BY DONNA CHURCHILL

I had never celebrated Advent until several years ago – well into adulthood! It was never a tradition that we celebrated when I was growing up. Now that I know more about it and what it means, I look forward to it every year.

The time before Christmas is called Advent, a season of preparation for Christmas. Christians prepare for celebrating the birth of Jesus by remembering the longing of the Jews for a Messiah. During Advent, we’re reminded of how much we ourselves also need a Savior, and we look forward to our Savor’s second coming even as we prepare to celebrate His first coming at Christmas.

One definition of Advent is “the arrival of a notable person, thing, or event. The word Advent literally means “coming” or “arrival.” Advent is all about a season of preparation. A time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the coming Christ.

At this time of year, we often hear someone ask, “So, are you ready?” Usually that means – do you have everything done that you need to do – fix up and clean the house, decorate the house, buy the tree, decorate the tree, endless shopping to buy the presents, wrap the presents, do the baking, writing out and sending the Christmas cards, etc, etc.

But this question now reminds me of getting ready – not for the Christmas holiday – but getting reading to receive Him, born afresh and anew in my heart. That’s what Advent is really all about – the preparation of the heart to receive Emmanuel. Even though, as Christians, we’ve already received Him, our hearts can become complacent in appreciating the gift of His coming. That’s what I love about Advent. It reminds me again that the greatest gift, the greatest treasure I could ever receive, is indeed already mine!

Celebrating Advent causes me to slow down and focus on the Messiah and His presence in my life – at all times – but especially during this season which can rob our attention from Him and onto all the trappings the world deems so important this time of year. It causes me to quiet my spirit and sit before Him. It causes me to ponder His ways and search my heart. It causes me to reflect on how I’m celebrating the season and preparing for Him or it causes me to see where I fall short of that.

I have celebrated Advent using several different devotionals over the years. I love the daily readings that help me to “zoom in” on the Lord. Each day I stop, slow down and focus on some part of the Advent story. My heart is quieted and turned toward Him, which helps my focus for the day.

The first Sunday in Advent, (which was celebrated this past Sunday) we light the candle of Hope. And as we do, we’re reminded that our hope is in the person of Jesus Christ. We wait with hearts full of expectant hope for the one who has/will save us.

“And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee.”
Psalm 39:7

The second Sunday in Advent, we light the candle of Love.

“For God so loved…..that He gave….”
John 3:16

God so loved you…God so loved me. He gave…His only Son became God incarnate. He became man and experienced all that man can experience as man…because of love. He came and dwelt among us…as one of us. Emmanuel – God with us! And this is the love that 33 years later would go to the cross in my place, in your place, to reconcile us to the Father. This is the love that not only was born in a lowly stable, but is also born in our sin-stained, foul hearts when invited!

The third Sunday in Advent, we light the candle of Joy. Joy is not happiness and happiness is not joy. Joy originates from faith, for joy is the very essence of faith. Joy is lasting; happiness is temporal. Joy is rooted in our faith; happiness is rooted in the moment, a fleeting moment. Joy, true joy, focuses on Jesus and who He is; happiness focuses on self. Joy causes our attention to be captured by the Giver more than the benefit or gift received.

“That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that you also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.”
1 John 1:4

The fourth Sunday in Advent, we light the candle of Peace. Our world is not a very peaceful place right at the moment. With all that is happening, it would certainly seem peace is impossible to find. But into all this darkness and hopelessness comes one who offers us hope and says to us peace can be ours! True peace is only found in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus – the Prince of Peace!

“And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:7

I love the readings of Advent and the anticipation created in my heart. I love the opportunity to turn my heart toward Him during this season. I feel a greater excitement of His presence in my day during this season. It’s like the excitement and anticipation a child feels waiting for Christmas.

But how much greater the “Gift” of Jesus than the temporal gifts we give each other??

Are you ready?
Are you ready……….to receive Him?
Are you ready………….…….to celebrate Him?
Are you ready to embrace His presence this Christmas season?

