Author: Stephanie Wolfe

When was the last time you received a letter of encouragement? Actually, when was the last time you received a hand written letter in the mail? With the onslaught of technology (email, text, and dm’s) we do not take the time to actually sit down and write someone an encouraging letter anymore. As I read 1 Thessalonians chapter 1 today, I wondered…how would I feel and respond if this was a letter actually written to me?

1 From Paul, Silas, and Timothy- To (your name) the people of the church in (your town) Thessalonica, who belong to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: May grace and peace be yours.
2 We always thank God for you (your name) all and mention you in our prayers.
3 For we remember before our God and Father how you (your name) put your faith into practice, how your love made you work so hard, and how your hope in our Lord Jesus Christ is firm.
4 Our friends, (your name), we know that God loves you and has chosen you to be his own.
5 For we brought the Good News to you, not with words only, but also with power and the Holy Spirit, and with complete conviction of its truth. You know how we lived when we were with you; it was for your own good.
6 You imitated us and the Lord; and even though you suffered much, you received the message with the joy that comes from the Holy Spirit.
7 So (your name) you became an example to all believers in (your town) Macedonia and Achaia.
8 For not only did the message about the Lord go out from you throughout (your town) Macedonia and Achaia, but the news about your faith in God has gone everywhere. There is nothing the that we need to say.
9 All those people speak about how you received us when we visited you, and how you turned away from idol to God, to serve the true and living God
10 and to wait for his Son to come from heaven- his Son Jesus, whom he raised from death and who rescues us from God’s anger that is coming.

Read the above 10 verses and personalise it with your name and town. How do you respond if this passage was written to you and about you? I felt encouraged and blessed. I don’t think we look at our spiritual life often enough and reflect on how we impact others. It is easy to look at it negatively and realise we do not do enough. But, I think these verses made me stop and take a look at what people might see and how I impact them when I am putting my trust in God in all circumstances.

I have the ability to reflect God to others when I am facing challenging things in my life. They see how I act and respond to hard situations. This passage in 1 Thessalonians emphasises how the early believers imitated their leaders and the Lord himself. It tells of their power to endure, to choose joy and to hold onto hope when the world around them was dark. This is no different than our world today. We have the choice to take hold of our faith and show those around us that our faith is rooted in the power of God himself.

We all need encouragement to walk daily through this life on earth. Take a moment and read this passage with your name inserted. Let the words encourage you and bless you today. May they give you strength to keep seeking God in all your circumstances and sharing His love with all you encounter.

1 Samuel 1-2, Psalm 120, Acts 5

Is there something in your life that you dream about doing or becoming? Do you pray about your dream and believe that God will answer your prayers? I admit, this is not something I am good at. I realise this even more so after reading today’s chapters about Hannah, I am lacking in faith. Her story builds my faith and helps me to believe that God hears my prayers and He is here to help.

1 Samuel 1 and 2 tell the story of Hannah. She was married to her husband, Elkannah who loved her very much, but she was unable to conceive a child. Understandably, this caused her much grief. Her husband tried to encourage her and let her know he loved her regardless, but Hannah’s heart still ached for a child.

Every year Hannah would travel to Shiloh to worship and sacrifice to God. Hannah was distraught and took this opportunity to cry out to God at His meeting place. When she entered, Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost.

As she was earnestly praying Eli was watching her. He suspected she was drunk and began quizzing her. She assured the priest that she was not drunk but just pouring out her soul to the Lord in prayer. She vowed in her prayer that if God would give her a son, she would give the child to be God’s servant.

Hannah made a solemn promise: “Lord Almighty, look at me, your servant! See my trouble and remember me! Don’t forget me! If you give me a son, I promise that I will dedicate him to you for his whole life and that he will never have his hair cut.”
Samuel 1:11

Eli responded to Hannah and said,

“Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him.”
Samuel 1:17

Hannah had great respect for Eli. She left the tabernacle at Shiloh and was no longer sad. She had faith and believed that what she prayed for would come to pass.

God answered Hannah’s prayer,  she conceived and had a son. She named him Samuel, which means “asked or heard of God.” Hannah kept her vow to God and after Samuel was weaned, she presented him to Eli the priest. This was a great sacrifice for a mother, but she was determined to fulfill her vow that she had made to God.

Samuel matured through the years and became a prophet of God, a judge and a leader in the nation of Israel. He was a mighty servant of God. Hannah went on to be blessed by more children. She probably never dreamed that her prayer would be answered beyond her dreams.

Hannah prayed with a belief that God would hear her prayers. After she had prayed at Shiloh, she went on her way believing that what she prayed for would come to pass. This is such an encouragement to us to pray for what we long for. And to walk away believing that God hears our prayers and will answer.

