Seek the LORD while He may found; call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the LORD, and He will have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.

~Isaiah 55:6-7

Reading the Old Testament prophets (major or minor) can be confusing, complicated, and overwhelming. To me, understanding these prophesies in the context of the nation of Israel, as well as their pointing to Jesus, requires intense study by way of theologians, commentary, and the Holy Spirit Himself! But then I come to particular chapters of Isaiah, and I am overjoyed in seeing clearly the message of salvation and our beautiful Messiah. 

In the opening chapter, verse 18, for instance, Isaiah proclaims, “’Come now, let us reason together,’ says the Lord. ‘Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool’.” Then there is the terrible and stunning chapter 53, which describes in prophetic detail the suffering of our Savior and His satisfaction of the wrath that belongs to you and me. 

So, as the headlines of this evil and broken world continue to pummel my soul with Davidic questions like, “How long, oh Lord?”, it’s easy to get discouraged. And it can be hard to keep one’s eyes on the Sovereignty and Goodness of our God. But then I open my Bible to Isaiah chapter 55, where the precious promise of God’s grace poured out in a refreshing Gospel reminder. 

Here, Isaiah starts by asking why we’re trying to satisfy our soul with the things of this world—we hunger and thirst but chase things that cannot quench our deep needs. No, he says—there is a free gift of God that is yours for the asking! Seek the Lord—call upon Him in your desperation. Forsake your wicked ways and repent—turn back to God. When we recognize that there is no way we can buy, earn, or achieve God’s standard on our own and so surrender to Him, He completely pardons us. (A pardon! Think about this in our modern legal terms! A guilty, convicted criminal is fully forgiven and freed—as if he or she never committed the crime at all. Oh, sweet friend, how amazing is our pardon from the Living God?!) When we call on the Lord in the recognition of our sin and unworthiness, and then surrender to Him, we receive the righteousness of Christ (the suffering Servant of Isaiah 53). And as an extra bonus to exclaim how mind-blowing this free gift of salvation actually is, Isaiah goes right into saying, “And you know what? It is impossible for our puny brains to fathom this abundant compassion, mercy, and grace” (vs. 8-9).

Are you tired and thirsty? Seeking satisfaction from the things of this world? Are you frustrated by the headlines of darkness that make you question whether there is a light that can overcome it? Beloved, from before time began, there has been a plan of Victory! Jesus, the Second Person of the Godhead, came to earth as a Man to suffer the penalty for all who call on His Name, overcoming sin and death. He is the Light that makes all darkness flee. He is the Bread of Life, the Living Water that fully satisfies the “God-shaped hole” in your soul. Won’t you invite Him in and accept His free gift of grace?

Oh, sweet Jesus, thank You for exchanging my sin and wretchedness for Your righteousness—forever changing me and my eternity. Thank You for Your Word that, from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21 shouts of Your redemptive plan.

For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

~Romans 8:13

I recently heard a great analogy from a pastor visiting our church. The overarching theme was for believers to truly live the John 10:10 abundant life by being crucified with Christ and dying to self (Galatians 2:20). The teaching wove together Old and New Testament truths and was chock-full of challenging nuggets and visual comparisons. It was one of his examples from nature—specifically regarding dandelions—that got my mind spinning to expand upon and share his brief reference. 

Although we’re likely all familiar with this ubiquitous weed, I first had to dive into learning more about the properties of dandelions. Allow me to elaborate:

1. The bright yellow flowering head looks attractive (and is).
2. The stems are hollow.
3. The taproots are long and hinder other plants from growing.
4. They compete with and crowd out desired plants.
5. They are not only fast-growing, but they’re relentless—pushing their way through even the tiniest sidewalk cracks.
6. When the roots are superficially cut, they actually clone, so they quickly multiply.

Are bells and whistles going off for your spirit? Sounds an awful lot like sin, doesn’t it? Attractive on the surface, it’s only full of hollow promises for satisfaction. Fleshly activity competes for attention over the spiritual, hindering godly fruit from being realized. When a crack in our spiritual armor is found, sin pushes through oh so tenaciously. And just as overgrowth of dandelions can destroy a lawn, the final outgrowth of sin is death (James 1:15). (Each of these warrants its own devo!)