BY MARIE TIEMANN

The Lord instructs us to be Thankful. “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances. (1 Thess. 5: 16-18)
How did we come to have a national day of Thanksgiving and how and why is it relevant to the church?  Why should we be thankful for the founding of this nation that we live in? How do I/we express our gratitude to God surrounding this event? To answer these questions, we’ll step back to the year of 1620, walk through time, and take a look at a couple of significant events and a few of the people God used during those years. 

While reading the book EPIC, an Around the World Journey through Christian History, by Tim Challies, I learned about the development of the Bible and that the founding of our nation was very significant for the spread of Christianity and for the preservation of the Bible. Throughout the many years that the Bible was being written, printed, and spoken, many of the governmental leaders in Europe were trying to suppress the Bible and its spreading to the people by imprisoning and killing those who were faithful in exclaiming the gospel message.  They became known as religious dissenters and later they left their homes, jobs and communities in order to escape the religious persecution.

On September 6, 1620, William Brewster and his family set sail on the Mayflower with 39 other religious dissenters to flee persecution so that they could worship in peace.  The ship anchored near Cape Cod on November 11, 1620. It was a treacherous voyage across the Atlantic Ocean and during the first winter, the new settlers endured much hardship through the harsh climate without sufficient food or shelter. “In the new settlement William Brewster took on the role of the settlers’ pastor and spiritual leader.   One of his biographers writes, “He alone held the Pilgrim church together during the early years of settlement, maintaining both its orthodoxy and its willingness to interact with nonseparating Puritans.“1    Brewster was faithful to the word of God and his service, yet he wasn’t aware of how his service would be so important for the future of this nation and to us today who live in a land of freedom where the gospel can continue to be proclaimed.  Another important person and leader at the Pilgrim Plantation in Plymouth, Massachusetts was William Bradford, who was chosen as the first governor.  In 1623, he called the Pilgrims to gather for a day of prayer and thanksgiving.

To All Ye Pilgrims- A Thanksgiving Proclamation Attributed to William Bradford, first Governor of the Colonies

“Inasmuch as the great Father has given us this year an abundant harvest of Indian corn, wheat, beans, squashes and garden vegetables, and has made the forests to abound with game and the sea with fish and clams, and inasmuch as He has protected us from the ravages of savages, has spared us from pestilence and disease, has granted us freedom to worship God according to the dictates of our conscience, now, I your magistrate, do proclaim that all ye Pilgrims, with your wives and little ones, do gather at ye meeting house, on ye hill, between the hours of 9 and 12 in the daytime, on Thursday, November ye 29th of the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred and twenty-three, and the third year since ye Pilgrims landed on ye Pilgrim Rock, there to listen to ye pastor, and render thanksgiving to ye Almighty God for all His blessings.”

The Lord continued to send other pastors and Christian leaders to this land in the years that followed.  John and Charles Wesley traveled to America in 1735, followed by George Whitefield who arrived in 1739 and preached to thousands throughout New England.  The Wesleys and George Whitefield were instrumental in starting the revival known as the Great Awakening.

On October 3, 1789 George Washington issued the nation’s first presidential proclamation in which he called the nation to set aside a day of thanks.  Here is an excerpt of the proclamation:

“Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor—and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them and opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be—That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks—for this kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to becoming a Nation…”

I hope that you will someday have an opportunity to visit Pilgrim Plantation and discovery the Pilgrims’ experience and thank God for their endurance and steadfastness in their faith and bringing the Bible to this land.  Maybe you’ll even find yourself becoming very fond of these great men and women, as I have, who endured great hardship and paved the way for us to live freely in this land.  William Brewster’s chest is on display at the Pilgrim Hall museum. Another site that I highly recommend visiting is the Museum of the Bible where you’ll learn more of how the Bible was written and delivered throughout the world.

It’s easy to be thankful for the tangible things that I have and my job, friends, family and church, but I am forever grateful for God’s faithfulness to His children by giving us His son who endured the cross for me to live free from the penalty of sin and for His word that endures through all generations.  I pray that His beloved church would continue to be faithful to His word and teach the next generations. “Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth!  I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old, things that we have heard and known, that our fathers have told us.  We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done.” Psalm 78: 1-4

I find that this prayer by John & Charles Wesley’s mother expresses my sentiments to my Lord very well.  Susanna Wesley had 19 children.

