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Forgotten Mother:
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When God Closes a Door
June 10, 2022
by Binu Samuel
“... ‘Send him back to the town you’ve given him!’ they demanded. ‘He can’t go into the battle with us. What if he turns against us in battle and becomes our adversary? ...’” 1 Samuel 29:4 (NLT)
I had just gotten married, moved across town and was in search of a new job closer to our new apartment. I made some calls and sent out my resume. After some time, I received a call back from a district manager. He was upbeat, and we seemed to connect. “Could you meet me at our newest store?”
He gave me the address. “It’s about to open, and I think it would be a good fit for you.”
He didn’t have to ask me twice. “Yes, sir, I’ll be there!”
I parked my car and said a prayer, but as I was walking up to the store, I heard someone call my name. I recognized that upbeat voice. “Hey, I’m so sorry. An emergency came up and I am going to have to reschedule our meeting. I will call you soon.”
I understood. Stuff happens. Things come up, I told myself. But I had a strange feeling God was up to something. In the days and weeks to follow, I never heard back from that company and as strange as it was, I never felt compelled to follow up. But after some time, I did hear back from a different company. This district manager asked that I go and meet a man by the name of Kent. “If everything works out, he will be your local manager.”
That evening my husband and I met Kent. After a few minutes of small talk, my husband and I knew this was it. Closed doors aren’t always a bad thing. In 1 Samuel 29, David was on the run from King Saul. He was tired and worn out and found a safe haven in an unlikely place, amid the ungodly Philistines long-time enemies of David’s people, the Israelites. During David’s stay in enemy territory, Achish (a Philistine king) grew to trust and rely upon David. In fact, Achish was so pleased with David, he wanted David to serve in his army. But the Philistine commanders knew of David’s great reputation as a leader in the Israelite army, so they resisted. “... ‘Send him back to the town you’ve given him!’ they demanded. ‘He can’t go into the battle with us. What if he turns against us in battle and becomes our adversary? ...’” (1 Samuel 29:4)
As strange as it was, the great warrior, David, experienced rejection for a role he was overqualified for. But God was up to something. Later, in 2 Samuel, Saul died and David was appointed king over Israel. Imagine if God hadn’t closed that door and David had fought alongside the Philistines. Would the Israelites have been able to fully trust David as their king?
What would have become of David?
Would we still have his psalms?
Would the Philistines have benefited from David's leadership had they not rejected him?
God’s sovereign hand was clearly at work in the life of David. I believe it’s the same for you and me.
Sometimes, God sets up divine appointments or divine events to cancel our current appointments. I used to worry and wonder, God, what if I choose the wrong path?
Now I know: The Creator of the universe is the Creator of me, so if I go down the wrong path, God is more than able to reroute me and set me on the right one. Friends, I met Kent in December of 1999. Over 20 years and two companies later, Kent is still my manager. This doesn’t mean every closed door in my life or yours will directly result in a better opportunity but we can always trust God’s plan. Maybe you’re in a season in which more doors seem to be closing for you than opening. Give it time. I believe you will look back one day and see God’s divine hand in your situation as well. As we submit our plans to Him, I pray we learn to trust that our heavenly Father is always at work in our lives in the confusion, in the strange cancellations and even in the closed doors.
Forgotten Mother:
https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/full-post/2022/11/15/when-i-am-most-like-jesus?utm_campaign=Daily%20Devotions&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=232071398&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--TvOGvXcqF3izehko2KJnqojw5w3nBy7uEexMbW09EMtjpq8ckauOrxxy5FabqKf6q70ivskTxTOeP0lwcp813rNSWpA&utm_content=232071398&utm_source=hs_email#disqus_thread
When I Am Most Like Jesus
November 15, 2022
by Lynn Cowell
“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.” Philippians 2:5-7 (NIV)
I had only one thought when I opened my eyes in the pre-dawn darkness: Why do I have to get up before the sun does?
I knew the answer but I was tired and not thrilled about being awake that early. My husband and I were part of a team that turned a public school into a church sanctuary on Sunday mornings. Hanging drapes, setting up chairs and transforming classrooms into children’s church rooms were all part of our volunteer description. Most mornings, I was happy to be serving with my man. This type of work was a welcome change from the roles we each played during the week. Other mornings, when my alarm went off at 4:45 a.m., my thoughts were not that positive. Sundays are for rest, so why am I not resting?