But let’s examine factoid #6: Managing dandelions is not an option. If you’ve got a yard where dandelions spring up, you know that the easiest way to get rid of them is to simply mow over them. The resulting lawn looks green and lush and healthy—from the observing eye. A day or so later, they pop back up. Often multiplied. See, dandelions must be uprooted or destroyed at the root level to really be rid of them. 

Beloved, the same is true with the sin in our lives! This is where the pastor used dandelions as one of his many examples of dying to self. See, too often we clip away the outward activity or habits that sprout up from our old sin nature. We can even make ourselves look tidy and “weedless” to our family, friends, and church. But those entrenched sins will rear their ugly heads again unless we kill them. Although we’re made free—a new creation—in Christ, we will be sinning until we’re glorified, so we’ve got to be diligent in uprooting what once controlled us. But we don’t (cannot) do this in our own power. We must yield to the Holy Spirit living in us to be the sin slayer. 

This growing freedom from sin comes only with our surrender—which requires our death to self, as we’re crucified with Christ (Romans 6:6-7). And every day is a day of death for us who follow Jesus (Luke 14:27)…because only then can the Holy Spirit serve as our personal spiritual pesticide, killing in us what’s intended to kill us.

Lord, today may I die to self a little more, so that Christ in me can free me from any sin that still enslaves me.

Where there is no vision, the people are out of control, But how blessed is he who keeps the law. 

~Proverbs 29:18

Almost three years ago, I experienced a torn retina in my right eye. It was terrifying, but the Lord moved in a big way during that time—miraculously, really—to change my spiritual life. Sadly, the eye surgeries that followed also permanently changed my vision. See, in addition to the torn retina repair, I had to get a vitrectomy, which drains the vitreous fluid to rid it of debris to clear my vision. I share all that to say that since the vitrectomy procedure, my right eye has steadily becoming more nearsighted…while my left eye has remained farsighted. (In other words, prior to the tear, I could see far away just fine but needed reading glasses like most people in my age group.) Now, however, my left eye sees clearly at a distance, yet I cannot read with it, and my right eye sees clearly to read, but everything beyond six feet is a blur.

There’s a name for this phenomenon: monovision. One can actually function this way because the brain adjusts accordingly as you focus close in or far away. It’s super weird. And although my brain does adjust to my wonky eyes, I often feel a bit like that emoji with the spinning eyeballs. Actually, many people correct their eyes (via contact lenses or laser surgery) to create monovision, so they won’t have to wear bifocals or switch from readers to “seers” to look near then far. 

This thought of monovision struck me in terms of the way we believers are called to live our lives. We must keep a focus on heaven—we are citizens of that Great Monarchy after all and subject to the King of kings. Everything we do, we’re to do as unto the Lord. Our perspective is meant to be from our position as the victorious and redeemed in Christ. This is like the eye that can clearly see far away to what is yet ahead. And at the same time, we’re to live in this world—to shine our light into the darkness, living like Christ and becoming more like Him daily as we journey back Home. This requirement for righteous activity (in response to our righteousness in Christ, not to earn it) equates to seeing close-up—what’s right in front of us.

Beloved, in walking through this fallen, broken world as saved (yet still broken) people, we must keep an eye heavenward in the knowledge of God’s Sovereignty and our ultimate destination. This vision gives us a peace and contentment no matter our circumstances. Yet we are also called to see the broken people around us, focusing on pointing others to Christ and doing our part in the Lord’s redemptive plan. We’re to “one another” one another, in love, grace, mercy, and service.

So, what about you? Is your focus only on what the world cares about, trying to satisfy yourself in what your flesh and pride desire (solely nearsighted)? Or are you, as it’s been said, “so heavenly focused that your no earthly good” (that is, too farsighted)? Let’s be encouraged to a monovisioned life! Just as our brain adjusts to see clearly at different distances, so the Holy Spirit will give us the clarity to be in this world and not of it…keeping a dual perspective as one rescued and on the rescue team. 

