WITHDRAW Weekly Devos

How do we get through the trials in our lives? As followers of Christ, we know the right answer is, “through faith.” Seems easy enough. Even the Word of God says in Luke 17:6 that we only need faith the size of a mustard seed. According to the Logos Bible Software (https://www.logos.com) and its references therein, “even a small amount of true faith in God is incredibly powerful and can lead [...]

Many of us have tried dieting, right? One diet involves receiving a balance of points to start each new day. That seems generous. We do nothing except wake up and find we have been given a new surplus of points. Pretty neat until we use up all those fresh points as we consume food throughout the day. We can, of course, earn more points if we choose to exercise. We must [...]

For a few days I have felt exhausted and full of self-pity and doubt.  I felt as though I was being led by God and doing the work He has called me to do when suddenly I was overcome by fatigue.  I wanted nothing to do with others; I did not want to encourage them or pray for them or really even be around them.  This is not who I normally [...]

When I am hurt my human instinct is to avenge myself and how I am feeling.  I want to seek justice, my own vengeful justice.  I want the person who hurt me to experience some of the same. The bottom line is, hurt people hurt people. I know that the Word commands me to leave vengeance to God alone.  Romans 12:19 states, “Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave [...]

Deception is Satan’s main motive in trying to accuse those who belong to the family of Christ.  Satan takes no greater pleasure than when he whispers lies to us attempting to lead us to doubt ourselves, our calling, or our decisions.  In John 8:44b (NLT) Jesus says of Satan, “He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him.  When he lies, it is consistent with his character; [...]

I was recently asked to forgive someone.  I said to her that I did not think forgiveness was necessary, but I accepted her request and extended my forgiveness.  At the time I could not quite put into words “why” I felt forgiveness was not required, but tonight I read a devotional which has helped me formulate my thoughts. In the devotional it talked about the difference between being wounded and being [...]

“Anyone who listens to the Word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like” James 1:23-24 NIV There is a medical condition called mirror image agnosia in which an individual looks at himself in a mirror but cannot recognize that the image is, in fact, him.  How [...]

When a light shines it radiates out in every direction moving in a straight line.  But, when a solid, opaque object stands in the way of a beam of light a shadow forms behind the object.  The light is blocked and no longer shines beyond the object in its path. The Bible says that Christians are to let their light shine before others so they will see our good deeds and [...]

The New Testament book of Hebrews says that the Word of God is sharper than any double-edged sword.  With its God cuts to the heart of man and lays bare what lies inside…the good and the bad.  With it the faithful receive saving grace and the wicked their destruction.  There is no thought, no intention and no desire that remains secret. So, why do we fight so hard, at times, against [...]

Proverbs 27:19 says, “As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the real person”.  I have wasted years of my life hiding my heart’s reflection.  Was it fear?  Was it embarrassment?  Was it “no one here gets me”?  I think at times it was all these things. I believe that I am a likable person.  I think I am funny and can get along with most people.  I [...]

I am certain that the shed blood of Jesus Christ upon the cross at Calvary has cleansed me of all sin; past, present, and future.  I believe that there is no one who can take away the salvation provided to me by Christ’s sacrifice.  I know that God has justified me not because of anything I have done, but because of His Grace and His Mercy freely poured out through the [...]

Hotchy potchy was my grandmother’s made-up creation.  It was nothing fancy, but I loved to eat it.  The meal consisted of eggs over easy and homemade fried potatoes.  Oh, and the name came from mixing those two foods together in a big, hotchy potchy mess on my plate.  If the friends of my youth only knew what they were missing out on!  My adulthood friend, Mary, remembers me telling her about [...]

Before accepting Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior my decisions were dictated primarily by my soul (i.e., my psyche; my mind, will and emotions).  If I “felt like” doing something to make myself happy I would do it without concern for others.   I would choose to do things that I thought made me happy but in reality, did not, even to the detriment of my body.  As an example, going [...]

Most of us would agree that we receive Spiritual healing when we seek forgiveness and are reconciled to our Heavenly Father through the saving blood of Jesus Christ our Lord.  What about other manifestations of healing?  Do we receive emotional and mental healing?  How about healing and restoration of severed relationships?  Are we healed physically through forgiveness and reconciliation?  As the Word of God says in Isaiah 53:5 (AMP), “But He [...]

I was experiencing self-pity this week.  I felt lonely and wanted someone to talk to and to spend time with.  My husband and I work opposite hours and time together can quickly get away from us.  I tried to make time with a friend, but we had conflicting schedules.  I spent more time alone this week than I usually do. It made me preoccupied with myself and my feelings.  Instead of [...]