“I thank thee, oh God, for the relief and satisfaction of mind that come with the firm assurance that you govern the world.  Even the tumultuous and irregular actions of sinful men are nevertheless under thy direction and thy providence.  You who are wise, good and omnipotent and have promised “to make all things work together for thy good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Roman 8:28   Thank you my God & Savior. “  Susanna Wesley (circa 1600’s)

HAVE A HAPPY AND BLESSED THANKSGIVING!

1  Challies, Tim  EPIC An Around the World Journey Through Christian History, 2020,pg 83

BY JOYCE PELLETIER
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"The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them."
Isaiah 11:6

As grownups we become entangled with the busy-ness of life. Running errands here and there. We have to go to work, have to get the groceries, have to pay the bills. We get on a treadmill that doesn’t stop unless the safety plug is pulled or the timer on the clock runs out.

With a child, life is timeless. They don’t look at the clock or understand its purpose. They don’t worry about eating, they just ask Mom for a cracker.

Let me tell you about my two-year-old neighbor, Cari. We’ve been building our friendship. She can talk the leaves off the tree.  Cari has taught me much about taking time to enjoy a few moments of simplistic conversation. In those moments I experience the gentleness of God.

When Cari comes to my door once a week, to drop off her dog Suzi for a visit for the day, she stands outside my door peeping her little head, then, when she sees me, she does her little happy dance and I join her with the storm door between us.

Later when she comes home from preschool, she chatters away, sharing her day, other times she’s just listening. Cari loves cherry tomatoes. Everyday when they come home, she says, “I’ve got to pick tomatoes!” She finds one, then starts eating, whether they are ripe or not. She is the epitome of joy and fun. It is a part of my day that I look forward to. Unconditional love!

As a young child, Cari, just wanting to go pick her tomatoes, She had a task to do, and went to do it. Didn’t Jesus do the same thing? He didn’t just go pick tomatoes, He became a man, lived like a man, learned obedience to God as all of us should. He, too had a goal to accomplish every minute of every day, just like Cari. It shows me we go about on our life’s journey, finding purpose, and being obedient to that purpose. Sometimes we just have to pick tomatoes. In the simplistic encounters with Cari, I’ve learned to take time to just listen and enjoy these types of moments in my life. Somehow, doing so eases the stress of the challenges that life brings.

Before long we will once again enter the season of Christmas. I am reminded of the little child who became a man, died on the cross, so I can be with him forever. We start by becoming a child, then we are fortunate to have the best teacher ever, and we learn to be obedient and just pick tomatoes.

I’m sure of this, that Jesus learned to play as a young child. The greatest message from Cari, is to enjoy the moment, because when the tough times come, He is with us still. What a blessing to have a time in our Sunday Service, when we focus on the little children. It reminds me, too, I was once a little child! How precious it is for us to make time for those moments and when we get ‘older’ we recognize the lessons of our Heavenly Father, who loves us so much, that He became a little child, Himself.

BY JEFF DAUGHERTY

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.”
Psalm 32:8-9

I read a bible verse the other day and thought I would share it with you.

Psalm 32:8-9, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.”

This told me many things. First, God will teach me what I need to know, he will show me the direction I need to take.  Second, He warns me not to be like a mule that is stubborn and will not move without much prodding. I must be open and ready to God’s directions. All I need to say is “yes Lord”.

Have faith and the words will come. Be ready to say “Yes Lord” and He will take the lead. There is a lesson in this for all of us.

If God wants you to walk along a specific path will you stand, steadfast in one spot, until he tells you a direction? God will gladly give us direction. What he will not do, no matter how much we may plead with him to do so, give us a swift kick in the hind quarters to get us moving. That part is entirely up to us.

Taking that first step is usually a tough one to take. Why does God not give us a shove? Because that first step requires us to put our trust in him. It takes a great deal of faith to step out even when we do not know the direction we are going. It is like Peter stepping out of the boat and onto the water in Matthew 14:29. It didn’t take him long to sink, however. But he did take that first leap of faith. Stepping out in faith is not a single step victory. It merely starts with one step. Then you give praise to the Lord for helping you to take that step. Then you take another step. He will be there to guide us and protect us. Ever vigilant the Father is over his children.

