Devo from Russell Pond

I prayed: "Lord, this is kind of scary."

His words rang through my spirit, "Can you trust me?"

"Yes Lord, I trust you. I trust you with my life and with my death. I trust you with all that I am and with all that I have" (John 14:1).

The fear melted away.

Just two days before that hotel experience, I had boarded a plane from Dallas to Tokyo. Thirteen hours in a cramped cabin flying 6 miles above the ground at almost 10 times the speed I drive my car could be terrifying. But again I prayed, "Lord, I trust you with all my heart" (Proverbs 3:5).

Away from my family, more fearful thoughts about their safety filled my mind. Again, a prayer, "Lord, I entrust my family to your care. You are more than able to guard them and keep them safe" (2 Timothy 1:12).

Learning to trust God has been the cornerstone of my recovery process. Anxiety and fear can easily consume my mind when those fearful thoughts are not dealt with. The cycle of "what if's" can spin wildly out of control. It's a cycle most of you know very well.

"Well Russell, you have such strong faith. It's easy for you to trust God." Constantly, people write to me with these kinds of comments. But, it's not as easy as they claim. I still battle fearful thoughts. The cycle of "what if's" still sneaks its way into my mind. Strong faith does not equal perfect peace. Perfect peace comes from total trust.

One aspect of faith is how you respond to the crumbling world around you, especially when you can't understand all the reasons why. Can you trust God even when nothing makes sense? Can you trust him with your life? With your death? Can you trust him even when you don't understand?

When those fearful thoughts come crashing in, I've learned to cry out in prayer: "Lord, I don't really understand why this is happening, but I will trust you. I want to run and scream and panic! But, I will stand still and not give in to the fear. I will trust you."

I encourage you this week with Proverbs 3:5, my life scripture: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and don't lean on your own understanding." Trusting God is the foundation of faith. When you can place all of your trust in your Father, especially when nothing makes sense, then his "peace that passes all understanding will fill your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:7).

Prayer: Lord, I want to trust you more. Teach me to trust in the midst of fear. Teach me to rest in the midst of the storms.

Blessings!

God bless our Veterans and Troops

Handprints of Love by Renee Myers

“Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.” Proverbs 31:31 (NLT)

Devotion:

Oh, the memories of summer days spent with my husband’s parents at their cozy lake cottage. My mother-in-law Jeanette was a wonderful hostess who always made us feel welcomed and loved. Their peaceful home sat on a canal that led to the lake. The views from the windows looked across a tree-shaded yard to the canal where their boat was docked. At any time you could look out to see ducks wandering in the yard or floating by, cranes flying overhead, boats motoring along, or fish jumping out of the water. Our young son loved to stand at the windows with his hands pressed against the glass to catch these fascinating sights.

While talking to Jeanette after one of our visits she said, “This might sound funny, but I haven’t washed the windows since you were here last. I still enjoy seeing your son’s handprints on the glass and just can’t bring myself to wash them off.” Silently I thought to myself, “No, that doesn’t sound funny at all. I never wash our windows either!” Then my heart allowed me to be touched by what she’d just said. Although she was an excellent housekeeper who liked everything neat and tidy, she looked past perfection and sought preservation of the moments her grandchild spent in her home, leaving his handprints behind as evidence of the happy times they’d shared.

Hmmm…I had a lot to learn from her. I was so busy trying to be a good mom and keep up with my tasks (which included wiping off all the sticky handprints I found), that I was overlooking precious “handprint moments” with my own son. I wasn’t allowing myself to stand back and cherish them as my mother-in-law had so wisely done.

Psalm 127:3 tells me that children are a gift from the Lord. In the busyness of motherhood, I failed to see and cherish him as such. Wisdom spoke through the loving words of my mother-in-law to remind me.

I’ve learned many lessons from Jeanette’s kind and gentle ways. She treated me as a daughter-in-love, not a daughter-in-law. I’ve never heard her raise her voice or speak negatively of others. Although Jeanette was a retired elementary teacher, she never stopped teaching the things that mattered most. She took pride in her duties as a wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother up until the day she lost her life to cancer.

She left handprints of love on my heart that will never be wiped away, evidence of deeds that publicly declare her praise (Proverbs 31:31).

Dear Lord, please help me to leave handprints of love on my loved ones hearts, just as You have done on the hearts of those who turn to You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Reflections:

Whose handprints of love are on your heart?

How might you live your life so that you can leave handprints of love on the hearts of others?

How can you honor those whose love-lessons have made a difference for you?

Power Verses:

Titus 2:1, “But as for you, promote the kind of living that reflects right teaching.” (NLT)

1 Peter 1:22b, “Love one another deeply, from the heart.” (NIV)

John 15:12, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” (NIV)