and distance, he is not holding back but is honest and vulnerable. 

Thirdly, David desires a different view and perspective; “lead me to a higher rock.” He has past experience with God and knows the safety of dwelling with God, as his refuge. He remembers how God has been faithful in the past and will be again.

God is listening to you; when you don’t have words, but only tears and groans. God is our refuge, a place where we can find safety, security, and solace in His arms.

 Dear Heavenly Father,
Here we are, weak, weary, and without strength. Thank You for hearing and listening, seeing and knowing our plight. Lead us to the rock that is higher than where we are, finding rest and refuge in being held securely.
In Jesus Name,
Amen

Notes on Hope Devotional

When, Not If

Psalm 94:18, 19
When I said, “My foot is slipping,”
    your unfailing love, Lord, supported me.
When anxiety was great within me,
    your consolation brought me joy.

Time is measured in dimensions such as years, months, weeks, and minutes. Then there are events that define specific times, like birthdays, graduations, weddings, and retirements. And then there is language describing time in moments of when: when I grow up, when I move, when I finish my degree, and when I hear back if I got the job. 

When offers us a sense of being in the moment of an event that is going to happen or has happened. There’s no “if” involved. When is definitive and certain.

Today’s verse describes two scenarios the psalmist finds himself in. “When I said, my foot is slipping,” and “when anxiety was great within me.” Both places are rooted in fear. Fear roars and rumbles in each of us with radar looking for relief. Both places are positions to seek help. The responses to these “whens” are offerings to us of how God is ready to give us hope in our fear, faith in our despair, and comfort in our pain.

“Your unfailing love, Lord, supported me,” comes immediately after the fear is described. No pause between the two sentences, but a declaration of “your faithful love is with me.” It’s like when I hear the Pilates instructor say, “I got you,” when I am standing on the reformer trying to balance and not fall. God has got us.

When we are experiencing overwhelming anxiety, hearing the words, “your consolation brought me joy,” is like a slathering of aloe vera on a sunburn; a sense of relief and comfort.

Life has no shortage of experiences that cause fear. So, when we are in the “whens,” may we stand on the promise of God’s faithful love and sustaining comfort.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You for the promises that overcome our fear. Help us declare, like the psalmist, “Your unfailing love supported me” and “your consolation brings me joy.” Let us be open to experience the reality of love and comfort You give us.
In Jesus Name,
Amen

Notes on Hope Devotional

It’s a Promise

Isaiah 46:4
Even to your old age and gray hairs
    I am he, I am he who will sustain you.
I have made you and I will carry you;
    I will sustain you and I will rescue you.

There’s a Post-it note on my desk that contains a list of 8 friends who celebrated a birthday in January or will celebrate in February. Dollar Tree has been the source where I love to pick out just the right birthday card for each friend. Some of the cards use humor in describing the aging process and getting old. Other cards remind us of the gift of the years we are given.

Today’s verse offers a promise of God’s faithfulness as we move into the last chapter of life.

In a culture that idolizes youth and beauty, old age and gray hair are dismissed and resisted. I’m reminded each morning of my aching body parts, telling me I’m aging. But in this verse, aging and gray hair are gifts. As we move ahead in time, turning the calendar, God is still God and will carry us. From the first words, “Even to” amplifies a sense of not withholding or staying distant, as well as continuing to see how God is forever faithful.

Each phrase in this verse encapsulates an all-encompassing sense of God’s presence.

• God is our Creator, who made us and knows us from the womb.

• God carries us close from childhood, parenthood, widowhood, from beginning to the end.

• God will sustain us, strengthen us, support us, and secure us to Himself through every season.

• God will rescue, ransom, reclaim, redeem us, and renew us.

• God's promises come from His unfailing kindness, never-ending faithfulness, and everlasting love for us.

As we see the years go by and find another gray hair, we can know God sustaining us, His Spirit guiding us, and His love surrounding us. He promised.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You for the promise of Your presence as we grow older. Remind us, when we face the reality of aging, on days when our bodies are weary, that You are sustaining and carrying us. Thank You.
In Jesus Name,
Amen

Notes on Hope Devotional

Enduring Hope

I Thessalonians 1:3
“We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”

I’m intrigued by hope…It’s mentioned over 100 times in the Bible, depending on the version. In I Corinthians 13, Paul mentions faith, hope, and love. Today’s verse brings the three words back together, faith, love, and hope, in a different order. In this verse, hope is the inspiration that forms endurance.

Two days before Christmas, my dear friend, Brenda, took her last breath on earth and first breath in heaven. We were friends for 44 years. Our lives paralleled as we shared pregnancies, birthdays, and anniversaries. Last week, I spoke at her celebration of life and shared this verse.