A child will jump without a thought of fear because they know that their parent is there to catch them. Why is it that a leap of that kind gets tougher the older we get? Because we can reason and rationalize things. Because we hesitate long enough with the door open and let fear creep in and overtake us. Sort of like standing at the fridge with the door open trying to decide what you want to eat for a snack.

But how do you take that first step when simply getting out of bed is a monumental task?  For those who are severely depressed gathering that will is beyond comprehension. Go ahead and take that first step. That is easy for me to say, right?

I am not some all-knowing Christian with a hotline direct to God. I am just a flawed sinner who once begged God to show him that He was real. I am just a person who learned how to trust and rely upon God. I am someone who learned the truth.

You are loved. You are important. Imagine that you are sitting in your living room watching the Super Bowl with a few friends. You sit and cheer for your favorite team. Things may have not been that cheerful in your life for quite some time, but I am sure that you can remember such an event. You can hear the cheers erupt as your favorite player makes a huge play.

You have such a cheering section. Imagine God sitting in front of a big screen TV with a few of his angels and saints. There share some popcorn and watch your life as it unfolds before them. Filled with drama and emotion, your story has their eyes glued to every moment. They see you about to take the first step in your personal leap of faith and they begin to cheer. But you hesitate and do not take that leap. God may be all-knowing, but the angels sitting with him are not. They let out a sigh of empathy for you. Tears flow down their cheeks as they watch you.

“You were so close”, they cry.
“Don’t give up!”, some shout.
But God, listening to their pleas, motions for them to settle down and keep quiet.
“This is my favorite part,” he says as he leans forward toward the edge of his seat.
All of the angels and saints lean forward as if it would help them to see it a little better.
Silence fills the room as your life continues to unfold across the screen.

But this time you, at your lowest point, give up trying to control what is uncontrollable. In a final act of broken surrender, you decide to take that step, no matter where it may lead. You tried to do it on your own and it didn’t work. You are a little unsure but you reach out with your foot as you take that small, but crucial first step.

That is when you realize you have been holding your breath for the past several moments. As your foot moved forward and you feel the steady earth below it, you let out a deep breath.

From God's TV room, the crowd erupts with a cheer that would topple most earthbound stadiums. As proud as a father watching his child take their first step, God watches on. He knew you could do it.

But for you, in the here and now, preparing to take that step is pretty terrifying. My question to you is this.

Why?
Why is it terrifying?
Is it the thought of giving up control? Maybe that is it. Right now, you are in control.
How is that working out for you so far? Not so good, huh?
Realizing that you cannot do it alone is nothing to be ashamed of. It is a sign of maturity and growth.

​Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

You can do it.
I know you can.
Christ believes in you.
Believe in him. Trust that he will take your hand. Trust that he will protect you as you walk.
We are not talking about a Neal Armstrong type of leap.
Just one small step.
Take it.
I promise, it will change your life.

BY JORDAN MAYER

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
1 John 1:9

This verse from 1 John has been such a precious truth in my life. It is the kind of take-it-to-the-bank promise that I've clung to every time I fall back into sin. For me, the confessing was never the hard part. It was what came after that has long been a struggle for me.

I confess my sin before God, but feel so defeated, ashamed, and consumed by the weight of my sin, that for days on end I am depressed and moody. That's certainly not my reaction for every sin, but for those particular sins we tend to elevate in our minds. Those besetting sins we tend to separate from the rest. So when I stumble and commit one of those sins, it's like everything comes crashing down. And it's in those situations that I feel as though confessing is simply not enough, that there’s something I need to do. The sad thing is that it seems, in some sense, to be a righteous act. God will be pleased with me if I really beat myself up over my sin, I think.

But in reality, it reveals a hidden self-righteousness that Satan is all too eager to exploit. While his first mission is to keep as many people from believing in Jesus as he can, the next best thing is to so burden a Christian in doubt, guilt, and shame as to make them utterly defeated and ineffective for God’s kingdom work.