Lord, may I never lose my vision for either my heavenly identity in Christ OR my earthly purpose to glorify You. But let me live with a view for both.

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us.                 

~ 2 Corinthians 1:3-7 (NLT)

Life is hard. Beyond that, walking through this life is a constant battle because we’re up against this fallen world, our fleshly desires, and the enemy of our souls. Even as followers of Christ, we’re promised troubles in this world (John 16:33). People hurt us. Tragedy befalls us. Our own sin hinders our sanctification journey. Often, when we are weighed down, tossed about, or completely unraveled, we lift our “why” to the Lord (and others). We shout, “How long, Oh Lord?” We remind ourselves that God’s ways are higher than ours, His thoughts beyond our understanding (sometimes successfully hearing this self-talk, other times, not so much). But going through the fire still burns. And we never come out the other side completely unscathed. Scars remain—whether visible or not. Although the brokenness has healed, we may walk with a limp.

Even when a particular valley season is “done”, we may not get our heavenly reason. Can we eventually look back and see the Lord’s mighty hand of protection, direction, and mercy? I pray we do! Whether He walked beside us, carried us, or dragged us through it, Jesus never left us. Sometimes, we are given a revelation as to how desperate days glorified Him—it could be a few months later or decades. Perhaps we needed refining in a particular area. Or we can see that what the enemy intended for evil, the Lord intended for a much bigger and bolder Good. Maybe it led us out of the pigsty to a place of full surrender to the Lord. 

In God’s Word, through the Apostle Paul (2 Corinthians 1:3-7), we’re given another profound answer to the cries of “why” through our storms: to prepare us to comfort others with the Providential comfort we’ve been given. In typical Paul fashion, these verses can be a bit wordy—but he leaves no room for confusion here. God is our source of comfort, joy, and satisfaction, no matter our circumstances. No amount of drink, drug, money, self-help, or self-harm will fully comfort or satisfy—only Christ and the confidence we have in our salvation. And it is through this comfort received that we can extend comfort to others. We can boldly proclaim, “I endured through Christ, and so can you!”

I was powerfully reminded of this recently when a neighbor was courageous enough to share a darkness she is walking through. (Mind you, she doesn’t know me well, but she and her husband know we are Christ followers…and so they trusted us as a safe place to land. This, friend, is another devo altogether—but you can probably see where I’d go with this!) It “just so happens” that I’ve walked the road she suddenly found herself on, stepping on the same shards of broken glass and wondering if my bloodied feet (and life) could heal. Oh, friend, I was able to comfort and encourage her because of my pain, giving grace and counsel I would otherwise be unable to extend had I not been through it. I was able to reveal my scars, once open wounds, now healed and strengthened. And I was able to assure her that those shards of brokenness can be restored into something beautiful. 

When troubles come, beloved, lean into the comfort only God can provide. It’s quite alright to ask Him your “whys” (just look through Psalms—it’s a thing!). But please know that your trust in God, endurance, and comfort through your suffering holds a promised purpose when you’ve come through the other side: to help bring others through. Just be sure to look for those opportunities to comfort another…be brave and let Him use your story for His glory. 

Lord, thank You for the victories I have through You. Let me use my scars—and Yours—to comfort others, shining Your light of hope, grace, mercy, and love.

The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body.  

~Proverbs 18:8

Reading the book of Proverbs sometimes feels like you’re in the boxing ring being pummeled with truth punches—left hook of warning, right uppercut of counsel, left cross caution. Oh, those stings of conviction. From verse to verse, the order can seem somewhat random—but every line has pointed purpose for us to grow in wisdom and fear of the Lord.