I am so thankful for scripture that inspires and encourages me. Reading this passage on Hannah helps build my faith and encourages me to pray and truly believe that God will answer my prayers.

What are you asking God for and believing that will come to pass?

But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”
Joshua 24:15

Each day we have many choices to make. What will I wear? What will I eat? I swear I have to check the weather app every morning to figure out what to wear, it may be raining, snowing, or sleeting. One choice I don’t think about as often on a daily basis is, who am I serving?

Today’s reading in Joshua 24 tells us to choose today who we will serve. If I don’t actively make a choice every single day to serve God, then who or what am I actually choosing?

We are each responsible for our life and our own relationship with God. We get to make the choice to choose God and follow Him wholeheartedly. Will I commit to serve God? Or will I commit to serve my desires, money, relationships, work, status, or success, or any other gods our culture worships?

The choice is ours and we will reap the consequences of the choices we make. Every morning as I have to make decisions, the most important decision should be to choose whom I will serve on this day. I honor God and bring Him glory when I choose to serve Him first.

Today’s reading: Deuteronomy 15-18, Psalm 115, Luke 9

I remember my Driver’s Ed instructor telling me to keep my eyes looking in the direction that I was driving. He explained that the car would veer in any direction that my eyes looked. Have you experienced this? When I am driving in a new place and checking out the surroundings, my car drifts to whatever direction I am looking. When my car would drifts to the left or to the right I immediately look in the rear view mirror to make sure a car isn’t in my way. I have to remind myself to quit looking around and look at the direction I am driving. It is so easy to get distracted.

Luke 9:62 gives us an agricultural reference as this is what the people of this time could relate to. If a farmer did not focus on what is ahead but was distracted by what was behind or on the periphery, it would be impossible to plow in a straight line. The ox and the plow would certainly veer off course.

Jesus said to him, “Anyone who starts to plow and then keeps looking back is of no use for the Kingdom of God.”
Luke 9:62

There are so many areas of our lives that can become distractions. We can look back and focus on past successes and past failures. Anything that we focus on or think about more than Jesus is a distraction. The previous verse tells of a person who volunteered to follow Jesus, but first, he wanted to go back home.

Someone else said, “I will follow you, sir; but first let me go and say good-bye to my family.”
Luke 9:61

This man’s heart was divided and distracted. Jesus wants his full devotion and commitment.

How often do we get distracted by life and pulled back into old patterns and thoughts? Jesus uses the analogy of plowing to to remind us to keep our minds straight. When plowing you cannot look back, if you do your row will become crooked. You have to keep your eyes straight ahead and fix them on an object in front of you to keep a straight path.

As a christian, we cannot keep our eyes on Jesus when our attention is diverted in other directions.

Keep looking ahead with your eyes fixed on Jesus.

In all your ways know and acknowledge and recognize Him, And He will make your paths straight and smooth [removing obstacles that block your way].
Proverbs 3:6 (AMP)

Numbers 15-18, Psalm 113, Colossians 3

When we praise the Lord it brings Him glory. We are called to glorify the Lord. It is something that I am currently focusing on. The area in my life that is needing change is my thought-life. God calls me to glorify Him in every thought that I have. My worries, fears and anxieties often get the best of me and that does not glorify God. I have to stop my thoughts and focus on Who God is and make Him my focus. I am amazed at how many times a day I catch myself having to make this mental flip.

Psalm 113 is a great reminder to Praise the Lord! It is a perfect Psalm to read and think about. We are called to Praise the Lord!

Praise the Lord!
You servants of the Lord, praise his name!
May his name be praised, now and forever.
From the east to the west praise the name of the Lord!
The Lord rules over all the nations: his glory is above the heavens.
There is no one like the Lord our God. He lives in the heights above,
but he bends down to see the heavens and the earth.
He raises the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from their misery and makes them companions of princes, the princes of his people.
He honors the childless wife in her home;
he makes her happy by giving her children.
PRAISE THE LORD!

We are called to praise the Lord, to bring glory to His name. We praise Him for His greatness and for the salvation that He has given us. When your thoughts are awry turn to Psalm 113 and read it out loud. Remember Who God is and PRAISE THE LORD!

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain,
Hebrews 6:19

Each time I have read the verse above, read a devotional about this verse, or hear a sermon about it, I resonate with the anchor symbolism. I remember as a young child boating with my Dad on the Illinois River and learning all things nautical.   One of my favorite memories as a young adult is when my family was boating on the shores of Lake Michigan. We  “beached” the boat as far into the shore as possible and then set the anchor in the sand. The anchor was tight and holding strong as began our decent down the beach. After we had traveled a distance my dad looked back at the boat and asked, “does it look like the boat is moving?” We all agreed that the anchor had loosened its grip in the sand and the boat was floating away from shore. We took off running back down the beach. My dad waded out into the water and was able to jump on the boat and pull it back up to the shore. We reset the anchor this time making triple sure that it was secure and not slipping.