I have been that Christian at many points in my life. Oh, how many days I have wasted in the worthless pursuit of trying to cleanse myself of my sin, to somehow atone for my wrongdoing by making myself miserable. Do I believe Jesus died on the Cross for my sins? Certainly, I do! And yet, my actions reveal a tendency to doubt His sufficiency and place some of the burden on myself. Yes, Jesus died for my sins but…

No, not Jesus died for my sins but. Jesus died for my sins. Period.

We must expose these lies for what they are and turn to the truth of God's Word. If we confess our sins, whether it’s the first time today or the hundredth time, God will forgive us and cleanse us from it. That's not to say that God has to re-atone for our sin. No, Jesus’ work on the cross paid for sin once for all - past, present, and future (Hebrews 7:27). This also doesn’t mean that somehow our salvation hangs in the balance until we confess each and every sin. I don’t know about you, but I know that for every sin I confess, there's several others I've overlooked. The act of confession for a believer is not an attempt to restore God's salvation, it’s how we maintain fellowship with Him. Sin turns our eyes off of God. Confession and repentance turns our eyes back to God.

We can have confidence, then, that every time we bring our sins before God, He is ready and waiting to forgive and cleanse. Not reluctantly or begrudgingly, but with arms wide open. The same love that welcomed home the prodigal son is the same love that beckons us back every time we stray.

BY LARA GOVENDO

"How precious are your thoughts about me, O God! They are innumerable! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up in the morning, you are still with me!"
Psalms 139:17-18

"Be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
Matthew 28:20

As I type this, I’m questioning if I do actually believe that loneliness is a gift. How can something be a gift when it’s so… painful? Some of the most painful moments in my life have been when I was the loneliest. But there’s something magical that happens when we surrender EVERYTHING to God. Even the minuscule details of our lives, like our loneliness.

I’ve felt just about every loneliness there is to feel. Lonely in my illness. Lonely during the darkest seasons of depression. Lonely in romantic relationships, in friendships and family too. Lonely in not living a typical life. Lonely in being single and living alone. Lonely during the deepest heartaches and grieving seasons. Lonely in being misunderstood and left out. Lonely in the quiet battles I face that nobody knows about.

There is loneliness lurking around every corner we turn on the journey of our lives. Even though we’re in community, have wonderful family and friends, there are still lonely moments to be had. No human will ever truly understand the depths of our hearts. And that can feel pretty lonely when we’re going through trials and tribulations.

What matters, though, is what we do with our loneliness. We can choose to turn to distractions, addictions, busyness, the internet (social media, youtube, etc) – filling every waking moment with something. But none of these things take away the ache of loneliness.

BUT God does. Every time.

That still small voice spoke to me this week when I was feeling this and said: your lonely times are when you seek Me.
……………
Ok God. I hear you – I whisper.

And He was right. When I’m lonely in whatever circumstance it is, I get alone with God and take my loneliness to Him. He’s the only One that can fill that space of loneliness with complete wholeness. I can’t find the answer in other people, books, music, tv… because God IS the answer. He’s always with us, and never forsakes us (paraphrased from Deuteronomy 31:6).

And loneliness IS a gift because I’m reminded to seek Him.

When I bring my loneliness to Him, He reveals the root of it. In this sacred space with God, I’m able to heal on a soul level from whatever is bringing this feeling of loneliness. When we fully surrender our loneliness over to God, He truly does give us the peace that surpasses all understanding.

The pandemic has brought its own level of loneliness to everyone’s life in some capacity. I’m not negating the magnitude of this heaviness. But I can encourage you that when God calls us into loneliness, we are given the space and opportunity to become all that God created us to be apart from human influence and everything that’s distracting us.

It’s hard to drown out the noise of the world and get alone with God. But when we do, there is beautiful re-creation within us. After all, we are new creations in Christ, called to die to ourselves (give Him our loneliness) on the daily and follow Him.

​Thank you, God, for the gift of loneliness.

BY JEFF DAUGHERTY

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”
Proverbs 3:5-6

Do you ever feel like God has you running in circles? Can’t he just tell us what the plans are for our lives? Truth be told, if we knew the path and the trials that lay ahead, we would be likely to choose another path. 
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When God spoke to Moses he did so through the burning bush and a pillar of fire, among many other ways. I wish it were that simple for me. But simple is not God’s style. Hearing God’s voice is something that has to be learned and practiced. Scripture tells us in Proverbs 2:4 “…if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures…”  and Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” You must actively seek Him and listen for his voice. We have to work at it.
God is speaking to you. But are you really listening?

