Priority of Presence

     Do you remember how slow time could pass when we were children? It was pure agony waiting for a special holiday or fun event to arrive. Now as adults, life tends to rush by. Days blend into weeks, and weeks into months. Trying to manage it all and stay present in each moment is not an easy task.
     We become tired and worn down from the same routine every day. Discouragement and restlessness can overtake even the most devoted of mothers. However, defining our purpose and taking possession of our days makes every day meaningful. The dishes will always be there, as will the laundry, but those things don't really matter.
     "So don't worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will have its own worries. Each day has enough trouble of its own" (Matthew 6:34, NCV).
     Are you able to stay present in each moment? The deep and lasting impact of your presence does have significance in your child's life. Make being present a priority.

Filling the Emptiness

     We all experience seasons where we feel emptiness: an ache deep within us that is inexplicable but present all at once. In those times, when we aren't sure what it is we're longing for, it is more of God that we need.
     Deep in the heart of every person, there is an innate need for intimacy with our Creator. Without it our souls faint for want of him. But the beautiful truth is that he longs to fill us with himself. We have only to seek him in expectation.
     O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water (Psalm 63:1, ESV).
     Lord, I long for your presence. I need you desperately. I pray that you would meet me in my emptiness and fill me with your Spirit.

What God Wants

     Even before we acquire language, we can tell when we have done something good. Babies see our delighted reaction to their first smiles, giggles, and coos, and they smile, giggle, and coo some more. It makes them happy to bring us happiness. Seeing their joy brings us joy; so we heap even more laughter and smiles on them.
     Praise and recognition are basic human desires given to us by God, and he desires the same. More than any great deed or accomplishment, he wants to hear our praise and receive our thanks. As a proud and loving Father, it brings him great joy to bring us joy.
     I have not kept the good news of your justice hidden in my heart; I have talked about your faithfulness and saving power. I have told everyone in the great assembly of your unfailing love and faithfulness (Psalm 40:10, NLT).
     How do your children react when you praise them? How do you respond when they recognize all you do for them? Magnify that happiness as far as you can, and you might get an inkling of how God feels when you praise his name and share what he has done for you.

Making a Home

     Women love to create homes; just check out Pinterest. There are thousands of do-it-yourself home projects and decor ideas. Making a home is much more than cute furniture and pretty paint colors. We have the ability to create a dwelling place full of warmth and laughter. We can provide a place for our family to live where there is rest., security, and comfort.
     It's good to reflect on what type of home we desire our children to grow up in. Don't we want a home where our children's spiritual foundation is strongly built?
     She speaks wise words and teaches others to be kind. She watches over her family and never wastes her time. Her children speak well of her (Proverbs 31:26-28, NCV).
     What type of home are you building for your children?
     Aim to make it an escape from the busy world, a place where God's Word is heard and loved, and a place they can freely gather to share and pray for each other. Make it a home with God at the center.

Found in a Desert

     Do you ever go through seasons in your life where you just feel dark? Perhaps directionless or uninspired? In a metaphorical wilderness where you can't get a glimpse of any vision or even hope, God can find you. Even in the deserts of your own heart where you can't muster the strength to reach out to him, he can and will meet you.
     Wait for the Lord, even in your emptiness; wait for him and he will come for you.
     He found them in a desert, a windy, empty land. He surrounded them and brought them up, guarding them as those he loved very much (Deuteronomy 32:10, NCV).
     Thank you, Father, that you are near to me even when my heart is broken and my strength has failed. Thank you that you find me in my wilderness and you will restore me to joy.

We are not guaranteed tomorrow. What are you doing with today?

James 4:14

Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

No Guarantees

We have no way of knowing when we will pass from this life to the next because we all have an appointment with death and then judgment (Heb. 9:27). So why not make every single day count? We are told to redeem the days and make the best use of our time (Eph. 5:16). I have gotten into the habit of saying “I will see you Sunday or Wednesday, if the Lord wills” because I cannot guarantee that I will do such and such the next week, not to mention tonight or tomorrow. I must submit to God, trust His will, and know that He is sovereign over my life and not me. That doesn’t mean I don’t plan or purpose to do things, but I ultimately know that God alone knows the future, and He always knows what’s best for me.

