Devotionals
Proclaiming Jesus by Serving With Joy
“God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.” — 1 Peter 4:10 (NLT)
My strong belief in serving others is a quality I learned from my mother.
When I was young, I remember a time my mother pulled up to a stoplight as I rode in the car with her, and I watched her give to a person standing beside the road. “This is my good deed for the day,” she said. Her example set an expectation to do good daily.
The Blessing of Leftovers
“After everyone was full, Jesus told his disciples, ‘Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted.’” — John 6:12 (NLT)
The notification on my phone said I had a new message in my “bestie” group chat. The text read, “Shala, this cake is gonna be big. I may need you to come pick up some leftovers!”
This SOS message required only one reply from me: a GIF that said, “I’m in!”
Thank God for leftovers, right?
His Banner Over Me is Love
“In one of the villages, Jesus met a man with an advanced case of leprosy. When the man saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground, begging to be healed. ‘Lord,’ he said, ‘if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.’” Luke 5:12 (NLT)
When I was a kid in Super Church, as our children’s ministry was called, we sang a song that went, “The Lord is mine and I am His; His banner over me is love!”
Maybe you sang this song, too, if you grew up in church. Maybe you still know the hand motions accompanying it and would happily give us a full demonstration — and to that, I say, “Let’s do it!”
But to be honest … I was 40 years old when I had to ask Google what “His banner over me is love” actually means.
Walking With a Rabbi
“Later, when Jesus was alone with the twelve disciples and with the others who were gathered around, they asked him what the parables meant.” Mark 4:10 (NLT)
This past winter, I found myself walking the streets of northern Italy for 17 days with a group of women from my seminary class. It was an intensive class on women in the early Church and the arts, pondering their lives and documenting evidence of their church leadership.
Missed Exits: Turning Up the Voice of God
“And when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left, your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’” — Isaiah 30:21 (NRSVA)
Last summer, a colleague picked me up from the airport to take me to a conference. We had a long stretch of highway to drive, with Google Maps ready to lead the way to the conference location.
We laughed and talked as we rolled down the road … Then something didn’t look quite right.
Wait Just a Little While Longer
“For all must carry their own loads.” Galatians 6:5 (NRSV)
Whenever someone bench presses, it’s always essential to have a spotter. No one wants to be crushed under a barbell! A spotter is primarily there to protect the lifter when the weight is too much.
Oxygen for the Fire
“This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you.” — 2 TIMOTHY 1:6 (NLT)
My husband and I always dreamed of having a wood-burning fireplace. In the cooler months, we would swoon at the smell of firewood burning as we drove through neighborhoods.
Last summer, our dream came true. God blessed us with a home that included a beautiful wood-burning fireplace. Not only that, but the previous owner left us stacks of wood to carry us through our first winter in our new home. Score!
Doing Hard Things Afraid
“We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy …” Colossians 1:11 (NLT)
As I stood with my hands raised and one foot forward, the floor looked so far away. I was nervous. I was paralyzed. I had already done it successfully once that morning, but fear gripped me. Each time I tried again, fear foiled my follow-through.