Let me illustrate it this way. Have a friend enter the location of a restaurant at least thirty minutes from your home. Make sure it requires several twists and turns, and it is someplace you do not go to very often. Make sure the voice directions are on but cover up your phone or GPS so you can’t see the map. All you have are the directions that are being spoken to you. Turn on the radio in your car and hit the road. Most of us need to see what the map shows ahead of us. But God doesn’t work that way. No matter how much we may pray otherwise, God is not going to show us a map with all the twists and turns our journey will be taking. He gives you what you need, when you need it. One step at a time. It is a lot harder than it sounds. The noise of people in the car or the radio, or things going on around us all distract us from what we are trying to hear. If God speaks to you, you can’t lean toward the person next to you and ask, “what did He just say?” Chances are you will end up driving in circles as the GPS tells you, “recalculating.”

So, now God’s directions are starting to make more sense, aren’t they? How many times has God had to redirect us? Was He not speaking to us, or were we just not listening? 

Try reading scripture and meditating in a place that is quiet and peaceful. That may be harder for some of you, but you can do it. We have to put ourselves in the best position to hear him. Try sitting outside at a park. Focus on the sounds of the birds and nature around you. Soon the sounds of the cars and the people begin to fade. Same principle. Do not get frustrated if you do not hear anything at first. It takes time and practice. And most of all it happens in God’s time, not ours. I would tell you to be patient, but that is a different devotional entirely.

God Bless.

BY JORDAN MAYER

“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God”
1 Corinthians 10:31

No other verse in the Bible has had more of an impact on my life than this one. I “discovered” this verse in college, and ever since then, it continues to challenge and transform the way I live.

It’s always important when reading Scripture that we begin with the context that it was written in, so let's start there. Paul is clearing up some issues with the Corinthians in regards to food and drink offered to idols. To eat or not to eat, to drink or not to drink - that was the question. Or was it?

Paul goes on to give a number of great lessons on idol worship, Christian liberty, and loving your neighbor; but it's what's in the middle of verse 31 that truly struck me. Paul begins with the eating and drinking, but then makes a striking addition. Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Really Paul, all things? I'm convinced that when Paul says all things, he means all things!

At the time, classes, homework, exams, and projects dominated my life and frankly, was a total drag at times. But this verse made me realize something extraordinary: that my life has less to do with what I'm doing and far more to do with why. If I can do all things to the glory of God, then it doesn't matter so much what the "what" is, but rather the "why" behind it. In the moment, it empowered me to go to every class, write every note, and take every test with a renewed sense of purpose: the glory of God.

Since then, it has reminded me that every moment of our lives is an opportunity to give Him glory. Not simply the time spent at church, reading His Word, or preaching the Gospel, but every minute of every day. The hills and valleys. The extraordinary and the ordinary. The magnificent and the mundane.

When I wrote the title for this post, although a bit tongue in cheek, it was meant to illustrate a point. When I stumble out of bed at 5AM during the week and take a sip of that sweet nectar from the Arabica bean, can I glorify God in that? Absolutely! I can be thankful for the strength He has provided to get up that morning (Isaiah 40:29). I can be grateful for His creation and the caffeine that gives me the energy to start my day (Psalm 104:24-25). And I can rejoice that today is a new day that has been given to me (Psalm 118:24). It may seem silly, but every situation - both big and small - is an opportunity to thank our Creator and give glory to His name.

So whether you are cleaning the house for the umpteenth time, confined to your bed because of chronic illness, reading a good book, or headed out the door to your 9 to 5; use these moments as opportunities to worship.

BY JOYCE PELLETIER

“During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverent submission. He learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.”
Hebrews 5:7-9

I’m a light sleeper. I can take a 5-minute nap and go on for the rest of the day like I had slept for 8 hours. The body is an amazing alarm clock. Its routines are hard to break. The older I get, the more I recognize routine has its good and challenging points.