The Best-Laid Plans

We sometimes like to think that we are doing what we want and plan our own future, but the Word of God says that it is the Lord Who ultimately establishes our steps (Prov. 16:9). If we think along these lines, we can be more prepared when something different comes along and not be caught by surprise. That person you have been wanting to witness to might not even be here tomorrow, so we must tell others that today is their day of salvation (2 Cor. 6:2) because tomorrow may never come, and we might not pass this way again and get a second chance to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

No Boasting About Tomorrow

Proverbs 27:1 tells us that we are not supposed to boast or brag about tomorrow because we cannot be sure “what a day may bring.” I can only do what I can do today, while it is still today, and live as much as I can in obedience to God. Pastor Charles Stanley often says, “Obey God and leave the consequences to Him.” I think that’s very wise advice. We can only control our obedience and allow God to work out our future for what is best for us because He can even use bad things that happen to us for our ultimate good (Rom. 8:28). God will make our footing sure if our ways please or delight Him (Psalm 37:23). I like to think that I am directing my own steps in life, but can anyone really understand their own way outside of the will of God (Prov. 19:21)?

A Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father, please help me to trust You with tomorrow and to make the most of today because I don’t know the future like You do. I ask your patience when I run ahead of Your will, and please gently bring me back into Your will. In Christ’s precious name I pray.

Amen

Have you lost control of a situation? How can you trust God today?

Psalm 25:2

O my God, in you I trust; let me not be put to shame; let not my enemies exult over me.

Relax, God Is in Control

When everything else around you seems to be in chaos and out of control, God never is. God is in the storm. God never promises to keep us out of the storm, to take us around the storm, or to take us over the storm, but He does promises to go with us through the storm. Just as the disciples were with Jesus in the storm (Matt. 8:24), so too is God with us when we seem to have lost control of everything in our life. When you can no longer control what is going on in your life, you can trust God to take it over for you. He has the power and ability to be in every situation.

Trusting God in Chaos

God is omnipotent (all-powerful), omnipresent (present everywhere at all times), and omniscient (all-knowing). So why couldn’t we trust Him when our life turns chaotic? That is a rhetorical question that has an obvious answer. Of course we can trust Him in our life, no matter what it looks like at the moment. It is important to trust God more than our circumstances because we know God’s Word says that everything that happens to us will surely work out for our best in the end (Rom. 8:28). Do you believe that? We must have faith in God or we cannot possibly please Him (Heb. 11:6), and our goal should always be to please God.

Is God Your Pilot or Co-Pilot?

I saw a bumper sticker a few years ago that said “God is my co-pilot.” I’m sorry to tell the guy, but I wouldn’t want to be traveling with him if God were only his co-pilot. Wouldn’t we rather have God as our pilot and in control of our trip in life? No GPS is like God because they make mistakes, but God never does. My GPS stands for “God’s Perfect Steering,” and no batteries are required! What about yours? Who’s your global positioning system? We should stop striving and realize that God is sovereign (Psalm 46:10) and that we can rest during the trip. Take your hand off the wheel. God has promised in His Word that He will not send you into something that you cannot go through (1 Cor. 10:13), so trust in God with your whole heart and don’t ever rely on what you think you know (Prov. 3:5).

A Closing Prayer

Oh supreme and sovereign God, You are the Creator of all things, and this makes You sovereign over the storm.  I know you can bring order out of chaos, so please help me to trust You when I have lost control of the situation because when I can’t trust anything else in this life, I know I can always trust You, and in Jesus’ name I thank You and pray.

Amen

Are you happy with the way you used yesterday? How can you improve today?