A little more than a year ago I was struggling at work.  I had been in the same department for 20 years and it was time for a change.  A few positions opened which piqued my interest, so I applied.  After interviewing for two of the jobs which I thought I would have been a shoo-in for, I was disappointed to learn that the positions were offered to others. I started [...]

Titus 3:3-5 (NLT) states, “Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient.  We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures.  Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other.  But, when God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.  He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth [...]

Today I came across the same Scripture verse in two of my morning devotionals, John 7:38.  I do not believe in coincidence, so I took some time to study the surrounding verses, as well as commentaries on these verses.  I prayed for the words to write so I could explain how this verse spoke to me; perhaps in a way in which you can also relate. John 7:38 is Jesus speaking [...]

Sometimes I read Scripture, and the imagery brought to my mind is so vivid and clear it is as though I see myself in the stories being told.  What an amazing and awesome experience it would have been to follow Jesus while he walked this earth. One chapter of Scripture I recently read was in Acts.  In Acts chapter two Luke writes about the day of Pentecost and the gift of [...]

A sheepfold is a pen built to provide protection for sheep from thieves and predators.  Sometimes multiple herds of sheep are brought into the fold at one time.  There is a doorway or gate to enter the sheepfold, and it is here that the shepherd lays to provide protection for his sheep.  It is also through the gate that the shepherd will lead his flock out to pasture.  The sheepfold provides [...]

Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come.” Luke 17:1 How we act and what we say in the presence of others can be powerful.  Are we doing and saying things which bring glory to God? Do our actions and words line up with our beliefs? Would people know us as Christians the first time we [...]

Today I celebrate the birthday of a dear friend.  I haven’t known her long, but I will know her eternally.  From the very beginning she has been the Proverbs 27:17 kind of friend.  She challenges me to get into the Word of God.  She encourages me when I share my dreams with her.  She is the most amazing listener and provides words of wisdom from her heart.  This friend is iron [...]

“And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us”. 1 John 3:23 Believing in the name of Jesus Christ seems easy enough for those of us who call ourselves Christians.  But, what about the rest of this verse?  Love one another?  Therein lies the rub.  I can love “some” people easily, my husband, my children, my [...]

Every day we have multiple opportunities where we can choose to obey or to disobey God.  It could be as simple as returning money to the cashier who gave us too much change or as difficult as forgiving, again, the person who hurt us. When faced with such opportunities do we choose obedience or disobedience? What is it that drives our decisions? Obedience comes from a heart compelled by love.  Obedience [...]

The prayers of the righteous have power to move the army of the Lord forward in the spiritual war that is going on all around us.  Picture what we might see if God removed our blinders and we saw the actual battle. I imagine the army of the Lord glowing and on white horses while Satan’s minions are dark and upon black horses.  There is clashing of metal as sword meets [...]

Philippians chapter one verse 15 says, “It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill”. The Apostle Paul was not naïve.  He knew that there were people who preached the Gospel of Christ with the intent of causing him more trouble while he was imprisoned.  However, Paul also knew that some preached the Gospel to further his work while he was in chains.  [...]

Peter and the other disciples were in a boat on the Sea of Galilee.  They were being buffeted by wind and waves when they saw a man walking upon the water.  At first, they were afraid. The Man said to them, “Do not be afraid, it is I”.  Peter stood and asked the Man to prove that He was Jesus and to command Peter to also walk upon the water.  Jesus [...]

I was reading in Galatians today and I had this image come to mind.  I was in a banquet hall and there was food on both sides of the room.  On the right was a beautiful arrangement of ripe fruits, crisp red apples, fresh watermelon and cantaloupe, green and red grapes, kiwi, strawberry and pineapple.  The fruit on this table was sweet, delicious and never ending. This represented the fruit of [...]

I love coffee.  I cannot function well without it every morning. The first thing I do when I wake up each day is turn on my coffee maker and fill my favorite mug. Then I refill that mug because I need it to keep me going through the day.   It is such an easy thing to do because it has become a habit.  Without my daily coffee I am exhausted, sluggish, [...]

Each of us has been given a gift from God; maybe even more than one gift.  God doesn’t make mistakes in handing out gifts, nor does He revoke the gifts He has given.  (Romans 11:29) It took me a long time to accept the gift God has given me, which is to write, but I can tell you without a doubt that when I write I have a sense of purpose [...]