So, as I was cozied up in the middle of this wisdom book, a matter was repeated in a few chapters that got me thinking a bit more about the power of our tongue (a topic the Lord has seemingly been spotlighting for me lately). This time, it’s about gossip. Now, men don’t generally have an issue with this particular sin—and yes, it’s a sin. In fact, it’s among those “seven things the Lord hates” (Proverbs 6:16-19)! The Old and New Testaments are filled with warnings against gossip—whether it’s “true” or slanderous.

Why do we (especially women) love the taste of sharing some shared-with-us information, secret, or rumor? Is it tasty to be in the know and wanting others to know you’re in the know? Are we, in some deep-need way, trying to prove our value to another person? Or, in our sinful judgment of another person, do we whisper to a friend in the vein of “aren’t you glad we’re not like that person?”—smacking of the Pharisees’ prayer in Luke 18. The fact is, there are many reasons why we lean in to share a tasty morsel…or hear one.

But here in Proverbs 16, 17, and 26, there’s another aspect of gossiping that needs to be underscored: the results. 

• A dishonest man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends (Proverbs 16:28).

• One who conceals an offense seeks love, but one who repeats a matter separates close friends (Proverbs 17:9).

• For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases. As charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife. The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body (Proverbs 26:20-22).

Sweet friend, gossip never encourages. It may feel sweet in the moment of sharing or hearing, but its purpose is only either futile or harmful. I’ve seen relationships broken, wedges put between brothers and sisters in Christ, and, yes, even close friends separated. Spreading “did you hear” speculations only adds charcoal fluid to hot coals, fueling quarreling and strife. The Biblical (and experiential) warnings are so true. So, what’s a girl (or guy) to do with those tasty morsels? Well, the Bible’s pretty clear on this as well.

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear (Ephesians 4:29).

Be an encourager, building others up and extending grace. In this, we shine light into the lives of family, friends, and neighbors, reflecting the love of Christ and pointing to Him. Dive into what Scripture has to say about using our words to build others up—I promise you, the taste is much sweeter for all.

Lord, put a guard on my mouth for speaking words that are hurtful, hateful, and simply unnecessary. May I always speak the truth in love, seasoned with grace—reflecting You, pointing to You, and glorifying You.

Then the king said to me, “What would you request?” So I prayed to the God of heaven. Then I said…  

~Nehemiah 2:4-5a

Not sure about any of you all, but I’m a talk-thinker—I guess the official term is “verbal processor.” Often, when a question is asked of me (whether at work or with friends or family), I just open my mouth and the words start flowing. Sometimes, by the time I get to the end of said wordflow, the conclusion does not resemble the beginning all that much. In fact, with my clients, I frequently find myself saying, “Now, bear with me, I’m processing as I’m speaking…”

Most of the time, everything turns out just fine in this verbal-thinking mode of mine. But not always. Sometimes (way too often), when I open my mouth without first head-thinking, I hear words of judgment or complaining or defensive rebuttal roll off my treacherous tongue (Proverbs 21:23; James 3:1-18; . (And, sadly, this is usually with my husband.) Or, when I’m attempting to give godly, Bible-aligned wisdom to a sister in Christ, I lead with what I think or feel. This advice is usually based on seasons the Lord has led me through or from the years I’ve spent in His Word. But—and it’s a great big but—how often do I stop first to “pray to the God of heaven” (Nehemiah 2:4) for wisdom? Ouch.

So, what a great reminder it was in diving into the first few chapters of Nehemiah. Eight little words (in the NASB), innocently stuck within the amazing story of this brave cupbearer to the king. Like Ezra, Daniel, and Esther, Nehemiah had been elevated to a place of honor even in Jewish bondage. As cupbearer, Nehemiah had daily audience with the king. Now, he knew the promises of God—and the unfaithfulness of God’s people, which led to their mass exodus out of Jerusalem. The book of Nehemiah is an awesome testament to God’s Providence, so I recommend you delve in yourself. But the context here is that in Nehemiah’s sadness about his people and Promised Land, the king noticed and actually cared enough to ask Nehemiah what burdened him. After Nehemiah shared the reason for his sorrow, the king asked, “What would you request?” 