Ephesians 5:15-16

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

The Constancy of God

Jesus never changes. He is the same today as He was yesterday and will be the same into all eternity (Heb. 13:8).  But we change over time, and it can be for the better or for the worse. Did you ever have a bad day? Silly question, I know. Maybe I should ask it this way: Did you have a bad day yesterday? If so, what can you do to improve it today? Actually, there are a lot of things that you can improve on today over yesterday. For example, you can serve someone today where you didn’t yesterday, you can call someone today when you missed the chance yesterday, and you can visit someone today when you weren’t able to yesterday. We can’t change the past, but we can change today–one minute at a time.

Tomorrow’s Yesterday

What is yesterday? Today is tomorrow’s yesterday, so we can change our yesterday today and make it better tomorrow. Does that make sense? Our life is only a vapor, anyway.  It is here in what seems a moment, and then it’s gone (James 4:14). Grab today by the horns and make it count. That is all we can do, for we can do nothing about yesterday except apologize to God for squandering it. Even today is like grass in all its glory; it’s here today but gone tomorrow (1 Pet. 1:24). So I say why not make the most of it as much as you possibly can. You can make a difference today, I have no doubt.

Making a Difference Today

When we visited the local nursing home the other day, it was only a small amount of time, but we made a difference in a few people’s lives. To me, pure religion is exactly what James was talking about: visiting the orphans and widows in their affliction (James 1:27). How many, may I ask, are widows and orphans in the local nursing home? I venture to say nearly every one of them. We hold church services for these precious people on Sunday afternoons. Since statistics show that only about four in ten receive visitors, this means in an average nursing home of say 400 residents, about 160 of them never receive visitors, never have anyone outside of the staff or residents to talk with, or never have anyone to sit down and listen to them share their life. You can make a huge difference in the life of someone today, so why not do it? Don’t worry about yesterday, which you can’t do anything about.

A Closing Prayer

Father, You are near to the widows and orphans, so help me to draw near to them, too. God, You are a father to the fatherless and protector of the widows and the orphans (Psalm 68:5), so help me to improve their day today, while it is still called today, and in Jesus’ name I pray.

Amen

Just Rest

     Picture a season in your life where you were knee-deep in busyness, swallowed in sadness, or buried in exhaustion. Picture that season and how you looked, how you acted, how you reacted, how you survived. Now picture Jesus. See his face, feel his warmth, envision his smile. Picture yourself back in that same tiresome season, sitting on a chair in your house, desiring to spend time with God but so extremely tired that you couldn't find the strength. So you sit.
     Here comes Jesus walking toward you. You invite him to come closer but are ready with the excuses and reasons for why you have been absent from him. He walks toward you and outstretches his hand. When he reaches you, his hand starts to move toward your head. Gently, ever so lovingly, he pushes your head to the chair back, and whispers, "Rest, Daughter, just rest."
     The LORD will give strength to His people; The LORD will bless His people with peace (Psalm 29:11, NKJV).
     Have you encountered a moment with Jesus where you understood more fully that he gets you to your very core? He knows your heart. He knows when your soul needs rest. Let him stroke your hair and sing you a lullaby.

The Family of Jesus

     You may come from a traditional family or a pieced-together family. You may have been adopted, abandoned, or put through the foster system. Whatever your story, when you accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your Lord and Savior, you were welcomed into one big, happy family. Isn't that a beautiful picture? People gathered together, doing the will of God, rejoicing in togetherness for one purpose--to glorify God.
     Whatever your life story up to the point of accepting Jesus, let it be your past and not your present or your future. If you were lost, you are found in Christ. If you were broken, you are being put back together. If you were a mess, you are being pruned and reshaped. If you were alone, you are surrounded by a body of believers.
     [Jesus] remarked, "Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?" He pointed to his disciples. "Look!" he said, "these are my mother and brothers." Then he added, "Anyone who obeys my Father in heaven is my brother, sister, and mother!" (Matthew 12:48-5-, TLB).
     What was your family like before you became a believer? What is your new family like? Does it give you peace to know you are accepted into the family of Christ?