And still other times, it wasn’t my alarm but my own desire for recognition that tempted me to take my thoughts in the wrong direction. Right there in that high-school cafeteria, the enemy and I would have a knock-down brawl as I fought to serve from a pure heart. I am guessing I am not the only one who struggles at times with serving in the unseen spaces. We get confused, thinking ministry is more in the spotlight, such as teaching a Bible study. Yet Scripture shows us clearly, through the example of our Savior, what pure service looks like: “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness” (Philippians 2:5-7).
Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords, made Himself nothing for us, and He did that by assuming the posture of a servant. If our desire is to be like Jesus, then Paul tells us here in Philippians that serving like Jesus is less flashy than we think. It looks more like taking groceries to our elderly mother. Serving like Jesus is making a meal for women in a local shelter. Serving like Jesus is caring for those who won’t or can’t ever pay us back. This is when we are most like our Savior. Jesus Himself instructed us in this way: “… whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:26-28, CSB).
When I’m truly serving like Jesus, I am serving Jesus. When we choose to do the hidden work, the less-than-beautiful, unseen work when we choose to humble ourselves and give our time, effort and resources to those who need love most this is when we are like Jesus.
Forgotten Mother:
https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/full-post/2022/11/25/dear-god-why-havent-you-given-me?utm_campaign=Daily%20Devotions&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=232630504&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--mD5b_5cGJ4iWTxLqQs8Gtwwyq2YELY006tUt24tfHUO7yN1VXzMDBlsvrSAjkv4TsY6WyRJLuAgBlSHNMnUKZvDm8jw&utm_content=232630504&utm_source=hs_email#disqus_thread
Dear God, Why Haven’t You Given Me ...
November 25, 2022
by Lysa TerKeurst
“The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes ...” Psalm 19:7-8 (ESV)
I remember the day I closed my eyes as tears fell and I whispered, “God, please either take away this longing of my heart or show me Your answer. I just don’t think I can keep hoping for what no longer seems possible.”
If you’ve ever prayed a similar prayer, you know this kind of breaking point. And it’s at this exact place of desperation that our lives can go in one of two directions:
We can lean into God and learn to trust Him more fully.
We can look within ourselves for temporary solutions, numb out so we don’t have to feel the ache, or listen to the hopeless scripts running through our minds, only leaving us more empty.
One of those scripts I have found myself tangled in typically goes something like this: I could really be happy and fulfilled if only I had … More resources. Predictability and peace in my home. More time. Uncomplicated relationships. Friends who were more understanding. The ability to see a future where I’m really OK. I don’t know what your “if only I had” statements are, but I do know this: None of them will bring ultimate fulfillment. They might bring temporary moments of happiness, but even those won’t be as perfect as you imagine. It’s so hard not to pursue solutions of our own making more than waiting on God’s way or God’s timing. The truth is, apart from a thriving relationship with God, even if we got everything on our list, there would still be a hollow gap in our soul. If we were sitting together over coffee, processing all of this, here’s where I would turn in God’s Word with you: “The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes …” (Psalm 19:7-8).
You see, instead of saying “if only I had” and filling in the blank with some person, possession or position, we can make the choice to replace that statement with God’s Truth. Here are some examples: People. I no longer dwell on “if only my biological father loved me.”
Instead, I remember God is the “Father of the fatherless” (Psalm 68:5, ESV) whose love for me endures forever. (Psalm 136)
Maybe your gap isn’t left by an absent father but by a friend who hurt you or rejected you. Or the children you’ve longed to have but still don’t have. Whatever that gap is, God is the perfect fit for your emptiness. If you find yourself here today, pray this paraphrase of Luke 1:78-79 with me: Because of the tender mercy of my God by which the rising sun will come to me from heaven to shine on my darkness and in what feels like the shadow of death to me I will find peace. Possessions. I no longer get fixated on things I wish I had or compare myself to others. Instead, I redirect my focus when I recite the words of Matthew 6:19-21: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (NIV).