Wow. This is a big deal. But instead of Nehemiah rambling on about the woes of the Jews or rehashing past wrongs to eventually get to a request, we read those eight words: “So I prayed to the God of heaven.” Even the presumptive “so” is astounding! It’s like he’s saying, “Well, duh, the obvious first thing to do is pray to God before I think or say or do anything.” [Spoiler alert: What came out of Nehemiah’s mouth was a succinct request (cushioned with a compliment), as well as a definitive plan of action.]

What a great lesson for us all—simple, yet not easy. These eight little words must become our “so” habit. And habits take effort. And repetition. So, will you join me in pausing to pray before speaking? Before we share, advise, judge, ask, or even “observe aloud”, let’s ask the Sovereign One for guidance. In fact, we have the third Person of the Trinity living in us for such wisdom—the Holy Spirit is our Counselor just waiting to be tapped in before our tongue takes over.

Lord, may we search Your Word for the countless truths of how to use (and not use) our words. And may we daily (moment-by-moment) pray to You before speaking.

The Lord’s bondservant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, skillful in teaching, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.

~2 Timothy 2:24-26

Friend, if you are a follower of Jesus Christ, I want to ask you a simple question: Do you always remember from where you came? Whether you gave your life to Christ at VBS when you were age 7 or the Lord called your name to salvation at 70, the fact is that you used to be an enemy of God in need of reconciliation with Him. It’s so easy, especially the longer we walk with the Lord down the path of sanctification, to forget. 

If you’re like me and surrendered to Jesus later in life, your previous lostness may be more top of mind, so to speak—especially if you share your testimony as a witness of the transforming power of Christ. But even then, the longer we’re “church people”, the more likely we are to experience a bit of “sanctification pride”…in other words, a kind of forgetfulness of our own journey, with an attitude of, “Oh, I can’t believe he/she is ‘still’ doing this/that—I’m glad I’m not like that!” Really? First of all—yeah, we were once like that. Second of all, we still are. It may not be the exact same snare as our brother or sister, but we still fight against sin daily. (And if you don’t think so, well, a study on the sin of pride might be something to consider.) 

And when it comes to looking upon unbelievers, we must absolutely reach back and recall our life as—not just in–darkness (Ephesians 5:8). Regardless of whether you never left the Father’s porch or you ended up in the pigsty (like me), you and I were once lost. Blind. Enslaved. An enemy (Ephesians 2:1-3). This is what Paul is exhorting Timothy about in 2 Timothy 2:24-26. Christians must battle that internal dialogue of judgement against the lost…in fact, it actually sounds an awful lot like Christ’s condemnation of the Pharisee’s prayer, “God, thank you that I am not like that guy…” (Luke 18:9-14). 

So, how do we follow Paul’s advice? There are three words in those verses in 2 Timothy that seem to pop out: “all” and “if perhaps”. All means all, and that’s all all means—as a former pastor of mine used to say. Every person you encounter is either alive in Christ or dead. We may not know who’s who, but we can know that all need Jesus. So we need to act that way. And if they are dead (blind, lost, enslaved to sin), there is the promise of “IF PERHAPS”—the potential that the Lord will call them to Himself—and He may use YOU or ME to do it! Because of our gentle words of truth and actions of love, the Lord may open their eyes to the knowledge of Him. They may come to their senses (like that pigsty moment) and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will (v 26).

Beloved, as we walk through this world, remember that we have been rescued by the grace of God through faith in Christ Jesus! Now it is our calling, our responsibility, to show others the way of escape…that they don’t have to be held captive by the lust of the flesh, this fallen world, or the hissing lies of the accuser (Satan). Every day, we must first remind ourselves that through Christ’s victorious death and resurrection, we’re no longer captives to the enemy as we once were (Galatians 5:1; 2 Corinthians 3:17; John 8:36)…then, let’s go make a way of escape for others.

Lord, thank You for the freedom won on my behalf in Christ. As one rescued, may I open my eyes to the walking dead around me who desperately need a way of escape—and use me to show them the way.