Unhindered

     Our salvation awards us the great privilege of being able to approach God unhindered. With sin no longer dividing us from his holy presence, we are free to bare our souls to God as his beloved sons and daughters.
     As bold and confident lovers of God, there is nothing we cannot share with him--and he with us. Fear and shame have no place in this kind of excellent love.
     Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God's presence (Ephesians 3:12, NLT).
     I love you, Lord. I praise you that you made a way for me to love you unhindered. I don't want my fear and my shame to interrupt our relationship--so I ask you to take it from me. Show me what it means to be a bold and confident child of yours.

Mentorship

     Most expectant mothers in our culture are thrown a baby shower. Along with gifts of diapers, toys, and clothes, they are also handed a ton of advice from seasoned mothers.
     "It takes a village to raise a child." This is such a true expression. Sometimes we don't have all the answers, but there is always a mom who has walked this road ahead of us. That experience gives her wisdom and perspective from a road already traveled. Instead of determining to figure it all out on our own, it is good to ask questions and glean wisdom from others. They are our God-given village.
     [Older women] can teach the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be wise and pure, to be good workers at home, to be kind (Titus 2:4-5, NCV).
     Who in your life can you glean wisdom and learning from? Seek these women out. They are eager to lend a hand and lighten your load. Embrace them, cry on their shoulders, and appreciate their compassionate hearts. They are a wonderful gift to all who are willing to accept help and learn.

Embracing Weakness

     Do you ever find yourself suddenly aware of your own glaring weaknesses? Aware that, if left up to your own good works, you wouldn't stand a chance of attaining salvation? We should find great comfort in the fact that we are nothing without salvation in Christ Jesus.
     Thankfully, God made a way for us to be united with him, despite impatience, selfishness, anger, and pride. God deeply cares for us and patiently sustains us with steady, faithful, and adoring love. Amazingly, his love even goes beyond this to embrace and transform our weakness when we yield it to him. Weakness isn't something to be feared or hidden; weakness submitted to God allows the power of Christ to work in and through us.

  Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up (James 4:10, NKJV).

     God, knowingly my weakness makes me more aware of my need for your strength. I humbly ask you to be strong where I am weak. Thank you that your transformative love is waiting to graciously restore me.

Loving Enemies

     Love your enemy. We've all heard it, but how do we live it? It's a baffling command; an enemy is defined as someone actively opposed to you. How will you help your children when it comes time for them to face--and to love--someone who wants to see them fail?
     To show love to someone engaged in trying to topple us requires superhuman strength. Do we have superhuman strength? Do our children? None of us does, yet Jesus tells us we must. He wants us to be set apart, so others will know he lives in us. We must rely on the Holy Spirit, move out of the way, and let his love rule our hearts.

     "But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!"

(Matthew 5:44, NLT).

     What might the world look like if all God's children spent a portion of their day praying for anyone who might wish them harm? What would the world see in you, or in your kids, if you chose to live this way? Share your thoughts on this with God.

     

Just Be There

Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was (Job 2:13, NIV).

     As a mother, few things hurt more than seeing our children suffer. We want to take away their pain, to tell them better days are coming. When they are little, this can often be done. The skinned knees and broken toys of childhood lead inevitably to bigger problems--problems we can't always solve.
     The more mature and independent these beings we are blessed to love and nurture become, the harder it becomes to know what to do or even to say when they are hurting. Maybe that's ok. Maybe just our presence is enough.
     Do you struggle with wanting to fix everything for your children? How do you handle it when you can't? As the story of Job continues, his friends turn to that strategy with disastrous effect. Ask God to show you when just your presence, your love, and prayers are all your children need from you.

Most Beautiful of All

Here's the one thing I crave from God, the one thing I seek above all else: I want the privilege of living with him every moment in his house, finding the sweet loveliness of his face, filled with awe, delighting in his glory and grace. I want to live my life so close to him that he takes pleasure in my every prayer (Psalm 27:4, TPT).