Brenda was diagnosed with acute leukemia in 2021 and endured multiple rounds of chemo, infusions, a bone marrow transplant, and numerous medications. She was a patient at City of Hope in Duarte, California. Brenda was an ambassador of hope while she was there. 

Her life was evidence of “endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”

What does that look like? As I watched Brenda navigate her diagnosis, she found her faith to be the rock-solid place where she persevered and clung to hope. She radiated hope to other patients, staff, and strangers. She told me a story when she was shopping at Tractor Supply (who knew they sold shoes) and struck up a conversation with a woman, also named Brenda. They chatted, and Brenda shared her faith and hope with her.

Endurance is not a sprint, or a mile, or a marathon. Endurance is the long road taken, where we keep going, amidst the challenges, setbacks, and hard days. Endurance is hanging on to Jesus with everything we’ve got, as we let Him hold us. We can endure with hope, as Brenda did, and tightly cling to Jesus. He won’t let us go.

Notes on Hope Devotional

Immanuel, God with us

Matthew 1:23 (NIV)
“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

Today’s verse is the basis for our Christian faith. A miracle birth, humanly impossible: God putting on flesh to come to be with us. Jesus, fully God and fully man, lived, breathed, ate, slept, walked, and wept. He came to be like us and be with us.

At Christmas, we are invited to reorient our hearts, minds, and spirits to the birth of Jesus.

In the midst of all the chaos, calamities, the unseen, the unknown, our fragility, and our frailty of being human, God came to be with us.

My daughter has an Advent wreath on her dining room table that she designed a few years ago. Last week, she lit the candle of hope for the first week of Advent. Hope came to us in a manger.

It wasn’t what we expected. It didn’t look like how we thought it should. Hope comes in a different package, without a bow.

Hope forms in us as we keep trusting, believing, and connecting to the One they called, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Prince of Peace, and Immanuel.

God is with us now. 

In the mess we find ourselves, in the grief we sense, in the health scares we experience, in the unanswered questions we ask, in the unknown future we face. God is with us.

Let us find our rest and peace in Immanuel, God with us.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You for coming to us in flesh and blood.
Thank You for knowing what it’s like to be human and not leaving us on our own.
Help us fully embrace the reality that You are, indeed, with us, Immanuel.
In Your Mighty Name,
Amen  

Notes on Hope Devotional

Angels on Guard

 Psalm 91:11 (NIV)
 For he will command his angels concerning you
    to guard you in all your ways

This past weekend, my son and daughter brought down the red and green tubs in the garage filled with Christmas decorations.  I was instructed to “get to it” and do some decorating. Amidst the boxes, I found the collection of angels I’ve acquired over the years.

In the Christmas story, I have an affinity for the angels. They had the premier privilege of coming to Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds, announcing the news of the coming Savior.

Today’s verse gives a slightly different job description of angels.

They are considered bodyguards, protecting and on the lookout for us. It appears they are recipients of instructions, commanded by God, “concerning you.” Like soldiers receiving orders from their commanding officer, angels have duties to protect us.

As I read this verse and ponder, I sense a tenderness and security of being looked after, taken care of, and kept safe.

A few years ago, after taking off my wedding ring, I started wearing my husband’s Fitbit. On a trip to Costco, I went in wearing it, and came home without it. Thinking I lost it on the way, I looked in the car, in my purse, in the driveway, and in the box of items I bought at Costco. Frustrated, I decided to call Costco and ask if they had found a Fitbit. The person on the phone went to check. As I waited on the phone, I prayed, “Please, Lord.” The words I heard said, “Is it green?” I said, “Yes!” Something I loved because it belonged to my husband was found. I felt taken care of in a special way, seen in my circumstances, and surrounded by a force of protection.

What are you facing today that creates fear? What areas have you seen God order His angels to guard and protect you? Let’s be on the lookout for the ways God “commands his angels concerning” us. 

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You for sending angels to guard us in all our ways. Give us eyes to see You protecting us from, guarding us in, and taking care of us throughout the day. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Notes on Hope Devotional

Give Thanks

Psalm 100:4
Enter his gates with thanksgiving
    and his courts with praise;
    give thanks to him and praise his name.

A few years ago, I was part of a writing group where we named one thing we were grateful for each day of the month. That practice has stayed with me, albeit not in a formal, writing-it-down way, but in a spiritual practice. Psalm 100 is the song of thanksgiving, inviting us to “give thanks.” 

Whether you're in a season of peace and quiet or in a storm of chaos, change, and upheaval, we can still give thanks. 

Dr. Curt Thompson, psychiatrist and author of “Anatomy of the Soul” and “The Deepest Place,” wrote in a recent email about gratitude and thanksgiving:

Scripture has long understood this. For God’s people, thanksgiving was never transactional; it was relational. Gratitude emerged as a response to a God who draws near, who knows and loves His people. When we give thanks, we participate in that same movement. Every “thank you” becomes a small turning:
•         toward God
•         toward others
•         and toward a deeper awareness that we live in a story held together by grace.