In Biblical times, anchors on boats were not lowered into the ocean. Instead, a sailor would leave the boat and secure the anchor on shore to keep it from floating away. Instead of worrying about their boats floating away the sailors made sure that the anchor was secure.

Just like the anchor on a boat, we have the same hope in Jesus. He steadies our souls and secures us. This hope is a trust that God will fulfill His promise. We have hope because He has given us both a promise and an oath.

Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confided it with an oath.
Hebrews 6:17

The Lord cannot lie. We read of the promise He made to Abraham in verse 13. After Abraham waited patiently, he received what was promised to him (verse 15). This is an assurance to us that God does what He promises He will do.

When we put our trust in God, He promises to be our anchor. We are forever secure and tethered to Him. Our hope is firm and secure because God has promised on oath to fulfill His Word. No matter what comes against us in this world, we can be assured that our anchor does not slip, we can stand firm and trust in the Lord.

Levititcus 15-18, Psalm 31, Hebrews 6

Help me, O Lord my God; because of your constant love, save me!
Psalm 109:26

David, the author of this Psalm, had been experiencing numerous difficult times with many different people. As this chapter comes to a close, David cried out to God for help.

What do you do when you face a difficult situation? Do you seek help? I find that many times I seek different sources of help before I seek God. I might first google my problem and try to find relevant answers. I might seek out a confidant to ask advice about the situation. And sometimes, I just ruminate on the situation for hours which does not help solve the problem at all.

We see clearly from the verse above that David cried out to the Lord to save him. And as he cries out for help the emphasis remains of God. It is because of God and His constant love that David will be saved. There is nothing thad David had done that gave God a reason to save him from his struggles. God did not have to save him, but He is a God of love and mercy. Seeking God for help based off His love and mercy puts the focus on God and not self.

When we find ourself in a difficult situation, we are told through multiple scriptures to cry out to the Lord for help. This verse reminds us that the focus should be on God and who He is, not on ourself or what we have done. God hears us and helps us because of His constant love for us, nothing more.

This is a love we do not deserve or earn. Jesus died on the cross because He loves us, not because of who we are or anything we have done to deserve it. He hears us and answers our prayers when we cry out to Him only because He loves us.

 

Genesis 43-44, Psalm 108 and Galatians 1

Is your heart steadfast? What does that even mean? When I read Psalm 108 today, this is the first sentence of the chapter. Usually I just keep reading and don’t take time to really think about each verse, but for some reason this word got me to pause and take a deeper look.

steadfast – firmly fixed in place, immovable
firm in belief, determination, or adherence, loyal
(Merriam-Webter.com)

“Steadfast has held its ground for many centuries. Its Old English predecessor, stedefoest, combines stede (meaning “place” or “stead”) and faest (meaning “firmly fixed”). The word was first used in battle contexts to describe warriors who stood their ground, which led to its “immovable” sense. That sense gave way to the word’s use as an adjective implying unswerving faith, loyalty, or devotion.”
(Merriam-Webster.com)

So what does it mean if my heart is steadfast? It means that my heart is firmly fixed, immovable and loyal to God. My heart is not capable of of being moved or diverted from God.

My heart is steadfast, God! I will sing and make melody with all my being! Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn! I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations. For your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.”
Psalm 108:1-4 ESV

This chapter opens with King David making the statement that his heart is fixed on God. We know that David faced many challenges in his life, so he had reasons to doubt God or question why he suffered. But, this verse tells us that he CHOSE to keep his heart firmly fixed, immovable and loyal to God, no matter the circumstance that he encountered. He was determined to praise God. Why??? Why would David continue to praise God through his struggles?

Your love is so extravagant, it reaches higher than the heavens! Your faithfulness is so astonishing, it stretches to the skies!
Psalm 108:4 TPT

David chose to praise him through his struggles because he knew that God never changes. His love is extravagant. His love reaches higher than the heavens. His faithfulness is astonishing.

God’s love for David is the same love He has for you and I. His love for us is steadfast. His love for us will never change. His love for us is extravagant. When life is good it is easy to praise God, but when life is hard we have to fix our thoughts on God and praising Him. We have David to remind us to be steadfast in our praise.

When I face challenges in my life, I have to make a conscious decision about my thoughts. I can go down the road of fear and what-ifs, taking my worries into my own hands and trying to figure it all out. Or, as I am called to do by God, I can make the choice to praise God for Who He is. I can tell Him how great He is. I can thank Him for All He has done previously in my life and in the lives around me.