In my last devotional it spoke about using the word “hard days” in place of “bad days.” This was a new perspective for those sleepless nights. When you think of "bad", ugliness seems to lurk its head. When you think of "hard days", there is a vein of hope. Like a doctor operating on a patient and finding all sorts of unrevealed illness. The thoughts going through his mind is let’s get this patient well again. It becomes a battle of "hard decisions", but in the end good results smooth that rugged pathway to find the way to the beautiful valley of healing.

Many years ago I fell prey to a really difficult night. I was wrestling with something I had done that was not a good choice for my actions. The night became a valley of tears and anxiety until one night it caused me to take notice. I got out of bed and retrieved my Bible. Then I prayed and found a passage that brought me to a place of peace. God’s word impacted my negative thinking.

I put the Bible and journal away, look at the clock and take a deep breath, as I snuggle back under the blanket of peace, sleep overtakes me. The next thing I hear is the alarm clock. I had finally fallen back to sleep and felt much better about things. The passage that often comes to mind is from Hebrews 5:7-9.

“During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverent submission. He learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.”

 You see during those stressful times, when I’m wrestling with anything, God is present with me. He is soothing my soul. He is talking to my heart. Peace and sometimes resolution helps me to let it go.

So many resolutions come from my early morning encounters. So often the next day, my life has spun back to where God wants me to be.

When I think that Jesus had to learn obedience for what He suffered, so much more do I need to learn obedience for my life. This concept has made me more conscious to be quick to find resolution and surrender my sin to God. The human side of Jesus convicted Him to follow His Father’s guidance and will. The early morning encounters bring rise to a beautiful sunrise in the morning. It’s a new day to start fresh.

BY DONNA CHURCHHILL

“The Lord will go before you! The God of Israel will be your rear guard!” 
Isaiah 52:12
 
“I am the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last.” 
Revelation 1:11
 
He who begins, finishes. He who leads us on, follows behind to deal in love with our poor attempts. He gathers up the things that we have dropped, our fallen resolutions, our mistakes. He makes His blessed pardon to flow over our sins till they are utterly washed away. And He turns to fight the enemy, who would pursue after us, to destroy us from behind. He is first, and He is last! We need never fear!
 
In all things, He goes before us.
He paves the way.
He even lights the way.
He whispers, “This is the way, walk ye in it.”
We never walk alone.
We are never left to stumble and falter.
He is first.
 
I have a long walkway from my garage to my house and at night, without proper lighting, it can be pretty daunting. Especially because I know we have bears and all assorted creatures in the woods behind our house. Yikes!! But on the side of my garage there is a sensor light, so when I walk out of the garage, the light comes on. As I walk down the walkway, there is another light on the house that comes on at dusk and stays on till dawn. This light guides me down the walkway, but once I get past that light to the foot of my stairs, it is dark again. I must continue to the first step and as soon as my foot hits the bottom step, another sensor light comes on to guide me up the stairs. BUT, I have to take that first step. This is such an object lesson for me.
 
We are to take one step at a time and as our foot lifts to take the next step, He lights the way. We just need to trust that He will. Every time I walk down my walkway at night, I am trusting that my next step will light the next one and so on.
 
God does go before us, but we have to follow and we have to trust.
 
But even as He goes before us, He is also our rear guard. What comfort there is in this truth. We are not left defenseless either way!
 
As we walk through this life, there are so many things that we shed as we go, some good, some not so good. But they are not left haphazardly on the path. He goes behind us and takes care of all those things. He gathers them up and deals with them as He chooses. He gathers our sins up into His bosom and He remembers them no more. His mercy and grace follow us.
  
He brings up the rear.
He watches from behind.
He fights the enemy on our behalf.
He protects us from a “sneak attack.”
He watches our back.
He is last.

He is the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end.
 
What a comfort and a blessing to know that I have a God who not only goes before me and paves the way, but I also have a God who walks behind me to protect me in every way. He fights the battle both ways. I can trust Him to order my steps and direct my path. I can trust Him to be “round about” me.
 
“They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever. As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth even for ever.”  Psalm 125:1, 2
 
“You hem me in – behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.”  Psalm 139:5 (NIV)