As you gather to celebrate Thanksgiving next week, may you see it as a holy practice that draws you into a deeper sense of gratitude toward God.

Dear Heavenly Father,
We give you thanks for the blessings You have given us. All we have is from You. Thank You for life, breath, and the gifts of family and friends. Above all, thank You for Your Son, Who gives us life here and life beyond this world. In Your Precious Name, Amen.

Notes on Hope Devotional

911 Prayers

Psalm 71:12 (CSB)
God, do not be far from me;
my God, hurry to help me.

This past month, I’ve had plumbing issues and made friends with Andy, the plumber. On Sunday, before I went to church, the toilet overflowed. As I stood watching the water rise and spill onto the floor, I cried, “Lord, help me!” In the next moments, I ran to get towels and added another prayer, “Please stop it, Lord!” I call these prayers my “911 prayers,” short and in need of immediate attention.

Whether we are watching a toilet overflow, or sitting in a doctor’s office, or receiving an unwanted phone call, we all can identify with the words, “my God, hurry to help me.”

A dear friend, Sue Fulmore, writes beautifully the following blessing reflecting the space where I found myself. I pray it brings you hope where you are today.

May you run to the Father
and let yourself
be enveloped
in a love with no limits.

To know your regrets
covered and buried.
Your shame
forever silenced.

To know the friend
who never leaves,
and the peace available
in the middle of every storm.

(You can follow Sue on Substack.) Here’s the link: https://suefulmore.substack.com/

Notes on Hope Devotional

Checking Our Filter

 Psalm 19:14 (CSB)

 May the words of my mouth
and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable to you,
Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.

This past Sunday at church, the worship leader read this verse aloud as a part of our worship. I have heard this verse hundreds of times, but for some reason, it made me pause.

These words from Psalms invite us to consider the spoken and unspoken; what’s heard and not heard, what’s visible and what’s secret. When I think about it, it’s a prayer to be exposed, to see what’s beneath the surface. Does what I say accurately reflect what is in my heart and mind? What’s the process that creates the connection?

Since my college days, I’ve been a coffee drinker. My habit has been to prepare the coffee the night before, so when I wake up, I walk into the kitchen, smelling the inviting aroma, and pour myself my cup of java. I use an automatic coffee maker that requires a filter. The filter is where the grounded beans wait to be turned into the smooth, dark, delicious drink I enjoy. The filter matters. It’s where the connection from inside makes its way outside.

In the same way, what I am meditating, thinking, and rehearsing in my mind will result in what comes out of my mouth. The common phrase, “think before you speak,” comes to mind. If my thoughts are negative, critical, and not true, I will find myself saying those things.

However, if I set up a “filter prayer,” like this verse, I will consider if what I am thinking is lining up with Philippians 4:8, “whatsoever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” May we consider the filter we are using and ask God to help us.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You for Your transforming power as we ask that our words we speak and the thoughts we think “may be pleasing in Your sight, Lord, Our Rock and Redeemer.”
In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Notes on Hope Devotional

Blessed

Jeremiah 17:7-8 (NIV)
“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
    whose confidence is in him,
They will be like a tree planted by the water
    that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
    its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
    and never fails to bear fruit.”

While some trees are changing colors, the three orange trees and the lemon tree in my backyard are full of green fruit. Underneath the trees, a drip irrigation system provides water. Last week, the sprinkler system wasn’t working, so the trees didn't receive water for over a week. The trees looked droopy, tired, and dry. With a hose nearby, I turned on the water full blast and soaked the roots.

These verses today give such a beautiful picture of trees that are flourishing and fruitful.

This image is what Jeremiah uses to declare “blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.”

What captures my attention is the statement in verse 8, “it does not fear and it has no worries.”
Stop the bus! What is he saying? No fear and no worries? I want some of that!

Life is filled with numerous challenges that grip us in fear and worry. Our finances, our health, our families, our futures are just some of the areas we can choose to fear. But what does Jeremiah say when he calls us blessed? “The one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him.” Trust and confidence in exchange for fear and worry.

Choosing to intentionally trust when we are programmed to fear is an act of our mind and will. My practice lately has been to say, out loud for my brain to hear, “I choose to trust You, Lord.”

A recent song on my playlist by Elevation Worship is “Blessed Assurance”…These lyrics give voice to my heart: “I trust in God, my Savior, the One who will never fail, No He will never fail.”

We can be like a thriving, flourishing tree when we trust and put our confidence in the Lord.   

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You for being faithful and trustworthy. Help us trust You with everyone and everything, to fully experience the call of being “blessed.” Thank You. In Jesus Name, Amen.