A dear friend who lost his wife only weeks ago is now having to go to his home state to prepare for his brother’s funeral. He passed earlier last week. Along with this, his wife’s brother here is in the hospital with sepsis and the hospital says there’s no more they can do to treat it. Added to all of this is that his only sister in the home state has poor health and her husband is near death. There’s more to say here, but this is enough. Today, after church, my friend is coming over so we can talk and I can feed him. Several are willing to help him by going with him to clean his brother’s home (which had been their parent’s home where all of them were raised). The brother has always been single and the house is a mess (disaster). This tender, dear friend already has a broken heart that hasn’t grieved fully and now all of this is added to his plate.

As I’ve gone through my devotional time I’ve asked God to let His Wisdom be understood and His Holy Spirit to take the lead as we meet later this morning. My friend has given of himself in helpful ways to everyone he knows. He and his wife were noted for this. Somehow, helping others is fine, but, receiving help offered is not easy. I know there are reasons for not wanting the help, but I pray my friend can open himself to what God wants him to receive at this point in time.

My devotional theme this morning was “Hearing God’s Voice through Others”. It was an insightful message and I know God is already in charge of the conversation we will have in a few hours. How blest we are to have our Loving God lead and support us. GOD IS SO GOOD!

My devotional is challenging the reader to take a look at the way God speaks to us. Yesterday was addressing God’s Word, the Bible. Today it addressed circumstances. There was one sentence that truly stood out in bold letters. It says, “If we focus only on what we cannot do, we often don’t realize the opportunities and blessings God has provided for us.”

I could name you so MANY times in my past when I told God–I CAN’T DO THAT! My one and only rationale for saying this was because the situation might reveal my past to the world and then I’d never be able to show my face again. This was really true for me in the education years. Being a teacher, one is not given too much attention. Moving into building administration, there are times when a light is shown on you, but it is very short lived. BUT, moving into superintendency, that position is often in the news. There was no way I could allow myself (even though I was often encouraged to do this) to even apply for a spot. I wouldn’t even ask God if He wanted me to do this. I knew better! I’m sure not sorry for my years in education. I know God wanted me there. I just was too cautious to let God be fully in charge.

The fear I write about, keeping me from stepping out, hit me squarely when I was asked to consider starting the counseling program. BUT, this time, I knew better than to say no without bringing it to GOD. In so doing, I kept seeing His Light shining. Today, I’m so grateful for this opportunity. It has taken me a lifetime to not focus on what I cannot do to willingness to let God lead me to what He wants me to do. No matter how long it took, I am so grateful to be where I am today!

Every year on this day I thank God for creating Spring. I know Spring doesn’t actually arrive for 3 more weeks, but in my heart Spring arrives when the month of March does. For me, Spring is the most joyous season of the four. New life begins in this month and each and every year as it does, I can hardly contain the joy I have watching it appear. I have crocus and dwarf iris already beginning to bloom. There is just nothing like Spring!

As I began my devotional time this morning I found myself reflecting on last night’s Celebrate Recovery share group. One of the men was lamenting his sinful act and talked about the verse in Psalms 139:14 that says we are fearfully and wonderfully made. He wasn’t feeling so fearfully and wonderfully made as he looked at himself. I have lived in that world much of my life. As I got to my bible reading in Joshua, the closing chapters; Joshua has brought all of the Israelite leaders together. He challenges them to hold fast to the God Who brought them to this Promise Land. In Joshua 24:15 he says, “But, if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you then choose you this day whom you will serve….”

We all have our “flesh moments” just as this man last night had experienced. It doesn’t have to determine our destiny. Isaiah 1:18 tells us, “Come now, let us settle the matter, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow….” This promise is what Christ has done for this man, for you and for me if we only give it to Him. I choose Christ!

For many months when I ask Jesus each morning during my journaling time what He wants me to know from Him for today, I would hear, “Is it well with your soul?” I would then consider my circumstances and respond to Him. Today when I asked this question of Jesus, I heard a different response. He asked me about my contentment.

Yesterday had a couple of troubling moments in it. There are some adjustments to everyday life I am needing to make subsequent to my wife’s stroke. They are not adjustments I’m unwilling to make, it is just sad that I need to. There is a sadness for Kathy too. I was lamenting these things even as I went to bed last night.

Today after I heard God’s Spirit ask about my contentment, He then asked if my contentment was found in this life or in Christ Himself? I was reminded of Paul’s writing in Philippians 4:11, “…for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” Considering my circumstances is not what Christ was wanting me to look at when He asked if it were well with my soul? He wanted me looking beyond them to Him. The sadness of yesterday turns into a smile this morning as I consider my soul being content in Christ. Kathy’s soul and my soul are content in Christ. I’m so glad for Christ’s question this morning and the Light He shed in response to it. He is such a kind and awesome GOD!

I am always amazed watching how God works. Yesterday I had a session with a young man who has been seeking counseling for over a year now. He had many “character defects” (false beliefs) we have been addressing. Some of them are no different than ones I’ve needed to address from my own childhood. It is enjoyable to witness someone reaching out for help at a much younger age than I did. This young man has recently met a gal who has swooned him and seems to be a real match (in his mind). Next week they are coming together for counsel. She appears to him to be as taken by him as he has been by her. Reflecting back to where this man was a year ago to where he is today is so incredible. He has lived life thus far only seeing his weaknesses and even taking the gifts God has given him and downplaying their value. Yesterday was a good day to reflect with him on the ways God is working in his life and helping him find the value within himself that God wants him to claim and use for Him.

