Led by the Spirit

“Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.” – Psalm 143:10

Gina had always heard about Christians doing something simply because they were led by the Holy Spirit. But she’d never experienced this for herself and she wondered why.

Then one day, Gina was on her way to work when she thought about the position at her company that was just about to open up. One of her favorite co-workers was moving away and management hadn’t found a good replacement yet.

She’d often thought that Anne would make a great addition to the office. But she was busy raising two kids.

Still, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she should stop by Anne’s home and tell her about the job. So she did a U-turn and went back to Anne’s home.

When she arrived, she found Anne looking pale. When she asked her what was wrong, Anne answered that she’d just come from a doctor’s appointment with her husband.

The doctor had just informed Anne that her husband would need several surgeries and would be unable to work in the coming months. “I’m scared,” Anne whispered when Gina hugged her tight.

After listening to her fears and comforting Anne some more, Gina shared about the position at her company and promised to talk to her supervisor about the spot that day.

When she shared the experience with her ladies group, one woman beamed at her. “Gina, what you experienced was being led by the Spirit. You didn’t know how or why but you knew to go to Anne.”

God, help me to be led by Your Spirit. Make my heart sensitive to Your leading so I can hear and respond to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

A Bold Decision

“For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” – Esther 4:14

Esther had spent years being told to hide her Jewish heritage by her Uncle Mordecai. She knew she’d be in danger if she revealed to the king her true background.  So when King Xerxes put the crown on her head and declared her queen, she still held back her family history.

But the day came when all of the Jews were to be sentenced to death. Her uncle encouraged her to go to the king and plead her cause.

Esther’s stomach must have dropped when she heard her uncle’s words. She explained that she hadn’t seen the king in over a month and she could not enter his presence unless she had first been called into it.

Mordecai again encouraged her to go to the king, pointing out that God may have set her in the royal palace for just this very reason.

So, Esther told her uncle and the Jewish nation to pray for her and fast. She would do the same and afterward, she promised to seek out the king.

Up until this point, Esther’s silence had guaranteed her survival. But she made a bold choice to stand up for her nation. Not only did God reward her bravery by rescuing the Jewish people, but He also destroyed their enemies.

God, when it’s hard to speak up, please give me the courage to stand. I want to be brave and bold, just like Esther was. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

Extending a Warm Invitation

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” – Matthew11:28

Robbie checked the weather on his smartphone and his heart sank. At nineteen, he was an employee for a local hotel and he dreaded seeing the low nightly temperatures. The hotel where he worked was in a downtown area that had a large population of the homeless.

He’d made friends with Austin, a military veteran who had spent the past few months sleeping on park benches. “Life just kind of fell apart all at once and I couldn’t put back together,” he had explained.

When he clocked in to work that night, Robbie checked the logs and several of the rooms would be open for the evening. He gathered his courage and hurried to his manager’s office before he could talk himself out of it.

Robbie opened the door when the older man barked permission. He wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans, “Record cold temperatures are expected tonight.”

The manager kept playing a game on his smartphone, “I have a weather app, too. Spit it out.”

“Well, I checked the log and we have more than a few empty rooms. I—can I book them in my name? You can take it out of my paycheck.”

Robbie’s manager stopped the game and leaned back in his chair. “Are you havin’ a family reunion in the middle of this mess?”

Robbie shook his head, “I know a couple of guys. They don’t have any place to go.” He flushed, “Jesus was homeless once.”

The manager considered his request for a minute before finally blowing out a breath. “Keep it quiet, kid, and don’t get me in trouble.”

Robbie was almost to the door when his manager called out, “Oh, and put me down for half of the rooms.”

God, help me to be invitational when it comes to others. Show me how to be a blessing to someone else this week. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

God Reigns

“God reigns over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne.” – Psalm 47:8

Kelly felt the familiar pit in her stomach as soon as she saw the office manager. As a nurse, she worked for Dr. Benson, who had hired his wife to run the office. Although Dr. Benson was pleasant, his wife rarely was.

She was always cornering Kelly and sharing her latest conspiracy theory or a negative report she’d seen on the news. Kelly tried to leave as early as possible but today, she’d stayed late to educate a patient about her diabetes diagnosis.

As she clocked out, she saw Dr. Benson’s wife head straight toward her. Taking a deep breath, Kelly plastered a smile on her face and listened while the other woman prattled on. When her phone notified her she had a text message, she managed to leave.

Later, Kelly reached out to a friend. “I see her and I get all these knots in my stomach,” She explained. “She always shares these doom-and-gloom prophesies and I don’t know what to do anymore!”