Any possession I ever long for, no matter how good it may seem, will only be good for a limited time. In light of eternity, every possession is in the process of breaking down, becoming devalued, and will eventually be taken from us. If I set my heart solely on acquiring more things, I’ll feel more vulnerable with the possibility of loss. Possessions are meant to be appreciated and used to bless others. They were never meant to be identity markers. It’s not wrong to enjoy the possessions we have as long as we don’t depend on them for our heart’s security. Position. Instead of thinking “if only I had more opportunities” or “if only I had the right networking connections,” we can pray the words of Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path” (NIV) immediately exhaling the pressure of striving and competing.
Friend, you don’t need a better position to get where you should go. We don’t have to figure out our path and run ahead. God’s Word will guide us. And as we follow Him and honor Him step by step, we can be assured that we’re right where He wants us, doing what He wants us to do. Sweet sister, let the solid truths from Scripture interrupt whatever “if only I had” statement you’re struggling with today. When God’s Word gets inside of us, it becomes the new way we process life. It rearranges our thoughts, our motives, our needs and our desires. Our souls are tailor-made to be filled with God and His Truth; therefore, it seeps into every part of us and fills our longings like nothing else can. And even if we don’t receive from God what we thought we desperately wanted, He will give us perspective to help us see that with God, we will never be left empty.
Forgotten Mother:
https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/full-post/2022/11/28/remembering-your-story?utm_campaign=Daily%20Devotions&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=234384021&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-89UEqjbs2f3aeITIBb0622Z0l6rMlVZTfbQJDUZDEq9Je71zop5nJZoogFYVrB-4wvRL9aoAJ368mslL_YRsPpgcj9Ew&utm_content=234384021&utm_source=hs_email#disqus_thread
Remembering Your Story
November 28, 2022
by Sharon Jaynes
“I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done.” Psalm 143:5 (NIV)
On our way to the coast, my husband and I stopped at Chick-fil-A. While Steve purchased our nuggets, I took our dog, Molly, for a walk in the grassy area nearby. On our second turn around the plot of green, I noticed something shiny poking through the weeds. When I bent down to pick it up, my heart skipped a beat. It was a silver cuff bracelet that read, This is my story. This is my song. Praising my Savior, all the day long. What left me slack-jawed wasn’t just that I found the bracelet but that the bracelet was mine! Three weeks earlier, Steve and I had traveled the same road, stopped at the same spot and walked Molly on the same plot of grass. I didn’t even realize the bracelet had slipped from my wrist. But God did. It was as if God were whispering, Don’t forget your story. Don’t lose the wonder. See, I’ve had times in my life when I have forgotten the miracle of my story and the sheer wonder of all God has done in my life. How He sought me and saved me. How He pulled a little girl from a difficult home situation with many heart wounds and placed her in a family of believers with many healed hurts. How He took an insecure teenager and transformed her into a woman who knows she’s equipped by the Father, enveloped by Jesus and empowered by the Holy Spirit. But sometimes the truth slips right out of my mind somewhere between everyday challenges and difficult disappointments, just like that bracelet slipped right off my wrist between Chick-fil-A and Dunkin' Donuts and I don’t even realize it. I wonder if that’s why the word “remember” is a golden thread that weaves its way throughout the Bible. From Genesis to Revelation, God reminds us to remember. In Deuteronomy, Moses wrote, “take care lest you forget the LORD, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery” (Deuteronomy 6:12, ESV).
David wrote, “I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done” (Psalm 143:5).
Remember. Don’t forget. In the New Testament, Peter is a good example of a man who forgot his story. Jesus called Peter to become one of His first followers. Jesus was on the shore; Peter was in a boat. (Matthew 4:18-22) But when Jesus was arrested and Peter denied he even knew Him, Peter lost his story. (Matthew 26:69-75) Just as surely as the bracelet fell from my wrist in the grassy knoll, Peter’s story fell from his heart behind the stone wall of the high priest’s home. After Jesus was resurrected, he went to help Peter find his story right where it had begun: on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus was on the shore; Peter was in a boat.nnPeter was fishing. He had gone back to doing what he’d always done before he met Jesus. Then Jesus called out and told Peter to throw the nets on the right side of the boat for a super catch. (John 21:6) After Peter realized it was Jesus, he swam to the shore, where Jesus already had breakfast waiting. There, Jesus reminded Peter of his calling and helped him remember his story, what he had been (a fisherman) and what he was now (a fisher of men). (John 21:12-19)
I don’t know where you are today, if you’ve lost your story or you’re celebrating it. But I do know this: You’re reading these words because God is calling you to remember.