     If there is one thing that we can appreciate, it's something pretty. Shiny things easily catch our attention, and we seek to surround ourselves with beauty. There is much beauty to be found in our natural world.

     There is nothing wrong with finding loveliness in our world, but if there is one thing that is more beautiful than anything else, it is the Lord God himself. His love, his mercy, his grace, and his understanding--it is nothing short of breathtaking.

     Lord, I don't want to miss your beauty today. I seek after it because I know it can be found. You created me to enjoy all that is exquisite, beautiful, and captivating--and that is you!Nothing is better than you and your love.

Isolation

Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will go down into God's love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too big to understand fully (Ephesians 3:17-19, NLT).

     In the depths of motherhood, it is easy to feel isolated from the rest of the world--especially when days are more hard than easy.

     We are not alone. He is there when we rock our babies in the early morning light, groggy without sleep. He sees us slaving over the stove with a toddler fussing at our feet and a baby on our hip. He surrounds us when we are anxious over a feverish child. He is with us as we wait for our teenagers to come home after curfew. God knows every worry and every thought. And every sacrifice given.

     Do you feel alone today? Remember that everything you do is accounted for: God sees every kiss, every hug, every extra bedtime story read, every sleepless night and early morning. You are not alone. Ask God to make his presence known to you.

A Season of Waiting

In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps (Proverbs 16:9, NIV).

     Being in a season of waiting can be trying. When our flesh desires the next thing, and God has a different plan, we might feel our trust waver in weakness. We might cry out in frustration or get angry at the tiniest of things. Our flesh can be our biggest adversary. It has desires that are ungodly, wants that are unnecessary, and longings that just aren't right for us. This is where faith comes in.

     Believing in something we can't see isn't for the faint of heart. It takes prayer, a listening ear, and trust. There is a beautiful gift to unwavering trust in God; we can give up control because there is nothing we can do anyway. There is no point in frantically worrying because he has decided for us. He will gladly take the burden from us.

     Do you have an unwavering trust in God that he has determined your life plan? Trusting in a God who loves you unconditionally and has your best interests at the forefront of his mind is an incredible place to rest.

Blessed in Mourning

Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning 

  (Psalm 30:5, NLT).

     There can be many sources of grief. There may have been a death, or maybe it was the loss of something else: a job, a dream, a friendship. Grief seems to come without warning or invitation. It takes over our homes and lives in almost every facet.

     It is critical during this season that we let the Lord lead us. He asks nothing more than for us to lie in his strong arms. As we lay there, he will faithfully whisper words of comfort. When we're in this state of grief, he calls us blessed. That's right. Read Matthew 5:4. He calls us blessed because he knows he is going to pour a measure of comfort over us that we wouldn't receive otherwise. That comfort will sustain us when it seems nothing else will.

     Has grief entered your home? Let God be your comfort. His comfort is tailor-made to your pain and your hurt. Let him hold you and bless you. Place your hope in his promise that joy will come in the morning.

Starting Over

Praise the LORD! Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever (Psalm 106:1, NKJV).

 

     Have you ever wished you could have a do-over? It would be so great to turn back the clock, reverse a decision, and do it differently. There is so much more wisdom in looking back! Yes, there are some things we can do over, like tweak the recipe or rip the seam, but most often, the important big decisions can't be changed.

     Except when it comes to spiritual things. God tells us that we can start over every morning because his mercies will be there. Whatever went awry the day before, whatever mess we made from poor choices, we can begin the next day with a completely clean slate! There does not need to be any carryover of yesterday's mistakes. Our part in the transaction may require repentance of sin or forgiving someone, perhaps even ourselves. Bathed in his mercies, we can begin each day squeaky clean!

     Lord, I am so grateful that your love and your mercies never end. You extend them to me brand new every morning! Great is your faithfulness!