Over and over God takes so much of what I’ve kept hidden and uses it as a tool for His Work. I’ll never get over the wonder of His Love and Kindness for each one of His creation!

Much of yesterday was spent with my brothers and their wives as we had a family get together once again. We were having them each month until the stroke hit last end of November. It was so nice to have a chance to really catch up. Family is so important. Tonight we have one of our daughter’s family coming for a bbq. This was actually generated by our oldest granddaughter who is missing them. These events are finally returning and it makes my dad/grandpa heart happy. Kathy is getting better too so I know it brings a smile to her face seeing these events restarting.

God is truly #1 in my life and I don’t ever want that to change. But, right behind Him is family. The value of family really can’t be measured. The older I get the more I cherish these times and thank God for each one of them.

I don’t know what I did last night, but whatever it was required me to readdress the password for this site. I logged into the site from my phone just to check its activity. It required me for the first time to enter the password which I thought I knew. In the process, our power went out and it wasn’t going to be restored to our area for a couple of hours. So, we went to bed. Well, anyway, it is all reset now and I can enter today’s journey message.

It seems that everything I’m doing of late is reminding me just how important it is to read all of God’s Word for its direct application for today. I’ve read through the bible many times in my lifetime, but this time more than ever, its message is alive. I’ve always thought God’s work with Moses and Joshua (and their closeness to Him) was due to just them–they were anointed or something. The message of His Word has never changed. It says that God used their leadership because they listened to Him and obeyed Him having the children of Israel doing the same. They believed and trusted.

Believing God will and does use me is amazing. He just wants me (each of us) to do these simple steps: listen to His voice from His Word and His Spirit within us and obey the message. God wanted man to see Him through the children of Israel’s obedience to Him in the Old Testament days. Then, He gave all of us His Son Jesus so we could see Him through His Son Jesus. No matter the timeframe, the important element here is believing and trusting. I’d have to write another book to tell all that God has done helping me fully believe He not only loves me, but He wants to use me. Trusting this enough to now do the counseling program has been so wonderful. How beautiful and humbling all of this is.

Today’s Bible reading was in the book of Joshua. The children of Israel have now conquered Jericho and a smaller group of men went to the city of Ai to overtake them. Instead, they were routed out and overtaken by the city’s army. It turned out a man had taken possessions from Jericho and hidden them for his own self. The sin was uncovered and the man plus his family were stoned.

I write this today because of yesterday’s study with the small group of men I’m meeting with on Saturday morning. A verse which stood out to me in part was I Peter 3:7. It says “…so that your prayers will not be hindered.” Its specific reference in the verse is regarding our marriage and our love and support to our wives. When I’d read it while doing the lesson its meaning went much broader (not to lessen the value of its specific application to marriage).

James 5:16 tells us that the prayers of a righteous man are powerful and effective in support of one who confesses. In fact, it says the one who confesses will be healed when he confesses to a “righteous man” who prays for him. I couldn’t help but apply this specific verse to the I Peter scripture above. I don’t want my prayers to ever be hindered by my behaviors. I also don’t want to be counseling anyone who is wanting to grow in their walk with God and not include this hugely important piece of righteousness.

God is never done growing us in our walk with Him. I appreciate so much how He continues to open our eyes to not only see, but to take what He shows us and apply it to our daily living, “…one day at a time, one moment at a time and accepting any hardship as a pathway to peace.” (Taken from the Serenity Prayer)

God’s timing is always amazing and incredible. There is a young man who has been coming for help over a year now. He is divorced and has a couple of younger children. He is committed to God but struggles so much with everyday life. His belief system has been all over the place. Truly, what he knows is certainly not what he has believed about God for himself. Tragedies and life’s events have done their work on this. Only a week ago did I get a text from him telling me just how much he has seemingly grown from the help of Celebrate Recovery and his counseling.

Yesterday in the middle of a counseling session I got a text which I later read. It was from this young man mentioned. It was accompanied with a picture of him with a young lady. They have met, had a date and he was now inviting her to go to church with him tomorrow. She is also a believer. In the text message he couldn’t praise God and these ministries enough for their help. I’m smiling again as I write this thanking God for this breakthrough.

I don’t have a clue where all of this will go. I will leave this to God’s continued timing and work. What I do know is that my timing and this young man’s timing needed to be spent working on the belief that God is faithful no matter what the circumstances are in our past or present life. God’s Word is for each one of us with no exceptions. Instantly, yesterday, this young man has only praise for God. He, for the first time, is seeing himself as a man with a blessing from God. I know this ugly lie this man has lived with. I lived with it myself, and then, almost 42 years ago–God gave me Kathy and my life has never been the same! God is faithful,and yes, He will come through.

The last two weeks of Celebrate Recovery I spent the share group time doing 101 with newcomers. The 101 is a one time session to give a packet of info to the newcomer to give background for the ministry. It is also a time for them to connect to a leader and hear their story. They have a chance to share what brought them also. Last week it was only one who was new. I was asked to do it because his past had similarities to my own. Last night I was asked again only because a couple of the male leaders were gone. There were 4 newcomers last night. I was genuinely touched listening to their reasons for coming.

The sad thing about newcomers is that only about 10% of them return a second time. The fear of going deeply into whatever brought them the first time is usually too great for them to return. We make so many excuses for ourselves at this point in our lives. We still want to take care of our problems without going to such a group as Celebrate Recovery. For those who do return, freedom awaits them. I couldn’t help but pray for each one this morning asking God to keep their motivation strong for returning.

I lived in the secrecy/bondage of my past far too long. The younger we are the more apt we are to think “I can do this on my own”. I pray this will not be the case for these 4 who came last night. God wants to grant them a new life!