Remember that you have a place in His story of salvation.
Remember that, through faith, you are equipped by the Father, enveloped by Jesus and empowered by the Holy Spirit.
Remember that you are a child of God who is dearly loved, completely forgiven and blamelessly free.
Remember what He has done in you and for you.
Remember your story. Remember His.
After I found my story bracelet lying among the weeds, I placed it on my wrist, gave it a squeeze to tighten its fit, and thanked God for all He has done. This is my story. This is my song. Praising my Savior all the day long.
Forgotten Mother:
https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/full-post/2022/12/06/trusting-god-in-the-midst-of-uncertainty?utm_campaign=Daily%20Devotions&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=236028556&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9RvriMQtNVpAOV81V4nR0X8oz2TOjYNjNnG7RlMhpdYBK-d3XGZhqFBWhUNFf7z_QfpeeXzHzG_CC2gtwPj-59tyIByQ&utm_content=236028556&utm_source=hs_email#disqus_thread
5Trusting God in the Midst of Uncertainty
December 6, 2022
by Alice Matagora
“I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds.” Psalm 77:11-12 (NIV)
It was 3 a.m. and I was wide awake. No, the trouble wasn’t my newborn; she was sleeping blissfully in her room. It was an old companion of mine anxiety. About a month earlier my husband and I had made some significant decisions with our work, decisions that we felt were clearly led by God and that, at the same time, we knew could result in us being asked to step down from our current roles and even relocating. For two weeks, we saw a possible path forward that would ensure our job security and we prayed persistently for God to make it happen. Then we received word that the way was shut. God, what now?
Will we lose our jobs?
What if we have to move?
Why let us hope at all if You knew the answer would be no?
Did we hear from You right, Lord?
Sometimes I wonder if Mary the mother of Jesus had thoughts like these after saying "yes" to carrying the Son of God. It’s easy for me to read through Mary’s encounter with the angel Gabriel who told her God had chosen her, a virgin, to give birth to Jesus without a second thought. I know the rest of her story. I forget Mary didn’t know what was next when she said, “May your word to me be fulfilled” (Luke 1:38b, NIV).
What if Joseph, her fiance, would divorce her? Would Mary lose any hope of financial and social security in a husband?
What if Joseph would be dishonorable and accuse her of sexual sin she never committed? Who would believe her, and would she ever get married as a seemingly “shameful” woman?
Did she ever doubt along the way to the cross, when it seemed darkness would prevail as her son was crucified?
Did Mary ever wonder, God, what now?
Did I hear from You right, Lord?
Here’s what I think: My baby is going through a wonderful (and stressful) season of stranger anxiety that involves screaming whenever someone unfamiliar holds her. This happened recently as her pediatrician examined her at a routine checkup. But then I reached for her hand and murmured words of comfort and she stopped crying and bravely endured through the rest of her checkup, never taking her eyes off me. In the few months she’s been alive, my baby girl has already experienced my faithfulness to respond to her needs, to comfort her when she cries and to protect her from harm. Even while being held by a stranger in a new environment, she could persevere because she knew her mama was with her and she is convinced her mama is good. In the same way, I wonder if Mary was able to trust God because she could recall His faithfulness in her life. She said, “the Mighty One has done great things for me …” (Luke 1:49, NIV).
Perhaps as a result of her experiences of His faithfulness, she knew God was with her and was convinced her God was good, and that gave her all the courage she needed to persevere in the midst of incredible uncertainty. Throughout the Bible, God calls His people over and over again to remember His faithfulness in their lives. And it’s no wonder because we are so prone to forget! I am so prone to forget. But when uncertainty causes us to doubt, may we be women who pause to remember the goodness of God in our lives; who draw strength from His Word; and who remain steadfast in Immanuel, God with us, who always has been and always will be on our side.
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