Her friend shrugged, “Just listen. I’ve learned to let people rage and focus on the fact that God reigns. He ultimately decides how each story will end. You don’t have to let her negativity color your attitude.”

It’s hard to deal with a gloomy Gus who never has anything positive to share. But that doesn’t mean you have to be dragged down by their negativity. Instead, turn your eyes to Jesus and keep your gaze there.

God, don’t let me absorb the negativity of those around me. I want to be a bright light shining for You. Let my gaze be fixed on You and only You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

New Every Morning

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” – Lamentations 3:22-23

On the outside, Ned’s life looked good. He was a caring husband to his wife and a doting father to his three sons. He actively participated in his community, helped out at his church, and he shared his resources with others less fortunate.

But night after night, Ned came home from work and drank. It had started as an innocent habit, having a beer after work. It was his way to unwind. But as time passed, Ned needed more and more beers to feel relaxed.

Eventually, Ned started discreetly sneaking sips of alcohol in between phone calls at the office where he worked. He also began missing his children’s events and practices. His wife urged him to see a counselor who specialized in substance abuse.

But Ned refused and eventually, he was fired for drinking on the job. Then a few weeks later, he picked up his kids from school while he was drunk. Upon learning this, his wife moved out and took the kids with her.

Distraught Ned reached out to his local pastor. He poured out the whole truth and begged for advice. “What do I do? I’ve been this way so long that I don’t think God wants me anymore.”

Ned’s pastor reminded him of Lamentations 3:22-23. “God has new mercy for you every single day, Ned. He never grows tired of you and He never gives up. You need to make changes in your life but with God’s help, you can overcome this.”

God, help me to remember that You are full of mercy and tenderness toward Your children. Let me feel that mercy in my own life and extend it to others, too. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

Living in Between

“For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11

Stefanie was always the woman with plans. If she set her sights on a goal, she got it done no matter what it took. She was the type of person that felt a need to be in control of everything and often had a plan A, B, C, D, and more.

But in the past few months, Stefanie has come face to face with many circumstances that she can’t control. “I’ve always done everything through sheer will. But I’ve spent most of the past few weeks just trying to make it through.”

Stefanie’s husband is in the military and she’s waiting to hear where they’ll be transferring her family. Her youngest son has learning disabilities and she’s waiting for an official diagnosis for her child.

“I’m learning to tackle life one day at a time,” Stefanie shares, “One thing God has been teaching me lately is that He already knows the next step. My job isn’t to figure it out. It’s to trust that He has it all under control.”

Seasons where life feels unsettled like you’re “in-between” or “waiting”, are a great time to slow down and look to God. Often, these seasons exist because God longs to become your focus. So, He removes from your life other distractions.

But rest assured that God never wastes any season in your life. He has a plan and He’s putting it in motion, even if you don’t see it quite yet.

God, help me as I live in these between seasons. Waiting is hard. Listening is hard. But You have a plan and a purpose for this time in my life. Help me to lean into You and trust Your hand. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

No Dropped Stitches

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” – Psalm 139:13

Robin’s grandmother taught her to knit when she was just a little girl. She would patiently demonstrate stitch techniques to her granddaughter and taught her how to read knitting patterns.

As a beginning knitter, Robin frequently dropped stitches. This happens when a bit of the yarn unravels, leaving a run in the design. An experienced knitter can usually spot a dropped stitch but those who don’t knit don’t notice the missed stitch in a completed project.

Still, Robin would bring each dropped stitch to her grandmother. Patiently, the older woman would fix Robin’s mistake while whispering, “God never drops a stitch, my dear.”

It wasn’t until years later that Robin realized what her grandmother had been talking about. “I was interviewed for a job with a company I really wanted to work for. The interview went well and they made me an offer. But at the last minute, the position fell through. I was crushed at the time.”

Not long after that, Robin received a phone call from her sister. “She told me that she was pregnant with quadruplets. We live hours apart but as soon as I heard the news, I knew I wanted to be closer to support her.”

So, Robin packed up her tiny apartment and moved. She found a good job and she’s thankful for the one that fell apart. “Now I understand what my grandmother was saying all those years ago. Truly, God never drops a stitch.”

It can be hard when something you really wanted doesn’t turn out the way you’d hoped. But trust that God can use even this disappointment for His glory and your good.

God, You never miss a detail and You don’t make mistakes. Help me to trust even when I don’t understand what You’re doing. In Jesus’ name, Amen.