I know from experience that this choice does not come easy. Even just this week I got lost in my own thoughts and fears. I knew in the back of my mind that God was in control, but I unfortunately did not choose to praise Him through the circumstance. This chapter of Psalm 108 reminded me to praise Him through the storm no matter what. And the best part is that I get to try again and again. God is the God of 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 100th+ chances. And that is a good thing, because I seem to take a long time to learn certain lessons. I can praise God that He never gives up on me. He loves me to the ends of the earth, and that is worth praising Him.

No power in the sky above or in the earth below-indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:39 NLT

I am a warrior. I am steadfast. I will keep my heart steadfast and praise Jesus for Who He is, What He has done, and What He will do.

I recently joined a new to me group of ladies who love Jesus. One specific thing stood out to me as we prayed out loud together. Nobody prayed for themselves or particular situations. Each person said a short sentence prayer praising Jesus for Who He is. It was refreshing and thought provoking for me. I was reminded of how often I get trapped in praying for all the things that I or the people around me need and do not focus on saying Thank You.

Psalm 107 is a Psalm about thankfulness. In fact, the following verse is repeated 4 times in this one Psalm.

They must thank the Lord for his constant love, for the wonderful things he did for them.
Psalm 107:8,15,21, and 31)

The author of this Psalm obviously encourages the people to be thankful to God. It is so easy to get caught up in the trenches of life that we lose focus on giving thanks. Psalm 107 describes 5 different areas in which God has been faithful to His people.

He is a God of Deliverance – Then in their trouble they called to the Lord and he saved them from their distress. Psalm 107:6

He is a God of Guidance – He led them by a straight road to a city where they could live. Psalm 107:7

He is a God of Provision – He satisfies those who are thirsty and fills the hungry with good things. Psalm 107:9

He is a God of Protection – He calmed the raging storm, and the waves became quiet. They were glad because of the calm, and he brought them safe to the port they wanted. Psalm 107:29-30

He is a God of Blessings – He changed deserts into pools of water and dry land into flowing springs. He let hungry people settle there, and they built a city to live in. They sowed the fields and planted grapevines and reaped an abundant harvest. He blessed his people, and they had many children; he kept their herds of cattle from decreasing. Psalm 107:35-38

He is a God who delivers, guides, provides, protects and blesses. As I think of all these areas and what God has done in my life, I realize I do not thank Him enough. But I can start right now. God has been so faithful to me and I have the opportunity to thank Him for the numerous ways He delivers me from trials, guides me through difficult situations, provides in unexpected ways, protects me from harm, and blesses me beyond measure.

May this Psalm remind us to thank God every day for all that He has given.

Give thanks to the Lord, because he is good; his love is eternal! Repeat these words in praise to the Lord, all you whom he has saved.
Psalm 107:1-2

 

Is your name written in the Book of Life?

Today in Revelation 20, we read about the Book of Life. It is pretty clear what the Bible says in verse 15:

And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

The most important place your name could ever be written is in this book. So, how do you know if your name is included in this Book of Life?

As we are just 4 days away from celebrating Christmas, the birth of Jesus, what a fitting question. We celebrate Jesus coming to earth to bring us life. It is only through Him that we are forgiven and through belief in Him do we get to have our name added to the Book of Life. When we believe that Jesus Christ is our Savior it is a gift that we are given to be added to this book.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Ephesians 2:8-9

I have previously shared the story of realising my name was in the Book of Life, not because of who I am or what I have done, but only because of what Jesus did for me by coming to this earth and then dying on the cross.

I will never forget the shame I felt after hanging up the phone with a lady from a new church I attended. She asked me if I believed in Jesus and did I believe I would go to Heaven (was my name written in the Book of Life?). I said Yes and she asked me why I believed this. The first words out of my mouth were, “because I am a good person and I do good things.” The woman immediately followed up with, “well, that is fine, but you only get to Heaven because Jesus died for your sins, not because of anything you do.” I was mortified. I had just graduated from a Christian College, I had spent years in the Church…why wasn’t that my first answer??? As hard as it was to realize that I had answered in the wrong way, it has been one of the greatest lessons and reminders in my life. Jesus died for ME because He Loves Me! Not because of ANYTHING I have done or will do!

Reading through Revelation 20 is confusing and can be frustrating to figure out what it is exactly saying. But when you know that Jesus came and died for your sins, it is a comfort to know that your name is written down in the Book of Life and your salvation is secure. Your future is in heaven and your eternity is with Christ.

We have such an opportunity these next few days to celebrate the birth of Jesus and the reason He came to earth. Sharing this good news with others is the biggest call on our lives. Revelation makes it abundantly clear what happens if your name is not written in the Book of Life. We can let that scare us or motivate us to share the Good News of Jesus with all that we are surrounded by this Christmas.

Job 34-36 and Revelation 20